East County Observer 8.31.23

District students offered head start

The pre-Advanced Placement classes prepare students for more rigorous courses in high school.

Jaimi Lowe guided students through a lesson on comparing the differences between taxi systems in London and Dubai.

In this pre-Advanced Placement World History and Geography lesson, R. Dan Nolan Middle School students analyzed street maps and overview maps of each city to determine differences and the reason for them.

The lesson encouraged students to think analytically and answer openended questions that don’t have absolute right or wrong answers.

“I can’t wait to see what the kids bring to it because they see the world from a different point of view than I do,” Lowe said. “I’m looking forward to hearing their open-ended analysis of history and geography. The way the course is designed, it allows them to interpret for themselves, which is what I think is one of the cool things about (pre-AP).”

Pre-AP World History and Geography is one of two pre-AP courses being offered at Nolan Middle for the first time.

The School District of Manatee County has a pilot program offering pre-AP courses at East County middle schools, allowing students to enroll in more rigorous classes.

NEW OPPORTUNITY

Knowing most Nolan students will go onto Lakewood Ranch, Braden River or Parrish Community high schools, which all offer AP courses, Cooper approached the School District of Manatee County about the possibility of adding pre-AP courses to middle schools. The addition was approved at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

Nolan and Haile middle schools offer pre-AP English and pre-AP World History and Geography while

2023-2024 PREAP COURSES IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS

PRE-AP

Braden River and Mona Jain middle schools only offer pre-AP World History and Geography.

Cooper said having pre-AP World History and Geography is the first time the middle school is offering a high school social studies course at the middle school level.

Most schools were able to fill or nearly fill every seat available in the pre-AP courses, demonstrating the demand for them by parents and students.

While the East County middle schools have honors courses, the pre-AP courses are a new option that will set them up to earn high school credits before they begin their freshman year while also preparing them to enroll in AP courses.

The pre-AP courses are open to students who meet certain requirements. For example, Cooper said students selected to enroll in pre-AP courses scored at least a three out of five on state testing. There also are discussions with the student’s previous teachers and parents about whether the course would be a good fit for the student.

“Some kids aren’t necessarily the best test takers but they’re really good students, so we don’t want them to necessarily miss out,” Cooper said.

Cooper and Erin Cox, the advanced studies coordinator for the School District of Manatee County, said although the pre-AP courses are in certain subjects, the skills taught in the classes transfer to other areas. Students learn critical thinking and problem solving, how to use primary and secondary sources and analyze texts, all of which are beneficial no matter the subject.

“This is the basis of what we want all of our kids to know and be able to do by the time they graduate,” Cox said. “These are workforce skills. These are academic skills.”

Cox said pre-AP courses are not

test prep courses for Advanced Placement. The courses will set the students up for success no matter what academic program they choose, such as AP, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge AICE.

MORE CHOICES

Crystal Rothhaar said having the pre-AP courses at Nolan and other East County middle schools means she doesn’t have to drive a long distance to have her daughter Allison, who is an eighth grader at Nolan, enrolled at another school that offers challenging academic programs. For example, Buffalo Creek Middle School has the Cambridge AICE program and Louise R. Johnson K-8 School of International Studies has the International Baccalaureate program.

“It’s great that kids in East County will have an opportunity to have programs for advanced learning without having to drive to Sarasota or west Bradenton,” Rothhaar said. “When I was comparing schools for my daughter, I noticed some of the top schools in Sarasota and Bradenton were not offering the level of curriculum that is being offered at Nolan.”

Cooper said having pre-AP courses

at East County middle schools could entice more families to enroll their students at Nolan, Braden River, Mona Jain or Haile middle schools for school choice.

“You want to make sure you have something for everybody,” he said.

Cooper said as a parent, he knows the difference a pre-AP course can make. His daughter Kaylee, who graduated from Braden River High School, didn’t have the opportunity to take pre-AP classes, and she found her first AP class overwhelming.

“She struggled with it because it was just a whole different style of learning that she had to learn onthe-go,” he said.

His daughter Brianna, a student at Parrish Community High School, was able to take a pre-AP course as a freshman at Parrish.

“It helped her out tremendously,” he said of Brianna. “Her style of writing completely changed after that first year. She’s taking dual enrollment courses now, and she’s using all those skills that she learned in ninth grade still today.”

Cooper said having pre-AP courses in middle school eliminates the stigma that could come with dropping an AP course in high school. If a student isn’t succeeding in the preAP course, the student can move to an honors class or regular class. He

said the schools don’t want students struggling in class and potentially entering high school with a lower GPA than they should.

“We want to keep kids pushing forward and we want to keep raising the bar with them, but we also don’t want to burn them out at the same time,” he said.

Jacob Sponsel, an assistant principal at Nolan and former AP teacher, wanted his son Matthew enrolled in the pre-AP classes to get an idea what will be expected of him if he enrolls in AP classes in high school.

“It’s important for a parent to be reassured if their student is overwhelmed, there’s always an option for them to bring relief to their student,” Sponsel said.

Cox said the School District of Manatee County hopes to add more pre-AP courses at the middle school level in the future.

Giving students the ability to earn more high school credits in middle school will allow students to explore more opportunities in high school, Cox said. With more space in their schedule to pursue AP courses earlier in their high school careers, students can earn more college credits, ultimately saving them money as they enroll in college.

“Everything is about opportunity,” Cox said.

THEY KEEP THE STORMWATER FLOWING IN MANATEE

to handle a timed release of stormwater.

For instance, water in a neighborhood collects in a retention pond that releases the water into the system in prescribed amounts. Hurricanes and tropical storms aren’t regulated by the county. Sometimes it is simply too much water in too short a period.

Clint Rimer, the field operation chief of Manatee County’s Stormwater Section, was asked if the prevailing drought had given his workers extra “dry” time to do maintenance on the county’s canal and ditch systems.

“It has allowed us some breathing room,” Rimer said. “We know they are coming.”

In this case, “they” meant storms.

Rimer was speaking on Aug. 23, well before Idalia was churning through the southern Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida coast, building into a tropical storm by Aug. 28 and approaching hurricane strength.

Rimer was right. They are coming.

Idalia obviously was going to give Rimer and Public Works Director Chad Butzow a chance to check out their crews’ maintenance work.

In the end, though, Rimer and Butzow said their crews can only maximize the efficiency of their stormwater system.

“Our motivation and our goal is to keep our system working with maximum ability,” Rimer said. “But there is a maximum.”

MOTHER NATURE’S POWER

Both Rimer and Butzow said they hope the public understands that Mother Nature can be more powerful than any work they do. The stormwater drainage systems incorporate canals that in many cases were formed 75 or more years ago. The entirety of the system is meant

Nonetheless, the Stormwater Section employees work to keep the flow going smoothly.

On Aug. 23, a project was in full gear in the Cypress Strand canal system directly behind the Costco. It involved brush cutting and mowing, reshaping the banks of the canal, and clearing out a wide path for access to the canal for maintenance.

The Cypress Strand canal system is an example of a canal that was formed more than 75 years ago, perhaps naturally or as a farm ditch. Over the years, the community grew around it.

Often, that means fewer access points to the canal. It also can mean increased volume with the addition of homes and businesses.

Butzow noted that regulation of development is critical to allow the stormwater system to have a chance to handle the water.

“Everything we do is based on stormwater on the streets,” Rimer said. “We don’t alter the design of the canals. We restore them to function as close to 100% as possible.”

A WHOLE LOT OF MUCK

On this day, the Stormwater Section’s Dustin Certain was operating a Menzi Muck walking excavator to clear a path alongside the canal because previous access points were negated by development.

The Menzi Muck looks like some kind of lunar landing shuttle, with four legs that work independently of each other, and a cab for a single operator.

“I love this job because these (machines) are unique,” Certain said. “You learn how to use all four of your extremities (to control the machine’s legs).”

Certain climbed back into the cab and began obliterating any brush in his way.

“It uses a pavement grinding tool, in a drum with a rotating head,” said Butzow, who wouldn’t have minded giving the machine a whirl himself.

Certain also would use that tool to cut away parts of the canal bank to reshape it. He will be doing the same work for a week or two, clearing a path about a mile long, all the way to Kay Road.

While he was working, the Stormwater Section’s Early Peters arrived on the scene. A 27-year stormwater worker, and a 31-year veteran of the Public Works department, Peters also operates the Menzi Muck.

“I was born and raised here (in East County) and I love being able to run equipment like this,” Peters said. “There are a lot of challenges, and there’s never a dull moment. You have to control the legs so you don’t flip the machine over. You could go into one of these canals.

“I was taught by another operator to always keep yourself level. You always watch, like you are in a fishbowl. You need to see everything around you.”

Rimer said it all was a good example of the behind-the-scenes work the public won’t notice.

“A lot of what we do is off-road,” Rimer said. “We don’t have much

interaction with the public. But the roadside ditches are different.”

The roadside drainage systems usually are made up of either a ditch or piping system. The ditches need to be cleaned out and kept free of sediment, which settles to the bottom and is scooped out.

The pipe systems often are cleaned out with a hydraulic flush nozzle (high pressure hose).

HELP IS APPRECIATED

Work along the roads often means a county crew might be blocking traffic to get the work done. Rimer and Butzow know that can be annoying to motorists, but they ask for patience from the public because the end result is that the stormwater system functions properly.

“Our guys will get off the road if they can,” Rimer said. “But most of the time, they can’t.”

Both Rimer and Butzow said they can use all the help they can get from the public. Although most of the new development in East County involves excellent engineering to direct stormwater, some of the older sections of the county weren’t so fortunate.

“Pre-1990, some of the areas might not even have a (retention) pond,” Rimer said. “The main point is that, from our view, the draining system hasn’t changed for ages. All development (stormwater) connects to a system and the water ends up in Tampa Bay, the Manatee River or Sarasota Bay. It’s got to go to one of those places.”

