Longboat Observer 3.2.23

Arlene McKitrick is champion — again

Arlene McKitrick did it again. She won the Longboat Key Club golf championship for the 46th consecutive time.

After the first round, McKitrick was leading the tournament by seven shots before feeling ill.

“My diabetes was going completely out of control. My blood sugar was going extremely high causing me to become very dizzy, blurred vision and lose balance,” she said in an email. “By a miracle, I managed to survive and still win the tournament by two shots.”

McKitrick has won 279 victories on the links. She attributes her winning record to a good attitude.

“When we are faced with incredible challenges, we can become a victim, or we can have faith and become a victor,” McKitrick said.

Rules floated for boats

The Royal Rummage Sale returns

Get ready to shop ’til you drop because the St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church’s Royal Rummage Sale is this weekend.

Members of the Ladies Guild have been collecting for a year, sorting for months and setting up for weeks. And after all that, Pick Hall will be picked clean in only two days.

The regular sale is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4. But shoppers can pay an early bird admission fee of $5 to shop early from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. The sale is being held in the hall behind the church, which is located at 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

DRAWN TO THE GREEN

PAGE 15

Courtesy photo

Lesley Dwyer

Marilyn Davol and Ginny Akhoury

Lesley Dwyer

Artists from all over the country display their work at the Longboat Key Festival of the Arts on Feb. 25-26.

Lauren Tronstad

Andres Evans, Unicorp CEO Chuck Whittall, Bob Moss, Mike Ogorek and Josh Mutchler speak to attendees at Friday’s topping-off ceremony at the Residences at St. Regis Longboat Key.

Annual Longboat Key Festival of the Arts takes over Town Center Green.

St. Regis celebrates topping off

progress on their soon-to-be homes. All 69 condos have been sold. Buyers celebrated the construction progress with glasses of champagne.

Five buildings are working their way through construction, a fivestory hotel on the north end of the property, three five-story condo buildings on the south side of the property and a single-floor amenities building in between.

The project remains on track for completion in 2024. The entire project is expected to take about another 16 months to complete.

The last slab of concrete for the project was poured Feb. 16.

ous resort was a very special place for this town. What we are building here today is going to be beyond our lifetime of creating memories for kids, parents and families to come.”

Mutchler took the time to address all of their subcontractors and individuals that have been particularly crucial to the project.

afternoon of Feb. 24.

Construction workers and stakeholders attended and were served lunch before companies raffled off prizes including 13 televisions, Yeti coolers and tool sets.

Project Executive Josh Mutchler, founder of Moss Bob Moss and Unicorp CEO Chuck Whittall spoke at the ceremony to thank their employees and partners and tout the success of the project.

“You all are creating a place where there will be great memories for years to come,” Whittall said. “The previ-

derful structure of these buildings. We’ve done it safely. We’ve done it extremely fast. We’ve done it at high quality.”

The other end of the beam had an American flag hanging from it.

Later in the afternoon, after the ceremony, condo buyers arrived to take tours of the property and see the

“I want to thank everyone here from the bottom of my heart,” Mutchler said. “I appreciate all the hard work that everyone has put in.”

When raising the beam to the highest point of the project, the point of the topping off ceremony, an evergreen tree was placed on one end. The tree symbolizes construction reaching the sky without the loss of life or injury. It is said to bode well for future inhabitants of the building.

“There is nothing more pleasant for me to do than participate in a topping-off ceremony,” Moss said. “(The ceremony) is to celebrate all of you that helped create this won-

Upon completion, workers will have constructed more than 1 million square feet of indoor space. The project is in construction on a 17.6acre lot of the previous home of the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort. The hotel is set to have 166 rooms. About 3,000 people are expected to have worked on the project once it is finished.

The project is expected to take another 16 months to complete.

Photos by Lauren Tronstad

An American flag hangs from one side of the final beam on the St. Regis project.

Construction workers and project partners eat lunch during the St. Regis topping-off ceremony Friday.

Attendees were able to sign a commemorative beam at the ceremony.

NAVIGATING NEW RULES

LAUREN TRONSTAD

STAFF WRITER

Boat owners may have to adjust where they anchor their vessels as proposed town code changes move forward in Longboat Key.

Proposed rules come after a Country Club Shores couple, Kathy and Todd Callahan, came to Longboat Key town commissioners asking for help with a navigation issue in their canal, resulting from a large moored boat.

The Callahans’ presentation to the commission in June included a petition signed by 11 residents and featured pictures of the channel and a timeline of the issue’s development.

When initial complaints were received, the town sent a police department boat to assess the situation and found navigation was not impeded.

However, the marine patrol boat is much smaller than those owned by homeowners in the neighborhood.

The couple came back to the commission in October with the same issue, hoping the commission would decide to make some changes.

At that meeting, commissioners decided to direct staff to investigate whether other neighborhoods had concerns about navigability and what regulations were already in place in homeowners associations, if any.

“The kinds of boats that are coming in are not getting smaller,” Todd Callahan said at the Feb. 21 workshop. “They are getting larger.”

“It’s not just my canal and the boat,” Kathy Callahan said. “It’s overall the fact that we’re in a boating community. We need to be thinking forward and positively where it’s fair for everyone.”

SURVEY RESULTS

A survey was sent out to canal-fronting property owners and homeowners associations. Of the 89 surveys that were emailed, the town received 12 responses.

Longboat Harbour is the only association that indicated its bylaws restrict boat size. Every other response indicated neighborhood associations merely followed the guidelines set by the town.

Town staff said it was hard to draw conclusions from the limited responses, but town staff summarized results:

n None of the respondents indicated that their canals were privately maintained for navigability.

n Most respondents indicated they had not experienced any vessels impeding navigation.

n None indicated that potential changes to the code would conflict with any current private restrictions.

n Only two of the respondents indicated that the town should not regulate the extent to which vessels could extend into a canal.

ALREADY IN PLACE

RULES

Currently, the town has rules in place that state that permanent structures, such as docks, may not project into a canal more than 30 feet or 30% of the total width of the waterway, whichever is less. The town’s ordinance, created in early 2020, does not mention boats as obstacles, though.

The 2020 change sought to eliminate the possibility of new docks being built directly opposite of existing docks, though at the time, town leaders said their main concern was narrower docks largely in the north end of town, not wider ones planned in such communities as Bay Isles or Country Club Shores.

The town’s proposed language keeps the 30 feet or 30% language,

but would apply this regulation to include vessels instead of just addressing structures. The language would apply to current and future structures and boats.

“Presumably, no docks would be affected by this because docks are already and always have been limited by the 30 or 30 rule,” Mayor Ken Schneier said. “No one would have to change their dock, but they might have to move their boat next to the seawall.”

Sarasota County and Naples were given as examples of local jurisdictions that already regulate both dock and boat size. Both of the codes state the size of the dock structure, moored vessel or combination of the dock and vessel’s extension should extend no more than 25% of the width of any waterway.

NAVIGATING NEXT STEPS

The last time they discussed canal navigation, in October 2022, commissioners decided to not move forward with drafting an ordinance until they had more information on the nature of the issue and the level of responsibility the town has to maintain navigation.

“(The) Commission has legitimate government interest in ensuring navigability within the town’s canals and may regulate the structures and vessels within the town’s canals for that public purpose,” the staff presentation read. “(The) town

currently regulates dock structure projections over water and could include vessels within such regulation.”

Conversation centered on the legality of changing the town’s code and whether or not the town should expect to face legal challenges should it change the rules.

However, the town is allowed to regulate vessel size in canals as long as it is done with the intent of maintaining navigability. The regulation is required to be nondiscriminatory, meaning the town cannot tell someone what kind of vessel they can own.

If the new language is added, rather than require removal or adjustment of a preexisting dock, a property owner might have to anchor their vessel along a seawall rather than in front of the dock to ensure they are complying with the new rules.

“(The) recommended language works fine for me in a 75-foot canal,” Commissioner Mike Haycock said.

However, he said, the same rules may not be beneficial to someone in a much narrower canal, such as those in the St. Judes neighborhood, which can be as narrow as 30 feet.

Commissioners opted to not have staff come back to another workshop, but rather move forward with an ordinance. The ordinance will go to the town’s Planning and Zoning Board for approval first. Then, it will come back to commissioners for first and second readings.

WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Residents of the barrier island emailed commissioners before the workshop meeting to ensure their desire to see a change was noted.

The majority of emails were from Country Club Shores residents, who were urged by association presidents to send their support for the proposed change.

“As a resident of Country Club Shores, it has been obvious that the canals are getting too crowded with larger boats. Something has to be done to limit the size of these large boats that are a hazard to safe boating and human safety,” Marc Rubin wrote.

“We do live on a canal lot, have a boat and boat dock and are avid boaters,” Walt Kaczmarek wrote. “We find this modification a reasonable measure that will allow safe waterway access and navigation to all residents and visitors alike.”

“As a resident of Country Club Shores I believe it makes sense to ensure any ordinance revision includes the beam of a moored vessel in the definition of ‘structure intrusion.’ This would resolve the gray area that exists since it is currently not included, and this has and will continue to create issues with large boats moored against the outer limits of the dock or boat lift,” Robin Carlstein wrote.

