Longboat Observer 10.20.2022

2nd commissioner says no

BACK TO THE BEACH

Made with love

Spotted at Driftwood Beach Home & Garden — sweetly hand-embroidered vintage tennis racquets. What makes them even more adorable is that they’re being consigned for a 14-year-old Sarasota artist named Lucy (above).

As the racquets imply with their embroidery, tennis is close to Lucy’s heart because her dad is a tennis player. He moved the family to the area when working for Nick Bollettieri at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.

The vintage Head racquet embroidered in blue costs $40 and is titled, “Winning Comes in Waves.” The brands of vintage racquets vary, but at $50, the wood racquets cost a little more than the metal versions, a great gift for your favorite tennis lover.

pod with help

Kiwanis helps out

The Kiwanis Club made a $1,000 donation to the Fort Myers Guardian ad Litem Foundation thanks to the brainstorming of member Bob Gault.

“I just got off the phone with a foster mother who lived in a mobile home that, as she described it, was literally shredded,” Jessica Stanfield said from Fort Myers. “They’re starting over completely and are on their way to Walmart now for some clean clothes after being in what they had on during the hurricane for two weeks.”

Kiwanis tried to deliver sooner, but internet outages kept Stanfield from seeing the local club’s email for days.

“Your generosity will have such an impact,” she said.

Courtesy photo

Lauren Tronstad

Sarah Cirone, left, Annie Glennon and Kathleen Eidson walk on the beach Monday during a family reunion visit to Longboat Key.

Courtesy photo

File photo

actually drove sea levels down along Longboat Key coastline.

Town bans smoking in parks and beaches

The ban was approved on first reading Sept. 12.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Smoking on beaches and in public parks within the town of Longboat Key has been banned after a unanimous vote Monday by the Town Commis sion.

At least one beachgoer said she thinks the town had the right idea.

“We are supportive of the ban,” Sarah Cirone said while walking on the beach Monday morning. “There is nothing that ruins a beach day quicker than cigarette smoke.”

Cirone was in town with family members and friends, Annie Glen non and Kathleen Eidson. The trio visits the barrier island annually as part of a family reunion tradition that has spanned over 40 years, they said. The beach is one of the main reasons they keep coming back.

The commission initially approved the ban at its Sept. 12 meeting. The ban was intended to be revisited Sept. 27, but because of Hurricane Ian, the meeting was postponed twice to Oct. 17.

Vice Mayor Maureen Merrigan was absent from Monday’s meeting.

The ban does not prohibit the use of unfiltered cigars and pipe tobacco use, which are both protected by state law.

Monday’s discussion was brief, as support was stated during the first reading of the ban.

“We’ve mentioned before, at the first reading, that a number of jurisdictions around us either have adopted or are in the process of adopting,” Town Manager Tom Harmer said. “Now, we’re seeing the communities around us adopt.”

Before the commission’s sum mer hiatus in July, commissioners

LIGHTS OUT

In addition to the city of Sarasota, action on the state’s enabling legislation by neighboring jurisdictions thus far include:

n Charlotte County has drafted an ordinance proposing amendments to prohibit smoking and vaping in all beaches and parks. It will go to public hearing this month.

n The city of St. Petersburg has drafted an ordinance proposing amendments to prohibit smoking and vaping within all beaches and parks.

n The North Port City Commission held a discussion on Sept. 13 but has taken no further action.

n The city of Venice on Sept. 13 directed staff to draft an ordinance to prohibit smoking in public beaches and parks.

n The city of Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island approved a smoking ban on beaches and in parks on Sept. 16.

Neither Manatee, Collier or Lee counties have taken any action.

got the ball rolling on the matter, asking not just for discussion when they returned, but for town staff to have an ordinance on which they could vote prepared by the time they returned in September.

The first reading of the ordinance passed unanimously, though com missioners brought up the redun dancy of the ordinance, if its main focus was to reduce littering, which already is banned.

“I think the only change that would be anticipated would be an addition of signage to indicate smoking would not be allowed,”

Allen Parson, the town’s Planning, Zoning and Building Director said during the Sept. 12 meeting. “It would be a pretty easy addition to the signage that we have on our beach access points.”

Much like other prohibited behav iors, which include bringing dogs or alcoholic beverages on the beach, police officers would be able to respond to calls and observations of the behavior.

According to the Ocean Conser vancy, cigarette butts are the most commonly found litter on Florida beaches.

The butts are made of tightly packed plastic fibers that erode into smaller bits and accumulate in fish and other organisms, adversely affecting sea life health and repro ductivity as well as human health when consuming the affected fish.

During its Sept. 6 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission initially approved a smoking ban in cityowned parks and beaches, such as adjacent-to-Longboat Key sites Lido Beach and City Island park. The ban was enacted on Oct. 3.

On Oct.11, the Sarasota County

Commission discussion of a simi lar ban was postponed after a sug gestion from Commissioner Nancy Detert.

House Bill 105, which amended the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act and renamed it the Florida Clean Air Act, allows cities and counties to impose such restrictions, which do not apply to unfiltered cigars and pipe tobacco use.

In her motion to continue the agenda item, Detert explained the public has not been adequately edu cated about the proposal.

Unless otherwise deleted from consideration, a ban on smoking for county-run beaches would include the popular Siesta Key public beach.

Last week, County Commis sioner Christian Ziegler said county residents should have more time to consider all options and weigh in on the issue.

“I know there are a lot of people that want to ban smoking at our beaches, and I know there’s a lot of public interest in it, but I think it is important for the public to understand what’s going on and what the various options are,” Ziegler said.

Warmth

Lauren Tronstad

A smoking station stands at the Broad way beach access point.

“It would be a pretty easy addition to the signage that we have on our beach access points.”

— Allen Parson

JUST BEACHY

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

The shores of Longboat Key fared well during Hurricane Ian, town officials said.

Minimal erosion and shifts in the beach contours were noted. So few, in fact, a claim for beach assess ment and nourishment is unneces sary, unlike in previous brushes with tropical systems that took tons of sand that took millions of dollars to replace.

The town’s beaches are one of the biggest draws for residents and visitors alike.

One family has been making an annual trip down the barrier island for more than 40 years for a family reunion. The sand and surf of Long boat Key are among the favorite parts of their trip.

“I just love the feel of the sand here,” Annie Glennon said. “It feels just like powder.”

Sarah Cirone and Kathleen Eidson, who were accompanying Glennon on her beach walk Monday morning, touted the cleanliness of the beach and the level of privacy the town’s beaches promise as one of the least busy in the area.

“I appreciate how not crowded the beaches here are,” Eidson said. “They aren’t overly commercialized like other area beaches.”

Eidson lived in the Tampa area for about 18 years before moving north east, where Cirone and Glennon also live. She has many fond memories of Florida’s beaches on the west coast, memories that were backed up by what she saw along the shore this week.

Public Works Department Pro grams Manager Charlie Mopps is known for his knowledge of beaches, specifically those on barrier islands.

As has been a sentiment among everyone in the town, the beaches were also lucky in comparison with what was originally forecast for the area, he said.

“Our beaches actually fared very well,” he said. “There was little to no impact.”

According to the town’s coastal engineer and tide gauges, the sea level during the storm was actually two to five feet below normal. By contrast, points south of Ian’s landfall experienced catastrophic increases in sea level to 15 feet or more.

“It seemed like Hurricane Ian was basically taking the water from the north and pulling it to the south,” he said.

BEACH ASSESSMENTS

After the storm, Mopps met with the Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Sarasota who were inspecting their beaches to observe their prac tices. When inspecting, if impact to the beaches is noted, then a “call for surveys” or post-storm damage assessment is made.

Regardless of a storm, the 10 miles of beaches on Longboat Key are surveyed annually as part of the town’s beach management program that informs future renourishment efforts, such as the one completed recently.

“That happened only like weeks prior to the hurricane coming,” Mopps said. “So what we had was really fresh, up-to-date data of prestorm conditions.”

The town is only required to complete physical monitoring for three years following any sand replacement to meet permit requirements, but the town has opted to do it annually instead.

“We always do annual assess ments because we do a lot of beach nourishment,” he said. “The moni toring aspect of it is to make sure you know where your hotspots are, so you can come up with plans to treat the hotspots and keep the beaches usable, not only for recreation, but also for storm surge protection, habitat for shorebirds and nesting turtles.”

In the most recent round of renourishment, completed in 2021, the town placed 1 million cubic yards of sand in about a year’s time, a $36 million project that affected miles of beach along the Key.

