East County Observer 2.29.24

A canine ‘party in the park’

Southeastern Guide Dogs hosts annual Suncoast Walk-a-thon at Nathan Benderson Park.

TIF YOU GO

SOUTHEASTERN GUIDE

DOGS SUNCOAST WALK-A-

THON

When: 9 a.m. March 2

Where: Nathan Benderson

Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota

Cost: Free

Details: Walk a 3K during a family friendly and dog-friendly walk-a-thon that also features live music, food, vendor and sponsor booths, a raffle and more.

More information: GuideDogs.

org/Get-Involved/Volunteer/ WalkAThon/

Petersburg, Tampa, Gainesville and Orlando.

Collectively, Bryan said the walka-thons raise more than $1 million per year.

The Suncoast walk-a-thon at Nathan Benderson Park has become the biggest event out of the five walks in terms of participants and money raised, Bryan said, which wasn’t always the case.

She said the growth in the event could be a result of the nonprofit’s campus being located in Palmetto so more people are aware of it, along with its mission.

“People love their dogs, and when you bring your dog to an event, it just adds another level of happiness.”

Jennifer Bryan

up with the beneficiary and the dog to ensure they’re successful together after the dog has graduated from Southeastern Guide Dogs’ programs.

Bryan said everyone is encouraged to bring their furry friends to the walk-a-thon, and everyone who comes to the event will receive a Southeastern Guide Dogs’ bandana.

raise the puppies to ensure they are ready to serve someone who is visually impaired or a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Puppy-raisers care for the puppies when they’re 8 to 12 weeks old for 12-16 months. Sitters are available to take care of the puppies If the puppy-raisers need to go on vacation or take a break. Puppy starters care for puppies for a few months before they are matched with a puppy-raiser to begin training.

The nonprofit always could use more puppy raisers, puppy sitters and puppy starters, Jeanroy said.

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Suncoast Walk-AThon on March 2 at Nathan Benderson Park.

Jennifer Bryan, the director of Philanthropy for Southeastern Guide Dogs, said the Suncoast walk-athon is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The Suncoast walk-a-thon is one of five in Florida with the others taking place in St.

The money raised from the walka-thons goes toward supporting the nonprofit’s mission and programs including its genetics reproduction program, breeding, puppy training and expenses for those receiving the dogs to remain on campus while they are trained how to handle their new service or guide dog.

“Every penny raised through these events is going straight toward the

mission and it changes lives,” Bryan said.

Bryan said it costs thousands of dollars to support and train each dog before they are given to someone who needs it at no cost.

There also is a team that follows

“It is a party in the park,” she said. “People love their dogs, and when you bring your dog to an event, it just adds another level of happiness, especially seeing all the different breeds and shapes and sizes of the dogs.”

The walk-a-thon also will be an opportunity for people to learn about becoming a puppy raiser, puppy sitter or puppy starter.

Jeanroy said it takes a village to

Jeanroy said she enjoys watching not only the puppies’ progress in their training but she likes seeing the puppy raisers progress as well. She said in the Lakewood Ranch group of puppy raisers, there are four who are new to the job.

Jeanroy said the puppy raisers go from believing they will struggle to mastering the craft.

She watched with pride as the puppy raisers led their dogs around the fire station and saw the puppies listening to every command and adjusting to the new environment.

Courtesy image

The Suncoast Walk-A-Thon has become Southeastern Guide Dogs’ biggest walk-a-thon that also raises the most amount for the nonprofit.

Liz Ramos

Firefighter Diana Zacher pets Summer, a 7-month-old puppy being trained through Southeastern Guide Dogs.

Lorraine Road residents concerned about ‘improvements’

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Carolyn Gilbert, who is 45, was born and raised in Manatee County. She’s lived on two acres off Lorraine Road for 33 years.

When her parents decided to move from Samoset to the country in 1991, the then12-year-old thought they were crazy. She said it turned out to be a huge blessing.

“Lorraine Road was agriculture the majority of my life but is now 100% residential,” Gilbert said. “Change can be a good thing, but we no longer live in the country.” Improvements

In some cases, county will have to use eminent domain to secure property for the project.

LORRAINE ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Gilbert said she and her neighbors aren’t looking forward to the road improvements that Manatee County has planned to accommodate the area’s growth.

The $66 million improvement project will widen the 2.83-mile segment of Lorraine Road between 59th Avenue East and State Road 64 from two lanes to four. The widening includes a raised median, sidewalks in each direction and seven-foot buffered bike lanes.

The county unveiled the plan at a public information meeting on Feb. 22 at the Florida Department of Transportation Manatee Operations Center on S.R. 64.

Ogden Clark, the strategic affairs manager for Manatee County’s Public Works department, said the county’s two main goals are to improve the flow of traffic and to make the road safer. Clark has received numerous complaints from residents that there is no lighting on Lorraine Road.

A traffic study showed that out of 49 reported crashes between 2016 and 2020 on that segment of the road, the one fatal crash (June 2018) involved a 34-year-old male bicyclist who was riding at night. The project will upgrade the lighting and drainage along the corridor, as well as widen the road, but Clark said some homeowners worry about losing their rural setting.

“What I can tell people is that when buying homes, always look for that kind of information,” Clark said of the improvements. “It’s important to know about construction and infrastructure that’s coming.”

LANDSCAPING ISSUES

Sean Brimberry could’ve used Clark’s advice last year. He bought his home, which sits on 13 acres off Lorraine Road, in July.

Brimberry likes the idea of having sidewalks on a road that was void of them, and said if he could go back, he’d buy the property again. However, had he known what he was about to lose, he would’ve reduced his purchase offer and set his newly built horse facility farther back from the road.

Once the project is complete, the extensive landscaping and 100-yearold oak trees that provide a buffer for Brimberry’s horses and privacy for his home will be gone, and replacing the landscaping won’t be as simple as pulling out a row of hedges and planting a new one.

“I’ve got electrical and irrigation running all through there,” Brimberry said. “You just hope they give

you enough money that you can get the right people to come do it. It’d be nice if they said, ‘Here’s a check, and here’s a contractor.’”

While he didn’t recommend a contractor, Commissioner Ray Turner said the county does pay fair market value for land acquisitions.

The county needs to acquire about 13 acres on each side of the road. Most of the properties fall under the category of “partial takes.” Out of the 87 owners due to be impacted, 29 are business owners.

There are also seven “total takes” on the list of acquisitions. Four are vacant lots, and the other three are single-family homes. Clark said the number of acquisitions is on par for what’s been needed in the past for similar projects.

Several Lorraine Road residents were concerned they hadn’t received a clear answer from the county as to how much of their land will be impacted. Gilbert was told the county would need 15 feet from the edge of the road. One person in that group, Diana Ganey, said she heard it would be 70 feet.

Part of the issue is that the design is still only 80% complete, but one of

the project managers, Anthony Russo, said pretty much every owner will lose between five and 10 feet along the front of their property.

“We wanted to have a meeting a year ago, but we have lots of development going on around here,” Clark said. “Each time that happens, it changes the flood modeling, so we had to make adjustments each time.”

Construction is expected to begin in January 2025, but that date depends on the acquisition process running smoothly. Several neighbors have been contacted by attorneys, and if they don’t like the county’s offers and the property goes to eminent domain, they have the option to take the matter to court.

Once started, Clark said construction should take about two years.

Ganey said a lawyer told her he can’t save her property because it falls under eminent domain, which gives the government the power to acquire private property for the benefit of the general public, but he could help her negotiate a better price.

Turner said land acquisitions are all “part of a formula,” and if the government is taking, it’s not going to be a small number.

Yet a major concern for residents is that if they wanted to move because of the project, they can’t replace what they have somewhere else in Manatee County.

“I’m getting ready to retire,” Ganey said. “If we end up selling and moving somewhere else, can I travel as much? No. Can I afford to do what I want to do? No.”

NO MORE LEFT TURNS

Among current safety concerns with this particular road segment is its lack of a shoulder, but residents are happy they can still turn left onto Lorraine Road. The improvements will require motorists who want to turn left, to make a right (because of the raised median) and then look for an intersection to make a U-turn.

“My kids are just learning to drive, and now they’re going to have to make U-turns all the time,” Ray Ganey said. “Is that really safe?”

Clark said the overall feeling he got from residents during the public meeting was that they understood the road needed to be updated, but being unable to make left-hand turns out of their driveways, and therefore forced to make a U-turn, was the No. 1 complaint. One resident asked if roundabouts were an option.

“I’ll bring it up to the engineers just to see,” Clark said. “There are two intersection improvements planned as part of the project on Lorraine Road, at Rangeland and at 44th, there will be added turn lanes because of the widening.”

Clark added that FDOT is planning a roundabout at S.R. 64 and Lorraine Road, but a date hasn’t been set to start construction.