“The passageway in a canal is important,” Marcia Benson wrote. “I recommend that LBK follow the example of Sarasota, which provides for a 50% clearance in the center of the canals. I’m concerned about the town allowing only a 40% clearance. Allowing 40% passageway instead of 50% is only 7 1/2 feet for a 75-foot canal, but that 7 1/2 feet can make a big difference for navigating in and out of the canals.”

If passed, town rules would change to limit vessel sizes in addition to dock sizes.

Town rules only cover the size of docks and permanent structures. Photos

Courtesy photo

Town regulations currently restrict docks or structures from taking up more than 30% of the width of a canal. It is looking to include boats in that restriction.

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Longboat residents learn value of electric vehicles, solar energy

About 15 people attended Wednesday’s workshop in partnership with Sarasota County.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Finding ways to improve individual and town sustainability efforts led about 15 people to attend Wednesday’s “green” workshop.

“I was interested in what the town is doing for people interested in investing in an electric vehicle or solar energy,” resident David Lynch said.

During the presentation, led by Sarasota County Sustainability Program Supervisor Sara Kane, Lynch asked if the town had been looking into setting requirements for future developments to have the infrastructure to support sustainable energy choices.

Mayor Ken Schneier, who attended the workshop, said that had not been brought to the Town Commission.

“Much of the current condo infrastructure does not allow for installation of electric vehicle charging stations,” Lynch said.

UPCOMING

WORKSHOP

The town is hosting another workshop March 28 to cover water conservation. The presentation is set to cover where the town’s potable water comes from, the future of Florida’s supply and conservation tips. Attendees will also learn where the most water is used inside and outside of the home, leak detection tips, waterefficient appliances and habit changes that can reduce water use. The workshop will be held from 10-11 a.m. at Town Hall and is free to the public.

be fully electric or a hybrid.

Two individuals, including Rusty Chinnis, said they have their own solar systems. Chinnis touted the cost effectiveness of powering his home with solar energy and driving an electric vehicle.

“I don’t have to worry about oil changes or other routine vehicle maintenance,” he said.

On average, he said powering his home and car each month costs him about $35.

●

Residents of The Sanctuary, Bob Murphy and Steve Evans, said the need for a roof replacement sparked Murphy to look into solar options.

Murphy has been gathering information on the possibility of adding solar panels when Evans informed him of the workshop and its topic.

“(The workshop) gave me a lot of information,” he said. “Now I know people I can call with my questions.”

He plans to use what he learned at the workshop to further his investigation and, if possible, advocate for solar panel placement.

Of those who attended the workshop, about five said they already own an electric vehicle, whether it

12th

Annual

Kane touted the importance of an “efficiency first” mindset when looking into solar energy. To get the most out of the change, home improvements should accompany installation as needed, including proper insulation, replacing windows and updating light bulbs.

The same improvements can help a homeowner save money and reduce use even without a switch to solar.

During Kane’s presentation, she listed important considerations for deciding whether to pursue solar energy. Some include energy use, roof orientation, space and shape.

Considerations when deciding to invest in an electric vehicle include daily miles driven and available charging infrastructure, whether private or public.

TASTE OF THE KEYS & Fashion Show

presented by The Longboat Key Garden Club

Thursday, March 23, 2023 6:00 - 9:00pm

Longboat Key Club & Resort Harbourside Ballroom

A fun night benefiting the LBK Garden Club Scholarships, Beautification Programs and Grants featuring:

Fantastic Food from the Best of our Local Restaurants

A Fashion Show featuring styles from J. McLaughlin

Music from Popular Local Band River Road

Great Raffle Prizes!

Event Tickets (Includes Raffle) $100 Raffle Tickets $50

Tickets available for sale

LBKGardenClub.org

Basil Hayden, Angostura Bitters, Simple, Filthy Cherry, Orange Peel, Cherrywood Smoke

More pickleball contingent on parking

Commissioners approved a temporary pickleball court — as long as more parking is added.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

The town of Longboat Key is seeking ways to satisfy pickleball players, yogis and casual Bayfront Park-goers.

The main issue is the lack of parking at the park, particularly in the morning.

“The pickleball folks are taking up too much of the parking and not allowing other people that want to use the park today,” Commissioner Mike Haycock said.

The discussion started when pickleball players came to multiple commission meetings to express their desire for additional courts — or at least the temporary use of tennis courts at the park that tend to be empty during peak hours of pickleball play.

At peak times, resident and pickleball fan Dave Levine said as many as 40 people can be waiting to use the courts. The current courts allow for 20 people to play at one time.

Currently, there are three dedicated, permanent pickleball courts and two shared pickleball playing areas at the park.

Important considerations town staff encouraged commissioners to keep in mind include:

n Bayfront Park is an open-tothe-public, first-come, first-served town park with multiple amenities serving a variety of users in a designed and balanced fashion.

n The intent is to maintain beauty, amenities and ambiance of the park, which is why no considerations were given to adding pickleball or parking to the open field area.

n Parking is limited at the park and ideally available as much as possible for all users.

n It is not the intent to make Bayfront Park a pickleball magnet.

n Private properties have been converting their own spaces into pickleball to address demand. The

current count on the Key is 57 courts.

n The higher pickleball demand at Bayfront Park tends to be highly seasonal and focused in the mornings.

According to the staff report, the town’s Public Works department is of the opinion that the current state of the park is best to ensure that all amenities are equally accommodated.

“Since afternoons tend to have far more pickleball capacity, the natural solution would be for pickleball players to come back in the afternoon or evenings when there is more capacity for play,” the staff memo said.

Public Works staff suggested adding five to six overflow parking spaces at the south end of the park to help accommodate more parkgoers.

Currently, there are 52 regular parking spaces, seven accessible spaces and one dedicated electric vehicle charging spot.

“I don’t think you can fix the parking problem I saw last week with six spots for the people who are taking other classes and paying money to be there,” Commissioner BJ Bishop said.

Individuals who attended yoga classes Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center came to the commission workshop to express their frustration with lack of available parking spaces.

Class members pay a fee to attend the courses with a portion of the fee going directly to the town for use of the center.

“We never had a problem parking when they were tennis courts,” resident Donna Patterson said. “The problem has started with pickleball

... I understand it’s a community park. We are part of that community.”

Patterson has lived on the Key for 16 years. Fourteen of those years she has participated in yoga classes at the Recreation Center.

“All we want is a parking spot for one hour two days a week,” she said.

Sarasota Memorial Presents

The yoga classes take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Ultimately, the Town Commission decided to enter a pilot proj

ect to temporarily tape off the only dedicated tennis court for use by pickleball players during peak hours. Commissioners Bishop and Sherry Dominick were against the proposal.

“I do support the pilot,” Com

missioner Maureen Merrigan said. “One hypothesis is that it will cycle people through faster. It might get more people from waiting to actually playing.”

The project is set to occur only if a condition is met — an agreement must be reached with Columbia Restaurant Group for use of its empty lot for additional parking.

Commissioners agreed that the additional five or six spots are needed in the interim.

The project would only run until May 2023. From there, commissioners would have the opportunity to revisit the issue to see if the addi-

INSIGHT & INNOVATION

A New Day in Cancer Treatment

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tional court alleviated any parking strain.

However, if no agreement is entered for the additional parking spots, the tennis court will not accommodate pickleball play.

If the temporary taping moves forward, the additional court will follow the “round robin” style of sharing

with tennis players that is already used on the shared court.

Pickleball players have priority Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tennis players have priority Tuesday and Thursday.

In afternoons, evenings and weekends, the courts remain first come, first served.

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Monday, March 6, 4:30-5:30pm

} Kenneth Meredith, MD | Oncology Surgeon, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgeon

Robotic Advancements for Specialized GI and Pancreatic Cancers

Tuesday, March 7, 4:30-5:30pm

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New Advances in Cellular Therapies

Thursday, March 9, 4:30-5:30pm

} Justin S. Lee, MD | Vascular Interventional Radiologist

Radiologic, Non-Surgical Treatments for Localized GI Tumors

Tuesday, March 21, 4:30-5:30pm

} Matthew C. Biagioli, MD | Radiation Oncologist

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Tuesday, March 28, 4:30-5:30pm

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This is a FREE LECTURE SERIES with FREE VALET PARKING at main hospital entrance. Light refreshments served. RSVP required. Reserve your space by phone at (941) 917-7777 or online at smh.com/lectures.

LOCATION:

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Q&A to follow each presentation

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File photos

It’s not uncommon for the three regulation courts and two temporary courts on one of the tennis courts to be in use simultaneously during peak pickleball times at Bayfront Park.

Pickleball continues to grow on Longboat Key.

Canandaigua National Trust Company invites you to our complimentary seminar.

Wisdom from widows Navigating the Future

Temple Beth Israel | 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

10:30AM - 1:00PM

Presented by Hedria Saltzman. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

In this engaging presentation by Hedria Saltzman, author of “Square One at 51”, Hedria shares what she’s learned about being widowed, embracing a new road of change, and creating your own success despite the unexpected.

