East County Observer 6.22.23

EAST COUNTY

Observer

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

Small packages, big event

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

PAGE 2B FREE • THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

VOLUME 25, NO. 30

YOUR TOWN

Budget focuses on roads Manatee County’s acting administrator recommends $2.1 billion budget. SEE PAGE 3A

Lesley Dwyer

Sweet event for Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Thirty members of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance purchased a golden ticket to a chocolate tasting with the real life Willy Wonka, Norman Love.

The sold-out event was held at Norman Love Confections in UTC. “It’s part of a series we call ACES — Activity Centered Events,” said LWRBA Events and Programs Coordinator Janeth Gonzalez (above, right, with Cherri Kessler). “It’s a members-only event at a member’s business.”

Love shared his experiences from “stumbling into the business” to creating a line of artisan chocolates for Godiva. Members sampled white chocolate with a key lime pie ganache, Tahitian caramel with vanilla, and an intense dark chocolate made with cocoa beans from Ghana.

End of the political road Vanessa Baugh resigns her Manatee County commissioner post at midterm to concentrate on family concerns. SEE PAGE 8A

File photo

Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh says one of her proudest moments in office was breaking ground on the new Lakewood Ranch Library.

Liz Ramos

‘Sunny lifestyle vibe’ at Waterside Nicky Mayforth is ready to bring what she calls a “sunny lifestyle vibe” to Lakewood Ranch with the opening of Marmalade, a salon and clothing boutique, at Waterside.

Jenna DiLorenzo and Mayforth (above) opened Marmalade’s first location in Sarasota in 2001 and opened a location in Siesta Key in 2019, and now Waterside.

The duo celebrated the grand opening of Marmalade in Waterside June 15.

“Jenna wanted to do hair, and I wanted to own a clothing boutique and we wanted to have fun,” Mayforth said. “But we also wanted to build a community of people who feel like they’re walking into our living room every time they come in.

We’ve achieved that.”

Mayforth said it’s incredible to open in Waterside. She said she’s looking forward to getting to know a new community.

Place to pet potential pooch Nate’s Honor heads into tail-end of its $12 million project.

SEE PAGE 2A Liz Ramos

Dogs await the opportunity to meet their potential new owners.

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue has a meet-and-greet pavilion for people to spend time with the dogs to get to know them.

A+E Day dreaming in color.

PAGE 12A

2A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

Meet and greet ... your dog A meet-and-greet pavilion is the newest addition to Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue’s $12 million expansion.

COMPLETED WORK

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

A

nyone who considers adopting a dog from Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue will have the opportunity to spend time getting to know the dog first.

The nonprofit’s new meet-andgreet pavilion gives people a chance to play with their potential pup.

The outdoor pavilion has four caged-in small areas and one larger one. It also has ceiling fans, water fountains and water bottle fillers, and a bathroom. There will be WiFi available across the nonprofit’s grounds so people can fill out adoption paperwork as they are playing with the dogs in the pavilion.

“If somebody sees a dog they like, we can bring them in here and they can spend quality time (together),” said Rob Oglesby, the development director of Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue. “This is going to be used a ton. This section right here is going to be big for the adoptions.”

At least 20 dogs were able to meet their new owners in the meet-andgreet pavilion June 10.

The meet-and-greet pavilion is the newest complete part of the rescue’s Journey Home Capital Campaign, which is an expansion of the nonprofit’s facilities and services.

Construction continues on the new 23,000-square-foot welcome and education center, which will include a veterinary clinic, parvo and maternity ward, education center, a cat room with “catios,” event center, and kitchen. The improvements also include a two-bedroom apartment that can be used for students on a veterinary externship or possibly an employee.

The seven catios are screened-in areas with ceiling fans so the cats can be inside or outside. People will be able to sit in the cat room and play with the cats. Once complete, the cat

Photos by Liz Ramos

With construction on the expansion getting closer to completion, the nonprofit will be able to provide various services for dogs and their new owners including adoption, veterinary services and training.

room will be able to house 60 cats.

The event center will give the nonprofit opportunities to host birthday parties, weddings, its summer camp and other events and activities.

Oglesby said a weeklong camp is being hosted twice this summer, but with the expansion project expected to be completed by the end of the year or during the first quarter of next year, Nate’s will be able to expand the weeklong camps to dates all summer.

The event center has a partition to be able to make the center into two rooms or one large room. It also leads to a 26-by-52-foot covered patio.

The welcome and education center also will have a catering kitchen.

Outside the welcome and education center are nine cottages that are close to completion. Hurricane Ian destroyed two of the new cottages.

Oglesby said once the cottages are complete, the nonprofit will have 17, allowing Nate’s to care for more animals.

Nate’s Honor has been working on the now $12 million expansion since 2018, when the nonprofit announced

n Approximately 5,000-squarefoot intake building that includes an area for animals to be vaccinated and tested before being grooms, 42 kennels so dogs can be isolated, a cat isolation area, food pantry, kitchen, laundry and surgical suite n 4,300-square-foot training facility that includes a puppy training room, office space, observation room and a room set up like a home to help dogs adjust to a home setting n Walking area that includes a quarter-mile loop around a lake with a fountain and pergolas and benches as a resting area n Shaded dog runs where trainers can have playgroups for dogs n Bone shaped pool n Meet-and-greet pavilion

Rob Oglesby, the development director of Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, says the first stop in the 23,000-square-foot welcome center will be the lobby before people head to the cat room, education center, veterinary clinic and more.

Work continues on the 23,000-squarefoot welcome and education center at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue.

IN PROGRESS n Work on the last nine cottages n Construction of the 23,000-square-foot welcome and adoption center that will include a veterinary clinic, parvo and maternity ward, cat room, education and community center, a two-bedroom apartment and possibly a Belgian waffle and ice cream store.

the project. The rescue broke ground in 2019.

Oglesby said it’s been a long process, but he’s excited to see it coming together.

“I’m here every day, so it doesn’t look like it’s coming together because I’ve seen it moving at a snail’s pace, but if you leave and come back, it’s amazing,” he said. “If you were here three weeks ago, (the meet-andgreet pavilion) was not here.”

Oglesby said although the project has taken longer than expected

to complete, he’s relieved to have it done in phases.

The rescue completed its approximately 5,000-square-foot intake building in October 2021 followed by its 4,300-square-foot training facility in January 2022. Since then, adoptions have been taking place in the training facility until the welcome and education center opens.

“It’s been the perfect storm of everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, but everything happens for a reason as well,” Oglesby said.

“Imagine if we had a 23,000-squarefoot building, 17 cottages, and two almost 5,000-square-foot buildings handed to us all at once. We would have drowned.”

BY THE NUMBERS $12 MILLION Cost of expansion $9.3 MILLION Amount raised ¼ MILE Distance around the pond for volunteers to walk the dogs 120 Parking spots after construction 23,000 Square footage of welcome and adoption center 4,000 Square footage of training center 5,000 Square footage of intake building 8 Number of acres on the property 17 Number of animal cottages after construction 120 Dogs the rescue can house after the project is complete 60 Cats the rescue can house after the project is complete

.com e s u ho

e War

re rnitu

Fu

The

USE ONE OF THE COUPONS BELOW OR

60 MONTHS FINANCING* PICK UP TODAY OR NEXT DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE

50 OFF $100 OFF $200 OFF Perfection $ 89999 $300 OFF $400 OFF $500 OFF Queen $ 99 599 $

ANY PURCHASE OVER $499

ANY PURCHASE OVER $999

Quaint

decor

Easy to configure chaise sectional will be the perfect addition for a smaller area.

SOFA

ANY PURCHASE OVER $1999

achieved

Queen headboard, footboard, rails, dresser and mirror.

139999

$

ANY PURCHASE OVER $2999

ANY PURCHASE OVER $3999

vacation feel

Open, airy and inviting design.

Includes table, two chairs and a bench.

Stores Hours: Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 11-6

mattress

4-PC

SOUTH SARASOTA 5252 S. Tamiami Trail (at Phillippi Creek) 941-260-9601

ANY PURCHASE OVER $4999

NORTH SARASOTA 4027 N Washington Blvd (Hwy 301) 941-351-8600

Queen 9” gel memory foam mattress.

All sizes available.

BRADENTON 1100 Cortez Rd W (corner US Hwy 41) 941-749-6069

ELLENTON 5814 18th Street East (across Premium Outlets) 941-479-7900

39999

$

VENICE 550 S Seaboard Ave (US Hwy 41 Bypass) 941-485-3211

PORT CHARLOTTE 1241 El Jobean Rd (across Sam’s) 941-764-8700 NOW OPEN!

*For financing for 36 months a minimum purchase of $3000 or more is required to qualify. For financing of 12 months a minimum purchase of $300 or more is required to qualify. Interest will be charged to your account from the promotional purchase date. Equal Monthly Payments are required. Offer applies to only single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a nonpromotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms.

Subject to credit approval. Furniture must be delivered within 60 days for all financing offers. All prices include Hot Buys, Coupon savings or any promotional discounts. Terms of promotions - Previous purchase excluded, cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount. Promotion offers exclude Hot Buys, floor models or clearance items, sales tax, furniture protection plans, warranty, delivery, or service charge.

401577-1

Beach

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

EAST COUNTY PROJECTS IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN The total recommended funding for the CIP is $3.8 billion. District 1 is targeted for 40% of those funds with far more projects (155) than any other district. District 5 has 102 projects on the CIP. “It’s going to be skewed because you’ve got the port, Piney Point (phosphate facility) and the (Manatee) dam all in District 1,” District 1 Commissioner James Satcher explained about why his district is receiving so much more money on the CIP than the other districts. “Everyone needs drinking water, and it’s all in District 1.

And we’re spending money to make roads that go north/south in my district.”

District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said a “bigger slice of the pie” going to Districts 1 and 5 also are due to population growth in those areas of the county.

“Most of 44th Avenue was built with impact fees from District 5,” she said.

Here’s a list of the major projects proposed for East County over the next five years:

The county has recommended spending $89.2 million on parks improvements on the FY 2024 budget.

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS n $12.1 million. Lena Road from south of 44th Avenue East to Landfill Road. n $38.1 million. Lorraine Road from State Road 64 to 59th Avenue East. n $23.7 million. Upper Manatee River Road from north of State Road 64 to the Fort Hamer Bridge.

Budget focus remains on roads

PARKS n $1 million. Lakewood Ranch parking expansion. n $18.9 million. Premier Sports Complex swimming pool. n $2.4 million. Braden River Park baseball field improvements.

Recommended budget includes $492.5 million for road projects and $89.2 million for parks projects.

POTABLE WATER n $14.3 million. Upper Manatee River Road north of State Road 64 to Fort Hamer.

File photos

SOLID WASTE n $7.8 million. Lena Road gas expansion WASTEWATER n $10.2 million. 44th Avenue East from 44th Avenue Plaza East to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard (reclaimed). n $15.8 million. 44th Avenue East from 44th Avenue Plaza East to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard (wastewater).

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

I

t was just under a year ago when Manatee County commissioners approved the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, noting that the emphasis was heavily placed on roads and parks.

When Acting Manatee County Administrator Lee Washington presented his recommended $2.1 billion FY 2024 budget to commissioners last week, not much has changed.

Once again, a growing Manatee County, which now has more than 412,703 residents (per Census Reporter), has made roads and parks the top priorities.

Of the recommended $2.1 billion budget, $492.5 million is targeted for road expansion projects. Another $89.2 million will go toward park facilities.

Washington told commissioners his recommended budget places a high priority on public safety, infrastructure and services for citizens.

Other main priorities in the budget include $190 million to run the Sheriff’s Office and $23.1 million for Public Safety. The county has budgeted $66.1 million in building improvements and has set aside $9 million for salary increases.

While that total budget amount is under the FY 2023 approved budget of $2,358,762,650, Commissioner

Lorraine Road will be widened between State Road 64 and 59th Avenue East.

FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR FY 24 (IN MILLIONS) General Government: $130.8 Public Safety: $236.4 Physical Environment: $332.2 Public Transportation: $108.7 Human Services: $37.3 Culture & Recreation: $37.6 Capital Outlay: $110.1 Economic Environment: $39.9 Interfund Transfers: $314.5 Internal Services: $116.1 Transfers to Other Governments: $4.5 Other (contingency, cash balance): $635.3

Vanessa Baugh said it likely will surpass the previous year’s budget amount after the county can accurately determine the amount it will receive from property taxes. The assessment of property values is due

by July 1, with an estimated 17.5% increase in home values over last year. “(The property appraiser’s office) is almost always very conservative in that figure, so when the property appraiser announces the actual figure on July 1, at that point, we will truly know how much money we have for the budget this coming year that will start Oct. 1,” Baugh said. “Is it more money than what was projected before? It generally is, and it could be $4 to $10 million more that we can sit back and come up with some projects that we’d like to do, but were afraid we couldn’t afford in this (recommended) budget.”

After the property appraisal figures are released, Washington will present commissioners with a proposed budget.

Final approval of the budget is scheduled for Sept. 19. Two public hearings will be held in September that will focus on the budget. The new budget takes effect on Oct. 1, which begins the fiscal year.

Commissioners still can vote down or pull items from the proposed budget.

Commissioners also can add items that weren’t recommended by the county administrator.

Here is a look at some of the priorities in the budget.

the county still has to maintain and make its existing roadways safer.

The recommended budget will provide Public Works with $87.9 million in 2024 for continued road maintenance to keep up with the growing usage, including the road resurfacing and sidewalk repair programs in the unincorporated areas of the county.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Manatee County’s population increased by an estimated 7.4% from April 2020 to July 2022.

Ad d i t i o n a l t ra n s p o r ta t i o n improvement requests include “Next Signal” guide signs that help motorists know what crossroad is coming up. Other improvements include speed management and multimodal safety measures at intersections and on thoroughfares.

Then, of course, come the major road projects.

“As far as the budget (in East County), we’re in pretty good shape,” Baugh said. “We’ve got Lorraine Road, Upper Manatee Road and Fort Hamer (road improvement projects) all in the budget.”

All of those projects are included in the FY 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Plan, along with extensions for Lena Road and 44th Avenue East and an intersection improvement at Players Drive and Lorraine Road.

Lena Road will be extended south of 44th Avenue to Landfill Road.

Lorraine will expand to four lanes from State Road 64 to 59th Avenue East, and Upper Manatee River Road will expand to four lanes north of S.R. 64 to the Fort Hamer Bridge.

ROAD PROJECTS FUNDED

PARKS IMPROVEMENTS COMING

Besides the major road projects,

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FY24-28, BY DISTRICT District

Total

District 1

$1,431,628,241

40.0%

Number of Projects

District 2

$273,078,420

7.6%

92

District 3

$389,838,019

11.0%

119

District 4

$549,762,328

15.4%

101

District 5

$573,911,026

16.0%

102

Countywide

$137,781,807

3.8%

30

Multi-District

$223,481,335

6.2%

54

$3,579,481,176

100%

653

155

While Premier Park doesn’t have a lot of line items on the 2023-24 budget, four major projects are included in the CIP—locker rooms for the sports campus, a pickleball and racket center, a soccer multipurpose building and a 50-meter swimming pool.

“Premier is going to stick by the word ‘premier.’ It’s going to be the best of the best,” Baugh said.

Under the recommended CIP, $10.4 million goes to the pool and $3.2 million to the pickleball and racket center in 2025. The soccer multi-purpose building was previously funded for $2.2 million and plans are underway.

“We’re going in stages (at Premier Park), and right now, we’re in the design stage. It’s about 30-40% at this point,” Baugh said. “When recess is over, there will be a vote as to whether or not to go ahead and finish up the design and start with the pickleball courts first.”

Set to open on the complex in September, the Lakewood Ranch Library will add $437,024 to the budget for operating costs. The $17.7 million it cost to build was already funded, and three custodian positions at a cost of $195,676 were forward funded from the last adopted budget.

As Premier Park continues to introduce new facilities, Lakewood Ranch Park is due for an update.

Manatee County Sports and Leisure Services asked for $85,000 to upgrade the three full-size basketball courts on site. “(The courts) are seeing signs of aging. They have the old gooseneck style goals, so we would upgrade the goals and address safety concerns with the cracking courts,” Deputy Director Molly White said. “Years ago, we did the tennis courts. The pickleball courts are getting ready to be resurfaced, so this will finish out (the hard surfaces of) that park.”

The outdated gooseneck posts, double rims and plastic fan-shaped backboards will be replaced with full-size, clear, rectangular backboards with breakaway rims.

White also requested $66,768 to add four golf carts to the department’s fleet, one of which would go to Lakewood Ranch Park so attendants can get to and from the athletic fields faster during events.

A shade structure and “destination playground” are included in the recommended CIP. Destination playgrounds are worth traveling for, so they draw more visitors than the average neighborhood playground.

A nearby example is the circusthemed playground at Payne Park in Sarasota.

While commissioners are on recess until the third week in July, the property appraiser’s office will release its “certification of values,” which is the total taxable value of all properties in the county. The budget reflects a preliminary estimate that shows a 17.5% increase in property values. Property taxes account for $394.6 million of revenue in the 2024 recommended budget, a nearly 19% increase from the 2023 adopted budget of $332 million.

3A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

LARGEST SELECTION OF FANS ANYWHERE! TRADITIONAL

MODERN

CONTEMPORARY

Mick mansion up for sale

LARGE FANS

WHEN YOU THINK FANS THINK DAN’S!

Mick Jagger sightings are now less likely in Lakewood Ranch, as the rock star’s girlfriend, Melanie Hamrick, has put her Lake Club home up for sale for $3.5 million.

Design Your Own Fan Parts & Services Available DC Motor Fans Available

Keep It Cool This Summer With An Outdoor Fan!

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Y

Bradenton

E. Sarasota

1808 Cortez Rd #101 6303 Center Ring Rd #101 (941) 355-1153 (941) 755-3262

Locaaons Naaonwide!

402897-1

Design Your Own Fan Parts & Services Available In-Store Warrannes www.DansFanCity.com

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER?

ou can’t always get what you want.

Case in point: Although Mick Jagger’s longtime girlfriend, Melanie Hamrick, has put her Lake Club home on the market for $3.5 million, don’t expect to check the place out at an open house.

“The notoriety makes it trickier because you have all the curiosity seekers that you have to weed through,” says RE/MAX Alliance Real Estate Agent Christine Spelman. “I could never do an open house on this house. It’s only private tours.”

The house is listed in Hamrick’s name and not in the name of the Rolling Stones frontman. Hamrick, who has family in the area, is a former ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre.

The couple bought the home at 15809 Clearlake Ave. in October 2020 for $1.98 million. Spelman is the couple’s Realtor and also a family friend. She says Jagger and Hamrick love the area, but with two busy schedules, they simply can’t visit as much as they would like.

“It is a magnificent house — 5,725plus square feet, four en-suites, fiveand-a-half baths. They have spent the last two years with two professionals decorators redoing it, making it light and airy,” Spelman says.

“The house was originally built with privacy in mind with water on two sides, a park out front and one neighbor, so they took that to the next level with a lot of landscaping and a lot of cameras.”

Spelman says the couple had a rough start in Lakewood Ranch because of a frenzy caused by celeb-

G NEW EN

Courtesy photo

rity seekers. She keeps an eye on the house when Jagger and Hamrick can’t be there and says they still receive mail from all over the world to that address.

