East County Observer 7.18.24

EAST COUNTY

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Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

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EAST COUNTY

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Obser ver

FREE • THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

VOLUME 26, NO. 3

More roundabouts coming to Lakewood Ranch

Manatee County is working with SchroederManatee Ranch on a series of roundabouts from University Parkway to State Road 64. SEE PAGE 3

YOUR TOWN

HIGH ON THE

PECKING ORDER Lesley Dwyer

Charging forward with matching cars

Snags prove to be an important source of food and shelter for area wildlife. SEE PAGE 8

Carson Cruse’s parents, Cameron and Jessica Cruse, zipped around East County in a Corvette before the 1-year-old (above) was born.

Instead of trading in the Corvette for a minivan, Cameron Cruse opted for a four-door Dodge Charger.

“This is the dadmobile,” he said of his full-sized Charger. “I saw that they had a matching (toy) car for him.”

Cameron Cruse retrofitted it with a handle, so it’s now a wagon.

The family, who live off State Road 70 near the Braden River Library, took both Chargers to Cars and Coffee at the University Town Center on July 13.

Jay Heater

An oak snag in the front yard of Susan and John Darovec, of Braden Woods, is beneficial to wildlife, such as this red-bellied woodpecker.

Liz Ramos

Swifties unite

Lakewood Ranch 6-year-old Kinsley McCarthy and her 4-year-old sister, Emerie McCarthy (above), put on their Taylor Swift shirts and glittery tulle skirts and joined dozens of other Taylor Swift fans July 13 at the Braden River Library.

The girls celebrated the 11 eras of Taylor Swift during the library’s Taylor Swift Eras Party.

They made their own friendship bracelets, played song Bingo and decorated bookmarks. The girls also took pictures in front of the eras wall, decorated in a color that represents each of the famous singer-songwriter’s albums.

Partygoers also had the chance to guess who said it: Taylor Swift or Shakespeare.

A+E

Preserved lands still demand attention

Summer circus is a hot ticket.

PAGE 13

Lesley Dwyer

The greenery that surrounds the entrance to Waterside Place was a polluted swamp in the 1980s.

Now, it’s a more than 400-acre tract of restored conservation land.

Invasive species, such as Brazilian peppertrees, drive continual maintenance of conservation areas. SEE PAGE 5

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

The doctor is in... the primary Robert McCann, a doctor, lawyer, Navy veteran, pilot and scuba diver, is ready for a new adventure in politics.

SPECIAL SKILLS McCann’s experience fills a five-page resume. Below is the list of his “special skills.” To add one more, McCann is training for his black belt in karate.

LESLEY DWYER

■ Commercial Pilot, Airplane Single, and Multi Engine Land/ Instrument Airplane ■ Retired Designated Federal Aviation Administration Senior Aviation Medical Examiner, Federal Aviation Administration ■ Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine ■ Open Water Diver, S.S.I. Certified Scuba Diver ■ Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Certified Scuba Diver ■ Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver, PADI Certified Scuba Diver ■ Rescue Diver, PADI Certified Scuba Diver

STAFF WRITER

R

obert McCann is a doctor, lawyer, pilot and scuba diver, too.

He also holds a master’s degree in business administration.

Now, McCann wants to add one more item to his five-page resume — Manatee County commissioner.

McCann is running against incumbent Ray Turner for the District 5 seat in the Aug. 20 Republican primary. Whoever wins the nomination will face off with Joseph Di Bartolomeo, who has no party affiliation, in the general election on Nov. 5.

While Turner is the incumbent, McCann is quick to point out that no one voted for Turner. He was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Vanessa Baugh retired from her District 5 seat.

McCann told the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club on July 10 he’s running for commissioner to represent the people, while he said Turner is running to represent the developers.

Turner declined to attend the debate.

McCann sees 36 years of listening to his patients as an asset to both the board and citizens. He said he also spent four years in the Navy learning to take orders.

His parents gave their consent for him to enlist at 17 years old. McCann said the GI Bill was the only way he could’ve ever gone to college.

“My father was a steel mill worker.

My mother was a homemaker,” he said. “We had four boys in the family.”

McCann grew up in Chicago. He received his undergraduate degree

at Northern Illinois University and his medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri.

In his fourth year of medical school, he took up flying for the challenge of it.

“It was complex,” McCann said.

“It was something where you were doing something, and at the same time, you were leaving the Earth for a while.”

He became a doctor in 1988, and toward the end of the 1990s, McCann already felt like a “dinosaur.” The medical industry had changed from doctor-patient relationships on a fee-for-service basis to managed care, where a doctor’s role became more like one of middle management.

“Everything became a contract,” McCann said. “I wanted to learn more about the system, so I went to

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Lesley Dwyer

law school. I worked full-time ER while I was in law school.”

McCann earned his law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville in 1997. He said 81-degree weather on his first Christmas Eve in Jacksonville persuaded him to make Florida his home.

While he learned to scuba dive in a swimming pool in Las Vegas, McCann’s hobby flourished in Florida. The star student didn’t stop advancing until he was a certified rescue diver.

“There are no limits except the ones you set for yourself,” McCann said.

He and his wife, Rosemarie McCann, have lived in the River Club for 18 years. As a deer and its fawn ran behind his house, he started talking about how he used to visit his aunt in North Miami from the time he was 12 years old.

“Did you see the flooding they just had?” he asked. “They have no wetlands down there to talk about.

It’s a concrete jungle, and the flood-

ing they got, there’s nowhere for the water to go. That’s what we’ve got to avoid here (in Manatee County).”

McCann used to have a lot more deer in his yard — coyotes, too. In his opinion, not only are the animals losing vital resources due to Manatee County’s development, but residents are, too.

“If you’re going to build a neighborhood, you have to have the essential infrastructure,” McCann said.

“We have such a shortage of nurses and doctors in this area.”

He said his analytical nature could benefit the current board because, he said outside of Commissioner George Kruse, board members talk about what they’re going to do, but not about how they’ll fund it.

“They just put a lot of things on the deferred list, which means they may never get done because they don’t have the money,” McCann said. “If they don’t have the money to fix the potholes and light the streets, why are they still building?”

Dr. Robert McCann speaks to the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club on July 10 at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

STATE ROUNDABOUTS

Lesley Dwyer

Traffic lights on University Parkway at Deer Drive/Legacy Boulevard will be replaced when a roundabout is built.

Combined effort to improve LWR roadways Schroeder-Manatee Ranch works with county on a series of roundabouts on S.R. 64, Bourneside Boulevard and University Parkway.

STAFF WRITER

L

STATE ROAD 64 AND BOURNESIDE BOULEVARD

With plans to build 4,500 homes east of Bourneside Boulevard, SMR Taylor Ranch has agreed to also construct five roundabouts.

Taylor Ranch consists of 2,307 acres with its northern border on the southeast corner of State Road 64 and Bourneside Boulevard. The two series of roundabouts will meet at that intersection.

Two will be built to the west on State Road 64 at the Lighterwood Trail and Uihlein Road intersections. Two will be built to the south on Bourneside Boulevard at the 44th Avenue East and Rangeland Parkway intersections.

Public Works Deputy Director

Fiction: Roundabouts are unsafe.

Fact: Roundabouts have 90% fewer deaths and 75% fewer injuries.

64

DEVELOPER PROJECT: S.R. 64 and Bourneside Boulevard roundabouts SMR Taylor Ranch has agreed to build three roundabouts on State Road 64 and two on Bourneside Boulevard, at the intersections of 44th Avenue East and Rangeland Parkway, to accommodate the additional 4,500 homes the development will add to the area. Roundabouts at Lakewood National Parkway and The Masters Avenue are being negotiated.

The Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District committed to constructing the roundabout at Bourneside Boulevard and University Parkway.

LO R

RA I

NE R

Fiction: Roundabouts are expensive.

Fact: Roundabouts eliminate the cost of traffic signals and maintenance.

Fiction: Roundabouts are bad for business.

Fact: Businesses near roundabouts

E TH

D

TERS AVE. MAS

UNIVE

DEVELOPER PROJECT: University Parkway roundabouts The University Parkway roundabouts at the intersections of Deer Drive/Legacy Boulevard and Bourneside Boulevard (farthest left) will be constructed. The additional three roundabouts are being discussed.

RSI TY PARKWAY

UNIVERSITY PARKWAY

D.

Fiction: Roundabouts cause traffic delays.

Fact: Roundabouts accommodate up to 50% more traffic than typical intersections.

The first roundabout slated for University Parkway will be at the intersection where Deer Drive meets Legacy Boulevard.

The Out-of-Door Academy and Lakewood Ranch Baptist Church on the south side of University Parkway and the entrance to the Country Club on the north side make that a particularly busy intersection for that stretch of road.

Anne Ross, executive director of

ER LORRAIN

Fiction: Roundabouts are dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Fact: Roundabouts have up to 40% fewer incidents with pedestrians and cyclists.

UNIVERSITY PARKWAY

NEGOTIATIONS

FICTION VS. FACT Manatee County’s staff produced a Fiction vs. Fact flyer. Information compiled

by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Federal Highway Administration.

tiated between SMR and Manatee County.

The reimbursement agreement is not final, but the plan is the same — SMR designs and constructs the roundabouts, and Manatee County reimburses the cost through impact fee credits.

The approximate cost of those two roundabouts is $3.25 million apiece.

UIH LEIN RD.

ove them or hate them, a dozen new roundabouts are either planned or proposed for Lakewood Ranch roads.

Manatee County’s staff is negotiating with Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (Lakewood Ranch’s parent company) and the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District to construct a series of roundabouts on State Road 64, Bourneside Boulevard and University Parkway.

From the Florida Department of Transportation to county staff and private developers, the powers that be say roundabouts have tremendous safety benefits. They’re also less expensive to maintain than traffic signals, and they function despite power outages.

“SMR prefers roundabouts over signals,” said Mike Blackrick, a project engineer for LWR Development.

“Roundabouts move more traffic through intersections with less violent accidents.”

Chad Butzow, Manatee County Public Works Director, said speeding is an issue on every road in the state. Roundabouts are a great way to slow drivers down. But to affect the length of the road, more than one roundabout is needed.

Clarke Davis said the total construction costs for all five roundabouts is approximately $13.6 million. After SMR has designed and constructed the roundabouts, the county will issue impact fee credits that cover the cost.

Developers pay the county impact fees to offset the impact a new development has on the county’s infrastructure, which includes roads.

Completion dates for the five roundabouts (two on S.R. 64, one at the intersection of S.R. 64 and Bourneside and two south of the S.R. 64-Bourneside intersection on Bourneside) range from September 2025 to May 2027.

Two additional roundabouts on Bourneside Boulevard (south of the Bourneside Boulevard-Rangeland Parkway intersection) at Lakewood National Parkway and The Masters Avenue are currently being nego-

the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District, said discussions with the county began with turn lanes, but a roundabout makes more sense.

The district submitted a design for the county’s review in January.

“We do not yet have a timeline for final design approval, permitting and construction,” Communications Coordinator Ogden Clark said.

“Tentatively, construction could start by mid-2025.”

Butzow said an agreement would likely be presented to the Manatee County Commission for approval this fall.

The stewardship district has also committed to build the roundabout at University Parkway and Bourneside Boulevard.

However, Blackrick said the three roundabouts on University Parkway in between Deer Drive and Bourneside Boulevard are still proposals right now. The county has requested them to calm traffic, but the traffic studies don’t warrant them. Discussions regarding funding are ongoing.

E TH

Traffic engineers get the negotiation process started by collecting data.

“Typically, when the county requests a roundabout that is not required by SMR’s traffic studies, Manatee County will fully fund it,” Blackrick said.

However, Davis said that “not required per a development traffic study” is distinctly different from “not warranted or not needed.”

Based on traffic growth, the roundabouts on Bourneside Boulevard are needed because of both existing and emerging needs.

Butzow said there are several reasons the county would override a traffic study. Speed management, traffic calming, safe left turns and plans to widen a road are among them. The corridor of Bourneside Boulevard from State Road 64 to Rangeland Parkway is under construction now.

Along with the roundabouts at Lakewood National Parkway and The Masters Avenue, the reimbursement agreement to widen Bourneside Boulevard south to University Parkway is still being finalized.

The same domino effect is happening on University Parkway. The stewardship district wants to widen University Parkway from Lorraine Road to Bourneside Boulevard.

