East County Observer 3.30.23

Observer

YOUR TOWN

East County where the buffalo roam

The Manatee County Environmental Lands Management executive committee has forwarded a recommendation to commissioners to use $16 million of funds approved by taxpayers to purchase significant lands to host buffalo.

The 165-acre parcel would be to the east of Lake Manatee and act as a buffer to any planned development that might encroach on the lake.

Once the buffalo become part of the landscape, the parcel would be a preserve and protected by federal law.

Whether buffalo can survive in extreme heat could be a potential dealbreaker.

“You can’t know until you’ve tried,” said William Codee of the Federal Animal Protection Agency. “Many of us have lived in the cold of the Northeast and Canada, but it doesn’t mean we would if we had the choice.”

Life is a highway, above the fast lane

Notreallya Wallenda has announced she we will walk a one-mile stretch of tight-wire above Interstate 75 on May 1 between the State Road 70 and University Park exits.

An animal activist, she said she hopes to raise $1 million for the Protect Our Squirrels Foundation.

“We protect every form of wildlife here, except for squirrels,” Wallenda said. “How many of them do you see squished on the highway? The least I can do is help them.”

Wallanda has a history of long tight-wire walks to help bats, gophers and opossum.

“All God’s creatures,” she said. “Why do we tend to forget that?”

The Florida Highway Patrol issued its objection to the project due to the fact it could pull attention away from drivers, but the area above the roadway can’t be governed.

“We will be shovel ready should anything happen,” said Deputy Ford Fairlane.

Shark spotted in Lake Manatee PAGE 4

Special delivery — Flatbed cell tower

Will YourMobile 2U be the answer to crummy cell phone coverage in Lakewood Ranch?

will have to work out the schedule. It’s the start of figuring out a solution to this mess.

“How many times have we all had to walk around the house trying to find bars? You end up standing in your bathroom, leaning against the shower wall because that’s the only place you can get two bars to text photos.”

2U is a mobile cell tower on wheels that will physically bring a cell phone tower to Lakewood Ranch neighborhoods on the back of a flat-bed truck.

On June 1, the first YourMobile 2U truck will begin its trek around Lakewood Ranch. Each neighborhood will have scheduled times when the truck’s cell tower will pass close enough to homes in that area to significantly boost coverage.

If the trial works well, another four trucks will be on the road by the end of the year.

“We have had no success with cell phone providers who have promised solutions,” said IDA Supervisor A.G. Bell. “I have no problem with people being angry. You pay $2 million for a home and your phone service might as well be two cups and a string.”

With only one truck as the program begins, residents will have to be super organized when it comes to scheduling their most important business or personal calls.

For instance, YourMobile 2U service might be in your particular area at 2 p.m. through 4 p.m. and then 2 a.m. through 4 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Bell emphasized that the schedule for each neighborhood is tentative at this point and that they will do their best to figure out how to spread the times evenly.

“It’s not a perfect solution,” Bell said. “But if you have a critical business call to make, you know you can schedule it at that time and you can be confident the call won’t drop when you are negotiating fees. We

The contract for a single truck, 24-7, will cost $1.2 million for the first two years. Bell said that projects to an extra $58 per month in CDD fees per home. Of course, the more trucks that are added, the higher the fee.

The announcement March 29 was greeted with mild optimism to outright anger.

“My mother has been waiting for a medical procedure for the past six months and I am never sure if someone can reach me to OK the procedure,” said Country Club East resident Rhea Seaver. “At least I will have a two-hour window when I know people can reach me.”

Greenbrook’s Ruby Ringer said it marks a huge step forward for the neighborhood.

“I haven’t been able to call for a pizza to be delivered for the four years I’ve lived here,” Ringer said. “So even if the truck is out front at 1 p.m., I can call and schedule a time at 5 p.m. for delivery. It’s is a step in the right direction. And for the past four years, when security tries to call me so they can let one of my guests though the gate, and I don’t get the call, it has been frustrating. So now I can at least tell everyone to come when I know the truck is in the neighborhood.”

Not everyone is thrilled with the trial system.

“I can just see this truck pulling away when I am trying to sign a big deal,” said Country Club’s Dyle Tone.

“Am I supposed to chase the truck down the road so I can keep talking?”

Actually, YourMobile 2U has a platform that would allow individu-

al residents to call a truck and tower to their driveway at any time they desire. YourMobile 2U is working out what the charges would be.

One YourMobile 2U representa tive said it might eventually involve a large auction for time slots with the high bidder getting the tower.

“This is an innovating program that is developing,” said YourMobile 2U Vice President Op R. Ator. “Right now, Lakewood Ranch, unfortunate ly, sits in a dead zone when it comes to cell phone coverage. We are offer ing a solution, even if it is only for two hours at a time.

“When everyone finds how much they are going to like this system, they will sign for another truck, and another. Before you know it we will have more trucks in the neighbor hood than Amazon.”

Ator said the trucks will be using 9G technology.

“It will be mix of 4G and 5G tech nology,” he said. “Can you hear me now? It’s going to be better than those dwarf towers you have around the area now.”

Ator said the logistics of where to park the truck in each neighborhood still need to be worked out. Some residents already complained they don’t want a big truck with a tower

LINE OF FIRE

Exceptions leave future development boundary line looking like an EKG chart.

JAY HEATER | MANAGING EDITOR

In a swift move at the March 23 meeting, Manatee County commissioners said it was time to stop finding exceptions to building east of its Future Development Boundary Line and to just “move the darned thing.”

After two huge developments were approved recently in spite of the line, and basically ignoring it totally, commissioners made a move midway through the meeting to set a new boundary, and to approve exceptions to their development criteria in case such development would be “for the good of the county as a whole.” The original Future Development Boundary Line was drawn in 1989 and last moved in 2006.

The entire process of setting a new line geographically, and adopting new guidelines, took approximately 45 minutes. After a motion and a second, the commissioners voted 7-0 in favor.

One commissioner, who asked not to be identified, said, “you can only pull the wool over your constituents’ eyes for so long. In general, I think we, as a whole, have relied on a general sense of apathy from the public. I am not sure that has changed, but why poke the sleeping bear? If we have a line that actually allows for the development we need over the next 15 years, then we don’t have to invent reasons to break our own guidelines.”

The new boundary line has somewhat the look of an EKG chart of someone having a heart event. Jagged lines go eastward along the State Road 64 and S.R. 70 corridors all the way to Myakka.

Those, obviously, are prime building areas for commercial ventures and commissioners pointed out that agriculture land on either side of development that is snug to the state road would be relatively untouched.

They also noted that building lower income housing along those routes would give the residents of those communities an artery into the jobs of Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton and Sarasota.

However, those opposed to the move remembered Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s words in April of 2021.

In speaking about allowing development past the boundary, Van Ostenbridge said, “The camel puts his nose under the tent. And then the camel gets his head under the tent if you don’t do anything about it. Next thing you know, the camel is in the tent. If this property is allowed east of the line, then the camel’s nose is under the tent, right? And then how much further is it going to continue to go?”

Residents now have their answer.

Builders, however, said the move was needed as soon as possible.

Attorney Shai Stirr, representing Go Big Homes of Venus, Florida, told commissioners if they didn’t approve the new boundary line, his company would be unable to build the eight affordable housing projects, each of 400 or more apartment

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY LINE EXCEPTIONS

homes, along those two state roads as presented to commissioners during a workshop.

“If you don’t do something quickly, Go Big Homes will need to pull out of our handshake deal and negotiate with other counties,” Stirr said. “Then you know what’s going to happen? Those neighborhoods will have to be farther to the west, in Lakewood Ranch. Is that what you want?”

Builder Konn Crete of Paradise Planners told commissioners that if they moved the line later in the meeting, that he was ready to cement a deal for strip malls along both S.R. 64 and S.R. 70.

“I know you have all these farmers screaming, but anyone who drives those roads knows the only thing there until you get to Myakka is a bunch of squirrels and birds,” Crete said. “Let’s face it, we are not talking about prime agricultural land. We need people to start being real. And the real objection is coming from rich folk who just don’t want any neighbors. They have these 3-acre parcels that really translate into 10-acre parcels because nobody can build anything around it.

“As far as cows, they don’t need natural habitat. Give them a pond and some shade and they are fine.”

When commissioners approved the new development boundary line, Crete was elated. He said Florida

“If you don’t do something quickly, Go Big Homes will need to pull out of our handshake deal and negotiate with other counties. Then you know what’s going to happen? Those neighborhoods will have to be farther to the west, in Lakewood Ranch. Is that what you want?”

Shai Stirr

Builders can forego Future Development Boundary Line limitations if the parcel to be developed has:

n Less than 3 1/2 cows per acre or

n Less than 2 panthers per acre or

n Less than 14 coyotes per acre or

n Less than one eagle’s next per 100 trees or

n Produces less than $40,000 cash crop annually per acre or

n Developer pays county $100,000 per acre

“has a million acres in the center of the state for cows, panthers, coyotes, bobcats, and all the turtles you can stand.”

Of course, the public comment period featured a parade of those who told commissioners that growth is out of control.

“There you go again,” said Myakka City’s John Deahr. “You are going to ride off into the sunset and we have to live with this decision. You get this bee in your bonnet and then you burn the breeze, and we’re left to chew gravel. We would like to clip your horns or tighten your neckties, but you already lickity split will pass this. We’re just left with prairie coal.”

Although Deahr’s Western jargon was met with inquisitive looks, one commissioner admired the six-gun strapped to his hip and invited him to speak later in the meeting on gun rights in Manatee County.

Next to the podium was Ann E. Oakilee, who raises goats on 75 acres in rural Manatee County, just to the west of Myakka City.

