Manatee County commissioners approve $3.6 million to preserve 105 acres in Myakka City.
Waterside Place is peachy keen
Warren Godfrey and Laura McCalla (pictured above) are on tour, but not with a band. They’re touring with peaches.
The Peach Truck delivers fresh peaches from farms in Georgia and South Carolina.
Godfrey said the 53-foot truck was loaded with 18 pallets before leaving for Florida. Each pallet holds 112 boxes, or 50,000 peaches.
Waterside Place was one of the last stops on the truck’s 10-day Florida tour.
Peaches are pre-sold in 12-pound boxes for $45 a box. Then, buyers meet the truck in a designated stop on the tour.
Just fewer than 50 boxes were delivered to Waterside Place on July 30.
Puzzled by fun
Level Shelley (above) connected the last piece of the firetruck puzzle and then jumped with joy. He ran to Chris Culp, youth librarian at the Braden River Library, and asked her to look at his work, then beamed with pride as she commended him for finishing the puzzle. Shelley, 5, went on to play with Legos and other toys during Braden River Library’s Family Lego Day on Aug. 3. Families were able to play with Legos and blocks, work on puzzles and more.
Culp said some parents were more invested in building creations than their children.
Lesley Dwyer Liz Ramos
Waterpoppy Terrace in Riverwalk is under water. Residents say the water rose throughout the day on Aug. 5.
GOING THE DISTANCE
For everything you know about Kruse, here’s something you might not know.
“When my kids were little, I weighed about 270 pounds,” he said.
The desire to see his kids grow up spurred Kruse to get in shape, but he didn’t stop there. Kruse has since competed in marathons, ultramarathons, triathlons and Iron Man competitions all over the country.
to do good things. I fundamentally believe in term limits.”
George and Jessica Kruse live in Greyhawk Landing with their two teenage children, Alexander and Olivia. Kruse and his wife are active members of the Kiwanis Club, and both completed the Leadership Manatee program.
Kruse-ing along the campaign trail
Pedicini ticket, has raised over $235,000 in campaign contributions, more than three times what Kruse has raised.
“If I would’ve just sat there and let (every vote) go 7-0, then all the money and Anthony would’ve gotten behind me,” Kruse said.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Alot has changed since the last time George Kruse ran for Manatee County’s at-large District 7 commission seat.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic made campaigning in person impossible. But he said nothing can compare to the difference between hiring political advisor Anthony Pedicini or running a grassroots campaign. Pedicini’s candidates receive significant funding from developers. Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Kruse’s opposition on the
Pedicini’s political consulting firm, Sim Wins, has seated every commissioner on the current board, with the exception of Ray Turner, who was appointed after Vanessa Baugh retired early. Turner has since hired Pedicini.
This election cycle, Kruse’s wife, Jessica, is his campaign manager, and his car is stuffed with campaign signs. If you see one, he probably delivered it and stomped it into the ground himself. The week he sat down with the East County Observer, Kruse had nine speaking engagements.
“I am exhausted,” he said. “But I
am having a ton of fun on this campaign because I’m talking to everybody.”
He described his last campaign as “transactional” and not necessarily enjoyable. If he wins, Kruse said the connections he’s made and the knowledge he’s gained by talking to so many different citizens and groups will make him a better commissioner — but only for four more years.
If Kruse holds another elected office beyond the county commission, it will be because an opportunity arose, just as it did in 2020 when he was approached to run for commissioner.
“People said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a background and a skill set. We need somebody who understands a $2 billion budget,’” Kruse said. “You can make connections and learn about your community, and then go use those connections and skill sets without the taxpayers paying you
Next year marks the couple’s 20th wedding anniversary. Having both grown up in Sarasota, they were introduced through Kruse’s cousin at a Christmas party while he was on break from Columbia Business School in 2002.
Kruse had left Sarasota for New York City the year earlier, three weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks. One of his first big city experiences was being locked down on Columbia’s campus.
Despite the rough start, Kruse enjoyed living in the city. Jessica Kruse had joined him, and after graduation, he was hired by a Wall Street fund.
But just as a major event ushered Kruse into New York, a major event sent him packing — the North America blizzard of 2006.
“That’s when my wife said, ‘We’re moving,’” Kruse said.
The location and companies have changed, but Kruse has remained in the field of commercial real estate finance. His prior experience with
affordable housing has been useful as a commissioner, for he now sits on the county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board.
“We see a lot of our affordable housing projects using the same tax credits I used to buy and put into equity funds for companies,” he said.
During a brief break from finance, Kruse became licensed as a real estate agent and broker. He was exclusively focused on workforce and affordable housing.
“I used my finance background to help people figure out the economics of it,” Kruse said. “I helped put together investments that made economic sense to retain the affordability of apartment complexes around Sarasota and Manatee counties.”
Once elected to the commission, Kruse returned to the finance side because of the conflict of interest that exists between selling properties and then having to vote on whether or not to rezone those same properties. If not finance, Kruse thinks he would’ve made a good American history teacher. While he sometimes has been on the losing side of Manatee County Commission votes, it doesn’t discourage him.
“I try to give people facts so they can make their own decision,” he said. “I enjoy that. I’m not trying to sway their decision. I’m just trying to make sure people understand.”
Kruse is also willing to learn. He experienced scrutiny after driving his truck into a tree in 2022 and the police officer’s body cam footage was released to the public. A DUI charge was filed and later dropped.
Kruse hasn’t had a drink in more than a year.
“I learn from the past, but I strive for the future,” he said. “That’s what I’ve always done, every step of the way. My first year at the University of Florida, I didn’t take it seriously and did fairly poorly. I thought about it, and I was on the dean’s list every single semester after that for seven straight semesters.”
“I try to give people facts so they can make their own decision. I enjoy that. I’m not trying to sway their decision. I’m just trying to make sure people understand.”
GEORGE KRUSE
George Kruse is running for reelection to the at-large District 7 Manatee County Commission seat.
File image
George Kruse is running for reelection in District 7.
Manatee County to preserve key Myakka property
The 105 acres will open to the public in about a year as the Triple Oak Preserve.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Vicky Oberlander can identify nearly every plant, tree and grass growing on the 105 acres that surround her home on Betts Road in Myakka City.
Oberlander spends about three days a week weeding and tending to the grounds. She even maintains the two ponds on the property.
Debra Woithe, manager of Manatee County’s Environmental Lands Program, said the property won’t be maintained to that extent after the county takes it over.
Woithe said Oberlander sees the 105 acres as her garden.
“The grass will grow a little higher (now that the county owns it),” Woithe said. “It’ll look more like wilderness while maintaining open space and habitats like the longleaf pine where the wildlife can still move through.”
The Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee recommended purchasing the property for conservation, and commissioners agreed in a 5-0 vote during the July 30 commission meeting. Appraisals came back between $3,005,000 and $4.75 million. Dr. Orin and Vicky Oberlander agreed to sell the property and structures to Manatee County for $3,606,000.
“We wanted it maintained as a park for wildlife. We were worried if we just listed it on the open market that somebody might develop it and chop down trees to put in 10 houses.”
ORIN OBERLANDER
“We wanted it maintained as a park for wildlife,” Orin Oberlander said. “We were worried if we just listed it on the open market that somebody might develop it and chop down trees to put in 10 houses.”
REFORESTATION
The Oberlanders are protective of the trees because they watched all but three grow from saplings.
When the couple first bought the land in 1995, they started with 36 acres and three oak trees, hence the name Triple Oak Preserve. The Oberlanders built two homes and bought two neighboring properties to fill out the 105 acres of barren land.
With help from the Florida Forest Service, about 34,000 trees have been planted since the Oberlanders moved in.
It only took two days to plant the majority of the saplings. In 1997, 9,000 slash pines and 1,000 cypress trees were planted. In 2001, 19,000 longleaf pines and 1,000 cypress trees were planted.
“In three hours, I think it was 12 guys that planted 10,000 trees,” Orin Oberlander said of the planting in 1997. “I walked behind one guy and timed him. He was planting a tree every eight seconds.”
The next major planting in 2001 was done with a machine and only took two men.
Not only does the Forest Service provide the labor and equipment, it sells the saplings at a low cost.
Oberlander said the first planting of 10,000 trees only cost him $1,000.
The rest of the trees were bought by the Oberlanders, usually 100 at a time, before the rainy season each
year.
The 8-inch saplings have since grown into a towering forest that the public will be able to explore in about a year. Woithe said the county still needs to install trails, restrooms and a parking lot.
The estimated cost to open the property as a preserve is $275,000. Annual maintenance is estimated at $22,000.
Wildlife commonly seen on the property include deer, gopher tortoises, Southern fox squirrels, turkeys, wood storks, bald eagles, herons and eastern indigo snakes.
Vicky Oberlander said the Sandhill cranes are spoiled from the bird feeders. When they run out of seed, the birds tap their beaks on the side door to let her know.
Two homes are included in the purchase — the Oberlanders’ 4,700-square-foot home and a 1,400-square-foot guest house that Orin Oberlander used for his dental practice for the last six years of his career before retiring in 2018.
Woithe said commissioners will have to make the final decision, but proposed plans for the houses include using the guest house as a visitor center with restrooms or a ranger’s home for 24-hour security.
The larger home could provide offices for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension staff. It could also be used for education and community programs.
The preserve will offer residents trails for hiking, biking and birding.
For the county and local wildlife, the property was a missing piece, for it sits between Myakka River State Park and conservation easements to the north and west of Flatford Swamp.
By buying the Oberlanders’ property, the county is able to conserve that wildlife corridor.
“There are longleaf pines out there,” Woithe said. “That’s one of the habitats diminishing across the state.”
The Longleaf Alliance is working to restore longleaf pine forests. The alliance reported that over 90 million acres of longleaf forests across the southeastern United States had shrunk to 3.4 million acres by 2009. Restoration efforts since 2010 have increased longleaf forests to over 5 million acres. There are nine acres on the Oberlander property. Longleaf pines are more resilient to fire, drought and insect damage than other species of Southern pine trees.
TRIPLE OAK PRESERVE BY THE NUMBERS
$3,606,000 purchase price 105 acres 1,400-square-foot home (built 2008)
4,700-square-foot home (built 1996)
$275,000 in nonrecurring costs
$22,000 in annual maintenance costs
GETTING TOO OLD FOR THIS
The Oberlanders don’t have any children, so their original plan was to donate the property outright to Manatee County in another 10 to 15 years. However, Hurricane Ian made them rethink that plan.
“We’re getting too old to maintain it,” Vicky Oberlander said. “We couldn’t even get down the driveway. It was completely crisscrossed with trees. Oaks just toppled over.”
Vicky Oberlander is 58, and her husband is 64. About 400 trees blew over during Hurricane Ian. It took them nearly a year to clean up.
The driveway that was covered in trees is 1,500 feet long. When entering from Betts Road, it slices through the forest and leads back to the Oberlanders’ home.
The surrounding habitats include a 50-acre upland forest, forested wetlands, mesic flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods and freshwater marshes.
When walking around the property with Vicky Oberlander, she couldn’t help but pick up sticks the whole way. The grounds are meticulously maintained.
It’s not only a matter of what’s been planted, but also what’s been removed. It’s a constant effort to keep invasive species, such as Cogon grass and Caesar weed, at bay.
The couple is retiring to a home on one acre in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“One of our neighbors is a 160acre nature preserve,” Vicky Oberlander said. “We don’t have to maintain it, but there are trails, so we can enjoy the preserve.”
Woithe said the county should close on the property within 45 days.
Vicky Oberlander stands on the Myakka City property in 1996, before 34,000 trees were planted.
The ponds are home to a few species of turtles including soft-shell turtles and alligator snapping turtles.
