In 2020, Country Club resident Jane Imperiale first organized a group of her friends to collect money for the Salvation Army by dressing up and ringing bells in front of Publix during the holiday season.
That first year, 16 ringers collected $3,709, but what Imperiale and her cohorts did this past year far surpassed that effort.
Imperiale has grown her group of bell-ringers to 126 and that volunteer force collected $22,700 in 2024. Monica Carruth (above with Imperiale) is director of community relations for the Salvation Army of Manatee County. She said that amount was the most a group raised in the county.
All together, Carruth said bell ringers in 30-some locations in the region raised $230,000. That money goes toward a variety of community services, such as providing shelter, warm dinners, a work program, gifts for the needy at Christmas and much more.
Blessings from East County
Pastor Missy Parmenter of East County’s Oasis Church stepped off the pulpit and up to the podium Jan. 8 to open the first Manatee County commission meeting of the year with an invocation.
“I love our county is dedicated to opening its meetings with prayer,” said Parmenter (above). “In this day and age, that could be something people are getting rid of.
“It’s special,” she said. “It’s great to meet different people in the community and kind of see what’s going on and what’s happening.”
Commission
revisit development boundary issues
Vinnie Portell
Push expected for higher impact fees
An increase could garner millions more in fees by the end of 2025.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Some Manatee County commissioners are hoping the county will be collecting additional impact fees from developers by September.
A plan to claim “extraordinary circumstances” based on the county’s growth is underway since Commissioner Jason Bearden made a motion on Dec. 10 to direct staff to update the impact fee study so the fees collected would equal “100% of present day calculated value.”
Director of Development Services Nicole Knapp told commissioners on Jan. 7 that staff was prepared with an “aggressive schedule” to update the county’s impact fee study, complete the public notice process and charge the full amount by Sept. 22.
IMPACT
FEES THROUGH THE YEARS
1986: County implemented impact fees.
2015: A new fee study was adopted, but fee implementation was phased over three years.
2016: 80% collection was implemented.
2017: 90% collection was implemented.
2018: Board voted to keep the fee collection at 90%.
2023: Board voted to update the study.
2024: Board adopted the 2023 study, but fees were increased by 50% based on the 2015 study.
Commissioner Tal Siddique was skeptical of the staff’s timeline.
“We will get sued (by developers),” he said. “This (action) will be held up in court, but impact fees are a fight worth having.”
The state only allows increases once every four years, and the last board raised the fees in August 2024.
The new fee schedule went into effect on Jan. 1.
Commission Chair George Kruse said there was a discussion about not putting the increase into effect, but Development Services staff said a claim for extraordinary circumstances can be made at any time.
The state also limits impact fee increases to a maximum of 50%, phased over a four-year period, which is what the then board voted in favor of in August. Kruse made a motion for staff to seek extraordinary circumstances at that same meeting, but his motion failed to get a second.
While 50% sounds like a significant increase, it was based on a 2015 study that used data from 2013 and 2014. Commissioners had been presented with an updated study in 2023 but failed to adopt it.
“The math makes that (2023) report completely worthless,” Kruse said. “We got capped based on the other criteria that the fee increase could not be more than 50% of the then current fees.”
Since the increase went into effect as of Jan. 1, developers are paying more than they were last year toward schools, roads, parks, libraries, law enforcement and public safety, but only up to 12.5% more than the decade-old rates, and often much less across the board.
From last year to this year, the impact fee on a 1,000-square-foot home in Lakewood Ranch increased
by just over 5%. The fee was $6,785 last year and is $7,150.25 this year.
Kruse said it comes down to “the lesser of the impact” and the fees are separated into line items according to the area of impact.
“Some of the line items are fairly minor compared to transportation, which is a disproportionate share,” he said. “If a fee in that study only increased by 40%, we can’t increase it by 50%. We would be increasing that one in four equal installments of 10% instead of 12.5%.”
The fees also vary according to the size of the building and if it is residential or commercial.
If the state deems that Manatee County is in a position of extraordinary circumstances, the fees will increase to the full amount of the updated study’s findings, which Kruse expects to increase even more
from the 2023 study due to increased inflation.
“The difference in fees is so dramatic that you’re literally talking about millions, if not tens of millions, of dollars per month in lost fees,” Kruse said. “This is not an insignificant amount of money if kicked down the road a few more months.”
The deadline on the updated study is April 30. Kruse pushed staff to have the fee schedule ready for adoption before the commission’s summer recess because of a 90-day waiting period between the adoption and enactment of the fees.
In the meantime, Siddique asked staff to work on its reasoning as to why Manatee County qualifies for extraordinary circumstances. In his view, “having more cars on the road” is an insufficient argument in a fight
TIMELINE
Commissioner George Kruse agreed with Director of Development Services Nicole Knapp the timeline to adopt the new impact fee schedule was “very aggressive.” These are the steps the county must take to meet the state’s requirements to seek an exemption for extraordinary circumstances and when staff anticipates each step will be complete.
FEB. 1: Internal data collection by staff
FEB. 14: Execute amended contract with Benesch APRIL 30: Update current fee study to include extraordinary circumstances findings ONGOING: Review by the county attorney’s office
EARLY MAY: Hold at least two publicly noticed workshops MAY 15: Public hearing before the Planning Commission JUNE 5: First public hearing before the County Commission JUNE 17 OR 18: Second public hearing and vote for adoption SEPT. 22: Effective date (90-day waiting period after adoption)
he wants to be sure the county wins.
“There is no definition of ‘extraordinary circumstances,’” Knapp said. “It’s a needs assessment that our consultant is fully prepared to make.”
The county will be using Benesch, the same consulting firm that prepared the 2023 study. Knapp told commissioners that Benesch has prepared needs assessments for 85 other jurisdictions in the state.
Based on preliminary discussions with the firm, the county’s extenuating circumstances include its population growth, infrastructure costs, changes in expenditures and the Capital Improvement Plan’s inventory.
“They didn’t hesitate in any way knowing that report could be supported,” Knapp assured commissioners.
Lesley Dwyer
If the county is sued by developers for its attempt to raise impact fees, Commissioner Tal Siddique says it’s “a fight worth having.”
This sign hangs along County Road 675.
Resident groups regularly band together to attend commission meetings to prevent development east of the Future Development Area Boundary.
Agriculture priorities grow in Manatee
Preserving agriculture and the Future Development Area Boundary are at the top of the list.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Imagine all 53,416 students in the Manatee County School District being offered Dakin Dairy milk in the cafeteria.
“I would love to see that,” said Garrett Dakin of Myakka City’s Dakin Dairy. “Why not? Or we could end up like Alico.”
Alico Citrus has been around for over 125 years and is one of the largest orange growers in the country. The company has a grove in Arcadia and owns about 53,000 acres of land across eight counties.
Alico announced Jan. 6 that it’s shutting down its Florida operations because growing citrus is no longer economically viable in the state. News like that worries Dakin.
In 1957, there were 29 dairy farms in Manatee County. Now, the only three left are owned by Dakin and his three brothers: Jason, Grant and Ethan Dakin.
During a special strategy session held Jan. 7 at Manatee County’s administration building, newly elected District 1 Commissioner Carol Felts asked why any child in Manatee County should be drinking milk from someplace else when it’s available right here.
Felts placed helping those in agriculture at the top of her priority list next to making the Future Area Development Boundary “mean something again.”
“Our county stands on three main economic issues: new construction, tourism and agriculture,” Felts said. “Agriculture has always been part of Manatee’s legacy, history, economics, everything.”
Felts said new construction and
tourism are luxury items, whereas everyone has to eat.
“The next battles will not be fought with bullets; they’ll be fought with bread,” she said. “It’s something we’ve got to think about. Our defense is to have a healthy, selfsustaining population.”
Commissioner Jason Bearden offered incentives as a possibility.
“If the school district would purchase milk from Dakin Dairy, that could help them out a lot,” he said.
“Maybe there’s a way we can (incentivize). I don’t know the answer to that, but that’s definitely something we need to talk about.”
Pushing agritourism was also discussed, and there’s an agricultural task force already in the works. Janyel Taylor, operation manager at Ralph Taylor Nurseries, is taking the lead.
She hopes to have the task force assembled in the next six months because the county is revising its Comprehensive Plan, and agricultural stakeholders want equal input to developers.
“I think we get overlooked by development,” Taylor said. “Builders seem to get the meetings first. My goal is to have the task force be able to update (commissioners) on the state of our industry, as well.”
Taylor is also working with Commissioner Amanda Ballard on promoting National Agricultural Week in March with events that introduce the community to its local farmers.
THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
AREA BOUNDARY
A line, drawn north to south and known as the FDAB, was drawn in 1989. It’s where access to Manatee County utilities ends and is generally located east of Manatee’s water
emphasis placed on
County’s agriculture in 2025.
“Agriculture has always been part of Manatee’s legacy, history, economics, everything.”
Commissioner Carol Felts
treatment facility.
Since 2023, that line has been crossed with approvals for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s Taylor Ranch and Carlos Beruff’s East River Ranch. Changes were made in the Comprehensive Plan that allowed the exceptions.
“(Let’s) return back to really making the FDAB mean something,” Felts said. “The FDAB means we cannot provide you with sewer and water past this line. The county cannot be responsible for it. We can’t afford it. We can’t do it.”
The approvals were made possible by a Comprehensive Plan amendment made in 2021. Policy 2.1.2.8 allows commissioners to approve projects east of the FDAB that are “contiguous,” meaning they can connect to utilities that already exist to the west.
The onus is on developers to extend the roads and utilities, but the county still has to maintain them afterward.
Commissioner George Kruse’s top priority for 2025 is to finalize the Comprehensive Plan, which has been in the works for two years. Within that, he wants Policy 2.1.2.8 removed, even though it is “subjective.”
“The fact that it’s in there doesn’t give anyone any rights to anything,” he said. “It just gives them the theoretical option to present it to us, but I don’t see any purpose in that. I’m not moving that line. That line is where it is. We have more than enough space to build west of it.”
In October 2023, staff said a Facility Investment Fee study would be complete in six months. It was the first required step for the then-board to consider moving the FDAB. The study evaluates the county’s costs of development east of the line.
Even though developers lay the pipes, the county still has to push water through them, and the longer the lines, the higher the cost. In 2023, staff didn’t know what these things would cost.
Information Outreach Manager Bill Logan replied by email that the study was done but hasn’t been presented to the commission yet. Kruse was opposed to moving the
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Commissioners also finalized their state and congressional priorities for this year’s trips to Tallahassee at the end of January and Washington, D.C., in early March.
FEDERAL REQUESTS FOR FY 2026
■ $300,000 to update map revisions for Bowlees and Pearce Drain in the Whitfield area.