Spelman, who’s been selling homes in the area for 12 years, also receives regular text messages from people saying they swore they just saw Mick Jagger around the corner, to which she typically responds, “No, you didn’t because I know he’s not here.”

The publicity caused the couple to add three camera towers on the outside of the property, along with extensive landscaping to prevent prying eyes from seeing inside.

The exterior of the home also features three terrace balconies and a bell tower in the back that overlooks the water for a gorgeous sunset view.

Inside, there are two staircases. One is private and leads to a master suite.

What will people do to see the inside of Mick Jagger’s bedroom?

One person made a full price offer of $3,499,000 with one stipulation: to meet the owner. Spelman rejected that offer and changed her restrictions since giving six private tours June 17. Buyers must show proof of funds to get inside.

While Jagger’s icon status might draw more interest to the listing, it doesn’t up the price.

“We knew it would bring more attention, but we didn’t put extra dollar value for that.”

LA ND

FAV OR I T ES !

ER SUM M

SAFE DRINKING WATER IS FUNDAMENTAL TO LIFE Fehl Safe Water Treatment has more than 30 years of experience in making water safe.

Mick Jagger and Melanie Hamrick’s Lakewood Ranch home is listed for $3,499,000.

CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE WATER TESTING

941-322-8286 For all your water needs:

ROAST BEEF

Water Filtration & Purification Systems Softener Installation & Maintenance Salt & Maintenance Service Well & Pump Service Aerators & Pressure Tanks 24-hour Emergency Service 386921-1

fehlsafewatersystems.com

LOBSTER ROLL

For more than 70 years, Kelly’s Roast Beef has been the staple of the North Shore of Boston, renowned for its thinly sliced “melt-in-your-mouth” roast-beef sandwiches and generous platters of Fresh New England seafood.

PUBLIC NOTICES The Sarasota/Siesta Key, East County and Longboat Observers meet the legal requirements to publish legal and public notices in Sarasota & Manatee counties, per F.S. 50.011.

Verified Audit 1101 Fifth Ave., Suite 270 | San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 461-6006 | www.verifiedaudit.com

401656-1

AUDITOR INFORMATION

Gluten Free Options & Drive Thru • Open 7 Days A Week 11am-9pm The Square at UTC Next to to CVS pharmacy · 5407 University Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34201

403785-1

4A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

5A

Sarasota & Lakewood Ranch’s FAVORITE MED SPA

Beauty is our Business Lesley Dwyer

The parcel in question is on the northwest corner of State Road 64 and 117th Street East.

Try our extensive selection of treatments to bring you back to the fresh look and confidence that you deserve.

Car lot opponents out of options LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

After putting up a two-year legal fight to stop Cox Chevrolet from building a car dealership next to its neighborhood, Save Gates Creek and its Neighborhoods Inc. is out of legal options.

“We’re out of it,” said Gates Creek Attorney Jay O’Sullivan. “We brought it up before two different judges and they basically said, ‘We believe the county,’ and that’s it.

“We’re just sitting back, and who knows who will really start growling when they start building the place.

It’s a space where there’s nine subdivisions around it.”

The dealership, planned for an 18-acre parcel at the northwest corner of State Road 64 and 117th Street East, was approved by the Manatee County Commission in October 2020 by a 4-3 vote.

District Five Commissioner Vanessa Baugh voted against the project.

“It’s just a terrible location to put

Beauty Deals

a car dealership,” Baugh said. “There is no mass development like that commercial property in the area. It’s going to be huge.”

After the board’s approval, O’Sullivan filed two cases — one against Manatee County claiming they violated both the land development code and the Sunshine Law, the other against Manatee County and Cox Properties claiming the rezoning was not consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

“Both of those cases are now closed. The one shows it’s open because the county was moving for attorney’s fees,” said Fred Moore, the attorney for Cox Properties.

“There’s nothing (stopping Cox) as far as moving forward under county approvals, but I don’t know if there are other approvals necessary — the state water district, the federal government, other items — that wasn’t part of my engagement.”

Manatee County filed and won a motion to request the repayment of tax costs and attorney fees from Save Gates Creek, but the county attorney’s office didn’t respond to phone and email messages asking if they planned to follow through.

Some trees and debris have started to be cleared on the property. Kris Cox didn’t return several calls for comment on plans for the lot.

cheeks $

lips & lip lines

face & neck

treatment

FILLER FOR

499

each

(when you buy 2 or more)

MICRONEEDLING FOR

349

$

each

(FDA Approved)

FILLER FOR

499

$

each

for Forehead, Frown & Crow’s Feet

5

$

Make your appointment SRQ | 6118 S. Tamiami Trl. | 941.216.2523 LWR | 6277 Lake Osprey Dr. | 941.289.3086

per unit

today!

Mon/Tue/Th/Fri 10am - 5pm Alternate Wed/Sat 10am - 4pm WWW.BOWTIQUEMEDSPA.COM

403128-1

Save Gates Creek and its Neighborhoods Inc. is out of legal options following a two-year legal battle to stop the dealership.

DEPOSIT REQUIRED at Booking. Available while supplies last. Must mention ad to receive promotion. Cannot combine with any other discount. Not valid towards previous purchases. All sales final. No refunds. Offers expire 6/30/2023.

LOOK Who’s Now in

LWR!

New Location NOW OPEN at: 5985 Silver Falls Run, Suite 102 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211 Phone: 941.269.4150 Keye L. Wong, M.D., John H Niffenegger, M.D., FACS, Beth Richter, M.D., PhD, Jesse T. McCann, M.D., PhD

405401-1

404108-1

SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!

er • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother

ctrolux • Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother

and sergers.

Tops Vacuum and Sewing Lowest Prices In USA! Save Hundreds Off Internet! er • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother

sergers.

BRANDS,

Electrolux • Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother •

Electrolux •398965-1 Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother • The Bank • Bissell • Miele

Electrolux • Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother • The Bank • Bisse

Electrolux • Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother • The Bank • Bis

Electrolux • Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother •

Miele • Electrolux • Hoover • ALL BRNDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hand Quilter • Plaff • JUKI • Bro

Miele • Electrolux • Hoover • ALL BRNDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hand Quilter • Plaff • JUKI • Brothe • The Bank • Bissell •

Miele • Electrolux • Hoover • ALL BRNDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hand Quilter • Plaff • JUKI • Brothe • The Bank

ectrolux • Hoover • Hand Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff • JUKI • Brother

• Dyson • ALL SAVE NDS carries d Sewing ps Vacuum and Sewing VE S SEWING SERVICE SEWING SERVICE A carries acarries huge selection S D • Bissell • Miele • carries a•huge • Bernina • Dyson ALL BRANDS,selection ALL BUDGETS Bank S•AOreck Shark • Sebo • STheAN OU2023 H22, U T Sewing Machines Sewing Machines O 6A EAST COUNTY OBSERVER THURSDAY, JUNE H of sewing sewing machines ionModels of asewing huge of sewing Tops Vacuum and Sewing are in!Models Great Holiday Gift! of machines SAVE SAVE are in!selection Great Holiday Gift!T E V A Longarm Machines Longarm Machines ALL MIELE Janome • Bernina • Dyson • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Oreck Shark • Sebo • The Bank • Bissell Miele SEWING S ••Bissell sergers. $20sergers. $20 Janomeand Bernina Dyson ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS Oreck Shark••Sebo Sebo••The TheFAMOUS Bank Bissell Miele••• Janome ••Bernina ••Dyson ••ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS ••Oreck Shark Bank DS•••Miele carries a huge selection nd sergers. machines and sergers. and N A SAVINGS IN STOCK S SERVICE ps Vacuum and Sewing carries SEWING SERVICE OU

na

AL

Miele ALLBUDGETS BUDGETS •Hand Hand Quilter • Pfaff •JUKI JUKI••••Brother Brother•••• Miele Electrolux Hoover ALL BRNDS, ••• Hand Quilter ••• Plaff ••• JUKI Electrolux ••••Hoover Hoover ••••ALL ALLBRANDS, BRNDS, ALL ALL BUDGETS Quilter Plaff JUKI Brother Miele •••• Electrolux Electrolux Hoover ALL BRNDS, ALL BUDGETS Hand Quilter Plaff Brother

Electrolux•••Hoover Hoover•••Hand Hand Quilter Quilter ••• ALL ALL BRANDS, BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS •• Plaff Plaff •• JUKI JUKI •• Brother Brother Electrolux BRANDS, ALL ALL BUDGETS BUDGETS • Pfaff • JUKI • Brother Electrolux Hoover Hand Quilter ALL

• Hand•Quilter • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Brother ElectroluxElectrolux • Hoover••Hoover Hand Quilter ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Plaff •• Plaff JUKI••JUKI Brother

LIDA Y SA ps Vacuum and Sewing carries of sewing machines are in!sewing Great Holiday CLEAN-UP Gift! a huge selection ofModels sewing SEWING SAVINGS SPRING a huge selection ofSewing wing Machines Machines and HOLIDAY SAVINGS Lowest Prices In USA!sergers.

Save Hundreds Off Internet!

V acuum and S machines and sergers. |

YourObserver.com

H HUGESELECTION SEWING SERVICE HUGE UNDERSOLD TSELECTION Quilting Machines Machines • Reset toQuilting Factory • Reset to Factory • lubricate • lubricate

Sewing Machines WE DEMO AND ASSEMBLE #1 RATED Tolerances SewingTolerances Machines IN IN STOCK STOCK • AdjustSAVE Tension • Adjust Tension T SAVE UUMS LESS han SAVE MIELE MARIN HUNDREDS mbroidery Machines Embroidery Machines W • Polish Hook • Polish Hook E • AdjustLongarm Timing • Adjust Timing NFROM Longarm Machines 0%FINANCING FINANCING 0% $20 Machines $20 BAGLESS RECHARGEABLE SEWING SERVICE 95 ESTIMATES FREE ESTIMATES NEVER UNDERSOLD BEST SERVICE •• LARGEST SHOWROOMS NEVER UNDERSOLD BEST SERVICE LARGEST SHOWROOMS VE ••FREE FROM0S0A 99 ers – Sewing Furniture Sergers – Sewing Furniture Quilting Machines • ResetMIELE to Factory •Machines lubricate Quilting TRI-FLEX-WOW! • Reset to Factory • lubricate Sewing Machines $ 9 S

•

BES

NEW

10lbs

ps Vacuum Sewing Machines carries andand sergers. garm Machines machines Longarm Tops andMIELE Sewing hug selection D NEW Tolerances 29Machines aHVacuum huge ofTension sewing Nselection • Adjust DYSON NEWe TRIFLEX 10 DYSON Tolerances ASewing MIELE TRIFLEX 10VACUUMS VACUUMS SMachines • AdjustRUBY Tension Sewing TRI FLEX CAT AVE SAVE U O Machines lting Machines Quilting Machines STERS Embroidery PRO T • Polish Hook Embroidery Machines • Adjust Timing NDS TERS HEADQUARTERS • Polish Hook HEADQUARTERS carries a huge selection of sewing TopsVacuum Vacuum and Sewing carries HX1 RED DOG Tops and Sewing carries VACUUM SERVICE VACUUM SERVICE • Adjust Timing SA SEWING SERVICE Longarm Machines SEWING SERVICE 9 9 $20 4 HOU 95 95 T machines and sergers. machines and FREE ESTIMATES Longarm Machines E 99 99 V FREE ESTIMATES Longarm Machines BEST WAY TO CLEAN ALL BEST WAY TO CLEAN ALL A E V S Sergers Furniture $ $selection $ $ OFF FOREmbroidery ANY TRADE A – Sewing SAVE$200 $200 S Sergers – Sewing Furniture machines and sergers. oidery Machines Machines SAVE a huge of sewing MIELE a huge selection of sewing Quilting Machines S • Reset to Factory • lubricate SAVE D SAVE DS Quilting T ops V acuum an FLORIDA HOMES Quilting HOUSANFLORIDA BEST TURBO EASIEST TOVACUUM USE SAVE Machines HOUSANMachines • $20 Adjust Tension Tolerances SAVE THOMES Sewing Machines SERVICE Sewing Machines Embroidery Machines $20 VACUUM SERVICE machines and sergers.

Sewing machines and sergers.

Embroidery Machines – SewinggWOOD, Furniture Sergers –TOhuge Sewing Furniture gDEMO gWOOD, GET A SEWING •SERVICE Polish Hook BEST PLASTIC THIS IS HOW YOU TILE BESTa TILE • Adjust Timing SERVICE es selec SEWING SERVICE WAY TO CLEAN ALL SEWING $20 $20 BEST Machines WAY CLEAN ALL Longarm Machines Quilting Machines Embroidery Machines Embroidery S SAVE HUNDREDS MIELE CLEAN YOUR LOWEST MIELE SAVE FREE ESTIMATES Longarm Machines Tops Vacuum and Sewing E Tops Vacuum and Sewing LAMINATE, CARPET LAMINATE, CARPET AVSergers HOMES Sergers – Sewing FLORIDA HOMES SAVE SAVE machines and SAVEFurniture TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Longarm $20 E EMISSIONS SFLORIDA SAVE VTERRAZZO, –HOUSE SewingMachines Furniture Machines SSewing Sewing D Sergers – RUGS Sewing Furniture gDEMO g $20 N carries a huge selection of sewing GET A $20 carries a huge selection of sewing Sergers – Sewing Furniture g g A GET A DEMO WOOD, TILE AREA TERRAZZO, AREA RUGS S WOOD, TILE U Clean • Grease Clean • Grease O $20 Quilting Machines S H $20 D T N SAVE HUNDREDS HUNDREDS SA VACUUM SERVICE LAMINATE, CARPET LAMINATE, CARPET Quilt ing Sewing Machines and sergers.

Longarm Machines Emachines and E SAVE BEST WAY TO CLEAN FOR ALL ALL Longarm Machines Wash/Wax •sergers.

Deodorize Wash/Wax • Deodorize FOR ALL SSAAVVmachines BEST WAY TO CLEAN ALL FLORIDA HOMES Embroidery Machines TERRAZZO, AREA RUGS TERRAZZO, AREA RUGS S S MIELE D Clean • Grease Clean • Grease N D N FREE ESTIMATES Longarm Machines SENSITIVE SENSITIVE FLOORS SAVEWe’ll We’ll get it inMachines top shape! get it in top shape!

WOOD, Machines TILE UUSSAA Sewing Quilting FLORIDA HOMES Wash/Wax Quilting Machines Sewing Machines Embroidery Machines Machines Embroidery TTHHOOFLOORS Embroide Wash/Wax Deodorize • DeodorizeSERVICE FOR ALL FOR ALL •CARPET VACUUM SERVICE VACUUM LAMINATE, Sergers – Sewing Furniture g g GET A DEMO WOOD, TILE Quilting Machines Longarm Machines Longarm Machines LAKEWOOD LAKEWOOD Sergers –RUGS TERRAZZO, Sergers –shape!

FLOORS SENSITIVE We’ll get itSARASOTA in top $20 shape!

We’ll get it AREA in top VACUUM SERVICE VACUUM SERVICE SARASOTA Embroidery Machines VACUUM SERVICE Embroidery Machines SAVEFLOORS HUNDREDSSENSITIVE FOR ALL SENSITIVE FLOORS LAMINATE, CARPET Ser gers – Se g JUKI, RANCH RANCH Sewing Furniture UM BROTHER, JANOME, VACUUM Sewing Furniture Quilting Machines Quilting Machines SAVE SAVE LAKEWOOD LAKEWOOD 2120 Bee Ridge Road.

2120 Bee Ridge Road.

7212 55th Ave. E. 7212 55th Ave. E. SAVE SARASOTA Oreck, LESS Than 10lbs LESSThan Than10lbs 10lbs S anitiare, Simplicity, Miele, LESS MSPOKEN O Dyson, Bissell and more!

R FHAS CUSTOMER HAS CUSTOMER HAS SPOKEN CUSTOMER SPOKEN

00

FROM FROM FROM

BAGLESS RECHARGEABLE BAGLESS • RECHARGEABLE BAGLESS ••$RECHARGEABLE

Oreck, Sanitiare, Simplicity, Miele, Oreck,Sanitiare, Sanitiare,Simplicity, Simplicity,Miele, Miele, Oreck, Dyson, Bissell and more!

Dyson,Bissell Bisselland andmore! more!

Dyson,

SSAAVVEE S S ANNDDS TTHHOOUUSA

MOTORHEAD TORQUE MOTORHEAD•• V11 •V11 V11 TORQUE MOTORHEAD TORQUE

SAVE SAVE SAVE

ALL MODELS ALL MODELS HUNDREDS ALL MODELS HUNDREDS HUNDREDS

ITITIS ISISTHAT THAT GOOD! THATGOOD! GOOD! IT

ResettotoFactory Factory lubricate • •Reset • •lubricate Tolerances Tolerances AdjustTension Tension Expires • •Adjust Expires 7/15/21 7/15/21 Polish Hook •Adjust Lubricate Reset toHook factory ••Adjust Timing Timing •••Polish

• Adjust Tension •••Tolerances Reset to Factory ••lubricate lubricate Resetto toFactory Factory lubricate Reset • FREE ESTIMATES FREE ESTIMATES Tolerances Tolerances • Adjust Timing Hook ••Adjust Adjust Tension Tolerances Adjust Tension • Polish • Tension • Polish Hook • Polish Hook ••Adjust Adjust Timing AdjustTiming Timing • Polish Hook • Expires Expires Expires FREE ESTIMATES FREEESTIMATES ESTIMATES 10/31/21 10/31/21 FREE 10/31/21

SAVE SAVE AREA RUGS Sergers Sewing gg ––941-251-5226 gTERRAZZO, Sergers Sewing Furniture g Furniture HANDI QUILTER Clean • Grease VACUUM VACUUM $20 $20 941-251-5226 941-926-2699 941-926-2699 $20 $20 $20 Wash/Wax • Deodorize FOR ALL ING FROM 99 FREE LESSONS& SEWING & SEWINGVACUUMSENSITIVE & SEWING SERVICE FLOORS We’llClean get it•in top shape!

Clean •Grease Grease 10 YR WARRANTY vacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com We’ll get it •in top shape!

Wash/Wax • Deodorize SAVE Wash/Wax Deodorize BEST SELECTION IN USA www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com $20 VACUUM ALL BUDGETS • Hoover •ALL Miele •BUDGETS Hand •• ALL Electrolux Quilter ••ALL ALL BRANDS, •Quilter JUKI•LAKEWOOD ••Hoover ALL • Hoover Hand • Plaff • JUKI • LAKEWOOD Get • Miele •AElectrolux BRANDS, BUDGETS •JUKI Hand•Quilter • Plaff ••JUKI • QuilterLAKEWOOD $100 OFF LAKEWOOD BRADENTON SARASOTA BRADENTON SARASOTA •BRANDS, Miele •MIELE Electrolux • ALL BRANDS, • Hoover •Plaff Hand Plaff •BUDGETS BRADENTON SARASOTA BRADENTON SARASOTA Demo VACUUM RANCH RANCH RANCH RANCH SEWING & V A CUU M VACUUM VACUUM UM 5206VACUUM VACUUM get Ave. it in5206 5206 Manatee 2120 Bee Ridge Road.