“We would already be there with a contractor doing roadwork, so it wouldn’t be as expensive,” Ross said.

“And if (the county) looks at the long term, they’re going to need to put a roundabout (at Bourneside Boulevard) anyway.”

MASTERS AVE.

.

BOURNESIDE BLVD

LESLEY DWYER

In addition to county roads, FDOT is constructing a roundabout on State Road 64 and seven roundabouts along State Road 70.

The roundabout on State Road 64 is at the intersection where Lorraine Road meets 145th Street. The roundabout is currently under construction. FDOT estimates the work will be finished by spring 2025 at a cost of $6.2 million.

The overall State Road 70 project, which includes widening the corridor between Lorraine Road and County Road 675, is underway. However, work on the roundabouts hasn’t begun yet.

The project was split into two segments. The first segment includes roundabouts at the intersections of Uihlein Road, Del Webb Boulevard and Bourneside Boulevard. The estimated construction cost is $67 million.

The second segment includes the intersections at Lindrick Lane/197th Street, 213th Street, Panther Ridge Trail/225th Street and Meadow Dove Lane/79th Avenue at an estimated cost of $49 million.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

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rom what was once a borrow pit for I-75 construction has emerged, in the last 12 years, as a best-in-class rowing facility in Nathan Benderson Park.

The next phase of the park’s evolution is a planned indoor sports complex and boathouse, a joint effort of Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources and the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy.

The facility is planned to be built near the finish tower.

Nicole Rissler, the county’s PRNR director, briefed the County Commission at its July 9 meeting on the progress of planning for the facility, which has reached the 30% design phase.

That planning began in January 2022 when the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy procured a consulting agency to perform an initial feasibility study, the results of which were presented to the commission four months later. At that time, commissioners approved dedicating $20 million toward the project from penny surtax funds.

“So what have we done since then? A whole lot of data collection, research of other facilities and feedback from various sports and facilities experts,” Rissler told commissioners. “I think I sat in 15 hours of focus groups of different entities — the pickleball group, the volleyball group, the basketball group, the rowing group — on what if they started with a white piece of paper, what would be the ultimate facility?”

Nathan Benderson Park will solicit a request for proposal and award a contract for completion of design and permitting.

A project update, including construction costs, will be presented to the County Commission in spring 2025.

The planned indoor sports complex at Nathan Benderson Park will also serve as a boathouse for rowing activities.

The result of that input as work begins to take the project to 90% planning includes: First Floor ■ 100,000 square feet of playing surface ■ 8 basketball courts ■ 16 volleyball courts ■ 30 pickleball courts ■ 24 wrestling mats ■ Boathouse with at least 24 storage racks, boat repair space, performance center and rental shop ■ Locker rooms ■ Restaurant and concessions ■ Multipurpose meeting and/or vendor space ■ Offices Second Floor ■ High-performance training center ■ Athlete lounge ■ Multipurpose rooms ■ Offices ■ Court-viewing mezzanines “As many of you know, we don’t have a whole lot of indoor space here in Sarasota County for community use and for special events,” Rissler said. “In my former life as the director of sports for Visit Sarasota County, one of the areas that we couldn’t go after is events.”

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

5

Preserved doesn’t mean ignored lands The Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District battles invasive species, like the Brazilian pepper tree, on a regular basis.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

The Stewardship District and Community Development Districts work the same way. Both can impose assessments and issue bonds, but the purpose of each governing board slightly differs.

Ross said a CDD looks inside the gates of a community, while a stewardship district focuses more on global policies and conservation.

Stewardship districts usually cover larger areas than CDDs. In Lakewood Ranch, the district governs about two-thirds of the more than 30,000-acre development. Ross defines the district’s territory as everything north of State Road 70, east of Lorraine Road and south of University Parkway.

“It’s the areas that are still developing,” Ross said.

their backyards.

Alyssa Vinson, a horticulturist with the UF/IFAS Extension in Manatee County, said there are two big things pepper trees do to destroy a wetland: They reduce the native biodiversity and the availability of open standing water.

A pepper tree’s overabundance of berries dropping to the ground will block out the sun to any native ground cover that had previously grown underneath the tree.

The tree’s shallow roots spread and can spawn new trees, change the flow of water and eventually eliminate any open water that once provided a habitat for native plants, insects and amphibians.

“Brazilian pepper is really good at just totally covering a wetland,” Vinson said.

She also called them “potentially allelopathic,” which means the trees can exude chemical compounds into

Lesley Dwyer

Wetlands in Lakewood Ranch are monitored regularly to keep invasive plant species at bay and ensure proper water flow.

the soil that can prevent native plant species from growing.

It also takes more than a saw to eradicate pepper trees. The nubs have to be treated with chemical herbicides. If the tree is large or the herbicide is applied more than five minutes after the tree was cut, it takes multiple applications to kill the tree.

That is just one of the challenges.

Australian pine, melaleuca (a genus of 300 species of plants that are considered invasive species here) and poison ivy need to be controlled to protect the preserved lands.

Ross said it can be a challenge to meet the success criteria required by the FDEP. “The permits (to build near a wetland) are set up to meet a success criteria that the native plants should be able to thrive on their own with less maintenance,” she said. “However, the invasive species do make their way in. We’re constantly going into

different areas to remove them.”

Wetlands are monitored on an annual basis and can take up to 10 years to meet the success criteria.

Beyond required permitting, the other reason the district removes invasive species is to maintain the natural flow of the water.

“As a stewardship district, we want to ensure the functionality of the systems, whether it be manmade stormwater or natural flow pathways,” Ross said. “So when we have a downpour that’s out of the ordinary, the water isn’t backing up and causing damage.”

Stewardship district and CDD Stewardship districts and Community Development Districts work the same way. Both can impose assessments and issue bonds, but the purpose of each governing board slightly differs. Ross said a CDD looks inside the gates of a community, while a stewardship district focuses more on global policies and conservation.

LONG SWAMP Long before Waterside Place was built, Long Swamp was restored. The swamp is more than 400 acres on the north side of Deer Drive near the intersection at University Parkway.

In the mid-1980s, a drainage issue caused by a shell mining operation left the swamp overrun by invasive species, such as water lettuce and Brazilian pepper trees.

SMR partnered with Sarasota County, the mining operation, and an engineering firm to restore the property’s uplands and wetlands. The effort took over six years and cost SMR $500,000. Long Swamp is designated as a conservation area.

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T

he Uihlein family paid about $2 an acre in 1922 for the more than 33,000 acres of land that Lakewood Ranch sits on today.

If bought at today’s prices, Lakewood Ranch would look like an entirely different community.

Laura Cole, senior vice president for Lakewood Ranch, said nearly every acre would have to be developed to make a profit, but Lakewood Ranch has 40% of its acreage designated as green space.

The space is split between recreational uses, stormwater management and conservation. All require upkeep as even conservation land can’t remain fully untouched — especially in areas containing wetlands.

Anne Ross, executive director of the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District, said last year’s budget was over $600,000 for stormwater and conservation. The stewardship district covers about two-thirds of Lakewood Ranch in areas that aren’t managed by one of the five community development districts.

Whether it’s a voluntary action or a requirement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, clearing and chemically treating Brazilian pepper trees is written into the budget each year.

“They just pop up everywhere,” Ross said. “They’re a real nuisance.”

She said pepper trees are also green and lush looking, so efforts to eradicate the pests can be unwelcome at first. Staff has to explain to residents why these nice-looking trees are not the type of greenery they want in

STEWARDSHIP DISTRICT VS. CDD

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

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“I’m not afraid to smile anymore!”

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

s River Strand’s Lang Wooddy stood in front of his fellow Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch members, he decided to tell a joke.

“Anybody know the secret to having a smoking hot body as a senior?”

Wooddy said. “Cremation.”

Rotary members might hear more jokes from Wooddy over time as he will be standing before them every week during the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch’s meeting as the club’s new president.

Wooddy, who has been involved in Rotary for 39 years, said he’s honored, humbled, excited and a bit frightened to take leadership of the community organization.

Wooddy said members of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch have high expectations to have successful events, raise thousands of dollars to provide grants to community organizations and support its programs such as Books for Kids and its clean water and sanitation project.

“It’s frightening to not meet expectations. You always have to be on-point, game-on, and they feel the same way,” he said. “Together, we will get a lot of stuff done.”

Wooddy said one of the biggest challenges he could face as president will come at the end of his year as the leader, having to step down after hopefully a year of working to progress the club and its mission.

“The deeper you get into it, the more comfortable you get and the better you work,” he said.

Liz Ramos

Garry Kohn, a visiting member from the Mason Deerfield Rotary Club, presents a banner to Lang Wooddy, new Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch president.

This year won’t be the first time Wooddy has served as president.

He was president from 1991 to 1992 for the Rotary Club of Dunwoody in Dunwoody, Georgia.

Wooddy said his experience as president for the Rotary Club of Dunwoody gives him insight to know what it takes to have a successful term as president.

Wooddy joined the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch eight months after moving to River Strand in 2019. He said he hasn’t looked back as the Lakewood Ranch club has a friendly attitude with dedicated individuals who want to make an impact on their community.

The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch is known for constantly trying to expand its programs and increase its services to the community. The club raised $140,000 through its annual Suncoast Food and Wine Fest last year and presented $130,000 of those funds in grants to support local organizations. The club was $10,000 shy of its record of $150,000.

Wooddy would like to have the Rotary Club see sustained growth, improved financials, and of course, more fun.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

EAST COUNTY

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

Friedrich Hayek

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

A downey woodpecker makes use of a hole in the oak snag in Susan and John Darovec’s front yard in Braden Woods.

Photos by Jay Heater

Although snags are cut-off, dying or dead trees, they blend in with the rest of the yard.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

I

t’s still in the Braden Woods

the yard, and then had exited just as quickly. The woodpecker had landed on one of the yard’s “snags.”

A snag is a standing dead or dying tree, often topped, cutting away all its higher-up branches above the cut. It is usually cut at a height so when it does fall, it won’t cause any damage to a home, pool or other yard structure.

Most people don’t leave a snag standing when a tree dies, because, well, some think they are ugly. They are, after all, dead.

However, snags have lifesaving powers for various kinds of wildlife, such as woodpeckers.

The National Wildlife Federation notes that “Dead trees provide vital habitat for more than 1,000 species of wildlife nationwide. They also count as cover and places for wildlife to raise young in the requirements for Certified Wildlife Habitat designation.”

And then there is the show.

“It is such a delight that you can see all the animals (that are attracted to snags),” Susan Darovec said.

The Darovecs have four snags in their yard, two in the front of the house and two in the back. Three of the snags are pine, and the other is an oak.

The pines were hit by lightning and the oak never took off after a replanting.

“The (pine) snag in our front yard has fed many red-bellied and pileated woodpeckers and housed multiple woodpecker families,” Susan Darovec said. “One pine snag in the backyard seems to be an excellent food source for many woodpeckers.

Our small oak snag in the front yard has provided homes for downy and red-bellied woodpeckers. It also, apparently, is the perfect perch for mockingbirds and brown thrashers when they are checking out our yard for dangers to their nests.”

The Darovecs would dispute that snags are ugly.

NOT AN EYESORE

“None of these snags in an eyesore,” she said. “In fact, as the bark drops, the trees expose beautiful natural Darovec on a hot July day. designs.”

They both understand that not If you wait patiently, though, and everyone likes the look. Perhaps, though, people would be interested sit quietly, it isn’t long before the to hear about the cost savings if they decided to cut the dead tree into a show begins. snag.