■ $1 million to obtain Bathymetric and LiDAR systems to update the FEMA flood maps of the Manatee River.
■ $10 million to design a new reservoir for potable water production. The county is considering purchasing a parcel of land along Gilley Creek in East County for the project.
■ $5 million to construct a Veteran Connections Hub in Palmetto.
■ $2.9 million to complete planning, design, permitting and construction of Gateway Greenway Trail segments connecting Lincoln Park in Palmetto to Parrish.
STATE REQUESTS FOR FY 2026
Out of eight state priorities, two mirror and overlap with federal priorities: $2.9 million for the Gateway Greenway Trail and $5 million for the Veteran Connections Hub.
■ $10 million to demolish the existing Green Bridge Fishing Pier in Palmetto and design and construct a new structure.
■ $5 million for design and construction of the Meadors Subdivision/Pennsylvania Flow Diversion Project in Bradenton to lower the flood stages.
■ $5 million to construct a facility for Fresh Start Manatee that will house unhoused people.
■ $5 million for Glen Creek
Stormwater Improvements near Tropicana.
■ $8 million for Sylvan Oaks
Stormwater Improvements in Palmetto.
■ $5 million for the design and construction of Washington Park in Palmetto.
line then, too. During the recent strategy meeting, he suggested looking at redevelopment where utilities and transit already exist instead of continually building east.
One issue with the rapid growth west of the FDAB is traffic, which was also addressed during the meeting.
“We’ve been getting our butts kicked in business left and right,” Bearden said. “We can fix it because people do make mistakes, and so I want to make sure that we have adequate roads that we can get from Point A to Point B.”
Bearden’s focus is on a north and south bound road that could cross the Manatee River. He said it wouldn’t be easy, but there are railroads the county could claim imminent domain on.
Additional priorities for commissioners in 2025 include fixing stormwater issues, attracting new employment opportunities and improving services for veterans.
Commissioner Carol Felts wants an
Manatee
Dakin Dairy is one of only three dairy farms left in Manatee County. The other two, Cameron Dakin Dairy and Boys Ag, also are owned and operated by Dakins.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Lakewood Ranch’s No. 1 ambassador dies
Don O’Leary had no peer in helping others in his beloved Lakewood Ranch community.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
As East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst tells it, 88-year-old Don O’Leary pulled up to his station “two Christmases ago” to deliver his regular holiday ham for the firefighters.
Only this Christmas was different. The years had taken their toll on O’Leary, a former 30-year firefighter for the New York City Fire Department and a former East Manatee Fire Rescue District commissioner. He no longer could deliver a ham to each East Manatee station, as was his custom. Instead, he delivered 10 to Whitehurst at Station One to be distributed.
The only problem was that O’Leary was one short.
Upon realizing his mistake, he immediately left.
“The next thing you know, he had that extra ham,” Whitehurst said.
When it came to helping others, O’Leary had no peer, not even in his beloved Lakewood Ranch.
O’Leary, who two decades ago became known as “the unofficial mayor of Lakewood Ranch,” died Jan. 11 at the age of 90.
LOVE OF COMMUNITY
No fire ever burned so hot as O’Leary’s passion for firefighters and his community.
“Lakewood Ranch was his pride and joy,” said his son, Richard O’Leary of Parrish. “Every fireman in this county knows him. Whenever he was sick, they would show up in droves. They knew he did everything he could for them. He would take
them under his wing.”
Richard O’Leary said his father, who had been moved into memory care, was diagnosed with what doctors called “an extremely aggressive brain tumor.”
“He had stopped eating and the doctors said he would wither away. He told me on Friday that he was done.”
It was the final chapter in a long, fascinating life of goodwill.
Twice while fighting fires during his 30-year career with the New York City Fire Department, he was buried beneath rubble and given last rites, only to survive and return to his job.
He delivered two babies during his
File photos
Audrey and
Don O’Leary at the Lakewood Ranch
career as a
he did.
“I grew up watching the
Richard O’Leary said. “Twice I saw my father on TV being dragged out of fires. We weren’t allowed to watch the news anymore.
“His burned-up fire helmet from one of those fires is in a glass case in a memorial at (Station 8).”
East Manatee Fire Rescue’s Station 8 was dedicated to Don O’Leary in 2021.
PUSH FOR FIRE STATIONS
Whitehurst said East Manatee Fire Rescue would have fewer stations if not for O’Leary’s efforts. O’Leary moved to Lakewood Ranch in 1997.
“Don became a friend of the fire district before he was a commissioner,” Whitehurst said. “With the area growing, he saw there were no fire houses. So he would attend all the (Manatee County Commission and East Manatee Fire Rescue commission) meetings. The board got to know him quite well. He could be a bull in a china shop.
“He was pushing the fire district to match Lakewood Ranch’s growth.”
O’Leary, who became a fire commissioner in 2011 and served until 2019, knew matching Lakewood Ranch’s growth meant the fire district and the county had to develop a good relationship with SchroederManatee Ranch and its president and CEO, Rex Jensen.
“Our first station was in the Market Street area,” Whitehurst said. “He would stand up during community comments (at Manatee County Commission meetings) and say,
“‘You guys need to talk with Rex.’”
“Ever the firefighter, Don was an enthusiastic and tireless advocate for Lakewood Ranch,” said Jensen.
“He always used a pair of size 22 boots to apply to the butt of anyone he deemed to not be moving fast enough, and that was almost everyone. Few could run at his pace or match his endurance.”
While he was known as the “unofficial mayor,” he also could have been called an ambassador for Lakewood Ranch.
“He thought Lakewood Ranch was the best place on earth,” Richard
DEATH OF A LOCAL LEGEND
DON O’LEARY
Lived: Lakewood Ranch
Wife: Audrey O’Leary (married for 72 years)
Born: Aug. 1, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York
Died: Jan. 11 in Lakewood Ranch
Survived by: Wife Audrey, son Richard, daughters Donna Micelli and Colleen Roy (son, Donald, deceased); 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren
Services: Jan. 26 at East Manatee Fire Rescue Station
No. 8 (The Don O’Leary Station), 6975 Bourneside Blvd., Lakewood Ranch — 10 a.m. to noon, viewing; noon to 1 p.m. funeral service; 1-2 p.m. repast; interment (family only) at Robert Toale and Sons’ Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave., Sarasota
Occupation: 30-year firefighter for the New York City Fire Department; East Manatee Fire Rescue commissioner 20112019
Honors: 2011 Citizen of the Year “Sandies” award by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance in 2011. In 2006, he was named the C. John Clarke Humanitarian of the Year by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund
O’Leary said. “He lived, breathed and ate Lakewood Ranch. He could rattle off facts about Lakewood Ranch, and the fire department.”
Former East County Observer reporter Pam Eubanks wrote several stories involving O’Leary and became close to him.
“Don was one of the first people I met when I moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2005,” Eubanks wrote from her current home in the Netherlands.
“His New York accent was so thick, he had to repeat himself three times for me to understand. Thankfully, I got used to it because he turned out to be a wonderful friend and great source for Lakewood Ranch news.”
“He always used a pair of size 22 boots to apply to the butt of anyone he deemed to not be moving fast enough, and that was almost everyone. Few could run at his pace or match his endurance.”
Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch
Eubanks said O’Leary totally immersed himself in his community.
“Don believed in the Lakewood Ranch community from the moment he saw plans for it,” she wrote. “He purchased his lakefront lot in Edgewater in the mid-1990s. He believed Lakewood Ranch would be vibrant and beautiful. He truly was a community activist. He lobbied for fire
stations throughout Lakewood Ranch, for traffic lights and for an increase in Sheriff’s Office patrols.”
His work in the community did not go unnoticed. In 2006, he was named the C. John Clarke Humanitarian of the Year by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. He was the first winner of the award after John Clarke himself. He was awarded the 2011 Citizen of the Year “Sandies” award by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance in 2011.
Eva Rey served as executive director of the Lakewood Ranch InterDistrict Authority from 2011-15 and O’Leary was one of the first Lakewood Ranch residents she met.
“Don welcomed me into this community with open arms,” she said. “He took me under his wing and gave me the history on community issues. He was a force in the community, working behind the scenes to fix things. We both had similar takes on bringing the community together to create a sense of belonging, and I always could count on him for advice.” Rey, who now lives on the east
coast of Florida, said if she ever needed help organizing an event, she could turn to O’Leary for help since he seemed to know everyone.
She also just liked being around him.
“He always was quick with a joke,” she said. “He was so funny and he had a story to go along with everything. I loved his stories.”
She said no matter the task, he always wanted to help.
“If you needed help with moving furniture or a ride to the doctor’s office, he was there,” she said. “I am really going to miss him. He’s the mayor of Lakewood Ranch.”
Richard O’Leary said his father carried gift cards in his pocket wherever he went, handing them out to anyone he wanted to make smile.
“Every single person he dealt with got a card,” Richard O’Leary said with a laugh. “The TV repairman couldn’t wait to come to the house.”
Richard O’Leary characterized his father as a strict parent but one who would do anything for his four children and his wife, Audrey.
“He was dedicated and he was relentless if he wanted something, but it was never something for himself,” Richard O’Leary said. Whitehurst said O’Leary was direct and effective.
“His character was that of a welldressed John Wayne,” Whitehurst said. “He didn’t pull any punches, but he always was prim and proper. Talk about someone who did not believe in political correctness. He would say, ‘You need permits? Well, get it done.’ He was quite the pusher. He cut through the bull … to get things done. That’s how he did business in New York City and he brought it here. He was different.”
Former Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said O’Leary was a genuine person whose devotion was to his wife, his family, and the firefighters, in that order, and of course, to Lakewood Ranch.
“He was the most loving, devoted friend anyone could have,” Baugh said. “He was there for anyone who needed him.
“It’s a sad day for Lakewood Ranch. He always was considered the mayor of Lakewood Ranch ... and he was.”
Don O’Leary and East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst celebrate O’Leary’s 2019 retirement as fire commissioner.
Critical need for donations
SunCoast Blood Centers provides blood to area hospitals and the Sarasota Fire Department.
When Amelia Jackson, a marketing assistant at SunCoast Blood Centers, walks into the lab at work and sees the pouches of blood through the glass door of the cooler, she sometimes wonders if one of those donations will be streaming through her veins soon.
Jackson has only worked at the nonprofit for a year, but she and her brother, Alexander, have been
receiving blood transfusions since birth. Jackson is 21 years old, and her brother is 19. The siblings were born with hereditary spherocytosis.
“Basically, our bodies can’t make healthy red blood cells,” Jackson said. “They come out sphereshaped and can’t fit through the pathways, so we have to get donated blood once a month.” Jackson needs two units of blood each month, or about two pints. Toward the end of the month, she can start to feel tired and sluggish. On a bad month, she might faint. But without transfusions, her condition is fatal.
