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.
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.
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
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.
LESLEY DWYER
STAFF WRITER
Robert 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
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.
■ 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
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
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?”
Lesley Dwyer
Dr. Robert McCann speaks to the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club on July 10 at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club.
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.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Love 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.
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 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.
Fiction: Roundabouts are unsafe.
Fact: Roundabouts have 90% fewer deaths and 75% fewer injuries.
Fiction: Roundabouts are dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Fact: Roundabouts have up to 40% fewer incidents with pedestrians and cyclists.
Fiction: Roundabouts cause traffic delays.
Fact: Roundabouts accommodate up to 50% more traffic than typical intersections.
Fiction: Roundabouts are expensive.
Fact: Roundabouts eliminate the cost of traffic signals and maintenance.
Fiction: Roundabouts are bad for business.
Fact: Businesses near roundabouts
Clarke Davis said the total construc-
tion 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 -
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.
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.
UNIVERSITY PARKWAY
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
LORRAINERD
THEMASTERS AVE
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.
STATE ROUNDABOUTS
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.
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.
NEGOTIATIONS
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.”
Lesley Dwyer
Traffic lights on University Parkway at Deer Drive/Legacy Boulevard will be replaced when a roundabout is built.
Moving forward
Sarasota County and Benderson Park take the next step toward building an indoor sports complex and boathouse.
Fa 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?”
NEXT STEPS
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 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 stor-
age 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.”
Courtesy image
The planned indoor sports complex at Nathan Benderson Park will also serve as a boathouse for rowing activities.
Preserved doesn’t mean ignored lands
The Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District battles invasive species, like the Brazilian pepper tree, on a regular basis.
LESLEY
The Uihlein family paid about $2 an acre in 1922 for the more than 33,000 acres of
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
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
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.
Lesley Dwyer
Wetlands in Lakewood Ranch are monitored regularly to keep invasive plant species at bay and ensure proper water flow.
New Rotary Club president wants to meet challenges
River Strand’s Lang Wooddy wants to meet Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch members’ expectations of having successful events, expanding its programs and helping the community.
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
As 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.
“I’m not afraid to smile anymore!”
Doctor Jeffrey Martins has changed my whole life. I’m so much more confident now and I feel better about myself. You see, I’ve always had such small teeth, and I was self-conscious about it. I didn’t like how they looked, so I never wanted to smile.
I tried to have my teeth fixed once before. I got some dental work done at another place about five years ago and it helped the situation some, but I wasn’t happy with the results. What they did to fix my teeth didn’t look natural and although I put up with it, the work they did was really only a temporary fix. I put up with it for a long time, but I was still always self-conscious about the way my teeth looked.
When I decided to visit Paradise Dental, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve always been nervous about having my teeth worked on, but everyone there was so friendly and the team really put me at ease. They took the time to listen to all of my concerns and what I hoped to accomplish, then recommended veneers for my front teeth. I liked that they took their time and helped me choose just the right color so my teeth would look more natural and not fake.
Now, everyone comments on my nice smile. I’m so happy about the results, but the best part is that I’m not afraid to smile anymore! They did a wonderful job.” - Rowena B.
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.
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.
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.
Dead trees bring the show to life
Snags prove to be important to area wildlife, such as woodpeckers.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
It’s still in the Braden Woods backyard of Susan and John Darovec on a hot July day.
If you wait patiently, though, and sit quietly, it isn’t long before the show begins.
The star is nature itself as this is a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat that has been recognized by the National Wildlife Federation. After a short wait, squirrels begin to race around the yard, a male cardinal perches on a bird feeder and a redbellied woodpecker goes tree-totree looking for food. An armadillo scurries past, and common grackles, a blue jay and two blackbellied whistling ducks make brief appearances.
The Darovecs have added bird feeders and some birdbaths to their yard, and a woodpile that provides shelter for the animals that have made this particular yard their home.
Those who apply for their yard to be a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat have to show they have provided food, water, cover and places to raise their young for the wildlife that uses the land. The yard must be made of at least 50% to 70% native plants that provide multiseason bloom. The yard must be free of neonicotinoids (insecticides).
You can apply for the designation at NWF.org/ Certify. The National Wildlife Federation notes “Rapid and large-scale changes to our lands and waters mean wildlife is losing the habitats it once knew. Every habitat garden is a step toward replenishing resources for wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds and amphibians — both locally and along migratory corridors.”
LIVING WITH SNAGS
Seated in her living room, Susan Darovec was talking about her yard when a flit of movement caught her attention. She pointed out a red-bellied woodpecker that had made its way into
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 designs.”
