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Be the bee -- or maybe the bird

Scientists often wonder if other creatures have emotions -- empathy, love, envy, etc. Consider the honey bee. We may not know too much about what goes on in their little heads when they’re inside the hive (invasion of privacy, and all that) but we do observe them as they fly about. They seem drawn to flowers. Certainly, the smell of the nectar attracts them -- as it does us, hence the various perfumes and colognes that we use. And the colors. Birds can distinguish flowers of various shades -- pink, yellow, blue, and red, as can we. When birds are too far away to perceive the fragrance of the flowers, they can see them in the distance (or is it vice versa?). And the shape of the flowers. Various species of hummingbirds have different length beaks, just as the species of flowers they pollinate have bells of various depths. So, color, shape, fragrance, all appeal to the birds and the bees, and to us. They for sustenance of the body, we for the soul. There may not be a difference between the two, for they are intertwined. At Selby Gardens there are flowers of all colors and shapes, and with a multitude of fragrances. But this, of course, is what we expect of such a beautiful garden. Through Sept. 25 there is an added floral attraction: Flora Imaginaria: The flower in Contemporary Photography. While the birds and the bees may not be attracted to the photographs mounted throughout the shaded walkways and paths of the gardens, the human wanderers certainly are. The photographic prints that are outdoors (there are 44 of them, with another 25 in the Payne Mansion, by 49 international photographers) are mounted on (actually part of) a white or black glass like substance that is supposed to withstand hurricane force winds (let’s hope no testing of this material is in their future). It seems as if the flowers pop out at you as you are passing. Some of the flowers are free standing blooms while others are posed in vases. Still another set represents life that is not still, as they have been altered (digitally) by the photographer, between the snapping and the mounting. But an additional type of altering goes on as you visit one flower and then another. Because of the black or white reflective background that hovers behind each flower, the black reflects the leaves and water, while the white shows the dappling of the shadows the cross their surface. And each changes further as the sun shifts west and the clouds scudder by. Info at Selby.Org.

Pop art has been around (approximately) since the year 33,978 B.C.

Actually, this was the only kind of art back in the Upper Paleolithic period, 36,000 years ago. It is said that pop art draws its inspiration from sources in popular and commercial culture. Not sure how much culture there was back then, but if it was commercial culture, then those wall paintings of animals might have actually been menus rather than a depiction of a hunt. If you chose one from column A and one from column B you might have gotten a bison burger and a side of roast boar. Artists now have a lot more commercial culture to draw upon -- if one considers comic books and advertisements for refrigerators to be art -- and art gallery owners certainly do as most get a 50% commission for each piece sold. The trickle-down theory of economics applies to how artists are paid. At first only the rich and powerful purchased paintings -- the church and royalty -- everyone else was a peasant, so couldn’t afford it. Next was the Dutch merchant class, who were so rich they could afford pictures of themselves and their house maids and wives (Rembrandt and Vermeer). Then, as the lower classes had more money to spend, a lot of landscapes and still life paintings were made, as these were pleasant in appearance and could be produced in endless variations. Today, with so many methods to cheaply reproduce art, artists can support themselves by painting (and reproducing) anything they wish, as there enough people with disposable income to create multiple niche markets -- modern, contemporary, and pop, to name a few. And new pop-art artists keep popping up on the scene. The painting, Checkered Tablecloth, with Pasta Dinner, was done this year, by Elsie Pappanastos, an Art Center Sarasota student. ACS has summer classes for adults and for two different levels of students each year. From Sept. 1 through 30, Art Center Sarasota is mounting POP!, a juried exhibition. While individual artists actually had been producing this kind of art in small quantities over the years, it seems to have burst forth, as a named thing with a life of its own, in the 1950s and ’60s. There are many artists today, around the world and in Sarasota, whose paintings fit into this category. Chiefly, because they enjoy painting in this manner and because many viewers like the broad, bright, bold style. Also, during September are exhibits by Alissa Silver, a graphic designer; Jesse Clark, a fine arts photographer; and Carla O’Brian who works in clay. Info at ArtSarasota.org.