“I knew long ago that no one in office cares about those in Myakka,” she said. “So here is my promise to you since I’ve known this was coming for a long time. I am not selling my property and I am not moving. Instead, I am bringing in 500 chickens. Ever live next to a chicken farm? When the wind blows in the direction of the new homes, those people will wish they had bought homes next to the race track.”

Massey Furguson brought a bag of

dollar bills to the podium. “This is about nothing but money,” Furguson said. “So I have $137 in cash money in this bag. It’s all yours if we can bend that line a little to the west at southwest Myakka City. Our neighbors all pitched in. What’s it going to take? Isn’t this simply about money?”

One hundred and thirty seven people spoke against moving the development boundary to the east and three spoke in favor of it.

One of those in favor, Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Enweave, told those who had assembled to oppose the new boundary that they “could find fertile land in Indiana” if they didn’t like it here.

After the move was complete, commissioners spent the rest of the meeting discussing ideas that would be possible with more developable land, such as bowling alleys, car lots and mobile home parks. It was suggested that with more developable land, they could move the two race tracks on S.R. 64 farther to the east.

Attorney Cash Enkarry gave a report to commissioners that Myakka City has a greater percentage of NASCAR fans than most Manatee County communities and therefore wouldn’t mind the roar of engines on a Saturday.

Commissioners also discussed new guidelines for the Future Development Boundary Line. Those included a long line of exceptions if the move to the east doesn’t handle the need. Developers actually could bypass the entire restriction with a one-time payment of $100,000 per acre to the county, with a minimum of a 20-acre purchase.

Staff member Howie Hughes told commissioners that the funds collected from those who wanted to pay their way past the development boundary would be used to buy environmentally significant lands somewhere else.

Other exceptions to developing beyond the development boundary included studies that would be done on a particular parcel that didn’t meet criteria for protection under the boundary’s guidelines.

For instance, if a parcel had less than 3 1/2 cows per acre, had not been observed hosting a certain number of panthers or bobcats, or did not have one eagle’s nest per 100 trees, it would be eligible for development.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY

OLD DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY

GOTCHA!

Multistory project provides drama

BOLD OR BOGUS?

What: Three-story, $85 million events center

Where: Premier Park in Lakewood Ranch Houses: Arts center, theater; ice arena; agricultural events center

To be paid: By taxpayers

Plans have been presented to Manatee County commissioners for a three-story, $85 million events center at Premier Park in Lakewood Ranch.

In terms of cost, the project is about to go down a slippery slope.

The middle story will be an ice arena.

County staff members put together the blueprints and cost for a building that combines three projects that have been requested by the public.

The ice arena follows a failed Lakewood Ranch sports and entertainment center that was planned by DVA Arena in 2003. That construction was set to build a 7,400-seat arena and a 220,000-square-foot facility overall.

The Gulf Coast Swords hockey team, a member of the East Coast Hockey League, would have been the anchor team for the facility. The building also would have been used to host concerts, festivals and other major events.

But years of financial uncertainty sent the project into foreclosure after construction had begun. Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch purchased the land back at a foreclosure sale in April 2009. The

What’s next: Commissioners will discuss the project at a workshop

Did you know: The retractable roof must be opened and closed by hand-propping by 12 workers like old-time airplane engines were started

idea of a hockey arena slipped away.

The parcel eventually was added to the Lakewood Centre Development of Regional Impact on the 70 acres just west of White Eagle Boulevard and north of Rangeland Parkway, once named Center Ice Parkway. The dream of an ice area, however, melted.

That idea resurfaced with the area’s inability to build an arts venue. Similar to the failed ice arena, Lakewood Ranch has had close-but-nocigar arts center projects. County staff members were charged with making such a project a reality.

When the design began on what was to be a two-story events center, county staff members began to study the feasibility of a three-story facility, with the bottom story being an agricultural center for livestock

classes, shows and fairs.

“Three times the fun,” said Manatee County Director of Multiphase Construction Maxwell Smart. “It was all needed and all very expensive. If we did three separate buildings, we would be talking more than $150 million.

“But when you line up, vertically, restrooms on three stories of a building, everything is ending up in the same place, through the same pipes.”

Smart said the arts/concert venue was selected for the top floor because of the retractable roof. The roof can be open for moonlight concerts or closed if the heat is too much to take.

The middle floor was chosen as the ice arena because it will be insulated from the outside heat. The arena will have seating for 3,200 people. Smart said the ice can be covered and a roller skating floor can be installed in a short period of time.

The bottom floor will have no actual flooring, as it will be left as dirt to support the cows, horses, goats and other farm animals that might be judged at an FFA-type event.

The entire structure will be about 85-foot high.

“I thought it was an amazing concept,” said public activist E.Z Livon. “I didn’t think I would live to see anything of this nature on that site but now I’ve got the picture of something truly extraordinary.”

Manatee County staff members said they researched the project by looking at Sarasota County’s plans for a $40 million boathouse and events center at Nathan Benderson Park.

“It was such a unique project,”

said Manatee County Accounting Department Appropriations Manager Kristle Glass. “Sarasota took two completely different visions and combined them into one 100,000-square-foot building. A boathouse and an events center? Ludicrous. But once you take a good look, it makes sense.

“And since they were going two floors, we took it higher. Why not three stories?”

Concerned members of the public complained about the costs of the project.

“For the cost of the project, they could fly everyone to New York to see the Rangers,” said Harmony’s Deb Utant. “We asked for an amphitheater and we get plans for the Taj Mahal.”

Smart said it is likely if the project is approved that a four-story garage would be added to the west side of the building.

Ice arena to be sandwiched between arts and agricultural centers at Premier Park.

Happy April Fools’ Day from the East County Observer! The stories on pages 1 through 4 are not real news. Hope you’re as relieved as we are!

Courtesy photo

The second story of the $85 million project at Premier Park will be an ice arena.

YOU YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Bridge plans rush forward

YOUR TOWN

Rotarians go the distance for water

Lakewood Ranch’s Judy Berlow and John Bodenburg met with other Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch members to walk in support of the rotary’s Walk for Water program March 25 at Nathan Benderson Park.

“Walk for Water is an excellent program,” Berlow said. “We’ve been funding clean water projects, mostly in Peru, for at least 12 years. In 2012, a group of us went down to Peru to help set up clean water systems in villages we sponsor, and it was an amazing experience.”

The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch has eight active water projects that are all solar powered and running pipes to individual residences, Bodenburg said.

Kim Luther finishes her 20-year career with East Manatee Fire Rescue by being named Manatee County Fire Officer of the Year.

SEE PAGE 6

Science plus math equals family fun

Tara Elementary School’s James Wecht kept adding more toothpicks and marshmallows. He kept building until he constructed a stable tower during the school’s Family Fun Night on March 22.

Family Fun Night combined math and science activities for a night of memories for families.

After the marshmallow and toothpick tower, Wecht had plenty of other activities to do next.

Members of Braden River Middle School’s Technology Student Association were there to talk about TSA and showcase their projects. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on hand to talk about the use of drones. Mote Marine and Laboratory brought in animal skulls and other items for students to view.

Kim Luther finished a 20-year career with East Manatee Fire Rescue by earning the 2022 Fire Officer of the Year award.

Liz Ramos

Myakka City Elementary School second graders Marshyll Scott and Saira Morales help train Ruby Sue, the school’s future therapy dog.

Liz Ramos

Liz Ramos

Firefighting passion burns inside her

Kim Luther said she went into firefighting because she knew she could help people.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

It was a sleepless 48 hours, a stretch of time unlike any other for Kim Luther as Hurricane Ian ripped a swath of destruction through Manatee County in late September, leaving in its wake catastrophic flooding conditions.

In many ways, the following first few days of October were even more dangerous than the hurricane itself, as rising waters left many Manatee County residents in peril.

Luther, the administrative officer for East Manatee Fire Rescue, worked parts of those days and nights as a district fire coordinator, making sure the personnel in the field were getting as many resources as possible to get the work done.

“It was all hands on deck,” said Luther, who had just received the Manatee County Fire Officer of the Year award during a March 23 ceremony at East Manatee Fire Rescue Station 1.

Luther received the award for her body of work over the course of the year, but the hurricane certainly was an example of why she earned the recognition award from the Manatee County Fire Chiefs’ Association.

“She absolutely earned every bit of that award,” East Manatee Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Paul Wren said. “It was well deserved.”

Wren said when he was deployed to Sanibel Island following the hurricane, Luther would call him twice a day to see what he needed and how she could help.

“It was like comfort from home,” he said. “We’re sorry to see her go.”

The awards ceremony came a couple weeks after Luther’s retire-

ABOVE AND BEYOND

The Manatee County Fire Chiefs’ Association handed out four major awards March 23 at East Manatee Fire Rescue Station 1 in Lakewood Ranch: Fire Officer of the Year: Kim Luther, East Manatee Fire Rescue administrative officer Chief Officer of the Year: Jay Johnson, West Manatee Fire and Rescue deputy chief Firefighter of the Year: Crystal Tucciarone, West Manatee Fire and Rescue Fire Inspector of the Year: Josh Adkins, West Manatee Fire and Rescue.

ment party to honor her for a 20-year career with East Manatee Fire Rescue.

She said her final complete year of 2022 involved some intense times, such as the hurricane and the scrapyard fire in December at Aceros America,13838 Harllee Road in Palmetto.

She explained that the fire coordinator duties rotate within the department.

“Every time I have been a fire coordinator, it seems like there has been a black cloud over my head,” she said.

How she dealt with those black clouds earned her the award.

Her training over the years prepared her to handle situations that were somewhat different to the department in the aftermath of the hurricane.

“You are so focused that you are hitting everything you need for safety, and making sure (the ‘firstin’ teams of fire personnel) have the resources they need,” she said. “It was more intense over a longer period of time, and this time, we were

using different resources because we didn’t have Myakka before.”

