East County Observer 8.10.23

Twist in the plot

After the devastation of Hurricane Ian, one dog found good fortune.

When he was relocated from Fort Myers to the Humane Society of Sarasota County following the storm, Rocky met his loving owner, humane society volunteer Anne Gold, and became the star of a children’s book.

Gold, a University Park resident, wrote and her friend Bobbie Gilbert Kogok illustrated “Rocky the Hurricane Dog: A True Story.” The book serves as a lesson in compassion for animals.

Self-published in June, the book recounts the story of the 11-year-old Dachsund — as the storm left him afraid and wet.

Then Gold comes along and his life turns to belly rubs, runs on the grass, rides in the stroller and trips to the mall, before he falls asleep each night and dreams of all dogs and cats finding homes.

Hospital recognized for cardiovascular care

Lyn Swann, the director of the cath lab at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, and MaLou Kasita, the quality and accreditation director, celebrated the hospital receiving two American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline achievement awards. The awards recognize the hospital for high-quality cardiovascular care.

Swann said the awards are a result of a team effort among emergency medical services who identify a patient having a heart attack, the staff in the emergency room and the staff in the cardiac catheterization lab.

“When patients come here, they can be assured that they are going to get the safest and highest-quality care,” Kasita said.

Delivered with care

The

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Two months ago, Kaila Dougherty drove from her home in Bayshore Gardens and arrived an hour before the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch opened, hoping to leave with a French bulldog she had seen online at PetFinder.

“I was sitting in the parking lot watching the volunteers walk the dogs in the morning. One volunteer had a German shepherd, and she got down on the ground and kept kissing her head,” Dougherty said. “I’ve never seen that level of care at other places before. It was quite special.”

Dougherty ended up fourth in line for the bulldog, so instead of leaving with a Frenchie, she left with Wallaby, who has since been renamed Lou. Lou is a Black Mouth Cur and shepherd mix and also nothing like a French bulldog.

“She’s absolutely a handful. I did not want a puppy that young, but she’s so much fun,” Dougherty said.

Lou was only 3 months old when adopted. At 5 months, she already weighs about 40 pounds. Dougherty owned dogs her whole life until her job as a digital marketer for the Hard Rock kept her on the road for two years. Once she was settled down again, she wanted a new companion.

“The two primary reasons people come to our shelter to view our adoptable animals are that they’ve seen our animals online on our website, Facebook or PetFinder or

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT

HUMANE SOCIETY AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Address: 26920 Gopher Hill Road. Myakka City Mission statement: To provide a safe haven for companion animals in need until a loving, forever home can be found. Get involved: Call 361-1071 or visit HSLWR.org.

they know of us through our social media, past adoptions or references,” HSLWR Board and Executive Committee Member Cindy Jackson said.

Dougherty found HSLWR through PetFinder, and since then, she’s kept in touch with Jackson.

“I send her pictures of Lou all the time, and she always tells me she’ll update the other volunteers,” Dougherty said. “I think in a larger facility, you wouldn’t get that kind of ongoing support that I found with them.”

Located in Myakka City, the two buildings on the property are surrounded by six large enclosures with rolling green grass for the dogs to play and the cats to roam. Cats only live in cages if they’re sick. If stressed around other cats, they get a private room.

The social cats can climb the tree, installed by a volunteer, on the “Catio” (cat patio). Social but shy cats can observe from one of the ledges built high on the walls. And the sleepy cats have plenty of cozy spots to nap.

“During the day, they can go in and out. We have a cat door. We just close them in at night for safety because we are out in the country,” HSLWR Shelter Director Dani Ziegler said. “The volunteers come and hang out with them multiple

times a day. Most of them spend their time outside.”

The free range area can host 15 cats and kittens. The two private rooms are reserved for litters and loners.

The dogs are in a separate building. They, too, have doors that lead

outside, but they’re kept within their own individual spaces. Space maxes out at about 40 dogs.

“There’s two or three volunteers who take Bessie out for the day,” HSLWR Board and Executive Committee Member Cheryl Johnson said. “They’ve taken her to the dog park or any park to walk her around. She can be dog reactive, but she does listen. She’s really very sweet.”

Bessie has been in the shelter for almost two years. She has a few things working against her such as size, breed, and she can’t be in a home with another dog. She found one willing adopter, but the landlord didn’t allow it.

Ziegler said “big bully breeds” can be harder to place because of size and breed restrictions among rental housing. Big bully breeds include pitbulls and boxers, and many landlords don’t want them as tenants.

Small dogs are more landlordfriendly and typically adopted within a matter of weeks. Bigger dogs average a few months, but

there’s no time limit. Rescues are housed at the shelter for as long as needed.

Volunteers foster animals too, but Ziegler said it’s much harder to find fosters for dogs than cats. Most fosters are rearing kittens until they weigh two pounds and are about 2 months old. At that point, they can be fixed and then adopted.  With only four staff members, HSLWR relies heavily on volunteers to walk the dogs and help with adoptions.

All animals are adopted out vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered. HSLWR will also cover the costs of any needed treatments, such as dogs who come in heartworm positive.

Adoptions are first come first serve on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fees range from $75 to $300, depending on the animal’s age. Senior dogs and cats cost less to adopt than puppies and kittens.

Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch relies on volunteer love to prepare pets for adoption.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Mateo has had enough of pictures and is ready for his walk. He’s accompanied by Shelter Director Dani Ziegler and Board and Executive Committee Member Cheryl Johnson.

Cats and dogs do not wear out their welcome at the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch. They can stay as long as they need.

Onward to Lakewood Ranch

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

The ribbon cutting for the opening of the 44th Avenue Bridge over the Braden River on Aug. 7 in East County was done with a snip, in a snap.

Officials had gathered for the celebration at 8 a.m., but workers still needed to line the road crossing the bridge so it could be opened by midday.

The festivities were kept to a minimum, as dignitaries gathered behind the ribbon, the big scissors were brought out, and in a flash, it was over.

That being the case, Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse summed up the importance of the day.

“This is going to make my life easier,” Kruse said of the completion of the latest project of the 44th Avenue extension that now takes the road from Cortez to a quarter-mile west of Interstate 75. “And I am sure it will make your life easier.”

Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said a lot of foresight was needed by Manatee County leaders to get a project that had first been considered as part of the 1968 Concept Development Plan moving.

“We need more east-west connections and arteries,” Van Ostenbridge said. “This is not just for safety; it is a convenience issue, just quality of life.

“If you are sitting in line, it will be consuming more of your day.”

The final leg of the extension — Project 6 — will complete the road through to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. That will include a bridge over I-75 and a bridge or a causeway over the Southeast Water Treatment Facility Stormwater Pond.

The final project was originally estimated at $33.4 million but has grown to $129,194,683. But that cost will include new plans for the road’s intersection with the Lena Road project that will connect the north and south segments of that road. The increase cost also includes added utility infrastructure.

The original projected cost for the entire 44th Avenue extension project was $145.64 million but now has risen to $250,801,879.

Commissioners say it is money well spent. When the 44th Avenue

Extension is completed, it is expected to handle 36,000 vehicles per day.

The hope is that it significantly reduces traffic on parallel roads State Road 64 and State Road 70. County estimates are that those two roads will have a combined 21,000 fewer vehicles per day using them.

The construction of the six phases of the total project began in 2013 at

BRIDGING THE GAP

What: Project 5 of the 44th Avenue extension complete with a bridge over the Braden River Approximate length of roadway: 1.3 miles Approximate length of bridge: 1/4

the western most point of the road; then worked eastward.

The fifth phase of the project, including the bridge over the Braden River, was built by Woodruff and Sons of Bradenton.

Don Woodruff said the project was a fairly normal assignment for his team, except for “maybe being on a bigger scale.” His project manager, Matt Anderson, said an important part of the project was building 4,000 feet of water line that greatly increases the county’s ability to move potable water. The big blue pipe can be seen running between the east-west lanes on the bridge. “The county wanted to build this one time,” Anderson said of the increased capacity with the water line. “They wanted to account for the future. It was an integral part of this project.”

Except for a brief section of road near the Desoto Mall area, the road will be four lanes (two each direction) throughout.

Manatee County Engineer Scott May said the entire project will be mostly completed in two years with additional work ongoing through 2027.

Project Manager Eric Shroyer said building a bridge over the Braden River did present some permitting and physical challenges for the county. However, he said the finished product will be “huge” in reducing congestion on county roads.

Manatee County Commissioner

James Satcher said the county’s staff just worked hard to overcome any challenges.

“If you see two things and you can’t connect them, you have to find a way,” Satcher said. “We need to keep people moving.”

Manatee County commissioners Jason Bearden and Kevin Van Ostenbridge spoke to the crowd about the importance

over the Braden River opened.

Manatee County Commissioners and dignitaries board a bus to have the honor of taking the first official trip on the 44th

Bridge across the Braden River on Aug. 7. The blue pipe carries potable water from Lake Manatee.

Do You Want to Lose Weight?

with Disabilities Act can contact Carmine DeMilo, Manatee County ADA coordinator, at 792-8784, ext. 8203. Those who require free transportation services can contact Valerie Ciudad-Real at (813) 404-1572.

Additional information about the project can be found at MyManatee. org/Creekwood.

In March, Creekwood residents gathered at the home of Tom and Diane Carter to voice their opposition to the project.

The Carters said the project would wipe out a good section of their Terrace East yard, including a pond, and would create noise problems as well. Tom Carter said traffic would pass only 30 yards from his house. Creekwood Boulevard and 73rd Street East marks the entrance of their community.

County hosts information session for Creekwood improvements

Manatee County is hosting a public information meeting Aug. 16 to cover upcoming improvements on Creekwood Boulevard.

The meeting will be held 6-8 p.m. at the Manatee Technical College auditorium, 6305 S.R. 70 E., Bradenton.

Guests are invited to view design boards and plans for improvements just north of State Road 70 on Creekwood Boulevard. Manatee County Public Works staff members will be present to answer questions and provide information. There will be no formal presentation.

According to a Manatee County press release, “This project includes a roundabout to be constructed at the Creekwood Boulevard and 73rd Street East intersection with pedestrian ramps, crosswalks with Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons, pavement resurfacing of all-approach lanes, lighting and the reapplication of appropriate pavement markings. The project also includes reconstructing the median at Creekwood Boulevard and 52nd Place East to restrict left-turn movements.”

The project is set to begin this fall with expected completion by summer 2024.

Those who require special accommodations under the Americans

Construction on the project was supposed to start in January and be completed in January 2024, but the county delayed the problem to listen to Creekwood residents’ concerns.