Vicky and Orin Oberlander are selling 105 acres of reforested land in Myakka City to Manatee County for more than $3.6 million.
Voters to decide increase in tourist tax
A referendum to increase the tourist development tax by 1% will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
lliott Falcione, executive director of Manatee County’s Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said raising the tourist development tax will enhance the quality of life for Manatee County residents.
The tax is currently 5%. The additional 1% the visitors bureau is proposing is expected to generate $7.8 million annually.
Revenue from the tourist development tax pays for maintenance and improvements on amenities that both tourists and residents use, such as Premier Sports Campus and the Manatee Performing Arts Center. In 1986, 1% was earmarked for beach restoration and erosion control.
Commissioner Ray Turner said, if passed, the additional revenue will accelerate work on Premier Park, too. While residents benefit from the tax, they don’t have to pay it because the tax only applies to short-term rentals of six months or less — unless, of course, they use those rentals. Also known as the “bed tax,” the
RAISING TAXES
tax is billed to anyone using a hotel, an RV park or any other overnight rental with a bed. It’s an added lineitem, along with sales tax.
Since the tourist development tax was first levied in 1980, Manatee County commissioners decided the amount of the tax.
This year, voters will decide whether to increase the tax because the Florida statute changed in 2023. The statute now requires any additional tourism tax to be passed through the referendum process.
Commissioners can only add the referendum to the ballot, which they did July 30 in a vote of 4-1.
Commissioner Jason Bearden was absent, and Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge opposed the referendum on the basis that he said he would never raise taxes when campaigning in 2020.
“This tax is a direct benefit to the citizens of Manatee County, but not (being put) on the citizens of Manatee County,” Chair Mike Rahn said. Falcione said tourism brings more than $2 billion into the local economy that helps sustain businesses, and in turn, increases the quality of life for residents.
Manatee County currently collects over $30 million annually in tourism tax proceeds.
Manatee County had 3.8 million visitors in 2023.
Manatee County staff provided a timeline of how the tourist development tax has increased and evolved since it was first levied in 1980.
YEAR TAX USE
1980 2% To advertise, promote and establish tourist information centers and to maintain and operate the Manatee County Civic Center
1986 3% To establish a trust fund for restoration and erosion control of county beaches
2003 4% To advertise and promote tourism
2009 5% All of the above
2024 6% If approved, to maintain and build assets
EAST COUNTY
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Hurricane Debby a downer for East County
Relentless rains close approximately 100 roads in Manatee County and lead to lifethreatening situations.
JAY HEATER, LESLEY DWYER AND LIZ RAMOS OBSERVER STAFF
As the Braden River swelled over its banks into the homes on Quonset Road on Monday afternoon, Jack Boenau was getting ready to try a water rescue himself.
One of his Quonset Road neighbors was in trouble, as the water begin to engulf his home. But as Boenau headed toward his pontoon boat, he said East Manatee Fire Rescue arrived just in time to use a rowboat for the rescue.
The outer bands of Hurricane Debby pounded East County relentlessly from Sunday night through Monday, and the deluge went from causing annoying road closures (approximately 100) to developing into life-threatening situations.
As of the morning of Aug. 6, Manatee County emergency services had performed 35 water rescues that involved 186 people.
Boenau, who is 75, was going from home to home to make sure they were safe. His neighbors, Denny Pyeatt and Mario and Adriana Diaz joined him.
“I am right on the river,” Boenau said. “The water is higher than I’ve ever seen it.”
By early Monday afternoon, Manatee County was urging residents downstream of the Lake Manatee Dam to evacuate. Hurricane Debby’s heavy rains caused the water level of Lake Manatee to rise to an unsafe level. Some of that water had to be released.
Three plugs at the dam’s auxiliary spillway were opened.
The county put high water vehicles and transport units in position in
case rescues became necessary.
“The strategic release of water from Lake Manatee is a precautionary measure to mitigate the impact of the recent heavy rainfall and to ensure the Manatee Dam remains in good structural condition,” Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske said in a press release.
The press release also stated that additional releases from the dam might be necessary as storm surge and rising tides continue to pose challenges.
Challenges from the storm were many. School District of Manatee County teachers and staff were scheduled to return to school Monday, but the storm had other plans.
With R. Dan Nolan Middle School and Miller Elementary School serving as shelters and the “ongoing threatening conditions,” Mike Barber, a spokesperson for the district, said nonessential employees were sheltering in place and working remotely at home.
As of 10:45 a.m. Monday, Nolan was hosting eight evacuees, with more potentially on the way, Barber said. Miller was hosting 22 evacuees.
A third shelter — Virgil Mills Ele-
mentary in Palmetto —was opened later on Aug. 6. Barber said maintenance teams consisting of essential employees were checking schools for possible storm damage, power outages and other concerns. If all is well, employ-
ers closed by flooding that weren’t listed.
Rita Lewis, owner of Linger Lodge Restaurant in East County, said she’s lived in the area for 15 years and has never seen such severe flooding. By Monday afternoon, she said the Braden River had flooded enough to approach the patio of the Linger Lodge Restaurant. She decided to evacuate her home, which is adjacent to the restaurant, as the water was approaching her lanai.
“I’ve been here for over 15 years, and I’ve never seen it this bad,” Lewis said. “I think it’s going to get even worse since we’re supposed to get more rain. The whole bottom, lower part of (the Linger Lodge) campground is totally flooded. The electric boxes are just peeking up out of the water. I’ve never seen it like this before.”
Lewis said the restaurant has not sustained any water damage so far. It’s closed on Mondays, but she said she will have to evaluate the condition of the restaurant and the surrounding area before deciding whether to open for regular operating hours on Tuesday.
“(Water) might get into the patios, but it won’t get into the dining room,” she said.
Myakka City’s Carol Ricks looked out at a pole that children used to swing off a rope to jump into the pond in her backyard. The pole was surrounded by water as the pond flooded, and the bottom of the rope was nowhere in sight.
The kayaks that were in the pond made their way to the fence several yards of away from the bank of the pond.
Also in Myakka, resident Walter Carlton measured 12 inches of rain on his home rain gauge by noon Monday. He lives adjacent to Myakka’s Crane Park, which he said was under water.
ees will return to the district’s regular schedule on Tuesday. Manatee County residents were seeing unprecedented levels of flooding, especially on the roads. By Monday afternoon the county had closed 92 roads, with many oth-
In Mill Creek, Jason Powell saw his driveway flooded to the point a fellow Mill Creek resident was able to use a fishing net to scoop a catfish out of the driveway.
Courtesy photos
Myakka City’s Carol Ricks has a new, huge pond in her yard.
An East Manatee Fire Rescue worker paddles toward a flooded home on Quonset Road along the Braden River to rescue the occupant.
Nonprofit forms educational fund
Sarasota-Manatee Science and Technology Society creates education fund in honor of founder’s late wife.
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
When Palm Aire’s Nick Barbi served as a chaperone for his wife, Mary Jo Barbi, as she took a group of students to see a “Man of La Mancha” on Broadway in New York City, he took away a lesson that he carries with him now, 55 years later.
He was amazed at her ability to get the necessary permissions to have students travel from Colonie High School near Albany, New York, and coordinate a field trip to the Big Apple that gave many students, and Nick Barbi, a first-time experience with Broadway. The lesson: Educational opportunities can make a lasting impact.
“It was the first time I realized one could think outside the box, take leaps from the comfort of the norms and make a positive impact on young minds,” Nick Barbi said.
It’s a lesson Barbi wants to use with the newly created Mary Jo Barbi STEAM Education and Scholarship Fund, which was established in honor of Mary Jo Barbi, who died May 29.
The fund is a part of the nonprofit Nick Barbi founded, the SarasotaManatee Science and Technology Society.
Nick Barbi said his wife was always the one to recognize people for their accomplishments and make them feel valued. She had a passion for education and inspiring students, he said.
He said if she were alive, she would have refused the recognition of an educational fund being named in her honor.
The fund will provide seed money for the Science and Technology’s educational programming, including the Community Observations and Analysis using Spectroscopic
Techniques and Wetlands Imaging to build Stewardship of the Environment program.
COASTWISE is a pilot program with the Faulhaber Fab Lab in Sarasota for high school students. The program will educate students on topics such as aerial imaging of Sarasota and Manatee counties, visible and near infrared spectroscopy and more.
Barbi said the pilot program, which took place Aug. 5-7, allowed the nonprofit to determine how to hone its syllabus and gauge the appropriate academic rigor for the course. Barbi said he would like to see the Science and Technology Society be able to accomplish three goals — to train students to make their own decisions based on research they conduct, to make Sarasota and Manatee an attractive area for tech start-ups and to try to build respect for science.
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Palm Aire’s Nick Barbi and the Science Technology Society names an educational fund in honor of his wife, Mary Jo Barbi, who died in May.
Beyond First Class™
Observer recommends
Republican voters have solid choices to replace Rep. Tommy Gregory for House District 72. One candidate’s qualifications stand above the others.
Whoever wins among the four Republican candidates seeking to replace state House District 72 Rep. Tommy Gregory, expectations for effectiveness in Tallahassee will be high.
In his three terms in office, Gregory rose among his Republican colleagues in the House as a low-key, smart, respected, analytical lawmaker. In 2023, as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Gregory led the effort to do what lawmakers had been trying to do for 40 years — sweeping tort reform. This was legislation that broke Florida’s trial lawyers’ hold on the Legislature with statutes that made them wealthy, made Floridians poorer and gave Florida the reputation as one of the worst states for costly, frivolous lawsuits.
Perhaps one of the ironies of Gregory’s signature legislation is that he is a lawyer himself.
Fellow Republican lawmakers, business leaders and Manatee taxpayers were sorry to see Gregory resign his seat June 30 to become president of the State College of Florida — a win for the college, a loss for taxpayers in Tallahassee.
To be sure, the four Republicans seeking to replace Gregory know much will be expected of them.
The question now is which of the four — Bill Conerly, Alyssa Gay, Richard Green or Richard Tatem — can extend the legacy?
This is one of those rare races when all four candidates could serve the district well.
On the issues — such as taxation, the role of government, Florida’s property insurance crisis, recreational marijuana and others — little separates them philosophically. They all espouse conservative bona fides. (For the candidates’ position on issues, click the Elections tab on the homepage of YourObserver. com.)
Which candidate, then, is most likely to serve taxpayers’ interests and be able to play and win in the ugly, jostling-for-power politics that goes on in the Capitol?
n Gay is playing up her youth. She is the youngest of the four at 32 and a lifelong Manatee resident. “You want fresh, future-minded people in the House; you want younger people to be involved in the process,” she says.
Gay started her own marketing company. “Starting a business, working with clients, learning to
ELECTION ’24
FLORIDA HOUSE DISTRICT 72
CANDIDATES
ON THE ISSUES
To see candidate profiles and questionnaires, click on the Elections tab on YourObserver. com.
work with people” are all experiences a legislator needs, she says.
While attending (and eventually graduating from) State College of Florida and the University of Florida, Gay served as a legislative intern for then-Rep. Steube. That “opened my eyes to the opportunity our legislators have to truly work for the people,” Gay said.
n Green, 39, is a thoughtful senior attorney for the statewide law firm of Lewis, Longman and Walker P.A. In his practice as an environmental, land-use and governmental litigator, Green has found himself entrenched in the dealing with Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Children and Families Services and the Florida Department of Agriculture.
“My experience includes drafting amendments” to state statutes, he says. “I am not doing this for fame, and certainly not for fortune,” Green told the Observer. “I am doing it to serve.”
n Conerly, 59, is a senior project manager and shareholder at the Kimley-Horn engineering and planning firm. A resident of Manatee since age 15, he also is a Navy veteran.
