East County Observer 12.08.22

YOUR TOWN

Administrator says county ready to rock

Enjoy a slice of ice at the Rink at UTC

Growing up in the Florida climate, East County’s 6-year-old Arden Misiewicz and 8-yearold Giada Misiewicz were not as familiar with ice skating as their mother, Cara Misiewicz, who comes from Ohio.

Cara Misiewicz said The Rink at UTC, part of University Town Center’s holiday celebrations, provided an exciting opportunity for her children to try the sport, something they had only had the opportunity to do once before.

Arden Misiewicz said he was beginning to enjoy the experience, finally gaining enough balance to let go of the railing and glide across the ice.

“I feel like it’s my favorite sport,” said Giada Misiewicz.

“This is phenomenal,” said Cara Misiewicz. “It’s wonderful we can be outside but still enjoy a winter sport. It’s nice to wear a T-shirt and watch the kids skate.”

Two kids, one Christmas wish

Greenbrook 6-year-olds Jas mine and Benjamin Pearsall found exactly the person they were looking for on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, after the Holiday Tree Lighting that marked the start of Music on Main on Dec. 2.

The children were delighted at the chance to meet with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus beneath the newly lit Christmas tree.

It turned out the twin siblings both wanted the same item.

Jasmine Pearsall offered a hint by saying it was “something big.”

The siblings eventually revealed they had asked Santa Claus for a dirt bike.

“That way you don’t have to pedal,” said Benjamin Pearsall. Whether or not they receive a dirt bike, it appeared their family was going to enjoy a festive evening.

“We just got here, but so far we love it,” said their mother, Petra Pearsall.

New title for exec, but fresh challenge

Ian Swaby

Liz Ramos

Sylvie Theis, a seventh grader at R. Dan Nolan Middle School, helps care for the cows on campus. Programs like Future Farmers of America are one of the reasons why families choose to participate in school choice.

Ian Swaby

East County’s Mitchell Teitelbaum has assumed the role of deputy county administrator.

Former school district executive joins Manatee County’s staff.

Scott Hopes said his Manatee County administration will be more equipped to handle a growing project list.

Educator of Year finalists named

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Cynthia Saunders, the superinten dent of the School District of Mana tee County, made surprise visits to four East County school employees.

At each visit, Saunders presented the employees with balloons and an award.

Kelly Smith-Williams, an anatomy and physiology teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School, and Tiffany Bar rett-Greer, a second-grade teacher at Braden River High School, received recognition for being School District of Manatee County Educator of the Year finalists.

Gena Case, a guidance clerk at Myakka City Elementary School, and Marisol Hernandez, a school secre tary at Braden River High School, received recognition for being final ists for Support Employee of the Year.

Other Educator of the Year final ists are Kendall Carrier, director of bands at Parrish Community High School, and Michelle Dowell, a bio medical science teacher at Palmetto High School.

Other Support Employee of the Year finalists are Latisha Jones, a guidance clerk at Southeast High School, and Brianna Hall, a clerical assistant at Lincoln Memorial Mid dle School.

The winners will be announced at the district’s 2023 Excellence in Edu cation Awards in February at Parrish Community High school.

Each of the finalists were honored for their dedication and passion.

Kelly Smith-Williams: On Nov. 30, Smith-Williams gave an example of why she is being considered for the Educator of the Year award when it was obvious she couldn’t wait to start

her lesson on identifying muscles on a cartoon character in motion.

As her students searched for car toon characters, Smith-Williams played Disney music to match the theme.

“If it’s fun, memorable and inter active, they’ll remember it for the exams,” she said. “They’ll remember it going forward.”

Whether it’s cartoon characters or drawing facial muscles on balloons, Smith-Williams tries to incorpo rate hands-on assignments into her anatomy and physiology class.

Smith-Williams, who is in her sev enth year of teaching, started out as a physical education teacher before being asked to teach anatomy and physiology last school year.

“I absolutely fell in love with it,” she said. “The ability to take what I know from P.E. and health and apply it to a core honors class is a huge deal, especially because we have such amazing, high-level honors students here. To think I’m teaching a student now who one day could be my son’s pediatrician is just incredible.”

Tiffany Barrett-Greer: At the beginning of the school year, one of Barrett-Greer’s students knew her letters and sounds, but she didn’t want to read.

Barrett-Greer made it a mission of hers to get her student to love read ing.

“She didn’t believe me and thought I was being ridiculous,” BarrettGreer said. “Now she’s reading, and she came back to me the other day and said, ‘You were right. You told me you were going to get me to read, and now I’m reading.’ It was such a special moment.”

Barrett-Greer focuses on building relationships with her students and families to not only help academical

ly but also socially and emotionally. She has a saying in her classroom, “I can’t do this ... yet.”

“We learned that even though we can’t do it right now, it doesn’t mean in a month, two months, three months, we’re not going to be able to do that,” she said. “Second grade is such a magical grade level because they jump so many levels. It’s amaz ing to watch that happen and to be a part of it.”

Barrett-Greer, who has been teaching for 17 years, uses real-world examples to help her students under stand lessons. For example, when her students are learning about money, she opens a donut shop in class. She works with them to understand the value of each coin and how to add everything up to then afford a donut.

“We make learning fun here,” Barrett-Greer said. “Everything we do in this classroom has a purpose. Everything’s so engaging here that they don’t want to miss school, and that is so important to me.”

Gena Case: Whether it’s organiz ing a Teacher Appreciation lunch or assisting administrators with stu dents, Case does all she can to sup port students, teachers and staff at Myakka City Elementary School.

“If I get to help a teacher, whether it’s giving them an extra break or a

treat or do something to put a smile on their face when they go back to class, that is probably the best part of my job,” Case said. “They work so, so hard. I might not be in the classroom with children every day, but knowing some of the things I get to do behind the scenes is so fulfilling. It’s more than just getting a paycheck.”

When Case started at Myakka City Elementary in 2016, she was a paraprofessional. She took on the role of guidance clerk in 2020. She uses her experiences from being in the classroom and her experiences as a guidance clerk to help Princi pal Carol Ricks, Assistant Principal Betsy Bickel-Perry and guidance counselor Debbie Veldkamp with whatever they need.

“Being in the office now, I nev er, ever take for granted that those teachers are working from the first bell to the last bell,” case said. “If I get a phone call during the day from a teacher saying, ‘Can you run down here and give me five minutes?’ I love doing that because I have been on the other side and have seen how hard those teachers work.”

Marisol Hernandez: When Her nandez started working at Braden River High School four years ago, she saw it as an opportunity to help others.

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF MANATEE COUNTY FINALISTS

Educator of the Year finalists

■ Tiffany Barrett-Greer, second grade teacher at Braden River Elementary School

■ Kelly Smith-Williams, anatomy and physiology teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School

■ Kendall Carrier, director of bands at Parrish Community High School

■ Michelle Dowell, biomedical science teacher at Palmetto High School

Support Employee of the Year finalists

■ Gena Case, guidance clerk at Myakka City Elementary School

■ Marisol Hernandez, school secretary at Braden River High School

■ Brianna Hall, clerical assistant at Lincoln Memorial Middle School

■ Latisha Jones, guidance clerk at Southeast High School

As a secretary in student services and the discipline department, she could encourage students who were struggling academically or person ally.

As someone who speaks Spanish, she could serve as a translator to help Hispanic families.

“I wanted to make a difference,” Hernandez said. “It means a lot knowing you are doing something to help other people.”

Hernandez was surprised to see the impact she was making on stu dents when she received notes dur ing a Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week earlier this school year. She received notes from students tell ing her how her simple “Hellos” in the morning start their days off well and that they appreciate how she’s always there to listen and help them.

“Those are things that make it all worth it,” she said. “I love knowing that maybe it’s the little things that you do that can make a difference.”

Liz Ramos

Tiffany Barrett-Greer, a second-grade teacher at Braden River Elementary School, is a finalist for the School District of Manatee County’s Educator of the Year.

LAYOUT OF MANATEE

Restructured county administration complete

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Manatee County Admin istrator Scott Hopes said Manatee County commis sioners will now be run ning a government that is set up to run more efficiently for its residents.

Hopes, who took his current job in May 2021 after serving as an interim administrator for two months, com pleted a reshuffling of the county’s departments and responsibilities on Nov. 29 when he hired Mitchell Teitelbaum to be his fourth and final deputy administrator.

Also on Nov. 29, new commission ers Jason Bearden, Mike Rahn and Amanda Ballard took office.

Before Hopes’ hiring, Manatee County utilized two deputy admin istrators.

Hopes said the reorganization will help the county complete needed work on its infrastructure faster.

“We’ve grown a lot,” said District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. “We are not the same county we were a year and a half ago. With growth comes the need to react faster.”

Hopes said it’s been several months that his three deputy administrators —Courtney De Pol, Charles Bishop and Robert Reinshuttle — have been overwhelmed with projects. He expects the addition of Teitelbaum to create a more manageable workload.

FEWER ADMINISTRATORS, MORE WORKERS

Although Manatee County now has two additional deputy administra tors, Hopes said his redesign did not grow the size of the administration. He said prior to his term, the coun ty had 14 executive positions, while the number now sits at 12. He said the resulting reduction in salary dol lars for executive administration has been $270,563.

However, the county has seen a net gain of about 280 employees overall during his tenure.

The system leaves Hopes with six officials reporting to him including De Pol, Bishop, Reinshuttle, Teitel baum, Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean and Chief Information Offi cer Drew Richardson.

Hopes said he had been handling fleet services and transportation responsibilities until Teitelbaum’s arrival.

Teitelbaum’s other primary responsibilities include public records, information outreach, code enforcement and economic develop ment.

SERVICES AND TRANSIT

FLEET

The Fleet Services and Transit divi sions used to be contained in the Public Works department currently overseen by Bishop. Teitelbaum now assumes those duties.

The fleet includes a large series of county vehicles, which must be managed, maintained, and acquired, while transit involves the beach trol ley, the special needs transportation service, and the regular Manatee County Area Transit services.

Hopes said this change has pro vided the Public Works department with the freedom to focus on roads

and bridges. He said in the past 12 months, Public Works has increased its project list by over 105%.

A statement from Public Works Director Chad Butzow said his department now can concentrate more on its project list and it pro vides senior leadership with the abil ity to focus on those projects while providing better direction.

UTILITIES

Changes to the utilities department began with the retirement of former Utilities Director Mike Gore, on Aug. 2, and have continued since.

Hopes said two critical positions in utilities have been filled, with new  director Evan Pilachowski, who was appointed Oct. 9, as well as a new deputy director of solid waste, The new deputy director of solid waste is Rebecca Kwiatkowski.