They said they could use the public’s help. If someone sees a problem with the stormwater system, they want them to report it. If a Stormwater Section  employee asks for access to a canal by going through a person’s back or side yard, giving them that access is essential.

“You will benefit from it,” Butzow said.

And a final way to help the Stormwater Section employees would be to come work with them. Butzow said Public Works has about 20 openings with workers with no experience starting at $18

Information Night

Tuesday, September 12

5:30-6:30 PM & 7:30-8:30

East County unsure of Idalia’s impact

to 10 feet, especially because a king tide, which is higher than a normal high tide, was expected about noon Aug. 30.

Marc Bokoff

844-768-2799

Marc.Bokoff@CruisePlanners.com

For most of August, Manatee County officials have been concerned with high heat and drought issues.

That all changed with Idalia, a tropical storm Aug. 28 that was building into a hurricane, perhaps as high as a Category 3 upon its expected landfall Oct. 30 on Florida’s west coast.

At the East County Observer ’s deadline for this issue on Aug. 29, Manatee County already had issued mandatory Level A evacuations with voluntary Level B evacuations.

“Your government is preparing for a direct hit,” Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said Aug. 28 during a press conference.

Van Ostenbridge urged those in Zone B to consider higher ground.

The focus in the days leading up to Idalia was on residents living in lowlying areas and in mobile homes, which are considered to be in Zone A no matter their location in the county.

Van Ostenbridge said Idalia was a different kind of threat than Hurricane Ian was 11 months ago.

“Wind is not going to be our primary concern,” Van Ostenbridge said. “Our primary concern is storm surge. Coastal residents need to heed our warnings.”

Van Ostenbridge told residents to have supplies ready to sustain their households for three days.

Manatee County’s staff members were keeping a close watch on the expected storm surge, estimated at 6

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“It’s not falling water that we’re as concerned about, it’s rising water that’s our main concern,” Van Ostenbridge said. “Lake Manatee is in pretty good shape. We’ve not had to lower the lake today. Piney Point is also in very good shape with 85 million gallons of space. The major concern is people who live in low lying areas and mobile homes, and we’re asking those folks to evacuate.”

On Aug. 28, the county announced that Mills, Miller and Freedom elementary schools would serve as shelters with more openings to be announced if needed. The county noted that public shelters should be a “last option.”

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport said Aug. 28 that the storm had been shifting slightly to the northwest, so that would take the airport out of the cone of the storm. However, airport communications noted that residents should expect a substantial impact regardless. The airport reported that all airlines were operating a normal schedule at the time.

It was a drastic departure for East County residents from the heat and drought that has prevailed this summer. Those conditions had caused the workload to increase for some Manatee County staff members with the rise in temperatures.

In preparation for Idalia, county staff members were busy opening emergency shelters and building a “Tiger Dam” around Manatee Memorial hospital.

Prior experience with evacuating patients from the hospital during Hurricane Irma led staff members to make a request early Monday morning for a Tiger Dam from the National Guard. Tiger Dams are comprised of elongated flexible tubes that can be stacked quickly to prevent flooding.

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As Idalia approached, residents wondered whether the storm would relieve drought conditions or produce catastrophic damage.

Because the evacuation of patients takes a day and a half to two days, the goal of the dam is to protect the hospital’s generator.

Before hurricane prep began, those working in the Community Paramedicine and Utilities departments had a different task. The Community Paramedicine department had been carrying an extra load of care packages designed to provide relief from the heat and lower the amount of heat-related calls they receive.

The coastal areas of Manatee County are under an “extreme” drought, according to the National Weather Service. The only level worse is an “exceptional” drought. Moving inward from the coast, the drought lessens to “severe” through most of the county until reaching the eastern edges, which are the least affected and only labeled as a “moderate” drought.

Whether the rain from Idalia makes a significant dent in the drought remains to be seen.

Just as humans are affected by high temperatures, algae blooms are affected as the water heats up, which keeps the Utilities department busy

during summer months. Rain could help bring those temperatures down.

Katie Gilmore, Manatee County’s deputy director for utilities, said while the algae is still producing taste and odor compounds, the intensity of algae blooms in Lake Manatee has reduced over the past few weeks due to staff efforts and the natural cycle of the bloom. The expected rains should further that effort.

Year-to-date, the National Weather Service has recorded 28.86 inches of rainfall in Bradenton, which is about 11 inches less than the average over the past 30 years.

The drought has provided county staff members with encouragement that any flooding from Idalia will not be as extreme as what was seen with Hurricane Ian.

“Currently, the storm surge on the coast is predicted to be 4 to 7 feet, and that’s going to be above ground level. We’ll be seeing that at high tide,” Director of Public Safety Jodie Fiske said. “The rivers, however, because we have been in a severe drought status, there’s very high confidence that the rivers will be able to absorb the rainfall.”

Manatee to establish its own mitigation bank

PERICO PRESERVE

11700 Manatee Ave. W.

A week after Manatee County commissioners voted 6-1 to reduce wetland protections, the environment was back in the discussion Aug. 22 as commissioners heard a plan to establish a county wetland mitigation program.

Commissioner Jason Bearden called it a “no brainer,” and the program, which establishes a mitigation bank of land within Manatee County, passed with unanimous approval.

Commissioners say the program is intended to save money, support the Capital Improvement Plan and keep restored wetlands within Manatee County.

Longboat Key resident Rusty Chinnis called the program “damage control,” by the commissioners. Chinnis attended the Aug. 17 land use meeting, where members of the public packed the chambers attempting to stop a transmission to the state Legislature that would cut additional wetland protections out of the Comprehensive Plan.   If approved in October, county wetland buffers that currently must be between 30 and 50 feet will only need to meet the state standard of 15 feet.

PLANS FOR A MITIGATION BANK

The bank, in this case, isn’t a financial institution, but parcels of land to

Perico Preserve was purchased by Manatee County for $6 million in 2017. The 175-acre property was no more than agricultural fields at the time of acquisition. It’s since been transformed into coastal uplands and a tidal seagrass basin. The preserve now has 100 different types of plants to sustain the wetlands and wildlife and over three miles of trails for visitors.

be used as compensation for wetland impacts. Commissioner Mike Rahn said the county establishing its own mitigation bank will save taxpayers millions and keep replenished land within the county.

“This is so important for our county right now, to control our destiny on our mitigation credits,” Rahn said. “If we go outside and buy credits in Hillsborough County, that’s Manatee County taxpayer money staying in Hillsborough County, not coming back here and doing the things we need to do with it.”

Mitigation has to be performed within the watershed, not the county buying the credits. There are six watersheds in Manatee County, shared with neighboring counties.  If the county wants to build a road, the project has to go through state and federal permitting to determine how many mitigation credits are needed to compensate for the impacted area. One mitigation credit is equal to one restored acre of wetlands.

“If Manatee County were to establish a mitigation bank, we could set credit pricing and better manage

Establishment of a ‘mitigation bank’ of land aims at keeping forced wetland improvements within Manatee County.

and control costs and schedules for county infrastructure development,”

Ecological and Marine Resources Manager Sherri Swanson said.

The county recently signed off on the purchase of just under one-third of a credit to widen Upper Manatee River Road from two lanes to four lanes from north of State Road 64 to the Fort Hamer Bridge. Based on the price of $210,000 per credit, the cost was $65,100. That money must be put into wetland restoration or improvements within the watershed.

Mitigation banks can be owned by public or private entities. Credits fluctuate with the market and, sometimes, sell out. Without its own mitigation bank, the county is left to the open market, competing with other municipalities and private developers.

Having to buy credits from an outside source can also cause delays.

Improvements to Moccasin Wallow Road were stalled because mitigation credits were sold out at the time. The county had to find land before proceeding with construction.

County staff ran an estimate on how many credits are needed to complete the transportation component of the Capital Improvement Plan. The estimate is 73 credits, which equates to $15.3 million.

Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker wasn’t comfortable talking numbers on a program that’s a year and a half away from fruition. But if the county can adjust the price of a credit, even rounding down to $200,000 per credit could save nearly a million dollars.

In this case, it will cost money to save money. Upfront costs include land acquisition and four additional staff members: environmental program manager, ecological resources coordinator, environmental specialist and fiscal analyst.

Staff has identified 23,558 acres of eligible land, of which 21,253 acres are located in Duette.

NO DOWNSIDE?

Commissioners agreed they couldn’t find a downside to the program, and they said Perico Preserve is a shining example of what citizens stand to gain. The county acquired a piece of farmland and transformed it into a bird sanctuary with hiking and biking trails for residents to enjoy.

But does replacing something make up for the original loss of wetlands? When it comes to wetlands, some say, “not necessarily.”

“It’s an engineering solution,” East County resident Elise Evans said.

Abbey Tyrna, executive director of Suncoast Waterkeeper, expressed the same skepticism at the land use meeting. She stated that it didn’t make sense to try to engineer solutions rather than to work with the naturally occurring systems.

“Mitigation programs can work, but they are about allowing land to be developed that otherwise wouldn’t be developed,” said Gil Smart, executive director of Vote Water, a grassroots water protection organization.

“You’re developing land over here, and you’re saving some over there.”

In 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that provides an exception to 2012 provisions that prohibit a governmental entity from creating or providing mitigation for a project other than its own on land that was bought for conservation purposes.

The law allows a double dip of sorts, where developers are now able to start refurbishing land that was already bought and earmarked for conservation anyway. Prior to the bill, the land would’ve needed to be purchased for development and then turned into conservation if it wasn’t a government project.

One thing is for certain, with or without the program — Manatee County conservation projects are already in the works.

