Longboat Observer 7.27.23

YOUR TOWN

St. Armands streets need a

The options are?

100 and counting

A 20-year resident of Longboat Key, Pennie Williams celebrated her 100th birthday on July 20 at a dinner with her family.

A bigger celebration was held on July 22 at the Sarasota Senior Friendship Center. Seventy-five family members and friends came from around the country to be with her.

Originally from Rhode Island, Williams is a dedicated member of the Longboat Key community and its surrounding areas. Her passion for many years was performing at the Sarasota Senior Theatre.

She passed along her passion for the arts to her relatives. Her daughter Barbara Bostic acted with Williams at the Sarasota Senior Theatre and her granddaughter is a country singer in Nashville.

Bostic arranged for Williams’ friends from the theater to provide entertainment at the party. Singing and dancing filled the room, but Williams’ smile sparkled the most, showing her appreciation for being surrounded by her loved ones on her special day.

Art that heals

Mary Lou Johnson’s photography can be seen at various locations around Longboat Key, whether it’s being sold at Publix or hanging as a mural in the Longboat Key Club. This year she celebrates the 10th anniversary of her book, “The Lure of Longboat Key.”

The book sold out in eight months after its first printing in 2013.

Now, Johnson is always looking for new media, whether it’s drone photography or printing on metal. She has won numerous photography competitions, the biggest of which got her work displayed in Times Square.

Johnson is a retired psychologist, but said she has been taking pictures all her life. She applies similar theories to her photography as she did in her practice.

“It just feels good to be out in nature,” Johnson said. “Nature heals us.”

Turtle tracks

Courtesy photo

Pennie Williams celebrates her 100th birthday.

“There are very few islands in the state of Florida that are consistently named like Longboat Key is.”

— Gail Loefgren, Chamber of Commerce President

Island life at its best

Longboat Key continues to impress tourists, recently ranking No. 7 on Travel + Leisure’s list, Best Islands in the Continental U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Gail Loefgren said this is not something new for Longboat Key. Longboat Key has been known as a high-end destination for years and has earned similar awards frequently since around 2016, she said.

“There are very few islands in the state of Florida that are consistently named like Longboat Key is,” Loefgren said.

Loefgren said rankings like this are important for destination advertising. The Chamber of Commerce

sends advertising to places it knows a lot of visitors come from, such as Georgia, Alabama and sometimes as far north as New York.

Longboat Key receives revenue from tourism through the tourism development tax. In fiscal year 2024, the estimated revenue from the tax for Sarasota County is $794,702 and for Manatee County is $500,000.

Travel + Leisure’s island rankings are based on five core criteria: natural attractions/beaches, activities/ sights, restaurants/food, people/ friendliness and value. Readers are sent a survey and asked to rate each category on a scale from excellent to poor. Scores are averaged to obtain the final results.

A recent surge in ecotourism is something Loefgren said attracts visitors to Longboat Key. Kayak and

ALL THE WINNERS

bike rentals allow visitors to explore Longboat’s natural environment, whether it’s the coastal mangroves or Joan M. Durante Park and the chance to see wildlife there.

Another key attractor, according to Loefgren, is the cultural attractions of two counties. Tourists on Longboat Key can take a drive to either Manatee or Sarasota County and go to events like plays, operas and museums.

“But it’s still all about the water, always will be,” Loefgren said. “But people are finding more and more things to do.”

With the town center nearing completion, Loefgren thinks that will generate even more interest for tourists through events like a summer concert series.

Aside from the events, though, Longboat Key is unique from neighboring destinations because of its quiet atmosphere.

“People come to Longboat Key, they tell me, because it’s beautiful, quiet and if they stay on the island the traffic isn’t bad,” Loefgren said. “So they enjoy the peaceful nature and beauty of Longboat Key.”

New rankings from Travel + Leisure place Longboat Key among the top 10 best U.S. islands.

Longboat Key receives revenue from both Manatee and Sarasota counties through the tourism development tax.

Photos by Carter Weinhofer

Birds like this juvenile yellow-crowned night heron can be found by exploring Longboat Key’s natural attractions like Durante Park.

ATTRACTING KEY WORKERS

experience the traffic firsthand while driving to the interviews, she said.

traffic is bad and they should wait.

For some Longboat Key businesses, it’s not easy finding people who want to wait tables or stock shelves on one of the top-ranked islands in the United States.

The industries that keep Longboat Key running are backed by a workforce mostly made up of employees commuting from off the island. Many business owners share the struggles of finding workers that are willing to commute, especially during the busy season.

The town of Longboat Key experienced its own struggles filling vacancies, most recently in the Police and Fire Rescue departments. Both the police and fire chiefs, along with Town Manager Howard Tipton, realized the town had fallen out of a competitive salary range. This led to reevaluating contacts and ratifying new union contracts for both departments. The contracts reduce the number of steps between salary raises and provide more substantial retirement benefits for the police department.

In addition, the department has paid attention to how it can add perks for the job. For example, Human Resources Manager Lisa Silvertooth said she noticed an increase in applications since the department brought on more take-home vehicles for police officers.

When hiring town employees during the season, Silvertooth said it’s tough. Potential candidates

“I always stress to all of my new hires. I don’t hide it,” Silvertooth said. “I let everyone know that the end of January through April it’s busy. You don’t make your doctor’s appointment in February, March or April because you won’t make it there.”

Silvertooth mentioned that some of her general employees can work a day or two remotely, which helps at times. She’s also recently been hiring more temps that work less than 20 hours a week. These employees are usually residents, which Silvertooth said alleviates traffic concerns.

Additionally, Silvertooth said a couple of years ago the town entered a deal with Longboat Key Fitness on Bay Isles Parkway. Town employees were then more inclined to use the gym close to work rather than try to hit the road at 5 p.m. when traffic may be heaviest.

BUILDING A BUSINESS

Debra Murphy opened Ventura’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar in Whitney Beach Plaza in November 2022. The space was previously Bayou Tavern, but Murphy bought the business and continued the lease in the building.

With buying the business, some staff carried over, but Murphy still had to hire a lot of workers.

“When I first opened, I was really struggling to find staff,” Murphy said. “I was advertising on Indeed, using every social media platform that I could. It was ridiculous to try and get people to come work out here.”

During those tougher times, Murphy said she relied on friends and family to get things started. Her son came over from Miami with friends, her husband bussed tables and friends that lived on the Key were bartending and bussing. Murphy even flew her mother in to be her hostess.

Now, she said she has a great staff, though everyone is part-time because it’s seasonal. She worries a lot less now, though.

Murphy said the hours she expects staff to come in work well with the peak traffic times. She said everyone comes in around noon or 1 p.m. By that time, she said most people are already on the beach. Then, as long as her staff leaves around 8 or 9 p.m., they don’t have too many traffic problems. Sometimes, though, she said the first employee to leave will signal the others to let them know if

“It’s hard out here, it really is,” Murphy said.

The commute, though, is one of the biggest drawback in finding staff, according to Murphy. If workers are coming from the north end, traffic is usually worse. Murphy herself commutes from Bradenton, and has staff from Bradenton, Palmetto and Parrish. A bartender from Parrish, Danelle Madigan, could have anywhere from a 45-minute to an hourand-a-half commute when not in season.

One way Murphy got people to work at Ventura’s was higher pay.

“I have to pay more to staff than I would if I was on the mainland,” she said.

Murphy heard from other local restaurateurs that paying staff well is the key to hiring and keeping staff. But this means that profit margins are lower.

Another drawback Murphy sees is the lack of public transportation through Longboat Key. There’s no public transportation on weekends, and the shuttles that do run during the week don’t operate late enough, she said. There are shuttles available in both Manatee and Sarasota County on demand, but Murphy said that’s not ideal for staff in a restaurant business.

She said she would love to see a water taxi, and thinks there’s a lot of potential either by Whitney Beach Plaza or other docks nearby.