2120 Ridge Road.

2120 Road. 7212 55th Ave. E. Manatee Ave.VACUUM Manatee Ave.7212 5206Bee Manatee Ave. 2120 BeeWe’ll Ridge Road.

55thBee Ave.Ridge E. 7212 55th Ave. E. 7212 55th Ave. E. top shape! & SEWING 941.792.8048 941-926-2699 & SEWING && 941.792.8048 & SEWING 941-926-2699 NG& 941.792.8048 941-251-5226 941-926-2699 941-926-2699 941.792.8048 941-251-5226 www.topsvacuumandsewing.com 941-251-5226 941-251-5226 &SEWING SEWING SEWING SEWING SAVE HUNDREDS SEWING SERVICE • Miele • Electrolux • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hoover • Hand Quilter • Plaff • JUKI • LAKEWOOD www.topsvacuumandsewing.com BRADENTON SARASOTA www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www .topsvac RANCH opsvacuumandsewing.com www.topsvacuumandsewing.com www SAVE 5206 Manatee.topsvac VACUUM Ave. 2120 Bee Ridge Road. 7212 55th Ave. E. Gabriella Moss and her mother, Silvia Costa, are 50/50 partners in Via la Casa. $

85

SARASOTA

2120 Bee Ridge Road.

941-926-2699

MULTI-NEEDLE SHOWCASE

941-926-2699 941-251-5226

INTERNET PRICE (OR MORE) FOR MOST VACUUMS & SEWING MACHINES

RANCH 7212NAPLES 55th Ave. E. NAPLES FORTMYERS MYERS FORT 941-251-5226 941-926-2699 5367 N. Airport 5367N. N.Airport Airport 5367 12135 Cleveland Ave. 2120 Bee Ridge Road.

Clean • Grease Wash/WaxPORT •PORT Deodorize

CHARLOTTE CHARLOTTE

RANCH

7212 55th Ave. E.

Clean • Grease 941-251-5226

Clean•• Grease Clean Wash/Wax •Grease Deodorize Wash/Wax Wash/Wax••Deodorize Deodorize Expires 10/31/21 NP Expires10/31/21 10/31/21NP NP Expires We’ll it in top We’llget get it in topshape! shape!

LAKEWOOD SARASOTA Expires Expires 7/15/21 Expires7/31/21 7/15/21

Expires 7/15/21 Expires 7/31/21

BEST WAY TO CLEAN WOOD, TILE, LAMINATE, CARPET, TERRAZZO, AREA RUGS

3846 Tamiami Trail 3846Tamiami TamiamiTrail Trail 3846

12135Cleveland ClevelandAve. Ave. 12135 Ft. Myers, FL Ft.Myers, Myers,FL FL Ft.

239-939-4445 239-939-4445

(941)766-7118 766-7118 (Formerly (941) (Formerly Vac &&Sew) Sew) (FormerlyVac Vac& Sew)

LONG ARM THO SAVE FO-33384024 BRAND NEW USAND SHOWROOMS FO-33384024 S! ORECK

FO-33384024 398969-1 FO-AT210809_182330

RANCH

212055th Bee Ave. RidgeE.Road.

7212

Pulling Rd. PullingRd. Rd. Pulling

(239) (239)591-4422 591-4422 Next totoBed Bed Bath and Nextto BedBath Bathand and Next Beyond Beyond Beyond

Bissell •••Miele ••••Electrolux ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS •••Hoover ••••Hand Quilter Pfaff JUKI • Bissell • •• Electrolux • ALL $20 BRANDS, ALL• BUDGETS • Hoover • Quilter Hand Quilter • •••JUKI Bissell Miele Electrolux ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS Hoover Hand •••Plaff CONTROL HandiQuilter -• Miele Bissell Miele Electrolux •& ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS Hoover Hand Quilter Plaff JUKI••• • Bissell ••••Miele • Electrolux ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hoover Hand Quilter SEWING 941.792.8048 941-926-2699 JUKI INNOVA

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

941-251-5226 le • Electrolux olux • ALL BRANDS, ALL& BUDGETS • Bissell ••Hoover Miele ••Electrolux •Tension ALL • BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hoover • Hand Quilter • • SAVE •Hand Lubricate Quilter • Adjust Bernina $100

more...

FREE DELIVERY

FREE INSTALLATION • Lifetime Lessons FO-33384024 FREE INSTRUCTION SAVE •10 Yr. Warranty NEW & on All Sales THOUSANDS! 10 YEAR WARRANTY Pre-Owned ALL SALES • Guaranteed Pricing

• Adjust Timing • Reset to Factory Tolerances • Polish Hook 1 Yr. Warranty

www.topsvacuumandsewing.com 95 199

$

Your HOME deserves World Class Marketing, SAVE THOUSANDS Elite Advertising and the personal touch from your Neighborhood Expert.

Expires 7/15/21

FREE ESTIMATES • Bissell • Miele • Electrolux • ALL BRANDS, ALL BUDGETS • Hoover • Hand Quilter •

BROTHER LUMINAIRE XP2

SAVE S! ND THOUSA

BABY LOCK SOLARIS 2

VACUUM & SEWING ORECK

JUKI MO-2000

BABY LOCK TRIUMPH

SA HUND VE REDS !

www.topsvacuumandsewing.com

TIM FINK

Realtor

941.347.0507

The Brewer Team

The art of business The multipurpose shop is a coffee and wine bar, art gallery, home decor store and event space.

I’ll feature your HOME in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Robb Report, Mansion Global, Barrons, Market Watch, Unique Homes, Local and International MLS, as well as FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube and much more!

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

I

n Italian, Via la Casa means “street of the home.”

Now co-owners Gabriella Moss and Silvia Costa hope their Via la Casa, San Marco Plaza’s newest business, is like a home to their patrons.

It serves as a coffee shop, wine bar, art gallery, home decor store and

BRAN

IF YOU GO

Via la Casa. 8209 Nature’s Way, Suite 121. Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Visit VialaCasa.art.

event space all in one.

Moss, 28, owns the shop with her mother, Costa. Both women live locally — Moss in Greenbrook and Costa in the Concession.

The coffee bar, furnished with bar stools, is front and center when entering Via la Casa, but there are more comfortable couches and chairs to choose from as well. If the furnishings seem too nice to risk spilling on, Costa said they’re not.

“The rugs are not very expensive,” Costa said. “The couch is made for sitting. I sprayed Scotchgard on the chairs. That’s why we have super rustic tables, cutting boards and things like that, so you’re not scared of spilling or scratching.”

DENTAL IMPLANTS

FREE PUBLIC EVENT for “Baby Boomers”

Suffering with Neuropathy (Numbness/Tingling) and other Complications of Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes.

by Dental Implant Specialists The list of Diabetic Complications is quite long and the potential symptoms are a lot more dangerous than just Neuropathy.

The good news is that we have a new FDA Cleared Therapy that can help with them all, with our patients saying

ESTHETIC GUM GRAFTING

EXTRACTIONS BONE GRAFTING

IMPLANT SURGERY

COSMETIC VENEERS CROWNS

IMPLANT TEETH

Providing simple to complex specialty dental care in one convenient location

“The results are Amazing I wish I did it sooner.”

FREE LUNCH

Please Join us on one of these dates to learn more:

High A1C Numbness / Tingling in the feet or hands Burning pain / Pins and Needles Concerned about Alzheimer’s (type 3 diabetes) Eye Sight Damage due to Diabetes Constant Fatigue Yeast Infections Erectile Dysfunction

Tues, June 27th at Noon Stonewood Grill and Tavern

415 University Pkwy, Sarasota 34201

RSVP 941-212-3398

Wed, June 28th at Noon Denny’s

3701 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota 34233

HARRY F. HARING III DMD

MAGGIE MISCHHARING DMD

KATHERINE E. MISCH DMD

CRAIG M. MISCH DDS, MDS

Thur, June 29th at Noon

SPECIALIST IN PROSTHODONTICS AND FULL MOUTH ESTHETICS

SPECIALIST IN PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT SURGERY

SPECIALIST IN PROSTHODONTICS AND TEETH IN A DAY

Minimally invasive periodontal and implant surgical techniques to improve patients’ oral health

Over 30 years experience with an eye for achieving a natural perfection in dental restorations

SPECIALIST IN ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY & PROSTHODONTICS

RSVP 941-231-5545 IHOP

6320 SR64 East, Bradenton 34208

RSVP 941-344-2151

Master clinician using the latest technology to artistically transform smiles using veneers and crowns

A Family-Owned Dental Speciality Practice

INSURANCE ACCEPTED including MEDICARE

201 4th Ave E Unit D & E, Bradenton, Fl 34208 FloridaDiabetesReliefCenters.com

International lecturer, faculty at Univ. of Michigan, U of F & PENN, author of numerous scientific publications and textbooks

CHECK OUR REVIEWS ONLINE

www.drmisch.com

120 South Tuttle Ave Sarasota, FL 34237

941.957.6444

397060-1

Please don’t miss out on this Health Talk if you have Diabetes and especially if you are starting to show symptoms or if you have been warned by your doctor.

405116-1

402612-1

0% FINANCING

ALL

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

WEST FLORIDA’S PREMIER POOL BUILDER

Design•Build•Maintain

The merchandise at Via la Casa is intertwined with the decor.

Professional In-House Construction Call today to schedule an appointment

941.927.1882

of West Florida, Inc. Lic# CPC1458597

www.HolidayPoolsFlorida.com

Family Owned and Operated Since 1994

Downtown Sarasota’s Premier Senior Rental Retirement Residence

To RSVP Call 941-955-9099

FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2023 RAIN OR SHINE 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM You are invited to a special intimate performance put on by the Sarasota Jazz Project.

AldermanOaks.com 727 Hudson Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236 AL#8979

Enjoy listening to Jazz selections from this talented group either out in our gardens or indoors, depending on the weather.

LUXURY REAL ESTATE DEFINED

405267-1

enjoy yourself.”

Alexis Jones was looking for a spot to grab a coffee on her way home from work to the Residences at the Green.

“We don’t have a lot of smaller coffee shops in Lakewood Ranch.

I teach tennis, so I’m usually on the search for coffee after lessons,” Jones said. “The coffee is very good.

It doesn’t taste acidic, and it doesn’t have an aftertaste. The banana bread was really good, too, and gluten free.”

Jones plans on returning, but she’s bringing her mom next time, and that’s exactly the response Moss hopes to hear.

“This is a place to connect,” she said. “We have the opportunity to connect with the community and also provide a place that the community can connect, whether meeting with friends or for business.”

The shop is closed Sundays and Mondays to host private events, and the current hours may expand with employees. For now, Via la Casa runs on a staff of two: Moss and Costa.

They’re tweaking and evolving as they go. Wine tastings start next month. For now, the focus is on getting to know their customers and offering that little something extra you can’t find at a Starbucks. For one, the iced coffee is served in a red wine glass.

“It’s more beautiful, and everybody wants to feel special,“ Costa said. “Everybody comes here and has a story to tell, and by the end, we’re kind of friends.”

402065-1

With the exception of a few oneof-a-kind pieces like the 19th century table from France or the box that was turned into a table, the furniture is for sale, too. Just ask and it’ll be ordered. The “box” table originally held a model airplane until Costa thought it would make a good coffee table, so she stained and varnished it.

Costa, 57, is the artist behind the 18 oil paintings that adorn Via la Casa’s walls. Most are originals, but walk around with Costa and she’ll make you guess which ones aren’t. The replicas are archival pigment prints done on canvas. They’re museum quality with a lifespan of 200 years. Originals run from $12,000 to $70,000, and prints from $500 to $2,000.

“I priced them where I wouldn’t regret selling them,” Costa said.

“I’m a perfectionist, and it’s realism. When you look at the painting, you think you’re looking at a photo.

It takes a lot of hours.”

A larger 48-by-72-inch painting can take Costa up to 180 hours to finish. She works off photographs.

One of her favorite pieces is called “Yellow Dress.” Moss is the woman wearing the dress.

The idea to open an art gallery came first. Everything else snowballed from there.

“I said, ‘There should be home decor in the midspace, and we’ll create a home with the art and the furniture underneath it,’” Moss said.

“Then I thought, why not blend it into a coffee shop as well?”

When Costa heard coffee, she added wine. The mother-anddaughter team work well together, each with a different skill set. Costa has a background in merchandising and focuses on the decor and inventory, while Moss earned a material science engineering degree from the University of Florida and handles the bar, marketing and social media.

They only butt heads over the budget. Moss is the more fiscally conservative of the two. As for shoppers, Via la Casa fits any budget. The home decor items range from $10 hand towels to an $800 ceramic platter handmade and imported from Italy.

“If you can’t afford a painting, buy a cappuccino,” Costa said. “You can just have a coffee, look around at all the paintings and merchandise, and

7A

OVER $121 MILLION SOLD AND PENDING IN 2023 OVER $199 MILLION SOLD AND PENDING IN 2022

“

“Donna is a true professional. She has the uncanny ability to make you feel important and heard at all times,

$6,995,000

15420 ANCHORAGE PLACE THE LAKE CLUB

$3,600,000

19436 NEWLANE PLACE THE CONCESSION

regardless of how busy she is.” – Eric G. “Donna is the ultimate professional in this market. She has command of all facets of selling property for its highest value. Her attention to detail is second to none.” – Donald H. “Donna was amazing to work with. She was efficient, knowledgeable, and very knowledgeable about the market.” – Ann M.

JUST LISTED $2,000,000

8327 REDONDA LOOP THE ISLES

JUST LISTED $749,000

4464 CALLE SERENA PRESTANCIA

Small team by sales NO. 1 SMALL TEAM NO. 15 volume in Florida by sales volume in Sarasota Small team by NO. 59 transaction sides in Florida and Manatee counties

To find out more about our record-breaking luxury sales and how we can work for you, scan the QR code.

Donna Soda, REALTOR® Donna.Soda@PremierSIR.com 941.961.5857

SCHEMMELSODAGROUP.COM With expert market knowledge and unparalleled team resources, we can provide the highest level of service throughout the buying and selling process for customers on the barrier islands, mainland neighborhoods, and in the area’s golf course and master-planned communities, including Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch.

CONTACT US TODAY!

403567-1

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Property information herein is derived from various sources, including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. Source: Real Trends 2023.

8A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

EAST COUNTY

GOODBYE POLITICS

“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 Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

After more than 10 years serving Manatee County as commissioner, Vanessa Baugh walks away to concentrate on her family.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

V

anessa Baugh, the senior member of the Manatee County Commission, has resigned from her post with 1.5 years remaining on her term.

Baugh, who was serving her third term in representing District 5 and more than 10 years overall, said family concerns have caused her to bow out early.

The staunch Republican was first elected in 2012.

An email to her fellow commissioners on Friday morning read: “Commissioners, the day has come to announce my retirement from the Manatee County BOCC. One thing I have come to realize is that one of the most important things in life is family. This week has reinforced that it is time to take care of my husband (Don Baugh), children and grandchildren and to be a bigger part of their lives.

“I have forwarded the governor my retirement letter effective July 31.

Representing Manatee County has been such an honor, and I will always cherish and be proud of the accomplishments during my tenure.”

She added, “When I got involved, I thought I could make a difference, and I think I have.”

Baugh called her resignation “bittersweet.”

“I have loved representing District 5,” she said. “I have worked very hard and I feel like many people (in her district) have become like family to me. But the time comes when you need to have your priorities.”

Baugh, who owns Vanessa Fine Jewelry on Lakewood Main Street with her husband, said she decided to run for the Manatee County Commission in 2012 because the Lakewood Ranch business community approached her about running for office to gain more representation for that sector of the community.

“Businesses were losing their line of credit at that time,” Baugh said.

“We were losing a lot of banks. I had been telling people what we were missing, and how we could move the community forward.

“But I really didn’t want (to run). I

had two stores at the time (the other in Sarasota). I needed to concentrate on business.”

Instead, she ran for commissioner, defeating John Colon in the primary and James Golden in the General Election.

In 2016, she earned another fouryear term by beating Kathleen Grant with 53.13% of the vote. As still is the case, Baugh said at the time that roads were her main concern.

Although she said she didn’t want to serve more than two terms, she ended up winning a third term in 2020 because she felt those in the race would not benefit the county.

She said working to get the diverging diamond project built at the Interstate 75 and University Parkway interchange was one of her top achievements.

“We had it on our (capital improvement plan) for 2035,” she said.

She went to the Rep. Greg Steube and Sarasota County officials for help in speeding up the project. It opened in 2017.

She is proud that Manatee County “is building more roads than ever before in its history.”

“We worked year after year to get Manatee to prioritize roads,” she said.

Another of her top achievements, she said, was moving the county toward building a library in Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Library will open late this year.

“I am sad that I am leaving office before it opens,” she said. “I hope I get invited.”

She has been surrounded by controversy as well.

In January, she settled with the Florida Commission on Ethics on her role in setting up a COVID-19 vaccination clinic that only served two ZIP Codes of East County residents. She organized the event without notifying the other Manatee County commissioners and came under fire from some members of the community who felt the affluent Lakewood Ranch residents were getting preferential treatment when it came to receiving the vaccine.

“I knew that 3,000 people in Lakewood Ranch would get the vaccine,” she said. “And I knew that would leave 3,000 doses of the vaccine for other people in Manatee County. I wish it never had happened, but it did.”

She paid an $8,000 fine and came under fire by her fellow commissioners. “(Being commissioner) definitely has changed me,” she said June 16. “I am not that innocent, young lady with all those ideas of what we should do and how we should do it.

I have been to war. I have scars. I am thankful this community has stuck with me.

“You don’t go into politics and get out unscathed. When I was elected, it’s not like what politics are today. It saddens me to think where we are now. What happened to treating each other with respect?”

State Sen. Jim Boyd, a Republican representing the 21st District which includes parts of northern Manatee County and southern Hillsborough County, said strong leaders such as Baugh are going to expe-

Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com Senior Editor / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com Staff Writer / Lesley Dwyer, LDwyer@ YourObserver.com Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

File photos

State Rep. James Buchanan and Commissioner Vanessa Baugh break ground for the Mote Science Education Aquarium in 2020.

“She was never a ‘yes’ vote or a ‘no’ vote on anything. She was a warrior, and warriors are always missed.”

— Rep. Tommy Gregory

rience tough times in office.

“I don’t think there is an elected official, one who has done anything of value, who doesn’t have highs and lows,” Boyd said.

“Vanessa was relentless,” Boyd said. “She wouldn’t give up on something that was important to her community. She has taken representing Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding area very seriously. We will miss her.”

Rep. Tommy Gregory, a Republican representing the 73rd House District that includes parts of Manatee (Lakewood Ranch) and Sarasota counties, said serving 10.5 years in one of the nation’s fastest growing counties is impressive in itself.

“I would say she has been a hardworking, public-service, elected official,” Gregory said. “She was never a ‘yes’ vote or a ‘no’ vote on anything. She was a warrior, and warriors are always missed.”

Despite some controversial moments, Baugh said she doesn’t regret her time in office.

“This county and our values and morals are worth fighting for,” she said. “Unfortunately, that has gotten ugly.”

She said the period during COVID-19 was her toughest time in office.

“It was tough for the county, the state, the country,” she said. “You realize that so many of your friends and relatives had passed away from a disease we had never seen before.

