East County Observer 2.1.24

EAST COUNTY

Not the same, old story

Observer

PAGE 8B

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

VOLUME 25, NO. 31

YOUR TOWN

County struggles to fill advisory boards

Commission chair says ‘We haven’t done anything in about five years with some of these boards.’ SEE PAGE 3A

Liz Ramos

Another happy day for the Knights Mike Mahan, a member of Our Lady of the Angels’ Knights of Columbus, presented a $15,000 check to Lakewood Ranch’s Dave and Anne Parker for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Jan. 18.

The Parkers have been volunteers for St. Jude for four years. Dave Parker said it was an honor to accept the check on behalf of St. Jude.

“It’s amazing to be able to support an organization like this,” he said.

The Knights of Columbus raised the funds through a car show held in November.

During the check presentation, Anne Parker told Knights of Columbus members that their donation will go toward the approximately 8,600 children St. Jude serves per year. Since the hospital opened seven years ago, its survival rate of children with cancer has increased from 20% to 80%, Anne Parker said.

SISTERS CELEBRATION Phantom: A Masquerade Ball is designed to be a party that gives back to the community.

SEE PAGE 8A

Jay Heater

Angela Massaro-Fain, John Fain, Julie Benjamin and Samina Morrow have a little fun in preparation for Phantom: A Masquerade Ball.

Lesley Dwyer

A+E

A century, plus another four With the dining hall decked out with purple plates and four shades of purple balloons, Poet’s Walk celebrated Carmen Barrett’s 104th birthday on Jan. 22.

The celebration at Poet’s Walk, the assisted living facility where Barrett resides, actually was held three days late, on Jan. 25.

Barrett wore a purple top to match the decorations because it’s her favorite color, and the staff dolled her up even more with a gold sash and tiara.

Barrett’s family, friends and the former mayor of Sarasota, Liz Alpert, were all in attendance to wish Barrett a happy birthday.

“We’ve been friends for over 30 years,” Sarasota’s Gloria Collins said. “We used to play tennis together.”

Barrett played tennis into her 90s.

A taste of Broadway.

INSIDE

School district offers regular taste tests Liz Ramos

Braden River High School sophomores Carlos Duque, Nicolas Dieter and Sean Mejia-Aponte choose between chicken tenders and pulled pork being served by Francis O’Brien, with Food and Nutrition Services.

District experiments with more nutritious meals to guarantee students are ready to learn. SEE PAGE 4A

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Mardi Gras-themed race benefits nonprofits The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation hosts its second Run for the Beads at Waterside Place.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

I

n her role as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Bradenton’s Monica McField said she tries to provide her “Little,” with someone to lean on.

That role is about to be reversed Feb. 10 when McField and Ruskin 13-year-old Mikylie Blue compete in the second annual Run for the Beads Mardi Gras 5K Run/Walk Feb. 10 at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch.

McField said she never has run a 5K before, and neither has Blue. But McField said Blue might be holding her up by the end of the run.

“I’m going to suffer a lot,” McField said with a laugh. “But we always are trying to do something different. She said, ‘Let’s do this.’”

While the emphasis will be on the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation’s effort to raise money for regional nonprofits, McField and Blue are great examples of the end result of the proceeds raised during the race.

Those proceeds are returned to community nonprofits in the form of grants. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is a grant recipient of the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation.

“We serve 10 counties, but the grant (money) we receive from (the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation) stays in Manatee County,” said Gina Taylor, vice president of communications and marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast.

Taylor said the money received from such grants go mostly toward programming. Ninety percent of the funds they receive go toward programs, 5% goes toward administrative costs and 5% go towards producing events for the public.

“We provide one-to-one mentor-

ing,” Taylor said. “We call them our ‘Bigs’ and Littles.’ They do things together. It might mean going to a park, or just hanging out.”

Taylor said each pair meet a minimum of twice a month.

McField, 35, said she has enjoyed her time mentoring Blue, and added that building a relationship has not been stressful at all. She said the program is essential because there are so many parents who work endless hours just trying to make ends meet, and that can curtail the parents’ time with their children.

As a mentor, McField said she tries to use her best listening skills.

“They need someone who is grounded in life,” McField said.

“They need someone they can lean on.”

McField said their trips have varied from the movie theater, to Dave & Buster’s Arcade, to the 5K run.

“I just ask her what she wants and then we try things,” she said. “You spend four hours at a time with your ‘Little.’ It’s pretty simple.”

While it might be simple, McField said she realizes it also has been effective.

“These (kids) just want to be seen,”

Jay Heater

David Proudfoot of Lakewood Ranch breezes to the overall victory in the 2023 Run for the Beads in Waterside.

McField said. “Mikylie speaks out more now. She is more calm. She is more mindful in how she interacts with others. It is just nice for her to have someone listen to her about her feelings.”

McField said she has been in the same situations that Blue is facing now as a teen.

“I know how to navigate them,” McField said.

Those who want to know more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast can call the Manatee County office at 746-7000 or go to BBBSSUN.org.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is just one nonprofit of the many helped by the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation. On Jan. 11, the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation presented 13 grants to area nonprofits for a combined $60,363.

Since its inception, the LWRCF has awarded $1.5 million in grants, and In 2024, it will award grants quarterly as opposed to the previous once-a-

year grant presentation.

The Run for the Beads is one of the nonprofit’s biggest two fundraisers of the year.

Participants will enjoy a scenic, meandering course through Waterside that will include its peninsulas and parks. Runners and walkers receive a T-shirt, a finisher’s medal and a free beverage. There will be a Mardi Gras costume contest, giveaways, and top finisher awards ceremony immediately following the race.

Brayan Hernandez-Valdez, a finalist for LWRCF’s inaugural Junior Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2023, will officially start the race.

Major sponsors for the race include Stalnaker Law; Cileone Jewelers; Williams Parker; David Ahrens, RE/ MAX Platinum Realty; and New Balance Sarasota.

Lakewood Ranch’s David Proudfoot was the winner of the inaugural event a year ago. The race drew almost 300 runners.

ON THE RUN

What: The second annual Run for the Beads Mardi Gras 5K Run/Walk Who: Hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation Where: Waterside Place When: Feb. 10 — a free kids dash begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by the run/walk at 9 a.m.

Registration: $40 up to the first 200 runners, then $45; register at RunForTheBeads.com

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Mikylie Blue and Monica McField are trying something different by running in the Run for the Beads.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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Courtesy image

Crooked River Ranch sits along the Manatee River and is the first property recommended by ELMAC and also purchased by the county.

Library Services Manager Tammy Parrott and Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library President Sue Ann Miller are pictured before the Lakewood Ranch Library opened. Both were satisfied with the applicants for the Library Advisory Board.

Lesley Dwyer

Manatee County is having trouble filling its citizen advisory boards. Boards typically meet on the fifth floor of the Administration Building.

File photo

Commissioners consider value of advisory boards Chief of Staff Andy Butterfield is in the process of reviewing all 18 advisory boards.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

I

n theory, advisory boards assist the Board of County Commissioners by providing opinions on major issues like affordable housing and child welfare in Manatee County.

However, low attendance at board meetings and few applicants for openings has made Manatee County commissioners question the value of such advisory boards.

On one side is Commissioner George Kruse, who suggested Manatee County needs even more advisory boards. At the Jan. 9 Commission meeting, he said it would be valuable to add advisory boards to address issues about waterways, rural districts, and aid for disabled persons.

He received pushback from his fellow commissioners.

“My only concern is that we have some boards (now) that we’re having trouble filling,” Commission Chair Mike Rahn said. “We’re working, right now, on figuring out what boards that we (commissioners) are all on. We haven’t done anything in about five years with some of these boards or kept up with them.”

Each commissioner is assigned to an advisory board. Prior to the meeting, County Administrator Charlie Bishop had already assigned Chief of Staff Andy Butterfield to perform an audit on all 18 advisory boards.

While the Animal Services Advisory Board hasn’t had a meeting in so long the board needs to be reinstated by the county, commissioners recently have kept a close eye on the Library Advisory Board, which was expanded from five to nine members in April.

When presented with 13 applications to fill seven seats during the Jan. 23 commission meeting, Kruse was on the losing side of a 6-1 vote that temporarily disbanded the Library Advisory Board. Five seats are new, and two terms are expiring, which leaves only two board members in place.

The motion made by Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge to not make any appointments and open up the application process again means the board can’t convene in February as planned because it doesn’t meet the requirement of a quorum, which is a majority of five members in this case.

“I don’t see many individuals on this list who are like-minded with this board,” Van Ostenbridge said by phone.

He wasn’t present at the meeting.

Before being “like-minded” was stated as one of Van Ostenbridge’s requirements, Shannon Keever, communications director for Women’s Voices for Southwest Florida spoke to commissioners at the Jan. 9 meeting.

“I think I can speak for the majority of Manatee County citizens in

saying that we don’t feel heard by you,” Keever said. “So I can imagine that people aren’t jumping to put in a ton of volunteer time if they’re feeling like they’re coming up against a board that’s just going to ignore them.”

Two applicants are current board members who reapplied for their seats on the Library Advisory Board and have attendance records of 92% and 98%. Among the new applicants are retired librarians, teachers, an attorney and the co-founder of a high school.

Library Services Manager Tammy Parrott said it was the “most robust” applicant pool she’s seen since working for the county. She was hired more than four years ago.

Sue Ann Miller, president of the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, sent an email to commissioners following the meeting that asked for disclosure on the definition of “like-minded” and noted that if it has anything to do with party affiliation or being a member of a certain organization, then that’s discrimination.

Rahn said choosing not to appoint new members to the Library Advisory Board was not discriminatory because it was only a reflection of the quantity of applications, not the quality of the applicants. He said most applicants were retirees, which doesn’t offer a broad enough cross section of the community.

Rahn wants more younger parents to apply because he and fellow commissioners are on the conservative side of parental controls that only allow children access to age-appropriate books.

“I’m 62 years old. I don’t know what kids are reading now,” he said.

“We invest a lot of money into the library system. We want to pick the best people.”

Rahn said the vacancies will be advertised for another 30 days, and appointments will be made thereafter.

THE COMMITMENT

Sitting on an advisory board is a volunteer position, but it’s also a regular commitment.

Low attendance is an issue Housing Development Coordinator Rowena Young-Gopie runs into with the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

“Their feet aren’t held to the fire,” she said. “We have this huge board with 11 members, but half the time, we don’t have all the members and there’s no reason behind why they weren’t there.”

Young-Gopie worked for the city of Sarasota and oversaw the Newtown Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board. If a member missed 25% of the meetings, he or she had to submit a reason as to why before the board could excuse the absence.

The time commitment depends on the board. Some boards meet on a quarterly basis, while others meet

CURRENT ADVISORY BOARDS Chief of Staff Andy Butterfield is in the process of reviewing all 18 boards to check for vacancies, make sure members are meeting regularly and ensure that the minutes are being recorded and posted for transparency.

■ Affordable Housing Advisory Board ■ Animal Services Advisory Board ■ Children’s Services Advisory Board ■ Code Enforcement Special Magistrate ■ Citizens Oversight Committee for Infrastructure Sales Tax ■ Construction Trades Board ■ Criminal Nuisance Abatement Board ■ Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Advisory Committee ■ Historical Commission ■ Historic Preservation Board ■ Housing Finance Authority of Manatee County ■ Investment Policy Advisory Board ■ Library Advisory Board ■ Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee* ■ Planning Commission ■ Public Safety Coordinating Council ■ Tourist Development Council ■ Value Adjustment Board

weekly.

District 5 Commissioner Ray Turner was on the Planning Commission before taking over for Vanessa Baugh on Aug. 1.

“It was one day a week for the (Planning Commission) meeting, but it was having an understanding of land use and the legal implications,” Turner said. “If you’re recommending something to the commissioners, you can’t recommend something that puts them or the county in trouble. It’s understanding the limitations of power of commissioners, which was a good lesson for me coming into this seat.”

The terms vary as to how long each member must serve. The county is currently advertising four seats on the Citizens Oversight Committee for Infrastructure Sales Tax Advisory Board. Terms start at either two or three years with two-year terms thereafter.

DO CITIZENS GET A SAY?

When the commission decided to cancel the county’s American Library Association membership, the Library Advisory Board wasn’t asked for its opinion. When thousands of citizens signed a petition asking commissioners not to reduce wetland buffers, the Planning Commission voted the motion down, but

commissioners passed it anyway.

“We don’t have to listen to everything they say, but they make some valid points and sometimes projects change as a result of their comments before they get to us,” Kruse said. “We need to better utilize the boards. If we listen to members and give them a voice, more people would want to be on them.”

He noted the Environmental Lands Management and Acquisitions Committee as one of the boards that is being utilized properly. Over the past two years, it’s been expanded from nine to 17 members. Over the past six months, it’s been given spending power.

Initially, members couldn’t ask for an appraisal on a property without the commission’s approval. Now, the advisory board decides if a property is worth being appraised and investigated.

However, Carol Felts, an ELMAC member and candidate for Commissioner James Satcher’s seat, said ELMAC is mainly staff run. Members can’t see the financials of the program and often join with special interests in mind.

“You may be filling the seat of, let’s say, a horticultural interest, but you’re a real estate agent who just happens to like plants,” Felts said. “The county is not reaching out to fill these positions. They are holding them for preferred appointments from the commissioners.”

One point in Miller’s email told commissioners that she expects them to follow the approved process (of filling advisory board seats) and to not add their friends to the applicant pool.

The requirements for the Affordable Housing Advisory Board list all the varying positions Young-Gopie said were needed to provide a different mix on the board — those with financial backgrounds, Realtors, and developers — yet she described the board as “not very diverse.”

“Everyone has an agenda as to why they’re on the board and why they want to recommend things because they recommend things that would benefit their purpose,” she said.

“That’s what we need to get away from. It needs to benefit the entire community.”

According to Rahn, there’s not always a way around that because board members need specialized knowledge.

“You want people who understand land use on the Planning Commission,” he said.

Glen Gibellina served three terms on the Affordable Housing board over the past 10 years. He’s an affordable housing advocate who built a hurricane and sound proof home in Bradenton out of shipping containers. He called the boards inefficient.

