East County Observer 9.14.23

Observer

YOUR TOWN

Town homes denied for Elwood Park

Fresh start

Jason Wysong, superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, and Irene Nikitopoulos, principal at Carlos E. Haile Middle School, donned construction hats and stuck their shovels in a mound of dirt.

With a turn of the soil, they celebrated the groundbreaking of the 10-classroom addition at Haile Middle School on Sept. 8. The school also is undergoing a campuswide renovation.

“This is about true investment in public education,” Wysong said. “It’s one thing to live in a community where people say, ‘We like public education; we support schools and teachers.’ It’s another thing to be willing to invest money in it.”

The renovation and addition project’s budget is approximately $46.2 million. It is projected to be complete by fall 2024.

New Wheels

The Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch has outgrown its transit van, but it’s $20,000 closer to purchasing a safer and larger van for the hundreds of animals that need to be transported.

The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation and the Bill and Maryann Vinall Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation each awarded the Humane Society a $10,000 grant.

It’s a great start to fundraising, but the new van costs $70,000. It also will transport twice the number of animals.

“The new van will have updated safety features and installed kennels,” HSLWR Board and Executive Committee Member Cindy Jackson said. “We are incredibly grateful to both foundations for the grants.”

To make a donation, visit HSLWR.org.

New director has SMART plans

East County’s Mark Hiser was scared as he sat on his horse, Dream and Miracles.

He had never participated in a Western dressage show before he competed in the Western Dressage Association of America’s Championship Show in 2021 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

He had started taking lessons 30 days before that event.

“I knew it was crazy, but I’ve done so many crazy things in the horse business,” Hiser said.

He had spoken to his father, Bob Hiser, the night before he competed and took to heart his father’s words of wisdom.

“He told me, ‘Just do it like you’ve done everything else. Set your mind to it and do the best you can,’” Hiser said. “I remember when I saluted at the end of my test, I looked down at my horse and was like, ‘Boom ... holy moly.’’”

He had won.

Hiser dedicated his performance in the championship show to his dad, who underwent surgery for a brain tumor only days before.

His father was his first call after winning that day and he remains his first call whenever he has big news.

So when Hiser accepted the position as the new executive director for Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy, the first person he told was his dad.

Hiser is replacing Rebecca Blitz, who stepped down as executive director due to health reasons. She has mentored and trained Hiser to start his new role with the East County nonprofit, and she will remain on the nonprofit’s board and continue

to support Hiser and SMART.

In his lifetime of working with horses, showing horses and helping horses through rehabilitation, taking on the role of executive director at SMART is unlike anything he’s done before, he said.

HEART FOR HORSES

Hiser has been around horses his whole life. Growing up in Rising Sun, Ohio, his family had more than 100 horses. From Hackney ponies to Percherons, Belgian horses and draft horses, he was quick to learn everything about horses.

His love for horses stems from his first pony, Cinnamon. She was a Shetland miniature horse.

“She followed me everywhere,” Hiser said. “You can have all the ponies in the world and every horse in the world, but that was mine. She helped me when I was down. She was my inspiration. I was her inspiration, because ponies are the same way. We had a bond together that literally pushed me to where I am today.”

When Hiser was 5 years old, he remembered driving Cinnamon at a county fair in Ohio. He was competing against Hackney ponies in a show competition where each horse would pull a cart.

“My dad and my grandpa made me drive her in a class that she had no business being in,” he said. “I won the class with a pony that didn’t belong there. I had no idea what I was doing, but she was leading the way.”

Hiser always believed in what he considered “misfit horses.” The horses he showed and competed with were never horses that cost thousands of dollars and were bred to compete. He said they were typically horses no one wanted that were amazing athletes. He helped turn

them into winners.

“I never had the high-dollar horse that I would show against,” Hiser said. “I always had that little thought in the back of my mind, ‘Well, you can go buy the expensive horse, but I’m going to get the one that nobody wants, and I’m going to beat you with her.’ That was my philosophy because all of them had a purpose. I believed all of them could do it. I just had to figure out how to get them to do it to the level of something else that was bought to do it.”

Hiser recalled competing with his misfits at the Iowa State Fair where he had the best six-hitch event (six horses pulling a wagon) of his life.

“I remember telling my mom and my dad that this is it, this is the show,” he said. “I said, ‘The band of misfits, it’s their moment.’”

After competing, Hiser said he received a standing ovation in the coliseum. Hiser and his horses beat three of the best six-hitch teams in the country.

“Everybody said we looked like a multimillion-dollar hitch (team), and we weren’t,” Hiser said. “We were grind-it-out fighters to make ourselves look good. Those kinds of

MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mark Hiser Residence: East County

Age: 49 Title: Executive director of Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy

Family: Parents, Bob and Susie Hiser; wife, Amanda Hiser; children Tristan, Madyson and Tori

vices at nonprofits, businesses and other organizations.

The mini horses also are a stepping stone for people who are intimidated by the full-sized horses.

“It’s a great, big world out there,” Hiser said. “Sometimes you just don’t jump in. Sometimes you have to go to the small side and then jump into the big world.”

On top of expanding programming, Hiser wants to focus on bringing the community to SMART.

moments put me to where I am today. I took what I could get, and I made it happen. If we never gave up on what we did, how could you lose?”

A SMART PLAN

Hiser said SMART’s horses also are somewhat of a band of misfits. Most are older and retired. He wants to help them reach their full potential as they continue to provide programming and lessons for veterans, individuals with disabilities and others.

“The sky’s the limit so why not push for the stars,” he said. “I’ve always done go big or go home my whole life. Everybody’s always told me, ‘Why can’t you just take a small bite like everyone else?’ I want the whole pie.”

SMART has eight horses for its programming, but Hiser would like to have at least 25. He wants every horse to be trained for all programming so they can be rotated throughout the programs and lessons to allow horses to have breaks.

Hiser already is working to increase the number of mini horses at SMART to 10. The nonprofit currently has eight. The mini horses go into the community to provide therapy ser-

He plans to have weekly events, such as bingo and taco nights or line dancing nights. The events will give people an opportunity to meet the horses, learn about SMART and have fun.

“We want to get the traffic here because if the traffic’s here, everything else flows,” Hiser said. “I want them to meet the horses, see the facility but also have fun events out here because it’s about fun. It’s not always about the horses. Sometimes maybe it’s just about the gathering.”

Hiser also wants SMART to start hosting horse shows in the nonprofit’s arena. Hiser wants SMART to be affiliated with the Western Dressage Association of America and its therapeutic program.

He wants to see SMART riders competing in the WDAA’s exceptional rider and therapeutic rider classes at the world championship.

“That’s something we can provide, and it’ll set us apart,” Hiser said. “I want to be the facility that’s so far apart from everyone else, they can’t compare. They want to either copy us or ask us how they can do that so we can expand to them and help them out.”

Mark Hiser wants to use his experience of working with ‘misfit horses’ to expand SMART’s programming.

RARE VICTORY AGAINST DEVELOPMENT

While many residents of Manatee County have had no luck getting commissioners to slow down or stop development in their neighborhoods, one small community seems to have found a winning formula.

Elwood Park residents dodged construction crews for a second time at the Aug. 24 land use meeting. Commissioners voted 6-1 to deny a proposal for the Townhomes at Westbridge, which would have been 220 townhomes on 22.9 acres. The planning commission voted it down 3-1 on Aug. 10.

Before that, residents fought a proposal for Jordan Creek at Manatee, 56 villas on 19 acres. The planning commission voted to deny the rezone request 4-1 last October. In February, the request was withdrawn by the applicant and went unheard by commissioners.

Still, Elwood Park residents aren’t resting on their laurels.

“I have a feeling that developers are going to continue to try to nip away at the edges of our development, and we’ll have to be back,” Elwood Park resident John Rachide said. “If they could do it in such a way that fits in, then we don’t have anything to complain about. But when you go into an old neighborhood, you have to have respect for what’s already there.”

Elwood Park is located in northeast Bradenton and is zoned A-1, Agricultural Suburban. The neighborhood consists of large home lots, farms and small businesses, where residents can enjoy the agricultural lifestyle of tending to horses, chickens and gardens.

Elwood Park’s district commissioner Amanda Ballard led the motion to deny the project, saying there are plenty of other areas in her district that would be appropriate for the project, but not Elwood Park.

“I’m absolutely committed to preserving this gem in our community. It’s small. It’s compact. As we develop, we have to preserve these small pockets that make us unique, that make Manatee County a special place to live,” Ballard said. “If we can’t preserve Elwood Park, then we’re doing our community a disservice. This is the type of place that people all over Manatee County can come and enjoy this way of life that’s almost like going back in time.”

HISTORY IS BIG

Elwood Park’s history appears to be a major factor separating its residents from countless others that go up against developers and the commis-

sion to no avail.

The Manatee Library Historical Digital Collection contains a history of the neighborhood, and 100 years ago, Elwood Park residents experienced the pop of Florida’s first real estate bubble.

The more than 1,500 acres were established in 1915 by J. Elwood Moore, a Sarasota banker. Three years later, the community had grown large enough to warrant building a road and a schoolhouse.

In 1923, a developer from Orlando, Carl Haselton, bought up all the remaining lots and turned Elwood Park into the Lakewood Ranch of its time in only one year. It was the fastest growing development in the area and included plans for an amusement park and suspension bridge over the Braden River.  Florida real estate was booming in the early 1920s, but by 1926, the market crashed throughout the state. Development in Elwood Park stopped, but the community remained.

Elwood Park’s history and representation of “Old Florida” play a sentimental role. There’s public interest in preserving history.

But there are other factors that shield Elwood Park from commercial development and rising densities. Such factors set its residents apart from those that, for example, live between farmland east of the Future Development Area Boundary.

“This is an actual neighborhood. This is not unplatted land,” Rachide said.    There are also infrastructure issues to consider. The area is prone to flooding, and while the extension

of 44th Avenue will upgrade travel for the area, the roads are old and outdated by today’s width standards.

“I think it’s premature,” Commission George Kruse said of the Townhomes at Westbridge. “I think 44th doesn’t accomplish what you think it’s going to accomplish. I don’t think this is the right time or place.”

As far as commercial development, Ballard said there’s no need for it within Elwood Park because of the “significant commercial” located at the intersection of State Road 70 and 45th Avenue.

THE LITTLE COMMUNITY THAT COULD

Today, about 400 families live within the approximate 650 acres that remain as Elwood Park. The tight knit community researches, strategizes and problem solves together. They appear before commissioners like a fully briefed legal team with supporting documents to argue their case.  Beforehand, key players discuss who will cover what to make sure every point is heard. They take time off work to attend meetings in double digits, wearing a uniform of blue T-shirts that read, “Elwood Park, the heart of Manatee County.”

