East County Observer 7.27.23

Rosedale residents turn to FDOT for help

Skunk education makes scents

Aaron Sorbino, an education coordinator for Sarasota Jungle Gardens, debunked a myth to a group of children at Braden River Library on July 20.

While holding Maverick, a skunk, Sorbino (above) told children and their parents that tomato juice does not in fact help to rid someone of the smell after being sprayed by a skunk.

“You’ll just smell like a tomato dumpster,” he said.

Sorbino introduced a tarantula, alligator, opossum and skunk to the kids.

He shared fun facts about each animal, such as alligators grow about a foot every year until they are about 8 years old, at which point they grow about six inches per year. Most alligators grow to be 10 to 14 feet.

Sip and shop schedule for the summer

While Ranch Nite Wednesdays are on hiatus for the summer, Florida Provisions at Waterside Place is offering residents an alternative get together.

Initially slated for the summer only, Assistant Manager Tracey Pasha said the Wednesday night beer tasting from 6-8 p.m. has been so popular, it might become a year round staple.

Florida Provisions is a sip and shop retailer, a place where you can browse flipflops and six-packs. The tastings feature craft beers from local breweries.

Country Club resident Carol Skorulski and her daughter Annie heard about the event at the Farmers Market on Sunday. Annie is the shopper of the two. She said she likes the shop’s clothing, so why not try the beer too?

Rooted in service to veterans

Operation Eco Vets supports veterans by providing opportunities to learn sustainability skills.

experience

Anne Miller, the programs director for Operation Eco Vets, said the nonprofit was unable to raise the funds needed to purchase the property on Waterbury Road that hosted the nonprofit.

According to property records, the East County property sold for $375,000 in April.

The nonprofit has stopped most programming except for creating

ABOUT OPERATION ECO VETS

Navy veteran Camille VanSant started Operation Eco Vets five years ago to provide veterans opportunities to adjust to civilian life and address their PTSD through agriculture and horticulture.

The nonprofit provides various programs that give veterans a chance to learn how to care for and feed their families, as well as gain a sense of accomplishment as they decide what they want to do in their futures.

teas using herbs from its medicinal garden. It’s been too hot for outside work and the nonprofit is waiting to find its new home.

“We are looking to provide an agricultural setting where our veterans have an opportunity to learn how to grow as they transition either out of service or off the PTSD wheel,” Miller said. “There are a couple of very good research studies that show fresh air, sunshine and time with other veterans are all beneficial, especially with PTSD. It’s also the feeling of accomplishment when they harvest something they planted and continue to serve their community.”

As Operation Eco Vets continues

To donate, visit Donate. FlanzerTrust.org/Donations/ Operation-Eco-Vets.

to look for a new place to host its programs, Miller said the nonprofit is looking for about half-an-acre of land to be able to farm and garden as well as have a classroom facility, an air conditioned facility for its medicinal herb garden, offices, a shed, a well and a parking area.

Miller said the nonprofit is looking into a variety of opportunities both public and private including possibly relocating to Mixon Fruit Farms, which is closing July 29, as Manatee County is working to turn the farm

into a park. Miller said the nonprofit also is working with Sarasota County Extension to see what opportunities are available.

The nonprofit has a medicinal herb garden to make teas.

It also offers education opportunities through its edible landscaping internships and bootcamp that focuses on topics such as raising backyard chickens, composting, building a worm bin and bucket gardening.

“They can see how to take care of and feed their own families,” Miller said. “That’s why the bootcamp programs are successful — because they get to learn those skills.”

Another program Operation Eco Vets offers is a vet recreation program to give veterans and their families an opportunity to bond and participate in various activities, such movie nights, sports and barbecues.

“We have found that our veterans preferred small group events,” Miller said. “They don’t like crowds. They don’t like lots of other people around, so we concentrated on having more events with fewer people at each so they had that opportunity.”

Once a week, veterans also can weed, harvest and water the nonprofit’s gardens. In 2022, the nonprofit started partnering with All Faiths Food Bank’s veterans-only food pantry. Operation Eco Vets provides food that it harvests from its farm and garden and donates it to support the food bank.

“Finally the collard greens and things they were harvesting had a way to get to the dinner table of fellow veterans,” Miller said. “That pantry serves 140 families. We have never harvested for 140 families, but we were happy to be a part of it.”

Miller said she loves to see the sense of accomplishment veterans have when they see something they planted bloom or be ready to harvest.

She said some veterans that served as interns have become entrepreneurs. While some went into horticulture, others went into other industries. For example, Miller said one veteran became a private chef and another is a sea captain.

“The idea is that we give them a place to grow and feel comfortable until they can get their feet under them and decide what they want to do,” she said.

Rosedale residents push for redesign of S.R. 70

“I have seen two major accidents there already, and most of us either have seen an accident there or have been in an accident.”

County Public Works representa -

It seemed to be a good decision at the time.

When the Florida Department of Transportation designed the far right-hand turn lane on State Road 70 that runs from its intersection with 87th Street and Ranch Lake Boulevard to Interstate 75, it didn’t consider the Billy Currington song.

“People are Crazy.”

At least many are when they get behind the wheel.

On July 19, FDOT officials Walter Brueggeman, John Kubicki and Brian Bollas explained to a group of concerned Rosedale residents about the intention of the design for that stretch of road, which is just outside Rosedale’s main entrance.

TURN-LANE WOES

They talked about how the first stretch of that right-hand lane was meant for those who wanted to turn right on to Lena Road, and the second stretch of the turn lane was intended for vehicles that wanted to access the I-75 ramps. Between the Rosedale entrance at 87th Street to Lena Road is about 2/10s of a mile. Between Lena Road and the I-75 ramps is about 3/10s of a mile.

As the officials spoke about their intentions for that half-mile stretch, Rosedale residents interjected with stories of near crash experiences when they used that right-hand turn lane.

“When I am coming out of Rosedale and I turn right into that lane, cars will think I am turning (on to Lena Road) when I am actually headed toward the freeway,” said Mike Zinn, president of the Rosedale Community Council. “I have seen two major accidents there already, and most of us either have seen an accident there or have been in an accident.”

Most of the problem at that point is created by aggressive drivers.

The fact is that only a low percentage of drivers in that right lane actually do want to turn on Lena Road, but want to get over to the right early so they can get on I-75.

It’s what responsible drivers do.

But some drivers revert to the “People Are Crazy” school of driving, and they blast down the center and left-hand lanes of westbound S.R. 70, until the last moment when they jam their vehicles to the righthand lane to access the interstate.

It’s a free-for-all for position.

Aggressive drivers in the righthand turn lane know they are coming, so they tailgate to eliminate any opening.

But then there is that pesky Lena Road turn.

DANGEROUS SECTION OF ROAD

The Rosedale residents said they have seen cars plowed into from behind as they slowed down to turn on to Lena Road.

The temperature in the Rosedale Country Club’s Community Room was going up as residents talked about the design of the turn lane.

Bollas tried to assure those at the meeting that the FDOT knows that the intentions of a design don’t always work as planned. Sometimes that means FDOT must find solutions.

The problem at Rosedale is that a lot is happening all at once, with plans for the Lena Road extension. And any alterations to S.R. 70 to accommodate more traffic and a better flow will be hard, and expensive.

The biggest factor, according to the FDOT representatives, is the distance between 87th Street to Lena Road, and then the interstate.

In approximately a year-and-ahalf, Manatee County plans to connect the north and south segments of Lena Road that will allow a clear shot from S.R. 70 to S.R. 64. Commissioners have talked about Lena Road becoming an important artery

for local traffic when the interstate backs up.

If that plan materializes, it should mean more traffic on Lena Road, which has been packed with new businesses over the past five years. Rosedale residents are concerned how all the extra traffic on Lena Road turning on to S.R. 70 is going to affect them.

GETTING THE WRONG SIGNAL

Could a signal light at S.R. 70 and Lena Road solve many of the problems?

“It’s really not feasible,” said Brueggeman, who noted that traffic would back up into the interchange and wreak havoc on vehicles entering or exiting the interstate. “We don’t necessarily have great solutions.”

Kubicki noted that a signal at Lena Road and S.R. 70 would gridlock the other intersection simply because they are too close together. Many cars use the Ranch Lake turnoff to access the many businesses there, including Walmart.

Rosedale residents also brought up other safety issues for that stretch of road, when vehicles are headed east or are coming off the interstate to head east.

One resident said the signal lights on the eastbound exit off I-75 are hard to see. Another talked about how once on S.R. 70, vehicles going east that want to make a left on to Lena Road have to cross four lanes of traffic.

The FDOT officials said they would study all the issues brought up to see if they could find any solutions.

Kubicki deals with safety issues for the FDOT and he said the organization always is trying to reduce the possibility a vehicle will take a hit to its side, which are the most dangerous. The eastbound S.R. 70 lefthand turn onto Lena Road in front of speeding cars is an example.

The FDOT officials won’t be the only ones going to the blackboard after the July 19 meeting. Manatee

tives also attended the meeting. Rosedale residents gave them some important topics to think about as well. For one, with so many new businesses being built on Lena Road and the north-south portions of the road expected to be connected in under two years, residents are worried that traffic, and especially heavy truck traffic, will be buzzing past their 87th Street entrance/exit into their community.

Anyone going south on Lena Road who wants to drive east on S.R. 70, must take a left onto 54th Drive East, which is a short connector road between Lena and 87th Street. Then they can use the S.R. 70/87th Street intersection signal.

Scott May, an engineer for the county, assured the residents the idea is to prohibit heavy truck traffic on that stretch of road. That seemed to appease many of them.