Susan Darovec talked about one of her good friends in Braden Woods The star is nature itself as this is who just had a large pine tree die a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habiafter it was hit by lightning. She tat that has been recognized by the couldn’t convince her friend to National Wildlife Federation. After leave the snag in place, and the cost a short wait, squirrels begin to race to cut the tree down and remove the around the yard, a male cardinal stump was $2,500. It would have perches on a bird feeder and a redbeen about half that much to cut the bellied woodpecker goes tree-totree off as high as necessary to keep tree looking for food. An armadillo it from causing any damage when it scurries past, and common grackles, falls. John Darovec noted that when a blue jay and two blackthe snags fall, they are so bellied whistling ducks deteriorated they are easy make brief appearances. to get rid of, along with the The Darovecs have stump. added bird feeders and “No big machines are some birdbaths to their needed,” John Darovec yard, and a woodpile that said. provides shelter for the While snags make sense animals that have made in Braden Woods, which this particular yard their features so many homes home. tucked into a forest-like Those who apply for setting, snags might not their yard to be a Certified blend in so well in newer Backyard Wildlife Habitat communities void of many have to show they have trees. provided food, water, covThe Darovecs have spent er and places to raise their a lifetime caring about young for the wildlife that wildlife. uses the land. The yard Susan Darovec, who was must be made of at least an educator for 37 years, 50% to 70% native plants grew up a bird watcher in that provide multiseason Kalamazoo, Michigan. bloom. The yard must be “We would watch the free of neonicotinoids cardinals and blue jays,” (insecticides). she said. “And one of my You can apply for the favorites was the grosdesignation at NWF.org/ beaks. They were so colorCertify. The National ful. We were feeding them, Susan and John Darovec, of Braden Woods, hope Wildlife Federation notes helping them to exist. We people consider cutting off dead trees in their yards as “Rapid and large-scale also would see cuckoos. the resulting snags are beneficial to wildlife. changes to our lands and That was a treat. We had waters mean wildlife is bird feeders and bird baths losing the habitats it once to support the wildlife. knew. Every habitat garden Snags were something I is a step toward replenishgrew up with. They last ing resources for wildlife about five years (after they such as bees, butterflies, die and are cut).” birds and amphibians — They moved to Florida both locally and along in the late 1980s and have migratory corridors.” been in their current home for 21 years.

LIVING WITH SNAGS When it comes to trees Seated in her living room, dying in his yard, John Susan Darovec was talking Darovec said the best about her yard when a flit course is to do nothing. of movement caught her “Just let it go and we attention. She pointed out will see what happens,” he A squirrel is king of the world on top of a “snag” in John a red-bellied woodpecker said. and Susan Darovec’s front yard in Braden Woods. that had made its way into

backyard of Susan and John

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

Dead trees bring the show to life Snags prove to be important to area wildlife, such as woodpeckers.

Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

A pair of black-bellied whistling ducks feed under the bird feeder at the home of John and Susan Darovec in Braden Woods.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

SIDE OF RANCH

9

JAY HEATER

Aspiring butler hopes to clean up in his new profession

T

he U.S. Marines boot camp is known as one of the most grueling training regimens in the world.

About 10% of men don’t make it through.

I might have found something tougher.

Lakewood Ranch’s Michael Gula currently is attending the International Butler Academy in Simpelveid, Netherlands.

It’s a 10-week program to produce butlers for private service.

Gula, a 2015 Cardinal Mooney graduate, has completed eight weeks of the program. Of the five people who signed up, three remain. That’s a 40% loss, which Gula said is not unusual for the program. They dropped out despite paying $16,000 to attend the program.

Yes, they paid big bucks to be a butler. Go figure.

If you are like me, your exposure to butlers has been through the movies. When I hear “butler,” I think of the old classic comedy “Arthur.” Actor John Gielgud introduced us to the profession by playing the character “Hobson,” who took care of lovable alcoholic Arthur. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work.

Time’s Gary Susman wrote about the role that Hobson “displays a frosty hauteur, his every syllable dripping with sarcasm and contempt.”

Thus, that’s what I think of when I hear “butler.”

There have been many other movie and TV butlers who have carved our image of the profession as well. Batman, on both TV and in the movies, always had Alfred, Louis Winthorpe in “Trading Places” had Coleman, and in the TV series, the Owens family had “Mr. Belvedere.” Heck, the Addams Family had Lurch.

All were stiff, sarcastic, proper, and all-knowing. They were a mix of valet, maid, cook and psychologist. Seldom, in the movies, did you

File photo

Lakewood Ranch’s Tony Gula has supported his son, Michael, as he enters his new profession of being a butler.

see a butler actually having fun.

They often take abuse from their quirky clients.

So my question to Gula, who spoke to me by phone from the Netherlands, was “why?”

Kids often want to be like their parents (Dad Tony Gula was an air conditioning supervisor for the New York City Transit Authority and mom Roseann Gula was a career educator) or perhaps a fireman, policeman, doctor, professional athlete. But a butler?

What attracted him to such a profession?

“My story is that, growing up, I was fortunate to have been able to do a lot of traveling,” Gula said.

“With that, you become used to being in the hospitality environment. It is a fun, exciting environment.”

But isn’t it more fun and exciting to be on the receiving end of the hospitality?

“I want to make people happy,” he said. “I can create extra special moments.”

So, after high school, Gula earned his degree in hospitality management from the University of South Florida. Then he started looking around for a job. He found information about the International Butler Academy, which calls itself “the best butler academy in the world.”

The academy’s website notes, “Immerse yourself in a transformative journey where every detail matters, where etiquette and precision intertwine, and where the true art of service becomes a way of life.

We are honored to serve some of the wealthiest families and most discerning employers in the world, and they rely on us for staff training, recruitment and highly specialized consulting services.”

It’s not an easy 10 weeks.

While the International Butler Academy doesn’t offer the kind

of physical grind of a boot camp, it does familiarize those who sign up with a schedule that simply can wear them out mentally. It prepares its students for a job that can be relentless.

“I will be working all the hours that nobody wants to work,” Gula said with a laugh.

Butlers often are required to serve breakfast and lunch and dinner. They have duties first thing in the morning, and at night, and on weekends, and all the times inbetween. They basically are on-call 24-7. The responsibilities can seem to be never-ending.

None of it scares the 27-year-old Gula, who said he has total support from his parents.

“They have always told me, ‘We are OK if this is what you want to do,’” Gula said. “And all of this is so fascinating to me.”

He also noted that private service butlers can earn six-figure incomes.

He said his first eight weeks at the International Butler Academy has been interesting and informative. The building itself is a former monastery that is set up to function like a private household. It also has dedicated space for subjects such as a Flower Room, a Candle Room, a Porcelain Room, a Table Decoration Room and more.

Two three-hour classroom periods are worked into a day where they clean, do laundry, serve food and take inventory of all the household needs.

“It’s kind of like a royal household,” Gula said. “Someone is assigned to be the head butler each day, and I’ve been that four times.”

The classes cover subjects such as their recruitment for a position, how to interview and lessons on etiquette. The academy scheduled field trips to places that support luxury lifestyle, such as a Bentley dealership, luxury interior designers and five-star hotels.

Some of the lessons centered on appearance.

“We learn how to present ourselves, how to walk in and how to exit rooms,” Gula said.

The academy has a placement agency that works with clients who know any potential butler who has been through the 10 weeks will be well-schooled.

Gula will not be going into private service after he completes the program July 27. Before he left for the International Butler Academy, he attended a job fair by the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort and was hired to be a hotel butler. He gets home Aug. 1 and begins his new job Aug. 2.

While it isn’t private service, Gula will use much of what he learned at the academy in his new job.

Eventually, he will try to move up at the resort or he could even pursue private service if he decides to go that direction.

“You do have more flexibility in a hotel,” he said. “You need to produce surprises for your guests and go the extra mile. It’s still luxury hospitality, and you need to have a special talent to be able to predict the needs of your guests.”

That sparked my memory to one of my favorite scenes in “Arthur.”

Hobson goes to the apartment of the female lead (Linda Marolla played by Liza Minnelli) and tries to convince her to pursue Arthur.

At one point he asks her to get him some aspirin, which she does. They finish talking and Hobson gets ready to leave when she tells him, “You forgot your aspirin.”

Hobson quips, “The aspirins are for you, my dear.”

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

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Braden River shows progress against invasive tape grass The Wildlife Conservation Commission has been working to eradicate tape grass from the Braden River.

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There are signs of progress, though. Peterson plucked a clump of the slimy grass out of the water and held it up to show the students its roots.

“The roots are orange,” she said.

“Some of the blades are brown.”

White roots would be a sign of health. While the grass isn’t completely brown and dead, it’s no longer white, green or thriving and getting caught in boat motors.

Peterson said it only took about six months for the grass to completely blanket the river.

Part of what makes the grass so interesting to a group of plant management students is that tape grass is a “cryptic plant.” It has a lookalike in the native eelgrass, which makes it tougher to control.

Genetic testing is the only way to definitively distinguish one from the other. However, Peterson has spent more than a year collecting and examining samples.

Nonscientifically speaking, she told the students that it just looks “sketchy.”

There are no additional herbicide treatments scheduled right now, but Peterson said another treatment will likely be needed.

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risten Peterson, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, needed an airboat to traverse the Braden River in August 2023.

Old World Tape Grass had taken over, leaving the river unnavigable.

Smaller, less powerful boats were getting stuck in the dense vegetation.

On July 15, the Braden Lady, a pontoon boat, and the Braden River Queen, a Duffy electric boat, took off from the dock at Jiggs Landing.

The tour boats set out across the Bill Evers Reservoir and went up the Braden River.

The passengers were from all over the country but were not typical tourists. Denise Kleiner, general manager at Jiggs Landing, lent the boats and captains to Peterson for the morning, so Peterson could show a group of graduate students the invasive tape grass.

The students were in the area attending the Aquatic Plant Management Society’s annual conference in St. Petersburg.

Neither the pontoon nor the smaller Duffy had any trouble traveling the river, but Peterson said the tape grass is only about 25% better since the FWC started treating it with liquid copper and an aquatic herbicide called Diquat last year.

A neighbor spotted Peterson on the pontoon. She yelled from her dock, “We were out here for four hours yesterday.”

Peterson said residents in the area do “yard work” on the water. She’s sat down with them, so they know what they can and can’t do. The most important rule is to only collect what’s floating. Then, the tape grass gets bagged like any other weed and

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

11

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Christmas wishes granted in July

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hristmas is coming early for Tara Elementary School teachers.

Lauren and Tim Macri, the owners of Beef ’O’ Brady’s Braden River, sat at a booth in their restaurant admiring a Christmas tree they put up and decorated with ornaments showing Tara Elementary School’s logo and a few ornaments with wish lists from the school’s teachers.

The couple can’t wait to see the rest of the gifts come in during Beef ’O’ Brady’s and Tara Elementary’s Christmas in July partnership.

Throughout July, restaurant patrons have selected one of the 44 ornaments off a tree and have been purchasing the items on the list for teachers.

On Aug. 5, it’ll be like Christmas morning for the teachers as they receive the items on their wish lists during a back-to-school luncheon.

“I am so excited to be able to see the generosity of the community and our patrons and our staff,” Lauren Macri said. “I imagine as teachers, their role is one of constant giving into other lives. Just to feed into them a little bit, I’m excited to be able to do that.”

When speaking with Kali Anges, assistant principal at Tara Elementary, Lauren Macri said she was shocked to learn that teachers spend hundreds of dollars out of pocket to purchase extras for their classrooms.

She knew she immediately wanted to do something for the teachers.

Anges said teachers spend their money on classroom decorations, little prizes for when students meet academic or behavioral goals, school supplies and “special touches.”

“In order for a student to learn,

Liz Ramos

HOW TO PARTICIPATE Head over to Beef ’O’ Brady’s Braden River at 6581 State Road 70 E., in Bradenton, and look for the Christmas tree.

Select an ornament and take it to an employee.

Purchase the items and bring them back to the restaurant by July 31.

The gifts will be given to the teachers during a back-toschool luncheon on Aug. 5 at the restaurant.

Lauren Macri and her husband, Tim Macri, owners of Beef ’O’ Brady’s Braden River, help support teachers through the restaurant’s Christmas in July partnership with Tara Elementary School.

they have to feel safe and they have to feel ownership of their own classroom,” Anges said. “Teachers don’t have to spend their own money, but they’re passionate, and that’s why they’re in education in the first place.”

The Macris worked with Anges to create the Christmas in July event.

Restaurant patrons who participate in Christmas in July will receive 200 points to the restaurant’s loyalty app, which equates to $10. They also will be entered into a drawing in which the winner will receive 10 free wings per week for a year.

Anges said the back-to-school luncheon will be a morale booster for staff and a “great way to start the year on a positive high note.”

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

A WORLD of WONDER Slack rope performer Antino Pansa defies gravity at the Summer Circus Spectacular, which runs through Aug. 17.

Escape the heat and life’s cares at the Summer Circus Spectacular.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

I

magine a world where doctors would treat depression and anxiety, not by writing a pre-

scription for Wellbutrin, but with one for the orchestra, the ballet or the circus.

It’s not as far-fetched as it seems.

