IV Siesta Sand - October 2019 by Brion Palmer

SIESTA SOUNDS

FOOTBALL GAME CAPITAL

Mike Kach playing more than ever this fall

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Siesta Key Bar becomes The Destination to watch every game!

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SGT. ARIK SMITH Sergeant Arik Smith answers questions during the SKA meeting

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OCTOBER 2019 | 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC | www.SiestaSand.net | COMPLIMENTARY

Proposed hotel and parking structure on Old Stickney Point Road By Bob Stein In the August edition of Siesta Sand, Dr. Gary Kompothecras of “1-800-Ask Gary” discussed numerous topics from his arrival on Siesta Key, his background in starting his business to the newly acquired Bank of America building. To read this article you can go online at http://siestasand.net/a-conversation-with-dr-garykompothecras/ Siesta Sand followed up with another Q&A session with Kompothecras, zeroing in on the new proposed parking structure and hotel on Old Stickney Point Road.

PARKING STRUCTURE In the August edition of Siesta Sand, you discussed converting the old Bank of America building located on Stickney Point Road next to CB’s into a mixed use commercial and parking structure. How tall will this structure be? Also, where would the commercial area be located in this structure? Currently the zoning district permits a height of 35 feet, and our preliminary design is guided by that limit. However, we have spoken with Sarasota County Public Works, and as a stakeholder in their parking study we sought to explore whether the County would be interested in modifications that would result in additional parking

or that would better move traffic to Stickney Point. Unfortunately it is too early in their study efforts to provide me with any guidance. Any increase in parking spaces would require an increase in height. Because the garage will be part of the application for the hotel special exception I am concerned that adding another special exception request will only complicate matters and give opponents something else to latch onto. I am willing to consider further investments which will assist with parking challenges, but the bureaucracy associated with zoning doesn’t help to get a mutually acceptable plan. Will you be leasing out portions of the structure? The concept that we are working with contains 5000 square feet of commercial space. How many parking spots will be available in the new structure? Approximately 180 spaces within current height and setback limits. Will the parking structure be able to be accessed from both Stickney Point Road and Old Stickney Point Road? The site is narrow which makes ingress and egress

Site of the proposed hotel on Old Stickney Point Road, former site of the old Fandango building

planning for a building of this type a challenge. The concept currently shows ingress and egress off of Old Stickney Point, but I prefer to have the egress be on Stickney Point. This creates some design challenges and is one of the issues that we have spoken with County Public Works transportation planners about. Continued on page 37

Beginning our 10th year

Waste Water plant

By Bob Stein

Demolition of Siesta Key Water Reclamation Facility equipment likely to get underway late in spring 2020

This October, Island Visitor Publishing heads into its 10th year since publishing its first edition. As Siesta Key residents, my wife Emy and I currently publish four monthly papers: Siesta Sand, The Landings Eagle, Del Tura Tower and Tara Woods Columns. We also update the six metal map boxes located in the Village. The Landings Eagle is a community specific newspaper dedicated to covering the news and events of The Landings while the Del Tura and Tara Woods’ papers are community newspapers located in Fort Myers. Back then, when we purchased the Island Visitor map paper from Jim Russell, who purchased it from the original founder, Howard Partain, the Island Visitor paper

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was a rack publication published four times a year and consisted of all the maps and business listings of the island. Our intent, when acquiring the Island Visitor, was to convert the publication to a monthly newspaper dedicated to the news and events of Siesta Key, delivering it via postal mailing, and distributing it to the condos and businesses on and around the island. We wanted to make sure it conveyed that small-town feel, but with a beach flair. The transformation took place in steps. When we were ready to roll out the next design change, we pondered a new name for the paper; something that would make it clear, at a glance, what the newspaper would cover. Continued on page 36

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Fire Department inks lease for temporary quarters

• Village Map/business listings PAGE 22 • Crescent Beach Map/ business listings PAGE 24 • Gulf Gate Shops PAGE 28 • Island Humor PAGE 27 • Accommodations Map/ Listings PAGE 43

Siesta Promenade, Contrary to Facebook post, construction did not begin in early September

By October 2020, if all goes according to Sarasota County plans, the structures that functioned as the Siesta Key Water Reclamation Facility at 5200 Oakmont Place will have been demolished. Since April 2018, a master pump station constructed on the same property has been sending wastewater from Siesta to county facilities on the mainland via a pipeline under the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). The water reclamation operation was decommissioned after the pump station proved it was performing smoothly. Those facets of the past and future of the county complex were just part of a

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By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com

presentation John Saputo IV, construction project manager for the Capital Projects Division of the Sarasota County Public Works Department, made to Siesta Key Association (SKA) members in September. The design work for the demolition of the water reclamation equipment recently reached the 90% mark, Saputo noted. With that initiative expected to be completed by next month — at an expense of $90,230 — staff hopes to begin advertising for demolition bids in December, with a contract awarded in March or April of 2020, Saputo continued. Continued on page 38

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Traffic Advisory Council opposes petitions for lower speed limits and multi-way stop signs

Detert casts lone ‘No’ vote on Coastal Setback Variance requested by south Siesta Key couple

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OCTOBER 2019

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OCTOBER 2019

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Siesta Key Jewelry Store Launches Product to Benefit Mote Marine Laboratory and Red Tide Research During the peak of red tide last year, Silver City Sarasota designed and created a jewelry collection called Tide AwayTM. When asked what prompted the idea, the ladies at Silver City Sarasota responded, “We felt compelled to put our heads together to aid Mote Marine Laboratory in their research and marine animal rescue efforts. Seeing the amazing work Mote scientists, staff and volunteers put out coming daily to our beach to sample the waters, as well as rescuing and recovering turtles and dolphins, birthed the idea for “Tide AwayTM” and then they proceeded to sketch out the concept. The first product in the collection was the “Tide AwayTM” Keychain. It was so well received by our tourists and local customers that they decided to expand the line in order to donate more to Mote. As it stands now Silver City Sarasota has two necklaces, earrings, bracelets, a bead that fits all bead bracelets, and the keychain. Their newest addition is the “Tide AwayTM” tote beach bag with an actual photo of Siesta Key Beach on it taken by the proprietor. The generous 25% donation far exceeds the national average of 6%-10%. The Staff of Silver City Sarasota is very proud of the collection, and with Motes’ encouragement, they are currently working on new pieces to help Save our Beaches. Located just minutes from Siesta Key Beach, on Midnight Pass Road, Silver City Sarasota has been providing its customers with outstanding service as well as uniquely designed products in a variety of gemstones and diamond jewelry.

Original Sketch August 2018

1st product Produced. Tide Away Key Chain TM

You can view the “Tide AwayTM” Collection at Silver City Sarasota located at 6539 Midnight Pass Road Monday -Saturday 10 am to 5pm. 941-349-5030 Advertorial

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Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

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Fire Department inks lease for temporary quarters On Aug. 26, Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis signed a lease for temporary space in the building located at 5700 Midnight Pass Road. That will enable the crews of Fire Station 13 to call that building home, so to speak, while construction of the new fire station takes place, county Media Relations Specialist Brianne Grant reported. The lease will be in effect, she said, until the new station is ready for use. The lease officially began on Aug. 23 and will terminate on Aug. 22, 2022, the document says. The county will pay the landlord $4,000 a month, which “includes all common area maintenance costs.” The county also will be responsible for utilities payments. The document says that the building at 5700 Midnight Pass Road — which is immediately to the south of Fire Station 13 — “can be renovated for accommodations for Fire Station employees and has ample parking space to accommodate Fire Station’s trucks and other fire equipment …”

It further notes that it will take “up to three months” to complete renovations to the Midnight Pass Road property necessary for the fire crews to operate out of the space. The landlord is S. Dudley Carson of Siesta Key Real Estate consultants LLC, who operates out of Suite 4A at 5700 Midnight Pass Road. The lease says the Fire Department will take over “approximately 1,400 contiguous square feet of private space on the first floor of the building, two private lavatories and exclusive use of all surface parking spaces on the west side (approximately 14 spaces),” as well as “exclusive use of the existing wooden shed.” Fire Chief Michael Regnier told Siesta Key Association members on Aug. 1 that plans call for construction of the new Fire Station 13 to begin in the spring of 2020 and to be completed within approximately 12 months. The lease does point to the same expectation in regard to how long the construction will take.

www.siestasand.net

By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com

5700 Midnight Pass Road Exclusive Parking exhibit for Fire Station 13 lease

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Island Chatter Staff Report

OCTOBER 2019

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Wolverine Fans & The Crescent Club Present every Michigan Game

Siesta Village speed limit issue redux During the August Siesta Key Association (SKA) meeting, President Catherine Luckner announced that one of the nonprofit’s members had proposed an initiative to lower the Siesta Village speed limit from 20 mph to 15 mph. The member had likened the Village to Southside Village on Osprey Avenue in the city of Sarasota, where the speed limit is 15 mph. During the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce’s Aug. 21 quarterly meeting, members heard from a county representative that lowering the speed limit in the Village is not feasible. Lisa Cece, special district coordinator for the county, pointed out that discussion had arisen recently about speed limits being too high in and around the Village. “Twenty is the lowest we’re going to post in the Village,” she said. The county made an exception when it agreed to that, she pointed out, because 25 mph is the lowest allowable speed limit anywhere else in the county. Cece indicated that if the county were to drop the Village speed limit further, that would open up the door to demands for similar action in other communities. Surrounding the Village, she continued, the speed limit is 25 mph in the Miramar District and 30 mph on the other side streets. If anyone is interested in a speed limit lower than 30 mph on those neighboring streets, Cece said, the person may contact staff assigned to the county’s Traffic Advisory Council and take the necessary steps to file a petition for that board’s consideration. Cece further noted that she recently asked the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to increase its patrols because of speeding on the Key. Chamber director Mark Smith joked that offseason is “when you can make the time.” During the height of tourist season, he implied, traffic congestion generally eliminates opportunities for drivers to speed. Continued on page 6

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Island Chatter Midnight Pass public parking lot plans proceeding

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On Sept. 26, Sarasota County staff planned to host a Neighborhood workshop on the proposal to transform part of the county property at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road into a public parking lot. Regular readers will remember that the County Commission has discussed that South Midnight Pass Road site on a number of occasions as it has sought ways to ameliorate parking problems and traffic congestion on the Key. Commissioner Alan Maio has talked of the potential for the site to accommodate passengers for the Siesta Key Breeze trolley, for example, and Commissioner Nancy Detert at one point suggested staff look into erecting a parking deck there. The property is between Crescent Plaza and Sea Winds Condominiums. A building on the eastern part of the site hides a Public Utilities Department water tank.

Happiness is… Fall Flavors We may still be dealing with the remainder of the hurricane season, but there are so many more satisfying things to focus on. It’s the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice. It’s Autumn. It’s football season. What’s not to love? And if you need something else to be excited about, Abel’s Ice Cream has it. Starting now, they’re featuring their two perennial seasonal favorite flavors: Carrot Cake (You can stop baking, this is the ultimate carrot cake recipe...Carrot cake ice cream with fresh walnuts and a thick ribbon of cream cheese roasting.) and Pumpkin (Our scrumptious pumpkin ice cream. It’s better than homemade pumpkin pie!) “October can be one of the nicest Jerry and Jill Williams, owners of Abel’s Ice Cream times of the year to live in Sarasota with the cooler weather, smaller crowd and Road, Sarasota in the South Bridge Plaza. Open of course, football.” said Jerry Williams, owner of Abel’s Ice Cream. “Our fall flavors are so Sunday through Thursday from Noon-9:30 pm, and delicious, and I have to say I’m feeling really good Friday and Saturday from Noon-10 pm. Learn more online at our website, www.abelsicecream.com or about my Kansas City Chiefs’ chances this year.” While Jerry can’t promise a trip to the Super connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Bowl for his favorite team, he has every confidence in Abel’s amazing tastes of Autumn. Stop by and Awarded their let him know if you agree with his championship Certificate of Excellence prediction. for SIX years straight! Abel’s Ice Cream is located at 1886 Stickney Point

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Continued from page 5

According to graphics accompanying the calendar item on the county Planning and Development Services Department webpages, the parcel comprises 1.86 acres, with open space accounting for 6,810 square feet. A wetland area on the rear of the property totals 9,775 square feet, the graphic adds. The parking area would take up 15,860 square feet, the graphic notes, while landscaping would encompass another 5,980 square feet. In preliminary paperwork county staff filed this year, the timeline called for the parking lot project to begin in July, with completion in October. No doubt, more information about the construction schedule should be available later this fall.

North Shell Road parking petition sent back to residents to correct deficiency Sarasota County staff identified a significant insufficiency in a parking prohibition petition that North Shell Road residents submitted to the Sarasota County Traffic Advisory Council (TAC) early this year. Thus, no hearing has yet to be scheduled on the request for a reduction in the number of public parking places along the road. TAC Administrative Assistant Melissa Waden explained that, within a space of about 30 days, the TAC lost the two transportation engineering staff members who had been assigned to the council. As a result, she continued on Sept.

9, it took a while for someone to realize that the parking petition did not have enough signatures on it to make it onto a TAC agenda. If staff receives a revised petition that meets TAC criteria, Waden added, it is possible the TAC could hold a hearing on the issues when the council meets in December. (The advisory board typically meets on a quarterly basis.) As of early September, staff had not heard further from residents along North Shell Road, Waden indicated. In January, Gregg and Michelle Olson of N. Shell Road asked that the TAC eliminate the public parking spaces between their home and the cul-de-sac, which is adjacent to Beach Access 1. They cited a number of problems with which they and their neighbors have had to contend as a result of living so close to the beach access: alleged illegal behavior, including drug use; excessive drinking; public urination and defecation; drug paraphernalia left strewn on the ground; and the blocking of residents’ driveways, in spite of the fact that the public spaces clearly are marked to ensure residents maintain full access to their driveways at all times. Yet, members of the public who are fans of the beach access have objected strenuously to the potential loss of parking spaces. Only 16 legal spaces exist, denoted by rope-and-post systems. The parking prohibition petition originally was scheduled to be heard by the TAC in early June. However, as a result of a lack of quorum for that meeting, no decision could be made. Continued on page 13

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Siesta Promenade

OCTOBER 2019

By Rachel Brown Hackney

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

SarasotaNewsLeader.com

Contrary to Facebook post, construction did not begin in early September Facebook users who were keeping a check on Benderson Development’s Siesta Promenade posts were a bit taken aback in early September, SNL learned. On Sept. 5, the Shop Dine Live Siesta page — which identifies itself with Benderson Development Co., the firm planning the mixed-use project — reported, “A vision years in the making, Siesta Promenade is on its way to becoming a reality with active construction scheduled to start early next week.” The post added, “Now with preparatory site work complete and the previous soil and groundwater contamination all remediated, our work can really begin. Stay tuned for more updates as we revitalize the gateway to Siesta Key!” Given the information about construction getting underway, SNL contacted county staff to ask whether Benderson had obtained the approval of Site and Development plans necessary to start erecting buildings. Those plans essentially are civil engineering drawings, which provide all the project details. After conferring with Planning and Development Services Department staff, county Media Relations Specialist Brianne Grant reported that the plans had not been filed with the county as of Sept. 9. To answer a follow-up question, Grant conferred with Mark Loveridge, manager of the Planning and Zoning Division in the county’s Land Development Services office. Grant wrote in a Sept. 10 email that, after the plans have been submitted, “The Site and Development review process takes approximately six months depending upon both the project and the developer’s response time for additional information.” On Dec. 12, 2018, the County Commission approved the Benderson application for construction of 414 apartments/ condominiums, a 130-room hotel designed to stand 80 feet tall, 133,000 square feet of retail space and 7,000 square feet of office space. The board approved the rezoning of most of the approximately 24-acre site, as well as the boundaries of a Critical Area Plan (CAP) for Siesta Promenade. Benderson sought the latter designation because it allows residential density up to 25 units per acre, instead of the standard 13 permitted in Commercial General zoning districts. Todd Mathes, Benderson’s director of development, pointed out during public meetings that the actual project density would be about 20.5 units per acre. On Sept. 12, SNL called Benderson Development’s offices on Cooper Creek Boulevard to ask about the Sept. 5

Siesta Promenade rendering shows a residential building in the development, while the inset map indicates where that structure would stand on the site. Image courtesy of Sarasota County.

Facebook post, in light of the information from county staff. When told of staff’s confirmation that Site and Development plans had not even been submitted for Siesta Promenade, Julie Fanning, senior marketing manager for Benderson Development, said of the Facebook post, “Clearly, I think we’re following all the protocols. I know that land clearing has begun.” Then Fanning said she would send SNL a formal statement. SNL also reached Mathes, the director of development, to ask about the timeline for providing the Site and Development plans to the county. Mathes replied that he could not comment. He directed SNL to attorney Robert Lincoln, whose eponymous firm is located in Sarasota. Subsequently, Fanning emailed SNL, saying she had spoken with Mathes. “We’d like to direct you to speak with Robert Lincoln,” she added. Lincoln is representing Benderson Development and Siesta 41 Associates in a case filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in early January, challenging the County Commission’s approval of Siesta Promenade. Sura Kochman, a resident of Pine Shores Estates, filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari, asking the court to rule that the County Commission did not follow applicable Comprehensive Plan policies or county guidelines for the CAP process in giving Benderson and Siesta 41 Associates the go-ahead to construct Siesta Promenade.

Siesta 41 Associates LLP is the Benderson affiliate actually overseeing the project. Pine Shores Estates is immediately adjacent to the Siesta Promenade site. Circuit Court Judge Andrea McHugh had set an Oct. 10 hearing on a motion Kochman filed this summer, seeking oral arguments. In that July 31 motion, Kochman — through her attorney, Ralf Brookes of Cape Coral — pointed to the complexities of the case. She added, “The court would benefit from the presentation of oral argument … and the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification …” The judge ruled that each side would have 20 minutes during the Oct. 10 hearing. On April 17, McHugh had issued a “show cause” order, writing that she found Kochman’s petition “demonstrates a preliminary basis for relief …” Both Lincoln and the Office of the County Attorney have filed responses to Kochman’s arguments. Lincoln was able to respond to SNL in an email on Sept. 13. He wrote, “Benderson Development has received a land clearing and earthmoving permit for the site from the County. That is the ‘construction in progress’ referenced in Benderson’s Facebook post. Continued on page 39

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

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HOT OFF THE PRESS!

GREAT NEWS FOR LIDO and our FISHES!!

LIDO IS NOW ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY OBTAIN VIABLE SAND FROM THE FDEP APPROVED OFFSHORE HARVESTING SITE(S). USACOE WILL BEGIN HARVESTING SAND AS SOON AS THE CITY MANAGER DIRECTS THEM THERE. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. IN TURN, PROTECTING OUR CRITICAL FISH ESTUARY AND MANATEE HABITAT FROM CATASTROPHIC DESTRUCTION SAVES THE SEAGRASSES, WHICH IS ALSO NEEDED TO FILTER RED TIDE!! “Paul Revere” WE LOVE ALL BEACH LIFE, The backstory Note: the administrative review was part of the FDEP PROCESS of the Joint Applicants, AKA: City of Sarasota and USACOE Partners with individual roles. USACOE = Federal & City of Sarasota = State, Regional and Local requirements Big Pass was too expensive and environmentally sensitive to be a viable source. Thankfully, Lido has a lower erosion rate than expected for the recently placed sand on Lido from New Pass. This means less harvested sand is needed. Less sand needed means there is more than enough in the already approved FDEP harvest site. FDEP is state water and state responsibilities, therefore, this falls back on to the City. Hence why USACOE can bring Lido viable sand just as soon as the City Manager directs their partner, USACOE to the approved site. Holderness 10/18/18 Comment 9: The ACOE ignored the Value Engineering Report required by the State and Federal government prior to authorization. It does not meet the threshold of reducing the necessity of additional nourishments events. If one looks at the tables showing the volume of sand difference in erosion rate “before” and “after” the project including the placement of 2 substantial groins, there is NO DIFFERENCE in the erosion rate cited. The Value of this project is determined by its reduction in erosion rate and reduction in frequency of nourishment intervals therefor, an economic and environmental threshold not met.

Backstory: ACOE recently canceled the solicitations for bids to dredge our critical fish estuary within Big Pass and rejected the only two bids received, one being 56% greater than “reasonable” with 81% less for monitoring and the only other bid was over the ACOE estimate by 92%. DUE TO BUDGET OVERRUN, and the need to protect our critical fish estuary, ACOE NOW has a solution! The ACOE determined the erosion rate is half what had originally been estimated (backed up in USACOE response to Holderness, Jan, 2019). It was NOT by fate or USACOE’s decision to come to Sarasota, but rather because Mr. Barwin and Alex DavisShaw asked them to come. By doing so, they certified they are in compliance with all authorities required for State, Regional and LOCAL authorizations, laws, rules, and/or statutes and ordinances, PERIOD! When the two entities applied (City of Sarasota & ACOE), it was up to the City of Sarasota to determine erosion rates accurately, NOT USACOE. Since then, in January, the City’s partner “USACOE” determined the erosion rates and volume of sand stated wasn’t what was first reported. Therefore, it is not only a requirement, but it sure seems to be in Lido residences’ best interests to immediately utilize the APPROVED harvest site – certainly more environmentally friendly. An EIS (Environmental Impact Study, not an EA), Inlet Management Plan, and addressing the red tide mitigation capabilities should have been the City’s first step as the Big Pass proposed project NEVER met the threshold from day one. Corps 01/23/19 Response 9: Currently, there is no state requirement to conduct a Value Engineering (VE) study on federal projects. Pursuant to the Corps policy, a VE study was conducted in October 2013. A report was generated which documented several proposals to reduce the cost of the project. One of the proposals was to review the beach fill quantities and erosion rate used to calculate those volumes for placement on the beach. The other proposal was groin field optimization. The VE study relooked at the erosion rate and the required volume after reviewing the 3-year post-construction monitoring report in 2009. After the review of the report, the erosion rate was reduced from 122,900 cy/yr to 65,000 cy/yr. Furthermore, it was stated that the erosion rate with the presence of the groins could be further reduced to 50,000 cy/yr.

ALTERNATIVE TO PAID PARKING Please consider this option… A quick way to free up parking is to place time limits on Village public parking spots. Three hours is all it takes to eat and shop. Public parking spots are filled with employees and beachgoers coming from off island. If beachgoers are using these spots, this does nothing for merchants. Another option is by utilizing Voluntary Valet Parking. But perhaps a combination of the Voluntary Valet Parking coupled with time limits on Village parking spots could be the best viable alternative to paid parking. One way to accomplish this is to move the tennis courts down the street to Glebe Park, use the revenues from the valet parking to build state of the art tennis courts and even fund extra Sheriff Deputies assigned to Siesta Key and perhaps add that extra firefighter on every truck. Voluntary Valet Parking could literally fund our men and women for life, instead of begging BCC to make hard decisions where funding is allocated. Regardless, it’s critical that we support our first responders. If moving the tennis courts proves to be too costly, simply using a section of Glebe Park as the designated valet parking lot equals more revenue, zero upfront cost, with a wonderful amenity to offer. Try it. I’ll handle it if you prefer. Designate a section, or use another test property nearby for

ONE MONTH. We have nothing to lose. Honestly, DR. BEACH SAYS “NO” to paid parking. What are we thinking? Dr. BEACH WILL NEVER GIVE the #1 Beach ranking if paid parking is implemented. Paid parking does NOT help the issue of relieving traffic flow nor is it friendly. That being said, the problem is our beach parking lot gets jammed by 10:00 a.m. Paid parking does not help nor stop people from rushing to get their spot. Many Sarasota families cannot afford paid parking. They use the Beach as an inexpensive way to spend the day as a family. Many guests, to our area, save the entire year just to come here. Others, who can afford paid parking expect something more for it. The issue is, beachgoers rush to the parking lot, jamming up Midnight Pass Road. If the OPTION for Valet Parking exists, some will take their time.

• Voluntary Valet Parking can address the “lot is full“ issue which clogs up Midnight Pass Road. Everyone can’t rush out the moment Sunset happens. After all, it’s “best to pour our coffee rather than to dump it,” right? • A professional valet company can utilize a section of Glebe Park, perhaps the section of the main lot furthest away. How many spots could be added once vehicles could be double and triple stacked by professionals? Answer: Many, by having control of traffic and control of the flow is the KEY. • A professional company eliminates insurance concerns as well as trash left behind. Part of the revenue generated from valet parking should be returned to the county and reinvested in all things Siesta Key. • Valet Parking will start generating revenues immediately without expensive upfront cost. • Voluntary Valet Parking means better guest and visitor services. This better revenue source approach serves our community and residents much better. It’s what I call a “Value Add”. Solve problems by addressing “the issue” and leave it to the professionals to park your vehicle. Paid for by Siesta Key Resident and business owner Michael Holderness

www.siestasand.net

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OCTOBER 2019

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

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Our Christmas present to you before season arrives On minimum 2 day accommodations now till Christmas. Applies for Sarasota & Manatee County residences. Must present your valid Sarasota or Manatee I.D. @ check-in.