After Gore’s retirement, his role had originally been filled by Director Jeffrey Goodwin, as well as Deputy Director Kevin Morris.

However, Goodwin retired from the county in October.

Hopes said Goodwin had “stepped up to the plate” as an employee, but said he felt the position of utilities director required an engineering background, while Goodwin brought an undergraduate degree in biology as well as years of experience work

ing his way through the department.

Pilachowski possesses a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in civil engi neering. He is certified as a Profes sional Engineer in New York and will soon be certified in Florida as well.

“One of the most important aspects of both the redesign and reorganization is to dramatically ele vate the quality of the experience and education of the leadership team,” Hopes said.

The 62-year-old Hopes said with younger individuals such as Pila chowski, and Deputy Director of Utilities Courtney De Pol, who is also a deputy county administrator, he hopes to have staff who can serve the county long-term.

“These are all individuals that I will have an opportunity to mentor and prepare to be the future leaders of Manatee County government,” he said.

PLANNING

Another major change that has occurred, Hopes said, is that all planning functions have been cen tralized.

Planners from departments such as utilities, transit and transporta tion are now interacting, he said, while previously, projects would go from planner to planner without sig nificant direct interaction.

“You had paper moving back and forth, all around the county, and it was just stifling effectiveness,” he said.

He said once an ongoing renova tion of the county administration building reaches its completion, planning staff will be housed on one dedicated floor. Hopes described the change as allowing staff to “sit around a table together.”

He also said the county had com pletely filled a 50% to 60% vacancy among planners that existed earlier in his tenure.

OTHER CHANGES

Hopes additionally said that he had moved parts of the department of Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity to Community and Veterans Services.

He said he also began utilizing more services of the private Bra denton Area Economic Develop ment Corporation, downsizing the county’s department of Redevelop ment and Economic Opportunity by nine employees for a reduction in $800,000 in salary.

POSITIVE RESULTS

Baugh said the new system, due to its use of numerous deputy administra tors, would provide a more efficient response during public interactions with the county.

She said the deputy county administrators have more freedom to address the concerns of the public than department directors.

At-large Commissioner Jason Bearden said he likes the redesign.

“One of the things I like to look at, is, how can we be more effective? How can we bring the best services to the residents of Manatee County, at the highest level?” he said.

He said it is important to reduce the workload on upper management.

Hopes said the county had planned to perform an employee satisfaction study in order to receive feedback on the redesign.

Administrator Scott Hopes says the reorganization will allow Manatee County to keep up with infrastructure needs.

Photos by Ian Swaby

County Administrator Scott Hopes describes his redesign at the Nov. 29 commission meeting.

Deputy county administrators Courtney De Pol, Charlie Bishop, and Robert Reinshuttle attend the confirmation of new deputy county administrator Mitchell Teitelbaum.

“We’ve grown a lot. We are not the same county we were a year and a half ago. With growth comes the need to react faster.”

— Vanessa Baugh, District 5 Commissioner

Water leak causes Lorraine Road backup

Two turn lanes on northbound Lorraine Road at its intersection with State Road 70 were closed Dec. 2 while a private construction crew worked to fill a void beneath the road.

A directional drill hit a Braden River Utilities reclaimed water line during construction in the area and the leaking water undermined the roadway at that intersection.

Ogden Clark, the strategic affairs manager for the Manatee County Public Works Department, said workers, under county supervision, had to fill the void with dirt and concrete, and then had to complete a compaction test, which had to be approved before traffic was allowed to resume.

Both turn lanes were reopen by the end of the day.

Traffic along State Road 70 was not impacted by the construction, although there was a slight backup for northbound motorists on Lorraine Road.

Pro soccer team will train at Premier

The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau on Dec. 5 signed a deal with professional soccer team Hartford Athletic on a cross-promotional partnership. The Connecticut-based Ath letic play in the USL Championship League, a Division II league just

under Major League Soccer (Division I).

The deal calls for the Premier Sports Campus to be the official spring training home of Hartford Atlantic. A Bradenton Area Conven tion and Visitors Bureau release stated that “Premier Sports Campus features 23 FIFA-regulation sized fields for play ranging from community level to national and international events, with a 3,000-plus seat stadium with scoreboards and a press box.

The Hartford Athletic will wear the bureau’s logo on their jersey sleeves for both home and away games. The BACVB logo will be placed on the Athletic’s marketing and advertising promotions throughout the Hartford area, and also will be featured on TV broadcasts of Athletic matches.

The bureau announced the partnership during a World Cup Watch Party during the USA-Iran game Nov. 29.

Initiating the deal was Breeze Airways’ decision earlier this year to provide nonstop service between Hartford and the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

“We’re thrilled to announce this new partnership with the Hartford Athletic,” said Elliott Falcione, the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, in a release. “We think the athletes are going to enjoy training in the Bradenton Area during a perfect time of year and we feel in our hearts that they will come back for many years to come.”

Ian Swaby

Construction crews contracted by Braden River Utilities perform work on the void.

Pilot program intensifies early focus on reading

School District of Manatee County begins a new ‘screening’ program to identify possible reading problems, such as dyslexia.

Alison Yawn, a kindergarten teacher at William H. Bashaw Elementary School, was working with three stu dents at a small table in the back of her classroom.

She would point to a letter on a card with the alphabet on it and have each student say all the sounds each letter makes. That would be followed by the students naming the object in the picture that accompanied the corresponding letter.

Meanwhile, in another kindergar ten class at Bashaw, half the class was reading while the other half was completing literacy activities on their computers.

The focus on reading has increased at Bashaw Elementary students in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade as the School District of Manatee County pilots its EarlyBird Screener program.

ASSESSING LITERACY SKILLS

Alison Nichols, the interim direc tor of elementary curriculum and instruction for the school district, said the screener not only will help teachers and paraprofessionals iden tify potential students with charac teristics of dyslexia but also identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in reading.

“Each of the sub-tests are target ing different literacy skills,” Nichols said. “So it’s things like letter nam ing, letter sounds, anything around phonological awareness. Then the screener assesses those key literacy skills.”

She said the screener will help make predictions about the student’s future reading success, including whether the student will be reading

SIGNS

DYSLEXIA

Kindergarten and first grade

Second grade through high school

depending on the grade level, are like a game, Nichols said. When students log onto the screener, it will look like a game board, and students will click on the different sub-tests as if enter ing different lands in the game.

Nichols said students most likely won’t realize they’re being tested because it will be as though they’re playing games.

QUIET SETTINGS

at the current grade level by the end of the school year.

The earlier the district can identify and remedy literacy gaps, the better, Nichols said.

“There’s all kinds of studies out there that show us the earlier we intervene, especially when we’re talking pre-K, kindergarten and first grade,” she said, “then they’ll have significantly fewer problems in learning to read at grade level.”

The sub-tests, which will be com pleted all at once in 30 to 45 minutes

The window for testing the entire grade is nearly a month because screening must occur in small groups in quiet spaces as there are speaking components. For example, a student will be recorded to analyze how he or she is pronouncing words and read ing aloud.

“We’re trying to minimize distrac tions so we can get as accurate results as we can,” Nichols said.

Nichols said certain sub-tests are more aligned with the risk flags for dyslexia, such as difficulty with accurate and fluent word recogni tion, poor spelling and deficits in phonological awareness.

Although teachers and parapro

fessionals might see risk flags for dyslexia after analyzing the results of the sub-tests, Nichols said that is not a diagnosis, and the district, under law, cannot diagnose a student with dyslexia.

The district will send a written response to the parent so the dis trict can have a conversation with the parent about the screener, what it does and the data collected. Then the teacher will explain what is being done in the classroom to help and what can be done at home.

If the parent chooses, the parent can request a comprehensive evalua tion for the student through the dis trict or take the student to be medi cally diagnosed.

Nichols said the screener can be a resource to help all students regard less of whether they see risk flags for dyslexia.

“It’s helping inform teachers which particular skills a student might need work on and which fields a student has that are strengths,” she said. “Overall, it’s giving us an accu rate picture of where a child is with literacy.”

ANALYZING DATA

Once screenings are complete, teachers and paraprofessionals will gather in January for a professional development on analyzing the data from EarlyBird. Teachers and para professionals will learn how to dis cuss the data with parents. They’ll have the opportunity to see what resources are available to help stu dents and learn how they can adjust their lesson plans to better suit the needs of students.

For example, teachers might have students look into a mirror to see how their mouths should look into order to form a certain word or sound.

“We would want to hit all the dif ferent learning modalities, includ ing visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile, to get in that multisensory instruction, which has been shown to help students who have cognitive reading disabilities,” Nichols said.

In April, students will be screened once again to show the progress made. All the data will be collected and analyzed and then passed onto the student’s next teacher to provide continuity of instruction.

Nichols said sharing data with a student’s teacher the following year will be crucial to tracking a student’s progress.

“Let’s say a child leaving kinder garten had one of those risk flags,” Nichols said. “They’re going to first grade and right as they walk through the door, that first-grade teacher already knows what this particular child needs.”

Nichols said the screener can assist in ensuring the district is pro viding a solid foundation in literacy that will ultimately help students as they continue in their education.

“Studies out there show students who are poor readers in third grade remain poor readers in ninth grade because they’re not getting struc tured literacy instruction early,” she said. “If we can fill in gaps or not have gaps right away starting in pre-K, it means that hopefully we’re mov ing kids all the way up through high school reading on grade level, and they’re going to graduate.”

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Liz Ramos

Kindergartner Jay Dan Roux uses his finger to keep track of his place while reading. Kindergartners like Roux will be tested on their literacy skills using the EarlyBird screener.

Growing with the county

GreyHawk Landing’s Mitchell Teitelbaum says he is excited to continue serving Manatee County in a different capacity.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

GreyHawk Landing resident Mitchell Teitelbaum said he remembered a different Manatee County 10 years ago, when he first moved to the area.

He recalled a scene of more pas tures and farmlands, and a Main Street at Lakewood Ranch that was far less active than it is today.

So he started to think it was time for him to grow as well.

Teitelbaum accepted a role as Manatee County’s newest deputy county administrator and was unan imously confirmed by county com missioners on Nov. 29.

He had been serving at an assistant superintendent and general counsel of the School District of Manatee County.

“I want to express not just my appreciation for being selected for this position through County Administrator Dr. (Scott) Hopes, and our county commissioners, but I also want to say how excited I am for this opportunity to continue my role in community service,” he said.

Teitelbaum will hold the position alongside fellow deputy commis sioners Robert Reinshuttle, Charles Bishop, and Courtney De Pol.

