Lakewood Ranch Life

Lakewood Ranch area's community, nature, style

SUMMER 2014

Deep Roots

SMR draws on its agricultural past to grow into its future.

page 40

plus:

Development revs its engine How to raise a genius West meets East in Polo Club home Best of the social scene LWR LIFE

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table of

contents FEATURES

40

Lay of the Land

As Schroeder-Manatee Ranch turns farmland into residential gold, it remains tied to its agriculture past. The signs of that legacy surround us — you just have to know where to look. BY PAM EUBANKS

46

Support Crew How do you raise a genius?

The Wengers will tell you love, support, and lots of energy. BY JOHN MORTON

50 Hog Wild

East County hunters come to the rescue for residents whose lawns become feeding grounds for feral pigs.

BY HEIDI KURPIELA

ON THE COVER 6

Wildflowers dot the fields of Lakewood Ranch. PHOTO BY MARK WEMPLE LWR LIFE

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56

DEPARTMENTS 14 FROM THE EDITOR

56 HAVEN

17 THE BUZZ

Old Florida meets the Old West — A look inside a 7,600-square-foot home in Sarasota Polo Club.

Read what everyone is talking about — people, issues and events on our radar — including a look at development in Lakewood Ranch, USF’s gem on Main Street, the upcoming Pentathlon, SMR’s new commercial real estate president and the I-75 interchange.

29 PULSE Profiling those residents and organizations at the heart of the Lakewood Ranch community, as well as style tips for the perfect hostess gift.

30 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Party pictures from Lakewood Ranch’s latest charity events.

69 DINING Jump into summer with the coolest seasonal cocktails and dining selections.

74 PARTING GLANCE

Calendar of the summer’s hottest events — plus best bets for a day with your family, a date night or an opportunity to take in a new sport.

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66 RANCH SCENE

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LWR LIFE

Life Reinvented

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*Offer void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. Prices may not include lot premiums, upgrades and options. Community Association and other fees may be required. Prices, promotions, incentives, features, options, amenities, floor plans, elevations, designs, materials and dimensions are subject to change without notice. Square footage and dimensions are estimated and may vary in actual construction. Floor plans and elevations are artist’s conception and are not intended to show specific detailing. Floor plans are the property of Taylor Morrison, Inc. and its affiliates and are protected by U.S. copyright laws. For further information, please see a Taylor Morrison Sales Associate and review our Terms of Use. This is not an offering in any state where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. © 2014, Taylor Morrison of Florida, Inc., All rights reserved. (LWRL)

AN INSPIRED LIVING EXPERIENCE FROM

Lakewood Ranch area's community, nature, style EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

Executive Editor — Kat Hughes LWR Life Editor — Stephanie Hannum Designers — Jennifer Edwards and Nicole Thompson

Director of Advertising — Jill Raleigh

Contributing Writers — Pam Eubanks, Tommy Klauber, Heidi Kurpiela, Heather Merriman, John Morton, Robert Plunket, Amanda Sebastiano, Josh Siegel, Lori Walker, Abby Weingarten and Steve Whidden Contributing Photographers — Heidi Kurpiela, Heather Merriman, Lori Sax, Abby Weingarten and Mark Wemple

East County Sales Manager — Lori Ruth Sales Manager — Penny DiGregorio Advertising Executives — Robyn Didelot, Patti Duff, Robin Harrell, Beth Jacobson, Bob Lewis, Suzanne Munroe, Richeal Parisi and Laura Ritter

CONTACT LWR LIFE

To submit story ideas, calendar listings or have your event considered for coverage, contact Stephanie Hannum at Stephanie@yourobserver.com. For advertising inquiries, call 366-3468.

LWR Life is a quarterly publication of the Observer Media Group published in May, August, December and February in partnership with Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

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( contributors ) Pam Eubanks is an editor for the East

County Observer. Eubanks has worked with the Observer Media Group since June 2005. She grew up in Hoover, Ala., and graduated from Mississippi State University with degrees in journalism and Spanish.

Heidi Kurpiela has spent the past 10

years reporting on arts, culture, people and places in Sarasota and Tampa Bay. She got her start in journalism at age 16, working as a stringer for her hometown paper in rural Upstate New York. She lives in downtown St. Pete with her husband, 3-year-old son and gregarious puggle. Her work has appeared in Creative Loafing, The Huffington Post, the Sarasota Observer, Business Observer, Bay Pop Magazine and the nonfiction book series “A Cup of Comfort.”

You can follow her on her blog While My Boyfriend Was Sleeping.

John Morton is a Wisconsin native who has visited Sarasota annually for 40 years. Last summer he finally moved to the place he’s loved for a lifetime. He’s a career journalist whose stops included the Green Bay Press-Gazette in the 1990s, where he served as sports editor during the Green Bay Packers’ Super Bowl seasons. Today, he’s a new member of the Observer Media Group, working for the Longboat Observer.

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LWR LIFE

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Here From The Beginning. Here for Life.

M ichael Saunders & Company has been successfully helping homebuyers and

sellers achieve their real estate goals on Florida’s Gulf Coast for the past 40 years.

Almost 20 years ago, we watched with delight as Lakewood Ranch began to flourish into the unparalleled master-planned community it is today, and ever since we have taken great pride in helping our customers find their place here. In 2006, we opened a state-of-the-art real estate office— custom-designed for Lakewood Ranch residents— to enhance the award-winning service we provide throughout the East County area.

As a locally owned and operated company with strong roots in this community, Michael Saunders & Company is very much at home at Lakewood Ranch, and we look forward to assisting you with your real estate needs.

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letter from the editor

Building community together You might notice a slightly different look with this issue of LWR Life.

The new design and content is a reflection of a new partnership. We are excited to announce this is the first issue produced out of a partnership with the Observer Media Group, publisher of the East County Observer, and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, developer of Lakewood Ranch.

When we first gathered to discuss joining forces to publish this magazine, we realized in essence, we both do the same thing: build communities. Of course, although we share the same mission, our respective vehicles for achieving this goal are quite different. SMR literally builds physical communities, while Observer Media builds community by publishing information that helps residents make connections and strengthen bonds. Both of us aim to create a sense of community through our work, whether it’s planning the right development for the right area, or telling stories to help those who live here feel more closely linked to their area.

At Observer Media, we believe part of the feeling you have about your community comes from being informed. The more we know about who our neighbors are and what’s going on in our area, the stronger the ties are to our community and the more we can enjoy it.

In selecting stories for this issue, we sought to broaden horizons to tell you more about the place you’ve chosen to call home.

Like contributor Heidi Kurpiela’s story on page 50, “Hog Wild,” which

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LWR LIFE

examines the damage feral hogs wreak on suburban landscaping. Kurpiela not only looks at the problem; she also writes a firsthand account of the solution — hunting to control the population. The twist? Heidi has been a vegetarian for nearly two decades. It’s a story as entertaining as it is informative.

Another example is our cover story on SMR’s agricultural operations, on page 40. Although you may know that the land where your house is used to be ranch land, you may not know how SMR shifts and evolves its agricultural operations to make the best use of the land as development occurs. For instance, many of the beautiful water features in the community are the result of SMR’s shell-mining operations.

Once the land is converted to housing, the pits become the lush ponds and lakes we enjoy so much. And to be sure, the land is always changing. One joke among the cowboys on the property is that the cattle are on roller skates — they are moved wherever there’s suitable land for them.

The following pages are packed with the events, news and people of Lakewood Ranch. This magazine is about you and your community, spotlighting all the great things it offers. We are excited about the opportunity to connect with the area in this way, and welcome any story suggestions or comments you might have. We’re glad to be part of your community.

Kat Hughes Executive Editor

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5/7/14 6:35 PM

Buzz

news, happenings and people

The Sarasota-Bradenton area plays home to a sporting event June 5 through June 8 in which the modern world clashes with another era. Use this guide for the Modern Pentathlon 2014 World Cup Finals and experience history in the making.

PAGE 22

LWR LIFE

17

Boom

Development snapshot by PAM EUBANKS | CONTRIBUTOR

Building

Homebuilders expect to have a banner year with the housing market in full recovery. So what developments are coming to a neighborhood near you?

River Strand

UPPER MANATEE RIVER RD.

E RY

GreyHawk Landing

EAgle Trace

Residents moved into the first homes in Lakewood Ranch in 1995, and nearly two decades later, the community’s growth is as strong as ever.

With more than than 8,500 homes in 11 primary communities within Lakewood Ranch’s existing boundaries and about 22,000 residents, Lakewood Ranch is poised for more development in the years to come.

Communities at the forefront of development include Central Park, Bridgewater at Lakewood Ranch, Country Club East, Esplanade Golf and Country Club and The Lake Club.

The following is a snapshot of each:

64

Rosedale Links

Central Esplanade Park Golf and Country Club Bridgewater AT Lakewood Ranch

Home sizes: 1,162 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet

.

LVD

Website: centralpark-fl.com

Other Notable Developments

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M A STERS

Edgewater

V E.

LORRAINE RD.

TH

OO ANCH LAK EW D R

Price range: From the high $100,000s to the low $500,000s

The Country Club

Riverwalk

A

Number of lots remaining: 166

Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club

E

Number of homes under construction: 2

Concept: “Central Park offers a great value to homebuyers with price, the quality of the home, the amenities and its location within Lakewood Ranch,” Neal Communities’ Vice President of Marketing and Creative Director Leisa Weintraub says.

Premier Sports Complex

Greenbrook

75

B

Number of homes at buildout: 826

Community developer: Neal Communities

Ancient Oak Gun Club

HA 44T VE.

70

Central Park

.

RD

Country Club East The Lake Club

UNIVERSITY PKWY.

Sarasota Polo Club

Eagle Trace

River Strand

Rosedale Links

Located southwest of the GreyHawk Landing community, Neal Communities’ Eagle Trace project will have 269 homes once completed. The project is in early stages of construction, with 22 home sites sold. Homes are priced from the low $200,000s.

Located within Heritage Harbour, Lennar’s River Strand community offers a variety of home types, from 1,417-square-foot villas to 3,357-squarefoot manor-style homes. Home prices range from the $180,000s to the mid$300,000s.

An extension of the original 650-home private Rosedale community, Rosedale Links will boast 445 single-family homes on 237 acres once completed. Homes range from 1,862 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet and start in the high $200,000s.

LWR LIFE

N 1 / 2 MILE

Bridgewater at Lakewood Ranch

Country Club East

Number of homes at build-out: Number of homes at build281 (Currently selling Phase 1, out: 1,500 which has 93 lots) Number of homes under conNumber of homes under construction: 67 struction: 27 Number of lots remaining: Number of lots remaining: 66 in phase 1 Price range: Low $300,000s to more than $500,000 Home size: 1,677 square feet to 3,828 square feet Community developer: Lennar Neighborhood concept: The community offers a home style for everyone, with Lennar’s manor and estate-style homes, nestled along a golf course and amenities such as a tennis center, pools and trails.

Website: bridgewaterlakewoodranch.com

877

Price range: mid-$400,00s to more than $1 million Home sizes: Range from 1,350 square feet to 4,500 square feet

Esplanade Golf and Country Club

The Lake Club

Price range: From the high $200,000s

Number of lots remaining: 140

Number of homes at build-out: Number of homes at build-out: Currently 828 1,250 Number of homes under conNumber of homes under construction: 40 struction: About 50

Home sizes: 1,686 square feet to 3,159 square feet Community developer: Taylor Morrison

Neighborhood concept: “The country club concept continues with thoughtful development around 18 holes of golf with a Pinehurst feel, designed by Rick Robbins,” says Jimmy Stewart, vice president of sales for LWR Communities.

Neighborhood concept: “It’s the idea that people can play and relax where they live,” says Cammie Longenecker, vice president of sales and marketing for Taylor Morrison West Florida.

“With Esplanade communities, we offer luxurious, resort-caliber amenities for the exclusive use of our residents and their guests.”

Website: lakewoodranch.com

Website: esplanadelwr.com

Community developer: SLV II CCE Venture LP

Price range: $800,000s to more than $5 million Home sizes: 2,800 square feet to 15,000 square feet Community developer: LWR Communities (subsidiary of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch) Neighborhood concept: “It’s a Tuscan-inspired community with a style and sophistication unmatched in the country with special attention given to providing homes with an extra level of privacy,” says Jimmy Stewart, vice president of sales for LWR Communities.

Website: lakewoodranch.com

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Hospitality hub by AMANDA SEBASTIANO | CONTRIBUTOR

In the Kitchen USF Sarasota-Manatee’s new program focuses on bettering the community.

Faculty members believe the school’s Culinary Innovation Lab will transform the area’s hospitality industry.

When he visited some of the more than 200 hospitality schools in the country, in-person or virtually through their websites, Cihan Cobanoglu knew he wanted his college to stand out.