“They just ignored me,” Gibellina said. “I got tired. If you’re not going to listen or implement any of the best practices out there other than kissing the (expletive) of developers, then I don’t need to be here.”

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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s a picky eater, choosing what to have at lunch isn’t always easy for Braden River High School senior Kelis Melendez.

She used to hate school lunches but as she grew up, her taste buds changed and she tried to eat healthier.

When she walked into the cafeteria Jan. 24, Melendez had a plethora of options.

Did she want a salad? Chicken sandwich? Burger? Buffalo chicken wrap? Chicken strips? Barbecue pulled pork? Pizza?

Due to state and U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, the School District of Manatee County’s Food and Nutrition Services must follow, each of the options must adhere to certain nutritional standards.

But following those regulations has given students more options.

Eventually, Melendez made her choice. She picked the barbecue pulled pork, and after tasting it, she said she loved it.

At Braden River High, she has grown to love school meals. She said she always can find something she wants.

Aaron DePaola, the cafeteria manager at Braden River High, said Food and Nutrition Services tries to offer something every student wants, no matter his or her taste or desire.

“If you’re not nourished, you’re not going to perform well in class,” DePaola said. “It’s a symbiotic relationship between us, the administration and the school. We try to keep as many options as we can because we want more kids to eat before they’re in class.”

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

mum of two ounces of protein every day and a cup of fruit or vegetables.

Skye Grundy, a registered dietitian and supervisor of student nutrition for the School District of Manatee County, said she receives phone calls from parents saying their child isn’t getting enough food.

Grundy explains that students are able to get a protein, grain, two selections of fruits, three selections of vegetables and a carton of milk.

For example, a student could get a chicken sandwich, which would be the protein and grain, as well as watermelon and a box of 100% juice, cucumbers, hot beans, carrots and a carton of milk.

Most times, if students are hungry, it’s because they aren’t choosing their fruits and vegetables, Grundy said.

That’s why the district experiments with different foods that the students want. That experimenting began to build before COVID-19 hit, but was cut back during the pandemic. It now has ramped up once again.

Food and Nutrition Services works with name brand vendors such as Pillsbury, Dominos, Tyson and Kellogg.

Dominos delivers freshly made pizza every day to high schools, and each slice is made healthier than a typical Dominos pizza. The slices have 51% whole grain crusts with turkey pepperoni and a low fat mozzarella.

The district then checks feedback to see if the students like it and are choosing it.

Grundy said Braden River High usually goes through 300 servings of chicken tenders, but if more students began choosing something else, like the pulled pork that was served Jan. 24, the staff could adjust the menu.

As students progress through the grades, there are more options in the cafeterias.

Salad bars at high schools have been a hit among students. Although Isabelle Handel, a junior at Braden River High, usually brings lunch from home, when she does buy her lunch she said the salad bar is her goto lunch option because of the health factor.

Grundy said Food and Nutrition Services tries to keep up with national trends as well.

SMART PIZZA VS REGULAR PIZZA

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

The School District of Manatee County’s Smart slices from Dominos are a healthier version of Dominos regular slices of pizza.

SMART PIZZA SLICE

REGULAR PIZZA SLICE

For Food and Nutrition Services to be reimbursed for meals, a minimum of certain types of food must be purchased, but students can get much more.

MINIMUM: ■ Half-a-cup of fruit or vegetables ■ Two other food groups (another fruit or vegetable, grain or protein) *A juice can count as a fruit as the juices are 100% juice

MAXIMUM: ■ Protein ■ Grain ■ Two fruits ■ Three vegetables ■ Milk *A juice can count as a fruit as the juices are 100% juice

Photos by Liz Ramos

Li Zhong, with Food and Nutrition Services, prepares a salad for Braden River High junior Lorelai Lis.

When KFC started offering a popcorn chicken bowl, Food and Nutrition Services decided to serve its own popcorn chicken bowl, albeit with some healthier ingredients.

Food and Nutrition Services staff members then listen and gauge stu-

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dents’ interests in the new foods. For example, spicy foods like hot Cheetos and spicy chicken tenders have become popular at Braden River High.

Sometimes, food options aren’t always a hit.

Grundy said fish tacos, chili, flatbreads, quesadillas and country fried steak are some of the foods the district tried to serve, but students wouldn’t eat them, so they were taken off the menu.

Feedback has indicated that students have been looking for more ethnically diverse options, so a beef gyro on pita bread was put on the menu. DePaola said the gyros didn’t sell immediately, but last semester, sales began to increase.

Lexman Pirela, a Braden River High senior from Venezuela, would like to see more Hispanic foods, especially Venezuelan foods. The district tries to accommodate those requests.

The high school cafeterias also offer a “bar-style menu” every Thursday, which is the fan favorite.

The “bar days” give students an experience similar to restaurants like Blaze Pizza and Chipotle where students can choose all the ingredients in their meal. Cafeterias rotate through a fiesta bar, pasta bar, Asian bar and a tater tot bar. Students are able to choose what they want, and it’s prepared in front of them.

The pasta bar is Pirela’s favorite.

He loves to put chicken and Parmesan cheese in his pasta. He said it’s a large portion, which he likes because as a baseball and track athlete, he needs a lot to be full.

DePaola said when preparing for a new school year, he looks at the trends in the cafeteria from the previous year to check the popular items. He said by November, his staff usually has a good gauge on what students like.

Grundy said for breakfast, the district is planning to try out mini chicken biscuits like the ones found at Chick-fil-A during National School Breakfast Week March 4-8.

The district has been pleased with the results of its efforts. Pirela said sometimes it’s difficult to choose what to have for lunch because there are several good options.

And that is good news for the district.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Mission impossible becomes reality

Celebrate Your Eternal Love

Two high schools and three middle schools in East County now offer Impossible Burgers and plant-based nuggets.

Happy Valentine’s Day

ISRAEL

ANTWERP

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

D

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elaney Arnold, a Dr. Mona Jain Middle School eighth grader, picked up a tray in the cafeteria and looked at her options.

She could choose from burgers, chicken sandwiches, pizza, salad, wraps, and more.

But Arnold decided to pick one of the food service’s newest options — planted-based chicken nuggets.

“I’m more of a nugget person,” Arnold said. “They’re good and taste exactly the same as regular nuggets.”

The plant-based chicken nuggets is one of two plant-based options that are new to the menu at not only Mona Jain Middle but also R. Dan Nolan and Buffalo Creek middle schools and Braden River, Lakewood Ranch and Parrish Community high schools.

Skye Grundy, a registered dietitian and supervisor of student nutrition for the School District of Manatee County, said food services is working to ensure they’re meeting the wants and needs of students, which includes staying up to date on trends.

As more people were hearing about the Impossible Burger starting in 2019, Grundy and the food services department saw it as an opportunity to try something new. The Impossible Burger is a plant-based alternative to a hamburger.

Grundy said the district wanted to incorporate plant-based food options in the cafeteria before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic caused the food service department to pause the rollout of new food options.

Last year, food services decided to have a pop-up tasting event at Lakewood Ranch High School in which students could try plant-based

Liz Ramos

ON THE MENU

■ Impossible Burgers ■ Plant-based nuggets SCHOOLS WITH PLANTBASED OPTIONS ■ Lakewood Ranch High School ■ Braden River High School ■ Parrish Community High School ■ Buffalo Creek Middle School ■ Braden River Middle School ■ R. Dan Nolan Middle School ■ Dr. Mona Jain Middle School

Fruits, veggies, milk, a bread roll and plant-based nuggets make a complete meal.

foods including an Impossible Burger, nuggets and a black bean burger.

“The kids were excited and wanted to have their voices heard,” Grundy said. “Some of them had never tried a plant-based item, so it was a good opportunity to let them try something new and different. It’s nice when you can create excitement.”

After receiving positive feedback from students, the district decided to provide plant-based options to select schools this school year as a trial run. The district serves Impossible Burgers, nuggets and a bean and chili burrito.

“Vegan is not a huge request or demand across the district,” Grundy said. “It’s truly about making sure we have some choices for all of our students.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Can’t mask

EAST COUNTY

“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.”

the good they do

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Sisterhood for Good hopes Phantom: A Masquerade Ball showcases the community’s philanthropy.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

A

s Sisterhood for Good members prepared for Phantom: A Masquerade Ball, the simple question had to be asked.

Why do all you ladies seem to be excited to be wearing a mask to this fundraiser?

Sitting on the couch at the Lakewood Ranch home of Angela Massaro-Fain, Kathy Osterberg provided the answer.

“It’s because with a mask, we can be like Angela is now,” Osterberg said, flashing a big smile.

Massaro-Fain, the founder of Sisterhood for Good, has never been described as a shrinking violet. And when it comes to raising money for area nonprofits, she can be direct, and bold and unapologetic.

Her fellow Sisters obviously like the thought of elevating their direct, and bold, and unapologetic game for one night — or at least until everyone figures out who they are.

“Wearing a mask is really kind of fun ... sneaky ... mysterious,” said Sisterhood for Good member Amy Gorman.

Massaro-Fain knew that Phantom: A Masquerade Ball, would be the perfect followup to last year’s smashing fundraiser, the Gatsby Speakeasy Soirée. Or at least she knew it when she heard fellow Sisterhood for Good member Becca Towery say it.

“A week after Gatsby, Becca called me,” Massaro-Fain said. “She said, ‘I have an idea. Let me run it by you.’ She said, ‘Phantom,’ and I said, ‘Stop!’”

Right away Massaro-Fain knew this year’s fundraiser would be even bigger.

Knowing the theme a year from Phantom: A Masquerade Ball’s Feb. 16 date at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota gave those who plan to attend plenty of shopping time. Each had a different plan when it came to finding the perfect dress, and mask, and accoutrements.

Roxanne Sima let her laptop be her guide.

“Amazon has everything,” she said when it came to finding her outfit.

“They have gloves, capes, masks.”

She eventually picked a dress because she liked the “flowingness.”

She liked the mask she found because it didn’t cover both her eyes.

It should be adequate, though, to protect her identity, at least for a short period.

“I like the mystique, and the thought someone won’t know me,” she said. “And I’ve always loved ‘Phantom.’ I love the gowns, the dresses, the intrigue, the music.

“And besides that, we are raising money for our mission.”

Sisterhood for Good’s mission is “To enhance our local community, June Braighwaite, Kathy Ostenberg, Julie Benjamin, Samina Morrow, Roxanne Sima, Kathy Collums, Amy Gorman and Angela Massaro-Fain can’t wait for Phantom: A Masquerade Ball.

Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

IF YOU GO PHANTOM: A MASQUERADE BALL Presented by: Sisterhood for Good of Lakewood Ranch and open to the general public When: 6 p.m., Feb. 16 (cocktails, 6 p.m.; dinner, 7 p.m.)

Where: Hyatt Regency, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota What’s for dinner: Filet mignon, mahi mahi or vegetarian Presenting sponsor: Melissa Howard Also featured: Silent and live auctions Live music: Jonathan Cortez of Ace in the Hole Entertainment Tickets: $300 More information: Events@ SisterhoodForGood.org or call 730-7900 Proceeds: Benefit local nonprofits through the Sisterhood for Good grants program

Sarasota and Manatee, through an Annual Grants Program supported by an all-female, all-volunteer organization.”

But why not have some fun along the way?

“These are people getting together to support the community, just with a little more glitz,” Osterberg said.

Osterberg was going to use a mask she had found at Spirit Halloween at UTC but she ended up swapping masks with her sister, Gorman, because that one went better with her dress. She admits that wearing a mask should be a different fundraising experience.

“You can look at people and contemplate,” she said of everyone having a touch of anonymity. “I do sense a higher secrecy and mystique.”

Gorman found her dress in a shop during a trip to Salt Lake City. Her gloves were purchased for last year’s Gatsby event.

“I love the themes,” she said of Sisterhood for Good fundraisers.

June Braighwaite said she “shopped in my closet” and picked out a dress that looks Victorian. She had bought it in Aspen, Colorado, and once wore it to the opera. She bought a necklace at Garden Argosy of Sarasota.

“I am not normally a dress-up kind of girl,” she said. “But this will be fun.

You get to guess who people are, and people won’t recognize you immediately.”

Kathy Collums said it is key to helping area nonprofits to have events that can raise significant funds. She said Phantom will be one of those.

Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com Senior Editor / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com Staff Writer / Lesley Dwyer, LDwyer@ YourObserver.com Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

Photos by Jay Heater

Julie Benjamin says she is looking forward to a night filled with mystery.

“We want to create an awareness of Sisterhood for Good,” she said.

After the Sisters handed out $110,800 last year to 32 local nonprofits,” it’s likely people have a keen awareness of Massaro-Fain and crew, which now numbers more than 200 members.

As far as her outfit, Collums will wear gold and black.

“Gold is majestic,” she said. “It shows strength.”

Samina Morrow was asked about the draw of wearing a mask.

“How often do we get to do this as adults?” she said. “It’s fun, creative, and we are doing good.”

She said the mask will allow “everyone to be a little freer. It’s like being disguised.”

It’s hard to believe Julie Benjamin will be “freer” wearing a crinoline under her dress. A crinoline is a structured petticoat designed to hold out the dress. However, Benjamin said she liked it. She found her outfit at All Dressed Up in Ellenton.

She will be wearing a mask that she almost threw away because she had bought it years before for Halloween. She painted it blue to go with her outfit.

Massaro-Fain said those she knows who are attending the event are having fun putting together outfits. She said the Phantom theme is “more dramatic” than the Gatsby theme.

Her own outfit was accented by a beautiful necklace. Is it hard to find the proper jewelry to go with the Phantom outfits?

“Diamonds go with everything,” she said with a smile.

DYNAMIC DO-GOODERS Behind the mask

ZORRO

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Lexi Huelsman, Lexi@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Anna Reich, AReich@YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com Advertising/Marketing Coordinator / Caitlin Ellis, CEllis@YourObserver.com Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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JAY HEATER

Local couples bond to face Parkinson’s

M

Jay Heater

Lakewood Ranch’s Jodi and Ron O’Toole, and Craig and Susan Belesi have formed a bond as the husbands fight Parkinson’s disease.

“But I can’t.”

Jodi O’Toole knew they needed help, and they were willing to move from their home in Wisconsin to find it. She began to research, and she came upon Parkinson Place Center (ParkinsonPlace.org) in Sarasota. The O’Tooles liked the thought of living in Florida because Ron could be active outside all the time.