His responsibilities primarily will focus on fleet services, public

records, information outreach, areas of code enforcement including magistrates and hearings, economic development and human resources.

Although that seems like a long list of responsibilities, Teitelbaum said his previous job with the school district was somewhat on the same scale.

He said his experience juggling responsibilities with the school district will help him handle many departments with the county.

Teitelbaum has worked for the school district since 2014, first as a staff attorney before moving to gen eral counsel and then finally receiv ing the added role of assistant super intendent.

He said he does expect challenges in his new role, but his district expe rience should help him overcome them.

One example, he said, is the work he has been performing with the communications department at the school district to ensure the correct messaging is provided to the public, conveying what he called “the pros perity and growth of our students and the success within our schools.”

He also said his involvement with the economic development within the school district would provide him with knowledge he can use as he encourages growth and prosperity within Manatee County.

Some examples of economic development by the school system, he said, include the introduction of community partnership schools, the birth of dual-language programs, the addition of new technical education programs through Woz U, the expan sion of programs at Manatee Techni cal College, the introduction of the upcoming Guy Harvey school on Anna Maria Island, along with other specialized offerings.

He said all the School District of Manatee County was doing to pro mote noncollege-bound students into secondary education could be considered part of economic devel opment.

“It is showing the growth of the workforce,” he said.

When it comes to Manatee County’s growth, he said one of his responsibilities will be to make sure new resources are available and suf ficient to promote growth.

Another area where he can use his school district experience is transit.

Teitelbaum gave legal advice to those managing the school district’s bus system.

He called coordinating school buses “one of the hardest jobs you could imagine.”

The operation is extremely timesensitive, he said.

“You’ve got to pick them up at a

designated time; and you must drop them off before the first bell rings,” he said of the morning run.

He also pointed to other respon sibilities of managing operations he held with the school district.

Starting with the beginning of the term of Superintendent Cynthia Saunders in 2018, he was assigned to oversee 14 charter schools in the county for their day-to-day opera tions. His duties included compli ance issues.

For a year, he managed the dis trict’s guardian program, created in 2018 after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

He was also assigned to the area of risk management to perform fis cal analysis in terms of the purchase of insurance, the payment of claims, workers’ compensation and general liability, and he also was assigned to public records for customer service and compliance.

While he did serve as the district’s legal counsel, he said he will not provide legal services to the county in any way. He said that capacity belongs strictly to County Attorney William Clague.

Nonetheless, he said he believes skills that he acquired as an attorney, such as providing guidance during conflicts, will bring value to his role.

“Those qualities transcend to this next position. There’s no question about it,” he said.

He said one of his next duties will be to help the big picture of county government come together.

“It’s utilities, it’s water, it’s waste, it’s all pieces of a very big puzzle, part of a master plan for the county that’s approved by the Board of County Commissioners upon the recom mendation of the county adminis trator,” he said. “You don’t look at the trees. You must look at the forest at all times.”

He said his first move will be to become thoroughly acquainted with staff members and their operating procedures.

He will meet with team members and assess departments, structures, and organizational charts, discuss ing each department’s greatest challenges and what must be done to increase efficiency.

“You’re as good as your team,” he said. “Your success is never as an individual. If you have a great team, you will have great results.”

Ian Swaby

Mitchell Teitelbaum (left) is introduced as a new deputy administrator by County Administrator Scott Hopes

Lakewood Ranch IDA urges CDDs to consider upgrades

Some CDD board members, however, say maintaining their villages’ status should be the focus.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Inter-District Authority board members in Lakewood Ranch said on Nov. 29 they need to refocus their efforts to keep their communities as viable alternatives to those looking to buy in the many new neighbor hoods of the region.

That includes spending more money for upgrades when necessary.

The topic was discussed at a Nov. 29 IDA workshop at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

The IDA, which has a board made up of select CDD board members, can only suggest courses of action for CDDs to take.

It was noted that many of the original villages in Lakewood Ranch were built 20 years ago or more so the landscape must be kept pristine.

Part of accomplishing that task involves raising salaries of opera tions workers.

The IDA board reached a consen sus to suggest raising operations’ worker salaries by 4.4%.

“(CDD residents) are all going to have to be ready to pay more,” Vice Chair Nancy Johnson said. “Lake wood Ranch residents want a high level of service. If we keep losing people in operations, the beds are going to get messy.”

Treasurer Alan Silverglat pushed for an approach to evolving the com munity.

“You need to have a vision and a focus that makes you better than you are today, not just maintain where we are, and I feel our focus is on main taining, not moving forward,” Silver glat said.

CEO Steve Zielinski said the dis

tricts are making improvements and it remains to be addressed whether communities would buy into the idea of increasing fees for continued improvements. However, he said at the board level that he would con sider it.

“I will promote that, certainly encourage it,” Zielinski said. “But again, it’s the appetite of each (CDD) board.”

CDD1 Chairperson Alan Roth, who oversees the Summerfield and Riv erwalk areas, and CDD4 Chairper son Michael Griffin, who oversees Greenbrook, said their focus is on maintaining the levels of service.

Roth said he does not see it as especially likely that plans will grow in ambition this year.

“It’s just not a good year for that,” Roth said.

He said the district is constrict ed by increased costs for services including salaries, as well as land scaping costs that have nearly dou bled.

He said the community always tries to stay “reasonably close” to the previous year’s assessments, which he said he expects to be slightly higher this year with robust reserves helping to cover costs.

Griffin said CDD4 was similarly focused on maintaining quality rath er than surpassing it.

“We don’t have any grand ambi tions, we don’t have any major plans for projects. We can’t let the com munity go backward,” he said.

File photo Summerfield Park is among the assets maintained by the IDA.

More room to make a choice

High school students have fewer options in East County as only Braden River High is open for school choice.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Families will have more schools to choose from during the School District of Manatee County’s school choice peri od for the 2023-24 school year.

In Manatee County, only five ele mentary schools, one middle school and two high schools are closed to school choice.

In the 2022-23 school year, 12 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools were closed to school choice in the county.

Several elementary and middle schools saw a decrease in enrollment compared to this past year, resulting in more schools being open to school choice.

The School District of Manatee County is accepting applications for school choice now through Dec. 31.

Don Sauer, the director of the School District of Manatee County’s Office of Student Demographics, said although Manatee County has seen tremendous growth even dur ing the pandemic, especially in the greater Lakewood Ranch area, not all people who have moved to the county have school-age children.

With inflation and higher interest rates, the growth in Manatee County as a whole has slowed, impacting the number of students enrolling in dis trict schools.

Sauer said when the school dis trict went through redistricting of elementary and middle schools in 2019 with the new boundaries being put in place for the 2020-21 school year, it allowed for the decrease in enrollment at certain schools.

The large overall enrollment of fifth graders in some schools have since moved on to middle school, which also factored into several elementary schools seeing fewer enrolled students in this school year.

“Because we redistricted, you didn’t get as many kindergartners now in the second year,” Sauer said. “Those kindergartners are now firstgraders, so you have smaller classes on the other end. That helps it as well.”

Another reason for the decrease in enrollment is the opening of a new charter school in Lakewood Ranch and the expansion of another charter school in Parrish.

Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy opened on White Eagle Boulevard in August with 740 stu dents in kindergarten through sixth grade and ninth grade.

In the northern part of the county, Sauer said Parrish Charter Academy also added sixth grade to its school with the eventual goal of becoming a K-8 school.

“Some of the students that would normally transition into Buffalo Creek (Middle School) stayed at Parrish Charter and went into sixth grade,” Sauer said.

As those charter schools continue to add to their enrollment, Sauer said traditional schools will continue to see a decrease in enrollment.

Sauer said more families are becoming aware of the state’s Family

SCHOOL CHOICE TIMELINE

Now through Dec. 31:

Application window

January: School District of Manatee County reviews applications

zoned school or they can receive a personal education savings account to use toward a private school, online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, higher education expenses and more.

“What’s happening with Family Empowerment is that more people are becoming aware of it,” Sauer said. “It’s parents choosing options. As a district, we want to offer as many options as we can. The state is offer ing this one.”

While several elementary and middle schools saw a decrease in enrollment this year compared to last year, each of the district’s sev en high schools saw an increase in enrollment this year.

“When we were really growing and we built those elementary and middle schools, those kids are now high school-aged kids,” Sauer said. “They’re going through the system.”

Each of the high schools is open to school choice except Lakewood Ranch High School and Parrish Community High School.

Lakewood Ranch High is 132% over its capacity of 1,818 students, while Parrish Community is at 100% capacity with 2,042 students enrolled. Parrish Community’s capacity is 2,043 students.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When can families apply for school choice?

Now through Dec.31

Where do families apply?

On their FOCUS Parent Portal account

Does the School District of Manatee County provide transportation for school choice students?

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“Those two areas are growing the most now,” Sauer said.  Sauer said as Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy adds its upper school next year, Lakewood Ranch High School could see fewer stu dents enrolled.

No. A transportation hub only is available to students in the Johnson K-8 International Baccalaureate Special Program and Advanced International Certificate Education Program, or International Baccalaureate students at Palmetto and Southeast high schools.

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Empowerment Scholarship, which was expanded in 2021. The program now includes the Family Empower ment Scholarship for Educational Options, which is based on family income and the McKay Scholarship, which provides scholarships for families of students with disabilities.

The Family Empowerment Schol arship for Educational Options provides the option for students to attend a participating private school, which would open space at their existing schools.

The McKay Scholarship, which now falls under the Family Empow erment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, gives families an opportunity to enroll students in another public school that is not their

February: Parents will be notified of school choice assignment and have five days to accept PICK

“I can follow that and start to develop trends to see how many stu dents are actually in that attendance zone that go to them so we can start to project out when they add 11th and 12th grade,” Sauer said. “In the next year or two, that could play into whether Lakewood Ranch is going to be open for choice.”

Both Lakewood Ranch and Parrish Community high schools are having additions constructed on their cam puses that will increase their capaci ties.

The completion of additions at Braden River Middle and Gene Witt and Willis elementary schools in the past three years has increased capac ity at those schools, allowing them to move to open for school choice.

Although a majority of schools are open for school choice, Sauer said some schools might have a limited number of seats available.

School Capacity

Who is given priority for school choice?

District employees, active-duty military families, foster care or courtordered custody arrangements and siblings within the same school.

Do families need to apply for school choice every year?

No. Students who are attending a school through the choice program should not apply if they want to remain at their choice school. The choice assignment lasts through the highest grade level of the school.

