Josh Rogers and Brett Wagner benefit concert set

Brett Wagner

Josh Rogers

All proceeds from Hunsadser’s Rockin’ Ranch concert 4 p.m.- midnight Feb. 25 will go to offset the medical costs associated with the Christmas night tragedy that took the lives of  Lakewood Ranch High School students and best friends Josh Rogers and Brett Wagner.

The concert will be held at 23810 53rd Ave. E., Myakka City.

The evening will feature live bands, food, mechanical bull riding, face painting, raffles, including a 50/50, and bonfire.

The musical lineup: 4 p.m.  Danny Toler with Faith Worship;  6 p.m. till 9:30, the Mumbo Jumbo Band; and Tony Tyler with Come Back Alice starts at 10 p.m. and wraps up the night.

Cost: $10 per person. Children under 12 admitted free.

For information on donations, email rogerswagnerbenefit@gmail.com. For information regarding event, Van Balam at 941-757-9307.

http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/01/3757863/nearly-1400-pack-bayside-community.html

Event to honor fallen Navy SEAL Brian Bill

Navy SEAL Brian Bill lost his life in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan Aug. 8, 2011.

Sarasota resident Scott Bill received the terrible news last August that his son Brian Bill had been killed in a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of 22 Navy SEALS, elite members of U.S. Armed Forces.

Scott Bill is heading up a benefit honoring his son and other Navy SEALS 10:30 a.m. Feb. 24 at Lakewood Ranch Cinemas, 10715 Rodeo Drive Lakewood Ranch..

It's called  “Honoring Navy SEAL Brian Bill and His Fellow SEALS: A Benefit for the Navy SEAL Foundation.” 

A reception at 10:30 a.m. followed by a noon private screening of “Act of Valor,” a movie inspired by true events and starring active-duty Navy SEALs, is included in the $50 tax-deductible ticket price. 

 Event sponsors include Sarasota Film Society and Eliza and Hugh Culverhouse, who have issued a $2,500 matching gift challenge for funds raised by the event.

Visit http://honorourwarriors.eventbrite.com for more event information and to purchase tickets.

The Navy SEAL Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, national non-profit charitable foundation. The Foundation provides support in times of adversity and achievement to U.S. Navy SEALS, special warfare combatant-craft crewmen, Naval Special Warfare support personnel and their families.

  

For previous coverage, visit these links:

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/08/09/3407083/sarasota-man-lost-seal-son-in.html

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/08/21/3433928/paying-the-cost-of-freedom.html

Never know who you will meet out on the street

The folks you meet on the street. (Photo James A. Jones Jr.)

Friday night at Music on Main, the street was jammed with folks, all the way from Polo Grill to Lakewood Ranch Cinemas.

The parking lots were jammed too, and so was overflow parking across the street north of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. What will they ever do if development comes to those vacant lots?

You never know who you will see on Lakewood Ranch Main Street. Here are links to two galleries, one from Friday night and one from today at Ovation, the celebration of arts and entertainment.

Take a look at all those faces. The one that jumped out at me was Mark Twain, portrayed by Bradenton's Rod Rawlings.

http://www.bradenton.com/2012/02/04/3847471/photo-gallery-ovation-at-lakewood.html#http://media.bradenton.com/smedia/2012/02/04/16/19/FGyaa.St.69.jpg

http://www.bradenton.com/2012/02/03/3846350/photo-gallery-music-on-main-feb.html#http://media.bradenton.com/smedia/2012/02/03/20/29/1lccyO.St.69.jpg

Jim

A reporter's journey through East Manatee

Nick Williams

Massive churches, growing communities, fun places to go and historic places to see...

Welcome to East Manatee County!

Greetings, residents of Manatee County and readers of the Bradenton Herald and Lakewood Ranch Herald. My name is Nick Williams and I will be helping keep you updated on what's going on in East Manatee.

Friday, East Manatee editor Jim Jones gave me tour of the area and I'm still absorbing all of which I saw.

To start the day, we headed down State Road 64 near I-75 when we received a call about a possible dead panther on the side of the road. Fortunately (and unfortunately), it wasn't a panther, but a 60-pound bobcat.