It wasn’t working out in Wisconsin.

“It gets dark around 4 p.m. in the winter,” Ron O’Toole said. “There were some long nights.”

So not long after his diagnosis, Jodi O’Toole called the Parkinson Place Center in Sarasota and spoke with Susan Belesi, who had become the membership relations director.

They formed an immediate bond.

“We decided to come down in 2021,” Jodi O’Toole said. “We sold our home of 30 years.”

It wasn’t just anyone who answered the phone at the Parkinson Place Center. It was Susan Belesi, who has walked the same path and who knew what the O’Tooles were experiencing.

Craig Belesi was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 23 years ago when the couple was living in New York.

“We were going to all the boroughs for therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, to see doctors,” Susan Belesi said. “Just the co-pays were $500 to $600 a month.”

At the time, Craig Belesi was an executive vice president for a large construction management com-

pany. Susan Belesi was a nursery school teacher. Although they continued with their jobs, she could see the writing on the wall that those costs eventually were going to wipe them out.

“I had to find a better way,” she said.

Eight years ago, she began searching for “free things for Parkinson’s” on the internet. Up came Parkinson Place Center.

They loved what they saw, free access to more than 60 ongoing classes, educational programs, events, and other free services offered at Parkinson Place.

It was time to move.

Knowing that “people with Parkinson’s have to exercise,” they began going to Parkinson Place regularly and all the time Susan Belesi was thinking, “how can this be free? Is this true?”

She made the facility such a big part of their lives that eventually she became an executive there.

The Belesis met when they were students at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, New York. They now have been married for 41 years, with the last 23 years taking them down a different path than they ever expected.

“This is a disease of longevity, and not one person experiences it the same,” she said. “But the biggest thing about Parkinson Place is the socialization. When we moved, we didn’t know anyone. It helped to meet people and create a bond. No one understands this more than us.”

Likewise, the O’Tooles found that it was helpful to have friends experiencing the same struggles.

“I can’t call up my lifelong girlfriends. They don’t understand,” Jodi O’Toole said. “And we don’t have a lot of time for family and friends.”

Both the Belesis and O’Tooles urge anyone who is facing Parkinson’s to search for resources that

THE TRUSTED CHOICE //

We know that choosing where to receive care after

could help. Many resources are available, including Parkinson Place Center.

Parkinson’s is a progressive, lifelong condition that affects the brain and worsens over time. Cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical that sends messages between nerve cells, or between nerve cells and muscle cells to help the body function, stop working.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s.

“One of the biggest things for Craig is that (going to Parkinson Place Center) gave him a reason to get up in the morning,” Susan Belesi said. “The big thing with Parkinson’s is balance. The body wants to lean forward. Many of those with Parkinson’s pass away from falls.

“We learned to get through this, and we had to laugh about it. It takes humor, it takes love, and it takes respect for each other.”

It takes strength.

Ron Belesi had a message for those who are navigating the disease.

“If you have Parkinson’s, you have to work your butt off,” he said.

“The biggest thing is to get your body to do what you can. You have a disease that you have to fight in order to win. Don’t give up.”

With that said, it was time for me to go. I walked to the door, and Craig Belesi extended his hand. This time, I squeezed a little harder, and he turned up the heat.

Nothing weak about this guy.

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

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417689-1

eeting me at the front door of his Lakewood Ranch home, Craig Belesi extended his right hand.

I grabbed it, not knowing what to expect from the ensuing handshake, because Belesi has Parkinson’s disease.

Suffice to say that Belesi’s nickname could be “crusher.”

I was somewhat taken aback by the strength of his grip, which overwhelmed a guy who types for a living. I figured I would be more prepared for a rematch when it came time to leave.

Belesi’s wife, Susan, let me know people typically believe that those with Parkinson’s are, indeed, weak.

“They see weakness,” she said.

“In turn, it is the opposite. They have to fight it every day.”

In today’s journalism world, saying that someone is “fighting” a disease is a faux pas. In reality, at least for Craig and Susan Belesi, and Ron and Jodi O’Toole, fight is the perfect word.

Ron O’Toole is fighting multiple system atrophy, which is very similar to Parkinson’s. The O’Tooles live in Lakewood Ranch as well, and they have formed a friendship with the Belesis because of this unwanted bond.

Ron O’Toole was diagnosed in 2018 and his competitive nature has been both a positive and a curse. On one hand, he will work as hard as humanly possible to keep his body functioning. On the other, he must endure the frustration of seeing his ability to do normal tasks dissipate.

At 58, Ron O’Toole remembers his younger days as a baseball and football player. If you sit next to him, you would assume he could still run the bases better than most.

He looks healthy, athletic.

Yet, after his diagnosis, he found himself unable to conduct workouts in his local gym.

“In my mind, I can do it,” he said.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024 Silhouette® Window Shadings, Fabric/Material Originale Operating Systems: EasyRise, PowerView® Motorization

Thank you for writing about Manatee County’s conservation decisions. I have been watching our fauna disappear day by day, and the speed in which it is disappearing is alarming. I moved into Lakewood Ranch Country Club in 2008 from Lido Key. I am a animal lover; I moved here so I could be closer to (Jim Strickland’s) ranch.

See, I am a friend who used to drive from Lido to Rutland Ranch every day to exercise polo ponies around the orange grove next to his ranch. In those days, we had tomato, pepper and sod farms on S.R. 64. At the corner of Lorraine and S.R. 70, we had cracker cattle.

Lorraine only went as far as the Polo Club. You had to have a key to open the gate, a key that the Stricklands had. Sarasota Polo Club and SMR would have the SMR Cup and the cowboys and the polo players would share sports — shooting, fishing, polo, cattle roping, etc. All were done right behind the polo club.

When I moved into Lakewood Ranch in 2008, living behind my house and around the Country Club, we had the following animals: deer, eagles, kites, Martin kingfishers, roseate spoonbills, wild pigs, river otters, bobcats, mergansers ducks, pileated woodpeckers, fox squirrels, gopher tortoise, Sandhill cranes, wood storks, snakes, and many species of turtles.

Today, they are all gone. I have a natural preserve behind my house.

I saw a deer a month ago. I haven’t seen an eagle in a year. Last week, I saw a single spoonbill. The Sandhills have been run over and so have the turtles. Replacing them is a zillion homes; I have not seen any of the new developments leave natural buffers for animals to live. They have paved our paradise. The people moving here don’t care about our state, and shame on our commissioners who have sold us out to tax revenue.

I miss the animals because they made my life better. Can’t say much for all the homes. And really, do we need a Publix on every corner?

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How dismaying that Manatee County has withdrawn from the American Library Association.

The opportunity for librarians to associate with professionals from all over the country, to obtain discounted training and to access professional publications is priceless.

The reason for this misguided and obdurate decision is apparently that a library commissioner, James Satcher, believes the ALA is pushing a “woke agenda” because its president proudly called herself a “Marxist lesbian” nearly two years ago in a since-deleted Tweet.

Satcher justified his short-sighted opinion with allegations that the ALA president’s statement does not align with Manatee County taxpayers or the library board. But he fails to cite a single instance of the ALA acting contrary to taxpayer interests in Manatee County.

I am not sure what a “woke agenda” is. Satcher’s peeves and prejudices, however, do nothing but harm the professional library staff and the people who use the Manatee County library system.

HOLLIS RAPHAEL WEISMAN LAKEWOOD RANCH

Slow down, please

Since you solicited wish list items from your readers, I’d like to add at least one of mine which might hit home since it’s White Eagle related.

Lakewood Ranch Prep school pickup time requires adherence to posted school zone speeds. This is on Crosswind and Rangeland, in addition to White Eagle.

LWR Prep parents are big violators of the school zone, particularly after they have picked up their children. Shocking!

My wish is for the parents to adhere to the school zone speed limits. We will all be safer.

DENNIS MCSHERRY LAKEWOOD RANCH

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Dozens of plants can be found in Country Club’s Michael Modisett’s butterfly garden.

IF YOU GO

Photos by Liz Ramos

Country Club’s Michael Modisett is looking forward to seeing how many butterflies his butterfly garden will attract this spring.

Seeds of ecology Lakewood Ranch Garden Club hopes to inspire people to plant butterfly gardens.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

C

ountry Club’s Michael Modisett is patiently waiting.

He planted more than 90 native Florida plants in three areas in front of his home to attract butterflies.

It excites Modisett to think he can help the environment and butterflies through the plantings. He looks forward to going into his yard

in the mornings, reading a book and watching the butterflies.

Modisett’s passion for gardening and his desire to create a butterfly garden stemmed from the Lakewood Ranch Garden Club’s presentation of Homeowners’ Guide to Butterfly Gardening last year.

The club will host another Homeowners’ Guide to Butterfly Gardening from 9:30-11 a.m. Feb. 8 at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

Modisett, a novice gardener,

The Panama Rose will attract butterflies. Country Club’s Michael Modisett has a few Panama Rose plants along his driveway.

Lakewood Ranch Garden Club’s Homeowners’ Guide to Butterfly Gardening When: 9 a.m. Feb. 8 Where: Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch Cost: Free Details: Learn how to prepare your garden, provide shelter and water, deal with predators as well as about host plants, nectar plants and more.

For more information, call 301529-6729.

learned during the presentation that monarch butterflies migrate through Florida but the construction of homes has become a deterrent. It inspired him to become part of the effort to create a pathway for butterflies to go as they migrate to the Caribbean or Mexico.

Modisett said he loves the monarch butterfly for its size and beauty. He would take advantage of any chance he had to see them in a butterfly habitat when visiting the Florida Keys.

Walking away from the presentation, Modisett was eager to start his own butterfly garden. He spoke to Lakewood Ranch Garden Club members to learn more.

Although Lakewood Ranch Garden Club members recommend starting

small, Modisett went all in.

His wife, Pamela Modisett, designed the garden areas. The first runs along the side of his driveway and experiences the most sunlight.

The second sits in front of his home between his curved driveway and the street and experiences partial sunlight and partial shade. The third rests in front of his porch, and it has the most shade.

Modisett said creating his butterfly gardens has been a learning process and having the areas experience different levels of sunlight will help him determine what type of environment is best.

He went to nurseries, such as Sweet Bay Nursery, to determine which native Florida plants are best to attract butterflies and how to best care for them. He said native plants are easy to work with as they already are accustomed to the environment. “(Native plants) look beautiful and they bring back the natural beauty of Florida,” Modisett said.

When choosing plants, Modisett said the gardens should have plants that provide nectar to feed the butterflies as well as plants that can serve as hosts for the butterflies to lay their eggs.

The garden also must have a source of water as well as shelter such as trees or bushes, he said.

Between the three areas, Modisett said he has at least 20 types of plants.

“When I see butterflies, bees, those kinds of things, it tells me the environment is healthy, that the air and soil are good,” he said. “They’re getting what they need.”

Modisett hopes he can have his garden certified as a monarch butterfly sanctuary.

When the butterflies migrate in the spring, Modisett will be able to determine if his hard work has paid off. He hopes to not only see monarchs but all types of butterflies.

“Wouldn’t it be neat to come out in the morning, sit down and see 10, 20 butterflies?” he said.

He has a pamphlet with photos of more than a dozen Florida butterflies. His hope is to take a photo of each butterfly he sees, try to match it to the photos in the pamphlet and verify that the butterfly in his garden is what he suspected.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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ill Hamm knew she wanted to move her family from Illinois to Florida, but wasn’t sure of the exact location.

“One of the reasons that we chose Bradenton was because of Beyond the Spectrum,” Hamm said. “We toured a couple other schools, and then when we actually went into that school, it was a night-and-day environmental difference. You could just feel how much they loved their students straight off the bat (at Beyond the Specturm).”

Lakewood Ranch’s Beyond the Spectrum enrolls students with other intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well.

Hamm’s 12-year-old son, Truman, has a dual diagnosis of congenital muscular dystrophy and lissencephaly. Lissencephaly means “smooth brain.” The natural bumps and folds in the cerebral cortex are absent.

Truman in his third year at Beyond the Spectrum. Since enrolling, Jill Hamm says the biggest improvement she’s seen is in his conversational skills.

“Truman’s very vocal. He would talk, talk, talk and kind of say the same thing over and over again,” Hamm said. “Now, you can ask him, ‘What did you do today?’ and he will tell you what he did. ‘What friends did you see?’ and he will tell you the names of the kids in his class, which did not happen prior to him going there.”

Success doesn’t entirely depend on academics at Beyond the Spectrum. Students are working on life skills, too.

“The ABCs take care of the child’s anxiety first, behaviors that might come from those anxieties, and then we work on the curriculum,” Executive Director Lora Carpenter said. “If that child is coming out of his or her seat, unable to concentrate or unable to function because of a screaming friend or lights that are too bright, if we can’t fix that, (the student) is not going to be able to sit and concentrate and learn.”

The school has an Applied Behavior Analysis clinic on-site. ABA therapy focuses on replacing maladaptive behaviors with appropriate behaviors using repetition. It’s an intensive therapy and children can spend up to 40 hours a week in the clinic.

The clinic currently has 37 students, and 80 students are enrolled in the school. Because of one-onone therapy and teacher-student ratios of no more than 4 to 1, the staff is a tight-knit team of 74.

Sarah Bass is the director of the Early Learning Center and has been with the school for more than 10 years, which isn’t uncommon among the staff.

“We have such a family environment here,” Bass said. “Being here and seeing the changes that we make every day, it’s exciting and makes it worth it.”

Hamm said every member of the staff knows Truman, and she has the number of Truman’s teacher in her phone.

“I can text her at any time if I have a question, and she responds straight away,” Hamm said. “He has muscular dystrophy and had a big surgery

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT Beyond the Spectrum, 7333 International Place.

Call 907-3443 or visit BeyondTheSpectrum.org.

Mission statement: To serve individuals and families in our community affected by autism, Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. By providing specialized therapeutic and educational services, our goal is for every individual to achieve their greatest potential in a safe, inclusive environment.

Executive Director Lora Carpenter is with her son, Scotty Carpenter, who has been a student at Beyond the Spectrum since he was 10 years old.

He just turned 27.

in September. We got calls and messages nonstop while he was out for those two weeks.”