They both understand that not everyone likes the look. Perhaps, though, people would be interested to hear about the cost savings if they decided to cut the dead tree into a snag. Susan Darovec talked about one of her good friends in Braden Woods who just had a large pine tree die after it was hit by lightning. She couldn’t convince her friend to leave the snag in place, and the cost to cut the tree down and remove the stump was $2,500. It would have been about half that much to cut the tree off as high as necessary to keep it from causing any damage when it falls. John Darovec noted that when the snags fall, they are so deteriorated they are easy to get rid of, along with the stump.
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“No big machines are needed,” John Darovec said.
While snags make sense in Braden Woods, which features so many homes tucked into a forest-like setting, snags might not blend in so well in newer communities void of many trees.
The Darovecs have spent a lifetime caring about wildlife.
Susan Darovec, who was an educator for 37 years, grew up a bird watcher in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“We would watch the cardinals and blue jays,” she said. “And one of my favorites was the grosbeaks. They were so colorful. We were feeding them, helping them to exist. We also would see cuckoos. That was a treat. We had bird feeders and bird baths to support the wildlife. Snags were something I grew up with. They last about five years (after they die and are cut).”
They moved to Florida in the late 1980s and have been in their current home for 21 years.
When it comes to trees dying in his yard, John Darovec said the best course is to do nothing.
“Just let it go and we will see what happens,” he said.
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Photos by Jay Heater
Although snags are cut-off, dying or dead trees, they blend in with the rest of the yard.
A downey woodpecker makes use of a hole in the oak snag in Susan and John Darovec’s front yard in Braden Woods.
A pair of black-bellied whistling ducks feed under the bird feeder at the home of John and Susan Darovec in Braden Woods.
Susan and John Darovec, of Braden Woods, hope people consider cutting off dead trees in their yards as the resulting snags are beneficial to wildlife.
A squirrel is king of the world on top of a “snag” in John and Susan Darovec’s front yard in Braden Woods.
Aspiring butler hopes to clean up in his new profession
The 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
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.
File photo
Lakewood Ranch’s Tony Gula has supported his son, Michael, as he enters his new profession of being a butler.
Braden River shows progress against invasive tape grass
The Wildlife Conservation Commission has been working to eradicate tape grass from the Braden River.
LESLEY DWYER
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
stuck on the curb for pickup.
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.
Lesley Dwyer
Mississippi State student Maxwell Gebhart examines the invasive tape grass in the wild.
He’s used to seeing it in a lab.
invites you to explore move-in ready and to-be-built homes with hundreds of personalization options. Jingle your way through the festive open house tour on July 20th and 21st, between 10 am and 6 pm, daily. With contemporary single-family homes in Sarasota East and active-adult designs in Lakewood Ranch, see why we’re celebrating year-round!
Christmas wishes granted in July
Beef ’O’ Brady’s partners with Tara Elementary to grant teachers’ wishes in special ‘Christmas’ promotion.
LIZ
RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
Christmas 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,
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.
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.”
Liz Ramos
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.
A WORLD of WONDER
Escape the heat and life’s cares at the Summer Circus Spectacular.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Imagine a world where doctors would treat depression and anxiety, not by writing a prescription 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.
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
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
The Bello Sisters demonstrate strength and grace
Slack rope performer Antino Pansa defies gravity at the Summer Circus Spectacular, which runs through Aug. 17.
Images courtesy of David Shapiro
Circus
performs acrobatics suspended from a rope attached to a bun
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.
MAKE A CIRCUS DAY OF IT WITH MUSEUM DISCOUNTS
If you’ve never studied gymnastics or dance, you may not fully appreci-
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.”
FROM PAGE 13
Monica Gagnier
A family poses with members of the Summer Circus Spectacular, including Ringmaster Jared Walker (left) and Renaldo the clown (right).
THIS WEEK
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.
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.
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.
WEDNESDAY
JAZZ HAPPY HOUR
6 p.m. Geldbart Auditorium, Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free with registration Visit JazzHappyHour.org.
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.
“Rhinestone Cowgirls” runs through Aug. 4 at the FST’s Goldstein Cabaret.
Courtesy Images
Love letters fly as bombs drop
MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR
Ken 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
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
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.
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
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.
Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” runs through Aug. 11 at FST’s Gompertz Theatre.
Image courtesy of John Jones
The right stuff YOUR NEIGHBORS
Joe 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
Lakewood Ranch resident Megan Schroeder is a member of the Young Professionals Committee.
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.