Sharon Haas is one of Murphy’s employees who, as Hass puts it, “came with the building.” Haas started working there about two years ago because she liked the restaurant. She said she likes it even more now, especially working with Murphy. Haas lives on the island, so traffic really isn’t an issue for her.

“During season, traffic is horrendous,” she said. “If worst came to worst, I could walk or I could ride my bike.”

Owner of The Lazy Lobster Michael Garey said he has felt similar pressures from traffic. Staffing on Longboat Key is something he is passionate about.

“Let’s face it, you move (to Longboat) for the lifestyle,” Garey said. “That lifestyle is created by the workforce.”

Over the years, Garey needed to implement changes to the business’ hours of operation to help his staff. He said the restaurant used to be open during season from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., but about a year ago he changed the hours to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Most of the workers were coming from Bradenton, and he said getting them in earlier was key to avoid them sitting in traffic for hours.

Garey also recalled struggles opening for Sunday lunch in the past.

He said there were a couple times when the Cortez Bridge malfunctioned, leaving his workers stuck on the opposite side. The Lazy Lobster couldn’t open for lunch service then, and Garey had to modify his Sunday hours of operation.

“All those changes were done proactively with the workforce in mind,” Garey said.

WORTH THE DRIVE Sebastian Villaseca started at The Lazy Lobster eight years ago as a server. At that time, he was living near Cortez and sometimes had to face the long seasonal traffic.

Now, Villaseca has two years under his belt as head chef and lives in Apollo Beach. Without traffic, it’s about an 80-minute commute, he said. There have been times when it’s taken him three hours to get to work.

As head chef, Villaseca said he has to be at work around 10 a.m. and leaves around 8 or 9 p.m. during the season, from October to May. He said there are other chefs there as early as 7 a.m. to prepare for the day.

Being in charge of the kitchen, there have been many times Villaseca received calls of employees coming in late due to traffic. Many of his cooks have two jobs as well, and traffic can sometimes make it difficult to get to that next job, he said.

He also recalled some times when workers would be hired, but then realized after a week of work that the drive was too far.

Despite the sometimes hours of commuting, Villaseca said the job makes everything worth it. If he doesn’t have to take a day off, he won’t.

“I really enjoy cooking. I enjoy making people happy,” Villaseca said.

He said he has a family feeling with his coworkers, and really enjoys working with the team. The atmosphere of the restaurant is another thing he likes, being a part of the relationship between the restaurant and its regulars.

And, of course, he said driving past the beaches is a hard view to beat.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

“When I first opened, I was really struggling to find staff. I was advertising on Indeed, using every social media platform that I could. It was ridiculous to try and get people to come work out here.”

Debra Murphy, owner, Ventura’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar

The town of Longboat Key and private businesses struggle to find ways to encourage people to work on the island.

Carter Weinhofer Danelle Madigan is a new bartender at Ventura’s. She lives in Parrish and has yet to experience peak season traffic.

Neighborhood water woes persist

Two neighborhoods have long faced drainage issues. A committee and the town are working to realize improvement.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Drainage has been a long-standing issue in certain areas of Longboat Key, specifically in the Sleepy Lagoon and Buttonwood neighborhoods.

“When I started the drainage committee, I saw a kayak go down Marbury Lane. Kayaks should not be going down roads,” said June McGroary, former president of the Sleepy Lagoon Homeowners Association and one of the founders of its drainage committee.

To continue to address drainage problems, the town has allocated funds in fiscal year 2024 and the town’s long-range plan.

In the 2024 fiscal year budget, the town of Longboat Key’s Streets Fund will provide most of the money for drainage-related projects. From that fund, there’s $1,035,040 allocated to the Village Stormwater Project, $467,000 to the Norton Street Improvements Design, $1,765,971 to the Stormwater Management/ Drainage Improvements and $36,035 to the Storm Drain Improvements.

An additional $147,821 will come from the Manatee Infrastructure Surtax to be allocated to streets projects. This includes $97,821 being carried over from the fiscal year 2023 budget, along with the regular annual allocation of $50,000.

The planned projects include raising the streets as well as improving drainage, and because of that, Public Works Director Isaac Brownman said the projects fall under the scope of resiliency. He said the town thinks the grant environment will be “pretty well-funded” for resiliency projects in the coming years.

“Right now, the town is doing our best to leverage other funding, other than local taxpayer money,” Brownman said. “There’s a lot of dollars being floated in federal and state budgets for grant opportunities to help with these types of projects.”

The town’s newly hired grant manager will also be tasked with working on additional grants throughout the years the projects will take place.

The town is working with planning and design consultants KimleyHorn for the design of the drainage projects. Each aspect of the project will have a design and a build phase, said Blythe Jeffers, drainage committee member. For the Sleepy Lagoon

neighborhood, there are four phases. The phases are ordered by priority, but it’s also necessary to complete them in a particular sequence. Raising one street will force water to drain into others, so the design needs to be thoughtful in its approach.

One of the main problems with the streets in both neighborhoods is that they are inconsistent, McGroary said. Streets go from having one drain to seven. Every road is different, so when addressing drainage issues, it’s necessary to treat each one differently, McGroary said. Norton Street and Bayview Drive in Sleepy Lagoon are among the worst streets for flooding in summer and

fall, according to McGroary. During extreme king tides, she said it’s nearly impossible for people to go down those streets.

The Buttonwood area is split into six different projects. Brownman said some projects will help with drainage, others with resilience and water quality.

The first three are Buttonwood Drive and Winslow Place road reconstruction, flow diversion and ditch optimization. Those three are tied together, Brownman said, and will really help the overall roadway and drainage. Recent grant applications address those projects.

“If we’re able to accomplish those

first three projects, that’s a big win for the Buttonwood neighborhood,” Brownman said.

Brownman said the drainage projects are set to be phased over a five to 10-year period, and the town hopes to complete all projects within that window.

CLOSE COOPERATION

The town’s Public Works Department has a close working relationship with the drainage committee.

The drainage committee appoints “captains” to each street in the neighborhood. The captains walk down streets during floods, assess the issues and submit reports to Public Works. The committee also is active by going to town meetings, reviewing budgets and attending the town’s goals and objectives workshops.

In the drainage committee’s most recent meeting with town staff in mid-July, the committee asked some questions of town staff about the budget. The committee was satisfied with the results of the meeting, Jeffers said. When analyzing the budget, it’s important to also look ahead, you have to be looking at more than just the upcoming year, since these projects take multiple years, Jeffers said.

“We’re confident that the town is going to continue its commitment to us to have these projects done to ensure residents’ safety and that the town will include the matching funds and fiscal budgets for the long range plan,” Jeffers said.

Previously, the drainage committee worked closely with the town to make improvements to Lyons Lane. According to McGroary, residents could not pass through or park in that area for at least 10 years due to the drainage issues.

In 2020, new types of drainage valves called WaStop Inline Check Valves were installed, and in 2021, the street was raised.

“As of today, that street is passable,” McGroary said.

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Buttonwood Harbour and Sleepy Lagoon neighborhoods are among those most prone to flooding during high tide.

St. Armands makeover options

ST. ARMANDS IMPROVEMENT OPTIONS

COMPLETE STREET

n Project development and environmental study and design 100% funded by city.

ANDREW

WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

At eye level, St. Armands Circle attracts local residents and tourists alike as a quaint, upscale seaside shopping, dining and entertainment village. But at ground level and below, nearly every aspect of the infrastructure is showing its age with no significant updates and improvements made in half a century.

With city budget season in full swing, St. Armands Business Improvement District Board of Directors Chairman Tom Leonard appeared before the Sarasota City Commission on July 17, asking that the city embark on a $15 million streetscape project to address a number of issues, not the least of which are noncompliant sidewalk and handicapped parking conditions.