“We’re looking at buying 735 acres between Fort Hamer and Twin Rivers. We gave (Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition) the OK to start putting it together, plus another 69 acres that’s called Crooked Creek Ranch,” Rahn said.

The property runs along the Manatee River and has multiple property owners. While Rahn likened it to pieces of a puzzle that have to come together, he said it has the potential to be Robinson Preserve 2.0.

“Citizens don’t always see the things we’re doing for the environment, and some things get sensationalized because they think it’s giving developers an upper hand, but that’s not true,” Rahn said. “This is a very conservative board, but it’s doing more for the environment, I think, than any other board before us.”

Why I love my job

Lakewood Ranch-area workers share what they love about their jobs in honor of Labor Day.

Not every job involves the potential of helping to save a life.

Paul Wren, the deputy chief of East Manatee Fire Rescue, said he is fortunate because his job does.

With Labor Day upon us Sept. 4, the East County Observer asked East County workers what they loved about their job.

Wren joined 11 others in talking about things that make their job special.

The annual holiday, which is observed on the first Monday in September, stems from the late 19th century, when labor activists urged for a federal holiday to recognize workers’ contributions to the country’s strength, prosperity and wellbeing.

Here are their answers.

“What I love best about the job is being able to meet new people and to help affect positive change in a meaningful way into their lives. You can’t buy experiences like that. It’s the feeling you get when you’re able to save a life, maybe change the course of the person. You never know how cascading that effect can be. It’s about service to others. Still to this day, my favorite is when we go to respond. It’s the excitement of being able to go out to respond to a call, not necessarily knowing exactly what you’re going into. There’s that level of surprise that comes along with every response.”

ALEX FERNANDEZ EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN AT LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER

“I picked emergency medicine, specifically for the reason that I love the variety of patients who come in. You have to know a little bit about every specialty. What I really love most about my job is the adrenaline that comes along with it. You can see everything from infants, the beginning of life, to people who are older in the geriatric population, the end of life, and everything in between. Serving the community and helping those who need help immediately is what makes me enjoy the job the most.”

“I love it because I get to form meaningful relationships with our students, our families, teachers and our whole staff. I get to have a positive impact on the future of our world and to help the kids be whatever they want to be in life. I’m their cheerleader. One of my favorite things I get to do is tours because it gives me the opportunity to show off our school and share something I am grateful to be a part of.”

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SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

FOR THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

I love my job because it’s making a bigger impact on the community and the world. I feel like what I’m doing is helping a lot of people, not just helping myself and my family. I like that the money I raise, the work I do goes to help the mission of the American Cancer Society, which I believe in. Everybody has been touched by cancer in some way, shape or form. By doing what I do, I feel like I can help remove some of that burden when people are going through a diagnosis or cancer journey.

JONATHAN GARCIA NURSE AT LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER

“I love the (emergency room) because you’re there for them on their worst day to help them get back to normal life and get back to their family, kids and grandparents. Nobody wants to be in the ER, so I feel like if you have an excellent nurse, it makes your time there just a little bit better. It’s so important when you have a human-to-human connection with someone you know. A lot of times their family isn’t here and you have to be their family, so being able to create that rapport with someone that you don’t know, I feel that is what makes nurses nurses.”

ASHLEY HAYDEN HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL AT UNIVERSITY PARK COUNTRY CLUB

“Every week, every day is different. There’s never a boring day. My favorite part is the people. I like hearing the stories they have, the lives they’ve led. Most of the people we deal with are retired, so they’ve lived some very different lives and then come in here and play golf.”

REBECCA ZIMMERMAN REALTOR FOR PREMIER SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

“I like to sell nice homes to nice people who can nicely afford them. It’s fulfilling when I hand over the keys after we’ve been working together for so long.”

“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.”

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“I love that we get to see all the dogs. The customers are great, too. We love them because then they bring their puppies in with them. Everybody’s just so happy when they come in, even for grooming. They’re coming in to get treats or their dog’s birthday cakes. You definitely can’t mess up because most dogs will eat just about anything, but it’s the look that makes it look like human food.”

ANNIE BEGLEY EMPLOYEE AT FANTASY FLOWERS

“I like the atmosphere, the women I work with and I’m surrounded by beautiful things all day long. It’s a fun place, and we get to bring our dogs in.”

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“I love the ability to make people smile. Some of the most beautiful things are the tastebuds. As the owner, I spend most of the time on the floor. I love to be able to communicate with people and share experiences. As a French restaurant, the best compliment I’ve had is when people tell me the food reminds them of when they were in Paris 15, 20 years ago or last month because of the flavors and the atmosphere.”

STEPHANIE

“I’ve loved clothes and fashion since I was a child. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to be a boutique owner. It’s been a joy to be on Lakewood Main Street because the community here is so welcoming, loving and supportive.”

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

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Altruism on display as Boots and Bandanas makes debut

It was a way for Anthony Zappone to make a few bucks.

But he not only washed Marie Rizzi’s car, he earned her respect.

Zappone is a Lakewood Ranch resident who now attends Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. On the side, he runs AZ Detailing, and he received a call from Rizzi, who lives in Lorraine Lakes.

As Zappone went about the task of cleaning her car, Rizzi began telling him about a special fundraiser at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church on Saturday, Sept. 23. The event — Boots and Bandanas — needed some donations for its silent auction.

Rizzi explained how proceeds from the event would help expand services and programs for those in need in DeSoto County. Among those in need are many migrant worker families who still haven’t totally recovered from a hard hit from Hurricane Ian.

Now Zappone could have went right on cleaning, never lifting his head above the car’s dashboard as he tended to the interior. But he had some history years before with Rizzi, who was, and still is, a substitute teacher at R. Dan Nolan Middle School. You don’t need to be around Rizzi for long to know she cares about people. It is an honest caring.

Zappone offered to give her a $100 gift certificate for his services to put in a silent auction basket. Rizzi was overwhelmed.

She talked again about the struggles of the people the event would benefit. Zappone was just about finished with his task, but he looked at Rizzi and said, “You can double that.”

“I feel so humbled,” Rizzi said, and she noted how miffed she gets when she hears about how our youth lack a solid work ethic.

Zappone wasn’t giving some money and walking away. He made his donation and will be working for hours to fulfill his commitment. Rizzi said that is a special quality, and it should be celebrated. She is right.

She was similarly humbled when her grandson, Parker Pope, heard about her effort to help Boots and Bandanas. Also a Florida Gulf Coast student and a Lakewood Ranch High grad, Pope had just bought a boat and wants to start a business giving bay tours working out of Sarasota. He donated six boat tours to put into a silent auction basket.

Greenbrook’s Eddie Gloria, the CEO of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, said those acts of charity are not uncommon in Lakewood Ranch. In fact, he has been so impressed with the community’s overall generosity, he thought it would be the perfect place to host Boots and Bandanas, an event that has been held in Port Charlotte the last 22 years.

Gloria noticed that several parishioners of Our Lady of the Angels had been traveling to Port Charlotte each year for the event. He thought it was time to bring the event to them.

Whether those helping are teens or seniors, or in-between, the generosity of Lakewood Ranch residents has impressed Gloria for years.

The event itself — held in the Parish Hall from 6-10 p.m. — will feature live country music delivered by Andy Pursell, a country record-

ing artist who was born and raised in Arcadia. The barbecue dinner will be prepared by Sarasota’s Mission BBQ.

Tickets for the event are $100. For questions, call 863-494-1068 or email BootsAndBandanas@ CatholicCharitiesDov.org.

Pat Martino, the retired business manager for Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church, said the more than 3,000 parishioners will embrace the event, which has been named its charity of the month for September.

“We have a super generous parish,” Martino said. “We come and overdo it. These people have a need and hopefully we can supply it and have fun at the same time.”

The hope is to draw 250 people to the event.

“I don’t think people remember that there are a lot of lives (in DeSoto County) who can’t move forward,” said Gloria Romero, the Region 4 director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice. “They

DENTAL IMPLANTS

are still wondering ‘Am I going to do without laundry detergent this week?’” Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, operates a food pantry at St. Paul’s Church in Arcadia 9-11 a.m. each Friday. It also performs many other services for those in need in DeSoto County.

“There is a tremendous amount of need that goes unseen,” Gloria said. “There are people who can’t make ends meet. A lot of kids have both parents working and they aren’t getting educational support. We want to get them the resources they need.”

But the nonprofit, which spans a 10-county area, also helps those in need in other counties. For example, they have delivered food and supplies to those in need in Myakka City each month since Hurricane Ian hit last September.

The event at Our Lady of the Angels is open to everyone, not just parishioners of the church.

“We don’t serve people because

they are Catholic, we serve them because we’re Catholic,” Gloria said. “I feel this is a very generous community overall, not just the Catholic faithful ... the community at large. I have seen this community donate a ton of food and cash donations after a storm. It makes a huge difference.”

He said funds raised will beef up after-school programs and tutoring in DeSoto County and will provide financial assistance.

The event still can use silent auction items. Those who would like to donate can call Rizzi at 626-7551280.

LOBSTER ROLL

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.

Development among Comp Plan concerns

When looking at a map of the Linger Lodge Road area of Manatee County where he lives, David Lynch said he was looking for rationality.

He laughed and said he didn’t find it.

Lynch isn’t happy about a D.R. Horton proposal to build 99 townhomes — Linger Lodge Townhomes — near where he lives.

He joined about 20 other citizens with concerns about development at the Braden River Library Aug. 23 for a community workshop to discuss upcoming amendments to the county’s Comprehensive Plan. Another 12 residents attended virtually.

Before residents shared their thoughts with county staff members, Kelley Klepper, representing the engineering firm Kimley-Horn, explained what a comprehensive plan is — a community’s vision that guides development over a 10-20 year period.