Mystery Train

There is a murder mystery train in Fort Myers, but you have to book the whole train for them to put on the show. That’s kind of a bridge too far. Perhaps the mystery is why there is no mystery train in Sarasota. Ha ha, there IS a mystery train! The real mystery is, “Where is this train?” The address is listed as 2211 Fruitville Rd. And, if you drive back and forth on Fruitville for six or seven hours, you will never find it. However, if you are driving west on Fruitville and take a right onto School Avenue, School Avenue will, after about a block, become 3rd Avenue. Right where this happens take another right into a large empty parking lot. Drive to the far end of that lot and you will find Bob’s Train. Admittedly, these directions are sort of how you find your way to Platform 9 3/4 when you are trying to board the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter books. So, while the mystery is how to find Bob’s Train, the magic is in the food that is served. While Bob no longer serves skunk soup (he did at the restaurant’s previous location -- it was really good), moose burger is now on the menu. Or, more exactly, M.O.O.S. E. Burger -- very tasty. While one could recommend the grilled brie and berry sandwich, the kielbasa with onions and sweet peppers, or the Sunday brunch, it would be much easier to recommend everything that’s on the menu. Ordering one item per visit will take you a couple of weeks to get through the menu, but will also give you the opportunity to visit with Bob. And chat. Because that is what Bob can, besides cook, do. About the Ringling Circus, the U.S. Navy, radio operating, or whatever. It will also give you time to visit the other train cars hooked onto the dining car and view the thousands of circus photos. More info at BobsTrain.com.

The Highs and Lows of Properties Sold on Siesta Key

Provided by William Raveis Real Estate / www.raveis.com

The 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 RESIDENCE 7931 MIDNIGHT PASS RD. $5.7 MILLION

Completed in 2020, this property is impressive from the moment one enters the private gates and is welcomed by the long paver drive, beautiful landscaping and covered elevated entry. Once inside, the two-story foyer and adjacent great room give way to the covered terrace and stunning views of the infinity-edge pool and the bay waters beyond. Understated elegance resonates with modern finishes, Alta Vista wide plank hardwood floors, panel molding, unique ceiling appointments, custom-designed built-ins, gas fireplace and quartz countertops. The kitchen, completely open to the great room and dining room, features top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, walk-in pantry, farmhouse sink, a large food prep island and a large entertaining island with counterheight seating. A wall of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opens to the covered patio and the outdoor kitchen creating one amazing indoor/outdoor entertaining space. A study/den and powder bath complete the main living level. The owner’s suite is a spa-like retreat boasting a separate sitting area, access to a private terrace, two-furniture style vanity cabinets, a large glass-walled shower with multiple shower heads, freestanding soaking tub, water closet and two custom organized walk-in closets. There are three additional bedrooms, all with ensuite baths, and an impressive laundry room sharing the upstairs space. For the boating enthusiast, there is a 10,000-pound lift and a kayak/paddleboard launch area.

Courtesy of Premier Sotheby’s

LOWEST-PRICED SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE 5233 WINDING WAY $918,000

You will feel like you have just escaped to the tropics the minute you enter through the front gate into a lush, fully Xeriscaped oasis. Enjoy your salt system pool, built in 2013, and a tiki hut for the ultimate in relaxing and entertaining. The expansive trellised entrance way invites you and your guests into this meticulously maintained home. Inside, you feel that same Island vibe with an easy flowing, split floor plan, open kitchen/living area, and a straight shot to your Florida Room. There is additional leisure space in the rear of the home with a nicely sized screened in lanai including built-ins for loads of storage and a tranquil view of the adjoining pond fountain. Have peace of mind knowing that the barrel tile roof is only 16 years young, the sewer line has been all re-piped with PVC, and the A/C is 7 years old. Most of the home’s interior upgrades and renovations, including windows, doors, 18 x 18 floor tile, new master bedroom, bathroom and kitchen were all completed between 2013-2015. Besides being a short mile away from the sugary sands of Siesta Beach, this home is one of only 35 situated on this peaceful tree-lined canopy road with neighbors who frequently gather to enjoy good conversation and a drink. Courtesy of Keller Williams

