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FEBRUARY 2018 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
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Exploring the Fascinating Landings Heritage Two places and one shared Heritage with Spanish Point By Dee Ricapito
Linda and Joe Hennessy give back to our community in spades page
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SALUTE TO VETERANS
Meet Ron Cestar, a veteran of the Korean War era
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KIDS CORNER
Get to know the youngest child we have ever interviewed
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ARTISTS Get to know some of the artists in The Landings
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John McCarthy, executive Director of the Gulf Coast Heritage Association, gave us a look through the window of time exploring the pre-history of The Landings and our connection with our Spanish Point neighbors at the Free College session at the Racquet Club. In 1883 there was no downtown. Life was closer to this neck of the woods. The first resident in The Landings was Chandler Younge, an early boat builder. He lived just north of Phillippi Creek, named for an early Cuban fisherman whose fishing rancho was a few miles north of here. Chandler Younge was building boats right on these grounds. He and the pioneers who followed him could walk across the thick mangroves at that time, from The Landings’ Gazebo area to reach Siesta Key. He could circle around and also walk from Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar, (which were orange groves at that time) back through The Landings using a trail now named Landings Boulevard. The Tree Houses as well as some homes have a rich history since they were built on shell mounds built by the Native Americans. The mounds at The Landings are approximately 2000 years old. Only 6 miles away in Spanish Point, the oldest Burial Mound was found dating nearly 3000 B.C. These mounds were built by many generations of prehistoric Indians
who lived along the bay from about 300 to 1000 A.D. Human bones and ceremonial offerings of shark teeth, smashed pottery, and other materials were periodically placed on the mound, then covered with sand. You must go to Historic Spanish Point and see it for yourself. (Just a side note: By the 1770’s the Native Indians had died off, mostly impacted by European diseases). McCarthy discussed another Landings connection with Spanish Point, through Mrs. Potter (Bertha) Palmer of Chicago. Once called “founding mother” of Sarasota. When the locomotive was built as far as Sarasota, Mrs. Palmer arrived and made her home in “The Oakes” from 1910 to 1918, and her son, Honore built his home here in The Landings. The name he gave his home was “Immokalee” which means “My Home” in the Seminole Indian
New Residents’ Reception
Annually the Landings Management Association and the Landings Racquet Club hold a reception for the new residents joining The Landings during the past year. The purpose is to welcome the newcomers, give them an opportunity to meet one another and introduce them to the respective organizations. The party has proven to be quite beneficial to both the residents and the organization. This year the reception will be held on February 22 from 6-7:30 pm. Invitations have been sent to all of the new residents.
language. Incidentally, “The Landings” was coined by RAMAR Development due to the large presence of American bald eagles observed landing in the area at the time. It’s just magic walking over the shells carpeting our Nature Trail and stopping on the footbridge taking in a view of nature’s tranquility. Walking by native ferns, trees and palms, epiphytes (air plants), and spotting many varieties of birds on the way to the Gazebo; our window to the waters. Imagining the early Indians experiencing abundant fishing in the same spot where the Gazebo stands today with an excellent view of a wilderness we now call Siesta Key. I often get that same sense of immediate peacefulness driving off of Hwy.41 onto Landings Blvd. Maybe the ghosts of the Pioneers are welcoming home its new residents. That shared feeling of tranquility is found in Historic Spanish Point when walking the paths through the Palmer water garden, to the burial mound, through Mary’s Chapel, to the Pioneer Cemetery, then catch the magical feeling at the lychee fields and butterfly garden while you take in the smells of evergreen and flowering plants. It’s just like living here in The Landings - a place not to miss!
LMA Elections
By Larry Lawrence
Last month I reported that there are six individuals running for five vacant seats on the LMA Board so that there would be an election to determine the candidates to fill the open positions. Since one of the candidates has withdrawn, according to the by-laws, Article V Section 1 Paragraph (f): no election shall be necessary if the number of candidates is less than or equal to the number of vacancies: the candidates shall be automatically elected and their names announced at the annual meeting. Congratulations to the candidates. Their bios and photos can be found on page 20.