Longboat Observer 4.13.23

Lilies late to Easter

Sitting in traffic isn’t fun, but a block you can see when headed off the island is about to make it more scenic over the next week when 1,000 Easter lilies bloom.

On late-blooming years like this one, Craig Snyder simply plants 100 more that are already flowering before Easter Sunday. Snyder lives with his mother, Rosemary Bond, who bought the house 35 years ago.

As you leave St. Armands Circle, the garden is on the right and starts with a large fountain on the corner of John Ringling Boulevard and South Washington Drive. When the lilies aren’t blooming, there are roses, hibiscus, zinnias, petunias and more.

Snyder maintains the garden for the joy it brings to himself and others.

Bayfront Park battles pickleball demand

Courtesy photo

Resident Karlene Weyl used numerous seashells to create designs in the sand.

Longboat seashells used for creating art

Seashells are a must-have for beachgoers regardless if they are longtime residents, frequent visitors or first-time tourists.

Luckily, there is no shortage of shells of varying shapes, sizes and colors on Longboat Key.

Using these shells, a northend Longboat Key resident has created works of art.

Karlene Weyl has made about a dozen pieces of art along the grass line near the North Shore Road beach access.

Weyl lined up shells to form a mermaid, seahorse, jellyfish, octopus, starfish and intricate circles featuring various colored shells.

Hundreds of shells were used for each design.

Lesley Dwyer

Rosemary Bond and Craig Snyder in front of their home on South Washington Drive. Bond named the home Halcyon Cove because it means peace and fair weather.

The Easter Bunny hops by the Sand Cay Beach Resort. PAGE 16

Comprehensive plan updates near completion

The plan has been broken into six batches for the Planning and Zoning Board to review. Five of the batches have had at least one Town Commission visit.

After about a year spent combing through the town of Longboat Key’s comprehensive plan, the Planning and Zoning Board is nearly finished with its revisions.

The plan is an overarching document designed to provide a vision for the future of the town along with the necessary steps needed to achieve the goals. It also acts as a basis for land use regulations, addressing all physical elements of the area for an extended period of time.

“Every jurisdiction in the state has a statutory requirement to have a comprehensive plan,” Planning, Zoning and Building Director Allen Parsons said. “It has to have certain components and requirements associated with that.”

The revision process, which takes place every seven years, allows for the town to make changes to its plan. The plan is a requirement for each city in the state of Florida. At the seven-year mark, no changes have to be made as long as the plan meets all state statutes.

The town is not required to wait seven years. The board can continually update it to meet state requirements as needed.

For example, in 2016, the state adopted the requirement to include conservation and coastal management elements. The town opted to add them that year rather than wait for the plan to be evaluated years later.

Regardless of whether the town utilizes more frequent updates, the plan is still required to be reviewed by the state every seven years. Following this update, the next evaluation would be in 2029.

Missing elements the town is required to have as part of the revision include a long-term planning timeframe covering at least 10 years, a future transportation map, a future land use map and the incorporation of the recently adopted property rights element.

When reviewing, the board has to ask themselves what may need to be added and what may need to be removed, whether it’s because it doesn’t make sense in the plan or is outdated. The board also needs to consider whether the existing wording effectively communicates the town’s goals and objectives.

Early in the process, the board decided to include a glossary of terms in the plan so the language could be more easily understood by the everyday person.

All that remains for the Planning and Zoning Board is another visit with Batch 5 to create an ordinance and hold a public hearing and the review of Batch 6.

The plan was broken into six batches for the Planning and Zoning Board to tackle the document. Examples of batches include the mobility element and the conservation, recreation and open space element. The one that remains is the housing, government and capital improvement element.

The process, following the board’s conclusion of the amendment process, is extensive and includes

numerous back-and-forth exchanges between the Town Commission and Planning and Zoning Board.

Once each batch of amendments is made, the board must send it to the commission for approval. Once the amendments are approved, the plan returns to the board for development of an ordinance.

Public hearings are held at both the Planning and Zoning meetings and commission meetings. If passed, they are sent to the Department of Economic Opportunity for review to ensure compliance. If needed, the department can request additional revisions.

On April 3, the infrastructure and mobility elements were adopted by the commission, and the Batch 5 amendment recommendations were also approved to head back to the

Planning and Zoning Board.

Last August, when the board was first making progress on the plan, Parsons estimated the work would be complete by the end of 2022.

“The timeframe that we had mapped out to potentially be able to get through all the elements in one year was based on each element only taking one meeting,” Parsons said.

For example, the Batch 5 element took six meetings for the board to revise, which was due in part to the size of the batch and the time allotted at meetings to go over the material.

With uncertainty on what time will be needed to go over the final batch and to gain commission and state approval, there is no set date for when the entire plan will be complete.

File photo

The Planning and Zoning Board has been reviewing the town’s comprehensive plan for about a year.

The plan is an overarching document designed to provide a vision for the future of the town along with the necessary steps needed to achieve the goals.

FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE

As conditions warm across the globe, prioritizing flooding and sea level rise solutions is important to the town and its residents. Flooding is already a pressing issue on the island, particularly during the rainy season or high tide cycles.

A study was recently completed by Kimley Horn on behalf of the town regarding drainage issues in the Sleepy Lagoon and Buttonwood Harbour neighborhoods. APTIM Environmental and Infrastructure completed a townwide study on potential effects of sea level rise. Both studies have gone before the Town Commission for review and recommendations moving forward were provided.

Connolly asked the town to continue working toward ways to fund and implement recommendations provided by both studies, such as raising roads and installing tidal valves. His written comments stated that implementing the recommendations will directly impact the safety and evacuation ability of about 227 properties in the Sleepy Lagoon neighborhood alone.

SETTING PRIORITIES

Organizations spoke and submitted written comments for consideration at the Town Commission’s annual goals and objectives meeting.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Canal dredging, environmental protection, flooding and sea level rise and traffic concerns were a few of the items on the Longboat Key organization wish lists for Town Commission consideration ahead of its April 17 strategic planning retreat.

Representatives of five organizations stood before commissioners April 3 to go over what they believe should be prioritized in discussion at the commission’s strategic planning retreat April 17 as part of the town’s annual Goals and Objectives meeting. These organizations included the Sleepy Lagoon Homeowners Association, Longboat Key Green Team, Longboat Key Turtle Watch, LBK North Board and Longbeach Village Neighborhood.

The Federation of Longboat Key Condominiums and the Longboat Key Garden Club did not attend the in-person meeting but had previously submitted their comments for commission review and consideration.

Their comments, along with the results of the town’s annual citizen satisfaction survey, serve commissioners as a guide for priorities for the coming year.

“It’s a critical part of our planning,” Mayor Ken Schneier said. “The goals and objectives (meeting) is an opportunity for key groups on the island to let us know in writing and verbally what is important to them.”

Many of the group’s comments had similar priorities as they all look to improve the barrier island and prevent future problems.

