East County Observer 7.13.23

Development challengers face imposing costs

A state law has shifted

YOUR TOWN

burden

Ride for pride

East County’s Margaux Buchanan (above) spent three hours dying her horse Corso’s mane and tail the colors of the rainbow.

Corso was beaming as Buchanan rode him around the polo field at Florida Horse Park during the Ocala Polo Club’s Pride Day and Fabulous Polo Cup on June 24.

“It was a fun event, and it keeps me playing polo in the offseason,” said Buchanan, who plays polo at the Sarasota Polo Club. “I loved the sense of community. Everybody came together and had a lot of fun. It was a good crowd and cheering section.”

Buchanan wanted to support the Ocala Polo Club, which brings its women’s team to the Sarasota Polo Club each February for the Women’s Challenge.

Cool times at the farmers market

Lakewood Ranch resident

Yvette Sanford stopped her electric wheelchair in front of the Friends Products stand at the Farmers Market at Waterside Place so her husband, Steve, could get a sample of hummus.

Sanford’s French poodle and service dog, Lola, sat in her lap protected from the heat with a dog visor, umbrella and an ice pack tucked under her vest.

Sandford has rheumatoid arthritis, which causes her to fall a lot. She’s had 14 surgeries on her knees, hands, back and shoulders. The farmers market is a place she can easily navigate.

“I love the market,” Sanford said. “Not every day is a good day. Sometimes I have to stay in bed. This is about the only place I can come to.”

Photo courtesy of Sublime Photography

Lesley Dwyer

County officials say bat houses a hit

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Standing beneath thousands of bats flying overhead isn’t as scary as it might seem, and it’s even considered entertainment on the University of Florida campus.

Now, the live show is coming to Manatee County on a smaller scale.

The bat houses at UF are home to about 500,000 bats. A new bat house installed at G.T. Bray Park in West Bradenton will hold up to 3,000, but experts say that will go along way in terms of pest control in Manatee County.

Manatee County Project Manager Aaron Rawley said one bat eats between 1,000 and 4,000 insects a night, according to their body weight. Bats also help to fertilize the ground, spread seeds and pollinate plants.

Boy Scouts from Troop 146 in Parrish, Cub Scouts from Pack 146 in Parrish and Boy Scouts from Pack 125 in Lakewood Ranch helped build and install the bat house and an osprey tower at G.T Bray. Manatee County said in a press release that the initial project only included parks in District 3 but will now expand to parks countywide.

With six cases of malaria reported in Sarasota County in June and July, the bat house unexpectedly came to fruition when residents’ concerns about mosquitoes became more serious than scratching bug bites.

“Our mosquito patrol has done a great job creating a firewall along the southern border of Manatee Coun-

ty. They stepped up fumigation and treatment to make sure the mosquitos with malaria are not making their way north into Manatee County,” Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge said. “This idea came about months ago, long before the malaria concerns, but I’m sure mosquito control isn’t going to complain about a few extra thousand bats flying around gobbling up mosquitos.”

But Van Ostenbridge’s initial concept was to simply provide more opportunities for park visitors to see some of Florida’s “pretty unique” wildlife.

Inspiration for the project came from the UF bat houses, which are the largest occupied bat houses in the world and have become a tourist attraction. People line up each night before sunset to see the bats emerge.

When they do, it’s both chaotic and mesmerizing. With hundreds of thousands of bats soaring out at once, it’s as if the sky darkens until they disperse. UF estimates its colony of bats eat 2.5 billion insects each night. That weighs out to over 2,500 pounds.

It could take a few years for the bats to find their new home at G.T. Bray, but given the right location and temperature, they will. Better the bats find themselves a

IF YOU GO

G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Drive W. Enter from 59th Street, park by the baseball fields and skate park. The bat house is located near the baseball field. Park hours are from sunrise to 11 p.m. For now, only the house is on display. Once occupied, the bats will emerge nightly just after sunset.

nice home in the park versus an attic. Bats are not as dangerous to humans as myths and movies make them out to be, but they’re still not the ideal house guest because of their guano (droppings).

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the threat of contracting rabies from a bat is low, but they should not be handled. A bat that’s not flying is

BAT FACTS

usually sick.

The danger from guano comes from Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus that can form and cause lung infections when the spores are inhaled. But again, cases are rare and the FWC says most infections resolve within a month without treatment.

Some people might think they’re creepy, but bats do more good than harm.

It’s illegal to kill bats in Florida. In particular, the Florida bonneted bat is on the federal list of endangered species. Penalties range from a $100 to $1,000 fine and up to six months imprisonment, depending on the number of convictions.

The only way to remove bats from a building is to exclude them, meaning they can fly out but are blocked from returning. Exclusions are prohibited from April 16 through Aug. 14 because it’s maternity season, and pups (baby bats) don’t fly for three weeks.

These facts were compiled by the U.S. Department of the Interior to celebrate Bat Week, which, unsurprisingly, lands in the last week of October each year.

n Bats have belly buttons.

n Bats can fly more than 100 miles per hour.

n Bats are the only flying mammals. Flying squirrels only glide. n Bats range in size from the bumblebee bat, weighing less than a penny, to the flying fox, with a wingspan of up to six feet.

Courtesy photos

Boy Scouts from Parrish and Lakewood Ranch, along with Manatee County staff members, unveil the bat house they helped build and install at G.T. Bray Park.

The bat houses at the University of Florida inspired Manatee County to follow suit at G.T. Bray Park.

Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge is spearheading the project to install bat houses and osprey towers in Manatee County Parks.

Opponents say SB 540 will cause urban sprawl

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Bradenton attorney Patricia Petruff has represented developers for decades, and thus is familiar with their wants and needs.

But one thing, she said, they don’t need is Senate Bill 540.

The new Florida law, which went into effect July 1, could make challenging proposed development more expensive.

That could be key in Manatee County, where building has led to what many residents claim is unchecked growth.

SB 540 has been dubbed the “Sprawl Bill” by environmental groups after it was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Basically, if a citizen or group loses a lawsuit against a developer, builder, business or municipality trying to stop a project, the new law allows the winning side to be compensated for all legal fees it had to pay to defend itself in court.

While that could either help or hinder either side, Petruff said citizens or small interest groups seldom have the funds to challenge big business.

“Nobody — not any of these little local opposition groups — can afford to pay those (legal) fees,” Petruff said. “It could be upwards of $30,000 to $75,000. It’s bad for the citizen who bought (a home) in a rural neighborhood and depended on the (Future Development Area) boundary being there until 2035 or whenever it was supposed to be there still. It’s way different than the person who moved in next to Tropicana and doesn’t understand that during a certain time of the year, they burn orange peels and it smells funny.”

Petruff was hired to represent the East Manatee Preservation, a group formed by concerned citizens, in a move to halt Carlos Beruff’s East River Ranch development that lies east of Manatee County’s Future Development Area Boundary. That area was designated to be protected from higher density projects.

“I don’t have a problem with development,” Petruff said. “If you look at my record, I have represented developers my entire legal career. I’ve been here for 43 years, so it’s not like I’m insensitive to what developers want and need. (SB 540) is very draconian and will have a chilling effect on citizens exercising their right to disagree with the government. It’s going to be pushing a big rock up a really steep hill in my opinion.”

She expects to see far fewer chal-

lenges to development projects across the state as a result. The threat of a lawsuit by a citizen or a group has lessened the checks and balances of uncontrolled growth, she said.

How the new law will effect municipalities has yet to be determined. Like big business, municipalities often have the funds to deal with court issues.

The county, for instance, could benefit if it approves a project and is sued by a citizen or group with the claim the project doesn’t fit the comprehensive plan or the project is not compatible with the neighborhood. If the county then wins such a case, it could be reimbursed for court costs it had to pay to defend itself.

However, if a county commission denies a project, and later is sued by a builder and loses in court, it will have to pay legal fees incurred by both sides.

District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said commissioners feel pressure not to oppose development projects because it has become likely that such a decision often is met with a lawsuit. She said recent history has shown the courts have favored development and it has made it likely the county — and ultimately the tax paying residents — will be on the hook for court fees. Now, with the new law, commissioners have to consider they could be subjecting the county to even more court fees.

“It basically takes away power from the counties,” she said of the new law. “Each county has a different comprehensive plan, and that’s part of the Board of County Commissioners’ job (to decide whether projects meet criteria specified in comprehensive plans).”

But will a judge agree?

Even prior to the bill passing, Baugh had expressed frustration over the board ending up in no-win situations, such as when the county lost a lawsuit to Tara developer Lake Lincoln.

If it agreed with Tara residents that the commercial development should not be allowed, it would be sued by Lake Lincoln. If it allowed the project, it was likely to be sued by the residents.

Eventually, the board sided with the residents, and 11 years of litigation with Lake Lincoln followed.

“It’s bizarre because we had it in writing from Lake Lincoln that it was never going to build commercial property on that property,” Baugh said. “Yet, they turned around and sued, and they won after 10 years.”

