East County Observer 4.20.23

Golf legends will compete at

YOUR TOWN

Bright future for students, animals

Braden River Elementary School’s Ellie Kil and her sister Chloe Kil (above) put on their white coats, stethoscope and first-aid kits.

Ellie Kil, a kindergartner, and Chloe Kil, a first grader, were excited to dress as veterinarians to show what they want to be when they grow up.

Chloe Kil wants to be an aquatic veterinarian so she can help marine animals in need, while Ellie Kil wants to be a veterinarian to help dogs and cats, like the family’s golden retriever, Ripley.

The Dress-up Day April 13 was a part of a weeklong spirit week in which the school raised $1,000 for Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue.

Time to make their mark in school

Ethan Brauer, 5, of Parrish left his mark, in the form of his handprint, on the new addition at Risen Savior Academy of Lakewood Ranch on April 15.

Risen Savior built the addition to house its new elementary school. The kindergarten class will be the first to open in August and future kindergarten students and their parents were invited to the school to meet their new teacher

Danette Peters (above with Brauer).

“It’s an adventure,” Peters said as she wiped yellow paint off Brauer’s hand. “We’re trusting that God is guiding us through this.”

For more information on the school, go to RSaviorAcademy. com.

Heater David Spagnuolo has taken over King’s Corner restaurant — and the pizza making — at Legacy Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch.

Urban plans lead her to local school

Although Mill Creek’s Irene Nikitopoulos knew she wanted to be a teacher since she was a child, her path to becoming principal at Carlos E. Haile Middle School didn’t always entail a job in education.

For five years after graduating from college, Nikitopoulos served as an urban planner for Tarpon Springs in Pinellas County.

As a freshman at the University of South Florida, Nikitopoulos started a mentorship with transportation planning. She knew nothing about transportation planning, but she went with it because it was a paid mentorship.

Not long afterward, she changed her major to geography with a focus on urban planning.

When Nikitopoulos moved to Manatee County, she started using her background in urban planning to teach urban planning and geography to students at Manatee Community College.

In 2006, Nikitopoulos went on to become a substitute teacher and then a permanent teacher at Lakewood Ranch High, teaching English and advanced placement geography.

“I finally found where I was meant to be,” she said. “I was meant to be in the classroom in front of students.”

Although not directly in the classroom, Nikitopoulos will continue to find ways to teach and impact students as the new principal of Haile Middle School starting in the 202324 school year.

“I have overwhelming enthusiasm to actually lead my community school because I lived in the commu-

ABOUT THE NEW PRINCIPAL

IRENE NIKITOPOULOS

Age: 50

Residence: Mill Creek

Current position: Assistant principal at Lincoln Memorial Middle School

New position: Principal at Carlos E. Haile Middle School Years with the School District of Manatee County: 17

Family: Husband, George Nikitopoulos, sons 27-yearold Dimitri Nikitopoulos and 24-year-old Christos

Nikitopoulos

Favorite subject: Reading

Favorite color: Teal

nity for 25 years,” she said. “Having the opportunity to have that grassroots community leadership is a chance of a lifetime.”

Nikitopoulos remembers driving past Haile Middle School every day as it was being constructed in 1997.

“I never dreamed I could be principal there,” she said. “Driving by it when I was in my 20s when I first moved to Manatee County to today, where I’m actually the leader of the school, is just remarkable to even think that was possible. It was perfect timing that the school (principal position) was available when I was ready to become a leader.”

Nikitopoulos is replacing Kate Barlaug, who will serve as principal at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School. This will be Nikitopoulos’ first year serving as a principal. She has served as an assistant

principal at Johnson K-8 School of International Studies, as well as a curriculum specialist, dean and teacher. Nikitopoulos was awarded the 2022 Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award for the School District of Manatee County.

Nikitopoulos currently is the assistant principal at Lincoln Memorial Middle School, where she has

worked to launch the school’s medical program and robotics program while also expanding the school’s agriculture program.

“I’m excited to bring that enthusiasm to Haile,” Nikitopoulos said. “They have a well-oiled machine. They’ve had several successful principals at that school who have moved the school toward excellence, and

I’d like to continue that. There’s no perfect school. We all can improve, but I’m looking forward to building on the spectacular leadership that’s been there in the past.”

As an advocate for career and technical education programs, Nikitopoulos said she wants to expand opportunities for students at Haile, whether it’s expanding the school’s agriculture program or ensuring the school has the latest technology.

Nikitopoulos said she wants to build on the electives that are offered at the school and provide state-ofthe-art, cutting-edge technology.

“The career and technical education program at the district knows I’m one of their most vocal advocates at the school-base level,” she said.

“I’m that person to say, ‘Hey, try out this program at our school.’ I will be the person out here making sure we have staffing for it, making sure it’s implemented well and getting students to enroll.”

She’s looking forward to the new opportunities that will come with the school’s more than $36 million renovation and 10-classroom, twostory addition.

“I’ve spent a long time under the mentorship of several successful principals, and I’m going to take all that experience and bring it to my own school, where I can implement programs to help students succeed as well as make sure they go to high school prepared and excited about learning,” she said.

One of her mentors was Don Sauer, who once served as principal at Manatee High School and where Nikitopoulos served as a dean.

“He came from the perspective that I appreciated as a teacher and that was that teachers were always No. 1,” she said. “Your school is nothing without your teachers. That’s what I pride myself on. My job is to support teachers so they can do their job.”

Her favorite part of being an educator is going to work every day to make a positive impact on students and teachers.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

East County’s Irene Nikitopoulos is thrilled to be principal of her community’s middle school.

Liz Ramos

Irene Nikitopoulos is leaving Lincoln Memorial Middle School to become the principal of Carlos E. Haile Middle School.

CONCESSION LANDS KEY GOLF EVENT

First

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Some of professional golf’s alltime stars, such as Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Jim Furyk, will come to the Lakewood Ranch area in December to play in the new World Champions Cup, sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions.

But the star of the Ryder Cup-style event, which was announced Monday, might be The Concession golf course itself.

“Hosting the World Champions Cup is a great honor. Hosting important events is not new to us, but this definitely is a unique event. We will be able to see some of golf’s greatest legends, and we will be able to see how they perform on our golf course .”

It was Feb. 25-28, 2021, when The Concession drew worldwide attention when it hosted the World Golf Championships, an event that originally was scheduled in Mexico City but had to be moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It attracted 47 of the world’s top 50-ranked players.

Colin Morikawa won that event, in which PGA players and those who announced the tournament, including former PGA star, NBC announcer and club member Paul Azinger, raved about The Concession.

Billy Horschel, who finished in a tie for second at the WGC event, said the greens reminded him of Augusta National, which hosts the Masters each year. Patrick Reed called the course “awesome,” and Rory McIlroy talked about everyone having better knowledge of the course when — not if — the PGA Tour returns.

Unfortunately for regional golf fans, no future PGA Tour plans included The Concession.

Even so, Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Visitors Bureau, said the $300,000 Manatee County spent to support the WGC event was money in the bank. Besides the considerable worldwide media exposure the region garnered from the event, Falcione was sure professional golf seriously would consider Manatee County for future events.

THE PAYOFF BEGINS

Two months after the WGC at The Concession, Manatee County’s investment began to pay dividends.

The PGA Tour announced that it had raised, through the tournament, $400,000 for nonprofits in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Still, two years passed with no mention of another PGA Tour or affiliated tour event at The Concession.

Until Monday. Peter Jacobsen, the former PGA and Champions tours star who now works as a television commentator, will serve as the World Champions Cup chairman.

“The Concession is a fabulous match play course, a ball strikers’ paradise,” said Jacobsen, who lives in Naples. “Missed greens here puts a lot of pressure on your game. There is no way to coast, and you never can take a moment off.”

During a press conference at The Concession, Jacobsen explained the format. The competition will be between three teams, Team USA, Team Europe and Team International. The event will be played on three days (Dec. 7, 9, 10) and will consist of eight matches each day, all nine holes featuring team formats and singles.

Points will be awarded for each hole won, not just the overall matches. That means there will be no “close outs” where the match will end because one player leads by more than the number of holes remaining. It makes every hole important whether or not a team or player is far behind.

Els will captain Team International, Clarke will captain Team Europe and Furyk will captain Team USA. All captains also will play. Each team will consist of five other players.

The event will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Once again, The Concession, and the surrounding area, will be in the world spotlight.

“I would say the World Golf Championships gave us the opportunity to have this event and maybe something else in the future,” said Bran Weimann, The Concession’s general manager. “The WGC put us in front of the world, and the course showed phenomenal.

“I also always have wanted to see a match-play event on this course. It sets up well for it because it is a very strategic course, a second-shot course.”

Intersport, a sports marketing company which launched and operates the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, will promote the event.