CANAL DREDGING

A number of the organizations that submitted and presented comments to the commission asked for them to continue work to move forward canal dredging efforts. Representatives further said the importance of navigability as water recreation is a key amenity on the barrier island.

“Canals are an integral part of Longboat Key’s character,” Sleepy Lagoon Homeowners Association President John Connolly said. “They are frequently utilized as a method of transportation and recreation for many of Longboat Key’s homeowners and visitors. Having navigable canals maintains property values and improves the quality of life on Longboat Key.”

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Comments from the LBK Green Team focused solely on environmental protection efforts. Examples of what the group was asking the town to consider include:

n Reduce the use of gas-powered landscaping equipment in the town

n Continue efforts to support water quality projects, such as living seawalls and placement of vertical oyster gardens

n Evaluate the cost and benefits of replacing impermeable town parking lots. Coquina Beach is in the process of replacing its beach lots.

The permeable lots filter and clean runoff water before it reaches the groundwater, Bay and Gulf waters.

A townwide dredging program is already in the works, but representatives asked the commission to consider dredging canals in particularly bad shape before the program was instituted. The last time a townwide dredge was completed was in 2003 and only included about 30 canals. The dredging program would include all 81 canals in the town’s inventory.

Pete Rowan, who spoke on behalf of the Longbeach Village Neighborhood, asked the commission to give thought to dredging Bishops and Stone Crabs Bayou ahead of the program.

A report given at the town’s March 20 workshop estimated early 2025 as the earliest the town would be able to implement a townwide ongoing canal dredging program.

n Improve mangrove protection by hiring or training a specialist to take over enforcement of rules

n Increase outreach of best practices for lawn care such as minimal fertilizer use

n Evaluate cost of solar panel use and installation

Longboat Key Turtle Watch President Tim Thurman mostly used his comments to commend the town on the efforts already in place that protect the town’s sea turtle population. He did ask that the town look into measures to manage raccoon and coyote populations.

“Trash, and access to it, seems to be a basis for increasing populations of animals that cause damage to many sea turtle nests, as well as other issues for residents and guests on the island,” Thurman said.

Each of the organizations that spoke at the April 3 meeting had similar objectives in hopes of solving the problem before it worsens.

TRAFFIC CONCERNS

While there is little that the commission has control over when it comes to the pains of seasonal traffic, organizations further emphasized the importance of building the roundabout at Broadway and Gulf of Mexico Drive and the mini roundabouts on Broadway Street to control speed and help with the flow of traffic.

Pete Rowan, who spoke on behalf of Longbeach Village, further explained the neighborhood’s need and support for both projects.

Police presence during particularly bad bouts of traffic and resident alerts of backups were pitched for consideration.

“We encourage the Town Commission to make all reasonable efforts to engage the state government in the resolution of the congestion of the available paths of ingress and egress for our island through such measures as traffic signals and police presence,” The Federation of Longboat Key Condominiums wrote in its submitted comments.

Traffic issues, while worse during season, have been a particular headache for residents as work is being done on both ends of the barrier island. On the south end, the U.S. 41 at Gulfstream Avenue roundabout was only recently deemed completed, but still has intermittent lane closures as final touches are placed on the project and users learn how to navigate the circle. On the north end, Bradenton Beach is currently undergoing a sewer line replacement.

The LBK North Board asked the commission to consider the use of water taxis as an additional form of transportation to both the mainland and Anna Maria Island.

File photos

Flooding and sea level rise were issues that groups asked commissioners to prioritize.

St. Armands BID renewal stumbling out of the gate

Tensions over the makeup of the business improvement district board cloud the election to extend special tax district extension.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

As its Sept. 30 sunset approaches, the St. Armands Business Improvement District renewal is mired in controversy on multiple fronts.

The first-round attempt at securing enough votes from landowners in the district fell shy of the requisite majority needed to renew the special tax district for another 10 years. That requires the process to start again with a second petition for another round of voting, which was received by the City Commission on Monday.

Renewal is not determined by a majority of votes, but rather a majority of the votes weighted by the assessed tax value of the properties. In theory, an owner of a building comprising 50.1% of the overall assessed value of all the properties there — if there was such a property — could approve renewal with a single vote.

With more than enough property owners’ signatures needed to hold another election, BID Chairman Tom Leonard said the renewal effort is buffeted by headwinds from some building owners, claiming the extra tax is not producing projects that enhance revenue for landlords and merchants around the circle.

That matter became conflated with a later Monday discussion over filling two vacant seats on the fivemember BID board, during which Leonard called St. Armands Residents Association President Chris Goglia “a liar” after he endorsed one of the candidates and commented that the BID has recently skipped voluntary joint meetings with the residents and merchants association groups.

Goglia and current BID board

member Casey Gonzmart endorsed St. Armands Circle Association

Executive Director Rachel Burns for one of the seats. Burns, who heads the organization of St. Armands merchants, and Leonard butted heads this past year over his initiative to hold the first Winter Spectacular to highlight the new $286,000 Christmas tree, courtesy of a city grant, in the Circle park. That forced her, she said, to cancel some longstanding December events there.

Adding to the controversy, Burns later canceled the 44th annual tree lighting ceremony, which historically had been the purview of the Circle Association. The city reinstated the tree lighting. Burns said she didn’t vote to renew the BID and said why.

“It is a hefty voluntary tax on every property and every merchant, and I do not believe that based on current spending decisions that the board is showing fiduciary responsibility,” she said. “St. Armands Circle has an opportunity to improve the infrastructure and guest experience to increase tourism and revenue generated. It’s simple economics. The BID has a lot of tax dollars, but their spending is not generating income.”

Although Ahearn-Koch supported Burns because of her “serious financial banking background that is badly needed at the BID board,” that rankled Leonard and Mayor Kyle Battie.

“I hope that anybody who applies to be on the BID board, by the way, does support the BID,” Leonard said. “If you’re not voting for us to be renewed and then you want be on the board, you’re kind of contradicting yourself.”

Battie added, “It’s like canceling Christmas, and then you want to be on the board. I’m sorry. I take issue with that and that was huge in my book in terms of not being eligible.”

Burns’ application for the BID board faced further scrutiny from city staff, which categorized her as an owner-merchant because her husband’s business is a tenant there.

The board already has its maximum number of owner-merchants.

Although Burns insists their entities are separate businesses with no

cross-ownership, Vice Chairman Liz Alpert and Commissioner Erik Arroyo agreed with staff’s assessment. Ultimately, commissioners voted 4-1, with Jen Ahearn-Koch opposed, to delay filling the two vacant seats on the BID board until the special district is renewed, if it is at all. In the interim, City Attorney Robert Fournier told commissioners they could, if they so choose, craft an ordinance to change the makeup of the BID board to accommodate more owner-merchants.

BID RENEWAL Prior to the BID board vacancies discussion, Leonard said the renewal process is being challenged by perceptions of some property owners that they aren’t getting their money’s worth for the additional property taxes they pay. He cited a 2008 master plan for St. Armands, of which he said only one project, the parking deck, has been accomplished.

