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East County | Neighbors

Eric Konovalov moved to the Lakewood Ranch area five years ago.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • November 18, 2025
This Lakewood Rancher has found success. Now he helps others do the same.

Grew up poor in a faltering communist country. Bullied in school. Served in combat zones as a U.S. Marine. Sold copiers. Eric Konovalov has done all that — and a lot more.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Morgan Bettes Angell and the company she founded, Independent Jones, has helped put on the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • November 17, 2025
Blues Festival makes its return on the Ranch

The Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival, primed for its second year, has a varied and voluminous history in the region.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sydney Elliott turns toward an obstacle aboard QC Diamantaire in her final winning run in The Event at TerraNova's CCI4 class.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 16, 2025
Competition season leaps into action at TerraNova Equestrian Center

Some of the world's top equestrian athletes and horses compete in The Event at TerraNova.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sarasota's Julia Wilhelm and Renee Myers check out the pieces of art for sale at LKM Fanciful Creations by Linda McMillan.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 16, 2025
A 'gift from the heart' offered at Lakewood Ranch art show

The 23rd annual Fall Art Show and Sale showcases artists of many mediums at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Maribeth Phillips is the president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, and Andy Guz, CEO of Manatee Memorial Hospital, is the board chair.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 15, 2025
Main Street at Lakewood Ranch hosts Empty Bowls

The annual event benefits the Food Bank of Manatee.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Shawna Hicks-Cranston of PostNet raises her Sandies award for the Community Champion category. The annual Sandies was held by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Nov. 14 at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch community leaders are saluted with Sandies awards

The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance hosts its annual awards program at the Grove.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Rex Jensen, the CEO and president of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, is the 2025 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award winner.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch's 'visionary' honored by the Community Foundation

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch CEO and President Rex Jensen receives the 2025 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award at The Soirée at the Ranch.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
It's Read Everywhere winner finds high ground in Swiss Alps
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • November 12, 2025
It's Read Everywhere winner finds high ground in Swiss Alps

This year's winner of the Observer's It's Read Everywhere contest enjoyed the "trip of a lifetime" and showed that the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer is as well traveled as Agent 007.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Angela Long coaches the veterans team at Nathan Benderson Park.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 12, 2025
Veterans find camaraderie in paddling at Nathan Benderson Park

The veterans dragon boat team operates under the umbrella of the park's nonprofit conservancy.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sue Ann Miller, Regina Negrycz and Sue Glass represent the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, which won the award for the Group/Club of the Year.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 11, 2025
Youth fishing volunteer hooks big award in Lakewood Ranch

Ed Van Stedum snags Volunteer of the Year award at the Community Appreciation Awards.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch's Vincent Van Slyck keeps his flag waving during the Tribute to Heroes Parade Nov. 9 at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 10, 2025
Tribute to Heroes Parade salutes veterans

The Lakewood Ranch event made its November debut after shifting from its traditional Memorial Day Weekend spot.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
A giant helium-filled nutcracker takes a bow during the 2025 Santa's Grand Arrival Parade Nov. 8 at University Town Center in Sarasota.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 9, 2025
University Town Center delivers parade thrills under the wire in Sarasota

High-wire artists Nik and Lijana Wallenda thrill thousands with a criss cross stunt, and then the parade floats through the mall area.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Evan Prince, a second grader at Freedom Elementary, poses next to his masterpiece, "Warm Colored Sky."
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 9, 2025
Manatee River Artists Guild celebrates 20 years of collaboration

Waterlefe residents and grade school students raise money each year for two local schools.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Cape Coral's John Svidroniv IV paints himself green as a goblin for the Sarasota Medieval Fair, where creatures of all shapes and sizes gather for a magical day.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 7, 2025
Sarasota Medieval Fair returns with themed weekends all November

Live performances, vendors, food, costumes and more bring fair goers into another world.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sisterhood for Good's Glo Reber not only shows off the first prize of the night, a $1,200 Stella McCartney tote, but her numbers were then called and she won the bag.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 7, 2025
Sisterhood for Good's gamble for charity was in the bag

A record 293 players showed up for the annual fundraiser at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
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Latest in East County

1
Santa (Steven Trudell of St. Petersburg) gets the runners fired up just before the start of the 2025 Jingle 5K Dec. 12 in Lakewood Ranch.
  • December 13, 2025
More than 500 runners go the distance in Lakewood Ranch's Jingle 5K
2
Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.
  • December 12, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair
3
Greenbrook's David, Hannah and Jaime Marco all had a part in creating Jaime Marco's new book “Unfunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light.”
  • December 12, 2025
Readers can shed the funk with Lakewood Ranch author's 'Unfunkt'
4
SMR's new coffee table book, "Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land" is available locally and on Amazon.
  • December 10, 2025
'Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land' is a fun history lesson
5
Carrie Walden, the Project Edge classroom instructor, is teaching 10 students including Mia Pardella and Justin Torres in the Project Edge program at MTC East.
  • December 10, 2025
MTC program teaches students with disabilities skills to enter workforce

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