Manatee’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1989 and has been amended over time. With about 1,500 components, the plan includes goals and objectives that cover 12 categories from transportation to property rights.

Tara resident Sally Shuford has lived in Manatee County for 75 years and is familiar with the Comprehensive Plan as a former principal and assistant superintendent. Public school facilities are one of the 12 categories.

Shuford remembered back to the 1960s when building the dam at Lake Manatee was a controversial issue. Now, she worries overdevelopment is causing unsafe roads. Shuford said she’s fearful every time she crosses the intersection of State Road 70 and Tara Boulevard.

“What we’re facing in Tara is that they want to build apartment buildings,” Shuford said. “We currently have a story limit. We can only be three stories, and (the developer) wants to make it four. More people will be using that intersection, which I understand is one of the most dangerous. It’s a safety concern.”

After the presentation, instead of a typical Q&A, residents were given stickers and asked to circulate through three stations.

One station asked residents to describe the county in one word, followed by another word that would encapsulate the vision.

Two words stood out on the board when describing Manatee County now — congested and overdeveloped. As for the vision, residents expressed a need for planned growth, preservation and transparency.

On the other side of the room, maps of different parts of the county

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SCOPE

With about 1,500 components, the Comprehensive Plan is nothing but comprehensive. The plan is divided into the following sections:

■ Future land use

■ Conservation

■ Coastal Management

■ Transportation

■ Housing

■ Historic and cultural

■ Recreation and open space

■ Public facilities

■ Capital improvements

■ Intergovernmental coordination

■ Public school facilities

■ Property rights

were displayed. Residents were asked to place stickers where they wanted things like a sidewalk or a park.

Robert Giarraputo lives near Honore Avenue and Lockwood Ridge Road. He was one of the few in attendance who was pro-development, but he said he wants to see the growth done right in his neighborhood.

He said business along Lockwood Ridge Road is sporadic and he would like to see a business and entertainment hub such as Lakewood Ranch Main Street so it creates “a vibrant downtown.”

“I’d like to see that, and then see housing go up around those job locations,” he said.

At the final station, citizens used their stickers to rank priorities. Land use and housing ranked the highest.

“In theory, developers developing this land is great. These communities are great. They’re wonderful to live in,” Eagle Trace resident Deborah George said. “But the whole basis of how they function, you’ve got to wonder, do they function well?”

The workshop was one of five held in August at libraries across the county and was the first round of public engagement. The county will be sharing their findings in a second round and will rollout the plan sometime next summer.

In between, citizens can take an online survey starting Sept. 19, the same day a progress presentation will be given to commissioners at the commission meeting. Adoption of the amendments aren’t anticipated until December 2024.

Deputy Director of Development Services

Denise Greer stands by for questions, as Robert Giarraputo looks at a map of his neighborhood. Giarraputo attended the workshop to offer input on Manatee County’s Comprehensive Plan.

Manatee County held a series of community workshops to collect data on what people would like to see in the Comprehensive Plan.

Manatee County garbage bills increase by 65%

With a 65% rate increase that goes into effect Oct. 1, Manatee County residents will continue to have twice weekly garbage pickup for another two years.

Manatee County officials said, however, once a week trash pickup is likely to be part of the next longterm contract with garbage handlers.

According to a presentation made by Manatee County staff members to county commissioners earlier this month, once a week pickup will likely be needed to streamline services and to keep rates affordable.

“The once a week (pickup) allows us to have a lower price for customers,” Utilities Director Evan Pilachowski said. “More importantly, it allows us to align services so that garbage pickup, recycling and yard waste can all happen on the same day.”

Currently, various service trucks are on the streets four days a week. Pilachowski said aligning collection services will limit truck traffic through neighborhoods, which is better for both the environment and the wear and tear on the roads.

On Aug. 22, commissioners extended a contract that has been in

RESIDENTIAL

place since 2008 for two more years.

While the extension doesn’t affect the services, monthly bills will rise from $14.33 to $23.65 as of Oct. 1. The cost for residential curbside collection is going up to $13.32 a month from $8.07 a month. Recycling collection is going up to $5.13 from $3.11, and yard trash collection is going up to $5.20 from $3.15 per month.

The county has also implemented a pilot program to inform the public about future long-term contract decisions and to test automated pickup using roll carts. The trial area runs from 57th Avenue south to 63rd Avenue and from 14th Street West to 15th Street East.  Residents in the pilot program will pay the same rates as everyone else and be furnished with carts at no charge. But if a cart is damaged by anyone other than the collector, customers will be charged $60 for a replacement.

Garbage and recycling collection rates are set to increase from $14.33 to $23.65 as of Oct. 1 in Manatee County.

Twice weekly pickup remains in place, but collection rates increase as of Oct. 1.

A+E INSIDE:

< SETTING SAIL IN SARASOTA: Check out the 75th Annual Labor Day Regatta. 15

X MARKS THE SPOT: Urbanite pushes the envelope in its 10th season. 14>

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

FLYING SOLO AT URBANITE

Are you planning a new direction for Urbanite Theatre?

Urbanite Theatre makes its home in Sarasota’s urban core. Its flexible performance space seats about 65 people. Its fearless performances push the limits of live theater. That was Brendan Ragan and Summer Dawn Wallace’s goal when they founded the company in partnership with Harry Lipstein in 2014.

In the years that followed, Wallace and Ragan took the road less traveled as Urbanite’s co-artistic directors — and never played it safe. They staged edgy, risky, contemporary plays like “Chicken Shop,” “Isaac’s Eye” and “Woman Laughing Alone with Salad.”

Urbanite’s “Modern Works Festival” gave a voice to emerging female playwrights. Urbanite’s internships incubated a full spectrum of theatrical talents. The troupe’s dual commitment to art and artists paid off with outstanding theater on stage and invaluable theatrical experience off stage.

Thanks to that winning combination, Urbanite Theatre carved out a niche for itself in Sarasota’s fiercely competitive live theater scene. Keeping that niche meant a lot of hard work for both artistic directors. Wallace’s job got even harder last spring when Ragan accepted a position as artistic director at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in the Chicago region.

Before he resigned, Wallace had been Urbanite’s co-artistic director for nearly a decade. Now, Wallace is Urbanite’s artistic director — period. What does she have in mind for the company? Here’s what she told us.

Yes and no. Urbanite’s always taken new directions. That’s baked in our DNA. Contemporary theater’s always changing — and we change with it. That’s been our goal from day one.

I did an exit interview with Brendan in March.  I asked him if Urbanite had achieved its original goals. His answer was “yes.” Do you agree?

Definitely. Creating a “black box” space for contemporary theater was what we wanted, and that’s what we did. But it’s not a one-anddone kind of thing. By definition, contemporary theater is a moving target. A play that was edgy in 2014 can still have power. But what’s edgy in 2023? That’s what Urbanite will be going for. And it’s the raison d’être of our 10th season.

It sounds like quite a ride. There’s a ghost story rising from the South’s bloody past; a comedy about rescue dogs and classicism; a creative writing lesson that goes beyond words; and Shakespeare’s smarter sister. Is there a common thread tying these plays together?

The power of human resilience is the only common thread — but that wasn’t the basis of our play selections. Our primary focus was championing new work and artistfirst storytelling. We only noticed the shared theme after we put the season together.

“By Jove! These plays share a common theme!”

Exactly. (laughs) Our 10th season isn’t about “theme.” It’s about showcasing Urbanite’s commitment to new play development and supporting up-and-coming playwrights like Katie Bender, Brenda Withers, Terry Guest and Adam Rapp.  This season, we’ll be celebrating all the talents we’ve partnered with. That’s not limited to writers.

Over the last 10 years, Urbanite has also nurtured directors, actors, sound and lighting designers — you name it. We’ve put so many young apprentices and interns on the path.

In other words, Urbanite’s live theater isn’t a high-end consumer product. You’re not just putting on shows; you’re supporting the talents who make the shows possible. For some creatives, you’re the first rung on the ladder of lifetime theatrical careers. That’s the Urbanite stamp. And the whole point of our intern program. So many outstanding artists got their start here.

I can tell you’re proud of that accomplishment. I am. But it’s bittersweet. It means letting go. We nurture young talent and get them ready for their next big adventure. They cut their teeth working here at Urbanite. When they move on, it’s hard for me. I know I’ll have to start from scratch again — and find more young talent to mentor. It’s a never-ending cycle, but more than worth it.

And another moving target. That’s true. But I think we’re moving in the right direction. In the 10 years of Urbanite’s existence, we’ve evolved to be an incubator — and not just on the creative talent and development side. We also incubate audience involvement. “Judith” is a perfect example of that.

How so?

Well, it’s a one-person show — and audience feedback is the heartbeat of any solo show. When an actor

like Livy Scanlon takes the stage, she’s constantly in tune with what’s working and what isn’t. So, if you’re sitting in the audience, your reactions help shape her performance. You’re not just watching a show — you’re more like Livy’s scene partner. Like it or not, you’ll be a participant.

So, at the multiplex, you’re a passive spectator munching popcorn. At Urbanite Theatre, you’re part of the creative process. That’s an exciting idea. Yes, it is. And audience participation is a constant at Urbanite. We premiere a lot of new plays. Before that, we’ll do readings in the workshop process. Audience talkbacks happen at every phase of the development process. It’s priceless information to the playwright. And they’re a great way to engage our audience.

Summer Dawn Wallace talks about her singular vision for Sarasota’s ‘black box’ theater.

X marks the spot

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

X marks the spot for pirates’ buried treasure and math’s unknown quantities.

Both definitions apply to the plays of Urbanite Theatre’s “Season X.”

With one exception, the plays in the “black box” theater’s 10th season offer a variety of mousetraps, reversals, swerves and surprise endings. Any plot summary would ruin the ride. We’ll try to say something without saying too much. Listen up.