PANTS ON FIRE?

“We built a parking garage that we pay for part of it,” he said. “As far as I know, no other private organizations ever had to pay for a garage, but yet we have no say when it comes to income or optimizing the parking revenues or controlling expenses.”

Goals of the BID also occasionally meet opposition from St. Armands residents, Leonard suggested, sometimes leading to conflicts before the City Commission and staff. Master plan elements not developed include public restrooms, “complete street” redesign and a small grocery store on the Circle, among others.

Now that the petition has been certified by staff and received by the commission, the minimum 120day voting process, per state statue, begins. Ballots will be mailed to all property owners within the BID and voting will continue through Aug. 7. It may be continued if necessary should approval fall short and not all ballots are received.

During Monday’s City Commission hearing about the St. Armands Business Improvement District board vacancies, BID Chairman Tom Leonard and St. Armands Residents Association President Chris Goglia engaged in a heated exchange.

“For the 20 years the BID has existed, the BID, the merchants association and the residents association have met monthly or every other month to talk about issues that affect us all,” Goglia said. “Over the last several months a representative from the BID has not attended these meetings of residents, merchants and property owners. I’m not sure why that is. We’d like to continue to work together. I think it’s because of disagreements, but I’d like to continue talking about those so that the arguments don’t leak over into the public.”

Leaked into the public, it did.

“Chris, you’re sitting here lying and it’s a shame,” Leonard responded. “My name is slandered. He’s a liar, and he’s lying in front of me.”

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Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS

Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS

The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment following boards:

The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment following boards:

The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment to the following boards:

Citizens Tax Oversight Committee

Citizens Tax Oversight Committee

Citizens Tax Oversight Committee

Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees

Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees

Planning and Zoning Board

Planning and Zoning Board

Zoning Board of Adjustment

Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees Planning and Zoning Board Zoning Board of Adjustment

Zoning Board of Adjustment

All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on April 20, 2023. All applicants must be registered voters of the Town of Longboat Key. Late applications may not be accepted.

All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk p.m. on April 20, 2023. All applicants must be registered voters of Longboat Key. Late applications may not be accepted.

All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town p.m. on April 20, 2023. All applicants must be registered voters Longboat Key. Late applications may not be accepted.

All members of the Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees, Planning and Zoning Board, and Zoning Board of Adjustment are required to file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and annually thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Statues Chapter 112.

All members of the Consolidated Retirement System Board Planning and Zoning Board, and Zoning Board of Adjustment are file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Chapter 112.

All members of the Consolidated Retirement System Board Planning and Zoning Board, and Zoning Board of Adjustment file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Chapter 112.

The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants at a later date. Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941-316-1999 to request an application or for any questions. Applications are also available online at: www.longboatkey.org. Completed applications may be submitted to:

The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with later date Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941 -316 an application or for any questions. Applications are also available www.longboatkey.org Completed applications may be submitted

Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk

The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants later date Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941 -316-1999 an application or for any questions. Applications are also available www.longboatkey.org Completed applications may be submitted to: Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk

501 Bay Isles Road

Longboat Key FL 34228

501 Bay Isles Road Longboat Key FL 34228

Stephanie Janney, Administrative Assistant

Stephanie Janney, Administrative Assistant

Andrew Warfield

The St. Armands Business Improvement District sunsets on Sept. 30, 2023, unless property owners there vote to renew for another 10 years.

Pickleball demand raises commission concern

Pickleball fans spoke at the Town Commission’s annual goals and objectives meeting to further the discussion on the growing demand for the sport.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

What to do about pickleball at Bayfront Park? That’s the question that Longboat Key town commissioners have pondered since the beginning of the year when fans of the sport first appeared before them asking for help in meeting demand for the growing sport.

As seasonal residents fly north for the summer, some demand may wane, but residents said a solution still needs to be found due to the continued popularity growth of the sport and eventual return of parttime residents.

Fans of the sport have come to commission meetings seeking additional courts, whether through the construction of new courts or the re-striping of a tennis court that is not used as often.

The park currently has five courts available, allowing for a maximum of 20 people to play the sport at any given time. In February, resident Dave Levine told commissioners that more than 40 people are sometimes waiting to play on one of the courts.

“We have an activity that is growing and doubling almost every year,” he said during the commission’s annual goals and objectives meeting. “We have a situation where we don’t have any alternative to play publicly, except at Bayfront Park right now.”

In peak season, it’s likely the sport prevents others from using the area as beach parking, letting their dogs play at the newly renovated dog park or taking their grandchildren to the playground. The issue shifted discussion to the park’s original intent — to serve as a multiamenity park.

“It was supposed to be an all-

encompassing park to meet all the needs of many different activities,” Commissioner BJ Bishop said of the creation of the park’s master plan.

Commissioners discussed the potential for implementing a court reservation system or fees for court use. For example, at the Longboat Key Club and Resort, members must reserve time to use the courts.

“When you want to play clay tennis ... it requires a tremendous amount of resources,” Levine said. “It absolutely requires a reservation system.” But he said pickleball is more of a “come as you want to” sport that does not require many resources or lend itself to a reservation system.

“The nature of the activity allows dozens and dozens of people to have the kind of recreation that they like,” he said. “Monetizing and having a reservation system is not the way to

Make it a Day!

Jump start your day with a cold brew coffee and sand volleyball before squeezing in a spa treatment and an afternoon of shopping. And as the sun begins to set, gather family and friends for dinner and drinks under the stars. Whether you’re in the shops, on the Plaza, or at the park, you’ll find new ways to spend the day at Waterside Place every time you come. Our year-round events, Sunday farmers’ market and weekly live music are open to everyone.

go for this park, in my opinion.”

Commissioners have previously expressed distaste with the lack of willingness to try a reservation system to help alleviate strain on the courts and parking. Commisioners cited the reservation system being used for tennis and at other pickleball courts in the area.

Public Works staff surveyed the island and counted about 53 additional pickleball courts on the island outside of those at Bayfront Park — in neighborhoods, condominiums or the Key Club.

Players at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center have to either pay hourly fees for use of the park or annual dues, depending on their usage of the space.

The Friends of Tennis group is also known for the funding they accumulate themselves for projects and improvements they want to see to

the facility.

“While you talk about all the money that tennis is getting, what you fail to recognize is that to play the sport it costs money, and it costs money every day tennis players play,” Bishop said.

She also cited the agreement that was set between the town and Sarasota County that covers the details of terms and maintenance for the southern 3-plus acres of Bayfront Park. The agreement outlined restrictions for use of the land, which include no addition of hard court recreation amenities to the southern portion of the park. The current courts are on the northern, town-owned portion of the park.

Six additional parking spaces have recently been added to alleviate some of the parking strain felt by others wanting to use the park during peak pickleball hours.

