U.S. Army Col. Gill Ruderman (above) was among the men and women honored by Manatee County commissioners on Aug. 13. Commissioner Jason Beardon read a proclamation during the meeting that declared Aug. 7 “Purple Heart Day” in Manatee County. Ruderman, an East County resident, earned two Purple Hearts with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Fragments lodged in his chest when an improvised explosive device detonated, and he was shot in the foot when performing reconnaissance in a helicopter that came under fire.
“The county’s recognition here today, and the Purple Heart program that was instituted a few years ago, is very significant to those of us who have received this medal,” Ruderman said.
New school year, new campus
As The Out-of-Door Academy begins to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the private school had another reason to celebrate Aug. 12.
ODA added a new lower school campus in Sarasota. The Clark Road campus will serve as a second elementary campus for the K-12 private school.
Chris Gallagher, one of the architects involved with the original design and construction of the campus before it became part of ODA, Kelly Rose, the director of the Lower School on Clark Road, Debra Otey, ODA’s head of school, and Tom Murphy, the chairman of ODA’s board of trustees (above), made the opening of the campus official with the ribbon cutting Aug. 12. The new campus welcomed students for the first day of school Aug. 15.
Questions linger over Lake Manatee Dam release
County says three times the volume of the reservoir had to be released during the storm. SEE PAGE 4
a winner, by George!
District 7 Commissioner George Kruse scored a huge victory over Kevin Van Ostenbridge in county primary. SEE PAGE 3
Manatee County Superintendent Jason Wysong says his school district has momentum.
Lesley Dwyer
George Kruse celebrates after his Primary victory Aug. 20 and now moves to the General Election in a bid to retain his District 7 Commission seat. Liz Ramos
Kathy Price, the principal of Robert E. Willis Elementary School, discusses how the first week of school is progressing with Superintendent Jason Wysong as he tours the school.
From the gulf to Waterside
Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House opens its doors in Waterside Place to provide upscale coastal casual dining with fresh seafood.
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
Walking through the front doors of Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House in Waterside Place, Grant Phelan wants people to feel like they’re on a cruise ship. The restaurant has shades of blue incorporated into the walls and seating to bring an aquatic atmosphere, especially with the fish mounted on the walls. When patrons step outside, they get a view of Kingfisher Lake.
Phelan, who is the CEO of Phelan Family Brands which owns Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House, said it’s impossible to find restaurants offering tables right on the water like it is at Waterside Place. Even by an ocean, restaurants have to be a certain distance away, he said.
& Oyster House offers views of Kingfisher Lake.
IF YOU GO
Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House
Where: 1540 Lakefront Drive, Sarasota
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Menu includes: Coconut shrimp, seafood gumbo, lobster bisque, salads, tropical mahi, stuffed hogfish, chili rub tripletail, tuna poke bowl, crab, lobster and oysters
More information: DeepLagoon.com or call 877-2234
Deep Lagoon’s “coastal casual” design comes from Phelan’s father, Tony Phelan, who personally designs each restaurant to ensure they all are unique. Phelan said his father has traveled to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and from the east coast to west coast of Florida in his attempt to bring the “Florida flair” into every restaurant.
Deep Lagoon, which opened its doors Aug. 6, is the latest addition to Waterside Place and provides upscale casual, indoor and outdoor dining, along with a bar.
Phelan said he had been watching Waterside develop from the moment
it broke ground. He said he considered taking every restaurant available in the complex but decided to stick with its largest restaurant.
The 13,000-square-foot space became home to Phelan Family Brands’ fifth Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House.
With the numerous shops and activities around Waterside Place, Phelan said Waterside has everything he could want in a location.
He said the waterfront dining option was something he couldn’t pass on because there are few places to go in Sarasota and Manatee counties to dine right on the water. With Waterside Place, he’s able to provide waterfront dining without Lakewood Ranch residents having to drive 30 to 45 minutes to a beach.
“When you look out those windows, do you feel like you’re on a cruise ship?” Phelan said pointing from the lobby to the doors that bring patrons directly to the shore of Kingfisher Lake. “The ability to escape for an hour or two, relax and throw your troubles away, and have somebody bring you the freshest seafood possible is a wonderful opportunity.”
Phelan Family Brands’ fish company, Island Crab Co., on Pine Island provides the seafood.
“We like to serve what the Gulf of
Mexico produces on a daily basis,” Phelan said. “Our motto is, ‘you can’t fake fresh,’ so we use the quality ingredients from our fish house.”
The menu includes grouper, tuna, shrimp, oysters, lobster, hogfish, salmon and mahi mahi. Phelan’s personal favorite dish is the chili rub tripletail while the crowd favorites are the tuna poke bowl and the miso glazed Chilean sea bass.
Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House also has a fresh fish market with seasonal seafood including swordfish, black grouper, mussels, clams, shrimp, salmon and lobster. Phelan said the fresh crab meat might have shells inside the container because it’s all hand picked on Pine Island.
Phelan said Phelan Family Brands is the second largest stone crab purveyor in Florida, and with stone crab season starting Oct. 15, he’s counting down the days to be able to bring stone crabs into Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House.
Phelan is no stranger to waiting. The restaurant was scheduled to open in late 2023, but construction delays and supply chain issues caused him to wait.
“This was one of the longest buildouts I’ve ever had for a restaurant,” he said.
ABOUT PHELAN FAMILY BRANDS
Owners: Grant Phelan and his parents, Tony and Kathleen Phelan
Phelan Family Brands started in 1997 with the first Pinchers in Bonita Springs. It started as a 1,500-square-foot seafood restaurant with 12 tables and six employees. Now the group has 26 restaurants spanning from Tampa to Key West.
Photos by Liz Ramos
Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House General Manager Leslie Carmody and Division Manager Dacie Broshears show the variety of seafood available in the restaurant’s fresh food market. The wa-
Grassroots candidates dominate primary
Bob McCann upsets incumbent Ray Turner in District 5 Commission race while Carol Felts wins in District 1.
JAY HEATER MANAGING
EDITOR
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
District 7 Commissioner George Kruse said Manatee County voters had identified two distinct camps running in the primary elections.
When the votes were counted Aug. 20, it was clear who they preferred.
“The reign of (Anthony) Pedicini and Carlos (Beruff) and the developers is over,” Commissioner George Kruse said.
As the final numbers came in, Kruse celebrated his Republican nomination to retain his seat at the Central Cafe in Bradenton with Tal Siddique, who won the District 3 nomination over April Culbreath, and Scott Farrington, who won the Supervisor of Elections nomination over current SOE James Satcher for the Republican party.
Kruse will face off with Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos-Valimaki and write-in candidate Nathan Meyer in the Nov. 5 General Election. Siddique is running against Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker, and the battle is mainly over for Farrington, who only has to square off with write-in candidate Thomas Dell.
Kruse said while the general election still has to take place, the primary sweep will change the composition of the commission because commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Ray Turner, who represented District 5 in the Lakewood Ranch area, along with Steve Metallo, who was running for District 1, all lost. Van Ostenbridge, Turner, Culbreath and Metallo all were represented by Pedicini, their political consultant.
“No matter what happens, if it’s Carol Felts or Jen Hamey (in District 1) or Bob McCann or Joe Di Bartolomeo (in District 5) or Tal Siddique or Diana Shoemaker (in District 3), there’s no scenario where the public side is not the majority,” Kruse said.
Dr. Bob McCann beat out incumbent Ray Turner in District 5. He said the election proves that votes count more than donations.
“It’s not going to be build, build, build,” McCann said. “We’re going to actually talk to the people. We’re going to advocate for the people and what they want.”
Myakka City resident Carol Felts won the Republican nomination for District 1. If she wins the general election in November, she said her first order of business will be to make a motion to restore the wetland buffers that the current board gutted. Farrington was shocked by the
public interest his race garnered.
“The Supervisor of Elections race is usually an afterthought,” he said. “I thought I had a 50/50 shot showing up here tonight.”
Kruse said this primary proves there’s another way to win elections in Manatee County, outside of developer dollars.
“We worked together. We made each other stronger,” Kruse said. “We came up with a model of how you can win the right way. Now, you’re going to see more good, smart, quality candidates because they know they can win.”
DISTRICT 72 (FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES)
Lakewood Ranch’s Bill Conerly will be the Republican nominee for the District 72 race in the Florida House of Representatives. Conerly will face Democrat Lesa
DISTRICT 1 SCHOOL BOARD
Parrish’s Heather Felton and East County’s Mark Stanoch will face off in the General Election Nov. 5 after neither District 1 School Board of Manatee County candidate was able to obtain the 50% of the vote necessary to win the race.
Felton received 6,100 votes, or 38.96% of the total 15,656 votes cast in the single-district race, with Stanoch following behind with 4,960 votes, or 31.68% of the vote. Alex Garner received 4,596 votes, or 29.36% of the vote.
Felton said she was amazed by the support and was leading in the race initially with a majority of the early votes and vote by mail votes.
“We worked together. We made each other stronger.”
George Kruse
Miller in the general election.
“In this race there were four very good, conservative Republicans, and they all worked very hard. I’m glad I was able to win,” he said. “I think maybe the separator was my education, my experience and the time I’ve spent in business in the area.”
Now with only one opponent to face, Conerly said he’ll continue to work hard to earn residents’ vote, but he likes his chances as Manatee County is more Republican than Democrat.
But once the precincts began reporting, the race drew closer.
Stanoch said he was “a little surprised” and thought he would have done better in the race, but he’s ready to continue to campaign for the runoff in November.
Stanoch said the race now comes down to a “class confrontation” between “two very, very different candidates.”
Felton is a former teacher with nine years of teaching in Title I schools in the School District of Manatee County. Felton left the classroom at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, but she wants to continue to support the students, teachers and parents by serving on the school
board.
“I don’t have an agenda. I have teachers, parents and kids, and that’s what I’m fighting for. That’s the bottom line,” Felton said. “I don’t care about politics. That’s not important to me. It’s the people that are important.”
Stanoch is a retired businessman focused on community service and wants to give back to the community by serving on the school board.