“We started working on this event 10 years ago,” said Charles Besser,  chairman and CEO of Intersport. “None of this happens without a lot of collaboration. These people (at The Concession) are fabulous. What an unbelievable facility. We’ve seen a lot of great golf courses, but this one is very special. And Bradenton has embraced us, putting its best foot forward.”

Jacobsen said it will be the type of event that could draw Tiger Woods after he turns 50 and is eligible for

the Champions Tour. Woods turns 48 in December.

Manatee County Commissioner

Vanessa Baugh said the event will be a boon to the county’s economy.

“We will get returned threefold for any money spent, at the least,” Baugh said. “It is a money maker for anyone in our area who is in business.”

RARE OPPORTUNITY

Baugh said besides economic impact and exposure, the tournament also gives the citizens a chance to see golfing legends.

“How often would they be able to come to such a tournament?” she said. “This gives you a chance to experience something amazing. The excitement is something that can’t be matched.”

Bruce Cassidy, owner of The Concession Golf Club, said the event gives his team a chance to showcase the club and the course. He is hoping The Concession can host a major championship in the future. He said his team is putting together a presentation to make for the 2031 U.S. Open.

Jacobsen was asked if he could picture a major at The Concession.

“From a competition standpoint, yes,” Jacobsen said. “But we always talk about the three Ps: People, parking and profit.”

Weimann said his staff would consider clearing space for the gallery in the summer. He said the World Champions Cup final day crowd is likely to be around 5,000 people.

With lots of time to prepare for any possible major in the future, he said The Concession would figure out ways to give access to the much larger crowds.

Clark, by way of social media, said the Champions Tour players will provide major excitement at the World Champions Cup.

“This will be something special,” he said. “Do not think for one second that we are not as intense now.”

In December, golf fans will get another look at The Concession.

“This is an opportunity we don’t take for granted,” Falcione said. “(Manatee County’s investment) will be 100% paid through the Tourist Tax. What it does is showcase the area, showcase Lakewood Ranch.”

CHAMPIONS ON THE WAY

THE WORLD CHAMPIONS CUP

Where: The Concession Golf Club

When: Dec. 7, 8, 10

TV coverage: ABC, ESPN

Format: Team International, Team Europe, and Team USA will battle over three days and 24 matches (eight per day) to determine a winner. The matches will be in team and individual formats. There will be no close-out of a match, meaning points will be awarded for all nine holes played. Each team will have six players

Captains: Ernie Ells, Team International; Darren Clarke, Team Europe; Jim Furyk, Team USA Purse: $1,35 million ($100,000 to each player on winning team, $75,000 per player on secondplace team, $50,000 per player on thirdplace team)

Website: WorldChampionsCup.com

of its kind senior Ryder Cup-style event to debut at The Concession.

Jay Heater

The Concession owner Bruce Cassidy

Bruce Cassidy

Former Florida Senate President Bill Galvano, Concession owner Bruce Cassidy, PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady, Intersport founder Charles Besser and former PGA Tour star Peter Jacobsen announce the new World Champions Cup.

File photo

Despite being held to small crowds in February 2021 during the pandemic, the World Golf Championship enhanced The Concession’s reputation and now has led to the first World Champions Cup at the course.

Courtesy photo

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Superintendent search narrowed to 12

The Manatee school board members will meet April 28 in a workshop to study the candidates.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

The School Board of Manatee County is a step closer to finding the school district’s new leader.

The board chose 12 out of 27 applicants to become semifinalists in the School District of Manatee County’s search for the next superintendent.

The next superintendent will replace Cynthia Saunders, who is retiring June 30.

During a school board workshop April 12, each board member shared which applicants they would like to be considered.

Only one applicant, Jason Wysong, who is serving as a deputy superintendent for Seminole County Public Schools, was chosen by each of the five school board members to become a semifinalist in the search.

All other applicants were chosen by at least two of the five board members.

Of the 12 semifinalists, only two are currently out of state. Richard O’Malley is a superintendent of schools in Florence, South Carolina, while Scott Davidheiser is a superintendent in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.

Two semifinalists have either worked for the School District of Manatee County or are currently with the school district. Doug Wagner has been serving as the deputy superintendent of operations for the school district since 2018. Tim Bargeron served as one of the district’s deputy superintendents and the assistant superintendent of business operations from May 2020 to November 2022.

The 12 semifinalists have been

BY THE NUMBERS

27 Total applicants

13 Applicants with doctorates

9 States applicants are from 3 Applicants who are current superintendents of districts, schools, academics, etc.

6 Applicants with superintendent experience

given five questions from the school board. Three questions will be a video response, and two questions will be a written response. The applicants will have until 5 p.m. April 21 to submit their responses.

The School Board of Manatee County will meet during a workshop April 28 to select finalists.

The finalists will then come to Manatee County for in-person interviews with the school board as well as each board member individually.

Although a time and location has yet to be determined, community members also will have an opportunity to meet the finalists.

The school board will select a new superintendent during a special school board meeting May 16 and approve the superintendent’s contract during a May 23 board meeting.

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Through tragedy comes ‘multiple beautiful things’

They would sell cups for $40 so each person could get unlimited craft beer, Lockett’s favorite. The cups would have sayings on them like “Recycle yourself” or “Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?” to tie in organ donor humor.

LIZ RAMOS

SENIOR EDITOR

In 2014, Kate Howard was surrounded by friends and family with her husband, Justin Lockett, in a hospital room in Iowa. She had an important decision to make.

Should she take her husband off life support and donate his organs?

She spent a few moments talking to her unresponsive husband, who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a fall down the stairs.

“I told him I don’t know what you want me to do, but I really don’t want to make this decision,” Howard said.

Her husband had been a registered organ donor since he was 16, and he had the designation on his drivers license. She also knew that because he was a former medic for the Army National Guard, he would want to donate his organs.

All of a sudden, all the machines keeping her husband of six years alive started making noise.

At 30 years old, Lockett died.

Howard, who moved to Lakewood Ranch in September, had her answer.

She worked with the Iowa Donor Network to coordinate her husband’s organ donations.

On May 6, 2014, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics flew in five men who were in need of organs and matched Lockett’s B-positive blood type.

That day, Lockett saved those men’s lives by donating his heart, lungs, liver, pancreas and left and right kidneys.

He also donated corneas, bones, connective tissue, skin and parts of his thoracic aorta.

Howard shared her husband’s story during Lakewood Ranch Medical

Center’s flag-raising ceremony at 1:08 p.m. April 10 in honor of April being Donor Life Month.

Having the ceremony at 1:08 p.m. symbolized that one organ donor can save up to eight lives.

Since Lockett’s organ donation, Howard and other family members have been advocating for people to register to be organ donors.

With help from the Iowa Donor Network, Howard reached out to the recipients of her husband’s organs. She wrote each of them letters and received some responses.

Through the letters, Howard learned the ripple effect one donation can have on not only the organ recipient but their families.

“There were 16 children among those five men who got to keep their dad and five wives who got to keep their spouses,” Howard said.

“Through one tragedy, there’s multiple beautiful things that happened, so it’s not all bad. It was a nice feeling that he was not only a hero to us but to other people.”

Howard finds solace in know-

THE NUMBERS

ing Lockett lives on through other people.  She said her husband, who served in Iraq, had the build of a soldier but was a teddy bear at heart. He had a huge laugh and told terrible jokes. Lockett loved to have a good time, always being the last to leave a party or event.  Her last joyful memory with her husband was the night of his fall.

They were celebrating Cinco de Mayo in 2014 with friends and family. They ran out of tequila, so Howard offered to drive Lockett and a few others to buy more. When they entered the liquor store, Lockett grabbed a children’s cart and started pushing it around the store.

For the past eight years, Howard and Lockett’s family and friends hosted Rusty Revolution, a fundraiser to support the Iowa Donor Network and an opportunity to teach people about the importance of organ donations. The group was able to raise more than $50,000 for the Iowa Donor Network.

“We feel like we’re keeping his honor alive,” Howard said. “He not only impacted those organ recipients but also all the people that became aware, and we have educated about the system that have now registered as donors.”

They named the annual fundraiser Rusty Revolution because Lockett’s friends had called him Rusty since childhood, and they were trying to revolutionize organ donor advocacy.

They played cornhole; had live music, raffles and auctions; and made sure the good times kept coming just as Lockett would have wanted.

Each year, they had shirts made for Rusty Revolution. Howard recalled one of her favorites, which was in honor of the tattoo Lockett had done on his chest at 18 years old. The tattoo made it look like a tiger was crawling out of his chest with claw marks.

“It’s just one of those awful, terrible tattoos you get when you’re 18 years old,” Howard said. “Anytime we would go on vacation or be at the pool with someone, he would take off his shirt and be like, ‘All right, go ahead and make fun of me. Get it out of the way.’ Not only was it a terrible idea for a tattoo, but it was also a terribly done tattoo.”

