East County Observer 12.26.24

EAST COUNTY

YOU YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOUR TOWN

A special delivery in Myakka

Reindeer aren’t the only animals spreading Christmas cheer in Myakka City.

The Myakka City Co-op delivered Christmas cards to Myakka City Elementary students at the start of December. The cards feature residents of the Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary, such as Tugboat the wallaroo and Luna the prairie dog.

The kids decorated the cards, and they were put up for sale at the Silver Star Restaurant. Proceeds will go back to the elementary school.

“We had a secret Santa buy the whole rack of cards when we put them out,” said co-op member Lynn Meder (pictured above). “He bought $204 worth of cards. That’s more than we made last year, and he donated them back to us to resell.”

Tired of moving

When the Shell Factory in Fort Myers closed at the end of September, so did the fourand-a-half-acre nature park next door that was home to hundreds of exotic animals.

Nearly 400 animals had to find new homes.

Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary in Myakka City doesn’t typically take raccoons, but Meeko (above) and Boo were facing euthanasia, so sanctuary volunteers built a new enclosure.

“It was not something we had budgeted for this year, but we couldn’t see them being euthanized,” founder Lisa Burns said. The sanctuary also took in an “agile” wallaby and two prairie dogs named Thelma and Louise.

STORMY DAYS IN PARADISE

hile some of our strongest memories of 2024 will focus on the three-headed hurricane monster of Debby, Helene and Milton, the East County area once again will celebrate many advances, such as more dining and shopping options. The year also will be known for political upheaval as grassroot candidates made an unlikely ascension to Manatee County Commission seats.

Through it all, the East County Observer tried to present a clear picture of the triumphs and trauma. Here is a look back at some of our top memories of 2024 through our lens.

JANUARY

WAGONS HO!

The real big news at the Sarasota Polo Club was draft horses Bud and Charlie, who joined the halftime activities at the Sunday feature matches. The two monsters weighed a combined 4,200 pounds, and they created quite a stir while pulling kids in the wagon. Trainer Alan Freitag drove the horses and cared for them. Sarasota Polo Club owner James Miller tasked Freitag with finding the two draft horses. “We wanted to be able to share this with the community,” Miller said.

JANUARY

THE BIG FISH ON THE PROJECT Willis Smith Superintendent Geran Harris, Project Manager Brian Saunders and Project Executive Dave Otterness and three of the key figures on the $132 million project took a break during construction to pose for a photo outside the new Mote Science Education Aquarium. Although three hurricanes slowed down progress a bit, the aquarium is expected to open early in 2025.

JANUARY CUTTING EDGE LIBRARY

Manatee County Commission Mike Rahn joins former Commissioner Vanessa Baugh (holding the scissors) in cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of the Lakewood Ranch Library on Jan. 12. The $17.7 million library is more than 25,000 square feet and contains more than 45,000 books, audiobooks, DVDs, magazines and newspapers. Ray Turner, the District 5 commissioner at the time, called the opening “epic.”

JANUARY

TALKING CONSERVATION

Myakka rancher Jim Strickland was using webinars and speaking engagements to educate the public about the disappearing ranch lands in Manatee County and Florida in general. Strickland is vice chair of the Florida Conservation Group and a past president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. He says by losing its agriculture land, Florida is facing an ecological disaster.

FEBRUARY

THE BEAD GOES ON

Run for the Beads co-Chair David Ahrens hands out medals at the finish line of the second Run for the Beads event, a fundraiser for the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation. The run was held through Waterside Place and raised money for area nonprofits. Many of the runners were dressed Mardi Gras style.

FEBRUARY

MOVING GROUND IN MYAKKA

Golf legend Nick Price works on his latest architectural challenge, building a world-class golf course Soleta — in Myakka. The 7,400-yard course combines with David Ledbetter’s 30-acre practice facility to be the centerpiece of a 93-luxury-home community. A grand opening at the course was held Dec. 10.

FEBRUARY

KNOW HOW TO THROW A PARTY

MARCH

A STRANGE TWIST OF FATE

It was more political rumblings in East County as sitting Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher stepped down from his elected position to accept an appointment from Gov. Ron DeSantis to become Supervisor of Elections. Only months later, Satcher was crushed by Scott Farrington for the Supervisor of Elections post and ended up with no elected position.

