East County Observer 5.25.23

‘All Shook Up’ by Elvis sighting

The King of rock ’n’ roll stood outside, waving to Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy families as they went through the vehicle drop-off line May 10.

Families had a hard time recognizing Bradley Warren, the principal of the lower school, as he dressed as Elvis for Teacher Appreciation Week.

Throughout the week of May 8-12, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy found different ways to celebrate its teachers, whom the students and administrators consider rock stars.

Teachers were given goodies, gift cards, thank you notes from students, lunch and more.

Hurricane Ian lessons lead to new strategies

County considers staging lifeguards near flood-threatened communities such as Myakka City. SEE PAGE 3 East

Cutting edge philosophy

Jana Marra said her main calling is to make people feel better without prescription drugs.

The former oncology nurse and owner of Elite IV Hydration LLC on Town Center Parkway has been in business for two years, but it started as a mobile venture during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 95% of Marra’s clientele had contracted the virus.

“They were skipping hospitals. That was the main goal,” she said. “I was going around with high-Vitamin C infusions, and I kept them home.”

In high demand, Marra opened the storefront this past August with a partner.

“It’s just me now, and I never had a ribbon cutting with the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance,” Marra said. “I wanted to introduce all the new services we’ve added since then.”

The ribbon was cut on May 17, and new services include microneedling, ozonated saline drips and Cryoskin treatments.

Ready for adventure These stories march through time

Lakewood Ranch High School’s Morgan McCabe celebrates her diploma after years of hard work.

Courtesy photo

Lesley Dwyer

Her schedule is booked

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Browsing through a Barnes & Noble bookstore, Tiffany Mautino noticed that a customer needed help to find a book.

Mautino thought to herself, “I don’t work here, lady, but I know where that book is.”

After leading the woman to her title and recommending a few others in between, Mautino was approached by the manager of the store, who had noticed her kindness and asked her if she even had considered working in a bookstore.

Her response was “Absolutely not.”

The manager suggested Mautino look into going to school to be a librarian.

That moment, 14 years ago, ended up being a key moment in Mautino’s life. Although she was not convinced she wanted to pursue being a librarian for a career, she was intrigued. She got a part-time job at a local library to see if she would like the work.

She obviously did. Mautino has been named the new branch manager for the Lakewood Ranch Library, which is expected to open late this year.

Mautino, 43, said she originally had wanted to become a comic book artist, before building a career working in restaurants and event planning. She eventually suffered burnout with that pursuit and returned to college to earn an English degree. After earning it, she wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“What drew me to (libraries) in the beginning was I got to make my own way, even when I was a parttime person,” Mautino said. “I had managers who were looking at my

Tiffany Mautino

translatable skills and saying, ‘Here’s how you can apply that at the library.’ I was artistic and used to doing installation displays with events, so I started doing installation displays for the library. And from there, I explored.”

Since she began working in libraries, Mautino has become an educator and advocate for intellectual freedom, a core value of librarian-

ABOUT TIFFANY MAUTINO

Home town: Kansas City, Missouri

Current residence: Bayshore

Education: Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in library sciences from PennWest University

Prior position: Manager of Mid-Continent Public Library, South Independence branch

What she looks for when

hiring: Diverse backgrounds, translatable skills and random weirdness

Bad hire: Former American

Gladiator

Great hire: Tattoo artist with exceptional customer service skills

Books she collections: Comic books and illustrated editions

Favorite genres: Science fiction and fantasy

Author recommendation: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Favorite part of the job: I get to invite people in, and that’s the only space that I know of where people can come and sit. They can read a book. They can play on the computer. They can sit there, so long as everyone else is able to sit there with them.

ship. She was a founding member of the Intellectual Freedom Committee within her own library system and also served as chair for the Missouri Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee.

In 2013, Mautino started presenting an intellectual freedom workshop for library frontline staff in Missouri. Over the past two years, she’s presented the workshop at conferences nationwide. Beyond her professional experience, Mautino is a lifelong reader. Her reading average is a book a week, and her tastes range from classics to space operas.

“I’m pretty sure my mom spent about $50 a month when you could still find comic books at the grocery store for under $2 in the 1980s and ’90s,” Mautino said. “From there, I had great English teachers in middle school and high school, who introduced me to ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Animal

Farm,’ ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘1984,’ ‘Clan of the Cave Bear’ and so many others.”

To this day, Mautino buys every copy of “Animal Farm” she comes across, owns four copies of “Frankenstein” and is a sucker for illustrated editions. She calls her book collecting a sickness and loves rereading as much as reading. While she’d never break the cardinal rule of not defacing a library book, she takes pleasure in marking up the pages of her own.

“I like picking that book up years later and getting to not only read the story again, but getting to engage with my past self and past perspectives,” Mautino said. “Sometimes, I find I was smarter and more insight-

ful than I am presently, and sometimes I think, ‘Oh, weren’t you just precious?’”

BRAND NEW LIBRARY

Not every librarian gets the chance to open a brand new library.

“It’s so open to possibilities,” Mautino said. “I always start from the philosophy that everything we do in libraries should be customer focused. In that, my goal is to capitalize on the overwhelming community engagement in and around the Lakewood Ranch area. People are excited about their library, and I want to build on that feeling.”

The library is set to open late this year, and Mautino has a lot to do between now and then. She started March 20, five days after moving from Kansas City, Missouri. At the moment, she’s busy reading resumes and book reviews.

“I’m buying books, so many books. It takes time,” she said.

There’s also more on the shopping list than books. Mautino weighs in on paint colors, carpeting, early literacy toys, gaming consoles and more. She has to contract with technology vendors and create a makerspace, which is exactly as it sounds — a space for the public to make things. Designing one will be a first for Mautino.

“I’m figuring out what a Fab Lab looks like,” she said. “Another little thing from earlier this week is I had a signage meeting to talk about what kinds of signs go in the library so people can find the bathroom and the reading room—all those itty bitty details that go into it.”

The library will also feature new self checkout machines that none of the other branches have yet.

Sue Ann Miller, the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library board president, was given a tour of the new by facility by Mautino. Miller’s assessment is that Lakewood Ranch has been blessed with a “knowledgeable, enthusiastic and excellent match” for its new library.

“We’re pleased,” Miller said. “We have high hopes that it’s going to be an exceptional library, and one that meets the needs of all the people in our community,” Miller said. “I think (Mautino) will be a very good representative of library services here in Lakewood Ranch.”

The library won’t be open until the fall, but Tiffany Mautino is going full-steam ahead.

Lesley Dwyer

Tiffany Mautino is the new branch manager at the Lakewood Ranch Library opening this fall.

“What drew me to (libraries) in the beginning was I got to make my own way, even when I was a part-time person.”

Water rescue specialists figure in hurricane response

Manatee County considers staging lifeguards close to Myakka City before a storm for quicker response to flooding emergencies.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Manatee County is preparing for hurricane season, and after the devastation Hurricane Ian caused to the south and in the Myakka City area, officials want to be sure residents are prepared.

“To see what happened south of us — that if Ian would’ve come here, what we could’ve expected — that refocused us to give a more serious message to the public that when we say to evacuate, it’s because we don’t want anyone to die,” Deputy Director of Public Safety Steve Litschauer said. “It appears in Lee County that people did not heed that order.”

On Dec. 9, the Florida Medical Examiners Commission released a report on Hurricane Ian’s death toll. Of 144 hurricane-related deaths, 67 were in Lee County. Five people died in Manatee, 10 in Sarasota and one in DeSoto.

Hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30. To kick off the effort, Manatee County held a Media Day May 15 at the Emergency Operations Center, followed by the third annual Community Hurricane Preparedness Expo May on 18 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

The state is gearing up, too. Gov. Ron DeSantis proclaimed the first week in May as “Florida Hurricane Preparedness Week.”

“With less than one month until the start of the 2023 season, the time to prepare is now,” Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said in a press release.

“After a very active 2022 season, and the devastating impacts from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, I encourage all residents and visitors to know your area’s risks, determine if you live in a flood-prone area, and create a comprehensive family evacuation plan.”

SAME COUNTY, DIFFERENT RISKS

Lakewood Ranch and Myakka City are only 20 miles apart, but Hurricane Ian proved the neighboring areas are under two vastly different sets of circumstances when it comes to flooding.

“Lakewood Ranch is fortunate,” said Jodie Setnor Fiske, the acting director of public safety for Manatee County. “They are not in an evacuation zone. Those homes are very new. They are going to be able to take a Category 5 impact.”

In the days following Ian, Lakewood Ranch residents were in the clear and cleaning up debris. At the same time, some Myakka City residents were waiting on rescue workers to save them from rising waters. That included rising water after the Myakka River flooded and caused a levee in Hidden River to break.

“When you look at what happened in Myakka three to five days post-Ian, we knew that was coming,”

FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Make a plan. Information found at FloridaDisaster.org/ PlanPrepare will walk you through a plan for your home or business.

Have multiple ways to receive weather alerts. FDEM also advises residents keep a battery-operated or handcrank weather radio on hand to receive alerts following a power outage.

Know your zone, know your home. Both Sarasota and Manatee counties make interactive maps available on their websites. Enter an address to determine the flood zone. Build a kit. Find a complete list of supplies at FloridaDisaster. org/PlanPrepare/HurricaneSupply-Checklist

Keep gas tanks half full. Electric vehicle batteries should be kept between 50% to 80% charged, depending on what the vehicle’s manual recommends.

Fiske said. “The weather service was very clear that riverine flooding was going to be a concern. So when that happens, we’re going to pool those resources together to accomplish that mission.”   A year before Ian, the Myakka City Fire Control and the East Manatee Fire Rescue merged into one unit covering a 346-square-mile district with 98,000 residents. But when disaster strikes, the impact over the region dictates where first responders are dispatched.

State resources become readily available during disasters, too. Fiske said the county can call in search and rescue, high water rescue and ambulance strike teams that aid in mass evacuations.

“Don’t hesitate to call 911. Don’t hesitate to give them as much information as possible because that is going to drive where our resources are going,” Fiske advised.

LESSONS FROM HURRICANE IAN

Since there’s no one way to prevent flooding, the county is looking at how it can respond to it better. County officials rely heavily on the National Weather Service when it comes to planning. Fiske said the county will be “leaning forward” a lot more this season.

“So say for the riverine flooding, we might go ahead and stage high water rescue and swift water rescue out in areas like Myakka prior to that happening, so they’re already there,” she said. “In Ian, we kind of surged the area down in Charlotte County, Lee County and then the south part of Sarasota. Then, Myakka happened, and we had to push resources back up.”

One measure already in place is a new spot in the Emergency Operations Center for beach and water rescue. The responsibilities of that team are to respond to beach and aquatic rescues, keep swimmers informed of any dangers and to oversee the beaches.

Each support function, such as fire, law enforcement and medical, has a lead person. The beach rescue chief will fill the new seat in the EOC. Currently, Chet Brown is serving as the interim, and there are about 20 lifeguards employed by the county.