Come see what you are missing, and share with us what you think If you love our Beaches, Don’t delay, come stay! The best help you can give is supporting Siesta Key!

941.349.3211 • siestakeybeachresortandspa.com • 5311 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key Tips for SK owners/managers: Collectively we can drive demand as we hold every contact for every guest that has ever stayed with us. Mass market/Target market. The time to “sell” is now! Simply “Order taking” today will NOT build your sales. It’s critical that you empower your reservationist into becoming a booking machine! Email + Call + Email is KEY! Even writing a personal note is always a nice touch.

Start with creating “the message” and then get it out there. Here are a few ideas for content, I wish you much success. • Enjoy the Marine life flourishing amongst us. • Better than ever (don’t bring up the past) • Affordable time to visit. • If you love Siesta as much as we do, support Siesta Key! Don’t Delay, Come and Stay!!

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

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Siesta Chamber seeking three amendments to Siesta Key Rachel Brown Hackney Overlay Zoning District regulations By SarasotaNewsLeader.com The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce has asked the Sarasota County Commission to consider three amendments to the county’s Unified Development Code “as the latter applies to the Siesta Key Overlay District.” In an Aug. 16 letter to Zoning Administrator Donna Thompson, Siesta architect and longtime Siesta Chamber Director Mark Smith explained each of the proposed amendments. During the Chamber’s Aug. 21 quarterly meeting for members, he said he believed two of the three cases entailed oversights that occurred when the Siesta Key Overlay District (SKOD) was being drafted. The first of those involves Section 4.10.4, which says, “Accessory structures shall not exceed the height of the principal structure.” That regulation did not take into account the need for new buildings on the Key to conform to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain restrictions, Smith noted during the Chamber meeting. The narrative in the letter regarding the proposed amendment points out, “All of Siesta Key is in a FEMA Flood Zone. All new structures are required to be built to meet the FEMA Base Flood Elevation.” As the SKOD section is written, Smith told the Chamber members on Aug. 21, a ’70s ranch house constructed at grade cannot have an accessory dwelling unit, because the latter could not be taller than the house. The Chamber letter described the situation this way: “It is impossible to build to the required higher FEMA elevation and keep the roof height below the height of the principal structure.” Thus, the amendment, as proposed, would read, “Accessory structures shall not exceed the height restrictions for the principal structure.” The other section where Smith believes the final language was an oversight prohibits upper-story residential units in districts zoned Office, Professional and Institutional (OPI) and Commercial General (CG). Such dwellings are permitted everywhere else in the county in

those districts, Smith said on Aug. 21. “Upperstory residential is all part of the nature of a commercial district.” Smith pointed out that if the owner of a restaurant, for example, lived above the establishment, the owner would have a much greater sense of the need for compliance with the county’s Noise Ordinance when bands are playing. People living above shops and restaurants also would mean “more eyes on the street for crime,” Smith noted. “It just makes sense,” Smith added. “I’m not sure why the upper-story residential provision was excluded …” The narrative in the Aug. 16 Chamber letter regarding that proposed SKOD change also points out, “To live above your place of business or have employees live above where they work eliminates commuting …” The proposed new SKOD language calls for live-work and upper-story residential uses in the OPI, CG and Commercial Intensive (CI) districts to be allowed when the SKOD parking requirements can be met. Finally, the third proposed amendment would allow the use of sandwich or A-framestyle directional signs “for parking and valet. Such signs shall not contain any commercial advertising.” The narrative accompanying that proposal points out, “Parking is at a premium on Siesta Key. Visitors to Siesta Key need help finding both parking spaces and valets. These signs would be an aid in navigation and a public service to help get drivers off the road and safely parked. There are plenty of ‘No Parking’ signs on Siesta Key. We need positive signs that help visitors.” The Unified Development Code, which went into effect the first of this year, combines the county’s land use and zoning regulations. County Planning and Development Services Department staff has established a schedule for privately initiated amendments to be submitted to staff for consideration.

An older house built at grade stands next to a newer structure built to conform to the FEMA elevation regulations for a flood zone. Image from Google Maps.

Gidget’s Coastal Provisions, which has been open in Siesta Village since early 2014, has upper-story dwelling units, but they are permitted for transient use, similar to hotel accomodations. File photo

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After two years of work by a committee of the Siesta Isles Association Traffic Advisory Council unanimously opposes petitions for lower speed limits and multi-way stop signs By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com

Three times on Sept. 9, a representative of the Siesta Isles Association Board of Directors asked the Sarasota County Traffic Advisory Council (TAC) to allow changes in the neighborhood to make conditions safer for the residents. And three times, the council members voted unanimously to Shadow Lawn Drive and Shadow Lawn Way road characteristics for TAC support staff’s recommendations, not what the Siesta Isles board was seeking. “We’re trying to slow things down Locations of proposed multi-way stops in Siesta Isles for TAC and make it less convenient” for drivers to cut through Siesta Isles on Nonetheless, the TAC sided with staff. their way between Siesta Public Beach and Siesta Village At the conclusion of the final hearing, TAC “when traffic gets queued up on Midnight Pass Road and Chair Becky Ayech expressed her sympathy Beach Road,” Tony Romanus explained. with the neighborhood association’s efforts The neighborhood has 297 single-family homes, Amjid Hussain, an engineer with the county’s Traffic Engineering to get multi-way stop signs installed at four & Operations Division, told the TAC members. “There are intersections, so GPS devices and apps such as Waze no longer would recommend drivers no sidewalks or bike lanes.” “Every single thing we have asked for, we have been cut through Siesta Isles. Yet, acting on the standards in the Manual on Uniform Traffic told, ‘No,’” Romanus told the TAC. The county no longer has a program that enables Control Devices (MUTCD) — as staff had community associations to install traffic calming devices, advised — Ayech joined her colleagues in Contento Drive proposed multi-way stops for TAC denying the request. he pointed out. If the multi-way stop signs were erected at “In the meantime, we have 1,400 cars a day in season signs, angle crashes increase. Drivers ignore the signs. the four intersections noted in the Siesta Isles blazing through the neighborhood,” Romanus said. application to the TAC, Romanus had explained, GPS Drivers drive based on their perception of the conditions “You’re my last hour for hope.” on a road.” The closest Romanus came to success was during the first software and the apps would be less likely to direct traffic Thus, Hussain added, staff had to recommend that the through Siesta Isles. hearing, when the TAC members approved a reduction TAC deny the requests. The intersections are as follows: in the speed limit on Glebe Lane from 30 mph to 25 mph. After TAC member Mary Glidden-Williams made the • Shadow Law Drive at Shadow Lawn Way. The Siesta Isles Association board had sought a switch to motion to deny the installation of the stop signs, and Vice • Shadow Lawn Drive at Contento Drive. 20 mph. Chair Bruce Lorie seconded it, Chair Ayech told Romanus, • Cape Leyte Lane at Beach Way Drive. During the second hearing, which focused on a petition “Sir, I am so sympathetic with what you are saying … I • Cape Leyte Lane at Canal Road. to reduce the speed limit in Siesta Isles itself from 25 mph Hussain again pointed to the criteria staff uses to analyze have gone through the exact same thing where I live.” to 20 mph, Hussain pointed to data that county staff had whether a request meets the standards for approval under A vote to deny the request for the stop signs, she collected in the neighborhood on a Wednesday and a the aegis of the MUTCD. In this case, he continued, none continued, “is what the law requires … The County Thursday. He said the results indicated that no change of the four intersections where the Siesta Isles Association Commission has said, ‘No, you can’t use stop signs for was necessary, based on federal traffic standards. traffic calming devices.’ I don’t agree with them.” Romanus countered, “Siesta Key Beach and Siesta Village (SIA) board sought the multi-way stop signs earned enough points under those criteria for the signs to be erected. are much busier on weekends.” Continued on page 29 Moreover, he continued, “If we install unwarranted stop

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Detert casts lone ‘No’ vote on Coastal Setback Variance requested by south Siesta Key couple for pool and paver deck With Commissioner Nancy Detert casting the only “No” vote, the Sarasota County Commission approved plans for construction of a pool and paver deck on south Siesta Key, with the deck to be a maximum of 50.4 feet west of the Gulf Beach Setback Line. David and Gail Rubinfeld submitted a petition to county staff in early March for a Coastal Setback Variance for the project at their home, which is located at 1182 Horizon View Drive. The Rubinfelds live just north of Turtle Beach Campground and Turtle Beach Park on south Siesta Key, Howard Berna, manager of the county’s Environmental Permitting Division, explained during the Aug. 27 public hearing. Rubinfield told the commissioners that, up until about a year ago, he swam regularly in the Gulf of Mexico. “Apparently, this year, I contracted blood poisoning.” He added that “within days, it almost killed me.” The presumption, he continued, was that he became ill from contact with human waste in the Gulf. He spent almost half a year in the hospital, Rubinfeld said. Since then, his wife has insisted he remain out of the Gulf, he told the commissioners. “All my neighbors got pools,” he pointed out. “I would like to have my own pool.” Detert acknowledged, “I feel sorry for the petitioner, but this property’s been controversial since it was built in 1980…” She was referring to an Aug. 27 staff memo about the petition for the variance, which explained that 62% of the property at 1182 Horizon View Drive is located seaward of the Gulf Beach Setback Line (GBSL). That boundary, Environmental Permitting staff has explained, is the figurative line in the sand designed to protect property close to the shoreline. The goal is to maintain dunes and natural vegetation west of the GBSL, to reduce the negative effects of storm surge and other flooding events. The staff memo also pointed out that no Coastal Setback Variance (CSV) history exists for the 1182 Horizon View Drive parcel. “However, neighboring properties at 1162, 1172 and 1192 Horizon View Drive each obtained CSV approvals for installation of a swimming pool between 1980 and 2013,” the memo said. “The property at 1152 Horizon View Drive was denied a CSV in 1995 for a swimming pool.” Berna further explained that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has designated the south Siesta Key shoreline a critically eroded beach, and the county has undertaken two renourishment projects on that shoreline since 2007. “It’s always a tough call,” Detert added of petitions for Coastal Setback Variances. She told Rubinfeld and his wife, “We can grant you a variance if your house is in jeopardy of falling into the gulf. … But to allow you to build 50 feet seaward of a setback just for a swimming pool and a deck, I don’t think that constitutes an emergency. … Our job as the County Commission is to protect the majority of the people who live here.” Moreover, Detert continued, the Siesta Key Association (SKA) had asked that the variance be denied. “I would think that they know pretty much how property goes on Siesta Key,” Detert said of the SKA leaders. The letter, which Berna said was sent to the commissioners late on the evening of Aug. 26, explained that the SKA Board

Horizon View Drive with GBSL for BCC

of Directors had reviewed the Rubinfelds’ application for the variance. “We support the rights of private land use by owners whenever it falls within ordinance,” the letter added, as well as in circumstances in which the proposed use “has no adverse impact to other property owners or the barrier island environment.” Because the Rubinfelds’ plans entail ancillary structures, not their primary residence, the letter indicated, the couple’s proposal did not comply with state criteria for the minimum variance necessary to permit “‘reasonable use’ of the property …” Berna did refer the commissioners to a Cross section of pool and paver deck 1182 Horizon View Drive table staff had prepared, which provided The plans call for putting the pool in at an angle, Berna details about whether the Rubinfelds’ petition was consistent with county environmental policies. noted, so it would be 11.5 feet from the house on one end One of the “Facts Demonstrating Inconsistency” explained and 23.5 feet away on the other. The pool, he said, would that about 38% of the parcel “is located landward of the encompass 610 square feet, while 465 square feet of the paver GBSL … [Therefore,] strict enforcement of the provisions deck would be outside the roofline and another 495 square of the Coastal Setback Code would not likely impose an feet would be under the roofline of the house. The construction would be about 290 feet landward of the unreasonable or unjust hardship on the land.” That language, as indicated in the SKA letter, refers to Mean High Water Line. whether a property owner can enjoy reasonable use of his Berna also pointed out that, as a result of recent changes in state regulations, the pool would not have to be built on or her property. pilings. Finally, Berna told the commission, “Siesta Key certainly Details of the project During his Aug. 27 presentation to the commission, Berna, has a number of sea turtle nesting events along Turtle Beach,” the environmental permitting manager, explained that including the area of the beach west of the Rubinfelds’ the area where the Rubinfelds live “is a small cul-de-sac property. Nonetheless, the staff memo said, “Due to the distance from community with six parcels that are on the Gulf front.” A county parcel is located between the property at 1182 the beach and the expanse of dune vegetation, the proposed Horizon View Drive and the Gulf of Mexico, Berna noted; pool construction should have no impact on sea turtle nesting habitat.” it is predominantly a dune area.

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Continued from page 6

As Administrative Assistant Waden pointed out to the News Leader, that ended up being fortuitous. The Olsons did not respond to a request for comment on the status of resubmitting the petition.

Transportation discussion for island leaders Leaders of the Siesta Key Condominium Council (SKCC) have provided their members with minutes of a discussion about transportation issues on the Key that took place on Aug. 26. (Siesta Chamber Chair Eric Fleming and Siesta Key Association President Catherine Luckner mentioned the discussion during their most recent meetings for members.) Sarasota County staff had invited representatives of numerous organizations on the island to the Aug. 26 gathering, the Condo Council minutes said. Condo Council Vice President Diane Erne and Director Hilla Blatt attended the session on behalf of the SKCC, the minutes noted. The speaker was Jason Collins, “a consultant retained by the county,” the SKCC minutes pointed out. The meeting was a follow-up to a late February County Commission workshop on transportation issues on the Key, during which speakers were invited to address any problems they wished to discuss that were related to the subject. The purpose of the Aug. 26 gathering, the Condo Council minutes said, was for attendees to share observations and work on ideas to improve “the charm and comfort of Siesta Key.” The minutes added that the County Commission was “in the beginning stages of starting a master plan and was collecting ideas to determine the top priorities” to which funding should be allocated. “The main discussion of the meeting centered around the bike lanes on Siesta Key,” the minutes pointed out. “Everyone realizes that the bike lanes are inadequate and dangerous. There were several suggestions on improving the bike lanes,” the minutes said, adding that one big issue is the lack of easy access for bicyclists between Siesta and the mainland. Additionally, the minutes noted, “Florida law allows bikes on sidewalks but that interferes with people walking to and from The Villages or the beaches.”

Another concern, the minutes continued, are crosswalks on the island, as a number of accidents have been reported. Among the suggestions were to light the crosswalks, “raise them and make them into speed bumps or put chains across the sidewalks leading to the crosswalks so people do not walk across the road except through the crosswalks.” Additionally, discussion focused on the Siesta Key Breeze. “The trolley has been wildly successful,” the minutes said, but the question of parking on the Key was addressed. Attendees learned that county staff is working on converting the old Sheriff’s Office training facility at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road into a 40-space public parking lot, the minutes added. Suggestions for ferry service and off-Key parking also were presented, the minutes said. Furthermore, the minutes added, discussion focused on the fact that both the north and south drawbridges “have been declared functionally obsolete but there are no plans in the near future to replace them.” Congestion and traffic lights on Higel Avenue were addressed, as well. “No solution yet,” the minutes noted. Roundabouts also were discussed as a potential solution to traffic issues in some areas, the report added. “Discussion followed on Avenida Messina as a dangerous area for pedestrians and bicycles,” because of valet parking arrangements for restaurants in that vicinity and because of delivery trucks, which occupy the car lanes during loading and unloading, the report said. A follow-up meeting was recommended in the next month or two, the report added. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Keeping the Village in the best possible shape Ever since Sarasota County completed the beautification project in Siesta Village in early 2009, county staff members have worked diligently with representatives of the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp. to ensure the area maintains a resort-like look and feel. (The Maintenance Corp. represents the property owners whom the county assesses annually for the upkeep.) Continued on page 15

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Following a Sept. 9 hearing in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, Judge Andrea McHugh consolidated both the cases involving Siesta resident Mike Cosentino. The actions will proceed under Cosentino v. Sarasota County, she wrote in the order she issued later the same day. Additionally on Sept. 9, McHugh formally discharged Cosentino’s third attorney — Fred E Moore of Blalock Walters in Bradenton — from any further responsibility in the representation of Cosentino. That means Cosentino will proceed pro se, “until such time as he may otherwise choose,” McHugh added. Pro se means Cosentino will be representing himself. He filed a motion earlier this summer seeking that ruling from McHugh, saying he felt that would be better protection for his rights. In June 2016, Cosentino filed a complaint against Sarasota County, arguing that the County Commission violated a Comprehensive Plan policy when it voted 4-1 to vacate a 373-foot-long segment of North Beach Road. His original attorney was Ralf Brookes of Cape Coral. Attorney No. 2 was Lee Robert Rohe of Big Pine Key. Cosentino fired Rohe in the spring, telling McHugh during the June 25 hearing that he had concerns that Rohe was suffering from a cognitive disorder. (Cosentino told SNL last year that Brookes needed to step away from the case because of a family issue.) Cosentino already had been representing himself in the other lawsuit that McHugh consolidated with the original one. Filed in October 2018 and amended just before the end of 2018, that second complaint argues that two Sarasota County Charter amendments Cosentino wrote contravene state law. He was able to get them on the November 2018 General Election ballot, and voters approved them. One calls for the county to rescind the vacation of the segment of North Beach Road or reacquire that part of the road. The other Charter amendment prohibits the County Commission from selling any county lands that have so much as a waterfront vista. The lawsuit over the amendments was filed by the Caflisch family, which owns property on the vacated part of North Beach Road. The county has supported the Caflisches in their view of the Charter amendments, which has propelled Cosentino to public criticism of the County Commission and the Office of the County Attorney. In one other Sept. 9 ruling, Judge McHugh reserved court dates in the spring of 2020 for a potential jury trial in Cosentino v. Sarasota County. That order calls for a pre-trial conference on March 31, 2020 and the start of the trial on April 27, 2020, with “3+” written in as the potential number of days needed for the hearing of the case. In a statement he provided to SNL on Sept. 11, Cosentino wrote, “One must, at the outset, demand a jury trial.” He added that he filed such a demand in his answer to the Caflisch complaint, just as he had done in the original North Beach Road case. “I think it’s important that the voters who

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overwhelmingly supported Reopen Beach Road’s public protections have the opportunity to adjudicate this matter under the guidance of Judge McHugh.” Reopen Beach Road is the nonprofit organization Cosentino established in June 2016 as he began his efforts to overturn the County Commission’s road vacation decision. Nonetheless, he continued on Sept. 11, “I think we will win on motions before this gets to a trial. The challenges to the charter amendments simply have no merit. We look forward to proving that to the judge in the coming months.” Cosentino is not the only party in the case who believes the issues will be resolved without a trial. SNL also asked for a statement from the Caflisches’ attorney, S. William Moore of Moore Bowman & Reese in Sarasota. “We believe this matter is more appropriately decided by the Court, since it is a question of law, not fact,” Moore wrote in a Sept. 11 email. He added, “We have a dispositive hearing set on the legal issues (which date may be moved) that will be heard by the Judge only before any jury trial can occur.” The Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute explains, “A party may make a motion for summary disposition asserting that the undisputed pleaded facts, admissions, affidavits, stipulations, documentary evidence, matters as to which official notice may be taken, and any other evidentiary materials properly submitted in connection with a motion for summary disposition show that: “(1) There is no genuine issue as to any material fact; and “(2) The moving party is entitled to a decision in its favor as a matter of law.” In other words, a judge can throw out a case if all the facts of law related to the case make it clear that the case has no merit. Moore was referring to the fact that Judge McHugh already had scheduled an Oct. 7 hearing on the June 19 motion Assistant County Attorney David Pearce filed, seeking final summary judgment in the Charter amendments case. In his brief, Pearce explained, “The purpose of summary judgment is to avoid the expense and delay of trial when no dispute exists concerning the material facts.” He cited a 1954 Florida Supreme Court decision as the basis for that statement. Pearce asked the court to “decree that the Charter amendments are inconsistent with state law and vague.” For example, Pearce pointed out, Cosentino did not define “waterfront vista” in the amendments. “There is no standard given for determining whether a right of way includes a waterfront vista,” he wrote. “It is unknown whether such a determination is made at grade or at an elevation along a right of way. It is unknown as to whether there is a limitation on the distance from the right of way to the water body.” Cosentino also indicated to SNL that the October hearing might be moved to another date.

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Island Chatter

OCTOBER 2019

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Continued from page 13

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Many activities go on behind the scenes, to which SNL can attest, having covered those efforts from their beginning. During the most recent quarterly members meeting of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, Lisa Cece, the special district coordinator who serves as the county liaison to the Maintenance Corp., reported on just a couple of those initiatives that the average person probably never would notice. Cece said she and Michael Shay, maintenance manager for the Maintenance Corp., noticed on their most recent monthly inspection of the Village that in one section of the medallion on the western end of Ocean Boulevard — at the Beach Road intersection — “the brick pavers were really devoid of sand” and starting to loosen up. The medallion is a decorative inlay on the road. The problematic section, she continued, is closest to the northeastern stormwater drain. Staff of the county’s Road and Bridge Division came out to take a look at the bricks, Cece said. Their feeling, she noted, was that the drainage — or baffle — box is failing or has failed, resulting in erosion. (A baffle box is designed to remove sediment and pollutants from stormwater before it flows into water bodies.) As soon as they figure out exactly what the problem is, Cece added, they would make the necessary repairs and replace sand around the bricks, “so we won’t have bricks moving or breaking or being unstable for cars, bikes or pedestrians.” In early September, Cece reported that when she checked with the county’s Stormwater Division staff members, she learned that they still were evaluating the situation. At least on a positive note, she added, all the stormwater drains in that area had been cleaned. A second report she made during the Chamber’s Aug. 21 meeting focused on a bench in front of Siesta Center; the bench had loose slats. In fact, Cece pointed out, the slats on one end had disconnected from the bench. “The bench was not safe,” she said, so staff planned to remove it. She noted that that action could be accomplished without damage to the landscaping plants. Cece anticipated that a new bench would be in place by early this month, and it would be mounted right into the brick pavers. “It will be more in keeping with the other benches in the Village,” she added, as it would be 4 feet wide instead of 6. Continued on page 19

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Sgt. Arik Smith’s report

Sgt. Arik Smith prepares to answer a question during the Sept. 5 SKA meeting. Photo by Rachel Brown Hackney

Where do most 911 calls originate on the Key?

More consternation about Access 2 After Sgt. Arik Smith concluded his report to the Siesta Key Association members on Sept. 5, audience members peppered him with questions about vehicles at Beach Access 2. “I know people aren’t supposed to park at Access 2,” one woman told Smith, but she continues to see vehicles there. The access, which is at the western end of Avenida Messina, just outside Siesta Village, long has been known as Sunset Point. To park legally on a street in that area, which is the Mira Mar District, Smith explained, a person has to have a county permit. At Access 2, only one parking spot is provided, and that is for handicapped access to the beach. He stressed that multiple county signs stand at the access, clearly

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It probably came as no surprise to members attending the September Siesta Key Association (SKA) meeting that the highest number of 911 calls the Sheriff’s Office receives on the Key are generated at the public beach. That was just one fact of the report that Sgt. Arik Smith, leader of the Sheriff’s Office substation on the island, presented to the members. In August, he said, the Sheriff’s Office received 118 calls originating at 948 Beach Road, the official address for Siesta Public Beach. “It’s where the most people are,” he pointed out; thus, it is the place where human interactions are most likely to occur on the island. SKA President Catherine Luckner had asked him to research “the hot areas” on the Key for people making 911 calls, he explained. In second place behind the public beach, he continued, is Beach Access 1, on North Shell Road, on the northern end of the island. However, as he pointed out, there was “quite a bit of drop” from the total number of calls originating at the public beach to those from Access 1 in August. The latter count, he added, was 19. Ten calls came from people at Turtle Beach, Smith said, and the rest were from scattered locations, generally from Siesta Village and neighborhoods. The total number of those calls, he noted, was 57. Altogether in August, Smith

reported, the Sheriff’s Office received 287 calls for service on the island. Only 4% of those involved Part 1 crimes, he pointed out, adding that those are considered the most serious. They include all types of thefts, sexual assaults, burglaries and battery cases, he noted. Among those calls, he continued, “We had three vehicle burglaries.” “I know Sgt. Paul Cernansky used to harp on this a lot,” Smith continued, referring to the previous substation leader. “Those incidents are almost 100% preventable by locking your car doors.” If vehicle doors are locked, Smith said, 99% of the time, that prevents a perpetrator from proceeding with an effort to get anything out of the vehicle. Referring to the August cases, he added, “Those were unlocked cars.” The Sheriff’s Office did record one theft of a vehicle in August from the Municipal Lot in Siesta Village, he continued. A couple of other cases involved thefts of liquor from convenience stores, Smith added. In concluding his report, Smith told the members, “We had a very eventful summer.” With school back in session, he said, things should be slowing down. The Sheriff’s Office already is preparing for the holidays, he noted.

