East County Observer 10.5.23

Twice-denied project returns to commission

YOUR TOWN

Manatee County

honors local veteran

The Manatee County Commission declared Oct. 3, 2023 to be “John Skeen Day” in Manatee County.

The honor commemorated the East County resident’s 105th birthday and his service to the country as a veteran of the World War II.

“We don’t have men like Sgt. Skeen anymore who will run into combat and run into fire to protect what they believe and stand for,” Commissioner Mike Rahn said when presenting the proclamation at the Sept. 26 commission meeting.

Skeen wanted his men honored, too.

“I saw such bravery and courage down on the squad and platoon levels, which never came to recognition,” he said.

“My heart aches when I think of all the applause I get, and they get none.”

Fruitful lesson

Have you ever measured how tall you are by apples?

Emmitt Gehndyu and Gracelyn Carter, kindergartners at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, laid on the ground and discovered they’re both at least 13 and 14 apples tall, respectively.

Measuring their heights with apples was just one activity to celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day Sept. 26.

Appleseed was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other areas.

Students made hats, painted apple trees, balanced apples on their heads and more.

A place to call home

Harbor58 plans to build six villas to provide temporary housing for individuals aging out of foster care.

SENIOR EDITOR

Sarasota’s Lura Dorman has seen Harbor58, a nonprofit based out of Oasis Church in Lakewood Ranch, as a place where she can grow.

Once a month, Dorman goes to Harbor58, which works with individuals aging out of foster care, for classes on financial literacy. Dorman, who is 19, said the classes are helping her manage her money and prepare for her future.

Dorman also has been able to make connections and new friends with other participants and volunteers.

“I want to get my life together, get a car, get a house and be proud of what I do,” Dorman said.

As Harbor58 grows, Dorman hopes to be a part of the nonprofit’s future, possibly serving as a mentor for other youth.

The future of the nonprofit is focused on building a small housing community behind Oasis Church. It will help individuals aging out of foster care transition from foster care to living independently.

ADDRESSING A NEED

Harbor58 started in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the gaps in foster care services.

Missy Parmenter, president of Harbor58, said Oasis Church always has been involved in helping with babies and children in foster care, but staff and congregants didn’t work much with those aging out of the foster system.

During the pandemic, Parmenter said the church received calls asking if it could help with rent assistance for young adults who no longer lived with a host family.

“The more we looked around the area, we noticed it was a huge need,” Parmenter said.

Although the nonprofit is located

ABOUT HARBOR58

at Oasis Church, Parmenter said the nonprofit is not affiliated with it.

Harbor58 works with individuals in foster care who are in high school up to 22 years old. The nonprofit provides life-skills courses and career development opportunities once per month. The social gatherings have included cooking classes, movie nights and a beach day.

The nonprofit also has a mentor program in which those in foster care are partnered with a mentor that meets with them in the community.

Sarasota’s Amy Craig has been serving as a mentor to Dorman. Craig attends Oasis Church and wanted to help any way she could, so she started volunteering for Harbor58.

Craig has spent time getting to know Dorman when they go shopping and have lunch together. Craig is able to celebrate Dorman’s successes, such as when she was laid off from a job and a week later was hired at another job.

“It really has opened my eyes to what they go through,” Craig said.

“Most of them seem to know what they want. It seems they’re a lot smarter than I was, maybe because they had to grow up faster. They’re searching for attention and somebody just to be there for them and listen to them. To be able to do that, it’s a special thing.”

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

Harbor58’s next step is building 12 small villas to provide housing for individuals aging out of foster care.

The project is going through permitting with Manatee County and, if approved, will be located behind Oasis Church, which is on Lorraine Road.

Parmenter said church members with knowledge on creating and submitting development plans have donated time to help Harbor58 get the project started.

The nonprofit is working to raise

Harbor58 is a nonprofit that was started in 2020 after Missy Parmenter, the nonprofit’s president, saw a gap in services for youth aging out of foster care.

The nonprofit provides a mentor program, financial literacy courses, life skills courses and more for youth in high school up to individuals who are 22 years old.

Harbor58 is planning to build six villas totaling 12 units to provide temporary housing for those aging out of foster care. To get involved or donate, visit Harbor58.org.

funds for the project, which is estimated to cost $5.5 million. So far, it has raised about $100,000 without going into any kind of substantial fundraising effort.

Parmenter said the project could receive approval from the Manatee County Commission and is hopeful the nonprofit can break ground in spring 2024.

“If we can get downstream and put interventions alongside these kids and teach them how to transition successfully into adulthood, we can save the county thousands of dollars,” Parmenter said. “When you look at all these major areas that are social pains — like homelessness, drug addiction and sex trafficking — we all want to end those things. If you look at a common denominator with all of those kids, almost all of them have been involved in the foster care system.”

She said one in five individuals aging out of foster care will be homeless within a year. Half of those aging out of foster care will be unemployed by 24 years old, and only 54% of foster youth receive a high school diploma.

“If we can give them the skills, the jobs and the understanding and healing from their past trauma, we might

not ever get to that place,” Parmenter said of the statistics.

Parmenter said providing villas for the young adults aging out of foster care will allow them the independence they need while also providing a supportive environment needed to transition to living on their own.

“What if we put them in the middle of a community that’s thriving and prosperous and taught them, ‘You should be here; you belong here,’” she said.

Parmenter said having the Harbor58 housing in Lakewood Ranch will provide various opportunities for its residents. There are places for employment that are easily accessible even without a car. There are educational institutions for residents to receive further education after high school.

Each of the residents will be vetted before being accepted to live in a unit, Parmenter said.

“We’re going to be wise with the kids we put there. We want them to be kids who are driven and who are ready to take the next step to become successful,” she said. “I can’t think of a better place for them to experience generosity and love than Lakewood Ranch.”

Each resident will stay on its campus for approximately 18 months before they transition to renting their own apartment or buying a house.

“This is kind of like a safety net stepping stone,” Parmenter said. “All of us had seasons when we first became independent where we would try a little bit and fail. When

you do that, if you don’t have a safety net, your whole world can fall apart.”

Residents will pay a program fee that is on a sliding scale. The longer they’re in the program, the program fee will eventually mimic the cost of the average rent in Manatee County.

“This way they’re not going from paying $0 a month to paying the average (rent),” Parmenter said. “I would love for us to be operationally at a place that we can put (their program fees) in an escrow account for them so when they graduate, they can use that for their first and last (for rent) or a down payment.”

The villas will open in a phased approach so the first residents can help newer residents adjust and provide guidance.

“We want to start small and make sure we give a good foundation for those who are here,” Parmenter said.

When they move in, each resident will be able to design their unit so they have ownership of the unit. When they move out, they’ll be able to take all the furniture and items in the unit with them. Parmenter said the furniture and housing items will be either donated, provided by community partners or purchased with fundraising.

The community will include a clubhouse with common areas to host life skills classes, family style dinners and other classes and programs. It also will have an industrial kitchen where Harbor58 can host cooking lessons as well as laundry facilities.

Developer issues ultimatum to county

impacted.

TIMELINE

Manatee County commissioners face a Nov. 3 deadline to allow Concession Land Development LLC to develop a 17-acre parcel it purchased at the southeast corner of State Road 70 and Lindrick Lane or continue to be sued.

Concession Land Development LLC wants to transfer lots from its general development plan to the 17-acre parcel. The proposal was denied twice by commissioners in 2020 and 2021.

On Sept. 26, Concession Land Development LLC presented commissioners with a “settlement offer” that basically noted that Manatee County could avoid any legal action, such as an $8.9 million lawsuit filed against it on March 2, 2022, by passing the project.

Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse said the Sept. 26 “settlement offer” was more of an ultimatum.

“This really isn’t a settlement (offer) per se,” said Kruse, after Manatee County Attorney Christopher DeCarlo recommended that board members sign the agreement to rehear the case.

“This only has teeth and avoids your issues if we ultimately approve the project that was previously declined,” Kruse said

The settlement offer, signed by Concession Land Development’s Kevin Daves, states that if the board agrees to send the proposal to another public hearing and vote on or before Nov. 3 and approves it, Concession will dismiss its lawsuit.

Panther Ridge residents called the offer a “threat,” but the commission approved the settlement in a 5-1 vote with Kruse opposed and Commissioner Ray Turner absent.

“Since when should there be a kowtow to such low levels as to have that threat alter your votes of strong conscience previously displayed,” Foxwood at Panther Ridge resident Mark Lyons said. “My wife and I will not be swayed at all. We came here for the open peace and quiet this community affords, and we will fight to maintain it.”

Lyons also told commissioners that he and his wife were willing to invest their own financial resources to fight any such development. Fol-

WHO IS BERT HARRIS?

lowing the meeting, Lyons declined to comment any further on his plans or how much they would invest because he didn’t want to share information with the opposing parties.

While his act is most often used by developers, Bert J. Harris Jr. was not one. He was an agriculturalist before serving the House of Representatives from 1982 to 1996. He died in 2019 at the age of 99 in Lake Placid, where he owned a citrus farm.

By

estimate, trying the case will cost the county attorney’s office about $300,000, a bill that would be split among taxpayers and could rise to over $9 million if they lose the case.

“The law here is pretty clear, and we seem to be putting ourselves in jeopardy in doing anything other than taking your advice today,”

Commissioner James Satcher said to DeCarlo.

Concession is claiming “inverse condemnation,” meaning the county’s repeated denials have lowered the value of those 17 acres. In addition, Concession submitted a loss appraisal that claims the LLC is entitled to $8.97 million under the Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act of 1995. That law helps those who have had the value of their property affected by government recoup it.

DeCarlo said an appraiser was hired by the county to evaluate that number, but he wouldn’t comment on the findings because of ongoing litigation.