Truman was walking on his own when he first enrolled. As time went on, he started using a walker at school, then a wheelchair. Hamm said his level of care and education never changed, a contrast from her experience with Illinois public schools where she said the child had to be tailored to the program versus tailoring the program to the child.

Laura Ryan-Leverett started working at Beyond the Spectrum right out of college in 2012. She’s the curriculum resource director. When a teacher needed a motivational tool for a student who had an affinity for garage door openers, Ryan-Leverett came back with a garage door opener.

“It’s nice because I feel like not many other schools have that position of just getting the teachers what they need,” she said.

Students can enroll at 5 years old and stay on through adulthood. The adult program is in the early stages, but it’s an active group called H.I.V.E., helping individuals through vocation and enrichment.

H.I.V.E. students are rarely on campus because they’re off job training or taking a dance class.

Right now, the oldest student is Carpenter’s son Scotty, who just turned 27. He started at the school when he was 10.

Parents and caregivers are also offered support through monthly breakfasts, where they can make and meet friends.

“It’s nice to have that camaraderie with somebody else who knows exactly what you’re going through,” Hamm said. “You get deep on a totally different level just because of what our lives entail.”

The programs span from early education through high school and cost between $15,500 and $18,300 annually per student, but scholarships are available. Hamm said the staff walked her through the application process.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

15A

I t's only Natural The appeal of Wild Blue at Waterside by Stock Development is perfectly natural. With its prime Lakewood Ranch location, incredible amenities, and luxury single-family homes by some of the area’s finest builders, this waterfront community is the perfect blend of back-to-nature fun and resort-style living. Discover outdoor adventures at the 13-acre sports complex, and relax at the social clubhouse, with indoor and outdoor dining, two pools, a movie theater, fitness center, and a 9-hole premier putting course.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2024

SPORTS

“I’ve played all my life. I’m the youngest kid in my family, and everyone plays soccer.”

— The Out-of-Door Academy’s Josey Rubinstein SEE PAGE 18A

Fast

Break

Courtesy image

Mark Rummings has been named general manager at Soleta Golf Club.

S

oleta Golf Club announced Jan. 29 that it has hired Mark Rummings as its general manager. Rummings most recently worked at Bradenton’s The Ritz-Carlton Members Club as the director of golf, where he received the 2021 Marriott Golf Property of the Year award. He has also served as a business manager at the IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy among other stops. Soleta is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. … The Out-of-Door Academy girls track and field alumna Saraiah Walkes, a junior at Eastern Michigan University, won the 200-meter dash (24.06 seconds) at the Michigan Invitational held Jan. 27 at the University of Michigan. The time was a personal record and the eighth-fastest time in EMU history. … Former Lakewood Ranch High girls track and field runner Gracie Marston, a sophomore at Georgia Tech University, finished second in the women’s mile run (4:53.32) and third in the women’s 800-meter run (2:10.39) at the indoor Bob Pollock Invitational held Jan. 26-27 at Clemson University.

Both of Marston’s times were personal bests. … Lakewood Ranch High boys soccer sophomore Broden Beorlegui had a goal and an assist in the Mustangs’ 4-1 home win over Venice High on Jan. 25. The win brought the team’s record to 11-7. … Martin McNamara sank a hole-in-one Jan. 27 on the No. 2 hole of Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Cypress Links course. McNamara used a 6-iron on the 140-yard hole. … Mary Marblestone (31) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Par Is Your Partner” event (individual low net scoring) held Jan. 25 at University Park Country Club.

HE GETS THE POINT PAGE 17A

File photos

Eric Sanders’ Braden River High football offenses have averaged 28.7 points per game since 2012.

Pirates have new captain Eric Sanders takes over the Braden River High football program after 12 seasons as defensive coordinator.

ERIC SANDERS’ FOOTBALL RESUME

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

A

fter 12 seasons spent as the Braden River High football offensive coordinator and associate head coach under Curt Bradley, Eric Sanders’ time in the spotlight has arrived.

Sanders was named the program’s head coach on Jan. 26, after Bradley announced he was leaving the program to take the same position at Southeast High of Bradenton on Dec. 21.

“We have full confidence (Sanders) can take this program to the next level,” Braden River Athletic Director Matt Nesser said. “He is passionate, hardworking, knowledgeable and a person of high character, (a quality) which he will instill in our program.”

Under Sanders’ watch, Braden River sent three quarterbacks to NCAA FBS schools: Jacob Huesman to Appalachian State, Brian Gagg to East Carolina and Shawqi Itraish to Rice. Quarterback Louis Colosimo also played at FCS-level Davidson College. The Pirates’ offense produced other talented players as well, like offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil, who attended Appalachian State and is currently on the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, and running back Deshaun Fenwick, who recently finished his college career with Oregon State University, among other collegelevel players.

Over Sanders’ 12 seasons running the offense, Braden River averaged 28.7 points per game, with seven seasons averaging more than 30 points per game.

Sanders said he will continue to call the team’s offensive plays as head coach, though he might make some tweaks to the playbook after assessing the team’s roster and talking with the rest of his staff, which is still being compiled. Sanders said he’s looking for coaches who are looking to build relationships with their players first and foremost.

The second-most important quality he’s seeking?

“Knowledge of the game of football, inside and out,” Sanders said.

“But they have to truly care — not just about winning, but about developing the kids.”

Sanders said he learned the importance of a good staff, and school

Eric Sanders has been the Braden River football offensive coordinator since 2012. Now he has been named the program’s head coach.

“We have full confidence (Sanders) can take this program to the next level. He is passionate, hardworking, knowledgeable and a person of high character, (a quality) which he will instill in our program.”

— Braden River Athletic Director Matt Nesser

administration, from Bradley, who knew he could not bring Braden River from the doldrums to a state championship contender by himself. He needed help, and he needed those helping to be 100% committed, Sanders said. That is what made the Pirates successful. Under Bradley — who called the team’s defense — and Sanders’ watch, the Pirates went 83-45 and made the playoffs nine times, winning two district titles and a regional title in 2015, when the program reached the state semifinals before losing 27-10 to eventual state champion St. Thomas Aquinas.

Sanders said he wants his 2024 staff to be just as cohesive as Bradley’s was.

Bradley’s departure came as a surprise, Sanders said, but he understood that Bradley saw an opportunity to do for Southeast what he did for Braden River, which is take a program in need and turn it into

2003-2007: Quarterback, University of Northern Iowa 2008-2010: Graduate assistant, Syracuse University 2010: Wide receivers coach, University of Northern Iowa 2011: Running backs coach/recruiting coordinator, University of Northern Iowa 2012-2023: Offensive coordinator/associate head coach, Braden River High 2024: Head Coach, Braden River High

something special.

Southeast went 0-10 in 2023 and 1-8 in 2022. At the same time, Sanders said, Bradley leaving created an opportunity of its own, one that — after 12 years in a prominent but secondary role — Sanders could not afford to miss. Sanders threw his name into the mix and was overjoyed when he heard the job was his, Sanders said.

Though he’s still getting settled in the head coach role, Sanders said he has begun thinking about his players and the 2024 season. The Pirates finished 5-5 in 2023, though four of the five losses were by eight points or less. All five losses came on the road.

Several Pirates players eligible to return in 2024 have shown promise. Junior Yahshua Edwards ran for 967 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns while catching 37 passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns.

Junior Marcus Galloway, splitting time with Edwards, had 134 carries for 627 yards and three touchdowns.

The offense was led by junior quarterback Lucas Despot, who threw for 1,619 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions.

On defense, Pirates sophomore Ronin Dangler led the team in tackles (94) and tackles for loss (19) and was second in sacks (5.0) behind sophomore teammate Myles Holmen (5.5).

“I think our players are looking forward to the challenge,” Sanders said. “They are a tight-knit group.

There are a lot of close friends on the team. I’ve got a good core here. There has been excitement all around.”

YourObserver.com

17A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

A shooting star Pirates’ senior guard Marcus Schade has lit up the score sheet this season.

O

ff the basketball court, Marcus Schade does not like the bright lights.

The Braden River High senior is reserved by nature. He has no problem practicing by himself and when he finds a pocket of down time, his favorite thing to do is take a long nap, recuperating from all the energy he spends leading the Pirates.

When he’s playing, Schade directs his teammates on offense and is not afraid of taking his own shot. In fact, it’s his best skill. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is in the midst of another strong season for Braden River.

He’s averaging 22.1 points per game, up from 16.5 points per game last season. As of Jan. 26, it is the 36th-best average in Florida and the fifth-best average in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A behind leader Ryan Blount of Rockledge High (26.7).

Schade also leads the team in rebounds (5.4 per game), a sign of how hard he works. While he first made his mark as a three-point shooter, he’s added versatility to his game over his three varsity seasons, and now is equally adept at scoring in the post or in transition.

He said his footwork still needs to be quicker, and he is in the process of working on that aspect of his game. Another of his strengths is that he is never satisfied.

“He loves the game of basketball,” Pirates assistant coach Jerome Murray said. “He’s not LeBron James or Kobe Bryant on the athletic side of things, but he’s dedicated to the game and that allows him to elevate and excel.”

Schade was modest when told of his coach’s remark. It is easy to

dedicate yourself to a game when you love it.

He said it is the grind of basketball that keeps him engaged.

Little by little, he said he sees himself improve every day. He said the feeling of seeing hard work turn into something real is unparalleled.

The only thing that comes close is the roar of the crowd when he sinks a big-time shot.

Schade’s uptick in scoring this season has been a necessity for the Pirates. The team entered the season with a mix of transfer players along with players with little experience at the varsity level. As a result, the team has struggled at times, like back-to-back losses (Jan. 25-26) to Cardinal Mooney High, a 70-60 road defeat, and to Riverview High, a 46-42 loss at home. The losses brought the team’s record to 14-8.

Thanks in part to Schade’s play and on-court leadership, the Pirates still have a shot at making noise in the postseason. Braden River is ranked first in District 10 as of Jan. 27 and recorded a 49-42 road win over Parrish Community High, arguably the Pirates’ biggest threat, on Jan. 19. Even in the loss to Riverview, Schade scored 18 of the team’s 42 points. He showed a willingness to defend anyone on the opposing roster, even Riverview’s 6-foot-5 junior forward Rhys Gamble. He also added emotional support to his teammates when shots weren’t falling, doling out supportive highfives at every opportunity.

Outside of basketball, Schade’s favorite way to pass the time is not movies or television — but music.

In that regard, he’s an omnivore. All genres are open as long as the music is good, with Rex Orange County,

Ryan Kohn

Marcus Schade hits a 3-point shot against Riverview High. Schade has made 41% of his 3-pointers this season.

SZA and Travis Scott being artists among his recent listens. In the locker room, Schade said, the team looks to him to provide pregame jams. In that context, Schade said, the music tends to be more rapforward to get everyone in the right mindset. It’s another way to bring the team together, Schade said.

“We feed off of each other’s energy,” Schade said. “When it is positive energy, we have fun. But every now and then, we don’t have as much fun. That’s when we don’t play as well. We need to celebrate each other’s accomplishments and not worry about ourselves as much.”

Schade and the Pirates will play their final regular season game at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 against Shorecrest Prep at home. The district tournament will begin Feb. 6, time and

location to be determined based on seeding. After that, who knows?

The Pirates might advance to the regional tournament, or they might be finished. Either way, Schade’s high school career will soon be coming to an end. Schade said he’s talking to a few different colleges about playing for them next season, though no decision is close.

Schade has not received the accolades that former Pirates girls basketball star O’Mariah Gordon, now a junior at Florida State University, received, but he is fine with that.

His main is to do whatever the team needs. That is a similarity between the two.

That desire to drive the team forward made Gordon, who is 5-foot3, a wonder to watch. Schade’s toughness and precision makes him fun to watch, too, and they

PRESIDENTS DAY

both helped elevate their respective programs.

In her senior season, Gordon led the Pirates to the regional semifinals. The basketball community will soon see how far Schade and the Pirates can go in his final hurrah. Whatever the answer, he will lead the team his way, playing the pregame music, speaking up when he has to say something and scoring in bunches.

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

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

CAT DEPOT ’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THURSDAY, MARCH 07 | 6:30PM HYATT REGENCY SARASOTA 417455-1

1000 BOULEVARD OF THE ARTS

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JOIN US!

SARASOTA INSTITUTE OF LIFETIME LEARNING

2024 PROGRAMS

Monday, January 8–Friday, March 29, 2024

SARASOTA • VENICE • LAKEWOOD RANCH

Josey Rubinstein

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.

Josey Rubinstein is a junior on The Out-of-Door Academy boys soccer team. Rubinstein scored two goals in ODA’s 3-2 win over Seffner Christian on Jan. 18. Rubinstein has 14 goals and 32 total points this season.

When did you start playing soccer?

I’ve played all my life. I’m the youngest kid in my family and everyone plays soccer. I started playing in the backyard with them, as far back as I can remember.

MUSIC MONDAYS

Ariana Kim, Violin

What have you been working to improve?

My opposite foot. I’m a natural righty, so I want to improve my left foot. In the summers I will head outside and do drills with my family and shoot a little.

GLOBAL ISSUES I

Tuesday, Feb 6: 10:30 am First United Methodist Church, 104 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota 2:30 pm Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave, Venice Wednesday, Feb 7: 11:00 am Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch

The Changing Climate and our Changing World Bob Bunting

What is your favorite TV show?

‘Brooklyn 99.’ I have watched that all the way through a few times now.

What are your hobbies?

I like to lift weights. Also, recently I have been getting into stocks and looking at how they move.

What is your best skill?

I think it is my defensive ability, closing people down and keeping them in front of me.

Noted by The New York Times for giving “the proceedings an invaluable central thread of integrity and stylishness,” violinist Ariana Kim made her New York recital debut at Carnegie’s Weill Hall during her doctoral studies at Juilliard and is now a tenured professor at Cornell University.

What is your favorite food?

Steak, cooked medium rare.

What is your favorite school subject?

Math. I just find it more interesting to learn about than other subjects.

What is the appeal to you?

I like how open the sport is. It is free flowing. You have a lot of space to be creative, both on the ball and off the ball.

Monday, Feb 5: 10:30 am Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota 3:00 pm Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice

What is the best advice you have received?

