E A ST COUNTY
Observer
Health Matters FEBRUARY 2018
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Back to basics EXERCISE Get fit outside the gym. PAGE 2
FOOD Prepping goes a long way. PAGE 4 SLEEP Go screen-free for better rest. PAGE 6
BETTER LIVING
It’s possible to go without medication.
INSIDE PAGE 8
PICTURE OF HEALTH
Attitude is everything going forward.
PAGE 10
CALENDAR
Get in the game with Gulf Coast Games for Life.
PAGE 12
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FREE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018
VOLUME 20, NO. 13
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center expands Hospital begins $28.5 million plan to redesign mostly existing space. PAGE 4A
YOUR TOWN
Money in the tank
Amelia Hanks
Rock salt solid Fourth-grader Madison Barnett (above) gazed up at her Gilbert W. McNeal Science Fair project Feb. 8 and smiled. She conducted her experiment on which salt melts ice the quickest. She found her hypothesis was incorrect, and that rock salt melts ice faster than table salt. Barnett won the physical science category and will be moving to the Manatee County STEM competition March 4 at Manatee High School.
Mote Marine hopes private and public sources rally to finance a $130 million aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park. PAGE 3A Image courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
At night, marine animal images will be “swimming” around the outside walls of Mote Marine’s new aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park.
A+E
Pam Eubanks
A laughing matter University Park resident Michael Sisti (above) works as a marketing and business consultant, but now he spends much of his time writing for fun. An author since 2010,in January he released his fifth book “Mosquitos, Snowbirds & Other Florida Pests,” through publisher OH! Orsini House. “My philosophy is if you have difficult stuff, you need to have fun with it,” he said.
SWEETHEART OF A DEAL Myakka City teen earns crown of Manatee Cattlemen Sweetheart. PAGE 8A Jay Heater
Casey Wingate will take the reins as Manatee Cattlemen Sweetheart at the Ranch Rodeo on Saturday, Feb. 17.
Artist captures natural light.. INSIDE