Longboat Observer 9.29.22

TIME TO GO

Local shell-ebrity

Wesley and Donna Dye from Birmingham, Alabama were thrilled to meet Longboat Key’s local shell-ebrity Sheila Loccisano. Loccisano’s Instagram page, filled with Longboat Key shells and sunsets, makes people from all over the country want to visit this island.

Wesley’s mom, Donna, is battling cancer and especially loves Loccisano’s posts when she lines her hands with shells, so Wesley tracked Loccisano down on the beach last week and asked if she’d be willing to meet his mom.

Donna wasn’t feeling well enough for the beach, but Loccisano was happy to oblige. She stopped by the Sandpiper Inn a few hours before they were headed back to Alabama and dropped off a handful of shells.

With a calm and orderly sense of purpose earned from multiple tangles with tropical weather over the years, Longboat Key residents went about their business this week preparing to evacuate for Hurricane Ian, perhaps the most threatening weather forecast to reach town in decades.

Budget vote delayed

Tuesday afternoon’s Town Commission workshop meeting and Tuesday evening’s final public hearing on the town’s budget will have to wait until Hurricane Ian passes.

Ordinarily, local budgets must be passed by the end of September to take effect when the new fiscal year begins in October.

In this case, though, town leaders plan to re-gather at 5:01 p.m., Oct. 3 in Town Hall.

And, if you want confirm as you evacuate town, there’s a notice on the front door saying so.

On Tuesday, forecasters said Ian would blast up the coast from Cuba with torrential rain, storm surge and damaging winds on its way to a landfall

possibly in Sarasota County near Venice. Whether they were filling sandbags for themselves (or others) or working around their homes, residents prepared without panic as Sarasota and Manatee counties both ordered evacuations on Monday. Meanwhile, town leaders urged residents to heed those warnings and orders to leave.

Photo courtesy of Sheila Loccisano

Longboat Key’s

newspaper since 1978

Emily Walsh

The shoreline was deserted near Beachplace on Tuesday morning, with only one chair visible in the sand.

Lauren Tronstad

Jamison Urch practices breaking out of hurricane windows during a department training.

Arms race.

Hurricane Ian’s threat to the island prompts order to head to the mainland.

LESLEY DWYER, LAUREN TRONSTAD AND ERIC GARWOOD | OBSERVER STAFF

Fire department participates in hurricane window training

The tempered glass used in hurricane windows requires more effort to break than traditional windows.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

As the worst of hurricane sea son approaches and Hurricane Ian tracks toward landfall, the Longboat Key Fire Department took part in additional training on hurricane-resistant windows.

While the training was not sched uled specifically for Hurricane Ian, it still provided essential training to personnel ahead of the storm and its potential dangers.

Training took place over three days to allow all 33 firefighters in the department to participate in shifts to practice breaking out windows on a home on Gulf of Mexico Drive already planned for demolition.

The trick is breaking a window designed not to break.

“When we have these types of structures, we have the ability to kind of hone our craft without some body having the misfortune of being burned out of their home,” training captain John Elwood said.

Without homes made available for use by the department, training has to take place outside of the Key as the town does not have its own training facility. If members of the depart ment are training off the island, personnel from Manatee County or Sarasota County will help cover the area in their absence.

“The residents are never without coverage,” he said. “It just may be that a different organization is cov ering our area while we are absent. Having structures here on the island that are giving us the opportunity to train is beneficial not only to us,

but it’s beneficial to the residents as well.”

When a building is scheduled for demolition, the fire marshal’s office is notified of the permit. From that point, Elwood said, the department may opt to reach out to the home owner about using the space for department training. However, it is more common for the homeowner to reach out to the department about the space’s availability after seeing examples of other homes being used by the department.

The windows, which are made of tempered glass, are harder to break than typical windows as they are meant to keep the house sealed even as debris may shatter the glass lay ers on the interior or exterior of the home.

Firefighters were taken in shifts of two to practice breaking windows along the front of the home. Each firefighter was able to choose from an ax, sledgehammer and irons as their tools to use to break the win dows.

Each firefighter suited up in their gear, which added about 50 pounds to their backs. They wore oxygen masks to avoid glass particulates from getting into their lungs.

They were instructed to first hit along the vertical sides of the win dows before going along the bottom. If done in this manner, the window would be able to create a swinging motion from the top of the win dow like the hinge of a doggy door. Breaking the window all the way out, Elwood said, would risk creating a flow path, drawing the fire over to the window as oxygen is brought in with the breeze.

“It serves two purposes,” he told the trainees. “One, it helps me to keep a seal, so I do not call the fire towards me. The other is that it takes a lot less effort.”

The closer to the ground a fire fighter is able to stay, the cooler it is,

so by focusing on the sides and bot tom of the window, it allows for the individual to avoid some of the heat.

Elwood reminded participants that while the training is useful for getting civilians out of burning homes, it is also important to learn as a way to escape from the situa tions themselves. Training in more controlled environments provides the added benefit of a lower risk of injury.

“Having these buildings donated to us is a huge benefit because we can give people realistic training at no cost,” Elwood said. “The donated building is not only meeting finan cial needs, but we are not having to have units leave here to go some where else, causing another depart ment to have to cover the area.”

Even as firefighters are in the midst of training, if an emergency presents itself, training on the Key gives them the availability to end the training and dispatch out to the incident.

Newer members of the depart

ment were also given the opportu nity to mark elements off their train ing checklist, such as prying open a sliding door, following the scheduled hurricane window training.

Due to the evacuation order for residents of Longboat Key, limited emergency personnel will be avail able to assist with emergencies out on the island.

Photos by Lauren Tronstad

Trey Bowlin, right, breaks out a hurricane window of a house scheduled for demolition as John Elwood observes.

Layers of hurricane glass are shattered during Longboat Key Fire Department training.

Hurricane Ian

While the rest of Cutter Lane was pretty quiet, James Keller was busy doing what he could do.

“I’m a Manatee County first responder, that’s why I’m working so hard today because as of tomorrow, I’ll probably be gone and not back for a few days,” he said. “Otherwise, I’d wait and see what it’s going to do because I can do it all in 24 hours, but I don’t have that luxury.”

Keller’s fiance, Debbie Adams, planned to head inland Tuesday to stay at either a friend’s house in Sara sota or at Keller’s mother’s house in Bradenton. If it starts to look like Ian could make a direct hit to this area, Adams will head toward the MiamiFort Lauderdale area.

On Monday though, all hands were on deck getting the house and prop erty storm-ready.

“Anything that will blow around out here, we’re just trying to get it into an enclosed area,” Chris Gala nopoulos said.

Galanopoulos is Adams’ son-inlaw. He and his family are visiting from North Carolina. They planned

on staying until the end of the month, but are leaving a week early because of Ian.

The house is being remodeled, so Keller said he had some loose ends to tie up. He also tied their boat to the boat lift so it can’t bang into any pil ings.

“Somebody said on the Weather Channel last night that it’s the guys that have been through it that are complacent,” Keller said. “That’s what will get you right there.”

Dozens of residents gathered at the Broadway Street Beach Access to fill sandbags, hoping to build a bar rier against Ian’s waters.