Although the dean of the College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has been working toward getting his school ranked in the top 10 hospitality schools nationwide, he wants to differentiate his school in another way.

Cobanoglu believes the college’s Culinary Innovation Lab accomplishes that goal, by bringing students out of the classroom and into a kitchen in their community.

After opening its doors Jan. 7, the culinary lab — the kitchen-turnedclassroom on Lakewood Ranch's Main Street that brings the “back of the house” cooking experience to the forefront for hospitality students — serves as a space that hones creative and competitive students who actively seek ways to engage their community in their class work.

For cooking novices who want to learn their way around a grill, cooking demonstrations remain a fixture on the

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USF Sarasota-Manatee instructor Garry Colpitts demonstrates a cooking technique. sidewalk in front of the culinary lab during First Friday celebrations.

Starting this summer, the culinary lab will also feature cooking classes for the public.

While no specifics on class schedules and how much the classes will cost have been released, yet Cobanoglu promises “reasonably priced courses,” and says he can’t wait to get the community in the kitchen.

The space is also symbolic.

To Cobanoglu, the culinary lab represents the direction Manatee and Sarasota counties’ hospitality and tourism industries are heading. It also gives the public an opportunity to visit, and learn, what students do during their hands-on class time.

“We want to prove to the community that we’re serious,” says Joe Askren, USF professor at the Culinary Innovation

Lauren Walker dices an onion during class.

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Lab. “We aren’t just sitting in here dreaming of something to happen. We’re making things happen.”

The key to Cobanoglu’s plan to double the education hub as an anchor for improving area hospitality and tourism, is found on a white board propped on an easel at the entrance of the lab, which consists of a bar and kitchen, a formal dining area and a dishwashing station.

Cobanoglu, and USF professors and chefs Askren and Garry Colpitts, who each teach classes in the culinary lab weekly, swear by Food Powers Community — a plan designed by Nan Summers, USF’s continuing education specialist.

Cobanoglu, Askren, USF Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Dr. Arthur Gilford and other school WE AREN'T professionals, officially JUST SITTING launched Food Powers Community in February.

IN HERE DREAMING A multi-colored chart OF SOMETHING illustrates the idea of collaboration across hospiTO HAPPEN. tality-related platforms, WE'RE MAKING “from farmer to buyer,” Askren says.

THINGS HAPPEN." By combining resources ASKREN SAYS. and sharing information, Cobanoglu believes Manatee County and its surrounding areas will become a more desirable place to visit or live.

Monthly, open-to-the-public meetings now fill the culinary lab, which serves as a venue for representatives from restaurants, hotels, nonprofit organizations and other groups to share ideas and offer services to each other. One way of sharing is through the website foodpowerscommunity.com, which seeks to connect people through food in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Students will also participate in the collaborative efforts in upcoming semesters, by working with other groups, such as Jewish Family & Children’s Services of the Suncoast Inc. The organization will pair the school’s hospitality students with homeless veterans in a student-becomes-theteacher setting.

Students will completely run the program to teach veterans how to cook, while specifics still need to be worked out.

With bigger plans in mind for the school and lab and how both will impact the community, the dean’s “we can do anything” mentality has become contagious to Askren and other school faculty members.

“The more you work with him (Cobanoglu), the more you kind of turn in to him,” Askren says. “He has such a passion for what we’re doing.”

21

event preview by PAM EUBANKS | CONTRIBUTOR

PENTATHLON

primer

The sporting event born out of a 19th century soldier’s strife comes to Sarasota in June.

Your guide to the competitions, athletes and events that come with it.

HISTORY For Modern Olympics founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the pentathlon event tested the strength and endurance of athletes through a combination of running, jumping,

Sarasota-Bradenton soon will play home to a sporting event in which the modern world clashes with a piece of history.

From June 5 through June 8, the area will host the Modern Pentathlon 2014 World Cup Finals, the end cap to a yearlong pursuit of mastering five Olympic sports in one. The event marks the first time the international Modern Pentathlon competition has been held on U.S. soil in more than 40 years.

“Pentathlon is a very popular, well-known, celebrated sport internationally,” says Katherine Harris, executive chairwoman of the Local Organizing Committee of the Sarasota Bradenton Pentathlon. “(A pentathlete is) considered to be the complete athlete. It tests an athlete’s mind, body and spirit.”

The pentathlon competition is based on the concept of what a 19th century French soldier, caught behind enemy lines, might face as he struggled to relay a message to his general.

That soldier may have to fight with a sword,

throwing the spear, throwing the discus and wrestling.

Coubertin recognized the event as the climax of the Olympic Games at the 14th session of the International Olympic Committee in Budapest, leading to the event’s reinstatement into Olympic competition as the Modern Pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics.

It comprised the events of pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running.

then swim, then ride a horse and finally run and shoot — all to get away.

Pentathletes, therefore, must compete in all those disciplines.

On competition days, pentathletes will compete at the Selby Aquatic Center, in Sarasota, in the morning, for round-robin fencing and swimming, before heading to the Sarasota Polo Club, in Lakewood Ranch, for event finals in fencing, show jumping and the combined run/shoot event.

“There is something for every sports fan with our five different events,” USA Pentathlon Executive Director Rob Stull says.

“And the athlete field in Sarasota will include more than 90% of the athletes who will compete for the gold medal in Rio (de Janeiro, Brazil) in 2016, so it’s a chance to see and get to know the Olympians before they compete in Rio.” Read on for a deeper look at the games featured in the upcoming event.

UPCOMING

The Sarasota-Bradenton area won the bid for four major Modern Pentathlon events: 2014 World Cup Final (June 5-8, 2014) 2015 World Cup Competition, Round 1 (March 2015) 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (March 2016) 2016 World Cup Final (June 2016)

FUN FACT: Students from the Ringling College of Art and Design created the logo for the Sarasota Bradenton Pentathlon events. Each year in the competition — leading up to the Olympics in Rio — will feature a different color scheme.

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LWR LIFE

COURTESY PHOTOS: USA PENTATHLON

Schedule

The events FENCING Athletes compete in a series of one-touch bouts with epee swords.

The sport usually is held in indoor arenas on special streps measuring 14 meters long and about 2 meters wide. Each bout lasts about one minute.

Competitors start in the morning with a roundrobin-style tournament, meaning the competitors all fence against each other (35 bouts) to accumulate as many points as possible. The first fencer to score a hit wins; if neither scores within a minute, both register a loss. In the fencing final later in the day, the lowest-scoring fencers face each other first. The ladder-style contest continues until the top-ranked fencer competes. For the last-place fencer to win the fencing contest, he or she would have to beat

all other competitors, one by one, in the final portion of the fencing event. Conversely, the first-place ranked fencer would only have to win one bout to win in the fencing finals.

SWIMMING Male and female athletes swim freestyle for 200 meters.

They are placed in heats according to their personal best times.

RIDING (Equestrian Show Jumping) Athletes mount their horses for the first time about 20 minutes before riding into the show ring.

The obstacle course is between 350 and 450 meters in length and includes 12 jumps, including one double and one triple jump.

Show jumps are up to 120 centimeters, or 3.94 feet, in height.

COMBINED (Shoot/Run) Athletes run 3,200 meters total, about 1.99 miles, stopping to shoot a gun at a targets about every 800 meters. They run about 800 meters and then must stop to shoot a pistol, hitting a bullseye located 10 meters away. Athletes must hit the bullseye five times before starting the run again. Athletes must hit the target five times within 50 seconds. They may run again after 50 seconds regardless of whether they hit the target five times; the time delay is considered the penalty.

SCORING Athletes earn different amounts of points for each event, which are based on their performance. Total points determine their handicap for the final event.

The final event, the combined run/shoot event, determines the winner of the pentathlon. Athletes receive a handicap based on total points accumulated during the first four events. The first athlete to cross the finish line wins the pentathlon.

FINISH LINE

MODERN PENTATHLON 2014 WORLD CUP FINAL THURSDAY, JUNE 5: Jury ride/horse selection Opening ceremonies at the Ringling Museum of Art FRIDAY, JUNE 6: Women’s round-robin fencing (Selby Aquatic Center) Women’s round-robin swimming (Selby Aquatic Center) Women’s equestrian show jumping (Sarasota Polo Club) Women’s combined event (Sarasota Polo Club) Women’s awards ceremony (Sarasota Polo Club) SATURDAY, JUNE 7: Men’s round-robin fencing (Selby Aquatic Center) Men’s swimming (Selby Aquatic Center) Men’s fencing ladder (Sarasota Polo Club) Men’s equestrian show jumping (Sarasota Polo Club) Men’s combined event (Sarasota Polo Club) Men’s awards ceremony (Sarasota Polo Club) Sponsor Gala (Ca d’Zan Mable Ringling Museum of Art) SUNDAY, JUNE 8: Mixed relay round-robin fencing (Selby Aquatic Center) Mixed relay swimming (Selby Aquatic Center) Mixed relay fencing ladder (Sarasota Polo Club) Mixed relay equestrian (Sarasota Polo Club) Mixed relay awards ceremony (Sarasota Polo Club) Closing celebration (Siesta Key Beach) * Event times not available by press time. Visit sbpentathlon.com for more information and updates.

Tickets

Spectators can purchase one-day or three-day tickets at sbpentathlon.com.

• For one-day admission, tickets cost: $12 (18+); $5 (student/child age 5+); and $5 (veterans/ seniors) • For three-day admission, tickets cost: $12 (18+); $12 (student/child age 5+); $12 (veterans/seniors) • Admission for children 5 and younger is free.

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The long way

HOME

Kirk Boylston, Lakewood Ranch’s new president of commercial realty, finally lands his dream job.

And it’s right where he began.

Kirk Boylston has traveled across the country to compete in adventure racing — a combination of endurance sports such as mountain biking, paddling and climbing — and he has even participated in three X Games, the extreme sports competition run by ESPN. So Boylston, the new president of Lakewood Ranch Commercial Realty, a subsidiary of Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, is not easily intimidated by any surrounding.

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HOMECOMING by JOSH SIEGEL | CONTRIBUTOR But when Boylston, a Siesta Key-born real estate professional who has spent the last decade working in Las Vegas, returned home to begin his new job March 3, he found navigating Lakewood Ranch and its 32,000 acres of land a challenge.

“I’ve driven it six or eight times,” said Boylston in an interview April 1, pointing at a large green map behind him.

“It’s such a large development.

I’m excited to master it.”

In an interview with LWRLife, Boylston outlined his impressions of Lakewood Ranch so far and described his vision to attract national companies.

Edited excerpts of that conversation follow.

What’s it like being back home?

I am happy being home.

I love the area. The separation (his wife, Christie, and son, Morgan, 13, are living in Las Vegas until the end of the school year) is difficult, but the people who work at SMR make the adjustment easy. The people here are really good at what they do.

If I need development expertise, marketing expertise or permitting expertise, there is someone on this team who knows how to do it, and that’s what makes them so successful in developing Lakewood Ranch.

WE WANT TO MAKE IT SO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH CAN STAY HERE WHEN THEIR LIFE CIRCUMSTANCE CHANGES.

What’s the next step for Lakewood Ranch?

What does it look like in 20 years?

We can accommodate almost anything. There’s more that can be done. Lakewood Ranch hasn’t been sought after nationally. Everything that an executive or resident wants is already here: schools, hotels, retail, universities, and skilled employees.

Now, it’s a matter of getting the word out. A lot of times in real estate, you go place to place to get where you want to go and it’s a long, drawn out process. If you’re good at development, it takes a ton of patience.

Major projects like Lakewood Ranch can outlive you.

Why is Lakewood Ranch beginning to target retirees?

We want to have all the components that a project this size can provide. We are doing our first age-restricted community (for people 55 and older.) We’re about to close on a senior lifestyle community north of Rangeland Parkway. That plan will include a four-story assisted-living facility, a two-story memory care unit and later on, a four-story independent-living facility. We want to make it so people who live in Lakewood Ranch can stay here when their life circumstance changes. With that said, we’d also like to add amenities for young people such as a bowling alley or arcade. You can’t do targeted projects like these until the development is ready for them, and we’re getting there.

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Describe your initial impressions of Lakewood Ranch.

The main thing is how big this place is. Everything is well done and well planned.

It’s beautiful because of all the wetlands and lakes you can’t build on, which creates more open space and adds to the beauty of the project.

It’s a great atmosphere for people to work in. The amenities are directly adjacent to the offices, so our employees spend less time away from work and more time in Lakewood Ranch.

What types of commercial projects are you targeting for Lakewood Ranch?