“You have to understand that our school system is a very large enterprise,” he said. “At the end of the day, you need someone who understands the scope, complexity and size of our school system
from all different aspects, not only from the instructional aspect but also from the business and operations aspects.”
Residents who voted for Garner will have to decide who they will support between Felton and Stanoch.
“Mr. Garner was funded by a developer, so there’s no longer a developer candidate, so I think it’s actually going to be a much more honest race,” Stanoch said. “There’ll be a lot of good discussions, a lot of opportunities to compare the candidates and not through deception or anything like that. It’s going to be a much more honest contest, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Tal Siddique celebrates his District 3 Manatee County Commission race win with Scott Farrington, who won the supervisor of elections race, and George Kruse, who won the District 7 seat on the commission.
Issak Olarsch helps his mom campaign outside of Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
Thursday, Aug 8 at 7:00pm
Friday, aug 16 at 7:00pm Jazz daddyo’s (Garden Concert)
Tuesday, aug 20 at 7:00pm
Wednesday, aug 28 at 7:00pm Sarasota piano
Health Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Certification: Board Certified, American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine; American Board of Internal Medicine
Hospital Affiliations: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Residents wonder if Debby provided damning evidence of poor response
County officials say the storm overwhelmed the system and water released from Lake Manatee had nothing to do with Braden River flooding.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Joanne Derstine Curphey watched the Manatee River rise on Aug. 5 through three-story plate glass windows at the Christian Retreat, just north of Upper Manatee River Road in Bradenton.
“It was going so fast,” she said. “We saw boats without anybody in them and docks and all kinds of debris coming down the river.”
The Christian Retreat property flooded, but Curphey said the housing facility remained dry. Not everyone was so lucky.
After streets and homes in East County flooded along the Manatee River and along the Braden River in Lakewood Ranch, residents have been questioning the events that led up to 15 billion gallons of water being released from the Lake Manatee Dam during Hurricane Debby, the bulk of which was released on Aug. 5.
Part of those questions stem from an article written by Michael Barfield and published by the Florida Trident on Aug. 15.
The article alleges the county knew the dam threatened public safety, and if water hadn’t been released, the reservoir could have suffered a “catastrophic collapse.” The article said the dam is “aging and problemplagued.”
MANATEE COUNTY RESPONDS
Manatee County added a page to its website, “Hurricane Debby Rainfall and River Information,” that was published Aug. 15. It states the release was necessary to “protect the
FEMA ON SCENE
Residents in need of assistance can visit the Lakewood Ranch Library, since it is serving as one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster recovery centers. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The center is equipped with assistive technology, so all residents can receive one-on-one assistance. No appointment is needed.
FEMA disaster survivor specialists are also going door to door in the area. The specialists can enlist residents for assistance on the spot. Residents can also visit DisasterAssistance.gov, call (800) 621-3362 or download the FEMA app.
structural integrity of the dam and our drinking water supply.”
“Three times the total volume of the reservoir was released during the rain events,” said Bill Logan, a spokesman for Manatee County, in an email. “There is no way that amount of water could be stored in the reservoir. The water was released as needed, and the dam functioned as designed.”
Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn said Barfield got it wrong.
“The dam has probably another good 50 years of life left to it,” Rahn said. “We’re not the only ones who inspect it. The state and the federal government inspect the dam, too.”
Manatee County has spent $41,887,202 on the dam since 2021 to repair internal erosion and piping that, according to the project sheet, “threatened uncontrolled release of the reservoir if left untreated.” The repairs are on schedule to be completed in December.
“The construction work on the dam is functionally finished on this project on the downstream primary spillway,” Logan said. “There
are some additional repairs needed upstream of the dam, but there is no immediate need for that work at this time.”
Manatee County’s staff members added a project to the FY 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan to replace the dam’s spillway. The spillway is what controls the release of water.
The overall project is estimated to cost over $136 million. Staff is recommending a replacement because past repair attempts have failed.
OTHER VIEWPOINTS
East County’s Chris McGuinness can see the water treatment plant from his front yard.
In over 30 years living there, he’s never seen the kind of activity at the plant that he saw on Aug. 5. He saw men in fatigues, helicopters, cargo trucks and Humvees surrounding the property.
He thought the National Guard had come to assist residents, but he said the men only guarded the entrance to the plant.
“It was very noticeable,” McGuinness said. “The week before, we all knew (the extra release of water) was coming, and I didn’t hear the (spillway) open more than at 6 p.m. (daily) when it’s the routine time.”
Normally, he hears the dam open more frequently on a daily basis up to a week before a major storm. He questions why more water wasn’t released ahead of time in preparation for Debby. Because he didn’t hear the extra alarms signaling that water was being released, he didn’t think Debby would cause so much flooding and damage.
According to the initial situation report on Aug. 3, neither did Manatee County. Director of Public Safety Jodie Fiske wrote that the main threat would be heavy rainfall with storm totals between 5 to 8 inches.
“We had everything ready for a 10-inch rainstorm,” Rahn said. “This thing comes and sits over us for two days and dumps 21 inches of water on us. I think we did everything we could do.”
Logan wrote in an email that Lake Manatee was, indeed, lowered from 39.5 feet to 36 feet in advance of Debby.
“This was a massive rain event that simply overwhelmed all of our
streams and tributaries,” said Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County’s director of natural resources. “In some areas, the rainfall amounts were up to five times greater than the built systems were designed to handle.”
Waterline Road resident Mark Vanderee said the county could have done more to be prepared. He wants to see the protocol for reducing lake levels updated to account for the new developments upstream and downstream of the dam.
Vanderee said by waiting, the county was forced to dump most of the water at the same time of king tide, and that made all the difference between Debby and past storms.
“You’re dumping that much water out of the river and lake upstream of the dam, all the tributaries downstream of the dam have no place to drain, so they’re going to back up,” he said.
The backed-up Braden River is
LAKE MANATEE DAM
■ Constructed from 1965 to 1967
what concerns residents who live along that river in East County. They believe that contributed to flooding in areas that haven’t previously flooded.
Manatee County estimates storm damage at $57 million to homes,
including 173 homes with major damage, 89 with minor damage and another 54 homes that were “affected” by the storm.
“The watersheds of these two rivers are separated by their own basin geography and controlled in part by two reservoir dams until they flow together (west of I-75),” Hunsicker said in a county release. “Water released downstream of the Manatee River Dam at Lake Manatee cannot travel upstream to the Braden River and over the city of Bradenton’s reservoir dam into the freshwater side of the Braden River. The dam release did not affect those situations on the Braden River.”
RESPONSE STUDY COMING
East County residents are not convinced, and they have let county commissioners know it. The commissioners have instructed county staff members to initiate a third-
party investigation into the response to (the storm) and the recovery.
“That inquiry is already under way,” said Manatee County Deputy County Administrator Evan Pilachowski in a release. “We are gathering data and information from our monitoring points and gauges all over the county to create a complete overview of what happened, when and how.”
The first Lake Manatee water level to be reported on Aug. 3 was 37.88 feet with an inflow of 220 cubic feet per second and an outflow of 1,510 cubic feet per second.
One cubic foot is equal to about seven-and-a-half gallons of water. As noted in one of the situation reports, water flowing out of the dam at less than 3,500 cubic feet per second has no effect downstream.
By Aug. 4 at 8 a.m., the county had lowered the lake level to 36.1 feet, but it rose to over 41 feet the following day because of the storm.
Before 5 p.m. on Aug. 5, the water flowing into the reservoir was about 60% more than the water flowing out.
During the rainy season, the standard operating procedure is to release what comes into the lake to keep the lake level at 38 feet because that keeps the water level under the emergency plugs.
There are 11 plugs within the emergency system that dissolve on their own when the water rises too high.
Logan said three plugs were dislodged during Debby. However, a backhoe was needed to remove the first one. The second one eroded as the backhoe was attempting to remove it, and the third dissolved as it was designed to do.
“The question in my mind is ‘Did that need to happen (Lake Manatee rising to a level where the plugs were needed)?’” Commissioner George Kruse said. “Were there steps that could have been taken, based upon a reasonable expectation from people with enough experience, to have avoided that necessity?”
Kruse said the inspector general should take over any study of the county’s reaction to the storm because that office has the protections to be impartial to findings.
Courtesy image
Three gates control the release of water from Lake Manatee back into the Manatee River.
your Outdoors
Catfish arrive before county alerts during storm
Residents are left questioning the county’s methods for disseminating information during a crisis.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Catfish were swimming down Jason Powell’s street Aug. 5 before he received an alert from Manatee County telling him to evacuate his Mill Creek home during Hurricane Debby.
When the report came, it read, “Manatee Dam doing strategic release to cause dangerous swift moving water and flooding. Leave area NOW. Shelters available. Highwater vehicles being staged in area. Call 311 for information. Use 911 for emergencies ONLY.”
“It confused me,” Powell said. “What does this mean? What are they talking about?”
The storm passed, and Powell’s home escaped damage, but questions remain surrounding the county’s communication during the disaster and since. Manatee County residents want answers.
Several spoke at the Aug. 13 Manatee County Commission meeting to request an independent study be done to evaluate the county’s response to the storm, or lack thereof.
“We don’t deserve to be silenced,” said Jill Sauchintz, a Lakewood Ranch resident whose home flooded.
ALERT MANATEE
Alert Manatee and IPAWS are different systems. IPAWS is used only for emergencies, and only residents in the area of danger will receive an alert. Residents have to sign up for Alert Manatee and select the types of alerts they want to receive. Alert Manatee will send notifications about evacuations, air quality, water advisories, sewage spills, hazardous material incident and water outages. Visit MyManatee.org/ Departments/Public_Safety/Emergency_Management/AlertManatee.
order to evacuate until Kruse told them Upper Manatee River Road already was flooded.
He said he shared standard dam protocol and explained they most likely received the alert because the surrounding roads were going to flood, not their homes.
Would such an alert cause residents to evacuate their homes and attempt to drive through standing water because they were told “Leave area NOW” as opposed to staying in their homes where it was safe?