School choice status of capacity (2023-24)

Bashaw Elementary 770 84% open

Braden River Elementary 647 84% open

Freedom Elementary 746 73% open

Gullett Elementary 927 120.0% closed

McNeal Elementary 752 85% open

Myakka

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Photos by Liz Ramos

Braden River High School seniors Nathan Zapote and Grace Pino are happy to be at the school, which is open for school choice in the 2023-24 school year.

Beckett Laughlin, a third-grader at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, looks for microorganisms with a microscope. Willis Elementary is open for school choice after being closed for the 2022-23 school year.

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

A tall tale about love and relationships

Being 4-foot-11, Vera Stewart didn’t particularly like those who discriminated against short people.

Well, except when it came to her selecting a boyfriend.

Sixty-five years ago, Jim Slocum showed up at Vera’s home in Hobart, Indiana, ready to go on a blind date.

Then she saw her date. Yikes! He was a runt.

Fortunately for Vera, she was looking at her friend’s date. Her guy was standing in the background, all of 6-foot-1.

“My mom and my grandmother were in the house, and I told them, ‘He is so good looking.’”

How good looking?

On Nov. 28, River Club’s Jim and Vera Slocum celebrated their 65th anniversary with a Marina Jack dinner cruise.

“My girlfriend had set us up on the blind date,” Vera said while sitting in her living room, her husband right next to her. “The fellow she was going to see didn’t want to go on a single date. I don’t think our paths would have crossed.”

But their paths did cross, and they headed to the drive-in.

“I felt comfortable,” Vera said. “He was a perfect gentleman. And the happy chemistry was there.”

Jim was just as pleased.

“She was a nice and beautiful girl,” he said.

How long ago was that first date? Consider that Vera was a telephone operator at the time, sitting in front of a board that would light up when one of her 500 customers tried to make a call.

“Number please,” Vera said with a smile as she remembered back to the job when she was 20.

She would then plug the caller into the hole in the board that corresponded with the number being called. And the call could only be connected if someone else already

wasn’t using the party line.

Those of you who think flip phones are old school should ask your grandparents about party lines.

Jim, who was living in Valparaiso, Indiana, worked doing a variety of tasks at the airport. In his off hours, Jim, who was 20, would take flying lessons from his boss, and would pay him for the lessons a bit at a time out of his meager pay.

He was only working at the airport because he had to drop out of Purdue University due to a lack of funds. He didn’t know at the time it would change his life, in a good way.

Vera pointed out that she always has been a “cheap date,” saying how their second date was to A&W.

“He bought me a 5-cent root beer,” she said.

The next 65 years saw a lot of frugal days, such as when, after a 27-year career, Jim was laid off as a pilot by Eastern Airlines, which went under in 1991. Since they packed up following their Thanksgiving Day wedding and left for Sarasota as Jim had landed a job at the Sarasota Airport, their life has been a series of moves.

Part of that journey meant living in an 18-foot travel trailer as Jim pursued his career at different places around the country.

Their travels eventually took them to Villa Rica, Georgia, about 30 miles west of Atlanta, where they lived on a farm for 47 years.

Although they never had lived on a farm before, they raised beef cattle and chickens, among others, while Jim continued his career as a pilot.

Before they moved to the farm, they had moved 15 times following their marriage.

While some wives might had pushed back against the constant moves (before the farm), Vera said she always was happy.

“It was exciting wherever we moved,” Vera said.

So why the farm?

“My daughter (Lynn) had a horse,” Jim said. “And I loved to ride dirt bikes. We had 68 acres and it was very quiet. As a hobby, farming was great, but I wouldn’t want to make a living doing it.”

They eventually moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2020.

They have three children, Lakewood Ranch’s Lynn Rainwater, Clearwater’s Jimmy Slocum and Birmingham, Alabama’s Karen Wolfe.

While Jim’s time took him away from home for days at a time, Vera said it never was a strain on their marriage.

“I kind of liked it,” she said. “It was sort of like a military life. You take over when he was gone. He never had Saturday and Sunday off, but it never bothered me. I even drove a small tractor on the farm. Karen used to think we were going on nature walks on the farm, but actually I was just checking on the cows.”

And when Jim returned home?

“He would chop up some wood,” she said.

Jim said he never minded being on the road, or in the air.

“It was kind of fun,” he said. “I would go out for a run (when he was between flights). Then we would go drink a couple of beers.”

Without cell phones, Vera said a lot of trust was key to their relationship.

“He is as trustworthy as the day is long,” Vera said. “And he always has been extremely considerate.”

One factor that led to a long relationship was that while Vera was the “feisty” one, Jim was laid back. He called it their yin and yang.

“She stands up for herself,” Jim said. “But that has helped her to deal with things when I was gone.”

Jim said Vera’s great sense of humor helped over the years and noted that she has been “an easy

person to be with.”

These days, they both stay active, which they believe is important for 85-year-olds.

Jim said other keys to a long relationship are being forgiving, not holding grudges, not getting caught up in “silly stuff,” and laughing a lot.

Vera said “loving a lot, laughing a lot, and enjoying the little things along the way,” are most important, along with a little “me time.”

These days, Vera says she has shrunk a bit, now down to 4-foot8.

She said people continue to look over her, as if she doesn’t exist.

She said, as an example, she once had to wave around a $50 bill above

HOMEThere’s no place like for the holidays

her head to get the attention of a department store clerk.

Not wanting that to happen to her own children, she picked a tall guy when it came time to marry.

“Short people get slighted a lot,” she said.

Especially when they date.

Jay Heater

River Club’s Vera and Jim Slocum celebrated 65 years of marriage with a dinner cruise on Nov. 28.

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

’Tis the Twig season

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

As foster kids visit The Twig in East County on Dec. 10, they will see proof that it is, indeed, the holiday season.

The nonprofit’s vision is listed as “To provide a haven for the foster care community where needs are met, hearts are encouraged, and God’s love is shown in a practical way.”

The Twig’s staff members and volunteers are working hard to make sure each child who enters the store will walk away with an unexpected gift.

“Shopping at our store is almost like holiday shopping every month because (foster children) are able to come in and shop for free,” Program Coordinator Lindsey May said.

Children who visit the store can take home seven items of clothing, which includes a pair of shoes. They also receive two books and other items.

On Dec. 10, though, and oth er Wednesdays in December by appointment, they will be able to choose more items than usual along with an item from The Twig’s Christmas table and a gift card to a big box store.

“That’s an additional gift that we give to the kids so that we let them

IF YOU GO

What: The Twig, a nonprofit that serves foster children

When: Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 10 and Wednesdays by appointment

Where: 9706 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton

Website: TheTwigCares.com

Phone: 941-220-7958

know, ‘Merry Christmas, this is from us to you,’” May said.

The organization is giving away many board and interactive games.

The Twig also has been working to provide a different selection of cooler weather clothing than usual. The staff is trying to acquire more hoodies, sweatpants and joggers and holiday-themed apparel.

May said monetary donations are crucial because it allows The Twig to buy less common clothing items.

For example, she said some boys wear a size 15 shoe, which seldom comes into the store as a donation.

While the store seeks items for newborns through age 18 and older, she said The Twig also is seeking more items for preteens through teenagers.

Additionally, the store is seeking volunteers for January due to efforts to increase its capacity.

Ian Swaby

East County’s The Twig provides for the needs of foster children.

UROLOGIC CARE

We’ve got this down to a ‘P’

Excellence is never a one-time thing. And consistency is the difference between practice and perfection.

At Sarasota Memorial, our multi-disciplinary team of urologists and urologic surgeons knows this. And armed with the latest in diagnostic technology and trained in the latest interventions — including minimally invasive robotic surgery — they have consistently led the way in treating everything from chronic kidney disease and acute bladder dysfunction to troublesome prostate enlargement and complex genitourinary cancers, earning national recognition for both innovation and excellence along the way.

So it’s no surprise U.S. News & World Report has named SMH the #1 hospital in Florida for urologic care

After all , we’ve got this down to a , well , you know.

Almost time to go Naked

expected in mid-2023) was inspired when many customers at the St. Petersburg and Tampa locations asked whether he would open a loca tion in Sarasota.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Opening in downtown St. Petersburg during the midst of the pandemic, Naked Farmer owner Jordan John son was surprised at his immediate success.

He said the restaurant was able to transport food from regional farms to the table at a time when food was rapidly disappearing from grocery store shelves.

However, he said the ultimate goal of the restaurant was not quantity, but integrity of sourcing.

“Many of the vegetables we serve in our restaurant were picked days ago, and not weeks ago, and we feel like that’s important,” he said. “The idea is that when the food is fresh, you don’t have to do much to it, so we leave it naked.”

Johnson said his upcoming expan sion to Cattlemen Road in the Uni versity Town Center (opening is

After speaking with the Benderson Development staff, he decided there was a demand among customers there for the product he could offer.

The restaurant, described as “finecasual,” opens in late summer or early fall 2023 in the space between Blaze Pizza and Crumbl Cookies.

The operation grew out of a desire to feed his own neighborhood and community the way he fed his own family, Johnson said.

He said it began after he was alarmed to find out that while threequarters of a person’s daily diet, as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture, should consist of fruits and vegetables, only a third of America’s farmland is devoted to growing them.

He said as a result of this discov ery he began reading books including “Food Fix: How to Save Our Health,” and “Our Economy, Our Communi ties, and Our Planet — One Bite at a Time,” by Mark Hyman.

The menu will reflect what is

Naked Farmer will join the restaurant lineup at UTC in Sarasota early in 2023.

Courtesy photo

Naked Farmer offers a variety of regionally sourced produce.

growing at farms nearby, and will change every two months.

“We think it’s important for our menu to reflect the seasonality, because that’s how mother nature works,” he said.

For instance, he said watermel ons do not grow year-round in the Southeast, which means that if one is purchased at the grocery store during January, it will not have the same freshness due to having trav elled from locations such as Mexico or Guatemala. Other items that are seasonal include marinated English cucumbers, which tend to grow in the summer, and Brussels sprouts, which grow in the winter.

He said seasonality is important for the taste of food, as well as its nutritional value.

“It’s so much better when a veg etable is picked days ago and travels only as far as it needs to, to be served in our in our restaurants,” he said.

The menu does not have a fixed set of items that it serves in a cycle. Instead, chefs are constantly work ing on new ideas.

“We’re always looking forward to the new season and menu planning,” he said.

He said due to the changing menu, he cannot guarantee particular items will be available when the restaurant opens at UTC. However, he said his favorite current item is the Blue Oys ter mushroom harvest bowl.

“It’s flavorful, it’s vegan and it’s popular with our guests,” he said.

