East County Observer 3.21.24

More allocations added to school referendum

Athletics, early childhood education, and school safety and security are suggested additions.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

With the School District of Manatee County’s 1-mill property tax referendum on the ballot in November, its board plans to incorporate some new uses for the funds.

The board has determined the millage will continue to fund the recruitment and retention of teach-

ers and staff, career and technical education, STEM education, visual and performing arts and charter schools. The millage also funds 30 minutes of additional instructional time for each school day.

New to the referendum are allocations for school safety and security, early childhood education and athletics.

The board was scheduled to vote on the ballot language with the new allocations during a board meeting March 19.

The 2023-2024 adopted budget for the referendum amounts to nearly $69.3 million, of which $49.2 million is allocated for the recruitment and retention of teachers and staff. Specifically, instructional staff receive

51%, or a little more than $35.3 million, of the $69.3 million.  Board members said recruitment and retention remain a priority for the district.

School safety and security as well as early childhood education also have been priorities of the school board, which is why board members chose to have it incorporated into the millage.

Board members did not say what specific school safety and security measures they wanted to fund as they were discussed in a shade meeting, which are not open to the public to maintain the security of the district.

In past board meetings, board members said they wanted to increase third grade reading levels

and focus on early literacy.  After a presentation from Sheila Halpin, director of early learning education for the school district, at a board meeting Feb. 27, board members learned there is a waiting list of children wanting to participate in the district’s voluntary pre-K programs, but the district does not have the space or funding to accommodate more students.  Board member Chad Choate advocated for athletics to be added to the millage. He said close to $5 million was spent on athletics among the district’s seven high schools, of which the district only provided $175,000. He said the remainder of the funding comes from boosters, ticket sales for games and school funds. Choate said just like visual and performing arts is funded in part by the district, athletics deserves the same.

“With athletics, transportation, some of the vital equipment, paying officials, that is something I believe as a district we should be helping with and not relying on the schools to fund,” he said.  Board member Gina Messenger and Mary Foreman were not in favor of adding athletics to the millage. They were concerned it would take

away from other more educationfocused allocations.

Foreman said taxpayers will roll their eyes at seeing athletics being a part of the millage because athletics is a small number of students.

Messenger said she thought it was unfair to have the funding divided among more programs that make an academic difference. She gave visual and performing arts as an example and said those programs have not yet had adequate time to accomplish the goals set in place when it was added to the referendum in 2021.

“The arts have shown that it actually makes a graduation difference and an academic difference, and that is why I can get behind that,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s true about athletics. Maybe it does make those differences and then I feel like I could get behind that.”

Board member Cindy Spray said athletics is as important as, if not more important than, arts programs. The grade point average requirement to participate in athletics encourages students to do well academically, she said. In her opinion, visual and performing arts has received the funding it needs.

2023-2024 ORIGINAL ADOPTED BUDGET

Total: $69,287,036

* AFSCME: Bus drivers, bus attendants, food service workers, mechanics

** SAMP: Deans, social workers, athletic trainers, nurses

File photo

Myakka City Elementary School second grader Lydia Powell follows along as second grade teacher Karen Washington reads aloud. Early childhood education is a priority for the School Board of Manatee County.

Electric cars, not charging stations, on the rise

Efforts by Manatee County staff to prepare for more electric vehicles on the road were unsuccessful.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

It was a Friday at noon, and the parking lot at The Green on State Road 70 was packed except for three open spots in front of LA Fitness.

Those weren’t handicap spots, as most of those were taken, too. These spots were reserved for electric vehicle charging. There are actually four spots reserved for electric vehicles in front of the gym, but one was being used by a gas-powered GMC Yukon.

“I gave up my spot right over there,” Bradenton resident Paul Finn said. “I’m parked here because I’m waiting for my wife to come out (of LA Fitness).”

By Florida statute, parking a gaspowered vehicle in a space reserved for an electric vehicle is prohibited. However, policing such violations remains an issue.

“We haven’t received complaints related to electric vehicle charging,” said Randy Warren, the public information officer for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. “Deputies will issue a citation if it’s posted — ‘No parking except for charging.’”

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2030

The federal government is pushing for 50% of all new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030. The number of registered electric vehicles in Florida nearly tripled from 2021 to 2023 (Kelley blue book estimates 1.2 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2023), and the population in Manatee County continues to grow.  Should the county be preparing for the day when drivers are fighting to find parking spaces that offer EV chargers?

RISING EV REGISTRATIONS

In January, staff told the Planning Commission that there were 58,160 electric vehicles registered in Florida, but that number was from 2021. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that there were 167,990 EVs registered in Florida. Florida is second only to California in having the most registrations by state. California had 903,620 EVs registered in 2023. Texas was just behind Florida with 149,000 registrations.

Manatee County staff members wanted to amend the Land Development Code to require developers to provide a certain number of EV charging parking spaces in any new lots.

Commissioner George Kruse said he would never approve such a measure because it’s a free market and there are no mandates for gas stations or car washes.

“It’s one thing when you have handicap (parking), there are (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements,” Kruse said. “But to mandate developers to spend their money to build specific parking solely for people who voluntarily choose to buy a certain kind of car, that’s way beyond my view of the reach of government involvement in development.”

When Manatee County staff members presented the LDC amendment to the Planning Commission on Jan. 26, the move was voted down because most members held the same view as Kruse — the requirement is an example of government overreach.

Only Manatee County Planning Commission member Cindy Kebba sided with staff members on the issue. She didn’t see a huge jump from current regulations that say

developers have to provide a sufficient number of non-EV parking spaces to mandating that 2% of the already stated requirement be EV capable.

Under the proposed amendment, developers would only be required to provide a conduit to charge, not the actual charging unit. In a parking lot with 50 spaces or more, 2% of the spaces would have to be EV capable.

Staff presented the idea to the board based on 2030 market projections that say 30% of vehicles will be powered by electric. They were also following suit with other municipalities. Orlando, the city of Miami Beach and Coral Gables have passed ordinances that require a 2% parking ration for EV charging.

While planning commissioners were briefed on the amendment, the matter never made it to a vote. County Attorney Sarah Schenk warned the Planning Commission members that they were dealing with a “moving target.”

“There are a number of proposed bills for the Florida Legislature that expressly preempt the regulation of EV charging stations to the state,” she said.

Schenk referred to Senate Bill 1084. It passed on March 6 and will take effect on July 1. The bill prohibits local governments from regulating electric vehicle charging stations.

The Florida Building Code requires a minimum of two “EV-ready” spaces for every new parking lot with 25 spaces or more.

PRIVATE SECTOR BEHIND THE

WHEEL

Despite local EV spaces from the Green to Waterside often being empty, Tesla imposed a congestion fee on its customers across the country in November 2023. The move was to stop those using a charger from blocking it for long periods of time after they are finished.

If a driver’s car is at a 90% charge or more, they’re billed $1 per minute to charge when the Supercharger station is busy. The company had already been charging an idle fee of between 50 cents to $1 that goes into effect five minutes after charging is complete.

“We envision a future where vehicles move themselves once fully charged,” the Tesla website reads. “Until then, we ask that vehicles be moved from the Supercharger once charged. A customer would never leave a vehicle parked by the pump at a gas station, and the same thinking applies with Superchargers.”

Whether there’s a need for more EV parking or not, outside of two spaces, it’s up to developers to decide if they want to accommodate and attract EV drivers. And whoever installs the charger decides who pays the electric bill.

At Ellenton Premium Outlets,  the

Mall at University Town Center and Waterside Place, drivers are charged about $0.40 per kilowatt hour. At Whole Foods and LA Fitness, charging is a complimentary service.

“Every center we do now, we’re contemplating EV parking stations,” said Michael Chadwick, the managing director of Southeast Development for Casto Development. “I think we’re putting in four at Center Point.”

The Whole Foods on University Parkway has free charging out front, and there’s a Tesla station with 20 Superchargers behind the store. On Sunday morning, the Tesla lot was about a quarter full.

“I’ve seen it about 80% full,” Sarasota snowbird Bob Polkowski said.  Polkowski and other drivers in the lot weren’t happy that Tesla is opening up its Supercharger stations to non-Tesla drivers. They fear long lines and slower charging.

As of Feb. 29, some Ford drivers can use Tesla stations with an adapter. Several other car manufacturers have committed to offering adapters by the end of this year or in 2025.

None of the Teslas in the lot were parked next to each other. Two cars sharing a charger have to split the kilowatts, which slows the process. It takes about an hour to get a full charge at a Superstation, which is faster than most charging stations.

Polkowski thought the Manatee County staff members’ idea was a good one. He’s on his second Tesla, and he will continue buying EVs over gas powered vehicles.

“It’s cost me $9.41 for approximately 120 miles so far,” he said.

Polkowski’s home state is Michigan. He’s not only driven to Florida in his Tesla, he’s driven it to Connecticut and cross country twice with no charging issues.

That might be because, according to a 2023 Bloomberg report, Tesla has the largest network of chargers in the country. Polkowski also said he’s never had trouble hooking up to a Supercharger.

An app like PlugShare offers a contrasting view of non-Tesla stations. The app offers a place for EV drivers to find nearby charging stations and provide updates on each individual charger within a station.

Every charging station mentioned has received at least one complaint that the station couldn’t be activated, even the Tesla station.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer Bob Polkowski charges his Tesla at a Supercharger station on Honore Avenue on March 10.