Academics, such as Dacher Keltner at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, have been studying the healing benefits of wonder.

Keltner has written a book called “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” and was a consultant on Pixar’s “Inside Out.” In case you haven’t heard, “Inside Out 2” has been a surprise summer box-office smash and spotlights a character with the features of anxiety.

Sarasota’s arts institutions are no strangers to the power of wonder. The Ringling Museum recently jumped on the bandwagon with a conference of the same name. (Check out the cool “Wonder” merch in the museum gift shop.) Meanwhile, Sarasota’s nonprofit Circus Arts Conservatory held a concert named “Wonderball.”

Cool beans, huh? That’s what the comedy duo Cheech and Chong used to say back in the day, long before they were promoting cannabis gummies.

Some boomers aren’t ready to leave their wonder years behind. But marijuana isn’t legal in Florida, and tickets to the Dead & Company’s Las Vegas residency at the immersive entertainment venue the Sphere are pretty pricey ($150), especially when you add airline tickets, hotel and food.

IF YOU GO SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR When: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Runs through Aug. 17.

Where: Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $20 adults; $15 kids Info: Visit Ringling.org.

FINDING WONDER IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Why not find wonder in your own backyard? The Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater is just what the doctor ordered, especially if you’ve got restless kids around the house and temperatures are in the 90s.

Ready to escape the heat with a trip up north? You’re in luck. Sarasota’s Circus Arts Conservatory, presided over by the husband-and-wife team of Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, is having a residency of its own, in the Massachusetts Berkshires. “SommerSaults in the Berkshires” will run July 19-28 at the Duffin Theater in Lenox, Massachusetts.

The CAC’s inaugural Berkshires residency builds on Sarasota’s heritage as the longtime home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. With the exception of one act, Duo Alexander, the lineup in Lenox is the same as last year’s Summer Circus Spectacular in Sarasota.

That show included third-generation circus artist Heidi Herriott as master of ceremonies, clowns Dick Monday and Slappy, crystal balance act Serge Sergeev and Aurika Annaeva, speed juggler Tersit Asefa Dersu and Garrett Allen on aerial rope.

Locals may remember Dersu and Allen from their triumphant performances at March’s Cirque des Voix, the collaboration between the CAC and Key Chorale.

A SUMMER HOME IN THE BERKSHIRES FOR THE CAC?

Does this mean the performers currently on stage at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, or the HAT, could be heading to the Berkshires next summer? CAC Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell hinted at such a possibility in a statement.

“After several visits to the Berkshires, we felt there were significant similarities between our communi-

ties — especially the focus on arts and culture — and felt that a summer show would be a great way to jumpstart any potential continued presence there,” Mitchell said.

The Berkshires tickets cost a little more ($25-$30) than those of the Sarasota Summer Circus Spectacular ($15-$20). Both shows are in air-conditioned venues and run for an hour, which most children can sit through.

Helping to keep kids engaged from the get-go at the summer circus is the chance that Renaldo the clown could tap any one of them as assistants in his juggling, plate-spinning and magic routines.

At a recent show, about a dozen kids were recruited from the audience as well as an adult or two. (One man was so adept at throwing and catching objects with Renaldo, he seemed like a plant. But maybe he just played sports in high school.)

Don’t let the mention of clowns derail your trip to the Summer Circus Spectacular. Over the years, clowns have gotten a bad rap, and some parents are afraid they will frighten children. Rest assured, the CAC’s clowns are not scary. Co-founder Dolly Jacobs knows a little something about clowns, since her father was the legendary Ringling Bros. clown Ed Jacobs.

A CLOWN WITH CONTINENTAL FLAIR

Renaldo, whose real name is Al Calienes, speaks a weird patois that sounds like a mishmash of English, Spanish and Italian. Along with his zany, family-friendly antics, Calienes exudes a continental flair that fits right in with the European flavor that Reis, a native of South Africa, and Jacobs have given to CAC performances, both during season and in the summer.

In a telephone interview before leaving for the Berkshires, Reis reflected on the growth of the Summer Circus Spectacular, which started in the summer of 1998 at a place called the Wagon Room. “Those were our first ticketed performances,” Reis says.

The summer circus moved to The Ringling at the urging of former Art of Performance Curator Dwight Currie, Reis says, who was a circus fan. Then the summer residency at The Ringling was interrupted by renovations at the museum. The summer circus returned after they were complete.

Images courtesy of David Shapiro

In the early days of the Summer Circus Spectacular, Jacobs, a veteran of Ringling Bros. and Big Apple Circus, performed as an aerialist, Reis recalls. Jacobs has since retired from performing and is more likely to be wearing an evening gown in her appearances at the circus than a sparkly leotard.

Reis says he’s been pleased with the growth of the summer circus, which this year runs through Aug. 17.

“It’s become very popular. Kids are out of school, and we make it affordable for families in a beautiful airconditioned theater,” he says. “Each year is better than the year before.”

A PERFECT VENUE FOR AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES

The HAT is easy for those with wheelchairs and walkers to negotiate, and there’s room to store the devices on the first floor of the 530seat theater. Indeed, many multigenerational groups, with members ranging from roughly 8 years of age to 80, were in evidence at a recent performance of the circus.

There was plenty of wonder to be found on stage. Slack wire performer Antino Pansa got things started with his brand of derring-do after Renaldo warmed up the crowd.

The hypnotic performance of “hair hang” artist Camille Langlois, SEE CIRCUS, PAGE 14

The Bello Sisters demonstrate strength and grace in their Summer Circus Spectacular performance.

“Kids are out of school, and we make it affordable for families in a beautiful airconditioned theater. Each year is better than the year before.”

— Pedro Reis

14

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

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who performs acrobatics suspended from a rope attached to a bun on her head as a mesmerizing soundtrack plays in the background, entranced the crowd.

The haunting broken doll performance of contortionist Uranbileg Angarag was an edgy complement to Renaldo’s baby with a bottle and a Teddy bear act that it followed, but it was not too dark.

The Bello Sisters, an acrobatic trio, were the crowd pleasers of the afternoon (performances are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.), with their stunning teamwork showcasing both strength and grace.

Ringmaster Jared Walker did a masterful job of introducing the performers, engaging in hijinks with Renaldo and keeping the show moving.

If there’s a performance at the summer circus that doesn’t transport you, not to worry: It’ll be over in a few minutes. Each act is less than 10 minutes long.

ate the training and talent on stage at the Summer Circus Spectacular. The performers make everything look deceptively easy. That’s the wonder of it all.

If you’re ready for more circus, you can take your ticket stub to The Ringling box office and learn about circus history at the Tibbals Learning Center and Circus Museum for just $5, a $25 savings on the admission price of $30. The circus center is not included in the museum’s free Monday admissions.

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

There are no selfies or videos allowed during the summer circus, but audience members can pose for free with the cast in the lobby of The Ringling. When an audience member remarked how quickly the line was moving, a Ringling employee responded, “These people are pros, on and off stage.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

THIS WEEK

DON’T MISS

SCD IN-STUDIO: JESSICA OBIEDZINSKI After a spinal injury left her exploring modes of healing beyond traditional medicine, Jessica Obiedzinski spent two weeks tapping into her subconscious at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. In this “sneak peek” performance, she reveals her discoveries.

IF YOU GO When: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20 Where: at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 Tickets: $22 Info: Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.

THURSDAY

PAT GODWIN 7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $26 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

A veteran of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” “The Howard Stern Show” and “The Bob & Tom Show,” Pat Godwin effortlessly combines music and humor. Runs through July 21.

‘THE MUSIC OF LAUREL CANYON’ 7:30 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. Runs through Aug. 25.

‘DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $29-$46

OUR PICK NEWISH JEWISH PLAYS: ‘ORIGINAL TENANTS’ If it’s summer in Sarasota, it’s time for play readings. The Sarasota Jewish Theatre enters the derby with Newish Jewish Plays, a three-play series on three consecutive Mondays. The second selection is Carole Braverman’s “Original Tenants,” about a daughter whose memories are stirred when she visits her sick mother in Brooklyn.

IF YOU GO When: 7 p.m. Monday, July 22 Where: The Players Centre, Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $12 or $30 for three-play series Info: Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.

15

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig tells the story of his parents’ courtship during World War II. The play follows U.S. Army Capt. Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, who begins a life-changing pen-pal relationship with Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress living in the Big Apple. Runs through Aug. 11.

‘RHINESTONE COWGIRLS’ 7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Created by Nancy Allen Productions, this musical tribute to some of the first ladies of country features such classics as Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” Runs through Aug. 4.

FRIDAY DISNEY’S ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID JR.’ SHOW 7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $20 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.” looks at the sacrifices we are willing to make to be loved and accepted. What makes these Disney Jr. shows perfect for children? The adaptations of beloved musicals are just one hour long.

CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

This classic movie of California cruising in the 1950s recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Directed by George Lucas (“Star Wars”), “American Graffiti” helped propel the careers of stars like Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford. It also provided the inspiration for the long-running 1970s TV show “Happy Days.”

THE FUNKY BONZ 8 p.m. at Joyland, 8341 Lockwood Ridge Road 18-20, $26.13; 21 and older, $10.45 Visit JoylandSarasota.com.

The band will play soulful melodies from artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Bruno Mars and Dua Lipa in a performance that promises to be a musical tour of the decades.

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

In 2007, soprano Anna Netrebko wowed New York audiences in the role of the fragile Puritan maiden Elvira. Filled with exciting arias and ensembles, this bel canto treasure also stars Eric Cutler as Elvira’s love, Arthur, Franco Vassallo as her suitor, Riccardo, and John Relyea as her Uncle Giorgio.

Courtesy Images

WEDNESDAY JAZZ HAPPY HOUR 6 p.m. Geldbart Auditorium, Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free with registration Visit JazzHappyHour.org.

“Rhinestone Cowgirls” runs through Aug. 4 at the FST’s Goldstein Cabaret.

Sarasota Music Archive presents the Jazz All Stars with the program, “The Art of Jazz and Improvisation” featuring Jamie Tremps on vocals.

ZACHARY BARTHOLOMEW QUINTET 7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $14-$28 Visit WSLR.org.

Award-winning pianist, composer and educator Zachary Bartholomew will be accompanied by Marty Quinn on bass, Rodolfo Zuniga on drums and David Fernandez on saxophone.

Bartholomew will also be joined by Emmy-nominated jazz trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III.

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REVIEWS

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Love letters fly as bombs drop FST’s ‘Dear Jack, Dear Louise’ is a funny tale punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

K

en Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is now playing at Florida Studio Theatre. Based on the playwright’s track record (“Lend Me a Tenor,” “Crazy for You” and “Moon Over Buffalo,” etc.), you expect clever comedy, engaging characters, snappy dialogue and high-concept situations.

This play meets all those expectations — with one surprise.

For Ludwig, the material is very personal.

Jack and Louise aren’t fictional characters — they’re the playwright’s parents. Ludwig didn’t even change their names. This play recalls the courtship of the playwright’s parents. It was a long-distance courtship, delivered via air mail.

How’d that happen?

The playwright’s father, Jack (Jordan Sobel) was an Army physician — taciturn, stoic and dutiful. Ludwig’s mother, Louise (Maggie Lou Rader), was an aspiring actress and dancer with Broadway dreams.

Ludwig’s grandfathers were both Jewish refugees who had fled the pogroms of Eastern Europe and come to America. They suggested their kids should write — and they did.

The couple’s correspondence began in 1942 but they didn’t actually meet until the war was over.

Their love story unfolded in their revealing letters. Sadly, the playwright’s mother destroyed them.

Happily, Ludwig reimagined them — and retells his parents’ love story in this play.

As the play opens, Jack is stationed at an Army base in Medford, Oregon. Louise writes from a boarding house in Brooklyn, New

Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” runs through Aug. 11 at FST’s Gompertz Theatre.

York. In Jack’s letters, he vents his frustration with a commanding officer who won’t grant leave,and his revulsion at the futile horrors of war. (Jack’s seen it first-hand, treating an endless stream of wounded from the Pacific Theater.)

When she’s not trying to crack Jack’s emotional reserve, Louise writes breathlessly of her ups and downs trying to break into show biz. Her roommate stole the dream role she auditioned for in “Arsenic and Old Lace.” But “Hellzapoppin” has another dream role — and they’re auditioning right now!

