Observer
EAST COUNTY
in focus: exclusivE
spotlight: pigskin party
In this issue Big Cat Habitat Ranch girls make preps for Animal a statement. 15A Extravaganza. 3A
ODA hosts Ranch’s first Family Football Experience. 1B
mustang peaceable power kingdom
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
SHORT STACK KUDOS, QUOTABLES AND COMMUNITY
Thursday, February 3, 2011
GREAT
next steps
in-depth
by Pam Eubanks | News Editor
EXPECTATIONS
Town Hall Director of Finance Steve Zielinski will serve as the IDA’s interim executive director until the entity hires a replacement for Bob Fernandez, who resigned last week.
+ Gullett brings characters to life
Some of the most famous characters in children’s literature sprung to life during Gullett Elementary School’s Celebrate Literacy Week. Several students dressed as their favorite character during the celebration. Above: Samantha Malcolm as Pinkalicious, Devin Riggs as Cinderella, Laura Swartzendruber as Jasmine, Cristina Chambers as Spongebob, and Jack Lynch as Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Lakewood Ranch residents Bruce and Martha Kleinberg enjoyed the campfire.
+ Temple enjoys havdalah campfire
Many East County residents were among the 111 Temple Emanu-El members who enjoyed a special havdalah around a campfire Jan. 29. Attendees feasted on a homemade barbecue dinner, roasted marshmallows for S’mores and watched a family film on an outdoor movie screen. INDEX Business Directory................12B Classifieds..............................12B Cops Corner............................5A Crossword.............................11B Neighborhood.........................1B Real Estate...........................10B Sports....................................15A Vol. 12, No. 5 Two sections www.YourObserver.com
IDA appoints interim director
By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
The Florida Department of Transportation plans to give Manatee County just more than $1 million to launch public bus service to Lakewood Ranch. But who would use it? And how does public transportation fit within Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s future plans? LAKEWOOD RANCH — As Ruth Russo steps off the Sarasota County Area Transit bus at Cattlemen Road and University Parkway, she and fellow rider Roberto Vasquez take their first steps toward their work destinations in Lakewood Ranch. Rain or shine, the two make the more than one-mile trek every workday — Russo to FCCI and Vasquez to a restaurant on Lakewood Ranch Main Street. “I pay attention to the weather reports,” Russo says, noting in the summer she keeps an umbrella on hand to combat both the sun and rain. “(Without the bus), you’d have to rely on other people, but that’s not really reliable. You try to carpool, but it’s hard (if people aren’t traveling to the same place or something comes up).” Fortunately, Russo’s and
Vasquez’s transportation dilemma may get easier. The Florida Department of Transportation announced recently it would designate more than $1 million in fiscal year 2015 to help Manatee County start bus service to the Lakewood Ranch and University Park areas. County officials learned of the decision during a Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting Jan. 24. “I’m just so pleased with the progress we are making in the area, and I see (transit) as a big asset to the entire county,” said Manatee County Commissioner Donna Hayes, who has lobbied for public transit in the East County for the last five years. “We should have had it three years ago when (the economy) was declining. It’s unfortunate
we have to wait another three years, but (I understand it’s a process).” Manatee County will have to match a FDOT Transit Service Development Grant of $1.09 million in operational dollars over a three-year period once funding becomes available. Manatee County Area Transit Manager Ralf Heseler said the county has been applying to the state for a service develop-
LAKEWOOD RANCH — Members of the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority board have tapped a top Town Hall manager as the entity’s interim executive director and have decided to hire an outside search firm to assist in hiring a permanent replacement. During a meeting Jan. 27, members of the IDA appointed Director of Finance Steve Zielinski as Town Hall’s interim executive director, effective Jan. 31. Town Hall’s current Executive Director Bob Fernandez announced his resignation Jan. 18 and will work alongside Zielinksi during the next few weeks to better prepare for the transition. Fernandez’ last day is Feb. 18. “I think from the day-today standpoint, we can get through the next few months without a whole lot of disruption,” IDA Chairman Tom Green said. Fernandez agreed, noting Town Hall directors and staff members are equipped to handle day-to-day operations in his absence. “I feel more confident now than ever (about that),” he said. “I have every reason to believe the show will go on smoothly.” Additionally, board members agreed to hire a search firm to handle advertising the job posting and the initial resume review process to help ensure objectivity and
SEE BUS / PAGE 4A
SEE IDA / PAGE 2A
by the numbers $1.25 — Cost per adult for bus ride
7,000 — Average number
of passenger trips monthly for paratransit service
29,000 — Average number of passenger trips monthly on trolley service to barrier islands 95,000 — Average number of passenger trips monthly for fixed-route service $8 million — Annual cost to operate MCAT
Source: MCAT Manager Ralf Heseler