East County Observer 9.4.25

Bagel buzz down on the Ranch

Jeff’s Bagel Run had its soft opening on Aug. 27 and had a line of people waiting when the doors opened at 6:30 a.m. Peyton Dingman and Shaniya Bagley (above) were among the staff members serving the customers.

“It was exciting. We sold out so fast and everyone was so happy and supportive,” Dingman said.

“It was a nervous first day, but we worked together well,” Bagley said. “Everyone had a smile on their face and someone told me they were excited there was finally a bagel shop, because we needed one.”

The shop, off State Road 70, is owned by Lakewood Ranch’s Chris and Megan Matras.

“We are feeling great and loved being open in Lakewood Ranch,” Megan Matras said.

This accountant sly as a fox

Just as the main character in the book he authored, Lakewood Ranch’s W. Kenneth Tyler, Jr. (above left) lives a double life. Except he’s not a professional golfer and a jewel thief, he’s an author and an accountant.

When “Hunting the Red Fox” was published in April, Tyler was in the midst of tax season. Now that tax season is over, Tyler is signing books instead of tax returns.

Lakewood Ranch’s Brent Windom (above right) picked up his signed copy of Tyler’s debut novel at a local author signing event at the Barnes & Noble at UTC on Aug. 31.

Meet the superintendent

Mural mural on the wall ...

... who is the fairest artist of them all? Andrew Viera puts the finishing touches on Mote SEA. SEE PAGE 3

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DOGE committee digs in

The five-member committee will review 4,500 documents in an attempt to find savings in Manatee’s budget.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

While the Florida State DOGE Task Force has been busy auditing Manatee County’s expenditures since Aug. 5, Manatee County citizens are just getting started.

The newly appointed Government Efficiency Liaison Committee convened for the first time Aug. 26 at the Manatee County Administration Building.

Mark Stanoch, former tech executive and Manatee County School Board candidate, was elected as the committee’s chair.

The other four members to make up the board are Mill Creek’s David Otterness, vice president of Willis Smith Construction; The Lake Club’s Donald Berg, president of DCB Advisory Services’ Mallory Park’s John Settineri, a former lawyer and CPA; and Bradenton’s Benjamin Heavener, a senior CPA at Jim Gay CPA.

The committee has been tasked to essentially mimic the state’s audit by digging through records and finding ways to cut spending in Manatee County.

While there are only five members of the committee, all Manatee County residents can contribute to the audit either online or in person. A form can be found on the Manatee County website at MyManatee.org, and each meeting allows time for citizen comments.

Country Club East’s Art Vetter attended the first meeting to ask the committee to look into what the county is spending to install three youth baseball fields at Country Club East Park. The $6.4 million price tag has Vetter stumped.

CITIZEN INPUT

Citizens can make suggestions online by visiting MyManatee. org/Government/GovernmentInformation/Advisory-Boards/ Advisory-Board-Detail/ Manatee-County-GovernmentEfficiency-Liaison-Committee. Click on the form and it will ask for your name, telephone number, email, county of residence, topic you’d like reviewed, the information you’re seeking and why you’d like it reviewed. Citizens can also attend committee meetings in person. The meetings are held on the fifth floor of the Manatee County Administration Building in the Manatee Room on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 10-11:30 a.m.

“I remodeled and built 2,500 gas stations in my career,” he said. “I’ve never built a baseball field, but I can’t see it costing that much money. It’s just dirt, a little bit of clay and some fencing. Why (is the county) spending that much money?”

Vetter said the last gas station he built in Bradenton, before retiring five years ago, only cost $3 million to build, and it included a 5,100-square-foot building with cooking equipment, coolers and walk-in freezers, plus gas pumps and underground tanks outside.

As a contributing member of the public, Vetter was able to speak his mind and leave the meeting. Committee members were given access to 4,500 documents to review before the next meeting Sept. 23.

The documents, which include the budget books for the last three years, were compiled by county staff members for the state’s task force.

In addition, Settineri asked to see the county’s organizational chart, including the number of employees, and Stanoch requested budget

benchmarks from other counties.

Heavener noticed the county making big ticket purchases of buildings and land recently that he’d like to look at more closely.

Otterness said he didn’t have an agenda other than having a new way to serve the community.

His one-year term as the 2024 chair for the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance was up. He’s also going to hit his eight-year term limit on the board for Easter Seals Southwest Florida this year.

“The best thing I can bring is just running a business of about 100

people,” he said. “I see the economic side, the finance side, the HR side and the IT side.”

While the committee was established to serve as a liaison to the state task force, Otterness sees his role as a liaison to the public, as well.

As vice president of Willis Smith Construction, he’s often in front of the public at events. He said he will be directing residents to the county’s website, so they can officially document their suggestions.

The comments will be reviewed by the committee each month.

Commissioner Jason Bearden sent a bulleted list to the committee of expenses he would like reviewed. He suggested citizens do the same. Infrastructure was at the top of Bearden’s list. He noted that it costs Manatee County $8 million to build one mile of road.

“This is their (citizens) money,” Bearden said. “They need to know how it’s being spent.”

The committee has one year to conduct its audit and offer recommendations to the commission. The state task force said it will return its recommendations within 60 days of its site visit in August.

Signed —

Once a ‘heathen,’ this local artist leaves his mark on Mote SEA.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

The world of Florida marine habitats is often startling in its beauty, but messy as well when wildlife collides.

So when area artist Andrew Viera searches for a word to describe that environment, he would never use the word “perfect.”

Viera, who owns Signature Strokes, Paint and Murals, of Bradenton, was chosen by the WhitingTurner Contracting Co. to do a series of seven murals at the $132 million Mote Science Education Aquarium that is expected to open late this year adjacent to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota.

“I wanted people to see the brush strokes, the imperfection,” Viera said, while taking a break from working on the final of the seven murals, which he estimates will take about three more weeks to complete. He began the project in April 2024.

Ironically, those who visit Mote SEA when it opens might argue with him about his work not being perfect.

Viera had painted a mural at Mote’s City Island facility, now just known as the Mote Marine Laboratory. Samantha Bledstein, the exhibits manager for Mote, was taken by his work and suggested to WhitingTurner that he would be — excuse the term — perfect for the aquarium.

“You want to see the person behind the work, and Andrew is a part of our local community,” Bledstein said. “He knows the area, and he wants that local flavor to come through. His murals set the tone for our exhibits. I am thrilled with his work.

“This was an important decision.”

‘MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE HOME’ Amber Smalley, the marketing and public relations manager for Mote Marine, said it was incredible seeing his murals at the aquarium for the first time.

“I am a native of Sarasota, and the murals make you feel like you are home,” Smalley said. “It’s the wild Florida that people miss. It’s enough

“It is so immersive, standing in those scenes. You feel like you are there. The details are remarkable.”

Sabrina Golich, Mote marketing coordinator

to bring a tear to your eye.”

Six of the seven murals are primarily meant to enhance the exhibits, and to not overwhelm them.

“We didn’t want the mural to take over an exhibit,” Viera said.

Like the nature it represents, the murals flow into the exhibits.

“It is so immersive, standing in those scenes,” said Sabrina Golich, the Mote marketing coordinator. “You feel like you are there. The details are remarkable.”

Viera said it took a lot of research on his part before he started painting. Whiting-Turner presented him with some ideas and examples of what the specific exhibits would show. Some of the research was accomplished just by him being a lifetime resident and an avid fisherman. He loves the region’s waters, so if an exhibit highlighted wildlife along the Crystal River, he would visit the area and then would proceed to paint the mural so that visitors to the aquarium would feel like they are on the river.

“This is insane,” he said about his selection to paint the murals at Mote SEA. “This is the center of where I am from.”

Those who are unfamiliar with Viera as an artist might be familiar with his work. Besides the Mote Marine Laboratory, he has done

murals at Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Ellenton, Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Bradenton, O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill in Sarasota, the Cortez Clam Factory and Marina Jack, among others.

EARLY WORK

His first area mural was done at Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Ellenton.

“It was outside, and it was angel wings made with oysters,” he said. “I hated it. I was learning the colors. I use a lot more expressive colors now.”

Growing up, Viera said it just took him one little sketch to begin a love affair with art.

“All I did was watch Bob Ross,” he said of the artist whose TV show “The Joy of Painting” ran from 19831994.

But when he wasn’t watching Bob Ross, he was getting into trouble, he said. He dropped out of Palmetto High School and joined the Army, which he feels turned his life around.

“I was a heathen,” he said of his young life. “The thing I loved about the Army was being a leader.”

While art was mostly a hobby for him, he had defining moments, even in the military. “On my first tour of Afghanistan, we took over an installation and we opened this 40-foot container (Conex box) and found this leftover paint.”

Although his job as an Army ser-

“You want to see the person behind the work, and Andrew is a part of our local community. He knows the area, and he wants that local flavor to come through. His murals set the tone for our exhibits.”

Samantha Bledstein, Mote Marine

geant was to provide security for the Marines, he found the time to take a photo of his 60-man platoon, and then paint them in a mural at Camp Leatherneck, a 1,600-acre U.S. Marine Corps case in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

After finishing his enlistment, he tried various jobs, such as building boats with Marine Concepts of Sarasota from 2018-2022.

His artwork consisted of doing “little things for my family and friends,” until his murals started introducing him as a talent.

While confident in that talent, Viera was asked if he felt pressure upon accepting the aquarium job.

“A lot!” he said without hesitation.

A NATURAL HIGH

He has spent the last 17 months at the aquarium, often working from scaffolding 230 feet in the air.

“I have absolutely no fear of heights,” he said with a laugh.

Working in the aquarium has been a challenge due to the natural lighting.

“You get the shadows from the morning sun,” he said. “Then the whole wall would change.”

He calls his final mural the “crème de la crème.”

“It’s everything salt water, and everything fresh water,” he said. “It’s the most intense one. Visitors can walk right up to the wall. I love it.”

It’s the only mural at the aquarium where the visitors will have full access to the mural. They will be able to see the imperfections, but he said they can also see how he doesn’t clean his brush off when he continues painting with that particular color, causing a subtle change in the color shade, and creating a flow.

“I wish I could see everyone’s reaction at

time they see it,” he said.

EAST COUNTY

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Promoter says blues festival needs marketing

Lineup announced for second Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Morgan Bettes Angell said she is ready to attack the problem.

But the president of Independent Jones, the events and entertainment company that presents many of the live attractions you see in East County, probably didn’t expect this problem when it came to its first Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival this past December at Waterside Park.

Bettes Angell, who presented the festival in conjunction with Paul Benjamin Productions, found the first run of the festival went smoother than could have been expected with few tweaks needed for its second run and mostly positive feedback from those who attended.

What she didn’t expect was people coming to her after the event and saying they had no idea it was taking place.

“Everything flowed perfectly, and the artists played their hearts out,” she said. “But we had a smaller crowd than we anticipated.

“So we need to do more marketing because there needs to be better awareness. People were saying, ‘I had no idea.’ It’s just about building a buzz.”

Bettes Angell promised the marketing will be substantially better for the second rendition of the festival, which will be Dec. 6 at the same site.

She also formed a partnership with Meals on Wheels Plus-Manatee, which will benefit from a percentage of the ticket sales.

“They have a vast network,” she said of Meals on Wheels Plus-Manatee. “They are going to be there with us, hand in hand.”