“The residents thought it was all done, and then, of course, this lawsuit happens, and it brings it back to the forefront again,” said Mark Broderick, the vice president of Panther Ridge III, The Forest HOA. “All the arguments that commissioners previously accepted ... nothing has changed in those arguments other than that now there’s a lawsuit.”

TIPPED SCALES

“It’s a shame that developers have so much control over the commissioners. (The developers) always get what they want,” wrote Joseph Zarlenga, president of The Forest HOA, in an email. “If they don’t, they threaten to sue, or they wait until they can change the commissioners, and overall, it makes our commissioners look to be nothing but bought and paid for players in their game, Commissioner Kruse excluded.”

Bert Harris claims have cost municipalities across Florida millions of dollars in property rights lawsuits, so it’s a name frequently referenced during land use meetings.   When Carlos Beruff’s high inten-

Harris helped citrus farmers recoup $70 million after the state killed thousands of trees that were misdiagnosed with citrus canker in the 1980s. He wanted to help farmers protect their property rights as environmental regulations were on the rise.

“All I wanted to do (with the Harris Act) was get the governments to look at the impacts of what they do,” Harris said in a 2002 interview.

sity East River Ranch project that lies beyond the Future Development Area Boundary was presented to the commission in May, Commissioner Amanda Ballard supposed that providing infrastructure would be less costly than the “millions and millions and millions of dollars from a Bert Harris claim” if the project was denied. It passed in a vote of 5-1.

In June, the county settled with Tara developer Lake Lincoln 11 years after the board denied its request to rezone 10 acres into planned commercial development. In the settlement, the county agreed to buy the property from Lake Lincoln for $3.6 million.

In both the Tara and Concession lawsuits, the developers initially agreed to not develop those parcels, then changed their minds and sued after their requests were denied.

Panther Ridge residents and two boards had agreed the project is incompatible with the area and nearby residents would be negatively

“I moved out here because I had a young family, and I wanted the kids to have some rural area and forest to run around and explore,” Broderick said. “It’s not just the rural community and the fact that we have larger acreage here, and that they’re going to put a small housing project in the middle of it. It’s the effect it has on things such as flooding. Over the past 20 years, it’s gotten worse every year because of the sprawl that’s happening around us.”

Nearby residents also stand to lose a major amenity. An abandoned railroad track dating back to the 1930s has been used by residents as a recreational trail for walking, biking and horseback riding since the 1990s would be affected. It runs through the 17-acre lot.

The Forest HOA will be considering hiring an attorney at its next monthly meeting. Its decision on whether to hire an attorney must be determined by a vote.

“We also have to be cognizant of, if the lawsuit is unsuccessful, what our liabilities are now that the change in the law favors developers,” Broderick said.

Senate Bill 540 is the change the board will have to consider. Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the law went into effect on July 1. In cases where comprehensive plans are challenged or defended, the losing party is required to pay the opposing party’s legal fees.

If the Lyons or the Forest HOA hire an attorney and sue Manatee County, they would be responsible for legal fees for the Concession Land Development, too. The Florida Rule of Civil Procedure states that anyone claiming an interest in the litigation has the right to intervene.

Legal fees are a small price to pay when developers stand to gain multimillions from a new development, so they typically exercise their right to intervene.

When Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge said the new board should at least hear the case, Kruse responded that voting “yes” would open up a can of worms.

“The 2020 board was different than the 2021 board when three of us were on it, and it was still declined with a different cast,” Kruse said.

“What’s going to happen? We’re going to drag this out, and then after the 2024 election, maybe bring it back again if the board makeup is different?”

While the proposal must be heard again, and passed, by the commission by Nov. 3 according to the settlement agreement, a hearing date has not been set yet.

JULY 2003

Concession bought roughly 1,232 acres from Panther Ridge that was already rezoned for the development of 255 single-family lots.

DECEMBER 2006

Concession had platted 236 of the 255 approved lots.

APRIL 2019

Concession platted the 17 acres as one lot and submitted a development application.

MAY 2020

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal to transfer 16 single-family detached villas within Concession’s general development plan to 22 single-family home lots on the 17-acre parcel. The meeting was not properly noticed.

JUNE 2020

The meeting was held again. Residents argued their case, and the Planning Commission denied the project in a 4-2 vote.

JULY 2020 Commissioners denied the project in a 6-1 vote.

JANUARY 2021

After Concession filed a petition for dispute resolution, mediation was held before a special magistrate. Concession agreed to modify its development plan.

AUGUST 2021

Another board that included current commissioners Kruse, Van Ostenbridge and Satcher voted to deny the modified plan in another 6-1 vote.

MARCH 2022

Concession filed an $8.9 million lawsuit against Manatee County.

SEPTEMBER 2023 Commissioners agreed to hear the proposal for a third time.

“It’s a shame that developers have so much control over the commissioners. (The developers) always get what they want.”

Joseph Zarlenga

Denied twice already, the Manatee Commission will consider Concession Land Development’s request to develop 17-acre parcel for a third time.

Intersection’s traffic control goes full circle

favors the roundabout.

“Safety is our biggest concern,” Wiegand said. “A roundabout will eliminate T-bone collisions. Speed will be reduced and everything will move slower. People can only make right-hand turns.”

Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Ray Turner was surrounded.

A county information session on the proposed roundabout at the Lorraine Road and Players Drive intersection in Lakewood Ranch was attended Sept. 27 by more than 200 concerned citizens. The session was held at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church. Those on both sides of the issue — those in favor of a roundabout and those who want a traffic signal instead — pushed their way up to Turner, who attended the entire event from beginning to end.

One by one, he spoke to everyone who wanted to offer an opinion.

“There is so much noise about it,” Turner said of selecting a type of traffic control for the intersection. “There are so many constituents who are concerned.

“I don’t know if I learned anything new because I have received a ton of email,” said Turner, who is well versed on both sides of the issue. “There could be some design flaws.”

Manatee County Public Works Director Chad Butzow said technically no final decision has been made to build a roundabout or a traffic signal at the site, but he said the county’s Capital Improvement Plan lists a roundabout as being preferred for the site. So unless commissioners decide to have more discussion on the project, it will be built.

It was in December when thenCommissioner Vanessa Baugh spoke to groups of residents who hoped the county would build a roundabout

at the site. She then told her fellow commissioners that she felt a roundabout would be a safer alternative and would help to reduce speeding on that stretch of road.

The other commissioners unanimously agreed and decided to fund design costs of a roundabout instead of a traffic signal at the intersection, which feeds entrances to Country Club East on one side of Lorraine Road and the Country Club on the other side.

Butzow said at the time that having both designs would allow county commissioners to make a closer examination on which plan would be better.

On Sept. 27, Butzow said whatever the final decision, Public Works is a year or more away from breaking ground on the project.

“There is still a lot of work to be done,” he said.

He said Turner was seeking input to make a decision about the project.

The input was passionate and emotional.

Country Club’s Howard Polivy said his concern was simply getting out of his community, and he thought a roundabout would give him a better chance.

Edgewater’s Tom Williams of the Village Idiots Cycling Club is a bicyclist who said he opposes a roundabout because it will cause additional safety issues for bicyclists.

David Goldheim, a co-chair of the Residents for Traffic Safety Committee, which is in favor of a roundabout, said roundabouts have been proven to be safer and he was satisfied with the county’s plan to install flashing lights for pedestrians who wanted to cross from Country Club East on the east to Country Club on the west, and vice versa.

Goldheim said those living along Lorraine Road are concerned about heavy trucks stopping and starting, which means more noise pollution.

“It will cause our property values to decrease,” he said.

He also said a traffic light would cause backups and be a great disrup-

tion to the area.

Mike Seifert is president of the HOA Board in Country Club East. He said one of the biggest issues to be considered is that hundreds of people cross Lorraine in golf carts and that a traffic signal would allow those carts to cross safety. He said a traffic circle is much harder to navigate with a golf cart.

Another main problem, he said, was the roundabout design would lead to a backup.

Country Club’s Judy Schilg is in favor of a roundabout. She said concerned members of her community began talks with Baugh because they thought the intersection would be dangerous if a signal light was installed.

“Vanessa started thinking about ideas,” Schilg said. “This all started because our commissioner was listening to our group. I hope (Turner) picks up our cause.”

Julie Lengacher-Taylor, whose house is just off the intersection, favors a roundabout because she is worried about the noise pollution. She said that noise will be caused from vehicles speeding away upon a green light. She also said a traffic signal wouldn’t stop motorcycles from racing at night.

“They will have to slow down for a roundabout,” she said.

David Wiegand, the head of Residents for Traffic Safety Committee and a Country Club East resident,

Wiegand said he thought the decision to put in a roundabout had been made, but he has become concerned because he saw “so many red shirts” at the information session. Those in favor of a traffic signal mostly were dressed in red.

Wiegand said those who were opposed to a traffic circle were “more fear mongering than having any actual safety data.”

“They have no statistics to support (a traffic signal would be a safer option).”

Country Club East resident Darrel Drury, a graduate of Yale whose career has involved statistics and policy analysis, said no statistics are available to support either a traffic signal or roundabout.

“The data is not available, and that is the key,” Drury said. “We don’t have data about this specific site. We need an individualized traffic study. They can do that two ways. One would be a macro level study using the Highway Capacity Manual. A macro can provide you with a reliability analysis.

“Then they could do a micro simulation model in which you envision both designs.”

He said Trafficware Group provides excellent software for such a study.

Ogden Clark, a strategic planning manager for Public Works, said the county did a traffic count in February just south of the Lorraine Road and Players Drive intersection, finding that just over 18,000 vehicles a day were using that stretch of road. Of course, with development, the county expects that number to rise.

“We have professionals looking at this,” Clark said. “We are not just holding our thumbs up and hoping it works.”

