E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
New groceries open.
SEE PAGES 10-11A
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
•
FREE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018
VOLUME 20, NO. 11
YOUR TOWN
Jay Heater
U.S. Marine gives thanks to Gullett For 11 years, the students at B.D. Gullett Elementary have written letters of thanks to veterans at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. They usually receive a nice letter back from the hospital. This year, retired U.S. Marine John Botelho took it upon himself to send Gullett teacher Barbara Pfeiffer a box of gifts and a heartfelt letter of appreciation to give to all the students who wrote letters to him. Among the gifts were spinners that were given to the students, such as Rihanna Williams and Ben Gillespie (above). Pfeiffer said the students were “so excited to hear from someone who enjoyed the letters they wrote.”
Education:
Should cost rise again? School district says additional tax makes sense. SEE PAGE 3A
JAY HEATER
SARASOTA
MANATEE
PINELLAS
$10,179
$8,761
$8,992
n 725 square miles n 53 traditional public
n 743 square miles n 48 traditional public
n 608 square miles n 116 traditional public
schools n 2,978 teachers n 43,245 children n 30,000 daily bus miles n $440.2 million operating budget n $850.9 million total budget
Spending per child*:
schools n 2,766 teachers n 48,842 children n 15,000 daily bus miles n $427.9 million operating budget n $884,404,984 total budget
Philanthropist’s turn to receive Diane Brune is named the Community Fund’s John Clarke Humanitarian Award winner for 2018.
AT A GLANCE Spending per child*:
Jay Heater
Diane Brune earns a major award.
MANAGING EDITOR
Spending per child*:
schools n 7,585 teachers n 103,242 children n 52,500 daily bus miles n $928.3 million operating budget n $1.5 billion total budget
*Spending per child based on operating budget.
It might not have struck her until later, but Diane Brune, then Diane Blecha, was learning important lessons when she volunteered as a lifeguard in her hometown of Machias, N.Y. Her dad, Thomas Blecha, was a local philanthropist, building his town a park, ball fields and a pool. Diane was getting a subtle course in giving back to the community. “I saw those kids learn how to swim, to have opportunities they wouldn’t have had,” she said. SEE PAGE 8A
Five levels of Pam Eubanks
Another lesson for the ages Mason Durfee (above) may only be 5 years old, but wearing suspenders, gray eyebrows, a mustache and glasses Jan. 25, he sure looked older. “It feels more like I’m 88 or something,” he said, grinning. Mason and fellow kindergartners at Braden River Elementary celebrated the 100th day of school by dressing like they were 100 years old.
A+E
TRAINING Tower prepares East Manatee Fire Rescue for new challenges. SEE PAGE 4A
Representing the local music scene. INSIDE Pam Eubanks
Firefighter Derek Parker practices rescue techniques at the East Manatee Fire & Rescue’s new training tower. The tower cost $850,000 to build.