The couple is geographically distant but emotionally connected. In Ludwig’s inventive staging, they share the same stage. (He’s on stage left and she’s on stage right.) The letters fly back and forth. They never physically meet, but words unite them.

Jack and Louise read their letters out loud — a continual calland-response. Their conversation theoretically spans continents.

But that’s make-believe. In reality, two actors are talking to each other in the same room. It sounds like a normal conversation — with one key difference. The actors never interrupt each other.

The couple’s back-and-forth dialogue resembles the film technique of cross-cutting. It’s a snappy approach, but it could easily feel forced. Director Kristin Clippard smartly captures Ludwig’s rat-a-tat rhythms.

Louise (Rader) is a bouncy, bubbly chatterbox. She’s flamboyant and tries to accentuate the positive, though she can get boiling mad. Whatever’s on her mind goes straight into her letters. Rader’s character wears her heart on her sleeve.

Sobel’s Jack is a man of few words, but he’s got heart too. He’s

Image courtesy of John Jones

IF YOU GO

‘Dear Jack, Dear Louise’ When: Through Aug. 11.

Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. Tickets: $25-$42 Info: Visit FloridaStudio Theatre.org.

a patriot, but that doesn’t blind him to the brutal stupidity of war (or the stupid generals making bad decisions). They’ve both got plenty of chemistry. Rader and Sobel sell you on their growing attraction.

Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay do a swell job creating the divided world on stage. On one side, Jack’s office is spare and spartan. On the other side, Louise’s apartment is stuffed with knickknacks, mementos and makeup.

Behind both spaces, letters in the backdrop seem to soar like birds in flight. It’s set design as characterization, and it works beautifully. Daniel Ciba’s period

costumes nicely turn back time.

Louise is a 1940s rainbow; Jack’s in uniform. Kudos also to Nicholas Christensen’s sound design — especially in the scenes where Jack is under fire. (You get some idea of what “shell shock” means.)

While we’re on the subject, that’s another twist on the playwright’s expectations. This is a very funny play — but it’s punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

World War II is constantly raging in the background. By the end of the second act, it’s coming on strong like a Category 5 hurricane.

Jack winds up stationed in Europe — on the front lines treating the casualties of D Day and the Battle of the Bulge. And sometimes running for his life.

Pretty suspenseful. (Seeing as how Ken Ludwig was born, it’s a good bet his father survives.)

Knowing that, you’re still on the edge of your seat.

Ludwig’s epistolary play has a great premise. It’s a love letter to his parents — and the “greatest generation,” too. But that sweet notion is packed with nostalgic

baggage.

With a lesser playwright, that material could easily have been sentimental schlock. But Ludwig’s an honest scribe. His comedy is reality-based. As I said, the reality behind the playwright’s fiction is highly personal.

Like Proust, Ludwig was trying to recapture lost time. Unlike Proust, the lost memories weren’t his own. His mother burned the love letters, and he had to imaginatively recreate them. Imagine what that means …

Most love affairs click from countless variables, including body language, appearance, physical chemistry and pheromones.

What you say counts, but also how you say it. But with letters, words are all you have.

Before their love affair could begin, Jack and Louise had to imagine the person behind the words. It took powerful words to do that. And a powerful playwright to reimagine them. Ludwig did — and that’s his real accomplishment.

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JULY 18, 2024

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Lesley Dwyer

Jon Mast, CEO of the Suncoast Builders Association, and his wife, Teresa Mast, attend the Stuff the Backpack event on July 11 at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing.

Lakewood Ranch resident Megan Schroeder is a member of the Young Professionals Committee.

The right stuff J

Bradenton resident Jacob Bordner loads more backpacks into Boys and Girls Clubs’ van.

427212-1

The backpacks are stuffed, so organizer Jessica Seper pours some beers.

oe Ernst’s wife is a stay-athome mom, so his children don’t spend a lot of time at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota, but on July 11, he was more than happy to stuff backpacks for the Stuff the Backpack event at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing.

There was a time when the Boys & Girls Club was a big part of Ernst’s life. From the age of 5 through 13, Ernst was enrolled at the Boys & Girls Club on Fruitville Road.

“I learned all my sports there — basketball, football, baseball,” said Ernst, who now is a sales manager for D&D Garage Doors and a member of the Suncoast Builders Association, which sponsored the event. “I have friends (from the club) that I’m still friends with to this day.”

The backpacks will be given to children who are enrolled at Boys & Girls Clubs in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

The Young Professionals Committee of the Suncoast Builders Association has been stuffing backpacks for the clubs for 10 years. This year’s effort was the biggest yet. The committee raised more than $13,000 to stuff and donate 528 backpacks.

“When we first started this

event, we had about five backpacks,” event organizer Jessica Seper said. “This year, our goal was 500, and we exceeded it.”

This year’s event was bittersweet for Seper. She’s been chair of the Young Professionals Committee for 10 years, and in June, she was hired to serve as the association’s new membership director.

Seper has to transition from being a volunteer to a staff member, so Kim Boynton is stepping into the role of chair and Stuff the Backpack organizer.

Boynton didn’t attend the Boys & Girls Clubs as a child, but she knows what it’s like to not have a new backpack for the first day of school. She spent the past 10 years focused on building her screen and awning business, 3/8 & Co. Now, she’s ready to pay her success forward.

“I’m passionate about this,” Boynton said. “I didn’t have anything, and I relied on the people who were older than me. I felt this one.”

— LESLEY DWYER

The work is done, so Sarasota resident John Stengel and Lakewood Ranch resident Drew Smith enjoy the afterparty.

Kelli Dixon, chief development officer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County, carries a box of backpacks out to the van.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

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COMMUNITY THURSDAY, JULY 18 THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 21

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), Pedro and Zooey (Friday), Blue Grass Pirates (Saturday) and Zooey Seraphine (Sunday).

The Friday and Saturday concerts have a $5 cover; the other concerts are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

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MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

SATURDAY, JULY 20 Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch.

Singer/songwriter Dana Lawrence, who plays rock, blues, reggae and New Orleans soul, will entertain those who stroll through Waterside Place as part of the weekly free music series. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

MOVIE AT THE LIBRARY Begins at 3 p.m. at the Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. Adults 18 and older are invited to attend a special movie event at the library with the playing of “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Popcorn and drinks will be provided.

For more information about the free event or to register to attend, call 727-6079 or go to MyManatee.org/ Departments/Manatee_County_ Public_Library_System.

SATURDAY, JULY 20

Kelly’s legendary Roast Beef Sandwiches and Fresh New England Seafood.

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FRIDAY, JULY 19

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Begins at 7 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. The monthly free Sights and Sounds series continues with the Suncoast Swing Band, which will perform music from the 1940s to contemporary music by musicians such as Earth Wind and Fire and Bruno Mars. The band consists of 19 musicians and vocalists, bringing a full complement of saxophones, trombones, trumpets, rhythm section and percussion.

Their engagement with the audience will encourage you to sing along, tap your toes or get up and dance. There is limited seating available, so feel free to bring a lawn chair. No outside food or drinks are permitted.

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ROOFTOP YOGA Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Library hosts a free rooftop yoga session for those 18 and older. The class is designed to inspire and invigorate all. Beginners are welcome, as well as those who are experienced. The workout

File photo

Dana Lawrence, who also plays with Kettle of Fish, performs solo at Waterside.

focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and learning postures to promote strength and clarity. Please bring a yoga mat. For more information, go to MyManatee. org/Departments/Manatee_County_Public_Library_System.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

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 include children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.

SPONSORED CONTENT

I felt I was in good hands.”

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She was very concerned. Dr. Bhakoo used a computer conversations that my wife and I would later have

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Arts

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Human Resources

Event Coordination

Theme Parks

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19

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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.

20

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024 Skyline® Gliding Window Panels - Fabric/Material Catalina Operating Systems: PowerView® Automation, PowerView® Motorization

Sharpening knowledge at the library

A

s Amanda Closser, business manager of Steel Ring Academy, lunged toward Jason Callis, the owner and founder of Steel Ring Academy, with a Viking sword and shield, girls from the audience yelled “girl power!”

With that support, Closser yelled loudly as she went in again in an attempt to strike Callis with her sword.

Eventually, Closser and Callis took off their protective head gear and answered questions from the children who attended Steel Ring Academy’s live sword fighting demonstration July 11 at the Braden River Library.

Six-year-old Peyton Swartz said she loved seeing the competition unfold as Closser, Callis, along with Chris Fontana, a junior instructor, and Galloway Gonczy, a teen student, demonstrated competitions using various weaponry.

The group also explained the history of the weapons.

The Steel Ring Academy pursues excellence in Historical European Martial Arts. According to Steel Ring Academy’s website, HEMA is the “study and practice of individual weapons combat as it was taught and practiced in the Medieval and Renaissance periods all over Europe.”

The Steel Ring Academy website notes that “HEMA sporting events are held worldwide, and sword fencing is fast becoming a largely recognized sport. There are many groups that practice HEMA all over the world. HEMA’s diversity and scope of period is broad and covers weapon and fighting styles from hand-to-hand grappling, to sword play, to polearms and great shields.”

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Jason Callis, founder and owner of Steel Ring Academy, is in the ox guard stance.

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— LIZ RAMOS

Amanda Closser, business manager of Steel Ring Academy, puts all her energy into going after Jason Callis, the owner and founder, with a Viking sword and shield.

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Call us to Schedule A Dream Visit at For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website. 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. 242035157-2060611 12/23

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

21

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Steel Ring Academy’s Chris Fontana, Amanda Closser and Jason Callis join Chris Culp, youth librarian at Braden River Library, in welcoming children to the academy’s live sword fighting demonstration.

Chris Fontana, a junior instructor with Steel Ring Academy, is in the ready position to start fighting using a dussack.

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Peyton Swartz, who is 6, has her chance to hold a long sword with the help of Chris Fontana, a junior instructor with Steel Ring Academy. Swartz says she loved watching the live sword fighting demonstrations.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7045 Portmarnock Place 6 Beds 6/2 Baths 8,663 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4596573 $6,498,000

BRADENTON 1523 1st Avenue W 4 Beds 5 Baths 3,382 Sq. Ft. Cathy Palmer 941-920-2247 A4610531 $1,500,000

PALMETTO 902 25th Avenue W 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,092 Sq. Ft. Drew Russell 941-993-3739 A4614981 $1,250,000

BRADENTON 5664 Cloverleaf Run 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,101 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vilet 941-993-7087 A4614127 $1,159,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7167 Whitemarsh Circle 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,616 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4612966 $1,065,000

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

CORTEZ 3850 Mariners Walk 723 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,942 Sq. Ft. Pam Sweeney 941-266-9622 A4600870 $899,000

PARRISH 1721 Twin Rivers Trail 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,300 Sq. Ft. Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4605624 $849,000

BRADENTON 3512 115th Street W 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,631 Sq. Ft. Ralph & Megg Faillace 941-713-9142 A4577102 $799,000

PALMETTO 4338 14th Street Circle 2 Beds 2 Baths 2,762 Sq. Ft. Jinny Scherer 941-705-0877 A4593055 $799,000

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

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

CORTEZ 3905 Mariners Walk 813 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,829 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente 941-685-6767 A4595981 $725,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6438 Watercrest Way 204 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,134 Sq. Ft. Carol Stewart 941-290-9150 A4614255 $724,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7142 Sandhills Place 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,817 Sq. Ft. Deborah Angelo O'Mara 941-730-0777 A4613582 $675,000

BRADENTON 5004 Brickell Park Cove 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,722 Sq. Ft. Jonnie Dwyer & Bianca Dwyer 941-812-6283 A4614514 $499,000

BRADENTON 13737 Messina Loop 104 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,528 Sq. Ft. Deborah Angelo O'Mara 941-730-0777 A4596809 $495,000

BRADENTON 4808 29th Avenue W 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,143 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4611495 $459,000

PARRISH 4119 Banbury Circle 4 Beds 2 Baths 1,792 Sq. Ft. Diane Fogo Harter 941-445-2431 A4603494 $449,000

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

PALMETTO 3405 10th Lane W 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,604 Sq. Ft. Jinny Scherer 941-705-0877 A4611033 $425,000

BRADENTON 710 Estuary Drive 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,486 Sq. Ft. Erica Thomas 941-799-9365 A4595813 $375,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6320 Rosefinch Court 102 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,691 Sq. Ft. Barbara A Milian, PA 941-504-0660 A4607902 $349,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7609 Sweetbay Circle 7609 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,409 Sq. Ft. Ronald Greene 941-445-2985 A4607031 $344,900

BRADENTON 6066 Fairway Lane 1521 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,224 Sq. Ft. Judy LaValliere 941-504-3792 A4575832 $193,000

PARRISH 11432 Harbourside Lane 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,355 Sq. Ft. Sandi Dietrich 941-704-0697 A4608564 $2,250,000

PARRISH 6306 Foxbrook Trail 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,121 Sq. Ft. Chris Jeanes 941-330-4844 A4606767 $1,699,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17705 Lucaya Drive 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,362 Sq. Ft. Diane Fogo Harter 941-445-2431 A4607453 $1,550,000

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $3,698,700

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

JULY 1-5

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

Randall Woods and Heidi Woods, trustees, of Geneva, Illinois, sold the home at 8076 Grande Shores Drive to Richard Wenning and Brenda Wenning, trustees, of Waban, Massachusetts, for $2,175,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,553 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1,103,300 in 2020.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Christopher and Melissa Stoddard sold their home at 5817 Mulligan Way to Stephen Merten, trustee, of Traverse City, Michigan, for $1.28 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,427 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.1 million in 2023.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Richard and Linda Stimson, of Duluth, Georgia, sold their home at 4726 Mainsail Drive to Patrick and Michelle Dalton, of New Lenox, Illinois, for $1.27 million. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,281 square feet of living area.

