E A ST COUNTY
Observer
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Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
Spirit of America OUR PRECIOUS
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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
JULY 2019
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FREE THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2019
VOLUME 21, NO. 32
YOUR TOWN
Born to deliver Lakewood Ranch Medical Center hires its first ‘birth designer’. PAGE 8
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Scholar of merit
Jay Heater
Bradenton’s Quin Parnau is among the MTC Florida Law Enforcement Academy graduates.
Lakewood Ranch High School graduate A.J. LaMarc has earned national honors, winning the National Merit Scholarship Corp.’s National Merit Scholarship. LaMarc, who received the National Merit University of Florida Scholarship, is one of more than 3,500 recipients nationwide to receive such a scholarship. More than 1.6 million juniors entered in the 2019 contest. Sponsor colleges provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Officer help on the way MTC academy graduates 14 potential deputies. PAGE 3 A+E
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Degree of perseverance When dental assisting graduate Elizabeth Bocanegra, who had a baby when she started her program, addressed the crowd at Manatee Technical College’s June 17 ceremony in Cantrell Hall, she had a simple message. “No matter what anyone went through, no one gave up,” she said. MTC had three graduation ceremonies, which included Shivangi Contractor and Claudia Estrada Carmona (above), on June 17, 18 and 19 with 450 students earning degrees. MTC Director Valerie Viands officiated the ceremonies.
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Chrissy Coney is the new birth designer at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
Bus load of applicants Harry Sayer
Mary Ann White takes an application to be a bus aide at the school district’s job fair.
School district’s job fair for support positions draws increased interest. SEE PAGE 5
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