Supporting the Iowa Donor Network also gave Howard the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in 2022. The donor networks for each state send representatives to the Rose Bowl and have their loved one who donated organs honored in the Rose Bowl parade. A portrait of Lockett was made out of seeds and was included in the Donate Life parade float.

At the Donate Life reception, Howard was able to meet family members of other organ donors and hear their stories. She could see the impact organ donors have on others. Howard said thousands of lives can be saved if more people become organ donors.

“You never know if one of your loved ones is going to need an organ or tissue donation,” she said. “You never know if you’re going to be the one on that waiting list hoping that someone has the organ donor mark on their drivers license.”

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After her husband suffered a fatal brain injury, Kate Howard saw how being an organ donor can have an impact on others.

Liz Ramos

Lakewood Ranch’s Kate Howard looks forward to continuing her advocacy about organ donations with the help of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Courtesy photo Lakewood Ranch’s Kate Howard was married to Justin Lockett for six years before Lockett suffered a brain injury and donated his organs to save the lives of five men.

Fawley Bryant elevates key employees

The most viewed Fawley Bryant sports-related project is the finish tower at Nathan Benderson Park.

All those projects have attracted new clients.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Fawley Bryant Architecture is widely known for its vision. So much so that once the firm was invited to a New York Fashion Week event just for “its way of thinking.”

However, owner/design architect Stu Henderson admitted he was spending so much time with the conceptual visions for his company’s projects that he might have been “a little late” looking within.

So earlier this month, Henderson and his partners fixed that oversight, promoting Kirk Bauer and James Hugglestone to firm principals.

“We love what we do,” Henderson said. “These guys are champions of our culture. We have fun while we work.”

On Fawley Bryant’s website is a description of its values. Included are the words, “Be ruthlessly positive.”

At a gathering to discuss the newest path of the firm with Bauer and Hugglestone moving into new leadership roles, it was smiles all around.

“In elevation, we have expectations (for Bauer and Hugglestone),” Henderson said. “They have new responsibilities. And I am going to love my role. I expect to develop more on the vision side. And not just projects, but the vision side for the business. We have goals financially. We are looking for growth to evolve.”

In his new role, Bauer will be the director of sports, responsible for overseeing the design and delivery of sports-based projects. Hugglestone will manage the municipal and education market sectors.

“Their dedication and expertise have been extremely influential in our recent success,” said Amanda

Parrish, the company’s chief operating officer and partner, in a release.

While Henderson said both have “extraordinary talent in design,” he noted that both are great facilitators in getting a job accomplished the way it is planned.

“Kirk takes my silly ‘what ifs’ and makes them happen,” he said.

Bauer said that while Fawley Bryant designs projects as a team, he enjoys a role of finding design solutions.

“One of our biggest issues has been the supply chain,” he said. “What is the lead time to get equipment? What is the price of construction. You need to find solutions for cost increases. You have to find alternatives.”

easy The Living is

He also said that he has to take concepts and translate them into technical documents.

“Architecture isn’t just design,” he said.

Hugglestone concurs.

“I am very similar to Kirk in that after we come up with the design as a team, I like solving the puzzle,” Hugglestone said. “I get the charts, and I need to find out how to solve (clients’) problems.”

Bauer has 21 years of experience in the industry in design, project management and client relations. He will be overseeing a fast-growing sector of Fawley Bryant’s business. He has been with Fawley Bryant 11 years.

Fawley Bryant has designed the Binghamton (New York) University baseball complex, the spring training complex for the Atlanta Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Batting Tunnel, and the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Sports Performance Center in Pueblo, Colorado.

The firm has designed several projects on the IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, including the Sports Science and Performance Center and the IMG Academy Fieldhouse.

“One of the things we are doing now is less day to day (project management),” Bauer said. “We are creating more business relationships and networking. Right now, we are working with the Baltimore Orioles (on a potential project).”

However, he said he will continue to get the joy and satisfaction of turning a concept into reality.

“It’s like working on the IMG Sports Science and Performance Center; they were a great client and they challenged us,” he said.

When the project is finished comes another payoff for Bauer.

“I was there the day the Braves opened (CoolToday Park),” he said. “I looked around and saw the kids. We were helping to create memories.”

Hugglestone, who has 27 years of experience in the industry and five years with Fawley Bryant, is currently overseeing the Lakewood Ranch Library project, but like Bauer, he will be doing less day-to-day management.

“I’m looking forward to helping Fawley Bryant grow by continuing to develop our team, diving deeper into process development, and ensuring our clients and partners are taken care of,” he said.

Like Bauer, he enjoys the result of finished projects.

“I love the projects that have an impact on the community, such as the Bradenton Christian School and Waterside projects,” he said. “It’s a part of the place where I live and work. I feel pride.”

Fawley Bryant was established in 1994 by original owners Rick Fawley and Mike Bryant. Fawley died in 2015, and Bryant retired in 2018. The partners now are Henderson, Parrish and Steve Padgett. The firm has 25 employees.

“(Hugglestone and Bauer) are going from doing a role, to leading the role,” Henderson said. “The rest of the company will see a new path.”

Kirk Bauer and James Hugglestone are named principals at the Lakewood Ranch architectural firm.

Jay Heater

James Hugglestone, Stu Henderson and Kirk Bauer celebrate the promotion of Hugglestone and Bauer to principals at Fawley Bryant Architecture. Henderson is an owner/design architect.

“We love what we do. These guys are champions of our culture. We have fun while we work.”

Stu Henderson

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SLICE OF PIZZA EXPERIENCE

IF YOU GO

KING’S CORNER RESTAURANT

Where: Legacy Golf Club, 8255 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch

Offers: A selection of pizza, burgers, salads and more

Head cook: David Spagnuolo

Sampling of menu items:

n Verdure pizza

$17 — Red sauce, spinach, shredded mozzarella, artichoke, mushroom, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic puree, Parmesan, basil

n Speziato pizza

$18 — Red sauce, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, pepperoncini, roasted red pepper, red pepper flakes, Parmesan, basil

n Seared tuna salad

$14 — Seasoned rare tuna, arugula, Mandarin oranges, cucumber, fried wontons, sesame

soy dressing

n Pulled pork tacos

$11 — Two flour tortillas, pulled pork, Gold barbecue sauce, cole slaw, crispy onions

n Grilled veggie wrap

$11 — Mushrooms, artichokes, red peppers, Feta cheese, arugula, balsamic vinaigrette

Former New England restaurant/bakery owner changes the look at the Legacy Golf Club’s restaurant.

JAY HEATER | MANAGING EDITOR

As David Spagnuolo whirls around the kitchen in King’s Corner restaurant at Legacy Golf Club, it is evident he is part artist and part scientist.

Just don’t call him chef.

“I consider myself a cook,” Spagnuolo said as he flattened a ball of pizza dough on the counter in front of him. “I’m a graduate of the school of hard knocks. And I still feel I can learn something every day.”

Spagnuolo, 49, spread the dough out and worked it with his hands. It wasn’t evident at that point that the dough was worked expertly. That wouldn’t be evident until the pizza emerged from the oven.

He continued talking about the important qualities of dough, including water hydration, with the scientist in him coming out. He then noted, as commonly heard, that the water in Florida is different than the water in New England.

Could Spagnuolo toss the dough high into the air?

He twisted his face into a frustrated look, considering the audacity of such a question. Ten seconds later, the dough was spinning into a disc about his head.

Child’s play.

It most likely would be hard to teach Spagnuolo something about pizza — or especially about pizza dough.

Both his father, Ken Spagnuolo, and grandfather, Bill Spagnuolo, made their livings in the bakery business in Boston, and David Spagnuolo followed that tradition, owning his own bakeries with his wife, Stacey.

Eventually, David and Stacey

moved to New Hampshire, and they owed several small, intimate restaurants. David Spagnuolo noted that owning restaurants can be a blessing. It also can be a “nightmare.”

Five years ago, they decided to move to Palmer Ranch in Sarasota.

He dabbled in a few projects, and then last November was hired to turn Legacy’s restaurant into a profitable venture. He wanted to be back in the pizza business without necessarily owning the restaurant. The Legacy project seemed a perfect fit.

Whether it is a perfect fit will come to light over the next few years. The Legacy Golf Club itself has been a huge reclamation project driven by owners Kevin Paschall and Jon Whittemore.

The Arnold Palmer-designed course opened in 1997 to excessive fanfare, as helicopters delivered celebrities to play the new gem. Over the years, though, with multiple owners, the course fell into disrepair.

Paschall and Whittemore bought the club for $3.4 million in November 2015 and poured more than $2 million into the course in their first four years. Of course, then it was 2019 and the pandemic was about to take hold in 2020.

Still, the owners kept moving forward until the course reclaimed the status it formerly held. They decided it was time to examine the food operation.

In December 2020, Paschall and Whittemore invested in “the Lamborghini of pizza ovens,” a Marana, and talked about increasing food sales. However, after an unsatisfactory two years, the owners searched for a chef — make that cook — to bring everything together.

