Key Life Fall 2023

KEYLIFE

THE BARRIER ISLANDS’ COMMUNITY, NATURE, STYLE FALL 2023

OPEN SPACE Carl Abbott’s design of a Casey Key home takes its inspiration from the sea.

CURRENT LISTINGS

Cherokee Park | 1655 South Drive | $6,249,000

401 S. Palm Ave. #403 Downtown Sarasota | $2,995,000

Longboat Key | 455 Longboat Club Rd., PH #4 | $4,750,000

5212 Siesta Cove Drive Siesta Key | $3,495,000

RECORD

3060 Grand Bay Blvd. #126 Longboat Key | $2,399,000

SALES

1309 Vista Drive Harbor Acres | $15,500,000

128 Golden Gate Pt. #PH 1002A Golden Gate Point | $3,000,000

1722 North Drive Cherokee Park | $2,595,000

306 Golden Gate Pt. #4 Golden Gate Point | $3,300,000

3060 Grand Bay Blvd. #191 Longboat Key | $3,600,000

500 S. Palm Ave. #52 Downtown Sarasota | $3,425,000

4816 Peregrine Point Cir. W. The Landings | $2,569,000

605 Weston Pointe Court Longboat Key | $1,795,000

TOP 0.5% of 1.46M Realtors

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$3+ Billion Career Sales Volume

Top Small Team Sarasota/Manatee Counties

$135 Million Pending & Closed 2022

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BARBARA ACKERMAN

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Nowhere but here.

From awe-inspiring beaches and captivating sunsets to vibrant world-class arts and abundant recreational activities, a luxurious lifestyle awaits on the picturesque Suncoast. For nearly 50 years, independently owned Michael Saunders & Company has been dedicated to the local real estate market, connecting with customers around the world to consistently deliver exceptional results. We are proud to be the name trusted by buyers and sellers from near and far.

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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Sarasota | A4571477 | $13,000,000 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717

Sarasota | A4580231 | $12,000,000 Ann Martin & Joanna Benante | 941-356-7717

Sarasota | A4579881 | $7,595,000 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717

Sarasota | A4574604 | $7,400,000 Nora Johnson | 941-809-1700

Siesta Key | A4546740 | $6,750,000 Barbara May & Fred Sassen | 404-822-9264

Sarasota | A4585210 | $5,499,999 Karen Chandler | 941-544-4919

Siesta Key | A4565405 | $4,495,000 Melissa Gissinger | 941-404-2722

Siesta Key | A4568691 | $4,400,000 Tammy Mast | 941-256-6543

Casey Key | A4570438 | $3,750,000 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717

Longboat Key | A4584775 | $3,495,000 The Walter Group | 941-809-0907

Longboat Key | A4566091 | $2,877,777 Michael Nink, Pa & Sandi Layfield | 941-914-2805

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Sarasota | A4579757 | $33,825,000 Barbara May & Fred Sassen | 404-822-9264

KEY LIFE

5

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CONTENTS FALL 2023

60

OUT AND ABOUT Perfect plans for visitors to experience all our area has to offer.

Looking for ways to keep guests busy? Go wild in the magical mangrove tunnels on Lido Key.

FEATURES

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KEY LIFE

68

CLEAN WATER ACTION From research to lawsuits, this nonprofit is the chief defender of our waterways.

Photo by Heidi Kurpiela

78

KINGS OF THE KEY Mike Granthon and Chris Brown continue to make their mark on Siesta.

SIESTA KEY | 832 FREELING DR | $5.6M

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SIESTA KEY’S TOP SELLING REALTOR ® SINCE 2005

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Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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$73 Million Pending & Sold In 2023 $89 Million Sold In 2022

CONTENTS

89

DEPARTMENTS 18

FROM THE EDITOR 25

HOT TOPICS A progress report on the keys’ most notable traffic projects; researchers take stock of sea turtle nesting season; and a photobomber keeps the smiles coming on Siesta.

40

KEY PEOPLE How Bob Gault rose from emptying trash to CEO of SeaWorld — and everything he learned along the way.

44

MAKING A DIFFERENCE The new Arts Alliance CEO knows the arts are more than a source of enjoyment — they’re also an economic driver.

48

CALENDAR

25

Season has started, which means there’s plenty to see and do coming up on the keys.

54

STYLE Sometimes it’s fun to act like a tourist in your own town — or at least to shop like one.

89

OASIS Architecture meets art in this $12 million Gulf front custom home on Casey Key. 100

ART AND ABOUT Chart out your arts enjoyment with this overview of the season’s most interesting offerings.

108

BEHIND THE MENU Amy Whitt has a singular goal for Euphemia Haye: Don’t mess with perfection.

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KEY LIFE

108

114

KEY ENCOUNTERS

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KEYLIFE

WELCOME BACK!

SALE

THE BARRIER ISLANDS’ COMMUNITY, NATURE, STYLE President and Publisher — Emily Walsh

EDITORIAL Executive Editor and COO — Kat Wingert Managing Editor — Su Byron Design — Melissa Leduc and Nicole Thompson

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KEY LIFE

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Key Life is published three times a year by the Observer Media Group in November, February and April.

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Joel Schemmel J.D., REALTOR® | 941.587.4894 SCHEMMELSODAGROUP.COM

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. Source: Real Trends 2023.

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TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR RECORD-BREAKING LUXURY SALES, OUR TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS AND HOW WE CAN WORK FOR YOU, SCAN THE QR CODE.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Courtesy image

Our coast is loaded with kayaking hot spots, including recently restored mangroves along The Bay.

Houseguests are like fish ...

Y

ou’ve no doubt heard the saying, quipped by none other than Benjamin Franklin. He said: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” And that was before the invention of the dreaded tourist trinket shop.

It may only be fall still, but make no mistake: They’re coming. It will start with casual hints about where to go for the holidays. Or the phrase, “I was thinking of visiting ....” Or maybe your out-of-towners are a bit more blunt: “We’re coming down.” In any case, it’s nearly here: The totally irresistible lure of warm weather to our friends and relatives up north.

Before you know it, you will once again be besieged with pilgrimages to come see you, the far away Floridian. And no matter how many excuses you make or how busy you sound ... they’re coming.

OK, they’re not that bad. But as excited as we are when people visit and even, gulp, stay with us, there comes a time when you’ve eaten all the meals, you’ve frequented all the places you only visit when you have guests in town, and you’re left with one sentiment: Can’t you just go somewhere?

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KEY LIFE

If you’re looking for some nice, local excursions a little off the beaten path, check out our list of experiences that will delight visitors and locals alike (Page 60). There is even a list of great places to stay, wink wink.

Of course, sometimes it’s fun to act like a tourist where you live. To that end, our Style feature lines up some stores and wares you can check out to bring home some touristy kitsch or maybe a T-shirt to display your local pride (Page 54).

And, because you live here, be sure you take advantage of all the area has to offer as well. Which in Sarasota, of course means the arts. Our resident arts experts, Su Byron and Marty Fugate, give their lineup of don’t-miss events coming up this season (Page 100). Their suggestions will both entertain and challenge you.

It’s one of the many things that are great about living in our area — there’s always lots to see, do and enjoy.

You just have to plan on having company.

Kat Wingert Executive Editor

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9 4 1 - 7 0 2 - 3 0 9 8 | J UL I A .MO NT E I @C B RE A LT Y.C O M J UL I A MO NT E I .C O M

TOM "WOODY" WOODWARD

Born in Columbus, Ohio and now a resident of Siesta Key, I have been serving my clients for more than 30 years. I am a true people person, and I have a passion to help my clients and ensure the transaction is as seamless as possible. I am the Realtor you can trust to keep it Real.

6 1 4 - 3 4 8 - 8 5 7 8 | TO M.WO O DWA RD @C B RE A LT Y.C O M WO O DYSE L L S SRQ.C O M

LINDA REN

Originally from Michigan, I moved to Sarasota in 2005. I am a licensed real estate broker in Florida and a Certified Waterfront Specialist. Most of my career in Michigan was spent in the real estate and mortgage industry, managing our family-owned mortgage brokerage for over 20 years. Exceptional customer service is my goal!

9 4 1 - 9 2 8 - 1 3 9 3 | L I NDA .RE N@F LO RI DA MOVE S.C O M L I NDA RE NSE L L S SRQ.C O M

SUKI SCOLLO

I knew Siesta Key would be "home" since visiting my grandparents in 1975. As founder of a Wall Street consulting firm specializing in mortgages, my background has allowed me to combine my communication skills and practical knowledge to create an amazing client experience. I am a Global Luxury Specialist and continually one of Siesta Key's top real estate producers.

94 1 - 5 8 7 - 2 2 8 9 | SUK I . SC O L LO @C B RE A LT Y.C O M S I E STA K E YBYSUK I .C O M

SIE STA K E Y O F FI C E | 5 1 4 5 OC E A N BLVD, S A R ASOTA , FL ©2022 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

JULIE PONDER

Sharing time between Park City UT and Siesta Key FL, I am uniquely positioned to help beach and mountain lovers find their perfect home or investment property.

A decade in consulting and 30 years of real estate experience honed my distinct skill set to better serve my clients. I'm thrilled to be in the top 3% of CB agents worldwide, I would love to talk to you about your real estate journey!

7 1 4 - 6 7 5 - 0 7 3 9 | J UL I E .PO ND E R@C B RE A LT Y.C O M J UL I E PO ND E R .C O M

CHRISTA SPALDING

Siesta Key’s Biggest Fan! After visiting many of Florida’s gulf coast towns, I decided to trade in the chilly Maryland winters for year-round sunshine and sparkling white sand beaches. I would love to share my experience and personal knowledge of the Sarasota area with you. Global Luxury Specialist • Resort, Second Home & Investment Property Specialist • Certified Waterfront Specialist 9 4 1 - 5 2 9 - 6 9 7 8 | C H RI STA . SPA L D I NG @C B RE A LT Y.C O M SI E STA K E YD RE A MHO ME S.C O M

COLE COLLINS

As a 4th Generation Sarasota resident, I was born and raised in this beautiful city we call Sarasota. I am here to offer expert insight and exceptional customer care to buyers and sellers. I'm known for my reliability, hard work, and 24/7 accessibility. I specialize in West of the Trail properties, Siesta Key real estate, and a variety of neighborhoods across the region, as well as vacation rental income properties.

9 4 1 - 3 5 0 - 8 3 6 0 | C O L E .C O L L I NS@C B RE A LT Y.C O M

JENNIFER RUSSO

Truth be told, I am a tennis player, but pickle ball has drawn me in! Whether on the courts or off, connecting buyers and sellers, that's what I love to do. It is my pleasure to be a real estate professional, to be a local market guide and to help clients attain their real estate desires.

2 1 2 - 6 8 3 - 1 1 7 3 | JE NNI F E R .RU S SO @C B RE A LT Y.C O M

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HOT TOPICS T IM E LY PEOPLE, PL ACES AND THI NGS

Researchers note trends as sea turtle nesting season crawls to a close.

PAGE 30

Sea turtles got a head start on nesting this year.

HOT TOPICS

Courtesy images

Although some cosmetic work remains, the roundabout on Gulfstream Avenue at U.S. 41 at the east end of the Ringling Bridge is open.

Changing Corridors Keep your eyes on the road with these roadway projects.

BY ANDREW WARFIELD AND CARTER WEINHOFER | CONTRIBUTORS

I

t often feels like you can’t get there from here

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA

— especially if you’re driving around downtown

■ The roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue: Rejoice! Your drive over the Ringling Bridge to and from St. Armands Key will no longer be affected by a barrage of barricades and lane closures.

The roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream that broke ground in 2021 is complete with the exception of landscaping.

Sarasota or trying to get on or off one of the

keys. Traffic slows to a crawl during peak hours during season. But complaining about traffic jams is also a favorite pasttime here. That said, part-time residents returning home this season will find that some roadway projects have actually been completed, some are underway, and some won’t be anywhere near finished. Here’s what’s up with our roads:

■ Roundabout art: Projects to install “Poly” and “Seagrass,” the site-specific sculptures approved for the roundabouts at 14th and 10th streets, respectively, on U.S. 41, probably won’t happen, thanks to the unexpectedly high cost of building the mounting platforms. The city is now compelled to relocate those sculptures somewhere else in Sarasota. Stay tuned.

Continued on Page 28

26

KEY LIFE

Emergency C-Section

Broken Arm Colon Cancer Survivor

Former NICU Baby

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Look around you.

Community support helps ensure Sarasota Memorial maintains its rank as one of the nation’s top hospitals—so you can enjoy the life you love. Together we strengthen healthcare.

Give Today.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. (REGISTRATION #CH103) THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR THE STATED PURPOSE BUT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO USE THE GIFT IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE IF THE STATED PURPOSE IS IMPOSSIBLE OR IMPRACTICAL TO ACHIEVE.

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HOT TOPICS Continued from Page 26

SIESTA KEY

■ Work continues at the Interstate 75 exit at Clark Road to convert the interchange into a diverging diamond, similar to the interchange at University Parkway. This is an exit for serving traffic to and from south Siesta Key. The estimated completion is late 2024.

■ In June, a new traffic circle was installed at the intersection of Higel Avenue and Ocean Boulevard with the goal to alleviate a chokepoint and to promote safety at the intersection located at the apex of a curve near the northern entrance to Siesta Key. ■ Other road work on Siesta Key that was planned or completed in the ■ In March, the Sarasota County off-season, was the renourishment Commission approved a $2.9 million project of Turtle Beach that brought project to convert the intersection some 70,000 dump truck trips through at Beach Road and Midnight Pass Siesta Key over the course of several Road to a roundabout. That project weeks. won’t begin until May 2024 with an anticipated completion of early summer 2025. The intention is to create Right: In June, a new traffic circle was ina better flowing intersection with enstalled at the intersection of Higel Avenue hanced safety features for bicycles and and Ocean Boulevard on Siesta Key. pedestrians.