Input requested for Comprehensive Plan update

Manatee County is requesting feedback from its residents as it prepares to update its Comprehensive Plan “Forward Manatee.”

The Comprehensive Plan will set the framework for future development within Manatee County through 2045.

Residents will be able to provide feedback at various community meetings. All meetings are held from 6-7:30 p.m.

The first will be held Aug. 15 at the Palmetto Library, 923 Sixth St. W., Palmetto.

Next will be a meeting Aug. 16 at the Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. W., Bradenton.

Meetings will follow Aug. 17 at Rock Bluff Library, 6750 U.S. Highway 301 N., Ellenton, Aug. 22 at South Manatee Library, 6081 26th St. W., Bradenton, and Aug. 23 at Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton.

No meeting is scheduled for Lakewood Ranch.

Virtual participation will be available through a Zoom link during the Aug. 16 and Aug. 23 meetings.

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.

LOBSTER ROLL

Jay Heater

Tom and Diane Carter have worried that a roundabout on Creekwood Boulevard will ruin their backyard.

Growth as a leader

he smiled and noted that he didn’t have anything to do with the planning and construction of the bridge.

But he is ready to have an impact on the county’s future.

Turner, 59, replaced Vanessa Baugh, who represented District 5 on the Manatee County Commission for almost 11 years. Baugh announced that she was resigning her post in June due to “family concerns.” Turner was sworn into his new job on Aug. 1.

He has a year remaining in Baugh’s term, and then he said he will commit himself to running in 2024 for District 5 commissioner.

MEET THE COMMISSIONER

Who: Raymond Turner

Lives: Greyhawk Landing

Age: 59

Wife: Debbie

Children: Savannah, Mitchell

Moved to Lakewood Ranch:

2003 Born: Australia

Real estate career: Began in 1991 selling custom homes, transitioned into real estate finance, international marketing, executive management, and now owns Turner Real Estate network with wife Debbie, who is on the board of the Children’s Guardian Fund of Sarasota.

ization as being pro growth, but he said that is just part of his story.

“Pro growth doesn’t mean we are not cognizant of the environment,” he said.

He hopes his constituents understand there is a place for both as the county moves forward with a long range plan.

“We need the infrastructure to accommodate the exploding growth,” he said. “We need to be forward thinking. We can’t avoid that we are one of the fastest growing counties in the country.

tunities to protect environmentally significant land.

“At my last Planning Commission meeting, we designated 27,000 acres in Manatee County for recreation.”

Turner grew up in Australia and spent his teenage years in both Canada and England. He was an athlete, participating in rugby and track and field. He won the British Nationals in the high jump at 17, going over the bar at 6-foot-7.

He said his competitive nature has served him well in business and will serve him well in the political arena.

Love brought him to Florida in 1995, as he moved from Toronto to be with his future wife, Debbie. They were married in 1996.

They moved to the Lakewood Ranch area in 2003 with their two children, Savannah and Mitchell, and now live in Greyhawk Landing.

The couple own the Turner Real Estate Network of Sarasota. Raymond Turner said his wife handles the real estate brokerage business, which gives him the time to pursue other interests.

“I got to the stage of my life where I needed to step up,” he said. “I wanted to be more involved with the community.”

That led to a job with the Planning Commission in January and now as a commissioner.

“We’ve been here 20 years, and this community has served our family well,” he said. “In terms of lifestyle and education, we have been living the American dream. I wanted to give back.”

As Turner walked forward to join other commissioners for the photo,

Turner, who resigned his position on the Manatee County Planning Commission to accept his new job, wouldn’t argue with his character-

“This is not ‘If you build it, they will come.’ They are coming — for tax reasons, for weather, for lifestyle.

It is not the developers creating the growth.”

He said not preparing for more

people would be a major mistake.

“If you think traffic is bad now, think what it will be (if infrastructure is not addressed),” he said.

One thing he would like to address, perhaps in public meetings, would be to educate residents on the regulations Manatee County commissioners must follow before they approve development.

“We have to follow state and federal regulations that are very rigid,” he said. “If people understood the mechanisms involved, they would also understand the layers of scrutiny above the county level.”

He said while some residents oppose the approval of development projects, they have to acknowledge that commissioners look for oppor-

An immigrant, he became a U.S. citizen in 2012.

“I see myself as an American,” he said.

He understands that some citizens will be highly critical of any moves to accommodate growth.

“The general majority isn’t served by ignoring it,” he said. “And I know that in any leadership position, it is impossible to get 100% buy-in. I am used to that in the roles I’ve played in the past. Absolutely, I don’t take it personally.”

He said he knows, with the Sunshine laws, that it can be difficult to get to know his fellow commissioners, but he will learn as much as he can through commission meetings.

Raymond Turner tests his leadership skills as a Manatee County commissioner.

Jay Heater

Manatee County commissioners James Satcher and Raymond Turner talk business during an Aug. 1 meeting.

“We’ve been here 20 years, and this community has served our family well. In terms of lifestyle and education, we have been living the American dream. I wanted to give back.”

Raymond Turner

More space gives teachers freedom

Addition at Freedom Elementary School allows the teachers to put their personal stamp on their classroom.

Emmaline McWhorter, a second grade teacher at Freedom Elementary School, has never had a classroom to call her own.

Before moving to Florida in May, she was a substitute teacher for Cherokee County Schools in Georgia. She always had to abide by the teacher’s rules and adjust to the teacher’s classroom.

But now in her first year at Freedom Elementary as a regular teacher, she’s making the classroom all her own.

McWhorter has decided to have a fruit theme for her classroom so she

can incorporate fun, bright colors.

“I’ve enjoyed being able to set up and figure out how I want things to work and also see how teachers are doing their rooms,” she said. “I love feeding off other ideas. It’s nice to feel like this space is my own. It gives it a lot more personal feeling.”

McWhorter, and her fellow second grade teachers, are able to have a clean slate when it comes to setting up their classrooms, as they have

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Photos by Liz Ramos

moved into the new eight-classroom addition at Freedom Elementary.

The addition was completed in July, giving the second grade teachers and two physical education coaches an opportunity to move into their new classrooms and offices before the start of the school year Aug. 10.

“The kids will be excited (about the addition),” said Mary Himler, a second grade teacher. “The colors are a little bit different. The desks are new, everything is new. It’s kind of like getting new clothes for the first day of school.”

Sarah Orcutt, a second grade teacher new to Freedom Elementary and in her 23rd year as a teacher, said moving into the new addition is exciting.

“It smells great,” Orcutt said with a laugh. “It has that clean, fresh feel-

ing. It’s a great start to a new year. You get excited about a new year in general, and this really helps.

“You have a clean slate to work with, and there’s no idea of what I used to do. It’s all just refreshing with new desks and new everything. You get to set up your own space for the very first time, which is very exciting.”

McWhorter, Orcutt and Himler said having all of second grade in one building helps to bring the students together as the teachers form a cohesive team, especially with two of the six teachers being new to Freedom Elementary.

“It’s always fun getting new students,” Himler said. “From the day they walk in the classroom, we become a family and a team. We get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The same is for our teachers, we build off each other and work together to learn.”

Himler said it’s beneficial to have the second-grade teachers in close proximity.

When Orcutt was setting up her classroom Aug. 3, she was able to hear a few of the other second grade teachers chatting and easily was able to walk over and join in the conversation.

McWhorter sees being across the hall or next door to her fellow teachers as an opportunity to not only develop relationships and get to know students in her class but in others, as well.

“It feels a lot easier to connect with people and be close with your grade level,” she said.

Each classroom in the new addition features desks that are easily moveable.

Flexible seating has become more standard in classrooms. For example, wobble stools allow students to wiggle while they work rather than remain stationary in a regular desk chair.

Orcutt said the new furniture allows for her to be flexible in her classroom.

“If your setup isn’t working for the students, then you can change it,” she said. “Instead of little typical rows that people imagine when they imagine schools, you can have them in large groups and small groups. You can put them in a big ‘u.’”

Mary Himler, a second grade teacher at Freedom Elementary School, makes her classroom in the new addition her own with personal touches including a bench that her students sign each year.

Emmaline McWhorter, a second grade teacher at Freedom Elementary School, makes her classroom her own with decorations.

YourObserver.com

Kindergarten conundrum

Parents often have a hard time deciding whether to cry or celebrate as they drop off their kindergartner on the first day of school.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Vanessa Marcell watched as her daughter Olivia Davey ran to the playground at B.D. Gullett Elementary School.

They were surrounded by other families with kindergartners, giving them the opportunity to meet Davey’s new classmates and their families during a kindergarten popsicle party July 25.

But Marcell couldn’t help thinking about how her daughter just graduated from pre-K in May. How could this all be happening so quickly?

“She was so proud when she graduated (pre-K),” Marcell said while holding back tears as she remembered her daughter dressed in a cap and gown.

And, of course, she remembered the smile on her daughter’s face.

“If there were awards given for the parents, I would have received one for definitely crying the most,” Marcell said.

She can’t believe her little girl is already starting kindergarten, leaving her with mixed emotions. She is excited to see the academic and social growth of her daughter, but she also is anxious about sending her off for a full day of school.

“I’ve heard so many great things about Gullett,” Marcell said. “I’m looking forward to seeing her blossom and hopefully make some more friends. Academics are important, but at this stage, I want the socialemotional development to be a key focus. I just want to see how others can help her grow.”

The first day of school can be an emotional day for parents and students, but most tears come from the families of kindergartners.

While some parents have to console their child and encourage them to walk into the classroom, others are

“I’m looking forward to seeing her blossom and hopefully make some more friends. Academics are important, but at this stage, I want the social-emotional development to be a key focus. I just want to see how others can help her grow.”

Vanessa Marcell

holding back tears as their little one runs off to start their new adventure.

Those emotions can escalate when it’s the parents’ first child to enter kindergarten. A mixture of excitement and nervousness fills them as they prepare to leave their baby at school for a full day.

Kindergarten is often a year of tremendous growth for the students, which many parents said they can’t wait to see in their own child.

“I’m excited for her to have those amazing experiences I know she’s going to have and to be able to become who she’s meant to be,” said Kathleen Brown, who is sending her daughter Emma to kindergarten at Braden River Elementary. “I’m excited for her to discover the things that she loves and hopefully to make lifelong friends.”

“Next thing you know, I’ll be teaching her how to drive,” said Chris Brown, Kathleen’s husband, with a laugh.