Paschall said Spagnuolo is the right man.

“Dave’s skills are going to expand our lunch and dinner choices,” Paschall said. “Our presentation is better.”

Paschall said about 30% of their restaurant business comes from the nongolfing community. He wants that to be closer to 50%.

“We are not just going after golf-

ers,” Paschall said. “When you go to most sports bars, your view is a parking lot. Here, you can enjoy the ambiance of the natural beauty here. That is different.”

The restaurant can seat 120 to 130 guests and with the Waterside area growing with both homes and other restaurant choices, Paschall and Whittemore want to tap the market.

Those who want to try the fare at Legacy should know that the club is outside the Country Club gates, easily accessible from University Parkway.

Paschall said since Spagnuolo came aboard, business has “ebbed and flowed,” but they have yet to market the new menu.

“We are burgers and pizza, but there is a lot in-between,” he said. “We need to get the information out there. We feel now it is ready and right.”

Spagnuolo is excited about being part of the effort.

“I have re-found my passion here,” he said. “They wanted a change. We have taken some products already here and mixed and matched them in different ways.”

He had never worked with a Marana oven, but that has been enjoyable as well.

“I came here and I had never seen anything like it,” he said of the rotary pizza oven. “It spins. It is odd, but helpful.”

He said those who have enjoyed the restaurant in the past will still be able to order the popular items. Items that weren’t selling have been eliminated.

Spagnuolo has a tried-and-true formula when it comes to deciding what to put on a menu.

“I like good flavor,” he said with a laugh. “I taste my food before I serve it.”

The restaurant is open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Paschall said if business calls for it, those hours might be expanded.

“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

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Photos by Jay Heater

David Spagnuolo said he had never used a Marana rotary pizza oven before coming to the King’s Corner at Legacy Golf Club. He said it is “odd, but helpful.”

Legacy Golf Club is banking on a new pizza lineup to increase its nongolf-playing customers at its restaurant, King’s Corner.

David Spagnuolo’s specialty is pizza, as he shows each day as the cook at King’s Corner in the Legacy Golf Club.

Alligator activity on the rise

As a rain-fed river, the wild and scenic Myakka River has dramatically illustrated over recent months how its levels are affected by precipitation — or the lack thereof. After historic flood levels associated with Hurricane Ian rainfall followed by little rain in recent months, water levels in Myakka River State Park have dropped significantly and are currently very low. Myakka’s wetlands, which absorb and slow floodwaters during periods of excessive rain, are drying up as well.

When water levels in Myakka’s floodplain marshes and wetlands are high, American alligators spread out and enjoy their expanded habitats. Considered almost extinct in the 1950s and ’60s because of habitat loss and hunting, these iconic, critical members of our region’s ecosystems depend on wetlands; our ecosystems depend on them.

As apex predators, alligators help control rodent populations and other animals that might otherwise overtax marsh vegetation. The “gator holes” that adult alliga-

tors create and expand stay full of water even after the rains stop. By providing vital water for themselves, as well as for many other species, American alligators help keep unique Florida ecosystems at Myakka and beyond healthy for years to come. This time of year, late in our dry season, the chance increases of encountering an alligator making its way from drying wetlands back to rivers or other wet locations. They’re also more likely to be visible, due to lower water levels, the onset of breeding season and warmer (but not oppressively hot) temperatures, all of which result in higher levels of activity for these cold-blooded reptiles. For everyone’s safety, if you encounter an alligator on the move, give it plenty of space — at least 25 feet is recommended — and don’t try to hurry it along. Also, as is the law, never harass or feed alligators. When alligators are fed, they lose their natural wariness of humans and start to associate people with food. Because dogs and cats are the same size as natural alligator prey, keep them well away from possible alligator habitats.

— MIRI HARDY, FRIENDS OF THE MYAKKA RIVER CONTRIBUTOR

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver

Staying a safe distance from these vital members of wetland ecosystems will help keep all out of danger.

Miri Hardy

Twirling champ ready to pass baton

Tiffany McCoy will pack her national twirling crown away when she enters Oral Roberts University in August.

JAY HEATER

MANAGING

EDITOR

She was 6 years old, and like many girls her age, Tiffany McCoy wanted a crown. But this had nothing to do with the movies, fantasy or royalty.

It had everything to do with hard work.

At that tender age, Lakewood Ranch’s McCoy began twirling at Bradenton Twirling Academy.

“I thought it was unique,” said McCoy, who now is an 18-year-old senior at Lakewood Ranch High

School. “And the older girls would come in with crowns and banners.”

Eleven years after beginning her pursuit, Greenbrook’s McCoy earned not only a crown ... she earned the crown.

She currently is serving a oneyear reign as the 2022 Senior Majorette Queen of the Drum Majorettes of America. She earned the title this past July at the national competition at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

The Senior Majorette Queen competition (15-23 age division) can be compared to a gymnastics competition, where the athletes are awarded titles on specific equipment with all the scores adding up to crown an overall champion. That was McCoy when it came to the twirling competition, which also included graded events such as dress modeling and on-stage and backstage interview sessions.

Photos by Jay Heater Lakewood Ranch’s Tiffany McCoy is the reigning 2022 Senior Majorette Queen of the Drum Majorettes of America.

“I was the new face of the organization,” McCoy said. “You have to talk to everyone, encourage them and help them out. And I love getting to talk.”

For her freshman, sophomore and junior years at Lakewood Ranch High School, she was a drum majorette for the Marching Mustangs. However, with the travel associated with being the national representative for the Drum Majorettes of America, combined with her school work, she decided to step away from the Marching Mustangs during her senior year.

“I wanted to step back and enjoy my reign,” she said.

In fact, her drum majorette days with a marching band might be over. McCoy is headed to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“I am not planning on twirling, but I will look around at all the groups,” she said. “But I do want to enjoy just going to the games.”

Throughout the years, she has enjoyed competitive twirling more than performing for an audience in front of a marching band.

She still does have one last competitive iron in the fire. She has teamed with Parrish’s Ally Carpenter to see if they can win that division at this year’s Drum Majorettes of America July 15-19 in Aiken, South Carolina.

Carpenter was fifth in the nation in the Senior Majorette Queen competition this past year, so the duo will draw lots of attention going into the competition.

It also will mark the end of her reign.

Since she accomplished her twirling goal, McCoy isn’t concerned

about missing the sport as she moves forward to meet other life challenges. Her parents, Shannon and Christopher McCoy, said twirling has helped prepare her to meet those challenges.

“It has helped her socially,” Christopher McCoy said. “Although she always has been outgoing, it challenges you. It taught her about hard work and about sticking with something. It taught her perseverance.”

Shannon McCoy said the exercise needed for twirling was fantastic, and added that her daughter learned time management skills.

“It’s balancing a heavy load,” she said. “It’s a skill that most grownups don’t have until they are 30.”

Shannon McCoy remembers her 6-year-old daughter saying she wanted a crown but probably didn’t anticipate the 12 years of work it took to attain it.

LARGEST SELECTION OF FANS

She was a twirler herself in high school, although “not like her. I was just average.”

Some family trivia is that Tiffany McCoy’s grandmother, Pat Hearne, was a Mustang majorette for her high school in Hollywood Florida. Shannon McCoy was a Mustang majorette in high school at Downers Grove, Illinois, and Tiffany McCoy has been a Mustang majorette at Lakewood Ranch High.

Neither mom or grandma did any competitive twirling.

When Tiffany McCoy began twirling at 6, she didn’t even know her mom or grandma had been twirlers. She was just looking for a sport to join and she followed a friend who liked twirling.

By sixth grade, Tiffany McCoy admitted she was feeling burned out and she was close to quitting because

she had a lot of school work. Her parents always had been supportive, but they weren’t pushing her hard to continue. She said that pressure came from her friends in the twirling club and their parents.

Eventually, she decided to continue.

She did have to give up certain opportunities, such as doing more in her role as youth service coordinator at Bayside Community Church in Lakewood Ranch. At school, she is a member of the Senior Advisory Board and the yearbook committee and still likes running as a hobby.

Her parents had to make sacrifices as well, as competitions were held in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. Each of the twirling classes often required its own costume, so there was that expense.

But as Tiffany McCoy prepared for a photo shoot, her mom happily helped her attach her crown at their Greenbrook home. Her dad watched the two of them with a smile.

“I always encouraged her,” he said.

“I knew she was great at it.”

Her neighbors did, too.

Tiffany McCoy often would be in the street in front of their home practicing. Sometimes it even meant throwing up the baton with the ends on fire.

“I never got burned,” she said. “But I did get some soot marks (on her clothes). There definitely is a lot of hand-eye coordination involved.”

Her dad said it was entertaining for those driving down the street.

“When she was in the street, she would stop cars,” he said.

Tiffany McCoy often practiced her twirling in the street in front of her Greenbrook home.

