EAST COUNTY
Observer
Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
INSIDE
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2023
VOLUME 25, NO. 22
Green light for Lorraine Road traffic signal The hotly debated choice of a roundabout or traffic circle comes down to cost. SEE PAGE 3A YOUR TOWN
GIVING THANKS Parrish Community High senior says the support of Church Women United has lessened the difficulties of being a student from a migrant family. SEE PAGE 5A
Liz Ramos
Fowl mood creates lots of smiles Turkeys gobbled up all the attention at Tara Elementary School on Nov. 17. Although not live turkeys, the feathered creatures were featured on crafts, shirts, aprons and hats. Third grader Luca Riccio and Principal Laura Campbell (above) both made hats for the occasion. The parking lot was turned into a festively fall area for the school’s Turkey Trot, in which parents and staff members also participated. The Turkey Trot was a way for the school community to come together and have fun before the School District of Manatee County went on fall break Nov. 20-24.
Liz Ramos
Jocelyn Lerma, a senior at Parrish Community High School, says the Migrant Education Program has supported her as she has dealt with the challenges of being a migrant student.
A+E Lesley Dwyer
Dream ride at UTC
Country Club residents Roger and Carol Strawser woke up at 5 a.m. to get a parking spot for Cars and Coffee at UTC on Nov. 11. The event takes place every second Saturday of the month. The couple needed a good spot for their ’32 Ford Deuce, which is a reproduction. Roger Strawser is a car dealer, so the pair have been traveling to auto auctions for 30 years. Carol Strawser matches her outfit to whichever car she’s driving across the auction floor. “My neighbor’s daughter married a guy in California, so they came driving up in a ’32 roadster, and I was 12 or 13 years old,” Roger Strawser said. “He took me for a ride, so I’ve always had a desire to have one.”
Garden party. INSIDE
Top equestrian athletes saddle up in Myakka TerraNova Equestrian Center hosts some of nation’s top riders and horses. SEE PAGE 1B Jay Heater
Georgia’s Donna Miller is the picture of concentration as she guides Coud’Poker over a jump into the water Nov. 18 during the cross-country event.