“Every county employee, when they sign on, is told that there is a function for them during an activation (of the EOC),” Litschauer said. “Firefighters are great, but how often do they get in the water? We’re putting the professionals, who are in the water every day of the week, out there to help.”

Not only the lifeguards, but their equipment, too. Jet Skis and flotation devices can be moved to staging areas before possible flooding. Starting with supervisors, the staff is also in the process of receiving an additional certification.

“Those folks are trained lifeguards. A majority of them are EMTs. A majority of them are rescue divers. And now we’re training as many as we can as water rescue technicians and swift water rescue technicians,” Litschauer said. “If you’ve ever encountered a drowning victim, they splash, they try to fight you. So if you’re not trained, even in a swimming pool, somebody can drown a rescuer because they’re pushing and panicking. These are professionals who have saved people out of rip currents in the Gulf of Mexico.”

The certification includes instructions on tying knots used in rescues, identifying and avoiding hazards and moving people and gear through swift water.

Manatee County has also increased focus and resources toward mental health services for first responders following disasters.

“I think that one of the biggest groups that I saw the most heavily

HURRICANE IAN BY THE NUMBERS

These numbers were provided by Manatee County. Hurricane Ian was the costliest disaster in the county’s history.

n $99,115,618 in estimated damages

n 120,000 people evacuated from Level A and B mobile homes

n 17 storm shelters opened

n 270,920 sandbags filled

n 5,000 people checked into county hurricane shelters

n 114 dogs and 81 cats transported and/or sheltered

n 134,000 FPL customers without power

n 400 out of 738 lift stations compromised (Lift stations move waste water.)

n 114 out of 249 traffic signals

damaged or temporarily offline

n 3,300 damaged, downed or displaced signs, including 750 stop signs

n 732,132 cubic yards of debris collected

n $12,551,910 calculated cost of debris removal

impacted after Ian, when I was a state regional coordinator, were our dispatchers,” Fiske said. “People need to understand that their choices affect everybody. So when they choose to stay, now they’re stuck and they have to call 911, there’s a dispatcher on the end of the line who will stay on the phone with them as long as they need, but it does take a toll on that dispatcher to have to say ‘Help is not coming.’”

First responders are not dispatched until it’s deemed safe enough to do so. Final words of advice from Fiske: Prepare to be self-sufficient.

Lesley Dwyer

Deputy Director of Public Safety Steve Litschauer and Director of Public Safety Jodie Setnor Fiske speak to members of the media about the upcoming hurricane season.

File

Manatee County Search and Rescue employees Jared Leggett and Joe Hoffman search for those trapped in Hurricane Ian flooding.

Clubhouse Drive change unveiled

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Early this year, Nina Antonetti received an email from Manatee County Public Works that told her about an improvement project for Clubhouse Drive and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

The $2.2 million project included signal lights instead of the existing four-way stop. It also was adding turn lanes in each direction on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and left-turn lanes coming out of Clubhouse Drive onto Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

Since Antonetti owns the Clubhouse Drive home that is closest to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and to the east, she was concerned with that left-turn lane.

To add the turn lane, the county would have to expand the road.

“They were going to have to move the sidewalk (closer to her home), and they were going to eliminate an oak tree,” she said. “When we first head about this, it seemed like a done deal. But they seemed to listen, and they went back to the drawing board.”

Antonetti was talking May 22 at a public meeting hosted by Manatee County’s Public Works department at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

“This is great,” she said of the county presenting plans to the public and giving residents a chance to offer feedback. “This is a great county service.”

Among those plans was the cancellation of the turn lane coming onto Lakewood Ranch Boulevard from the east on Clubhouse Drive. There will still be a new left-hand turn lane on Clubhouse Drive coming from the west.

Antonetti said she understands why changes need to be made at the intersection. She said that although most of the time she has no problem driving onto Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, it can be nightmarish at times during rush hour.

“Tonight, I almost walked the 2 miles (from her home to Lakewood Ranch Town Hall) because I didn’t

want to make a left-hand turn (at that intersection),” she said.

Ogden Clark, a strategic planning manager for Manatee County, said the signal lights will improve efficiency in terms of traffic flowing through that intersection. At the current time, with a four-way stop, every car must stop at the intersection.

The new traffic signals will sync with the new light at Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Balmoral Drive through fiber optics. Because traffic coming out of the Summerfield neighborhood is limited, Clark said the traffic along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard will flow better, especially at rush hour.

“Twenty-thousand cars a day go through that intersection,” he said.

He was pleased Antonetti said the county listened to her concerns and that she liked the public workshop.

“We had talked to community representatives and people in the neighborhood and they felt we were changing their property,” he said.

“The key thing now is that are only looking at the common area and it should have no impact to private property.”

Summerfield Woods’ Karen Dewey attended the meeting and said her biggest problem was people speeding through the intersection and not trying to follow the correct order.

She said it was obvious that “eventually we will need the light, and it’s better we put it in now.”

Jay Heater Summerfield’s Nina Antonetti and Karen Dewey discuss Manatee County’s road project at Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Clubhouse Drive on May 22 at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

UPGRADING FROM TWO TO FOUR STOP SIGNS

The city of Tampa has installed 80 four-way stop signs since 2021 and plans to install more.

The stop signs are being blanketed around schools, within neighborhoods and at busy intersections as part of Mayor Jane Castor’s plan to eliminate roadway fatalities. Several of the installations are two-way stops being converted into four-way stops, as is the intersection at Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane. Tampa cites the following benefits:

n Substantially reduces the number of crashes that result in injuries.

n Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians don’t have to cross busy lanes of traffic

n Easy, fast and inexpensive to install

The intersection at Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane will be installed over the next five weeks.

n $2,700 total installation cost

n $250 annual maintenance and repair fees

Long wait for stop sign

Residents of Tara Preserve have been rallying for the four-way stop since 2017.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

It’s been six years since the initial request, but the Manatee County Commission has approved the installation of a four-way stop at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane.

Local residents were steadfast in the pursuit of additional stop signs (it currently is a two-way stop) as they say they were alarmed by the number of speeding cars and wrecks in their neighborhood.

“From Day 1, all we asked for was a four-way stop — two more $200 signs, that’s all,” Tara Preserve Board Chairman Darby Connor said. “Instead, it turns out better. We got speed bumps. We got flashing lights. We got this and that, but still people come down here like heck blasting through.”

Connor has lived in Tara Preserve for 20 years. He remembered Tara Boulevard when it was dirt. He started noticing problems with speeding around 2012, but he said the influx of new residents since the COVID-19

pandemic caused traffic and speeding issues to become exponentially worse.

Before the stop signs were approved, speed tables and a crosswalk were installed. While standing on the corner, eight-year Owl’s Nest resident Marian Murdoch pointed out a car speeding through the crosswalk as the lights flashed yellow.

“He’s not even slowing down,” she said.

Connor added, “Yellow means ‘go.’ Everybody runs flashers.”

The cost for the additional stop

signs is approximately $2,700, with an annual cost of $250 for maintenance and repairs. It’s a small investment that could feasibly save residents much more than $3,000 once installed. Connor said a recent claim for property damage cost a woman $1,600, and that’s a minor claim out of multiple insurance claims filed.

So why did it take six years?

District Five Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said the county didn’t want a stop sign there because drivers tend to stop when they’re first installed but are quickly blowing through them. Her personal preference would have been a traffic light or a roundabout.

“I’m the roundabout queen. I’ll admit it,” Baugh said. “They’re effective.”

Connor disagreed and noted the four-way stop on Honore Avenue by BJ’s in Sarasota.

“They all stop. I’ve never seen anybody run it,” he said. “But I’ll drive down Ranch Lake Boulevard, and they’re running the red lights all the time.”

Traffic studies aren’t required every time a stop sign is hammered into the ground, but due to the debate, this intersection was studied first. A county traffic investigation and multiway stop study determined that the intersection didn’t meet the Florida Department of Transportation’s criteria for traffic volume or crashes that warrant a four-way stop.

However, according to the report presented to the Board of County Commissioners, Tara Elementary School being located only 1,000 feet away met the criteria of “the need to control vehicle/pedestrian conflicts near locations that generate high pedestrian volumes, such as schools.”

According to the group of neighbors, Tara Preserve used to have an older population, but the community has welcomed more young families in recent years. School children are crossing Tara Boulevard at that intersection more frequently than ever before, and they are not provided with crossing guards.   “Marion (Murdoch) and I have almost gotten hit here several times,” Owl’s Nest resident Karen Cardozo said.

Residents are happy and semihopeful that the stop signs, combined with prior measures, will slow drivers down. But they’ve seen too many accidents to not be left with some doubts.

“In a development, and you have fatalities, that shouldn’t happen,” Murdoch said somberly.

Still, she and her fellow neighbors agree that the county has done all it can for now until the whole of Tara Boulevard is addressed. The county has proposed projects for calming traffic on Tara, but nothing has been funded yet.

– Rodney S.

“This was not the first time we had the good fortune and pleasure to work with Donna Soda. Like every time, she is knowledgeable, attentive, and responsive with impeccable follow-through on even the most minute details. Donna is so astute and aware of the market she is a great resource who can guide and inform you with all the pertinent information to help you make good, informed decisions.” – Jean H.

Lesley Dwyer

Tara Preserve residents Peyton Phillips, Marian Murdoch and Darby Connor at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane. Residents have been rallying for a four-way stop here since 2017.

Fitting tribute

Retired Col. Herman Bell survived the horrors of war in Vietnam.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Perhaps the Tribute to Heroes Parade serves its most valuable purpose by allowing our nation’s military veterans and first responders to tell their stories.

The annual parade marches along Lakewood Main Street in Lakewood Ranch on May 28, and again, those important stories will flow to those who never have experienced putting their life on the line for the citizens, or for those too young to know anything about it.

As an example, consider River Club’s Herman Bell, a 90-year-old retired Army colonel.

Bell is a 22-year Army Special Forces veteran who served on two missions to Vietnam, the first in 1961 when the American public was unfamiliar with the fact the military had a presence there.

His duty was to lead a small team of American soldiers in training South Vietnamese forces.

He was lucky to survive.

Or perhaps he was blessed.

On a training mission, Bell was walking between two South Vietnamese soldiers when they were caught in an ambush.

The soldier directly in front of him was killed instantly with the first shot fired. Bell reacted, falling to the ground, which he had been trained to do in such a situation. The soldier behind him didn’t fall to the ground, and was shot in the chest. He later died.

Bell, who received ROTC training at Florida A&M University before entering officer training in the Army in 1958 as a 21-year-old, credits that training for saving his life.

He also credits divine intervention.

“I grew up in Miami, and I had

IF YOU GO TRIBUTE TO HEROES

PARADE

Where: Main Street at Lakewood Ranch

When: 6-8 p.m. Sunday, May 28

Features: The annual Tribute to Heroes Parade honors the nation’s military veterans and current soldiers along with first responders. A pre-parade party begins at 6 p.m., while the parade begins at 7 p.m. The pre-parade party features food and drinks, activities for kids, and more. The parade features more than 70 entries. The event benefits VFW Post 12055 Braden River and the Del Webb Lakewood Ranch Association of Veterans and Military Supporters.

everyone in the Bethel Church praying for me,” he said.