Public Works Department Streets, Facilities, Parks and Recreation Manager Mark Richardson said one resident brought enough of their own bags to fill between 30 and 40 bags, though a limit of 10 town-sup plied bags was in force.

“Every storm has its poten tial dangers,” he said of his and the department’s level of concern with Hurricane Ian. “Hurricanes are unpredictable and can always change.”

The mound of sand, which is the only one available to residents, had been replenished with trucks full of sand three times by 11 a.m., Richard son said.

Brock Patterson, accompanied by his friend Sparky Pashkow, were fill ing bags for Longboat Island Chapel where Patterson works as the pastor.

The pair were also filling bags to help protect Lord’s Warehouse, a thrift shop operated by the church.

Patterson has only lived on the Key for about two years and recalled his first week on the island also filling bags for a storm threatening the area at the time.

Sarasota County leaders said they hoped everyone who is heading to emergency shelters arrives by 8 p.m Tuesday, when the first of Hurricane Ian’s winds are expected to arrive.

Urging the town to take seriously the threats of Hurricane Ian, Long boat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi told about 100 residents, building man

agers and resort operators on a con ference call to plan on being off the island by 4 p.m. Tuesday. He added it might be days before they return.

Dezzi said the goal was to launch an evacuation during daylight hours, with the first hints of tropical storm force winds of 39 mph or greater expected by Tuesday night.

Water service to Longboat Key was to be cut as a precaution, a move by Manatee County intended to pro tect the system from damage. Dezzi said the shutdown could also have an added effect.

“That will sometimes cause resi dents not to want to stay,” Dezzi said. “Once the water is shut off, you must understand, you can’t take showers, you can’t flush toilets.”

Dezzi also reminded residents of tall buildings that they are not immune from storms and they should also leave the island, remind ing them first responders are the last to leave and would not respond to 911 while they waited out the storm on the mainland.

Allen Parsons, the town’s director of Planning, Zoning and Building, said the tower crane operating at the construction site of the Residences at the St. Regis Resort Longboat Key is being lowered by two sections to comply with its design standards for a Category 4 storm. The crane por tion will be allowed to swivel with the wind, as designed, he said, and smaller cranes at the site will be secured and set on their sides.

Contractors all around the island, Parsons said, have also been advised since last week to storm-proof their sites and remove or secure items that can fly in the wind.

Hurricane Ian could bring 7-10 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 10 feet, forecasters said.

Dezzi said the town’s police will work with other law enforcement personnel to ensure a smooth evac uation and re-entry based on the town’s three-tiered system that calls for first responders to return first, then operators of key businesses, then residents with identification.

Dezzi said in a worst-case scenar io, it could be days before residents can return.

He pointed to the restarting pro cedures for the water system, which would require time to regain safe lev els of sanitizing chemicals.

Sarasota planned to close the Ringling Bridge before the storm and won’t likely reopen it until after the winds have subsided.

“Once we know it’s safe to return to the island, it might not be safe to live on the island,” Dezzi said, adding that first responders will not open up the town to returning residents until safety can be confirmed.

HURRICANES AND STORMS OF THE PAST

2004: HURRICANES CHARLEY, FRANCES, IVAN AND JEANNE

Synopsis: Four hurricanes threatened the island over the course of August and September. Charley posed the biggest peril but curved inland to strike at Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, not as originally forecast much closer to Longboat Key.

Evacuations: Yes (for Charley)

Effects on the island: Charley’s passage was largely damage free; Frances brought heavy rains and pulled the roof of a home on Gulf of Mexico Drive; Ivan turned away from the island; Jeanne brought 70 mph winds to the Key, tearing off a roof, wrecking a car port and blowing away clay surfaces from the Public Tennis Center.

2017: HURRICANE IRMA Synopsis: The biggest threat the island has faced in the last five years, Irma’s potential for a coast-scraping disaster didn’t materialize as the storm moved up the middle of the Florida peninsula instead. Where it did strike, near Naples and throughout Central Florida, Irma did significant damage. By the time Irma reached latitudes equal to Sarasota-Manatee, the storm had fallen from Category 4 to Category 2, with its strongest winds well inland.

Evacuations: Yes. Effects on the island: Irma’s effects were largely wind driven. Signs toppled, trees were uprooted. “A 10 foot-surge wouldn’t have been cute,” one resident told us.

2020: TROPICAL STORM ETA Synopsis: Although no evacuations were ordered, the November storm created serious seawater flooding issues on the northern half of the island. Water rushed through the streets of Longbeach Village, swamping homes, yards and swimming pools. High tides combined with storm surge to form a potent mixture.

Evacuations: No, though several people were rescued and taken to shelter during the storm’s flooding.

Effects on the island: About 200 homes experienced some level of flood waters, though flood depths were as high as fire hydrants in portions of Longbeach Village; no wind damage was reported, though sustained speeds of 45-50 were recorded, and between 5 and nearly 9 inches of rain fell on Longboat Key. Storm surge was estimated at 3 feet above normal high tide.

2021: HURRICANE ELSA Synopsis: Most of the July storm’s worst weather remained offshore. Evacuations: No. Effects on the island: Some beach erosion took place, which flooded or washed away a few dozen sea turtle nests, though significant damage was not reported islandwide. The next morning, town residents arose to find palm fronds and branches down, along with some ponding of water. As Fred Kagi of Longbeach Village said in comparison to the damage done less than a year earlier by Eta, “It’s not even the same storm. Not even close.”

FROM PAGE 1A

Lesley Dwyer James Keller moves a mini-fridge out of the pool area. All loose items are being moved into the garage.

Lesley Dwyer

James Keller strapped his boat to the lift first thing Monday morning, so it won’t hit any pilings during the storm.

Lauren Tronstad

Residents fill sandbags on Sunday at the Broadway Street beach access.

“Somebody said on the Weather Channel last night that it’s the guys that have been through it that are complacent. That’s what will get you right there”

— James Keller

St. Regis roofs begin coming together

Residential and hotel spaces aim to open in 2024.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

Construction work on The Resi dences at St. Regis Resort Long boat Key remains on schedule, with masonry, electrical and roof work proceeding on the hotel side of the property and one of the condo minium buildings reaching its final height.

In the September update, gen eral contractor Moss and Associ ated Construction Management and developer Unicorp National Devel opments Inc. said masonry work continues on the five-story hotel building, along with roof construc tion. In the near future, progress will be made on the structure of addi tional sections of the hotel as well as the ballroom area.

On the southern side of the prop erty, where condominiums are ris ing, building No. 3 was recently topped out, with structure work coming soon on the adjoining build ing No. 2.

In late August, the town of Long

boat Key granted five building per mits, each valued at $185,000, for the installation of electrical wiring in the property’s five planned buildings.

About 350 workers are shuttled to and from the worksite each day from a mainland staging area.

The condo complex will have 69 units arrayed in three five-story buildings on the south side of the property, with parking garages on the ground level.

The 166-room hotel is being built on the north end, featuring two res taurants, a beach grill and three bars. Additionally, a ballroom with seat ing for 425 is planned, along with six meeting rooms and two board rooms.