ELMAC program looks to expand Emerson Point

If sold to the county, the 98-acre property will increase the size of the existing preserve by a third.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

With a greater sense of urgency, Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously March 12 to offer $15.5 million for a piece of land that would expand the county’s holdings at Emerson Point Preserve.

That offer came close to the $16 million that owners John and Keri Angelo asked for the 98-acre property in April 2023.

A year ago, commissioners were concerned the $16 million asking price was too far over the appraised value of $12.7 million. The current appraisal is $13.6 million.

The county’s Environmental

Lands Management and Acquisition committee had recommended the purchase of the Palmetto property and the issue came up again at the Feb. 27 commission meeting, where citizens and environmental groups pleaded with commissioners to make an offer on the property before developers scoop it up.

Speaking for the Manatee Fish and Game Association, Nick Baden told commissioners at the Feb. 27 meeting that “the hammer’s about to fall on this,” meaning developers were going to make offers for the property.

“We’ve got to let (owners John and Keri Angelo) know we’re serious,” Baden said. “($16 million) might be too much money for (Manatee County), and it might be too much money for some of the opposition, but I don’t believe it’s too much money for a developer who can put 90 units on there. If that happens, it’s going to be bad for (Manatee County).”

Courtesy image

Manatee County and many of its residents want to buy 98 acres of land next to Emerson Point Preserve using 2020 referendum funds.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ELMAC IN EAST COUNTY?

All properties are submitted by the landowners. The Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee reviews the properties, and then makes recommendations to the commission.

In Myakka City, four properties have been submitted to ELMAC.

The closest to a deal is the Myakka Conservation Stewardship Area. The property is about 103 acres near the southeast corner of Betts Road and Anson Road.

Woithe said the appraisals have come back, and the county is beginning negotiations.

Long Creek Acres has been reviewed by ELMAC, but not by the commission yet. It’s an over 2,000-acre vacant property owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

From 73rd Avenue E., the property runs south along the east side of Wauchula Road.

Two properties awaiting review by ELMAC are a less than half-acre lot that would be an addition to Crane Park and 12 acres off of Verna Bethany Road between Gill Road and 45th Avenue E.

After commissioners approved an offer, Merrie Lynn Parker, a treasurer for the Manatee Fish and Game Association, said the process “shouldn’t have been this hard.”

However, commissioners said they needed to protect taxpayers’ money as ELMAC moves forward with potential purchases.

In 2023, commissioners were in favor of the purchase, too, but not at any cost. Several people made objections to the asking price being millions of dollars higher than the appraised value.

“We had to close the gap,” Commissioner Ray Turner said. “We can’t set these precedents where it’s going to rain money when people do a deal with us.”

Of the 98-acre property, 44 acres are wetlands and water.

The additional parcel would enlarge Emerson Point Preserve by a third of its original size, an opportunity residents told commissioners

they didn’t want to lose.

In 2020, 71% of voters passed a referendum in which they agreed to pay, on average, an extra $29 a year per homeowner for the county to protect and purchase conservation lands.

“This is exactly what that money is for,” said Ruth Lawler, a Manatee County resident for over 60 years. “It’s not (the commissioners’) money. It’s our money – the taxpayers.”

About 30 residents submitted comments or emailed their district commissioner prior to the April 2023 meeting. Prior to the February meeting, the county received 198 pages worth of comments.

“I remember when we were discussing the purchase of the south end of Anna Maria Island for what’s now our biggest public beach (Coquina Beach),” Baden said. “Too much money – it was the same argument back then, so look at it today. And the same thing has happened with Robinson Preserve.”

While Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge argued that there was no guarantee the state would reimburse the county for the appraised value, environmentalists argued there’s good reason to believe the state would reimburse the county through the Florida Forever conservation and recreation lands acquisition program.

“It’s as much of a guarantee as you can get,” said Samantha Wassmer, a marketing and communications specialist for Suncoast Waterkeeper.

Wassmer was holding a copy of a letter from Callie DeHaven, director of the division of state lands, that was addressed to Debra Woithe, the Environmental Lands Division Manager for Manatee County.

In the letter, DeHaven wrote that the Division of State Lands supports the acquisition and is willing to purchase the property for the DSLapproved appraisal value. The purchase is subject to available funding and approval by the governor and cabinet.

Charlie Hunsicker, the Manatee County director of Natural Resources, said the property has been on the state’s “buy list” for 19 years. The Angelos never had an interest in selling the property before now.

Woithe said the county hope to see a purchase contract “as soon as possible ... but to be determined.”

“Donna

Heritage adds Legacy Golf Club to Country Club lineup

Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club now has four 18-hole courses for members.

Since

“I say that it was suffering from the hot potato syndrome, with so many multiple ownership groups running it,” Whittemore said Friday, two days after selling the course to the Heritage Golf Group.

Before Whittemore and Kevin Paschall bought the club for $3.4 million in 2015, the club had three other owners in the previous six years. The course opened in 1997.

Whittemore said the sale left him with mixed emotions since his staff had worked so hard to bring it back.

“It’s certainly bittersweet, letting go of something that you have put so much into,” he said. “But we are handing it off to such a quality group. They will do something good with it.”

What the Heritage Golf Group will do is make Legacy, which will transition to being a private course, the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s fourth 18-hole course. Mark Burnett, the CEO of the Heritage Golf Group, announced the purchase of Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, its three 18-hole courses, its racket complexes, workout and swimming facilities, and the Lodge on March 8. He closed on the Legacy Golf Club purchase March 13.

“We had looked into buying Legacy a few years ago, before we had even thought about Lakewood Ranch (Golf and Country Club),” Burnett said. “We’ve always liked this area.”

Burnett said the Legacy Golf Club will close March 18 for extensive renovations. It will get new greens, fairways, roughs, cart paths and bunkers. However, Burnett said the layout of the course will not change from the initial Arnold Palmer Signature Design, other than a “tweak or two.”

He said the formerly public Legacy

Golf Club will reopen in the fourth quarter of this year, about the same time the Cypress Links course opens after its renovation. When those two courses open, those on the country club’s membership waiting list will be able to join the club. Those waiting on the list had been told it would be at least a two-year wait. The addition of Legacy will relieve that stress.

Burnett praised Advance Golf Partners for its work at Legacy.

“Kudos to them,” Burnett said. “They have done a great job with it. We feel it is a great match for what we want.”

Whittemore said a part of the deal was that Heritage Golf Group would hire 100% of the maintenance crew. The other course employees were invited to apply for jobs within Heritage’s network of courses and clubs. Heritage owns 39 clubs in the U.S. and eight in Florida. Burnett noted that current Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club members would not have to pay any additional fees with the addition of a fourth 18-hole course. He also stressed that Heritage Golf Group would hold extensive member feedback sessions about all the club’s amenities and promised the focus will be on all the facilities and needs of the membership, and the focus will not be just about golf.

Lakewood Ranch’s Whittemore was asked if he would retire after the sale. “An entrepreneur never retires,” he said with a laugh. “My energy for the golf business continues to be strong. I am encouraged with golf’s growth in our market.”

Terms of the sale were not announced.

A letter Burnett sent to Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club members noted, “Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club can now officially be recognized as a 72-hole, fourcourse premier country club. We are pleased to inform all current active golf members that there will be no additional Initiation fee required for full access to all four championship courses. Moreover, there are no immediate plans to increase golf membership dues.”

On the down side for the public, the King’s Corner pizzeria inside the Legacy Golf Club no longer will be open to the public.

JAY

File photo

Former Legacy Golf Club co-owners Jon Whittemore and Kevin Paschall stand in front of a resurfaced green in 2018. They sold it to the Heritage Golf Group on March 13.

East County better than Wild West

Myakka ranch owner says it’s the perfect movie setting to tell the ‘Florida Wild’ story.

LESLEY

STAFF WRITER

Small, white signs that read “F.W.” have popped up along the side of some Myakka City roads over the past couple weeks.

The signs are leading cast and crew to a movie set on a ranch off State Road 70. “F.W.” stands for the film’s title: “Florida Wild.”

In the movie, when the initials P.R. flash on the screen, they’ll stand for the Prescott Ranch. In real life, P.R. is short for the Pentecost Ranch. The over 10,000-acre ranch is owned by Mark Pentecost, founder of the wellness company It Works and the movie’s executive producer.

The ranch is only a few minutes down the road from the popular restaurant, Silver Star East. Some crew members have been holding morning meetings at the restaurant.

Lynn Meder owns the gift shop next door to the Silver Star, Uniquely Yours. She’s painting signs for the set’s saloon hotel and general store. Some of the antiques she sells will be used as props.

“It’s so exciting. They’re hiring a lot of local people,” Meder said. “I love the crew.”

“Florida Wild” is billed as an “action-packed period film” set in 1880.

“After the Civil War, people had to start over,” Pentecost said. “They either went West, which you saw a

lot, but a lot came to Florida. I want to tell the story that before the Wild West was the Florida wild. That’s where we got the name.”

More than 100 locals will now be able to say they once worked on a film starring the Academy Award winning actress, Mira Sorvino (She won for “Mighty Aphrodite” in 1995.), and the Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors.

Construction worker Gene Helfrick, 70, came out of retirement for to work because he’d never been on a movie set before.