The alerts sent out by Manatee County were through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. The alerts are sent to mobile phones, radios, televisions and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather radio.
Director of Public Safety Jodie Fiske said the area of danger is determined on a map, and any resident
Residents who
“We had no warning that our neighborhoods were going to get flooded,” said Joshua Sharkey, vice president of the Gates Creek Homeowners Association. “I personally lost my car on 112th Street East.”
Like Powell, many residents who received the alerts had no choice but to ignore them. By the time he received them at about 10:30 a.m. and again around 12:30 p.m., he estimated the water was eight inches deep on his street.
Powell’s wife, Tina Miller, had sent him a text at 7:21 a.m. to say she was headed back home because she couldn’t safely get out of the neighborhood in her SUV three hours before the first alert.
Manatee County followed up with one Facebook post, a half hour after the second alert, and a press release that didn’t provide much more information.
All the communications said that high water vehicles and transport units were positioned at key locations downstream of the Manatee Dam, but didn’t specify where people should go.
Powell said residents in Mill Creek were utilizing the neighborhood Facebook page to see who needed what.
Social media is a proven asset for disseminating information during disasters because of its reach. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2021, 72% of Americans used social media, 97% owned a cell phone and 50% went to social media for their news.
FEMA offers a training called Social Media in Emergency Management because not only are government agencies using social media to disseminate information, they’re using it to collect information to better place their resources.
That’s how Kruse used his personal Facebook page, aside from the county.
“People wanted to know about the animal shelter (Bishop location), so I was like, I’ll go check on it because people don’t want to wait three weeks, they want to know now,” he said.
Kruse’s post about the animal shelter received over 12,000 views, 78 shares and more than 50 comments thanking him for providing an update.
In contrast, Manatee County turned off commenting in December 2023 on all of its social media.
During the storm, Manatee County did allow comments on its two live streaming posts, but there was no live streaming post on the worst day of the storm Aug. 5.
“It would have been nice to be allowed to comment during the storm,” wrote Maxwell Allan in a post from the county’s press conference on Aug. 6.
County spokesman Bill Logan told the East County Observer in April that social media pages are to disseminate information, not to provide a public forum.
Kruse called it “asinine” to close down the comments to begin with and said Hurricane Debby was just an “extreme example.”
From Aug. 4 through Aug. 6, Manatee County posted to Facebook 18 times. In that same time period, Sarasota County posted to Facebook 96 times.
Manatee was mainly redirecting residents to its website, which has 19 different tabs from “weather information” to “lost pets.”
Commission Chair Mike Rahn said the county did good, not great, but the staff learns something new from each hurricane or major storm.
“We took over 3,000 calls on 311 and opened up the website,” Rahn said. “Social media can be a piece we look at as part of this independent study.”
Courtesy image A car pushes through the flooding in Mill Creek.
Superintendent
Wysong talks to Robert E. Willis Elementary School fourth graders Elah Jones and Peyton Neumann about the resources they’re using for their assignment.
SUPPORT SYSTEM KEY TO ‘BEST FIRST DAY’
Jason Wysong says he wants to sustain the momentum established his first year leading the district.
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
Jason Wysong, superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, walked through Robert E. Willis Elementary School on Aug. 15 waving to students as they passed in the hallways. He stopped by classrooms and listened as teachers provided lessons to the students.
Wysong saw a class of first graders using magnified glasses in STEM class learning about matter. There was a class of fifth graders solving word math problems. A class of fourth graders brainstormed about jobs in different fields of science, and kindergartners were learning about the different sounds letters make.
Wysong said although it was the fourth day of school, it looked like day 60 as things were running smoothly.
Leading up to the first day of school Aug. 12, Wysong said the district has been building momentum after a summer filled with professional learning opportunities.
As students and teachers returned to their school routines, Wysong said the district wants to sustain its success from his first year leading the district.
Kathy Price, principal at Willis Elementary, said Aug. 12 was the best first day of school in her 11 years as a principal, six of which have been leading Willis Elementary. Price said there’s an advantage to being at the same school for six years. It provides stability, and her teachers and staff understand the expectations, she said.
Although teachers lost a day of preparation because of Hurricane Debby, Price and Wysong said it didn’t deter teachers from being ready.
There also was an added sense of unity this first day as Price said teachers and staff rallied around anyone impacted by the hurricane. The school stayed open until 8 p.m. Aug. 6-9 in case teachers needed assistance.
“We have very caring and generous staff members who will come in, even if it’s not their team or their area,” Price said. “They will come and help wherever there’s a need.”
Wysong said the open houses were packed with families more than in the past. He said it’s a sign of community buy-in that gets teachers energized.
The district also is focused on supporting its principals, Wysong
said. The principals in turn support teachers and staff who support students.
Wysong said the district only lost three principals, all of whom retired, from last school year to this school year. Of assistant principals, the district only lost one, who retired.
He said retaining principals is an important factor in retaining teachers.
“The more leadership stability we have, the higher those retention rates go,” Wysong said. “We’re trying to make sure the community understands that when we support our school leadership teams, that does impact student achievement in a positive way.”
Price said she appreciates the autonomy Wysong gives to principals as they know what’s best for their schools because every school is different.
From an academic perspective, Wysong said the district wants to continue its momentum. The district saw an increase in the percentage of third grade students who can read on grade level. The district went from 50% of third graders reading on grade level in 2022-23 to 54% in 2023-24.
It also saw jumps in achievements in reading, math, science and social studies as well as middle school acceleration and the graduation rate.
“It’s about locking in and continuing that momentum gain,” Wysong said. “We’re continuing to make sure teachers have the training and materials they need.”
This year, Wysong wants the district to focus ton continue increasing reading scores for third graders, to raise graduation rates, and to increase learning gains to ensure all students are moving toward proficiency.
Wysong said a successful year also comes with “trying to keep things calm and quiet.”
“When the superintendent’s office is quiet, when board governance is effective, it absolutely makes things better for the teachers, and for the staff doing the work. They can focus on kids,” he said.
Wysong said building student voices into the district’s planning is crucial. The district will provide more student leadership forums this year. He said the district hosted a forum last year in which 42 seniors spent the day talking about their experiences, what they loved and what they wished was different.
“We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from that, but it’s also about creating a meaningful moment for them and an opportunity to talk about how the different leadership roles they had made them better students,” Wysong said.
As with every school year, new opportunities and initiatives might arise for the district.
BY THE NUMBERS
Here’s where the district stands as of the first day of school:
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Photos by Liz Ramos
Julietta Martinez, a Robert E. Willis Elementary School first grader, investigates a shell before trying to draw it during a lesson on matter.
Safe to say security costs skyrocketing
It certainly is a different world.
Perhaps that is why I have so much trouble understanding it.
Back when I was a kid, when It’s a Small World opened at Disneyland, The Monkees were a popular TV show and Lyndon Johnson was president, I used to walk about a half-mile to school, alone.
In 1966, nobody would give that a second thought, but in today’s world, parents would be considered negligent if they allowed a 7-yearold to walk to school each day, even if it was in a dairy farming community.
The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has had me thinking about security and how we buy it, or at least how we try to buy it.
A $3.2 billion budget is on the table for the Secret Service in 2025, and more than a third of that is for “protection.” That is protection for the sitting President and protection for former Presidents.
How did that work for former President Trump?
Certainly, there will be a long investigation into why Trump’s protection was botched at so many levels, but it also is more proof that complete security is unattainable at any price.
It’s not that we don’t need to do everything possible to protect our sitting and former presidents, but it does make you wonder if simply blowing up the budget will get the job done.
You would think the American public would question whether we need to spend less money on security and put more money into educating our children to bring about a societal change.
The assassination attempt prompts you to think about the subject on your local level, such as in schools, for instance. As the 2024-25 school year has just begun, are we doing all we can to protect our kids? Or, dare I say it, should we
be doing less protecting and more educating?
Years ago, I interviewed a high school athlete at Kennedy High School in Richmond, California. The interview was done shortly after noon on a school day.
After completing the interview and trying to leave, I found I couldn’t get out of the building. All the doors were locked, from the inside as well as outside. I talked to an administrator who let me out and told me that they were trying to control all movement in and out of the school because the area had such a high rate of violence.
Even though the law and fire codes stated they could not lock the doors from the inside, they did anyway. Talk about a crummy learning environment.
Over the years, strategies on how to keep weapons out of schools have escalated into more fortification, and more weapons in the pursuit of security.
A Washington Post study of school shootings tracked the violence since the Columbine High shootings in 1999 that claimed 13 lives and injured another 21, along with the suicide deaths of the two perpetrators, who were high school seniors.
Shootings have spiked since the 2018 incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, where a 19-year-old man killed 17 people with an AR-15 style rifle, a lightweight, semi-automatic weapon.
That spike had an exception in 2020, when school shootings decreased significantly due to COVID-19 and campuses were shutting down.
The Washington Post study has U.S. school shootings at 42 in 2021 and 46 in 2022. The study reported that between 1999 and 2017, the country averaged 11 school shootings a year, never more than 16 in a single year.
The Education Week newspaper
Sarasota Memorial Presents
also tracks school shootings. It’s study reports 24 school shootings in 2018 and 2019, 10 in 2020, then 35 in 2021, a record 51 in 2022 and 38 in 2023.
Those shootings were responsible for 122 deaths, according to the Education Week study.
It is enough to scare anyone. It is enough to make you want to invest in more security measures.
Last week, the School District of Manatee County released proposed numbers for security in its school system — $5,095,456 from the district’s General Fund for salaries and benefits for those who provide security, and $5,461,613 from the district’s Capital Fund for capital expenses, for a total of $10,557,069.
In June, the district announced all its high school students and every campus visitor will need to go through an Evolve Express Unit scanner upon entering the campus. That comes at a cost of $1.4 million. Of course, personnel will be needed to operate the scanners at an additional cost.
Consider that school districts all over the country have to consider similar measures. MDR Education lists 128,961 elementary, middle and high schools in the U.S.
Those schools and their districts all have to ask the same question — is adding police and guardians on campus, along with more (defensive) guns and screening devises, going to stop the violence? The shootings have gone up despite districts spending double, triple — and more — for security.
