East County Observer 6.20.24

EAST COUNTY

Simply the best

Observer

PAGE 9B

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

VOLUME 25, NO. 51

County proposes $2.4 billion budget Roads, parks and the Lakewood Ranch Library remain priorities in East County. SEE PAGE 3A

YOUR TOWN

THEY FORMED A SWARM Myakka City family sees dream business come alive with hives.

SEE PAGE 8B

Lesley Dwyer

Staying cool and caffeinated The Waterside Place playground was a near ghost town on Friday morning. Three children had the jungle gyms and swing sets all to themselves.

Everyone was next door at the splash pad.

Not only was it a hot morning, the splash pad had been closed the previous week for maintenance. About 30 kids splashed about as their parents watched and chatted with friends from the sidelines.

Melissa Braun (pictured above with her 1-year-old Austin) drives from Parrish with her kids because the fencing around the playground and splash pad at Waterside makes her life easier.

“I have three kids, so I look for places that are enclosed,” Braun said. “They like the park, and I like the coffee shop here.

When they’re done playing, mom gets her latte.”

Liz Ramos

Chris Vasquez, owner of Heritage Bee Farm, shows how bees create honeycomb.

Mall hosts dads with block party

Courtesy image

Creativity comes to life Jerimiah Bombardier (above), a sixth grader at Braden River Middle School, wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

He grabbed a clump of clay and started molding it on the pottery table.

Within a few minutes, a cup began taking shape.

Bombardier had fun making his own creations during the School District of Manatee County’s arts camp June 6 at Braden River Middle School.

The arts camp was one aspect of the district’s Visual and Performing Arts Camps, which offered other camps, including band, theater, orchestra and chorus.

Liz Ramos

Lakewood Ranch’s Jeri Schleicher, Todd Schleicher, Nadine Bercher, 2-year-old Carson Bercher and Matt Bercher celebrate Father’s Day at the Mall at UTC’s Dad’s Day Block Party. Former Lightning and Rays pro athletes were on hand.

Fathers get to meet former Rays, Lightning pro athletes at annual celebration.

SEE PAGE 1B

A+E This romance was no act.

INSIDE

2A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Candidate hopes to get more citizens involved Carol Ann Felts is vying for the District 1 seat on the Manatee County Commission.

STAFF WRITER

W

hen Manatee County wanted to impose a stormwater fee on its citizens in 2019, Carol Ann Felts was among a group of Myakka City residents opposed to the plan.

The group attended public meetings, asked questions and voiced concerns. “(The commissioners) never voted it in,” Felts said. “That’s when I saw that maybe we (as citizens) could make a difference if we kept up the dialogue.”

Five years later, the 66-year-old retiree is in the race to be the next county commissioner to represent District 1. James Satcher vacated the seat in April when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to serve as the Supervisor of Elections after Mike Bennett retired.

Satcher lives in the rapidly developing area of Parrish. Felts lives on 10 acres in Myakka City. She said the vast area of District 1 contains different communities, each with their own unique concerns.

“We’re the wall (in Myakka) from keeping urban sprawl coming out here,” Felts said. “People on Clay Gully Road are more concerned about the phosphate mines coming in, and at the same time, we’ve got Parrish that doesn’t even know that phosphate mines exist (because most residents are new to the area).”

An eighth-generation Floridian, there’s a pitcher of sweet tea in Felts’ refrigerator and two aging horses in her backyard, both named J.R. Growing up in Miami, Felts took frequent trips to the Keys and developed a lifelong love of horses on the ranches in nearby Homestead. She’d later pick up barrel racing at the age of 38 because the first horse she bought happened to be trained for it.

She left Florida after high school and spent time in North Carolina,

DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES The primary election is on Aug. 20, and the general election is on Nov. 5. Here’s a look at Felts’ competition.

■ Keith Green (Republican) ■ Steve Metallo (Republican) ■ Glenn Pearson (Democrat) ■ Jennifer Lynn Hamey (No party affiliation)

Tennessee and Alabama before returning in her mid-20s with a husband and two kids in tow.

Felts worked for a growing office equipment company, Danka Industries. She was transferred to Pensacola. When her ex-husband was hired

by Tropicana, the family moved to west Bradenton in 1989.

During those years, there was no time for politics. Felts was traveling every week with Danka’s mergers and acquisitions department, plus preparing outfits and meals for every day she was away from her preschool sons, Nick and Kyle.

After moving from west Bradenton to Myakka City in 2000, Felts wanted to slow down. If she wanted to, she could just tend to her horses and gardens every day. Instead, she chooses to drive across the county to attend commission and land use meetings.

Win or lose, that won’t change.

Felts will continue to give her input whether it’s from the dais as a commissioner or the podium as a citizen. In the case of a loss, she said the winner will become her best friend because she’ll be reaching out to him or her regularly.

This is Felts’ third run at a commission seat, yet she says that she’s not a “politician.” She hates asking for money, yet she’ll stand in line at the grocery store and regularly

File photo

ask the stranger standing next to her, “Do you know who your county commissioner is?”

Felts ran as a write-in candidate for the District 5 seat in 2020. (The districts have since been redrawn so District 1 has been given much of the Myakka area.) She knew she didn’t have a chance against incumbent Vanessa Baugh, so she also campaigned for George Kruse. Kruse was elected to the District 7 at-large seat that year.

“There was an opportunity there (with Kruse) for me to get somebody to listen to what was happening out here and to learn a little bit about the election process,” Felts said. “I got 300 votes, but I kind of got Myakka to be knowledgeable about our at-large commissioner (Kruse).”

Those 300 votes meant a lot to Felts because people took the time to write out her name exactly as she filed it. If the spelling is off for a write-in candidate, the vote doesn’t count.

In 2022, she ran for the District 6 at-large seat and received 5,977 votes in the primary against Carol Whitmore and Jason Bearden, who won the seat.

Of course, Felts would like to win, but getting more citizens involved has been and remains her No. 1 goal.

She has paid attention to what goes on behind the scenes for years, but she became active when talks about moving the Future Development Area Boundary started happening.

While she doesn’t want to see Myakka City turn into Lakewood Ranch or Parrish, she said people who say she’s anti-development are wrong.

“We can do it in a better way,” Felts said. “Myakka has an incredible opportunity to be part of growth without sacrificing the things that are important. We’ve got to protect our water and food sources for the rest of the county.”

Carol Ann Felts is running for the District 1 seat on the Manatee County Commission.

422677-1

LESLEY DWYER

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

LWR Library will get $7 million in upgrades County moves quickly to finish library’s second floor.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

W

hen the Lakewood Ranch Library celebrated a grand opening in January, there was only one thing missing — a finished second floor.

A $6,919,000 line item in Manatee County’s FY2025 budget says that’s set to change.

The overall Manatee County recommended budget for FY2025 is $2,379,295,263.

Staff members presented their recommendations to commissioners in a series of special work sessions held from June 12 through June 19. The budget won’t be finalized and adopted until September.

“What we’ve got to do now is balance it,” Commissioner Ray Turner said of the budgeting process. “What cuts do we have to make? We have to prioritize a little bit.”

Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean said Manatee County is one of the few counties that uses a levels-of-services budget structure over a line-item budget. A levelsof-services budget is more about explaining why items are needed. A line-item budget is more about listing what is needed.

The budget takes nine months to prepare, and staff still budgets down to the line item. The levels-of-services structure is an added step that divides the request amount into three levels — base, continuation and desired. Base is the bare minimum cost to run a program. Continuation is the cost to maintain the existing services beyond the base, and desired are new requests.

“It’s a better approach to explain to the commissioners and the citizens the programs that are being recommended and approved for funding, rather than talking about accounts,” McLean said. “It is a much more complicated budget process, but it helps paint a better picture.”

To further fill out the picture, the $2,321,568,098 FY2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan was presented along with the budget.

While a $9 million EMS station near Interstate 75 and University Parkway is on the horizon for FY2028 in the five-year CIP, roads, parks and the Lakewood Ranch Library remain priorities in East County for FY2025.

THE LAKEWOOD RANCH LIBRARY

Plans for the library are not final until commissioners vote on them, but the staff has started the process by offering ideas and an estimated cost.

Staff is recommending $6,919,000

TIMELINE TO ADOPTION Following the initial series of meetings from June 12-19, the commission takes a summer recess from June 24 through July 26.

AUG. 1 Approval of tentative millage SEPT. 12 First public hearing SEPT. 17 Second public hearing and adoption

David Sessions, CEO of Willis Smith Construction, talks with former County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh on the second floor back in May 2023 when the focus was still on finishing the first floor.

Lesley Dwyer

be used in FY2025 to fully fund and start construction on the second floor in May. Construction is expected to take just under one year.

Once complete, staff suggested the extra space be used by two departments: Library Services and Community & Veterans Services.

The library would use the space to expand its collection of materials and provide additional study rooms and meeting spaces. Additional library staff would include one librarian and three library assistants.

Library Services Manager Tammy Parrott told commissioners in January that libraries are starting to be used as multiuse buildings. In some cases, that includes residential units.

Manatee County is moving toward a multiuse model by including county services in its new and remodeled library locations. Staff said the second floor can accommodate three probation officers and two Veterans Services counselors on a rotating basis.

Commissioner Ray Turner said it’s too early to say what will actually end up on the second floor because commissioners need to have a discussion first. Veterans Services having a place upstairs was discussed, but he hadn’t heard about probation possibly having a spot, too.

“To have a satellite office for Veterans Services — on the east side, we don’t have that right now,” Turner said. “It’s kind of a little bit underserved compared with the way it should be.”

ROADS

Out of 17 new CIP projects that the Transportation department submitted for review, 11 are in East County, five have starting dates in FY2025 and four are improvements to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

Repaving Lakewood Ranch Boulevard from State Road 70 to State Road 64 isn’t on the schedule until the fall of 2027. However, three intersections on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard are poised for an update in 2025 — Wood Fern Trail, Portal Crossing and Gateway Drive.

Upgrades include traffic signals, traffic cameras, pedestrian crossings and turn lane improvements.

Adjustments to the median have to be made at Portal Crossing only.

The design process is slated to begin in October 2024 with construction starting in October 2025 and an anticipated completion date of December 2026.

In total, the Transportation

Courtesy image

An aerial rendering of John H. Marble Park when it reopens after renovations.

DEPARTMENTS BY THE NUMBERS Here’s a look at the recommended budgets for some of the individual divisions.

$28,844,968 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

$24,704,657 COMMUNITY AND VETERANS SERVICES

$19,458,271 COUNTY ATTORNEY

$16,717,167

CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

$12,561,489

NATURAL RESOURCES

$11,149,763 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

$8,671,782

CLERK OF COURT

$6,756,042 SPORTS AND LEISURE

$6,677,266

COUNTY ADMINISTRATION

department added $68,941,010 worth of projects to the CIP, $2,667,328 of which was requested for FY2025.

PARKS

The total recommended budget for Sports and Leisure Services is $6,756,042. The base is $4,564,454.

The continuation is $2,038,839 and the desired is $152,749.

The parks are growing with the population in East Manatee County, so the desired $152,749 budget request would establish East County as its own division and hire a recreation division manager.

“It’s important for us to add the support and oversight for creative scheduling and increased customer service to our residents,” Sports and Leisure Director Molly White said.

John H. Marble Park is an ongoing project that falls under the continuation category of the budget.

The park was closed in May 2023 for $18,998,877 worth of renovations and is expected to open by the end of this year or early 2025 with a new gymnasium and splash pad.

The budgeted cost to open and operate the park is $890,960. That includes six full-time employees and two part-time employees.

Sports and Leisure is also adding a half-ton truck and trailer to their fleet. The $84,084 mobile recreation center will be used for pop-up programming at parks throughout the county.

White said the truck will target “passive parks” that don’t normally have programming.

11 EAST COUNTY ROAD PROJECTS These are the 11 new East County projects added to the FY2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan by the Transportation Department.

The proposed updates were presented to commissioners on June 18.

Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Wood Fern Trail, intersection improvements: $911,266 ($159,766 budgeted for FY2025) Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Portal Crossing, intersection improvements: $1,006,000 ($285,062 budgeted for FY2025) Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Gateway Drive, intersection improvements: $911,266 ($159,766 budgeted for FY2025) Lakewood Ranch Boulevard from State Road 70 to State Road 64, resurface inside lanes, sidewalk repairs and enhanced pedestrian striping: $13,765,550 Malachite Road at New Haven BoulevardCentral Park Boulevard, intersection improvements: $2,195,950 44th Avenue East and Wood Fern Trail, mast arm (to hang traffic light): $2,423,000 Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard, intersection improvements: $850,757 ($159,757 budgeted for FY2025) Creekwood Boulevard from State Road 70 East to 44th Avenue East, pavement reconstruction, sidewalk repairs and enhanced pedestrian striping: $6,355,372 Port Harbour Parkway from Kay Road to Golden Harbour Trail, pavement reconstruction, sidewalk repairs and enhanced pedestrian striping: $9,868,075 State Road 64 from Lorraine Road to Verna Bethany Road, Project Development and Environmental Study required by Florida Department of Transportation to widen from two lanes to four: $2,883,650 Uihlein Road from State Road 70 to State Road 64, Operational and Safety Improvements Study, plus interim traffic lights and pedestrian crossings at Lakewood National Parkway, 44th Avenue East, and Rangeland Boulevard intersections: $10,364,815 ($802,500 budgeted for FY2025)

3A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Park loads up for Fireworks on the Lake Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio will perform for thousands before the fireworks show.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

W You know

she es are when s s la g r e h re whe uch em, how m missplaces th medicine, and her ing she hates tak okies. ssion for co

pa

at, too.

We’ll know th

Start home care today. hwcg.com/sarasota 941.214.4172

426691-1

Find out how our extensive training and care philosophy help us make meaningful connections that lead to better, more engaging care.

RELAX and

stay cool

hile you might not expect that shade would be a topic at a fireworks show, Nathan Benderson Park is concerned about just that as it is adding some tents to the grounds for the Fireworks on the Lake Show on July 3.

Gates open at 5 p.m. for the event, which culminates just after 9 p.m., when an approximately 15-minute fireworks show will be fired from a barge on the lake.

While the fireworks will be the highlight of the annual event, there will be plenty of entertainment before the sun goes down, and Nathan Benderson Park Marketing Director Marnie Buchsbaum said park executives have wanted to provide more shade for those who attend the event to get out of the heat.

Last year’s Fireworks on the Lake drew 16,000 people, and the event continues to grow in popularity.

The overall event will see a change this year. Instead of offering multiple bands, Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio will perform a concert that begins at 5:30 p.m. on the main stage on Regatta Island and will continue, besides an intermission, leading up to the fireworks.

Ten inflatables will be available to kids and interactive photo displays will be around the park for entire families to enjoy. Kids also will enjoy bubble machines and face painters.

Oak and Stone is the event’s beer and wine sponsor and plenty of food vendors will be on hand. The event’s main sponsor, for the second consecutive year, is Lamborghini of Sarasota. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is hosting the Kid Zone.

The taped show will be televised July 4 by WWSB ABC 7 beginning at 9 p.m.

File photo

Spectators are set up on all sides of the lake to watch the fireworks show at Nathan Benderson Park.

IF YOU GO FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE When: 5-10 p.m. July 3 Where: Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota Admission: Free Parking: Parking on Regatta Island is $35 per vehicle. The South Lot parking will cost $25 for cars and $55 for recreational vehicles. A special event lot (next to Homewood Suites) will be available for $25.

VIP Experience: A VIP Viewing Experience will be available for $100 per person (including complimentary food and beverages, premium parking, and exclusive access to the air-conditioned finish tower).

To purchase parking or more information: Go to FireworksOnTheLake.com.

Buchsbaum said parking for previous Fireworks on the Lake shows have been close to selling out and suggested those who want to attend the event secure their parking ahead of time.

Parking is now on sale at FireworksOnTheLake.com. There is no admission charge to enter the park.

East County’s Most Trusted for HVAC & Electrical

Specialized Dental Care Oral Surgery, Periodontal, Restorative, Dental Hygiene Trust your oral health to a specialist IMPLANT SURGERY

(941)208-6939

ESTHETIC GUM GRAFTING

EXTRACTIONS BONE GRAFTING

COSMETIC VENEERS CROWNS

IMPLANT TEETH

Providing simple to complex specialty dental care in one convenient location

www.anthonysairconditioning.com

y

423167-1

on T ’ l i L

HARRY F. HARING III DMD

MAGGIE MISCHHARING DMD, MS

KATHERINE E. MISCH DMD

CRAIG M. MISCH DDS, MDS

SPECIALIST IN PROSTHODONTICS AND FULL MOUTH ESTHETICS

SPECIALIST IN PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT SURGERY

SPECIALIST IN PROSTHODONTICS AND TEETH IN A DAY

Minimally invasive periodontal and implant surgical techniques to improve patients’ oral health

Over 30 years experience with an eye for achieving a natural perfection in dental implant restorations

SPECIALIST IN ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY & PROSTHODONTICS

Master clinician using the latest technology to artistically transform smiles using veneers and crowns

PUBLIC NOTICES

CHECK OUR REVIEWS ONLINE

www.drmisch.com

120 South Tuttle Ave Sarasota, FL 34237

941.957.6444

425397-1

AUDITOR INFORMATION Circulation Verified Council 12166 Old Big Bend Road, Suite 210 | St Louis, MO 63122 314-966-7111 | www.cvcaudit.com

International lecturer, faculty at Univ. of Michigan, U of F & PENN, author of numerous scientific publications and textbooks

A Family-Owned Dental Speciality Practice

The Sarasota/Siesta Key, East County and Longboat Observers meet the legal requirements to publish legal and public notices in Sarasota & Manatee counties, per F.S. 50.011.