East Manatee Fire Rescue and the Myakka City Fire Control District merged in 2021.

Although Luther spent time in charge of the hurricane operation, she said it was a collaborative effort from beginning to end.

“Really, we operate as a paramilitary,” she said. “We have rules to follow that keep us safe, and you have faith in people you put in their positions. We have some dynamic fire coordinators.”

She said one of the important takeaways from the hurricane was that “it is important to appreciate the people we work with. Without a team, there is no way any of us could do this.”

All teams need leaders and Luther’s mother, Virginia Luther, said even if

it wasn’t apparent that her daughter would be a firefighter, she knew “she always wanted to be the boss.”

Virginia Luther was beaming about her daughter’s award.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” she said. “I am already 9-foot-11.”

Virginia Luther wasn’t so happy, though, when her daughter told her almost a quarter-century ago that she had decided to leave her job as an assistant in the administration department of Sarasota Memorial Hospital and pursue firefighting. She didn’t want her daughter to be put in danger.

“I wanted to go into the medical field,” Kim Luther said. “But I had a friend who was a battalion chief in Sarasota County. He suggested I would be good at this.”

So she began working as a volunteer with the Sarasota County Fire

Department.

The first call she went on as a volunteer involved a serious crash involving a 16-year-old. She said she couldn’t do anything for the victim, but she could console the family.

“Right then I thought, ‘This is what I want to do,’” she said. “I could give them a hug while they cried. I was helping someone in need. I was good at it.”

She began working for East Manatee Fire Rescue on Feb. 3, 2003.

She eventually shifted from being a firefighter to an administrative role.

Luther said as she stepped away from firefighting duties, she took on less of a hands-on role.

“You are at the drone level,” she said. “You have a bird’s eye view of everything.”

She is proud of her award and her career.

“Everybody leaves their mark on the fire service,” she said. “I left a positive mark and I achieved my goals.

“You have to want to do this job. When you take this career, you are taking other people’s lives in your hands.”

Her departure leaves the department without a female firefighter or administrator. She said that is OK.

“We shouldn’t fit this job into a demographic just to get people hired,” she said. “It will get someone killed.”

She noted that she had been in charge of a training test and applicants for firefighting jobs were having trouble passing it. She said it included a stair climb, hose drag and raising a ladder, among other things. Those applying had to complete the test in under 7 minutes.

“People were not passing it,” she said. “So I went out and took the test. I was 52 at the time and I finished it in 7:20. You just needed to train for it. I told them we shouldn’t change the time.”

Already, she said her days are filled with family obligations so she will do just fine with retirement. But, again, she said she will miss her interaction with people.

“Those people, they call 911 for a reason,” she said. “I knew I was there for a purpose. I could be with them. It was about human contact, letting them know they are important, they are loved, and they are not alone.”

Jay Heater

Kim Luther, of East County Fire Rescue, receives the 2022 Fire Officer of the Year award from Stacey Bailey, the president of the Manatee County Fire Chiefs’ Association.

WILL IMPROVEMENTS DRAIN CLOG?

NO TURNING BACK

What: Upper Manatee River Road widening project

Improvements:

n Widen 2.2 miles between S.R 64 north to the Fort Hamer Bridge

n Add a raised median between the two southbound and two northbound lanes

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Country Meadows resident

Tim Law was talking about his daily task of negotiating the intersection of State Road 64 and Upper Manatee River Road (which to the south of S.R. 64 turns into Lakewood Ranch Boulevard).

“That’s where the real bottleneck is now,” Law said while attending a Manatee County public information meeting at Peace Presbyterian Church for Upper Manatee River Road improvements.

The public meeting March 21 offered design boards with information about every aspect of the project. The $22.6 million project will widen the roadway from two lanes to four lanes (two in each direction) over a 2.2-mile stretch from the Fort Hamer Bridge south to S.R. 64.

Like many of those in attendance, Law was considering what the roadway will be like during a construction period that is expected to stretch from early 2024 to early 2026. And then what kind of bottlenecks will occur if construction of the new Fort Hamer span over the Manatee River isn’t complete until two or three years after the four-lane roadway opens.

IT’S ‘LESS WORSE’

The bridge currently is two lanes.

Law summed up his thoughts by saying, “It is going to be less worse.”

Others who attended the meeting said they weren’t looking forward to years of construction, but that eventually the trip through that corridor should be smoother with the addition of more lanes and another bridge span. However, they also noted that such improvements will draw even more motorists to go with the fact that Parrish is growing in the manner of Lakewood Ranch 20 years ago.

Tom Diaz, who lives on Upper Manatee River Road, where it curves to the north just before reaching the Fort Hamer Bridge, said “everything was quiet” before the Fort Hamer Bridge opened in 2017.

“But you have to improve now,” Diaz said. “There is no turning back.”

Danny and Tina Friddle live on Third Avenue East off Upper Manatee River Road, and they said traffic is a mess all day long. They said it is nearly impossible to make a safe left hand turn on to Upper Manatee River Road and it appears they will have to turn north and make a U-turn to go south.

Frank Bullard, who has lived his entire life just off Upper Manatee River Road, said it can take 10 min-

utes or more to make a left on to Upper Manatee River Road southbound when he is driving a truck and pulling a trailer. He expects it to be even more difficult after the widening is completed.

“You are going to have four lanes of traffic instead of two lanes,” he said.

“It’s dangerous.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

However, Manatee County officials understand the bigger picture and say that improvements are vital to allow traffic to flow through the growing region. They say it will be important to finish the bridge as soon as possible after the road widening project is complete.

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said first it will be imperative to secure federal funding for the new bridge span to save the taxpayers’ money.

“The Fort Hamer Bridge is our No. 1 priority for the year with the federal government,” Baugh said March 28.

“Traffic there is a massive problem.”

Last May, commissioners went to Washington to continue their pursuit of federal funds for the corridor.

They sought more than $39 million in project grant funds. Those grant applications come due in April.

Baugh said U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan could be a huge factor in helping to secure needed federal funds for the bridge span.

At this point, though, Manatee County has yet to present plans for the bridge to the public.

“It is a project of record,” said Ogden Clark, a strategic planning manager for Manatee County. “One million dollars has been put toward design and engineering.”

However, Clark said the process is in the preliminary stages with important topics such as what type of materials to be used remain to be determined.

“This involves how long the span will be, the cost of materials, permitting, traffic counts and studies,” Clark said.

Some of those items have been studied since the first span opened in 2017.

“We were aware when the bridge opened that it already was at capacity,” Clark said. “It was a given that

n Add 6-foot buffered bike lanes

n Add new curbs and gutters

n Add a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the roadway and a 10-foot sidewalk on the west side

n Add street lighting throughout the corridor

n Improve intersections at Upper Manatee River Roads intersections at Greenfield Boulevard/Copperlefe Drive; Port Harbour Parkway, Fort Hamer Road; and Waterlefe Boulevard (includes new or improved traffic signal lights, left-turn lanes and pedestrian crosswalks)

n Add a signalized pedestrian crossing just south of Second Avenue E.

we would need to build (another) bridge.”

Manatee County has asked the state to contribute $3 million toward the design of the new span and $4 million toward the design of the widening of Fort Hamer Road on the north side of the bridge.

A CLEARER PICTURE

He said the bridge project will come into far better view after the design portion of the process is complete.

“Then we will have timelines and an actual cost,” he said. “We will know whether we are going to need to move a bunch of earth or the other high dollar types of things.”

Clark said he expected that commissioners will vote on the budgeting for the new span in September when they have more information. He said the design process normally takes about 18 months for such a project, and it has been ongoing for about six months at this point.

He said a rough estimate would be that construction will begin in about three years, with a completion date two years afterward.

The Upper Manatee River Road improvement project is expected to be complete in late 2023 or early 2024. So if the new bridge span doesn’t open until 2028, it could be quite the period where a four-lane road will funnel into a two-lane bridge.

However, Clark said improvements on Upper Manatee River Road will help clear up the bottleneck at its intersection with S.R. 64 and said much of the traffic going northward follows the Upper Manatee River Road’s curve to the right, where it meets Fort Hamer Road. That, he said, will ease traffic going over the bridge.

Concerned residents hope five years of construction solve Upper Manatee River Road bottleneck.

The Upper Manatee River Road project will widen the road from two to four lanes from S.R. 64 to the Fort Hamer Bridge.

Jay Heater Bradenton’s Aaron Huben checks a graphic on traffic flow during a Manatee County public meeting on Upper Manatee River Road improvements at Peace Presbyterian Church.

PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET

Ranch Community Activities’ EGGstravaganza, it’s a mad dash to collect the most eggs possible.

More than 8,000 eggs will be scattered throughout Waterside Park on April 1 for Lakewood Ranch’s biggest egg hunt.

Children ages 5 and younger will pick their spot along the edge of the sand volleyball court, while children who are 6 years old and older will line the edges of the grass field.

Once the hunt begins at Lakewood

“My favorite part of the whole event is that moment when all the kids are lined up and are anxiously waiting for you to say, ‘Go,’” said Aliye Presley, the marketing and events manager for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, which hosts the annual egg hunt. “That burst of them running to the eggs, I love it because it’s something that’s seen in 3-yearolds and 12-year-olds.”

EGGstravaganza is open to children who are 3 years old and older, but children who are younger than 3 can participate as long as they are accompanied by a parent, Presley said.

“We don’t like to put an age limit

Lakewood Ranch’s biggest egg hunt will have thousands of eggs for children to gather at Waterside Park.

on it,” she said. “A kid is a kid, and they should go for it.”

Before the hunt begins April 1, families will be able to enjoy face painting, music, a bounce house, photo opportunities and a food truck. The Sarasota County Fire Department will have a fire truck for children to check out and sit in the driver’s seat.