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warning the public that parking is not permitted except in that handicapped space. “We try to enforce that no parking provision as much as we can.” “Most people aren’t there trying to commit crimes,” Smith continued. A lot of people drive down to the access to unload items they want with them on the beach and, in similar fashion, to load up those items after they have spent time on the beach, he pointed out. “The main thing for the Sheriff’s Office is to educate people about the parking prohibition and keep ’em out of there,” Smith said. The woman then emphasized that every time she goes down to the access, “There’s multiple cars parked.” Smith acknowledged that he and his officers routinely see the same situation. “We write tickets and … move them on.” As he understood it, Smith continued, the parking issue has been going on for decades at Access 2 — primarily, he stressed, because that is one of the few spots in the county where the road actually dead-ends at the beach. “It’s a very

Car parked in No Parking zone at Beach Access 2

easy access for people.” Again, Smith told the SKA members, “We do our best to educate people and enforce the parking laws there. … We direct people to the public beach.”

The continuing issue of dogs on the beach Sgt. Arik Smith also handled numerous questions about dogs on the beach when he appeared before SKA members at their regular meeting. Dr. Stephen Lexow said he sees a

man walking a dog most mornings on Turtle Beach. Lexow finally told the man one recent day that dogs are not allowed on the beach, Lexow added. The man’s response, Lexow said, was that the dog is a service dog for emotional problems. “Is that legit?” Lexow asked Smith. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website has a list of all the service animals considered legitimate, Smith explained. Continued on the next page

Sheriff’s Report August 20 – September 16, 2019 There were 11 crimes reported on the Key between 8/20-9/16/19 8/24/19 Identity Theft 100 Block Sand Dollar Lane A man received an email from AT&T confirming the purchase of three cell phones/new lines. He had not made the purchase. He was informed that the unknown suspect had made the purchase in person at a store in an unknown New York location. AT&T requires identification to be presented at time of purchase. There is no monetary loss to the victim although his personal information was used to buy the phones.

8/27/19 Scheme to Defraud Location Withheld

recovered. The find a phone feature was activated but no return signals from the phones were received.

On 5/24/19, an unknown suspect opened a checking account online at Regions Bank in the name of the victim. On 8/1/19 an unknown suspect transferred $8,000 from the victim’s checking account into the fraudulently opened account. The fraudulent account then had a series of transactions, including transferring $2,202 back into the victim’s account. The victim was provided a case number and copies of various bank records relating to these events. The identity of the suspect is unknown.

9/1/19 Battery Location Withheld

8/28/19 Burglary – Vehicle 8700 Block Midnight Pass Rd. A woman reported a vehicle burglary and theft of items. She stated she had parked her 2017 Dodge van at the Turtle Beach lot. She could not recall if she had locked the car before heading to the beach. The stolen items had been located on the front passenger side seat in plain sight. The items included a Micheal Kors purse ($400), Watch ($1400), gold chain ($500), gold pendant ($700), Vera Bradley bags ($100), ring ($1500), and Tori Burch sandals ($225). There was no damage to the vehicle and no suspects or witnesses.

8/31/19 Theft Beach Rd. A woman and her friends were at Beach Access 2 enjoying the day. The friends went into the water to swim while the complainant sat next to their bags. An unknown suspect walked over to the bags that were sitting in the sand and grabbed a backpack which contained two iPhone Xs, Nike sneakers ($250), credit card, sunglasses, small canister of mace and a pair of keys. The complainant asked the suspect what he was doing and he replied, “I’m taking your s….” The suspect walked into the roadway and got into a grey Nissan Sentra that was occupied by three other males and drove away. The area was checked for the suspect and vehicle with negative results. Several roadways in the area were checked and the backpack was recovered near the public beach. The telephones and mace were not present in the pack but all other items were

A man was arrested for domestic battery. When the deputy arrived on the scene, he met with the complainant/victim, who was standing on the sidewalk with a towel on the back of her head. The towel was soaked with blood and she had blood running down her neck, shoulders and chest from the wound. She stated she was sitting at the kitchen table engaged in a verbal argument with the defendant, who she has been in a relationship with for 30 years. She said during the argument she threw a candle towards the defendant which hit the wall behind him. She said the defendant grabbed her by the shoulders while she was seated and “slammed” her head into the wall. The back of her head had actually hit the marble window sill causing injury to the back of her head. She was transported to the hospital. The defendant invited the deputies into the condo where they observed blood splattered on the wall beneath the marble sill. Pictures were submitted into evidence. The defendant voluntarily and spontaneously explained what had happened. He said after the candle was thrown at him, he grabbed her to calm her down and she just hit the wall. He was placed under arrest. The victim was given a Victim’s Rights brochure and a Marcy’s Law pamphlet, she elected to opt in. The deputy also provided her with a SPARC business card and brochure and encouraged her to use their assistance.

9/3/19 Petit Theft Location Withheld A man reported unknown persons had stolen his wallet and other listed items. He stated he had a party on 9/1 and there were many people in his house. Later that evening, he noticed his wallet was missing from the kitchen area. There were no witnesses or suspects for the report and there was no video surveillance of the residence. The missing items include: a wallet, $250 cash, driver’s license and various credit cards.

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Natural Resources (PRNR) staff about that very issue. About seven years ago, PRNR staff pursued an initiative that entailed removing an abundance of signs at the beach accesses and then erecting smaller, solitary signs that point out the county restrictions. The goal, as staff characterized it at the time, was to cut down on “sign pollution.” As Smith wrapped up the questionand-answer part of his remarks, Luckner told him, “We don’t realize what all you have to do out there every day … at all hours.” Smith then said that the SKA directors know how to reach him if any issue comes up. “Please let me know any questions you have.”

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About the sergeant himself When Sgt. Arik Smith, leader of the Siesta Key Sheriff’s Office substation, began his presentation to SKA members, he said he considered the meeting his first real one since he was appointed to the position in May. Previous substation leader Paul Cernansky — who was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant in April — introduced Smith as his replacement during that meeting. However, because of conflicts in Smith’s schedule — and the fact that the SKA has no July meeting — the September session was what Smith called his “first real meeting” with the nonprofit’s members. As a result, he said he wanted to formally introduce himself to the members. After he joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2006, he noted, he spent two years with the Patrol Division and then two years with the Tactical Unit. In his next assignment, he continued, he spent six years working undercover with the Narcotics Division. Following a promotion, he added, he again was assigned to the Patrol Division. “And now I’m here, living life happy ever since May,” he told the audience. “How did you work undercover?!” SKA member Bob Waechter asked Smith. “I can show you some pictures,” Smith replied with a laugh. “They’re not pretty.”

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“We’re not allowed to kick … people with those animals off the beach.” Deputies can ask what type of service animal the dog is, Smith added. “Emotional support animals are not considered by ADA to be a service animal,” Smith pointed out, so deputies can tell people with such animals that they are not allowed on the beach, according to county regulations. In response to another question, Smith said that people with legitimate service dogs can let those dogs defecate or urinate on the beach. However, he emphasized, the person with the dog must pick up any waste. A second woman in the audience complained about a person who routinely takes a dog onto a different part of the beach, even though the dog is not a legitimate service animal, according to the ADA website. “I know,” Smith replied, telling her, “We’ve had this conversation.” “If it’s not a service animal,” Smith said again, “they’re not allowed on the beach.” Over the years, SKA President Catherine Luckner pointed out, members of the nonprofit have educated a lot of visitors about the county ordinance prohibiting dogs on the beach. Additionally, she said, the SKA has asked condominium associations that rent units to tourists to hand out flyers with details about the applicable county ordinance, which includes a number of other restrictions involving the beach. Usually, Luckner continued, when a visitor learns that dogs are not allowed on the beach, they will leave. Smith responded that that has been the experience of Sheriff’s Office deputies, as well. “The majority of the people,” he added, are surprised. “Visitors will pack up all their stuff,” he continued, and then leave with the dog. They will return to the beach later by themselves, he added. An earlier speaker in the audience complained that the county’s signs listing restrictions regarding the beach are about the size of “Post-It” notes. Smith replied that Sheriff’s Office representatives have talked with county Parks, Recreation and

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Lido Key Beach Renourishment Project Save Our Siesta Sand 2 files for summary judgment in Big Pass case, arguing that Army Corps of Engineers has defied federal law in pursuit of the project By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com

Because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has defied numerous federal laws in refusing to undertake an indepth environmental analysis of its proposed Lido Key Beach Renourishment Project, it must not be allowed to pursue that project, a Siesta Key-based nonprofit argues in its latest motion filed in federal court. On Aug. 29, Save Our Siesta Sand 2 (SOSS2) formally filed a motion for summary judgment in the case it brought against the USACE in January. SOSS2 asks the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, in Tampa, to prohibit the USACE from pursuing the Lido project under the guidelines of the permit the USACE received in June 2018 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Moreover, SOSS2 asks the court to

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require the USACE and FDEP to “reinitiate consultation” on that permit. A full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), “which is typically required for this type of project, has not been completed in this area or surrounding areas since 1984,” SOSS2 attorney Jane West wrote in the motion. And in its refusal to undertake an EIS, she contends, the USACE has defied the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Environmental Species Act (ESA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), among other federal laws. The USACE plans to take up to 1.3 million cubic yards of sand from Big Sarasota Pass to stabilize about 1.6 miles of South Lido Key Beach. The FDEP permit the USACE received — with its co-applicant, the City of Sarasota — is valid for 15 years. USACE documents and public statements have made it clear that project managers believe the Lido renourishment will have to be done again every five years, even with construction of two groins on South Lido to try to hold sand in place between projects. SOSS2 is asking the court “to prevent further degradation of rural communities and shared environmental resources that are the heart of … Siesta Key and Sarasota,” West added. “The Big Sarasota Pass ebb shoal is unique due to its shallow depths, making it a popular site for recreation at low tides during calm sea conditions,” West wrote. “A quintessential example is boaters who enjoy anchoring their boats and playing in the very shallow water on the shoal.” “Furthermore,” West pointed out, “the consistency of Siesta Key Beach’s superlative status as a tourist destination has not been considered at all by the Corps, especially in light of scientific literature which suggests that dredging Big Sarasota Pass will increase wave action and erosion at beaches and private property

on Siesta Key.” Moreover, West stresses the importance of the “coastal barrier” the shoal provides the Key. In its Beach and Shore Protection Act, she continued, the Florida Legislature “asserted that Florida’s beaches and coastal barrier dunes are among the state’s most valuable natural resources and that these resources should be protected from ‘imprudent construction which can jeopardize the stability of the beach-dune system, accelerate erosion, provide inadequate protection to upland structures, endanger adjacent properties, or interfere with public beach access.” Additionally, West pointed out that spotted seatrout spawn in Big Pass from April through September. “Such spawning sites are not common, are used repeatedly, and are important to the conservation of the species,” she added, citing the expert opinion of researcher R. Grant Gilmore Jr., president of the Vero Beach consulting firm Estuarine, Coastal and Ocean Science Inc. “The proposed project would destroy a spotted seatrout spawning areas,” West contends, “creating a strong negative in the balancing of public interest factors. There is no proposed mitigation for adverse impacts to spotted seatrout for the Project… The proposed seagrass mitigation at the Perico Rookery Seagrass Mitigation Basin is over 16 miles away and therefore not suitable as a refuge for post-larval spotted seatrout,” West added. In the summary judgment motion, West — whose eponymous firm is in St. Augustine — argues that the USACE’s decision not to create an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Lido project “was arbitrary and capricious and a violation of the federal government’s Administrative Procedure Act (APA) …” She wrote, “While the standard of review under APA is narrow, the court must nonetheless engage in Continued on the next page

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Island Chatter

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Continued from page 15

Keeping Siesta Village clean During the most recent Siesta Chamber of Commerce quarterly meeting for members — on Aug. 21 — Michael Shay, manager of the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp., told the group gathered in the Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, “We’re still having what I’m calling a ‘dumping issue.’ Residents as well as businesses are putting their garbage” in the decorative pails in the Village. Shay pointed out, “Those pails along the Village walkways are part of the Village Maintenance Corp. Those are for pedestrians, visitors, to put their stuff in.” When residents or employees of businesses use the Maintenance Corp. garbage pails, he stressed, “It just creates a problem.” A couple of weeks before that Aug. 21 meeting, he said, on a Monday night, a person from a business filled a Village garbage can with refuse from that business. Yet, the company that handles the Village maintenance under contract to the county does not collect Village garbage on Tuesdays, Shay added. Referring to the affected pail, he said, “It was unsightly and it was overflowing, and it was going to stay that way,” so he decided to remedy the situation. He went through the business’ garbage, he said, until he found mail with an address on it. Then he went to the person’s address and “put the whole pile of refuse on their doorstep.” That comment prompted a round of laughter. “They apologized,” Shay noted, telling him it was a mistake that the garbage ended up in the Village pail. “Yada, yada, yada.” He declined to identify the business or the person with whom he spoke. “We really need to work on that issue,” he stressed of businesses and residents using the Village garbage cans. He reminded everyone that he has discussed such incidents in the past, seeking to spread the word that the Maintenance Corp. needs the cooperation of businesses and residents. Continued on page 20 Continued from previous page

a searching and careful inquiry of the record. … An agency decision may be deemed arbitrary and capricious if the agency fails to consider all relevant factors … or if the agency has ‘offered an explanation for its decision that runs counter to the evidence before the agency’ or has failed to articulate ‘a rational connection between the facts found and the choice made.’” West was citing a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court decision. “Under the National Environmental Policy Act NEPA,” West wrote, the USACE, like any other federal agency, “is required to prepare an EIS ‘to the fullest extent possible,’ before taking any ‘actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment …’ An EIS accounts for various factors, including ‘the environmental impact of the proposed action,’ ‘any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented,’ and

‘alternatives to the proposed action.’” In issuing an Environmental Asse ssme n t /F i n di n g o f N o Significant Impact for its Lido project, West wrote, “the Corps defied the dictates” of the NEPA, the CWA and the APA.

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Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Key Chorale are coming together for an exuberant collaboration with American Roots: The Gospel Experience. The arts organizations will explore the rich tradition of black gospel music in America through three performances at churches in Sarasota and Venice in October. The third offering in the Key Chorale’s American Roots series, this edition brings together two of Sarasota’s most renowned performing arts groups, weaving the spirited style of WBTT’s singers, dancers and musicians with the soaring choral harmonies of the Key Chorale Chamber Singers. The high-energy show will celebrate the deeply emotional music and movement at the heart of African-American worship. Highlights will include “Amazing Grace,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Oh Happy Day” and “Wade in the Water,” in moving, inspirational performances. “It is truly a thrill to be able to put a program of this magnitude together – in partnership with the skilled singers of the Key Chorale – and perform it in area churches,” said WBTT founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs. “Gospel music was born in churches, where African-Americans could find release from the pressures of everyday life. This music played a huge role in the cultural experience of the African-American community but I think everyone in the audience will

find the themes to be relatable and inspirational.” The shows take place: Friday, October 18, 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church (104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota); Saturday, October 19, 4 p.m. at St. Boniface Episcopal Church (5615 Midnight Pass Rd., Siesta Key); and Saturday, October 26, 7:30 p.m. at Venice Presbyterian Church (825 The Rialto, Venice). “This collaboration is an opportunity to be immersed in a genre that has the ability to empower us, transport us, and raise our spirits unlike any other. Performing spirituals and gospel music with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is a dream come true,” said Maestro Caulkins. “The combination of Key Chorale’s great singers, and WBBT’s incredible performers, is sure to be an emotional and uplifting experience you won’t want to miss.” Tickets are $30-$40, with a limited number of preferred seats available for $75. For tickets, go to westcoastblacktheatre.org, keychorale.org or call WBTT’s Box Office at 941-366-1505.

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Procedure for the case On March 1, Chief Judge Steven D. Merryday of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, in Tampa, ordered that the SOSS2 lawsuit be classified as a “track two case.” That means Merryday will make a ruling on the basis of a review of the documents the nonprofit and the USACE file; no hearing will be scheduled for presentation of evidence or testimony. The timeline calls for the last document in the case to be filed by Dec. 6. That motion will be from the USACE.

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Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

Island Chatter

941.349.0194

Continued from page 19

Please do not trim the county’s landscaping plants Another issue that arose during the Chamber’s Aug. 21 quarterly meeting is an uptick in problems county staff has encountered with the county’s landscaping in Siesta Village. Lisa Cece, the special district coordinator for the county who serves as the liaison between the county and the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp., explained that she was working on a letter for all the property owners in the Village’s Public Improvement District. It would remind them, she said, of do’s and don’ts. For one example, she pointed out, a new property owner recently had workers trimming muhly grass in the county landscaping on the northern end of the Village. “It looks a bit more like Bart Simpson right now,” she said, referring to the Simpsons cartoon character who has a well-known hairstyle. “But it’s growing back rapidly.”

Keeping the Key clean Along with his endeavors to keep Siesta Village looking as clean and inviting as possible, Michael Shay long has been a volunteer with Adopt-A-Road initiatives on the island. In July, Shay won authorization from Keep Sarasota County Beautiful to clean up Ocean Boulevard on a routine basis under the Adopt-A-Road Program that that county division oversees. Although the Keep Sarasota County Beautiful guidelines stipulate cleanup efforts on a quarterly basis, as a minimum, Shay reported that he and a group he had assembled planned to work on a bimonthly basis. On Tuesday, Sept. 10, he wrote in an email, he and his group made their first Adopt-A-Road outing.

“We were a total of 6 friends, working in pairs,” he explained. They divided Ocean Boulevard into three sections: “2 people did the stretch from Higel Avenue to Treasure Boat Way on the west side (Karen Martin & Carol DiVita); 2 did that same area on the east side (Maria & Michael Shay); and 2 covered the Village, both sides of the street (Louise & Jim Mitchell).” Shay added, “We all worked for an hour and picked up a total of 5 bags of garbage and 1 bag of recyclables.” “We all went afterwards to Village Café for breakfast,” he continued, “and lo and behold Tom, Kay & Pops were very gracious and bought us breakfast as thanks for our cleanup efforts! WOW, they are the best!!!!!” He was referring to members of the Kouvatsos family, who own and operate the restaurant in Siesta Village. For a number of years, the Kouvatsoses served free breakfasts to Siesta Key Association members after AdoptA-Road initiatives that the nonprofit had organized for its members.

newsletter says. A variety of shifts and duties are available, the newsletter points out. Already, the Vendor Village is sold out for this year’s Crystal Classic, Chamber Director Mark Smith noted. And instead of food being available at tents, he continued, the event will feature food trailers. Those spots are sold out, too, he said. The Crystal Classic is set for Nov. 15-18, Frescura added. “It’s a week later,” she explained, because of the scheduling that accommodates the artists, who follow an event circuit. The sculptors will represent six different counties, Smith pointed out, underscoring the international flavor of the competition. Anyone who would like to volunteer may contact Mia Leone, volunteer coordinator, at 349-3800, or email Mia@ siestakeychamber.com for more information. For details about the 10th Siesta Key Crystal Classic, visit www.siestakeycrystalclassic.com.

Siesta Key Association guest speaker

Volunteers sought for 10th edition of Crystal Classic With tens of thousands of attendees, the Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival functions so smoothly because of the multitude of people who offer to help out each year, Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce leaders have pointed out on numerous occasions. For the 10th anniversary event in November, the Chamber needs approximately 300 volunteers, Chamber Executive Director Ann Frescura announced at the Aug. 21 quarterly meeting for members. About 60,000 visitors are expected this time, a Chamber

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Phil Chiocchio is the guest speaker at the SKA’s monthly October meeting. The meeting is open to the public. The October 3 meeting is at St. Boniface in the Parish Hall at 4:30 PM. SKA is very interested in his West Coast Inland Navigation Grant proposal to restore the Grand Canal. Phil Chiocchio is a concerned citizen who would like to see a healthier Grand Canal and lived on Siesta Key in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is the Sub Committee Chair of the Sarasota Bay Fisheries Forum for Sub tidal Habitats, Living Shorelines, Living Seawalls and Mangrove Awareness. Continued on page 29

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OCTOBER 2019

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LIVE MUSIC PAGE 26

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ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 43

CRESCENT BEACH MAP pg 24 GULF GATE SHOPS pgs 28 - 29

Siesta Key Drum Circle Every Sunday is a perfect time to come to the Key to reconnect with Mother Nature and to enjoy this collaborative community event. I’m talking about the Siesta Key Drum Circle that takes place each Sunday starting about an hour before sunset and lasting until about 10 p.m. The gathering meets up just south of the main pavilion - just follow your ears and watch for the swelling crowd. Please note the following rules of etiquette that need to be observed at the Drum Circle so that all can enjoy the experience: the inside of the drum circle is for participants only, not for people standing around. Feel free to enter the circle, take a picture and dance, but always keep moving. Never play someone’s drum without getting clearance from the owner. Always ask before borrowing other people’s property, especially hula hoops. Flash photography and bright video lights are distracting, so photograph during daylight or use a night vision camera. And finally, please do not drink alcohol or smoke inside the circle and respect our beach by placing all trash in the appropriate receptacles. Photo by Jane Dough as shared in Siesta Key Drum Circle Facebook page.

Don’t Waste Your Island Time Crossing Bridges! We are conveniently located just a few steps from Crescent Beach and minutes away from anywhere on the Key.

• Full Service Grocery • Party Trays • Boar’s Head Meat & Cheese • Domestic & Micro Beers • Fabulous Deli Sandwiches Made to Order! • Largest Wine Selection on Siesta Key • Farm Fresh Produce • Beach Supplies • Butcher Shop • Take Out Meals

We Deliver to Siesta Key!

941-312-0472 fax: 941-312-9588

www.crescentbeachgrocery.com

1211 Old Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key, FL 34242 (corner of Stickney Pt. and Midnight Pass Rd.)

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

941.349.0194

At The Beach

www.siestasand.net

Photos by Trebor Britt

Volleyball fanatic Maddy of Pennsylvan competed in both Dig the Beach volleybal incredible Siesta Beach. Maddy loves the

Siesta Key Village business, The Beach Club, partnered as a drop off location with several other local businesses to collect hurricane supplies for the Bahamas. No water was collected due to weight restrictions. Pictured with the supplies is Cara, a bartender at The Beach Club.

OHIO FAMILY - The Ferreri family from Youngstown, OH. Olivia (9), Kailyn (11), Brian, Tara and Aurora (2). They traveled from Ft. Myers Beach after looking online to discover the number one rated beach in the United States was just a 2-hour drive.