“I was the new face of the organization. You have to talk to everyone, encourage them and help them out. And I love getting to talk.”

Tiffany McCoy

If I could give Dr. Lento 10 stars I would. I trust him completely with the medical care for my bone on bone knees. Everything he suggested and prescribed in the way of treatment I have done, and the results are amazing. He listens and takes time to address questions. He really thinks about the best approach for dealing with my problem, with the least invasive, “do no harm” treatment. He is phenomenal!

Therapy delivered in mini packages

SMART’s new mini horses, Rocky and Penelope, travel to local organizations to provide therapeutic services.

The moment Central Park’s Ellie and Jim Wenzke heard Sarasota Manatee Association Riding Therapy was going to have mini horses, they knew they had to be there to welcome them.

And once they saw Penelope and Rocky walk off the trailer at SMART in October, they decided to help take care of them as well.

Since then, Ellie and Jim Wenzke have been at SMART six days a week to walk Penelope and Rocky and train them to calmly be around groups of people.

Rebecca Blitz, the executive director of SMART, said the mini horses program is a new way to provide community outreach.  SMART received the mini horses

GET INVOLVED

If you’re interested in having Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy’s mini horses travel to your organization, contact SMART at 322-2000. A session is $350. Scholarships are available. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit SMARTRiders. org/Volunteers/VolunteerApplication.

from Brian Verble of Monarch Miniature Horses.

Rather than organizations having to go to SMART’s property in east Bradenton, SMART staff members, including volunteers such as Ellie and Jim Wenzke, can travel with the mini horses to local organizations and businesses to provide therapeutic services.

As a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International Premier Accredited Center, SMART has received the qualifications needed to provide therapeutic

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Photos by Liz Ramos

Central Park’s Jim Wenzke and Ellie Wenzke walk Penelope and Rocky six days a week.

MEET THE MINI HORSES

PENELOPE

Age: 1

Personality: Sweet, laid back, kind

Nickname: Princess Penelope

ROCKY

Age: 1

Personality: Firecracker, rambunctious, spicy

Nickname: Rocky Balboa

fied therapeutic riding instructor for SMART, said more people are receptive to the mini horses instead of the other horses at SMART because of their size.

“Because of their intelligence and their personalities, it’s very similar to a larger horse,” Finocchiaro said.

“It’s just not as intimidating. They’re just as willing to serve the kids and adults.”

The mini horses program gives SMART an opportunity to help as many people as possible, Finocchiaro said.

Blitz said Penelope and Rocky are a good way to introduce people to what it’s like being around horses.

Every day, Ellie and Jim Wenzke walk Penelope and Rocky around SMART’s property and help teach them how to be gentle and work well with people.

Jim Wenzke said Penelope is getting better at following orders. For example, when he would stop on the grass while walking Penelope, it would be difficult to get Penelope to stop eating the grass and continue walking; but now, she’s a pro.”

Ellie Wenzke calls Rocky, who turned 1 April 16, a firecracker.

Finocchiaro said Rocky is spicy and inquisitive. He wants to get close to people and get to know them.

The Wenzkes take Penelope and Rocky through the offices at SMART to get them adjusted to being indoors so they are prepared when they visit various organizations.

Blitz said the nonprofit can take the mini horses to nursing homes, retirement homes, schools, hospice care centers, adult day centers and other places.

Penelope and Rocky already have been to Loveland Center, a nonprofit that serves children and adults with special needs, in Venice.

“The way (people) responded, the smiles and the excitement was good for them emotionally,” Finocchiaro said. “It’s helped with their physical, emotional and social wellbeing.”

A group of people from the Loveland Center was at SMART on April 6 to interact with Penelope and Rocky and the other horses.

“These

Jim Wenzke said there was a girl who was no more than 5 years old who was in awe of Penelope.

“She would not stop smiling,” Jim Wenzke said. “She loved it.”

Individuals from the Loveland Center meet Rocky and Penelope, Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy’s new mini horses.

SPORTS

Fast Break

Former Lakewood Ranch

High baseball outfielder

Grant McCray, now with the San Francisco Giants organization, received a boost in the team’s organizational rankings at the start of the 2023 season. McCray is ranked as the team’s No. 3 prospect by MLB.com and the top outfielder, a 22-spot jump from last season thanks to a 2022 season where McCray hit .289 with 23 home runs. McCray has begun this season with the High-A level Eugene Emeralds.

The Lakewood Ranch High softball team added former coach T.J. Goelz to its Wall of Fame on April 11. Goelz coached the team for five seasons and held a 122-10 record, including two state championships in 2021 and 2022. The Mustangs (14-6) won 5-2 over Calvary Christian (13-7) on Goelz’ induction night.

UMR Sports will host the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A District 19 beach volleyball tournament April 24-25 starting at 1 p.m. each day. The district features Lakewood Ranch High and Braden River High. Tickets are $6 for all attendees over 6 years old. High school students and faculty can enter for free with a valid ID. For more information visit UMRSports.com.

… There were two holes-inone at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club last week.

On April 13, Nat Osborne sank one with a 7-iron on the 160yard No. 6 hole of the club’s Cypress Links course. On April 15, Donna Russo sank one with a 7-hybrid on the 95-yard No. 7 hole of the club’s King’s Dunes course.

… The Waterlefe Youth Golf Program is the featured charity during the LECOM Suncoast Classic, receiving money for each birdie made on the 18th hole all week. The program’s participants will also be in attendance April 17 for the tournament’s junior clinic, which is open to all kids 17 and under. For more information or to register a child in the program, visit WaterlefeYouthGolfProgram.com.

Suncoast Classic RISES AGAIN

TICKETS AND PARKING

Ticket prices for the tournament vary by level, but single-day general admission tickets are $20. Military members, first responders and teachers with a valid ID can receive free admission for themselves and one guest. Children under 17 also receive free admission. Free parking is available at Premier Sports Campus, with a trolley service taking guests to the tournament entrance at Lakewood National.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit LECOMSuncoastClassic.com.

The Korn Ferry Tour’s 2023 LECOM Suncoast Classic runs from April 20-23 at Lakewood National Golf Club.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

It’s year five of the LECOM Suncoast Classic, but tournament Director Justin Kristich feels like he just got the job.

“It’s funny how time goes by,” Kristich said. “In certain areas (of planning), it gets easier, but new things pop up all the time. For the most part, I feel like we’re a welloiled machine at this point.”

Kristich said the 2023 edition of the Suncoast Classic, a Korn Ferry Tour event, will match or exceed expectations set by the previous four tournaments. It will once again be held at Lakewood National Golf Club beginning April 20, crowning the tournament winner on April 23.

This will be the first year the event is held in April after being held in February each of its first four years. Kristich said the tournament has wanted the April date for years as there is more daylight available and play can extend into the evening. That change will also mean food and drink stations stay open longer.

In addition, the tournament’s “Fan Zone,” located between the event’s entrance and the 18th green, will include 25 different vendors, including a Tito’s bar.

For fans who have not attended the tournament before, Kristich recommends walking the course to get a sense of everything. For people not wanting to do that, he said, hanging

out at the 17th and 18th greens provides a good mix of action and access to vendors.

Alternatively, fans can pick a golfer and follow him for an entire round.

Who will be the next to join Byeong Hun An, Hayden Buckley, Andrew Novak and Mark Hubbard among the tournament’s winners? There is no clear favorite, and the tournament is devoid of the bigger names who played in past events, such as former Major winners Mike Weir and Angel Cabrera. The 2023 winner is likely to be an up-and-coming golfer who might make a name for himself at Lakewood National. It also could be a shot in the arm for a veteran golfer hoping to stay in the game.

Here are five golfers to consider following as the tournament gets underway.

MICHAEL GELLERMAN

Will it be a tournament of redemption for Gellerman? The 30-year-old was a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole away from winning the 2022 Suncoast Classic, but he pushed his putt to the right, landing six feet away. He then missed a par putt that would have placed him in a playoff with An. Gellerman then lipped out a third putt, finishing tied for sixth.

If Gellerman plays as well in 2023 — minus the putting nightmare — he could avenge the poor finish.  However, he currently ranks 100th in the Korn Ferry Tour standings.

NORMAN XIONG

Will 2023 finally be the year Xiong unlocks his potential? Xiong was once the top junior golf prospect in California, and he won the Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins awards as a sophomore at the University of Oregon, cementing himself at col-

lege golf’s top player — and earning comparisons to Tiger Woods from his coach, Casey Martin, a former teammate of Woods’ at Stanford University.

Xiong, 24, has failed to capitalize on his talent since turning pro in 2018. He’s currently 105th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. But one strong tournament could make all the difference.

Xiong played in the 2022 Suncoast Classic and missed the cut (four under par).

PIERCESON COODY

The spelling of Pierceson Coody’s name is not traditional, and his results have not been either. Coody, a 23-year-old University of Texas graduate, joined the Korn Ferry Tour ranks in 2022 and has been a feastor-famine golfer ever since.