LONGBOAT KEY While roadway improvements are on the horizon for Longboat Key, we won’t be seeing major progress for a couple of years. Here are three projects to keep an eye on: ■ Complete Streets: The Complete Streets project is an approach to planning, designing and building streets that enables safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. This long-ranging project includes wider bike and pedestrian trails and other roadway changes to Gulf of Mexico Drive (GMD). Key to the Complete Streets project is a 12-footwide trail on the east side of GMD. According to Public Works Director Isaac Brownman, there will also be a 5-foot bike trail with two feet of buffer.

Raised roadway medians are another important feature, for they provide “pedestrian refuge areas” — a safe place to stop while crossing the road.

Due to the project’s scale, Brownman said the town will explore federal and state funding. The Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization set aside funding for the PD&E plan, but those funds will not become available until 2026 at the earliest.

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KEY LIFE

■ The Broadway Street Roundabout project has been in talks since 2017.

But last-minute issues with the design put brakes on it. When FDOT initially checked the plans at 60% completion, no issues were found. However, Brownman said the designs were nearly 100% complete when FDOT raised concern over the banking. (Banking is the way a road is slightly angled to maintain friction around a curve.) Brownman is now working with FDOT to see if it would help fund a redesign of the project, which could also be incorporated into the Complete Streets project.

■ Crosswalk Upgrades: Five crosswalks are planned for future improvements. One is in a 35 mph zone located just north of the Broadway Street intersection of GMD. This will have a yellow pedestrian crossing sign with flashing lights that alert cars to stop.

Four mid-block crosswalks in the 45 mph zone of GMD will be replaced with pedestrian hybrid beacons, also known as HAWK beacons. These have a mast arm that extends over the roadway, flashing yellow and then red to allow pedestrians to cross. Though Brownman was given a rough timeline, it may be a while before these improvements make their way to Longboat Key

Above: The Broadway Street Roundabout project on Longboat Key has been in talks since 2017.

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2067 H A R BOUR LINKS DR I V E, #4 L on g b o at K e y | O f f ere d at $ 7 79, 0 0 0 MLS# A4178487

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HOT TOPICS

Photo by Marc Ellis

A green sea turtle hatchling makes its way to the Gulf.

A Good M Year for the

Turtles Sea turtle nesting season persisted despite high heat and a hurricane.

BY CARTER WEINHOFER CONTRIBUTOR 30

KEY LIFE

inutes before 7 a.m., two members of Longboat Key Turtle Watch convene at the Broadway Street beach access point. It’s mid-September. Both Longboat Key Turtle Watch (LBKTW) and Mote Marine Laboratory are getting ready to wrap up the sea turtle nesting season. At this point in the season, only a couple volunteers patrol the beaches in the morning, spot checking the nests that have yet to hatch.

Cyndi Seamon is the vice president of LBKTW. Her companion this morning, and most other mornings, is Steve Howard. Seamon has been with LBKTW since 2004, and an officer since 2006. This is Howard’s fifth year with the group.

Howard says he’s often called “Sea Turtle Steve” by coworkers at his day job. The loggerhead sea turtle tattoo on his left shoulder covers up an old,

faded eagle. A tattoo of the LBKTW logo adorns his opposite hip.

Along the short strip of beach that Seamon and Howard patrol is a nest that had to be relocated from Greer Island to be safe from the dredging project. Another nest has 165 eggs.

“That’s a huge nest,” Seamon says as she points to the front stake of the nest. The stakes mark the nest’s location and protect it from beach raking and beachgoers.

But the stakes also contain valuable information — turtle species, approximate location and, in some cases, number of eggs.

Two weeks prior, Hurricane Idalia brushed past Longboat Key, leaving behind heavy storm surge and flooding. The storm surge crept all the way up to the dunes, meaning the Continued on Page 32

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HOT TOPICS Continued from Page 30 nests had to withstand a high degree of flooding. The turtles were pretty much done nesting by the time Idalia rolled around, Seamon says, but there were still nests on the island. After the flooding, LBKTW volunteers had to restake about 10 nests.

It’s not a sure thing the nests will hatch, but Seamon is staying optimistic.

In the 15-minute walk, Seamon and Howard find a few good shells and pick up a few pieces of trash, but no nests on their stretch of the beach showed signs of an emergence.

The two repeat this every morning Photo courtesy of Mote Marine for the rest of the season lasting until Oct. 31, or until all the documented Cyndi Seamon, vice president of Longboat Key Turtle Watch, and Steve Howard (AKA “Sea Turtle Steve”), walk the beach looking for nests that have not yet hatched. nests are hatched.

ABNORMAL FACTORS IN AN AVERAGE YEAR As of this September, it was difficult for Mote’s Senior Biologist & Conservation Manager Melissa Macksey to definitively give seasonal trends.

But overall, it was a good year for sea turtles.

“We didn’t blow through the ceiling in numbers, but we had enough to keep us busy,” Macksey says. “We did have more green nests than we ever had before, and we had more nests on Venice than we’ve ever had before.”

One trend that Macksey noticed this year was the earlier beginning and end of the season. Sea turtles began nesting earlier in April this year. Some people believe that each year that nesting starts earlier means it’s going to be a strong year, but Macksey says this isn’t necessarily true.

Every species of sea turtle depends on temperature cues to know when nesting season is coming around.

When the water gets warmer, then the turtles know it’s time to find a mate and begin laying eggs.

Over time, the beginning of nesting season has crept earlier and earlier as water temperatures get warmer earlier. Macksey says this season seemed to end earlier than normal, too. Activity began slowing down in the last weeks of July. The last nests were laid about two weeks before Hurricane Idalia, Macksey estimates. She says when

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the reports go two weeks without seeing any crawls, then they can call the nesting period finished.

Crawls can mean one of two things, both indicated by turtle tracks on the beach. If the tracks lead to a nest, then it’s recorded as such. But if the tracks lead back to the water without a nest, that’s called a false crawl. Due to warmer temperatures this summer, Macksey says there’s a possibility that there would be more female hatchlings.

The saying goes, “Hot chicks, cool dudes” — warmer incubation leads to females, while colder temperatures cause more males.

Macksey is also guessing that there will be a higher mortality rate this year.

Some recorded temperatures near the nests were at fatal levels, she says.

But the total nest count was good overall, making this season the fourth highest since the program started in 1982.

As of September, the total nest count was 4,296. Last year was slightly higher, at 4,537, but this year topped 2021, which had 3,760.

COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION This area of the world is particularly important for loggerhead sea turtles.

According to Macksey, the southeast United States is home to the largest population of loggerheads. Of that pop-

ulation, 90% of the nesting happens in Florida. The second largest population is the population that nests in Oman from the Indian Ocean. And that population is declining, she says, whereas the U.S. population is increasing.

While the east coast of Florida gets more loggerhead activity, the Sarasota area has the highest density of nests on the Gulf Coast.

“It’s not the highest in Florida, but it’s still pretty important in the grand scheme of things,” Macksey says.

To manage the conservation of this important area, Mote has about six or seven staff on payroll for the turtle team. Macksey says the department has also taken on more summer interns throughout the years, who contribute greatly.

Aside from that, most of the “boots on the ground” work is done by a network of over 300 volunteers like Seamon and Howard with LBKTW. “Considering that we share both the beach and the water with their home, we just need to be the best stewards of the environment that we can possibly be,” Seamon says.

The payoff of a successful nesting season is good. But what Seamon and Howard value just as much are the lifelong friendships both have built from volunteering with Longboat Key Turtle Watch.

And, of course, seeing a hatchling is a great day for them.

COMMON SPECIES In Florida, the two most common species of sea turtles are loggerhead and green turtles.

There were 4,097 loggerhead nests tracked by Mote this year and 196 green turtles. Here are some fast facts about the two species, from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

Loggerhead n Scientific name: Caretta caretta n Average weight: 275 pounds n Average shell length: 3 feet n Diet: Clams, crabs and other invertebrates

Green turtles n Scientific name: Chelonia mydas n Average weight: 350 pounds n Average shell length: 3.3 feet n Diet: Mostly vegetarian (seagrasses and algae) Two other species, leatherback and Kemp’s Ridley, are also found but are less common, especially on the Gulf Coast. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Kemp’s Ridley are the rarest sea turtles in the world. Mote’s numbers only showed three “other nests” this season, meaning not a loggerhead or green turtle.

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HOT TOPICS

Photos by Lori Sax

Kent Eschenbach and James Denner (right) pose with Larry Frankel (middle) on Siesta Beach.

Say Cheese!

Larry Frankel, also known as the Siesta Key Photobomber, conducts daily raids on unsuspecting beachgoers.

BY ERIC SNIDER CONTRIBUTOR

O

n the Friday after Easter in 2022, about 10 minutes before sunset, Larry Frankel was out for a run along Siesta Key Beach when an impulse overcame him. He’d passed groups of

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people snapping photos on the sand and thought, “Let’s jump in front of some cameras.”

So, he did. His first victims were two women and a guy holding a can of Landshark beer. They smiled into the lens as the wiry, tanned geezer with long fly-away hair and a sleeve tattoo on his right arm crouched behind them

flashing a manic grin.

A bomber was born.

The Siesta Photobomber, to be precise. Since then, Frankel has become something of a beach celebrity. With a knack for self-promotion, he has built his avocation into a legitimate Continued on Page 36

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HOT TOPICS Continued from Page 34 brand. The “bomber” wears brightly colored shorts and sneakers, matched by muscle shirts plastered with the Siesta Photobomber logo. When we spoke in August, Frankel said he had posted some 2,200 photos and reels on Instagram and amassed nearly 3,000 followers.

When bombing, Frankel does not take his own pictures. The “bombees” do, which makes sense since he’s busy bombing. To make it easy for victims, his shirts bear a QR code that leads directly to his IG account, where they can direct-message pics and follow him. Several times a week, Frankel posts a bunch of photos and reels, which are sequences of images set to music.

Why, you might be wondering, does a 65-year-old transplant from the Philadelphia area, who still works in real estate, spend an hour before sunset running on the water’s edge keeping an eye out for folks snapping pics so he can hustle over and pop into the frame? Because it’s fun. Because he meets a lot of people from all over the world. Because they get a kick out of it — most of the time. Because he can spread a feel-good vibe on a two-andhalf mile stretch of sand.

“I drive 20 minutes from my apartment to the beach every day,” Frankel says in a thick Philly accent, “and I still get excited knowing that I can do my [photobombing] thing on the best beach in America.”

Add “brand ambassador” to his job description.

Justin Piccillo, Frankel’s beach pal who occasionally joins in on a raid, admires the energy the bomber exudes.

“He’s a charismatic guy, with an unbelievable outlook on life,” Piccillo says.

“The guy’s always smiling. He’s a hard person not to like.”

Larry Frankel’s been a lot of things in life: a U.S. Marine, the owner of a Philadelphia-area courier service, a Realtor, a stay-at-home dad who moonlighted as a security guard for the local high school. Currently, he spends a week a month as a “professional picker,” road-tripping around the eastern half of the country hitting auctions and estate sales to find stuff

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KEY LIFE

Teah Packwood, Marilyn and Harry Sanders, Piper Packwood and Michelle Bonime have fun in the sun with Siesta Photobomber Larry Frankel.

to buy and sell.

Back in his youth, Frankel drove rich folks’ cars from Philly to Florida, mostly to the east coast. One trip, though, took him to Longboat Key. “I caught the sunsets and realized that the west coast was it,” he recalls. “I fell in love with Sarasota — for 30 years.”

A beach bum in waiting, if you will.

After a divorce and retirement, Frankel finally migrated, arriving in Sarasota on March 24, 2020, just as Covid 19 was tightening its grip. “There weren’t a lot of people on the beach,” he says. Frankel went anyway. Once an avid runner, he had shut it down after having a hip replacement about a decade ago. “The first day I went to Siesta Key I said, ‘To hell with this,’ and started running again,” he recalls.

Two and a half years later, the bombing business is booming. Frankel is not in it for the dough, although he could probably monetize his social media following if he chose to. “I’m not starved for cash,” he says. “I don’t do it for my bank account.” (One caveat: He wears

Carolina Menerde gets her 15 minutes of fame.

New Balance shoes and clothes, and regularly sends content to the company via social media, in hopes of landing a sponsorship deal, even if it’s just for swag.)

Not all of Frankel’s bombing raids have been met with smiles, hugs and IG sign-ups. He’s been hit with a few F-bombs and had a young guy whiz a football by his head. (It missed, and he picked up the ball and threw it into the Gulf.) “One time, I bombed this wedding group, and a guy — it was obviously the father who had paid for the photo shoot — booted me in the butt,” Frankel recounts. “I looked at him and said, ‘I am not a table, so don’t put your foot on me. That’s your warning.’”

But such unpleasant encounters are rare. “Ninety-nine out of a hundred times I get a positive reaction,” he asserts. Frankel doesn’t just bomb and run. He hangs around and schmoozes.

And sometimes he doesn’t even have to bother bombing. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for people to approach and ask to get their picture taken with him.

I drive 20 minutes from my apartment to the beach every day, and I still get excited knowing that I can do my thing on the best beach in America.

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HIGH TIDES T H E H E ART OF COMMUNI T Y ON THE KEYS

New CEO shares his vision for the future of area arts. PAGE 44

Brian Hersh has spent more than 20 years in the field of nonprofit arts administration and is also well known for advancing arts education initiatives.