Lesley

Sean Brimberry has extensive landscaping at the front of his property that

Powel Crosley Estate Historical

Powel Crosley Estate Historical Open House

Open House

County connections

Neighborhood Summit is hosted by Manatee County at the Lakewood Ranch Library.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

There’s a vacant lot in Arlene Merriman’s neighborhood.  Merriman is the chairperson of the Whisper Bend Homeowners Association’s Community Improvement Committee.  She attended the Manatee County Neighborhood Summit to see if there was a grant that could help the HOA turn the vacant lot into something the community, which is off Linger Lodge Road, can enjoy. Merriman also wanted to meet the county’s staff members in person.

“I want to put a name to a face,” she said. “I like that personal connection.”

The summit was held at the Lakewood Ranch Library on Feb. 23 to put residents and staff from different departments in one room together to provide easy access for residents.

MAKE A CONNECTION

If you couldn’t attend the Neighborhood Summit, the following links will lead to more information on some of the programs that were covered.

Neighborhood grants and the Citizens Academy: MyManatee. org/Departments/Neighborhood_ Services/Neighborhood_Connections

NexTrex Recycling Challenge Program: NexTrex.com

Community gardens: Sfyl.Ifas. UFL.edu/Manatee/Lawn-Garden/ Community-School-Gardens

The Friendly City Foundation: FriendlyCity.Foundation

around after to speak with residents about any concerns they had.

Only Pierce approached him. She wanted to know if he supports Project 2025, a conservative agenda spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation of Washington, D.C., to make widespread changes to federal policies that would align with the political right.

“He wasn’t familiar with it,” Pierce said. “But he also said he has a lot of big fish to fry here in the county, and I understand that.”

8734 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243

8374 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243

8374 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243

March 5–6, 2024 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

“Transparency is a challenge because if we’re not communicating well, it feels like we’re hiding things,” Commissioner Ray Turner told residents. “(The summit) is a way to create better transparency for constituents. We don’t want you guys to feel like you don’t know what’s going on.”

March 5–6, 2024 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

March 5-6, 2024 | 10 A.M. - 2 P.M.

Open to All

The three-hour event began with a half-hour of networking, followed by a series of presentations from county staff members and their partners.

Open to All

Open to All

Tour this stunning mansion on the Sarasota Bay and get a glimpse into the life of its former owner, the legendary inventor Powel Crosley Jr.

innovator

Tour this stunning mansion on the Sarasota Bay and get a glimpse into the life of its former owner, the legendary inventor Powel Crosley Jr.

Self-Guided Tours with Roaming Docents

Event partners included the Friendly City Foundation, which helps cultivate business opportunities, and the UF IFAS Extension, which offers a community garden program.

Central Park resident Deb Pierce said she enjoyed learning about the community gardens and plans for transportation but was hoping the summit would have been a more interactive forum.

A few minutes were allotted for questions after each presentation, and Turner kept to his word and hung

The newly revamped Citizens Academy is one fish that’s already been fried and was presented to residents. It’s a long-term, projectbased program that partners county staff members with community leaders to solve community issues. The program is taught in three sessions and focuses on action items and goals as they relate to a specific project. Residents submit their idea for a project to be considered for the class. The group-based learning environment allows different communities to see the work others are doing and to brainstorm ideas together.

The Citizens Academy is a Neighborhood Connections programs. Neighborhood Connections manages community grants.

Crosley Radios & Memorabilia

Self-Guided Tours with Roaming Docents

Refreshments for Purchase

Crosley Radios & Memorabilia

Refreshments for Purchase

For more information, please call 941-722-3244.

For more information, please call 941-722-3244.

For more information, please call 941-722-3244.

Impact fees on the rise

The move was delayed after the ManateeSarasota Building Industry Association disputed the most recent study.

Atheir new construction projects have on roads, parks,

emergency services. The county’s Land Development Code requires an updated study of the fees every five years.

The issue came before the board in April and November of 2023, and again this month at the land use meeting on Feb. 22.

In a vote of 6-1, with Commissioner James Satcher absent, the board started the process of raising impact fees by 50% over the next four years, which is the maximum increase allowed by the state. The following table offers four examples of what builders will pay over the next four years to build new homes.

While the board voted in favor of collecting 100% of the impact fee schedule in November, the schedule was based on a study conducted in 2015 that used data from 2013 and 2014. Since 2017, the county has only been collecting 90%.

In November 2023, Commissioner George Kruse said that based on the old study, the county was only collecting 40 cents on the dollar for what current growth costs.

The other commissioners were hesitant to use the latest study submitted by a Tampa firm, Benesch, in April 2023, after the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association sent a critique of the study.

There were 11 points within the critique that Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said “essentially threatened litigation,” so commissioners elected to hold off on moving forward with the new study until the staff came back with more information.

“We can’t put the county in a situation where it gets sued,” Commissioner Ray Turner said of the delay. “This will impact developers, but it’s defensible now.”

The building association’s review claimed that the Benesch study was flawed and overstated impact fees for transportation and parks and recreation. It also disputes the charges for fee administration.  Benesch countered every point, and Director of Development Services Nicole Knapp told commissioners that the methodology Benesch used is the most commonly used methodology in the state.

TIMELINE

Impact fee studies must be updated every five years to comply with the Manatee County’s Land Development Code.

2015

Updated impact fee study was adopted.

2016

Fee study was put into effect with a scheduled collection of 80%.

2017 Commissioners raised the collection to 90%.

2018 Commissioners voted to keep the collection at 90%

2020

An updated impact fee study was conducted but not implemented.

2021 Due to new impact fee legislation, the study was modified.

2022 Impact fees were not brought before the board for a vote nor was the study updated.

April 2023

An updated study was presented to the board, and staff was directed to memorialize the study in the Land Development Code.

November 2023 Commissioners voted to increase collection to 100% using the 2015 study.

February 2024 Commissioners voted to increase impact fees by 50% over the next four years using the 2023 study.

County Attorney William Clague said moving forward with the new study was more legally defensible than using a study from 2015.  Under the Florida Impact Fee Act, once impact fees are raised, they cannot be raised again for another four years.

LESLEY

No time to sit

Chair David Otterness says his nonprofit will increase its advocacy in 2024.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Erik Hanson, the outgoing chair of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, said his one-year term involved a lot of planning for the future of the nonprofit.

So as he handed the customary giant gavel to the new chair, Willis Smith’s David Otterness, he said he was jealous of his successor in one aspect.

“David gets the joy of seeing it put into play,” Hanson told a sellout crowd at the Grove Feb. 23 in Lakewood Ranch.

Otterness wore a big smile as he agreed he will enjoy the fruits of a hard year of planning.

“As a board, we talked about ‘What do we want to be when we grow up?’”

Otterness said. “And we spent a lot of time putting together a strategic plan. We are going to be celebrating our 20th year, and as the business alliance has grown, so has the region.

(Schroeder-Manatee Ranch) has built out, and we need to be a bigger alliance and have a bigger seat at the particular tables. We will have a larger voice when it comes to advocacy.”

As Otterness spoke, the new vision and mission statements flashed on a big screen behind him.

The vision statement read, “To be the leading business organization, fostering a strong quality of life for business and residents of the Lakewood Ranch region.”

The mission statement read, “Support the success of our members through unparalleled access to business connections, resources, and advocacy.”

With 191 new members in 2023,

TAKE A CHAIR

What: New chair for Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance

Who: David Otterness of Willis

Smith Construction

David’s family: Wife Jennifer; daughters Alyssa (14) and Lauren (11)

Lives: Mill Creek

Hobbies: Hunting, visiting state parks, camping trips with his family

Did you know: The LWRBA added 191 members in 2023 and now has 706 total members

and 706 members total, Otterness said he wants to take the growing strength of the alliance for a ride.

“We will have stronger representation at the state level,” he said, “That doesn’t mean we are going to be about supporting candidates. We always are going to stay in our lanes. But we will advocate for things that are business friendly. My old man (the late John Otterness) always said, ‘If you are not involved in politics, politics will be involved with you.’”

Otterness faces a busy year. He is the Willis Smith Construction project executive for the $132 million Mote Science Education Aquarium that will be completed adjacent to Nathan Benderson Park by the end of the year.

He said the executives at Willis Smith promote community involvement and that makes it possible for him to help lead the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.

“I have a strong internal support system,” he said of Willis Smith. “We have good team members. I can’t thank them enough. They always are in my corner.”

A table of Willis Smith Construction executives bought a table at the LWRBA event and held huge cutouts

of Otterness’ face.

Also in attendance was Otterness’ wife, Jennifer. They have two daughters, 14-year-old Alyssa and 11-yearold Lauren. Otterness said his wife’s support was key in allowing him to give back to the community through the alliance.

He also said it will be easy to have success with such a talented LWRBA board.