But residents are not just playing a game of whack-a-mole every time a new development pops up. Elwood Park residents are proactive.

Once the Jackson Creek development fell apart, Ralph Taylor Nurseries, the local nursery, stepped in and bought the property from William Monroe Rowlett Academy for the Arts and Communication Inc.

“They were taking other offers,

so we were right there,” Ralph Taylor Nurseries Operations Manager Janyel Taylor said. “There were two other developers (bidding), but Rowlett saw the value in us and our community.”

That’s 19 acres residents don’t have to worry about. The nursery will now use that land to fit the parcel’s current agricultural zoning. The Taylors plan to host field trips on the site, where school children can learn about plants and gardening.

Janyel Taylor had her eye on a property across the street, too, a drainage pond with a half-acre of land attached. The county owns it, so she brought the idea of a community garden to Ballard.

Her fellow commissioners were on board. The garden is now on track and under its $100,000 budget. It should be open within six months.

The latest push from residents is to get the county to grant Elwood Park an agricultural overlay. Ballard, once again, is leading the charge. She requested staff look into the feasibility of granting the overlay on Feb. 28 at a commission meeting.

“They have remained a farming community since their inception about 100 years ago. People there want to continue that way of life,” Ballard said. “I think as the county grows, it’s important for our tourism industry and the feel of the county that we retain our heritage.”

Ballard used Cortez Village as an example of an effective overlay district that has preserved the fishing heritage of Manatee County. An overlay doesn’t bar all development, but it adds additional regulations pertaining to the subject of the overlay. In Elwood Park, it would help preserve and promote agriculture.

County staff is currently preparing surveys for residents. They have to confirm that the majority of residents are in agreement with the overlay.

“No one in our neighborhood is against development. We’re only trying to save our way of life,” Rachide said. “We want development to be built in Elwood Park. We just want them to be at the density that fits in with the houses around them.”

Elwood Park, a 650-acre, 100-yearold neighborhood, fends off developers at a time when few neighborhoods can say the same.

Cast in a new role

Lakewood Ranch’s Dave Springer uses almost every chance he has to listen to music from “Songs for a New World.”

He has no doubts the songs from the musical will be on his personal “Most listened to” playlist on Spotify by the end of the year.

But the songs are for more than just enjoyment. He’s studying them to prepare for his role in Manatee Performing Arts Center’s production of the musical Sept. 14-24.

One song in particular, “She Cries,” has been his focus. He’s learning the words, the tone of the character, the emotions expressed, anything he can take away from the song about a man who thinks he knows everything about women, realizing that he knows nothing at all.

Springer’s understanding of the character will pay off as he brings the role to life on stage during the Manatee Performing Arts Center’s production of “Songs for a New World.”

But unlike the other community theater productions he’s performed in, his audience could consist of a few Lakewood Ranch High School theater students.

Springer said his background as a theater teacher and director, as well as his experience in community theater will help him as he has started as the new Lakewood Ranch High theater director.

“It brings credibility to me that I’ve been on stage,” Springer said. “If students want to come see me, they’re welcome to come see me. It’s an opportunity to share something special with them and let them see me in a different light as well.”

Springer fell in love with theater at Royal Oak Shrine High School in Michigan, where he debuted as Conrad Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie.”

“(Conrad Birdie) is this Elvis-type character, so all the girls go crazy for him,” Springer said. “I was like: ‘I like this. I can hang out with this theater stuff, all these girls going crazy for me.’”

IF YOU GO

Manatee Performing Arts Center’s “Song for a New World”

When: Sept. 14-24

Where: Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton

Cost: $27

More information: ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com

Since then, he’s performed in more than 30 productions and became a theater teacher and director.

After 27 years of teaching in Michigan, Springer decided to retire. Springer moved to Lakewood Ranch with his wife, Stephanie, and 15-year-old son Jackson five years ago. He served as a substitute teacher for the School District of Manatee County before being hired as the theater director at Lakewood Ranch High in early August.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun to see them grow,” he said of his students.

Jackson Springer’s decision to participate in Lakewood Ranch High’s theater program as a freshman last year gave Springer an insight into what the program has to offer students.

“It looked like they were having fun and doing things that I can do,” Springer said.

Town homes headed for Linger Lodge Road

MORE FROM THE MEETING

LESLEY DWYER

STAFF WRITER

Despite the 2,791 citizens who signed a petition that opposed D.R. Horton building 99 town homes off Linger Lodge Road, the project was approved 5-2 by the Manatee County Commission.

“It seems that you’re siding many times with the developers instead of listening to all the people who are showing up here,” said Lisa Pring, President of the Braden Woods Homeowners Association (Phases 1-4).

Pring added, “There’s got to be a number where we all say, ‘We have enough homes right now. We’re doing enough building. Why don’t we pause for a while and absorb the homes we’ve got, and listen to the constituents who are here, who will listen to this on TV and who can’t be here to represent themselves, but did sign a petition.’”

Commissioner Ray Turner countered by saying that Manatee County has been behind in housing starts, the number of new residential construction, since 2008.

“It’s not build it, and they will come. We’re behind the 8-ball, and we need to look to the future,” Turner said. “We need to accommodate this new population, the fastest growing area in the whole country last year. We need to be thinking about that.”

The petition to stop the project was started by Braden Woods resident Gary Hebert, who also spoke at the land use meeting on Sept. 7.

Hebert said the project is too close to the Manatee River and poses a threat to water quality, in addition to impacting eagles, gopher tor-

toises and migratory birds. He said the design replaces vegetation with retention ponds that breed mosquitoes and can accumulate toxic metals that will further harm wildlife.

Hebert also questioned the safety of adding more residents to an already flood prone area with a shortage of evacuation routes.

Attorney Kyle Grimes, who spoke on behalf of D.R. Horton, said an environmental study was done and more will be done as the project moves forward. Then, he championed the cluster aspect of the project’s design.

“We are asking for removal of some trees on the eastern portion, and part of that is to do this cluster development,” Grimes said, “When you’re in a watershed, in your Comprehensive Plan, cluster development is something that is encouraged. It allows you to have larger tracts of open space, and then you still have all your code provisions that ensure that this development doesn’t have those adverse effects, and that’s

having the stormwater facilities to reduce runoff reduction and stormwater treatment.”

The cluster design will leave 75% of the 34.5-acre site as open space.  That was of no conciliation to Mel-

Manatee County commissioners approve rezoning 17.8 acres of a 34.5acre site off Linger Lodge Road, where D.R. Horton will build 99 town homes.

ody Reedy, who became emotional at the podium. Not only was she late after stopping for a bobcat that got hit by a car, but she bought her home on Linger Lodge Road 20 years ago believing it would be protected from

In a unanimous vote, commissioners approved a request by Mavard Trading Ltd. to revise 1.17 acres within the preliminary site plan for Ranch Lake Plaza. The site is located on the southeast corner of State Road 70 East and Ranch Lake Boulevard. The revisions allow for a 10,820-square-foot freestanding emergency department.

high-density developments.

“(The bobcat) was a baby, and we’re going to take out all the rest of them. Where are they going to go?”

Reedy asked.

Reedy said she worries about water quality and flooding impacts, too. Her dock was underwater for four days due to Hurricane Idalia and she fears it will only get worse following D.R. Horton’s construction.

Commissioners George Kruse and Jason Bearden were the dissenting votes. Kruse questioned the way the density was being presented.

“We’re saying, ‘Oh, well, they can build 144. They’re only building 99. They literally can’t come up with another square inch of this to go more than 99,” Kruse said. “They’re asking for a stipulation to basically gut the trees to create whatever little land they can possibly cram a town home onto.”

He argued that most of the 34.5 acres is unusable and that cramming 99 homes onto 10.8 acres equates to 9.2 homes per acre, which doesn’t conform to any of the zoning because it’s too intense.

The property is located on the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and Linger Lodge Road. With the motion approved, seven acres that were zoned Planned Development Mixed Use and 10.8 acres that were zoned Agricultural use will now both be rezoned into Planned Development Residential.

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Treatments May Include:

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Procedures are covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Despite many public objections, commissioners approve the D.R. Horton project in a 5-2 vote.

First Physicians Group Welcomes Jennifer Holl, MD

We are pleased to welcome Jennifer Holl, MD, colon and rectal surgeon, to First Physicians Group. She performs advanced surgery for rectal, anal and colon cancers, Crohn’s disease, colitis and diverticulitis. Dr. Holl focuses on personalized treatment strategies that address global wellness in all phases of care while using the latest minimally invasive techniques including robotic, laparoscopic, single-incision and no-incision transanal procedures. She takes pride in beginning patient recovery prior to surgery with a goal to get each patient home and on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

Specialty: Colon and Rectal Surgery

Board Certifications:

American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery and American Board of Surgery

Medical School: University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, MS

Residency: University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC

Fellowship: Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Towson, MD

Steady road improvements

Ogden Clark, the strategic affairs manager for Manatee County’s Public Works department, simply was confirming to the Lakewood Ranch Rotary Club members what they already knew.

More growth means more road improvements.

Clark was speaking Sept. 7 at the Rotary Club’s meeting at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club.

He didn’t have any magical answers. He told the members that adding approximately 5,000 new homes every year in Manatee County is going to stress the roadways unless new roadways and built and existing roads are improved. Manatee County’s population is approximately 430,000 with more people, and drivers, on the way.

“In 2010, they projected that Manatee County by the year 2045 would be where we are now with population,” Clark said during the meeting. With the continued growth, Clark said the county’s Capital Improvement Plan funding has expanded exponentially, as well. Funding from state and federal programs as well as local funding has ballooned the Capital Improvement Budget from $300 million to $1.8 billion, he said.

Clark gave an overview of road projects impacting both Rotary Club members and East County residents.

PLAYER’S DRIVE AT LORRAINE ROAD

■ Multilane roundabout

First Physicians Group Colon and Rectal Surgery

1921 Waldemere Street, Suite 401, Sarasota, FL 34239 firstphysiciansgroup.com

Details: Construction of a multilane roundabout at the intersection of Player’s Drive and Lorraine Road. It will include accommodations for pedestrian and bicycle users. Estimated cost: $2,111,000

Projected completion: 2024

Public meeting: 6-8 p.m. Sept. 27 at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church, 11315 Palmbrush Trail, Bradenton

HONORE AVENUE AT OLD FARM ROAD

■ Roundabout

Details: The intersection currently has stop signs, which during peak periods doesn’t allow for the intersection to operate efficiently. A roundabout will be constructed in its place.