AZARIO ESPLANADE

Randy and Nancy Turner, of Castle Pines, Colorado, sold their home at 4735 Arpino Court to Mark and Kimberly Carnes, of Bradenton, for $1.26 million. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,340 square feet of living area.

It sold for $521,100 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB

Anthony and Dolores Luciano, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7203 Lake Forest Glen to Sidney Libfraind and Suzanne Libfraind, of Raleigh, North Carolina, for $1,068,000. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,732 square feet of living area.

It sold for $584,000 in 2010.

DEL WEBB

Eugene McCabe and Hillary Andrea McCabe, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7331 Summerland Cove to Andrew and Lisa Sattel, of Lakewood Ranch, for $980,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,511 square feet of living area. It sold for $832,600 in 2022.

MALLORY PARK

Jason Andrew Bellan and Chloe Janae Bellan sold their home at 3242 Anchor Bay Trail to Parth Korthari and Karishma Sitapapa, of Bradenton, for $975,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,907 square feet of living area. It sold for $498,200 in 2019.

SWEETWATER

Kyle and Kristen Streicher, of Powder Springs, Georgia, sold their home at 17618 Savory Mist Circle to Kenneth and Yasmin Sadowsky, of Parkland, for $907,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,190 square feet of living area. It sold for $594,600 in 2023.

Carol Twyford, of Lavon, Texas, sold the home at 17925 Cherished Loop to Dana McCann, of Bradenton, for $485,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,672 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,600 in 2023.

VIRGINIA WATER

Mary Tanzosh and Nancy Stacer,

Liz Ramos

This Lakehouse Cove at Waterside home at 8076 Grande Shores Drive sold for $2,175,000. It has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,553 square feet of living area.

of University Park, sold their home at 6700 Virginia Crossing to James and Michele Dangelo, of Bradenton, for $900,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,031 square feet of living area. It sold for $501,000 in 2021.

GREYHAWK LANDING WEST

acuse sold the Unit 2-305 condominium at 10520 Boardwalk Loop to Peter William Agnes Jr. and Eileen Agnes, of Wayland, Massachusetts, for $650,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,467 square feet of living area. It sold for $505,700 in 2018.

Stephen George Dermangian and Sheri Ann Dermangian, of Ellenton, sold their home at 630 Honeyflower Loop to Michael and Michele Zaleski, of Bradenton, for $888,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,749 square feet of living area. It sold for $354,500 in 2013.

SOLERA

POLO RUN

GREENBROOK

Suellen and Gilbert Hawkins, trustees, of Knoxville, Tennessee, sold the home at 17543 Polo Trail to Marina and Vincenzo Onesti, of Bradenton, for $840,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,647 square feet of living area. It sold for $725,600 in 2022.

Ashley Trace at University Place Jeffrey and Kim Depoy, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7710 Ashley Circle to Yvon Parent and Isabelle Venne, of Bradenton, for $825,000.

Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,176 square feet of living area. It sold for $605,000 in 2020.

Alexander Karl Soya and Haya Soya, of Idialantic, sold their home at 17825 Cantarina Cove to Keith and Samantha Granstrom, of Bradenton, for $645,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,362 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,600 in 2023.

James and Ericka McGarity, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14908 Bowfin Terrace to Timothy and Charlotte Greene, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 2006, it

has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,546 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2021.

Sarah Burt and Robert Krieg, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6538 Field Sparrow Glen to Timothy and Colleen Geary, of Queens, New York, for $599,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,056 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2016.

Jiri Vanicek sold his home at 6127 Blue Runner Court to Christopher Terrill Decker and Heather Lorraine Woods, of Lakewood Ranch, for $495,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,678 square feet of living area.

It sold for $560,000 in 2022.

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 24

In with the new NOW TAKING CONTRACTS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Jason Frisbie, of Parrish, sold his home at 4541 Baltry Court to Jennifer Frisbie, of Bradenton, for $725,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,401 square feet of living area. It sold for $447,900 in 2016.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Steven and Sally Novak, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12063 Aster Ave. to Ricardo Diaz and Angela Munoz, of Bradenton, for $719,000.

Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,632 square feet of living area. It sold for $395,000 in 2007.

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LONGBOAT KEY

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Richard and Mary Myers, of Irwin, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 6726 Rookery Lake Drive to Mark Lutynsky, of Bradenton, for $715,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $351,300 in 2016.

SADDLEHORN ESTATES

Steven and Robyn Tarrant, of Xenia, Ohio, sold their home at 22211 27th Ave. E. to Ronald Andrew Shafer and Patti Joanne Shafer, of Bradenton, for $675,000. Built in 1979, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,739 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2020.

WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER CLUB

Robert Patrick Dennis, of Bradenton, sold the home at 9815 Discovery Terrace to Monty Prow, of Bradenton, for $652,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,254 square feet of living area. It sold for $335,000 in 2010.

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Prices as of November 2023

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home in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 16940 Clearlake Ave. to Matthew Aloisio, trustee, of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, for $3,698,700. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,458 square feet of living area.

23

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Real estate FROM PAGE 23

WHITEBRIDGE COURT

Your Hometown Favorite For More Than Eight Decades!

LOCAL, VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1939

CELEBRATING 85 YEARS IN REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE NEW PRICE

For Sale- 3/2.5 | Greenbrook Walk Townhouse

14812 Skip Jack Loop, LWR | NOW LISTED AT $309,000 1 car garage | Lake views from lanai | Close to schools MLS#A4610621 | Alba Lange / Steven Nicholson Alba 941-704-3026 / Steven 941.400.6332

For Sale 2/2 w/den Del Webb Home

MARINELAND

RIVERWALK VILLAGE CYPRESS BANKS

Joy and Henry Grimes, of Roanoke, Virginia, sold their home at 4506 Bristol Court E. to Christopher Scott Bistline and Carrie Carlton, of Bradenton, for $495,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,549 square feet of living area. It sold for $168,500 in 2002.

PERIDIA

17240 Corinna Pl. LWR | 55+ Com. | Listed at $699,000 Pet friendly w/approval | MLS#A4593511 | Cyndi Myers / Diane Lee Cyndi 941-737-1675 / Diane 941-993-6344

Thomas and Suzann Zoltner, of Whippany, New Jersey, sold their home at 4312 Pro Am Ave. to Richard and Candy Bond, of Bradenton, for $582,500. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,512 square feet of living area. It sold for $275,000 in 2019.

PARK EAST AT AZARIO

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Hongdan Sun, of Andover, Massachusetts, sold her home at 16435 Paynes Mill Drive to Bruna Taveras Garcia and Vladimir Jebelev, of Bradenton, for $565,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,422 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,700 in 2022.

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Phyllis Pasler sold the home at 6522 65th Ave. Drive E. to HIS Properties LLC for $500,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,328 square feet of living area. It sold for $459,000 in 2022.

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Lisa Marie Madrid and Richard John Madrid, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 2723 condominium at 5685 Palmer Circle to Linda Stemerick, of Sun City Center, for $485,000.

Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,336 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2022.

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Kayla and Joseph Rapp, of Sebastian, sold their home at 12065 Winding Woods Way to Daniel Morris, of Lakewood Ranch, for $515,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,664 square feet of living area. It sold for $270,000 in 2018.

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Tabbystone Place to Gail DerisiMelchione, of University Park, for $510,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,073 square feet of living area. It sold for $217,900 in 2010.

Charles and Ruthelia Abdian, trustees, of University Park, sold the home at 7913 Whitebridge Glen to Lorie Masson, of Ontario, Canada, for $599,000. Built in 1995, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,609 square feet of living area. It sold for $580,000 in 2022.

Jonnie and Robert Dwyer sold their home at 11502 Water Poppy Terrace to Elias Montoya and Lorena Zuniga Kirlis, of Lakewood Ranch, for $585,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,266 square feet of living area. It sold for $194,900 in 2000.

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Peter and Joan Wells, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8108

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24

JULY 18, 2024

SPORTS

“It’s all on me. Everything that happens. I am responsible for it. I can create my own destiny. ” — Lakewood Ranch High golfer Henry Burbee SEE PAGE 27

East County star bound to be a Bearcat Break

Fast

Kali Barrett, a rising senior at Cardinal Mooney High, said she values her relationships with Cincinnati’s coaches.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

I

Courtesy image

Former Braden River High and University of Kentucky baseball star Ryan Waldschmidt was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks at pick No. 31 in the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14.

F

ormer Braden River High and University of Kentucky baseball star Ryan Waldschmidt was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks at pick No. 31, a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14. Waldschmidt, an outfielder, hit .333 with 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 41 walks and 25 stolen bases in 213 at-bats as a junior at Kentucky this season. He was named to Baseball America’s All-American Third Team. … Former Lakewood Ranch High baseball player Colton Gordon, now with the AAA-level Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros), pitched five scoreless innings allowing one hit and three walks in a 4-1 loss to the Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland Athletics) on July 12.

Gordon’s season ERA is 4.25. … Former Lakewood Ranch High baseball player Richie Morales, a junior at the University of Arizona, is playing in the Coastal Plain League, a wooden bat college league spanning from Georgia to Virginia, for the Boone Bigfoots this summer.

Morales hit .283 with 19 RBIs and 38 runs scored for the Wildcats in 2024. … Lakewood Ranch High and Sarasota Tsunami boys swimmer Daniel Snitkovsky finished third in the 50-yard breaststroke (33.23 seconds) at the Seminole Sunrise meet, held June 28-30 at Northshore Aquatic Center in St. Petersburg. … Anne Hyde (39) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Tee To Green” event (individual low net scoring) held July 11 at University Park Country Club. … Bob Bair, Charlie Kunze, David Maltz and Joe Helewicz (122) won the Men’s Golf Association team best ball event held July 10 at University Park Country Club.

ALL THE RAGE PAGE 26

f Kali Barrett isn’t answering her phone, she is likely doing one of two things.

Sharpening her basketball skills or sleeping.

Aside from basketball, resting is Barrett’s favorite thing to do.

“I value taking care of my body,” Barrett said.

Barrett might share her penchant for naps with a lot of teenagers, but her basketball skills separate her from the pack. On July 7, Barrett, an East County rising senior at Cardinal Mooney High, committed to the University of Cincinnati. It marked the end of a years-long recruiting process for Barrett, a 6-foot-2 small forward. Barrett is ranked by Prep Girls Hoops as the No. 4 player in Florida in the class of 2025, as of July 13. Other than Cincinnati, Barrett held offers from Georgetown University and St. John’s University, among other NCAA Division I schools.

At times, Barrett said, the attention from coaches could be overwhelming. Barrett said the process was made harder because she did not know anyone who had previously gone through it. She and her family navigated it as best they could. Ultimately, Barrett is happy with how it ended.

“The next day (after the commitment) felt weird,” Barrett said. “I just thought, ‘I’m actually going there.’

All the worries were gone. I have thought a lot about how far I have come and how far I still have to go.”