BJ BISHOP, commissioner, on the creation of the park’s master plan

“It was supposed to be an allencompassing park to meet all the needs of many different activities.”

File photo

The demand for pickleball is expected to continue growing on Longboat Key.

Seven hurricanes predicted for 2023 season

Climate Action Center CEO Bob Bunting forecasts two to three Category 3 or higher hurricanes, with storms more evenly distributed throughout the season.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

As hurricane season creeps up on the area, the Climate Adaptation Center shared a forecast of what storms may be headed toward Southwest Florida.

The organization hosted a Zoom conference April 4 to give viewers an idea of what to expect this season.

Climate Adaptation Center CEO

Bob Bunting gave the presentation and his forecast for the 2023 hurricane season.

“This year we have an improving situation from a hurricane standpoint,” he said.

The beginning of the season could be tumultuous, becoming more favorable toward peak season.

Components of Bunting’s forecast included:

n The season’s storms could be similar to those in 2022 but more evenly distributed. Last year, there were about two months without storms.

n He predicts there will be 14 named storms.

n Seven of those he says will be hurricanes.

n Of the hurricanes, Bunting predicts either two or three of those to be major hurricanes, meaning a Category 3 or higher.

Early May is when Bunting says the area can start to see an increase in storms. Peak season is expected for early September.

“Between the 10th and 30th of October is a very serious time here in Sarasota,” he said. “Don’t be fooled that once we pass the peak, we’re out of the woods; our worst times this year could be very early in the season and then in October again.”

In November 2021, Bunting predicted a hurricane of Ian’s size and level of destruction.

“Florida was setting itself up for a major hurricane strike,” he said.

When developing an early season forecast, Bunting examines a number of factors including sea surface temperatures, whether conditions are La Nina or El Nino and the Madden-Julian Oscillation once the season kicks off. The Madden-Julian Oscillation is an eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure that traverses the planet in the tropics and returns to its ini-

tial starting point in 30 to 60 days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

As a hurricane approaches, Bunting says it is important to understand how the spin of the hurricane amplifies storm surge.

On the north side of the eye, the wind blows from the shoreline out to the ocean. There won’t be a storm surge in that area.

On the south side of the eye, the spin is coming on shore and the hurricane force winds are blowing water onto the shore, amplifying storm surge. Another important consideration Bunting gave to viewers was that sea levels have risen 9 inches since 1950.

“A hurricane that would strike us in 1950 at the same size, the same intensity and moving the same speed is gong to do a lot more damage because we have way more population than we did in 1950 and the sea level has already risen 9 inches,” he said. “If your elevation where your home is located was five feet above sea level in 1950, now it’s only four feet. That means you have less buffer protecting you from the impacts of storm surges.”

He further urged the importance of knowing your elevation because it

can help in deciding to evacuate and when to leave.

Bunting asked any government officials watching his presentation to consider looking into raising roads in their areas. Raising roads is especially important as sea levels rise, he said. As sea levels rise, the window for evacuation shrinks because roads run the risk of flooding, making evacuation difficult or impossible. Even raising roads an additional 1 to 3 feet can add an additional eight to 10 hours to the window available to evacuate, Bunting said.

Category 2 storms, which are more frequent compared to major hurricanes, can still cause serious damage. Under certain conditions, storm surges can reach as high as 9 feet on barrier islands like Longboat Key — even without the presence of a major category hurricane.

HURRICANE SEASONS OVER TIME

Bunting gave an overview of how storms are changing as the global climate warms.

The average number of storms per season has increased from 12 to 14 in the time period between 1960 and 1990.

Between 2017 and 2022, there were 65 named storms. Hurricanes are increasing in number and size but are slowing down, which means a recipe for more destruction.

Bunting showed a graphic that compared the number of Category 4 and Category 5 hurricanes over time.

From 1960 to 1980, there were 16 Category 4 hurricanes. From 2000 to now, there have been 35.

From 1960 to 1980, there were seven Category 5 hurricanes. From 2000 to now, there have been 15.

ondom iniums and B eachfront R esorts

941-387 -9709

3720 Gulf of Mexico Drive Longboat Key, FL 34228 info@FLVacationConnection.com FLVacationConnection.com 396772-1

Hurricane Ian made landfall Sept. 28, 2022.

“This year we have an improving situation from a hurricane standpoint.”

BOB BUNTING, Climate Adaptation Center CEO

LONGBOAT

Universal school choice won’t defund public schools

Opponents to Florida’s education savings accounts are misguided. Data show their predictions of doom for public education haven’t occurred.

When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1 into law in late March, Florida became the largest state in the country to adopt universal education savings accounts.

ESAs are publicly funded accounts that families can use to pay the costs of their child’s K-12 education, including private school tuition, tutoring, learning supplies and many other services.

Joining the ranks of Arizona, West Virginia, Utah, Iowa and Arkansas in adopting universal school choice, Florida is now giving all families the choice to withdraw from public school and opt for an ESA of about $8,700 per child if it fits their needs.

While state residents already are accustomed to a robust landscape of education choices, this bold new program will usher in a new era of customized education in Florida.

But state Democrats and education associations continue to voice their opposition to the school choice expansion. Their main objections are to the high potential cost of the program — with one estimate as high as $4 billion — and to the possibility that the ESAs will siphon money away from public schools.

Both concerns are misguided. The precise cost of the new ESA is hard to predict because fiscal analysts don’t know how popular the program will be with families. But astronomic estimates, such as the $4 billion figure published by the Florida Policy Institute, are far too high.

Students using private school choice scholarships and who switch out of public schools already account for half of FPI’s $4 billion estimate — but both these popula-

tions are already funded by taxpayer dollars. In other words, funding ESAs for these students wouldn’t require new money.

FPI’s $4 billion figure also features some questionable premises, such as the assumption that 12% of newly eligible public-school students will apply for the ESA when it becomes available in July.

Data from 27 school choice programs in Florida and 18 other states reveal that the rates at which eligible families opt to use ESAs are usually lower. In an analysis published in Education Next, Marty Luekin and Michael Castro of EdChoice note that “for most programs, take-up rates remain below 2% for the better part of a decade.”

To be sure, Florida’s new ESA program will impose costs on taxpayers because of its availability to home school families and families already enrolled in private schools who weren’t previously eligible for school choice scholarships. This population isn’t currently receiving public dollars, and many parents will jump at the opportunity to have their education costs covered by an ESA.

But up until now, these families have been paying twice for their child’s education. They pay property and sales taxes to support a public education system that doesn’t fit their child’s needs and then reach into their own pocket again to pay for private school tuition. For these parents, an ESA allows them to pay once for the education that’s best for their child.

The state’s school choice opponents also warn that the ESA program will strip funds away from public schools. But under Florida’s enrollment-based funding formula, public education dollars already leave school districts when students

move or transfer. ESAs just allow families the option to take those dollars with them even if they leave public education. At the same time, any school that has a student and their associated funding leave also has one less student and their associated costs to teach. Over time, that balances out.

