It’s fashionable to be a diva, or a dog Poppy (pictured above) is half dog, half diva. She’s donning her best pearls to let the humans know it’s time to buy tickets for the Divas and Dogs Fashion Show and Luncheon.
The annual event at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club is scheduled for March 28 and benefits the Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch.
Funds raised will go toward operational costs, such as medical care for the animals.
This year’s theme is “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The fashions will be provided by Twist Boutique and Sunbug. Tickets cost $120 per person. Tables of 10 are still available.
To buy tickets or become a sponsor, contact Susan at DivasAndDogs@yahoo.com.
Love in the air at Waterside
The DuBose family, Keith, Jessica and 1-year-old Ezra, had their first Valentine’s Day outing as a family on Feb. 14 at Movie in the Park at Waterside Place. Keith and Jessica had no expectations that Ezra would pay much attention to the showing of “Frozen,” but took advantage of the event nonetheless.
The free admission didn’t hurt, either.
“It was cheaper than taking her out to dinner,” Keith said with a laugh.
The event included food vendors and a bounce house for kids to burn energy.
“I think it’s great that the local church is involved,” Jessica said of Grace Community Church, which provided free grilled cheese and chips.
Vinnie Portell
Urban Air lands in Lakewood Ranch
The 60,000-square-foot indoor adventure park is anticipated to open July 25 on Professional Parkway.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
An Urban Air Adventure Park is being built in Lakewood Ranch.
When finished this summer, the location on Professional Parkway will be the largest Urban Air in the country with 60,000 square feet of usable space.
What started as a $5 million to $7 million concept has turned into an $18.5 million project that’s anticipated to open July 25.
Franchise owner Michael Tucci owns two other locations, one in both Tampa and Brandon.
When he first signed on with Unleashed Brands, the parent company of Urban Air, in 2018, there were just over 30 franchise locations. Now, there are 350 franchises that are either open or under construction across the country.
Tucci signed a contract to open three locations. He said it was much easier to find space in Tampa and Brandon because there are more second generation big box stores to choose from in those areas than there are from Palmer Ranch to Lakewood Ranch.
HHGregg, an electronics and appliance store, filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed all of its stores. In 2020, Tucci opened his first Urban Air in what used to be an HHGregg in Tampa. The location in Brandon was an old Winn Dixie grocery store.
The formula changed for Sarasota. The new plan was to build from the ground up.
Tucci bought 7.5 acres for about $3 million from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch where Professional Parkway runs parallel to Interstate 75.
The massive block structure can be seen under construction when driv-
MORE ABOUT MICHAEL TUCCI
Friends and family have told Michael Tucci that this business sums up his personality — fun, outgoing and always busy with something. Here are just a few of the things that keep Tucci busy.
Three kids. Tucci’s children are ages 8, 12 and 14.
Skyrider zipline. It’s his favorite Urban Air attraction.
“I enjoy that one. It’s a nice little cruise through the park, nothing too crazy,” he said.
Continuing education. Tucci maintains his EMT certification.
Tennis. He teaches lessons three nights a week.
Music. Tucci is a drummer who toured with Dan Toler from the Allman Brothers Band from 2009 to 2013. Now, he rehearses, records and performs one big gig a year.
Sleep. Somehow, Tucci still manages to fit in seven hours a night. “I like to be ready to go the next day,” he said.
ing on the interstate.
The indoor adventure parks all come with a standard package of activities, which includes trampolines, a ninja warrior course, rock climbing walls, a dodgeball arena and battle beams, where opponents try to knock each other off a padded beam with oversized jousting sticks. Beyond the base package, the franchise owner has to work out with the corporate office which additional attractions will be included in each park. Tucci chose laser tag, virtual
reality, a skyrider zipline, a slide park, an air court, and mini carts for guests 5 years old and younger. Lakewood Ranch will be one of the first locations to have an air court. The court accommodates different ball sports. It’s enclosed with padded floors for a little extra bounce and safety.
As a former EMT, who still keeps up his certification, Tucci was ini-
Sarasota’s Michael Tucci owns three Urban Air franchises — one in Tampa, one in Brandon and one on its way to Lakewood Ranch.
an outdoor park. The surf slide looks more like a halfpipe at a skatepark.
The facility will also include 12 party rooms. Tucci’s goal capacity is 1,100 people, but that number will be determined by the fire marshal. The park will require between 150 and 165 employees.
The price points will be similar to Tucci’s other locations in Brandon and Tampa, but the corporation sets the prices about three months prior to opening.
In Brandon, a day pass can be purchased from $25.99 to $36.99 depending on the amount of attractions included.
tially drawn to the franchise because safety was the company’s first priority.
“I didn’t want to open something that didn’t have strict guidelines,” he said. “I kind of fell in love with the safety first, and then all of the experiences they offer to families.”
The slide park is another new attraction for Urban Air. The slides look nothing like what you’d see at
While the Lakewood Ranch location is the last Urban Air Tucci has to open to fulfill his contract with Unleashed Brands, Tucci sees himself opening two more at some point. Right now, he only knows that the locations would be in Florida and he will probably follow Lakewood Ranch’s model.
“With how it’s going and how much fun it’s been, I think from here on, I’ll do them from the ground up,” Tucci said.
Lesley Dwyer
Adventure Park is slated to open on Professional Parkway in July.
Courtesy image
Library turns 1, thoughts turn to two
The second floor buildout is in the design phase as library and county personnel consider how to best use it.
Lakewood Ranch Library, the library that some residents waited 25 years to be built, has now been open for over a year.
There are a few improvements that need to be made, and plans for the second floor have only just begun. But overall, residents say the branch is living up to its billing as a modern library and community hub.
More than 800 people were at the library Jan. 11 for the one-year anniversary festivities.
Branch Manager Tiffany Mautino said it took her back to the day of the ribbon cutting.
“Commissioner (George) Kruse talked about how this building was built and intended to be a community center. When I walked in for the anniversary event, that is absolutely what I saw.”
Mautino described what she saw. Aloha Ukulele was playing some oldies. Little kids were dancing, and adults were chatting. Others were just browsing through the books.
On an average day, Mautino said residents “come out in droves.” In its first seven months open, the library saw over 72,000 visitors. Even after a year, Lakewood Ranch is still issuing more new library cards each month than any other branch in the Manatee County Library System. Programming started slowly so staff could get the basic operations down and get a feel for what residents were looking for in programs.
Now that the programming is in full swing, story time is offered four times a week and is at capacity every week.
The Summer Learning Program through the Manatee Library Foundation served 763 children, which far exceeded the expectation for its first year.
As an incentive to keep children reading through the summer, the program rewards them with free books. So many children signed up for the program that the foundation had to drop off a second load of books.
The programming for adults has been equally successful in its attendance and diversity of subjects. Community members regularly volunteer to teach free classes. Yoga, sewing and finance are among the most recent offers.
“Coming from another library system, I’ve never seen a response from a community like this,” Mautino said.
the second floor. Manatee County’s staff members proposed a $6.9 million budget when the buildout was first brought to commissioners in June 2024 as part of the overall county budget for FY2025.
If Mautino gets the chance to see her vision through for the branch, the library will expand upstairs.
She’d like to model the second floor after the Central Library Branch downtown. The adult nonfiction collection would move upstairs to create a quieter space with study tables, study rooms and a reference desk.
Part of the service would be to add a reference librarian who can answer more in-depth questions and assist patrons with research.
The lack of smaller study rooms on the first floor is one area where, according to patron feedback, the library missed the mark.
The current first-floor layout includes a large study room with a table and individual cubbies. The cubbies are modern and convenient with comfortable seating, laptop trays and charging outlets.
When the conference room is booked, Lorraine Lakes resident Paul Grant works in the study room.
“You can’t talk in that room,” he said. “So I’ll have to go out and take calls, and then I don’t have my laptop with me. It would be great if they had a couple offices you could rent on an hourly basis for calls and stuff like that.”
Grant is a software platform engineer for Caesars Sportsbook. He regularly works at the library to escape distractions at home.
Grant would also appreciate a stronger internet connection. He was using his phone’s hotspot Feb. 12 because it was faster than the library’s WiFi, but he loves the facility and will continue to use it.
Additional uses for small study rooms include tutoring and testing. As a community service, librarians serve as proctors for exams, but most schools require testing to be conducted in an enclosed space, free from distractions.
The Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, the nonprofit that provides volunteers and financial support to the library, has its own
A WEEK OF PROGRAMMING
This is only a sample of the programming the Lakewood Ranch Library offers. For a full list, visit ManateeLibrary. LibCal.com/Calendar.
■ Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. The Lego
Club
■ Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. Basic Irrigation Operations and Maintenance
■ Feb. 22 at 9:30 a.m. Rooftop
Yoga
■ Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. Family
Movie Night
■ Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. Toddler
Storytime
■ Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. Tracing Your Roots: Genealogy Assistance
small request for the second floor.
President Sue Ann Miller said the group desperately needs a prep and storage space for the donated books that are eventually sold in the nonprofit’s in-library bookstore.
The group only needs a small space, and the personal bonus would be that Miller could clean out her garage.
Currently, the donated books are split between Miller’s garage and Treasurer Steve Borkenhagen’s guest room. Each book has to be inspected and cleaned before being sold in the bookstore. The process requires a lot of lugging books back and forth, and Miller said people get upset with the volunteers when they can’t take their book donations on the spot. Volunteers could use space to streamline the process.
Manatee County needs more space, too.
“At one point, we were going to utilize (the second floor) for more office space,” Commissioner Jason Bearden said. “We have over 2,000 employees in this county, and we’re growing by 12,500 people a year. That requires more employees and more services.”
the list for those departments need ing office space out east. Bearden used Del Webb as an example of an East County community where
veterans are living and could benefit from nearby services.
Bearden said the second floor is still in the early stages of being designed, but County Administrator Charlie Bishop is moving forward with the concept of “flex space” that would allow for individuals, groups and county staff to come and go.
THE FINAL PUNCH LIST
Ultimately, the spine of every library is the book collection. While the children and teen collections are amply stocked, the adult collection and overall number of books is sparse compared to other libraries.
The original number of books, audiobooks and DVDs the county purchased for the library was 23,000.
The Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library ran a Stock the Shelves campaign and exceeded its goal of raising $410,000 to double the collection.
There are now approximately 46,000 items stocked on the shelves of the Lakewood Ranch Library. But to put that number into perspective, the Braden River Library is stocked with about 86,000 items.