Now our district has announced that if voters renew the 1-mill referendum in November, a percentage of the funds will be spent to further enhance security at schools.
Hopefully, we have learned a few things in the past 25 years. One is that simply throwing money at a security budget doesn’t assure some sick person isn’t going to find a way to wreak havoc at or near
a school or a president or former president.
Any new measures, or for that matter, cutting any existing measures, should be a very open topic discussed and researched by the community at length. If security measures are deemed warranted, they should be covered in the budget, and not be put at the mercy of the voters in a referendum.
I support the passage of the upcoming referendum to enhance our students’ education opportunities. However, the school district is annoying me (a Manatee County taxpayer) by placing hot-button, emotional issues, such as enhancing teacher salaries, and now our students’ security, on the referendum.
The referendum should be enhancements, not basic needs such as retaining quality teachers and protecting our youths.
While I hope the upcoming referendum passes, I also urge our educators to consider the many studies that say “hardening” our schools with security guards, expensive screening measures and
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locked doors is not effective against the rare cases of violence in schools, and can even cause damage to students as a whole in terms of stress and mental health.
Those studies suggest that enhanced early social-emotional learning and mental health education could be more effective in reducing the violence. We can only hope such an effort would be fruitful.
The questions are all obvious; the answers, not so much. However, as the Trump assassination attempt has shown, spending huge amounts of money and loading up on guns does not guarantee safety. It’s a different world.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Ashvin I. Patel, MD
Patrick J. O'Neill, MD
Michael J. Moustoukas, MD
Donald L. Erb, DO
Adam S. Bright, MD
Courtesy image
The School District of Manatee County will have Evolv Express Units at each high school as an added security measure.
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A glimpse at the medical field
Lakewood Ranch High students go from being volunteers to employees at SunCoast Blood Centers.
In being a SunCoast Blood Centers volunteer, Maya Gilkison remembered answering one special call. It was a donor who explained to her his commitment to the organization. He told her why he donates blood — because his brother was in a motorcycle accident and died.
“I started to tear up because it was emotional for him to share that,” said Gilkison, who is a Lakewood Ranch High School junior.
“He’s been through so much, and for him, (donating) helps keep his brother’s memory alive.”
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you’re interested in volunteering for SunCoast Blood Centers, contact Joan Leonard, a community liaison for the nonprofit.
Whether as a volunteer or now an employee of SunCoast Blood Centers, the 16-year-old Gilkison said hearing the personal stories of donors makes her involvement in the organization even more valuable.
“I definitely know we’re a small piece of the puzzle here, but anything we can do will help someone,” Gilkison said. “It means a lot knowing we’re helping out the commu-
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
Photos by Liz Ramos
Lakewood Ranch High School’s Maya Gilkison, Maya Kopija, Isaiah Schulz and Ryniah Milner work in the blood lab at SunCoast Blood Centers after starting as volunteers.
nity.”
Gilkison, along with Lakewood Ranch High School’s Maya Kopija, Isaiah Schulz and Ryniah Milner, work in SunCoast Blood Centers’ blood lab, giving them experience that Kopija said will provide them with an advantage when it comes to their futures.
Kopija, Gilkison and Schulz all started as volunteers, calling people to ask if they would become donors, or thanking them for being donors.
Kopija and Gilkison started volunteering in February, while Schulz started in May. The girls were hired to work in the lab to conduct data entry for hospital billing in May, and Schulz started as a student community ambassador Aug. 12.
Kopija said those calls gave her an opportunity to build a small connections, even through a 30-second phone call. If someone agreed to donate, they would ring a bell to celebrate.
Knowing the blood is sent to local hospitals also left an impression on Kopija.
“You could be helping your friend, your friend’s parents, anybody,” she said. “There’s a deeper connection.”
Joan Leonard, a community liaison at SunCoast Blood Centers, said the empathy the high school students demonstrate is impressive.
While working in the lab, Schulz said the most impactful moment for him is attaching the green heartshaped cards with QR codes to the blood bags. The codes allow recipients to thank donors.
Schulz started volunteering for the blood center after his family moved from Hawaii to Lakewood Ranch in January as a result of their home burning down during the fires in Maui. He wanted a way to give back to the community.
Gilkison, Kopija and Milner all want to explore the medical field after graduating from high school.
Gilkison and Kopija would like to become physician assistants, possibly specializing in dermatology while Milner plans to become a licensed practical nurse.
Kopija said working in the blood center gives them a glimpse into what it could be like working in the medical field, even if it’s small.
Milner hopes to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Her father, Ryan
Milner, works as a phlebotomist for SunCoast Blood Centers, and her mother, Latoya Milner, is a travel nurse.
“I feel like I have it in my blood,” Milner said.
Milner said working at the blood center is helping her pursue a potential career in the medical field, but more importantly, she’s helping people in the community.
Kopija said already working in the medical field will look impressive on college applications.
Gilkison also said working at the nonprofit has helped her to be accepted in organizations such as National Honor Society and Student Government Association, which are both competitive organizations.
Volunteering for SunCoast Blood Centers provided the volunteer hours the high schoolers needed to meet requirements for the Bright Futures scholarship program.
Kopija’s involvement in the nonprofit has her thinking of other ways she can impact the community. For her capstone program, she has decided to research what can be done to get more high school students involved in blood donations and to increase the percentage of people donating overall.
Lakewood Ranch High School senior Isaiah Schulz says the green tags allow blood recipients to thank the person who donated the blood.
The library’s best Friends
The Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library group provides supplies and programming beyond what Manatee County can offer.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Now that the Lakewood Ranch Library is open and the shelves are stocked, what do the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library volunteers do?
A little bit of everything.
Some of the more obvious things are that volunteers run the bookstore inside the library and raise donations to cover supplies and programs.
But members also helped Librar-
ian Tiffany Mautino move from Bayshore Gardens to Lakewood Ranch in May. Mautino is from Missouri, so she has no family in the area.
The Friends arrived on moving day with helping hands and four vans.
“We had about one good knee between us,” said Janet Allen, a Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library board member and mover for the day.
Mautino’s former apartment was on the second floor, so Mautino and Friends formed an assembly line to
pass the boxes down the stairs and into the vans.
That willingness to chip in wherever they can sums up the group. Whatever Mautino needs, the members deliver, even when they can’t simply buy it.
“I had a 15-year career in libraries, but it wasn’t a lot of what I’m dealing with here,” Mautino said. “Learning the community and engaging with them, things like that, the Friends opened that door and made it an easy transition for me.”
That being said, Friends of the
ABOUT THE NONPROFIT
Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway. Visit FriendsOfLakewoodRanchLibrary.org.
Mission statement: To support the library and sustain its work for the continued enrichment of the people of Manatee County. This is accomplished by educating the community, advocating to support the efforts of the Manatee County Public Library, and providing funding for the library through public and private sources.
Lakewood Ranch Library is a financially generous group. The nonprofit has donated over $450,000 to the library so far.
The Friends doubled the library’s budgeted inventory from 23,000 items to 46,000 items before the library opened its doors. Items include books, audiobooks and DVDs. The rest of the money went toward items on Mautino’s wishlist, which included sewing machines, engraving pens and 3D printers.
“That’s why we started seven years ago, before building the library, so we would have the money to be able to sponsor whatever the needs were,” President Sue Ann Miller said.
Youth Librarian Sabrina Hornyak thought it would be fun to host a pizza taste test for the library’s teenage patrons. Not only did the Friends cover the tab for pizza, drinks and decorations, Miller delivered two of the pizzas herself.
Commissioner George Kruse said Manatee County pays for what’s necessary, but the Friends pay for the amenities that go above and beyond.
“There’s only so many tax dollars,” Kruse said. “We have a millage for the library that gets spread around (between all Manatee County libraries), and we can only go so far with it.” On Aug. 14, the Friends of the
Lakewood Ranch Library hosted a dedication event at the library to celebrate a book collection donated by the Robinson Family Foundation.
In honor of Myron F. Robinson, the foundation donated about 600 books that feature prominent African American authors. The collection includes adult and children’s literature, large-print books and bilingual editions.
Friends volunteers placed stickers on the inside of each book to credit the Robinsons and provided refreshments for the dedication ceremony.
Anytime food is in the library, chances are good that the Friends provided it. The group supplies the book club with snacks, too.
The Friends group has a lot of friends to consider. In the first six months of opening, more than 50,000 guests checked out over 120,000 items. More than 7,000 of those guests have attended or signed up for programs offered by the library, many provided by the Friends’ fund.
The nonprofit covered the cost of summer supplies so 763 children could participate in activities from a Fancy Nancy Teaparty to a Virtual Reality Oculus Quest. The group picks up the tab for Rooftop Yoga, Drop-in Art and Sew and Knit for adult patrons.
The Friends group provides the podcasting booth, too. The sound studio is stocked with an iMac, keyboard, acoustic panels, iPads, a boom arm and microphones.
The Friends group has 406 active members and its very own place within the library — the Book Nook. Located in the lobby, the bookstore is manned by 96 Friends volunteers.
The Book Nook opens and closes with the library. Sales go straight back to supporting the library. While the books are used, the Friends volunteers inspect each one before they hit the shelves. The Book Nook also sells audiobooks, DVDs and handmade cards.
Annual memberships start at $10 for students, $20 for individuals and go up to $100 for businesses, which include up to eight members.
Lesley Dwyer
President Sue Ann Miller, Librarian Tiffany Mautino and Board Member Janet Allen attend the ceremony to celebrate the Robinson Family Foundation’s book donation.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
Headed
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Getting into the groove at Fogartyville
Ariel Aparicio-Jerro talks about his new job managing the music venue and its sister radio station, WSLR.
With a commitment to eclectic arts programming and social justice, WSLR/Fogartyville founders Arlene Sweeting and David Beaton put their imprint on the radio station and music venue they established in Sarasota’s Rosemary District in 2013.
In April, the couple announced they were stepping down from managing WSLR/Fogartyville and moving to Michigan, although they plan to become snowbirds.