MARCH SPICE ADDED TO WATERSIDE

Agave Bandido opened in Waterside Place. Mat Baum and Matt Faul open Agave Bandido with a little help from the genius of Miami Street Artist Ruben Ubiera, whose talent is on display throughout the new restaurant. Agave Bandido was a much awaited culinary addition to Waterside Place and occupies one of the main buildings on Kingfisher Lake.

FEBRUARY

A TANGLED WEB

Biologist Kristen Peterson displays tape grass she pulled from the Braden River. Florida Fish and Wildlife was sending personnel to the Braden River and Jiggs Landing Preserve to treat the water in the hope of getting rid of the invasive species. Fish and Wildlife released a statement that said, “Old World Tape Grass is an effective invader that has the potential to cause damage to our native fish and wildlife.”

APRIL

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Loren Wanless gets ready to enjoy a dream trip that re-created his dad’s flight in a similar aircraft in 1937. Wanless was presented with a flight in a World War II-era Boeing-Stearman open-cockpit biplane. His father was Emery Wanless.

MAY

ALL IN THE FAMILY

After 22 years of running Dakin Dairy, Jerry Dakin sold to his nephews, Jason, Garrett, Grant and Ethan. The new owners plan to enrich the education components of Dakin Dairy with the hope that the public will understand more about the importance of agriculture in Manatee County.

Main Street at Lakewood Ranch on May 26. The parade once again

MAY

VICTORY MARCH

Dustin Dalquist, principal at Lakewood Ranch High, presents a diploma to Karina Lee, who obviously is excited to enter the next stage of her life. Graduates of Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high schools enjoyed ceremonies at LECOM Park in Bradenton.

SEE YEAR IN PHOTOS, PAGE 6

JUNE

MORE TENSION AT COUNTY LEVEL

JUNE A SWEET PROFESSION

Chris Vasquez, owner of Heritage Bee Farm, shared with East County Observer readers what it is like to run a honey of a farm. He explained the process and how bees create honeycomb.

JUNE HELPING HANDS

Kevin Barton, with help from Rich Ranieri, rebuilt an Osprey nest in the Jiggs Landing parking lot using a papasan chair. The nest had collapsed, causing its longtime inhabitants, Ollie and Olivia, to go elsewhere. Ospreys have since returned to the nest.

“I’m not afraid to smile anymore!”

Doctor Jeffrey Martins has changed my whole life. I’m so much more confident now and I feel better about myself. You see, I’ve always had such small teeth, and I was self-conscious about it. I didn’t like how they looked, so I never wanted to smile.

I tried to have my teeth fixed once before. I got some dental work done at another place about five years ago and it helped the situation some, but I wasn’t happy with the results. What they did to fix my teeth didn’t look natural and although I put up with it, the work they did was really only a temporary fix. I put up with it for a long time, but I was still always self-conscious about the way my teeth looked.

When I decided to visit Paradise Dental, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve always been nervous about having my teeth worked on, but everyone there was so friendly and the team really put me at ease. They took the time to listen to all of my concerns and what I hoped to accomplish, then recommended veneers for my front teeth. I liked that they took their time and helped me choose just the right color so my teeth would look more natural and not fake.

Now, everyone comments on my nice smile. I’m so happy about the results, but the best part is that I’m not afraid to smile anymore! They did a wonderful job.” - Rowena B.

PARADISE DENTAL

Bill Galvano, attorney for The Concession Golf Club, argues in front of the Manatee County Commission that his client is entitled to 18 more housing units on its property. The commission, which had previously denied the request, backed down after the threat of an $8.9 million lawsuit.

JULY

IN PERSEVERANCE, SHE’S THE DRAGON LADY Lakewood Ranch’s JoAnn Moore, standing atop of the finish tower at Nathan Benderson Park, is bringing the Unleash Your Dragon event to Nathan Benderson Park in January. Moore has overcome stage IV breast cancer to be one of dragon boat racing’s leading advocates

DON’T SEND THIS TRUNK PACKING

An oak snag in the front yard of Susan and John Darovec of Braden Woods is beneficial to wildlife, such as the red-bellied woodpecker. The Darovecs wanted to tell the public that keeping those dead tree trunks around can provide wildlife with homes and food.

