Posted on Tuesday, Mar 30,2011 By SARA KENNEDY PARRISH -- Trick horse “Lucky Star” will pose math challenges, while the more customary bevy of floats, bands and vendors will also be part of the annual Parrish Heritage Day Parade & Festival slated for Saturday. The miniature horse, which stands only 30 inches high, can do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, said animal trainer Heidi Herriott. “He’s just really smart, and we found he likes numbers,” she added. Lucky Star will be among the featured performers at the annual parade and festival, along with others, such as light rock bands Triple Distilled and the Spirit of ’76, and the Buffalo Creek Middle School Jazz Band, said committee chairman Tami Vaughan. “It’s a great time to get out and meet your neighbors,” said Ben Jordan, president of the Parrish Civic Association, which sponsors the event. “It’s a variety of floats from different churches, organizations and places like Leslie Wells Realty,” said Jordan. “Anybody can be in it that wants to be, people riding horses, people riding lawn mowers, everything is in it.” The parade forms behind the Parrish Fire Station, 12132 U.S. 301 N., with a kickoff time of 10:30 a.m. It then rambles north to the Florida Railroad Museum, 12210 83rd St. E., where the festival begins at about noon. Both are free, and parking is free, too. Rides on real trains operated by the railroad museum depart at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., a museum employee said. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for children 3 to 11, and are free to those younger than 3. Information: (941) 776-0906 or www.frrm.org. Parade organizers traditionally decline to reveal the grand marshal until the event kicks off, said Jordan. This year’s festival will also include between 30 and 40 vendors selling such items as jewelry, handbags, hotdogs and barbecue, said Vaughan. The festival also will include games, face painting and other activities for the younger set, she said. Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 745-7031. Fort Hamer rowing facility officially opened (with gallery) By JAMES A. JONES JR. EAST MANATEE -- They called it a giant step toward making Manatee-Sarasota the center of the rowing universe in the United States -- if not in the world. And a living legend said he was more than impressed not only with the speed with which a new $825,000 training facility was prepared for competitive rowers, but the final result at Fort Hamer Park. The legend -- Harry Parker, who has coached Harvard to preeminence in the collegiate rowing world including 20 undefeated rowing seasons. He was on hand for the grand opening of the Fort Hamer facility Friday. “We are truly impressed by the efforts made by Manatee and Sarasota,” Parker said. “We are looking forward to coming here for many years to train and we’re sure the word will spread and you will have many more teams coming here to train.” The centerpiece of the facility is an 8,000-square-foot prefabricated boathouse that was delivered to the site Dec. 17. The boathouse is used to store the teams’ racing sculls. “They put the last screw in last night,” Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie said of the final push to complete the boathouse. On Friday, 180 members of the Harvard-Radcliffe rowing team ate a buffet breakfast while community leaders gathered for the ceremony. The rowing facility at Fort Hamer, coupled with the competitive facility at Nathan Benderson Park just south of University Parkway, and a training facility in Osprey will help create jobs and is a tap into the sports tourism trend in the area, said emcee Rick Piccolo. During the past several years, Benderson Development Co. proved that it could attract top-flight rowing teams to the area with its 400-acre lake at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. The lake was originally a borrow pit which contributed road fill for construction of I-75. “There is a lot of opportunity in that old borrow pit,” Chappie said, predicting that rowing could open the area to new kinds of economic activity. An immediate bonus is the hotel rooms filled by the 180 rowers in the Ellenton area. The athletes are expected to be in the local area until Jan. 21. The bold venture into rowing wouldn’t have happened, however, without the partnership between Benderson and the Manatee and Sarasota county governments, Piccolo said. Most of the county commissioners from both counties were present for Friday’s ceremonial ribbon cutting. “These are a tremendous set of facilities,” said Joe Barbetta, Sarasota county commissioner. For his part, Parker said he was pleased by what he saw and having so many golf courses in the area was another plus. “On behalf of the coaches and the rowers of Harvard, thank you for making this facility available to us,” he said. Afterward, Parker commented: “We’re happy as clams. We’re here to row and that’s what we’re going to do.” Among the Harvard rowers were Mick Malowany, of Toronto, and Nolan Pollock, of northern Virginia, both 19. Last year, they said the Harvard team trained between skyscrapers in Miami but this year they have been training in the more natural setting of the Manatee River. They appreciated the flat, calm nature of the river, calling it an ideal training environment. James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee Editor, can be contacted at 745-7021. SARASOTA -- People came from all around Manatee and Sarasota counties on Saturday to Crossroads United Methodist Church, where more than 4,000 toys were given away. Pastor Robert Suter began Hope for Christmas several years ago when he saw the community could use some help. "They need help with food, they need help with clothing for their kids, they need help with toys at Christmas time," he said. "So, that's how it got started." It's an event that focuses on the children, with gifts for all of them. The toys are just part of the reason Shelley Rodelli was at the event with her son and daughter. "It's giving them an opportunity to get a little more gifts, see Santa Claus," Rodelli said. "You know every kid wants to see Santa Claus, I've been