* FALLEN Venice loses to Winter Haven, 3-0, in Class 6A state semifinals. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014 R 75¢ HERALDTRIBUNE.COM SPORTS SUN SUDS Bradenton and Venice fests celebrate & the Sunshine State’s craft brews. TICKET Progress for plan south of Ranch SARASOTA: Project poised to advance, with help of growth-plan amendments By JESSIE VAN BERKEL [email protected] SARASOTA COUNTY — The design and permitting of a long- awaited community south of Lake- wood Ranch will soon begin, along with the addition of roads that could help alleviate traffic woes near I-75 and University Hundreds attend a recent Main Street Live event in downtown Bradenton. Mayor Wayne Poston attributed his city’s population increase Parkway. to strong building activity at large developments annexed years ago and steady in-fill development. H-T ARCHIVE / SEPTEMBER 2013 The Villages of Lakewood Ranch South will add 5,144 homes —nearly40percentaffordable housing — and 390,000 square feet of commercial, office and re- tail space to Sarasota County. The county approved the Here they come ... again project several years ago, but the developer, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc., has since sought Census data shows populations are amendments to its transportation agreement with Sarasota County rising anew in every city in the region and the county’s growth require- as the job seekers and retirees return ments. On Wednesday, the Sarasota County Commission granted the By ZAC ANDERSON Growth rates in North Port builders several changes. [email protected] and Bradenton increased “This is the most significant very city in Sarasota further in 2013, while Saraso- milestone in this long, winding and Manatee counties ta’s growth dipped slightly to road of an effort,” said Todd grew in population last just below 1 percent and Ven- Pokrywa, a Schroeder-Manatee year according to new ice held steady with a 1.1 per- Ranch vice president. He said the Ecensus data, some at the fast- cent population spike. company would start work on the est pace since the real estate North Port’s 1.4 percent See DISCUSSIONS on 10A boom. increase last year — up from The growth — while mod- 1.3 percent in 2012 — is not est in most cases — is more surprising. The 100-square- Students play in a courtyard between classroom buildings at proof that an improving econ- mile community was already Imagine School at North Port. H-T ARCHIVE / SEPTEMBER 2013 omy is drawing job seekers to the region’s most populated Alastbid the region, and that retirees city, and there is ample land are moving to the area in available for development as Population estimates greater numbers, experts say. the real estate recovery con- 2010 2011 2012 2013 Southwest Florida munici- tinues. North Port added to def lect palities experienced minimal more than 800 residents last Sarasota 52,166 52,396 52,910 53,326 population growth during the year. The city has a popula- North Port 57,428 57,664 58,398 57,212 Great Recession, but that tion of 59,212, compared to the Venice 20,762 20,787 21,024 21,253 began to shift in 2012. That’s 53,326 in Sarasota and 21,253 in Bradenton 49,486 49,895 50,618 51,763 Scott’s ax when each of the larger cities Venice. Palmetto 12,664 12,703 12,809 12,964 —Sarasota,Bradenton,North Less expected: a 2.3 percent FUNDRAISER: At Lakewood Port and Venice — saw an uptick in Bradenton that Longboat Key 6,897 6,926 7,002 7,082 increase of 1 percent or great- added 1,145 residents, bringing Holmes Beach 3,844 3,896 3,970 4,053 Ranch event, leaders try to er for the first time in years. See POPULATION on 10A Anna Maria 1,506 1,527 1,554 1,597 Bradenton Beach 1,171 1,177 1,191 1,210 safeguard budgeted aid ONLINE Estimates are for July 1 of each year. For an interactive map of Florida population data, visit us at By JEREMY WALLACE heraldtribune.com and follow the link with this story. SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau H-T Political Writer LAKEWOOD RANCH — With the fate of tens of millions of dol- INSIDE lars in the state budget at stake, BUSINESS community leaders flocked to The nexus of Sarasota, baseball and art FRAUD CLAIMS HIT HOME Gov. Rick Scott’s fundraiser here Afinancialadviserwithoffices on Wednesday, not just to donate Boston Red Sox players in the in North Port is indicted in to his re-election, but to make a ROCKWELL: Famed work room, grizzled veterans like the connection with a Ponzi. 