JULY HELP IS ON THE WAY

Manatee County featured its new drone rescue program, which took off in Manatee County using the Archer First Response System. The pilot program launched from the EMS station in Lakewood Ranch, bringing automated external defibrillators, tourniquets and nasal sprays to reverse drug overdoses to those in dire circumstances.

AUGUST THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN In a high-profile Manatee County District 7 election, George Kruse beat Kevin Van Ostenbridge in a battle of two sitting commissioners. Van Ostenbridge switched district races because he said Kruse needed to be driven out of office. Manatee County voters did not agree.

AUGUST

DAMMED IF YOU DO AND DAMMED IF YOU DON’T Manatee County officials spent a lot of time after Hurricane Debby explaining to residents how they handle water release from Lake Manatee before big storms. Those who experienced significant flooding accused the county of mismanaging the release of water. Three times the water volume of Lake Manatee was released from the dam during the storm, and the county said the dam would be in danger of failing if it hadn’t.

AUGUST

BABY ON BOARD

Orchard, a baby ring-tailed lemur, stays with her mom, Dalia, at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka. While becoming more independent, Orchard is spending more of her time with her dad, Goose. Four baby lemurs were born at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in August.

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SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

• Glaucoma Management & Surgery

• Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Procedures

• Micro-Incision Cataract Surgery

• Routine Eye Care

DECEMBER

TAKE

SPORTS

Fast Break

in

Jessey Colas, a Northern Iowa Community College sophomore wrestler and Braden River alum, continues to dominate on the mat. Colas, a 184-pounder who is 10-1 in 2024 as of Dec. 13, earned a 15-0 technical fall over Aidyn Sanders to help NIACC defeat Minnesota West Community and Technical College 47-9 in a nonconference dual meet on Dec.

5. Colas, who won the Class 2A state championship at Braden River in 2023, advanced to NJCAA Nationals last season, making it all the way to the quarter finals before falling to Northwest College’s Fayzullaev. He was 16-4 as a freshman. Colas will next wrestle at NIACC’s Battle for the Helmet in Mason City, Iowa on Jan. 4.

Lakewood Ranch High Wresting Coach Pat Ancil an interesting way of summing up the mentality needed to succeed on the mat. “You can be shy, you can be quiet, but once you step on that line and shake your opponent’s hand, you’ve got to look at it like someone’s trying to break into your house.”

…Bradenton native

Pastujov is making his name known on the AHL’s San Diego Gulls (7-12), an affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. Pastujov, a 6-foot right wing selected by the Ducks in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has scored three goals in eight games for the Gulls this season. Last season, Pastujov logged 10 goals and 13 assists for the season.

…Lakewood Ranch High alum Jonathan Reid is prepping himself for another big indoor track season for the University of South Florida. Reid, a junior at USF, ran a personal best in the mile with a time of 4:16.57 at the Crimson Elite 2024 meet last February. Reid will look to top that time at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville on Jan. 17.

2024 SPORTS

A GREAT RUN

The victories were plenty for East County athletes in 2024, and the exploits were captured in photos.

Athletes rose to the highest level of their sport or celebrated personal bests. Teams made significant strides whether that meant winning titles or showing considerable improvement.

Programs also faced challenges as well, as we said goodbye to longtime coaches and hello to new ones.

Here is a recap at the East County sports scene in 2024.

POSITIVE STEPS

UPLIFTING PERFOR-

MANCE Braden River students Payton Mangay-Ayam and Jada Phillips both took runner-up finishes at the Class 2 State Championships in Lakeland in February. Mangay-Ayam, shown here, finished second in both Olympic and Traditional divisions while Phillips was second in the Olympic division.

PIRATES GRAD TOUCHED ALL THE BASES

Braden River High graduate Ryan Waldschmidt had a monster season at the University of Kentucky, leading the team to its first College World Series in program history. He hit .333 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs. But 2024 got even better for him when he was drafted in the first round, 31st overall, by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED

Rowers Jessica Thoennes and Azja Czajkowski punched their ticket to the Olympics by winning the women’s pair competition April 7 at Nathan Benderson Park in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. It was a story of perseverance as both were cut from the women’s eights earlier. They weren’t denied in the women’s pairs.

