E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Kids get a close look at bugs. PAGE 18
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FREE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019
VOLUME 21, NO. 42
YOUR TOWN
Deal struck in University Park Settlement clears path for University Park Country Club purchase by Recreation District. PAGE 3
Courtesy photo
Power of team Lakewood Ranch’s Adeline Giattino was struggling at the 24-mile mark as she tried to conquer the 26-mile Santa Rosa Marathon on Aug. 25 in Santa Rosa, Calif. That’s when Lakewood Ranch Running Club member Monika Oberer (above with Giattino) came running up beside her and gave her a swat on her backside. “Monika was coaxing me along, cueing me to lift my chin, to be strong, telling me I got this,” Giattino said. “That little swat got my adrenaline flowing. We ran together the next 2 miles, and we agreed we would give it our all.” Fellow club members Lorraine Williams and Joan Novak also made the trip.
Firefighters respond to Dorian Area dodges powerful hurricane, but local firefighters head toward east coast to help. SEE PAGE 6 Jay Heater
East Manatee firefighters Steve Ryckman, Daniel Dunkum, Mike Hamilton and Shawn Battick all volunteered to respond to Hurricane Dorian’s potential catastrophic impact on Florida’s east coast.
A+E
Guiding her peers
Courtesy photo
Great for grazing Braden River Elementary School students Penny Wells and Jacob Hinton, pictured, might have been a little more motivated to eat at Chick-fil-A on Aug. 29. At the school’s Spirit Night fundraiser, the two students met the Chick-fil-A mascot, who urges people to “eat mor chikin.” The event raised about $400, which will go toward professional development training, materials and community building experiences.
Greenbrook woman accepts post with Southeastern Guide Dogs. SEE PAGE 8 Jay Heater
Plum, an English Labrador guide dog, and owner Rachel Weeks take a break at Southeastern Guide Dogs.
New sounds, new season. INSIDE