Moreover, recent decisions of school choice-friendly governors belie the claim that school choice programs defund public education. Concurrently with his support of school choice expansion, DeSantis has devoted $2.8 billion to teacher salary increases alone since he took office and is still pushing for $200 million more.

Similarly, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently signed a universal ESA bill into law while also raising the state’s minimum teacher salary by $14,000. Far from stripping money away from public schools, ESAs have meant a windfall for the traditional system.

Florida’s new universal ESA will empower the families that need it, whether that’s because their child has a disability requiring specialized services or because they want their child getting more one-onone attention with a math tutor. But there’s scant evidence to suggest it will lead to a mass exodus from public schools that strains school district budgets or takes money out of teacher paychecks.

Adrian Moore is the vice president of Reason Foundation and lives in Sarasota. Christian Barnard is a senior policy analyst .

“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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ADRIAN MOORE

CHRISTIAN BARNARD

Daiquiri Deck raises money for area service dog program

Daiquiris aren’t for dogs, but Daiquiri Deck is partnering with Southeastern Guide Dogs to raise $10,000 in April through its Daiquiris for Dogs program. During the monthlong effort, customers will have the opportunity to round up their checks to donate to the organization that provides guide dogs to recipients at no charge.

“Our hope is to raise $2,000 at each of our five locations for a total of $10,000,” said Daiquiri Deck Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Smith in a release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Southeastern Guide Dogs and our team is working hard to help spread awareness to support the amazing work they do in our community and beyond.”

In addition to providing dogs that have quality pedigrees free of charge, Southeastern Guide Dogs is the only working dog school to offer graduates lifetime alumni support, which includes dog food and preventatives.

All the money raised will go directly toward the nonprofit’s mission to transform lives through K-9 companionship, according to the release.

Tiger Bay Club to host Adam Kinzinger

SRQ Tiger Bay Club will host former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) as keynote speaker for its annual luncheon on June 1 at noon at Michael’s On East.

Kinzinger was a U.S. Air Force pilot before becoming a Republican U.S. representative from Illinois, a role in which he served from 2011 to 2023. He was one of the youngest members of Congress, yet, as deputy Republican whip, he was in the top half of seniority in the full House of Representatives. During his time in Congress, Kinzinger demonstrated a tireless commitment to veterans’ issues and to speaking his mind.

After the Jan. 6 insurrection at the

Capitol, Kinzinger founded Country First, a movement of reasonable people of goodwill from all political parties (and of none). Country First rejects toxic political extremes and seeks understanding, collaboration and common ground to achieve durable, proven solutions that put the country first and aim to preserve the tenets of democracy.

"Now more than ever, it’s critical we elect leaders up and down the ballot who are loyal to the Constitution and willing to be a bulwark for democracy — regardless of their political party affiliation,” Rep. Kinzinger said in a release. “We must set partisan politics and ideology aside in order to preserve our nation’s democracy and demand accountability in our leaders.”

In 2003, Kinzinger joined the U.S. Air Force. He served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Kinzinger was initially a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot and flew missions in South America, Guam, Iraq and Afghanistan. He later switched to flying the RC26 surveillance aircraft and was stationed in Iraq twice. Kinzinger has served in the Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, and Air National Guard and was progressively promoted to his current rank of Major.

Kinzinger was a member of the Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan, independent, member-driven group in Congress, comprising representatives from across the country — equally divided between Democrats and Republicans — and committed to finding common ground on many of the key issues facing the nation. He was named “A Republican Role Model for 2017” by the Washington Post and is recognized for his pragmatic approach to the myriad issues facing America and the world. Kinzinger continues to serve his country as a pilot in the Air National Guard.

gigi SILVERBERG

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

POST-DELIVERY ACCIDENT

4:13 p.m., 4200 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Property damage, not vandalism: After a kayak was delivered to the address, the delivery driver reportedly backed into the building when leaving the parking area. Damage to the tile roof that covered the carport was noted. The property owner wanted the incident documented for future reference.

NOT AN ISSUE

7:28 p.m., 600 block of Emerald Harbor Drive

Noise complaints from water: The caller stated a generator was running from a boat and described it as construction noise. Upon arrival, the officer checked the area behind the residence, which is under construction. The officer did notice a generator on the dock, but it was not running and no one was in the area.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

NONCOMMUNAL BEACH CHAIR

12:06 p.m., 6700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen dispute: Police were called about a woman seen dragging a beach chair belonging to a homeowners association away from the area. However, there is not an office for the association who could verify the chair belonged to the organization. The officer looked for both the woman and the chair but was unable to locate either.

MISSING INFORMATION

12:25 p.m., Jewfish Key

Boating citation: While on marine patrol, an officer noticed a vessel operating without the necessary numbers and registration. The officer conducted a stop and made the operator aware of the violation. The operator said they had just been stopped by the Coast Guard. Upon inspection, the officer noticed the operator did not have the necessary safety equipment or paperwork and issued a citation.

PROTECTING THE POOCH

4:39 p.m., 800 block of Evergreen Way Animal complaint: A resident

THURSDAY, APRIL 6 DISABLING ‘TRACKING

DEVICE’

8:54 p.m., Longboat Key Police Department Citizen assist: A resident was at the police department and said she was in need of assistance putting her phones in airplane mode so that they would not be tracked. The officer helped the woman put both phones into airplane mode.

observed what appeared to be a dog alone in a vehicle without it running. A call to the police was made, asking them to check out the situation.

After arriving at the address, the officer spoke with the owner who said they had gone inside for a brief moment and left the windows of the vehicle down.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2

ALREADY ON IT

8:50 a.m., 600 block of Sutton Place

Citizen assist: Dispatch reported a water leak at a condo association. When the officer arrived, maintenance for the condo association told the officer that they were aware of the issue. The maintenance works said they were fixing the problem and water had been shut off to the building.

MONDAY, APRIL 3

ALMOST THERE

4:35 a.m., 4300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Suspicious person: While on patrol, an officer noticed a person who looked disheveled walking on the side of the road. When the officer spoke with the individual, he said

he was a transient traveler and had been walking from Vermont since last year. His final destination is Boca Raton. The man asked the officer for a ride to Sarasota and for help getting new clothes. The Salvation Army of Sarasota was contacted for assistance and agreed to help.

MOVE OUT OF THE WAY

9:27 a.m., 600 block of Longview Drive

Citizen assist: A call was made after a garbage truck was unable to get down the street because of construction vehicles. The officer instructed all vehicles to be moved out of the path of the garbage truck. The construction workers were reminded of the importance of not blocking traffic and allowing room for emergency vehicles should they need to drive down the street.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4 WORKDAY IS OVER

5:40 p.m., 500 block of De Narvaez

Drive

Noise complaints from land: Afterhours construction work prompted a call to the police. When the officer arrived, he heard power tools being used on the first floor of the building. The workers were reminded of the town’s noise ordinance and issued a written warning.