FANTASTIC FINISH

Roaring from behind on the final day, Sweden’s Tim Widing won his first Korn Ferry Tour title at Lakewood National Golf Club in the LECOM Suncoast Classic. It was another exciting finish for the event that is played on the Commander Course, as Widing prevailed in a threeway playoff.

Tampa Bay Lightning Watch Party & YOUTH BALL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

HOME ICE STARTS

Here!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11

We’re having a few friends over for the game! Come join your fellow Bolts fans and watch the game from Main Street. Wear your jerseys, bring a chair and show your spirit!

Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. New Jersey Devils

Youth Tournament at 3Pm | Party Starts at 6PM | Puck Drops at 7PM | Main Street at Lakewood Ranch

TOUGH TRANSITION

Quarterback Lucas Despot was under heavy pressure most of his season at Braden River, which was going through a coaching transition. The 2023 head coach, Curt Bradley, left after last season, giving way to Eric Sanders, the defensive coordinator for 12 seasons. However, Sanders left, too, in the summer, and Jason Grain was hired to take over the program.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

2024 DIGITAL YEAR IN REVIEW

Thirteen of the 25 top stories of 2024 on YourObserver.com were hurricane-related.

JIM DELA

DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER

Observer stories publish on the web first, before the print versions hit the street. And many of the articles you see on YourObserver. com are specific for online consumption.

This digital effort is an important piece of how we deliver news to our community.

But unlike the print version of the Observer, we can track what stories are read online, and after analyzing the data, the most-viewed stories of 2024 reveal some not-so-surprising observations. 1.) The violent weather we experienced this hurricane season affected us profoundly. 2.) We love restaurants; and 3.) We’re paying attention to development in the area.

According to the data, 13 of the 25 most-viewed stories of 2024 were hurricane-related; several were food/restaurant stories; four were business/development related, and one was a breaking news story about a father and son dying in a Manatee County boating accident.

Here is a sampling of the top stories of 2024 on YourObserver. com.

NATURE’S FURY

According to the web, the biggest story of 2024 was the weather. In 66 days, three hurricanes slashed through the area, wreaking havoc on the barrier islands and low-lying areas of the mainland.

Observer staff were some of the first people on the ground after each of the storms rolled through. The sights of wind and water damage captured by reporters and residents made for compelling viewing.

NIGHTMARE FLOODS

Before becoming a hurricane and making landfall in the Panhandle, Tropical Storm Debby whirled past Longboat Key’s coast Aug. 5, bringing heavy winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge.

After expecting a normal rainy weekend in Florida, the aftermath of the tropical storm-turned-hurricane took aback residents.

Debby’s impact surprised Longboater Karen Pashkow. She said the seawall flooded along the walkway of Longboat Harbour Condominium and heavy debris prevented many cars from exiting the parking lot.

Monday morning, Pashkow found herself still watching the rain on Sarasota Bay and thought, “When is this going to stop?” Rain fell for two days, inundating already-flooded roads on Longboat and Siesta keys.

Large boats washed shore along Sarasota’s Bayfront Park following

Low-lying areas, including the Pinecraft neighborhood off Bahia Vista Street, experienced heavy flooding.

FOUR-LEGGED CELEBRITIES

DRAW CROWDS

Everyone loves seeing a celebrity in their backyards, and in February, Lakewood Ranch residents got the chance to see eight of the biggest stars on TV, the Budweiser Clydesdales, up close.

Clydesdales are one of the largest horse breeds in the world. And to be a Budweiser Clydesdale, a horse has to stand at least 18 hands — that’s six feet — tall and weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds.

So, when the team made famous by Super Bowl commercials and parades made a series of public appearances in the area, hundreds turned out on Lakewood Ranch’s Main Street to see them, and thousands more viewed on YourObserver.com.

HELLO, HELENE

On Sept. 26, Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, brushed past Longboat and Siesta keys, sending three to five feet of water into homes and businesses.

Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Paul Dezzi was stunned by what crews assessing damage were

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“It was shocking with what we found as we moved north,” Dezzi said. “We found that there were homes that were damaged, a few destroyed, lots of debris, lots of sand, lots of construction material.”

