East County Observer 6.6.24

EAST COUNTY

Manatee unveils future plans for shelter dogs

YOUR TOWN

Good time to feel a draft in Waterside

Waterside Place is a favorite destination for Parrish residents Pat and Carrie Greene (above) to have a night out on the town. On Wednesday, they skipped the beer tasting outside Florida Provisions Co. to cozy up to the air conditioned bar with a Hazy IPA and a glass of chardonnay.

“It’s fun and a little more informal (at Florida Provisions),” Pat Greene said. Green Bench Brewing Co. was the brewery of the week, but May 29 was the last sidewalk beer tasting of the season. For the summer, Florida Provisions will be offering live country music on Thursday nights from 6-9 p.m. The first performer in the lineup is Nashville recording artist Bobby James.

Un-bee-lievable effort by student

Amara Chepuri, a rising sixth grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, loved her experience at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The pressure was on, but Chepuri achieved her goal of reaching the quarterfinals.

More than 240 spellers from across the country competed in the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 28-30 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Chepuri tied for 60th place.

Chepuri’s father, Ananth Chepuri, said she had an amazing time and made a lot of friends.

Chepuri will consider trying to qualify for next year’s national spelling bee.

Braden River High welcomes new principal

Wendell Butler wants to create the opportunity for students to become the best version of themselves.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

After Wendell Butler graduated from Western Maryland College in 2003, he returned home to Bradenton in limbo.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to take the Law School Admission Test so he could take the next step into his future.  Butler reconnected with his former wrestling coach, Bob Thomas, at Southeast High School, who asked Butler to help him coach freshman football at the high school.

Seeing the way Butler connected with the students, Thomas suggested he become a teacher.

“I looked at him sideways, and I was like, ‘What? I’m going to school to be a lawyer. A teacher? What?’”

Butler said.

Thomas told Butler that a lot of kids at the school could use good role models.

It was at that moment Butler decided to become a substitute teacher. He didn’t know it would lead to 20 years in education and to him being named in May as the principal at Braden River High School.

During his career in education, Butler has served as a football coach, wrestling coach, swim coach, substitute teacher and history teacher. With his strong passion for politics and policy, he said he wanted to use his undergraduate degree in political science and international relations to pursue an administrative position within the School District of Manatee County.

So Butler received his master’s degree in educational leadership and became an assistant principal at Southeast High until 2017, when he became principal at Bayshore High School.

“You don’t know what you don’t know about your true leadership until the decisions that are made really fall at your desk,” he said. “It’s different being an assistant principal. Now, every decision that’s made at this facility, I have to own it. The next seven years at Bayshore was me finding my leadership, finding how to encourage and inspire kids, families and teachers to do the work of getting kids prepared for life and graduation.”

Butler said he wants to “create space and opportunity for people to grow and become the best version of themselves” just as people had done for him as he began his career.

Growing up in Bradenton, Butler has witnessed firsthand the growth of the community. Butler has worked with teachers and administrators who were his teachers and administrators in school. He said he has friends who have been or will be his students.

“As developing as (Manatee County) is, it’s still very small, especially when you’ve been here all your life and you connect with people who have also been here for a majority of their life,” Butler said.

During his seven years at Bayshore High, Butler said he saw the school community grow and come together when needed. He recalled when a student died, and the school wanted to support the student’s family. Butler said he challenged the student body that if students raised more than $2,500, he would shave his head on campus on a live video link so everyone could watch.

In a day, the students raised at least $4,000.

Butler brought in his clippers and

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL

WENDELL BUTLER

School: Braden River High School Age: 43

Family: Wife, Jennifer; Children, 15-year-old London, 12-year-old Greyson, 11-year-old Reagan, 9-year-old Emersynn and 7-year-old Josephine Past experience: Teacher at Southeast High School from 2005 to 2011, assistant principal at Southeast High School from 2011 to 2017, principal at Bayshore High School from 2017 to 2024.

followed through on his promise.

“I wouldn’t have traded that for the world because in that moment, kids got to see what it was like to not only support someone who was in need, but they got to see what the community could feel like. Everyone rallied around something that brought joy out of tragedy. They got to see the humanistic side of adults in their principal,” Butler said.

Butler said he looks forward to the challenge and experience of joining a new school community.

“I’m looking forward to being able to look at it with my eyes wide open, my hands empty and my heart open to receive what it is and where it is and partner with everyone within the school, the stakeholders and community members to take the school to the next level,” he said.

Butler described himself as a quiet person, which he said allows him to be an observer. He said he thinks deeply about everything, which helps him build intentional relationships and make informed decisions.

“I’m still very much vocal and

commanding in all things that I need to do because that’s the environment, role and space I live in as school principal, but I like peace, quiet and serenity,” he said. “You refuel and recharge on that because you get to collect your thoughts and think through all the chaos and madness and put things from mind to pad in a sense so you can stay focused and relevant in the work that needs to be done.”

Although he said he’s quiet, Butler said he often is heard singing or humming a tune.

Butler said he also likes to work with his hands. Whether it’s making modifications to his Jeep or building a subwoofer, Butler said he loves doing the research needed to learn how to do something himself.

It’s his research and hands-on projects, as well as the fact he’s working toward earning his doctorate, that he said makes him a lifelong learner.

“If I can do it, then I don’t need to ask someone else to do it for me,” Butler said. “We as humans have the ability to do a lot of things, if we put our mind to it, and I truly believe that.”

Courtesy image

Wendell Butler

County’s animal welfare plans

don’t include East County, yet

Commissioner says small adoption center eventually possible for the Lakewood Ranch area.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Manatee County continues to invest in animal welfare facilities, and the locations have been determined by circumstance, with nothing planned at this time for East County.

“If we had a magic wand and could’ve picked where we wanted (a facility), it probably would have been in East County as it was determined,” said Sarah Brown, the deputy director of community and veterans services. “However, when the gift of the Bishop Animal Shelter came up, it kind of changed priorities.”

In March 2022, Manatee County took over operations of the Bishop Animal Shelter from the Bishop Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Manatee County. The donation was estimated at $18 million. The $6 million that was budgeted by the county to build a shelter on State Road 64 across from Haile Middle School was reallocated to the Bishop Animal Shelter for additional upgrades, which total $12,050,000.

Brown said the county’s Animal Welfare department has two main priorities. The first is to move the dogs at the Palmetto Dog Adoption Center into the Bishop Animal Shelter. The second is to open a new resource center that aims to help prevent pets from being surrendered to shelters.

The resource center came about after other plans for an empty building at 401 17th Ave. W., fell through. Brown said the building needs work, but the center could provide veterinary care, food and training resourc-

es to the community by January.

East County might still be in the plans for a facility that would offer adoption services. While Commissioner George Kruse said he doesn’t envision a facility on the scale of the Bishop Animal Shelter in East County anytime soon, something smaller is still a possibility.

“I’m working on trying to get some sort of pseudo, a couple thousand square feet adoption center where people can drop off or adopt dogs,” Kruse said. “We can be cycling dogs, so we can get different dogs out there to be seen by the East County people.”

With or without a county facility in East County, residents still see dogs that are surrendered to the county because Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue and the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch are both county partners.

“Nate’s typically has one of their cottages dedicated to just our animals,” Brown said.

THE GIFT

The Bishop Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Manatee County donated the Bishop Animal Shelter, located at 5718 21st Ave. W., to Manatee County in December 2021. The 25,000-square-foot facility came with 14.47 acres and was valued at $18 million.

The dog kennels were in bad shape

BY THE NUMBERS

72dogs currently sheltered at the Palmetto Dog Adoption Center

80dog capacity at the Palmetto Center

125dog capacity at the Bishop Animal Shelter

$12,050,000 to renovate the Bishop Shelter

$1.3million to open the resource center

are no plans for the Palmetto location outside of never housing animals again.

“It’s a terrible, terrible building,” Kruse said. “We’re endlessly putting money into renovating and fixing that place up to the barest minimum level to allow the dogs some level of comfort as we work on getting them out.”

Brown agreed the location is terrible. Kruse noted that the shelter is next to railroad tracks, and Brown said residents living on the south side of the county don’t want to drive over the river.

“We know traffic can be very congested throughout the county,” Brown said. “I think the decision and thought process prior to Bishop was that East County made the most sense because that’s where everyone is going and where the biggest amount of growth is.”

There are 72 dogs in the Palmetto location now, which is near its capacity. Moving the dogs at Bishop will mean that facility will be housing approximately 125 dogs. Brown said that number is the “sweet spot.”

Bishop also has room for cats, rabbits and other animals, but how many depends on the size of the animals. The shelter was able to accommodate over 100 rabbits that were seized during a hoarding investigation in March.

The majority of surrendered cats are kept at the Cat Town Adoption Center at 216 Sixth Ave. E.

THE RESOURCE CENTER

Kruse said the empty building that will serve as the resource center was initially purchased by former County Administrator Scott Hopes to provide day care for county employees’ children. After a more recent idea to use the building for staff offices was nixed, County Administrator Charlie Bishop approached Brown.

“For the past few years, I’ve been trying to pitch the idea of a resource center,” Brown said. “Nationally, adoptions continue to decline. We’re seeing that trend as expenses get higher. It’s been a tough time for people and their pets.”

The resource center will offer support to people in the hope that owners can keep their pets versus surrendering them. Brown said it’s simply not feasible for the county to adopt its way out of the pet overpopulation crisis, and many times, people just need a little bit of help.

“If we can find a way to be able to help people treat their pets, that will be less of a burden on the shelters in our community. And then people get to keep their pets, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Sarah Brown

when the county took over, and the plans were revised a few times. Now that a final plan is in place, Manatee County staff members are pushing to get the renovation done as soon as possible.

“We’re moving into the design development phase,” Brown said. “That’s typically a 60-day turnaround. We’re aiming for a 45-day turnaround to keep expediting this project.”

The prefab kennels are put together off-site and take about 12 weeks to assemble. The goal is to have the kennels installed by the end of the year, but Brown said it might not happen until early 2025.

Once installed, dogs being sheltered in Palmetto will be moved to Bishop. The Palmetto Adoption Center will then be permanently closed. Kruse said there currently

The 3,600-square-foot resource center, which will cost about $1.3 million to open, will feature a food bank, indoor and outdoor training areas, a surgical suite and adoption offices.

The majority of veterinary services will be wellness care, such as vaccines and medications. The county was offering free mobile vaccination clinics, but found it difficult to keep people and pets waiting outside for long periods of time. With an office, people can make appointments and sit in a waiting room.   Brown said at least a third of the animals that come into the shelter are heartworm positive, and the treatments are expensive.

“If we can find a way to be able to help people treat their pets, that will be less of a burden on the shelters in our community,” Brown said. “And then people get to keep their pets, and that’s a beautiful thing.”   There will be some, but not a lot of adoptions at the center. One of the bigger focuses will be on training because it’s a major problem Animal Welfare staff is seeing in the community. It’s also another solvable problem.

Pet owners can receive basic training at either a low cost or free to work through their pet’s problem behaviors, so they can keep them. There will be case managers on-site who can talk through issues owners are having and offer solutions.

“We want people to be able to keep their pets,” Brown said. “We’re hoping this will at least make a small dent in our community.”

File photos

Sarah Brown, deputy director of Community and Veterans Services, is the former Animal Welfare division chief.