He also listed his other favorites including the charred broccoli with lemon and garlic.

“It’s so simple,” he said. “It’s liter ally broccoli roasted in the oven with olive oil, Melvin’s sea salt, pepper and a little squeeze of lemon when it comes out. It’s nothing you can’t cook at home. It’s naked, it’s simple, it’s delicious for that reason.”

He also spoke highly of his mac and

cheese.

“It’s gooey, stringy. It’s extremely flavorful,” he said, noting that it includes four different cheeses, as well as a homemade Bechamel sauce.

He recommended the charred chicken thigh due to its preparation as well as its origin.

“It’s got the perfect char on the outside, and it’s really juicy and moist inside,” he said of the item, which features free-range chicken.

He said he believes the free-range nature of the chicken’s life improves the quality of the meat. “The chicken lives a better life, and I think you can taste it,” he said.

Some popular items on the menu currently, he said, are roasted squash, street cart corn and roasted carrots with spicy vegan ranch.

The restaurant sources its produce from small and medium-sized farm ers within a 500-mile distance.

He said his staff is still determin ing the farms that will serve the UTC location, but that some existing ones from Tampa and St. Petersburg will be incorporated. One farm the res taurant works with in St. Petersburg is Black Street Farms.

The restaurant knows the farm ers on a first-name basis, he said, visiting the farms to examine their practices including their volume of production, safety and sanitation.

It prefers those that practice regen erative agriculture, which Johnson called a way of growing plants that is “better for the planet and better for our bodies.”

The focuses of this practice include increasing biodiversity within the topsoil that hosts the plants. John son said it is the soil which provides produce with its nutrient density.

One aspect of the practice that improves the soil, he said, is a lack of tilling, while another is cover cropping, or planting plants for the purpose of rehabilitating the soil between seasons, rather than for harvesting.

He said the restaurant also empha sizes organic farms, although not all ingredients will be organic.

Education will be a component of the experience as well, he said. He said as guests ask questions about the source of the food, he hopes to provide answers.

Umbilical & Abdominal HERNIAS: The Basics

Abdominal and umbilical hernias are relatively common, but many people aren’t familiar with what they are. Hernias occur at all ages. While they are an urgent matter, they don’t have to be scary. David W. Dexter, MD, a general surgeon with Lakewood Ranch Medical Group, shares important information for those struggling with common hernias.

What is an umbilical/abdominal hernia?

A hernia is a hole in the inner layer of the abdomen that bulges outward. The most common hernias occur at the umbilicus (belly button). Everyone has seen someone with an “outie,” but probably didn’t realize it was a hernia. Some bulges can even be seen through clothing.

A similar hernia occurs above the belly button called an epigastric hernia. It is more difficult to identify than other hernias and is often mistaken for something else.

Lastly, there are incisional hernias that occur anywhere in the abdomen where someone has had prior surgery.

What causes an umbilical or abdominal wall hernia?

Contrary to popular belief hernias are not caused by strenuous activities or heavy lifting. Most hernias are birth defects that leave small holes in the abdominal wall. When one performs strenuous physical activities, we increase abdominal pressure. This is how and when many identify their hernias. Some hernias can be painful, but many have no discomfort at all.

An incisional hernia is a result of a previous operation. The abdominal wall doesn’t heal for a variety of reasons and a bulge develops at that location.

What are the symptoms

of these kinds of hernias?

General Surgeon

We are pleased to introduce David W. Dexter, MD, FACS, the newest surgeon to join Manatee Physician Alliance.

Dr. Dexter is board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. He will be seeing both elective and acute care general surgery patients at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. He performs all aspects of general surgery, but has particular skills in minimally invasive and daVinci® robotic surgery.

Hernias usually present with a bulge which can be seen or felt. Some hernias are completely painless while others may cause discomfort with lifting or strenuous activities. Either way, if you suspect or know that you have a hernia – it should be repaired.

What is the treatment for umbilical/abdominal hernias?

The only treatment for a hernia is to repair it surgically. Hernias do not involve muscles so no strengthening exercise will help. Most hernias if treated while small can be repaired using a minimally invasive robotic approach.

Larger or massive hernias can also be repaired, but the techniques are more involved. A larger incision may be required, and the operation may be more complex.

What are the dangers of leaving a hernia untreated?

hernia is identified and treated sooner rather than later, especially while they are small.

When

should

someone plan to see a doctor?

You should consult with your physician if you suspect you have a hernia. It is best to have them fixed before they begin causing issues.

Dr. Dexter earned his medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine in Syracuse. He completed his General Surgery Residency at the Wright State University and Wright-Patterson USAF Integrated Surgical Residency in Dayton, Ohio. He also served on active duty as a General Surgeon at Wright-Patterson U.S. Air Force Medical Center. Dr. Dexter comes to our area after serving as a Trauma and General Surgeon in Erie, Pa., for 20 years. He is excited to bring his experience and enthusiasm for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery to the Lakewood Ranch Community.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Dexter or learn more about Lakewood Ranch Medical Group by calling 941.254.6767.

A hernia that is trapped in place is called an incarcerated hernia. On some occasions a hernia may strangulate. This can be a life-threatening condition and requires emergency surgery. Recovery from these operations can be more challenging and requires more time off from work or physical activities. This can be avoided if the

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dexter at Lakewood Ranch Medical Group, call 941-254-6767 or visit lakewoodranchmedicalgroup.com/appt.

Sponsored Content

Fast Break

PASSION IS THE POINT

As the 2022 FIFA World Cup rolls along, members of the community talk about how the sport’s popularity has grown and where it could go from here.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Nick Leduc and his brother, Nathan Leduc, knew instantly that things could go one of two ways.

On Nov. 21, they found themselves in Ye Old Mail Coach, a tiny pub that has been serving beer in Conwy, Wales, since 1520. They were there out of tradition.

After signing with the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad earlier this season and being elevated from the team’s practice squad for three games, former Braden River High and Appalachian State offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil was rewarded on Nov. 22 when he was officially signed to the Falcon’s 53-man roster. So far, Neuzil — who is 6-foot-3, 301 pounds — has seen time on special teams.

David Dahl and Robert Steinbock (135) were crowned overall champions at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s 2022 Uihlein Cup, held Dec. 3-4.

Great game alert: On Dec. 12, the Lakewood Ranch High girls soccer team (6-0 as of Dec. 4) will host Parrish Community High (5-3) at 7 p.m. The Bulls will be one of the tougher tests the Mustangs have faced thus far.

The Parrish Community boys basketball team defeated Braden River High 52-49 at home on Dec. 2 when East County athlete Ian Rodriguez a senior, hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Rodriguez finished with 14 points and five rebounds.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Christmas Glow Run, scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 17 at Nathan Benderson Park. Bright lights and holiday music will accompany runners as they complete their 5Ks. Registration is $45 and parking is $5. For more information or to register, visit RunEliteEvents.com.

… Putting out a final call — If you know of any area athletes doing something charitable during this holiday season, let us know soon by sending an email to RKohn@YourObserver.com. We love to feature athletes doing right by their community.

Every four years — the time between FIFA World Cups — the Leduc brothers travel to a country the U.S. Men’s National Team is playing in the World Cup, to watch the team from another country’s perspective.

They’ve done this since 2010 and experienced a lot of fan shenanigans in those years. When the Leducs walked into the pub just before the Group Stage match’s kickoff and saw a sea of dark red, the Welsh team’s primary color, they knew their pres ence and their American cheers would either be fondly embraced or rejected, perhaps sternly.

On that night, it was the former.

“It was honestly one of the four or five best nights of my life,” said Nick Leduc, the Braden River Soc cer Club Academy director/coach and a teacher at Barbara A. Harvey Elementary in Parrish.

It likely helped that the brothers bought those in the pub a round of drinks before they bonded over their passion for the game. Nick Leduc said the game, which ended 1-1, gave him a chance to celebrate the United States’ improvement on an interna tional stage while also taking in the spirit of a country where soccer is the only sport that matters.

Nick Leduc, who lives in East County (Nate Leduc lives in Sara sota), said the pub patrons did not just sing their own national anthem, they screamed it, and they did not just high-five when Wales scored to tie the game, they reacted like their world had just been saved from destruction.

Of course, there was some friendly trash talk between the patrons and the brothers, but there was always a warmth in the room. There were real, human connections made in that pub that will likely never extend past that night but were important nonetheless.

Leduc was particularly struck by something a man named Martin — no last name given — told him while walking down the street and chat ting after the contest.

“I actually wrote it down, because I knew I would forget it later,” Leduc said. “Martin said, ‘If this isn’t what it’s all about, then it’s all about noth ing.’”

This brand of friendly but ultrapassionate soccer fandom is not limited to Wales. According to a 2018

Nielsen survey, 43% of people 16 or older worldwide consider them selves soccer fans. But in the Unit ed States, the sport still finds itself lagging. A Morning Consult report released April 12 found that just 32% of Americans consider themselves soccer fans, and 25% of those people said they were casual fans, not avid fans. Those numbers rank soccer seventh in popularity among U.S. sports, behind football (the leader at 67%), baseball (55%), college foot ball (52%), basketball (46%), college basketball (43%) and hockey (38%).

Despite trailing behind other sports, soccer’s popularity in the U.S. has been on a slow, steady climb for decades. U.S. soccer fans tend to be younger, which has earned it the nickname of “the sport of the future” in this country. This is true of the country in general, but also in the Lakewood Ranch area, where youth clubs like Braden River Soccer Club and the Lakewood Ranch Chargers have experienced growth.

Chargers U10 boys soccer coach Eldin Hadziabdic said the club near ly doubled the amount of players at its competitive-level tryout this sea son compared to last season. Having a place to play like Premier Sports Campus helps. The facility hosts Chargers practices and games but also larger events that attract teams from across the state and beyond. People moving to the Sarasota-Bra

denton area see the quality and size of the facilities and can’t help but be impressed, Hadziabdic said.

Hadziabdic said his current crop of players have been talking about the World Cup nonstop at practice, and they emulate not only Ameri can players, but players from other countries.

“Having (games played between countries) makes soccer more interesting,” said David Simonov, a 9-year-old on the Chargers. “I like to watch how they play (differently). And it’s fun. Sometimes you get sad and sometimes you get excited.”

Chargers teammates Fahd Khair and Jack Goehring, both 9, said they have noticed a few students — nonsoccer fans — talking about the World Cup in school. Goehring said he hopes those people decide to give soccer a try once the World Cup is over.

“I think if people try it, and try their best, they will realize how fun it is,” Goehring said.