In August, Jackson was only able to receive one unit of blood at her monthly appointment because of an areawide shortage. She had to wait a week-and-a-half to get the
second pint.
Just five months later, SunCoast is facing yet another shortage.
“Holidays are the worst,” Director of Marketing and Communications Brian Dryfhout said. “We don’t have high school blood drives because the schools are out for two weeks.”
On top of that, many regular donors are traveling.
In January 2024, the Red Cross reported a shortfall of 7,000 units of blood between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The organization declared an emergency blood shortage and stated that the number of blood donors had dropped by about 40% over the past 20 years.
Because of shortages, blood donations are being incentivized more and more.
Between blood, plasma and
“I’m not afraid to smile anymore!”
Doctor Jeffrey Martins has changed my whole life. I’m so much more confident now and I feel better about myself. You see, I’ve always had such small teeth, and I was self-conscious about it. I didn’t like how they looked, so I never wanted to smile.
I tried to have my teeth fixed once before. I got some dental work done at another place about five years ago and it helped the situation some, but I wasn’t happy with the results. What they did to fix my teeth didn’t look natural and although I put up with it, the work they did was really only a temporary fix. I put up with it for a long time, but I was still always self-conscious about the way my teeth looked.
When I decided to visit Paradise Dental, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve always been nervous about having my teeth worked on, but everyone there was so friendly and the team really put me at ease. They took the time to listen to all of my concerns and what I hoped to accomplish, then recommended veneers for my front teeth. I liked that they took their time and helped me choose just the right color so my teeth would look more natural and not fake.
Now, everyone comments on my nice smile. I’m so happy about the results, but the best part is that I’m not afraid to smile anymore! They did a wonderful job.” - Rowena B.
PARADISE DENTAL
ABOUT THE NONPROFIT
SunCoast Blood Centers. 3025 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Suite 111. Visit SunCoastBlood.org. Mission statement: To serve you and others in our community by ensuring a safe, adequate supply of blood products, including pathogen-reduced platelets, and services for a range of local hospitals, healthcare facilities, cancer patients and soldiers actively serving the U.S. military.
platelets, a donor can receive up to $3,200 in gift cards per year from SunCoast. Retailers range from Amazon to Southwest Airlines.
The nonprofit, which will celebrate 76 years on Valentine’s Day, also kicked off a “New Year, New You” campaign for the month of January.
Incentives include buy-oneget-one-free smoothies at Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations from North Port to University Town Center. And donors can receive Botox vouchers in Port Charlotte or St. Petersburg, where two med spas donated their services.
However, what donors get is not nearly as impactful as what they give. According to Blood Centers of America, one donor can save 18 lives per year.
SunCoast Blood Centers has five brick-and-mortar locations in Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice and Port Charlotte. The nonprofit also has eight buses. There are usually five on the road per day for blood drives. A high school blood drive brings in an average of 175 donations, which equates to at least 525 lives saved. Teenagers can donate blood at 16 years old with parental consent and at 17 on their own.
“We need the younger generations,” Dryfhout said. “Help out. Let’s start that trend. My (17-yearold) daughter is doing it. She said she’ll give blood the rest of her life because she understands what it
does.”
The Red Cross reports that someone in the United States needs blood and or platelets every two seconds. Blood donations have a shelf life, so it can be difficult to keep up with the demand. Plasma can be frozen up to a year. But platelets are only good for five days, one of which is spent on testing. Red cells can be stored between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius for up to 42 days.
The majority of donations SunCoast collects stay within the local area where they were collected. The nonprofit serves local hospitals, such as Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, and is branching out to mobile emergency services.
“We supply O positive blood to the Sarasota Fire Department now,” Dryfhout said. “When patients need to be medically evacuated, they put the O positive in them just to keep them alive.”
The only exception to donations staying local is in the case of national emergencies. SunCoast Blood Centers is part of the Blood Emergency Readiness Corp., which is a coalition of blood centers that work together to supply blood during “mass transfusion disasters.”
Considering the local shortage, Dryfhout said it was lucky the nonprofit was on call the week before New Year’s Day because BERC sent out a request to the on-call blood centers after a man drove his pickup truck through a crowd on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street.
Dryfhout suspects citizens nearby the incident helped stock the local blood banks, too.
“People don’t know how else to help,” Dryfhout said. “They can donate blood. I wasn’t here then, but I was told we had people lined up out the door after the Pulse nightclub shooting.”
Locally, Dryfhout believes a common misconception is that the donations are mainly serving the elderly population. A lot of donations are given to babies in the area’s neonatal intensive care units. And platelets, especially, are given to cancer patients of all ages.
“Donating blood products is a really easy way to help the people in your community and even help people you know,” Jackson said.
Rowena B.
SMILE MAKEOVER PATIENT
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Brian Dryfhout, director of marketing and communications for SunCoast Blood Centers, stands in front of the nearly empty cooler at the Lakewood Ranch location. SunCoast is asking the community for donations due to a shortage of blood.
Time to rise and shine in the arena
East County FFA and 4-H members will present their animals to Manatee County Fair judges.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
Showing animals at the Manatee County Fair is just the end game of a grueling effort for participants.
The fair, which opens Jan. 16 in Palmetto, will feature several animals — heifers, steers, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, rabbits and horses — that will be shown for breeding or meat purposes, depending on the animal.
What judges won’t see is the effort that went into preparing the animals.
SHOWING IS A FULL-TIME JOB
When many kids are opening presents on Christmas morning, students who show animals at the Manatee County Fair are busy feeding their animals and cleaning their pens or cages.
“Their animal has to eat twice a day, so they’re here feeding in the morning ... they’re feeding at night. They’re feeding on Christmas break and Christmas morning,” said Carolyn Gilbert, a Nolan Middle School agriscience teacher and Future Farmers of America advisor.
“It’s one of the hardest things for parents to understand because people always go on vacation for Christmas. Livestock families don’t have the chance to do that. Two weeks before the fair is not the time to do that.”
Similar to many adults’ 9-to-5 jobs, if a student misses a day, they have to arrange for another student to cover for them or pay for someone to manage the workload.
Along with feeding and cleaning pens, students must clean and cut hair, attend to first-aid needs, keep records of feed and medicine used and build trust with the animal.
“Once they’re fully trained, they’re easy, but before they’re broken, they’re a piece of work,” said Nolan Middle student Caylee Cassab, who is showing her pigs at the fair. “The first thing you need to do is find their spot that gets them to lay down.”
Cassab has been showing pigs for two years and has learned that each pig has a different sweet spot to get it to roll over and submit.
That can be on the belly, armpit or behind the ear, depending on the pig, Cassab said.
Pigs are led with whips that students use to steer the animal by tapping it in the direction they want them to walk.
“I had never walked a pig before in my life, and there was definitely a lot of frustration because my pig wouldn’t cooperate at first,” Nolan Middle School student Tiffany Grainville said. “He was stressed out, especially after the two hurricanes, but I got the hang of it and it got easier and easier every time I did it.”
Grainville, who moved before the school year to the area from Long Island, New York, had never taken
CAN’T-MISS EVENTS
■ Thursday, Jan. 16 (5-10 p.m.) — Opening day ■ Saturday, Jan 18 (noon-10 p.m.) — 22nd annual Baby Pageant, noon-4 p.m. (Main Stage); 10th annual Corndog Eating Contest, 5 p.m. (in front of Veteran’s Hall) ■ Tuesday, Jan. 21 (5-10 p.m.) — Free admission, Building Stronger Families Day ■ Saturday, Jan. 25 (noon10 p.m.) — 13th annual Whip Popping Contest, noon (Main Stage); 18th annual Charity BBQ Contest, noon (Near Gate 3); ninth annual Hog Calling Contest, 12:30 p.m. (Mosaic Arena); seventh annual Doughnut Eating Contest, 5 p.m. (in front of Peachey’s Doughnut Stand)
■ Sunday, Jan. 26 (Noon-7 p.m.) — Last day of fair
care of livestock before and had to spend extra time on her technique to get caught up.
While watching TV at night, Grainville said she would use the remote to practice flicking her wrist without moving her arm to become accustomed to the motion.
Though some students purchase animals for themselves, many are provided with animals by the school’s FFA chapter. In many cases, students have the opportunity to name their animal — or at least select a name from a list of pre-approved options.
“One kid, for all of his animals, does cheese names,” said Megan Krueger, a Braden River High agriscience teacher and advisor. Krueger said naming the animals gives students a deeper sense of ownership.
“So that little red heifer, her name is Feta. And the other red heifer that’s ours is named Ruby. The little black heifer is named Millie.
“When I first got here, (the teachers) were naming them and it just became too much to keep track of.”
At Nolan Middle, the two most popular names belong to a pair of pigs, Trump and Vance, named after the president-elect and his vice president.
Though students don’t receive monetary compensation for placing at the fair — and sometimes have to shell out some of their own money for animal feed, hotels and travel — their work does pay off.
The experiences FFA students get from caring for their animals can’t be replicated in a classroom. That can prove to be monumental in their future careers.
Many of these students have aspirations to be veterinarians, farmers, agriculture teachers or professional showmen.
And some of the animals might bring a nice price at auction.
SAYING GOODBYE
Many of the animals that are raised by FFA programs won’t be around in
Heifers and some steers are sold for breeding purposes while other steers, chickens and pigs are sold to market for meat.
That makes the county fair a bittersweet time for many students.
After caring for an animal for several months and creating a bond, students will have to bid their animals farewell.
“I was crying for like a whole month straight,” Nolan Middle School student Bailey Amerson said of last year’s fair. “My old pig last year was named Pumba. I named him after a Disney character because he had a Mickey shape on his butt. He was sweet, but stubborn, too.
“It’s easier now because it’s not as hard once you’ve had one. You get used to it.”
Though losing an animal can be heart-wrenching, the process serves as a hands-on reminder of the food chain and can provide the students with a newfound appreciation of their next meal.
“It’s kind of cool getting to raise these guys because they’ll be on someone’s plate one day, and I think it’s cool to learn about that,” Braden River High student Dallace Ryan said.
“I think it’s hard, but at the end of the day, they get a way better life than they could have had.”
JUDGING THE ANIMALS
Each animal requires a different method of presentation before the judges.
The showmanship portion is up to the student to lead the animal.
Pigs are guided by whips that a student walking behind them uses to guide them in the right direction. Steers are guided by a student who leads them from the front using a halter. Heifers are also guided with a halter, but the student must walk backward at a slowed pace.
Judges look for eye contact from the student and good posture from the animal, including straightness from the withers to the hooves and hips to hooves, good hoof positioning and a level back.