“This library is designed more for open space, but we need more books,” Miller said. Other issues were discovered as the library was used. The drive-thru window was a great idea in theory, but in practice, it’s not working. The curb is too wide for patrons to pull up without having to either lean halfway out of the car window or exit the vehicle entirely.
The placement of the handicap curb ramp isn’t working either. Several people have fallen in front of the library from tripping over the high curb of the sidewalk.
The handicap parking is across from the front entrance, but the handicap curb ramp is to the far right of the building, near the Gold Star Memorial. People are walking straight from their parking spot to the front door. In the case of walkers, it can be a struggle to get them onto the curb and several seniors have had
LESLEY DWYER | STAFF WRITER
The Lakewood Ranch Library has been open for over a year now.
Lorraine Lakes resident Paul Grant works in the conference room at the Lakewood Ranch Library Feb. 12.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Mote Aquarium will delay opening until summer
Although the Mote Science and Education Aquarium was expected to open in the first couple of months of 2025, Mote issued a statement this week saying it anticipates an opening this summer.
“Like many construction projects in southwest Florida, we’ve encountered some delays due to the two back-to-back hurricanes, which caused us to lose some construction time,” Mote’s Marketing and Public Relations Manager Kaitlyn Fusco wrote in an email. “In addition, we’ve made decisions to incorporate additional features that will enhance the overall guest experience, which has added some extra time to our opening date.
“Most importantly, a critical aspect of our work is the quarantine process for both new and current animals prior to introducing them to their new habitats at Mote SEA. While we have a strict scientific process for quarantining and acclimating the animals to their new environment, putting an exact time frame on these essential operations is not possible due to the nature of these processes.
“Mote SEA’s opening date will largely depend on when all the animals in our care have successfully completed their quarantine and then have been fully acclimated to their new environments.
“Taking all of these factors into consideration, we do not have a spe-
cific opening date to announce yet, but we do anticipate opening Mote SEA to the public in the summer of 2025.”
Mote shut down interviews about the new aquarium in November.
“As our team is focused on completing the project, we do not have a representative available for interviews at this time,” Fusco wrote.
The $132 million aquarium is being built adjacent to Nathan Benderson Park and the Mall at University Town Center. Sarasota County has pledged $20 million of taxpayer money toward the new aquarium. Manatee County has pledged $5 million toward the project.
Nonprofits invited to apply for grants
Both the Sisterhood for Good and Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle have announced they are accepting applications for grants from area nonprofits.
Sisterhood for Good’s submission deadline is April 25, and the grant maximum has increased to $7,500. Sisterhood for Good granted $153,000 in funds in 2024 to 40 local charities. Qualifying nonprofits selected to receive grants will be presented the funds in June. Go to SFGFlorida.org for information.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together,” said Angela Massaro-Fain, founder of Sisterhood For Good. “Our mission is to impact our community meaningfully by supporting local charities that are doing vital work. Since 2011, we have awarded grants to 183 nonprofits, totaling $472,277, impacting 47,205 individuals. We believe that by empowering these organizations, we are contributing to the overall well-being of our community and creating a positive ripple effect.”
The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle will accept grant applications through March 31. The organization is shifting to a biannual grant cycle in 2025.
Those interested can apply at TLCWomensGivingCircle.org/ApplyFor-Grant/.
The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle presented 17 grants in 2024.
Courtesy image
The new Mote SEA will provide interactive experiences with sea life.
Catastrophic tax rebate deadline nears
Residents can now report property damage and file applications through the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Last year, the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office received about 30 applications for a tax rebate due to catastrophic damage from Hurricane Idalia in 2023.
After three hurricanes in 2024, the number of applications is currently more than 1,000, with more to come.
“We’re at a volume we’ve never seen before,” said Scott Tussing, director of Public Service and Exemptions for Manatee County. “We changed our process midstream to centralize it into a survey people can file online.”
The rebate only applies to residences that were uninhabitable for at least 30 days.
However, owners of commercial and tangible personal property that was damaged are also encouraged to fill out a survey because the office needs to be aware of damages in order to properly evaluate for 2025.
For homes that met the criteria of being uninhabitable for at least 30 days in 2024, the survey will automatically submit an application for a tax refund on the homeowner’s behalf.
The survey is available on the Property Appraiser’s website, which makes the process easier for both citizens and staff.
About 700 rebate applications have arrived by mail. The rest have been delivered by email or in person. Staff has to go through each one to upload the data, so citizens uploading the data themselves is far more efficient.
Tussing said he has no “earthly idea” how many people still need
APPLY FOR A REFUND
March 3 is the deadline to submit an application for a Catastrophic Event Tax Refund. An application submitted after the deadline will be considered a pre-application for 2026.
Homeowners can file online at ManateePAO.gov. Click on the Catastrophic Event tab to reach the Property Damage Survey.
Supporting documentation that is required with the application includes, but is not limited to, repair estimates and damage assessments from a contractor, building inspector or insurance adjuster. Photos are also helpful.
“We’re not trying to be overly stringent,” Tussing said. “This is a trying time for people. We just need to get to a reasonable conclusion that they had damage.”
Applications can also be emailed to Exemptions@ ManateePAO.gov, faxed to 7425664 or filled out in person by visiting the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office located at 915 Fourth Ave. W., Bradenton. Hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
to file for a rebate, but the county’s staff members are doing all they can to spread the word to property owners that the deadline is approaching.
There is no provision in the statute for late applications. They must be submitted by March 3 to receive a refund.
It’s not only hurricane damages that are eligible. Fires, tornados and structural collapses are categorized as catastrophic events, too. The determining factors are that the damage was done to a residential structure and that structure was
uninhabitable for 30 days or more.
Damage to fences, barns and detached garages are ineligible.
“If a tree pulled down your pool cage, we need to know that,” Tussing said, “But we can’t give you a rebate.”
Tussing offered the estimated rebate on a home in Summerfield Village as an example of the savings.
The pre-damage market value of the home was $556,365 on Jan. 1, 2024.
The home was damaged during Hurricane Debby and was uninhabitable for the remaining 149 days of the year.
The dwelling was valued at $492,963, and the land and nondwelling structures were valued at $63,402. The owner paid a tax bill of $7,381.99 in November, which included a 4% discount for paying before Dec. 5.
The estimated rebate is $2,010.52. Tussing said the nearly 30% rebate is due to the fact that the house was a large portion of the value.
“That’s going to cause a bigger refund,” he said. “On the beaches,
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it’s the inverse. A lot of the houses on the islands — the land is worth more money than the house.”
Prior to the hurricanes in 2024, the Property Appraiser’s Office never had a high enough demand to require a damage survey tool, but now that the system is in place, it will remain in place for residents to access as needed.
Homestead exemptions can also be filed online at the Property Appraiser’s website. The deadline is the same — March 3. Homeowners that don’t file on time will pay more tax than needed for the next year.
Tussing said the two deadlines are going to make the office extremely busy from now until then, so residents might want to save themselves the trouble of having to find a parking spot in their lot and file online.
“We’re trying to make it easy,” he said. “Do it online. It’s a lot simpler than coming to see us. But if you can’t, come on down. We’re more than happy to see you.”
File photo
Drywall is removed in Nicole Eveloff’s River Club home after Hurricane Debby flooded the home Aug. 5, 2024. At the time, Eveloff was told it could be four to five months before her family could return home.
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More restaurants coming to UTC in 2026
Oliva, On Swann will sit next to each other on North Cattlemen Road, across from Ford’s Garage.
Two restaurants with popular Tampa locations are coming to University Town Center, according to Benderson Development, owner of the shopping destination.
Olivia and On Swann will be located in back-to-back spaces in a ground-up development along North Cattlemen Road. They will be opposite from Ford’s Garage.
Olivia will span 6,500 square feet and will be operated by James Beardnominated chef Chris Ponte with his wife, Michelle, and sons JT and Andy Mahoney. Chris Ponte opened the first Olivia, named after his daughter, in South Tampa in 2019. A second location recently opened in St. Petersburg, making UTC the third restaurant for the brand. Like the others, Olivia at UTC will be designed as an Italian trattoria with a wine vault, expansive bar and a large-windowed room showcasing the creation of pizza dough and pastas.
On Swann will be approximately 5,000 square feet. The UTC location will be the second for the contemporary American restaurant, which also has an eatery that opened in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village in 2016. On the menu are chef-inspired dishes like hot chicken tenders with paprika honey butter and lamb meatballs over grits with minted ricotta cheese. Food is prepared in an open kitchen.
For On Swann, Chris Ponte will join forces with Chris Arreola, also a partner in the Tampa location.
Olivia and On Swann are the latest additions to UTC, which features more than 80 restaurants throughout the more than 4 million square feet of property near the intersection of Interstate 75 and University Parkway, on the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties. Other recent additions include Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, which opened on Tourist Center Drive on Feb. 10, and Sprinkles Cupcakes, coming to Cooper Creek Boulevard on Feb. 19. Construction is expected to begin on the building that will house Olivia and On Swann in the next month or so, a Benderson spokesperson said. Both restaurants are expected to open on North Cattlemen Road in 2026.
ELIZABETH KING BUSINESS OBSERVER
Courtesy image On Swann features contemporary American cuisine like hot chicken tenders with paprika honey butter.
GROVE FOR THE GUSTO
‘Cooking with Campbell’ promises to be an exciting culinary experience.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
His passion for food burns hotter than the torch he uses to fire up his crème brûlée.
That alone would make
Greg Campbell an excellent host for “Cooking with Campbell,” billed an interactive culinary experience hosted by Grove restaurant in Lakewood Ranch.
“Cooking with Campbell” begins at 6 p.m. on March 7 and will return at various dates based on demand. It is designed for food enthusiasts “who want to sharpen their kitchen skills while enjoying an expertly prepared meal.”
What it won’t be is Campbell showing off his skill at chopping a stalk of celery or flipping an omelette.
“People are starting to pay attention to what is in their food,” Campbell said. “This is meant to be fun and interesting. We want those who attend to be more knowledgeable.”
Campbell, who is Grove’s director of operations along with its executive chef, will touch on many topics that lead to a gourmet experience. That begins long before a person walks into a kitchen.
“How to shop is incredibly important,” Campbell said. “And it’s been incredibly important to my career.”
He learned to shop from his grandmother, Simone Hubert, who took him under his wing when he was 8 years old after his father died.