NORMAL FLOW

Generally, on the west coast of Florida, sand naturally wants to travel from north to south, Public Works Department Programs Manager Charlie Mopps said. In normal tidal wave action, the sand gets picked up off the beach and gets redeposited south along the beach’s entire system.

In terms of an inlet, which is an indentation in the shoreline including a small arm, bay or sound, another dynamic must be contended with, he said. The tidal flows in and out of inlets like those on Longboat Key, which further affects the way sand moves along the coastline.

“When you have a big storm, it kind of throws a monkey wrench into the normal processes that happen on the beach and how beaches naturally erode,” Mopps said.

When determining how the beaches fared following Hurricane Ian, Mopps and the department analyzed aerial photography provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and National Geodetic Survey.

“We compared the prestorm and post-storm data,” he said. “We looked at the tide gauges; we looked at all these things, and we know that the sand that was in our system is still in our system, so there is no need to file for a claim.”

WHEN AN ASSESSMENT IS NECESSARY

Although a post-storm assessment was not necessary this time around, an eye is still kept on Longboat Key beaches even following a tropical storm.

“Even the tropical storms that we had over the last year, we’ve seen more impact than we did through (Hurricane Ian),” Mopps said.

When making an assessment determination, one must first look

at the beach’s preestablished profile. The profile is a “slice” of the beach that is then looked at sideways. The extent of the profile is measured from the berm, which is the dry, sandy beach, to the point of survey closure in the water. In Longboat Key’s case, that point spans to about 13 feet deep into the Gulf of Mexico.

“That is considered the system for all 10 miles of beach,” he said.

“The prestorm profiles compared to the post-storm profiles allow us to quantify a change within the sys tem.”

If a sustainable difference is marked, the department is able to seek reimbursement for costs asso ciated with replacing sand that might have been lost. However, in order to qualify for such aid, the town must prove that at least 50% of costs claimed to FEMA are on land, which include structural damages, before any money will be awarded for sand replacement. In 2019, the town received more than $6 million in connection with the loss of about 17,000 cubic yards of sand from 17,000 cubic yards was reported lost in 2016’s Tropical Storm Debby. Another $300,000 accounted for sand lost to Hurricane Hermine, also in 2016. FEMA denied claims made after 2017’s Hurricane Irma, saying that while some segments of beach lost sand, others gained sand.

Unlike beaches in Sarasota, Longboat Key beaches are not surveyed by the Army Corps of Engineers, but instead all inspection and surveying is done by town staff.

Mopps noted the majority of damage seen on and off the barrier island’s beaches was from wind.

However, some of the beach sand dunes may have increased elevation and some of the dry, sandy beaches may have slightly deflated.

Following measurements of the survey area, he was able to deter mine that the majority of sand from the Key’s beaches remained within its system.

Town’s recently renourished shore stands up to Ian’s close call.

Beach erosion is a natural process that hurricanes typically expedite.

Photos by Lauren Tronstad Beachgoers lounge on the sand near the Broadway Street beach access Mon day.

“Even the tropical storms that we had over the last year, we’ve seen more impact than we did through (Hurricane Ian).”

— Charlie Mopps

Harmer provides report on town status following Hurricane Ian

The town is said to have not experienced sustained hurricane force winds.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

own Manager Tom Harmer on Monday provided Longboat Key Town Commissioners an update on the status of the town’s recovery and cleanup after Hurricane Ian and a timeline of remaining events.

According to the report, the town began closely monitoring what would become Ian on Sept. 22, as the storm began gathering force south of Cuba as a tropical depression. Forecast models at that time differed on where the storm would head, putting much of the eastern Gulf coast on alert.

“We watch the tropics all the time during hurricane season especially,” Harmer said.

The following day is when the Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency, including both Sarasota and Manatee counties.

On Sept. 25, the town opened its sandbag station with staff from the town’s Public Works Department manning the area and calling for additional truckloads of sand to be delivered to the mound.

The original forecast had Hurricane Ian making landfall north of the barrier island, which could have delivered a devastating storm surge, but once the storm actually arrived on land, it was more than 50 miles south of the Key.

“It put us on the top side of the storm, which is the best place to be because as the winds come around, they are going out into the Gulf and not blowing onto the island,” he said.

Data from a weather station at one of the town’s fire stations showed that the highest sustained winds the island experienced peaked at less than 50 mph. Gusts of wind reached between 72 and 74 mph at its strongest.

“It could have been much worse,” he said. “If someone says ‘I lived through a hurricane on the island,’ it was more like a tropical storm. Don’t take that for granted the next time a hurricane is coming our way.”

At around 5:45 a.m. Thursday, Harmer and Fire Chief Paul Dezzi met on the mainland to make a joint run through the island before First In Teams were allowed. Dezzi had already made a solo trip at about 1:30 a.m.

Pictures Harmer included in his presentation showed power lines down, minimal freshwater flooding from rainfall and tree debris.

In his analysis of the town’s response, Harmer included statistics on the town’s communication with residents, which he said can always

be improved. Thirty-five commission emails were sent out separate from those to the public. Ten Alert Longboat Key messages were sent. On each of the town’s social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, 35 posts were made. Daily town staff updated information on the town’s website.

On a typical day, the town’s website receives between 15,000 and 20,000 visits. At the peak of the storm, the website received just over 77,000 visits.

At 1 p.m. on Sept. 29, following staff evaluation of damages and condition, the town allowed entry for individuals included in Tier 2 and Tier 3, which included residents. All power was finally restored by

Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Harmer reported minimal impacts to the barrier island’s beaches.

As of Friday, Oct. 14, 196 truckloads of debris had been collected.

“Our public roads are pretty much complete on the first pass,” he said. “We know there’s usually at least two and sometimes three passes on public roads. On private roads, all the agreements are in place, and we started last Friday on the private roads for the first pass.”

In order to complete debris pickup in a timely manner, the town has asked residents to ensure all debris is out at their residence by Oct. 28. Vegetative debris must be separated from construction debris.

At the time of Monday’s report, the town is still in a state of recovery.

Eric Garwood

Longboat Key firefighters complete a morning shift of damage assessment on the island following the passage of Hurricane Ian

Town approves transition plan for new manager, code enforcement changes

Commissioners also ratify an agreement for special counsel in a challenge to a code enforcement levy.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

The Longboat Key Town Commission returned to regular meetings Monday after Hurricane Ian postponed meetings in favor of preparing and recovering from the storm.

Postponing the meetings was made possible by the state of emer gency declared by Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of the arrival of the storm.

Monday’s meeting was packed

with items of note, including Town Manager Tom Harmer’s contract extension, changes to code enforcement and the hiring of special counsel for a litigation case.

HARMER CONTRACT EXTENSION

The need for an extension to Harm er’s contract follows the hiring of Howard Tipton to fill the seat. How ever, Tipton is unable to begin his new role until Jan. 30, 2023, as he fin ishes up his current role as St. Lucie County Administrator and makes the move to the island.

Harmer was originally slated to complete his last day with the town on Dec. 10, but offered his services to the town and commission for about an additional eight weeks to ensure the smoothest transition possible between him and Tipton.

Under the new contract, Harmer’s final day is now Feb. 6, 2023. The extension provides a seven-day transition period between Harmer’s departure and Tipton formally solely taking over the position.

The terms of his contract, which he requested and were approved include: n A 3% salary increase from his base salary, starting Oct. 1 through his extended employment n A housing allowance for the period n Authorization to engage in outside employment with his son’s business when he is not working for the town during the extended period

Starting Dec. 11, Harmer will receive a $500 a week housing allowance, since he has already made arrangements to sell his current residence on the island.

CODE ENFORCEMENT CHANGES

Changes to the town’s code enforcement were approved during the Town Commission’s second reading and public hearing Monday. A resolution was also passed to add additional code sections to the list of those that are able to be enforced by citations, rather than a process leading to a hearing with the town’s Special Magistrate.

The majority of the changes follow the termination of the code enforcement board, which sunsetted at the end of the 2019 fiscal year.

One of the most noteworthy changes includes violation reporting. Because of a state law that went into effect July 1, 2021, anonymity of those reporting a violation is no longer an option.

To file a code violation report, individuals must provide their full name and address.

Among the codes added to the cita tion list are dogs or cats on beaches, property maintenance standards, sound regulations, spotlights or floodlights and the town’s code that regulates size and placement of tem porary signs.