RSVP by March 23 at CNTrustCompany.com/Wisdom.

You may also call Sandra Cusson at (941) 366-7222. Space is limited. Register today!

Town reaches new milestone in sewer line project

n Develop an action plan.

n Continue meeting consent order requirements imposed by the FDEP in response to the spill.

n Begin restoration actions in accordance with consent order terms and FDEP authorizations.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Progress has been made in the town’s replacement of its subaqueous force main following a leak in June 2020. Corrosion of the pipeline resulted in about 14 million gallons of effluent escaping from the pipeline.

The mainland portion of the project is “substantially complete,” according to a staff update to town commissioners at their Feb. 21 regular workshop.

Overall, the mainland portion of fixing the pipe has cost about $2.64 million. The town received two state appropriations to help pay for the project totaling just over $2 million.

For the portion of the sewer line under the bay, the town has received permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to open cut the bay and install a redundant force main under it.

Open cutting is a method of pipeline installation that requires digging up the underwater bed of Sarasota Bay to the required depth for installing the pipe.

About 2.8 miles of the town’s fourmile pipeline would be replaced in this manner. The remaining 1.2 miles was part of the mainland project.

As part of the permit conditions, the town will have to perform seagrass and mangrove mitigation as part of the construction project.

Board of Directors

George W. Hamlin, IV, Chairman • Garth Harding, Vice Chairman • Sam Guerrieri, President Mary Braxton-Joseph • David Gorin • Frank H. Hamlin, III • Larry Heilbronner-Kolthoff Christine Jennings • Nelle Miller • Bernice Skirboll • Janice A. Zarro

The town has allocated a total of $21.7 million to cover the project in fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

Next steps:

n Continue exploring final design and construction delivery options for the major subaqueous force main replacement project with town consulting engineers and developers.

n Complete the force main lining project and pursue opportunities to address the remaining portion of mainland pipe further south along Long Bar Point property.

n Evaluate feasibility, cost and schedule of the options.

n Finalize the current pipeline assessment effort.

BREAK SETTLEMENT

Immediately after the workshop, town commissioners called a special meeting to vote on the terms of a settlement agreement between the town and Greeley and Hansen. The settlement terms were approved unanimously by commissioners.

The environmental engineering firm will pay the town $425,000 in no more than three installments by Oct. 31.

In December 2015, the town entered a contract with Greeley and Hansen to perform a condition assessment on the town’s wastewater pipeline running under Sarasota Bay to Manatee County’s Southwest Water Reclamation Facility.

After conducting internal and external assessments of the pipe, the engineering firm concluded that at least 20 years of useful life remained in the sewer main and it had minimal risk for “catastrophic failure.”

About three years later, the line broke, spilling millions of gallons of effluent into the bay.

Because of more than $440,000 worth of incurred fees, the town hired litigation counsel to pursue claims against the firm.

The town of Longboat Key has obtained permits to install a new force main in the bay.

For SMH, context matters

All things considered, in the fog of the crisis, SMH’s handling of COVID was exemplary — except in one area.

Nothing is likely to assuage the families whose loved ones died from COVID-19 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital during the pandemic. Their experience of being unable to hug their dying loved ones will be etched in their minds — a pain that will never heal.

But as heart-wrenching as that is, if you dispassionately read all 82 pages of the three-year review of SMH’s “Response to COVID-19 Pandemic” and, equally important, remember the context of the time and put yourself in the shoes of the people on the daily frontlines of the pandemic, you can justifiably conclude:

All things considered, overall, the entire SMH staff did an extraordinary job in a crisis.

As a $1 billion enterprise in the business of curing the sick and saving lives, SMH’s staff — the CEO and its 9,000 other staff members — should be congratulated and, yes, thanked. Their three-year, day-today handling of this deadly epidemic showed that the citizens of this region should have great confidence in their public hospital.

Now that, of course, is not the view of a vocal minority that has been excoriating the hospital, its board and physicians on TikTok. Sure, they did things they probably wish they didn’t or wish they had done better. And the raw nerve that continues to sting family members who lost loved ones is how the SMH medical staff and hospital treated them.

But to vilify the hospital, its management and doctors is to ignore the context; to be ignorantly judgmental; to fail to walk in others’ shoes; and to forget this most basic human trait: In times of crisis and chaos, when conditions are changing by the minute and hour, when information is unknown and changing just as rapidly, men and women rise up in the moment and take action for the good. With all they have and know, they make the best decisions they can and do the best they can.

That is the picture that emerges from the three-year review of how Sarasota Memorial handled COVID-19. SMH’s entire staff did its best. And it did well. When measured independently, SMH outperformed its peers on many levels.

Perhaps the most repeated takeaway from the three-year review will be the conclusion of Premier Inc., a leading health care consultant and analytics firm. In its analysis of 1,300 hospitals, Sarasota Memorial’s COVID mortality rates were better than those of Premier’s national, South Atlantic, Florida and peer hospital benchmarks.

SMH: 5.6% mortality rate; hospitals in the South: 14.4%.

While some of the COVID deaths became the trigger for the public review of Sarasota Memorial’s practices, reading the 82-page report gives you a true sense of the magnitude of what went on in the SMH system during the pandemic.

IMPROVISE AND REACT

It was the fog of war.

Sarasota County reported the first case of COVID-19 in Florida on March 17, 2020. Its staff had no idea what was about to occur.

Within a few weeks, SMH had 70 COVID patients. By July 2020, Sarasota County was averaging 200 new cases a day.

n January 2021: 275 cases a day.

n September 2021: 480.

n Jan. 19, 2022: 870.

Altogether, SMH treated 13,731 cases and 70% of all hospitalized COVID patients in the county.

Ninety-four percent survived; 768 died, as of this week.

The rapid rise in case numbers required SMH’s leadership and staff to react and improvise quickly.

Already at capacity when the outbreak began, the hospital’s leadership doubled its intensive care unit beds to 120; it shifted the use of several hundred beds and created

10 new care units to create isolation rooms. This is throwing out established daily routines for hundreds of staffers and implementing new, unfamiliar practices. Talk about disruption; this was worse.

A special supply chain team scrambled to keep the hospital operating. The hospital’s biomedical engineers used a 3D printer to recreate a routine replacement part that manufacturers could not provide for respirator face shields. They figured out how to extend the life of N95 masks.

In 2021, the hospital used more than 273,000 N95 and isolation masks a month. Prior to the pandemic, typical usage was 2,400 masks a month.

Demand for COVID testing skyrocketed, causing the hospital to invest nearly $1 million in testing equipment:

n Early 2020: SMH conducted 1,000 tests a month.

n December 2021: 20,000 a month.

Altogether, SMH processed 317,600 tests in the three years.

All of those demands required people to manage them, and leaders to coordinate SMH’s 9,000 employees — all of them on high alert and wondering in 2020 and 2021 if they would be stricken with the deadly virus.

During the 2020 summer surge, more than 450 employees were unable to work because they contracted COVID. More than 400 missed work during the Delta wave in the summer of 2021. Infected employees jumped to 1,100 during the Omicron wave from December 2021 to February 2022.

In the midst of this, Sarasota Memorial hired more than 900 new employees in 2021 to prepare for the opening of the SMH-Venice hospital and the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute Oncology Tower. All of them had to be trained and onboarded.

The stress took its toll. Said the report: “Sarasota Memorial offered around-the-clock counseling and support to help staff cope with the emotional strain, and provided ongoing wellness, stress reduction and resiliency training programs to help prevent burnout and fatigue.”

While hospitals around the country saw record turnover, SMH’s turnover was lower than all of its peers. That played in the Gallup organization’s awarding SMH its “Exceptional Workplace Award”

in 2022, citing the SMH staff for its “resiliency, determination and commitment to making their people a priority.” Taken in context, that recognition is deserved.

LOSS OF TRUST

But the underlying issue that spurred the election of four new board members in November and drew more than 500 people to two public hearings was this: how the doctors treated patients and families and the medications and protocols they prescribed. That is the divide.

As a business in a crisis, you get the picture in the report of competent, thoughtful leadership and a staff committed to winning a war.

But at the same time, the public’s trust of what the physicians were doing deteriorated.

Patricia Maraia, one of three new board members who was part of slate of three elected in November, has been a registered nurse and patient advocate for 34 years. She was appointed vice chair of the study committee.

In her career, Maraia said nurses and doctors have always been willing to make suggestions and collaborate. “This time around was so shocking to me because so many voices were shut down. Open debate was not allowed.”

Maraia: “Bottom line was a lack of communication … I’m not saying it was intentional.”

Because of the speed at which the pandemic took off, “the medical staff was so involved in trying to figure this thing out that maybe communication got left by wayside,” she said.

She thinks fear “played a big role in the lack of people wanting to do things (out of the mainstream), because they were afraid it would increase the numbers or increase the deaths from COVID.”

Think back to 2020 and 2021, before vaccines. The national media became a mouthpiece for everything that came out of the CDC.