Photo by Nancy Guth

KEY PEOPLE

Bob Gault

The retired theme park executive never forgot what led to his success: an unmatched work ethic and a deep passion for connecting with people.

BY MARK GORDON | CONTRIBUTOR

L

ongboat Key resident and retired theme park executive Bob Gault has many of the ingredients for a life well-lived, including a waterfront home with expansive and enticing views of Sarasota Bay, and 10 grandchildren. And, while he enjoys life at 79, Gault has also experienced some darker moments. A big one: His son Robbie Gault, one of four children he had with his first wife, Claudia, was killed in a car accident at 18 years old in 1994.

Another personal demon is Gault is a recovering alcoholic: It’s been 36 years since he’s had a drink — a decision he says has made his life “exponentially better.” Gault’s 36 years of sobriety also coincide with 36 years of being married to his second wife, Shannon Gault. “I was beaten by alcohol,” Gault says. “I had to stop, or I was going to lose everything. It was a blessing in disguise to stop drinking.”

For that and many other reasons, Gault maintains a cheery outlook on life. Part of that stems from his California upbringing, where he developed both his relentless work ethic and rollwith-it vibes. He sums up his 42 years in the entertainment and theme park business with a simple motto: treating employees well and consistently showing them they are appreciated is a time-tested, and timeless, way to build successful teams and motivate employees.

“You have to show compassion for everybody, from the janitor to the CEO,” Gault says. “My only real skill in life is I like people, and I like talking to people.”

The posts Gault held at some point Continued on Page 42

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KEY LIFE

Photos by Lori Sax

Bob Gault enjoys a variety of retirement pleasures, including golf, sailing, fishing and volunteering.

“You have to show compassion for everybody, from the janitor to the CEO. My only real skill in life is I like people, and I like talking to people.”

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KEY PEOPLE Continued from Page 40 in his career include: CEO of SeaWorld of California; CEO of SeaWorld of Ohio; CEO of SeaWorld of Florida; corporate vice president of operations for the Anheuser-Busch Entertainment Corp.; president of Universal Studios Hollywood; and executive vice president of Universal Studios Japan.

Gault recently sat down with Key Life to talk about his life, career adventures and nuggets of wisdom he’s picked up along the way.

Gault grew up in San Diego, in the Point Loma neighborhood, which was on a peninsula. He called himself a “water baby,” and loved everything beach-related, including surfing and sailing. His parents encouraged him to go to college to become a dentist.

But a career in dentistry never got going. Gault, who was attending San Diego State, was drawn to a trio of UCLA fraternity brothers who were opening a theme park in San Diego focused on water creatures and animals. They called the place SeaWorld.

In 1964, Gault took a job at the brand new park. His first job? Walking the grounds, picking up cigarette butts and taking out trash.

Gault rose up quickly, crediting his hustle as a driving force. “All of a sudden, I was getting all these promotions. I had outworked everyone.”

The promotions made Gault rethink dentistry. For one, he found something he loved doing and was making decent money. And two, he was going to college at the same time while working and he felt squeezed. So, he said goodbye to San Diego State.

Gault learned an important lesson in business — know your “why” — long before author Simon Sinek made the phrase a go-to for any leader looking to galvanize a workforce.

“One of the founders of SeaWorld, in 1964, put his arm around me and said: ‘We’re in the business of creating good feelings in people.’ I’ve never forgotten that lesson.”

Another key to Gault’s success was his willingness to move to new places, from Cleveland to Orlando to Japan. “You have to be willing to pack up and move and do whatever they want you to do.”

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KEY LIFE

Bob Gault’s canine companions, Blue and Cinder, in their waterfront home on Longboat Key.

Gault loves talking and getting to know people. But he’s also a good observer, another way he rose in his career. “You have to watch people around you and learn what they do and model behavior after them. Sometimes you (learn) what not to do.”

For Gault, “Lost in Translation” is more than a Bill Murray movie about Americans in Japan: Gault lived it. He was one of the top Universal executives who helped open the company’s theme park in Osaka, Japan. It was a four-year odyssey that culminated with a successful opening in 2001. One culture difference Gault discovered quickly was that while American businesses might have a lot of meetings, Japanese take the concept to unseen heights, which, he says, led to frustrating delays. “Japanese culture likes to meet and then meet again and then meet some more.

They meet on a topic so much they can meet it to death. American culture is more of making decisions, not having meetings.”

Another culture clash came in the concept of casual Fridays. Gault recalls that, when he introduced casual Fridays, his Japanese colleagues didn’t take to the idea of not wearing a buttoned-up shirt and tie. So, Gault brought a pair of scissors one day, and jokingly demonstrated how he would start cutting ties if necessary. The next week his Japanese team came in wearing polo shirts – only this time they had gym bags in tow. Why? The employees were going to change into their dress clothes before heading home from work. “They didn’t want to be seen standing at the subway without a shirt and tie on because that would mean they were unemployed.”

Gault retired in 2007, when he was 67. He spread his interests around in retirement, from golf to sailing to fishing to volunteering for civic and nonprofit boards. He also rediscovered his Christian faith. “It’s not so much religion as it is a personal foundation for understanding the world and accepting it. It gives me so much strength and guidance.”

Bob Gault’s first job at SeaWorld involved picking up cigarette butts and taking out trash.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Rolling Up His Sleeves The arts have a powerful ally in Brian Hersh, the new CEO of the Arts Alliance of Sarasota County.

BY MARTY FUGATE | CONTRIBUTOR

I

n June, Brian Hersh became the new CEO of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. Talk about a perfect match. Hersh has spent more than 20 years in the field of nonprofit arts administration, including posts at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Asolo Repertory Theatre. He’s also well known in the community for advancing arts education initiatives. The Arts Alliance has an equally stellar track record using the power of the arts to make Sarasota County a great place to live, work and play. Hersh plans to build on that track record with the power of storytelling. In the following conversation, he shared the story he wants to tell.

What inspired you to accept the position of the Alliance’s CEO? I love Sarasota County, and I love the arts. Advocating for the arts, supporting working artists and providing access to arts education — these values are important to me and they’re equally important to the Alliance. I knew that I had the background, skill set and passion to advance its mission and make an impact. It was a fantastic opportunity, and I had to say “yes.”

How would you define the local arts community?

There’s no simple definition. But for Sarasota County, the local arts community has defined our identity for over 100 years. It’s an intricate tapestry of arts and cultural organizations and individual artists. The Alliance serves as an advocate, a resource and, really, the backbone for our arts community. We are constantly in touch with arts and cultural organizations, Continued on Page 46

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KEY LIFE

Photos by Nancy Guth

Brian Hersh has spent more than 20 years in the field of nonprofit arts administration and is also well known for advancing arts education initiatives.

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Jennifer Hackbarth and Ricardo Rhodes in Edwaard Liang’s The Art of War Photography by Frank Atura

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE Continued from Page 44 seeking to provide resources and support. We are a place for individual artists to gain exposure and build their businesses. We’re also working closely with the Economic Development Corporation, the various chambers, and Visit Sarasota County to ensure crucial stakeholders are a part of the picture. Together, we weave Sarasota County and Florida’s Cultural Coast into the vibrant creative community it is today.

Why does serving the local arts community matter?

What sets Sarasota County apart is our identity as Florida’s Cultural Coast. Without the arts, we’re just another beach town. The arts drive our economy; they also impact who we are and how we live. The arts bring a community together.

In “The Rise of the Creative Class,” Richard Florida showed how arts can impact a community’s economy.

And I agree with him. Economically, our creative sector punches above its weight in Sarasota County. Its economic impact is comparable to what you’d find in larger cities, like Austin or Seattle. It results in a better quality of life for everyone. Arts and cultural organizations are the most highly visible evidence of these positive contributions. But we know that the work they do depends on creative individuals — and we support them as well.

Artists, actors and others have to pay the rent and keep the lights on. Community issues like affordable housing and living wages are also arts issues, which the Alliance can’t ignore.

As the Alliance’s new CEO, what’s the hardest task ahead for you?

Going from ideation to action. I’m very comfortable brainstorming big ideas. Bringing them into fruition is the hard part. At the end of the day, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The Alliance was established over 35 years ago and, with that, comes a legacy we want to honor and uphold — but we also see an opportunity to do things differently and bring the organization into the future.

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KEY LIFE

What’s the story?

Sarasota County is Florida’s premiere arts and cultural destination.

Our preeminent status depends on partnerships. Sarasota County’s cultural community is a massive collaboration — a collective enterprise. We’re all in this together. Once we understand that, we can work together and shine. That’s the story we’re telling.

The Alliance is carrying that message forward. But we still need to amplify that story and reach new audiences.

We need to reach people where they are and give them multiple points of easy access to the arts.

A quote from “Alice in Wonderland” comes to mind: “It takes all the running you can do to stay in the same place.”

Yes, it does. The Alliance plans to stay in the race. In the immediate future, we’ll turn up the volume on our social media platforms, and build a new website with original content and a more dynamic calendar. The combined result will provide the community with easy access to information about what’s happening in arts and culture. We’ll also give a great voice to artists and arts organizations. After all, we are their Alliance.

Brian Hersh strongly believes that the Arts Alliance of Sarasota County needs to reach people where they are and give them multiple points of easy access to the arts.

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Bayfront Luxury Residences Starting from $4M Presentation Gallery Now Open at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota, Florida 34236 941.499.8704 | TheResidencesSarasotaBay.com The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay are not owned, developed or sold by Marriott International, Inc. or its affiliates (“Ritz-Carlton”). KT Sarasota South, LLC uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under a license from Ritz-Carlton, which has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made herein.

Broker Participation Welcomed and Encouraged. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SELLER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A SELLER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This project has been filed in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Prices and availability are subject to change at any time without notice. Images are artist’s renderings and may not represent the final building. Furnishings and fixtures are for display purposes and are not included with the residence. Actual improvements, including, recreational facilities and amenities, may vary from those shown and views may not be available from all units.

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CALENDAR W I NTER 2023

November

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FOOD TRUCK RALLY Enjoy yard games, music and plenty of food trucks from 5-9 p.m. at North Jetty Park, 1000 S. Casey Key Road, Nokomis. Admission is free. Continues Dec. 1. n Visit SCGov.net.

COQUINA BEACH MARKET The new Coquina Beach Market is year-round at South Coquina Beach, 1800 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach.

It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesdays and Fridays and from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. n Visit CoquinaBeachMarket.org.

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FERRARIS ON THE CIRCLE From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ferrari Drivers SRQ will host its annual event in St. Armands Circle. Admission is free. To show a Ferrari, there is a minimum donation of $50. Money raised at the event will go to Flight to the North Pole Inc. to help critically ill children experience a holiday-season surprise. n Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

6

SIESTA KEY FARMERS MARKET From 8 a.m. to noon at Siesta Key Village, 5104 Ocean Blvd., the Siesta Key Farmers Market features a variety of vendors selling produce, rum, bread, wellness products, artwork, natural candles and more.

Continues every Sunday. n Visit Instagram.com/SiestaKeyFarmersMarket.

SIESTA KEY DRUM CIRCLE Siesta Beach closes out the weekends with a friendly and lively drum circle right outside the main parking area, at 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. Peace and solace are good, but when you’ve had your fill, head over for a communal music space that has recurred weekly since about 1996. Bring a drum and join, or stand outside of the

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File photos

circle and enjoy the growing beat as the sun sets. Starts an hour before sunset every Sunday. n Visit SiestaKey.com.

7

ANNA MARIA FARMERS MARKET From 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday through May 7, the Anna Maria Farmers Market at the City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, features a focus on Southwest Florida-based goods and produce. n Visit AnnaMariaIsland.com.

10-13

SIESTA KEY CRYSTAL CLASSIC Individual sculptors and duos will compete over the weekend for the most impressive sand sculpture.

Watch the 24 artists work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and vote for your favorite sculptures with wooden to-

kens available for purchase. One-day viewing admission tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and military, and $6 for children. Event parking is $55; the free Siesta Key Breeze Trolley runs to and from Siesta Key Village and Turtle Beach. The Barefoot Beach Bar Party Tent will be open each day with free admission. Live music, sand sculpting lessons and demonstrations will be throughout the festival. n Visit SiestaKeyCrystalClassic.com.

11

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION Honor the Longboat Key veterans at the Rotary Club of Longboat Key’s annual Veterans Day Celebration. Local veterans are honored with music, flags, food, gifts and guest speakers. Donations will go toward supporting veterans. Details to come. n Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org.

Continued on Page 50

Drum circle newbie Julia Clark (center) bangs her worries away among the usual cadre of characters.

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CALENDAR Continued from Page 48

11-12

ST. ARMANDS FALL ART FESTIVAL From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at St. Armands Circle, stroll through booths of fine art from 200 local and national artists. Artwork for sale includes sculpture, fine jewelry, paintings, glasswork, hand-crafted apparel and decor. Admission is free. n Visit ArtFestival.com.

12

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LIGHT UP SIESTA KEY AND VILLAGE HOLIDAY PARADE Siesta Key’s annual holiday event returns from 5-9 p.m. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. at Avenida del Mare and Beach Road and travels north on Beach Road onto Ocean Boulevard into the Village. Following the parade, Santa will arrive at Siesta Center Plaza, 5063 Ocean Blvd., to greet kids and take photos. Admission is free. n Visit SiestaKeyChamber.com.

27

MORNING PADDLE Start your day on the water with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island. Morning kayak tours, from 8:30-10 a.m., are guided through Sarasota Bay and across seagrass beds. Keep an eye out for dolphins, manatees and other wildlife that make up the bay’s ecosystem.