If this case began today, with the county defending its decision to decline the commercial development, and Lake Lincoln won the law-

suit, Manatee County could have to pay Lake Lincoln’s legal bills. In the actual case, the two sides eventually settled with Lake Lincoln receiving $3.6 million in exchange for the parcel. But the county can absorb such costs. Can a special interest group or an individual?

Consider a nonprofit group or individual trying to pick up the tab.

The concern is that developers with deep pockets now have free rein to “sprawl.”

Lawmakers tried to temper SB 540 with an earlier version of the bill that required the prevailing party to prove the challenge was frivolous before the winning side would be entitled to legal fees. That version of the bill did not move forward.

In a case brought against Manatee County before the bill became law, Save Gates Creek and its Neighborhoods Inc. sued Manatee County after the board voted to amend its Comprehensive Plan to allow Cox to build a car dealership off State Road 64. Attorneys for Cox filed a “motion to intervene” based on the Florida Rule of Civil Procedure that “anyone claiming an interest in pending litigation may at any time be permitted to assert a right by intervention.” It joined Manatee County in the lawsuit.

When Save Gates Creek lost the lawsuit, Cox and Manatee County attorneys would have to pursue ways to recoup their court costs.

If this case was filed now, the new law would have required Save Gates Creek to pay the legal fees of Manatee County and Cox, plus “reasonable” appellate attorney fees and costs.

Florida Sen. Nick DiCeglie, a Republican from Pinellas County, sponsored the bill. DiCeglie told the Senate Rules Committee that citizens need to put “more skin in the game” when challenging comprehensive plans.

Cox Chevrolet was approved to build the dealership in October 2020.

After two plus years of legal filings and accumulating attorney fees, Cox remains approved to build the dealership. However, the groundbreaking for the project has been delayed.

Baugh voted against the dealership because, in her opinion, it was not compatible for the neighborhood. However, the project ultimately was approved 4-3. When such decisions are contested in commission chambers, the likelihood of a challenge in court rises. But with SB 540, that might no longer be the case.

Population numbers point to more development in East County.

In December 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau released findings that Florida grew 1.9% from 2021 to 2022 reaching a population of 22,244,823 residents.

“For the third most populous state to also be the fastest growing is notable because it requires significant population gains,” the report read.

FLORIDA’S GROWTH

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida’s 2022 population is just over nine times the population in 1946 when 2.44 million people lived in the Sunshine State. The most recent estimate of 22,244,823 residents was released by the U.S. Census Bureau in July 2022, and Florida was deemed the fastest growing state. The state’s population has shown a steady annual increase since the 1940s after the Second World War, but the last time a census showed Florida as the fastest growing state was in 1957, when the population increased by 8% in both 1956 and 1957.

The Census Bureau attributes the availability of air conditioning in the 1950s to the growing population during that time. From 1958 through the end of the 1980s, Florida’s 3% average growth doubled that of the nation as a whole. Since 2000, growth has slowed across the country, but Florida continues to outpace the national average by nearly double.

The law entitles prevailing parties to recover legal fees when a development project is challenged.

File photos

Manatee County commissioners sided with Tara residents who opposed development by Lake Lincoln. Eleven years of litigation followed.

Lesley Dwyer

Patricia Petruff, the attorney for East Manatee Preservation Inc.,says SB 540, which went into into effect on July 1, will make it hard for any small interest groups or citizens to challenge development projects.

Save Gates Creek and its Neighbors Inc. protest the commission’s decision in 2022 to allow Cox Chevrolet to build a car dealership on the northwest corner of State Road 64 and 117th Street East. A subsequent lawsuit to turn over the decision was lost.

Do You Want to Lose Weight?

Algae blooms affect Manatee water

Manatee County issued a release July 10 to alert customers of Manatee County Utilities that they might notice a “temporary and nonharmful change in their water taste or odor.”

The county said current conditions favor algae blooms and tests conducted over the past several weeks indicate the presence of bluegreen algae at elevated concentrations in Lake Manatee. The county characterized it as an “earthy and/or musty taste or odor.”

The release said while the odor or taste might be noticeable, there are no known health effects caused by the presence of such compounds.

The county has begun a treatment process that involves the implementation of powdered-activated carbon. The process removes the compounds in question and minimizes impacts on the water. It noted that “It is only when the levels reach quantities that exceed the limit of our removal capability that our customers might notice a slight earthy/ musty taste to their water.”

Those affected can use a carbon filter on their faucet that will minimize the taste difference and odor.

“We are monitoring the levels of algae and odorants and treating for them until water quality returns to normal,” said Utilities Deputy Director Katie Gilmore in a release.

“It is our hope that by informing the public of this potential impact of the algal bloom, we can alleviate any concerns that might arise should a customer detect an earthy taste.”

For more information, go to MyManatee.org or call 748-4501.

Manatee seeks Children’s Services Advisory Board members

Manatee County is seeking four new members for its Children’s Services Advisory Board.

The CSAB makes recommendations to the Manatee County Commission about priorities and expenditures of the county’s dedicated millage for children’s services.

The county is seeking two child advocates, one NAACP representative and one school board representative.

The positions are three-year terms and begin Oct. 1. Those applying must be Manatee County residents.

Anyone interested must apply by Aug. 11.

For more information,call 7484501, ext. 3485, or email Kristi. Hagen@MyManatee.org.

Christmas shop at UTC closing

The Christmas Tree Shop is closing its store at University Town Center in Sarasota less than a year after opening.

The Massachusetts chain, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, defaulted on a $45 million loan and was unable to stay afloat.

That means that its 70 remaining stores will have to shut down.

A federal judge in Delaware, where the company filed for bankruptcy protection, approved the liquidation procedures at a hearing July 7.

The 49,398-square-foot UTC store opened in December.

The dam holds back water at the Lake Manatee Reservoir. Algae blooms are causing customers of Manatee County Utilities to experience a musty odor and taste in their water.

Adventure Park pavilion a total loss

Among the casualties was the Lakewood Ranch Little Free Library that was located inside the pavilion.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Ken and Maria Van Slyck expected to take their regular Greenbrook Adventure Park walk on the morning of July 5 with their five children. It is a daily routine, and at least three days per week they would stop at the pavilion to swap books at the Little Free Library inside.

“And here in Lakewood Ranch, there are few places like this to get under the shade,” Maria Van Slyck said.

After a fire destroyed the Greenbrook Adventure Park pavilion shortly after midnight July 5, there is one less place, at least for now.

Deputy Chief Paul Wren, of East Manatee Fire Rescue, said his department answered a “smoke investigation” call at the park at 12:18 a.m.

When firefighters arrived on scene, the pavilion was burning and the roof already had partially collapsed.

Firefighters contained the fire and finished by 1:31 a.m., but the structure, which included the pavilion and restrooms, was a total loss.

East Manatee Fire Rescue is working with the State Fire Marshal’s Division to determine the cause of the blaze.

Asked if it was likely fireworks were the cause of the fire, Wren said nothing has been determined.

Alex Onishenko, East Manatee Fire Rescue’s fire marshal, arrived on the scene when the building was still burning.

“You never tunnel on anything,”

Onishenko said of assuming that fireworks were the cause. “Of course, that is in the back of your mind. It’s obviously July 4, when stupid things happen.”

Because of the suspicious nature of the fire, the scene was turned over to the State Fire Marshal’s Division. Since it is an ongoing investigation, Onishenko said he couldn’t talk about that specific fire.

“When there is certain criteria, we

have to call the state in,” he said. “The state has the resources and the connections. They can arrest people.”

In general, Onishenko said his department will look at burn patterns and the depth of char when they initially are investigating the cause of a fire. Often it can help them determine the area of the fire’s origin.

“It always gets harder when so much of the structure has been consumed,” he said. While Onishenko wouldn’t talk about the pavilion fire, he did confirm that the site had cameras. He wouldn’t say what might or might not have been captured by the video.

“This is terrible,” said Greenbrook’s James White. “My wife and I walk here every morning. We were here at 8:35 p.m. (July 4), and no one was here.” Other neighborhood residents who were walking through the park on the evening of July 4 said the park was a “ghost town.” Greenbrook’s Stacey Carlin called the pavilion fire a “major loss” for the community.

“I’m just sad,” she said. “I walk this park every day and they just finished putting in all the new (exercise) equipment. We moved here for this park. We’ve had parties here.”

Carlin said she saw one fire truck come into the neighborhood after midnight, then another and another.

“It’s so sad to see,” Maria Van Slyck said. “I guess our main questions now are whether we will get it back, and will the folks who set up the library come back again?”

CCD 4 Board Chair Michael Griffin answered her first question.

“We will quickly deal with it,” Griffin said. “The Adventure Park is such an important amenity to Greenbrook.”

Elizabeth Henderson, the founder of the Lakewood Ranch Little Free Library, answered her second question.

“We absolutely will rebuild,” Henderson said. “There is no question. We will see what Greenbrook’s plan is to rebuild, and go from there.