“She was a big influence on me,” he said. “She taught me how to shop. She would go all around and everyone knew she was coming to pick up her meat, her produce. I learned from her that you need to take care of everyone. She would feed them all.”
Besides being an accomplished chef, Campbell is a skilled storyteller, and that should greatly enhance the experience for those who attend “Cooking with Campbell.”
Consider a few of Campbell’s gems.
He talked about the moment he knew he wanted to be a chef.
He was 8 and it was shortly after his father had died. Friends of the family had been coming by his home just outside of Augusta, Georgia, to show their support.
Campbell went into the kitchen to make something for those who were visiting.
One man ventured into the kitchen to offer some comfort to the 8-yearold. He bit off more than he could chew.
“I had grabbed some slices of white bread and I made him a peanut butter and sardine sandwich,” Campbell said. “What was he going to say to an 8-year-old who had just lost his father? The poor soul had to sit with
me, and he was trying to choke down that sandwich.”
At that moment, he knew he liked serving people. And the man eventually became his stepfather. His name was John Shoupe. Campbell was convinced it was a sign he would be in the culinary world. His mom’s new married name was Prudence Campell-Shoupe.
But why did Campbell want to prepare meals for people? He describes it this way.
“I asked for a remote control car for Christmas when I was 12 years old,” he said. “And I got it.
“Back in those days, I was what they used to call hyper-active. Now they call it attention deficit disorder. I took that car and I put it together in three hours, then I ran it up and down the driveway a few times. I never used it again.”
Using that car was going to be a similar experience and he would be bored with repetition. He doesn’t see cooking that way.
“Every single plate of food is a remote control car for me,” Campbell said. “But everything changes, and I can do it over and over.”
Doing it over and over at Grove means making dishes from scratch.
“Making meals from scratch is unusual in this environment,” Campbell said. “The restaurant landscape has changed dramatically the last 10 to 12 years. At the Grove, we are trying to stay true to our creativity. We cut our fish from the whole fish, we make our own breads,
“At the Grove, we are trying to stay true to our creativity. We cut our fish from the whole fish, we make our own breads, and it is important that we cut our own steaks. Nobody is cooking from scratch anymore, so I am proud of what we do. The general public needs to understand what we do.”
Chef Greg Campbell
and it is important that we cut our own steaks. Nobody is cooking from scratch anymore, so I am proud of what we do. The general public needs to understand what we do.
IF YOU GO
COOKING WITH CAMPBELL
Where: Grove Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch
When: 6 p.m. at March 7
Included: Welcome glass of Champagne, multicourse meal (featuring ahi tuna, salmon, scallops, New York strip, a house-made crème brûlée for dessert), take-home shopping lists and recipes, soft drinks included, and cash bar available
Cost: $75 per person, plus tax and service fee
Tickets, information: Go to GroveLWR.com/Events
“Red velvet cake? In today’s world, it’s all premade batter and premade icing. It’s vanilla cake with red food coloring. That is not red velvet cake.
“We make our own empanadas. I guarantee you that 95% of the restaurants that serve empanadas are buying them from Sysco and dropping them in grease.”
At “Cooking with Campbell” he will talk about processed foods and additives, along with the health benefits of avoiding them.
He will talk about the benefits of knowing how to cut up a fish.
“We have eight people in both our restaurants (Pier 22 is the other) who know how to cut fish,” he said.
He said “Cooking with Campbell” will help people to be more aware when it comes to picking out fish, meat or produce.
“You can buy scallops that are as big as a silver dollar,” he said. “Then you cook it and it comes out as big as a dime.”
He said those who attend the event will be “eating and learning.”
He expects the class to be well attended.
“People are very interested,” he said. “We do a lot of wine dinners and I speak on how I pair food with wine. We have gotten very good feedback, so we wondered, ‘Why not a cooking class?
“It’s all a passion of mine. I love learning about the restaurant business as a whole. I know inside that we are doing things the right way.”
Chef Greg Campbell says not many restaurants will buy the entire fish because they don’t have talented kitchen workers who know how to cut it up.
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Chef Greg Campbell says few restaurants cook from scratch with real ingredients such as vanilla bean when making dishes such as crème brûlée.
Photos by Jay Heater
Stillpoint Appeal remains simple, and effective
It would be easy to take Bob Smith’s annual Stillpoint Appeal for granted.
After all, it just kind of happens. There is no dinner. No golf tournament. No wine tasting or live bands.
There is no nonprofit designation, or board of directors. There is no grant process or pleas to governmental agencies.
In some ways, Smith is like the guy standing at the intersection with his hand out ... albeit he is better dressed.
The beauty in this, the 14thannual Stillpoint Appeal, is in its simplicity. There are a bunch of very poor people who need help. Hey buddy, can you spare a dime? Or a hundred bucks?
It also has been effective.
Over its first 13 years, the appeal has raised $383,000 for the Stillpoint Mission in Bradenton. Every year, Smith’s plea has been answered with more dollars than the previous year, including $77,424 last year. If you are keeping track, it was $1,500 in 2012, and $5,825 the next year. By 2020 it climbed to $32,705. Then jumped all the way to $70,380 in 2023.
The fundraising has been so impressive that it began to make up a larger chunk of Stillpoint’s annual budget. Last year, Smith’s friends accounted for 24.5% of the nongrant income that Stillpoint raised. It is a godsend that has come to be expected.
The pressure is not just on Smith to raise at least $1 more than the previous year. It is that the need continues to explode.
When Smith first found Stillpoint, it was serving about 175 people each month.
In 2024, Stillpoint served 26,308 people. It was a 43% increase from the previous year.
You can bet that hurricanes had something to do with that increase.
In 2024, Stillpoint helped the
poor with $165,000 in utility bills. It handed out 204 tons of food.
The mission distributed 343,202 diapers. (I am not really sure who has the job of counting each diaper that goes out.) Stillpoint reports 804 mothers picked up diapers each month in 2024. That was up 17%.
“They keep getting more people,”
Smith said. “When I first found them, they were giving out two cans of food a person and 16 ounces of cooking oil. Now they give out toilet paper, diapers, meat and fruit when available.”
Smith, who is 76, thinks back to his very first appeal, when some of his friends advised him it wasn’t a good idea to tap his golf and poker buddies to support a cause.
After considering their warning, he figured he needed to answer to a higher power, and out went the emails.
His friends responded with checks.
“I was thunderstruck,” he said of his friends’ generosity.
He now sends his plea to about 70 of his friends who continue to respond.
“I think that is about everyone I know,” he said about expanding his list of donors. “I would love somebody to say, ‘Here is how you can get 10 more people.’ It is very hard to find new donors.”
But his appeal also has had tentacles. In the first year of the appeal, Smith was living in the Country Club, and he tapped one of his neighbors, and golf buddies, Ed Balmer, for funds. Ed’s wife, Judy, was then saying that she needed something to keep her busy in retirement. Smith took her to Stillpoint.
“To be honest, there was noth-
ing romantic about it,” Judy Balmer said. “I was just in the right place at the right time. I became so enamored with the dedication of the people (who ran Stillpoint). These people were so dependable.
“I fell in love with it instantly. No one, and I mean no one, gets paid there. It is the true essence of giving.”
She started to help at the mission and eventually took over the backpack project, where backpacks are stuffed with school supplies for children in need.
“It was 2017 when I was told they weren’t doing the project anymore because they didn’t have the money in their budget,” Judy Balmer said.
“I thought, ‘That is unacceptable.’”
So she took a page out of Smith’s playbook.
“I texted my golf friends,” she said. “We raised enough for a little
less than 100 backpacks in 2017.”
She proceeded to run the backpack drive every year since, and in 2024, stuffed 870 backpacks.
“Walmart gives us a grant now for $1,500 every year,” Judy Balmer said. “In 2022, we started to get a Flanzer Trust match (for donations). We have the most generous group of men and women in this community.
“And this keeps me invigorated. It keeps us relevant.”
Smith knows his appeal is relevant and he has no thoughts of slowing down. However, he does realize that, at 76, somebody might have to take over in the future.
“I have given it some thought,” he said. “I talked to Amanda (his daughter Amanda Smith-Tullidge) and she laughed at me.”
Smith-Tullidge, an attorney, runs the nonprofit Cheers for Charity, so she has her hands full.
So Smith will press forward.
“It is such a worthwhile and successful thing,” he said. “I am going to do it as long as I am healthy and competent. I mean, this is not easily transferable.”
Once again, the goal is to raise at least $1 more in 2025.
“There is a pressure to succeed,” Smith said. “I would be crestfallen if we didn’t. I always get desperate toward the end.”
But each year, he has pulled it through.
Anyone who would like to check out Stillpoint Mission, can go to its website at StillpointMission.org. Smith can be reached at 262-5104200.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Jay Heater
Jim Keiner, Gene Tischer, Marge Slepica, Bob Keehn, Bob Smith and Diane Brune celebrate the 2024 donation to Stillpoint Mission.
Commissioner’s thoughts on moratoriums are misguided
I read Manatee Commissioner Bob McCann’s nonsense in the East County Observer (Feb. 13, Implementation of moratoriums are crucial to District 5). I asked ChatGPT to assist me in crafting a response to his lamebrain idea. Here is how ChatGPT responded:
“The proposed one-year moratorium on building permits and development approvals within District 5 is an unnecessary government overreach that infringes upon property rights, restricts economic freedom and disrupts responsible growth.
While proponents argue that this measure is needed to address stormwater management and infrastructure planning, a moratorium is an excessive and misguided solution that will ultimately harm homeowners, businesses and the broader economy.
At the heart of this issue is a fundamental principle — private property owners should have the right to develop and improve their land within the bounds of existing laws and regulations.
This moratorium arbitrarily would strip property owners of their ability to make decisions
about their own land, whether that be building a home, adding a pool or making improvements that increase property value.
Property rights are the foundation of a free society, and any policy that restricts them should be met with strong opposition. The role of government should be to ensure fair and reasonable regulations — not halt economic activity through heavy-handed interventions. Free markets, when allowed to function without excessive restrictions, naturally promote responsible development and innovation.
By imposing a broad moratorium, the county is taking an unnecessary, one-size-fits-all approach that disrupts economic progress instead of allowing the private sector to drive solutions. Infrastructure improvements should be achieved through smarter planning and collaboration with developers, not by placing a stranglehold on growth.