Throughout his military service, “I never got a scratch.”

He saw other American soldiers wounded, but never saw a fellow American soldier killed, he said.

At the beginning of his military career, Bell was almost a casualty, long before he served overseas.

Wanting to be a pilot, he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Fort Rucker, named for a confederate soldier, eventually was renamed Fort Novosel.

He was taught to fly a L-19A Bird Dog observation aircraft. On his first try at landing the aircraft, a crosswind hit the plane and flipped it, basically destroying it.

After a physical, Bell was put into another plane, and once again told to land it.

Again, a crosswind hit the plane, and this time the two wheels broke off their struts upon landing.

“They decided it was uneconomical for me to continue,” he said with a broad smile. “They found I had a depth perception problem.”

Instead, he joined Army Special Forces and learned to jump out of airplanes.

“I loved it,” he said. “It was the thrill of jumping out and looking at your surroundings, looking at the terrain. You could feel the wind blowing against your face.”

Fortunately, he said he never had to parachute over Vietnam.

That was close to being a reality on his second tour when he was in a helicopter that came under fire over the village of Bien Hoa.

Bell was talking to the two pilots when he bent toward them to hear what they were saying. A bullet penetrated the helicopter and struck where his head would have been.

He said he continued to concentrate on the work in front of them.

How did he control his fear?

“You have to,” he said. “You are in charge and you can’t say, ‘Let me out of his helicopter so I can be back in the bunker.’ The thing that happens, because of the amount of training

you have received, is that it puts you in a position to go do your job and survive.”

That can be difficult in a firefight.

“It can be so loud, you can barely hear,” he said. “You have to be able to inflate your voice when you are giving commands. You have to practice shouting. You can smell something burning and you can see the smoke that the heat has created, heat you feel from the bullets being fired. You can see the tracers.”

One of the things Bell had to do was learn a different language.

“You have to know what they are saying,” he said of the South Vietnamese troops. “You need to know whether they are saying to shoot back or to run.”

After retiring from the military, Bell worked in the insurance industry. He moved to River Club with his wife, Geneth, in 1999. He said moving to the Lakewood Ranch area was the best decision they ever made.

Jay Heater

Retired Col. Herman Bell of River Club served in the Army for 22 years with most of that time in Special Forces.

Liz Ramos

Mini graduation big for Mustang seniors

Lakewood Ranch High School

seniors Britlee Yant and Grace Kelly watched as the pre-K students they’ve come to know received their diplomas.

Yant and Kelly spent their senior year in the early childhood education program at Lakewood Ranch High in which they taught the pre-K students in the school’s Mini Mustangs program.

Yant, Kelly and at least 10 other seniors spent their days putting together lesson plans and being an integral part of the educational foundation of 17 Mini Mustangs.

Kelly said spending her senior year getting to know the pre-K students made their graduation May 17 a special moment for her.

“It’s a cool experience because we’ve done this while still in high school, so while we were learning and developing new skills, we were also shaping young kids and teaching them the basics of what their education is going to be built on after this,” Kelly said.

The Mini Mustangs graduated May 17 at the high school, and the Lakewood Ranch High seniors received

their diplomas the same day at LECOM Park.

“It’s emotional because we have done all of these years of school, and watching the little ones graduate on the (same) day brings you back and shows you how long we’ve actually been in school,” Kelly said.

Yant said working with the students in Mini Mustangs has inspired her to study child psychology.

“(Mini Mustangs) has definitely shaped my career path,” she said. “The first time I got up to teach, I saw the way they looked at me. I knew that what I was teaching them was making an impact on their life. I know I want to continue to work with children.”

The seniors have loved seeing the progress the pre-K students have made throughout the year. Kelly said she’s seen the students start out by not being able to write their name to writing full sentences by the end of the year.

Cass Schutte, the Mini Mustangs teacher, said she’s proud of both her pre-K students and the seniors for all their accomplishments. She hopes all the students believe in themselves and embrace their individuality because it’s what makes them special.

Mini Mustangs’ Amir Phillips, Lakewood Ranch High School seniors Britlee Yant and Grace Kelly and Mini Mustangs’ Savannah Cato celebrate as both the Mini Mustangs and the seniors are graduating on the same day.

Major accomplishment

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Lakewood Ranch High School

graduate Diego Freyre-Bringas came to the U.S. from Peru when he was 11 years old.

He spoke little English and had to adjust.

After graduating from Lakewood Ranch High May 17 at LECOM Park, Freyre-Bringas will have to adjust once again as he moves to Germany to play soccer professionally.

Four years of high school had its ups and downs, but it was filled with fun, studying and hard work that paid off.

“It feels amazing to know I’m moving onto this new part of my life,” Freyre-Bringas said. “It just goes to show if you put your mind to something, you can do it.”

Graduates from Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high schools, which both had ceremonies at LECOM Park, and the Out-of-Door Academy celebrated four years of hard work and accomplishments during their graduation ceremonies.

Lakewood Ranch High graduates

Joslyn Chapman, Samantha Rees, Morgan McCabe and Kate Tuchman sported multiple stoles, cords and medals to demonstrate their accomplishments.

“I like the fact my neck feels heavy,” said Tuchman regarding the weight of having all the stoles and cords on her.

While some are ready to move onto the next chapter of their lives, others are anxious to see what the future holds.

Johnny Robinson, a graduate at The Out-of-Door Academy, had mixed emotions as he put on his cap and gown May 19 during the graduation ceremony at Bayside Commu-

nity Church in Sarasota.

While he’s looking forward to heading off to Florida State University to study commercial entrepreneurship, he’s sad to be leaving the friends that have felt more like family since starting at ODA in kindergarten.

“It’s a big deal that I’m finally leaving ODA, the place I’ve called home for 13 years,” Robinson said.

“It’s exciting but sad.”

ODA graduate Jason Albano said he was feeling a lot of emotions as he was preparing for the ceremony. He said leaving ODA is bittersweet.

“We’ve all grown up together,”

Albano said of his classmates. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to be friends with though.”

Although Braden River High School’s Luis Gil and Christopher Phillips are grateful for their four years of memories in high school, they are ready for the next step.

“(Graduation) is a new door opening, a new beginning,” Gil said. “Any mistakes I made in high school won’t matter. It’s a fresh start.”

Gil and Phillips will attend State College of Florida next school year before transferring to a Florida university. Gil wants to study business management, while Phillips plans to study either business entrepreneurship or sports management.

Braden River graduate Mikhail Kusumo couldn’t wait to receive his diploma.

“It’s a privilege to graduate,” he said. “I’m happy and relieved because after four years of hard work, we get to graduate.”

“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 Liz Ramos

Lakewood Ranch High’s Linsey Beatenhead hugs Madilyn Gemme.

Out-of-Door Academy’s Rhegan Duncombe smiles as she accepts her diploma from Deb Otey, the head of school.

Braden River High School’s Cesar Valera and Erika Vargas are excited for graduation.

Braden River High School Principal Carl Auckerman shakes hands with Jusline Torres.

More restaurant choices headed to East County

As much as area residents dislike news of more homes coming to the area, they hunger for additional restaurant choices.

Or perhaps they are just hungry.

Casto’s Michael Chadwick, the managing director of Southeast Development, fed members of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance with some interesting news May 19.

The alliance hosts tours of regional businesses as part of its “Road Show,” which is held once or twice a year, and this particular version was packed with information.

The second stop on the threestop tour was at Casto’s Center Point development, and Chadwick was entertaining as he talked about his company’s many projects in the Lakewood Ranch area that will include new restaurant and supermarket choices.

He said Lakewood Ranch area residents will be happy to see the long-awaited opening of Owens Fish Camp at Center Point. He said the restaurant, which has its original site in Sarasota, should be open to the public in “a couple of weeks” with a soft opening perhaps as early as this week. Owen’s Fish Camp co-owner Mark Caragiulo told the East County Observer in January he hoped to be open in March, but supply shortage problems delayed the process, and Caragiulo said the ownership wasn’t about to rush the opening and sacrifice quality.

The restaurant originally was expected to open in September.

Chadwick said after Owens Fish Camp opens, 7-Eleven and Fifth Third Bank will open in quick succession at Center Point. The LWRBA was meeting at TD Bank, which is under construction.

Chadwick said many of the businesses that signed leases at Center Point are ramping up construction, and he expects more openings late this year or early 2024.

Among the restaurants are Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Bar Italia, which replaced Olivia’s Italian restaurant, which pulled out. Another restaurant that has pulled out is Lake Park Diner, which had planned its third location in Lakewood Ranch.  Chamberlin’s Natural Foods grocery store also is on the way at Center Point but isn’t expected to open until 2024.

Although nothing has been signed yet and he didn’t want to share names of businesses or details, Chadwick said Casto cur-

rently is in negotiations with a “fun” pickleball center that would be kind of a “drop in and play a fun match” place where people also could enjoy a beer — as opposed to a club that attracts more serious players. Casto also is in negotiations with bowling centers with the possibility of bringing one to Lakewood Ranch.

Just north of State Road 70 and west of White Eagle Boulevard will be a new shopping center and a sitdown restaurant on Crossland Trail. Chadwick said those businesses have not made public announce-

ments yet, so he didn’t want name them.

However, Outback Steakhouse and Aldi’s grocery store both are in the Manatee County permitting process for those sites.

“The grocery store will give an alternative for (grocery shoppers) to Publix and the Fresh Market that will replace Aldi’s (at the Green),”

Chadwick said.

Aldi’s has opened stores on University Parkway and S.R. 64 in the past year to increase its presence in the Lakewood Ranch area.

At State Road 70 and Lorraine Road, Chadwick said Casto has purchased the corner property that currently hosts Nancy’s Bar-B-Q and Dunkin’ and he said people can expect some sprucing up and improvements in that center.

North to State Road 64, Casto has several projects in the works.

Chadwick said those waiting for the announced Popeyes restaurant at the corner of State Road 64 and 117th Street E. can stop worrying.

The restaurant was announced for the site in June 2021 but has been working its way through permitting. Chadwick said the fast-food chain restaurant is ready to begin construction now.

A Hungry Howie’s was announced at the same time as Popeyes for the site, but Chadwick said Casto is no longer working with Hungry Howie’s. That site has other open businesses, including ABC Fine Wine and Spirits and Christian Brothers Automotive.

Casto also has projects underway or proposed for the intersections of S.R. 64 with Pope Road, White Eagle Boulevard and Lorraine Road.

Fast food restaurants including Del Taco and Wendy’s are on the way, along with businesses Mavis and Woody’s car wash.

However, bigger news is expected at the intersection of Lorraine Road and S.R. 64 if zoning changes are

made to allow business. Chadwick said if those changes are made, it is likely his business will pursue a couple of sit-down restaurants for that intersection.

The entire length of S.R. 64 from Interstate 75 through Lorraine Road has gone under a tremendous transformation in the past five years, all due to the growth of homes. As we know, business follows retail, and this is no different.