Participants must be at least 12 years old. Cost is $45 or $40.50 for Mote members. Continues Dec. 10. n Visit Mote.org.

MOONLIT PADDLE Take your kayaking adventures to the next level with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island. Explore the coastal waters while discovering the Sarasota Bay nightlife — wildlife, that is. Participants must be at least 18 years old.

Cost is $45 or $40.50 for Mote members. Continues Nov. 28, Dec. 26 and Dec. 27. Begins around 5:30 p.m., depending on sunset. n Visit Mote.org.

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December

ENGLEWOOD BEACH WATERFEST The annual Englewood Beach Waterfest weekend kicks off with the PowerUp Pre-Race Party on Thursday; details to come. Enjoy food, drinks and live music while seeing the boats up close at the block party from 5-10 p.m. Friday on Dearborn Street in Englewood. Saturday and Sunday are race days, with at least 75 boats running 150 mph. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the World Championships for OPA Racing begin at 10 a.m. Waterfest will include exhibits at Family Conservation Center, children’s activities and a food court. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 on site. n Visit EnglewoodBeachWaterfest. com.

19

JAZZ ON THE WATER Board the Marina Jack II for an afternoon cruise to hear Jazz Club of Sarasota perform throughout Sarasota Bay. Boarding begins at 1:20 p.m. before the cruise leaves at 2 p.m. from Marina Plaza, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. Cost is $40 or $35 for Jazz Club members. n Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

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1

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE HOLIDAY NIGHT OF LIGHTS Kick off the holiday season at St. Armands Circle. A special performance starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the annual Christmas carol singalong at 6 p.m., which ends with Santa’s arrival. Enjoy the tree-lighting ceremony, pictures with Santa, live music and special store promotions around the Circle until 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Donations of new and unwrapped toys will be accepted at a toy drive. n Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

1-2

MISTLETOE MARKET Anna Maria Island’s annual Mistletoe Market has moved to Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, browse handmade arts, jewelry, crafts and unique gifts from artisan vendors. n Visit DaniellesBlueRibbonEvents. com.

1-3

SIESTA BEACH SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL

BEACH YOGA

n Anna Maria Island: 8:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays year-round and Wednesdays from October through May. Donations accepted. Near the Pine Avenue beach entrance. Visit ThriveYogaFit.com. n Longboat Key: 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

Donations accepted. Near the 100 Broadway St. beach entrance. Visit ThriveYogaFit.com. n Manasota Beach Park: 8:30 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays from October through May. $3 donation requested. At 8570 Manasota Key Road, Englewood.

Visit YogaManasotaBeach.com. n Nokomis/North Jetty: 9 a.m. daily year-round. $3 donation requested. At 1000 S. Casey Key Road, Nokomis. Visit YogaManasotaBeach.com. n Nokomis Beach Park: Wednesday mornings from October through May; times vary. Donations accepted. Near the beach access by the large parking lot. Visit SCGov.net. n North Jetty Park: Every morning year-round; times vary. Donations accepted. Near the beach access from the north parking lot. Visit NokomisBeachYoga.com. n Siesta Beach: From 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays and 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Wednesdays. Donations accepted. Between the green and blue lifeguard stands. Visit SiestaKeyYoga.net. n Turtle Beach: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning in January. $5 donation requested. In front of the stairs/ramp on the north side of the parking lot. Visit ChesapeakeYoga. com. n Venice Beach: Every day yearround; morning and evening times vary. Donations accepted. Near the main beach access. Visit YogaWithElin.us.

The annual seafood fest returns to Siesta Beach with local restaurants, fresh seafood and plenty of music.

The festival runs noon to 9 p.m.

Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. n Visit ParagonFestivals.com.

2

LESTER FAMILY FUN DAY The annual holiday-themed event returns to The Center of

Continued on Page 52

FLORIDA

HOME TRENDS

for a Leisurely Lifestyle Many of us can remember the days of the “formal” living room and dining room. They were the rooms in which your mother wanted you to sit up straight and mind your manners. The formal rooms were used only at holidays or when company came to visit and, although they were beautifully decorated, we could not wait to retreat to the family room and relax.

Today we live differently from the way we did even a decade ago. The world is more fast-paced. When we arrive home we’re looking for a sanctuary that allows for a more relaxed lifestyle, while still retaining sophisticated details and design.

“What we’ve seen, especially here in Florida, is the gravitating toward a more casual, open great room style,” says Brian Phipps of Phipps Home Design.

This trend often involves a large kitchen, where everyone gathers, facing the living areas, as well as the pool or lanai.

Phipps says that a result of the kitchen being an entertaining space is the need for an enlarged, hidden pantry to serve as the actual working kitchen. Pantries today house a secondary refrigerator and other appliances so that the exposed kitchen can remain pristine.

We’re also taking advantage of weather that lets us live outside year ‘round. Backyards are becoming additional living rooms and kitchens with bars, grills and barbecue pits.

Pools now rival resorts, equipped with slides, fountains and sun shelves. “They’re an aqua playground,” Phipps says.

With people coming in and out, possibly tracking in water, flooring preferences have shifted away from the traditional hardwood. Now wood-look porcelain tiles are a common choice, and so is luxury vinyl

flooring. “It’s come such a long way, and it comes in different colors and patterns,” says Phipps.

Wood is still present in homes, but you’ll find it in more unexpected places, like the ceiling, where tongue-and-groove pecky cypress or bamboo accents bring in a warm, natural feeling.

Bedroom walls also feature wainscoting and designs made of wood in place of a headboard. “It’s the entire wall,” explains Phipps. “It really becomes a piece of art.”

The home’s exterior has evolved as well.

Mediterranean architecture is giving way to West Indies and Cape Dutch looks, which are characterized by large verandas and symmetrical proportions and whitewashed facades and ornamental rooflines, respectively.

Another factor not only in a home’s curb appeal but its livability is its location. Phipps visits the home’s site before beginning the design process. Depending on where the best views are, he’ll twist the home accordingly to capture the water views and avoid less sightly ones, like power lines.

The existing landscaping can also impact the way a house is situated on its lot. In particular, grand oaks and cypress trees are considered attractive assets. “Anytime you can preserve something natural, it helps anchor the house design,” Phipps says. “It is canopy, shade and character.”

Phipps Home Design can guide their clients through the entire process, from construction documents and permitting to selecting other professionals, such as interior designers and subcontractors.

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CALENDAR Continued from Page 50 Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave. Enjoy crafts, games, performances and visiting with Santa. Details to come. n Visit CenterAMI.org.

LAWN PARTY The Longboat Key Kiwanis Club’s annual Lawn Party returns to City Island for the second year. From noon to 2 p.m., taste dishes from local restaurants and bid on silent auction items while enjoying live music. Details to come. n Visit LBKLawnParty.org

8

CHANUKAH DINNER Temple Beth Israel, at 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts Chanukah Dinner at 7 p.m following the 5:30 p.m. Shabbat services, on the second night of the Holiday of Lights. Enjoy the singing of traditional Hanukkah songs, dinner and the lighting of the menorahs. n Visit LongboatKeyTemple.org.

9

SANDY CLAWS BEACH RUN The 47th annual Sandy Claws Beach Run run returns to Siesta Beach. The 1-mile fun run begins at 8 a.m., and the 5K begins at 8:20 a.m.

The participation fee is $35 for adults and $22 for youth. Pre-registered participants will receive an event T-shirt. n Visit SCGov.net.

BRADENTON GULF ISLAND CONCERT Enjoy a concert at The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave. Details to come. The series continues Jan. 14 and 26. n Visit CenterAMI.org.

SARASOTA HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS Suncoast Charities for Children and Marina Jack present the 37th annual Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on Sarasota Bay. Viewing is recommended from Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota, and Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. The parade begins at 6 p.m., and the awards presentation will be at 8 p.m. at Marina Jack. Boat registration is available online. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring a new and unwrapped toy or book for donation

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to Suncoast Charities for Children. n Visit SuncoastCharitiesForChildren. org.

10

PORSCHES IN THE PARK From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Suncoast Motorsports hosts its annual event in St. Armands Circle.

Spectacular Porsche cars from across the state will be on display. Admission is free. n Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

11

THE MARKET ON LONGBOAT KEY From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, browse the wares of dozens of local vendors, including produce, art and home goods. Admission is free. Continues Jan. 15, Feb. 12, March 11 and April 15. n Call 941-316-1999, ext. 1111.

17

SANTA VISITS SOUTH SIESTA KEY Santa Claus will be at Daiquiri Deck, 1250 Stickney Point Road, Siesta Key, from 3-5 p.m. to visit and take pictures. Each child will receive a small gift. n Visit SiestaKeyChamber.com.

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NEW YEAR’S EVE SARASOTA BAYFRONT FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR Ring in the new year with a fireworks display over Sarasota Bay. Reservations for Marina Jack are required. The best viewing is from Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota, and Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. The fireworks show, organized by Suncoast Charities for Children and Marina Jack, will begin at approximately 11:30 p.m. and is free to attend. n Visit SuncoastCharitiesForChildren. org.

January

13-14

ANNA MARIA WINTER ART & CRAFT From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at City Field, 6001 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, browse jewelry, ceramics, mixed media, bath and body products, and other work from artisan

HOOLA-FIT

Try a new wellness class on the beach that combines fitness, dance and hoops. Peace, Love, & Hoopiness offers the class from 9-10 a.m. Mondays through Fridays at Nokomis Beach Park, 100 Casey Key Road, Nokomis, just north of the lifeguard stand. A drop-in class is $18.50, eight classes are $100, or an unlimited monthly pass is $150. Visit PeaceLoveAndHoopiness.com.

vendors. n Visit DaniellesBlueRibbonEvents. com.

14

ANDREW MONROE 5K The seventh annual Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship 5K Run/Walk will be at Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. Andrew Monroe was an avid soccer player, and the proceeds from the annual race go toward a scholarship fund for senior soccer players at Riverview High School, track and JROTC members. The 5K will begin at 8:15 a.m., and the 1-mile walk will begin at 8:20 a.m. Registration is $35. The first 400 registrants receive goodie bags. n Visit RunSignup.com.

19-21

ST. ARMANDS FOOD TRUCK RALLY &

MUSIC FESTIVAL From 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday at St. Armands Circle, enjoy diverse food trucks and lively music.

Admission is free. n Visit ParagonFestivals.com.

21

TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL WOMEN FASHION SHOW The women of Temple Beth Israel hold their annual fashion show.

Details to come. n Visit LongboatKeyTemple.org.

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ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE ART FESTIVAL From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at St. Armands Circle, stroll through booths of fine art from local and national artists. Artwork for sale includes sculpture, fine jewelry, paintings, glasswork, hand-crafted apparel and decor. Admission is free. n Visit ArtFestival.com.

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Key Life Keepsakes

BY HEATHER SABA | CONTRIBUTOR

I

t’s fun to be a tourist in your own town — purposely carving time out to enjoy

1

the restaurants mainly frequented by

those visiting and embarking on Sarasota’s popular day trip destinations, but we thought we’d give this

Apparel

concept a whirl … with

When it comes to destination apparel, we were on the hunt for a refined font with high-quality fabrics… and we found just that.

shopping. We all like to purchase something to bring

2

home from a place we love visiting, so why not do the same for the place we call home? We took a stroll through the shopping districts on our barrier islands to find the coolest items

1 Destination Florida 370 St. Armands Circle 941-388-2119 Soft as a Grape “Sarasota” crew neck pullover in “willow” $60

2 Southern Tide

that would attract both tourists and

5116 Ocean Blvd.

941-210-0018 SouthernTide.com

locals, alike.

Southern Tide classic white tee, $48

3 The Beaufort Bonnet Co.

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3

12 N. Boulevard of the Presidents 941-313-7318 TheBeaufortBonnetCompany.com Sir Proper’s T-shirt $25

1

For the home From servingware to decorative trays, these items are sure to add some local sentiment to your home.

1

Accessories

2 3

1 Sarasota Art Museum 1001 S. Tamiami Trail 941-309-4300 SarasotaArtMuseum.org “Sarasota” custom beaded clutch $148

2

378 St. Armands Circle 941-203-8897 Fugates-by-the-seasarasota.business.site

380 St. Armands Circle 941-388-4646 SeaGlassLane.com Private Beach market tote by Santa Barbara Design Studio $46

ScreenCraft rustic wood tray featuring the map of Sarasota and Siesta Key $60

3 Shore

Lack of Color “Summer of Sun” wave bucket hat $129

1 Columbia Restaurant 411 St. Armands Circle 941-388-3987 ColumbiaRestaurant. com Nestled in the back corner of Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle is the quaintest gift shop filled with handmade, handpainted items from Spain. The stunning pieces are not only perfect for entertaining, but they harness the charm of the restaurant in the designs.

2 Fugate’s By The Sea

2 Sea Glass Lane

465 John Ringling Blvd.

941-388-3535 ShoreBrand.com

If you aren’t into wearing a city name across your chest and prefer something a tad more subtle, we’ve got you covered. From items that merely suggest a previous visit or residence in a beach town (a cheerfully sunny bucket hat and nonspecific beach tote), to a beaded Sarasota clutch (our personal favorite), we’ve found a few accessories that stylishly parade our local namesakes.

3 Marmalade Surfside

3

5129 Ocean Blvd.

941-346-7263 MarmaladeLifestyle.com Moodcast “Beach Vacay” candle $28

KEY LIFE

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STYLE

3

Miscellaneous Momentos Looking for something more low key? Check out these cute, local finds.

1

3 Marmalade Surfside 1 Beach Bazaar 5211 Ocean Blvd.

941-346-2995 The classic Siesta Key oval bumper sticker $2

2

2 Sarasota Art Museum Greetings from Sarasota magnet $6

Lelu Coffee was a beloved coffee lounge for both locals and tourists, and although the location may have closed a few years ago, you can still purchase their coffee to enjoy at home.