Always be communicating, for yourself and for other players. It helps you know where people are and what they are thinking. It helps teams play better.

Finish this sentence: “Josey Rubinstein is …” … Sarcastic.

What is your favorite soccer memory?

I used to live in Warren, Vermont. I moved here in seventh grade. But in sixth grade, I played for Harwood Middle. We had a game against our rivals, U-32 Middle. The game was 0-0 into the final minute and we ended up winning. That was a great memory.

The global climate is warming. Bob Bunting will discuss what we face during the next 30 years and what we can do about it. He is a renowned scientist, businessman, entrepreneur and teacher. He will present a unique outlook and offer specific solutions for our specific area as the climate continues warming and climate disruptions increase.

GLOBAL ISSUES II Thursday, Feb 8: 10:30 am First United Methodist Church, 104 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota 5:00 pm Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch Friday, Feb 9: 10:00 am Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave, Venice

Why Americans Love and Hate Government

Dr. Jeremi Suri

What does ODA have to do to keep winning?

We have to keep doing what we have been doing.

We are keeping possession well.

We are moving the ball back and forth well. We’re playing hard.

After communism’s collapse, many Americans believed free markets and limited government would bring widespread democracy and prosperity With terrorism, a financial crisis, and COVID, American attitudes shifted from free market advocacy to defense of authoritarian policies. Dr. Jeremi Suri will explore why this shift occurred, and implications for the future of democracy.

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19A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

The Milestone Milestone Financial Financial Group Group At At Morgan Morgan Stanley Stanley Proudly Proudly Presents Presents The The Milestone Financial Group At Morgan Stanley Proudly Presents

Strategies T actics Alternatives Resources Strategies T actics Alternatives Resources Strategies T actics Alternatives Resources

2 0 2 4 2024

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Tuesday, February 6, 2024 1:00 -- 5:00 pm 1:00 5:00 pm Ritz-Carlton1:00 | 1111 Ritz Carltonpm Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236 - 5:00

Seating is limited Seating is limited SeatiCALL ng isTODAY! limited

CALL941.714.7903 TODAY! CALL TODAY! 941.714.7903 The Investment Forum is for investors defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission 941.714.7903 Ritz-Carlton | 1111 Ritz Carlton Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236 T(SEC) he Investment Forum is for investors defined by and Exchange Commission as Qualified Purchasers (an individual withthe $5Securities Million or greater in investments).

Ritz-Carlton | 1111 Ritz Carlton Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236

The Investment Forum is for investors (an defined by thewith Securities and or Exchange Commission (SEC) as Qualified Purchasers individual $5 Million greater in investments).

(SEC) as Qualified Purchasers (an individual with $5 Million or greater in investments).

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FEATURING: FEATURING: FEATURING: DanSuzuki Suzuki Dan Dan Suzuki

Strategies T T actics actics Alternative Alternative Resources Resources Strategies Strategies T actics Alternative Resources

2024 2024

Global Head of Deputy CIO, Global Head of Relations Deputy CIO, Morgan Stanley Government Richard Bernstein Advisors Global Head of Deputy CIO, Morgan Stanley Government Relations Richard Bernstein Advisors Morgan Stanley Government Relations Richard Bernstein Advisors Forum Topics To Include: Forum Topics To Include: Forum TopicsMarket To Include: • Timely Ideas for Today's Environment • •Timely Ideas for Today's Market Environment Differentiated Strategies in Private Markets •• Timely Ideas for Today's Market Environment Differentiated Strategies in Private Markets AlternativeStrategies InvestmentinInsights -Markets Hedge, Infrastructure, and Real Estate •• •Differentiated Private Alternative Investment Insights Hedge, Infrastructure, and Real Estate Family Dynamics and Continuity Planning •• •Alternative Investment Insights Hedge, Infrastructure, and Real Estate Family Dynamics and Continuity Planning Washington Outlook in an Election Year •• •Family Dynamics andinContinuity Planning Washington Outlook an Election Year • Washington Outlook in an Election Year Come learn what is happening in today's marketplace Come learn what is happening in today's marketplace Come learn is happening in today's marketplace Top what Strategists and Portfolio Managers from: Top Strategists and Portfolio Managers from: Top Strategists and Portfolio Managers from:

417848-1

Event courtesy of John Vita, Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, with local office at 1401 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205. The guest speakers are neither employees nor

affiliated with Morgan WealthStanley Management.

Opinions by theatguest their ownFL and do not necessarily reflect are those of Morgan Stanley.

Event courtesy of JohnStanley Vita, Morgan Financial Advisor,expressed with local office 1401 speakers Manatee are Ave solely W, Bradenton, 34205.

The guest speakers neither employees nor Individuals consult with Wealth their tax/legal advisors before making any tax/legal-related investment decisions as Morgan and its Financial Advisors not provide tax/ Morgan Stanley Management.

Opinions expressed by the guest speakers areBradenton, solely their and Stanley do not necessarily reflect thoseemployees ofdoMorgan Stanley.

Eventaffiliated courtesywith ofshould John Vita, Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor, with local office at 1401 Manatee Ave W, FLown 34205.

The guest speakers are neither nor legal advice.

There will be no their discussion of,advisors orOpinions distribution of written to, specific products or investments at this Alternative are Individuals should consult with tax/legal before making anymaterials tax/legal-related investment asand Morgan Stanley andpresentation. itsreflect Financial Advisors do Investments not provide tax/ affiliated with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. expressed by the guest relating speakers are solelydecisions their own do not necessarily those of Morgan Stanley. speculative include a high degreeadvisors ofof,risk.

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Alternative investments are appropriate only are for legal advice.

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Alternative Investments Individuals should and consult withbe their making any tax/legal-related investment decisions Morgan Stanley and Advisors do not provide tax/ qualified,There long-term investors whodegree areof,willing to forgo liquidity andmaterials put capital forspecific an indefinite period of time.

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This qualified, who are willing forgo liquidity and at risk for an period of time. Thewill appropriateness a particular investment or for strategy speculative andlong-term include high degree of risk.

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This qualified, long-term who are willing tocircumstances forgoand liquidity and put capital at for value an indefinite period The appropriateness ofwith a particular investment or strategy or products that may be mentioned.

The organizations represented by the aspeakers provided support this Forum.

Investments andsecurities, services through Morgan presentation isinvestor’s for informational purposes only and and is not to be considered solicitation on ourfinancial part withinvest-ment respectfor to the or salechanges of any investments, strategies will depend on an individual circumstances objectives.

Principal value and return of an will purchase fluctuate with in marketoffered conditions.

This Stanley Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC6177937 1/24 or products may be mentioned.

The organizations represented speakers financial support this Forum.

Investments and services offered through Morgan presentation isSmith forthat informational purposes only and is not to be consideredby a the solicitation onprovided our part with respect to theforpurchase or sale of any securities, investments, strategies Stanleythat Smith LLC. Member SIPC. CRC6177937 or products mayBarney be mentioned.

The organizations represented by the speakers provided financial support for this Forum. Investments and services offered through Morgan 1/24 Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC6177937 1/24

417848-1 417851-1 417848-1

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Elevating

YO U R R E A L E S TAT E E X P E R I E N C E

H O L LY

PA S C A R E L L A

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20A

Classifieds 15B Games 14B Real Estate 11B Weather 14B

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Photos by Jay Heater

Kelly Soleau-Millar and Cacharel look toward the next jump. They missed the jump-offs.

Australia’s Rowan Willis soars over a jump on Wellington Grey Goose to win the jump-off of the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix event at TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City on Jan. 27. He timed 46.86 to win the $29,250 first-place prize.

Go ahead and jump!

H

Caitlin Boyle and Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof land clean during the Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix in Myakka.

416686-1

Houston’s Hallie Grimes put up a clean run on Karoline of Ballmore in 46.94 but was edged by Australia’s Rowan Willis in the Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix at TerraNova in Myakka Sept. 27.

ouston’s Hallie Grimes, riding Caroline of Ballmore, was first competitor in the jump-off Saturday to determine the champion of the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix at the TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka.

Grimes aced the course, completing the jumps in 46.94 and seemingly putting a firm grip on the winner’s check of $29,250.

However, Ireland’s Richie Moloney followed with a beautiful ride aboard Rocksy Music that had the sellout crowd in the VIP pavilion gasping as the score was posted. Moloney was denied, though, as his time of 46.99 was .05 seconds slower.

It might have seemed Grimes was home free, but Australia’s Rowan Willis had yet to ride Wellington Grey Goose. He was perfect through the course, and edged Grimes for the title by stopping the clock at 46.86. First by .08.

The jumping competition was part of the Split Rock Jumping Tour that drew former Olympians, such as 2008 gold medalist Will Simpson of the U.S., along with many of the top riders in the world, to Myakka. The event was free to spectators.

“The field, the weather, the crowd, it all came together,” said TerraNova Equestrian Center President Molly Oakman, who was director of Equestrian Operations at Tryon Resort in North Carolina before taking over at TerraNova on Jan. 1.

“This is show jumping at its highest level.”

Thirty-eight horse-and-rider combination challenged the 16-jump course on Saturday and only five advanced to the jump-off.

After his victory, Willis said he knew he had to go all-out from the first jump after Grimes put up such an impressive time.

— JAY HEATER

Carley Campbell soars high over a jump aboard Baretino PS.

Ireland’s Richie Moloney made it to the jumpoffs aboard Rocksy Music and finished third.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

YOUR CALENDAR

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1PM - 4PM

BEST BET SUNDAY, FEB. 4

WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT Begins at 2 p.m. at Peace Presbyterian Church, 12705 S.R. 64 E., Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble performs Big Band favorites along with “Satiric Dances” by Norman Dello Joio and “Slavonic Rhapsody” by Carl Friedemann. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the door.

For more information, go to LWRWindEnsemble.org.

bombers (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts have a $5 cover; the others are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, FEB. 2

MUSIC ON MAIN Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Kettle of Fish is the featured band and will entertain the crowd with rock, blues, reggae and New Orleans soul. The free concert and block party series features food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths, and games and activities for the kids (presented by Grace Community Church). Proceeds from the event will benefit the SarasotaManatee Association for Riding Therapy. For more information, go to MYLWR.com.

FRIDAY, FEB. 2 AND SATURDAY, FEB. 3

File photo

Bradenton’s Ellen Saxton plays the tenor saxophone for the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble.

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MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs 6-9 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. Singer-songwriter Sara Nelms will perform on Friday for those strolling the streets of Waterside Place in this free concert.

On Saturday, singer/musician Ektor Keys will entertain the crowd. Visit WatersidePlace.com.

SUNDAY, FEB. 4

COMMUNITY

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THURSDAY, FEB. 1

BRAIN HEALTH PROGRAM Begins at 6 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, 5550 White Eagle Blvd. The Brain Health Initiative, Schools for Brain Health program, BHI Brain Health Scholars and LWPA Students for Brain Health Club will facilitate “Emotional Wellness: Flourish from Within.” Scarlett Lewis, a BHI faculty member, will give a presentation on emotional wellness. Visit HighSchool.LakewoodRanch-Prep.org.

THURSDAY, FEB. 1 THROUGH SUNDAY, FEB. 4

Mark McCann

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING Runs from 3-6 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Steve Arvey (Thursday), Soundwave (Friday), Gator Ridge (Saturday) and Dive-

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419483-1

POLO Begins at 1 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. The Sarasota Polo Club runs every Sunday through April 7.

Tickets are $15, with VIP packages available. For tickets or information, go to SarasotaPolo.com.

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7

RANCH NIGHT WEDNESDAYS Runs from 6-9 p.m. at 1561 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The weekly event includes good trucks, live music, a night market, a vintage mobile bar, and a recreational cornhole league.

For more information, go to Events@ LakewoodRanch.com.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

3B

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4B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

For auld lang syne M

Officers of the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota are “piped in”

by William Howard.

ote Ranch’s Dick Thompson can’t remember how many Burns Suppers he’s attended over the years, but he remembered the first one clearly from four decades ago.

“I was in Michigan, and my sister took me to Ontario,” he said. “I hated the food, and it stormed all the way home.”

Things have changed.

This year, he gladly attended the Burns Supper Jan. 25 at the Palm Aire Country Club with about 100 others. The St. Andrew Society of Sarasota hosted the event.

The more than 200-year-old tradition re-creates the supper that friends of Scottish poet Robert Burns served five years after his death in 1801.

Burns wrote the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne.”

Although Thompson didn’t like his original Burns Supper meal of cock-a-leekie soup and haggis the first time he tried it, he returned each year to similar events for the friendships. The suppers also inspired him to take three trips to Scotland and eventually to take a deep dive into his Scottish roots.

“My wife and I traced our ancestors back several centuries,” Thompson said. “My wife is more Scottish than I am.”

The most Scottish man in the room at the Palm Aire event had to be Burns’ fourth great-grandnephew David Shaddock. He’s the fifth great-grandson of Burns’ older brother, Gilbert Burns.

— LESLEY DWYER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Liz and Dick Thompson attend a Burns Supper every year no matter where they are. Dick Thompson’s first supper was in Ontario, Canada.

Shots of Scotch are among the Burns Supper highlights.

Ronald Lee is president of the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota, and Michael Ward is president of the New World Celts.

The master of ceremonies, Carl Morris, introduces his granddaughter, Harper Morris, and daughter-in-law, Danielle Morris, to the Burns Supper tradition for the first time.

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5B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

VALENTINE’S

GIFT GUIDE

LE MACARON

362 St Armands Cir • Sarasota, FL 34236 140 University Town Center Dr • Sarasota, FL 34243 941-552-8872 • www.LeMacaron-US.com

BARTLETT JEWELERS

Handcrafted by our team of French chefs, these classic pastries come in unique flavors like Sicilian Pistachio & Mango Jam. We use the finest glutenfree ingredients. Visit our pâtisserie to enjoy French Macarons, quality French gelato, classic French pastries, European-style beverages & homemade candies. Order your gift boxes now!

Creekwood Crossing I-75 & SR70 Bradenton, FL 34203 941-751-6600 • www.BartlettJewelers.com For over 51 years, Bartlett Jewelers continues to be your trusted and experienced neighborhood jeweler that specializes in engagement rings, wedding bands, and designer fashion jewelry.

Our friendly and knowledgeable staff would be delighted to meet with you and help you find the perfect piece to celebrate your relationship.

