Jay Heater

Managing Editor at Sarasota Observer

Managing Editor at East County Observer

Managing Editor at Observer Media Group

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Articles

LWR Community Foundation makes a statement by taking care of little problem | Your Observer

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Little things matter. OK, I'm an editor. It is somewhat of a code for us. Or at least it is supposed to be. But I admit it. Little things, when they are wrong, bug me. Remember a few years back when the fancy, four-sided Rotary International clock on Lakewood Main Street stopped working, for months. Yup, it bugged me. It wasn't like I didn't have a watch. Or in today's world, a phone.
Block Party and Club Day draws hundreds to Main Street at Lakewood Ranch

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Now in her 70s, Patti Bell is still young enough to be a poster child. On April 11, Bell was a great example of what the Block Party and Club Day is all about. Various area clubs lined Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, along with many businesses, to introduce themselves to the public with a backdrop of music, food and fun. The event is sponsored on an annual basis by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, and Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.
East Manatee Fire Rescue honors its top firefighters of 2024

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Two East Manatee Fire Rescue firefighters talked about their love of their job, and how the thing that makes it so worthwhile is that they work every day with their department family. So Lt. Robert Day and Engineer Dominick Reale were proud of the awards they earned March 18 because they were selected by those same firefighting family members. Day received the Officer of the Year award while Reale was named Firefighter of the Year. The nominations for the annual awards come from their peers.
Principal's reunion epitomizes Myakka's connection with its school

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

As an 89-year-old man is known to do, Tom Redmon went off on a tangent April 5, talking about cleaning mortar off bricks as a 9-year-old in Wartburg, Tennessee. The occasion was a get-together at the Myakka City Methodist Church, which hosted Redmon, the former principal at Myakka City elementary school 1980 through 1995. While the former teachers and students loved seeing Redmon, the event was also used to lead up to a walk-through of the Myakka City Historic School House right down the street.
Two Waterside communities unveil a park at their midway point

2 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

In looking over the new Midway Park, which has been built between the Wild Blue and Shellstone neighborhoods, OnPlace Vice President of Marketing Mackenzie Straley was having a hard time picking out her favorite aspect of the park. So she didn't. She basically liked everything. "I love that the finishes are above and beyond," Straley said. "We went the extra mile, and took the extra steps.
Blue Butterfly manager provides a lifetime of hugs to children who are grieving | Your Observer

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

When I was 10 years old, I never thought of what I wanted to do past the age of 11. When Danielle Wondrak was 10, she knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Wondrak is the manager of the Blue Butterfly Family Grief Center in Lakewood Ranch. She has held that position the last seven years, and the previous three years she did "grief work" in Fort Myers after graduating from Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters in social work.
Suncoast Classic needs locals willing to host Korn Ferry Tour golfers and caddies

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

With the chance of hosting a future PGA star when the Korn Ferry Tour rolls into Lakewood Ranch for the LECOM Suncoast Classic April 16-19, Eileen and Bill Wright are happy hosting tournament caddies. Each year, the Suncoast Classic committee seeks local homeowners to host players and caddies, who struggle financially at golf's minor league level.
APRIL FOOL: You can pick a truck, but you can't park it

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Lakewood Ranch proper communities are ready to draw a line in the sand, or in The Box.
L.L. Bean see exciting new market as it opens at UTC

4 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Kenon Mitchell, the district manager for L.L. Bean, gave a little chuckle as she described her company's excitement of opening its first store in Florida at 111 North Cattlemen Road in the University Town Center of Sarasota. "It will be the first L.L. Bean with palm trees in the front," she said. Indeed, it would seem to be an unusual fit for a company that was founded in 1912 and that long has been known for its rugged outdoor wear.
Lipizzan Stallion stalwart finds time to pen a novel in Myakka City

4 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

It might seem odd that Rebecca McCullough, the owner of Herrmann's Lipizzan Stallions in Myakka City, can't stand romance novels. She obviously has had a lifelong romance with her family business, which has been in Myakka City since 1962. When McCullough's mother, Gabriella Herrmann, died in 2021, McCullough took over operations on the 20-acre ranch while also continuing her regular job, as a medical technician. Her main help on the ranch is her daughter, Sydney, who is now 16.