The Easter bunny will make a grand entrance and take photos with children and their families before walking around during the hunt.

This is the second year EGGstravaganza will be held at Waterside Park.

“We love it,” Presley said about Waterside Park. “It’s such a beautiful backdrop while also making it easy to see the entire space where the kids will be. We have a lot of volunteers that help make sure everyone stays in the designated area, and that’s just a little bit easier to handle at this park.”

Rather than enlisting volunteers to spend hours filling each plastic egg, this year, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities chose to get the eggs through Ayers Family Plastic Eggs, a company based out of Georgia that hires people with special needs to fill the eggs with candy and toys.

“As someone with family members with disabilities, it’s really cool to see a company that isn’t shying away from employing people like that but instead makes it a point to,” Presley said. “It was cool to support them and make it a little easier on us getting eggs.”

Presley said Lakewood Ranch Community Activities has egg sponsors this year who might provide fun, unique prizes for children to find. For example, at last year’s EGGstravaganza, there were large brown bunnies spread throughout the hunting areas with special prizes inside.

Presley said volunteers and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities staff spend hours spreading the eggs throughout the two egg hunt locations. Within 10 minutes, almost every egg, if not all of them, is collected in the hunt.

“I love their spirit and how happy they are running around collecting all of their eggs,” Presley said. “It’s like a friendly competition seeing the siblings afterwards talking about who got the most and comparing their candy. The parents are so happy watching.”

Presley’s advice for the egg hunt is

IF YOU GO

EGGstravaganza

When: 9:30-11:30 a.m. April 1

Where: Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota

Price: $10 per child for residents; $20 per child for nonresidents

Details: Lakewood Ranch Community Activities’ EGGstravaganza will include an egg hunt, face painting, a visit from the Sarasota County Fire Department and a bounce house. More information: MyLWR. com

to don’t just go for the eggs closest to you.

“Go past where all the kids are going and go to those outer ranges,” she said. “You’ll have less people trying to pick them up.”

Country Club’s Mark Eubanks participates in EGGstravaganza in 2022 with his parents, Mark and Jennifer Eubanks, and his sister, Georgia Lily Eubanks.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

by Dental Implant Specialists

Altruism a spoonful at a time

Potlucks for a Purpose of Lakewood Ranch brings women together to learn about gender inequality in the world and how they can make a difference.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Watercrest’s Kristina Skepton stood back and admired the various Kenyan foods sitting on her dining room table.  There was tomato and onion salad, potatoes with peas, Kenyan bean and corn salad, barbecued meat on the street, coconut macaroons and more.

Each of the dishes were brought by women to participate in Skepton’s chapter of Together Women Rise called Potlucks for a Purpose.

Together We Rise is a national nonprofit dedicated to achieving global gender equality. The nonprofit provides grants to organizations that empower women and girls in low-income countries.

The dishes are a way for the group of women to learn about the country in which the Together Wise Rise grant recipient is making an impact.

“(The food) adds a powerful component because even the dinner affirms how these women have their favorite dishes, and then we’re eating those dishes,” Skepton said. “It adds to the immersive experience.”

Skepton said that as Potlucks for a Purpose meets, more women will join and want to make a difference.

She joined Together Women Rise eight years ago when she was introduced to the organization through the chapter in Sarasota.

“I was hooked from the moment I went,” Skepton said. “It’s helping women and children, which I have a heart for that. One of the things I love about it is it was an easy way to feel like I was making a difference.”

Skepton said the nonprofit doesn’t

ON THE MENU

Every month, members of Potlucks for a Purpose bring dishes using recipes from the country that’s being presented. In March, the women made dishes from Kenya including:

n Tomato and onion salad (Kachumbari)

n Kenyan bean and corn salad (Githeri)

n Coconut macaroons (Biskuti ya nazi)

n Potatoes with peas

n Kenyan sponge cake

n Barbecued street meat (Kariokor Nyama ya Kuchoma)

require a minimum donation or attendance at meetings. She was inspired by the “normal people” who would start organizations to make a difference in countries across the world.

Skepton said going to the meetings made her quickly realize how lucky women are in the U.S.

Sarasota Memorial Presents

“As much as we have our challenges, we don’t have to face some of these very basic challenges women and children are facing around the world,” she said. “I always left with a sense of humility. That was probably the biggest feeling, the eye-opening awareness of the challenges that people face.”

Last year, Skepton was looking for something she could put her passion and energy into after she and her husband, Gene, had finished renovating their home. She decided to go on a three-week trip to Nepal with a group of women through Together Women Rise. During her trip, she visited two schools and a women’s health center.

She already had decided to start her own chapter of Together Women Rise, but it was on her trip that she met with grant recipients and women and children who were impacted by the nonprofit that inspired her to start the process of organizing a new chapter in Lakewood Ranch.

“My passion and enthusiasm (to start a chapter) accelerated tenfold at that point,” Skepton said. “Because

FREE LECTURE SERIES

April 2023

Potlucks for a Purpose is looking for more members. To get involved, contact Kristina Skepton at 323-5118 or KMSkepton@yahoo.com.

themselves and introduce Too Young to Wed, the grant recipient, and Kenya, the country for the month.

we were all Together Women Rise members, we were kindred spirits right from the get-go. Everyone clicked immediately. It was magical. We still all communicate. Friendships were formed.”

She said meeting women and children impacted by the grant recipients was humbling. She said everyone she met in Nepal was appreciative and grateful for the work Together Women Rise has done.

“I seriously feel like I was born to do this,” Skepton said. “The teacher in me, I love to entertain, socialize, it brings together everything that matters to me. It gives me a sense of power in a world that has a lot of problems, and I can often feel powerless. It provides an opportunity to feel like I’m making a difference.”

Skepton’s chapter met for the first time in January and has been meeting monthly with between 10 and 12 women participating in Potlucks for a Purpose each month.

The March 22 meeting started with time to socialize and meet other members before Skepton had everyone come together to introduce

What We Know & How We Know It: Breakthroughs & Discoveries in the World of Neuroscience

Every day, we’re learning more about the miracle of the human mind and how the brain functions. And every new discovery brings us one step closer to managing, treating and even curing neurological disease. During this free lecture series, hear directly from SMH neurologists and neuroscientists about how new understanding and advanced breakthroughs are creating new possibilities. A brief Q&A will follow each presentation.

Tuesday, April 4, 4:30-5:30pm

} Mauricio Concha, MD - Breakthrough in the Treatment for Early Alzheimer’s: Light at the End of the Tunnel

Thursday, April 6, 4:30-5:30pm

} Dean P. Sutherland, MD - Parkinson’s Disease

Tuesday, April 11, 4:30-5:30pm

} Brian A. Wolf, MD - Epilepsy: Diagnosis and Management

Tuesday, April 18, 4:30-5:30pm

} Rejo P. Cherian, MD - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

The group then moved around the table and each person talked about the dish they brought to the potluck before everyone ate while watching videos of Kenya and discussing the food and other topics.

After dinner, Skepton went on to share facts about Kenya and show a video of the founder of Too Young to Wed, an organization dedicated to ending child marriage globally.

The meeting ended with more socializing and an opportunity to donate to Together Women Rise.

Venice’s Helen Crouse joined Potlucks for a Purpose to meet new people while supporting a good cause.

“I was very excited about it because of the camaraderie and the fellowship that’s involved,” Crouse said. “I enjoy learning about all the different countries and the inequality women go through.”

Crouse has enjoyed trying the various dishes people have made using recipes they found on the Together Women Rise website that represent the country they’re learning about each month.

“Everything’s been delicious,” she said. “So far, everybody’s just knocked it out of the park.”

This is a FREE LECTURE SERIES with FREE VALET PARKING at main hospital entrance. Light refreshments served. RSVP required. Reserve your space by phone at (941) 917-7777 or online at smh.com/lectures. smh.com

Photos by Liz Ramos

Watercrest’s Kristina Skepton shares facts about Kenya as she leads a meeting of Potlucks for a Purpose, a new Lakewood Ranch chapter of Together Women Rise.

Kenyan bean and corn salad (Githeri)

YourObserver.com

MEET THE DOGS

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

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Ruby Sue

Age: 7 months

Breed: Welsh terrier

School: Myakka City

Elementary School

Personality: Energetic and loyal

POWER OF DOGS

UNLEASHED

Myakka City, McNeal and Tara elementary schools learn the benefits of having therapy dogs on campus.

Marshyll Scott and Saira Morales sat in a makeshift pen in Myakka City Elementary School’s media center and watched Ruby Sue walk around.

“Place,” Scott commanded Ruby Sue, a 7-month-old Welsh terrier who then sat in her little bed in the pen.

With Ruby Sue in place, Scott and Morales, who are second graders, took turns reading to Ruby Sue.

Every so often, Ruby Sue would get up and press her nose between the bars of the pen, hoping she’d be able to get out so she could play with the other students.

“Place,” Scott said again.

Scott and Morales are a part of a group of second graders who are helping to train Ruby Sue to become a therapy dog.

Myakka City and Gilbert W. McNeal elementary schools will be the latest schools to have therapy dogs on their campuses in East County. Tara Elementary School has had Callie, a golden retriever, serving as a therapy dog for the past four years.

Karen Chinault, the assistant principal at Tara Elementary, bought Callie specifically to be a therapy dog for her school. Callie, who is 4 years old, has been on campus almost every day since she was 10 weeks old. She even has her photo in the yearbook each year.

“She’s always loved being with the kids,” Chinault said. “From the beginning, that’s been her biggest love, to be out in the school with the kids no matter what we’re doing.”

When walking down the halls, Chinault said students are always saying hello to Callie first before greeting her. When Chinault doesn’t have Callie with her, the first question she gets is, “Where’s Callie?”