The violations already on the list and those added with Monday’s approval are point-in-time viola tions, which town staff previously expressed were ill-suited for the town’s typical code enforcement process that provides a violator mul tiple opportunities to correct a vio lation before to receiving an order from the Special Magistrate.

Now that the changes have been approved by the commission, town staff plans to launch outreach efforts to make the public aware of the additional code provisions enforceable by citation.

Also included in the batch of changes were the powers of the Special Magistrate including the authority to establish procedures for the presentation of cases, control cases and enforce authorized town code provisions.

SPECIAL COUNSEL HIRED

The commission ratified an agreement previously carried out by Harmer for a special counsel engagement agreement for pending litigation.

The town has hired Garcia Dell for services relating to the Schweitzer, et

Blessing of Animalsthe

al v. Town of Longboat Key.

The agreement was executed Sept. 26 to meet a court filing deadline; the commission was merely being asked to ratify it.

On April 8, 2022, Jane Schweitzer, Denise Anderson, Cynthia Brady, Jeffrey Stimson and Scott Stimson challenged a Manatee County Cir cuit Court 2021 order handed down by the town’s code enforcement Special Magistrate Milan Brkich. The town had cited the owners of a rental property in the 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive for operating without a business tax receipt. In doing so, the town said a life-safety inspec tion by the town’s fire marshal might be required. Though a business tax receipt was obtained, the inspection was not performed.

In June, Brkich ordered the owner come into compliance within 24 hours. The owners legal action claims notices of further hearings were not received, resulting in a $100 a day fine beginning on July 8 2021.

Though an initial $21,600 fine was reduced to $10,800, the own ers claim the fine was levied in error. A negotiated settlement was not reached. Dell has been hired to serve as special counsel to serve the town’s interests. Attorneys Martin Garcia and Josh Dell have represented the town on litigation matters previ ously. Dell and Garcia have a govern mental billable rate at $275 per hour and a paralegal rate of $125 per hour.

File photos

Town Commissioners approved a batch of changes to code enforcement and ones that qualify for citation.

Town Manager Tom Harmer’s contract extension moves his final day with the town to Feb. 6, 2023.

Longboat’s Merrigan not seeking reelection

North-end commissioner joins Dominick in stepping away after first terms.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Two Longboat Town Commis sioners have now announced intentions to step aside once their terms expire in March 2023.

Vice Mayor Maureen Merrigan, who represents the northernmost of five geographical districts on the island, said in an email that while she will not seek reelection, serving the city in the role “is an extremely rewarding experience.’’

“You can have a positive impact on the Key, and serving as a town com missioner is a great way to give back to the community,” she said, adding her decision is based on “increasing out-of-state family commitments.”

At a town public meeting Oct. 3 to adopt the 2022-23 fiscal year budget, Sherry Dominick, who represents the southernmost of five geographic districts, also said she was not seek ing reelection.

Dominick’s district includes everything south of 1145 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Merrigan’s includes everything north of 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Prospective candidates must live within the boundaries of the districts they represent, though the commission also includes a pair of at-large seats without geographical restrictions for seven total seats. Town Commissioners are not paid in Longboat Key.

Mayor Ken Schneier is the only other member of the commission up for reelection in March 2023. The town’s qualifying period opened on Oct. 3 and will run through Nov. 12.

Merrigan’s email called for anyone interested in the role to reach out to her directly to discuss the role in greater detail and connect them with other commissioners.

“The town provides excellent training for the job, and I can cer tainly help in any transition,” she wrote.

Merrigan was first appointed to the seat left vacant by Ed Zunz when he moved out of District 5 to another home on Longboat Key. She then ran unopposed to fill the remainder of Zunz’s term, one year.

Celebrate the joy of INSPIRED COASTAL LIVING

is

new

year from

light

Group.

the

experiences, culture, arts, architecture and business that set the keys apart –and makes them so special.

File photo

Maureen Merrigan was chosen vice mayor by her peers in March.

All The Right Moves

What does it take to be named the #1 Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Florida by U.S. News & World Report ? Try a patient-focused and goal-oriented approach designed to help each individual find the best path to recovery from illness or injury. Put it in a state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Pavilion with 60 private patient rooms, fully-equipped gyms and simulated training areas. Then add the best team of physiatrists, physical & occupational therapists, nurses, psychologists, dietitians, social workers, and speech pathologists you can.

They’ll show you how it’s done . Every step of the way.

LONGBOAT

Observer recommends …

surtax dollars. What’s more, at least there is a $400 million cap on the bonds that can be issued.

While we know governments like to spend and waste whatever money they can get, we’ll roll the dice that Sarasota County commissioners will do the right thing if given this bonding flexibility. We recommend: Yes.

county?

MATT WALSH

This week’s election recom mendations focus on the local charter amendments and questions.

SARASOTA COUNTY CHARTER

Continues funding for local improvements through renewal of one-cent sales tax; maintains citizen oversight committees

To improve public safety, protect water quality and the environment, reduce traffic congestion and fund projects relating to local schools, parks, libraries and other commu nity needs, should the current onecent sales tax, paid by visitors and residents, be continued through Dec. 31, 2039? The Citizen Tax Oversight Committees will continue to oversee all expenditures and a 4/5ths vote of the County Commission is required to modify county projects or alloca tions.

While we are seldom advocates for any tax, it would be antithetical to Sarasota’s quality of life to argue for the elimination of this one-cent infrastructure sales tax.

For one, voters first approved this tax in 1989 and extended it in 1997 and 2007. The county is addicted.

Second, the money must be used for infrastructure, not operating expenses. Third, 20% of the tax money comes from tourists and visitors. That’s a 20% discount for Sarasota County residents.

Fourth, the tax is expected to raise $2 billion during the next 15 years. Without this surtax, that money would likely be raised through higher property taxes. We recommend: Yes.

Accelerate community projects through issuance of voterapproved one-cent sales tax bonds

To reduce inflation costs and accel erate projects funded by one-cent sales tax proceeds, shall Sarasota County be authorized to issue bonds payable from such proceeds in a total principal amount not to exceed $400 million, maturing by Dec. 31, 2039, bearing interest not exceeding the maximum lawful rate, in addition to bonds issued within the limita tions of section 5.2D of the Charter? Bonds are dependent on approval of one-cent sales tax renewal above.

At times of high inflation, it can be advantageous to borrow. You can buy more with your money now than you can later as your dollars lose value.

And if you have a fixed interest rate lower than inflation, the effec tive real interest rate is negative.

We also know this: Interest rates will continue to rise. Likewise, recession will bring slow to no growth and rising unemployment.

This amendment would give Sarasota County flexibility to move now on the long list of infrastruc ture projects the county knows must be addressed and would allow the county to bond its debt at lower rates than what rates are likely to be in the future.

The thinking is that the county would be able to borrow at lower rates and keep the construction economy going during the recession by starting future projects sooner rather than wait for future sales revenues that will be worth less than today’s dollars.

But here’s one of the other risks: If the county issues bonds against future sales tax revenue for infra structure, taxpayers will have to trust county commissioners not to waste these infrastructure funds on stupid projects.

Sarasota County commission ers historically have been prudent stewards of the infrastructure

SARASOTA COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS

QUESTION 1: To amend section 7.1 charter petition procedures

Shall the Charter be revised to add requirements for a petition form, legal sufficiency review, fiscal impact statement, and a presentation to the Charter Review Board for all charter amendment petitions, as well as requiring 10% of registered voters from each district to sign the peti tion rather than 10% of registered voters countywide?

This proposed amendment presents a dilemma.

In one respect, it is well-intend ed. You can see it is designed to discourage wackadoos from pro posing dangerous and nutty ideas to change the county’s governing constitution.

So you can see that each of the proposed requirements for char ter amendment petitions actually would add safeguards and thresh olds for a charter amendment to be placed on the county ballot.

For example: Would the amend ment be legal if approved? How much will it cost taxpayers if adopt ed? And yes, it would be beneficial to have amendment proponents explain and vet their proposals at public hearings. As we know, too often the wording of state and local amendments is confusing. This year is no exception (see city charter amendments).

Likewise, you can also under stand requiring petition signatures to total 10% of voters from each of the County Commission districts. That would prevent a petitioner from gathering signatures only from one district that may be sym pathetic to his/her cause.

These are all sensible require ments. But when we apply our litmus test — does the amendment increase or decrease individual freedom? — it fails. These require ments will discourage residents and taxpayers from seeking changes to county government. If approved, this amendment actually gives more power to the entrenched gov ernment.

We recommend: No.