A streetscape plan was one of three options presented by city staff during an April 18 St. Armands Complete Streets workshop. The other two options are a $45 million-plus project that would address underground and surface upgrades, or do nothing at all. Neither the complete streets nor streetscape projects are currently funded, nor is a time frame envisioned for when they might be.

“We’re supposed to be the premier shopping district,” Leonard said, adding that a trip to St. Armands is the first or second thing visitors do when they arrive. “Yet we have curbs and sidewalks that are uneven and unsafe. So we’re just saying let’s get something done. St. Armands has had minimal improvements over the past 50 years and is in need of immediate improvements to compete with the region’s other premier shopping

areas.”

The complete streets option covers the primary corridors over the entire key and includes multimodal and transit accommodations; landscaping, hardscaping and lighting; fiber connectivity; enhanced pedestrian crossings; parking reconfiguration; drainage and stormwater resiliency.

The streetscape plan would be limited to the business district and includes multimodal and transit accommodations; landscaping, hardscaping and lighting; enhanced pedestrian crossings; curb replacement; and drainage improvements.

Commissioners offered little input about Leonard’s request for immediate relief. Vice Mayor Liz Alpert did seek clarity that commissioners were only being asked to receive the BID’s report at this time.

“This is just the board report and just accepting, OK? Because I don’t agree with any of the suggestions,” Alpert said. “I think it’s short-sighted for what I think is needed.”

The complete street exploration was prompted by the Florida

Department of Transportation’s plans to rebuild or rehab Little Ringling Bridge between Bird Key Drive and Sarasota Harbour West. Funding for both the project development and environmental study and design phases is included in the FDOT’s Tentative Five-Year Work Program. The project is also included in the FDOT State Transportation Improvement Program through fiscal year 2026. Right-of-way and construction phases, though, are not currently funded.

“The complete streets plan is to connect that portion, which would include a multiuse trail, and connect it from there to all the way into St. Armands, and also look at the drainage, the resiliency factors and traffic operations around the circle and the parking situation,” said City Engineer Nik Patel. While the streetscape option will address cosmetic and some surface infrastructure issues, Patel said he expects some hesitancy to potentially throw good money after bad because, eventually, the underground work will become nec-

essary. That would mean tearing up cosmetic improvements that disrupt the circle for two to three years to do it all over again.

“That’s the challenge. You do this project, you spend all this money and then the infrastructure, electrical systems and drainage cause more issues,” Patel said. “The longterm fix will have to happen, so the question is spend the money now and spend some more money later or just spend the money now to do it completely? That’s a commission decision to make.”

As a representative of the commercial property owners on St. Armands Circle, Leonard told commissioners that improvements to benefit the business district, for which the BID has set aside a contribution of $600,000, are his primary concern.

“We really are concerned with just St. Armands Circle and that’s what our focus should be,” Leonard said. “That’s why we’re trying to do this downsized version.”

n Project will follow Federal and FDOT requirements, and seek federal grant for construction.

n Project cost $45 million-plus.

n 10-15 years to complete.

n Project lifecycle 30-plus years.

STREETSCAPE

n Project development and environmental study and design 100% funded by city.

n Seek metropolitan planning organization funds for construction.

n Project costs $15 millon-plus. n 2-3 years to complete.

n Project lifecycle 10-plus years.

St. Armands Business Improvement District pitches ‘scaled down’ complete streets project.

Courtesy photos

Trip hazards and narrow sidewalks are among the mobility issues at St. Armands Key.

SATURDAY, JULY 15

JUMPING JUVENILES

1:51 p.m., 7200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Juvenile Problem: A Longboat

Key marine patrol unit was sent to Longboat Pass Bridge to locate six juveniles jumping from the bridge into the water. On arrival, the officer checked all around the bridge but was unable to locate the youths. Police contacted the bridge tender, who also confirmed the jumpers were gone.

MONDAY, JULY 17

BOAT IN DISTRESS

12:31 p.m., Sarasota Bay

Boat-Miscellaneous: Marine patrol was dispatched to waters north of the John Ringling Bridge to assist an overturned personal watercraft. At the scene, the officer saw a good samaritan had brought one of the boaters on board, and the other boater was attempting to upright the overturned watercraft. The marine patrol officer assisted in uprighting the watercraft and was able to help the boaters stabilize it. The watercraft was able to make it to the boat ramp successfully with a police escort.

TUESDAY, JULY 18

GUESTS ALLOWED?

1:59 p.m., 1000 block of Longboat Club Road

Citizen Dispute: Officers were called to respond to a disturbance. The officer met with the caller on the scene, who said there were about 10 people on the beach that were not supposed to be there. It was then realized that they were guests of a tenant.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

PRIVATE BEACH CHAIR

1:58 p.m., 1000 block of Longboat Club Road

Trespassing: A resident called police to report a suspicious person.The property manager said there was a female on the property who was sitting on a private beach chair. The property manager asked the female to leave because the chair was on private property, but the female refused. Officers went to investigate, but could not locate the trespasser.

GOLF CART CONFUSION

1 p.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Citizen Assist: Longboat Key vacationers with a golf cart flagged down a police officer because they were concerned. The two vacationers told the officer that they were renting a property on the island and didn’t know if they were allowed to drive the golf cart that far down the island. The vacationers and officer contacted the vacation rental owner, who said maybe she didn’t explain the golf cart laws clearly enough. The vacationers made arrangements with a tow company.

THURSDAY, JULY 20

BIRD EMERGENCY

1:45 p.m., 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Animal Complaint: While driving on Gulf of Mexico Drive, an officer witnessed a white bird fly in front of an SUV. The SUV was unable to stop in time and struck the bird. Due to wing injuries, the bird was unable to fly away. Police contacted Save Our Seabirds, which sent a rescuer to pick up the bird.

WASTING WATER

11 p.m., 7000 block of Longboat Drive North Citizen Assist: Police were called to respond to an active water hose. On scene, police were able to locate the hose that had been left on and successfully turned it off.

Life-saving collection

“There

for everyone. The donors receive

satisfaction of potentially saving a life, and the recipients receive this

gift in their time of need.”

— CARTER WEINHOFER

Longboat Key blood drive receives enough donations to save as many as 39 lives.

Photos by Carter Weinhofer SunCoast Blood Centers parked the “Blood Vessel” outside of Town Hall on July 19 and collected 13 units of blood.

Longboat Key Chief of Police George Turner tries to donate blood every time the town hosts a drive, he said.

WIPE IT CLEAN

“Now we got to the point where we put a roll of toilet paper in every food bag that we give out. We give over 300 bags every Friday,” said Tischer.

“We’ll spend about $5,000 on toilet paper. So this right here, it’s such a gift to us.”

Feel the burn without the heat

Longboat Key has several indoor fitness options, but Pilates has been growing in popularity, both in and out of season.

becoming instructors. The pair have had many clients who started taking lessons and then wanted to become instructors themselves. On Performance Pilates’ packed schedule, the classes highlighted in blue are taught by instructors-in-training.

PETRA RIVERA

STAFF WRITER

Longboat Island Chapel wiped it clean at its monthly charity event on July 18.

This month, the charitable outreach committee collected toilet paper at its “Wipe It Clean” event to donate to Stillpoint Mission. Stillpoint Mission is located in Bradenton and provides food, diapers, clothes and utility bill assistance for those in need.

President of Stillpoint Mission

Gene Tischer said that toilet paper was their most requested item but that people never think of it as something to donate. He loaded up his truck full of toilet paper to take back to Stillpoint Mission after the event.

Lesley Rife, who is a member of the chapel’s charitable outreach committee, had a connection with Stillpoint Mission and shared what Tischer told her at the chapel.

“I told the committee, charitable outreach, ‘This is the most requested item, toilet paper.’ Sandra, who is a hoot, just ran with it.”