ROAD PROJECTS COMING

Manatee County has two different projects that will impact Rosedale, the 44th Avenue extension and the Lena Road extension. May said the 44th Avenue extension in that area will be finished before the two legs of Lena Road are connected.

He said vehicles are likely to use the new 44th Avenue extension as a main thoroughfare, making it unlikely the south end of Lena Road will see a significant increase in traffic.

May was asked if it made sense to alter the direction of the south end of Lena Road, having it take over 54th Drive East, then swing right in front of the Rosedale entrance to use the traffic signal on S.R. 70. That would eliminate the S.R. 70/Lena Road connection 2/10s of a mile to the west.

May said it didn’t make sense to think up a bunch of solutions for heavy traffic problems before knowing if they would even exist. He said the county would evaluate the situation once the 44th Avenue and Lena Road extensions are complete to access any needed changes.

“We would rather see than just react,” May said. “We have lots of options.”

Rosedale’s Fred Booth, who is the head of the Lena Road and 44th Ave Extension Committee, said while no solutions to any of the problems were figured out at the meeting, positive strides were made.

“The good thing is (FDOT and Manatee County officials) are hearing us,” Booth said. “I need to have faith in that.”

Booth said he was pleased both FDOT and Manatee County sent multiple representatives to the meeting, a sign they are serious about finding solutions.

May suggested to those in attendance that they follow the CIP on the county’s website because it is updated often with any changes made to the road projects.

Bollas noted that 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles a day use the S.R. 70 interchange with I-75.

“We don’t want to solve one problem and create another,” Bollas said. “We will go back and look at this one more time.”

He also noted that on- and offseason traffic is much different and must be studied as well.

Residents say S.R. 70 right-hand turn lane approaching Lena Road and I-75 is a hot spot for accidents.

“We don’t want to solve one problem and create another. We will go back and look at this one more time.”

Brian Bollas, FDOT official

Clear sailing

Placement of two 15-ton acrylic tank windows serves as important milestone in Mote aquarium construction.

As a crowd gathered Tuesday at PopStroke to watch a crane place a 15-ton acrylic window into the Gulf of Mexico Gallery at the Mote Science Education Aquarium next door, Evan Barniskis was asked about the enormity of the moment.

Barniskis, a Mote vice president who will be the Mote SEA’s director when it opens late in 2024, said he gets excited just about every day as the aquarium takes shape.

He was speaking at a press conference held by Mote on the roof of PopStroke, which offers a perfect view of the construction.

“For me, every step we take is a big deal,” he said. “We are heading toward the finish line, and this is a dream come true. Not everyone gets to do something like this in their career path.”

Pushed a bit on the topic, Barniskis did say the placing of the two huge acrylic windows was an especially exciting development.

“It’s amazing,” Barniskis said. “And we could feasibly put water in the tank right now.”

While no water will be put into that two-story Gulf of Mexico Gallery tank until 2024, the completion of Tuesday’s project was important to the exterior construction of the aquarium.

“Now that we are able to put these in, we will be able to move to the next level,” Barniskis said. “Those were the two largest (pieces of acrylic for tanks). We will have outdoor exhibits (with large tanks), but those pieces can be brought in from the top.”

Those attending the press conference were assured that if anything should happen to the Gulf of Mexico tank in, say, 100 years, they could bring four smaller pieces of acrylic in through the building and piece them

MAJOR STEP

What: Mote Science Education

Aquarium construction

Where: Adjacent to the north end of Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota Project announced: February

2018

Ground broken: November

2020

Expected completion: Winter

2024

Cost: $132 million

Funds committed: $100

million

Builders: Willis Smith

Construction, Whiting Turner

Size: Three stories, 110,000 square feet

together to form a replacement tank.

Willis Smith Construction and Whiting Turner, construction partners in the project, can now proceed with building the aquarium roof. And that means they can speed ahead on the exterior walls once the roof is complete.

“We will put up the steel to hold up the facade this October,” Barniskis said. “This fall, a lot of exciting things are going to happen.”

He said about six months after the exterior facade is built, the entire exterior of the aquarium will be finished. That means by next summer, those driving past Mote SEA will see basically a finished product, even though much interior construction still will need to be finished.

Approximately 120 workers were on site Tuesday, and that number will jump to 200 to 250 workers once the interior construction ramps up.

Barniskis said the entire $132 million project is on track for its winter 2024 completion schedule.

Mote, Willis Smith and Whit -

“We are heading toward the finish line, and this is a dream come true. Not everyone gets to do something like this in their career path.”

ing Turner executives attended the press conference, which only featured the 17-foot-by-22-foot Gulf of Mexico viewing window being placed. The other 15-ton acrylic window will form the bottom of the tank and a tunnel where visitors will walk through it and look up into the exhibit. That was placed Tuesday afternoon.

Willis Smith President John LaCivita said Tuesday offered a special milestone in the construction of the aquarium, and he brought his daughter, Lucy, along to enjoy the event.

“I am always excited about stuff like this,” LaCivita said. “This is a one-of-a-kind experience, and that

is why I brought Lucy. And I love we can share this with the public.”

LaCivita said that construction has gone “extremely smoothly” to this point and he added that Whiting Turner has been a great partner. “We work so well together,” he said.

TO ADVERTISE Display Advertising: To obtain information, call 941-366-3468, Ext. 319.

Classified Advertising / Service Directory: For information and rates, or to place an ad, call 941-955-4888. Hours 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To place a classified ad online, visit www.YourObserver.com, or email your ad to classified@yourobserver.com.

TO

To subscribe: Please call Donna Condon at 941-366-3468, Ext. 301, or email dcondon@yourobserver.com MAIL DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION RATES

PUBLIC

Evan Barniskis, Mote vice president

East County Observer wins 19 FPA awards

East County Observer Sports Editor Ryan Kohn won two first-place awards in the Florida Press Association’s 2023 Weekly Newspaper Contest held July 21 at the Westin in Sarasota.

Kohn’s awards were two of 19 overall awards presented to the East County Observer. His winning entries came in Best Sports Column and Best Spot Sports News Story.

Besides those awards, Kohn also took second place in the Best Sports Photo category.

He also teamed with staff writers Liz Ramos and Ian Swaby, and Managing Editor Jay Heater for a first-place finish in Hurricane Breaking News Coverage for their work in keeping the readers informed before, during, and after Hurricane Ian.

Heater also won two first-place awards in the Best Headline and Breaking News categories. Heater won eight awards overall.

Besides her work in the Hurricane Breaking News Coverage, Ramos placed second with the “12 hours of Terror” feature in the Hurricane Feature category, and third in the Education Feature and Education News categories.

In addition to his work in the Hurricane Breaking News Coverage, Swaby took third places in the Feature Nonprofile and Spot News Categories.

Melissa Leduc, who designs the East County Observer, won awards for Page Design and Overall Graphic Design.

The staff combined for a second place in Hurricane General News coverage.

Gold Coast Eagle will supply World Champions Cup

With the announcement July 20 that Anheuser-Busch has become the official beer partner of the World Champions Cup, comes a high level of excitement at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing of Lakewood Ranch.

“This is a big thing for us, great news,” said Hugh Shields, the mar-

keting administrator at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. “We are going to be the supplier, and it’s very exciting.”

The World Champions Cup is a new event sanctioned by the PGA Champions Tour that will be an international competition similar to the Ryder Cup. Team USA, Team Europe and Team International will compete Dec. 7, 8, 10 at The Concession.

“This is going to draw (golf fans) from Tampa, St. Pete, and Fort Myers,” Shields said. “It is going to be a nice economic impact for the area.”

Shields said Gold Coast Eagle Distributing owner John Saputo loves to get involved whenever a positive event comes into the community.

“John is just so passionate about anything positive,” Shields said.

The event will be covered by ESPN and ABC.

The lineup of golfing legends will be impressive and already includes the captains of the three teams — Jim Furyk (Team USA), Darren Clarke (Team Europe), Ernie Ells (Team International).

Tickets go on sale on Labor Day.

Manatee County seeks planning commissioner

Manatee County is accepting applications for a planning commissioner.

The Planning Commission is a citizen’s advisory committee that makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on land-use items.

The seat will be available in October.

According to a county release, the Planning Commission has responsibilities such as carrying out duties as described in the Comprehensive Plan, and initiate, review and make recommendations to the County Commission.

The term is four years and the Planning Commission has seven members. The county release said those with experience in the planning, engineering, environmental science, and development industries will be considered, although no particular expertise is required.

Applications are due to Aug. 25 and can be found online at MyManatee.org/AdvisoryBoardOpenings.

I’ll feature your HOME in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Robb Report, Mansion Global, Barrons, Market Watch, Unique Homes, Local and International MLS, as well as FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube and

Surgery

Dream camp benefits kids,

parents

time with your other kids too.”

Madison is the youngest of four children. Her mother said she’s “on the spectrum,” has an intellectual disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Parrish resident Amanda Kukoda said she was terrified of sending her 9-year-old daughter to camp.  But that was three summers ago. Now, Madison Kukoda is 12 years old and spending a week at Dream Oaks camp in East County has become a respite for Madison, her parents and her siblings.

“We get to do things with our kids that we can’t do when we have Madison with us,” Kukoda said. “It’s nice to be able to have that one-on-one

The camp is run by the Foundation for Dreams, a nonprofit that provides year-round programming. Camps run from June through August. From September through May, they offer a sleepaway weekend program. And for those who deem overnights still terrifying, day camp is available.

Day camp costs $400 a week. The price increases to $700 if campers want to stay overnight. Community Outreach and Healthcare Coordinator Diane Bartoszek said those prices don’t nearly cover the foundation’s expenses, but they try to keep tuition low because many of these families have excessive medical costs to cover. Scholarships are also available.