QUESTION 2: To avoid charter amendment conflicts with the constitution, general law or the charter.

Shall the charter be amended to clarify that proposed charter amendments shall not conflict with the Florida Constitution, general law or the charter?

This question falls into the “need less to say” category.

Common sense would say that any charter amendment that makes it to the ballot should not conflict with the U.S. or state constitutions, general law or the existing county charter. But often times in govern ment lingo, the obvious must be stated. People always find loop holes.

So don’t try to read more into this question that what it says. There aren’t nefarious motivations behind it. Charter Review Board member Richard Dorfman called it “a belt and braces” question — like the man who wears a belt and suspend ers for extra assurance with his trousers.

Although it is needless to say, for safety’s sake, it is worth saying.

We recommend: Yes

MANATE COUNTY QUESTION

Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions

Shall the Board of County Commis sioners of this county be authorized to grant, pursuant to Section 3, Article VII of the State Constitution, property tax exemptions to new businesses and expansions of exist ing businesses that are expected to create new, full-time jobs in the

This story never changes. Eco nomic development professionals always want to offer special perks to prospective and existing busi nesses. One argument is that this is necessary to stay competitive with everyone else — the sheep syn drome. Another is they swear the payback from the new or expanded business’ jobs far outweighs the meager subsidy.

Don’t buy any of that. Just the idea of extending tax breaks to a special few at the expense of every one else is distasteful — and wrong.

Instead of offering tax subsidies, local governments and economic development agencies should concentrate on creating an irresist ible business climate: low taxes, low regulation, low crime, good schools, smart labor force, great recreational opportunities.

Time and again, when business owners decide to relocate, all of the above characteristics are the primary incentives. Tax subsidies typically are jelly beans on top of the cake’s icing — rarely the decid ing factor to relocate or expand and not necessary to make the cake taste great. We recommend: No.

SARASOTA CITY AMENDMENTS

Charter Amendment: City Commissioners’ Annual Salary Amendment to provide that the annual salary paid to city com missioners may be increased to the full salary authorized by the Florida Statutes for a county in population group III, which would be $44,643.97. (Current annual salary paid to City Commissioners is twothirds of the full salary authorized by statute for population group III.)

If you think the pay for city or county commissioners has any effect on the quality of commis sioners who serve or the quality of government taxpayers receive, you might consider this:

In Los Angeles, city council members earn $224,000 a year; in Philadelphia, the pay ranges from $117,000 to $148,000. In Longboat Key, town commissioners earn $0.

And without a doubt, Longboat Key is the best of that bunch.

Of course, the above is not an apples-to-apples comparison. But the point is this: Raising the pay of elected officials is no guarantee taxpayers are going to get better government or attract better City Commission candidates.

Here is another way to look at it: “What is in it for me?” That’s what every taxpayer would want to know. What will be the benefit to taxpay ers by raising each commission ers’ pay $15,178 a year, or $75,890?

What problem would spending that additional $75,890 solve for taxpay ers? Less stress on commissioners so they can do a better job?

Whatever they might argue, sorry, it won’t be persuasive.

To be sure, that $75,890 is a snowflake in the city’s $252 million annual budget. But suffice it to say the cliché: Timing is everything.

With record inflation, recession and rising anger among taxpayers over what has occurred nationally over the past two years, this is not the time for city commissioners to be asking for a 51.5% increase in pay — no matter what the justification may be.

We recommend: No.

Charter Amendment: Surety bonds or insurance Amendment to allow the City Com mission the option to purchase insurance coverage to protect the city against dishonesty or theft on the part of the city manager; city auditor and clerk; city attorney, (if hired as a permanent city employ ee); and city director of financial ser vices as an alternative to the current requirement that these city officials be bonded in favor of the city with sureties authorized to do business in the state of Florida.

This proposed amendment is what you might call “inside baseball” or “in the weeds” of city operations. It has little effect on taxpayers.

But if adopted, it can and likely would result in better insurance coverage and costs for the city and taxpayers.

The city charter currently requires the city to purchase surety bonds (a form of insurance) annu ally to cover against losses from malfeasance and theft by the city officers enumerated above.

In addition, the city also pur chases a crime insurance policy that covers such acts involving the city staff. But according to the city’s human resources director, insurers typically don’t include city execu tives who are covered by surety bonds in their crime policies.

By modifying the charter lan guage to give the city an option to cover its executives under a crime policy, the city can forego the annu al surety bond procedure and wrap the entire city staff under its crime policy — a practice that is more common in municipal governments these days.

As we said: “inside baseball.” But it’s worth the change — for simplic ity and efficiency and, likely, cost. We recommend: Yes.

Charter Amendment: Charter Review Committee General

Recommendations

Amendment to provide that City Commission may change city boundaries consistent with law; to allow for digital posting of ordi nances and resolutions at City Hall; to remove reference to retention of ordinances in a book; and to update powers and duties of City Auditor and Clerk, including audit function, as provided in Ordinance 22-5419, including responsibility for access to public records and commission agenda preparation.

This amendment is prima facie evi dence of why all amendments to the state constitution and to city and county charters should be limited to one subject.

This amendment deals with four subjects. The first three make sense. The fourth is an amalgama tion of 10 changes in wording to the responsibilities of the city auditor and clerk. Most of them are insig nificant and acceptable. But the last and biggest — entitled “the Audit Function” — is a change that would no longer require the auditor to per form annual audits of city records and accounts.

Instead, the auditor’s duties “shall include … reviewing, inves tigating and evaluating systems of internal control to promote adequate safeguarding of assets, reliability of financial and operat ing information and compliance with laws and regulations.” And the auditor shall have the authority to audit.

Most voters don’t know the nuances to this proposal. What’s more, this change would lessen the watchdog duties of the city auditor.

Too bad the first three subjects are included with the fourth. They deserve adoption; the fourth does not.

We recommend: No.

Charter Amendment: Date of referendum on proposed charter amendments Amendment to require any refer endum on a proposed amendment to the City Charter to be held only on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of an even numbered year to coincide with the general election for federal, state, county, district and municipal elective offices. Amendment would prohibit a referendum on a proposed amendment to the City Charter to be held at a special election called for that purpose.

This amendment would require all future elections on city charter amendments to be held only when general elections occur every two years in even-numbered years. It would eliminate special elections on charter amendments.

City Commissioner Jen AhearnKoch opposed the amendment because she says it would restrict and reduce the city’s flexibility in terms of enacting an important future change quickly. But it also would prevent a dubious charter amendment pushed by a special interest group from being voted on in a special election, which histori cally attract the fewest number of voters.

We recommend: Yes.

Next week: The candidates.

Friedrich Hayek

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Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles 1970 Main St. Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

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

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

to assist Sarasota Police Depart ment in responding to a report of someone clinging to a barrel floating in Sarasota Bay, as described by someone in the Harbor Acres community. Before the Longboat Key officer could arrive at the scene, it was determined that the barrel/castaway combination was actually a manatee.

SATURDAY, OCT. 8

EASY IN 12:05 a.m., 6800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Unsecured premises: An officer routinely checking the security of businesses found the front door to one location unlocked. After check ing inside, the officer ascertained that no one was inside and there were no signs of forced entry. The owner was notified of the officer’s nocturnal findings.

SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS

2:49 p.m., 3400 block of Fair Oaks Lane

Citizen dispute: An intoxicated person at a gathering after the death of a friend and family member was reported to have gotten into an argument with others. An officer ar rived and spoke to a third party, who explained the situation. The intoxi cated person and others involved agreed to leave the scene.

SUNDAY, OCT. 9

HEADING OUT

3:43 p.m., 2300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: Police agreed to stand by while a woman arrived at a family member’s home to gather belongings before leaving. The officer did so and left when the woman was finished loading her vehicle.

MONDAY, OCT. 10 AWWWW ...

1:54 a.m., 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

to care for an injured hawk. Together, they lifted the animal from the caller’s front yard into a box. The officer then transported the bird to Save our Seabirds on City Island for examina tion and treatment.

UP-LIFTING

5:32 p.m., 3600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Fire assist: Police and fire-rescue personnel came to a residential building on a report of an occupied and stuck elevator. Fire-rescue teams were able to rescue the eleva tor rider without harm.

Suspicious vehicle: An officer moved in to investigate when he saw a vehicle in the wee hours of the morning pull into a public beach access spot after established hours. The officer learned from the man, a Manatee County resident in his early 30s, that he and his girlfriend simply wanted to visit the site of their first date. While cooperative, the man was also checked for wants and warrants through a national crime database (something that surely didn’t happen on that first date at the beach). The two left the beach area without incident.