The festival again will be an all-day event (music will play from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.), with Bank of America as the presenting sponsor. Bettes Angell announced the featured acts as

Albert Castiglia, Chambers DesLauriers, Johnny Rawls, the Shaelyn Band, Toronzo Cannon, Eden Brent and Desoto Tiger will play.

“We loved the quality of the entertainment last year, and it will be just as good this time,” Bettes Angell said.

“Paul (Benjamin) always brings a quality lineup.”

She said it will be a festival policy not to bring back the same act within a five-year period.

“There are a lot of good artists out there,” she said. “I’ve seen Toronzo (Cannon) in Bradenton. He is an incredible performer.”

Bettes Angell said the artists in last year’s festival told her the audience had great energy.

“The only bad we heard was from people who didn’t come,” she said.

The festival again will feature local food vendors while Kore Steakhouse will again handle the alcohol sales.

“We can’t wait to see the caliber of artists who will take the stage this year,” said Nicole Hackel, the events and resident experience manager for Lakewood Ranch Communities, an event sponsor. “It’s always a joy to see residents and visitors come together to celebrate live music in such a beautiful setting.”

Tickets for the event are $75 in advance and $95 at the door. VIP tickets — 150 seats will be available in front of the state — are $150. Ages 12 and younger are free. To buy tickets or for more information, go to LakewoodRanchBluesFestival.com.

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Locally grown leadership

A graduate of the Manatee school system, Laurie Breslin feels pressure to lead the district successfully.

nyone appointed as superintendent of the School District of Manatee County will be under pressure, but Laurie Breslin is going to feel more than most.

“When you live and breathe this community, you know that you have to come through,” Breslin said after her selection by the school board Aug. 26. “You have to be the leader they think you can be. The feedback has been overwhelming, and it’s given me momentum and direction to make sure that we do this right.”

No matter what happens in the future, Breslin said her focus always will be on the students first.

“Sometimes in education, there are things that occur outside of our locus of control,” Breslin said. “How you react to that is key. Our job, regardless of what is coming at us, is to keep our focus on the students. Regardless of the distractions that might be going on around us, what we do for that student every day is the most important thing.”

Breslin grew up going to Manatee County schools — Martha B. King Middle School and Manatee High School — and graduated in 1995. She went on to hold various roles within the school district, most recently as the executive director of student support and family engagement for the School District of Manatee County.

Although she has spent years with the district, she initially thought about a career in communications. Having family members in the teaching field eventually swayed her to switch.

“I was able to see what magical instruction looks like and from that point on, I was hooked,” Breslin said.

MORE ABOUT LAURIE BRESLIN

On the district leadership level, she has served as the:

■ Executive director of student support and family engagement

■ Executive director of curriculum, instruction and assessment

■ Director of secondary curriculum

She was also the principal at Sarasota Middle School and assistant principal at Booker High School, Palmetto High School and Manatee High School.

“There wasn’t anything I ever wanted to do except work in the school environment and support students and support teachers.”

Breslin said her love of teaching grew into working with adults. She finds great joy from working with principals and assistant principals and seeing them succeed.

“You need to have meaning in what you do, that’s what fulfills you,” Breslin said.

Breslin has five main areas of edu-

cation in which she wants to focus and improve in the district.

INSTRUCTION AND

ACHIEVEMENT

Breslin wants to boost English language arts achievement on all levels, with a laser focus on improving early learning. Raising third grade reading proficiency has been a districtwide goal and Breslin said they have a lot of potential to grow. All elementary schools now have literacy coaches to assist in that endeavor.

“If your vision is not on point and it’s not putting students first, then that’s when you’re going to go off track with student achievement,” Breslin said. I’m not just talking about state data, I’m talking about achievement in all their extracurriculars, their enjoyment of school, their desire to return the next day, and be a part of their school community.”

“I want to make sure we’re supporting our principals and supporting our teachers, because if we support our teachers, our students will soar,” Breslin said.

FINANCIAL EFFICIENCY

The School District of Manatee County finances are at a positive level, previously stable, according to The Moody’s Ratings Credit Opinion of July 31.

Breslin said she is looking forward to examining all areas of the organization to make sure that the district is being as efficient as possible in terms of finances.

“The community can feel confident and continue to support us,” Breslin said. “We never want to lose that trust.”

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Rezoning for next school year will be an important process for the district.

“We have a lot of growth that we have experienced over the years, and we need to examine our systems to make sure we are being as supportive as we can be with the additional students that we’ve been able to bring into our district,” Breslin said.

Breslin said she’s wants the School

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District of Manate County to be the best choice for parents who are trying to figure out where to send their child.

IMPROVING COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Breslin said she wants to make sure the district is factual, transparent and timely with all information.

“I need to be hands-on to make sure we’re (being transparent) in a district this size. You have to prioritize making yourself accessible, otherwise that opportunity to hear feedback doesn’t occur.”

Breslin said she wants to explore the idea of a community focus group to get feedback. She is also exploring ways in which to communicate more effectively on a larger scale.

“I’ll be honest, I’ve been to town halls where there’s very little attendance, and so that might not be the best way,” Breslin said. “Maybe it needs to be virtual.”

Breslin, whose contract will be finalized Sept. 9, said that when communicating on a virtual level, there is always some sort of metric that can be measured.

“I think we have to get savvy and we have a fantastic communications

team to help us on this,” Breslin said.

“Our wonderful IT department can measure how our communication is being accessed, and then we can hit it out of the park with how we communicate.”

ATTENDANCE AND GRADUATION RATE

Attendance has been a struggle for the School District of Manatee County. Breslin said raising attendance can be as simple as reengaging and they may need community organizations and mentors to help the district pursue that effort.

“We have to convince our students and families the best place for students during the school day is in their classroom with their highly effective teacher,” Breslin said. “If we can improve attendance, we’ll see some of those learning gaps close along the way.”

Breslin is also looking forward to continuing to raise the graduation rate. For the 2024-25 school year, the district was at 88%.

“We’ve seen huge improvements and now the next step, phase two, is to make sure that every graduate has a college or career plan.”

Consent tool explained

While some say it’s used as a deceptive strategy, county officials say the consent agenda is a transparent, valuable tool to streamline meetings.

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LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

The consent agenda typically goes relatively unnoticed during Manatee County Commission meetings. However, consent agendas have drawn more attention since a roundabout on University Parkway, where Legacy Boulevard meets Deer Drive, was approved on the Nov. 12, 2024, consent agenda. It was then that the plans changed from building upgrades to the current signalized intersection to building a roundabout. The county’s current capital improvement plan still shows the signalized intersection

being upgraded.

Some citizens and commissioners said the consent agenda was used to approve those changes without public input. They called the move sneaky and deceptive and questioned if Sunshine Laws were violated in the process.

The East County Observer asked Manatee County officials to explain what the purpose of the consent agenda is and how staff members use it.

Bill Logan, the county’s information outreach manager, gathered information from staff members and the administration to break it down. While there is no formal definition of what the consent agenda is, in practice, the consent agenda is made up of items that commissioners can approve all at once to streamline meetings. Without having to approve each item individually, commissioners can focus discussions on matters that require more detailed consideration.

PUBLIC ACCESS

To view upcoming or past commission meeting agendas, visit AgendaOnline.MyManatee.org/ OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/Search?Dropid=4.

If there is a topic you’d like to comment on, there are three options — write in, call in or show up in person. Write-in and call-in instructions are listed at the top of every agenda.

The entire agenda, including the consent agenda, is prepared by County Administrator Charlie Bishop. Items cannot be added to the agenda without his approval.

The regular agenda is for items that concern policy direction and require decision-making. Items placed on the consent agenda are “routine, administrative or already settled.”

County staff members noted that items placed on consent are never “hidden or rushed.”

Commissioners are briefed a week before the meeting on the details of both the regular and consent agenda items. Commissioners also have the power to pull any item off the consent agenda at the beginning of the commission meeting for further discussion by the board and to be reviewed by the staff.

The remainder of the consent agenda can then be approved without those pulled items.

CIRCLING BACK TO THE ROUNDABOUT

The roundabout is a nearly $6.5 million project, but staff members said dollar amounts, no matter how high, do not determine if an item is put on the regular agenda or the consent agenda.

The roundabout landed on the consent agenda after the Public Works department brokered a deal with Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park LLC to build the roundabout and be reimbursed by Manatee County for half the construction costs.

The roundabout was titled on the consent agenda as an “execution of reimbursement agreement with

Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park LLC for transportation improvements.”

Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club residents complained that the title was too vague to understand that a roundabout was being built at the main entrance to their neighborhood. In addition, it was the No. 44 on the Consent Agenda list.

To have known the contract involved a roundabout, residents would have needed to click on the individual item to pull up its supporting documents. There are three documents attached — the reimbursement agreement, a map of the location, and a staff report that includes background information on the project.

This year’s consent agendas have contained anywhere between 25 and 75 items.

Country Club resident Carol Cooper said residents shouldn’t be expected to comb through every single item.

But that single agenda from Nov. 12 illustrates that combing through the agendas is exactly what concerned residents need to do because Item No. 43 approved six roundabouts in Parrish.

The item was similarly titled, “execution of a reimbursement and impact fee credit agreement with Hawk Parrish Lakes, LLC for transportation improvements and right of way dedication — District 1.”

Commissioner Bob McCann said that titling something “transportation improvements” is meaningless. If the title doesn’t offer enough information and is misleading, it can violate the Sunshine Law.

“The title should be accurate, too,” McCann said. “If it says road improvement, it should say what phase and where. I think that’s important.”

McCann also argued that every item put on the consent agenda should be something that was already resolved. But in the case of the roundabout, it should not have been placed on consent because it was “controversial.”

“People were still looking for an answer on this and were told the answer would come in December,” he said. “It came on Nov. 12. The idea is to give sufficient notice.”

Sophi Jo Branscomb has a passion for agriculture and ranch life. She is the president of Future Farmers of America at Braden River High School and wants to become a veterinarian.

CATTLE CALLING

Myakka City’s Sophi Jo Branscomb, 17, has inherited her mother’s passion for ranch life.

SANDLOT RANCH

For the Branscomb family of Myakka City, it’s always been all hands on deck when it comes to running the family ranch.

And that means all family hands. It’s been their way of life that they use no hired help.

So when Janie Branscomb, the family matriarch, died in 2023 from metastatic breast cancer, it created both an emotional and functional void on The Sandlot Ranch.

“She brought an indescribable compassion to the ranch, caring for all of the animals with her whole heart and helping with any and all chores no matter how she might have been feeling,” said Sophi Jo Branscomb, the family’s eldest daughter.

“In short, she did it all when it came to the ranch, raising four children, and creating a loving home with my dad (Nic Branscomb). Most of all, she loved us and the ranch with everything she had.”

The Branscombs had to summon their inner strength to move forward.

“It has brought us closer as a family but left a hole in our hearts,” Nic Branscomb said.

Nic Branscomb watched as Sophi Jo took over many of her mother’s responsibilities.

“(Janie) loved the ranch as much as Sophi Jo does, and it is sweet that she is following in her mom’s footsteps,”

Nic Branscomb said.