Day after day, Dr. Anthony Fauci and his Washington colleagues drummed into people’s minds — including the minds of physicians — only certain treatments and drugs were acceptable. Everything else was quackery (Remember the ivermectin horse paste?).

You could see it in hospital after hospital: The medical staffs lining up behind the so-called official

IVERMECTIN: SCORNED; NOT BANNED

Contrary to a common charge that Sarasota Memorial banned the drug ivermectin for COVID patients, the three-year review reports that “treatment decisions are made between patients and their doctors” and that ivermectin was available if a physician requested it. The report says 41 physicians prescribed ivermectin to 151 patients. But you can conclude from the report that SMH’s COVID treatment task force and medical staff subscribed to the D.C. public health establishment’s rejection of ivermectin. Said the report: “… Most

physicians at Sarasota Memorial and across the nation do not recommend or use ivermectin for hospitalized COVID patients due to lack of proven efficacy in large, randomized and controlled trials.”

Evidence is otherwise.

Throughout the pandemic, the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, a group of internationally recognized critical care physicians, published results of ivermectin studies throughout the world.

On its current website, FLCCC reports there have been 90 studies from 963 scientists involving 133,842 patients in 27 countries.

“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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scientists from D.C.

SMH itself formed a task force of representatives from more than 20 specialties to vet and recommend treatments. “Materials and guidance were updated regularly and covered all aspects of COVID-19 treatment … as well as review of evidence-based literature,” the study reports. “Each iteration included the latest recommendations from the CDC, NIH, WHO, Infectious Diseases Society of America and multiple medical societies.”

The task force also looked at the therapies and drugs that Fauci and other D.C. officials scorned. But as the sidebar below shows, the picture that emerges can you lead you to conclude: Fear helped fuel group think — medical staffs throughout U.S. following the so-called science of the D.C. medical establishment.

Doctors at SMH and all over the country did not want to be associated with a small group of critical care physicians who challenged conventional wisdom — even if they had ample proof of the efficacy of ivermectin and valid arguments to be skeptical of the vaccines.

Given all of the unknowns at the time, you can’t fault the SMH medical staff for following its lowrisk instincts.

But while the medical staff resisted alternative therapeutics and advocated for vaccines, the public over time became smarter and wiser — and less trusting of the medical establishment, including at SMH.

Maraia recalled a speaker at the first public hearing. He said: “Do you realize what you all have done? You have created such a distrust in the medical profession that I don’t know if it is ever going to be repaired.”

“That hit me very hard,” Maraia said. “To hear that was devastating.”

“That is what I am trying to fix,” she said. “Ultimately, that’s my goal — to bring that trust back to the medical community.”

WORKING TOGETHER

The three-year review of SMH’s COVID practices was a start.

For one, the SMH board, CEO and medical staff deserve credit for conducting the review to begin with. It’s rare for hospitals to open themselves to such scrutiny. But SMH’s leaders obviously recognized that as a tax-supported institution, they have an obligation to be open to inspection and respond to criticism and recommendations.

Appointing Maraia vice chair of the study committee also sent a message. “It was (the SMH staff’s) commitment to me that they were willing to work together,” she said.

That’s why, to some surprise, she voted to accept the report. The other two board members elected on the same slate voted against accepting the report.

“I feel very good about the potential of where things are going to go,” she said.

MATT WALSH

To read the SMH Study Committee’s recommendations to the hospital board, go to: YourObserver.com/ SMH-Recommendations.

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Courtesy photo

The accompanying photos show how a surgery recovery room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, left, was converted and equipped with life-saving equipment to care for non-COVID critical care patients during the pandemic.

Officer saves more than a Chihuahua

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Sarasota Police Department Officer Michael Skinner says he may have a new department nickname after saving a Chihuahua from behind the Sarasota Yacht Club on Feb. 17.

While on marine patrol Friday night, he communicated the dog’s name to fellow officers and quickly started receiving text messages, “Did you just say Tinkerbell on the radio?”

He did, and it was a serious matter. The tiny Chihuahua had fallen overboard with her owner. The man was transported to the hospital, so his wife went with him. Tinkerbell was out of sight in Sarasota Bay for 45 minutes.

Skinner wasn’t optimistic when arriving on the scene with his partner, Officer Ron Dixon, considering the size of a Chihuahua and the strength of the current. It was also dark out, and she fell in near a seawall. Even the docks were five to six feet over her head. It was unlikely she would have found a way out herself.

But Skinner and Dixon found Tinkerbell within 15 minutes of arriving. The resourceful dog swam to what Skinner described as looking like a piece of concrete piling covered in oysters.

Friends of her owners looked both ecstatic and stunned on the police cam video when they saw Tinkerbell. After having to put his German shepherd down this past August, Skinner was just as relieved with the outcome.

“I was pretty upset when I had to put down my dog, and I can’t imagine dealing with an injury and then trying to worry about your dog’s gone too,” he said. “It’s somebody’s

pet. You just can’t take it for granted how much they love the dog.”

THEY CAN’T ALL BE AS SWEET AS TINKERBELL

Tinkerbell was Skinner’s first pet rescue. In 2022, the marine patrol unit received 36 calls for animals, but the majority of calls are made on behalf of wildlife. Skinner, born and raised in the area, has aided dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, raccoons and birds.

Raccoons, the most notoriously combative of the group, are apparently much less feisty after being marooned.

“We’ll get calls from local boaters like ‘Hey, I just saw a raccoon on a channel marker,’” Skinner said. “We have a net, and we’ll try to scoop them up and keep them at the front of the boat and quickly find the closest place to land.”

The rowdier raccoons jump before making it to land. In that case, the boat slowly follows behind until they make it to shore on their own.

But not all animals have the distinct markings of a raccoon. Dixon got a call on a dog swimming down a channel. He kept whistling, but the dog kept swimming.

When the animal reached the shore behind the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, he called Skinner to say, “You will not believe what I just did. For the last 20 minutes, I was chasing what I thought was somebody’s dog, and it ended up being a coyote.”

Anyone who has lived in a home that does not have enough counter space, storage, room for guests, etc... knows the frustrations of being in a home that just isn’t working.

Most people know what isn’t working but they aren’t sure how to fix it. Designing a home that is right for you goes far beyond the number of bedrooms you need. Your home should reflect who you are and how you want to live.

Brian Phipps of Phipps Home Design believes in this philosophy and has been turning wish lists into reality for over 25 years. Each of the 1,700 luxury homes that he has designed in Longboat Key, Bird Key and Anna Maria is distinctive because the owners have different ideas of the perfect home.

Phipps distinguishes himself by focusing solely on residential projects.

“We’re more efficient than a lot of designers,” Phipps says. “Some take two years to design a home. We can get the construction started in months as opposed to years.”

“Being streamlined is key,” Phipps says. “People are busier than ever. It is important that we get the design done right and that we are efficient in our approach to the project.”

Clients begin by sharing their dreams and requests. Early on, Phipps recalls receiving files of magazine pages from clients. Today, inspiration comes in digital form and social media posts. From there, Phipps infuses his own ideas with the clients’ to arrive at “workable” ideas.

Positioning of the house is also a primary factor. In fact, Phipps walks the property with the clients to determine the size of home that the lot can accommodate, as well as how to best take advantage of the views and natural light.

He then gets down to the details of his clients’ preferences - including the kitchen sink. For home design, Phipps leans toward the Palm Beach and Boca Raton aesthetic, where he cut his teeth in the business.

“East Coast stylization has worked well on the West Coast,” he says.

Several past clients have hired him to remodel the homes he designed decades ago. “It’s nice to be able to walk into a house 25 years later and nothing has changed,” Phipps says.

“It was that nice to begin with.”

Besides comprehensive design packages, Phipps Home Design also helps in working with other professionals, including builders, landscape architects and interior designers. The result is an exquisite home, inside and out, that complements its surroundings.

Courtesy photo A friend of Tinkerbell’s owner is elated when Officer Michael Skinner finds the Chihuahua in Sarasota Bay.

Barry Lee Napiecek

Agnes “Dionne” Reinert

Agnes “Dionne” Reinert of Longboat Key, Fl, passed away on February 18, 2023, at 89.

Dionne was born and grew up in Springfield, Illinois and married the love of her life, James Reinert. Dionne and Jim had 6 beautiful children in Elgin, Illinois and moved to Longboat Key in 1968.

Barry Lee Napiecek passed away February 1, 2023 following a brief illness. Born December 4, 1940 in Reading, PA, Barry was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Arline (Nasrallah/Frient) and daughter, Kristin (Brian) Baadte, step-sons Jeffrey (Jeni) Frient and Brian Frient, grandchildren Caroline, Kadryn and Braden Baadte, Tyler (Claire), Amanda, Camille and Grayson Frient, Aleksandra and Camelin Carter and great-grandchildren Theodore, Clementine and Charlotte Frient. He is also survived by sister Judith (Philip) Fierro and brother Steve (Robin) Napiecek.