“I try to learn from everybody else,” he said. “I ask what works and what doesn’t. We take a look at all our events on the calendar. You know, 99% of it comes down to communication.”

Hanson was asked if he gave Otterness any advice about being the board chair.

“I would tell him to trust your board members, because it is a great group,” Hanson said. “It is a great knowledge base. We have experts in every industry.”

During Hanson’s year as board chair, he said the nonprofit’s major growth has been inevitable.

“Every week it seems like Rex is adding another property,” he said

with a laugh.

The Rex he mentioned is Rex Jensen, the CEO and president of SMR.

Otterness said he will get advice from his 24-member board and Hanson, but he said the rock of the nonprofit is Brittany Lamont, the CEO and president.

“She keeps me on track,” Otterness said. “We just talk about stuff.”

He said one of his main roles is to be a connection between the community and the alliance and to explain how the alliance can help businesses out.

He also will be “defining our policies and procedures. At the end of the day, that is important to the success of our organization.”

Otterness was asked what he would say in trying to convince a member of the business community to join the alliance.

“I would say ‘I can open you up to a network of 706 companies,’” he said.

Jay Heater

The Willis Smith Construction crew came to support Dave Otterness — David Sessions, Rick Scherzer, Otterness, Brett Raymaker, Taylor Aultman, and John LaCivita

It’s moving day in An aerial shot shows the “bones” of the future Soleta Golf Club course in Myakka.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

For much

his professional golf career, Hall-of-Famer Nick Price was a force on “moving day.”

“Moving day” was a term used to describe the third round of a fourround tournament, when the sport’s top athletes would raise their game a notch, moving themselves into contention for a run at the title in the final round.

Now 67, Price no longer plays competitive golf, but every day he spends in Myakka is, indeed, moving day. Price is the chief architect for the Soleta Golf Club course, which is part of what developers aspire to make one of the nation’s most elite golf facilities, combining the 7,400yard course (from the tips) with David Ledbetter’s 30-acre practice facility. Developers David Turner and Charles Duff lead a group that also is planning 93 luxury homes with amenities.

The “moving day” part for Price these days has to do with dirt.

On an unusually windy, midFebruary day, Price was walking his layout, looking at possibilities to give the course “nuances” that will entertain any level of golfer after it opens late this year. His competitive spirit continues to burn brightly, which is reflected in him refusing to retreat to a makeshift construction office to get out of the heavy wind to do an interview. It was the kind of day when bandanas were needed so you don’t swallow the blowing dirt.

“This is a good day to talk,” Price said with a smile, noting that it’s hard to get actual work done with the wind whipping so hard.

ALL ABOUT THE BONES

Lacking any landscaping at this point, the course has a barren look, which makes it hard to imagine the eventual beauty which will be in place in just eight to 10 months. By that time, Price said more than 1 million cubic yards of dirt will have been moved. He is molding the land like a potter would mold the perfect vase.

Nick Price and his associate, Dean Bedwell, talk about the nuances of one of their greens.

Courtesy

Myakka

Soleta

All along the course are huge piles of sand, dug from areas that eventually will be retention ponds/lakes. The sand is just awaiting its assigned area. In fact, no dirt has been brought to the course from outside the 500acre Soleta parcel. It’s just being shifted around. But the look, right now, is bleak.

Price would disagree, though, saying it was quite beautiful to him that he could see the contour of the land, or the “bones” as he called it.

To understand his architect’s mind, consider that Price won The Open championship in 1994 at Turnberry in Scotland, where links golf is king.

“Golf is a game in the air, and on the ground,” Price said of his philosophy when designing a course. “It should be about the ability to run the ball, and not be all about carry. There should be a little mix. We’ve forgotten.”

With the Soleta ground barren, Price can get a good indication of whether a low iron shot that hits in front of a green is going to skip to the left or the right. He can picture slopes that can pull a shot into a hazard or a bunker.

Duff, who lives in Lakewood Ranch, is impressed by Price’s ability to picture in his mind what golfers of all levels will be facing as they play each hole. Golf legend Bobby Jones once said about Jack Nicklaus after the Golden Bear won the 1965 Masters, “Nicklaus played a game of which I am not familiar.”

While most people could say that about Price, who won 18 PGA Tour events, had 48 professional wins, and was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1994, he concentrates on being familiar with the game of the average Joe, who carries an 18 handicap. The talent in designing a golf course that will attract people from around the world is to make sure high handicap golfers will not be overwhelmed and can enjoy their day, while presenting significant challenges for scratch golfers or even pros.

“He has that ability that he can see a shot for everyone,” Duff said “And most of the golfers here will be midto high-handicappers.”

“I can’t build a golf course here for the pros,” Price said. “That’s not us. We are not building an Open course. We want people to enjoy playing this course; it’s is going to be striking. The idea is to offer a challenge, and to not beat people up.”

He noted that the best golfers still will be challenged.

“You can do that with angles,” he said. “With the shape of the green,

the difficulty of the shot going in (to the green).”

Price was asked if it is hard to envision what a high-handicap golfer will do on specific shots.

EVERY COURSE IS UNIQUE

“I played with four amateurs every Wednesday,” he said, noting that many pro tournaments host proams before the tourneys. “I know.”

And he also noted that this will be the 27th course he has designed or helped design. Born in South Africa and growing up in Zimbabwe, Price has designed courses in South Africa, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Ireland, the People’s Republic of China and the U.S., among others.

Duff and Turner were drawn to him after visiting the McArthur Golf Club, which Price designed in his now home of Hobe Sound on Florida’s east coast with famed architect Tom Fazio.

“Every course is unique, and I’ve learned a lot of things over the years that I can apply here,” Price said. “This is the biggest budget I have ever been given for a course.”

He said having the funds to move dirt and enhance the drainage system has made all the difference.

“We have six to 17 feet of elevation change,” he said. “This is not dead flat fairways, and then you push up greens. Those days are gone. We are giving the golfers something they are not used to seeing.”

RIGHT GUY FOR THE JOB

It is all being done on deadline.

“Overall, from a timing perspective, everything is going well,” Duff said. “There have been no big surprises.”

Price gets out in front of the little surprises, and Duff said that is what makes him special. As an example, Price designed the No. 5 tee shot over a hazard that would offer golfers quite the challenge to hit the fairway. However, upon walking the course, Price noted that the No. 5 fairway sloped toward another hazard. So a golfer could hit the perfect tee shot, and still be penalized. The slope of the fairway was redesigned.

“It’s all definitely important to him,” Duff said. “He’s got a great passion, and everyone loves him. We never had a doubt about him from the initial concept design. We wanted a hands-on guy, and he is just that. Somebody from his team is here every day. Nick wants this course to be known as one of the top private courses in America. We have high expectations.”

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Photos by Jay Heater

Suncoast Classic still thrives in its sixth year

For Justin Kristich, it is a good problem to have.

The director of the LECOM Suncoast Classic, Kristich has to figure out a way to provide more seating on the closing holes of the Lakewood National Golf Course.

Yes, more seating.

Kristich is now in his sixth year of running the Suncoast Classic, which wouldn’t be a big deal if this were a PGA Tour event and you could depend on stars like Rory McIlroy or Justin Spieth to show up every year.

The Suncoast Classic is no longer the new thing in Lakewood Ranch. Since it was played the first time in 2019, our area has hosted a World Golf Championship event in 2021 at the Concession, and a World Champions Cup (senior) event, also at the Concession, in December. The LPGA Drive On Championship was held in January at Bradenton Country Club.  As residents, we are being exposed to the sport’s highest level.

Does that diminish the power of the Korn Ferry Tour?

Apparently not.

LECOM has signed up for three more years as the event’s host sponsor. Lakewood National has signed up for another three years as the tournament host course.

And Kristich pushes forward, expecting area golf fans to pack the place from April 18-21. He noted last week that the Wednesday pro-am for the tournament is two groups from selling out. Another pro-am is being held the Monday before the event and that will be a sellout as well. The community has embraced the event more than ever. It’s interesting stuff considering it’s place in the sport. You are watching some of the world’s top golfers, but you don’t know who they are yet. Beyong Hun An, the winner in 2022, currently is 10th on the PGA Tour money list with $2,167,717. Mark Hubbard, the 2019

winner, is 30th at $1,064,849.

When they won in Lakewood Ranch, they were like Minor League Baseball players, faceless athletes wearing the same laundry.

Fortunately for Kristich, Korn Ferry Tour players can get up close with the fans, and the volunteers, and show off their personalities. There is less anonymity.

But Kristich knows he can’t count on the power of the athletes alone. He has to find attractions that make the most out of every event, and I stress “event.” I am a huge golf fan, but I would admit that one iron shot landing on the green looks pretty much like another. It’s a different feeling if you have a rooting interest. If you don’t, you had better be having a good time.