Kukoda said her daughter can

The camp offers horseback riding, canoeing, swimming and many other opportunities for children with special needs.

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT Foundation for Dreams

Address: 16110 Dream Oaks Place

Mission statement: To celebrate the abilities and develop the strengths of children with special needs and chronic illnesses ages 7-17 by collaborating with families to provide individualized, result-based goals, family support and recreation in a camp environment. Get involved: Call 746-5659 or visit FoundationForDreams.org.

be herself at Dream Oaks, and she doesn’t have to worry about her. She won’t get a call that Madison isn’t listening or being disruptive because the staff can handle it. That peace of mind allows the family to relax for that week, too.

They enjoy quiet time at home and dinners out, but they also look forward to seeing Madison return from camp feeling confident and independent. This year, she brought home a recipe for Hulk pudding to prepare because it was superhero week.

“We’ve been kicked out of so many camps. It gets frustrating,” Kukoda said. “At Dream Oaks, she doesn’t have to apologize for being how she is. She gets to be Madison, and they embrace that.”

Campers have fun while meeting goals. Madison’s goals were to work on her independence while giving others more space. She has a tenden-

cy to burst into her siblings’ rooms unannounced.

“They don’t know they’re working on goals. The goals are set by their parents,” Bartoszek said. “For some of our children, it’s something as simple as making eye contact when talking to someone or trying a new food or asking before giving someone a hug. There’s a varying degree of goals, but they’re all outcome based and measurable.”

Campers are too busy having fun to realize they’re building skills. For them, it’s a week of horseback riding, canoeing, swimming and socializing. Campers perform a talent show at the end of the week for friends and family.

They also win awards. If a camper is a picky eater and they met a goal of trying bananas for the first time, then that camper is the Top Banana of the week and will be recognized as such.

Madison loves learning new recipes to bring home, but campers are also engaged with arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and yoga. They sing around a campfire and explore nature.

Dream Oaks operates in partnership with the Southwest Florida Boy Scouts. The seven cabins available to campers are located at Camp Flying Eagle off Upper Manatee River Road. The 140-acre parcel was purchased by the Boy Scouts in 1929 for $2,000.

Each cabin has four bedrooms with bunk beds and two bathrooms that can sleep up to six campers and staff members per room. For safety reasons, the camp maintains at least two staff members for every three to four children, which causes a waiting list of up to 15 campers per week.

“It’s because of staffing. We wish we could take all 50 of them,” Bartoszek said. “With staffing and space, we’ve been accepting about 30 or so a week.”

While the Kukodas are lucky enough to live nearby, many campers have to travel from around the state and the country to spend a week at the camp.

“There was a mom from Miami that found Dream Oaks, but she was hesitant, so I offered to talk to her,” Kukoda said. “Her daughter had a great time, and for them, they never had their own time like that before.”

YourObserver.com

THE RIGHT FIT for foster children

Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle holds Sneaker Drive to donate much-needed shoes to the Twig.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Julie Swann stood in front of the 212 pairs of shoes and hundreds of socks that the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle had just dropped off at the Twig on July 21.

The Twig, at 9706 State Road 64, Bradenton, is a nonprofit that has served the foster care community since 2016, at first through its Venice store before adding its East County store in 2021.

The stores resemble a boutique where toddlers through young adults can come to “shop” once a month, receiving seven items of clothing and shoes absolutely free.

Swann was so touched by the Twig’s mission that she originally began hosting her own “Sneakers Drive” each year, before last year when she began sharing that responsibility with the 124-member Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle, of which she is a member.

From July 14-31, the giving circle will collect sneakers and donations for its “Sneakin’ Back to School” Sneaker Drive. Before the final day, the club hopes to donate 400 pairs of shoes.

“I saw a unique opportunity,’ Swann said of starting the sneaker drive. “Many of these kids have been in horrible circumstances. Some arrive in care with all their things in a trash bag.”

She knew a lot of foster kids can’t afford new shoes or sneakers to wear to school.

“Shoes are not cheap, and kids can outgrow them in three months,” Swann said.

She also knew that one of the most important times of year to have new shoes was at the beginning of the school year.

Swann was asked about her favorite memory when it came to finding shoes for the first day of school.

“I can literally remember my dad (Roger O’Donnell) taking me shopping when I was 14,” she said. “He didn’t like to shop. But there were these black leather velvet oxfords, a cool version no doubt.

“Even at that age, I was adamant.”

She explained that she had to wear a school uniform and that shoes were the only form of self-expression in terms of attire.

IF THE SHOE FITS

What: Sneakin’ Back to School Sneaker Drive

Who: The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle

Where: The Twig, 9706 S.R. 64 E., Bradenton

When: The drive lasts until July 31

However, the particular pair of shoes they wanted couldn’t be found. Her father didn’t want to spend time in one store, and certainly not a string of stores.

“He sucked it up,” she said. “I wanted them, and he took me to stores to find them. We went into seven stores before we found them, and it was the best. When I went to school, I was rocking my uniform.”

Swann was accompanied to the Twig by Jennifer Alokeh and Kathy Hall of the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle. They also remember their searches for popular shoes before the start of the school year.

“I was a cheerleader, so I wore red Converse,” Hall said. “But parents only bought dresses (to wear to school) so my favorite shoes were blue suede shoes. Oh my!”

Alokeh remembered searching for Nikes and Reeboks.

“The girls wore high-tops with velcro,” she said, smiling at the memory. “The first day, you always wanted to see what the girls were wearing.”

Lindsey May is the Twig program coordinator at the East County out let. Like the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle members, she knows the importance of shoes when school starts.

“I wore uniforms, so shoes were the only way to express myself,” May said. “I liked simple Keds in simple colors. They had no support, and they didn’t do anything, but it was a way to express yourself. When I was 14, it was about self-image. It is even more important in today’s world.”

May knows that children in the child welfare system want to express themselves as well. But she said the likelihood of those children bringing the things they need with them when they go into the care system is slim.

“When they are being placed, they grab their PlayStations or their phones,” she said.

May said when the children become more relaxed in a safe envi ronment, their physical appearance begins to change, such as putting on some healthy weight, and they begin to care about their appearance.

“The financial impact of that can be huge,” May said.

The Twig helps them through the transition by providing them with the clothes they want and need. The

Benefits: The Twig, which serves the foster community How to donate: Go to TheTwigCares. com or call Julie Swann at 713-4432972.

Twig served 403 children between the two stores in June.

“I assume 403 pairs of shoes went out the door,” May said. “Going back to school, they want school clothes and shoes.” May said it is important they have some nice items when the school year begins.

“Make them comfortable and it helps their body self-image,” she said. “In confidence, new shoes can work wonders. We want them to feel they can conquer the world.”

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com

Senior Editor / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com

Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com

Staff Writer / Lesley Dwyer, LDwyer@ YourObserver.com

Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com

Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com

Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com

Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com

Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com

Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com

Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com

Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com

Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com

Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com

Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com

Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com

Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com

Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com

Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana

Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com

Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@YourObserver.com

Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

CEO / Matt Walsh

President / Emily Walsh

Vice President / Lisa Walsh

Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles

8130 Lakewood Main St., Suite D207 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-755-5357

YourObserver.com

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 ©

Little Free Libraries making a big impact

The smallish libraries have a great impact to the communities they serve.

We live in a community where we get used to some very great, big things.

By big, I mean really big.

Big parks, big festivals, big charity events.

Consider that much of it seems natural in an affluent community like Lakewood Ranch and vicinity.

It’s pretty darned nice, to be honest.

But your vision can become blurred to the point where it’s hard to recognize the little things. Perhaps it is your next-door neighbor bringing your trash can up to your garage door because you get home late from work.

Maybe it’s that little rock you found below one of your hedges that says, “Your smile is beautiful.”

It’s someone holding the door for you at the grocery store because you are loaded down. It can be those concerned calls you get because a loved one is in the hospital.

Or it can even be a library. A little library.

A fire early in the morning on July 5 consumed not only the Greenbrook Adventure Park pavilion but the Little Free Library that was placed under the pavilion by the Lakewood Ranch Little Free Library Club.

On a day-to-day basis, I doubt many people think of this club’s contribution to the community, with the exception of those families who have made a Little Free Library stop a part of their weekly routine.

I would admit, I haven’t given the Little Free Library much thought since the East County Observer ran a story about the new one in Greenbrook in April. I was concen-

trating on the big thing, which is the new Lakewood Ranch Library, a $17.3 million, 50,000-square-foot facility.

The big library will open late this year, and it will be heralded with marching bands and proclamations. And rightly so.

But that doesn’t diminish the worth of the Little Free Library, which often is the size of a very big medicine cabinet.

You’ve heard it before, it’s the thought, and the love, that goes into the construction and the maintenance of such a thing. Who would do it?

Certainly, the founder isn’t going to get a medal. There won’t be a Nobel Prize for Peace. You won’t increase your chance of hitting the lottery.

But ask Elizabeth Henderson, and she might be able to explain why she founded the Lakewood Ranch

Little Free Library club. Or better yet, go to Bob Gardner Park on White Eagle Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch and wait for a family to open the door of the Little Free Library that just opened there July 22. Watch and see the smiles of children as they pull books off the shelves. See the satisfaction of parents, knowing this little pearl of a gift has brought joy to their children.

The morning after the fire destroyed the Adventure Park pavilion, I talked with several families as they walked up to use the park. Most said the Little Free Library always was included in their visit. They worried whether it would be rebuilt, and they talked about their appreciation of those responsible for building and stocking it. Henderson and Arielle Monserez appreciated every comment. The

Greenbrook Little Free Library was dedicated to Irene Farese, Monserez’s mother. Farese, an avid reader, died of pancreatic cancer in June 2022. Many of the books in the Greenbrook Little Free Library were owned by Farese.