Map D #62

Coffee Shop • Tea Room • 5138 ACCOMMODATIONS Siesta Key Beach Resort & Spa.......... Map-A #38A ART GALLERY / STUDIO The Gallery on Siesta Key............. Map-D #11 ATM / BANKS PNC ATM.........................................Map-C #61 Sun Trust Bank & ATM.................... Map-E #4 BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Blaśe Café........................................ Map-A #38 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar........... Map-B #42-43 Gilligan’s.........................................Map-B #33 My Village Pub......................... Map-C #53/54 Siesta Key Oyster Bar....................Map-B #45 The Beach Club............................... Map-D #22 The Cottage......................................Map-C #58 The Hub-Baja Grill......................... Map-D #59

Map B #42

COFFEE SHOPS Bean Coffeehouse......................... Map-D #62 LeLu’s Coffee Lounge...................Map-B #31 DRUGSTORE Davidson Drugs............................ Map-D #65 FASHION & ACCESSORIES Beach Bazaar’s & Swin Shack..... Map-C #28 Blvd. Beachwear.............................. Map-B #30 Comfort Shoes-Birki & More..... Map-D #64 Foxy Lady Fashions...................... Map-A #40 Ganja Mon Vibes.............................. Map-D #9 Gidget’s Coastal Provisions.........Map-B #44 Island Boutique............................... Map-B #50 Island Style.......................................Map-C #53 Sea Shanty........................................Map-C #24 Siesta T’s........................................... Map-B #30 The Sandal Factory......................... Map-B #46 GAS STATION Circle K Store..................................... Map-E #6 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Beach Bazaar.................................. Map-C #28 Gilligan’s Gift Store........................ Map-B #32 Island Trader....................................Map-C #51 Sea Pleasures & Treasures.............Map-C #29 Siesta Key Outfitters..................... Map-D #12

Barber Scott Reich

Formerly of the Village Barber

Gulf Gate Barbershop Making Gulf Gate look good since the ‘60’s Bringing over 70 years of life lessons and local knowledge to your haircut (trust us, we know alllll about what you did last summer). It’s not just a haircut, it’s life. We know all about it. Let’s laugh, have a beer, and talk nonsense….that’s free. Haircut? That’s gonna cost you…$15, if we like you, $25 if you’re a P.I.T.A. “Best Local Barbers” 20 years in the running Kyle and Scott “to the second power”

6575 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, FL 34231 941-809-9028 Walk-ins Welcome

HEALTH & FITNESS Indep. Lifestyle Solutions ............ Map-D #10 Siesta Healing................................... Map-D #9 Siesta Key Fitness..........................Map-B #73 ICE CREAM/SWEETS Big Olaf Creamery..........................Map-C #52 Curly Cream Ice Cream................... Map-D #9 Local Chill Ice Cream.................... Map-D #60 Made in Rome Organic Gelato......Map-C #53 Meany’s Mini Donuts.....................Map-C #24 Stefano Versace Gelato...................Map-C #50 SubZero Ice Cream/Yogurt.......... Map-D #16 The Fudge Factory......................... Map-A #36 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson Drugs............................ Map-D #65 LeLu’s Coffee Lounge...................Map-B #31 JEWELRY Created Gems..................................Map-C #51 Mount -N- Repair Jewelers............. Map-D #9 LIQUOR STORES / FINE WINES Gabbiano’s Wine Club................. Map-D #70 Gilligan’s.........................................Map-B #33 Siesta Key Wine Bar........................Map-C #61 Siesta Village Liquors.................. Map-C #26 The Beach Club............................... Map-D #22

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

OCTOBER 2019

Volleyball Fanatic

nia and her partner ll tournaments on beach, swimming

Flag ceremony honors First Responders

and is a Sports Business Management student at Webber International University In Babson Park, Florida.

HAT BETTER WAY TO START YOUR DAY IN PARADISE! • Organic and Fair Trade Coffees & Teas • Cold Pressed Coffee • Organic Smoothies • Light Lunch (Sandwiches) • Breakfast Sandwiches, Bagels & Lox • Homemade Pastries

941-260-6400

Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key Village

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

By Randall Townsend Our nightly flag ceremony pays homage to Captain Ralph Styles (a Decorated WWII Submarine Captain in the Pacific Theater), who began this tribute ceremony about 30 years ago. Each sunset our community comes together with new friends from around the world at Siesta Key Public Access #2, at 10 Beach Road. All are welcome as we say: “Welcome to Patriots Pier at Sunset Point! We thank you for joining our nightly tribute to honor the sacrifices of our Military and Service Personnel in protecting our Country and Our Freedoms! We are the Land of the Free because of the Brave!” Our special tribute on 9/11/2019 was to honor our First Responders of Siesta Key Fire Station 13 as our honored guests at our 9/11 ceremony! These First Responders represent what we respect as true examples of those who protect! As they helped us at the third fold of the flag, they got a call and immediately sprang into service! I was asked “Was that part of the presentation?” I said, “No that’s in real life how they roll!” Thank them for their AWESOMENESS!

• SEGWAY RENTALS • PADDLEBOARDS • SCOOTER CARS • GOLF CARTS • BIKES • SCOOTERS • BEACH GEAR Map B #34

The flag used during this presentation previously draped the casket of Four Star Admiral, Leonard Bloom

Gizeh

5255 Ocean Blvd • Siesta Key Village www.robinhoodrentals.net

Mayari

941-554-4242

MAILING - SHIPPING US Post Office................................. Map-D #65

Photo by Jeannetta Tolar

Boston

MARKETS/FOOD STORES Circle K Store..................................... Map-E #6 Morton’s Siesta Market................ Map-C #25

Arizona

Map D #64

MASSAGE Hands of Light Massage................ Map-B #35 The Spa at Calle Minorga............... Map-E #74 MEDICAL - DENTAL Sarasota Medical Center................ Map-D #63 Siesta Dental..................................... Map-B #49 Siesta Key Physical Therapy......... Map-D #20 MISCELLANEOUS Chamber of Commerce................ Map-D #67 Prime Audio Video........................... Map-E #1 Roberti Enterprises........................ Map-A #39 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Edward Jones Investments........... Map-D #68 Smith Architects.................................Map-E 74 REAL ESTATE / RENTAL SERVICES Coldwell Banker Realty................. Map-D #20 Judith Guzzi & Assoc..................... Map-E #74 Keller Williams Real Estate........... Map-D #11 Michael Saunders Realty..............Map-E #72 ReMax Alliance Group................ Map-C #29 RentSiestaKey.com........................... Map-D #9 Robasota Rentals & Real Estate.... Map-A #39 Siesta Key Rental Prop.................. Map-D #10 The Ringling Beach House Rentals...Map-D #9 Tropical Sands Accommodations.....Map-D #67

48 47 46

RESTAURANTS / CAFÉS Another Broken Egg..............Map-C #54 & 55 Blasé Café....................................... Map-A #38 Bonjour French Cafe.......................Map-C #47 Café Gabbiano............................... Map-D #71 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar........... Map-B #42-43 Flavio’s Brick Oven & Bar.............. Map-B #29 Flavio’s Italiano Ristorante............ Map-B #30 Gilligan’s Island Bar & Grill.......Map-B #33 Island House Bar & Grill............. Map-D #69 LeLu’s Coffee Bar...........................Map-B #31 Lobster Pot...................................... Map-C #23 Old Salty Dog Rest. & Pub............... Map-E #2 PI Pizza & Craft Beer..................... Map-A#37 Ripfire Pizza..................................... Map-B #47 Siesta Key Oyster Bar....................Map-B #45 Solorzano Bros. Pizzeria.............. Map-D #15 Subway Sandwiches....................... Map-B #30 Summer House................................Map-C #57 Sun Garden Café............................ Map-D #19 The Cottage......................................Map-C #58 The Hub - Baja Grill........................Map-C #59 The Seafood Joint........................... Map-D #15 The Star Thai Sushi............... Map-D #17 & 18 Village Café.................................... Map-D #14 SPAS - HAIR & BEAUTY LaPlaya Spa......................................Map-C #50 Sassy Hair Salon............................ Map-A #40 Siesta Key Nails & Spa.................. Map-D #9 Shaman Sanctuary Salon................. Map-D #9 SPORTS INTEREST/RENTALS CaliFlorida........................................Map-C #29 Robin Hood Rentals......................Map-B #34

Bringing you quality and comfort for more than 30 years!

WE’VE MOVED

a few doors down

Birkenstock & More 5128 Ocean Blvd. Siesta Village

941-346-7425 www.rickscomfortshoes.com

LET US CUSTOMIZE SHIRTS FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT!

Map D #11

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Capt. Curt’s Backroom Saloon................B-3 #7 Crescent Club.......................................... C-3 #13 Sniki Tiki....................................................B-3 #8 COFFEE SHOPS Coffee Garden................................... B-3 #8 DELIS / BAKERIES Anna’s Deli & Sandwiches.................. C-3 #14 Nutritious You......................................... C-3 #14 The Beach Deli @ Crescent Beach Grocery......B-3 #1 DRUG STORES Davidson Drugs..................................... C-3 #14 FASHION & ACCESSORIES Fin Island Co.............................................. A-3 #2 CB’s Saltwater Outfitters........................ A-3 #4 Coconuts Fashion......................................B-3 #1 Green Turtle Swimwear......................... C-3 #14 Key Casual Fashions............................... D-3 #17 Things You Like...................................... C-3 #14

941.349.0194

CRESCENT BEACH SHOP INDEX

GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Capt. Curt’s Souvenirs.............................B-3 #8 Green Turtle Shells & Gifts................. C-3 #14 Sunshine Sand Hidden Treasures...... D-3 #17 Silver City Jewelry................................. C-3 #14 HEALTH & BEAUTY Sanctuary Siesta Key............................... A-5 #12 Siesta Key Salon & Spa........................... D-3 #17 The Key Spa & Salon.............................. A-5 #12 ICE CREAM & TREATS Orange Octopus .......................................B-3 #8 Siesta Creamery....................................... C-3 #14 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson Drugs..................................... C-3 #14 Mail Pack Center..................................... C-3 #14 LIQUOR STORES Crescent Beach Grocery...........................B-3 #1 Crescent Club...........................................B-3 #13 Siesta Spirits............................................. C-3 #17

MAILING & SHIPPING Mail Pack Center..................................... C-3 #14 US Post Office Sub Station..................... C-3 #14 MARKETS 7-11 Store.................................................. C-3 #16 Big Water Fish Market.......................... C-3 #17 Crescent Beach Grocery...........................B-3 #1 MISCELLANEOUS Moving & Storage....................................B-3 #10 Flowers by Fudgie................................... D-3 #17 REAL ESTATE / RENTALS Beckmann Properties.............................. C-2 #15 Homes & Condo Rentals........................ D-3 #17 Re/Max Tropical Sands............................B-3 #1 Siesta 4-Rent............................................ C-3 #14 Waterside Realty..................................... C-3 #17 RESTAURANTS / CAFES Big Water Fish Market................................C-3 #17

www.siestasand.net

Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill...............A-5 #12 Capt. Curts Crab & Oyster Bar.................B-3 #7 City Pizza Italian Restaurant................. D-3 #17 Clayton’s Siesta Grille...............................B-3 #9 Daiquiri Deck.................................................A-3 #2 Spear Fish Grill..............................................A-4 #5 Toasted Mango Cafe....................................C-3 #17 Miguel’s Restaurant................................ C-3 #17 WATER SPORTS - FISHING - RENTALS A to Z Beach & Bike Rentals.................. A-5 #12 FIN Island Co. .......................................... A-3 #2 CB’s Saltwater Outfitters........................ A-3 #4 Parasail Siesta........................................... A-3 #2 Siesta Key Bike & Kayak . ......................B-3 #8 Siesta Key Marina.................................... A-4 #5 Siesta Key Jetski . ...................................... A-3 #2 Siesta Sports Rentals............................. C-3 #14 Waves Boat & Social Club...................... A-5 #12

“Home of the Orange Squeeze!”

OPEN 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM DAILY

ING FEATUR

Homemade Ice Cream

Sundaes l Shakes l Smoothies l Coffees Espresso l Cappuccinos

1220 Old Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key In the Captain Curt’s Plaza Map B-3#8

941-346-0202

Expires 12/31/19

BIKES · BEACH STUFF · KAYAKS PADDLEBOARDS · SCOOTER CARS BEACH WHEELCHAIRS · SCOOTERS

Book Your Next Adventure Online. We Deliver! BOOK ONLINE OR CALL AT:

RideAndPaddle.com

(941)-346-1797 6551 Midnight Pass Road Southbridge Mall Siesta Key, FL 34242

BOOK ONLINE & SAVE $5.00 OFF YOUR NEXT WEEKLY BIKE RENTAL WITH COUPON CODE: V2019

Map B-3#8

Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill 1500 Stickney Point Rd.

Anna’s Deli 6535 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Road

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters 1249 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP A-3 #4

Coconuts Fashion MAP 1215 Old Stickney Point Rd. B-3 #1&8

Crescent Beach Grocery 1211 Old Stickney Pt. Rd.

MAP B-3 #1

Davidson Drugs 6595 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Siesta 4-Rent 6555 Midnight Pass Rd.

Toasted Mango Cafe 6621 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #17

MAP C-4 #17

MAP C-3 #14

MAP A-5 #12

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

OCTOBER 2019

Snapshots of Island Visitors 1

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

12 13

1. Brittney & Scott from IN 2. Angie age 2 from Sarasota 3. Scooter from Sarasota 4. Kelly & Brittany from IN 5. Samuel, Edwardo, Saby, & Andres from Peru 6. Daina from AZ 7. Alex & Brianne from NJ 8. Aria age 2 & Angela age 2 from Sarasota 9. Nina, Luna age 3, & Miguel from CO 10. Christian age 2, Catherine age 4, & Isabella from TX 11. Natalie, Olive age 2 Â˝, John, & Ava age 1, from NY 12. Zach, Kinleigh age 5, & Katie from OH 13. Rodney, Renea, & Sharon from KY

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

Siesta Sounds

941.349.0194

By Charmaine Engelsman-Robins

Mike Kach playing more than ever this fall

CLUB BLASE CAFÉ In the Village 941-349-9822 DAIQUIRI DECK RAW BAR In the Village 941‐349‐8697

MONDAY CLOSED MONDAYS

Mike Kach

“There are old black-and-white photos of me playing my grandma’s accordion,” he laughs. “Before I could even walk, they’d set it down open on the floor, and I’d crawl over to it to try to play.” Now that’s starting early. After many years playing all over the country with different bands, one thing Mike has learned is that southwest Florida has the best of the best all clustered together in a relatively small area. “We may be a little spoiled,” he admits. “When you’ve had such a great group of musicians all around town for so long, we may not even realize how lucky we are.” But it is, he adds, nice to work with people that you yourself like to listen to. This 2019/2020 season you’ll hear a lot of Mike in several different set ups: He’ll be working with guitar player/vocalist Billy Seward on a couple of projects, performing and recording. Seward’s recording project is in the very early stages but will be, Mike says, an EP length of five or six songs. The recording will include longtime friends and fellow players like Richy Kicklighter, Burt Engelsman, Frankie Lombardi and more. “Billy is a great vocalist, more of a ‘soul guy’,” Mike explains, “and he is just brilliant at it. When it comes to smooth vocals, he totally nails it.” (“It” includes covers of Al Green, Tyrone Davis, Jimmy Cliff, Freddie King and other “best of the best” soul guys.) Also exciting is the Allman Brothers music celebration “A Brothers Revival.” The project was put together by David Goldflies and Johnny Neel (two former members of ABB). Mike has joined the group in touring various cities to share the 50th Anniversary of the Allman Brothers Band. Closer to home, Mike’s happy to be back on Siesta Key in the heart of the Village, playing at Gilligan’s after too long. “I started playing there way back when it was still the old ‘Keyhole’ (the club’s previous incarnation),” Mike remembers. “It’s good to be back!” Next Gilligan’s gig for Mike is with Billy Seward, Burt Engelsman and Frankie Lombardi, on Sunday, October 27; come on out to be “distracted and entertained” by some great music.

One look at Mike Kach might bring Gregg Allman to mind, and as soon as you hear Mike perform there’s no doubt: he is a longtime Allman Brothers admirer who not only does a great job of covering their music, but does it with such a sense of joy that even non-ABB fans get caught up in it. Which is exactly what he strives to do with his band, The Mike Kach Group. Featuring the best of the best players, the regular configuration of the group is Mike on keyboards and vocals joined by Steve Camilleri on drums, Burt Engelsman on bass and Mark Serio on guitar. When players have conflicting dates you may occasionally see Frankie Lombardi or Pat McDonald behind the drums and R. Howson or “Howlin’ Bob” Fieberts taking guitar duties. No matter which configuration is assembled, it’s all good… really good… and you’ll have a great time. “That’s really our job,” Mike reflects. “Not only to play music, but to distract you from all the worries and problems of the day and just let you feel good for a while.” While Mike’s spent years as keyboardist and co-vocalist for Dickey Betts and Great Southern, he was long before that considered something of a fixture in the Southern Rock scene, he’s also an accomplished player of many other genres; happily, that keeps him in demand and he usually has several projects going simultaneously, which is fine with him. He loves being part of a music community that is like a large, extended, very talented family. “It’s really a matter of survival,” he notes. “I love playing with a variety of people and we have a wealth of talent in this area, but you also need to make a living. Still, when the money is good or when it isn’t so good, that’s always what you’ll find us doing. It’s who we are.” Mike might be considered something of an “old soul” when it comes to his affinity for music. He clearly remembers when music first became the big thing in his life: he was only about four years old when he heard Jerry Lee Lewis playing on TV. “That’s when my lightbulb went on,” he laughs. “That was what I wanted to do from that moment on.” Of course at that age he couldn’t have had a clue about music becoming his career, but he heard something there that he immediately bonded with on a very deep level and knew that music would be an important part of his life. And that wasn’t even his first “ah-ha” moment.

TUESDAY CLOSED TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAY Evan Eastmoore (2,9,16,30) rd LIVE MUSIC (23 ) 7‐10 PM

THURSDAY Frankie Lombardi 7‐10 PM

Above: Mike Kach on keyboards Below: Mike Kach – the early years

Photos courtesy: Mike Kach then and now

Links of interest: • Mike Kach Group info https://www.facebook.com/mike.kach.3 • For A Brothers Revival see https://abrothersrevival.com/mike-kach/ • Videos of performances can be watched at https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=mike+kach &qpvt=mike+kach&FORM=VDRE

FRIDAY Callie & The Whole Band 7‐10 PM LIVE MUSIC (3‐7 PM) DJ TJ (10 PM)

GILLIGANS In the Village 941-346-8122

Rodney Shenk: 6‐10 PM

RPM LIVE: 6‐10 PM

6‐10 PM Mike Tozier (2,16, 30) Deven Starr (9 & 23)

Lelu’s Coffee Lounge In the Village 941-346-5358

SIETSA KEY OYSTER BAR (SKOB) In the Village 941‐346‐5443

1‐5 PM: LIVE MUSIC Al Donadi 7‐11 PM

1‐5 PM: LIVE MUSIC )7‐11 PM Open Mic Night hosted by Gabe Strange

1‐5 PM: Frankie Raye OR Deven Starr Kettle of Fish 7‐11 PM

1‐5 PM: Dana & Co. 7‐11 PM Folklab

THE BEACH CLUB In the Village 941-349-6311 THE COTTAGE In the Village 941-312-9300 THE HUB‐BAJA GRILL In the Village 941-349-6800 BACKROOM SALOON @ CAPT. CURTS Crescent Beach Shops 941‐349‐3885 SNIKI TIKI @ CAPT CURTS Crescent Beach Shops 941‐349‐3885 Spearfish Siesta Grille Southern end of SK 941‐349‐3474 Turtle Beach Grill Southern end of SK 941‐349‐2280 SAND DOLLAR POOL BAR @ Best Western Plus 6600 S. Tamiami Trl. Sarasota 941‐924‐4900 BOATYARD WATERFRONT BAR & GRILL 941‐921‐6200 1500 Stickney Pt. Rd. CASEY KEY FISH HOUSE 801 Blackburn Pt. Rd, Osprey 941‐966‐1901

Karaoke Mondays 9 PM – Midnight

Live Music 6-9 PM

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 PM 7-10 PM

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30pm 7-10pm

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

Kevin Thompson 5‐9 PM

Fawny with Jazz/Motown 5‐8:30 PM

BREE (3‐7 PM) 1 PM LIVE MUSIC 6 PM: Alowicious (6 & 20) th Bird Tribe (13 ) th Pressure (27 ) DJ Tuesday – 10 PM

Eddie James Jazz Band 7‐10 PM

2‐6 PM LIVE MUSIC Mike Tozier 8‐Midnight

10 AM ‐ 1 PM Vince Colaiocco OR Mike Tozier 7 ‐11 PM: Hatley OR The Whole Band

2‐6 PM John Whiteleather Band 8‐Midnight LIVE MUSIC 8‐11 PM: th Griswold (4 ) th Pitball Toddler (11 ) th TL (18 ) th Actual Bank Robbers (25 ) Live DJ: 11 PM‐2 AM

Griswolds (12 ) th No Filter (19 ) COSTUME CONTEST (26) th Mixed Signals (26 ) DJ Kensi: 11 PM – 2 AM

8 – 11 PM LIVE MUSIC (5th) th

8‐Midnight th Billy Lyon (6 ) th Noel Rochford (13 ) th LIVE MUSIC (20 ) th EPOD (27 )

Live Music 6-9 PM

Live Music 7-10 PM

Live Music 6-9 PM

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 PM 7-10 PM

Live Music 1 – 4 PM 4:30 – 7:30 PM 8:30 PM –midnight

Live Music 1-4 PM 4:30 – 7:30 PM 8:30 PM - midnight

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 PM 7-10 PM

KARAOKE 9 PM – CLOSE

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐9 PM

LIVE MUSIC 5‐9 PM

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 PM 7-10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

1 PM LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM LIVE MUSIC DJ KConn – 10 PM

SUNDAY Papa Foxtrot (6 & 13) LIVE MUSIC (20 & 27) 7‐10 PM

DJ Coz & DJ Xtreme 10 PM

6‐10 PM Ketel of Fish (4 ) th Schmitz Bros. Band (11 ) th Thorson & Friends (18 ) Drop Dead Dangerous (25) DJ KConn – 10 PM

SATURDAY Kat Crosby & the Rhythm Gators (5 & 19) th Shift Change Band (12 ) th Halloween Party (26 ) th Dr. Drive (26 ) 7‐10 PM LIVE MUSIC (3‐7 PM) DJ K Conn (10 PM)

DJ Coz or DJ Kensi 9 PM – 2 AM

RPM LIVE ‐ 6‐10 PM DJ Nate – 10 PM

www.siestasand.net

KARAOKE 9 PM – CLOSE

LIVE MUSIC 3‐6 PM

RPM 5‐9 PM

Bri Rivera 5‐9 PM

Vince Barardi 5‐9 PM

Jokers Duo 5‐9 PM

Desi Adams 4‐8 PM

LIVE MUSIC 4‐8 PM

LIVE MUSIC 3‐7 PM

Above information is subject to change. We suggest calling venues for confirmation.

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

OCTOBER 2019

Island Humor A guy wants a divorce. He tells the judge, “I just can’t take it anymore. Every night she’s out until way after midnight just going from bar to bar.” Judge asks, “What’s she doing?” The guy answers, “Looking for me.” I think the main function of the little toe on your foot is to make sure that all the furniture in the house is in place. A thief broke into my house last night and started searching for money… So I woke up and started searching with him. The only person who listens to both sides of an argument is the next door neighbor. As a kid I used to watch “The Wizard of Oz” and wonder how someone could talk if they didn’t have a brain. Then I got Facebook. Listen, drunk me and sober me

are NOT the same person. So, if drunk me said or did something, you gotta take it up with drunk me. Don’t come at sober me because we weren’t there. We don’t know what happened… A former sergeant in the Marine Corps took a new job as a high school teacher. Just before the school year started, he injured his back. He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasn’t noticeable. On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in the school. The smart punks, having already heard the new teacher was a former marine, were leery of him and he knew they would be testing his discipline in the classroom. Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, the new teacher opened the window wide and sat down at this desk. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he picked up a stapler and stapled the tie to

his chest. Dead silence….the rest of the year went very smoothly. The oldest computer can be traced back to Adam and Eve. It was an Apple, but with extremely limited memory. Just 1 byte, then everything crashed.

MLB/College Packages FULL BAR

6500 Gateway Ave • 941.554.8905

onth.. M e h T f o r e d n e t r Ba The Beach Club 41) 349-6311 (9 . d lv B n a ce 5151 O

OMG, I’m rich! Silver in the hair, gold in the teeth, crystals in the kidneys, sugar in the blood, lead in the butt, iron in the arteries, and an inexhaustible supply of natural gas. I never thought I would accumulate such wealth! I hate when someone rings my doorbell because then I have to drop whatever I’m doing to be silent and pretend I’m not home. Walmart correction notice: The 4 for $10 price shown in our flyer for Old Dutch Chips (#30440019) is incorrect. The correct price is 2 for $5. We apologize for any inconvenience.

A lady was looking at frozen turkeys but couldn’t find one big enough. She asked the stock boy, “Do these turkeys get any bigger?” “No ma’am,” he replied with a straight face, “they’re dead.”

IN GULF GATE...

Fitness instructor: Have you ever done a marathon? Me: You mean like on Netflix?

Did you hear about the chameleon that couldn’t change color? He had a reptile dysfunction.