Michael Saunders & Co. is han dling the sale of the residential units, though all are spoken for.

Town leaders approved the con struction of the St. Regis, which will no longer have a 1620 Gulf of Mex ico Drive address, in October 2021. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place days later, not long after the first site work building permit was issued. The grand opening is scheduled for 2024.

The Longboat Observer publishes periodic updates on progress of the island’s largest construction project.

Eric Garwood Masonry work on area A of the five-story hotel building was recently completed.

Town Commission passes new, reduced building fees

systems. The work was previously done under an electrical permit. The separately named fee is in rec ognition of the increasing number of these systems that are anticipated. Similarly to other electric permits, the new fee is $150.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Anew schedule for building and permit fees takes effect Oct. 1 for town construction proj ects.

Commissioners approved the package earlier this month.

The Planning, Zoning and Build ing Department’s proposal included several fee reductions and the addi tion of three new fees. According to the department staff’s memoran dum to the commission, the depart ment and fire marshal are respon sible for overseeing the enforcement of the town’s building codes, which are broken down into categories that include building, housing, plumb ing, electrical, mechanical and life/ safety codes.

The reductions are intended to address an increase to the build ing funds reserve due to abnormally large construction projects, such as the The Residences at the St. Regis Resort Longboat Key. The reductions will not only benefit contractors but the property owners as well.

The use of video inspection will also be utilized more often under the changes. Video inspections are cur rently allowed for air conditioning systems and water heater installa tions. The method allows for elimi nation of scheduling with town staff, who usually would have to figure in time to travel to and from construc tion sites.

There are 18 proposed changes to fees, which include the following:

n A 50 cent fee reduction to the stan dard building permit application. The new fee is $2.50 compared to $3 n A new, separate and lower cost fee to reflect time associated with review and inspection of pool barrier fences

n Elimination of the threshold of more than $2,500 where additional fees of $12 per each $1,000 in con

struction value are currently applied to solar system installations

n Elimination of the threshold where additional fees of $12 per each $1,000 in construction are applied to per manent freestanding signs with costs exceeding $2,000

n Raising the threshold for addi tional fees, $12 per each $1,000 in construction, would be applied to concrete repair work from $5,000 to $30,000

n Raising the threshold where addi tional fees of $12 per each $1,000 of construction value would be applied to the category of when five or more windows or doors are proposed from

$3,500 to $5,000

n Raising the threshold where addi tional fees of $12 per each $1,000 of construction value would be applied to the permitting of handrails from $3,500 to $5,000

n Raising the threshold where addi tional fees of $12 per each $1,000 of construction value would be applies to the category of building permits that don’t fit into another category, so the permit cannot be evaluated on a square-footage basis

n Adding a $500 fee for the review of structural assessments of condo miniums that are 25 years or older and greater than three stories in

height. This is a new requirement that was passed by the Florida Leg islature in 2022 to take effect by 2025.

n A fee reduction to the heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, venti lation and electrical permitting for new construction. The fee is reduced from 5 centers per square foot to 3 cents per square foot

n A new reduced-cost fee for air conditioning change outs that uti lize video inspections. The cost for the proposed permit type is $75 compared to $150 for a person that includes in-person inspections.

n Creation of a fee that specifically references electric vehicle charging

n A fee reduction to the plumbing permit for new construction. The fee is reduced from 5 cents per square foot to 3 cents per square foot.

n A reduced fee for water heaters that utilize video inspections. The cost would be cut in half to $45 ver sus the $90 fee charged for in-person inspections.

n A fee reduction for a backflow pre venter permit from $115 to $85

n A fee reduction for a new water service permit from $115 to $85

n A fee reduction for a sewer service permit from $115 to $85

n A new $85 fee for the review of dredging permits was added.

None of the revisions include an increase in fees. If the fee is not new, it was reduced. Town staff has provided the proposed changes list to approximately 1,550 contractors that are registered in the town. Staff reported receiving no negative feed back.

Commissioners discussed the possibility of reducing or waiv ing the suggested fee for electric vehicle charging systems following a point brought to the table by Vice Mayor Maureen Merrigan that such a change could encourage the pres ence of additional electric vehicles.

The possibility was pushed off in favor of staff gaining additional information on the number of charg ing systems being added and how costs of waiving or reducing fees would be offset.

“The reality of it right now is that electric cars are not coming into this market at a very quick rate,” Com missioner BJ Bishop said. “I think hopefully at some point that inven tory is going to start developing, but I think we have some time on this before we really have to take a hard look at it.”

Lauren Tronstad

A new home in the process of being completed across from Bayfront Park.

COPS CORNER

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16

SUSPICIOUSLY SUSPICIOUS

4:34 p.m., Bay Isles Parkway and Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: A caller, who did not wish to leave a name, alerted police to a gray SUV parked along the northbound side of the road. In a follow-up call between the dispatched officer and the caller, the driver of the vehicle was said to be looking out the driver’s side window in an odd way. The caller said she didn’t stop after seeing the vehicle. The officer found no such vehicle.

AND WINDY HAS STORMY EYES . . .

8:51 p.m., 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Unsecure premises: An officer was sent to investigate a report of an open front door in the middle of a rainstorm. A resident pulled the door closed before an officer’s arrival. The officer opened the door, announced his presence and examined the apartment, which appeared normal. The officer ascertained wind in association with a passing storm must have blown the door open.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17

PAGING JOE THE PLUMBER

8:26 a.m., 600 block of Bayview Drive

Citizen assist: A homeowner, not on the premises, was contacted by police after a report of a front-yard water leak. The homeowner told the officer he had arranged for the services of a plumber.

BOATING WITH BAGGAGE

Noon, Linley Street boat ramp

Miscellaneous boating: The town’s marine patrol officer stopped to speak with the operator of a barge carrying a recreational jungle gym attraction at anchor in town waters. The operator said he had just purchased the apparatus and had stopped for lunch while moving it from Sarasota to Bradenton. Given the code-enforcement history between the town and a similar on-thewater attraction, the officer reminded the operator to chat with town officials before making any plans to do business inside town limits.

HEADING FOR TROUBLE

3:13 p.m., Longboat Pass

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18

KEYS TO SUCCESS

9:37 a.m., 500 block of Yawl Lane

Citizen assist: An officer came to the assistance of a resident who reported locking the keys to her car in the vehicle’s trunk. Though the doors to the car were unlocked, the resident had no spare keys and the mechanism to open the trunk from the drivers’ seat in the 2005-model car was not working. A locksmith from a roadside-assistance company was summoned.

Miscellaneous boating: Seeing a vessel drifting toward the Longboat Pass bridge with its engine tilted up out of the water, the town’s marine patrol officer headed immediately in that direction to help. The officer found the boat’s propeller entangled in a net, and recommended the operator immediately drop anchor to arrest the drift. While doing so, another person aboard the boat cut the net away from the propeller.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18

MISSING PERSON OR PURSE

7:44 p.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Lost property: While en route to beachfront resort on a report of a missing person, an officer learned the report was actually a missing purse . . . which wasn’t missing anymore.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21

LIGHTING THE WAY

8:14 p.m., 6700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic warning: Police stopped the driver of a rental vehicle with no lights illuminated. The driver said she assumed the lights were automatic. The officer explained the operation of the light switch.