That could mean food and drinks, activities or being able to get up close to the athletes on the 17th and 18th holes.

When my son was about 7 years old, I took him once to a San Francisco Spiders Minor League Hockey game. We had no idea who any of the players were, but we landed some box seats right on the ice. After an hour of watching players banging into the boards right in front of our seats, and a couple of fights, and dodging pucks that hit the glass, we felt like millionaires in a luxury box. It was a great sports experience.

At the 17th and 18th holes at the Suncoast Classic, you can cozy up to the green and feel like a VIP. You start realizing that the players are

competing for a $1 million purse, and the pressure increases with each passing group. The tournament has a history of being decided on the final hole.

Then add the social aspect. Kristich has made sure those closing holes are somewhat of a party, as businesses book space to get as close as they can, and yet have an experience similar to the Sarasota Polo Club’s tailgating. Are those at polo actually watching the polo? I guess you could debate that one. At Lakewood National, the buzz in the crowd makes you wonder if some of those in attendance, perhaps with a few adult beverages under their belt, know that players might be changing their entire lives with one putt.

Sure, it’s a little noisy in a sport where one peep is one peep too many, but overall, the players appreciate the atmosphere. It’s not Phoenix (Hole 16 at the Waste Management Open), but it’s more rowdy than what most would consider normal for a golf tournament, and it is fun.

“It’s a fine line,” Kristich said. “But we don’t want a strict atmosphere.”

Not far from No. 18 is a Fun Zone, which Kristich said he is ramping for the upcoming tourney and adding a golf simulator.

“We want families to be able to enjoy a full day,” he said.

So here are a few notes from the tournament, in case you plan to attend.

■ Volunteer positions are filling up. The tournament signed up 450 volunteers last year, and this year the target goal is 475. All kinds of positions (marshals, hospitality, security, ticket takers, shuttles, driving range attendants) still are open, although 275 volunteers have taken spots. It costs $40 to volunteer, but you get a hat, T-shirt, a free round of golf and lunch and/ or dinner depending on your shift.

Volunteers are asked to work a minimum of three shifts that could last five to six hours depending on the task.

■ There is a need for ShotLink operators. These are volunteers who will be working green-side. Once the players hit their shots on the green, a ShotLink operator will go on to the green and line up their device (like a golf range finder) with the ball and the hole. The device will record distance of each putt. Kristich said the PGA Tour records how many feet of putts each golfer has made during an event, and the Korn Ferry Tour would like to keep pace. Volunteers don’t need any experience as instruction will be provided before the event.

■ Pro-ams are filling up quickly. If you want to play in a pro-am, sign up now as both events are almost filled.

■ The Lakewood National Clubhouse will be in use. For the first time, the clubhouse, with construction completed in the last year, is available to the players, who will have locker room facilities and a dining room. Kristich said that improvement puts the event in the “upper echelon” of Korn Ferry Tour events.

■ Ticket prices remain the same. It’s still $20 per round with specials for military personnel, veterans, kids, teachers, first responders and more.

For more information, for tickets or to sign up to volunteer, go to LECOMSuncoastClassic.com.

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

File photo

Scott Gutschewski holds up the 2023 LECOM Suncoast Classic trophy.

Festival features kosher food

Those seeking kosher food in the Lakewood Ranch area find themselves

RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Chanie Bukiet, with the Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch, said she has received dozens of calls from people in the community wondering where they can find kosher food options.  Bukiet’s answer always is: “The options are limited.”

Bukiet said the closest strictly kosher restaurant is in Sarasota. The closest kosher markets are in Wimauma, Sarasota or St. Petersburg.

So Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch is hosting its first Kosher Food Festival on March 3.

“This year, we wanted to bring events that have to do with mitzvahs, which are good deeds, things that we could connect to God,” Bukiet said. “With all the calls we’ve been get

The Kosher Food Festival will give people, whether they are Jewish, the opportunity to learn more about kosher foods, Bukiet said.

Bukiet said the menu will include corned beef or pastrami on rye, falafel, stuffed cabbage, potato knish, chicken matzah ball soup, sourdough challah and babka.

Bukiet said the menu was created with fan favorites in mind. She said the most popular food items at every Shabbat are sourdough challah and stuffed cabbage, so of course they’ll be on the festival’s menu.

“More people are becoming aware of keeping kosher,” Bukiet said. “A lot of people are moving here, a lot of Jewish people who keep a kosher home.”

A speciality people can order will be the gourmet kosher popcorn from Popinsanity. Another item is the babka, which will be shipped from a bakery in New York.

Although the festival is focused on food, there also will be arts and crafts, live music from the Klezmer Freylach Band and booths for people to make their own challah bread and hamantaschen pastries. There also will be inflatables for the kids.

With it being the Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch’s first Kosher Food Festival, Bukiet recommends attendees arrive early because the festival foods are available while supplies last.

She also recommends purchasing tickets in advance at ChabadOfBradenton.com/Kosher.

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A help connection

Making An Impact’s Community Connections Resource Guide contains information on over 300 local organizations that provide assistance.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells was the first person to place a bulk order for Making An Impact’s Community Connections Resource Guide.

The nonprofit can only afford to print 1,500 a year. Since a special reprint was needed to fill the order, the Sheriff Office’s star logo was added to the reference guides containing information on more than 300 organizations that provide assistance to residents in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

“Every day our deputies come in contact with people who have needs beyond what we as a law enforcement agency are equipped to handle,” Wells wrote in a testimonial. “It’s great to have the ready reference guide with a list of resource programs and organizations that can provide additional services.”

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when many Americans were on their sofas binge watching “Tiger King,” Victorian Kasdan spent her free time on the phone finding the right people and making a plan.  Kasdan is the former executive director of We Care Manatee Inc., a nonprofit that provides free healthcare to uninsured, low income residents. After transitioning her career into consulting, she found herself searching for something like the Community Connections Resource Guide on behalf of a client.

The only guide she found between Sarasota and Manatee counties was one that Turning Points produces for its homeless clients in Bradenton,

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Victoria Kasdan is a co-founder of Making An Impact.

but it only covers the surrounding service area, not the entire county.

During her search, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County connected Kasdan with Linda Hoy, a retired CPA volunteering her time at Bayside Community Church. Hoy had compiled a list of resources in a handwritten notebook that Kasdan described as being as big as a phone book.

Hoy had contacted the Community Foundation of Sarasota for help putting her notebook to use. She knew the information could be an asset to other helpers in the community, but she didn’t know what to do with it.

At first, Kasdan only contacted Hoy for her clients’ benefit. As her consulting clients dwindled at the start of the pandemic, Kasdan contacted Hoy to do something bigger with her notebook.

The pair formed the nonprofit Making An Impact and went to work in April 2020. The first resource guides were printed that August.

The guides focus on basic needs. Resources are divided among 17 categories, including addiction, employment, housing, food assistance and mental health services.

Wells has about 120 deputies on staff and found the guides so useful that he told Kasdan he would be sharing them with staff members who work with inmates being released and agencies his office works closely with, like Hope Family Services, a domestic violence center.

Making An Impact also gives some guides away to individuals through outreach events in low-income communities.

“The guides were originally intended to give to those who help others,” Kasdan said. “That’s how we figured as a small group we could have a bigger impact. They see hundreds and thousands of people in whatever they do.”

Whether that means contact with a domestic violence center or homeless shelter, Kasdan said nine times out of 10, people need additional services.

When Hurricane Ian hit, Making An Impact created the Disaster Recovery Resource Guide, which was printed and distributed only two weeks later, along with cards and

posters that contained a QR code.

Both the basic needs guide and disaster guide can be found on the nonprofit’s website. The searchable web app is available in more than 20 languages and can search for services according to the user’s location.

The nonprofit is currently launching a Pharmacy Discount Resource Guide, too.

“Medications are very expensive,”

Kasdan said. “This one covers where you can get discounts — discount cards, coupons, foundation programs, government programs, online pharmacies and retail programs.”

The guide also includes educational information, such as how to spot an online pharmacy scam.

Making An Impact currently has seven volunteers, three of whom work directly on the guides. The nonprofit is seeking sponsors to hire a staff person and support the operational expenses.

“The guide cost of $8 helps (the disaster guide costs $6), but even at that price, it doesn’t cover all our expenses,” Kasdan said. “Our board members donate, and we apply for grants. Our biggest challenge as a small, all-volunteer organization is that demand for our service exceeds our financial and human capital resources.”

The guides are updated every year, and organizations can also apply for grants to purchase them.

James Stephen ‘Steve’ Cox

1951-2024

and charitable organizations.

He attended Ballard Elementary, Walker Junior High, Manatee High School, and Northwood University, leading up to his career as a fourth-generation Chevy dealer for Cox Chevrolet, a role he shared with his partner and brother, Gary Cox.