Genetic qualities also come into play.
The size of the hoof, a solid fat cover on the animal, and the overall size of the animal are all key factors in determining how much a particular animal will bring at auction.
Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St. W., Palmetto, FL
Fair dates: Jan. 16-26
Admission: Daily adults (13 and older) $10; daily military (with active status ID) $6; children (6-12) $6; children (5 and under) free Parking: $10 Fair hours of operation: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (5-10 p.m.)
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Photos by Vinnie Portell
Braden River High student Dallace Ryan poses with her steer, Sterling, during after-school work at Braden River High School ahead of the Manatee County Fair.
Nolan Middle School student Danni Hammond poses with her cow she will show at the fair.
Foundation presents silver platter of events
It was a good way to begin its 25th anniversary year. With breakfast.
Kate Mulligan, executive director of the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation, joined Keith Pandeloglou, a LWRCF board member, for a most-importantmeal-of-the-day meeting at the new Toasted Yolk Cafe in Center Point of Lakewood Ranch.
They sat at a table positioned just inside the front door, so any customers checking out Toasted Yolk in its first week of operation would also see LWRCF information spread out on the table.
Besides Toasted Yolk owner Kelly Milton pledging 10% of her sales to LWRCF that day, Mulligan and Pandeloglou were increasing the organization’s visibility and hoping they might field some questions. One particular customer actually uttered the word “bequest” during a conversation with the two.
Hey, you never know. An order of toast with some nonprofit gravy.
The fact is that you can’t score some bread if people aren’t familiar with you.
It’s been a perplexing problem for LWRCF through its first quartercentury.
To be fair, continuity of events and the way the nonprofit has marketed itself have been a problem.
So in its 25th year, the organization wants to take its game to a higher level behind the leadership of Mark Clark, board president, Mulligan and board members.
Part of that has been the hiring of Mulligan, who took over her new post in September. She would seem to have the energy and experience to raise the nonprofit’s game.
Another key strategy is finding ways to put the foundation in front of the public. To that end, the LWRCF is planning an event a month (Mulligan said a mix in the type of events) to raise its image, and therefore it hopes to raise more
money to help the region’s nonprofits.
While the appearance at Toasted Yolk wasn’t an event, it was an example of a conscious effort to increase visibility. Bravo.
The first monthly event by the foundation comes noon-4 p.m. Jan. 19 with the Polo with the Pros at the Sarasota Polo Club’s pavilion. Tickets are $75 and the event is highlighted by professional polo players spending time with those participating in the event. They will visit with those who have bought the LWRCF tickets and explain what is happening on the field. After the game, more polo pros will visit with those who support the LWRCF event.
The Sarasota Polo Club has a theme for each Sunday polo event and the theme on Jan. 19 is English Tea Party, if anyone attending wants to dress the part. I went to
artificial intelligence for help on this one and I came up with:
“For an English Tea Party, dress in a refined, elegant style with a focus on classic silhouettes, typically opting for a tea-length dress or skirt paired with a nice blouse, incorporating elements like lace, floral patterns, or pastel colors; men should wear smart trousers, a collared shirt, and potentially a blazer, avoiding overly casual attire like jeans or T-shirts.”
So there you go.
Pineapple Kitchen, through owners Mike and Jenny Schenk, will prepare some treats for those attending the event. It seems like I always am writing about the Schenks and their generosity. They always seem to be on hand at fundraisers.
It’s a good start to the LWRCF’s silver anniversary year. The Sarasota Polo magazine that is available
to those who attend the Sunday events will be stuffed with LWRCF information.
People are paying attention to the organization’s hard work. Lakewood Ranch Country Club donated $7,850 to the LWRCF in November, and Epilepsy Services of Southwest Florida presented the board with a check for $1,000 that was raised through a golf tournament.
Of course, those monies are sent to area nonprofits that submit grant requests.
Pandeloglou said the LWRCF wants to “go back to how we got here” the first year after being founded by John Clarke, the former SMR CEO.
“John had this vision, and seeing he still comes to our events is empowering,” Pandeloglou said. “His daughter, Victoria Campbell, is on our grants committee.” Mulligan said she sees the 25th
anniversary celebration as a way for the organization to reintroduce itself to the public.
“It’s been 25 years and we are just getting started,” she said.
Mulligan said the LWRCF wants to connect area nonprofits with each other this year as well.
“We want to do things other than just writing a check,” she said. “We want to use our volunteer platform to connect nonprofits with people in the community.”
The first LWRCF “Golf with the Foundation” scramble event will be held 9 a.m. Feb. 10 at the new Colusa Country Club course by Lennar. Pandeloglou said it is an amazing opportunity for both the foundation and for those who want to be among the first to play on the course, which has yet to open. For more information on that event, go to LWRCF.org.
Mulligan praised Lennar for making its course available to the foundation.
A Casino Royale event is being planned for March 20 and other events will be announced soon.
“Awareness is the key,” Mulligan said.
The foundation presented $106,000 in grants in 2024 and plans to award more than $125,000 in 2025.
The Builders Give Back program continues to be a success for the foundation, which brought in more than $80,000 from prospective builders in 2024.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Jay Heater
The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation’s Keith Pandeloglou and Kate Mulligan join Toasted Yolk owner Kelly Milton,
Manager Heather King and trainer Kaniz Islam during the restaurant’s grand opening week.
Van Ostenbridge sues former commissioner
Former District 3
Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge sues former Commissioner Betsy Benac for defamation.
LESLEY
Former District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge went head-to-head with Commissioner George Kruse in 2024 in a run for the District 7 seat. Kruse won by a wide margin. And now, according to a lawsuit Van Ostenbridge filed Nov. 27, he’s placing some of the blame on Kruse’s predecessor in District 7, Betsy Benac.
Benac held the seat for eight years before deciding to step down in 2020. In 2024, Benac reentered the political realm, but not on the campaign trail. The Republican was listed as the registered agent of a nonpartisan Political Action Committee called Take Back Manatee that raised about $34,000.
Van Ostenbridge is seeking damages in excess of $100,000 for defamation. He was advised by his attorney, Robert Alex Andrade with Moore, Hill & Westmoreland P.A., not to comment because the filing speaks for itself.
Benac was served on Jan. 10. She hasn’t retained an attorney yet, but plans to because she won’t “give in to bullies.”
“To me, this is a frivolous lawsuit,” she said. “People should be outraged by this kind of action, but from what I’ve been told, it’s very common for Anthony Pedicini’s clients to do this.”
Kruse called the lawsuit ridiculous, spiteful, a scare tactic and an attack on citizens.
“Manatee County and the citizens came up with a blueprint for beating
their games,” he said. “They (Van Ostenbridge and his political consultant Pedicini) don’t want other people to realize that people on a bipartisan basis, working together and becoming informed, can beat their money and attack ads.”
Both the political action committee and Benac are named in the complaint for defamation, which alleges that a mailer, distributed by the political action committee, contained false statements about Van Ostenbridge.
Benac said Take Back Manatee had hundreds of volunteers, who simply expressed their First Amendment rights about a commissioner running for reelection.
“It’s crazy to me,” she said. “Kevin Van Ostenbridge called me the ‘C’ word in a public record, yet he’s going to try to claim that I personally defamed him.”
The mailer’s headline reads, “8 things Kevin Van Ostenbridge doesn’t want you to know.” Van Ostenbridge disputes five out of the eight claims.
He does not dispute that Manatee County’s budget and debt both doubled during his term or that he
Courtesy image
Kevin Van Ostenbridge sits through one of his last meetings as commissioner on Oct. 22, 2024. He’s since filed
defamation.
A SECOND SUIT
Van Ostenbridge and Pedicini filed a complaint on Dec. 17 against Manatee County resident Hawke Cates, The Bradenton Times and “doe defendants” for “damages related to the unauthorized publication of their names and likenesses.”
The suit references “The Real KVO,” a cartoon featuring a blue puppet reminiscent of a Sesame Street character that sings songs and speaks in a high-pitched voice. The puppet calls himself KevinKyle Kaczyski Von Oswald and mocks local officials on social media.
The lawsuit reads, “The videos maintain a consistent theme, painting Mr. Van Ostenbridge and Mr. Pedicini as corrupt political figures and insinuating that they and others engage in obscene sexual acts.”
The creators remained anonymous before the lawsuit, which alleges that payments for The Real KVO merchandise were sent to Cates’ PayPal account. The doe defendants are said to have conspired with Cates and The Bradenton Times.
TBT is also accused of promoting the videos “to expose them to a broader audience.”
Van Ostenbridge is seeking damages in excess of $50,000.
wanted “to use federal tax dollars to build a tent city.”
He does dispute that he tried to stop a veteran housing project, weaponized the government for personal gain, surrendered local sovereignty and destroyed wetlands, silenced public comment and championed corrupt staff and grew big government. Andrade originally sent a cease and desist letter to Benac on Aug. 15, 2024, five days before the primary elections.
The letter also included a demand to “issue an immediate press release retracting and apologizing for the false statements” and to “distribute a retraction containing language we approve, which will include the names of all individuals responsible for creating and funding the mailer.”
Benac responded on election day, Aug. 20, labeling the complaint a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation because it was an “attempt to silence political speech on matters of public importance in advance of an upcoming election.”
Florida Statute prohibits SLAPP lawsuits.
“Since the statements in the mailer were substantially true, there is no need for any retraction,” Benac wrote in her response.
“Substantially true” are key words already being debated. Andrade wrote in the complaint that Benac exhibited her understanding that the statements were false and “taunted”
Van Ostenbridge by claiming his status as a public figure allowed her to publish false statements.
Benac fired back that “substantial truth is an absolute and complete defense to defamation.”
“Mr. Van Ostenbridge’s actions, words and votes are being criticized entirely under the umbrella of free speech protections within Florida law,” the letter read.
The mailer cited news sources for each of the eight statements about Van Ostenbridge.
“(Van Ostenbridge and Pedicini) are all about the Constitution until it comes to the First Amendment,” Kruse said. “They hate that amendment unless they can hide behind it themselves.”
Kruse compared Pedicini’s campaign against Supervisor of Elections Scott Farrington to Benac’s campaign against Van Ostenbridge.
Saying Farrington didn’t want the public to vote was an “egregious mischaracterization of what was actually said — a bold-faced lie,” Kruse said, adding that saying Van Ostenbridge “fought against a veteran housing project is actually correct.”
“They’re not mad that somebody lied about them; they’re mad that somebody told the truth about them,” Kruse said.
Inc. The night will include a cocktail hour, sitdown dinner, live auction, and dancing.