The U.S. men’s team still has a ways to go to compete with elite teams, as shown by the team’s 3-1 elimination loss to The Netherlands on Dec. 3.

Hadziabdic said to develop players on the level of other countries, the U.S. needs to create more competi tion at the youth level.

His U10 team is an example of what Hadziabdic thinks is possible. Despite being U10, the team plays in a U11 division, giving them tougher tests. The Chargers have passed those tests and as of Dec. 1, the team had only lost one of its seven games.

“We have to get more competi tive,” Hadziabdic said.

Whenever top-tier success arrives, the passion should follow. In the U.S., hardcore fans of the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball throw parties in the streets when their team wins a championship. Nick Leduc does not think that would happen if the U.S. were to win a World Cup — but he believes, and hopes, that type of unrestrained passion might come to the country someday.

Once people see what it’s all about, Leduc said, it will be hard to let go.

“Our brand of soccer is getting better,” Leduc said. “I don’t think people realize it yet, but soccer is an addiction. It’s a game you can play or be a part of for your whole life.”

getting to know the country’s people and soccer culture

Tied Wales 1-1 on Nov. 21

Tied England 0-0 on Nov. 25

Defeated Iran 1-0 on Nov. 29 KNOCKOUT STAGE

Lost 3-1 to The Netherlands on Dec. 3

“I’m always trying to increase my basketball IQ, especially now I have signed to play at the next level,”

— Cardinal Mooney’s Olivia Davis

Courtesy photo Ryan Neuzil

Chargers U10 boys soccer coach Eldin Hadziabdic says the U.S. needs to create more competition at the youth soccer level to develop players.

Nathan Leduc and Nick Leduc, in the center in American blue and dark hats, spent the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup opening game in Wales,

at Ye Olde Mail Coach, a pub in Conwy.

Fahd Khair, David Simonov and Jack Goehring say they hope Americans get into soccer because of the excitement surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The three play for the Lakewood Ranch Chargers U10 team.

Courtesy photo

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Nick Leduc, Braden River Soccer Club Academy director, said he hopes U.S. soccer popularity reaches the levels it enjoys in other areas of the world.

Endurance athletes stand and deliver

Even the participants were not sure when the race — and the pain — would end.

It turned out to be the 48-hour mark.

That’s how long it took for the Last Paddler Standing event, held Dec. 3-5 at Nathan Benderson Park, to find its winner. Paolo Marconi, 31, a professional stand-up paddler from Italy earned the victory.

Being a professional did not necessarily give Marconi a leg-up in this competition, though, because this event was unlike anything the paddling world had seen.

The race, created by endurance athlete Greg Wingo, went like this. The 30 paddlers competing started at 9 a.m. Dec. 3, doing one 3.3-mile lap around the Benderson Park lake. All they had to do was finish the lap in under an hour. Most finished well before that time. Easy, right?

Not so fast. At the start of the next hour, they had to do another lap. Then another, and another, with no stoppages other than the time between finishing a lap and the top of the next hour, until there was only one paddler left. If that paddler completed one final lap alone, that paddler would be crowned the winner.

Wingo said the idea was inspired by the Big’s Backyard Ultra running marathon. No such race existed for stand-up paddling, and Wingo saw an opening. Being an endurance athlete himself, Wingo knew the competitors who took this challenge would be kindred souls.

“The people here, they know how to fight through demons and move on,” Wingo said. “They persevere. They dig deep, even when they don’t want to sometimes. That’s so impressive.”

The format meant two mostly sleepless nights for Marconi, who decided to take the experience in stride. That doesn’t mean he

didn’t feel the pain of the blisters covering his hands or the exhaustion, physical and mental, of going so long without a stretch of sleep longer than five minutes, or eating anything other than the vegan snacks he brought. He certainly did. But instead of feeling miserable, he forced himself to think of it as a type of experiment.

“There were a lot of low moments, mostly on the second night after a hot day,” Marconi said. “But you think about your family and your good memories and what you can learn from pushing the limits. You go into that pain cave and you bring something out of it with you.”

As proud as Marconi was of his own accomplishment, he emphasized that the race was not solely about winning. Doing it at all is an accomplishment, too.

“These were shared emotions (among the competitors),” Marconi said. “It’s cool. You get to a point of suffering and you ask yourself, ‘Why?’ I think everyone has a different ‘why.’ Some have multiple. I think this race is about the search of that ‘why.’”

In his case, Marconi said, his why was learning. He went into his “pain cave,” as he called it, and learned how well he can function while sleep deprived — and that he can push himself farther than he thought possible.

Marconi said he dreamed of winning the race ever since signing up. To be able to win the race, to go head-to-head with other great endurance athletes and outlast them, is a special feeling, one that is tough to express in words.

Marconi was pushed by secondplace finisher John Knippers, 50, who elected to stop after 47 laps. Knippers’ decision to stop was a mental one. He simply did not want to another lap. He was dead tired,

and he was proud of how far he got anyway.

“I never thought I’d be the type of paddler to last this long,” Knippers said. “I didn’t always want to, but there were people cheering me to continue.”

For Knippers, the lowest moment came around the 33-hour mark. The sky was dark and the water was cold. He had barely napped, and the only thing he had to eat was a homemade health bar made of sweet potatoes, spinach and other good-for-you but boring ingredients. The last thing he wanted was to return to the water.

Then someone handed him a Mountain Dew and half of a cheeseburger wrapped in aluminum foil.

If the race was hell, the cheeseburger was heaven.

“It lifted me,” Knippers said. “It was enough calories to get me back out there.”

Knippers soldiered onto lap 34, then didn’t look back until faced with lap 48, which would have been an extended lap of approximately five miles. The prospect of that was not worth it to Knippers, he said, when he had already proven himself to be capable of more than he thought. Instead, he let Marconi take the victory lap, while Knippers sipped coffee on the park’s Finish Tower steps and dried his feet with a towel.

There’s not much I know about this life we all live, but I know that I am nowhere near strong enough to do what these competitors did. Against each other and themselves, they all came out winners, even if Marconi is the only one with a trophy.

Wingo said there will be another Last Paddler Standing event in 2023, with sign-ups beginning early in the new year. While there is nothing official yet, Wingo said he hopes Benderson Park will again

host. The inaugural event went better than he could have hoped, and a livestream hosted by commentators from SUP Racer brought in hundreds if not thousands of viewers over the 48 hours, which means interest should be higher for the next race. Wingo said he’s going to cap the race, likely around 50 participants or so, to ensure that the quality of the event does not suffer.

“We want this to feel like a family,” Wingo said. “I like knowing every racer’s first name so I can talk to them directly throughout the race and they all can talk to each other.”

The family aspect showed. Multiple racers stuck around for hours after dropping out to see who won, then congratulated each succes-

sive dropout on a job well done. I like a little trash talk in sports as much as anyone, but it’s also nice to see athletes excel in a supportive atmosphere.

Just don’t ask me to compete in one of these myself. I’d shrivel like a raisin after one lap. That is my “why.”

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

Ryan Kohn

Paolo Marconi comes ashore after the final lap of the Last Paddler Standing event at Nathan Benderson Park. Marconi said he learned a lot about what he is capable of while sleep deprived and that every participant in the race should be proud for attempting it at all.

Olivia Davis is a senior on the Car dinal Mooney High girls basketball team. Davis, who lives in Lakewood Ranch, leads the 4-0 Cougars with 19.3 points per game and 3.8 assists per game as of Dec. 5. She is signed to play for the University of Tampa next season.

When did you start playing basketball?

I started playing so young that my parents (Jodi Davis and Nate Davis) don’t even remember. It was probably around 4. My parents played basketball, so it was just one of those things that happened. I started on boys teams and eventu ally switched to girls teams and now I’m here.

What is the appeal to you?

Ever since I tore my ACL as a fresh man I have seen the game from a different perspective. Being unable to play for 11 months made me miss it and love it even more. The gym is somewhere I go to have a safe place. I don’t have to worry about anything but basketball there.

What

is your best skill?

I think it’s my leadership. It’s not a physical skill but as the only senior on the team I feel like I have to lead the younger girls. It’s a big priority for me. I’m trying to get everyone involved in each game, putting them before myself.

What have you been working to improve?

I am always trying to increase my basketball IQ, especially now that I have signed to play at the next level.

I still am working on the defensive side also, things like foot speed and lateral quickness.

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.

sign with the University of Tampa? I could tell right away it was a spe cial place. It was right for me. On my official visit, I bonded with the girls on the team and coach (Tom) Jes see, I feel like he prioritizes me even outside of basketball. He knows what I can do and embraces me as a point guard.

What is your favorite memory?

Last year we played Carrollwood Day at home in the regional finals. It was a packed house. We won that game by 19 (62-43) and it was like, ‘Oh shoot, we have a chance at a state title this year.’ It didn’t work out, but we’re getting closer each year.

What is your favorite movie? ‘Hoosiers.’ I was born in Indiana and it’s a classic to me.

Finish this sentence: “Olivia Davis is …” … A competitor.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Shoebox content the perfect fit

Lakewood Ranch’s Diane and Bob Collom drove up to the entrance of the Lakewood Ranch Elks Lodge Saturday with shoeboxes filled with gifts.

Each of the 13 shoeboxes was wrapped and ready for Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee’s Shoebox Drive and Reception.

“We’ve donated 13 boxes every year for the past eight years,” Diane Collom said. “(Meals on Wheels) helped my parents, and it’s a wonderful organization that we had to give back to.”

Dozens of people donated hundreds of shoeboxes for the Shoebox Drive at the Lakewood Ranch Elks Lodge. Each shoebox is delivered to a Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee’s senior clients

Esplanade at Lakewood Ranch’s Gwyneth Paget and Sarah King, who are a part of the community’s Crafts for Cause, said the organization donated 150 shoeboxes, $365, 325 pairs of socks and any extra items that didn’t fit in the shoeboxes to Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.

“We’ve done this for at least the past 10 years, and this year we had 50 more shoeboxes than we’ve ever had,” Paget said.

LIZ RAMOS

Esplanade at Lakewood Ranch’s Gwyneth Paget and Sarah King drop off shoeboxes. They are a part of Esplanade at Lakewood Ranch’s Crafts for Cause, which donated 150 shoeboxes and $365 to Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.

—

Maddox Towery, who is 11, and his 13-year-old brother, Lou Towery, act as Santa’s helpers and organize the shoeboxes in the vans for delivery.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Lakewood Ranch’s Diane Collom and Bob Collom donate 13 shoeboxes to the Shoebox Drive and Reception. Diane Collom says they have donated 13 shoeboxes to Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee for the past eight years.