A thriving local economy depends on the ability of individuals and businesses to invest, build and grow. This moratorium will disproportionately harm small businesses, construction workers, real estate professionals and homeowners who rely on a steady flow of projects for their livelihoods.
Preventing new development and property improvements not only restricts economic activity but also discourages investment in Manatee
Lesley Dwyer
Commissioner Bob McCann holds a Town Hall meeting Feb. 5 at the Lakewood Ranch Library.
County. Overregulation and uncertainty drive businesses elsewhere, stifling job creation and economic opportunities for residents.
Supporters of the moratorium claim that halting development is necessary to address stormwater management and infrastructure concerns. However, responsible planning and growth are not mutually exclusive. The county already has tools at its disposal — such as zoning regulations, impact fees and infrastructure investments — to address these concerns without an extreme measure like a moratorium.
Rather than halting progress, the county should focus on targeted infrastructure improvements, incentivizing sustainable development and enforcing existing regulations. If this moratorium is allowed to take effect, what stops future governments from imposing further restrictions on property use and economic activity?
Policies like this open the door to increasing government control over private enterprise and land use, setting a dangerous precedent for further overreach. Residents and businesses should not have to fear that their rights will be arbitrarily restricted based on shifting political agendas.
This proposed moratorium is an unnecessary and heavy-handed attempt to address issues that can and should be solved through better governance, not economic suppression.
Property rights, economic freedom and limited government intervention must be protected. Rather than imposing blanket restrictions that harm property owners, businesses and workers, Manatee County should focus on policies that encourage responsible growth, uphold individual rights and promote economic prosperity.
A government that respects its citizens should not impose excessive restrictions on their ability to use and develop their own land. A smarter, more balanced approach is needed — one that prioritizes freedom, fairness and common sense over bureaucratic control.”
WALTER WINSHIP LAKEWOOD RANCH
County should have been more transparent with Premier
I enjoyed your article (Feb. 6, Jay Heater, Transparency remains a cloudy issue) and agree 100% that the price tag for all the stuff at Premier is too high and warranted more transparency.
We have no plans to use any of those amenities ourselves. The G.T. Bray park is awesome for kids and families and everyone. We also love the Bob Gardner park and the Adventure Park, and I bet they didn’t cost near as much as the Premier’s amenities.
I also love that you brought up the gates in all these communities.
When we moved here we specifically did not want gates. We wanted to be in an “old school” type neighborhood with low HOA and no amenities.
These gates give a false sense of security, and I’m not sure why people even want to have them. When I have gone to pick up a friend or my daughter’s friend, they are usually broken or we wait for someone and slide in. Where is the security in that?
Many are open during daytime hours as well. So why all the aggravation? Why does this area feel the need to offer gated communities as a perk as it’s nothing more than an aggravation for most with a false sense of security. We like our nongated “old school” community, but, unfortunately, these are becoming less and less common around here. I wish it wasn’t so. Thank you for your great article.
KERRI GLYNN LAKEWOOD RANCH
Lakewood Ranch’s growth like a cancer
“Growth is good.” That’s what you claimed in your Feb. 6 (Matt Walsh, Moratorium madness) column opposing moratoriums. I’m sure cancer patients are now ecstatic to learn their growths are good.
Imagine what every one of today’s slums, regardless of location, was like 100 years ago. What’s the com-
mon factor that led to their becoming today’s slums?
Yes, I know that today’s environmental restrictions and minimum lot sizes prevent extreme population density (people per square mile). But do you want one house on every one-acre lot covering all of Florida?
I wish Americans would grow up and get over the ridiculous notion that more is better and greed is good. Instead of being envious and desirous of the garbage we see on TV, we should be content with the many blessings and things we already have and take for granted, especially considering conditions in many parts of Africa and even as close as Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
Lakewood Ranch is like a cancer metastasizing, with the Observer doing its part by glorifying high home prices to discourage the “wrong type” from moving in and rarely having police reports.
Oh, I forgot: Lakewood Ranch is a crime-free utopia.
RAYMOND KOSTANTY
LAKEWOOD RANCH
Please use caution when Sandhill cranes are present
As a reminder to the residents and newcomers, please be on the lookout and very careful while driving around town for the beautiful Sandhill cranes and their babies
trying to cross the roads. Unfortunately, with their large stature, they cannot easily lift themselves up off the ground if a vehicle is approaching. They walk across the streets at a slow pace, with their babies following as well.
Since their bodies are a greyish color, they blend in with the concrete roads, which makes it harder to see them in the distance. Because of this situation, it would be a benefit to reduce our speed so that there would be enough time to react and come to a full stop while they cross the road.
Their population has decreased significantly. They are highly intelligent and very exquisite birds. They are constantly trying to acclimate themselves to new surroundings each and every day due to the fact that a lot of their territories and nesting sites have been demolished from urban development.
Hopefully, we can all try to make a difference and protect these wonderful Sandhill cranes as much as possible.
MICHELE STARR
LAKEWOOD RANCH
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
Have something to tell us? Send your letters to Jay Heater at JHeater@YourObserver.com.
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Spicy showdown
The Suncoast Builders Association annual event is increasing in popularity.
bout 60 people got together Feb. 13 in the parking lot of the Suncoast Builders Association in Lakewood Ranch for conversation, a few cocktails and to sample more than a dozen versions of homemade chili. It was the third-annual Chili Cook-Off.
They came to “make some chili and have a little fun competition,” said Jessica Seper, deputy executive officer of the association.
“People would ask, ‘When is our next chili cook-off?’ We’ve grown from having three or four different kinds of chilis, too. Now we have 13 or 14 different participants.”
Two pop-up tents sheltered tables where the night’s chefs were crank-
ing up crock pots to get their concoctions ready, with the aroma of spices competing for attention.
If there had been an award for the most ingredients in a pot, it likely would have gone to Carl Chitjain. So many, in fact, in his Kitchen Sink Chili, he had a hard time remembering everything he used.
“It’s got vegetables in it,” he said.
“It’s got peppers, it’s got … I’ve got to remember now ... onions, garlic and the vegetables I did on my grill to get that smoke going. And I used a smoked paprika.”
He didn’t skimp on the meat, either.
“I’ve got chuck steak in there, cut to three-eighth-inch pieces. I’ve got sausage. What was that country player? His sausage … Jimmy Dean, that’s it. I got a tube of that in there.”
And his signature ingredient was lean bison.
“Bison,” he said, “because there’s no fat in that at all.”
Jim DeLa
Presentation was everything to Juliana Courie and her Jet Fuel Chili.
Navigating the complexities of The “Bainbridge Promise”
THE “BAINBRIDGE PROMISE”
That promise is backed up by action. From the beginning, JL Bainbridge has adhered to a feeonly model and a commitment to client satisfaction. “From day one, our founder, Jerry Bainbridge, promised that if a client is ever unhappy, we’ll return our fee - no questions asked,” says Leeming. Regardless of investment size, personalized service is assured.
“Elsewhere, even if you have $1$2 million, you may end up with an 800 number,” says Leeming.
Medicare, estate, healthcare, and more,” he adds.
MULTIGENERATIONAL OVERSIGHT
JL Bainbridge’s commitment to long-term, multigenerational relationships is close to Leeming’s heart. “I’m working with the third generation in some families— grandparents, parents, and the 20- and 30-somethings together. That’s how you truly manage generational wealth,” says Leeming.
This approach allows meaningful client relationships and helps families build lasting legacies.
*Leeming shares a story of a longtime client, a tough business leader, who recently sought his help. “He told me he was starting to have some issues that were ‘scaring the hell out of him’ and he wanted me to get things organized for his family.”
IN PERPETUITY
“Here every client, even those with 250K, gets a dedicated portfolio manager and access to personalized planning for
JL Bainbridge is here to stay — a Sarasota-based, privately owned firm with a commitment to its clients and community. “We have a succession plan that ensures JL Bainbridge will continue in perpetuity,” says Leeming. “We’re not interested in selling. We own our building on Main Street and are dedicated to our clients and team members.”
Chili Cook-off
FROM PAGE 14A
Once the meat is cooking, “then you put your onion, your garlic, your peppers, and then I just go basic after that. The Rotel diced tomatoes with the chilies, tomato puree, tomato sauce. I use whole tomatoes, and I crush them by hand. They’re in there, too,” he said.
It was a long day for the former chef and barbecue truck owner.
“I started 2 a.m.,” he said, noting that he was prepping the meat and veggies, leaving it to simmer for the rest of the day. “You’ve just got to put a little bit of your heart in it, you know?”
Next to Chitjain’s Crock-Pot at the judging table was another entry, Posh Peacock Chili, where Elizabeth Booth was trying to psych Chitjain out.
“I was the 2021 champion,” she warned him.
Her chili was named after her business, Posh Peacock Consultants, and not for any exotic ingredients in her chili. “People are asking ... I didn’t even think about that,” she said with a laugh.
“I start by roasting my veggies. So I got my peppers, my onions, my garlic, all roasted on open fire,” which she puts in a blender with whipping cream, beef broth and olive oil.
Her chili, like a few others that night, included beans, an ingredient that often causes great debates among chili aficionados.
“I put in a mixture of kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans and diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and a little bit of homemade pasta sauce,” she said, and then added that she added a “huge concoction” of spices.
But it was the topper that made her recipe unique.
“My little signature is my cilantro lime sour cream,” she said. “It goes on top, cools it down and makes it creamy.”
Two entries included venison, as it turns out, from the same deer.
Jon Mast, the association’s chief executive officer, used a deer he had shot during a recent hunting trip.
His approach was uncomplicated.
“It’s got venison, it’s got tomatoes and onion and garlic and cocoa powder, chili powder, onion powder,” Mast said. “Then beef broth, chicken broth, black pepper, salt. Nothing extraordinary. Ground it this morning and assembled it this morning. Has been in the Crock-Pot all day.”
“No beans,” he added.
The rest of that deer’s contribution to the event was simmering in a pot at the end of the table, containing Amber Elsenheimer’s Venison 5-Alarm Chili with Cowboy Candy and Chaula Cream.
“(Jon) was nice enough to bring me some of the meat,” Elsenheimer said. By all accounts, her chili was the
spiciest entry of the evening, based around brown venison and venison sausage.
“And then it has a new secret ingredient this year, which is cream cheese,” Elsenheimer said. “It’s the key.”