FAMILIAR FACE

Kiley Cannon is comforted to know her son Beau’s kindergarten teacher at Gene Witt Elementary, Allison Wykes. He met her when Beau was in pre-K, so she’s a familiar face.

“He is thrilled to get to learn more with her,” said Cannon. “It absolutely makes my life a whole lot easier because I can absolutely trust who he’s with during the day, and I know that she has his best interest at heart.”

Mihaela Mogorean is looking forward to the social aspects that come with kindergarten.

Mogorean and her family moved from Moldova five years ago when she was pregnant with her son Gabriel Vizdoaga, who will be a kindergartner at Gullett Elementary School. She is nervous to see how her family will adjust to their first child going to kindergarten.

Although she’s looking forward to seeing her son learn how to read and write, she’s worried about the challenges a language barrier could pose as her family speaks another language, Romanian, at home.

Just like the parents, kindergartners have mixed feelings about going to school, as well.

Emma Brown said she’s a bit nervous about meeting new kids and her teacher, but she can’t wait to see what crafts she’ll make in class.

Averleigh Cross, a kindergartner at Freedom Elementary School, can’t wait to start reading more. She said she already knows she’ll have to practice to become a better reader.

Cross’ mother, Brianna Cross, said knowing her daughter is thrilled about starting kindergarten makes it easier for her to let her go, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be tears on the first day.

“I was nervous when she was going to pre-K, but this is a whole different story,” Brianna Cross said. “I know she’s ready for it, and that makes it a lot easier for me.”

For Kim Sharpe, the first day

KINDERGARTEN TIPS

Here are some things your child should know as they enter kindergarten:

How to ...

... open lunch and snack items unassisted

... share with other children

... raise their hand and wait their turn

... state first and last name

... work independently on simple tasks

... clean up after themselves

... draw a picture to help express an idea

... say the alphabet

comes with double the emotion as her twins, Zachary and Colton Sharpe, start kindergarten at Gene Witt Elementary.

“My two babies are going off to school,” Sharpe said. “I can’t keep them in my little bubble anymore.”

As she watched her sons play in a sandbox with fellow kindergartner Anthony Tacoma, she said her sons are excited about two aspects of school — crafts and the playground.

“They think it’s all about play,” Sharpe said with a laugh.

CLOSE FOR COMFORT School choice was a factor for some parents that helped alleviate anxiety about their child starting kindergarten.

For Kathleen and Chris Brown, it was comforting to be able to send Emma Brown to Braden River Elementary School through school choice because it’s next door to Braden River Middle School, where Chris is a coding, robotics and preAP World History and geography teacher and Kathleen is a math teacher.

Being in close proximity, the Browns know they will more easily be able to be involved in school activities.

They were also thrilled to have Emma enrolled at Braden River Elementary because the school offers the dual language program in which kindergartners spend half their time learning in Spanish and the other half in English.

“At one point, Emma had turned to me because she’s fascinated by different languages and was like, ‘Mommy, teach me Spanish,’” Kathleen Brown said. “She’s excited to actually learn a different language.”

Samantha Koonce knew of Freedom Elementary School’s reputation for being a good school, so she chose to send her son Mason there through the school choice program. She feels she’s passing the torch from taking care of her son every day to entrusting the school “family” to help him grow and learn.

“I’m slightly terrified,” Koonce said. “I was happy to watch him grow and progress over the last year throughout preschool. Now it’s not daycare anymore. It’s actually school. It’s pretty exciting but slightly terrifying.”

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

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Olivia Davey, a kindergartner at B.D. Gullett Elementary School, plays on the playground during the school’s kindergarten popsicle party.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Daniel Vizdoaga, Stas Vizdoaga and Mihaela Mogorean prepare to send Gabriel Vizdoaga to kindergarten at B.D. Gullett Elementary School.

Boathouse, big events on Benderson Park’s horizon

After competing in a 200-meter Masters B canoe race at Nathan Benderson Park Aug. 4, Lakewood Ranch’s Adrian Olivo pulled up to the shore with that “I’m glad I did it, but I am glad it’s over” smile.

Olivo was competing in the ACA Sprint Canoe National Championships that was held at the park from Aug. 1-4. The event, which did indeed match the nation’s top canoe and kayak racers, also had plenty of age and talent classes to attract those who just like the feel of competition.

The Masters B class offered the 46-year-old Olivo the chance to get back into competition after being idle since he graduated from high school.

Sure, he had paddled in some fun events, but nothing governed by the American Canoe Association. He would be the first to admit that he generally was overmatched by those in his age group who put a lot of effort into training.

Nevertheless, he had a great time, both competing and filling a volunteer role as a safety boat driver during the competition.

He also admitted that he never would have brought his We-no-nah canoe out of mothballs (he raced in it as a teen) if this competition wasn’t smacking him right in the face near his home.

You would think others in Manatee and Sarasota counties would feel the same way. But when I contacted the American Canoe Association, Olivo was the only entrant they told me was local.

Paddling and rowing events aren’t exactly mainstream sports, but when Sarasota County blessed

Nathan Benderson Park with $30 million to shape the park in 2011, and committed to another $20 million for future upgrades, you would have figured 3-year-olds in the area would be finding paddles under the Christmas tree.

When an area can claim to have the best facility of whatever sport in North America, you would think the interest in that area would reverberate through the community.

Has that happened here?

Bruce Patneaude, the chief operating officer at the park and the No. 1 man since being named in February, said it has, and to just be patient. He said it is going to show itself.

He said the local rowing teams are developing plenty of talent, but it might not be apparent every year at this juncture of the sport blossoming in Sarasota. It takes time to build depth in those programs.

Dragon boat racing in Sarasota is growing in leaps and bounds and Nathan Benderson Park’s teams have landed 10 paddlers on the current U.S. National team.

Canoeing and kayaking, however, are another story. Patneaude said those sports are more popular in Europe.

“There is just not a big U.S. footprint for those sports,” he said. “U.S. rowing has a leg up in colleges.”

Nonetheless, Patneaude said Nathan Benderson Park will continue to attract world-class events in both paddling and rowing. He noted that the park’s “Learn to Row” camps are packed. The wave is building.

If the park hasn’t done a great job of tooting its horn lately, Patne-

aude said that is about to change. A major turnover of his staff is just being completed, including the addition of a new public relations manager who will start next week.

Sarasota residents, whose taxes pay for Nathan Benderson Park, could be forgiven if they have been anxious to find out the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy’s goals for the future. It’s been quiet lately, and the park doesn’t have a good track record for keeping its leaders.

Since 2016, SANCA, which is now the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, has had leaders (CEOs or COOs) in Paul Blakketter, Robert Sullivan, Stephen Rodriguez, Michael Taaffe and now Patneaude.

Blakketter and Rodriguez were key figures in not only building one of the best rowing/paddling facilities in the world — Rowing News Magazine crowned Nathan Benderson Park the No. 1 rowing facility in North America in March — but forming bonds with international rowing/paddling competitions to keep a steady stream of big events coming.

Patneaude said those events will keep coming, but he has been dealing with some other major issues since starting in February. The park needed more than $3 million in repairs following Hurricane Ian, along with the aforementioned staff turnover.

He also has been putting together the park’s plan for a $40 million, two-story, boathouse and events center. The top floor of the 100,000-square-foot facility could host events such as basketball, pickleball and volleyball. The bottom floor would be a boathouse

which Patneaude said shows the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy’s commitment to its aquatics programs.

A presentation on the facility will be made to the Sarasota County Commission in September. The county approved $20 million of support for the project in May 2022, with the requirement that Nathan Benderson Park could raise the remaining funds.

So Patneaude said all is well at the park, even if those in the area don’t particularly want to race in a canoe.

For the record, Olivo finished third in the Masters B 200 meters on Aug. 4, but he was more interested in his time than place.

“I wanted to break a minute,” he said after the race, still not knowing if he had accomplished it.

Indeed, his time was recorded at 57.911. That was a solid showing, especially considering all the high tech advancements in racing canoes meant he was competing in somewhat of a jalopy.

“I know I do better when I have a goal,” he said.

Although he said he won’t travel long distances to compete in the future, his competitive drive has been slightly ignited by the week’s competition. He said he now is looking for events close to home. Olivo works for Florida Blue in national account sales. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two daughters, 10-year-old Kaitlyn and 7-year-old Harper.

“I am thinking already about what’s the next one,” he said. That next one might well be at Nathan Benderson Park.

In just 5 years, we’ve watched the Farmers' Market at Lakewood Ranch grow from humble beginnings into a favorite weekend tradition for so many. Our location at Waterside Place, morning yoga, live music, and our vendor's diverse offerings have helped us bring in over 8,000 patrons like you every Sunday to browse, taste, and shop. Help us celebrate the local farms, small businesses, and hard workers that power our market by voting today!

Jay Heater Lakewood Ranch’s Adrian Olivo brings his canoe to shore after competing in the Men’s Masters B 200 meters of the ACA Sprint Canoe National Championships at Nathan Benderson Park. He finished third in 57.911.

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

Better connected

Mentor

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

One of the biggest takeaways Ashlyn McCarty had from participating in the Young Leaders Alliance’s Mentor Connect six years ago was the power of networking.

McCarty, who is the area director of sales for Buffalo Lodging, has used what she learned about networking and building relationships throughout her career. Through her networking, she’s learned tools and sales strategies from people who have been in her industry longer than her.

“It was a great opportunity to sit down with experienced business leaders, pick their brain and be able to walk away with advice and tips,” McCarty said.

Over the years, McCarty has gone from being a mentee to a mentor in Mentor Connect, which partners Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance members with young professionals to begin a mentorship.

“It’s exciting to be able to help the next generation and see other young professionals grow as leaders in our community,” McCarty said.

Although this year’s Mentor Connect has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts to an undetermined date, previous mentors and mentees are excited for the opportunity to connect once again.

Shawna Hicks-Cranston, the owner of PostNet, has served as a mentor in Mentor Connect for three years. She wanted to serve as a mentor to be able to meet individuals who are starting their careers and hear their perspective on business, whether it was in her industry or in another industry.

“So much has changed in the 13

Lakewood Ranch’s

OPHTHALMOLOGY PRACTICE Exclusive

ADVICE FROM MENTORS

Take advice from the professionals:

■ Always be looking for opportunities

■ Never stop learning and growing

■ Don’t be afraid to ask to pick someone’s brain

■ Make as many connections as you can

years since I’ve started this business that it’s just great to be able to connect back with the mentees,” she said. “Honestly, I think the mentors get as much, if not more, out of it than the mentees do.”