“I’m not doing this for the money,” he said. “I’m doing it for the fun of it.”

Helfrick spent his whole working life on construction sites until he retired in 2015. He only wanted to help build the set, but his white beard had co-workers urging him to go see casting.

“Finally, I just said, ‘I’m going to do it, and shut y’all up,’” Helfrick said. “As soon as I walked in the door, she goes, ‘I need you!’”

Helfrick will be playing a rancher. He’s got some experience for the role, having lived in Myakka City for 44 years. While he describes his own land as small, it’s enough to keep cows, horses and chickens.

However, the cowboys in the movie don’t have to stretch at all to play their roles.

“I have third and fourth generation cowboys working for me (at the ranch),” Pentecost said. “They’re all in the movie, and they got their friends in the movie.”

Pentecost’s ranch is a working ranch that raises cattle and produces sod and hay. The movie is posing a six-week distraction, but the ranch is still operating behind the scenes.

Florida is one of about a dozen states that doesn’t offer a tax incentive for film production.

“It’s painful. Georgia, Kentucky —

some states offer up to 30% incentives,” Pentecost said. “Being a good businessman, it made sense to do it somewhere else. But I wanted to do it in Florida, and my ranch is in Florida.”

DREAM BIG

Pentecost said the movie should inspire people to dream big, something the former math teacher knows a thing or two about.

“If you’re stuck where you’re at, you can do something about it,” Pentecost said. “Let’s dream big. I never dreamed I could have a 10,000-acre ranch or a private island. But as things keep going, a dream is like a muscle — it gets bigger the more you use it.”

Themes from Pentecost’s life can be found in the script because he helped write it. He’s been a fan of Westerns since he was a kid watching them with his grandfather.

Now, Pentecost watches Westerns with his own grandchildren. Some of the movie’s characters — Landon, Colton, Skyler, Syrus, William Mark, Kristi and Kindsey — are named after his grandchildren. All but Syrus, because he had to work that day, have cameos in “Florida Wild.”

Pentecost’s only complaint about Western movies and his favorite TV show “Yellowstone” is that they’re not always family friendly, so he said “Florida Wild” will be suited for audiences of all ages.

Pentecost’s cattle will also be seen on screen. During filming on March 14, a herd of about 200 huddled together under a hammock of oak trees while awaiting their cue. When they started to move, one lone cowboy on a horse would coral them into stillness again.

“Florida is one of the biggest cattle states, and people don’t know that,” Pentecost said. “I want them to see what I get to see. This is better than Disney World — the Spanish moss, the forest and the alligators.”

The movie is an homage to Florida’s wilderness and the cowboy way of life Pentecost wants to see preserved. He started with 350 acres back in 2011 and kept buying surrounding properties.

People often ask him why he wants to buy so much land in Myakka City. His answer is always the same: “If I don’t buy it, a developer will.”

“We’re losing our citrus, and that’s going to happen to our cattle,” Pentecost said. “We want to spark a movement of conservation and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us.”

A large-scale set that doesn’t seem quite as massive with a 10,000-acre backdrop is being built on the ranch to act as an old cowboy town from the 1800s. There’s a saloon, general store, hotel, jail and church.

Once filming is through, Pentecost’s next dream is for the set to serve as a place to teach children how movies are made.

“Florida Wild” is expected to hit theaters nationwide in 2025.

“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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Above: “Florida Wild,” a Western set in the 1800s, is filming on the Pentecost Ranch in Myakka City.

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Off

Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival lands at Waterside Park

Waterside Place is getting to be like a high school yearbook. It will have signatures all over it.

On March 18, Paul Benjamin of Benjamin Productions announced in conjunction with Independent Jones, that the inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival will be held Dec. 7 at Waterside Park.

Benjamin has been the artistic director of the Bradenton Blues Festival, which closed its 12-year run in December. He was looking for a place that could basically inherit the blues festival, which he said still was going strong and drawing 2,500 people each year, even though its run in Bradenton ended when dropped by the nonprofit Realize Bradenton.

Independent Jones President Morgan Bettes Angell, who for years has set up entertainment for events in the Lakewood Ranch area, as well as the region, said the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival quickly could become a signature event for Waterside.

Pass the yearbook please.

The Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market certainly signed the book first. In September, it was named the No. 1 farmers market in Florida in a competition held by The American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition. Lakewood Ranch Communities’ Nicole Hackel and Bettes Angell have both played major roles in building the market, which draws thousands of people every Sunday year round. No other event can match that impact ... yet.

Waterside Park’s volleyball courts might not be a singular event, but they also have played a great role in bringing people to Waterside Place. The six-court setup, designed by MVP Sports and Social’s Chris McComas, is a steady feeder to the restaurant and entertainment hub. It deserves signature status.

The new Lakewood Ranch Blues

at the Time Out Pub! in Rockland, Maine that have given blues artists a consistent place to launch their careers or showcase their talent.

He has the connections.

He also has served four years, beginning in 2005, as president of the board for the Blues Foundation, which is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and is connected with major blues organizations throughout the world. He later was chairman of the board of the Blues Foundation from 2013-2019.

So when Benjamin says he will bring some of the top blues artists in the nation, and even the world, you have to believe him.

Among the seven artists and groups he already has scheduled for Lakewood Ranch are “Monster” Mike Welch, Dylan Triplett, Kat Riggins, and Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s.

Triplett is a budding superstar in blues and was named the Blues Music Awards 2023 Best Emerging Artist/Singer. The others all are established stars in the industry.

entire park. He also said the event will be wrapped up before 8 p.m. so as not to disturb any neighboring communities in the evening.

This is all exciting stuff considering Manatee County has faltered in building an amphitheater at Premier Park.

What makes that more frustrating for Lakewood Ranch residents is that Manatee County just announced it was starting a first season of the Manatee Music Series (which kicks off March 21) at G.T. Bray, which unlike Premier Park has an amphitheater.

So if Lakewood Ranch residents have to go to Waterside Place, which is in Sarasota County, to enjoy music, so be it. Bettes Angell is looking forward to the inaugural event because she worked with the late Johnette Isham of Realize Bradenton during the early days of the Bradenton Blues Festival. Bettes Angell also worked with Benjamin during that time, and that connection led to Benjamin calling her for suggestions to relocate the festival.

Festival should offer a different kind of impact and will be an important test run for Waterside. It might answer the question, “Is big just right, or too big?”

Benjamin expects the first Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival to draw a crowd similar to the gatherings in Bradenton, about 2,500 to 3,000 music fans. But if you look at Benjamin’s credentials, the potential for something much bigger certainly is there. What if 5,000 fans show up, or 8,000? Is that a good number for Waterside Place in terms of its 808 parking spaces? Is that a good number for Waterside Park, which has yet to be tested as a concert venue? Will noise irk the local residents? Despite the unknown, it all is exciting stuff for the Ranch.

The upside is way up. Blue Oyster Cult was the last concert of note in Lakewood Ranch, and that was 2017. If the Lakewood Ranch Blues

Festival is successful, could that open the way for other concert events at Waterside Park? We can only hope.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch has to like the concept, and especially the fact that if Benjamin is successful, Lakewood Ranch could expose the community to blues fans from throughout the nation, and farther. Will the artists have that kind of pull?

The answer would appear to be “yes.” Benjamin is a national figure on the blues scene as a blues promoter, festival organizer and music producer. His North Atlantic Blues Festival has run for more than 30 years in Rockland, Maine, and features some of the nation’s top artists each year. Aside from his running and consulting on many blues festivals throughout the nation, he has established weekly shows such as the Monday Night Blues series

While Lakewood Ranch residents who only occasionally listen to the blues might not know the strength of the lineup, Benjamin said anyone who follows genre will understand the power.

Both Benjamin and Bettes Angell said they don’t expect there to be any problems with the inaugural event. Bettes Angell said shuttle buses will be set up to transport fans so the parking issue will be minimal. She noted that the blues fans in Bradenton always were “super respectful” so she doesn’t anticipate any major wear and tear on the grass at Waterside Park.

Benjamin is bringing in the 32-foot-by-28-foot stage, which was used at the Bradenton Blues Festival. He said the area can easily be controlled because Waterside Park has only two entrances since it is located on a peninsula. That means less overhead for Benjamin because he doesn’t have to fence the

Bettes Angell said the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival will have food and beverage vendors and plenty of craft booths.

Tickets for the event are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. Benjamin said pre-event tickets will be $75, while the event will cost $90 the day of. A VIP ticket will be offered as well. Go to LakewoodRanchBluesFestival.com for more information and tickets.

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

Jay Heater

Nicole Hackel (Lakewood Ranch Communities), Morgan Bettes Angell (Independent Jones), Paul Benjamin (Benjamin Productions) and Antonio Hernandez (Independent Jones) gather at Waterside Park to announce the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival.

Cost increases delay new firing range

MTC and the Bradenton Police Department’s new firing range and driving pad facility has been delayed due to increased construction costs.

The wait for a new firing range and driving pad in East County continues.

Although Manatee Technical College and the Bradenton Police Department celebrated the groundbreaking on the MTC Florida Law Academy in May last year, the project has been stalled due to the increase in construction costs.

The state-of-the-art facility will be constructed on 70 acres off Taylor Road in Myakka City.