On July 22, the appreciation flowed as well. This time, the Little Free Library had been dedicated to Jai Menon, who died in 2016. He loved science fiction books, and the new Little Free Library had been stocked with those.

His brother, Neel Menon, cut the ribbon for the new Little Free Library, and his parents, Girish and Raji Menon, of Magnolia Ranch, watched with knowledge that this place of joy would always honor Jai.

After the ribbon cutting, little Ronan Knauf reached high to the bottom shelf of the Little Free Library, knocking over a container of pens, but securing a children’s

book.

“We’re new to this area,” said his mom, Savana’s Kristen Knauf, but he loves a library. And here, he gets to play outside, too. This is such a great asset to the community.”

Henderson has experienced a lot of emotions since the Greenbrook library opened, then burned, and the Bob Gardner Park library opened.

“This is the true sense of community,” Henderson said as she looked around at about 50 people who came to celebrate the opening of another Little Free Library.

So onward she goes, with the plans for another Little Free Library to open in the Country Club East/ Edgewater park in August. She also noted that the Adventure Park Little Free Library already has been rebuilt and will be ready to open whenever the Adventure Park pavilion is rebuilt.

Considering what an important asset the pavilion was to Greenbrook residents, that shouldn’t be too long.

They only had a few months to fall in love with their Little Free Library, and now those who live in the neighborhoods surrounding Bob Gardner Park are likely to do the same.

When they do, they will see a little plague at the top center of the Little Free Library. It reads, “Jai. Always and Forever in our hearts.” On second thought, perhaps it is not such a little thing.

MAILBOXES

For more than 70 years, Kelly’s Roast Beef has been the staple of the North Shore of Boston, renowned for its thinly sliced “melt-in-your-mouth” roast-beef sandwiches and generous platters of Fresh New England seafood.

LETTERS

County should do checks on stormwater management

Stormwater management and retention ponds are essential, but they have been neglected in my neighborhood in Lakewood Ranch.

The ponds are created to manage stormwater runoff from mainly roofs, as they are in my development. The stormwater runoff is carried by pipe to the pond. This guttering system, including the downspouts and the swale drain, are components of the system.

This water utilities system was built to function as a stormwater management plan. They won’t function, though, if you remove parts of the system, such as the swale pipe, which was removed in my system.

I’ve been told the swale pipe is a hassle to clean due to debris from the trees clogging it. However, when that is done, the stormwater system is unable to operate as intended. This problem has yet to be corrected at my home.

The water floods under my bedroom window instead of away from the foundation of my home. My roof is 18 years old and it is not scheduled to be replaced until 2025. On the east and west side of my building, there is no gutter along the top of the roof at all. Why the condo was built with rain gutters only on the north and the south side is a mystery.

That flaw in design likely affects the environment.

Stormwater runoff is required by the county to be routed and controlled.

In March 2020, my husband and I installed our own rain gutter system that included two down spouts. This was done at our own expense and was at the entrance to our unit and approximately 20 feet from the pond. We were suffering from a large infestation of mosquitoes before we installed it. They were harboring in high bushes against my foundation wall.

Stormwater runoff had been pouring off the condo with no means of control or path since 2005. Our guttering contractor took pictures and noted a serious

problem. The aluminum fascia was not tall enough and funneling water into the building.

The main problem here is our environment, and water quality is being abused and damaged. There needs to be an overall assessment by a private independent engineering firm when it comes to building homes in our area. This is a very serious situation and our government agencies should oversee these systems.

Another idiot driver on our roadways

I read your comments about drivers on State Road 70. I wanted to relay a S.R. 70 experience I had a few months ago. It was mid-A.M. on a middle-of-the-week day when I turned left onto S.R. 70 heading west from our Panther Ridge home. Within a half-mile, I ended up behind half-a-dozen cars that were stacked up behind a slow moving truck. Within a few minutes, there were another six cars behind me.  At the time, there were two or three cars heading east. I happened to look in the rear view mirror and saw yet another idiot in his dually pickup truck coming up fast behind all of us heading west in the eastbound lane. He was intent on passing all of us, when we saw a car coming in the eastbound lane.

I, and the car behind me, pulled completely off into the grass so the idiot would have a place to bail out in the westbound lane, which he did only very briefly before he quickly swerved back into the eastbound lane and passed all the rest of the cars/truck in front of me.  He was going too fast to get a plate number, but I called the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office anyway. Not much they could do, so I’m sure that idiot is likely still out there. It took several minutes for my breathing to return to normal.

< Q+A: Broadway flop became fodder for Annie Morrison’s one-woman show. 16

PAINTING MARATHON: Sarasota artist Beck Lane shows love for Frida Kahlo. 14 >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Building a better ballerina

e are artists. We have to give illusions. We have to give the illusion that we’re floating across the stage,” Jennifer Welch Cudnik tells the young women in leotards and pink tights elevated by toe shoes as they rehearse in a studio near the SarasotaBradenton International Airport.

It’s 3 p.m. on a Friday summer day. The Sarasota Ballet School’s Summer Intensive recital is still two weeks away, so it’s forgivable if the buzz in the building on Tallevast Road surrounds a student trip the next day to entertainment wonderland Orlando.

While Welch Cudnik plays classical music on her iPhone, her young students appear mature and sophisticated as they bourrée, taking tiny steps across the room with gracefully outstretched arms. The next minute, they look like children as they drop their ballerina masks, lean casually against the barre and await Welch Cudnik’s next instructions.

The new principal of the Sarasota Ballet School knows what it’s like to have one foot in the world of adolescent hijinks and the other clad in a toe shoe, ready to pirouette on stage in front of adoring audiences.

A native of St. Louis, Welch Cudnik was just 15 when she moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet, the education arm of the New York City Ballet. There she learned the repertory of iconic choreographer George Balanchine, or “Mr. B” for short, at the school that has produced ballet luminaries such as Suzanne Farrell, Jacques d’Amboise, Gelsey Kirkland and Darci Kistler.

At 46, Welch Cudnik is remarkably youthful. In her workout gear, she looks as slim and toned as her young students. Unlike the stereotype of the intimidating ballet mistress of yore, keeping time by rapping a cane and barking directions, Welch Cudnik comes across more like an older sorority sister.

She and her family, including a daughter studying at the Sarasota School of Ballet’s five-week summer session, have only been in town a few weeks. Welch Cudnik took over from the school’s previous principal, Sarah Krazit, who wanted to focus more on her family as they relocated from the Gulf Coast.

When Welch Cudnik was studying ballet in New York as a teen, she says she was in a “safe bubble” because she was living in a dorm with other dancers and had chaperones. The real test of her maturity came later,

A new principal takes the barre at the Sarasota Ballet School.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

IF YOU GO

‘IN MOTION,’ SHOWCASE OF SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL SUMMER INTENSIVE

When: 7:30 p.m. on July 27-28, 2 p.m. on July 28-29

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $30-$40

Info: Visit SarasotaBallet.org.

when she was 19 and moved to Phil-

adelphia on her own to dance with what was then called the Pennsylvania Ballet. (The company rebranded in 2021 as the Philadelphia Ballet.)

“I wasn’t ready,” she confesses. Nevertheless, she made it through, dancing with both the Pennsylvania Ballet and St. Louis Ballet for a decade. Given the level of professionalism that she embraced at such a young age, it’s not surprising to hear that Welch Cudnik took a break from dance for five years.

Originally, Welch Cudnik believed

she had quit but ballet called her back. She earned a master’s of fine arts in dance at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She has been involved in arts education for more than two decades, teaching in universities, dance schools, charter and public schools and community arts centers. Along the way, she had two daughters, now 13 and 8, and also cofounded and directed the nonprofit Ballet Initiative. Welch Cudnik came to the attention of the Sarasota Ballet and its education director, Christopher Hird,

and Deirdre Miles Burger, assistant education director, through her work at the Center for Creative Arts in St. Louis. COCA holds large auditions where students from the area can try out in front of representatives of dance companies and schools from all over the country.

“It was really through Dede that Jennifer came to Sarasota,” said Jason Ettore, Sarasota Ballet general manager, in an interview along with Welch Cudnik, in a computer lab where Sarasota Ballet School students do their homework during the academic year.

Timing and chemistry aside, one of the reasons Welch Cudnik landed her new job is that she is a certified teacher in the American Ballet Theatre national training curriculum. The program has been used by the Sarasota Ballet School since the 2020-21 season, pandemic notwithstanding.

Designed for all ages and skill levels, the ABT curriculum has been considered the gold standard for ballet training since 2006, when an act of Congress made the American Ballet Theatre the country’s national ballet company.

For students with their sights on a dance career, the Sarasota Ballet runs the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. It is overseen by Barbieri, a former prima ballerina with The Royal Ballet and assistant director of the Sarasota Ballet. During the 2023-24 academic year, 160 students in total are expected at the Sarasota Ballet School and the Conservatory.

While the nearly 200 students between 11 and 18 in the Sarasota Ballet School’s summer intensive get a rigorous training in nationally accepted ballet basics, they are also exposed to other dance styles like jazz funk and hip hop.

A partnership with Ringling College of Art and Design allows them to live in dorm rooms with fellow students, gaining some independence and allowing them to build social skills sometimes lacking in today’s tech-obsessed youth.

The daughter of two teachers — her mom taught English and her dad taught history — Welch Cudnik has

strong ideas about who can study dance. Asked to define her philosophy, she declares, “Anyone can learn ballet, from 2 to 82.” To be sure, she’s not saying it’s easy; she’s saying it can be done.

