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EAST COUNTY
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
NEWS
OUR TOWN
Thursday, JUNE 7, 2012
SCHOOLS
SPORTS
Bayside pastors Freedom visit African orphan students enjoy care centers. slime time.
Wendy Reuss captures sailor of the year award.
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number crunch By Pam Eubanks | Managing Editor beauty and the feet
County proposes no tax increases Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker plans to use reserves to offset budget deficits.
+ Couple celebrates diamond anniversary Even after 60 years of marriage, East County residents John and Millie Somers are sparkling with love. The couple married June 7, 1969, in Owosso, Mich. The Somerses, who were high school sweethearts, moved in 1969 to the Sarasota area. “We are thankful for such a wonderful mom and dad and wish them a very happy 60th wedding anniversary,” their daughter, Tracy Hylwa, said on behalf of herself and their other children: Kathy, John and Chris; four grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren.
+ Pirate to study abroad in China Braden River High School sophomore Sarah Schoeffel has earned the prestigious NSLI-Y Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. This summer, Schoeffel will spend seven weeks in China, where she will attend the Beijing Camford Royal School during the week. She will stay with a host family on weekends. Schoeffel, who is learning Chinese at Braden River, will attend a two-day cultural orientation from June 25 to June 27, in Washington, D.C., prior to her departure.
SEE OUR TOWN / PAGE 4A
MANATEE COUNTY — Despite a continued decline in property values, Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker has delivered a proposed fiscal year 2013 budget that includes no tax increases, no layoffs and increased pay for some employees. On Thursday, May 30, Hunzeker presented the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
with his proposed $458 million budget, excluding Port Manatee, which relies on reserves to minimize cutbacks to county programs and personnel. “We still have a projection that our reserves will carry us until, we believe, the (real estate) market picks up,” Hunzeker said. “We are trying to hold the line on adding anything new to the budget,
pending the outcome of some issues involving the state (such as Medicaid, Florida retirement) and other various items that will be on the ballot in November (regarding local taxation).” Hunzeker said his proposal to increase employee pay requires no additional money in the budget, because raises will be funded through marginal reductions
to employee benefits. Manatee County employees, he said, have not been awarded wage increases in nearly five years and that increases are needed to retain workers. Four net county positions are being eliminated through attrition.
SEE BUDGET / PAGE 9A
THUNDER CAPS
Jen Blanco
Katherine Berg enjoyed celebrating with her fellow seniors at The Out-of-Door Academy’s ceremony. See more photos of graduates Braden River and Lakewood Ranch high schools and The Out-of-Door Academy on page 1B.
ship shape
By Pam Eubanks | Managing Editor
Braden River Pirates ready to set sail Graduate Nick Breitwieser and fellow students have constructed two sailboats, dubbed The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman. BRADEN RIVER — Just a day after his high school graduation, 17-year-old Nick Breitwieser found himself immersed, again, in a familiar scene. There, amid Richard Platt’s engineering and manufacturing classes at Braden River High
School, Breitwieser added touches of fiberglass paint to The Black Pearl, one of two sailboats he and a team of students have worked feverishly to complete over the last few months. “If I wasn’t doing this, I would hate it,” Breitwieser said of being
back in the classroom. “But, this is fun. I like working with my hands. It keeps me busy.” Breitwieser spent three months Pam Eubanks working on the sailboat’s de- Nick Breitwieser’s lone experisign, using specialized modeling ence sailing did not leave him with fond memories, but he is eager to test out the sailboat.
SEE PEARL / PAGE 9A
INDEX Business.............. 9B Classifieds ........ 13B
Cops Corner....... 10A Crossword.......... 12B
Opinion.................8A Real Estate........ 10B
Sports................ 11A Weather............. 12B
Vol. 13, No. 23 | Two sections YourObserver.com