Manatee County has been operating the Bishop Animal Shelter since March 2022.

Two Lakewood Ranch roads get higher speed limits

Commissioners approve higher speed limits on Rangeland Parkway and Uihlein Road.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

The speed limit on Rangeland Parkway from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard to Bourneside Boulevard is being raised from 35 miles per hour to 40 mph.

The new signs should be up in early August.

The Manatee County Commission, with the exception of Commissioner George Kruse, voted to increase the speed limit at the May 28 commission meeting.

Commissioners also approved a speed limit increase on Uihlein Road between State Road 70 and State Road 64, but that was a formality.

“It started as a mix of 35 and 45, and the stewardship district changed all of it to 40 somewhere along the way,” said Bill Logan, information outreach manager for Manatee County. “There might be a couple of extra signs needed or possible relocations, but Uihlein is mostly properly posted at 40 already.”

Kruse objected to the change on Rangeland Parkway because that stretch of road already passes by the soccer fields at the Premier Sports Campus and the Lakewood Ranch Library. Plus, the school district is building a high school on the south side of Rangeland Parkway between Lorraine Road and Post Boulevard.

“It seems like we’re increasing speed just to increase speed in a situation where we should be keeping the speed lower,” he said. “People are going to drive what they’re going to drive regardless of what a little sign says, but there’s no reason to encourage it. If they’re going to drive five to 10 miles over 35, they’re just going to

EAST COUNTY

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NEW SPEED LIMITS

The new signs should be posted by early August. New signs along Rangeland Parkway will cost $3,500 to install. Maintenance on the signs for both Rangeland Parkway and Uihlein Road is estimated to cost $438 per year.

go that same distance over 40 now.”

Kruse said that because the road is straight, there are no traffic calming features.

Pat Kopcsak is a member of the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, so she drives Rangeland Parkway regularly to man the Friends bookstore at the library. She sees the straightness of the road as one reason to allow a higher speed.

“It’s a straight road. I think (40 mph) is a safe speed,” Kopcsak said. “When you compare it with the other roads, like Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, there’s not that much traffic.”

Esplanade resident Laurie Iannucci walked up to the checkout with a pile of books and a similar opinion.

“There’s nothing here really, unless people turn into a development,” she said. “I’m so glad they’re making it 40.”

Lesley Dwyer Signs along Uihlein Road already reflect the new speed limit of 40 mph. The signs along Rangeland Parkway will be changed in August.

District will spend $1.4 million on weapon detection screeners

Starting on the first day of school

Aug. 12, every high school student in the School District of Manatee County will need to walk through a weapons detection system each day to enter campus.  Much like the security screeners at Disney World or the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, students simply will walk through the Evolv Express Unit.

The school district will have the Evolv Express systems at every high school as an added security enhancement as well as to deter anyone from bringing a weapon to school.

Paul Damico, the chief officer of safety and security for Manatee schools, said the district decided to pursue a security enhancement like the screener after a gun went off at a spring football game at Palmetto High School in May 2022.

The gunshot occurred when a fight broke out among teens inside the stadium near the home bleachers. No one was injured in the incident, but players, coaches, staff and fans fled the field and bleachers. The Palmetto Police they later discovered two handguns that had been brought to the stadium in that incident.

“We could have prevented that with this system,” Damico said.

The district began implementing a screening protocol and a clear bag policy at every football game.

Damico said although it’s not often, there have been instances throughout the district in which a gun was found on campus. He said in those cases the guns found were not loaded.

The district said approximately a dozen weapons have been found on

campus in the past school year.

The term weapon includes firearms, knives, pellet guns and anything else that could be construed as a weapon.

One other shooting incident occurred in 1997 in which a student was shot at Lincoln Middle School but did recover.

The school district piloted the Evolv Express screeners randomly at each of the district’s seven high schools.

“The kids, the parents, everybody seemed to like the idea because they felt safer,” Damico said.

Damico said a gun was recovered during the pilot period as a student refused to walk through the screener.

After an inspection, a handgun was found.

Damico said the successful run of the pilot program gave the district

BY THE NUMBERS

great school climate that is conducive to learning,” Damico said.

The district is hopeful that implementing the weapons detection system will result in the reduction in security false alarms at middle and high school levels from approximately 40% to less than 10%.

The district ordered 18 Evolv Express Units, which totaled nearly $1.4 million for a four-year lease.

Damico said the machines will help students and faculty feel safer on campus as well as limit the need for time consuming safety and security checks, such as bag searches.

confidence to move forward with implementing the system at every high school starting in the 2024-25 school year.

“It’s about keeping everyone as safe as possible while still having a

imagery line and uses artificial intelligence to detect a potential weapon.

Students will need to take their Chromebooks out of their backpacks but shouldn’t have to take any other items out of their backpacks as they walk through the machines.

People will need to take umbrellas out if they are attending a public event.

If the screener detects anything, a red light will go off and the person will need to step aside to a table and have the bag searched. A guardian, who is an armed security officer the district has hired, also will use a security wand to check the person.

Damico said the district is hiring approximately 11 new guardians to man the screeners as well as security supervisors to oversee the guardians.

Damico said students will not be late to class as a result of having to go through the system before entering campus. According to the Evolv website, the machines can screen up to 4,000 people per hour.

The district also will have screeners randomly rotating around the middle schools as a test run to help students prepare to go through the system every day in high school.

Damico said there is a possibility the district will add Evolv Express systems to middle schools in the future.

On top of the Evolv Express machines, the district will have a firearms detection canine to screen students and visitors for firearms.

Damico said Buddy, the 8-monthold English pointer, will randomly rotate visits to the high schools.

He said Buddy has finished training and will start working with the district during the summer. Buddy will be positioned at the front of the school, and he will not do bag searches or interior searches unless a threat has been detected.

Damico said the screeners also will be used randomly at public high school events, including football games, concerts and theater productions.

The Evolv Express Unit uses ultraviolet rays to draw a red thermal

“Kids can see him and he’s friendly,” Damico said of Buddy. “He could smell a firearm from a good distance away, according to the trainers.”

Buddy, an English pointer, can detect firearms at a distance. The School District of Manatee County will randomly dispatch Buddy to schools throughout the school year.

Courtesy images

The School District of Manatee County will have Evolv Express

Units at each high school as an added security measure.

Elections office budget gets major boost

The Supervisor of Elections office received a $841,340 increase over four months.

Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse has slammed a recent request for a budget increase of $841,340 for the Supervisors of Elections office that was just taken over by former commissioner James Satcher, who was appointed to be the supervisor of elections after the retirement of Mike Bennett.

Satcher requested the increase at the May 28 commission meeting.

“It was a made-up narrative to justify a made-up budget that they knew was going to blow through their one ‘No’ vote,” Kruse said. “They knew that walking in, so (James Satcher) felt no obligation to present information.”

Satcher received the budget increase he requested in a 4-1 vote, with only Kruse opposed. The increase is for this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.

Part of the request includes funds to set up two satellite offices, one in Parrish and one in Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch office will offer over-the-counter ballots and other voter services, such as registration, updating signatures and changing party affiliations.

“The closer we get to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, I think that would be good for everyone,” Satcher said.

A lease hasn’t been signed yet, but Satcher has enough promising leads to feel confident that a Lakewood Ranch office will be open before the November election.

Commissioners Ray Turner, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Jason Bearden and Mike Rahn voted to approve the budget request. Commissioner Amanda Ballard recused herself from the vote because her husband is the chief of staff at the Supervisor of Elections office.

Kruse’s “one ‘No’ vote” was based on both the narrative and the timing.

“We are dangerously close to elections,” Kruse said. “The timing made no sense to me.” Kruse also questioned why 95% of the narrative was focused on security, but only 5% of the budget was set aside for security software.

He asked Satcher what the problem was with prior elections that

made the equipment and software necessary. He also cited the Florida Department of State’s Office of Election Crimes and Security Report to Legislature dated Jan. 15, 2024, which shows Manatee County only having 12 complaints over seven elections in 2020.

“We’re disproportionately better than anybody else in the state in terms of our elections,” Kruse said. “We’re the cheapest and the best. My problem is we don’t seem to have a problem.”

Satcher said it wasn’t his style to see a problem behind the scenes and air it on television during a commission meeting.

“I’m not going to — on something that’s going to be memorialized — say security concerns I have for the office,” Satcher told the commission. “So I guess there is some level of trust that I’m asking for.”

After the meeting, Satcher said Kruse made too much of the one line item for software and that security falls under additional categories of the budget, as well.

“We get the equipment, and we have to buy the software for the year,” Satcher said. “(For the following elections), we wouldn’t have to pay for the security equipment again. We would just do the license renewal on the software side, so there are two separate expenses for the same system.”

Satcher said he’s secured audit software and machines and is also bolstering the existing voting tabulation machines. The tabulation

BUDGET INCREASES

machines are 9 years old, so he’s renting back-ups for the election.

Former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett said the machines have a life expectancy of 10-15 years. They’re checked and serviced before each election, so he never experienced any issues with them. He also noted that all the computers and tabulation machines in the office are fewer than 3 years old.

The two largest line items on the budget are under “machinery and equipment” and “regular salaries.”

Out of the $223,196 set aside for equipment, new auditing machines account for $190,000. The remaining $33,196 is the cost to rent the back-up tabulation machines.

Under salaries, $51,000 is set aside for a new IT staff member and $29,700 for a new budgetary manager over a fourth-month period. Ballard said the remaining $85,000 will cover a staff payout of vacation and sick hours.

“We’re disproportionately better than anybody else in the state in terms of our elections. We’re the cheapest and the best. My problem is we don’t seem to have a problem.”

Scott Farrington left his position as chief of staff the day Satcher was appointed to the office. Satcher and Farrington will face off in the primary to be the Republican candidate in November. Bennett said Farrington’s payout request was for $55,000, not $85,000.

Farrington’s salary was $175,177.60. However, he was doing the work of two staff members. Farrington holds a master’s degree in Information Systems Management from the University of South Florida, so he filled the IT position, too. Ballard was hired to replace him as chief of staff at $120,000, and a full year’s IT salary will cost $153,000.

Outside of Kruse and Rahn, commissioners didn’t question the budget increase. Rahn simply questioned how old the machines were. Bearden and Van Ostenbridge lodged allegations against Bennett.

Bearden alleged that Bennett said in a room full of people that he allowed illegal aliens to vote. Bennett said he didn’t say it or allow it.

$223,196

Van Ostenbridge asked Satcher if

it was accurate that the office was operating “in the red” before he took over, to which Satcher replied “Yes, sir.”

Both Satcher and the Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean declined the Observer’s request to speak to the allegation after the meeting. On behalf of McLean, Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan said there was “no more information available.”

“To our knowledge, they were not in the red,” said Kim Wilder, director of finance for the Manatee County Clerk’s office.

The FY2023 detailed expenditure report shows the office operated $4,533.78 under budget. Bennett said during his 11-year tenure, the office only ran over budget once, during a presidential election.

The budget itself was under fire for being too low in comparison to Sarasota’s budget of $10 million. Bennett’s budget for FY2024 was $3,229,212. The approved increase brings the budget up to $4,070,552.