LONGBOAT

The coming revival of unbiased journalism

A local Colorado newspaper was founded with one idea in mind: report the news objectively, and keep opinions on the opinion page. We applaud its efforts and strive to do the same.

VINCE BZDEK EDITOR, COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE, SEPT. 17, 2022

Acolleague asked me over lunch recently whether anyone really values unbiased news anymore. Or even recognizes what it is.

“Hell yes,” was my response.

I actually think people are crying out for more rigorous, agenda-free journalism, even if they don’t know exactly what that looks like now, or remember the days before cable TV and the internet, when all news aspired to be unbiased and straight.

Filling that gap was the main reason we launched The Denver Gazette two years ago this week.

The goal was simple: Revive a tradition of strong, balanced local news in Denver. We weren’t seeing much unbiased news in the city. It seemed like every outlet still standing had some sort of lean to it, The Denver Post, The Colorado Sun, Westword, Colorado Public Radio, not to mention national media outlets that were building business models around their partisanship, like MSNBC and Fox News. And all the slanted news was getting sloshed together with opinion and clickbait and even disinformation on social media. It’s gotten pretty confusing out there in the media Wild West.

What if we revived a journalism model that did its damnedest not to spin the facts, and at the same time included a full range of Colorado’s voices?

We launched The Denver Gazette with the belief that balanced, rigorous journalism is about to make a comeback, and we’re hoping to lead the way in Colorado.

We journalists need to be better at explaining the value proposition of such journalism, since many folks have now grown up without it. True journalists believe journalism’s role is to report as completely and fairly as possible all the verifiable facts so readers can decide for themselves what the truth is. We do not believe journalism should try to direct readers to a certain viewpoint. We should aim to inform, not lecture or divide.

For journalists at all of our publications — The Denver Gazette, The Colorado Springs Gazette and Colorado Politics — fairness is our guiding light. Fairness means an open-minded pursuit of the truth, a willingness to genuinely listen to all relevant parties and a commitment to thorough research of the facts, following them wherever they take us.

It means ensuring that our reporting is rooted in evidence, expertise and experience. Once we have done that, we endeavor to tell our readers what we’ve learned honestly, straightforwardly and

fearlessly, without personal opinion or bias.

My wife is pretty sick of hearing me talk about these values and how much of journalism seems to have lost them and why it is so vital for the future of our country to bring them back. “So then why do you have opinion pages?” she asks.

“Why do you endorse candidates if you’re trying to be as fair and balanced as possible?”

Some media outlets have done away with opinion pages and endorsements to answer that question. But I tell her that canceling viewpoints or canceling the entire conversation among various viewpoints doesn’t serve our democracy well. We’re already too siloed; we’ve gotten bad at discourse. Instead, we should be encouraging courageous conversations among viewpoints, not suppressing the exchange of ideas. And newspapers can do that well. We’ve been doing it well for 100 years after all.

We include opinions in our daily report because we believe the broader the range of voices in our paper, the more representative our coverage will be.

At their best, daily newspapers are a place where everyone can gather and be heard, a tent big enough for us to hash out our differences with respect for one another. We launched The Denver Gazette with the strong belief that not all Denver’s voices, and Colorado’s voices, were being heard, and the conversation in Colorado wasn’t wide open enough.

We believe that by bringing together the community’s voices and our journalism in a daily package, we provide an irreplaceable public service. By partnering with us by subscribing, our readers help us sustain local journalism’s essential mission of shining light on our community and ensuring the public’s right to know.

So I tell my wife, yeah, our paper delivers news and opinion, but we believe in keeping a bright, sharp line between the two. Opinion will appear on opinion pages, and news on news. The problem with much of the internet and cable TV is the two are smooshed together with no clear distinction between the two.

But there’s been an interesting development in national media recently that makes me think we’re on the right track.

I’m talking about CNN, which became a punching bag during the Trump administration as it played up partisanship to brand itself as an alternative to Fox News, encouraging its newscasters to voice their opinions when reporting on Trump.

But CNN is under new management now and recently announced an effort to return to its roots and inject more balance into its programming.

Longtime Colorado businessman and philanthropist John

Malone, chairman of Douglas County-based Liberty Media Corp., is a member of the Warner Discovery board of directors, which now owns CNN.

Malone said in a CNBC interview last November that “I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing.”

Similarly, Warner Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav said at a company town hall in April that CNN should set itself apart from “advocacy networks.” CNN needs to be about reporting, truth and facts, he said.

“If we get that, we can have a civilized society,” said Zaslav. “And without it, if it all becomes advocacy, we don’t have a civilized society.”

As a result, the new CEO of CNN, Chris Licht, recently fired left-leaning anchor Brian Stelter and moved left-leaning anchor Don Lemon from prime time to a revamped morning show. Licht wants to eliminate extreme points of view from panel discussions. He wants to eliminate reports that traffic in “outrage porn” just to get viewers and clicks. He ordered that the on-air “breaking news” banner be reserved for real breaking news.

Some media watchers suggest Malone is the driving force behind this CNN overhaul.

Wouldn’t it be something if the revival of robust, nonpartisan journalism at a local and national level was birthed right here in Colorado?

We believe such a revival is inevitable, because good journalism is the lifeblood of a good community, and public enlightenment is essential to good government. When local journalism thrives, democracy thrives.

In the end, we’re talking about journalism that trusts and respects that its readers will know the truth when they see it.

As Augustine of Hippo once said: “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.”

Publisher’s Note: This column is reprinted with permission from The Colorado Springs Gazette. It has been edited for space.

“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.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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SARASOTA FROM

SPENCER FORDIN

A+E EDITOR

Landscape photographer John Kincaid has been all over the world hanging out of helicop ters and diving under water in search of the most striking images.

And every time he’s clicked the shutter, he’s been chasing a shot from Sarasota.

Kincaid, who’s about to have his own photography exhibit at Art Ova tion, first visited Sarasota when he was in high school. He can remem ber immediately being entranced by Siesta Key’s beauty, but also he recalls dropping his camera and acci dentally catching a unique image.

“I thought it was the most beauti ful place I’ve ever seen,” says Kincaid, decades later. “I had this disposable camera, and I remember I dropped it in the sand. When I picked it up, I hit the shutter. That was one of my first times doing something unexpected.

“I have that shot to this day. It was a purple sky, like an inch above the sand. That was a turning point in my artistic journey. I’ve tried to go back

whenever I could.”

Now, Kincaid is creating his indel ible images quite intentionally.

He first forged a career in software development for 15 years, and then he decided he’d rather chase his pho tography dreams for a living.

Kincaid has opened permanent galleries in Bora Bora and in Viet nam, and he hopes to have a more lasting presence in Sarasota once his exhibition closes.

The photographer says his parents moved here briefly when he was in college, and when his wife was preg nant, they came down here for their last hurrah before becoming parents.

He has so much history in Sara sota that he knew exactly how to approach it as a photographic sub ject: from above the clouds and along the beach line. Kincaid came down here in February for his first pass at photographing the area, and he con tracted Sarasota Helicopter Tours to fly him over the Siesta Key beaches.