Jay Romine, who is the director of the Law Enforcement Academy at MTC, has been waiting 15 years to see a facility with a firing range and

BY THE NUMBERS

$7.01million current project budget $4.8million former project budget

$2million grant money from the state

70acres the facility will be built on

30students in Manatee Technical College’s basic recruit academy per class

driving pad constructed in Manatee County.

MTC received a $2 million grant from the state to put toward the firing and driving range. The School District of Manatee County will provide the rest of the funding.  The law academy, which originally was budgeted for nearly $4.8 million,

is now budgeted at $7.01 million. The additional funds needed for the project will be taken from the School District of Manatee County’s capital funds.

“There’s no question it’s a challenge when the construction costs of everything goes up and the supply chain is tight and labor costs are going up for the contractors,” said Doug Wagner, the director of MTC. “It’s just that the cost of doing business over the last five years has escalated.”

With the approval of the construction manager and the new budget, Wagner said the project can move forward.

Wagner said MTC and the police department have worked with the construction manager, A.D. Morgan Construction, to amend the project to lower the cost. For example, the project no longer includes covered parking, an obstacle course and a shoot house.

The facility will feature a 25-yard pistol range, 100-yard rifle range, a 300-by-600-foot driving pad and a building containing a classroom, offices, a gun room and more.

Wagner said any changes made to the project still will meet the needs of MTC’s Law Enforcement Academy and training needs for area law enforcement agencies.

The Law Enforcement Academy has approximately 30 students per class in its basic recruit academy, and the Bradenton Police Department has more than 120 officers.

Manatee Technical College and the Bradenton Police Department will work in conjunction to manage the facility.

Wagner said law enforcement agencies in surrounding areas will pay a fee to utilize the facility, and those fees will be collected to go toward capital improvements for the site.

“There’s not going to be anything like this around,” Wagner said of the facility. “Our law enforcement agencies and our students won’t have to drive to other counties to be trained. It’ll be right here in Manatee County. That speaks volumes to the support of this profession and our local community.”

TRIBUTES

Stanley “Stan” Pastor

August 21, 1931March 9, 2024

The Life and Times of Dr. Stanley Pastor

Dr. Stan Pastor, a resident of Sarasota, Florida and formerly of Tulsa, Oklahoma, left his life in his words, “generally well-lived and with few regrets.” He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 21st, 1931 to the late Leon and Esther Pastor. Everyone who was fortunate enough to know him will remember him differently: a brilliant orthodontist, a talented photographer thanks to his mentor Mr. Billy Elkins, a loving husband to The Blonde, a wonderful father who loved his kids(“children” was too formal a term), unequivocally, an intrepid traveler, a collector of antique cars, admirer of a good joke and the necessity of laughter, an example of the benefit of kindness, and above all, a believer in the importance of love.

He was predeceased by his first wife and mother of his children, Jan, his dear sister Anita and her husband Dr. Murry Schonfeld, his eldest son, Dr. Scott Pastor, and an infant brother, Aaron. He is survived by his loving wife Stephanie(Shaw Pastor), or as he lovingly referred to her as The Blonde, his daughter Robin, aka, D.D.(darling daughter), her loving husband Steve, his son Andy and his wonderful wife La, and his daughter-in law

Molly Pastor. His pride and joy were his grandchildren: Max, Eli, Hale, Lily, Andrew, Madelyn, Sam and Tommy. Stan was predestined to become an orthodontist as he had two uncles that were dentists and a family friend, an orthodontist who allowed him to work in his laboratory at a very young age. He completed his entire training at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He attained his BS, DDS and MSD degrees, then taught at the Dental School for a year before he was drafted into the Army Dental Corps. It was during this time Stan married Jan and the marriage resulted in his three wonderful children, Scott, Andy and Robin. After serving two years in

He never lost touch with his roots and he was genuinely unpretentious and forever had an inquiring mind.

with Dr. Pat Shannon as his partner for most of that period. He loved his patients and their parents and kept up with their activities after his retirement. Even though he maintained an extremely busy practice, he managed to become President of the Tulsa County Orthodontic Society, Oklahoma Orthodontic Society, and the Southwest Orthodontic Society.

He never lost touch with his roots and he was genuinely unpretentious and for-

He participated in both land and underwater archeologic excavation for the following five summers searching for King Herod’s Palace, which his team located and documented this important site. Due to his love of travel and adventure, one of his close friends referred to him as the reincarnation of Indiana Jones. His many trips to Africa with his wife Stephanie was a source of constant happiness and vivid memories.

Stan’s interpretation of death begins at birth, but he was always aware that he was most fortunate to have been allowed to lead a long and productive life. His overwhelming desire was to not become “the old man in a rocking chair who requires constant care and attention.” He never wanted to go gently into the night. His license plate personified his philosophy, “4 EVR 50” and he tried to live that life to the fullest. His parting words were “if you want something that mellows with age, drink wine.”

Stephanie has shared the following charitable organizations: Sarasota Memorial Foundation: Designate Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute: https://smhf.org/donate/ Asolo Repertory Theatre: https://tickets.asolorep.org/ donate/q/65thanniversary Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue: https://crm. bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=-

Deputy develops a pipeline to relieve his back pain

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ethan Schneider invented the Sacro-Stik to target the sacroiliac joints.

3

3

it’s not

“This guy’s wearing shorts and sneakers and can run like a gazelle,” Manatee County Deputy Ethan Schneider said of a perpetrator who suddenly ran out of the operations center during one of his shifts.

“We’re carrying 30 pounds’ worth of gear going after him. That’s why we have radios and cars,”  Schneider said.

Schneider doesn’t have to chase perpetrators often, but he does have to wear a 30-pound duty belt through every shift. He’s been with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for 11 years and runs the fingerprint unit.

In his spare time, the Hidden Oaks resident has invented and patented what he calls the “Sacro-Stik.” It’s a physical therapy device that helps strengthen his sacroiliac joints so he can feel and perform his best while carrying around an extra 30 pounds.

The International Union of Police Associations says on its website that low back pain affects nearly 38% of the general population, but 67.7% of those in law enforcement.

Military personnel deal with the same issue, so do pole climbers.

Schneider was 50 years old before becoming a police officer. He spent 14 years working for Bell Atlantic and

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ethan Schneider invented the Sacro-Stik to target the sacroiliac joints and relieve back pain.

SACRO-STIK

The Sacro-Stik can be purchased at SacroStik.com for $79.99. Shipping is free. Check with a doctor before using any exercise equipment, but if you try the Sacro-Stik, both Schneider and Sarni recommend starting out by holding the move for five seconds. Then, complete a few sets on each side.

“There are other, more complicated methods for stimulating blood flow, but this seems to be the simplest one that actually worked,” Sarni said. “I got some good feedback from clients, as well. I had a chiropractor try it out, too, and he liked it.”

Verizon.

“I was an old school climber, what they called a hook climber with the spikes on the boots,” Schneider said. “That’s a tough job. I had a belt and carried gear up the pole.”

It’s a long way down to go get another tool, but yes, there were times he forgot things on the ground.

Schneider has suffered from back pain for about 17 years. It was a long process of elimination to find out his sacroiliac joints were causing the problem. Sacroiliac joints link the pelvis to the lower spine.

“When you try to find things to help the issue of carrying duty belts for police officers, you mostly find things that are reactive instead of proactive,” Schneider said. “They’ll offer you cushions to put under your belt or suspenders so that you can hang your belt.”

Schneider said a lot of the products simply shift the weight to another part of the body, which then causes a new ache.

So Schneider asked himself one

question: What can I create that would actually help strengthen the lower back, hips and sacroiliac joints so that you could work specifically on that area to help carry that belt?

Schneider had a third career that contributed to his quest. In between pole climbing and becoming a sheriff’s deputy, he was a certified surgical technician. He also held certifications as an EMT and personal trainer.

Along with his background and personal experience with back pain, he started studying physical therapists on YouTube. One finding had promise, and it was as simple as using a broomstick or a golf club.

Patients were laying on their backs and weaving the stick or club through their legs, so one leg rested on top and the other underneath. The problem was that the straightness of the tool left his legs and hips out of alignment.

So Schneider headed to Home Depot to buy PVC pipe. He has a pile of leftover prototypes in his garage.

The final result is the Sacro-Stik, which was launched about eight months ago. The device is made with furniture-grade PVC pipe, has an offset in the middle to keep the body in alignment and is unbreakable.

The product wasn’t solely designed for police officers. It can be used by anyone experiencing back pain or someone who simply wants to strengthen their back.

Once the Sacro-Stik is in position, one leg pushes against it and the other pulls towards it. The movement delivers an isometric exercise that targets the sacroiliac joints.

“As soon as I used it, I felt blood flow to the area,” personal trainer Peter Sarni said. “That’s usually the major problem why people have low back pain. There’s a limited amount of fluid, both blood and spinal fluid, that gets to that area.”

Sarni met Schneider while visiting Florida three months ago. When he returned home to New Jersey, he bought a Sacro-Stik online and has been using it ever since.

“It’s an ingenious invention,” Sarni said. “He took an existing exercise that is a little unwieldy and made it fit. Sometimes, that’s all you have to do is make it a little more comfortable for people and they’ll be able to execute the exercise.”

Eric Schneider demonstrates how to use the Sacro-Stik.

GENERAL SURGERY | ROBOTIC SURGERY Michael Shatto

You put your trust in people who can help you.