Throughout this fun night, you will learn about the work being done at The Twig to encourage and inspire the foster care community and have an opportunity to show your love to children in Foster Care through your support. Saturday, February 1,
Braden River Middle gets creative
Motivational programs have put Braden River on the cusp of ‘A’ school status.
Teachers in 2025 are competing for their students’ attention against cell phones, the internet and a wide world of entertainment options.
Braden River Middle School Principal Kimberlain Zenon said when that attention battle was combined with a struggle to reacclimate to the classroom after COVID-19, there was a desperate need for some added motivation.
“I meet with my teachers on a yearly basis, and I saw a pretty much overall consensus on kids having no motivation after COVID,” Zenon said. “We needed to get the kids motivated, and I thought about it.”
She said the school already had a points-based reward system for reinforcing positive behavior, but that wasn’t making enough impact.
That’s when Zenon knew she and her staff had to try something different.
CLOSER TO AN ‘A’ SCHOOL
Braden River Middle had been using the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports system, a national program in which students can earn points for good behavior and then use the points at a school store, for time in a student lounge, or fun events.
For several years, the school also has employed the Jostens Renaissance Program, which rewards students with outdoor lunches and phone-use time for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher.
However, Zenon wanted to create a program that was equitable to all students and not based on innate ability or the discretion of a teacher or administrator handing out points.
That’s where Stride with Pride was born.
Stride with Pride was implemented in the 2022-23 school year as a way for students to be rewarded
for staying on top of their work and avoiding disciplinary action.
If students turn in 100% of their assignments in a given quarter and do not receive in-school or out-ofschool suspension, they receive a ticket.
Each quarter, students who have met the criteria can use their ticket to skip an elective period to play King’s Court, use their phones or watch a movie.
The results have been positive.
Braden River Middle raised its school ranking from 61% in 2022-23 to 63% in 2023-24, leaving it just one percentage point shy of being classified as an “A” school by the Florida Department of Education.
“We’re seeing better scores, better grades, and things are changing,” Zenon said.
Along with better grades and test scores, behavior has improved, too, Zenon said. Through two quarters last year, students had accumulated 837 referrals compared to 706 through the same time this school year.
While motivational programs have had a wide-reaching impact at Braden River Middle, that doesn’t necessarily work if some students feel they are being left behind.
TACKLING LITERACY ISSUES
One of the foremost issues that needed to be addressed this school year at Braden River Middle was literacy. There are 54 students of the 799 at Braden River Middle who currently qualify as Tier 3 readers — meaning they are below grade-level standards.
That’s where assistant Principal Tamara Cornwell came in.
Cornwell is new to Braden River Middle this year after serving as an assistant principal at several other middle schools in the region.
A unique aspect of Braden River Middle is its proximity to nearby Braden River Elementary.
“I knew that our Tier 3 students had to have a way to practice literacy, and the best way to practice is to read aloud,” Cornwell said. “It builds fluency, literacy and all the kumbaya things that are needed in reading. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, here we
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Braden River Middle Principal Kimberlain Zenon, Reading Coach Tasheta Riley and Assistant Principal Tamara Cornwell have directed their efforts toward motivating students to get back on track for grade-level standards.
have the littles over there on that side, and our students are older and bigger. What a great opportunity for them to go over and read to kindergartners through second graders.’”
Cornwell and Braden River Middle reading coach Tasheta Riley identified 19 of the Tier 3 literacy students who had an elective period in the time frame that worked best for Braden River Elementary to host a read-aloud.
Though it’s too soon to measure results from a testing standpoint — the second of three waves of progress monitoring testing just took place on Jan. 14 — it’s been easy for Cornwell and Riley to see a drastic shift in attitude.
“It’s more tailored toward, ‘Hey you might be counted as struggling at this level, but there is a level that you can be deemed as important, independent and in control,’” said Riley, who added that she is familiar with the struggle of reading because she was forced to miss classes due to an illness growing up. “You’re being a leader (at the elementary school).
That gives them that confidence and that ownership to say, ‘Hey, I might be below grade level at Grade 7, but I am still important, I can still contribute and I have the ability to read to younger kids. I can do something, and I can start from somewhere.’”
Braden River Elementary handpicks the books to be read, and Tier 3 students at Braden River Middle practice reading them. They work on tone, pitch, sentence flow and questions to encourage discussion with the elementary school students.
Some students weren’t keen on the
idea of missing out on their physical education period, Cornwell said, but it didn’t take long for that fear of missing out to be replaced by excitement for reading.
“The kids love it,” Cornwell said.
“One child, who really wasn’t motivated to be in school, said to me, ‘This is the best day I’ve ever had in class.’ One day, he got in trouble a little bit and couldn’t go and he said, ‘I’m going to be good so I can keep going,’ and he has. It helped him maintain his behavior. You never know the little things that can spread the roots.”
Cornwell said students who have participated in Panther Tales will be measured against other Tier 3 readers who didn’t in upcoming testing, and if there’s a measurable difference, the program could be expanded.
WHAT’S NEXT
There is still a segment of Braden River Middle students — Zenon estimated it to be roughly 10% — that hasn’t responded as well to the school’s encouragement.
Those students who are falling behind will be targeted with smallgroup or one-on-one check-ins with administrators so that individualized plans can be put into place to get them back on track.
“We’ve done a lot of schoolwide things, but when it comes to the kids who aren’t responding, it comes down to individualized treatment,” Zenon said. “We want to individually motivate them and encourage them. I think that’s the next level of it.”
Braden River Middle students can accumulate points throughout the year for positive behavior, which they can use to spend at the school store (left) or time for fun activities.
1
WILD
At Myakka River State
Myakka counts record black skimmers
On Dec. 16, 2024, 44 participants gathered for the annual Myakka River Christmas Bird Count. Now in its 78th year, the count took place in a 15-mile-wide circle, within which all birds seen or heard were tallied.
The CBC is a National Audubon Society community-science project that helps highlight conservation action required to protect birds and the habitats they need to survive.
As this year’s count took place in the aftermath of three major storms, resulting impacts on habitats critical for countless bird species were widespread. Nonetheless, 120 species were tallied, only four less than last year’s count, with a count total of 11,853 birds.
Of note, 158 black skimmers, a Florida State-threatened bird, were spotted in three areas of the park. Skimmers were first sighted during the Myakka CBC in 1954, then off and on in the 1960s-80s. Since the 1990s, skimmers have only been spotted seven times. The previous record, set in 2003, was 28 skimmers. Strictly coastal in most areas of North America, black skimmers are threatened by habitat loss from development, storms, rising sea levels and human disturbance. They’re also impacted by oil spills and chemical pollution, which threaten fish populations — their
food source.
In winter 2023, with red tide conditions persistent in the gulf and bay, a flock of over 90 skimmers took shelter in the park. Interestingly, coastal red tide blooms are prevalent again this year, whereas at Myakka, ample untainted food is available.
Seasonal low water levels, work to restore the natural flow of the river and reduction in invasive vegetation — all of which create favorable loafing and feeding areas for skimmers — are also factors that likely attract these boisterous birds inland to the park. Thanks to bird band sightings, we know that both local and migratory skimmers winter in the park. In previous years, skimmers from the Lido Key colony, as well as ones from New York and New Jersey, were spotted at Myakka. And on the first day of 2025, H64, a banded young black skimmer from North Carolina, who migrated south for the first time this year, stood up to be counted, too.
Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.
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Miri Hardy
Park, imperiled native species, such as black skimmers, find undisturbed habitats and abundant food.
SPORTS
Fast Break
The Braden River High boys soccer team improved its record to 6-3-1 when it defeated Sarasota High 2-0 at home Jan. 9. Sophomores Victor Philpotts and Brandin Gallaway both scored. Gallaway leads the Pirates in scoring with 11 goals on the season.
... On the girls’ side, Braden River (9-0-4) remained undefeated on the year when it defeated Bayshore High 12-1 on Jan. 10. Senior Maddie Epperson scored three goals, while senior Abbey Jackson sophomore Laila Johnston and freshman Jordynn Roberts each scored twice.
Nathan Benderson Park will host Unleash the Dragons, a dragon boat festival and leadership camp from Jan. 22-25. The four-day event is geared toward dragon boat teams of cancer survivors, with leadership clinics on Jan. 22-23 and the festival races occurring on Jan. 24-25. Paddlers of all skill levels are encouraged to register, with the goal of the event to unite the international cancer paddling dragon boat communities with elite coaches, paddlers and race officials. Sydney Granack and Jonathan Reid, distance runners on the University of South Florida Track and Field teams and alumni of Lakewood Ranch High, will kick off their indoor track seasons at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville Jan. 17. Granack, a senior, ran a personal best of 3:02.99 in the 1,000 meters, placing fifth at the Celebration Pointe Classic on Feb. 2, 2024. Reid, a junior, ran a personal best 8:41.63 in the 3,000 meters at the 2024 Lenny Lyles Invite on Jan. 24, 2024.
… Quote of the week: “My coaching style has always been that you have to take the pieces that you have, put the kids in the right positions to succeed and ultimately make them believe that they’re better than they are,” said Vito Bavaro head coach of the Lakewood Ranch High boys varsity soccer team (12-2). “That way they’ll believe in themselves and work harder for you as a team.”
“I like that it’s a team sport and you have to work with other people to succeed.”
19A
— Mustangs soccer player Olivia
Charge toward the playoffs
DYLAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER
Vito Bavaro was running late to practice.
The head coach of the Lakewood Ranch High boys varsity soccer team, a title he’s held since 2007, was held up in a faculty meeting for his other position at the school as a counselor. For his players, who were gathered on the school’s turf athletic field, his tardiness didn’t seem to matter.
Led by senior captain Jacob Gillson, the Mustangs operate like a well-oiled machine, whether that is during games or in practice. They progressed from warm-up drills to a tightly knit three-man weave, with the players passing with efficiency and taking turns blasting shots with game-level intensity on a rotating crew of goalkeepers.
As of Jan. 10, the Mustangs were 12-2, ranked 22nd in the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association and fourth in Class 6A.
There is a standard that has been set under Bavaro — one that does not crumble just because his team is left unsupervised for 15 minutes. Lakewood Ranch has won four regional titles in Bavaro’s tenure — 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020 — and has established itself as one of the top high school programs in a region that is a hotbed of youth soccer.
Last season, the Mustangs went 12-8 before losing to North Port High on penalty kicks in the 7A District 8 title game.
This year, Bavaro is confident that his team can rectify last year’s shortcomings.
He said his players, solely upper-
“At
the end of the day, they’re all here for each other and they all have a goal. The goal is to win.”
Vito Bavaro
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Broden Beorlegui isn’t the only exciting player on Lakewood Ranch this season. Here are some of his teammates to watch come the district playoffs on Jan. 23
■ Jaxon Lemus, D, junior: nine goals, four assists
■ Paolo Morales, MF, junior: seven goals, eight assists
■ Nicholas Desouza, FORW, senior: five goals, six assists
classmen, are mature and teachable.