“This is just such a shock for everybody. As a library steward, I always worry about vandalism, but I didn’t think I had to worry about the entire building burning down.”

Henderson started Lakewood Ranch Little Free Library club in January and cut the ribbon for the library inside the Greenbrook Adventure Park pavilion in April.

Since then, the Lakewood Ranch Little Free Library was honored by its national organization as a “Library of Distinction.”

The library had been dedicated to Irene Farese, the mother of Lakewood Ranch’s Arielle Monserez.

Farese died of pancreatic cancer in June 2022.

Henderson and Monserez said most of the books stocked by the library on its opening day were part of Farese’s collection.

“I feel so bad for Arielle,” Henderson said.

“My kids are sad,” Monserez said. “They call it ‘our library.’”

Henderson said she had stopped at the Little Free Library on June 30 to restock it. She has no idea how many of the books are checked out into the neighborhood and how many burned in the fire.

“At the end of the day, nobody was hurt,” Henderson said. “And we have people coming out of the woodwork to say how much they loved that library. It was wonderful to hear that outpouring of support, but I wish it wasn’t necessary.”

Henderson noted that a case of vandalism after the Little Free Library opened might help find the culprit or culprits in this case. She said some of the books were found in the toilet, so CCD-4 board member Bonnie Sidiski made sure more security cameras were added at the pavilion.

File photo

Arbor Grande’s Elizabeth Henderson, who is the founder of the Little Free Library Club, Country Club East’s Arielle Monserez and her 4-year-old daughter, Millie Monserez, and Tampa’s Katerina Farese cut the ribbon on the library in April. It burned in the pavilion fire.

Jay Heater

The Greenbrook Adventure Park pavilion was destroyed by fire shortly after midnight July 5. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Female leader works her magic for Rotary

Bill Porter thought his time was up with Rotary, but the couple had made lifelong friends in Pennsylvania through the club, so his wife encouraged him to try out the Lakewood Ranch chapter. After meeting the club members for the first time, Bill Porter was a Rotarian once again.

When Bill Porter joined the Rotary Club in Monroeville, Pennsylvania 43 years ago, his wife wasn’t allowed to join with him.

It was a men’s only club, so Sybil Porter became what was known as a Rotary Ann, a term coined for members’ wives.

In 1989, Rotary clubs all over the country opened their doors to women, and the former “Ann” is now president of the Lakewood Ranch chapter and is ready to showcase the “magic” of Rotary. She took over for Carmen Spagnola.

“We did things like fashion shows and teas and cutesy little things (as Rotary Ann’s). When Rotary decided to allow women to join, thank goodness for that because women have been a great force in Rotary,” Sybil Porter said. “In fact, this past year, the international president is a woman, and in two more years, there’s going to be another woman as international president, so we’ve made a big impact in Rotary.”

Sybil Porter didn’t join the club right away in 1989. She had a career working as an oncology social worker. She’d say to Bill, “Rotary is your thing.” It took moving to Florida and being moved by a cause to take the leap.

The River Place residents moved to the area in 2012. At the time,

Sybil Porter attended a Rotary district conference seven years ago when her husband was the club’s president. The couple chatted on the drive home, and Sybil Porter mentioned being impressed that Rotary was preparing to take on human trafficking as a major cause.

“So I said, ‘Quit standing on the sidelines and get involved.’ She said to me, ‘I’ll get involved with the club, but you can’t tell me what to do,’” Bill Porter said with a laugh.

Sybil Porter quickly moved up the ranks and was honored when asked to serve as president. Her theme for the year is a question: What is your why?

“I want people to understand what the magic of Rotary is all about, what we can do together,” Sybil Porter said. “We can have such a great impact.”

Sybil Porter’s main goals are to increase membership and support the less active members to get more involved. She said Rotary isn’t just a place to come and eat lunch. Members are invested in their projects.

Ted Lindenburg, a former teacher, combined his passion for education with the problem of high illiteracy rates amongst students who weren’t reading by the fourth grade and started a book program.

“We started out in Title One schools, giving books to the children to take home, and sometimes, those are the only books they’ve ever seen at home. We also go into

the classroom, and we read to the kids,” Sybil Porter said. “So that’s been an ongoing project. It’s Ted’s passion, and Rotary helped get him there.”

Sybil Porter said the club is filled with so many dynamic members, there’s not a whole lot for her to do other than to run meetings and check in with committees to see they have everything they need. Beyond that, she’ll keep asking that same question: What is your why?

Because no matter how big of a problem, Sybil Porter knows from the club’s history that Rotary can make a difference.

“Rotary International has pretty much eradicated polio. I believe last year there were maybe eight cases of polio in the world,” Sybil Porter said. “It started with one Rotarian who said I want to do something about this scourge of polio. Through his efforts, he spearheaded (vaccine distribution) into a global force.”

Currently, the Lakewood Ranch chapter has 100 members. Sybil Porter’s goal is to add 25 more to the roster before her one-year term is up.

For prospective members considering joining, outgoing

president Carmen Spagnola said people often get Rotary wrong, and even Rotarians make the mistake.

“When you ask them, ‘What kind of organization are we?’ they’ll say community service,” Spagnola said.

“We are a fellowship. Fellowship is just an old traditional worker friendship.”

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT

ROTARY CLUB OF LAKEWOOD RANCH

Address: 8374 Market St., #449

Mission statement: To provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Get involved: The club meets at noon every Thursday at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, 7650 Legacy Blvd.. Call 870-0002 or visit LakewoodRanch-Rotary.com

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

The club currently has 100 members and is looking to expand.

Lesley Dwyer Rotary is still and has been a part of Sybil and Bill Porter’s lives for 43 years.

Rotary’s Glenda Myers (left) reads as part of the “Books for Kids” program.

OFFROAD WARRIOR

Chris Lawson took him to the final race of the 2022 season at the Sarasota Area Dirt Riders Association.

As Colton Lawson circles racetracks while riding with the Sarasota Area Dirt Riders Association, spectators might not notice his prosthetic legs.

Likewise, the Myakka City 7-yearold is undeterred by his physical difference, as for him, racing at high speed simply feels natural.

“It’s easy,” he said, explaining that he enjoys the experience of overtaking fellow racers, the thrill of traveling on his four-wheeler, and the friendships that have resulted from the sport.

He said completing his inaugural season with the Sarasota Area Dirt Riders Association, which saw him receiving the Quad Pewee B Championship, filled him with a sense of pride by knowing he could inspire others by demonstrating “anything is possible.”

In June 2018 when he was 2, Colton lost the lower parts of both legs following a mowing accident.

He had always enjoyed riding on the Bush Hog with his father, Chris Lawson, as he mowed the family’s 28-acre property in Myakka City.

One day, Colton’s mother April Costello arrived with groceries.

As Chris Lawson was letting Colton down from the mower to run to her, his foot slipped the clutch, and Colton was dragged under the mower. He was then flown to Tampa General Hospital, where he had six surgeries, ultimately having his legs amputated below the knees.

Despite his setback, his passion for vehicles with wheels and engines remained steadfast from a young age, as did his desire for activity. Sometimes Colton will remove his prosthetics and shoes, and dart across the grass on just his legs.

AN INTEREST IN RACING

Colton has never let the challenges he encountered keep him from his love of moving fast, said Chris Lawson.

Initially, Colton struggled to ride a bicycle without training wheels, and his shoes had to be attached to the pedals with Velcro. Then one day, amid his father’s objections, Colton surprised him by effortlessly riding a bike.

Inspired by his family’s involvement in dirt riding, Colton’s serious interest in racing was piqued when

That prompted them to purchase a four-wheeler and enter the world of racing.

To aid in their practice, Chris Lawson and his friends developed a track within the wooded section of their property, which soon became a popular spot for Colton’s friends as well.

RACING LOVE TAKES OVER

As Colton embarked on his first race of the season, his nerves were still running high; at the first corner, a multivehicle crash took place. For a little while, the situation only continued to worsen. Two of the crashes involved Colton himself, the second of which resulted in staff having to remove his vehicle from the bushes.

Yet in the final lap of the race, as Colton was lagging behind in last place, his nerves suddenly dropped away and his love of the sport took over.

“I was thinking of braveness, proudness,” he said. “I was still a little bit nervous, and people were still crashing.”

Colton gained speed to ultimately finish in third place. In his next race, he finished first.

While racing presented its own share of challenges, Colton’s determination never wavered, leading to him being promoted from a B-class to an A-class racer.

On repeat occasions, his leg passed through the vehicle’s nerf bar, a netted foot platform, and became jammed in the front tire. In one of those instances, he hit his chin on the dashboard, busted his lip and lost his shoe. He continued without his shoe and went on to finish the race.

Chris Lawson said any time Colton encounters an obstacle, he is only encouraged to push forward.

“It makes him angry, and he really pushes through,” his father said. “It makes him just try harder. It just makes him go faster.”

Another issue Colton faces is that he is not able to feel the footbrake with his leg and must use the handbrake instead. His newest vehicle will be modified to place the footbrake on the left handlebar.