Sandra Johnson hosted the event and loved making it as creative as possible. She used toilet paper as flower vases and table runners, put up vintage toilet paper ads and decorated the room with emojis relating to the theme.

“Once you have the theme, the rest is really built around it,” said Johnson. “So I could have done it all in brown and dry, but I decided to do colors and make it fun.”

The committee provided a spread of different food, drinks and desserts. Everyone who attended brought multiple packages of toilet paper and then enjoyed the company of their peers. Community charity events like these are a staple at the Longboat Island Chapel. Members said it makes them feel connected to local charities and their church community as well.

Brenda Price said, “We feel like we did something great and had a great time doing it as well.”

WORSHIP directory

Pickleball may be all the rage for outdoor recreation, but there are other ways Longboat Key residents stay active while avoiding the 90-degree weather. One of the most popular: Pilates.

In Whitney Beach Plaza, one of the recent additions is Performance Pilates, opened by Emily and Mike Condensa. Originally starting their business in Georgia, the couple wanted to expand to a studio on Longboat about two years ago. Since then, business has been nonstop, they said.

For the first few months before moving, the couple commuted to Longboat. On Wednesday evenings, they would pack their car in Georgia, drive south, and be ready to instruct classes in Longboat the next morning. Then on Sunday afternoons, they would pack up the car in Longboat and return to Georgia just to repeat the cycle a few days later.

During the season, the Condensas said business is “super crazy,” and still busy during the summer.

“I think it’s great because it’s so hot out there,” Emily Condensa said.

Mike Condensa knows the name of every person that walks through the doors. He manages the calendar on the whiteboard behind his desk and proudly wears a shirt dubbing him the “Front Desk Guy.” He’s also an instructor for the Fuse Pilates Class.

Emily Condensa is a master instructor, meaning she is able to certify others who are interested in

Pilates can help with flexibility, strength and balance according to Emily Condensa. Classes at Performance Pilates utilize many different techniques across several different machines. The studio is unique because of its high number of Cadillac machines, a type of Pilates apparatus. According to Mike, at least 90% of Pilates studios won’t have a class that focuses just on the Cadillac machine.

There are clients that come in every day that Performance Pilates is open, the Condensas said. Janice Fior is one of the frequent clients. She used to be a skeptic, she said, but now attends classes about four times a week.

“I can’t stop,” Fior said. “I feel better.”

The Condensas have plenty of clients who talk about health benefits since starting Pilates. Irene Vassilaros has been going to Performance Pilates since the studio opened, and now Pilates is her main source of fitness. Pilates has greatly improved her balance, she said.

A single drop-in class at Performance Pilates costs $30, but Mike Condensa said it’s more common for people to buy the sessions in packs. But for the Condensas, it isn’t about the money.

“We’re not here to be rich,” Mike Condensa said. “We’re doing this to help the people.”

More than a decade since the start of the business, Emily Condensa enjoys being able to help people and see the benefit Pilates can have.

“I’ve seen amazing results with it,” Emily Condensa said. “People don’t realize they need it until they try it.”

To learn more about our Temple and all our educational, cultural, and social programs, please call us. We’d be delighted to talk with you.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Carter Weinhofer

Emily Condensa instructs a Pilates Aligned session using the CoreAlign machine.

Longboat Island Chapel charity event collects a truckload of toilet paper.

Longboat Island Chapel collected toilet paper to donate to Stillpoint Mission.

Photos by Petra Rivera

Gene Tischer and Lesley Rife

Nancy Morgan, Mona Schonbrunn, Donna Heffner, Greg Fiore, Judy and Gordon Govalet

LONGBOAT

What we do matters

While some say artificial intelligence poses threats to the media, Florida newspapers remain strong with local journalism reporting human experiences and connections — something AI will never do as we do.

the content that matters to you, our readers. Just take some of the award-winning content produced by our staff recently honored as the best in the state of Florida (see box).

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Last week, more than 350 Florida media executives gathered at the Westin for the Florida Media Conference to share ideas, learn new innovative solutions, network and celebrate great journalism.

From the looks of it, you would not have guessed the print media industry is struggling. The conference consisted of members from five organizations — Florida Press Association, Florida Advertising and Marketing Executives, Florida Magazine Association, Florida Society of News Editors and Florida Press Educational Services.

The scene was a stark difference from what is happening elsewhere. Press associations across the U.S. are struggling to survive with dwindling memberships as news deserts increase across the country.

Recently, the Florida Press Association was alerted that the Arizona Press Association was shutting down altogether, with its remaining few members merging into the Arizona Broadcast Association, whose membership is composed of TV and radio stations.

The conference in Sarasota marked the culmination of my tenure as chair of the Florida Press Association board of directors. I was proud to be ending my term amid a thriving and still growing print media industry here in Florida. With 188 members, 159 of which are active print and online media sources, our membership is growing with independent and family-owned operations, much like our Observer Media Group Inc.

Leadership of the organization

The Florida Press Association categorizes the state’s weekly newspapers on the basis of circulation. Division A is for newspapers with circulation of 15,000 or more. Division B is for circulation of 4,000-15,000. Division C is for circulation less than 4,000.

The following are the Observer Media Group’s winners at the Longboat Observer, SarasotaSiesta Key Observer, East County Observer and Business Observer.

Altogether, the Observer Media Group’s papers won 71 awards, including 21 first-place awards.

The company’s SarasotaManatee papers won 32 awards.

The company also publishes the West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, Palm Coast Observer and the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Website Excellence

n First Place - YourObserver. com.

n Second Place – BusinessObserverFL.com

Overall Graphic Design

n Division A: Third Place - East County Observer, Melissa Leduc

Page Design

n Division B: First Place - Longboat Observer, José Valle

n Division A: First Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Melissa Leduc

n Second Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, José Valle

n Third Place - East County Observer, Melissa Leduc

is now in the hands of Emerald Greene, publisher of Greene Publishing Inc. in Madison.

Greene’s father, Tommy Greene, chaired the FPA board of directors in 1976. Passing on the leadership of FPA from one multigenerational family to another marks the association’s storied history and continued legacy into the future. Matt Walsh, my father and Observer Media Group’s founder, served as FPA board chair from 2012-13, exactly 10 years before me. The legacy of the 144-year-old association is important to many families in Florida. Not just the families that own and operate newspapers, but the families of our employees, customers and communities we serve. Because what we do matters.

Much like the dawn of the internet in the late 1990s, the media industry has a new challenge — AI. Artificial intelligence has dominated the news the past few weeks and was a key theme in sessions at the Florida Media Conference — from how to use AI and ChatGPT to drive ad sales, to its use in recruitment and journalism.

Sarasota native Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise at the Poynter Institute, served as a panelist on one of the AI sessions.

At MediaWise, Mahadevan trains Gen Z, college students and seniors in digital media literacy and fact-

checking skills.

He began the session sharing how he prompted AI to put together his professional bio, which said that he had worked for the Sarasota HeraldTribune for 15 years as the retail editor. Close, but not accurate. In fact, Mahadevan worked for the Observer Media Group for six years in various roles in digital media, last serving as the News Innovation Editor.

Before the conference day began, Mahadevan went for a morning run and ended up at Pastry Art on Main Street where he knew he would find a group of Sarasota stalwarts discussing current events. He asked them what they would think if the newspaper started printing stories and content generated by AI and ChatGPT. They were all horrified at the notion.

So are we. Horrified, indeed. He did share that AI and ChatGPT could make a reporter’s job more efficient. Reporters today don’t just write stories; they also take pictures, write multiple headlines for search engine optimization (SEO), post stories on social media and more. ChatGPT could help save time generating different headlines for SEO and help craft emails for public records searches, but the drawbacks for generating content still outweigh the benefits.