A month earlier, Ariel AparicioJerro had joined the cultural nonprofit’s team. Today, the CubanAmerican musician and producer and former restaurateur is the manager of WSLR/Fogartyville.
Like managers at other arts organizations in town, Aparicio-Jerro was the recipient of unwelcome news in July, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million in arts funding from the Legislatureapproved 2024-25 budget.
Then, along with the arts exhibitions Embracing Our Differences and the Chalk Festival, WSLR/Fogartyville was denied funding by the Sarasota County Commission.
Aparicio-Jerro recently spoke with the Observer to talk about his new job and what’s ahead for WSLR/Fogartyville. This is an edited version of the conversation.
What’s your background?
I grew up in Miami and went to college at NYU (New York University). I studied music and audio engineering. I started making music and releasing cassettes. I did festivals and toured around the country. Then I met my partner, who is now my husband, and we decided to give a try to the restaurant business. We opened a restaurant called Joya, in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood, about 25 years ago. It was super successful, and we opened three over the years. A couple of years ago, we made the decision to say goodbye and to sell the restaurants. We were living in Westport, Connecticut, at that point.
How did you get to Sarasota?
I grew up in Florida. We visited Clearwater, but then a friend told us about Sarasota. My husband flew down with our son. We decided it was a beautiful place. We bought a house close to downtown across from Payne Park in July 2022.
Did you move here to work at Fogartyville?
No. Fogartyville wasn’t on our radar. Later, I saw a job opening on Indeed.com. It was right for me because I have extensive front-ofthe-house experience, and I’m also a musician.
What is your role there?
My title is director. I’m involved in all of it. WSLR and Fogartyville are one team. I’m there for community meetings, performances. I make sure it’s staffed properly. David (Beaton) and I are booking together. Eventually I’ll be doing that 100%.
Are you going to do anything differently than your predecessors?
I plan to honor the tradition that David and Arlene created. We present an amazing array of talent and variety. David and Arlene have brought in singer/songwriters, Americana roots bands, world music performers and jazz musicians. I’d like to bring in more indie rock flavor but keep the feel of Fogartyville.
We are a listening room with about 100 seats. There are another
50 seats outside. We can open the garage doors when the weather is good. But we’re not an auditorium, so the acoustics don’t always work for a heavy band.
Will you continue with art openings, film screenings, tastings and the like? Absolutely.
What’s the situation with food?
We have a guest food truck for the evening, usually for the live shows. Sometimes it’s tacos. Other times it’s empanadas or Greek food.
What role does WSLR/Fogartyville play in the community?
We play several roles. WSLR is fantastic radio station, really focused on local issues. In addition to being a listening room, Fogartyville is a community event space. We support other community organizations.
Can you talk about the recent funding cuts? Statewide, we were cut by $36,000. We were cut $27,000 by the county commission.
Why do you think your funding was cut?
I can’t speak for them, but we stand behind the entertainment we provide to the community. We showed evidence that we are a ticketed organization. We gave them everything they asked for.
How are you going to offset the funding cuts?
We have to step up our fundraising and increase our revenues. Last year, we had 66 live music events. We’re going to need more. We’re also boosting outreach in our community of listeners and patrons. We’ll be having our fall membership drive from Oct. 9-15 and holding our open house for the community on Oct. 16. We’re encouraging people to become members. Our theme this year is “Many Voices, One Community.”
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I’m thrilled to be part of this community. It’s perfect for me and my family. We’ve found our home here. Sarasota is like a warm bubble bath.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
Courtesy images
Ariel Aparicio-Jerro has taken over the reins of WSLR/Fogartyville from founders Arlene Sweeting and David Beaton.
Fogartyville often hosts music jams for professional and amateur musicians and listeners.
When the ears no longer have it
Becoming hearingimpaired threatened this critic’s livelihood, so he took action.
MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR
Now hear this!
When it comes to the performing arts, the ears have it.
But sometimes they need a little help.
I’m a theater critic with hearing aids. A recent development — but let’s not get ahead of our story. Let’s rewind the tale before my audio augmentation.
My hearing deteriorated for a variety of reasons. An exploding bike tire; too many rock concerts; earplugs gone bad. Whatever the causes, the loss wasn’t that bad at first. But it gradually got worse, like so many turns of the screw. Conversations were harder to catch in crowds. Talk in the next room was impossible. But the screw kept turning. Until people talking right in front of me became harder to follow. I’d hear most of what they said. But there were always missing words.
Initially, I could figure it out. Despite my increasing hearing loss, I could still fill in the gaps in one-onone conversations. But live theater was a different animal. It got to the
point where the actors on stage all sounded like Charlie Brown’s parents. I had to face the music … or the silence.
I had a big-time case of hearing loss.
For a professional reviewer, that’s a pain. But what could I do?
After years of dragging my feet, I checked into the Marlowe Center for Hearing. Dr. Sarah Chicorelli, one of their resident audiologists, tested my ears. I scored poorly on both the left and right ears. The graphs of their hearing ranges resembled steep cliffs. The diagnosis: “Profound hearing loss.” Damn. But earthly salvation was at hand …
After additional tests, Dr. Chicorelli fixed me up with hearing aids. Trial versions, at first. But they worked.
What should I expect? “Many patients experience a dramatic difference in audio quality,” she said. “It can be life-changing, especially to lovers of music and theater.”
Dr. Chicorelli’s words stuck a chord with me. And proved to be right.
I loved the new sonic clarity. My new devices filled in the conversational blanks. I stopped saying “What?” all the time. Ian Anderson and my other prog-rock pals sounded great.
The difference was, indeed, dramatic. Hey! Come to think of it, I was a lover of music and theater.
That gave me an idea … Why not put the devices to work? Professionally, that is.
Hearing loss had impacted my job
“You’re
basically sticking teeny tiny little speakers in your earholes. But do it anyway. It’s far better than noise, babble and silence.”
— Marty Fugate
as a critic. Would my new hearing aids make it better? To find out, I’d put them to the test with a beforeand-after piece on the Asolo Conservatory’s recent production of “Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” With that professional goal in mind, I got two tickets to the Bard’s take on star-crossed lovers. I attended one before I got my new, tiny audio gear and the other after. Boy, did I get an earful. Along with a humbling lesson.
Here’s my before and after story …
EAR BEFORE Sans hearing aids, I’d caught the emotional vibe of Shakespeare’s play on my first go-round. Theater isn’t algebra, folks. What the characters feel counts. Well-trained actors don’t need words to share their feelings. The Conservatory’s student prodigies had a well-stocked toolbox of nonverbal communication.
Thanks to body language, intonation and speech rhythms, I caught the feelings of Shakespeare’s play. But my naked ears fumbled Shake-
speare’s ideas. When your ears go bad, it’s like reading fine print without reading glasses. Words blur. And words are the delivery system of a playwright’s concepts. With Shakespeare’s ideas, that’s heavy freight. I missed a lot the first time. But I didn’t know what I was missing.
Until my second go-round …
EAR AFTER For my “Romeo and Juliet” redux, I came equipped with hearing aids. But that’s not all I had. Using my iPhone app, I tuned into the theater’s audio system. This time around, I didn’t miss a word. Or the Shakespearean ideas they delivered. Including a few dirty jokes …
Sampson: When I have fought with the men, I will be civil with the maids; I will cut off their heads.
Gregory: The heads of the maids?
Sampson: Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads. Take it in what sense thou wilt.
On my second pass, I didn’t miss the innuendo.
I’d had a general sense of Shakespeare’s prurient puns the first time. They were crystal clear the second time. That surprised me. It’s the difference between listening to an argument behind walls in the next room — and one right in front of you in the same room.
For a critic, that clarity was a revelation.
Now, I finally knew what I’d been missing — and what my procrastination had cost me. Hearing assistance vastly improved my plunge
into Shakespeare’s sonic world. The difference was dramatic, and it’s perfect for my job.
But I don’t want to oversell it. Today’s hearing aids use cuttingedge digital technology. But let’s be clear: That edge is going to move. Tomorrow’s hearing aids will get even better. Even when they do, they’ll fall far short of Mother Nature’s original high-fidelity audio equipment.
You’re basically sticking teeny tiny little speakers in your earholes. But do it anyway. It’s far better than noise, babble and silence.
Bionic ears definitely boost audio art appreciation. The $5,000 price tag wasn’t exactly in my budget, but you can’t put a price on being able to hear clearly, especially if your livelihood depends on it.
Hearing aids also help connect you to other human beings.
That’s good too.
HOW TO FIND HELP
Hearing Loss Association of America offers resources and advocacy for people with hearing loss. Their support includes educational programs, local chapter meetings, and access to hearing assistance technologies. Call (727) 233-8663 or visit HLA-FL.org/HLAA-Sarasota-Manatee-Chapter.
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Hearing loss could be career-ending for a theater critic like Marty Fugate unless it’s addressed.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
‘THE MUSIC OF LAUREL CANYON’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
If you know, you know. But not everyone knows about Laurel Canyon, the neighborhood above West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip that became home to folk musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and The Mamas and the Papas. Runs through Sept. 1.
‘THE FOUR C NOTES’
8 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
For fans of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons, the doo-wop sound never
OUR PICK
JOSÉ RAMIREZ: ‘BAD
HOMBRE’
Join international blues star José Ramirez for the premiere of his documentary film, “Bad Hombre” and the new album of the same name recorded at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe during his 2023 tour. In addition to the screening, Ramirez will perform an acoustic set.
IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 Where: Westcoast Black Theatre, 1012 N. Orange Ave. Tickets: $35 Info: Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
goes out of style. With “The Four C Notes,” Florida Studio Theatre continues the tradition of presenting Four Seasons tribute shows inspired by “Jersey Boys” starring performers from the Broadway smash hit’s touring production. Runs through Oct. 13.
FRIDAY
‘THE MOUSETRAP’
7:30 p.m. at the Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $35 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Scott Keys directs the Venice Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, which has been playing in London’s West End since its November 1952 opening. Runs through Sept. 15.