Take the start of the 2023 season as proof: Coody won the Panama Championship, held at Panama Golf Club in Panama City, Panama, at 3 under par in February. But he has missed the cut in all four other Korn Ferry Tour events he’s played this year.

For Coody, now ranked No. 7, joined the tour after the 2022 Suncoast Classic, the 2023 event will be his first crack at the Lakewood National course. Fans who follow Coody may be watching the eventual winner or he may be toward the bottom of the leaderboard come Friday afternoon.

CURTIS LUCK

Luck, who is from Australia, rose to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings in March 2017, taking the title from former Suncoast Classic runner-up Maverick McNealy. Luck has not had the Korn Ferry Tour success, and now PGA Tour success, that McNealy has had, but he’s still 26 and has a chance to figure out his game.

Luck finished tied for 55th (six under par) at the 2022 Suncoast Classic. He’s currently 38th in the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour standings but has only missed one cut in five events and has three finishes of 27th or better.

TOMMY GAINEY

Gainey, 47, is still a threat to challenge despite his advancing age. The veteran golfer has four combined wins in his PGA Tour (1) and Korn Ferry Tour (3) careers, most recently winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2020 Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course in Great Exuma, Bahamas.

Gainey is known for his “Two Gloves” nickname, for he wears black, weather-resistant gloves, a quirk passed to him by his father. He also has an erratic swing which he uses with a baseball grip, making him an all-around unique watch.

“I gained about 25 pounds of muscle since last season, which has been helpful for discus and other things, but not for running.”

— Braden River High’s Alex den Boggende SEE PAGE 18

Courtesy photo Grant McCray is the Giants’ No. 3-ranked minor league prospect by MLB.com.

File photos

Norman Xiong has yet to live up to the promise he showed as an amateur golfer, but has a lot of talent.

Michael Gellerman will look for a do-over at the 2023 LECOM Suncoast Classic after a four-putt on the No. 18 green cost him a win in 2022.

Fans at the Suncoast Classic can choose to walk the course, following a specific golfer, or spend time at the holes of their choice.

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

ODA athlete passes the test

The Out-of-Door Academy senior

Jack Bancroft has experienced a lot in his life.

The grind of athletics, working through his classes, the pressure of the health care field.

It finally all came together to give Bancroft the perspective he needed in the pursuit of a lofty accomplishment.

Bancroft was named to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers

All-Academic state team April 5. He is one of 24 athletes — 12 boys and 12 girls — to receive the honor this year, and one of two from Manatee County, sitting alongside Saint Stephen’s Episcopal senior Bella Rosa. He holds a 4.0 GPA, fifth-best in ODA’s 84-member senior class, and holds varsity letters in football, soccer and lacrosse. Bancroft will receive a $1,700 scholarship and a commemorative medal at a June 5 banquet in Gainesville.

To receive the scholarship, Bancroft had to fill out an application and write mini essays on his accomplishments and why he deserved to be selected. Bancroft insisted his essays were “nothing special” and was surprised — but thankful — when he found out he had been selected.

“Getting that praise, it was nice to be acknowledged and awarded something,” Bancroft said. “I didn’t expect it, but here we are.”

Bancroft was modest about his academic accomplishments, saying schoolwork has always been something that came naturally to him. Only in recent years has he had to put time into studying more complex subjects to keep his grades up, he said, and he was willing to do it despite his busy schedule.

“Academics were always the priority,” Bancroft said. “Results are how you get places in the world. It’s starting to pay off now.”

His dedication to his studies

shows in his actions, too. Bancroft said that in March he fell behind on work in a few classes, so at the suggestion of his coaches, he took a week away from the lacrosse team to get projects done and keep his grades intact. It was a difficult choice to make as a competitor, he said, but a necessary one. The time away from the field allowed him to recharge his mind for the stretch run.

Bancroft said going to school for six hours, then going to practice for two hours can take a mental toll after awhile, especially when there’s still homework and projects to do after you get home. It’s why Bancroft’s best advice to up-andcoming athletes is to develop strong time management skills. If you can’t handle the workload, he said, you’re not going to have much fun.

In addition to his classroom excellence, Bancroft has put in service to his community, giving more than 450 service hours, the majority of which were spent volunteering at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where both of his parents work in radiology. Bancroft said volunteering at the hospital opened his eyes to the

day-to-day stresses of the field and to how important it is.

“Working in health care, there’s a toll that it takes on people,” Bancroft said. “You have to make sacrifices. I think it’s honorable and noble and necessary. I’m grateful for the work they do.”

It’s a path he will be taking himself. Bancroft will be continuing his education as a pre-med major at the University of South Florida in the fall. Bancroft said it has long been his dream to follow his parents into the medical field, though not into radiology itself. He wants to be more hands-on, he said, perhaps working as a surgeon or in rural medicine. His dream was not deterred by what he witnessed as a hospital volunteer, only enhanced.

While Bancroft said he may play recreational lacrosse in college to stay active, his competitive sports days are now behind him; the ODA lacrosse team’s season came to an end April 11 with a 12-8 loss to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal in the district

tournament. Bancroft said he has not yet taken much time to reflect on what playing competitive sports has meant to him in high school, but knows his life would be much different without them.

“I moved here from Orlando before my freshman year,” Bancroft said. “I didn’t know anybody. I made pretty much all my friends from football. (Joining) it was a huge team-building opportunity. That showed me how important being part of a team is to me.”

Bancroft said his favorite athletic memory is the ODA football team’s run to the Sunshine State Athletic Conference state title game in 2020. The team had gone 0-4 in the regular season, which was shortened because of COVID-19. Pandemicrelated rules allowed every team to reach the playoffs anyway, and ODA won two games in a row to reach the Class A title game. Even though the Thunder lost 20-19 to Bishop Snyder High in Lakeland, Bancroft, an offensive and defensive lineman,

said the experience was unforgettable.

“We didn’t play that well until we actually started showing up and trying,” Bancroft said. “To come all that way (from 0-4), it was crazy. It was awesome.”  Bancroft said playing sports taught him many things, but none bigger than the importance of respect.

“It doesn’t matter how skilled you are or someone else is,” Bancroft said. “Everyone should show respect because everyone should receive it. It’s a team-builder. It can change the world.”

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

Courtesy photos

ODA senior Jack Bancroft (55) played defensive tackle for the school’s football team.

ODA senior Jack Bancroft, despite working hard to be a great athlete at the school, has a 4.0 GPA.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Alex den Boggende

Alex den Boggende is a junior track and field athlete at Braden River High. He won the boys discus (137 feet, 4.5 inches) April 12 at the 2023 Manatee Country Championships, held at Manatee High. He also competes on the school’s cross country and basketball teams.

When did you start participating in track and field?

I joined the cross country team as a freshman because people in my family run. At the time, the cross country coaches were also the track coaches, so almost everyone who ran cross country also ran track. I decided to join. Almost immediately, the coaches said, “You’re going to throw discus, too,” because I have a long wingspan.

What is the appeal to you?

I love how much you can do. You can pick and choose (events). Everyone here is a strong athlete in their own way. It’s also a melting pot of athletes from other sports, and I love that.

What is your favorite event?

I’ll say discus is my favorite because its what I’m best at right now. I’m the most consistently good at it. All the throwers like to joke that track and field goes like this: 99% of the time, you (are bad). The other 1% of the time, you’re amazing, and that feel ing is why you do it. Discus gives me that feeling the most.

Which event are you working to improve?

I have been disappointed by my 800-meter run this year. Last year, I could run 800 meters in 2:06 consis tently. I was hoping to

If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

get down to 2:03 or 2:01 this year.

I haven’t been able to hit it. I have been running around 2:10. I have gained about 25 pounds of muscle since last season, which has been helpful for discus and other things, but not for running. I’m still trying to get my ability back up.

What track memory stands out to you?

At the first track meet we ever hosted here (in 2021), there were some alumni watching us. I threw over 30 meters that day. It was the first time I had done that. It was the first time I ever felt confident in my abilities. Ever since then, it has felt like my event.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

I’d like to hit 45 meters (approximately 148 feet) in the discus. I think that’s what I’ll need to make it to states. Right now I’m at about 42 meters (137 feet).

What is your favorite food?

I like any red meat. A (steak) fillet is probably my favorite meal, but sometimes I have a great cheeseburger and I don’t think anything could sur-

Finish this sentence: “Alex den Boggende is …”

Organized chaos. I’m busy all of the time, but that’s how I like it.

TASTE OF THE FUTURE

Mote Marine Vice President Dan Bebak said the Seasonal Tasting at Nathan Benderson Park on Wednesday night was a way to raise awareness of the future Mote Science Education Aquarium while also connecting with future neighbors in University Town Center and Lakewood Ranch.

However, judging by the comments of many of the people at the fundraiser, the connection already exists.