It’s all topped off by the Chaula sour cream and the “Cowboy Candy,” which is candied jalapeños.
People were asked to vote for their top three choices. At the end of the night, Mast’s venison chili took third place.
Elizabeth Booth’s Posh Peacock Chili took second place. And first place went to a surprised Juliana Courie and her Jet Fuel Chili.
“I just made it up,” she said.
Saying she’s the cook in her family, Courie plays things by ear.
“Usually when I cook, I don’t really have a recipe I follow,” she said. “I just go with the flow and I taste it each time to make sure it tastes good, at least.
“And if it smells good, then that’s my green light. That’s going to be good.”
She said there was only one special ingredient.
“I just put love into it. I guess that’s the only thing that made it special. I do hope everybody likes it,” she said before the winners were announced.
SARASOTA INSTITUTE OF LIFETIME LEARNING WORLD CLASS GLOBAL AFFAIRS LECTURES IN LAKEWOOD RANCH Cornerstone Church: 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2025 @ 11:00 AM
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: CHANGING HOW WE WORK
Frank Ostroff discusses how organizations can benefit from Generative AI (GAI) by embedding GAI in employees’ work, and ensuring that employees have the skills, behaviors, and mindsets needed to make effective use of GAI. He will present an approach that ensures organizations capture and sustain value from GAI.
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THE NEXT NUCLEAR WAR
What is the likelihood that nuclear weapons will ever be used in conflict again? Dr. Keir Lieber explains why, when, and how nuclear escalation by America’s main foreign adversaries makes good strategic sense, and what U.S. leaders might do to avoid this fate.
Chili lovers were able to watch a perfect sunset at the Suncoast Builders Association’s third annual Chili CookOff on Feb. 13.
Amber Elsenheimer prepares her Venison 5-Alarm Chili with Cowboy Candy and Chaula Cream.
Photos by Jim DeLa
“We’re always uplifting each other and motivating each other, and I think that’s what’s caused the great play and great spark for our team”
FAST BREAK
to 2-1
he Lakewood Ranch
THigh boys soccer team saw its season come to an end Feb. 12 in a 3-1 loss to Mitchell in the 6A Region 3 championship match. Senior Cody Conway scored the Mustangs’ only goal. Lakewood Ranch finished the season with a 17-3-2 record and won the 6A District 11 championship.
… In other boys soccer news, Thomas Mesia scored two goals to lead The Out-of-Door Academy to a 2-1 win over Keswick Christian in a 1A Region 3 semifinal match Feb. 14. ODA was scheduled to face Canterbury School in Fort Myers for the region title Feb. 19.
… Five girls weightlifters at Braden River High earned medals at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Feb. 14. Junior Payton Mangay-Ayam led the Pirates with a second-place finish in the 154-pound weight class in the 2A Olympic style lift and a fourth-place finish in the traditional style lift. She was joined on the podium by Ellen Lehman Chloe Pogoda Taylor Ford and Baylee Hinkle, who each finished in the top 10 of their respective weight class in Olympic 2A.
… The Sarasota County Rowing Club will host the annual Sarasota Invitational Regatta from Feb. 22-24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park. The event began 10 years ago with 300 boat entries and 600 competitors, but has now grown to include more than 1,500 individual competitors.
Quote of the Week: “We changed the whole way we play,” Lakewood Ranch boys soccer coach Vito Bavaro said after the 3-1 regional final loss to Mitchell. “We played with three in the back instead of five. We had to. So we put more guys in the central midfield and more guys up front. We just had to go for it. It didn’t matter at that point if we lost three, four, five or six to nothing.”
Wrestling ‘Warrior’
DETERMINED TO COMPLETE COMEBACK
Aiden Sanders, who had to sit out years due to concussions, has his sights set on a state tourney berth.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
It’s fair to say that Aiden Sanders is addicted to wrestling.
The Lakewood Ranch High junior starts his fix each day at after-school practice in the school’s wrestling room, which he said is the “one thing he looks forward to each day.”
Many nights, that leads to teammates coming over to his house to spar on his mat. When he’s not practicing, there’s a good chance he’s watching YouTube videos or social media clips of his favorite collegiate wrestlers.
That passion has taken Sanders to becoming a wrestler who has state tournament potential this season.
“He’s a high school wrestling warrior,” Lakewood Ranch wrestling coach Pat Ancil said. “We have other great kids on the team, but at the end of the season, we’ll still do open mats, but you won’t see them very often. They don’t want to make that commitment to the sport yearround. But not Aiden. He’s there all the time.
“He has a lot of talent, and if he wrestles well, he’s got a real shot at the state tournament and potentially getting up on the podium.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Sanders couldn’t wrestle at all.
BACK TO THE MAT
He started wresting when he was 4 years old under the tutelage of his father, Blaine Sanders, in Pennsylvania.
He said he won two youth wrestling state championships and was competing with the best wrestlers in his age group until injuries derailed him.
His dreams of wrestling at the collegiate level seemed over after he sustained three concussions.
At his doctor’s strong suggestion, Sanders gave up the sport entirely when he was in sixth grade.
“I was told I couldn’t wrestle again, and I had kind of given up the dream,” Sanders said.
His freshman year at Lakewood Ranch provided a tease. During a lockdown drill at the school, Sanders’ class was put in the wrestling room.
“I remember sitting down on the mat, and I was like, ‘Man, they put me in the worst spot,’” he said. “I went in the room, sat down and sent a picture to my dad and was like, ‘I want to be back.’”
Later in his freshman year in gym class, Sanders was playing pick-up basketball wearing a wrestling shirt, and Ancil happened to be there as a substitute teacher for the day.
Ancil invited Sanders to come to
TRAIL TO THE STATE TOURNEY
District Tournament: Feb. 21 at Riverview High School
Regional Tournament: Feb. 28-March 1 at George Jenkins High School
State Tournament: March 6-8 at Silver Spurs Arena (Kissimmee)Lakewood Ranch High Wrestling Dates to Know
practice, even if just to have some fun or be a part of the environment.
After coming out to watch practice, Sanders couldn’t take it anymore. He begged his parents to allow him to wrestle again, and his persistence was rewarded.
SHAKING OFF THE RUST
Years away from the sport, though, had done Sanders no favors.
He said he couldn’t beat the Mustangs’ 106-pound junior varsity wrestler and had forgotten much of the technique he had learned from youth wrestling.
All that meant was that he had to push himself harder to make up for lost time.
Sanders’ father took it upon himself to train his son at home.
With the added motivation of some teammates joining them, Sanders became a fast learner.
He still took some lumps along the way.
Sanders finished last season with 15 losses and was eliminated in the regionals — one win short of making
it to the state tournament.
Even though he had progressed from junior varsity competition to nearly making states in less than a year, that didn’t sit well with Sanders, who knew he was capable of more.
“That’s where my passion for the sport changed,” Sanders said.
“I couldn’t accept not making it to states, and it’s the same this year. I have to make it.
“Seeing all the kids I grew up with wrestling, all of those kids placed in state or were state champions. I know a kid ranked top five in the nation that I used to beat up when I was a kid. That hurts. As an athlete coming back to it, that’s been the worst. Seeing all of these kids that I used to compete with doing bigger things than I am. That’s why I want to get better so bad.”
REDEMPTION SEASON
Sanders estimates that he wrestled more than 100 matches this offseason as he traveled to tournaments around the state, coupled with a nodays-off mentality in practice.
Last season, Sanders was more of a defensive and hesitant wrestler as he gained his confidence back, Ancil said.
That’s now a thing of the past.
Sanders, now a competitor in the 120-pound weight class, said he tries to bully his opponents into submission.
That mentality has turned him into a formidable opponent with a 41-6 record this season, and it’s an edge he might not have had if not for his comeback efforts.
“This year he is much more offensive,” Ancil said. “He has a nonstop motor. He’s changing positions constantly all the time, creating momentum and keeping his opponent off balance to where they don’t know what the heck is coming. It’s a big difference from last year.”
Sanders said he hopes to continue wrestling at the next level, and those opportunities could weigh in the balance if he can advance to the state tournament.
That quest begins with the district tournament at Riverview High School from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 21.
— Lakewood Ranch High’s Avary Shirley SEE PAGE 19A
Vinnie Portell
Lakewood Ranch senior Cody Conway celebrates his goal that cut the deficit
against Mitchell in the 6A Region 3 championship on Feb. 12.
Aiden Sanders, a junior at Lakewood Ranch, has turned himself into a bona-fide competitor in the 120-pound weight class in 3A in just a little more than a year.
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Aiden Sanders wrestles with teammate Dylan Jensen to help prepare for the upcoming district tournament.
Underdog Mustangs will stay aggressive in state semifinals
Like an underdog fighter hunting a knockout blow, the Lakewood Ranch girls soccer team isn’t too concerned with playing it safe.
The fourth-seeded Mustangs will find out if that strategy can send them to the 6A state championship match on Feb. 20 when they face top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semifinal round at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale.
Lakewood Ranch has scored 73 goals (3.47 per game), nearly double the national average, behind a team loaded with talented attacking players.
Senior Olivia Hadad has spearheaded that offense with 35 goals. She proved to be a true differencemaker for the Mustangs in the 6A Region-3 final against East Lake on Feb. 12. Her goal in the 13th minute was the difference in a 1-0 win that sent Lakewood Ranch to the state semifinals for the first time since 2014.
However, Hadad and Co. wouldn’t be able to unleash that offensive onslaught without the trust coach Cole Richardson puts in her defense.
THREE’S NOT A CROWD
Most soccer teams, especially at the high school level, play with four defenders.
Not only is that a common formation in soccer, but it tends to be an easier way to protect leads and keep opposing teams within reach.
Lakewood Ranch isn’t like most teams.
The Mustangs have relied on just three defenders — freshman Makenzie Ryan, sophomore Jessica Squitieri and senior Savannah Adams — to hold down the defense so that they can stay aggressive with an extra player up the field.
Those who haven’t followed the Mustangs might be tempted to think that means they’ve won some high-scoring shootouts this season,
but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Lakewood Ranch’s defense hasn’t allowed a goal for five straight matches and has allowed more than two goals just once this season.
“At half (against East Lake), the defenders were like, ‘Can we play four back?’ I was like, ‘You’re going to feel the pressure, but it’s still one to zero,’” Richardson said. “My fear is we play four back and it’s one to one and now we don’t have scoring opportunities.