426259-1

4A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

5A

New law raises truckload of issues The bill goes into effect on July 1 and will take away HOA powers to limit the parking of work vehicles in neighborhoods.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

M

ichael Miller worries that the passage of House Bill 1203 could have “unintended consequences” in his Country Club neighborhood and the East County community as a whole.

The bulk of the 44-page bill, signed into law on May 31 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, pertains to the administration of homeowners associations — education requirements for directors and how fees are imposed and records are kept.

Page 37 is where the bill starts to concern Miller.

The bill states that homeowners associations “may not prohibit” property owners, tenants or guests from parking their work vehicles or personal vehicles, including pickup trucks, on the owner’s driveway or any other area where the owner has “a right to park as governed by state, county, and municipal regulations.”

Currently, homeowners in the Country Club are not allowed to park pickups or work vehicles in their driveways overnight. That regulation was set and is enforced by the Country Club Edgewater Village Association.

“My thing with pickup trucks is that they’re luxury vehicles now,” Commissioner Ray Turner said.

“When these CDDs and HOAs were formed in the beginning, these pickup trucks weren’t quite what they are today, so there’s going to have to be a little bit of flexibility because it’s not a work truck for people in a lot of cases.”

ADDITIONAL STATUTE CHANGES House Bill 1203 mostly focuses on how the officers of an HOA operate, but here are two other changes that affect how residents are allowed to operate on their parcels.

■ All first responders, not just law enforcement, are allowed to park their assigned vehicles in any area where the owner has a right to park, including public roads or rights-of-way.

■ Homeowners are allowed to plant vegetable gardens and hang clotheslines as long as they’re not visible from the parcel’s frontage or an adjacent parcel, common area or golf course.

Miller, who is a former CEVA board member and the current CDD5 assistant secretary, is not personally opposed to parking pickups on driveways either, but some people in his community are. He said CEVA receives occasional complaints in regards to parking pickup trucks, and that’s how the bylaws had read.

Miller has two bigger concerns with the bill: He said the language is too vague, and it’s an example of the state chipping away at local governance.

“Somebody obviously decided to go after parking ... what’s next?”

Miller said. “Are they just going to start, one by one, wiping out HOA restrictions or the ability to have restrictions? Are we dismantling local government? Now, the state has all this authority that used to be local.”

He also questioned how a bill that affects millions of homeowners across the state happened with-

Lesley Dwyer

out more public participation and awareness of the issue. He said CEVA was caught off guard when a woman asked for a delay on a fine regarding her pickup.

“The lady said there’s a new state law going into effect in July that will allow me to park a pickup truck (in her driveway), so I don’t think the HOA should be fining me now,” Miller said. “We’re looking around saying, ‘What?’ We have professional staff that are HOA certified. We have attorneys that presumably look out for pending legislation. I’ve talked to people in other communities, and it’s the same story — they absolutely never heard about this.”

Since the state didn’t define what a personal vehicle is, Miller said it can be anything a homeowner says is his or her personal vehicle, from a monster truck to a converted school bus.

As for work vehicles, the bill specifically allows for “official insignias” and “visible designations,” but excludes commercial motor vehicles, as defined by Florida Statute Section 320.01(25). The section defines commercial motor vehicles as having a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,001 pounds.

Essentially, the bill only precludes passenger buses, dump trucks and the like from parking in a driveway overnight. And “any other area”

Your Luxury Lifestyle Awaits

SIESTA KEY WATERFRONT LOCATION

THE WINDEMERE

— Commissioner Ray Turner

A pickup is parked in a driveway in Stone Ridge. Currently. The truck can’t be parked in a driveway overnight in the Country Club, but as of July 1, the HOA will no longer be allowed to prohibit it.

implies that a guest could arrive in an RV and park it on the lawn with the homeowner’s permission.

Miller said he hopes people wouldn’t abuse the vague language, but there’s certainly potential for it.

If it were to be abused, there’s not much Manatee County could immediately do about it.

“We do not regulate parking on lawns,” Code Enforcement Chief Tom Wooten said.

Plus, the county only has jurisdiction on publicly maintained county roads, and some HOA communities have private roads.

“The covenants for these HOAs are to protect the values and the look and feel of those communities,” Turner said. “I don’t see how this bill would override it, but I do need to take a closer look. If it’s putting that at risk, then we’ll bring it to the attention of the legislature.”

DIAMONDS & FINE JEWELRY WANTED

Furnished Model Home Open To Tour

1550 S Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239

“The covenants for these HOAs are to protect the values and the look and feel of those communities.”

THE ISLANDER

558 Venice Ln, Sarasota, FL 34242

Open To Tour

$4,985,000

• Winner 2024 Parade of Homes “Best Overall” • Stunning West of Trail Location • Elegant Designer Furnishings & Finishes

4,170 Sq. Ft. | 4 Bed | 4.5 Bath | 2 Car Garage Study | Media Room | Pool and Spa

Wed-Sat 10-4pm | Sun 12-4pm

MLS A4589732 *Rendering shown of Hansen St. Property

ANTICIPATED COMPLETION FALL 2024

THE SAND DOLLAR

118 N Warbler Ln, Sarasota, FL 34236

$7,250,000

4,594 Sq. Ft. | 4 Bed | 5.5 Bath | 3.5 Car Garage Study | VIP Suite | Bonus Room | Infinity Pool MLS A4557763

We are your trusted jewelry buyer ensuring a private, respectful experience and immediate payment

ANTICIPATED COMPLETION FROM FALL 2024

THE BAHAMA

Offering Two Opportunities West of Trail 1625 Hansen St, Sarasota, FL 34231 3,157 Sq. Ft. | $2,449,000 MLS A4538727

Cartier • Tiffany • Van Cleef • Webb Boucheron • Rolex • Patek Philippe

3934 Sunshine Ave, Sarasota, FL 34231 2,642 Sq. Ft | $1,818,000 MLS A4541484

Take Advantage of These Limited Opportunities Heritage Builders is pleased to announce these five unique custom homes located in Sarasota’s most desirable neighborhoods. These striking residences feature the same cutting-edge layouts, luxurious appointments and superior construction quality that have made Heritage Builders Sarasota’s leading custom home designer and builder.

Please contact us today to learn more about these limited opportunities.

941.366.1014

Custom Homes | West of Trail Homes | Waterfront Residences

SAME LOCATION FOR 40 YEARS Visit us at HeritageBuildersWFL.com or call (941) 328-8272

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA

HIGHEST PRICES PAID FOR GOLD

1515 Ringling Boulevard ~ Suite 990

HB Realty Group, Inc. | Licensed Real Estate Broker

Licensed Fully Insured | Mon. - Fri. 9:00-5:00 415339-1

All designs are the property of Heritage Builders of West Florida, LLC. CBC1259307 Plans, pricing and specifications subject to change without notice. Renderings are artist’s conception and not intended to show specific detailing. Square footages are estimated and may vary in actual construction.

426345-1

Northern Trust Bank Building - Free Parking

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Top market

SMITTEN WITH KITTENS

941-366-2404 | 2542 17th St., Sarasota, FL 34234 | www.catdepot.org

Whether showcasing your home, business (or even the end of WWII), your property deserves to be beautifully

Clean.

423900-1

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PRESSURE CLEANING (941) 952-1000 | GorillaKleen.com

422663-1 401585-1

Adopt, Don’t Shop

The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch was No. 1 in Florida in 2023 and hopes to retain that standing this year.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

O

n a steamy Sunday morning at the Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, Kevin Hobson was talking barbecue with his customers.

They were standing in line, waiting to see if that smell was the truth. Wherever you were walking in Waterside Place along Kingfisher Lake, when the wind was just right, you could smell Hobson’s Choice barbecue from one end of the market to the other.

That’s no easy task, either, since that aroma has to make its way through and around 30 or more other great smells, from fresh baked goods, to empanadas to knishes, to Philly steaks, and on and on.

It only took one bite before Hobson’s customers were convinced they had made a solid choice.

“We use real wood, real fire and real meat,” Hobson said of his business, which he runs along with other members of his family. “We’re not skinny people.”

Good vendors, nice people, great setting. The recipe led to the Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch being ranked No. 1 in Florida by the America’s Farmers Market Celebration, presented by American Farmland Trust in 2023. Those who feel strongly about it can see if the market, which has more than 100 vendors each Sunday, can go back to back.

Voting has begun for the 2024 award at Markets.Farmland.org/ Markets/3339323.

Sarasota’s Jonathan White and Jolie Young enjoyed the market for the first time June 16, and they already were convinced it was spe-

Jay Heater

cial. “I like the variety they have here and the size of it,” White said. “The quality is top notch.”

Young said she prefers it to other farmers markets in the region.

“This has more of a community feel,” she said. “Everyone is very friendly.”

Why wouldn’t they be? On this particular day, a large family loaded up on Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and headed toward the extensive kids’ playground and the splash pad. Others sat lakeside, enjoying their culinary treasures. Under the pavilion, Jesse Daniels entertained the crowd with his guitar and his voice.

Brian Wachtler, owner of Brooklyn Knish, has sold his goods at many farmers markets for 17 years.

“I still do a lot of markets,” Wachtler said. “This market has the best atmosphere. It’s the customers, the vendors, the market managers.

“Waterside Place definitely is a good location. And the businesses are coming in,” he said. “It’s a symbiotic relationship with the vendors and the restaurants. They bring in people for us, and we bring in people for them. Then you have all the condos (and apartments) here.”

Certainly, there are bigger farmers markets out there.

“It’s not all about money,” Wachtler said. “I am 50, and my time is valuable. I like the way this market is managed. I don’t need any drama.”

Kevin Hobson, of Hobson’s Choice, dishes out some barbecue at the Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch

for the Farmers' Market at Lakewood ranch heLp US reMain the #1 Market in FLorida & BeCoMe the Best in the nation!

Help us celebrate the local farms, small businesses & hard workers that have helped us become the #1 farmers' market in Florida.

Vote todaY & Bring prooF of Voting to the Market inFo Booth For a Free Market swag item!* *While supplies last.

VOtELWR.COM

EVERY SUNDAY, YEAR-ROUND - 10AM tO 2PM

100+ Vendors, CSa Boxes, kidS' workshops, LiVe MusiC + Yoga 1561 LakeFront drive, Lakewood ranch, FL 34240 i themarketLwr.CoM

A V E R Y S P E C I A L T h a n k Y o u t o o u r S P O N S O R S : H e r a l d -T r i b u n e + L o c a l i Q 425905-1

6A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

7A

G ET

WILD this Fourth of July!

Courtesy image

Lorraine Road project includes ‘affordable’ units The Windham Development project also will include an amenity center.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

T

he Windham Development Corporation is proposing its second rental townhome project, Lakewood Springs, along Lorraine Road, that will include affordable housing units.

If Lakewood Springs is approved

by Manatee County commissioners, the two projects will bring 365 rental townhomes to an area that’s slated to be much more pedestrian-friendly thanks to a $66 million road project.

If all 365 units are approved, 92 of the rentals in the two developments will be set at affordable rates (as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development) for the next 20 years.

Windham’s first proposal for 66 townhomes, Lorraine Crossings, was approved by commissioners on April 18. The 10-acre parcel is located to the south of Savanna at Lakewood Ranch, and 17 of the 66 units will be designated as affordable.

Commissioners haven’t voted on Lakewood Springs yet. The approximately 39-acre property is south of Lorraine Crossings and about a halfmile from 44th Avenue East.

The proposal for 299 townhomes in Lakewood Springs was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission on June 13 and will go before the commission at the next land use meeting June 20.

“It’s a great product and a wonderful place to have it,” said Richard Bedford, chair of the Planning Commission.

If approved by commissioners, 75 of the 299 units in Lakewood Springs will be earmarked as affordable.

Affordable units are not subsidized

by HUD.

EAST COUNTY INVENTORY If Lakewood Springs is approved, builder incentives will bring 244 more affordable units to East County this year.

■ Amara on Lena Road — 152 ■ Lorraine Crossings — 17 ■ Lakewood Springs — 75

The outlined rectangle is the future site of Lorraine Crossings.

The outline below is the proposed site of Lakewood Springs.

LORRAINE ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT Manatee County is upgrading the section of Lorraine Road between 59th Avenue East and State Road 64 at an estimated cost of $66 million.

Construction is expected to begin in January 2025 and finish in May 2027.

■ Two additional car lanes ■ Raised median ■ 10-foot multiuse path on the west side ■ Five-foot sidewalk on the east side ■ Seven-foot buffered bike lanes on both sides

HUD’s involvement is to set the rates for income eligibility and rental and purchase caps. Those rates depend on the county’s average median household income, and that’s where the word, “affordable,” becomes subjective for those looking to rent or purchase in the Lakewood Ranch area.

The average median income in Manatee County is $97,000.

Manatee County has been offering builders incentives for affordable units through Livable Manatee since 2017, but the program was revamped in 2022 to offer even more incentives. Rowena Young-Gopie, Housing Development Coordinator for Manatee County, said applications increased from that point on and stagnant projects were able to be revived, too.

If approved, Lakewood Springs would be the third approval this year to include affordable units in East County, joining Amara on Lena Road and Lorraine Crossings.

Lakewood Ranch Senior Vice President Laura Cole said Lakewood Ranch offers affordable housing in several communities. However, the communities don’t “stigmatize” the homes or homeowners by labeling them as such, nor should they be stigmatized when the price points are “not small.”

Because the lessee can earn between 80% and 120% of the county’s high average income, price points don’t have to be small to stay within HUD’s guidelines.

“We’re just providing housing for the workforce,” Cole said. “You want to have a diversity of homes and price points. It makes for a better community.”

WEST FLORIDA’S PREMIER POOL BUILDER

50

%

*

OFF

ADMISSION

JULY 3, 4 & 5!

Ignite your star-spangled spirit during Independence Day at Sarasota Jungle Gardens and enjoy 50% OFF admission with the purchase of a same-day, full-priced adult or child admission!

Must buy online and use promo code: FW24 *Restrictions apply.

Design•Build•Maintain Professional In-House Construction

422918-1

941.927.1882

www.HolidayPoolsFlorida.com

of West Florida, Inc. Lic# CPC1458597

Family Owned and Operated Since 1994

SarasotaJungleGardens.com • 941.355.5305

417993-1

Sarasota's Favorite Family Attraction®

Call today to schedule an appointment

8A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

BUNCH OF BUSY BEES

EAST COUNTY

Joshua Vasquez, the youngest of the Vasquez family at 13 years old, has been around bees his whole life.

Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com Senior Editor / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com Staff Writer / Lesley Dwyer, LDwyer@ YourObserver.com Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Digital Content Producer / Jim DeLa, JDeLa@YourObserver.com Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

I

2007

2 2,000

300-400 2012

30 15-20

20,000

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Heritage Bee Farms focuses on education, queen breeding and selling bee products.

n 2007, Myakka City’s Chris Va s q u e z received two beehives from a friend that were placed on the ground in his backyard.

With it being rainy season, Vasquez said he wanted to move the hives off the ground, but he didn’t have a bee suit.

So Vasquez made his Every bee only lives own bee suit. He put on between 30 and 45 gloves and the thickdays. Each bee produces est jacket he had, but he about 1/12 teaspoon of wasn’t sure what he would honey in its lifetime. use to cover his face.

That’s when Vasquez decided to put a plastic The two cologrocery bag over his head and poke nies were just the holes in it for his eyes.

Vasquez was ready to face the bees beginning. The family kept adding more for the first time.

But as he was moving the hives, he colonies, and Vasquez didn’t realize they came in multiple realized the bees were pieces. The hives fell apart, and he becoming more than a hobby. An idea sparked. was swarmed.

Maybe the bees could He said his family laughed as they watched him run around the back- become a family business.

Vasquez and his wife, Melissa, yard trying to get away from the bees.

Needless to say, his bee suit didn’t have nine children and five grandchildren. All but one child lives in protect him.

Vasquez said he never imagined Florida and helps with Heritage Bee that 17 years later his family would Farm.

In 2012, the Vasquez family had 10 own Heritage Bee Farm, which includes 2,000 colonies spread hives and decided to go commercial, throughout Manatee, Sarasota and adding more than 50 colonies.

Vasquez recalled taking the famDeSoto counties, and they’re looking ily 15-passenger van to Georgia to to expand in the coming years.

Heritage Bee Farm has between retrieve their new colonies. They 300 and 400 colonies on the 30-acre loaded them up in the van and were on their way back to Florida. The farm in Myakka City.

Vasquez always had an interest in temporary boxes containing the bees bees. He found it intriguing how bees weren’t sealed well. As they drove, are one of the only insects that pro- bees started to escape the boxes and fly around the van. duce a food product.

Vasquez wasn’t concerned. He had He said he could sit watching a beehive for hours, watching them become used to the bees.

But when they stopped for gas and fly in and out.

“I don’t get to do that much any- opened the doors to get out, bees flew out of the van. more,” Vasquez said with a laugh.

Vasquez said he was worried it Before getting into the bee business, Vasquez was an operations would cause panic as many people manager in the corporate world, might be concerned to see thouworking for companies includ- sands of bees flying out of a van. ing Pacific Power and Light, Office They moved as fast as they could to leave the gas station.

Depot and Time Customer Service.