Estimated cost: $1.24 million

Projected completion: 2024

Public meeting: 6-8 p.m. Sept. 21 at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 7461 Prospect Road, Sarasota

CREEKWOOD BOULEVARD

■ Roundabout

Details: Reconstruction of the median at 52nd Place East to restrict left turn movements and construct a roundabout at the 73rd Street East intersection.

Estimated cost: $1,775,000

Projected completion: 2024

LAKEWOOD RANCH BOULEVARD

AT CLUBHOUSE DRIVE

■ Traffic light

Details: Traffic signals will be installed with mast arm supports. The project includes new crosswalks with crosswalk signals and fiber optic communication-related infrastructure and other Advance Traffic

Liz Ramos Ogden Clark, the strategic affairs manager for Manatee County’s Public Works department, provides an overview of roads projects in East County during a Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch meet-

of those around us

vital to our

aware that our purpose is to serve and lift up those around us. - Oliver

To schedule an appointment, please call (941) 262-1400

With 5,000 homes added in Manatee County annually, road projects continue to speed forward.

The project will include a roundabout at the intersection of 44th Avenue East and Lena Road, which also is being extended approximately 0.27 miles south of the roundabout. This will be a four-lane road with bike lanes, divided median, curb and gutter, sidewalk, multiuse trail, street lighting, utilities, drainage infrastructure and storm management systems.

Estimated cost: $129,194,683

Projected completion: 2026

Total 44th Avenue extension proj-

ect cost: $250,801,879

LORRAINE ROAD

■ Road widening from two lanes to four lanes from 59th Avenue East to State Road 64

Details: Project will include a bridge, four 12-foot lanes, a 22-foot median, curb and gutter, 4-foot bike lanes, 5-foot sidewalks in each direction and street lighting.

Estimated cost: $38,096,874

Projected completion: 2025

UPPER MANATEE RIVER ROAD

■ Reconstruct and widen Upper

Manatee River Road from north of State Road 64 to Fort Hamer Bridge from two to four lanes

Details: The project will widen approximately 2.2 miles to have four 11-foot lanes with two lanes in each direction. Improvements include an 18-foot raised median, 6-foot buggered bike lanes, a curb and gutter, a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the roadway, a 10-foot sidewalk on the west side of the roadway and street lighting. A traffic light will be installed at the entrance to Waterlefe Golf and River Club.

Estimated cost: $25,736,886

Projected completion: 2025

LENA ROAD

■ Connect Lena Road from 44th Avenue East to Landfill Road

Details: Lena Road will be a twolane urban roadway from south of 44th Avenue East to Landfill Road. Construction will be scheduled after the completion of the 44th Avenue East extension project. The final design is expected to be complete in late 2023.

Estimated cost: $12,022,471

Projected completion: To be deter-

mined

FORT HAMER ROAD AND FORT HAMER BRIDGE Fort Hamer Bridge: Design and construction of a two-lane bridge parallel to the existing Fort Hamer Bridge. It will include pedestrian and bicycle facilities and lighting. Fort Hamer Road: Widen the roadway from two lanes to four lanes over a 2.2-mile stretch from Fort Hamer Bridge south to S.R. 64.

Estimated cost: $22.6 million

Projected completion: 2027

Manatee County Commissioners and dignitaries board a bus to have the honor of taking the first official trip on the 44th Avenue Bridge across the Braden River on Aug. 7.

YourObserver.com

Spirit soars as rivals meet

Whether winning or losing, the Braden River and Lakewood Ranch high schools’ student sections sound off.

When Braden River High School’s football team scored a touchdown against visiting rival Lakewood Ranch on Sept. 8, seniors

Alex den Boggende and Vishan Patel would look directly at each other and let out simultaneous screams.

Behind them in the stands, the students packed into Braden River’s Section E erupted right along with them.

As they did on every Pirates’ touchdown, Patel and den Boggende grabbed school flags and ran back and forth in front of the stands.

School spirit involves some effort.

By the end of the first half of host Braden River’s 41-23 win, Pirates seniors Presleigh Green and Hope Thomsen already were starting to lose their voices from screaming.

“If you don’t lose your voice, you didn’t scream loud enough,” Thomsen said.

A lot of students must have lost their voices.

“Everyone’s so excited to be here,” Thomsen said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to have so many other people who are just as excited as you. It’s truly amazing.”

Twenty minutes before game time, dozens of Braden River High School students dressed in their school’s maroon or as pirates walked into the school’s stadium. They wanted their presence to be known.

Across the football field, Lakewood Ranch High School’s student section, the Stampede, formed a sea of white as students dressed for their white-out theme.

Officers of the Stampede and Braden River’s Student Government Association led their respective student sections. They were responsible for coordinating themes and keeping up the energy.

Lainey Curtis, a Lakewood Ranch junior and Stampede historian, and Noelle Warren, a Braden River High senior and SGA public relations officer, both said their organizations

CAN YOU HEAR THEM?

Each school’s student section has various chants and cheers to hype up the students.

LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL

H-Y-P-E. Hype is what we need to be.

Never back down, never give up

Let’s go Lakewood

BRADEN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL We are BR

We’ve got spirit, how ’bout you?

take student input into consideration when it comes to themes. If students are excited about the theme, they’re more likely to participate.

“A theme can make or break the game because if we’re all dressed up, it makes it fun,” Curtis said.

Patel, the SGA president for Braden River, said not all the students have access to pirate costumes, but they all have a maroon shirt. A dual theme allowed everyone to get involved.

Trevor Schmid, a senior and Stampede historian, said the Stampede’s most successful theme was its western theme last year as students dressed in cowboy boots, hats, and flannel shirts. Some even brought lassos.

Sometimes the themes don’t work as well. Ryan Donnelly, a senior and Stamepe hype man for Lakewood Ranch, said the students tried a

SIGN OF COMPETITION

Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high school students made signs to taunt their rivals.

“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.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Neon Night during one of the games in 2022, but it was a clunker when students had trouble finding neon clothes.

The fun of the games doesn’t always rely on what is taking place on the field. The games, in many ways, serve as more of a social gathering. Braden River’s rout was expected as it had won its eighth consecutive game in the rivalry. Students find ways to celebrate the smallest of victories.

“Football is not my sport of choice, but when I’m up there (in the stands), I’m having the time of my life. I’m screaming, cheering, singing, dancing,” Thomsen said. “I have so much energy even though it’s not usually something I would prefer to do.”

But the biggest celebrations do come when a touchdown is scored.

The Stampede officers celebrated their few touchdowns by forming a human bicycle. Sophomore Micah Parsley laid on the ground while senior Scott Barkey leaned over him with Donnelly balanced on Barkey’s shoulders. Donnelly holds onto junior Carson Wozniak, who kneels in front as the handlebars. Parsley takes Donnelly’s legs and moves them in the motion of a bike.

“We treat every first down like a touchdown and cheer for every touchdown like we just won the Super Bowl,” Schmid said.

The Braden River student section didn’t want the Lakewood Ranch students to enjoy their touchdowns too much. After each one, the Pirates students would chant, “scoreboard,” reflecting the fact they were far ahead.

Each student section used anything they could to outdo the other.

Braden River’s students tossed around a stuffed mustang. Lakewood Ranch’s students waved posters such as “Sink the Ship!” Both sections stomped on the stands.

When “All of the Lights” came over the speakers, both Section E and the Stampede lit up as students turned on the flashlights on their phones.

“Sometimes it doesn’t matter what’s happening on the field,” Donnelly said. “If you’re just happy and energetic, people will feed off that.”

For each of the student sections, it’s about supporting the team, no matter the score.

As the Pirates made their way toward the end zone with less than 4 minutes to go in the game, Lakewood Ranch High freshman Macklin Higgins took the megaphone.

“Never back down,” he screamed.

“Never give up,” the Stampede students responded.

Lakewood Ranch High School’s Noah Rueping holds up a sign meant for Braden River High School.

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Lakewood Ranch High School senior Emaline Chope shows off her poster targeted at Braden River High School, whose mascot is a pirate.

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Humanitarian of the Year nominations due

Because of their work to raise money for pediatric cancer research in support of the V Foundation, Dick and Lorraine Vitale could be given the C. John Clarke Humanitarian of the Year Award every year.

The same could be said of Pat Neal, and Col. John Saputo, and John Fain and Angela Massaro-Fain, and Don and Vanessa Baugh, and Joseph and Barbara Najmy.

In fact, every winner of the coveted Lakewood Ranch Community Fund award, which was given for the first time in 2005, could have won the award multiple times, except that it is only presented to a person(s) one time.

It is just who they are. It is a lifestyle.

Checking with Merriam-Webster, humanitarianism is defined as a “devotion to human welfare.”

I like it. Short, sweet and to the point. The word doesn’t need dissecting. Devotion to human welfare. Yeah, that’s it.

It really is that simple when it comes to the C. John Clarke Humanitarian of the Year Award. This year’s nominations have been extended to Sept. 30, so if you know someone who devotes himself or herself to human welfare, the time to act is now.

Those willing to devote their time and resources to human welfare often are not willing to take a bow. That’s why the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund needs your input.

Go to LWRFund.org and follow the prompts to the nomination form.

While many of those mentioned above are local, and in some cases, national celebrities, the eventual winner could be someone who works behind the scenes but who shows up at every good cause. It’s devotion to human welfare, in whatever form that takes.

The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund also is presenting a Junior Humanitarian of the Year

Award for those students ages 8-19 who give back to the community. It could be working for a church or a nonprofit, or perhaps a Boy Scout or a Girl Scout. Do you know a student who goes above and beyond to help the community? Fill out a nomination form. You have until Sept. 30.

It will be the first time for the Junior Humanitarian of the Year Award and the winning student will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

If you have more questions, contact Janjay Gehndyu at DRJ@ AcademicEmpowermentAgency. org about the Junior Humanitarian of the Year Award. More questions about the Humanitarian of the Year

Award? Contact me at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.

The awards will be presented at the Soiree at the Ranch event on Nov. 9 at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

BUY THE BUFFERS

So we all knew when Manatee County commissioners in August voted 6-1 to cut text in the Comprehensive Plan for currently existing wetlands protections to align with lesser state standards that the move was a done deal.

Sure, the change has to be approved by the state first and then

go in front of the Commission again in October, but that, as they say, is a formality.

For the voters, this is a gut buster because they obviously have no voice when it comes to the wants of certain developers. A wave of opposition to cutting wetlands protections was ignored by their elected officials.

So what to do?