Authorized Gabriel & Co dealer. Visit Gabrielny.com

MOLLY MAID OF SARASOTA, MANATEE & CHARLOTTE COUNTIES

1461 Tallevast Rd • Sarasota, FL 34243 941-753-2220 www.MollyMaid.com/local-house-cleaning/fl/sarasota-manatee-charlotte-counties Not sure what to gift your loved one this Valentine’s Day? Why not give them some hours back in their day? Some time to enjoy doing something they love?

Real love is saying “Don’t worry about cleaning the house, I got someone to do it for you!” Gift certificates are easy to get and easy to give. Happy Valentine’s Day!

ANNA MARIA OYSTER BAR

Find a location near you • www.OysterBar.net Lobster is for romantics...Oysters are for LOVERS! Enjoy a fun & delicious Valentine’s Day at Anna Maria Oyster Bar. Dive into our oyster selection and let nature’s original love potion do its thing. Whether it’s your first date or your fiftieth, we have the Five-Star-Fun, laid-back vibe that you and your special someone are looking for.

BOCA BOUTIQUE

6969 S Tamiami Tr • Sarasota, FL 34231 941-529-1000 www.BocaBoutiqueSRQ.com Looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift?

Explore our unique collection of hundreds of items. From chic and unique home decor to wellness and beauty, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. Cards, apparel, jewelry, pet products, indoor & outdoor furniture and so much more. Open Mon-Sat.

DIAMOND BAY JEWELERS

Located in the Bay Street Village & Town Center 3976 Destination Dr, Unit 105 • Osprey, FL 34229 941-786-1013 • www.DiamondBayJewelers.com From classy adornments to engagement specialties, Diamond Bay Jewelers has what you need to create your style for any occasion. Come enjoy the exquisite experience of fine jewelry and expert watchmaking.

Jewelry repair, custom design and redesign services available with over 30 years of experience. Featured items: earrings and pendant with chain - each $199 (regular $249 each).

SIRIUS DAY SPA, SALON & MED SPAS

11585 E SR70 • Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 8512 Cooper Creek Blvd • Bradenton, FL 34201 941-357-4611 • www.SiriusDaySpas.com

SAIL AWAY STUDIO (SAS) COASTAL CHIC BOUTIQUE

The Perfect Gift for Your Valentine, a gift card from the #1 Spa in Sarasota/Lakewood Ranch/ Bradenton. Full service hair salon, spa and medical spa featuring state of the art services, 11 treatment rooms (including couples room!), Serenity Lounge, 200+ services including Massages, Facials, Botox, Fillers, Laser Hair Removal, IPL, Morpheus8, Lash Services & More.

Come in and find some thing as unique as you are! From Euro, chic, clothing, jewelry and accessories. To fine soaps and house warming gifts and enjoy our superb customer service.

You won’t be disappointed! Open Mon-Thur 11am-5pm & Fri-Sat 10am-6pm

6612 Gateway Ave • Sarasota, FL 34231 508-971-4410 www.instagram.com/SailAwayNewport

MOLLY’S! A CHIC AND UNIQUE BOUTIQUE 1874 Stickney Point Rd • Sarasota, FL 34231 941-921-1221 • www.MollysSarasota.com

Your perfect Valentine’s gifts can be found at Molly’s!

Named Best Gift Store in Sarasota for 5 years, you are sure to find something special to give or get for yourself. Beyond gifts, enjoy their large selection of quality shoes, jewelry, apparel and accessories too.

MCCARVER & MOSER

1301 Main St • Sarasota, FL 34236 941-387-8000 • www.mccarvermoser.com McCarver & Moser Jewelers has sophisticated design collections from around the world. We provide customer service that exceeds expectations with our knowledge, hand crafted designs and a personal concierge team that represents over 115 years of experience. Making our customers happy and beautiful is our passion.

MASSAGE ENVY

1279 S Tamiami Tr • 941-308-7600 4055 Clark Rd • 941-927-6200 2855 University Pkwy • 941-556-6400 4734 Cortez Rd W • 941-909-0800 www.MassageEnvy.com Give the gift of Massage Envy for Valentine’s Day! The perfect gift for any body. Encourage someone you care about to finally put themselves first with a gift card that lets them choose customized experiences and goes where they go. Massage, stretch therapy , facials and skin care treatments and products. Massage Envy gift cards easy to give, easy to love!

ELYSIAN FIELDS

1273 S Tamiami Tr • Sarasota, FL 34239 8207 Cooper Creek Blvd • University Pkwy, FL 34201 941-361-3006 • www.ElysianFieldsGifts.com Experience Elysian Fields! You will find an extensive collection of unique gifts, including crystal hearts, jewelry, candles, books and more! New this year, Zodica Perfumery is a small-batch and artisanal line of celestial-inspired fine fragrances. Each perfume reflects the emotion and season of its sign. We look forward to helping you find the perfect Valentine’s Day gifts!!

SARASOT

A SOU

TH 4055 Clark Rd (941) 9276200

419166-1

SARASOT

2855 Univ

A NORTH

ersi

6B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE Headed on a trip? Snap a photo of you on vacation holding your Observer, then submit your photo online at YourObserver.com/ ItsReadEverywhere. Stay tuned for this year’s prize, and happy travels!

Wednesday, February 7 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

Seminar Topics ● A New Approach to Brain Health ● Myths of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia ● Understanding Your Brain Health ● How & When to Measure Your Brain Health ● Prevention and Reversal of Cognitive Decline

Seating is Limited!

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Free Follow-Up Montreal Cognitive Assessment For Seminar Attendees

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Agnes Lynch Nurse Practitioner

Real Estate Advisors and Certified Waterfront Specialists

Susan Alliano, Realtor, GRI Sally Fox, Realtor, GRI 941.735.6571 941.586.0892

DENTAL IMPLANTS

by Dental Implant Specialists ESTHETIC GUM GRAFTING

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CHECK OUR REVIEWS ONLINE

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120 South Tuttle Ave Sarasota, FL 34237

941.957.6444

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allianofoxteam.com

THE OBSERVER GOES TO SEA: Harry Blackward and Molly Barrett Cruising on Celebrity’s Beyond to Bonaire in the Caribbean Islands. They took the East County Observer with them to Leeward Antilles, a municipality of the Netherlands.

410806-1

415833-1

Gulf Coast Specialists

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Elite Hearing Centers

7B

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

of America

OVER 50 LOCATION NATIONW S IDE

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!

OPEN NOW: SARASOTA (941) 667-2577 2807 University Pkwy In Publix Plaza at University Walk

BRADENTON (941) 667-2574 2001 Manatee Avenue E. Ste 104 (Bradenton Pain and Wellness Center)

DELRAY BEACH (561) 453-2734 4900 Linton Blvd #3 (In between Poppies Restaurant and Kristi Cleaners)

BOYNTON BEACH (561) 453-2735 4739 N Congress Ave (In between Dollar Tree and Fon Shan Chinese)

JUPITER (561) 453-2738 6725 West Indiantown Rd Bay 39 (In Jupiter West Plaza)

1Patient will receive $100 gift card upon completion of hearing instrument trial. Not all models are suitable for a free trial (e.g., custom-fitted models such as CIC, IIC, and Virto Black). Complimentary hearing evaluation required. Must have a tested hearing loss. Open to adults 18+ years and older. One gift card per customer, per year. Not valid with managed care or state insurance plans. No cash alternative. Must provide a valid email address for gift card redemption. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery of the gift card. 2Buy one Lumity hearing aid at our list price and get another of the same make & model 50% off. Discount is based on binaural purchase. This limited-time offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion.

New orders only. Private pay only (not combinable with insurance or network). Not available on all levels of technology. 3On in-store purchases of $200+ in with the CareCredit credit card through the end of the month. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full within 24 months. Minimum monthly payments required. Subject to credit approval. Offers expire 2/16/24.

418695-1

We offer 0% interest financing for 24 months!3 SL-AT240123_205705

8B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Books line the shelves at the book fair.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Libby Neily, director of equine learning for TerraNova, listens to first grader Kaleth Nieto read “La Supercapa de Abuela.”

James Erickson, who is 2 years old, and his mother, Naomi Erickson, spend time coloring, while his sister, Chloe Erickson, a second grader, participates in a dance party.

First grader Paisley Shewbridge celebrates her sister, Riley Shewbridge, who is in pre-K, winning a book in a dance party.

Gallop into reading P

Second grader Ryder Chamberlain can’t wait to start reading her newest “Magic Tree House” book.

“I like that the artist is very creative,” she says.

enelope Seguin, a first grader at Myakka City Elementary School, couldn’t wait for Literacy Night on Jan. 25.

Her love of horses made her excited to see the mini horses from the TerraNova Equestrian Center. She grabbed “Pete the Cat Goes to the Doctor” and started reading to Sugar, a mini horse.

Seguin said she loved when Sugar put her head on her while she was reading.

While some students were reading to mini horses, others were visiting the book fair, doing arts and crafts or participating in a dance party in hopes of winning a book.

— LIZ RAMOS

First grader Penelope Seguin, who loves horses, takes her time petting Sugar, a mini horse, after reading “Pete the Cat Goes to the Doctor.”

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LAKEWOOD RANCH

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9114 Town Center Parkway, Ste 101, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

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941-301-8402 growgoods.com 4428 Bee Ridge Rd Sarasota, FL

The Brewer Team

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

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

9B

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR OBSERVER READERS

HAMILTON JEFFERSON VS

THE RIVALRY THAT SHAPED AMERICA

BEFORE YOU SEE THE SHOW, HEAR THE HISTORY

Thursday March 7, 2024 10am - NOON

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Eventually he resigned as Secretary of State in protest.

Join renowned historian, Louis Masur, for a fascinating multimedia look at the conflict between America’s first political parties—Alexander Hamilton’s Federalists, and Thomas Jefferson’s Republicans.

Louis Masur is Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University. He has been elected to membership of the American Antiquarian Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the Society of American Historians Venue Sponsor

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8507 Pavia Way 5 Beds 5/1 Baths 4,185 Sq. Ft. Ann Martin & Joanna Benante 941-356-7717 A4592845 $3,500,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7952 Redonda Loop 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,202 Sq. Ft. Kathy Barrie 941-757-7872 A4594276 $1,750,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7908 Matera Court 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,585 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4585511 $1,725,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7410 Mizner Reserve Court 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,648 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4594346 $1,675,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16620 Collingtree Crossing 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,566 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4593273 $1,450,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 12148 Cranston Way 5 Beds 5 Baths 4,677 Sq. Ft. Lori Bollinger 941-524-7034 A4591069 $1,425,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17316 Freeport Terrace 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,488 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4595700 $1,295,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 4938 Kiva Circle 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,563 Sq. Ft. Mark McCann 941-685-7624 A4586348 $1,175,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8358 Sailing Loop 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,617 Sq. Ft. Victoria Turner 662-614-2783 A4595379 $1,150,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17688 Azul Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,270 Sq. Ft. Pamela Modisett 941-993-3967 A4582809 $945,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 2223 Woodleaf Hammock Court 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,788 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vilet 941-993-7087 A4579346 $875,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 4909 Surfside Circle 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,185 Sq. Ft. Judy Wright 941-232-8041 A4589494 $875,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 15604 White Linen Drive 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,444 Sq. Ft. Beth Ann Boyer 941-780-6606 A4595199 $875,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17706 Cresswind Terrace 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,162 Sq. Ft. Leah Secondo 941-545-4430 A4580576 $849,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16654 Blackwater Terrace 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,372 Sq. Ft. Alex Webster 941-882-0408 A4593134 $765,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 9006 60th Avenue E 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,922 Sq. Ft. Jared Ross 941-539-1705 A4596547 $715,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6518 Oakland Hills Drive 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,940 Sq. Ft. Jamie Van Vliet & Chris Van Vilet 941-993-8996 A4596909 $699,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7715 Us Open Loop 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,667 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4595978 $679,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6503 Drewrys Bluff 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,375 Sq. Ft. Cathy Palmer 941-920-2247 A4589051 $659,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 10510 Boardwalk Loop 202 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,400 Sq. Ft. Kevin Moran, Pa 941-920-8600 A4589716 $650,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 4221 Augusta Terrace E 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,697 Sq. Ft. Beth Ann Boyer 941-780-6606 A4590926 $599,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 4153 Caddie Drive E 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,795 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies 941-685-6767 A4594082 $585,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7062 Woodmore Terrace 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,559 Sq. Ft. Laura Navratil 941-806-7436 A4593559 $549,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7702 Lake Vista Court 306 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,762 Sq. Ft. Richard Hearn 941-313-1591 A4595362 $500,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 5557 Coachwood Cove 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,333 Sq. Ft. Barbara A Milian, PA 941-504-0660 A4581085 $474,900

SARASOTA 609 Golden Gate Point 301 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,750 Sq. Ft. Carol Aviles 941-356-6777 A4590149 $2,695,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6919 Winners Circle 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,920 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4592572 $1,995,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16818 Berwick Terrace 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,686 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4594427 $1,975,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM 419291-1

10B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $3.1 million

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

JAN. 15-19

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Keith Tanguay and Francene Martin, of Melbourne, sold their home at 16116 Clearlake Ave. to Cecil and Tammy Patterson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3.1 million.

Built in 2014, it has six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,299 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1.35 million in 2018.

Johnathan Irle and Grace Rizza sold their home at 7954 Royal Birkdale Circle to Daniel Napoli and Tina Shao Napoli, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.7 million. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 5,892 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.45 million in 2022.

Susan Terbrueggen, trustee, of Clarkston, Michigan, sold the home at 7423 Greystone St. to Judith and William Miko, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,225,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,079 square feet of living area.

It sold for $845,000 in 2020.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Philip Howren and Hyon Cha Choe, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14705 Leopard Creek Place to William and Sharon Conway, of Poolesville, Maryland, for $1.25 million. Built in 2011, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,462 square feet of living area. It sold for $584,000 in 2011.

WINDWARD

Courtesy image

This Lake Club home at 16116 Clearlake Ave. for $3.1 million. It has six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,299 square feet of living area.

Robert and Barbara Carr, of Parrish, sold their home at 415 Grand Preserve Cove to Karen Giroux, of Bradenton, for $800,000. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,460 square feet of living area. It sold for $780,000 in 2022.