They returned safely to Florida and began their commercial production.

Transitioning from the corporate

BY THE NUMBERS world to working with his family in the bee business had its challenges.

Year Chris Vasquez said he enjoyed creating his Vasquez received own schedule, but his family’s sole his first colonies income was dependent upon the bees.

Colonies the Vasquez family No matter the weather, the started with Vasquez family had to be outside caring for the bees.

The biggest challenge came when Hurricane Ian hit in September 2022.

Colonies the Vasquez family The hurricane took out a third of has now Heritage Bee Farm’s colonies.

“It was a big hit to us,” Vasquez said. “We were questioning if we all needed to go out and get other work Colonies at Heritage Bee Farm because it was a huge hit financially. in Myakka City But we pulled together and worked really hard to rebuild.”

Besides beekeeping and producing and selling raw honey, handmade Year Heritage Bee Farms besoap, infused candles and other came commercial products, Vasquez said Heritage Bee Farm specializes in queen breeding.

Acreage of Heritage His oldest son, Christian Vasquez, Bee Farm worked at Miksa Honey Farm in Groveland, Florida, to learn more about queen breeding.

They spend hours every Monday Times members of the Vasquez and Friday going through the graftfamily get stung per day ing process necessary to breed more queens. The Penn State Extension explains that “grafting is the action of transferring a larva from a brood Bee species on earth cell into a manufactured cell cup.

This technique allows beekeepers

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

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Regional Sales Director / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Richeal McGuinness, RMcGuinness@ YourObserver.com; Lexi Huelsman, Lexi@ YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@ YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver.com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver.com; Brenda White, BWhite@YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Anna Reich, AReich@YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator/Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com Advertising/Marketing Coordinator / Caitlin Ellis, CEllis@YourObserver.com

Photos by Liz Ramos

Chris Vasquez, owner of Heritage Bee Farm, says the bees on the farm allow the family to create and sell their own products including handmade soap and raw honey.

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com

THE BUZZ

Here are some fun facts about bees: ■ They travel within a radius of three to five miles.

■ One bee produces 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.

■ A bee’s life is approximately 30 to 45 days.

■ Without bees, we wouldn’t have a third of all fruits and vegetables.

■ One in four species of bees is at risk of extinction.

■ One in three bites of food are pollinated by bees.

to create any number of queen cells that are easy to handle and transport.”

Now Heritage Bee Farm sends queen bees around the country for other beekeepers.

Christian Vasquez said his love for bees only has grown over the years.

He remembered going from learning about bees in nature videos to handling the bees himself.

“I was able to put on my bee suit, my gloves, start the smoker and get into the hive, which was super exciting,” he said.

Both Chris Vasquez and Christian Vasquez said learning about bees is ongoing. They’re constantly learning new ways to care for the bees, to help them adjust to environmental changes, and more.

Chris Vasquez said he and his wife travel the world teaching people about beekeeping and how to produce multiple colonies. They traveled to the Dominican Republic last year, and on June 22, Chris and Melissa Vasquez will be on their way to Guinea, Africa, to teach local beekeepers about colony multiplication.

Heritage Bee Farm also hosts bee experiences where people can come to the farm to learn about bees and get a peek into the life of a beekeeper.

Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@YourObserver.com Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned.

Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

CEO / Matt Walsh MWalsh@YourObserver.com President / Emily Walsh Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles Vice President / Lisa Walsh (1995-2023) 8130 Lakewood Main St., Suite D207 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-755-5357

YourObserver.com © 2024 The Observer Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved

YourObserver.com

SIDE OF RANCH

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

9A

JAY HEATER

Did you notice Old Glory on Flag Day? I

Jay Heater

Lakewood Ranch’s JoAnne and John Lawler bring attention to Flag Day on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

out to local schools when members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars would go to the campus and teach the students how to fold an American flag. It’s not that hard, and if you need help, it used to be that you always could find a veteran or a Boy Scout to teach you. At least that was the case when they were called Boy Scouts. Whether it is the case today, I don’t know. I sure hope it still is a requirement.

It wasn’t a requirement to learn how to fold a flag at schools, although it should be. Flag Day falls at a time in June when schools mostly are out, so it would take a special effort to set aside a day and time for such a lesson.

A history class would be the perfect setting.

As an action, folding an Ameri-

can flag isn’t much different than folding towels. That is why you need a scout leader, or a member of the military, or a history teacher to give meaning to something that should be important to us. A first fold could bring up a discussion of Betsy Ross, who was hired by George Washington to sew the first American Flag featuring stars and stripes. The next could bring up its nickname of Old Glory as given by sea Capt. William Driver in 1831.

Another could spark a discussion of Col. Theodore Roosevelt’s charge during the battle of San Juan Hill in 1898. Fold again and you could talk about the most famous photo of the American Flag, in 1945 as it was raised over Iwo-Jima by six U.S. Marines during World War II. The task would be almost complete,

HUNGER

If you are at risk for heart disease, Bradenton Cardiology Center has a screening test that can help detect the amount of calcium deposits, or plaque, in coronary arteries.

On Fridays during the summer months, The Food Bank of Manatee, one of our PLUS programs, provides Food4Families bags at summer Break Spots to families in need of vital nutrition. These bags contain breakfast, lunch, and dinner to feed a family of five for two or more days. That is 30 meals—keeping families fed through the weekend. In the summer of 2024, our goal is to provide at least 22,000 meals each week for children and their families, right here in Manatee County. During the nine-week summer break, that is nearly 200,000 meals!

Of the 50,000 students in Manatee County who will not have access to school meals when classes get out for summer break, there are nearly 20,000 students who are at critical risk of food-insecurity this summer.

That is where The Food Bank of Manatee steps in to fill the gaps of those nutritional needs. Please give today to feed kids and families this summer!

Risk factors include: • Family history of heart disease • High blood pressure • High cholesterol • Being overweight • Having diabetes • Being a smoker • Living an inactive or stressful lifestyle

To learn more, visit bradentoncardiology.com or call 941-748-2277

Women aged 55 and older and men aged 45 and older may also want to consider getting tested.

Will you help us cross hunger off the list this summer?

This noninvasive test takes approximately 15 minutes. There are no needles, dyes or liquids to swallow.

All donations stay local to help right here in our community. We need your support today!

CT Heart Score tests are self-pay and cost only $50.

Ask your primary care physician if a screening may be right for you.

www. MealsOnWheelsPLUS.org 426266-1

The Food Bank of Manatee is a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee

The Florida Registration number for Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee is #CH1420. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) or at www.800helpfla.com within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state.

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

A Coronary Artery Calcium Screening Could Save Your Life

Hunger has no place on the list of things kids should be experiencing this summer!

DONATE TODAY!

but shouldn’t end without thinking of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planting the American Flag into the moon’s surface in 1969, or the American Flags draped over the caskets of soldiers who died for it.

Folding the flag was a task my father performed on a daily basis outside our home in rural New York.

I remember going out to our front lawn one day with my dad, a former Marine, and digging a hole and mixing concrete to set a flagpole.

Each morning afterward, the flag was run up that pole, and each evening, as the sun set, the flag came down and was folded.

It meant something then, and I hope it means as much to our youngsters of today.

Flag Day is not a national holiday

and is only a legal state holiday in Pennsylvania. That’s OK, because I don’t think we need a day off to offer our respect.

We do have a Federal Flag Code, but while it covers rules for handling and displaying our American Flag, it offers no penalties for misuse. Florida’s Department of State offers flag guidelines and protocols and you can find those at https:// DOS.FL.gov/About-The-Department/Flag-And-Seal-Protocol.

My own biggest pet peeve about the display of the American Flag is when people or businesses leave it out in terrible weather and allow it to be ripped to shreds. That kind of disrespect is alarming.

The Federal Flag Code notes, “When a flag is so tattered that it no longer fits to serve as a symbol of the United States, it should be replaced in a dignified manner, preferably by burning.”

Certainly, I have lived a little, and perhaps those of my era did put more weight into our national symbols. But I have faith that our future generations will continue to cherish our flag as much as I do.

Take for instance, Lakewood Ranch’s Lorenzo Liberti, a 19-yearold who carves rustic American flags and sells them to raise money for his Give-A-Buck Foundation that gives its proceeds to help homeless veterans. Part of his effort goes toward carving an American flag for hospitals in all 50 states.

That’s the type of salute to our flag we all can appreciate.

316 Manatee Ave West Bradenton, FL 34205 8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Ste 210 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941.748.2277 bradentoncardiology.com For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website. 242035157-2060640 6/24 416201-1

t was just a quick beep on June 14, but Lakewood Ranch’s John and JoAnne Lawler knew it was at least some acknowledgement that Flag Day was upon us.

The Lawlers brought a big American flag with a sign that read “Happy Flag Day” and set up shop along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard just to the south of Lakewood Ranch Town Hall North. They have set up there on past Flag Days as well, because it is a stretch of road where the motorists can see them in a nice “safe” area.

They kept the American flag waving, too, and motorists let them know they appreciated the effort with a beep of the horn as they whizzed past.

Beep ... beep ... beep.

Besides the American flag, the Lawlers waved a Trump flag, which also prompted responses, both positive and negative, the negative ones including the occasional rude gesture.

The Lawlers’ main goal on Flag Day was to get people thinking about their country’s flag and patriotism, and being an election year, there was other work on their agenda as well. But whatever your feelings might be about our political leaders, it shouldn’t detract from the respect you show to the American flag.

John Lawler said he doubted 95% of those in the cars that drove past knew it was Flag Day until they saw the flag and the sign. The Lawlers said that wasn’t the case back when they were growing up, because parents taught “American values” as a higher priority. Both John and JoAnne said they grew up in homes where the flag was raised each day and taken down each night.

It made an impression on them, one they now like to share, even if it means wearing their arms out along the roadway.

Before COVID, I remember going

Facials

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

WILD FLORIDA

10A

W I T H LY R A

20% OFF*

First-time Clients. Mondays & Tuesdays 9-5

New clients can book online at flspa.com or download our app (Florida Lakes Spa) to book your appointment.

Rain ends record-low water levels at Myakka Periodic dry conditions, resulting from extended drought, regulate and benefit plant and animal communities.

MIRI HARDY CONTRIBUTOR

M

Also Offering: Neurotoxin, Filler, and Body Contouring.

425621-1

Hours (by appointment only) Monday & Tuesday: 9am - 5pm Friday: 8am - 3pm 941.866.8989 | 9114 Town Center Pkwy., Ste 102 | Lakewood Ranch Alustra® Architectural Shades with PowerView Automation®

BLINDS•SHUTTERS DRAPERIES•WALLCOVERINGS heraldtribune.com

WINNER

941-925-7800 mmwallcoveringsblinds.com 4801 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Across from The Landings 424450-1

Wallcoverings & Blinds, Inc. Since 1989

Janet and Curt Mattson Owners

yakka’s ecosystems have evolved to depend and thrive on a regular ebb and flow of water.

Rainfall is the primary driver for varying water levels in the Myakka River and its two floodplain lakes — the Upper Myakka Lake and Lower Myakka Lake.

Spring usually brings the start of rainy season. By summer, water levels are typically highest, and overflow into floodplain marshes and wetlands. In the fall and winter — dry season — water levels gradually drop, with periods of low water, or drawdown.

With some years wetter and some drier, differences in the fluctuating water levels naturally occur over multiyear cycles.

In fact, extended periods of low water are typical for the Myakka River system and occur about one out of every four years. And indeed, this spring, water levels in the entire Myakka system were notably very low.

These low levels largely reflected a very dry spring, with almost no rainfall in April or May. Secondary factors included less water entering the Myakka watershed as a result of agriculture, thanks to improved farm watering practices, directed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

In recent years, farm water artificially inflated dry season levels. Also, with rising temperatures, water evaporation rates have increased.

Finally, recent hurricanes breached several agricultural water diversion

Miri Hardy

Low water levels concentrate fish and other aquatic animals, sustaining migratory and native wading birds, including imperiled species like wood storks.

berms in Tatum Sawgrass Marsh, directly upriver from the park, restoring large areas of the original floodplain.

As expected, the removal of a deteriorating weir and culverts at the Upper Myakka Lake’s outflow in 2022, which was already breached, had no impact on this season’s water levels.

Though this year’s period of low water isn’t the lowest ever recorded, it is the lowest in decades. And while it may seem counter-intuitive, variability in water levels and low water periods are extremely beneficial for Myakka’s ecosystems. They help regulate plant and wildlife communities and promote biodiversity.

By concentrating fish and other aquatic animals into shallow pools, this spring’s extended drought attracted unusually large flocks of wading birds to the park, including hundreds of federally designated threatened wood storks and countless other wading birds.

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River.

Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. ­Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Finding the ER at Fruitville is like finding a gold mine.”

Nova Wallenda Mother to ER at Fruitville Patient

YOUNG CIRCUS STAR IS TREATED LIKE FAMILY When 3-year-old circus star Jameson fell ill, his

When her son’s pediatrician could not see her son,

at Fruitville, an extension of Lakewood Ranch Medical

“As soon as we walked in, we were in an exam room

mother Nova Wallenda, of Sarasota, took him to ER Center, conveniently located on I-75 and Fruitville Road, very close to where they live.

Nova and Jameson are members of the Wallenda Circus Family – well known for their high-wire

stunts and entertaining acts. Nova shares that

Jameson loves playing outside with his friends and

performing in the circus – he’s already participated in seven shows!

A few months ago, however, Nova was concerned

when Jameson was not his typical, energetic self. He

had a fever of 103 degrees with a runny nose and was coughing non-stop. “He was coughing so much he

she headed to ER at Fruitville.

within three minutes, if that,” says Nova.

Jameson was diagnosed and treated for an upper respiratory tract infection.

“ Finding the ER at Fruitville is like finding a gold mine,” she says.

Scan the code to learn more about services at ER at Fruitville.

“The ER staff was absolutely amazing with him,”

she says. “They gave him little stickers, and the doctor gave him a popsicle. They went over everything and asked me questions. It was just so reassuring and a wonderful experience.”

What Nova appreciated most was that they

genuinely cared for her son. She felt as if they were treated like family.

6760 Fruitville Road | Sarasota, FL 34240

416333-1

could barely sleep,” Nova says.

In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This emergency department is part of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. This is not an urgent care center. Its services and care are billed at hospital emergency department rates. Physicians are on the medical staff of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners, who are not employees or agents of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.242018800-2111203 5/24

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

11A

UNL CK Your POTENTIAL Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Enable Independence.

Restore Confidence.

Fie ld w

OTAs implement individualized treatment plans to help patients perform everyday activities and improve their quality of life. This affordable A.S. degree is a gateway to career pathways in a variety of therapeutic settings.

k or

cement Pla

Exp er t

y ult c Fa

Ha

s-

nd

on

Learni ng

Learn More.

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, religion, age, national origin/ethnicity, color, marital status, disability, genetic information or sexual orientation in any of its educational programs, services and activities, including admission and employment. Direct inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies to: Equity Officer, 941-752-5599, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34207.

423326-1

SCF.edu/OTA | Call: 941-752-5346 • Bradenton | Venice | Lakewood Ranch | Online

JUNE 20, 2024

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Courtesy image

Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey, who both work for the Sarasota Players, shared stages at local community theaters for about a decade before getting married in January.

WHEN BRIAN MET AMANDA How newlyweds Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey found love and theater in Sarasota.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

I

f Sarasota theater couple Amanda Heisey and Brian Finnerty create their answer

to “How I Met Your Mother,” the long-running TV show of the early 2000s told in flashbacks, they’ll have plenty of material to work with.

Let’s start with how the newlyweds got engaged, back in August 2021. Heisey was starring alongside Luke Manual McFatrich in Dingbat Theatre Project’s production of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

Finnerty directed and choreographed and designed the costumes for the glam rock musical, which played at The Bazaar at Apricot and Lime.

At the time, Heisey thought it was odd that her parents had come from Kansas City to see her performance.

“Hedwig is so edgy, and that’s normally not their kind of thing,” she says.

Also in the audience were friends of the couple’s from Orlando. Still, Finnerty didn’t give too much thought to why they had decided to attend this show out of all the community theater productions in Sarasota, Venice and Bradenton that Heisey and Finnerty had collaborated on over several years.

What was it about “Hedwig”? In the show, most of Heisey’s abundant tresses were hidden under a cap that gave the illusion of a mullet haircut. The look was part of her transformation into Yitzhak, a Jewish drag queen who is the husband and backup singer to the titular aspiring East German rock singer.

In a recent interview at Project Coffee in the Rosemary District, Heisey said she was wondering why her future husband thanked McFatrich before acknowledging her performance since the star traditionally gets the last curtain call.

When Finnerty proposed to her on stage in front of family, friends and audience, suddenly it all made sense.

“We had talked about getting married, but I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Heisey recalls. “It wasn’t like we had gone shopping for rings or anything.”

Following the show, Finnerty

Image courtesy of Krissy Marie

whisked his fiancée to an engagement party at The Mable on Tamiami Trail that he’d been secretly planning so the couple could celebrate with their entourage.

Before they started dating and later moved in together just as COVID was shutting down live theater in 2020, Heisey and Finnerty were friends and collaborators on musicals, cabarets and burlesque shows. They first

worked together on a 2015 production at The Players, now the Sarasota Players, of the musical “Catch Me If You Can.” They got to know each other better when Heisey hired Finnerty, a Florida native who began competing in children’s dance competitions when he was 3, to improve her footwork.