Chinault, Carol Ricks, principal at Myakka City Elementary, and Sheila Waid, principal at McNeal Elementary, all decided to train their dogs to become therapy dogs after seeing the benefits of having a therapy dog in their personal lives or in a school setting.

Chinault learned petting a dog releases oxytocin, which is also known as the cuddle chemical, and helps people to reduce anxiety and stress while increasing relaxation.

Chinault said Callie is a great resource to have on testing days. She’ll bring Callie to students to give them an opportunity to pet her and have a few moments of joy and relaxation before they begin testing.

Since October, Ricks has been bringing Ruby Sue to school. Ricks said students who didn’t show an interest in attending school are now sometimes the first to run through the doors in the morning because they want to see the dog.

One of the hopes for the program is that students develop a joy of reading to the therapy dogs and therefore enjoy reading more.

Ricks started “Reading with Ruby,” to encourage students to be the top or most improved reader in their class, a position that is rewarded with reading time to Ruby Sue.

Scott and Morales said they are eager to read so they can be with Ruby Sue, whether they are reading to her or just walking her.

Debbie Ackaway, Myakka City Elementary’s tech manager, was in her office one day when she heard a student who normally is too scared to read aloud, but who was reading nonstop to Ruby Sue.

“He would always say, ‘I can’t read, I can’t read,’” Ackaway said of the student. “To go from that to just sitting there for 15 minutes reading nonstop to the dog is amazing.”

Besides helping with academics, the principals said their dogs are instrumental in assisting students and staff members emotionally.

In January, coach Justin Darr, a physical education teacher at McNeal Elementary, died. Waid had planned on bringing Zeke, her 2-year-old golden retriever, into the school to start working with students, but she realized her staff needed Beau, her now 5-month-old golden retriever, to emotionally support them.

“The staff just needed him,” Waid said. “If you can see how they change when staff members come in to see him, they get excited and all of a sudden that sadness goes away. They just want to sit there and cuddle with him. They will come up for their whole planning time just to cuddle with him.”

Zeke is starting his therapy dog training while Beau is starting his obedience training. By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, Beau and Zeke will be official therapy dogs for McNeal Elementary.

The dogs are there for students who need to calm down or who are anxious.

“If these dogs can relieve that stress or anxiety for just a few minutes, it’s worth it,” Waid said. “We have the best counselors ever, but it’s different when you have a little dog. It’s amazing.”

Chinault said she had a student March 24 who was anxious in class. The teacher requested Chinault bring Callie down to her classroom. Callie knew to simply go to the student and let the student pet her. After some quiet time with Callie, Chinault said the student was ready to express her feelings and get back to her classwork.

Ricks said Ruby Sue has been a valued resource for the school counselor, Debbie Veldkamp. For example, Ricks said Veldkamp and Ricks were trying to talk to a student about a traumatic experience, but the student was too upset to speak. The student knew she could ask for Ruby Sue, so Ricks brought the puppy into the room. Ruby Sue simply sat next to the student and let the student pet and hug her. With Ruby Sue’s help, Veldkamp and Ricks were able to hear from the student and understand her needs.

“A dog doesn’t judge,” Ricks said. “It’s like a dog’s nature and they just know their intuition. (Ruby Sue) sat there, let the little girl hold her and gave her the comfort to share. If you’re not calm, you have other things you’re dealing with and if your mind isn’t right, you can’t learn. It’s about helping the kids become more successful.”

Ackaway said she goes to Ruby Sue to get her “dog fix” every day.

“Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, you just need that extra love,” Ackaway said. “It makes school fun again. It’s a welcoming place.”

Chinault said there are some staff members at Tara who will stop by her office twice a day to see Callie.

“It makes me feel good to be able to have (a therapy dog) as an option for helping kids and staff members. It’s definitely stressful in the field of education these days,” Chinault said.

Callie

Age: 4

Breed: Golden retriever

School: Tara Elementary School

Personality: Loves being with kids, playful

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Zeke

Age: 2

Breed: golden retriever

School: Gilbert W. McNeal

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Beau

Age: 5 months

Breed: golden retriever

School: Gilbert W. McNeal

Elementary School

Personality: Animated, talkative, playful, calm

Training a puppy to become a therapy dog doesn’t come without its challenges.  Chinault, Waid and Ricks spend hours each week training their dogs outside of school.

To become a therapy dog, the dog must complete the AKC Canine Good Citizen test for obedience, pass a therapy dog evaluation and be registered with a national therapy dog organization.

Much like many teachers and administrators put their degrees on the walls of their classrooms and offices, Callie has her certificates displayed on the walls of Chinault’s office.

Ricks put a dog pen inside the media center for Ruby Sue to relax in while students are coming and going, but to Ricks’ surprise, Ruby Sue is sometimes an escape artist. She can jump the more than 2 1/2 feet it takes to get over the pen.

Scott and Morales said Ruby Sue escaped the pen one day, and the students spent at least 5 minutes running around the media center trying to catch her. They finally were able to get her attention with treats and get her back in the pen. Now, Ricks has put a cover on the pen to ensure there are no future attempts at escaping.

The front office staff at McNeal had to stack boxes on the front desk to stop Beau from getting excited and jumping over the desk to greet people.

In the future, Ricks would like to start a blog, “The Adventures of Ruby Sue,” to keep people updated on her journey as a therapy dog.

She also plans to have a small area in the media center dedicated to Ruby Sue called “Ruby’s Room.”

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LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Courtesy photo

Tara Elementary School students love being with Callie, the school’s therapy dog.

Allison Coleman, a second grader at Myakka City Elementary School, snuggles with Ruby Sue, the school’s future therapy dog, while reading to her.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Main Street still rules Lakewood Ranch

When I left Middletown, N.Y. to attend college, I didn’t know I would be saying goodbye to the town’s main shopping mall, the Orange Plaza.

But the mall, which was the shiny, new thing in town as I approached my teen years, became a dinosaur as new shopping opportunities were built all around it.

Less than 20 years after my departure from the area, it was gone. It was one of my lessons growing up, that things change and things go away. When I was a kindergarten student, the Orange Plaza didn’t exist. There was an open field and a roadside bar with a Wise owl potato chip sign on top of it. I lived right across the street.

The bar was plowed under and the Orange Mall entered, and eventually, I worked at the Woolworth’s there. We know what happened to the Woolworth’s.

So when Schroeder-Manatee Ranch built Waterside, and trumpeted its upcoming entertainment hub, Waterside Place, I began to worry a bit about Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

My first day at the East County Observer in 2015, I arrived on Lakewood Main Street early on a Monday morning. it was quiet, and not a car was parked on the street. A Frank Sinatra tune was playing up and down the street through a speaker system, and I couldn’t have imagined my new workplace being more beautiful.

But, now, with Main Street at Lakewood Ranch being more than 20 years old, and Waterside Place being the new, shiny thing, I didn’t know if crowds would still flock to the “older” hub.

Last Saturday, I was convinced there was nothing to worry about.

I had come early to cover the annual Youth Fishing Tourna-

ment that was presented by the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. I quickly noticed the sign that told me Lakewood Main Street was closed due to an event.

It was 8:30 a.m. and the hundreds of parking spots were filling up quickly.

I headed onto Lakewood Main Street, and expensive sports cars lined the street on either side. It was the 2023 Exotic Car Show hosted by Ferrari Drivers SRQ, with all proceeds benefiting the Flight to the North Pole, an event that is dedicated to providing goodwill for families dealing with a child suffering from life threatening or special health problems.

Flight to the North Pole also is a Manatee Sheriff’s Office Charities’ event and therefore Sheriff Rick

Wells was riding atop the lead car of a small parade that weaved through cars that most of us only dream about.

The street was packed with folks who wanted to see what the rich and famous drive, and everyone was smiling because it all was for a good cause. To find out more about Flight to the North Pole or to donate to it, go to ManateeSheriffCharities.org.

Wells was doing the parade wave aboard a Ferrari driven by Sidney Ettedgui, who founded Flight to the North Pole in 1985 with a number of Eastern Airline flight attendants.

Wells might have been a bit out of his element, but he knew the bottom line.

“We want to give these kids one special day,” he said of the Flight to the North Pole event. “We might not see them next year, so this is all

about them.”

I asked Wells if he couldn’t have his department buy a couple of Ferraris. No way criminals are getting away from those.

“I’m OK with (Chevy) Tahoes,” he said with a laugh.

Behind Wells was Bello Nock, the legendary circus performer and clown, and behind Nock was the Lakewood Ranch High School Marching Mustangs band. The place was hopping.

But I needed to scoot over to Lake Uihlein to talk to the kids fishing in the tournament. They gathered behind Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, so I headed that way.

It was hard to get around the town hall, though, because Lakewood Ranch Community Emergency Response Team was hosting a clinic with dozens participating.

When I got through them, I found an elated Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club team that had attracted 68 kids to the event and their parents. I walked around the lake, talking to parents who were delighted with both the anglers for helping their kids with instruction, and with Lakewood Ranch Community Activities for providing so many different activities for both them and their children.

By the time I finished interviewing everybody, Lakewood Main Street was gushing with people. I headed back to my car, and as I walked through the parking lot, three cars came up behind me, all wanting to claim my one spot. Other cars were darting in and out of other aisles, hoping to get a spot.

As I drove away, I thought about how often that same scene exists. It’s packed for Music on Main, all holidays, art shows, craft sales, and all types of special events. With thousands more homes coming to East County, there is little doubt that Main Street of Lakewood Ranch is going to remain the place to be, even if Waterside Place pulls some people away. No way is it going to go the way of the Orange Plaza, or the bar with the Wise owl. You can give SMR a high five on this one. Main Street was built to last.