SATURDAY
‘SKYWAY’ ART EXHIBITION
10 a.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bayshore Road and the Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail
$30 at The Ringling (free Mondays); $15 at Sarasota Art Museum Visit SkywayTampaBay.com.
The triennial contemporary Florida art exhibition encompasses five museums in the Tampa Bay area. Even if you don’t have time to visit all five “Skyway” museums, check out The Ringling Museum of Art and the Sarasota Art Museum. The Ringling features the multimedia works of 13 artists, running the gamut from Caitlin Albritton’s whimsical jewelry to Kiko Kotani’s breathtaking crocheted installations. SAM’s juxtapositions of multimedia works speak to the important contributions of Florida immigrants, including Havana native Tatiana Mesa Paján, Sue Havens, originally from Rochester, New York, and Kirk Ke Wong,
who was born in Shanghai. “Skyway” runs through Jan. 25 at The Ringling and Oct. 27 at SAM.
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., Sarasota Free Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
DON’T MISS THE BERMUDA MAVERICKS
It’s not often that McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre co-founder Les McCurdy takes the stage. This time, he’s one half of the Bermuda Mavericks. The other half is Ken Sons. Together, these brothers from different mothers deliver the right amount of stand-up comedy and improv. Runs through Aug. 25.
Thanks to the efforts of Jazz Club of Sarasota, the jazz scene is growing in Sarasota. This bimonthly jam session is open to professional and amateur musicians alike. Come play, sing, watch and enjoy jazz.
TUESDAY
MANATEE COMMUNITY CONCERT
BAND
7 p.m. at Waterside Place, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch
Free Visit LakewoodRanch.com.
Sights + Sounds at Waterside Place presents the Manatee Community Concert Band, whose members hail from all walks of life and have collectively racked up 2,100 years of musical experience. The band performs a wide variety of music, including marches, Broadway and film hits, swing classics and more. Seating is limited, so bring a lawn chair. No outside food or drinks permitted.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
REUNION FOR THE WEE BEANS
The cocker spaniels, now 11, were adopted out and haven’t been together since a 1-year anniversary.
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
It took only five seconds for Mina, an 11-year-old cocker spaniel, to recognize Summerfield’s Maureen Flaherty.
As Flaherty kneeled, Mina jumped on “Auntie Mo” and licked her face. Mina was reconnecting with the woman who fostered her as a puppy until Lakewood Ranch’s Kerrieann and Doug Gourley adopted her.
But the Aug. 17 reunion at a Summerfield home was just beginning.
Mina went into the house to see her own family members. Six of the seven siblings who were born in the same litter 11 years ago attended the party with their owners. Besides Mina, there was Yeti, Blue, Molly, Maggie and Pipa. The final sibling, Josie, was not able to attend.
Mina first met her brother, Yeti, but that reunion wasn’t quite as energetic as her visit with “Auntie Mo.” They cautiously sniffed each other to familiarize themselves.
Mina did cap the brother and sister reunion with a piercing bark.
“I hear the family resemblance,” said Englewood’s Jennifer Weghorst, Yeti’s owner.
The reunion didn’t stop there.
Mina and Yeti then reconnected with their other siblings. The dogs hadn’t been together in a decade, since a 1-year-old birthday party thrown for them.
Flaherty began fostering the dogs
when they were about three weeks old. The dogs, which Flaherty nicknamed the “Wee Beans,” were born Aug. 17 and 18, 2013, to a cocker spaniel rescued from the Miami Dade Animal Control.
The dogs were born at the home of Flaherty’s neighbor and animal rescue volunteer Joani Ellis, who handdelivered each dog.
They were then given a name corresponding to the color of their collars. The only dog still named after a color is Blue, who is owned by Wimauma’s Brooke Mayer.
The owners came from Wimauma, Englewood, Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch to bring the dogs together for their birthdays.
The owners gathered around a table to sing happy birthday to the Wee Beans.
Mayer noted that Yeti and Blue, the only two males in the litter, look very much alike. During the party, the similar-sized brothers took the identical position as they laid in the
grass. They both always needed to have a ball near them.
Both brothers have white patches on their chests and are graying on their ears and by their nose. However, the owners noted that Yeti has a shorter tongue than Blue.
They were so similar in the way they looked and acted that Weghorst said she had to check Yeti’s collar to make sure it was her dog.
The owners spent the evening comparing their dogs’ looks and personalities.
While Doug Gourley was in one room talking to some of the owners, Kerrieann Gourley was in another room visiting others. Mina would split her time going back and forth to the two rooms to check on her owners. She would nestle up against Doug Gourley’s legs or sit at Kerrieann Gourley’s feet.
“She is the most loving, loyal, giving, incredibly intelligent companion,” Doug Gourley said.
Two years ago, Doug Gourley started to experience back pain. He’s since had four spinal fusions and he said Mina continues to be by his side.
“If we’re at home, she doesn’t leave me alone,” he said. “Any where I go, even if I’m in the washroom, she’s sitting down right in front of me, guarding me,” he said.
The dogs’ sweetness, loyalty and love for their families is a common thread.
After 11 years, the Wee Beans all have been integral parts of their families’ lives.
For Mayer and Sarasota’s Meagan Collin and her husband, Eric Collin, their dogs have been there for major life moments.
Mayer adopted Blue and brought him to college with her. She met her husband, Jeff Mayer, because of Blue. Jeff Mayer had his Labrador, Riley, and Brooke Mayer, asked if
their dogs could play together.
Blue was a part of Jeff and Brooke Mayers’ wedding.
He has watched as Jeff and Brooke Mayer welcomed home daughters, Cait and Cali James.
“He’s my soul dog,” Brooke Mayer said of Blue. “He’s been with me through all my adventures of life.”
Meagan and Eric Collin were engaged when they adopted Pipa. Since then, they’ve married and had two daughters, Elena, who is now 8, and Juliette, who is now 5.
“We’ve been growing the family, and (Pipa) has been around for the whole journey,” Meagan Collin said.
Flaherty said she tries to stay in contact with the families that adopt the dogs she fosters. She said the Wee Beans’ families have become like her extended family.
“There’s a joy when (the Wee Beans) are all together,” Flaherty said. “There’s a special bond that happens. It’s a gift to still be in con-
MEET THE WEE BEANS
YETI
Owner: Jennifer
Weghorst
Residence: Englewood
Personality: High energy, stubborn, loves children, would do anything for a toy, likes to party
PIPA
Owners: Meagan and Eric Collin
Residence: Sarasota
Personality: Sweet, good with children, patient, easy going
Residence: Wimauma Personality: Evenkeeled, down to earth, observant
JOSIE (not present at the party)
Dogs Molly, Mina, Blue, Maggie, Pipa and Yeti gather to celebrate their birthdays with their families.
Photos by Liz Ramos
Just saying the word “ball” will get Blue’s attention.
last saw Mina.
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, AUG. 22
ROOFTOP SUNSET ZUMBA
Begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. The library is hosting a free Zumba class filled with happy vibes and a dash of classic and contemporary moves. Join instructor Juan Baquero for the high intensity class on the rooftop for adults 18 and older. For more information, go to MyManatee.org/ Departments/Manatee_County_ Public_Library_System.
FRIDAY, AUG. 23 THROUGH
SUNDAY, AUG. 25
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING
Runs from 5-8 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Zoey (Friday), Blue Grass Pirates (Saturday) and Nax Steel (Sunday). For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 24
HURRICANE PREP
Begins at 9 a.m. at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Sponsored by the Community Emergency Response Team, the public is invited to Hurricane Prep, a free seminar that will include an update on the latest forecasts and hurricane predictions by special guest meteorologist, Leigh Spann of WFLA. Reservations for the event are strongly recommended as previous seminars have been standing room only. Go to LWRCert.org and click on Public Events.
BOATER SAFETY COURSE
Runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Boaters World, 5412 E. S.R. 64, Bradenton. A Boaters Safety Class is being offered and upon completion a Florida state boating safety card will be issued. Taking the class will help boaters reduce their risk of having accidents and will lower boat insurance. The class is presented by the Manatee Sail and Power Squadron. The two-day class, which includes eight hours of instruction, runs on both Aug. 24 and Aug. 31. To register, call Larry Beverage at 518-3071. The class costs $30, including a textbook. Those in the same family only need to pay one $30 registra-
BEST BET
FRIDAY, AUG. 23 AND SATURDAY, AUG. 24
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/songwriter Matt Gerhardt will entertain those who stroll through Waterside Place on Friday as part of the weekly free music series. On Saturday, singer-songwriter Danielle Mohr will perform. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
tion and can share the textbook. For more information, call Don Hanzlik at 703-475-0157. Please register by Aug. 22.
SUNDAY, AUG. 25
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, which was just voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row, 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.
File photo
Singer/songwriter Danielle Mohr returns to Waterside Place on Aug. 24.
Dogs let loose at luau
lthough Barks and Brews, a monthly mixer of people and dogs, is a fundraiser for Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, Nate’s volunteer Katherine Hall said there’s a bigger purpose.
“It’s more for the exposure,” said Hall, who lives in the Lake Club. “People see the puppies and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I want a puppy!’ So then, they go to Lorraine Road (Nate’s shelter location) and adopt one.”
On Aug. 13, volunteers brought two 3-month-old puppies, a brother and sister, to The Green at University Town Center for a “luau paw-ty.” Cory and Camden are a mixed breed, but heavy on black Labrador retriever.
The energetic duo taught the volunteers a lesson.
“These are the biggest puppies we’ve brought, and they can jump over the fence,” volunteer and Palm Aire resident Lisa Mathews said. “Now, they’re on leashes just in case they do a jailbreak. Normally, they’re too little to get over the fence.”
Volunteers set up a mini petting zoo situation with a short, closed-in pen, so it’s easy for guests to interact with the puppies. But a lot of the guests were preoccupied with their own puppies and dogs.
Some of the dogs ended up soaking wet from the sprinklers, like Bernard, a 4-month-old golden retriever.
Others watched the action from their seats, like Jasper, a 2-year-old Shih Tzu mix.