Costello said due to the risks inherent in the sport, watching Colton race can be nerve-racking.

“Once he gets through the first lap, then I know he feels comfortable and that he will be OK for the rest of the time, but yes, it is definitely nerveracking for me,” she said. “It’s the risk that you take. You know that there’s a risk. There’s a risk with anything you do.”

She also said it helps that the organization’s medic team is “top notch.”

That medic team includes a welcome face for the family. Its head medic, Donny Richardson, led the Aeromed flight crew that transported Colton after his accident.

On the last race of the season, the anniversary of Colton’s accident — June 14 — Richardson brought along some guests to the Port Charlotte racetrack, the other members of the flight crew that transported Colton.

“That was a good surprise,” Chris Lawson said.

Although Colton wasn’t able to complete the race due to carburetor issues, he came away with the Quad Pewee B Championship.

THE ROAD GOES ON Colton’s sights are now set on gaining as much time on the four-wheeler as he can before the next season starts in early September. Due to moving up to a new class, he now must familiarize himself with a vehicle equipped with a motor that runs it three times as fast.

“They’re older kids, bigger kids. They’ve been riding a lot longer, so we’re going to have some competition,” Chris Lawson said.

The family has plans for a trip to Georgia in November, where they will explore the mountains and ride on dirt bike trails.

“I love mountain riding,” Colton said. “I want to be a mountain rider.”

Chris Lawson knows his son already has come a long way.

“A lot of people are surprised at what he can do,” he said.

One of those people is Colton’s sister, Taylor, who is 14 and will now be starting in dirt bike racing next season after being inspired by Colton.

Later this year, Colton will participate in the Grand National Cross Country race held in Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.

“I’m proud of him every single day,” Costello said. “For the most part, he doesn’t let much bother him. He is one of the most resilient children I’ve ever met in my life. He’s loving, he’s kind, he’s driven. He’s a lot to be proud of.”

“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.”

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Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 ©

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Seven-year-old Colton Lawson never lost the need for speed after losing the lower part of both legs in 2018.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Above: April Costello, Colton Lawson, and Chris Lawson

Top: Colton Lawson makes a jump while riding his four-wheeler on his family’s property.

Curb your appeal for nonnative plants

John Gidding had planned a tidy path to reach the goals he had set for his professional life. He had a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a master’s degree from Harvard in architectural design, and he was a sought-after fashion model, showing off the best brands such as Armani and Gucci.

But why be tidy? Gidding wanted to get his hands dirty.

A shift to landscape architecture in his mid-20s changed his priorities, led to a career hosting TV shows such as “Curb Appeal” and eventually led him to write his new book, “At Home with Nature.”

On Saturday, July 15 at the Robert Toale and Sons’ Celebration of Life Center in Lakewood Ranch, the Gardeners Out East club will host Gidding in an event that is free and open to the public.

Gidding has been the host of HGTV’s “Curb Appeal” and “Curb Appeal Xtreme” and also has been a frequent guest on the “Rachael Ray” show. His book is a “guide to sustainable, natural landscaping,” and he will talk at the event about ways to accomplish eco-conscious gardening in the Lakewood Ranch area. Those who plan to attend are asked to register at Eventbrite.

“I would admit I did a slow burn to get to this place (landscape architecture),” he said. “I started working in landscape architecture out of New York, working on great projects. It was much more fulfilling right off the bat.”

He found he had a general distaste for the “build, build, build,” philosophy associated with architecture. He said there was a pressure to “build outlandish buildings to make a name for yourself.”

“So I have had my fingers in the dirt since I started in my mid-20s with (famed landscape architect) Michael Van Vakkenburgh.”

He said landscape architecture allowed him to “do what was right

Lakewood Ranch’s

for a particular landscape.”

He worked on projects such as Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York and Allegheny Riverfront Park in Pittsburgh. His direction was set.

Above all, he said he loves the sense of community he has felt in landscape architecture.

“There is a general feeling that nature is a precious commodity and we need to protect it,” he said. “Landscaping takes a lot of care. And without the proper landscape, a home can look naked.”

He stressed that individual homeowners can have a great effect on the beauty of their home and the environment with proper landscaping. It is one reason he decided to write his book.

“Homeowners can influence quite a lot with just a 20-by20-foot garden,” he said. “I am just

trying to convince them that every single plant should be native.”

He said he loves the way homeowners are delighted when “everything comes together” on one of their landscaping projects. He also said those landscaping projects can help bring the entire community together.

But he also understands homeowners in the Lakewood Ranch area might be dealing with HOA requirements that could specify maximum heights and other restrictions that have to be kept in mind when purchasing plants.

In the end, though, he said the environment will benefit from landscaping projects.

“You can make a difference with a native plant,” he said. “And it helps the wildlife that will develop with the plants.”

He said homeowners should be aware of the collapse of the pollinator population and how plants can help. He said even if everyone in a neighborhood put in one plant each, it could make a huge difference.

“I see people who are excited about what they can do and how they can help improve water quality (through their landscaping).”

Gidding was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and attended American schools in Turkey and Switzerland. Besides his other accomplishments, he now can add author to the mix.

He said his book straddles the line between being a how-to book and a story book.

He talks about municipal codes in his book and the process people must follow to change their yards. The book covers designs and planning.

“But it is not a direct how-to,” he said. “And it’s not directed at plant experts. At the very end, I give a native plants history. I go region by region, the five temperate zones, covering the U.S. I think it is done relatively well. I care about what I am writing about.”

After his book tour, Gidding will head to Switzerland, where he will be living, at least until he lands another TV series.

“I am going to be teaching high school, and I have family there,” he said. “I feel that this is one of the biggest ways I can make an impact. I will teach design and entrepreneurship.’

He hopes to see more men at his events because his crowds tend to be dominated by women.

“That’s my demographic. Men are there because they were dragged there,” he said. “But this is an engaging topic.”

What are a few common mistakes novice gardeners make?

“Grass is the biggest one,” he said. “There are many different kinds of grass and some are, in fact, poisonous, like plastic on Earth. It

IF YOU GO GARDENERS OUT EAST

HOSTS JOHN GIDDING

What: Special event with John Gidding, the former host of HGTV shows such as “Curb Appeal” and “Curb Appeal

Xtreme”

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15

Where: Celebration of Life Center, 4310 Solutions Lane, Lakewood Ranch

Cost: Free (Those who attend are asked to register at Eventbrite.)

About the event: Gidding will discus gardening with native plants and natural landscaping. He also will be signing copies of his new book “At Home with Nature.”

keeps soil from growing anything useful. (The wrong kind of) grass you pick can be a big, big mistake.

“The other thing is that people plant shrubs right against the house when plants need to relate to each other. They communicate, so bring plants out into the landscape. See how everything gets healthier.” He was asked about one thing people could do in their yard to help the environment.

“Plant more trees,” he said. “I say, ‘The time for introducing more trees is today.’ Bring in native trees because it will make a huge difference.”

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

Murray Friedberg, M.D.

Robert Edelman,

Scott Silverman,

Robert Sambursky, M.D.

Pooja Khator, M.D.

Jeffrey Davis, M.D.

Jody Abrams, M.D.

Paul Brannan, M.D.

Selina Lin, M.D.

Philip Ames, M.D.

Neal Kansara, M.D.

Courtesy photo

John Gidding, the host of HGTV’s former show “Curb Appeal,” will be speaking in Lakewood Ranch on July 15.

Make A Plan.

New horse spotted at polo fields

East County’s Margaux

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Safari, who was foaled in March, galloped behind her mother, Pigpen, in a pasture at the Sarasota Polo Club. The two leopard Appaloosa horses could be seen from a distance because of their distinct spots.

East County’s Margaux Buchanan, a polo player for the Sarasota Polo Club and the owner of Safari and Pigpen, loves watching the foal interact with her mother.

While Pigpen has retired from polo action, Buchanan said Safari has the potential to be a polo competitor.

Now 20 years old, Pigpen was purchased by Buchanan from a horse trader in California eight years ago. Pigpen was one of the first horses Buchanan bought when she started learning how to play polo.

“She was a good, dead broke horse for a beginner, and when she got a little too old to play at the polo level that I was playing, she retired,” Buchanan said. “I realized she has some good bloodlines for polo, so I started breeding horses to try to keep polo alive. Horses are getting harder to come by as everything’s getting more industrial around here.”

It Makes a Difference.

Beach Polo Club in 2012.

“It’s a grand addiction,” she said on June 29. “The moment I got on the horse and hit the ball for the first time, I was hooked.”

On March 19, Pigpen gave birth to Safari, her first foal and Buchanan’s first foal since she began breeding. She bred Pigpen hoping her offspring would have spots like both her parents (a 25% probability).

When Safari was born, Buchanan celebrated when she saw the spots.

Now she is focused on training Safari to become a polo horse.

Buchanan was introduced to polo in Long Island, New York, by her employer, a veterinarian who worked for the Black Watch Polo team. She watched her first polo match and was hooked. She remembered thinking, “I’m going to do that someday.”