Available at LeluCoffee.com or in-person on Siesta Key at Marmalade Surfside, just a few doors down from Lelu’s original location on Ocean Boulevard.

Lelu “Siesta Snow” whole bean coffee $14

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KEY LIFE

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Stay Connected With Us

59

Off-the-path

Exploration Butterfly wings are a staple accessory among drum circle dancers.

60

KEY LIFE

Don’t leave town without filling your senses with these lesser-known Sarasota wonders.

BY SU BYRON AND MARTY FUGATE | CONTRIBUTORS

I

t’s that time of year when guests start arriving for the holidays and the gorgeous weather. How to entertain them?

There’s plenty of museums, galleries, theaters, recreational opportunities and attractions — the usual suspects.

Experienced residents know that many adventures are left out of the line-up and even high-profile attractions hold secrets and surprises.

Here are a few ways to keep your guests happily exploring and discovering.

GROOVE IT “Joseph’s Coat” is one of James Turrell’s “skyspaces” — an oculus or circular window revealing the sky above.

In the artist’s design, the aperture works as a lens, projecting an image of the heavens on the floor. Night or day, fair weather or foul, the sky’s colors are ever-changing. To give Mother Nature a boost, high-tech LED lights create a daily lightshow at sunrise and sunset. Relax on one of the benches in the light-drenched courtyard and melt into the groove.

If You Go: The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road; 359-5700; Ringling.org.

Photo by Heidi Kurpiela

Each Sunday before the sun goes down, the rhythm of life fills the air at Siesta Key Public Beach. Twilight hush gives way to the percussive power of drums, tambourines, bongos and maracas. It’s the Siesta Key drum circle — a grassroots event with no head honcho running the show. One magic day years ago, a few drummers hit the skins. It’s now become a weekly ritual.

Photo by Giovanni Lunardi

Marvel in the ever-changing lights of “Joseph’s Coat” by James Turrell at The Ringling.

Join the finger-popping audience. Or bring your own drum and join in.

If You Go: At the pavilion between Lifeguard stands 3 and 4 on Siesta Key Public Beach.

Continued on Page 62 KEY LIFE

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE NATURAL KIND Historic Spanish Point’s 30-acre bayside property in Osprey is a nature preserve of indigenous Florida flora and fauna. Lepidoptera fans will delight in its butterfly house — the only one of its kind in our region. Once inside the screened space, you’re swarmed with fluttering butterflies, including the zebra longwing, malachite, and Julia species. These multicolored marvels are right at home with all their favorite Florida-native flowers and plants.

If You Go: Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey; 3665731; Selby.org.

ence and Nature offers a 60,000-gallon sanctuary where sick and injured manatees can heal. Here, you can get up close and learn more about their mysterious lives.

If You Go: Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton; 746-4131; BishopScience.org.

Steinwachs Family Foundation Mangrove Walkway is the road less traveled at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

This shady boardwalk loops around the Sarasota Bay shoreline, where mangroves flourish at the interface of land and sea. Explore their complex root and stem systems, marvel at the fiddler crabs and other feisty fauna, and feast your eyes on the picture-postcard spectacle of Sarasota Bay.

Manatees were once mistaken for mermaids. Today, we know these gentle giants live in a world of their own.

When their world meets the human world, the consequences can be harsh. If You Go: Selby Gardens, 1534 The Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Mound St., Sarasota; 366-5731; Habitat at Bishop Museum of Sci- Selby.org.

Courtesy photo

Delight in multicolored fluttering marvels at Historic Spanish Point’s butterfly house.

941-203-3640 62

KEY LIFE

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Enjoy a tranquil stroll through Selby Garden’s botanical kingdom on the Steinwachs Family Foundation Mangrove Walkway, which loops alongside Sarasota Bay.

Joan M. Durante Park is a 32-acre slice of subtropical paradise on Longboat Key. Within this bayside Eden, you’re on nature’s time with zero stress and infinite possibilities. There are miles of walking trails, a children’s playground and a boardwalk winding through mangrove forests and leading to a killer view of the UP ON THE ROOF bay. Your destination For an uplifting experience, try is up to you. Meditate Art Ovation’s rooftop pool bar beneath a gumbowhere you can sip ‘neath the limbo tree. Sit by the twinkling stars and brightly lit pond and watch wacityscape ‘till midnight. Dig into terfowl sweep down that heated conversation about for their afternoon Sarasota’s growth with the sip. Wander down any prefect cocktail to discuss such path with no particumatters —The Ringling, created lar direction home.

Continued on Page 64

with rum and injected with anise-flavored absinthe. Is that a vision or a hallucination?

We’ll never know. IF YOU GO: 1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 316-0808; ArtOvationHotel.com.

1525 STATE STREET SARASOTA FL 34236 941.468.6914 SARASOTAFINEART.COM KEY LIFE

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If You Go: 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key.

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COOL PLACES TO STAY

Chain hotels offer generic, formulaic repetition. If your guests are tired of the same-old, same-old, take heart. These five options are utterly unique.

Turtle Beach Resort is an intimate compound of Caribbean-themed cottages on Little Sarasota Bay on Siesta Key. Luxuriate in a bubbling hot tub, kayak down mangrove-laden canals, or stroll the sugary sands along the turquoise Gulf. After feasting at the celebrated Ophelia’s restaurant next door, return to that hot tub and renew your romance. There’s more room at the inn at the sister property across the street — The Inn at Turtle Beach Resort.

IF YOU GO: 9049 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key; 3494554; TurtleBeachResort.com.

Courtesy photo

Open your door to one of the 16 cottages at Little Gull on Longboat Key and leave the rat race behind. These charming one-, two- and four-bedroom suites come with fully equipped kitchens, wood-burning fireplaces, four-poster beds and washers and dryers. There are eight beachside units and eight on the bay — each offers family-style comfort, tranquil surroundings and the chance to create forever memories.

IF YOU GO: 5330 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; VacationFla.com.

Sara and Zota are the two giant ibises who greet you at the Ibis Playground at The Bay.

KID STUFF The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature’s Mosaic Backyard Universe is the coolest backyard around. Its Science Shed boasts microscopes and other scientific devices, including Learning Expedition Kits. The Cardboard Rocket takes the refrigeratorbox space explorations of young astronauts to the next level with virtual reality. The Mighty Oak Tree House Platform offers front-row seats (along with telescopes and binoculars) of a miniature solar system. The freshwater pond is there to explore the delights of the microcosms of ponds, estuaries and tidal lagoons. It’s always fun, never dumbed down and fully ADA-accessible.

If You Go: Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton; 746-4131; BishopScience.org.

Local kids don’t need to run away to join the circus. The polychromatic circus playground at Payne Park Circus Playground provides two zones: one for kids 2 to 5 and another for kids 5 to 12. Little ones can play on swings, slides, crawl-tubes and a rock-climbing wall — or bang out music on the park’s circle of drums, contrabass chimes and a xylophone.

When the tykes need to beat the heat, they can also run through a fountain

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Photo by Nancy Guth

The Payne Park Circus Playground provides hours of fun for kids and their adults.

of misting rings. Café in the Park is just a few steps away for a refreshing sip, sandwich or ice cream.

If You Go: 2050 Adams Lane, Sarasota.

The ibis is a fine-feathered Florida native. The creative minds of Monstrum took inspiration from this beautiful, curved-beak bird to create the Ibis Playground at The Bay. Each of its two playhouses takes the form of a giant ibis. These larger-than-life sculptures, (aka “Sara” and “Zota”), feature slides, tunnels and vantage points. Shaded picnic tables are nearby, along with real ibises, looking for lunch on the water’s edge just beyond.

If You Go: The Bay is a public park alongside Sarasota Bay in downtown Sarasota. Access is at 1055 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota; TheBaySarasota.org.

Continued on Page 66

The owners of Bungalow Beach Resort on Anna Maria Island have lovingly restored this historic property (former army barracks) to a sweet beachside retreat with hardwood floors, cathedral-beamed ceilings, white wicker furniture, plush linens, private porches and kitchens. When you’re not beach-bumming, explore the island’s three towns — Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria.

IF YOU GO: 2000 Gulf Drive N., Anna Maria Island; 800-779-3601; BungalowBeach.com.

The Resort at Longboat Key Club is the ideal playground for vacationers seeking upscale pampering.

Golfers enjoy 45 challenging holes; tennis fans have 20 Har-Tru tennis courts — and there’s some pickleball courts, too. Add a luxe spa, several restaurants and stunning sunsets and you’ll remember why you needed a vacation in the first place.

IF YOU GO: 301 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 383-8821; LongboatKeyClub.com.

Rolling Waves Cottages has been a beloved local getaway since opening day in 1948. With eight ancient cabins smack on a pristine stretch of Longboat Key’s beach, it’s a perfect antidote for the 21st-century grind.

Beware: The resort is delightfully rustic and quaint but sticks to the bare necessities. For that view of sand and shore? Some might feel it’s all they need.

IF YOU GO: 6351 Gulf of Drive, Longboat Key; 3831323; RollingWaves.com.

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If You Go: 600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota; 388-4200; SarasotaBayExplorers.com.

The Legacy Trail, a former rail corridor for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, is now more than 30 miles of interconnected paved bike trails winding through waterways and woods from Venice to south Sarasota.

There are occasional brushes with civilization but also plenty of gators, turtles, snakes and otters to meet.

If You Go: SarasotaLegacyTrail.com.

able streets, rusty fishing boats and their seasoned crews and a handful of rickety waterside restaurants. Curious about its history? The folks at the Cortez Village Historical Society will happily fill you in.

If You Go: 124th St. Court W.; CortezVillage.org.

Join a cadre of folks and their canine companions running, walking and biking over the John Ringling Causeway bridge, which makes a graceful, 60-foot arc across Sarasota Bay. Go with the flow, pack a nosh and relax at the gorgeous bayfront parks at either end. If fishing’s your thing, bring a rod and reel and hang at the T.J. “Tony” Saprito Fishing Pier. If you’re low on bait or grog, Hart’s Landing is right below the bridge.

If You Go: 920 John Ringling Blvd.; 955-0011; HartsLanding.net.

Photo by Heidi Kurpiela

Lido Key’s magical mangrove tunnels. The mangroves’ parabolic roots have an alien feel — they’d be right at home in the water world of “Avatar.”

There’s abundant wildlife, including waterbirds, turtles, dolphin and manatees. It’s a sacred space and an awesome experience.

Go wild in the magical mangrove tunnels on Lido Key.

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THE WATER WATCHERS Suncoast Waterkeeper is a significant force in protecting and restoring local waterways.

A new patrol boat makes that job easier. BY ERIC SNIDER | CONTRIBUTOR

Photos by Heidi Kurpiela

Suncoast Waterkeeper founder and board member Justin Bloom has worked as an environmental attorney for over 18 years, prosecuting, investigating and representing plaintiffs affected by pollution cases such as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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I

t was a choppy ride out to Longboat Key. A brisk wind had slightly tamped down the punishing August swelter, but it also made the 24-foot boat rumble and occasionally slam down on the rough

waters of Sarasota Bay. As I winced and braced for impact, the four board members of Suncoast Waterkeeper barely noticed. They had bigger concerns than booking their next chiropractic treatment — stuff like how to preserve and restore local bays, rivers and wetlands.

The four are with a grassroots nonprofit whose territory covers Sarasota Bay, Lower Tampa and Terra Ceia bays, the Manatee River and local wetlands. Their organization is part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of more than 350 such groups that encompasses 2.7 million square miles of waterways in 47 countries.

We sat on hard plastic benches, protected from the sun by a blue canvas cover. Board Chairman Rusty Chinnis was across the way. He’s a noted local conservationist and fly-casting instructor. Next to him was Richard Moore, a retired civil/environmental engineer. To my right was Abbey Tyrna, who signed on as executive director (and first paid employee) last year.

She earned a doctorate in geography from Penn State and has devoted her career to water resources and wetland science. At the wheel was Justin Bloom, a highly experienced environmental lawyer who founded Suncoast Waterkeeper in 2012.

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At 10 a.m., we embarked from Bahia Mar West Marina, which provides Suncoast Waterkeeper free space. During the relative quiet of the no-wake ride toward the bay, a hot topic was the previous night’s vote by the Manatee County Commission to cut back wetlands protections. The Waterkeepers bemoaned the commission’s 6-1 vote, contending that it favors the needs of developers over the will of citizens.

The commissioners approved plans to amend the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Codes to shrink the required wetland buffer zones from a minimum of 50 feet to 15 feet. The order effectively means that “developers can build closer to mangroves,” Tyrna said.

“They’re gonna want waterfront views.”

So, it’s only fitting that the focus of our excursion was mangroves. They’re vital to the bay’s general water quality, to maintaining a robust fish population, to invigorating seagrasses, mitigating Continued on Page 72

Top: Some property owners go so far as to trim the mangroves behind their homes into topiary-style shrubs, as evidenced by this "landscape design" found along the Intracoastal Waterway in Manatee County.

Insets: According to the watchdogs at Suncoast Waterkeeper, many waterfront properties show clear-cut signs of illegal mangrove cutting. “Some homeowners will rip the mangroves out entirely in order to get a better view of the water,” says Chairman Rusty Chinnis. “People simply don’t understand the importance of this buffer.”

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Continued from Page 70 storm surge, reducing erosion and minimizing red tide. The more of them that grow wild and free, the better.

It’s illegal to trim mangroves, let alone clear them, without a permit.