Gennady and Natalia Kuzmina sold their home at 8508 River Preserve Drive to JoAnn Billings and Donald Edward Billings, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 2011, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,297 square feet of living area. It sold for $295,000 in 2011.

Pulte Home Co. LLC sold the home at 5481 Silverside Pine Court to John Galt Siemering and Andrea Grace Siemering, of Lakewood Ranch, for $784,500. Built in 2023, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 2,890 square feet of living area.

Izabel Fontana and David Andrew Fontana sold their home at 5755 Bluestar Court to Joshua David Lind and Katie Jayne Williams, of Bradenton, for $760,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,054 square feet of living area. It sold for $660,100 in 2022.

CRESSWIND

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

POMELLO PARK

The Bank of New York, trustee, sold the home at 20905 69th Ave. E. to Steven Wayne Counts and Lucinda Janine Counts, of Bradenton, for $908,300. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,490 square feet of living area.

ROSEDALE

Kathryn Sheldon-Mungle and Michael Mungle, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 4707 88th St. E. to Paul and Gloria Rodhouse, of Bradenton, for $900,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,573 square feet of living area. It sold for $512,000 in 2020.

ARBOR GRANDE

Gary Peter Liga, of Bradenton, sold his home at 12026 Perennial Place to Linda Stile and Joel Stile, trustees, of Akron, Ohio, for $885,000.

Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,334 square feet of living area. It sold for $905,000 in 2022.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Nicholas and Brianna McEvoy sold their home at 7614 River Preserve Drive to Stephen and Elizabeth Mullins, of Bradenton, for $839,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,661 square feet of living area. It sold for $865,000 in 2023.

Delbert and Linda McCoy, of Liberty Township, Ohio, sold their home at 1009 Fig Glen to Scott Kinney and Lisa Liberator-Kinney, of Bradenton, for $618,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,203 square feet of living area. It sold for $371,100 in 2017.

SUMMERFIELD

New Life Property Solutions Ltd. sold the home at 11215 Pine Lilly Place to DE Property Holdings LLC for $605,000. Built in 1995, it has

four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,467 square feet of living area.

It sold for $515,000 in 2023.

Corey and Elizabeth O’Connor, of Roselle, Illinois, sold their home at 6338 Yellowtop Drive to Gregory Robert Wolfe, of Lakewood Ranch, for $440,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,720 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2022.

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 12B

SAPPHIRE POINT

Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2625 Butterfly Jasmine Trail to Ralph George Anderson and Rosa Atkinson, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million.

Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,861 square feet of living area.

Michael and Andrea Katz, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17124 Cresswind Terrace to Jacob and Odette Cohen, of Baltimore, for $950,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,206 square feet of living area. It sold for $669,200 in 2021.

GREYHAWK LANDING WEST

Stuart and Lacey Parsons, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8059 Slipway Drive to Carolyn Lusk, of Vestavia, Alabama, for $752,500.

Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,133 square feet of living area. It sold for $820,000 in 2023.

HBT at Waterside LLC sold the home at 1007 Waterline Court to Danielle Praver, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, for $588,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,784 square feet of living area.

Nicholas Freeman and Ashley Leon, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 8101 Sternway Road to David James Masticola and Heather Marie Masticola, of Sarasota, for $525,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,784 square feet of living area. It sold for $468,700 in 2023.

EAGLE TRACE

Michael and Nancy Myers, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12615 Halfmoon Lake Terrace to Karen and Jay Belles, of Bradenton, for $745,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,314 square feet of living area. It sold for $429,800 in 2016.

In with the new NOW TAKING CONTRACTS

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA SOTA Residences & Hotel | 941.462.3900 | From $1.8M | Visit the Main Street Gallery | thesota.com

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

DOWNTOWN ST. PETERSBURG 400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From the $900,000s | Call for an appointment | Residences400central.com

MOVE-IN SPRING 2024

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

GOLDEN GATE POINT

LONGBOAT KEY

En Pointe | 941.685.1598 | enpointesarasota.com | From $2,775,000

The Residences at the St. Regis | 941.213.3300 | SRResidencesLongboatKey.com

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

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

EDGEWATER

Vintage Family Ltd. Partnership sold the home at 8429 Misty Morning Court to Carly Sue Bouziane and Alan Charles Bouziane, of Lakewood Ranch, for $720,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,127 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,000 in 2021.

MichaelSaunders.com/New-Homes | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida Prices as of November 2023

419294-1

COUNTRY CLUB

11B

12B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 2014

Real estate FROM PAGE 11B

COPPERLEFE

Benjamin Goldberg and Ooma Rampersad sold their home at 11429 Sweetgrass Drive to Jackie Sims and Roni Hilyer, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $330,000 in 2020.

22 Ice Cold Draft Beers Hand Tossed Pizzas Charbroiled Wings and MUCH MORE!

WATERCREST

Sidney and Janice Stoltzfus, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 203 condominium at 6430 Watercrest Way to Richard and Ramona Schweitzer, of Bradenton, for $575,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,742 square feet of living area. It sold for $341,000 in 2016.

Join the Waitlist

941.251.4028 wolvesheadpizza.com

What if YOU could change the way you age?

CENTRAL PARK 413986-1

1837 Lakewood Ranch Blvd Lakewood Ranch 34211

TM

CLEAN I RRIVATE ARPOINTMENT-BAS ED ,, J

GREENBROOK

Ian Loomes and Christine MonroeLoomes sold their home at 6308 Robin Cove to Andrew and Josephine Catuogno, of Sarasota, for $405,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,411 square feet of living area. It sold for $196,500 in 2004.

CREEKWOOD

FLPM9 LLC and FL Property Management 5 LLC sold the home at 5020 72nd St. E. to Anthony Frongillo and Emily Laura Cardoza, of Bradenton, for $400,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,310 square feet of living area. It sold for $275,000 in 2006.

Edward Cuevas Mendez and Nitza Cuevas, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12105 Forest Park Circle to Nathan and Lauren Dougherty, of Bradenton, for $570,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,898 square feet of living area. It sold for $236,100 in 2013.

LONGPOND AT MOTE RANCH

BRADEN WOODS

Herbert Stephen Skuba Jr., of Bradenton, sold his home at 12121 Trailhead Drive to OP SPE PHX1 LLC for $357,500. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 1,673 square feet of living area. It sold for $259,000 in 2018.

Helen Wiegman, of Bradenton, sold her home at 9003 63rd Ave. Drive E. to Bradley Scott Jones and Nichole Jones, of Bradenton, for $560,000.

Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,827 square feet of living area. It sold for $165,000 in 2012.

Celebr ating 1 Year in LWR !

at 4128 Caddie Drive E. to John Daubenspeck, trustee, of Bradenton, for $425,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,995 square feet of living area. It sold for $225,000 in 2008.

Robert Barrington sold his home at 6861 Superior St. Circle to Steven Pomcrantz, trustee, of Sarasota, for $365,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,652 square feet of living area. It sold for $128,200 in 1995.

HARMONY

MIRABELLA AT VILLAGE GREEN

John Veselenak, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6914 Playa Bella Drive to Al Woodworth Jr. and Valerie Jean Penka, of Bradenton, for $542,500.

Built in 2017, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,525 square feet of living area. It sold for $322,500 in 2017.

ONLINE

419279-1

PERIDIA ISLE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Warren and Mary Allen, of Bradenton, sold their home

www.exe rci seco a ch.com

Get There in a Hop, Skip and a Splash

The Observer’s

Weather

&Nature

2023-24 PHOTO CONTEST

A R E F L E C T I O N O F N AT U R E ’ S B E A U T Y

The Easy Way Around the Beaches and Downtown Hop on, kick back and enjoy a scenic cruise. Then hop off to relax on beautiful beaches or explore the Bradenton Riverwalk, museums, galleries and more. It’s the fun and easy way to get around the beaches and downtown.

Submitted by: Diane Suner

Now Running!

Sponsored by

Friday, Saturday and Sundays 9 am - 9 pm KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

Scan for Stops and Schedule or Visit:

GulfIslandFerry.com

Go to Yourobserver.com/contests for details.

416118-1

418631-1

Submit your photos of spectacular local weather and nature displays and you could win $500!

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, FEB. 1

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 70 Low: 51 Chance of rain: 5%

FRIDAY, FEB. 2 High: 73 Low: 50 Chance of rain: 5%

Thursday, Feb. 1

7:15a

6:10p

Friday, Feb. 2

7:15a

6:11p

Saturday, Feb. 3

7:14a

6:12p

Sunday, Feb. 4

7:14a

6:13p

Monday, Feb. 5

7:13a

6:13p

Tuesday, Feb. 6

7:12a

6:14p

Wednesday, Feb. 7

7:12a

6:14p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, FEB. 3

Feb. 2 Last

High: 77 Low: 61 Chance of rain: 7%

Feb. 9 New

Feb. 16 First

Feb. 24 Full

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, FEB. 4 High: 73 Low: 61 Chance of rain: 85%

Phil Pape took this photo of a great blue heron at Lake Uihlein in Lakewood Ranch.

Monday, Jan. 22

0

Tuesday, Jan. 23

0

Wednesday, Jan. 24

0

Thursday, Jan. 25

0

Friday, Jan. 26

0

Saturday, Jan. 27

0

Sunday, Jan. 28

0.01

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

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.

YEAR TO DATE: 2024 4.31 in.

2023 1.43 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2024 4.31 in.

2023 1.43 in.

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

The Grounded Feeling Everyone will Enjoy

crossword

celebrity cipher

AWAY WITH WORDS by Celeste Watts & Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen her PASTORAL out loud?

48 Fieri of the Food

They ___

Network

107 Creative type

51 “Godzilla vs. ___”

108 Playful mammals

54 “Fists of Fury” and “Fist

109 Cookie-filled dessert

of Legend”

110 “What if,” slangily

55 Blubbers

111 Fencing gear

56 Rival of PanAm

112 Minstrels, often

57 Where to find Mr.

DOWN

Snuffleupagus

4 Mont Blanc, e.g.

5 Hawaiian offerings 6 Activist Medgar 7 ___ Flyer wagon 8 Put down 9 UNLV collegian 10 Willingly 11 Claim 12 Screamed 13 So-so, in slang 14 “End of story!”

15 Rodeo whoop 16 Comet competitor 17 Halfback’s play 19 “Quiet!”

20 Marx’s “___ Kapital” ©2023 Universal Uclick

1 Strip that turns blue?

8 Arrangement of data 13 “Possibly ...”

18 Extremely, in slang 19 Anastasia of “Fifty Shades of Grey” 20 Partake of 21 *How did the cruciverbalists commercialize a BALLAD? They ___ 23 Sum thing?

24 Spotted 25 Heep of bad news?

26 They can be full of baloney 28 Old salt’s direction 29 Canon and Xerox rival

32 Famed orca

___”

the CENTIMETER? They ___

33 Knell

55 Like Mr. Darcy or Ray-

80 Japanese noodles

35 *How did the cruciver-

mond Holt

82 With 59-Down, meat-

balists suck all the life out

57 Tenuous, as an alibi

heavy regimen

of a DRAWING? They ___

58 *How did the cruciver-

83 True-blue

37 VW model also known as balists make a HEATHEN

84 *How did the cruciver-

the Dasher

chicken? They ___

balists make a FATALIST a

39 Like some bad apples

63 Some change

star? They ___

40 Expel

65 Medical dripper

89 Congeals

41 *How did the cruciver-

66 Topper for some brats

90 Ritz alternatives, once

balists molder a LIGA-

69 Overdraw a line of

91 Filling, like stew

MENT? They ___

credit?

92 Gets a flat?

43 Presently

70 Vehicles crashed by

95 Patron saint of Norway

45 Ceremony goodies

Calvin and Hobbes

96 Crack, as a crossword

49 Pub quaff

72 Jazz trumpeter Louis

97 Poultry factory worker

50 Goner

74 Concern for a wine snob 98 Lucy of “Elementary”

51 Person who takes

75 Narcissist’s obsession

101 Michaelangelo’s patron

unplanned trips

76 They go on top of beans

family

77 *How did the cruciver-

103 *How did the cruciver-

balists find the middle of

balists make a poet read

30 Man who made radiation 52 Shakespeare’s “you” 53 Neil Simon’s “Lost in click?

22 “The Moon Lady” author 27 Asimov collection 29 Right, on a map 30 U.S. territory in Micronesia 31 Woods of “Legally Blonde” 32 BART stop 33 Painter Veronese 34 Requisite 35 Marsh growth 36 “Happy Days” star 37 “___ ball!”

38 Metaphorical irritant 39 British sports cars 42 Ill at ___ 43 Opening for a castle archer 44 “Yowie!”

46“Too funny!”

47 “All systems are go”

VELSUP POHV KJS MHZISL HP KJS FHOUX LH Z IRT JSRO VE HFT.” HBORJ FZTPOSE

59See 82-Across 60 Contents of some box sets 61 Throw off

“O UKOGS OL BFX’WP LPPVOGM MWPRU

62 Like some summers

RJFXU NKPWP BFX RWP, PYPWBUKOGM

63 Colbert’s station

UKRU VPT XC UF OU KRT UF JP

64 Smelted material 67 Singer Wainwright

UPWWOLOI.”

68 Dexterous 70 Home for a big nursery rhyme family 71 Crow’s-nest cry 72Pound, e.g.

73 “Citizen Kane” studio 77 Mustachioed president 78 Nivea competitor 79 Nights when children stay up too late, often 81 Gets in touch with privately, on X (Abbr.)

82 Tiffany’s iconic jewelry designer 84 Train of children’s TV 85 Enrage 86 “They forced me!”

GFWHRG VPRW

“NC FCHSZCY, JNVG ZSS YDF OFLXFPV, JF GZMF LUTF UB VGF XSZNCFLV ZPVOFLLFL NC VGF FCVNOF JUOSY ZL UDO HOFZVFLV.” © 2023 NEA, Inc.