The photography came easily; he only needed three trips over the key to get the images he wanted.

Then he spent the next few months

trying to line up a place to show them.

“Our work is a tough industry. For my whole career, I’ve just done my own galleries,” says Kincaid, who will be at Art Ovation from Oct. 11 to Oct. 17. “When I got in touch with Art Ovation, they were really receptive, and it’s right downtown in the arts district. It’s a good stepping point, but I’m still working on something for St. Armands Circle.

“I’m all in on this. I’ve just got to find the right place.”

Kincaid, chatting with the Observer from Bora Bora, says he’s looking forward to meeting with Sarasota residents during his time at Art Ovation. His photos are available for purchase from his website, but he hopes being in town will allow for a bit more personal interaction.

His shots show you exactly the side of Sarasota you might expect. There’s elevated shots of beachgoers enjoying the weather and postcard perfect pictures of the sunset.

Kincaid says he doesn’t map out

ABOVE

His love affair with Sarasota started early, but now John Kincaid returns as a master of aerial landscapes.

Photo by Spencer Fordin

John Kincaid stands on a Sarasota runway in February.

Every pixel tells a story in John Kin caid’s “Siesta Key Beach.”

Photo courtesy of John Kincaid

Kids in the hall

Take a field trip with the Sarasota Orchestra, which will play several concerts for area schools and wrap it all up with a free evening performance for families.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

famous overture is building to crescendo. The orchestra is playing at full steam, and out in the audience there’s a sea of children pretending to ride on horse back.

That’s a scene from a previous edi tion of the Sarasota Orchestra’s fam ily concert, and for Alyson Rozier, it’s most notable for a regular attendee getting in on the fun. Rozier, the orchestra’s director of education, says she can still see it in her mind.

“My favorite story from a few years ago. One of the donors, a sweetheart lady in her 90s, she’s sitting there and we were doing William Tell,” she says. “The kids were jumping up and down pretending like they were riding a horse to William Tell. So she joined in, and it’s just hilarious to see this 90-year-old lady bouncing up and down pretending to ride a horse.

“We were like, ‘This is what it’s about. You’re supposed to enjoy music like this and have this much fun.’”

The family concert, long a staple of the orchestra season, fell victim to the pandemic and has not been presented since 2019.

But it’s back on the agenda this year, and the orchestra will play a free concert for area families Oct. 7 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

That show is part of a busy week for the musicians that will see them play for nearly all of the area’s fourth and fifth graders. The Sarasota Orches tra will play nine performances in the space of four days, bringing nearly 10,000 kids for a life-changing experience.

“We have full halls for these shows,” says concertmaster Daniel Jordan, whose 9-year-old son, Spencer, will be in attendance at the family con cert. “I think that’s really exciting for the kids to be in a big concert hall like that and to see all the other kids. They ride the buses there and get to be part of a big experience.”

Jordan, in fact, said his son got to be a part of the last family concert in 2009. Young Spencer was sitting in the second row and was called up to be a guest conductor, which meant that he got to tell both his mother and his father how to play violin.

“I have a great picture of him con ducting with my wife and I in the shot playing violin,” says Jordan.

“He still talks about conducting the Sarasota Orchestra on the Van Wezel stage.”

And that’s exactly the point; the Sarasota Orchestra is hoping to introduce kids to classical music and to the concert experience at an early age. The hope is that it will represent an indelible memory and that it will spur the kids to a lifelong apprecia tion for the arts.

Rozier, now in her 18th season as part of the orchestra’s education program, says that there are 235 kids in the regular Youth Orchestra afterschool program. They range in age from nine to 21, and there are eight different groupings dependent on both age and ability.

Those kids are already bitten by the classical music bug, says Rozier, and the family concert represents an opportunity to recruit kids who haven’t picked up an instrument yet.

“They don’t know if they like it until they’re exposed,” she says.

“The majority of kids that attend a concert or Youth Orchestra, they’re not going to study music. But we want them to have an appreciation for it. We want you to go to a concert later. We want you to allow your kids to learn an instrument. If you get a stressful career in medicine or law, what’s your outlet going to be? Music can always be a part of your life.”

IF YOU GO

ORCHESTRA:

When: 7 p.m., Oct. 7

Where: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: Free Info: SarasotaOrchestra.org.

This music, especially, can appeal to all ages.

The orchestra will be playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” as part of this show, and it will also play Ros sini’s “Overture to the Barber of Seville,” which suspended adoles cents of all ages may recall from a famous Bugs Bunny cartoon.

But the biggest part of the show will be composer Greg Smith’s “The Animated Orchestra,” which invites audience participation and even gives the orchestra some acting roles.

“There’s a whole story,” says Jor dan. “There’s a narrator, there’s audience involvement and there’s musician acting involvement which is really fun for us. By the end of it, the audience is in stitches and it’s also a really great way to feature the

orchestra. The music itself is really good. And every single section in the orchestra gets a chance to shine.”

In the weeks before the concerts, the Sarasota Orchestra sends out an informational packet to all of the participating schools that includes lessons about the composers and the history of the pieces.

But it also includes hands-on activities that invite the students to try drumming, singing and dancing.

Then, when the kids enter the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, they’re primed for what they’re about to see, and they’re encouraged to play along from their seats.

“There’s a whole different energy when you’ve got kids,” says Jordan.

“You break some of the barriers for a normal concert-going experience, which I think is a good thing. There’s also such an excitement; it’s really inspiring for the people up on stage to get to experience it from the eyes of kids maybe seeing an orchestra concert for the first time.

“Even just walking into the concert hall, seeing those faces, or hearing the way they cheer when the con ductor walks out. It’s just different.

It’s not polite clapping. It’s a clap ping of excitement and wonder.”

Courtesy photo

The Sarasota Orchestra is excited to have kids back in the hall for its annual family concert.

Landscapes

his shots beforehand because of the nature of helicopter photography.

“We’re doing these circles around Siesta Key. The light changes so quickly,” he says. “Everything depends on how many people there are on the beach and where the light is hitting. You just have to commu nicate with the pilot as best you can and get the shots you need.”

That’s the hard part about shoot ing from the sky. The helicopter is moving and so are you. But from the ground, says Kincaid, you can con trol all the elements a little bit better.

There are no underwater shots in his current Sarasota collection, but Kincaid took a variety of shots from the beach to provide a different perspective on life in Sarasota.

“To really know a place, you have to do both,” he says. “When you can see things from the ground, you can plan what you’re going to do.

“I really started off loving the aeri als, but I also have this quad panel of the four Siesta Key Beach chairs that came very close to my heart.”

That shot — the quad panel of the lifeguard chairs — actually made Kincaid break a sweat.

He started out shooting just after sunrise, and the sun was lighting up the back of the yellow lifeguard stand in a way that made him take notice.

Then he had what he describes as an epiphany. He could shoot all the lifeguard stands.

All it took was a little hustle.

“Here I am running down Siesta Key Beach with my tripod and all my gear to get the next one. And the next one,” he says. “I got to the end and the light had changed a little bit.