Surely, AI could not generate

Best Obituary

n Division B: First Place - Business Observer, Mark Gordon.

n Second Place - Business Observer, Mark Gordon

Outdoor & Recreation

n Division A: Second PlaceSarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Eric Garwood

n Third Place - East County Observer, Jay Heater

Best Headline

n Division A: First Place - East County Observer, Jay Heater

Sports Column

n Division A: First Place - East County Observer, Ryan Kohn

n Second Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Ryan Kohn

Sports Page or Section

n Division A: First Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Ryan Kohn, José Valle

Sports Spot News Story

n Division A: First Place - East County Observer, Ryan Kohn

n Second Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Ryan Kohn

Sports Photo n Division A: Second PlaceEast County Observer, Ryan Kohn

Portfolio Photography (Robert J. Ellison Memorial Award)

n Division A: Third Place - East County Observer, Jay Heater

Photo n Division A: Third Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Harry Sayer

Division

Third Place - East County Observer, Ian Swaby

No computer or code would know the meaningfulness of roses presented by the players of the Lakewood Ranch High School baseball team to a Lakewood Ranch woman recovering from breast cancer. Only a human could uncover and write in an obituary about a $60 million corporation’s CEO personally cooking lunch from lasagna to sushi to celebrate his 600 employees’ birthdays.

Or how $75 helped take two Bradenton sisters from making chicken sandwiches on their mother’s patio to generating $1 million in revenue. ChatGPT would not know that the canceling of a $30 million theater project for The Players Centre of Performing Arts in Lakewood Ranch was breaking news.

Surely, a computer would not know how nine new cellphone towers would solve the woes of residents on the north end of Longboat Key who have had spotty cell service for more than two decades.

And most certainly, AI would not produce the best hurricane breaking news coverage in the state like the staff of the East County Observer ChatGPT would not have known how to keep our readers informed up to the minute from when we thought we were in the direct path of Hurricane Ian through its aftermath.

Only we do. And we know what matters to you.

While we may lean into technology to help make us more efficient or create tools to make our information more useful to you, we promise always to stay true to our mission to inspire our communities with extraordinary local content and to help our partners prosper.

It’s the connections we make together, telling human stories of hope and inspiration that fuel our local communities and will fill the pages of local media in Florida for another 144 years to come.

Hurricane Feature Story

n Division A: Second PlaceEast County Observer, Liz Ramos

Feature Story: Non-profile

n Division A: Third Place - East County Observer, Ian Swaby

Feature Story: Profile

n Division B: First PlaceBusiness Observer, Louis Llovio

Agricultural & Environmental Reporting

n Division B: Third Place - Longboat Observer, Lauren Tronstad

n Division A: Second PlaceEast County Observer, Jay Heater

State & Local Tax Reporting (The TaxWatch Award)

n Third Place - Longboat Observer, Eric Garwood

Business Reporting

n Division B: First Place - Business Observer, Amanda Postma

n Third Place - Business Observer, Staff

n Division A: Second PlaceEast County Observer, Jay Heater

n Third Place - Sarasota - Siesta Key Observer, Andrew Warfield

Roads & Transportation

n Division B: Third Place - Longboat Observer, Eric Garwood

Education Feature

n Division A: Third Place - East County Observer, Liz Ramos

Education News

n Division A: Third Place - East County Observer, Liz Ramos

President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

Managing Editor / James Peter, JPeter@YourObserver.com

Staff Writers / Petra Rivera, PRivera@ YourObserver.com; Carter Weinhofer, CWeinhofer@YourObserver.com

Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com

Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com

Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com

Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com

Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com

Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com

Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com

Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com

Sales Coordinator/Account Manager / Lori Downey, LDowney @YourObserver.com

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com

Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com

Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com

Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com

Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com

Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com

Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana

Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com

Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com

Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

n In-Depth Reporting (NonInvestigative)

n Division B: First Place - Business Observer, Mark Gordon

Investigative Reporting (Claudia Ross Memorial Award)

n Division B: Third Place - Business Observer, Louis Llovio and staff

Breaking News Story

n Division A: First Place - East County Observer, Jay Heater

Hurricane Breaking News Coverage

n First Place - East County Observer, Staff

General News Story (Gwen

Stevenson Memorial Award)

n Division B: First Place - Longboat Observer, Eric Garwood

Hurricane Coverage- General News Story

n Division BC: Second Place - Business Observer, Louis Llovio

n Division A: Second PlaceEast County Observer, Staff

Humorous Column

n Division A: Third Place - East County Observer, Jay Heater

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned.

Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

CEO / Matt Walsh

President / Emily Walsh

Vice President / Lisa Walsh

Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles

1970 Main St. Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

EMILY WALSH

Courtesy photo

Sarasota native Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise at Poynter Institute, and Julian Placino, chief recruitment and marketing officer of Pathways to Success, discuss how AI and ChatGPT can be used in journalism and recruitment at the Florida Media Conference last week at the Westin.

PAINTING MARATHON: Sarasota artist Beck Lane shows love for Frida Kahlo.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Building a better ballerina

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

‘We are artists. We have to give illusions. We have to give the illusion that we’re floating across the stage,” Jennifer Welch Cudnik tells the young women in leotards and pink tights elevated by toe shoes as they rehearse in a studio near the SarasotaBradenton International Airport.

It’s 3 p.m. on a Friday summer day. The Sarasota Ballet School’s Summer Intensive recital is still two weeks away, so it’s forgivable if the buzz in the building on Tallevast Road surrounds a student trip the next day to entertainment wonderland Orlando.

While Welch Cudnik plays classical music on her iPhone, her young students appear mature and sophisticated as they bourrée, taking tiny steps across the room with gracefully outstretched arms. The next minute they look like children as they drop their ballerina masks, lean casually against the barre and await Welch Cudnik’s next instructions.

The new principal of the Sarasota Ballet School knows what it’s like to have one foot in the world of adolescent hijinks and the other clad in a toe shoe, ready to pirouette on stage in front of adoring audiences.

A native of St. Louis, Welch Cudnik was just 15 when she moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet, the education arm of the New York City Ballet. There she learned the repertory of iconic choreographer George Balanchine, or “Mr. B” for short, at the school that has produced ballet luminaries such as Suzanne Farrell, Jacques d’Amboise, Gelsey Kirkland and Darci Kistler.

At 46, Welch Cudnik is remarkably youthful. In her workout gear, she looks as slim and toned as her young students. Unlike the stereotype of the intimidating ballet mistress of yore, keeping time by rapping a cane and barking directions, Welch Cudnik comes across more like an older sorority sister.

She and her family, including a daughter studying at the Sarasota School of Ballet’s five-week summer session, have only been in town a few weeks. Welch Cudnik took over from the school’s previous principal Sarah Krazit, who wanted to focus more on her family as they relocated from the Gulf Coast.

When Welch Cudnik was studying

< Q+A: Broadway flop became fodder for Annie Morrison’s one-woman show. 13

A new principal takes the barre at the Sarasota Ballet School.

Photos by Mikenna Bowers

Jennifer Welch Cudnik demonstrates a pose to students in the Summer Intensive session of the Sarasota Ballet School.

Jennifer Welch Cudnik is the new principal of the Sarasota Ballet School.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. on July 27-28, 2 p.m. on July 28-29

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $30-$40

Info: Visit SarasotaBallet.org.

BALLERINA FROM PAGE 9

ballet in New York as a teen, she says she was in a “safe bubble” because she was living in a dorm with other dancers and had chaperones. The real test of her maturity came later, when she was 19 and moved to Philadelphia on her own to dance with what was then called the Pennsylvania Ballet. (The company rebranded in 2021 as the Philadelphia Ballet.)

“I wasn’t ready,” she confesses. Nevertheless, she made it through, dancing with both the Pennsylva-

nia Ballet and St. Louis Ballet for a decade. Given the level of professionalism that she embraced at such a young age, it’s not surprising to hear that Welch Cudnik took a break from dance for five years. Originally, Welch Cudnik believed she had quit but ballet called her back. She earned a master’s of fine arts in dance at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She has been involved in arts education for more than two decades, teaching in universities, dance schools, charter and public schools and community arts centers. Along the way she had two

daughters, now 13 and 8, and also cofounded and directed the nonprofit Ballet Initiative.