Casto showed its development savvy by buying up whatever it could along the stretch of road, and while residents on the north border of Lakewood Ranch might have been worried it would just be fast food restaurants, car washes and storage facilities, indications are that those who lives in places such as Mill Creek or Heritage Harbour or River Strand won’t have to drive to Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, University Parkway or Waterside Place to find a nice restaurant.

The LWRBA tour began at Sarasota County Fire Station 8, 840 Apex Road, Sarasota. Willis Smith Construction provided lunch to the tour group, which was treated to a comprehensive tour of the fire station.

After stopping at Center Point, the group moved to PopStroke at UTC to hear about the Mote Science Education Aquarium project, which is expected to open late in 2024.

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

Jay Heater

Casto Managing Director of Southeast Development Michael Chadwick talks to the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance about his company’s many projects.

Inflation hikes price of backpack effort

Country

Judy Balmer was standing in line at the Walmart register with a cart full of school supplies.  She noticed the man behind her only had one item. Knowing she would need some time to check out, she let the man go in front of her.

They started talking about why she was purchasing so many school supplies.

Since 2017, Balmer has spent months shopping for school supplies using donations from the community to provide backpacks and supplies for Stillpoint Mission to distribute to low-income families.

After listening to her story, Balmer said the man donated $5.  Balmer has been shopping every deal she can, clearing out school supply sections at various stores with the hope of being able to donate 800 backpacks filled with supplies to Stillpoint Mission in July.

“It gives me a sense of fulfillment in that I am giving back,” Balmer said. “I had a very successful career, and a career I probably didn’t deserve. I feel like somebody up there was watching after me, and I need to help those who need a little bit of extra help.”

Balmer said the Backpack Program is crucial this year, as inflation has caused an increase in the cost of school supplies. For example, Balmer bought backpacks for $15 last year, and they’re $22 this year.

The Backpack Program received a $1,500 community grant from the Walmart Foundation this year, which Balmer said helps the program reach its 800-backpack goal. The grant is awarded to local organizations that support and work to improve the communities they serve.

Balmer hopes more people will donate through the Flanzer Trust, which is matching donations of up to $500.  Balmer already has been busy buying school supplies, and she is concerned about potential supply chain issues as well as inflation.

HOW TO DONATE

Send financial donations to:

Stillpoint Mission

Attn: Gene Tischer, Director 1608 14th St. W. Bradenton, FL 34206

Note “backpack program” on the memo line

Sarasota’s Tina Backhus, a retired teacher of 31 years, and Lakewood Ranch’s Joan Novak, a retired teacher of 38 years, are helping Balmer pack the backpacks and prepare them for distribution.

Backhus and Novak have been volunteering at Stillpoint Mission, managing the children’s library and assisting with food and clothing distribution days. They said they’re excited to be helping with the Backpack Program for the first time this year.

As retired teachers, Backhus and Novak said they understand the importance of each student having their own school supplies from the first day of school.

Backhus said having their own supplies makes them feel good about themselves and boosts their selfesteem.

On distribution day, children are able to see what backpacks are available and choose which one they want to take home. Balmer, Backhus and Novak love seeing the smiles on the children’s faces.

Liz Ramos Lakewood Ranch’s Joan Novak, Sarasota’s Tina Backhus, Lakewood Ranch’s Judy Balmer and Salwa Youssef, manager of the Walmart off State Road 70 near Interstate 75, are excited to support Stillpoint Mission’s Backpack Program.

LETTERS

Reader offers possible traffic solutions

Your story about our increasing traffic problems (May 11, Head on Crash with Growth) fueled by outof-control growth was right on. Here are a few ideas, which I believe would help alleviate the situation. There’s probably little chance of these being supported by our growth-happy civic leaders.

Access to UTC area: Heading west on University Parkway, I’ve learned to keep to the far right as I pass under Interstate 75. Often the back-up from UTC traffic trying to turn left at Cattlemen extends to the I-75 underpass and sometimes beyond. Then, there’s the drivers trying to cut into that line from the right, cutting off vehicles headed west. Sometimes it can be a real “war on wheels.” Clearly, access to UTC needs to be improved. On the southbound I-75 on-ramp, a “spur” off-ramp into UTC should be added. I’ve seen this exact same approach used at a large shopping mall in another state. It works well.

Construction of the planned Waterside overpass over I-75 should be greatly accelerated. It’s ridiculous to begin construction in 2025 or 2026 when the need is now.

Sarasota County leaders need to lean hard on the state bureaucrats handling this project. They should pull out all stops to get construction started this year. Hello, Gov. DeSantis, we need you kick some butt.

In 2019, a story in the Observer covered expansion plans for UTC. It was full of happy talk from developer executives about new stuff for the then-vacant east section. Traffic management plans included changing the traffic light timing at Cooper Creek-Cattlemen to handle the volume. Yeah, right, this would be the magic solution.

Other possible fixes: Scrap any plan to extend the Future Development Area Boundary to the east. Manatee commissioners should give a stiff arm to developers clamoring for an extension. This would do much to control the sprawling growth over the longer term. In the

future, after needed improvements to roads and other infrastructure, this could be revisited.

Accelerate widening of State Road 70 east of Lorraine Road. This project needs to move to the top of the list. Going east past Lorraine, the sudden disappearance of the right lane is a serious hazard to unsuspecting drivers. As activity at the Premier Sports Park increases, there will be many more motorists unfamiliar with this road. Already, traffic on this part of S.R. 70 is pushing the limits of roadway capacity. Living in Del Webb, I avoid using our exit onto S.R. 70 as it is too dangerous. It’s time to get this project moving. And NO, we don’t need seven new roundabouts.

Scrap the plan for a second Fort Hamer Bridge span. This is the key to prevent Lakewood Ranch Boulevard from becoming I-75A. Already traffic on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard is difficult at certain times.

Increasingly, commuters are using it as an alternative to the snarled freeway. This might be great for I-75, but not so great for the LWR community.

Keep up the good work.

ROGER BONKE DEL WEBB AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

Rarely a silent moment on East County roads

I read your article (May 11, Head on Crash with Growth). You were absolutely spot-on with your assessment of the failure to address infrastructure inadequacies in Lakewood Ranch and beyond.

I lived in central Bradenton before moving to Lakewood Ranch to be closer to my family’s sporting events. I lived through several years of the roadwork at I-75/S.R. 70 and lamented to myself the entire time that more lanes were needed before the completion of roadwork. It does not matter whether I travel this roadway or University Parkway, traffic is a cluster. There is rarely a silent moment and sirens are always heard in the distance.

Because my daughter lives in Creekwood, I have driven through

the current project to extend 44th Avenue East. When it is completed through to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and beyond, I predict the LWR/44th Avenue East intersection will be one more miscalculation.

Housing is mushrooming all around LWR Boulevard and points north toward S.R. 64 — unbelievable!  My saving grace is that the last grandchild will graduate in two years, and at that point, I will escape Florida.

I just read that Manatee County has 429,000 residents, a 7.9% increase since last year. With all of the projected developments being approved and built, there is no hope to eliminate the traffic backups. An example was evacuating for Hurricane Ian. There was no place to go. Every interstate, every highway, every “short cut” was hopelessly backed up. I had to stay in my townhome and listen to the large limbs landing on my roof and siding being ripped away.

Our HOA president said his windspeed gadget clocked the wind at 120 mph. I had four days of a hotel reservation east of Bradenton but could not reach it to avoid Ian because roadways were clogged. It just seems that greed and money talk louder than ever in Manatee County.

EDIE WATSON LAKEWOOD RANCH

Neighborhood clogged by bad traffic

Read your article (May 11, Head on Crash with Growth) with much interest as I live on Eighth Avenue East, just north of S.R. 64. Eighth Avenue has one outlet onto Upper Manatee River Road. To get to S.R. 64 requires a left turn! Many times we cannot get out by turning left, so we turn right and either make a U-turn at Greenfield or go through Greenfield. When the road is fourlaned, we will have no chance at turning left, and turning right will require a quick lane change to make a left at Greenfield.

Turning onto Upper Manatee River Road from S.R. 64 is a nightmare at times. You mention traffic turning onto Upper Manatee block-

ing the intersection. Traffic coming straight across from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard does the same. I waited for 50-some minutes one day waiting to turn onto Upper Manatee because only three or four cars could make the turn because the two lights on Upper Manatee cause traffic to back up to S.R. 64 so the traffic coming across S.R. 64 gets frustrated and they block the left-turning traffic. I don’t see any solution to Eighth Avenue problem because we are just one street and small cul-de-sac with not enough traffic to get a light, and we’re probably too close to S.R. 64 also. I guess I just wanted to vent!

SANDRA AGEE EAST COUNTY

East County needs an interstate by-pass

You probably hit the No. 1 risk to all of us living in East Manatee (May 11, Head on Crash with Growth).

I’ve lived in Heritage Harbour for 19 years and have experienced the growth explosion, the good and the not so good. It’s still a great place to live, and I say this after living all over the country.

We simply aren’t going to improve roads fast enough to keep up, but steady improvements currently being done and planned are helpful. A suggestion for the long term is for a bypass interstate about 10 miles to the east of I-75. This will get pass-though traffic off of I-75. Current improvements are only band aids and will not resolve the clogs. Most cities our size (Sarasota/Bradenton) have bypasses and we are falling behind by not having them.

TOM BRINGEDAHL

HERITAGE HARBOUR

A Wildly Successful Launch

Wild Blue at Waterside by Stock Development has dazzled homeowners with its spectacular location in Lakewood Ranch, incredible lifestyle amenities, and luxury single-family homes from 2,300 to over 4,000 square feet, built by some of the area’s finest luxury homebuilders.

You can live your best life at Wild Blue at Waterside. With a 13-acre sports complex featuring tennis and pickleball, kayak launch, and walking trails, there’s something for everyone. The 25,000-square-foot social clubhouse offers indoor and outdoor dining, two pools, a movie theater, and a fitness center. Plus, our lifestyle director organizes social events to bring the community together.

The launch of this new waterfront community has been a tremendous success. Visit our sales center today and learn about all that’s new.

INSIDE:

< EATING WITH EMMA: You don’t need a plane ticket to enjoy these world-class charcuteries. 17

BLACK TIE INSIDE:

HOT BEATS: Circus Arts Conservatory debuts

Wonderball event with DJ Steve Aoki. 18 >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

LOVE LETTER IN THE SAND

WEDU’s vibrant documentary ‘The Sarasota Experience’ focuses on the city’s history, arts and challenges.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

“The Sarasota Experience,” the WEDU documentary directed and produced by Shaun Greenspan, is the talk of the town.

“Come look at me in this movie,” said one disheveled man carrying his possessions in a cart to a commuter while the two were sitting on a bench at the downtown transfer station for the Sarasota County bus service. “I’m on YouTube.”

Lots of documentaries gain fans among history enthusiasts, cultural elites, subject matter experts and the like. But if anecdotal evidence is any indication, “The Sarasota Experience” has captured the hearts of people who don’t typically embrace the genre such as young audiences and those on the fringes of society.