After that, here's the rundown of what I can recollect:

The Sheriff's Youth Ranch on Rye Road,  the Manatee County rowing facility in Parrish where the Canadian Olympic team is training, a public hearing sign in front of Cross Creek,and seeing a neglected mansion on Rye Road,

The Florida Railroad Museum, eating  delicious barbecue in Parrish,

Meeting community development manager Jahna Leinhauser with Manatee Chamber of Commerce -- she gives a shoutout to Strike Zone, a $2 million indoor sports complex in East Manatee,

Driving past Manatee Technical Institute, stopping at  LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) and meeting Michael Polin, head of communication, and while we waited, the LECOM security guard as well. He is from a small town in Pennsylvania and is a retired military man and police officer,

Heading over to Main Street on Lakewood Ranch, where we run into Bob Stepleman, chairman of Community Development District 2.

We also meet Mike Gough who is training 21 college football players who hope to gain entry to the NFL.

We stop by Honor Animal Sanctuary where contruction is underway to build bigger and better kennels for the dogs there, and then we motor over to the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch (wow!).
 
Whew...

Lakewood Ranch High junior has golden voice

By NICK WILLIAMS
nwilliams@bradenton.com

It's very inspiring to listen to 17-year-old Channing Weir talk about her dreams of becoming a Broadway performer.

You can read about her talents here http://www.bradenton.com/2012/02/03/3844166/young-entertainers-take-center.html

On Saturday, Feb. 4, Weir will be among several local entertainers performing at the 5th annual Ovation Celebration on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch.

But to actually hear Weir sing is the real satisfaction.

You can listen to some of her performances on YouTube on the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S9ZiEgFzMI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyPoSLdYtio&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayeN66AveUk&feature=related

Delivery of locomotive to Parrish delayed

New domed passenger car at Florida Railroad Museum. (Photo James A. Jones Jr.)

The delivery of Frisco engine 3749 to Parrish is going to take a little longer than anticipated.

The locomotive, which had been at Orlando's Church Street Station for 35 years, was expected to arrive in Parrish this week.

But in an email today, Gene Hughey of the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish reports there has been a glitch.

"Florida Department of Transportation has not issued the necessary permits to transport the steam engine from Church Street Station," he wrote. "The engine will not arrive as scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 4."


We dropped by the museum grounds at 12210 83rd St. E., Parrish, today and noticed that the passenger car with dome roof has arrived from Church Street Station. Cool looking piece of rolling stock. See the photo above.

For more on this new addition to the museum, see our previous story:

//www.bradenton.com/2012/01/20/3806411/historic-train-car-moved-to-local.html

Manatee community rides to the aid of father battling brain cancer with ranch rodeo

Levi Dakin

MYAKKA CITY —  The Levi Dakin “Believing in the Cure” ranch rodeo fundraiser is set for 11 a.m. 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Circle S Rodeo Arena, 32450 Clay Gulley Road, Myakka City.

Levi Dakin, 33, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, anaplasic astrocytoma, in September of 2011 and has completed six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation. More treatments will follow. The family is expecting the birth of their third child in four weeks. 

Gates open at 10:30 a.m. for early registration of the live auction.

 Admission for the event: $10 for those 12 and up, $5 for children 6 - 11, and free for those under 5.  All proceeds will benefit the Levi Dakin Trust and his continued effort in battling brain cancer.

The day’s event will include a live auction at 11 a.m., ranch rodeo competition, boot scramble, raffle, silent auction, barbecue pork sandwiches, and more.

 Live auction items include an autographed Bucs football, half-day quail hunting trip for one person, 40-inch Toshiba HD LCD flat screen TV, three-tier wooden wine rack, cross bred Jersey- Holstein heifer calf, Hobby Campbell framed print, 20 rolls of cow hay, a custom made fire pit, saddle, I Pad II by Apple, full day offshore fishing trip for four persons, a Bokeelia fishing weekend duplex and much more.

Donations will be accepted the day of the event or can be directly made to the trust.

All checks can be made payable to Levi Dakin Trust Fund and be mailed c/o Erin Dakin Drake at 38310 Clay Gully Road, Myakka City, FL 34251.  Contributions can also be made at any First America Bank location in Manatee or Sarasota counties.