HOTTEST BAR

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

So after winning the game, I decided to throw the ball into the crowd, just like on T.V. Apparently, it‘s unacceptable in bowling. When I was young I decided to go to medical school. At the entrance exam, we were asked to rearrange the following letters: PNEIS and form the name of an important human body part which is most useful when erect. Those who answered SPINE are doctors today, while the rest are on Facebook.

With a tip of our hats we’d like to congratulate Mackenzie, who has been selected as our October “Bartender of the Month.” Mackenzie’s hometown is right here in Sarasota and she currently bartends at The Beach Club located in the Village at 5151 Ocean Blvd. Following is a brief, light-hearted Q&A about Mackenzie. Q: What’s your bartending experience and how long have you worked at The Beach Club? What drink have you perfected? A: I’ve worked seven years with Above the Bar Hospitality Group, but actually three years with The Beach Club. I have perfected two the bud light bottle and a chocolate martini. Q: What was the strangest or funniest experience you witnessed or were party to at work? A: In my many years working behind the bar, there are a lot of things that come to mind that I cherish, so it’s hard to pick just one. I have seen it all - from crazy dance moves to a fairy photoshoot on a table top, to a girl stuck in the bathroom stall, and a few other things I should probably not repeat. Q: Any hobbies, goals, etc. you enjoy when not working? A: Traveling the world and professional roller skating. Q: How would you describe yourself? A: Shy, at first, but watch out! Q: What makes The Beach Club a special place to visit? A: The Beach Club caters to all age groups with its happy hour, bar games, live music, and of course, dancing! Q: What specialty drink is The Beach Club noted for? A: The Beach Club is known for making delicious beach-fruity cocktails. Q: When is the best time, for locals and visitors, to enjoy your company at The Beach Club? A: The best time to visit is Wednesday or Friday from noon to 7 p.m. for Happy Hour with me!

CAPTAIN CURT’S VILLAGE

Siesta Key’s “Old Florida” Shopping Village In The Heart of Crescent Beach

BEST SHOPPING, DINING AND FUN ON SIESTA KEY

Enjoy specialty coffees and craft beers

SIESTA KEY’S OLDEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

941-349-3885 CAPTAIN CURT’S CAPTAIn

WORLD FAMOUS CLAM CHOWDER

FUN RENTALS OF ALL KINDS 941-346-0891

Island Apparel, Souvenirs, & Chowder Kits 941-349-3885

Ice Cream and more! 941-346-8080

Outdoor Dining / Food until 2am LIVE MUSIC

1200 Old Stickney Point Rd, Siesta Key FL, 34242

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

941.349.0194

DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE

SIESTA NAILS & SPA

(941) 556 9048 Mon-Fri: 9am - 7pm Sat: 9am - 6pm 6517 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 At Sarasota Pavilion Center, Publix Supermarket, next to Hooters.

Enjoy a ComplimEntary Glass of WinE With a $35 and up pEdi Group spECial: ChampaGnE party for Group of 7-10

John Garner

Roberts Realty

Broker Associate

Diane Shane Broker Associate

941-924-2330

Working with Sarasota Buyers & Sellers since 1969 • Local Expertise • Proven Track Record • Happy Clients Condos, Villas, Single Family Homes & Investments

We are with you every step of the way! M-5 2621 Mall Dr., Sarasota RobertsRealty@comcast.net www.SarasotaCoast.com 1

With our map, located below, you’ll be able to navigate your way to our featured shops with ease. Siesta Nails & Spa, located in the Sarasota Pavilion (6517 S. Tamiami Trail), a few doors down from Hooters Restaurant, recently changed hands and remodeled their shop. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine with their $35 and up Pedi. Call them at 941-556-9048 to set up an appointment. The Shop SRQ (G-2) offers flat-tops, fades, tapers, blowouts, razor cuts, and straight razor shaves. Owners, Erick and Dawn use a back to basics approach to grooming with a precise attention to personal detail. Their commitment to excellence has provided them with many loyal customers. They welcome the opportunity to earn your trust. Hours: Tues. – Fri. 8:30am – 6pm, Sat., 8:30am – 3pm. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Sarasota Brewing Co. (G-4) Sarasota’s first micro brew pub always has something new to offer. From over 20 seasonal beers that rotate throughout the year, the Brewing Company always has at least five unique brews online as well as several favorites from around the world. Established in 1989, their menu has been a winner in the Reader’s Choice Awards of the Sarasota Herald Tribune featuring their mouth-watering burgers, Chicago style pizzas, and Chicago beef sandwiches. With dozens of televisions, it’s a great place to catch a game with friends and family. Gulf Gate Barber Shop (G-11): has been an

institution in the community for years, owned by Kyle Flannery. The super-clean barbershop’s clientele is comprised of primarily men, but the shop services children as well. Scott Reich, formerly of the Siesta Key Village Barber Shop has relocated to this location. At the original Word of Mouth Restaurant (G-31), every seemingly insignificant detail receives special attention from the warm, inviting decor to each specially crafted variety of freshly baked muffins to the signature menu items. This small diner is where the locals come to eat breakfast and lunch. Take a look at their menu at originalwordofmouth.com. Hours: Mon-Sun.: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Piccolos Italian Market & Deli (G-47) carries a full line of imported cheeses, fresh baked bread daily, homemade sausages, fresh mozzarella, and numerous hard to get items. They now carry Khorasan Wheat which is an ancient and organic grain. Their Deli is complete with huge hot and cold sandwiches, salads, fresh homemade lasagna and baked ziti. West End Pub (G-49) Where else can you watch your favorite game with a great selection of beers, wines and liquors served by a friendly staff AND where you’re allowed to bring your own restaurant or deli food? Right here. 6500 Gateway Ave. – 941554-8905. Continued on the next page

GULF GATE

Ba Am nk o eri f ca

Panera Bread

Marshall’s

Bed Bath & Beyond

This section helps highlight what you’ll find within this walkable Gulf Gate shopping Village.

Ross

Dress for Less

Iberia Bank

Five Below 1

From Vintage to Hipster An extension of your personality

G10 G9 G8 G7 G6 G5 G4 G3

S29 S28 S27 S26 S25 S24 S23 S22 S21 S20 S19 S18 S17 S16 S15 S14 S13 S12 S11 S10 S9 S8

S7 S6 S5 S4 S3 S2 S1

Gulf Gulf Gate Gate Drive Drive

PICCOLO

SRQ

Italian Market & Deli

S-24

S-16 complete frames* & lenses

69 single vision

99 bifocal | $199 progressive digital lenses

bring your prescription *while supplies last special selection

• FREE FRAMES while supplies last. Pay only for lenses • FREE ultrasound cleaning of glasses • Most repairs available on site

941.444.7984 onlyeyesoptical.com

THE SHOP SRQ 6625 Gateway Ave.

G-2

Traditional, Old School Barber Shop

“We Straight Razor Shave” 15 Years + Experience

www.TheShopSrq.com

& Vegetarian Sandwiches

6541 Superior Avenue Gulf GAte BuSineSS DiStrict SArASotA, fl 34231

G12 G11

Gulf Gulf Gate Gate Drive Drive

Hot or Cold

G14 G13

S30

Lo Ho ng rn

G16 G15

G24

S59 S58 S57 S56 S55 S54 S53 S52 S51 S50 S49 S48 S47 S46 S45 S44 S43 S42 S41 S40 S39 S38 S37 S36 S35 S34 S33 S32 S31

G23 G22 G21 G20 G19 G18 G17

Superior Avenue

Beall’s Outlet

Mall Mall Drive Drive

G50 G49 G48 G47 G46 G45 G44 G43 G42 G41 G40 G39 G38 G37 G36 G35 G34 G33 G32 G31 G30 G29 G28 G27 G26 G25

Gateway Avenue

Books-AMillion

Michaels

GG1 GG2 GG3 GG4 GG5 GG6 GG7 GG8 GG9 GG10 GG11 GG12 GG13 GG14 GG15 GG16 GG17 GG18 GG19 GG20 GG21 GG22 GG23 GG24 GG25 GG26 GG27 GG28 GG29 GG30 GG31 GG32 GG33 GG34 GG35 GG36 GG37 GG38 GG39 GG40 GG41 GG42 GG43 GG44 GG45 GG46 GG47 GG48 GG49 GG50 GG51 GG52 GG53 GG54

HOURS: Monday - Sunday 8:00AM to 2PM www.originalwordofmouth.com

Siesta Nails & Spa

941-925-2400

Hooters

Sun Trust

Original Word of Mouth 6604 Gateway Ave. Sarasota, FL 34231

Publix

Sarasota Pavilion is a popular shopping destination for numerous locals and visitors alike. Its prime location is close enough to the island for frequent trips with a nice selection of chain stores set in one convenient location. But what truly lends to the uniqueness of this district is the host of small, locally owned, specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, and neighborhood bars bordering this pavilion. It makes for a fun and rewarding shopping experience. Over 150 businesses make up this district.

Eat Where The Locals Eat!

Stein Mart

M22 M21 M20 M19 M18 M17 M16 M15 M14 M13 M12 M11 M10 M9 M8

M5 M4 M3 M2 M1

G-31

www.siestasand.net

Authentic New York Italian Market & Deli We carry a full line of Imported Cheeses, Boars Head Luncheon Meats, Pasta, Olive Oil, Assorted Imported Olives, Khorasan Wheat (ancient & organic grain), and more.

GG-46 G-47 Specialty Italian gourmet items without the gourmet price

Come See Our New Location Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am - 6pm 6518 Gateway Ave.

941-923-2202

www.PiccoloMarket.com

941.626.4894 / 941.536.1656 • No Appointment Needed •

TONSORIAL ARTISTRY BY ERICK & DAWN

Open Tues.-Fri. 8:30 AM-6 PM Sat. 11/1 - 5/30; 8:30-3 PM Sat. 6/1 - 10/31; 8:30 AM - 1 PM

S-34

Catering Available

We Put the South in Your Mouth 6616 Superior Ave. Sarasota

941.926.0099

COUPON

FREE SIDE With the purchase of ANY entreé

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE Continued from the previous page

Tony’s Chicago Beef Company (S-16) is owned and operated by true Chicagoans. Dedicated to deliver Chicago’s best food Chicago style Hot Dogs wit’ the works...dragged through the garden on poppy seed buns with fresh cut fries, Italian Beef Sandwiches anyway you like, dipped or dry, sweet or hot. All served in true Authentic Chicago Style. Wild Ginger Apothecary (S-19) has been successfully providing sustainable, ethically produced, and nontoxic products for beauty, home and nutrition to the health conscious consumers of Sarasota since October of 2014. Their latest offerings is a CBD Boutique area featuring hundreds of hemp and CBD products. Wild Ginger Apothecary also offers classes and workshops for a variety of audiences on topics that cover lifestyle, creativity, health, and more in the Studio + Lounge. Z6557 Superior Ave. 941312-5630, www.woldgingerapothecary.com Solórzano’s Late Night Pizzeria (S-32): At every Solórzano’s, they offer an experience familiar to those who understand the importance of family and dedication. Their recipes and techniques have been perfected through three long generations based on the traditional simplicity of the methods used by their Italian ancestors. Dine inside, outside, pick up, or DELIVERY anywhere on Siesta Key, or in Sarasota until 3:30 a.m. 6574 Superior Ave., 941-924-5800. Pride of the South (S-34) Pride of the South has been awarded Top Barbeque in Sarasota for 2016 by Trip Advisor and Yelp. It has been awarded for the best Southern Hospitality. Pride of the South has a brisket BLT, hands down, one of the best sandwiches you ever tasted. The smoked chicken wings are unbelievable. Backed up with the pulled pork sandwiches, the smoked bologna, the smoked Turkey, the collard greens, fried corn on the cob, fried okra, fried green tomatoes and one of the best mac n cheese you ever tasted. We do catering with no limit to size. Call (941)9260099. See you soon. Gulf Gate Food + Beer (S-51): Sarasota’s late-night hot spot for the service industry, night owls, and midnight snackers. It’s not your typical sports bar offering unique menu selections for carnivores and vegetarians. Be sure to check out their menu online at: eatfooddrinkbeer.com. Hours: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. (Sun. - Thurs.) open until 2 a.m. (Fri & Sat.). One Minute Key Shop (GG-51): Left your keys in the car? No worries, the One Minute Key Shop will help you safely unlock and retrieve your keys. They specialize in high security locks, keys, re-keying, master keying and safes for residential, commercial or automotive. Call for more info: 941-924-8020 or visit their showroom. ROBERTS REALTY, Inc. (M-5) John Garner, Broker Assoc. & Diane Shane, Broker Assoc. have a combined 40 years’ experience in Sarasota of making dreams come true for our clients. FOR BUYERS, we have had great success in finding the right property for our clients because we listen closely to their wants and needs and matching that as close as possible. FOR SELLERS, over the years we have successfully listed and sold many, many properties throughout Sarasota County. OUR PHILOSOPHY is to have fun, enjoy the experience, achieve great results, make friends and receive referrals. We’re with you every step of the way! Call 941924-2330 or drop by our office. Only Eyes, Optical (S-24) brings a new, exotic, eclectic, eccentric, unique collection of vintage, hipster, contemporary eyeglasses and sunglasses to the community. Licensed and experienced optician available to fill your prescriptions. Only Eyes Optical has a large assortment of free frames with the purchase of new lenses. Call 941444-7984 to set up an appointment with their licensed optician.

OCTOBER 2019

Island Chatter

Holiday Lighting Contest This is a reminder to PLAN NOW for the Siesta Key Condo Holiday Lighting Contest sponsored by the Siesta Key Condominium Council with assistance by

the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. The traditional start of the “Lighting Season” is Thanksgiving, which this year is on Thursday, November 28, just two months away. The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Holiday Parade is going to be held on Saturday, November 30th. The condo judging with a cross section of SKCC Board Members, SK Chamber Officials, Sarasota County Officials and SK Business Associates as judges will be held the week of December 9th. Let’s make the 2019 Lighting of Siesta Key Condos the best ever in support of Siesta Key and the Siesta Key Businesses. Managers/ Presidents: Please post on your bulletin boards and ensure your Board of Directors and Residents receive a copy of this notice.

Siesta Isles Association

G-4

Continued from page 20

Since 1986 he has been a program content creator for the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants and the Department of Fisheries making over 800 scientific video programs. He was an instructor at Ringling College of Art and Design for 17 years. In 2019 he initiated planting mangrove and spartina grass at Indian Beach Park on Sarasota Bay. His interests are in water quality, increased aquatic habitats and hosts a Facebook site called “SeaBaybies.” SKA is very interested in his West Coast Inland Navigation Grant proposal to restore the Grand Canal.

Ayech told Romanus, “I wish that I had something that I could offer you as a solution. Unfortunately, I don’t.” In a statement he issued to SNL after the hearing, Romanus pointed out that the petitions he presented on Sept. 9 were the result of two years of work by a committee of the Siesta Isles

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Continued on page 39

Continued from page 11

Association. “We’ve had quite a few interactions with County employees. We have had some success. County staff has improved some signage in our neighborhood and on Beach Road. They also cleared some trees inhibiting visibility and pressed a resident to clear some plants from their yard,” he wrote. “All this is helpful.” Nonetheless, he continued, “We’ve also had a lot of frustration. We’re laypeople who are looking for solutions. We typically don’t know what alternatives exist to solve the problems we encounter. Other than the successes noted above we’ve not been given solutions. As I type this, after two years of work, the County is not offering any solution to our primary problem: too many vehicles speeding through our neighborhood. “Time will tell if the Board of County Commissioners changes that.”

Ayech, the TAC chair, did point out on Sept. 9 that Romanus would be able to present his petitions to the County Commission. SNL was unable to learn, prior to the publication of this issue of Siesta Sand, when those hearings would be scheduled. Typically, they are held several months after the TAC conducts its hearings. Romanus did add in his email, “Our interaction with Sheriff Tom Knight and his Siesta Key team has been excellent.” The Sheriff’s Office conducted an eight-day traffic study in the neighborhood in March 2018, Romanus told the TAC members. Its findings found much higher traffic counts and far greater speeds than the county study, he pointed out. “Forty-eight percent of the cars they clocked were speeding,” he told the TAC, “and a handful were over 65 mph.”

MORE THAN 100 OPTIONS TO NATURALLY RELIEVE YOUR PAIN, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION • The largest and most reliable CBD selection in Sarasota - with over 100 affordable CBD options for your family - and pets! • FREE one-on-one consultations with health experts • Legal in all 50 states and available without prescription

S-19

6557 SUPERIOR AVENUE SARASOTA, FL • 34231

COMMUNITY FOR HEALTH + WELLNESS

OPEN TUESDAY – FRIDAY 10-6 PM SATURDAY 10-4 PM

941.312.5630 WILDGINGERAPOTHECARY.COM

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

Florida Fish of Siesta Key

Red Snapper

941.349.0194

Water World

www.siestasand.net

SiestaKation Charters:

Service Can Save You By Kandace / Siesta Key Marina

• Diving • Fishing • Snorkeling 941-993-7337

Yellowtail Florida Puffer Sailfish

Captain Jim Klopfer’s Fishing Report

Spanish Mackerel Dohlpin “Mahi-Mahi”

Adventure Charters 941-371-1390

Mangrove Snapper Scoolmaster Lane Snapper Scamp Black Mullet Snook Red Drum “Redfish”

Tarpon

Baracuda

Gulf Flounder

Florida Pompano Jack Crevalle

AmberJack

Spotted Sea Trout

Cobia

Black Drum

Catfish

King Mackerel

Blue Marlin

Black Grouper

Sheesphead

Boating on the Suncoast is one of the most popular ways to soak up Siesta Key. But how safe is the vessel you own or rent? The US Coast Guard cites failure of boat machinery and equipment as one major cause of accidents, deaths and injuries. For instance, the USCG states engine failure was to blame for 148 accidents, leading to 7 deaths and 36 injuries in 2017. Ensuring your boat is properly serviced and maintained can save you in terms of safety, time and money. That’s where Siesta Key Marina’s Service Department can help. The authorized Yamaha dealer services Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, and Evinrude engines, as well as offering all boat side services. Service department manager Rob Ketterman says they are a onestop-shop for everything from upholstery to motors. “We’re unique in the way we can handle all of your boating needs, without having to trailer your boat here, you can enjoy lunch and a beer in Spear Fish restaurant while you wait on your service.” You can also rent a boat to use while yours is getting serviced. Whether you’re on the water weekly, or a returning snow bird, taking care of your boat should be a top priority, particularly in the Florida heat and sun. The Yamaha website states all outboards live in the “harshest environments imaginable. High load, high- RPM operation, extreme temperatures and humidity, saltwater, sun, even long periods of non-use can all exact a heavy toll.” Siesta Key Marina Crew Member Bianca Babbitt says the majority of the work they do is the all-important annual service. According to Yamaha, it’s also one you can’t afford to skip. “You’ll preserve your investment with a higher retail value. It’s easier and costs less to maintain then repair.” Siesta Key Marina’s sister company, Andros Boatworks, also offers many services that add to the one-stop-shop uniqueness of SKM. Andy Eggebrecht says, “Andros offers full marine construction, custom boat building, marine metal (both aluminum and stainless), fabrication, upholstery, fiberglass repair, reconstruction and more.” Whether you simply ‘winter’ in Sarasota or you’re a regular on the water, be sure the service is up to date on your boat. If you need help, or have questions regarding which services you may need, you can call Siesta Key Marina and ask for Rob (941-349-1970). You can also check out Siesta Key Marina and Andros Boatworks on Facebook and Instagram.

Winter resident Bill Kish with a nice Siesta Key false albacore

October is a fabulous month to be fishing on Siesta Key! Shorter, cooler days result in water temperatures dropping into the low 70s, bait will be thick in the bays and out on the beach, and that will attract the gamefish. Many species are going to be caught using a variety of angling tactics. Redfish will still be schooled up on the flats in the north bay, snook will be in the bays, speckled trout, pompano, and Spanish mackerel will be feeding on the deep grass flats, and the beach should be outstanding for king and Spanish mackerel, false albacore, cobia, sharks, and even a stray tarpon. Anglers with small boats can catch large fish this month. The techniques and methods are really pretty simple. Mornings that dawn with easterly winds will find the inshore Gulf of Mexico flat and calm. Pods of baitfish will be seen on the surface, along with schools of feeding fish. Spanish mackerel, false albacore, king mackerel, and sharks are the main targets.

Threadfins caught on Sabiki rigs and free lined out behind the boat will catch just about everything. Trolling spoons and plugs produces as well. Anglers fishing the surf off of the Siesta Key beaches should experience good action this month. Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, pompano, flounder, and more will hit live and artificial baits. Mackerel like fast, flashy lures such as Gotcha plugs and silver spoons, while the pompano and flounder prefer a bait that is moving slowly near the bottom. Jigs and live shrimp are a good choice. Casting jigs while drifting over deep grass flats will produce a lot of fish in October. Speckled trout, pompano, bluefish, mackerel, jacks, and ladyfish will hit a gold or glow Bass Assassin Sea Shad soft plastic grub on a ¼ ounce jig head. Rootbeer and olive are also productive colors. Use light colored baits in clear water and dark colored baits in stained water. Spoons, plugs, and flies will also work well, as will live or artificial shrimp under a noisy cork. These same lures fished in Big Pass and New Pass will result in plenty of hook-ups as the fish migrate from the Gulf into Sarasota Bay. Fish right on the bottom for pompano and just under the surface for blues and macks. Redfish will still be schooled up, but their numbers will be diminishing. The shallow flats in Robert’s Bay and the north end of Siesta Key are great spots to try. The docks and oyster bars off of Siesta Key will also produce redfish, along with snook, snapper, flounder, and drum. A live shrimp is a a great bait for fishing docks while Bass Assassin Elite Shiners are very effective working bars and points. A high, outgoing tide is best. Snook will be back in the bays and feeding aggressively on the flats, bars, and mangrove shorelines. Shallow diving plugs such as an (08) olive X-Rap are very effective and allow anglers to cover water quickly. Creek mouths, points, bars, and docks that have current are likely ambush spots. Bridges will produce a lot of snook for nocturnal anglers.

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

Riders on the Storm Reel Tight Fishing Charters

OCTOBER 2019

Notes from the Island Fishmonger

It’s hurricane season and some of our favorite vacation destinations are being destroyed. Some islands are lucky and others will face destruction for months and years to come. One island that has remained “lucky” is Siesta Key. We are fortunate to remain unscathed in years past and can only hope that our luck will continue. Whether it be the Indian burial grounds or Zeus catching some rays on our pearly white sand beaches... as a fisherman, I’ll take it!! Tourism is a year round happening here in sunny Siesta Key and even though the streets are not as crowded as they are during Spring Break, we still have some travelers. One of our favorite travelers happens to be Mr. or Mrs. Redfish! These drag pullers have a different attitude than the rest of the bay species we target. These guys put their head down like Mike Alstott, the A-Train, and bolt towards the mangroves. No jumping, no head shaking like the Snook, just a brute fighting for what he thinks is his life. The Red Drum or “Redfish” to most fishermen, is a great tasting fish that yields a good amount of meat within the slot limits. These fish are protected in our area and the restocking programs have done a phenomenal job in the replenishment of a depleted resource. Local and state agencies are working to keep these fish abundant in our region and have put a closure on them until 2020. Companies like Reel Tight Fishing Charters, Mangrove Charters, Catch Sarasota Fishing Charters and Capt. Nate Fishing Charters all agree that the closure is necessary and “it wouldn’t hurt our feelings to keep it closed!” Why wouldn’t you want to be able to put this fish on the table for your guests? Well that’s a simple answer. I want to catch fish! Our guests want to catch fish! Our kids want to catch fish and you get the idea! Our fishery has rebounded since last year’s Red Tide/Blue Green Algae outbreak, and we want to see it continue to thrive. Our livelihood depends on it and we hope that everybody makes a conscious effort to do their part and help sustain our nature’s beauty. The next few weeks of fishing will be awesome. As our waters begin to cool the bite will pick up. Bait is plentiful and as the old timers always say “match the hatch.” We use a 12’ 1/4 in mesh Barracuda Cast Net to catch our bait. That is a large net for most anglers but we generally have 3-5 anglers on the boat so a ton of bait is necessary. 7’ medium/light rods for pulling those spunky redfish out of the mangroves or docks. 25-30# Flurocarbon leader is a must! Be ready for the ride of your life if you hook a big one!