Barrett received her offer from Cincinnati in May. She has not taken an official visit to the campus yet — she’s going in September — but she decided to commit anyway. Barrett said that is because of her relationship with Cincinnati’s coaching staff.

“Relationships are what mean the most to me,” Barrett said. “Both the head coach (Katrina Merriweather) and the assistants, they have shown that they care about me. They are always talking to me, sometimes randomly calling just to see how things are going for me.”

The Bearcats went 14-18 last season, Merriweather’s first with the program. It was a six-win improvement from the previous season. Barrett still has a senior season at Car-

KALI BARRETT FAST FACTS Sport: Girls basketball Height: 6-foot-2 Position: Small forward School: Cardinal Mooney High Travel team: Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League Favorite hobbies: Resting and window shopping Stats (2023-2024 high school season) ■ 14.8 points per game ■ 8.8 rebounds per game ■ 2.5 assists per game ■ 1.4 steals per game ■ 0.8 blocks per game

dinal Mooney to play, but when she arrives on campus for the 2025-2026 season, the Bearcats will be getting a physical, hard-working defender and a capable outside shooter.

Barrett averaged 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season. Her play and

“I’m a smart player. I can slow the game down for myself and for my teammates.

I see everyone on the court.”

Kali Barrett averaged 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game as a junior at Cardinal Mooney High.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

leadership helped the Cougars to a 22-7 record and a fourth-consecutive trip to the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A state championship game, where they lost 75-51 to Miami Country Day School.

Barrett said she is excited to end her high school career with a bang, but she’s also thankful to finally consider herself a DI-caliber player.

Barrett said it is something she has wanted for a long time.

Barrett grew up in Box Elder, South Dakota, before moving to Florida in 2019. Barrett said she played “almost every sport” while she was young, but quickly fell in love with the pace of basketball.

She started playing competitively in second grade. She would hone her skills by playing against her family, as well as her neighbors down the street — most of whom were male. Barrett said playing against boys helped her gain toughness, something that is now a hallmark of her game.

While she has always had the right attitude and physical skills on the court, Barrett has worked hard to improve her basketball knowledge.

At Cardinal Mooney, Barrett said she has learned to see the game in ways others cannot.

“I’m a smart player,” Barrett said.

“I can slow the game down for myself and for my teammates. I see everyone on the court.”

Barrett also knows her development as a player is not done. This offseason, she said, she has been working on “a little bit of everything,” including her ability to drive to the basket and her on-ball defense. Though she plays small forward at Cardinal Mooney, Barrett said she believes she has the ability to play every position besides center, and she wants to prove it.

Barrett is currently playing on the travel ball circuit. She participated in the U.S. Junior Nationals “March to the Arch” event in St. Louis with her Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League team July 12-15.

On July 18-22, Barrett will play with her team in the Adidas Girls Palmetto Road Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Come November, she will be back on the court with Cardinal Mooney.

She’s excited for all of it. In terms of her recruitment, she’s excited to do her other favorite activity.

Rest.

“I’m just happy to be a Bearcat,” Barrett said.

Cardinal Mooney High rising senior Kali Barrett committed to the University of Cincinnati on July 7.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

David Rogers and Kael Kohrman are part of the Braden River Soccer Club U16 boys team’s core. The team will play in the State Cup Finals July 18-22 in Denver.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Artem Kopmar, a captain of the Braden River Soccer Club U16 boys team, dribbles around Davi Pereira at a team practice.

Rage U16 boys head to national tourney

F

or the second-straight season, a local U16 boys soccer team will compete with the sport’s elite.

The Braden River Soccer Club players want do a lot more than just show up. They want to make a statement.

The team is preparing for one last national tournament under the Braden River Soccer Club moniker.

Through a partnership between Braden River Soccer Club and Florida Premier Football Club, Braden River’s competitive teams will play as Florida Premier FC SWFL starting next season, while recreation teams will keep the Braden River name. For now, the U16 boys team took a vote and decided to remain known as Braden River at the US Club National Cup, to be held July 18-22 in Denver. The Rage qualified for the event by taking first place at

the Florida State Cup in Melbourne in May. The same group qualified for the Elite Clubs National League’s Regional League Finals in Norco, California, a season ago. It was the first time a BRSC boys team had played in an event of that caliber, though a U18 girls team did represent the club at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series in 2021. At the time, the Rage viewed itself as David-like small team taking on a bunch of Goliaths. The Rage won one game at the Regional League Finals before being eliminated.

At the National Cup, the team has bigger plans.

“We’re feeling good,” David Rogers said. “We have all been a part of this group for a long time. We work together, train together. We stick

together. That chemistry is one of the most important things you can have.”

Rogers said the team plays an attacking style under head coach Luis Salazar. That’s where the team’s chemistry comes into play.

The core of the team has been together for six seasons, and some players have known each other even longer. By now, Rogers said, they know each other well. Their passes connect. They make runs at the appropriate time. In general, they play as one unit. When going against more recently constructed teams, that can make a world of difference.

Kael Kohrman, who has played with the team for eight seasons, credits Salazar with elevating the team’s level of play.

“He comes through for us,”

Kohrman said. “He’s always pushing us harder, even if we hate it.

He says, ‘You can hate me if you want, but if you’re getting better, it doesn’t matter,’ and he’s right. We do sprints, and he makes us give 100%, even if we are tired and we have a game soon. It helps.”

Both Kohrman and Rogers said playing in the California event last season taught the team what it takes to compete against the best.

The step up in competition was real, they said. They also learned that they have the talent to compete if they play their best. They have also been working on their stamina, as playing in the high altitude of Colorado means they will likely get tired faster.

Antonio Saviano, the executive director of the newly named Florida Premier FC SWFL, said he believes the U16 team has a strong chance to advance past the group stage of the Denver event, which would put the group among the nation’s elite — assuming they adjust to the altitude in time.

After that, Saviano said, things get difficult, as the team will be going against the age level’s elite every match.

Regardless of how this group finishes, it should only be the begin-

ning for the organization’s travel teams.

“The goal now is to build on what Braden River had by offering opportunities to more players,” Saviano said.

To that end, the organization will expand. The club had two U16 boys teams this season, and Saviano said the club expects to have four next season. More teams means a larger pool of players for the club to use when selecting rosters for national tournaments like the National Cup. It also gives more players the chance to prove themselves.

“If one of these teams qualifies next year, we can put the best (team) together to go,” Saviano said.

In theory, this would put the club on a more even playing field with teams from California and other soccer-heavy states, most of which also have large organizations. The David-vs.-Goliath narrative would be gone. In time, it may even be Florida Premier that becomes a Goliath.

For one final tournament, the team remains Braden River, a name tied to memories for players on the team. Kohrman said the off-field times the players share together matter just as much as the on-field victories. They always have fun at hotel pools, he said. Rogers said he’ll never forget the trip the team took to California last season — not because of the Regional League Finals, but because of a boat ride the players took, where they witnessed whales and dolphins leaping out of the Pacific Ocean.

In Denver, the players will have a chance to make even more memories. Sending off the Braden River name — at least for this group — with a strong showing will be a bonus, one it believes it can achieve.

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

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26

YourObserver.com

When did you start playing golf?

I have been playing forever, but I started for real when I was 7. My dad (Joe Burbee) has been in the business his whole life. He has been coaching me and my brother (Jack Burbee) since we were kids.

What is the appeal to you?

It’s not a team sport. It’s all on me.

Everything that happens, I am responsible for it. I can create my own destiny.

What is your best skill?

It’s probably my driver right now. I have been hitting a lot of fairways lately and I have been hitting the ball far. My average drive is around 315 or 320 yards.

Are you happy with where your game is right now?

Yeah. I have had some good tournaments, and soon I will be playing more. I have the Florida Open in Ocala in a few days (July 19-21), and then I am heading right up to Michigan to play in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship (July 2227). I feel like my game is trending upward this summer.

What is the best advice you have received?

Always stay in the present. There have been a few tournaments where I was leading after 27 holes, and I started thinking about what was going to happen after I won. I thought about everything except the shot I was hitting next.

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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, ad WHOHSKRQH QXPEHU FRORU DQG FRS\ FRQWHQW 8QOHVV VSHFL¿HG RWKHUZLVH DQ\ FRUUHFWLRQV UHTXHႋHG RQ WKLV SURRI ZLOO EH DSSOLHG WR DOO Note: the clarity and colors of your published ad may vary slightly from those shown on this proof. If you have made corrections p refer to your revised proof sheet.

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Finish this sentence: “Henry Burbee is … ” … Resilient. I never give up when I’m on the course.

Carpet & Floors, Inc. 3913 Clark Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233

What have you been working to improve?

My approach game from 175 yards.

That was the main thing in the last couple tournaments I played. Every time I have an approach shot, I want to go straight up to the pin. But that’s kind of dumb because it does not work out most of the time. I end up hitting it in the bunker or making a bogey. So it’s not a physical thing.

It’s a mental thing. I just need to aim at the middle of the green.

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What is your favorite golf memory?

There is a place called the Camargo Club near Cincinnati, Ohio. It’s basically a billionaire’s club. It’s super pure and nice. One time, about four years ago, my dad and

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Henry Burbee is a rising senior on the Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team. Burbee finished tied for 17th (69-68-72—209) at the Florida State Golf Association Boys Junior Championship on July 6-8 at Club Adena and Glenview Champions Country Club in Ocala. Burbee also helped the Mustangs to a second-place finish at the 2023 Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A state tournament at Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills in November, finishing tied for fourth as an individual (77-78—145).

If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Henry Burbee

427540-1

27

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

28

YourObserver.com

WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, JULY 18

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 92 Low: 79 Chance of rain: 47%

FRIDAY, JULY 19 High: 93 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 50%

Thursday, July 18

6:45a

8:25p

Friday, July 19

6:46a

8:24p

Saturday, July 20

6:47a

8:24p

Sunday, July 21

6:47a

8:24p

Monday, July 22

6:48a

8:23p

Tuesday, July 23

6:48a

8:23p

Wednesday, July 24

6:49a

8:22p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JULY 20 High: 93 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 58%

July 21 Full

July 27 Last

Aug. 4 New

Aug. 12 First

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JULY 21 High: 93 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 80% Sherry Packard captured this photo of a little blue heron wading through a lake in the Summerfield neighborhood.

Monday, July 8

0

Tuesday, July 9

0.37

Wednesday, July 10

0

Thursday, July 11

0

Friday, July 12

0

Saturday, July 13

0

Sunday, July 14

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 28.45 in.

2023 10.40 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2024 1.88 in.

2023 0.36 in.

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Daily crossword puzzles available at YourObserver.com/crossword

UH, RIGHT by Sam Koperwas, edited by Jeff Chen 2 Fashion designer Anna

65 Winning blackjack

3 Hardly hardy

combo

4 Scully and Starling

66 Brand for sore eyes

5 Film that’s repulsive

67 Speculate

6 Starter packs?

68 Chinese dynasty during

7 Sampled

which the Forbidden City

8 You, in Yucatan

was constructed

9 Hawaiian comfort food

69 Fool, in British slang

10 Musician Yoko

70 Symbol of royalty in

11 Chilean child

ancient Egypt

12 Forty winks

74 Jump up and shout

13 D.C. fundraising org.

“Surprise,” perhaps

14 Range

75 Hardly a walk in the park

15 Mister’s issue?

76 Sport with traps

16 Civil rights activist Sylvia 78 Back at sea who received a Presidential 79 Dazed and confused Medal of Freedom

80 Traces

17 Forty winks, in Oaxaca

81 Belief system

19 Pollution stat

82 Moxie

20 Skulk in a catlike man-

85 “Casablanca” role

ner

86 Snicker bit

22 Oscar-winning director

87 Keyboard abbr.

Lee

89 Symbols of freshness

26 Be for real

92 Medicinal hemp product

28 Asian megalopolis

93 Navel, e.g.

29 Give’s one’s blessing to

94 Pax ___

celebrity cipher

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“KLP HVA AXI CKXU HXNWF KLP CJVYY KLNWFC NC KLP HVA AXI KLNWT AXI’SP VMXDP PDPSAMXHA PYCP.” TPDNW LVSK

“PY FJPUPYK C YNDVW, FXVY PY BNGEU, XCDV UFN KGSZ TNAV UXJNGKX UXV BNNJ FPUX KGYZ.” JCSANYB TXCYBWVJ

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Puzzle Three Clue: O equals U

crossword

Puzzle Two Clue: G equals U

426191-1

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31 Bible’s “man of the field” 95 Puts two and two 32 On pins and needles

together?