He is predeceased by his father, James Olin Cox Jr.; his mother, Joyce Purinton Cox Greene; his wife, Judy Musgrave Cox; and his grandson, Jesse Logan Lipsey, who was lost to a miscarriage. He is survived by his siblings Cindy Moore of Palmetto, FL; Nancy (Burt) Harris of Vilano Beach, FL; Gary (Shannon) Cox of Bradenton, FL; his children Tammy (Justin) Leavell, Jennifer (Jamie) Lipsey, and Jay (Jennifer) Cox; his seven grandchil-

dren, Lexi and Olin Leavell; Jaden and Jordan Lipsey; Ellie, Emma, and Goldie Cox; along with his many nieces and nephews, each of whom held a special place in his heart.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 1pm at First Baptist Church of Palmetto, 1020 4th St. W., Palmetto FL 34221, with a Celebration of Life service at 2pm at the Church. Committal will be held at Manasota Memorial Park immediately following the service. We will gather for a dinner reception from 5pm-7pm at Robert Toale & Sons Funeral Home at Manasota Park, located at 1221 53rd Ave E, Bradenton, FL 34203. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to make a memorial contribution to

Suncoast Youth for Christ, a cause close to Steve’s heart.

Contributions can be sent to PO BOX 123, Bradenton, FL 34206, or made online at https://suncoastyfc.org/. Griffith-Cline Funeral Home is in charge of handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.griffithcline. com. For those unable to attend, we invite you to join us by watching the live stream at https://www. fbcpalmetto.com/fbcmedia/livestream.html.

Making An Impact resource guides make finding help easier for organizations and individuals.

SPORTS

Fast Break

B…

…

as of Feb. 26.

Lakewood Ranch High girls lacrosse sophomore Gabbie Hotaling had six goals and three assists in the Mustangs’ 18-8 home win over Sarasota High on Feb. 20. The Mustangs are 3-2 as of Feb. 26.

Former Lakewood Ranch High softball star McKenzie Clark, a junior outfielder at Clemson University, had two hits, one walk and one RBI on Feb. 23 in the Tigers’ 9-1 win over the University of Mississippi. The Tigers are 11-2. Clark is hitting .324 and has a .490 on-base percentage. She has been hit-by-pitch seven times.

“I get the ‘runner’s high’ now and then. That’s a good rush.”

— Lakewood Ranch High’s Vicente Rivera SEE PAGE 16A

FOURTH TIME’S A CHARM?

The Cougars have reached the Class 3A state tournament four years in a row but have yet to win the title.

SPORTS EDITOR

After hoisting her girls basketball team’s regional championship trophy alongside her teammates, Cardinal Mooney junior forward Kali Barrett wiped tears from her eyes.

The East County athlete has been here before, as this will be her thirdstraight trip to the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A state tournament in Lakeland, and this will be the Cougars’ fourthstraight trip. Cardinal Mooney (21-6) will take on Seffner Christian (25-4) at 1 p.m. Feb. 28. The winner will advance to the state championship game on March 1.

The state tournament is functionally a final four and Cardinal Mooney program has yet win the title. Cardinal Mooney is going back because of a 64-40 home win over Tampa Catholic (21-7) on Feb. 22 in the regional finals.

Barrett and the Cougars are determined to change their state tournament fate. Barrett said the tears she shed after the regional title win came because she believes now is Cardinal Mooney’s time.

“This is the year,” Barrett said with a smile.

Barrett’s teammates include fellow East County athletes in Madi Mignery, a freshman forward; Talia Busser, a sophomore guard; and Avery Davis, a junior guard.

The 6-foot-2 Barrett, who holds NCAA Division I offers from the University of Dayton and George Mason University, among 13 other schools, leads the way. She is averaging 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and can elevate her game even further when necessary. Against Tampa Catholic, Barrett scored 27 points. Barrett’s optimism about her team’s fate doesn’t stem solely from her own performances, though. This year’s Cardinal Mooney squad is deeper than in any of its previous three runs to the state tournament, Barrett said.

The 6-foot-1 Mignery’s arrival has

FHSAA GIRLS BASKETBALL CLASS 3A STATE SEMIFINAL

Who: Cardinal Mooney High (21-6) vs. Seffner Christian (25-4)

When: 1 p.m. Feb. 28

Where: RP Funding Center in Lakeland

At stake: A spot in the March 1 state championship game East County athletes: Cardinal Mooney juniors Kali Barrett and Avery Davis, sophomore Talia Busser and freshman Madi Mignery

Of note: Cardinal Mooney has now reached the state tournament four years in a row How to watch: The game will be streamed on NFHSNetwork. com.

given the Cougars someone who can play in the post as well as bring the ball up court and drive to the basket. Mignery averages 10.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and plays sticky defense. Against Tampa Catholic, Mignery had 12 points and either blocked or redirected several shots in the paint on defense, which the team routinely turned into transition offense.

The other East County members of the team, Busser (6.7 points per game) and Davis (1.7 points per game), play smaller roles off the bench, but the Cougars also get big contributions from Sarasota-area athletes like junior guards Sy’monique Simon (12.2 points, 5.8 rebounds per game), Bri Behn (7.9 points, 3.5 assists per game) and senior forward Sam Kotasek (4.1 points per game). Under direction from head coach Marlon Williams, the Cougars emphasize defense, yet have potent scorers. The result is a team that can win games in multiple ways.  It is also a team that spent the first half of its season trying to find itself. The Cougars had an 8-6 record at the end of 2023.

The calendar year was capped with a 59-35 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas High (21-9) on Dec. 30 at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational, held at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel.

“We got our butts kicked,” Barrett said.

The loss was the low point of the team’s season, Barrett said, but it was also the moment the team realized things needed to change. There had to be more focus, more hustle

and more energy.

Mooney has not lost a game since.

Though getting to the state tournament has become the expectation for the Cardinal Mooney program, Mignery is new to it all as a freshman. She spent the regional title celebration hugging her teammates, but remained dry-eyed.

Mignery was glad her team won, but was already thinking about what still remains.

“I’m excited, but we have two games left to win,” Mignery said. “We have to have a ‘one game at a time’ mentality and keep working as hard as we can. We have a lot more to prove.”

Mignery said her physical play in the paint comes naturally. She loves to disrupt opponents and frustrate them, she said. Not only is it good for her team, she said, but it awakens the crowd, which provides Mignery with even more energy. Mignery is a style of player Cardinal Mooney has not had in past visits to the state tournament.

The team’s East County contingent will need to stay sharp against Seffner Christian, though they will enter as the favorite. The Crusaders are ranked No. 4 in Class 3A and No. 19 in Florida by MaxPreps, while Cardinal Mooney is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A and No. 13 in Florida.

Ryan Kohn Braden River High senior wrestler Gage Wiggins is 57-1 at 165 pounds after finishing second at the regional.

Cardinal Mooney High freshman Madi Mignery drives past Tampa Catholic’s Zalani Carter for a basket. Mignery finished with 12 points.

Cardinal Mooney High junior Kali Barrett follows through after making a 3-point attempt against Tampa Catholic in the regional championship game. Barrett finished with 27 points.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

RYAN KOHN

A World Series remembered

World Series, held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. That’s approximately 0.0038% of all Little Leaguers in the world.

In 1997, a group of Lakewood Ranch Little League kids beat the odds.

According to the Little League parent organization, there were 2,993,760 Little Leaguers playing Majors-level ball — 9-12 years old — that year across the globe. Only eight teams, consisting of 14 kids each, reached the sport’s annual culmination: the Little League

Through talent and a bit of luck, the Lakewood Ranch group of All-Stars — known as the Manatee East All-Stars back then — became some of the lucky few. They battled through the South regional tournament to reach that point, including a squeaker against the Texas’ representative in the regional final, then held tough in the World Series itself, reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by California. Ultimately, the squad representing Mexico won the whole thing.

Getting to that point was an

accomplishment all its own. The team is the only Manatee County team to reach the Little League World Series.

On Feb. 24, as part of Lakewood Ranch Little League’s opening day festivities — the league is in its 35th season — the organization honored the 1997 All-Stars, making sure current and future baseball players know what was accomplished.

Team members Rod Harper, Mike Cucci, Larry Cobb, Jon Cassidy, Brandon Noel, Trevor Blair, Scottie Ellis and Ryan Kennedy, along with head coach Mike Kennedy were on hand to be presented a commemorative plaque that will hang at the organization’s fields. The plaque contains the names of all the 1997

team’s players and coaches and recognizes the World Series appearance.

Afterward, while current Little Leaguers played exhibition games, members of the 1997 team reminisced about their glory days.

The common theme?

“Resilience,” Blair said. “We had a ‘never quit’ attitude.”

