Talk of the town

YOUR NEIGHBORS A taste of childhood sweetness

Longboat Key police chief outlines department goals at Kiwanis Club meeting.

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

Several well-known figures from Longboat Key and surrounding areas took part in the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key’s meeting on July 20.

Michael Garey, president of the Kiwanis Club, hosted the breakfast meeting at the Lazy Lobster. Garey invited Longboat Key Police Chief George Turner to be this month’s speaker. Turner has been a recurring speaker at Kiwanis meetings throughout his time as police chief on Longboat.

Before introducing Turner, Garey held a brief lesson on how to identify scammers, specifically through emails. He then went on to discuss the challenges of his job.

“My biggest hurdle here has been recruitment and retention,” said Turner, while speaking to the Kiwanis Club. “For years, we always hired retired officers, but the only thing about that is they don’t stay that long. They stay three, four or five years and then they want to really retire. And then we always have openings.”

Turner became the police chief of Longboat Key in March 2022. He was sworn in as a police officer in 1977 in New York and worked for the New York Police Department for 25 years. In 2001, he became a captain on Longboat, staying for six years. He then worked for the U.S. Marshals Service in Fort Myers and was also the chief in Brooksville for 11 years before coming back to Longboat.

Turner explained that his goal is to get the department back to about 20 officers who each have eight or nine years of experience and are committed to staying in Longboat for a while.

Accreditation is also an important goal for Turner, especially with his past experience in the NYPD and Brooksville. He shared with the club that it has been a time-consuming process but will ensure accountability and transparency throughout the department. The department’s first mock review by the state will be in November and the final review is in December. Turner said that he hopes the department will receive accreditation in February.

“There’s a lot of checks and balances that come with that, there’s 285 standards in the accreditation process,” said Turner. “It’s not us proving to us that we’re doing the right thing. It’s the state of Florida, and other agencies coming in, looking at us and making sure that we’re doing it not only in driving, but also in arrests and how we prosecute, how we investigate crimes, how we provide public safety initiatives.”

After his presentation, Kiwanis Club members shared their questions and ideas. They focused on their desire to get to know new officers and trusting them as a part of the community.

Town Commissioner Gary Coffin and his wife are new members of the Kiwanis Club and were excited for their first meeting. Talha Siddique and his wife, Kristen Truong, were visiting from the Bradenton Kiwanis Club. Siddique is running for county commissioner in District 3 of Manatee County.

Longboat Kiwanis meetings are held monthly until September, at which point they are held bi-monthly for the duration of the season.

“We usually have very interesting speakers. We try to have them at least pertain to the town,” said Garey. “I definitely take input from the members. I think this is the third time (Turner) has spoken to our group over the years. He is definitely one of the popular ones.”

5608

Night on the Plaza

Summer Night Out at Whitney Beach Plaza provided an opportunity to support local small businesses and mingle with neighboring Longboat residents.

Driftwood Beach Home and Garden and Design 2000 Salon hosted the monthly event July 20.

Irina Bronstein, co-owner of Design 2000 Salon, shared that the first one went wonderfully so they will continue Summer Night Out each month.

“The way it started was somebody was shopping in (Driftwood Beach Home and Garden) and said, ‘I’m new to this area, so it would be nice to meet more people and have things to do in the summer. It’s so quiet. There’s really not a lot of events,’” said Bronstein. “So we thought this would be good for the shopping center, and it would be good for people to make new friends, find out who their neighbors are and shop and have some food in the process.”

The neighboring shops partnered with other businesses in Whitney Beach Plaza. Visitors began at Driftwood Beach Home and Garden, where they were served prosecco and homemade cookies made by owner Heather Rippy’s daughter, Lark Rippy.

Then they walked to Design 2000 Salon to chat and eat pizza from Ventura’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar and cheesecake from Elegant Lady Cheesecake Parlor. In honor of the event, Ventura’s Italian Kitchen extended its happy hour until 9 p.m.

Barbara Gurchiek has lived on Longboat Key for 23 years. Gurchiek said that she is friends with Heather Rippy and loves to attend these events that showcase the value of community in Longboat.

“I love to share what I like with my community,” said Heather Rippy. “A lot of people move here and don’t know anybody. So events like these are a really neat place to meet people who share common interests. It’s kind of different.”

— PETRA RIVERA

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SUNDAY, JULY 30

MUSIC BY CHAD TALLMAN

Noon-3 p.m. at Whitney’s 6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Enjoy the musical performance of New York native Chad Tallman over a meal. The guitarist and singer plays all styles of rock, pop and some jazz. Tallman provides the perfect atmosphere for a memorable time at Whitney’s with loved ones.

Recurring Events

MONDAYS STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. This class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS

LORD’S WAREHOUSE

THRIFT STORE

The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.

TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS

LONGBOAT LIBRARY

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays. 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 383-2011.

TUESDAYS

QI GONG

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Qi gong is a mind-body-spirit practice designed to improve mental and physical health. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

YOGA

From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debbie Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $15; free for members. Call 383-6493.

MAHJONG

From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Fun time for experienced players. To check

BEST BET SATURDAY, JULY 29

WORLD MANGROVE DAY

FAMILY CELEBRATION availability at the tables, email Amy@ TheParadiseCenter.org.

From 9 a.m. to noon at Sarasota Sailing Squadron, 1717 Ken Thompson Parkway. Free. Celebrate World Mangrove Day at this family friendly festival. Bring family and friends for sun prints, stand-up paddleboard lessons, live music and more. Food will be provided by Big Blue Grilled Cheese Co. and The Chill Mobile food trucks. Suncoast Waterkeeper will be launching its new citizen pollution monitoring program, Eyes on the Suncoast, and christening its new patrol boat at 11:30 a.m. RSVP online at SuncoastWaterkeeper.org.

ROTARY CLUB

Meets at 5 p.m. on first and third Tuesdays in All Angels Parish Hall, 563 Bay Isles Road. To learn more, call Nancy Rozance at 203-605-4066 or email Info@ LongboatKeyRotary.org.