Hicks-Cranston said as a mentor, she’s able to get “a real, up-to-date feel of what’s going on” in the community and how young professionals perceive it. She equated it to seeing a child’s reaction to visiting Disney World for the first time after being there numerous times herself.

“When you’re talking to somebody who’s new to business or new to a position and is really excited about it, being able to watch them grow is just really fulfilling,” she said.

McCarty said she will reach out to her past mentors whenever she needs advice and is available for her mentees.

Hicks-Cranston keeps in touch with her mentees each year, reaching out at least twice per year to check in with them.

“It’s a great opportunity to see where they’re at, give them a different perspective out of the company that they work in and be able to have them ask any kind of questions they want both for personal growth and professional growth,” Hicks-Cranston said.

McCarty and Hicks-Cranston said a program like Mentor Connect is vital as people can always use someone to go to for advice and guidance,

Murray Friedberg,

Robert Edelman,

Scott Silverman, M.D.

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.

Connect brings mentorship opportunities that can benefit anyone in the business community.

A+E INSIDE:

< EATING WITH EMMA: Practice selfcare with prosecco cocktails. 14

HOMETOWN HERO : Remembering comic actor Paul Reubens. 15 >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

AUGUST 10, 2023

Taking a deep dive with John Pirman

Life imitates art imitates life in Selby Gardens’ show of the Sarasota artist’s work.

If you’ve ever wanted to meditate on the meaning of the word “meta,” look no further than Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

There you will find suspended above the koi pond with a statue of the Buddha a large aluminum reproduction of artist John Pirman’s illustration of the same scene.

Life imitates art imitates life. (Breathe.)Meta, in case you don’t know, isn’t just a hipster term that Facebook founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to adopt as the name of his social media company.

Meta means the thing is about the thing, the way that the hit musical “A Chorus Line” is about dancers trying out for a Broadway show. Or Fellini’s “8-1/2” is about a philandering auteur who hits a psychological roadblock on the film he’s making.

“Koi Pond” isn’t the only meta image in Pirman’s show, which runs both inside and out at Selby Gardens through Sept. 17. That’s not surprising because many of the transplanted New Yorker’s illustrations of Sarasota are iconic.

You don’t have to be a weatherman to know that morning is the best time to visit Selby Gardens at this time of year. Pirman wisely suggests meeting at 10 a.m. on a recent Sunday morning to see his show, “John Pirman: Diving into Nature.”

Although the aluminum images outdoors won’t wilt in the face of tropical temperatures and lush greenery, any of Pirman’s paper artworks would. Fortunately, they are on display inside Selby’s air-conditioned gallery.

As we walk in the door and Pirman identifies himself to the museum volunteer checking tickets at the entrance, she exclaims without prompting, “Everyone who comes here leaves happy!”

As they should. Pirman’s world is populated with happy families on vacation, mid-century modern design, swimming pools and technological conveniences like TV dinners and online shopping sites. Life is good.

Pirman attributes the optimism of his art, whether personal or commercial, to sunshine. (Did he see the Anita Bryant commercial in the 1970s for Florida orange juice?) But his New York winter scenes on holiday cards and shopping bags are also full of magic. They leave you feeling like a child who has just shaken a snow globe.

As one views the evolution of Pirman’s work over the years it’s apparent that a talented boy was encouraged in his artistic ambitions by parents and teachers.

The first things a visitor sees in the show are cut paper artwork that was featured in a hallway showcase when Pirman was in kindergarten. Next to it his first published drawing,

in Highlights For Children, when he was 8 years old. “Those early artistic successes brought me confidence,” he recalls.

If there was ever a poster child for elementary arts education, Pirman is it. But his artistic training also began at home, where he was exposed to the skills of his father, who was a mechanical draftsman, and his uncle, who was a package designer.

In the suburb of Akron, Ohio, where Pirman grew up, people went to work to make things with their hands and with machines. Computers were still in the future.

Born in 1956, Pirman came of age during a sweet spot in American history, a time when there was money and leisure for family vacations, and where TV and travel were opening up new vistas to middle-class denizens of the Midwest like Pirman and his peers.

One of the sunny images in the Selby gallery is a giant snapshot of Pirman’s family in bathing suits at a motel in the Smokey Mountains, where they stayed on their way to

An aluminum reproduction of John Pirman’s “Koi Pond” is

IF YOU GO

JOHN PIRMAN:

DIVING INTO NATURE

When: Through Sept.

17

Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.

Tickets: $18

Info: Visit Selby.org

suspended above the koi pond it depicts at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota.

“Backyard Birdbath” was inspired by the yard of Pirman’s grandmother.

Courtesy photos Pirman’s “Nick at Nite” designs.

John Pirman

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

vacation in Treasure Island, Florida.

It’s fitting that Pirman was tapped to create branding material and merchandise for “Nick at Nite” in the mid-1990s. He watched the programs from the golden age of TV, like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” that were repackaged into a cable channel. Surely, Moore would adore the glass case where her smiling face is featured on Pirman’s “Nick at Nite” merch for sponsors.

Besides having the luck of a supportive family and living in an era of great prosperity for many, Pirman is a man in step with his time and his place. His New York work emphasizes fashion and shopping, first at department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and later at pioneer internet shopping channel bluefly. com.

After visiting Siesta Key over the years and deciding to move to Sarasota in 2008, he was immediately adopted by his new hometown. Pam Daniel, then managing editor of Sarasota Magazine, commissioned Pirman to create pictures for the last page of the magazine after he presented his work to her over lunch.

Thanks to his magazine gig, Pirman’s images of familiar places like Selby Gardens’ Spanish Point campus, the Dolphin Fountain in Bayfront Park and the cast-bronze replica of David in the Ringling Museum courtyard have become synonymous with Sarasota.

Pirman fits right in in his adopted hometown. He’s friendly, polite and knows how to protect his privacy as well as those of his clients. He declined to be interviewed at his home in Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores, not far from the Ringling Museum, but came through with the helpful substitution of a guided tour.

Those who want a sense of Pirman’s taste in decor can get a clue from his depiction of his New York City apartment for a Museum of Modern Art Christmas card. (You guessed it: it’s mid-century modern.)

You won’t catch Pirman giving out the address of the area home with poodles sitting beside the swimming pool that is part of his Selby Gardens show. But he makes small talk with a gallery visitor who seems to know the former owner of the house.

Asked to describe his artistic pro cess, Pirman says modestly, “I see things in shapes of color.”

That hasn’t changed over the years. What has changed is that Pirman no longer uses pieces of colored paper, vellum, a pen and an Exacto knife to create artwork. He started using computers in the 1990s and now “paints” with a Mac and the Adobe Illustrator software program.

Some of Pirman’s work hanging on the walls in the Selby gallery was stored in a portfolio box for 30 years before his show.

The treasure trove includes art inspired by his grandmother’s backyard. Called “Backyard Birdbath,” it shows a green-and-white web lawn chair that is instantly recognizable to Americans who lived in the 1960s. The cut paper work was created for Hopper Paper in 1992.

In his low-key way, Pirman radiates pride. He’s happy to reminisce about his years in New York City with a fellow veteran of those heady days of magazine publishing.

It was a time when an illustrator made appointments with magazine art directors and presented his portfolio on Fridays. “That’s the way it was done,” Pirman says.

It’s the way future pop art superstar Andy Warhol got his start at Glamour magazine with a now famous illustration of women’s shoes.

As Warhol demonstrated during his life, there’s a fine line between being a graphic artist and a fine artist. Certainly, Pirman has crossed the line and will continue his journey.

“I don’t like it when they call it a retrospective because I’m not done yet,” he says. It’s the only thing close to a complaint that you will hear in an hour’s conversation.

John Pirman in his studio, where a Mac has replaced cut paper and Exacto knife.

Chamber membership offers numerous exclusive benefits and keeps business owners

up-to-date with the important issues and trends that shape their community and local marketplace.

BY EMMA JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

The past few months have been tough, taste buds.

I’ve taken on the role of a caretaker, and no one prepares a caretaker for the lack of care you give to yourself. A good friend of mine shared advice worth repeating: “Airlines tell you in case of an emergency to put your mask on before assisting others. Remember to care for yourself first.”

So, the second I came back to Sarasota for a few days, I decided to practice the art of self-care in its highest form. A good caretaker deserves to feel like royalty (espe-

ALWAYS TIME FOR BUBBLY

be supremely satisfied. My summer snacking choice? Oysters (market price) by the half dozen or dozen served with mignonette cocktail sauce, horseradish and charred lemon. If you aren’t a fan of the briny shelled bites, order the ahi tuna “nachos” ($23) packed with ponzu dressing, avocado, sesame, scallion and crispy wantons for a perfect prosecco pairing.

GROVE 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch; 941-893-4321; GroveLWR. com

Since its 2018 opening, Grove has positioned itself as a contemporary culinary mecca for East County residents and beyond. With a plethora of menus from bar bites offered in the bar area from 3-7 p.m. daily, happy hour in all dining areas from 3-7 p.m. daily, lunch and dinner, brunch (served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.), drinks and wine list, sushi and kids (for foodies 12 and under), there is something for everyone at this lively Lakewood Ranch dining destination.

chicken, both goat and manchego cheese, roasted red pepper, marinara, red onion and chimichurri.

SHORE

800 Broadway St., Longboat Key, 941-259-4600; 465 John Ringling Blvd., #200, Sarasota, 941-2960301; DineShore.com

One thing’s for shore. Nothing quite makes you feel like you’re getting the royal treatment like a visit to Shore Longboat Key. Come to the north tip of Longboat Key and dine with a view that drives home our local saying, “We live where others vacation.” Al fresco dining has never looked this good: crystal blue waters as an exterior backdrop for the mid-century design inside. If Longboat Key is too out of the way for your travels, hop over to the casually glamorous St. Armands location.

cially in the days leading up to her birthday).

It’s time to treat yourself to paramount prosecco cocktails poured in paradise (and for pairing those boozy treats with amazingly appealing appetizers).

JACK DUSTY 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota; 941-309-2266; RitzCarlton.com

As a foodie you know that this marina-front, Ritz-Carlton-run seafood bistro offers luxurious cocktails and fresh seafood appetizers with local ingredients. Offering a unique dining experience for eaters of all likings (not just seafood

fanatics), this modern café with indoor and outdoor seating makes men and women feel majestic. Don’t blame yourself if you want to have “just one more” — whether it be bite or cocktail.