Blair said the team found itself in a number of tough situations along its path to the World Series, none more heart-pounding than the aforementioned game against Texas. As recalled by Ryan Kennedy, a pitcher on the 1997 team and the former head baseball coach at Lakewood Ranch High, the team was down 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Worse, they did not even have a hit.

Three outs from elimination, the team rallied.

The team’s offense used small ball strategies to get on base and advance runners. Only a single by Joel Cocciolone left the infield, Kennedy said, but it scored Kennedy from third base. The game went into extra innings, and the kids from Lakewood Ranch eventually won 3-2 in 10 innings.

“Our coaches put it into our heads that anything was possible,” Blair said. “It took awhile, but we got there. We believed it.”

Once in Williamsport, Ryan Kennedy said, things felt a bit different. The players did not get to see their parents much, he said, getting whisked from their hotels to the games with the supervision of their coaches. They played in front of a significantly bigger audience than they were used to, especially in the second game of the threegame opening round, when the team played a squad from nearby Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In the stands were 35,000 people, which Kennedy said was, at the time, an LLWS record for a nonchampionship game. The Lakewood Ranch kids won 5-0.

For kids who lived and breathed baseball, it felt like a dream.

“You would walk from the fields to the dorms, and you had people

asking for your autograph,” Kennedy said. “They treat you like big-leaguers.”

That was one memory the players shared. Noel said some members of the team had not seen each other in a decade or longer, and that it was nice to reminisce. But as happy as the team members were to be there, they were just as enthusiastic in their wish that another team from Manatee County matches their feat.

“I want the next generation to experience that stuff,” Noel said. “You’re 12 years old. You might only be going 1,000 miles away, but you’re meeting kids from, potentially, anywhere in the world. I beat some from kids from Japan in ping pong. That was my favorite thing.”

Come summer, another group of All-Stars will get their shot. Not just at Lakewood Ranch Little League, but at Braden River Little League and elsewhere in the county. The odds of reaching Williamsport are long, but someone has to go. It might as well be a Manatee County representative.

For anyone who makes an AllStar team, take note of the lessons the 1997 team is giving. The road to Williamsport is long, and it is hard. There will be challenges. There will be times when you stare failure in the face. In those times, perseverance is a must.

The rewards are multiple, trophies and medals among them. But the real treasure of going on such a journey is never forgetting it. No matter where you and your Little League teammates go next, you’ll always have the memories of what you accomplished together.

“I can’t emphasize this enough: We were a family,” Kennedy said. “We always picked each other up.”

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

Ryan Kohn

The 1997 Manatee East All-Stars receive a commemorative plaque, which will hang at Lakewood Ranch Little League’s fields. The team reached the Little League World Series in Williamsport, getting eliminated in the semifinals.

The 1997 Lakewood Ranch Little League All-Star team reached the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Vicente Rivera

Vicente Rivera is a junior on the Lakewood Ranch High boys track and field team. Rivera won the 3,200-meter race (10:11.48) by 15.35 seconds at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational held Feb. 22 at Lakewood Ranch High.

When did you start competitive running? I started running as a freshman in high school. I did not know if I actually wanted to do it or not until I saw my JROTC first sergeant (Dylan Underwood) run. He was a senior. I saw how fast he could run, and I said, ‘I want to be like that.’

What is the appeal to you?

It gives me a good feeling. I get the ‘runner’s high’ now and then. That’s a good rush. But I also think I can run in college. It could help me get into places.

Do you prefer track or crosscountry?

Cross-country. I like that the courses are more diverse.

How did it feel to win the 3,200 at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational?

It was euphoria. I did not expect to win, but I felt like I had a little more left in me at the end, so I went for it and pulled ahead. It was a personal record for me. I just thought, ‘Wow, I cannot believe I did it.’ It is my first win at the varsity level.

What is your favorite running memory?

Well, winning the 3,200 was pretty memorable. But I also had a mo ment during cross-country season in the fall. I was on a 10-mile run by myself near Greenbrook Adventure Park, and I went over a hill. It was a bridge that arched upward. It was beautiful. I felt peace in that mo ment. It was nice.

What are your goals for this track season?

At the beginning of the season I wanted to get under 10 minutes in the 3,200. At the pace I’m going now, I feel like I’ll probably break

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.

that, so now my big goal is getting under 9:50. I also want to get under 4:40 in the 1,600.

What is your favorite food?

I love a double cheeseburger from Culver’s. I get one after every single race with my dad (Humberto Rivera).

What is your favorite school subject?

U.S. History. I know a good amount of it, so the tests are easy, but I also just find it interesting. The United States has gone through a lot in the last 200 years or so. It’s incredible.

What are your hobbies?

Honestly, I like to run a lot in my free time. But I also play games with my friends, or every now and then read a book.

What is the best advice you have received?

Just run miles. The rest (of the skills) will come later.

Finish this sentence: “Vicente Rivera is …” … Persistent. That’s what distance running is about.

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STILL STANDING

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Walking into the oneroom Sandy Baptist Church in 2019, Pastor Mark Albritton had his doubts.

He had been working at Bayside Church in Lakewood Ranch and was used to a big, modern church. He considered taking a teaching position at Bayside College.

Meanwhile, Sandy Baptist Church was more than 120 years old in Myakka City and hadn’t seen much change in all those years.

But the Sandy Baptist Church board was asking Mark Albritton to take over as pastor after his father, Larry Albritton, retired. Larry Albritton served as pastor of Sandy Baptist from 1991 to 2019.  Mark Albritton had an important question.

How was he going to respect the traditions and history of Sandy Baptist Church and his father’s legacy while modernizing it to attract younger families and grow the congregation?

In January, Mark Albritton reflected on his more than four years leading the church. After an initial renovation to bring the run-down church building back to life and another project to repair Hurricane Ian damages, Albritton said his hard work paid off.

He stepped down in December to focus on his family and passed the pastor duties to Josh Richter, who now has the responsibility of keeping the church vibrant as it heads into the future.

In 2019, Albritton decided to take a “temporary” role as pastor at Sandy Baptist Church, but that temporary role stretched out to more than four years.

When, and if, the church reaches its 150th birthday, parishioners might deem those four-plus years to be the most important in the church’s history. Albritton went about restoration projects by letting the church’s history guide him. The church was built in 1887, and the church itself incorporated in 1904.

While someone outside the congregation might not have taken on the job, the church has been significant to the Albritton family for decades. His father, Larry Albritton, who is now 81, lived down the road from the church growing up.

Larry Albritton would pass the church every day on his way to his school bus stop.

“It was nothing for a country kid to walk two miles down the road at the age of 8,” he said.

He remembered riding his horse to the church and stopping to use a well to get water for him and his horse. He

said the church also would be a stop after a night of partying to “calm down” before he went home.

He never imagined he would later preach at Sandy Baptist Church and eventually make it his home-based church.

The church was built in the middle of a 10-acre cow pasture. The church only owned five acres, and the church’s property line actually ran right down the middle of the building, with half the church on a neighboring property. Every time Larry Albritton preached, he trespassed, depending on where he was standing in the building. The congregation came together to purchase the other five acres in 2005.

Throughout his time as pastor, Larry Albritton grew the congregation to between 40 and 50 parishioners attending service every Sunday.

That included Sarasota’s MaryAnne Hecht.

She stumbled upon the church in 2004, after a particularly bad hurricane season for Florida. Hecht, who was a digital photography teacher at the time, was taking photos of the damage in Myakka City when she came across what she thought was a “little abandoned, one-room schoolhouse,” but she realized it wasn’t what it seemed when she saw a sign that read, “Sunday service 11 a.m.”

Soon after, Hecht decided to attend an Easter service. When she arrived, a man on a horse was riding up to the church. Hecht asked the man why he was riding his horse. He told her his car broke down — how else was he supposed to get there?

The Albrittons remembered when the church hosted Cowboy Day and Old Fashioned Day, which would each draw more than 100 people to the church. Cowboys would come from all over the state, and Old Fashioned Day would teach people what it was like to live in the 1800s and 1900s.

Back in the day, the church performed baptisms in the pond on the church’s property, even as gators swam around.

People loved the tight-knit community created at the church. Hecht said if people needed prayer, Larry Albritton would invite them to

the front of the church and everyone would come together to pray for them. But as much as he loved the history and traditions of the church, Mark Albritton knew he needed to make changes to draw in younger families.

The modernizations weren’t met without some resistance from parishioners.

When he started at the church in 2019, he said it was in disarray with cracked windows and debris all over. Parishioners had been donating items that didn’t always have a purpose at the church.

Mark Albritton got rid of the clutter, had the church painted, repaired the windows and purchased new songbooks.

The thought of adding a TV and video equipment to the church was controversial, but Mark Albritton said it was necessary to infuse technology. He also added microphones at the pulpit and for the musicians. He wanted the ability to live stream services.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Although it was an adjustment for all, attending services via live streams on Facebook became a norm for the parishioners. The services continue to be live streamed every Sunday.