Welch Cudnik came to the attention of the Sarasota Ballet and its education director, Christopher Hird, and Deirdre Miles Burger, assistant education director, through her work at the Center for Creative Arts in St. Louis. COCA holds large auditions where students from the area can try out in front of representatives of dance companies and schools from all over the country.

“It was really through Dede that Jennifer came to Sarasota,” said Jason Ettore, Sarasota Ballet general manager, in an interview along with Welch Cudnik, in a computer lab where Sarasota Ballet School students do their homework during the academic year.

Timing and chemistry aside, one of the reasons why Welch Cudnik landed her new job is that she is a certified teacher in the American Ballet Theatre national training curriculum. The program has been used by the Sarasota Ballet School since the 2020-21 season, pandemic notwithstanding. Designed for all ages and skill levels, the ABT curriculum has been considered the gold standard for ballet training since 2006, when an act of Congress made the American Ballet Theatre the country’s national ballet company.

For students with their sights on a dance career, the Sarasota Ballet runs the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory.

It is overseen by Barbieri, a former prima ballerina with The Royal Ballet and assistant director of the Sarasota Ballet. During the 2023-24 academic year, 160 students in total are expected at the Sarasota Ballet School and the Conservatory.

While the nearly 200 students between 11 and 18 in the Sarasota Ballet School’s summer intensive get a rigorous training in nationally accepted ballet basics, they are also exposed to other dance styles like jazz funk and hip hop.

A partnership with Ringling College of Art and Design allows them to live in dorm rooms with fellow students, gaining some independence and allowing them to build social

skills sometimes lacking in today’s tech-obsessed youth.

The daughter of two teachers — her mom taught English and her dad taught history — Welch Cudnik has strong ideas about who can study dance. Asked to define her philosophy, she declares, “Anyone can learn ballet, from 2 to 82.” To be sure, she’s not saying it’s easy; she’s saying it can be done.

In addition to teaching the ABT curriculum, Welch Cudnik has served as a consultant to families whose children want to pursue dance training and careers. She keeps in touch with dozens of students and their parents via text, phone and email.

Her view of the ballet community is expansive and inclusive. In their interview, both she and Ettore bemoaned the fact that many young men won’t pursue the discipline because of stereotypes about masculinity, despite the strength, grace and coordination it fosters.

Between the rigors of the ABT curriculum and the breakneck pace of the summer intensive, there’s still room for fun. Welch Cudnik encourages her students to have a playful streak. To teach one young dancer how the proper way to bend sideways, she tells them, “Just think, ‘I’m a little teapot,’” quoting the childhood nursery rhyme as she demonstrates the correct motion.

Welch Cudnik’s talents as a choreographer will be on display during “In Motion,” the recital for the Summer Intensive program on July 27-29, where one of her new works will be performed.

The show will include new choreography by Sarasota Ballet principal dancer Maximiliano Iglesias and Assistant Ballet Master Octavio Martin.

Also on the bill is “Concerto in D” by Ricardo Graziano, the ballet’s resident choreographer, and “An American Hymn” by Miles Burger. Principal dancer Macarena Gimenez will perform excerpts from “Coppélia.”

Mikenna Bowers

Jennifer Welch Cudnik prepares students at the Sarasota Ballet School for the recital performance of the Summer Intensive session.

For the love of Frida

Beck

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Fifty-five.

That’s the number of oil portraits that Beck Lane plans to paint of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Why 55? That’s the number of selfportraits that Kahlo created during her 47-year lifetime.

With prominent eyebrows and facial hair above her lip, her face framed by braids pinned to the top of her head and attired in her signature peasant grab, Kahlo would become one of the world’s most recognizable female artists. (Photographer Georgia O’Keeffe is also a contender.)

Along with Our Lady of Guadalupe, Kahlo is an icon of Mexico. Her likeness adorns everything from tote bags to T-shirts to a new line of shoes from Tom’s, the do-good footwear company.

“I’m not painting her because she’s famous,” volunteers Sarasota artist Lane in an interview at Starbuck’s on Fruitville Road.

Lane made time for coffee after holding a painting demonstration in the art gallery at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, where some of the Frida paintings are on display until Aug. 18.

Lane said she chose Kahlo as a subject for her latest portrait series because she uses photographs to paint and likes those taken from 1850 to 1950.

According to Lane, there are about 5,000 photographs of Kahlo in the public domain, providing no shortage of inspiration.

Lane is a native of Cape Cod who came to Sarasota seven years ago; Kahlo died in the Mexico City house (“Casa Azul”) where she was born. But the two artists have something in common.

After being impaled by a pole in a bus accident in 1925, Kahlo was confined to her bed as she underwent many surgeries. To pass the time, she began painting with the aid of a lap easel and an overhead mirror in the canopy of her bed.

Like Kahlo, Lane committed herself to art while bed-ridden.

After graduating high school, Lane studied art at the now defunct Vesper George School of Art in Boston. She dropped out to work as a florist and in retail, which required heavy lifting. After her tendons tore away from her elbows, Lane had multiple surgeries to regain use of her limbs.

For both Kahlo and Lane, painting wasn’t merely a means of self-

IF YOU GO

‘55 FRIDA PROJECT’

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. By appointment Tuesday through Friday. Through Aug. 18.

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota

Tickets: Free

Info: Call 941-371-4974 ; Visit UucSarasota.com

expression during convalescence; the act represented the determination to survive.

“I used to paint like this,” Lane says, holding a straw in the crook of her elbow to mimic how she inserted her brush into her braces because she couldn’t move her fingers. “I couldn’t do it for very long, maybe 15 seconds at a time. I had to plan how I was going to do it,” she says.

Like many female artists, Kahlo and Lane weren’t taken seriously. During her lifetime, Kahlo painted primarily for her own satisfaction and for the enjoyment of her family and friends. In the public eye, her personal, self-referential art was eclipsed by the giant murals with political themes painted by her husband Diego Rivera, who was 20 years older.

Kahlo didn’t become a global sensation until decades after her death in 1954. Her fame gained momentum following the release of Hayden Herrera’s 1983 biography about Kahlo.

A 2002 Hollywood movie starring Salma Hayek brought Fridamania into full bloom. In 2021, Kahlo’s painting, “Diego and I,” set a record for a Latin American artist when it sold for $34.9 million at Sotheby’s.

For her part, Lane knew she wanted to be an artist when she was a child. “One of my earliest memories is of drawing a seagull and telling my mother I was going to be an artist,” she recalls.

While she was clear on her career path, Lane didn’t take herself or other women artists seriously for a long time. She bought into the misogynistic stereotypes that dominated the art world. “I didn’t think much of women artists,” she says. “I thought

they were second-class.”

Still, the art scene of New York City beckoned. Artists like Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and JeanMichel Basquiat had taken their art to the streets and factory lofts, following in the footsteps of pop art pioneer Andy Warhol. Lane moved to the “City” when she was 48.

Lane exhibited her work in two solo shows in New York City and sold her paintings to far-flung collectors, thanks to a an international gallery. But it wasn’t until she was injured that she made a vow to herself to become a full-time artist.

She’s had some help on her journey. Lane’s sister, Melissa Voigt, senior development officer for the Sarasota Opera, helps write press releases and get the word out about Lane’s art on social media platforms.

In a town filled with professional artists, Lane understands the importance of connecting with potential buyers in person. A self-described hermit who likes to walk at night when everyone else is home, Lane does emerge from seclusion to attend events at Art Ovation hotel and popup shows.

She lives simply, riding a newly acquired scooter she has dubbed “Speed Racer” from her live/work space near Stickney Point to and from downtown.