Barry was predeceased by his late wife, Carolyn (Neugebauer), step-daughter, Susan Frient and his parents Chester and Ruth (Manley) Napiecek. He was a 1962 graduate of St. Joseph’s

University, Philadelphia, PA, was a Certified Public Accountant, served in the U.S. Army and pursued a career in accounting and finance which took him from Philadelphia to Manhattan to Chicago. Later he felt blessed and privileged to enjoy retirement in Longboat Key. His years were filled with activities, service, travel, socializing, adventure and joy. Friends in Spanish Main Yacht Club, in the St. Mary’s church community and on LBK added enrichment beyond measure. He will be remembered, cherished, held dearly in our hearts and forever missed.

Mass of Christian Burial for Barry will be celebrated at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Florida.

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Dionne raised her family while enjoying her island life on Longboat Key for 55 years. She dedicated herself to serving God and her family. She supported Catholic education for all her children. She enthusiastically volunteered more than 20 years at Solve in Sarasota where she supported young women before, during, and after pregnancy. She also had a deep love of music and was a cantor at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea for many years; Dionne performed for 25 years on the Singing Christmas Tree in downtown Sarasota. Dionne and Jim were founding members of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church and she spent many years volunteering, attending, singing, and providing fellowship.

Dionne will always be remembered for being a happy, positive, and an extremely grateful woman of faith, with a beautiful family legacy of 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her mother Doris, father Charles, sister Carol, husband James, son James

Dionne

a

Reinert Jr., daughter-inlaw MaryAnn Reinert, and son, Ret. Colonel Bradford Reinert, USAF. She is survived by her brother Charles, children Scott (Kim), Patrick (Tracy), Kirt (Kristie), and Mary LeEtte (Vincenzo), 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. There will be a Celebration of Life Service at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church on March 4, 2023 at 1 p.m. on Longboat Key.

Memorialize your loved one with a lasting tribute in print and online, a permanent record of a legacy your family will always cherish.

SERVICE:

Saturday, March 4, 1PM

St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church

DONATIONS:

In lieu of flowers please send donations to Cardinal Mooney High School in Sarasota.

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experience includes 8 bottles of wine, a wine consultant and appetizers!

• Behind the Scenes VIP Tour of Mote Marine Aquarium and Research Lab for 6 people.

• Dinner for 6 guests at Zota Beach Resort.

• Casa Del Mar Beach Resort Stay’cation with Longbeach Café breakfast for 2.

• Full Day Cannon’s Boat Rental, and much MORE!

Proceeds will fund beautification projects at the Longboat Key Town Center, grants to local nonprofits for environmental projects and Scholarships for students focused on environmental and conservation-related studies.

will always be remembered for being

happy, positive, and an extremely grateful woman of faith, with a beautiful family legacy of 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

In the worst of times, you want the best of care. And you shouldn’t have to travel halfway across the country to get it. At the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, we’re committed to providing world-class care this community needs, right here at home.

For us, that means utilizing the latest technology to diagnose symptoms early and accurately, employing state-of-the-art interventions to provide advanced cancer treatment, and delivering a lifetime of survivorship and follow-up care planning to help our patients live life to the fullest. It means building a radiation oncology center and a dedicated oncology tower — and now breaking ground on a new outpatient cancer pavilion to take you all the way through your journey. For our patients, that means having access to the expertise they need and the high-touch care they deserve. It means staying close to family when they need it most. And it means always having the most important medicine of all:

Hope

smh.com/cancer

Rd,

What’s up at The Paradise Center?

546 Bay Isles Rd, LBK 941.383.6493 More Info: TheParadiseCenter.org

MONDAYS: 10-11 Stretch & Strengthen, 1 -3 Thinking Out Loud Discussion Group

TUESDAYS: 10-11 Qi Gong, 11:15-12:15 Yoga, 1 -3 Mah Jongg *

WEDNESDAYS: 10-11 Beginner Tai Chi

THURSDAYS: 10-11 Zumba & Pilates (NO CLASS 3/9) , 1-3 Open Mah Jongg

FRIDAYS: 10-11 Intermediate Tai Chi, 11:15 -12:15 Qi Gong & Meditation

Walk-ins welcome for fitness classes & discussion group!

*For Tuesday Mah Jongg, RSVP Required: MaryAnnBrady@TheParadiseCenter.org

Thinking Out Loud Discussion Group 1-3pm Mondays

A lively, moderated group discussion with subjects such as world affairs, US politics, pop culture and topics relevant to seniors. $15/person FREE for Members

1-2pm March 8

A welcoming space for our U.S. Veterans to connect, relax, share and support one another. FREE Admission WALK-INS WELCOME

Pickleball Basics

11:30am March 16

Certified Pickleball Instructor Terri Noyes will show us the basics of the game, including scoring.

$15/person FREE for Members WALK-INS WELCOME

construction workers who said they had

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

LOUD POOL PARTY

11:18 p.m., 700 block of Lyons Lane

Noise complaints from land: Following a complaint, officers arrived and heard loud voices come from the swimming pool. Officers spoke to the homeowner, who said they would turn the music off and go inside the residence. The homeowner was given a verbal warning for the noise.

SUNDAY, FEB. 19 HOLY ROAD

11:17 a.m., 600 block of Marbury

Lane

Traffic hazard: A caller advised officers of a pothole causing a traffic hazard for both vehicles and pedestrians. Officers took photos of the pothole and forwarded them to the town’s Public Works department.

SLOW DOWN 3 p.m., Buttonwood Harbor

Boating citation: While on marine patrol, an officer noticed a personal watercraft operating with an excessive wake in a posted manatee zone at slow speed. After stopping the vessel, the officer issued the operator a citation for violating the slow speed minimum wake.

TUESDAY, FEB. 21

THIS AIN’T YELLOWSTONE

5:35 a.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: While on patrol, the officer observed a vehicle parked at Bayfront Park. It appeared the occupants were preparing to camp in the back of the van. The occupants were informed of the town’s ordinance of no camping in public parks and sent on their way.

‘STUFF’ IN THE ROAD

2:57 p.m., Bay Isles Parkway/ Harbourside Drive

Traffic hazard: An officer was flagged down by a motorist who said there was “stuff in the road in front of the gate.” The officer asked if the gate guard was notified, to which he replied “I think you should know.”

The officer spoke with the guard, who said a dump truck had spilled some concrete on the way out but were coming back to clean up. The officer helped pick up pieces, allowing traffic to move through one lane.

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

INJURED SWAN

4:53 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway

Animal complaint: A call about a limping swan led officers to the address. Upon meeting with the caller, they said they did not see the bird get struck by a vehicle, but it was standing in one place blocking traffic. No assistance was needed as the swan had already swum away in the creek.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22

DUCK, DUCK ... GOOSE?

6:08 p.m., 1900 block of Harbour

Links Circle

Animal complaint: The officer was sent to the address for an injured bird. The officer waited with the bird, which might have been a duck, until Sarasota Animal Control arrived. The bird was transported to Save Our Seabirds for treatment.

TOO LATE TO WORK

7:09 p.m., 6800 block of Longboat Drive

Noise complaints from land: An officer was dispatched to the address after receiving a noise complaint. The officer met with a construction worker, who was finishing loading equipment and was about to leave. The worker said he was unaware of his inability to work after 5 p.m. The officer told him that if it happened in the future, he would receive a citation.

THURSDAY, FEB. 23

HOW SMART IS IT?

12:47 p.m., 500 block of Reclinata Drive

Suspicious incident: A potential pocket dial led to the officer dispatch to the address. The officer met with a construction worker who said he had accidentally dialed 911 on his smart watch.

LOST AND FOUND, QUICKLY

3:02 p.m., Police department headquarters

Found property: After a bike ride, a resident called about losing her credit card while en route. Before a report could be written for the lost property, an individual came in to turn in the credit card. The card did belong to the bike rider who had called to report it lost. She has since gone to the police department to pick up her card.

The Empath Tidewell Foundation welcomes you to the Tidewell Foundation Building showcasing an outstanding group of health & wellness organizations ready to brighten the lives of the Longboat Key community:

Side Audiology

of Soleil Massage

Quest Physical

JFCS of the Suncoast The Paradise Center & Medical Suite Youthful Aging Home Care

Jeffrey Nunes is commissioned as a pastor by the Rev. Brock Patterson on Tuesday.

A journey of faith

Jeffrey Nunes is not just the Rev. Brock Patterson’s right-hand man anymore. He’s his righthand reverend.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

J

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

to the way he reads and responds to people’s hearts.

On Tuesday, Nunes was commissioned and robed as a reverend at the Longboat Island Chapel. He still has another two years of seminary to complete, so the title doesn’t carry over to other churches yet.

effrey Nunes’ mother, Marita, knew he had a calling from the day he was born.

around easily. Jeffrey walked with me and helped me on and off our tour bus, so he’s very special to me.”

Nunes made his living caring for people. After graduating from New College in 1990, Nunes thought he’d go on to become a medical missionary. But when he started working with people with developmental disabilities, he said it became a calling of sorts. Nunes spent 20 years as a habilitation coordinator. Habilitation helps maintain motor skills and teaches patients new skills.

GOING TO THE CHAPEL

Nunes will be celebrating his sixth wedding anniversary with husband Michael Nunes in May.