Meet the Octopus, One of the Most Fascinating Creatures of the Sea

941-444-9749 / reeltightfishingcarters.com

Healthy redfish for our guest

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Octopuses are ocean creatures that are most famous for having eight arms, 2 heads, 3 hearts and blue blood; They squirt ink to deter predators; and being boneless, they can squeeze into or out of tight spaces. You can find them in the most improbable places, wedged under a rock, crab traps, crammed into ocean liter like a beer bottle or even an old tire. The Octopuses are truly the most fascinating creatures in the sea and they are as smart as a house cat believe it or not. Their camouflage is extraordinary, often blending so perfectly with their surroundings that the only thing that gives them away is the sight of a row of suckers on a coiled tentacle. Some people call their appendages tentacles, but that is incorrect, they are their arms. Most octopus have suction cups on the bottom of each arm. The arms seem to have a mind of their own. In fact, two-thirds of an octopus neurons are in its arms rather than its head. That means that an Octopus can focus on exploring a cave for food with one arm while cracking open a shellfish for dinner with the other arm. Now that I have your attention, here is an Octopus Joke: How did the octopus beat a shark in a fight? The octopus was well armed. Ha. The octopus are carnivores which means they only eat meat. Meals usually include clams, shrimp, lobster, fish, baby sharks and even the occasional bird. They typically drop down on their pray, envelop it with their arms and pull the animal into their mouth. With that being said, one of the reasons I like to eat Octopus is because of the saying “you are what you eat”. Biting into a grilled or steamed octopus’ leg is like combining a lobster, shrimp and clam into a salty, tender seafood delicacy. Oddly, people are always surprised to learn we have octopi here on the Gulf Coast. In fact, the one sure-fire way to surprise someone when I talk about Octopus is to tell them the Octopi is usually caught locally by spearfisherman or crabbers. Sometimes its imported from Spain or Japan as the Pacific Ocean does produce a lot more octopus than the Gulf of Mexico. The notion that you might encounter an Octopus off Siesta Key is impossible for some to imagine but my fisherman encounters

Octopus ceviche

one every single deep-sea fishing trip. Both local and imported octopus are available at the original Big Water Fish Market. The octopus ceviche pictured above is a must try. Live well...Eat fish Scott Dolan Big Water Fish Market www.BigWaterFishMarket.com 6641 Midnight Pass Road, Crescent Plaza – 941-554-8101 6639 Midnight Pass Road, Crescent Plaza – 941-203-5972

OCTOBER 2019 TIDE CHART Florida, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Sarasota Bay

October 2019

N 27° 20' / W 82° 33' Date

Day

2:00a

High Tide 2.3

3:41p

High Tide 1.9

9:40a

Low Tide 0.2

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

9:24p

2:30a

2.4

4:48p

1.7

10:35a

3:04a

2.4

6:19p

1.6

11:38a

3:44a

2.4

12:49p

4:34a

2.3

5:47a

2.1

11:00p

1.7

7:33a

2.0

11:17p

9:11a

2.0

11:35p

10:22a

2.0

11:52p

11:16a

2.1

12:06a

1.9

12:01p

12:18a

1.9

12:29a

15 16 17

Low Tide 1.2

7:23a

7:17p

10:24a

9:46p

0.2

9:46p

1.4

7:24a

7:16p

11:28a

10:31p

0.3

10:05p

1.5

7:24a

7:14p

12:29p

11:19p

0.3

7:25a

7:13p

1:28p

2:06p

0.4

7:25a

7:12p

2:22p

12:09a

3:20p

0.4

7:26a

7:11p

3:11p

1:01a

1.7

2:27a

1.6

4:22p

0.4

7:26a

7:10p

3:56p

1:55a

1.8

4:09a

1.5

5:12p

0.4

7:27a

7:09p

4:36p

2:48a

1.8

5:09a

1.3

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Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans

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Let’s go sailing, KATHLEEN D Sailing Catamarans, serving Siesta Key from 3 locations: Downtown Sarasota, Longboat Key, and Anna Maria Island. If you would like to experience being on the water viewing Dolphin Watches, Sunset Sails, Snorkeling and Shelling call us at 941-870-4349 or go to our web site for detailed information www.kathleend.net USCG Certified for 20 passengers.

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New

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

Arts on the Horizon All things bright and the beautiful The autumn leaves are changing from shades of green to hues of red, yellow, and orange - Oh wait, that’s Vermont and we’re in Sarasota. But, nevertheless, things can be bright and beautiful here as well. Take, for instance, the rich and diverse selection of programs at Selby Library. Normally when one thinks of selections at the library they are book, large print book, CD, or e-Book. Well, how about selecting something to create. Something bright and beautiful. One such project is on October 3rd when you can create a patterned Ugandan bowl. That’s right, the Selby is a lot more than just a place to read. It’s getting closer to Halloween so on Oct. 10th or 12th you might want to create your own Kawaii Monster (sort of like a Pokemon creature) for yourself or with some youngster you know. Youngsters come in all sizes as do Kawaii Monsters. Some think the Mexican Dia dos Meurtos (Day of the Dead) is more fun than Halloween so how about, on Oct. 24th, creating a small succulent garden in a small pot as part of that celebration. Rather stay with books? Then on the 19th learn the art of bookbinding so you and your grandchildren may make your own books. We know that the concept of reading goes back centuries but simple communication, like talking, goes back way further. It is also, it seems, the big new thing - in the form of Podcasting. Try your hand at voice acting or create and perform your very own podcast on Oct. 5th. Most books involve printing but today one can print so much more than just words and pictures - with 3D printing. They say that to save space and reduce inventory there will be a 3D printer on the international space station. If some part breaks down they well simply download the specs for that item and print a replacement on the spot. On Oct. 3rd learn its history, watch a demo and try your hand. And speaking of the space station, on Oct. 21st an ambassador from NASA will be at Selby library to discuss the history of the Apollo space missions, relate findings about moon rock samples brought back by our astronauts, and will bring along some lunar meteorites for show and tell. Check out everything at scgovlibrary.librarymarket. com/events/month - for dates, times and venues - and remember, supplies for some projects are limited so come early.

Step Lively

The 1959 Peter Sellers film, The Running, Jumping, Standing Still Film, was full of running, jumping,

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By Rodger Skidmore and standing still but was not about ballet, modern or contemporary dance although devotees of Merce Cunningham might disagree. However, the months of October and November are full of all those lively steps and more. First up is a four performance run of Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s production of Voices - Rising Choreographers starting on October 10th. And choreographers should be first as they set the stage for all the action that follows. The beginnings of the works by these artists came to light during SCD’s 2019 Summer Intensive and have been revised and expanded for presentation at the Cook Theatre at FSU’s performance center. A segment of Zoe Austin’s Nor Cast Pearls Before Swine was quite well received in July so a fuller version this month should be a treat. A piece by Kristen Green, “13”, is also being expanded (to “26” or “39”?). In it’s original form the six dancers began moving to the Four Seasons’ Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You. Perhaps you won’t be able to take your eyes of of them. Take a look at SarasotaContemporaryDance. org. Speaking of choreographers, Ricardo Graziano has been with the Sarasota Ballet as a Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer for ten years. Yes, how time flies. To celebrate this occurrence the SB is showcasing three of his works in this season’s opening program (5 performances starting October 25th at FSU’s performance center). His first commissioned work, the Shostakovich Suite (Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2) leads off the evening and is followed by En Las Calles de Murcia. This piece was created when Graziano mused about the guitarist/composer Santiago de Murcia (born and died in Madrid) and word-played “the pieces by Murcia” into “in the streets of Murcia”. The final work to be performed is Graziano’s In a State of Weightlessness, first performed when the Sarasota Ballet appeared at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Wonderful to be able to see it here in Sarasota - www.SarasotaBallet.org. On Nov. 6th (October 37th?) the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School returns to Selby Botanical Gardens to perform at The Orchid Ball. They will be premiering a contemporary piece by Tania Vergara, Flowers in the Air, which interweaves with the theme of Orchid Show 2019: Blossoms of Asia - lyricism flamboyance, folkloric narrative and spectacular beauty. Visit SRQCubanBallet.com and/or Selby.org.

Island Churches: • Siesta Key Chapel, Presbyterian (USA) 4615 Gleason Ave, Siesta Key, 941-349-1166 www.siestakeychapel.org • St. Michael’s Catholic Church 5394 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4174 www.stmichaelssiesta.com • St. Boniface Episcopal Church 5615 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-5616 www.bonifacechurch.org Off- Island: •Temple Sinai, a Reform Congregation (The closest Jewish congregation to the Key for visitors) 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, 941-924-1802 www.templesinai-sarasota.org • St. Andrew United Church of Christ (Protestant) (In the Gulf Gate area, near Beneva and Gulf Gate Drive) 6908 Beneva Road, Sarasota, 941.922.7595 www.uccstandrew.org • The Superior Word - Rev. Charlie Garrett Service starts Sunday mornings at 10am. Bring a friend and share in God’s word. 6512 Superior Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34231 • First Christian Church 7601 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241. 941-922-4434 www.fccsarasota.com

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The “Season” starts More and more Snowbirds are arriving in October - perhaps they wish to experience the last two months of Sarasota’s summer. One can tell the Season is starting as there are so many musical events scheduled. One of the first is an Artist Series concert at the Sarasota Opera House where a Sarasota favorite, Jennifer Sheehan, returns on the 5th. Her new I Know A Place show has a focus on the soundtracks of the 80s. Highlights will be songs made famous by Carole King, Harry Belafonte, Stephen Sondheim, Barbra Streisand, and more. She is backed by a lively trio. Check out the whole season at ArtistSeriesConcerts.org. If small chamber groups are your thing, three’s the charm with the Sarasota Orchestra Chamber Soirées at Holly Hall. A Beethoven septet and a Prokofiev sonata for two violins will be preformed on Oct 10th. The Prokofiev piece was written while the composer was on vacation in St. Tropez. Does this mean he got to write the whole trip off as a business expense? On the 13th a lovely and strong Wind Quintet by Pavel Haas is performed. Haas, a Czech composer, wrote this piece after having studied with Leoš Janáček in the early 1920s. The encore piece is Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1. Clara Schumann played it beautifully when it premiered and she made this chamber music by Brahms a success. Two weeks later, on the 31st, chamber music is back at Holly Hall. This Halloween performance starts with Alexander Zemlinsky’s Humoreske for wind quintet and is followed by Schoenberg’s Verklärte nacht (Transfigured night). This piece is less humorous and more in keeping with the festivities of the day (or night). Beethoven’s Piano Trio No. 5 (Ghost) is the final piece with a slow, pensive and thoughtful second movement. SarasotaOrchestra.org. A blending of two groups - singers from Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Key Chorale - livens things up quite a bit at First United Methodist Church downtown, at St. Boniface Episcopal Church on Siesta Key, and in Venice at Venice Presbyterian Church when they unite for AMERICAN ROOTS: The Gospel Experience on October 18, 19 and 26. They weave the spirited style of the WBTT’s musicians, dancers, and singers with the choral harmonies of the Key Chorale Chamber Singers to great effect. WestcoastBlackTheatre.org and KeyChorale.org.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, please be sure to always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information. WEEKLY BEACH CLASSES: • FREE T’AI CHI CHIH - Siesta Beach, Access #5 - Every Monday, 15 minutes before sunset. Open to all, no experience necessary. Contact Diana Daffner 941-346-1024 for information. (Access #5 is in Siesta Village, where Beach Rd. meets Ocean Blvd.) • FREE YOGA - Mon.-Wed.-Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m. Classes held between blue and green lifeguard station. Call 941-320-6693 to register or go to website for more info. www.yogaonsiestabeach.com/about • GROUP FITNESS CLASSES – Join F.I.T. Tribe SRQ every Mon, Wed, & Sat. at 9 a.m. at the main pavilion. For more details, please see facebook page: www.facebook.com/FitTribeSRQ. • NIA - Tues. & Thurs., 9 a.m., Siesta Public Beach (yellow lifeguard chair). Contact Kathy Oravec at 941-724-9719 for more info or check website: www. nianow.com/kathy-oravec • SIESTA KEY BEACH HOOP JAMS – Every Tuesday one hour before Sunset on Siesta Key beach we gather for a community Hoop Jam. (Between the red lifeguard stand and the pavilion; around where the Sunday drum circle happens.) Register at: www.outwardspiral.net. WEEKLY DRUM CIRCLE: • Every Sunday about an hour before sunset. South of the main pavilion. You can participate or watch this weekly gathering and dance, hoop, play the drum or other musical instrument, and enjoy the spectacular Siesta sunset. ON THE BEACH… • OCT 19 & 20 (SAT & SUN) 9AM - Tampa Bay Cannons Boom! at the Beach: In partnership with Visit Sarasota, the Tampa Bay Cannons are very excited to provide an opportunity for a fun offseason beach ultimate Frisbee tournament! Go to their website for more info: www.boomatthebeach. com.staKeyTriathlon AROUND THE ISLAND… • WEEKLY FARMER’S MARKET IN THE VILLAGE: Every Sunday from 8am – 1pm in

Davidson’s Plaza in the Village. 5124 Ocean Blvd. Produce, Plants & Flowers, Music, Art, Organic Skincare, Italian Olive Oil, and Freshly Prepared Foods. Listen to live music while you shop. • BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS: To celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (Patron Saint of animals), St. Boniface Episcopal Church and St. Michael the Archangel Church will be offering a group pet blessing. All pets are welcome. Please be sure your pet is approprately caged or leashed for this special occasion. • OCTOBER 5 (SAT) 10 AM: ST. BONIFACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 5615 Midnight Pass Road. The blessing will be held in the Labyrinth Courtyard. Contributions of pet food for Sarasota County Humane Society distribution gladly accepted. Refreshments for animals and owners provided by Boniface Eco-Stewardship Team (B.E.S.T.). Contact Grace Riker at 941-924-8908 for information. If you have any questions concerning this event, please call 941-349-5616, and ask to speak to Rector Wayne Farrell or Jonathan Evans, assistant rector. • OCTOBER 4 (FRI) NOON: ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL CHURCH: 5394 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key. The blessing will be held beaneath the portico. For additional information on this event, please call 941-349-4174. • OCTOBER 31 (THURS) 3-6PM HALLOWEEN SAFE TREATS FOR KIDS: For the 35th year, Siesta Key will once again host “Safe Treats.” In addition to Siesta Key Village (North), the event has expanded to include merchants on South Siesta Key. Bring your little ones to trick or treat and look for participating members displaying festive balloons. Hop on the free, Siesta Breeze Trolley which makes a continuous loop between the Village and Turtle Beach, with multiple stops along the way. This free event provides a safe venue for children on Halloween and is fun for the whole family. For more information contact the Chamber at (941) 349-3800.

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OCTOBER 2019

Your Monthly Horoscope • ARIES (March 21–April 19): Romance reboot! Whether you’re single or attached, October should sizzle, thanks to both love planets (Venus and Mars)—as well as communicator Mercury and the Sun— traipsing through your partnershiporiented chart sectors. Couples can deepen their bond, and if you’re looking for amour, double down on your efforts, perhaps frequenting new venues or checking out new dating sites. The Scorpio new moon on the 27th could be especially auspicious (wink-wink)! • TAURUS (April 20–May 20): Finally! After nearly five months of back-spinning, transformational Pluto ends a nerve-racking retrograde in your expansive ninth house on the 3rd. What were some of those dreams and plans you moved to the back burner last spring? Dust them off, give them a quick once-over, making any adjustments that are needed, but then, hit the gas! On the 8th, your ruler, amorous Venus, enters your relationship zone, turning up the heat in that area. • GEMINI (May 21–June 20): If you’ve felt a bit isolated lately, you’ll back to your high-spirited ways after the 3rd, when game-changing Pluto ends a fivemonth retrograde in your intimacy sector. An honest conversation might be all it takes to shore up a wobbly relationship. The devil really is in the details this month as your ruler, focused Mercury, moves into your painstaking sixth house. But when it shifts into reverse (retrograde) on the 31st, your best-laid plans might go sideways for three weeks. • CANCER (June 21-July 22): An intimate connection that got shaky could suddenly turn into your dream relationship after the 3rd, when transformational Pluto ends its annual retrograde in your dynamic-duos zone. On the 27th, a new moon of fresh starts in Scorpio and your zone d’amour rekindles your personal life, which for singles could indicate the beginning of a new union. Scorpios mate for life, so take your time getting to know a new person or getting your “tried and true” union back on track. • LEO (July 23–August 22): With your ruler, the radiant Sun, beaming its rays in your communication center, you’ll have people’s rapt attention. So what message do you want to broadcast? A new business venture could take off around the Aries full moon on the 15th: Are you making the most of social media as well as neighborhood resources? Watch for nitpicking (your own or someone else’s) when the Sun clashes with master manipulator Pluto on the 7th. • VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Money’s on your mind this month as the creative Sun and action planet Mars march through your house of finances and security. Mars can make you twitchy, but don’t do anything rash. (Not that your cautious sign is likely to!) With your ruling planet, analytical Mercury, lighting up your communication sector, you’ve got the gift of gab. But when it turns retrograde on the 31st for three weeks, definitely think before you speak—or post! • LIBRA (September 23–October 22): Lady Luck has your back this month, so if you’re on the fence about something new or accepting an offer, the answer is probably “yes.” Passionate Mars and the radiant Sun are

By Suzanne Gerber

in your sign, and your ruler, auspicious Venus, will enter your money zone on the 8th, followed by a new moon of fresh starts on the 27th. A calculated gamble could turn out quite well! And midmonth (the 13th), a full moon illuminates your partnership zone. Could things get any better than that? • SCORPIO (October 23–November 21): Don’t run to the doctor if your energy spikes and flags this month! With your co-ruler Mars and the life-sustaining Sun in low-power mode most of October, you’ll always be happy to come home and chill out. But hyperactive Mercury and social Venus enter your sign on the 3rd and 8th respectively, making you crave stimulating company. The trick is finding a balance that works for you—and not apologizing when you need to make a quick exit! • SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21): Your urge to socialize may run hot and cold this month as a few planets duke it out for your attention. Energizing Mars and the fun-loving Sun are in your group-activity zone, making you the life of every party, but with gracious Venus and chatty Mercury in your private twelfth house most of the month—as well as a potent new moon on the 27th—you’ll need plenty of downtime. Don’t feel guilty for taking what you need! • CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19): Summer is officially over, meaning you can ignore all the great local distractions and focus on what a Capricorn loves most: your career! With galvanizing Mars and the creative Sun gracing your professional tenth house most of the month, you’ll have limitless energy and inspiration to work on passion projects. Even if you’re not employed, you’ll find yourself involved in more public activities. A new moon in your social sector on the 27th could spark an exciting new interest (or love interest)! • AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18): Your biggest “problem” this month might be figuring out to cram in all the opportunities that are presented to you! With energizing Mars and the radiant Sun in your zone of travel and adventure, you could find yourself booking last-minute tickets to a dream destination. And yet with inventive Mercury and creative Venus firing up your professional zone—along with a new moon of fresh starts on the 27th—you may feel like the hottest spot on Google’s green earth is SRQ! • PISCES (February 19–March 20): October is all about adventure and passion, with the only limit being how much you can handle! With the loving Sun and galvanizing Mars heating up your house of sensuality and intimacy, you might never remove the “Do Not Disturb” sign! At the same time, outgoing Mercury and amorous Venus are traipsing through your sector of travel and expansion—and a new moon really gets the party going on the 27th. Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams Pisces: the bigger the better! Suzanne Gerber (www.starsandstoneshealing.com) is a locally based intuitive astrologer, shamanic/energy practitioner and spiritual life coach and loves one-on-one private sessions. She is available in-person and by phone (by appointment). Or book her for your next psychic event!

MarinerWord Search MarinerWord Search

Answers on page 41

WORD LIST

ADVENTURE

ADVENTURE AIRBOAT TOUR ALLIGATORS AIRBOAT TOUR AQUATIC PLANTS ALLIGATORS BIOLOGICAL WONDER

AQUATIC PLANTS BIRDING

BIOLOGICAL WONDER BISCAYNE AQUIFER BIRDING CYPRESS DOMES ECOSYSTEMS BISCAYNE AQUIFER GRASSY WATER CYPRESS DOMES HARDWOOD HAMMOCK

ECOSYSTEMS LIMESTONE

GRASSY WATER MARSHLAND HARDWOOD HAMMOCK NATIONAL PARK PANTHER LIMESTONE PERIPHYTON

MARSHLAND

PINK FLAMINGO

NATIONAL PARK

RIVER OF GRASS

PANTHER SHARK VALLEY SLOUGHS PERIPHYTON SNAKES PINK FLAMINGO SOUTH FLORIDA

RIVER OF GRASS SWAMP BUGGY

SHARK VALLEY TRAM TOUR SLOUGHS TREE SNAIL

TROPICAL WETLAND SNAKES WADING BIRD

SOUTH FLORIDA

WHITE TAIL DEER

SWAMP BUGGY TRAM TOUR

Answers on Page 58

TREE SNAIL

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Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

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ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 43 HOMES FOR SALE PAGE 41 SIESTA KEY MARKET STATS PAGE 36

The Highs and Lows of Properties Sold on Siesta Key

Provided by Key Solutions Real Estate / www.keysolutionsrealestate.com

Following are properties sold on Siesta Key in the last 60 days, providing a snapshot of home values on the Key for both single family homes and condominiums. HIGHEST PRICED SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTY: 8319 MIDNIGHT PASS RD., SOLD FOR: $2,750,000. The home is situated directly on Sarasota Bay & offers gracious living at its finest. Recognized in 2015 as the Jewel on the Bay, this home has been meticulously renovated over the past several years. Private & secluded, this gated estate is tucked away behind mature & lush landscaping creating your own personal retreat. Over 6,600 sq. ft. of living space, offering 4 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms & 1 half baths, overlooking the beautiful waters of the bay. Entering the home, you are greeted by a stunning double door entry, custom made with glass accents, a soaring 25’ ceiling & gorgeous chandelier. Enjoy the very best of LOWEST PRICED SINGLE-FAMILY PROPERTY: 621 VENICE LN., SOLD FOR: $577,000. Enjoy Island-Living in this Siesta Key pool home located just minutes to the North Bridge. With an interior designed with a flair for our sub-tropical climate with hues of azure blue reminiscent of our Gulf water, the charm of this 3 bedroom/2 bath, split plan is evident when you walk through the double, glass paneled front doors. Once inside, you are welcomed by an inviting view of the large saltwater pool which includes a fun water feature from a raised, in-ground tropical planter. A vaulted wood panel ceiling with skylights provides flexibility for another family room or oversized dining, taking in the lush

entertaining, indoors & out, with wonderful flow & many terraces, all taking in the expansive views. A superior Chef’s kitchen offers stainless steel appliances, sleek Italian custom cabinetry, stylishly designed it will evoke your culinary artistry. The living room features a fireplace for the rare, cooler winter evenings, or relax on the terrace looking out over the pool area & the stunning views beyond. The master suite with private balcony & oversized windows is truly superior to what a five-star hotel may offer. Each guest suite has soaring ceilings & elegant baths. This fabulous floor plan offers great spaces for large family gatherings & intimate rooms to tuck away with a book. The sale on this unit came out to $414.41 a square foot. Courtesy of Michael Saunders.

envelope of landscaping that surround the pool area. The spacious, eat in kitchen was recently upgraded early 2018 and the house was fully re-plumbed. Both baths reflect upgrades that have been made over the years including a deep jetted spa tub. Bright white baseboards, crown moldings, plantation shutters, new wood-like vinyl floors and paver driveway add to the charm of this well-loved home. No doubt your buyers will love this just the same. Please note the tax sq. ft. is incorrect, interior sq. ft. reflects 1,876, provided by owner. The sale of this property came out to $366.58 a square foot. Courtesy of Michael Saunders.