And early in the morning, I can still enjoy a quiet walk down Lakewood Main Street, although I don’t know what happened to that music system that used to play Sinatra.

Jay Heater

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells rides in a Ferrari during the 2023 Exotic Car Show on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch March 25. Legendary circus performer Bello Nock follows in the next car.

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

Meals on Wheels in the spotlight

After all the prep work had been completed, Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee CEO and President Maribeth Phillips settled back to enjoy her favorite part of the Tropical Nights Goes Hollywood fundraiser March 25 at Grove in Lakewood Ranch.

“Just being here and seeing everyone having a good time is my favorite time of the night,” Phillips said. “Knowing they’re here to support Meals on Wheels and the people in Manatee County means a lot to me personally.”

The Tropical Nights Goes Hollywood theme had been picked to bring a touch of Hollywood glitz and glamor to the biggest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit. Guests arrived at the annual affair and strolled down the red carpet to the event space for a social hour full of mixing and mingling.

Guests heard words from Phillips, board Chair Jackie Barron and board member Joseph Dunn.

The evening ended with music and dancing.

— HARRY SAYER

Marty and Lisa Tetrick

Photos by Harry Sayer

Mario Palmer, Meals on Wheels President and CEO Maribeth Phillips, and Carey Palmer. Phillips spent the cocktail hour welcoming an assortment of guests.

Bob Revels, Tracy Vita, Veenie and Mark Goodson dressed elegantly for the evening affair.

The night had a Hollywood theme.

Kathryn Chesley and Will McCallister

Leslie Routhier and John Rosenboom

TO THE HUMAN HERO BEHIND THE

In this last year, you’ve delivered more than 4,400 babies into this world. You’ve relieved pain and restored mobility for the 1,081 recipients of hip and knee replacements. You’ve mended 6,609 broken hearts and helped more than 1,000 families through the shock and trauma of a sudden stroke. You cared for this community from head to toe and touched the lives of 345,151 patients.

And you did it all without superpowers. Without a shield or secret identity to hide behind. Without the assurance of invincibility. Through the good days and the hard days, through long hours and countless weekends, you missed family and friends because people you never met needed you more.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget the person behind the profession, and we forget to say those two simple words...

THANK YOU HAPPY DOCTORS’ DAY

TRIBUTES

Larry “Sammy” Corbitt

December 6, 1942 - March 17, 2023

Hook, line and sinker

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Olivia Mikos was sitting on the shore of Lake Uihlein, patiently watching her bobber.

Even though she had yet to catch a fish during the annual Youth Fishing Tournament on March 25 in Lakewood Ranch, her mother already was impressed.

“She is learning patience, and that’s tough for a 5-year-old,” said Olivia’s mom, Sabrina Mikos. “There is a lot of delayed gratification in fishing.”

(Chip) Ferris, a son Curtis (Andrea) Corbitt and a sister Carolyn Roberts. He also had 16 grandkids and 27 great-grandkids, along with many more loved ones. He was a retired AC Repairman, an avid hog hunter and fisherman. He enjoyed his dogs, chickens, gambling,

camping, hunting and fishing. Sammy was a re-teller of stories and jokes who will be deeply missed and Always Loved.

SERVICE: A Memorial Service will be held on April 15, 2023, at 3pm at his residence.

DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The American Cancer Society or Hospice.

The event was hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. A week earlier, the same two groups hosted a clinic to teach kids basics about fishing. Those who participated received a free rod and reel.

“I was very impressed (with the clinic),” Sabrina Mikos said. “It was very well done, and they gave out a lot of information. This is a great way to expose (kids) to the Florida fishing life. And I am learning, too.”

The tournament had 68 kids register this year, more than double the number of last year’s event.

“We can introduce them to something that is not an iPhone or an iPad,” said Robert LaVopa, a member of the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club who gave the kids tips during the tournament. “We get them outside in nature and they can learn something they won’t learn in the classroom.”

While the fishing was rather slow for most of the morning, members of

the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club, such as Secretary Nancy Frederick, kept saying that it’s just part of the sport.

“We are just excited to see them out here,” Frederick said. “Now they are using the information that we gave them. And this is a lifetime sport.”

Palmetto’s Lola Johnson brought her 5-year-old daughter, Freylin, to Lakewood Ranch after she found out about the tournament.

“She wants to fish, and I thought this was cool,” Lola Johnson said. “I know absolutely nothing about fishing, but they provided a rod for her and are here to help.”

Lakewood Ranch’s Tara Robinson said it was just another of the many nice activities offered by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.

“My daughter (9-year-old Sofia) has been asking about fishing, and I don’t know anything about it,” Tara Robinson said. “She is an animal and nature lover.”

Sammy was a reteller of stories and jokes who will be deeply missed and Always Loved.

The annual Youth Fishing Tournament reeled in 68 participants to Lake Uihlein.

Photos by Jay Heater

Bradenton 6-year-old Vincent Wang gets some tips from Robert LaVopa of the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club during the annual Youth Fishing Tournament March 25 at Lake Uihlein.

Palmetto 5-year-old Freylin Johnson and her mom, Lola Johnson, gets used to the new rod that she received at the fishing clinic hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.

Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Olivia Mikos enjoys her first time fishing during the annual Youth Fishing Tournament presented by the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.

Fast Break

ent against aggressive players than you do patient players. That mix of approachability and challenge is what is driving its popularity, Moore said.

“I can put effort into it and not be completely exhausted at the end,” Parsons said.

Both Parsons and Moore said they play multiple times a week when their schedules allow it. They’re not alone. Current high school athletes have hopped on the trend as well. Members of The Out-of-Door Academy baseball team said they have held competitive intra-squad tournaments to get their competitive juices flowing and bring the team closer as a unit — though the team has held less of them recently to focus on the baseball season, senior Jack Hobson said.

The Survivors in Sync breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, based out of Nathan Benderson Park and led by Coach Angela Long, will head to New Zealand April 10-16 for the 2023 International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission

Participatory Dragon Boat Festival held at the country’s Lake Karapiro in Cambridge. The festival, held every four years, is an international event for those who paddle as post-breast cancer diagnosis rehabilitation. The team previously went to the 2018 festival in Italy, where it finished fourth.

… The Braden River High flag football team is 6-0 as of March 27 and will attempt to continue its undefeated season at home at 6 p.m. March 30 against Dunedin High (2-4). The Pirates have outscored opponents 140-31.

Former Lakewood Ranch

High girls basketball star

LaDazhia Williams, a graduate student at Louisiana State University, is headed to the NCAA Tournament Final Four in Dallas. Williams and the Tigers beat the University of Miami 54-42 in the Elite Eight in Greenville, South Carolina. They will play Virginia Tech 7 p.m. March 31 in a game that will be telecast by ESPN. Williams’ best tournament game came in the team’s 66-63 win over the University of Utah in the Sweet 16 on March 24, when she had 24 points and six rebounds.

… Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club had two holes-inone on the Royal Lakes course. On March 19, David Maraman sank one on the 168-yard No. 13 hole with a 3-wood. On March 24, Gene Storm recorded an ace on the 146-yard No. 7 hole with a 7-iron.

Young players relish pickleball

BY THE NUMBERS

Pickleball’s ascent

n 36.5 million Americans played the sport between August 2021 and August 2022, according to a CNBC report.

n The USA Pickleball

“Places2Play” database added 1,577 locations in 2022, bringing the total number of locations to 10,724

n Florida has the second most pickleball locations in the country with 622; California leads with 741 locations.

n The 2022 USA Pickleball National Championships, held in Palm Springs, California, drew approximately 2,300 players.

n 621,000 people watched the Professional Pickleball Association’s Summertime Championships on CBS in August 2022.

n The Sports & Fitness Industry Association named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the second year in a row in its annual 2022 Topline Participation Report.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Can a single phrase summarize the appeal of an entire sport?

If it can, the phrase that summarizes pickleball’s appeal was uttered by Collin Moore and Jake Parsons as they wrapped up their singles game March 24 at the UMR Sports campus.

“One more point.”

The phrase was said eight times by the players, neither wanting the game to end. The pair wasn’t even keeping score. It was the thrill of the game itself that was simply too much to turn down.

It wasn’t a random occurrence. Parsons and Moore said they regularly play marathon sessions with their friends that have lasted three hours.

“When you’re going back and forth with people, it’s almost a test or an ego thing,” Moore said. “You want to see who’s faster, who’s stronger. It gives me a rush.”

Parsons, 26, and Moore, 24, are examples of younger athletes enamored with what has historically been considered an older person’s game.

It’s a growing trend as a Morning Consult survey conducted in February found that 34% of Generation Z respondents — roughly, people born between 1997 and 2012, according to the PEW Research Center — had

played pickleball, the largest percentage of any generation. The Millennial generation was second at 20%, Generation X was third at 14% and Baby Boomers were fourth at 7%. Those percentages are still lower than the percentages for tennis, where all generations were between 55% and 60%, but the gap in younger generations is closing.

Parsons and Moore, Lakewood Ranch residents who fall on the older side of the Gen Z spectrum, said they are not surprised by the sport’s explosion in recent years, especially within their generation.

Moore said he only started playing the game a year ago after hearing about it from family members, and was instantly hooked by its fastpaced nature. It’s a simple sport on the surface, Moore said, but there are complexities the deeper you get, like learning how to play differ-

Some Lakewood Ranch High softball players also play together, according to senior Addyson Bruneman. The Mustangs’ group usually consists of a foursome playing doubles games at Lakewood Ranch Park, where lights make night games possible, getting them out of the heat.

Like Moore and Parsons, Bruneman said the Mustangs’ sessions can last up to three hours. She was introduced to the sport by senior teammate Cassidy McLellan in June 2022, and it soon became a favorite activity.