Sophi Jo, 17, said it would be hard to imagine how drastically different her life would be if she didn’t live on a ranch. The Branscombs purchased Sandlot Ranch in 2015 and slowly added animals over time with an initial 10 cattle. Sophi said she has been able to learn through problem solving scenarios and she improved

Mailing address: P.O. Box 522, Myakka City Phone: 208-1772 Email: SandlotRanch@gmail. com For more information: Visit SandlotRanch.com.

power tools,” she said. “I know how to drive tractors and heavy equipment. I can fix a fence. I can work with animals that are over 1,000 pounds without fear. I walk into a herd of cows, and yes, I understand and respect their power, their beauty and how they can be dangerous. I’m not fearful.”

The Branscombs bought the 32-acre ranch in 2015. Since then, they have acquired more land so the ranch has expanded to 62 acres. They currently have 67 cows.

“We’re renting a few smaller sets of land that we can rotate our cows through just to give them better grazing opportunities,” Sophi Jo said. “It also allows us to keep our herds separate, so we keep a lot of our pregnant moms on the main ranch where our house is, along with the younger calves and anything that we plan to go to market.”

Currently, they sell their cattle by word of mouth to friends and family. Sometimes they will do a “cow swap.”

“We’ll send both of our cows to the butcher, and then we take their cow to eat, and they take ours,” Sophi Jo said. “We’re both getting locally grown, grass-fed beef, but we’re not eating the cow we’ve named and grown.”

Despite knowing the fate of the cows on the farm, Sophi Jo names every cow. She finds it great for record keeping as well as forming a connection with them.

“I like to believe that it’s important to give them the best life possible while they’re here with us, even though they’re destined for someone’s freezer,”

Sophi Jo said. “It gives me a little bit of peace of mind that I did what I could and they got to enjoy their lives before they were used for their purpose.”

the family is renovating buildings and fencing. In addition to the cattle, the Branscombs also have a horse, a pony, three dogs, two cats, fish, parakeets and six goats. They have also downsized how many animals they have, because they no longer have chickens and ducks.

On top of the weather, time management also poses a struggle for Sophi Jo. She is a full-time student at Braden River High School, where she is president of the Future Farmers of America and works on the ranch before and after school. When working on the ranch, tasks are always popping up — such as cattle escaping or fencing that breaks — that take longer than anticipated to resolve.

Sophi Jo estimated that about once a week a cow will try to escape and she almost always knows which ones because they have their own unique personalities.

“We have some cows that are more prone to escaping or deciding they’re done with their grain and they want to go somewhere else,” she said. “Sometimes, we just get really clumsy calves too, and they’ll fall under the fence and go the wrong way. They get stuck, and then they scream, and you know something’s wrong when they’re just screaming.”

Sophi Jo works as the breeding and production manager and decides what sort of cattle to buy. She makes decisions based on their temperament.

“It’s important that they’re able to go in a shoe if they need any sort of vaccinations or any sort of procedures need to be done to them,” Sophi said. “It’s important that I’m able to get around them when they have a calf. I don’t want to have a heifer out there, or a cow that’s going to try to kill me every time I need to go check on the baby. That’s unsafe for me.”

Each family member tackles different tasks. Nic Branscomb handles all the finances and the overall management of the ranch.

According to Sophi Jo, 15-yearold Oliver does the heavy lifting and helps utilize the big machinery along with helping to fix fences.

Jacson, 11, and Betsi Branscomb, 9, are described by Sophi Jo as the “fun handlers.”

as the

handlers” who help out with random tasks on the

and there. Echo, a 15-month-old pure bred Brahman heifer, is about two months pregnant with her first calf. She was born on Sandlot Ranch.

She likes to use themes to separate the cows. For example, one group is all condiments (Mustard, Ketchup, Relish) and another is all Disney princesses.

Sophi Jo said one of the biggest challenges she faces is dealing with unpredictable weather conditions.

“It can be challenging because I don’t want to go clean in the pouring rain and I don’t want to go work the cows, but it’s something that’s got to be done,” she said. “It’s important to understand that they have needs, too. I wouldn’t want to live in a messy pen, so neither do they.” The ranch is still recovering from the last year’s hurricane season, and

“They handle all the stuff with the baby cows and they help us tag them,” Sophi Jo said. “They’ll help with daily chores like feeding the goats and cleaning goat pens.”

Jacson said he helps mow, mop and feed cows. His favorite part is riding around on a four wheeler and playing around the ranch.

Betsi said she likes playing with the goats, horses and dogs. She helps round up the cattle using her pony, as well.

“It’s not this amazing mechanized system that you see with some larger scale ranches,” Sophi Jo said. “It’s something that we’re passionate about. It’s something that’s family driven. It’s something where we’re really trying our best to be able to help our community and our friends.”

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SOPHI JO’S AVERAGE DAY

4-4:30 a.m. Wake up

4:45 a.m. Feed goats and her show cow Opal; clean pens

5:10 a.m. Feed inside animals

5:15 a.m. Get ready for school; at 5:45 a.m. leave for school

6:15 a.m. Feed show cows and clean pens at Braden River High School

7:30 a.m. School starts

12:37 p.m. End of her school day

12:50 p.m. Feed, clean, work and train show cows

2:30 p.m. Return to ranch

3 p.m. Feed goats and Opal, feed main herd of cows

4 p.m.

Miscellaneous farm tasks including fence work, cleaning and working cows

5 p.m. Start homework and feed inside animals

9 or 10 p.m. Bed time

*Sophi Jo also works at the Humane Society of Manatee County in the vet clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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State’s special interest favoritism plagues Manatee

f you are a Manatee County resident who worked hard to change the makeup of the County Commission in 2024 to align with your goals and ideals, I can’t blame you for feeling utterly hopeless and planning a move to Wyoming. The political shenanigans that have come to light in 2025 are, putting it mildly, disgusting. Are we “Smarter than a 5th grader?” Apparently not.

If you assembled a classroom full of elementary school students, and gave them a presentation about the benefits on the environment of keeping significant buffers between construction and wetlands, I am sure they would come up with a standard of more than 25 feet. Those kids would align with the current Manatee County commissioners in drawing up laws to add more distance to the state’s guidelines.

That’s what our previous commissioners did until the board in 2023 voted to eliminate the additional county buffers and once again align with the state. It was an arrogance that was nearsighted, as the county’s political Republican leaders couldn’t foresee that residents would finally put down their collective voting foot.

What resulted was the commission you have now, which is short on political savvy but long on heart. There is an awkwardness to meetings, and the ability to get things accomplished has, indeed, taken a hit.

Even so, the commission has strong leaders, including George “In George we Trust” Kruse.

Kruse has Columbia smarts and Columbo common sense. Yes, he is a Republican, but he is not partybound when it comes to directives that are carved to benefit a special interest group. But even Kruse is flummoxed by the latest round of political wrangling that is coming out of Tallahassee.

Apparently, our commissioners have been advised by state agencies that if they don’t cease trying to stop builders from using every last inch of land up to our waterways, they will give Manatee a taste of the big stick. In this case, they have threatened to swat our local commissioners like flies with Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Kruse cancelled the Aug. 21 meeting in which a vote was going to be taken to put the additional wetland buffers into effect. If you haven’t been following all this, the state agencies have threatened Manatee with Senate Bill 180, which was put into effect to help citizens and businesses recover from hurricane damage. It had the best intentions, until those pesky self interest

groups got involved.

Language was slipped into SB 180 that prohibits local governments from adding “more restrictive or burdensome” amendments to its comprehensive plan or land development code.

Kruse explained that state agencies have warned local politicians that they could be suspended from office if they try to go against state guidelines.

Consider this from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “All local governments have clear jurisdiction over actions on the buffer lands that surround wetlands. In many important ways, local governments are better situated than state and federal environmental authorities to control activities on

the lands that surround wetland resource areas, because they are not just concerned with wetland functions, but also with surrounding land uses and the benefits wetlands provide for their communities.”

And this from the same report (Planner’s guide to wetland buffers for local governments), “If a wetland area cannot absorb the stormwater it normally absorbs, the chances of flooding will increase further downstream; if the wetland cannot serve as home for wetland species and vegetation, community values and quality of life will be impaired. Local governments that have wetlands within their boundaries have the opportunity to conserve these resource lands and to control or compensate for activities and development that might impair their benefits to the community and the environment.”

The key now is whether you are using elementary school students or special interest lobbyists to define what “more restrictive and burdensome” should mean when it comes to hurricane relief legislation. Should all county activity to limit out-of-control growth be dismissed even if it has absolutely zero to do with hurricane relief?

Manatee County would like to know how this is all interpreted, and to do so, has decided to take part in a class action lawsuit expected to be filed in September by Weiss Serota Helfman Cole and Bierman of Boca Raton. In a story by David Jones of WESH 2-Orlando, Jones writes that attorney Jamie Cole of the aforementioned law firm said there is much concern over the “intrusion into home rule authority.”

He quoted Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini as saying, “SB180 shuts down every single government lever of control. It’s beyond partisan politics. It’s just corruption versus the people.” Lake County is just one of the 10

municipalities that has decided to join Cole’s lawsuit. Manatee County commissioners voted 6-1 to pay $10,000 to join the lawsuit at the Sept. 2 commission meeting. The commissioners have noted that just trying to explore interpretations of the SB180 language could get them suspended.

“It’s become apparent to everybody that there is no intention of people from Tallahassee allowing us to fight in court,” Kruse said to the East County Observer. “Everything is teeing up for the fact that they intend to just try to suspend people from office.”

Kruse said threats have been made to remove elected officials in Key West, Fort Myers and Orange County for taking actions that are thought to violate SB 180. So what can you do?

Politicians paid the price for going against voter interest in the 2024 County Commission elections. You can call your local state Representative Bill Conerly or your local state Senator Jim Boyd and let them know how you feel about the state superseding local government. The voters changed the commission, and they can change their state legislators as well if they don’t carry their desires to Tallahassee. This always has been a Gov. Ron DeSantis stronghold as well, but if the governor suspends locally supported commissioners from office, that could change in a heartbeat.

Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.

Duck disaster averted

Good Samaritans have all their ducks in a row during the three-hour rescue operation.

STAFF WRITER

Jules Brownwell was the first East County resident to notice something amiss on her mid-August morning bike ride down the newly opened 44th Avenue East extension.

A black-bellied whistling duck standing on top of a drainage grate just east of the bridge that crosses Interstate 75 didn’t seem quite right. When Brownwell looked down into the grate, she spotted a flock of seven chirping ducklings.

She called the fire department, Manatee County 311 and an animal rescue, but couldn’t get any help, so she called her husband, George Stroberg.

Brownwell couldn’t budge the heavy grate cover alone.

Not only did Stroberg come to help, but other East County residents started gathering around the grate, too. Then, the group flagged down a Manatee County truck.

In the end, seven residents and one off-duty county worker, only identified as David, assembled into an impromptu wildlife rescue team.

A husband and wife, who also happened to be contractors, ran home and returned with a crowbar, rebar and wood to pry the grate cover up from the road.

All the while, the mama and papa ducks kept a close eye on their babies from all angles.

One duck perched on the cement barrier between the street and the sidewalk, while the other circled overhead. Brownwell said neither strayed farther than 15 feet away from the scene.

“It was the craziest thing,” she said. “I think they knew that we were going to help them.”