But that doesn’t provide much of a deterrent. As we entered the bay, the Waterkeepers pointed out a long stretch of coastal green that had been cut flat at different heights, like hedges. There were even a few topiaries carved into rounded shapes. These manicured sections dominated a wide swath on the eastern side of the bay. They undoubtedly make for lovely water views, but the Waterkeepers wager that most, if not all, of the cutting was done without a permit. As we approached Longboat Key, we saw a few waterfront homes with mangroves artfully trimmed into fancy shrubs. One house’s shoreline was a brown splotch where mangroves had apparently been cut to the nub, possibly killing them.

What can Suncoast Waterkeeper do other than take note and lament? The group researches to see if the proper permits have been pulled. If not, which is usually the case, it reports the infraction to the proper governmental agency. Its efforts may result in a fine and — best case — an order to restore the mangroves, which can be costly to the offender.

When Aqua By the Way, a large residential development in Bradenton, violated a permit by over-trimming a vast section of mangroves and not removing the debris from the wetlands, Suncoast Waterkeeper took action.

Its efforts resulted in a fine of $8,500 levied against Medallion Home. The Waterkeepers view that penalty as a proverbial drop in the ocean. “Just the cost of doing business,” Chinnis said ruefully. “Whatever punishment there is, is a slap on the wrist.”

Mangrove protection is just a small part of Suncoast Waterkeeper’s vast array of activities and concerns. The organization does much more than patrol waterways. In fact, the as-yetunnamed boat goes out about once a week for a few hours. Volunteer captains travel to different locations and collect water samples, which are then analyzed by a private lab. Suncoast Waterkeeper purchased the skiff from AnContinued on Page 74

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A CASE STUDY

A resident of Longboat Key for four decades, Suncoast Waterkeeper Chairman Rusty Chinnis is a founding member of the Sister Keys Conservancy and Sarasota Bay Watch, in addition to a fly casting instructor and longtime environmental writer and photographer.

Abbey Tyrna, a Cape Coral native, joined Suncoast Waterkeeper in 2002 as its executive director after devoting years of research to measuring the effects of development on Florida's wetlands.

I would say that our bays are at a tipping point, and what we do now is instrumental in whether we end up looking like Indian River Lagoon. ABBEY TYRNA

It was a classic David vs. Goliath scenario.

After recurring sewage spills leaked untold millions of gallons of wastewater from the city of St. Petersburg’s outdated infrastructure into neighborhoods and local waters, Suncoast Waterkeeper stepped in and filed a citizens lawsuit against the city under the auspices of the Clean Water Act. Filed in December 2016, the suit insisted that St. Petersburg take more aggressive measures to fix its beleaguered sewage systems. Suncoast Waterkeeper was joined in the action by two other environmental activist groups, Our Children’s Earth and EcoRights.

City government’s reaction?

“A mixture of anger, incredulity and shame — but the shame was not public,” said Justin Bloom, Suncoast Waterkeeper’s founder. “‘Who’s this little community group suing over how we manage our utility?’ At one point at a city council meeting, one councilman labeled us environmental terrorists. They decided to fight us hard.”

For two years, Bloom and his team of six environmental attorneys that he assembled from around the country fought back with equal vigor — with the law on their side. After a series of court rulings in favor of the plaintiff, in October 2018 the two parties settled. The city agreed to step up improvements to its sewage system, as well as pay $200,000 to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to be used to benefit local ecosystems. The city also had to cover the environmentalists’ legal bills.

The settlement far exceeded the prior agreement struck between St. Petersburg and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. That accord, known as a “consent order,” was “wholly inadequate,” Bloom said. Suncoast Waterkeeper has been monitoring St. Petersburg’s efforts to make upgrades. Bloom feels the city is acting in good faith. “Once they agreed to the terms of the settlement, they brought in a consulting engineer to help them with compliance,” he said.

In the year since, Suncoast Waterkeeper has sued four more municipalities over similar issues. In these instances, the defendants responded differently. “After our major victory, where we won rulings from federal judges, it became very clear that we were serious, so subsequent [defendants] focused on settling, cooperating with us to find an environmentally responsible way forward. We’ve been pleased with the results.”

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Members of Suncoast Waterkeeper patrol the bay off the northern tip of Longboat Key looking for evidence of illegal mangrove tampering along seawalls. "Oftentimes if there's a violation, the DEP will treat the first offense as an opportunity to educate the homeowner about mangrove protection," says Executive Director Abbey Tyrna. "If they get caught violating the law again, they’re typically issued a fine."

Continued from Page 72 na Maria Island Dolphin Tours, which offered the buddy price of $50,000 — and threw in the trailer for free. A grant from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation covered the cost.

The boat began patrolling in August.

Issues that fall under Suncoast Waterkeeper’s purview include sewage spills; algae blooms; stormwater pollution; seagrass depletion, which has been on the decline since its peak in 2016; development; and, of course, red

tide. It works to keep big dredging and beach renourishment projects from running amok. Suncoast Waterkeeper also runs Eyes on the Suncoast, an online portal that allows users to report problems in local waters (and encourages them to post pretty pictures).

I asked Tyrna if she ever feels overwhelmed, or even discouraged, by the sheer enormity of the net her organization casts. “I think of it like this: Every issue we’re working on is a drop, and that drop is going to go somewhere,” she answered. “But I don’t focus on where it’s going. I try to make sure the drop has the best journey it can, but once it falls, I have to forget about it because there are so many other drops coming. We’re playing the long game.

We’re not going anywhere.”

Of course, the occasional big win helps. Prior to Tyrna’s arrival, Suncoast Waterkeeper prevailed in lawsuits against five local governments for the illegal dumping of sewage: the city of St. Petersburg, the city of Bradenton, the city of Gulfport, the city of Largo and Sarasota County. Each was forced to stop releasing wastewater

from treatment plants and sewer lines.

The overall result? The legal actions have prevented more than 1 trillion gallons of wastewater from ending up in bays and wetlands, Tyrna said.

All told, Suncoast Waterkeeper spends more time navigating the environmental legal system than it does local waterways. Currently, the group is working to seek accountability from polluters and regulators involved in the Piney Point disaster, which in 2021 leaked 215 million gallons of wastewater from a former phosphate-processing facility into Tampa Bay. Bloom said the massive spill caused the biggest red tide seen in Tampa Bay in generations.

Further, Suncoast Waterkeeper has won suits to stop industrial pollution in the Whitaker Bayou watershed in northern Sarasota and penalize the wrongdoers. Along with other environmental groups, the nonprofit has challenged in court the permitting of the Velella Epsilon fish farm pilot project that’s proposed for 45 miles off the coast of Sarasota County.

Continued on Page 76

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Continued from Page 74

GROWING ROOTS

Bloom steers the group’s legal initiatives, choosing teams of lawyers and sometimes litigating cases himself. He grew up in Baltimore and spent a lot of time on Anna Maria Island when his grandparents moved there in the 1970s. He’d kayak around and see sections of mangroves laid flat. His environmental consciousness came early.

“I remember, when I was a young kid, walking around [housing] developments with my mother, and pulling up stakes,” he said with a chuckle. “I ultimately decided that there were better ways to protect the environment.”

Bloom attended New College of Florida, graduating in 1991 with a concentration in environmental studies.

He earned his degree from Tulane Law School and has been practicing environmental law for nearly two decades. The attorney successfully represented many plaintiffs affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Bloom lived in New York City and worked for

Hudson Riverkeeper, the first Waterkeeper organization (founded by fishermen in 1966), and as the Waterkeeper Alliance’s eastern regional director.

“I was living and working in a lot of places, and I reached a point where I wanted to put down roots,” he said. “So, I chose Sarasota, which had felt like home for a very long time.” When he relocated in 2010, there were no Waterkeeper groups on Florida’s west coast.

After forming Suncoast Waterkeeper, he helped start up other chapters, including Tampa Bay Waterkeeper.

Bloom lives in an old house in Sarasota with his wife and two small children. He doesn’t take a paycheck from Suncoast Waterkeeper’s roughly $350,000 annual budget and pays the bills with a solo law practice and income from rental properties.

My spending several hours with a group of staunch environmental activists did not paint a flattering portrait of how the Suncoast stewards its waterways. This got me wondering just how bad things are. I posed the question to Tyrna.

“I would say that our bays are at a

“It’s a happy place... we’ve never looked back!”

— Gary Wolf, Carol Vickers

tipping point, and what we do now is instrumental in whether we end up looking like Indian River Lagoon,” she said, referring to an estuary on Florida’s east coast that’s beset by poor water quality, regular algae blooms, historic seagrass loss and more. “It’s either that or we salvage and repair what’s left.”

Bloom added: “The bays are very resilient, but we’ve got to give them a chance to recover and stop beating them up. We think this area has an incredible future, but we have to protect what is essentially our most important natural resource.”

Suncoast Waterkeeper board members Rusty Chinnis, a retired homebuilder and avid conservationist, and Richard Moore, a retired civil and environmental engineer, tag along on a morning mangrove inspection on the intracoastal waterway near Anna Maria Island.

Former Longboat Key Residents Find Happiness In Their New Life At Freedom Village Bradenton Gary Wolf and Carol Vickers enjoyed living on Longboat Key for years before deciding to move to Freedom Village of Bradenton, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

“We lived on Longboat for 25 years and it was a real pleasure.

But age has a way of catching up. Steps became difficult, simple maintenance became a chore, traffic was a nightmare, and hurricanes were a big problem. We looked at six or seven CCRCs and this is the best place for us, we have never looked back. We have everything we need: excellent food, plenty of activities, and convenient healthcare. We couldn’t have found a better place to live. It’s a happy place.”

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RAISING THE

BAR Some of Siesta Key’s most popular

restaurants are owned by Chris Brown

and Mike Granthon, founders of Sarasota’s Above the Bar Hospitality Group.

BY MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER | CONTRIBUTOR

I

magine you’re standing on the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Avenida Messina, the main intersection in Siesta Key Village. Where are you in the mood to go?

Ready to dance the night away? Head to the Beach Club, where folks have been kicking up their heels since 1947.

Is one of the Tampa pro teams playing? You can catch the game on one of the big screens at MVP (short for My Village Pub) and grab a beer and burger.

Want to unwind in a cozy cabin with an Old Florida vibe?

The Cottage has a chair with your name on it.

Wait. You’ve got more options. Hankering for fish tacos?

Meet your amigos at The Hub Baja Grill. Baja California’s got nothing on Siesta Key! Ready to celebrate a birthday or anniversary with a delicious meal and a nice bottle of wine? The Summer House beckons, just a couple of doors down the street on Avenida Messina.

There’s no shortage of drinking and dining options at the Village’s main intersection. And, though you wouldn’t know it from looking at them, all five establishments are owned by two Continued on Page 80

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Photos by Lori Sax

Mike Granthon and Chris Brown own five restaurants in the heart of Siesta Key Village.

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Continued from Page 78 partners, Chris Brown and Mike Granthon, founders of Sarasota’s Above the Bar Hospitality Group.

“We like the idea of the multiple locations being different,” Granthon says. “It’s like being on a cruise ship with different style restaurants you can visit in one week. It’s perfect for tourists. We offer one-stop shopping within walking distance.”

Above the Bar isn’t some faceless restaurant company. Brown and Granthon weren’t just transferred to Sarasota last month from some faraway corporate office to capitalize on the booming Suncoast market.

They’ve been dipping their toes in the fine-grained Gulf sand that has earned Siesta Key the title of “No. 1 Beach in the U.S.” for quite some time.

Brown, a Milwaukee native, moved to Sarasota in 1993, after his parents retired here. A Peruvian import, Granthon came to Florida 17 years ago via Washington, D.C., where he attended junior high and high school.

While Brown’s background is in auto

wholesaling and real estate investing and Granthon literally grew up in the hospitality business (his mother worked for Sheraton Hotels), they share a commitment to delivering quality and authenticity in their dining and drinking establishments.

In addition to the Siesta Key eateries, Above the Bar’s portfolio includes Mad Moe’s Sports Pub & Grill in Osprey and Joe’s (formerly Smokin’ Joe’s) on Main Street in Sarasota.

Brown also owns a portfolio of properties in the Sarasota area, including the ones occupied by Morton’s Siesta Market and Another Broken Egg Cafe, located next door to MVP on Avenida Messina.

Brown and Granthon met in 2005, when Brown acquired The Beach Club, where Granthon was working as general manager. The transaction also included two nearby properties, which were a real estate office and a hair salon at the time.

The two future partners took an immediate liking to one another and soon decided to form the business partnership that today

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Above: The Beach Club has been a Siesta Key bar and dance destination since 1947.

Left: The Summer House’s comfortable booths and eyecatching fabric lampshades exude a mid-century modern ethos.

is known as Above the Bar Hospitality.

Their first order of business was revitalizing The Beach Club, one of the oldest continuously operating bars in Sarasota County. The building needed work, and the previous owners had made what Brown considers to be a fatal error by trying to be both a nightclub and a restaurant. “You can be one or the other, but it’s hard to be both,” Brown says.

As part of The Beach Club’s facelift, Brown and Granthon tore out the kitchen. They spruced up the decor, adding a huge, metallic-colored shark suspended from the ceiling over the dance floor, at the decorator’s suggestion. Both say they were at first skeptical but now agree the shark is a winner.

In an effort to raise the club’s cool quotient, they added VIP memberships and bottle service. They also beefed up the acts that play live music each weekend.

Once they turned around The Beach Club, Brown and Granthon opened The Hub, featuring a Mexican theme, in the former real estate office in 2008. In February 2009, they put in an application to open a restaurant next door in the cottage where the hair salon was operating.