“When they compare our budget to Sarasota, they have no idea what Ron Turner (Sarasota Supervisor of Elections) deals with down there,” Bennett said. “For all intents and purposes, Manatee County is one central city — Bradenton. Turner’s got multiple cities to deal with — the city of Sarasota, North Port, Venice. Consequently, he has other issues.”  Sarasota also had 19 complaints during the 2020 elections, seven more than Manatee.

“We’re still the least expensive per voter of counties of similar size,” Satcher said. “Not that that’s my No. 1 goal, my No. 1 goal is to have a safe, secure, transparent election.”

Lesley Dwyer

Fellow commissioners attend James Satcher’s swearing in as the new Supervisor of Elections. From left: Amanda Ballard, Jason Bearden, Judge Gilbert A. Smith Jr., James Satcher, Mike Rahn and Kevin Van Ostenbridge.

George Kruse, Manatee County Commissioner

Volunteers came through in the clutch

Osprey benefits from efforts to protect their nest at Jiggs Landing.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

It was a tragedy for Ollie and Olivia, the Jiggs Landing resident ospreys, whose nest had been unable to support their eggs.

For years, those who visited Jiggs Landing had watched the majestic birds, who made a home in the dying pine tree adjacent to the entry gate and the parking lot.

For the second time during the mating season, which runs from November through the end of March in Florida, a clutch of eggs had fallen out of the nest to the ground.

Mote Ranch resident Rich Ranieri, who for years has kayaked on the Braden River, found the first clutch of broken eggs.

“I noticed the nest tilting,” said Ranieri, who said he is a wildlife rehab specialist by vocation. “Then I found three osprey eggs cracked on the ground.”

Others who frequent Jiggs Landing were concerned as well, and they, along with Ranieri went to Denise Kleiner, who owns and manages the concessions at the Manatee County park.

“Everyone was upset,” said Kleiner, “They were saying, ‘Whatever is happening with that nest, it doesn’t look good.’ Then Rich approached me and said, ‘We have to do something.’”

Ranieri told Kleiner he had a friend who might be able to help. So he called Venice’s Kevin Barton, who is a wildlife consultant to the Peace River Wildlife Center.

Ranieri and Barton had worked together at Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary of Sarasota, where Barton was the head of rehabilitation. That sanctuary now is called Save Our Seabirds. Barton also is the cofounder and former executive director of the Wildlife Center of Venice. Barton wanted to help, but he knew Kleiner would need to work with Manatee County to get all the necessary approvals. Osprey are protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act and is part of the Imperiled Species Management Plan.

Manatee County checked Barton’s credentials and made sure he had the necessary insurance, then gave its blessing for the project after checking the nest to make sure no eggs currently were in it.

Barton’s plan was to use the frame from a bowl-shaped Papasan chair as the base of the nest. On May 28, the nest renovation was underway.

“He was just doing this for the good of the birds,” Kleiner said. “He didn’t expect any payment. He had the Papasan chair, pulleys, extra rope (actually straps).”

“Kevin is so thorough,” Ranieri said. “He hoisted up two huge branches and strapped them on each side of the Papasan chair. Then he filled it with nesting material.”

Kleiner said she thought Barton, who is in his late 40s, was taking a chance to climb so high.

“He’s not a young guy,” she said. “But he climbed that tree like Tarzan.”

Both Ranieri and Kleiner described Barton as a laid-back guy who doesn’t have an ego and who genuinely cares.

“It was a nest that frequently falls,” Barton said. “I saw it and made some suggestions. The Papasan chair frame added stability and size. I think it worked well.”

Barton said the goal was to build the nest foundation as quickly as possible so the osprey would have a chance for more eggs, even if it was just after the end of their breeding season.

Two days after the work was done, the two ospreys returned to the nest.

Kleiner said both Barton and Ranieri just work to help wildlife.

“This was not about money,” she said. “It was amazing. They want people to understand there are solutions.”

Although most of the feedback from the community was positive, a few people voiced their opinion that humans shouldn’t interfere in nature.

“There are different schools of thought,” Ranieri said. “It comes down to an individual’s belief system. A lot of people believe to not interfere. Just let nature do its thing.

“I feel that we are such a negative force on the environment, that every little thing we can do is warranted.”

The pine tree is dying. Although it sported some green last summer,

“I feel that we are such a negative force on the environment, that every little thing we can do is warranted.”

Rich Ranieri

Kleiner said storms seemed to have finished the job, and she hasn’t seen any green on the tree this year.  However, she had a member of the Florida Forest Service visit the park, and he said the tree would be there “forever,” unless some natural event, such as lightning or high winds cause damage.

Kleiner moved to the area in 2004, so she is elated the nest could be rebuilt. She said ospreys have been in the tree every year except for 2011, when great horned owls took over the nest for one year. She has owned the concessions at Jiggs Landing since 2019.

Ranieri said it was a positive sign the osprey came back to the nest in only a couple of days. He also said he would reimburse Barton for the money he spent to rebuild the nest.

He said that if someone finds an osprey or eagles nest that is failing or that has fallen, he or she should contact Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before taking any action.

Ranieri called Barton a “unique” person who does similar things through the kindness of his heart.

Their friendship led to Barton’s involvement because he said he usually doesn’t come “this far north” for similar problems. Once he saw the situation, he was going to help.

“This is their territory and their tree,” he said of the birds.

1944

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Courtesy photos Kevin Barton rebuilds the Osprey nest at the Jiggs Landing parking lot.

Jay Heater

One of the osprey that had used the nest at Jiggs Landing for years.

Kudos to SMR for another stirring parade

Veterans and first responders share the spotlight during the annual event.

Lakewood Ranch’s Eric Laschke, a former New York City Police Department officer, has had an interesting profession.

Laschke is a fingerprint specialist.

Now you might not understand the implication of that unless you were standing along the Tribute to Heroes Parade route May 26 on Lakewood Main Street and had a conversation with him, as I did. Laschke came with his family to not only enjoy the parade, but to support his friend, former New York City fireman Steve Lubrino. Lubrino, who survived the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center, was the parade’s grand marshal. It would be interesting to note that Laschke had never met Lubrino when they both lived in New York. That changed when they moved to Lakewood Ranch.

And while Laschke wasn’t inside the World Trade Center moments before the South Tower collapsed, as was Lubrino, he was, indeed, there.

Laschke said he was stationed about a mile away, checking the victims’ fingerprints to ID them. Imagine dealing with that emotionally for the rest of your life. It is just one more example of why I am OK with first responders getting a special discount, whether that is at a local business or even on their taxes. They do a job that most of us either wouldn’t be able to handle or would want to handle.

While Laschke didn’t march in the parade, he certainly would have been the proper fit. The parade is situated on the day before Memorial

Day on the calendar, but it isn’t a pure Memorial Day parade. That is quite all right with me.

Our fallen veterans are most in our minds during the Tribute to Heroes Parade, but our living veterans, our current military members and our first responders also share the top billing.

Lubrino is not comfortable with the recognition of being the parade’s grand marshal this year — and doing the Miss America wave from on top of a float — but he values the education that is available to children during the parade if they choose to absorb it. He hopes

children learn about 9/11 and how America came together in its aftermath.

The parade itself is a moving history lesson, if they let it in.

So every year, I give Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch kudos for putting in the time and effort to produce such an event. I know the future will be full of challenges as we move forward (such as the staging area shrinking near the hospital due to development), but I dearly hope the parade continues through the years as a signature event.

I should also point out that

Peculiar Pub, Remy’s, Ed’s Tavern, McGrath’s Kitchen and Cocktails, and the Windsor of Lakewood Ranch all provided free food so the veterans could enjoy a meal before the parade.

So here is a look at some suggestions for future parades. Please note that I believe the parade, as it was this year, was a terrific event. These are just fine-tuning suggestions.

GET RID OF FENCING — OK,

I know the fencing that appeared along the parade route this year most likely was the result of some insurance requirement, but please get rid of it.

I walked the parade route and talked to various parents and nobody I chatted with liked it, even though they had small children.

Kind of like watching entertainment from prison.

Use a few more security people, or more cones, or whatever, but that fence felt very restrictive.

I have been walking the parade route for a decade, and I haven’t seen any near accidents yet. Do kids run out to get candy or beads? Absolutely. But that’s why the vehicles are going 5 mph and everyone is asked to be on high alert.

That’s not to say we don’t need to be extra careful in the future, but I do believe the fencing is over the top.

PRE-PARADE BAND — I-Ruption was a very talented Reggae band and very entertaining during the pre-parade party. This would be a great choice for Music on Main (if they already haven’t performed).

Even so, it was an interesting Tribute to Heroes pre-parade band choice, to say the least. Maybe I am just old, but wouldn’t the event have called for a band like the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble (to play marches) or even a country band (to play patriotic songs)?

The pre-party part of the event is growing, so perhaps that needs some discussion.

MARCHING MUSIC — It’s always been a tough ask that the Tribute to Heroes Parade include marching bands. Thank goodness the Lakewood Ranch High Marching Mustangs have shown up late in the process the past couple of years to give those in attendance that wonderful feel that only a marching band can provide.

I would note that in the staging area next to the hospital where the Marching Mustangs were warming up, all the parade participants were provided with some entertainment that had to get their hearts pumping. Nothing like the beat of multiple drums.

Can’t something be done to line up Lakewood Ranch High, Braden River High and ODA bands far in advance so the parade can be a regular stop of their schedule? Sure, it’s after school ends, and yet, summer parades all over the nation attract high school bands. What can be done to make this parade important to them? Are there other opportunities for music (the marching kind)? Please start now to lock it up for 2025.

START ON TIME — OK, things happen. I get it. But the parade beginning 15 minutes early this year was a mixup that could have been avoided. It’s something that most likely is an easy fix in the future.

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

Jay Heater

The fencing along the Tribute to Heroes Parade route did seem too constrictive.

Lakewood Ranch loses an altruistic force

David Fink says he feels he has left East County in a better place.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

When David Fink moved to the East County area in 1999, he had one main goal.

“I care about my community, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just a user,” Fink said. “I wanted to leave it better than I found it.”

Last week, Fink left the Lakewood Ranch area a better place.

He sold his property just off Lorraine Road and moved to Boone, North Carolina, where he plans to spend some time before eventually returning to Florida in the Gainesville or Ocala area with his wife, Debbie Nadeau.

“It was just time for a change,” he said.

What makes his departure especially painful for the Lakewood Ranch community is that he was an altruistic force.

While Fink served on several boards, he will be best known for chairing both the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund (now the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation) as well as his work on those two boards.

He spent six years on the LWRBA board and seven years with the LWRCF. His profession is handling investing and tax reduction strategies for the Lifestyle Freedom Group.

“He set the bar extremely high,” said Heather Kasten, former president and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance who worked with Fink for several years, including his time as chair. “He was truly salt of the Earth, and he had the heart and passion for the LWRBA. He gave us his time and energy, and it is rare when you have someone with no agenda.

“He provided an example of authentic leadership, genuine and sincere. He provided us with tre -

mendous encouragement. I learned from every chair we had, but David was the cream of the crop.”

Fink said he will miss the many people he met while working for the various nonprofits, which included the Manatee County Humane Society and the Brain Health Initiative.

“Collectively, I believe we made a ton of progress,” he said.

He enjoyed his work on the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation board, but he feels there is still work to do.

“Looking back, we did make a lot of progress,” he said of the LWRCF, “but I felt there was not the traction that there should be. I think the LWRCF has a great opportunity over time and will make a great impact.”