WELL-ANCHORED (NOW)

2:58 p.m., near Sister Keys

Abandoned boat: The town’s ma

rine patrol officer was flagged down by another boater and informed about a vessel that had come loose from its anchor and was drifting around the heavily traveled Intra coastal Waterway. The officer and the boater were able to guide the vessel to a safe spot and securely anchored it. The boat’s owner was advised of the situation and told where to find his boat. The owner said he would check on the vessel the next day.

NO PLACE TO PARK

7:29 p.m., 5400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic hazard: Police cited the driver of a car-hauling truck that parked in the highway’s center-turn lane to deliver a client’s vehicle.

TUESDAY, OCT. 11

FOUND IT

8:35 a.m., Linley Street boat ramp

Boating call: The town’s marine patrol officer was alerted to police intelligence regarding a missing sailboat. In speaking with a source, the officer learned the missing boat was anchored nearby, though most of its identifying marks and numbers had been faded by the sun. The officer was able to identify the vessel and advised Manatee County authorities that he had confirmed the boat’s location. The officer spoke with the boat’s owner and asked that he make contact with police if he is in the area soon.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS 11:30 a.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic hazard: A caller to po lice complained that the line of hurricane-debris collection trucks was obscuring her view of oncom ing traffic as she attempted to pull out of a side street. By the time the officer arrived, the line of big trucks had shifted and alleviated the vision problem.

UNDERWATER 3:09 p.m., Greer Island

Abandoned vessel: Police found a mostly submerged and heavily deteriorated boat near Greer Island, potentially creating a hazard to boats that actually still float. The vessel was towed toward land and out of the way. Attempts to locate

the owner of the vessel, registered to a man in Naples, were unsuccessful. The boat was not listed as stolen in a statewide crime database. The owner of the land to which the boat was towed was apprised of the situation.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12

WHOLLY APPROPRIATE SOLUTION

8:40 p.m., 3800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Traffic hazard: An officer used a collection of traffic cones he found nearby to mark the location of a manhole cover that had popped out of its spot as a warning to nighttime drivers. A member of the Public Works Department team said the situation would be addressed.

THURSDAY, OCT. 13

YOUR PAPERS ARE IN ORDER

11 a.m., police headquarters

DMV number inspection: A man who had just driven to Longboat Key from a mid-Atlantic state sought police help in verifying his vehicle’s identification number to facilitate registration in Florida. With no wants or warrants associated with the car, the officer stamped the man’s paperwork as OK.

UNLOCKED

10:22 p.m., 500 block of Cedar Street

Unsecured premises: An officer on routine patrol, performing security checks on businesses, found a door unlocked and went inside to make sure all was well. It was. The officer locked up and left a business card with a case number in the mailbox.

MORE COPS CORNER

Cops Corner is a weekly look at some of the calls handled by the Longboat Key Police Department. For more Cops Corner, hover your smartphone over the QR code and click on the link when instruction.

Key dogs genuinely love artificial turf park

The park’s reopening date was pushed back by Hurricane Ian preparation and recovery.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Tails are wagging again at Longboat Key’s Bayfront Park.

The newly artificially turfed large dog enclosure reopened Thursday, Oct. 13, after Hurricane Ian forced the date to be pushed back as the town shifted efforts to priori tizing preparing for and recovering from the storm.

“I think it’s fantastic,” dog owner Julia Woodward said. “It’s great that they left some natural grass in the back area.”

Thursday was the first time at the park for Woodward and her two dogs, Bella and Briggs, since leaving town in the spring. The dogs are frequent visitors of the park, with Woodward typically taking them twice daily, in the morning and late afternoon.

“We kept driving by looking to see if it had opened yet,” Woodward said.

The two-park area split between large and small dogs closed in late August and was originally slated to open back up to dogs and their owners on Sept. 23.

The turf installation comes after a donation from Longboat Key resident Irene Hess totaling about $123,000.

The Longboat Key Town Commission accepted the donation from Hess and the Paul Klingenstein Family Foundation through the town’s Rotary Club Charitable fund.

Hess is a frequent visitor of the dog park with her dog, Georgie Girl. Klingenstein, Hess’ father, was a Longboat Key resident before he died, a found of Temple Beth Israel and a generous philanthropist.

The donation paid for the removal of faltering sod on three-quarters of the park’s large dog enclosure. The remaining quarter has been kept natural.

In additon to the $123,000, Paul Klingenstein Family Foundation donated $2,000 for further dog park renovations.

With the help of more money col lected by Rotary, 18 chairs were pur chased for the park, in addition to a new dog water fountain.

The update to the large dog side of the park came after continued complaints from dog owners were brought to the town. Complaints centered on the sod causing dirty paws and coats. Resodding was com pleted in the summer of 2021, but was needed again after a busy season in winter 2021.

“They used to get really dirty and muddy, especially in the winter,” Woodward said.

While the small dog park did not have the same turf installed, the enclosure closed with the large dog side for general maintenance.

Photos by Lauren Tronstad

Briggs is enjoying his first day back at Bayfront Park’s dog park.

Tiger runs on the new artificial turf at Bayfront Park dog park Thursday.

Putting event gets pop from the pros

PopStroke founder Greg Bartoli explains why the event was conceived and the impact that bringing Rickie Fowler and Paula Creamer to the event will have.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

It’s a common refrain from sports fans watching professional com petitions on TV.

“Even I could do better than that.”

Area putting aficionados have a chance to put that refrain to the test.

PopStroke, a putting, eating and drinking venue founded in 2018 by Greg Bartoli and Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures, opened its University Town Center location in April. From Oct. 26 to Oct. 28, the location will be home to the inaugural PopStroke Tour Championship, a putting com petition sponsored by TaylorMade.

The event will have two competi tions, a Team Championship (two players per team) and a Stroke Play

(individual) Championship. Com bined, the competitions are expected to bring approximately 500 partici pants to the UTC location.

Both competitions will feature four rounds of 18 holes, with cuts after the second round, just like a PGA Tour event. The team competition has a purse of $100,000, with the winners splitting $20,000; and the individual competition has a purse of $25,000, with the winner getting $5,000.

There’s another difference between the two competitions, too. On Oct. 28, the winners of the team competition will get to play against professional golfers Rickie Fowler and Paula Creamer in the “$25K Showdown,” a single 18-hole round of putting that will see the winners take all the cash.

The showdown will air Nov. 20 on the Bally Sports family of regional networks as well as on Golf Chan nel. Fowler has won five career PGA Tour events and has finished second at a major tournament three times.

Creamer has won 10 LPGA events, including the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. Both golfers are sponsored by TaylorMade, which connected the golfers to the event.

Bartoli said having Fowler and Creamer participate in the inaugu

ral PTC validates the event, giving it instant credibility within the golf world. Bartoli said he is thankful to TaylorMade for helping make it hap pen.

PopStroke director of marketing Melissa Sullivan said people inter ested in watching the showdown, but not playing, will be able to enter the venue “for a small fee.” That fee is still to be determined as of Oct. 15. In addition, Bartoli said only the Tiger Red course will be occupied during the PTC. The rest of the PopStroke venue will operate as normal, includ ing the Tiger Black (family friendly) course, so nonparticipants can play a round on that course and order food and drinks before watching the $25K Showdown if they wish.

Parking at PopStroke will be free. Sullivan said the parking lots at Dil lard’s and other surrounding stores will be used as overflow locations if the PopStroke lot becomes full.

Bartoli said the PTC was born out of PopStroke’s unique vision.

“This is what PopStroke is all about,” Bartoli said. “We’re bring ing people together in a competi tive, dynamic environment around the game of golf, regardless of age or skill level or background. Putting is a great equalizer. It’s not intimidating. A lot of people can do it successfully. Just because a Tour pro can hit the ball 350 yard down the center of the fairway, it doesn’t necessarily mean they can putt better than a local golf er who happens to be a great putter. Bringing the two together, it’s going to be interesting.”

It is the “Pros vs. Joes” dynamic of the event that Bartoli said drew

interest from the television net works. Bartoli said golf is a unique sport in the way amateurs can com pete with professionals if they have a good day. It’s different than sports like baseball, where the average per son cannot hit a curveball, or bas ketball, where the sheer athleticism of the professional athletes will win out. Bartoli said he and the networks believe plenty of golf fans will want to see how the amateurs fare in the 25K Showdown.