hearing about that for two weeks." Saturday's event, which included games for children to play, drew in hundreds of people from around the area. "It's a blessing in disguise, honestly," Rodelli said. "This church has done a tremendous amount for not just myself, but other families and other people. They do what they can, and that's a lot." It's a lot for the appreciative families, but it's just the beginning for the church. "Today, you're just seeing toys and stuff like that," Suter said. "But between now and Christmas, it's work boots, it's socks, it's sleeping bags, it's food, so this just kicks it off for us." It's an effort Pastor Suter will continue. "This is my life," he said. "I wish we could do this on a monthly basis." God's peace, Pastor Bob CROSSROADS Business briefs: Three appointed to airport board Published: Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has picked Osprey businessman and developer Henry Rodriguez to be one three appointments to serve on the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. Rodriguez replaces Venice accountant Eric Robinson, whose term expired this month. Crist appointed two others to the six-member airport authority. Crist re-appointed MANATEE — About 6.5 percent more people will have to evacuate if a Category 1 hurricane makes a direct hit on Manatee County. That was what elected officials were told Tuesday at a Council of Governments meeting. Laurie Feagans, emergency management chief in the county Public Safety Department, gave the officials a preview of the revised evacuation zone maps. Because a more accurate system of measuring the topography of the county was used, some property and homes that were in the Category 2 zone in the 2005 maps are now in the Category 1, meaning residents will have to evacuate sooner when a storm is approaching. Feagans said the Light Detection and Ranging, or LIDAR, technology had a vertical precision of within 6 inches, compared to a variance of 5 feet or more with the federal government maps used to establish the previous evacuation zones. As expected, much of the changes in the new map are close to bodies of water, such as Sarasota Bay and the Manatee River. There is an area of about 60 square blocks in Northwest Bradenton that previously was in the Category 2, or Level B evacuation zone, that were upgraded to the Category 1, or Level A zone. For those residents it means when a Category 1 storm, which has sustained winds of between 74-95 mph, is forecast to come ashore, the county will order an evacuation of the Level A zone. A storm modeling tool called SLOSH, or Sea and Lake Overland Surge from a Hurricane, is used to determine the evacuation zones. The topography of the Level A zone lends it to be flooded from a storm surge of at least 6 feet a Category 1 storm creates. Another area that changed with the new maps is Bayshore Gardens. Much of the neighborhood was in the Level A, or first-to-evacuate zone, under the old maps, but is now split between the Level B and Level C zones. But at the same time. a large portion of land east of U.S. 41 between Whitfield Avenue and Cortez Road is now upgraded from Level E to Level D. An interactive map showing where the new evacuation zones are located can be found on the county Web site at www.mymanatee.org Printed maps also will be available at county and municipal facilities, Feagans said. Another change in the maps that will be used as a standard across the state, is the color scheme. Whereas before the highest alert, or first-to-evacuate zone, was a pretty, pastel purple, it is now a fiery, alarming red. Feagans emphasized that although experts dictate statically what a storm surge for a specific category storm would be, most times the surge is many feet higher because of the wave action or a high tide. Once an area is flooded, an individual is cut off from any emergency assistance until after the storm event. One point Feagans made was that the evacuation zone maps do not affect flood insurance rate maps. Posted on Fri, Feb. 19, 2010 County commissioners focus on Parrish issues By SARA KENNEDY PARRISH — A standing-room only crowd of perhaps 100 packed the Parrish Community Center on Thursday night as Manatee County commissioners held an informational workshop focused on local issues. County officials came prepared with maps and data on hot button subjects, like construction of a new Fort Hamer Bridge, completion of a widening project along U.S. 301 and improvement plans for Erie Road. What did the audience members want to know? They asked about the status of the road and bridge projects, and also touched on topics such as where they could drive their golf carts when they’re not on the links, and whether bike lanes might be a possibility for area roads. Vincent Canna, a project manager for the county public works department, gave details of a project to build a new Fort Hamer bridge crossing the Manatee River. Planning and design for the bridge tentatively could take 15 months, he estimated, and once that’s completed, construction would take another two years, he said. The bridge will be 2,200 feet long and carry two lanes of traffic for the time being, and four lanes eventually, he told the crowd. As for the widening project along U.S. 301, officials said it is at the halfway mark, with completion slated for Jan. 1. They were less sure about the time frame on a project that would soften the radius of the curve west of 69th Street East along Erie Road, saying it is still in the beginning stages. Mark Byers, 44, of Parrish, asked a question about a project that calls for a modification at the intersection of Fort Hamer Road and U.S. 301. He wanted to know how the design might affect his property along Fort Hamer Road, but said afterward he was still unsure exactly what current plans call for. As for the golf cart questions, county commissioners said that along U.S. 301, local officials have no jurisdiction, and the Florida Legislature would be taking the issue up during this year’s session. Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 745-7031. Published: Friday, February 19, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. PARRISH Before the next growth spurt happens, residents want the county to be prepared to: Widen exceptionally narrow roads, especially those on school bus routes, and add sidewalks and bike lanes. Create a master storm-water drainage system with a lake that can be incorporated into a public park. Work with the Florida Department of Transportation to make a commercial strip on U.S. 301 of feed stores and other older businesses more pedestrian oriented and possibly designated for golf carts. Someday use an existing rail line for a commuter rail linking On Thursday, county commissioners took a bus tour through Parrish to see where roadwork and other projects are needed. Then they conducted a town hall-style meeting at the newly refurbished schoolhouse that now serves as a community center. A standing-room-only crowd of more than 150 residents attended. Residents want to see a different development trend for Parrish that preserves its rural heritage but also encourages small commercial development, Ben Jordan of the Parrish Civic Association told commissioners. "We're building subdivisions," Jordan said. "We're not building communities." Yet he and others said a shift in thinking is already under way. The newly opened First Manatee Bank, which commissioners saw on the tour, is cited as an example of commercial development with a Parrish look. The bank resembles a farmhouse, with a tin roof and front porch. The community center, which the county paid $1.8 million to renovate, has become a major start for efforts to unite older and newer residents of Parrish, Hugh McGuire of the Parrish Foundation said. Sean Allison of the YMCA, which runs the center's fitness programs, said the Y's new Parrish chapter now has 2,250 members. County officials updated residents and commissioners on several matters: • The county received several bids from construction firms wanting to build the proposed Fort Hamer bridge across the Manatee River and will soon recommend a bidder to the commissioners. Design work for the bridge could take a year. • The intersection of Erie Road and 69th Street will be redesigned and rebuilt to make it safer. • The widening of Erie Road has yet to be funded. • The Rocky Bluff library, now in rented space in a shopping center, may be expanded. A permanent library is to be eventually built on three acres in the Parrish Plantation development. • Construction of a bypass alternative to U.S. 301 linking Fort Hamer Road and 121st Avenue is probably a decade away. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
News
Current Listings Ad (PDF)
Math whiz horse set to appear at Parrish event
skennedy@bradenton.com© 2011 Bradenton.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.bradenton.com
Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/03/25/v-print/3061176/math-whiz-horse-set-to-appear.html#ixzz1I6XYDJKa
Posted on Sat, Jan. 15, 2011
jajones1@bradenton.com
Posted Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Some of the Leslie Wells Realty gave their time to do volunteer work on Christmas Eve.
Thanks volunteers!! Some pictures below.
Posted Sunday, December 19th, 2010
Crossroads United Methodist Church has this event each year and it's an event that focuses on the children. They also had games for the children to play. There were hundreds of people that showed up. Instead of having a company Christmas party this year our agents wanted to contribute toys for this event. See the article and pictures below.
By Robert Hahn, Reporter
Last Updated: Saturday, December 11, 2010 Plenty of gifts for everyone.
More gifts for the children.
Volunteers
Face Painting
Volunteers
___________________________________________________________________________
A Note From Pastor Bob Suter:
Just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for an outstanding day.
Very proud of all who got involved to make this day so special to so many.
A special thanks goes out to the entire planning team for a job well done and to the companies like Boars Head for there overwhelming generously. Also than you needs to be given to the T-Shirt company as well as the folks at Leslie Wells Reality.
In fact the list goes on and one, so many people, friends, and even other churches. What can I say, just amazing.
See you all in the morning and again thank you.
4726 N. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34234
Office: 941-355-5485
9am Traditional Worship
11am Contemporary Worship
Posted Saturday, December 18,2010
Parrish real estate broker Leslie B. Wells, and added former Airport Authority member and Bradenton retiree Jack Rynerson back to the board. Rynerson replaces Bradenton's Paul Sharff. The terms of all three will run through Nov. 17, 2014.
Last Modified: Friday, December 10, 2010 at 6:08 p.m.
Posted Wed, Mar 20, 2010.
To keep up on more local news, go to www.ParrishFlorida.com .
Posted Feb 13, 2010
CONGRATULATIONS Leslie!
December 2009 Manatee Association of Realtors Installation Dinner
Posted Feb 17, 2010
Meet and Greet Fund Raiser for Julie Aranibar, who is running for School Board, was held at Mangrove Grill on 02/10/10.
Tiffney Mosley and Kelly Eckersen.Leslie Wells (Event Chair), Jane Grace and Julie Aranibar.
Katie Kennedy, MaryAnn Fulton and Pat Baker (Hostess Committee).
Leslie Wells (Event Chair) and Bob Gause (School Board Member).
Manatee hurricane evacuation map revised
Local officials get look at new hurricane evacuation map
By CARL MARIO NUDI
cnudi@bradenton.com
© 2010 Bradenton.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.bradenton.com
Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2010/04/07/v-print/2186090/manatee-hurricane-evacuation-map.html#ixzz0kRaCOSky
Posted on Apr 8, 2010
skennedy@bradenton.com
Parrish residents seek plan for community
By Dale White
This story appeared in print on page BN1
Parrish, Palmetto and Bradenton.
Posted on Mon, Dec. 06, 2010http://www.bradenton.com/2011/01/15/v-print/2877967/fort-hamer-rowing-facility-officially.html#ixzz1BVZt2gO1
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Leslie and Charlie Wells
Leslie sworn in as Vice President for 2010
Posted on Wed, Apr. 07, 2010
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