Figuring out what to do was a very tough task.”

Baugh’s successor will be selected

by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve out the rest of her term.

“That person will have to be prepared to be changed,” Baugh said.

“And it does change you.”

While Baugh is leaving office, she said she will be available to the county if anyone wants to call her.

She said she hopes the current commissioners “understand the importance of working together as a board, that no one has more authority than another.”

“I wish them the best,” she said.

“I am not that innocent, young lady with all those ideas of what we should do and how we should do it. I have been to war. I have scars. I am thankful this community has stuck with me.”

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@YourObserver.com Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned.

Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine CEO / Matt Walsh President / Emily Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles 8130 Lakewood Main St., Suite D207 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-755-5357

— Vanessa Baugh

YourObserver.com © 2020 The Observer Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved

YourObserver.com

9A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

SIDE OF RANCH

JAY HEATER

Want to volunteer? The time is right Y ou’ve been sitting around your Lakewood Ranch home telling your significant other that it is, indeed, time to give back to the community.

But you say you don’t know how.

Here’s how.

Call 843-415-3436 or send an email to gamafn@gmail.com.

Operators are standing by.

OK, I’m kidding about the operators are standing by part. Actually, the person standing by is Annemarie Neubecker, a Lakewood Ranch Community Fund board member who is assembling a volunteer force for the fund, which raises money that is granted to area nonprofits.

In the past, much of the “volunteer” work performed by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund has been done by its board members, but over the last year, the fund’s board has started a more aggressive strategy of hosting events to assure more money is available to the local nonprofits.

Those two events, The Soirée at the Ranch (Nov. 9 at Lakewood Ranch Country Club) and the Run for the Beads (Feb. 10, 2024 at Waterside Place) need volunteers to grow. In other words, they need you.

The diversity of needs is actually the best part. Do you like setting up chairs and tables for just one day a year because you have a busy schedule and are crushed for time?

Annemarie has a job for you.

Perhaps you would like to work one day in February, just pointing runners in the right direction?

Annemarie has a job for you.

Perhaps you can’t stand for very long, but would love to sit at a table and take tickets? Maybe design is your thing, and you could decorate the Soirée in a way that would make a five-star hotel jealous? Neubecker said some people are really tech crazy, and that would be a big help.

Some people love to make community connections and would be

perfect to help the fund find sponsors. Others have leadership skills and like to be in charge of a team or a unit. Perhaps you have solid administrative skills, which are much needed.

Call 843-415-3436 or send an email to gamafn@gmail.com.

Operators are ... well ... you know.

Neubecker said that there are plenty of volunteer options for both leaders and worker bees.

And no matter what kind of volunteer lands at the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, Neubecker said the nonprofit is likely to receive another enormous benefit.

“First and foremost, we are wanting to build awareness of the fund, and one way is to engage people from our Lakewood Ranch communities into our projects,” Neubecker said.

Not only does the fund gain volunteers to do some very important tasks, it picks up ambassadors along the way.

“They will be the mouthpiece for the fund,” Neubecker said.

Of course, every volunteer task is important.

“We learned that when we had our two major events, because of where we held those events (the Soirée was at Esplanade and the run was at Waterside Place), we could engage those communities in the work. “ But relying on the kindness of one community to fill roles on short notice was not a good strategy for the long run.

Esplanade residents made a huge difference at the Soirée. Event chair Nancy Sykes lives in Esplanade, and that community responded with 35 volunteers to help both the fund and Sykes. Hopefully some of those volunteers will be longtime volunteers no matter where in the area the event is held.

“They did everything from helping with decorations, planning for audio visual, arranging and setting

up items for the auction, to working at the event,” Neubecker said.

“They greeted people and helped to guide them around to different parts of the venue. Some would sell raffle tickets.”

She said one benefit of having volunteers registered with the fun is the ability to clearly define roles and even give some training if needed.

“There is a recognition piece,” Neubecker said. “They will know what their role is.”

It would also allow the fund to perform an orientation of volunteers along with giving them recognition for their effort, a basic “Thank you.”

While the Run for the Beads would seem to be more straightforward in terms of tasks, Neubecker said she had a committee of 10 volunteers who served as planners. Ahead of time, volunteers were seeking sponsors, researching awards, and working closely with Fit to Run, the company that manages the run. She said more than 25 volunteers were needed to put on the event, and even that was not enough.

“It was hard to find the right people to volunteer, and in the process, simultaneously plan the event,” Neubecker said. “If we had a network, a way to be able to retrieve volunteers, we would be able to pull people from that resource.”

Neubecker was asked what makes a good volunteer.

“Someone who is willing to jump in and take on any task,” she said. “Someone who has the time, because volunteer work is time consuming.”

With that said, she emphasized that volunteers can pick their own time commitment. It could be those who just want to work one day or it could be those who want to be part of the planning effort.

“We need people who have specific talents,” Neubecker said.

“An example was a woman on our

Jay Heater

Board member Annemarie Neubecker is seeking volunteers for the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.

committee had an eye for color and design, and for the Soirée she arranged the pieces on the table.

We want to identify those special talents and have recognized them ahead of time. We can pull that information.”

Neubecker said more Lakewood Ranch Community Fund events are likely on the way.

“Definitely, we have two events now for sure,” she said. “There already is discussion for two or three more.”

So how do you keep volunteers coming back?

“If you recognize a skill they have, and you capitalize on that.

Something as simple as having a leadership quality, they will respond,” Neubecker said. “We look for something like someone who is persuasive. I saw that last year on my race committee. And we had some challenges.”

No matter the skill, Neubecker says she looks for one quality in most volunteers.

“An upbeat personality,” she said.

“It can be a daunting task to put on a big event, and you want cheerleaders. That is one of the most important features. We don’t want a negative person on a committee.”

Hopefully, the reward for volunteers is the self-satisfaction that comes with helping the community.

“I do volunteer tutoring, and I find it so rewarding,” Neubecker said. “It is what keeps you coming back, seeing the benefit of your work. Our volunteers for the Soirée, I kept hearing as we were cleaning up, that it was so great. You could feel the energy in the room, a team effort. Everyone felt like they contributed.”

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

FREE MEDICARE EVALUATION.

Get The

Facts!

You cannot put a price on peace of mind.

Get your questions answered and your concerns addressed from one of the top Medicare brokers in Florida.

DAVE SILVER

Licensed Agent/Broker Office: 941-907-2879 | Mobile: 813-417-2716 | Email: Info@DaveSilverInsurance.com

404260-1

The best part is I’m right in your backyard.

10A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED

Seeds of ecology

seniortransport.org | Call: 941-296-6960 or 888-295-2376 Non-profit serving Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Rides to medical appointments, grocery store, or other errands for adults 60 and over who are unable or feel unsafe driving.

Also, those of any age with vision difficulties.

405044-1

DRIVE A NEIGHBOR TO A BRIGHTER DAY! CALL TO VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE.

Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch spearheads effort to plant microforest in Greenbrook.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

R BREATHE EASY KNOWING YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET IS ON ALERT WITH

PROPERTY ALERTS Sign up to safeguard your property for FREE. WHY SIGN UP?

Early detection of suspicious filings.

Added layer of protection.

For all home, land, and commercial property owners.

To get started Scan the QR code or Visit: www.ManateeClerk.com/online-services/property-alerts

ANGELINA “ANGEL” COLONNESO 1115 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 749-1800 | www.ManateeClerk.com

405269-1

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT & COMPTROLLER OF MANATEE COUNTY

estoration ecologist Charles Reith was thrilled 15 members of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch showed up June 17 in Greenbrook to spread sheets of cardboard and mulch to prep for the planting of a microforest.

But he said the actual labor involved took a backseat to something else.

“Everyone who works on it, learns from it,” Reith said of the microforest.

Reith, who has more than 25 years of experience working in energy, mining, agriculture, environmental remediation, waste management and academia, is hoping such projects go viral.

“Today we are doing something that will be good for the environment for 200 years,” he told the group of volunteers. “This is a high performance microforest that will deliver 10 times more ecological benefit. It means flood protection, wind protection, cooling and wildlife habitat.

“This will be a 100-year forest that will grow in 10 years.”

Rotarians have supported six such projects in the region, including one in Heritage Harbour and two at the Celery Fields in Sarasota.

“We are taking spaces that are not being utilized,” said John Freeman, a member of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch. “We are taking grassy areas, and with the help of master gardeners, making it bio diverse.”

Freeman said the target areas are generally grassy areas that must be mowed by schools or municipalities.

In the case of the Greenbrook project, which borders the Heron’s Nest Nature Park lake, Lakewood Ranch’s Inter-District Authority must maintain the .3 acres involved.

Jay Heater

Laura Adcock is definitely, as her shirt says, a “Rotarian at Work.”

TREE TIMES THE EFFORT

What: Microforest in Greenbrook Who: Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch holds a volunteer day Where: Along Heron’s Nest Nature Park lake in Greenbrook When: June 17 First step: A layer of cardboard was put down over 0.3 acres and then 6 inches of mulch was put over it What’s next: More than 1,500 native trees and shrubs will be planted in about six weeks

“They are spending resources on it,” Freeman said.

Freeman said the purpose of the cardboard is to “cook” the soil underneath.

“This is going to be a perfect environment for earthworms,” said Reith, who in 1990 received the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award from President George H.W. Bush for his volunteer work on environmental justice in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The group quickly laid out of cardboard before spreading the mulch. In approximately six weeks, volunteers will return to plant more than 1,500 trees and plants. Among the trees will be sycamores, red maples, oaks, magnolias, hickory and long leaf pine.

IT’S TIME TO STOP HIDING YOUR LEGS! Florida Lakes Vein Center offers state-of-the-art, minimally invasive treatments with no downtime!

FREE Screening Offered in June June 23rd and 30th Appointment is required.

Space is Limited.

Call Us Today To Reserve Your Spot

We Can Help If You Suffer From...

· Bulging Leg Veins · Leg Swelling or Cramping · Heavy or Achy Legs · Restless or Fatigued Legs

941.866.8989

It’s a No Veiner!

9114 Town Center Pkwy., Suite 101 | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

404422-1

Florida Lakes Vein Center offers appointments in Lakewood Ranch Tuesday & Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. & Friday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

11A

ADVERTISEMENT

ARTIST CONCEPTUAL RENDERING

ONE PARK SARASOTA: AN EXCEPTIONAL RESIDENTIAL CENTERPIECE, DESIGNED WITH THE CITY IN MIND One Park Sarasota remains fully committed to fostering a good partnership with the City of Sarasota and the local community to bring this oneof-kind luxury development to life for the residents of Sarasota to enjoy. Nestled in the heart of The Quay, One Park has developed an unmatched presence and level of interest from those within the Sarasota real estate market. Boasting stunning residences and a high-end range of public and private amenities, it has caught the eyes of buyers looking for a wholly luxurious residential experience.

With its creatively inspired aesthetic, extensive offerings, and top-notch ambiance, One Park Sarasota is poised to not only redefine luxury, but also serve as a prime example of what luxury can be as the city expands and looks toward its bright future.

Beyond Elegant Interior Design One Park Sarasota is more than just a residence; it’s a commitment to an unparalleled quality of life for its inhabitants. Every aspect of this luxury property has been meticulously designed to enhance the comfort and convenience of its residents, creating an environment that is both elegant and inviting, exceeding the expectations of residents and visitors alike.

405158-1

One Park Sarasota’s residences, expertly designed by the renowned Hoyt Architects, exude an unparalleled level of sleek sophistication to perfectly capture the essence of elevated waterfront living.

They consist of 123 fully finished two, three, and five-bedroom units and six penthouse units that immerse residents into The Quay’s tranquil bayfront ambience. Every unit is equipped with 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, a contemporary lighting package with recessed lighting, dimmers, and lighting control, fully built-out closets, and a midnight bar in select primary bedrooms. Notable features also include expansive outdoor terraces with glass railing and summer kitchens, as well as an unprecedented level of efficiency through PMG smart home technology, delivering seamless personalization with a touch of a button. With these aspects in hand, one’s residential experience is not only pleasing to behold, but key for a more relaxed everyday life.

“One Park will be a one-of-a-kind development, with a flawless blend of finishes and understated designs, emphasizing beauty and functionality of the building, all while staying faithful to Sarasota’s established aesthetic,” said Gary Hoyt, President & Chief Executive Officer at Hoyt Architects.

Fostering Community Engagement A key element of luxury living is an engaged and thriving community. One Park Sarasota will foster just that for both its residents and those at The Quay through a spacious and exquisitely designed breezeway above Quay Commons. This secure passageway will provide convenient access to The

Quay and The Bay Park, transforming the common space into a dynamic pedestrian walkway adorned with widened sidewalks and vibrant greenery.

This one-of-a-kind communal area will serve as an engaging hub for both Sarasota locals and One Park Sarasota residents, creating a lively and safe atmosphere for making connections or taking a moment to enjoy the surrounding scenery as one travels.

One Park Sarasota will also deliver plentiful gathering and communal spaces on the ground floor for the general public to partake in and enjoy at their leisure. The developers of One Park have planned over 13,000 square feet of retail space at the building’s base.

This dedicated area will offer top-notch retail options, dining establishments, and outdoor café seating catering to individuals seeking to socialize with friends, seek shelter during inclement weather or hot summer days, or shop for the latest trends just steps away from home. This retail space will also contribute to the area’s vitality and commercial activity, ensuring the community’s energy and stability is sustained for years to come.

feet of expansive amenity space.

Elevated offerings include a private One Park Wellness Spa, a resort-style pool, a state-of-the-art fitness studio with high-tech exercise equipment, executive office suites, a wine room, a private theater room and golf simulator room, a children’s playroom, and hospitality suites. Additional services led by the dedicated concierge staff include valet parking, package delivery, and dog walking. Daily access to this dynamic range of amenities ensures residents never are far from enjoying serenity, comfort, and enriching activities, nor experiencing the greatness of waterfront living in Sarasota.

Embracing a New Standard of Luxury One Park Sarasota is establishing a new standard for luxury living in Sarasota.

Its ideal location, purposefully designed spaces that foster a seamless sense of community, and its meticulously crafted living spaces are second to none and showcase an appealing bayfront lifestyle unlike any other.

For One Park Sarasota residents, engaging experiences do not only exist outside the property or on the ground floor. Numerous leisure activities and five-star opportunities lie within the building itself, courtesy of 63,000 square

To witness this unparalleled residential experience firsthand, interested parties are encouraged to visit the One Park Sarasota sales gallery. With the finishing touches being placed on its new model primary bathroom and various other spaces to explore, it gives a pictureperfect glimpse into this iconic property coming soon to Sarasota.

ARTIST CONCEPTUAL RENDERING

To schedule an appointment at the sales gallery, located on 20 N Lemon Avenue, please visit OneParkSarasota.com or call 941-232-7036.

Amenity Spaces For Everyday Living

A+E INSIDE: < PUGILISTIC PREMIERE: “That Must be the Entrance to Heaven” packs a mean punch. 15A MUSICOLOGY TALE: “Black Pearl Sings” opens at FST’s Keating Theatre on June 28. 14A >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 22, 2023

YOUROBSERVER.COM

CREATING A CANDY-COLORED WORLD Venice photographer Niki Butcher emerges from the shadow of her famous husband with a book capturing her pastel-hued work.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

“Y

ou’re wearing my colors,” exclaims Niki Butcher when a visitor wearing

an aqua-and-pink dress arrives at the Venice gallery she shares with her husband, photographer Clyde Butcher.

Niki’s pastel-tinted photographs have their own room in the gallery, which is dominated by the massive black-and-white works of her husband.

Clyde’s stark environmental photography is often compared to that of the legendary Ansel Adams, whom he cites as an influence on his work.

Niki’s photographs also capture nature. It makes sense since the Butchers own a home and studio in Big Cyprus National Preserve in Ochopee. They’ve also shared cars, campers and boats in their 60-year journey together, which began in Palo Alto, Calif.

Like her husband, Niki starts out by taking a black-and-white photograph. But then she applies pastel pigments to the print and uses cotton swabs and balls as paintbrushes. What’s left behind is a candy-colored dream.

A TRIP TO OLD FLORIDA

Earlier this year, Niki published her first book of photographs, “Daydreaming,” which brings together her work spanning more than five decades.

Step inside the gallery room with Niki’s photographs and you’ll discover that the much-ballyhooed Big Sky of Montana has nothing on the panoramas of Florida, especially when they’re enhanced by the artist. In addition to large photos of mangrove, cypress and palm trees and idyllic sandy beaches, Niki’s room and her book feature smaller scenes of Old Florida.

These run-down fishing shacks, general stores selling a little bit of everything and salty, sun-dried characters are still around in the Sunshine State. Long after they’re gone, these vestiges of Old Florida will live on in Niki’s photographs.

For a woman whose creations depend upon embellishment, Niki is remarkably free of artistry. She doesn’t try to smooth out the rough edges of her life.

At 78, Niki’s not in a hurry, but maybe she never was. She’s delicate

Niki Butcher

The horizon seems endless in this tinted photograph of a dock on Loggerhead Key.

but not frail and appears ready for whatever life sends her way. She’s the able first mate to Clyde’s skipper.

For many years, Niki was too busy helping with Clyde’s business and tending to her children to be a real artist. But then fate intervened.

As she recounts the story of her life, she pauses and asks: “Do you know what happens to a marriage when a child dies?”

Yes. Very few survive. What’s more, siblings also carry the weight of the loss.

Niki’s transformation from helpmeet to artist came after her son Ted was killed by a drunken driver in 1986. “Not long after Ted died, we were booked at an arts show in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan,” she recalls. “Being around all those young people got me missing Ted so much.”

While the Butchers were in Ann

Arbor, Niki met a young man in a wheelchair who was cheerful and did not appear to feel sorry for himself because he was disabled.

BECOMING A REAL ARTIST

Shortly after that encounter, Niki said she decided to stop taking pictures of stuffed bears, rocking chairs and other saccharine subjects, work that was designed to open wallets at art shows.

She decided to create art that spoke to her. “It was Ted who helped me see what I needed to do,” Niki says.

When they got married in 1963 after meeting on a double date, Niki had studied fine art at a junior college, and Clyde was working as an architect. He was the breadwinner; photography was just a hobby.

But then he lost his job in one of California’s periodic real estate busts. According to Niki, a close

“The sun sets in the West, and I was used to sunsets over the ocean. I really liked that.

Once we moved to the Gulf Coast, I was happy again. The sun set in the right place.”

— Niki Butcher

friend suggested that Clyde take down his photographs that were hanging on the walls of the Butcher house and sell them at an upcoming art fair.

By this time, the couple had moved to Los Angeles. Clyde’s photographs found favor with Angeleno art lovers.

“He made more in that one weekend that he had in a whole month as an architect,” Niki says.

YourObserver.com

13A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

Niki Butcher uses cotton swabs and cotton balls as her paintbrushes.

Niki Butcher

Niki’s embellished photograph of a mangrove tree on Money Key.

PRODUCING FOR THE MASSES

Clyde’s photographs were so popular that a friend approached him about starting a business to sell reproductions of Clyde’s images through department stores like Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney.

“Back then, photography wasn’t really considered art, so we put a clock in the corner of the photograph and they became wall clocks,” Niki says.