We’re definitely targeting uses which to date have not been targeted for Lakewood Ranch: biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, high-tech manufacturing, aerospace. The reason is that those industries provide high-paying jobs. We’re looking to sell land in Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park for commercial use. We’re starting to plan commercial uses for the Villages of Lakewood Ranch South and Lakewood Centre projects. We also need to see what tenants are not occupying the Mall at University Town Center when it opens, and try to build off that retail momentum.

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Ease to it by JOSH SIEGEL | CONTRIBUTOR

The grand fix Easing congestion at the I-75/University intersection will take more than money. It will require everyone to move in the same direction.

At a March 6 meeting in Tallahassee, the major players involved in solving the traffic problem at Interstate 75 and University Parkway sat in the same room for the first time and pooled their commitment.

Ananth Prasad, the secretary of the Florida Department Transportation, held the power — and he made a promise that came with a caveat.

For the last few months, FDOT has been working to raise about $60 million for accelerated construction of a diverging-diamond-style interchange to ease traffic at I-75 and University Parkway.

If it can raise the money, the state transportation agency vows to begin construction before the 2017 World Rowing Championships — but after the October opening of the Mall at University Town Center.

For the interchange to succeed, Prasad asked Sarasota and Manatee counties to express full support for the planning, design and construction of other regional improvements — a road network — that would help ease the burden.

“I want a firm commitment for all the pieces of the puzzle,” Prasad says. “I am looking for a holistic approach, not piecemeal, for a full network of road improvements.”

Both counties fulfilled Prasad’s wishes March 25, passing resolutions that pledge support for FDOT to fast track funding and expedite the design and construction of the interchange as well as associated capacity improvements between North Cattlemen Road and Market Street.

“This is a FDOT project,” says Ed Hunzeker, Manatee County administrator. “We have no authority over them. We work with them and partner with them and we continue to work with our partners to make sure the road network is constructed.

With that said, we all agreed to take some actions and move this forward as quick as possible.”

LWR Life breaks down the various, co-dependent dynamics required to ease traffic at University Parkway and I-75 and shows how a diverging-diamond interchange works.

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Road improvements hinge on Villages’ approval

The north-south connectors that would become part of an overall road network around I-75 and University Parkway can only happen if Schroeder-Manatee Ranch develops its Villages of Lakewood Ranch South project.

That project calls for 5,144 residential units and 390,000 square feet of commercial space on a parcel surrounding the Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park.

As part of its plan to build south of University Parkway, SMR, Lakewood Ranch’s developer, has a large role in improving the overall road network with commitments that have been planned for years, some of which depend on Sarasota County approving its Villages’ development.

“This (interchange) improvement, along with others committed to by SMR, will ensure that traffic is distributed through a network of various roadway options as Lakewood Ranch and surrounding developments continue to grow,” says Todd Pokrywa, SMR vice president of strategic affairs.

SMR has already committed to help fund the following road improvements: • The continuation of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard as a fourlane roadway from its current ending at Communications Parkway to Fruitville Road; • The continuation of Lorraine Road as a four-lane road from University Parkway to Fruitville Road; and • SMR has committed $7.5 million toward other improvements, likely a flyover across Interstate 75 west to Cattlemen Road, or the extension of Iona Road south to Bee Ridge Road.

EASTBOUND ON UNIVERSITY PARKWAY

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75

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WESTBOUND ON UNIVERSITY PARKWAY

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UNIVERSITY PKWY.

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Diverging-diamond interchange The Florida Department of Transportation has long planned a diverging-diamond-style configuration for the interchange at University Parkway and Interstate 75.

Different than the traditional offramps used in Florida, the divergingdiamond design would be the first of its kind in the state.

Transportation officials say the

interchange will shorten wait time at red lights and improve safety.

“This is the ultimate interchange,” says Kevin Ingle, a project engineer for FDOT. “It puts traffic on the opposite side of the road on University and eliminates two phases of the signal. Drivers won’t be spending as much time at red and yellow lights. This makes it more efficient.”

Todd Mathes, of Benderson Development, says he drove a diverging-diamond interchange at the Mall of America in Minnesota and others in the Midwest.

“It’s a very intuitive design,” Mathes says. “When you drive through one, you are just a driver on the street. It’s smoother and simpler than it looks.”

WEDDING & SPECIAL OCCASION CAKES CUPCAKES & PASTRIES

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LWR LIFE

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Local News that’s Local News.

The East County Observer, Longboat Observer, Sarasota Observer and Pelican Press are weekly newspapers that connect readers to their communities in Greater Sarasota and Manatee counties with 100% local, unique content. Every issue is packed with news, photos, events and newsmakers to inform, entertain and delight readers and help build a sense of community. From backyard birthday parties to the black-tie social scene, if it’s news in your neighborhood, it’s in the Observers.

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The family-owned Observer Media Group has been sharing stories locally for more than 35 years.

The Observers are passionate about offering the communities we serve a relevant and trusted source to connect you, your neighbors, your neighborhood.

Pulse the heart of the community

Meet Jessica Ortiz, wife of Octavio Ortiz, the general manager of the Mall at University Town Center. She’s fun, stylish and friendly, but most importantly, she is as real as it gets. After moving all over, she's excited to come back to Florida and get involved in her new community. PAGE 32 LWR LIFE

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calendar June 4

Farm to Table Dinner — The King Family Farm and The Loft 5 have collaborated to create a fresh and fun dinner — it’s more than a picnic and more exciting than a meal in a restaurant (and BYOB). Dinner is $65 per person or $120 per couple. For more information, call 779-9801.

LWRBA Grand Opening Event — Share in the excitement of the new Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance office 4 to 7 p.m., at 8430 Enterprise Circle, Suite 140. For more information, call 757-1664.

June 6 Music On Main — Head to Lakewood Ranch Main Street from 6 to 9 p.m. for a free concert. Big T & The Tornadoes will fill the air with R&B, blues, funk, soul and reggae music.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch. For more information, call 462-2357.

June 7 ‘The Paw Project’ Movie — Premier film showing 4:30 p.m., at Lakewood Ranch Cinemas. The Paw Project, presented by Cat Depot, is a documentary that chronicles the efforts of a veterinarian and the grassroots movement she founded to protect cats, both large and small. Tickets are $5. For more information, call 366-2404.

June 8 Summer Slam — Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the NSCA registered shoot, which takes place at Ancient 30

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Oak Gun Club. The price for the a.m. shoot is $65 and $30 for the p.m. “North Course Challenge.” For more information, call 745-5900.

June 13 Manatee Chamber of Commerce Sporting Clays Fun Shoot — Join the Manatee Chamber of Commerce at this inaugural event, at Ancient Oak Gun Club. There will be unique targets with special prizes, a white clays 50/50 contest, a Franchi Affinity (Benelli) shotgun raffle and great giveaways. For more information, call 748-4842, Ext. 172 June 24 Lakewood Ranch Republican Club Meet the Candidate — Join Lakewood Ranch Republican Club 5 to 7 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Country Club. For more information, call 322-9164.

June 28 Ole Glory — Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the NSCA registered shoot, which takes place at Ancient Oak Gun Club. The price for the a.m. shoot is $65 and $30 for the p.m. “North Course Challenge.” For more information, call 745-5900.

Arts and Crafts Saturday — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month June through Sept., at Mixon Fruit Farm. Enjoy locally crafted products, such as jewelry, wall hangings, pottery, candles and more. For more information, call 748-5829.

Spyder Broussard Low Country Fish Fry and Shrimp Boil — This 7th annual event takes place 6:30 p.m., at Polo Grill and Bar. The cost is $36.50 and reservations can be made by calling 782-0899.

June 7

Dairy Day Festival — Runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dakin Dairy, 30771 Betts Road, Myakka City.

Festivities include a water slide, dunk tank, rockclimbing wall, mechanical bull and other familyfriendly activities. Tickets cost $10 at the door. For more information, call 322-2802, Ext. 308.

June 29 30th Annual Super Boat Grand Prix Festival Car Show — Celebrate 30 years of the Grand Prix Festival while viewing a wide variety of restored cars from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Lakewood Ranch Main Street. Tickets $15 in advance or $20 day of show. For more information, visit suncoastoffshore.org.

July 3 Bradenton Marauders Independence Day Celebration — Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the Marauders take on the Fort Myers Miracle at 6:30 p.m. A firework show in honor of Independence Day follows the game. For more

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Anna Maria Island Independence Day Parade — Celebrate Fourth of July with a parade 10 a.m. to noon from Coquina Beach to Bay Front Park.

Palmetto 4th of July Festival — Palmetto

information, call 747-3031.

August 1 Music On Main — Head to Lakewood Ranch Main Street from 6 to 9 p.m for a free concert. For more information, call 462-2357.

August 23 Back-to-School Splash Bash — Runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA. The event features music, water slides, a dunk tank, inflatable home run derby, prizes and more. A barbecue lunch and ice cream will be available for purchase.

Guests should bring swimsuits, towels, sunscreen and lawn chairs. Free. For information, visit lwrcac.com.

Community Redevelopment Agency presents American Idol Scottie McCreery for a 7 p.m. free concert at Sutton Park Pavilion. After the concert, fireworks will light up the sky over the Manatee River after dark.

For more information, visit PalmettoCRA.org or call 7234988.

Spend the day with family The entire family will enjoy seeing circus artists perform amazing feats in The Circus Arts Conservatory’s summer production, Summer Circus Spectacular 2014.

Performances run 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 and 5 p.m. Saturdays June 17 through Aug. 2, at the Historic Asolo Theater. Tickets are $12 to $15 and can be purchased by calling 360-7399.

Following the show, it’s time to get outside after cooling off in the air conditioning. Drive nine miles north to Riverwalk, in Bradenton, for a fun family filled afternoon. Explore this new outdoor gathering place, specifically the Family Fun Zone, which features a splash fountain and playgrounds. Visit RealizeBradenton.com.

Plan a date night Sarasota has one of the highest concentrations of Zagatrated restaurants in Florida and Savor Sarasota restaurant week is the perfect time to explore as many local restaurants as possible. It’s happening June 1 through June 14, so for your next date night, why not enjoy your favorite restaurant — and for only $29 per person? Visit restaurantweek.savorsarasota.com to see participating restaurants.

After dinner, join Sarasota Orchestra to celebrate one of classical music’s finest teaching festivals for its 50th anniversary. Running June 2 through June 21, the Sarasota Music Festival brings up-and-coming young musicians from around the world to Sarasota. Visit sarasotaorchestra.org/ festival.

Work it out If you love stand up paddleboarding, this is the race for you — actually, three races. The 2nd annual Sarasota SUP Race Series is composed of three SUP Races, each showcasing a different Sarasota County Park. The only SUP race series of its kind, it is designed to highlight the natural beauty of our local parks. The June 21 races takes place on Siesta Key Beach, the Aug. 23 race takes place at Nathan Benderson Park and the Oct. 11 race takes place at Sarasota Sailing Squadron. For more information, contact 704-4878.

Be an observer Be part of history at the Modern Pentathlon 2014 World Cup Final, which runs June 5 through June 8. The five events — fencing, swimming, riding, running and shooting — push mind, body and spirit to produce an unforgettable display of skill, endurance and athleticism. The Modern Pentathlon games take place at Sarasota Polo Grounds and Selby Aquatic Center. Tickets are $12 per day or $30 for all days. For more information, call 564-9003.

PETER G. LAUGHLIN

PGL

CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THEIR LIFESTYLE DREAMS

Peter G. Laughlin, Broker-Associate | 941.856.8428 peterglaughlin.com | peter.laughlin@sothebysrealty.com

Lakewood ranch country cLub

7045 Portmarnock Place $2,999,000 6 Bedroom, 6/2 Bath 8,663 sq ft. custom built home, with preserve, lake, sunset, and golf course views.

4740 Ocean Blvd $5,990,000 Development Site for 6/8 condos or 3 buildable homesites.

1356 Harbor Drive $2,850,000 Buildable lot on 103 ft of deep sailboat water with dock and lift.

3922 Solymar Drive $1,695,000 18,526 sf Gulf-front lot with private, gated, palm-lined drive.

561 Spinnaker Lane $1,599,000 2005 complete remodel with 100 ft dock and 15,000 lb boat lift.

Call or email me today so that you too can receive outstanding value when I list your home.

941.356.8428 | peter.laughlin@sothebysrealty.com

Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard.

LWR LIFE

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CLASS ACTS by HEATHER MERRIMAN | CONTRIBUTOR

Jessica Ortiz

& FERGIE, TOO!

Who is Jessica?

After moving to the area from Plano, Texas, just shy of a year ago, Jessica, her husband, Octavio (Tav), their 14-year-old son, Tav, and 8-year-old miniature schnauzer, Fergie, find themselves settled into the Lakewood Ranch community.

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After Octavio Ortiz was named the general manager of the Mall at University Town Center, the Ortiz family's relocation was the first step, but choosing where they would live was easy. “It was Lakewood Ranch. No question,” says Jessica Ortiz. “The schools in the area are outstanding.