The PTC could have been held at any of PopStroke’s three other loca tions — Orlando, Port St. Lucie and Fort Myers — but Bartoli said the UTC location was selected to host because it is the largest and the only one to feature an upstairs section, which will provide a great view to watch the competition and provide plenty of space for the TV crews to operate. Bartoli said the region’s love of golf didn’t hurt, either.

Entry into the PTC’s Team Cham pionship competition costs $500. Entry into the PTC’s Stroke Play (individual) Championship costs $250. Registration for both events closes at 5 p.m. Oct. 24. Visit Pop Stroke.com for more information or to register.

IF YOU GO POPSTROKE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

When: Oct. 26-28

Where: PopStroke Sarasota (University Town Center)

How it works: The event will have two competitions, a Team Championship competition (two players per team) and a Stroke Play (individual) Championship competition. Both competitions will feature four rounds of 18 holes.

Prizes: The team competition has a purse of $100,000 with the winners splitting $20,000; the individual competition has a purse of $25,000, with the winner getting $5,000.

Bonus: The winners of the Team Championship will play Rickie Fowler and Paula Creamer Oct. 28 in the $25K Showdown, which will be taped and air on Bally Sports regional networks on Nov. 20.

Registration: The Team Championship competition costs $500, while the Stroke Play (individual) Championship costs $250. Visit PopStroke. com to register.

join us

File photo

PopStroke founder Greg Bartoli said the Sarasota location was chosen to host the inaugural PopStroke Tour Championship because of its two-story size as well as the community’s love of golf.

Rickie Fowler, who has won five career PGA Tour events, will team with Paula Creamer to form the Tour Pro Team in the $25K Showdown, the final competition of the PopStroke Tour Championship.

Courtesy photos

Paula Creamer, who won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, will team with Rickie Fowler to form the Tour Pro Team in the $25K Showdown, the final competition of the PopStroke Tour Championship.

Bringing influencers from the world stage to our stage in Sarasota

BAY

OAK STREET

YOUR NEIGHBORS

A MASTER OF DYLAN

Chasing ‘Infidels’

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

When term limits prompted former Longboat Key Com missioner and Mayor Terry Gans to find another way to spend his time in 2018, he told the Longboat Observer he wasn’t sure what he’d do next, but he knew what he wasn’t going to do.

“Things, they come organically. It’ll be fine. I’m not going to haunt commission meetings. I’m not going to go on the Planning and Zoning Board,” he said.

“The research started when the album came out without any intent of writing a book,” Gans said. “It was a departure from what had come before, both lyrically, musically and theme-wise.”

When the album was released in 1983, a series of leaked outtakes further piqued Gans interest in “Infidels.”

“I thought this would be a good subject because I’ve always been interested about what choices were made and how it evolved,” he said.

“I didn’t have any intent of writing a book, but as I got more and more information, I felt there was more and more of a story to tell.”

THE REVIEWS ARE IN

Terry Gans, a former grocery chain marketing executive, wrote his Master’s thesis on Bob Dylan. The thesis was published in 1982, making Gans a published author. He was paid for 200 copies.

MEET

THE AUTHORS

Who: Terry Gans, Dr. Joy S. Pedersen, Frank J. Young, Joel Shulkin, MD, Glenn Erick Miller, R.C. Chizhov, Susan and Ann Anderson, Kerry Kriseman, Lucy Tobias, Marilyn Howard, Meredith Ritchie, Michael Lortz and Monica Medina.

What: A free public event to meet local authors. Purchas ing books is optional.

Where: Bookstore1, 117 S. Pineapple Ave. When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22

By January 2019, Gans, 76, had already found a new haunt far from Longboat Key: The Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He called it a confluence that his term in public office was up at nearly the same time the center opened.

The public can view a Bob Dylan exhibit at the center, but only quali fied researchers are permitted to visit the archives to look at draft lyrics and listen to rare recordings. Gans, one of those qualified researchers, recei eved approval and began traveling back and forth to Tulsa to research the iconic musician’s album, “Infi dels.”

His research led to a book called “Surviving in a Ruthless World: Bob Dylan’s Voyage to Infidels.” He and his book are being featured at a book fair sponsored by Bookstore1 in Sarasota on Saturday.

While the book details each track on the album, it also delves into the inspiration of the whole. Gans didn’t speak to the man himself while writ ing, but he did track down and inter view the man who built the Water Pearl, Dylan’s schooner.

“I think the development of that album was partially inspired by the time he spent floating on the boat in the Caribbean,” Gans said, “Not totally, but there was some influence there.”

Which led Gans to subtitle the book “Bob Dylan’s Voyage to Infi dels.” “Surviving in a Ruthless World” was rumored to be the work ing title of the album.

During his research, Gans found a piece of paper from the St. Regis Hotel in New York to back up that tidbit. Dylan had sketched out what the back cover of the album should look like and hand wrote, “Surviving in a Ruthless World.”

A couple other tidbits Gans research dug up —the first song on the album, “Jokerman,” has 14 itera

Terry Gans’ book is listed on Ama zon with 4.5 stars. Many of those reviewing it say it’s a deep and thoroughly researched piece they enjoyed reading. Here is a sample: It was a very well-researched labor of love for the author. Always loved “Infidels” and most of Dylan’s other works as well. He basically breaks it down minute by minute for the studio work. However, one complaint — and I don’t think it was the author’s fault: Dylan always has like 20 sets of lyrics for every song and constantly changes them. He quotes only a little from the alternate lyrics, but I wanted to see them at length, that would have been fascinating for a Dylanophile.

But I think he explained he couldn’t do that for legal reasons. Still a worthwhile book for the Dylan lov ers out there.

n n n

I’m not really a huge Dylan fan but love music and books about musi cians. In all honesty, this was clearly one of the best books that I have written, which captures the essence of the writer, singer and musical genius of one of the icons of our time. Whether you are a Dylan fan or not, this book should be on your must read list.

n n n

Easily one of the best Dylan books I’ve read. Not only is it full of great information but is also well written.

tions, and Dylan has terrible hand writing. Deciphering it was one of Gans’ most difficult tasks.

“That was always a wonderful moment when you figured out exactly what it said,” Gans said. “But

I’d say the big thing I got out of the time in the archives is the ceaseless dedication to craft this guy has.” Gans book is available locally at Bookstore1 or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.

Terry Gans will be appearing at a local author book fair on Oct. 22.

Courtesy photos

Bob Dylan’s 1983 album “Infidels’’ piqued Terry Gans’ interest, leading to deeper research and then a book.

Discuss “Surviving in a Ruthless World: Bob Dylan’s Voyage to Infidels” with Terry Gans on Oct. 22 at Bookstore1.

PODS filled for hurricane relief

Agenerous-turned-grand effort among a trio of Longboat Key residents looked like a big white storage container in the Bay Isles Publix parking lot last week.

But it was far more.

The container was filled with supplies for North Port residents still struggling after Hurricane Ian, and the PODS unit will be returning for a second round of donations.

“Dr. O’Neil came to me with the idea, and I supported it,” Dr. James Reed said, “But he was the mastermind.”

But Dr. Michael O’Neil gives all the credit to his patient, Susan Phillips, who is also assistant to the Town Manager. He said the idea was to make it convenient for people to donate by putting the container outside of Publix, but all he had to do was call Phillips.

And according to Phillips, “Dr. O’Neil and Dr. Reed get all the credit for this wonderful mission. They came up with this idea, paid for the pods and delivery to North Port.”

The doctors split the cost, and Phillips found volunteers and coor

dinated with Janet Carrillo, Social Services Manager for the city of North Port. A list of needed and unneeded items was compiled and distributed.

Unneeded items were clothes, shoes and peanut butter. Linens, batteries, laundry detergent and instant coffee were among items on the needed list.

Getting the container filled to the brim with list items took a lot more than three people. Fanny Younger stepped up to manage and schedule volunteers during the donation hours, and it seems the rest of Longboat Key showed up to donate.

As if a fairy godmother waved a magic wand, nearly 10,000 pounds of supplies and more than $5,000 worth of gift cards filled the container in fewer than two days. It was delivered to North Port, and its contents are being distributed to city employees.

“I reached out to my counterparts in North Port who are still coping with record flooding, water and power outages, and recovery efforts,” Phillips said.

City employees are struggling

at home with the same issues they’re assisting residents with at work. New bedding, socks and underwear were added to the list because so many employees are without water.