Of the four candidates, Conerly talks most stridently about what he wants to accomplish in Tallahassee and his support of Donald Trump. He told Florida Politics in April:
“We can continue to kick the can down the road, year after year, on issues like immigration, insurance and our quality of life, or we can act. I am running to take quick action, just like President Trump,” Conerly said. “The politicians in Tallahassee should be on notice: I won’t be making excuses or empty promises on insurance rates, I will
Lion and the ostrich
T
he contrast between the speeches of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress and that of interim “President” Kamala Harris after meeting with Netanyahu was, well, frightening, demoralizing and distressing. Frightening and distressing for the American people.
If you didn’t watch Netanyahu or read his text, you should. Then, watch Harris’ remarks after her meeting with Netanyahu.
The lion and the blind ostrich.
Here we are, ostensibly the most powerful democratic republic in the world and the leader of the free world, and yet we now have as our nation’s de facto president an individual who is so obviously feckless; oblivious to right-and-wrong reality; in a job far beyond her ability; and, like her predecessor on every foreign-policy matter, wrong on the Israel-Hamas war.
What’s more, how insulting for Harris, the head of the U.S. Senate, not to attend the speech of the prime minister of our leading ally in the Mideast, instead going to a sorority convention in Indiana. That says it all. So do the two speeches.
Here is Netanyahu describing what happened on Oct. 7:
“Like Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001, Oct. 7 is a day that will forever live in infamy.
RECOMMENDATIONS AT A GLANCE
For the Aug. 20 primary elections
U.S. Senate
Republican — Rick Scott
Democrat — None
U.S. Congress-District 16
Republican — Eddie Speir
Democrat — Neither
Florida House District 72
William “Bill” Conerly
MANATEE COUNTY
County Commission
District 1 — Carol Ann Felts
District 3 — Talha “Tal” Siddique
District 5 — Ray Turner
District 7/At Large — George Kruse
School Board
District 1 — Mark Stanoch
District 3 — Charles Kennedy
Property Appraiser
Charles Hackney
Supervisor of Elections
Scott T. Farrington
be lowering them come hell or highwater.”
OK, put the rhetoric aside. That’s not really Conerly’s persona. Many Manatee residents, business owners and members of the Manatee County Planning Commission know Conerly as an even-handed, analytical, trustworthy and smart individual. For the past 12 years, Conerly served on the Planning Commission, 10 of them as chair.
Paul Rutledge, a fellow planning commissioner with Conerly for eight years, says he has disagreed with Conerly at times on the board. But he says Conerly “is very respectful and respectful to the community. His process of getting through difficult situations was very measured, level and unemotional.
“He didn’t take the chairmanship as an ego thing,” Rutledge says. “He wasn’t there to aggrandize himself. We need people who have a heart for service, not just on the board, but in their homes. People’s hearts, how they conduct themselves and how they conduct themselves with people are critical. He’s all good on those. Check the box on each one of those.”
n Tatem is a retired, 30-year Air Force veteran. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Tatem served as a pilot and an assistant professor at the academy.
A Riverwalk resident, Tatem was elected to the Manatee School Board in 2022 in his first run for public office. Props to Tatem for
THE SPEECHES
“It was the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. It began as a perfect day … And suddenly, at 6:29 a.m., as children were still sleeping soundly in their beds in the towns and kibbutzim next to Gaza, suddenly heaven turned into hell.
“Three thousand Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel. They butchered 1,200 people from 41 countries, including 39 Americans … And these monsters, they raped women, they beheaded men, they burnt babies alive, they killed parents in front of their children and children in front of their parents. They dragged 255 people, both living in dead, into the dark dungeons of Gaza … ”
Now read what Harris said about Oct. 7. Mind you, she didn’t need to repeat all of the vivid, gorey details.
But here’s what she said:“Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. On Oct. 7, Hamas triggered this war when it massacred 1,200 innocent people, including 44 Americans. Hamas has committed horrific acts of sexual violence and took 250 hostages. There are American citizens who remain captive in Gaza.”
Now, before Harris said that, she also said, “I said it many times, but it bears repeating: Israel has a right to defend itself … ”
But at the end of stating that, she added: “and how it does so matters.”
SARASOTA COUNTY
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being willing to serve in the often thankless world of public office and wanting to make a difference. But here’s the “but”: An ethos of every branch of the armed forces is the mission — completing the mission. Tatem was elected to a four-year term on the school board. Giving up that seat before the end of his term to run for a legislative seat that may be more to his liking is giving up on the mission. It certainly colors perceptions of his motivations — that he is in it for him, to climb to the next step.
Altogether, each of these candidates would represent the District 72 taxpayers and voters well in Tallahassee. There is no wrong choice. Indeed, it’s encouraging to see the promise of the two young candidates — Gay and Green. They should be encouraged to stay involved in the community and continue to build their reputations and name recognition. Their days will come.
But when you paint an entire picture — someone who has deep roots in Manatee; demonstrated success in his or her profession; has the right principles for limited government, fiscal responsibility and the freedom philosophy; demonstrated the temperament and motivations to serve first for others; and has the learned wisdom of how government and the government process works — one candidate sits above the others.
We recommend: William “Bill” Conerly
… And I will not be silent.”
n Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress: Youtube.com/ Watch?V=RKkcstwPd9K
n Kamala Harris after meeting with Netanyahu: Youtube.com/ Watch?V=pW41MZVnqKU
There you go. She did not condemn with forceful emphasis the barbaric leaders of Hamas and what they perpetrated. Netanyahu called Hamas “rapists,” “murderers” and “terrorist thugs.” But with her six words — “and how it does so matters” — Harris clearly signaled she is not really a supporter of Israel, especially not a supporter of eliminating the terrorist thugs who have vowed for decades their mission in life is to wipe out Israel and its people.
Here’s more of Harris lecturing: “I also expressed with the prime minister my serious concerns about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the deaths of far too many innocent civilians. And I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there, with over two million people facing high levels of food insecurity and half a million people facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity … We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies.
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Now had Harris attended Netanyahu’s speech, she would have heard this:
“The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has shamefully accused Israel of deliberately starving the people of Gaza. This is utter, complete nonsense. It’s a complete fabrication. Israel has enabled more than 40,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza. That’s halfa-million tons of food, and that’s more than 3,000 calories for every man, woman and child in Gaza.
“If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren’t getting enough food, it’s not because Israel is blocking it; it’s because Hamas is stealing it.”
Netanyahu also quoted the foremost military historian at West Point, who says, “Israel has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history and beyond what international law requires.”
Shockingly, at the end of her remarks, Harris said the “war in Gaza is not a binary issue.” She couldn’t be more wrong. As Netanyahu said: “It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.”
If Harris truly believes in Israel, she would know and endorse that the only way to a better future is the elimination of Hamas and its leadership.
She is the ostrich — her feckless head in the sand. — Matt Walsh
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MAN WITH A PLAN
District 5 Commissioner Ray Turner says transparency is key to planning effectively for growth.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
Being with a family that lived in four different countries during his childhood, Ray Turner learned how to be the new kid on the block.
So, when the District 5 commissioner was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to that post a year ago when Vanessa Baugh retired because of family concerns, Turner wasn’t bothered being thrown into that role once again.
“I went to 22 schools,” said Turner, who lived in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada as a kid. “People just get to know me. I am not looking to appease everybody. I have learned how to assimilate to new worlds. I learned how to just be me. That’s the most important thing.”
“Just being me” for Turner, who will face Robert McCann in the Republican Primary Aug. 20 for his District 5 seat, means listening to his constituents and then talking to them about their concerns.
He has done that through a long series of “Town Halls” at Lakewood Ranch-area HOAs ever since he was appointed.
At those meetings, he runs into folks who are anti-growth and antichange.
“I get it,” Turner said. “They just moved down here and they don’t want change. But I am proactive in explaining what the future looks like and why.
“We have to get ahead of (the growth) and plan for the future. We have to know what the future looks like and why. The big thing is that it is necessary to have a long-term plan.”
Turner said Manatee County’s staff has been good at looking at
obstacles and challenges and working through them.
“I knew, coming in, you have to stand up for a greater cause,” he said. “Voting for development doesn’t mean you are in developers’ pockets. The challenge is whose rights are you going to stand for? I am nobody’s puppet.”
He said past commission regimes caused problems by using capital improvement project funds that were intended for improving the road system and other infrastructure, and reallocating them toward other causes. He said that tendency has created many of the traffic concerns the county is experiencing today.
“On a grand scale, we definitely need to get ahead of (growth) with utilities,” Turner said. “Those things have to be resolved. You can’t have 8-inch pipe if we need 18-inch or 24-inch pipe. You need to have schools, emergency services. You need to get ahead of that, generally speaking. In days gone by, (infrastructure) was a weak spot. Now we have all this infrastructure in place. We’ve got our pedal to the metal.”
Turner believes in being transparent, and he is convinced that greater transparency by the county will ease many of the concerns of the public.
“We need to educate our constituents about what is going on, and we need to execute a plan,” he said.
“People need to know what I stand for.
“If we are making things more transparent, it brings down anxiety.”
He said whenever a commissioner approves a development project, no matter how good the plan, there will be resistance from those who might be neighbors to the new endeavor. However, he said that development will be a boost to the community as a whole.
“I look around the country and the world, and this is widespread,” he said. “It has become special interest groups driving the train. When I started to see this, I thought, ‘Maybe on the local level I can stand up for what is right.’”
He noted that Schroeder-Mana-
MEET THE CANDIDATE
RAY TURNER
What: Running for reelection to his District 5 Manatee County Commission seat Age: 60 Party: Republican
tee Ranch has done an amazing job of creating a family environment in its communities with the supporting amenities. He said North River Ranch (Neal Land and Neighborhoods) is an excellent mix of residential, commercial and emergency services.
He said those neighborhoods provide everything a citizen needs.
Turner also said the commission has been focused on protecting and conserving land and not just developing it.
“The biggest thing is that we have focused on recreation and preserves,” he said.
Manatee County’s Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition committee has brought three major projects to the commission in the past year, and all three were acquired.
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Hospital Affiliations: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital
“We have supported them and pushed to get it done,” he said. “The philosophy of this board has been ‘We need this.’ In the past year, we have had 27,000 acres switched over to county land. We are protecting those natural resources. We’re trying to make changes.”
He urges voters to look at the commission’s record and to not concentrate on the “smear spin.”
Although he will get smeared in mailers for being pro growth, Turner said his efforts to reach the citizens face-to-face should pay dividends at election time.
“There is a segment of people, those who I have met at HOAs, at Town Halls, through the (Lakewood Ranch) Business Alliance, who have a good sense of who I am,” he said.
His year of service on the commission (He was appointed Aug. 1, 2023.) has been a “massive education,” Turner said, combined with his time before that on the Manatee County Planning Commission.
A resident of Manatee County for 20 years, he also has served as the secretary of the Manatee Sara-
sota Building Industry Association. He started his real estate career in 1991, selling custom homes, and transitioned into real estate finance, international marketing and executive management.
All of that provides with a better understanding of what is coming to East County.
“We need careful planning, and to understand what we have to overcome,” he said.
He knows he will continue to be accused of being in developers’ pockets, but he doesn’t let it bother him.
“I knew going in that was going to be the case,” Turner said. “That is part of the territory. I am not a guy who cares about rhetoric. It’s not the truth, and it doesn’t bother me. If people are looking for the truth, they can find it.”
His dad, Richard Turner, an entrepreneur, had a saying about what you do when you face adversity, and that continues to guide him.
“He always said, ‘Your character is measured by how fast you can dust yourself off.’”
Jay Heater
Raymond Turner with his wife, Debbie at his side, takes the oath of office to become the District 5 Manatee County Commissioner Aug. 1, 2023. He is running for reelection.