She went on to finish veterinary school and had her first internship in Vero Beach. While there, she also began polo lessons with the Vero

Buchanan said the first step is getting Safari comfortable with the halter. She’s already been around mallets and balls for polo.

“It’s a hard thing to raise a horse because polo is very specific, so there’s a good chance that she might not have the aptitude or talent for it,” she said. “Hopefully with genetics and her mom doing it will help. We’re going to give her an all-around education so even if she doesn’t make it for polo, she’s going to be a really nice horse for somebody to ride and enjoy.”

Buchanan hopes her leopard Appaloosa foal will follow in her mother’s footsteps.

Liz Ramos

East County’s Margaux Buchanan is thrilled 4-month-old Safari has spots like her parents. Buchanan hopes to train Safari to become a polo horse.

“We were very happy working with Charles Totonis and Joe Harris. From the very beginning they exhibited pure professionalism. They were on time for every meeting. They shared the market research. They helped us to maximize our selling price according to market conditions. We sold our house in 5 days. After the sale, they went above and beyond in helping us coordinate movers, storage and furniture donations. We are using the Charles and Joe team in building our new home in Lakewood Ranch. We have appreciated their hard work and insight very much! We highly recommend them!” – Tony and Laurie S.

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LET’S DO WELL TOGETHER

With a 3D high-definition visual tool to magnify the surgeon’s view and tiny wristed instruments that move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion, the da Vinci® Xi robotic surgical system at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with great precision through small incisions

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In addition to comprehensive open and minimally invasive laparoscopic treatments, general surgeons at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center perform a variety of robotic procedures, including colorectal, gynecologic and urologic surgery. To find a doctor, visit: doctors.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com

OBSERVER READERS GET THE POINT: Michael and Nadine Kenneally show off their East County Observer in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Cairo, Egypt.

A+E INSIDE:

<THINGS TO DO: The Circus Arts Conservatory’s Summer Circus Spectacular offers affordable family fun. 15

‘BLACK PEARL SINGS’ In FST’s latest production, two women engage in a tug of war to save slave-era songs. 16 >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

JULY 13, 2023

COME TO THE (SUMMER) CABARET

Beat the heat with three fun-filled musical revues at Florida Studio Theatre.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Did you hear how a bachelor party stormed the stage July 4 at Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret? They wanted to warm up for their party at the Art Ovation Hotel, so they stopped by the cabaret, sang some Beach Boys songs and knocked a few beach balls around.

Actually, the four guys dressed in tight white jeans and pastel polos were “The Surfer Boys,” one of three cabaret shows playing at FST this summer.

Their bachelor party routine was pretty convincing though, as was the woman in an American flag dress pulled from the audience to dance to “Come Go With Me.” She was a real trouper, especially since she was hindered by a broken leg.

When the temperature soars and the snowbirds fly home, it is traditional for Sarasota’s arts venues to close their doors and start planning for the next season.

But as more people discover the charms of Sarasota — not just rock stars and retirees but remote workers — summer entertainment is heating up. FST’s cabaret scene is sizzling.

Some may recall how Megan Thee Stallion coined the tag “#hotgirlsummer” back in 2019.

Following her lead, The New York Times recently polled people on their proposed hashtag for summer 2023. In Sarasota, it’s shaping up to be an #FSTcabaretsummer.

“The Surfer Boys” brings back the good vibrations of the Beach Boys, but you won’t hear any references to

the Wilson brothers (Brian, Dennis and Carl) or their cousin, Mike Love. These Surfer Boys are generic.

Broadway veterans perform Beach Boys hits like “I Get Around,” “Barbara Ann” and “Little Deuce Coupe” and pepper their show with local references in the spoken part of the show, what music types call the “libretto.”

It’s a winning formula that has worked twice before for “Surfer Boys” creator and Director Brian Noonan. He created and performed in “The Jersey Tenors” in 2017 at FST and returned in 2022 with “The Jersey Tenors — Part II.”

Some of the Jersey Tenors and Surfer Boys spent time in the trenches in touring productions of “Jersey Boys” and also appeared in the Broadway sensation “Les Miserables.”

The six-member cast of “The Surfer Boys” consists of J.D. Daw, Joseph DePietro, Kenneth Quinney Francoeur, Brandon Lambert, Bruno Vida and Michael Jayne Walker. (Only four of the six perform nightly in the show, which runs through Aug. 13.)

Sarasota audiences will remember Lambert as a Jersey Tenor from this past summer, when he appeared along with Noonan, Vaden Thurgood and Michael Pilato.

Thurgood is coming back to FST with his own musical revue, “Creedence Clearwater Remixed!,” which runs Aug. 22 through Oct. 22.

It follows CCR founder John Fogerty and his 50-year battle with Fantasy Records to obtain the rights to his songs (He finally won in January.), as well as his struggle with alcoholism and depression.

Don’t worry, though. It’s not a dark tale, Thurgood says. It’s good vibes only on cabaret time.

In his autobiography, Fogerty credits his current wife, Julie, with stabilizing his life and helping him discover the joys of domesticity after so many years on the road. Indeed, “Creedence Clearwater Remixed” includes a female performer, even though the group was all male. Thurgood has been shopping

IF YOU GO FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE CABARET SERIES

‘The Surfer Boys’

When: Runs through Aug. 13

Where: Goldstein Cabaret

‘Divas Three’

When: Runs through Sept. 10

Where: Court Cabaret

‘Creedence Clearwater

Remixed!’

When: Runs Aug. 22 - Oct. 22

Where: Goldstein Cabaret

For tickets and info, visit: FloridaStudioTheatre.org

around his CCR show for a few years at conferences that specialize in such things. Some producers and venues didn’t think Fogerty’s repertoire, which includes the Tina Turner anthem “Proud Mary” and CCR hits like “Bad Moon Rising” and “Fortunate Son,” was recognizable enough to form the basis of a successful show.

Industry people had the same reaction to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons before the runaway success of “Jersey Boys,” Thurgood notes. For Thurgood, CCR is personal. “In my household growing up, you were allowed to like the Beatles, but you had to like CCR,” he says. “There were no ifs, ands and buts about it.”

When he began working on “Creedence Clearwater Remixed!”

Thurgood said “Fortunate Son” was his favorite Fogerty song, but now “Born on a Bayou” tops his chart. Asked about hits from Fogerty’s solo career, Thurgood said he only could find room for “Center Field” in his show. He regrets that “Rock and Roll Girls” and “The Old Man Down the Road” didn’t make the cut.

The shows at FST’s summer cabaret are 70 minutes long, slightly shorter than the 90 minutes common on the cruise ship circuit.

Despite some industry skepticism about CCR’s modern-day appeal, Catherine Randazzo is a believer.

Randazzo, whose official title at FST is literary manager/associate artist, is the dynamo behind the venue’s summer cabaret season. In a telephone interview, Noonan said Randazzo practically finishes his sentences (in a good way). She also customizes FST shows so they’re filled with local landmarks and humorous references.

One reason why Randazzo has confidence in FST’s 2023 summer lineup is the track record of Noonan and Thurgood. Both delivered knockout performances night after night in “Jersey Tenors — Pt. II.”

Like every good marketer, Randazzo understands that audiences like the familiar but they also want something new.

“The ’60s and ’70s are the sweet spot for our audiences,” she says. Many cruise lines, which are a popular venue for musical revues, have moved onto the ’80s, but Randazzo and Noonan agreed that FST audiences might not be ready for that era.

Lest anyone think summer cabaret is a boys club, fear not. The third show in the FST summer lineup is “Divas Three,” featuring a trio of

SEE CABARET ON PAGE 14

Courtesy photos

Created by Vaden Thurgood, “Creedence Clearwater Remixed!” follows the career of John Fogerty, founder of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and features hit songs such as “Proud Mary” and “Center Field.”

Catherine Randazzo, literary manager/ associate artist at Florida Studio Theatre, has been the driving force behind its summer cabaret series.

powerhouse pipes in sequins belting out the songs of Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and other superstar songstresses.

Subscribers are responsible for filling nearly every seat at FST’s summer cabaret shows, but single tickets are available. The subscription for the three shows brings the ticket price down to less than $20 for each show before the cost of food and drink.

Regional theaters are hurting and closing down across the country, with attendance down 30% from preCOVID levels. But at FST, cabarets are booming, expanding from one summer show of four weeks to three shows of eight and even 10 weeks since the debut of FST summer cabaret in 2014. Their growth has coincided with Randazzo’s nineyear tenure.

The Randazzo-Noonan-Thurgood collaboration is certainly responsible for the success, but demographics have played a part. (The moving company PODS recently listed Sarasota as its No. 2 destination for final container dropoffs.)

What might be on FST’s stages in the future? Nothing has been signed yet, but Noonan says he is working on a show called “To Be Perfectly Frank,” featuring a young crooner and an older singer paying tribute to Old Blue Eyes. A pianist makes up the third member of the musical revue.