“In the beginning was the Word.” Our species in particular just can’t shut up. Human lives are filled with arguments, agreements, dissensions, debates, insinuations and implied contracts that are never spelled out.

Trust is the key conditional clause in these contracts. If a friend says, “Close your eyes for a big surprise,” it’s understood he won’t punch you in the face. It happens — and worse things happen too.

Adam Rapp’s “The Sound Inside” revolves around the private lessons a writing professor gives her student. Their words are all about words. Some words become deeds. Some shouldn’t. What do their words become? I have no idea — and that scares the hell out of me. (Directed by Kristin Clippard. Oct. 20 – Dec. 3.)

Katie Bender’s “Judith” is the one Urbanite play I can talk about. No trapdoor, no twist ending. Shakespeare’s sister, Judith, turns out to be a better writer than the Bard. That’s how the story goes — and it’s no big surprise. When Judith’s brother gets in trouble with the law, she dons fake facial hair and men’s clothing and bails her big bro out.

Londoners think Judith’s a powerful man in the Elizabethan theater community — and give her R-E-SP-E-C-T. She likes it — and doesn’t want to go back to the second-class status of women in her time.

Fun fact: Bender got the idea from Virginia Woolf. That author had wondered, “Let me imagine, since facts are so hard to come by, what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say.” Bender belatedly answered that question with her one-woman play starring

Urbanite

FROM PAGE 13

How do you plan to expand the Urbanite audience?

By any means necessary. If there’s a way to make theater more accessible, we’ll do it! We’re planning our first ASL (American Sign Language) performance. We’ll be creating a parents’ night out with a sitting service (for their kids).

Digital marketing has always been our strong point. We’ll build on that strength with the market oppor-

IF YOU GO

URBANITE SEASON ‘X’

Where: 1487 Second St., Sarasota

When: Oct. 20 to June 30, 2024

Tickets: $28-$42 Info: Call 321-1397 or visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Olivia “Livy” Scanlon. (Directed by Brendon Fox. Jan. 5 – Feb. 18.)

Brenda Withers’ “Westminster” is a play about a rescue dog and the intricacies of classism. When dogs cross boundaries with humans, “Bad dog” is the typical human response. When human friends cross boundaries with each other, communication is far more difficult.

When is “friendly” banter a notso-friendly way of putting somebody in their place? If you don’t know by now, you’re obviously a moron, and I’ll stop wasting my time. (Just kidding.) The play’s “titular dog” exists in the mind’s eye and doesn’t compete with the actors on stage. This isn’t a play about a dog. Or is it? (Directed by Summer Wallace. March 22 – April 28.)

Terry Guest rattled cages and yanked chains with his genderbending “Wake of a Dead Drag Queen.” His “Oak” enters far more disturbing territory. This play feels a little like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a little like “Night of the Hunter” and far too much like the Confederate South’s bloody, bloody legacy.

But it’s not all nightmare. There’s also a heaping helping of cute little rascals with nicknames like “Suga,” “Big Man” and “Pickle.” “Oak” is both a ghost story and a children’s story. The kids in Guest’s Southern gothic horror show believe in the ghost. Kids are smart. (Directed by Mikael Burke. May 31 – June 30.)

tunities of print media. We’ll also keep making real-world connections. We’ll be physically present at events like farmers markets and festivals. We’ll also network with other nonprofits, form partnerships and do everything we can to get new people in the door.

“If you stage it, the audience will come” is not Urbanite’s model? No. We’re going to get our name out there and make more community connections. We’ll be coming to you. And if you’ve got something to say, we’ll listen.

Courtesy photo

Olivia “Liv” Scanlon stars as Shakespeare’s sister in “Judith” at Urbanite Theatre from Jan. 5 to Feb. 18, 2024.

New Sarasota County leaders meet the community

There’s been a changing of the guard at the organizations that support tourism, arts and economic development in Sarasota County.

On Aug. 22, the new leaders of Visit Sarasota County, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County and the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County held a panel discussion at CMX CinéBistro Siesta Key moderated by Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon.

The event gave each of the three new leaders the chance to introduce themselves and their organization in three minutes or less.

Joining Gordon at the podium were incoming Visit Sarasota County President and CEO Erin Duggan, Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County President and CEO Brian Hersch and Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County President and CEO Erin Silk.

In some cases, the new leaders are filling the shoes of longtime heads of their respective organizations. When Duggan officially steps into her new job at Visit Sarasota County in September, she will replace Virginia J. Haley, who is retiring after 24 years at the helm of VSC.

Duggan has held a variety of roles at the tourism organization since 2006 and is credited with creating the successful Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week.

In June, Hersch succeeded Jim Shirley, who took the helm as executive director of the organization formerly known as the Arts Council in 2009.

Hersch spent more than 20 years in nonprofit arts administration. Prior to joining the Alliance, Hersch led Sarasota County Public Schools’ strategic approach to arts education.

At the EDC, Silk in June succeeded Lisa Krouse, who retired after leading the agency since August 2021. Silk joined the EDC in April 2019 and was most recently chief operations officer.

At the panel discussion, Duggan, Hersch and Silk all acknowledged the contributions of their predecessors to the growth of tourism, the arts and new business in Sarasota while also acknowledging the town’s considerable built-in attractions, from beautiful beaches to friendly, laidback charm.

Duggan noted that all three of the groups represented on the podium report to Sarasota County government. She said that in fiscal 2023, VSC had an operating budget of $5.2 million, which will increase to $8.5 million next year.

Sarasota County’s tourist development tax of 6% generates more than $42 million a year, with the majority (23%) going to beach replenishment. The arts receives 8% of the total.

VSC works to attract visitors to Sarasota County year-round, Duggan said, and divides arrivals into three categories — those who are here for leisure, to participate in sports and for meetings.

She applauded the county’s approval of an indoor sports complex at Nathan Benderson Park. In May 2022, county commissioners unanimously approved devoting $20 million toward a new boathouse and a 100,000-square-foot event center on the second floor.

The Arts Alliance, which administers the tourist tax dollars allocated to the arts, has more than 200 arts organizations on its rolls, Hersch said, and that doesn’t include hundreds of individual artists. Sarasota is “Florida’s Cultural Coast,” he said.  Hersch believes the Alliance can help leverage the arts to promote health and wellness in the community, but he also says the organization’s goal is to support the well-being of artists who live here.

In her remarks, Silk noted the EDC’s mission is to promote a diversified Sarasota area economy that protects “against economic volatility resulting from pandemic, red tide and hurricanes.”

Her group targets CEOs on vacation in Sarasota who might consider relocating or expanding their company’s operations here. “Chicago is a big area where we market” the benefits of moving to Sarasota, Silk said.

Since 2019, the EDC reckons its marketing efforts have been responsible for $108 million in new capital investment and $85 million in new annual payroll in Sarasota, she said. That was the year that the agency launched its “Work Where You Want to Live” to encourage job creation and remote work in Sarasota.

Both she and Duggan noted that after a frenzied recovery post-pandemic, spending and tourism remain strong but are continuing at more sustainable levels.

The experimental ‘black box’ theater takes daring risks in its 10th season.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

‘JOHN PIRMAN: DIVING INTO NATURE’ 10 a.m. at Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St.

$26

Visit Selby.org.

The artwork of Sarasota-based designer and illustrator John Pirman is displayed both inside Selby Gardens’ Museum of Botany & the Arts and outside throughout the bayfront gardens. The show includes Pirman’s signature Sarasota views as well as his earlier work from three decades as a freelance illustrator in New York. Runs through Sept. 17.

DIVAS THREE

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

$18 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Created by Nancy Allen Productions, three female vocalists present four decades of songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and other women who have earned the coveted title of “Diva.” Runs through Sept. 17.

‘CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REMIXED!’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.

$18 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

“The Jersey Tenors” and “The Surfer Boys” veteran Vaden Thurgood has

OUR PICK

75TH ANNUAL LABOR DAY REGATTA

Hosted by the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, the Labor Day Regatta draws hundreds of sailors from 8 to 80 years old along with a thousand visitors. Activities include five race courses, a fish fry, refreshments and an awards ceremony.

IF YOU GO

When: 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Where: Sarasota Sailing Squadron, 1717

Ken Thompson Parkway

Tickets: Free Info: SarasotaSailingSquadron.org

created his own musical revue for FST’s summer cabaret series. The show, which features a rotating cast with three men (including Thurgood for at least a month) and a woman, follows the life of Creedence Clearwater Revival founder John Fogerty through hit songs such as “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising.” Runs through Oct. 22.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 1

MUSIC ON MAIN

6 p.m. at 8100 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch Free Visit LakewoodRanch.com.

Dance to the funky sounds of the Taylor Opie Band, as well as today’s hits played by a DJ. Wander the streets lined with food vendors, beer trucks and sponsor booths, as well as rides and kids’ activities. Chairs

2023 FALL FELINE FUN RUN!

are welcome, but coolers are not. Dogs must be kept on a short leash. Overflow parking is available at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 5

GALLERY TALK ON ‘WORKING CONDITIONS’ PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

11 a.m. at John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bayshore Road $30 ($5 plus museum admission of $25) Visit Ringling.org.

Celebrate Labor Day at The Ringling by examining photographs of labor and work with Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan, curator of Photography and Media Arts. The exhibit runs through March 3, 2024.

DON’T MISS

SUNCOAST COMPOSER FELLOWSHIP

PROGRAM CONCERT

Chamber music group ensembleNEWSRQ has teamed up with Soundbox Ventures for the Suncoast Composer Fellowship Program. The group is producing the first concert of the new residency program for six emerging composers and nine classical musicians. The ticket includes a pre-concert lecture.