The parent ducks were constantly calling out to the ducklings. They were also wandering out onto 44th Avenue. The one circling overhead was landing periodically in the middle of the road.

It took nearly three hours to free the ducklings. Brownwell worried one of the parents would be hit by a car before the family could reunite.

Once the grate cover was finally removed, the rescuers encountered

DUCKLINGS DOWN

Ducklings falling between the slits of drain covers is so common that the internet is littered with rescue stories and even a couple of good tips.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recommends providing a ramp.

But Kayden Perez, a firefighter and EMT with Salt Lake City Fire told Fox 13 last year that YouTube is “the secret weapon” of duck rescues. Play some duck sounds, and the babies will head straight to you.

a second problem. The ducklings were swimming in and out of the culvert underneath the road, so they couldn’t reach them even with a net.

The opening to the culvert was too small for a grown adult to get inside, so the group found a nearby manhole.

“It was amazing,” Brownwell said. “The men crawled down in (the manhole), just squeezing in.”

The men swept the water with a broom to create a wave action that herded the ducklings out of the culvert. The rest of the group waited on the other side with the net.

One by one, the ducklings were pulled up from the drain and released into a nearby pond.

Brownwell released the first duckling. She said when the duckling began to swim, the mama duck swooped down and ushered the baby into the cattails along the pond.

Creative wave breaks at Gene Witt

Using paper to draw?

That’s so passé. Today’s students use iPads to create multimedia artwork, all thanks to a special partnership.

When Alexander Muenchow,

a third grader at Gene Witt Elementary School, first saw iPads in an art classroom for the first time in April, he was shocked. He immediately wondered how old he had to be to get his hands on one. After returning from summer vacation, he found out that he is old enough.

Now he is doing various projects with the technology, including pieces inspired by the sea and one with a forest scene. His next project will be to create digital artwork of his family.

“I like using the iPad because it’s fun to draw and you can use special tools,” Muenchow said. “For instance, there’s a glitter pad you can use to put glitter over your artwork. There’s stickers you can do. It makes art more fun.”

Lakewood Ranch-based builder

Neal Communities has sponsored the “My Favorite Home” art contest on an annual basis. Each year, Neal Communities picks a different school — usually in Manatee County or Sarasota County — to host the contest. The top three finishers had their art used for Neal Communities’ holiday cards.

Neal Communities’ provides the funding each year, and it was sup-

posed to amount to $5,000 last school year, when Gene Witt was selected, to supply and implement the projects for the contest.

Kimberly Hoy, the visual arts teacher at Gene Witt Elementary School, has worked at the school for 25 years and has been working toward having an art lab for the past eight years. Through fundraising, millage funds and $3,500 worth of support from The Patterson Foundation, she was close to her goal.

Director of Marketing Christine McKelvey said Neal Communities had been inspired by the students’ creative talents and therefore wanted to provide additional funds to make the lab happen.

“I think she (Hoy) said they were about $2,500 from their goal,” McKelvey said. “We kind of looked at each other like, ‘Why don’t we just push them across the finish line?’”

MY FAVORITE HOME

Neal Communities is based in Lakewood Ranch and during the last 50 years, it has built more than 23,000 homes from Tampa to Naples. Neal Communities has hosted the “My Favorite Home” art contest for over 20 years. This school year, Skye Ranch School of Sarasota will host the contest in November.

So, Neal Communities provided an additional $2,500.

Hoy estimated that $20,000 was spent toward the lab. That includes 25 iPads with protective cases, Apple pens, a charging station, licensing fees and art-focused apps.

The digital art lab allows for students to learn how to use apps including “Drawing Pad,” “Draw and Tell,” “Musical Me!” and “Amaziograph,” which act as stepping stones toward more difficult Adobe software.

Through the apps, Hoy said they not only do traditional and digital art, but they integrate reading, math and science as well. Younger students have used stickers to tell a story digitally.

McKelvey said Neal Communities loved seeing the digital art lab come to fruition.

“The way technology is moving, anything to give kids a leg up,” McKelvey said. “Pencils and paper are nice, but everything’s going to be done on a computer.”

“It’s pretty much the wave of the future,” Hoy said. “The students love it. They all are always asking, ‘When are we doing digital art?’”

The third grade students are working on an ocean conservation unit where they research and draw an endangered sea creature.

Kali Neal, a third grader at Gene Witt, said she likes the level of creativity that is unlocked when using the iPads. She has drawn a sunset, a dolphin and a dog using the iPads. She said she likes to watch the howto videos because they are slow and she can easily follow along at her own pace. She wants to be a painter in the future.

Third grader Arden Misiewicz said he likes using both reference pictures and how-to videos to create art. He said he wants to draw his favorite dinosaur, the Spinosaurus.

“It’s not trying to draw from memory, it’s looking at something,” Misiewicz said. “It’s like you are a real artist.”

“I think it’s really improved a lot of their art,” Hoy said. “Some of them that I hadn’t seen as much creativity from in pencil, I’ve seen them blossom.”

Hoy said that since creating artwork on the iPads, she has implemented “gallery walks” where the students walk around the room and check out their classmates’ projects.

“The kids were giving such good feedback to (other students) who don’t always get the kudos or don’t always have all the friends,” Hoy said. “They were saying ‘You’re amazing.’”

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

LEAVING THE PODIUM

The Sarasota Music Festival begins its search for a new music director after Jeffrey Kahane steps down.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

When Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joseph McKenna returns to his office after the long Labor Day weekend, he will have his work cut out for him. He and a committee will begin the search for a new music director of the Sarasota Music Festival following the exit of Jeffrey Kahane on Aug. 25.

Kahane, a Los Angeles-based conductor, pianist, educator and scholar, recently became music director of the San Antonio Philharmonic. During his nine years as music director of the Sarasota Music Festival, he raised its stature and introduced new artists and genres of music.

A summer program of the Sarasota Orchestra, the Sarasota Music Festival has been bringing together internationally recognized faculty members and pre-professional musicians, known as fellows, for 61 years.

Kahane’s departure coincides with the closing of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the de facto campus of the Sarasota Music Festival for 40 years.

In the wake of Kahane’s departure, the festival will be scaled back to from three weeks to two in 2026, when it will run from June 1-13. It will be curated by its faculty members. Fellows will be housed at the Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota.

“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to lead the Sarasota Music Festival,” Kahane said in a statement. “The Festival holds a unique and vital place in the musical landscape, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together — especially the extraordinary faculty and transformative experiences we’ve offered our fellows.” Held each June, the Sarasota Music

Festival offers dynamic, innovative concerts in Holley Hall and the Sarasota Opera House. Its star faculty members play alongside festival fellows, often performing in public for the first time.

In the classical music world, unexpected departures and last-minute schedule changes are a fact of life. Most artists are booked at least two years in advance, but life happens.

“We’re thrilled that Jeffrey gave us nine wonderful years. His work in San Antonio appears to be evolving, and we understand that. Now, it’s time to imagine the future,” Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joseph McKenna said in an interview.

A NEW START IN SAN ANTONIO

Kahane is the third director in the festival’s history, following co-founder Paul Wolfe and Robert Levin. But his life has gotten a lot busier since he was first appointed music director of the Sarasota Music Festival in 2016. Kahane was named music director of the San Antonio Philharmonic beginning with the 2024-25 season. It is not uncommon for conductors to hold key positions at more than one institution, particularly if they

“The festival holds a unique and vital place in the musical landscape, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together — especially the extraordinary faculty and transformative experiences we’ve offered our fellows.”

Jeffrey Kahane

SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL TIMELINE

There have only been three music directors in the festival’s 61-year history.

1965 Sarasota Music Festival cofounded at New College of Florida.

1984

Florida Legislature designates the Sarasota Music Festival as the “Official Teaching and Performing Festival of the State of Florida.”

1977 Festival expands to three weeks.

1985

Sarasota Music Festival merges with Florida West Coast Symphony.

2006

2008

Florida

2016

have different performance schedules, but Kahane’s new job is quite demanding.

The San Antonio Philharmonic was formed in 2022, following the dissolution of the San Antonio Symphony, and it is attempting to build on the city’s legacy of classical music while reflecting its diverse population. In 2025, the orchestra moved into its new home, the Scottish Rite Auditorium.

In addition to his duties in San Antonio, Kahane is a faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music, where he teaches small classes of gifted students and coaches. He also accepts guest conducting and piano solo engagements at orchestras around the world.

Finding a music director who is the right fit for a festival or an orchestra can be a painstaking affair. It took the Sarasota Orchestra two years to locate a successor to Music Director Bramwell Tovey. The beloved conductor died unexpectedly in 2022, less than a year after he was hired to the position.

As they vetted candidates for the maestro job, the Sarasota Orchestra SEE MUSIC ON PAGE 14

2017

2020 Festival canceled due to COVID-19.

2024

2025

succeeded by Grammy Award winner Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony.

The 2025-26 season will mark Guerrero’s first season as full-time maestro in Sarasota. Last year, the charismatic conductor, who spent his childhood in Costa Rica, held the title of music director designate. He is the seventh music director in the Sarasota Orchestra’s history.

All of which is to say that Kahane will not be replaced overnight. The search committee will include Sarasota Orchestra management, board members, musicians and other stakeholders, McKenna says.

In addition to steering the Sarasota Music Festival through the COVID-19 shutdown, which resulted in the loss of the 2020 festival, and managing the festival’s recovery from the pandemic, Kahane expanded the roster of faculty members. He also recruited internationally known chamber ensembles to perform, collaborate with and coach festival fellows. Among those ensembles are the Attacca, Calidore, Borromeo and the Pacifica string quartets, as well as the Montrose Trio.

Kahane expanded the festival’s agenda to include the teaching and performance of world music, jazz and folk music, with violinist/fiddler Tessa Lark and cellist Mike Block taking center stage during the past two summers.

“As we celebrate the past success of the festival, we also come together to envision our next chapter based on the solid foundation built by a rich legacy of artistic leaders: Paul Wolfe, Robert Levin and Jeffrey Kahane,” said Tom Koski, Sarasota Orchestra board chair.

In addition to co-founding the Sarasota Music Festival at New College of Florida in the mid-1960s, Wolfe spent more than three decades as artistic director and conductor of the Florida West Coast Symphony, which rebranded in 2008 as the Sarasota Orchestra. The festival and symphony merged in 1985. Wolfe

died in 2016.

Levin, the festival’s second music director, has been a faculty artist since 1979 and delivers an annual lecture that bears his name. He is considered one of the world’s leading experts on improvisation in classical music, which he has demonstrated in recent years during his concerts at the festival, with the encouragement of Kahane, an advocate of improvisation.

Kahane is also a passionate champion of new, or contemporary, classical music, loosely defined as having been composed during the past 50 years.

A native of Los Angeles, Kahane is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano. After private studies with John Perry, Kahane went on to be a finalist in the 1981 Van Cliburn Competition, and his piano career began in earnest after he won the Grand Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein International Competition in 1983. Following that achievement, he began making solo appearances both in recitals and with major orchestras around the world.

Kahane made his conducting debut in 1988, at the Oregon Bach Festival. He was the music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony for 11 years and the Colorado Symphony for five years.

For two decades ending in 2017, he served as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Among the career highlights Kahane cites in his official online bio are concertos with the New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, recitals with Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell, European tours conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and collaborations with the Emerson, Miró, Dover, Attacca and Calidore String Quartets.