“We tell them, ‘Believe us, trust us, and stay back.’”
TWO’S COMPANY
Lakewood Ranch also takes a unique approach to its last line of defense.
The Mustangs have two goalkeepers who are more than capable in starting in senior Emma Chapman and sophomore Avary Shirley. Lakewood Ranch simply goes
with the hot hand.
That’s a lot to ask from a position as mentally demanding as goalkeeper, but Shirley said her friendly competition with Chapman has given them both an edge they wouldn’t otherwise have.
On Feb. 12, Shirley didn’t know she would be starting in the biggest game of the season until lineups were announced, but she wasn’t fazed.
“I tend to be quiet,” Shirley said of her pre-game routine. “I’m kind of in my own zone. I’m always telling myself, ‘The Lord is with me. God is with me. I’m fearless. I just have to step out onto that stage and give it my all.’”
Shirley made several leaping and diving saves for Lakewood Ranch in the regional final, and could be needed to have a repeat performance with the season on the line going forward.
“During the season, we play them
half and half. We switch who starts to see and feel who we’re going to have for these games,” Richardson said. “We’ve seen Ava step up in her leadership and her confidence. From a freshman last year on varsity, she was a shell of herself that she is now.
“We have two very strong keepers, and I’ve told them, ‘We’re blessed to have even one and we have two.’ Just because the other doesn’t get in isn’t a reflection of them. If our starter is doing her job, I can’t pull her.”
ONE GAME AT A TIME
Richardson said Lakewood Ranch opened this season with one simple goal — win the district championship.
might be tempting to steal a glimpse at what could be.
That can’t be afforded at this stage in the game.
Lakewood Ranch’s 6A state semifinal opponent St. Thomas Aquinas is formidable. The Raiders (18-1-3) are ranked No. 4 overall by the Florida High School Athletic Association and have won more state championships (15) than any other team in the state.
The Mustangs (15-4-2) are ranked significantly lower at No. 29, but Richardson said that doesn’t matter at this point.
“They’re always a very good program, but I think we can play with anyone,” she said. “We’ve made it to states. We had goals earlier this season. One was to win districts, and then make a run at states. Each game our goal is to win that game and move on.”
Lakewood Ranch will need its defense to keep playing at its best now more than ever.
St. Thomas Aquinas has proved to be dominant on both sides of the field. It’s scored 33 goals over the past six games and 96 on the season (4.36 per game) led by a trio of attackers who have each scored 15-plus goals.
It might be even better on defense.
The Raiders have allowed just nine goals the entire season (0.4 per game).
All of those impressive stats won’t matter, however, if underdog Lakewood Ranch can land its best punch of the season.
Looking beyond that didn’t serve the Mustangs well.
Now that they’ve made it to the state tournament in Auburndale, and the end is in sight, however, it
Vinnie Portell
Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer.
Olivia Hadad, right, has led the Lakewood Ranch High girls soccer team to the state semifinals with 35 goals in her senior season.
Avary Shirley
Avary Shirley, a sophomore goalie on the Lakewood Ranch High girls soccer team, has evolved into a leader, coach Cole Richardson said. Against East Lake in the 6A Region 3 championship, Shirley made several saves in a 1-0 win.
When and why did you start playing soccer?
I started playing soccer when I was 8, and my parents knew I liked it, so they kept signing me up for it.
What has been your most memorable moment this season?
Obviously, winning regionals was a pretty big moment, but I remember at the beginning of the year we did this team get-together initiation. It was a super fun day where we did all of these activities together. That’s kind of what brought us all together, that very first moment, and that’s led us to all of this.
What do you think has gone right for Lakewood Ranch this year?
I think our talk and our play on the ball is so much more advanced than our past years. We’re all so connected, and it makes our soccer play way more connected.
What’s your favorite meal?
I love a good Caesar salad with grilled chicken. I’ve also been really into salmon. I’ve been eating that a lot.
What’s your go-to warm-up music?
I’m a weird person. I only listen to country music. I play some Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen on the way to a game and it kind of pumps me up.
If you’re not playing soccer, what are you doing?
Probably doing homework. We have a busy schedule all of the time, but I Iove spending time with my family. I love watching movies with my mom, stuff like that. Just spend ing quality time with friends and family.
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to VPortell@YourObserver.com.
But recently we’ve been doing well, and I always have to remember to stay humble. I have to remember on the field things can happen so quickly. I have to think to myself, ‘It’s OK, relax, you’ve got it,’ because when I was a little girl playing goalkeeper, I would take everything to heart. I would cry in the goal because I would get so emotionally distraught thinking everything was my fault.
Who’s your favorite soccer player and why? I love Alyssa Naeher. Unfortunately, she retired, but I think she’s such a great motivator. Being a female goalkeeper playing for the U.S. National Team is such a big dream of mine. I think she represents the female player of soccer. I know many people look up to her, and I’m one of those people. She motivates me to be so much better.
Finish this sentence. Avary Shirley is … Fearless.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Have S’more fun
ich and Blakely Williams have lived in Lakewood Ranch for eight years, but it was the first time they brought their four kids to the Lakewood Ranch Community Campout.
Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosted the campout Feb. 15 at Greenbrook Adventure Park.
Blakely Williams said there were two milestones the children — 3-year-old Briley, 4-year-old Blake, 7-year-old Blaine and 9-year-old Brayden, had to hit before the family’s first campout. They had to be potty trained, and they had to sleep through the night.
e didn’t want to wake up our neighbors,” she said.
Now, the youngest Briley checks all the boxes, so the family pitched two tents and packed all sorts of things that glow in the dark. They had plenty to do.
The Sidewalk Science Center was ready with a telescope to give guided tours of everything glowing in the sky. Astronomer Jennifer Arsenault said they would be looking for Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter.
Before the sun went down, the science center shot off bottle rockets, let the kids solve puzzles, and led experiments with robotics.
Ash Piercy was continuing a family tradition of camping with her son Samuel and her friends, the Haertel family.
“Normally, it’s so cold that the adults are huddled around the campfire,” she said. “But it’s one of those memories that the kids always talk about and will remember.”
— LESLEY DWYER
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Rich and Blakely Williams are camping with their four children: 4-year-old Blake, 3-year-old Briley, 9-yearold Brayden and 7-year-old Blaine.
Camille Vandeveer is camping with her daughter’s family: Cara, Emma and Bradley Githens.
If anyone forgot to pack a cooler, there’s a lemonade stand and a hot dog truck.
David, Jacob, Emily and Claire Haertel camp with Ash and Samuel Peircy.
About 130 people are sleeping in tents Feb. 15 for the annual Community Campout in Greenbrook Adventure Park.
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Cracker Trail lures riders to vanishing Old Florida
The trail ‘either gets on you, or in you.’
Most people on Valentine’s Day think about a nice dinner and a romantic evening.
On this Valentine’s Day, more than 150 people were gathering in a 90-acre field near Parrish, towing loaded horse trailers and supplies as they prepared to spend a week in the saddle on a 116-mile ride to re-create a piece of Florida history. They wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I mean, you disconnect,” said Ardicio Galvao, who has done this ride with his wife, Christie, seven times. Ardicio Galvao was setting up camp chairs while his wife, Christie, and her daughter, Camron Courtright, were tending to their four horses.
“There’s very few places in Florida where you can really see the stars anymore. There’s something to be said about the stars and a campfire and quiet, you know; no noises, no cars, no nothing. It kind of brings you back down to earth again.”
It’s all part of the The Florida Cracker Trail Association’s Annual Cross-State Ride, a trek from Bradenton to Fort Pierce, commemorating cattle drives across the state that began hundreds of years ago.
“This ride is our celebration. This is our way of paying back,” said Mike Harrison, one of the ride’s main organizers.
Harrison said the route largely follows the same 116-mile trail first used by the Spanish.
“The Spanish would drop cattle off in Fort Pierce, and they would drive them to the Manatee River, to go on ships to go to Mexico.”
The route, which largely follows State Road 64 and State Road 66, was at the time the only normally dry route across Florida. The Kissimmee River and its floodplains blocked a northern route, and Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades blocked any path to the south.
The early settlers used bullwhips to flush cows out of the palmetto scrub and spur on oxen that pulled their carts and wagons, according to the Trail Association’s website.
The crack of the whips prompted the cowboys to become known as Florida Crackers. The sound can be heard for miles and was used to communicate between long distances.
While there is a whip cracking contest set for one night of the ride, other campsites have set limits. “No cracking of whips by order of landowner!” the riding rules read.
A TEST OF HORSES AND RIDERS
It would have been a tough journey 100 years ago, Harrison said. “Most of those guys would have been under 16 years old,” he said. “Their dad would send them to Melbourne or
JIM DELA STAFF WRITER
Photos by Jim DeLa
Mike Harrison and Amish, one of several horses he will ride on the Florida Cracker Trail Association’s annual Cross-State Ride, a trek from Bradenton to Fort Pierce.
someplace to buy cattle and they’d gone and bought 50 head and two teenage boys would have brought them back to Manatee County. It was pretty incredible.”
While today’s trail riders aren’t driving any cattle, it’s not a walk in the park, he said. “It’s not a fun ride. It’s an endurance ride. But we do it to keep our history alive.
“Other people come here because it’s the place to ride their horses. They don’t realize until after the second day that, ‘oh, man, this is a job.’”
The first day is a short 15 miles, to mainly get the horses used to each other, or as Christie Galvao described it, “getting the ‘stupid’ out of them.”
“When you put 125 horses together, that first 30 minutes is the most dangerous 30 minutes on the planet,” Harrison said, because the horses are reacting to everything else going on.
For the 40 or so new riders each year, they quickly learn one hard lesson. “Asphalt. We’ve had people coming, they’ll say, my horse is broke, this is a great horse. And they get bucked off.”
For the rest of the week, the riders will average about 20 miles a day, from the starting parade in Bradenton to a parade set Feb. 22 in downtown Fort Pierce. “It’s literally about eight hours a day in a saddle,” Harrison said, with regular stops to water horses.
Riders spend each night at ranches along the way, in tents, or as Harrison does, in his horse trailer. “It’s not glamorous,” he said.
That’s OK, said Ardicio Galvao.
“By the time you’re done doing the ride, it’s become addicting, you know, and it’s not so much the riding itself, obviously. You get to see a beautiful piece of old Florida, which has almost gone.”