The storm made landfall on Sept. 26, and its main impact to Longboat Key came from the high storm surge. Some residents reported three to five feet of water intrusion in their homes.

The day after the storm, Siesta Key was closed off as rescuers combed through the area. Sarasota County Commissioner Mark Smith described the scene, saying, “There’s a lot of property damage. Siesta Village is wiped right now. It’s going to take a while for it to come back.”

Sarasota County Fire Chief David Rathbun said firefighters were as prepared as they could be before the storm hit. “Areas had water of six feet where our vehicles could not go through, so unfortunately, those residents who chose to stay behind had to tough it out until the waters

began to recede,” he said.

This amount of water flooded out many in Longboat Key’s low-lying areas like Buttonwood, Sleepy Lagoon and the Village. Many homeowners tried to get back to the island as quickly as possible to begin ripping out drywall and restoration.

The town followed a tiered reentry protocol after Helene, which resulted in residents being allowed back Sept. 29. According to estimates from the town of Longboat Key, about 2,200 properties in the town were damaged, which resulted in $176 million worth of damage.

Some homes, like beachfront properties along Gulfside Road, were almost completely destroyed.

MILTON MAKES LANDFALL

Barely two weeks later, on Oct. 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall near Lido and Siesta keys at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm.

Debris that had been piled up for pickup after Helene was scattered again from Hurricane Milton.

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall suffered significant water intru-

sion damage from Hurricane Milton, as did the Little Ringling Bridge.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport was closed for several days after it sustained major damage at the passenger terminal and on buildings surrounding the airfield, including two sections of roof over the main concourse and several private hangars destroyed or damaged.

More than 226,000 FPL customers lost power at some point, 76% of all county customers.

LET IT FLOW

An inlet between Siesta Key and Casey Key, Midnight Pass was closed 40 years ago due to human intervention after two homeowners feared the impacts of erosion to their properties.

It also caused decades of protest from environmentalists who said the closure prevented the exchange of tidal waters in the area, resulting in poor water conditions in Little Sarasota Bay.

This fall, Mother Nature took matters into her own hands and used hurricanes Helene and Milton to

reopen Midnight Pass.

Hundreds converged on the site Oct. 26 to join in a massive boat parade celebrating the reopening.

LET’S EAT!

Our readers are always on the lookout for a new epicurean experience and 2024 saw some new restaurant debuts. Accordingly, we offered readers some advice on where to find the best of whatever you may have a hankering for.

Our community is a magnet for awesome culinary endeavors, with new restaurants seemingly opening every day. But the success of these newbies stands on the shoulders of a few historic eateries.

In January we offered an appreciation of six longtime favorites that have paved the way for the rest and put Sarasota on the map as a foodie destination.

In March, we told you about a new upscale sports bar in East County. The Greyson offers every sports package available for viewing. There are 28 TVs inside and eight on the dog-friendly patio, with canopy and roll-down screens.

In June, we dug into some of the culinary comfort food that made its way across the pond and into our Gulfside community — fish and chips. It definitely struck a chord with readers.

In July, you read about Jason Starkman adding to his family’s legacy in the restaurant business with a new The Original Wolfie’s grab ‘n’ go and delivery service in Lakewood Ranch.

And, of course, after the hurricanes, we kept an eye on when things were reopening.

In December, you read that Shore, a longtime restaurant and retail store on St. Armands Circle, is leaving after hurricane damage was too much to overcome, and that Cafe L’Europe, a 51-year staple on the Circle, is coming back in 2025 with a new name and concept.

AN EYE ON DEVELOPMENT

Development and housing has always been a hot topic in our area, and our readers proved it remains so with traffic to stories on the subject.

In April, we learned the Bradenton-Sarasota-North Port region led

the nation in residential housing market price reductions, according to a report from real estate data company Redfin.

That data said 48% of all real estate listings in our area experienced a price cut, followed by Tampa, where 44% of listings had a price cut, Indianapolis with 43% and Cape Coral with 41%.

South Sarasota will have a new mixed-use town center in the coming years as the Sarasota County Commission gave the go-ahead to redevelop the largely vacant Sarasota Square Mall.