IF YOU GO

When: 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5

Where: at First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave.

Tickets: $25 Info: ENSRQ.org

YOUR NEIGHBORS

One of the good guys

Country Club’s Eric Onstad retires after a 41-year career in law enforcement chasing bad guys.

Through 41 years of law enforcement, Lakewood Ranch’s Eric Onstad has several searing images that he can still see when he closes his eyes.

Onstad, who retired Aug. 13 as an ATF intelligence research specialist, talked about how his “days of adventure” included 26 years in the U.S. Army’s military police.

It was 1994 when Onstad was deployed to Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy. The military intervention had a goal of removing the military regime headed by General Joseph Raoul Cédras and reinstating exiled President JeanBertrand Aristide.

U.S. forces were trying to keep peace in an island country in anarchy.

“When we got to Haiti, the people there so wanted to have peace,” Onstad said. “They wanted to get on with their lives, and they wanted police who would protect them. They were hardworking, wonderful people who had been constantly getting shortchanged.

“But if there ever was an apocalypse, that was it. People in Portau-Prince were being murdered in the street to the extent where they weren’t picking up the bodies anymore.”

It all led to what he called “the most ridiculous mission of my life.”

The country’s instability had led to abject poverty. He said many people were living in cinderblock, mud houses that would collapse in heavy rains with the residents trapped inside.

Food was nearly impossible to obtain.

The mission for Onstad involved guarding the Army’s trash trucks, and drivers who were going to the Port-au-Prince dumps.

“It was like we were guarding a gold shipment from Fort Knox,” he said. “When people would see our trash trucks, they would go out of their minds, and would surround the truck.”

The U.S. Army military police began surrounding the garbage trucks with barbed wire to keep people back.

“We would empty the truck and there would be a huge mound of trash,” he said. “These people so badly wanted to get to that truck ... they were desperate. We would remove the barbed wire and blow a whistle, and they would hit that trash. I remember seeing this kid eating whatever he could find.”

A DIFFERENT LIFE

Onstad has quite a different environment these days. His wife, Monaca Onstad, is the owner of OnPlace — a community amenities and lifestyle planning business — and her duties cause her to fly around the country. Eric Onstad has traded in law enforcement for the title of house husband, watching their sons, 14-year-old Garrett and 2-year-old Alexander.

“This had been a balancing act since Alexander came (into the family),” said Onstad, a North Dakota native. “There was a lot of stress with two careers, and it was more cost effective for me to stay home. Right now, I am just building a foundation in terms of being a dad for our two sons. I am going to be there for my wife.”

He said Monaca was there for him when he retired from the military in 2008.

“It’s very difficult,” he said of transitioning to public life. “You have to find your way. We were in San Jose (California) and I was going to be a stay-at-home fiancé for Monaca. She kept saying, ‘Everything will be OK.’”

At night, Monaca Onstad would send her husband’s resume to law enforcement agencies that had openings. He landed a job with Customs and Immigration as an investi-

gative assistant.

“I don’t remember applying for that,” he told his wife.

Of course, she had.

He went on to work for the  U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

CALL HIM HOUSE HUSBAND

Now he is doing the work that needs to be done around the house. “He is finding his way, and he is so interested in our boys,” Monaca Onstad said.

“He is going to be just fine.”

Monaca Onstad has nothing but respect for her husband’s service in both the military and the law enforcement agencies.

“What strikes me the most is how much he cares about our country,” she said. “He has taken such pride in it, knowing that he is helping. This always has been more than a job to him.”

Monaca Onstad, who moved the family to Lakewood Ranch in 2017 after landing a job with SchroederManatee Ranch, said all her husband’s travels with the military makes him appreciate the U.S. even

more. He concurs, and tells a story.

“I was in Baghdad, at the Green Zone, which was the U.S. Embassy area. I was sitting outside, having a coffee when two rockets came flying over head. I hit the ground. When I looked around, nobody else in the cafe area had blinked an eye.”

Rockets had become part of everyday life.

It wasn’t long after, though, when a 120mm rocket exploded near him and caused a traumatic brain injury.

“He doesn’t compute things as fast as others,” Monaca Onstad said. “But he gets there.”

He said he takes the most pride in targeting criminals who were in the U.S. illegally.

“With Customs, I was with the Counter Gang Group,” he said. “It was my job to identify those in the country illegally who were connected with criminal activity. We would do operations arresting those guys and we deported more than 150 criminal gang members.”

Monaca Onstad remembers him telling Garrett as he would leave the house for work each morning, “Daddy’s going to catch bad guys.”

ENFORCING THE LAW

Eric Onstad

The Country Club in Lakewood

Retired in August after a 41-year career in military and public law enforcement

59 Monaca Onstad (married Oct. 11, 2008)

Garrett, 14; Alexander, 2

Served: 26 years in the U.S. Army’s military police

Military years: North Dakota National Guard, Feb. 17, 1982; Active duty (Army), Aug. 16, 1984; retired from military duty Feb. 29, 2008

Sergeant first

Deployments:

Among his deployments were 1994 to Panama, 1994 to Haiti; 1999 to Sarajevo, Bosnia; 2006 to Baghdad, Iraq (he was awarded a Bronze Star for his service there)

Law enforcement agencies: Onstad worked for Customs and Immigration (2008-2012); U.S. Marshals Service (2012-2018), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (2018-2023)

Hot times for porch music

Nancy Cunningham had never picked up a ukulele before joining Aloha Ukulele.

Less than two years later, she was singing and strumming her heart out at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall for Play Music on the Porch Day, a national event.

“It’s a lot of fun, even if you make a mistake,” Cunningham said. “But I’ve gotten a lot better.”

Aloha Ukulele is one of several clubs offered by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. The group meets at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall on the last Friday of each month and at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall North on the first and third Thursday of each month.

“We also play around Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and the Bradenton area. We play assisted living facilities, downtown, on Main Street and at the mall,” Club President Alice Baumann said. “We’ll play wherever they’ll have us.”

Aloha Ukulele has between 25 to 40 members, depending on the season.

On Saturday, the club offered an open invitation to the public to join their jam session for Play Music on the Porch Day, except it was far too hot to strum outside.

Baumaan pointed to the window and said, “We can see the porch.”

With the air conditioning and rhythm flowing inside, the group sang singalong favorites from the grade school classic, “This Land is Your Land,” to the Hawaiian staple, “Tiny Bubbles,” by Don Ho. About 35 people attended. The musicians were a mix of club members and local ukulele groups, including “The Hawaiian Shirts,” “Sarasota Uke” and the “Sarasota Buskers.”

DWYER

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Board Certified, Hematology and Oncology Hospice and Palliative Care

Dr. Galina Vugman brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Cattleridge Medical Building II office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Hematology/Oncology medicine.

Chicago, Chicago, IL

Medical School: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Residency: Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Fellowship: Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Hospice and Palliative Care, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL 941-200-1125

Cattleridge Medical Building II 5951 Cattleridge Ave., Sarasota, FL 34232

www.intercoastalmedical.com

Medicare and most insurances accepted

KIDS CLUB CREATIVITY

Lakewood Ranch 7-month-old Evelyn Stillman sat in awe as she saw dozens of bubbles floating around her.

Her 2-year-old brother, Bryce Stillman, was running around her trying to pop them.

Both were all smiles knowing the bubbles were just one of the various activities available at UTC Kids Club on Aug. 23 at the Green at UTC.

“They love it,” said Nicole Stillman, Bryce and Evelyn’s mother. “We come here every time.”

From bubbles to blocks to baseball and water activities, there were a variety of activities for children.

BEST BET

FRIDAY, SEPT. 1

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. September’s Music on Main will feature the Taylor Opie Band, which plays soul and funk music. The event is a free concert and block party that features food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths and games and activities for the kids provided by Grace Community Church. Proceeds from the event in September will benefit Manatee Children’s Services. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, AUG. 31

TREE TOPS STORYTIME

Runs from 12:30-1:15 p.m. at the Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave., E., Bradenton. Children ages 4-6 are welcome to enjoy stories and crafts in this free event. For more information, go to ManateeLibrary.LibCal. com.

THURSDAY, AUG. 31 THROUGH

SUNDAY, SEPT. 3

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING

Runs from 5-8 p.m. at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music at Jiggs Landing includes Mike Sales (Thursday), Black Snake Bayou (Friday), and Al Fuller (Saturday and Sunday). For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 1

TECH HELP AT THE LIBRARY

Begins at 3 p.m. at the Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave., E., Bradenton. Free technical help is available for those who need it regarding Androids, iPhones, tablets, laptops, e-books/audiobooks, and more. For more information, go to ManateeLibrary.LibCal.com.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 1 AND SATURDAY, SEPT. 2

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lake-

wood Ranch. Live music will be offered on both nights and the program is free. The entertainers have yet to be announced. For more information, go to WatersidePlace. com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 3

FARMERS MARKET

File photo

Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.

YOGA IN THE PARK

Begins at 9 a.m. at Waterside Place Park, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities offers yoga that is free to residents; $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6

BINGO FOR ALL

Begins at 10 a.m. at Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Bingo. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

Lake Club home tops sales at $1.99 million

Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Edward Carlstrom, of Sarasota, sold his home at 7951 Matera Court to Carrie Yanowitz, of Bradenton, for $1.99 million. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,938 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.95 million in 2022.

UNIVERSITY PARK

Richard Weatherstone, of Parrish, sold his home at 7910 Sloane Gardens Court to Patricia Goldrich, of Bradenton, for $1.9 million. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,507 square feet of living area. It sold for $1 million in 2015.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Dea and John Zufelt, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7616 Haddington Cove to Brian McClintock and Cynthia Mayor McClintock, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.75 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,829 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.05 million in 2021.