“It’s still competitive, but it’s less stressful (than softball),” Bruneman said. “We’re just having fun. Doubles is great because you don’t have to run as much. You cover more ground, which keeps games going longer.”

Bruneman said everyone who has played in the Mustangs’ games had heard of the sport before playing. Some had to learn the game’s rules, but quickly picked up the game’s flow. Bruneman said the games are filled with laughter even though everyone involved wants to finish on top.

Could the sport turn into something more than just a weekend hobby for young athletes? It is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Braden River High athletic director Matt Nesser and Lakewood Ranch High athletic director Kent Ringquist said they have heard no chatter from Florida High School Athletic Association meetings or casually from other athletic directors about the association adding pickleball as a competitive sport.

They also have not heard much chatter from their student athletes about wanting to play it competitively. To be eligible for FHSAA recognition, a sport must first be offered by at least 10% of the FHSAA’s 716 member schools as a club sport for two years, then approved by the Board of Directors.

That doesn’t mean the interest in a competitive form of pickleball from student athletes won’t rise.

“Especially people who don’t play other sports,” Bruneman said. “I think those people may like trying it. It’s not like tennis where the ball is being hit 90 miles per hour at you. It’s more accessible in that way.”

File photo Angela Long is the coach for Survivors in Sync.

The sport is catching on with high school and young adult athletes in the area as it explodes nationally.

Photos by Ryan Kohn Jake Parsons, 26, said he will spend up to three hours playing pickleball with friends if he has the time and tries to play three to four times a week.

Jake Parsons and Collin Moore are examples of younger players embracing pickleball despite it being thought of as an older person’s sport.

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

Giving all kids a shot at golf

The promise of ice cream always raises the stakes.

Alonzo Rhodes, 7, was having some trouble with his driver. Rhodes was participating in a Waterlefe Youth Golf Program clinic, held March 26 at Waterlefe Golf and River Club. His driver was hitting the grass well short of the ball, which sat atop a tee at the course’s first hole.

It was then his family made the 7-year-old a promise. Focus and hit the ball, and he would get some ice cream on the way home. The boy’s eyes lit up.

After receiving a few pointers from Waterlefe PGA Professional Matt Primrose, Rhodes took another swing. He smashed the ball down the middle of the fairway.

A wide smile flashed across his face as he turned to look at his family. The promised ice cream was a part of that smile — but taking pride in his shot was, too.

These types of experiences are not rare in events put on by the nonprofit Waterlefe Youth Golf Program. The program began about two years ago, spearheaded by club member Bob Buchanan, with a mission of introducing the sport of golf to underserved and minority youth in Manatee County. In Buchanan’s eyes, that was something the community needed.

The program covers lesson costs for kids interested in joining, provides them with a polo shirt emblazoned with the program’s logo as well as the loan of a set of golf clubs once they decide to try the sport.

The organization also covers the costs of the players joining the PGA Junior League once they are ready for that level of competition.

Buchanan said the annual cost can go as high as $1,500 to $2,000 per golfer, which gets covered by private donations as well as fundraisers like silent auctions. In April, the organi-

zation will be the LECOM Suncoast Classic’s featured charity. For each birdie on the 18th hole on all four days of competition combined, the organization will get $50.

Buchanan said saving families from spending thousands on golf — a barrier to entry for many — is a great feeling, and he said the organization has enough financial support to cover the costs of more underserved golfers, which it would like to do.

“I’ve had people say, ‘Why would you teach kids to play golf when they won’t be able to afford it (afterwards)?’” Buchanan said. “We want to give them a great experience. For some of them, it will just be that experience, and in 10 years they’ll remember it and how they had fun. For others, they might get into business and play golf with their partners.

“If we can create one high school golfer or see one kid get into college (because of golf), that would be wonderful, but it’s about experiencing the game. If nobody in your family or your neighborhood teaches you to play, how do you experience it? That’s what we’re trying to establish.”

While golf is seen by some as a stuffy sport, Primrose and volunteer coach Denny Meskill puts an emphasis on fun. On March 26, Primrose broke the kids into teams and had them play putting games against each other. At other sessions, Primrose has filled dozens of water balloons and had the kids hit them in a long-drive competition — they did not go far, Primrose said, and a lot of them popped, but that was expected. By the end of it, everyone was soaked, Primrose said.

It’s not all silliness. The program teaches serious golf, too. After playing a putting game March 26, the kids went on the course and

played scramble-style on the No. 1 hole, using the best drive of the group to advance toward the green and then the best next shot and so on. As a group, the kids finished the hole in six shots — not bad for beginners. While the kids play, instructors teach them to respect each other and the course. They enforce the rules, too, with no hitting off a tee after the first shot of a hole, even if that creates more of a challenge for some golfers.

After the lesson, 12-year-old Tamia Munnings — who was one of the program’s first enrollees, stemming from a trial lesson Buchanan and Primrose conducted at Bradenton’s 13th Avenue Dream Center — said her favorite memory from her time in it is receiving a golden badge for her driving ability. Munnings is quiet, but in talking about her prized badge, her voice strengthens.

“It felt great to get it, because it (driving the ball) isn’t easy,” Munnings said. “It made me happy.”

All the golfers agreed that getting onto the club’s actual course — which the program started doing three months ago, according to Buchanan — was a game-changer for them. They hadn’t realized the sheer size of a golf course, or how playing in such an environment could boost their enjoyment of the game.

Now, they are starting to get it. They know to look for the flag before they aim their driver. They know to avoid sand traps. If a divot of grass comes up when they drive the ball, they tamp it down as best they can. They act like golfers.

They’re also having fun and making memories, and that’s exactly what Buchanan and his organization hope to achieve for more kids

who otherwise would not have that opportunity.

Though the program only covers costs for families that need it, any young golfers with a set of clubs can sign up for the program. Lessons with Primrose are $20 per student per session. Anyone interested can register for a lesson via the organization’s Golf Genius page. The program’s next lesson is April 16th at 3 p.m.

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

Ryan Kohn

Alonzo Rhodes, Anthony Segui-Pourel, Tamia Munnings, Jadie Raymond, Issac Amir Boyce and Elijah Quintana-Gratacos played in the Waterlefe clinic.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

A

Next door under the pavilion, the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble began playing the first notes of the new Sights and Sounds cultural series that will run monthly at Waterside Place.

Those enjoying a beverage while waiting for their tables on a windy evening peeked around the corner of the building to see who was playing the music. Then they made their way around the side of the restaurant to watch.

Families with little children crossed over the bridge from the park as they headed home. Children began to dance when they heard the music.

Nicole Hackel, the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch events and residents experience manager, began the series by presenting something a little different in terms of music to the residents.

“It was a great venue,” said Joe Miller, founder and usual conductor of the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, who turned over his conducting duties for the evening to member Joe Martinez. “The band members enjoyed the acoustics and the audience.”

— JAY HEATER

group of patrons waited outside the door of Good Liquid Brewing Co., on March 24 at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch for their tables to be ready.Conductor Joe Martinez puts feeling into his work as he leads the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble during the first Sights and Sounds concert series event at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch.

Julie Waters, trumpet

Photos by Jay Heater

Dave DeWitt, tuba

Ron Brunett, saxophone

Conductor Joe Martinez leads the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble with Waterside Place in the background.

Category

A tasteful fundraiser

Tim Self, the membership chair at the Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota, said when he reached his 50th birthday 10 years ago, he began thinking about the need to attract younger people to the club to help children and adults with speech, language and hearing challenges.

To raise awareness, the club eventually added a festival that could offer something for everyone, bringing in Gold Coast Eagle Distributing to organize the event.

The eighth annual My Hometown Fest was held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota on March 25.

“This is not just Sarasota — it’s your hometown, my hometown, their hometown,” he said while enjoying the event.

Self said food and beers from around the country were available at the festival. He said this year’s fest featured about 25 restaurants and 75 craft beers. The festival has raised more than $100,000 in the previous seven years for Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota and Sertoma Kids Speech and Language Center.

Doug Wagner, deputy superintendent of operations of the School District of Manatee County, said the festival offered an opportunity for students at Manatee Technical College to showcase their culinary skills. The wide array of light bites and desserts at the college’s food stand, he said, were the students’ own creations.

“It’s nice to be able to demonstrate what you learned at school,” said MTC student Bradenton’s Crystal Solano. “It’s also nice because it helps the foundation.”

— IAN SWABY

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Coast to Coast Pools, Prestige at Beachwalk by Manasota Key by Divosta

Coast to Coast Pools, Pallazio at Esplanade at Skye Ranch by Taylor Morrison

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•

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Category

Coast to Coast Pools, Mystique at Talon Preserve at Palmer Ranch by Divosta Category

Category

Coast to Coast Pools, Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch by Taylor Morrison

Coast to Coast Pools, Skye Ranch by Taylor Morrison Category

Category

Coast to Coast Pools, Edgewater at Gran Place by Sam Rodgers

Category 8: Coast to Coast Pools, Java at Park East at Azario by Taylor Morrison

Category 9: Waterscapes Pool & Spas, LLC, Patriot at Wysteria by Neal Communities

Category 10: Waterscapes Pool & Spas, LLC, Legacy at Windward by Neal Communities

Category 11: Coast to Coast Pools, Juniper at Sweetwater at Lakewood Ranch by M/I Homes

Category 12: Waterscapes Pool & Spas, LLC, Kiawah at Grand Park by Neal Communities”

CUSTOM HOME WINNERS

• Category 1 Overall: The Bellara at Star Farms by John Cannon Homes

• Category 2 Overall: Solstice at Star Farms by Lee Wetherington Homes

• Category 3 Overall: The Adelaide at Founders Club by John Cannon”

LANDSCAPE WINNERS

Category 1: ArtisTree Landscape - The Bellara at Star Farms Category 2: Trent Culleny Landscape - Margo III at The Lake Club

Category 3: Trent Culleny Landscape - Gardenia III at The Lake Club

Category 4: Trent Culleny Landscape - The Little Palm at Oyster Bay

Category 5: ArtisTree Landscape - The Adelaide at Founders Club”

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES (CATEGORIES 1-28)

Bermuda at The Willows by Medallion Home

Manatee Technical College student Paula Cardenas creates watermelon and feta offerings.