For his part, Thurgood says cabaret lovers should keep their eye on a group called MidAtlantic Men, which has been performing on cruise ships featuring a battle of U.S. and U.K. bands and could be heading to a cabaret near you.

Thurgood is working on a show featuring Emily Ann Yates, who has made musical waves on cruise ships with her revue, “The Show Must Go On.”

Yates “shows you what it is like to be a true diva,” he says.

We’ll see what the cast of “Divas Three” has to say about that. The show opened July 11 and runs through Sept. 10 at FST’s Court Cabaret.

“The Surfer Boys” features the hits of the Beach Boys and follows four young men at a bachelor party in Sarasota.

Created and conceived by Brian Noonan, “The Jersey Tenors” laid the foundation for The Beach Boys tribute, “The Surfer Boys,” which runs through Aug. 11 at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

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 a few. The affordable entertainment is a partnership between Circus Arts Conservatory and the Ringling. Runs through Aug. 12.

THURSDAY JAZZ AT THE SAM

5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail

Free-$20

Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

In partnership with the Jazz Club of Sarasota, the Sarasota Art Museum presents a performance by David Pruyn Quartet.

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. Four Broadway veterans

bring The Beach Boys’ biggest hits to life with classics like “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” “Barbara Ann” and many more. Runs through Aug. 13.

DIVAS THREE

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $18 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Three female vocalists present four decades of songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and other women who have won the coveted title of “Diva.” It’s not just their voices that make them divas; it’s their costumes and their attitude. Runs through Sept. 3.

FRIDAY

FIVE FLORIDA ARTS TEACHERS IN CONVERSATION

1 p.m. at Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood Free with $5 registration fee Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

After spending two weeks on the Hermitage campus, five arts educators from across the state will share their perspectives with the community. The five teachers are Jeffrey Brown (music, Orange County), James Finch (painting, Brevard County), Omar Otero (photography and painting, Seminole County), Rachael Pongetti (visual art, Escambia County) and Katherine Gebhart (writing and illustration, Palm Beach County).

SARA NELMS

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

A favorite on the Gulf Coast music circuit, Sara Nelms appears in the free summer concert series hosted by Venice MainStreet. Bring your own chairs or picnic blankets. No alcohol permitted.

OUR PICK

‘LIVING IN PARADISE’ OPENING RECEPTION

The outpost of the arts collective Creative Liberties presents artwork by the residents of the ARCOS Apartments in the Rosemary District. Meet the artists and enjoy light bites and beverages.

IF YOU GO

When: 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 13

Where: Creative Liberties at Gaze Gallery, 340 Central Ave.

Tickets: Free Info: CreativeLiberties.net

WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE CURTAIN WITH ALYSON DOLAN

1:15 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 Free Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

Alyson Dolan was Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s inaugural Choreographer in Residence from 2012-14

An original member of the Austin Soundpainting Collective, Dolan returned to Sarasota this summer.

DON’T MISS

‘FAME! THE MUSICAL’

“Fame! The Musical” showcases students in Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s annual summer musical theater program. Based on the 1980 musical film of the same name, the program follows students at New York’s High School for the Performing Arts as they deal with classes, auditions and life.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m., July 15-16

Where: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. Tickets: $27 Info: WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

Courtesy photos

“Fame! The Musical” runs July 15-16 at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe featuring students in WBTT’s summer intensive musical theater program.

“Living in Paradise” features artwork by the residents of the ARCOS Apartments.

Saving Songs from Silence

MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC

Time is cruel to art — music especially. The authentic folk songs of the past are often silenced. Why do a few still play? It’s often because someone fought against the silence. Frank Higgins’ “Black Pearl Sings!” brings a fictionalized version of this very real fight to Florida Studio Theatre.

Back in the 1930s, “songhunters” like Alan and John Lomax crisscrossed the country making recordings of genuine roots music. Susannah Mullally (Rachel Moulton) is the play’s fictional folklorist. She’s on a quest for Black folk songs — as close to the originals as she can get.

Susannah’s search takes her to a Texas prison, where she finds Alberta “Pearl” Johnson (Alice M. Gatling). This woman has a powerful voice — and powerful memories of slavery-era songs passed down by her Gullah ancestors. Most of those songs remain unrecorded.

If Susannah adds Pearl’s songs to the Library of Congress audio archive, she’ll achieve the lofty goal of preserving history. But Susannah is an underpaid musicologist. Those recordings will win her an academic position and a decent income.

But Pearl’s indifferent to Susannah’s mixed motives. This white lady wants recordings of the old songs? Fine. Pearl wants something in return. The archivist gets her out of prison, but that’s not enough. Pearl demands that Susannah help find her missing daughter. If she can’t help, Pearl will remain silent.

The tug of war continues throughout the play. Pearl releases one song for every clue Susannah finds. But she keeps the song her ancestors brought from Africa in her pocket.

Director Kate Alexander makes the most of Higgins’ strong characters and razor-sharp dialogue. It turns on a dime from heartbreaking to hilarious. The actors make the most of it, too.

Gatling’s portrayal of Pearl reprises her performance in FST’s 2009 production and the play’s 2007 premiere. Her Pearl has no illusions about the machinery of the white power structure (do-gooders and bleeding hearts included). She doesn’t spare Susannah’s feelings — and speaks her mind about her white savior’s hypocrisy. Gatling’s singing voice comes from the depths of her soul. With never a false note.

Moulton’s Susannah is no saint. But the playwright doesn’t set her

IF YOU GO

‘BLACK PEARL SINGS!’:

When: Through July 30

Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.

Tickets: $25-$39

Info: FloridaStudioTheatre.org

up as a cardboard villain, either. Despite her character’s flaws, Moulton plays her as an idealist. Susannah doesn’t become bosom buddies with Pearl. But the two characters do form common cause before the final curtain. It just takes lot of bickering to get there.

This human chess game comes to life in Isabel & Moriah CurleyClay’s two sets — the warden’s spartan office in the first act, and a wealthy bohemian’s New York City walkup stuffed with books and art in the second act.

From prison stripes to evening gowns, Nia Safarr Banks’ costumes are visual shorthand for the era’s identity code. Ethan Vail’s lighting goes from realistic (in the present) to phantasmagoric (in moments of memory and imagination).

Louis Vetter Torres’ music design is vital in this play. “Black Pearl Sings!” isn’t a musical. But it’s packed with music — with songs like “Down on Me” and “This Little Light of Mine” punctuating the spoken world dialogue. Torres makes the music seem like the background score of the play’s world, not a stagey interruption.

But who wins the chess game? Does the constant verbal (and occasionally physical) sparring between Susannah and Pearl make any sense?

You’d better believe it.

After experiencing Higgins’ smart, heartfelt play, you won’t take the old songs for granted ever again. The playwright shows the cost of what it took to save them from silence.

Courtesy photos Alice M. Gatling and Rachel Moulton engage in a tug of war over slave music.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Hot times on Main

Stifling heat doesn’t stop huge crowd from enjoying the monthly concert and block party series.

Greyhawk Landing’s Calum Zeitler and his parents, Jake and Jen Zeitler, weren’t going to let the heat get in their way of having a good time Friday at Music on Main.

Calum Zeitler, who is 7, didn’t seem bothered at all playing cornhole, barely breaking a sweat as he threw the beanbag and landed it directly into the hole. He threw his hands in the air and yelled in celebration.

Cornhole was just one of the activities the Zeitlers enjoyed during the monthly Lakewood Ranch event.

“We love (Music on Main),” Jen Zeitler said. “It’s toasty out, but it’s the perfect time of day to be out. It can only get cooler from here.”

East County’s 11-year-old Ariana Rojas and 5-year-old Aileen Rojas found an easy way to cool off — eating Kona Ice.

“It’s really refreshing,” Ariana Rojas said.

— LIZ RAMOS

Visiting from Washington D.C., Rundell Douglas and Trudy Wells try out Music on Main with Lakewood Ranch’s Barry Wells.

Bradenton’s Cooper Adams, who is 3, smiles as he tries out the slide.

Photos by Liz Ramos Lakewood Ranch’s Juliette Hernandez, 4, stays still while she has her face painted.

Sarasota’s Mica Glasberg and Elena Lidgard dance to Latin, R&B and island dance music.

Greyhawk Landing’s Jake Zeitler watches his 7-yearold son, Calum Zeitler, try to get a bag into the hole while playing cornhole. When Calum Zeitler does, he throws his hands up and yells in celebration.

FIREWORKS POP THE PARK

Thousands of people gathered July 3 along the Nathan Benderson Park lake from Sarasota to University Town Center.

No matter where they found a parking spot or set down their blankets, the view was spectacular as they became part of Fireworks on the Lake.

Many tailgaters gravitated to the parking lot at the Mall at UTC. The more seasoned of those brought grills, buffet tables and cornhole games. Others simply popped their hatchbacks and had a seat.