RIVER FOREST

George Kozma and Sharon Eis, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5903 River Forest Circle to Kenneth and Gail Stephens, of Bradenton, for $1,225,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,486 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.09 million in 2022.

ESPLANADE Ardsley Ltd. sold the home at 4740 Benito Court to Carol Myers and Wayne Gronberg, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.15 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,898 square feet of living area. It sold for $687,300 in 2018.

Darshak and Babita Patel, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13019 Malachite Drive to Vince Zoccano and Brenda Dilorio, of Ontario, Canada, for $1,145,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,387 square feet of living area.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Thomas and Courtney McLaughlin, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7416 Pine Valley St. to Susan VanDyk and Thomas VanDyk, trustees, of Rockford, Michigan, for $1,135,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,426 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,500 in 2012.

SUMMERFIELD 6819 Tumbleweed Trail LLC sold the home at 6819 Tumbleweed Trail to Paul and Cindy Caputo, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.1 million. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,010 square feet of living area. It sold for $807,000 in 2022.

BRADEN RIVER LAKES

Gilles and Becky Canesse, of Myakka City, sold their home at 4410 14th Ave. E. to Blake and Julie Westhoff, of Bradenton, for $959,000. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,233 square feet of living area. It sold for $232,200 in 1996.

SERENITY CREEK

Nicklaus Ahn Waddell and Elizabeth Rebecca Waddell, of Lakeland, sold their home at 13027 Utopia Loop to John Cleary, of Bradenton, for $850,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,306 square feet of living area. It sold for $451,600 in 2018.

ARBOR GRANDE

Elisabeth Buza, of Bradenton, sold her home at 12103 Perennial Place to Aniedra Lynn Durnell, of Bradenton, for $829,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,334 square feet of living area. It sold for $530,000 in 2021.

CYPRESS CREEK ESTATES

Gdawg Ventures LLC sold the home at 6187 Ninth Ave. Circle N.E. to Daniel and Ines Volonino, of Bradenton, for $815,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,155 square feet of living area. It sold for $599,900 in 2021.

MOTE RANCH

James and Rebekah Lassiter, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6836 Coyote Ridge Court to Kathrine Jayne McGregor, of Bradenton, for $798,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,857 square feet of living area. It sold for $437,500 in 2017.

STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE

HARBOUR William and Julie Roy sold their home at 7526 Camden Harbour Drive to Lakewood Chapel for $750,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,103 square feet of living area. It sold for $487,600 in 2004.

Hallaway Homes LLC sold the home at 9008 Heritage Inlet Place to Minh Hieu Phan and Huong Nguyen Dinh and Minh Duc Phan, of Bradenton, for $455,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,036 square feet of living area. It sold for $170,000 in 2012.

EDGEWATER

Matthew and Jessica Raitz, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 8431 Sailing Loop to Robert and Sandra Malone, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, for $700,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,395 square feet of living area. It sold for $332,000 in 2016.

SABAL HARBOUR

Jo Butler, of Bradenton, sold her home at 4528 Useppa Drive to Maria Alina Lorenzo and Angel Esteban Lorenzo, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,120 square feet of living area. It sold for $305,000 in 2019.

HAMPTON GREEN

Arun and Gisela Bhagwat, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6405 Addington Place to Danny and Carla Nutt, of University Park, for $695,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,010 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,000 in 2004.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Frank and Josephine Caccavo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 10202 Marbella Drive to Louis and Phyllis Balestra, of Bradenton, for $675,000. Built in 2091, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,217 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2020.

COUNTRY CLUB

Peter Chislett, trustee, sold the home at 7329 Wexford Court to Elizabeth Hamilton, of Lakewood Ranch, for $660,000. Built in 2008, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,160 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in 2016.

HARBORAGE ON BRADEN RIVER

William and Mary Fitzpatrick, of Parrish, sold their home at 5514 Duval St. to Vincent Lee Miller and Christina Lynn Miller, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, for $650,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,000 in 2022.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

James and Kimberly Reed, of Bradenton, sold their home at 936 Preservation St. to Sean and Danielle Murphy, of Lindenhurst, New York, for $650,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,841 square feet of living area. It sold for $220,000 in 2010.

WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER

CLUB

Harry Thomas Ward and Dorothy Ward sold their home at 9608 Turning Leaf Terrace to Jacquelyn Smith, of Bradenton, for $642,000. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,686 square feet of living area. It sold for $407,000 in 2020.

Carlos and Laure Benton, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 739 Foggy Morn Lane to David Skaff and Maria Elena Stewart, of Gainesville, Virginia, for $624,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,886 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 2020.

RIVER LANDINGS BLUFFS Frederick and Geraldine Nelson, trustees, of Madison, Wisconsin, sold the home at 5520 61st St. E. to Boris and Natalie Gabinskiy, of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, for $625,000.

Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,956 square feet of living area. It sold for $161,000 in 1998.

TARA David Feldman, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7627 Birds Eye Terrace to Matthew and Sammantha Ball, of Queensbury, New York, for $625,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,710 square feet of living area. It sold for $330,000 in 2020.

Philip and Jean Mucenski, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7343 Birds Eye Terrace to Jesse and Tina Rutherford, of Bradenton, for $452,500. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,730 square feet of living area. It sold for $312,500 in 2018.

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OPEN THIS SEPTEMBER!

sold their home at 232 Dahlia Court to Joyce Hobday, trustee, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, for $529,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,230 square feet of living area.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Linda Jean Vedane, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 711 condominium at 5827 Wake Forest Run to Craig Francis Miceli and Deborah Anne Miceli, trustee, of Bel Air, Maryland, for $625,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $590,000 in 2021.

GREENBROOK

Steven Brooks, of Napa, California, sold his home at 15512 Lemon Fish Drive to Daniel and Charlotte Hadland, of Lakewood Ranch, for $620,000. Built in 2005, it has five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,572 square feet of living area. It sold for $505,000 in 2005.

OLD GROVE AT GREENFIELD PLANTATION

Carla Ayres, of Bradenton, sold her home at 506 Country Lane to James Edward Perry and Philomena Perry, of Bradenton, for $610,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $378,700 in 2005.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Barbara Weisel-Liggett and Lori Schoenberger, of Tallahassee, sold their home at 6741 Rookery Lake Drive to Jo Butler, of Bradenton, for $575,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,406 square feet of living area. It sold for $369,000 in 2019.

DEL WEBB

Charles Lee Girard and Beverly Ann Girard, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6927 Holbrook Cove to Marc and Linda Garrison, of Birmingham, Michigan, for $570,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,565 square feet of living area. It sold for $326,200 in 2019.

GREYHAWK LANDING

David and Holly Urfer and Michael and Carol Elstien, of Winter Haven,

SONOMA

Drew an Andrea Geffon, of Jackson Township, New Jersey, sold their home at 8224 Villa Grande Court to Steven Marotta and Michelle Bowen, of Sarasota, for $515,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,121 square feet of living area. It sold for $310,000 in 2020.

CENTRAL PARK

Jyoti Desai, of Riverview, sold the home at 4914 Mission Park Lane to Towhead LLC for $500,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,125 square feet of living area. It sold for $345,000 in 2014.

Charles and Judith Nothdurft, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5007 Boston Common Glen to Lesley and Harry Fager, of Bradenton, for $420,000. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,156 square feet of living area. It sold for $233,500 in 2020.

FAIRWAY SIX

Carmen and Sally Valenti, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5710 Doral Drive to Jonathan Naiman, trustee, of Stamford, Connecticut, for $480,000. Built in 1986, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 2,244 square feet of living area. It sold for $167,000 in 1999.

MOTE RANCH

Nikola Stepanovic and Ivona Naumovski, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5734 Carriage Drive to Aptin and Shzel Miraftabi, of Sarasota, for $480,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,630 square feet of living area. It sold for $312,000 in 2019.

The calming quiet of the water. The refreshing warmth of the Florida sun. This is your slice of paradise. Picture yourself here, ideally situated on Sarasota Bay at Plymouth Harbor. With so much to explore and experience so close to Downtown Sarasota, St. Armands Circle and beyond, you’re never far from a new adventure.

Imagine a home where there is less reason to hurry or worry and more occasions to breathe, laugh, and drink it all in.

Learn more about Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota

Fast Break

THE THUNDER ROLLS

The Thunder beat Berean Christian 42-0 at home Aug. 25 in a game that featured a running clock in the second quarter.

The Out-of-Door Academy football players know they will face tough opponents this season, in games that go down to the final seconds.

The Thunder’s first game was not one of those games.

The Out-of-Door Academy baseball senior

Nolan Naese committed to Towson University on Aug. 25. Naese, a shortstop/ second baseman, hit .258 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 2022.

… Former Braden River High running back Deshaun Fenwick and the Oregon State University football team will kick off their season with a road game against San Jose State at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 3. The game is on CBS. The Beavers are ranked 18th in the preseason Associated Press poll. Fenwick ran for 553 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns in 2022.

… The Lakewood Ranch

High boys cross country team finished second overall at the Lemon Bay Invitational, held Aug. 26 at Lemon Bay High. The Mustangs were led by junior Johnathan Leatt, who finished seventh individually (17:12.70). The Lakewood Ranch girls team finished fourth overall and were led by freshman Julia Mulligan who finished 16th individually (22:24.80).

The Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team finished second overall at the 12-team Titan Invitational, held Aug. 26 at The Conservatory at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast. The Mustangs were led by junior Parker Severs, who shot 68 to finish second overall, two strokes behind medalist Henry Robards of Episcopal High.

Braden River High football junior quarterback Lucas Despot threw for two touchdowns Aug. 25 in the Pirates’ 34-20 home win over Gainesville High. Despot led the Pirates to a 34-7 lead with 4:30 remaining before Gainesville scored two late touchdowns to make the score closer.