Bradenton’s Gini Mitchell, East County’s Shawna Cranston and Lakewood Ranch’s Christina Ballard greet people and collect shoeboxes.

The Shoebox Drive and Reception includes dozens of raffle prizes.

Sarasota’s Melissa Ferlazzo, a database administrator for Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, and Lakewood Ranch’s Julianne Niebour sell raffle tickets.

NEIGHBORS NOTES

season got underway in full force Dec. 2.

When locating an elf, record what the elf is doing and where and drop an entry form off at the Lakewood Ranch Information Center, 8131 Lakewood Main St.

Entry forms for the contest, which runs through Jan. 1, can be picked up at the information center.

If you locate the elf with genie’s magic lamp, you are entered into a drawing for a family four-pack of tickets to Disney’s Aladdin at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall that runs Jan. 24-29 in Sarasota.

Among the big events at Main Street is the 11th annual Jingle 5K Run/Walk Dec. 16 that benefits the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Foundation and the Health Careers Scholarship Program.

Children’s races begin at 6 p.m. and the 5K race begins at 7 p.m., followed by a 1 mile Fun Run at 7:10 p.m. A post-race holiday festival follows at Main Street and will include live music.

Race information can be found at www.RaceRoster.com/events.

SANTA PHOTOS

Waterside Place is offering lots of opportunities to take Santa photos with your family members.

The next opportunities are Dec. 10, Dec. 14, Dec. 17 and Dec. 21, all from 6-9 p.m. Also a daytime session will be held Dec. 17 from 9-11 a.m.

Santa also will be posing for photos in front of the Main Street at Lakewood Ranch Christmas tree 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 15.

Most Main Street at Lakewood Ranch restaurants have breakfast or lunch outings with Santa. Check with the restaurants for dates.

LAKE CLUB’S TURKEY RUN TURNS INTO A CHARITY FEAST

Lakewood Ranch and Music on Main packing the streets all around it, the holiday

Events will be taking place all through New Year’s Day, including the Elf on the Shelf Holiday Contest. Those shopping at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch should be on the

With more than 225 runners and walkers and 30 sponsors, the Lake Club’s third annual Turkey Trot raised $17,500 for the Food Bank of Manatee, a Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee program.

The event, which was hosted by race directors David Ahrens,

Jeff Waddle and Elizabeth

It consisted of 5K-, 10K- and 1-mile races. The race directors worked with the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle to put on the event.

Ahrens said the donation of $17,000 will be used to provide approximately 25,000 meals for those in need.

NEW EVENT

A New Year’s Eve celebration is making its debut at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch from 6 p.m. to midnight Dec. 31.

DJ Truth will keep everyone dancing and food will be available from the Good Liquid and Kore restaurants along with food trucks. Adult beverages will be available for purchase.

The event is free.

AWARD WINNER

Sarasota nonprofit Resilient Retreat, which provides support for survivors of trauma, such as that needed by first responders, presented a first-place award to Amy Towery for her “Journey to Healing” artwork that was entered in a local art competition sponsored by the Halo Arts Project.

Towery, who is executive director of Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee, received $1,500 for winning.

According to a Resilient Retreat press release, she said she would donate the money to Resilient Retreat, the Halo Art Project and Meals on Wheel Plus Manatee.

“Art tells a story and can be a source of inspiration, validation and support for trauma survivors,” said Resilient Retreat Board Chair Sidney Turner.

“As such, we were very deliberate in selecting the artwork for our new center. We wanted to include local artists while also representing diverse backgrounds and experiences.”

All submissions are available for viewing at the retreat center.

Waddle, was held Thanksgiving Day in the Lake Club, starting at the Grande Clubhouse

Ian Swaby

The holiday season rolled into high gear as the annual tree lighting was held at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch on Dec. 2.

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River talk

As

there was any question, Denise Kleiner noted, “I’m a history nut.”

Kleiner, general manager of the Eco-Boat Tours that go out of her concession at Jiggs Landing, took exception when her 12-passenger, electric Duffy boat passed what appeared to be a Tiki hut on the Braden River.

A passenger said he saw a Tiki hut. “Tiki hut?” Kleiner asked. “No. It’s a chickee hut.”

She then explained how chickee huts were built by the Seminoles in Florida, chickee means “house” in Mikasuki languages that were spoken by the Seminoles.

A raised wood floor is one of the main differences between a chickee hut and a Tiki hut.

Kleiner looked another direction and launched into a discussion of para grass, an invasive exotic plant from Spain that was brought to Florida to feed the Spaniards’ cattle, who didn’t like native Florida grasses.

“In the 1800s, you couldn’t even see this river because it was covered with para grass,” she said.

Over the years, the para grass was contained to the banks of the river, but it still flourishes.

Her head would snap one direction to point out a cooter (a freshwater turtle, she says, that comprises 80% of the alligators’ diet) then back the other to direct eyes to a moorhen and a purple gallinule.

“The bigger the bird, the higher the tree,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

She saw a brown pelican fly over.

“The pelican is a sea bird, but they come here when there is red tide,” she said.

The sunset tour was a nonstop lesson in history and wildlife. Kleiner lived on the Braden River for years (she shows her former house during the tour) but now lives in Tara.

She described why she is so passionate during her tours.

“It is part of who I am,” she said.

Boat tours have a starting price of $12 and up. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

Adult Family Medicine

Michael Austen, MD is board certified in Family Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of St. Eustatius School of Medicine, Netherlands Antilles. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Cabarrus Family Medicine in Concord, N.C. Dr. Austen offers

— JAY HEATER

Denise Kleiner provides a history lesson and information about the local wildlife during her tours out of Jiggs Landing.

Photos by Jay Heater

The sunset tour out of Jiggs Landing provides some beautiful sights.

While this adult brown pelican is a seabird, Denise Kleiner says they come to Evers Reservoir and Jiggs Landing during times of red tide.

By Adam N. Phillips, D.O., Board Certified General Surgeon & Vein Specialist

When we think about vein health, how your job could affect them probably doesn’t cross your mind. We spend about one-third of our lives at work, and sometimes our workplace behaviors follow us home. The amount of time we spend sitting or standing, diet, and stress all play a role in the health of our veins.

In fact, more than 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from vein problems that may stem from a sedentary lifestyle or desk job that increases the likelihood of developing vein issues. Certain occupations and behaviors can negatively affect your vein health by making it harder to circulate blood back to the heart.

Sitting or Standing Too Much

There is a long-established connection between sitting or standing too much and venous issues. When we’re immobile for long periods of time, it becomes even harder for your veins to move blood upward and back to the heart. Blood begins to pool in the legs, pressure within the veins increases, and the walls and valves are weakened over time.

Unhealthy Diet

We all know eating a balanced diet is ideal for our health and wellness, but poor eating habits aren’t only bad for your waistline. High blood pressure, fluid retention, and weight gain are diet-related factors that contribute to venous issues. Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for unhealthy veins.

Stress and Cortisol

If your job is stressing you out, it may impact your health more than you think.

When you’re feeling stressed, cortisol tells your body that you need more fuel and activates a “flight or fight” response that increases blood pressure and restricts blood flow throughout the body. Together, these increase your risk factors for venous issues and exacerbate any existing conditions.

What Can You Do Now?

Braden River during

Jiggs Landing boat tour.

Denise Kleiner says the Florida cooter makes up about 80% of the alligators’ diet in the Braden River.

YOUR CALENDAR

BEST BET

SATURDAY, DEC. 10 AND SUNDAY, DEC. 11

COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Runs 6-10 p.m. at Hunsader Farms, 5500 C.R. 675 E., Bradenton. Hunsader presents its Country Christmas, featuring over 300,000 lights, train rides, Santa, craft vendors, live bands, a Christmas village, a petting zoo, and more. Admission is $15; kids 5 and under free. For more information, go to HunsaderFarms.com.

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, DEC. 9

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/musician Dean Johansen plays circus swing and American roots music as those who visit Waterside Place enjoy sunset views of Kingfisher Lake, fun at the hub’s small parks, or dining at the various restaurants. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

MOVIE IN THE PARK

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. The free event features the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The movie begins approximately at 7 p.m. Grace Community Church presents the event and will hand out a free Chick-fil-A sandwich or nuggets to the first 200 people who attend.

FRIDAY, DEC. 9 AND SATURDAY, DEC. 10

MOVIES UNDER THE STARS

Begins at 7 p.m. at the Mall at UTC, in the west district (The Green) near Ford’s Garage. The Mall at UTC presents its annual Holiday Movies Under the Stars series with “The Grinch” Friday and “Arthur Christmas” on Saturday. For more information, go to MallatUTC.com.

SATURDAY, DEC. 10

HORSE OBSTACLE COURSE

Runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding

Therapy, 4640 C.R. 675, Bradenton. SMART is hosting the Candy Cane Lane Obstacle Course. Those interested need to preregister by calling 322-2000. Must bring your own horse. Cost is $30 per horse and rider. Two time slots at 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 10 AND SUNDAY, DEC. 11

COUNTRY BEAR CHRISTMAS

Runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bearadise Ranch, 6908 245th St. E., Myakka City. Bearadise Ranch is hosting Country Bear Christmas that includes visits with the bears in their habitat, visits with Santa, a petting zoo, country music, a vendor village, food and drinks, and live performances. Tickets for age 13 and up are $20’ tickets for ages 5-12 are $5; 4 and under admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at CountryBearChristmas.com.

SUNDAY, DEC. 11

FARMERS MARKET

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

YOGA IN THE PARK

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

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14

RANCH NIGHT 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. Pets are welcome but no coolers or outside food or beverage allowed. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

Holiday treat

The Lakewood Ranch Wind

Ensemble kicked off its 2022-23 season with a post-Thanksgiving Day concert on Nov. 27 at Peace Presbyterian Church in Lakewood Ranch.

Music Director and Conductor Joseph Miller led the ensemble, made up of more than 40 musicians, through a program that ended with selections from “The Sound of Music.”

The next Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble concert will be Feb. 5 at the

church.

The concert was dedicated to the memory of Gayle Heskett, a member of the band who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 64. She taught music for 44 years in the public schools system and was a former member of the Venice Symphony.

A memorial service will be held Dec. 16 at 12:30 p.m. at Incarnation Catholic Church in Sarasota.

—

JAY HEATER

Sarasota’s Jim Damoulakis performs on the tuba.

Photos by Jay Heater

Drew Trapani keeps the beat.

Bradenton’s Tom Bancroft performs on the flute during the Thanksgiving Concert at Peace Presbyterian Church.