Fast forward a few years. The Butchers and their financial partner own a company called Eye Encounter based in Akron, Ohio, with 200 employees. After selling Eye Encounter to a corporation, the Butchers decided to hit the road and then the sea, all the while raising two kids. Along the way, Clyde gave up color photography and destroyed all his negatives. According to Niki, he lost the rights to most of his images when they sold their company.

As former Californians, the Butchers love sunshine, the ocean and natural beauty. They didn’t

want to go home after selling their business in Ohio so they decided to give Florida a try.

But they didn’t get it right the first time — they settled on the East Coast. The people were nice enough, Niki says, but she couldn’t get her bearings.

“I was used to sunsets over the ocean. Once we moved to the Gulf Coast, I was happy again. The sun set in the right place,” she says.

The turning point in their lives, though, was when they were able to buy a property in Big Cypress, a stepping stone into Florida’s dark and wild interior. Clyde found the landscape that would cement his reputation as an environmental photographer.

But before visitors started coming to the Butcher Gallery in Big Cypress, Clyde and Niki had to hit the road to sell their art.

Long before the #vanlife craze hit social media, the Butchers were parking their camper in places like Central Park West in New York City to attend art festivals.

ALWAYS HAPPY TO COME HOME

Wherever the Butchers travel, Niki’s always happy to come back to Florida and its “weird and wonderful people,” she says. “There’s nothing like it.”

A visitor to a crowded open house in May at Clyde Butcher’s Venice gallery, located in a warehouse district, could rightfully assume that their success was predestined. That would be a mistake, Niki says.

“When you go to art fairs, you meet so many talented people. Why did we succeed with two galleries while other people are still selling at art shows? Because we had the experience of running a business,” she says.

These days, the Butchers’ daughter Jackie and son-in-law Neal Obendorf play a major part in the business, particularly since Clyde’s recent stroke. Even the grandkids are getting involved.

As Clyde and Niki celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this year, the couple knows their legacy is in good hands.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Courtesy photos

Clyde and Niki Butcher are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this year.

THE JEAN & ALFRED GOLDSTEIN EXHIBITION SERIES

TIFFANY

THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY & THE RINGLING present

BONUS!

SEE CIRCUS MUSEUMS FOR JUST $5 WITH TICKET PURCHASE!

THE PURSUIT OF BEAUTY IN NATURE

Incredible Family Entertainment

FINAL WEEKS

AT THE RINGLING

NOW – SAT AUG 12

The Ringling 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota

SELBY.ORG

401897-1

13

$

12 & UNDER

20

$

11 AM & 2 PM 2 PM & 5 PM

390599-1

941.360 .7399

LEAD SPONSORS

CHILD

ringling.org

TUE – FRI SAT

ADULT

TICKETS:

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Drs. Joel Morganroth and Gail Morrison Morganroth

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

THIS WEEK THURSDAY

‘THE MAN I LOVE’ LECTURE 11 a.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $10 Visit OlliRinglingCollege.org.

This Osher Lifelong Learning Institute class recounts the 10-year affair between Kay Swift and musical giant George Gershwin, which lasted until Gershwin died. Swift was the

OUR PICK

BLUESTAR BAND PRESENTS ‘REAL DEAL BLUES’ Offseason got you singing the blues?

The antidote might be “Real Deal Blues” with Bluestar Band, featuring Johnny Guitar, who claims to have been living the blues his entire life. Guitar will be joined by former retinal surgeon Oren “Doc” Plous on keyboards, Chicago blues veteran Kevin O’Connor on guitar and Sarasota radio host Velvet Hammer on bass. The band will play blues standards, plus some of Guitar’s original songs.

IF YOU GO When: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24 Where: Old Packinghouse Cafe Tickets: Free Info: Visit BlueTarBand.com.

first woman to completely score a hit musical.

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR 2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road $15-$20 Visit CircusArts.org.

Heidi Herriott, a third-generation American circus artist, presides over performances by hand balancers, clowns, jugglers and aerial rope artists, just to name just a few.

Tickets are affordable, thanks to a partnership between the Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling. Runs through Aug. 12.

‘FAIRY TALE’ 4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail From $30 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Flutist Jasmine Choi and pianist Michael Adock play Dutilleux, while Jennifer Frautschi plays violin on Schubert’s “Piano Quintet in A Major.” The concert also features the works of Janacek, DeFalla/Kreisler and Kreisler. The festival continues through June 24.

‘REEL MUSIC’ 6 p.m. at Florida StudioTheatre’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.” Runs through June 25.

‘THAT MUST BE THE ENTRANCE TO HEAVEN’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $39 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

In this world premiere by Franky D. Gonzalez, four Latino boxers all chase a world title to fulfill their dreams. But are the sacrifices required to win the championship belt worth risking one’s life for?

Runs through July 9.

THE SURFER BOYS 7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret,1265 First St. $18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

From the group that brought you The Jersey Tenors comes a rousing tribute to the band that took America on a “Surfin’ Safari” in the early 1960s. Runs through Aug. 13.

‘SHEAR MADNESS’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

artists who have been in residence on its Manasota Key campus.

Details of the show have not been announced.

‘Traditions and Transformations’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. From $29 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The works of Debussy, Ligeti, Beethoven and Mendelssohn will be performed. The festival continues through June 24.

SATURDAY

There’s been a murder in a Sarasota hair salon, and it’s up to FST audiences to outwit the suspects and catch the killer in this interactive comedy. Runs through July 2.

‘BEETHOVEN AND SCHUMANN’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. From $30 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

FRIDAY

Nicholas McGegan conducts piano soloist Robert Levin playing Beethoven’s Piano Concert No. 4. The works of Emily Cooley and Schumann will also be performed.

‘RISING STARS’ 2:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail From $15 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The works of Fanny Mendelssohn, Brahms, Strauss, Ravel and other composers will be performed by the fellows studying at the Sarasota Music Festival. The festival continues through June 24.

SHINDIG BAND 7 p.m. at Centennial Park, Venice Free Visit VeniceFL.org/Friday-NightConcert-Series.

The city of Venice kicks off its summer season of free concerts with ShinDig, which plays popular hits from Golden Oldies to the music of today. The series continues every other Friday through Sept. 8.

DON’T MISS

‘BLACK PEARL SINGS!’ Set during the Great Depression, “Black Pearl Sings” tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a Library of Congress musicologist who wants to record undocumented slavery-era music and an African American prisoner who has the knowledge that the researcher needs.

IF YOU GO When: June 28, Runs through July 30.

Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1265 First St. Tickets: $25 Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

SONGS FROM THE SAND: A HERMITAGE CABARET 7 p.m. at Waterside Pavilion at Lakewood Ranch, 1560 Lakefront Drive $5 Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

This evening of song will feature original songs and words created by

Courtesy photos

“Black Pearl Sings” runs June 28-July 30 at FST. The family friendly Summer Circus Spectacular runs at Historic Asolo Theater through Aug. 12.

1734 South Tamiami Trail Venice, FL 34293 941.493.7441

4551 N. Washington Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34234 941.355.8437

2510 1st Street West Bradenton, FL 34208 941.748.4679

OUR SHOWROOMS ARE OPEN

www.manasotaonline.com

385049-1

14A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

Boxing meets black holes in Urbanite’s pugilistic premiere ‘That Must be the Entrance to Heaven.’

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

F

ranky D. Gonzalez’s “That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven” just premiered at Urbanite Theatre. The play revolves around a quest for the title of World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

Fisticuffs aside, this isn’t your typical boxing play. It flips genre expectations. “Rocky” it isn’t. It’s more of an anti-boxing play. We’ll explain why later. For now, let’s talk about what it is.

There are four contenders vying for the heavyweight title. All happen to be Latino. All have paid a heavy price to be in the competition.

Armando (Edgar Miguel Sanchez) defected from Cuba to make the boxing big time. His father considers him a traitor to the revolutionary cause. Was it worth it? Armando’s starting to doubt it.

He’s discovered that boxers don’t age as well as wine.

Edgar (Peter Pasco) emigrated from Mexico as a child and blames himself for his mother’s death on the journey to America. He hopes that winning the title will earn him an “extraordinary ability” visa. (In the ring, Juan gives himself the visa’s name — “Extraordinary EB-1”.)

Juan (Juan Ramirez Jr.) hates the sport of boxing. But it’s the only thing he knows, and he keeps it up to support his family. Manuel (Rodney Nelson) is living in his champion brother’s shadow — and carries the weight of his sibling’s suicide after a powerhouse punch turned off his opponent’s lights.

Permanently.

The story builds from there, but I won’t spoil it. Let’s just say it’s far from basic.

Kathleen Capdesuner’s direction makes the most of Gonzalez’s shattered structure. In boxing, keeping an opponent off balance is a tried-and-true technique. You feint, get the opponent to lunge, make him lose his center of gravity. That’s what the text demands.

That’s what Capdesuner does.

Tom Hansen’s set isn’t a realistic boxing ring; it’s more like a boxing ring turned inside-out.

(An accurate re-creation would make it hard for the actors to move around on stage.) Caroline Eng’s sound design and Ethan Vail’s lighting smartly evoke the playwright’s half-worlds. The black hole is a key motif in this play. Vail brings it to life without elbowing you in the ribs.

The actors make me forget that they’re actors. This doesn’t feel like looking at a performance. It feels like I’m looking at different people. I don’t mean it as a compliment. It’s just a fact.

Diego Villada’s fight choreography is brilliant. It’s possible to fake contact — championship wrestling proves it. But Villada takes a different approach. He shows you the movement patterns without impact. But this is boxing not ballet. The fight direction conveys the brutal, visceral violence of the sport. The actors’ moves feel real.

(And so does their sense of pain and physical damage.)

You can tell that Villada’s fiercely trained them. Beyond accuracy, their punches, blocks and dodges are characterization.

Courtesy photo

Edgar Miguel Sanchez and Rodney Nelson are two of four boxers in “That Must be the Entrance to Heaven,” which runs through July 9 at Urbanite Theatre.

IF YOU GO

“That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven.” Through July 9. Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $25-$39. Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

The boxers’ moves tell you who they are. (That’s baked into Gonzalez’s script — and he has a keen grasp of boxing’s in-the-moment strategy.) Villada gets it. And makes sure you get it.

Gonzalez’s work is a higher level of difficulty. The playwright has a long list of bravura techniques. Mundane realism isn’t one of them. Gonzalez’s speech is

CAT CARE CLINIC

LORNA BIEBER

Affordable Veterinary Services

Open to the Public

401590-1

By Appointment Only - 941.366.CATS (2287) 2542 17th St., Sarasota, FL 34234 For pricing and services, go to www.catdepot.org

heightened. His dialogue feels like poetry — and sometimes feels like a contrapuntal fugue.

His well-drawn characters don’t sound like each other. His boxers often talk to people who aren’t there — ghosts, memories.

It’s soliloquy in disguise. These X-rays of the soul remind me of Chayefsky at his best. Or Shakespeare. Technique aside, Gonzalez’s implied philosophy sets his work apart. Yes, you heard right.

“Philosophy.”

“That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven” is a philosophical play with boxing gloves.

Its philosophy is why it flips genre expectations.

Boxing plays (and movies like “Rocky”) typically get you root-

REVIEWS

Punching on heaven’s door

ing for one boxer to follow their dreams and win. Even if they lose, they’re still a winner. It’s a feelgood genre, with some notable exceptions like “Raging Bull.”

“Entrance to Heaven” is more of an anti-boxing play. (Anti-genre, not anti-sport. Just to be clear.)

Gonzalez makes you root for all four contenders. Then he makes you question their dreams of boxing glory. And all dreams, for that matter. “ ... The weight of a dream suffocates the soul,” says the boxer Armando. The price the pugilists pay just to be contenders doesn’t seem worth it. Winning the title doesn’t magically solve anyone’s problems. There are no winners.

Even if you lose, you win.

“Boxing” is clearly a metaphor for the human condition on this Earth. Life is a struggle. If you’re a Latino on the outside looking in, the struggle is harder. There are winners and losers. Your choices determine which one you are.

Time is a one-way street. There’s no going back.

Gonzalez contrasts that with another metaphor. A special kind of black hole (i.e., heaven’s entrance) that Juan’s mother told him about when he was a kid.

Within its singularity, life isn’t a struggle. Here, every possible choice happens simultaneously.

There is no time. And no need to go back.

And that’s just the short version.

This play has a lot going for it. Sometimes it feels like too much. And that’s my only beef. I sometimes lose the metaphysical thread in all its various complications — and keeping the thread is what I’m good at.

Gonzalez needs to play a game of creative Jenga and take out some of the philosophical meandering without making the narrative structure collapse. That’s a surface criticism. A matter of style, not the heart.

“That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven” has miles and miles of heart.

It’s not afraid to break your heart.

15A

NAtuRAL WORLd

MAINSTAGE SUBSCRIBE 3 shows for as little as $49!

“KEEPS THE LAUGHS COMING”  SARASOTA HERALDTRIBUNE

THR HELD O OUG VER H JU LY 2 !

BY PAUL PÖRTNER

THROUGH OCT 15

405261-1

INFORMATION + TICKETS

KEN LUDWIG’S

A COMEDY OF TENORS

941.366.9000 FLORIDASTUDIOTHEATRE.ORG

PICTURED: GINA MILO, JORDAN AHNQUIST, LISA MCMILLAN, GIL BRADY, SHAUN MEMMEL, AND LUIS E. RIVERA. PHOTOS BY JOHN JONES.

1241 NORTH PALM AVENUE

Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues. Additional support provided by the Amicus Fund. This exhibition is part of the Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Photography and Media Arts Program at The Ringling.

Lorna Bieber, Ordinary Day (detail), 2016-2019. Ultrachrome II ink on Hannemuhle canvas.

116 x 253 in. Image courtesy of the artist (c) Lorna Bieber. Photo credit: Brad Trent.

380874-1

BLACK PEARL SINGS!

ringling.org

16A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

READY TO MOVE BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

Look No Further 540 North Tamiami Trail #1503 Laura Stavola

$5,450,000 941.447.4875

THE GULF COAST LUXURY LEADER

Scan below for a full list of Open Houses, property details, driving directions and more

THE LAKE CLUB 15420 Anchorage Place Donna Soda & Joel Schemmel

$6,995,000 941.961.5857

THE CONCESSION 19436 Newlane Place Donna Soda & Joel Schemmel

THE LAKE CLUB 16011 Daysailor Trail Laura Stavola

PRESTANCIA $2,875,000 941.447.4875

$1,475,000 941.587.4894

SARASOTA

$1,525,000 941.447.4875

2912 East Forest Lake Drive Lisa Gullick

SARASOTA $1,395,000 941.321.6973

6501 Ibis Street Gloria Bracciano

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

$975,000 941.587.6660

4539 Trails Drive Charles Totonis

$625,000 941.400.9038

3757 Glen Oaks Manor Drive Carolyn Collins & Roberta Tengerdy

THE MEADOWS 3758 Surrey Lane Lisa Morreale & Liz Snyder

7134 Beechmont Terrace Laura Stavola

FOREST LAKES

4197 Boca Pointe Drive Joel Schemmel & Sharon Chiodi

MOTE RANCH 6232 Cypress Bend Court Tom Hedge

LAKEWOOD RANCH & COUNTRY CLUB $3,600,000 941.961.5857

$725,000 941.524.8299

5904 Wake Forest Run #104 Leslie DuFresne & Lori Carey

$625,000 941.320.0722

9447 Forest Hills Circle Ken Ipox

GLEN OAKS MANOR

$649,999 941.374.5010

DEL WEBB 16615 Blackwater Terrace Gloria Bracciano

STONEYBROOK COUNTRY CLUB $584,500 941.993.7279

$1,395,000 941.730.1999

$625,000 941.730.1999

SARASOTA 4634 Mirada Way #25 Joel Schemmel & Sharon Chiodi

$424,900 941.587.4894

RESIDENCES FROM $840,000

Located in Sarasota’s eclectic Rosemary District, Villa Ballada will feature 22 contemporary residences above two ground-level retail spaces. Residents will enjoy exceptional urban living moments and excitement being in the midst of downtown dining, shopping and cultural happenings.

430 Kumquat Court, Sarasota, FL 34236 | 941.920.1500

BROKERAGE | RENTALS | RELOCATION | NEW DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE | INSURANCE | FINE ART CONSIGNMENT

PremierSIR.com VENICE | 941.412.3323

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

RENTALS | 941.203.3433

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Property information herein is derived from various sources including,but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. Source: BrokerMetrics®.

396045-1

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000

JUNE 22, 2023

Classifieds 13B Games 12B Real Estate 7B Sports 8B Weather 12B

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Venice residents Chase and Tyson Brown pick up ax throwing quickly. The first-timers each hit a bullseye.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Summerfield residents Nick, Alessandro and Annya Hernandez pose with Super Bowl XXXVII MVP Dexter Jackson, who let Alessandro try on his Super Bowl ring.

An MVP day for dads T

401168-1

he Hernandez family might not be huge Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, as evidenced by Alessandro Hernandez’s Miami Dolphins jersey, but they are fans of Dexter Jackson, the former Buc. “We’re FSU people, and he played at FSU,” said mom Annya Hernandez of Jackson’s time at Florida State University.

The Summerfield residents were at the Mall at University Town Center on Saturday for the Dad’s Day Block Party presented by Tri County Air Conditioning and Heating. And while dad Nick Hernandez was the man of the hour, it was Alessandro who received the special treat.

Jackson chatted with the family about FSU before letting Alessandro try on the Super Bowl ring he won with the Buccaneers in 2002 when he was named Most Valuable Player.

Jackson, along with three other former pro athletes, were the block party’s main event. Jackson and Shelton Quarles signed autographs on behalf of the Buccaneers and Ruslan Fedotenko and Darren Puppa signed on behalf of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Outside the mall, the crowd was entertained with batting cages, ax throwing and a sword fighting performance by the Steel Ring Academy.

Gofruit was selling specialty lemonades with fruity flavors like mango and watermelon, and Bathe A Bin pulled up their big, pink truck to demonstrate how a garbage can gets clean again.

— LESLEY DWYER

Venice resident Robert Hunek wears a Tampa Bay Lightning shirt to the Meet & Greet with two-time Stanley Cup champion Ruslan Fedotenko and asks him to sign his photo “To Bob.”

Sarasota residents Jackie Williams and Josh Friedl sign their waivers and wait their turn to get into the Axe Haus to try ax throwing for the first time.

Lakewood Ranch residents Zavier and Jaslyn Lumbsden celebrate their dad, Samuel, at the UTC Dad’s Day Block Party on June 17.

2B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

Trusted Care In Your Neighborhood

Mini tasks, big lessons

Serving Patients with Chronic Pain for 23 Years NOW OPEN

J

Lakewood Ranch 6600 University Pkwy

PROGRAMS OF EXCELLENCE Interventional Treatments & Procedures Medical Management of Chronic Pain Pain & Addiction Medicine Pain & Balance Physical Therapy Behavioral Health Clinical Hypnotherapy *program availability varies by location

BRADENTON

ST. PETERSBURG

SARASOTA PORT CHARLOTTE

VENICE

941-708-9555

CLEARWATER

RamosCenter.com

400346-1

ENGLEWOOD

MEDICARE, MOST COMMERCIAL INSURANCES, VA, PERSONAL INJURY & WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ACCEPTED

ulia Hill grabbed Perfection’s lead rope and started running with her.