The logical answer is to get out and vote for candidates who will back smart growth and development that won’t cause permanent harm to the environment. Will such candidates surface or do we have some now? That is up to you and the rest of the citizens, who must organize groups and raise money to back their favorites.

But is there anything that can be done in the meantime?

Well, how about this for a silly idea? Buy the buffers.

It is safe to say that Manatee County residents understand that environmental protections don’t come cheap. In 2020, voters approved a referendum which received 71.27% of the vote, to dedicate 0.15 mill ad valorem tax over the next 20 years toward the purchase of environmentally significant lands.

Certainly, it would seem that these additional buffers to wetlands provided by the county will go away when commissioners approved Comprehensive Plan changes to align with state standards. It is not a stretch to think developers/builders are behind such a move so they can have more land to develop.

So if this is, indeed, a money grab, why not pay them off?

Whatever that strip of land is, when the developers/builders put in a plan, make an offer to buy it. That way the developers/builders get their money, and county residents maintain their wetland protections.

I am sure there are all kinds of

regulations about why this couldn’t be done, but we are human beings, so let’s find ways to make it work.

INTERESTING QUOTES

So if you live the rural lifestyle in eastern Manatee County and you have development coming to your doorstep, or if you live just off State Road 64 and have an auto lot being plopped next to your neighborhood, or if you live along Linger Lodge Road and you will have 1,000 new town homes down the street, you might have been interested in what Commissioner Amanda Ballard just had to say.

This East County Observer issue has an interesting story on Page 3 about how residents of Elwood Park in East County managed to get commissioners to turn down a town home project planned for their neighborhood. It comes at a time when few projects get a thumbs down in the Commission.

Ballard, whose district includes Elwood Park, said, “As we develop, we have to preserve these small pockets that make us unique, that make Manatee County a special place to live. If we can’t preserve Elwood Park, then we’re doing our community a disservice. This is the type of place that people all over Manatee County can come and enjoy this way of life that’s almost like going back in time.”

I am sure there are a lot of residents wondering why their “pockets” are not unique.

Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.

School checks off opportunities

Jacob Lopez, a seventh grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, has been playing chess for four years.

He knew he wanted to participate in a chess club, but being at a school in its first year, a chess club wasn’t possible.

Cheryl Cendan, principal of Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy’s upper school, promised Lopez he would have his chess club when the charter school opened its upper school building this school year.

A week into school, Cendan followed through on her promise. Lakewood Ranch Prep has a chess club.

“Chess is a good game, that helps to work the brain,” Lopez said. “It’s a very good way to meet with friends that have the same hobby as you. It’s a wonderful way to have fun at school. I’m grateful to have a chess club now.”

Now with the upper school building open, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy has been able to add dozens of clubs to meet middle and high school students’ interests.

The charter school has kindergarten through fifth grade in its lower school building while it has sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th grades on its upper school campus. The school will add eighth grade and 11th grade next school year.

Cendan said the school had to limit its extracurricular offerings last school year due to limited spacing and it being the first year the school was open.

The completion of the upper school creates several opportunities for students and staff, and that

includes the charter school providing more than 20 clubs this school year. The school could only offer four clubs last school year.

“The sky’s the limit,” Cendan said. “We’ve more than quadrupled the amount of clubs we have. The point is not just to engage them academically, but we want every child in the building to be connected to something outside of academics that they’re interested in whether that’s a club or a team. We told them if we don’t have it, let us know.”

Cendan said students have been asking when clubs would start since the school’s orientation days Aug. 4 for high school and Aug. 8 for middle school. Clubs started meeting Aug. 21.

Last school year, the sixth graders and ninth graders had to share space with the elementary grade students and clubs, so there was limited space for everyone.

In the new building, clubs can meet in the various classrooms.

Cendan said the upper school has a band room, black box theater, sci-

ence labs, a gym and more for students to be able to use for clubs and activities.

All clubs have been created based on student input and demand. Cendan said any student who wants to start a club needs to find a staff sponsor and provide a proposal.

Cendan said having extracurriculars based on students’ interests will help them to be invested in their education and their school.

“They’re stepping up to the leadership plate,” Cendan said. “They’re the ones that are actually organizing it and recruiting other members. It’ll create a desire for them to come to school. Every day they’ll wake up happy to come to school because they have something besides academics that connects them to this place.”

While some clubs, like student government, are separated between middle and high school students, the school offers other clubs that are available for sixth grade through 12th grade.

Cendan said having middle and

LAKEWOOD RANCH PREPARATORY ACADEMY UPPER SCHOOL CLUBS

high school students in the same building allows for the school to be inclusive with its extracurriculars.

An important component to providing extracurriculars is the funding. Cendan said the school’s Parent Teacher Student Cooperative helps raise money for the school, and the school also has corporate sponsorships.

Rene Mahn, the Advanced Placement World History teacher and school spirit club and Model UN advisor, said students’ participation in the clubs will give them opportunities to gain new skills and experiences.  Mahn hopes her Model UN club will be able to travel globally in the future to attend conferences. The club will help students develop their public speaking skills,  Clubs like the school spirit club will bring the school community together and give students a chance to support each other, Mahn said. For example, the club plans to decorate the halls to support the athletic teams. Eventually, the club will be

responsible for organizing the student section at games.

With some extracurriculars such as marching band, Cendan said it could be a few years before the school is able to launch the program because of the number of students and materials it takes to form the program.

Cendan said the school wants to be able to provide a typical middle and high school experience for students.

“We want a Fright night lights with the varsity football team out there with the marching band and cheerleaders,” she said. “We want to see our basketball team doing what they need to do, plays being put on.”

Mahn said this year is just the start, and the school will change its club offerings based on students’ interests.

“Moving on, we’re only going to explode even further into what we offer as far as clubs and the amount of students that are getting into them,” she said. “Maybe a club is going to be nonexistent in five years, but it will be replaced with something else. Kids’ interests are ever-changing, and we might have to evolve.”

The new chess club is an example of expanded extracurricular programs at the Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy.

Donation with strings attached

So will Mautino learn to play the ukulele?

Tiffany Mautino, who will be the branch manager when the new Lakewood Ranch Library opens either late this year or early in 2024, notes that the new library will have power tools and cake pans.

And on Sept. 7, she added ukuleles to that list.

“Traditionally, when it comes to a library, people have not thought about anything but books,” Mautino said. “But we are going to have tons of nontraditional space. We’re going to have community rooms and Makerspace.”

On Sept. 7, Aloha Ukulele, a Lakewood Ranch Community Activities club, donated eight ukuleles, worth about $800, to the library. The club presented the ukuleles to Mautino at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall North during its regular meeting.

With a group of just over 20 ukulele players strumming and singing in the background, Mautino talked about the club’s generous contribution.

“The library runs on finite funds,” Mautino said. “So donations like this help to keep it relevant. One of the fantastic things about taking this job was the outpouring of support from the community (for the new library). It all goes back to engagement.”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “My artistic talent went all to drawing.”

Alice Baumann, the president of Aloha Ukulele, said Mautino could pick up playing the ukulele easily. She said any beginner will be playing a song by the end of the first lesson.

Baumann said it was a “natural” decision for the club to donate ukuleles to the new library. She said the club would like to offer beginner classes there, as well as being part of the excitement surrounding the opening of a new library.

The club held a fundraiser in February, the Aloha UkeFest, which generated funds to buy the ukuleles. They decided to buy durable ukuleles that came in a case for the library and made several of the purchases at Bradenton’s Music Go Round, which supports the club through owner Dave Satchel.

The club has between 20 and 40 members, depending on the season, and has members in age from 18 to 80. The club meets on the first and third Thursday of the month at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall North, and the last Friday of the month at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

Baumann said more information about Aloha Ukulele can be found by calling her at 917-669-3981.

A+E INSIDE:

HOT TICKETS: “Hamilton” is one of seven Van Wezel premieres during the 2023-24 season. 17>

BLACK TIE INSIDE:

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Escape to Venice! (FL)

Less than 18 miles south of downtown Sarasota lies the nearly 100-year-old city of Venice. While it may have been pegged as a sleepy town for arts and entertainment in the past, insiders say that has changed significantly in recent years.“Venice has become its own arts and culture destination,” said Christine Kasten, executive director of the Venice Symphony. Kasten cites both the quality and quantity of Venice’s shows, events and happenings.

Among the highlights of this year’s season are Michael Feinstein’s “Hooray for Hollywood” show with the Venice Symphony, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Other anticipated upcoming performances are “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville” and Jeff Daniels’ “Pickleball,” at the Venice Theatre.

In a season filled with glittering events, one promises to stand out: the symphony’s Jan. 5 fundraiser “Venice Nights,” which will transform the town’s community center into a replica of its Italian namesake. It’s probably safe to assume the gondolas will be on wheels, but with plenty of water nearby, who knows?

After Ian destroyed its primary performance space on Sept. 28, 2022, the nearly 75-year-old Venice Theatre deserves some major “props” for rallying and producing a full season in temporary spaces.

Those include the 130-seat Raymond Center and the 90-seat black box Pinkerton Theatre, which reopened in January. To keep the show going, the Venice Theatre had to borrow physical seats from the Manatee Performing Arts Center and Theatre Winter Haven.

The Raymond Center is hosting mainstage musicals and plays that normally would be at the 432-seat Jervey Theatre, according to Executive Director Kristofer Geddie.

“A Christmas Carol” will play in December and, in what turns out to be a tribute to the recently departed singer, “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville” will open in January.

The Pinkerton will continue staging Venice Theatre’s more inventive programming, Geddie added, with “Pickleball” playing from Oct. 27 through Nov. 19,  a festival of three one-person plays called “SoloFest” in December and more.

The Venice Theatre is also presenting concerts at three other local venues: Venice Community Center, Pine View School Auditorium and The Venice Performing Arts Center.

Murray Chase, the former Venice Theatre executive director who is now restoration supervisor, admits that the rebuild of the Jervey Theatre is challenging on a few fronts.

Chase is grappling with the need to upgrade outdated building and electrical facilities to meet modern standards, the escalation of the cost and the availability of building materials. “We can’t (just) replace what we had,” Chase said in an interview.

In a letter to its stakeholders last week, the theater said it has been working with Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors, Magnum Builders and Boone Law Firm to apply and be approved for rezoning, a height exception and the exterior redesign.

Due to increased costs, more damage being discovered and the complexity of the restoration, Venice Theatre needs to raise an additional $7 million to make a complete recovery, the letter said. The Jervey Theatre is expected to reopen in late 2024, it said.

In addition to the Jervey Theatre, VPAC is a key venue in town for performances of all kinds, including theater, music and dance.