He said his favorite moments came with the LWRBA.

“We did a lot of hard work, but I got as much as I gave,” he said. “I am going to cherish my time with the alliance the most.”

Fink hopes the number of community volunteers continues to increase.

“My personal perspective is that it is very important to get involved,” he said. “But you have to find your passion. You can’t get involved just for the sake of getting involved. Then it would seem like work. When you are passionate, you create relationships and you make an impact.”

He said not everyone needs to be a board member. For example, his mom, Lakewood Ranch’s Carol Fink, volunteers at the All Faith Food Bank.

Jay Heater

David Fink served as president of the board for the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation and board chair for the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.

Courtesy images

The Oasis Gospel Justice Center team celebrates the opening of the legal aid service at Oasis Church.

After a year, Summers said the client was settled back into the apartment.

Seeing the impact Administer Justice had on the community, Summers said she felt God guiding her to start a branch at Oasis Church in Lakewood Ranch, where she’s a member.

She and her husband, Gary, worked with the church to launch Oasis Gospel Justice Center on May 18. The justice center is a branch of Administer Justice, a national legal aid ministry providing services to people who cannot afford an attorney.

They now will service as “justice champions” as the administrators of the justice center.

On the third Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to noon, Oasis Gospel Justice Center will open the doors of Building B at Oasis Church to welcome anyone who needs legal aid.

The justice center will have at least two attorneys available for a 45-minute consultation. A $30 fee will be required for the first appointment, but any follow-up consultations will be free.

“It’s an opportunity for them to talk to someone and not be brushed off,” Summers said.

Reservations for appointments can be made online and walk-in appointments also are welcome.

The attorneys do not go to court for anyone, but they will provide guidance and prepare clients to represent themselves in court.

Oasis Gospel Justice Center does not handle criminal cases. Attorneys will be able to assist with family issues, housing issues, small claims, debt collection and consumer law, employment and criminal records relief and more. Family issues include parentage, visitation, child support and divorce.

“God speaks through the attorneys and speaks through the people there because it is what He wants for all of us, to be able to serve and help others and to bring justice for those who are being unjustly or unfairly treated,” Summers said.

Summers said everyone will receive aid regardless of faith.

“If you’re not a believer, it’s OK,” Summers said. “Please come and see us. Let us help you resolve what the

“It

makes me so happy to know I can serve my God and we can show a solution to a situation that looked hopeless that it’s not hopeless. There’s always hope with God.”

Vicki Summers

conflict is and let us help you at least see what the gospel of Jesus is.”

The justice center has client advocates that provide emotional and social support while making sure clients understand their next steps.

Summers said she wants to see Oasis Gospel Justice Center become a common community resource for anyone needing legal aid.

Summers said she looks forward to being able to make a difference in the community.

“It makes me glow from the inside out,” she said. “It makes me so happy to know I can serve my God and we can show a solution to a situation that looked hopeless that it’s not hopeless. There’s always hope with God.”

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Gary Summers and his wife, Vicki Summers, are the justice champions of Oasis Gospel Justice Center at Oasis Church.

PET PICS

Have

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

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

The stage is set

Sights + Sounds is an outdoor showcase of the best instrumental, visual and performing arts the Sarasota region has to offer. Come out for dinner at the town center and stay to enjoy the show! Ring Sarasota

Friday, June 14th @ 6 pm

Manatee Community Concert Band Tuesday, August 27th @ 7 pm

Check out all of the events happening around The Ranch!

THE OBSERVER ROLLS WITH A LITTLE GREECE: Jack LaDuke and Lynda Wagner with the East County Observer in Santorini, one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

SUMMER CITY

Five arts events you won’t want to miss this summer.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Once upon a time in Sarasota, the calendar was divided into “season” (October through April) and “off season” (May through September). But in recent years, the line has blurred.  Yes, the snowbirds begin heading home after Easter and Black Tie events go on hiatus, but each year the area attracts new full-time residents. Cultural institutions like Asolo Repertory Theatre, Urbanite Theatre and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe have responded with seasons that now last into June.

For 60 years, the Sarasota Music Festival has been held each summer, bringing in faculty and fellows from around the world and delighting classical music lovers with three weeks of performances.

A Sarasota summer arts mainstay is Florida Studio Theatre, with a sizzling cabaret season as well as mainstage and improv performances. FST also hosts the Sarasota Improv Festival, which came back with a vengeance last year after being on hold in real life for years.

Another longtime participant in the summer arts scene is the Circus Arts Conservatory. It will be taking up residency in The Ringling Museum’s Historic Asolo Theater once again this summer. The CAC will also be heading to Massachusetts with a show called Summersaults in the Berkshires from July 19-28 at the Duffin Theater in Lenox.

We’ve scoured the summer calendar for five events that you absolutely won’t want to miss. All are surprisingly affordable and some are even free.

The meteorologists say it’s going to be a hot summer, but these mustsee events provide respite from rising temperatures with air-conditioned performances and screenings. All of our picks sell out quickly, so don’t wait to buy your tickets.

JACK DOWD’S ‘LAST CALL’

June 7 through Aug. 18 at the Stulberg Gallery, Ringling College of Art & Design, 1188 Dr. Martin Luther King Way. Tuesday through Saturday 12-6 p.m. Visit Ringling College. gallery.

Nearly everyone has their version of “Cheers,” the TV bar “where everybody knows your name.” Such a mythical tavern, where business types in suits mix with artists, musicians, socialites and a neighborhood character or two, will be inside the Stulberg Gallery at Ringling College of Art & Design this summer.

Sarasota artist Jack Dowd’s installation “Last Call” will open June 7 with a reception featuring free food for the first 250 visitors and a cash bar on the patio outside the gallery from 5 to 8 p.m.

The installation featuring a 22-foot-long mahogany bar and 13 life-size characters, including the late John F. Kennedy Jr. wearing roller blades, was first created in 2001 by the artist and his son, Jon Dowd. It was displayed at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art the same year.

In “Last Call,” the clock on the wall reads 3:55. That’s just minutes before 4 a.m. closing time in New York City, where the tavern is set. There’s just enough time for one more round, hence the title “Last Call.”

The diversity of the bar’s patrons and their realization that the long

IN THE

night is drawing to a close echoes the grittiness of the 1930s Ash Can School, according to Ringling College Chief Curator Tim Jaeger.  Dowd, who is in his eighties, will attend the opening reception, which promises to draw an eclectic mix of Sarasota artists and arts aficionados. There may never be another party quite like this one. You won’t want to miss it.

CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE

Select Fridays through Oct. 18, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12. Visit SarasotaOperaHouse.com.

If you’ve got Turner Classic Movies on cable or the Criterion Channel streaming on your laptop, you can watch a great selection of films from Hollywood’s Golden Age. But as the events company Fathom has discovered with its screenings in AMC, Regal and Cinemark cinemas, there are plenty of people who still like movies on the big screen.

What about watching classic films in a premier venue like the Sarasota Opera House? Yes, please!

You’ve already been warned about the hazy definition of the off season in Sarasota, so don’t be surprised to see that one of our must-see events of the summer runs through October.

In fact, in a lineup that includes such fan favorites as “On the Waterfront,” “American Graffiti” and “A Fistful of Dollars,” the classic film on the top of our list is “The Greatest Show on Earth,” about the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The highest-grossing film of 1952, Cecile B. DeMille’s “The Greatest Show on Earth” was filmed in Sarasota, the winter home of the Ringling

Bros. circus. It made its world premiere at the Sarasota Opera House, then known as the Florida Theater.  Given the cosplay that reigned at the screenings of Taylor Swift’s “Eras” concert tour movie last summer and the fun-loving spirit of Sarasota residents, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few clowns, leotard-clad ladies and other bigtop denizens at the GSOE screening at the opera house.

URBANITE THEATRE’S

‘OAK’

Through June 30 at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $7-$44. Visit Urbanite Theatre.com.

If you grew up telling ghost stories around the campfire or at slumber parties, “Oak” is the summer play you won’t want to miss. Written by Chicago’s Terry Guest, the Southern Gothic horror is making its world premiere at Sarasota’s black-box Urbanite Theatre.

In a 10th-anniversary season that had many edgy entries, Urbanite Artistic Director Summer Dawn Wallace thinks “Oak” is the best play of the season. And she is not even directing this one; Mikael Burke is. Oak is the name of a sleepy town in Georgia where nothing much happens except the periodic disappearance of African American children. The snatchings are attributed to a creek monster, Odella, who is reportedly the spirit of a runaway slave who drowned and who is Oak’s answer to the Bogeyman. The play “Oak” follows three restless Black cousins —16-year-old Pickle, her little brother Big Man and their cousin Suga — during one of the town’s “child snatching seasons.”  There are lots of twists and turns

Courtesy images

Jack Dowd’s “Last Call,” a life-sized installation of a mythical New York City tavern and 13 patrons, opens June 7 at Ringling College’s Stulberg Gallery.

Trezure B. Coles, William Rose II and Jaeda LaVonne star as three cousins in “Oak,” Urbanite Theatre’s final production of its 10th season.

Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

that keep you on the edge of your seat in “Oak,” so we don’t want to give away too much. Suffice it to say in that mysterious abductions are as much a part of the landscape in Oak as racism and poverty and are viewed with a grudging acceptance typically reserved for rain.

At the heart of the Faustian play lies the question: What deal are you willing to make with the Devil — or in this case, Odella — to escape a humdrum existence in a dead-end Georgia town? If you’re living in Oak, be afraid, not of Odella, but of the lengths you’ll go to escape.

The play could provoke some soulsearching among audience members, who may be less interested in escape than in things remaining the same in their town. Who are you willing to throw under the bus to maintain the status quo? Spooky stuff, indeed.

SUMMER CIRCUS

SPECTACULAR

June 14 through Aug. 17 at the Historic Asolo Theater, The Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road. $20 adults/$15 youth 15 and under. Visit Ringling.org.

If you’re not a circus fan, why not? You don’t like animals, scary clowns or bleachers? No worries. You won’t find any of those things at the Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular.

Instead you’ll get a one-hour show filled with sophisticated, familyfriendly entertainment in the beautiful Historic Asolo Theater.

Did I mention the ticket prices? They are just $20 for adults and $15 for youth under 15.

This year’s summer lineup is different from what the CAC, under the direction of husband-and-wife team Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, presented under their new bigtop at Nathan Benderson Park during season.

Presided over by Ringmaster Jared Walker, the summer circus includes contortionist Uranbileg Angarag, acrobatic hand balancers The Bello Sisters, hair hang artist Camille Langlois, slack wire performer Antino Pansa and clown Renaldo, a veteran of the Big Apple Circus.

If you’ve never seen a show in the Historic Asolo Theater, or The HAT

for short, this is your chance. First built in 1798 inside a palace in Asolo, Italy, the jewel-box theater’s elaborate proscenium, decorative panels, gilded stage boxes and other components were purchased by The Ringling in 1949.

The historic theater, which opened for Sarasota performances in 1952, has only 286 seats. It’s a theater fit for a king, or at least a duke.

Why not make a circus day of it at The Ringling? Before or after watching the Summer Circus Spectacular (shows are 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday), why not visit the Circus Museum? For just $5, audience members can gain access to the museum on the day they attend the show.