In addition to teaching the ABT curriculum, Welch Cudnik has served as a consultant to families whose children want to pursue dance training and careers. She keeps in touch with dozens of students and their parents via text, phone and email.

Her view of the ballet community is expansive and inclusive. In their interview, both she and Ettore bemoaned the fact that many young men won’t pursue the discipline because of stereotypes about masculinity, despite the strength, grace and coordination it fosters.

Between the rigors of the ABT curriculum and the breakneck pace of the summer intensive, there’s still room for fun. Welch Cudnik encourages her students to have a playful streak. To teach one young dancer how the proper way to bend sideways, she tells them, “Just think, ‘I’m a little teapot,’” quoting the childhood nursery rhyme as she demonstrates the correct motion.

Welch Cudnik’s talents as a choreographer will be on display during “In Motion,” the recital for the Summer Intensive program on July 27-29, where one of her new works will be performed.

The show will include new choreography by Sarasota Ballet principal dancer Maximiliano Iglesias and Assistant Ballet Master Octavio Martin.

Also on the bill is “Concerto in D” by Ricardo Graziano, the ballet’s resident choreographer, and “An American Hymn” by Miles Burger. Principal dancer Macarena Gimenez will perform excerpts from “Coppélia.”

For the love of Frida

Beck

Fifty-five.

That’s the number of oil portraits that Beck Lane plans to paint of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Why 55? That’s the number of selfportraits that Kahlo created during her 47-year lifetime.

With prominent eyebrows and facial hair above her lip, her face framed by braids pinned to the top of her head and attired in her signature peasant grab, Kahlo would become one of the world’s most recognizable female artists. (Photographer Georgia O’Keeffe is also a contender.)

Along with Our Lady of Guadalupe, Kahlo is an icon of Mexico. Her likeness adorns everything from tote bags to T-shirts to a new line of shoes from Tom’s, the do-good footwear company.

“I’m not painting her because she’s famous,” volunteers Sarasota artist Lane in an interview at Starbuck’s on Fruitville Road.

Lane made time for coffee after holding a painting demonstration in the art gallery at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, where some of the Frida paintings are on display until Aug. 18.

Lane said she chose Kahlo as a subject for her latest portrait series because she uses photographs to paint and likes those taken from 1850 to 1950.

According to Lane, there are about 5,000 photographs of Kahlo in the public domain, providing no shortage of inspiration.

Lane is a native of Cape Cod who came to Sarasota seven years ago; Kahlo died in the Mexico City house (“Casa Azul”) where she was born. But the two artists have something in common.

After being impaled by a pole in a bus accident in 1925, Kahlo was confined to her bed as she underwent many surgeries. To pass the time, she began painting with the aid of a lap easel and an overhead mirror in the canopy of her bed.

Like Kahlo, Lane committed herself to art while bed-ridden.

After graduating high school, Lane studied art at the now defunct Vesper George School of Art in Boston. She dropped out to work as a florist and in retail, which required heavy lifting. After her tendons tore away from her elbows, Lane had multiple surgeries to regain use of her limbs.

For both Kahlo and Lane, painting wasn’t merely a means of self-

IF YOU GO

BECK LANE’S ‘55 FRIDA PROJECT’

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. By appointment Tuesday through Friday. Through Aug. 18

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota

Tickets: Free Info: Call 941-371-4974. Visit UUCSarasota.com.

expression during convalescence; the act represented the determination to survive.

“I used to paint like this,” Lane says, holding a straw in the crook of her elbow to mimic how she inserted her brush into her braces because she couldn’t move her fingers. “I couldn’t do it for very long, maybe 15 seconds at a time. I had to plan how I was going to do it,” she says.

Like many female artists, Kahlo and Lane weren’t taken seriously. During her lifetime, Kahlo painted primarily for her own satisfaction and for the enjoyment of her family and friends. In the public eye, her personal, self-referential art was eclipsed by the giant murals with political themes painted by her husband Diego Rivera, who was 20 years older.

Kahlo didn’t become a global sensation until decades after her death in 1954. Her fame gained momentum following the release of Hayden Herrera’s 1983 biography about Kahlo.

A 2002 Hollywood movie starring Salma Hayek brought Fridamania into full bloom. In 2021, Kahlo’s painting, “Diego and I,” set a record for a Latin American artist when it sold for $34.9 million at Sotheby’s.

For her part, Lane knew she wanted to be an artist when she was a child. “One of my earliest memories is of drawing a seagull and telling my mother I was going to be an artist,” she recalls.

While she was clear on her career path, Lane didn’t take herself or other women artists seriously for a long time. She bought into the misogynistic stereotypes that dominated the art world. “I didn’t think much of

women artists,” she says. “I thought they were second-class.”

Still, the art scene of New York City beckoned. Artists like Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and JeanMichel Basquiat had taken their art to the streets and factory lofts, following in the footsteps of pop art pioneer Andy Warhol. Lane moved to the “City” when she was 48.

Lane exhibited her work in two solo shows in New York City and sold her paintings to far-flung collectors, thanks to a an international gallery. But it wasn’t until she was injured that she made a vow to herself to become a full-time artist.

She’s had some help on her journey. Lane’s sister, Melissa Voigt, senior development officer for the Sarasota Opera, helps write press releases and get the word out about Lane’s art on social media platforms.

In a town filled with professional artists, Lane understands the importance of connecting with potential buyers in person. A self-described hermit who likes to walk at night when everyone else is home, Lane does emerge from seclusion to attend events at Art Ovation hotel and popup shows.

She lives simply, riding a newly acquired scooter she has dubbed “Speed Racer” from her live/work space near Stickney Point to and from downtown.

Mostly, she paints. “My purpose is painting,” Lane declares.

Right now, Lane’s working on No. 19 of her Frida project, which she began last year. The canvases are mosaic-like, with bold brush strokes of color forming images of Kahlo in various poses.

Lane’s excited because one of her Fridas may have found a buyer in Mexico. “Wouldn’t it be great if Frida got to go home?” Lane says.

In Florida, Lane’s work is on display at Chasen Galleries in Sarasota and blu Egg Interiors in Fort Lauderdale. You can also find videos of Lane painting on YouTube and other social media outlets.

While Frida is her passion right now, Lane is also fascinated with another female artist, 94-year-old Yayoi Kusama. A native of Japan, Kusama dyes her hair (or wears a

wig) of red-orange and creates multimedia works, including sculpture, painting and performance.

Having packed up the Fridas she was working on for the painting demonstration in the back of a friend’s car, Lane pulls out her cellphone to reveal photos of her paintings of Kusama, including one of the artist as a child.

“She’s the jewel of Japan,” Lane exults, noting her goal is to have one of her Kusama portraits hanging in the Kusama Museum in Tokyo.

After years of tempering her expectations, Lane is thinking big. What about a Frida exhibit in Mexico or Santa Fe, ground zero in the U.S. for Fridamania? Told that Santa Fe has more than 200 art galleries, many of them on Canyon Road, Beck pulls out a notebook and pen from her backpack. “Is that spelled C-AN-Y-O-N Road?” Lane asks before jumping on her scooter.

Then she heads down Fruitville Road toward her studio, where more Fridas are moving from the realm of Lane’s imagination to the canvas.

Beck Lane

“I’m not painting her because she’s famous.”

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

THE SURFER BOYS

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1265 First St.

$18

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

From the group that brought you “The Jersey Tenors” comes a tribute to the band that took America on a “Surfin’ Safari” in the early 1960s.

DIVAS THREE

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $18 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Three female vocalists present four decades of songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and others who have been dubbed “diva.” Runs through Sept. 3.

PATRICK GARRITY

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

$25

Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

A veteran of CBS “Comedy Night School,” McGarrity riffs on what it’s like to serve in the armed forces, growing up with a big brother and why the Irish don’t “trash talk.” Runs through July 30.

FRIDAY

‘FOLKTALE AND MOVEMENT’

6:30 p.m. at Hermitage Palm HouseStudio, 6660 Manasota Key Road,Englewood

DON’T MISS ‘BLACK PEARL SINGS!’

“Black Pearl Sings” tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a Library of Congress musicologist who wants to record slave-era music and an African American prisoner who has the knowledge needed for her project.

IF YOU GO

When: Through Aug. 6

Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1265 First St.

Tickets: $25 Info: FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

OUR PICK SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

Circus fans of all ages can experience the best of the circus arts, including hand balancers, clowns and aerial rope artists at affordable prices, thanks to a partnership between The Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling.

IF YOU GO

When: Through Aug. 12

Where: Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Tickets: $15-$20 Info: CircusArts.org.

Free with $5 registration fee

Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Choreographer Christopher Williams and dance collaborator Caitlin Scranton hold an open rehearsal and a conversation about Williams’ current work, a twist on a classic folktale.

LARRY & JEANNIE

7 p.m. at Centennial Park, Venice

Free Visit VisitVeniceFl.org/Friday-NightConcert-Series.

Larry & Jeannie bill themselves as Tampa Bay’s “premier classic acoustic folk/rock duo.” Find out why at this free concert.

TUESDAY DIEGO FIGUEIREDO

7:30 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$28 Visit WSLR.org/fogartyville.

Grammy award-winning Diego Figueiredo draws from his homeland of Brazil’s musical heritage and the eclectic history of jazz with his vocals and acoustic guitar.

WEDNESDAY

‘A COMEDY OF TENORS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Set in 1930s Paris, “A Comedy of Tenors” is a romp that follows a producer and an Italian superstar. Runs through Aug. 20.