Distinct artwork, naturally

With clay, horse hair and other natural pieces, Mill Creek’s Wilma Kroese creates unique pottery.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

While at the beach or on vacation, Mill Creek’s Wilma Kroese always is on the hunt for the perfect piece of nature to add to her pottery.

It could be a feather that’s the right size to imprint on a piece.

It could be a piece of seaweed that adds texture and detail.

It could be a piece of wood that has just the right amount of curve in it to serve as a handle on a pot or a piece of wood that looks edgy to contrast her perfectly smooth lidded jars.

No matter the find, Kroese said it has to speak to her.

Kroese’s finds in nature often serve as the accent features in her pottery that people find unique and draw them to her table at the Creative Arts Association of Lakewood Ranch’s annual Spring Arts Show and Sale, which will be on March 23 at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

Kroese’s love for pottery started 17 years ago when she moved to Manatee County and her friend, Maddy Freshwater, brought her to a pottery class at ArtCenter Manatee.

She had experimented with painting but discovered it wasn’t for her. She already was a seamstress but wanted to try something new.

She said it was the feeling of the clay and the fun of getting muddy and dirty that drew her to pottery.

But her adventures into pottery weren’t always a success from the beginning.

Kroese recalled her first piece of pottery she tried to make, a pearshaped pinch pot.

She made the piece with too much clay, making it too heavy. It exploded in the kiln.

After four years with ArtCenter Manatee, Kroese’s passion for pottery grew so much, she decided to

purchase her own supplies and create a pottery studio in her garage.  Kroese started experimenting with her pottery.

Native American pottery intrigued her. She and her husband, Fred Kroese, have traveled to Acoma Pueblo and Zuni Pueblo, both of which are Native American villages in New Mexico. She loved the look and design of the tribes’ work and after doing research, she thought she could create similar pottery.

That’s when Kroese began using horse hair in her work.

Her favorite piece is a large, shallow bowl that is a light red fired in the kiln with horse hair to give it a veinlike effect. The piece remains on her kitchen table because she loves it so much she refuses to sell it.

She sometimes would make the pottery using clay from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to have a red tinge to it and meticulously place a few strands of horse hair on it. As it’s in the kiln, the horse hair burns an imprint into the pottery to create a random, vein-like effect that cannot be replicated, making each of her pieces unique.

Although she only needs a handful of strands, Kroese said horse hair is hard to come by, but luckily she has a few friends who own horses and are willing to give her strands of their

PATIENT BEATS COLON CANCER WITH ROBOTIC SURGERY

Life was good for 73-year-old retiree Michael Shatto, of Terra Ceia Bay. Shatto enjoys fishing, swimming and tending to his more than 50 orchids and other potted flowers. He is noted for having a green thumb. “My plants do very well when I talk to them,” he says, smiling.

However, life took a turn when Shatto was diagnosed with colon cancer following a colonoscopy. After doing a lot of research, Shatto chose Samuel Yelverton, MD, a general surgeon at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, to remove the cancer. “Dr. Yelverton’s patience and kindness put me at ease,” says Shatto.

Shatto had a minimally invasive robotic sigmoid colon resection, which involves removing the cancerous part of the large bowel, along with surrounding lymph nodes. The remaining bowel is

then reconnected. Shatto’s procedure was performed using the Da Vinci® robotic system. “Robotic surgery, when compared to open surgery, has lower postoperative pain, less blood loss, early return of bowel function, decreased hospital stay and a lower chance of future hernias from incisions,” explains Dr. Yelverton.

Quick Recovery

Shatto felt ready to go home the day after surgery. He surprised his physical therapist when, after walking the unit hallways together to assess his mobility, he asked to go one more time. They did, and Shatto was discharged that afternoon. Follow-up tests have confirmed the cancer is gone.

“Because we were able to remove the cancer, along with more than the average number of lymph nodes early, he does not have to undergo any postoperative chemotherapy or other procedures,” Dr. Yelverton says.

‘Put Your Trust in People Who Can Help You’

“I feel healthier and less tired now,” Shatto says.

“I am so thankful for everyone who cared for me.”

horses’ hair.

Kroese has learned pottery sometimes can be an exact science. Through trial and error, she’s learned her pieces need to be taken out of the kiln when they reach 1,000 degrees. Too hot, and the horse hair will scorch the pottery and make it black. Too cold and the horse hair won’t adhere to the pottery and create a carbon print. The pieces also have to be constructed so they are sustainable but not too heavy. If not, they explode.

“I lost a lot of pieces while experimenting,” she said with a laugh.

She’s also had a close call while firing her pottery.

The first time she fired her raku kiln, she opened the gas for too long and when she looked into the kiln, the flame almost hit her.

“That was a close one,” she said.

But with more experience, she’s been able to create bowls, lidded jars, vases and more. Although not her favorite style, she will glaze mugs, Christmas angels and trees and other pieces because she knows glazed work sells well.

Some of her favorite pieces incorporate the pieces of wood she found

in canyons in New Mexico that had red sand infused in them.

While on vacation, Kroese doesn’t limit herself on the number of natural pieces she takes home. She has traveled home with bags of wood and other findings.

“Even my husband said if we have to, we can FedEx them home,” Kroese said.

When Kroese joined the Creative Arts Association of Lakewood Ranch and participated in her first show in 2017, she was nervous. She wasn’t sure how people would react to her work and if she would sell anything.

But her nerves were quickly calmed after she sold her first small vase. She said she was proud.

“I could tell my husband, ‘See all those pieces? I’m bringing in money now,’” she said.

Kroese said she’s loved getting to meet new people, both clients and other artists. She’s honored when someone approaches her for custom work such as when a woman from Venice asked her to create a vase using hairs from her horse that had died.

Liz Ramos

Each of Mill Creek’s Wilma Kroese’s pottery pieces are unique. She uses horse hair, wood, seaweed and other materials to add a natural look to her pottery.

“I just knew I had a special talent on the mound, so I stuck with it and tried my hardest.”

— Lakewood Ranch High’s Lochlan Radloff SEE PAGE 18A

Fast Break

Ffinishing 7-9 in 2023.

All coming together for ODA

Lakewood Ranch High girls

and field sophomore Diana Larion won the 3,200-meter run (13:03.14) at the Saint Stephen’s Falcon Invitational, held March 14 at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal.

The Thunder seniors have kept the team competitive while waiting for the young talent to emerge.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Amonth into the high school baseball season, The Outof-Door Academy is trying to find its rhythm.

After losing 10 seniors to graduation following its 20-8 2023 season, head coach Mike Mathews said the Thunder has been forced to rebuild its lineup and pitching rotation at the same time. That challenge has led to some early season inconsistency. ODA is 5-5 through 10 games with up and down performances.

Matthews said the team has a talented group of seventh, eighth and ninth grade players who are trying to adjust to the varsity level, but that might take some time.

While a lack of varsity experience can make things tough, the team also has a handful of seniors who are attempting to make the transition to varsity easier for those young players — while still fighting to end their high school career with a winning season.

Nolan Naese, a senior infielder committed to Towson University, is the team’s quiet leader, Matthews said, never getting too high or too low. That attitude is an example of the consistency Matthews wants the rest of his players to have. Naese is a steady defender and he’s performing at the plate, too. Naese went 3-4 with a home run and two RBIs in the Thunder’s 5-2 win over North Port High March 6. But Naese is not a power hitter by trade. He had just three home runs in 2023. His strength is to make an impact however he can.

“I find a way to get on base,” Naese

IF YOU GO

What: ODA baseball (5-5) vs. Lemon Bay High (3-4)

When: 5 p.m. March 22

Where: The Out-of-Door Academy

Why: It’s a chance to see how ODA is coming together after starting with a lot of inexperienced players in its lineup and on its pitching staff.

ODA player to watch: Freshman pitcher Cam Yates, who holds a 0.78 ERA as of March 17.

said. “I’ll do what it takes to get on and help my team win a game. I’m a good base runner as well.

Matthews said senior Brandon Beasley has also been a good locker room leader this season, making sure to keep things light after hard practices and games. Beasley suffered a shoulder injury during football season — Beasley played linebacker — that has limited his ability to play defense, but he is contributing as a designated hitter. Beasley, who hit .402 last season, is the team’s middle-of-the-order threat and someone who can drive in players like Naese. Matthews said Naese and Beasley have helped younger players realize the standards that ODA baseball holds, like having a good approach with two strikes to make sure the ball is put into play.

The pitching staff has also been a work in progress for ODA. The coaches knew it would be, even before junior pitcher Carter Malartsick had Tommy John surgery over the summer, causing him to miss the 2024 season as a pitcher, though he is still able to take at-bats. Malartsick’s injury has forced other pitchers into bigger roles. Some, like fresh-

man Cam Yates, have thrived. As of March 17, Yates has a 0.778 ERA over 18 innings, with 22 strikeouts and three walks.

“He’s exceeded expectations,” Matthews said of the right-handed Yates. “He’s competing and battling in the zone. He’s throwing off-speed pitches for strikes. He’s dealing with the pressure. And he works hard.

You can tell from his attitude that he wants to be great.”

Despite the stellar numbers, Yates’ record is just 1-2. Matthews said Yates and other pitchers have been let down at times by the defensive play behind them, where mistakes have led to unearned runs. Mathews said an improvement in team defense is necessary if the team is going to have a successful second half of the season.

