To send in your letters, please e-mail them to meng@yourobserver.com or mail them to the East County Observer, 8788 State Road 70 E., Suite 103, Bradenton, FL., 34202. The East County Observer gives priority to letters of local interest and about local issues. The Observer will print all letters to the editor if it feels they are of general interest, but only if the letter is signed and the author’s street address and phone number are given. The editor reserves the right to condense letters.

+ Edition a great start to the day
Dear Editor:
When my husband, John, came in the house with the Observer in his hands this morning, seriously reading the headlines of this week’s paper, I had a big smile thinking back to last year’s issue.

I asked him what the date was today, and he, in turn, had a huge smile and said, “April Fools’ Day!”

We both started laughing out loud about the oil drilling and combining the mascots of the two high school teams! Hilarious!

Thanks for having a great sense of humor and starting our day in such a fun way! Love it!

Robin Wentz
Keller Williams Realty of Manatee

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+ April Fool’s edition claims another victim
Dear Editor:

Even though I know it is coming, I just picked up the East County Observer. My first two mental reactions were: “Five billion dollars … wow, that could bankrupt Lakewood Ranch and SMR.” Then, “Charlie Sheen ... what a boon for Sanborn.”

It was about then that I realized that you all got me once again!

Phil Chmieleski
Sarasota

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+ April Fools’ edition a delight — again!
Dear Editor:

It’s Sunday, April 3, and I just sat down to read the Observer and have a cup of coffee.

As I was reading the first three pages, I am thinking to myself, “Has the world around Lakewood Ranch gone completely crazy?” as I am reading about Braden River and Lakewood Ranch combining sports teams to save money, the mascot being a horse wearing a pirate hat, and Lakewood Ranch residents having to pay territorial payments to Spain!

Then the final straws: Charlie Sheen starring in a East County-produced TV program and changing the name of the sports campus to “Rex Plex” (which is rather catchy by the way)!
My mind is completely blown, and then I get to page four, which says “GOTCHA!”

Bravo, Michael Eng, Rex Jensen and the entire Observer staff: I laughed for 10 minutes! Great job: I love this issue, and you totally pull the wool over my eyes every year! Thanks for being such a great newspaper and for giving all of us such a great laugh every April Fools’ Day! Keep up the good work!

Debbie Becker
Summerfield

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+ The world needs this kind of humor
Dear Editor:

Just a note to say congratulations again!

This year, it only took me two articles. I read “Jeopardy” and found that a bit strange, particularly  the part about Rex saying this $5 billion fee was not an SMR problem, that it was a resident problem, and he had already changed letterhead to Bradenton.

But the giveaway came when I read my second article about the high school. The giveaway was the Mascot names.

In any event, our world needs this kind of humor when done properly and the good spirit, and you certainly accomplished that.

Well done!

Ken Miklos
president and CEO, K.R. Miklos & Company

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+ Observer spoof  a career highlight
Dear Editor:

I have reached the pinnacle of my career: I have been spoofed in the East County Observer.

Incidentally, my wife is not the only one I know who was “Gotcha’d.”

Gary Berns
Friends of Lakewood Ranch

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+ Edition provides plenty of laughs
Dear Editor:

I just spent the entire last hour (on April 4) trying to comprehend the crazy stories I read on page one through three of the Observer. I just picked up this copy earlier this evening and read the first page or so until I had to put it down to put my baby to bed.

I got sidetracked for a bit but couldn’t stop thinking back to how wacky the news had gotten. I was completely caught off-guard at the “Gotcha!” Come to think of it, my in-laws mentioned something to me this past weekend about Lakewood Ranch’s name in jeopardy, so I don’t know if they too were trying to fool me or they actually had fallen for it as well. I’ll have to check with them.

Anyhow, great job. I am going to continue this joke tomorrow on my husband. He hasn’t seen this issue yet. 

Melissa Stanoch
Rye Wilderness

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