Let’s Get Fizzical: Pause a moment for the prized prosecco pick any person would proudly devour, the Siren ($28). This Jack Dusty icon is made from your choice of Absolut Vodka or Tanqueray Gin and is mixed with St. Germain, lemon juice, prosecco topper, grapefruit ice, cranberry ice and incredible eye-catching orchid ice. You’ll always remember your first Siren.

Appys That Make Me Happy: Set your eyes on the starter section as you slowly (or quickly, no judgment here) sip that seductive-looking Siren and your stomach will surely

Let’s Get Fizzical: Who put the pro in prosecco? The Tree Nymph ($16). This colorfully cool craft cocktail lives up to its name by being nothing short of attractive. The Tree Nymph is mixed with Grainger’s organic vodka, domaine De canton, prosecco, harmonious house-made sour and seasonal fruit cubes. Cheers to creators of this incredibubble concoction!

Appys That Make me Happy: Pick up the prosecco refreshment with your pinky out and bite into these tasty brisket sliders ($9-$13) like the strong and selfless sovereign that you are. These spectacular sliders are stacked with smoked brisket, tangy sweet barbecue sauce, out-of-this-world bacon jam sandwiched between toasted house-made brioche buns. Feeling like a famous flatbread? Order the chimi chicken ($17) with seared

Let’s Get Fizzical: I have fond memories of drinking Aperol spritz with my family on the ChampsÉlysées (Lah-dee-dah!). It was also the signature drink at my wedding. Needless to say, I like this Italian liquor-based cocktail, and Shore makes a sensational Aperol spritz ($12). Mix Aperol (a sweet and bitter Italian aperitif), prosecco, a splash of soda and side of orange and cheers to you! Fancy gin? Order the French 75 ($12), made with gin, fresh lemon, simple syrup and topped with prosecco.

Appys that Make Me Happy: Place your order for Shore’s succulent shrimp ceviche and guacamole ($18) served with flavorful cumin corn tortillas and you’ll feel shrimply the best. The list of small plates and shares varies at locations, but regardless of where you sit, this option is available! The summer heat making you feel like you can turn things up a notch more? Nosh on Kung Pao calamari ($18) served with Napa cabbage, red peppers, toasted peanuts, black sesame, basil, mint and cilantro.

Emma Jolly

Made from your choice of Absolut Vodka or Tanqueray Gin and mixed with St. Germain, lemon juice, prosecco topper and flavored ices, the Siren ($28) is a Jack Dusty icon.

Pee-wee’s adventure started in Sarasota

ROBERT PLUNKET

CONTRIBUTOR

Contributor Robert Plunket sums up the life of Sarasota’s Paul Reubens. The wacky comic genius known as Pee-wee Herman died July 30 after a six-year battle with cancer that he kept private. He was 70. Plunket wrote about Reubens over the years and was friends with his mother, Judy.

How did Paul Reubens become Peewee Herman? What in his childhood planted the seeds of his future persona? And what part did Sarasota play in creating his wacky vision?

Paul’s journey to fame started when the Rubenfeld family moved to Sarasota in 1961. It was only 1,300 miles from their previous home in Oneonta, New York, but light years away in atmosphere.

After bleak and snowy upstate New York, Paul fell in love with the slightly exotic and kitschy glamour of Sarasota. “It was an incredibly exciting place at the time,” he told an interviewer much later in life, “and a cool place to grow up.”

Part of Sarasota’s allure was the circus. Ringling Brothers was still very much a part of the town’s life during Paul’s childhood. He could see the most amazing performers in ordinary situations  — retired Munchkins shopping in Publix. The Flying Wallendas lived nearby — with rigging set up in their backyard — and famed clown Emmet Kelly’s home was just a few blocks away.

For an impressionable young kid, it was a revelation. Paul was fascinated; his second movie “Big Top Pee-wee” is a love letter to these early memories.

In Sarasota, the Rubenfelds found the perfect house for the future Peewee to grow up in.

Just south of Harbor Acres on a street called Sparrow Circle, it is still remembered today as a great place to hang out: right on the bay, full of kids from the neighborhood, with the family’s latest mutt running about.

It was modern in design, rather Japanese-looking with shoji-type screens made of fiberglass that could be pulled back to open things up. There was a painting on velvet in the living room, indicative of the family’s slightly bohemian lifestyle. It was the forerunner of Pee-wee’s famous playhouse — full of fun, toys and gadgets, with all sorts of people dropping by.

Paul was lucky enough to have the perfect mother for a budding per-

former. Judy Rubenfeld was smart and outgoing. “She was the mother everybody wanted to have,” recalls one friend. She would often spend the entire day in her bathing suit.

Paul developed much of his comic timing from her. Judy could always come up with the perfect one-liner, even in a crisis. When the media circus surrounding Paul’s 1991

arrest for indecent exposure at the XXX South Trail Theatre was in full swing, she went into “mother bear” mode to protect him. Still, when she heard that ABC News’ Diane Sawyer wanted an interview, her first response was: “How can I lose 20 pounds fast?”

The most important part of Paul’s early creative life was spent in the family room on Sparrow Circle, watching TV. He had an immediate connection with the performers he saw on the flickering screen. Reruns of “I Love Lucy” were his favorite. He watched Lucille Ball over and over, absorbing her comic technique.

Howdy Doody was another favorite. “I cried the day the show went off the air,” he said. Paul dreamed of becoming a child star like Ron Howard, who played Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show.” He even wrote a letter to Walt Disney, hoping to get a job somewhere in the Magic Kingdom.

A young artist needs training and mentoring and Paul was in the perfect place. Sarasota had the highly acclaimed Players Centre, which was and still is a “community the-

ater,” but one which held a special place in the town’s life. The work the Players did was excellent and everybody attended the shows. In sixth grade, Paul auditioned for “A Thousand Clowns” and got the part. He was immediately accepted into the town’s extended theater family.

Paul was soon good enough to work at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, a professional regional theater famous for the excellence of its acting company. Once again, he found mentors.

“I always thought he would end up a respected actor in rep,” leading lady Issa Thomas remembered.

When he wasn’t at the theater or Sarasota High School, Paul hung out with friends. They were the arty crowd at school and they had some wonderful times.

They even invented their own dance: You stand on your toes, knees bent, and jab your hands to the front and then to the back, all to the tune of “Tequila.” It was a routine that would become world famous when Pee-wee performed it to ward off angry bikers in Tim Burton’s 1985 film, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

But all that was still in the future. Paul was just beginning to put the pieces together. Then one night at the Asolo Rep, the magic finally happened.

He was in a play called “Life with Father,” a 1939 comedy about a stern, demanding father and the four sons he has such trouble controlling. Paul played the youngest, most obnoxious one. It was a long run, several months, and as they continued performing Paul started to experiment with his part.

His instincts told him he should play it more cartoonish. So he began working on a voice — high-pitched and adenoidal. He’d try it out in certain places, refine it and try again. He finally thought he had it.

So just as the play was in its closing week, he came out one night and delivered his last line in the voice. He knew immediately from the audience’s reaction that he was on to something.

And so, Pee-wee Herman found his voice on the stage of the Asolo Rep. Literally. We miss you, Paul.

The Players Centre and Asolo Rep helped form Paul Reubens’ beloved persona.

Courtesy photos

Paul Reubens appeared at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, in 2016 to promote his Netflix film, “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.”

Paul Reubens at the Oscars in 1988.

CAT DEPOT SUPPLY & GIFT STORE

NOW OPEN

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

$15-$20

Visit CircusArts.org.

Experience the best of the circus arts at affordable prices thanks to The Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling. Runs through Aug. 12.

THURSDAY JAZZ AT THE SAM

5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

The Barker Project performs on the Michael & Marcy Klein Patio.

‘SOMETHING ROTTEN!’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave W, Bradenton $30-$44 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

“Something Rotten!” is a musical about writing a musical about William Shakespeare. Runs through Aug. 27.

‘A COMEDY OF TENORS’

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

Set in 1930s Paris, “A Comedy of Tenors” is a madcap romp about

OUR PICK

FRIDAY FEST: TEN-76

Formed during the pandemic, TEN-76 is a high-energy rock band covering classic rock, punk and modern rock. Its members are in their late teens and early 20s and are brimming with talent.

IF YOU GO

When: Friday, 5 -9 p.m.

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

Tickets: Free Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

opera and real-life drama. Runs through Aug. 27.

FRIDAY

GEORGE MCVEY RIVER ROAD

Get Behind the Headlines

Courtesy photo

7 p.m. at Centennial Park, Venice

Free Visit VisitVenicefl.org.

The popular local acoustic guitar player “Just George” is backed up by two of his musical compadres. No alcohol permitted.

SATURDAY

OPEN STUDIOS AT CREATIVE LIBERTIES

11 a.m.-3 p.m. at 901B Apricot Ave. and 927 N Lime Ave.

Free Visit CreativeLiberties.net

Artists open their studios to the public each second Saturday of the month.

2023 SUMMER LUNCH &

LEARN

SERIES

Proudly Sponsored by Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

August 23, 2023

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Michael’s On East, Sarasota

Only $39 for Lecture & Includes Luncheon!

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

International Expert Belle Yoeli, Speaking in Sarasota!

This is Not To Be Missed!!

Belle Yoeli

AJC’s Chief Advocacy Officer

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023

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.

Limited Seating Advanced Reservations Required RSVP Online at AJC.org/Sarasota/summer2023

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YOUR NEIGHBORS

Oh the places they did go

Santorini, Greece is one of Cassie Hafner’s favorite places in the world. So she was thrilled to travel to Santorini this summer with her husband, Mark, daughter, Scarlett, who is a fifth grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, and son, Preston, a seventh grader.

Besides their travels in Greece, the Hafner family also spent time at the 80th parallel just north of Svalbard, Norway.

“We loved seeing the glaciers and ice floes, but the arctic wildlife was our favorite part of this trip,” Cassie Hafner said.

But they weren’t done yet.

The Hafner family also took their summer vacation as an opportunity to spend time in Rome, Italy, taking in the history of the Roman Empire.

The Hafners weren’t the only ones to travel before school was back in session.

From Peru to France to South Africa to Japan, Lakewood Ranch-area families and educators visited five of the seven continents, taking in the sites and cultures of the world.

— LIZ RAMOS

Lakewood Ranch High School students Joen D’Haiti, Layna Truong and Tatem McCluggage visit Cabo de São Vicente, Sagres, Portugal during a trip to Spain and Portugal.

fine

Morgan Amato, a freshman at Parrish Community High School, TJ Amato, a sixth grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, and their parents, Mike and Heather Amato, go deep sea fishing in the Florida Keys.