Matthews also wants an improvement in the team’s small-ball execution. The strategy has helped the Thunder make deep postseason runs in the past, particularly with strong base-running and the advancement of runners at the plate. According to Matthews, the execution is not where it needs to be in 2024, a symptom of inexperienced players learning how to play ODA’s way. Against the Imagine School at North Port on March

14, the Thunder failed to execute on several bunts that would have either scored runs or put runners in scoring position as the team lost 5-2.

But Matthews can see the team’s potential. With leaders like Naese and Beasley showing the Thunder how to approach their at-bats, and young pitchers like Yates keeping opponents off the scoreboard, Matthews believes more success will come.

“This year has been unique,” Matthews said. “It has been an exploratory period, but guys are finding their roles. We just need to play consistent baseball.”

O’Mariah Gordon is entering the 2024 NCAA Tournament averaging 13.4 points per game as a sophomore at Florida State University.

Photos by Ryan Kohn ODA freshman pitcher Cam Yates holds a 0.78 ERA through 18 innings as of March 17.

ODA senior Nolan Naese (5) scores a run against ISANP. Naese is one of the Thunder’s leaders who leads by example.

ODA senior Brandon Beasley keeps the locker room light, head coach Mike Matthews said.

Dick Vitale hopes for return to broadcasting

Vitale said he plans on continuing his broadcasting career in the 2024-2025 college basketball season.

Dick Vitale never gives up, and he wants to inspire others to do the same.

Vitale, the 84-year-old Hall of Fame men’s college basketball broadcaster and Lakewood Ranch resident, has written a new book alongside journalist Scott Gleeson titled “Until My Last Breath: Fight-

ing Cancer with My Young Heroes,” the 192-page book features the stories of the members of Vitale’s “All-Courageous Kids Team,” who are honored at the annual Dick Vitale Gala for the fight they have shown after being diagnosed with pediatric cancer.

Vitale also offers insights into his own experience with cancer. Since 2021, Vitale has been diagnosed with melanoma, lymphoma and vocal cord cancer, and he’s successfully navigated through all of them.

Vitale is dealing with lingering effects from his vocal cord cancer treatment. He has been on vocal

rest off and on since December 2021, when doctors first found precancerous dysplasia and ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords. He’s currently on vocal rest following a January procedure to improve his voice — ideally, to levels that would allow him to call college basketball games for ESPN again. Vitale has missed the entire 2023-2024 season.

While he can’t give verbal interviews yet, Vitale answered questions via email about his new book — and the outlook for his return to broadcasting.

Vitale said he got the idea for the

book when reflecting on his three battles with cancer. He always had an admiration for people who face cancer, he wrote, but he didn’t know how much of a challenge it was on a day-to-day basis.

If Vitale didn’t know, he thought, neither do most people who don’t go through cancer themselves. He intertwined his own story with the stories of his All-Courageous Kids to provide readers with many different perspectives on cancer and the toll it takes on families.

“More than ever, their stories are inspiring and motivating,” Vitale wrote. “They brought me to tears reading the battles they dealt with daily.”

Among the 13 All-Courageous Kids stories included in the book is that of Bartonville, Texas, cancer survivor Sadie Keller, 16, who, at 7 years old, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Keller reached the remission stage of recovery after a three-year treatment. Another chapter is dedicated to Clearwater’s Cole Eicher, 22, who, at 12 years old, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. Eicher endured nine months of treatment and was found to have no evidence of the disease, but he will be monitored for the rest of his life.

In going through cancer treatments, Vitale wrote, you acquire a bond with people who have gone through similar things. Vitale said many of the All-Courageous Kids’ families sent him prayers and wellwishes during his own treatments.

Vitale’s book can be purchased at DickVitale.com, where autographed copies are available for $35. It can also be purchased via Amazon. All proceeds will go to the V Foundation for Cancer Research, whose Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund has awarded more than $84 million in research grants.

Now that Vitale is done with his cancer treatments, he can start thinking about a return to calling college basketball games. Being on vocal rest for the 2023-2024 college basketball season has been difficult, Vitale wrote, especially because he

feels the best physically that he has in three years.

“But I was trapped,” Vitale wrote. “My voice was not functioning like I was hoping it would after learning the radiation wiped out the cancer.”

Getting his voice back to broadcast levels would require additional procedures, like the one he underwent in January. After months of uncertainty, silently wondering whether he would be able to perform his broadcast duties again, Vitale received good news. On March 6, he posted a video to his social media accounts featuring Steven Zeitels, the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation in Boston. Zeitels, who performed the January surgery on Vitale, said in the video that the surgery can now be deemed a success.

“It’s all healed,” Zeitels said to Vitale in the video. “Your left vocal cord is now tremendous, and you should be able to begin announcing again. You can get back to what you love to do.”

Vitale had been waiting to hear those words. His return to broadcast will not be immediate — Vitale said he is targeting a return for the start of the 2024-2025 season this fall — but the knowledge that it is even possible has him feeling ecstatic.

The biggest challenge in the months until his return will not be overusing his voice and causing more issues. Vitale wrote he’s going to take it slow at first — hence no verbal interviews yet. Vitale wrote he hopes to be able to give a speech at his 2024 Dick Vitale Gala on May 3 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.

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

File photo

Cancer survivor Dick Vitale wants to be able to give a speech at the 2024 Dick Vitale Gala on May 3.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Lochlan Radloff

Lochlan Radloff is a senior on the Lakewood Ranch High baseball team. A left-handed pitcher and a outfielder/first baseman, Radloff leads the team with a .556 batting average and has a 2.02 ERA with 24 strikeouts and four walks over 17.1 innings as of March 18. The Mustangs are 3-4-1 but have won three games in a row, including two road games against Georgia opponents Peachtree Ridge High (7-9) and North Gwinnett High (11-3).

When did you start playing baseball?

I have been playing since I was 5, as early as I could do it. My dad (Todd Radloff) played baseball. He was the reason I started playing.

What is the appeal of baseball to you?

I love everything about it. I love winning and being involved with the team. I love the spotlight you get. It’s all great.

What is your best skill?

Pitching. But I love hitting, too. I just knew I had a special talent on the mound, so I stuck with it and tried my hardest at it. Now I’m doing what I’m doing.

What is your best pitch?

Probably my changeup. It has a lot of movement down when it breaks. It’s about eight or nine mph different from my fastball, which I can throw up to 90 mph.

What pitch have you been working to improve? My curveball. I’m trying to throw it as hard as I can, and it still has a lot of movement.

What is your favorite memory?

Winning the area’s junior

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.

varsity championship my freshman year. That was amazing. I walked the game off (with a hit), and I pitched a complete game. It’s still one of my best games ever.

What has gone right for Lakewood Ranch baseball lately?

The bats are doing great. We’re working a lot of counts, and we’re hitting the balls we need to hit. We’re finding a way on base. As a pitcher, it’s great to sit back and know that your team is going to put runs on the board for you.

Which superpower would you pick?

Flying. I just want to go wherever I want.

What is the best advice you have received?

Don’t ever stop. Keep working as hard as you can until you fail or you can’t play anymore.

Finish this sentence: “Lochlan Radloff is …”

Dazzled in the park

Susan Wu doesn’t paint. She writes.

“In Chinese painting, we say, ‘I wrote it,’ because the painting is telling a story,” Wu said.

Wu was one of nearly 60 University Park Country Club residents, club members and staff to display artwork at the club for Art in the Park on March 15-17.

“Every year, people are dazzled by how much talent there is in this small community,” organizer Deborah Van Brunt said. “We’ve got about 1,200 homes. To be able to find this kind of artistic ability is just astounding.”

Artists submit work of all mediums.

Crafts are reserved for the artisans market in December.

Van Brunt said the country club is a huge supporter of the event, but it’s volunteer driven. Many of the volunteers are also the artists, Van Brunt included. She submitted four pieces – two acrylic paintings and two watercolors.

The club and organizers don’t take a commission as 100% of the sale price goes back to the artist.

“We don’t want to profit,” Van Brunt said. “And we sell a lot. We’ve sold some very high-ticket items, and the lower-priced prints and greeting cards sell like crazy.”

In total, 170 pieces of art were displayed.

— LESLEY DWYER

“Serenity,”

Palmer Ranch resident Barbara Lande is also an artist. She painted the shirt she’s wearing after she spilled tomato sauce on it and couldn’t get the stain out.

by Michael Parkinson, sold less than two hours into the show.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Susan Wu stands next to a Chinese brush painting she created for the Year of the Dragon. Each object holds a special meaning.

Mike Zuckerman is just looking, but Deborah Van Brunt is one of the organizers and artists displaying work at Art in the Park.

Mary Lou Morton is a resident at country club and has a few friends with artwork in the show.

Divas love doggies

Two years ago, the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch put four puppies up for adoption, so Matthew Vander Wyden arrived at the rescue two hours early.

“I wouldn’t have gotten one of those puppies if I didn’t,” he said. “The one that we have, Coco, kept coming up and untying my shoes. I’d retie them, and she’d come back to untie them.”

Vander Wyden was so impressed with the facility and the staff that he’s been a donor ever since.

He and about 240 others attended HSLWR’s annual Divas and Dogs fashion show on March 15 at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club.

The event’s chair, Susan Giroux, revolved the luncheon and show around the theme “Summer in Newport.”