When the documentary was screened at the Sarasota Opera House on April 13, WEDU CEO and President Paul Grove said he had never seen so many young people at the venue.

One obvious reason for the wide appeal of “The Sarasota Experience” is the filmmaker himself. At 44, he is relatively young and spent his formative years here, having moved to Sarasota from Connecticut when he was 12. He is at home in the city and its different cultural subsets.

Like most documentarians, Greenspan is a history buff. In fact, his doc about the Historic Sarasota County Courthouse, “Original Splendor,” helped him get the job to direct “The Sarasota Experience,” according to Kristine Kelly, executive producer and director of content at WEDU.

But, unlike most documentarians, Greenspan spent about a decade producing music videos and commercials and working on TV shows in Los Angeles. He began his career as a club deejay specializing in electronic dance music. His email address pays tribute to his alter ego, DJ Solo.

Greenspan’s musical street cred is front and center in the opening scene of “The Sarasota Experience.”

Members of the Sarasota Orchestra perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, while a cavalcade of 60 artists representing organizations such as the Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, the Circus Arts Conservatory and many others embark on a spirited nighttime romp that begins in front of Burns Court Cinema.

Told the rousing set piece is reminiscent of the beginning of Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” the little-seen 2022 film about the early days of Hollywood, Greenspan cites Chazelle’s 2016 Oscar Best Picture winner “La La Land” as one of his inspirations for the opening sequence.

The others? Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” because it “takes place on a single street,” and Orson Welles’ “Touch of Evil,” which opens with a four-minute tracking shot.

“I came up with the idea about four or five years ago,” Greenspan said. “Every time I walked by Burns Court Cinema, I thought of ‘Do The Right Thing,’ which takes place on a single street.”

It was undecided where the Burns Lane sequence would be used in “The Sarasota Experience,” according to Kelly. She says that everyone ultimately agreed that it made sense to open with the procession to establish a joyful, artistic sensibility.

“We wanted a real ‘Wow!’ at the beginning,” Grove says.

Starting the documentary with a parade of performers is a powerful way to signal the importance of the arts in Sarasota.

It evokes the lasting legacy of John Ringling, who made the city the summer home of his circus and built the Ca’ d’Zan mansion and the John and Mable Ringling Museum. “Life is short, but art is long,” Ringling is quoted by Ringling Brothers circus historian Deborah Walk in the film.

It’s not just its opening that sets “The Sarasota Experience” apart

Shaun Greenspan on being asked to work on “The Sarasota Experience”

from formulaic documentaries that weave talking heads with archival footage. Prodded about why his documentary doesn’t have the flat appearance of some others in the genre, Greenspan notes that he used three cameras instead of one for interviews.

He also took great pains to use the city’s natural beauty and its wellappointed museums as backdrops.

“In any movie, a location is a character,” he said. “Some of the places we filmed at normally cost thousands of dollars to rent, but because everyone believed in what WEDU PBS does for our community, we were lucky to have them donated to us. People were just so giving.”

Among the locations featured in “The Sarasota Experience” are the Ringling Museum, Sarasota Art Museum, Ed Smith Stadium and

Bayfront Park.

When Greenspan was dreaming of his Burns Court Cinema sequence, he had little idea of when and how it would become a reality. His lucky break came when he got an email in 2022 from Kelly, who wanted to produce a film commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sarasota County, which took place in 2021.

The city of Sarasota was founded in 1903, with John W. Gillespie as the first mayor, but it was part of Manatee County for nearly 20 years.

(Viewers of “The Sarasota Experience” will learn a lot about Gillespie, who is credited with bringing golf to Florida and gave Gillespie Park its name.)

WEDU had been planning a documentary to coincide with Sarasota County’s centennial, but it was put on hold because the pandemic, with

Courtesy photos

Shaun Greenspan introduces his film “The Sarasota Experience” at the Sarasota Opera House in April.

The poster for “The Sarasota Experience” looks like a postcard.

“It just came out of the blue. It was a dream come true.”

its lockdowns and quarantines, made such an undertaking impossible.

When it was time to get the project rolling again, she found Greenspan’s short courthouse documentary online and sent an email. “It just came out of the blue. It was a dream come true,” Greenspan recalls.

It wasn’t just “Original Splendor” that persuaded Kelly to hire Greenspan. “It was his love for the city and his ability to be true to people and experiences,” she says.

By the time Greenspan received his fateful email in 2022, time was of the essence. He shot interviews with historians, architects, community leaders and others in “The Sarasota Experience” in just 10 days.

Greenspan credits the archival research of co-producer Lera Juno, the Sarasota County Division of Historical Resources and the William Hartman Gallery for most of the historical images used in the one-hour film.

With a film celebrating a historic occasion or famous person, there’s always the danger of viewing the subject through rose-colored glasses. But Greenspan managed to avoid that pitfall. There’s no question that “The Sarasota Experience” is a love letter to a beautiful, unique city, but the camera doesn’t turn away from uncomfortable topics.

Among them are the violence and property theft inflicted on the Seminoles by the Spanish and other colonizers and the virtual disappearance of the city’s first African American neighborhood in what is now known as The Rosemary District.

Greenspan’s musical orientation is put to good use when he plays a 1950s ditty “Having Fun in Sarasota” for some interviewees and asks what the song means to them.

One of the most poignant answers comes from Vickie Oldham, president and CEO of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. “That song was the exact opposite of the African American experience,” she says. “No African American felt comfortable going to Lido Beach in 1952.”

While sit-ins to break the color barrier at luncheon counters in the mid-20th century have been welldocumented in print and film, few histories tell the tale of “wade-ins”

to integrate Lido Beach in Sarasota the way Greenspan does.

At first, it seems odd that the Blacks entering the water at Lido Beach are dressed in their Sunday best, but “The Sarasota Experience” notes that the demonstrations usually took place after church. The opportunity to change soci-

ety by getting involved is a recurring theme in “The Sarasota Experience.”

Exults entrepreneur Anand Pallegar in the film, “You truly have the ability to shape the fabric of this community by getting engaged and being passionate about what you care about.”

“The Sarasota Experience” aired

on WEDU on April 20 and screens again on June 1 and June 29. It can be seen anytime for free online. Those who can’t get enough will be happy to learn that WEDU plans to package unseen interview footage into a series called “Voices of Sarasota” that will air later this year.

“The Sarasota Experience” makes the most of outdoor locations such as Bayfront Park.

Sean Keller, Trishul Thejasvi and Shaun Greenspan

Entrepreneur Anand Pallegar is interviewed for “The Sarasota Experience.”

Members of the Sarasota Orchestra play Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 on the set.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

‘REEL MUSIC’

6 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret,1265 First St.

$34-$39

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Reel Music celebrates the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century, with classics like “Singing in the Rain,” “Circle of Life” and “My Heart Will Go On.” This lively music revue reminds us that movies and music have always gone hand in hand. Runs through June 25.

‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’

8 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

$35 and up

Visit AsoloRep.org.

Incoming Asolo Rep Producing

Artistic Director Peter Rothstein directs a modern-day version of the 1965 musical hit “Man of La Mancha,” based on the classic Cervantes novel about Don Quixote’s “Impossible Dream.” Runs through June 11.

‘BIG SEXY: THE FATS

WALLER REVUE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.

$20-$50 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

Nate Jacobs’ original tribute features Fats Waller’s signature songs, includ-

OUR PICK ‘MOVED TO MUSIC: VIOLIN ON THE BAY’

Hermitage Fellows Rebecca Crenshaw and Mazz Swift, two genre-bending violinists, share selections of their work and process at this iconic Sarasota venue.

IF YOU GO

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 26

Where: the Outdoor Terrace of Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $5. Registration required Info: Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance presents “In The Round” on Friday, May 26.

ing “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “The Joint is Jumpin’” and many more. Runs through May 28.

FRIDAY ‘IN THE ROUND’

7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 $20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

“In The Round” is an opportunity for selected choreographers from across the country to get feedback from audience members during performances.

SATURDAY

FAMILY ART MAKING DAY

9 a.m. to noon at Creative Liberties

Artist Studios & Gallery, 927 Lime Ave. Free Visit CreativeLiberties.net.

Artist Drita Dawn will lead families in a creative project suitable for all ages and skill levels.

ST. ARMANDS FINE ART FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Armands

Circle Free Visit ParagonFestivals.com.

The visions and creative talents of artisans from throughout Florida and across America will transform St. Armands Circle into an extraordinary outdoor gallery of original art. Continues Sunday.

‘STEPHANIE J. WOODS: MY PAPA

USED TO PLAY CHECKERS’

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail

Included with $15 museum admission Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org/ Exhibitions.

In her first solo museum show, Stephanie J. Woods presents multidisciplinary works focusing on transatlantic cultural continuity and memories. There is an artist talk with Woods at 1 p.m. on May 27. Runs through Sept. 17.

‘THE NEW BLACK VANGUARD: PHOTOGRAPHY BETWEEN ART AND FASHION’ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail

Included with $15 museum admission Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org/ Exhibitions.

“The New Black Vanguard” presents photographers whose vibrant images fuse the genres of art and fashion photography in ways that break down long-established boundaries. Runs through Sept. 17.

WEDNESDAY

‘SHEAR MADNESS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

There’s been a murder in a local hair salon, and it’s up to Sarasota audiences to outwit the suspects and catch the killer in this interactive comedy whodunit. Runs through June 18.

LARGEST SELECTION OF FANS ANYWHERE!

DON’T MISS MEMORIAL DAY

CONCERT

When: 5 p.m. Monday, May 29

Where: Phillippi Estate Park

Tickets: Free Info: Visit SarasotaConcertBand.org.

The Sarasota Concert Band will honor all branches of the military with a patriotic concert and a special vocalist. The Nokomis Boy Scout Troop 1001 will present the colors. Bring a lawn chair, blanket and snacks or buy something from vendors on-site.

Joseph Ditmyer, Lisa McMillan, Michael Kevin Baldwin and Juliana Black in Florida Studio Theatre’s 2011 production of “Shear Madness,” which opens again with a new cast at FST on May 31.

Courtesy photos

Places that Put the Cute in Charcuterie

Where to celebrate National Wine Day on May 25 and National Cheese Day on June 4 in SRQ and Bradenton.

EMMA JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

Chardon-hey readers!

Cheesed to meat you. Forgive me for all the cheesy jokes and wineing I do throughout this column.

I can’t help myself — National Wine Day is May 25 and National Cheese Day is June 4. With those two holidays so close to one another, it’s as if the food gods were tempting me with a gouda time.

So, sip back and relax as I take you on a grate journey of the cutest charcuteries to visit at wine o’clock in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

MALMOSTO WINE SHOP & KITCHEN

2085 Siesta Drive, Suite #3, Sarasota; 941-706-1460,

WineShopAndKitchen.com

Chef and owner Andrea Bozzolo, originally from Italy, saved me and my husband seats for date night and it was wine-derful. The vibrant space accommodating 20 people isn’t your standard wine shop. Wine down, snack on yummy and expertly paired cheeses (and more foodie findings), and you’ll see that great minds sip alike. This vino oasis deserves a reservation for a cheesy and romantic date night.