A FATHER-SON COLLABORATION

Recently, Kahane has been collaborating with his son, Gabriel Kahane, on “Heirloom,” a three-movement concerto written by the younger Kahane that honors the history of their family, beginning with the escape from Nazi Germany of Jeffrey’s mother.

When “Heirloom” was performed at the 2025 Sarasota Music Festival, Gabriel conducted the festival orchestra while his father

“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to lead the Sarasota Music Festival.”

Jeffrey Kahane

played piano. On Oct. 10, Nonesuch Records will release a recording of “Heirloom” made at Carnegie Hall in May 2024. Jeffrey Kahane played piano in that concert along with The Knights, a Brooklyn-based orchestra collective, under the direction of Eric Jacobsen.

Even though he is stepping down from the Sarasota Music Festival, Kahane has agreed to be a guest soloist with the Sarasota Orchestra in the 2026-27 season. McKenna says he is “confident” that Kahane will return to the festival in the future as a teacher and a performer.

Coming back home to the Sarasota Music Festival is a tradition of sorts.

Fellows often return as faculty members as their careers evolve. Among the alumni who have recently come back to teach and perform are violinists Sandy Yamamoto and Elena Urioste and cellist Karen Ouzounian.

Some festival fellows are even asked to join the Sarasota Orchestra. Among them are Hugo Bliss, who joined the orchestra as co-principal horn player in the 2024-25 season.

One reason the Sarasota Music Festival is so popular with arts patrons is that its master classes and rehearsals are open to the public and

can be attended for as little as $5.

Well-wishers from the community often deliver food to the fellows to keep them well fed as they rehearse in Holley Hall at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, a pleasant stroll from the nearby Hyatt Regency.

“We really lost what felt like a campus when the Hyatt closed,” McKenna says.

The location of the Sarasota Music Festival will also move with the arrival of the Sarasota Orchestra’s new Music Center. The project near the intersection of I-75 and Fruitville Road is expected to break ground in 2027 and open for the 2029-30 season.

An anonymous $60 million donation has been pledged to the project, estimated to cost between $375 million and $425 million.

While the Music Center will contain state-of-the-art facilities for the Sarasota Orchestra, its children’s programs and the Sarasota Music Festival, it will not offer housing for visiting artists.

“Housing is a problem for everyone in Sarasota right now,” McKenna says, adding that when the time comes, beds will be found for festival fellows near the new music center.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

MIKE PARAMORE

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. Tickets $26 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

No one will ever call comedian Mike Paramore a loser. Winning is his thing. He’s the winner of Laughing Devil Festival in NYC, the Laugh Fest’s Best in the Midwest competition and Best of the Fest Big Pine Comedy Festival. He’s been featured on AXTV’s Live at Gotham in NYC, and is a featured comedian on FOX’s hit show “Laughs.”

OUR PICK

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT THE CABARET

The sounds of Brazil will waft through the Court Cabaret as drummer Thomas Carabasi leads a group of accomplished musicians in interpreting the music of Jobim’s homeland, as well as perform American straight ahead jazz classics. Carabasi’s travels have taken him to the land of bossa nova to learn about its music and culture. He will be joined by Patrick Bettison on harmonica, John O’Leary on piano, Alejandro Arenas on bass and Allison Nash on vocals. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and beverage service.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8

Where: FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265. First St. Tickets: $39 and up Info: Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

‘BIG SEXY: THE FATS

WALLER REVUE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. 1012 N. Orange Ave. $52; students younger than 25 and active military, $22 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe. org.

Don’t let this summer cabaret show pass you by. “Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue” is not part of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s subscription series, but it’s got a lot of bang for the buck. The show tells how the life of Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller inspired WBTT leading man Leon S. Pitts II. With no less than 30 songs, “Big Sexy” recreates the days of rent parties and speakeasies in Harlem and brings the eternal mating dance to life with the catand-mouse antics of Pitts and diva Ariel Blue. Through Sept. 7.

‘A BAND CALLED HONALEE’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 Palm Ave. $39 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

The subtitle to Florida Studio Theatre’s last cabaret show of the season is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul Mary … and Friends,” but any selfrespecting folk rock fan can spot the play on words in the name “A Band Called Honalee.” ICYMI, it refers to the mythical land made famous by the children’s song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The incarnation of the Band Called Honalee appearing in Sarasota includes Brian Ott, a veteran of FST’s “59th Street Bridge,” who has been touring with the group since 2019. Also on stage are Michael Grieve, Geoffrey Neuman and Sigrid Wise. Runs through Oct. 26.

‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by

Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, she leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Runs through Sept. 14.

‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees an opportunity for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“Boeing-Boeing”) and Robin Howdon, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a high-speed farce sure to shake anyone out of their summer torpor. Runs through Sept. 7.

FRIDAY

‘DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $40 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

By popular demand, Venice Theatre revives its tribute to TV theme songs, Roger Bean’s “Don’t Touch That Dial,” which uses a gameshowwithin-a-gameshow format. If you’re the kind of person who remembers the opening song to “Hawaii Five-O,” this one’s for you. Runs through Sept. 14.

MONDAY

FOGARTYVILLE SONGWRITER SERIES

7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $10; $8 for members; $5 for students WSLR.org.

VH-1 had “Behind the Music.” Well, our very own Fogartyville has a series that gives music fans the chance to hear singers playing in the round, sharing stories and describing their artistic process. Taylor Opie hosts featured artists Briana Lutzi and Jamie Tremps.

DON’T MISS

‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’

Organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, the exhibition features 70 breathtaking works of birds in a variety of locales, including the wild, the studio and the museum. The show is curated by William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, the same team that brought “Flora Imaginaria” to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in 2022. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and outside throughout the gardens, where some appear right at home in Selby’s tropical paradise overlooking Sarasota Bay. Runs through Sept. 14.

IF YOU GO

When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6

Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. Tickets: $28; $23 online Info: Visit Selby.org.

TUESDAY

‘ART DECO: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION’

10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

The Sarasota Art Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of the exposition that kicked off the Art Deco movement. More than 100 eyecatching posters from the Crouse Collection, as well as industrial furniture, home furnishings and other objects loaned by the Wilsonian-Florida International University are on display. Through March 29, 2026.

BLUE MAN GROUP–BLUEVOLUTION WORLD TOUR n .......... Tue-Wed | 1/13-14/26 | 7PM

REVISITING CREEDENCE n ... Thur | 1/15/26 | 7PM

KANSAS n ........................................ Fri | 1/16/26 | 7PM

SOME LIKE IT HOT n ............ Wed-Sun | 1/21-25/26

RIVERDANCE 30–THE NEW GENERATION n .......... Tue-Thur | 1/27-29/26 | 7PM THE BEAT GOES ON n ................. Sun | 2/1/26 | 7PM MJ: THE MUSICAL n ................. Tue-Sun | 2/3-8/26 THE CHOIR OF MAN n ............. Wed | 2/11/26 | 7PM CHRIS BOTTI n ............................. Tue | 2/17/26 | 7PM

| 7PM

Jazz Club of Sarasota names first development director

The Jazz Club of Sarasota has appointed Danielle La Senna as its first director of development. The new position will focus on expanding the Jazz Club’s reach, building partnerships and acquiring resources to sustain and expand its programs.

Freeway, an online portal that makes it easy for filmmakers to submit their productions to a variety of film festivals.

“This role is essential to deepening our community connections, fostering meaningful partnerships and ensuring the support needed to keep jazz thriving for regional audiences of all ages,” said Jazz Club President Ed Linehan in a statement.

Among the Higher Realm Festival’s selections are the documentary “Bill W. Conscious Contact,” about the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, “Nature Provides,” a doc about the healing power of plant stem cells, and “Earth Wisdom Spirit Call,” a cri de coeur for humans to live in harmony with the planet.

Founded in 1980, Jazz Club of Sarasota produces the annual Sarasota Jazz Festival and presents jazz performances in collaboration with Florida Studio Theatre (Monday Night at the Cabaret), Unitarian Universalists of SRQ (Jazz at Two on Fridays) and the Sarasota Art Museum (Jazz Thursdays at SAM).

Linehan notes that the appointment of La Senna followed an extensive search and that experience as a Jazz club board member was a plus.

A vocalist and arts administrator, La Senna earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and a master’s in arts education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

She began her career performing jazz, musical theater and classical music in New York City, and was director of adult education at The Juilliard School for more than a decade.

Since moving to Florida in 2019, La Senna has overseen operations for continuing studies at Ringling College of Art and Design and directed arts education at Sarasota Art Museum.

Most recently, she was executive director of the Choral Artists of Sarasota, where she focused on marketing and development, and facilitated the group’s recent merger with Via Nova Chorale.

“I’m delighted to be working with the Jazz Club in this new role,” said La Senna in a statement. “There’s so much potential to further its mission — bringing jazz to the community and supporting musicians of all ages.”

With La Senna on board to lead fundraising, the Jazz Club is also expanding its physical footprint. On Sept. 1, the organization will move into new headquarters at 2000 Webber St., a first-floor office complex with parking, meeting space and room for future growth.

New film festival planned for Burns Court Cinema

There is a huge market off the beaten path of Hollywood blockbusters and violence-driven franchises, and the inaugural Higher Realm Festival wants to tap it.

The festival will debut Sept. 17-18 at Burns Court Cinema. It is the brainchild of Higher Realm Ministry, a husband-and-wife team that claims to have created a community of “Divine Love, Light, Healing and Connection for all.”

The Higher Realm Festival is being presented in partnership with Film

“Cartapesta: Carnival of Fano,” a 90-minute documentary about an Italian form of papier mache, will capture the imagination of those with an interest in arts and crafts.

The tent of the Higher Realm Festival is a big one indeed, as long as the content is uplifting. Ticket prices are $10 per film, but festival passes are available.

For more information, visit HigherRealmSarasota.com.

Selby Gardens announces winners of juried photo exhibition

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ 45th Annual Juried Photographic Exhibition, presented in partnership with the Observer Media Group, is now online in a virtual gallery that can be viewed by visiting Selby.org and YourObserver.com.

The show includes nearly 300 photographs taken by photographers at Selby Gardens’ two campuses, one downtown and the other at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. Prizes were awarded to top photographs in the exhibition, with the Best in Show honor going to Debbie Durham and her photo, “Peter Pan Into the Light.” The virtual exhibition will remain on view through Sept. 30. Jennifer Rominiecki, president & CEO of Selby Gardens, said in a statement, “We’re deeply honored that nearly 300 gifted artists chose to express their vision of the natural beauty found in our two bayfront sanctuaries. This virtual exhibition offers a stunning glimpse into the diverse landscapes and living art that make Selby Gardens such a special place.” In addition to Best in Show, awards for first place were given in each of the five exhibition categories:

n Living Art: “Natural Curves,” Allyson Galuska

n Make a Splash: “Harmonic” Joseph Sidenberg

n Plant Portraits: “ Life in the Water,” Stan Jernigan

n The Birds and the Bees:

“Sunflower Story: Reflections of a Pollinator,” Jessie Williams

n Black & White: “In Harmony with Nature,” Lisa Harris

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Inventions are their racket

Del Webb’s Stanley and Ruth Brown hope to light a fire in the public with rotating pickleball candle.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

After receiving a patent for their Amazing Candle in 2014, Stanley and Ruth Brown were standing in a line in Miami ... dreaming.