“Wow, she’s fast,” Hill said catching her breath.

Hill, who is 9, has been spending every day getting to know Perfection during Hundred Oaks Farm’s mini horse and donkey camp.

She, along with other campers, learned how to clean stalls, groom and feed the horses and donkeys, walk them and more.

“I love taking care of Perfection,” Hill said. “She’s sweet and a very good runner.

She answers you if you ask if she’s a good girl. She’ll stomp her foot or nod.”

Campers started their morning June 13 cleaning each of the stalls before grabbing a brush and combing the horses’ and donkeys’ hair.

Then they spent time walking their new miniature friends.

Photos by Liz Ramos

— LIZ RAMOS

Alustra®, Duette® Operating Systems PowerView® Motorization

Maya Petricca, who is 10, takes her time grooming Summer, starting with her mane before combing her tail.

Sarasota’s Best Voted One of

28 Years in a Row!

BLINDS•SHUTTERS DRAPERIES•WALLCOVERINGS heraldtribune.com

WINNER

941-925-7800 mmwallcoveringsblinds.com 4801 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Across from The Landings Bruiser takes a break for a snack.

Janet and Curt Mattson Owners

Place Your Bets!

One-Eyed Jack’s Poker Room

70 TVS - SIMULCASTING Watch and wager on thoroughbred & greyhound tracks from across the country

Poker

LIVE ACTION CASH GAMES TEXAS HOLD ‘EM 7 CARD STUD • OMAHA

DAILY & MONTHLY TOURNAMENTS

VEGAS STYLE GAMES ULITIMATE TEXAS HOLD ‘EM WILD STUD 3-CARD FACE UP PAI-GOW

HIGH HAND PAYOUT SPECIALS

NEW GAME DAY FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS AVAILABLE! 4404 BEE RIDGE RD SARASOTA, FL 34233

SUNDAY: NOON - MIDNIGHT MONDAY THRU SATURDAY: 10:00AM - 2:00AM

WWW.SKCPOKER.COM 941-355-7744 EXT 1001

395483-1

399387-1

Wallcoverings & Blinds, Inc. Since 1989

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

3B

WANT TO LEARN ABOUT

BITCOIN? JOIN THE CLUB!

GRAND OPENING EVENT June 25 • 1-4pm Open to the Public

Asher shows 7-year-old Claire Pies some love.

SOCIAL MIXER NIGHTS Every Thursday in June 6pm - 8:30pm $9.99 - includes open bar

Mix and Mingle with top influencers in the industry and fellow crypto curious. Learn about the benefits of Bitcoin Ben’s Crypto Club.

M-Sa 9am - 9pm Su Closed (941)960-1180

Penny Wells, who is 9, hugs Sailor.

“He’s very soft,” she says.

2738 Bee Ridge Road Sarasota

[Register--> Subscribe --> Browse Products --> Join A Membership]

bitcoinbencryptoclub.com

404686-1

Julia Hill, who is 9, takes Perfection for a run. “I love taking care of Perfection,” Hill says.

FIRST SARASOTA | THE DOWNTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH

FREEDOM CELEBRATION 9:00 AM MODERN SERVICE 10:30 AM CLASSIC SERVICE

FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST

U.S. SENATE CHAPLAIN

BARRY C. BLACK JOIN US ON SUNDAY, JULY 2

A COMMUNITYYWIDE CELEBRATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN SARASOTA!

WE WILL HAVE INSPIRING PATRIOTIC MUSIC FEATURING THE FIRST SARASOTA CHOIR & ORCHESTRA ALONG WITH A KIDS CHOIR! YOU’LL HEAR FROM SPECIAL GUEST U.S. SENATE CHAPLAIN BARRY C. BLACK, A RETIRED U.S. NAVY REAR ADMIRAL.

DR. JOHN CROSS SENIOR PASTOR

WE’LL HAVE A SPECIAL TIME OF PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IN OUR LIVES AND OUR LAND.

941.365.2846

|

FIRSTSARASOTA.ORG 405282-1

1661 MAIN STREET SARASOTA, FL 34236

4B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

YourObserver.com

Cardiology Cardiology Cardiology

WELCOMES

Camp offers special treats

B

etsy Rohel grabbed some dog treats.

She walked into one of the meet-and-greet areas at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue to help train Appling, a 2-month-old puppy.

Rohel, who is 9, used the treats to reward Appling for positive behavior, such as sitting.

“I love getting to train them,” Interventional Cardiology Rohel said of the dogs.

Throughout Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue’s kids camp June Interventional Cardiology 12-16, campers worked with the . Steven Czak brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood cats, made tie-dye T-shirts and Dr. Steven Czak brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood nch II offices a wealth of knowledge and experience in Cardiology. created frozen treats for the dogs.

Ranch II offices a wealth of knowledge and experience in Cardiology.

They also spent time reading to Dr. Steven Czak brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood the dogs and painting with them.

Interventional Undergraduate: Hartford,CT CT experience in Cardiology Ranch IITrinity offices aTrinity wealthCollege, ofHartford, knowledge and Cardiology. ndergraduate: College, Kinsley Chadwick, who is 8, loved making posters for each of Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences, Kansas City, MO edical School: Kansas Trinity City University of Medicine & Biosciences, Kansas City, MO the dogs. She said one of the dogs, Undergraduate: College, Hartford, CT Residency: Internal Medicine Residency, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY Taylor, was adopted after a family esidency: Medical School: Kansas City University Medicine & Biosciences, Kansas City,York, MO NY Internal Medicine Residency, Lenox Hill Hospital, New Fellowship: Disease,ofLenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY; Dr. Steven Czak Cardiovascular brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood saw the poster.

Interventional Cardiology, Lenox HillHill Hospital, New York, NY Residency: Medicine Residency, Lenox Hospital, New York, ellowship: Disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York,NYNY; Ranch II Cardiovascular offices a Internal wealth of knowledge and experience in Cardiology.

— LIZ RAMOS Certifications: Board Certified, American Board ofHill Internal Medicine with Fellowship: Cardiovascular Disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY;York, NY Interventional Cardiology, Lenox Hospital, New Subspecialty Certification Cardiovascular Disease and NY Interventional Cardiology,inLenox Hill Hospital, New York, Undergraduate: Trinity Interventional Cardiology College, Hartford, Board CT ertifications: Board Certified, American ofInternal Internal Medicine Certifications: Board Certified, American Board of Medicine with with Hospitals: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences, Kansas Subspecialty Certification in Cardiovascular Disease andMO Subspecialty Certification in Cardiovascular Disease and City, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Interventional Cardiology Interventional Cardiology Residency: Internal Medicine Residency, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY Hospitals: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Hospital; Cardiovascular Disease, Lenox HillDoctors Hospital, New York, NY; ospitals: Fellowship: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital Interventional Cardiology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY Sarasota Memorial Hospital

WELCOMES Cardiology WELCOMES Steven Czak, DO, FACC Interventional Cardiology Steven Czak, DO, FACC Steven Czak, DO, FACC WELCOMES

Steven Czak, DO, FACC

Certifications: Hospitals:

Betsy Rohel, who is 9, tries to get Appling, a 2-monthold puppy, to sit. Rohel says she likes helping train the dogs.

NOW ACCEPTING NEWof PATIENTS! Board Certified, American Board Internal Medicine with Subspecialty Certification in Cardiovascular Disease and

TOInterventional SCHEDULE Cardiology AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS! Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; 941-538-0088 Memorial TOSarasota SCHEDULE AN Hospital APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL

Lakewood Ranch II Office NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS!

11715 Rangeland Parkway, Bradenton, Florida 34211 TO SCHEDULE Lakewood AN941-538-0088 APPOINTMENT, Ranch II Office PLEASE CALL www.intercoastalmedical.com www.intercoastalmedical.com 11715 Rangeland Parkway, Bradenton, Florida 34211 Medicare and Medicare and most most insurances insurances accepted NOW ACCEPTING NEW accepted PATIENTS!

941-538-0088

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL www.intercoastalmedical.com

Lakewood Ranch II Office Medicare and most insurances accepted

l l Multiple Locations A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group llBradenton, National Expertise 941-538-0088 11715 Rangeland Parkway, Florida 34211

Lakewood Ranch II Office

11715 Rangeland Parkway, Florida l34211 A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group l Bradenton, National Expertise Multiple Locations www.intercoastalmedical.com 404683-1

Medicarewww.intercoastalmedical.com and most insurances accepted Medicare and most insurances accepted

Photos by Liz Ramos

Hadley Chadwick, Mia Wolcott and Betsy Rohel make frozen treats for their four-legged friends. l Multiple Locations tient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group Expertise A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Groupl National National Expertise Multiple Locations l

l

GETTING PAID IS EASY

Sell Us Your Valuables For The Highest Price

Coins l Currency l Diamonds l Gold l Jewelry l Military l Platinum l Silver l Sports Cards l Comic Books l Better Watches

FRrEbE al

Ve isals ra App

We Buy & Sell All Precious Metal Coins & Bars

Did you inherit a collection? Eastern makes selling your valuables for top dollar easy and worry free. Our experts will work with you to quickly evaluate your collection. For more information visit our website : www.USCOINS.com

Call For an Appointment

Eastern Numismatics The Coin & Jewelry Exchange 1-800-835-0008

5275 University Pkwy. Ste. 129, University Park, Fl 34201

Business Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

12 Years at the Same Location

Call For The Current Price

402652-1

WE BUY IT ALL

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer Mylon Shamble will entertain those who stroll through Waterside Place’s selection of restaurants and businesses.

The entertainment is free. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

GIRLS NIGHT PICKLEBALL Begins at 6 p.m. at UMR Sports, 131 Upper Manatee River Road, Bradenton. This Girls Night Out pickleball session is a chance for women to learn the game of pickleball with their friends. Registration is $40. To RSVP, call 737-0362. For more information, visit UMRSports.com.

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors will be offer-

June 23, 24, 25

Fri., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. • Sat., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Sun., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The expo halls and grounds are filled with boats and exhibits.

Friday 10am-5pm • Saturday 10am-6pm • Sunday 10am-5pm Florida State Fairgrounds halls and grounds are filled with boats and exhibits.

4800 US-301, Tampa,The FLexpo 33610

www.tampabayboatshows.com

Florida State Fairgrounds 4800 US-301, Tampa, FL 33610

YOGA IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Waterside PlacePark, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities offers yoga that is free to residents; $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

www.tampabayboatshows.com

2023 SUMMER LUNCH & LEARN SERIES

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Begins at 7 p.m. at the Waterside Place Plaza. The Sights and Sounds music series continues with original songs and works created by artists who have been in residence on the Hermitage’s Manasota Key campus.

The Hermitage has provided space and time to many of the exciting musical theater writers working in the industry today. Seating is limited, so feel free to bring a lawn chair. No outside food or drinks are permitted.

The event is free. Fore more information, go to MyLWR.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 25

FREE ADMISSION

FREE ADMISSION June 23, 24 & 25

ing seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.

STAR GAZING Runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Greenbrook Adventure Park 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch.

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Sidewalk Science Center present a special look at the night sky with powerful telescopes. Those 8 years old and older can participate. The cost is $5 for residents; $15 for nonresidents. Go to MyLWR. com for more information.

New Boats, Exhibits & More.

Tampa Bay’s Largest Boat Show!

Presented by

404610-1

SATURDAY, JUNE 24

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING Runs from 5-8 p.m. at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Donnie Bostic (Thursday), Soundwave (Friday), The Divebombers (Saturday) and Al Fuller (Sunday). All shows are free except the Friday and Saturday night shows, which have a $5 cover. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

YOUR CALENDAR

BEST BET

THURSDAY, JUNE 22 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 25

0000278608-01

COMMUNITY

5B

BINGO FOR ALL Begins at 10 a.m. at Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Bingo. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

Proudly Sponsored by Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

MONDAY, JULY 3

FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE Begins at 5 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. This year’s NBP Fireworks on the Lake event will feature live music by Kettle of Fish, a kids entertainment zone, various food trucks, and an optional 5K run among other activities. The fireworks show will begin approximately 9 p.m. General admission tickets are free, though Regatta Island parking is $30; South Island parking is $20 for cars; $50 for RVs. VIP Viewing Experience tickets are $75 per person. For more information, visit NathanBendersonPark.org.

June 28 | July 19 | August 23 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Michael’s On East, Sarasota Only $39 Per Lecture—Includes Luncheon!

Rebecca Klein AJC’s Director of National Political Outreach WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2023

Finding Common Ground in a Hyper-Partisan Environment In an increasingly polarized political climate, finding areas of common interest can be challenging. Issues of concern for the Jewish community often bridge the partisan divide and provide an opportunity for meaningful conversations.

Benjamin Rogers AJC’s Director, Middle East and North Africa Initiatives WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2023

The United States, Israel, and the Arab World: Where do we go from here?

PET ADOPTION

As we prepare to celebrate the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, where have there been successes, and where have there been challenges? Join us as we discuss the ever-shifting dynamics of U.S. – Middle East relations.

Belle Yoeli AJC’s Chief Advocacy Officer WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023

The State of Jewish Affairs: Around the World with AJC

MEGA ADOPTION FEES WAIVED

*

There is never a dull moment for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Join us for an in-depth conversation as we tackle some of the most challenging current events and how they are impacting our community.

June 23, 24, and 25, 2023

Open Fri 10am-6pm | Saturday & Sunday 10am-4pm Help Us Find Homes for 5,000 Dogs & Cats State-Wide! | megaadoptflorida.com

405038-1

*Fees may vary by location

Reservations Required.

RSVP Online at AJC.org/Sarasota/summer2023 Or Email: sarasota@ajc.org Or Call AJC at 941.365.4955

2331 15th St. | Sarasota, FL 34237 | 941.955.4131 | hssc.org

UPSCALE, PRIVATE CHARTERS - LAID BACK VIBES! WE ARE THE FRIENDS WITH THE BOAT!

We’ll send a Caddy to and from the Yacht!

Can fit 6 guests • Call for availability and pricing

KokomoCharters.com • 941-266-3776

398848-1 398852-1

• Come as you are & we’ll do the rest.

• Owner Operated since 2015 by the Captain John & First Mate Ali duo.

• Easy, online booking.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8335 Lucerne Loop 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 4,002 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941-894-4001 A4569941 $3,500,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16639 Collingtree Crossing 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,633 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4573463 $1,550,000

PARRISH 15918 29th Street E 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,451 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4570161 $1,460,000

BRADENTON 13203 Indigo Way 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,895 Sq. Ft. Angela Adams 941-809-9760 A4572878 $1,150,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 11905 Perennial Place 6 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,899 Sq. Ft. Carroll Couri 813-727-1630 A4558750 $965,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17214 Polo Trail 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,926 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4571350 $925,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 15422 Helmsdale Place 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,744 Sq. Ft. Carroll Couri 813-727-1630 A4570858 $895,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 14511 Stirling Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,487 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4566581 $885,000

PARRISH 4320 Rustling Pines Terrace 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,601 Sq. Ft. Dan Desoto, Jr 941-567-8006 A4565051 $749,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8462 Miramar Way 3 Beds 2/2 Baths 2,997 Sq. Ft. David D'Angelo 941-587-7268 A4572949 $749,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7612 Lake Vista Court 401 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,153 Sq. Ft. Beth Ann Boyer 941-780-6606 A4570185 $724,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6430 Watercrest Way 203 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,916 Sq. Ft. Beth Ann Boyer 941-780-6606 A4565831 $668,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6503 Drewrys Bluff 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,375 Sq. Ft. Cathy Palmer 941-920-2247 A4565403 $660,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6360 Watercrest Way 403 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,916 Sq. Ft. Beth Ann Boyer 941-780-6606 A4549533 $630,000

PARRISH 16966 Rosedown Glen 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,811 Sq. Ft. Heather Sniffen 941-720-1526 A4569570 $499,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7115 Boca Grove Place 104 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,552 Sq. Ft. Sally Piccolo 941-525-8295 A4573753 $435,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 5649 25th Street Circle E 4 Beds 2 Baths 1,792 Sq. Ft. Cathy Palmer 941-920-2247 A4567391 $425,000

PALMETTO 907 22nd Avenue W Debbie Vogler & Cathy Palmer 941-705-3328 A4567821 $425,000

PALMETTO 5533 Los Robles Court 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,492 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941-894-4001 A4573062 $399,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16804 Vardon Terrace 201 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,286 Sq. Ft. Mary Pat Pihl & Laura Navratil 941-932-3065 A4566631 $398,000

BRADENTON 434 Palm Tree Drive 434 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,408 Sq. Ft. Gladys Carrasco 941-400-1520 A4571043 $375,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8869 White Sage Loop 1504 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,064 Sq. Ft. Victoria Beckham 941-544-6734 A4569653 $310,000

PALMETTO 102 Riviera Dunes Way N-45 Gregory Zies & Kathy Valente 941-779-3081 A4565672 $210,000

BRADENTON 13319 Swiftwater Way 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,231 Sq. Ft. Carroll Couri 813-727-1630 A4572190 $4,250

BRADENTON 2607 Avolet Court 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,965 Sq. Ft. Carroll Couri 813-727-1630 A4571304 $3,100

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17107 Salerno Drive 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,754 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4572960 $3,295,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 19460 Ganton Avenue 4 Beds 4/2 Baths 4,476 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4566700 $2,799,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16843 Clearlake Avenue 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,054 Sq. Ft. Spencer Markell & Diane Fogo Harter 941-259-7097 A4568344 $2,195,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM 401872-1

6B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Hawk Island topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Scott Lidberg, of Gulfport, sold his home at 3715 Hawk Island Drive to Steven and Lee Augustine, of Duncansville, Pennsylvania, for $3,395,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,161 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.5 million in 2019.

CONCESSION

Stephen and Jennifer Moore sold their home at 8435 Lindrick Lane to Christopher Brett Berlin and Christie Blomquist Berlin, of Bradenton, for $2.75 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,819 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB

Walter and Linda Sullivan, of Wenham, Massachusetts, sold their home at 7015 Portmarnock Place to Shunqing and Fen Liu, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.44 million. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,348 square feet of living area.

Frank and Allison Dippold, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13634 Legends Walk Terrace to Christopher Ryan and Amie Nolan Ryan, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,705,000.

Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,648 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,475,000 in 2022.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

Brian and Heidi Allwood sold their home at 611 167th Blvd. E. to Michael and Kristen Klei, of Bradenton, for $1,075,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 4,000 square feet of living area. It sold for $613,600 in 2018.

BRIDGEWATER

Roland and Stephanie Portner, of Parrish, sold their home at 13408 Swiftwater Way to Jeffrey and Jessica Bouthillier, of Bradenton, for $1,025,000. Built in 2015, it has six bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,930 square feet of living area. It sold for $681,000 in 2015.

PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE

Michael McSwain and Kerri McSwain, of Parrish, sold their home at 21803 Deer Pointe Crossing to Allison and Frank Dippold Jr., of Lakewood Ranch, for $989,900.

Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,932 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $475,000 in 2016.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Ronald and Sheri Palermo, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 303 Petrel Trail to Richard Paul Jr. and Kimberly Paul, trustees, of Bradenton, for $975,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,475,000 in 2022.