“We live in paradise, but Newport is a paradise in the summer,” she said. “Every spring, I think about the hydrangeas, the water, the lobster and clam chowder and just always want to go back.”

The fashions were provided by Sara Campbell.

— LESLEY DWYER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Susan Giroux is the chair of Divas and Dogs.

Debbie Allen, Stephenie Frasher, Cathy Adragna, Pamela Reilly, Susan Jenkins, Jill Wellinger, MaryJo Hansen, Kim Rummel and Gail Ward model the clothes provided by Sara Campbell.

Veterinarian Leigh Samanowitz stands with board members Cindy Jackson, JoAnn Nicholas and Joanne Terwilliger.

Twins Stephanie Little and Stacey Clevenger have volunteered for the same Wednesday night shift at the shelter for 10 years.

Jill Wellinger models for the Humane Society’s Divas and Dogs fashion show.

YOUR CALENDAR

1970s and 1980s from last summer’s National Black Theatre Festival performance.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs 6-9 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. Singer/musician Frankie Lombardi will perform rock and pop for those strolling the streets of Waterside Place in this free concert. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

ART SHOW

Runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The Creative Arts Association of Lakewood Ranch is hosting its annual Spring Art Show and Sale. Local artists feature their work, which includes pottery, stained glass, fabric arts, paintings, woodwork and jewelry. The event is free. For more information, go to CAALR.com.

TROPICAL NIGHTS

Begins at 6 p.m. at Grove Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. Meals on Wheels PlusManatee hosts Tropical Nights: A Pirates Life. Enjoy an evening of grub and grog with live and silent auctions and interactive entertain-

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BEST BET

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

EGGSTRAVAGANZA

Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m., and the egg hunts begin at 10:30 a.m. at Waterside Place Park. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Eggstravaganza, in which thousands of eggs are placed for the egg hunts. The egg hunt begins for children 5 and under at 10:30 a.m.; for children with disabilities at 10:30 a.m.; and for children ages 6 and up at 10:45 a.m. Children with disabilities will have their own exclusive hunt area. Kids will have a chance to hang out with the Easter bunny from 10:45-11:45 a.m. There also will be face painting, food and drink vendors, games, bounce houses, building with Lego bricks and more. Cost for resident children is $10; nonresidents, $20. For ticket information and event details, go to LWRCA.org or contact info@LWRCA. org.

ment. The Tropical Ave. Band will entertain. Wear pirate-themed or cocktail attire. Tickets are $250. Go to MealsOnWheelsPlus.org for more information.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24

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.

With a stalk two to three feet tall, sword-like leaves and a showy purple flower three to four inches wide, the prairie iris is no shrinking violet.

Also known as the savanna iris (from Iris savannarum, its scientific name) this stunning wildflower typically blooms in the spring in wetlands, on the edge between dry land and shallow water.

Like other native plants, prairie iris play an important role in their ecosystems, where they’re a source of nectar for butterflies, pollen for bees and also have seeds that provide food to birds.

Prairie iris are rhizomatic, meaning they have a rhizome, or a system of roots, living and growing under the soil. Periodically, a rhizome sends shoots above soil, producing a clone of the parent plant.

Irises can also reproduce through seed propagation. In this case, it takes two plants to make the new one, with pollen from one plant fertilizing a female flower from another.

To assure seed propagation, as they obviously cannot move, many flowers have visual cues that attract pollinators, such as insects, to them.

Such cues include size, color, as well as showy petals and sepals (a flower’s outermost part). Some flowers, like prairie iris, even have nectar guides. These unique patterns direct pollinators to pollen, nectar or both.

Interestingly, in many bee-pollinated flowers, there is a region of low ultraviolet reflectance near the center of each petal. Though invisible to humans, bees can detect ultraviolet light and quickly home in on their target.

Miri Hardy

Skin contact with prairie iris causes a serious rash, and ingestion is harmful to humans and pets.

As plants cannot move to escape predators, they’ve developed means of protecting themselves from herbivorous animals. Some plants have physical defenses, such as thorns, spines or prickles. But the most common form of protection is chemical, with plants producing a vast array of compounds to deter herbivores from consuming them. As they cause skin irritation or worse, many of these toxins help deter humans too.

The highest concentration of noxious compounds that help protect irises is found in their rhizomes, but the entire plant is toxic. So if you spot these native beauties in the wild, please enjoy them from afar. For your benefit, as well as that of our ecosystems.

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.

George

Tbone

brings the sounds of

to life when he sings “My Girl”. He enjoys paying tribute to performers like Lou Rawls, Marvin Gaye and Barry White when he performs their hits.

Herman’s

Syd Kitson

Kitson & Partners

Ft. Myers/Naples

Syd is the chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, the developer of Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered master-planned community in Lee and Charlotte counties. Before real estate, Syd played in the NFL for four seasons, an offensive lineman with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. He was named Time Magazine’s Dreamer of the Year in 2023.

experience at art galleries in New York City, Liz is also CEO and co-founder of Fairgrounds St. Pete, a museum of immersive art and choose-your-own experience technology.

Mike Quillen

Geckos Hospitality Group Watershed Hospitality Concepts

Sarasota/Bradenton

Mike is president of three independent groups of restaurants and bars, with a total of 15 locations and 800 employees in Florida and North Carolina. He’s the co-founder of Gecko’s Grill & Pub, opening the first of what’s now six locations in the Sarasota-Manatee market in 1992.

Daniel Lubner

Clive Daniel Home

Ft. Myers/Naples

Daniel is CEO of Clive Daniel Home, a luxury home furnishings and custom residential and commercial interior design firm with an 85,000-square-foot location in Naples. Other locations are in Boca Raton, Sarasota and Fort Myers. He founded Clive Daniel Home in 2011 with his father, Clive Daniel.

Gigi Rogers Rogers Market

Sarasota/Bradenton

Gigi is the founder of Rogers Market, a chain of upscale convenience stores in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Gigi, an interior designer in a past career, who has lived in New York City, London, Los Angeles, Vienna and Barcelona, also oversees Sarasota-based ATCO Inc. a wholesale fuel refinery.

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Can’t knock rewards of sharing home with Korn Ferry golfers

Host families forge friendships with future PGA Tour stars, and even learn to make empanadas.

Sue Tankersley and Larry Panka wanted to give back to the sport they love, so they decided to open their home.

The Lakewood Ranch Country Club couple has hosted Korn Ferry Tour golfers for the past two years.

“You could tell they felt we were doing them a tremendous favor,” Panka said. “But golf has presented me a lot of great memories.”

“The rewards for hosting are off the charts,” Tankersley said. “It allows me to get up close and personal. And I like helping and giving back.”

Neither knew that last year they would receive a cooking lesson from the Korn Ferry Tour’s spiciest player. Tankersley was asked by her

friend, Kay Scholten, who matches players with those willing to host, if she could not only take on a player, but his parents as well.

She accepted, and Alejandro Tosti and his Argentinian parents, who never had seen him play a pro event in the U.S., arrived for a week’s stay during the 2023 LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Course.

Tosti, self-admittedly has anger issues, which eventually led to a rare Korn Ferry Tour suspension in 2023, after he already had qualified to play on the PGA Tour in 2025. Even so, Tankersley and Panka felt he was a tremendous young man who couldn’t have been more cordial during his time in their home. They even have remained friends and continue to trade messages now that he is playing on the PGA Tour.

Despite his fiery reputation, Tosti was laid back, and well, fun, even though he was competing for big money and a PGA Tour spot. Tankersley asked if he would mind if she had some of her neighborhood friends

Jeffrey Martins, DDS

Jay Heater

Larry Panka and Sue Tankersley share their Country Club home with visiting Korn Ferry Tour golfers because it is their way of giving back to a sport they love.

come by the house to meet him. He embraced the visits with open arms.

One night during his stay, Tosti and his father made empanadas for his hosts.

“I had five,” Panka said. “They were so good.”

Tosti told them, “I learned how to make them from my father, and now I am the master.”

Tankersley and Panka said it was nonstop smiles for a week, even though neither of his parents spoke any English.

“I would tell a joke and our friends would laugh,” Tankersley said. “And his parents would have their phones out to interpret, and 10 seconds later, they would laugh. It was so much fun.”

It also showed how the experience of hosting changes from year to year.

The first year the couple hosted, they had Blayne Barber, a former PGA Tour Player who had won $2.8 million but had fallen off the tour. He was very serious in his attempt to regain his PGA Tour status.

Barber, a devout Christian, would come back from the course and go right to his room, then in the morning would get his workout equipment out of his truck and conduct his morning workout in the driveway.

Even so, when he saw Tankersley just before his opening round teeoff time, he made sure to go over and give her a big hug. Things didn’t go so well for him. He missed the cut, and he took off for the next stop immediately after the second round.

His caddie was Wyatt Spencer, who stayed with the host family another night after Barber left. He was more at ease and a fun guest. Spencer has had some good fortunes this season, hooking up to caddie for Tampa’s Jimmy Stanger, a regular participant at the LECOM Suncoast Classic. Stanger already has a t-3 finish on the PGA Tour this season and has earned more than $500,000.

Last year, Tosti earned just over $9,500 at the Suncoast Classic and actually tied with Stanger in 22nd place. When Tankersley saw Tosti paying his caddie, she told him she felt bad he didn’t make more money. He was quick to respond.