Kevin Gage sank a hole-inone Aug. 26 on the No. 6 hole of Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Cypress Links course. Gage used a 5-iron on the 160-yard hole.

It was a blowout, as ODA rolled to a 42-0 home win over visiting Berean Christian that could have been even more lopsided had a running clock not been triggered with 3:30 remaining in the second quarter.

ODA Head Coach Rob Hollway pulled his starters in the second half, and the two head coaches agreed to end the game with 7:18 left in the fourth quarter.

The one-sided quality of the game makes it challenging to project much about ODA’s 2023 potential. But ODA will always take being on the winning side of a blowout.

Against Berean Christian, the blowout started with the Thunder defense, which wreaked havoc from the jump, forcing two turnovers — senior linebacker Charlie Tack returned an interception for a touchdown and senior linebacker Chase Taraska recovered a fumble — and blocking a punt to go with two sacks and three tackles for loss. The Thunder defense never let Berean Christian cross midfield.

The type of performance was exactly what Tack and his teammates wanted.

“This feels great,” Tack said. “Week one, I think this is what everyone dreams. It sets the tone for the rest of the season. But at the same time, we’re not going to take anyone lightly.”

ODA spent the 2022 season perfecting its rushing attack as the Thunder ran for 2,960 yards as a team. That was eight yards per carry, and 44 rushing touchdowns.

But the Thunder defense was just as dominant, allowing 14.1 points per game.

“We play hard-nosed football here, and I think our defense sets the tone,” Tack said.

One area where the Thunder wants to see improvement is the passing offense. ODA’s offense amassed just 462 passing yards and four touchdowns in 2022. Hollway said the team aims to have a more balanced attack in 2023.

Hollway said ODA has a more capable passer in junior quarterback Jackson Roth, who transferred to the school from Ontario, Canada.

During fall practice, Roth said he was still adjusting to both the skill of players in Florida and the differ-

ences in American football versus Canadian football — like teams having 11 players on the field instead of 12, and having four downs to get a conversion instead of three.

In his first American football start, the 6-foot-1 Roth showed why Hollway believes in him. He hit senior Jack Meyers for a 22-yard touchdown and added a rushing touchdown. He also threw two interceptions, but Hollway expressed optimism about his quarterback’s future, even calling him a potential NCAA Division I prospect because of his smarts and arm strength.

“I’m sure he’s upset about the interceptions, but that’s what makes him great,” Hollway said. “He’s going to continue to improve. He wants to throw the ball a lot, and he’s going to get the opportunity to do that.”

While Hollway expects the passing attack to get into sync, the rushing attack picked up in 2023 where the 2022 season left off. Thanks to the Thunder’s stout offensive line — senior Blake Neumann, senior Blaine Bentley, junior Chase Polivchak, junior Marvin Palominos and sophomore Max Polivchak — ODA ran for 148 yards on 13 carries (11.4 yards per carry) against Berean Christian, led by sophomore Allen Clark’s 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Starting with the team’s Sept. 1 game against Oasis High (1-0) on the road, the Thunder will likely

IF YOU GO

What: The Out-of-Door Academy football (1-0 as of Aug. 26) vs. Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 8

Where: The Out-of-Door Academy

Why: The next home game for the Thunder is the annual rivalry game against the Falcons.

The two teams split their two games in 2022, though the Falcons won the postseason matchup 21-0.

ODA player to watch: Junior quarterback Jackson Roth, who threw for one touchdown and ran for one touchdown Aug. 25 against Berean Christian. If Roth can keep the ODA offense more balanced, it can make the Thunder even more dangerous.

need all aspects of its offense to be firing. ODA beat Oasis 51-29 in 2022. Oasis beat Gateway Charter 38-0 in its opener.

The following week will be a rivalry game against Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (1-0) at ODA. The two teams split two matchups in 2022, with the Falcons prevailing 21-0 in the postseason.  “We have a lot of work left to do, but we’re excited to get into Sunshine State Athletic Association play,” Hollway said. “We have a winning culture now. These guys are tough.”

“Swimming is the only sport I’ve done competitively.”

— Lakewood Ranch High swim team’s Daniel Snitkovsky SEE PAGE 25

Pirates volleyball team primed for big year

The crowd at The Out-of-Door Academy was loud, sometimes chanting “O-D-A” on each successive bump, set and spike made by its volleyball team.

Other times, it was just the energy of a new school year, students screaming just to scream, letting loose shrieks of sound meant to rattle the opposition.

The Braden River High volleyball team was not rattled.

In the face of the noise, and while dealing with sickness and injury, the Pirates used the Aug. 22 seasonopening match against the Thunder to show their prowess.

Braden River is the two-time defending Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A District 11 champion and went 16-8 a season ago, reaching the regional semifinals before falling 3-2 to host Osceola High.

The Pirates started 2023 with similar success, beating ODA 3-0. The Thunder is no pushover, having went 16-7 in 2022 with some quality wins, such as one over Sarasota’s Riverview High. On Aug. 22, the Thunder was no match for the Pirates.

The match had a rocky start. A point into the game, Braden River’s setter, senior Mary Allison McGuire, dove to reach an ODA shot, but hit the back of her head on the court. She stayed on the court for a few minutes before walking off, and was held out of the rest of the match. She was replaced by her sister, sophomore Mia McGuire, who only began learning the setter position at the beginning of fall practice.

The Pirates were down a handful of players because of sickness, so the injury put them in a challenging position — but the team rallied, thanks to a mixture of natural talent, strong coaching from Head Coach Matthew McElhiney, and veteran leaders like senior Brynna Sands.

“We are trying to play with more togetherness (this season),” Sands said. “We were clicking well tonight. I like being a leader

out there because it helps me stop thinking about my own mistakes as much. I’m focused on building up the team.” Sands led the Pirates with 209 kills in 2022. She had eight against ODA, plus 11 digs and a block. Mia McGuire had 17 assists, five digs and two aces after being thrust into duty, and Sands complimented McGuire on her play, saying she couldn’t remember a single error McGuire made all night. Sands said the team was able to communicate effectively despite the shuffled lineup and the raucous ODA student section.

“It was like a fan club,” Sands said of the crowd, with sarcasm in her voice. “Honestly, it gives us a little bit of an adrenaline rush. I don’t mind it at all.”

It’s a confidence that comes with back-to-back district titles. These Pirates are not going to let things

like crowd noise get them unnerved. They have too much experience for that. The Pirates are not scared of expectations, either. Sands said Braden River has openly discussed the possibility of a third-straight district title. Sands said the team is well aware that a high level of success is now an expectation, not a goal.

“Nothing is a given,” Sands said. “We have to work for it. But that (a district title) is what we’re working toward. We want to get back to regionals and then get to states.”

There’s a lot that goes into preparing for a volleyball season, especially one with high expectations. The players put in work — but so do the coaches. Matthew McElhiney has been the coach of the Pirates since 2011. He’s no stranger to the chaos the beginning of the season can bring.

Going on his 13th season, McEl-

hiney said it’s natural for coaches to fall into ruts and go through the motions, especially in sports like volleyball, where head coaches have to deal with a lot of the sport’s logistics, like scheduling matches and travel, and can feel burned out. He tries to snap himself out of that feeling as much as possible. When the first match of a given season arrives, he still finds himself as amped as ever.

“Seeing the kids apply what they’re doing in practice to what they do during a match, that’s when we get excited,” McElhiney said.

McElhiney said he was pleased with the way the team came together against ODA after the early injury, and even more pleased with how calm everyone was.

He has taught them to take one match at a time, but he knows that the team ends its season with three consecutive road matches against top programs in Bradenton Christian, Venice High and Carrollwood Day School, all of whom reached the regional tournament stage in 2022.

The sweep of a good ODA team was a good start in that direction. The Pirates looked capable of overcoming any challenges it will inevitably encounter.

“The biggest thing for us is to not be complacent,” McElhiney said. “To not play down to another team’s level. I try to tell them, the only thing last season did for you was give you experience. This year, you have to make your own way.”

Daniel Snitkovsky

Daniel Snitkovsky is a freshman on the Lakewood Ranch High boys swimming team. Snitkovsky won two gold medals in the 100-yard freestyle (53.81 seconds) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:03.87) at the Lakewood Ranch Invitational, held Aug. 25 at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA.

When did you start swimming?

I started when I was 5. My family had moved into a new house with a new pool and I used that pool a lot. A family friend suggested that I signed up for a swim team. It wasn’t competitive at first. I was just learning how to swim properly. But eventually I started to get good. Swimming is the only sport I’ve done competitively.

What is the appeal of swimming to you?

I like the competition of it. I like competition in general. I like watching myself improve and drop time.

What is your favorite event?

The 100-yard breaststroke. I’m good at it, and it’s the most fun. It’s also not as tiring as other events, which I like.

What is your favorite swimming memory?

This past July at the Florida Age Group Championships, or FLAGS, I won the 50-meter breast stroke (31.45 seconds) and the 100-meter breaststroke (1:09.62). (FLAGS measures in meters, not yards.) That’s a big memory for me be cause FLAGS is basically the state championship.

What are your goals for the season?

My main goal is in the 100-yard breaststroke. I want to break 1 minute, maybe even break 59 sec onds, and reach the state meet.

If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

What is your favorite food?

I love steak and other meat. My family is big into grilling and smoking meat.

What is your favorite school subject?

It’s math, just because I’m good at it.

Which superpower would you pick?

I think I’d want the ability to fly. My family travels a lot, and flying would make that easier.

What is the best advice you have received?

Practice makes you better. We all have good and bad days. Some meets might be better than others. But you can always improve.

Finish this sentence: “Daniel Snitkovsky is …” …Energetic and friendly.

All submissions will be entered for the 2023-24 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2024, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

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