Your Town: Plan with a hitch

The Lake Club's Kevin Swan, who had set up an elaborate proposal plan Oct. 28 that included the Southeast High Marching Band, finished the deal Jan. 26 when he married Shaina (Frisch) Swan in a private ceremony.

The couple was married one year from their first date, where they went to see Jerry Seinfeld. The ceremony was at the Sarasota County Courthouse with photos taken near Marina Jack.

"It was a perfect day," Kevin Swan said.

Students prove kindness rocks

Mia McClain flicked paint onto her kindness rock in every bright color. The rock went from white to purple to blue.

“I’m going to paint it in all different colors and then I am going to write ‘splatter your life with color,'” she said.

Mia is a fifth-grader at Braden River Elementary School. On Feb. 13, during her K-Kids meeting, she and her fellow Kiwanis service club members painted kindness rocks to hide around school in hopes that people will see the inspirational quotes attached.

“I hope that people will see it and think before they say something,” Mia said. “Sometimes people can be bullies.”

Feeding fun for fans

Ninety-four-year-old Jarrell Atkinson was eating his lunch of fish, bread and stewed tomatoes Feb. 15 at the Daybreak Adult Day Center when in walked a pirate.

His name? Marty, mascot for the Bradenton Marauders.

"It's special," says Atkinson, who watches Marauders games on television.

Marty's visit was the fourth stop on the Marauder's "50 Community Celebrations" campaign, an initiative to visit schools, nursing homes and perform other outreach events in honor of the Marauder's 50th anniversary in Bradenton. The campaign launched Feb. 12.