We do lots of research when we move; we’ve moved so much we know the area we want by the schools,” she says.

Ortiz is from New York, but was raised in Fort Lauderdale. After high school, she attended the University of Florida for two years, studying broadcast journalism before transferring to The Art Institution of Fort Lauderdale, where she met Octavio on her first day. The two both have degrees in marketing management.

The couple has moved multiple times since they have been married — the first move came just three months after saying “I do.” They have lived in Dallas, North Carolina, Atlanta and most recently, Plano, Texas, where they called home for six years. The family is glad to call Lakewood Ranch home now — “We absolutely do our research, and this was the place to live,” she says, “And I’m a beach girl. I couldn’t wait to get back to Florida.”

Community Involvement

Since arriving in Florida, Ortiz and her husband have become involved in the community. “We wanted to get out there and introduce ourselves,” she says, “We’ve really enjoyed it, and it’s wonderful seeing how much everyone in the community enjoys it and how much they give to everything.”

Shocked at how philanthropic the community is, the process of narrowing down what they will be involved in has begun. “It is a job in itself,” she says.

Coming from Texas, where most of the community involvement pertained to the chamber and was more business-oriented, Ortiz is enjoying the opportunity to be as equally involved in the community as her husband. “Women run Sarasota, without a doubt," she says. “There’s so much power in these female bodies. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Among Ortiz’s favorite organizations is Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue. “They are so passionate and I love what they do,” she says. Starting off as an active donor, sending emergency funds, supplies and general donations, Ortiz says she stayed focused on not looking over the fence of the facility.

“The joke was for me to physically volunteer, the administration would promise to put me on the 'do not adopt' list,” she says.

How do you like Florida so far?

I absolutely love living here. The weather is perfect.

What is your greatest accomplishment? My son.

What are you passions? I cook.

I love to be in the kitchen. I’ve made over 200 recipes I’ve found on Pinterest.

What do you like most about living in Lakewood Ranch? We are very close to the neighbors.

We enjoy each other, and sometimes even sit outside and have a drink together. It’s really nice.

What can always be found in your refrigerator? Eggs. And Wine.

Where do you like to eat in Lakewood Ranch? When I’m not cooking, Station 400 and Polo Grill, for sure.

Favorite movie? “Forrest Gump.” Or “Top Gun” — the classics.

How would you describe Lakewood Ranch? Great people. It's really nice how everyone looks out for each other. I often get late-night texts that my garage is open.

You can’t start your day without… Coffee, two cups.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I’m an avid reader.

The last book I read was "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini.

What do you do to relax? Every day I shut everything down for about 30 minutes, mid-afternoon. TV off, phone off, iPad off … the actual nap is not a necessity, just the peace and quiet before the second half of the day begins.

How do you and Tav take time for yourselves? Tav and I have no problem finding time for ourselves (especially now that we have a teenager who would rather be anywhere than with us!). We love to attend all of the events Sarasota has to offer, but we also enjoy quieter nights out with friends and of course, those nights where we can just enjoy having absolutely nothing to do.

What is your favorite TV show?

Anything on Bravo.

Product you can’t live without … I cannot live without a great red lipstick. My current go-to is MAC Viva Glam. I also love Nars tinted moisturizer, St. Moritz.

Are there any perks to having a husband who runs the mall? The best thing is that I can always give him my “honeydo” list. I can’t always guarantee what I need will make it home that day since he actually does work, but if I’m in a rush, it is a great convenience.

How would you describe your style? I’m very conservative with my style, but I’ll get edgy with my jewelry.

What are you looking forward to most this summer? I will spend some time in New York as always — a few days in the city and a few in Westchester.

Three weeks of my summer will be spent on my son’s sleepaway camp website, looking for pictures of him. I will patiently await the one letter he will send me, and it will be best day when he steps off that plane and I can give him a big hug and be amazed at how much he changed in such a short amount of time. After all, I am just a mom at the end of the day.

Charles Totonis | Beth Barnett 941.524.8299

941.730.0130

The Dynamic TrusTeD ParTnershiP #1 at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Lakewood Ranch Office

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To learn more about Ortiz, we asked a few questions about her life in LWR:

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

LWR LIFE

33

CHARITY SNAPSHOT

Lakewood Ranch Community Fund When it comes to philanthropic planning, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund knows how to make the most of charitable funds.

Started in 2000, John Clarke, then CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, wanted to create a philanthropic vehicle for new families, offering them a way to give back to the community.

“Back in those days, Lakewood Ranch was new and young and there wasn’t a lot out there,” says Marilyn Howard, executive director of the Manatee Community Foundation, which acts as an umbrella organization for the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. “For the first residents, there weren’t services available to them. The grant-making that the community fund did originally was very much targeted toward bringing the services of the nonprofits and the charities out to Lakewood Ranch because at that time, everything was in Bradenton or Sarasota.”

As the community has grown, more

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nonprofits have moved or started out in Lakewood Ranch — which means the fund now primarily focuses on distributing grants to organizations in the Lakewood Ranch area. Since its inception, the fund has given out more than $800,000 in grants and holds more than $1 million in assets.

Although it collects and distributes money, it is not a foundation. The fund has a large donor advisement board that is managed by the Manatee Community Foundation, and MCF facilitates the fund.

“The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund is a large fund of MCF,” Howard explains. “It is a large donor advise fund, with the board members acting as the official advisers. We [MCF] are the staff, but they function very much as their own entity.”

LWR Life sat down with Howard and Lakewood Ranch Community Fund President-Elect Nick Drizos to find out more about what the organization does for the community.

by HEATHER MERRIMAN | CONTRIBUTOR

How the fund operates

As a fund under the Manatee Community Foundation, donors create pools of money that are then used for charitable purposes.

The fund works closely with both the Manatee and Sarasota community foundations. “Not many people know we use each other’s resources,” says Drizos, “It’s an incredible collaboration.”

The Manatee Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County jointly invest the funds with financial institutions forming the community foundations’ investment pools.

The Humanitarian Award plaque is located on Main Street Lakewood Ranch.

{More about}

Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Lakewood Ranch Women’s Giving Circles

Every year, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund honors an individual with its Humanitarian Award.

The individual exemplifies a lifelong dedication to humanitarian ideals and has made sustained contributions to community enrichment.

Recipients of the award are named on the Humanitarian Award plaque located on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch, next to the Founders 50 plaque. Past recipients include Don O'Leary, Dick and Lorraine Vitale and Col. John W. Saputo.

The Founders 50 campaign was designed to encourage individuals to open their own donor funds. The idea of the campaign was to get the concept started by forming the Founders 50 — the first 50 individuals, organizations or businesses who create an endowment fund in which they put a minimum of $10,000 get their name on the Founders 50 plaque (there are actually 51 spaces, to make it symmetrical) located on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch. The plaque currently has 34 spaces filled, and six will soon be added.

“As the incoming president, my goal is to reach that 50 people,” says Drizos. “It’s extremely rewarding to be able to create a legacy for our family in this town. It’s such a great way to pass down the giving in the community. And also, to bring more awareness to the community about the fund, what we are, what we do.”

The board holds its meetings at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

For more information, call 556-5442.

The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Annual Gala

Every March, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund holds its annual fundraising gala, raising money to fund grants for nonprofit charitable organizations. Featuring themes such as “Havana Nights” to “A Night in Paris,” the event is the organization’s main fundraiser.

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Many sectors are included within the Community Fund, such as the Lakewood Ranch Women’s Giving Circles. There are currently five Women’s Giving Circles that have been organized within the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, most having participated in the Founders 50 Campaign. The Women’s Giving Circles are groups of women who come together to pool their resources to make grants to charities as a group. It’s a way for women to connect for a great cause.

The C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award

The Founders 50 Campaign

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GIFTS

buy

MAIN

by HEATHER MERRIMAN | CONTRIBUTOR

Where does a Lakewood Rancher find the perfect hostess gift, or any kind of gift for that matter? Main Street, of course.

With summer months ahead, many of us will be traveling and staying with friends and family, so hostess gifts are in high demand.

When it comes to giving a hostess gift, there is no better way to say thank you, while at the same time leaving something meaningful behind, as a gift that resembles from where you came.

Coastal gifts are the perfect way to bring a little Florida into someone else’s home.

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Coastal-inspired gifts are a great way to bring a part of your home to theirs. All of these coastal items were found at White Rose.

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LWR LIFE

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Nest candles are the perfect go-to gift.

Wish on Main has a wide variety of Nest candles and incense, grapefruit and bamboo being the most popular. Pick your preferred scent and every time your hostess lights it, she'll think of your visit.

Cupcakes — likely not your first thought for a gift, but who can resist a delicious cupcake? At Pastries by Design, you can buy them by any number (1, 2, 4, 6, or 12), making pastries a great option for a gift, as long as they are kept refrigerated.

A customizable gift found at Wish on Main is this engraved cutting board. Available in many sizes, these Maple Leaf custom printed cutting boards are the perfect gift: functional and decorative.

This gator pitcher is the perfect gift from a Lakewood Rancher.

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39

SMR Farms President Mac Carraway oversees the agriculture operations for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

PHOTO BY MARK WEMPLE

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LWR LIFE

LAY of the LAND Although Lakewood Ranch has become nationally known for its masterplanned residential community, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch housed a vibrant and diverse agricultural operation long before the first home was ever built. Today, agriculture employs one-third of the company’s workforce.

by PAM EUBANKS | CONTRIBUTOR filters through the

windows of Mac Carraway’s office at SMR Farm’s headquarters, a plain building hidden behind the thick shade of oak trees on Lorraine Road.

Through the side window, Carraway sees the company’s tree farm across the street, and through a window behind him, rows of orange trees that, in season, yield a fragrance so delicious he can almost taste it.

Even though he’s at work, there are few places Carraway would rather be than here, at the center of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s agricultural operations. “(Agriculture) gives us a connection to what’s going on around us,” says Carraway, president of SMR Farms. “We are part of Florida agriculture, which is a great legacy.”

And, it’s that legacy that has paved the way for the development of what is now called Lakewood Ranch. Just minutes from Carraway’s office are more than 8,500 homes.

Indeed, SMR’s agricultural operations are stronger— and more expansive — today than when its founding family, the Uihleins, took ownership of the 31,000-acre property in the early 1920s.

With 1,300 head of cattle, thousands of acres of citrus groves, sod and trees and an aggregate mining operation that produces more than 1 million tons of sand and shell each year, SMR’s rich agricultural history remains an important part of the company’s present and future operations.

EARLY DAYS

The tale begins in the early 1900s when John Schroeder of Milwaukee, Wisc. — an owner of furniture, turpentine, lumber and milling businesses — began acquiring property in eastern Manatee County. He bought the land little by little until he’d assembled roughly 48 square miles from which he harvested timber.

The Uihlein family — founders of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. — took owner-

ship of the property in 1922.

“The timber had been cut and harvested by the time (the Uihlein family) came,” said John Clarke, the second CEO of SchroederManatee Ranch. “What they did largely was they introduced tenant farmers, mostly in tomatoes, and they cleared the land and put down a well for irrigation and would farm it.”

The family operated the property in that way until the 1980s.

SMR’s original CEO, Mary Fran Carroll, hired Clarke, then the owner of Agricultural Management Services, in 1984.

“There was a new younger board coming on and they wanted to be more (profitable) in the agriculture,” Clarke said. “When I arrived, the citrus groves were leased out. The farming was all leased to various people, particularly the Taylor family for (tomatoes). The only thing the ranch was running on its own was the cattle operation. The ranch was not making any money; in fact, it was having trouble serLWR LIFE

41

vicing some of the debts. Our job was to bring agriculture into a profitable business.”

Clarke hired Punta Gorda’s Clive Morris (who now is retired in North Carolina) to serve as ranch manager.

Morris made agriculture SMR’s business, planting about 1,000 acres of citrus and 1,000 acres of lawn turf and converting SMR’s cattle herd from mixed breed to a Brangus herd, Clarke said.

“We also took over the accounting and the book work and then we got involved in the shell mining operation because that had all been leased out.”

Clarke and his team studied the land to see how they could best care for it, while also making it profitable.

Carroll recognized the property’s potential for residential development, as well.

SMR’s transformation had begun, and its leaders kept agriculture — and the overall stewardship of the land — in mind as they mapped out the property’s future.

ON THE TRAIL

A drive along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard paints the present-day story well.

One one side of the road, commercial buildings bustle with shoppers. Thousands of students sit within classrooms at Lakewood Ranch High School and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Continued on page 45

COURTESY PHOTOS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: This is the old Lorraine Road bridge, circa 1988.