Derek Blankenship, the new executive director of the Venice Institute for the Performing Arts, which manages and produces entertainment and educational programs at VIPA, said he is personally looking forward to seeing both Tony Danza and the Dallas Brass this season.

A professional trumpet player for more than 20 years, Blankenship waxes nostalgic when he talks about his high school experience playing with the Dallas Brass. The ensemble’s March 21 performance offers a mix of classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music.

Tony Danza “puts on a great show,” said Blankenship. The star of TV’s “Taxi” and “Who’s the Boss?” is backed by a four-person band. He sings, tells stories and jokes and even breaks out a little soft shoe and ukulele playing, Blankenship added. Danza comes to Venice on March 9. VPAC shows also include a bevy of tributes to stars such as Tina Turner,

Neil Diamond and Rod Stewart.

Part of Sarasota Public Schools, VPAC serves as the education and performance center for Venice High School students. It also provides space for a trio of longtime area arts companies: the Venice Symphony, the Venice Concert Band and the Venice Chorale. It hosts about 300 events a year, said Blankenship.

The Venice Concert Band, under the artistic direction of Bob Miller, has six performances scheduled at VPAC between November and April. The Venice Chorale, led by new Artistic Director Brent Douglas, will stage three concerts during that time.

VPAC is also the semi-permanent home to one of only three mobile carillons in the western hemisphere. Five performances of the 48-bell Andrew W. Crawford Memorial Carillon are scheduled between December and March.

Because of the carillon’s construction and placement, the bells are fully visible during concerts. This is quite a sight since the largest bell, called the bourdon bell, weighs one ton. All 48 bells have a combined weight of 13 tons. Together, they produce four full octaves of sound.

The Venice Symphony celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023-24 with six concert weekends at VPAC, in what Music Director Troy Quinn predicted will be its “biggest and boldest season” ever.

Highlights include the symphony’s season opener Nov. 17-18, “A Symphony Fantastic!” with guest artist Andrew Bain, principal horn with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and “Disney’s Maestro: A Tribute to Alan Menken” Feb. 23-24, with guest

< LET’S TOAST: Children win at first Suncoast Charities Casino Night 16

town’s cultural attractions are worth the 18-mile trip from Sarasota.

artist Key Chorale of Sarasota.

In what promises to be an outstanding special event, “Hooray for Hollywood with Michael Feinstein” is at VPAC Feb. 9-10.

“The symphony has never presented a guest artist of (Feinstein’s) caliber before,” noted Kasten, the Venice Symphony president and CEO, who added that other milestone celebrations are in the works.

In April, the Venice Symphony hopes to present a free concert in a downtown Venice location featuring a chamber ensemble of its musicians.

“We are looking forward to our 50th anniversary celebration and fundraiser Venetian Nights, when the Venice Community Center will be transformed into the streets of Venice, Italy,” she added. Venetian Nights is scheduled for Jan. 5.

Venice also has attractions for visual art aficionados.

The Venice Gallery & Studio owned by Clyde and Niki Butcher, features the large, black-and-white works of renowned environmental photographer Clyde, as well as the candy-colored hand-painted photography of Niki.

Clyde Butcher, whose work has been likened to American wilder-

ness photographer Ansel Adams, is primarily known for his evocative photos of the Florida Everglades, Big Cypress Preserve, the Myakka River and other Florida landscape treasures.

The Venice Art Center has served Venice artists and art community for more than 65 years. The organization hosts a dozen exhibitions, mostly year-round, that feature local and national artists, plus hundreds of classes for the community and special events.

Want to get outdoors in Venice?

Five thousand years of Florida history is ripe for your exploration at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point.

The 30-acre campus is located just north of Venice on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey. Visitors can opt for a guided walking or tram tour or wander on their own to discover archeological, botanical and history-based exhibitions that include a prehistoric shell midden and a pioneer homestead.

Long in the shadow of arts and entertainment powerhouse Sarasota, Venice is finding its own place in the A&E sun.

“We see more and different types of people coming from Sarasota, Fort Myers and elsewhere,” said Blankenship.

“Come by and see for yourself,” he added.

NEW VENICE ARTS LEADERS EARN UNEXPECTED PROMOTION

When Kristofer Geddie and Derek Blankenship met in July for a getto-know-you lunch, neither knew that each was about to become the head of their respective Venice organizations.

Today they are the executive directors of the Venice Theatre and the Venice Institute for the Performing Arts, respectively.

“What were the chances of that?” quipped Blankenship, who was named VIPA’s executive director almost exactly one year after he joined the nonprofit as director of education and general operations.

Blankenship succeeded Reno Manne, who died in March. A popular local longtime tennis coach, Manne served as VIPA executive director from 2021-23.

Blankenship’s new post is a multipronged position that includes managing the programming of the 1,090-seat Venice Performing Arts Center and overseeing VIPA’s arts education and programming.

Over at Venice Theatre, Geddie stepped into longtime Executive Director Murray Chase’s shoes when Chase decided that overseeing repairs and renovations after Hurricane Ian was a full-time job. Geddie, who holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and an MA in Arts Administration, was previously director of diversity at the Venice Theatre.

Before arriving in Florida, Geddie traveled the world as a company manager and principal singer for Jean Ann Ryan Productions on Norwegian Cruise Line. He directed productions such as “Once On This Island,” “Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” “Fences” and “Dreamgirls.”

As executive director, Geddie is managing Venice Theatre’s 2023-

24 season: Fifteen shows in total between the temporary 130-seat Raymond Center and the 90-seat black box Pinkerton Theatre, plus concerts at VPAC and other venues.

Geddie also oversees Venice Theatre’s extensive education arm. Prior to Hurricane Ian’s destruction of the main Jervey Theatre nearly a year ago, the Raymond Center was going to be renovated into a new Arts Education Center.

That renovation is on hold as the Raymond Center, which is only a third of the size of the Jervey Theatre, serves as the main stage until the Jervey is rebuilt.

As the Venice Theatre tries to recover from Ian with the help of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and other supporters, here’s how Geddie sees his role:

“Right now and for the foreseeable future the impact I need is to make sure the Venice Theatre survives.”

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

‘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 created his own musical revue about Creedence Clearwater Revival founder John Fogerty. Runs through Oct. 22.

SATURDAY

‘TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY’

10 to noon at the Children’s Garden, 1670 10th Way Adults $10; children (3-12) $6 Visit SarasotaChildrensGarden. com.

Aye, Matey, get your pirate on with stories by Pirate Pete, a visit to a pirate ship and a (temporary) tattoo parlor, and a treasure hunt.

OUR PICK

‘SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD’

The Manatee Players transports the audience for “Songs for a New World” from the deck of a Spanish sailing ship to a New York penthouse with a rousing score that weaves together pop, gospel and jazz. Runs through Sept. 24.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday

Where: at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W, Bradenton

Tickets: $27

Info: ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com

DON’T MISS

JAZZ THURSDAY AT THE SAM

Gather on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza to hear Sarasota Jazz Project, a 17-piece jazz ensemble that plays both original compositions and familiar tunes all arranged in a Big Band style. Sip on refreshments and nibble on small bites from the Bistro.

IF YOU GO

When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $20 Info: SarasotaArtMuseum.org

JIM BREUER’S ‘TRUE BREU’

WEEKEND

6 p.m. at Art Ovation Hotel, 1255 N. Palm Ave. $135 and up Visit JimBreuer.com.

The evening starts with a pre-show mixer featuring music, games, drinks and appetizers before Jim Breuer records his “Breuniverse”

podcast. At 7:30 p.m. Breuer performs his comedy show and Q&A.

TUESDAY

OPENING RECEPTION FOR

JADE GRIFFIN ART EXHIBITION

5:30 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

Free Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville.

In “The First Theatre Production,” Jade Griffin explores themes of identity, politics and Black culture in her surreal, narrative-driven oil paintings. Exhibit runs through Oct. 15.

Intimate musical experiences.

Season 28 | Stars

NEXUS Chamber Music

October 1 • 4:00 pm • First Presbyterian Church

Back by popular demand!

This Chicago-based chamber music collective creates engaging classical music experiences for a broad audience. Co-founder Alexander Hersh is joined by Marlboro Music Festival alums Stephanie Zyzak and Evren Ozel in a program of piano trios by Haydn, Brahms, and Ravel.

Ilya Yakushev, piano

October 10 • 7:30 pm

Historic Asolo Theater

Winner of the 2005 World Piano Competition, Yakushev will be joined by a string quartet, including Daniel Jordan, concertmaster of Sarasota Orchestra, for Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone

October 18 • 5:30 pm performance followed by dinner

Plantation Golf & Country Club

Winner of the 2022 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Parrish will sing traditional spirituals, opera arias, and music from the Broadway stage, accompanied by Joseph Holt on piano.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota offers a diverse range of 26 concerts featuring emerging and accomplished classical, chamber, jazz, and pop artists from around the globe.

Full concert schedule/tickets: ArtistSeriesConcerts.org

It’s Never Too Late to Learn Something New OLLI Fall Term Begins Sept. 26

OLLI offers courses year-round on topics including history, science, literature, current events, arts and entertainment, music, and more. Register now for these special programs.

Collette Travel Information Session with Deb Sculley

Electric Bass-ics with Paul Gormley

Wednesday, Oct. 18 3-4 pm

The Real Reason for the Loss of the USS Scorpion with Steve Frasher

Thursday, Oct. 19 2:30-4 pm

Children win at first Casino Night

Saturday, Aug. 26, at Sarasota Event Center | Benefiting Suncoast Charities

Martha Collins

Julie Cotton Tuesdays: 2:30-4:30 pm

OLLI is located at Sarasota Art Museum on the Ringling College Museum Campus 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 941-309-5111 OLLIatRinglingCollege.org

Exploring Florida’s Historic African American Homes with Jada Wright-Greene

Monday, Nov. 6 2:30-4 pm

Empowering Dementia Caregivers with Louise Gallagher

Thursday, Nov. 9 2:30-4 pm Free

Suncoast Charities for Children held a Casino Night fundraiser Aug. 26 as part of its Suncoast Summer Fest series. The event capped off the series, which featured several events, including a golf tournament, a fun run and a fishing tournament. The Sarasota Event Center was filled with patrons who gathered to try their luck in the name of a good cause. The Casino Night event raised $20,000, which will benefit a new children’s therapy fund in honor of Ron Foxworthy, a former Suncoast Charities board member.