They were holding their invention as they waited to see if they would qualify for a live appearance on the “Shark Tank” television show, which showcases entrepreneurs making business presentations to a panel of five investors.

“I had high hopes for ‘Shark Tank,’” said Stanley Brown. “The show had young producers, and you can’t just pass through them. We couldn’t get through the second stage.”

Perhaps the Amazing Candle wouldn’t become a household name, but the Browns enjoyed success selling it, but fell just short of hitting it big.

It wasn’t Stanley Brown’s first — let’s call it minor — disappointment with inventions, but he definitely would not call any of his inventions failures.

FIRE IT UP

Who: Inventors Stan and Ruth Brown What: the Pickleball Musical Birthday Candle What’s the deal: The moving, candelabra-like, multiarm lighted display in the form of a trophy is lit, then igniting small candles hidden within the trophy. As the small candles create heat, the trophy separates into downwardly rotating pieces that reveal a previously hidden centrally located pickleball. It can be used as a cake topping or table decoration. How to find it: Go to PickleballCandle.com.

Price: $13.95 or less when purchased in multipacks About the Browns: They live in Del Webb of Lakewood Ranch and have three daughters, Candice Brown McElyea, Jaime Marco and Tiffany Brown

“We’ve probably broke even to some degree,” Stanley Brown said of his inventions, including five patents, over the years. “And can you put a price on fun? You have setbacks, because there is rejection all around us. But you plow forward.”

Another time he needed to plow

forward was after pitching the Amazing Candle to famous pitch man Billy Mays and his partner, Anthony Sullivan, who owned an infomercial company together. Stanley Brown said Billy Mays liked the idea, but Sullivan asked, “What problem does it solve?”

Stanley Brown admitted, “I don’t have a problem.”

It was a no go.

Being an inventor has its ups and downs, but Stanley Brown said it all has been enjoyable. That fun continues now in the form of the Pickleball Musical Birthday Candle, which was granted a patent in June.

OK, sure, it’s a take on the Amazing Candle, but why not? The whole world has gone pickleball crazy, including the Browns, who live in Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch and are regulars on the pickleball courts.

Now 76, Stanley Brown moved from Monroe, New York, to Florida with Ruth 42 years ago, first living in Gulf Gate East in Sarasota. They’ve been married 52 years.

In Florida, Stanley Brown first handled sales and marketing for U.S. Homes. They moved to Del Webb seven years ago, a place he calls “a camp for adults.”

Stanley Brown certainly has too many titles to put on a card. Inventor, entrepreneur, business owner and more. He once owned a shoe store in Monroe, and built his business,

“The lesson I learned is that you can invent a better mousetrap, but it’s about marketing and distribution.”

Stanley Brown

Shoes and Things, to four stores. He said he also owned the first Nike outlet store.

It wasn’t all business. He used to vacation with Ruth in Longboat Key, at a Holiday Inn known as “the Holidome.” It’s how they developed a love for the area and finally moved to Sarasota.

Ruth is a registered nurse who specialized in working in operating rooms, but she also has been a real estate broker, and has run several doctors offices.

All along the way, Stanley Brown fed his desire to invent something that would be embraced by the public. Ruth was always by his side, supporting him.

“Everyone has an invention in them,” Stanley Brown said. “It depends on how you act on it.”

His first venture into the world of inventions was Keep-Fresh, the first reusable bag clip to cure the problems with the twisty ties on plastic bags. That came in 1979.

“I kept sticking myself with that twisty tie,” he said. “It was the only closure they had. I thought, ‘I need something that can close that bag.’”

His wife’s profession in the operating room gave him an idea.

“In the operating room, they used an umbilical cord clip, and I thought about a similar concept. I talked to a couple of engineers. It was so much easier in those days. You would say, ‘I want something like this. Keep it simple and put it together.’ We put two large and two small clips in a bag and sold them for 99 cents.”

He took it to the Shop Rite grocery chain.

“I was making them at home and putting them in bags and stapling the bags at night,” he said. “They did better than I anticipated, but I couldn’t see myself doing it at a large scale. We began submitting it to houseware companies.

“The lesson I learned is that you can invent a better mousetrap, but it’s about marketing and distribution. The Ekco company was drawing up the royalty papers with me, but they were bought out. I ended up selling 400 to 500 bags. But I still use them at home.”

He did learn how to take an idea from concept to production.

“But it showed me that it’s not always good to be ahead of your time,” he said. “It’s kind of like being famous posthumously.”

Eventually, he did variations on his Amazing Candle, including an adult-themed candle that didn’t do well.

After moving to Del Webb, he found pickleball.

“It’s an incredible sport,” he said. “It’s multigenerational. You can teach your kids, your grandkids. It’s grown to 44 million people. (The Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates that 48 million play in the U.S.)

“The desire is having something nobody else has. We had a patent on the round ball (in a candle). So the challenge was to draw the mold. We found someone and worked with a company in China. We thought, ‘Let’s make it.’ My wife was against the idea. This (retirement) was supposed to be our time. She knows when I get involved in a project, it gets obsessive. But enough is enough, this is my last project.”

He has partnered with Marc Rosenthal, the owner of Jumpin Fun Inflata Park in Lakewood Ranch. The pair have ordered 10,000 pickleball candles that are in a warehouse on Lena Road.

Those who want to order the candle can go to PickleballCandle.com.

Can’t beat the new music teachers at Haile

Orchestra director Nohemi Perez and Band Director

DJ Harpole have rebuilt the program and their students’ passion for music.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

With a double dose of youth, some extra energy and a slightly different approach, administrators and students say the Carlos E. Haile Middle School music program has been revamped over the past three school years and now is thriving.

The first key addition to the program has been Nohemi Perez, the 24-year-old orchestra director, who said her teaching style concentrates on the fact that most of her students won’t want to pursue music as a career.

She talked about her own school days, when she dreamed of being an engineer. But after graduating from high school, she decided to pursue music as a way to make a living.

While she understands that most of those students won’t follow in those footsteps, they can have music be an enjoyable part of their adult lives.

“You are teaching them (about) their humanity,” Perez said of her students. “There’s always this creative side. I’m teaching them how to be empathetic ... teaching them how to think for themselves.”

When Perez started teaching at Haile in 2023, the orchestra had been dropped from the school for a few years. She said rebuilding the program was a fun challenge.

“It felt good to get the students excited about playing string instruments,” Perez said. “In Florida, it is a hard thing to do, because the worst

NOT THE SAME OLD SONG AT HAILE

Nohemi Perez Perez was determined to be an engineer in high school, but ultimately decided to study music education at Ohio State University. She taught in Texas for one year before moving to East County to teach at Haile Middle.

DJ Harpole Harpole studied music education at Florida Atlantic University with an emphasis on clarinet studies. His current job is his first full-time teaching job. He also teaches competitive marching band at Braden River High School.

things for string instruments are heat and humidity, which are rampant here.”

The other burst of energy for the music program came in the form of DJ Harpole, the 25-year-old band director. Harpole began teaching at Haile the same year as Perez. Some of his teaching philosophy came from understanding his own school days when academics never came easily to him and he lacked motivation.

“The one thing I had in middle and high school — at least once a day — was 45 minutes where I could just play my clarinet in the band room with all my friends,” Harpole said.

So if he can make his own music classes a fun place for students to be, then perhaps it will motivate them academically, as well.

Haile Principal Irene Nikitopoulos said Perez and Harpole have transformed the music program by creating an environment where the students want to be. In watching them

teach, she said she feels like a proud mom.

Perez and Harpole didn’t start their first semesters at the easiest of times at the school, either. Their building was being renovated, so their teaching conditions were not ideal..

“They persevered and made the most of it,” Nikitopoulos said.

Harpole described his teaching style as “involved.” He said it is easy to sit in front of the class and tell the students what to do, but he said it is essential to walk around the room, be within each student’s space, and provide one-on-one instruction if needed.

He said he tries to implement positive reinforcement as much as possible, as it makes a difference.

“The nature of the class is helpful with engagement,” Harpole said. “Most students love to make sounds. Giving them the opportunity to make

sounds, is helpful and it gets a lot of energy out.”

Perez described her teaching style as “free.” She said there is organization to it, but she goes about teaching it in a certain way to appeal to her students.

“I have to mask it so that they don’t realize it’s all step one, step two, step three, step four, because a lot of them don’t operate that way,” Perez said.

Because this is their third year teaching at Haile, Perez and Harpole’s eighth grade students made up their first class of sixth graders. Hailey Birkin, Connor Foley and Maggie O’Reilly are among the students who have participated in both band and orchestra since the teachers’ first days.

O’Reilly said she comes from a family that’s passionate about music. She has played piano since she was 5 years old. When she joined band and orchestra in sixth grade, she began to

learn cello and flute as well.

“They teach us how to give constructive criticism without absolutely tearing a person apart, and they are just nice,” O’Reilly said. “They make it feel like we’re all best friends and we’re all a family. At the end of the year when we leave school, it’s like ‘Dang, I don’t get to play with all my friends.’”

Maggie O’Reilly plays cello and Hailey Birkin plays viola in orchestra. They described their teacher Nohemi Perez as supportive, quiet and helpful. Photo by Madison Bierl Birkin plays viola, trombone and piano. She said band and orchestra are her favorite classes of the day, not only because she likes to play her instruments but because of her teachers. She described Harpole as “out there” and said both instructors are nice and supportive.

“The environment is positive, and it’s like everybody’s trying to push each other up to be better,” Birkin said.

Foley plays trumpet in band and violin in orchestra.

He said that before joining band and orchestra, he didn’t fully appreciate music.

“Now I’m trying to listen to those small details,” Foley said as he noted that he can pick out the trumpet in the background, or a violin.

Perez said that some students who thrive in her music class can improve in other academic areas.

“I always tell my students the importance of their math and science classes,” Perez said. “If they have success (in her class), I know they can also do a good job in those other classes. You just have to approach it with a different mindset. (Success in music class) gives them that sparkle of hope.”

Harpole said the support they have received from the Haile administration should be credited for turning the music program around.

He said the two music teachers were given an opportunity and the freedom to build the kind of program they wanted from scratch.

“The growth in numbers, the growth in interest, that comes from this platform of making sure we have the things we need,” Harpole said.

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4 THROUGH

SUNDAY, SEPT. 5

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING

Runs from 5-8 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Kid Red (Thursday), Mike Sudderth (Friday), Santiago (Saturday) and David Fowler (Sunday). All the music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5 AND

SATURDAY. SEPT. 6

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Dana Lawrence plays rock, blues, reggae and New Orleans soul on Friday to entertain the Waterside Place crowd in the free music series while Frankie Lombardi entertains the crowd on Saturday with rock and pop standards. For information, go to WatersidePlace. com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

ROOFTOP YOGA

Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. Adults (18-and-older) can participate in the Rooftop Yoga program. The donation-based group class is designed to inspire and invigorate. Beginners are welcome as are those with experience. The workout focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and postures. Those who participate are asked to bring a yoga mat. For information, go to MyLWR.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6 AND

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

MUSIC AT THE LODGE

Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton. Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes Str8 Edge Duo on Saturday and Tom Selletti on Sunday.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

FARMERS MARKET

Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Mar-

BEST BET

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The band Babylplays old school rock and soul to highlight the monthly, free, music series. The event will benefit the Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota. Enjoy local vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths and games and activities for the kids (presented by Grace Community Church). For more information, go to MyLWR. com.

ket at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For information, visit MyLWR.com.