This is a timely offer because the Circus Museum recently added a new installation on the second floor of the Tibbals Learning Center called the Greatest Show on Earth. The multimedia exhibit is dedicated to the modern Ringling Bros. circus as it evolved under the ownership of Feld Entertainment, which acquired it in 1967.

Also, the Circus Museum isn’t part of The Ringling’s free Mondays admission.

SARASOTA IMPROV FESTIVAL

July 12-13 at Florida Studio Theatre’s downtown campus, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $10 each show. Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

When Florida Studio Theatre announced the Sarasota Improv Festival’s return to real life in 2023 after a four-year hiatus (there was a virtual fest in 2020), it was hard to know what the reaction might be. Would fans have forgotten about the once-popular summer event, which began in 2009?

Not a chance. Last year’s festival, which was headlined by London hiphop comedian MC Hammersmith, sold out almost immediately. FST draws a faithful improv following with its Saturday night shows featuring its own FST Improv Troupe. These fans turned out in droves for the improv festival, featuring talent from around the world.

When it comes to improv, Sarasota

is definitely on the map, along with places like Los Angeles, New York and Austin.

With $10 tickets, it’s hard to find a better live entertainment bargain in town than the Sarasota Improv Festival, which will be held July 12-13. Festival passes are available for $75 for two days, $59 for Saturday and $49 for Friday.

Headlining this year’s festival is Impro Theatre, a Los Angeles-based group that creates full-length plays inspired by the world’s greatest playwrights, but on the fly. This will be Impro Theatre’s second appearance at the Sarasota Improv Festival.

Also returning to the festival are fan favorites Available Cupholders (Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles), Big Bang Improv (Boston, Sarasota

and New York City), Dad’s Garage (Atlanta), Parallelogramophonograph (Austin), North Coast (New York City) and FST Improv.

Repping Chile at this year’s festival is the troupe Lospleimovil, which is making its debut.

Even if you don’t attend this year, be sure to add the improv festival’s traditional closing performance to your bucket list.

In the “All Play” finale, more than 80 festival artists jam themselves onto FST’s Gompertz Theatre stage for an unscripted show full of fun. Summer fun, that is.

The hand-balancing acrobats The Bello Sisters are among the featured acts at the 2024 Summer Circus Spectacular.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

‘TWO, THREE, FOUR’

4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

$30-$42

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The Sarasota Music Festival presents works for two, three and four musicians. The program includes Jean Francaix’s Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, Erwin Schulhoff’s 1925 Duo for Violin and Cello, and Maurice Ravel’s Second Sonata for Violin and Piano. The Borromeo String Quartet performs String Quartet No. 6 by Grazyna Bacewicz.

‘RHINESTONE COWGIRLS’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.

$18-$42

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Created by Nancy Allen Productions, this musical tribute features such country classics as Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” Runs through July 28.

‘THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $39-$59 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Florida Studio Theatre kicks off its Summer Mainstage Series with “The World Goes ‘Round,” a musical

revue celebrating the works of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The show features memorable songs from hit Broadway shows such as “Chicago,” “Cabaret” and more. Runs through June 30.

‘TEA AND ARMAGEDDON’

7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

$6.50 plus fees Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Prepare to go down the rabbit hole with Scott Keys and Company in this show inspired by the writings of Lewis Carroll. Continues June 9.

FRIDAY

‘BACH AND BEYOND’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$29-$50

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Sarasota Music Festival faculty, fellows and the Borromeo String Quartet come together for a program featuring Bach and works inspired by the great composer.

THE RINGLING WONDERGROUND

8 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art Courtyard, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with registration Visit Ringling.org.

A twist on the Ringling Underground, the Wonderground is part of the three-day Wonder Symposium

OUR PICK

‘COCONUT CAKE’

In Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s last show of its 2023-24 season, “Coconut Cake,” the daily routine of four chess-playing and coffeedrinking retirees is disrupted when a mysterious woman moves to town, bringing her recipe for a mouthwatering coconut cake. Runs through June 23.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12

Where: at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.

Tickets: $5-$50

Info: Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

DON’T MISS

ADAM EZRA GROUP

Named 2023 Americana Act of the Year by the New England Music

Awards, Adam Ezra Group’s fusion of folk intimacy and rock energy has attracted a devoted fan base that travels with them from show to show.

IF YOU GO

When: 8 p.m. on Friday, June 7

Where: Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

Tickets: $14-$28

Info: Visit WSLR.org.

at The Ringling. Wonderground features local, regional and national musical acts, including Sarah Santiago, Florida favorite NoFilter and the Brooklyn United Music and Arts Program. Local circus artist Cirque Vertigo also performs.

‘ARTHURIAN: THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE, AND OTHER FURNITURE. A BURLESQUE’

10 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $15.50 plus fees Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Amanda Heisey Finnerty brings her show combining medieval times and burlesque to the stage for the Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival. Think renaissance fair for adults only. Continues June 8.

SATURDAY

SCD IN-STUDIO SERIES:

JESSICA OBEIDZINSKI

7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 $11.50-$21.50 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

After a spinal injury left her exploring modes of healing beyond traditional medicine, Jessica Obeidzinski spent two weeks tapping into her subconscious at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. In this “sneak

peek” performance, she reveals her discoveries.

‘FESTIVAL FIRSTS’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$30-$70 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

“Festival Firsts” marks the debut of conductor Stephanie Childress and the festival solo debut of Rachel Breen, who plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

SUNDAY

‘COMMON AIR’

1 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $10 plus fees Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Dancers from the former Soviet Union who met in the U.S. put aside any differences their former homelands may have to dance together.

SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE WINNER

5:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Price TBA Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Each of the nine acts featured in the Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival are allotted two slots on stage. After an audience vote, the winner of the festival gets to perform a third show. All proceeds go to the artists.

TIME TO SAVE AND SAVOR SARASOTA’S EATERIES

Dinner and a movie? How about a prix-fixe lunch and a museum? The Bistro restaurant in the Sarasota Art Museum is serving up a special lunch as part of Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week, which runs through June 14.

Diners at the Bistro will be able to enjoy a two-course meal of Stone Fruit Salad with toasted hazelnut, watercress and harissa vinaigrette followed by an Heirloom Tomato and Bacon Tartine with corn and basil for $25.

The lunch special, which will be offered for the entire month, is just one example of the many dining deals to be found during Savor Sarasota. When the event was launched 19 years ago by Visit Sarasota County, “three-course dinners were $25; now they are $40,” notes Visit Sarasota President/CEO Erin Duggan.

But $40 for an appetizer, entrée and dessert is still a great deal in these inflationary times. Both lunch and dinner prices are unchanged from last year.

As much as locals enjoy Savor Sarasota, the two-week event is designed to attract visitors to town and “put heads in beds,” Duggan says.

Nearly 70 Sarasota area restaurants are participating this year, with newcomers like Boo’s Ice House & Dog Bar, Cafe Barbosso, Kolucan and the Original Wolfie’s and Rascal House joining veterans like Bavaro’s, Mattison’s Forty-One and Michael’s On East.

In the Lakewood Ranch/UTC area, there are at least seven eateries taking part in Savor Sarasota. Grove, which opened in 2018, is a first-timer, says Jennifer Bradtmueller, Grove general manager.

“Being part of Savor Sarasota raises our profile and invites new diners to enjoy our scratch kitchen, fresh fish program and our bakery. We make all our desserts in-house,” Bradtmueller says.

On St. Armands and Longboat Key, new arrivals to Restaurant Week include Chart House, Speaks Clam Bar St. Armands Circle and Tommy Bahama Restaurant.

For a complete list of participating Savor Sarasota restaurants, including eateries in the Nokomis/Venice area, go to VisitSarasota.com/savorsarasota-restaurants-menus.

Courtesy images

The Bistro in Sarasota Art Museum is offering an Heirloom Tomato and Bacon Tartine with corn and basil as part of its $25 two-course lunch.

Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

Shrimply the Best

Where to find the best shrimp dishes around town.

EMMA BURKE JOLLY

CONTRIBUTOR

y family was inundated with celebrations in the summer. It started with Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, then my mom’s birthday, Father’s Day, my sister’s birthday, Fourth of July, my husband and my sister’s boyfriend’s birthday (yep, same day), my birthday, followed by my father’s, then Labor Day — all in 14 weeks.

My Mimi (grandma) would bring shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce as an appetizer to every gathering that took place on the porch of the house that I was brought home to and still fly home to for these special days. Leave it to a girl from Connecticut to get nostalgic about a seafood dish, but it’s shrimply the best. Here are the best shrimp samplings that remind me of simpler summers in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

BAKER AND WIFE

2157 Siesta Drive, Siesta Key; 941960-1765; BakerWife.com.

Don’t Be Shellfish: My love for Baker and Wife stems from not just from some the best food in the area; it was also the last place we went out to dinner as a family of five and laughed loud enough for all of Sarasota to hear. The jumbo black tiger shrimp and peanut noodles ($32) with broccoli slaw, spinach,

crispy shallots, thai mint and basil is a all-star dish that you must get your mouth on ... now.

One in a Krill-ion: If you like a small heaping of heat, order the crispy spicy shrimp ($14) made with siracha-yuzu mayo, mixed greens and furikake. The crunchy and bold flavors are shrimply special and perfect for two to share or for everyone at the table to get a taste before the main course makes its way to your table. Drinking? Order my ultimate favorite summer cocktail in Sarasota, the basil-cucumber martini ($14).

ANNA MARIA OYSTER BAR

6906 14th St. W., Bradenton, 941758-7880; 200 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach, 941-778-2662; 6696 Cortez Road, Bradenton, 941-792-0077; 5405 University Parkway, Unit 110, Bradenton, 941-491-2662; OysterBar.net.

Don’t Be Shellfish: Don’t miss the AMOB coconut shrimp dinner ($23.99) served with apricot-horseradish sauce and your choice of two sides. The shrimp are the star, but just imagining the sauce is making me seriously salivate. Sides offered are coleslaw, french fries, red bliss potatoes, cilantro rice, season veggies, cheese grits or a house or Caesar salad.

the “girl dinner” trend. It’s an easy yet satisfying way to make dinner after a tiring day. My go-to girl dinner is a Caesar salad with fries and a Diet Coke. So when I’m feeling like changing out of my sweats and putting on a pair of shorts, I head right to AMOB for its Caesar salad ($11.99) with shrimp (+$7.99).

OWEN’S LAKEWOOD RANCH

are three reasons to venture to this Owen’s outpost. This grit dish is the best rendition of the southern staple that I have ever had the pleasure of shoving down my seasoned foodie mouth. I would wait longer than the average “two-hour wait” during season to just get a smell of this shrimp plate.

with my tablemates, but when it comes to Libby’s dynamite shrimp ($14.50) and its rock shrimp and blue crab lollipops ($17.50) — all bets are off. This starter plate is all for eating by Emma. The first is made with a crispy tempurabattered local Gulf shrimp, and the latter are luxurious lollipops of blue crab. Both are paired with a sambal aioli that has me saying, “Ay yo! Best aioli alert.”

One in a Krill-ion: The shrimp parade is plentiful at Libby’s between the Krabby Patty sandwich ($19) and the shrimp scampi ($24.50). But my entree adventure leans toward the scallops and shrimp ($39.50) offering. It features blackened scallops (Is there any other way to have seafood?) with Gulf shrimp, creamed corn and perfectly pickled onions.