“I’ve always felt like my life was dedicated to the Lord, but before we came to the chapel, my sexuality was an issue in most of the churches I attended in my life,” he said. “And at the chapel, it’s not an issue.”

While “The Professor” knows the Bible forward and backward, he’s more about love and light than doctrine and discipline.

“I’ve found much more success in delighting in the things that God has already allowed me to delight in, like going to the beach in the morning or painting ceramics or being with people in the chapel or singing.”

The chapel’s trip to Israel set Nunes on a straight path to the pulpit. It started at an events planning meeting when he mentioned how much he’d enjoyed his travels to the

Holy Land, and the women ran with it. They got in touch with the tour company he used, and dates were set. Nunes refers to that chain of events as his “pre-call.”

This past April, chapel members took that trip. Everyone got along so well, Nunes felt God was once again saying, “These people receive you.” He told Patterson he was feeling the call of God. Patterson shared the experience of his own calling and the conversation continued into a discussion about seminary schools.

“We needed to find a seminary where I could get my master’s degree without having to leave Longboat Key and one that was going to be OK with me being married to Michael,” Nunes said. “There were two choices, and I chose Lexington over Chicago.”

The Lexington Theological Seminary offers online classes 10 months out of the year. Nunes travels to Kentucky in June and July for intensives, in-person classes where the reading is done beforehand and the writing is done after.

God will decide what happens in two years, but for now, Nunes is happy where he is.

“In my mind, what the chapel has is exactly what Christianity needs in the sense that people come from all over the country, from all different churches, and they come to a place where we don’t make an issue of differences,” he said. “We love each other because we’re at the chapel.”

Nunes was raised Catholic, and Marita says everything about him pointed her mother’s instinct in that direction, from his aunt nicknaming him “The Professor” as a child

Nunes, 56, has been a chapel member since 2014 and the Rev. Brock Patterson’s right-hand man for the last couple of years, serving as an interim office administrator and then as the pastoral care coordinator. His duties will remain similar but expand.

“I knew it more when he was 2. And he came to me when he was graduating from college, and he said, ‘Mom, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think I’m going to be a doctor,’” Marita recalled. “I said, ‘Son, I never thought you were going to be a doctor. I thought you were going to be a priest.”“I’ll be preaching more,” Nunes said. “I’m still a support to the senior pastor, but now I can support him in anything he does, not just some of the things that he does.”

About 100 members showed their support by attending a ceremony and champagne reception. Glasses were raised high during the toast as the congregation welcomed him as another chapel leader.

“We had a trip last year, and there were 23 of us that went to Israel,” member Sue Reese said. “I just had a hip replacement and couldn’t get

Growing in Jesus’ Name

Worship With Us at Our Church

Sunday Service 10:00 AM

The Rev. Dr. Norman Pritchard

Men’s Bible Study: Monday @ 9:00

Women’s Bible Study: Wednesday @ 10:00

Watch Our 10:00 AM Ser vice Li ve: www.bit.ly/cclbksermons or www.christchurchof lbk.org ( follow YouTube link)

W INTER C ON CERT S ERIES

CONCERTS ARE FREE VISITORS & RESIDENTS WELCOME

SUNDAY

• MARCH 5, 2023

• 2:00 PM

Todd Donovan & Dale Williams

American Bass-Baritone, Todd Donovan, has been described by critics as a passionate performer with splendid acting and a stentorian voice. He has graced the operatic, musical theater and concert stages for over fifteen years, and has been a frequent soloist for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt and Vienna, Austria.

Mr. Donovan’s operatic roles include: Leporello in Don Giovanni with Opera Orlando, Olin Blitch in Susannah (Naxos Records DVD 2017), Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Winter Opera St. Louis, and Scarpia in Tosca

Mr. Donovan’s musical theater roles include: Emile De Becque in South Pacific, Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady, the Baker in Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and Count Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music

Todd will collaborate with pianist, Dale Williams who has served as accompanist for the International Cathedral Music Festival in England and the Seminar für Klassiche Musik in Eisenstadt, Austria. She has played with the Tampa Oratorio Singers, the Florida Orchestra, and the Pass-a-Grille Community Church

Together they will present an eclectic program of art, song, musical theater, and inspirational selections.

St.

of the Sea,

Would like to Welcome & Invite You, Your Family Members & Friends to Celebrate Mass with Our Parish Community WINTER MASS SCHEDULE (January - April)

Saturday: 4:00 PM

Sunday: 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:00 AM

To learn more about our Temple and all our educational, cultural, and social programs, please call us. We’d be delighted to talk with you. Questions? Email us at info@longboatkeytemple.org 395887-1

Friends and family celebrate the commission of Jeffrey Nunes as a pastor at the Longboat Island Chapel.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Longboat Key art festival draws a crowd

The Longboat Key Festival of the Arts was held Feb. 25 and 26 at the Town Center Green.

The Town Center Green transformed from a construction site to an art gallery over the weekend as the second annual Longboat Key Festival of the Arts occupied the space Feb. 25-26.

Nearly 100 artists from near and far set up tents to display their work. They brought with them a variety of artwork, including paintings, sculptures and carvings.

Vince Pompei brought clocks.

“I used to collect clocks as a kid with my dad, and we’d go to flea markets. That’s where I get a lot of my design ideas. I pull from different styles of old clocks,” Pompei said. “I grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, when Bethlehem Steel closed and Mack Trucks left. Between that and going to the flea markets, I became

really into the things we used to make, so I wanted to bring that into what I was doing.”

Pompei started making clocks about 15 years ago. He uses old silverware and plates to create each piece. The clocks may look old, but they run on batteries.

James and Shannon Rajner’s optical art illusion is to make old fiber-

glass surfboards look like wood carvings. The couple is bicoastal, spending three months of the year in Fort Myers and the rest of their time in Oceanside, California. James came up with the idea.

“Surfboards take a million years to decompose in landfills because they’re made out of Styrofoam,” Shannon said. “Styrofoam is really bad for the environment, so we use old, thrashed, beat-up surfboards. James hand carves them, and we paint them to look like this, so we’re upcycling.”

Caleb Barnaby deconstructs, then upcycles. He likes taking things apart, like forgotten musical instruments, to give them new life. His jewelry was displayed on racks made of old copper pipes. Where the other artists’ hometowns were listed, Barnaby’s sign read, “Full Time Nomad.”

“I’m on the road full time. I have a travel trailer that I built my studio in,” he said.

The one-man traveling art show hasn’t had an official post office address in five years. This was Barnaby’s first time showing at the festival. More than half the nearly hun-

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dred artists participated in last year’s inaugural exhibition.

One of the repeat vendors was local Ronetta Krause, who has a studio in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts, where she handcrafts jewelry under the name Silver Moon.

Beyond art, there was also music and snacks. Vladimir Gorodkin was selling CDs and gave a live performance on the tsymbaly, a Ukrainian instrument similar to a hammer dulcimer. Even the popcorn was avantgarde with flavors like amaretto, key lime and wild orange-lavender.

“We are excited to be continuing this annual event just for the amazing residents here on Longboat Key,” show Director Elaine Laurent said. “Next year may bring a new layout with the completion of the Town Center Green.”

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

The Longboat Key Festival of the Arts welcomes 100 artists at the Town Center Green.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer Shannon and James Rajner turn old surfboards into art.

Vladimir Gorodkin plays the tsymbaly.

Vince Pompei makes clocks out of old silverware and plates.

Caleb Barnaby turns old items into new jewelry.

“Next year may bring a new layout with the completion of the Town Center Green.”

Elaine Laurent, show

director

Banyan Bay Club goes native

take to truly make a difference.

The Banyan Bay Club derived its name from a nonnative, invasive tree, but those days of ecological irresponsibility are over. With help from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, the condominium complex just relandscaped what used to be known as “the swamp.”

“This was a huge puddle area. Every time it rained, it would stay there for weeks — lots of mosquitoes, miserable,” Terri Driver said. “Believe it or not, it was so hidden underneath all the invasive plants that you weren’t sure it was there or where the mosquitoes were coming from.”

Vines and Brazilian peppers had taken over the roughly 3,000-squarefoot area. Even the palm trees weren’t native, but the replacement plants and trees are. The project started 10 years ago when Driver and three others went into the swampy, overgrown jungle to remove piles of trash, mostly construction leftovers like pallets and bags of concrete.

Six years later, the landscaping committee decided to clear the undergrowth and added a few plants, but the results were lackluster. Driver said they didn’t realize how many plants and how much money it would

So last year, the committee applied for a grant through the Estuary Program and was awarded $8,862.53, which still kept the project on a tight budget.

“It’s a nonmatching grant program, meaning that you don’t have to contribute financially to get the funds,” Public Outreach Manager Megan Barry said. “But we like to see there’s some type of community effort.”

Florida Native Plants Nursery guided the group on the number of plants, species and spacing, but volunteers did the shoveling. The grant paid for 134 plants of 13 different species and 630 bags of mulch.

“We’re working on a forest here,” Driver said. “We’re going to have an upper story and middle story and an under story.”