Un-Brie-lievable: Malmosto

“meats” my expectations with its mixed imported cured meats plate ($40), served with my new glutenous weakness, gnocco fritto, which are fried pillows of perfect bread. This platter features one-of-akind meats including Culatello di zibello ham, lonzino, bresaola, plus five others. Add a cheese plate (five cheeses, $25) and you’ll feel like you’ve traveled to Italy with mouthfuls of rare pecorinos from Sardegna alongside delicious other bites. Be sure to ask about the appetizer with black garlic truffle butter

and Genova salami. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this one.

Time to Wine Down: You feel the passion from Bozzolo in the extensive wine list full of curated vinos from around the world. Bottle prices range from $38 for a Chardonnay Pearlston 2020 from South Africa to $750 for a 1990 Amarone Bertani. Bozzolo recommended the Vionier from Piedmont ($48/bottle), which won a gold medal at the Italian wine show in Verona. It was the perfect pairing for my palate.

BAMBOO ISLAND BAR

119 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach; 941803-6416, BambooIslandBar.com

I am exploding with excitement to share this gem I found while exploring the foodie findings in our community. The Bamboo Island Bar is full of good vibes and makes you forget that you didn’t fly to this dining destination; you were at home just a mere minutes ago (depending on traffic).

Un-Brie-lievable: The Monaco ($33) features a daily selection of cheeses and cured meats with fresh fruit nestled between nuts and crackers, pickles placed perfectly alongside sweet honey and housemade sauces that tie the tasty board together. But that isn’t the only board to browse. The Paris ($21) is home to a baked brie cheese with fruits, nuts, crackers, jam and looks like it should be in the Louvre next to Mona Lisa herself.

Time to Wine Down: While the wine list might not be the most expansive on our list, the gourmet food and lounge bar makes up for it with atmosphere and chic cheese dishes. Choose from 11 whites, six reds, prosecco and champagne or skip wine all together and order yourself a tropical beverage. We’re foodies, we make our own rules.

CHATEAU 13 RESTAURANT & WINE BAR

535 13th St. W., Bradenton; 941-226-0110, Chateau-13.com

According to Chateau 13 Restaurant and Wine Bar General Manager Jenn Sayko, “The best wine education is a row of empty bottles.” It’s hard to argue with that. The brainchild of a champagne-filled night at Palmetto Riverside Bed & Breakfast, Chateau 13 transports you to a stellar cellar located, of all places, in Bradenton.

Un-Brie-lievable: You feta believe I’m ordering the to-go charcuterie signature box ($55). Bring it to a dinner party, take it to a beach picnic or transport it to your car to devour immediately. This box features chef’s selections and accoutrements like house-made fig jam and cranberry pumpkin crackers to start, and serves up to four. These beautiful boxes can be ordered online – and wine, champagne or both can be added to your order.

Time to Wine Down: If you stay in-house for your cheese and

charcuterie boards ($18-$46) you will have no shortage of wines to savor. Choose from over 30 selections by the glass ($8-$18) and over 150 bottle selections ($32-$350) focusing on French, Italian, Spanish and American wines. If you can’t decide, ask Jenn and she will be your partner in wine. She suggests Champagne Collet Brut, Gueissard Rosé or Guidobono Nebbiolo.

FINE WINE & TASTINGS ON MAIN 8111 Main St., Unit J105, Lakewood Ranch; 941-355-4718; FineWineTastings.com

Tucked away at the end of Main Street in Lakewood Ranch, Fine Wine & Tastings offers “pour decision” makers like you and me a rotating monthly menu of 35 wines by the glass plus seasonal charcuterie and small plates. The family owned business hand selects every bottle that is consumed in house — which amounts to over 300 wine selections from around the world. Un-Brie-lievable: You won’t be board with your small plate options here. From a cheese board with

three assorted cheeses and season accoutrements to a full charcuterie board with meats, nuts and pickles, to the combination board, all wineers will be paired with tasty treats. Gluten-free crackers are available upon request.

Time to Wine Down: Happy hour is the time to wine. From 5-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, sip on $2 off all regularly prices 5 oz. wines by the glass. Be sure to check their Instagram page for upcoming events, wine tastings and special offers: I took full advantage of the 20% off Muga Rosado in March. Like they say, stop and smell the rosé.

VINO BISTRO

1419 Fifth St., Suite B, Sarasota, 941-952-3172; VinoBistroSarasota. com

Local live music, a long list of wonderful wines and cheese that has you thinking, “Nothing can get cheddar than this?” — nights in the Rosemary District just got oh so bottleful to me. Thanks to Theresa LaSalle, who opened the modernmeets-new world wine bar in 2021, you bet Shiraz this bistro made my list.

Un-Brie-lievable: Build your own charcuterie board for $24 ($8 per item, three-item minimum). Choose cheeses such as the gorgeous goat cheese, pleasing pecorino with truffles, enjoyable edam and more, plus meats like soppressata and the magnificent meat that always makes its way to my boards, prosciutto. I like to add the baked feta from the tapas section.

Time to Wine Down: The bistro’s mission is “uniting the world through wine,” and I agree because wine is always the answer. The reasonably priced wine list is nothing to miss — but the daily happy hour from 4-6 p.m. makes me beyond bubbly. The menu includes house sparkling, cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay ($6) with light offerings like charcuterie bites ($6) featuring a wedge of brie and prosciutto on a crostini topped with an olive.

It ain’t easy being cheesy, friends. Cheers!

Photos by Emma Jolly

Baked brie for me? Yes, please. The Paris cheese board ($21) at Bamboo Island Bar is a stunner.

Pecorinos from Sardegna, gran poderoso, fiore Sardo, e stravecchio, sweet gorgonzola from Novara and triple cream from California at Malmosto.

Courtesy photo

Gluten-free crackers are available upon request at Fine Wine & Tastings on Main.

Chateau 13 has to-go signature charcuterie boxes for $55.

Friday, May 12, at Circus Arts Conservatory | Benefiting Circus Arts Conservatory

In the vein of trying something new, the Circus Arts Conservatory held its inaugural concert fundraiser May 12, coined Wonderball. Two-time Grammy Award-nominated electronic music DJ Steve Aoki headlined the event, which welcomed more than 1,200 concertgoers to the Circus Arts Conservatory to enjoy live beats, drinks and plenty of dancing.

But any CAC event would not be complete without performances by students from the CAC’s Sailor Circus Academy, who entertained the crowd doing aerial acts before Aoki’s show. In addition, local DJs Tony Campos and Harrison Koffman, as well as New York City-based DJ Peter DiCaro, warmed up the crowd.

“We were absolutely thrilled with the success of Wonderball and are excited to welcome the event back next year,” said CAC Executive Vice President/COO Jennifer Mitchell in a statement.

The event benefited the CAC’s youth education program.

— OBSERVER STAFF

LORNA BIEBER NAtu RAL WORL d

Photos by Cliff Roles

Melissa Morsli, event Chair Donna Koffman, CAC Executive Vice President/COO Jennifer Mitchell and Umbreen Khalidi-Majeed

Longtime Sailor Circus Academy student Emma Clarke performs on an LED aerial hoop over the audience.

DJ Steve Aoki feels the love during the CAC’s Wonderball.

Heather Lauren

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Over the years, they made a pact with each other than they would do whatever they could to someday own a restaurant. On that first day Lewis came to Linger Lodge, she knew that’s the one she wanted to own.

That’s not to say the restaurant didn’t have some problems at the time.

“I fired everyone but two people,” Lewis said. “They were not up to my standards.”

Despite that introduction, Lewis said she knew the restaurant was special.

“It was mystical and magical,” she said. “It was very unique, and I never saw anything like it. But we needed to clean it up a little.”

Jeff Lewis joined her at the restaurant and they were off and running.

Those early years, the restaurant featured the taxidermy of its owner Frank Gamsky, who bought the property in 1968 and, at 92, still frequents the restaurant. Filled would actually be a better word than featured.

“Frank kept adding and adding,” Rita Lewis said. “And he had such compassion (for wildlife).”

A 2017 renovation of the restaurant removed much of the taxidermy, but now that she owns the place, Rita Lewis is bringing back bits and pieces that had been stored in a closet at her home.

DID YOU KNOW?

STEADY AS AN OAK

Rita

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Rita Lewis sat in front of her home on an oak bench that provides a reminder that hurricane season is something to be taken seriously.

Lewis became the owner of the Linger Lodge restaurant last August, and was only open for weeks when Hurricane Ian ripped through the area in late September.

With June 1 marking the start of hurricane season, Lewis was busy going into her first full summer as the restaurant’s owner. But she took time to talk about that special bench where she was seated at her home that is connected to the restaurant.

Lewis saved a huge chunk of the old oak tree that Hurricane Ian uprooted and toppled on top of the restaurant’s roof, once again causing the restaurant to temporarily close. It wasn’t just any tree.

The oak already was mature when Lewis first took a job as general manager and chef at Linger Lodge

IF YOU GO

What: Linger Lodge restaurant

Where: 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton

Owner: Rita Lewis

Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

in 2004. She said the majestic tree helped define the restaurant so when Linger Lodge changed hands in 2016 and the new owner, Austrian businessman Franz Hartl, considered cutting the tree down, she and her husband, Jeff, pleaded for the tree to remain.

It did.

After Jeff Lewis died of heart failure in 2021, the tree was a daily reminder of him for Rita because that tree meant so much to them both.

But the hurricane knocked it down.

“It was horrible,” Rita Lewis said upon seeing the fallen tree. “My heart was broken.”

She hired Rod Green, a master wood carver from Myakka City, and his artwork now is another piece of Linger Lodge lore. Lewis said those stories, all the taxidermy, and the somewhat crazy menu, make Linger Lodge an unusual, and delightful, stop for residents and those who visit the area.

Some of her favorite moments at the restaurant have come when

patrons question her about the section on the menu titled, “Road Kill.”

People are intrigued when the menu — tongue in cheek — offers “Chunk of skunk,” or “Smidgen of Pigeon,” or the “Bag ’N Gag” luncheon special such as “Anything dead on bread.”

“People ask if it is true,” Lewis said with a laugh. “They love it. I always say, ‘It depends on what the chef found this morning.’”

It is just one of the oddities that makes Linger Lodge different and another reason Lewis fell in love in the place the first day she arrived in 2004.

Rita and Jeff Lewis were snowbirds, and they would alternate between the Sarasota area and Newberry, New Hampshire, working in restaurants as cooks in each place.

“I just brought back some deer heads,” she said, pointing at a wall.

Other changes have been expensive. When she became owner last August, the restaurant had been closed for two years due to a renovation of the RV park. She said Hartl’s River Loft LLC wanted to concentrate on running the RV Park and then sold the restaurant to her.

She said she went through “thousands” of dollars getting the kitchen equipment back up and running properly. She upgraded the restaurant’s food supplier as well. For a while, she said she was just “stepping over” broken equipment.

“It was hard,” she said.

She buries herself in her work to keep her mind from focusing on how much she misses her husband of 47 years.