Because of rising health care costs, many families lack the insurance coverage required for certain therapies. This scholarship fund will help children with special needs receive the care they require, such as speech, physical,

occupational, feeding and aquatic therapy. The James M. Doss Charitable Foundation provided seed money for the scholarship. The funds raised during Summer Fest are particularly important because they come during a time of year when donations typically slow. Suncoast Charities supports six local nonprofits throughout the Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Charlotte County areas. Last year, the Suncoast Summer Fest raised $154,000.

Feeling hot at the Van Wezel

Hot tickets — how do you get your hands on them?

That’s the burning question for Mary Bensel, executive director of the city-owned Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, the purple pride of Sarasota.

In a season where demand for “Hamilton” is off the charts, everyone wants to know how to get a seat for the no-holds-barred show about the nation’s first Treasury Secretary and his wanton ways.

Sure, it’s been awhile since LinManuel Miranda’s boundary-breaking musical swept the Tony Awards in 2016. Since then, the touring show of “Hamilton” has been to Tampa’s Straz Center three times.

It’s coming to the Van Wezel from March 26 to April 7 and everyone in town wants a ticket now.

Here’s the deal. The best way to get a seat for “Hamilton” is to become a Van Wezel subscriber and get a ticket as part of a package of shows. The date for single-ticket sales has not been announced, but Van Wezel subscribers will get the first shot.

Can’t afford to become a subscriber? Become an e-club member at no cost — yes, you read that right — and get a jump on the masses. The day after tickets go on sale to subscribers, they will be opened up for e-club members, Bensel said.

Last but not least, members of the general public will get their turn on day three.

Whatever you do, Bensel says, don’t go to the top of the Google listings and buy from a ticket reseller unless you want to pay a hefty markup and maybe even get left out in the cold. “Some resellers advertise tickets that they haven’t even got yet,” she says.

Some trigger-happy ticket buyers make the mistake of clicking on the first offer in Google listings instead of scrolling down the list to buy on the Van Wezel website.

“I once saw a lady crying at the box office when she found out the ticket that she had bought online for $300 (from a reseller) was selling for $40 at the box office,” says Bensel. “I’m not kidding.”

There are rules regarding the resale of tickets by government entities such as the Van Wezel and nonprofits like The Straz, but suffice to say they are not strictly enforced.

Some people might not know artists have the ability to dictate who can buy tickets first, Bensel says. Case in point: When single tickets for 2023-24 Van Wezel events went on sale Sept. 1, one of the Oct. 22 shows for America’s reigning King of Comedy, Sebastian Maniscalco, was already sold out.

How could that be? According to Bensel, members of Maniscalco fan clubs got first dibs. Those were the terms dictated by the white-hot comedian, who hit the silver screen (and a window) earlier this year in “About My Father,” also starring Robert DeNiro.

“There was a pre-sale for fan club

members for one show, and our subscribers got to buy tickets for the other,” Bensel explains.

Unlike some people, Bensel doesn’t have a problem with that.

“Sebastian’s fans made him who he is today. It’s great that he looks after them,” she says.

With “Hamilton” in the Van Wezel lineup, Bensel says this promises to be the biggest and best season for the purple performing arts venue since “The Lion King” played in 2019.

The more than 37,000 theatergoers who attended “The Lion King” from March 14-31 that year spent a collective $3.5 million at the box office, according to the Van Wezel, which makes such financial information public because it is a government entity.

If 2019 rings a bell, that might be because it was the high water mark for the arts and entertainment world.

A year after “The Lion King” came to Sarasota, the pandemic shut down theaters and other performance venues across the country. Many haven’t returned to their 2019 attendance levels and have been forced to curtail their seasons, lay off staff and even close their doors.

With “Hamilton” in the mix, Bensel said the 2023-24 season is shaping up as a record-breaker for the Van Wezel.

It’s going to get some help from other high-profile shows, including “Hadestown,” a modern musical retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It comes to the Van Wezel from Jan. 30 through Feb. 4.

Personally, Bensel is fired up about “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” a musical about Motown superstars

The Temptations (Feb. 21-25); “The Cher Show,” a tribute to the enduring singer who is one of rock’s original divas (Jan. 10-12); and “Phantom of the Opera” star Sarah Brightman’s Christmas concert (Dec. 14).

She confides that William Shatner,

IF YOU GO

For more information about “Hamilton” and other Van Wezel shows, visit VanWezel. org. Don’t forget to join the free e-club to be next in line to buy single tickets after subscribers.

the original Captain Kirk in “Star Trek,” is also on her personal mustsee list. He’s at the Van Wezel Nov.

11. “Some people don’t know it, but I’m a Trekkie,” Bensel says.

Other shows sure to bring out faithful fans include doo-wop royalty Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, coming to the Van Wezel on Nov. 18, and the Allman Betts Family Revival on Dec. 12. The revival features an array of guests performing two sets — one for the songs of Greg Allman and the other for the songs of Dickie Betts.

Even though tips about how to get hot tickets dominate the conversation, anyone talking to Bensel would be remiss if they didn’t ask: Does Sarasota really need a replacement for the Van Wezel?

As plans are drawn up for a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center, the beloved purple venue has been named one of “11 to Save” by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

There’s no question Sarasota is ready for a world-class performance venue and the Van Wezel isn’t it, Bensel says without hesitation.

She is not exactly an impartial observer. Bensel was a member of the four-person task force that selected Renzo Piano Building Workshop to design a replacement for the aging Van Wezel, which was built in the 1960s.

It’s not just the size of the Van Wezel, which has 1,741 seats, that is a problem, Bensel says. It’s the tech-

nology, which hasn’t kept up to date with the needs of touring Broadway shows.

When “The Lion King” came to the Van Wezel, Bensel says the head carpenter for the show told her, “I’ve had every problem before that I’ve had here but never all at the same time.”

The city has agreed to split the $300 million cost to build a new 2,250-seat venue with the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation. Filling those extra seats won’t be an issue, Bensel says. “Just look at the growth in the number of people moving to Sarasota and visiting,” she says.

A top-notch venue “changes the level of talent you get. It will open the door to bigger acts,” Bensel adds. In other words, “If you build it, they will come.”

Demand for

is expected to surpass 2019’s ‘The Lion King.’

YOUR NEIGHBORS

IF YOU GO

Myakka Co-op, 36251 State Road 70 E. The market is held on the first Saturday of the month from September through April in the parking lot of the Silver Star East. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Season begins for Myakka market

The Myakka Co-op is a group of local artisans selling their goods every first Saturday of the month at the Silver Star East restaurant.

When Bri Ricke tried making jam for the first time, it took seven pounds of strawberries to make one jar worth keeping.

Now, her peach bourbon jam is a best seller at the Myakka Co-op, held on the first Saturday of the month in the parking lot of the Silver Star East restaurant.

“Folks come and tell me, ‘I eat it (right in the pantry) like Nutella,’” Ricke said.

Customers also use the peach bourbon jam as an ice cream topping, but it won’t get you drunk. The alcohol cooks off, and only the flavor remains. Ricke sells a Fireball whiskey apple jam, too, along with sugar scrubs and lip balms.

In keeping with the theme of a country market, Ricke uses locally

grown lychees in her scrubs and buys the beeswax for her lip balms from an apiary off State Road 64.

“This is our third year. Out here, people in Myakka City need someplace to be able to sell their stuff,” co-founder Carol Rubadou said. “We support six sanctuaries and animal adoption centers. We also collect food for food banks at three churches.”

The vendors are artisans, selling their own creations, from earrings and tie-dyed T-shirts to dill pickleflavored boiled peanuts.

If you try to crack the peanut shell in your hands, Kay Ross will correct you, “You’ve got to suck the juice out.”

Good advice to get more of the dill flavor, and Ross doesn’t even make the peanuts. Carol “Peanut Lady” Drawdy pulls up her truck, and the two friends share an umbrella. Ross sells homemade cookies and bars, and Drawdy sells three flavors of boiled peanuts.

On Sept. 2, Ross was clad in a tiedyed T-shirt bought from the stand next door, K & T Designs. Co-owner Terri Robinson is a fan of Ross’ work, too, especially her chocolate chip cookies.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, shopping locally has been of particular importance to Americans across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oak Ford resident Carol Masio stopped by the co-op before heading to another local market at Dakin Dairy Farms. She bought a tie-dye T-shirt, a jar of peach bourbon jam and a lavender scrub.

“We also support the animal sanctuary,” Masio said. “This community needs it, and we need more of this.”

Game time for grandparents

Cynthia Rogers and Charles Rogers love spending Friday nights watching movies with their granddaughter, Kendall Leathers. Instead of a movie Sept. 8, Cynthia and Charles Rogers and Leathers decided to switch up their Friday night plans.

They attended Robert E. Willis Elementary School’s first Games with Grandparents. Leathers is a first grader at the school.

“We always love to have fun Friday nights with our granddaughter, and this is another great opportunity,” Cynthia Rogers said. “We are excited about the games and having the chance to meet her friends and teachers.”

Dozens of grandparents played games, ate ice cream and made crafts with their grandchildren.

Paul Downie, a third grader, said he loved Games with Grandparents because he was able to spend time with his grandma, Jill Downie.

“I like that I get to be with my family,” he said.

Hematology/Oncology

Tee up for charity

Lakewood Ranch’s Corey Flynn lined up his practice putt and gently stroked the ball, missing the hole by a bit.

Flynn wasn’t worried about it, though, because on this day, scores simply weren’t the primary goal.

Flynn was in the field for the 3Form Fitness Charity Golf Tournament held Sept. 9 at the Legacy Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch.

The tournament was raising money for the Mark Wandall Foundation, The Haven and Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue.

Even so, Flynn, who said he has played golf since he could walk, wanted to shoot a nice round.

“I always have a club in my hand, even at work,” Flynn said.

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.

Undergraduate: Loyola University of 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

Certification: Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine with Subspecialty Certification in Hematology/Oncology and Hospice and Palliative Care.

Hospital Affiliations: Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital

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

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

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, SEPT. 14

THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPT. 17

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING

Runs from 5-8 p.m. at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes A Pirate Over 50 (Thursday), Gator Ridge Ramblers (Friday), Nat Langston (Saturday) and Al Fuller (Sunday). The Friday show has a $5 cover; the rest are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15

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 with androids, iPhones, tablets, laptops, e-books/ audiobooks, and more. For more information, go to ManateeLibrary. LibCal.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

BASEBALL, SOFTBALL CAMP

Begins at 9 a.m. at UMR Sports, 131 Upper Manatee River Road, Bradenton. UMR baseball and softball professionals Colin Moore and Ashley Prange will hold a camp for all ages and playing levels. The camp will focus on the fundamentals of hitting. Registration is $50. To register or for more information, visit UMRSports. com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17

FARMERS MARKET

941-925-7800

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.