Vertical construction of the aquarium is underway, and it is expected to open its doors late in 2024.

Alessi Keen, a manager at Selva Grill, said her 2-year-old son, Hayes, will love visiting the aquarium when it opens.

“He already has whale pajamas,” she said.

Keen was serving tropical ceviche to the guests alongside fellow manager Racheal Ruiz Del Vizo, who said she grew up going to the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota.

Other UTC restaurants serving at the fundraiser were Seasons 52, PopStroke, Mademoiselle Paris, Rusty Bucket, JPan, Georgie’s, The Capital Grille, Sodexo Live/ Sophia’s, and Five-o Donut Co. PopStroke Head Chef Chris Raineri and his fiance, Nicole Strang, were serving up Southwest chicken egg rolls. They think about Mote all the time.

“Our first date was at the other Mote (aquarium),” Strang said.

— JAY HEATER

Photos by Jay Heater

Mote’s Michael Moore and Dan Bebak were using a drone to show those who attended the event construction progress on the aquarium from high in the finish tower at Nathan Benderson Park.

The Bay Kings Band entertain the crowd at the event.

Seasons 52 Sales Manager Erinn Lerett and Executive Chef Elvis Bravo present their Ahi tuna tartare.

Racheal Ruiz-Del Vizo and Alessi Keen, managers at Selva Grill, had a line waiting for their tropical ceviche.

PopStroke’s Claire Chrzan, Nicole Strang, Chris Raineri and Ian Gardell served up Southwest chicken egg rolls. Raineri, the head chef, said the egg rolls have been a big hit at the restaurant.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

by Dental Implant Specialists

Women’s club fuels student’s second chance

Palm Aire Women’s Club presents four SCF and two MTC students with scholarships to help them obtain their educational goals.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Living in Mississippi, LaShawn’te

Lee admits she gave up on higher education.

She tried a couple of times after graduating from Bullock County High in Union Springs, Alabama, to take college courses, but other life choices pulled her away.

Years later, though, after a move to Bradenton, she earned an associates degree at the age of 32.

Now as a single mother of four

children, she is attending State College of Florida with the hope of earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with the goal of eventually earning a master’s degree so she can “teach the (early childhood education) teachers.”

“I know I have big dreams,” Lee told the Palm Aire Women’s Club members who had gathered April 14 for their annual Scholarship Luncheon at Palm Aire Country Club. “But as they say, ‘Dream big or go home,’ and I refuse to go home.”

Lee, who currently works for Head Start in Sarasota County along with being a full-time student, was one of four State College of Florida students to receive a $3,000 scholarship ($1,500 for each of two school years).

The Palm Aire Women’s Club also presented two Manatee Technical College students with $500 schol-

Jay Heater

SCF student LaShawn’te Lee, MTC students Emma Ramirez and Krystal Camacho, Scholarship Committee Chair Peg Buck and SCF Foundation Chair Chris Romine pose for a photo during the Palm Aire Women’s Club Scholarship Luncheon.

arships.

“This is phenomenal, what they are doing,” Lee said of the Palm Aire Women’s Club members. “I am a single parent. I have gone through a failed marriage, but finally, I am here today. This scholarship is going to make my life easier.”

The scholarship money actually is presented by the club to the State College of Florida Foundation, which gives the funds to students selection by the Palm Aire Women’s Club screening committee.

“You can rest assured this is money well spent,” said Chris Romine, who is a senior vice president at Northern Trust and the foundation board chair on the SCF Foundation. “These are the people who are coming back into our community and they are taking care of our children.”

Romine attended Manatee Junior College, which eventually became State College of Florida. He eventually graduated from Florida Atlantic and went on to his banking career.

“I was the first person in my family to attend college,” Romine said. “I credit my start to SCF.”

Romine said the Palm Aire Women’s Club has presented 67 students with $167,300 in scholarship funds from 2004 through 2023.

“That is tremendous,” he said. “This is life-changing for a lot of people.”

He said a lot of those people were like Lee, raising families and trying to attend school as well.

Peg Buck heads the eight-member scholarship committee for the Palm Aire Women’s Club. She retired from SCF nine years ago.

“One of the main reasons I joined

the Palm Aire Women’s Club was because of the scholarships,” Buck said. “It is one of the very important things that we do.”

Buck addressed those at the luncheon, saying the scholarships would not be possible without their support of the program. The club raises money through fundraisers held throughout the year.

She said the club began presenting scholarships in 1985.

Three of the SCF students (Lyndsey Carter, David Pard and Sylvia Pardome) who received scholarships could not attend the luncheon. MTC students Emma Ramirez, who is studying to be a dental assistant, and Krystal Camacho, who takes nursing classes, were present to receive their $500 scholarships.

Camacho said the scholarship effort by the Palm Aire Women’s Club, which has 114 members, was inspiring to her.

Lee had a message for those who are struggling in college.

“Don’t give up,” she said. “Stay the course, and try to enjoy the journey.

“I failed going through college at first. I gave up. But then I decided that I need a better education.” She said the scholarship will help her achieve that goal.

Besides awarding the scholarships, the Palm Aire Women’s Club also announced its new officers: President Peg McKinley, Vice President Ann King, Recording Secretary Nancy Curley, Corresponding Secretary Linda Greene and Treasurer Susan Romine.

Leaf it OUT!

No

Sarasota County is transitioning away from the use of plastic bags for yard waste materials. Effective May 1, 2023, yard waste materials must be placed in paper bags, reusable containers or bundled properly. For more information and a list of FAQs, visit scgov.net/leafitout.

CURBING COSTS. INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY.

BEST BET SUNDAY, APRIL 23

POLO

Begins at 1 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Sarasota. The 2023 Sarasota Polo season has just two Sundays of competition remaining. 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 are admitted free. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 23

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), Greg Short and Friends (Friday), Stumble Creek (Saturday) and Nax Steel (Sunday). A $5 cover is charged on Fridays and Saturdays; the other days are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AND

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

MUSIC AT WATERSIDE PLACE

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at 1561 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place. Singer/ musician Dean Johanesen supplies the live, free entertainment on Friday as people enjoy strolling through

Waterside Place. Singer/musician Frankie Lombardi will entertain the crowd on Saturday.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 THROUGH

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

OPEN WATER NATIONALS

Begins at 8 a.m. each day at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The USA Swimming Open Water Nationals and Juniors will see the best openwater swimmers in the National and Junior National divisions compete at Nathan Benderson Park’s lake as they swim for championship titles of various distances. The event is free for spectators. For more information visit NathanBendersonPark.org or USASwimming.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

SHRED DAY

Runs from 9 a.m. to noon at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. A free community shred day and drive for the Food Bank of Manatee will be hosted by Grow Financial and the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority. The public can take advantage of the free shred day to dispose of old bills and receipts, junk mail, account statements and unused pre-approved offers of credit. Those utilizing the service are asked to bring a nonperishable (nonglass container) food item. For information, call 827-4100.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

FARMERS MARKET

Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market will offer 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 www. MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

RANCH NIGHT WEDNESDAYS

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. Live music, food trucks, a market with rotating vendors, a mobile bar and a recreational cornhole league highlight this crowd favorite event. Pets are welcome, but no coolers or outside food or beverage allowed. Visit WatersidePlace.com.

.COM

plastic bags for yard waste.

File photo

Lake Club home tops sales at $2.8 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Lake View

Estates at Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Ted and Rhonda Dyer, trustees, of Parrish, sold the home at 14757 Como Circle to William Rodney Pruett and Monica Lorena Herrera Pruett, of Dover, Massachusetts, for $2.8 million. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,220 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,757,600 in 2020.

CONCESSION

Anthony Raimondo Jr., trustee, Linda Myers-Bock and Diana Raimondo-Montalto, of Columbus, Nebraska, sold the home at 19443 Newlane Place to Alexander Cooke and Cecelia Cook, trustees, of Bradenton, for $2.7 million. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,020 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.75 million in 2018.

LAKE CLUB

Steven and Anita Seligman sold their home at 16210 Foremast Place to Walter Friedrich and Kaety L.M. Friedrich, trustees, of Bradenton, for $2,275,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,131 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,025,000 in 2009.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Myron and Rhonda Portnoy sold their home at 16115 Castle Park Terrace to William Manning and Rut Mickelsen, trustees, of Bradenton, for $2,025,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,206 square feet of living area. It sold for $751,800 in 2017.

Roger and Charlotte Phillips, of Palm Coast, sold their home at 14810 Secret Harbor Place to Mel and Joan Booker, of Penhook, Virginia, for $1,875,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, four-andtwo-half baths, a pool and 3,987 square feet of living area. It sold for $865,000 in 2017.