“He said, ‘Sue, don’t feel bad; my sister is a college graduate and a teacher (in Argentina) and she makes $6,000 in a year. I’m fine.’”

IF YOU GO

What: The LECOM Suncoast

Classic Tour: Korn Ferry Tour

When: April 18-21

Where: Lakewood National

Golf Club

Purse: $1 million

Tickets: $20 single round; $60 week

More information: Visit LECOMSuncoastClassic.com.

Both Tankersley and Panka have hosted golfers in their homes (They were not together at the time.) for other events, and they said it has been a great experience every time.

“I am a golfer and I’ve always done some volunteering,” said Tankersley, who is in charge of player dining at this year’s LECOM Suncoast Classic. “Once I was the standard bearer (in 1982) for Jan Stephenson at Kings Island (Mason, Ohio). I saw her years later and I went up and said,  ‘I was your standard bearer.’ She looked back and said, ‘I won.’”

The home of Tankersley and Panka has two bedrooms and a den. To accommodate Tosti and his parents, Tosti slept on a Murphy bed, and his parents took the main guest room.

Tosti, who won the 2023 Korn Ferry Pinnacle Bank Championship (Omaha, Nebraska), has made two cuts in six PGA Tour events this year. He now has a Lakewood Ranch fan club as Tankersley and Panka said all their neighbors who met Tosti are following his career. At 5-foot-6, he was second on the Korn Ferry Tour in driving distance in 2023.

The couple will host a player again this year for the tournament that runs April 18-21. But they said they have no idea who they will have.

Panka offered the following advice for anyone who decides to host a player or a caddie.

“Don’t miss it,” he said of the opportunity. “And be yourself.”

Those who want to find out more about hosting a player should go to LECOMSuncoastClassic.com or send an email to Justin Kristich at JKristich@GlobalGolfManagement. com.

Country Club home tops sales at $2.6 million

Ahome in Country Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Mark and Aurora Tosoni, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 12531 Highfield Circle to William Camp and Zonahi Ariana Camp, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.6 million. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 5,232 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.1 million in 2009.

Timothy and Diane Schwecke, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 16409 Kendleshire Terrace to Martin and Catherine Battaglia, of Kildeer, Illinois, for $2,475,000.

Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,998 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million in 2020.

Scott and Pamela Fehnel, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 16539 Berwick Terrace to Jeffrey Alan Pepperney, of Bradenton, for $1,255,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,393 square feet of living area.

Sonya Farhoumand, trustee, sold the home at 16226 Castle Park Terrace to Daniel Christopher Bracciano and Susan Bracciano, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,427 square feet of living area. It sold for $557,300 in 2018.

LAKE CLUB

Dorothy and James Davis, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 8293 Pavia Way to Daniel Chaney and Gina Suzanne Chaney, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.9 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,989 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,303,600 in 2022.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Patrick and Margaret Ward sold their home at 532 Fore Drive to Holly Allen, trustee, of Richland, Michigan, for $1.9 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,645 square feet of living area.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

HBT at Waterside LLC sold the home at 7915 Waterbend Trail to Evergreen Agency LLC for $1.84 million. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,867 square feet of living area.

Randall and Constance Bennett, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8049 Tidal Pointe Way to Stanley Kapuchinski and Susan Claire Kapuchinski, of Sarasota, for $1,065,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,076 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2023.

ESPLANADE

Arthur and Lorraine Hatch, trustees, of Bourne, Massachusetts, sold the home at 5226 Benito Court to Benito Court LLC for $1.2 million. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,850 square feet of living area. It sold for $638,400 in 2014.

ST. JAMES PARK

Kelly Reeve sold her home at 6608 Saint James Crossing to Harvey and Bonita Ganot, of Sarasota, for $1,118,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,614 square feet of living area. It sold for $573,000 in 2016.

POLO RUN

Norma Gruzd and Dana Joseph Gruzd, of Tampa, sold their home at 17527 Polo Trail to Louis and Patricia Donzelli, of Lake Grove, New York, for $968,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,647 square feet of living area. It sold for $680,000 in 2022.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

Karen and David Ferguson, of Vancouver, Washington, sold their home at 110 172nd St. E. to Matthew Cross and Hilary Marie Cross, of Sarasota, for $955,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,102 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2022.

PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE

Gary Giragos Ghazarian and Sharon Rachael Ghazarian, of Bradenton, sold their home at 22504 Night Heron Way to Shawn and Pamela Skramstad, of Bradenton, for $940,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,041 square feet of living area. It sold for $409,000 in 2016.

GREENBROOK

Thomas and Michelle Cross, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6718 Ladyfish Trail to Joseph Mancini and Kristen Calton, of Lakewood Ranch, for $930,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,007 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,000 in 2019.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Sean and Lucinda Bingham sold their home at 7660 Harrington Lane to Elizabeth Joan Pritchard, trustee, of Bradenton, for $885,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,520 square feet of living area. It sold for $468,800 in 2019.

CRESSWIND

Helene Simpson-Kurtz, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 4909 Surfside Circle to Jean Ruff, trustee, of Bradenton, for $857,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,185 square feet of living area. It sold for $484,700 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB

Paul and Mary Battaglia, trustees, sold the home at 7339 Lake Forest Glen to Mark Osterheld and Karen Kulick Osterheld, of Lakewood Ranch, for $855,000. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,179 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2014.

KENWOOD PARK

Jennifer Farhat and Ryan Farhat, trustees, sold the home at 8202 Abingdon Court to Patrick Tracy Scherling, of University Park, for $850,000. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,213 square feet of living area. It sold for $528,000 in 2016.

SAVANNA

Kathryn and Robert DeMarcki, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14313 Carolina Sky Place to Joseph Raymond Nolan, of Boston, for $760,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,448 square feet of living area. It sold for $381,200 in 2019.

RIVER POINT OF MANATEE

James McAllister, of Columbia, Maryland, sold his home at 3704 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Andre and Anna Yoshida, of Bradenton, for $730,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,227 square feet of living area. It sold for $319,900 in 2012.

SUMMERFIELD

Edwin and Debra Gregory, of Greenville, South Carolina, sold their home at 6719 Tumbleweed Trailto to Elizabeth Anne Sherwood and Meherwan Robert Sherwood, of Bradenton, for $729,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,334 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2014.

COUNTRY MEADOWS

Caroll and Judy Ford, of La Grange, Kentucky, sold their home at 14707 Second Ave. Circle N.E. to Rexford and Kristin Grayner, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2007, it has

It sold for $362,500 in 2015.

DEL WEBB Cynthia Ebertz and Melvin Ochab Jr., of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6924 Holbrook Cove to Patrick Zimmer and Laura ChaseZimmer, trustees, of Minocqua, Wisconsin, for $700,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,572 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2021.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

James Craig Harvey and Jeannie Carmel Harvey, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6753 Wild Lake Ter-

race to Michael O’Keefe, of Bradenton, for $675,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,287 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in 2017.

WOODBROOK

Tracy Deluce, of Parrish, sold her home at 6505 Palm Leaf Court to Michael and Jill Zavolta, of Sarasota, for $675,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,233 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2019.

TREYMORE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE

Thomas and Myrtle Grosso sold their home at 4824 Carrington Circle to Mitchel and Anette Berk, of Sarasota, for $670,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,043 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2016.

RIVERSIDE PRESERVE

Ryan Jeffrey Paleczny and Ligon

Brooks Paleczny, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14823 Barrows Bluff Terrace to Mark Justin Wojcicki and Heather Starner Wojciciki, of Bradenton, for $630,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,595 square feet of living area. It sold for $558,000 in 2022.

MILL CREEK

Dallas and Tess Parsons, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, sold their home at 802 137th St. E. to Anthony John Dimare III, of Bradenton, for $615,000. Built in 1989, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,385 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2023.

CARLYLE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE

Sandra DeTorres, of Bradenton, sold the home at 5109 Creekside Trail to Francis and Mary Bridgidi, of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, for $605,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,021 square feet of living area. It sold for $245,400 in 2002.

WINDWARD

Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 8131 Anthirium Loop to Todd James Sudora and Dawn Matera, of Trumbull, Connecticut, for $585,500. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,527 square feet of living area.

ARBOR GRANDE

Natalie and Scott Christopher, of Parrish, sold their home at 2413 Wildflower Run to Tammi Terry and

Janet Ply, of Bentonville, Arkansas, for $580,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,965 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2020.

GREYHAWK LANDING

John Joseph Scott Jr. and Aubrey Scott, of Tallahassee, sold their home at 264 Dove Trail to Richard Allen and Reagan McDonald, of Bradenton, for $570,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,103 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2017.

WATERCREST

Kevin Blatz, of Zephyrhills, sold his Unit 403 condominium at 6438 Watercrest Way to Anna and Anders Aslund, of Washington, D.C., for $560,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,742 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2021.

VERANDA AT LAKEWOOD

NATIONAL

Jane Hollingsworth, trustee, of Reno, Nevada, sold the Unit 2721 condominium at 5685 Palmer Circle to David and Judith Gagnon, of Bradenton, for $537,500. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,462 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2022.

Dag Bros Development LLC sold the Unit 2621 condominium at 5695 Palmer Circle to Antelope Terrace LLC for $530,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,462 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 2022.

ROSEDALE

FORECAST

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Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and