“Look at it,” she said of her restaurant. “This is old Florida.”

What makes it old Florida?

“I guess it’s the fishcampness of it,” she said. “This is a destination and it always has felt like home to me.”

Linger Lodge’s origins began in 1945, when it was opened as a 100-acre fishing canoeing campground. There was a two-story log cabin overlooking the Braden River. That structure burned down in the late 1950s. Frank and Elaine Gamsky purchased the property in 1968. Frank Gamsky, a veterinarian by trade, used his taxidermy expertise to decorate the walls of the restaurant. Gamsky sold the restaurant to Mike Bennett, now Manatee County’s supervisor of elections and his partner, real estate developer Marvin Kaplan in 2005. The new owner, Frank Hartl, purchased Linger Lodge (both the restaurant and the RV Park) for $5 million in 2017. Rita Lewis became owner of the restaurant in August 2022.

Linger Lodge owner Rita Lewis said some patrons balk at sitting next to the snakes that decorate some of the walls.

Lewis launches into her first full summer as owner of the quirky restaurant and says business is booming.

Photos by Jay Heater

Rita Lewis sits on this bench in front of Linger Lodge that was made from an oak uprooted during Hurricane Ian.

Lasso display keeps students in the loop

Kayleen Zieschang, a Gene Witt Elementary School fourth grader, grabbed a lasso and started rotating it above her head.

She tossed the lasso toward the fake steer head, and to her surprise, the lasso went around the head. Her classmates cheered.

Zieschang said it was fun to try throwing the lasso and learning something new.

The lasso demonstration from Reagan Ranch was a part of the Florida Field and Farm Days on May 18. Students were able to hear from professionals in the agriculture industry while participating in enrichment activities that brought the book “A Land Remembered” to life.

Zieschang said learning about cattle, how to lasso, what life was like in the 1900s and the agriculture industry was interesting.

“I feel like a lot has changed since the 1900s,” she said.

Wes Reagan, owner of Reagan Ranch, loved being able to teach students about the agriculture industry.

Agriculture is so important to me and dear to my heart,” he said. “It’s amazing for us to be able to come in and teach students how this can be a lifestyle in agriculture.”

He hopes Florida Field and Farm Days inspires students to get involved in the agriculture industry.

— LIZ RAMOS

Gene Witt Elementary School fourth grader Michael Kildow shows love to Lizzie.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Wesley Hoben, a Gene Witt Elementary School fourth grader, practices with a lasso.

Jim McAlister talks to students about cow whips.

Clayton Reagan, with Reagan Ranch, shows Gene Witt Elementary School Principal Connie Dixon how to lasso.

Lake Club home tops sales at $3,075,000

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in the Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate.

John and Jamie Stone, trustees, sold the home at 16026 Topsail Terrace to Oguz Ersan and Kristel Ersan, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3,075,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,387 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.3 million in 2021.

LAKE CLUB Richard and Tracy Goe, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16830 Clearlake Ave. to Marya and James Young, of New Albany, Ohio, for $2.7 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,037 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,083,400 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB Westerley Lockwood Vinecombe and Sue Ann Vinecombe, of Ruskin, sold their home at 7506 Mizner Reserve Court to Francis and Kathleen Garcia, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,445,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,410 square feet of living area.

Catherine Pease, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 12708 Stone Ridge Place to Edwin Ortiz and Mary Ortiz, trustees, of Sarasota, for $710,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,843 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2020.

Aseem Om Rawal and Zohreh Laura Tabatabai, of Tiburon, California, sold their home at 7235 Presidio Glen to Mercy and Mathew Abraham, of Lakewood Ranch, for $705,000. Built in 2004, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,933 square feet of living area. It sold for $479,000 in 2021.

Sheila Uhl sold her home at 7419 Riviera Cove to Charlotte Ziegler, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $680,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,957 square feet of living area. It sold for $599,000 in 2022.

ESPLANADE

James Olson and Alice Byrne, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, sold their home at 4648 Benito Court to Bassam and Mary Ibrahim, of Bradenton, for $1.09 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,675 square feet of living area. It sold for $686,700 in 2017.

Cynthia Keskiner, of Bradenton, sold her home at 5133 Serata Drive to Michele Rossi, of Bradenton, for $600,000. Built in 2013, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,684 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2016.

RIVER PLACE

Dennis and Mary Yoder, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6979 74th St. Circle E. to Lion Star Partners LLC for $1,025,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,983 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2008.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Mitzi Justice Jones, of Lakewood Ranch, sold her home at 9730 Carnoustie Place to Ruth Dyal, of Bradenton, for $975,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,448 square feet of living area. It sold for $539,500 in 2021.

Caroline McDaniel, of Saint Albans, West Virginia, sold her home at 5022 Tobermory Way to Judith Cra-

mer and Lucille Tortorici, of Palmetto, for $572,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,983 square feet of living area. It sold for $427,000 in 2016.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Brian and Judy Keane, trustees, sold the home at 7833 Valderrama Way to David Geary and Susan Zande Geary, of Bradenton, for $935,000. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,329 square feet of living area. It sold for $557,000 in 2017.

WATERLEFE Associated Trust Co., trustee, sold the home at 820 Whooping Crane Court to Harry and Dorothy Ward, of Brant Beach, New Jersey, for $890,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,635 square feet of living area. It sold for $387,000 in 2000.

TREMORE AT VILLAGES OF PALM

AIRE

Frank Wolff and Mary Altergott, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7052 Treymore Court to John and Julia Calzonetti, of Sarasota, for $875,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,538 square feet of living area. It sold for $515,000 in 2010.

WOODLEAF HAMMOCK

Isaac and Rebekah Bitar, of Bradenton, sold their home at 2115 Woodleaf Hammock Court to Michael and Ixia Sohl, of Jensen Beach, for $789,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,299 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,300 in 2020.

MOTE RANCH

Edward and Sharon Pack sold their home at 6832 Coyote Ridge Court to Mehmed Duric, of Richmond, Virginia, for $785,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,012 square feet of living area. It sold for $455,000 in 2015.

ST. JAMES PARK

Kyu and Choong Lee, trustees, of Dublin, Ohio, sold the home at 6616 Saint James Crossing to David and Louise Klain, of University Park, for $785,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,514 square feet of living area.

GREYHAWK LANDING WEST

Katherine and Brian Faulkner, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 12841 Balsam Terrace to Chad Ketchum, of Bradenton, for $770,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,630 square feet of living area. It sold for $407,500 in 2019.

ROSEDALE HIGHLANDS

Daniel and Jennifer Hudson, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5308 97th St. Circle E. to Jeffrey Bell and Lisa Morehouse, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,279 square feet of living area. It sold for $527,500 in 2020.

ARBOR LAKES

Yu Kung, of Grand Junction, Tennessee, sold the home at 7211 Spur Court to Lawrence and Marsha White, of Bradenton, for $749,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,563 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2022.

RIVERSIDE AT TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Rafael Quinones and Pamela Sue Rocco sold their Unit C condominium at 1204 Riverscape St. to Brenda Wagner, of Bradenton, for $665,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $524,900 in 2021.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD

NATIONAL

Joseph Alexander Denero and Jacqueline Emile Denero, of Loudon, Tennessee, sold their Unit 4922 condominium at 6086 Worsham Lane to Rebecca and Thomas Kirsch, of Schererville, Indiana, for $658,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,000 in 2021.

STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE

HARBOUR

Graham and Silke Tompson, of Bradenton, sold their home at 230 Heritage Isles Way to Teresa and Richard Lankford, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,816 square feet of living area. It sold for $227,000 in 2009.

TARA

Veronique Vernhet, of Bradenton, sold her home at 6456 Rookery Circle to William Merritt Whitson and Erica Shevlin, of Bradenton, for $630,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,065 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2021. Opendoor Property Trust I sold the home at 6725 Peach Tree Creek Road to Lori and James Hallman, of

MAY 8-12

Bradenton, for $545,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,196 square feet of living area. It sold for $453,700 in 2022.

John Terence Parsons, of Bradenton, sold his home at 6411 Stone River Road to Trent David Block and Lynn Marie Goodman, of Incline Village, Nevada, for $340,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,800 square feet of living area. It sold for $165,300 in 1992.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Courtesy photo

This Lake Club home at 16026 Topsail Terrace sold $3,075,000. It has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,387 square feet of living area.

Fast Break

Wrestler pins down top performance

School year’s top moments include a wrestling state title and a huge turnaround for ODA’s football program.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Former Lakewood Ranch

High softball play-

ers McKenzie Clark a junior at Clemson University, and Claire Davidson, a junior at Duke University, are still alive in the Super Regional round (three-game series) of the NCAA Tournament. Clark’s Tigers (46-9) will play the University of Oklahoma (53-1), with Game 1 starting at 2 p.m. May 26 on ESPN2. Davidson’s Blue Devils (46-10) will play Stanford University (41-13), with Game 1 starting at noon May 26 on ESPN+.

… Premier Sports Campus will host the Premier SuperCopa soccer tournament June 15-18. The tournament is comparable to the Little League World Series. Approximately 17,000 athletes, coaches, family members and fans are expected to attend the coed U9-U12 event. For more information visit PremierSuperCopa.com.

The Out-of-Door Academy rising sophomore Dylan Walker had two interceptions in the Thunder’s home spring game jamboree against Bradenton Christian School and Oasis High on May 18. The Thunder played one 25-minute half against each team, finishing with a 7-6 lead over BCS and a 3-3 tie against Oasis.

Lakewood Ranch High rising senior quarterback Clayton Dees received a scholarship offer from Florida International University on May 20. Dees also holds offers from Temple University and Appalachian State University among other schools.

Former Lakewood Ranch

High baseball pitcher Colton Gordon has a 2.70 ERA in May for the AA-level Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros) in three starts (four appearances). Gordon, who has a 4.58 ERA overall, is the Astros’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB. com.

Lynn Lockhorn Mary

Jane Sanacore Kathy Miller and Mary Ann Murphy (63) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Cha, Cha, Cha” event held May 18 at University Park Country Club.

One state championship, several huge turnarounds and lots of exciting performances highlighted the 2022-23 East County high school sports season.

These are the top-10 moments of the high school sports year.

1

BRADEN RIVER WRESTLER COMPLETES UNDEFEATED

SEASON

The record was 71-0.

That speaks for itself.

It’s what Braden River High senior wrestler Jessey Colas accomplished on the road to a Florida High School Athletic Association state title in the Class 2A 182-pound division. He capped his title March 4 at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. Colas defeated Satellite High’s Michael McCarthy 5-3 in the finals, getting an early lead and hanging onto the win late.

Colas’ mantra for the season was “just go,” a phrase that reminded him to be aggressive. In his final high school season, Colas wanted to have no regrets, to leave everything he had on the mat. The strategy resulted in wire-to-wire dominance.

Colas was the first Pirates wrestler to complete an undefeated season and the second to win a state title, following Brendan Bengtsson’s win at 285 pounds in 2018.

“It just made me happy,” Colas said of the title win. “I have a note on my wall with all of my life goals. Being a state champion was one of them, and now I’ve done it. And to be only the second wrestling champion in my school’s history? It’s crazy.”