“We are very appreciative to both doctors spearheading all the donation efforts,” Carrillo said, “We are humbled.”

The effort was so successful, the doctors tried to order a second container from PODS, but because the demand is so high since Ian, there’s a shortage. The original POD is under Dr. O’Neil’s name for a month, so he’s working on hav ing the same one delivered back to Publix.

He’s put in the requests but hasn’t gotten confirmation on a pickup or delivery date yet. The responses have been a “when we get to it type of thing,” O’Neil said.

In the meantime, the customer service desk in Publix is still collecting gift cards.

“We live in a generous and amazing community,” said Phillips.

—LESLEY DWYER

MONICA VERINDER, REALTOR

JANIS S. KELLY MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

OPENER SPONSORS

A ROCKIN ’80S DANCE PARTY UNDER THE STARS ON THE ROOFTOP OF SMH-SARASOTA WEST PARKING GARAGE

BENEFITTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES AT OUR HEALTH SYSTEM AND THE SMH EMPLOYEE HURRICANE RELIEF FUND

Susan Phillips and Dr. James Reed

Lauren Tronstad

Courtesy photos

Patty O’Neil and Fanny Younger accept donations at the POD.

Dr. Michael O’Neil in front of the POD in the Publix parking lot on Bay Isles Road.

Save Our Seabirds rebuilds after Hurricane Ian

Without insurance to cover the damaged aviaries, Save Our Seabirds is raising $125,000 themselves.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

t’s hard enough to fully insure a house in Florida.

Try insuring an old bird cage.

Turns out it’s next to impossi ble, and it left Save Our Seabirds with

a $125,000 dilemma after Hurricane Ian. High winds toppled three tall ficus trees, which, in turn, destroyed the two largest bird enclosures.

Thankfully, no birds were inside to escape.

The bird rescue and sanctuary located on City Island carries insur ance on the main building, which houses the administrative offices and animal hospital. However, SOS cannot secure insurance on the out door aviaries. So they’ve been raising money to rebuild on their own.

CEO Aaron Virgin said the aviaries are uninsurable because of their age

and how they were built.

“We’ve got stuff that goes back to Pelican Man days, so they were built in ’88 or ’89,” he said of the facil ity’s predecessor, founded by Dave Shields.

Most of the birds were moved inside when the barrier islands were ordered to evacuate the Tuesday before Ian was expected to make landfall. Flocks of pelicans stayed in their outdoor enclosures, but 92 parrots and various other species of birds were moved inside the hospital.

Boards on the pelican enclosures were reinforced with extra screws

and a heavy dose of precaution. If a storm surge came through, the waterbirds weren’t in danger because they can float.

After two days of sheltering inside, Virgin described the smell when opening the door as simply “the worst,” but every bird housed by SOS made it through Ian safe and sound.

It was their habitats that took the hit. Not only is insurance not covering the damage, the space is so cramped, it makes repairs and the tree removal difficult and costly.

The aviary with the worst damage is surrounded by smaller aviaries. The ficus had grown up through its mesh ceiling. When the tree fell, it pulled the mesh down with it.

The walkways getting to that tree were too narrow to get any kind of equipment through. But because SOS had already been raising money for a capital campaign to replace all the outdated aviaries, they demolished one early to get a lift and skid steer to the downed tree.

The ficus trees had been a hot topic over capital campaign discussions. While the overwhelming preference was to get rid of them, they provided a shade canopy for the birds and were accurately deemed extremely expensive to remove.

“The decision was made. They’re gone,” Virgin said. “We were going to do the other aviaries first, but now everything just changed.”

SOS had hoped to reopen to the public last week, but managers couldn’t get a tree company out to the property until this week. They did what they could between 30 volunteers and a couple of chainsaws to clear the bulk of the debris themselves.

Aside from the ficus trees, the facility held up well. There was no damage to the building.

Three weeks later, they’re $8,620 shy of their $125,000 goal.

The Rebuild SOS fund raised $26,447 through an online campaign, $64,933 through offline donations and a donor who earmarked $25,000 for the capital campaign called to say that money could be used for the rebuild instead.

SOS is pushing to reopen to the public this week. While they don’t charge admission fees, donations are accepted at a kiosk at the front entrance to help cover operational expenses.

YOUR HOME DESERVES Hunter Douglas!

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

The CEO’s dad, Dennis Virgin, helps clean up the facility following Hurricane Ian.

Save Our Seabirds is closed temporarily while removing three trees that fell during Hurricane Ian.

“We’ve got stuff that goes back to Pelican Man days, so they were built in ’88 or ’89.”

— Aaron Virgin

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21

OKTOBERFEST

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Pick Hall, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. St. Mary Star of the Sea is hosting an Oktoberfest. Eric Zawalich will provide German music with his accordion. Tickets are $45. Call 3831255 for information.

CLAWS FOR A CAUSE 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Whitney Plaza, 6840 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The Maine Line food truck will serve lobster in the parking lot, and select plaza merchants will donate 10% of their day’s proceeds to the Rotary Club. Call 387-9807 for information.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS 9-11 a.m. at the Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Have your pet blessed by the Rev. Brock Patterson. Call 383-6491 for information.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25

BUSINESS, BATS & BOOS 5-6:30 p.m. at La Norma Ristorante & Pizzeria, 5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive, #104. The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is networking in costumes. Prizes go to the funniest, scariest and most original. $15 for members, $20 for guests. Call 383-2466 for information.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP 4-6 p.m. at Driftwood Beach Home & Garden, 6838 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Stephanie Troxler will walk participants through a watercolor painting project to take home. Supplies and refreshments are included. The cost is $60. To reserve a seat, call 960-0568.

RECURRING EVENTS

MONDAYS STRETCH & STRENGTHEN

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

THINKING OUT LOUD: TIMELY TOPICS WITH MIKE KARP

From 1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Topics will include U.S. and world current affairs, popular culture and topics relevant to seniors. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE

The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to noon at 6140 GMD. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.

TUESDAYS QI GONG

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Qi gong is a mind-body-spirit practice designed to improve mental and physical health. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MAH JONGG

From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Fun time for experienced players. To check availability at the tables, email MaryAnnBrady@TheParadiseCenter. org.

ROTARY CLUB Meets at 5 p.m. on first and third Tuesdays in All Angles Parish Hall, 563 Bay Isles Road. To learn more, call Nancy Rozance at 203-605-4066 or email Info@ LongboatKeyRotary.org.

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY BREATH BALANCE AND BLISS YOGA

From 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Call 361-6411 ext. 2212.

TUESDAY AND FRIDAY LONGBOAT LIBRARY

The Longboat Library is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays at 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 383-2011 for information.

WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

THURSDAYS KIWANIS CLUB OF LONGBOAT KEY

At 8:30 a.m. at Lazy Lobster, 5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This service organization meets every first and third Thursday of the month for breakfast and a speaker. Breakfast is $10. Email Lynn Larson at LynnLar son@comcast.net to register.

ST. ARMANDS KEY LUTHERAN CHURCH BRIDGE CLUB

Every Thursday beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive, join an ACBL-sanctioned game of contract bridge with a certified teacher. All skill levels are welcome. There is an $8 suggested donation for each ses sion. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP to 952-9251.

ZUMBA AND MAT PILATES FOR SENIORS

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. The class, designed for active seniors, starts with zumba and shifts to alllevel mat Pilates at 10:30 a.m. Come for 30 minutes or the full hour. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

FRIDAYS

QI GONG AND MEDITATION

From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road, take qi gong and meditation with Sandi Love. Free for members, $10 for nonmembers. Call 383-6493.

INTERMEDIATE TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Reuben Fernandez teaches the class outdoors, weather permitting. Free for members, $10 for nonmembers. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER 9:30 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Walk or run a three-mile loop for breast cancer awareness. Donations are welcome. Call 383-6493 for information.

photo

IN 2022

VIZCAYA

2333 GULF OF MEXICO DR., #1C2 LONGBOAT KEY, FL $4,745,000

Sweeping views of the tropical grounds, pool, the Gulf of Mexico and sunsets from the wraparound terrace of this luxurious and sprawling 4BR/4.5BA residence with a separate guest suite, 2-car garage, and private elevator.

EMERALD POINTE SOUTH

1906 HARBOUR LINKS CIRCLE LONGBOAT KEY, FL $1,495,000

Completely updated 3BR/3.5BA courtyard residence featuring a separate casita. The kitchen is spectacular, and open to the expansive living room, with a full wall of sliders leading out to a screened lanai and private pool.