At the park, the party kicked off with the Fireworks on the Lake 5K run. The finish tower hosted a VIP party, while a festival took place throughout the park. Kettle of Fish entertained the adults in the crowd with live music before the main event, while the kids hopped through bounce houses, ran through bubbles and chomped on watermelon in the Kids Zone.

The Detwiler family, plus friends and staff, sliced and served 6,000 plus triangles of watermelon from their market. The market also donated about 4,000 cookies. Co-owner Henry Detwiler looked like the pied piper as he wove through the crowd with a tray full of cookies.

As the sun set, the music died down and the bounce houses were deflated, giving way to the fireworks show. The main event lasted about 15 minutes, but judging by the “oohs” and “aahs,” the fireworks did not disappoint.

— LESLEY DWYER

Sarasota residents Jessica and Caralina Kress are first timers to the fireworks show at Nathan Benderson Park.

Sarasota residents Russell Seward and Nicole Sears deck their golf cart out for every holiday.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

YOUR CALENDAR

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, JULY 13

THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 16

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 Matthew Johns Band (Saturday), and Mike Sales (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday shows have a $5 cover, and the rest are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 14 AND SATURDAY, JULY 15

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/songwriter Trevor Bystrom provides the entertainment Friday for those who stroll through Waterside Place’s restaurants and businesses. Frankie Lombardi plays acoustic rock and pop on Saturday. The entertainment is free. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SUNDAY, JULY 16

FARMERS MARKET

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

YOGA IN THE PARK

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

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.

BEST BET

FRIDAY, JULY 14

MOVIE NIGHT

Runs from 7-10 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Waterside Place hosts a free family friendly movie night sponsored by Grace Community Church. The first 300 people who attend receive a free popsicle from Siesta Pops. This month’s movie is “Moana.” The character Moana will be available for a meet-and-great with the kids from 7-9 p.m. The movie begins approximately at 8 p.m. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions available include We Be Poppin Popcorn and Kettle Corn. Face painting and inflatables for the kids will be available from 7-9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 21

THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 23

DRAGON BOAT RACING

Begins at 7:30 a.m. each day at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. More than 100 teams from around the nation will compete in the United States Dragon Boat Federation’s Club Crew National Championships. The teams are competing to earn a berth in the 2024 IDBF Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy. Competition is held in age, skill level and specialty categories. For more information, go to USDBF.org/ Club-Crew/2023-CCNC/.

July 19 | August 23 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Michael’s On East, Sarasota

Only $39 Per Lecture—Includes Luncheon!

To RSVP: Call AJC at 941.365.4955 or Online at: AJC.org/Sarasota/summer2023

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?

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 evershifting dynamics of U.S. – Middle East relations.

The State of Jewish Affairs: Around the World with AJC

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.

Reservations Required.

RSVP Online at AJC.org/Sarasota/summer2023

Or Email: sarasota@ajc.org

Or Call AJC at 941.365.4955

File photo

Concession home tops sales at $3.8 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in the Concession topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Robert Rodgers and Ellen Piersol, of Bradenton, sold their home at 19453 Ganton Ave. to Donald Hostetter, of Bradenton, for $3.8 million. Built in 2008, it has five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 5,974 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.05 million in 2022.

POMELLO PARK

Juan Agustin Garcia Argibay and Silvana Perego, of Bradenton, sold their home at 23206 67th Ave. E. to Lancer James Hoeltke and Kisa Hoeltke, of Bradenton, for $3.07 million. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths, a pool and 5,174 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.9 million in 2022.

CONCESSION

Robert and Jill Hamilton, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8317 Lindrick Lane to Thomas Reilly, trustee, of Bradenton, for $2.77 million. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,868 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,500,800 in 2016.

GROSVENOR GARDENS

Thomas Reilly and Pamela Hill Reilly, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8322 Grosvenor Court to Jon and Kimberlea Robinson, trustees, of Decatur, Illinois, for $1.85 million. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,169 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,358,900 in 2012.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Douglas and Betsy Bulcher, of Prescott Valley, Arizona, sold the home at 5220 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Gary and Tamara Rogers, of Bradenton, for $1.32 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths, a pool and 3,704 square feet of living area. It sold for $665,600 in 2016.

COUNTRY CLUB

Millicent Larosa, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 7920 Treesdale Glen to Lianne Walker Powell for $1.3 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,943 square feet of living area.

Thelma and Ray Eigenbrode, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, sold their home at 8048 Royal Birkdale Circle to Brian and Beth Grogan, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.25 million. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 3,073 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $425,000 in 1998.

Charles and Jennifer Adams, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12616 Elgin Terrace to Bradley and Crystal Ann Boyd, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,207,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,052 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $450,000 in 2012.

Abraham Elias sold his home at 7627 Desert Inn Way to Alexandre Henri Raoul Attelann and Sarah Marie Fortune Allal, of Lakewood Ranch, for $915,000. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,960 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $376,000 in 2015.

Jason and Jennifer Gorton, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7024 Brier Creek Court to Gregory and Iris Wood, of Lakewood Ranch, for $899,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,706 square feet of living area. It sold for $580,000 in 2020.

Steven and Jill St. Peter, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7349 Wexford Court to Sabrina Misiaszek and George Cooper, of Bradenton, for $570,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,562 square feet of living area. It sold for $292,500 in 2018.

RYE ROAD David and Cheryl Collin, of Crossville, Tennessee, sold their home at 1515 Rye Road E. to Hong Nguyen, of Troy, Michigan, for $1.2 million. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,413 square feet of living area.

PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE

Sandra Csanyi, of Salisbury, North Carolina, sold the home at 22209 Deer Pointe Crossing to John Dale Rumble and Debbie Louise Rumble, of Olympia, Washington, for $1.02 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,964 square feet of living area.

SAVANNA

Richard Marshall Mountjoy and Teresa Fisher Mountjoy sold their home at 13510 Saw Palm Creek Trail to Shaun and Holly Baker, of Lakewood Ranch, for $975,000. Built in 2017, it has six bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,315 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,000 in 2020.

HENLEY Anne Musekamp, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7010 Lancaster Court to Norman and Camille Rosenberg, of Bradenton, for $935,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,600 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2017.

BRIDGEWATER

Stevan McNeill, trustee, and Barbara McNeill, of Venice, sold the home at 13112 Ramblewood Trail to Joyce Carol Sharaf, of Florham Park, New Jersey, for $850,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,255 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2013.

CLUBSIDE AT COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Stephen Gilman and Robert Mack, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their Unit 20-C condominium at 7473 Divot Loop to Joseph and Kristen Farrell, of Nokomis, for $830,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2020.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Gerry and Janet Barbour, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4715 Compass Drive to Kyle Redding Humphrey and Alexandria Humphrey, of Bradenton, for $800,600. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,806 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2015.

MILL CREEK

Lisa and Graham Voorhees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 802 134th St. E. to Gregorio and Jill Rubin, of Bradenton, for $744,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,382 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2015.

BRADEN OAKS

Heinrich Jan Gille and Bonnie Linda Hood Gille, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3815 65th St. E. to Xiaofei Yu and Hongmei Ge, of Bellevue, Washington, for $742,500. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,924 square feet of living area. It sold for $430,000 in 2018.

COPPERLEFE Christina Truong, of Ellenton, sold her home at 11514 Sweetgrass Drive to Ronald Brett Myers and Jamie Elizabeth Myers, of Bradenton, for $729,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,257 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $618,000 in 2021.

HAMPTON TERRACE

AT UNIVERSITY PLACE

Janet Guenther, trustee, of Woodbridge, Virginia, sold the home at 7905 Drayton Circle to William Gately, of University Park, for $729,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,435 square feet of living area.

SERENITY CREEK

Gary and Theresa Marie Kelly, of Pittsburgh, sold their home at 12904 Bliss Loop to Scott and Jill Clulow, of Bradenton, for $725,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,002 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $473,600 in 2016.

MALLORY PARK

Stephen and Annette Rossi, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3356 Chestertown Loop to Lisa and Albin Blades, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 2,859 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $473,900 in 2021.

WATER OAK

Christopher and Juliette Shaw sold their home at 6726 64th Terrace E. to Katherine Marie Winter and Michael Joth Loder, of Bradenton,

for $670,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,726 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $284,000 in 2012.

INDIGO RIDGE AT UNIVERSITY PLACE

William Gately, of Sharon, Massachusetts, sold his home at 8162 Indigo Ridge Terrace to Janeth Kay Giles, of Bradenton, for $665,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,073 square feet of living area. It sold for $657,500 in 2022.

COUNTRY CREEK

Thomas and Shelly Schappacher, of Draper, Virginia, sold their home at 14835 Seventh Ave. E. to Shannan Katherine Garman and Nathan

This Concession home at 8317 Lindrick Lane sold for $2.77 million. It has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,868 square feet of living area.

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Problems with leg veins is a medical issue. Once vein issues appear, no medication, supplement, or lotion can make them go away. Many daily activities put stress on your legs - working on your feet or sitting all day can both be detrimental for your leg health. Throughout our website, you can explore the causes of vein disease and its treatments. Advancements in technology have progressed to a level where health care providers are now able to help in ways like never before. No more vein stripping!