35 Mass seating

96 Baseball superstar

Leonard

36 Start of “school”?

Ohtani

©2024 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

diagnosis

70 Retiring, in a way

1 “Dream on!”

38 *Feature of a trick joint? 71 Seance invitee

103 Awfully?

37 Key to advancement?

97 Righteous character who

5 Used as a chair

42 Model from South Korea 72 Plum relatives

delivers Chaucer’s final tale

12 Contractual issues?

44 Island in a popular board 73 Elects

104 Title shared by Angelina 39 Without difficulty Jolie and Helen Mirren 40 It can be pressed for

18 LED item

game

77 TV chef Garten

106 Spot

a meal

103 Root word?

19 Perform in concert

45 Stirrup site

78 Reebok rival

108 Civic competition

41 Transfer directions

105 Massage targets?

20 Wrinkly dog

46 *Red giant probe?

83 Smith known as the

21 *Hairy situation?

50 “I didn’t do it!”

“Poet Laureate of Punk”

111 Back together ... for now 43 Your, in Scripture 113 *Zoo crew that’s for the 44 Attend uninvited

23 Swiss site of Europe’s

54 Spacek with a star on

84 *Pushing up daisies,

birds?

47 Shakespearean frenemy 109 Crushes, slangily

oldest covered bridge

the Hollywood Walk of Fame perhaps?

119 Discounts

48 Earth goddess

110 HI-strung thing

24 Perk up

55 Major tower, in brief

120 “Madame Secretary”

49 Remoulade relative

112 Contemporary “art”

25 Let out

56 Legendary mountaineer 90 “Nope” director Jordan

star

51 Letter-shaped fastener

114 So far

27 Backs up

57 ___ beauty

91 Grounds for legal action? 121 Dancer’s dip

52 Camping kit

115 “Braveheart” refusal

28 Snoop ___

58 “It’s like deja vu all over

92 *”Eye hope you see the

122 Tenants’ paperwork

53 Prior to, in prior times

30 Euripedes tragedy

again” or “I never said most humor in this” and others?

123 Like most slippers

58 Pass word?

116 State tree of Massachusetts and North Dakota

33 Compass dir.

of the things I said”

96 Small detail

124 Song with a spelled-out

59 Simmering

117 Flair of the WWE

34 Hanoi holiday

61 Fruitless

98 Likely spots to find mice title

60 Hosts

118 Setting for many

35 Nickname for an Asian

63 *”Did you hear that my

99 “Dude!”

62 “___ chance!”

schools

toy

idiot husband is building a

100 Promising letters

36 All-too-common V.A.

giant boat?!”?

101 Gospel singer ___ Cobbs

88 Close

DOWN 1 “The Golden Bachelor” network

102 Location for locks

sudoku

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

107 Some first responders, for short

63 Actress Fisher 64 It’s a lark ©2024 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

7-18-24

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

RED PAGES Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

THE MEADOWS GOLF &CC

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..

Updated 2 br/2ba. 1 car garage, water view, vaulted ceilings, plantation shutters, fireplace, jacuzzi tub, turnkey furnished.

Excellent rental history. $499,900 Call 904-556-8900

Visit the

RED PAGES

YourObserver.com/RedPages

EARTHWISE WOODCHIPPER. Model GS70015. $75 941-233-1096

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

FIND BUYERS AND SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

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

Competitive pay, paid time off and health insurance available

auto

Merchandise Wanted

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC INTERIOR / EXTERIOR / CABINETS WE ARE THE BEST!!!

Residential & Commercial.

Fully Insured.

CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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

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

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

VILLA FOR SALE

Transportation

5603 Monte Rosso Rd, Sarasota 34243

TOP NOTCH TRANSPORTATION Airport Taxi Service

Beautiful, affordable 2br/ 2ba villa.

Completely updated with new kitchen, bathrooms, roof & floors.

Cathedral ceilings. 2 private gardens. 2 car garage. Low fees. $367,500 asking price Tony Souza, agent Premier Sothebys Intl. Realty 941.928.1040 tony.souza@premiersir.com

home services

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.

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

NELLIES WOW MOP, Cordless, lightweight, rechargeable, cleaning floors, easy, efficient, charger, user manual, like new. $50, 941-807-6431 VINTAGE 'GOTZ Puppe' doll in mint condition with 16/42/71 markings. $75.

New office/art laptop/ projector tripod adjustable stand. $25.

941-776-0034

jobs 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.

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 57 INCH TABLE and 4 chairs.

Color: Dark brown rattan.

Glass top. $200.00 941-358-3133

Help Wanted

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 CAREGIVER/HOME MANAGER AVAILABLE Private Duty - 15 yrs Exp. Covid Vaccinated.

941-356-4176

Commercial Property for Rent FOR LEASE: 1,750 Sq. ft. in Bradenton. Office or Medical. Call Frank 941-720-2199

Island to SRQ- $45 Island to Tampa- $90 Add XL- $20 Luxury cars • Over 8,000 trips Regular Hours • Never Late!

Doctors Appts. • All Rides on the Gulf Coast

941-718-9933

www.topnotchtransportation service.com

GARAGE SALE As low as $17.50 per week!

941-955-4888

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

RED PAGES CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

This week’s Crossword answers Advertise your business or service in the Observer

RED PAGES CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

Adult Care Services

Personal care, medical transport, errands, pet care, & home management.

real estate

stuff Items Under $200

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.

Homes for Sale

Sporting Goods

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

Painting

Paint the town RED! Paint the town RED!

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

Condos/Apts. for Sale

Auto Transport 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

Handyman Services

©2024 Universal Uclick

You’re only cheating yourself.

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

peekers’ place

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “The day you stop doing the small things is the day you think you’re above everybody else.”

Kevin Hart Puzzle Two Solution: “In writing a novel, when in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns.”

Raymond Chandler Puzzle Three Solution: “To be beautiful means to be yourself.

You don’t need to be accepted by others.

You need to accept yourself.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

This week’s Sudoku answers

JAMES BOTTORFF HANDYMAN SERVICES 941-807-0032

FIND IT IN THE RED PAGES 941-955-4888

©2024 NEA, Inc.

YourObserver.com/RedPages

RED PAGES. MADE FOR WHERE YOU LIVE. HERE! TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT WWW.YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

30

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Aluminum

Brick Pavers

Doors

Sliding Glass Door Repair FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE IT

Business in Christ

Open Your Doors Smoothly With Expertly Installed Rollers Call Nick 928-2263

• Paver Sealing • Pressure & Soft Washing • Concrete Coating • Painting

FREE 50 OFF ESTIMATES

$

a $199 service.

Call or text today for a FREE estimate:

941.650.9790 941-321-2859 941.650.9790 www.BIC - CC.COM YoderAluminum.com

YoderAluminum.com

proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

Cleaning

Attorney

Handyman

Cleaner Than Clean Window Company

Divorce without Lawyers

Crystal Clear Windows in Southwest Florida Since 2023

Residential & Commercial Cleans

Knowledgeable & Uniformed | Trained & Certified | Licensed, Bonded & Insured

GG1 Cleaning Services Indoor • Residential • Commercial Windows, Pressure Washing, Gutters

Call Today for FREE Estimate

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

423.251.2368 / 863.473.1069

We have mediated divorces involving up to 15 million dollars of assets over past 30 years.

INTERIOR RENOVATIONS & ANYTHING FROM THE GROUND UP

TEXT OR CALL 574-354-7772

Advertise your business or services in the Red Pages.

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES

Health

Call 941-955-4888

428023

Computer

SELL YOUR CAR!

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

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

FAST • EASY • SAFE

WE COME TO YOU 5-Star Rated

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

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

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224 Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Pegatronics.com

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

941-735-3362

428018

428024

HoHoBuysCars.com

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Auto Service

Contractor

Blinds/Window Treatments

Professional Contractors Network, Inc.

Fabrics · Draperies · Pillows · Bedding · Wall Coverings Valances & Cornices · Shutters & Shades · Upholstery · Motorized Systems 941.879.6310 · designingwindowsbyisabel@gmail.com designingwindowsbyisabel.com

426473

Call Us for a FREE Estimate Today

Let our Network Handle All your Building Needs

Construction Estimating • Custom Homes Design Build • Restaurants-New/Remodels Office Remodels • Financing Email Project Information: PCNestimating@gmail.com 941-527-9414 Trades welcome to join our network! Please send email

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

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

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

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

GROW YOUR BUSINESS 426471

Isabel M. Perez, Certified Designer

• 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

CREATE BUZZ!

William J. Leininger, JD

JOE DAVIS HD LLC

428315

941-504-9787

Ask about Community Discounts!

428015

Call Today!

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.

941.270.4400

426474

Over 100 Reviews Award Winning Services

427778

428017

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

428031

Dustin Yoder

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

428279

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

WITH THE RED PAGES Call to reserve your ad space

941-955-4888

YourObserver.com

31

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

Home Services

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Screening

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Call John 941.377.2940

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

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

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

Residential

941-705-5468

Commercial

428032

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

426476

Landscaping & Lawn

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE

Luxury for Less

Painting

428028

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

Home Watch

426984

Design • Maintenance • Cleanup Allison Abizaid, M.A. Concierge Gardening | Designer

chrome_qrcode_1671726737617.png

Transportation

Personalized Full Service Gardening & Landscaping

941-526-5396 | tomtka@tampabay.rr.com www.tkahomeservicesinc.com Licensed & Insured | License #CBC1256062

428019

by Allison

1/10/23, 10:25 AM

941-248-4734

10% off

Airports, Concerts, Dinners & Cruises www.towncarservicebradenton.com 410036

No Job is Too Small!

ALL PHASES OF INTERIOR & EXTERIOR REMODELING Kitchen - Bathrooms | Windows - Doors - Floor Coverings | Repairs

427780

GARDENS

Windows

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#search/royaltreasurecasino%40yahoo.com?projector=1

1/1

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

GULF TO BAY P REMIER P AINTING

Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins.

Licensed & Insured Complete exterior & interior painting Kitchen Cabinet Painting • Deck Stains & Coating Garage Floor Epoxy Coating

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

Showcase your products or services.

Plumbing

RELIABLE • INSURED

Roofing

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

THE GRAB BAR GUY

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc. Building & Roofing Contractor

MATT SMITH

(941) 780.3346 426477

5

$

941-920-8221

DRGRABBARS.COM

Licensed & Insured

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

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

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE RED PAGES

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

428026

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

150

25 $

SPECIAL 00

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

941.966.0333

UP TO

INCLUDING SCREENS, TR ACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Mark’s Plumbing Service 427781

$ $235

364556 426478

249 235 *

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

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows

STANDARD WINDOWS

CALL 941-955-4888

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

$

426480

Lifetime Sarasota Resident & Owner

gulftobaypremierpainting@gmail.com | lwrpainting.com

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

428029

428020

Randy Schmidt | 941-702-3262

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024

941.702.0437 | ShanahanLuxuryGroup@CBrealty.com | ShanahanLuxuryGroup.com

2024 Leaders in Luxury Family Business | Concierge Service | Proven Results

Tyler is an amazing realtor who made my home-buying adventure truly awesome. With his deep understanding of the market, his fantastic communication skills, and his knack for negotiating great deals, finding the perfect home was a breeze.

What made Tyler memorable was his incredible attention to detail and personal touch.

He’s not just a realtor; he’s like a great friend on this journey. I can’t say enough good things about him. Thanks, Tyler, for helping me find my dream home!

— David M., Lakewood Ranch

New Listing

17522 Northwood Place | Del Webb

$865,000 | 2,105 Square Feet | 2 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms | Office | Private Pool/Spa

New Price

712 Sigsbee Loop | Shoreview at Waterside

$1,840,000 | 3,207 Square Feet | 4 Bedrooms | 3.5 Bathrooms | Flex Room | Private Pool | 3-Car Garage

Newly Updated

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

New Price | Open House Saturday, July 20, 12:00 - 3:00

$745,000 | 1,926 Square Feet | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | Den | Golf-Deeded | Resort Amenities

The Right Representation Makes the Difference.

Contact Us to Learn More or to Schedule a Showing.

941.702.0437 | ShanahanLuxuryGroup@CBRealty.com

413847-1

32