Jasper didn’t need to splash around in the water to cool off. His owner and Sarasota resident Kel Phillips lined the bottom of his rolling carrier with ice packs.
— LESLEY DWYER
Photos by Lesley Dwyer Sarasota resident Kel Phillips knows how to spoil her Shih Tzu mix Jasper. The bottom of that carrier is lined with ice packs.
Emmett, a 3-year-old Shih Tzu, is wearing a Hawaiian shirt from Petco.
Orlando resident Kayla Novac holds Hank, and Sarasota resident Katie Kleinkopf holds Pebbles.
Lakewood
PET PICS
Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them! Share them at YourObserver.com/contests/petpics to be published online and for a chance to see them in print!
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.
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Lake Club home sells for
$1,925,000
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate.
Ted and Sandra Stuckey, of Cadwell, Georgia, sold their home at 16843 Clearlake Ave. to Laura and Reginald Rawden, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,925,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,037 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.8 million in 2023.
SAVANNA
Bradley Wilson and Karla Jones Wilson, of Parrish, sold their home at 13709 American Prairie Place to Jaydeep and Chetana Patel, of Bradenton, for $1.3 million. Built in 2017, it has seven bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 5,280 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,600 in 2017.
POLO RUN
Damon and Nichola Bell, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 17127 Polo Trail to Robert and Melissa Kay Bowen, of Bradenton, for $1.08 million. Built in 2019, it has six bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,641 square feet of living area. It sold for $477,300 in 2019.
Gerald Valone and Marilyn Elaine Valone, trustees, of Lake Mary, sold the home at 17611 Blue Ridge Place to Timothy Huston Snyder and Susan Denison Snyder, of Bradenton, for $515,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,836 square feet of living area. It sold for $341,000 in 2020.
POMELLO PARK
Jeremy Clouse, of Sarasota, sold their home at 21703 73rd Ave. E. to Blaise and Eryn Lelaulu, of Bradenton, for $1,075,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,327 square feet of living area. It sold for $150,000 in 2021.
Cynthia Blake and Robin Brown, of Palmetto, sold their home at 22310 71st Ave. E. to Michael Mongelli, of Bradenton, for $675,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,600 square feet of living area.
COUNTRY MEADOWS
Elisa Williams, trustee, and Paul Williams sold the home at 509 Country Meadows Way to Michael and Jessica Stewart, of Bradenton, for $900,000. Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,592 square feet of living area. It sold for $437,500 in 2012.
ROSEDALE HIGHLANDS
Robert and Carol Wilhelm, trustees, sold the home at 5316 97th St. Circle E. to Eric Pegouske, and Laurie Myers, of Bradenton, for $825,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,271 square feet of living area. It sold for $489,900 in 2009.
GREENBROOK
William McCarty, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 14818 Sundial Place to Kaleb and Remember McCarty, of Lakewood Ranch, for $700,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,934 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2020.
HENLEY
Patricia Kristina Duvall and Michael Duvall, of University Park, sold their home at 7031 Lancaster Court to Albert Harry Minjock and Michelle Minjock, of University Park, for $700,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,506
square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2005.
BRADEN WOODS
Sheflin Properties LLC sold the home at 5918 99th St. E. to David Carson Scott and Cassidy Scot, of Bradenton, for $597,500. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 1,821 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2021.
MOTE RANCH
Paul Baraldi, and Elizabeth Payne, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5904 Carriage Drive to Ian Greenberg and Robin Blumenkranz, of Sarasota, for $571,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,707 square feet of living area. It sold for $256,000 in 2017.
Carlyle at Villages of Palm Aire
Eric Bloom, trustee, and Peter Bloom, of Buffalo, sold their home at 5103 Creekside Trail to Julian Phillips and Barbara King Phillips, of Sarasota, for $550,000. Built in 2002, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,021 square feet of living area. It sold for $215,000 in 2002.
LAKEWOOD NATIONAL
Lori Petersen, trustee, of Minocqua, Wisconsin, sold the home at 5515 Arnie Loop to John Darling, trustee, of Bradenton, for $550,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,028,000 in 2022.
RIVERWALK CYPRESS BANKS
Margaret Monaco, of Old Bridge, New Jersey, sold the home at 11523 Sweetflag Drive to Paulo Cruces, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,113 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2000.
CENTRAL PARK
AADD Management LLC sold the home at 4828 Central Park Blvd. to John and Stephanie Cz, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,084 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2020.
MILLBROOK AT GREENFIELD PLANTATION
Shawn Briggs and Steven Gates, of Bradenton, sold their home at 1296 Millbrook Circle to Richard Pucel Jr. and Helen Schauer-Pucel, of Bradenton, for $505,000. Built in 2002, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,782 square feet. It sold for $448,000 in 2023.
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AUG. 5-9 SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 26
Photo courtesy of Karla Jones Wilson
This Savanna home at 13709 American Prairie Place sold for $1.3 million. It has seven bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 5,280 square feet of living area.
baths, a pool and 2,379 square feet of living area. It sold for $418,000 in May.
RIVER CLUB SOUTH
Matthew Young, as Plenary Guardian, sold the home at 10271 Silverado Circle to Elicia Ann Magruder, of Bradenton, for $467,500. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,593 square feet of living area. It sold for $210,000 in 2001.
MIRAMAR LAGOONS
Martha Conklin, of State College, Pennsylvania, sold the Unit 201 condominium at 8355 Miramar Way to Charles and Joy Burr, of Lakewood Ranch, for $430,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,024 square feet of living area. It sold for $283,000 in 2017.
WALKERS ISLAND
Bellas Luces LLC sold the Unit 1 condominium at 3526 Walker Island Road to Taylor E Investments LLC for $427,500. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,400 square feet of living area. It sold for $205,000 in 2010.
DUDE RANCH ACRES
Tammy Smith, of Crown Point, Indiana, sold her home at 6105 45th Ave. Drive E. to Zachary David Voight and Brittney Marie Voight, of Bradenton, for $420,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,467 square feet of living area. It sold for $187,500 in 2006.
UNIVERSITY PINES
James Fulmer and Ashlyn Fulmer, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8328 Brandeis Circle W. to Ricardo and Teresa Victores and Jessica Victores, of Sarasota, for $410,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,554 square feet of living area. It sold for $280,000 in 2017.
CREEKWOOD
Zachary and Brittney Voight, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4609 73rd St. E. to David Krickl, of Bradenton, for $405,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,557 square feet of living area. It sold for $316,800 in 2021.
Terry Rainone, of Ontario, Canada, sold his home at 4275 Sabal Harbour to Sancha and David Hughes, of Bradenton, for $546,200. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,528 square feet of living area. It sold for $224,000 in 2012.
BACCIANO AT ESPLANADE
Janet and Terry Stotts, trustees, sold the Unit 104 condominium at 12660 Sorrento Way to Stephen Prucnell and Julia Mahoney, of Bradenton, for $515,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,528 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2022.
ROSEDALE ADDITION
Samuel Arthur Geragi, of Sarasota, sold the home at 10120 Marbella Drive to Veronique Vernhet, of Bradenton, for $500,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,659 square feet of living area. It sold for $299,800 in 2019.
SPORTS
“My most
consistent skill is putting. That is what keeps my scores low when maybe they should not
be.”
Fast Break
Former Lakewood Ranch
High baseball outfielder Grant McCray made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 14 against the Atlanta Braves. On Aug. 15, McCray hit his first home run, a two-run blast that helped the Giants beat the Braves 6-0. As of Aug. 19, McCray has five hits and a walk in 14 at-bats with the Giants.
Former Braden River High baseball outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt made his professional baseball debut with the A-level Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks) on Aug. 6 after being selected 31st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Kentucky in July. As of Aug. 19, Waldschmidt is hitting .241 with four RBIs and a .476 on-base percentage in nine games.
Lakewood Ranch High football junior quarterback Liam Fernandez ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the Mustangs’ 30-0 preseason home win against DeSoto County High on Aug. 16. The Out-of-Door Academy football senior quarterback Josey Rubinstein ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Thunder’s 20-0 road win over Keswick Christian on Aug. 16. Lakewood Ranch-based junior golfer Jordan Brown won the boys division of the Underrated Golf Tour’s San Antonio event, shooting three under par at TPC San Antonio on Aug. 7-9. The Underrated Tour was founded by Golden State Warriors basketball player and golf fan Stephen Curry. The win earned Brown a spot in the tour’s Curry Cup championship event, set for Sept. 2-5 at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey.
Braden River football hits the reset button
KOHN SPORTS EDITOR
After 12 seasons of sustained success under head coach
Curt Bradley, the Braden River High football program will have a new voice leading the program. Bradley left the school in January to take the head coaching position at Bradenton’s Southeast High. Eric Sanders, Bradley’s longtime offensive coordinator, was then named the Braden River head coach and shepherded the program through the spring before himself leaving to take the same job at Palmetto High.
Over the summer, the program found what it hopes will be a permanent replacement in Jason Grain, the former head coach at Oasis High who played college football at the University of Southern California from 1995 to 1999. Grain took over the Oasis program in a time of rebuilding. He finished with a 10-17 record over three seasons, but led the Sharks to a 6-4 record in 2023, the team’s first winning record since 2018.
Grain said his first priority was to connect with his players face to face and start establishing relationships with them and their families. As important as football is, those personal relationships are even more important to Grain. Once those were established, Grain turned his attention to the gridiron.
At Braden River, Grain will face a similar task as he did at Oasis. Though the Pirates have not had a losing season since 2012, the program has finished 5-5 in back to back seasons and lost impact players to graduation and to transfers after Bradley left.
Junior linebacker Ronan Dangler (94 tackles, 19 tackles for loss) is now at Manatee High, while junior running back/receiver Yashua Edwards (1,471 all-purpose yards, 19 touchdowns) is now at Riverview High. Braden River will have to replace that production with inexperienced players.
Grain believes his players are primed to compete.
“These kids are resilient,” Grain said. “They have been through some changes, and change is never easy. They are mentally and physically tough, and we have some top level players, too. So I expect us to look good and for their competitive nature to shine.”