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Real estate

FROM PAGE 23

Glenn Garman, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,257 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $285,000 in 2013.

POLO RUN

Deborah Goth, trustee, of Parrish, sold the home at 17230 Blue Ridge Place to Linda Marie Christensen and George Edward Christensen, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,246 square feet of living area. It sold for $351,000 in 2020.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Norman Nelson and Steven Nelson, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7223 Pine Valley St. to Eduardo and Patricia Ronderos, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,496 square feet of living area.

Norman Olmstead and Sharon Patterson, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 10158 Glenmore Ave. to Gerard and Lais Van Beek, of Bradenton, for $520,000. Built in 1997, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 1,909 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,000 in 2021.

GREENBROOK

Santo Cabrera and Claudia Seremy Fernandez, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6453 Blue Grosbeak Circle to Justin Adam Mack and Rosalia Mack, of Lakewood Ranch, for $642,500. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,342 square feet of living area. It sold for $362,000 in 2020.

Sara Bogle sold her home at 15209 Blue Fish Circle to Thomas Lozaw, of Lakewood Ranch, for $519,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,990 square feet of living area. It sold for $307,500 in 2016.

Michelle and John LaScala sold their home at 6411 Golden Eye Glen to Mari Leigh Davenport, of Bradenton, for $510,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,058 square feet of living area. It sold for $278,900 in 2015.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Gerard Michael McGowan Jr. and Jacqueline Ann McGowan, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 3612 condominium at 17723 Gawthrop Drive to James Bowman II and Robin Kay Bowman, of Bradenton, for $627,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2020.

ARBOR GRANDE

Olivia Ann Macey and Richard James Macey, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12131 Perennial Place to Alison and Jonathan Barone, of Bradenton, for $625,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,012 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2019.

SABAL HARBOUR

Johnny and Holly Owen, of Anniston, Alabama, sold their home at 4504 Useppa Drive to Michael and Lassen Lynch, of Bradenton, for $618,000. Built in 2001, it has five bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,736 square feet of living area. It sold for $299,000 in 2014.

WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER CLUB

Thomas and Kristi Kirkpatrick, trustees, of Powell, Ohio, sold the home at 9915 Discovery Terrace to Richard and Joanne Boddie, of W. Sussex, England, for $610,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,887 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2019.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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Fast Break

Former Lakewood Ranch

High and current Duke University softball star Claire Davidson finished the Florida Gulf Coast League regular season with a .500 batting average (tied for sixth in the league), two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs while playing for the Lakewood Ranch Rodeo.

Phil Marblestone sank his first career hole-in-one June 30 on the No. 22 hole at University Park Country Club. (The club labels its holes No. 1 through No. 27, not separated by course.) Marblestone used a 4-iron on the 135-yard hole.

... Former Braden River High baseball pitcher Jordan Guerrero made his 2023 debut on July 4 on a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League Padres (San Diego Padres). Guerrero, who was drafted out of Polk State College in the sixth round in 2015, was returning from Tommy John surgery he had at the end of the 2021 season. Guerrero was with the AAA-level El Paso Chihuahuas at the time of his injury.

... The First Tee of Sarasota/ Manatee is hiring a lead coach, an assistant coach and a junior coach. The lead coach and assistant coaching positions are 18+ and require the candidate to be SafeSport compliant and have completed Assistant Coach Training program, among other requirements. The junior coach position is for someone aged 14-17. For more information or to apply, email Katie@FirstTeeSM.org.

... Recent golf results: Maureen Hicks (16) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Short and Sweet” event (individual low net scoring), held July 6 at University Park Country Club, and Stan Kinnett, Jon Marvin Bernie Somoza and Jeff Gunderson (50) won the Pro Shop Buddy event (best ball scoring) held July 8 at Palm Aire Country Club.

SOCCER’S ALL THE RAGE

RYAN KOHN

SPORTS EDITOR

Braden River Soccer Club will take an important step in its hopes of becoming recognized as one of the top junior club teams in the United States when its Premier Boys team plays in the Elite Clubs National League’s Regional League Finals July 13-17 in Norco, California.

The invitation-only ECNL, which formed in 2017, has in the years since become known as one of, if not the, top club league in the country. The ECNL’s Regional League, which Braden River joined in 2021, is one step below the National League, but Braden River Soccer Club general manager Neathan Gibson said he hopes for the club to prove itself worthy of a bid to that level in time.

A good performance at the eightteam Regional League Finals, he said, would be a step in the right direction.

“We are young in the game at this level and we are already making an impact,” Gibson said. “A lot of our players are national level quality. But you have to prove your existence in a league over time before you are given a bid to play up (at the next level). You don’t get promoted for winning your league once. But we’re in the process, and these events help put us on the map. We have to make sure we get results consistently.”

Braden River joined the ECNL in the organization’s Florida Regional League. The Rage won its league title this season, which put the team in contention for a bid to the Regional League Finals, and it was selected. It will be the first Braden River boys team to play at such a level, as the girls side has seen similar success in recent seasons, including an appearance at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in 2021.

At the Regional League Finals, Braden River will be an underdog based purely on its talent pool size. The Rage has approximately 850 competitive players in its system, while clubs it will face in California are much bigger, with some having approximately 15,000 players. That’s not an insurmountable obstacle in the mind of Rage players, who believe their talent and style of play can win out.

“It’s all about finding space and keeping the ball, keeping possession,” defender Nicolas Dieter said. “We use other teams’ weaknesses against them. If we execute, we usually win pretty easily.”

Dieter has been with the club’s competitive division since he was 8. Dieter said he has known several of his current teammates since that time, having grown in the game alongside them. It’s part of the reason the Rage has such good on-field chemistry for a club team.

Other teams are sometimes thrown together for one season at a time, or even for one specific tournament. But the Rage is different.

Since Braden River is interested in building for the future, Gibson said, keeping the majority of kids together makes sense, although the team has also implemented a type of relegation system for its players. Consistently strong skills from one player can be rewarded by moving that player up one level from his birth year; likewise, inconsistent or poor play might mean a trip to a lower level to work things out.

The team’s head coach, Luis Salazar, believes the squad can compete in California thanks to its natural aggressive nature.

“This team likes going forward,”

SEE SOCCER, PAGE 27

Courtesy photo

Claire Davidson

The Rage will play in the Elite Club National League’s regional July 14-17.

Courtesy photo

The Braden River Soccer Club’s Boys Premier Team will play in the ECNL Regional League Finals in Norco, California.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Above: Broden Beorlegui fights for the ball during a July 5 practice. Aggressiveness is a key to the team’s success.

Left: Dominik Coatzozon controls the ball for Braden River.

Brandin Gallaway takes a corner kick for Braden River Soccer Club. The team worked on corners during a July 5 practice at Premier Sports Campus.

Salazar said. “It has energy. The players just love soccer and coming out and competing. And at the same time, they are not satisfied with where they are. They want to get better. They want to push themselves, and that is what I expect. They just have to keep that same mentality (at the Regional Finals), in terms of imposing themselves on the other team. They have to trust themselves.”

Dieter said it is an honor to be part of the first Braden River boys team to reach this level of success. It also comes with an extra level of seriousness, he said. While the game itself is still fun, everyone on the team is no longer satisfied with only having fun. They come to practice to get better, and everything else is secondary.

But it is not as harsh at it sounds as warm-ups are filled with laughs, Dieter said, and once in awhile, Salazar will treat the team with a “fun practice,” which usually means the same types of drills but less intensity, which allows the players to show their personalities and to bond.

“(Salazar) just wants more out of us, and that’s exactly what we need,” Dieter said.

Regardless of what happens at the Regional League Finals, Braden River is convinced this appearance is only the beginning. Gibson said it

will start with the club’s recreational league, developing players to be ready for its competitive league, in the process creating teams that are technically sharper and more quick to make good on-ball decisions. The hope, Gibson said, is that there is a consistent flow of talent throughout all levels of the club. Gibson said the club is also in talks with other local clubs about forming partnerships that would allow other clubs’ top players to represent Braden River at national-level tournament play, or even would take another club under the Braden River umbrella entirely.

Over time, Gibson said, he believes consistent success will earn Braden River the national respect it is seeking. But for now, it is on this team to make a good first impression, and the team is ready for the moment.

“I knew this was going to happen at some point, with the talent we have and the progress we have made,” Dieter said. “It was just a matter of time until we showed it in a league setting. And now we’re getting somewhere. It’s something that we’re proud of doing.”

Robb

Mansion Global, Barrons, Market

Unique Homes, Local and International MLS, as well as FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube and much more!

BRSC Premier boys head coach Luis Salazar said the team is at its best when it is aggressive and moving forward.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Carl Max Celestin fires on net for the Braden River 2008 Premier Boys team. The team is headed to California to play in the ECNL’s Regional League Finals.

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A HOUSE DIVIDED by Kevin Curry and Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

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