NEW COACH TURNS AROUND ODA FOOTBALL PROGRAM

Coming off back-to-back winless seasons, The Out-of-Door Academy Head Coach Rob Hollway had little pressure to quickly get the program back to winning ways in his first season.

He did it anyway.

Thanks to a powerful running game and an aggressive defense,

ODA went undefeated in the regular season and reached the Sunshine State Athletic Conference state semifinals thanks to a 36-14 win over St. Edward’s High (4-4) on Oct. 28.

In the semifinals Nov. 4, ODA lost 21-0 to rival St. Stephen’s Episcopal, a school ODA had beaten 26-22 in the regular season on Sept. 9.

ODA finished the year 9-1. The Thunder didn’t reach the championship game, but Hollway’s brand of smash-mouth football did enough to send shockwaves through a previously lifeless program.

“The spirit was always high, whether we were down or up,” junior linebacker Charlie Tack said. “It made it fun.”

3

LAKEWOOD RANCH GIRLS SOCCER TEAM HAS UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON

It had been building since head coach Delaney Riggins was hired by the school in 2018. The Lakewood Ranch girls soccer program capitalized on its promise in 2022-23.

The Mustangs finished the regular season undefeated, with one tie against North Fort Myers High on Dec. 8 (0-0). They then pounded their way through the postseason, reaching the regional finals before losing 5-4 to Palm Harbor University High (19-1) in penalty kicks. In doing so, the Mustangs established themselves as a program to be feared in the years to come, as three of the team’s top goal-scorers (junior Sophie Lemus, sophomore Olivia Hadad and junior Madison Adams) will return in 2023-24.

Florida Men’s State Championships, held March 4-6 in Alachua.

5

ODA’S BAFFICO BALHARRY TAKES BRONZE AT STATE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

After representing his home country of Chile at the 2022 FINA World Championships, The Out-of-Door Academy senior boys swimmer Felipe Baffico Balharry followed it with a trip to the FHSAA state championship meet in Stuart on Nov. 18.

Baffico Balharry took third place in the 200 yard freestyle (1:37.90) at the state meet, finishing 3.72 seconds behind winner Kaii Winkler of the South Florida Heat homeschool team. He also finished fourth in the 100 yard fly (47.72 seconds).

Baffico Balharry signed with Harvard University on April 27.

6

LAKEWOOD RANCH BOYS GOLF HAS BEST FINISH SINCE 2013

The Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team entered the 2023 season with little experience playing together, and it took a while for its talent to mesh.

4

LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH/ EVO ATHLETICS GYMNAST COMPETES AT U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS

He didn’t leave Tampa’s Amalie Arena with a medal on Aug. 19, but Lakewood Ranch High senior Jaden Blank, who trains in gymnastics with EVO Athletics, fulfilled a dream anyway by competing at the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Blank, who will compete for the U.S. Military Academy, finished 21st overall in the event’s Junior Men 17 division. His highest score came in the vault, where he earned a 13.30 from the judges, good for 18th place.  Blank qualified for the event by securing the Level 10 All-Around Championship (78.750) at the 2022

On Oct. 15, the Mustangs finished 15th out of 18 teams at the 2022 Honda Classic High School Invitational, one of the biggest regular season events of the year, held at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens. Five days earlier, the Mustangs finished fourth out of nine area teams at the 2022 Donald Ross Memorial Tournament at Bradenton’s Sara Bay Country Club.

But the team hit a groove late in the year, led by sophomore Parker Severs, and at the FHSAA state tournament, held Nov. 8 at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, the Mustangs finished fifth overall (303), the program’s best finish since it won the tournament in 2013. Severs finished tied for seventh individually (73).

7

LAKEWOOD RANCH BASEBALL TEAM REACHES

REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

The Lakewood Ranch High baseball program went 10-16 in 2022, and early, things looked only slightly improved in 2023. After 11 games, the team sat at 6-5.

Then things became interesting.

The Mustangs started winning thanks to a strong pitching staff and a penchant for getting timely hits.

The Mustangs put together a 19-8 record, winning 13 of their last 16 games, and captured a 1-0 district championship win over Venice High (15-13) on May 4.

Lakewood Ranch would earn a 6-1 home win over Winter Haven High (19-8) in the regional semifinals before running into top-seeded Plant High (19-7) on the road in the regional semifinals; the Mustangs lost that challenge 7-0.

Still, the way the Mustangs finished the season showed Head Coach Colton Chupp and the rest of the baseball community that things are on the upswing with the program.

Courtesy photo

Former Lakewood Ranch High softball player McKenzie Clark is off to a fast start at Clemson.

Braden River senior wrestler Jessey Colas captured the Class 2A title in the 182-pound division March 4 at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

The ODA football team had an undefeated regular season in 2023 after back-to-back winless seasons.

SIS paddlers pretty (successful) in pink

It still chokes them up.

The Survivors in Sync dragon boat team, which is made up of breast cancer survivors and calls

Nathan Benderson Park home, went to New Zealand April 15-16 to compete in the 2023 International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission Participatory Dragon Boat Festival.

It’s a festival that happens once every four years, or at least that’s the plan. Sometimes something like COVID-19 gets in the way. Before the 2023 event, the last festival was held in 2018 in Florence, Italy. Members of Survivors in Sync went to that festival, too. This time, Survivors in Sync placed second in the event.

Some members of the 24-person SIS roster had been to the Italy fes-

tival. However, Vanessa Burns and Jackie Siegel-Frascella were among the first-timers. They knew it would be emotional, they said, but nothing could have prepared them for the sight of 85 teams’ worth of breast cancer survivors gathering to race and to support each other.

“It makes you think of the people who are still battling it or who have been lost,” Siegel-Frascella said with a wobbly voice.

Every dragon boat festival has at least a small ceremony for breast cancer survivors, but nothing compares to the ceremonies at IBCPC festivals. Burns said everyone gathered on the beach of Lake Karapiro, roses held aloft. The gathered participants sang songs, listened to speeches and clapped for some people with especially long battles

with cancer who were pulled front and center for special recognition.

At the end, the roses are tossed into the water. Sometimes this is done on boats, but it was windy at the time of the ceremony, so everyone stayed on shore. It didn’t dampen the event’s impact at all.

“It was totally amazing to see,” Burns said.

It’s also amazing to do. Survivors in Sync’s paddlers don’t travel just to feel emotions, they travel to compete at the highest level, despite the festival labeling itself as “participatory” and not competitive.

“If you’re not going to try to win, don’t bother going,” Siegel-Frascella said. “We didn’t know what the competition was going to be like, but we were out to beat them all.”

SIS didn’t quite win — the hometown Lake Karapiro team finished first overall in the team standings. But SIS did finish second overall, beating every team from the Northern Hemisphere, which is still a great accomplishment. SIS was the only U.S. representative to finish in the top 10 overall. The team took gold in the 200 meter race and bronze in the 500 meter race among other strong results.

The success of SIS is no surprise to anyone who has followed the team over the years. Under the direction of Angela Long, Benderson Park’s head paddling coach, SIS has become one of the most competitive breast cancer survivor teams in the country every year, as well as an important support system for its athletes. Teammates in every sport say they care about each other, and sometimes that is true, but the SIS paddlers don’t need to say it. It is felt every time they take the water, and in every smile they give each other.

It makes sense, then, that Burns and Siegel-Frascella both said going to New Zealand was the trip of a lifetime, and talking about it brings

tears to their eyes. This goes beyond the results sheet. It’s about living, for yourself and for everyone standing next to you.

The town of Cambridge was fully supportive of the festival, SiegelFrascella said. People gathered in the streets to cheer on the competitors during the Parade of Nations. Burns said it made her feel like a superhero.  And the views? Forget about it. Burns and Siegel-Frascella both stayed in New Zealand for a few days after the event, taking in the unbelievable scenery.

“The landscape is wild,” SiegelFrascella said. “You go 10 miles and everything is totally different. It’s just gorgeous.”

There are fields of green, mountains of snow, icy glaciers, and vast fjords of water that run in-between everything. It’s like nothing Burns had seen before, she said, and she’ll never forget the beauty, nor the things she did, like a tour of a redwood forest or a zip-line experience. Siegel-Frascella said she took a jet boat ride on the Dart River that whipped into 360-degree spins, and she told the story while wearing a massive grin.

It is easy to see how inspiring and life-affirming such a trip can be.

It is easy to forget how good most of us have it and how that can all change in an instant with one diagnosis. But thanks to festivals like this one, and people like the members of SIS, it is also easy to remember how many people are willing to support those going through tough times.

It provides people with hope, and that is more important than any win or loss.

And second in the world? That’s pretty good, too.

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

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

Courtesy photo

The Survivors in Sync dragon boat teamed finish second overall at the 2023 International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission Participatory event in New Zealand, beating every team from the Northern Hemisphere.

Ryan Kohn Vanessa Burns and Jackie Siegel-Frascella were two of the 24 Survivors in Sync paddlers to make the trip to New Zealand, calling it unforgettable.

BRADEN

10

RIVER FLAG FOOTBALL REACHES REGIONAL FINALS

8

BRADEN RIVER VOLLEYBALL REACHES REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

The Braden River volleyball team proved it was not a fluke.

For the second-straight season, the Pirates (16-8) won its district championship, a 3-0 win over Port Charlotte High (9-14). Before the two championships, the program had not won one since 2010.

The second win proved the Pirates have big plans for the future. After beating Port Charlotte, Braden River took a 3-0 sweep of Naples High (11-12) in the regional quarterfinals before falling two points short of an upset in a 3-2 loss to Osceola High (21-8), the No. 7 team in the state, in the regional quarterfinals.

Flag football is still a burgeoning sport at the high school level, but Braden River High has already established itself as the dominant power in the Manatee-Sarasota area.

The Pirates went 11-1 in 2022 and followed that with a 14-3 season in 2023, a season that included postseason wins over Tampa Catholic (9-6) and Lecanto High (11-4). Their season came to an end in the regional finals when they ran into eventual state champion Robinson High (212) and lost 32-0.

The Pirates might not be at the Knights’ level yet, but the 2023 season was a strong start.

9

MUSTANG LACROSSE’S LUCAS ANTHONY FINISHES 14TH IN STATE IN POINTS The Lakewood Ranch High boys lacrosse team had a middling season, finishing 7-9, but the team’s struggles did not stop junior Lucas Anthony from racking up points and climbing the state’s leaderboard. Anthony finished with 91 points (58 goals, 33 assists), which was the 14th-most points in the state, and his per-game average of 5.7 points was ninth of out of the same 14 players. Twice this year — on Feb. 16 against Wiregrass Ranch High and on March 24 against Naples High — Anthony amassed 12 points, leading his team to wins both times.  Anthony’s 91 points were a 14-point increase from his soph omore season. A similar points jump in his senior season would rank Anthony among the top high school lacrosse players in Florida — if he’s not there already.

photo Braden River High junior Cydnee Brooks quarterbacked the flag football team to a 14-3 record.

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