Sarasota’s Joseph King and Lakewood Ranch’s Karen Mann

Photos by Ian Swaby

Myakka City’s John Matson, Bradenton’s Frank Reyes, and Sarasota’s John Saporito

Keisha Boyd of Armed Forces Brewing Co. offers a brew to Sarasota’s Pam Hogan.

Modern tropical style rises to meet urban sophistication in the heart of walkable downtown Sarasota. Pairing an intimate collection of luxury tower residences with the curated amenities of a boutique hotel, SOTA delivers serviced simplicity to a stylish new address overlooking the city.

Lake Club home tops sales at $5.15 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

ALake Club home topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Adam and Kimberly Oberman, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8019 Bowspirit Way to Herman and Jeanne Rottinghaus, of Lakewood Ranch, for $5.15 million. Built in 2022, it has six bedrooms, six-and-twohalf baths, a pool and 6,507 square feet of living area.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Michael and Jeanne Elliott, of Bradenton, sold their home at 1016 Lanyard Court to Kevin and Kristin Root, of Bradenton, for $1,475,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,825 square feet of living area. It sold for $810,000 in 2019.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Chris Vanderzyden and Peter Stone, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16305 Castle Park Terrace to Patricia Gordon, of Bradenton, for $1,362,500. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,661 square feet of living area. It sold for $790,000 in 2020.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Fred Robert Levin and Caren Carlson Levin, of Green Cove Springs, sold their home at 5821 Mulligan Way to P. Edward and Deborah Lovelidge, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, for $1.3 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,117 square feet of living area. It sold for $906,100 in 2022.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Andrew and Judith Aharon, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4604 Barracuda Drive to Gregory and Bridget Bissell, of Humacao, Puerto Rico, for $1,065,000. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,185 square feet of living area. It sold for $557,500 in 2020.

ESPLANADE

Lisa Cappiello, of Bradenton, sold her home at 5233 Napoli Run to Alzira Kosnar and Gerald William Kinasz, trustees, of Ontario, Canada, for $940,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $498,000 in 2015.

BRIDGEWATER

James Landero and Julie Ann Landero, of Conroe, Texas, sold their home at 13820 Swiftwater Way to Michael and Joann Alexander, of West Hempstead, New York, for $915,000. Built in 2017, it has six bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,967 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2018.

BRADEN OAKS

Kyle Ellis Tabar and Breanna Tabar sold their home at 3905 65th St. E. to Home Bridge Investments LLC for $905,000. Built in 1988, it has five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 3,247 square feet of living area. It sold for $680,000 in 2020.

SAVANNA

Justin Kirk Miller and Tera Carmel

Miller sold their home at 3419 Big Sky Way to Joseph and Candace Porter, of Bradenton, for $880,000. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,057 square feet of living area. It sold for $538,700 in 2021.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Shari Hoover, of Orange Park, sold her home at 9722 Carnoustie Place to Anna and Edward Chism, of Bradenton, for $837,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,251 square feet of living area. It sold for $398,300 in 2021.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Kim Schlosberg, trustee, of Myakka City, sold the home at 7550 Tori Way to Stephen Perry and Pamela Pierce Perry, of Lakewood Ranch, for $810,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,968 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2007.

SUMMERFIELD

Jacqueline Marie Mooring, of Sarasota, sold the home at 11720 Clubhouse Drive to Thomas Patrick Walters and Amanda Walters, of Lakewood Ranch, for $690,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,601 square feet of living area. It sold for $310,000 in 2017.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD

NATIONAL

Catherine Bryant-Wessinger and Jeffery Wessinger, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 4222 condominium at 17821 Gawthrop Drive to Timothy and Jayne Healy, of Bradenton, for $688,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2020.

DEL WEBB Keith and Ruth Johnson, trustees, sold the home at 7640 Kirkland Cove to Louis John Scott Riley and Carolyn Jean Riley, of Bradenton, for $630,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,348 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,200 in 2019.

TARA Kimberly August, of Seminole, sold her home at 6320 Turners Gap Road to Robert Nabors III and Cynthia Nabors, trustees, of Bradenton, for $629,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,733 square feet of living area. It sold for $369,900 in 2021.

William Bangs and Debbie Jarrett Bangs, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6405 Rookery Circle to Joel King, of Bradenton, for $463,400. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,867 square feet of living area. It sold for $230,000 in 2011.

ROSEDALE Christina Ruggiero, trustee, of Tierra Verde, sold the home at 8618 51st Terrace E. to Timothy Edward Stack, and Debra Ann Gubbels, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 1997, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,950 square feet of living area.

COACH HOMES AT RIVER STRAND

Susan Zarfos, of York, Pennsylvania, sold the Unit 1103 condominium at 8308 Grand Estuary Trail to John and Joanne Letwinetz, of Alberta, Canada, for $565,000. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $289,900 in 2009.

Jimmie Garth Morrison and Ellen Young Morrison, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 202 condominium at 7910 Grand Estuary Trail to Desmond Richard Patton and Susan Helen Patton, of Bradenton, for $560,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $290,000 in 2008.

NOTTING HILL

Robert Richard Arakel and Kathryn Anne Arakel, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7231 Kensington Court to Glenn James Matherne and Bethe Anne Strickland, of Plano, Texas, for $565,000. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,605 square feet of living area. It sold for $439,000 in 2021.

MILL CREEK Magda Franklin, of Bradenton, sold her home at 15207 17th Ave. E. to Jason and Kellie Kalp, of Bradenton, for $557,000. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,749 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2010.

FAIRFAX Desiree Doiron-Wilde, of Palmetto, sold her home at 4502 Bristol Court

E. to Thomas and Carol Pfalzgraf, of Massillon, Ohio, for $520,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two

baths, a pool and 1,793 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2019.

SARACINA AT ESPLANADE

Angelo and Kathleen Rocco, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 105 condominium at 13510 Messina Loop to Jeffery and Deborah Dylla, of Lavallette, New Jersey, for $520,000. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,628 square feet of living area. It sold for $247,000 in 2019.

CORRECTION

COACH HOMES AT TIDEWATER PRESERVE

William and Kelly Crafts, of Punta Gorda, sold their Unit 1111 condominium at 1017 Tidewater Shores Loop to Donald Nicholas Sacco and Maria Rodriguez Sacco, of Bradenton, for $490,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,769 square feet of living area. It sold for $379,900 in 2021.

One of the addresses in the March 23 listings of real estate transactions was incorrect. Here is the correct information:

COUNTRY CLUB

Donald and Cynthia Paxton, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 13315 Palmers Creek Terrace to Michael Weisenberg, of Sarasota, for $2.8 million. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,171 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.6 million in 2015.

Courtesy photo

This Lake Club home at 8019 Bowspirit way sold for $5.15 million. It has six bedrooms, six-and-two-half baths, a pool and 6,507 square of living area.

Five Star Quality

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 2

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING

Runs each day from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. This week’s music includes Steve Arvey (Thursday), Divebombers (Friday), Sycamore Shade (Saturday) and Mike Sales (Sunday). A $5 cover is charged on Fridays and Saturdays, and the other days are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2

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.

POLO

Begins at 1 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Sarasota. Gates open at 10 a.m. Thousands of fans enjoy high-level polo action each Sunday while tailgating. The event includes themed weeks, entertainment at halftime and traditional divot-stomping. Tickets begin at $15 general admission and up for special packages and VIP seating. Tickets can be purchased in advance at SarasotaPolo.com or at the gate. Children 12 and younger admitted free. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

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; $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 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

BEST BET

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

EGGSTRAVAGANZA

Begins at 9:30 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts EGGstravaganza, the annual egg hunt that makes thousands of Easter eggs available for kids in age groups 3-5 and 6-plus. Children younger than 3 can participate but must be accompanied by a parent. The price is $10 per child for residents; $20 per child for nonresidents. The event includes face painting, food and beverages, Sarasota County Fire Department vehicles, the Easter Bunny, a bounce house and more. Preregistration is required for the egg hunt portion of the event. For more information or to register, go to MyLWR.com.

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 7 MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The popular band Kettle of Fish is sure to draw a big crowd with its brand of rock, blues, reggae and soul music. The monthly free concert series and block party also features food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths, and rides and activities for the kids. Proceeds will benefit Ability to Include.

St. Michael The Archangel Holy Week Schedule

HOLY WEEK

By Luis Campos

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

“EZ IMY YZO, FZO EZ IMY JYVEZZEZV, EI’H FCC FJSGI LFEIM LSW AY. E TFZ’I

OYLEZY EI, JGI EI MFH OYLEZYO AY.”

AFWEFM TFWYX

“TW MBH CPR ETJJRF VRSCHKR MBH

CPR UPTNRP, NZCN’K NZR YCITYHY

RIOPRKKTBL BW PRKORSN, MBH ELBU.” YCPTB DCPXCK JJBKC

“AFSSZHKLL ZL F XAVZXK. WVP RUZKJK, WVP LIVBS WVPU OKKI, WVP SZXM

WVPULKTO PS FHC XAVVLK IV DK

CATCH-ALLS by David Karp, edited by Jeff Chen

Gordon Silver captured this blue heron gliding across a pond in Del Webb of Lakewood Ranch.

Driveways

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