The lessons were to prepare for an audition for “Cats” at the Manatee

Wedding guests applaud Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey after Scott Keys pronounced them man and wife.

YourObserver.com

13A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Players in Bradenton. Heisey got the part.

“She was an amazing cat,” recalls Finnerty. “Everybody in the play was really good. That was a strong production. It’s hard to find that many good dancers.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS

Still, it would be awhile before Finnerty would tell Heisey that he was in love with her, creating what she called “a messy situation” because she was dating someone else at the time.

The complications weren’t resolved immediately, and the couple isn’t sure what their “dating anniversary” is, Finnerty says. “But it doesn’t really matter because the most important anniversary is our wedding anniversary,” he says. That would be Jan. 13, 2024.

As anyone who watched “Bridezillas” knows, brides and their relatives can get a little crazy about wedding preparations. That wasn’t the case with the Heisey-Finnerty nuptials, according to both parties. For one thing, they planned it themselves, taking the same detail-oriented, yet whimsical approach they do to community theater.

There were some concessions to tradition. Heisey went home to Kansas City to go bridal dress shopping with her mother, aunts and cousins.

She was lucky enough to find an offthe-rack gown that fit nearly perfectly.

Members of the wedding party were asked to wear black for the sophisticated winter ceremony at the picturesque Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton.

“Everyone liked that because that meant they could wear their wedding clothes again,” Heisey notes.

Finnerty sported a glam tuxedo with groovy loafers festooned with Playboy bunny emblems, a wedding present from his future wife, who uses her maiden name professionally. (For her burlesque appearance, she goes by Karma Kandlewick.)

Scott Keys, who was Finnerty’s teacher when he was in the Booker High School Visual and Performing Arts program, was the officiant for the rites. Keys became a close friend as a fellow traveler in community theater circles. (Both Keys

“She (Amanda) was an amazing cat. Everybody in the play was really good. That was a strong production. It’s hard to find that many good dancers.”

— Brian Finnerty

and Heisey had shows in the second Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival at the Cook Theatre earlier this month.)

For their wedding caterers, Finnerty and Heisey chose the Amish restaurant Der Dutchman. They hired Taylor Opie, the sister of a friend, and her band to provide live music.

Their wedding song came from the “Hedwig” soundtrack: “The Origin of Love.”

“Luke (McFatrich) sang it for us,” Finnerty says, reprising his performance as Hedwig in the show where Finnerty proposed to Heisey.

But McFatrich wasn’t the only friend of the bride and groom who performed an impromptu song at their wedding. “Taylor knows everybody in Sarasota, so she would tell people to come up and sing,” adds Heisey.

In a joint interview, Finnerty and Heisey don’t exactly finish each other’s sentences; they elaborate on what the other has just been saying.

Their easy manner with each other is astounding given how much time they spend together.

LIFE IS A (VIRTUAL) CABARET

While some couples drove each other crazy during pandemic lockdowns, work-from-home was a dream come true for Heisey and Finnerty, who made the most of the time personally and professionally.

During their time at home during COVID, Heisey, who is marketing director of the Sarasota Players, and Finnerty, who is now studio production manager of the Sarasota Players, spent a lot of time online. They devoted their efforts to bringing in donations for the Players during the Giving Challenge and to engaging the community through virtual per-

Courtesy photo

formances with other collaborators.

“There was a thing that we did during COVID called ‘Theater Lives,’” says Heisey. “We were trying to make sure that community theaters stayed alive and relevant during that time.”

Adds Finnerty: “There was a Facebook page. There were virtual cabarets. They all had different themes like ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ ‘Les Miz’ and others.”

The rapport and longevity of Finnerty and Heisey should serve the Sarasota Players well in its coming season, its 95th. There has been turnover in the artistic director job at the Players recently and the community theater decided not to fill the vacant position. It organized its upcoming 2024-25 season with existing staff, which includes Finnerty and Heisey.

The plans of the Sarasota Players to build The Stage in Payne Park, which it plans to share with other cultural organizations, and leave its temporary home in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, are in the hands of the organization’s board, local government and potential donors.

The community theater’s future home and management structure is beyond the scope of this article.

Suffice it to say that we’re hoping that the tale of “When Brian Met Amanda” includes many more creative episodes.

Next up: Finnerty is in the director’s seat for the Sarasota Players’ production of “Green Day’s American Idiot,” which runs from Aug. 7-16. Get ready to rock ’n’ roll!

Amanda Heisey met her husband, Brian Finnerty, when they were both in The Players’ production of the musical “Catch Me If You Can” in 2015.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY & THE RINGLING present

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH GALLERY NOW OPEN

Incredible Family Entertainment

The Ringling Circus Museum premieres our newest exhibition space, The Greatest Show On Earth Gallery,

AT THE RINGLING

on the second floor of the Tibbals Learning Center.

NOW – SAT AUG 17

412406-1

408079-1

20

$

The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota

15

$

12 & UNDER

941.360 .7399

11 AM & 2 PM 2 PM & 5 PM CHILD

ringling.org

ringling.org

TUE – FRI SAT

ADULT

TICKETS:

INFORMATION + TICKETS

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

THURSDAY

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road $20 adults; $15 kids Visit Ringling.org.

If you’ve never seen a performance in The Ringling’s jewelbox venue, the Historic Asolo Theater, here’s your chance. Presided over by Ringmaster Jared Walker, the Summer Circus Spectacular 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. Runs through Aug. 17.

New Sarasota Music Festival faculty member Benjamin Beilman performs Bach’s unaccompanied Partita No. 3, improvising in a way that would have been expected during the great composer’s lifetime but which is rare today.

ROYAL JAMES THEATER PRESENTS ‘MURDER BY THE BOOK’ 7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $29 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Agatha Christie loved to keep readers of her murder mysteries guessing, but none of her books could prepare them for a real-life event that made headlines around the world. That startling news is the basis of B.J. Mohr’s new play. Runs through June 23.

‘HAPPY DALE’: A COMEDY

BY DAN LANDON 7:30 p.m. at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $30/Student $13 Visit ThePlayers.org.

In Dan Landon’s “Happy Dale,” a retired English teacher is sent to an assisted living facility after he begins acting strangely following the death of his life. Happy Dale’s newest resident (Lee Gundersheimer) quickly turns the facility’s routines upside down. Can he brought into line before it’s late? Runs through June 23.

‘OAK’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $7-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Image courtesy of Ebru Yildiz

DON’T MISS ‘PASSION AND PRIDE’ Sarasota Music Festival Director Jeffrey Kahane’s boundary-breaking talents are showcased in Ravel’s Piano Concerto. Having performed the 2022 world premiere of “Shorthand,” Anna Clyde’s mini concerto for cello, SMF alum Karen Ouzounian presides over its Sarasota premiere. The festival concludes with Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, which took the composer decades to complete.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 22 Where: at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $30-$70 Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Urbanite Theatre wraps its 10th anniversary season with the Southern Gothic horror-infused “Oak.” Written

by Terry Guest and directed by Mikael Burke, “Oak” is a National New Play Network rolling premiere. Runs through June 30.

‘COCONUT CAKE’ 7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $5-$50 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

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.

Courtesy images

‘THE MUSIC OF LAUREL CANYON’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

If you know, you know. But not everyone knows about Laurel Canyon, the neighborhood above West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip that became home to folk musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and The Mamas and the Papas.

FRIDAY ‘ROMANTIC REVERIES’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $29-$50 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

OUR PICK

KETTLE OF FISH Florida favorite Kettle of Fish headlines the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall’s Friday Fest, which is taking a hiatus during July and August before returning in September. Kettle of Fish’s original music is a stew of rock, blues, reggae and New Orleans soul. Their covers range from Little Feat and the Rolling Stones to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy food and beverage from local vendors. Coolers and outside victuals are prohibited.

IF YOU GO When: 5 p.m. on Friday, June 21 Where: at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Lawn, 777 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Free Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

The Sarasota Music Festival salutes 19th-century Romanticism with Beethoven’s 1793 Octet and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence. The program includes Franck’s 19thcentury Piano Quintet, bringing together SMF fellows and faculty artists Sheryl Staples, Brinton Smith and Robert Levin.

SUNDAY HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH’ 1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12-$20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Directed by Simon Godwin, one of The Bard’s signature plays is staged in custom-built spaces unique to the production in Liverpool, Edinburgh, London and Washington, D.C. The film stars Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma.

WEDNESDAY ‘STEALING THE SHOW: BROADWAY, BEACH AND BEYOND’ 6:30 p.m. Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood $5 with registration Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Tony Award nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (“Spamalot”) will present some original material she has been developing at the Hermitage Artist Retreat as well as songs you know and love.

ELTON JOHN | QUEEN | AEROSMITH | KISS | FOO FIGHTERS 80’S NIGHT | MOTOWN | BAD BUNNY | 90’S HIP HOP | U2 | PINK FLOYD BEASTIE BOYS | NIRVANA | The Rolling Stones | THE BEATLES JIMI HENDRIX | OUTKAST | RUSH | NO DOUBT | JOURNEY | BOB MARLEY LADY GAGA | Taylor Swift | DAVID BOWIE | LED ZEPPELIN | LIZZO THE DOORS | AC/DC | BRUNO MARS | VAN HALEN | METALLICA MICHAEL JACKSON | PRINCE | and more!

MAY 23 - AUGUST 31

THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY 7PM & 9PM

$15

Drinks and snacks available for purchase.

201 10TH STREET WEST | BRADENTON, FL 34205 W W W. B I S H O P S C I E N C E . O R G 420870-1

THIS WEEK

‘LUSTROUS SOUNDS’ 4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $30-$42 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

423158-1

14A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

A musical merry-go-round of 18 Kander and Ebb tunes takes the audience on a dizzying ride.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

T

he earth rotates. In other news, Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson’s “The World Goes ’Round” is now on stage at Florida Studio Theatre.

This hit revue showcases 18 tunes by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. The songs’ origins include Broadway blockbusters like “Cabaret” and “Chicago” and forgotten gems like “Rink” and “Flora the Red Menace.”

Origin aside, the songs spin their characters on a wheel of heartbreak and happiness. Kander and Ebb’s musical merry-goround is a dizzying ride.

Dayna Jarae Dantzler, Dion Simmons Grier, Crystal Kellogg, Lani Corson and Zak Edwards are the all-too-human performers holding on for dear life. Each gets their moment in the spotlight. That’s a question of storytelling, not directorial evenhandedness.

“The World Goes ’Round” is a revue, not a musical with an overarching story. While the show has no tale to tell, the songs do — along with strong characters.

(Horny housewives, coffee addicts and gangland molls, to name a few.)

Kander and Ebb’s songs are first-person stories — from Somebody’s point of view. With one exception …

“Mr. Cellophane” (Edwards) is a Nobody’s narrative. In this comic performance, the singer doesn’t even get the spotlight. He’s constantly chasing it around on stage.

Edwards’ character calls himself “Mr. Cellophane” because he feels transparent. The rest of humanity sees right through him. (The spotlight gag is funny. But it’s clearly

not funny for him.)

“Colored Lights” (Kellogg) is one woman’s poignant attempt to recapture childhood magic.

She’s a jaded adult, looking back on the days when a carnival’s colored lights gave her joy. “My Coloring Book” (Dantzler) is the sizzling torch song of a jilted woman. (Color her blue, empty and lonely.)

Just a few sad stories out of many. But this revue provides a medicine for melancholy. Kander and Ebb’s main prescription? “Get out of the house!”

“Cabaret” says it best: “There’s no use sitting alone in your room.”

(Corson illustrates this point with a kicky, kinetic, high-energy dance number.) “Ring Them Bells” (Kellogg) brings this advice home with the tale of a thirtysomething woman who lives with her parents.

Her character ultimately breaks free, travels the world and rings the bells of romantic adventure.

After all that, she returns home and finds true love in the boy just down the hall. But it took a globetrotting odyssey to find him.

“Arthur in the Afternoon” (Corson and Grier) offers a lowmileage alternative. A housewife gets out of her room — and makes a daily tryst part of her afternoon commute.

These performers all shine in the revue’s solo performances.

They’re equally incandescent in ensemble numbers like “New York, New York” and the titular “The World Goes ’Round.”

“Rink” has the highest level of difficulty. (Singing and dancing is hard enough — but on roller skates?) The show’s choreography is inventive. It’s aerobic. These actors aren’t just good — they’re in good shape. Because they have to be.

REVIEWS

FST’s ‘The World Goes ’Round’ spins the wheel of love and loss

15A

Image courtesy of John Jones

“The World Goes ’Round,” playing at FST’s Gompertz Theatre through June 30, is a musical revue featuring the hits of Kander and Ebb.

IF YOU GO

‘The World Goes ’Round’ When: Through June 30.

Where: FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota.

Tickets: $39-$59.

Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

This revue’s packed with moving parts. Director and choreographer Ben Liebert keeps all the plates spinning without any breakage. And speaking of spin, his choreography often revolves around circular movement.

Liebert’s dance routines are never routine. But they don’t distract from each song’s story and the

characters’ inner lives. As a director, that’s always his main focus.

Isabel and Moriah CurleyClay’s set has the look of a sleek New York City nightclub, with just a slice of the starry night sky peeping through. Harry Nadal’s costumes have a daydream’s quick-change vibe. On one song, everyone’s sporting tutus. Then they’re all doing their thing in tuxedoes. These strange changes evoke the characters’ stream-ofconsciousness, not literal reality.

That’s perfect for this show. Now let’s talk music.

Because that’s what makes this show go ’round.

This show’s basically a delivery system for Kander and Ebb’s greatest hits. As good as it may be, everything else is secondary.

Despite rumors to the contrary,

“The World Goes ’Round” is a concert, not a musical. A general’s only as good as his army. And a concert’s only as good as the band.

Now let’s give credit where it’s due …

A white-hot, four-piece band goes straight to the heart on the revue’s songs. These include: Music Director Josh Walker making the piano sing; too-cool Kroy Presley strumming bass; the insanely versatile Fernando Cruz on every reed instrument known to man; and Aaron Nix hitting the drums in a slow groove — or faster than the eye can see, as the song requires.

If you don’t know Kander and Ebb from Click and Clack, you’ll still have a blast here.

It’s the band, man.

LAKEWOOD RANCH DELI

GH

TFULLY DELIC

IO

U

S

D

OPENING LAKEWOOD RANCH DELI IN JULY! I EL

HAMILTON FAMILY

E S T. 2024

LA

KE

WO

OD RANC

H,

FL

Family owned & operated

Hot & Cold Deli Sandwiches Soups & Gourmet Salads Serving Quality Boar’s Head Products

New Boats, Exhibits & More.

Tampa Bay's Largest Boat Show!

Presented by

Offering Loyal Customer deli family NOW Our (941) 500.1082 Reward Program HIRING CALL It’s all about the QUALITY! LakewoodRanchDeli.com

FREE ADMISSION

June 21, 22, 23

Fri., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. • Sat., 10 a.m. – 5p.m. • Sun., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

www.manasotaonline.com

1734 South Tamiami Trail Venice, FL 34293 941.493.7441

0000278608-01

4551 N. Washington Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34234 941.355.8437

Florida State Fairgrounds 4800 US-301, Tampa, FL 33610

www.tampabayboatshows.com

2510 1st Street West Bradenton, FL 34208 941.748.4679

OUR SHOWROOMS ARE OPEN Special Financing Available

407119-1

426673-1

8225 Natures Way Suite 111, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

425120-1

SAN MARCO PLAZA

The expo halls and grounds are filled with boats and exhibits.

16A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

READY TO MOVE BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

Look No Further 1910 Oregon Trail Denise Mattmuller

$2,949,000 941.232.8055

THE GULF COAST LUXURY LEADER

Scan below for a full list of Open Houses, property details, driving directions and more

ESPLANADE 4811 Cabreo Court Donna Soda

$1,649,000 941.961.5857

BOCA ROYALE 52 Grande Fairway Bob Linthicum

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7758 US Open Loop Sarah Harrington

6177 Palomino Circle Glo Reber

$710,000 941.716.0564

10764 Trophy Drive Megan George

$500,000 407.466.1538

$895,000 941.400.5384

4910 Sabal Lake Circle Brad Siegel

$579,000 941.726.1998

1750 Briar Creek Lane Fernando Viteri

$1,285,000 941.587.4894

ESPLANADE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB $830,000 941.907.9541

12741 Sorrento Way Mary Ann Hartmann

$549,000 941.400.7676

26831 Pavin Drive Elke von Oertzen

DEER HOLLOW

SERENADE ON PALMER RANCH 5140 Northridge Road #304 Holly Switow

7530 Eaton Court Joel Schemmel

TURTLE ROCK

BOCA ROYALE

ESPLANADE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 12630 Sorrento Way #203 Mary Ann Hartmann

BRADENTON

$960,000 941.915.2467

BOCA ROYALE 26825 Weiskopf Drive Kevin Stanley

UNIVERSITY PARK $1,399,900 941.228.9206

BOCA ROYALE

INVESTMENT PROPERTY

$355,000 941.735.3186

$799,000 407.466.1538

3200 Tobero Lane $350,000 Jaci Krawtschenko & Jennifer Garrabrant 941.284.3789

$525,000 941.441.7073

SARASOTA 3544 Parkridge Circle 31-203 Tom Hedge

$309,000 941.587.6660

7 RESIDENCES

Located in Sarasota’s lively Rosemary District, Collage on Fifth encompasses seven luxury condominiums. Priced from $995,000, these unique residences offer a contemporary oasis just moments from the city’s cultural center.