Today, both SMR’s and SMR Farms’ headquarters are located off Lorraine Road; The northwest corner of State Road 70 and Lorraine Road was vacant pasture before the Lorraine Corners shopping plaza was developed there; SchroederManatee Ranch has its roots in Wisconsin. John Schroeder (center), of Milwaukee, assembled the land that would become Schroeder-Manatee Ranch in 1905.

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SMR Farms grows a variety of turfgrasses, including St. Augustine, EMPIRE, Zoysia and Argentine Bahia.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Cattle SMR has about 1,300 head of Brangus and Hereford-

sired heifers that graze on about 8,000 acres. Cowboys maintain cattle in groups that are rotated regularly based on the time of year. SMR has three full-time employees and hires cowboys as needed to help with round-ups. Cattle are brought into pens four times a year for vaccinations and shipping of the calves.

Citrus With nearly 965 acres of citrus groves (910 acres for processed juice and 55 acres for a hybrid tangerine fruit for eating), SMR’s early season varieties include Hamlins (medium-sized seedless oranges) and Earlygolds (Valenciatype oranges), both of which are harvested from December to March.

Mid-season varieties include Midsweets (medium-sized seeded oranges), Pineapples (large, seeded oranges) and Vernias (Valencia-type oranges), grown from January and March.

The late-season product is the Valencia (a medium to large orange with few if any seeds), which is cultivated from March to June. The onsite tangerine is the Murcott (also called a honey tangerine)—a medium-sized, flat-seeded fruit that is grown from January to April.

SMR Farms provides citrus to Tropicana and has been named a “Grower of the Year” for the company five consecutive years. The honor is based on fruit quality, load quality, fruit variety mix and agribusiness management.

Lawn and Turf The farm has been a leading, environmentally responsible grower of warm-season turf grasses for the golf, sports and residential markets for about 15 years. The company uses low-volume irrigation methods and minimizes the use of valuable groundwater.

Employees maintain fumigated and certified acreages of Celebration, Tifway 419 and Sunday Ultra Dwarf Bermuda grasses, as well as EMPIRE, Zoysia, St. Augustine and Argentine Bahia grasses.

SMR Farms has turf production centers in Lakewood Ranch and St. Cloud, near the Orlando area.

Venues featuring SMR-grown turf locally include McKechnie Field, TPC Prestancia Golf Club, Sarasota Cricket Club, Sarasota Polo Club, the Esplanade Golf Club and the Premier Sports Campus.

A newer SMR Farms investment is a modern washed-sprig production facility in Bradenton, which helps the company provide year-round solutions for domestic and international sports projects that require vigorous soil-free sprigs.

Trees SMR Farms has more than 600 acres dedicated to the growth of high-quality air-root pruned containerized and Roots Plus Grower field-grown trees and palms. It offers more than 20 varieties, including oak, holly, maple, crape myrtle, elm, pine, bald cypress, magnolia and red cedar, among others.

Vegetables

SMR currently leases about 1,000 acres for crop farming. Crops grown include strawberry, tomato, melon and cucumber.

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Mac Carraway

Jason McKendree

Carraway joined SMR Farms in 2004, after spending 12 years in large-scale agriculture, agricultural consulting, and commercial development and construction in Southwest Florida. In May 2005, he was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (SWFWMD) Manasota Basin Board (he was later reappointed by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007 and served until 2011). Carraway is a current director and a past president of the Florida Turfgrass Association (FTGA) and represents the association as chairman of the SWFWMD’s Agricultural Advisory Committee. He also serves as board of directors of the Turfgrass Producers of Florida.

McKendree has been with the farm since 1990, and served previously as a cattle hand and cattle foreman. He was promoted to cattle manager in 2005. He now oversees the care of 1,300 head of Brangus and Hereford-sired heifers.

SMR FARMS PRESIDENT

CATTLE MANAGER

“Something about seeing a load of calves loaded up and headed north just makes me smile and appreciate the fact that God has blessed me in allowing me to do what I love for a living and to be surrounded by some of the best group of cowboys Manatee County has to offer,” McKendree says.

Steve John

Chris Medico

John started working on SMR’s cow crew in 1995, but went full-time as the bahia sod foreman in 2001.

In 2005, he transferred over to become the citrus foreman, and he assumed his current role in 2008 and now is responsible for the day-to-day operations of SMR Farms’ groves.

Medico is responsible for tree sales, brokerage and production activities. He has been with SMR Farms since 2000.

CITRUS PRODUCTION MANAGER

“I enjoy my job,” Johns says. “I love seeing the fruit grow and watching it go from a blossom to an orange. It’s amazing what nature can do.”

TREE FARM GENERAL MANAGER

“They tell me my greatgrandfather used to grow grapes in Italy for wine, so supposedly it’s in my blood,” Medico says. “I love being able to get down to the earth and do something I truly enjoy, to see a baby tree that’s a foot tall and watch it turn into a 35-foot tree.”

“I love what I do,” Carraway says.

“Look how much longevity there is in agriculture; it’s not uncommon to find people who have been involved in the industry for large chunks of their lives and they’ve been happy doing it. They’re committed to it. And that’s what we have here.”

Gary Bradshaw

Gary Bradshaw

TURFGRASS PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chris Medico Mac Carraway

Bradshaw has been with SMR Farms since 1997. He had extensive experience in the Florida turfgrass industry, most notably at Mace Sod and King Ranch in Southeast Florida. Bradshaw is on the board of directors of the Manatee County Farm Bureau, and is president of the Sea Isle Growers Association.

“What I like most about working here is the secure, proud feeling it gives me — working for a very strong, proven company that is stable in today’s corporate world,” Bradshaw says. “It’s a company that’s aware of the importance of being good stewards of the land and therefore promotes sound management practices to ensure the preservation of the environment and its natural resources. My greatest reward comes when I see a beautiful sod field evolve from what was once a very raw piece of ground, and I know that I had something to do with that.”

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Steve John

Jason McKendree

Continued from page 42 On the other side, signs touting new communities, such as Central Park and Esplanade, dot a landscape shared with cows grazing in pastures.

As SMR developed its property over the last 20 years, agriculture, inevitably, has been displaced. But, it’s hard to notice.

“The hallmark has been the hand-inglove cooperation between agriculture and development to make sure those transitions happen smoothly and purposely,” Carraway says. “We don’t operate in our own little worlds. We operate in a synergistic way, in terms of water use and drainage and all those things that impact both sides of the business, so to speak.

“We can have an active and prosperous agricultural operation right up until the land use changes,” he says. “Each intended purpose is linked to the next.”

SMR cowboys stay ready at a moment’s notice to move their herds throughout the property as new developments come online. SMR President and CEO Rex Jensen and other SMR officials joke they keep their cattle on roller skates because they are the most flexible of SMR Farms’

commodities.

“You’ll see cattle in areas where you wouldn’t expect to see cattle, for purposes like lowering taxes or to maintain growth around native woods,” SMR’s Cattle Manager Jason McKendree says. “This ranch has changed in so many ways since my journey began (here) back in 1991, but it has given me a world of knowledge about how a large-scale and very diversified agriculture operation and a master-planned community can work together on a daily basis.”

SMR’s turfgrass, crop and citrus farming operations have also evolved over time.

SMR Farm’s nearly 1,000 acres of sod fields, over the last few decades, have converted from a primarily St. Augustine grass to higher percentages of zoysia and Burmuda varieties, which are more resilient, to adapt to market demands.

“We evolved into a business that not only served development, but also had a broad customer base throughout the state and outside Florida,” Carraway says, adding SMR sod is used for athletic fields, residential developments and golf courses.

Carraway notes SMR Farms now can install its turfgrasses at sports cam-

puses and golf courses, such as it did for Esplanade Golf & Country Club golf course, in Lakewood Ranch. Previously, it only supplied grasses.

Crop farming also remains a steady revenue source for the company, although the amount of property leased to outside farmers has roughly halved since its peak.

Now, about 1,000 acres are dedicated to the farming of crops such as strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers.

“Leasing land to row crop famers has been a significant part of the land management strategy, although that has declined (over time),” Carraway says.

SMR Farms also has about 965 acres of citrus groves. Of those, 910 acres are used for processed juice and 55 acres are used for eating-fruit.

The company sells its juicing fruit to Tropicana and has been named a Tropicana “Grower of the Year” five consecutive years.

Jensen says agriculture always has and continues to be an important piece of SMR’s portfolio.

“If you look at agriculture, it’s really what began to define this company,” Jensen says.

“For many years, it was all we were about.”

Abby Weingarten contributed to this story.

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Support crew The Wengers have gotten the support of their whiz-kid daughter down to a science.

by JOHN MORTON | CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOS BY LORI SAX

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LWR LIFE

Behind every great kid there are some great parents, right?

OK, so it’s a twist on the expression. But in the case of researcher extraordinaire Brittany Wenger, she needs no time pondering lab results to agree.

“They’ve always been encouraging, and that’s played a huge role in my success,” says the 19-year-old Wenger of her parents, Lakewood Ranch’s Jeff and Cami Wenger. “I have a family that stands behind me and believes in all aspects of what I am doing. I have always felt empowered.”

The result was the support and freedom to create what is already a staggering list of accomplishments for a mere teenager.

Ponder this: Brittany, while a sophomore in high school, created a computer program that increases the accuracy of breast-cancer testing while making it less painful and invasive. And the accolades and opportunities that have followed include her being crowned the champion at the esteemed Google science competition, a scholarship to attend North Carolina’s Duke University (where she’s a freshman), speaking engagements worldwide, and recognition on Time Magazine’s annual “30 People Under 30 Changing the World” list.

If only there had been an under-20 list, she would have been in even more exclusive company.

Oh, and coming soon to TVs and computers across the globe, she’ll be appearing as the lone American representing the achievements of women in a commercial produced by the Gap, the international clothing retailer.

Indeed, the spotlight shines brightly on Brittany these days, yet she remains modest.

“I don’t think people will look at me as a celebrity,” she says. “It might feel weird to see the ad, but it will also feel pretty cool. If someone recognizes me it probably means they’re interested in science — not necessarily me.”

And she’s again quick to direct that spotlight toward her parents, who have figuratively stood back in the shadows.

“My parents were never pushy, and that’s appreciated because I’ve seen other kids burn out from that,” Brittany says. “It can’t be your parents’ passion or someone else’s passion but your own passion. Really, my family has provided me the right combination to make this all happen.”

Cami appreciates those sentiments, but admits most of Brittany’s deep thinking came naturally.

Cami says Brittany was always inquisitive; she was born

with a wonder of the world.

“At age 2, she entered that ‘Why?’ stage and never grew out of it,” she says with a chuckle. “Why this, why that.

Eventually, Jeff and I couldn’t answer some of her questions, so she’d turn to other people for the whole picture.

She’d even ask her teachers if they’d stay after class to further explain things.”

And in the essence of true innocence, with a touch of competitive flair, it was her love of soccer that started the science ball rolling.

“She wanted to know how she could become a better player, so she tried to create a software program to help her,” Cami says. “That’s just so Brittany.”

Jeff says his daughter has always been driven, and remains the most driven person he knows. “We haven’t had to do a thing,” he says.

The soccer program didn’t amount to much, but it was a harbinger of things to come. Next thing they knew, the most intriguing question of all came from Jeff and Cami’s little “Why?” girl: Could she create a program to help diagnose breast cancer?

“We have no medical background, so we couldn’t help,” says Cami. “We figured this wasn’t going anywhere, but at least it might satisfy her curiosity.”

And things were rocky at first. Jeff says he remembers vividly the night Brittany’s first test failed to work. His daughter was disappointed, but for her parents, the result wasn’t unexpected.

“I knew paid professionals in the field weren’t able to do this,” Jeff says. “So how could a kid?”

Of course, her first successful test stands out even more.

“Really, in hindsight, we shouldn’t have been surprised,” he says.

Modest genius

It’s 6 a.m. on the Duke campus, and it’s St. Patrick’s Day. While many of her classmates are groggy with shamrocks dancing in their heads, Brittany is charging around her room getting dressed. Ever the multitasking machine, she’s conducting a phone interview for this story.

“An interview team from England is arriving here in an hour — they’ll be shadowing me the next two days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” she says, incredibly calmly, all things considered.

Going in a million directions at once has become routine, but this morning is particularly trying. Not only was her night filled with the usual alarm beeps that told her it was time to check a test result on her computer, but she was just a few hours removed from a memorial

service for a classmate and friend who died at the hands of a drunk driver while visiting Florida. And Brittany herself had just returned from a visit to Sarasota that night.

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Now, physical exhaustion was getting a dose of emotional exhaustion.

“I really can’t cancel, because they came all this way,” she said of her guests. “That would be rude.”

Cami sympathizes with Brittany’s pressures. “She’s learning the business side to life,” she says of her daughter.