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“Safety is our biggest concern. A roundabout will eliminate T-bone collisions. Speed will be reduced and everything will move slower. People can only make right-hand turns.”

David Wiegand, head of Residents for Traffic Safety Committee

Manatee’s vision includes faster EMS responses

Staff prepared a presentation for commissioners and citizens on the future vision for Manatee County.

One of Charlie Bishop’s first requests as the new acting county administrator was to have the staff create a future vision for Manatee County.

When residents were recently asked to describe their future vision of the county in one word, many responded with the word “congested.”

But traffic jams aren’t just annoying, they can slow down Emergency Medical Service response times, so the staff set a goal to speed up those times.

FUTURE VISION OF MANATEE COUNTY

Much of the vision was taken from the Capital Improvement Plan, such as the “Big Six” road improvement projects, three of which are in East County on Lena Road, Lorraine Road and Upper Manatee River Road. “We aimed to provide a view of Manatee County’s future that highlighted some organizational goals, as well as high profile projects,” Communications Director Casey Zempel said. “We made it a priority to be inclusive of both short and long term initiatives that will ultimately resonate the loudest and have the greatest impact on the taxpayers that contribute to our success, and in return, expect results.”

Highlighted initiatives:

■ Increase capacity and traffic flow.

■ Increase safety with sidewalk enhancements.

■ Dedicate $60 million toward acquiring environmentally sensitive lands.

■ Improve and expand parks.

■ Illuminate underlit neighborhoods.

■ Expedite requests for affordable housing development.

■ Expand and improve utility services.

Average response times stayed steady under eight minutes, and often under seven minutes, from 2012 through the end of 2021. Since then, the average time has crept up to over eight minutes.

There are plans already in place within the CIP to update the 911 call routing system, the Computer Aided Dispatch System and the station alerting system.

The county’s current 911 call routing system is as outdated as a rotary phone because it only accepts calls.

The new system, which will be implemented by the end of the year at a cost of $4 million, can keep up

with smartphones and accept digital data, such as text messages, photographs and videos.

The CAD is the system that dispatchers use to prioritize and manage the information and responses to incoming emergency calls. The software will be updated and the hardware will be replaced by the end of the year and cost $1.4 million. This is done every three to five years to improve efficiency and prevent system failure.

The current station alerting system is also outdated. It will be replaced with a new system by the end of next year, which will include advanced alerting capabilities and emergency dispatch automation

by connecting to the CAD. Devices need to be installed at each of the 17 Manatee County EMS stations. The estimated cost is $40,000 per station with a total cost of $680,000.

What’s included in the vision but not in the CIP is the use of artificial intelligence. While the County’s Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan stressed that the plans to use AI are theoretical and might not come to fruition, the staff sees potential in the technology.

“It is our understanding that the AI can collate and make building CAD information more easily and quickly accessible to first responders to enable them to make entry to multiunit facilities or buildings and get to where they need to be more efficiently,” Logan said. “Also, there is hope that integrated traffic signals could be coordinated to make first responders a priority through potentially clogged intersections.”

How AI prioritizes is by preemptively giving green lights as emergency vehicles are in route, so the traffic is cleared when they arrive at the intersection. Another major goal that is of importance to citizens across the county is clean drinking water. One project, in particular, aims to keep Manatee’s water quality more consistent: an overhaul of the filtration systems at Lake Manatee.

The conventional surface water treatment that’s used now is being replaced with a low-pressure membrane filtration system.

“The benefit of a membrane filtration versus media filters is that the defined pore size is a consistent particle barrier. Particles larger than the pore size cannot get through the membrane and cannot make it to the filtered water stream,” Logan said. “Particles can allow harmful pathogens and viruses to be shielded from disinfection during treatment. The ultrafiltration membranes will guarantee a filtered water turbidity (number of particles in the water) well below regulated levels without as much operator interaction and maintenance as needed now.”

The approximately five-minute video, starring all seven commissioners, was played during the land use meeting on Sept. 28 and can be viewed on the Manatee Board of County Commissioners YouTube channel.

It’s a Woz Ed new world

After measuring the volume, mass and density of each cube and identifying what the cube is made of,

Dr. Mona Jain Middle School eighth graders in Dawn Reilly’s science class had to answer another question.

Would the cubes sink or float in a container of water?

Reilly had students come to the front of the class one at a time, but before dropping a cube in the water, she asked for the class’s thoughts.

Although it was a simple laboratory lesson, the students were able to visually understand a lesson on density through a Woz Ed science lesson.

Starting this year, eighth grade science classes across the School District of Manatee County will use Woz Ed science and STEM kits to provide hands-on lessons.

Woz Ed was founded by Apple II computer creator Steve Wozniak as an educational program geared toward helping students become career-ready.

The School District of Manatee County began its partnership with Woz Ed in 2020 when Palm View K-8 School became the first Woz Pathways school in Florida.

Since then, the Woz Ed curriculum has been expanded in the district. Woz Ed science and STEM kits are being used daily in fourth and fifth grade classes.

“They are engaged in the lessons,” said Alexis Rivard, a science teacher at Mona Jain. “The fun part about teaching science is the hands on part and anything to help enhance hands-on science, I’m perfectly

happy to do. The kids enjoy that aspect of science.”

The Woz Ed curriculum has students go through the five E’s: engage, explore, explain, extend and evaluate. The lessons engage students in exploration of concepts through hands-on activities. The explain step is when students engage in critical thinking skills to develop answers to questions. Extend allows students to apply what they’ve learned in the lesson and evaluate has students demonstrate what they’ve learned.

Reilly said the hands-on activities help students understand the concepts better and retain information more than when reading a book or viewing a PowerPoint presentation.

She said students are more willing to ask questions and use the vocabulary they’re learning when involved in an interactive lesson.

“To ensure the students understand the standard, you have to have them do the standard because they’re going to have to answer questions where they have to apply that knowledge,” Reilly said. “To apply the knowledge, you have to first truly understand it. I can visually see if they understand when they put their data on the board. If they are reading an article, I won’t know they don’t get it until I grade the work. It’s too late then.”

Conducting labs also gives students the chance to ask questions as they arise and engage in critical thinking.

While learning about density, Reilly brought in mini cans of Coke and Diet Coke. She dropped a mini can of each in a tank of water. The expectation was that because Coke has more sugar than Diet Coke, it

would sink, but to Reilly’s surprise, both mini cans floated. This resulted in a discussion of why the mini can of Coke didn’t sink.

The next day, Reilly brought in normal size cans of Coke and Diet Coke. She conducted the same experiment, and the class saw the can of Coke sink.

Students theorized that the density of the mini can of Coke wasn’t

greater than the density of water and as a result, it didn’t sink.

Before Woz Ed, Reilly and Rivard said if teachers wanted to provide hands-on activities, they had to find them on their own and often spent their own money to purchase resources. Now the eighth grade science teachers at Mona Jain Middle have a closet and an empty classroom filled with Woz Ed kits, mate-

rials and other resources.

In the past, the science teachers would have to share supplies and schedule out when they would do certain labs. Lessons couldn’t last more than the determined time because another teacher would need the supplies.

“I couldn’t get sick because I needed it on this day and it had to get done,” Reilly said.

Having enough supplies for everyone allows teachers to take time with the lessons and further initiate discussions among the students about the lessons.

Woz Ed also provides lessons for units that Reilly and Rivard said they didn’t have many lab lessons for in the past such as the space unit.  Reilly and Rivard hope the Woz Ed curriculum will help to increase students’ test scores.

“I know how much my kids know, and it makes me frustrated when I don’t see it in the scores,” Reilly said. “I know they know it. (Test scores) are not the bottom line, but I want them to have their choice of science classes in high school. You have to have a certain score to be in the honors courses.”

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School District of Manatee County eighth graders will use Woz Ed kits to engage in hands-on lessons.

Fresh new look

New paint, landscaping will give Main Street at Lakewood Ranch refreshed look.

Main Street at Lakewood Ranch is getting a makeover.

Natural Designs Landscaping crews have been uprooting the plants and trees in the parking lots and along Lakewood Main Street as part of the first phase of the sprucing up project of Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

After the buildings have been power washed, Myers Painting will begin painting each building.

Myers Painting painted the buildings on Lakewood Main Street 10 years ago, so the company is familiar with the property, said Amanda Zipperer, director of property management and leasing for Lakewood Ranch Commercial.

Zipperer said it’s time for a new coat of paint because the Florida sun and weather conditions have worn the paint on the buildings, and Main Street is due for an “overall refresh.”

Lakewood Ranch started working with Sarasota’s JKL Designs last year to choose the colors for the buildings and finalize the future look of Main Street.

Zipperer said designers were surprised to see that Main Street buildings had been painted with more than 20 colors.

The new design features only seven colors, and the colors are more earthy and neutral.

“It’s a much simpler design than in past years,” Zipperer said. “We’re super excited to simplify it. It’s definitely needed. I think less is more when it comes to a town center of this size. The first thing people see when they pull onto the property is the

exterior of the building, so we want to keep it clean, fresh and simple. That’s really the goal we are looking for. I think it’s a little bit more modern than what we have out here, too.”

The first buildings to be painted will be Starbucks and Station 400, as they are the first stores seen when entering Main Street from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

Painting will take a minimum of six to eight weeks, weather permitting, Zipperer said.

Zipperer hopes the fresh paint and new landscaping will “attract new life into the property” as well as bring new customers to Main Street.

“These little refreshers will definitely drive life into the town center and make it a little bit more vibrant and attractive for sure,” she said.

The second phase of landscaping will begin around the spring of 2024 in coordination with the planting season.

Although Main Street at Lakewood Ranch will have a new look by the end of 2024, Zipperer said it will remain a “cozy and traditional downtown” with its staple events such as Music on Main.