HIGHEST PRICED CONDO: 6100 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #301, SOLD FOR: $4,400,000. July 2019 completion, Halcyon is a 4 story boutique development where modern architecture rises from a tropical setting situated directly on Siesta Key Beach. Featuring an open floor plan with 3900 sq. ft. each residence has floor to ceiling windows and wide wood planked floors. Sleek kitchens with Wolf and Sub Zero appliances are designed to maximize form and function. Cabinetry, countertops, and finishes have been thoughtfully selected from luxurious materials. Oversized terraces with tongue and groove Cyprus ceilings provide a glamorous stage for entertaining guests and watching the ever LOWEST PRICED CONDO: 6157 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #B61, SOLD FOR: $281,000. Seller Motivated!!! This cozy first floor condo is conveniently located in the middle of Siesta Key, directly on Sarasota Bay, and is walking distance from the #1 Beach in the United States, and from the abundant shopping and plethora of restaurants that make the Siesta Key Village world-renowned! The versatile layout boasts one spacious bedroom, a “bonus” room that could function as a den or second bedroom and a newly renovated bathroom. With floor to ceiling glass and bright, white ceramic tile throughout, this oasis is bright and explodes with natural light making it the perfect Florida Gulf Coast

changing sunsets. Amenities include a private 2 car garage, beachside pool, and an original 1930’s beach bungalow, which will be lovingly restored as a private clubhouse. Owners will be able to gather for a drink, play a game of chess, or work out in a private fitness room. An onsite attendant to care for the property will allow owners to come and go as they please, and enjoy a carefree environment. With no new condominiums built directly on the beach in years; this incredibly rare opportunity of owning a Halcyon residence will redefine the luxury of beach front living for your family and future generations to come. The sale on this unit came out to $1,133.44 a square foot. Courtesy of Sarasota Real Estate Company.

beach retreat! The wall-to wall sliding glass doors lead out to a screened lanai overlooking a nicely landscaped courtyard providing a serene outdoor space. The renovated kitchen, complete with gorgeous granite countertops, a sandy beach tile backsplash and solid wood white cabinetry, conveniently opens to the living area creating a perfect entertaining space. In addition to beautiful views and fabulous location, this bayfront community provides covered parking, a community boat dock and fishing pier, clubhouse and picnic area. This condo is Florida resort-style living at its finest! The sale came out to $407.25 a square foot. Courtesy of Remax Tropical Sands.

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OCTOBER 2019

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Paradise Awaits... 322 Island Circle

5563 Cape Aqua Drive, Sarasota, FL

Siesta Key, FL

Beaches, Boating & Bistros!! Live the island lifestyle in this spacious 4 BR, 4 BA house located on desirable Palm Island, grossing approx. $60k in rental income. Recently renovated with new kitchen, new master BR and master BA. New boat lift on the Grand Canal. Lounge in the heated pool and spa or enjoy your favorite libation at your own private Waterfront Tiki Bar. Huge bonus area on lower level.

Great location only a 3 minute walk to world famous #1 Siesta Beach. 2 BR / 2 BA home in desirable Siesta Isles. Home is partially renovated. 14,050 sf lot. Existing home has split bedroom floorplan, den/office (add a Murphy bed), designer stone flooring, 2 car garage and open floor plan. Large yard with room for a pool. This is a much sought after location just steps to the beach and close to Siesta Village. Property is being sold as is. Bring your ideas.

156 Givens Street Sarasota, FL Welcome to Casa Azul. Spectacular sunsets meet designer decadence in this show shopping 4 BR/5.5 BA modern-luxe masterpiece. 5,040 sq. ft. beauty boasts expansive terraces and floor-to-ceilign walls of glass indulging in the best views. This stunning home is just a short stroll from the famous white sparkling sands of America’s number one beach. You don’t want to let this one get away!

6,300,000

859,000

585,000

LE NG A S DI N PE

621 Treasure Boat Way, Sarasota, FL Siesta Key living at it’s Finest. You will love this 4 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom Home Fully Remodeled in 2017 being sold TURNKEY FURNISHED. Just bring your boat (7 minutes to the ICW) & you are all set to enjoy this Island Paradise. You are also just a short stroll to Siesta Village

1,475,000

5157 Sandy Shore Ave., Sarasota Florida

Spacious Siesta Key home on excellent boating water. Located on quiet low traffic dead end “Sandy” Street. Split plan 4 BR, 3 BA, 2,493 sq. ft. home with recent updates. PGT Wind Guard Hurricane Impact windows and sliders, hurricane garage door for extra security.Short walk to famous Siesta Key Village with world class bistros and nightlife.

999,900

214 Island Circle, Sarasota Florida

1001 Beach Rd Unit#A-602 Sarasota, FL

Wonderful Siesta Key Grand Canal home located on desirable Palm This 6th floor recently updated condo is located right across the street from world famous Siesta Key Beach. Enjoy views of the beautiful Island. 2,600+ sq. ft., 4 BR, 2.5 BA waterfront oasis. Loft area on 2nd level makes nice office space. Screened pool area. Short walk to Gulf of Mexico and Siesta Key canals from your two large terraces as well as the downtown Sarasota lights. The floorpan has generous World Famous Siesta Beach, close to world class dining and night life of Siesta Village. square footage for a beach condo and both bedrooms are of generous size. This unit is offered turnkey furnished & tastefully renovated. $ Our House at the Beach offers amenities such as tennis courts, a community heated pool, and an onsite rental office. This allows for the best of both worlds- Weekly Rental policy for Awesome potential investment income and a vacation home with a Fantastic view of Siesta Beach.

998,000

665,00

Tropical Sands Dan D. Miller 941-376-7442 Licensed Real Estate Professional

ddm1@comcast.net

Service. Integrity. Results.

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

941.349.0194

Beginning our 10th year

Emy and Bob Stein

• 2ND Month Free • Free Move-In Truck • Entire Facility Carpeted • Free Lock & Keys • Big Garage Bay For Loading And Unloading • Climate Controlled 941.315.5222 5260 Tamiami Trail • Sarasota, FL 34231 www.thelockup.com

It so happened we attended a meeting hosted by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce that same year, and Master Sand Sculptor Brian Wigelsworth gave a compelling pitch to bring a sand sculpting event to Siesta Key, The Crystal Classic. When he mentioned how great it would be to create sand sculptures using the crystal white sand of Siesta Key, it gave us the idea for our paper’s new name; Siesta Sand; “Why the world comes to Sarasota”. Recognizing Siesta Key’s status as a tourist destination with both transient and permanent residents, our challenge was to create something that appealed to both residents and visitors. Each consecutive design change brought our Siesta Sand paper closer to what we envisioned. My wife and I would like to thank the many loyal, local businesses that have believed in us over the years and all our readers that have encouraged us along the way. Siesta Sand wouldn’t be the success it is without our many contributors, past and present. All have been, and

www.siestasand.net

Continued from cover story

continue to be instrumental in helping make our publication Siesta Key’s newspaper. Our current contributors have been with the paper for years. Rachel Brown Hackney, news reporter. Hackney is the editor and publisher of the online Sarasota News Leader. With 40 years of experience in journalism, Rachel Brown Hackney served as executive editor of the award-winning Washington Daily News in Washington, N.C., and as editor of the Pelican Press before she and her husband launched The Sarasota News Leader in 2012. Roger Drouin, news reporter and writes the real estate column “Sand Castles”. Drouin is an author, journalist, and father of two young children. Robert Frederickson, news reporter and writes the satirical column “Off Key”. Frederickson is a native of New York; Syracuse University graduate, Journalism major; Sarasota resident since 1984; Co-founder, The Sarasota Times, 1984; Former editor, The Sarasota Weekly; Production Manager, Toronto Sun Publications’ Florida properties; Project Manager Independent Publications, Inc., Bryn Mawr, PA, Florida division. Debbie Flessner, freelance reporter, writes business profiles. Flessner is a freelance reporter for numerous dailies and weeklies in the immediate area. Diana Colson, writes personal profiles. Colson wears many hats: writer, filmmaker, composer and lyricist. A Sarasota resident since the late 60’s, she taught music at Southside and Ashton, and was even named “Teacher of the Year” for Sarasota County. Trebor Britt, news reporter and photographer. Charmaine Engelsman-Robins, writes the music column “Siesta Sounds”. Charmaine is a freelance reporter including a 10-year stint writing for the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Rodger Skidmore, writes the “Arts on the Horizon.” Skidmore hails from New York, last year he was picked by the Society of Professional Journalists as the second-best Arts Beat Reporter in the state of Florida. Jaye Clements of Sarasota Photography, our “Island Visitor” photographer. Clements owns Sarasota Photography. Suzanne Gerber, writes “Your Monthly Horoscope” column. Gerber is locally based intuitive astrologer and spiritual life coach. Captain Jim Klopfer of Adventure Charters, writes the “Fishing Report” column. Captain Klopfer has been a full-time guide in the Sarasota area since 1991. He fishes Sarasota Bay for its saltwater species, whilst also offering fishing trips on the Myakka, Manatee, and Braden rivers. Trish Ivey of fresh. PR & Marketing, sales, production and marketing. Ivey owns fresh. PR & Marketing and was the former manager of the Pelican Press. Irene Brooks, sales. Mike Jones of the Florida Mariner Magazine, production/layout and design. Mike and his wife Cristina own the Florida Mariner Magazine. A state wide magazine that is published 26 times a year.

Rachel Brown Hackney

Roger Drouin

Robert Frederickson

Debbie Flessner

Diana Colson

Trebor Britt

Charmaine EngelsmanRobins

Rodger Skidmore

Jaye Clements

Suzanne Gerber

Captain Jim Klopfer

Trish Ivey

Irene Brooks

Mike Jones

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

OCTOBER 2019

Proposed hotel and parking structure

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Continued from cover story

As you know, the County and State are currently negotiating to transfer ownership of Midnight Pass and Stickney Point to the County. Until that transfer is complete, it will be difficult for the County to be the sole decision maker on this matter. Is this parking structure just for the new hotel or will this be open to the general public? If it is open to the public, how much will you be charging and how many parking spots will be open to the general public? A portion of the garage will be dedicated to serve the hotel and the commercial space planned for the garage. It is too early to say what the likely parking charges might be. Will the parking structure be built before the hotel? That is a possibility, but it is a little too early to say for sure. As indicated previously we would like to work with the County should additional parking be a desired outcome, but I am concerned about the complexities that would entail. If the parking garage is built at 35 feet or less in height, the garage and commercial space are allowed by right in the current zoning. So all we would have to do is to produce construction and site drawings and have them approved through the County’s building process. As I understand it, no additional County Commission considerations would be necessary.

Dr. Gary Kompothecras

HOTEL Many residents have feared that the new proposed hotel will be built two feet from the sidewalk. Is there any merit to their fear? I heard the community concerns. And despite the fact that the County zoning regulations encourage a more pedestrian oriented design with building close to the street, a hotel and associated parking structure could be designed and still be an aesthetically pleasing asset. However, we find ourselves being the first guinea pig testing the real world general acceptance of the Siesta Key Community plan and implementing Siesta Key Overlay District Zoning regulations. That plan is over ten years old. I am the first one who risked trying to explore if the County Commission and the community were really committed to that plan. Reaction so far suggests that they are somewhat hesitant, and that is a real shame because it is a good plan. By buying the bank, at considerable expense by the way, we have been able to design a hotel that meets ALL of the more restrictive suburban setback limits within the CG zone, abanding any attempt to trust in and utilize the setback scheme suggested by the Siesta Key Overlay District. How tall are you proposing the building to be, with how many rooms? Will the rooms vary in size? The building height will fall below the maximum height of 85 feet established for CG/ SKOD zoning, and will be indistinguishable from adjacent buildings. The number of rooms will be discussed with the County Commission as part of our Special Exception request. There is an art to programing the mix for hotel rooms in a boutique resort environment. The rooms will be programmed in a resort mix of Queen/ Queen and King rooms (generally 3 times more Queen/Queens than Kings), with a few suites available as part of the mix.

How many nights will be the minimum stay? There will be no minimum stay requirements as a general rule.

What amenities will your patrons receive staying at the hotel? (breakfast, exercise room, pool and taxi services on and off the island) Will the rooms have partial kitchens? There will be no kitchens. Like almost all hotels built today, there will be a limited breakfast service. There will be a workout facility with a pool and cabana rentals. A few small meeting rooms and a modest sized events room is also part of the plan. Of course ride sharing, taxi and free ride services and the Siesta Trolley will be able to access the property on Old Stickney Point Rd. As you know, I own a free ride service called the Frog Hopper, which I see as being intimately connected to the hotel experience. Will the hotel have a restaurant or bar in it? Will it be open to the general public? There will be no restaurant. There will be a small lobby bar. There are plenty of local restaurants within walking distance and I don’t want to compete with them. I want the entire South Bridge Village to benefit.

Former Bank of America building that fronts both Stickney Point Road and Old Stickney Point Road. View from Old Stickney Point Road across the street from Clayton’s Siesta Grille. This is the site for the proposed parking structure

Will the design of the hotel have any unique characteristics’ to set it apart? I believe that the design aesthetics will reflect Sarasota’s contemporary modernistic architecture heritage. You mentioned in the August interview that you would like to have a place to hold modest sized events; weddings, graduations and other events. What size parties will the hall accommodate and where will it be located in the building? The size of the parties will be limited by fire code limitations on the number of people that can be accommodated in a specific space. That is why I say it will be a modest sized space which under the current design concept will handle roughly 400 people seated. Will the parties renting the hall be able to have the event catered from anyone they wish or will they have to go through the hotel? That operational detail has not been discussed as of this time. When do you hope to have the hotel up and running? Yesterday? In reality, given the time it will take to go through zoning hearings, the time it will take to complete construction drawings, the time required for permitting and the time required for construction, we are talking sometime in 2022. Do you have any closing statements to the businesses and residents near the projects? Yes. I have tried to listen to their concerns and to adapt. At the same time, the economic pressures facing an ever desirable Sarasota County are not going to abate. The South Bridge Village is going to undergo change no matter what. I could build a large bar and restaurant on the property right now, frankly on both properties, with only a building permit. Bob’s Boathouse taught us that this is not the best long term plan for the Village. I want to provide an element that will bring business to the other businesses in the Village, to provide some much needed parking, and working with the County and residents to improve the street environment on Old Stickney Point Rd. Working with the property owners in the main Village, the County made significant improvements to the look and feel in that area. We in the South Bridge Village deserve the same attention, and I hope that my investment, my willingness to take a big risk, will be the catalyst that garners that attention.

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

941.349.0194

Waste Water treatment plant

John Saputo IV at SKA meeting Sept. 5, 2019

The demolition tentatively is set to begin in May 2020, he said. One structure that potentially will remain on the site is a 2-million-gallon tank that has been adapted for use in what Saputo characterized as an “Oh, my God” emergency situation, such as a break in the pipeline under the ICW. “My guess is … the tank is going to stay.” The solicitation county staff will advertise asking companies to submit a separate bid on demolishing that tank, he noted. Staff wanted to keep the potential expense of that demolition separate from the cost of tearing down the rest of the tanks and equipment, he explained, since the future of the tank is uncertain. One SKA member asked why staff did not use that tank on July 9, instead of letting 36,000 gallons of raw sewage flow into the Grand Canal. “The problem is it’s not automatic,” he replied. “We have to manually go out to the site and turn some valves.” In that July situation, he pointed out, “There was a failure in the system.” A booster pump station functions to move the effluent from Siesta to two water reclamation facilities on the mainland, he continued. “It’s kind of a push/pull operation, if you will.” A problem with the booster pump made it impossible for the effluent to flow fast enough to the Central County and Bee Ridge water reclamation facilities, Saputo added, so the sewage overflowed into a stormwater ditch next to the master pump station and then ran into the Grand Canal. As for what to expect during the demolition: “It’s going to be noisy,” Saputo said. Another public meeting will be scheduled closer to the start of the project, he noted; invitations will be sent to people who own property within a half-mile radius of 5200 Oakmont Place. (The county property is just north of Siesta Isles, with the Winding Way community to the east.) The contract will cover four months, Saputo said.

www.siestasand.net

Continued from cover story

Siesta Key wastewater treatment plant demo engineering plans

However, the “intense demolition” activities, which will generate the greatest amount of noise, should take only about two-and-a-half months, he continued. Two primary reasons lay behind staff’s efforts to schedule a May starting date, Saputo explained. First, fewer people are on the Key after the height of tourist season, he said. Second, because of less traffic, the contractor’s trucks “might be able to get from the plant to U.S. 41 in 30 minutes or so,” instead of having to spend “an hour-and-a-half” on the road. That remark prompted laughter from audience members.

More facets of the plans When SKA Director Robert Luckner asked if the trucks would be exiting the island to the north, Saputo said that is staff’s expectation. Manatee County has concrete and scrap metal recycling facilities, Saputo noted, so it would make more sense for the trucks with the demolition debris to leave Siesta by the north bridge. Saputo also pointed out that this will be the county’s seventh demolition of an old wastewater treatment plant. He showed the SKA members slides taken when a similar project was underway at the Gulf Gate facility in 2010-11. In one slide, he pointed to the heavy equipment on tracks “with major hydraulic jackhammers at the end of them. They eat concrete like nothing.” Luckner then asked whether staff had considered asking the contractor to wait until after the school year ends before beginning the work. A school bus stops on Midnight Pass Road, near the Siesta Isles entrance, Luckner noted. Staff did work around the school year schedule when it was pursuing the pipeline

Gulf Gate wastewater treatment plant demolition 2010-2011

project, Luckner added. Even if the contract is awarded for a May start, Saputo explained, paperwork and other activities necessary before the actual work gets underway likely would not be completed until after the last day of the school year. Saputo added that, based on how the Gulf Gate plant’s demolition went, he would expect the contractor handling the Siesta project to need only 35 to 40 days “for the hard demo.” Saputo also noted that, because the work will take place next to residential areas, staff likely will ask the contractor to start work no earlier than 8 a.m. each day. In response to a question about what will become of the property after the demolition, Dave Cash, assistant director of the county’s Public Utilities Department, replied, “First it will be grass. We plan to sod that area.” Additionally, Cash said, “We plan to retain ownership of it. There are no plans to sell it for development or anything along those lines.” In the future, Cash continued, the potential exists for public use of the area. Siesta residents have talked of their interest in creating a kayak launch at the Grand Canal.

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

OCTOBER 2019

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Snapshots of Island Visitors

Island Chatter

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

Continued from page 29

BWFM’s Village location closes Is less better? You’d think with the steady growth Big Water Fish Market, located mid-island in the Crescent Plaza, has experienced these words wouldn’t be uttered by owner, Scott Dolan. After all, he’s expanded his flagship store with additional seating and moved his fish market next door. He’s also increased the fish market inventory by adding steaks, sausages, deli meats, cheeses, and a larger produce selection. “One stop shopping at the fish market is my goal,” says Dolan. But Dolan recently decided to close BWFM’s secondary location, in the Village. According to Dolan, “It just wasn’t working out, and I had to cut my losses. So, sometimes less is actually better.”

Good News at Phillippi Estate Park The great, good news at Phillippi Estate Park is that the PHILLIPPI FARMHOUSE MARKET will re-open on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2nd! Your favorite vendors will be back with fresh local produce, home-baked goodies, bar-b-que, pizza, soft serve ice cream and more. The Humane Society will be bringing adorable, adoptable dogs and cats, the Bloodmobile will be returning during October and there will be live music every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The FREE, docent-led tour of the Mansion will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. The two volunteer managers of the market are Grace and Fred Whitehouse who have just received an award from the Florida Recreation and Parks Association as Volunteers of the Year! When one considers there are 67 counties in the state of Florida, it’s quite an honor to be Volunteers of the Year for the whole state. Please congratulate Grace and Fred when you see them at the market. Phillippi Estate Park and Friends of Sarasota County Parks are partnering to offer a lecture series AFTERNOONS AT THE MANSION. Enjoy an afternoon at the historic Edson Keith Mansion while learning about Sarasota History. Cost is $20.00 per person. Reservations are required. Please visit www.scgov.net (keywords Registration and Reservations) or call 941-8617275. Light refreshments will be served. Afternoons at the Mansion is a fundraiser for renovation of the historic Keith Farmhouse. Sunday, October 13, 2-4 p.m. BERTHA PALMER BREEZES INTO THE MANSION Kate Holmes as Bertha Palmer will entertain us with local news and gossip, then share her famous brownies. Try your luck at October’s Chinese auction. Reserve a table for 10 by calling 941-861-7275, Sunday, November 10, 2-4 p.m. SARASOTA ROARING THROUGH THE 1920s Sarasota resident and historian, Jeff LaHurd, will regale us with tales of the Roaring 20’s, an exhilarating time in Sarasota history. Sunday, December 8, 2-4 p.m. RISING TIDES, SHIFTING SANDS, ANCIENT SITES IN PERIL Native Floridian and local favorite, John McCarthy will discuss the Manasota Offshore Archaeological burial site, Historic Spanish Point and Egmont Key. Sunday, January 5, 2-4 p.m. NEWTOWN ALIVE Vickie Oldham, singer Troy Nichols and the Newtown history makers bring to life the history of Sarasota’s African American community. Newtown trolley tickets, histories of Newtown and Newtown products will be for sale at this event. SEE YOU AT PHILLIPPI ESTATE PARK, 5500 South Tamiami Trail.

Diane, Duane from OH., Derele from CA., Mark, Emily age 5, Jordan, Hunter age 17 months from TX, Janet, & Laura from OH

Siesta Promenade Benderson’s engineers are working on site and development plan applications for the project, as well as the necessary SWFWMD Southwest Florida Water Management District and FDOT Florida Department of Transportation applications.” He added, “Some of the comments on Benderson’s Facebook post (or Ms. Kochman’s) seem to question why Benderson would be permitted to go forward with site work while Ms. Kochman’s certiorari challenge is pending. Under Florida law, the County Commission approvals remain in place and effective during that challenge absent a stay. Ms. Kochman has not requested a stay, nor would she be likely to receive one under the facts.”

Site work underway as litigation continues In August, Siesta 41 Associates received the second Sarasota County permit it needed so it could begin clearing the Siesta Promenade site. The first permit, issued on July 11, gave the company permission for minor earthmoving work related to the removal of septic tanks, concrete

Sarasota Garden Club Hosts Horticulture Study Group Open to Community

Continued from page 7

pads and asphalt roads that are remnants of the Pine Shores Trailer Park. Mobile homes stood for many years on the property, which is in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road. Then, on Aug. 15, the county issued a permit so Benderson/Siesta 41 Associates could begin removing trees that were not wanted on the site. The tree permit application submitted to the county said the trees to be removed were as follows: four maples, 31 oaks, 88 palms, 51 pines and 21 trees of unknown species. The trees to be protected, the application continued, are two Grand Pines and “various others shown on plan that were identified by County Staff.” In providing information about the tree permit to the News Leader, at its request, Media Relations Specialist Grant wrote in an Aug. 23 email, “The issued permit will be amended (with necessary fees and required documents) as further development phases are reviewed and approved through the county’s Site and Development and the Land Development Regulations divisions.”

Blooming This Month: Brazilian Red Cloak

November 13, 2019

“RE-UZ-IT:” 30 things you have in your home that can be used in gardening instead of throwing away! Speaker: Kay Weber. Members Free/Non-Members $10.

January 20, 2019

“Landscaping.” Speaker: Alex Barth from Troy’s Tropics. What plants work best in landscape in Southern Florida. Members Free/Non-Members $10. Groups of 3 or more, please call office.

March 11, 2020 “CACTUS” PROGRAM. Learn the pros & cons of how to grow cactus. Also, a cactus or succulent plant exchange will be held. Speaker: Wilda Meier. Members Free/Non-Members $10.

Sarasota Garden Club

April 8, 2020

“PRUNING” PROGRAM. Learn the art of pruning. Mr. Osborn will demonstrate & cover in our gardens how & when to start pruning trees or bushes. Speaker: Wiley Osborn. Members Free/Non-Member $10.

May 13, 2020

“EARTH BOX” PROGRAM. An off-site tour of Earth Box Nursery. A class teaching you how to grow vegetables, herbs, or plants in an earth box. Free of charge. Membership Information: sarasotagardenclub.org Sarasota Garden Club 1131 Boulevard of the Arts (941) 955-0875

The Brazilian Red Cloak is a monotypic genus of plants containing a single species, Megaskepasma erytrochlamys. The plant family is Acanthaceae. This is a free branching, upright, showy, and tropical shrub that is native to Venezuela, and is also found throughout the tropical Americas. Growing from six feet to eight feet tall and wide, this evergreen semi-woody, perennial shrub, has large clusters of bright crimson red bracts and broad, ovate, green leaves. This plant can be easily propagated from seeds or cuttings. This is a drought resistance shrub that prefers rich soil and can take full sun. This shrub can bloom off and on for many months. This shrub can be found in the St. Francis Garden at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota. Reminder: Dec. 6, Holiday High Tea; Feb. 10, SHIVOO Garden Party; Mar. 14, Gardens in Paradise tour and GardenFest. Submitted Kay Weber, Sarasota Garden Club, Botanical Gardens Chair. www.sarasotagardenclub.org

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

941.349.0194

Classifieds / Here’s My Card ACCOMMODATIONS / VACATION RENTALS

CLEANING SERVICES

• Best Western Plus Siesta Key – AAA -3 Diamond Property, Free shuttle service to and from Siesta Key 941-924-4900, 6600 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota

Green Magic Cleaning Service

• Siesta 4 Rent - Vacation Rentals, from studios to 5 bedrooms. Serving Siesta Key since 1997, 941-349-5500

A family owned business with 16 years of experience.