“She has to keep her word and come through, and it isn’t always easy.”

At least Brittany’s not the one doing the travel this time. She has Brittany Wenger has spoken in Europe twice before, developed a type of com- most recently to give a speech to puter program, called the Royal Society of Medicine in a “neural network,” to London April 3. The trip was the mimic the human brain: usual whirlwind, limited to just Give it a massive amount Friday through Sunday, so Brittany of information (in this wouldn’t miss school. case, 7.6 million trials), That’s a mindset the parents and the artificial “brain” established early on. Rather than will learn to detect comleave school early, Brittany’s parplex patterns and make ents took care to make sure her diagnostic calls on breast adult work didn’t jeopardize her cancer. Her program used time left in adolescence. “We data from “fine needle wanted her to be a kid first and aspirates,” a minimally foremost,” Jeff says. invasive procedure that, Aiding her parents in this effort unfortunately, is often was a dedicated group of Brittany’s one of the least precise friends. Cami says they knew diagnosis processes. But when Brittany was overdoing it Brittany is helping change and studying too much. “They that; her program corwould come over and say, ‘That’s rectly identifies 99% of it, we’re going out.’” Cami recalls. malignant tumors.

“I think Brittany found that stepping away at times made her more productive.”

David Mahler, the head of school at Brittany’s alma mater — Lakewood Ranch’s Out-of-Door Academy — helped advocate balance in her life as her accomplishments grew. He and the Wengers would discuss the demands of Brittany’s schedule and how they could ensure she still had a normal life as a teenager.

“At our school we not only emphasize academics, arts and athletics, but mostly the importance of character,” Mahler says. “The Wengers are very much a grounded family, and what Brittany will always be is a Wenger and everything else is secondary. And sure enough, Brittany has not changed. Not at all.”

At commencement, she was rewarded by Mahler with a first-ever Headmaster’s Cup. “It has never been handed out before, and will arguably never be handed

About Brittany’s project

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LWR LIFE

out again,” Mahler says. “She received it not so much for what she’s done but who she is.”

Indeed, Brittany’s modesty shines as bright as her trophies.

“She’s almost embarrassed when she wins things,” Jeff said. “She isn’t in it for the recognition.”

Shifting roles

Still, modesty doesn’t have to take a back seat to ambition. After all, it was Brittany herself who said two years ago, “I want to be on the team that cures cancer.”

It’s a sense of compassion that is at the core of Brittany’s endeavors, as a positive breast-cancer diagnosis of a relative directed her from soccer software programs to the medical research variety.

The only ingredient in the equation of Brittany Wenger’s life that appears to remain is all about her taking care of herself. Namely, getting enough sleep.

It’s a topic Cami gives her full attention. She says Brittany was the kind of kid who never neglected chores or her studies, but she did often neglect her sleep. When Brittany started running her computer tests, she set an alarm to wake her up so she could track results. “I used to sneak in and turn it off,” Cami says. “Imagine that, a mother turning a teenager’s alarm off!”

Between her increasing celebrity and her college work, Cami knows Brittany’s time continues to be squeezed. She says it’s the one area where she and Jeff try to play their role as parents, mostly by helping her manage her speech activities so she’s not overwhelmed.

“There’s only so much she can do,” Cami says.

Meanwhile, back at home, the Wengers have another hard-charging teenager on the rise. Tyler, who is 15, is a freshman at Out-of-Door and has Cami in soccer-mom mode as many as six days a week.

Any notion that Brittany’s fame could be overwhelming for Tyler brings a laugh out of mom.

“He’s too busy with his own stuff, and he’s not the jealous type. In fact, he’s supportive,” Cami says. “They are two different people and Tyler is more into stock and bonds and that type of thing. And the people at Out-of-Door are doing a good job of helping him establish his own identity and not comparing them.”

It’s something Mahler watches mindfully.

“He spent a year elsewhere in an IB program, but he’s back here because he and his family feel it’s where he best belongs,” Mahler says.

The Wengers agree, and now they take a deep breath and relax. It’s something that comes rarely to most families with active kids, but it’s even more seldom for the Wengers since Brittany coupled her idea with her determination to follow it.

Although it seemed more likely to lead to disappointment than success at the time, the Wengers said the experience taught them a powerful lesson.

“If a child of yours has a dream,” Cami says, “don’t hold them back. You just never know.”

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LWR LIFE

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East County hunters are called into action as feral pigs wreak havoc in Lakewood Ranch. story and photos by HEIDI KURPIELA | CONTRIBUTOR 50

LWR LIFE

Like many of Florida’s gated communities, Lakewood Ranch’s Edgewater is meticulously maintained. It’s gated.

Quiet. Its streets wind around a 160-acre lake that’s home to carp, largemouth bass, the occasional alligator and nesting birds.

For more than a decade, Edgewater residents have benefitted from the solitude of nature — that is until wild hogs showed up and nature got a little too close for comfort.

Large, destructive and prehistoriclooking, these swine are the animal equivalent of a rototiller. Using their long snouts (and in some cases tusks) they root around in the dirt looking for grubs, trampling plants, overturning soil and digging such deep ruts it looks like

a farmer ran a trench plow through the ground. Or at least that’s how Edgewater resident Al O’Grady described it the first time his yard was targeted by pigs.

“It’s crazy dramatic how much damage they can do,” O’Grady says. “An armadillo puts his snout in the ground and makes a little hole. Pigs are different. You’ll get three of them out there working together and before you know it they’ve cratered your lawn.”

Since February, O’Grady’s lawn has been “cratered” three times, but he’s been lucky. His neighbors have borne the brunt of the damage. Edgewater resident Bob Heck’s front lawn was so badly ravaged O’Grady’s wife, Ginny, said the property resembled a “moonscape.”

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In the 12 years the O’Gradys have lived in Lakewood Ranch this is the first time they’ve seen hogs in their neighborhood. Now they carry a flashlight when they walk their dogs in the morning just in case they cross paths with an aggressive pig.

“It’s the most bizarre thing,” says Ginny O’Grady. “They come in almost nightly and we don’t even hear them. When I took the dogs out last night we had pig poo several places in our yard, but they hadn’t dug anything up. Maybe we’re running out of grubs and things they’re interested in. Thank god.”

The O’Gradys and Heck live in Edgewater Sound, an enclave in Edgewater Village with about 122 residents. The community is one of Lakewood Ranch’s southernmost and least out-of-the-way developments. It’s the first turn off Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, which means hogs could very well be spotted rooting for food in foliage along Main Street.

Overpopulated and cramped for space, wild hogs have been on the warpath for months, tearing up lawns in The Concession, Country Club West, Braden River and Braden Woods. Now they’re plowing through yards in South Sarasota County.

In March, one East Venice resident photographed two hogs with a litter of piglets mowing down grass in his backyard.

“They were here before we were, so there’s some sympathy,” says Mike Finney, supervisor of Lakewood Ranch’s Community Development District 2. “At the same time, you’ve got to protect your land. We’re surrounded by wildlife out here. It’s one of the main reasons why I like living next to a preserve. I’ve seen plenty of armadillos, deer, bobcats and

alligators, but pigs are different. They’re highly mobile and they seem to go anywhere they want to go.”

Invasive pigs have long plagued farflung communities in southern states.

Introduced to Florida centuries ago by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, the species is now a nuisance in almost every part of the country, causing about $1.5 billion in agricultural damage each year.

Swine are hardy and multiply quickly.

Sows start mating as young as 6 months old and litters are large and frequent.

With few natural predators, the species’ population is at an all-time high. Five to 6 million feral swine currently roam the country.

And here’s the scary part: Some of these pigs are the size of bears. In 2004, a hunter in Georgia killed an 800-pound hog.

Hogs mark their territory by rubbing vigorously against trees.

“THEY WERE HERE BEFORE WE WERE SO THERE’S SOME SYMPATHY. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU’VE GOT TO PROTECT YOUR LAND. WE’RE SURROUNDED BY WILDLIFE OUT HERE ..."

— MIKE FINNEY, SUPERVISOR OF LAKEWOOD RANCH’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT 2

Lakewood Ranch resident Al O’Grady photographed this hog damage in the common areas in Edgewater Sound.

COURTESY PHOTO

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The media dubbed the beast Hogzilla and its weight was considered something of a myth until a hunter in North Carolina bagged a 500-pound boar in March.

Pigs are running rampant in so many states that many governments have lifted hunting restrictions to thin herds. In Florida, anyone (license or no license) can trap or hunt a hog year-round on private property as long as he or she has the landowner’s approval.

In residential areas where hunting isn’t feasible, trappers are called. The Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority hired a trapper in February to remedy its hog problem. By mid-March eight pigs were hauled out of the community.

“The theory is that nearby construction is limiting their habitat,” Finney says. “But it could also just be random.”

Whether it’s random or tied to development, one thing is certain: If you’re a hunter, you’re in hog heaven.

In an attempt to better understand Florida’s porker plight, I tracked down veteran hunter Matt Scarbrough for an evening boar hunt near Myakka River State Park.

A retired Sarasota County firefighter, Scarbrough has worked as a hunting guide since he was 14 years old. He lords over 4,500 acres of private cattle land off State Road 72 east of I-75. Currently, he’s the only guide authorized to lead hunts on the private property, which is leased by a local citrus grower.

The 53-year-old father of two is a hog-hunting machine. Over the last four decades, Scarbrough — a self-described softie who can’t get through the movie “Marley & Me” without choking up — has killed between 6,000 and 7,000 pigs. His family or someone else’s family has eaten almost every ounce of the meat.

“I can’t eat ’em all,” Scarbrough says. “But they never go to waste.”

Scarbrough hunts with his daughter Carly’s Remington 700. “It kills 80% of the pigs it hunts,” he says.

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Matt Scarbrough poses with his modest 115-pound catch. The Sarasota hunter has killed several 400-pound boars over the years

I meet Scarbrough, an East Sarasota resident, he’s standing in his kitchen, dressed head to toe in camouflage and filling up on forkfuls of pulled pork. As if on cue, he offers me a taste of the meat, which I decline. When I sheepishly confess that I’m a 16-year vegetarian with zero hunting experience, a look of defeat crosses his face.

“Oh,” he says, offering the bowl to his 18-year-old daughter Carly. “Boars are good eating, but barrows are better. They don’t have all that testosterone in them.”

In the old days, before the wild hog population exploded, hunters would trap a litter of pigs, castrate the weakest-looking males and leave the strongest to reproduce.

The castrated pigs would grow into barrows (good meat hogs) and the intact pigs would breed trophy boars.

“In the last 10 to 12 years that’s all changed,” Scarbrough says. “I have to let my clients shoot the hogs I used to leave as breeders. If you’re not efficient, landowners will find someone else who can do a better job of getting rid of these things. Plus it’s hard to tell someone don’t shoot when they see a really big boar.”

These days, hog hunting is less of an art and more of a free-for-all. Sows, boars, barrows and piglets are all fair game. Deregulation has made feral hog hunting one of the fastest-growing hunting sports in the country. Each week Scarbrough takes clients from all over the United States into the woods. Some of them want deer and turkey, but many of them want boar. The animal is a fairly easy target, comparatively speaking.

“My passion is turkey hunting,” Scarbrough says. “It’s a lot more challenging.

Turkeys are more weary than pigs. Their eyesight is keen. Pigs have terrible eyesight.

They’re almost identical to a hunting a bear.”

We hop into his Dodge Durango. He sets a bag of popcorn and a Mountain Dew on the floor of the truck. I dumbly ask if the snack is bait. “No,” Scarbrough says. “I just like popcorn.”

In the rearview mirror a taxidermist tending to a deer head in Scarbrough’s garage disappears into the distance. We head further east along a rural two-lane road, driving past cattle ranches and Scarbrough’s childhood home.

“My father taught me everything I know,” he says. “He’s hunted with all the best hog hunters in our area. He’s like the hog whisperer.”

It’s an hour before sunset: hog suppertime. Our bucolic drive takes a turn for the bumpy as we thump and thud over hog-made trenches. We pull into a field and Scarbrough unlocks a fence. It takes another 30 minutes to get into the thick of the woods. Scarbrough curses the pigs as we drive. “You could park a VW bus in the pit where they wallow,” he says, gesturing toward a large sty in the field.

As we continue our off-road trek, I learn that Scarbrough caught his first pig with his bare hands when he was 7 years old. His two daughters, both hunters, were shooting swine by the time they were 10. “I remember Carly’s first hog,” Scarbrough says of his

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parks his truck in a clearing and tosses me a camouflage tunic. Within seconds of stepping into the woods he spots a herd about 20 yards from a feeder. He motions for me to be quiet. We crouch down and scurry army-style to a spot within plain sight of seven hogs. One of them is enormous.