“Ever so slightly. And it was better. So I start again, run all the way back

and get them all.”

Kincaid likes to say that everybody in today’s society is a photographer.

If you have a phone in your pocket, then you too are capable of creating striking artistic images.

But if you’re going to try to cre ate a gigantic photograph with crisp details, you need a little better tech nology. Kincaid says the 100 mega pixel cameras he works with are unforgiving in that they can focus on minute areas with great clarity.

That also means your shot has to be perfect, because when the images are blown up, any imperfection will be plainly evident.

“I’m shooting all in manual. You have to move very quickly,” he says. “If you’re off just a little bit, the shot will look good on your computer but it’s not printable. In my whole career, whenever I have something on the wall, people don’t just stand back and look at it. They walk up to it, and their noses are almost touching the print so they can see the detail.”

The photographer still holds his initial impressions of Sarasota close to his heart, and that’s why he’s look ing forward to meeting the public at Art Ovation. And if he sends a print to you, you can expect it to have the scent of coconut and vanilla.

“I’m looking forward to being able to talk about it and hearing other people’s stories about their first time at Siesta Key Beach,” he says. “I’m hoping people have had those experiences in Sarasota and want to bring them home.”

IF YOU GO

JOHN

When: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Oct. 11-17

Where: Art Ovation, 1255 N. Palm Ave.

FROM

Photo courtesy of John Kincaid

John Kincaid’s “Siesta Sunset” perfectly captures the curvature of Siesta Key.

WEEK

THURSDAY

KALOS 7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$18 members; $20 nonmembers; $13 students Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville.

This trio has mastered the sounds of Celtic music both on their own and collectively. Ryan McKasson, a former U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, has teamed with guitarist Eric McDonald and accordion player Jeremiah McLane to form a touring trio that plays traditional music while still finding ways to make the material sound fresh.

SATURDAY

SHOP ON APRICOT

Creative Liberties 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Creative Liberties, 901B Apricot Ave.

Free Visit CreativeLiberties.org.

You can have your art and frame it too. This popup market event is a cooperative partnership between Creative Liberties and The Green Bazaar, and it will allow you to see the works of several local artists and buy them on the spot. There will be food and drinks available, and you’ll be able to chat with the artists who created the work.

CELEBRATING LGBTQ + CINEMA

2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Court $8-$10

Visit FabAF.org.

It’s a triple-header of films celebrating diverse viewpoints at Burns Court Cinema. The event, organized by the Fabulous Arts Foundation, will bring three distinct pairings of works. “1987” and “Rebel Dykes” will be shown at 2:30 p.m.; “Fractal Visions” and “Art and Pep” will play at 4:30 p.m.; and “Dracudate” and “Death and Bowling” will show at 7:30 p.m.

‘OUT OF BOUNDS’

Florida Studio Theatre

7:30 p.m. at Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $12-$15

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

The improv artists at Florida Studio Theatre are pulling out all the stops for this show, which pits two teams of expert ad-libbers against each other in competitive rounds of impromptu songs, spontaneous scenes and fast-paced games. Who will win? Let the audience decide.

TUESDAY

CHARLOTTE SORSEN — ‘WALKING ON CLOUDS’ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach Free

Visit IslandGalleryWest.Artspan. com/home.

The vibrant and colorful acrylic paintings of Charlotte Sorsen will be the featured gallery attraction at Island Gallery West for all of October. Sorsen, who studied at the New England School of Art and Design,

doesn’t just paint; she also works in glass-making, glass beads, jewelry and clothing design. But this show will be based around her paintings and around her artist’s eye perspective of the Gulf Coast waters, skies, clouds, birds and plants.

WEDNESDAY

‘THE ’70S: MORE THAN A DECADE’ 7:30 p.m. at Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Go back in time with the Florida Studio Theatre cabaret and chair-dance along to the most beloved songs of a consequential decade that started more than 50 years ago. This show — written by Rebecca Hopkins, Richard Hopkins and Sarah Durham with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser — will hit the high notes on transformative artists like Marvin Gaye, The Who, The Bee Gees and more.

DON’T MISS

SUNDAY

MAGNIFICENT MARKOVS

*This performance has been postponed due to Hurricane Ian. Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org for information on the rescheduled date.

This family act is ready to take the violin to the farthest frontier. Alexander Markov, an electric violinist who won the Gold Medal at the Paganini International Violin Competition, will play with his virtuoso parents Albert and Marina Markov. The family will bring you both the classical sound of the violin but also the contemporary notes of rock and pop.

MONDAY

FREE MONDAYS

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Free Visit Ringling.org.

The Ringling Museum opens the doors to its art collection and its Bayfront Gardens for free on Mondays, allowing you to stroll through one of Sarasota’s most scenic and artistically enriching locations without opening your wallet. Ca’ d’Zan is not included in Free Mondays and, in fact, will not open back up to the public until Oct. 4.

Expectthe unexpected!

“

rocking violin

‘GUYS AND DOLLS’ Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is telling you a classic story of gangsters and the women who love them. The play, based on the short stories of Damon Runyon, first made it to Broadway on 1950 and was selected as the 1951 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show’s music and lyrics were written by Frank Loesser, and Jim Weaver will direct the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe pro duction. The show will still be in preview mode when you see it; Guys and Dolls will begin its theatrical run in earnest on Oct. 8 and it will run all the way through Nov. 20.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 5 Where: Donelly The atre, 1012 N. Orange Ave. Tickets: $20-$38 Info: Westcoast BlackTheatre.org.

Violin phenom Alexander Markov unites with his gifted violinist parents Albert and Marina and the “first family of violin” presents classical favorites. Alexander and his electric gold violin are then joined by Key Chorale and the Booker High School VPA Choir for his original composition, Caesar, for electric violin, organ, choir, percussion, rhythm section, and orchestral musicians.

schedule

concerts at

941-306-1202

OUR PICK DISCOVERIES: MOZART AND TCHAIKOVSKY

The Sarasota Orchestra kicks off its winter season with masters who may have admired each other.

Guest conductor Nic McGegan, music director laureate of San Francisco’s Philharmonica Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, will lead the musicians through the works of Mozart and Tchaikovsky. The latter artist, the composer of Swan Lake, famously said that he not only loves Mozart; he worships him. Guest cellist Zlatomir Fung will take on a starring role on Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.

*This performance is canceled due to Hurricane Ian. Ticketholders can request an account credit, receive a refund or donate their tickets at SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Theater... Music... Visual Art... Literature... Dance... where it all begins.

20th Anniversary Season

“Violin and Voice”

Thursday, October 6 @ 6pm • Bay Preserve (Osprey)

‘LEAD WITH A LAUGH’

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail

Free with museum admission Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Sure, you’ve considered doing your family tree. But have you considered doing it as a collection of beaded portraits? Artist brothers Steven and William Ladd have created a rich and varied body of work based on their family history and memories, and the last decade of their work is currently displayed at Sarasota Art Museum until February. You’ll see their family tree, a representation of their home property in New York and wall hangings made in several different colors and textures.

COUPLES COOKING: DISHES

FROM PUERTO RICO 6:00 p.m. at Publix Aprons Cooking School, 2875 University Parkway $110 Visit ApronsCookingSchool.Publix. com.