1469 5th Street, Sarasota, FL 34236 | 941.920.1500

BROKERAGE | RENTALS | RELOCATION | NEW DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE | INSURANCE | FINE ART CONSIGNMENT

PremierSIR.com VENICE | 941.412.3323

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

RENTALS | 941.203.3433

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Property information herein is derived from various sources including,but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. Source: BrokerMetrics®.

418435-1

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000

JUNE 20, 2024

Classifieds 13B Games 12B Real Estate 7B Sports 9B Weather 12B

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Photos by Liz Ramos

Former Tampa Bay Lightning player Daren Puppa signs gear for Sarasota 7-year-old Abraham Bouchane and his parents, Rosie Bouchane and Andre Bouchane.

Dad’s Day at UTC

North Port’s Anthony Saponara celebrates his first Father’s Day with 8-month-old Julien Saponara and Stephanie Saponara.

L

— LIZ RAMOS Lakewood Ranch 2-year-old Savanna Stoner waits in line to meet former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Lightning players with her dad, Brian Stoner, 8-year-old brother, Mason Stoner, 6-year-old sister, Emma Stoner, and mother, Casaundra Stoner.

Sarasota 4-year-old Emberley Allen plays mini golf.

Dexter Jackson, a former safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, signs autographs at Dad’s Day Block Party.

424121-1

Sarasota’s Frank Jenkins and 5-year-old Makinley Jenkins play mini golf together. “It’s good to spend time with her like always,” Frank Jenkins says.

akewood Ranch’s Brian Stoner was first in line with his family to meet Dexter Jackson, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player, during the Dad’s Day Block Party on June 15 at the Mall at University Town Center.

He and his 8-year-old son, Mason Stoner, love watching Buccaneers games together.

Brian Stoner said he was excited for his children, 2-year-old Savanna Stoner, Mason Stoner and 6-year-old Emma Stoner, to have their Buccaneers helmets, flags and more signed.

But Jackson wasn’t the only former pro at the event.

Sarasota’s Andre Bouchane was starstruck to see former Tampa Bay Lightning player Daren Puppa. Bouchane patiently waited with his wife, Rosie Bouchane and 7-year-old son Abraham Bouchane, to meet Puppa.

“It’s a dream come true,” Bouchane said of meeting Puppa. “I missed him (during Dad’s Day Block Party) last year, so my wife made sure I was here for it this year. It was absolutely well worth the wait. I can’t believe they do this every year.”

2B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Say aloha to summer

T Hurricane Damage?

Call Teasdale Fenton of Sarasota - We’ve Got You Covered!

Our expert team specializes in water damage removal & restoration, wind & storm damage repair, and mold remediation helping you get your home back to pre-loss condition.

24/7 Emergency Services

(941) 229-7020 TeasdaleSarasota.com

Free Estimates on Water Damage & Mold Restoration!

Why Choose Teasdale Fenton?

24/7 Response Times • Family Owned and Operated 422252-1

Licensed & Insured • IICRC Certified Technicians Background Tested

Trusted Care In Your Neighborhood

he outfit of the day at the Mall at University Town Center on June 7 was a grass skirt paired with a lei.

The mall hosted a “Moana”-themed luau for hundreds of Disney fans.

“We’re ready to kick off summer,” Marketing Director Taylor Bennett said.

“We have a lot to offer families. They can interact with the dancers. They can play in the play area and watch the show.”

Maikeli Tuinakauvodra and Nani Tiara with Strictly Entertainment performed music and hula dancing.

Kids could decorate a paper surfboard or have their face painted, but the main attraction was the meet and greet with Moana and Te Fiti from the movie.

Before the kids reached their favorite characters, they stopped at a props table.

Bradenton resident Coral Mota chose a pair of starfish glasses.

The 3-year-old is a huge Disney fan, but she doesn’t have a Moana outfit. So in a move out of the “Cinderella” playbook, Mota transformed her “Beauty and the Beast” Belle dress. She wrapped a grass skirt around the bottom and embellished the top with a flowered lei.

Sarasota residents Mariah Underwood, 7, and Marisa Underwood, 2, wait on line to meet Moana and Te Fiti.

Bradenton resident and Disney fan Coral Mota, 3, doesn’t have a Moana outfit, so she’s wearing a grass skirt and lei over her Belle princess dress.

— LESLEY DWYER

Serving Patients with Chronic Pain for 24 Years NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS! PROGRAMS OF EXCELLENCE Interventional Treatments & Procedures Medical Management of Chronic Pain Pain & Addiction Medicine Pain & Balance Physical Therapy Behavioral Health Clinical Hypnotherapy *program availability varies by location

SARASOTA

PORT CHARLOTTE

ARCADIA

ENGLEWOOD

ST. PETERSBURG

941-708-9555

VENICE CLEARWATER

RamosCenter.com

420833-1

BRADENTON LAKEWOOD RANCH

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Moana (Priscilla Ward) and Te Fiti (Veronica Gonzalez) meet one of their biggest fans, 9-year-old Mackenzie Carney. Carney dressed for the occasion in a Moana T-shirt.

MEDICARE, MOST COMMERCIAL INSURANCES, VA, PERSONAL INJURY & WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ACCEPTED

Artfully Uniting Extraordinary Homes with Extraordinary Lives A SAMPLING OF OUR LISTINGS

JUST SOLD | LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

PRIVATE PRESERVE TREED SETTING | LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

8088 GRANDE SHORES DRIVE | $2,150,000 Indulge in waterfront opulence with this stunning custom-built coastal residence situated on the expansive Lake Mallard.

Three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, den, bonus room, saltwater pool, spa and peaceful lake views.

8085 TIDAL POINTE WAY | $979,000 Better-than-new Cay model offering three bedrooms, a den, huge great room with towering ceilings, two-and-a-half baths, extended lanai with outdoor kitchen, porcelain tile flooring throughout and an incredible gourmet kitchen.

PRIVATE LAKE AND PRESERVE SETTING | RIVER CLUB

BOTH LAKE AND PRESERVE SETTING | INDIGO AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

PRICE IMPROVEMENT | CASCADES OF SARASOTA

7586 TORI WAY | $800,000 Must-see this Todd Johnston custom-built home with many recent improvements, including new HVAC system installed in September 2023. Three bedrooms, three full baths, a den, kitchen with granite countertops and resort-style pool with two covered outdoor areas. Over 2,600 square feet.

12926 TRUE BLUE CIRCLE | $525,000 Unparalleled privacy with no neighbors on one side and unobstructed vistas from the back. Step inside to discover a bright and open floor plan featuring three bedrooms and a spacious great room that extends to the extended lanai. All-tile plank flooring throughout with no carpeting, gated, maintenance-free community.

6312 41ST COURT EAST | $510,000 Gated adult community with incredible lifestyle amenities. Over 2,200 square feet with three bedrooms, gourmet kitchen, living, dining and family room. Many recent improvements, including newer HVAC and freshly painted exterior. Great value.

Global Real Estate Advisor

941.524.8299

Charles.Totonis@PremierSIR.com

Joe Harris

Over $50 Million Sold and Pending in 2023 Top 1% of REALTORS® Nationwide according to RealTrends Verified 2024

Global Real Estate Advisor

941.539.0974

Joe.Harris@PremierSIR.com

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources, including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations.

To View All Our Listings Scan the QR Code TheCharlesTotonisTeam.com

PremierSothebysRealty.com

417257-1

Charles Totonis

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

aimed at children ages 4-7. For more information, call 727-6079.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 AND SATURDAY, JUNE 22

THURSDAY, JUNE 20 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 23

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. On Friday, singer/songwriter Dean Johanesen will entertain those who stroll through Waterside Place as part of the free music series. On Saturday, singer/ songwriter Trevor Bystrom performs.

For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING Runs from 5:30-8:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Zooey Seraphine (Thursday), L’Attitude Adjustment (Friday), Black Snake Bayou Band (Saturday) and Randy Stephan (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts have a $5 cover; the other concerts are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

YOUR CALENDAR

BEST BET

3B

SUNDAY, JUNE 23

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.

COMMUNITY THURSDAY, JUNE 20

ROOFTOP YOGA Begins at 10 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Library hosts a free rooftop yoga session with Shack Yoga’s Courtenay Smith. Those participating (18 years old and older) are asked to bring a mat. For information or to register, go to MyManatee.org/Departments/Manatee_County_Public_Library_System.

PUPPET SHOW Begins at 2 p.m. at the Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. The Braden River Library presents “Bits ’N Pieces Puppets: The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

Sponsored by Friends of the Braden River Library, children can feel the excitement as Maid Marion is saved

by Robin Hood. The free show is

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3

FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE Runs from 5-10 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Fireworks on the Lake, Driven by Lamborghini Sarasota returns to Nathan Benderson Park, highlighted by a concert featuring Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio.

The event also includes a Kids Zone presented by Mote Marine, food trucks and other family friendly activities. Parking on Regatta Island is $35 per vehicle. The South Lot parking will cost $25 for cars and $55 for recreational vehicles. A special event lot (next to Homewood Suites) will be available for $25. Go to FireworksOnTheLake.com to purchase parking in advance.

“I’m not afraid to smile anymore!”

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

426937-1

File photo

Trevor Bystrom plays at Waterside Place.

BRINGING JOY BY CREATING SMILES

AFTER

Doctor Jeffrey Martins has changed my whole life. I’m so much more confident now and I feel better about myself. You see, I’ve always had such small teeth, and I was self-conscious about it. I didn’t like how they looked, so I never wanted to smile.

I tried to have my teeth fixed once before. I got some dental work done at another place about five years ago and it helped the situation some, but I wasn’t happy with the results. What they did to fix my teeth didn’t look natural and although I put up with it, the work they did was really only a temporary fix. I put up with it for a long time, but I was still always self-conscious about the way my teeth looked.

When I decided to visit Paradise Dental, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve always been nervous about having my teeth worked on, but everyone there was so friendly and the team really put me at ease.

They took the time to listen to all of my concerns and what I hoped to accomplish, then recommended veneers for my front teeth. I liked that they took their time and helped me choose just the right color so my teeth would look more natural and not fake.

Now, everyone comments on my nice smile. I’m so happy about the results, but the best part is that I’m not afraid to smile anymore! They did a wonderful job.” - Rowena B.

PA R A D I S E

D E N TA L

Jeffrey Martins, DDS DENTIST AND OWNER

Rowena B.

SMILE MAKEOVER PATIENT

SCAN TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY

422392-1

Free Monthly Smile Makeover Seminars!

(941) 466-8222 1711 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211 www.paradisedentalsmiles.com

423635-1

The Cosmetic Dentist of Lakewood Ranch

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Jitter-free zone Lakewood Ranch author hopes her book helps pre-K students overcome their fear of starting school.

LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR

Y

ear after year, Eagle Trace’s Susan Cueto watched as preK students overcame their fears of starting school.

They struggled to leave mom or dad. They were scared they wouldn’t make friends. They were nervous and didn’t know what to expect.

Most importantly, they weren’t able to express these emotions and fears in words.

Eventually, they learned school can be a fun place to go and everything will be OK. Cueto decided to put those fears and apprehensions into words in her book “Joey’s Preschool Jitters” to help students, parents and teachers prepare for pre-K. Cueto, who is 70 years old, started her career in education as a substitute teacher in Shelton, Connecticut, before she transitioned to being a paraprofessional at an elementary school for 20 years. She loved working with the students.

In 2015, she moved to Lakewood Ranch and continued in education by serving as a substitute teacher in the School District of Manatee County.

She loves spending time with the students whether it’s working with building blocks, creating art, doing puzzles or learning numbers, shapes and colors.

Cueto said she loves substituting at Freedom Elementary School. She said she will walk into the cafeteria in the morning to see her three pre-K classes and that all the students are excited to see “Ms. Sue.” She said they ask if she is going to be their teacher for the day and they are disappointed if she’s not.

“My favorite time is when they come up, give you a hug and say, ‘I love you Ms. Sue,’” she said. “I don’t have a bad day with any of these kids in class, even if I have a bad day.”

Cueto said she always knew she wanted to write a book. The biggest challenge was deciding what to write about, but she decided to write about what she knows best — children.

She thought about the experiences of her grandchildren, Alexandria Brackett and Joey Brackett, when they were in pre-K, as well as her experiences with countless other pre-K students.

She put her thoughts to paper.

Cueto said it took her a year-and-

J U LY 3 , 2 0 2 4 DRIVEN BY

LIVE MUSIC ALL NIGHT TWINKLE & ROCK SOUL BAND

MOTE MARINE LABORATORY AND AQUARIUM KIDS ZONE FOOD TRUCKS

FIREWORKS SHOW STARTING AROUND 9 PM

FREE ADMISSION

Courtesy image

MEET THE AUTHOR SUSAN CUETO Residence: Eagle Trace Age: 70 Family: Husband, Joseph Cueto; daughters, Michelle Hodgdon and Suzanne Brackett; grandchildren, Joey Brackett and Alexandria Brackett Experience: More than 25 years in education as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional Her book: “Joey’s Preschool Jitters” (MaineAuthorsPublishing.com)

Eagle Trace’s Susan Cueto has published a children’s book to help pre-K students overcome their fears of starting school.

a-half to write “Joey’s Preschool Jitters.”

“I’m a kid at heart, so for me to write a book about kids — I put myself in their place,” Cueto said.

She had friends help her edit it before she pitched it to Maine Authors Publishing, where her 32-year-old daughter, Michelle Hodgdon, is a book designer.

Cueto worked with illustrator Thomas Brooks who helped her vision for her book come to life. Cueto said the assessment is conducted by departments at Maine Authors Publishing.

Cueto said every time she was asked to change something in her book, she couldn’t sleep. She would think of the edits she needed to make and what would be best for the book.

In the end, Cueto said, she was amazed by the final product.

“I’m excited that my words, my thoughts and my vision will help children of the preschool age overcome their fears of starting school, will help them learn new things and will help them find new friends,” Cueto said. “I feel good that I can express words for 3-year-olds who can’t express themselves.”

VIP VIEWING EXPERIENCE $100 EVENT PARKING REGATTA ISLAND: $35 SOUTH LOT: $25 CARS/$55 RVS NEW! REGATTA ROW LOT: $25

IT’S READ

Everywhere

SPONSORED BY

Go to yourobserver.com and click on the Contest tab.

Click the It’s Read Everywhere Contest and submit your photo!

425502-1

Bring the Observer with you on your next trip!

426515-1

4B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

5B

JULY 4TH SAVINGS EVENT NOW - 7/10

SHOP LOCAL AND RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE REBATES ON MAJOR BRANDS INCLUDING GE, FRIGIDAIRE, LG, BOSCH, AND MUCH MORE! Our knowledgeable staff will meet your needs and provide you with the best products at the lowest prices.

• GE® ENERGY STAR® 27.7 Cu. Ft. Fingerprint Resistant French-Door Refrigerator (GFE28GYNFS) $1,799

• GE Profile™ ENERGY STAR® 27.9 Cu. Ft. Smart Fingerprint Resistant 4-Door French-Door Refrigerator (PVD28BYNFS) $2,599

WAS $3,299

WAS $4,199

NOW $1,799

NOW $2,599

• GE® 30” Slide-In Electric Convection Range with No Preheat Air Fry and EasyWash™ Oven Tray (GRS600AVFS))

• GE® 30” Free-Standing Electric Convection Range with No Preheat Air Fry and EasyWash™ Oven Tray (GRF600AVSS)

WAS $1,599

WAS $1,099

NOW $999

NOW $799

• GE Profile™ 5.3 cu. ft. Capacity Smart Front Load ENERGY STAR® Washer (PFW870SPVRS)

• 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer (WT8400CB)

• GE Profile™ 7.8 cu. ft. Capacity Smart Front Load Electric Dryer (PFD87ESPVRS)

• 7.3 cu. ft. Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer (DLE8400BE)

WAS $1,099 EACH

WAS $1,399 EACH

NOW $849

NOW $799

EACH

EACH

Visit JessupsAppliances.com We carry a wide variety of High-End & Mid-Range Kitchen, Laundry & Outdoor Appliances with the latest technology & hottest designs.