Scarbrough sets up a folding chair, kneels behind it and flags me over. I hide behind him as he steadies his rifle on the arms of the chair. The pigs, I later learn, can barely make out our silhouette.

Our scent, on the other hand, can be detected from miles away.

The wind picks up from the south and the animals get a whiff of human. The enormous one runs away. Scarbrough seems visibly annoyed. “You ready?” he whispers. I nod my head yes.

He aims. Fires. The herd disperses, including a wounded sow.

I’m astonished. I’ve seen commercials last longer than this hunt.

I had envisioned the two of us sitting in a tree stand for hours, bored and eating popcorn. I didn’t expect Scarbrough to score a pig in less than five minutes. Before I can even take notes I’m following a blood trail into the thicket.

“Do you see any blood?” Scarbrough asks. “I’m having a hard time following it.”

I laugh because I think he’s being sarcastic. Blood is spattered everywhere. It turns out the hunter is red-green colorblind, which means he can’t see blood on grass, especially after it dries. When he hunts alone he usually takes one of his blood-sniffing labs along for the ride. Without his dogs, I’m tasked with finding our prey.

The blood trail goes on for a while, dotting palmettos, shrubs, leaves and scrub oaks. The closer I get to the animal the denser the blood gets. When I spot the fallen sow in a thick patch of trees my vegetarian heart sinks.

Scarbrough slaps me a high-five and drags the pig back to his truck. He says it weighs about 115 pounds and has just the right amount of fleshiness — a good meat hog. I wait in the truck while he guts the animal, feeling part queasy and part Jane of the jungle.

On the ride back to Scarbrough’s place I ask him if he’s ever felt bad after killing a pig. He says no. I ask him if a pig has ever charged him. He says only when they’re cornered.

The sun dips behind the horizon as we amble along flat State Road 72. A few miles away stealth pigs could be making their way into Lakewood Ranch neighborhoods. Not this pig, though. She’s lying on the back of a cargo rack.

We turn into Scarbrough’s rural neighborhood, where we pass a man steering a horse and buggy. Scarbrough pulls up beside the carriage and rolls his window down.

“Your tail light is out,” he teases the driver.

“Well, you’ve got a pig on yours,” the man responds flatly.

“That’s dinner,” Scarbrough says with a wink.

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youngest daughter. “We were on a bait site and one came in to eat.

I asked her if she was comfortable with the shot and as soon as it stopped moving she hammered it right in the head. She just about gave it a lobotomy.”

Scarbrough manages five automatic feeders on the East County property. Every two weeks he buys 100 pounds of corn per feeder.

The feeders, set to go off two to three times a day, might seem like cheating to some hunters, but to Scarbrough it’s simply a tool, a competitive advantage.

“The thrill is still there if you set them up properly,” he says. “If a client is in good shape and they want to cover some ground, we’ll go on a 5- to 7-mile walkabout looking for game.”

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Haven Spotlighting life on the ranch

The Polo Club is where Lakewood Ranch’s traditions matter most. Take a peek inside a 7,600-square-foot home that respects those traditions — and adds a few of its own. It’s where Old Florida meets the Old West. PAGE 58 56

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It’s wide-open spaces in the family room. Wood floors add warmth, as does the flagstone fireplace, complete with a buffalo head over the mantel.

ABOVE: In the dining room, tropical green walls set off the custom dining table and the hand-carved hutch.

The chandelier is fashioned from elk and caribou antlers. RIGHT: The two-story entrance hall is grand but informal. Architect Clifford Scholz designed the wrought iron chandelier.

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LWR LIFE

Country comfort meets city convenience in this classic Polo Club home.

by ROBERT PLUNKET | CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOS BY EVERETT MARC PHOTOGRAPHY

WESTERN

FLAIR

Polo has been a part of Lakewood Ranch since the beginning — even earlier, in fact. Back when the Ranch was a real working ranch, the cowboys played their own rough and tumble version of the game. The amused executives who ran things — polo players themselves — gave them proper mallets, taught them the rules, and the polo tradition began — the sport of kings with an Old Florida flair.

Nine fields, 600 horses stabled and cared for, international tournaments — these are the public manifestations of the Ranch’s polo heritage. But look around. Surrounding the fields and the regulation arena you’ll see something more private: the 35 or 40 homesteads that are part of the Sarasota Polo Ranches.

One glance and you know you’re in horse country.

Sleek thoroughbreds graze in the bright green fields, banks of bougainvillea cascade down the stable walls, and the homes are large but discrete. You get the feeling that the horse and the lifestyle come first. Work is going on here. Grooms and farm managers are busy with their chores. There’s an old-fashioned honesty to the place.

It takes a special kind of home to do justice to such a prime location, and among the Ranch’s most successful is the 7,600-square-foot residence of Mike and Deborah Ferro. Designed by Sarasota architect Clifford Scholz, it blends classic architectural style with a generous dose of the Old West. The result? A wow factor all its own.

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The extra large kitchen is divided into three areas.

Above, a work station, with the breakfast area in the background.

The Ferros are among the Polo Club’s original residents. Back in the early 1990s they were living in a beach cottage on Longboat, with Mike Ferro, a committed player and an excellent one, commuting to practice every morning at what was then SchroederManatee Ranch. As Lakewood Ranch was born and the Polo Club was developed as its first community,

the Ferros knew immediately it would be perfect for them and their two children, Austin and Alexa. That’s when they began talking to architect Scholz.

“We wanted a brand new house, but something that looked like it has always been here,” Mike says. “And most importantly, this is where we were going to raise our family.”

The relationship between architect and client can be a stormy one, but not the Ferro-Scholz collaboration.

Over the years they became close friends and have gone on to work on many different projects together, including an office building in the LWR corporate park.

The design they finally decided upon is a bit of a surprise. On the outside it has the time-honored look of American Colonial architecture. The façade is symmetrical in the center, with wings on each side that break up the order in a subtle way. But inside the home features elements of the Old West, particularly Colorado, where the Ferros have spent much time.

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media/game room, complete with billiard table and an enormous buffalo head over the fireplace mantle.

There’s also a granite-topped bar.

The home’s wood floors have a story all their own — they were reclaimed from wood used at the Sears Tower in Chicago. The knotty pine trim, crafted with a custom-cut blade by Roberts Hardwood Lumber, suggests an updated version of the Eastlake style so popular back in the 1890s.

An aerial view of the Ferro home shows the grand scale of Polo Club properties.

It’s set on a 12-acre lot.

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Warm, mellow wood is everywhere, and the furniture and art would be just as appropriate in Aspen as a Florida horse ranch. Incongruous? Not at all. It’s a celebration of an American look that merges the Old West with Old Florida.

The dramatic entrance hall soars two stories, accented by a Scholz-designed wrought iron chandelier. Ahead, a music room overlooks the pool area and a small lake in the distance. To the right is a large

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“WE USED TO BE SO FAR OUT FROM EVERYBODY THAT WE ACTUALLY CELEBRATED WHEN THE GAS STATION OPENED,” MIKE FERRO RECALLS. “AND NOW LOOK. WE’LL SOON BE JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Butcher block countertops and decorative tile add charm to the food-prep area; the screened pool area connects the home to the guest house, which doubles as a gym; the outdoor living area has a fireplace and TV.

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LWR LIFE

The home’s dining room is where the western theme reaches its peak. A chandelier from Colorado, crafted from elk and caribou antlers, lights the room, shining down on a massive dining table and a custom-built hutch, both with rope trim. The hutch has pulls fashioned from antlers.

The kitchen is crucial in country-oriented homes and the Ferros’ is no exception. It’s big and bright, with high-beamed ceilings, and it’s here that the family spends most of its time. The breakfast area opens to a pergola-covered organic herb garden, where Deborah grows basil, cilantro, peppers and rosemary.

This is Amadeus the cat’s favorite hangout, the perfect place to nap during the long sunny afternoons.

The home’s outdoor living area is large and comfortable, with both sunny spaces and a cool, shaded porch complete with a fireplace and TV. “We live out here in the summer,” Mike Ferro says. There’s also a guesthouse, one of whose rooms is currently used as a home gym, with a mirrored wall and cork flooring.

And the expansive pool cage that connects the two structures? When the house was built it was the largest one in Sarasota.

The Ferros

are empty nesters now. After graduating from the nearby Out-of-Door Academy, son Austin is at Skidmore — where he’s on the polo team — and daughter Alexa is on her own, working in Wisconsin. Mike and Deborah have put their home on the market and are already working with Scholz to draw up plans for a new place.

Chances are it will be in the Polo Club. They’ve grown to love the rustic atmosphere and the closeness of nature. Wildlife abounds. From their breakfast room they’ve seen deer, wild turkeys, foxes, and bald eagles.

“We used to be so far out from everybody that we actually celebrated when the gas station opened,” Mike Ferro recalls. “And now look. We’ll soon be just five minutes from Saks Fifth Avenue.”

He pauses a moment to look around him. The two dogs lie in the shade by the pool, and a pair of sandhill cranes walk just a few yards away. In the distance the light from the lake glitters through the giant oaks.

“But the best part is that we’re still in the middle of the country.”

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LWR LIFE

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{GARDENING}

The Right

Plant

in the Right

Place

LORI WALKER | CERTIFIED MASTER GARDENER

T

he old landscaping adage is all about putting the right plant in the right place. Or should it be the right place for the right plant?

Yes and yes! But how many of

I’m told although sulfur is a temporary solution for alkalinity, choosing plants that thrive in you fall in love with a plant at the this pH soil may be a long-term option. nursery only to find when you Ok smartie, what do you get it home and plant it, it evendo about all that soluble salt? tually loses its vigor. Sometimes Dealing with that would be a it’s fast, sometimes it’s slow.

Sometimes it just down and out continuing act of futility, so I’m told by the experts at the extendies on you. Guilty as charged? I sion office. However, water plays know I am. an important part in the concenMost recently, we redid our front landscape. The areas where tration of salt in the soil. I did manage to think about taking in the soil was bermed for palms a water sample for the Manatee did well. The area in between?

Master Gardeners to test. Stay It’s awful. tuned. But I’m told I have what is Enter the Manatee County Extension office called urban soil. Read that: Who in Palmetto. I took in a knows where the builder got the soil sample. The results fill used on the lot prior to building the house? It’s typically high weren’t pretty. My soil in salts and very alkaline. was highly alkaline and Enter the extension office so high in soluble salts it’s again. The Master Gardeners amazing anything there is still who operate the walk-in Plant alive. Well, just barely.

The knee-jerk reaction is to fix Clinic are the equivalent of the soil. My first inclination is to tomes of knowledge, both in add sulfur to reduce that pH and their noggins and at their fingertips. They have a University balance the alkalinity. However,

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of Florida recommendation and handout on practically everything under the sun regarding gardening. Speak of the devil!

UF IFAS Extension handout No. ENH26: “Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida.” VOILA! Back to school for this gardener. Speaking of school, guess who’s taking the Extension’s Manatee Master Gardener program? Yep, you’re looking at her. Wish I had enrolled before our landscape redesign. All that blood, sweat and tears fretting over my plants could have been thwarted. The next class is in fall 2015, so mark your calendar.

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LWR LIFE

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{GOLF}

she must swing more to the left.

This is where the tailspin begins, and for some never ends. Hopefully this will help you understand how the ball flies, and be able to self diagnose yourself and work on it with your instructor.

There are two things that dictate the direction of a golf shot: the angle of the clubface at impact, and the path on which STEVE WHIDDEN | MASTER PGA the club is traveling. Each has PROFESSIONAL AT ROSEDALE three possibilities.

For the angle of the clubface at impact, the face can either trying to f you don’t know firsthand, be facing left of the target, at it, fix a swing you have probably figured flaw instead of what really hap- or right of it. As far as the path it out from the exasperated of the club, the club head can pens. And in this game, logic sighs and sometimes shouts be swinging too much to the doesn’t always help. coming from the course: Golf left, neutral, or too much to the For example, a right-handed is a very hard game. And not right. player stands up to a tee shot only is it a very hard game, but The angle of the clubface and proceeds to hit the ball left it is also a very counterintuitive of the target before the ball slices is responsible for the starting game. If you hit down, the ball direction of the shot. The path 30 yards to the right. The playgoes up. Aim left and the ball of the club through impact dicers assumes that the clubface is goes right. Aim right and the tates the curve of the ball. open and now gets a stronger ball goes left. You get the point.

So back to our slicing golfer. grip on the club to help close the With that being said, a lot of face, and since it's way right, he/ His ball started left of his intendgolfers use what is logical when

Understanding ball dynamics

I

ed target, which means his clubface was closed. However, the ball curved left to right. That tells us the path of his swing was going too much out-to-in, or too much across and to the left.