In the meantime, Zipperer said crews will be conscientious not to interrupt any businesses or events on Main Street.

“Donna is a true professional. She has the uncanny ability to make you feel important and heard at all times, regardless of how busy she is.” – Eric G.

“Donna is the ultimate professional in this market. She has command of all facets of selling property for its highest value. Her attention to detail is second to none.” – Donald H.

“Donna was amazing to work with. She was efficient, knowledgeable, and very knowledgeable about the market.” – Ann M.

WART-DOG IS A STAR

He plays fetch. He takes naps and loves a good belly rub. But Wallace is not a dog, he’s a warthog.

Wallace the Warthog of Myakka is a 2-year-old TikTok influencer with nearly 100,000 followers. Wallace has become so popular on the social media platform that he now brings in a little paycheck each month. In time, it should cover the costs of all the drywall he destroyed as a young “wart-dog.”

“Because he was with the dogs, he just accepted their behavior,” Wallace’s owner Greg Para said. “He laid on the blankets with them. He played with the stuffed animals. If they had a bone, he wanted his bone to chew. They got up on the couch, he’d hop up on the couch. And now, he’s a 300-pounder who hops up on the couch to watch a football game.”

Para adopted Wallace when he was only 3 weeks old, so it’s likely the baby warthog adopted him as well. He follows Para everywhere he goes, which is not unusual behavior for his age. In the wild, warthogs stay with their mothers until the age of 2.

Wallace doesn’t just roam outside on the two acres that are fenced within the five-acre property; he has a bowl on the kitchen floor like the dogs do.

His “pack” includes two Jack Russell terriers and a Weimaraner, plus a horse, a donkey, a duck, a goose, a slider turtle, two tortoises, two pigs and about 70 parrots. Para, 60, founded the Sarasota Parrot Conservatory, and his home also serves as a sanctuary. He doesn’t adopt out the animals he rescues.

Wallace and the terriers are the only animals that are not rescues, but it’s much easier to find a puppy than a warthog piglet. Para said even his friends at Big Cat Habitat couldn’t find one, but in December 2020, he got a call from a man in North Florida who had two. The female didn’t survive, and he offered Para the male.

Para has dreamt of raising a warthog since he was a little boy watching “Animal Kingdom,” but his youngest daughter, 22-year-old Madeline Para, is responsible for Wallace’s fame.

“My daughter showed me how to do it (navigate TikTok). I had no clue,” he said. “But now, every month, he makes a little bit of money on it, so it helps feed the animals. Normally, it’s $40 or $50. But last month, he made $177.”

With worldwide fans, Wallace receives gifts in the mail and is building a line of merchandise. T-shirts are on sale now. You can’t mistake the front from the back when putting one on. The front of the Wallace shirt shows his tusks; the back shows his tail. Coffee mugs and hats are in the works.

Madeline Para is an artist. Para sends her the ideas, and she creates the images and designs. But Wallace creates the magic that has garnered over 1.9 million likes on his videos.

ABOUT WALLACE THE WARTHOG

TikTok handle:

@WallaceWarthog

Followers: Over 95,800

Age: 2 years old

Weight: 300 pounds

Likes: Belly rubs

Dislikes: Bananas

Favorite fan gift: Stuffed animal in his likeness sent from California

Best and worst character

trait: Curiosity

Where to buy Wallace merch: SarasotaParrotConservatory. org/Stor

On top of his kind nature, which allows the birds to perch and the terriers to nap on his back, Wallace the Warthog is a bit of a Dennis the Menace character.

He’s been known to yank the tablecloth down to the floor during dinner. He pulls the trays out from the bottom of the bird cages to eat the leftover seeds. And he sticks his snout into just about everything.

Para calls him curious and finds it amusing. His four children are grown and out of the house, and while Para has a girlfriend, they don’t live together. As he understandingly put it: “It’s a lot.” So it’s just Para, Wallace and about 80 other animals living in harmony in Magnolia Hill.

“I get up in the morning, the light goes on so I can make my coffee, and the donkey sees me first,” Para said. “The donkey starts braying, which causes the horse to start neighing. Then the goose starts going to town, and by the time the coffee’s brewing, the two pigs are waiting to be fed. It’s hilarious.”

Wallace rolls out of bed from his “Pigloo,” an igloo-style dog house. Warthogs back into their dens to

protect themselves and their piglets from incoming predators. Before the indoor and outdoor pigloos, Wallace was backing into some tight spots around the house.

First, he found a spot between the dryer and the wall to sleep. When he outgrew that tiny nook, Para spread out the washer and dryer to give him a bigger space in between. Then, Wallace moved to a larger nook in the bathroom between the toilet and the sink until his growing size started pushing the toilet over. His final sleeping spot was underneath an antique organ until Para bought the pigloos.  He also figured out that the easiest way to get dirt off Wallace is to use the hose of a Shop-Vac or brush him off with a broom. Wallace loves both.  His antics have TikTok followers invested.

“People are coming to Florida, and they want to come meet Wallace,” Para said. “So they come and meet him and say it’s the highlight of their trip.”

Meet and greets are available by appointment only. Call 962-2176.

EAST COUNTY

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Wallace the Warthog takes a stroll at his home in Myakka.

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Wallace the Warthog has nearly 100,000 followers and even receives gifts from fans.

For one day, Lakewood Ranch becomes Safety Town

activities.

On hand will be representatives from East Manatee Fire Rescue, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Health, Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, Hope Family Services, Goldfish Swim School, the Center for Urgent Care, and more.

ing at McNeal. She works with kids in the third, fourth and fifth grades and a teacher always is involved in the program.

In the pursuit of safety, Laurie Fox was headed into a closet.

Fox, a local Realtor and a CDD1 Supervisor, knows about safety. She has spent much of her life working with kids and trying to prepare them for any unforeseen circumstances that might come their way.

This was a moment in 2016, however, that she called “terrifying.” She was working with her K-Kids club, a service program of Kiwanis International, and Gilbert W. McNeal was running an active shooter drill.

She didn’t know it was a drill, and if she was terrified, she thought the children were as well.

However, she also was grateful the school was preparing kids for emergency situations. It sparked an idea in her to host her first Safety Town event in Lakewood Ranch. That was in 2018.

While she expected to keep the event rolling on a regular basis, COVID-19 got in the way and Fox backed off. Now, though, she is ready to host Safety Town II, with the hope she can continue it on an annual basis.

The safety event will run 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 7 at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Many of Manatee County’s safety organizations will be present to hand out information to families, along with providing the kids with

Kids will be able to check out fire trucks, emergency vehicles, and a fire rescue boat.

“I always have had such a compassion for children,” Fox said.

“Those little kids are so full of love and joy, but is anyone teaching them to stop, drop, and roll (if they are caught on fire)? Do they do any safety stuff?”

Fox said she feels her purpose in life has been to help children.

“We need to get back to the basics of teaching them safety,” she said.

Along with the basics, Fox said she hopes parents will get back to the basics of teaching their children to respect first responders.

“When I was in school, we didn’t have to worry about that,” she said.

“All these people are heroes and we want children to look up to them.”

During Safety Town, Fox will have assorted superhero capes she will present to various safety officials.

She said it is all about respect.

Fox has lived in Summerfield since 2001, but in the previous 10 years before moving to Lakewood Ranch, she worked with gang kids in Cleveland.

Before her last 17 years of selling homes, she worked in the insurance industry and helped organize many programs in Allstate Foundation’s Helping Hands program. She also has been a Youth for Christ director.

One of her joys now is working with the K-Kids club. She meets with the club every Tuesday morn-

The children in the program are asked to come up with a service activity and then the group makes it happen. The present project is “Sock-tober” where the children are collecting socks for those in need. In Novemember, the group will be making book marks for veterans in honor of Veterans Day.

Fox said last Valentine’s Day the K-Kids dropped off 500 cookies at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Through all her years working with kids, Fox said her proudest moment might have been in 2019 when her K-Kids went to The Windsor of Lakewood Ranch to work on crafts with the senior residents.

“Oh ... the love,” Fox said with a sigh. “I was so proud of my K-Kids. That really gives me hope for the future. Those are the people who will be running our world when we are older.”

As a CDD1 supervisor now, she is in charge of — what else? — safety. She works out of Coldwell Banker’s Market Street office in Lakewood Ranch. She can’t wait for her safety event to begin, but she is anxious.

“I remember the last one where I had this horrible fear, ‘What if nobody attends?’ And then I worried about ‘What if too many people come?’”

She has stockpiled 400 replica fireman’s hats at home along with the capes. She said about 200 people attended her first Safety Town.

“It was very good, and we had all kinds of volunteers,” she said. “I guess from the first one, I learned

how generous this community can be. If you ask for help, people are always willing to help.”

She noted that it is a rain-orshine event and that if it does rain, most of the safety presentations will move inside Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

Fox also asked that those who attend with little kids pay particular attention to representatives of the Goldfish Swim School because teaching a child how to swim is one of the best lifesaving drills a parent can do. She also said health department personnel have great first aid presentations. Nate’s will cover what to do if your dog is poisoned.

While she said the event is

somewhat of a “one-man show” to organize, she said it has to be done “because it is important.”

And it helps her as well.

“Being involved in Kiwanis, and serving the community has ket my heart young,” she said. “If you help somebody, it gives you so much joy.”

LETTERS

Roundabout on Lorraine is inadequate in size

It has taken a long time for me to get on board with roundabouts here for one major reason.

The problem is that designers of the roundabouts seem to want every darn roundabout to be entirely unique and special. Each is complete with its own unique myriad instructional signage, informing the driver of the many challenges ahead.