Conductor Joseph Miller leads the wind ensemble during the “Star Spangled Banner.”

River Club home tops sales at $1.15 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in River Club South topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Bradley Schalk and Maureen Serrano, of Naples, sold their home at 9617 Governors Club Place to Michele and James Kondrup, of Bradenton, for $1.15 million. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,502 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2018.

THE LINKS AT PALM AIRE

Guy Hendrix Lackey III, of Sarasota, sold his home at 7554 Links Court to Keith Hale and Betsy Asheim, of Sarasota, for $1.1 million. Built in 1992, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,024 square feet of living area. It sold for $610,000 in 2020.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Erin O’hara sold her home at 17426 Hickok Belt Loop to Stephen and Lisa Ann Johnson, of Bradenton, for $1.01 million. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,248 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2019.

WATERBURY GRAPEFRUIT

Jamie Snyder sold two properties at 4660 C.R. 675 to Ronald Oswaldo Guillen and Katie Ann Guillen, of Parrish, for $935,000. The first property was built in 1986, it has five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 2,842 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1991, it has one bedroom, one bath and 672 square feet of living area. They sold for $427,000 in 2004.

UPPER MANATEE RIVER ROAD

Steven Pimlott, of Bradenton, sold the home at 11661 Upper Manatee River Road to Philip Lambert, of Bradenton, for $915,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 3,646 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in October.

BROADMOOR PINES

Robert Wesley Merriman Jr. and Andrea Merriman, of Corinth, Texas, sold their home at 7715 Broadmoor Pines Blvd. to Paul Hage Chahine, of Sarasota, for $867,500. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,821 square feet of living area. It sold for $790,000 in 2021.

BRADEN WOODS

Karen Marguerite Wilson, of Ellenton, sold her home at 9606 64th Ave. E. to Charles Cameron Dees and Lauryn Dees, of Apollo Beach, for $739,000. Built in 1984, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,738 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,000 in 2014.

SAVANNA AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

Meritage Homes of Florida Inc. sold the home at 13814 Green Hammock Place to Anthony Bisconti III and Marie Elizabeth Bisconti, of Bradenton, for $721,100. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,778 square feet of living area.

GREYHAWK LANDING

TLC 12403 LLC sold the home at 12403 Aster Ave. to Paul and Elizabeth Stromberg, of Bradenton, for $699,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,553 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,800 in 2004.

George and Susan Atwell, of Anniston, Alabama, sold their home at 12072 Aster Ave. to Robert and Rosanna Marino, of Bradenton, for $680,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,285 square feet of living area. It sold for $695,100 in February.

SUMMERFIELD

William Robert Winter and Carol Joyce Winter, of Houghton, Michigan, sold their home at 12202 Clubhouse Drive to Karl and Edith Haas, of Bradenton, for $685,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and is 2,145 square feet. It sold for $380,000 in 2019.

Ashley Trace at University Place

Katy Royle Amara and Geraldine Brooks, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold their home at 7604 Charleston St. to Peter and Silvia Squassi, of Bradenton, for $620,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and is 2,172 square feet.

CHAPARRAL

Lisa Scorsolini, trustee, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, sold the home at 6858 Wagon Wheel Circle to Dale and Vivian Borger, of Sarasota, for $620,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,045 square feet of living area. It sold for $247,500 in 2012.

SOLERA

Blake Steven Bard and Natalie Ranette Bard sold their home at 5385 Grove Mill Loop to Andrew Lee Trommer and Olivia Trommer, of Bradenton, for $610,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,828 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,400 in 2021.

WATER OAK

Robert Lynch, of Ocala, sold his home at 6754 64th Terrace E. to David and Deborah Tejada, of Bradenton, for $605,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,344 square feet of living area.

GREENBROOK

Angela and Larry Reed, of Apollo Beach, sold their home at 15720 Butterfish Place to Isaiah Epling and Rachel Ratliff, of Lakewood Ranch, for $602,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths and 2,572 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,000 in 2013.

Joseph and Jennifer Lamora, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14234 Tree Swallow Way to Moises Dias and Maria Mendes Carolino, of Lakewood Ranch, for $465,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,868 square feet of living area. It sold for $212,600 in 2004.

CENTRAL PARK

Bruno and Cheryl Kapacinskas, of Wimauma, sold their home at 11741 Forest Park Circle to John and Susan Barrett, of Bradenton, for $600,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,044 square feet of living area. It sold for $333,500 in 2016.

Patrick and Nina Contino, of Asheville, North Carolina, sold their home at 4911 Torrey Pines Run to Donna Jean Pace, of Bradenton, for $482,500. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,702 square feet of living area. It sold for $269,000 in 2014.

Edward Kim, of Redmond, Washington, sold his home at 12227 Longview Lake Circle to Luis and Wiliana Miranda, of Falls Church, Virginia, for $440,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,495 square feet of living area. It sold for $279,900 in 2015.

WATERFRONT AT MAIN STREET

Gary and Sharon Sternitzke, trustees, of Bluffton, South Carolina, sold the Unit 2-504 condominium at 10520 Boardwalk Loop to Thomas and Linda Edelston, of Sarasota, for $600,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,400 square feet of living area. It sold for $430,000 in 2019.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Donald Kiger, of Ocala, sold the home at 7298 Belleisle Glen to Anna Treuth, of Lakewood Ranch, for $580,000. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,608 square feet of living area. It sold for $409,000 in 2021.

DESOTO LAKES

Barbara

Diane Plassmeyer, Mandy Giannini and Alexsandro Biancardi sold their home at 6988 Country Lakes Circle to Laura Elizabeth Naramore, of Sarasota, for $575,000. Built in 1989, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,121 square feet of living area. It sold for $200,000 in 1996.

SAPPHIRE POINT

Pulte Home Co. LLC sold the home at 16239 Pine Mist Drive to Brian and Erica McGuirk, of Lakewood Ranch, for $571,700. Built in 2022, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,638 square feet of living area.

Able Sterling Property Development Inc. sold the home at 5105 W. Country Club Drive to Marcus and Sharonda Sensenig, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for $525,000. Built in 1963, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and is 1,890 square feet. It sold for $330,000 in March.

ROSEDALE GOLF AND TENNIS Annette Burla, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 8706 52nd Drive E. to Jules Brownell and George Stroberg, of Arvada, Colorado, for $525,000. Built in 1995, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and is 1,521 square feet.

In with the new

PALM AIRE AT SARASOTA

Biancardi,

Liz Ramos

This River Club South home at 9617 Governors Club Place sold for $1.15 million. It has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,502 square feet of living area.

for $430,000. Built in 2007, it has

OLD GROVE AT GREENFIELD

and Beth Daniels, of Bradenton, for $485,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,659 square feet of living area. It sold for $206,000 in 2013.

Carlyle at the Villages of Palm Aire Joyce Canterbury, of Sarasota, sold her home at 6617 Cheswick St. to Andriana Michelle Flynn, of Sarasota, for $470,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,142 square feet of living area. It sold for $186,300 in 2000.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH Field and Eagle LLC, trustee, sold the home at 9617 Governors Club Place to Bradley Schalk and Maureen Serrano, of Naples, for $451,700. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,502 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2018.

HARMONY AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Darko and Tanja Mihajlovic, of Orlando, sold their home at 5710 Silverbridge Trail to Mark Torlucci and Jason Bundy, of Bradenton, for $430,000. Built in 2020, it has three

wood Ranch, for $425,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,552 square feet of living area. It sold for $208,000 in 2017.

Klaus Jacoby, K. Brooke Jacoby and Diane Jacoby sold their Unit 202 condominium at 7147 Boca Grove Place to Bruce Duncan and Shirley Dawson, of Ontario, Canada, for $385,000. Built in 1999, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,431 square feet of living area. It sold for $147,600 in 1999.

STONEYBROOK

William DeHass and Charmaine Alice DeHass sold their home at 220 Fairway Isles Lane to Oliver and Susan Small, of Dennisport, Massachusetts, for $410,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,665 square feet of living area. It sold for $236,000 in 2020.

PINE TRACE Linda Elizabeth Greene, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 28 condominium at 7767 Pine Trace Drive to Leslie Farr, Richard Enoch and Joellyn, of Collierville, Tennessee, for $401,000.

THURSDAY, DEC. 8 High: 83 Low: 61 Chance of rain: 9%

FRIDAY, DEC. 9 High: 80 Low: 61 Chance of rain: 9%

SATURDAY, DEC. 10 High: 80 Low: 60 Chance of rain: 8%

SUNDAY, DEC. 11 High: 80 Low: 62 Chance of rain: 8%

Thursday, Dec. 8 7:07a 5:35p

Friday, Dec. 9 7:08a 5:35p

Saturday, Dec. 10 7:08a 5:35p

Sunday, Dec. 11 7:09a 5:35p

Monday, Dec. 12 7:10a 5:36p

Tuesday, Dec. 13 7:10a 5:36p

Wednesday, Dec. 14 7:11a 5:36p

MOON PHASES

RAINFALL

Monday, Nov. 28 0.15

Tuesday, Nov. 29 0

Wednesday, Nov. 30 0

Thursday, Dec. 1 0

Friday, Dec. 2 0

Saturday, Dec. 3 0 Sunday, Dec. 4 0

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

HOLIDAY ESTATE SALE

1815 Buccaneer Terrace Sarasota, FL 34231 December 9th , 10th & 11th 9 am to 5pm Numbers go out at 8am

Fine Jewelry, High-end Designer Accessories, Shoes and Clothes for Men & Women, Deuce 75 Pitching Machine Model DC799, Batting cage with arti cial turf and a multitude of baseball equipment. Also lots of equipment for other sports like Golf, Bowling, High-End Fishing Equipment, Skateboarding, boating, Paintball Guns plus supplies, Basketball Hoop, Cricket equipment, name brand sporting apparel, athletic footwear and 4 Mountain Bikes with brand names like Schwinn Signed Sports Memorabilia with COAs, NFL Jerseys and other collectables, Exercise Equipment, weight benches, weights, Exercise bike, Treadmill and elliptical machine.

High-end Home Furnishings from Z Gallerie, Artwork, Furniture for the Dining room, Bedroom, Living room, Of ce, Outdoor Bar, High-End Outdoor Patio Furniture, Kitchen Items and Holiday Decorations.

Mechanic Tool Chest, Pressure washer, automotive tools, Air Compressor, Saws, Jacks, Lawn maintenance items, lots of other garage items and Aluminum Power Boat Lift.

Ping-pong table, Dartboard, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo systems, Foosball Table, Pool sticks and Balls. Antiquesandchatchkes.com

Painting