The freshly planted landscape looks sparse now, but given time, asters and twinflowers will hug the ground. Wild coffee and wax myrtles will fill in the middle. And Southern magnolia, red cedar and live oak trees will grow tall to fill in the top.

Because the plants are native, they don’t require pesticides, which greatly benefits Sarasota Bay. And in the spirit of the project, the plastic champagne glasses were getting washed and reused.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Lesley Dwyer

Instead of cutting a ribbon, community members hold a hose and drop it.

#1 LONGBOAT KEY TEAM

Michael Saunders & Company

Follow on Instagram @LongboatLife

MOONSHINE POINT

1250 SEA PLUME WAY | OFFERED AT $4,400,000

This 4 bedroom property offers the ultimate in island lifestyle amenities! Vaulted ceilings, bay views, 2 primary suites (1st and 2nd floor options), chef’s kitchen, elevator, saltwater pool, putting green, deep water dock with 2 lifts, sandy beach, 2 car garage with apartment suite and 2 minutes from the gulf beach access across the street. Call for a private showing.

MLS# A4559353

THE SHORE ON LONGBOAT KEY

5757 GULF OF MEXICO DR #307 | OFFERED AT $1,250,000

This top floor 2 bed/2 bath residence offers unobstructed views of the Gulf from almost every room. Wind down on the large terrace while the sun sets and enjoy the warm gulf breeze and the sounds of the waves kissing the beach. Amenities include a large social room with kitchen, fitness center, gulf front pool and spa and beautifully maintained gardens. Your Longboat Life is waiting!

MLS# A4560455

DRIVE, #4 Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487

HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4 Longboat Key MLS# A4178487

HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4 Longboat Key MLS# A4178487 2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4 Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487

2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4 Offered at $779,000

2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4 Offered at $779,000

2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4 Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487

2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487

2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487

2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487

Garden classes bloom at Driftwood Beach

Classes are scheduled at the shop throughout March and April.

With the fine weather and snowbirds having returned to the island, classes at Driftwood Beach Home & Garden are back in session.

At the Feb. 9 class, resident chef Tina Anderson instructionally entertained outside behind the store. Just through the back door is a patio tucked between tubs of U-pick flowers and a row of herbs. Picnic tables overlook the canal.

During the demonstration, owner Heather Rippy refreshed mimosas and waters. Anderson cut nasturtiums straight from the plant to use as garnish. Once the boards were assembled, it’s time to eat.

From sweet to savory, there’s a class for every palate and occasion, and everything is easy to duplicate at home.

THREE TIPS FROM TINA

Throughout class, Anderson offers up all sorts of tips from where to shop to what to buy.

1. Use a marble board.

“I like to use them a lot for cheese boards and fruit trays because you can chill them. They maintain their temperature for a much longer time.”

2. Employ a waffle maker at brunch.

“Put it there with the batter, and let people make their waffles or have a kid or someone standing there making waffles. Just having that one little interactive thing is a lot of fun and kind of gets the conversation going.”

3. Use what you have.

“When entertaining, use things

that are around your house, like baskets. Gather up your arsenal of stuff and have it ready to go. With just a few baskets, a couple of boards and some pretty serving bowls and plates, that’s all you need.”

Attendees won’t leave with a laundry list of ingredients to buy or recipes that take hours in the kitchen to prepare. These classes are designed for easy entertaining.

“Fast and Fabulous focuses on embellishing precooked or readyprepared grocery items into exciting and healthy, quick meals,” Anderson said. “Aperitivo (Italian happy hour) was designed to highlight easy, elegant cocktails with snacks for fabulous pre-dinner bites or even a light meal. This is how I love to entertain, and it’s perfect for Florida coastal living.”

Classes cost $65 per person. Private, custom classes are available with a minimum of eight guests. Classes run March 3-April 19. For more information, call 960-0568.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Lesley Dwyer

Chef Tina Anderson leads a class on brunch boards at Driftwood Beach Home & Garden.

NEW THIS WEEK

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

ROYAL RUMMAGE EARLY BIRD SALE

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This is a pre-sale; admission costs $5. Call 383-1255.

TAKING HUMANITY TO A HIGHER LEVEL

From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. An interactive discussion with author Joe Simonetta as he explains how our mental infrastructure, responsible for primitive behavior, is outdated for the world we occupy today. $15 for members; $20 for others. Call 383-8222.

SIP AND SHOP

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at J. McLaughlin, 515 Bay Isles Parkway. Longboat Key Turtle Watch will have an educational display set up, and 15% of sales during that time will benefit the organization. Call 960-2071.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

ROYAL RUMMAGE SALE

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Shop for a variety of new-to-you items at the annual Royal Rummage Sale. Call 383-1255.

COMMUNITY COOKOUT

From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive. To show its appreciation for all of its neighbors, friends, residents and visitors, please join the church for a fun barbecue. There is no cost, and there will plenty of opportunity to enjoy good food and conversation. Call 383-8833.

SAVOR THE SOUNDS

From 4:30-7 p.m. at the Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road. Gates open at 4:30 that afternoon to music by Mike Sales. Doug Demming & the Jewel Tones headline at 5:30 p.m.. Advance tickets cost $25 and can be bought at the Chamber of Commerce office; $35 at the door. Call 383-2466.

BEST BET FRIDAY,

MARCH 3

APERITIVO AND CROSTINI BOARDS

From 3-5 p.m. at Driftwood Beach Home & Garden, 6838 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Chef Tina Anderson is leading the class in the garden behind the boutique. $65 per person. Call 960-0568

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

AMERICAN BASS BARITONE

TODD DONOVAN

2 p.m. at Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donovan and pianist Dale Williams will present an eclectic program of art song, musical theater and inspirational selections. The concert is free and open to the public. Call 383-8833.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7

THE CURRENT POLITICAL STATE OF ISRAEL

From 3-4:30 p.m. at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. This lecture will review the outcome and implications of Israel’s Nov. 1, 2022 election — the fifth election in the past three years — and its impact on Israel being both a Jewish state and a democracy. Q&A will follow. $15 for members; $20 for others. Call 383-8222.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

VETERANS’ CANTEEN

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. A welcoming space for our U.S. Veterans to connect, relax, share and support one another. Free; walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

RIBBON CUTTING

3:30 p.m. at La Villa Mexican Grill, 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Celebrate Longboat Key’s latest Mexican eatery with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Call 383-8033.

NEW LISTING

LONGBOAT KEY SANCTUARY $3,750,000

Direct beachfront 3BR/3BA 8th floor w/ unobstructed Gulf views. Private east & west terraces for gorgeous sunsets & sunrises. 24 hr guarded gate + full Sanctuary amenities.

PENDING

LONGBOAT KEY DREAM ISLAND ROAD $4,850,000

Boaters retreat w/ cottage-style home + guest house5BR/4.5BA Lushly landscaped 1/2 acre w/400’ dock, 2 boat lifts on secluded street. Short stroll to beautiful beach.

NEW PRICE

LONGBOAT KEYISLANDER CLUB $595,000

Gulfside 2BD/2BA condo is a perfect beachfront getaway or extra space for guests. Beachside heated pool has incredible Gulf views & wildlife. Club amenities include two tennis courts.

NEW LISTING

LONGBOAT KEY L’AMBIENCE $3,950,000

Casually elegant direct beachfront walk-out. Rarely available 3BR/4BA floorplan + amenities include lobby concierge, 24 hr guarded gate, olympic sized pool, 2 hartru tennis courts, fitness center & more.

NEW LISTING

LONGBOAT KEY HARBOR VILLA CLUB $1,375,000

Rarely available corner walk-out 2BR/2BA condo. Newly remodeled. Large floorplan w/ high ceilings. Panoramic Bay views & sunsets. Club amenities +new 60 ft. dock.

LONGBOAT KEY -

• CANAL LOT#1 $1,995,000

• CANAL LOT#2 $1,995,000 Build your dream home on one of north LBK’s most desirable streets. Premier boating location. Great canal leads directly to Bay & ICW No bridges. Walk to beach.

LONGBOAT KEY BOATERS DREAM $2,625,000

Meticulous 4 BD/3 BA wide deep water canal with direct access to Sarasota Bayno bridges! Great dock. 2 boat lifts. Private beach access directly across the street.

Bird Key home sells for $4.6 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome on Bird Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Bird Key 314 LLC sold the home at 314 Bird Key Drive to Robert and Catherine Cassato, of George’s Mills, New Hampshire, for $4.6 million. Built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,524 square feet of living area. It sold for $4.1 million in 2022.

BIRD KEY

Joan Breiner, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 117 S. Warbler Lane to Thomas and Diane Archer, of Sarasota, for $2.9 million. Built in 1968, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,050 square feet of living area. It sold for $840,000 in 2002.

THE PIERRE

Dorothy Jane Gordon, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 608 condominium at 455 Longboat Club Road to James Schlater and Karen Schlater, trustees, of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, for $2.5 million. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,780 square feet of living area. It sold for $519,900 in 1991.