BEST BET

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 AND SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. On Saturday, Waterside Place hosts The Soul Men of Westcoast Black Theater Troupe, which is performing as part of the Sights and Sounds series. The group features the most electrifying soul men of the 1960s. The concert will feature top hits from artists like Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, BB King, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, James Brown and many more. Bring chairs. On Saturday, singer/songwriter Sara Nelms will entertain the crowd strolling Waterside Place.

With a 3D high-definition visual tool to magnify the surgeon’s view and tiny wristed instruments that move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion, the da Vinci® Xi robotic surgical system at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with great precision through small incisions

Robotic Surgery Patient Advantages - Since only a very small incision is required, patients often experience:

• Less blood loss during the surgery

• Less pain and trauma to the body

• Reduced risk of infection

• Quicker recovery

• Less scarring

In addition to comprehensive open and minimally invasive laparoscopic treatments, general surgeons at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center perform a variety of robotic procedures, including colorectal, gynecologic and urologic surgery. To find a doctor, visit: doctors.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20

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.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23

LIFE;STORY 5K/10K

Begins at 7 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Centerstone Life;Story 5K/10K Run and Walk for Suicide Prevention follows a route around the lake at Nathan Benderson Park. Finishers receive a commemorative medal. Registration for the 5K is $45; the 10K is $50. To register, visit NathanBendersonPark. org or Centerstone.org.

Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them! Share them at YourObserver.com/contests/petpics to be published online and for a chance to see them in print!

Lake Club home tops sales at $3.25 million

Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Melanie Hamrick, of New York City, sold her home at 15809 Clearlake Ave. to Ted Fredric Thomsen and Amber Kay Thomsen, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3.25 million. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, fourand-two-half baths, a pool and 5,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.98 million in 2020.

LAKE CLUB

Vincent and Charlene Cubbage, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 8134 Pavia Way to Paul Diphillps and Eileen Alana Thomas, of Bradenton, for $2.5 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,730 square feet of living area. It sold for $897,000 in 2020.

COUNTRY CLUB

James Charles sold his home at 8009 Royal Birkdale Circle to Lanny Ross Verner, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.7 million. Built in 2000, it has six bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.42 million in 2022.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., trustee, sold the home at 7118 Beechmont Terrace to Timothy Christensen, of Racine, Wisconsin, for $1,031,800. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,596 square feet of living area. It sold for $1 million in 2005.

PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE

Thomas and Robin Kornett, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 8209 Snowy Egret Place to Aloysious Peter and Diana Martin, of Bradenton, for $1.13 million. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,473 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2016.

Joanne Lafrese, trustee, of West Islip, New York, sold the home at 23332 Red Robin Place to Susan and Roger Anderson, of Stuarts Draft, Virginia, for $735,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,222 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,400 in 2004.

ESPLANADE

Thomas and Linda Ernst, trustee, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, sold the home at 12963 Sorrento Way to Kent and Colleen Quam, of Bradenton, for $1.04 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $669,300 in 2018.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

David and Evelyn Fuchs, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 10639 Cheval Place to Mary Madick, of Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, for $982,500. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,070 square feet of living area. It sold for $517,400 in 2010.

INDIGO

George Watkins and Margaret Susan Watkins, of Georgetown, Texas, sold their home at 4207 Tropical Blue Lane to Donald Mudd and Deborah Roeder, of Bradenton, for $875,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,387 square feet of living area. It sold for $577,000 in 2021.

Donna Fredricksen, trustee, of Portland, Oregon, sold the home at 12712 Deep Blue Place to John and Laura Mallon, of Bradenton, for $600,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,772 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2019.

COUNTRY MEADOWS

Roy Jones III and Stacey Lynn

Jones, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14711 Second Ave. Circle N.E. to Jason Wysong and Nicole Rottler-Wysong, of Bradenton, for $854,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,027 square feet of living area. It sold for $887,000 in 2022.

BRIDGEWATER

Morton and Linda Lichtman, of Sarasota, sold their home at 13106 Belknap Place to Mindy Lynn Helding and Erik Magnus Helding, of Bradenton, for $850,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,221 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2014.

ROSEDALE ADDITION Timothy James Trevithick, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 9827 Carnoustie Place to Robert and Susan Shaw, of Bradenton, for $807,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,448 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2020.

ARBOR GRANDE

Noelis Maria Rosario-Santiago, of Bradenton, sold her home at 12425 Perennial Place to David Feldman and Patricia Bonagiano, of Bradenton, for $765,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,068 square feet of living area. It sold for $449,800 in 2020.

Barbara Hofmann, of Port Charlotte, sold her home at 2407 Avolet Court to Dinesh and Urvashi Patel, of Bradenton, for $480,000. Built in 2021, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,965 square feet of living area. It sold for $337,200 in 2021.

GREENBROOK

Aaron and Kelly Odom, of Sarasota, sold their home at 13954 Wood Duck Circle to Timothy and Patricia Conroy, of Baiting Hollow, New York, for $735,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,578 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2020.

Andrew and Lauren Aseltine, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13839 Wood Duck Circle to Ryan and Nicole Amerson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $675,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,433 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2020.

Christopher Roberts and Jamie Roberts, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14179 Cattle Egret Place to Jovancho Jovanoski and Marija Jovanoska, of Wallington, New Jersey, for $525,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,073 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2019.

Joseph and Ann Stevens, of Sarasota, sold their home at 14327 Gnatcatcher Terrace to Robert and Megan Trahin, of Lakewood Ranch, for $480,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,534 square feet of living area. It sold for $166,500 in 2009.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Clifford and Marlene Wolf, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6463 Willowshire Way to Barry Rice, trustee, of Bradenton, for $720,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,287 square feet of living area. It sold for $342,300 in 2014.

Carolyn Fox and John Toms, of Brevard, North Carolina, sold their home at 346 River Enclave Court to Cheryl and Guy Scantlebury, of Bradenton, for $613,000. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,840 square feet of living area. It sold for $347,500 in 2017.

Sandra and Ronald Guppy, of Springfield, Illinois, sold their home at 139 River Enclave Court to Jean and William Brandt, of Bradenton, for $555,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,686 square feet of living area. It sold for $331,400 in 2019.

COPPERLEFE

Renee Lynn Rodocker, of Sarasota, sold her home at 11416 Autumn Leaf Way to Michael Tedla, of Braden-

AUG. 28-SEPT. 1

ton, for $700,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,866 square feet of living area. It sold for $499,900 in 2020.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE Paul and Debbie Sue Ferrari, of Tampa, sold their home at 922 Preservation St. to Bryan and Morgan Magaldi, of Bradenton, for $660,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,913 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2021.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Rodney and Tricia Piepho, of Charlotte, North Carolina, sold their home at 284 Dahlia Court to Mark and Bernadine Reeping, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2004, it

has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,194 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2022.

WATER OAK

Paul Hoffmann sold his home at 6643 63rd Terrace E. to Joseph Vito Faccibene Jr., of Frisco, Texas, for $635,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,315 square feet of living area. It sold for $280,000 in 2011.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

SPORTS

Fast Break

Former Braden River

High football running back Deshaun Fenwick, a grad student at Oregon State University, had eight carries for 70 yards and two catches for 14 yards in the Beavers’ 55-7 win over the University of California-Davis on Sept. 9. Fenwick has 103 yards rushing on the year and one touchdown. Oregon State (2-0) is ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press top-25 poll as of Sept. 11.

Parrish Community High

senior quarterback Jackson

Volz, who lives in Lakewood Ranch, completed 11 of 13 passes for 293 and four touchdowns in the Bulls’ 63-22 win over Bayshore High (2-1). The Bulls are 2-1.

… The Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team won the public school division of the 2023 Cardinal Mooney Match Play Invitational held Sept. 9 at The Founders Golf Club in Sarasota. The Mustangs defeated Sarasota High and Riverview High, both by 5-0 margins.

The Braden River High volleyball team finished third out of 40 teams at the 2023 Florida Gem High School Classic tournament, held Sept. 8-9 at the WireGrass RADD Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel. The Pirates went 4-1 at the event and are 7-2 on the season.

Derek Wotring, Gary Older Neil Schlossberg and Terry Fearby (15 under par) won the Men’s Pro Shop Buddy event (best ball scoring) held Sept. 9 on the Lakes course at Palm Aire Country Club.

… Greyhawk Landing tennis player Hayley Roberts reached the semifinals of the Sanlando Park Level 5 Open, held Sept. 2-4 in Altamonte Springs.

Roberts, a five-star player according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, beat Karine Kulidjian (6-1, 6-0) in the quarterfinals before withdrawing because of an injury during her semifinal match against Clarice Ouvarova

Won, but not done

The Braden River High football team won 41-23 over rival Lakewood Ranch High on Sept. 8, but the Pirates are not satisfied.

For the eighth-straight time, Braden River High football (2-0) took down rival Lakewood Ranch High (0-3), this time by a 41-23 margin at home Sept. 8 in a game the Pirates controlled from the jump.

Yet, Pirates head coach Curt Bradley was not happy with his team.

“I’m still waiting for this team to play a four-quarter game,” Bradley said. “Too often there was a lack of focus tonight.”

When looking at the Pirates’ schedule, Bradley’s concerns are given context. Braden River will hit the road for four weeks, next facing Manatee (2-0) and following it with games against Booker (2-1), Port Charlotte (2-1) and Parrish Community (2-1). The stretch will go a long way in determining how the Pirates’ season goes.

Through two games, Braden River High has at times looked like a team that can handle that stretch. The Pirates had a 34-7 lead on Gainesville High in the fourth quarter in the first week — but let the Hurricanes score two late touchdowns to make the game appear closer than it was. Against Lakewood Ranch, it was a similar story as the Pirates led 27-6 in the second quarter, but instead of extending that lead, Braden River allowed the Mustangs to launch a comeback. Lakewood Ranch had the ball down 34-23 with 8:22 left in the game and threatened to get within one possession, but the Mustangs turned the ball over on downs.

A two-yard touchdown run from junior Marcus Galloway on the ensuing possession sealed the game for Braden River, but Bradley knows that type of effort is not good enough, going as far as putting his starters on notice that changes will come if lax efforts continue.

“At the end of the day, we have to find the right guys to get on the field,” Bradley said. “Football is a physical sport. We found out some things about some guys today. We have to get back to the drawing board and make sure we’re ready to go.

“It’s not complementary for us right now. If we score, we then give up a touchdown. If we get a stop, we’re then not scoring. And we need

IF YOU GO

What: Braden River High football (2-0) vs. Manatee High (3-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15

Where: Manatee High

Why: The first real test on Braden River’s schedule will show how close the Pirates are to being playoff contenders. Pirates player to watch: Junior receiver/running back Yahshua Edwards, who had four touchdowns against Lakewood Ranch High.