Those challenges include mandatory exit lanes and mandatory lane changes. So I hope you’re not (a motorist) checking out that parking place off to the side or watching that playful dog on a leash that looks like it wants to bolt out into traffic.

Long ago, roundabouts were all the same ... the inside lane was an infinite loop and the outside lane usually was an optional exit lane — meaning that it wasn’t mandatory to take an exit.

This was very much a cookie cutter concept that, as long as there was room enough, could be implemented at any intersection with little difficulty or drama.

Drivers in the circle had the right of way and drivers wishing to merge into the circle might have to pause, but it beat getting stuck at a light all the time. These old school roundabouts were easy and relatively stress free.

I wish all of the new roundabouts were like the same old simple roundabouts of long ago.

Why do we have to put up with these (allegedly) new-andimproved roundabouts?

One reason is that the same engineers who love to sit down at their drawing board and try to reinvent the wheel are the same engineers who are the “experts” on how it needs to be done.

It seems the same engineers like to control things. They just don’t like the citizens having the free will to travel in the outside lane of a traffic circle without being forced to exit.

Also, city planners like to sit around big tables with big ideas in big air-conditioned rooms and impose unpopular ideas on the

masses. There has been a longstanding rumor that this is what true leadership is all about.

Do I like traffic circles? No. But I do like them more than traffic lights? I do if I have to stop at every light on Lorraine Road at every neighborhood entrance and intersection on the way to an appointment.

I thought I read something about getting the speed limit on Lorraine Road up to 45 mph, with roundabouts at entrances and intersections to mitigate speeding motorists. I can get on board with that.

I am not a huge fan of the roundabouts, but I like them better than stoplights. But I no longer assume anything about roundabouts. I do try to memorize the signage instructions upon approach, and I have gotten better at it, with markedly less horn-honking and fingerwaving incidents than five years ago.

After reading Schroeder-Manatee Ranch President and CEO Rex Jensen’s words on the issue (Sept. 28 East County Observer), I feel less confident that just one roundabout on Lorraine Road would be of much benefit.

Larger roundabouts with statues, monuments, sculptures and such in the middle have always been better than reworking/redesigning existing intersections of inadequate size. Jensen calls out the inadequate turning radii for large trucks and the small diameter of the circle.

Initially, I had assumed the Country Club would have nearly the space and offsets that Country Club East has, but this is not the case. Google images show the proposed roundabout is closer to the gate and houses of the Country Club than it is to Country Club East. There is no easy way to push the Country Club gate back because there are neighborhood streets to the left and right immediately after entering the gate. Bigger roundabouts are better and if we are going to do this on Lorraine Road, they should be not be smaller than the (Cattlemen Road) roundabouts at UTC. We should be all roundabouts or no roundabouts.

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Materials | Furniture | Appliances

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3 Stores n 1 Location

Tuesday - Saturday n 10:00am - 5:00pm 2095 17th Street n Sarasota

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Have large items to donate? Call to schedule your free pick up. (941) 444-5783 n www.habitatsrq.org

Tuesday - Saturday n 10:00am - 5:00pm 2095 17th Street n Sarasota

Have large items to donate? Call to schedule your free pick up. (941) 444-5783 n www.habitatsrq.org

Have large items to donate? Call to schedule your free pick up. (941) 444-5783 n www.habitatsrq.org

Have large items to donate? Call to schedule your free pick up. (941) 444-5783 n www.habitatsrq.org

Our vision is everyone deserves a decent place to live.

VIENNA FINGERS ON THE OBSERVER: Tom and Debbie Shapiro with Susie and Pete Marro in front of the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria, with the East County Observer in hand.

Specializes in Hand & Wrist Reconstruction

Dr. Gregory C. Farino is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician. He earned his medical degree at Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia. He completed his orthopedic residency at Penn State University, followed by an orthopedic fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Farino specializes in hand and wrist reconstruction, offering quality surgical developments and techniques. He has treated the orthopedic needs of sports teams and athletes, including the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also worked with the Under-18 U.S. soccer team as well as student athletes at the IMG/Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton.

Dr. Farino’s areas of special interest include:

• Hand and wrist arthritis

• Hand and wrist fractures/dislocations

• Tendon injuries and tendonitis (trigger fingers, wrist tendonitis)

• Ganglion cysts/mucous cysts of the fingers/ benign hand tumors

• Carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome

• Dupuytren’s contracture

Dr. Farino is accepting new patients.

So no matter the condition and no matter how serious , you only need to remember one name .

Juan Carlos Vigil, DO

Dr. Juan Carlos Vigil brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood Ranch II office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Internal Medicine.

Undergraduate: Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL

Medical School: Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Residency: Internal Medicine, Broward Health Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Certification: Board Certified, American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine; American Board of Internal Medicine

Hospital Affiliations: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital

The stuff of dreams

Recycled Reading Buddies pairs books with stuffed animals that are then donated to children in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Sarasota’s Gina Anderson dug through a bin filled with Christmas-themed stuffed animals.  She found a grey-and-white husky wearing a Santa hat and red bow tie.

Anderson thought the stuffed animal was a perfect match for the book “The Pups Save Christmas.”

“It’s a Christmas-y dog for a Christmas book,” Anderson said.

Anderson, a member of Encore of Sarasota, along with at least a dozen other volunteers, helped East County’s Jude Creamer pair stuffed animals with children’s books for

Recycled Reading Buddies.

In 2015, Creamer founded Recycled Reading Buddies, an organization that pairs children’s books with a stuffed animal that looks like a character in the book.

Creamer had learned about reselling on Amazon and loved the concept of pairing two items together to make them more valuable together than as individual items. She also loved going to thrift stores to see what “treasures” she could find.

She combined the idea of reselling and recycling with her passion for reading, deciding to find stuffed animals that would pair well with children’s books.

“I thought it might be a fun way to encourage kids to develop the love of reading, especially if they had someone to read to or someone they could snuggle while they’re being read to,” Creamer said. “It’s my little way of hopefully encouraging a child to like books.”

Creamer first started by selling her

RECYCLED READING BUDDIES

East County’s Jude Creamer started Recycled Reading Buddies in 2015.

The organization pairs books with stuffed animals that look like the character in the books.

To volunteer or help Recycled Reading Buddies, contact Jude Creamer through the Recycled Reading Buddies’ Facebook page.

book and stuffed animal pairings at craft fairs, but after a year, Creamer decided to stop selling them and begin donating them to nonprofits and organizations for the holidays.

Since its inception, Recycled Reading Buddies has donated approximately 1,200 books and stuffed animals.

Creamer recalled the Christmas of 2016 when she was at a craft fair in Atlanta, Georgia, and a boy fell in love with one of her pairings.

Her sister, Patty Baxter, found a 5-foot-long green stuffed fish and gave it to Creamer for Recycled Reading Buddies. Creamer had no idea how she was going to find a book to pair with the fish.

“I just thought there’s no way I’m going to find the perfect book for this,” Creamer said. “Sure enough, not long thereafter, I got “Juniors Guide to Sport Fishing,” and the picture on the cover was a big green fish. I will never forget the look on this 3-year-old’s face when he pointed it out to his aunt and he was like, ‘I want that.’”

When it comes to finding books and stuffed animals, Creamer accepts donations from individuals and organizations but also goes to thrift stores. She cleans every stuffed animal and ensures every book is in good shape.

Goodwill Manasota has provided stuffed animals for Recycled Reading Buddies.

“Goodwill Manasota believes in the power of partnering with other nonprofits to align and expand our missions so we can serve even more people in our community,” said Alexa Olivas, the vice president of donated goods operations for Goodwill Manasota. “Together, we are help-

ing to bring a smile to a child’s face, creating lifelong reading habits and doing something good for the planet.”

Before starting to enlist volunteers for assembling the stuffed animals and books, Creamer spent hours on Saturdays at her kitchen table matching 16 animals and books. The process took over her whole living room, she said.

“When you get the exact right (stuffed character) for the book, it’s just a delight,” Creamer said. “We stretch it just a little bit sometimes, but we try to make it as close to the character just to reinforce the imagination and have that book come to life.”

Creamer said the hardest pairings involve books with mice or rats.

“They don’t make many (stuffed animals) of mice or rats, but there’s plenty of books about that. I guess you don’t really want to snuggle up a mouse or a rat,” she said with a laugh.

On Sept. 25, Creamer had 50 bins of stuffed animals to pair with more than 350 books.

The pairs were packaged and will be donated to 350 children in Children’s First of Sarasota’s literacy program.

Recycled Reading Buddies has partnered with Children’s First of Sarasota for three years.

“It’s a wonderful idea to pair a (stuffed animal) with a book so when a child is reading with a caregiver, the animal can help make the story come to life,” said Alyssa Simons, the associate director of donor relations for Children’s First. “We really like to strengthen literacy skills in any way we can to get kids ready for kindergarten.”

At the end of last school year, Recycled Reading Buddies donated to Title I schools in the School District of Manatee County.

Through Recycled Reading Buddies, Creamer has been able to see hundreds of children’s books. She used to take time after hours of pairing to sit in her reading chair with a glass of wine and read some of the books to herself.

“It was a chance to revisit them, especially because I don’t have children of my own nor grandchildren, so it’s kind of a new horizon for me as well,” Creamer said.

Fast Break

Lakewood Ranch High

freshman boys swimmer

Daniel Snitkovsky won the 50-yard freestyle (23.41 seconds) and the 100yard breaststroke (1:03.10) at the Manatee High Invitational, held Sept. 27 at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA.

… The Braden River High volleyball team went 5-0 at the Parrish Community High Invitational held Sept. 30. The Pirates did not drop a set during the tournament. Braden River is 17-3 overall as of Oct. 2 and is ranked No. 5 in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A by MaxPreps.