GRAND BAY III

3030 GRAND BAY BLVD. #316 LONGBOAT KEY, FL $2,895,000

Breathtaking panorama of the Harbourside golf course, the city skyline, Sarasota Bay and the Longboat Key Moorings serve as the dramatic backdrop from most rooms of this spacious 3BR/3BA, 2,925+/- sq. ft. residence.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION 2945 PYRULA DRIVE LONGBOAT KEY, FL $3,345,000

Exceptional quality, untouched refinement, 2-story, 5BR/5BA, 3,815 sq. ft. residence. Features abound, including a separate inlaw suite and large 3-car garage. Expansive outdoor area with heated pool and spa.

JUST REDUCED

TWO NEW HOMES TO BE BUILT 2315 WEBBER STREET SARASOTA, FL $1,795,000

The Laurel Oak model is a 4BR/5.5BA, 3,250+/- sq.-ft. contemporary-style residence by Vertical Design+Build, professionally designed for leisurely entertaining and elegant living. Private gate entrance, 20,000+sq. ft. lot and everything in between.

Sanctuary condo unit sells for $2.7 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Acondominium in Sanctuary at Longboat Key Club tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Jennifer Potts, Patrice Blair, R. Michele Blair and Daniel Blair, of Russell, Pennsylvania, sold their Unit A-301 condominium at 535 Sanctuary Drive to Peter Farrell and Emily Wyrick-Farrell, of Knoxville, Tennessee, for $2.7 million. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,115 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 1990.

THE PIERRE Martin Cohen, trustee, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sold the Unit 606 condominium at 455 Longboat Club Road to Susanne Klingenstein and Eugenia Gerstein, trustees, of Newton, Massachusetts, for $2.6 million. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,470 square feet of living area. It sold for $413,400 in 1991.

LONGBOAT KEY TOWERS

Stephen and Robin Almond, of Suwanee, Georgia, sold their Unit S-302 condominium at 601 Longboat Club Road to A&T Capital LLC for $1,625,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,458 square feet of living area. It sold for $651,000 in 2009.

BEACHPLACE

Richard and Jody Wilcox, of

Mendon, Vermont, sold their Unit 301 condominium at 1055 Gulf of Mexico Drive to LBK Sunset LLC for $1.35 million. Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,172 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,069,000 in 2005.

LIDO BEACH CLUB Michael Yeager LLC sold the Unit 1105 condominium at 1212 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Heather Brown, of Evanston, Illinois, for $666,000. Built in 1974, it has one bedroom, one bath and 1,116 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in July.

TURTLE CRAWL

James and Susan Davis, of Sarasota, sold their Unit T-304 condominium at 4235 Gulf of Mexico Drive to GCWLBK LLC for $650,000. Built in 1973, it has one bedroom, one bath and 720 square feet of living area. It sold for $412,000 in 2021.

CEDARS EAST Cunnick Carl Phillips and Louise Jane Davies, of Wales, sold their

Unit 21 condominium at 535 Forest Way to Osprey’s Nest LBK LLC for $645,000. Built in 1990, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2018.

LIDO SHORES

John David Hessling and Susan Hessling, Andy Middeke and Brooke Nicole Middeke, of Wildwood, Missouri, sold their Unit 202 condominium at 350 S. Polk Drive to Rachel Hadar, trustee, of Sarasota, for $580,000. Built in 1977, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,036 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in 2021.

SEA HORSE BEACH RESORT

William Todd Miller and Roberta

Miller, of Allen Park, Michigan, sold their Unit 238 condominium at 3453 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Rebecca Pilipow and Rachelle Neck, of Fruitland Park, for $500,000. Built in 1960, it has one bedroom, one bath and 616 square feet of living area. It sold for $367,000 in 2019.

KINGSTON ARMS

Ilse Schmitt, trustee, sold the Unit 18-B condominium at 500 S. Washington Drive to Paxton Orndorff II and Marisol Garcia Rosa, of Haymarket, Virginia, for $350,000. Built in 1963, it has one bedroom, one bath and 770 square feet of living area. It sold for $112,000 in 1999.

In with the new

File photo

Construction of Sanctuary at Longboat Key Club began in 1989.

Key Planning and Zoning

10 Days of celebration

First phase of Sarasota’s Bay Park opens with more than a week of food, fun.

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

Sarasota natives Sura and Harry Kochman have always felt like there was some missing potential to the general area around the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

“People used to come to the municipal auditorium and shuffleboard courts, but that was it,” Sura Kochman said. “It was almost wasting this beautiful area.”

After years upon years of planning, construction and effort from a variety of Sarasota organizations, that’s looking to change.

The Bay Park — which has more than 15 acres of green space, kayak tours through mangrove tunnels, a new space for children, a sunsetviewing area, and more — had its official opening on Oct. 14. The Bay Park Conservancy, DreamLarge and other groups have worked together to host a “10 Days on the Bay” event series in celebration of that opening that includes more than 90 activities throughout the schedule.

The series has been planned out since earlier this year.

“We wanted to do a 10-day opening rather than a ribbon cutting to give everyone a chance to visit this park,” said Bay Park Conservancy Founding CEO A.G. Lafley.

So far that’s included a multi cultural food festival, kayak tours, fun runs and music performances from Bradenton’s We The Kings and Eagles tribute band The Long Run.

The Kochmans spent their week end admiring the new area, checking out the food festival and later resting in the shade watching the sun set.

“They’ve done a marvelous job,” Kochman said. “It’s very eco friendly and family theory.”

Some newcomers spent the week end enjoying the new space as well. Lucas and Marta Storarczyk recent

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Here are some highlights in the coming days, go to The Bay website for the full schedule.

MONDAY, OCT. 17

n Ride & Paddle Kayak Rent als: through 3 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCT. 18

n Namaste At The Bay: 8-10 a.m.

n Ride & Paddle Kayak Rent als: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

n Namaste At The Bay: 8-10 a.m.

n Ride & Paddle Kayak Rent als: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 20

n RADD Night at the Bay: 5-9 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCT. 21

n Boo! At The Bay: 6-10 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 22

n Multicultural Day at the Bay 12:30 - 7 p.m.

n Astronomy at the Bay: 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

n Parktoberfest at the Bay: 12-5 p.m.

n Etana, Jah Movement & Ariella concert: 6-9:30 p.m.

ly moved with their three children to Sarasota from Poland for a work contract and spent their first week end on the Gulf Coast taking in the sights at the park.

“It’s such a cool place for children,” Storarczyk said. “We’re just in love,”

As for Bay Park Conservancy staff and volunteers, there’s still more work to do.

“We should be physically tired but we’re not, we’re running on adrenaline,” Lafley said. “Monday morning we’ll be tired.”

Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Barry Jacobs and Dr. Julia Mayer, AARP Authors and love and relationship experts, will lead

discussion about

most critical

Photos by Harry Sayer

The park is already being used as a sunset yoga spot.

The We The Kings band rocks out well into the night.

The park recently had its grand opening.

Lucas, Marta, Michael and Nina Storarczyk relaxed with Sura and Harry Kochman

FORECAST

FRIDAY, OCT 21

High: 75 Low: 63

Chance of rain: 0%

SATURDAY, OCT. 22 High: 80 Low: 67 Chance of rain: 11%

SUNDAY, OCT. 23 High: 81 Low: 68 Chance of rain: 16%

TIDES

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset Thursday, Oct. 20 7:33a 6:56p Friday, Oct. 21 7:34a 6:55p Saturday, Oct. 22 7:34a 6:55p Sunday, Oct. 23 7:35a 6:54p Monday, Oct. 24 7:36a 6:53p Tuesday, Oct. 25 7:36a 6:52p Wednesday, Oct. 26 7:37a 6:51p Oct. 31 First Oct. 25 New Nov. 8 Full Nov.

MOON PHASES

Highs Lows

Thursday, Oct. 20 8:58a 10:54p 3:52a 4:42p

Friday, Oct. 21 10:03a 11:04p 4:43a 5:17p

Saturday, Oct. 22 10:56a 11:15p 5:24a 5:46p

Sunday, Oct. 23 11:45a 11:27p 6:02a 6:12p

Monday, Oct. 24 12:33p 11:43p 6:39a 6:34p Tuesday, Oct. 25 1:21p 7:18a 6:55p Wednesday, Oct. 6 12:04a 2:14p 7:59a 7:13p

celebrity

ECHO CHAMBER by Paul Coulter. Edited by David Steinberg

By Luis Campos

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