WHITNEY’S

6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-4606; WhitneyLBK.com

One in a Krill-ion: If you watch TikTok videos and are between 18 and 40, I’m sure you’ve heard of

6516 University Parkway, Lakewood Ranch; 941-951-5052; OwensFishCamp.com.

Don’t Be Shellfish: Yes, the downtown location of this Sarasota eatery will forever put a smile on my face. But when Beaver, a manager at Owen’s Fish Camp, told us about the plans for Lakewood Ranch — my husband and I had to speed over to see, eat, drink and believe it. The massive canoes levitating above the incredibly designed eatery, the stacked-to-the-ceiling grand bar and the shrimp and grits ($26.99)

One in a Krill-ion: Despite the surplus of shrimply delicious options, including cocktail and shrimp tacos, don’t forget to check out the cioppino ($32.99) plate packed with mussels, clams, shrimp, red snapper, tomato fennel broth and spaghetti.

LIBBY’S NEIGHBORHOOD BRASSERIE

1917 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941-236-5826; 8445 Lorraine Road, Sarasota, 941-357-1570; LibbysNeighborhoodBrasserie.com.

Don’t Be Shellfish: I try and share the wealth when starting a meal

Don’t Be Shellfish: The Gulf-side drive down to this retro restaurant is half of the fun. Pull up, order a frozé — that’s right, a frozen rosé ($14) and pretend you’ve taken a time machine back to the ’70s in the chicest of ways. Ask for the LBK Bowl ($13) and feel like a healthy goddess. The bowl features wild rice, quinoa, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, corn relish, queso fresco, and salsa verde. Add shrimp (+$11) to get all the nourishment your body needs before hitting Beer Can Island.

The Theater Latté Da World

One in a Krill-ion: The shrimp Louie ($19) salad is balanced and bountiful. It’s made with poached shrimp, lettuce, avocado, marinated tomatoes, hard-cooked egg and luscious Louie dressing (a mayoand-heavy-cream-based, chili sauce and herb-packed accoutrement).

Photos by Sorcha Augustine

Courtesy image

Baker and Wife’s crispy spice shrimp ($14).

Ranch Nite takes a break

At 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, the air on Lakefront Drive in Waterside was heating up like the inside of the Cornerstone and Company’s wood fired oven.

Even so, it only took the food truck another hour to sell out of pizzas.

Despite the heat, residents from Sarasota and Manatee counties flocked to Waterside Place to indulge in the last Ranch Nite Wednesday of the season. Ranch Nites feature rotating food trucks, a market, live music and a cornhole league so big it takes up an entire block.

The event is well attended each week, even when temperatures rise. Nicole Hackel, the Events and Resident Experience manager for Lakewood Ranch, said the idea of making Ranch Nite Wednesday a year-round event like the Farmers Market has been discussed.

But even regulars like Elizabeth Mitchell and Dillon Cowart, who drive from Ellenton and Brandon to meet and eat at the food truck gathering, said they wouldn’t attend as often during the summer months.

“Maybe once in awhile, but it’s hot,” Mitchell said.

It isn’t likely Ranch Nite Wednesdays ever will become a year-round event, and not just because of the heat.

“It rains in the evening in the summer,” Hackel said. “The Farmers Market is easier (to continue year-round) because it’s in the morning.”

So those who love the event will have to wait until October for the next one.

— LESLEY DWYER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

The last Ranch Nite Wednesday of the season draws a large crowd despite the hot weather.

Parrish resident Mary Quaid leaves the Got Lobstah? truck with a blackened shrimp roll and her labradoodle, Ted.

Sarasota residents Jordan, Isabella and Jaime Colon wait in line for a wood-fired pizza.

Bradenton residents Jeff Klotz, Diana Klotz, Trudy Shrum and John Shrum attend Ranch Nite Wednesday for the first time.

Sarasota resident Grayson Brown, 4, enjoys mini donuts from the Better by the Dozen truck.

Taylor Opie sings the Bill Withers classic, “Lovely Day,” in the pavilion during Ranch Nite Wednesday.

Fundraising that moves the needle

Palm Aire’s Dianne Fonseca has raised over $600,000 over 12 years and her latest effort includes knitting hats.

ianne Fonseca’s first goal was to beat breast cancer.

“I found the lump myself,” Fonseca said. “I was told that my cancer was ugly and aggressive, and there was no cure for me.”  The Palm Aire resident has been cancer-free for 25 years.

Fonseca’s second goal was to raise $500,000 for the American Cancer Society. Now that she’s raised over $600,000 over the past 12 years, she has a new goal — to raise $1 million.

To celebrate 25 years of being cancer-free, Fonseca’s friends helped her get $1,100 closer to her goal using their knitting needles.

Brought together by their favorite yarn shop, the knitters crafted 10 pink hats. Each hat was traded for a $100 donation. One donor just wanted to give, so the 10 hats earned $100 more than expected.

The women, who live all over Sarasota and Manatee counties, met at A Good Yarn. The Sarasota shop is on its third location since opening in Sarasota 15 years ago. The women followed behind after each move.

There’s no formal date and time when they meet each month; they just like to drop in and knit at the shop. For some of its best customers and a good cause, A Good Yarn donated all the yarn for the hats.

“We couldn’t have made this much money without (the donation),” Sarasota resident Mary Chadsey said. “There’s $78 worth of yarn in each hat.”

The premium yarn is a blend of Merino wool, cashmere and mohair. Chadsey joked that everyone needs a $78 cashmere hat, right?

But yarn alone doesn’t make a hat. Fonseca’s friends took the time to make the hats, and it took a couple weeks for each woman to knit just one. The year before, the women made a blanket, which was even

KEEPING THE PACE WITH DIANNE

To donate to Fonseca’s team and help her raise $1 million, visit Shorturl.at/auF5B

more time intensive.

Chadsey led the group to hats this year because she knew they could earn more donations with 10 items versus one.

“I’m grateful,” Fonseca said. “It’s amazing. My sons both said to me, ‘Mom, out of something so bad, you made something so good.’”

Fonseca was 51 years old when diagnosed with breast cancer. She was a foreign language teacher in a Rhode Island high school. She and her husband, Tony, had two sons, Tony and Vincent, but no grandchildren yet.

Despite being told the cancer would kill her, Fonseca is now a 76-year-old grandmother to four granddaughters and one grandson.

“It’s all a blessing, every bit of it,” Fonseca said. “That’s why I keep (fundraising).”

Fonseca didn’t start out as the top fundraiser she is now. She started as a patient in the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program. The program pairs cancer patients with cancer survivors. The survivors volunteer their time and personal experiences.

The emotional support was so valuable to Fonseca that she became

a volunteer for the program when she crossed over to the survivor side.    It wasn’t until 12 years ago that she became involved in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. The walks are annual events that take place across the country. Even though she’s a Florida resident now, Fonseca still participates in her home state of Rhode Island.

She’s not just a top fundraiser for Making Strides of Providence. Fonseca was ranked No. 11 on the list of National Top Pacesetters for raising $58,549 last year. She credits her success to her teaching days.

“I was the chair of the foreign language department,” Fonseca said. “I wasn’t given a big budget to get stuff, so I think some of those skills have carried over in my fundraising because I have no qualms about asking for things.”

The team’s name is Keeping the Pace with Dianne. Fonseca sets the pace and the bar high. She upped her fundraising goal, not only because she surpassed the $500,000 mark, because her team will become a legacy team if it raises $1 million.

To meet that goal, Fonseca has hosted a Women’s Night Out event at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Rhode Island for the past 12 years. Because 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of being cancer free, this year’s event will be a gala.

“I want to raise a million before I leave this earth,” Fonseca said. “It’s become a passion.”

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At Florida Lakes Vein Center, all treatments are performed in the office. There is no downtime, and normal activities can be resumed as soon as you leave our office.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Marianne Cohen, Mary Chadsey, Peggy Crew, Dianne Fonseca, Ilene Grossbard, Jodi Bloom Feuerstein and Priscilla Wild knit at A Good Yarn on a Wednesday afternoon. The knitters not pictured are Coleen Sterling, Susie West, Adrianne Petillo and Bianca Bendraouia.

Dianne Fonseca and Marianne Cohen work on projects at A Good Yarn. The women stop in any time the shop is open

I was born for a purpose. Trained to help you. You hold me when you’re afraid, Whisper that I saved you, That I’m your brightest star. I am your guide, your support, Your friend. A dog, I’m not. With me, you see the world again.

Craft beer company heads in positive direction

Inner Compass Brewing Co. in Lakewood Ranch features 30 craft beers on tap, and all were brewed in Florida.

LESLEY

DWYER STAFF WRITER

When Susan Carrubba bought her son, Rob Turner, a fivegallon home brewing kit, she didn’t think they’d actually open a brewery together.  Turner was 18 years old then. He’s 40 now, and the mother-and-son duo are one-half of a family owned and operated brewery. Carrubba’s husband, Robert Carrubba, is also an owner, and his daughter, Brittany Sutherin, is the general manager.

The Inner Compass Brewing Co. celebrated its grand opening at 10316 Technology Terrace on June 5. The soft opening was held the weekend before.

“Friday, we had maybe a couple tables open. Saturday, every table was full,” Susan Carrubba said.

The brewery took two years to build from the ground up and is only a three-minute drive from the Carrubbas’ home in Esplanade. It was designed by a family for families.

Although beer is the main attraction, there’s something for everyone — including dogs.

One side of the lawn has a dog area that includes water bowls, waste bags and a trash can. The other side of the building is for humans who love to play cornhole. The brewery will be hosting tournaments.

The back patio overlooks a treelined pond and features a stage for live music, a jungle gym, giant Jenga and tether golf.

Inside entertainment includes arcade games, table shuffleboard and live music in the bar area. Music plays on Friday and Saturday nights until 9 p.m. Susan Carrubba will consider adding Sunday afternoons to the lineup, as well.  On Monday,

IF YOU GO

Inner Compass Brewing Co., 10316 Technology Terrace.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Visit InnerCompassBrewingCompany.com.

the first beers for the grand opening were kegged. It typically takes three to four weeks to brew, and Susan Carrubba said they only received the temporary certificate of occupancy two weeks earlier.

The hope was to have six out of the 30 taps pouring Inner Compass beers on opening day. The rest of the tap options are all craft beers brewed in Florida.

“My family loves beer, but I’m a wine drinker,” Susan Carrubba said. “I made a point of having good wines, too.”

That doesn’t mean she never drinks beer. The Rizzler is Susan Carrubba’s favorite from her son’s recipes. It’s a hefeweizen, a German wheat beer.

Susan Carrubba joined her son’s beer venture after his first partner backed out. The first Inner Compass Brewing Co. was located in Sanford, Florida. It was a 650-square-foot renovated gas station that opened in 2016 and closed amid the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Susan Carrubba learned two things from the Sanford location: They needed a kitchen and more room to brew beer.

At 7,500 square feet, the Lakewood Ranch location leaves room to grow.

The family is planning to introduce distribution in about a year when their “feet are solid.”

Distribution requires additional equipment and room.

Until then, 32-ounce growlers can be taken to go, and customers can bring their own 64-ounce growlers to fill and go.

