E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
Young artists explore their talent. PAGE 20
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
•
FREE THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019
VOLUME 21, NO. 40
Utilities bills going up a buck
YOUR TOWN
Courtesy photo
A cash magnet Braden River Middle School student Zaid Ibsais showed Aug. 16 he could grab with the best of them. Ibsais pulled in $35 while bills swirled around him in a cash machine during the school’s Otis Spunkmeyer fundraiser for the start of school. He was one of five lucky students to be selected to try the money machine as his peers watched. His $35 was the most of any student.
It may not be much, but what’s behind Manatee County’s recent utility increase? PAGE 3
THE FIRE STILL BURNS But age causes a local fire service champion to retire. SEE PAGE 5
Courtesy photo
Pam Eubanks Courtesy photo
Cheers to a giving effort Elena Cassella, the executive director for the Foundation for Dreams, had something to smile about Aug. 6. She accepted a $2,175 check from Cheers for Charity Giving Circle member Erika Chapman (pictured above with Cassella, left). The organization will use the money for scholarships for special-needs children to attend its summer camp. Cheers for Charity distributed $10,000 during its reception at the Manatee Community Foundation. Other benefiting charities were Stillpoint Mission, Step Up Suncoast, Face Autism Inc., Realize Bradenton and Healthy Start Coalition of Manatee County Inc.
Former New York City firefighter Don O’Leary shows off his leather hat from his last assignment with New York’s truck 151 in Queens.
Tuscan torched, hello 2019 Lakewood Ranch home reinvented by new owners. SEE PAGE 12 Courtesy photo
Employee Juan Balcazar walks underneath surface water filters at one of Manatee County’s three water treatment facilities. The county has added an average of 3,000 new customers a year since 2014 and continues to spend millions of dollars in system upgrades.
A+E
This mic is no joke. INSIDE