1D last plea to convince him to spare great Ted Williams, harrumphed local projects from his veto pen. with more than one local at the awkward appearance of NATION Among the items riding on his link may set records today “The Rookie” — and all he repre- HELD TO ACCOUNT deliberations: $8.7 million for a sented — within their sacred Obama says allegations of new library at State College of By CHRIS ANDERSON sanctum. misconduct at VA hospitals will Florida; $3 million for a new Sara- [email protected] This was the scene Norman not be tolerated. 3A sota County Technical Institute SARASOTA — The freckle- Rockwell created for the March BETTER LIVING campus in North Port; $1 million faced hayseed with the coffee- 2, 1957, cover of The Saturday FOR THE FUN OF IT for Circus Sarasota; $500,000 for saucer ears and aw-shucks grin Evening Post, iconic magazine of The key to keeping active: Find the Boys & Girls Clubs in Mana- strolled into the clubhouse one yesteryear, and there are two Sa- something you love to do. tee County; and $300,000 for an spring day in Sarasota, oblivious rasota connections in what is ex- emergency room diversion pro- to those who mocked his charm- pected to be one of the most ex- gram at Manatee Memorial Hospi- ing grand entrance. AcopyofNormanRockwell's“The pensive American painting ever Classified........ .1F Obituaries...... .6B tal. He was a gawky kid, fresh off Rookie,” done for The Saturday sold. Comics............ .4D Opinion.......... .8A Lottery............. .2A People............. .7B Scott got the $77.1 billion pro- the bus, far from the pastoral sur- Evening Post, is signed by Mickey The original painting of “The Movie Log...... .7B Sports............ .1C posed budget this week, and has roundings of home, and the suit McDermott. STAFF PHOTO / DAN WAGNER Rookie” is to be up for auction two weeks to decide which he was outgrowing exposed the this morning in New York, and projects to keep and trim. white socks under his penny loaf- and a tattered suitcase held shut Christie’s Auction House has it “I’ll go line by line,” the gover- ers. He wore a straw carnival by a belt. valued at $20 million to $30 mil- nor said. barker’s hat, and in his left hand An innate aura of optimism sur- lion. See SCOTT on 7A was a wooden bat, a floppy glove rounded the kid, but the other See ROCKWELL on 6A OUR 89TH YEAR NUMBER 229 I trusted my eyes All-Laser LASIK to Dr. Lahners. Nik Wallenda Dr. Lahners’ experience and expertise will help you achieve freedom from glasses or contact lenses with All-Laser LASIK. Tuesday, May 27th 6:00 pm ~ 2601 S. Tamiami Trail ~ Sarasota CASTLE 1644734 CONNOLLY TOP DOCTORS William J. Lahners, M.D., F.A.C.S. FREE Seminar LASIK, Laser Cataract and Lens Replacement Surgeon } 941.488.2020 Named a “Top Doctor” by Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd. CenterForSight.net/Seminars 6A Thursday, May 22, 2014 www.heraldtribune.com Acopyof Norman Rockwell's Rockwell work painting for the Saturday Evening Post cover is up for auction signed by pitcher Mickey McDermot. Dino has a pair of Karounos, owner of Demetrio's, hung the Sarasota links copy in the restaurant for years. ROCKWELL from 1A customer at Demetrio’s Piz- STAFF PHOTO / But that’s just for starters. za in Sarasota from the late DAN WAGNER It could go much higher. 1990s through his death in A1951paintingbyRock- 2003, and he befriended well called “Saying Grace” owner Dino Karounos and was originally valued at $15 his brother-in-law Joe million to $20 million, but Pisano, who remembers sold in December for $46 seeing McDermott pitch at million, at the time a record Yankee Stadium when he for an American painting. was 11. Pisano reveled in (An Andy Warhol work hearing all the baseball, sold last week for $63 mil- drinking and celebrity sto- “Rockwell liked the underdog and the theme of the painting is just as much out all night.” lion.) ries McDermott had to tell, championing the underdog as it is about the Red Sox. It’s a very classic and By his own admission, “It’s anyone’s guess at and admired the 1956 McDermott drank a sub- this point, but we’ve had an World Series ring the enduring theme in his work.” stantial amount of alcohol, enthusiastic response to the former athlete always —ElizabethBeaman,senior specialist of American art at Christie’s his late-night carousing in painting thus far,” said Eliza- wore. New York with Mickey beth Beaman, senior special- “He was the best,” Mantle, Whitey Ford and ist of American art at Pisano said. “He was a on the front wall of the res- est player in the American well was a man named Sher- Billy Martin of particular Christie’s. good-looking giant Irish taurant for several years. League, has his arm across man Safford. legend. He often joked that leprechaun with a blue “He was proud of this,” the shoulder of right-field- He was a 17-year-old his knee problems were Life of a rookie twinkle in his eye.” Pisano said.