“At the end of the day, they’re all here for each other and they all have a goal,” Bavaro said. “The goal is to win. We want to win district. We want to win our region and we want to win our first state title. We have all the components to do that. It’s just a matter of being disciplined, staying healthy and having a little luck.”
One of those components is junior striker Broden Beorlegui, who leads the team with 25 goals. Bavaro said Beorlegui, who scored 11 goals as a sophomore, has made the step this season from good to great. Beorlegui, who plays club soccer for Florida Premier FC, harbors professional aspirations and this past fall, he withdrew from Lakewood Ranch High to attend Florida Virtual School after traveling to Germany to train with two teams from the Bundesliga, the country’s top soccer league.
While Beorlegui’s increase in training time has improved his level of play, making him faster, stronger and more technically adept, much of Lakewood Ranch’s success has come from him changing his style of play. Bavaro said that instead of focusing primarily on just scoring goals, Beorlegui has involved his teammates more this season.
“It’s hard to tell somebody that
Photos by Dylan Campbell
Lakewood Ranch High looks to rectify last season’s loss to North Port High in the 2024 district tournament.
you don’t want them to score,” Bavaro said. “I said to him, ‘You’ll score more goals if you pass more,’ and he’s seen the field open up for him. He’s become unselfish and just reads the field so much better than he did last year.”
Beorlegui, who tallied just three assists last year, compared to eight this season, admits there is a delicate balance of being aggressive and distributing the ball to his teammates.
“My job as a striker is to choose when to be selfish and when to take those shots to secure a win for the team,” Beorlegui said. “In our game against Parrish Community High (3-2 victory on Dec. 18), I scored a hat trick to pull off the win, but that was all generated by the team. They were two penalty kicks and a tap-in — I was just the lucky guy to pull off the goals in the end.”
Beorlegui’s increased willingness to spread the ball around has gone hand in hand with a change in strategy for Lakewood Ranch. Last season, the forwards were more separated from the rest of the team, said Bavaro.
This year, instead of having the two strikers waiting for the ball, the midfield moves in unison with Beorlegui. Not only does this open up the field for more scoring opportunities, but Bavaro said it allows Lakewood Ranch to prevent itself from being exposed defensively by opposing offenses.
So far, the tactical change has paid off. Not only are the Mustangs averaging over four goals a game, they also have recorded six shutouts. Aside from a 5-1 loss to Tampa’s Jesuit Catholic on Jan. 9 — the 5A state runner-up in 2024 and the 21st ranked team in the nation according to Max Preps — opponents have only scored two goals against Lakewood Ranch three times this season.
“High school soccer doesn’t typically have a high level of play,” said senior captain Cody Conway, a center defensive midfielder. “Normally, it’s a lot of kick and run, trying to be more athletic than the other team, just not the same level of chemistry that you’d see in club soccer. This year, it’s not like that. We have the skills and the talent throughout the team to be able to hold the ball and move it forward properly without just kicking it and relying on speed.”
Beorlegui, however, isn’t the only player that makes this change in strategy possible. Bavaro was quick to point out the contributions of all his players, including senior midfielder Daniel Cadavid, to whom he referred as the “quarterback” of the team.
“He cements the middle for us,” Bavaro said. “He sees the entire field and he’s so unselfish; his passes are just tremendous; plus, he can bang one home from the outside.”
Hadad SEE PAGE
File photo
Brandin Gallaway, a sophomore at Braden River High, has been a force on the boys varsity soccer team this season.
Lakewood Ranch junior Noah Rubin fires a shot against junior goalkeeper Alessandro Marciales during practice on Jan. 8.
Lakewood Ranch junior midfielders Paolo Morales (front) and Ryan Johnson have been essential in helping transform the Mustangs’ offensive strategy this season.
Can Lakewood Ranch be a soccer fan’s paradise?
The soccer team will begin playing home games at Premier Sports Campus in 2025.
Marcus Walfridson had a dream to bring a professional soccer team to Sarasota. Later this year, he will be one step closer to his goal. Walfridson is the owner and team founder of the Sarasota Paradise, a team that plays in the United Soccer League 2, the most competitive division in amateur soccer. The club, which was founded in 2023 by the Swedish soccer entrepreneur, has played its home games at Sarasota High since its inception, averaging over 500 fans per game.
This December, the club reached an agreement with Manatee County, which runs Lakewood Ranch’s Premier Sports Campus, to call the facility home for the next five years.
“The challenge in Sarasota has been trying to find a place to play that adheres to the standards of a professional league,” Walfridson said. “There are so many different parts of a facility and stadium that have to be taken into consideration from the size of the field, to the lighting, to the capacity and the amenities offered. For us, finding a place where we could one day make that leap into becoming a professional team was crucial.”
Walfridson hopes the Paradise can make that leap in the next few years. It would be from USL2 — a league consisting of 128 teams spread across 18 divisions in four conferences — to USL1, a fully professional league of just 14 teams.
The move to Premier Sports Campus, Walfridson said, changes everything for the team. For the players — mainly Division 1 soccer players mixed with local talent — they’ll have the chance to train and play on the 23 FIFA regulation fields on the Premier Sports Campus, all featuring Bermuda grass. That’s
a preferred playing surface over Astroturf. Players will also have their own locker rooms, which Walfridson said is a massive turning point for the team.
As for Walfridson and the Paradise’s front office staff — which has grown from essentially just Walfridson to a handful of full-time employees, including a marketing coordinator, a director of operations and a managing director to preside over revenue — the move to Premier Sports Campus allows them to create a far improved game day experience for fans, he said.
To start, the grandstands at Premier’s stadium field seat more than 3,000 fans and are far closer to the field than those at Sarasota High, which are separated from the field by a track. By not being on school property, the Paradise will also be able to sell alcohol.
Walfridson said the team plans to include not only concessions and food trucks, but a beer garden outside of the stadium’s entrance and a “party zone” just outside of the field, replete with a DJ and live music.
Walfridson hopes that the Paradise’s new home can become a haven for those throughout the area to gather for a rocking good time, one that is reflective of its community.
“We want to find a way to merge what our city and our community is all about with the experience of attending a soccer game,” said Walfridson. “Can we take something from Sarasota’s circus background and incorporate that into the gameday experience? Can we take something from the rich artistic community in Sarasota and fold that in? If there are talented musicians in the area, we want them to have the
opportunity to come out at halftime and play in front of a crowd of 3,000 fans.”
The location also allows the Paradise to cater more directly to its fanbase. While the team has its roots in Sarasota-proper, Walfridson said much of the team’s target audience lives along the I-75 corridor and not in downtown Sarasota. In areas like Lakewood Ranch that are exploding in growth, younger families will now have the convenience of rooting on a local sports team in their backyard.
Additionally, “soccer families,” as Walfridson puts it, have been coming to Premier since its opening in 2011.
“Everyone from this area who’s ever had anybody in their immediate vicinity kick a ball knows where this facility is,” said Walfridson. “For most people, this is the logical place to be if you’re going to watch a soccer team.”
None of this — the move to Premier, the professional aspirations — would be possible, however, if the Paradise players weren’t good. Last season, the Paradise went 8-1-3 en route to winning the USL2’s South Florida division title and securing the team’s first playoff berth.
The team’s success has not only allowed it to retain some of its top players like forward Seth Mahlmeister of Purdue Fort-Wayne, who led the team with 10 goals and eight assists in 2024, but actively recruit some of the top NCAA Division I soccer players in the country, said Walfridson.
USL2 is a window for scouts from Major League Soccer and other professional leagues both in the states and abroad. The Paradise’s success means more exposure for its players. The more games that they play against top competition ensures a better chance of getting a professional contract in the future.
After the 2023 season, standout defender Hosei Kojima was selected 17th overall in the 2024 MLS Superdraft by St. Louis SC. Walfridson is confident that both the team’s success and new home at Premier will continue to lure some of the top amateur talent in the country. The Paradise’s move to Premier illustrates the possibility that a grassroots movement like that of an amateur soccer team, can blossom into a team embraced by its community.
Dylan Campbell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at DCampbell@
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The Sarasota Paradise will call Lakewood Ranch’s Premier Sports Campus home in 2025 after playing at Sarasota High in 2023 and 2024.
Olivia Hadad
Olivia Hadad is a senior forward on the Lakewood Ranch High girls varsity soccer team. As of Jan. 13, the Mustangs are 7-4-2, thanks in large part to the offensive output of Hadad. Hadad leads Lakewood Ranch in goals with 18 and assists with seven.
When did you start playing soccer and why?
I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old. I liked watching the U.S. women’s national team on television and I wanted to play like them.
What’s the appeal?
I like that it’s a team sport and you have to work with other people to succeed. I like the aggressiveness of the sport as well.
What’s your best skill on the field? My ability to anticipate passes. I’m good at running onto the through balls and finishing the scoring opportunities that come with them.
What are you working on to improve?
My ability to play quickly with my teammates and becoming more cohesive with them instead of just dribbling the ball by myself.
What’s going right for your team this season?
Just the fact that we’re all willing to put in the work that it takes to win. It shows on the field when everybody is putting in their maximum effort.
What’s your favorite food? I like penne pasta with butter. It’s so good.
What’s your favorite movie or television show?
“Squid Games.” I’m watching the second season right now and
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Dylan Campbell at DCampbell@ YourObserver.com.
it’s awesome. I also love “Modern Family.”
What’s your favorite school subject?
I take an online forensics class that’s super interesting.
What are your hobbies? I like to play pickleball with my friends and go to the beach.
What’s the best advice that you’ve received?
To give my best no matter what I’m doing.
Finish this sentence. Olivia Hadad is … Determined.
The stage is set
Sights + Sounds is an outdoor showcase of the best instrumental, visual and performing arts the Sarasota region has to offer. Come out for dinner at the town center and stay to enjoy the show! Key Chorale: The Lubben Brothers Thursday, January 16th @ 6 pm Sarasota Opera Friday, January 24th @ 6 pm
Check out all of the events happening around The Ranch!
Out-of-Door Academy: Jazz Under the Stars
February 11th @ 6 pm
MEDICAL STAFFS ON CALL
SMalta lives part time in Lakewood Ranch and part time on Marco Island, but said she gets sick everywhere, so she needs to find some doctors in the area.
“Today’s a good opportunity to showcase our services, but also to introduce the great staff that we have,” said Brittany Gates, community relations and marketing coordinator for Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
Katherine Trail, director of infection prevention and control at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, brought plush toys for the occasion. They were as cute and cuddly as teddy bears, but they were made to represent infectious diseases.
