Jay Heater

Managing Editor at Sarasota Observer

Managing Editor at East County Observer

Managing Editor at Observer Media Group

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Articles

Home repairs complete a week before the new Atlantic hurricane season

1 week ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

It was not the way Jimmy Gula wanted to be featured on the front page of the East County Observer. But there he was in the Oct. 17, 2024, edition, standing in front of his Westwinds home, surveying the damage done by Hurricane Milton with the headline reading, "Blown Away."Gula had lived in Lakewood Ranch for 20 years before making the move to East County's Westwinds 10 days before Milton made a direct hit on his neighborhood on Oct. 9. His wife Jeanmarie had died in 2021 and he wanted to downsize.
A Memorial Day service in Lakewood Ranch would warrant a gold star | Your Observer

2 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

It was the Memorial Day weekend parade that wasn't. For more than a decade, Lakewood Ranch hosted the Tribute to Heroes Parade that was enjoyed by thousands in the community. While residents packed both sides of Lakewood Main Street, some people complained that the parade on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend should have been a more somber event. They contended it really wasn't a Memorial Day parade.
Florida West Coast Avian Society takes flight at Music on Main

2 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Cindy Gordon, the board chair of the Florida West Coast Avian Society, walks a bit of a tightrope when she tries to find people to adopt or foster pet birds that have been abandoned, abused or have outlived their owner. "Birds are not easy," Gordon said. "They are very intelligent, and you have to provide them with lots of activities. They are flock creatures, so they feel stable when they are with you. They will get upset when you leave.
Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance presents its Next Gen Awards

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

Both Nicole Hackel and Paige Venuto are used to working behind the scenes, in anonymity. But on Thursday at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club, they were center stage. Hackel was named the Young Leaders Alliance Member of the Year while Venuto was honored with the Emerging Leader Award at the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance's Next Gen Awards dinner.
Waterside Place honors moms with a special event

3 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

It was her first time celebrating Mother's Day as a mom, and Star Farms' Justine Morehart said she had come to the right place. Waterside Place hosted a special event for moms on May 10 that was highlighted by the Petals and Poses fashion show. "This is surreal to me," said Morehart, who was carrying her 6-month-old daughter, Mabel. "I am so full of joy."She said Lakewood Ranch knows how to throw an event. "This is the best thing in the world," she said.
L.L. Bean opens at UTC in Sarasota

4 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

As the new L.L. Bean store was about to open on Friday morning at 111 North Cattlemen Road in the UTC plaza, various guest speakers were sweating outside the store in the hot morning sun. Not to worry, as everyone, including more than 100 customers waiting in line for the doors to open, were told that the store had plenty of hot weather apparel available. Kenon Mitchell, L.L. Bean's District 4 manager (Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and now Florida) was excited to get started.
Keller Williams' volunteers work on 'Red Day' to put this problem to bed

1 month ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

East County's Mark Coates, the co-founder of the Beds for Kids nonprofit, had delivered a bed to a Bradenton family in need in 2020, and had finished setting it up. He was ready to leave the home, but first asked the family members if they would say a prayer with him. The bed was for a 6-year-old girl, who bowed her head to pray. She had seen the Scripture verses that a volunteer had written on the slats of her new bed.
Manatee's proposed $23.5 million purchase raises transparency issues | Your Observer

1 month ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

So first, a brief understanding of "transparency" with a definition from Merriam-Webster. "Transparency means the quality or state of being transparent, free from pretense or deceit, and readily understood. In essence, it describes the ability to be seen through or understood easily, without hidden elements."I wanted to be transparent if I was going to write about transparency. It was a word used often during the last election, when Manatee County Commission candidates were campaigning.
Stillpoint Mission Appeal sets another record for Bob Smith and friends | Your Observer

1 month ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

It becomes almost expected, which is kind of a dangerous thing when you are talking about charity. But Bob Smith and his Lakewood Ranch golf and poker buddies have managed to raise more money than the previous year each and every year for the Stillpoint Mission of Bradenton. This year's check was $84,017, which was a nice jump from the 2024 Stillpoint Appeal Drive that was a record $77,424. The 14-year total, since Smith first organized the drive, is $467,639. Wow.
Final chance to see Lipizzan stallions in Myakka City this season

1 month ago | yourobserver.com | Jay Heater

The movement is called the courvet, where a horse jumps forward from the levade position. Not familiar with it? No worries. These are terms that horse people know. But if you do want to know more, your perfect opportunity is April 26 at Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions in Myakka City. It's closing day of the season at Herrmann's, the family that brought the rare Lipizzans to the United States from Europe in 1962.