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EAST COUNTY
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
BLACK TIE
OUR TOWN + The times they are a-changin’
Don’t forget to reset your clocks this weekend. Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. Nov. 6, giving everyone an extra hour to sleep in this weekend.
+ Did you forget your Boo Fest card? East County families who didn’t pick up their Observer trading cards at Boo Fest Oct. 28 can stop by the Lakewood Ranch Community Activities Corp. office to claim their prized photos. The CAC office is located in the Summerfield Information Center, located at 6310 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
IN FOCUS
Thursday, NOVEMBER 3, 2011
SPORTS
Community Costumed kids celebrates parade on Main Payton Wright. for Boo Fest.
Lady Mustangs make history, earn district title.
PAGE 12-13B. PAGE 1B.
PAGE 14A.
governance By Pam Eubanks | News Editor beauty and the feet
Heritage Harbour residents: budget methodology flawed Many residents of Heritage Harbour continue to oppose changes in the assessment methodology used for the 2012 fiscal year budget. HERITAGE HARBOUR — Nearly two months after supervisors of the Heritage Harbour South Community Development District adopted a new budget and budget methodology for fis-
cal year 2012, residents continue to object to the changes, as well as other CDD practices. At the board’s Oct. 27 meeting, residents presented supervisors with a petition signed by more
than 220 homeowners, urging them to correct what they believe is a flawed assessment methodology, immediately stop paying district contractors to attend meetings, establish a business
+ Got candy? Help the troops! An Out-of-Door Academy student is asking his fellow students to share their Halloween candy to support the U.S. military. Student Josh Simon, whose brother currently is serving in the U.S. Air Force, is asking for candy to send to troops overseas. The donation will be sent to troops through a program called Soldier’s Angels. For more, call 349-3223.
SEE CDD / PAGE 10A
time’s up
showstoppers
By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
Lakewood eyesore will be demolished A Greenbrook home that burned down in late 2008 is slated for demolition by Manatee County.
+ East women complete 3-Day Freedom Elementary Cafeteria Manager Theresa Rickrode, her sister, Cheryl Burrell, and Nolan Middle School’s Kim Coffey endured a 60-mile journey as part of the Tampa Bay Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure Oct. 26-28. “It was tough with some of the weather, but we made it,” Rickrode says. “It is such an awesome experience.”
office within Manatee for record retention and reduce financial errors. “We hereby state that our management team has failed to act upon the many reasonable requests from residents over time, to address and resolve these
Pam Eubanks
Joshua Roberson, Grace Roe, Ryan Romero (behind), Stevie Romero (center), Nicolette Huit and Evan Huit, as well as other East County youth, are bringing the stories of Dr. Seuss to life.
OH, THE PLACES THEY’VE GONE
LAKEWOOD RANCH — A charred home that caught fire three years ago in the Greenbrook Haven community soon will be demolished. Manatee County Building and Development Services Director John Barnott confirmed the structure will be torn down on or around Nov. 13 — 30 days after the county posted official notice of the pending demolition.
SEE DEMO / PAGE 10A
Child thespians from Lakewood Ranch take center stage for the Sarasota Players’ production of ‘Seussical.’
LAKEWOOD RANCH — From 11-year-old Stevie Romero’s living room, he and friends from Willis Elementary School eagerly chatter of stories written by Dr. Seuss as if they’ve come alive, quoting lines, giggling over
characters and even bursting into song about green eggs and ham without much hesitation. That’s because for these Lakewood Ranch kids, the stories have jumped from paper to reality.
The six students — Romero, Grace Roe, Nicolette and Evan Huit, Joshua Roberson, Ryan Romero, Evan Huit — as well as a few others, are bringing the
SEE SEUSSICAL / PAGE 10A
Pam Eubanks
The house has remained in its charred state for three years.
INDEX Briefs....................4A Classifieds ........ 17B
Cops Corner..........5A Crossword.......... 17B
Opinion.................6A Real Estate........ 12A
Sports................ 14A Weather............. 16A
Vol. 12, No. 44 | Two sections YourObserver.com