Because it was an authentic cottage of pecky cypress that had been moved to Avenida Messina from the beach, Brown and Granthon didn’t do much to the building. They complemented the Old Florida flavor by building a tropical-themed patio with a gazebo and other comfy seating.

As they were preparing for their opening in April 2010, Granthon said he and Brown would periodically say to each other, “We have to come up with a name for the cottage” or “I don’t know what we’re going to call the cottage.”

They still didn’t have a name for their new tapas joint when it opened, but finally settled on — you guessed it —The Cottage. “It just stuck,” Granthon says.

Across the street, MVP was pretty much plug-and-play.

With The Beach Club, The Hub and The Cottage humming along, Brown and Granthon turned their attention to fine dining. All of Above the Bar’s Siesta Key destinations were casual places. They hired Kurt Lukas of Sarasota’s JKL Design Group to decorate their new upscale restaurant and named it the Summer House — a nod to the former Summerhouse restaurant, a longtime Siesta Key landmark

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Continued from Page 81 designed by the celebrated Sarasota architect Carl Abbott.

The Summer House opened in 2018 with lush, beachy interiors accented by a giant aquarium in the middle of an airy space filled with greenery. Comfortable booths and eye-catching fabric lampshades exude a mid-century modern ethos.

All told, The Summer House seats 155. It’s only open for dinner, unlike its neighbors, The Cottage and The Hub. Its menu is decidedly upscale. That’s code for “steaks start at $50,” Brown says.

After its opening, the Summer House became the engine powering the Above the Bar hospitality train until Covid came along and derailed everything in March 2020. With the immediate future uncertain, Brown and Granthon went into survival mode.

They cleaned out the refrigerators and freezers in their restaurants of nearly $15,000 worth of food destined to perish and invited employees to make

SAVORING THE JOURNEY Some people celebrate a special birthday with a big party or an intimate dinner. Sarasota restaurateur Mike Granthon marked his 50th birthday by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, which is nearly 20,000 feet high.

Living life at a high altitude comes naturally to Granthon, who was born in Lima, Peru. Lima's just 530 feet above sea level, but he was exposed to aviation as a child because his father was a test pilot for the Peruvian air force.

Granthon got a pilot's license of his own, despite his father's death in the line of duty.

Skydiving was another favorite pastime before Granthon had a family. Today, Granthon and his wife, Tina, spend some of their free time raising money for local child welfare organi-

zations, including the Child Protection Center and Forty Carrots Family Center.

One reason why Granthon feels so strongly about child wellbeing is that it took him and Tina nine years to conceive their daughter Emma, now 12.

Another project for Granthon is writing a memoir that chronicles his journey from selling frozen pops on the beach in Peru as a child to becoming a successful restaurateur in Sarasota.

"It's not as formal as an autobiography," Granthon says.

"It's more of a series of stories designed to inspire people."

Granthon came to the U.S. after he was hit by a car when he was a budding entrepreneur.

His injuries were so severe that he and his mother traveled to Washington, D.C., where he was treated at George Washington University Hospital. His older brother stayed behind with his

father, who was divorced from his mother.

In Peru, Granthon had gotten a taste of the hospitality business by tagging along with his mom, who was a sales representative for Sheraton Hotels.

Once they were in the D.C. area, Granthon and his mother "couch surfed" for a few years.

While it may sound not like an ideal environment to raise children, the peripatetic lifestyle taught Granthon how to get along with everybody.

As he looks back on his remarkable life, Granthon's learning not to be so focused on the goal that he misses the journey.

“After we reached Mount Kilimanjaro, everyone was celebrating," he says. "I was a little depressed because it was over.

On the way down, I decided to really pay attention to my surroundings and enjoy the trip.”

Continued on Page 84

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Continued from Page 82 curbside pickups. They paid Above the Bar’s 400 employees their full salaries as well as their health insurance for about eight weeks, Brown says, at a cost to the company of about $200,000 a week.

When it became apparent that Above the Bar would go broke if it kept paying employees when there were no customers, Brown and Granthon tried to take care of their employees. They did their best to see that all their employees went on unemployment or got other assistance. To make sure no one would go hungry, Granthon took employees shopping regularly at Publix and bought them groceries.

Above the Bar’s efforts were rewarded by employee loyalty. “We lost at most one employee during Covid,” says Brown. “I’m really proud of that.”

Like other restaurant companies, Brown and Granthon pivoted to outdoor dining and takeout orders during Covid once they were allowed to do so. They also used the lockdown to do maintenance and make other improvements to their facilities.

Little did Brown and Granthon know but the wild ride was just beginning.

Business came roaring back in 2021 and Above the Bar logged revenue increases of between 20% and 30%, compared to the 5% gain of the pre-Covid years.

Even though the hospitality company had held onto its employees, it didn’t have enough workers to meet demand.

Making matters worse was that new hires were nowhere to be found. A lot of people left the hospitality industry during the pandemic. People were tired of working long hours and found they could make more in other fields.

Granthon says he would be willing to hire another 20 to 30 employees right now if he could find them.

Having grown up in the hospitality industry himself, Granthon is familiar with the relentless pressure to put in long hours, including holidays, and the danger of being mistreated by hardcharging managers.

He recalls how when he was in his late teens and managing a restaurant, the boss bragged about how he opened a new restaurant while his wife was giving birth to their child.

Granthon was horrified. “I promised myself that when I opened my own restaurant, I would never make inhuman demands of my employees.”

“Look at him now,” interjects Brown during a recent interview at the Summer House. “He’s got seven restaurants.”

After Granthon outlines his mission of treating his employees like family and offering them opportunities to grow both personally and professionally, Brown adds: “Mike speaks from the heart. This isn’t just stuff he thinks people want to hear. He really means it.”

Brown notes that Granthon encouraged him to begin offering employees health insurance and paid vacations several years ago, long before other businesses began sweetening their benefits post-Covid to attract hardto-find workers.

Based on his experience of more than three decades in the hospitality industry, Granthon says restaurateurs can’t expect servers to be gracious and attentive to patrons if they are being pushed too hard. “We treat our employees the way we treat our guests — like family,” he says.

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OASIS IN SI DE THE I S L AND LI FEST Y LE

Natural forms inspired by the sea add drama to a Casey Key showplace.

PAGE 90

Photo by Sean Harris of Design Spur

The home’s main living area offers unparalleled views of the Gulf. The space incorporates living, dining and kitchen in an open concept plan.

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This exquisite home on Casey Key, designed by Carl Abbott, takes its inspiration from cutting-edge modernism and ancient Mayan pyramids.

BY ROBERT PLUNKET | CONTRIBUTOR

A Seashell in the Sand KEY LIFE

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Photos by Coastal Home Photography

Set directly on the water, the home includes a secluded “private” section, to the left, and a more social “public” section, to the right.

C

arl Abbott is the last practicing member of the Sarasota School of Architecture, the famous group that gave our region the crisp modern

look it has become known for. He’s 87 now, but he hasn’t lost his touch, as shown beautifully in a recent house he designed — along with architect Leo Lunardi — on a large beachfront lot on Casey Key. On one hand it’s cutting-edge modernism. On the other it’s as ancient as the Mayan pyramids.

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Abbott was approached by a wealthy family from New York who had seen his work in his book “In/formed by the Land.” In it, he explains the painstaking approach he uses to design a house.

First, he studies the land. He determines the elevation and boundaries, the views, the orientation, the prevailing breezes, and what land or buildings adjoin the property. Then come the all-important building codes that determine what can be built on the site.

With hard work and a bit of good luck, Abbott and his new clients found the perfect property — a 1.8-acre parcel on Casey Key that’s directly on the Gulf. It’s toward the northern end of the key and convenient to the bridge — an important consideration for the

family. The one possible drawback — that it was directly on the road — was easily outweighed by almost 200 feet of prime Gulf-front property.

The family had an unusual list of things they wanted in their new home, some easy enough (a washer and dryer in each of the four full bathrooms); and some a little trickier (a full-scale ballet studio for their daughter, a professional ballerina). Other items on their wish list included privacy and a home they could expand and change around as family circumstances might dictate.

Their lifestyle was an informal take on luxury with nature providing the décor and atmosphere. They were all athletiContinued on Page 94

Carl Abbott’s work over the years has always been based on nature, both its forms and its flow. In this home, his inspiration was a seashell in the sand, its two halves partly open.

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A monumental stairway, inspired by one in the mysterious Mayan city of Dzibanche, descends from the home’s entrance down to the beach.

Continued from Page 92 cally inclined, so much so that Abbott had to talk them into an elevator for the four-level residence.

To lessen the scale of what could have been a monumental mansion — it’s 6,975 square feet — Abbott designed two structures joined at the center. The southern one is public space; the northern is more private.

“It’s almost like a compound,” Abbott explains. Despite its height, there is a strong horizontal line, with the house hugging the area just behind the dunes.

And the problem of cars going by in front of the house has been solved by a simple solution — no windows face the road. To the passerby it’s just an intriguing sculptural wall with a stairway ascending to an unseen entrance.

But it’s an entrance with a surprise.

Once you get to the top, the Gulf suddenly appears, straight ahead. As Abbott explains, you marvel at “unexContinued on Page 96

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Originally designed as a ballet studio for the owners’ daughter, this two-story space brings indoors the home’s spectacular setting.

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Continued from Page 94 pected views reaching out far and wide to the sound of the waves and sea air.”

Abbott’s work over the years has always been based on nature, both its forms and its flow. Here, his inspiration was a seashell in the sand, its two halves partly open. “The protective solid side contrasts with the light open side,” he explains. “All walls facing the water are glass. In contrast all other walls are solid and anchoring.”

The southern portion of the home contains a dramatic entrance hall that flows upward around a gracefully curved stairway highlighted by a teardrop skylight. The sense of motion is subtle but constant, echoing the ebb and flow of the Gulf. Just ahead you’ll find a family living area — a large kitchen with an adjoining dining area and just

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beyond, an intimate living room with a sublime view to the far horizon. There is also a guest room on the floor below, with views of the water on one side and tropical vegetation on the other.

The northern, more private, portion of the home is accessed just across the open entrance way and here, across a curving walkway you discover the ballet studio. Designing a home ballet studio is not a typical request of an architect, but Abbott was up to the task.

The two-story space, with its special “sprung” floor and mirrors that can be rolled around, is the most dramatic in the home and would make an extraordinary living room.

In a home with its own ballet studio, you expect a host of other deluxe features, and the Casey Key house does not disappoint. In addition to the beach frontage there is 150 feet of bayfront.

You’ll also find custom detailing — Eurotech cabinetry, marble counters, integrated refrigeration, convection and microwave ovens and freezer drawers — and a whole list of smart home features, including Synergy, automatic

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driveway gates and garage doors, cameras and an alarm system. There are 10 HVAC zones and two Tesla backup battery panels, plus a complete gym on the lower level. There is even a jogging track around the property.

The home is the latest addition to the Carl Abbott buildings that have played such an important role in the life of the town. There are public structures like the Women’s Resource Center and St. Thomas More Church, but Abbott is best known for his private residences.

They are generally high-end luxury homes, each one unique, each designed to fit into its setting. Many have ended up in the architectural history books, including the Putterman house in Lido Shores and the late, lamented Casa del Cielo on Siesta Key, unfortunately torn down for condos.

Like all of Abbott’s designs, the Casey Key house reflects the many facets of its creator’s personality. Abbott is first and foremost a seeker. He explores the world around him and tries to figure

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Continued from Page 97 out what it means. For the past 20 years or so he has spent much time in Mexico, pursuing his passion for Mayan architecture. A day’s drive through the jungle in a rusty jeep to explore an obscure site was his favorite activity.

That’s how he discovered Dzibanche.

An ancient, largely unexcavated city dating back to 200 A.D., Dzibanche is famous for the spectacular stairways, which scale its monumental temples and pyramids. A modern version has found its way to the Casey Key house, descending from the entrance down toward the water. It’s at once both new and old, and it gives the home a link to a mythic past.

But like history, all things must change, and the family that built the house is relocating out of state. The home is currently on the market. Lisa Napolitano of Sotheby’s, who is listing the property, notes that whoever the new owner is, one thing is certain.

“They will be getting not just a home but a work of art.”

Meticulously placed on a coveted Casey Key parcel of land, the home reinforces Carl Abbott’s reputation as a master of modernism.

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ART AND ABOUT

Seven Reasons to Love the Season

The region’s arts scene kicks into high gear in November. Here are seven must-sees.

URBANITE THEATRE’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, SUMMER DAWN WALLACE, SHARES INSIGHTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON. What’s the driving force behind your 2023-2024 season?

It’s Urbanite’s commitment to putting artists and their stories at the forefront, with a strong emphasis on new works and the development of fresh plays. Ultimately, every play serves as a tribute to the indomitable human spirit, highlighting our capacity for resilience. We are also showcasing three world premieres and audiences will play a part in the shaping of a new play, allowing them to become an integral part of its inaugural production.

Courtesy images

Above: “Judith” poster Right: Summer Dawn Wallace is Urbanite Theatre’s artistic director.

BY SU BYRON AND MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTORS 1. SHAKESPEARE’S SIS

Katie Bender’s “Judith” imagines that Shakespeare had a sister (namely “Judith”) in this farcical Urbanite Theatre production. When her celebrity brother gets in trouble, Judith disguises herself as the Bard to bail him out. Once Londoners think she’s

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an important man, she gets a stratospheric bump in status. Judith enjoys the new respect — and starts to think the patriarchal power structure is a drag. Directed by Brendon Fox, this world premiere production is presented in partnership with the Hanover Theatre Repertory. Jan. 5-Feb. 18; UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Continued on Page 102

What inspired you to choose “Judith”— and what should audiences expect?