The project hopes to convert the 93-acre site into a mix of retailers, restaurants, offices and apartments, bringing an upscale lifestyle experience to the site just south of the city adjacent to Palmer Ranch.

In March, it was announced that the Heritage Golf Group purchased the Lakewood Ranch Country Club and its amenities, the country club, its three 18-hole golf courses and its tennis center.

“This is a monumental day. This will be our flagship club,” Heritage Golf Group CEO and President Mark Burnett said. “This is one of the best residential communities in the U.S. and this is what we do.”

Lakewood Ranch Country Club will be the Heritage Golf Group’s 37th club in the eastern and central U.S. to go along with three clubs in Denver. The Lakewood Ranch Country Club will be its eighth in Florida.

TRAGEDY ON THE WATER

A father and his young son died in a boating accident April 13 on Ward Lake in east Manatee County, a story that garnered sympathy from readers.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the bodies of Wayne Raber, 36, and Josiah Raber, 4, of Wilmot, Ohio, were recovered from behind the water treatment facility on Ward Lake, a freshwater reservoir fed by the Braden River.

Authorities said fishermen often navigate into a lagoon behind the treatment plant to catch shad using cast nets.

A WRAP!

AC

YOUR CALENDAR

BEST BET

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

POLO

Gates open at 10 a.m. and the match begins at 1 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. The second match of the polo season features the theme Roaring ’20s New Year’s Party. General admission is $15. VIP tickets run $20 and up. For more information, go to SarasotaPolo.com/ The season will run every Sunday through April 27, 2025. Sunset Polo Happy Hour will begin March 13 and run every Thursday through April 10, 2025.

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, DEC. 26 THROUGH SUNDAY, DEC. 29

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING Runs from 2:30-5:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Steve Arvey (Thursday), Al Fuller’s Moonlight Movers (Friday), Deadwood Dick and the Drifters (Saturday) and to be announced (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts are $5 while the others are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

THURSDAY, DEC. 26 THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 12

ICE SKATING Runs Monday through Friday 4-10 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Rink at UTC, in the UTC West District next to Ford’s

Garage. Lace up the skates for winter fun at the Rink at UTC, presented by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Individual tickets are $17 per skater. Tickets include skate rental. Group ticket prices are available. For information about reservations, email Sarasota@IceRinkEvents.com. All visits must be reserved in advance by purchasing timed tickets online. To reserve a time, go to MallatUTC. com and click on events.

THURSDAY, DEC. 26 THROUGH TUESDAY, DEC. 31

WONDERLAND ILLUMINATE

Runs 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday; 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday; and 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Big Top at UTC, 195 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Nik Wallenda and the Circus Arts Conservatory present Wonderland Illuminate. The new production takes audiences on a visually stunning journey that brings together the enchantment of the winter holidays. The show combines circus acts, aerial performances and uplifting storytelling. Tickets start at $35. The show continues on various dates through Jan. 5. For tickets or more information, go to WonderlandCircus.com/#Tickets.

FRIDAY, DEC. 27 AND SATURDAY, DEC. 28

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA

Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer-musician Mike Williams performs acoustic covers for those strolling through Waterside Place on Friday night while singer Sheri Nadelman will entertain on Saturday. For more information about the free music series, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SATURDAY, DEC. 28 AND SUNDAY, DEC. 29

LINGER LODGE MUSIC

Runs Saturday from 6-9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at Linger Lodge Restaurant, 7205 85th St. Court. E., Bradenton. Live, free music at Linger Lodge restaurant includes the Divebombers on Saturday and Cherubino on Sunday. For more information, call 755-2757.

It’s been about two months since having robotic sleeve gastrectomy (“gastric sleeve”) surgery,* and Chelsi Russell, 29, of Palmetto, is 60 pounds lighter. Russell experienced weight gain after being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome as a teenager. After years of trying dieting, medications and exercise, she turned to weight-loss surgery at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

“A sleeve gastrectomy is a minimally invasive procedure,” says Samuel Yelverton, MD, who performed the surgery with the da Vinci Xi® robotic surgical system. “The procedure reduces the size of the stomach to decrease the amount of food the stomach can hold.” Russell also had GERD and other symptoms due to a hiatal hernia, which Dr. Yelverton repaired during the same surgery. Russell shares that “everything feels better.” Her skin feels better. Her sleep has improved, and she no longer has joint pain. She is looking forward to wearing new clothes and to better overall health. Her goal is to lose 100 pounds in a year, and she’s already more than halfway there!