Even with the modernizations, Mark Albritton was committed to staying true to the rustic, Old Florida feel of the church.

He was determined to keep the outhouse that remains on the property, although it’s not used anymore. Parishioners are able to use the restrooms in the fellowship hall. He said the outhouse has been updated a few times to ensure it remains standing.

“There’s not too many left in Florida, so we’re kind of proud of our outhouse,” Albritton said. “It’s actually what we used when I first started coming here when my dad was preaching here.”

Also remaining is the long wooden picnic table where the parishioners would have lunch after service every Sunday when Larry Albritton was pastor.

Former Pastor Mark Albritton oversaw a restoration project that helped save the 120-year-old Sandy Baptist Church in Myakka.

Sandy Baptist Church stands on Clay Gully Road. The church incorporated in 1904.

Former Pastor Mark Albritton, who served as pastor of Sandy Baptist Church from 2019 to 2023, says preserving history was a priority in the church’s renovation.

YOUR CALENDAR

Feb. 29, 7 p.m. March 1, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 2, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. March 3 under the big top at Nathan Benderson Park. Circus Sarasota is back with a show that features various entertainers from around the world. Tickets are $30 and up. Shows run daily except for Mondays and Tuesdays. For a list of times, shows and prices, go to CircusArts.org.

THURSDAY, FEB. 29 THROUGH

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

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 Ramblers (Saturday) and Mike Sales (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts have a $5 cover; the other concerts are free. For more information, visit JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1 AND SATURDAY, MARCH 2

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. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 GUIDE DOGS WALKATHON

Begins at 9 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon includes a 3K walk and the “Waggin’ Tails Festival,” which features music, food, vendors, a beer garden and a raffle drawing. Registration is free, though fundraising for Southeastern Guide Dogs is encouraged. For more information, visit NathanBendersonPark.org or GuideDogs.org.

MAIN STREET MARKET

Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Shop

BEST BET

FRIDAY, MARCH 1

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The North Carolina band Eireann’s Call will play Celtic rock, featuring bagpipes and fiddles. Proceeds from the event will benefit Manatee Children’s Services. The free concert and block party series features live music, food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths and games and activities for kids (sponsored by Grace Community Church). For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

from more than 70 local vendors featuring boutiques, candles, baked goods, sweets, jewelry, live music and more. For more information, send an email to MainStreetMarketLWR@gmail.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

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. Gates open at 10 a.m. Besides the polo action, enjoy the opening parade, halftime wagon rides and food and drinks. Enjoy the traditional divot stomping at halftime. 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. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

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.

Ranchers sail away together

Local residents board a cruise with the area’s sports and social organization.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

While the rest of the cruise passengers were dressed up for the ship’s formal night, the 250 MVP Sports and Social members had a different idea — they wore pirate costumes.

Lakewood Ranch’s Kelly Harmon said they weren’t just talking about T-shirts and eye patches for those representing Lakewood Ranch’s primary sports and social group. They went all out.

Leading the way were MVP Sports and Social founders Chris McComas and his wife, Jessi McComas.

OH WHAT FUN

MVP Sports and Social organized a cruise filled with various events and activities including:

■ Pirate costume contest

■ Dance party

■ Karaoke night

■ Team challenges and activities

■ Comedy show

McComas wore a 10-foot pirate mascot costume, while Jessi McComas brought Mr. Smee from Disney’s “Peter Pan” to life.

Harmon said the photos of members dressed up were posted on MVP Sports and Social’s social media so members not making the trip could vote on best costumes and still feel like they were part of the event.

Whether it was Pirate Night, Karaoke Night, Comedy Night, the Super Bowl Watch Party or even during the excursions around Cozumel, those who attended the Carnival cruise on Feb. 8-12 said it is one they’ll never forget.  McComas said he and his wife always are looking for ways to provide new opportunities for Lakewood Ranch residents to connect. The cruise was an immediate hit.

Lakewood Ranch’s Melissa Hueser said she got to know other members of her cornhole league, as well as those who play other sports in the social group. For example, she said she met those who played in MVP’s volleyball, cornhole, disc golf and mini golf leagues all in one trip to a Jacuzzi.

Through much of the trip, those with the MVP group carried cutouts of Chris McComas’ face during their various adventures, whether it was

swimming with dolphins, snorkeling, touring a distillery or drinking at a local bar. McComas joked he was able to see all of Cozumel without actually being there.

Although MVP organized games and events, Hueser and Harmon said the beauty of the cruise was that none of it was required, but no one wanted to miss out on the activities.

On the first day, all 250 members wore their MVP Sports and Social cruise shirts. They gathered on the helipad of the ship for a group photo. McComas said the group photo brought him an “incredible feeling of community.”

Courtesy images

MVP Sports and Social members represent their favorite teams during the Super Bowl watch party.

MVP Sports and Social members go all out for the pirate costume contest. Photos were posted on social media so members at home could vote for best costume.

Daryl Haworth and Chris McComas splash around the pool.

Campout a natural fit

For 13 years, Lakewood Ranch’s Nicole Thibodeau has been asking her husband, Phil Thibodeau, to take her camping.

To celebrate her birthday Feb. 24, Phil Thibodeau made Nicole Thibodeau’s wish come true.

The Thibodeaus took their kids, 7-yearold Lochlan, 5-year-old Zolana and 4-yearold Dexon, to Lakewood Ranch Community Activities’ annual Community Campout at Greenbrook Adventure Park.

Nicole Thibodeau said she loved camping as a child, when she and her dad would go to Mount Washington in New Hampshire in February to brave the cold weather.

“We would spend a couple of days out there, and it was absolutely freezing, but it was nice to be close to nature,” she said. “The conveniences of life make it so easy. Camping includes good skills for my kids to learn.”

Andy Caiano said he helped each of the families with pitching their tents.

“I didn’t come here as the expert (in pitching tents), but I’m leaving here as the expert,” he said.

— LIZ RAMOS

Photos by Liz Ramos

The McDermott, Caiano, Reed and Sierra families, who all are neighbors in Harmony, participate in the Community Campout.

E.T., a barred owl, makes an appearance at the Community Campout. Barred owls are one of the more common owls in the Lakewood Ranch area.

Justin Layman sings a song from Disney’s “Moana.”

Lakewood Ranch’s Phil

Zolana and 4-year-old son Dexon camping at the Adventure

Strut for scholarships

BAllen and Be-Be Hansen have attended “quite a few” fashion shows together.

The friends have been members of the Palm-Aire Women’s Club for 25 years. Hansen said she hasn’t had her widebrimmed black hat quite that long, but the former club president wore the statement piece to a least the past two year’s events

On Feb. 23, the club held its annual fashion show and fundraiser. Proceeds benefit local nonprofit organizations, such as Mothers Helping Mothers and Second Chance Last Opportunity.

The funds also provide scholarships for students attending the State College of Florida and Manatee Technical College.

Event Co-chair Ann King said there’s one more thing people should know about the club: It’s not just for Palm Aire residents.

“You can live anywhere,” she said. “It’s open to women all over the community. About 35% of our members are from outside of Palm Aire.”

The club has about 120 members, and 200 people attended the show. The fashions were provided by Darci Jacob, who owns Darci, a boutique on Main Street in Sarasota.

Club members and one scholarship recipient modeled designer clothes and accessories. The models wore huge smiles, waved to friends and stopped for hugs in between strutting and twirling around the room.

A mini-boutique was set up in the back of the ballroom so guests could shop after lunch. Clothes in the show were also for sale, but the models got first dibs. Guests received a 10% discount, and Jacob donated 10% of the day’s sales back to the club.

“Fashion should be fun, instill confidence and help empower women to feel great,” Jacob said. — LESLEY DWYER

Joanne Harwell is one of eight models in the “Stepping Out” fashion show at the Palm Aire Country Club on Feb. 23.

Beverly Allen and Be-Be Hansen have been members of the Palm Aire Women’s Club for 25 years. Allen is the former club historian, and Hansen is a former club president.

Kay Kwenski is ready for happy hour with this colorful clutch bag. Her button down shirt is by David Cline.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer Co-chairs of this year’s fashion show are Ann King and Sherry Kenny.

Katherine Pike opens up this black clutch to reveal its secret message.

There’s a Lot More to Learn About Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson

A fascinating presentation on March 7 at The Ora explains how their rivalry shaped the future of our country.

Almost everyone knows the story now.

Alexander Hamilton was born in Nevis in 1755. When he was only 15, a hurricane ravaged the West Indies. Hamilton wrote a letter about the devastating storm with such poetic eloquence that a fund was established to send this precocious young intellectual to New York for a formal education.