HIGHEST-PRICED CONDO 6140 MIDNIGHT PASS RD., #603 $2.625 MILLION

Full west-facing panoramic views await you from the moment you enter this contemporary-designed paradise. With full beach and southern views, this light-drenched home allows you to enjoy Siesta Key’s Crescent Beach from every room. There is plenty of room to spread out with two large bedrooms, a den and 2 ½ baths. This redesigned unit is a cook’s dream with vibrant blue Lube cabinets providing plenty of storage, high-end stainless-steel appliances and spectacular Gulf views. An entertainer’s paradise, there is a wet bar that extends from the kitchen and two wine refrigerators. The main bedroom has a built-in cabinetry, a walk-in closet, and a designer bathroom with dual sinks and a doorless shower. There is a second oversized ensuite bedroom with walk in closet, and a large dual sink bathroom. Off the dining room is a light filled den with a half bath that can be used as an office, a gym, or as additional sleeping space. No detail was overlooked during the artful design of this delightful beach home.

Courtesy of Coldwell Banker

LOWEST-PRICED CONDO 8625 MIDNIGHT PASS RD., #B405 $406,717

This 6-acre and well-maintained tropical landscaped location consists of three buildings with just a few 1-bedroom 1-bath condos like this one. It’s all the space you need on this 4th floor tucked back with a more private entrance. The original design has been preserved in this charming light and bright space and this condo will really be enhanced with some upgrades. There is a peekaboo water view from exterior and a sunset view from the master bedroom. Bay Tree Club will permit two dogs, or a cat and a dog, and so many associations will not. The Siesta Key trolley stops right in front of building. Courtesy of Waterside Realty

Getting Your Phil By Phil Colpas

It behooves developers to remember we’re a barrier island

As the development debate rages on -- Density? Hotels? How much is too much? -- it is useful to remember just what we are talking about building upon.

At its surface, it doesn’t sound like a bad problem to have: “The place where I live is so popular that it is in danger of overbuilding.” But fueled by the pandemic, the fact is that Florida -- and in particular the Suncoast -- is getting progressively more and more crowded every day. Word is that about a thousand people, give or take, are moving to Florida every day. This is according to Jason Frank, traffic officer, Sarasota Police Department.

Of those thousand, it’s a safe bet that many are headed right here, to our own beloved island of Siesta Key. And this is in addition to the ever-increasing number of tourists who visit Sarasota and the beaches every year. Siesta Key is classified as a barrier island, which is, as defined by the Smithsonian Institute, an accumulation of sand that isn’t permanent. That’s right! It’s perfectly natural for barrier islands to build up and erode on a regular basis, sometimes even washing away completely.

But the impermanence of the land is not enough to dissuade people from building on it. Apparently, curb appeal trumps just about everything else. The irony is that, the more that people interfere by attempting to mold the ever-changing coastline to their well-heeled will, the more unstable things become.

Storms can very quickly transform waterfront property into underwater property, and eliminate wide swaths of beaches to nothing in the blink of an eye.

Beachfront property offers wonderful views of the ocean, but destroying sand dunes to bring the beach closer makes it impossible for the sand dunes to do their job of protecting the island.

The opposite is also true: Adding sand in an effort to stabilize one area can exacerbate erosion somewhere else.

Too much construction reduces the effectiveness of a barrier island, and building on it can eliminate important ecosystems, such as salt marshes and dunes, that in turn protect the island and mainland from powerful storms.

Sarasota

5110 Kestral Park Way S | $1,825,000 Carlos Santos | 941.735.8302 Veronika Bajtala | 941.504.0307 Siesta Key

1200 E Peppertree Bay Lane #206 | $789,000 Michelle Borysek | 941.413.8597 Siesta Key

5855 Midnight Pass Road #119 | $850,000 Jennifer Thompson | 941.928.0790

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TUTORING

Signage at the public beach tells riders to walk their bikes between the lifeguard stations, and that electronic bikes are not allowed anywhere on the beach. (file photo)

Electric bikes Continued from page 6

between the four lifeguard stations. As for the e-bikes, which again are illegal anywhere on the beach when used in motorized form, the challenge of detecting them in electric mode makes enforcement tricky. Oftentimes, if a rider sees an officer they begin pedaling to cover-up what they were doing.

