bserver O Merry Christmas!
EAST COUNTY FREE • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
DEAR SANTA SPORTS
DRIVE TIME
Horseshoe Cove neighbors rev up their holiday spirit. PAGE 26
OUR TOWN + Captured moments ’Tis the season for spending time with family and friends — and with it comes a chance to create memories. Share pictures of your special holiday moments with the East County Observer by emailing them to peubanks@ yourobserver.com. Please include a description of the photo, the date of the event and write “Holiday moments” in the subject line.
Students share their Christmas wish lists. PAGE 19
Lakewood wrestlers lead on the mat. PAGE 15
protective measures by Josh Siegel | Staff Writer
CDD discusses security plan Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 6 supervisors adopted a program to improve security at the gate at Balmoral Woods and Lakewood Ranch boulevards. LAKEWOOD RANCH — A series of home burglaries over the past few months broke an aura of impenetrability for residents of the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, a master-planned community with manicured lawns, accomplished retirees and
multimillion-dollar homes. As Lakewood Ranch residents seek assurances that they are safe, Community Development District supervisors want homeowners to know they are protected. At its agenda workshop meet-
ing Dec. 16, CDD 6 supervisors adopted a 10-point program to improve security at the gate at Balmoral Woods and Lakewood Ranch boulevards, which offers entry into Country Club West, located within country club boundaries.
The program did not require a formal motion. Part of improving security, says Jim Hill, the CDD 6 supervisor who created the plan, requires alerting residents to protections
SEE SECURITY / PAGE 9
SILENT NIGHT
+ Puppy love Like many residents in Lakewood Ranch, residents in the Legends Walk neighborhood of the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club love dogs. One neighbor, Julie Warren, showcased that passion with Christmas lawn decorations. It is pictured here with one of her dachshunds.
Mary and Joseph, portrayed by Emily Arakel and Joe Mascitto, welcome children to see their newborn child, Jesus, played by Novan Badalmenti, during performances of The Tabernacle church’s “Living Nativity” program. See more photos on page 21.
Courtesy photo
Pre-kindergarten student Asylyn Collins and her teacher, Sonya Matson, have a great time creating T-shirts.
+ T-shirt time Students in Sonya Matson’s and Sharon Pantuso’s pre-kindergarten classes at Braden River Elementary became creative, busy little elves Dec. 12, as they decorated T-shirts for the holidays. Using their fingers and paint, they created strings of lights on their shirts to proudly wear during the holidays.
SEE OUR TOWN / PAGE 14A
CHANGING HANDS
Pam Eubanks
by Amanda Sebastiano | Staff Writer
New company assumes maintenance Heritage Harbour residents will see new faces around the community in two weeks as CDD supervisors bring a new company in to maintain aquatic systems. EAST COUNTY — With about two weeks to prepare, Josh McGary, sales manager for Aquatic Systems, and his team soon will make a splash at water systems within the Heritage Harbour community.
At their Dec. 19 meeting, supervisors on the Heritage Harbour South Community Development District agreed to hire Aquatic Systems for wetland and stormwater pond maintenance starting Jan. 1. Aquatic Systems’ contract
is for $55,900 annually. Although the team will have to mobilize quickly, and may start working as early as Jan. 2, McGary promises a smooth transition for residents. The statewide company is accustomed to abrupt
changes, he said. Supervisors said the clean, precise presentation by McGary and Aquatic Systems Senior Consultant Doug Agnew caught their at-
SEE MAINTENANCE / PAGE 9
INDEX Briefs......................6 Classifieds ...........29
Cops Corner............7 Crossword.............28
Neighborhood.......19 Real Estate...........24
Sports...................15 Weather................28
Vol. 14, No. 38 | One section YourObserver.com