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Nonprofit relies on ‘educational espionage’
FUNducation makes math fun by using Legos and robots.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Lakewood Ranch resident Neirda Thompson-Pemberton is a civil engineer. It surprises her that so many children don’t know what engineers do for a living.
When she speaks to kids and tells them, they’re interested at first until they find out how much math is involved.
“Just because it would be a little bit hard, they won’t consider it,” she said. “Come on, kids. When’s the last time you put down a video game because it was hard? No, you sat there and played that sucker until you beat it.”
In 2019, Thompson-Pemberton founded FUNducation, a nonprofit that, like its name, combines fun with STEAM education. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. ThompsonPemberton said STEAM education isn’t optional; it’s a necessity to keep children from falling behind on technologies that are developing around the world. And kids actually love STEAM because they don’t know they’re being educated.
“We call it educational espionage,” Thompson-Pemberton said. “They come in for the fun, but they leave with the business.”
FUNducation serves kids in elementary school through high school. The youngest children start by playing with Legos.
Not only do kids love playing with Legos, but there are robotic Legos that can be coded. The complexity grows along with the child.
“The smaller level is coding and design, so they’re just learning how to use the basic sensors with regular Lego bricks,” Thompson-Pemberton said. “On the higher side, their robots are as tall as you or I, but they’re not humanoid.”
The robots can perform tasks, such as throwing a ball or picking something up. There are two robotics teams, one for middle school students and one for high school students.
The season runs from August through April, but FUNducation is year-round, so if students aren’t building or competing with a robot, they’re learning new concepts.
For the past two years, RND Automation has provided space in its Lakewood Ranch building to the robotics teams. RND specializes in custom automation. Tervis Tumblers are assembled using RND robots.
“They believe in the power of STEAM education. One of our students even interned for RND,” Thompson-Pemberton said. “It’s the most beautiful example of the community partnering with us and involving the workforce.”
Aaron Laine is the executive managing director for RND. He said even staff members from the accounting department have become involved. They helped the kids with a business plan.
“There’s a lot of people here who are passionate about robotics,” Laine said. “Several of our engineers and techs got involved, spending their time and trying to mentor the kids.”
The biggest challenge for the engineers is keeping the solutions to themselves. RND staff only provides facts and data. The students have to come up with the solutions on their own.
“We call it educational espionage. They come in for the fun, but they leave with the business.”
NEIRDA THOMPSON-PEMBERTON founder of FUNducation
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Thompson-Pemberton’s goal is to move into a brick-and-mortar location within the next couple years, but for now, FUNducation relies on community partners like RND. The programs are also offered in schools and homes. A group of friends is all it takes to start a robotics team.
While FUNducation is for boys and girls, Thompson-Pemberton is looking to engage more girls. She’s heard stories from parents that their daughters were offered STEAM opportunities, but walked into a room of all boys and didn’t want to stay.
“Our girls are still scared to get in there and scrap with the guys,” she said. “I stand a little taller, so they know I’m in it with them.”
Regardless of gender or anything else, Thompson-Pemberton said there is a skills gap among all students when it comes to STEAM.
“A lot of students are just not getting into engineering and math,” she said. “There’s a test of the international market of students and the number that are graduating in those fields. The United States, as a whole, is falling behind.”
ABOUT THE NONPROFIT FUNDUCATION
11161 E. State Road 70, Suite 110 Visit FUNducation.org.
Mission statement: To expose, engage and empower our youth to be the innovators of tomorrow through education in science, technology, engineering, art and math.
The numbers are even lower for minorities and women. As a Haitian American woman, Thompson-Pemberton falls into both categories, but her godfather was an engineer and her uncle was a mechanic.
What’s called “tinkering” now is what used to get her in trouble as a kid because she was always taking things apart and putting them back together.
“I love working with my hands and figuring stuff out. That’s what led me to engineering,” she said. “There are kids out there today who might be tinkerers, but they don’t know they can make money at it.”
Neirda Thompson-Pemberton wants to make education fun.
His toy box runneth over
Lakewood Ranch’s Richard Pierson hopes his Sarasota Toy Museum, which opens Aug. 8, is fun for all.
His 6,000-square-foot building on 17th Street in Sarasota is stuffed full of vintage toys. Everywhere you look — up, down, ahead or behind — is another toy, with another story, and another memory.
Lakewood Ranch’s Richard Pierson is ready to unveil his Sarasota Toy Museum Aug. 8. Pierson has done much of the work himself, with the help of his sons, Jacob and Zachary. However, other than the extensive work done on the model railroad exhibit by volunteers, Pierson built all the display cases and placed the toys — by either era or subject — himself.
He will be saddened on opening day, though, as East County’s George Borsari, founder of the Sarasota Bay Model Railroad Society, won’t be there to celebrate the opening.
Borsari, who was 84, said in an East County Observer feature in early May how he was excited about the opening of the museum, but since has died. Borsari and members of the Sarasota Bay Model Railroad
IF YOU GO
OPENING OF THE SARASOTA TOY MUSEUM
When: Aug. 8
Where: 3580 17th St., Sarasota
Phone: 941-993-1897
Web: SarasotaToyMuseum.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays
Admission: Adults $15; kids 6-16 and seniors 60 and over $10; kids under 6 and anyone with special needs free
Society put together the professionally built HO scale layout that Pierson purchased to be a feature in his museum. Borsari called it a “world class layout” that was meant to be a museum piece.
The layout, which includes 28,000 handmade trees, was in pieces, though, so Pierson sought out model railroad enthusiasts to help him. Borsari answered the call.
“George got his group together and they were the only reason I was able to put this (model railroad layout) together,” Pierson said. “I quickly became close with George because we were on a like-minded mission. He just did it because he loved it.” Pierson’s love of toys is on display every day. He can’t take more than two steps in his museum without stopping to share a story about a particular toy, its era and what makes it special. His hope is that the museum’s patrons will feel the same. Pierson’s Moosehead Toys and Comics business will operate the museum. His idea for the museum came during an antiquing trip to Quechee, Vermont, the site of the Vermont Antique Mall. It was there he met Gary Neil, who had been curating a toy exhibit for more than 40 years and whose finds were on display at the mall. Neil sold him the collection.
Jay Heater
The Sarasota Toy Museum will feature Hubley metal die-cast toys from the 1920s and 1930s thanks to the generosity of a donor.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
A bridge to art adventure
Five area museums collaborate on a fresh look at contemporary Florida art.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Everyone knows about the Great American Road Trip. Long before the NBC reality show of the same name, Mom and Dad would pack the kids in the station wagon and head for national parks, Disney or Busch Gardens, staying in Howard Johnson’s or camping along the way.
But what if you’re an art lover and prefer to while away the dog days of summer in air-conditioned galleries before adjourning to the museum gift shop or cafe? We’ve got just the road trip for you.
Five area museums — two in Sarasota, one in St. Petersburg and two in Tampa —have collaborated to bring you the freshest in Florida art.
1. THE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART
If it’s scale you’re looking for, The Ringling’s “Skyway” installation won’t disappoint. The museum has devoted its Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing West, its largest rotating galleries, to the works of 13 artists.
The multimedia exhibition runs the gamut, from small pieces such as Caitlin Albritton’s whimsical jewelry to Kiko Kotani’s breathtaking installations of crocheted crepe satin. A native of Hawaii who lives and works in Gulfport, Kotani drew inspiration from watching her mother sew blankets and clothes when she was a child.
Kotani has two monumental pieces in The Ringling’s exhibit: “White Falls,” whose flowing structure evokes reverence for nature and spirituality, and “Neon Forest,” three conical structures whose lemon, lime and orange hues are plucked straight out of Florida’s fruit groves.
With “State of Waters,” a huge map of Florida
Their joint exhibition is called “Skyway,” after the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Interstate 275 that serves as the gateway to Tampa Bay.
Best of all, the cultural institutions — The Ringling Museum of Art, the Sarasota Art Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum in Tampa and the Tampa Museum of Art — are offering reciprocal admission.
That means you can see all five “Skyway” exhibitions for the price of one. Consult each institution for details.
To do all five shows in one day (or two), you’ll want to get the timing right. The window when all the exhibitions are open at the same time runs from Aug. 28 to Oct. 27.
This is the third “Skyway” collaboration — the others were in 2021 and 2017. It also marks the first time that five museums are included in the tri-
bookended by large images of flowing currents, the collaborative team of Carol Mickett and Robert Stackhouse, of Tarpon Springs, draw attention to the state’s creeping saltwater intrusion and warming waters.
Bradenton artist Jake Fernandez’ “Myakka Fork” invites the viewer to get lost in its 64 wood panels spanning 88 by 154 inches. Fernandez is a conceptual artist who paints representational work termed “durational” because it emerges over a long period of time.
The grandeur of The Ringling’s “Skyway” interpretation is sure to immerse viewers of all ages into a meditation on the beauty of Florida and the encroaching threats to our often paradisiacal surroundings.
5401 Bayshore Road. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. Thursdays. $30. (Free Mondays.) Through Jan. 25, 2025. Visit Ringling.org.
ennial show. This year’s newcomer is the Sarasota Art Museum.
THE RINGLING TAKES THE LEAD
Each museum and its curators have taken their own approach to the exhibition, which attracted submissions from nearly 300 artists.
Of these, 63 artists were chosen by the participating museums’ curators with the help of guest curator Evan Garza, a curatorial fellow at MASS MoCA, in North Adams, Massachusetts.
The big difference between this “Skyway” show and earlier iterations is the breadth and quality of the works, says Christopher Jones, curator of photography and media arts at The Ringling. “A lot of artists have moved to the Tampa Bay area since 2017, the year of the first exhibition,” Jones says.
Some of the newcomers came to study or teach art at Tampa Bay edu-
cational institutions and remained in the area.
How did the curators decide how the works of the show’s artists would be divvied up among the participating museums? Evidently, a bit of “horse trading” was involved, but some people in the rarified art world prefer not to call it that.
Read on for each museum’s take on “Skyway,” which explores such themes as identity, community and environment. The statement by the participating curators in the catalog says, “This exhibition is an investment in bold ideas, aspirational values and resilience in the face of division.”
In other words, prepare to be dazzled.
Akiko Kotani’s 2023 work of crocheted crepe satin, “Neon Forest,” is on display at The Ringling Museum’s “Skyway” exhibition through Jan. 26.
Museums
FROM PAGE 13
2. SARASOTA ART MUSEUM
Since Sarasota Art Museum, an arm of Ringling College of Art and Design, is, by definition, a contemporary art museum, the works of “Skyway” artists don’t seem unexpected in the galleries of the former Sarasota High School.
In some ways, the “Skyway” exhibition is just another day in the life of SAM. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a reminder of how lucky we are to have a museum dedicated to contemporary art in Sarasota 365 days a year.
SAM’s presentation isn’t as grand as the “Skyway” show across town at The Ringling, but its juxtapositions of multimedia works speak to the important contributions of Florida immigrants from places as diverse as Upstate New York and Cuba.
Some of the most arresting creations are by Havana native Tatiana Mesa Paján, who uses white “puffballs” from dandelion plants to surround religious statues and
other objects, one of which is called “Piedra.” Although the white milky material conveys ephemerality, says SAM Senior Curator Rangsook Yang, the plants are capable of traveling great distances.
Bradenton resident and New College Professor of Art Kim Anderson creates paintings that look like photographs. Her images at SAM let the viewer know that its female subjects are always conscious of the male gaze, Yang notes.
Those who like scale and color will be pleased with the works of Sue Havens, originally from Rochester, New York, and Kirk Ke Wong, who was born in Shanghai. Wong’s mural, “GimGong Road” honors the contribution of an Asian American to Florida’s citrus industry more than a century ago.
1001 S. Tamiami Trail. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. $15. Through Oct. 27. Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
New College Art Professor Kim Anderson’s paintings have a photo-like appearance, are part of the “Skyway” exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum.
4. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM OF ART
Some participating museums in “Skyway” don’t have a theme for their exhibition. That isn’t the case for the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Museum of Art, which has named its exhibit “12 Ways of Looking at Landscape.”
In the interest of full disclosure, of the four “Skyway” exhibits I saw, this was my favorite. The USF galleries aren’t as elaborate or well-appointed as some of the others in the exhibition and the show is primarily paintings, with a few multimedia exceptions.
But the kaleidoscope of colorful, large-scale images of Florida’s landscape seems apt for a time when Earth has just experienced the highest temperatures on record.
Many images by artists such as Eric Ondina and Andres Ramirez include comforting symbols of the Sunshine State like Mickey Mouse, bountiful farms and poolside cocktails. Then they’re turned sideways or set against terrifying backdrops like wildfires. Paradise may not be lost yet, but it’s under assault.
Still, there’s much left to savor and even unexpected treasures to be found, stashed away in garages, attics and even lying on the ground.
One of the first pieces in the exhibition, “Archipelago” by Elizabeth Condon, looks like a cross between a puttputt golf hole and a topographical map.
Among the found objects embedded in the work made from detritus, polymer and acrylic is a golden charm from a baby cake traditionally served at Mardi Gras celebrations.
Finding the baby in your slice of cake is said to signify good fortune. But it also brings responsibility because the finder is usually asked to provide the cake at next year’s party. As Floridians, what is our duty to the environment?
Fans of the late Sarasota artist John Sims, who died unexpectedly in December 2022 at age 54, will want to make the trip to USF to see Keith Crowley’s painting, “Mid-Morning, 1639 10th Street (Letter to John).”
Crowley’s depiction of Sims’ studio is definitely the
3. MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
As is the fashion these days among museums, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg has placed its contemporary art selections for “Skyway” within its existing galleries, allowing them to engage in “conversation” with legacy pieces.
Sometimes the dialogue is muted, as is the case with Anat Pollack’s bronze-cast fertility objects inspired by the Venus of Willendorf. They seem right at home among the other pieces in the MFA’s ancient Greek and Roman galleries.
The interchange between two marriage-inspired artworks in the MFA’s baroque gallery is more animated. The two pieces in dialogue here are the 2024 acrylic painting, “1974 (Mother’s Embrace)” by Emily Martinez, and “The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine” by Fabrizio Santafede.
While some of the art world’s conversations between old and new seem forced and even hamfisted, these brides — one who is marrying a human and the other who is forging a spiritual union with God — communicate brilliantly, as do other juxtapositions of “Skyway” pieces within the MFA’s galleries.
After conducting a tour of the MFA, Stanton
artist’s vision, notes Leslie Elasser, the museum’s curator of education, because the interplay of shadows seen in the painting isn’t possible in real life. Another piece by Crowley, the watercolor “Dawn, Sunshine Skyway Bridge (A Letter to Strangers),” shows a closeup of the fence installed to stop suicides on the bridge. Sometimes, it’s just not possible to “Have a Nice Day,” despite the signature yellow smiley face and riot of flowers across the hall in Karen Tucker Kuykendall’s “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
3821 USF Holly Drive, Tampa. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 8 p.m. Thursday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Free. Through Nov. 23. Visit USFcam. USF.Edu/cam.
Thomas, curator of collections and exhibitions, encourages visitors to “exit through the gift shop.” Of course, Thomas is riffing on the 2010 documentary about the London street artist Banksy. But he’s also leading visitors in the direction of the last installation in the museum’s “Skyway” exhibition.
The work is a faux gift shop, which Tampa artist Emiliano Setticasi calls “Department of Contemporary Art, Tampa, FL is Selling Out.” Visiting the “shop” is an exercise in frustration, especially if you’re a fan of souvenirs. None of the tote bags, T-shirts and other collectibles is for sale.
Perhaps selling reproductions in an installation called “Selling Out” would be anathema to the artist. Not being able to buy any tchotchkes certainly makes them more coveted and can prompt reflection on the relationship between perceived value and scarcity. Luckily, the Museum of Fine Arts has a real gift shop where visitors can get their fix of retail therapy before leaving the museum.
255 Beach Drive N.E, St. Petersburg. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. $22. Through Nov. 3. Visit MFASt.Pete.org.
5. TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART
The “Skyway” exhibition at the Tampa Museum of Art doesn’t open until Aug. 28, but the “Skyway” catalog includes the artists whose work will be on display, providing some clues about its interpretation of the show.
A familiar name to Sarasota residents whose work will be in Tampa is Joe Fig, the department chair of the Fine Arts and Visual Studies programs at Ringling College. His multidisciplinary works focus on artists’ studios and the process of creating art. Fig is known for his miniature reproductions of artist studios.
One piece in the “Skyway” exhibition may be familiar to those who saw Marina Shaltout’s show at Sarasota’s Spaaces gallery in late 2023. Titled “Affirmation #1,” the work is made of tile, plywood and human hair forming the words “Live Love Laugh.” Shaltout’s work takes a deep dive into what she terms the self-care industry, whose products run the gamut, from scented candles and bath oils to pictures with reassuring slogans. As technology increases the demands upon our fragile selves, it takes more than a smiley face to keep us looking on the bright side, even in the sunny state of Florida.
120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday and until 8 p.m. Thursday. $25. Runs Aug. 28 to Jan. 5. Visit TampaMuseum.org.
Courtesy images
Keith Crowley’s painting, “Mid-Morning, 1639 10th Street (Letter to John),” depicting the studio of the late Sarasota artist John Sims.
The 2024 acrylic painting “1974 (Mother’s Embrace)” by Emily Martinez hangs next to the baroque painting “The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine” by Fabrizio Santafede at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.
Courtesy images
Seminole tribe member Corinne Zepeda’s 2024 digital print, “Greetings from Florida,” reimagines the typical tourist postcard.
Courtesy images
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$20 adults; $15 kids Visit Ringling.org.
The 2024 Summer Circus Spectacular is heading into its final days. Presided over by Ringmaster Jared Walker, the summer circus includes contortionist Uranbileg Angarag, acrobatic hand balancers The Bello Sisters, hair hang artist Camille Langlois, slack wire performer Antino Pansa and clown Renaldo, a veteran of the Big Apple Circus. Runs through Aug. 17.
JAZZ THURSDAY AT SAM
5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free to $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Jazz Club of Sarasota presents the
DON’T MISS
‘DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE’
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 lifechanging pen-pal relationship with Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress living in the Big Apple. Runs through Aug. 11.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 9
Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
Tickets: $29-$46
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Gustav Viehmeyer Quartet on the Marcy and Michael Klein Plaza. The evening also features extended hours in the galleries, the Bistro and the gift shop.
ANDY HENDRICKSON
7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26
Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
During his 20-year career, Andy Hendrickson has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Late Late Show” on CBS and NBC’s “The Guest List” and has performed his brand of clean comedy at clubs and festivals around the world. Runs through Aug. 11.
‘ANYTHING GOES’
7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $32-$42 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.
Can’t get enough Cole Porter? Then this Manatee Players revival of the 1934 musical “Anything Goes” is the show for you. Set sail on the SS American as two unlikely couples try to chart a course to lasting love. Runs through Aug. 18.
‘THE FOUR C NOTES’
8 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
With “The Four C Notes,” Florida Studio Theatre’s summer cabaret continues the tradition of doo-wop. This Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tribute show, created by John Michael Coppola, has been a hit in the Midwest. Runs through Oct. 13.
OUR PICK GREEN DAY’S ‘AMERICAN IDIOT’
Come get your grunge on at the rock opera created by Michael Mayer, Broadway director and playwright (“Spring Awakening,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”), and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. This explosive production, directed by Brian Finnerty, is just the cure for the summertime blues. Runs through Aug. 16.
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 8
Where: The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130
Tickets: $30/ Student $13
Info: Visit ThePlayers.org.
FRIDAY
‘CLYDE BUTCHER: NATURE THROUGH THE LENS’
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey $20 Visit Selby.org.
Venice photographer Clyde
Butcher’s large-scale photographs of Florida flora and fauna are on display at Selby’s Historic Spanish Point campus overlooking Little Sarasota Bay. The 30-acre waterfront park is filled with landmarks such as a prehistoric burial ground, Sarasota pioneer Bertha Palmer’s gardens and a Victorian chapel with a cemetery. Through Aug. 31.
SATURDAY
COMEDY LOTTERY
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St.
$15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Everyone’s a winner in this FST Improv show where audience members select the night’s lineup of games, replete with scenes, sketches and songs designed to provoke laughter. Runs Saturdays through Sept. 28.
MONDAY
JAZZ JAM SRQ
5:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Free Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
Thanks to the efforts of Jazz Club of Sarasota, the jazz scene is growing in Sarasota. This bi-monthly jam session is open to professional and amateur musicians alike. Come play, sing, watch and enjoy jazz.
Courtesy image
Courtesy image
Taking aim at the politics of stupidity
Find out what happens when a nerdy lieutenant governor suddenly finds himself running the state.
FUGATE
MARTY
THEATER CRITIC
Paul Slade Smith’s “The Outsider,” now on stage at Florida Studio Theatre, is a lightweight political satire with a heavy target. Hold that thought. The play begins right after a sex scandal forces the governor of an unnamed state to leave office. His entire staff goes too — except for Dave Riley (Gil Brady), his former chief of staff.
Ned Newley (Sheffield Chastain), the former lieutenant governor, instantly becomes the new governor. The man’s a genius-level math whiz. He was once a state treasurer and still thinks like one.
Newley hates crowds, public speaking and TV cameras. Hiding in his office and running budget numbers is his idea of a good time. That’s no longer an option. Before Newley knows it, he’s mumbling the oath of office while surrounded by a firing squad of TV cameras. The embarrassing video goes viral.
Arthur Vance (Roy Stanton), a James Carville-esque political flack, sees it — and spots political gold. He flies in and sweet-talks the mortified Newley with twisted logic. Yes, the viral vid made him look like a moron. But that’s a good thing!
That’s what the people want! Keep acting like a moron and you’ll do fine. Riley’s disgusted by this fraudulent play-acting.
But Newley plays along, and puts on a lumberjack shirt for his next TV interview. The Q&A begins. The idealistic reporter
(Tatiana Williams) and her taciturn cameraman (Kevin Cristaldi) know something’s up, but Newley keeps playing dumb. And gets away with it — until Lulu (Eileen Ward) a scatterbrained temp with a Minnesota accent, barges into the shot and ruins his act.
What’s her job? Ditz that she is, Lulu has to think about it. Gee. Lieutenant governor, maybe? The interview ends, with no time for correction. Lulu’s now running for office! It’s on TV, so it’s official. Vance is delighted to his toes to be her campaign manager. If Newley’s political gold, Lulu’s platinum. This chick doesn’t have to pretend to be clueless. She really is clueless! In the play’s topsy-turvy world, this airhead just might win — or go further. But Governor Newley just might get real. That sounds like a tight political satire. But my summary paves over a few plot holes. The first act underwhelms. Its fast-talking screwball comedy dialogue’s funny. But it’s loaded with heavy exposition, and that drags it down.
Instead of showing you, the first act tells you. You hear about this scaredy-cat new governor, but he’s usually off-stage. Kooky characters, wacky situation. Haha. I chuckled a few times, and that’s it.
But the second act won me over. Gov. Newley finally shows up — and sticks around. He now feels like an actual character, not a rumor. The other characters also snap into focus. After that, I invested in their story — and started laughing out loud.
Director Kate Alexander has a
IF YOU GO
‘The Outsider’
When: Through Aug. 18
Where: FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. Tickets: $25-$42.