TNCCNF YONMFO

Puzzle Three Clue: X equals P

3 Furrow

“RUHTS KZVS ZL FJST Z XZLKRTIS

Puzzle Two Clue: B equals Y

2 Wife of Zeus

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle One Clue: F equals W

1 Some grad school grads

ACROSS

417956-1

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

sudoku

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

87 Spin yarns about 88 Must 92 Whistle-blower 93 Glorify 94 Indira Gandhi’s father 96 “To ___, With Love” 97 Brillo competitor 98 Standing makes them vanish 99 “___ Cake?” (Netflix show) 100 Heavy duty SUVs 102 Pool stick 104 Come together 105 Cutting rooms (Abbr.)

106 Taro paste

©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

2-1-24

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

Motorcycles

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card The East County Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the East County Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis..

BRIDAL GOWN Maggie Sotero Haute Couture Imperials.

Size 6, white, strapless.

Perfect condition. $200.00 Leave Message 941-536-5075

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages LOCK BOX, fire proof with key, 13X8X7 $15. Charlie’s Angels trading card, 1st set $40.

941-741-9727 PROFORM EXERCISE BIKE w/ comfort seat. $50. 203-820-8065

Announcements DONATE YOUR OLD LAPTOP to Foster kids Children's Guardian Fund and Sarasota Technology Users Group have teamed to refurbish used laptops. Your hard drive is securely wiped with a Dept Defense software. Call for a pickup at your location. Over 20,000 processed since 2014.

(941) 374-1107 childrensguardianfund.org/ laptop-drive

Boats 2022 NEXTRAIL Aluminum Boat Trailer 21'-23' 6000# GVWR, Torsion Axles, Disc Brakes, spare tire, used est. 500 miles. $4,500 (941) 704-0186

For more information call Ken at: 941-356-3318 Or Visit: AntiquesandChatchkes.com Estate Sales Conducted by: Antiques & Chatchkes ESTATE SALE THURSDAY, FEB. 1ST 9:30 -2 & FRIDAY, FEB 2ND 9:30 -2 (Due to community rules, this must be a by appointment only sale. Appts may be made by calling 941-792-8401 after 5 on Jan 30th or date of sale call 941-730-1570) Leather sofa bed, sofa, occasional chairs including 2 sets of 4 matching chairs, Bombay chest, large mirror and wall unit, lamps, paintings, Oriental china cabinet, painted buffet, artist style buffet & coffee table, king and 2 queen bedsets, barstools, plant stand, desk, office chair, costume jewelry, Featherweight sewing machine & lots of sewing items, bike, patio furniture including wrought iron and wicker, statuary, clothing, kitchenware, wrought iron etagere, nice glassware, & much more!

To see pics look at estatesales.net.

Sale conducted by Palma Sola Sales

Merchandise Wanted GOLD, SILVER BUYING w/ CASH. RETIRED INVESTOR Diamonds, Coins, Jewelry, Antiques. Free House Calls.

Discrete/ Confidential. Call David 813-439-2694

Explore *Connect* Ride Explore *Connect* Ride

OUR ONLINE Explore *Connect* Ride TOOLS MAKE IT EASY TO PLACE YOUR AD

Visit the RED PAGES

YourObserver.com/RedPages

GARAGE SALE Advertise as low as $17.50 per week!

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

THE BUSINESS OBSERVER newspaper is seeking a fastpaced, detail-oriented Proofreader / Typist for a full-time position in Sarasota, Florida. Hours are 9am5pm, Mon-Fri. Candidates must be able to type at least 75 WPM with great accuracy and proofread typed material and make corrections. Attention to detail is a MUST. Proofreading entails finding errors in the typed print that varies from the original document, not actually editing the documents for errors.

As low as $17.50 per week!

941-955-4888

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

Handyman Services REMODELING CONTRACTOR. 30+ yrs experience - all phases remodeling. Working in & around Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Bradenton. Lic./Insured.

Call Joe: 941-929-3000

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos.

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

SARASOTA INTERIOR PAINTING HIGH-END INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING WE ARE THE BEST!!!

Residential & Commercial.

Fully Insured.

CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398

BUY STUFF HERE! YourObserver.com/RedPages

This week’s Crossword answers

The ideal candidate will have strong computer software and hardware skills. Familiarity with Adobe InDesign and Filemaker Pro is a plus. Florida notary certification is also a plus.

Please email your resume and WPM typing speed for immediate consideration to kboothroyd@businessobserverfl. com. Please also specify your available date to start.

Competitive pay, holiday pay, and health insurance available GREAT FINDS LOCATED HERE!

©2022 Universal Uclick

Sporting Goods

SELL YOUR STUFF FAST!

Help Wanted

GARAGE SALE

First 15 words ................... $ 15.00 per week Each add’l word .........25¢

*This position must be performed in the office. No remote work is available.

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and some collectors plates. Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

WOMAN’S EASTON Dirt Bike Several speeds; Mountain rack, bike rack & air pump $150 (941) 753-8359 Comcast

jobs

BEACH’ N RIDES Electric Shop!

BEACH’Bike N RIDES eBike SalesBike and Rentals Electric Shop!

BEACH’ N RIDES Ride easy onBike an with eBike Sales andeBike Rentals Electric Shop! aseasy much orwith Ride onexercise an eBike Sales andeBike Rentals assistance as want. aseasy much orwith Ride onexercise anyou eBike Leave trafficexercise assistance asand youparking want. as much or problems behind!

Leave trafficasand assistance youparking want.

13problems models available. behind!

Leave traffic and parking aily andavailable. weekly Dmodels 13problems behind! remodels awileaebklely anitlyalasnadvavailable.

13D We also reanrepair awileaebklBrands ely D itlyalasnadvother Open We also re9 nrepair tto als5adaily vother ailabexcept lBrands e Sundays holidays Open to and 5 daily except We also9repair other Brands 12208 Road, Sundays and holidays Open 9 toCortez 5 daily except Cortez, 12208 Cortez Road, Sundays and FL holidays Cortez, 12208 CortezFL Road, Cortez, FL 941-251-7916, Ext 1 941-251-7916, Ext 1 9412517916, Ext 1

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals LONGBOAT KEY Charming furnished home, remodeled. 3BR/2BA/2 car garage. Heated pool, dock, walk to beach. 3 King sized beds w/ laminated floor. Washer/dryer in laundry room. Screened lanai, w/ electric shutters. New roof. BBQ grill. No pets/no smoking

You’re only cheating yourself.

2 KAYAKS. - 1 seat (250 lbs.) removable seat & paddle. - Flat bottom, non tippable. Permanent seat & paddle. $100 / piece.

920-627-8502

Explore this exclusive estate sale. A house full of beautiful furniture including antiques.

Listed artist artwork, patio furniture, area rugs, exercise equipment, occasional lamps, china, porcelain, bronzes, collection of men’s smoking pipes, garage items, & much, much more!

Auto Transport

peekers’ place

ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236

ELITE ESTATE SALE February 2nd & 3rd 9 am to 6 pm 7406 Oak Moss Dr Sarasota, FL 34241 (Bent Tree Development off of Proctor Rd. Gated Community.

Limited Parking) Numbers out at 8am

real estate

Items Under $200

Sporting Goods

auto

stuff

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

OLD MOTORCYCLES WANTED *1920-1999* ALL Makes & ModelsAny Condition! $ CASH PAID $ Call 845-389-3239 cyclesndmore10@gmail.com

home services

RED PAGES

RED PAGES AD RATES

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.”

Oprah Winfrey Puzzle Two Solution: “I think if you’re feeling great about where you are, everything that led up to it had to be terrific.”

Norman Lear Puzzle Three Solution: “In England, with all due respect, we have some of the plainest actresses in the entire world as our greatest.”

Minnie Driver

This week’s Sudoku answers

Available Now! $5,000/ month.

1 yr lease minimum.

941-504-1492 Bring your boat & sail away!!

©2022 NEA, Inc.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Aluminum

Computer

Health

Is Your Computer Feeling Sick?

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Let Us Fix It!

Call A Geek

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Computer ServiCeS

Dustin Yoder

(941) 351-7260

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 call-a-geek.net YoderAluminum.com

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Owner /Insured Operator Insured

YoderAluminum.com

Attorney

Computer Repair & Service Virus & Malware Removal / Protection New System Set Up / Data Transfer Networking: Wired/Wireless Installation Data Recovery / Remote Support One-On-One Tutoring / Training

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

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“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224 Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America

Over 19 yrs serving Manatee/Sarasota Counties

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think!

Divorce without Lawyers

Hardware Repair Virus / Malware Cleanup Software & Printer Install New Computer Setups New Purchase Consults Seniors & Beginners

Divorce is never fun, but it does not have to be nasty & hateful! Protect your family relationships and assets from expensive Court litigation. Consider Divorce Mediation, the peaceful alternative.

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

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The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

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Call me for a free 30 minute consultation before you call a Divorce Lawyer!

Home Services

Doors

Sliding Glass Door Repair

We have mediated divorces involving up to 10 million dollars of assets over past 27 years.

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

• Dryer hot but clothes still wet after (1) drying cycle?

• Dryer gets hot to the touch or doesn’t heat up at all?

Take a simple test to see if your vent is clogged. Unhook your dryer vent & compare drying time.

Residential

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MC Organize Vange Solutions LLC

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PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

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DECLUTTERING • HOUSE CLEANING and More!

NO JOB TOO SMALL OR TOO BIG 419596

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Commercial

Kitchen - Bathrooms | Windows - Doors - Floor Coverings | Repairs

SELL YOUR CAR!

(941) 527-8930

941-705-5468

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

Auto Service

941.270.4400

418541

16B

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

CREATE BUZZ!

Advertise your business in the Red Pages. Call 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Landscaping & Lawn

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

LANDSCAPING • LANDSCAPE CLEANUP • PRUNING • WEEDING Flowers, Palms, Container Gardening, Tree Trimming

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

INCLUDES22MOEN MOEN STAINLESS INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIP CONCEALED PEEN CONCEALED SCREW SCREW GRAB GRAB BARS (16”BARS & 24”)(16” & 24”)

CALL 941-302-3933

417929

249 235

* $ $235

Screening

Gardener On Call

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS $

17B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Painting

418530

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE

Luxury for Less

Mark’s Plumbing Service 419593

Small plumbing repairs. Replace toilets, faucets, water filters, water softeners and repair leaks.

RELIABLE • INSURED

941-920-8221

418529

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346

941-248-4734

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10% off

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Power Washing

Landscaping & Lawn

ABRACADABRA PRESSURE CLEANING

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418038 391220

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Insured I Free Estimates

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Douglas | 941.405.5615 | Over 1 5 Years Experience Pressure Washing

Windows

Pressure Washing

lawn & pest control, llc.

Family Owned and Operated • Commercial & Residential • Weed Control • Fungicide • Tree & Shrub Treatment • Fertilizing • Insecticide

$10 off

Any Treatment Dry Or Liquid New Customers Only

Free

Weed & Crab grass Control New Customers Only

You Get NOW Protection!

$52

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

PER MONTH*

Ticks, Fleas, Fire Ants, Chinch Bugs, Mole Crickets, Grubs, Sod Worms and more. PLUS - Fungus & Weeds and Premium Fertilizer.

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows UP TO

Building & Roofing Contractor

INCLUDING SCREENS, TR ACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

by Allison

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Design • Garden Beds • Landscape • Courtyards Clean-Up • Makeovers • Weeds • Trimming

NEED HELP?

Allison J. Abizaid

Find business and service professionals in the Red Pages.

To advertise: 941-955-4888

STUFF

found here.

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150

25 $

STANDARD WINDOWS

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

418046

418528

Italian American Owned

GARDENS 941-400-0431 • gbyallison@yahoo.com • gardensbyallison.com

BEFORE

Roofing

www.FGLAWN.com | 941-404-6601

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

AFTER

941-544-1066 | scaperotta@aol.com

*For average size lawn of 5000 sq. ft.

Larger lawns slightly more.

Licensed & Insured

No Job is Too Small!

Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins.

419592

PROUD!

418823

You We Make

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

Honesty, Integrity and Pride

• Roofs • Pool Cages • Decks • Driveways Roofs • Pool Cages • Decks • Driveways ••Deck/Paver Sealing • Gutter Cleaning • Deck/PaverAnd Sealing • And Much More Much More!

1/1

CREATE BUZZ!

Licensed & Insured

NO MORE TICKS, FLEAS OR WEEDS!

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Transportation

Plumbing

GLENN KROECKER

418043

1/10/23, 10:25 AM

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

419594

THE GRAB BAR GUY

Complete Interior & Exterior Painting MAKING HOUSES BEAUTIFUL SINCE 1987 FREE ESTIMATES - Call Joel, Owner 35 Years Exp. Cell 619-405-7650 Home/Office 941-758-4840

410036

DRGRABBARS.COM

*DRILLING CHARGES MAY APPLY FOR MARBLE, GRANITE OR PORCELAIN. COUPON REQUIRED.

419600

LIFETIME GUARANTEE • LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED COVERAGEAREA: AREA:LAKEWOOD PARRISH TO NORTHPORT COVERAGE RANCH TO S. VENICE

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES

364556 418044

941.966.0333

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

941.702.0437 | ShanahanLuxuryGroup@CBrealty.com | ShanahanLuxuryGroup.com

Top-Selling Lakewood Ranch Realtors Our Experience is Your Best Asset

Kenneth Shanahan, PLLC

Katina Shanahan, PLLC

Tyler Shanahan, PLLC

941.702.0443

941.702.0437

941.961.8205

Wild Blue - Choose Your Homesite and Build Your Custom Home! Call 941-702-0443 To Talk To A Specialist

THE ATWATER

THE AVILA III

17236 Hampton Falls Terrace | Del Webb

THE OPAL

THE TALISE II

New Listing

$1,030,000 | 2,734 Square Feet | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | Den | Premium Lake Homesite

14921 Derna Terrace | Azario

$150,000 Price Improvement

$2,150,000 | 4,557 Square Feet | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Full, 2 Half Bathrooms | Office | Golf-Deeded Home

17823 Northwood Place | Del Webb

Under Contract

Offered at $1,350,000 | 2,808 Square Feet | 3 Bedrooms | 3.5 Bathrooms | Flex Room | Pool/Spa | Lake View

Scan or Call for Your Home Valuation 941.702.0437

Contact us Today to Discuss Your Real Estate Goals

AZARIO

CONCESSION

COUNTRY CLUB

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

DEL WEBB

ESPLANADE

THE LAKE CLUB

WATERSIDE

413823-1

18B