EAST COUNTY Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998 Locals show their mettle Observer PAGE 18 YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 21, NO. 30 FREE•THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 YOUR TOWN Sheriff’s presence to expand If 10 deputies are added in the county budget as expected, Lakewood Ranch area planned to become its own policing district. PAGE 3 Courtesy photo Hey, baby! Dick’s 80 CENTER Lakewood Ranch’s Dick Vitale, an ESPN basketball sportscaster and former NBA coach, can add another STAGE “win” to his resume. He turned 80 June 9. Summerville couple lead “I can’t believe it — 80 years old,” Vitale said. “I feel the fundraising campaign like 20 and act like 12. And for the proposed theater then reality sets in when I look in the mirror. As one complex in Waterside. of my favorites of all time, SEE PAGE 8 Frank Sinatra, sang, ‘Young at Heart,’ baby!” Vitale, who spends much of his time raising money for pediatric cancer research, planned to celebrate his big birthday with friends, family and colleagues with a party at Selby Botanical Gardens June 13. Courtesy photo Summerville’s John and Tippy Holz are the co-chairs for the Center Stage Capital Campaign for The Players Centre for the Performing Arts. Pam Eubanks A+E Feed the arts Take a Great Andrea Medred, the head of theatrical the Oasis Church Anchored Youth Fine Arts Academy, journey. Knights in will take 20 of her mem- INSIDE bers, ages 11-17, to the Assemblies of God National Lakewood Fine Arts Festival July 30 in Orlando. Their group will host a Ranch dinner theater performance June 21 at the Oasis Church in Lakewood Ranch. The Indigo couple teens will perform musical earns Knights of theater and contemporary Christian and pop music hits. Columbus’ Family Dinner starts at 7 p.m. of the Year award and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and Jay Heater for Florida. can be reserved at chloe@ Indigo’s Rosemarie and Jim Coon show off their Fam- SEE PAGE 10 myoasis.org. ily of the Year award. 2 EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019 YourObserver.com Who will fill Costco- related potholes? Construction of retail to contribute 25%, about $1,000, center affecting Heritage toward recent road maintenance, as requested by the Master Asso- Harbour roads. ciation. The board voted 3-1 in May to contribute $25,000 to the Master Association toward traffic PAM EUBANKS calming measures. SENIOR EDITOR Construction-related repairs are yet to be resolved. As developers near completion “It’s a bouncing ball,” CDD of a Costco at Heritage Harbour, Supervisor Michelle Patterson supervisors on the Heritage Har- Bloom said. “Nobody has resolved bour South Community Devel- who pays for what. You can’t opment District worry how the burden the homeowners with all roadways leading into their com- that. We don’t have the ability to munity will handle the traffic. assess these guys (M&M).”’ At a June 4 meeting, supervi- Supervisor Rick Lane agreed sors said they needed to find out and noted the roadways already whether the developer, M&M are getting potholes from con- Realty Partners, will pay to resur- struction traffic. face or repair roads damaged Supervisors have tasked their from construction and whether manager, Greg Cox, to reach out they would share costs of road to the site’s developer and discuss maintenance with the Heritage a cost-sharing option for repair- Harbour Master Association ing or resurfacing roads torn up going forward. by construction. That report is The CDD owns the roadways due by the Aug. 6 meeting. (Stone Harbour Loop, River Heri- The board also asked for repre- tage Way, Heritage Green Way and sentatives of the CDD and Master Grand Harbour Parkway) near Association to discuss cost allo- entrances to the new Costco, and cations and formalize an agree- the master association maintains ment in writing. and assesses the property owners “There are still a lot of gray to pay for their maintenance. areas,” Lane said. The Stoneybrook, Lighthouse Bloom said the goal is eventu- Cove and River Strand commu- ally to have agreements in writing nities, as well as the commercial from both M&M and the Master areas where Costco is being devel- Association so that there are no oped, all contribute to the master questions related to cost-sharing association’s roads’ budget. going forward. 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Photos by Pam Eubanks Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said he’s grateful Manatee County officials plan to fund 10 more deputies. The staffing PAM EUBANKS will help address strain on the agency from growth, especially in District 3, which includes much of East County. SENIOR EDITOR anatee County Sheriff Wells said he expects “the major- Rick Wells might not BUDGET ity” of the 10 new deputies will go BUDGET have as many deputies as WORKSHOPS to District 3 to respond to calls for RECOMMENDATIONS he would like on Mana- service. A few might be added to tee County’s roadways, All the workshops are open the traffic enforcement division, Manatee County Administrator M to the public and held in Cheri Coryea’s recommended but he’s getting closer to what he as well. believes will be adequate. the County Administration Florida Highway Patrol histori- 2020 fiscal year budget, which Manatee County Administra- Building, 1112 Manatee Ave. cally has handled roadway crash- runs October 2019 through tor Cheri Coryea’s recommended W. es, but the agency is understaffed, September 2020, includes these 2020 fiscal year budget includes n Wednesday, June 19 — and Manatee County Sheriff’s requests from Manatee County’s nearly $1 million in funding for Meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. Office deputies are picking up constitutional officers: 10 new deputies. If the budget and will focus on five-year many of the approximately 200 is approved by the county com- Capital Improvement Pro- crashes per month, Wells said. Court Administration: Total missioners, Wells plans to use gram projects “That’s not our primary mis- $1.32 million budget includes many of those deputies to address n Wednesday, June 19 — sion,” Wells said. “But you’ve addition of $58,300 for growth in the Lakewood Ranch Meeting begins at 6 p.m. got citizens waiting three to four guardianship monitor program and Parrish areas. and is a public hearing hours, sometimes, waiting after a to assist the court in monitoring “The areas of growth have not so the citizens can offer traffic crash for FHP to respond. the health, welfare and safety of changed,” Wells said. “Once we’re comments on the recom- We can’t have citizens waiting Manatee County residents who 100% approved, we’ll see where mended budget that long.” are the subjects of guardianships the shortages are. Our primary n Tuesday, July 30 — Meet- He said those deputies would or under the jurisdiction of goal is for calls for service.” ing begins at 9 a.m., and work to do more traffic enforce- Guardianship Court. If commissioners approve the allows the commissioners to ment, which also is lacking in funds in September for another 10 review additional informa- District 3. State Attorney: Recommended positions in 2021, he should have tion and to resolve remain- The budget allocations would $627,702 budget does not fund enough deputies to split District ing budget issues also give the Sheriff’s Office his $87,919 for a deputy for Drug 3 into two districts. District 3 requests for four corrections offi- Court, but the position is funded spans from east of Interstate 75 cers, two school resource officers, in the Sheriff’s Office budget. from University Parkway to the a chemist, a crime-scene analyst Manatee River, as well as all unin- idly with nearly 1,500 new home and a crime-scene technician. Property Appraiser: Total corporated territory north of the sales in Lakewood Ranch alone in Wells had also requested posi- $5.55 million budget includes river, including Parrish, Ellenton 2018. It was ranked No. 2 nation- tions such as a recruiter and a $147,302 for personnel costs (two and Palmetto. It covers about 740 ally as the fastest-selling master- domestic violence deputy and extra pay days in the budget year square miles. planned community by the real detective that weren’t included and the addition of a geographic One new district would cover estate consulting firm RCLCO. in the suggested budget, but he information systems analyst) and the area north of the Mana- “I think we need at least 10 wasn’t disappointed. $98,640 for technology related tee River, while the other would more deputies to [form another] “I applaud the commission and to appraisal needs.