Pass the turkey, and the thanks during a special holiday

This week's East County Observer comes out on Thanksgiving Day, so I thought I would touch upon some of the joys of living in Lakewood Ranch and why I feel so thankful for them. I hope you can identify with some of these as well.

First, I have to note that on Thanksgiving morning I will be covering the Florida Turkey Trot at Nathan Benderson Park, just one of the many traditions that have made our area special. You have to be thankful you are part of a community here, not just some place where we sleep between work shifts.

Call me quirky, but every year I look forward to waking up at 6 a.m. and going out in the dark to be surrounded by thousands of people dressed up like turkeys to run a 5K. It has been cold in the past, sometimes windy, and yet, everyone is smiling.

The run takes place in one of our area's beautiful parks, which is known throughout rowing circuits as one of the finest rowing facilities in the world. A $65 million boathouse and events center will break ground in 2026. Nathan Benderson Park will host the 2028 World Rowing Championships, which is one of the many major events headed to our area to stimulate our economy.

It's a short walk from the park to the $132 million Mote Science Education Aquarium that opened in October. Next door is the Tiger Wood's Popstroke. Walk a hundred yards and you can go into the Mall at UTC. Twenty years ago, none of it was here.

Growth can be scary. On the other hand, we have entertainment options we never thought were possible.

The amenities aren't limited to the Mall at UTC. The $17.6 million Lakewood Ranch Library opened in January of 2024. A $44 million aquatics center and pickleball complex is scheduled to be open by the fall of 2026 at Premier Sports Campus North. In addition to a 50-meter, competition pool, the 44,000-square-foot athletics center will feature a therapy pool, 24 pickleball courts, restrooms, locker rooms and walking trails.

Manatee County is working on more park amenities and a trail system to be constructed with the help of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

Do you like to eat? You have to love how your restaurant options have expanded over the last five years. It used to be that Lakewood Ranch was a steak desert. Now you can choose between Ruth's Chris Steak House, the Grove, Bourbon and Bones, 131 Main, Kore, Outback, Fleming's, Texas Roadhouse, Capital Grille, LongHorn, and on and on.

Do you feel safe in East County. I think the answer is "yes."

Hopefully, we all spend a moment on Thanksgiving — you don't have to be dressed as a turkey — to reflect on our first responders in East County. If things are going well in your life, it isn't likely you will have contact with them. But how comforting it is to know they are there.

When the Tribute to Heroes Parade moved to the Sunday before Veterans Day this year, I worried a bit that our first responders would get pushed to the background because they always had been a big part of that event.

They definitely deserve attention, and I hope we can keep that in mind moving forward. It's not like they are asking for the attention, but it's just deserving. We don't want our only interaction to be at the scene of an accident.

So please find time to say thank you to a Sheriff's Office deputy, a firefighter, an ambulance driver or anyone who responds to an emergency.

The next "Thank you," can be hard at times because our political figures can be polarizing. I know I can criticize them for decisions that I don't believe have our best interests at heart.

That being said, these men and women who hold public office are serving us, and in most cases are doing it to make our area a great place to live. This is an unbelievably thankless job, along with being highly stressful.

It is a tough that attracts such negativity that it can be hard to find candidates for our very important local positions. So I want to take a moment and say to all those who hold public office, I appreciate your work and your passion. Although we don't always agree, I respect you.

If you see a local politician this week, please pass your thanks along even if the person in front of you makes your blood boil. We appreciate the service.

Do you know a farmer/rancher?

How about a "thank you" hug? A Farm Flavor national survey shows that Manatee County agricultural products had a market value of $356 million in 2024. Crop sales made up $308 million of that while Livestock and animal product sales made up $48 million of it. It was all produced by 692 farms. It is a huge job, and we are fortunate who have those willing to do it.

And let's remember that before our homes were built, the Ranch was a big part of this effort.

I want to finish by saying that I am thankful to you, our readers of the East County Observer, who have been so kind to me as I enter my second decade here on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

You always have provided me with plenty of story ideas, and you have been very complimentary on the stories you like. You also (mostly) have been courteous when I anger you.

I especially love when I read about someone who could use a helping hand, and the readers step forward. It's a rewarding part of the job and it's proof that we live in an area where people care about each other.

I wish you the very best this Thanksgiving, and I hope this is just the start of a rewarding holiday season.