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
knack for comedy. She distracts you from the first act’s story problems with slapstick. When the second act gets the story straight, she takes it to comedy town. And makes the audience howl.
But the actors get credit, too.
Chastain’s Newley is a smarter, kinder cousin of Stephen Root’s character in “Office Space.” He’s a quiet man, a shadow man, a man who isn’t there. Chastain shines when his character drops the dummy act and explains how government works to the cameraman. His eloquent words are sincere and from the heart. It could’ve been a cornball scene, but Chastain makes it feel real.
Riley’s great as a sane man in a mad, mad world. His character heroically keeps a positive attitude, thinks the best of his crazy colleagues and always does the right thing. On top of all that, he
struggles to keep his own sanity. Stanton does a spot-on James Carville impression as the Vance character. (I’m not sure if that’s in the script, but Vance nails it.)
Paige Caldwell’s pollster digs his Machiavellian, chess-master mind — and probably digs him. Williams is perfect as Rachel — a low-level TV reporter with high journalistic standards. She’s constantly forced to compromise by bosses with no standards. Williams makes you feel Rachel’s simmering frustration. Cristaldi’s grunting cameraman reminds me of every cameraman I’ve ever known.
But Ward’s clueless Lulu steals the show. Her scatterbrained character can’t remember anybody’s name, which intercom button to push or where to find the door to the governor’s office.
But ignorance is bliss, at least for Lulu. Despite her constant screw-ups, Lulu is always a beam of sunshine. Thanks to Ward’s hilarious portrayal, she always gets big laughs.
Smith’s political satire unfolds in a Bizarro World where up is down, competence is stupidity and idiocy is the ideal image. It’s over the top and never even tries to be realistic.
Daniel Ciba’s Technicolor costumes are a perfect fit for
the playwright’s looking glass universe. But Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay’s drab governor’s office is realistic. Their set’s dominated by a grinning portrait of the disgraced ex-governor, and stuffed with cheap, shabby furniture. There’s zero glamor, and it’s utterly believable. Little else is in Smith’s play. “The West Wing” it ain’t.
But the playwright’s not going for verisimilitude.
“The Outsider” is a surreal political satire. As noted, the world of the play is Bizarro World. I didn’t believe in it for a second, but so what? It got me laughing, and that counts for a lot.
But I have one gripe. “The Outsider” is a political satire with very little politics. Its satire aims at a single political target. Just one. And it’s a narrow one. The politics of stupidity. That’s Smith’s satiric target. His play hits the bull’s eye on that one.
“The Outsider” ignores a massive shooting gallery of other political targets. But it’s still pretty funny. And it ends with a note of hope.
When Governor Newley finally drops the dummy act and reveals his high IQ, his voters love it. They might not be as stupid as Vance thinks.
Image courtesy of John Jones
Florida Studio Theatre’s comedy “The Outsider” runs through Aug. 18 at the Gompertz Theatre.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Are you ready to go back to school?
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
Braden Woods’ Amanda Chandler said her biggest “mom hack” when it comes to preparing her children to return to school is to take the first-day photo the night before.
On Aug. 11, she will have each of her four children — 15-year-old Landen, 13-year-old Lillian, 9-yearold Loralei and 6-year-old Will — put on their school uniforms or firstday-of-school outfits and smile big for the camera.
Chandler said taking the first-day photos the night before will save time as they’re all in a rush to get to school Aug. 12.
“No one is going to know it wasn’t taken on the first day,” Chandler said. “You can still post the pictures on social media on the first day if you want.”
With Aug. 12 fast approaching, school district employees, parents and students are making the most of their final days of summer while preparing for the first day.
Omar Edwards, the associate director of strategic planning initiatives for the School District of Manatee County, is encouraging kindergarten parents to ensure their child is registered for school and ready to start kindergarten on the first day.
Edwards said the lack of transportation or the emotions of starting kindergarten could be reasons why some kindergartners aren’t present the first day.
“Any delay is a loss of instructional time, so we want to make sure
Make sure to check these off your back-to-school prep list as school starts Aug. 12.
we inform families of the steps they need to follow so they’re ready to go,” Edwards said.
According to the district, students who start kindergarten the first week of school are 35% more likely to be proficient on the third grade English Language Arts standards assessment. They also are 8% more likely to graduate high school, according to the district.
“We want to make sure we start day one with instruction because we only have a certain amount of days throughout the school year, so we have to make every day count,” he said.
The East County Observer spoke to principals and parents to compile a back-to-school checklist to help everyone start the school year on the right foot.
From the mundane items to life hacks, peruse this list to make sure you’re ready for Day 1.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL CHECKLIST
n Register your child for school.
n Get your school supplies.
n Take your first-day photo the night before
n Have patience, especially in carlines because people are learning and adjusting to procedures.
n Set an alarm for the morning. Or maybe two. Or even three.
n Establish a consistent routine.
n Ask students what goals they would like to achieve this school year.
n Sleep is crucial — start establishing earlier bedtimes.
n Register to ride — to receive transportation through the School District of Manatee County, families must register their student at ManateeSchools.net/ RegisterToRide.
n Have a plan for rainy day dismissal — It’s Florida. It rains ... a lot.
Make sure your child knows what to do if they normally walk or ride a bike to school.
n Send easy-to-open items for lunch.
n Teach your children how to open items such as snack bags, milk cartons and to use juice box straws.
n If you have questions, call the school. Don’t listen to rumors.
Create your FOCUS Parent Portal Account and update your contact information — schoolwide communication is often disseminated this way.
n Read with your child to help foster a love for learning and reading.
n Want to volunteer? Make sure you fill out an application with the school.
n Don’t forget immunizations and update medical history.
n Follow carline procedures.
n For elementary students, teach them their first and last names.
n Create a consistent form of transportation.
n Don’t park on the main road or drop off or pick up students off campus.
n Make sure lunch money is loaded to your child’s account at SchoolCafe.com/ ManateeCountySchools.
Top: Averleigh Cross is ready to start kindergarten at Freedom Elementary School in 2023. The School District of Manatee County is encouraging all families ensure their kindergartners are present on the first day. Above: The first bus arrives at Gene Witt Elementary on the first day of school in 2023.
File photos
Li Zhong, with Food and Nutrition Services, prepares a salad for Braden River High junior Lorelai Lis in 2023.
Business venture simulates the best golf has to offer
The Golf Society is on course to open in August on Solutions Lane in Lakewood Ranch.
All the guys on the block want to hang out at Scott Dannehl’s house.
“When we built the house, my wife got her dream kitchen, and I got my golf room,” he said.
Dannehl’s golf room isn’t simply a place to store memorabilia; it’s a place to play golf on courses far from his Parrish home. The room is equipped with a golf simulator. It’s so much fun that Dannehl and three of his neighbors at the Reserve at Twin Rivers are now business partners in a concept born from Dannehl’s golf room that takes up the space of a two-car garage.
Other places offer golf simulators, but The Golf Society is a private, members-only club that accommodates golfers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rain or shine.
Dannehl said The Golf Society has a country club feel without the initiation fee. Memberships range from $200 to $300 a month and come with 90 minutes of play a day.
There’s a communal lounge at the entrance and three suites with simulators in the back. Each suite accommodates a foursome and includes comfortable seating, a refrigerator and a 70-inch television.
The golf lounge is located on Solutions Lane, across the pond from the Inner Compass Brewing Co. Members have to bring their own food and drinks. For now, golfers can get growlers from the brewery, but within a few months, liquor lockers will be available to store bottles.
Music from the brewery can be clearly heard walking up the path to
The Golf Society, but not a note is played inside.
“We overbuilt, so it’s very quiet,” Dannehl said. “You’re not going to hear stuff going on once the doors close.”
Once the doors close, everything runs off an app, so the facility doesn’t have to be staffed. Instead, the facility is loaded with cameras.
Facial recognition software snaps a photo when members access the building, and cameras track members thereafter. Sensors send alerts when there’s a loud sound or anything out of the ordinary.
“If anything goes wrong, if you use the wrong golf ball and the screen gets all scuffed up, we’ll know who did that,” Dannehl said.
Members use the app to make reservations and get in and out of the building. The entire business revolves around technology, and it all started with the simulators. Dannehl had this idea in 2015, but he didn’t think the technology was there yet.
When the technology finally improved, COVID-19 hit. But the technology has only gotten better since.
“Everything from the response times to the data that gets spit out is unbelievable,” Dannehl said. “It’s club data and ball data. When you hit the ball, it automatically shows on the screen.”
The simulators serve two purposes — just to have fun or to improve your handicap. For fun, Dannehl said you can play a round of golf at St. Andrews without paying the $20,000 it takes to get to Scotland.
“It’s pretty crazy when you play it on a simulator versus actually playing the course,” he said. “It’s amazing how similar it is. They get all the details — the humps and bumps and the greens. It’s impressive.”
A membership to The Golf Society can also get you one step closer to the real thing.
“We’ve got a partnership with a travel agent that when we get a cer-
tain number of guys, we can do trips to different golf courses nationally and internationally,” Dannehl said.
The lounge has also partnered with a few high-end specialty retailers for some custom products, such as clubs and gloves. When first entering The Golf Society, there will be a communal lounge and a small retail shop.
The first 50 members will be entered into a drawing for a $1,200 custom putter from Kraken Golf.
The Golf Society will also be as inclusive as it is exclusive. The halls and doorways are a little wider, so they can accommodate wheelchairs and offer adaptive golf. Dannehl said they’ve started conversations with Wounded Warriors and the Adaptive Golf Alliance to form nonprofit partnerships, as well.
IF YOU GO
The Golf Society. 4214 Solutions Lane, Suite 105. Visit TheGolfSociety.com. The golf lounge is expected to be open by the end of August. Once open, the facility can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“We want to be very welcoming to everybody,” he said. “I think there’s another opportunity for junior golf. One of the business partners coaches at Parrish High School.”
That partner is Doug Patterson. He’s a sales rep for Panasonic. Jeremy Finney is another partner. He works for Aflac in compliance. Dannehl runs his own consulting firm, and the fourth partner prefers to stay anonymous.
All four men became fast friends living within three blocks of one another. Dannehl said he could throw a football to two of their houses.
“My son and Doug’s son are going to college together and are going to be roommates,” he said. “They’re doing the golf program at Florida Gulf Coast University.”
Jeremy Finney, Doug Patterson, Scott Dannehl and Eli Dannehl stand in front of the simulator that’s available to rent.
Courtesy image
Say cheese ... teens rate pizza
Jack Weldon was shocked to find out he chose Fresh Market as his No. 1 pizza pick. The 13-year-old was sure he was going to pick his usual favorite, Piesano’s.
Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library treated about 10 teens to pizza and soft drinks on July 30 for the Lakewood Ranch Library’s first annual Pizza Taste-off.
The teens knew the pizzas were from four different restaurants, but not which was which.
Teen Librarian Sabrina Hornyak picked up pizzas from Piesano’s and Wawa, while Friends President Sue Ann Miller picked up pizzas from Michelangelo’s and Fresh Market.
Michelangelo’s took the top spot by only one vote, showing they all were good.
The tasters were instructed to assess the appearance, smell, taste and texture of the pizzas. Then, they rated the pies on a scale of 1 to 4, or from “icky” to “amazing.”
The taste test was slated for teens only, but there was enough pizza to feed their siblings, too.
Just in case there wasn’t, Maria Weldon brought pizza from Sam’s Club to feed her two younger children — 6-year-old Olivia and 9-year-old Audrey.
Maria Weldon’s older children, Jack, and 16-year-old Gianna,
signed up for spots before the taste-off was fully booked. When the registered tastetesters finished scoring the pizzas, Assistant Branch Manager Callie Hutchison walked through the library to let the other patrons know they were welcome to the leftovers.