This player would want to get the path swinging more in-toout to the right, and have a more square face at impact.

The problem is this player is afraid of hitting it to the right.

He must first understand that the more to the right he swings, the less right it will go, since it was his leftward motion that made it go to the right in the first place.

There are other variables that can affect a ball’s path, but just remember: The club face dictates the starting direction, and the path dictates the curve.

Knowing that, you can go see your local PGA professional for some swing guidance, and perhaps eventually alleviate a few of those exasperated cries on the course.

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RANCH Scene

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Owner Barb Smith Hours: Mon. - Fri.10am - 5pm Sat. 10am - 4pm Sun. 10am - 1pm

136528

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{DINING}

summer

selections

by ABBY WEINGARTEN | CONTRIBUTOR Whether you’re looking for a romantic date night or a dining experience just right for your family of four, Main Street at Lakewood Ranch is the perfect spot. With a street-long strip of restaurants sprinkled with retail shops, Main Street is a one-stop shop for your ideal Saturday night.

Sip lychee martinis and nosh on skewered meatballs at the Polo Grill and Bar, then pop over to Main Street Trattoria for key lime cocktails and bacon-wrapped scallops. In the summer and any season, this downtown Lakewood Ranch duo is sampleworthy.

Click your stilettos back and forth between bars on ladies’ night, and work in some sake and sashimi at Jpan or scotch and toffee pudding at MacAllisters Grill and Tavern.

Revelry is always cab-free on and around the Main Street drag, especially during the first Friday of the month for the Music on Main celebration, when DJs and live bands create a pulse unlike any in the area. So catch up with friends, soak up the Southwest Florida warmth, and wander inside for chilled libations and savory bites — or use the following recipes to help you re-create them at home.

Sergio Sundae Martini ½ ounce Midori melon liqueur 1 ounce Malibu rum ½ ounce heavy cream ½ ounce pineapple juice Splash of grenadine Dollop of whipped cream Pour Midori melon liqueur into a tall glass with ice.

In a shaker, combine ice, rum, cream and pineapple juice, and shake vigorously. Strain and pour mixture slowly into the glass to layer. Top with whipped cream and a splash of grenadine.

Garnish with an orange and cherry flag.

— Courtesy of Polo Grill and Bar

M E E T T H E FAC E S O F

EXCELLENCE

SARASOTA ORTHOPEDIC ASSOCIATES

provides the highest level of compassionate and professional orthopedic care while treating our patients with the utmost respect, privacy and concern. Our commitment is to get our patients back on their feet... back to work... back in the game... back to life!

www.SOA.md • (941) 951 BONE (2663)

136257

SARASOTA AND LAKEWOOD RANCH LOCATIONS

LWR LIFE

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Key Lime Martini

VEGGIE TOWER

3½ ounces Pinnacle Whipped Vodka ½ ounce Ke Ke Beach Key Lime Cream Liqueur Dash of heavy cream Rim a chilled martini glass with crushed graham crackers. Combine vodka, liqueur and cream in a shaker with ice, and strain the mixture into the glass.

1½ ounces zucchini 1½ ounces yellow squash 1½ ounces portabella mushrooms

1½ ounces roasted red pepper 1½ ounces tomato 1½ ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella

Cut all vegetables into ½-inch thick segments, and season with salt, pepper and dash of olive oil. Grill the vegetables for four minutes on each side. To assemble the tower, use a 4-inch bamboo skewer and layer the vegetables with the fresh mozzarella inbetween. Finish the tower with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

— Courtesy of Main Street Trattoria

Pomegranate Martini 3½ ounces Pinnacle Pomegranate Vodka ½ ounce PAMA pomegranate liqueur Dash of lime juice

Combine vodka, liqueur and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Strain and pour the mixture into a chilled martini glass.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FISH HOUSE

There’s nothing quite like it!

Freshest Seafood

Only Local Shucked Raw Bar

Lunch Served Monday-Saturday

Friendliest Atmosphere

Dinner Served

Fun for the Whole Family

Staff and Neighborhood Patrons Real Food & Real Good Times!

Tuesday-Sunday

Sunday Hours 3pm-8pm

Monday Chicken Wings 75¢ Tuesday All you can eat Fish and Chips $15

View our video

Wednesday All you can eat Lobster $40

Saturday All you can eat King Crab Legs $50 Sunday $5 Pulled Pork Sandwich Brunch & Bloody Mary Bar 10am-1pm

LWR LIFE

Can you find the

Lucky Pelican?

Live Music Nightly

50% OFF

6239 Lake Osprey Drive, Lakewood Ranch

APPETIZERS!

Located a mere 30 second drive off I-75 exit 213.

Next to the Holiday Inn in Lake Osprey Plaza

Everyday

4pm - 6pm

941 - 479 - 7827

139305

102 Riviera Dunes Way • Palmetto

139884

Friday Smoked Prime Rib Dinner $20

70

941-907-0589

www.luckypelicanbistro.com

Thursday BBQ Rib Dinner $15

PLACE BEST NEW ATER! ON THE W

& fish market

Sustainable

sustenance

by TOMMY KLAUBER | CONTRIBUTOR

Terms like “locally grown,” “artisan,” and “heirloom” have moved to the forefront of our menus and our consciousness. Diners today are more cognizant than ever of what they eat and where their food comes from — a trend that is reflected in menus and numerous "farm to fork" events.

Sustainable eating focuses not only on a diet of locally grown, raised, and/or farmed food products, but also on ensuring said diet is wellrounded, healthy, and nurturing for the person consuming it. Knowing about the source of the foods you’re consuming — how it’s grown, raised, caught, and prepared — allows you to make more educated decisions about what you eat. A byproduct of this decision is that it also supports local farmers and agriculture, humane poultry and livestock raising practices and

responsible seafood harvesting.

Being the proprietor of two local restaurants and a catering company, as well as a proponent of the local and organic eating movement, has afforded me the opportunity to bring my passion and enthusiasm for this trend to the Sarasota and Manatee communities. While working at The Colony, I founded the Stone Crab and Seafood Festival in 1990, and established the Backyard Citrus Festival at Pattigeorges in 1997. My wife, Jaymie, and I are committed to giving back to the community and its nonprofits, and in 2009, Polo Grill and Bar partnered with the American Red Cross of Manatee County to produce our first Farm to Fork dinner.

This spring, our farm-

Tandoor

READER’S CHOICE AWARD

2014

FINE INDIAN CUISINE

DINNER • LUNCH BUFFET • TAKE OUT • DELIVERY • CATERING

to-fork and tide-to-table projects continue to be a part of our DNA in the form of several specialty menus that will be available for lunch and dinner, bringing attention to our culinary heritage as well as introducing artisan foods from around the world to our local cuisine. Our guests have come to know the Polo Grill for its atmosphere and globally influenced culinary style. What they may not know is that we are committed to filling our menus with meals that are not only delicious, but provide healthy alternatives.

As a triathlete, I value the importance of good nutrition and its impact on the human body and the way it functions.

As a chef, I value the way a delicious meal satisfies whatever craving you had when ordering it. As a proponent of sustainable, clean eating, I’m able to provide my guests both.

Klauber is proprietor of the Polo Grill and Bar.

First Place 12 Years in a Row

Best Indian Restaurant Catering & Large Party Reservations Available

LUNCH BUFFET: Mon. - Sun. 11:30 - 2:30 All You Can Eat $9.99 DINNER: Mon. - Thurs. 5 - 9:30 • Fri. - Sat. 5 - 10 • Sun. 5 - 9

140863

Try Our New Vegan & Gluten Free Menu

8453 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park FL 34201 •

www.tandoorsarasota.net

941.926.3077 LWR LIFE

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Ed’s Tavern - A Jersey Joint in Lakewood Ranch

LV8109

10719 Rodeo Drive, Lakewood Ranch 941-907-0400 • Open 7 Days a Week 11:30am-2am www.edstarvernlwr.com

Hana Sushi Lounge

L O U N G E

LV8112

S U S H I

Combining art with traditional Asian cuisine and service to create a unique culinary experience in Lakewood Ranch is what we at Hana Sushi Lounge strive for each day.

With a fusion of artful sushi, inspired kitchen items, and handcrafted cocktails, there is always something for everyone to enjoy. No matter the occasion, our friendly and knowledgeable staff look forward to making your visit special every time.

8126 Lakewood Main Street, Lakewood Ranch 941-907-1290 www.facebook.com/HanaSushiLounge

Linger Lodge Restaurant

Restaurant

7205 85th St. Ct. E, Bradenton 941-755-2757 www.lingerlodgeresort.com

136849

Nestled along the lazy Braden River, Linger Lodge Restaurant is quintessentially “Olde Florida” at its best.

Established in 1945 as a fishing and hunting camp, the Lodge has evolved into a great place to dine, listen to live music and enjoy the great views. Two outside covered and screened decks provide picturesque water views. A full liquor bar and an inside air-conditioned Dining room complete the setting. Dishes range from the ever popular Catfish to the elegant Linger Ettoufee’. Also serving Florida Grouper sandwiches, Burgers, Rueben’s, Alligator Bites, Gator Chowder and our award winning Gumbo.

LV7849

dining out

Ed’s Tavern is the perfect blend of local neighborhood sports bar and family friendly restaurant right in the heart of Main Street (next to the movie theater). The only lakefront dining in Lakewood Ranch! The menu has something for everyone! From southern favorites like pulled pork and fried pickles to our authentic New Jersey classics like open faced sandwiches and disco fries. Our newly remodeled full service bar now includes 20 ice cold draft selections plus over 20 flat screen TV’s. Daily Specials, Trivia every Wednesday & Thursday and Live Music every Friday & Saturday night.

An authentic Scottish golf themed restaurant, established in 2006, in the heart of Lakewood Ranch. The castle-like features and the tartan clad booths bring home a touch of Scotland while you dine. The menu features a balance of Scottish dishes such as steak pie, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and liver and onions alongside favorites of burgers, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Daily drink specials, kids menu and extensive patio seating all make MacAllisters the perfect place to visit. Open daily. Serving lunch from 11:30am. Dinner from 4pm. Happy hours 3-7pm & 9pm till close. Kid and dog friendly.

Main Street, Lakewood Ranch 941-359-2424 www.macallisters.com

Now Serving An Extensive Now Serving An Extensive Sunday Brunch Menu

Sunday Brunch Menu

Full regular lunch menu also available Reservation Open from Full regular lunch menu also available Can Be Reservation Made.

Can Be Made.

11:30 am Open from Every Sunday.

11:30 am Every Sunday.

LV8110

MacAllisters Grill & Tavern

dining out

MAIN STREET, LAKEWOOD RANCH macallisters.com 941-359-2424 MAIN STREET, LAKEWOOD RANCH macallisters.com 941-359-2424

Main Street Trattoria

LV8107

8131 Lakewood Main Street, Lakewood Ranch 941-907-1518 www.mstrattoria.com

LV7306

Opened in 2010 by owner Gary Fennessy, Main Street Trattoria in Lakewood Ranch features fresh Italian cuisine including their signature bruschetta focaccia, chicken Milanese, and hand tossed thin crust pizza, just to name a few. Mr. Fennessy wanted to create a place where friends and family alike can gather for a one of a kind dining experience. One of the best features is their inside/ outside bar that opens up to a great outdoor dining area, where you’ll find live music Wed.- Sat. from 6-10 p.m. and Sundays 4-8 p.m. Offering happy hour daily 3-7 p.m.

Kids menu and take out also available.

Wolves Head Pizza & Wings is a new brew house and eatery out east! The perfect combination of great food and great atmosphere. The menu consists of delicious, made from scratch items and of course, their signature pizza and wings. They offer daily food specials, so there is something for everyone. The bar is stocked with 19 craft beers on tap, as well as a large wine selection. And with eight flat screen T.Vs, it’s easy to enjoy your favorite game. Whether you dine in or take out, come try Wolves Head Pizza & Wings, and you’ll become a regular!For more information, check out our Facebook page or our website.

837 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch 941-251-4028 www.wolvesheadpizza.com

DINE IN OR TAKE OUT OPEN 7 Days A Week

LV8114

Wolves Head Pizza

11am -11pm!

Located snug in the corner of Lakewood Ranch Blvd., just south of SR 64

1837 LAKEWOOD RANCH BLVD • 941 - 251 - 4028

parting

glance

“Look how much longevity there is in agriculture; it’s not uncommon to find people who have been involved in the industry for large chunks of their lives and they’ve been happy doing it. They’re committed to it. And that’s what we have here.” — Mac Carraway , president of SMR Farms PHOTO BY MARK WEMPLE 74 LWR LIFE

866.498.5253 ~ www.TheLakeClubLWR.com 8307 Lake Club Boulevard ~ Lakewood Ranch, Florida 34202 138985

y

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