Brian Patrick Bennett and Margaret Earlene Bennett and Peter James Bennett and Danielle Bennett, of Bluffton, South Carolina, sold their home at 357 Blackbird Court to Robert and Kelly Brumbaugh, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for $815,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,932 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $438,500 in 2017.

Erin Louise Wilson and Cary Leigh Jones, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12411 Aster Ave. to Ryan and Katherine Reid, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,380 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $378,000 in 2017.

WATERFRONT AT MAIN STREET

ESPLANADE

Beatrice Gardner, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 3-304 condominium at 10510 Boardwalk Loop to Therese Joan Richard, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, for $650,000.

Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,400 square feet of living area. It sold for $428,700 in 2019.

EDGEWATER

Stephen Peter Bishop and Robin Michelle Bishop, of Portland, Maine, sold their home at 8119 Waterview Blvd. to Richard Gordon Anderson and Nancy Davis Anderson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.22 million. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,560 square feet of living area. It sold for $710,000 in 2015.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Michael and Carol Burdelik, of Englewood, sold their home at 1106 Overlook Court to Dennis Leonard Stafford and Patricia Jean Stafford, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,249 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2015.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Ralph Richard Williams and Carol Lynne Williams, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 15406 Castle Park Terrace to Robert Enright, of Penfield, New York, for $1.14 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool

JUNE 5-9

and 2,401 square feet of living area.

It sold for $622,100 in 2017.

Frank and Sharon Wright, of Sanford, North Carolina, sold their home at 7031 Twin Hills Terrace to Bradley and Monica Lodge, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,195,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,820 square feet of living area.

Michael and Anne Temple, trustees, of St. Petersburg, sold the Unit 2-303 condominium at 10520 Boardwalk Loop to Walter and Linda Sullivan, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,399,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,557 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2020.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Robert and Bonnie Prater, trustees, of Havre de Grace, Maryland, sold the home at 5222 Castello Lane to Shawn and Robyn Johnson, of Bradenton, for $875,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,581 square feet of living area. It sold for $455,000 in 2018.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Courtesy photo

This Concession home at 8435 Lindrick Lane sold for $2.75 million. It has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,819 square feet of living area.

square feet of living area. It sold for $342,200 in 2017.

living area. It sold for $395,000 in 2021.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

RIVERWALK

David and Cristiana Heintz, of Sarasota, sold their home at 890 Seascape Place to Evan Kraus and Patricia Turk, of Sarasota, for $775,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,907 square feet of living area. It sold for $468,600 in 2020.

Deborah Stickel and Stephen Stickel sold their home at 7337 Loblolly Bay Trail to Claudia and William Hamlin, of Lakewood Ranch, for $717,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,842 square feet of living area. It sold for $407,000 in 2017.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Dawna Kelch and Mary Kathleen Gribbins, trustees, sold the Unit 2522 condominium at 5940 Wake Forest Run to Patricia Kehoe, trustee, of Bradenton, for $740,000.

Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

In with the new NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Downtown St. Petersburg

400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From the $1MM’s | Call for appointment. | Residences400central.com SOLD OUT

Chad Kilmer, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 8309 Heritage Grand Place to Dennis James Costa and Jennifer Ann Marie Costa, of Wausau, Wisconsin, for $835,000.

Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,907 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $418,200 in 2013.

Longboat Key

SUMMERFIELD

David Schlott and Elizabeth Vanderlaan-Schlott, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 12238 Clubhouse Drive to William Frazee and Joseph Feinstein, of Lakewood Ranch, for $815,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,746 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $360,000 in 2013.

The Residences at the St. Regis | 941.213.3300 | From $2.4MM to $10.9MM | Call for appointment | SRResidencesLongboatKey.com 1 FINAL OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

Downtown Sarasota

DEL WEBB

Steven Charles Bishop and Joann Bishop, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6928 Chester Trail to James Donathen and Mary Ellen Donathen, trustees, of Bradenton, for $775,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,972 square feet of living area. It sold for $446,100 in 2016.

James Donathen and Mary Ellen Donathen, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6714 Haverhill Court to Robert and Kayla Stein, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, for $599,500. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,543

The Collection | 941.232.2868 | thecollection1335.com

Sales galleries open and available for virtual or in-person presentations.

Virtual home tours | OnDemand local experts | Interactive site and floorplans

mscdeveloperservices.com | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida Prices as of December 2022

Licensed Real Estate Broker

401848-1

ADAM HUGHES

REAL ESTATE

Hawk Island home tops sales at $3,395,000

7B

JUNE 22, 2023

SPORTS

“ My shot is a weapon. I can really crack one sometimes.”

— Lakewood Ranch’s Hayley Roberts SEE PAGE 10B

Fast

Break

Ryan Kohn

Brunno Reus

B

raden River High rising junior kicker Brunno Reus won a kicking competition at a University of South Florida camp held June 8, kicking a 52-yard field goal to win it. Reus also hit a 47-yard field goal in the Pirates’ spring game, a 27-20 overtime road win over Pinellas Park High on May 19. … On June 8, Dolores Andrew (two under par) won the Nine Hole Women’s Golf Association individual low net event held on Palm Aire Country Club’s Champions course. On June 14, Bernie Somoza and Bob Webb (three under par) won the Men’s Golf Association best ball event, also held on the club’s Champions course. … Former Braden River High pitcher Tyler Dyson made his 2023 debut for the Florida Complex League Nationals (Washington Nationals) on June 6. Dyson had previously not pitched since 2021 because of injury troubles. Dyson has made four appearances as of June 19, holding a 4.26 ERA. … Lakewood Ranch-based women’s golfer Jacqueline Putrino will play for Oklahoma State University in 2023. Putrino, who took online classes prior to college and won two individual Florida High School Athletic Association state titles, was previously enrolled at Florida State University. … Former The Out-of-Door Academy football Head Coach KB Belton was named the head coach at Lennard High on June 15. Belton coached ODA for one season in 2020; the Thunder went winless in the regular season but made the Sunshine State Athletic Conference playoffs because of COVID-19 adjustments and reached the SSAC Championship, losing 20-19 to Bishop Snyder High.

PURE GOLD PAGE 9B

Photos by Ryan Kohn

As a senior in 2023, Diego Freyre led Lakewood Ranch High with 35 points (15 goals).

Big goals for Mustang grad Diego Freyre is participating in the Pro Sportz Alliance program for the next two months.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

L

akewood Ranch High grad Diego Freyre is betting on himself.

Instead of starting his posthigh school soccer career at a college, Freyre has joined the Pro Sportz Alliance program, which brings recently graduated soccer players from the United States to Germany. There they have approximately two months to play games for PSA against German soccer clubs at various professional levels of the sport.

At the end of the two months, players who impress the clubs they play against can be offered full-time contracts.

“I just hope I’m able to say at the end of this that I made it,” Freyre said.

Freyre said he had never heard of the program until he received an email from the organization that asked him to participate. Freyre said he was interested from the jump, despite his lack of German language knowledge and the fact that the twomonth tryout is unpaid, meaning he has to spend his own money to be there. Freyre would do anything to move closer to his dream of playing professional soccer, he said.

Freyre said the organization held an initial tryout for the program at Braden River Soccer Club in May to see if any local players were good fits. Freyre performed well enough to earn the invite. Freyre, who didn’t know anyone else in PSA before joining, arrived in Meppen, Germany, on June 10.

It’s a small town, Freyre said, and it looks like something out of a “Harry Potter” book, complete with tall, brick buildings and streets paved with Belgian blocks instead of concrete. Freyre said he has been taking German language lessons with the Duolingo app to make conversation with the locals, though younger people in the area know a bit of English.

THE TOOLS TO GET IT DONE Diego Freyre has at least one well-regarded soccer mind who believes he can make it in Germany: Lakewood Ranch High boys soccer coach Vito Bavaro, who instructed Freyre for three seasons.

Bavaro said Freyre the necessary skills to make it as a professional overseas — but it will be a challenge. If he applies himself, Vito said, he can overcome it.

“It will be totally on Diego whether he makes it,” Vito said.

“But he has all the tools to do it. Diego has a great love of the game. He has great feet on the ball, and I think the diversity of play in Europe will enhance his style of play.”

player can play in the U.S. Everyone is good, and we’re trying to get a contract. The competition is great, and I know I have to be at my best to stand out.”

Freyre spent his freshman season at Braden River High before playing his final three seasons with Lakewood Ranch. With the Mustangs, a program with perennial state championship aspirations, Freyre earned more playing time as he aged. As a junior, Freyre recorded 18 points (six goals) in 21 games, the third-most on a team that went 18-2-1. As a senior in 2023, the Mustangs’ record fell to 11-7-3, but Freyre led the team with 35 points (15 goals).

For Freyre, the chance to continue his career is worth spending his own money and overcoming a language barrier. Freyre was born in Lima, Peru, and leaned the game from his father, Willy Freyre, when he was 3, and played often with his friends and his family. He moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2014, but his affinity for the game never left.

“This is my passion,” Freyre said.

“To be honest, I can’t always put it into words. It is something that, when I do it, it makes me calm. It takes me away from my problems. I can just be me and go play and win.”

“My first thought was, ‘I’m actually here,’” Freyre said. “‘I have a chance to do this.’ This is all I have wanted to do for a while now. As long as I can get in, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

On the field, it’s up to each individual to show off his ability — and it gets intense, which is exactly what Freyre wants.

“We’re a team, but we’re also playing for ourselves,” Freyre said. “It feels like everyone here played in MLS Next, which is the highest level a junior

“This is all I have wanted to do for a while now. As long as I can get in, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

— Diego Freyre

Lakewood Ranch High graduate Diego Freyre lands a special soccer tryout in Germany.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

PROSE AND KOHN

9B

RYAN KOHN

Softball star’s defense is certified gold McCray was named an NJCAA All-American and a Gold Glove winner for her play at Florida SouthWestern College.

Championship on May 27, defeating Northwest Florida State 10-6.

It was the program’s third-straight title. Along the way, McCray earned big-time personal honors as she was named to the NJCAA AllAmerican second team on June 6 for hitting .410 with eight doubles, six triples, two home runs and 44 RBIs, while adding 26 steals.

On June 12, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced that McCray had been awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove for her centerfield defense. She made a single error in 2023 as she won the first Gold Glove in FSW history.

McCray is not surprised that she has dominated.

“My dad always tells me that I’m the best player on the field,” McCray said. “So I don’t care what anyone else says. That thought of ‘You are the best’ never leaves my mind. For me, and my brother, too, this is what we do. This is natural.”

However, the Gold Glove did mean a lot to her. She was not made aware of winning the award before the official announcement. She was scrolling through social media when she saw the announcement and decided to watch it, not realizing she was a contender.

McCray said she shed a tear when she saw her photo pop up. Defensive effort is what her family is known for, she said, and she will go to father and her brother for advice when she needs it. Grant McCray’s advice tends to be more focused on the mental side of defense, while her father will point out physical changes she can make. She’s proud to carry on the tradition the two of them have set.

“The king of the grass, the queen of the grass — that’s our thing,”

Courtesy photo

Former Lakewood Ranch High softball star Sydney McCray was named to the NJCAA All-American second team on June 6 for her play at Florida SouthWestern College.

McCray said. “We go get the ball.”

McCray’s attitude helped her adjust to the college game, but so did her high school career. Goelz, McCray said, transformed not only her physical skills but the way she viewed practice as a tool.

“He taught us to practice faster than we play, so games will slow down for us,” McCray said. “And he engraved the sport’s fundamentals into our bodies. Everything became muscle memory.”

She brought those skills to Florida SouthWest, where she said she not only found instant success but instant friends. Everyone at FSW is playing there to prove what they can do. As a result, the school gets a slew of international players.

McCray said getting to know her teammates was a rewarding experience, as everyone has a unique

story, and one of her best friends on the team, Laura Vigna, played on Italy’s Olympics softball team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for instance.

McCray said a 5 a.m. conditioning test conducted during the team’s fall season helped bring the team together, and everyone passed the test. They knew that if they could trust each other to do that, they could trust each other to do anything.

Wherever McCray goes after FSW, there’s little doubt she will find success at a higher level. I watched in 2021 as McCray, forced out of the Lakewood Ranch lineup by an ACL injury, took copious notes from the dugout every single game and shared them with her teammates postgame. I watched in 2022 as McCray, a speedster, returned from her ACL injury and

100 OFF COMPLETE INSTALLATION $

The Home Service Pros Who Care

of Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant and Shutoff Device Saves on Homeowners Insurance Policies Not valid with any other offer or promotion.

Expires 6/30/2023.

The Area’s most Trusted Name since 1974 SEE HOW MUCH MORE YOU CAN SAVE! Air Conditioning

worked her way back into form. She scored on a passed ball in her first game back and only got better from there.

I have seen few athletes more determined to stick around the sport they love, and she’s always improving. So if an All-American spot and a Gold Glove is what she earned as a freshman, her encore as a sophomore will be something special.

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

FREE WATER ANALYSIS AND $100 Credit towards a New Whole House Filtration System Installed Not valid with any other offer or promotion.

Expires 6/30/2023.

!

W O N L L A C 941.866.6210

or visit www.AquaPlumbingSarasota.com Lic # cAc1816020 • PLbg cFc1428223 • ELEc Ec13009313

Plumbing

Electrical

Water Treatment

404532-1

S

ydney McCray was built for greatness.

It is a refrain she has heard from her family since she began playing softball. Her father, Rodney McCray, was a professional baseball player best known for running through an outfield wall to make a catch while with the Chicago White Sox organization.

Sydney McCray said he instilled that same sense of toughness and determination in his kids. Her brother, Grant McCray, is an outfielder in the San Francisco Giants organization and is ranked as the team’s No. 5 prospect (No. 2 outfielder) by MLB.com.

After winning two state championships with Lakewood Ranch High under former head coach T.J. Goelz, McCray headed in 2023 to Florida SouthWestern College, a top-tier junior college program.

Other members of the title-winning Mustang teams landed at NCAA Division I programs, but McCray was not bothered by her destination, despite putting up equal or better numbers than many of her high school teammates. As a senior, she hit .438 with three doubles, three triples, two home runs and 18 RBIs while adding 14 steals and playing stellar defense in centerfield.

“I’m excited to play softball wherever,” McCray said. “I’m playing at the next level. Not a lot of girls can say that. So, regardless (of school), I come in with the attitude of, ‘I’m going to make this an experience.’”

When McCray finishes her twoyear degree in 2024, she likely will have lots of DI suitors. McCray and FSW won the National Junior College Athletic Association National

CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION & X-RAYS

(941) 260-2712 LOCATED OFF STICKNEY POINT

401144-1

$2395 Implant, Post, & Crown. Offer expires 6/30/2023

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

BUSY BEE TUTORING Tutoring Grades K-College General Education & Special Needs

SWIMMING LESSONS

A School Of Fish Today!

“Smart” JoinWethe are open for private and group t Gif r lessons at home, community pools, a e Y All g and the Lincoln and G.T. Bray Lon

(941) 907•8482 mjbhaus@aol.com www.busybeetutoring.net

(941) 907• 8482 mjbhaus@aol.com Schooloffishswimminglessons.com

404292-1

Aquatic Centers

WHAT IF A 20-MINUTE WORKOUT

REALLY WORKED? BETTER RESULTS LESS TIME MORE MOTIVATION

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

10B

Hayley Roberts Lakewood Ranch’s Hayley Roberts is a tennis player in the Class of 2025 who attends online classes through Florida Virtual School. She is ranked by the Tennis Recruiting Network as a five-star athlete and the No. 77 player in her national class as of June 19.

When did you start playing tennis?

My parents (Brian Roberts and Shelley Roberts) put me in a group lesson when I was 5 years old. I just took to it right away, more than the other sports I was trying at the time, like swimming and lacrosse.

What is the appeal to you?

I enjoy competing. I like that tennis is an individual sport. I like playing for myself, with that responsibility. I like team tennis, too, and I’m excited to play that again when I get to college.

TRY 2 FREE SESSIONS

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

What is your best skill?

My mobility and my power. My shot is a weapon. I can really crack one sometimes.

What have you been working to improve?

Adding variety to my game. I’m using drop shots and slicing my backhand. I’m trying to have tools that my opponents do not have.

What is your favorite tennis memory?

I played in the Brewer Team Cup in March in Mobile, Alabama. Teams were randomly put together. My team was called the Diamondbacks.

We didn’t know each other before then, but we had great chemistry right away and we won the whole thing. We all became close, and it made me look forward to playing more team tennis in college.

What are your current goals?

My goal is to keep improving my game as much as I can. I’ll be focusing on that this summer, developing my skills through training.

What is your favorite school subject?

It changes every year, but this past year it was English. I like creative writing. I like when I can add something of my own to an assignment.

NO NEEDLES – NO DOWNTIME

BOOK A CONSULTATION WORKOUT WITHOUT WORKING OUT!

Welcome to our new suite!

9114 Town Center Pkwy., Suite 102, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

Schedule your visit 405057-1

941-866-8989 | FLSPA.com @FloridaLakesSpaLakewoodRanch

Summertime Trial Membership JUNE 15th - AUGUST 15th Experience our Club for a

special Summertime Membership and enjoy two months for $475!* To sign up please call, email, or visit our Concierge Team 941-269-3745

lwrinfo@thepickleballclub.com

1300 Sarasota Center Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34240

*$475 of the Summer Trial Membership fee will be applied to The Initiation Fee (of $1,500) for members that choose to sign up for an annual Club Membership by August 31st, 2023. The Initiation Fee of $1,500 is payable one time only, per household for annual members.

405263-1

BRING YOUR BOOTY BACK

Finish this sentence: “Hayley Roberts is …” … Humorous. I like to laugh a lot.

405172-1

9122 Town Ctr Pkwy, Ste 102 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 Call or Text (941) 538.5600 www.exercisecoach.com

What is the best advice you have received?

My coach Chris (Marquez) always tells me not to worry about anything unless he tells me he’s worried. It helps me not worry about the little things and focus on the big things that need attention.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

11B

LOWEST PRICES WE GUARANTEE IT!!

Elite Hearing Centers of America

Rated

Our professional staff of DOCTORS OF AUDIOLOGY and LICENSED HEARING INSTRUMENT SPECIALISTS

FREE FREE FREE FREE

LOWEST PRICES FOR ALL MANUFACTURER’S

Digital Computer Analysis of Your Hearing Aid’s Performance While It’s in Your Ear Cleaning & Maintenance of Your Hearing Aids with Our State-of-the-Art Hearing Aid Diagnostic Equipment Hearing Evaluation...

Receive an Up-to-Date Test & a Copy for Your Medical Records Computerized Adjustment of Your Hearing Aid (Any Make or Model) To Fit Your Present Loss

OTHER DIGITAL SPECIALS SPECIAL �REE �REE LOWEST COST DIGITAL HEARING AIDS ANYWHERE (In-the-Ear) (4 PK)

Fits up to 40db loss $

Limit 2 pks. per person.

WAS 795

NOW

Expires 2/10/23.