It’s a hands-on date night activity that may fire your belly for years. Aprons Cooking School is presenting an evening of Puerto Rican cooking for couples, and you’ll learn how to make four widely varying dishes: corn fritters with cheese, chicken empanadas, rice and beans with a plantain casserole and creamy coconut pudding. Wine will be included as part of the evening; all chefs must be 18 years old, and wine will only be served to chefs 21 and older. Put a little spice in your dating life and in the meals you can cook at home.

Violinist and Beyoncé collaborator Lady Jess combines her talent with award-winning playwright Terry Guest in this dynamic program of words and music Presented in partnership with Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

“As the Musical Turns: A Soap Inspiration”

Friday, October 21 @ 6pm • Hermitage Beach (Manasota Key) Pulitzer Prize and 2022 Tony Award winner Michael R. Jackson will share how soap operas and other sources of inspiration have shaped his work. Presented in partnership with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe

“Composition to Performance: Music Start to Finish”

Friday, October 28 @ 5:30pm • Hermitage Beach (Manasota Key)

Composer Nkeiru Okoye and musician David “Doc” Wallace discuss the process of making music, from imagination to interpretation.389453-1

To register (required) for upcoming programs: HermitageArtistRetreat.org

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YOUR NEIGHBORS

Off to Cuba…

Among the events coming soon to The Paradise Center, a trip to an exotic land.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Whether residents are gathered for a movie or a Zumba class, The Paradise Center is already a hub of social activity and good health. Now, Executive Director Suzy Brenner has even more in store.

She’s planning a group excursion to Cuba, leading a team for breast cancer awareness, setting up free memory screenings and welcoming a new doctor into the Tidewell Medical Suite. She’s also inviting Longboat Key residents to join her.

Brenner has wanted to return to Cuba since her first visit in 2019.

“It’s easy to get to, but it’s also a world away,” she said. “Not only is Cuba steeped in fascinating history and culture, but the revolution left much of the country stuck in the late 1950s.”

TPC’s first travel excursion is planned for March 2023, and they’ve planned everything from flights to dinners. The only planning required from residents is to register by Dec. 9. The cost is $2,950 a person (double occupancy) plus air fare.

“You’ll make friends and memo ries,” Brenner said. “We will stay in

SEE CUBA,

6B

Photo courtesy of Suzy Brenner

Suzy Brenner on a 2019 trip to Cuba. The Paradise Center is planning a group trip in March.

Courtesy photo

A trip to Cuba is like a trip to another world, Suzy Brenner said.

Strong arms raise money for mental health

Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast on Saturday relied on a gymnasium staple to help raise money to further its mission to offer a range of programs to help youth, teens, adults and seniors cope with long and short-term mental health challenges.

Dozens of people showed up at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum on Tamiami Trail to do as many pushups as they could as part of a pledge challenge to raise money.

During the event, participants exercised at their own pace competing not against each other but against their goals. Many worked out for a few minutes, recorded their progress, rested and went at it again.

In the first hour, several participants were in the range of 200-400 completed. Hard-core athletes and kids took part side by side as public-address host Ed Robinson urged them on with trivia, such as the world record for pushups in an hour: 3,182.

“I’m breaking a sweat just watching,’’ he said.

It wasn’t all just perspiration and philanthropy, though. Sponsors offered goody bags and an ice cream truck stood by outside for a quick blast of carbs and calories.

—ERIC GARWOOD

Photos by Eric Garwood

Dozens took to the floor of the Sarasota Classic Car Museum on Tamiami Trail.

11-year-old Isiah Collins met a new friend.

Shannon Corrasco was up to about 450 pushups after the first hour.

Keyan Thorne, left, and Joseph Toddman of Bradenton’s Southeast High School worked together as a team.

Forever in our hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved Jo Ann Bigelow Frye on Sep tember 18, 2022. Joey was predeceased by her husband, Richard, in 1992. Her best friend has always been her sister, Jeanne Bigelow Auten.

She was not only an aunt, but a mother, to Mardi, Andy & Chas. She was adored by her grand nieces, Melissa and Tiffany, her great niece Madi Blair and great nephew Chase Jordan.

“Time isn’t measured by the years you live but by the deeds you do and the joy you give.”

389067-1

SPARCC gets season off and running

The Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center started its season by welcoming supporters to a coffee get together on Sept. 21.

Members met at the Sarasota Yacht Club and learned about SPARCC’s services and plans for this coming fundraising season.

SPARCC President & CEO Jessica Hays thanked the audience for attending and brought up the importance of coming SPARCC events — including a card and game party, a golf tournament, a holiday luncheon and the annual gala — and how they provide funding for the organization’s work helping people who are experiencing abuse.

The SPARCCle by the Sea gala is scheduled for Nov. 18 at the Westin Sarasota.

—HARRY SAYER

With Compass, the team has every tool imaginable to give their clients a competitive edge.

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without notice. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Photos may be vir-

Jo Ann Bigelow Frye

“Time isn’t measured by the years you live but by the deeds you do and the joy you give.”

The Fox Leiter Team puts customer experience at the forefront of every decision, negotiation, and transaction.

Board chair Barbara Gardner and SPARCC President & CEO Jessica Hays

Auxiliary 1st Vice President Andrea Andrus with Ning Qin and Maggie Shaw

Photos by Harry Sayer Bonnie Van OverBeke follows up in the program.

Cuba

a private hotel and patronize small, privately owned restaurants called paladars, helping to support the cul ture and citizens of Cuba.”

TPC will also be showing its sup port for breast cancer awareness. After last year’s successful Making Strides Against Breast Cancer satel lite walk, participants will once again walk Bay Isles Road on Oct. 22 as the main event takes place at Nathan Benderson Park.

The satellite walk was a result of COVID-19. Brenner thought the team would feel more comfortable in a smaller group, and the LBK Para dise Striders ended up as one of the top ten fundraising teams.

Beyond social distancing and rais ing $5,800 for the American Cancer Society, it was also convenient for residents to stay on the island.

“It provides an opportunity for breast cancer survivors, thrivers and their supporters in our community to come together closer to home,” Brenner said.

Brenner co-captains the team with Liz Yerkes of Longboat Mas sage. Team members are welcome to walk, jog or simply stride through the 3-mile loop. The walk kicks off at TPC at 9:30 a.m. and winds around the Longboat Key Club Harbourside community and back. Vendors will be set up in the parking lot before and after the walk offering refreshments and giveaways.

TPC is pushing their own give away right now because Septem ber is Alzheimer Awareness Month. They’ve set up free memory screen

ings for Oct. 27, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15. These are one-on-one private screenings sponsored by the Ros kamp Institute.

But remembering anything starts with having heard it first. If all goes to plan, Dr. Kelly Breese will be open ing Doc Side Audiology on Sept. 30 in the Medical Suite located next door to TPC in the same building. Breese specializes in the treatment of tinnitus and hearing loss and cur rently has an office in Sarasota.

“I’ve been practicing as a board certified audiologist for over seven years and have been on my own as a business owner since November 2020.” Breese said. “We’ll be start ing satellite, and then as we build up, I’ll probably end up coming out here more.”