The kitchen serves classic bar

food, such as pizza, burgers, chicken wings and soft pretzels with beer cheese. Carrubba said the meats are all high quality angus and the like.

The bar and restaurant seat 157 people inside, and there’s additional seating outside. The dining room off the main bar area seats about 50 and can be closed for private parties.

There’s a smaller bar inside the dining room that’s decorated with wood that Robert Carrubba gathered after Hurricane Ian. He spent his career in the remodeling business, so finishing off construction of the inside of the building was a natural fit for his skill set.

Each member of the family brought their own work experience to round out the team. Turner has been brewing beer for more than 20 years, so he stuck to what he knows. Sutherin worked at Motorworks Brewing for seven years, so she oversees the tap room and the more than 50 employees.

Susan Carrubba fills in where needed. She’s the finance person and also a registered nurse working fulltime for a pharmaceutical company. She laughed and said she just pays the bills on the weekends.

The meaning behind Inner Compass is painted over the front door when exiting the building: “The inner compass is your true essence, the part of you that is all-knowing, all-powerful, creative, loving and limitless.”

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Susan Carrubba is the matriarch of the family business.

The Inner Compass Brewing Co. opened in Lakewood Ranch on June 5.

Lake Club home sells for

$2.56 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Lake Club

topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 7915 Bowspirit Way to Daniel and Kimberly Weidlich, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2,560,600. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,301 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

Leland Wetherington, trustee, and Caroline Wetherington, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7904 Matera Court to Robert and Marianne Picinich, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, for $2.3 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,118 square feet of living area.

ESPLANADE

Lawrence and Jeanne Herbert, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13819 Palazzo Terrace to Michael and Jean Whitcomb, of Huntington, New York, for $1.8 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,665 square feet of living area. It sold for $903,500 in 2015.

Bruce Kohlmeyer, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 13850 Messina Loop to Oliver and Debra Jurkovic, of Lansing, Michigan, for $1,204,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,427 square feet of living area. It sold for $532,000 in 2020.

ISLES

Kenneth Robert Madison and Nichol Virginia Madison, trustees, sold the home at 7952 Redonda Loop to Joseph Samuel Little and Leslie Scarano Little, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, for $1,575,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,110 square feet of living area. It sold for $656,700 in 2019.

Henry Cummings Davis, of Palmetto, sold his home at 8063 Redonda Loop to Michael and Linda Walsh, of Bradenton, for $1,475,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,915 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,306,600 in 2023.

POMELLO PARK

Darryl McCullough, of Sarasota, sold his home at 19705 69th Ave. E. to Christopher Fowler, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1,465,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,257 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.6 million in 2023.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

George and Sharon Gianacakos sold their home at 17005 First Ave. E. to Miguel Lacouture and Julia Paola Lacouture, of Bradenton, for $1.1 million. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,416 square feet of living area. It sold for $960,000 in 2022.

WINDING RIVER

Glenna Glenn and Robert Mark Hagin, of Centreville, Virginia, sold their home at 1018 143rd St. N.E. to Dawnetta Gomolski and Thomas Jeffery Gomolski, of Bradenton, for $990,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,166 square feet of living area. It sold for $613,000 in 2020.

MAGNOLIA MANOR

Michael and Clara Walker, of Bradenton, sold their home at 1916 70th St. Court E. to Melody Chavez and Derek Robben, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 1963, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,692 square feet of living area. It sold for $96,500 in 1984.

ARBOR GRANDE

Stephanie and Jessica Gurney, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12114 Perennial Place to Mark and Yelizaveta Berdichevskiy, of Staten Island, New York, for $850,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,929 square feet of living area. It sold for $421,000 in 2018.

MARINER ESTATES

Keith and Heather Jones, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5109 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Colleen Panunzio, of Bradenton, for $810,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,316 square feet of living area. It sold for $534,900 in 2019.

ARBOR LAKES

Travis and Lindsay Scheuer, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7203 Spur Court to Daniel and Alexandra Glauser, of Sarasota, for $785,000. Built in 1996, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,925 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2017.

Gerard and Beth Palmer, of Sodus Point, New York, sold their home at 6104 Winchester Place to Miguel Garrido, of Sarasota, for $755,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,584 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2003.

Technology Development Consultants LLC, trustee, sold the home at 6928 Stetson St. Circle to Shireen

Michelle Rose, of Sarasota, for $655,000. Built in 1992, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,743 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2022.

INDIGO

Empire State Holding Group LLC sold the home at 2908 Sky Blue Cove to Douglas and Brenda Morris, trustees, of Bradenton, for $780,600. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,350 square feet of living area.

Dominick Lago Jr. and Michelle Marie Balancio, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13517 Deep Blue Place to Ahmad and Tomeka Jimmerson, of Tampa, for $770,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,460 square feet of living area. It sold for $774,100 in 2022.

Heather Hall, of Sarasota, sold her home at 12632 Coastal Breeze Way to Christopher Krause, of Bradenton, for $545,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,766 square feet of living area. It sold for $630,000 in 2022.

MILL CREEK

Brian and Lisa Stone, of Sarasota, sold their home at 13609 Third Ave. N.E. to Keith Clayton Jones and Heather Ann Jones, of Bradenton, for $741,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,829 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 2015.

DEL WEBB

Victor Bunt and Linda Keiffer, of Rittman, Ohio, sold their home at 17357 Hampton Falls Terrace to Mark and Terri Brukhartz, of Bradenton, for $725,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,832 square feet of living area. It sold for $489,200 in 2018.

WINDWARD

Neal Communities of Southwest

Florida LLC sold the home at 2564 Star Apple Way to Wei Wu and Liang Xia, of Pleasanton, California, for $696,200. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,066 square feet of living area.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD

NATIONAL

Eileen Fox and Michael Andrew Fox, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sold their Unit 5812 condominium at 6005 Worsham Lane to William and Sandra Douglas, of Pembroke, Massachusetts, for $630,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,600 in 2022.

SWEETWATER Minda Emily Stratton and Debra

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS MAY 20-24

This Esplanade home at 13819 Palazzo Terrace sold for $1.8 million. It has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,665 square feet of living area.

Joy Held sold their home at 17650

Savory Mist Circle to Rochelle and Scott Lamb, of Lakewood Ranch, for $630,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,333 square feet of living area. It sold for $655,900 in 2023.

COUNTRY CREEK

Steven and Shayna Watterson, of Parrish, sold their home at 14719 Seventh Ave. E. to Randall Ellison and Melinda Carter, of Bradenton, for $611,500. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,202 square feet of living area. It sold for $436,500 in 2021.

ROSEDALE

Gerald Gilberti, trustee, of Zephyrhills, sold the home at 8733 54th Ave. E. to Christopher Pinto Jr. and

Tiana Vignola, of East Quogue, New York, for $585,000. Built in 1993, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,030 square feet of living area. It sold for $399,000 in 2017.

Raymond and Lynn Weitzel, trustees, sold the home at 8744 53rd Terrace E. to Scott and Tracy Demarest, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 1994, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,070 square feet of living area. It sold for $295,000 in 2012.

Image courtesy of CMS Photography and John Fevrier

YOUR CALENDAR

THURSDAY, JUNE 6 THROUGH

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING

Runs from 4:30-7:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Donnie Bostic (Thursday), Pedro Y Zooey (Friday), Bluegrass Pirates (Saturday) and A Pirate Over 50 (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts have a $5 cover; the other concerts are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Doug Demming and The Jewel Tones, which features rhythm and blues, is the performing artist at the monthly concert and block party. Proceeds from the event benefit the Riverview High School Foundation.

LUAU PARTY FOR KIDS

Runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. A luau party with Moana and friends kicks off the summer at the mall. The free event includes character meet and greets, hula dancing, crafts and activities and face painting. For more information, go to MallAtUTC.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 AND SATURDAY, JUNE 8

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Country Music Artist Jesse Daniels will entertain those who stroll through Waterside Place on Friday. On Saturday, singer-songwriter Mylon Shamble will perform. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

FIT WITH FABLETICS

Begins at 9 a.m. at the Macy’s court at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. The Fab and Fit Fabletics: Barre, led by Gabrielle Otero, is a free workout sponsored by Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and UTC retailers, and offers a con-

BEST BET

THURSDAY, JUNE 6 THROUGH

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

U.S. ROWING YOUTH NATIONALS

Begins at 8 a.m. each day at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The regatta features more than 3,500 rowers competing in 43 events. The event has attracted 778 entries from 210 clubs across the U.S. All the participants had to qualify for the event through regionals. For more information, go to NathanBendersonPark.org or to RegattaCentral.com.

ditioning class open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, go to MallatUTC.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

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. Visit MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

BINGO Begins at 10 a.m. at James Patton Park, 7525 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Weekly Bingo is hosted by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.

Courtesy image

SPORTS

Fast Break

College

ormer Lakewood Ranch

FHigh softball players Avery Goelz and Cassidy McLellan and the University of Florida advanced to the Women’s College World Series semifinals with a 6-4 win over the University of Alabama (36-18) on June 2 in Oklahoma City. Goelz, a senior, went 1-3 with a run scored in the win. McLellan, a freshman, did not play. If the Gators advance past the University of Oklahoma (516) in a June 3 game, they would advance to the finals, held June 5-7 at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Check NCAA.com for updates.

… Former Lakewood Ranch High softball player Claire Davidson and Duke University (50-8) reached the Women’s College World Series before being eliminated June 1 with a 2-1 loss to the University of Alabama (36-18) in Oklahoma City. Davidson, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Year, was named to the NCAA All-American First Team on May 29. Davidson, a senior, hit .436 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs.

… Former Out-of-Door Academy sprinter Saraiah Walkes a junior at Eastern Michigan University, was named to the Women’s All-Mid-American Conference Second Team at the 2024 MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 15 in Cleveland. Walkes finished third in the 100-meter dash (11.51 seconds) and helped the Eastern Michigan 100-meter relay team to a second-place finish (45.28 seconds).

… Former Lakewood Ranch High and NFL cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie is playing for the Tampa Nightcrawlers in the American 7s Football League, a sevenon-seven tackle football league that airs its games on YouTube. The Nightcrawlers are 5-0 as of June 3.

“I have been losing a few too many balls in the woods and the water. I am trying to work on that.”

— Lakewood Ranch High golfer, Parker Severs SEE PAGE 11B

Shooting star

Lakewood Ranch High junior Broden Beorlegui, 16, already has been offered roster spots on some highly ranked programs.

DANI HERNANDEZ

OBSERVER INTERN

It was like he was just a few steps away from his dream.

In December, Lakewood Ranch 16-year-old Broden Beorlegui was participating in a trial for Inter Miami’s Under 16 Youth Soccer team when he found himself a few feet away from soccer legend Lionel Messi.

Messi, who was on-site for a workout and decided to check out the future teen stars, plays for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer and also is captain of the Argentina national team. He has been named the world’s best player for a record eight times by the Federation Internationale de Football Association.

It was the highlight of a trip in which Beorlegui played 10 trial games with Inter Miami’s Under 16 program in the hope of raising his game to an even higher level. He was offered a roster spot with Inter Miami but chose to stay with his current program.

Even so, he has a lot more steps to get where he wants to be in soccer.

Being able to hold his own with other great Under 16 players was more proof that Beorlegui has been progressing while he plays with Florida Premier Southwest Florida, which has partnered with the Braden River Soccer Club. He also was a starter on Lakewood Ranch High’s soccer team last season as a sophomore.