On course for holiday fun

So,

Acklin

On

As

After

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

$6.3 million Lake Club home tops sales in 2024

Exclusive home sales continued to inch up in East County during 2024 with seven mansions bringing $4.2 million or more, two more than in 2023.

The top 15 highest sales in both years all were $3.25 million and above.

Two homes sold for more than $6 million in 2024 while no sale was that high in 2023.

The Lake Club had eight of the top 15 sales for 2024 while The Concession had three.

Here are the top 15 sales of 2024 in East County residential real estate transactions.

1

LAKE CLUB Kathryn Elizabeth Chorny and Gregory Brian Chorny, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 15420 Anchorage Place to Bruce Glazer and Janet Glazer, trustees, for $6.3 million. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, four-and-threehalf baths, a pool and 8,095 square feet of living area.

2

LAKE CLUB SD TLC LLC sold the home at 15307 Anchorage Place to Frederick Burros Jr., trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $6,275,000. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 6,245 square feet of living area.

3

CONCESSION Parkstone Holdings LLC sold the home at 20819 Parkstone Terrace to Brian McNulty, trustee, of Sarasota, for $5.95 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 5,998 square feet of living area.

4CONCESSION Michael Hess, of Lakewood Ranch, sold his home at 8420 Lindrick Lane to Frances Krak and Kevin Krak, trustees, of Bradenton, for $4.65 million. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,768 square feet of living area. It sold for $3,495,000 in 2021.

5

RIVERDALE REVISED Carlos Beruff, trustee, and RR Five LLC sold the home at 632 Regatta Way to James Allen Matras, of Bradenton, for $4,525,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,806 square feet of living area.

POMELLO PARK

6

John and Dorinda Maben, of Bradenton, sold two properties at 6605 189th St. E. to Jason and Amanda Koplin, of Golden, Colorado, for $4,295,000. The first property was built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,474 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 864 square feet of living area. They sold for $810,000 in 2014.

RIVERDALE REVISED

7

Jill Hamm, trustee, of St. Petersburg, sold the home at 602 Regatta Way to Christopher Frederick, of Bradenton, for $4.2 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,388 square feet of living area. It sold for $4.06 million in 2022.

LAKE CLUB

8

Richard Fembleaux and Dianna Henderson, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8559 Pavia Way to Jeffrey Fetters, of Excelsior, Minnesota, for $3.8 million. Built in 2023, it has five bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,162 square feet of living area. It sold for $2,229,900 in 2023.

LAKE CLUB

9

Robert and Peggy Winsler, of Sarasota, sold their home at 16211 Clearlake Ave. to Denise and Mickey Stump, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3.75 million. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 5,218 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.02 million in 2015.

10

COUNTRY CLUB

VILLAGE

Three Crowns LLC sold the home at 12523 Highfield Circle to Arsh Singh and Rishita SolankiSingh, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3.7 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,111 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.6 million in 2022.

LAKE CLUB

11

SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 16940 Clearlake Ave. to Matthew Aloisio, trustee, of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, for $3,698,700. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-twohalf baths, a pool and 4,458 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

12

SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 17010 Clearlake Ave. to Thomas Fish, trustee, of Bradenton, for $3,591,500. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,315 square feet of living area.

13

LAKE CLUB Carol Chernoff, of Westerville, Ohio, sold her home at 8507 Pavia Way to Cain-Aten Hayes and Denise Hayes, of Waban, Massachusetts, for $3.3 million. Built in 2022, it has five bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,185 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,883,100 in 2022.

14

LAKE CLUB SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 8470 Pavia Way to Alexander and Estelle Perry, of Bradenton, for $3,245,200. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,995 square feet of living area.

15CONCESSION Mary Froehner and Emile Schoffelen, trustees, of Califon, New Jersey, sold the home at 20918 Parkstone Terrace to Michael Antinucci and June Allgaier Antinucci, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3.25 million. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 4,189 square feet of living area.

When