YOGA IN THE PARK Runs 8-9 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

MEN WEAR PINK FASHION SHOW

Runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Macy’s Court in the Mall at UTC. The American Cancer Society hosts its Men Wear Pink Fashion Show. Community leaders and influencers will act as models to raise funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. VIP tickets ($50) include reserved stage-side seating, a swag bag courtesy of the Mall at UTC, complimentary beverage, and appetizers. General admission tickets ($35) include general admission seating, a swag bag, and appetizers. Tickets are available at E.GiveSmart. com/Events/J5V/. A cash bar and silent auction will be available. For more information, go to MallatUTC. com.

YOUR CALENDAR

Soccer program builds momentum

Shade structure just the latest improvement to help the Braden River Soccer Club players.

There’s one request Anto -

nio Saviano hears often as the director of a soccer club in Florida — “More shade, please.”

So the Braden River Soccer Club is kicking its facilities up a notch at Lakewood Ranch Park with a 5,000-square-foot, open-air building to provide shade for both players and parents.

Saviano took on the role of executive director for the Florida Premier Football Club Southwest Florida when the club merged with the Braden River Soccer Club in April 2024. However, Saviano is not new to the sport or the Lakewood Ranch area. He’s been a player since the age of 8, and he eventually became

the general manager of the Premier Sports Campus for six years until he became the technical director for the Lakewood Ranch Chargers in 2019.

The merger of the Braden River Soccer Club and Florida Premier came at a time when Saviano was stepping away from soccer, but as he says to his departing coaches, “I know you’re done now, but you’re going to come back.”

Saviano simply couldn’t resist the excitement of the merger because it’s bringing more than just upgraded facilities. The level of competition is being upgraded, as well.

Josh and Rachel Batey are entering their 11th season as Braden River soccer fans. All three of their daughters have been in the program. Their oldest, Avery Batey, graduated from high school last year and aged out of the program.

Rachel Batey said Avery is jealous of her sisters now because the program has grown so much in just the one year she’s been gone.

“We’d develop girls for so many years, and then we’d lose them to other clubs once they turned 13

or 14,” Josh Batey said. “The bigger club has been a draw for more quality coaches. It’s more organized, and the parents’ voices are heard more.”

Teenage players would leave the club prior to the merger because the club wasn’t competitive on a national level.

Any athlete looking to play in college or beyond didn’t have much of a choice but to leave for a program in Brandon or Tampa that offered more opportunities.

Saviano said only a small percentage of players will play in college or at the professional level, but the dream is still there.

“We try to offer that,” Saviano said. “If a player is really into it, he could build the skills, then we have that pathway.”

Since the merger, Saviano has brought in 20 additional coaches, and players can compete regionally in the Elite Clubs National League.

The ECNL program is performance-based, so high performing regional leagues can be promoted into the main league. Saviano said the teams performed well last year, but called the progression a two- to

Live Life Luxe

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT

Braden River Soccer Club 5490 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Visit BradenRiverSoccer.org.

Mission statement: To serve nearly 1,700 young athletes, both boys and girls, in Manatee and Sarasota counties and offer enhanced resources that support the growth and development of our players, both on the field and in their personal lives.

three-year project.

Participation in the ECNL opens players up to national showcases, where they can play in front of hundreds of college coaches.

But for as serious as Saviano takes player development, competition is not his only focus. The club welcomed its players back this fall with a party before the first practice.

The fields were packed with players and parents eating hotdogs and hamburgers and getting to know one another.

“We have almost 1,700 kids, but I still try to make it a family,” Saviano said. “At the end of the day, not all the kids are going to play in college, but they can play a sport that they

love. They may go back to it when they have kids or to coach, so having that connection is very important to me.”

MADE IN THE SHADE

The installation of a 5,000-squarefoot, open-sided building for Lakewood Ranch Park is being built through a partnership between the Braden River Soccer Club and Manatee County. The club uses the fields, but the county owns the park.

Saviano said the club will be kicking off a fundraising campaign to raise $180,000 for the project, but he noted that a few sponsors have offered to help cover the costs.

Manatee County agreed to chip in $43,000 to lay down the cement pad for the building, which will be located between the entrance to the fields and the concession stand.

While it will be nice for parents to watch their children play and practice without getting a sunburn, the building will also be used to take the kids out of the sun for agility and coordination drills.

Manatee County staff anticipates that the building will reduce field maintenance by keeping players off the grass after it rains. Playing on wet grass adds more wear and tear to the fields. The building will provide more time for the turf to dry out and recover.

Saviano hopes the building will be finished by February 2026.

1 top individual Premier Sotheby’s International Realty global real estate advisor in the Sarasota region for 2024.

• Top producer for the past four consecutive years: Over $244 million sold since 2020

• Ranked in the Top 1.5% Individuals by Sales Volume Nationally by RealTrends Verified 2025

“Gloria

Wild Blue home sells for $2.85 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Wild Blue at Waterside on Blue Shell Loop topped the week’s sales. SDWB Waterside LLC sold the home at 1202 Blue Shell Loop to Andrew and Diana Friberg, of State College, Pennsylvania, for $2.85 million. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,756 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB

Howard Bruce Brandon and Marilyn Brandon, of Greensboro, North Carolina, sold their home at 13215 Palmers Creek Terrace to Michael McBride and Alexis Zibolis, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,906,200. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,701 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,935,600 in 2022.

Bijoy John and Stephanie John, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 13708 Red Rock Place to Cheryl and Martin Domres and Christian Taylor Cummings, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.59 million. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,743 square feet of living area. It sold for $835,000 in 2012.

RIVERDALE

Rex and Anne Wetherill, of Apollo Beach, sold their home at 4607 Fifth Ave. N.E. to Cheryl and George Roth, of Bradenton, for $1.85 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,123 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,899,000 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Michael and Maryellen Hussey sold their home at 7211 Prestbury Circle to Kelly Charles Irwin and Denise Leeman Irwin, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.35 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,790 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.6 million in 2024.

MALLORY PARK

Juan Mariano Sola and Alina Carmela Coacci, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11913 Blue Hill Trail to Michal Czartoryski and Erin Lynn Svoboda, of Bradenton, for $1.34 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,562 square feet of living area. It sold for $615,000 in 2018.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Michael and Carmen Penker, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12814 Daisy Place to William and Kimberly Maclin, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,886 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2021.

Raymond Turner, of St. Petersburg, and Deborah Turner, of Sarasota, sold their home at 251 Dove Trail to Susan Lynn Humphrey, of Louisville, Kentucky, and Janet Alme, of Rock Island, Tennessee, for $815,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,512 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2008.

SFR Borrower 2021-2 LLC sold the home at 12642 Cara Cara Loop to Michael Morton, of Bradenton, for $454,900. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,175 square feet of living area. It sold for $305,000 in 2020.

WOODLEAF HAMMOCK

Michael McBride and Alexis Zibolis, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 11422 Apple Tree Circle to Susan and Richard Devictor, of Bradenton, for $975,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,238 square feet of living area. It sold for $672,500 in 2021.

ESPLANADE

Rafier and Myra Maldonado, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5116 Tivoli Run to Matthew and

AUG. 18-22

Nedra Wilson, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,035 square feet of living area. It sold for $985,000 in 2022.

Frances Camille Augello, trustee, of Alexandria, Virginia, sold the home at 13108 Torresina Terrace to Mark Miglis, of Bradenton, for $550,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,912 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in 2019.

Michael Grant and Wendy Blackwell, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5031 Serata Drive to Philip and Diana Calendo, of Bradenton, for $475,000. Built in 2014, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,686 square feet of living area. It sold for $295,100 in 2014.

POLO RUN

Charles Earl McKinnies and Barbara Leigh McKinnies, of Sarasota, sold their home at 17335 Polo Trail to Michael Thomas Freeman and Elizabeth Nicole Freeman, of Bradenton, for $760,000. Built in 2021, it has six bedrooms, three baths and 3,520 square feet of living area. It sold for $513,300 in 2021.

COUNTRY CREEK

Jason and Olivia Michaels, trustees, sold the home at 208 157th St. N.E. to John Stanislaw Koncewicz and Tamara Wilson Koncewicz, of Bradenton, for $690,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,504 square feet of living area. It sold for $653,000 in February.

James McGowan Jr., of Bradenton, and Connie Lee Rahn, of Bradenton, sold their home at 623 147th St. E. to Matthew Schwartz, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,005 square feet of living area.

MILL CREEK

Donna Marie Rizzo, of Hernando, sold her home at 1103 134th St. E. to Kevin and Melissa Mclin, of Bradenton, $640,000. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,873 square feet of living area. It sold for $240,000 in 2015.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Melvin and Karen Hoffman, of Bradenton, sold their home at 10305 Tamo Shanter Place to Elena and Aleksandar and Stefanoski, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,836 square feet of living area. It sold for $449,900 in 2014.

WATERFRONT AT MAIN STREET

Thomas and Linda Edelston sold their Unit 2-504 condominium at 10520 Boardwalk Loop to Ralph Allen, of Bradenton, for $629,500. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,400 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2022.

UPPER MANATEE RIVER ROAD

Anne Thomas Paxson, of Bradenton, sold the home at 11208 Upper

Manatee River Road to Chester Bullock and Susan Roberts, trustees, of Parrish, for $600,000. Built in 1966, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 4,882 square feet of living area. It sold for $267,000 in 2014.

RIVERDALE REVISED

David Richer sold his home at 4307 Third Ave. N.E. to East Manatee Properties LLC for $575,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,508 square feet of living area. It sold for $166,000 in 1999.

VINTAGE CREEK

Scott Rowe and Leslie Rowe, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7984 Glenbrooke Lane to Charles and

Chelsea LaRocca, of Sarasota, for $523,800. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,311 square feet of living area. It sold for $162,000 in 1999.

CARLYLE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE Alexa Davis, of Nokomis, sold her home at 6650 Cheswick St. to William and Dina Scanlon, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, for $480,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,668 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2021.

MAGNOLIA MANOR

MJK Property Investments LLC sold the home at 6923 13th Ave. E. to Luis Aleman and Nathalie Guerra-Aleman, of Braden River, for $475,000. Built in 1983, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,886 square feet of living area. It sold for $65,000 in 1984.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Barbara Donnelly, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 10008 Carnoustie Place to Mark Simat and Meghan Langan, of Bradenton, for $460,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,672 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2018.

PERIDIA

Patty Monaghan, trustee, and Carol Checovich, of Englewood, sold the home at 4020 Murfield Drive E. to Sharon Piper, of Bradenton, for $439,500. Built in 1991, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,822 square feet of living area. It sold for $232,500 in 2004.

John Carroll Seymore Jr., of Bradenton, sold the home at 4115 Murfield Drive E. to Dustin Lee Johnson and Kathleen Rose Kenney, of Bradenton, for $360,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,943 square feet of living area. It sold for $225,000 in 2020.