“That’s what makes it so hard, and deputies can’t just stand out there all day and look to see if someone is pedaling or not,” Luckner said. “That’s why I’m so happy someone reported this.”

When contacted on Aug. 8, Endless Summer owner Derek Wilson said he had no knowledge that promotional material was still being distributed on Siesta Key. He also said the last time law enforcement contacted him about the e-bike ban was in the spring of 2021, when he said he subsequently removed the motors and throttles on several of his e-bikes. His beach tours do continue in a nonmotorized form, he said, at the same price.

“The change has turned off a lot of people, but we’re still getting some,” he said. “The price is the same because our costs are no lower.”

Wilson began his business in 2018 and it is now located in Sarasota. He not only organizes rental tours but rents e-bikes for general use. He also sells and repairs them.

Despite the modifications, Wilson then said those altered e-bikes still feature an “electric assistance element” that can bring the bike up to 6 or 7 mph, and then a rider must pedal to reach what he believes is an 11-mph speed limit on the beach.

“That falls within compliance of the codes that were given to me,” he said.

However, the municipal code does not support that notion. It clearly states that use of an e-bike in electronic mode is prohibited., with no mention of a speed limit.

That said, an open records search through the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office showed no citations for violations in relation to Wilson’s ongoing operation on Siesta Key.

As for promotional websites, Wilson said the only ones with which he a contract for the marketing and booking of his beach tours are Airbnb.com and Viator.com, the latter of which is part of TripAdvisor. However, an online search shows several more options. All of them, including the two sites he authorizes, on Aug. 8 still described his tour as using e-bikes that go up to 20 mph.

His business’ online page (endlesssummersrq.com) did the same.

“I should go through it and update it,” Wilson said. “But very few people find our website organically. That’s why I use the tourism sites.”

On Aug. 9, his two authorized marketing sites, as well as his own, no longer mentioned that his e-bikes go as fast as 20 mph. There was no mention of speed at all, but he still described them as e-bikes as far as the beach tour is concerned.

Meanwhile, Siesta Key substation leader Sgt. Dan Smith told the Siesta Key Association earlier this year that working with the local vendors on educating e-bike renters has been an ongoing mission of the Sheriff’s Office.

Three local businesses on the island rent e-bikes, and all report they take measures to inform users that they’re not permitted on the beach.

One is Siesta Key Bike & Kayak, 1224 Old Stickney Point Rd. The business’ website notes the following, in bold letters, in its e-bikes information section: SORRY, NO RIDING E-BIKES ON THE BEACH. Its e-bikes have top speeds between 22 and 27 mph.

Ride & Paddle by Siesta Sports Rentals, 6651 Midnight Pass Rd., notes on its website that e-bikes are for “street-use only.” Its e-bikes have a top speed of 15 or 16 mph.

Robin Hood Rentals, 5255 Ocean Blvd., also rents e-bikes but makes no reference to them on its website. However, a staff member reported that the business does inform renters of the ban on the beach. Its bikes reach a maximum speed of 20 mph.

Different classes of e-bikes feature different speeds. The maximum speed allowed is 28 mph in Florida for a Class-3 e-bike. Some e-bikes are reported to go as fast as 45 mph, but none of the Siesta Key vendors carries such models.

Key Employee

Doug

He’s the manager at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters and in August he reached his 26th year with the business. “I’m organizing the boats one second, giving fishing advice to a customer the next second, then buying tackle the next second,” said Doug, who apprecaites the variety of tasks that make each day different and exciting. “Yes. I wear a lot of hats.” He’s a Sarasota native who first started at CB’s as a guy who cleaned boats in the afternoons after working on the construction of driveways in the mornings. “I told them early on that some day I’d like to be the manager, and they eventually let me do it!” Doug said. Added his boss, Aledia, “He does everything you ask of him. He does it all” Photos by John Morton.

Sun Garden Cafe recognizes the impact that quality workers can have on a business, and is proud to sponsor the Key Employee each month. Congratulations, Doug! Your dedication has resulted in a gift certificate for breakfast for four at Sun Garden Cafe, located at 210 Avenida Madera in the heart of the Village.