EAST COUNTY
Observer
Dogs capture the moment PAGE 22
Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023
VOLUME 25, NO. 17
Are commissioners crossing the line? Future Area Development Boundary has been powerless to slow growth east. SEE PAGE 3 YOUR TOWN
Courtesy image
An ace for charity
Tara’s Deborah Murphy and Debbie Magers (above) aced the Tara Golf and Country Club’s women’s doubles tennis tournament Oct. 7. The duo placed first, defeating Tara’s Donna Bowdoin and Linda Little in the championship match. The tournament was more than just fun for the participants. It also served as a fundraiser for Moffitt Cancer Center’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Participants raised $300 for cancer research and treatment.
NOT ALL SHOW Besides dressage success, Gunner is a champion in the hearts of SMART’s clients. SEE PAGE 8
Liz Ramos
East County’s Ellie Blitz and her horse, Gunner, look forward to improving at Western dressage and continuing to volunteer at the Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy in East County.
Lesley Dwyer
At 20, McNeal looks toward the future
Another Woodie’s comes to town Woodie’s Wash Shack held a grand opening Oct. 13 at its newest location at 6612 University Parkway in Lakewood Ranch. It’s the second location to open in Lakewood Ranch, with the other off State Road 70. Along with a free car wash, owner Don Phillips (above with Vice President Jake Degeare) treated attendees to lunch from the Mission BBQ truck and sent them home with a lot of swag, including tank tops, stickers, bandanas and air fresheners. Woodie’s is the official car wash of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so one of the perks during the grand opening was a contest to win free tickets for the Bucs game against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 22.
Liz Ramos
First grader Lukas Amick and his mother, Amber Amick, work on painting a tile that will be set into a hallway at McNeal Elementary School.
Legacy Night celebrates the past, but to the students, teachers say the best is yet to come. SEE PAGE 6
A+E
Eye candy for Halloween. INSIDE