— LESLEY DWYER
Teens rate the pizzas by sight, smell and taste. From left: Mairead Reardon, Shauna Ditro and Maya Faust.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Brother and sister, Jack and Gianna Weldon, compare scores.
Assistant Branch Supervisor Callie Hutchison, Friends President Sue Ann Miller and Teen Librarian Sabrina Hornyak oversee the taste-off.
YOUR CALENDAR
THURSDAY, AUG. 8
HOLIDAY CARD CRAFTING
Begins at 10 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. The library is hosting a “Christmas in August” cardmaking class in the maker space room for a adults 18 and older. Learn to craft holiday cards, whether you are a beginner or experienced. Those who attend will receive a packet with everything they need to make the cards as well as how to stamp and emboss them. Registration for the event is required. For more information, go to MyManatee. org/Departments/Manatee_County_Public_Library_System.
FRIDAY, AUG. 9
THROUGH SUNDAY, AUG. 11
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING
Runs from 5:30-8:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Zooey (Friday), to be announced (Saturday) and Zack Pomerleau (Sunday). The Saturday concert has a $5 cover; the other concerts are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, AUG. 9
AND SATURDAY, AUG. 10
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/musician Dean Johanesen, who plays circus swing and American roots music, will entertain those who stroll through Waterside Place on Friday as part of the weekly free music series. On Saturday, singer-songwriter Mylon Shamble will perform. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 10
KNITTING CLASS
Begins at 1 p.m. the Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. The Braden River Library presents Drop-in Knitting, which will allow adults (18 and over) to join other knitters to work on various projects. The event will be held in the maker space room, and those who attend are urged to bring projects they currently are working on. The program is suitable for knitters of all levels. Needles and yard will be available
BEST BET
FRIDAY, AUG. 9
MOVIE IN THE PARK Begins at 7 p.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. The monthly free family friendly movie series returns with a showing of “A Bug’s Life.” The event is sponsored by Grace Community Church, which will hand out one Siesta Pop to the first 300 attendees. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Concessions will be available from We B’ Poppin Popcorn and Kettle Corn. Inflatables for the kids will be available from 7-8:30 p.m.
for on-site use. For more information about the free event, call 727-6079 or go to MyManatee.org/Departments/Manatee_County_Public_Library_System.
SUNDAY, AUG. 11
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.
YOGA IN THE PARK Runs 9-10 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For more information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.
Skeeball is one of four inflatables provided by Grace Church for the monthly movie night at Waterside Park.
Lake Club home tops sales at $2.6 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Rod and Ashley Stuckey, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16216 Clearlake Ave. to Christopher and Christina Jagel, of Niantic, Connecticut, for $2.6 million. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 4,879 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.1 million in 2022.
WATERLINE ROAD
Robert and Wendy Bright, of Bradenton, sold their home at 15215 Waterline Road to Kevin and Madonna Charles, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,465,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,223 square feet of living area.
WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER CLUB
Eileen Marie Azzopardi and Peter Azzopardi sold their home at 10724 Winding Stream Way to Jerilyn and Richard Lambdin, of Bradenton, for $1.35 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,984 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,000 in 2019.
WINDING RIVER
Mickey Andrew Escala and Sharyl
Kay Escala, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14208 11th Terrace N.E. to Jeremy and Tiffany Padilla, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,584 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.04 million in 2022.
RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES
John Thomas Velasquez and MinhThu Thi Nguyen, of Palm City, sold their home at 16621 Fifth Ave. E. to Fuad Al-Nammari and Awatef Al-Nammari, trustees, of Cincinnati, for $1.05 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,138 square feet of living area. It sold for $533,000 in 2018.
VIRGINIA WATER
Karen George and Gerald George, trustees, of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, sold the home at 7176 Victoria Circle to Robert and Carol Erker, of Bradenton, for $890,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,387 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2000.
James and Michele Dangelo, of Brewster, Massachusetts, sold their home at 7144 Victoria Circle to Brian Rhone, of Riverside, Connecticut, for $700,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,930 square feet of living area. It sold for $705,000 in 2023.
GREENBROOK
Kaleb and Remember McCarty sold their home at 13508 Brown Thrasher Pike to Taylor Hunsberger and Kristin Fanto, of Lakewood Ranch, for $880,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,258 square feet of living area. It sold for $560,000 in 2018.
Robert and Nina McCabe, of Melbourne, sold their home at 14220 Nighthawk Terrace to Christina Lynn Ely and Michael Todd Ely, of Lakewood Ranch, for $680,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,660 square feet of living area. It sold for $342,700 in 2004.
CENTRAL PARK
Terry Michael Boyd and Diane Mary Boyd, of Sun City Center, sold their home at 12064 Longview Lake Circle to Matthew Bailey and Brooke
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS JULY 22-26
Davis-Hoover Bailey, of Bradenton, for $879,100. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $899,500 in 2022.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Julie Marie Jones and Amy Jones Baskin and Jonathon Baskin sold their home at 4711 Motta Court to John Bourke and Lori Bourke, trustees, of Bradenton, for $850,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $519,500 in 2022.
RIVERWALK RIDGE CYPRESS BANKS
Dennis and Dolores Ryan, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 12207 Lobelia Terrace to Estefania Buitrago and Tyler Lewis, of Bradenton, for $810,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,548 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2011.
SAVANNA
Susan Magner, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 14021 Florida Rosemary Drive to Carmen Mihaela Gherasim and Michael Gherasim, of Aloha, Oregon, for $805,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,448 square feet of living area. It sold for $740,000 in 2022.
EDGEWATER
Anton and Nadia Gross, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8438 Idlewood Court to Erin and Donald Neufelder, of Lakewood Ranch, for $769,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,103 square feet of living area. It sold for $299,000 in 2019.
Patricia Rose sold the home at 8498 Idlewood Court to Richard Weige Yen and Christine Chin Wen Chen, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, for $440,000. Built in 1999, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,645 square feet of living area. It sold for $173,000 in 1999.
HERITAGE HARBOUR
Eugene Blamble, of Bradenton, sold his home at 420 River Crane St. to Dan Kevin Williams and Cheryl Ann Sidney, of Bradenton, for $765,000. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,672 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2008.
Judith Miller and Gary Christensen, of Burnsville, Minnesota, sold their home at 6881 Willowshire Way to John Ramsay and Lynn Parsons, of Ontario, Canada, for $495,000. Built in 2014, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,628 square feet of living area. It sold for $517,000 in 2022.
MOTE RANCH
Rosene Fisher, of Willow Street, Pennsylvania, sold her home at 6750 Coyote Ridge Court to Tyrone Floyd, of Bradenton, for $737,500.
Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $377,500 in 2010.
HEIGHTS
Charles Ye and Hui Ping Gu, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6374 Grandview Hill Court to Alexander and Natalie Lozbin, of Bradenton, for $665,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,380 square feet of living area. It sold for $558,800 in 2022.
COUNTRY CREEK
Rafael and Olga Perez, of Apollo Beach, sold their home at 142 Mill Run E. to Linda Lee Stanley and Michael John Stanley, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,441 square feet of living area.
COUNTRY CLUB Roulund Holdings 7748 LLC sold the home at 7748 U.S. Open Loop to Stephen Silver Inna Khvatova,
This Lake Club home at 16216 Clearlake Ave. sold for $2.6 million. It has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and
square feet of living area.
of Lakewood Ranch, for $622,500. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,089 square feet of living area. It sold for $655,000 in 2021.
Beacon Cove at River Place
Joseph Vitale and Suzanne ProulxVitale, of Murphy, North Carolina, sold their home at 6715 70th Court E. to Robert Reynolds, of Bradenton, for $615,500. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,277 square feet of living area. It sold for $379,000 in 2019.
HARMONY
Jacob Daniel Nager and Meghan Elizabeth Hathaway sold their home at 11335 Spring Gate Trail to Jennifer Lynn Spiteri, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $399,000 in 2020.
INDIGO
Renee Wefer, trustee, of Ocean Township, New Jersey, sold her home at 12620 Crystal Clear Place to Ariel Delouya, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,495 square feet of living area. It sold for $403,000 in 2019.
TAILFEATHER WAY AT TARA
Ruth Ann and Mark Kolquist, of Duluth, Minnesota, sold their home at 7616 Teal Trace to William and Kathryn DeLee, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,926 square feet of living area. It sold for $322,500 in 2016.
LAKESIDE WOODS
Daniel Cholish, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5863 Lakeside Woods Circle to Vincent and Melody Oliva, of Ellenton, for $520,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 1,853 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2018.
TARA
Gerry Wayne Pye and Sandra Elizabeth Pye, of Newfoundland, Canada, sold their home at 7506 Birds Eye Terrace to Andrew Bakst, of Bradenton, for $520,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,814 square feet of living area. It sold for $198,000 in 2012.
RAVEN CREST
Madeline and Troy Stephens, of Piedmont, South Dakota, sold their home at 812 116th Court N.E. to Tanner Dalton Woods and Victoria Gray Woods, of Bradenton, for
$519,900. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,499 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2015.
VERANDA AT LAKEWOOD
NATIONAL
JJJ&B FL LLC sold the Unit 2711 condominium at 5685 Palmer Circle to Matthew and Christine Lozosky, of Tampa, for $482,500. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,462 square feet of living area. It sold for $292,500 in 2023.
WOODBROOK
Rickey Hendrix, of Kent, Ohio, sold his home at 4812 Silvermoss Drive to David Alexander Pierce, of Sarasota, for $460,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,744 square feet of living area. It sold for $240,800 in 2013.
ROSEDALE
Robert and Beata Ozero, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 8720 53rd Terrace E. to Linda Ellen Howe and Kenneth Wagner, of Cincinnati, for $455,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,719 square feet of living area. It sold for $273,000 in 2017.
CREEKWOOD
Estefania Buitrago and Tyler Lewis sold their home at 4605 72nd Court E. to Alex Matthew Diaz and Lexie Rose Lundquist, of Bradenton, for $425,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,634 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2020.
WINDWARD Joshua Glen Harris, of Bradenton, sold his home at 8470 Frangipani Terrace to Orlando and Anita Colom, of Sarasota, for $425,000. Built in 2021, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,430 square feet of living area. It sold for $292,000 in 2021.
“When I’m in the water, I ignore everything else. I can focus only on swimming for a while.”
Fast Break
Former Lakewood Ranch
High baseball star Grant McCray, now with the AAA-level Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants), went 3 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI on July 31 in the River Cats’ 9-2 win over the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks). McCray is hitting .272 with four home runs, 11 doubles and 19 RBIs since being promoted to Sacramento on June 11.
... Lakewood Ranch High sophomore Liam St. John finished tied for eighth (42.61 meters) in the boys 15-16 division of the javelin throw at the AAU Junior Olympics, held July 29-31 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The finish earned St. John All-American honors. St. John is also a tight end on the school’s football team.
... Former Lakewood Ranch High and University of Mississippi men’s runner John Rivera Jr. finished second in the 800-meter run (1:44.76) at the SoundRunning Sunset Tour, a professional track and field event held July 20 in Los Angeles. The time was Rivera’s personal best.
... Former North Port High football wide receiver Tommy Bowdre announced his transfer to Lakewood Ranch High on July 31. Bowdre, a 5-foot-9 junior, had 685 all-purpose yards as a sophomore in 2023, including 375 return yards, helping secure North Port’s first-ever winning record at 6-4. Nedra Sams (20) won the Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association “Best Balls on Odd Holes” event (individual low net scoring) held Aug. 1 at University Park Country Club.
Kim Corrigan Terry Kees, Mary Lou Snider and Nancy Lagnese (20) won the 19-27 Flight of the Ladies Golf Association “All About the 3s” event (team best ball scoring) held July 30 at University Park Country Club. Linda Bouland, Risa Benoit, Jessica Nguyen and Betsy Nelson (28) won the 10-28 Flight of the event.