426158-1

Major Appliance Centers

FLORIDA TAX EXEMPTION - Through June 30th, 2024 on non-commercial Energy Star Appliances 3756 Bee Ridge Rd. | Sarasota | 941.927.4900 | Mon-Fri 9-6 | Sat 9-5 | Sun 11-4 1210 E. Venice Avenue | Venice | 941.484.9030 | Mon-Fri 9-6 | Sat 9-5 | Sun Closed 1019 Tamiami Trail | Port Charlotte | 941.249.4992 | Mon-Fri 9-5:30 | Sat 9-5 | Sun Closed

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16905 Clearlake Avenue 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,743 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4606083 $2,179,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7908 Matera Court 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,585 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4585511 $1,550,000

BRADENTON 2621 Riverview Boulevard 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,845 Sq. Ft. Josie Cline 941-266-6661 A4613141 $1,250,000

PARRISH 14359 Skipping Stone Loop 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,708 Sq. Ft. Barbara A Milian, PA 941-504-0660 A4612716 $999,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7167 Whitemarsh Circle 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,616 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4612966 $979,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 11725 Strandhill Court 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,210 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4610510 $899,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6514 Waters Edge Way 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,266 Sq. Ft. Mark Boehmig 941-807-6936 A4610315 $850,000

MYAKKA CITY 4905 County Road 675 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,944 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies 941-685-6767 A4597041 $799,000

SARASOTA 4593 Sweetmeadow Circle 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,303 Sq. Ft. Judy C Beck 941-320-2825 A4609063 $769,000

BRADENTON 1706 Point Pleasant Avenue W 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,192 Sq. Ft. Robert Krasow 617-840-1181 A4604109 $750,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6310 Watercrest Way 201 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,287 Sq. Ft. Jody Shinn 941-705-5704 A4607899 $730,000

BRADENTON 308 Chauncey Avenue 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,410 Sq. Ft. Matt Eichel 609-992-7077 A4608274 $675,000

BRADENTON 4914 Savona Run 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,684 Sq. Ft. Kim Ogilvie 941-376-1717 A4613271 $649,900

BRADENTON 15788 Sacile Lane 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,558 Sq. Ft. Jalina Beck 914-844-4665 A4605055 $579,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7211 Presidio Glen 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,173 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies 941-685-6767 A4604251 $549,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6919 Dorset Court 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,589 Sq. Ft. Ray Rausa 941-228-7614 A4602356 $525,000

BRADENTON 4325 Dairy Court 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,816 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941-894-4001 A4610349 $490,000

BRADENTON 5009 44th Street W 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,603 Sq. Ft. Jeff Jordan 941-224-7657 A4606722 $469,000

BRADENTON 510 Woodstork Circle 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,334 Sq. Ft. Maruta Miluns 941-374-9720 A4605060 $449,000

BRADENTON 3803 54th Drive W 202 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,215 Sq. Ft. Adam Cuffaro 941-812-0791 A4612326 $449,000

PALMETTO 3212 77th Court E 4 Beds 2 Baths 2,121 Sq. Ft. Mark Boehmig 941-807-6936 A4599419 $435,000

PARRISH 10819 High Noon Trail 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,846 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4599578 $380,000

BRADENTON 3206 60th Avenue W 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,465 Sq. Ft. Rachelle Golden 941-538-8998 A4612802 $359,000

SARASOTA 5122 Northridge Road 207 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,289 Sq. Ft. Nicole Mei 941-400-0540 A4602254 $290,000

BRADENTON 227 Cape Harbour Loop 108 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,200 Sq. Ft. Jonnie Dwyer & Bianca Dwyer 941-812-6283 A4610197 $265,000

BRADENTON 575 Fore Drive 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,085 Sq. Ft. Sandi Dietrich 941-704-0697 A4612144 $1,850,000

PARRISH 6306 Foxbrook Trail 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,121 Sq. Ft. Chris Jeanes 941-330-4844 A4606767 $1,725,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17777 Lucaya Drive 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,914 Sq. Ft. Laura Naese 941-350-3657 A4606171 $1,675,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

426017-1

6B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 17010 Clearlake Ave. to Thomas Fish, trustee, of Bradenton, for $3,591,500.

Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,315 square feet of living area.

ISLES

Kenneth and Michelle Fanaro, trustees, of Wilmette, Illinois, sold the home at 18212 Cayo Largo Place to Matthew and Erin MacDonald, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2,075,000.

Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,943 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,474,000 in 2023.

ESPLANADE

John and Karen Hammersmith, of Palmetto, sold their home at 4718 Benito Court to Larry Algy Craven and Angela Renee Craven trustees, of Bradenton, for $1,689,000.

Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,126 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,454,000 in 2022.

David Carl Stinebaugh and Debra Jean Stinebaugh, trustees, of Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, sold their home at 12958 Sorrento Way to John and Carol Scudder, of Bradenton, for $1.61 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,819 square feet of living area. It sold for $821,600 in 2018.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE

David and Judith Browning, of Seneca, South Carolina, sold their home at 7309 Barclay Court to Thomas and Deborah Nevadomski, of University Park, for $1,462,500.

Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 4,021 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2019.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Norman and Diane Collins, of Independence, Ohio, sold their home at 15511 Castle Park Terrace to Hayes Ronald Berk and Nancy Woodward Berk, of Pittsburgh, for $1,365,000.

Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,632 square feet of living area. It sold for $805,100 in 2021.

Joseph and Susan Brielmann, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14325 Stirling Drive to James Lee Allen and Robin Lea Allen, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, for $805,000. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,977 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB VILLAGE

Judith Taulbee and Karen Rourke, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 7535 Mizner Reserve Court to LuRo Partnership LLP for $1,275,000. Built in 2004, it has two bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,644 square feet of living area. It sold for $627,600 in 2004.

Daljit Kaur Ranajee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold her home at 8059 Royal Birkdale Circle to TIB Construction Inc. for $970,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,725 square feet of living area. It sold for $476,400 in 2003.

Vianafam Properties LLC sold the home at 7111 Sandhills Place to Cordie and Jana Byrd, of Lakewood Ranch, for $650,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,278 square feet of living area.

It sold for $400,000 in 2021.

INDIGO

Daniel Joseph McLain and Renee Beth McLain, trustees, sold the home at 13403 Deep Blue Place to Evgeny Baskakova and Natalia

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

JUNE 3-7

Baskakova, of Bradenton, for $1.12 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,740 square feet of living area. It sold for $680,500 in 2021.

Frances Kukla and James Troilo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4204 Midnight Blue Run to David and Karen Faulkner, of Bradenton, for $729,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,260 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2021.

Robert and Carol Notari, of Zion Crossroads, Virginia, sold their home at 3013 Sky Blue Cove to Jeffrey and Deborah Gehron, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,832 square feet of living area.

It sold for $360,400 in 2019.

MALLORY PARK

Anthony Frank Anastasi and Almudena Presas-Alonso, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12222 Cranston Way to Nikalesh and Jamie Reddy, of Bradenton, for $1.06 million. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,464 square feet of living area.

It sold for $561,200 in 2019.

HENLEY

Joan Marie Alston and Mark Yungbluth sold their home at 7039 Lancaster Court to Steven Cooney and Cynthia Gleeson Cooney, of Montgomery, New York, for $975,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,797 square feet of living area. It sold for $975,000 in 2022.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Samuel and Joy Schackow, of Sarasota, sold their home at 9514 Royal Calcutta Place to Gregory and Pinmanee Meyers, of Sarasota, for $855,000. Built in 2001, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,243 square feet of living area. It sold for $511,000 in 2004.

GREYHAWK LANDING WEST

James and Deborah Michon, of Bradenton, sold their home at 363 Chantilly Trail to Jenifer Thomas, trustee, of Cleveland, for $849,900.

Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,892 square feet of living area. It sold for $840,000 in 2021.

Courtesy photo

This Lake Club home at 17010 Clearlake Ave. sold for $3,591,500. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,315 square feet of living area.

Trail to Tonna Gruber and Curtis Platt, of Bradenton, for $755,000.

Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,887 square feet of living area. It sold for $537,000 in 2021.

BRADEN RIVER LAKES

Yolanda McCain, Carmela McCainSimmons and Lila McCain, of San Antonio, sold their home at 4006 14th Ave. E. to Frank and Joni Kovach, trustees, of Sarasota, for $750,000. Built in 1992, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,564 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2021.

Massachusetts, sold their home at 16916 Pelham Place to Jacqueline Lynch and Vincent Lynch, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,767 square feet of living area.

It sold for $518,000 in 2016.

Henry and Maureen Espensen, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 17715 Littleton Place to Jill Obrochta, of Palmetto, for $670,700. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,919 square feet of living area. It sold for $664,100 in 2021.

DEL WEBB

Steven Bernard Goldstein and Carol Bonnie Marmor, of Hinsdale,

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 8B

In with the new NOW TAKING CONTRACTS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Bernice Giscombe, of Sarasota, sold her home at 1018 Calico Glen to Jonathan and Michaele Nolting, of Sammamish, Washington, for $690,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,203 square feet of living area.

It sold for $225,000 in 2011.

EDGEWATER

M. Lynn Smith, trustee, sold the home at 8049 Waterview Blvd. to Wayne Lee Friedman and Gwendolyn Mary Friedman, of Lakewood Ranch, for $835,000. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,483 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2013.

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

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

MOVE-IN SPRING 2024

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

GOLDEN GATE POINT

LONGBOAT KEY

COUNTRY MEADOWS

Jeffrey and Deborah Gehron, of Bradenton, sold their home at 615 Country Meadows Way to Lori and Bradley Busch, of Ocala, for $775,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,677 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2014.

SOLERA

Selvakumar Buvanendaran and Nanthini Balakrishnan, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 5380 Grove Mill Loop to Marcin Luc, of Warwick, New York, for $765,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,828 square feet of living area. It sold for $548,900 in 2021.

John Ryan Nardini and Amanda Nardini, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17407 Harvest Moon Way to Grant Marshall, of Bradenton, for $590,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,846 square feet of living area. It sold for $387,300 in 2017.

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

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

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

MichaelSaunders.com/New-Homes | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida

GREYHAWK LANDING

Boyd Goodell II and Karen Tredinnick sold their home at 227 Petrel

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

Prices as of November 2023

426033-1

ADAM HUGHES

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $3,591,500

7B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

why is Treating

sponsored content

Real estate FROM PAGE 7B

VARICOSE VEINS

SAPPHIRE POINT

Kevin Alan Thrall and Alison Kyle Thrall, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5780 Bluestar Court to Britni and Jason Mueller, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,054 square feet of living area. It sold for $628,000 in 2021.

Important?

RESTORING HEALTHY LEGS IT’S A NO VEINER!

®

Treatment for varicose veins is recommended for several reasons: Relief from Symptoms: Varicose

Improved Appearance: Many

veins can cause symptoms such as pain, aching, throbbing, itching, and a feeling of heaviness in the legs.

Treating the veins can provide relief from these discomforts.

individuals seek treatment for varicose veins due to their unsightly appearance. The enlarged and twisted veins can be cosmetically undesirable, and treatment can help improve the appearance of the affected areas.

Prevention of Complications: If left untreated, varicose veins can lead to more serious complications such as blood clots, ulcers, and skin changes. Treating varicose veins early can help prevent these complications from developing.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Jerry and Ilona Zita, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6720 Wild Lake Terrace to Robyn Lorraine Famiglietti and Michael Joseph Famiglietti, of Bradenton, for $700,000.

Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,287 square feet of living area. It sold for $344,800 in 2014.

Maria Decastro Ding, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7111 Marsh View Terrace to Cornelius Desmond Jr. and Kristen Bradley, of Bradenton, for $575,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,682 square feet of living area. It sold for $290,000 in 2016.

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.

Check your symptoms on our Vein Screening Tool at FloridaLakesVeinCenter.com

MIRABELLA AT VILLAGE GREEN

426098-1

Rex Dixon and Mary Alice Dixon, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7013 Costa Bella Drive to Paul and Ruthann Russel, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,765 square feet of living area. It sold for $416,600 in 2018.

Walter and Nancy Gaer, of Bradenton, sold their home 1313 Calle Grand St. to James and Maureen Reuther, trustees, of Bradenton, for $635,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,765 square feet of living area. It sold for $458,000 in 2021.

CENTRAL PARK

Florida Lakes Vein Center offers appointments in Lakewood Ranch Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8am - 5pm • Friday 8am-3pm

Purchasing Fun 2023-2 LLC sold the home at 4715 Seneca Park Trail to James and Stephanie Prim, of Bradenton, for $694,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,553 square feet

Call & Mention the Observer for a FREE Vein Screening. 941.866.8989 9114 Town Center Pkwy., Suite 101 | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 Accepted by most insurance plans, including Medicaid.

of living area. It sold for $682,000 in January.

B Squared of Naples LLC sold the home at 4711 Claremont Park Drive to Anne Elazhary, of Quebec, Canada, for $621,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $557,900 in 2023.

GREENBROOK

Brian and Andrea Krawczyk, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14003 Nighthawk Terrace to Jessie and Matthew Zelkoski, of Lakewood Ranch, for $684,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,340 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2021.

Dorlinda Carlson, as Personal Representative, Haskel Paul Stone III, Matthew David Stone and Betina Krahn sold the home at 6365 Royal Tern Circle to Rudy Kyle Thompson and Nayla Anisa Thompson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $610,000.

Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,248 square feet of living area. It sold for $308,900 in 2013.

PARK EAST AT AZARIO

Fangqing Zheng and Hongdan Sun, of Andover, Massachusetts, sold their home at 16415 Paynes Mill Drive to Jeremiah Russell Nosek and Maybelline Tapia, of Bradenton, for $660,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,676 square feet of living area.

It sold for $586,400 in 2022.

WATCH AT WATERLEFE

Kim and Jill Calhoun, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 20-C condominium at 951 River Basin Court to James Donarski, of Palmetto, for $650,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,156 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2018.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Your Hometown Favorite For More Than Eight Decades!

LOCAL, VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1939

CELEBRATING 85 YEARS IN REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE

100% DEDICATION TO YOUR SATISFACTION THE HOME SERVICE PROS WHO CARE

For Sale 4/3.5 Riverwalk Grove Home

For Sale 2/2 w/den Del Webb Home

For Sale- 2/2 | River Club South Home

For Sale- 3/2 | Lakewood Nat’l Terrace Condo 17724 Gawthrop Dr., #108, LWR | Listed at $420,000 MLS#A4600117 | Laurie Jarema | 941-321-3410

11619 Water Poppy Ter., LWR | Listed at $639,000 MLS#A4606022 | Cyndi Myers / Diane Lee Cyndi 941-737-1675 / Diane 941-993-6344

17240 Corinna Pl. LWR | 55+ Com. | Listed at $699,000 MLS#4593511 | Cyndi Myers / Diane Lee Cyndi 941-737-1675 / Diane 941-993-6344

WHOLE HOME GENERATORS WHOLE HOME SURGE PROTECTORS

PREPARE FOR HURRICANE SEASON!

10142 Glenmore Ave., LWR | Listed at $499,000 MLS#A4609603 | Alba Lange / Steven Nicholson Alba 941-704.3026 / Steven 941.400.6332

Ensure you have power for essentials like lights, refrigeration, and communication.

Don’t wait until it is too late! Order Today!

!

CALL NOW

941.366.7676

PLUMBING

RESIDENTIAL | COMMERCIAL | RELOCATION | RENTALS | BUSINESS BROKERAGE

WATER TREATMENT

8141 Lakewood Main Street, Suite N106 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34210

941.756.7800

24 Hour Emergency Service www.aquaplumbing.com Lic # cAc1816020 • PLbg cFc1428223 • ELEc Ec13009313

411018-1

HVAC

YOUR LOCAL FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE COMPANY

Content subject to change.

423261-1

8B

JUNE 20, 2024

SPORTS Fast

Break

File photos

4

ABIGAIL HITE FINISHES SECOND AT STATE SWIM MEET

The Thunder beat Lighthouse Private Christian Academy to win the SSAA Class 4A title.

A year of triumph RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

I

t was a typically successful year for high school sports in the East County area.

Two programs won championships, and

four other programs or individuals earned second-place finishes in their respective sports. Others still showed off talent that could lead to them joining those first- and second-place finishers in future years.

Here are the top 10 moments from the 2023-2024 high school sports year:

1

ODA FOOTBALL WINS SSAA CLASS 4A TITLE

The Out-of-Door Academy’s football program finished its turnaround with a championship.

After two winless regular seasons in 2020 and 2021, changes were made in 2022 when head coach Rob Hollway guided ODA through an 8-0 regular season in his first year with the Thunder. ODA lost 21-0 to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal in the second round of the Sunshine State Athletic Association playoffs that season, but the year was a success.

Due in part to injuries to key players like sophomore running back Allen Clark, ODA’s 2023 regular season (3-5) was not as smooth as 2022.

The postseason was a different story.

The Thunder got healthy, and ODA did not waste the opportunity, winning three playoff games to capture the SSAA Class 4A championship.

In the title game against Lighthouse Private Christian Academy (4-6) on Nov. 10, Clark had 31 carries for 205 yards and three touchdowns The Parrish Community High softball team (20-8) celebrates a FHSAA Class 5A title game win, 3-2 over Gainesville High (24-5), on May 24. It is the team’s secondstraight state title and was aided by six East County players.

in a 33-14 win. The Thunder sacked LPCA sophomore quarterback Brayden Jackson six times, three of which came via senior Robert Crisci.

In honor of the win, Hollway said the team has since ordered championship rings with “It’s how you finish that counts” engraved on the inside.

He and his players are not satisfied with one ring, either. Hollway has big hopes for the future of the Thunder.

“I’m excited to defend the championship,” Hollway said. “I want to turn this into a program that the community and our school is proud of, where we compete and provide a positive experience and also continue to help kids get to college.”

2

EAST COUNTY PLAYERS HELP PARRISH COMMUNITY SOFTBALL WIN STATE TITLE

The Parrish Community High’s run to a second-straight state title in FHSAA Class 5A had a distinct East County flavor.

Seniors Alex Call and Julia Girk, juniors Hannah Lewis and Carsyn Kull and freshmen Alysa Jones and Sophia Thomas all live south of the Manatee River. The East County contingent had a large impact on the Bulls’ success, particularly in the state championship game against Gainesville High.

Parrish (20-8) was down 2-0 to the Hurricanes (24-5) in the sixth inning before 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 Kull.

In its comeback, the team exemplified its season motto: “Warrior mindset.” 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.

In the postseason, they were.

3

MUSTANGS STATE RUNNERUP IN BOYS GOLF

For the second year in a row, the Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team had a high finish in the state tournament.

At Mission Inn Resort and Spa in Howey-in-the-Hills on Nov. 10-11, Lakewood Ranch shot a combined 299 in day two of the Class 3A state tournament — eight shots better than it did on day one — and finished with a 606 total, good for a secondplace finish behind state champion Fleming Island High (583).