Connect,

Annie Morrison still rolling along

Look up“multitalented” in the dictionary and there’s probably a picture of Ann Morrison. The Sarasota powerhouse has entertained locally, nationally and globally in a host of performances. “Merrily We Roll Along” was one of them. Morrison was part of the cast at the 1981 Broadway premiere. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s time-bending musical seemed like the perfect equation. But it added up to a colossal flop. Flop or not, Morrison had a blast. She tells her tale and sings some of the musical’s songs in “Merrily from Center Stage,” her original, oneperson cabaret show, for which she’s seeking venues to continue performing. In the following conversation, which has been edited, she talks about it.

Where’d you get the idea for “Merrily from Center Stage”?

(The documentary) “The Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened” is a treasure. But (it) ignored the six weeks of rehearsals. Blake Walton, my creative consultant, suggested that I create my own show.

Please set the Wayback Machine for 1981, New York City and “Merrily We Roll Along.” When did you come on board?

I was the last actor to be cast. The final part of my audition was for Stephen Sondheim on April 9 — which happens to be my birthday.

At that point, the musical was still in flux, right?

Absolutely. When a show’s going straight to Broadway, the workshop process takes place during rehearsals. That’s the focus of my show.

What was that like?

See my show! For now, let’s say it was just a joy working with two musical theater gods: Stephen Sondheim, the composer and lyricist, and Hal Prince, the director.

I’m picturing Stephen Sondheim walking around fizzing over with ideas. He was shaping the musical in real time.

Exactly! You get that from the documentary; he talks about how he goes into many shows with all the songs already written. In “Merrily,” they weren’t, and he needed more time. That’s why we kept postponing our rehearsals, previews and the opening date.

Why did “Merrily We Roll Along” flop?

I’d say script problems, which the musical inherited from the original 1933 play.

Where have you performed “Merrily from Center Stage”?

I did it at 54 Below in New York City and freeFall Theatre St. Petersburg, when it was 75 minutes. I took it to The Players in Sarasota and fleshed it out. I performed the longer version at Crazy Coqs in London and reprised it at freeFall.

What’s next for “Merrily from Center Stage”?

Right now, the goal is to take it to colleges and other theaters. There’s also talk of filming it. I originally thought my show at 54 Below was going to be one night only. I had no idea it was going to take off.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Delivery by ‘angels’

After missing a connecting flight back from a vacation to North Carolina, Ronald and Marcia Owens got off a plane at 1 a.m. on July 18 in Tampa instead of the originally scheduled Sarasota.

They drove home to Lakewood Ranch, managed a few hours sleep and pulled into the Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee parking lot only 10 minutes late for their volunteer shift, both exhausted and smiling.

“We try — other than if we’re going to be away for a week or two — to plan our appointments around delivering meals,” Marcia said. “I’m not going to schedule a hair or doctor’s appointment for 11 o’clock on a Tuesday.”

Ronald just celebrated his 80th birthday a few weeks ago, and Marcia will join him the first week in August.

The couple said they wanted to redefine their retirement, so they’ve been making meal deliveries for over 13 years now.

Marcia is a former registered nurse, and Ronald was a city planner. Their former careers shine through when volunteering. On July 18, the couple allowed the East County Observer to

ride along with them on deliveries.

During the shift, Marcia, the caregiver, asked how everyone was feeling and cracked a few jokes. Ronald, the natural organizer, checked the clipboard full of addresses and kept the deliveries running on time.

Ronald said deliveries take anywhere from 45 minutes up to two hours depending on the conversations that day.

“We just went to deliver meals, and then we found that after you’ve been delivering the meals to people for a period of time, you build a relationship and you almost become like part of their family,” Ronald said. “Many times, they don’t have anybody else to talk to, so you get to learn their complaints and their aches and their ills and when things are good and when they are bad. That kind of surprised us after it happened.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Owens load the back of their Subaru with boxes of meals, coolers full of milk and loaves of bread. They also fill in as needed when Meals on Wheels is short volunteers. The Owens have delivered to some of the same clients for up to five years.

The couple has been delivering meals to Geraldine Lewis for three

years. After receiving her meals, Lewis showed the Owens a letter she’d received but didn’t quite understand. They couldn’t solve her problem, but they took time to read the letter and were able to guide Lewis in the right direction.

“They go away, but they always come back,” Lewis said, referring to the Owens’ recent vacation. “They’re two angels.”

There’s a level of trust that builds over time.

“Years ago, we had a blind lady on our route, and she’d have us fill out checks for utilities,” Marcia said.

While on another stop in the parking lot of an apartment complex, a homeless man approached the couple after watching them take boxes out of their hatchback. A sticker on their SUV also identifies them as Meals on Wheels volunteers.

The man asked if they had more food. Without extra meals to offer, Ronald gave him a door hanger with a telephone number to call.

“We also operate the Food Bank of Manatee, and we distribute 3.2 million pounds of food into our community,” CEO Maribeth Phillips said. “We operate a half-day dining program for seniors over 60 who just

want to get out of the house, who might live alone, for socialization and meeting new friends.”

Phillips marvels at the kind of connections that are made. She told the story of two widows who happened to sit next to each other during a meal and realized their husbands used to work together in New York City.

The services aren’t limited to lowincome individuals.

“It might be the elderly man whose wife did all the cooking, and she has passed away or is in a nursing home,” Marcia said.

For the Owens’ regular inner city routes, money plays a part. Zellie Saintinord is 86 years old and has been receiving meals for 10 years.

“Everything is different. My generation is gone,” he said. “Everything is very expensive.”

Saintinord is a creature of habit. He takes solitary walks every day regardless of the weather or how he’s feeling. He said it ensures his body stays limber. And once a week, when he hears the rap on his door and Marcia shouting, “Meals,” it assures him he’s cared for.

“Jesus says everyone has to love one another,” Saintinord said. “The Owens are nice people.”

Lakewood Ranch residents Ronald and Marcia Owens have been making deliveries for Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee for 13 years.

On the job at camp

students with disabilities to learn some basic vocational skills and see what possibilities exist in the local job market.

The current unemployment rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is 3.6%, but for people with disabilities, that number more than doubles to almost 8%.

While The Haven cares for, educates and houses people with disabilities, it also provides job opportunities for any client who wants to work through Haven Industries.

“We’ve got a little over 120 people that we employ,” Chief Operating Officer Alison Thomas said July 20. “One of our biggest expenses here at the agency is our client payroll.”

But Haven Industries isn’t the only place hiring, so staff members created a four-week camp for high school

A dozen students attended the camp. They toured area manufacturing companies and received hands-on training, learning how to screen a window at PGT Custom Windows and Doors and how to make a tumbler at Tervis.

For the first two weeks, students worked on communication and teamwork skills that built up to a two-week internship with PPi Technologies Group. PPi makes stand-up pouches for food, drinks and other products.

“Campers worked with a few of the employees at PPi to sort the product, perform quality control, package the product and box the product,” said Don Herndon, The Haven’s director of mission services. “I can tell you this camp was the best summer camp for students with disabilities that I have seen in all my years of working with neurodiverse individuals.”

A four-week camp introduced students to job opportunities with local manufacturers.

Reading makes splash at YMCA

Miles Garvin and Luca Montovani gathered all the Dr. Seuss books they could find.

One by one, Garvin, who is 7, and Montovani, who is 8, read each of the books during the YMCA Summer Camp July 19.

“We want to read all of them,” Garvin said with a smile.

Garvin and Montovani decided their favorite was “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” but “Wacky Wednesday” was a close second.

“‘Wacky Wednesday’ is just funny, but I like the rhyming words in ‘Red Fish, Blue Fish,’” Garvin said.

While Garvin and Montovani were reading, Kaytlyn Fleming, who is 7, was getting ready for her favorite camp activity — swimming.

She couldn’t wait to get outside and into the pool. She put on her goggles and immediately went under water.

Reading and swimming were just two of the many activities available during the camp, which runs through Aug. 4. Other activities include arts and crafts, sports, cooking, science experiments and more.

Silvia M. Ferretti, D.O.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Senior Vice President, Provost and Dean, College of Medicine

Congratulations Dr. Silvia M. Ferretti

On being awarded the Robert A. Kistner Award from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)

AACOM represents 40 accredited osteopathic colleges and 60 campuses which includes 35,000 students across the United States, and the Kistner Award is presented annually to one individual in recognition of their significant contributions to osteopathic medical education throughout their careers.

About Dr. Silvia M. Ferretti

One of the founders of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The first woman to hold the position of dean of an osteopathic medical college. Longest serving dean in the history of the osteopathic profession.

Recipient of two Ebony Excellence awards from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania for outstanding community service and for academic/educational excellence.

Recipient of the Distinguished Pennsylvania Award from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Honored by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with an award for professional excellence and humanitarianism.

Named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, an honor given to extraordinary women for their outstanding service and contributions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ferretti’s work in service extends to the boards of multiple charitable organizations and chapters in Pennsylvania and nationally; and she supports a bevy of private and faith-based initiatives.

Country Club home tops sales at $2.4 million

Ahome in Country Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Stone River Gliders LLC sold the home at 6919 Westchester Circle to Ronald White and Robin Ruhnke, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.4 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 4,737 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2012.

SHOREVIEW

John and Stephanie Ann Dempsey sold their home at 7789 Mainsail Lane to Joel and Jennifer Tobiansky, of Sarasota, for $2 million. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,892 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,250,200 in 2021.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

John DeRisti III and David Dradransky, of Bradenton, sold their home at 753 Tailwind Place to John and Karin Koeppel, of Hamburg, New York, for $1.5 million. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,675 square feet of living area. It sold for $802,100 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB

Charles Winston and Laura Ward, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7505 Rigby Court to Christopher Lance Bullock, of Bradenton, for $1.4 million. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,535 square feet of living area. It sold for $877,500 in 2016.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Carolyn Reed Britton, trustee, and Larry Britton, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 5537 Mulligan Way to Timothy James Smith and Cami Lynn Smith, of Bradenton, for $1.1 million. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,449 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,900 in 2020.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Sharon Haag, of New Orleans, sold the home at 4315 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Robert and Ilene Patrick, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,474 square feet of living area.