In Grain’s mind, success starts at the line of scrimmage. Grain said he
AT A GLANCE
BRADEN RIVER HIGH
Head coach: Jason Grain, first season 2023 record: 5-5
Key to the season: Adjustments. There is also a period of learning when a new coach comes into a football program. The Pirates have talented players, but how quickly they adjust to the new coaching staff’s style of play will determine the team’s ceiling.
Schedule (All games at 7 p.m.):
■ Aug. 23 at Gainesville High
■ Aug. 30 vs. Sarasota High
■ Sept. 6 at Lakewood Ranch High
■ Sept. 13 vs. Bayshore High
■ Sept. 20 vs. Parrish Community High
■ Sept. 27 vs. Miami High
■ Oct. 4 at Palmetto High
■ Oct. 11 at Pinellas Park High
■ Oct. 25 vs. Manatee High
is proud of the way his offensive line has been working during preseason practices and expects the starting group of junior Trevor DuttingMorrell, senior Josh Brown, senior Garrett Busch, sophomore Darrious Pompey and senior Darius Fields to punish less physical teams.
They will be tasked with protecting senior quarterback Lucas Despot, a returning starter who elected to finish his high school career with the Pirates despite the coaching changes. The 6-foot-2 Despot threw for 1,619 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2023. The team’s top-five receiving yard leaders from 2023 are gone in 2024, so Despot will have to create a rapport with a new group of athletes. Regardless, Grain said he is happy to have stability at such an important position.
“That stability is what you can build other pieces around,” Grain said. “He’s played a lot of football and played well.”
Junior running back Julian Brown, a transfer from Saint Stephen’s Episcopal, could be a factor in the rushing game. Stuck behind more established players a season ago, Brown had 26 touches for 144 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore.
A new coaching staff will lead a group of inexperienced players.
On defense, the team will get a boost from senior defensive back Jaron Fields, who came to Braden River from Lakewood Ranch High. Fields, who is 5-foot-11, had two interceptions in the Pirates’ spring game win over Boca Ciega High. Fields also has experience at wide receiver, so it is possible that the Pirates use him in both capacities this season.
In the middle of the defense, junior linebacker Storm Hense (46 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) is the Pirates’ returning tackles leader. He will be joined by senior Carmelo Shelley (31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss).
Grain said he’s happy with his 11 defensive starters and is now looking to build depth, something that will occur as inexperienced players get to see the field.
The team’s schedule could allow the Pirates to build some momentum. An opening road game against Gainesville High (1-9 in 2023) on Aug. 23 leads into a home game against Sarasota (1-10) on Aug. 30 before a road matchup with local rival Lakewood Ranch High (6-4) on Sept. 6.
Grain is ready to get started.
“A lot of people have written us off,” Grain said. “We’re excited to go prove people wrong.”
— Lakewood Ranch High golfer Phoenix Scanlan SEE PAGE 29
Courtesy image
Former Lakewood Ranch High out-
fielder Grant McCray hit his first MLB home run with the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 15.
RYAN
Ryan Kohn
Senior quarterback Lucas Despot will act as a stabilizing force for Braden River High in 2024.
Courtesy image
Jason Grain will take over the Braden River High football program after leading Oasis High to its first winning record since 2018 — 6-4 — in 2023.
Steve Spurrier shares stories from the sideline
Steve Spurrier is retired from coaching, but he has not lost an ounce of his signature sense of humor.
Spurrier, an NCAA National Championship-winning coach and a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Florida, gave a talk at Grove restaurant in Lakewood Ranch on Aug. 17 as part of a “Night of Champions” event that served as a fundraiser for Sarasota’s Riverview High football program. The event was organized by Riverview alum Todd Johnson, who was coached by Spurrier at Florida.
Spurrier, 79, shared stories from his time on the Gators sidelines and gave advice to the players of today — but first, as only he can, he boasted about his own accomplishments and gave some lighthearted jabs to other coaches.
“My first seven years, we won the SEC (Southeastern Conference) six times,” Spurrier said. “They tell me (University of Georgia head coach) Kirby Smart is the greatest coach in the world now, and he only won it two times in his first seven years. So I guess that’s pretty good.”
He also talked about his NFL career with reverence, OK with the fact that he spent much of it as a backup. While everyone else was icing their bruises after games, Spurrier said, he was planning where to go for dinner. One of his favorite accomplishments came in 1976, when he quarterbacked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an 0-14 season — yet was named the team’s most valuable offensive player anyway.
“Being an MVP at quarterback while losing every game, that’s hard to do,” Spurrier said.
“I still have that trophy.”
There were a handful of former Gators in the room to listen to Spurrier speak, including Rex Grossman, a quarterback who won AP National Player of the Year honors in 2001 and who spent 12 seasons in the NFL.
Grossman did not speak at the event, but Johnson told a story about Grossman’s recruitment to Florida. According to Johnson, Spurrier arrived at Grossman’s house for a dinner. The conversation between Spurrier and Grossman’s family lasted long into the night, and at a certain point, Grossman himself went to sleep while Spurrier continued to talk to his parents.
When Grossman awoke the next morning, he found Spurrier at his table, wearing a robe and eating pancakes. Spurrier was so determined to get his top quarterback option, he had stayed overnight to continue the conversation.
Now that is dedication.
It fits with the advice Spurrier shared throughout his talk. In Spurrier’s mind, successful people all share certain qualities, the first of which is knowing to seize an opportunity when one presents itself. Spurrier said he only got into coaching because his playing days were over and he thought coaching “wouldn’t seem like work” because he still loved the game. He laughs at that thought now, but he expressed gratitude to former Florida head coach Doug Dickey for giving him his first break as a quarterbacks and receivers coach in 1978.
From there, he tried to learn as much as he could at each successive stop, culminating in him returning as Florida’s head coach in
Manatee Community Concert Band
Tuesday, August 27th @ 7pm
LWR Wind Ensemble & Choral Artists
Friday, September 27th @ 6pm
Asolo Rep on Tour, “Much AdO About Nothing” Thursday, October 10th @ 6pm
Courtesy image
1990. That’s where his next piece of advice arrives — surround yourself with people who can help you. For a football coach, those people were his staff and his players. It makes sense that Spurrier would stay overnight at a recruit’s house if he thought the recruit was a difference-maker. In Grossman, Spurrier was right. He also gave a shout-out to his wife, Jerri Spurrier, for supporting him on the road and always being there when he needed her.
Spurrier’s final piece of the success puzzle is gratitude. For Spurrier, a Christian, that means saying, “Thank you, Lord,” when good things happen, because he wanted the universe on his side. He gave an example that in 1996, when Florida won the National Championship, it entered conference championship weekend on the outside of the national title race after losing to Florida State early in the season. The Gators needed Michigan to beat Ohio State in the Big 10 title game,
“Being an MVP at quarterback while losing every game, that’s hard to do,” Spurrier said. “I still have that trophy.”
Steve Spurrier
for Texas to beat Nebraska in the Big 12 title game and then for Ohio State to beat Arizona State in the Rose Bowl to have a shot at a No. 1 ranking. All those things happened. “We had a quick meeting (after watching the Rose Bowl),” Spurrier said. “I said, ‘Fellas, the Lord has put us in position. We don’t have to ask for anything. We have been blessed, and we have a chance.’” Florida went on to a rematch and beat Florida State 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl the next night.
Another tidbit that Spurrier said has helped him in his coaching life comes from the Bible, specifically Corinthians 9:24: “Run your race in life in such a way as to get the prize. Always try to win. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish if you try to accomplish it,” Spurrier said.
It is advice perfectly in line with how the “Head Ball Coach” performed his job. He was aggressive and admittedly a little cocky, yet unapologetic. It led to a lot of success for him, and it could just do the same for you.
Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
The stage is set
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Steve Spurrier coached the University of Florida football team from 1990 to 2001, winning a National Championship in 1996.
The ‘Head Ball Coach’ offers his pearls of football wisdom to a crowd at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch.
Phoenix Scanlan
Phoenix Scanlan is a sophomore on the Lakewood Ranch High girls golf team. Scanlan finished 15th (77-85— 162) at the Florida Junior Tour Sam Parks Open, held Aug. 10-11 at Belleair Country Club. Scanlan and the Mustangs will play Sarasota High and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal at 3 p.m. Aug. 27 at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Club as the 2024 season gets underway.
When did you start playing golf?
I started when I was 5 years old. I had shown some interest in it at some point, and some family friends bought me a set of clubs.
What is the appeal to you? I like knowing that going into a tournament, that you are hoping to win. You’re working hard toward something.
What is your best skill?
My most consistent skill is putting. I think that is what keeps my scores low when maybe they should not be. I think it is where I feel the most control over what I can do, because it all happens in such a short amount of time.
What have you been working to improve?
Consistency with my irons. I know because of my putting skills that, if I can get the ball a little closer to the hole, I have a good chance of mak ing the putt.
What is your favorite memory?
Going to the state tournament with my team last year. We spent two whole days together hang ing out and having a great time, playing the sport we all love.
What are the team’s goals for this season?
Last year was our best finish as a team, so hopefully this year we can beat that and finish in the top five. We have a good team. We have a freshman named Willda (Kuang) who is going to be an amazing addition, so I think we can do it.
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
What is your favorite school subject?
I’m taking health and nutrition as an elective this year. I like that because it is something that relates so well to my life. I’m interested in it.
What are your hobbies?
I love to go to the beach and watch the sunset. That is something that is important to me. If I’m in a not great place on the golf course, I’ll think of being on the beach watching the sunset to get out of it.
What is the best advice you have received?
You can get stressed out about something, but you can’t let that affect your love for the game. So try not to get too overwhelmed about anything. When it comes to your sport, stay in the moment.
Finish this sentence: “Phoenix Scanlan is … ” … Cool-headed. I don’t lose control of my mental game.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
DOING THE SPLITS by Daniel Hrynick, edited by Jeff Chen By Luis Campos
Gordon Silver took this photo of a young alligator soaking up some sun along the water’s edge in Country Club East.
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