E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
Waterlefe celebrates anniversary. PAGE 1B
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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FREE THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020
VOLUME 22, NO. 9
YOUR TOWN
Library’s first chapter begins Willis Smith, Fawley Bryant begin design phase of future Lakewood Ranch library. PAGE 3A
Pam Eubanks
Sweet surprise for 2-year-old After finding an elf during the Elf on a Shelf contest at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch in December, River Club 2-year-old Declan Cannon was entered into the contest’s drawing. His name was picked, and he received two $50 vouchers that he will use at Main Street businesses. It appears ice cream is in his future at Big Olaf Creamery. He was brought to Main Street to search for the elf on three occasions by his grandparents, University Park’s Donna and Leonard Ryan. (Leonard is pictured above with Declan.)
No fear of steer Haile student heads boldly into the Manatee County Fair with Napolean. SEE PAGE 8A
Liz Ramos
Measure of success Although the STEMania class offered Jan. 10 at Robert E. Willis Elementary might have been to held to inspire students including second grader Colin Luangphakdy to learn more about anatomy, it might have piqued Luangphakdy’s interest in carpentry. Luangphakdy (shown above with STEMania instructor Jen Carroll) and 14 other students were learning about the digestive system when they were asked to measure a small intestine — in this case a long rope representing an intestine. “I liked when we had to measure the rope that was pretending to be the small intestine because we got to measure it with a measuring tape, and I like measuring,” Luangphakdy said.
Jay Heater
Issy Monroe, an eighth grader at Carlos E. Haile Middle School, says she loves spending time with her steer, Napoleon. Monroe will show Napoleon at the Manatee County Fair.
Teacher goes ‘extra mile’ to earn honor
Liz Ramos
Jennifer Santora, a third grade teacher at B.D. Gullett Elementary, is up for Manatee County’s Educator of the Year.
Gullett Elementary instructor nominated for Educator of the Year award. SEE PAGE 2A
A+E Fantasy gets real. INSIDE