4616 Barracuda LLC sold the home at 4616 Barracuda Drive to Manuel Dominguez and Gina Alfonso, of Miami, for $950,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,389 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,100 in 2021.

William John Ernest, trustee, of Summerville, South Carolina, sold the home at 4707 Clipper Drive to James Gold and Kathleen Bennis Gold, of Kure Beach, North Carolina, for $800,000. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,073 square feet of living area. It sold for $395,000 in 2013.

Tanner French, of Palmetto, sold his home at 4603 Third Ave. E. to Kadin Kerns and Dayle Hoffman, of Bradenton, for $777,000. Built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,016 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2020.

EDGEWATER Charles and Barbara Cogen, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6522 Waters Edge Way to Brian Gahr, trustee, of Chisago City, Minnesota, for $1,035,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,366 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2017.

Dennis Harrison, of Lakewood Ranch, sold his home at 8432 Sailing Loop to Patricia Alice Ryan, of

Lakewood Ranch, for $650,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,934 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,600 in 2002.

BRIDGEWATER

Scott and Bea Spoerl, of Sarasota, sold their home at 13006 Ramblewood Trail to Paul and Christina Mulligan, of Rensselaer, of New York, for $985,000. Built in 2014, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,419 square feet of living area. It sold for $454,200 in 2014.

WILTON CRESCENT

Timothy and Dolores LaBeau, of Milford, Michigan, sold their home at 7829 Wilton Crescent Circle to Russell Hausman, trustee, of University Park, for $925,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,227 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2022.

EATON PLACE

Justyn Seeberger, trustee, of Boca Raton, sold the home at 7530 Eaton Court to Elizabeth Berry, of University Park, for $815,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,488 square feet of living area. It sold for $310,000 in 1995.

ESPLANADE

Donald Haake and Patricia Phillips, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 12822 Del Corso Loop to Madrid Capital LLC for $790,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2021.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Robert Factor, of Tampa, sold the home at 934 Mangrove Edge Court to Yancy and Susan Stermer, of Bradenton, for $779,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths and 2,791 square feet of living area. It sold for $361,700 in 2013.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

Paul Gary Slavik and Melissa Bonilla, of Cumming, Georgia, sold their home at 322 167th Blvd. N.E. to Arlene and Lester Ward, of Bradenton, for $760,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,562 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,500 in 2013.

WATERLEFE

David Inman and Laurie StraussInman sold their home at 9826 Discovery Terrace to Olga WasowPatten and Troy Lee Patten, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,870 square feet of living area. It sold for $485,000 in 2021.

COUNTRY CREEK

Simon and Amy Barton sold their home at 14831 Seventh Ave. E. to Brian and Rachel Gaines, of Bradenton, for $685,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,699 square feet of living area. It sold for $282,000 in 2011.

STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE

HARBOUR

Susan Morrison, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7771 Camden Harbour Drive to Stephan Faine Strasser and Julie Kay Strasser, of Bradenton, for $680,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,339 square feet of living area. It sold for $466,300 in 2004.

Wilson and Sherry Gill, of Griffin, Georgia, sold their home at 8416 Eagle Isles Place to Sharon Haag, of Bradenton, for $445,000. Built in 2004, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,870 square feet of living area. It sold for $251,400 in 2004.

POLO RUN Robert Furfaro, of Lakewood Ranch, sold his home at 17111 Blue Ridge Place to Roger Charles Dycus and Kathryn Louise Dycus, of Westfield, Indiana, for $679,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2018.

CARLYLE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE

Deborah Fredericks, of Mineral Bluff, Georgia, sold her home at 6742 Carlyle Lane to Emilia Fayerman, of Sarasota, for $649,900. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,554 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2018.

Delthia Vilasuso, trustee, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, sold the home at 4948 Creekside Trail to Terry Forch, of Longboat Key, for $525,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,148 square feet of living area. It sold for $193,000 in 2001.

HARMONY Jason Roberts and Catherine Principe, of Independence, Oregon, sold their home at 11952 Brookside Drive to Alan and Carol Klingaman, of Lakewood Ranch, for $615,000.

Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,553 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2019.

CMFA LLC sold the home at 5715 Silverbridge Trail to Kara Marea Russo, of Sarasota, for $400,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,324 square feet of living area. It sold for $260,000 in 2020.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Joan Olsen Clowser, of Varina, North Carolina, sold her home at 167 Wandering Wetlands Circle to Randy and Julia Henkle, of Bradenton, for $612,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $314,300 in 2016.

RIDGE AT CROSSING CREEK

Bobby and Jillian Burnett, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4727 Creekridge Court to Joshua and Amanda Cohol, of Canfield, Ohio, for $585,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,642 square feet of living area. It sold for $562,800 in 2022.

GREENBROOK

David and Carole Luzio, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14015 Nighthawk Terrace to William and Maria Gomez, of Lakewood Ranch, for $570,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,239 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2007.

RIVER POINT OF MANATEE

Timothy and Sharon Colwell, of Taunton, England, sold their home at 3912 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Carol Anne Banks, of Flanders, New Jersey, for $565,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,681 square feet of living area. It sold for $242,000 in 2013.

DEL WEBB Gregory and Norine Minion, of Blawnox, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 6917 Hanover Court to David and Rosanne Schlein, of Williamsville, New York, for $547,500. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,395 square feet of living area. It sold for $303,600 in 2020.

Old Grove at Greenfield Plantation

Walter and Teresa Moss, of Bradenton, sold their home at 10441 Old Grove Circle to Paul Marrero and Brianna Garcia Marrero, of Bradenton, for $545,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,910 square feet of living area. It sold for $318,000 in 2018.

LAKE VISTA RESIDENCES

Patricia Wright, of Lakewood Ranch, sold her Unit F-402 condominium at 7604 Lake Vista Court to Stephen Gilman and Robert Mack,

of Lakewood Ranch, for $535,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,762 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2021.

WOODBROOK

Robert Ray Allen and Hope Allen, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6508 Pine Breeze Run to Judith Merkt, of Lakewood Ranch, for $520,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,744 square feet of living area. It sold for $202,000 in 2012.

SUMMERFIELD

Kevin and Gretchen Schreier, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6631 Meandering Way to Dennis Harrison, of Lakewood Ranch, for $515,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,728 square feet of living area. It sold for $288,000 in 2017.

Brent and Jennifer Barker, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6452 Fox Grape Lane to John Curington, of Lutz, for $510,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,109 square feet of living area. It sold for $142,700 in 1999.

Mirabella at Village Green

Ulrike Walker, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 1316 Calle Grand St. to Keith and Denise Goebel, of Bradenton, for $497,500. Built in 2017, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,525 square feet of living area. It sold for $335,300 in 2017.

COACH HOMES AT RIVER

STRAND Susan Card, of Gorham, Maine, sold her Unit 6401 condominium at 6814 Grand Estuary Trail to Paul and Dorothy Wiencek, of Bradenton, for $485,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $294,900 in 2018.

Fast Break

Former Lakewood Ranch

High outfielder Grant McCray had a tough start to the 2023 season with the High A-level Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants), but he has turned it around in July. Through July 23, McCray — who is ranked by MLB.com as the organization’s No. 5 overall prospect — is hitting .290, with six doubles, a triple and two home runs in 16 games this month. McCray, 22, is now hitting .246 for the season.

Michael Damiano sank a hole-in-one July 22 on the No. 4 hole of the King’s Dunes course at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. He used an 8-iron on the 122-yard hole.

UMR Sports is hosting a “Girls Night Out” pickleball event at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6. All skill levels are welcome. Registration is $20 per player. To register or for more information, visit UMRSports.com or text 737-0362.

Mary Gibbons (40) won the Nine Hole Women’s Golf Association individual low net event played July 20 on the front nine of Palm Aire Country Club’s Lakes course. Gibbons won a tiebreaker with Chris Dibble to take the event.

The Pickleball Club at Lakewood Ranch is hosting the Play for Life tournament series July 29. The event is for men’s and women’s doubles players at the 3.0 and 4.0 levels of the sports. The event starts at 3 p.m. Registration is $60 per player, with a portion of the proceeds going to Play for Life, an organization that serves local youth, veterans and first responders. Members can register in the Club app, while nonmembers can call 271-4444.

THE STRENGTH TO PERSEVERE

bers struggling when going against the Buckeyes’ best. It has been on Smith’s mind a lot, in fact. He was determined to make the 2023 camp different.

Smith said he now feels comfortable with the details of wrestling and the flow of a match, going from one move to the next without having to think about what to do. That comfort level showed itself at the 2023 camp: Smith said that instead of getting beaten consistently like in 2022, he was able to hold his own.

Smith said the Buckeyes coaches would place each wrestler in a given situation that the wrestler would have to fight through, like needing to score a given amount of points, or having 10 seconds to get out of a hold.

Smith said these exercises were important training for scenarios the wrestlers will eventually experience in a live match. He said the coaches pushed the Lakewood Ranch students to their limits, which he appreciated. And as Smith promised to himself, he got revenge for being pushed around in 2022.

Smith wrestled well against Buckeyes rising senior Nicholas Boykin and rising sophomore Mike Misita.

“With a little hunger and drive, you can do a lot of things,” Smith said.

Smith said one of his dreams is to wrestle for Ohio State. While he has yet to be recruited by the Buckeyes, Smith said Ohio State coach Tom Ryan has been complimentary of his skills. Smith knows there is still more work to be done, as someone coming into the sport relatively late in his career.