Individually, junior Parker Severs finished tied for second (70-73— 143) and junior Henry Burbee finished tied for fourth (77-68—145).

Sophomore Max Colby Bendixen (78-79—157), sophomore Josh Orgen (83-79—162) and junior Luke Wilson (82-83—165) rounded out the Mustangs’ lineup.

The team’s second-place finish at the state tournament is its best since it won the state championship in 2013. It finished fifth in 2022.

Lakewood Ranch-area senior girls swimmer Abigail Hite finished her swimming career with a strong performance.

Hite — who attended Bradenton’s Southeast High for its International Baccalaureate academic program, in the hopes of becoming an engineer — finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.90) at the FHSAA Class 3A state meet, held Nov. 11 at Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training in Ocala. She was 0.68 seconds behind gold medal winner Annabelle MacAdams of Ponte Vedra High.

Hite also finished fifth in the 100yard freestyle (52.25 seconds).

It was the culmination of Hite’s hard work to lower her times, including occasional cross-training sessions, like running, to work on different muscles. Hite said she likes to compete in triathlons in the summer as a different type of challenge.

At the state meet, the challenges she set for herself paid off.

5

BRADEN RIVER WRESTLER SECOND AT STATE TOURNAMENT

Braden River High senior boys wrestler Gage Wiggins wanted to end his career with gold.

Silver was not his desired prize, but it was not a bad consolation.

Wiggins (60-2) romped his way through the 165-pound division of the FHSAA Class 2A championship tournament, held March 1-2 at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, in the state semifinals, Wiggins crushed North Fort Myers High’s Julian Gonzales (43-6) with a 12-0 major decision. The win guaranteed Wiggins a place on the medal stand.

In the state finals, Wiggins faced Tampa Jesuit senior Brandon Cody, with whom he had split two previous matches. Cody got the better of Wiggins in the finals, winning 4-3 in overtime.

6

BRADEN RIVER FLAG FOOTBALL REACHES STATE SEMIFINALS

The Braden River High flag football program has been the sport’s dominant force in Manatee County since the program’s inception in 2020.

In 2024, the Pirates started to spread that domination across the state. After a 12-1 regular season, Braden River went on its deepest postseason run to date, culminating in the biggest win in program history.

The Pirates reached the FHSAA Class 1A state semifinals via a 32-7 road win over Somerset Academy in the regional finals on May 3. Senior quarterback Cydnee Brooks completed 16 of 22 passes for 146 yards and four touchdowns, while junior linebacker Madison Epperson had five sacks.

The team’s season ended with a 20-0 road loss to eventual state champion Robinson High in the state semifinals on May 10, but the season was another step forward in the program’s development.

Southeast High senior Abigail Hite took a silver medal in the girls 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.90) at the FHSAA Class 3A state meet on Nov. 11 at Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training in Ocala.

Courtesy photo

Former Lakewood Ranch High softball player McKenzie Clark signed with Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX on June 5.

F

ormer Lakewood Ranch High and Clemson University softball player McKenzie Clark has signed a contract with Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX for its 2024 season. The league features 18 games played over two weeks in Wichita, Kansas.

The league’s 42 players are drafted into three teams, with redrafts every six games. The games air on the ESPN family of networks and run through June 25. For more information on the league and a full schedule, visit AUProSports.com. … Former Braden River High track and field sprinter Miles Stephens, a sophomore at North Greenville University, earned NCAA Division II AllAmerica Second Team honors in the 100- and 200-meter categories on May 29. Stephens finished the year 10th in Division II in the 200-meter dash (20.86 seconds) and 12th in the 100-meter dash (10.26 seconds). … Former Lakewood Ranch High baseball outfielder Grant McCray was promoted to the AAA-level Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants) on June 11. Since the promotion, McCray is 7-for-25 with one home run and four RBIs in six games as of June 17. According to MLB.com, McCray is the Giants’ No. 13 overall prospect and the team’s No. 2 outfielder prospect. … Mike Bauers sank a holein-one June 16 on the No. 4 hole of Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Royal Lakes course. Bauers used a 7-iron on the 172-yard hole. … Kim Huebner (29) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Throw Out The Par 5s” event held June 13 at University Park Country Club. … The Lakewood Ranch Little League U16 All-Star team won the District 26 tournament, held June 15 at Buffalo Creek Little League.

7

PARRISH COMMUNITY FOOTBALL REACHES FIRST POSTSEASON

After the Parrish Community High football team’s 43-6 win over George Jenkins High on Nov. 3 in its regular season finale, the Bulls players celebrated a first.

They had just locked up an FHSAA

PASSING GURU PAGE 10B

SEE TOP 10, PAGE 11B

10B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Out-of-Door Academy adds passing game guru Nate Strawderman, 26, was previously the head coach at Bradenton Christian School.

W

hen Nate Strawderman thought about the things he wanted to accomplish in his career, the choice became

clear.

Strawderman, 26, had served as head coach of the Bradenton Christian School football team in 2023, leading the Panthers to a 7-2 record, with both losses coming to Westminster Academy (9-2). In January, Strawderman accepted an offensive coordinator position with Southeast High under its new head coach Curt Bradley, where Bradley, the former Braden River High head coach, will attempt to rebuild the downtrodden Seminoles program.

But during the spring, Strawderman had a change of heart. After a talk with The Out-of-Door Academy head coach Rob Hollway, Strawderman decided his future would be better served with the Thunder.

“This is something that can set me up for complete success,” Strawderman said.

Strawderman will be ODA’s associate head coach as well as its passing game coordinator, while current offensive coordinator Jim Bougor will stay in his role. As Hollway put it, Strawderman and Bougor will form a “superpower team” and combine ideas to create the team’s offense. Beyond the football field, Strawderman will also become an assistant athletic director at ODA,

giving him a chance to see the administrative side of high school sports.

While Strawderman gets to expand his horizons, ODA gets the passing game expert it has wanted.

Though the Thunder have had a dominant run game since Hollway took over the program in 2022, Hollway has repeatedly mentioned wanting to become more “multiple” to beat teams of a higher caliber.

Why does Hollway believe Strawderman is the guy? Because he has seen first-hand what his passing game schemes can do. The pair coach a 14U seven-on-seven football team together under the Nextlevelz brand, and Strawderman’s Bradenton Christian team beat ODA 35-7 in 2023.

Hollway has also seen how Strawderman approaches coaching from a philosophical perspective.

“He is always positive,” Hollway said. “I’ve seen how he interacts with kids. He brings a good energy all the time. He’s a kid magnet. He’s on my vibe in terms of way of life.”

Though Strawderman will focus solely on the passing game at ODA, something Hollway likes about him is his ability to tailor his scheme to his players. Last season at Bradenton Christian, the Panthers ran the ball 208 times and threw the ball just 122 times, as that is what best fit the team’s roster. But in 2020, when Strawderman was the team’s offensive coordinator and the Panthers’ quarterback was eighth grader Zander Smith — who is now a senior at Lakeland High with multiple NCAA Division I offers — Smith threw for 1,679 yards and 22 touchdowns in just seven games.

Strawderman will have plenty of

ways to get creative. His addition might mean more catches out of the backfield for Allen Clark, the tailback who ran for 1,104 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023. It is also possible that the team’s leading receiver in 2024 was not on the roster in 2023: Hollway has not been shy about recruiting athletes from the school’s other sports to join the football team, with many of them becoming impact players.

Strawderman will have plenty of work to do. ODA attempted just 85 passes last season and completed 36 of them for 494 yards, six touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

He’s excited to get started on the process.

“Coach Jim (Bourgor) and I are creating something that will be hard to stop,” Strawderman said. “We have some good guys coming back.

I’m confident in what we will do.”

Strawderman’s excitement extends beyond the 2023 season.

While ODA is a small private school, the ambitions of the staff are lofty.

Winning a Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 4A title in 2023 was exciting for the program, but no one is satisfied. The team has visions of doing things even more impressive, which includes matching up with teams in the Florida High School Athletic Association.

“We used to play teams like (FHSAA Class 1S champion) Cardinal Mooney High,” Strawderman said. “That is a long shot right now because of where we are in the SSAA, but I envision us going to play Cardinal Mooney one day. I think we can get the guys bought in.

As Rob (Hollway) says, these guys are ‘ride for the brand.’ I’ve already found that out. We are going to

Courtesy image

Nate Strawderman (right) gives instructions to Bradenton Christian quarterback Caden Ott. Strawderman is going to The Out-of-Door Academy football program as an associate head coach and passing game coordinator. He will also be an assistant athletic director at the school.

build something special here.”

It is a continuation of what Hollway has done since he took over the program. ODA has sent three kids to the NCAA Division I level the past two years and could have three more in the program’s next graduating class. Hollway took five players — Clark, rising seniors Marvin Palominos, Frankie Clark and Carson Fisher and rising junior Wiston Crisci — to an Ivy League mega camp in Oxford, Ohio, on June 7, to get them more exposure.

In his mission to grow the program and help as many players as possible play at the next level, Hollway has already taken several steps.

The hiring of Strawderman is a sign that the program is getting serious.

Don’t expect the Thunder’s roll to slow down any time soon.

“I’m just excited,” Hollway said.

“As my coach at the University of Wyoming (Joe Glenn) said, ‘How do you eat? One bite at a time.’ We are focused on getting better one day at a time.”

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CABINETS THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME LICENSE #CGC057880

•CABINETS

•IN HOUSE MANUFACTURING

•APPLIANCES

•FULL SERVICE INSTALLATION

Showroom: 10530 Portal Crossing #109 | Lakewood Ranch 34211

Call for a Free Estimate & Design Consultation

(941) 725-0709 OutdoorCabinets.com

Mention this ad to receive a special discount*

422894-1

THE ONE-STOP SHOP FOR YOUR OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE NEEDS!

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

FROM PAGE 9B

8

LAKEWOOD RANCH BOYS LACROSSE MAKES DEEPEST POSTSEASON RUN

With a new head coach and a new attitude, the Lakewood Ranch High boys lacrosse team showed the program can be a postseason threat.

The Mustangs went 14-6 and reached the regional semifinals in FHSAA Class 2A for the first time in program history. They did it with a 14-8 win over Venice High (11-6) in the regional quarterfinals on April 27, in a game held at Premier Sports Campus in front of a raucous crowd.

The game was taken over by Lakewood Ranch senior Lucas Anthony, who scored eight goals against the Indians. First-year head coach Joe Nelson said the team’s overall offensive talent allowed Anthony to thrive, since teams could not solely focus on him as they had done in the past.

The Mustangs would end their season with a 15-9 loss to Newsome High (15-5) in the regional semifinals.

ADOPTION FEES WAIVED June 28, 29, and 30, 2024

HSSC Adoption Center is Open EXTENDED EVENT HOURS: Fri Noon-7pm | Saturday & Sunday* 10am-4pm Watch HSSC Dog Playgroup Saturday 10-Noon!

File photo

Braden River High senior Joseph Joumayyed takes a shot on net against Charlotte High. The Pirates finished the season 12-3-1.

Over 200 Cats & Dogs Available from HSSC + Highlands County Animal Control will have adoptable cats & dogs at HSSC Fri & Sat! Help Us Find Homes for 2,000 Dogs & Cats State-Wide! | megaadoptflorida.com

9

PIRATES VOLLEYBALL WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT DISTRICT TITLE

For the third year in a row, the Braden River High volleyball team took home the FHSAA Class 5A district crown. After an 18-6 regular season, Braden River beat North Port High 3-0 in the district semifinals on Oct. 17, then defeated North Fort Myers High 3-0 to win the district finals.

In the title game, senior Aryanna Spainhower led the Pirates with 11 kills, 16 digs and three serving aces, while senior Ericka Freeman led the team with three blocks.

Braden River would advance to the regional semifinals before losing 3-2 to Gulf Coast High on Oct. 28.

2331 15th St. | Sarasota, FL 34237 | hssc.org Local, family owned roofing contractor specializing in METAL | SHINGLE | TILE

CCC1334855

10

BRADEN RIVER HIGH BOYS SOCCER BEATS LAKEWOOD RANCH

After going 11-4-4 in 2022, the Braden River High boys soccer team continued its ascent toward the top of the local soccer scene in 2023-24.

The Pirates finished the year 12-31, highlighted by a 1-0 home win over local rival Lakewood Ranch High, another typical soccer power, on Dec. 11. It was the Pirates’ first win over Lakewood Ranch since 2015. Braden River’s defense and goaltending were the difference in that game and many others, as the Pirates allowed just 10 goals all season.

BUSY BEE TUTORING Tutoring Grades K-College General Education & Special Needs

VEREA CLAY TILE FLAT GRAPHITE

Contact us today for a complementary estimate

Visit our Showroom @

941.312.5535

2245 PORTER LAKE DR. SARASOTA, FL 34240

OFFICE@NWRSRQ.COM

SWIMMING LESSONS

A School Of Fish Today!

“Smart” JoinWethe are open for private and group t Gif r lessons at home, community pools, a e Y All g and the Lincoln and G.T. Bray Lon Aquatic Centers

Elevate Your Space CUSTOMER PROOF

JOIN OUR

HISTORIC CELEBRATION

425883-1

(941) 907• 8482 mjbhaus@aol.com Schooloffishswimminglessons.com

(941) 907•8482 mjbhaus@aol.com www.busybeetutoring.net

FMG Print Solutions Flooring Solutions PO Box 136926 OF BBQ, BACKYARDS Fort Worth, TX 76136 for Every Style!

Toll Free: 1.866.818.8985

Please Check For Accuracy

Fax: 817.237.3002

Here is a copy of your ad as it will appear on the Sports Schedules. Please review this proof for accuracy and layout; including name, address, WHOHSKRQH QXPEHU FRORU DQG FRS\ FRQWHQW 8QOHVV VSHFL¿HG RWKHUZLVH DQ\ FRUUHFWLRQV UHTXHႋHG RQ WKLV SURRI ZLOO EH DSSOLHG WR DOO DUHDV Note: the clarity and colors of your published ad may vary slightly from those shown on this proof. If you have made corrections please refer to your revised proof sheet.

12-1-23 Date: ___________________

P48076 Invoice #: ___________________

Sports Schedules Product: _________________ Riverview Area: ___________________

Riverview Project: ____________________

AND FUN!

JUNE 29, 2024 11AM - 2PM DEMOS AND DEALS!

If corrections are necessary, please indicate the changes on this proof. If the proof is not signed and returned, the advertising will be printed as is.

Corrections are due within 14 days from the date provided or NO CHANGES WILL BE ALLOWED. Note: This form may not be used to cancel advertisement.

FL State: ___________________ A Proof Version: _______________

ACE REWARDS MEMBERS GET:

Carpet & Floors, Inc.

FREE ASSEMBLY AND DELIVERYFREEON ALL GRILLS TO SIGN UP

3913 Clark Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233

“Thanks for throwing your business our way!”

941.923.5499

NEW STORE HOURS

DG

Showroom & Design

Explore our vast selection of Carpet, Hardwood, Laminate, Tile, Luxury Vinyl

Highest Quality Service

MON-SAT 7AM - 7PM

If you have any artwork not present please email: art@fmgprint.com

Professional Installationplease reference your invoice number above

Fax back to 817-237-3002 __________ or reply by Email Family Owned & Operated Since 1957 Honest & Knowledgeable Sales Associates

Proof Correct / No Corrections

Sign For Approval

__________ Sign For Approval

425936-1

3913 Clark Road, Sarasota | 941-923-5499 | www.chappiescarpetandfloors.com

3371 17th St Sarasota, FL 34235 941-366-1756

SUNDAY 9AM - 5PM

Since 1981 Family owned and operated.

Proof Correct / With Corrections

Attention: Art Department

See stores for details.

Offer not valid on prior purchases or ship to home orders.

4210 53rd Ave E Bradenton, FL 34203 941-727-0884

3170 Bee Ridge Rd Sarasota, FL 34239 941-924-6614

2881 Clark Rd Sarasota, FL 34231 941-921-5363

425932-1

4x2 Ad Size: _________________

426847-1

*Normally closed Sundays, Open Event Day Only

422017-1

Class 3S playoff berth — the first in the program’s four-year history.

In 2023, Parrish Community (7-3) matched the program’s win total from its first three varsity seasons combined, in which the team went 7-16. To reach the playoffs, the Bulls leaned on a group of players from the East County area, including senior quarterback Jackson Volz, senior tight end Lane Tomlinson, senior offensive lineman Carter Dietz, senior offensive lineman Jimie Roden, senior linebacker Holten Graham, senior defensive end Dustin Springfield, junior defensive end Ashton Springfield, junior linebacker Sean Crowley and junior cornerback Bryson Bender.

Parrish’s season came to an end Nov. 10 with a 42-0 loss to Naples High in the first round of the playoffs But Volz said reaching the playoffs at all, after building to be a winner, should put the area on notice that this is a program on the rise.

