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EAST COUNTY
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
OUR TOWN
Thursday, APRIL 28, 2011
ON STAGE
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SPORTS
Steel Magnolia performs at Braden River High. PAGE 17.
East County families enjoy weekend of Easter celebrations. PAGE 10-11.
Mustangs upset Braden River in district final. PAGE 23.
By The Observer Staff talkbeauty of the town and the feet
Observer to host debate The first debate between the representatives from the Incorporation Study Committee and the Friends of Lakewood Ranch will be from 7-9 p.m., May 9, at The Polo Grill and Bar’s Fête Ballroom.
Courtesy photo
+ Lakewood Ranch girls assist in drill Cousins Rebekah and Sarah Meyers, of Lakewood Ranch, joined others as mock victims during an emergency disaster drill at the SarasotaBradenton International Airport April 20. The girls thoroughly enjoyed playing the parts of the “walking wounded” and even riding on stretchers. But it also seemed Rebekah was a bit too into her part. Toward the end of the drill, she became overheated and required real medical attention to cool her off, says mom, Jodie. However, that didn’t seem to spoil the experience. “(The) kids had fun afterward wearing their leftover ‘wounds’ to our remaining errands,’ Jodie says.
LAKEWOOD RANCH — The groups advocating and opposing the incorporation of Lakewood Ranch will meet for the first time in the East County Observer’s Lakewood Ranch Incorporation Debate May 9. The debate, which will feature
PAYTON PREVIEW
both questions from the East County Observer as well as selections from readers and attendees, will be from 7-9 p.m., May 9, at The Polo Grill and Bar’s Fête Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Main St. Incorporation proponents Tom Thomaides and
Keith Davey will represent the Incorporation Study Committee, and Gary Berns and Bob Hendel will present the anti-incorporation arguments for the Friends of Lakewood Ranch.
SEE DEBATE / PAGE 2
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS The East County Observer invites readers to submit questions for consideration for the upcoming debate. To submit questions, email them to Executive Editor Michael Eng at meng@yourobserver.com. Please put “Incorporation Debate Question” in the subject line.
By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
Krystle K Photography
“We’ve come to the understanding regardless of what doctors say, if the good Lord wants to take my son (Adrian), He will,” Anthony Littlejohn said. “And if He doesn’t, then He won’t. It’s not his time. We (just want to) make sure he gets to the opportunity to beat it.”
+ Ranch alum earns Hall-of-Fame status Look out, business world. Ashley Boccuzzi is about to make some waves. The Lakewood Ranch High School graduate on April 12 earned induction into the University of Florida College of Business Hall of Fame. After graduation, she will move to New York, where she will work in the Operations Consulting Department at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Boccuzzi spent all four years of high school at Lakewood Ranch and also attended Braden River Middle School in the eighth grade.
STILL FIGHTING
Anthony and Ivette Littlejohn’s son, Adrian, was diagnosed with cancer in November. The family is one of many being helped by the Payton Wright Foundation, which has a golf outing fundraiser on May 13.
HERITAGE HARBOUR — Anthony Littlejohn lifts his son, Adrian, and lays the child against his chest as his wife, Ivette, settles on the couch beside him. The 14-month-old whines gen-
tly after waking from an afternoon nap. The child is so small in his father’s loving arms but still has such a big fight ahead. For Anthony, a football and
track coach at Lakewood Ranch High School, it feels much like being in the fourth quarter of a football game down by seven with 90 yards to go and no time on the clock. There’s no star
quarterback and no time outs. In late November, the couple learned Adrian was suffering from a stage-four atypical tera-
SEE ADRIAN / PAGE 8
INDEX Classifieds ...........28 Cops Corner............5
Crossword.............27 Neighbors.............10
Opinion...................6 Real Estate...........21
Sports...................23 Weather................27
Vol. 12, No. 17 | One section YourObserver.com