A BRIEF MALFUNCTION

9:47 p.m., 500 block of Sanctuary

Drive

Citizen assist: A couple was going from the basement of their building to their condo when the elevator suddenly stopped. They were able to get the door open and exit the elevator before police arrived. The woman said her husband had health problems and they needed to get back to their condo but were too scared to get back on the elevator. The officer rode the elevator up to their floor with them with no problem. He assured the couple he would let management know of possible malfunctions in the morning.

501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, Florida. This hearing will be held in accordance with established quasi-judicial procedures.

All interested persons may appear and be heard with respect to the request for Planned Unit Development/Outline Development Plan Amendment, and Final Site Plan amendment proposals submitted by the Applicant Copies of the Applicant’s proposals and related material associated with the requests may be viewed at the Planning, Zoning & Building Department, 501 Bay Isles Road, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays prior to the hearing. Questions may be directed to the Planning, Zoning

Seeking parking changes, again

LAUREN TRONSTAD

STAFF WRITER

Desired changes to the Residences at the St. Regis Longboat Key’s parking will go before the town’s Planning and Zoning Board on April 18.

The hotel and condominiums are already more than a year into construction with at least a year remaining before completion.

Developers submitted plans in January for a three-level parking garage on the northeast corner of the property.

The plans have been deemed complete after analysis by town staff. The next step is consideration by the Planning and Zoning Board, which will allow for the first public input opportunity. If approved by the board, the changes would need to go before the Town Commission twice.

The change would replace a plan to install mechanical lifts in the approved ground-level garage under the hotel building. The lifts were designed to multiply the available parking spaces on the property to satisfy town requirements.

The multilevel garage would be built on the side of an alreadyapproved outdoor surface lot.

In replacing the mechanical lift spaces and surface lot, parking spaces on the property would increase from 100 to 157. Previously approved plans showed 62 mechanical lift spaces and a 28-space surface parking lot.

Parking revisions are among several changes requested, including:

n Delete beach shelters and Tiki hut

n Move patio heaters and a fire lane farther east

n Amend departures for open space ratio, living space ratio

n Add new departures for dimensions of parking spaces in the new parking structure and the building separation requirements between the hotel podium and the new parking structure.

In the event new plans are not approved, construction of previous plans would move forward.

Town leaders in 2018 approved Unicorp’s plans to move forward with the St. Regis project, ending years of back and forth with the town and voters on how to proceed.

In 2017, voters rejected the initial plan to add residential density to the 17.6-acre property that was once home to the iconic Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Once ownership of the land that housed the former colony units was secured, work began in late 2021.

In 2021, developers had to make changes to parking plans to meet town requirements for the balance of spaces between residential and hotel spots.

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

A proposal to add more than 50 parking spots to the St. Regis development will go before the board and allow public input April 18.

Lauren Tronstad If approved, the parking garage would be built on the northeast corner of the property.

More Than A PLAN

IT’S A PROMISE.

Pre-planning does more than provide your family with peace of mind. It’s making a promise to keep them free of future financial burdens and the responsibility of carrying out rushed arrangements during their time of remembrance.

For more than 30 years, the Toale Brothers family has helped people make their choices now, so those decisions don’t fall on their families later.

Create a plan and a promise for your loved ones. Give us a call today to start the conversation.

Bay Park Conservancy hires first full-time CFO

news release. “He is well qualified to lead, manage and deliver the breadth and depth of financial management, accounting and reporting that The Bay Park Conservancy will need as it continues to expand and grow.”

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

The Bay Park Conservancy has taken another step in growing its executive team, naming Steve Germaine as the nonprofit organization’s first fulltime chief financial officer.

Germaine will initially report to Founding CEO AG Lafley, then to new President and CEO Stephanie Crockatt when she joins the BPC in June 2023. The conservancy is responsible for planning, developing, operating and maintaining The Bay, the 53-acre, city-owned park on Sarasota Bay.

“Steve is a seasoned accounting and financial manager with more than 20 years of experience as the financial head of a major for-profit business and with significant nonprofit experience,” said Lafley in a

For the past 20 years, Germaine has served as controller and then vice president of finance and CFO of the largest division of Timex Corp. His prior financial experience was with both large and midsize publicly and privately held companies in various manufacturing sectors. He also has served as the treasurer for nonprofit organizations that support children, college athletics, church and community.

“I’m excited about elevating the finance function of the Bay Park Conservancy to its highest level so it can meet the evolving and growing needs of its internal team, its network of external partners, and importantly, the park guests and supportive donors of The Bay,” said Germaine in the release.

The hiring comes on the heels of the recent naming of Crockatt as the BPC’s first full-time CEO. She is currently executive director at the Buffalo Olmsted Park Conservancy.

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

11:15am - 12pm

April 13 & 27

Chiropractor Rhett Bogacz will lead two classes featuring bodyweight exercises that teach your body how to adapt with muscular support rather than compensate with compressed joints

The Bay Park Conservancy continues to develop its executive suite by naming Steve Germaine to lead its finances.

Steve Germaine has been named CFO of the Bay Park Conservancy.

Courtesy photo

NEXT POUR

Even after five decades in the beer and beverage business, John Saputo isn’t ready to walk away. If (when) he does, he’s confident the next generation is ready to run the company.

John Saputo recently met with a group of money people to sign the latest documents to take on debt for his $220 million family run beverage distribution business, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. It was a five-year series of financial tranches for the cash-heavy business, Saputo said, calling it “more debt than you could possibly believe.”

One person in the room that day was his daughter, Andrea Saputo Cox. Recently named president and equity manager/owner of the Lakewood Ranch-based company, Saputo Cox signed the documents along with John Saputo, a longtime Longboat Key resident. “She said ‘I’m here with you; I’m totally in,’” the elder Saputo said. “That was one of the proudest moments of my life.” Both father and daughter chuckle when asked if that means the highenergy Saputo, a U.S. Marine colonel who served 32 years and won a Bronze Star for heroism, will officially retire. The answer? Not likely.

But, at 72, Saputo does intend to slow down. Or, in his words, give the stuff he doesn’t like to Saputo Cox, like HR, operations, logistics, etc. and do more of the stuff he does like to do. That revolves around seeing customers and talking about the litany of beverage products Gold Coast offers under the Anheuser-Busch/ InBev brand. “There is nothing here Andrea can’t do,” he said. “She can successfully run the entire company. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Saputo Cox, 45, isn’t shying away from being the final decision maker, but said she likes that her dad will be around to bounce ideas off and, sometimes, disagree with. “There’s pressure, but I really love that he’s still here for me when I need help. There are times when we don’t see eye to eye but we will often agree on what’s best for the business.”

Saputo Cox follows her dad into

the beer and beverage business, and her grandfather, great-grandfather and an uncle, albeit in different entities selling different brands.