James Edward Scanlon and Donna Marie Scanlon, of Barrington, Rhode Island, sold their home at 7126 Whittlebury Trail to John and Christine Batt, of Ho Ho Kus, New Jersey, for $920,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,236 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2020.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Randall and Constance Bennett, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 7339 Barclay Court to Tonya Lynn Garrison, trustee, of University Park, for $1.75 million. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,060 square feet of living area. It sold for $735,000 in 2014.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Susan Sherrow, of Fort Walton Beach, sold the home at 4605 Mainsail Drive to Charles Winston and Laura Ward, of Bradenton, for $1.59 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,494 square feet of living area. It sold for $775,000 in 2012.

Kevin and Andriane Henault, of Ellenton, sold their home at 337 Bow Lane to Gordon and Cheryl Hawkins, of Bradenton, for $575,000. Built in 1995, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2018.

ISLES AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

James Rader and Dina Wolff, trust-

ees, sold the home at 17654 Azul Drive to Stephen and Ying Zades, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.55 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,354 square feet of living area.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Mark and Carolyn Mallinger, of Bradenton, sold their home at 9842 Carnoustie Place to Edward and Kathleen Lapine, of Bradenton, for $1.35 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,884 square feet of living area.

Anthony Dizinno Jr. and Amanda Elise Kanzler, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 5039 Tobermory Way to Andrew and Judith Aharon, of Bradenton, for $630,000. Built in 2014, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,779 square feet of living area. It sold for $364,000 in 2015.

ESPLANADE Gerald Breeden, of Sarasota, sold his home at 13313 Malachite Drive to Paula and Lee Wichlacz, of Tarpon Springs, for $1,338,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,841 square feet of living area. It sold for $768,400 in 2015.

Thomas and Anni Schott, of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 5138 Savona Run to William Connell and Katherine Jennings Connell, of Bradenton, for $654,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $321,200 in 2014.

POMELLO PARK

Brian and Wendy Borzewski, of Wimauman, sold their home at 21308 67th Ave. E. to John Peter Angarola and Pauline Angarola, of Middle Island, New York, for $1.17 million. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,754 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB

Elaine and James Steinfurth, trustees, of New Albany, Ohio, sold the home at 6911 Dominion Lane to Scott and Diane Allshouse, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.13 million. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,541 square feet of living area.

Bruce Vanderstowe, of University Park, sold his home at 6919 Woodmore Terrace to Mark Simonds and James Angus, of Los Angeles, for $500,000. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,545 square feet of living area. It sold for $186,000 in 2000.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

A. Peykoff Design Ltd. sold the home at 5817 Mulligan Way to Christopher and Melissa Stoddard, of Bradenton, for $1.1 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,427 square feet of living area. It sold for $689,500 in 2022.

WARWICK GARDENS

James and Jane Audibert, of The Colony, Texas, sold their home at 7317 Chatsworth Court to Yvonne Posa, trustee, of Wayland, Massachusetts, for $1.03 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,563 square feet of living area.

HENLEY Albert and Anita Flagg, of Salem, Massachusetts, sold their home at 6943 Cumberland Terrace to Robert and Lisa Pafe, of Fairfax, Virginia, for $975,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,661 square feet of living area. It sold for $529,000 in 2017.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE Steven and Karin Klancnik sold their home at 5611 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Rosemary CarrMalone and Ricky Malone, of Bradenton, for $939,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,648 square feet of living area. It sold for $576,000 in 2020.

Margret Hanna Greber, of St. Petersburg, sold the home at 938

Preservation St. to Johanna Willner, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,913 square feet of living area. It sold for $322,500 in 2007.

ENCLAVE AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

Henry and Cheryl Lackner sold their home at 630 River Enclave Court to Michael and Marie Fay, of Brewerton, New York, for $920,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,533 square feet of living area. It sold for $565,000 in 2017.

GREENBROOK

Robert and Jennifer Zeidler, of Parrish, sold their home at 14717 Bowfin Terrace  to Aleksandr Grushkovskiy, of Bellevue, Washington, for $870,000. Built in 2011, it has

four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,289 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2020.

John and Rosemarie Farrell, of Sarasota, sold their home at 15233 Blue Fish Circle to Irina Depler, Darya Fedotova and Sergiy Mykhaylov, of Bradenton, for $540,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,990 square feet of living area. It sold for $200,000 in 2012.

DEL WEBB

Daniel Guy Devito and Melinda Devito, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, sold their home at 18017 Harwich Place to Kevin and Lisanne Fitzsimons, of Moorestown, New Jersey,

This Lake View Estates at Lake Club home at 14757 Como Circle sold for $2.8 million. It has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,220 square feet of living area.

Lakewood Ranch’s

Real estate

FROM PAGE 25

for $860,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,093 square feet of living area. It sold for $844,700 in 2022.

James and Jayne Gall, of Granger, Indiana, sold their home at 17520 Hampton Falls Terrace to Jontie Hicks, of Bradenton, for $550,000.

Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,543 square feet of living area. It sold for $362,200 in 2018.

CLUBSIDE AT COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Paul and Cynthia Schiazza, of Newport, Rhode Island, sold their Unit 23-D condominium at 7561 Divot Loop to Charles and Elizabeth Kimsey, of Lakewood Ranch, for $850,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $751,000 in 2021.

Richard Fembleaux and Dianna Henderson, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 21-B condominium at 7515 Divot Loop to Bryn Miller, trustee, of Geneseo, Illinois, for $580,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,748 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2021.

UNIVERSITY PARK

Patricia Griphover, of Millis, Massachusetts, sold her home at 7608 Boltons Court to George and Kathleen Coleman, of University Park, for $790,000. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,074 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2021.

UNIVERSITY PARK

Aaron and Diana Jousse, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 4719 Seneca Park Trail to William Lee Allen and Kim Lumhoo Allen, of Wilmington, Delaware, for $785,000. Built in 2012, it has three

bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,553 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2017.

Penell Braida Skinner sold her home at 4685 Claremont Park Drive to Xiaoping Zhou and Wenqin Jin, of Bradenton, for $599,900. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $253,600 in 2012.

Kasey Mactavish, of Bradenton, sold her home at 12252 Longview Lake Circle to Austin James Clark and Amanda Morgan Clark, of Bradenton, for $430,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,865 square feet of living area. It sold for $269,000 in 2020.

Michael and Melissa Joyell, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5009 Mission Park Lane to Paul Wheeler, of Lakewood Ranch, for $420,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2020.

MOTE RANCH Saida Rustemova and Yermek Zhelombayev, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6911 Laredo Terrace to George Shi and Dongjin Pan, of Farmington Connecticut, for $768,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,040 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2019.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Stanley and Susan Bishop, of Punta Gorda, sold their home at 9941 Laurel Valley Ave. Circle to Jan and Mary Otting, of Bradenton, for $695,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,685 square feet of living area. It sold for $378,000 in 2012.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

First Phase of Luxury Homes Just Released

Announcing the release of the first phase of luxury homes at Wild Blue at Waterside in Lakewood Ranch by Stock Development. This new waterfront community features oversized homesites and luxury single-family homes by some of the region’s most notable builders.

Residences range from 2,300 to over 4,000 square feet, with nature and waterfront views, and floor plans that include expanded outdoor living spaces to enjoy the best of the Florida lifestyle.

Wild Blue at Waterside’s unparalleled lifestyle includes the 13-acre Midway Sports Complex with 6 tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts, kayak launch, miles of walking trails and so much more. The 25,000-square-foot social clubhouse features indoor and outdoor dining, two pools, movie theater, fitness center and a lifestyle director to organize social events.

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

“H RHYY ULYY ZJA RFGU H IGE’U GXHVL

... RJKLE IMHUHIHWHED JUFLM RJKLE

GEV KJUFLMC IMHUHIHWHED JUFLM KJUFLMC.” TLEEHPLM DGMELM

“BH PZY MCTYK KBNJYBPY YKAY

DAYHYK DBJMYU RYBJH BFC, PC ECJFYP

B ZCKCIBNHP AH PC XAKK PDAIY.”

AJAH IZBMF

“AJ WDP’BR VDAKV XD MD FDCRXTAKV OBDKV, MD AX ZAV, ZRLNPFR XTR EPKAFTCRKX AF XTR FNCR RAXTRB ONW.” GNWKR CNKFJARSM ©

CAMPING MISHAPS by David Alfred Bywaters , edited by Jeff Chen

By Luis Campos

GREY SOFA, 3-seat, loose back cushions. Exc Cond. 90"L X 37"W X 36"H $100. (412) 527-7434

RED SKELTON'S clown painting of Henry Fonda "THE RODEO". Lithograph is on canvas and framed. $150. 941/776-0034

SAW HORSES $15/ea. Men’s golf shoes (8), $20. Convection oven $20. Portable “bag” chair $10. gpkoch1925@verizon.com

SOFT-SIDED TOOL bag $20. Ladies golf clubs, $50. gpkoch1925@verizon.com

SONY TV 27" (tube) Excellent Pic/Cond-$25. Iron weights (10lb & 25lb sets)-$10 for all. (412) 527-7434

FIND