“They’re an animated version of what (infectious diseases) look like under the microscope,” Trail said. “We use them for education purposes at the hospital.”
Trail’s booth was distributing hand sanitizer and stressing the importance of hand washing.
Gates said there was a steady flow of visitors all day. The expo was organized by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.
— LESLEY DWYER
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
The expo showcases Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s staff, as well as its services. Barbara Salvador is the Radiology department’s front office supervisor. Katherine Trail is director of infection prevention and control and Heidi Takagi is an employee health nurse.
Volunteer Terry Purcell shows off his “We Honor Veterans” pin. Tidewell Hospice offers a pinning ceremony for its veteran patients.
Director of Surgery Services John Hall says hip replacement surgery can be less intimidating if people see the instruments before entering the operating room.
Star Farms residents Barbara Malta and Lynette Cahill attend the expo to explore medical services because they’re new to town.
BUILDING
EXCITEMENT
This is an exciting time of growth for our community.
Projected completion of the first phase of the five-story, 170,000 square foot patient bed tower addition to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is expected in December 2025. We’re dedicated to offering easy access to advanced, quality and compassionate healthcare services close to home. HOSPITAL EXPANSION
Watch us grow at lwrmc.com/expansion
YOUR CALENDAR
BEST BET
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
THROUGH MONDAY, JAN. 20
WINTER CARNIVAL
Runs 5-10 p.m. Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and noon to 9 p.m.
Monday at Parking Lot 4, east side of the Mall at UTC, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. The Sarasota Winter Carnival returns to the Mall at University Town Center. Carnival rides will be provided by Dreamland Amusements, along with more than 50 food vendors. Live entertainment and activities will be provided. Admission is free. For more information, go to MallAtUTC.com.
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
Begins at 6 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. The Lubben Brothers offer a special night of music at Waterside Place, combining with the Key Chorale Chamber singers for a shortened version of their 4 p.m. concert on Jan. 18 at Church of the Palms in Sarasota and their 5 p.m. concert on Jan. 19 at Grace Community Church in Lakewood Ranch. The Lubben Brothers are musicians/singers who perform vocal harmonies featuring American folk tradition. Limited seating is available, so bring a lawn chair. Tickets ($45) for the church performances can be purchased at KeyChorale.org.
THURSDAY, JAN. 16 THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 19
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING
Runs from 2:30-5:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Santiago (Thursday), Bluestar Band (Friday), Coral Caribbean Cowboys (Saturday) and Zooey Seraphine (Sunday). The Friday concert is $5; the Saturday concert is $15; the others are free. For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, JAN. 17 AND SATURDAY, JAN. 18
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Blues musician Zach Pomerleau performs for those strolling through Waterside Place on Friday night while acoustic cover artist Tom Burgess will entertain on Saturday. For more information about the free music series, go to WatersidePlace. com.
SATURDAY, JAN. 18 AND SUNDAY, JAN. 19
LINGER LODGE MUSIC
Runs Saturday from 6-9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at Linger Lodge Restaurant, 7205 85th St. Court. E., Bradenton. Live, free music at Linger Lodge restaurant includes the Schmitz Brothers on Saturday and Dave Burks on Sunday. For more information, call 755-2757.
SUNDAY, JAN. 19
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 the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row, runs year-round every Sunday. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features include children’s activities and live music. For more information, visit MyLWR.com.
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.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22
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. Go to Waterside. com for more information.
Bringing home the bacon
Toasted Yolk Cafe looks for success in Center Point.
It’s only been since Jan. 6 that the Toasted Yolk Cafe opened its location at Center Point in Lakewood Ranch, but owner Kelly Milton said she’s already seeing familiar faces coming back to eat each day.
That’s the kind of feedback that assures Milton the decision two years ago to open in Center Point was a good one. Since that time, Milton and her husband, Chris Milton, have opened Toasted Yolk Cafes in both Sarasota and Bradenton, but the Center Point development was bogged down with construction a bit following COVID-19.
“This is a great area,” Kelly Milton said, as her customers poured through the front door. “We love all the shopping and restaurants that are available here.”
Kelly and Chris, who live in Houston and also have a home in the Rosemary District of Sarasota, have sold franchises to 44 Toasted Yolk Cafes nationwide, but they bought the Lakewood Ranch franchise themselves.
“We love that we share this space with Tommy Bahama (an adjacent bar and restaurant) because people can start happy with us and end with them,” Kelly Milton said.
Toasted Yolk is open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. seven days a week. The restaurant offers a full bar and various specials. Although it has been chilly this week, Toasted Yolk soon will be making use of a large outdoor patio seating area.
“We make everything fresh daily,” Kelly Milton said.
She and her husband came up with the idea for Toasted Yolk because they both like to eat and drink, “And we wanted to do something fun.”
She said the restaurant is not just a place with “chickens on the wall.”
The bright green colors give a sense of fun and energy for those coming
GRAND OPENING
What: Grand opening of the Toasted Yolk Cafe
Where: 6562 University Parkway Suite 150, Lakewood Ranch
Phone: 210-4105
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Owners: Kelly and Chris Milton
through the doors.
“We wanted something fun and upbeat,” she said.
The marquee food item is the Toasted Yolk, of course, which she said is like eggs in a basket, where a slice of sourdough toast has its center cut out and eggs are added there to the customer’s liking. Chris Milton’s favorite is a Rueben sandwich, so that is a main feature on the lunch menu. Pastrami is sliced fresh at the restaurant.
On Thursday and Friday, the Toasted Yolk Cafe donated 10% of its sales to the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.
“Every opening we do, we involve a local nonprofit,” Kelly Milton said. “We like them because they are so involved with giving back to different aspects of the community.”
Toasted Yolk owner Kelly Milton sits by the cafe’s marquee menu offering.
Photos by Jay Heater
Toasted Yolk Cafe’s signature menu item is a toasted slice of sourdough with an egg, served to the customer’s choosing, added to the middle. The new cafe opened in Lakewood Ranch.
This musician can blow you away
The face of Gary Reinstrom lights up as he talks about the favorite moments of his music career. It came during his time with both the Sarasota Orchestra and the Florida Orchestra, when they would play Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major.
Visit us at HeritageBuildersWFL.com or call (941) 328-8272
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During an interview to preview the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble’s upcoming “January Jubilations” concert at 2 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Peace Presbyterian Church in Lakewood Ranch, Reinstrom launched into a verbal re-creation of what the audience was hearing.
“Da de dum .... bum, bum, bum!”
He said that piece’s music sheet says “aufstehen” or German for “stand up” in the final 20 bars.
“Ten horn players all stand up,” he said in an excited tone. “Ten of you, all blowing your brains out. You never see this. Nobody stands up. That was 10 years ago, but I get goosebumps just thinking about it. It is amazing!”
“Da de dum ... bum, bum, bum!”
Music fans will get a chance to hear Reinstrom’s passion at the “January Jubilations” concert as he is the group’s principal French horn.
His passion carries over as he talks about the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble.
“I was shocked how great this group was when I joined (four years ago),” said Reinstrom, a 35-year Myakka City resident who now lives in Sarasota. “Anybody who is anybody is here. These are all great players — all the great players that I have played with (in the region) are here. You’re grateful you are asked to come. To be in such great company ... nobody plays this kind of music.”
Reinstrom has been playing since he was a student at Gulf Gate Elementary in Sarasota.
“My parents (Ann and Frank Reinstrom) were German immigrants and all I wanted to do was be in a band. I thought that was cooler than being a singer.”
His brother, Ken, played a trombone, but he started on the violin. He switched to the French horn at 13 because his parents could rent the instrument from Brookside Junior High School.
His early instructors in Sarasota were Julie Rohr and Bobbi Hamilton, and he said they were instrumental in his music career.
“I didn’t realize how important elementary school teachers were,” he said. “The French horn was hard as hell to play. You have to hear, or feel, pitches. But I got good. I was all-state at Riverview High.”
He picked up the bagpipes, too, at 14.
“My first girlfriend was the band director’s daughter,” he said. “She said, ‘You should play the bagpipes because you have a lot of hot air.’ Yes, I’ve got hot air.
“And pipes are more lucrative (than the French horn),” he said. “In fact, I am doing a funeral tomorrow.”
When he went to the University of South Florida, he had no intention of being a music major. His wish was to run his own company, although he also dreamed of being the first French horn in the Chicago Symphony.
He does, indeed, run his own business as the owner of Reinstrom’s
Featured: Vincent DiMartino performing Harry James’ Concerto for Trumpet
Cost: $10 adults; $5 students
Information: Visit LWRWindEnsemble.org.
Quality Pool Service of Sarasota.
“It’s great, and I love them both,” he said of his pool service company and music. “It’s juggling, for sure. The thing about the pool business is that you are servicing the customer, kind of just like in music, servicing the audience. If you do well in either, you get your dopamine hit.
“In both, you have to do everything well, and you’re never off from work.”
He was asked what separates a great French horn musician from an average one.
“Never missing notes,” he said. “That’s rare. In the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, we have seven horn players who are really quite good. They are symphony guys and retired symphony guys.”
He remained busy all through his music career, even while managing his pool businesses and caring for livestock on his Myakka City ranch.
He managed The First Brass group from 2012 to 2020.
“I had all the best brass players in town,” he said. “I stopped at COVID-19.”
He also runs the Jacobites pipe and drum band.
He has played in the Sarasota and Florida orchestras, the Venice Symphony, the Anna Maria Island Orchestra and more.
“I’ve played in every one,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been in them all the last 50 years.
“But I’ve never been in a wind ensemble that has so much talent. “These are the best wind players, all collected together in Florida. There are no better wind players.”
Currently, Reinstrom still dreams of a traveling the country and incorporating bagpipes into symphonies.
“I am sure it’s coming soon,” he said. “I am a middle child, so I am trying to get as much attention as I can. I want to play the loudest instrument — and wear a kilt.”
Jay Heater
Gary Reinstrom will be the principal French horn for the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble during its Jan. 19 concert at Peace Presbyterian Church in Lakewood Ranch.
Lightning interest strikes the Ranch
The tropical climate and abundance of beaches and golf courses might lead some people to believe that Florida isn’t a hockey state.
Anyone who showed up to the Tampa Bay Lightning Watch Party at Lakewood Ranch Main Street on Jan. 11 has good reason to think differently.
Hundreds of people came out to enjoy an evening of hockey-centric fun.
The event began with a round-robin hockey tournament held between elementary and middle school-aged members of teams from Lakewood Ranch to Hillsborough County.
As the hockey tournament wrapped up, Tampa Bay Lightning pre-game host Steven Arfaras and team mascot ThunderBug hyped up a bundled-up crowd that showed up to watch the Lightning vs. Devils game on a big screen in front of Ed’s Tavern.