The couple used to live in Davie, Florida but moved to Tennessee last year. It won’t stop them from riding the Cracker Trail. “We’re like, listen, I don’t care if we live in California, we’re coming,” he said.
The riders who come together every year for the ride have become family.
“It really is the people,” Galvao said. “It’s a different caliber of people that you meet here. They’re humble people, they’re caring people, they lend a hand if they see you need something, they’ll help you out.”
The Galvaos have special memories of the ride. They were married last year on the trail. “It was the only way I was going to be able to afford a big wedding,” Christie said.
After Ardicio proposed, Christie said there was never a thought of tying the knot any other place.
“There wasn’t even any discussing it,” she said. “He’s like, all right, so when and where? And I’m like, ‘I think we should do Cracker Trail.’ He said ‘perfect.’ And that was it.” Mike Harrison presided at the ceremony.
For Harrison, the ride is something his entire family looks forward to.
“My kids, I’ve raised Lonnie, Rick, Jason, Miranda, Mikayla, Nicky, Jared, Marissa … I think that’s it … on this ride,” he said.
Daughter Makayla said she wouldn’t miss “being with my friends and horses for a week. I grew up on it.” she said.
“They didn’t want to go to Disney World,” Harrison said. “My kids have quit jobs because they couldn’t get off, so they could ride this ride. Because it’s who they are, you know what I mean?”
The trail ride becomes a part of you. “I picked up a saying: The Cracker Trail Ride would either get in you or get on you,” Harrison said.
“If it gets on you, you wanna take a shower and get it off. You’re done,” he said.
“But if it gets in you, you’re not quitting and that’s what it did for me.”
Are
We
We
and
Please send resume to: pnowicki@yourobserver.com
Cancer foundation needs help solving a mystery
The Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation is hosting Mystery Under the Stars March 1 at The Ora in Sarasota.
The Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation’s annual Party Under the Stars has been reinvented for the gala’s 10th anniversary.
Supporters and guests are invited to attend Mystery Under the Stars March 1 at The Ora in Sarasota.
Guests will be tasked with solving a murder, but if you can’t figure out whodunnit, bribery will get you a few extra clues.
IF YOU GO
Mystery Under the Stars March 1 from 5-10 p.m. at The Ora, 578 McIntosh Road. Tickets cost $275 a piece or $2,500 for a table of 10. Guests are encouraged to dress like “the cat’s meow” in 1920s attire. Visit FCSF.org/Stars2025.
“The theme we picked was the 1920s, so it’s kind of a mobster-type theme,” Executive Director Lynn Rasys said. “Of course, ‘the bribe’ is a donation.”
Rasys is dressing “full flapper” for the evening with a fringed dress, fishnet stockings, gloves and pearls. The gala has grown over the past 10 years. It started with about 80 people in the backyard of then CEO Brad Prechtl’s Lakewood Ranch home.
Lori Sax
Kim Becker, Marjan Zaun and Circus Arts student Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux at last year’s gala.
By the next year, it had already outgrown the space.
Since then, the gala has attracted up to 400 guests. It was held at the Sailor Circus Arena last year and raised $340,000.
The foundation has an office and staff in Lakewood Ranch. All of those administrative costs are covered by the physicians who practice with the Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute.
Every penny donated to the foundation goes directly to cancer patients, but not for cancer treatments. Instead, the foundation helps ease the stress of financial burdens during treatment.
Jessica Mendez was fighting ovarian cancer, but that wasn’t what was keeping her up at night. It was her overdue rent because she has two teenagers living at home.
The foundation paid $3,000 directly to Mendez’s landlord to cover six weeks of rent while she received chemo therapy. For checks and balances purposes, Rasys said the checks are sent directly to the vendors and cover current unpaid bills.
In 2024, 1,100 patients received $2.15 million worth of bill payments. It was a record-breaking amount of donations for the nonprofit.
“As soon as the money we raise comes in, it goes out to help cancer patients,” Rasys said. “It covers essential everyday living expenses so they can focus on fighting cancer and continuing their treatment.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat in the United States.
The NCI calls the economic burden of undergoing cancer treatment “financial toxicity” and reports that some cancer patients spend more than 20% of their annual income on medical care, even with insurance.
While Rasys said the foundation doesn’t like to put patients and their families on the spot, there are always a few in the audience.
“It’s difficult for them to get up and speak,” she said. “But I always recognize them and share their story because it’s very meaningful to the audience to see these families.”
Those families are the reason everyone is gathering. An evening full of fun and intrigue is the bonus.
The Murder Mystery Company will present a two-hour interactive program following a three-course dinner.
The actors will be mingling with guests during the cocktail reception to scout out a few participants ahead of time.
“Every table will be challenged to come up with who did it, how they did it and why they did it,” Rasys said. “It’ll be interesting to see who’s competitive in the audience.”
Bribery is not cheating; it’s encouraged. Prizes will be awarded to those who can think or bribe their way to the most clues.
But only one lucky winner will win a five-night stay overlooking the River Thames at The Savoy in London. A dinner at Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill is also a part of the package.
Auction items include a threehour cruise for 18 people on the Golden Eagle, a 62-foot Viking yacht, a one-week stay in the Cayman Islands, a three-night stay in Lake Tahoe and an array of sports memorabilia.
“It’s going to be loads of fun,” Rasys said. “It’s something new. I have not seen (a murder mystery gala) done in this area. We’re very excited.”
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Courtesy image
Erica Molinar and Jessica Mendez attend Party Under the Stars in 2024 at the Sailor Circus Arena.
CALENDAR
COMMUNITY
FRIDAY, FEB. 21 AND SATURDAY, FEB. 22
RIVER REGATTA
Runs Friday at 5:15 p.m. at the Bradenton Riverwalk Rossi Park Stage and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. along the riverfront in both Bradenton and Palmetto. The 10th annual Bradenton Area River Regatta features plenty of live entertainment and an all-day Saturday schedule of Powerboat Superleague Racing. The entertainment kicks off Friday with the ABBA tribute band ABBA Nova playing at 5:15 p.m. The Bella Garland band follows at 6:15 p.m. and a drones and fireworks spectacular begins at 7:15 p.m. The Friday entertainment is capped by the Sweet Fleet Fleetwood Mac tribute band at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, continuous live entertainment will be held at both the Rossi Park and Riverside Park (Palmetto) stages. For a complete schedule, go to BradentonAreaRegatta.com/schedule.
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer Mylon Shamble entertains those strolling through Waterside Place on Friday night. Acoustic cover artist Tom Burgess will entertain the crowd on Saturday. For more information about the free music series, go to WatersidePlace. com.
SUNDAY, FEB. 23
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. General admission is $15. VIP tickets run $20 and up. Each week has a theme for those who want to participate. For more information, go to SarasotaPolo. com. The season runs every Sunday through April 27.
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every
BEST BET
FRIDAY, FEB. 21 THROUGH
SUNDAY, FEB 23
GREEK FESTIVAL
Runs Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The 41st annual Saint Barbara Greek Festival (The Glendi) features authentic Greek food and wine, live music, dancing, crafts, a kids’ adventure zone, church tours, a raffle for a car or $35,000 cash, and more. A three-day pass for the festival is $5 and kids under 12 are free. Portions of the proceeds benefit Mothers Helping Mothers. For tickets and information, go to StBarbaraFestival.org, send an email GreekRaffle@gmail.com, or call 355-2616. Event tickets are available at the gate.
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.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26
RANCH NITE WEDNESDAY Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place. Ranch Nite Wednesday features food trucks, dessert trucks, live music, weekly programing, outdoor bars and a recreational cornhole league. Please do not bring coolers or bring outside food or beverages. Go to Waterside.com for more information.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
TROPICAL NIGHTS
Runs from 6-10 p.m. at the Grove, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee hosts its annual Tropical Nights event, this year titled Tropical Nights Under Paris Lights. The event features live entertainment, food, drinks, and live and online auctions. Tickets are $250 and available at MealsOnWheelsPlus.org. Those who attend are asked to wear Paristhemed or cocktail attire.
Del Webb resident Phil Orapallo has had countless sleepless nights dealing with post traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder since serving on a nuclear submarine in the 1960s during the Cold War.
The 80-year-old has been determined to make sure fellow veterans don’t have to suffer that same fate. Orapallo was helped through his struggles after attending a five-day retreat with Operation Warrior Res-
olution — a nonprofit organization in Sarasota that provides free holistic healing exercises to veterans — and that spurred him to make that experience available to others.
“I came out of there very calm,” Orapallo said of his experience at OWR. “They make you bring it up, but then they pick something that was really enlightening for you to forget about that stuff.”
That led Orapallo to team up with OWR to create the Operation Warrior Resolution Golf Classic.
The event is scheduled for April 14 at The Ritz-Carlton Members Golf
IF YOU GO
OPERATION WARRIOR RESOLUTION GOLF CLASSIC
When: April 14
Where: 15150 70th Terrace E, Bradenton, FL 34202 (The RitzCarlton Members Golf Club) Times: 7 a.m. registration, 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, 1 p.m. reception lunch
Format: Four-team scramble on 18 holes
Price: $250 for one player, $500 for a twosome or $900 for a foursome
Sponsorship price: $150$5,000
Club in Bradenton and is priced at $250 per player, with all proceeds going to fund OWR’s services.
HEALING WITH OWR
Orapallo served with the Navy on the USS Scorpion submarine from 196264, and his concerns started when a similar submarine named the USS Thresher sank in 1963.
Though the pride of a 19-year-old Orapallo stopped him from retiring at first, he said he had a feeling that his days were numbered if he didn’t stop serving soon.
That gut instinct proved to be lifesaving.
“It was just nerve-wracking,” he said. “Then in 1968, sure enough, the (USS Scorpion) sinks with 99 of my buddies on there. Ninety-nine guys gone, including a couple of guys who were like fathers to me.”
Orapallo said there was no swaying the “hardcore submariners” to leave along with him, but the thought of losing so many friends has never left him.
He went on to work for the UPS, worked in the New York City Police Department and then opened his own construction business.
When he retired from working in 2006, however, his free time proved to be his worst enemy.
“I couldn’t sleep at all,” he said. “You wake up and you start thinking about it. Thinking about those poor guys, how they died, how I should
have been with them. You have survivor’s guilt. I was this close to (reenlisting).”
Orapallo went to Veteran’s Affairs and was diagnosed with PTSD and MDD, but nothing worked for him until he found Operation Warrior Resolution.