COACH HOMES AT RIVER

STRAND

Michele Rose May and Doug May sold their Unit 3804 condominium at 7204 River Hammock Drive to Todd Rettenmeier and Wendy Rettenmeier, trustees, of Clive, Iowa, for $400,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2022.

Edward and Linda Juillerat, of Washington Court House, Ohio, sold their Unit 2404 condominium at 318 Winding Brook Lane to Brian Udolph and Joan Udolph, trustees, of Bradenton, for $379,000. Built

in 2010, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $235,000 in 2010.

AMBERLY

James and Lucinda Ingram, trustees, of Mead, Colorado, sold the home at 6094 Amberly Drive to Jill Anderson, of Bradenton, for $389,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,627 square feet of living area. It sold for $362,300 in 2020.

CREEKWOOD TOWNHOMES

Haven and Diane Gray sold their home at 5191 78th St. Circle E. to Sue Tan, of Tampa, for $387,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,181 square feet of living area. It sold for $499,900 in 2022.

SABAL HARBOUR

Joseph and Jessie Telesco sold their home at 4539 Cabbage Key Terrace to Rajeev and Alka Goyal, Tarini Goyal and Muskaan Goyal, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, for $380,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,636 square feet of living area. It sold for $179,500 in 2003.

COUNTRY OAKS

Kyra Sarner Levin and Giora Levin, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4928 81st Ave. Terrace E. to Corey Peyerk, of Sarasota, for $365,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,318 square feet of living area. It sold for $230,000 in 2017.

WATCH AT WATERLEFE

Lorna McMullen and James Edward Burns, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 21-D condominium at 9460 Discovery Terrace to Donald James Akey, of Nottawa, Michigan, for $365,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,156 square feet of living area. It sold for $499,000 in 2023.

SPORTS

FAST

der past Cambridge

Before hosting its Sept. 5 rivalry game against St. Stephen’s, The Out-ofDoor Academy football team warmed up with a 28-7 victory over visiting Cambridge Christian on Aug. 29. The Thunder moved their record to 2-1 behind three touchdown runs from senior running back Allen Clark. Clark’s 3-yard burst in the first half gave ODA (2-1) a 7-0 lead, but Cambridge Christian answered to leave the game tied at 7 at the half. The second half was all ODA, as Clark ripped off runs of 45- and 25-yards on the opening drive of the third quarter to set up his 4-yard touchdown run. Clark finished with 21 carries for 150 yards, including his final scoring run of three yards in the fourth quarter. ODA quarterback Eddie Chaput hit 8-of-11 passes for 151 yards and a fiveyard touchdown pass to Beau Tack. Dylan Walker kicked all four extra points. Cam Yates caught two passes for 75 yards. ... Another rivalry football game will be held on Sept. 5 as Braden River hosts Lakewood Ranch at 7 p.m. The Mustangs raised their record to 2-0 on Aug. 29 with a 42-0 thrashing of Seminole (0-2) on the road behind two touchdown runs from Justin Flores. Lakewood Ranch will be trying for its second victory in the series over a Braden River team that is 1-1 after a 27-7 loss to Sarasota High. ... The Lakewood Ranch High girls volleyball team is off to a 6-2 start (going into a Sept. 2 home match against Palmetto).

Kora Yanes is leading the team with 70 kills, while Julia Vendramini has 103 assists, Mariana Alvarez has 85 digs, Ava Collins has 11 aces, and Avarie Tholl has 24 blocks.

Jean Arnold Alynna Fricke Nedra Sams Mary Annn Murphy and Maureen Hicks all tied for first in the University Park Women’s Club Duel Out individual low net tourney Aug. 28 with scores of plus-3.

Two times the talent

Junior David Louis handles two key positions for the Braden River High football team.

JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER

Two-way players are by no means an uncommon sight on the high school football field. Smaller rosters and an emphasis on talent make it so that a player’s development is rarely constrained to one position. Some coaches have even come to expect such versatility.

Defensive end and running back, though, are wildly different roles. That fact doesn’t limit the imagination of Braden River football.

“We’re a collective a lot of times on our staff,” head coach Jason Grain said. “Our defensive line coach and our offensive line coach said, ‘Hey, this guy is different.’”

They watched David Louis and dreamed. His athletic ability and ball skills stood out early in the team’s preparation for this fall, distinguishing the junior from his teammates.

With the Sept. 5 rivalry game against Lakewood Ranch now on its radar, Braden River has benefited from two weeks of Louis operating out of the backfield and at defensive end. He’s not just another option for the offense as it searches for ways to gain yardage.

He is the featured back.

“I’ve always had a positive attitude (about it),” Louis said. “It was more like a natural transition to me because I don’t really feel any different between D-line and running back.”

Louis stormed out of the gates in Week 1, racking up 124 rushing yards — 7.8 per carry — to help power a 27-24 win over Cypress Creek. Things turned sour for Braden River Aug. 29 in its 27-7 loss to Sarasota, but it was Louis who scored the only touchdown by shedding several tacklers during a 51-yard catch-andrun.

At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Louis’ build is more comparable with that of a collegiate running back than one at the high school level. But how could it be otherwise? He spent all of last season on the defensive line, worrying about stopping running backs well before becoming one himself.

“I’ve always had a positive attitude (about it). It was more like a natural transition to me because I don’t really feel any different between D-line and running back.”

David Loui

Months upon months of conditioning were necessary to physically prepare for a demanding, new role. The genesis for such a transition stems from the impression he made away from the field.

“David’s a very talented athlete,” Grain said. “He was great in the weight room in the offseason. He puts up great numbers.”

Braden River’s second-year head coach — a former USC offensive lineman — has been impressed with Louis in both his seasons. Leading up to this fall, he dubbed the junior an “athletic freak.”

Louis wasn’t a potent force from the get-go as a sophomore. His emergence, rather, came at the close of the season, when the defensive end tallied one sack along with a pair of tackles across two games of action.

Those flashes — combined with a strong body of work during the offseason — assembled enough evidence for Grain and his fellow coaches to place their trust in him as the leader of the Pirates’ rushing attack.

“What he does is he gives us a power running game (and) allows us to have better looks in the passing game,” Grain said. “In a perfect world, he would be able to help us close games out and just get the

tough yards when we need it.”

Louis is not the only new impact player in the Braden River backfield.

Junior Louisen Desinor transferred to Braden River from Southeast High this past spring as a quarterback. He’s the new game manager and Louis is his right-hand man.

However, the pressure is there for both to perform. That comes with the territory.

The two playmakers are taking the journey together. Listening and reacting is paramount in building the kind of chemistry that can fuel the fire of this Pirates offense as Grain works to rebuild the program.

“It’s him just telling me what to do so I don’t really mess up as much,” Louis said of Desinor. “So I don’t make as many mistakes during games.”

When Desinor isn’t dropping back in the pocket and going through his reads, he’s often handing the ball to Louis. But it is apparent the two juniors will be connecting through the air, too. Desinor knows if he gets the ball to Louis in the open, such as his 51-yard touchdown, Louis can impose his will on the opposition.

Rarely are one or two defenders enough to stop him. He barrels through the line of scrimmage and fights for every inch. In the open field, he can out-muscle defensive backs.

That high motor is powered by a season-long commitment he’s made to his teammates.

“Not letting my teammates down,” Louis said. “Just give the best I got out there.”

A grueling season lies ahead. Now active on both sides of the ball, Louis won’t have many moments to stop to catch his breath.

Braden River’s coaches are confident he is up to the task.

It takes a unique person to embrace playing on both sides of the ball. They know they have one in Louis.

New sportswriter is back among the palms

Iknew I would miss palm trees upon boarding my flight to Boston. They appeared increasingly smaller beneath me as the plane ascended, and amid the bittersweet sentiments I felt as a new UCLA graduate, a strange reality sank in.

Those swaying fronds were behind me for good.

No more would I regularly stroll around a campus decorated with them. No more would I regularly attend sporting events where they encircled the venue.

Like many others who journey to tropical areas of the globe, I came to associate these trees with a certain sense of reassurance — a sign of peace and relaxation ahead. But the education I absorbed over four hard years tells me otherwise.

Aesthetics aside, palm trees do little good for the climate around them. They produce a negligible amount of oxygen, offer sparse shade and they guzzle up water. The Climate Science degree hanging on my wall always reminds me of that much.

Then again, science didn’t bring me here to East County. There are different stories to be told.

I’m honored to introduce myself — Jack Nelson — as your newest sports reporter for the East County Observer. Florida has been my home for just over a week, but my excitement about this new opportunity has been building up for far longer.

My detour from STEM student to sports nut seems odd, but to me, it’s not much of a detour at all. I grew up in the golden age of Boston professional sports. It was only natural to admire championship culture and idolize superstars.

By the time I departed from my hometown of Scituate, Massachusetts, for college, a love for the wide world of sports burned bright. But it was never cultivated as an athlete myself.

A lion’s share of my playing days

were spent on the diamond. When my time in the dugout began to outweigh my time on the field, I tried my hand at tennis. Both careers were ill-fated, so like many other journalists — past and present — I turned to writing to feed my hunger.

Admittance to UCLA felt like a stroke of luck. Joining the Daily Bruin was a stroke of genius.

My start with the school’s independent, student-run newspaper was a humble one — covering men’s tennis matches remotely as a freshman during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporting at the Rose Bowl and Pauley Pavilion three years later felt that much more rewarding because of it.

Working as a student journalist is how I discovered the blueprint to who I am now. Time has passed since my graduation in June 2024,

but to this day, it’s impossible to forget such a foundation.

More recently, I served as a high school sports clerk for MassLive, an experience which showed me the ever-valuable, yet often-daunting nature of prep coverage. Either beads of sweat rolled down my face in the heat or my fingers lost feeling in the cold as I furiously wrote stories from the passenger seat of my car. You can also find my byline in the NBA and USA Basketball — opportunities that, at one point, had me sitting at the same table as LeBron James and Stephen Curry. I sure can’t dunk, but I sure love writing about one.

A new adventure has arrived. And even if the plentiful Sabal palmettos suggest otherwise, this will be no vacation.

I intend to give my all in the

interest of bringing untold stories to life. From the outset, I seek to understand the ins and outs of this thriving athletic community at the heart of southwest Florida.

That process begins with having conversations and building relationships. Whether it’s a casual introduction, a formal interview or anything in-between, I fully believe that maintaining trust is paramount to my position.

I’ll never sway from the facts that fuel my storytelling. Quality, accuracy and speed are the tenets of my daily grind. I expect nothing less of myself, and you reserve the right to expect nothing less either in that regard.

That being said, the journey has only just begun. I plan on hitting the ground running, but as I’m getting my bearings, help is greatly appreciated by this 23-year-old reporter. Tips, story ideas, questions, concerns and more are always welcomed. Reach out anytime at jnelson@yourobserver.com.

It was a big decision to leave my life behind in Massachusetts. The gravity of it all hit me when the Amtrak auto train I was supposed to take here was canceled — after I had already driven all the way to Virginia — and I wound up driving all 20-plus hours alone.

To make such a move, I always told myself it would have to be the right position and the right time. Both are true beyond a shadow of doubt.

How wonderful it is to see those swaying fronds once more. They look more beautiful than ever.

Jack Nelson is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.

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