… Parrish Community High

senior quarterback Jackson Volz, who lives in Lakewood Ranch, went 7-for-11 passing for 128 yards, and had four carries for 25 yards, on Sept. 29 in the Bulls’ 23-2 home win over Southeast High. The Bulls are 4-1.

Lakewood Ranch High

girls cross-country freshman

Julia Mulligan finished 10th (21:44.76) at the 2023 Weeki Wachee Invitational, held Sept. 30 at Sand Hill Boy Scout Camp in Brooksville. The Mustangs finished third as a team, with four runners finishing in the individual top 20.

Lakewood Ranch High volleyball senior Taryn Eddy had 17 kills, 16 digs and seven aces Sept. 26 in the Mustangs’ 3-1 home win against Port Charlotte High. The victory broke a six-match losing streak for the Mustangs, who are 5-12 in 2023.

David Greenbaum sank a hole-in-one Sept. 26 on the No. 7 hole of Lakewood Ranch Country Club’s Royal Lakes Course. Greenbaum used a 5-hybrid on the 155-yard hole.

Swimmers choose similar lanes

Lakewood Ranch’s Abigail Hite and Denis Jones, both state swimming medal contenders, both chase their goals at Southeast High.

Abigail Hite and Denis Jones have been on this journey together.  Jones and Hite are childhood friends and both swim for the Sarasota Tsunami club swimming organization. Both were zoned to Lakewood Ranch High, but before starting high school, they heard about the International Baccalaureate Program offered at Bradenton’s Southeast High, an alternative to things like AP classes, which aims to encourage critical thinking and promotes an international perspective.

Hite and Jones said they both value academics, and as they are interested in engineering, they wanted the best preparation possible.

They decided to go on the journey to Southeast High together. Since becoming Seminoles, Hite and Jones have been chasing swimming medals. Hite earned one last year, finishing second at the 2022 Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A state meet in the girls 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.77).

Jones had the eighth-best time in the boys 500-yard freestyle

FAST FACTS

DENIS JONES

Sport: Swimming

School: Southeast High

Best state finish: eighth in the boys

500-yard freestyle (4:41.06)

Favorite food: Steak (rare) and macaroni and cheese

Favorite hobby: Flying drones

Favorite school subject: Math

Dream superpower: Flying

(4:41.06) at the same event. Now seniors, both swimmers said they can reached greater heights in 2023, as Hite is the fastest returnee in her event, while four swimmers who finished in front of Jones in 2022 have since graduated.  Jones and Hite have until Nov. 11, when the Class 3A state meet will be held in Ocala, to get prepared.  “You need to go into practices knowing they are going to be difficult,” Jones said, on trying to get his times as low as possible. “There’s no other way you are going to get better. You have to be consistent. That’s one thing I’ve learned in the past year. There’s no skipping because you are tired. I have a good mindset now. I can push myself.”  Hite agreed. She, like most top swimmers, spends the majority of her practice time with her club team. Hite said she completes nine practice sessions with the Tsunami each week that includes a two-hour practice each afternoon, plus shorter morning sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and a two-and-ahalf hour practice on Saturdays.

Jones follows a similar schedule. It’s a significant amount of time to devote to someone’s craft, especially with the added rigor of Southeast’s IB program. If the pursuit of state medals is the goal, though, it is a necessity.

The swimmers would not have it any other way. In fact, Hite will occasionally add in cross-training sessions, like running, to work on different muscles. Hite said she likes to compete in triathlons in the summer as a different type of challenge.

Jones likes to be challenged, too. It’s why he prefers to be a distance swimmer as opposed to a sprint swimmer. Longer events, like the 1,500 freestyle, can last 10 minutes or more, with swimmers pushing their bodies on every stroke.

“You’re swimming, and you’re halfway through the race, and it’s the most painful thing ever,” Jones said. “You could stop. But you think to yourself, ‘No. I’m going to finish this race and finish hard.’ That feeling when you finish, with all that lactic acid in your body, it’s just relief. It’s great. And then you are super sore the next day, but you can stretch it out.”

At a Sept. 27 meet at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA that pitted Southeast against Lakewood Ranch High, Manatee High, Bradenton Christian

FAST FACTS

ABIGAIL HITE

Sport: Swimming

School: Southeast High

Best state finish: second in the girls

100-yard breaststroke (1:04.77)

Favorite food: Chicken nuggets and fries

Favorite hobby: Baking cakes and brownies

Favorite school subject: Math/engineering Dream superpower: Telekinesis

School and The Out-of-Door Academy, Hite took first place in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:06.85) and the girls 200 individual medley (2:11.53). Jones won the boys 100 freestyle (52.25 seconds). He did not compete in his signature 500 freestyle, saving his strength for later races.

Both swimmers will be much faster by the state meet, and in the grand scheme of the season, how a swimmer performs at a middle-ofthe-year meet does not mean much. But neither swimmer would want to skip ahead to state meet, if that was an option. As seniors, they are embracing the time they have left at this level.

“High school meets are fun,” Hite said. “I’m just hanging out with my friends. There’s not much pressure so I get to enjoy everything. Club meets are more serious. Here, you’re swimming to see where you’re at and to have fun.”

As Jones swam the 100 freestyle at the Sept. 27 meet, Hite was sitting with a group of friends, but turned her attention to the pool to cheer on her friend. They have been competing in meets together for most of their lives, and now that their high school careers are coming to an end, it’s time to savor every moment left.

If they have it their way, it will end with Hite and Jones wearing medals around their necks.

“When you hit that one good shot, it just drives you. You want to do it again and keep getting better.”

— Lakewood Ranch High’s Phoenix Scanlan SEE PAGE 18

Thunder football team rolls on the ground

The crowd at The Out-of-Door Academy football game against Santa Fe Catholic on Sept. 29 knew what it wanted.

“What time is it?” a lone voice said during the second quarter, followed by the voices of hundreds in response — “Hammer time!”

The hammer, in this case, is ODA’s offense, particularly its rushing attack. Since head coach Rob Hollway took over prior to the 2022 season, the Thunder have executed a run-first offense that incorporates elements of old school Wishbone and Wing-T offenses.

ODA often has multiple runners in the backfield and utilizes presnap motion, followed by a lot of misdirection. The defense might know a run is coming, but it doesn’t know where it is going or who is getting the carry.

There’s a good reason for ODA (3-2) using this style of attack. For a smaller school, ODA has the benefit of a big offensive line, where all five starting linemen are 6-foot-2 or taller and 265 pounds or heavier. That mass wears down opposing defensive lines, allowing ODA running backs like sophomore Allen Clark and senior Jack Meyers to burst through holes. Once in the open field, they are tough to bring down.

This season, though, ODA has also tried to implement more of a passing game. Junior quarterback Jackson Roth, who moved to the area from Ontario, Canada, during the offseason, has a strong arm, and Hollway said he has a high ceiling as he continues to develop.

The changes in the offense, as well as some key injuries, have brought growing pains. After a season-opening 42-0 win over Berean Christian, there were two consecutive losses, a 16-7 loss to Oasis High (4-2) and a 21-7 loss to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (4-2).  In those two games, the rushing attack accounted for zero points, and the passing offense just seven.

ODA’s other touchdown came on a fumble return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Jack Taraska.

The Thunder averaged 3.94 yards per carry in the two losses. In the process, the team lost sophomore running back/cornerback Dylan Walker and senior offensive tackle Blaine Bentley to injuries.

An off week followed those two disappointing performances. Since returning from the break, ODA has done more of what its fans expect.

ODA beat Faith Christian Academy (2-2) 40-22 on Sept. 22, running for 305 yards and four touchdowns in the process. The Thunder then beat Santa Fe Catholic (1-3) 33-26

on Sept. 29. Again, ODA ran for four touchdowns — though it was aided by having some short fields in the first half. The Thunder struggled to put long drives together until it started running the ball more. After doing so in the third quarter, on a drive capped by a three-yard Clark touchdown run, a member of the crowd shouted “That’s what we do!”

Meyers, who had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown against Santa Fe, said the off week allowed the team to reevaluate itself and find a new perspective.

“I think it was a mental thing,” Meyers said of the early season struggles and the recent resurgence. “We realized we don’t have some guys we had last year, and other guys had to step up. We had to come together. I’m just trying to lead and get everyone to work hard and prepare for the next couple of weeks.”

Meyers is one of those guys stepping up. Clark, who has seven touchdowns in 2023, is another. They work well in tandem, with

Meyers being a shifty back who can take the ball outside, and Clark being a bruiser who can carry multiple defenders on his back for extra yardage.

The passing attack is still a work in progress. Roth threw two interceptions in the red zone against Santa Fe, but he didn’t get much help. Thunder receivers dropped four passes in the open field that would have been big plays, possibly touchdowns. ODA also has to cut back on penalties. Often against Santa Fe, a nice run would be offset by a holding or false start penalty, halting any momentum gained from it.  Hollway said cleaning up those penalties will be an area of focus going forward.

He’s also optimistic about the direction of the offense. Despite the two-week rough patch, Hollway is confident that the unit is on the way to where it needs to be for the postseason. He’s going to continue to give the passing attack a chance to gel, but he also knows he’s got the running game to fall back on. As

long as it does not beat itself, ODA has advantages that few schools of its size have.

“When we put four quarters together, in all three phases of the game, we’re a team nobody wants to play,” Hollway said. “We have some stuff to clean up, but we have weapons in spots that are challenging (to defend). We just have to make plays when we get the opportunity. We’ve got big horses up front and we play tough defense. That’s a good recipe.”

ODA will have a chance to continue the trend at 7 p.m. Oct. 6, in a road game against Bell Creek Academy (1-3).