“We want to make sure we spread love of the game with kids and adults,” Arfaras said.
The ball hockey tournament was organized by Tampa Bay Lightning Community and Hockey Development.
It provided rink set-up, including barriers, nets, referees and game clocks.
—
VINNIE PORTELL
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Evan and Chad Hawkins, decked out in their Tampa Bay jerseys, pass the time waiting for the Lightning vs. Devils game to start by playing a game of catch.
Presley MacDonald looks to pass to a teammate in a ball hockey game before a Tampa Bay Lightning watch party at Lakewood Ranch Main Street on Saturday, Jan. 11.
Pomello home tops sales
at $2,825,000
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Pomello topped the week’s real estate. Ron Aretz, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 20208 77th Ave. E. to Joseph Dwayne Swederksi and Kristina Swederksi, of Bradenton, for $2,825,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 4,943 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.5 million in 2020.
LAKE CLUB
Richard Hauck, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 8315 Pavia Way to Ann and Richard Gaccione, of Bradenton, for $2,025,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,638 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,537,900 in 2023.
COUNTRY CLUB
William Mclochlin, of Sarasota, sold his home at 7439 Greystone St. to Nicholas and Tracey Bandy, of Westerville, Ohio, for $1,408,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,055 square feet of living area. It sold for $775,000 in 2013.
GATES CREEK ROAD
Ted and Dana Rose, of Bradenton, sold their home at 256 Gates Creek Road to Seth and Clare McGarry, of Parrish, for $1.2 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $273,300 in 2012.
LAKEWOOD NATIONAL
Mona Beach sold her home at 5910 Cessna Run to Doris Jonna, trustee, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, for $950,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,224 square feet of living area. It sold for $530,000 in 2017.
WATERLEFE
Burak and Seray Aktan, of Sarasota, sold their home at 10022 Day Lily Court to Barbara Green, trustee, of Springfield, Missouri, for $950,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,882 square feet of living area. It sold for $915,000 in 2021.
SWEETWATER
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 17341 Savory Mist Circle to Patrick Wade Kimball and Kate Lindley Kimball, of Bradenton, for $882,000. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,190 square feet of living area.
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 17337 Savory Mist Circle to Jonah Micah Person, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths and 2,333 square feet of living area.
M/I Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 18004 Cherished Loop to Jose Alfredo Valdez and Gina Marie Valdez, of Bradenton, for $501,700. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,672 square feet of living area.
GREENBROOK
Eugene and Mary Jane O’Keefe, trustees, of Greensboro, North Carolina, sold the home at 14827 Bowfin Terrace to Anthony Keith Drake and Cindy Drake, of Lakewood Ranch, for $860,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,865 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2015.
Glenn and Anne King, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 15356 Blue Fish Circle to Sophia Badget and Devon Crafton Irwin, of Bradenton, for $530,000. Built in 2005,
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS DEC. 30-JAN. 3
it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,034 square feet of living area. It sold for $515,000 in 2024.
Marc Brody and Karla Wallat Brody sold their home at 6565 Field Sparrow Glen to Joseph Sullivan and Giao Thi Quynh Nguyen, trustees, of Concord, California, for $410,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,598 square feet of living area.
DEL WEBB
George Christensen, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7124 Summerland Cove to Todd Colt, of Lakewood Ranch, for $850,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,288 square feet of living area. It sold for $533,300 in 2021
Janice Mazur, of Palm Harbor, sold her home at 16812 Ellsworth Ave. to Thomas Young and Lori Mohr, of Bradenton, for $850,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,806 square feet of living area. It sold for $612,500 in 2017.
Jill Obrochta sold the home at 17715 Littleton Place to George and Nancy Shegog, of Bradenton, for $699,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,919 square feet of living area. It sold for $670,700 in 2024.
HERITAGE HARBOUR
Cristobal and Terri Santiago-Rivera, of Bradenton, sold their home at 119 Winding River Trail to Mark and Sandra Pantzlaff, of Luxemburg, Wisconsin, for $655,000. Built in 2010, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,874 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2023.
Robert and Veronica Menster, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6462 Willowshire Way to Lee and Sheri Horger, of Bradenton, for $625,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,402 square feet of living area. It sold for $398,000 in 2020.
RIVER CLUB SOUTH
Donald and Alice Hinman, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold the home at 9816 Sweetwater Ave. to Matthew and Amy Greubel, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,697 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,000 in 2014.
SAVANNA
Luciano Fraske Lucero and Francine Regina Cavalcante-Lucero, of Weston, sold their home at 13708 Green Hammock Place to Youssef Alt Lasri and Shada Ghnaim, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,778 square feet of living area. It sold for $666,100 in 2022.
RIVA TRACE
Timothy Murphy, Conor Murphy, Stephen Murphy and Joshua Murphy, as Beneficiaries, sold the home at 7604 Rio Bella Place to Steven David Aitken, of Bradenton, for
$630,000. Built in 2013, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,052 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2020.
WINDWARD
Karim Nasr, of Avon Lake, Ohio, sold his home at 8506 Frangipani Terrace to Barbara Howton, trustee, of Sarasota, for $620,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,862 square feet of living area. It sold for $665,600 in 2024.
SABAL HARBOUR
Robert and Mary Soller sold their home at 4744 Cayo Costa Place to Judith Metz, of Bradenton, for $615,000. Built in 2000, it has four
bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,389 square feet of living area. It sold for $330,000 in 2015.
OP Gold LLC sold the home at 4622 Runabout Way to Di Soma Properties LLC for $475,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,936 square feet of living area. It sold for $455,000 in 2024.
RIVER WALK AT RIVER ISLES
Gil Marques and Nina Saulnier, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3989 Lakewood Ave. to Jeffrey and
Courtesy image
This Pomello home sold for $2,825,000. It has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,943 square feet of living area.
Karen Simmons, of Punta Gorda, for $585,000. Built in 1984, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,660 square feet of living area. It sold for $416,000 in 2020.
COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD
NATIONAL
Michael Meservey and Ivy Adler Meservey, of Framingham, Massachusetts, sold their Unit 411 condominium at 5819 Wake Forest Run to Charlyn and Michael Young, of Bradenton, for $550,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2020.
MANDALAY
Joshua and Breanna Flowers sold their home at 4631 61st Drive E. to Frank and Dawn Prisco, of Bradenton, for $540,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,485 square feet of living area. It sold for $437,000 in 2018.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Christine Lind and Richard James Lind, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 15720 Sacile Lane to Burkemper Enterprises LLLP for $537,500. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,558 square feet of living area. It sold for $424,900 in 2022.
CREEKWOOD
Thomas and Susan Williams, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5018 72nd Court E. to Richard Thomas Washabaugh and Jennifer Danette Washabaugh, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,699 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2015.
square feet of living area. It sold for $511,000 in 2022.
AVAUNCE
Helen Margaret Brehm, of Carlsbad, California, sold her home at 5704 143rd Court E. to HyHoa Phan, of Bradenton, for $490,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $495,300 in 2022.
TARA Jesse Neal, of Fort Eustis, Virginia, sold the home at 7168 Drewrys Bluff to Sandra Francis, of Bradenton, for $450,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,754 square feet of living area. It sold for $252,000 in 2004.
WINGSPAN WAY AT TARA
Judith Murphy, trustee, sold the home at 6256 Wingspan Way to James and Karin Murphy, of Bradenton, for $400,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,785 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2008.
EAGLE TRACE
Michael Herron Henson and Pilar Leon Henson, of Parrish, sold their home at 2126 Crystal Lake Trail to Ann Roy, trustee, of Bradenton, for $380,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,452 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,500 in 2016.
BACCIANO AT ESPLANADE George Holub sold the Unit 103 condominium at 13726 Messina Loop to Edward Veazey and Nancy Clark Veazey, trustees, of Bradenton, for $379,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,528 square feet of living area. It sold for $238,900 in 2019.
I
INDIGO
Cecilia Knopfhart, of Gurnee, Illinois, sold her home at 3206 Sky Blue Cove to Richard and Mary Kirby, of Schoolcraft, Michigan, for $505,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,617
Sandro Arencibia
What Would the Founding Fathers Think of America Today?
It would be nearly impossible to overestimate the reverence afforded America’s celebrated founding fathers. They were real men whose brilliance launched our country, and they vigorously discussed and debated the important political issues of their time.
By focusing on key writings and speeches of founders such as Washington, Jefferson, Adams and others we can certainly speculate what they’d think about the issues of today. That’s the fascinating and unique idea behind the Observer’s upcoming event in Sarasota on February 6th. It will be presented by renowned Brown University Professor Wendy Schiller, Chair of the Department of Political Science.
Here’s an example. The partisan hostility of our two major parties
has certainly frustrated nearly everyone. It turns out that the “Father of our Country” and our very first President was concerned about that very issue. In George Washington’s words from his famous farewell address in 1796, “There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and keep alive the spirit of liberty. But then he went on to assert “the constant danger of excess” and ended by referring to a political party as “ a fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance topresent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume”
Another subject area that was discussed thoroughly at the start of our country and continues to be a major focus today is the role of religion. While many believe
that the Founders felt that religion should be kept entirely outside political life, that’s really not what most of them felt. James Madison wrote that all men are “equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience”. In actuality the founders were less concerned about religious influences on government than they were with any effort to exclude some religions and favor others. That is what they had experienced as citizens of England and was what they were primarily concerned with. One more example would be concerns about economic and wealth inequality. Many think of this as an area of concern only in recent times, e– launched in large part by the now well known “occupy Wall Street” movement in 2011. In fact, it was a subject ad-
vanced by many founders, and some of their thinking was quite advanced. Thomas Paine wrote of the need to “make some provisions for people become poor and wretched not only at the time they become so. Would it not, even a matter of economy, be far better to devise means to prevent their becoming poor?”
And finally, apparently federal spending has been a hot button
Dive into the past with our exciting speaker series, featuring renowned scholars from top universities. Each lecture brings history to life with fresh insights and captivating stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
issue for as long as our country has been in existence. It was Thomas Jefferson who wrote
“That same prudence which in private life would forbid paying our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the dispensation of the public monies” Sounds a lot like something you hear every day on TV!
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We highly recommend and extend our gratitude to Shanahan Luxury Group. From our initial sit down, to cost analysis, staging, advertising, showings, final walk-through, to closing details, The Shanahans made selling our home process seamless. On the buying side, Team Shanahan guided us through a variety of homes for sale, considering pricing, amenities, location, and the unique aspects of each village. Ultimately, they helped us determine that building new was the best decision for us. We definitely could not have done this without Katina, Ken and Tyler. We appreciate their advice, patience and most of all, your friendship. Thank you once again!