Her accession at Gold Coast, which serves the Sarasota and Manatee markets, comes during a time of significant upheaval in the beer and beverage industry. The pandemic is one of the culprits. At first, sales across the industry cratered, as stayat-home orders wrecked the bar and restaurant side of the business. But some states relaxed delivery and other alcohol sales rules, giving the sector a boost. Overall, according to a report from Fortune Business Insights, the global beer market is projected to grow from $786.27 billion in sales in 2021 to $989.48 billion in 2028, a compounded annual growth rate of 3.68%.

GROWTH MINDSET

Yet challenges industrywide, in a Whac-A-Mole kind of way, continue. The list ranges from inflationinduced higher prices for everything from aluminum for cans to grains for beer to a painfully tight labor market to a carbon dioxide shortage.

Gold Coast Eagle has, for the most part, been able to stiff-arm those challenges, at least in sales growth.

The company posted $222 million in revenue in 2021, up 7.7% from $206 million in 2020. It has about 200 sales, service and support associates. That team helps process, sell and deliver 275 brands of beer, water, soda and other beverages, with some 1,500 SKUs. To illustrate how the complexity of the business has grown, Saputo points out that 25 years ago the business handled seven

brands of beer and 56 direct packages or SKUs.

“It’s a grueling and complicated business,” Saputo said. “It’s so competitive now because consumer tastes are all over the board.”

Gold Coast Eagle dates back to Nov. 1, 1996, when John Saputo acquired the distributorship from the Goodman family, who had operated Twin City Distributors. Saputo is a third-generation beer wholesaler: His grandfather, Joe Barraco, ran a three-truck operation outside Detroit in the years after Prohibition, where Saputo and his brothers worked and learned the business. The beer wasn’t part of the Anheuser-Busch family, Saputo notes, adding he and his brothers were paid in experience, not necessarily making enough money to go into the business for themselves. But Saputo stuck with it, and eventually managed or owned distributorships in Michigan, New York and North Carolina before coming to Florida.

Part of Gold Coast Eagle’s growth stems from the Sarasota-Bradenton population boom of the last 25 years: more people, more beer drinkers. (The company sold 3.4 million cases of beer in 1996 and 6.5 million cases in 2022 — up 91.17%.)

Another key in the company’s success? Its state-of-the-art headquarters and hospitality center on the Sarasota County side of Lakewood Ranch, in the corporate park. The facility, on a 23-acre site, includes a tasting room, rotunda, beer garden and conference room that holds up to 200 people. The company has opened the facility to dozens of nonprofits and charitable organizations

FAMILY TIME

Key players in Gold Coast Eagle Distributing

John Saputo: More than 50 years in the business, including going back to when he was 8 years old, working for his grandfather’s threetruck operation outside Detroit.

Andrea Saputo Cox: One of the four daughters Saputo raised with his wife, Denise. Andrea Saputo Cox, like her dad, started working in the beverage distribution business while growing up. She earned her enquiry certificate in the Anheuser-Busch/InBev system, reaching the highest-level of corporate ownership requirements.

While Saputo never doubted her abilities, his belief in Andrea was cemented in 2003, when he left the company to head overseas for reserve duty for the Marines during Operation Enduring Freedom. That’s when, at 27, Saputo Cox earned her equity certificate — a complicated and stringent process AnheuserBusch/InBev puts all its owners through, to make sure they can handle the nuances of the business.

TheRev.Dr.NormanPritchard

Men’sBibleStudy:Monday@9:00

Women’sBibleStudy:Wednesday@10:00

to host events, and county officials have used it as a staging area during hurricanes or similar weather situations. John Saputo said his affinity for giving back stems from a lesson learned from his father, that to “build your business, first build your community.”

‘EVERY SEAT’

Saputo Cox is one of four sisters raised by John Saputo and his wife, Denise. The youngest sister, Bethany Dugger, lives in Ohio, where her husband, Devyn Dugger, is the equity manager of Dickerson Distributing. Saputo acquired Dickerson, north of Cincinnati, in 2014. The oldest sisters, twins Katherine Tanner and Sarah Mackie, aren’t in the beverage business.

Saputo Cox started early, when she was 12 or 13 years old, cleaning out truck bays and washing tires when vehicles returned from daily deliveries. That was in summers during middle school — Saputo recalls her also circling around the warehouse in rollerblades, too. She was promoted to reconciling truck loads and office work the following summer.

By the time Saputo Cox graduated from high school and the University of Florida, she had her own merchandising route. She then moved through all positions in the company, from pricing, graphics, sales, warehouse, sales management, operations and finance to human resources, community outreach and marketing. She’s handled sales for small bars and big grocery stores. “I sat in every seat in the company,” she said, “to learn it all.”

The business didn’t miss a beat under Saputo Cox. “A regional Southeast vice president called me when I got back,” Saputo said, “and said ‘We knew she was good, but we didn’t know she could run the whole company.’”

NEXT UP

Saputo Cox took a decade or so off to raise two kids, who are now in high school. She came back to the business in spring 2020. Hugh Shields, a 19-year Gold Coast Eagle employee who handles marketing administration, in addition to many other front-facing tasks, said Saputo Cox’s return was a big win for the business.

“I begged her every day for 10 years to come back,” Shields quips.

Not that John Saputo couldn’t handle the business, but Saputo Cox’s calm demeanor mixed with highlevel work ethic, especially during the topsy-turvy, post-pandemic era, has become a rallying point for the company. “In the beverage business you have to be able to put a case on a shelf or load a pallet,” Shields said, along with all the other administrative tasks. “She’s definitely the kind of person who leads by example. She will never ask someone to do something she hasn’t done herself.”

Saputo Cox is one of seven women to have a leadership role among the 450 distributorships in the Anheuser-Busch InBev network.

For that, the parent company often reaches out to Saputo Cox for insight into women’s sales habits, while her biological parent said he tries to stay in the background — as much as a Type A executive and father can.

“It’s fun. I get to see her make decisions that I would’ve made,” he said. “It’s like being driven in a car where I just get to sit back, have a beer and relax.”

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

MARK GORDON BUSINESS OBSERVER

Harry Sayer

John Saputo says watching his daughter, Andrea Cox Saputo, take on more responsibility at Gold Coast Eagle has been one of his proudest moments as a dad and business owner.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Growing up on Longboat Key

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Condominiums on Longboat

Key are often family jewels passed down through generations. Chat with a snowbird, and it’s common to hear a story about them frolicking on the beaches as a small child.

But those are part-time residents. Gabriella Vinson is a 27-year-old newlywed who has lived on Longboat Key for 25 years and is happily staying put.

“I have such a tie to it. It’s changed a little bit, obviously, but I just love that island feel,” Vinson said. “Growing up, there were all these little beach bungalows around. I scuba dive and spearfish and all that, so I just love being close to the water.”

Vinson’s road to residency started out like any snowbird’s — her grandparents owned a place on Longboat. It took a turn one vacation when her dad asked her mom, “If I can find a job within the five days that we’re here, would you move here?”

Not expecting him to ever find a job in five days, her mother said, “Sure!” He came back not too long after and said, “Honey, pack your

bags. We’re moving.”