GRAND BAY

Thomas Christopher McLaughlin Jr. and Brandi Graves Smith McLaughlin, of Lakeland, sold their Unit 224 condominium at 3040 Grand Bay Blvd. to Stacy Mills, of New York City, for $2.15 million. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths and 2,369 square feet of living area. It sold for $940,000 in 2020.

CONRAD BEACH

Angela Thierman, trustee, of Linwood, New Jersey, sold the home at 311 Firehouse Court to April and Bart Richert, of College Grove, Tennessee, for $1.95 million. Built in

2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,352 square feet of living area.

L’ELEGANCE OF LIDO BEACH

Roby Co. Ltd. Partnership sold the Unit A-1005 condominium at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Francis and Charlene Potts, of Southwick, Massachusetts, for $1.95 million. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,350 square feet of living area. It sold for $950,000 in 2018.

LIDO SURF AND SAND

Diana Lynn Holdinghausen and Mark Thomas Holdinghausen sold their Unit PH-810 condominium at 1102 Benjamin Franklin Drive to John and Judith Manley, of Sarasota, for $1.8 million. Built in 1976, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 1,516 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2020.

FAIRWAY BAY Robert and Kimberly McAninch, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 2003 condominium at 2010 Harbourside Drive to Patrick and Christi Cowgill, of Crestwood, Kentucky, for $980,000. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,590 square feet of living area. It sold for $477,500 in 2020.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of Feb. 17-23 in order of dollar amounts.

LONGBOAT KEY

WINDWARD BAY

Howard and Lauren Ash, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 204 condominium at 4600 Gulf of Mexico Drive to 4600 Gulf of Mexico Drive #240 LLC for $900,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,096 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2020.

David Ronald Mitchell and Mona Mitchell sold their Unit PH-4 condominium at 4540 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Rachel Roberts and Toby Roberts, trustees, of Wilmette, Illinois, for $760,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,096 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2008.

SEAPLACE

David and Jennifer Crawford, trustees, of Venice, sold the Unit G5-404G condominium at 1965 Gulf of Mexico Drive to David Drelfuss and Lynn Drelfuss, trustees, of Bradenton, for $795,000. Built in 1977, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,068 square feet of living area. It sold for $569,000 in 2020.

LONGBOAT HARBOUR

Jonathan Huber and Paulette Huber, of Plainfield, Illinois, sold their Unit 206 condominium at 4380 Exeter Drive to Adam School and Robert Rodgers, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, for $675,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,168 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2015.

Lesley Dwyer

The house at 314 Bird Key Drive sold for $4.6 million.

TOP Sales Team Florida

JUDY KEPECZ-HAYS TEAM

JUDY KEPECZ -HAYS TEAM

JUDY KEPECZ-HAYS TEAM

January 19, 2023

LONGBOAT KEY TOWERS

LONGBOAT KEY TOWERS

LONGBOAT KEY TOWERS

601 Longboat Club Rd #603S

601 Longboat Club Rd #603S

601 Longboat Club Rd #603S

2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car garage | 1,458 Sq Ft

2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car garage | 1,458 Sq Ft

LIDO KEY ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE

408 Jackson Dr

3 bed + den, 3 bath

The Gem of all Jewels on St. Armands Circle! Location makes this spacious home with a pool an exceptional opportunity for those who want to be minutes from the circle, Lido Beach, and Main Street-in-the-heart of the city. This residence is brimming with updates and remarkable touches to add texture and style. The family room/office can easily be converted to a 4th bedroom with its glass wall. Walk out to the garden, pool and patio.

Offered for $3,085,000

Thinking of selling your Residence? Please call me!

Enjoy sunrises and sunsets! Bright great room, dining area facing private beach and community pool. Washer/dryer in kitchen area offers convenience and comfort with side door access to the entry hallway and semiprivate elevator.

Enjoy Sunrise and Sunsets.

Enjoy sunrises and sunsets! Bright great room, dining area facing private beach and community pool. Washer/dryer in kitchen area offers convenience and comfort with side door access to the entry hallway and semiprivate elevator.

www.LBKtowers603S.com

The beach is in your front yard and the golf course is in your backyard. The view from this residence is EPIC! Bright and happy, instant enjoyment is yours in this 2 Bdrm 2 baths, 1458 sq. ft. residence. Community offers a semi-private elevator, on-site manager, pool, spa, guest suite, social room, and fitness room.

Offered for $2,000,000

www.LBKtowers603S.com

www.LBKtowers603S.com $1,850,000

Offered for $2,000,000

PARK RESIDENCES OF

PARK RESIDENCES

159 Taft Dr #E305

3 bed, 3 bath | 2,500 Sq Ft

159 Taft Dr #E305

PLUS a 2,250 sq ft Private Rooftop Terrace with wrap-around views. Directly across from the Gulf of Mexico and features a resort-style heated swimming pool and spa, two under-building parking spaces with an additional storage room, and is overlooking the 110acre waterfront south Lido Park Reserve.

3 bed, 3 bath | 2,500 Sq Ft

PLUS a 2,250 sq ft Private Rooftop Terrace with wrap-around views. Directly across from the Gulf of Mexico and features a resort-style heated swimming pool and spa, two under-building parking spaces with an additional storage room, and is overlooking the 110acre waterfront south Lido Park Reserve.

www.159taftdriveE305.com

Offered for $3,500,000 – Furnished

www.159taftdriveE305.com

Offered for $3,500,000 – Furnished

LIDO KEY ROSEWOOD RESIDENCES

THE STRAND

1709 N Tamiami Trl Unit #221

Pre-Construction

1 bed, 1.5 bath | 1,013 Sq Ft

Exquisite water views from the long canal that leads out to Sarasota Bay. The Strand is a private gated community offering a resort style pool and spa , fitness center, dog park, EV charging station, boardwalk, and a kayak and paddle-board launch. Get ready to create lasting memories!

1709 N Tamiami Trl Unit #221

1 bed, 1.5 bath | 1,013 Sq Ft

New on Lido Key! Sugar-soft sand and the glistening Gulf will soon be home to the 65 owners of Rosewood Residences. Five unique floorplans, measuring from 3335 to 4942 (air-conditioned sq. ft.) plus terraces with additional living space, are bathed in natural light.

Offered from $5.9 million

www.1709NTamiami221.com

Exquisite water views from the long canal that leads out to Sarasota Bay. The Strand is a private gated community offering a resort style pool and spa , fitness center, dog park, EV charging station, boardwalk, and a kayak and paddle-board launch. Get ready to create lasting memories!

Offered for $625,000 - Furnished

www.1709NTamiami221.com

Offered for $625,000 - Furnished

Lori Lawson

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

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sudoku

NAME-DROPPING by Emet Ozar and Will Nediger, edited by David Steinberg

By Luis Campos

Mary Kondrat captured this photo of sandpipers lining the beach at sunset on Longboat Key.

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

The Longboat Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.

*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Longboat Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

#1 SARASOTA SINGLE AGENT 2008 - 2022

7652 SANDERLING ROAD

This spectacular Siesta Key beach home is a one-of-a-kind experience! Directly overlooking the coastal landscape of the Gulf of Mexico, this private estate rests on more than an acre, with 172’ of beach! Designed to highlight the sparkling Gulf and striking sunset vistas you can enjoy from almost any room of this gorgeous beachfront estate.

www.7652Sanderling.com

$10,880,000

97 SOUTH WASHINGTON DRIVE

Situated on two lots in a corner location, spanning more than a half-acre, this impressive 5BR residence is set among lush, professionally managed greenery on the deep water of Sarasota Bay. www.97SouthWashington.com

2410 HARBOURSIDE DRIVE #142

From almost any room in this direct bayfront, 3BR residence, you can look out to enjoy beautiful sunny views of Sarasota Bay that stretch out to downtown’s city skyline. Life at Marina Bay is reminiscent of singlefamily living, offering the wonderful bonus of lovely amenities and an ideal location that places you close to the best parts of Longboat Key.

3040

Sunny bay views welcome you to this 5thfloor Antigua residence, featuring a open concept, 3BR layout waiting for you to add your custom touches. Also includes deeded parking and private beach club access. www.GrandBay251.com

$11,500,000

1172

VIEW DRIVE

Enjoy the beach in your backyard! This lovely beach getaway, offering more than 100’ of water frontage, is waiting for you to add your custom touches, but can also be enjoyed as is for now.

www.1172HarborView.com

$2,695,000

Gorgeous Gulf-to-bay views are the star of the show as soon as you enter this 3BR beach retreat. Behind the exclusive gates of Longboat Key Club, you will appreciate making this getaway your own.

www.ThePierre603.com

$6,995,000

Panoramic, direct views of Sarasota Bay, Harbourside golf course and downtown’s twinkling skyline are the star of the show as soon as you enter this lovely 3BR Antigua residence at Grand Bay. www.GrandBay346.com

$2,795,000

$2,345,000

Enjoy the best of Florida living in this beautifully updated, well maintained, 3BR pool home. Just a few short miles from the beaches of Anna Maria Island, you will love moving right in! www.FairwayManor5311.com

$599,000

455 LONGBOAT CLUB ROAD #603

3030 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #346

GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #251

HARBOR

5311 10TH AVENUE DRIVE WEST