Mostly, she paints. “My purpose is painting,” Lane declares.

Right now, Lane’s working on No. 19 of her Frida project, which she began last year. The canvases are mosaic-like, with bold brush strokes of color forming images of Kahlo in various poses.

Lane’s excited because one of her Fridas may have found a buyer in Mexico. “Wouldn’t it be great if Frida got to go home?” Lane says.

In Florida, Lane’s work is on display at Chasen Galleries in Sarasota and blu Egg Interiors in Fort Lauderdale. You can also find videos of Lane painting on YouTube and other social media outlets.

While Frida is her passion right now, Lane is also fascinated with another female artist, 94-year-old Yayoi Kusama. A native of Japan, Kusama dyes her hair (or wears a wig) of red-orange and creates mul-

timedia works, including sculpture, painting and performance.

Having packed up the Fridas she was working on for the painting demonstration in the back of a friend’s car, Lane pulls out her cellphone to reveal photos of her paintings of Kusama, including one of the artist as a child.

“She’s the jewel of Japan,” Lane exults, noting her goal is to have one of her Kusama portraits hanging in the Kusama Museum in Tokyo.

After years of tempering her expectations, Lane is thinking big. What about a Frida exhibit in Mexico or Santa Fe, ground zero in the U.S. for Fridamania?

Told that Santa Fe has more than 200 art galleries, many of them on Canyon Road, Beck pulls out a notebook and pen from her backpack. “Is that spelled C-A-N-Y-O-N Road?” Lane asks before jumping on her scooter.

Then she heads down Fruitville Road toward her studio, where more Fridas are moving from the realm of Lane’s imagination to the canvas.

Beck Lane

Lane is painting 55 oil portraits of the famous Mexican artist.

Courtesy photos

Sarasota artist Beck Lane’s paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo are on display at the Unitarian Universalist Church’s art gallery through Aug. 18.

Some of Beck Lane’s portraits of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo on display at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Sarasota.

“I’m not painting her because she’s famous.”

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY THE SURFER BOYS

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret,1265 First St. $18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

From the group that brought you The Jersey Tenors comes a tribute to the band that took America on a “Surfin’ Safari” in the early 1960s.

DIVAS THREE

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $18 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Three female vocalists present four decades of songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and others who have been dubbed “diva.” Runs through Sept. 3.

PATRICK GARRITY

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

A veteran of CBS “Comedy Night School,” McGarrity riffs on what it’s like to serve in the armed forces, growing up with a big brother and why the Irish don’t “trash talk.” Runs through July 30.

FRIDAY ‘FOLKTALE AND MOVEMENT’

6:30 p.m. at Hermitage Palm HouseStudio, 6660 Manasota Key Road,Englewood

DON’T MISS ‘BLACK PEARL SINGS!’

“Black Pearl Sings” tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a Library of Congress musicologist who wants to record slave-era music and an African American prisoner who has the knowledge needed for her project.

IF YOU GO

When: Through Aug. 6

Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1265 First St. Tickets: $25 Info: FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

OUR PICK SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

Circus fans of all ages can experience the best of the circus arts, including hand balancers, clowns and aerial rope artists at affordable prices thanks to a partnership between The Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling.

IF YOU GO

When: Through Aug. 12

Where: Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $15-$20 Info: CircusArts.org.

Free with $5 registration fee

Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org

Choreographer Christopher Williams and dance collaborator Caitlin Scranton hold an open rehearsal and a conversation about Williams’ current work, a twist on a classic folktale.

LARRY & JEANNIE

7 p.m. at Centennial Park, Venice

Free Visit VisitVeniceFl.org/friday-nightconcert-series

Larry & Jeannie bill themselves as Tampa Bay’s “premier classic acoustic folk/rock duo.” Find out why at this free concert.

TUESDAY DIEGO FIGUEIREDO

7:30 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$28 Visit WSLR.org/fogartyville

Grammy award-winning Diego

Figueiredo draws from his homeland of Brazil’s musical heritage and the eclectic history of jazz with his vocals and acoustic guitar.

WEDNESDAY

‘A COMEDY OF TENORS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Set in 1930s Paris, “A Comedy of Tenors” is a romp that follows a producer and an Italian superstar. Runs through Aug. 20.

Courtesy photo

Annie Morrison is still rolling along

Look up“multitalented” in the dictionary and there’s probably a picture of Ann Morrison. The Sarasota powerhouse has entertained locally, nationally and globally, in a host of performances. “Merrily We Roll Along” was one of them.

Morrison was part of the cast at the 1981 Broadway premiere. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s time-bending musical seemed like the perfect equation. But it added up to a colossal flop.

Flop or not, Morrison had a blast. She tells her tale and sings some of the musical’s songs in “Merrily from Center Stage,” her original, oneperson cabaret show, for which she’s seeking venues to continue performing. In the following conversation, which has been edited, she talks about it.

Where’d you get the idea for “Merrily from Center Stage”?

[The documentary] “The Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened” is a treasure. But [it] ignored the six weeks of rehearsals. Blake Walton, my creative consultant, suggested that I create my own show.

Please set the Wayback Machine for 1981, New York City and “Merrily We Roll Along.” When did you come on board?

I was the last actor to be cast. The final part of my audition was for Stephen Sondheim on April 9 — which happens to be my birthday.

At that point, the musical was still in flux, right?

Absolutely. When a show’s going straight to Broadway, the workshop process takes place during rehearsals. That’s the focus of my show.

What was that like?

See my show! For now, let’s say it was just a joy working with two musical theater gods: Stephen Sondheim, the composer and lyricist, and Hal Prince, the director.

I’m picturing Stephen Sondheim walking around fizzing over with ideas. He was shaping the musical in real time.

Exactly! You get that from the documentary; he talks about how he goes into many shows with all the songs already written. In “Merrily,” they weren’t, and he needed more time. That’s why we kept postponing our rehearsals, previews and the opening date.

Why did “Merrily We Roll Along” flop?

I’d say script problems, which the musical inherited from the original 1933 play.

Where have you performed “Merrily from Center Stage”?

I did it at 54 Below in New York City and freeFall Theatre St. Petersburg, when it was 75 minutes. I took it to The Players in Sarasota, and fleshed it out. I performed the longer version at Crazy Coqs in London, and reprised it at freeFall.

What’s next for “Merrily from Center Stage”? Right now, the goal is to take it to colleges and other theaters. There’s also talk of filming it. I originally thought my show at 54 Below was going to be one night only. I had no idea it was going to take off.

Courtesy photo Annie Morrison

YOUR NEIGHBORS

A taste of childhood sweetness

A collab between Tyler’s Gourmet Ice Cream and the Lazy Lobster makes for a family-friendly spot.

PETRA RIVERA

STAFF WRITER

Milk, cream, sugar and a little bit of vanilla. These are the basic ingredients for everyone’s favorite frozen treat. Add in hard work, an easygoing spirit and a bunch of creativity, and you have the recipe for Tyler’s Gourmet Ice Cream.

Tyler’s, owned by the Alderson family, came to Longboat Key in 2017 and brought the sweetness of childhood with it. Michael Garey, co-owner of the shop and of the Lazy Lobster, calls it the best ice cream in the area.

“My favorite flavor is black raspberry, but I’m unique,” said Garey. “It’s a childhood memory. For years,

I had black raspberry ice cream at other places, but it was never really what I remembered as a child. The first time I had it at Tyler’s, I was like, ‘That’s it. That’s the black raspberry I remember as a child.’”

THE FIRST SCOOP

The original location and headquarters of Tyler’s is in Bradenton and was opened in 1984 by Larry and Geri Tyler. In 2008, the Tylers put the shop up for sale, looking for a new family to continue their legacy. Around the same time, Rob Alderson and his wife, Laura, were living in Minnesota and longing for a change in their life. Dan Alderson, Rob’s father, was living in Bradenton and heard that Tyler’s was up for sale. He immediately told his son that the ice cream shop might be exactly what they were looking for.