PET ADOPTION

SPORTS

Top 10

11B

NEW LOCATION 5471 Palmer Crossing Cir Sarasota, FL 34233 941-278-4242

NEW LOCATION 6398 N Lockwood Ridge Rd 2876 Ringling Blvd 1230 S Tamiami Trl 4231 S Tamiami Trl 7220 University Pkwy Sarasota, FL 34243 Sarasota, FL 34237 Osprey, FL 34229 Sarasota, FL 34231 Sarasota, FL 34240 941-351-3371 941-365-8802 941-918-0001 941-924-5654 941-278-4240

12B

YourObserver.com

WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, JUNE 20

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 92 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 38%

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 High: 94 Low: 6 Chance of rain: 47%

Thursday, June 20

6:34a

8:27p

Friday, June 21

6:35a

8:27p

Saturday, June 22

6:35a

8:27p

Sunday, June 23

6:35a

8:28p

Monday, June 24

6:35a

8:28p

Tuesday,June 25

6:36a

8:28p

Wednesday, June 26

6:36a

8:28p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 High: 94 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 60%

June 21 Full

June 28 Last

July 5 New

July 13 First

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JUNE 23 High: 92 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 70% Gordon Silver captured this bougainvillea in full bloom in Crestwind in Lakewood Ranch.

Monday, June 10

0.52

Tuesday, June 11

1.15

Wednesday, June 12

6.21

Thursday, June 13

0.91

Friday, June 14

0.29

Saturday, June 15

0

Sunday, June 16

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/contests. All submissions will be entered for the 2024-25. Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2025, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE: 2024 21.24 in.

2023 9.12 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2024 11.55 in.

2023 1.46 in.

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

Flooring Made for Your Family

celebrity cipher

AUTO BIOGRAPHIES by Aidan Deshong, edited by Jeff Chen 3 Grain container

63 Best bond rating

4 Many an Urdu speaker

64 Screen at a sports bar

5 Defer (to)

(Abbr.)

6 Mendes of “2 Fast 2

66 Modern dark film genre

Furious”

67 Become worse over time

7 Pass policy

68 Apt rhyme of “aah”

8 Get ready (for)

70 Cherished

9 Scrabble tile container

72 Home to JFK and LGA

10 High sense of self

73 Military training groups

11 Long, slippery animal

76 Makes a mistake

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“D SXMK FXYK KMKVE FDARXUK EBI NXW FXUK DW EBIV NXVKKV XWY DW EBIV JKVABWXG GDCK. LIR D XF X AIVMDMBV.”

12 Image-sharpening groups 79 The “A” of B.A. 84 Sun-powered device

14 Nonmusical flutes

86 Repulsive

15 Vein valuable

87 Double ___ (104-Across

16 Backboard attachment

variety)

17 “When will u b here?”

88 Checklist heading

20 Genesis grandchild

89 Dr. Frankenstein’s as-

21 Get into hot water?

sistant

23 “Weekend Update” show 91 Slim margin of victory

©2024 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Speech imperfection 5 Seaweed in a “forest” 9 Microwave sound 13 Prepared to testify 18 La Scala solo 19 Too excited

81 Like someone who

45 Comedian Minhaj

experiences little attraction, 110 Jay Gatsby’s love

47 Southeast Asian language for short

24 Hollywood industry 25 Bless with oil 26 NYSE launch 27 Extremely angry 29 Unkempt people 31 *Estate car?

38 Solemn column 41 “Pogo” writer Kelly 43 Made up 44 Kinks song parodied in

111 Top-left keyboard key 113 ___ City, Nevada

48 World Cup cries

83 Super Bowl stats

49 Venetian waterway

85 Clog-clearing brand

117 Prefix meaning “differ-

50 *Town car?

87 Unlike Bond’s martinis

ent”

53 “Comin’ through!”

90 *Sprint car?

120 *Hot car?

95 Attire at a forum ... or

125 Mummify

frat party

126 Matterhorn chain

57 Historical records

96 Snowman’s eyes,

127 “Cool!”

59 Exist en masse

sometimes

128 Pride sounds

60 ... --- ..., in Morse code

97 ___ Lilly (pharma

129 Olympian Korbut

62 Abbr. at the end of a list

company)

130 It’s sticky and sold in

65 Competes

98 Hindu god known as the

sticks

69 Coffee or vanilla

Destroyer

131 “Mummified” a house,

71 *Compact car?

99 Noodle accompanying

for short

74 Ooze

tempura

75 Happened effortlessly

100 Rock star Morissette

DOWN

77 Nothing, in Nicaragua

102 “Ditto”

78 Aunt, in Argentina

104 Sweet sandwich

80 Eggs

105 *Scout car?

21 Budget airline with yellow 55 Common typeface 56 Big time? planes 22 *Sports car?

108 Brief vacation?

Weird Al’s “Yoda”

(Abbr.)

92 Ultimate word in an

28 Regret

ultimatum

30 “Island of the Gods”

93 Capital city with many

32 Sci-fi vehicles

Quechua speakers

33 Texas tie

94 Mathematician Terence

34 Crypto.com ___ (Los

96 Afro-Caribbean music

Angeles venue)

genre

35 Steak sauce brand

100 Mathematical truth

36 Happy as a ___

101 CDs’ predecessors

37 School with the motto

103 Surround

“Lux et Veritas”

106 Some English noblemen

38 “Now it clicks!”

107 Suggestions, briefly

39 Palo Alto’s region

109 About 10.5 hours, on

40 Enthusiastic response to Saturn “You are?”

112 Woolen rug

42 Visited, as a college

114 Scissors sound

46 Docs that leave people

115 Part of YOLO

speechless?

116 Have to have

“R ESKWT YF SCD ESAGG R EKF, DPDW SCD LDKNNF ESAHRT ESAGG. R’NN GRWT K IKF SU XAESRGF RS.” MUAWSLF ERWVDL YNKZD ECDNSUW

“EDVHV YHV XEUMM WYFP LYCXVX TNHED XYLHUOULUFR ONH ... XN WCLD DUXENHP PVE EN SV WYBV.” WULDVMMV NSYWY Puzzle Three Clue: Y equals A

82 Low-cost product prefix

13 Petty malice

Puzzle Two Clue: X equals J

(Abbr.)

HBK JDANBJB

Puzzle One Clue: S equals N

crossword

426213-1

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

© 2024 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

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

49 ___ classic (movie with a 117 “I Was Made to Love ___” devoted fanbase)

(Stevie Wonder hit)

51 Hawaiian folk song whose 118 Angsty and moody title translates to “Farewell

119 “Don’t know yet” letters

to Thee”

121 ___ City (“Fireflies”

52 “Trade, Build, Settle”

artist)

board game

122 Fix the outcome of

53 Pig noise

123 Org. that tracks baby

54 Voltaire classic

names

1 Word before “lamp” or

58 Sarge, for example

124 PC’s “brain”

“cake”

59 “Modern Family” network

2 Waffle maker

61 “Oh, boo-hoo!”

©2024 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

6-20-24

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Motorcycles

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

Visit us at 1415 10th St. W. Palmetto. Mon-Sat 10a-5p, Sun.12a-5p

Sarasota/Siesta Key: Deadline Friday, May 28th 12:00 pm

941-729-5282 5 mi. west of I75 at Ellenton exit

will

be

CLOSED Thursday, July 4th, for the Independence Day Holiday. We will reopen Friday, July 5th for normal business hours.

Call 941-955-4888 To Place Your Ad

FIND BUYERS AND SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888

5 ACRES Lake Barn Near Fruitville I-75 Call for Price

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

YourObserver.com/RedPages

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

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236 NEW ARTOGRAPH Prism art projector adjustable stand. $25.

New Sports Knee Brace "DonJoy" full universal/telescoping. $35.

941-776-0034 TRANSPORT CHAIR, used once.

Paid 239. Sell for $150.

Call Dave 941-928-3211 WINE BOTTLE RACK (32”h x 32” w) Holds 72 bottles. $50 941-755-3427

GARAGE SALE As low as $17.50 per week!

G6 200 diesel sit-down Kubota mower- $1,200

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Med. size wood chipper- $125

Motorcycles

Contact Richard: 484-358-2585

‘09 YAMAHA 650 VStar Classic Motorcycle. 30,000 mi. $8,000 941-241-9014

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

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

Sporting Goods

FIND IT IN THE RED PAGES 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

BEACH’ N RIDES Electric Bike Shop! eBike Sales and Rentals Ride easy on an eBike with as much exercise or assistance as you want.

Leave traffic and parking problems behind!

13 models available.

Daily and weekly rentals available.

We also repair other Brands.

Open 9 to 5 daily except Sundays and holidays.

12208 Cortez Rd, FL 941-251-7916 Ext. 1

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

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

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

peekers’ place

stuff

Lawn & Garden Equipment

CAREGIVER AVAILABLE for business assistant, nights, & some weekend travel.

Call Diane (941)545-5992

Help Wanted THE BUSINESS OBSERVER newspaper is seeking a fast-paced, detail-oriented Proofreader / Typist for a part-time position in Sarasota, Florida.

Hours are 9am-2pm, Mon-Fri. Candidates must be able to type at least 75 WPM with great accuracy and proofread typed material and make corrections. Attention to detail is a MUST. Proofreading entails finding errors in the typed print that varies from the original document, not actually editing the documents for errors.

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

Please email your resume and WPM typing speed for immediate consideration to kboothroyd@businessobserverfl. com. Please also specify your available date to start. *This position must be performed in the office. No remote work is available.

Competitive pay, paid time off and health insurance available

Bradenton: Condo, 2 bed, 2 bath$229,900 Pet friendly 55+ Sarasota: 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Car Garage House $359,000 Sarasota: Pool home, 4 bed. $649,900 Venice: 2/2 Condo Plantation Golf Club. Call for Price Bradenton: Pool Home, New windows, hvac, Completely Updated $689,900 Longboat Key: 4 pools, beach access. $465,000 Gulf Beachfront Home coming soon: 6.9 million

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

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

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

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

Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

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

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING WE ARE THE BEST!!!

Residential & Commercial.

Fully Insured.

CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398

OUR ONLINE TOOLS MAKE IT EASY TO PLACE YOUR AD

Brooke O’Malley | Club Realty Call 941-726-2677

GREAT FINDS LOCATED HERE!

This week’s Crossword answers

Visit the RED PAGES

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Professional Services

UBA PRESSURE WASHING AND SEALER (941) 320-6172 www.ubapressurewashing.com

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers “I have made every mistake you can make in your career and in your personal life. But I am a survivor.”

Joe Piscopo Puzzle Two Solution: “I stand by the stuff I say, even the really stupid stuff. I’ll find a way to justify it.”

Country singer Blake Shelton Puzzle Three Solution: “There are still many causes worth sacrificing for ... so much history yet to be made.”

Michelle Obama

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2024 NEA, Inc.

12:00pm

home services

Deadline Thursday, May 27th,

Homes for Sale

jobs

East County/ LBK:

Our new and existing dealers are excited to offer special pricing during June. Special savings on unique gifts & antiques for yourself or someone special.

auto

CLASSIFIED ADS

Observer

General Merchandise SIZZLING SUMMER SALE at Emiline’s Antique Mall!

for July 4th edition

The

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

real estate

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

EARLY DEADLINES

CAREGIVER - LICENSED CNA 6 years experience w/ dementia & other ailments.

4-12 hrs, 5 days/ week & some weekends. $25-$30/ hr.

Best care for your loved one.

References avail. Marina 786-906-8103

Auto Transport

Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

4th OF JULY

Adult Care Services

©2024 Universal Uclick

941-955-4888

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

14B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Aluminum

Blinds/Window Treatments

Contractor

Professional Contractors Network, Inc.

Fabrics · Draperies · Pillows · Bedding · Wall Coverings Valances & Cornices · Shutters & Shades · Upholstery · Motorized Systems

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

Call Us for a FREE Estimate Today 941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

YoderAluminum.com

Attorney

Brick Pavers

Doors

Business in Christ

• Paver Sealing • Pressure & Soft Washing • Concrete Coating

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

Call or text today for a FREE estimate:

941-321-2859

Over 100 Reviews Award Winning Services

www.BIC - CC.COM

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

Cleaning

We have mediated divorces involving up to 15 million dollars of assets over past 30 years.

Cleaner Than Clean Window Company Crystal Clear Windows in Southwest Florida Since 2023

Residential & Commercial Cleans

RED PAGES

941-504-9787 425487

Knowledgeable & Uniformed | Trained & Certified | Licensed, Bonded & Insured

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

OBSERVER RED PAGES

Call 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

GG1 Cleaning Services Indoor • Residential • Commercial Windows, Pressure Washing, Gutters

Call Today for FREE Estimate

423.251.2368 / 863.473.1069

Showcase your products or services each week in the Red Pages.

RIGHT ON TARGET Advertise your business, starting at only $85 per month.

Ask about Community Discounts!

425463

Call Today!

425498

William J. Leininger, JD

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Nick 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

425489

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

Handyman

Computer

CALL 941-955-4888

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

Auto Service

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

SELL YOUR CAR! FAST • EASY • SAFE

WE COME TO YOU

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

Pegatronics.com

HoHoBuysCars.com

941-735-3362

425482

5-Star Rated

425488

941.270.4400

Trades welcome to join our network! Please send email

Sliding Glass Door Repair

Divorce without Lawyers

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

Email Project Information: PCNestimating@gmail.com 941-527-9414

CREATE BUZZ!

Advertise your business in the Red Pages.

Call 941-955-4888

HEROES found here.

Relax. You’ve got better things to do.

Find a professional here in the Red Pages.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

JOE DAVIS HD LLC • Doors & Trim Licensed & Insured • Laminate & Wood Over 30 Years Flooring FREE ESTIMATE • Tile Cabinets & Drywall • Texture Paint & Wood Rot 941-929-3000

KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES INTERIOR RENOVATIONS & ANYTHING FROM THE GROUND UP

TEXT OR CALL 574-354-7772 KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES

425477

425481

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

941.879.6310 · designingwindowsbyisabel@gmail.com designingwindowsbyisabel.com

425704

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

425452

Dustin Yoder

Construction Estimating • Custom Homes Design Build • Restaurants-New/Remodels Office Remodels • Financing

425757

Isabel M. Perez, Certified Designer

Let our Network Handle All your Building Needs

YourObserver.com

15B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Roofing

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc. Building & Roofing Contractor

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

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

941.966.0333

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

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

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists 364556 425456

249 235

* $ $235

$

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

DRGRABBARS.COM

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

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Screening

THE GRAB BAR GUY

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

GLENN KROECKER

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346

Home Services

425462

Licensed & Insured

425457

425478

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

Landscaping & Lawn

GARDENS

941-705-5468

Commercial

425455

No Job is Too Small!

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE

Luxury for Less

by Allison

Design • Garden Beds • Landscape • Courtyards Clean-Up • Makeovers • Weeds • Trimming 941-400-0431 • gbyallison@yahoo.com • gardensbyallison.com

ALL PHASES OF INTERIOR & EXTERIOR REMODELING Kitchen - Bathrooms | Windows - Doors - Floor Coverings | Repairs

10% off

Airports, Concerts, Dinners & Cruises www.towncarservicebradenton.com

Windows

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#search/royaltreasurecasino%40yahoo.com?projector=1

1/1

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

Painting

941-526-5396 | tomtka@tampabay.rr.com www.tkahomeservicesinc.com Licensed & Insured | License #CBC1256062

425483

941-248-4734

425458

Allison J. Abizaid

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

chrome_qrcode_1671726737617.png

410036

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

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

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

1/10/23, 10:25 AM

Transportation

425493

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

Residential

425491

Health

Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins.

GULF TO BAY P REMIER P AINTING

Home Watch

Licensed & Insured

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows UP TO

Randy Schmidt | 941-702-3262 gulftobaypremierpainting@gmail.com | lwrpainting.com

Plumbing 426464

Mark’s Plumbing Service Small plumbing repairs. Replace toilets, faucets, water filters, water softeners and repair leaks.

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

425499

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

941-920-8221

425461

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

RELIABLE • INSURED

Call John 941.377.2940

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

WITH THE RED PAGES

TREASURES found here.

Looking for something? Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

425894

Lifetime Sarasota Resident & Owner

150

25 $

STANDARD WINDOWS

INCLUDING SCREENS, TR ACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

425494

Complete exterior & interior painting Kitchen Cabinet Painting • Deck Stains & Coating Garage Floor Epoxy Coating

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

941.702.0437 | ShanahanLuxuryGroup@CBrealty.com | ShanahanLuxuryGroup.com

Top-Selling Lakewood Ranch Real Estate Team Family Business | Concierge Service | Proven Results

Kenneth Shanahan, PLLC

Katina Shanahan, PLLC

Tyler Shanahan, PLLC

941.702.0443

941.702.0437

941.961.8205

20918 Parkstone Terrace | Concession

$3,475,000 | 4,189 Square Feet | 4 Bedrooms | 5 Bathrooms | Casita | One-Acre Homesite

712 Sigsbee Loop | Shoreview at Waterside

Open House Sunday, June 23 1:00-4:00

$1,930,000 | 3,207 Square Feet | 4 Bedrooms | 3.5 Bathrooms | Flex Room | Private Pool | 3-Car Garage

11979 Forest Park Circle | Central Park

$945,000 | 3,271 Square Feet | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | Office | 3-Car Garage | Pool/Spa | Lake Homesite

16123 Fortezza Drive | Azario Esplanade

$775,000 | 1,926 Square Feet | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | Den | Golf-Deeded | Resort Amenities

CALM. That’s the overall feeling my wife and I had dealing with Katina and the team. We were extremely apprehensive about selling our house - we had been through it before - all the preparations, decluttering, questions about price, how long it would take, etc. Katina and the team sat down with us and made us feel so comfortable and we felt calm. We were actually able to sell our home with very little effort on our part - the team took care of the details we were so worried about.

— Stephen K., Country Club East

Discover Luxury 413843-1

16B