What: Lakewood Ranch High football (0-3) vs. IMG Academy Blue (0-2)

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 14

Where: IMG Academy

Why: The Mustangs will have a chance to get their first win of the season against the Ascenders if they continue the progress they made against Braden River High. Mustangs player to watch: Sophomore tight end Cooper Orzel, who had 80 receiving yards and a touchdown against Braden River.

to be complementary, on offense, defense and special teams.”

The Pirates were coming off a bye. Braden River was supposed to play Palmetto High (2-1) on the road last week, but effects from Hurricane Idalia caused damage to Palmetto’s new turf field and forced a postponement. That game has yet to be rescheduled as of Sept. 9.

Last season, the Pirates also had a week off because of Hurricane Ian, and Bradley was not happy with how his team returned from that break. Did the week off this year cause some the team’s mental lapses against Lakewood Ranch? Bradley said he didn’t think so. This season, it’s more an inexperienced team learning how

to play for a whole game.

Despite Bradley’s concerns, there are reasons for Pirates fans to have optimism entering the difficult four-game stretch, starting with junior receiver/running back Yahshua Edwards, who had three rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown and 159 total yards against the Mustangs. Junior Marcus Galloway also found success on the ground, running for 130 yards and a touchdown. The Pirates defense proved itself to be aggressive and turnoverhungry. Braden River forced four Lakewood Ranch turnovers, one coming on a fumbled kickoff return and three coming on interceptions. Junior defensive back Zion Newell returned one of the interceptions for a pick six.

PROGRESS IN A LOSS

From a Lakewood Ranch perspective, head coach Scott Paravicini said his team made progress despite the loss. Turnovers aside, his offense moved the ball better than in last week’s 41-6 loss against Cardinal Mooney High.

After a slow start, Mejia started to find a rhythm through the air. He finished 19-of-34 for 186 yards and threw a touchdown to sophomore tight end Cooper Orzel. When the passing game started connecting, it opened things on the ground. Senior running back Simon Freed had 93 yards rushing and a touchdown. It was an improvement from a week prior, when the Mustangs mustered six points and 76 passing yards against Cardinal Mooney High.  Paravicini also acknowledged that there is still a gap between where the team is and where it wants to be. The team has shown a tendency to fall behind early in games, making everything an uphill climb and limiting the plays the team can call on offense. Now that the team has found some things that work, Paravicini said, the next step is getting them to work early and establishing a lead.

“In cross-country, you’re running in a forest for half the time with nobody around you. It’s tougher to push yourself.” — LWR High’s Jonathan Leatt, SEE PAGE 28

Dick Vitale’s awesome spirit on display

The Hall of Fame college basketball broadcaster finished his treatment for vocal cord cancer Sept. 1.

“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

Those words were spoken by the late Jim Valvano, a college basketball coach and broadcaster, in his famous ESPYs speech in March of 1993.

Valvano had been diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma in 1992 and was not doing well, yet he kept fighting. The words would become the motto of the V Foundation for Cancer Research and resonate far beyond the world of sports. Valvano would die less than two months after giving the speech, at age 47.

Since his death, fellow college basketball broadcaster and friend Dick Vitale has taken Valvano’s words to heart. Vitale, now an 84-year-old Lakewood Ranch resident and a 2008 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, started by raising money for The V Foundation, particularly for pediatric cancer research, through his annual gala. Vitale is still doing that, and he has repeatedly pledged to keep doing it as long as he’s still breathing.

In recent years, however, Vitale has had to face challenges of his own. In August 2021, Vitale announced he had undergone treatment for melanoma. Two months later, Vitale said doctors had diagnosed him with lymphoma, and he again underwent treatment. And in December 2021, Vitale announced that doctors had found a precancerous dysplasia and ulcerated lesions on his vocal cords, which required surgery to remove. In the aftermath, he couldn’t speak for four months.

Things got better for a while. Vitale’s voice eventually returned, and in August 2022, Vitale announced that he was cancerfree. But in July, Vitale announced he had been diagnosed with vocal cord cancer. The treatment would involve six weeks of radiation therapy, 35 therapy sessions in total.

Vitale’s final session was Sept. 1 at the Sarasota Memorial Radiation Oncology Center, which is part of the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute. He walked into the center accompanied by his wife, Lorraine, and his daughters, Sherri Vitale Krug and Terri Vitale. Vitale has not been able to speak above a faint whisper throughout the treatment, and he has orders to stay on vocal rest for an additional six weeks.

That has been the hardest part for him, Lorraine Vitale said. He’s not used to staying quiet.

In other ways, he’s acting the same as ever.

“He loves to eat,” Lorraine Vitale said with a laugh. “I bought him all these smoothie drinks with protein, Ensure and things. He would actually eat a full meal and then have one of those (smoothies). I said, ‘You’re going to gain weight.’”

The final treatment was an emotional one for Dick Vitale. He became emotional while being checked in, holding a whiteboard note apologizing for not being able to talk. And after the radiation treatment, which lasted approximately five minutes, he entered an exam room, sat in a chair and hung his head, his hands covering the tears running down his face. The process was tiring, and now it was over.

What happens next is still to be determined. Matthew Biagioli, Vitale’s radiation oncologist, said Vitale handled the treatments as well as anyone could. The radiation treatment causes inflamma-

tion of the vocal cords, so doctors have to wait for that inflammation to subside and to perform a scope before they know how successful the treatment was — which is part of the reason for the six weeks of vocal rest.

Biagioli was optimistic and said the likelihood Vitale is cured is “at least 90%, maybe a little bit higher,” as this is Vitale’s first time having the treatment.

“Our goal here is to try to get him back to the functional state he was in before any of this started,” Biagioli said.

Does that mean Vitale will have a strong enough voice this winter to call college basketball games for ESPN? Biagioli said he simply doesn’t know at this point. It depends on how well Vitale’s vocal cords heal now that treatment is over. If anyone can do it, Biagioli said, it’s Vitale.

He hardly ever thinks about himself, either. In the exam room, after hanging his head, Vitale wrote another whiteboard message thanking the medical staff at the facility. He then tried to whisper a few words. About his treatment? No.

About The V Foundation, and how it hurts him to not be at full strength and calling people to raise funds. A lot of people like to talk about charity, and a lot of people donate money to those charities, but not many people, perhaps no one, is as dogged in their pursuit of making the world a better place for young people with cancer than Vitale.

After his treatment and a chat with Biagioli, Vitale headed to the center’s outdoor fountain, where the staff held a “rock ceremony” for him. The staff presented Vitale with a box of rocks, each with a different word painted on it, and asked Vitale pick out a rock carrying a word that

connected with him. He selected a rock that said “family,” held it for a second, then tossed it into the fountain. Again, tears came as Lorraine hugged him. But these were happy tears.

After the ceremony, the staff presented him with a different rock — a commemorative one to keep, not toss in the fountain. “You’re awesome, baby!” it read.

It would be foolish to bet against Vitale in any of his endeavors. He’s beaten cancer twice before. His gala tops itself in funds raised every year, and 2023 was no exception, raising an astounding $12.4 million for The V Foundation. When healthy, he’s still calling games on ESPN with the same enthusiasm he had decades ago.

Every day, he posts motivational tips on his social media accounts telling people how to win the game

of life. That hasn’t stopped since his vocal cord cancer diagnosis. He pre-taped messages to ensure they continued through his treatment.  So I agree with Biagioli that if there’s any chance for Vitale to return to announcer’s table this season, I know he’s going to fight for it with all he’s got.  He’s following his friend Jimmy V’s advice to the letter. He doesn’t give up. He never gives up.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jonathan Leatt

Jonathan Leatt is a junior boys cross-country runner at Lakewood Ranch High. Leatt finished third overall (17:28.29) at the 2023 Pasco Invitational held Sept. 2 at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City. Leatt also runs on the school’s track and field team.

When did you start competitive running?

In fourth grade, I started running local 5Ks with my dad (Mark Leatt). I wasn’t too serious about it then, but I enjoyed it. After that, I did middle school cross-country and then moved on to high school, and that’s when it got more serious for me.

What is the appeal to you?

It’s just a lot of fun. Obviously, it is hard work as well, but it is worth it. There’s fun in improving your times. That feeling of accomplishment is great.

What is your preference between cross-country and track and field?

I prefer track and field. It’s not as long and it’s a lot more hyped. There’s people cheering everywhere. In cross-country, you’re running in a forest for half the time with nobody around you. It’s tougher to push yourself.

Does your training change for each sport?

I do more speed workouts during track and field season. I’ll also run on the actual track more often. During cross-country, I do longer distance runs, usually six to seven miles, and we pick different routes to run around the area.

What is your favorite memory?

Last year, I broke 17 min-

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.

utes at our district meet (16:57.90).

That was a goal of mine for last season, so hitting it was a huge milestone for me. I was super happy.

What are your goals for this season?

I want to hit the 16:30s by the end of the season. Also, I think our team can reach states if we all try our best. That would be cool to do.

What is your favorite food?

Barbecue ribs is my favorite for sure.

What is your favorite TV show?

I like to watch ‘Friends’ with my sister (Tamlyn Leatt), so I’ll say that.

What are your hobbies?

I do a lot of fishing. I play soccer with Braden River Soccer Club. I like camping. Just being outside is cool, in the woods or in my backyard.

What is the best advice you have received?

My dad says to run your race. Don’t get distracted by other people. They’ll go out fast, but I can’t pace with them. I have to go at my pace.

Finish this sentence:

“Jonathan Leatt is ...” ... Hard-working. I push my limits as best I can.

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FORECAST

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

High: 92 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 23%

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 High: 91 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 75%

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

High: 91 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 83%

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17 High: 89

/

MOON PHASES

“PV’HH FHPFOG CDKDX JCV CVXDVG DE

... PV ZHVTUV JCFJ PV PRHH KVIVX

JCVRX GFLXRERLV.” ZXVG. UVDXUV P. AMGC

“RN RG’Z COIUG NAY CO, RG MRFF HO. GXAZO MAYLZ IYO CV CIUGYI RU FRNO, IUL RG XIZ UOBOY FOG CO LAMU.” KOUURNOY XTLZAU

“V’N UROYJU GJ R BVN REN CPRZ KVOY CRCJU CPREJW OYRE GJ R ARE REN CPRZ KVOY R KIARE’W YJRUO.” VUVWY WVEFJU EVRPP YIURE ©

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