TOP-RANKED TEAM

The Florida Premier 2008 boys are currently the No. 1-ranked team in the nation at 16-0 in the Elite Clubs National League. With the two programs this past season, he had a combined 90 goals (16 for Lakewood Ranch High).

Lewis University (Illinois) midfielder Robbie Lloyd Jones, a Lakewood Ranch High graduate, played with Beorlegui for two seasons in high school.

“Broden is an excellent player to have on your team, and he’s one of those strikers who you know will score if you give him a through ball. He’s a great guy, funny and has a bright future ahead of him. As a midfielder, there were times when I’ve had the ball and thought to myself, ‘I’ll just dink it over the top, and Broden can run onto it. He’s incredible for his age.’”

Beorlegui began playing soccer at 4 years old and has not stopped since.

“I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember, and I don’t believe

“My parents are my role models, and they have helped me grow into the player and person I am today.”

I’ve gone a day without touching the ball in years,” Beorlegui said. “Soccer has become such an important part of my life.”

He said the atmosphere with Florida Premier is professional. Playing for the program propelled him to the trial with the under-16 Inter Miami Youth Academy team.

“I already was playing at a high level in the Elite Clubs National League with Florida Premier, but I knew at Miami, especially with the way the facility looked, that it was going to a whole different level,” Beorlegui said.

DREAMS OF PRO SOCCER

His ambition or “what’s next” plan is to get to the professional level and, if possible, play in the United States League, Major League Soccer or in a professional league in Europe.

“My club has several ties to Europe, and we traveled to England in November and defeated one of England’s top youth academy teams, Manchester City, 4-2, and I scored a goal. We were also able to fight back and win 3-2 against another top youth academy in England — Leeds United,” Beorlegui said.

Committing to a workout schedule that will prepare him for the higher levels can be time-consuming and force him to be organized to strike a balance with his studies. He said many student-athletes struggle

with their education due to poor time management.

Beorlegui’s trial with the Inter Miami Under 16 program was marked by a rigid timetable that allowed players to catch up on their studies.

“When I was at Inter Miami, I had a tournament in Arizona, and the hotel we were staying at had two hours of compulsory schooling. The club realizes we have lives outside of soccer, and with Florida Premier, I’ve learned to make the most of my time by doing homework on the way to practice,” Beorlegui said.

NO PRESSURE

Beorlegui’s task on the soccer pitch is to be a goal scorer or “finisher.” Strikers are often put under a lot of pressure because if they don’t finish their opportunities, the team will suffer. Beorlegui said he does not let the pressure get to him.

“It might sound kind of weird, but I enter a flow state of mind in my matches,” he said.

Beorlegui’s offensive ability at such a young age stems from confidence. He said he adopts a goldfish mindset to persevere after making a mistake. Many athletes adopt the goldfish mindset technique because goldfish have a 10-second memory span, allowing them to swiftly forget the mistake they just made. His parents, Michelle and Javier Beorlegui helped him develop confidence.

“My parents are my role models, and they have helped me grow into the player and person I am today,” he said. “When I was little, my parents would always tell me that ‘The sooner you start working, the better you’ll be.’ As I’ve gotten older, I’ve recognized what that means, so I know what I need to do to be the best.”

Michelle Beorlegui has seen her son’s growth over the past couple of years, not only as a player but as a person.

“Broden has always enjoyed soccer and worked hard to improve his skills,” she said. “I’ve seen him mature over the last few years and recognize the sacrifice and dedication required to achieve his goals of signing with a pro academy and going pro. He realizes he needs to train outside of his team sessions, so he trains extensively on his own. We are thrilled for him because many of his sacrifices are paying off, and he has a fantastic opportunity in Werder Bremen.”

Beorlegui has landed a trial to play for the German first division, pro academy team Werder Bremen in June.

Florida Premier CEO Novi Maric has seen Beorlegui’s unique hard work and talent. Maric helped land a potential trial for Beorlegui with Werder Bremen.

“Broden’s dedication to training hard is now yielding exciting opportunities for his soccer career,” Maric said. “As a highly talented young player with immense potential, his trajectory is promising, and Florida Premier is delighted to contribute to his growth.”

Courtesy photo

University of Florida senior Avery Goelz is a key piece of the Gators’ Women’s

World Series team.

Courtesy photos

Broden

Beorlegui, 16, is one of the most talented youth soccer players in East County and has landed a trial to play in Germany this summer.

Lakewood Ranch High junior Broden Beorlegui, 16, is getting looks from high-level amateur programs both in the U.S. and Europe.

Day of dodgeball keys Parrish run to state title

The Bulls (20-8) won the FHSAA Class 5A title game 3-2 over Gainesville High on May 24.

Aday of dodgeball might have saved the Parrish Community High softball team’s season.

As junior Hannah Lewis remembered it, the team arrived at an April 11 practice having lost seven of its last nine games. The Bulls, the reigning Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A champions, expected an intense practice to try to break out of the slump. Instead, Lewis said, head coach Erin Spivey surprised the team. There was no softball to be played that day. Instead, it was time for dodgeball.

The only goal was to have a good time.

“It was so relieving,” Lewis said. “There was no pressure. We were finally having fun. Something clicked after that.”  Lewis said Spivey instructed her team to keep that pressure-less feeling for the rest of the season. Play loose, Spivey said, and the team would be fine.

She was right. The Bulls would be fine — actually, more than fine. From that point forward, Parrish (20-8) went 11-0, including a 3-2 eight-inning win over Gainesville High (24-5) on May 24 in the Class 5A championship game in Clermont to earn back-to-back state titles. Just like Parrish rallied to save its season, the team had to rally to secure the championship. Down 2-0 in the sixth inning, the team got RBI hits from senior Ella Romano and Lewis to tie the game. In the eighth, it was again Romano, who hit a walk-off double that scored junior Carsyn Kull.  In the Bulls’ celebration were six players from the East County area:

Lewis, Kull, senior Alex Call, senior Julia Girk, freshman Alysa Jones and freshman Sophia Thomas. Lewis was a part of last year’s team, but missed the championship game while recovering from a torn labrum. Lewis said being able to contribute this season made the celebration even sweeter.

It was also, Lewis said, a more difficult season in many ways. When the Bulls went through their slump in early April, Lewis said, players were disappointed, not only because of the results, but because they knew they were preventable.

“We let our guard down,” Lewis said.

It was never a question of talent.

The Bulls graduated seven seniors from the 2023 championship team, but key contributors like senior

pitcher Rylee Little (13-5, 1.76 ERA) returned, while Lewis (.383 average, seven doubles, nine RBIs) came back from injury, and freshmen like Jones (.452 average, five doubles, 24 RBIs) were added to the mix. But it did take awhile for the Bulls to find their identity and click in the way championship teams need to click.

A key to finding that identity was finding the right motto. At first, the Bulls tried “Row the Boat,” a phrase made popular by University of Minnesota football head coach P.J. Fleck, encouraging people to persevere and stay the course. Parrish even started reading a book cowritten by Fleck and Jon Gordon on the subject. For unknown reasons, the phrase never jelled with Bulls players, and the program eventually dropped the idea entirely.

A new phrase took its place: “Warrior mindset.” That one clicked. That mindset, players said, involved sticking together and ignoring outside noise. Kull said players would raise their fists in the dugout during games, shouting “We ride at dawn” as a battle cry. It made them feel invincible.

Kull exemplified the attitude herself during the team’s state title game. Kull said she was dealing with a sickness during the state tournament and on the morning of the championship game, awoke with a fever. She took two ibuprofen and played anyway. There was no chance she was missing that game, she said. Hours later, Kull scored the winning run.

“It was amazing,” Kull said. “Alex Call, she grabbed me and lifted me

up. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”

While players like Kull and Lewis were celebrating the accomplishment of back-to-back titles, freshmen like Alysa Jones were celebrating for the first time. They had to find their place on a team that entered the season with high expectations. Jones said she had no idea what to expect when she arrived at practice for the first time. On a team with a lot of talented, experienced players, Jones simply wanted to contribute however she could while fitting into the team’s culture.   She did a lot more than that. Jones hit .452 with 24 RBIs, both of which led the Bulls’ regulars. For Jones, both her individual results and the team’s results were beyond what she could have imagined.

“After the first few practices, I knew had a good team,” Jones said. “I was just pumped that I had the chance to be on it. I had zero expectations. It was all surreal. It was a blessing to get to the title game and win it.”

Parrish will have a chance at three titles in a row next season. The Bulls will graduate five players, all of whom contributed to the title run, but Parrish has cultivated a lot of depth, and the team’s less experienced players will continue to develop.

That is a concern for next February, when the 2025 season begins. For now, the Bulls continue to celebrate.

“We worked our butts off for this,” Lewis said. “I’m super happy we went back-to-back.”

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

Courtesy image

The Parrish Community High softball team (20-8) celebrates a FHSAA Class 5A title game 3-2 win over Gainesville High (24-5), on May 24. It is the team’s second-straight state title.

Parker Severs

Parker Severs is a rising senior boys golfer at Lakewood Ranch High. Severs finished tied for ninth (seven under par) at the Team TaylorMade Invitational, a national junior golf event May 25-27 at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi. Severs is committed to the University of Florida.

When did you start playing golf?

I started when I was 6 years old. My dad (Barry Severs) and brother (Preston Severs) played golf, so I played, too. I went to courses with them and slowly fell in love with it.

What is the appeal to you?

I love competing. Even when I am playing at home, I am either playing against friends or trying to get better so I can have a greater chance of competing at these bigger tournaments.

What is the best part of your game right now?

My short game is solid right now.

When I hit the ball well, I can capitalize on that. I’ve had some good finishes (recently). I spend a lot of practice time working on my short game. That is the biggest key to it.

What have you been working to improve?

My tee shot accuracy. I have been losing a few too many balls in the woods and the water. I’m trying to work on that.

What went right at the Team TaylorMade Invitational?

Well, I knew that if I had a good weekend, it could help me (in the American Junior Golf Association rankings). The first day, I played some of my best golf. Pretty much everything went right. I was hitting it in play, my irons were getting it up and around the green and I made the putts when I needed to make them. After that, I just tried to stay in it and tried to feel like I was supposed to be there. (Severs is ranked 66th nationally and eighth in Florida as of June 3.)

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.

What is your favorite food?

I have to go with tacos. Besides the meat, I need cheese on there, and I need some kind of sauce.

What is your favorite TV show?

I don’t watch a lot of regular TV, but I watch a lot of golf YouTube videos, channels like Bryan Bros Golf and Good Good.

What are your hobbies? I love fishing with friends. I’m always hanging out with either friends or family. Usually it is something sports-related, whether it is pickleball or tennis or basketball.

What is the best advice you have received?

Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. That is true for sure.

Finish this sentence: “Parker Severs is …” … Hard-working.

Dr.

He offers

the

starting at 2 days of age and older. He specializes in the following services:

• Care for acute and chronic medical conditions

• Well child and annual physical exams

• Women’s health, other than obstetrics

• Medicare wellness visits

• Preventive screenings and immunizations

Dr. Jones is accepting new patients.

To make an appointment, call 866-515-9777 or schedule online at lakewoodranchmedicalgroup.com Patient of Ryan Jones, MD

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