His abilities came to the attention of George Washington, who recognized Hamilton’s leadership abilities, and his extraordinary talent for writing. At age 20 Hamilton became Washington’s aide-de-camp and played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. He was an impassioned champion of a strong federal government, and played a key role in ratifying the U.S. Constitution. As the first secretary of the U.S. Treasury, Hamilton built a financial foundation for the new nation against fierce opposition from archrival Thomas Jefferson. In 1804 he was killed by political foe Aaron Burr in a duel.

Most of us forget that less than a decade ago few Americans knew the historical details above, although the name Alexander Hamilton was certainly familiar. Of course, the musical Hamilton changed all that. In 2015 Hamilton received a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations and won 11 awards, including Best Musical, and then went on to receive the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Of course, Hamilton is not a documentary, it’s a musical. To present it’s remarkable story in a short time there are some parts that are omitted or embellished. Specifically, while Alexander Hamilton’s relationship with Thomas Jefferson is an important part of the musical, Professor Louis Masur felt that many people would like to know even more about that particular aspect of American History, as the Hamilton-Jefferson rivalry was a defining event in shaping the political foundation of our country.

Professor Masur teaches History and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is a cultural historian who has written on a variety of topics. He has received teaching prizes from Harvard University, the City College of New York, Trinity College and Rutgers University because of his universally recognized ability to explain and dramatize history in a compelling way for both college students and older Americans.

TO ATTEND

What: Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rivarly that Shaped America

When: Thursday, March 7

10 am - Noon

Where: The Ora Event

Venue, 578 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota | Free Parking

Cost: $49 per attendee

To purchase tickets, visit: YourObserver.com/hamilton-tickets

Historian Louis Masur recounts rivalry between Hamilton, Jefferson during a recent lecture.

ACOUNTRY CLUB

Joshua Paul Oakes Laurianne

Alexandra Jackson and Daniel Ryan Oakes, trustees, of Kansas City, Kansas, sold the home at 13711 Red Rock Place to Samuel Mateer, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,795,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,784 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in 2019.

Larry and Barbara Clemons, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 7609 Silverwood Court to Deborah Vainieri and Humberto Vainieri, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,025,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,616 square feet of living area.

WINDWARD

Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2499 Star Apple Way to Michael Steven Wentzel and Jennifer Adele Wentzel, of New York City, for $1,434,000. Built in 2023, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,711 square feet of living area.

Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2549 Paradise Plum Drive to Gary Edward Gronfors and Cindy Sorensen, of Sarasota, for $1,121,300. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,700 square feet of living area.

Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2488 Star Apple Way to Michael Kruter and Yalene Kruter, trustees, of Bellmore, New York, for $761,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,066 square feet of living area.

Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2918

Butterfly Jasmine Trail to Gary Williams Skaats and Andrea Carlson, of Holbrook, New York, for $508,400. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,527 square feet of living area.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Philip and Linda Box, trustees, of Parrish, sold the home at 5410 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Wayne and Carol Hoffman, of Cortez, for $1.25 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-andtwo-half baths, a pool and 3,459 square feet of living area. It sold for $640,300 in 2016.

MALLORY PARK

Matthew and Kelly Edwards, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12317 Portsmouth Terrace to Lisa Marie Renn, of Milford, Ohio, for $1,032,500. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,483 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2022.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Randy and Margaret Paul, of Venice, sold their home at 315 Blackbird Court to Ronald Mark Schafer and Kimberly Grace Schafer, of Bradenton, for $1.03 million. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,251 square feet of living area. It sold for $462,000 in 2015.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

John and Frances Kerekes sold their home at 7207 River Club Blvd. to Michael and Lindsey Slewidge, of Bradenton, for $975,000. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,094 square feet of living area.

Long Term Capital Partnership VI LLC sold the home at 7547 Tori Way to Julie and Gary Goodwin, of Bradenton, for $910,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,098 square feet of living area.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

Gregory Wayne Thompson and Catherine Thompson, trustees, of Denver, North Carolina, sold the home at 207 167th Blvd. E. to Gerard and Lisa McCool, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,800 square feet of living area. It sold for $559,900 in 2020.

WOODLEAF HAMMOCK

Gregory John Brindza and Yesenia Brindza, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11512 Apple Tree Circle to Keith Brian Leo and Julie Anne Leo, of Orchard Park, New York, for $915,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,299 square feet of living area. It sold for $522,800 in 2021.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Phong Vo and Jennifer Ho, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4715 Spinnaker Drive to Keith and Christina Nierodzinski, of Sarasota, for $828,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,051 square feet of living area. It sold for $805,000 in 2021.

DEL WEBB

Thomas and Linda O’Halloran, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 18003 Manchester Place to James and Elaine Schipper, of Bradenton, for $815,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,126 square feet of living area. It sold for $601,300 in 2021.

TREYMORE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE

Richard and Hua Lipke, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7122 Treymore Court to Stanley Dziedzic Jr. and Mary Ellen Sokol, of Saddle Brook, New Jersey, for $760,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,523 square feet of living area. It sold for $580,000 in 2019.

ESPLANADE

Kenneth and Noreen Duronio, trustees, sold the home at 5059 Serata Drive to Janeen Graf, of Bradenton, for $626,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $345,600 in 2014.

SAPPHIRE POINT

Gregory and Cathleen Compa, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6114 Bluestar Court to Jonathan Michael Kelley and Lindsey Ryann Godwin, of Lakewood Ranch, for $569,900. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,334 square feet of living area. It sold for $534,300 in 2021.

WINGSPAN WAY AT TARA

Julie and Timmy Schiller, of Denver, sold their home at 6205 Wingspan Way to Jizzel Anne De Leon and Derick Paul De Leon, of Bradenton, for $565,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,771 square feet of living area. It sold for $294,000 in 2020.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

HBT at Waterside LLC sold the home at 8104 Sternway Road to Michael Flannelly and Kevin Christopher Flannelly, of Roxbury Township, New Jersey, for $520,800. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,810 square feet of living area.

LONGPOND AT MOTE RANCH

Steven Warren, trustee, of Seminole, sold the home at 6923

WHITEBRIDGE COURT

square feet of living area. It sold for $266,000 in 2017.

Maria Rodriguez-Gnos, of Myakka City, sold her home at 15211 Peaceful Bull Place to Kieran Mills, of Broad Channel, New York, for $391,500. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,505 square feet of living area. It sold for $248,000 in 2016.

Bernd Ferber and Birgit SchraderFerber, trustees, sold the home at 7717 Whitebridge Glen to Alexander Farkes, of Chicago, for $480,000. Built in 1994, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,609 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2014.

EVENT CHAIRS

The challenges kept coming for Mark Albritton as Hurricane Ian tore through Myakka City in September 2022.

A month before Hurricane Ian hit, Mark Albritton had a deck built on the back of the church. He envisioned the deck could be used for outside activities, children’s performances and sunrise Easter service.

A few parishioners found shelter in the church’s fellowship hall during Hurricane Ian. Although they sent videos of the damage to Mark Albritton, they still didn’t prepare him for what he would see driving up to the church.

The hurricane ripped off a large part of the roof and blew out the front wall, exposing the interior and saturating the floor and everything inside. Much of what was inside, such as the piano and books, were destroyed.

Trees all around the church had fallen.

Despite the damage, the church remained standing.

“It looked like a war zone,” Mark Albritton said. “I shed some tears that day, but I knew that faith has to kick in and you have to believe God protected it.”

He said the new deck was a blessing as it served as a buttress that kept the church from collapsing.

It was time again for Mark Albritton to lead the church through renovations, but as always with the church, people came first. He decided the congregation would focus on helping others in the community who were greatly impacted by the hurricane before starting renovations on the building.

In return, the community supported the church as it began renovations in fall 2023. Once repairs began, the congregation was able to complete them in January.

Before the renovation, the church had a singular platform stage at the front for the pulpit, but two more panels were added to the platform to widen it.

After four years of leading Sandy

“It looked like a war zone. I shed some tears that day, but I knew that faith has to kick in and you have to believe God protected it.”

Mark Albritton

Baptist Church into a future that balances respecting the past and embracing what’s ahead, Mark Albritton said he had to make the difficult decision to step down as the pastor.

He was working for the U.S. Postal Service six days per week and preaching on Sundays. The demands of his job and the church left little time for him to be with his family. As hard as it was, Albritton said he had to put his family first and hope the next pastor would keep Sandy Baptist Church on its path.

Josh Richter became the pastor Jan. 1. He said God will provide guidance as the church moves forward.

As for Mark Albritton, he said he will always remain connected to the church.

“It was a big decision...” he said. “It’s hard to let go. I still feel that my days here aren’t done. I do hope to come back someday.”

Although the church underwent a renovation after damages from Hurricane Ian, Sandy Baptist Church congregants worked to ensure it stayed true to its rustic charm to preserve history.

Liz Ramos

FORECAST

LIVING IN THE PAST by Ricky Sirois,