Phoenix Scanlan

Phoenix Scanlan is a freshman on the Lakewood Ranch High girls golf team. As of Oct. 2, Scanlan is ranked 21st in Class 3A by the Florida High School Athletic Association. Scanlan took medalist honors at the Mustangs’ Sept. 26 match against Cardinal Mooney High at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Royal Lakes course, shooting a twounder-par 34.

When did you start playing golf?

I started when I was 5 years old. We lived in a house in Panther Ridge that had a lot of land in the backyard. Some family friends bought me a set of clubs, and I just started hitting down this huge plot of land.

What is the appeal to you?

It is super competitive. It is difficult sport. When you’re not playing great, you want to say, ‘This is not good at all.’ But at the same time, it keeps pulling you toward it. When you hit that one good shot, it just drives you. You want to do it again and keep getting better.

What has the transition to varsity golf been like?

Middle school golf is not as teamoriented. We played events together, but that was it. This is different. We’re a good team. We all support each other, win or lose. It was been a surprise, but a good one.

What is your best skill?

Shot-wise, my irons have been getting me close to the pin. That part of my game has been solid. But in general, my mental game has been working the best. I’m staying in the moment. I used to be up and down mentally. Now I can stay focused. I think it comes from getting more experience.

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

What have you been trying to improve?

I’m trying to be a good teammate. Like I said, this is new to me. Golf is usually individual. I’m working on being ‘in it’ with the team.

What are your goals for this season?

Lakewood Ranch has gone to the state tournament 10 years in a row. I think it would be cool to keep that going. If we get there, I just want to do my best and contribute how I can.

What is the best advice you have received?

There are no shortcuts in golf. A lot of people want to hit their goals as soon as possible, and if you’re able to do that, that’s great. But sometimes that can backfire. I think it’s better to take your time and make sure you have a plan. Don’t cut corners to get there faster.

Finish this sentence: “Phoenix Scanlan is …”

… Hard working. I want to go to college and become a professional at golf. I’m going to make sure I work toward

YOUR NEIGHBORS

RIGHT RECIPE FOR FUNDRAISING

While a group of 37 people enjoyed the Cooking for Charity event Sept. 28 at Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee in Bradenton, the best moment had nothing to do with charity.

It was time to eat.

And that is what those who bought tickets came to do, taste a meal prepared by local celebrity chef Angela Massaro-Fain, who prepared recipes with the help of those in her audience, right out of her book “Bacio di Cucina.”

There was lemon pasta, pesto pasta and cheese tortellini with Alfredo sauce for the main courses. A spinach salad with strawberries was whipped up, and Massaro-Fain served up some candied, sliced almonds.

The event was the brainchild of Meals on Wheels-Plus President and CEO Maribeth Phillips, who had taken one of Massaro-Fain’s cooking classes. Massaro-Fain is the founder of Sisterhood for Good of Lakewood Ranch, so the two nonprofits partnered on the event and split the proceeds 50-50.

a terrific appetizer.

Jess Kruse is selected to be one of six assistants to help chef Angela Massaro-Fain at the Cooking for Charity event at Meals on Wheels-Plus Sept. 28.

Six of those who attended were chosen by random to assist Massaro-Fain as the meal was prepared. Melissa Ferlazzo, Meals on Wheels-Plus’ donor relations and database administrator, fed a video feed from above the kitchen island to several big screens so the audience could watch each step.

Besides earning some funds for the nonprofits, Meals on Wheels Vice President Judi Bjork said the event showcased the Nutrition Services Center, which available to nonprofits and schools.

Cart wheels into homecoming

Out-of-Door Academy eighth graders Sofie Roelens and Ellie Bysura sat in a decorated golf cart admiring their work.

They decorated the cart in a Tiki hut theme for ODA’s first homecoming parade Sept. 29.

They painted cardboard in alternating stripes of dark brown and light brown to look like bamboo. Roelens and Bysura, along with other eighth graders, added flowers and tiki torches to add to the theme.

“I hope people like it because we worked hard on it,” Roelens said.

Brooke Allen-Burnstein, the associate director of development, is in charge of all special events at the school. She decided to add a

parade to the homecoming festivities.

“Where I grew up, the parade is kind of your signature or marquee event of homecoming,” Allen-Burnstein said. “ODA hasn’t had one for football homecoming ever.’”

The parade will include 10 decorated golf carts. There is a golf cart for the lower school, alumni, the homecoming court and each of the middle school grades. At the high school, students are divided into a house system, and each of the four houses has a golf cart for the parade.

I’m excited to showcase the kids’ creative juices,” Allen-Burnstein said.

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a part of the magic. Raise a puppy.

Cheers to the Elks

While the Elks is a social club, it’s also a charitable organization.

When Faith Frost crashed a party nine years ago, she had no idea it would lead her to the position of “exalted ruler.”

Frost took on the grand title in April. Outside of an Elks lodge, the role is known as president.

“We just happened to be going down the road and saw the Elks Club,” Frost said. “The place was packed.”

When she and three friends stopped to ask what was going on, they were told it was the annual Paws for Patriots event. Frost learned more about the event that raises money to pair service dogs with disabled veterans and left that night with an application in hand.

The Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elks Club No. 2855 has 1,227 members that range in age from 23 into their 90s, but Frost said the average age is still about 70.

“It’s not really a young person’s

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT

What: Lakewood Ranch Elks Club No. 2855, Where: 4602 Lena Road

Mission statement: To help youth develop lifelong skills, send students to college, meet the needs of today’s veterans, support the charitable work of the state Elks associations and fund projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities. Get involved: Lodge hours are noon-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-8 p.m. on Sundays. Call 727-2855 or visit LWRElks.org.

club, but we’re working on it,” she said.

For not being a “young” club, members certainly enjoy the nightlife. The lodge offers entertainment every night of the week from trivia and Bingo to Saturday night dinner dances.

“I would say 90% of my friends are Elks members,” 14-year member

Tracy Lapera said.

Lapera transferred her membership in 2013 when moving from Maryland to Lakewood Ranch. It was an easy way to meet new people.

“Besides all the good we do, it’s a social club,” Frost said.

Donating more than $200,000 to charity last year alone is only part of the good they do. Members are hands-on, especially when it comes to helping active service members, veterans and children.

Members pack monthly care packages for troops overseas, host free luncheons for local veterans and make hospital visits. The club also sponsors Manasota Operation Troop Support, a nonprofit that serves members of the military and their families, during and after deployment.

During December, the Elks turn into elves. They deliver cookies to fire stations and partner up with Walgreens to collect toys. Walgreens allows the club to place collection bins in local stores. Last year, the club distributed 6,000 toys to local kids in need.

Throughout the school year, members pack bags of food every Thursday to send home with elementary school students living in households that are food insecure. Elks Feed Empty Little Tummies is a partnership with Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.

“When they’re in school, the school provides lunch for a lot of the kids,” Frost said. “We provide food for them on the weekends.”

The Elks support a mobile therapy program for children, so families don’t have to leave home to get the services they need. They offer college and camp scholarships, too.

“Everything we do goes back to our lodge and back to our charities,” Loyal Knight Alex Burke said. “Whether it’s having a 50/50, buying a dinner ticket or even just getting a drink, a portion of everything goes to one of the charitable organizations that we have to offer.”

At 32 years old, Burke is one of the “young” members. His dad, Leading Knight Kevin Burke, was an Elk when Alex Burke started bartending at the lodge. It only took six months before he wanted to step out from behind the bar and become a member, too.

Blood ties aside, what Alex Burke loves about being an Elk is that everybody becomes family.

“I have my wallet sitting on the bar right now, and I’m not worried about it,” he said from across the room. “We support each other. A lot of these people come in on a regular basis, whether it’s the same day every week or almost every day.”

In addition to paying a $25 application fee and annual dues of $97, every member has to pass a background check. Frost said the lodge is a safe place where women can feel comfortable going out alone.

“I love the people here, the camaraderie,” Charter Member Lori Valari said. “We have a brick out front that says, ‘It’s like ‘Cheers,’ where everybody knows your name.”

Ray of sunshine

Bob Gardner Park in Lakewood Ranch was packed with Tampa Bay Rays fans on Saturday.

“I wouldn’t miss this. I’m about to call a friend to tell her to get over here,” University Park resident Kim Barger said. “We’ve been fans from the beginning in 1998.”

The Tampa Bay Rays threw a Pop-up Party on Sept. 30 to celebrate their success and get fans ready to support them in the playoffs. Attendees were given team T-shirts, koozies, sunglasses, car flags and yard signs.

The official DJ for the team, DJ Fresh, provided the music, while the Rays’ mascot DJ Kitty posed for pictures. According to the team’s website, DJ Kitty was born behind the dumpsters at Tropicana Field.

Diehard fans who braved the midday heat were treated to free snow cones from the Kona Ice truck, which kept a steady line throughout the hour and a half event.

The Major League Baseball playoffs start on Oct. 3.

Equestrian center seeks volunteers for big event

Hannah Herrig-Ketelboeter and her mom, Natalee Herrig, were preparing for the first major event at their new TerraNova Equestrian Center in 2021 when they started thinking about volunteers.

They knew they needed about 80 volunteers, and at such a beautiful facility in Myakka, how hard could it be to assemble a workforce?

Herrig-Ketelboeter remembered, “My mom and I said, ‘Oh, we can do that.’”

It took only a short time before they realized, as Herrig-Ketelboeter said, “This is not happening. I struggled with it ... That’s a lot.’”

While Herrig-Ketelboeter, TerraNova’s founder and COO, was well versed in the competitive side of equestrian competitions, she didn’t understand all the tasks performed by the volunteers. Fortunately, she knew someone who did.

Sarasota’s Katy Rosen is a competitor in the eventing class, and she had met Herrig-Ketelboeter while riding at a Fruitville Road facility, which now is home to Resilient Retreat. Herrig-Ketelboeter’s husband, Zach Ketelboeter, was Rosen’s coach.