It was over in a flash.

Lakewood Ranch High wrestler Nate Smith, then a junior, found himself in the school’s Class 3A regional finals match in the 285 pound division on Feb. 25. Smith (40-8) was taking on Palmetto Ridge High senior Austin Foye (41-3).

The two wrestlers were comparably skilled, but 57 seconds into their match, Smith suffered an injury to his ring finger. It would later be diagnosed as a slight compound fracture, requiring stitches and glue to fix. Smith was forced to drop the match — and miss the state tournament, held a week later in Kissimmee.

“It hurt,” Smith said. “To know that I was a week away from competing for a title, it was hard, mentally. It showed me how fast things can be taken from you.”

Smith, now a rising senior, said he’s determined to make the most of his final season of high school wrestling and is hopeful to continue in college upon graduation. To that end, Smith — alongside his Mustangs teammates — has been putting in extra work this summer against some difficult opponents.

Lakewood Ranch High took a trip to Ohio State University for some intense workouts July 9-13. It was Smith’s second time going to a Buckeyes camp. Smith said the 2022 camp taught him how to be a real wrestler, as opposed to simply being someone big and strong. But he also remem-

THE TOP LEVEL

“I got ate up last year,” Smith said. “They beat me up good. I remember waking up super sore every day. I knew that if I wanted to compete with them, I’d have to have a great season and get better and then come back and show them.”

The 2023 camp didn’t start with one-on-one work each day. First, the wrestlers went for a mile-anda-half run from the athletic dorms, where the wrestlers stayed, to the school’s football stadium. Once there, Smith said, the wrestlers did eight laps around the football field, then six 100-yard sprints, then six 50-yard sprints. Once done, the wrestlers ran back to the dorms — where they had a few hours to recover before two afternoon sessions on the wrestling mats.

SOLID LESSONS It was in those afternoon sessions that Smith showed everyone how much he had learned in the last 12 months. Smith only started wrestling as a sophomore, on the advice of wrestling Coach Pat Ancil, after a background in football.

For Smith, last offseason, includ ing the OSU camp, was about learn ing technique.

Getting to train with Ohio State University wrestlers and coaches means Lakewood Ranch’s wrestlers are getting top-level experience. Under head coach Tom Ryan, a two-time former All-American with the University of Iowa, for the last 17 seasons, Ohio State has become a powerhouse program. The Buckeyes won the NCAA title in 2015 and have finished as the runner-up five times (2008, 2009, 2017, 2018 and 2019), along with a third-place finish in 2016. Nate Smith loves the challenge of competing against the best.

“If I want to be recruited to (NCAA) DI, I’m going to need a better mindset,” Smith said. “I need to

SEE SMITH, PAGE 27

Ohio State wrestling Coach Tom Ryan and Lakewood Ranch rising senior Nate Smith trained together at the Buckeyes’ camp July 9-13. Smith said his dream is to wrestle for Ohio State. File photos Lakewood Ranch rising senior wrestler Nate Smith said the team’s trip to Ohio State showed him how much work it takes to get to the elite level of the sport and inspired him to work harder.

After an injury shut down his state title dreams as a junior, Nate Smith is preparing for his last chance as a senior.

“To know that I was a week away from competing for a title, it was hard, mentally. It showed me how fast things can be taken from you.”

Nate Smith

Paddlers share dragon boat passion

She speaks softer, in short bursts.

She’ll tell you about the 2022 Club Crew World Championships, during which she and her Nathan Benderson Park Senior B paddling teammates took first place in the 2,000-meter category (10:20.34), among other strong performances.

hard for it. And she (Long) is amazing. That was definitely the highlight.”

share and celebrate the sport that has come to mean so much to so many of them.

Silverthorn, for instance, only started in the sport three years ago on the recommendation of friends. She considered herself to be a fairly athletic person before, having competed in sports in school growing up and following a workout routine as an adult. She also considered herself a “competitive spirit,” not just in athletics, but in all aspects. Still, nothing in her life properly prepared her for the intensity of dragon boat.

“You have to learn the proper form,” Silverthorn said. “Our bodies are not equipped to start doing this right off the bat. It takes a lot of time on the water, a lot of practice with a lot of great coaches. It was more intimidating than I thought it would be.”

But Silverthorn is someone who likes to work toward a goal, so she did not quit. Small steps lead to big rewards, she said. For her, that reward she was chasing was a spot at Worlds. Three years after she started her journey, she got there. That’s why this sport stirs emotions like it does in Silverthorn: All goals within it are achievable with practice and patience. It might not be easy, but that makes the rewards that much sweeter.

Claire Keenan has been in the sport for longer than Silverthorn, starting in 2013. Back then, there was only the Survivors in Sync breast cancer survivor team based out of Benderson Park, so Keenan joined the Anna Maria Island team, and she switched to Benderson Park once it added its NBP Dragons team.

adrenaline rush that I like. You know, we’re not young chicks anymore. It’s great to be in your 60s and still be able to feel the power of your body. It’s a great buzz.”

Keenan said she tries to fit in practice on one of the park’s solo outrigger canoes three times a week, at least, to keep up her strength and cardio. For Keenan, a medal around the neck is a fine prize, but it’s not why she’s in the sport. She prefers to see her team’s time drop, and even when that does not happen, she can get satisfaction out of knowing she put in a good day of work.

Both Keenan and Silverthorn were part of the NBP Dragon Women’s Senior B team at the 2023 Club Crew Nationals. Among other results, the squad took first place in the 200 meter sprint race on July 21 (53.638). With coaches like Long and facilities like the ones offered at Benderson Park, it seems easy to take the success of the park’s teams for granted. But it’s paddlers will never do that. To them, this sport is more than the final results. It’s a journey to doing things they hardly thought possible.

“When you’re older, it can seem like your life is predictable,” Keenan said. “This sport gives you a new aspect.

“Take it slow. Take it easy. You can’t start and expect to be doing this (at a national level) on the first day. But take your time and persist, and you’ll make it.”

For full results from the 2023 Club Crew Nationals, visit IDBFChamps.org/2023Sar. For more information on dragon boat, visit NathanBendersonPark.org/Paddling.

Ask Evelyn Silverthorn about the best moment from her dragon boat paddling career, and her expression changes.  She smiles, but also tries to stop the tears welling in her eyes.

It was not the race itself that stirred emotions in Silverthorn, but the ceremony afterward, when head coach Angela Long placed a gold medal around her neck.

“It brings a lot of pride,” said Silverthorn, who is 55. “We worked

The 2023 Club Crew National Championships, held July 21-23 at Benderson Park and hosted by the United States Dragon Boat Federation, does not have the global flavor of Club Crew Worlds, which are held every two years, but it is meaningful all the same. For lovers of the sport, the Club Crew Nationals is not only a chance to prove your boat’s strength against other top clubs, but it is also a chance to

Keenan was a runner in her youth but never expected to fall head over heels for a new sport at this point in her life. Keenan has been focused on her family, she said, and watching her children grow. Now that they have, she has time to spend on herself — but even she is surprised that this is how she’s spending it.

“I never expected to travel (for events) or for it to be so central to my life,” Keenan said. “It’s the

control my thought process when I wrestle. I can’t be thinking about other stuff. I need to focus. And if I mess up, I need to turn my gears and figure out another move, because the first move wasn’t working.”

BIG SENIOR SEASON

A stellar senior season could be what Smith needs to reach the DI level of the sport, which is motivating him even further. It remains to be seen in which weight class Smith will wrestle in 2023-24. Smith said he’s currently at approximately 250 pounds, and he and his coaches are deciding between going back up to 285 pounds or cutting even more weight to reach the 215-pound division. Smith said he’s open to either direction, though he believes staying at 285 would give him the advantage of knowing

exactly how his body moves at that weight, giving him full control in every match.

Regardless of weight class, the only thing on Smith’s mind on Nov.

6 — the first day of official wrestling practice per the Florida High School Athletic Association — will be winning a state title.

No Mustang has ever taken home a gold medal in the sport, and only two East County wrestlers, both Braden River Pirates, have done so overall

— Brendan Bengtsson in 2018 at 285 pounds and Jesse Colas last season at 182 pounds.

Smith is determined to give it his best shot in 2023. Now an experienced wrestler, Smith said his finger injury is behind him — and his best is still to come.

“I’m going for it,” Smith said.

“I want to put my name out there.

I want to be the first person from Lakewood Ranch to do it.”

THURSDAY, JULY 27

High: 96

Low: 75

Chance of rain: 55%

FRIDAY, JULY 28

High: 94

Low: 77

Chance of rain: 58%

SATURDAY, JULY 29

High: 95

Low: 79

Chance of rain: 57%

SUNDAY, JULY 30

High: 95

Low: 78

Chance of rain: 58%

celebrity cipher

“ZGENS SNNV WG FN XFAN WG TYNXH

GJW LB ... TGENWCLSI CXYYNSNV LS

WCN YXTW WCXW WCNP ZNMN SGW DGEBGMWXFAN ZLWC.”

NALTXFNWC EGTT

“HD HS HBFEL, FIJ GPWWJDF

BEXAKPXJSF VEM BHS WJF, PS XV GEEZ, PD CEL DEXJESJ FE GJKPJRJ FIHF VEM’LJ FIJ BIHLHBFJL.” XHFF KJGKHSB

“ZNZPJ TFZR FEKF A’NZ FKUZV OKT K BZKPVAVX BZTTMV. ZNZV FM VMF FEAVU JMD’PZ TM CAX KVH TM CKH

sudoku

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com

The East County Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.

*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the East County Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property

Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis..

GARAGE SALE