HOUSE WATCH

CITIZEN JACK HOME WATCH SERVICES Accredited, Bonded, Insured & Certified

Jim Farley

“Residential and Commercial”

We don’t cut corners, we dust them.

941.350.3610 info@citizenjackhws.com https://citizenjackhws.com

• High quality services • Competitive rates • Great references • Always the same crew www.SarasotaHouseCleaningService.com

BOATING RENTALS / FISHING CHARTERS

Captain Jacks Yacht Charters

P.O. Box 15340, Sarasota, FL 34277

GreenMagicCleaning@gmail.com Call for a FREE estimate today!

(941) 780-4248

Capt. Jack Wallace 941.320.8700 www.sarasotachartervessel.com Pleasure Cruises only Sunsets/Weddings/Special Occasions Hourly, Daily, Weekly

CONTRACTORS

• Hawk’s Nest Construction Inc. is a certified Class A general contractor licensed in all phases of construction. Owner, Mark Hawkins Sr. personally oversees every aspect of your project from start to finish, using only the best and most reliable licensed artisan and craftsmen. His passion is delighting his clients by turning their home-improvement dreams into a beautiful reality. Call 941-650• CB’s Saltwater Outfitters – CB’s Saltwater Outfitters is an 9499 or visit their website: www.hawksnestconstruction.com ORVIS Endorsed Outfitter Fishing Charter Service serving Siesta • Nutter Construction is your local Siesta Key builder. We have a Key as well as Longboat Key, Lido Key, Sarasota, and Venice. strong team with over 30 years of combined high end residential Our veteran guides offer exciting Fishing Adventures for construction experience in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch. We anglers of all ages from novice to the expert. See our website: offer custom construction, remodeling services, management www.CBsOutfitters.com or stop in their store for additional info. and consulting, concierge service, and we are committed to 1240 Stickney Point Rd, Siesta Key. (941)349-4400. protecting our resources by using construction techniques that are environmentally friendly. Call us at 941-924-1868, visit our Mention This Ad And Receive 10% OFF Your Next Charter showroom at 3534 South Osprey Avenue, or check us out online 941-400-4193 at www.nutterconstruction.com. LEED AP | FL Licensed Building Contractor CBC060004 | FL Licensed Real Estate Sales Associate BK322256 | Certified Home Inspector HI4630

Insured, Bonded and Licensed by The National Home Watch Association.

(941) 961-4309

www.SuncoastHomeConcierge.com

MEDICAL

Board-Certified dermatologist skin CanCer • laser • Botox and Hair/nail disorders

J Morgan O’Donoghue, MD.

1952 Field Road Sarasota, Florida 34231

Captain Matt

941.926.7546

www.dermatologyexperts.com

Sightseeing Charters Boating Instruction paradisekeycharters.com

Sarasota Area 941-400-4193

MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES

Having Fun Fishing in The Sun

941-400-2452

Tony Fudoli Sr. CAPTAIN tntfreedomfishing@yahoo.com

Veteran Owned Business

www.siestasand.net

LANDINGS RESIDENT OWNED AND OPERATED

• Wilson Windows is a State Certified General Contractor specializing in glass porch enclosures and window replacement. They offer only top quality products installed by professionally trained technicians. All projects are engineered and permitted to meet the new state building codes related to impact, water infiltration and high velocity windload calculations. Their services include window repair, new custom screens, glass cut to size, and hard to find window parts inventory at both locations. Fully insured and their work is guaranteed. 941-921-1113, www.wilson-window.com.

Dolphin Watch • SunSetS • half Day aDventure SailS

DRY CLEANERS

MOVING & STORAGE

AAA FLAT RATE MOVING AND STORAGE CO. Sailing From Marina Jack, Sarasota

Kathleen D Sailing Catamaran 941-896-6400

Environmentally Conscious Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service

Free Pick Up & Delivery Service

www.KathleenD.net

• Siesta Key Marina Located at 1265 Old Stickney Point Rd, Siesta Key, has been serving Sarasota boaters and fishermen since 1961. A staple in the Sarasota boating community, offering 243 dry storage racks, a full service ship store, onsite boat service, boat rentals, bait, fuel, fishing tackle and more. 941-349-1970

CHURCH SERVICES • WEDNESDAY CHURCH - Traditional worship every Wednesday at 6 PM. Committed to reaching 55+ Widows, Widowers, Veterans, Singles, and Adults. 7811 Kennedy Ln., Sarasota, FL 34240. Pastor Trebor Britt, 941320-4309. SJG5232@verizon.net

TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-349-0194

Call

from your home or business

941-275-4647

ExEcutivE Shirt SErvicE • houSEhold itEmS • SamE day SErvicE availablE

HOUSE WATCH

SARASOTA’S MOVER OF CHOICE SINCE 1980 AROUND THE CORNER OR AROUND THE WORLD CALL OR EMAIL FOR A FREE MOVING ESTIMATE 941-922-4466 / AAAFLATRATE@AOL.COM

www.aaamovingsarasota.com REAL ESTATE AGENTS

House Watch Sarasota Licensed and Insured

HELENE M. HYLAND REALTOR®

Affordable and Dependable Service Solutions For Your Home While You Are Away

(941) 685-2274 Cell (941) 349-4411 Office (800) 237-9403 Toll Free (941) 349-8090 Fax HeleneHyland@comcast.net

5145 Ocean Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34242

R. BRuce Whittinghill, llc (941) 955-1864

Call or e-mail sarasotabruce1@housewatchsrq.com housewatchsrq.com for quotes and references Serving SaraSota and Surrounding areaS Since 1979

To advertise in print or online contact: Bob or Emy Stein at 941.349.0194 Send editorial and/or photos via email to: islandvp@verizon.net

Owned and Operated by NRT, LLC

www.SheSellsSiestaKeySarasota.com

Published by Island Visitor Publishing, LLC Contributing Writers and Photographers will be noted with bylines. Guest commentary not necessarily the opinion of island Visitor Publishing, LLC Reproduction without written permission prohibited. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. All business bios are extensions of the display advertisements. Island Visitor Publishing, LLC is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. All ads are subject to the approval of the publisher. It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in Siesta Sand to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town, county and state codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property. DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that when you hire an unlicensed/uninsured person to do work at your home, you accept the liability. Island Visitor Publishing is not responsible for claims made by advertisers.

P.O. BOX 35086, SIESTA KEY, FL 34242 www.siestasand.net

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

REAL ESTATE AGENTS CONTINUED

Denise Driscoll

REALTOR-Licensed Sales Associate

OCTOBER 2019

TRANSPORTATION CONTINUED

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

HOMES FOR SALE CONTINUED

• Jonny’s Original Free Ride – The Original Ride the Key Free bath. One car garage with attic storage. Gated community service on Siesta to anywhere, everyday from 10 AM – 2 AM. on a deep-water marina. Pool, hot tub, tennis/pickleball, Driver tips only. Call 941-928-9200. clubhouse. MLS# A4433033, $539,000. Key Solutions Real • Dollar Limo – holds up to 10 people and is cheaper than a D.U.I Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186. or taxi. Call 941-735-4732

direct 941-586-6833 email denise.driscoll@exprealty.com web denisedriscoll.exprealty.com Curious about the Value of Your Home?

• Making things happen on Siesta Key with Real Estate agents Bob and Sheri Ruiz from Key Solutions Real Estate Group. If you are looking to buy or sell on the Key contact us. Bob Ruiz 941-544-3299 RobertRuizRR@aol.com, Sheri Ruiz 941-400-4186 SheriLasley@aol.com

Transportation for everyone on the Sun Coast Friendliest Ride In Town

We’ll take you to Doctor Visits, Pharmacies, Shopping, Airports and Cruise Lines (on the East and West coasts) and Much More!

• TRULY FABULOUS 2/2 WITH DIRECT GULF VIEWS. This Gulfside, 1st-floor unit is perfectly positioned overlooking the pool & amazing direct gulf front views of world-famous Siesta Key Beach!! Walk right out the patio to the pool/beach - no stairs or elevators!! A very open, spacious, clean & cared for condo with full-sized washer/ dryer, expansive lanai, walk-in closets, and extra storage. 6342 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #415, SARASOTA, FL 34242, MLS# A4444324, $1,050,000, Key Solutions Real Estate, 941894-1255.

RESTAURANTS

Airport Shuttle Limo/Taxi

SPAS / HAIR & BEAUTY Walk-Ins Welcome

Specializing in Pink & White

(941) 706-0860

4850 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231 (The Landings Shopping Center)

Mon.- Sat. 9 AM-7 PM Sun. 11 AM-5 PM

Olde Fashion Barber Shop

Tapers • Flattops • Fades • Styling • Razor Cuts • Shaves

ther”

“Hot La

941-312-6001

Southgate Barber Shop

(Across from the Westfield Siesta Key Mall)

2081 Siesta Drive, Sarasota, FL 34239

Walk-Ins Welcome

Monday through Friday 9-6 • Saturday 9-2

• THE POINTE Largest floor plan at 1380 square feet in a 2/2 with spacious lanai overlooking the ICW and Bay to the east and the Gulf and Siesta sunsets to the west. Amazing views from every room. Gated with every amenity. MLS# A4438186, $529,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

Sarasota to Tampa Airport $ 89 each way

• ENJOY STUNNING SUNRISES AND SUNSETS from this lovely two bedroom, two bath PENTHOUSE condo at the southernmost end of Siesta Key. If you seek incomparable views look no further - wake to awe-inspiring sunrises over Neville Preserve on Little Sarasota Bay and marvel at the spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. 9393 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #P2, SARASOTA, FL 34242, HOMES FOR SALE MLS# A4406101, $469,000, Key Solutions Real Estate, 941 • CO-OP OPPORTUNITY NEAR SIESTA KEY: 894-1255. $104,900. Mobile Estates is a resident owned 55 plus community located in a prime location one mile from Siesta • NEWLY CONSTRUCTED Coastal Contemporary Key in Sarasota. This home has been meticulously restored. on the Grand Canal. Centrally located to Siesta Village A beautiful single wide mobile home with one large and beaches. Natural light abounds this 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bedroom and one bath with a large attached lanai and shed. bathrooms open floor plan with direct walkout access to the Maintenance fee $160 month. Website: 2042champion.site open designed saltwater pool and deck. Enjoy sunsets from for more info. Call Scott 215-266-0402. your pool deck and balconies. This home is minutes by boat, paddle board or kayak to the Intercoastal Waterway. 4866 COMMONWEALTH DR, SARASOTA, FL 34242, MLS# A4437382, $1,749,000, Key Solutions Real Estate, 941894-1255. • YEAR ROUND SUNSETS! This 10th-floor unit is perfectly positioned to enjoy gorgeous beachfront views! A very spacious, light, bright, clean and cared-for condo with a split floor plan and walk-in closets. The hurricane impact sliding doors (replaced 2018) lead from the living room and bedrooms to the huge screened lanai. Furniture is negotiable. 6300 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #1009, SARASOTA, • AMAZING LOCATION! 3BD/2BA Florida style ranch FL 34242, MLS# A4425862, $949,000, Key Solutions Real home has it all! Don’t hesitate to see this clean and tropical Estate, 941-894-1255. beauty! Meticulously maintained, Siesta Key Village and Beaches just minutes away. 1728 Billings St, Sarasota 34231 For a personal viewing please call (941) 587-4256 $428k.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

www.OldStyleBarberShop.com

• PALM ISLAND HOME ON THE GRAND CANAL: $859,000 322 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4199085. SPORTS RENTALS / ACCESSORIES Recently renovated with new kitchen, new master BR and • Robin Hood Rentals – for all your Siesta Key rental needs with master BA. This house boasts a new boat lift on the Grand a wide variety segways, bikes, kayaks, scooters and more, free Canal. Privacy abounds with a lovely tropical view across pickup and delivery anywhere on the key. 5255 Ocean Blvd Siesta the canal. Huge bonus area on lower level. Dan Miller, Re/ Key Village. 941-554-4242 Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442. • Siesta Key Bike & Kayak – Located on Siesta Key in Capt Curts Village serving Siesta Key, Lido Beach and Sarasota. We offer • CANAL FRONT HOME: $999,900 bikes, kayak rentals, kayak eco tours, paddleboards and scooters. 5157 Sandy Shore Ave, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4427877. 1224 Old Sickney Pt Rd. 941-346-0891

Emergency (General)...................................................911 Emergency Animal Clinic..........................941-929-1818 Fishing & Hunting Licenses......................941-362-9888 FPL – Florida Power & Light.....................941-917-0708 FPL – Outage Report...............................1-800-468-8243 Marriage License Bureau...........................941-362-4066 Poison Info Center...................................1-800-282-3171

Canal front home on a quiet low traffic dead end “Sandy” Sarasota / Bradenton Intl. Airport...........941-359-2770

• Siesta Sports Rentals – Located on Siesta Key, bike, kayak, street. Split plan 4 bedroom & 3 bath 2,493 square foot home kayak tours, scooter, children strollers and car seats. Delivery and with recently updated kitchen & bath. PGT Wind Guard Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT).....941-316-1234 pickup available, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd, 941-346-1797

TRANSPORTATION

Sarasota’s Premier “Chauffeur”

Airport Rides

Answers to theSearch WORD SEARCH from page 33 MarinerWord www.floridamariner.com

• GRAND CANAL HOME: $998,000 214 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4435268. Answers from Wonderful Siesta Key Grand Canal home located on Page 24 desirable Palm Island. 2,600+ sq. ft., 4 BR, 2.5 BA waterfront oasis. Loft area on 2nd level makes nice office space. Screened pool area. Short walk to world famous Siesta The Magic Beach, close to world class dining and night life of Siesta of the Village. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442.

Starting At Only

30 941.735.4732 $

All Ports In Florida

Stress Free • Smooth and Easy Ask for Eddie

Everglades

941-928-9200

RIDE THE KEY FREE

15-20 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME (Based upon traffic)

SERVICING

Siesta Key Beach Siesta Village Turtle Beach

DRIVER TIPS ONLY

Hurricane Impact windows and sliders for added storm Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce...........941-349-3800 security. You will love lounging around the large pool on this oversized lot (14,352 SF) and dock with lift on the wide Sheriff / non-emergency...........................941- 861-1601 canal with easy access to world class boating & fishing. Dan Waste Management....................................941-924-1254 Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442.

Restaurants and Accommodations Operating 10AM to 2AM Daily

www.JonnysOriginalFreeRide.com

• GULF AND BAY VIEWS HOME: $6,300,000 156 Givens Street, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4438489. Spectacular sunsets meet designer decadence in this show stopping 4BR/ 5.5 BA modern-luxe masterpiece designed by world acclaimed architect, Guy Peterson. Each room possesses unparalleled panoramic views of the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico by day and breathtaking sunsets and twinkling lights of Lido Key skyline by night. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442. • HARBOUR TOWNE YACHT CLUB Across the street from Siesta Beach with a private deeded boat dock and water views! Renovated two bedroom, two

Siesta Sand

OCTOBER 2019

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

Siesta Key Luncheon at The Old Salty Dog Thank you Old Salty Dog on Siesta Key for hosting our Chamber luncheon. It was great to see everyone enjoy their lunch and networking! Also, thank you to the following for donating raffle prizes: Beneva Flowers, Flower’s by Fudgie,

Off Key

By Robert Frederickson

‘Off Key’ Response to Moment of Silence Request in DC... On the recent 18th anniversary of 9-11, the public address announcer at Reagan National Airport in the nation’s capitol asked for a moment of silence at the precise moment the first hijacked aircraft struck the World Trade Center in New York on that fateful day in 2001. Sadly, the request was largely ignored by travelers too absorbed by their own transitory concerns to remember the nearly 3000 Americans who died that day. Like many of you, I vividly remember that morning. President Bush was in town highlighting the importance of education with an appearance at Booker Elementary School in Newtown. My wife and I had worked well past midnight the day before, putting to bed the nine newspapers our employer, Sun Publications, printed for midweek distribution throughout southwest and central Florida. As a result of the late shift, we had the morning of 9-11 off. I was drinking my morning coffee with the TV on when the first tower was struck. When the second tower was hit, everyone watching knew the horrible magnitude of the events unfolding before our eyes. President Bush, his accompanying White House staff and the press corps were immediately shuttled to SRQ amid reports that ‘ANGEL 1’ – the secret service’s code word for Air Force One – was itself a target. The threat came in a phone call that supposedly used that secret code word no one outside the secret service should have known, leading to speculation the president faced a threat from some individual or group within the government. An inside job? Scary stuff. Preparations had already begun to get the massive aircraft on its way by the time the president’s motorcade arrived at the airport. There was also a report that someone had seen an individual at the north end of the runway with what looked like it could be a stinger missile on his shoulder. More scary stuff. And so the pilot, Colonel Mark Tillman, decided he would depart Sarasota at full power with a steep ascent to clear the tree line at the end of the runway where the suspicious individual had reportedly been spotted, making a surface-to-air missile strike as difficult as possible. The 9-11 commission later reported the

Fleming’s Steakhouse, Eddie’s Limo, Sabal Palm Bank, Mattison’s 41, Avery Roofing, One Group Wealth, Business World Promo, Hughes Exterminating, and Florida Business Opportunities.

Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce 5114 Ocean Blvd, 941-349-3800

From Tone Deaf Travelers to Humid Endeavors…

unidentified man at the end of the runway was a father and his young son, there to view the President’s departure. The device he was holding, a camcorder. It also reported the phone threat that Angel 1 was a target turned out to be a miscommunication. But of course, none of this was known at the time. When Angel One lifted off at full-throttle to power a maximum ascent, our two story woodframe home, 2.5 miles east of the airport, shook like it never had before. I rushed out to the west facing second story deck and watched Angel One lifting higher and higher toward an uncertain horizon in a world we knew instantly would never be the same. And of course, we were right; 18 years later, our world is certainly a different place. Look no further than the travelers at Reagan National Airport on September 11, 2019, too busy to remember. Isn’t it ironic that the President was here in Sarasota, stressing the importance of education, and in the days between it seems we have failed so many of our fellow Americans in that regard.

Virtue Signaling in Sarasota The Sarasota City Commission has voted to pass an ordinance that limits single-use plastic straws on city-owned property. Now don’t you feel better? Well, before you get too giddy over this profile in courage by the city commission, consider this: The U.S. doesn’t even make the top 10 list of nations fouling the world’s oceans with plastic (and other trash). China, of course, tops the list by adding 3.53 metric tons of the stuff per year, more than 30 times as much as the U.S. In fact, our total is dwarfed by eleven other nations, mostly smaller in both size and population; the list includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, Nigeria, Brazil...even Bangladesh. Something to keep in mind when your paper straw collapses while trying to enjoy your adult beverage at a downtown restaurant.

Now that Wasn’t Very Neighborly... Kyle Rayborn was at the Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Lakeland recently looking to buy and sell cattle per his usual routine as a rancher. When the first bull entered the sales pen, Rayborn thought it

looked familiar, so he stood up to get a closer look. Sure enough, it carried his mark on its ear. He sat tight and watched the auction play out. His four-year-old semi Angus black bull eventually sold for $1000. Turns out the bull had wandered off and ended up in the pasture of a neighbor, Stewart Gregg Smith, 38, who according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department seized the opportunity to make some quick cash. “Stew loaded up the bull and he took him to the market. That’s no bull,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “It’s hard to believe you would take a stolen bull to the local market where all the cowboys know each other,” Judd continued. “So we put Stew in the pen where he belonged and returned the bull to the victim.” “Had I not been there during that 45 seconds he would have been gone forever, Rayborn said. I’m guessing Rayborn and Smith won’t be exchanging Christmas cards this year...

Shocking News: Politicians Favor Supporters! Well Duh! Another shocking Claude Rains moment from the press! It came in the form of a page one, above the fold story with banner headline in a recent issue of the Herald Tribune. That headline read: DeSantis’ Donors Find Favor... This stunningly obvious revelation is likely news to no one who has followed politics for more than ten minutes, but the details behind the story are so innocuous as to make this particular story especially entertaining. It involves Governor DeSantis tapping longtime friend and donor John Rood, a Jacksonville developer, to help the Bahamas recover from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian over the recent Labor Day weekend. So if you’re like me you’re probably assuming the story will outline Rood’s utter lack of qualifications for the task. But no ... it turns out Rood is a former ambassador to the Bahamas which you would think uniquely equips him to hit the ground running. As DeSantis points out in the story “Rood knows the people over in the Bahamas.” Pointing out he’ll be able to utilize those contacts to get things done. Plus, he’s a builder, and (duh again) an awful lot of things in

the northern Bahamas need to be rebuilt. As long as politicians have been campaigning, donors and supporters have been rewarded with ambassadorships and appointments to one or another adhoc commission. What’s unusual here is it sounds like Rood may actually have the right experience for the job. I mean whom should DeSantis have appointed? Andrew Gillum? Which makes me wonder, if Gillum had won the gubernatorial race last fall and had named a political supporter to the position Rood has been ‘rewarded’ with, I wonder if the choice would have been similarly second-guessed in the media. Maybe, but on page one? Above the fold?

Call me a skeptic on that one.

Hot? Muggy? Please... Sports announcer Joe Buck gave this weather update before the start of a recent NFL match-up between the Saints and Rams taking place at the old Coliseum in Los Angeles. “It’s 84 degrees. It is hot. And muggy. Humidity 54 percent.” Well Joe, you know what we call 84 degrees and 54 percent humidity in Florida? Winter.

Climate Quote of Note “If we drop our emissions to zero today, we would forestall 14/100ths a degree of warming.” - Dr. Patrick Michaels, climate scientist.

Looking for Siesta Sand off-island? Pick up a copy at the following locations: 4&20 Pasty Co.....................................................................................5638 Swift Rd. A’s Sandwich.........................................................................6300 S. Tamiami Trail Abel’s Ice Cream: Southbridge Plaza................................. 1886 Stickney Pt. Rd. Alpine Steak House..............................................................4520 S. Tamiami Trail Best Western Plus..................................................................6600 S. Tamiami Trail Casey Key Fish House..............................................801 Blackburn Point, Osprey Corkscrew Deli: Landings Shopping Plaza * .................4982 S. Tamiami Trail Culver’s...................................................................................7520 S. Tamiami Trail Dutch Valley Restaurant.....................................................6721 S. Tamiami Trail Eager Beaver Carwash *.......................................................6449 S. Tamiami Trail Economy Tackle *..................................................................6018 S. Tamiami Trail Fresh Catch Market & Grill: Buccaneer Plaza.................7119 S. Tamiami Trail Gecko’s Restaurant...............................................................6606 S. Tamiami Trail Grasshopper Mexican Restaurant & Bar..........................7253 S. Tamiami Trail Gulf Gate Food + Beer............................................................. 6528 Superior Ave. Hibiscus Suites...................................................................1735 Stickney Point Rd. McDonalds..............................................................................6347 S Tamiami Trail Only for Eyes Optical / GG..................................................... 6541 Superior Ave. Philadelphia Cheesesteaks..................................................7523 S. Tamiami Trail Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar..................................................5353 S. Tamiami Trail Plaza Mexico Restaurant: Southbridge Plaza...............1894 Stickney Point Rd. Pride of the South Restaurant/GG......................................... 6616 Superior Ave. Rico’s Pizzeria & Pasta House........................................................... 1902 Bay Rd. Sarasota Brewing /GG..............................................................6607 Gateway Ave. Solorzano’s Pizza /GG.............................................................. 6670 Superior Ave. Special Nutrition Store: Southbridge Plaza...................... 1882 Stickney Pt. Rd. The Shop SRQ/GG...................................................................6625 Gateway Ave. Tony’s Chicago Dogs/GG........................................................ 6569 Superior Ave. Word of Mouth/GG..................................................................6604 Gateway Ave. Interested in Distributing our Publication? Call 941-349-0194 NOTE: * Denotes availability first week of each month only.

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OCTOBER 2019

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Island Girl

Meredith

This month’s Island Girl grew up in New Jersey, now living in Sarasota. An avid boat enthusiast, she’s currently in school to get her nursing degree. When she isn’t studying, she is working at Spearfish Grille on Siesta Key. We caught Meredith sunbathing with friends on a FUNBOAT tour to Sand Dollar Island, not too far from Siesta Key Marina.