Rosen had experience in assembling volunteers, such as she did

HELP WANTED

What: Volunteers (ages 16 and up) needed for “The Event at TerraNova”

When: Nov. 16-19

Where: Terra Nova Equestrian Center, 31625 Clay Gully Road, Myakka City

Experience needed: Mostly none, however, those who do have experience with horses can assist the barn manager or fill other roles.

Perks: Swag bag, boxed lunch, snacks

How to sign up: Go to EventingVolunteers.com/ Events/2934/Signup or call Volunteer Coordinator Katy Rosen at 928-3203. Did you know?: For each volunteer hour worked, TerraNova pays $20 to a local charity.

while on the board at Temple Beth Sholom of Sarasota.

Better yet, “I’m a horse person,” she said.

Rosen, who now is TerraNova’s volunteer coordinator, already had fallen in love with the new facility at 31625 Clay Gully Road.

“Oh my gosh,” she said. “It’s a Disney World for horse people.”

On Nov. 16-19, the TerraNova Equestrian Center will be hosting its third “The Event at TerraNova.” This time, more than 100 volunteers will be needed. Shifts generally are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rosen will be assembling the volunteer force for the third time.

It won’t be as hard as it was in 2021 at that first major event.

“I called everyone I knew,” Rosen

said. “Nonprofits, churches, high schools. Now, we have a lot of return volunteers. They know it is such a great experience.”

Besides being able to spend a day in the country, volunteers receive swag bags that include, among other things, a water bottle, a cooling towel and a hat.

Volunteers also receive a box lunch and snacks, and sometimes when it is hot, ice cream.

For each volunteer hour worked,

TerraNova pays $20 to a local charity.

“Part of our mission is to give back,” Herrig-Ketelboeter said.

“This is an opportunity to help us help out the community.”

In the past three-plus years, Herrig-Ketelboeter has learned about the importance of a solid volunteer force for events.

“You don’t think of everything that goes on (behind the scenes). These events wouldn’t happen without the volunteers.”

Lake Club home tops sales at $3.2 million

Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Albert Christian Elser and Storm Elser, of River Hills, Wisconsin, sold their home at 16101 Baycross Drive to Salvatore Catalano and Karen Fleming-Catalano, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3.2 million. Built in 2011, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,526 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

Richard and Melissa Hall, of Myakka City, sold their home at 16025 Daysailor Trail to Dea and John Zufelt, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2,025,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,024 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,125,000 in 2021.

ESPLANADE

Mario Avallone and Patricia Avallone, of Oswego, Illinois, sold their home at 13009 Sorrento Way to James Wingert and Joann Shakon, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1.6 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,846 square feet of living area. It sold for $636,500 in 2018.

John and Pauleen Home sold their home at 5119 Napoli Run to Clark and Joan Becker, of Bradenton, for $849,000. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,087 square feet of living area. It sold for $493,700 in 2015.

Barbara Welch, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 12733 Sorrento Way to Jean Louise Jacullo and Richard Swithers, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,685 square feet of living area. It sold for $363,800 in 2018.

COUNTRY CLUB

Victor Prichard, trustee, of Flower Mound, Texas, sold the home at 7732 US Open Loop to Tristan John Young and Ivonne Young, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,145,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,455 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,075,000 in 2022.

DEL WEBB

Richard and Florence Begando, of Butler, Tennessee, sold their home at 7114 Gradford Court to Thomas and Linda O’Halloran, of Bradenton, for $1.08 million. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,248 square feet of living area. It sold for $585,800 in 2021.

Louis John Scott Riley and Carolyn Jean Riley sold their home at 7640 Kirkland Cove to Mary Ann Capozzi, of Bradenton, for $620,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,348 square feet of living area. It sold for $630,000 in March.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Richard Cantrell and Xiaonan Wang, of Las Vegas, sold their home at 1018 Overlook Court to Robert and Donna Blantin, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,249 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2018.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF

CLUB

Robert Bradford Mouly and Carleen

Michele Mouly sold their home at 6123 Cessna Run to Robert and Lynn Hickey, of Bradenton, for $960,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,207 square feet of living area. It sold for $925,000 in January.

Douglas Sidney Scott and Jennifer

Marie Rebokus-Scott sold their home at 17754 Hickok Belt Loop to Robb and Cheryl Wierdsma, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, for $790,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,900 square feet of living area. It sold for $496,400 in 2020.

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Kenneth and Paulette Payne, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 7614 River Preserve Drive to Nicholas and Brianna McEvoy, of Bradenton, for $865,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,661 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2014.

Daniel Schafer and Elaine Walsh, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7023 Quiet Creek Drive to Terrance Dean Martin, of Naperville, Illinois, for $585,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $299,500 in 2014.

Peter and Cheryl Mudek, trustees, sold the home at 6635 Candlestick Drive to Travis and Kathleen Byrd, of New Albany, Indiana, for $465,000. Built in 2014, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,541 square feet of living area. It sold for $231,800 in 2016.

GREENBROOK

Gregory and Jill Tinsley, of Westfield, Indiana, sold their home at 14336 Sundial Place to Steven and Sharon Zuckerman, of Lakewood Ranch, for $810,000. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,614 square feet of living area. It sold for $642,000 in 2021.

William and Barbara Toutz, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 15212 Skip Jack Loop to Devin Mark Sizemore and Jennifer Rae Bergeron, of Lakewood Ranch, for $451,500. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,411 square feet of living area. It sold for $115,000 in 2011.

RIVER CLUB NORTH

Lucinda Schlotterback, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 10802

Winged Foot Terrace to Luis Felipe Ramirez and Patricia Ramirez, of Fremont, California, for $755,000. Built in 1994, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,713 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 1998.

RIVERWALK

Andres Linares and Jenny Yulieth Linares, of Spring, Texas, sold their home at 11011 Water Lily Way to Terrence Stoehner and Mary Elizabeth Stoehner, of Chesterfield, Missouri, for $700,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,231 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2021.

STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE

HARBOUR Henry and Joanne Fuentes, of Bradenton, sold their home at 9108 Kingsbury Place to Kyle Redding and Jessica Beerman, of Bradenton, for $695,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,590 square feet of living area. It sold for $590,000 in 2021.

MANDALAY Frank and Teresa Pellegrino, of Sarasota, sold their home at 4619 62nd Terrace E. to Jeffrey and Carol Clayton, of Clarksburg, Maryland, for $680,000. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,341 square feet of living area. It sold for $430,000 in 2020.

SUMMERFIELD JLC Innovations LLC sold the home at 11340 Rivers Bluff Circle to DanaMarie Berjer, of Lakewood Ranch, for $674,900. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,322 square feet of living area. It sold for $580,000 in 2021.

HARMONY John and Cheryl Hurchik, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 5217 Horizon Cove to Ermanno and Albana Morrone, of Bradenton, for $655,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,507 square feet of living

area. It sold for $494,200 in 2016.  Marc Robert Bouclier sold his home at 5009 Skyview Lane to Matthew Dean Rezabek and Jana Maris Rezabek, of Bradenton, for $365,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,512 square feet of living area. It sold for $285,000 in 2021.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD

NATIONAL

Dag Bros Development LLC sold the Unit 5911 condominium at 6015 Worsham Lane to William Green, of Dublin, Ohio, for $595,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $467,000 in 2022.

MALLORY PARK Carley and Justin Wiegner sold their home at 12315 Blue Hill Trail to William and Kathleen Wieher, of Bradenton, for $561,500. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,690 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2020.

In with the new

BEST BET SATURDAY, OCT. 7

SAFETY CLINIC

Runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The Safety Town event will salute local first responders and safety groups while also offering lots of safety information and fun for kids. The free clinic will cover water safety, pet safety,

concert series and block party. The event includes live music, local food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths and games and activities for kids (sponsored by Grace Community Church). For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FRIDAY, OCT. 6 AND SATURDAY, OCT. 7

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs 6-9 p.m. both days at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. On Friday, singer Mylon Shamble will entertain those strolling the streets of Waterside Place. Then on Saturday, singer/ songwriter Dean Johanesen will perform.

SUNDAY, OCT. 8

FARMERS MARKET

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

RAISE THE FLAG Begins at 8:45 a.m. in front of Lowe’s, 7395 52nd Place E., Bradenton. The public is invited to a reenactment of a U.S. flag-raising ceremony that took place in Forbach, France in 1945. Retired U.S. Army Sgt. John Skeen, who is now 104, has told the story of the ceremony as his fellow soldiers of the 70th Infantry Division — nicknamed “The Trailblazers” — pushed the Germans out of Forbach and then celebrated with the village residents. For more information, call Richard Koch at 739-2641.

THURSDAY, OCT. 5 THROUGH

SUNDAY, OCT. 8

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING

Runs from 4-7 p.m. at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Donnie Bostic (Thursday), Soundwave (Friday), Bluegrass Pirates (Saturday) and Mike Sales (Sunday). The Friday show has a $5 cover; the rest are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, OCT. 6

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. RJ Howson and Friends will be the feature act at Music on Main, the free monthly

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 yearround 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.

SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK

Begins at 8 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk raises money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. There is no registration fee, but organizers encourage participants to set a $150 fundraising goal. People who meet the goal will receive a race T-shirt. Leashed dogs are welcome. For more information about the event, visit AFSP.org or contact walk Chair Ashley Bloom at 961-7109.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11

RANCH NIGHT WEDNESDAYS

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at 1561 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The weekly event includes good trucks, live music, a night market, a vintage mobile bar, and a recreational cornhole league. No outside food or beverage is allowed. For more information, go to Events@LakewoodRanch.com.

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