“Everything just seemed to click,” said Rob Alderson. “You know, numbers-wise, size-wise. Everything just kind of lined up, and our kids were young enough to where if we were going to do something crazy, like move across the country and buy an ice cream shop, that was going to be the time to do it.”

After the Tylers trained them, the Aldersons took up the mission of the shop, which is to provide the best homemade ice cream in the area. Rob takes this to the next level with his creativity. He prioritizes being involved in the community, which has led to many partnerships with local restaurants and organizations.

“That’s actually how we got with Michael (Garey) and Bob (Fracalossy), they were clients of ours,” said Rob Alderson. “They were buying our ice cream for the Lazy Lobster restaurants and they approached us, ‘A spot opened up right next to us. We think it would be perfect for an

MOST MEMORABLE CUSTOMER

Rob Alderson: “When I first bought the shop, there was a couple, a husband and wife. And she suffered from dementia. They would come once a week. You could just see there was something in her eye that was recognizable when they came in for ice cream. It was like almost she almost got her head above the surface, for just a little bit, which I always thought was beautiful.”

ice cream shop.’” This began the collaboration with the restaurant owned by Garey and Fracalossy, the Lazy Lobster. Originally, Garey had the idea to expand the bar of the restaurant into the space that had opened next door. Deciding this was too ambitious, they realized the one thing that Longboat was missing: a local ice cream shop.

“I used to get asked all the time, ‘Where should we go for ice cream?’” said Garey. “And it was almost 5 miles to the original Tyler’s in Bradenton and 7 miles to St. Armands.”

The Longboat Key location of Tyler’s is co-owned by Rob Alderson, Dan Alderson, Garey and Fracalossy. Rob makes the ice cream in the Bradenton location, and Dan delivers it to Longboat Key in the Tyler’s-branded car. Garey and Fracalossy handle staffing of the Longboat location and make sure day-today operations run smoothly.

MELTING WITH CREATIVITY

Rob Alderson marks the days on a

Star Wars-themed calendar when it’s time to make ice cream. Tyler’s has the basics: French vanilla, cookies and cream, mint chocolate, etc. but Rob prides himself on his seasonal flavors and creative collaborations with surrounding businesses.

The most recent seasonal flavor was apple pie for July 4. Some other staples are pumpkin pie for Halloween made from Libby’s pumpkin pie mix, eggnog, peanut brittle and cinnamon for Christmas and Guinness ice cream for St. Patrick’s Day.

“We worked with a few restaurants like Slickers,” said Rob. “I do a maple bourbon ice cream. So he gives me the bourbon. I make maple ice cream and mix in the bourbon with it. And then they can sell it since they have a liquor license. So it’s something that we can’t sell in-house, but they’re a bar, they can serve it.”

Alderson and Garey explained that it took some time for people to realize that Tyler’s was on Longboat, but once they did, an ice cream run became a part of their routine.

“You see the grandparents, and the parents and now the kids, three generations of people that have been coming to Tyler’s,” said Rob.

“It’s so great to see the rush next door after dinner,” said Garey. “It’s fun to watch the parents get their kids to behave through dinner with the dangling of the ice cream treat next door. It’s a good incentive to behave well in the restaurant. I think it’s made us a family destination.”

FLAVORITES

Top-seller:

French vanilla

Tyler’s original

top-seller: Creamy Goodness, chocolate ice cream mixed with marshmallow cream and Oreos

Rob Alderson’s

favorite: Lemon

Michael Garey’s

favorite: Black

raspberry

Former Universal Orlando Resort

CEO Bob Gault’s

favorite: Chocolate

Malts

Paradise Center Executive Director Suzy Brenner’s favorite: Mississippi

Mud — coffee ice cream mixed with Oreos and fudge

Most committed regular: “Roger Brown comes in and has his chocolate milkshake every single day without fail, sometimes twice a day,” said Garey.

Rob Alderson makes coconut pineapple ice cream for the upcoming week.

Photos by Petra Rivera Tyler’s offers flavors of ice cream for every taste.

Sol Rios serves ice cream at Tyler’s Gourmet Ice Cream on Longboat Key.

#1 LONGBOAT KEY TEAM

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Talk of the town

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.”

Photos by Petra Rivera

Longboat Key Chief of Police George Turner and Town Commissioner Gary Coffin

Svetlana Ivashchenko, Cynthia Craig, and Lynn Larson

Kristen Truong, Talha Siddique, Lynn Coffin and Andrew Vac

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

Photos by Petra Rivera Ashley and Christine Miller at Driftwood Beach Home and Garden

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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

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.

availability at the tables, email Amy@ TheParadiseCenter.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.

WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

MARIACHI MUSIC

From 5:30-8:30 p.m. at La Villa Mexican Grill, 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Enjoy dinner and a serenade by Mariachi Contemporaneo. Call 383-8033.

Water Club condominium tops week’s sales at $3.2M

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Acondominium in The Water Club at Longboat Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Rosemary and Theodore Jadick, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 704 condominium at 1241 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Diane McCombe Bussandri and Norman Coulombe, trustees, of Quebec, Canada, for $3.2 million. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, four baths and 3,045 square feet of living area. It sold for $685,800 in 1996.

QUEEN’S HARBOUR

Naudain Street LLC sold the home at 3533 Fair Oaks Lane to Bill Thomas and Beverly Thomas, trustees, of Dallas, for $2,999,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 3,909 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.1 million in 2022.

DREAM ISLAND

Neal and Jennifer Horne sold their home at 700 Dream Island Road to James Perry Willis Jr. and Nell Wallace Willis, of Longboat Key, for $2,968,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,755 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.1 million in 2021.

ISLANDS WEST

Dorothy Carlson, trustee, of Ocala, sold the Unit 13-E condominium at 2525 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Bruce and Lisa Beckstein, of Sarasota, for $1.43 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,491 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2014.

BUTTONWOOD COVE

Douglas and Diane Garback, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 301 condominium at 3630 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Robert and Julie Elmer, of Noblesville, Indiana, for $1,065,000. Built in 1980, it has

A condominium in The Water Club recently sold for $3.2 million. It has three bedrooms, four baths and 3,045 square feet of

three bedrooms, two baths and 1,486 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2017.

SAND CAY

Bruce and Karen Goracke, of Waterloo, Nebraska, sold their Unit 101 condominium at 4725 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Sand Cay 101 LLC for $932,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,032 square feet of living area. It sold for $151,000 in 1992.

FAIRWAY BAY

Burton and Eleanor Jaffe, of Massachusetts, sold their Unit 141 condominium at 1930 Harbourside Drive to Todd Sacks and Donna Marie Sacks, of Longboat Key, for $850,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $505,000 in 2016.

Sharon Kleinberg, of Chilmark, Massachusetts, sold the Unit 222 condominium at 1932 Harbouside Drive to Emilee and Hans Meyers, of Zionsville, Indiana, for $652,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,192 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2013.

HARBOUR OAKS AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

Lavern and Linda Bremmer sold their Unit 203 condominium at 2233 Harbourside Drive to Richard Thomas Stoneman and Nancy

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Elizabeth Stoneman, of Ontario, Canada, for $825,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,224 square feet of living area. It sold for $602,500 in 2021.

WHITNEY BEACH

Jack Lee Pickering and Susan Stroink Pickering, of Bloomington, Illinois, sold their Unit 104 condominium at 6700 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Michael and Angelica Cammarota, of Longboat Key, for $699,900. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,161 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,900 in 2021.

CEDAR EAST Ross and Samantha Lonergan, of Essex, England, sold their Unit 9 condominium at 804 Evergreen Way to Nellef LLC for $675,000.

RESIDENTIAL

Built in 1991, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2020.

Source: Town of Longboat Key

Courtesy photo

living area.

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