Observer
E A ST COUNTY
JULY 2020
SPIRIT OF
AMERICA
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
INSIDE
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
W H AT
M AT T E R S
M O S T
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FREE THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020
VOLUME 22, NO. 34
Pandemic won’t halt major projects County budget still includes funds for the 44th Avenue extension, new East County library. PAGE 4
YOUR TOWN
Courtesy photo
Librarian finishes final chapter After 43 years as a Manatee County librarian, East County resident Pamela Gibson (above) is retiring. Manatee County commissioners on June 16 honored Gibson with a retirement award. Gibson is the longestserving librarian in the county’s history. “You’ve earned it,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh told Gibson of retirement. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for Manatee County and the library system.”
Under the microscope District’s plan for a return to school draws mixed reactions from the public. SEE PAGE 3 File photo
Middle schoolers including rising Braden River Middle School eighth graders Lily Irelan and Barbara Baeza-Soria-Galvarro will have hybrid classes next year, splitting the week between in-person classes and e-learning.
Empty nest delays
Courtesy photo
Health runs in the family Lakewood Ranch Medical Center gave a shout-out on Father’s Day to its working father-son duo, Blake and Jamie Jeffcoat (above). Blake Jeffcoat, a 15-year employee, is a radiologic technologist and operating room specialist, while Jamie Jeffcoat, who joined the team earlier this year, works as a nurse in a progressive care unit.
Liz Ramos
Lakewood Ranch High graduate Christian Perez will have his entrance to college delayed by the pandemic.
Pandemic puts off some parents’ transition to an empty nest. SEE PAGE 8
NEIGHBORS
Stable environment. SEE PAGE 16