His trick, he said, is thinking of the beach whenever his memories begin to haunt him.
“I moved to Venice,” Orapallo said, “And I was on the beach all the time with my kid and my wife, and I was thinking, ‘Why am I letting all of this bother me?’ So every time something comes up in my brain, of guys I’ve lost, I think of the beach, and it works. It calms me right down.”
GIVING BACK WITH GOLF
Orapallo, an avid golfer, has been trying to put together a golf tournament to benefit veterans for nearly a year now.
He initially had frustrations with finding the right organization and a venue, but found that OWR Chief Executive Officer Kendra Simpkins was more than happy to work with him.
Simpkins linked up Orapallo with Phillip Mockler, director of community engagement with OWR.
Then, Joe Blewitt, a retired Air Force colonel of 29 years who now lives in Sarasota, joined the team when his wife, Racie, linked him up with OWR.
Blewitt, who had been looking for a way to volunteer with his newfound free time, was drawn to OWR because of its “grassroots” feel and the need it serves.
“It’s very clear it’s a big problem,” Blewitt said of PTSD among veterans. “It’s been a problem for many years. In this generation, 9/11 is probably when it all kind of started, so that’s a long time. It’s been about 25 years now with continuous combat operations around the world. It’s only been about the past two years where it’s not the case for us in this country.
“There’s a lot of guys out there who are suffering with things they can’t get past and have to live with.”
To sign up for the OWR Golf Classic, make a donation or become a sponsor for the event, visit OWRGolfClassic.com.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
Vinnie Portell
Phillip Mockler, director of community engagement with Operation Warrior Resolution, has worked closely with Lakewood Ranch resident Phil Orapallo to create the Operation Warrior Resolution Golf Classic to benefit veterans.
PET PICS
Have
Lake Club home tops sales at $2.15 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
ALake Club home on Clearlake Avenue topped the week’s sales at $2.15 million. Malcolm and Ann Moore, of Burien, Washington, sold their home at 16913 Clearlake Ave.to Paula Birnholtz, trustee, of Petoskey, Michigan, for $2.15 million. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,553 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,009,100 in 2021.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Kent Sterrett Lloyd III and Jansen Joelle Lloyd, of St. Augustine, sold their home at 15823 Kendleshire Terrace to Chris and Melissa Hong, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, for $2.1 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,923 square feet of living area. It sold for $910,000 in 2019.
LAKE CLUB
Zackery David Moxcey and Claire Marie Moxcey, of Bradenton, sold their home at 16341 Daysailor Trail to Joseph Wilson Scheller III and Rosa Gay McLaughlin, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.1 million. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,405 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,075,000 in 2017.
ISLES Rosa Gay Mclaughlin and Joseph Wilson Scheller III sold their home at 8428 Cane Bay Court to Nancy Cwynar, trustee, of Bradenton, for $1.88 million. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,532 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.15 million in 2022.
Toll FL XIII Ltd. Partnership sold the home at 17845 Palmiste Drive to Robert Fraser and Carolyn Fraser, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $888,400. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,461 square feet of living area.
Toll FL XIII Ltd. Partnership sold the home at 8161 Redonda Loop to Paul and Amy Lavezzoli, of Lakewood Ranch, for $842,900. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths and 2,517 square feet of living area.
COUNTRY CLUB
TIB Construction Inc. sold the home at 8059 Royal Birkdale Circle to Gerald Edward Knight and Susan Gail Knight, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,775,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,725 square feet of living area. It sold for $970,000 in 2024.
Gerald and Barbara Muldoon, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7504 Greystone St. to William Kenneth Tyler Jr. and Barbara Tyler, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.55 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,832 square feet of living area. It sold for $905,000 in 2015.
TIDEWATER PRESERVE
James and Marsha Kay Baker, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sold their home at 1256 Tyne Lane to Christopher Michael Berglund and Alyssa Rae Berglund, of Bradenton, for $1.4 million. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,460 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.08 million in 2021.
SWEETWATER
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 17311 Savory Misty Circle to Michael Vennetti and Clayre Catherine Vennetti, of Bradenton, for $1,219,100. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool
and 3,573 square feet of living area.
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 18011 Cherished Loop to Mary Louise Cake, of Bradenton, for $490,100. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,452 square feet of living area.
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 17811 Cherished Loop to James Brown and Diane Brown, trustees, of Bradenton, for $465,000. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,672 square feet of living area.
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 17990 Cherished Loop to Maureen Powell, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $450,000. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,672 square feet of living area.
BRIDGEWATER
Jeramie and Nicole Snelling, of Parrish, sold their home at 13516 Swiftwater Way to Robert Bonamiei and Sonia Saeidi, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2016, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,868 square feet of living area. It sold for $646,100 in 2016.
PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE
Ernest Peeples Jr., of Palmetto, sold his home at 23202 Night Heron Way to John Richard Mele and Caitlin Jennifer Mele, of Bradenton, for $1 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,273 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2012.
DEL WEBB
Gary and Martha Franssen, trustees, of Okahampka, sold the home at 17714 Waterville Place to Dennis and Beverly Seaman, of Beachwood, Ohio, for $949,900. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,507 square feet of living area. It sold for $560,800 in 2020.
Donald Pond, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6750 Alstead Circle to Roger Sterling Eckerfiled, trustees, of Bradenton, for $760,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,887 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,400 in 2020.
John and Marcia Pelick, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17204 Seaford Way to Peter and Judith Johnson, of Bradenton, for $675,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,808 square feet of living area. It sold for $486,900 in 2016.
BROADMOOR PINES
Paul Hage Chahine, of Scottsdale, Arizona, sold his home at 7715 Broadmoor Pines Blvd. to Jerome Raskaus and Kathleen Mahall, of Sarasota, for $875,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,821 square feet of living area. It sold for $867,500 in 2022.
HEIGHTS
Jeffrey and Julie Lewis, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6445 Grandview Hill Court to Francesca and Jerry Cioffi, of E. Northport, New York, for $860,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,380 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,700 in 2020.
Joseph Lawrence Clark and Jennifer Ann Clark sold their home at 6366 Grandview Hill Court to Alonzo and Carolyn Shields, of Bradenton, for $775,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,380 square feet of living area. It sold for $665,000 in 2023.
ESPLANADE
Martin Guice and Susan Guice, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12745 Del Corso Loop to James Paul Ingle Jr. and Nita Peterson Ingle, of Bradenton, for $785,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,247 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,800 in 2013.
ARBOR GRANDE Ruben Benjamin Toledo and Brittany Danielle Toledo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12428 Terracotta Drive to Jason and Natalie Zackery, of Bradenton, for $748,000. Built
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
FEB. 3-7
in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,646 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2020.
COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD
NATIONAL
James and Susan Floyd, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 3522 condominium at 17713 Gawthrop Drive to Jay Arthur Gravel and Donna Mary Gravel, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $690,000 in 2023.
SUMMERFIELD
Stephen Fenstermaker and Flavia Vasconcellos, of Katy, Texas, sold their home at 11235 Rivers Bluff Circle to Cristina Andrea Vasile and
George Vasile, of Bradenton, for $690,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,538 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2017.
John and Marjorie Wood sold their home at 1141 Water Willow Ave. to R. Kline Ashton Jr. and Amy Ashton, of Easton, Pennsylvania, for $449,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,584 square feet of living area. It sold for $227,500 in 2015.
STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE
HARBOUR
Amanda Gostel, of Knobs, Indiana, and Marcum Gostel, of Bradenton, sold their home at 9007 Brookfield
Photo courtesy of Vidsmart Media LLC
This Lake Club home sold for $2.15 million. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths,
a pool and 3,553 square feet of living area.
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Terrace to Arys Daniel Celaya and Victoria Celaya, of Bradenton, for $630,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,852 square feet of living area. It sold for $392,500 in 2019.
DESOTO LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
COLONY
Sharon Metzelaar, of Venice, sold her home at 5107 Estates Circle to Aimee Backs and Bridget Backs, of Sarasota, for $590,000. Built in 1979, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,797 square feet of living area.
FAIRWAY LAKES AT PALM AIRE
Michelle Young Stears, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5822 Fairway Lakes Drive to Matthew and Constance Scerbak, of Valley Cottage, New York, for $530,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,992 square feet of living area. It sold for $278,000 in 2008.
Russell Mitt Tidwell and Sheila Stuckey, of Norman, Oklahoma, sold their home at 5833 Fairwoods Circle to Mounir El Mashtoub and Niasky Aaron, of Sarasota, for $475,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,046 square feet of living area. It sold for $270,000 in 2013.
COUNTRY MEADOWS
Adam and Laura Chevalier, of Bradenton, sold their home at 622 148th Court N.E. to Julie Liang Herd and Michael Herd, of Bradenton, for $500,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,833 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2021.
RIVERSIDE AT TIDEWATER PRESERVE
James and Suzanne Sievert, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit B condominium at 1249 Riverscape St. to BELLIV22 LLC for $477,500. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,748 square feet. It sold for $400,000 in 2021.
SOLERA Travis Bryan LaRose sold his home at 17803 Canopy Place to Nicholas Leyva and Anahi Munoz Bonilla, of Bradenton, for $438,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,827 square feet of living area. It sold for $455,300 in 2023.
VERANDA AT LAKEWOOD NATIONAL
Donald David Manns and Laurel Manns, of Palm Beach Gardens, sold their home at 5695 Palmer Circle to Steven Kovach and Gina Marie Kovach, of Brewster, Massachusetts, for $419,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,336 square feet of living area. It sold for $361,200 in 2022.
Gerald Karl Gagnes, of W. Fargo, North Dakota, sold his Unit 715 condominium at 5517 Palmer Circle to Patrick and Amy Michelle Chamoun, of Sycamore, Illinois, for $380,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,329 square feet of living area. It sold for $215,000 in 2018.
HARMONY
Irving Jordan Miranda and Naomi Rivera, of Parrish, sold their home at 11741 Brookside Drive to Frank Vincent Doroski, of Riverhead, New York, for $350,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 1,728 square feet of living area. It sold for $260,000 in 2022.
MALLORY PARK
Lisa Desantis, of Maryville, Tennessee, sold her home at 3311 Chestertown Loop to Emily Ann Bezet, of Bradenton, for $350,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,616 square feet of living area. It sold for $293,400 in 2020.
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