�EARIN� AI� ANA��SIS

Analyze your current hearing aid performance in real life conditions with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment (Reg. Value $89)

395

$

100% Digital ITE (In-the-Ear)

Fits up to 40db loss

WAS $795 $

Fits up to 40db loss

WAS $995

NOW

NOW 395 each

Fits up to 40db customized for loss your hearing loss at no $ charge.

100% Micro CIC Fits up to 40db loss

100% Digital Open-Fit BTE (Behind-the-Ear)

100% Digital CIC (Completely-in-Canal)

WAS $995 $

WAS $995 $

495 395

$

Fits up to 40db loss

Fits up to 40db loss

WAS $1995

NOW

NOW 495 each

NOWeacheach

OPEN NOW:

DB-AT230602_122431

595 595

$

Fits up to 40db loss

WAS $1995 $

NOW each each

OVER 50 LOCATIO N NATIONWIDS E

Rated

In Publix Plaza at University Walk

100% Micro CIC (Completely-in-Canal)

OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF DOCTORS OF AUDIOLOGY & LICENSED HEARING AID SPECIALISTS

of America

2807 University Pkwy

each

LOWEST COST DIGITAL (Completely-in-Canal) HEARING AIDS ANYWHERE

Elite Hearing Centers

SARASOTA 941-491-4036

395

$

WAS 995

Expires 2/10/23.

each

OTHER DIGITAL SPECIALS

Try our best hearing aids for 30 days -

(Behind-the-Ear) no cost, no obligation. Hearing aids are

NOW

Expires 2/10/23.

100% Digital CIC (Completely-in-Canal)

RISK��REE �� �A� 100% Digital TRIA� Open-Fit BTE

!

BRADENTON 941-269-4768

DELRAY BEACH 561-915-0201 4900 Linton Blvd #3 (In between Poppies Restaurant and Kristi Cleaners)

ROYAL PALM BEACH 561-858-3599 11985 Southern Blvd (In between Publix and Sal’s)

(Bradenton Pain and Wellness Center)

BOYNTON BEACH 561-916-2922 4739 N Congress Ave (In between Dollar Tree and Fon Shan Chinese)

JUPITER 561-941-3844 6725 West Indiantown Rd Bay 39 (In Jupiter West Plaza)

2001 Manatee Avenue E. Ste 104

SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS- 0638, HAS-0633

GEORGIA LICENSE NUMBERS: HADS000995, HADS000996, HADS001001, HADS001003

405048-1

4�

AIR 100% � ZINC BATTERIES Digital ITE

12B

YourObserver.com

WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, JUNE 22

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 93 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 24%

FRIDAY, JUNE 23 High: 92 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 45%

Thursday, June 22

6:35a

8:27p

Friday, June 23

6:35a

8:27p

Saturday, June 24

6:35a

8:28p

Sunday, June 25

6:36a

8:28p

Monday, June 26

6:36a

8:28p

Tuesday, June 27

6:36a

8:28p

Wednesday, June 28

6:36a

8:28p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JUNE 24 High: 92 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 58%

Gordon Silver captured this photo of two herons in a face-off along Bourneside Boulevard and Masters Avenue in Lakewood Ranch.

July 3 Full

July 9 Last

July 17 New

July 25 First

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JUNE 25 High: 91 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 58%

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/contests. All submissions will be entered for the 2023-24 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2024, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

Monday, June 12

0

Tuesday, June 13

0

Wednesday, June 14

0

Thursday, June 15

0

Friday, June 16

0

Saturday, June 17

0

Sunday, June 18

0.06

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

YEAR TO DATE: 2023 9.12 in.

2022 14.85 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2023 1.46 in.

2022 4.96 in.

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood | tile | stone | pavers | and more Sarasota 941.355.8437 | Bradenton 941.748.4679 | Venice 941.493.7441 | manasotaonline.com

Don’t fur-get the best flooring for everyone in your Family

celebrity cipher

40 Hammarskjold of the UN 41 Average fellow 1 Bolts and hitches?

42 Capable of performing 7 Gives a hard time 43 Alum 14 Dine-in drink freebie 44 Four quarters 20 Porto d’Italia 45 Ripken of the Orioles 21 Words of grave impor48 Bobby of the Bruins tance?

49 Exam for an aspiring doc 22 Sheep 50 “___, Brute?”

23 Dirt, so to speak 51 Dreidel letter 24 Michelle’s successor 52 Hullabaloo 25 Didn’t hit 53 Hawaii’s Mauna ___ 26 “Leap onto Grandma’s 54 Hawaiian dish of slicedlap!” up fish 28 Hobbit hunter 55 Guide lines?

29 Reluctant 57 Rubbed some elbows 31 ...

60 Ceremonies 34 Canonized Mlle.

35 “The Man Who Knew Too 61 Metric measure of speed (Abbr.)

Much” actress 63 Rich, materialistic work39 Key point?

ers, colloquially 64 “I’m so good at sleeping, I can do it with my eyes closed,” say 65 Flowers also known as violets 69 First name in cosmetics 70 Reggae style combining vocals with a DJ’s patter 74 Bird on Australia’s coat of arms 75 Codon carrier (Abbr.)

76 Hobbit helper 77 Seventh Greek letter 78 Writing in the sky?

80 Peons on a manor 85 “Are we there yet?” setting 87 ___ value 88 Banned boxing move

90 Gorges 91 Driver’s licenses, say (Abbr.)

92 “You some kind of smart aleck?”

94 Squeeze (out) 95 Trigonometric function 97 Small songbird 98 “Don’t ___ stranger!”

100 Bronte heroine 103 Teeth on a gear 104 Apartment building divisions 107 Matter 109 Between continents, perhaps 110 Pot starter 111 Bob of “Fuller House” 112 Carne ___ 113 “On the double!”

HLFYXH TEY TYIIGEC VK GYFUAFUM TYEC HLI JSD ET ... LNHYIG.” CNYHFU PSHLIY AFUM ZY.

“UGBBHLS HL BRDW ... HO G XRTKBWAWBJ AMGLOXWLVWLA WCKWMHWLXW. HA’O BHEW WGAHLS KHFFG-UBGDRMWV HXW XMWGT.” THEW YHMYHSBHG

“DZKKYW TD PWHOJ NRTJPD TJ REZTDTHJH, REJS OTJPD TJ OUEKTJS, DXHPY EC YRKD HJP KHGRYD TJ JYO YJSRHJP.” © 2023 NEA, Inc.

HWVXTNHRP KHVRYTDX

sudoku

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

402031-1

ACROSS

“PIH SX UEH XIIA HE XNHFXTK ESY

Puzzle Three Clue: N equals B

©2023 Universal Uclick

38 Some pledge drive 114Prideful look? rewards 116 Stations for the Hog45 David and the like warts Express?

46 Take in, as a rescue dog 118 Maiden fair 119 Grp. with many conveyor 47 Sarge’s superior 56 Corkscrew shapes belts 58 ___ and cry 120 D-Day commander’s 59 Board game reviewer nickname Garcia of “The Dice Tower” 121 One way Alaska ranks 60 Frolic without limits first among U.S. states 62 Three-time Olympic 122 [Achoo!] gold-medal-winning skater 123 Word screamed while Sonja jumping 64 Rice ___ 124 ___ Vegas 125 Nobel-winning Einstein 65 Fleshy fruit 66 French female friend DOWN 67 Unabridged Nightingale 1 Liberia’s official lang. treatise?

2 Mekong River native 68 Mule working the Erie 3 Photo ___ Canal, in song 4 More extravagant NBA 70 “Hang on a ___!” jams?

71 British dairy cattle seller?

5 Author T.S. 72 Busy as a bee 6 Savored, as wine 73 High-pitched barks 7 Pot shop?

79 Sounded reasonable 8 Chimpanzee, for one 80 . . . - - - . . .

9 Farm buildings 81 Fleecy mama 10 End’s opposite 82 Notorious ___ (nickname 11 Jouster’s weapon of a late Supreme Court 12 Front for center? justice) 13 “Q: How is a chicken 83 Seasonal scourge coop like finely stratified 84 Edamame essence sedimentary rock? A: 86 Try They’re both full of layers,” 88 Go a-courtin’? and the like?

89 Surfing spots?

14 Caesar’s time 92 ___ all costs 15 “Don’t Cry for Me Argen- 93 Swiss miss tina” musical 95 Burns 16 Problem in an undersized 96 Ithaca’s sea aquarium?

97 Little skirmish 17 Partners of outs 99 Thorny tree 18 Director Ang 101 Grim ___ 19 Acid, initially 102 Really rankles 27 Seventh planet 105 Curt 30 Smelly 106 Fajita option 31 Groundskeeper’s tool 107 Language whence 32 Decadent cake “catamaran” and “curry” 33 Central American animal 108 Japanese 1970 World with a ringed tail Expo city 36 Disney’s ___ Center 115 Remarks, slangily 37 Tent securer 117 NBC hit skit show

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: U equals F

COIN FLIPS by Alex Eaton-Salners, edited by Jeff Chen

Puzzle One Clue: D equals P

crossword

399841-1

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

6-22-23

Made for where you live. Here!

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Autos Wanted

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card The East County Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the East County Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis..

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Items Under $200

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN

AVIATION BOOK, Front Row Center 3. Perfect condition, 160 pages. $50 firm. 941-242-3749

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and some collectors plates. Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707 WANTING TO Buy Vintage & Old Costume Jewelry in large amounts. Jane (941) 356-1568

ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236

Use the

RED PAGES

CALL 941-955-4888

DESPERATELY NEEDED Low mileage, cars and trucks.

Also rare or unusual vehicles.

Larry 941-350-7993

Advertise your business RED or service PAGES in the Observer

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

RED PAGES CALL TODAY

CALL 941-955-4888 OLD MOTORCYCLES WANTED *Before 1985* ALL Makes & ModelsAny Condition!

Running or Not! $Cash Paid$ Call 845-389-3239 cyclesndmore10@gmail.com

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

Auto Transport

Use the RED PAGES to clean out your garage

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

Use the RED PAGES to clean out your garage

PERSONAL CARE GIVERPrivate care: Meal preparation, errands, shopping, and more.

Affordable hourly rates, available weekdays, weekends, and holidays.

Minimal shift 5 hours can also provide overnight care.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ years experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

941-955-4888 CALL TODAY 941-955-4888 Painting

CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos.

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

Sporting Goods

BEACH’ N RIDES Electric Bike Shop! eBike Sales and Rentals Ride easy on an eBike with as much exercise or assistance as you want.

Leave traffic and parking problems behind!

13 models available.

Daily and weekly rentals available We also repair other Brands Open 10 to 5 daily except Sundays and holidays 12208 Cortez Road, Cortez, FL

to clean out your garage

CALL 941-955-4888

Motorcycles

Adult Care Services

941-251-7916, Ext 1

This week’s Crossword answers

Puzzle Two Solution: “Falling in love ... is a completely transcendent experience. It’s like eating pizza-flavored ice cream.”

Mike Birbiglia Puzzle Three Solution: “Summer is drawn blinds in Louisiana, long winds in Wyoming, shade of elms and maples in New England.”

Archibald MacLeish

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2023 Universal Uclick

HEROES found here.

Relax. You’ve got better things to do. Find a professional here in the Red Pages.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of ... hatred.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

©2023 NEA, Inc.

Items Under $200

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Autos Wanted

You’re only cheating yourself.

The Observer Media Group will Theclosed Observer Media Group will be on Tuesday, July 4th. be closed on Tuesday, July 4th.

Deadline for the July 6th editions Deadline for Friday, the JulyJune 6th editions will be due 30th at will be due 2:00 Friday, June 30th at pm.

2:00 pm.

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

auto

Merchandise Wanted

peekers’ place

stuff RED PAGES REDDEADLINE PAGES EARLY EARLY DEADLINE

HAVAHART LIVE animal cage trap, new, $35. Car books, mustang/muscle car, (10) $15 each. (941)242-5436

RCA TV, 55” with remote, cable ready, great bedroom TV. $50 (941)724-9044

First 15 words ................ $ 17.50 per week Each add’l word ..... 50¢

Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

FOR SALE- 2 Antique bears that are in a child's antique rocker$185 for all. 941-378-3837

LOCK BOX, fire proof with key, 13X8X7 $15. Charlie’s Angels trading card, 1st set $40.

941-741-9727

RED PAGES AD RATES

home services

RED PAGES

MOW MOW OVER OVER the the competition! competition!

THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

Clock Repair

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Christo’s Clock Repair

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

4630 5TH ST W BRADENTON

“IF IT DOESN’T TIC, TOC TO ME.” 941-773-0875 • 941-932-5505

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America

Don Christo, Sr., Horologist

YoderAluminum.com

Attorney

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Computer

Is Your Computer Feeling Sick?

Divorce without Lawyers

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

Let Us Fix It!

Call A Geek Computer ServiCeS

Divorce is never fun, but it does not have to be nasty & hateful! Protect your family relationships and assets from expensive Court litigation. Consider Divorce Mediation, the peaceful alternative.

(941) 351-7260 call-a-geek.net

Call me for a free 30 minute consultation before you call a Divorce Lawyer!

Computer Repair & Service Virus & Malware Removal / Protection New System Set Up / Data Transfer Networking: Wired/Wireless Installation Data Recovery / Remote Support One-On-One Tutoring / Training

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

404515

404969

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

404973

Dustin Yoder

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

Home Services

Over 18 yrs serving Manatee/Sarasota Counties

Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think!

We have mediated divorces involving up to 10 million dollars of assets over past 27 years.

Hardware Repair Virus / Malware Cleanup Software & Printer Install New Computer Setups New Purchase Consults Seniors & Beginners

William J. Leininger, JD

405295

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

SELL YOUR CAR!

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

• Dryer hot but clothes still wet after (1) drying cycle?

• Dryer gets hot to the touch or doesn’t heat up at all?

Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

Pegatronics.com

941-735-3362

404377

Auto Service

Doors

Sliding Glass Door Repair

Take a simple test to see if your vent is clogged. Unhook your dryer vent & compare drying time.

Residential

941-705-5468

Commercial

404380

Home Watch

Pinnacle Home Watch.com Stop Worrying About Your Home While Away Dave and Connie Grundy

FAST • EASY • SAFE

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

WE COME TO YOU

FIRST RESPONDER OWNED & OPERATED

405073

HoHoBuysCars.com

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

Autos Wanted

DESPERATELY NEEDED

405074

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

5-Star Rated

Low Mileage, Cars & Trucks.

Also Rare or Unusual Vehicles.

Patio Furniture Repairs.com Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

404782

UNIQUE SPORT & IMPORTS 941-350-7993

(941)544-0475

Furniture Repair

RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888

941-504-0903

dan@shorelockhomewatch.com

www.shorelockhomewatch.com

404970

941.270.4400

404379

“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

405075

Aluminum

405076

14B

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

Doors

404971

DON’T let your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your WINDOWS be a PANE!!

Irrigation

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

Call us today! 941.628.8579 404378

www.ezslider.com

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

IRRIGATION (941) 725-8100 REPAIR edsrainmakerirrigation@gmail.com MAINTENANCE Insured Servicing LWR, Parrish and NE Bradenton

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

404784

ED’S RAIN MAKER IRRIGATION

YourObserver.com

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Landscaping & Lawn

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

GARDENS

by Allison

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

No Job is Too Small!

Custom Granite Services, llc

Design • Garden Beds • Landscape • Courtyards Clean-Up • Makeovers • Weeds • Trimming 404384

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

941-400-0431 • gbyallison@yahoo.com • gardensbyallison.com

Screening

Painting

Faulkner’s

CJ COOLEY OWNER/OPERATOR

Painting & Pressure Cleaning

Driveways Deck Staining Roof Cleaning

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

Free Estimate

941-922-3996 941-822-4270

INCLUDES22MOEN MOEN STAINLESS INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIP CONCEALED PEEN CONCEALED SCREW SCREW GRAB GRAB BARS (16”BARS & 24”)(16” & 24”)

404976

SARASOTA INTERIOR PAINTING, LLC

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

FULLY INSURED • OWNER OPERATED

DRGRABBARS.COM

*DRILLING CHARGES MAY APPLY FOR MARBLE, GRANITE OR PORCELAIN. COUPON REQUIRED.

KITCHEN & BATH

REMODELING

CALL OR TEXT 941-900-9398 TODAY! OWNER: DON HUBIAK

10% off

941-248-4734 Windows

Homes - Driveways - Sidewalks - Tile & Shingle Roofs - Pool Cages & Decks

405078

Mark’s Plumbing Service

404974

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-955-4888

404787

941-920-8221

5

$

“No Job Too Small” Insured

Looking for something? Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

25

ows

150

$

SPECIAL 00

Eldridge Re-Screen

found here.

Lic./Ins.

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Rescreening & Repairs

TREASURES

1/1

& Pressure C Window lean t e s ing s a S u n n w r o i s n e k W Sun ind erly

STANDARD WINDOWS

RELIABLE • INSURED

941-270-1561

Res./Com.

UP TO

Small plumbing repairs. Replace toilets, faucets, water filters, water softeners and repair leaks.

Licensed

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#search/royaltreasurecasino%40yahoo.com?projector=1

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

Plumbing

GLENN KROECKER

All Airports, Hourly & Tours www.blacklabelcarservice.com

Booked Referral Program Next Ride with Booked Referral

FREE ESTIMATES - Call Joel, Owner 30 Years Exp. Cell 619-405-7650 Home/Office 941-758-4840

THE GRAB BAR GUY 404381

Luxury for Less

Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

Get a FREE quote today!

Call 941-800-7760 Licensed & Insured www.ghrenovationllc.com

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES

“SOLUTION WITH SUPERIOR RENOVATIONS CRAFTSMANSHIP”

chrome_qrcode_1671726737617.png

Transportation

404786

LIFETIME GUARANTEE • LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED COVERAGEAREA: AREA:LAKEWOOD PARRISH TO NORTHPORT COVERAGE RANCH TO S. VENICE

1/10/23, 10:25 AM

404975

941.966.0333

364556 404383

High-End Interior Painting Services

405080

404382

941-626-3194

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

CustomGraniteServicesLLC@gmail.com

249 235

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

Allison J. Abizaid

941-400-4912

* $ $235

Building & Roofing Contractor

405079

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

CREATE BUZZ!

404385

Call John 941.377.2940

Roofing

404785

405077

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

$

15B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

Advertise your business in the Red Pages. Call 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

P.S. The Key to Your Real Estate Success

BUILD YOUR CUSTOM DREAM HOME

GOLF COURSE VIEW

LAKE CLUB

16506 Baycross Drive Offered at $1,495,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH CC 7509 Mizner Reserve Court Offered at $1,485,000

LAKE & PRESERVE VIEWS

POOL WITH PRESERVE VIEW

SHOREVIEW WATERSIDE 7997 Grande Shores Drive Offered at $2,650,000

GREENBROOK

14327 Gnatcatcher Terrace Offered at $519,000

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE LISTINGS, SCAN THIS QR CODE.

PSLuxurygroup.com

Our Experience is Your Best Asset Contact us Today to Discuss Your 2023 Homeownership Goals HOLLY PASCARELLA, PA 941.225.3218 Holly.Pascarella@CBRealty.com

KATINA SHANAHAN, PLLC 941.702.0437 Katina.Shanahan@CBRealty.com

KENNETH SHANAHAN, PLLC 941.702.0443 Kenneth.Shanahan@CBRealty.com

401668-1

16B