Scarlett Hafner, a fifth grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, her mother, Cassie, brother Preston, a seventh grader, and father, Mark, at the 80th parallel just north of Svalbard, Norway.

Desirae Dierens, fifth grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, visits Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, with her parents, Judith and Luc Dierens, and her sister, Demi Dierens, a second grader.

Josiah Brooks, a music teacher at Gene Witt Elementary School, feeds a wild deer at Nara Park in Japan. He says the deer roam the park and will bow to get food.

Matthew Robinson-Shinall and Ricardo Robinson-Shinall, who is a

arts teacher at Braden River High, at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Aarush Patel, a fourth grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, takes in all that La Romana has to offer in the Dominican Republic.

Fashionably aware

Lakewood Ranch high schooler starts clothing brand to encourage mental health awareness and start conversations on other topics.

grabbed a notepad from the nightstand drawer and made the first design for his clothing brand, Southernly Simon Apparel.

The design consisted of the lyrics “Save a horse, ride a cowboy,” from the song of the same name by Big & Rich.

he’s wanted to start his own fashion line of clothing, but he thought it had to be elegant dresses and gowns and he knew he didn’t have the finances for it.

While sitting in a hotel during the FFA state convention in 2022, he was reminded that Louis Vuitton didn’t start by making handbags that cost thousands of dollars. He made “streamer trunks,” an early day form of luggage. Simon returned to his hotel room,

On July 14, Simon launched his sophomore collection “A Battle with Myself,” which he created as a high school sophomore. It includes a selection of T-shirts, hoodies and sweatpants.

His clothing brand is an opportunity for him to combine his passion for fashion with his desire to initiate conversations regarding mental health and other topics.

Simon struggled with his men -

SOUTHERNLY SIMON APPAREL

Byron Simon, a Lakewood Ranch High School junior, started Southernly Simon Apparel in 2022 as an opportunity to combine his passion for fashion and his desire to spread mental health awareness. He hopes his clothing will be conversation starters on topics including mental health, body positivity and embracing differences.

Southernly Simon Apparel launched its sophomore collection, “A Battle with Myself,” July 14. For more information, visit SouthernlySimon. com.

tal health his freshman year of high school as he worked through “imposter syndrome,” which is the inability to believe one’s achievements are deserved.

“I didn’t know who I was or who I wanted to be, and I felt like I was under a lot of scrutiny,” he said. “I felt like a lot of people were always watching my moves, and there was a lot of pressure to be perfect. It just kind of caused me to crack under pressure, and eventually, I kind of had a break where I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ Luckily, I had a bunch of resources around me, like my parents and friends, who were phenomenal in my healing process.”

Simone realized he wasn’t the only one to have mental health concerns, yet few people were openly talking about what they were facing.

“I realized there were a lot of topics that needed to be opened up for discussion, and it wasn’t being opened up,” Simon said. “I realized I was done waiting for change, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Although mental health is his biggest passion, Simon said his clothing line is an opportunity for him to start conversations on gun violence, health, women’s rights and more.  He hopes his clothing promotes awareness on topics and encourages people to embrace who they are and their differences. He wants people to feel heard.

“I’ve been on that side of not being heard, not feeling like there was someone who understood me,” he said. “I’ve tried to put myself into a box of who I am and to try to fit into this cookie-cutter society we have now. I feel like just having someone who understands you, that can see you, make you feel heard and be represented in the public eye is such a great feeling.”

The “Battle with Myself” collection features designs that promote mental health awareness and include phrases such as “Together we stand as one” and “Some scars are on the inside.”

“It’s a collection that depicts the daily struggles a person can go through,” Simon said. “It talks about mental health, losing people you’re close with, being close with people, loving someone, finding yourself again after you lose someone.”

Simon’s inspiration for the designs come from how he’s feeling on any given day.

“I’ll be having a bad day and then I can see my designs reflect that. It just kind of goes hand in hand,” he said. “It gives me a healthy way to cope with how I feel that day, and it also gives people a healthy way to see it’s normal to feel these things.”

Creating designs for Southernly Simon Apparel has been a continual opportunity for Simon to address his own mental health.

“I have these days where I feel disconnected from who I am,” he said. “I think that some days, it just becomes too much. Having this very healthy coping mechanism to be able to get my feelings out is a very good thing to have. It means the world to me to have that kind of escape.”

Makayla Chenard, a student at Parrish Community High School, shows off her new sweatshirt from Southernly Simon Apparel. She says she related to the sweatshirt on a personal level.

Lakewood Ranch High School junior Byron Simon, who launched Southernly Simon Apparel, hopes people like Parrish Community High’s Makayla Chenard relate to his clothing brand.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Southernly Simon Apparel’s sophomore collection “A Battle with Myself” features clothes promoting mental health awareness.

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, AUG. 10 THROUGH

SUNDAY, AUG. 13

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 Steve Sipes (Thursday), Soundwave (Friday), Al Fuller’s Moonlight Movers (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, AUG. 11 AND

SATURDAY, AUG. 12

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/songwriter Justin Layman provides the entertainment on Friday while singer/ songwriter Trevor Bystrom performs on Saturday. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SUNDAY, AUG. 13

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 offer seafood, eggs, meats and other items. Other features are children’s 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.

TUESDAY, AUG. 15

PICKLEBALL CLINIC

Begins at 8:30 a.m. at UMR Sports, 131 Upper Manatee River Road. Bradenton. This two-hour clinic teaches intermediate and advanced players top doubles strategies. Registration is $40 per person. To register, call or text 737-0362. For more information, visit UMRSports.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 16

BINGO FOR ALL

Begins at 10 a.m. at Greenbrook

BEST BET

FRIDAY, AUG. 11

MOVIE NIGHT

Begins at 7 p.m. at Waterside Place, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Waterside Place presents “Princess and the Frog” for its free movie night. The family friendly event runs the second Friday of each month. The movie will begin approximately at 8 p.m. and is sponsored by Grace Community Church, which will provide a free popsicle from Siesta Pops to the first 300 attendees. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Concessions will be available from We B’Poppin Popcorn and Kettle Corn. Face painting and inflatables will be available for kids.

Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Bingo. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FRIDAY, AUG. 18 AND SATURDAY, AUG. 19

STAND UP PADDLE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Begins at 8 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Special Olympics Florida 2023 Stand Up Paddle Championships will see approximately 200 athletes from across Florida compete in a variety of stand up paddle, or SUP, races. The event is free. For information visit NathanBendersonPark.org.

(FIREFLY) Heather Murray is a researcher/blogger. She spent four years traveling the world with the military, forever changing her political views, thus starting Information Warfare News to counter fake news and propaganda. Jordan Page comes from Firefly, a blockchain-based education platform where students, teachers, and content creators are rewarded within a crypto economy.

File photo

Families settle in for movie night at Waterside Place.

Bridgett Edwards, APRN

Deborah Howard-Patton, APRN

Camille Kasten, APRN

Ready for school

East County’s Mallorie Johnson and her husband, Michael Johnson, took their 5-year-old Quinn throughout the Mall at University Town Center collecting school supplies and learning about various resources in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

They stopped at Sarasota Jungle Gardens’ table so Quinn could pet an alligator during the mall’s Back to School Bash on Aug. 5.

“She’s having a blast,” Mallorie Johnson said. “We’re getting everything we need for school.”

Families were able to get free backpacks and school supplies while meeting characters such as Mario and Princess Peach, Barbie, Dora the Explorer and Ms. Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus.”

— LIZ RAMOS

Lakewood Ranch’s Peyton Brown and Abrianna Williams meet Barbie.

Bradenton’s Nicole Figueroa, who is 11, and Abdiel Figueroa, who is 8, show off the school supplies they received during the Back to School Bash.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Lakewood Ranch 9-year-old Ella Macklefresh is excited to meet the Nutcracker. She collects nutcrackers.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident or suffered injury due to another’s negligence, you need strong, effective legal assistance at your side to make sure you get the care and compensation you deserve to recover from your injuries to the fullest extent possible. Hale Law exists to provide the people of Lakewood Ranch with high-quality legal services and a focus on client needs and concerns.

Great music for a song

Singer Sheri Nadelman had just begun her performance at Live Music on the Plaza at Waterside Place Aug. 5 when a helicopter flew low overhead.

“That’s not for me,” she said, then laughed along with the crowd.

Whether she was singing for those strolling through Waterside Place, or interacting with the crowd that had gathered in front of the plaza, Nadelman seemed to be enjoying every moment.

“I love playing here,” Nadelman said of the free entertainment at Waterside Place. “There is no pressure for the artists and no pressure for the guests. It is a relaxed atmosphere.”

Although the crowd at Waterside Place can fluctuate in size from week to week, or from minute to minute on the evening of a Friday or Saturday show, Nadelman is confident the crowds will continue to grow.

“This is not Music on Main now,” she said of the monthly free concert series at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. “But it will be.” — JAY HEATER

The First Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Maternity Patient Shares Her History of EXCEPTIONAL CARE

By Lori Boyd, Director of Marketing

While at an OB/GYN appointment nearly 20 years ago, Barbara Milian’s physician mentioned the grand opening of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and the hospital’s maternity services at the Women’s Center.

“He asked if I’d like to have the first baby born at the facility and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ Sure enough, it was an amazing experience. I had a C-section,” says Milian, a Lakewood Ranch resident and local realtor who gave birth to a healthy, 9-pound baby boy named Julian on the very first day the hospital opened, Sept. 1, 2004.

The Women’s Center has since been renovated for enhanced comfort and access to services. The spalike atmosphere is designed to evoke a sense of peace and calm for women in every stage of labor.

A Repeat Visitor: Emergency and Surgical Services

“More recently I visited the hospital emergency room due to intense pain in my left side,” Milian says. “When I followed up with my doctor, I discovered the pain was due to fibroids.”

Last December, Milian had a hysterectomy at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

“It was another excellent experience,” she says. “On the day of surgery, they called us in right away. Later I woke up in the Women’s Center, where all the equipment and staff were amazing. They were so attentive, gentle and knowledgeable when checking my incision.

“My obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Jorge Alvarez is an amazing, hardworking, caring and highly skilled doctor,” says Milian. “He is the one who performed my hysterectomy and has been with me since day one, when he asked if I would like to have my baby at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.”

Hospital Expansion

Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is expanding its medical campus with a brand-new patient tower. The five-story facility will offer an additional 60 beds and expand several services. Pre-construction is slated to begin this year and the first phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2025.

My obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Jorge Alvarez is an amazing, hardworking, caring and highly skilled doctor,” says Milian. “He is the one who performed my hysterectomy and has been with me since day one, when he asked if I would like to have my baby at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Barbara Milian with her son Julian, who was the first baby to be born at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center on the day the hospital opened.

Dogs, on a leash, are allowed at Waterside Place’s Music on the Plaza.

Singer Sheri Nadelman says the live music presentations at Waterside Place eventually will be similar to Music On Main that runs once a month at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

Photos by Jay Heater

Lakewood Ranch’s Sue Carlton had just had dinner at Good Liquid Brewing at Waterside Place on Aug. 5 when she heard music and decided to have some fun with singer Sheri Nadelman.

Lake Club home tops sales at $3,295,100

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in the Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 16936 Clearlake Ave. to David Eckert and Sachiko Eckert, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3,295,100. Built in 2022, it has five bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,132 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

Michael Becker, of Midlothian, Virginia, sold his home at 17110 Verona Place to Vivek Gupta and Priyanka Gupta, of Osprey, for $1.85 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 3,767 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,063,100 in 2021.

SAPPHIRE POINT

Teresa Kay Condon and Gary Condon, of Versailles, Ohio, sold their home at 6058 Bluestar Court to Stephen and Megan Lee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,449,000. Built in 2022, it has six bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 5,323 square feet of living area. It sold for $872,800 in 2022.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Robert and Ramona Neal, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7628 Haddington Cove to Gerald and Jennifer Mikus, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.45 million. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,757 square feet of living area.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF

CLUB

5820 Mulligan Way LLC sold the home at 5820 Mulligan Way to B.J. Kingdon and Shirley Kingdon, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1.3 million. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,647 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.2 million in 2022.

ISLES AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

Adam and Kelly Hancock, of Prosper, Texas, sold their home at 8209 Redonda Loop to Ruslan and Yuliya Pugach, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,295,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,164 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,225,000 in 2022.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Neil and Diana Farquhar, of Grain Valley, Missouri, sold their home at 5207 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Michael and Liza Zona, of Montverde, for $1,125,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,249 square feet of living area. It sold for $392,400 in 2015.

COUNTRY CLUB

Edward and Lucy Weltin, of Fremont, California, sold their home at 8047 Royal Birkdale Circle to Timothy and Mary Mullin, of Lakewood Ranch, for $985,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,768 square feet of living area. It sold for $665,000 in 2019.

Jeffrey Gay Tryon and Jodi Lynn Tryon, of Madrid, Iowa, sold their home at 7936 Suntree Glen to Swapnil Yoash Gohil and Cynthia Gohil, of Lakewood Ranch, for $685,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,289 square feet of living area. It sold for $379,000 in 2020.

DEL WEBB

John Hissrich, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, Barbara Culatta, of Provo, Utah, and Timothy Andrew Knezevich, Personal Representative, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, sold the home at 6925 Chester Trail to Charles Terence Butwid, of Bradenton, for $925,000. Built in 2016,

it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,511 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,700 in 2016.

ASCOT Katherine Sekowski, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, sold her home at 7503 Ascot Court to Bart and Kristy Schubert, of Bradenton, for $830,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,395 square feet of living area. It sold for $805,000 in 2021.

SWEETWATER

M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 4719 Winsome Way to Robert and Woomee Yu, of Bradenton, for $810,900. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,190 square feet of living area.

RIVERDALE REVISED Geraldine Stearn sold the home at 4712 Halyard Drive to Thomas Canto and Isabel Pena Bernard, of Bradenton, for $787,500. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,368 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,000 in 2016.

WOODLEAF HAMMOCK Craig Arthur Haney and Kristy Jean Haney, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2124 Woodleaf Hammock Court to Matthew Goldman, of Lakewood Ranch, for $770,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,493 square feet of living area. It sold for $474,400 in 2019.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Pekka and Maria Laine, trustees, of Palmetto, sold the home at 6715 Rookery Lake Drive to Jay Burrichter and Martha Galan, of Bradenton, for $739,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,258 square feet of living area. It sold for $485,000 in 2020.

Dennis Edward Hayes and Shirley Anne Hayes, of Holland, Michigan, sold their home at 7130 Quiet Creek Drive to William Chinn and Katy Mussar Chinn, of Port Charlotte, for $729,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2017.

RIVER CLUB NORTH

Anila Jain, as Personal Representative, sold the home at 10309 Braden Run to Chase Connin, of Bradenton, for $715,000. Built in 1995, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,516 square feet of living area.

CENTRAL PARK

Justin Bracco and Christy VolpeBracco, of Sarasota, sold their home at 4702 Claremont Park Drive to Susan Recoon and Eric Recoon, trustees, of Williamsville, New York, for $710,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,202 square feet of living area. It sold for $382,000 in 2017.

Jeffrey and Linda Turner, trustees, of Parrish, sold the home at 11719 Gramercy Park Ave. to David and Michelle Hagel, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2010, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $360,100 in 2016.

Steven Douglas Foltz and Angela Williams, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 11130 Battery Park Place to Xavier and Andrea Berkness, of Bradenton, for $550,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,859 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2021.

LAKE VISTA RESIDENCES

Dana Fulks, of Bradenton, sold her home at 7612 Lake Vista Court to James Nichols, of Lakewood Ranch, for $710,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,138 square feet of living area. It sold for $531,200 in 2007.

ESPLANADE Barbara Zdziarski, of Bradenton, sold her home at 13207 Prima Drive to Kimberly and Larry Standish, of S. Wales, New York, for $639,000. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,684 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,100 in 2015.

PALM AIRE

Cotswold Homes LLC sold the home at 8405 Palm Lakes Court to Edward William Harman and Josefina Harman, of Sarasota, for $610,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,329 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2022.

RIVERSIDE PRESERVE

Farah Hassan and Sarah Hassan, of Winchester, California, sold their home at 928 Whimbrel Run to Timothy and Christina Van Schultz, of Sarasota, for $609,500. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,610 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,100 in 2020.

STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

Thomas Dailey and Shari Smith, of Pepperell, Massachusetts, sold their home at 248 Golden Harbour

Trail to David Paul Wehr and Susan Marie Wehr, of Bradenton, for $575,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,996 square feet of living area. It sold for $339,000 in 2020.

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Courtesy photo

This Lake Club home at 17110 Verona Place sold for $1.85 million. It has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 3,767 square feet of living area.

Fast Break

BRADEN RIVER: AT A GLANCE

2022 record: 5-5 (lost in the first round of the playoffs 42-5 to Naples High)

Coach: Curt Bradley, 12th season

Key to the season: Gaining consistency. The Pirates have a lot of talent, but many of the team’s expected contributors are underclassmen without much game experience at the varsity level. If those players can quickly adapt and are kept on track by the team’s senior leaders, the Pirates can do big things.

Schedule (all games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted):

■ Aug. 19 at Lennard

■ Aug. 25 vs. Gainesville

■ Sept. 1 at Palmetto

■ Sept. 8 vs. Lakewood Ranch

■ Sept. 15 at Manatee (7:30 p.m.)

■ Sept. 22 at Booker (7:30 p.m.)

■ Sept. 29 at Port Charlotte (7:30 p.m.)

■ Oct. 13 at Parrish Community

■ Oct. 20 vs. Charlotte

■ Oct. 27 vs. Southeast

■ Nov. 3 vs. Sarasota

Former Lakewood Ranch

High pitcher Colton Gordon held a 2.25 ERA in July with the AA-level Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros) in 24 innings. Gordon allowed just one home run and struck out 37 batters while walking eight. Gordon, the Astros’ No. 5 overall prospect, holds a 3.95 season ERA.

Former Braden River High baseball pitcher Tyler Dyson was released from the Washington Nationals organization on July 24. Dyson, a 2019 draftee, had made his 2023 debut on June 6 after missing the entire 2022 season with an arm injury. For his career, Dyson held a 3-5 record and a 3.27 ERA in 15 starts, but he had a 13.00 ERA in 2023.

Former Braden River High defensive end Taylor Upshaw who spent four years at the University of Michigan, initially announced he would play the 2023 season at the University of Colorado in January, but now has transferred again to the University of Arizona. Upshaw will have one year of eligibility with the Wildcats as a graduate student.

At the Play for Life tournament hosted by the Pickleball Club on July 29, Yvonne Corrigan and Dawn Vishey won the 3.0 Women’s Doubles division, Rico Antonio and Terry Hebda won the 3.0 Men’s Doubles division, Yanette Davis and Grayson Hall won the 4.0 Women’s Doubles division and Jonathan Aiken and Ethan Eddy won the 4.0 Men’s Doubles division. The event’s entrance fees raised $1,000 for the Play for Life Foundation.

Mary K. Heyde (13) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Mutt and Jeff” event (individual low net scoring) held Aug. 3 at University Park Country Club.

Learning on the job

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

With a young core of talented players and a handful of senior leaders to keep them on the right path, the Braden River football coaching staff and players are excited about the possibilities of the 2023 season.

As long as they can be consistent.

It’s something the team did not do in 2022. The Pirates started 3-1, with the lone loss a 10-7 defeat against Manatee High, before Hurricane Ian hit the area and put a two-week pause on the season.

After the storm break, the Pirates were not the same team, playing inconsistently on both sides of the ball. The team finished the year 5-5, including a 42-6 loss to Naples High in the first round of the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs.  Braden River has since lost many of its contributors, some to graduation, and others to transfers. Among the losses are former starting quarterback Nick Trier, who is now at Lakewood High (St. Petersburg) and former starting running back Trayvon Pinder is now at Manatee High.  Pirates head coach Curt Bradley said junior Lucas Despot will take over for Trier, who came to the Pirates as a sophomore after spending his freshman season in Lakewood Ranch High’s program.

Bradley said Despot was impressive in limited action in 2022 as he started Braden River’s game against Booker High because of a Trier injury. He finished that game six of 10 for 139 passing yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“He (Despot) had a good summer,” Bradley said. “He put on some weight. He’s athletic. He learned the offense more in his second year with us. We’re excited about what he can do with both his arm and his legs.”

Running back, Bradley said, will take more of a committee approach. One player expected to get opportunities is Marcus Galloway.

The 5-foot-9 junior spent the 2022 season on the defensive side of the ball at cornerback, totaling 22 tackles and three passes defended, but will use his natural athletic ability on the offensive side in 2023.

Junior Yahshua Edwards is also expected to see action at both running back and wide receiver. He caught eight passes for 93 yards in limited action in 2022.