“Judith” is laden with delightful Easter eggs for Shakespeare enthusiasts.

However, what truly sets this play apart is its exceptional accessibility.

Even if you’re not intimately familiar with the Bard’s body of work, this play stands as a compelling and engaging piece of storytelling that anyone can appreciate.

How can readers get involved with Urbanite?

Urbanite is always looking for volunteers and adding to our board. If anyone is passionate about our organization, they can find many ways to get involved. It requires a village to make art happen.

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ART AND ABOUT Continued from Page 100

2. PICKING UP THE PIECES

Judy Pfaff’s installations defy critical category and delight art lovers.

Like portals to alternate dimensions, they transport the viewer to other worlds. These realms can be magical or heartbreaking. The world inside Pfaff’s “Picking Up the Pieces” at Sarasota Art Museum is close to home — it’s our very own Sunshine State and what it’s becoming. Within the installation’s shattered space, the artist contrasts the beauty of Florida’s shoreline with environmental threats like Hurricane Ian. Before creating this work, Pfaff visited Ian-ravaged areas to witness the still-tangible destruction. “Picking Up the Pieces” takes you there. Nov. 19-March 17; SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

3. SARASOTA ORCHESTRA CELEBRATES 75 YEARS

Continued on Page 104

Photos by Peter Aaron/OTTO, Grace Roselli (inset, left)

Above: Installation view of Judy Pfaff’s “ar.chae.ol.o.gy.” Inset: Judy Pfaff is widely recognized as a pioneer in installation art. Left: Sarasota Orchestra members form the number 75 to celebrate the group’s 75th anniversary this season.

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Mark your calendars: “Celebrate 75: Special Concert and Gala” marks

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The program features two stunning works: Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Legendary pianist Garrick Ohlsson will join SO for this concert; it will be led by Peter Oundjian, Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s conductor emeritus. Concertgoers will get their

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ART AND ABOUT Continued from Page 102 share of bubbly beforehand and gourmet grub afterwards. Feb. 15 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. For tickets, visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

4. GET YOUR RHYTHM ON

The madcap antics of Ken Ludwig’s “Crazy for You” are coming to the Asolo Rep stage. The musical is basically an adaptation of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Girl Crazy,” the 1930 Broadway hit. Ludwig added a few more jokes and picked up the pace, but the story remains the same. (Spoiler alert: City slicker falls for hometown girl). Along with that meet-cute encounter, there’ll also be cowboys, showgirls and highenergy production numbers. With toetapping Gershwin tunes like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Embraceable You,” and “I Got Rhythm,” dancing in the aisles will be a constant temptation for the audience. (We figure the ushers will watch over them.) Directed and choreographed by Dennis Jones.

Nov. 15-Jan. 4; AsoloRep.org.

Courtesy image

“Industrial Burger Maker” by Bill Owens at The Ringling.

5. WORKING 9 TO 5

“Working Conditions: Exploring Labor” investigates the realities of American labor from the 1800s to the present with more than 50 photographs taken from The Ringling’s vast collection.

While the working class is always in the lens, the focus can be very different.

Some photographers think their hard work is proud evidence of industrial evolution; others think it’s capitalist exploitation of the powerless working Continued on Page 106

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VIRGINIA SHEARER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SARASOTA ART MUSEUM, SHARES THE REVELATORY IMPACT OF JUDY PFAFF’S “PICKING UP THE PIECES.” “Picking up the Pieces” is Judy Pfaff’s largest installation since 2017. It’s described as defying boundaries. Can you explain what that means and also why you chose her work?

Judy Pfaff is widely recognized as a pioneer in installation art and celebrated globally for defining the genre. Pfaff has never been an artist with limitations; she’s an innovator, and her recent works push and prod the definition of what sculpture is and can be. Stepping into a Judy Pfaff installation can be a transformative experience.

I’m very curious to see how Pfaff responds to the unique architecture of Sarasota Art Museum’s historic building and how her recollections of Hurricane Ian’s impact will manifest in this new site-specific installation. Her first museum show was in Sarasota more than 40 years ago and she later helped champion the arrival of the first and only contemporary art museum in the region when Sarasota Art Museum’s founders launched ARTmuse, a visiting artist program to support renovations that would transform the former Sarasota High School building into an art museum.

How could we not do a Judy Pfaff show?

One of your initiatives has been to create participatory experiences for visitors. What experiences can we look forward to this upcoming season?

We have two exhibitions this season featuring Hermitage Artist Retreat fellows. One is called “The Truth of the Night Sky: Anne Patterson and Patrick Harlin” on view April

Photo by Nancy Guth

Virginia Shearer is Sarasota Art Museum’s executive director.

21 to Sept. 29. Patterson has created wonderfully memorable work at The Ringling and we’re thrilled to collaborate with her on something new and unexpected. For this presentation, she will work alongside fellow Hermitage alum and composer Patrick Harlin to create a multimedia, site-specific installation.

Do you collect art? If we visited your home, which piece would stand out?

We have an eclectic collection of artists who I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with. We display a small reproduction of a largescale chromogenic print by the photographer Thomas

Struth entitled “Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia.” I worked with Struth to arrange the details so that conditions were right for him to make the photograph he envisioned in the largest aquarium in the U.S. on a busy spring break holiday in 2013. We made sure he got the shot, and much to my chagrin, Struth rewarded me by putting me front and center in the photograph. I wish I could afford the real thing but I am very proud that I can see the work at one of a number of major museums throughout the world when it’s on view. My favorite new acquisition is an original print by John Pirman entitled “Jungle Gardens Flamingos.”

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ART AND ABOUT Continued from Page 104 class. The hard-working photographers include Dmitiri Baltermants, Endia Beal, Walker Evans, Margaret Bourke-White, Lewis W. Hine, and Bill Owens. Curated by Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Art. Through March 3; Ringling.org.

6. GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS

Samantha Bennett and George Nickson are the founding artistic directors of ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ), one of our area’s most cutting-edge arts orgs. The five concerts of their eighth season include contemporary masterworks, three world premieres, two commissioned works and several dynamic collaborations. All five concerts showcase enSRQ’s commitment to new work and emerging artists. Don’t miss the “You Are Free” concert on March 25, featuring “Voiceless Mass,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning composition

by Raven Chacon of the Navajo Nation, and a world premiere composition by Kyle Rivera, specifically commissioned for enSRQ artists.

March 25; EnSRQ.org.

Courtesy image

ensembleNEWSRQ premieres a new work by Kyle Rivera this season.

7. EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

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Sharr White’s “Pictures From Home” is a theatrical adaption of Larry Sultan’s celebrated photo memoir. Starting in 1983, Sultan photographed and interviewed his parents for nearly a decade. The photobook he created is a mix of his photos and stills from home videos. His father was an unhappily retired executive from the Schick razor company; his overworked mother gave him emotional support and brought home the bacon as well. Both were bottled up in a ranch house in Southern California. The 30-something Sultan captured their lives — or tried to. His ubiquitous cameras and tape recorders weren’t always welcome. White’s memory play beautifully distills Sultan’s attempt to recapture lost time in this regional premiere directed by Kate Alexander.

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Photo by Matthew Holler

George Nickson and Samantha Bennett are the founding artistic directors of ensembleNEWSRQ.

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BEHIND THE MENU

Amy Whitt of Euphemia Haye Euphemia Haye’s new owner plans no big changes.

She knows the restaurant is perfect just the way it is.

BY MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR Euphemia Haye is a Longboat Key institution. Chef Ray Arpke and his wife, D’Arcy, acquired it in 1980. Housed in a cozy, historic cottage with intimate, candlelit dining areas downstairs and a lively bar upstairs, Euphemia Haye is celebrated for its outstanding selection of wine and spirits, seasonally influenced menu and elegant ambience.

The Arpkes hired Amy Whitt in 2007 as an administrative assistant and she quickly worked her way up to bookkeeper. Crunching numbers was on her mind back then, not the mysteries of haute cuisine. If you’d told Amy she’d own Euphemia Haye in the not-too-distant future, she would have laughed out loud. But that’s exactly what happened in 2020 when the Arpkes offered her a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — to purchase the restaurant upon their retirement. In December 2021, Whitt became the owner of one of the most prestigious eateries in the region.

Becoming the new owner of Euphemia Haye was …

Overwhelming and exciting. I had to jump in whether I knew what I was doing or not. That was the overwhelming part. But going into high gear was also an adrenaline rush — like jumping on a roller coaster and hanging on for dear life. It was a wild ride!

After serving behind the scenes for so many years …

As the bookkeeper, I had one job to do,

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and I’d clock out when the night crew came in. Now that I’m the owner, I don’t clock out. I’m here day and night and wear many different hats. When we’ve been short-staffed, I’ve had to work in the kitchen or the bar. I’ve also been a hostess, bused tables and washed dishes. Doing those jobs helped me value everyone who works here. You can’t have the front of a restaurant without the back. Every single position is as important as the next. Every person is, too.

The secret of Euphemia Haye’s popularity is …

Our high standards. At Euphemia Haye, we have to be the best at everything we do. That’s our standard — and we hold to it.

The biggest change I’ve made so far is …

Putting mints at the front desk. That’s it. Euphemia Haye’s not broken, and I don’t intend to fix it. It’s perfect exactly the way it is.

My changes to the menu include …

Zero changes. Once again, I refuse to mess with perfection. The popular dishes that bring people in are here to stay. There are seasonal changes in our salads and pastas, of course. But the core items in our menu won’t change.

Don’t leave Euphemia Haye without trying …

If I’m limited to one choice, Key West Continued on Page 110

Photo by Lori Sax

Amy Whitt worked her way from administrative assistant to owner of this landmark restaurant on Longboat Key.

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BEHIND THE MENU ence has opened me up to trying new things. My shelf of cookbooks is growSnapper is my personal favorite. You ing. So, I may have foodie tendencies. could always leave and come back, and try some of our other signature dishes, When I’m not working, I love …

Working! Seriously. If I’m not working like duck and our peppered steak. at the restaurant, I’m working from My insider tip for savvy Euhome or running errands for the restauphemia Haye diners is … rant. I try to have dinner with friends at Save room for dessert. Most newcom- least once a week. Other than that, I’m ers don’t know that we have a full des- either working or sleeping. sert room upstairs.

Continued from Page 108

I start every workday by ….

My culinary inspirations/ heroes are…

Saying hello to every single person and giving them a smile. If they don’t smile back, I’ll say, “Let me see it.” They know exactly what I’m talking about, and I won’t leave until I get a smile from them — and I always do. Keep spreading the good energy. That starts off the workday on a positive note.

Chef Ray. Seeing him work his magic in the kitchen — always creating new recipes and tweaking them until they’re Courtesy photo perfect was a constant inspiration to me. I knew a few big names, but celeb- Euphemia Haye is famed for its formal gourmet fare. rity chefs weren’t on my radar before I met him. Chef Ray is my culinary hero. a good thing. It’s a sign Ray’s finally When Chef Ray and D’Arcy starting to enjoy the retired life. It’s IF YOU GO stop by for dinner…

I’m not a foodie but… also a sign Ray thinks his restaurant is Euphemia Haye I cook at home. But just basic things — Chef Ray will tell me how much he in good hands and running smoothly. If 5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive, I’m not a “chef.” Though, that might be misses Euphemia Haye’s pizzas. Their Ray was worried about it, he’d be here Longboat Key; 383-3633; EuphemiaHaye.com changing. My Euphemia Haye experi- visits are dropping off, but I think that’s constantly. Then I’d be worried!

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CAFE GABBIANO

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There’s an intimate dining getaway located on Siesta Key, Café Gabbiano brings a mix of classic and modern Italian dishes. Chef Paolo Di Costanzo, hailing from Ischia Italy brings you a diverse seasonal menu including local fish, handmade pastas, ravioli and Allen Brothers Meats. Certified sommelier, Marc Grimaud, has 200 wines on-site and specializes in pairing the perfect wine with your food. A diverse cocktail program including crated cocktails and bourbon and whisky tastings. Enjoy intimate dining in one of our wine rooms or choose outdoor seating in our climate-controlled patio. This is Italy’s best loved restaurant on Siesta Key.

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CAFÉ L’EUROPE This season marks Café L’Europe’s 50th year in its iconic St. Armands Circle location. Whether celebrating life’s most meaningful moments, or the end of a long week, we welcome lovers of food & drink for a five-star-fun experience inspired by European bistros.

Fall 2023 brings The Wet Bar to life, our chic lounge where an exquisite Old World-meets-New World wine list and friendly mixologists crafting cocktails greet you over a soundscape of funk-infused jazz.

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Classic culinary techniques inspire shareable plates, bar bites, and entrees made using local ingredients.

Reimagined private dining spaces beckon you to host the perfect party. Join us to raise a glass to the past, present and future of our beautiful community.

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KEY ENCOUNTERS NORTH JETTY PARK

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NANCY GUTH Casey Key has its share of upscale homes, including one we showcase in this issue. But the southernmost tip doesn’t put on airs. That’s where you’ll find North Jetty Park, a haven for fisherfolk, sunbathers, surfers, shell collectors, scuba divers, kayakers and bird watchers. This walk on Florida’s wild side is directly north of Venice Inlet between the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway. The park takes its name

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from the 660-foot rock jetty projecting into the Gulf. (There’s a paved walkway on top, so fishermen won’t slip.) Thanks to handy charcoal grills, picnic tables and a pavilion, you can cook what you catch and eat it right there. For those without a pole, the North Jetty Fish Camp tempts with hot dogs, sandwiches and canned beer. It resides in a repurposed trolley car that made its last stop in Ybor City in 1946. It’s not going anywhere now — and doesn’t have to. All’s right with the world ... at least right here and right now.

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