ODA chases another state football title
ODA FOOTBALL:
AT A GLANCE 2023 results: 6-5 record, won SSAA Class 4A championship game 33-14 over Lighthouse Private Christian Academy Head coach: Rob Hollway, third season Key to the season: Health. Hollway believes his team has the talent to compete with everyone on the schedule, but an injury or two at the wrong time could derail ODA’s plans thanks to a lack of depth. If ODA stays healthy, a repeat SSAA title could be within reach. Schedule (all games at 7 p.m.): Aug. 16 at Keswick Christian High (Preseason Classic) Aug. 23 vs. Faith Christian High Aug. 30 at Central Florida Christian Academy Sept. 6 at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Sept. 20 vs. Sarasota Christian School Sept. 27 at Santa Fe Catholic Oct. 4 at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Oct. 10 vs. Canterbury High Oct. 18 at Seffner Christian Oct. 25 vs. Windermere Prep
RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR
Frankie Clark was not satisfied with The Out-of-Door Academy football team’s conditioning work following an Aug. 2 practice.
The senior defensive back tried to persuade his brother, junior running back Allen Clark, to join him in extra work.
“Come on, run one more (sprint) with me,” Frankie Clark said.
Allen Clark gave his brother an eyebrow-arching look, then shook his head and smiled while walking to get water. Frankie Clark ran an extra sprint anyway, then jogged to join his teammates.
Though Frankie Clark was alone in this particular endeavor, the spirit he displayed — always working to maximize improvement, even and especially when it is hard — pervades the program. It is that attitude that helped ODA win a Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 4A championship in 2023 after finishing the regular season 3-5. Under head coach Rob Hollway, the Thunder believe the team always has a chance to win if they execute the game plan.
In 2024, the Thunder’s only goal is another title, and ODA players plan on getting there by working as hard as ever.
“The team we have this year is the best we have had,” Frankie Clark said. “We all push each other to get better. Our stock is only going to rise from
The Thunder have made changes during the offseason, but the program’s ethos remains the same.
the running game. ODA ran for 2,238 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2023 — with 1,104 yards and 17 touchdowns belonging to Allen Clark — while the team passed for just 494 yards and six touchdowns. Hollway would like those numbers to be more balanced in 2024, part of the reason the team brought in associate head coach and passing game coordinator Nate Strawderman, the former head coach at Bradenton Christian School. Playing quarterback will be senior Josey Rubinstein, a star on ODA’s soccer and lacrosse teams who will now try his hand at football.
Rubinstein had two touchdown runs, of 15 and 30 yards, in ODA’s spring game win over Sarasota Christian School in May. He showed off his speed and did so again Aug. 2, but the team’s overall passing game remains a work in progress, something Hollway reminded the Thunder after practice. The more everyone practices together, Hollway said, the faster it will coalesce. Unlocking the passing game will allow athletes like Frankie Clark and Carson Fisher, a senior wide receiver/defensive back transfer from Bradenton Christian, to thrive. It all revolves around the offensive line, where senior Marvin Palominos is the undisputed leader. Palominos, who is 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, said he’s trying to be more of a leader in 2024 to demonstrate how ODA linemen handle business on the field.
“I’m teaching them what I can,”
because I want to have one (heck) of a senior year.”
The talent is not limited to offense. Hollway said Fisher can be a lockdown defensive back, and that he expects big leaps from players like sophomore safety/linebacker Devin Erdei, who had 43 tackles as a freshman in 2023, and senior defensive lineman Thomas Perez, who had seven tackles for loss and three sacks.
As optimistic as Hollway is about his team’s talent, he’s also realistic. A football program like ODA does not have the depth of other, bigger schools. A few injuries can drastically change the team’s fortunes. To wit: Allen Clark missed two full regular season games and most of a third in 2023 with an ankle injury. ODA lost all three games. When Clark returned in the postseason to run for 588 yards and nine touchdowns in three playoff games, ODA found itself again. Hollway said keeping ODA’s best players on the field is paramount to its success, So is its desire.
Though the ODA attack may look slightly different, Hollway said the Thunder’s attitude will never change.
“Every once in awhile, you get a group where it (football) just matters a ton to the kids,” Hollway said. “This is that group. They hold each other accountable. The teams that commit are the ones that have a chance to go a long way, and we have a chance. If we stay healthy, we are going to be tough to beat.”
— Payton Griffin, junior swimmer at Lakewood Ranch High SEE PAGE 29
Courtesy image
Former Lakewood Ranch High baseball star Grant McCray is one step from the major leagues with the AAA-level Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants).
Thunder senior quarterback
Josey Rubinstein runs the option at an ODA practice on Aug. 2. Rubinstein has starred on the school’s soccer and lacrosse teams.
ODA head coach Rob Hollway
Senior Frankie Clark, senior Carson Fisher, junior Allen Clark and senior Marvin Palominos
Mustangs boys golfers rate as state favorites
The fall sports season begins Aug. 19 for East County high schools.
Will 2024 be the year?
The Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team has been on the precipice of a state title two years in a row. In 2022, with a roster full of freshmen and sophomores, the Mustangs finished fifth at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A tournament, held annually at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-inthe-Hills in November.
In 2023, Lakewood Ranch crept even closer, finishing second overall with a two-day team score (606) that would have seen the team take the Class 2A crown. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they play in 3A, where Fleming Island High (583) ran away with the team title.
In 2024, Lakewood Ranch won’t have to deal with Fleming Island, which dropped to 2A due to lower enrollment. That means the Mustangs will start the season as the team to beat in 3A, and though the team will have to replace two of its top-five players from a season ago, head coach Dave Frantz is confident his team has the talent to contend.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that we can make a run at it,” Frantz said. Frantz praised several of his returning and incoming golfers, including two who moved to Lakewood National Golf Club from Canada over the offseason, juniors Owen Gellatly and Jack Wessinger. The two did not know each other before moving, Frantz said. Both have impressed in early practice sessions: Frantz said they each have consistently shot in the mid- to low-70s during tryouts.
Frantz also gave a shout to sophomore Donny Plakyda. Frantz said Plakyda has improved his aver-
age by approximately 10 strokes since this past season, giving him a chance to contribute. Sophomore Brett Traver, who split his fall between golf and football last season but will focus solely on golf in 2024, has also improved and is shooting consistently in the 70s, Frantz said.
What has not changed is the team’s top-two players, seniors Parker Severs and Henry Burbee. Severs, who has committed to the University of Florida, finished tied for second in the individual standings in 2023 (70-73—143), while Burbee, who Frantz said should make his college decision soon, finished tied for fourth (77-68—145).
Frantz said he’s not worried his stars overlooking their final high school season, despite their college careers being so close. They are competitors, Frantz said. They are going to want to finish with a bang.
“I try to keep them motivated and psychologically prepared for
whatever we are going to be doing,” Frantz said. “They both averaged 71.5 last year, and I know both of them want to be better than that this year.”
While the Mustangs are the top East County golf team to watch this fall, there are local teams in other sports primed to do exciting things. Here’s what to watch when the fall season officially begins Aug. 19.
CROSS-COUNTRY
The top area returnee is ODA junior Kevin Gyurka, who finished 35th overall (16:56.2) at the Class 1A state meet in 2023, helping the Thunder to a 10th-place team finish. Seniors Collin Dillingham (17:27.8) and Isidro Iturralde (17:31.8) should also be factors as ODA aims for another top-10 finish.
The Lakewood Ranch High girls team finished 20th overall at the Class 4A state meet in 2023. The Mustangs were led by Olivia Spiegel, then a junior, who finished
57th overall (20:16.1). She will try to improve on that mark as a senior. The Mustangs also bring back sophomore Julia Mulligan (20:45.6) and senior Kyleigh Halloran (21:15.1) among other runners.
VOLLEYBALL
The Braden River High volleyball team has won its FHSAA district title three years in a row, and in 2023 went 21-7 and reached the Class 5A regional semifinals before dropping a 3-2 match to Gulf Coast High. The team has graduated their top-two kills leaders in Brynna Sands (204) and Aryanna Spainhower (189), but until someone in their district dethrones the Pirates, they should be considered the favorite.
Senior Jaliyah Elder (70 kills, 21 aces, 20 blocks) will likely step into a bigger role, and junior Mia McGuire (457 assists) will continue to be the team’s main distributor.
SWIMMING
Lakewood Ranch High has several returnees who reached the Class 4A state meet last season. Though no one medaled, they should have a chance of finishing in the top-10 this year.
Payton Griffin is one of them. Griffin, a junior, finished 10th in the 500-yard freestyle (5:02.94) and 15th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.71) as a sophomore.
Mustangs junior girls swimmer Zharra Conner finished 13th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:10.63) and 23rd in the 100-yard butterfly (59.10) as a sophomore in 2023. She could also make a leap this fall, as could senior Reese Messal, who finished 10th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.04) as a junior.
On the boys side, sophomore Daniel Snitkovsky finished 19th in the boys 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.02) as a freshman.
Braden River High had just one Class 3A state qualifier a season ago — girls senior Sydney Koshinski, who finished ninth in the 100-yard freestyle (54.05) and 13th in the 50-yard freestyle (24.94).
ODA should be led by girls sophomore swimmer Zoe Gruber, who finished 15th in the Class 1A 200-yard individual medley (2:09.24) and 19th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.05). On the boys side, senior Ronan Murphy will be the standout; he finished 14th in the 500-yard freestyle (4:43.54) and 16th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.67) in 2023.
Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
Gulfside Bank has broken ground on a new location off Fruitville Road, east of I-75.
It’s hard to believe that just five short years ago, Gulfside Bank opened its doors to Sarasota’s business community for the first time. We’ve been growing to meet the financial needs of a vibrant, thriving community ever since.
Today, Gulfside can do anything the big banks can do, only faster, with local decision making and a true personal touch you won’t find anywhere else. And we’re just getting started.
Come grow with Gulfside.
Ryan Kohn
Lakewood Ranch High boys golfer Parker Severs finished second individually at the Class 3A state tournament in 2023.
Payton Griffin
Payton Griffin is a junior girls swimmer at Lakewood Ranch High and with the Sarasota Tsunami swim team. Griffin finished eighth in the 200-meter freestyle (2:14.23) at the USA Swimming Futures Championship, held July 24-27 in Austin, Texas. Griffin also finished 22nd in the 1,500-meter freestyle (18:04.16) and 28th in the 800-meter freestyle (9:20.65).
When did you start competitive swimming? I first joined competitive swimming when I was 7 years old. I always loved the water when I was little. My mom (Ali Griffin) was a swimmer when she was younger, so we did lessons together, and I went from there.
What is the appeal to you?
When I’m in the water, I ignore everything else. I can focus only on swimming for a while.
What is your favorite event to swim?
I like the 500 freestyle. It’s a middle
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
What are your goals for the upcoming high school season?
I just want to make the podium at states in the 500 free.
What is your favorite food?
I love plain pasta.
What is your favorite school subject?
I like English. I like reading and writing and being creative.
What is your favorite TV show?
My favorite is ‘Gilmore Girls.’
What is the best advice you have received?
Don’t get in your head too much.
Don’t overthink. I used to be hard on myself and think more negatively, but I know now that it helps to think positively about my races.
Finish this sentence: “Payton
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Thursday, Aug 8 at 7:00pm
Friday, aug 16 at 7:00pm Jazz daddyo’s (Garden Concert)
Tuesday, aug 20 at 7:00pm ASTRALIS chamber ENSEMBLE
Wednesday, aug 28 at 7:00pm Sarasota piano trio
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
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WAITING IN THE WINGS by Adam Simpson, edited by Jeff Chen
By Luis Campos
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