The offense will also see contributions from players like freshman wide receiver Nazir Pitchford, who is 6-foot-1 and can be a strong red zone target right away, a skill he showcased at the Pirates’ Aug. 4 practice.

In other seasons, Bradley said, he would worry about having so many contributors at key offensive positions being inexperienced. If the right leaders aren’t in place when that happens, he said, things quickly can go sideways. But Bradley is con-

fident that leaders like senior tight end Cody Kawcak will keep things on the right path.

Kawcak agrees.

“It’s still the first week (of practice), so nothing is perfect yet,” Kawcak said. “The first game isn’t going to be perfect either. We have to pick it up each week and continue to get better, so I’ll get on guys if they make a mistake. But I’ll build them back up, too.”

On defense, senior linebacker Micah Fedd will serve a similar role. Fedd made 27 total tackles as a reserve in 2022, but knows he has more responsibility in 2023, as he’ll be a starting middle linebacker and will call out the plays signaled in by Bradley to the rest of the defense.

“It’s my fourth year,” Fedd said. “I have to be a real leader now. I have to make sure everyone is lined up correctly in the right area. We’ve been in the film room all summer learning where we need to be on every play. I think people will see that improvement right away.”

Other returning contributors on defense include sophomore Ronan Dangler, the brother of former Pirates stars Evan and Aidan Dangler. Like his brothers, Dangler is a linebacker. He had 17 tackles as a freshman, and he’s strong. On June 25, Dangler finished second in the Age Group 14-15, 81 kilograms division of the 2023 USA Weightlifting National Youth Championships, held June 25 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dangler had a score of 191 kilograms (81 kilograms in the snatch and 110 kilograms in the clean and jerk).

The Pirates also have a special teams weapon in junior kicker Brunno Reus, who holds an NCAA Division I offer from the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

Kawcak and Fedd said the team is feeling confident in the program’s talent level, even if some of it is unproven, and expects to compete for a district title in 2023. As for Bradley, who is entering his 12th season as the Pirates’ coach, he’s having as good a time coaching as ever, despite not getting much sleep. Bradley is the father of two kids — one of whom, daughter Olivia Bradley, is just 1 month old.

“When I am playing alone, I enjoy having it be me, myself and I. Everything is up to me, good or bad.” — Lakewood Ranch High’s Henry Burbee

Courtesy photo Colton Gordon holds a 3.95 ERA at AA-level Corpus Christi in 2023.

Inexperienced skill players will have to carry the burden for the Pirates.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Braden River tight end Cody Kawcak and linebacker Micah Fedd are two players coach Curt Bradley is designating as senior leaders.

Braden River linebackers Micah Fedd (45) and Ronan Dangler (18) talk with coach Curt Bradley during a preseason practice. Fedd will call the plays to the rest of the defense in 2023.

Braden River junior Lucas Despot will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2023. He threw three touchdowns in his only start of the 2022 season against Booker High.

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

Mustangs should be state contenders in golf

While high school golf, volleyball, swimming and cross-country might not start their seasons with the fanfare of football, they feature plenty of talented and exciting athletes.

So let’s take a look at the athletes and storylines I will be following as the sports’ respective seasons get underway this month.

GOLF

The Lakewood Ranch High boys team is the headliner here after finishing fifth overall at the 2022 Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A state tournament (306).

It was the program’s best finish since it won the state championship in 2013.

In 2023, the Mustangs will be led by juniors Parker Severs and Henry Burbee. Severs finished tied for seventh (73) in the individual state tournament in 2022 and finished second (71-73-68—212) in the Florida State Golf Association’s 2023 Boys’ Junior Championship, held July 6-8 at Mayacoo Lakes Country Club and PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach. Burbee finished tied for 20th (75) at the 2022 state tournament.

The Lakewood Ranch girls team should also be a factor in the postseason. The Mustangs finished eighth overall at the state tournament in 2022, and though top players Jessica Kobetitsch and Lauren Hosier have graduated, the other three members of the team return, led by sophomore Emily Storm, who finished 51st individually at the state tournament (84).

As an individual golfer, Braden River High girls golf sophomore Taryn Nguyen has a shot at a big year as she finished 39th overall as a freshman (79-90—169). Don’t sleep on The Out-of-Door Academy junior Madeline Crosby either, as she didn’t play in the state tour-

nament, but she did win the annual Donald Ross Memorial Tournament (75) and ODA’s district tournament (80).

VOLLEYBALL

The Braden River Pirates have had two straight district title-winning seasons, including a 16-8 mark in 2022, and should be gunning for a third in 2023. The Pirates return their top-four players in terms of kills recorded, led by senior Brynna Sands (209). They also bring back their assist leader in senior Mary Allison McGuire (335) and their digs leader in senior Aryanna Spainhower.

The Out-of-Door Academy did not win its district in 2022, thanks to sharing the space with perennial state title contender Cardinal Mooney High, but the Thunder did finish 16-7, including a 5-1 record in its final six matches. The Thunder only graduated two seniors from the 2022 roster, so with growth, the

team could turn into a contender. In 2023, the Thunder will be led by senior Annabelle Basler (148 kills), senior Keira Baldwin (459 assists) and senior Devon Van Hoesen (209 digs).  Lakewood Ranch High went 12-11 in 2022 and graduated five key contributors, including Andrea Dietz, who now plays for the University of North Florida. With much of the roster being new in 2023, the Mustangs will have plenty of questions to answer.

SWIMMING

While 2022 was a down year overall for swimmers in the East County area, younger athletes picked up experience that could propel them to more success this fall. Some of those athletes who were not technically in high school a year ago.

The ODA boys team will feature senior Luis Junqueira, who finished 13th in the state in the 200 individual medley (1:58.35) in 2022. It will also feature freshman Colin Jacobs, who as an eighth grader last year when finishing 12th in the 500 yard

freestyle (4:45.48). On the girls’ side, freshman Zoe Gruber finished 21st in the 500 freestyle in the state as an eighth grader (5:18.07).

Lakewood Ranch boys swimmer Jorge Guzman finished 15th in the 100 backstroke (53.23) in the state as a sophomore. He could move into the top 10 or better in 2023, as eight of the swimmers that finished in front of him were seniors. Mustangs girls teammate Payton Griffin finished 21st in state meet in the 500 freestyle (5:16.42) as a freshman and could similarly move up the rankings as a sophomore.

Braden River did not have any swimmers qualify for the state meet in 2022.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Similar to swimming, the area did not have a solid year in crosscountry in 2022, but there are still a few individuals to keep an eye on this fall.

ODA has the most accomplished returning runner in boys senior Declan Fiorucci, who finished 19th

overall (16:34.50) in the state in 2022 and could sneak into the top 10 in 2023. No other ODA returnees finished in the top 100 at the state meet last season, but girls runner Bailey Fulk finished 107th overall (21:57.00) as a seventh grader.

The Lakewood Ranch girls team was led individually at the state meet by Olivia Spiegel in 2022; now a junior, Spiegel finished 30th overall in Class 4A as a sophomore (19:58.20). Addison Shea (20:46.7) also finished in the top 100 as a sophomore in 2022, at 67. The Mustangs did not have any boys representatives at states.  Braden River did not have any cross-country runners qualify for the state meet in 2022.

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

Lakewood Ranch High junior Parker Severs is one of the top boys golfers in the state.

File photos

The Braden River volleyball team won its district tournament for the second-straight year in 2022-23.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Henry Burbee

Henry Burbee is a junior on the Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team. Burbee had a scoring average of 74 in 2022 and is expected to be one of the team’s top golfers in 2023, alongside junior Parker Severs. Burbee and the Mustangs kick off their regular-season schedule with the John Ryan Invitational, held Aug. 21 at Capri Isles Golf Course in Venice.

When did you start playing golf?

When I was 7. My dad (Joe Burbee) was a golf pro, a teaching pro, and he took my brother (Jack Burbee) and (me) onto the driving range and a few courses.

What is the appeal to you?

When I’m playing alone, I enjoy having it be me, myself and I out there. Everything is up to me, good or bad. But I also like high school golf, where everyone has to work together to win. And I just like to compete.

What is your best skill?

Driving the golf ball. That has always been a strong suit of mine. Right now, I am driving the ball around 300 yards on average.

What have you been working to improve?

A lot of putting. When I play in tournaments I keep stats on an app called Decade, and the app has been telling me I need to improve my speed on putts. I’m either leaving it too short or too long. I need to be in the middle. I also use an app called AimPoint to help with my putting accuracy.

What is your favorite memory?

Man, I have a lot of memories. It’s probably playing Kiawah Island Golf Resort (in Kiawah Island, South Carolina) with my brother and my dad in 2020, around Christmas time. We were there right before it hosted the 2021 PGA Championship. Phil Mickelson

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.

won it, and we were watching it and comparing how we approached the course with how the pros did it.

What are your 2023 goals?

As a team, our goal to making it to the state tournament again.

What is your favorite food?

Sushi. I’ll eat it from anywhere.

What are your hobbies?

I hang out with friends a lot. I started playing poker a lot this summer as well, and I like to go fishing here and there.

Which superpower would you pick?

That’s tough. Can I choose a power that lets me make every putt inside of 10 feet?

What is the best advice you have received?

I have a mental performance coach named Bill Nelson. He tells me to always stay in the moment. It used to be that when I had the lead in a tournament, I would think ahead to winning and getting a trophy. I didn’t stay present. Now I’m more focused.

Finish this sentence:

Ambitious. I’m always working

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RAINFALL SUNRISE / SUNSET MOON PHASES *Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport WEATHER YEAR TO DATE: 2023 12.23 in. 2022 3.42 in. MONTH TO DATE: 2023 1.09 in. 2022 3.42 in. Katrina ZagrobaKamal captured this lightning strike along with a double rainbow over Lakewood Ranch. 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. Aug. 16 New Aug. 30 Full Aug. 24 First Sept. 6 Last Monday, July 31 0 Tuesday, Aug. 1 0 Wednesday, Aug. 2 0.4 Thursday, Aug. 3 0.08 Friday, Aug. 4 0.61 Saturday, Aug. 5 0 Sunday, Aug. 6 0 Sunrise Sunset Thursday, Aug. 10 6:57a 8:11p Friday, Aug. 11 6:58a 8:10p Saturday, Aug. 12 6:58a 8:09p Sunday, Aug. 13 6:59a 8:09p Monday, Aug. 14 6:59a 8:08p Tuesday, Aug. 15 7:00a 8:07p Wednesday, Aug. 16 7:00a 8:06p

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