For more information on any of these opportunities and services, email SuzyBrenner@TheParadis eCenter.org or call 383-6493.

FROM PAGE 1B

Photo courtesy of Suzy Brenner The LBK Paradise Striders at last year’s satellite event.

Lesley Dwyer Dr. Kelly Breese and her office manager Yes enia Retamozo will be opening an office in the Medical Suite by the end of September.

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Regent Place condo sells for $4.25 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Acondominium in Regent Place tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Carolyn Lowell and Michael Robert Mansfield sold their Unit 22B condominium at 675 Longboat Club Road to John Elliot, of Charleston, West Virginia, for $4.25 million. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,139 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.05 million in 2003.

BAY ISLES

Marek and Julita Lochnicki, of Northbrook, Illinois, sold their home at 3260 Bayou Sound to Bradley and Katrina West, of Longboat Key, for $2,225,000. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,649 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2015.

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

Douglas Leland, of Bellevue, Washington, sold his home at 537 Spinnaker Lane to Kathleen Schatz, trustee, of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, for $2,225,000. Built in 1965, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,046 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2020.

JOHN RINGLING ESTATES

Keyser Properties LLC sold the home at 322 Jackson Drive to 1136 DR MLK ST LLC for $1.75 million. Built in 1958, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,604 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2020.

FAIRWAY BAY

John and Norma Kasten, trustees, sold the Unit 204 condominium at 1904 Harbourside Drive to Edward and Gloriann Felicetta, of Longboat Key, for $1,065,000. Built in 1982, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,135 square feet of living area. It sold for $422,000 in 2012.

ISLANDER CLUB OF LONGBOAT James Loftis, of Longboat Key, sold his Unit 93-S condominium at 2295 Gulf of Mexico Drive to 2295-93 Gulf of Mexico Drive LLC

for $900,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,235 square feet of living area. It sold for $155,000 in 1991.

SEAPLACE

Sarah Rice and Susan Hitzelburger, trustees, of Orion Township, Michigan, sold the Unit G3-103C condominium at 2039 Gulf of Mexico Drive to John and Carmen Brannan, of Longboat Key, for $425,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 933 square feet of living area. It sold for $92,000 in 1993.

OFF THE KEY

A home in Sarasota’s Avondale neighborhood topped all transactions this week on the mainland, Siesta Key and points to the south. Robert Elmes and Lindsay Ann Wardman, of Longboat Key, sold their home at 1835 Lincoln Drive to James and Kathleen Haft, of Longboat Key, for $3,395,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,476 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,635,000 in 2019.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

glass

4621 GMD Unit 8A

$26,900

$25,000

$23,510

$19,850

$18,800

$18,200

$17,706

Longboat Holdings LLC $17,324

620 Halyard Lane Duct Mary Deborah Wilson $16,238

600 Bowsprit Lane

Cynthia F. Lowery Trust $15,713

Links Cir. Pool cage Edward J. Melando $12,150

File photo

Built in 1995, Unit 22B of 675 Longboat Club Road has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,139 square feet of living area.

FORECAST

FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

High: 81 Low: 75

Chance of rain: 65%

SATURDAY, OCT. 1

High: 82 Low: 75

Chance of rain: 24%

SUNDAY, OCT. 2 High: 82 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 24%

TIDES

Thursday, Sept. 29 7:21a 7:18p

Friday, Sept. 30 7:22a 7:16p

Saturday, Oct. 1 7:22a 7:15p

Sunday, Oct. 2 7:23a 7:14p

Monday, Oct. 3 7:23a 7:13p

Tuesday, Oct. 4 7:24a 7:12p

Wednesday, Oct. 5 7:24a 7:11p Oct. 2

MOON PHASES

Oct. 9

Oct.

Oct. 17

Thursday, Sept. 29 1:45a 3:51p 9:41a 8:49p

Friday, Sept. 30 2:17a 5:15p 10:40a 8:57p

Saturday, Oct. 1 2:55a 11:54a

Sunday, Oct. 2 3:45a 1:23p

Monday, Oct. 3 4:54a 2:54p

Tuesday, Oct. 4 6:38a 11:44p 4:07p

Wednesday, Oct. 5 8:31a 11:39p 2:41a 5:03p

FUNNY BUSINESS by Rebecca Goldstein. Edited by David Steinberg

By Luis Campos

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

in the cipher stands for another.

Jackie Seidman captured this sunset after a stormy day on Longboat Key.

941-955-4888

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Rentals Wanted

PENTHOUSE CONDO for sale on Anna Maria Sound!

Quite the lifestyle in this Margaritaville 3bd 3ba, turnkey furnished Oceana condo.

Exquisite nishes. Taller ceilings. Extra windows. Sunsets and natural saltwater wildlife views from the private screened lanai.

Original owner gently lived in.

Owners receive 2 parking spaces, 16'X8' storage, private beach club, tness, four community pools, kayak and paddleboard launches, outdoor grilling, lounging cabanas, playgrounds, splash pads, event lawn, activities and more!

Additional perks at the adjacent Pier 77 Marina, Compass Hotel, and Floridays Wood Fire Grill & Bar. Strong rental income potential. No CDD. Schedule showing or video preview any time. Kim Jatich, Broker-Owner, QUARTZ COAST REALTY INC $1,650,000 (941) 504-3874 www.quartzcoastrealty .com

Open House

1BR/1BA TWIN Shores Beach

Marina

BAYFRONT & MARINA

RENOVATED FURNISHED 1/1 CO-OP Deeded BEACH ACCESS! Maintenance-free, Solid concrete villa $485,000. (941) 650-0258

Rentals Wanted

RENTAL WANTED Retired gentleman (no kids, pets or smoking) seeks LBK home or condo for 6 to 12 month rental commencing November 1st. (619) 347-1888

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

2BR/2BA LONGBOAT KEY

3-week rental (12/17/20221/7/2023). Second oor unit facing the Gulf of Mexico. Spectacular sunsets, steps from the water. Tennis, pool, bikes, putting green and shing. 50% non-refundable deposit required. Final payment 14 days before move-in. $7,500 (312) 961-5629

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

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for days, nights, and traveling. COVID vaccinated. 941-536-5339

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Auto Transport

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States. Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

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Painting

CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing. Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable. Free estimates. 941-744-1020. 35+ years experience.

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

4BR/3BA LONGBOAT KEY

Five weeks, January 7 - February 11, 2023 in a 4 bed/3 bath home directly on Sarasota Bay. Private, enclosed pool, hot tub, bbq grill and amazing view. Private dock, bikes, tennis, putting green on property. $15,000 for the entire 5 weeks in prime season. 50% non-refundable deposit required, nal payment 14 days before check-in. $15,000. (312) 961-5629

LONGBOAT KEY: Beachfront Condos, 1st or 2nd floor, 2BR/2BA, W/D in units, free Wi-Fi, heated pool, & parking. Call 941-383-3338.

WEEKLY

Beachfront, Bayfront and In Between Houses or Condos

Reservations 941-383-5577 wagnerlbkrentals@gmail.com

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