The backpacks are stuffed, so organizer Jessica Seper pours some beers.
Bradenton resident Jacob Bordner loads more backpacks into Boys and Girls Clubs’ van.
Kelli Dixon, chief development officer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County, carries a box of backpacks out to the van.
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.
FRIDAY, JULY 19
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.
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.
SATURDAY, JULY 20
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
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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.
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.
I felt I was in good hands.”
Mark Mattis Patient
HOSPITAL STAFF IS ‘RESPONSIVE AND REASSURING’
Mark Mattis, 66, of Lakewood Ranch, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former sales executive, was enjoying his retirement, biking, golfing, taking walks and working on to-do-list tasks for his wife of 40 years. Then, suddenly, on October 26, 2023, he began to experience breathlessness.
He nearly collapsed upon arrival to his primary care doctor’s office a few days later. After receiving an EKG with concerning results, his doctor confirmed there was no wait time at the freestanding emergency department, ER at Fruitville, and instructed Mattis to go there for additional testing and care.
Mattis was seen immediately at the ER at Fruitville*, where he received oxygen and a CT scan. He was
diagnosed with a saddle pulmonary embolism, a rare, life-threatening condition that occurs when a large blood clot gets stuck in the main pulmonary artery, restricting blood flow. Mattis was taken by ambulance to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, where he would have an endovascular thrombectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove the clot, performed by Amit Bhakoo, M.D., vascular/interventional radiologist .
Mattis reports a big difference following the procedure.
“I was able to breathe again,” he says.
“I really appreciated how they took care of my wife, too. She was very concerned. Dr. Bhakoo used a computer to show my wife the procedure. This was helpful to the conversations that my wife and I would later have about the experience.”
What Mattis appreciated most was the sense of urgency by both the ER at Fruitville and hospital staff in their delivery of care, while also conveying professionalism and reassurance.
“I felt I was in good hands,” says Mattis.
File photo
Dana Lawrence, who also plays with Kettle of Fish, performs solo at Waterside.
Sharpening knowledge at the library
As 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.”
and Dave Mankes. AL#8979
•
Joel Hallam, DO, FACOOG
Angie Scarpa, CNM, ARNP
Terrell W. Martin, MD Eden Yelverton, MD, FACOG
— LIZ RAMOS
Jason Callis, founder and owner of Steel Ring Academy, is in the ox guard stance.
Photos by 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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Make your party come alive! Hassle-free parties are our
Various packages are available, including food, all-day admission, animals brought to your party, reserved picnic areas and more! Feeding the flamingos, visiting the petting zoo and exploring our butterfly aviary and gardens are just some of the special ways we celebrate with you! Book your party online and learn more at SarasotaJungleGardens.com
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. 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.
Lake Club home tops sales at
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 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.
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,
$3,698,700
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS JULY 1-5
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
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.
POLO RUN
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.
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.
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.
WATERFRONT AT MAIN STREET The Trust Agreement of Joseph A. Bonacuse and Margaret A. Bon-
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.
SOLERA
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.
GREENBROOK
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.
WHITEBRIDGE COURT
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.
MARINELAND
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.
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.
RIVERWALK VILLAGE CYPRESS
BANKS
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.
PERIDIA
FAIRFAX
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.
VERANDA AT LAKEWOOD
NATIONAL
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
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.
SUMMERFIELD
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.
GLENBROOKE OP SPE PHX1 LLC sold the home at 4641 Glenbrooke Terrace to Duvier Leyva Torres, of
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.
INDIGO RIDGE AT UNIVERSITY
PLACE
Peter and Joan Wells, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8108
SPORTS
Fast Break
Former 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.
“It’s all on me. Everything that happens. I am responsible for it. I can create my own destiny. ”
East County star
Kali Barrett, a rising senior at Cardinal Mooney High, said she values her relationships with Cincinnati’s coaches.
RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR
If 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-
“I’m a smart player. I can slow the game down for myself and for my teammates. I see everyone on the court.”
bound to be a Bearcat
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
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.
— Lakewood Ranch High golfer Henry Burbee SEE PAGE 27
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.
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
Cardinal Mooney High rising senior Kali Barrett committed to the University of Cincinnati on July 7.
Rage U16 boys head to national tourney
For 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,”
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.
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-
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.
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.
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.
Henry Burbee
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).
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.
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.
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
brother and I got to play there, and we had a great time.
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.
Finish this sentence: “Henry Burbee is … ” … Resilient. I never give up when I’m on the course.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
UH, RIGHT by Sam Koperwas, edited by Jeff Chen By Luis Campos
Sherry
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