The family moved from Staten Island, New York, into a home on Juan Anasco Drive on the north end. Vinson’s dad used to ride his bike through the Village pulling her on a skateboard behind him.

“All the neighbors would be waving,” Vinson said. “We kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, but they loved it.”

Vinson’s father, fondly known around town as “Big Mike,” died after a heart attack six years ago, but her mother and grandmother still live on the island.

Her uncle Carmine Astuto owned Ciao Italia! for more than two decades. It was in the Centre Shops where La Norma is now. Vinson waited tables for him through high school and college.

The family made a lot of memories over dinners at Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant, too, but Shore took its place, and Vinson is all grown up now.

She owns her own condominium in Longboat Harbour, where her neighbors call her “the baby” and she lives with her new husband, Gary Vinson. The couple was married on Feb. 18 at the Longboat Island Chapel by the Rev. Brock Patterson. The reception was held at the Zota Beach Resort.

Not only does Vinson live on the island full time, she also works on the island full time.

Vinson is a physical therapist assistant and has been with the Fitness Quest clinic for four years. Fitness Quest is located in the Tidewell building on Bay Isles Road.

The office staff are all under 30 years old and have become fast friends on an island where the census bureau calculates the average age to be 71.3 years old. But growing up around an older population has its benefits.

“I was everybody’s granddaughter,” Vinson said. “We had an elderly neighbor, and I was probably 6 or 7, and I would just go down and hang out with her and her little doggie. She loved it because her grandchildren were up north.”

Vinson wasn’t left without friends her age. There were about four or five kids in the neighborhood. They spent a lot of time at the beach, and she made friends on the mainland, too.

Vinson attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School for elementary and middle grades and went to Cardinal Mooney for high school.

Vinson even commuted to and from Longboat for college. She earned an associate’s degree from the University of South Florida and finished up at Keiser University, where she received her physical therapy assistant license.

“I was everybody’s granddaughter. We had an elderly neighbor, and I was probably 6 or 7, and I would just go down and hang out with her and her little doggie. She loved it because her grandchildren were up north.”

GABRIELLA VINSON

She also met her husband on the mainland, three-and-a-half years ago at a bar in downtown Sarasota called Smokin’ Joe’s.

“It was kind of cheesy. You know how there’s those guys that pass out the roses you can buy,” Vinson said. “He bought me one of those roses, and the rest was history.”

Gary was born in Sarasota, but grew up in California. After getting out of the Marine Corps, he came back because he still had an uncle in the area and was looking to try something different. He works for Synergy Equipment delivering heavy machinery.

They leave for Rome at the end of the month, so the honeymoon comes first, but buying a bigger condo and raising one or two children on Longboat Key is among the couple’s longer term plans.

Gary, 30, has adjusted quite well to the Longboat lifestyle.

“He loves it. He’s become one of the old guys. He goes down to the grill area and has a couple beers with the guys and talks about I don’t know what,” Vinson said.

“And our friends love coming out here, too, because it’s just so beautiful. I hope I can stay on the island forever.”

Gabriella Vinson is one of the youngest and most long-term residents on the island.

Lesley Dwyer

Gabriella Vinson is a physical therapist assistant at Fitness Quest.

Gabriella Vinson toddling on the beaches of Longboat Key.

Gabriella Vinson grew up on Longboat Key, where tennis lessons are mandatory.

Gabriella and Gary Vinson

Courtesy photos

Easter Bunny hops by the Sand Cay Beach Resort

The Sand Cay Beach Resort held its annual Easter party on April 7.

Staying at the Sand Cay Beach Resort the week before Easter comes with some egg-cellent perks. When else will a towering inflatable slide block a gulf view on Longboat Key?

About 60 kids, from toddlers to teenagers, signed up for the annual egg hunt on April 7. The Easter Bunny led the kids from the pool to the courtyard, where eggs were scattered across the lawn and two giant inflatables stood on either side.

“We’ve had parents that used to bring their kids. Now, those kids bring their kids, and then some of those kids bring their kids,” General Manager Lyn Sorensen said. “That’s how long — we’re into the fifth generation at least.”

Teenagers walk into the office to say they’ve been coming to the Easter party since they were babies.

The Pearce family had three generations in attendance. The spring break stars aligned this year, so 17 family members traveled from Detroit, Seattle and Chicago to stay at the Sand Cay together.

“We grew up coming to Long-

boat Key as kids, so now we brought my dad, all his kids, and we brought all of the grandkids, so they can start this tradition,” Kate Pearce said.

The kids crisscrossed the courtyard grabbing eggs to fill their baskets and buckets, but only four could find a golden egg. This year’s lucky finders were Ben Weber, Kiera Bourke, Alaina Conrow and Kelly Olson. They got first pick

from the line of Easter baskets. The staff made sure all age groups were represented, and more baskets than children lined the outside of the office wall.

“They’ll all be gone in the next day or two because we’ll have some people check in today, and we’ll give them a basket, too,” Sorensen said.

— LESLEY DWYER

Advantages

•

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• Assistance with other professionals, builders, interior designers, etc.

Children wait by the pool before the egg hunt begins.

Chris, Grace, Craver, Sally and Erin Barrar with the Easter Bunny.

Jan and Deb Pearce, Dory and Ben Weber and Kate Pearce

Kiera Bourke finds a golden egg.

Nora Murphy finds an egg.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Longboat Island Chapel hosts Ukrainian Easter for refugees

The Danube International Company threw an Easter party on April 8 in the chapel’s garden.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

The Longboat Island Chapel rents their Friendship Garden to host weddings, memorials and birthday parties. On April 8, it was used to throw an Easter party for Ukrainian refugee children.

The rental fee was waived, and the charitable outreach committee donated $1,000 to the Danube International Company for supplies. There were cotton candy and popcorn machines. Games were set up on the lawn, and the trees were decorated with eggs just as they would be in Ukraine.

“As soon as they heard the kids and people speaking in Russian, their eyes lit up,” teacher Katie Jewett said. “All day long, they’re in school and we’re translating through our phones.”

Katerina Anokhova has two daughters, grades pre-K and sec -

ond, that enrolled in elementary school this past month. She saw the party advertised on Facebook and asked the school’s principal if there was anyone who could drive them to Longboat Key. Jewett and her sister drove the family down from Largo.

The celebration was an American Easter with a Slavic twist. It’s already warm in Florida, but it’s still cold in Ukraine. The tradition of hanging eggs in trees is meant to speed up the arrival of spring. Boris Tsatskin played Ukrainian music as the kids formed a conga line and danced through the garden, and each family left with a loaf of bread.

“It’s like a sweet bread that we bake with raisins and nuts because we fast for 40 days before Easter,” Danube Co-founder Olena Gryniava said. “Easter day, on Sunday, we go to church and we bless the bread. We get blessings from the priest, and then we start from this bread for our Easter dinner.”

About 40 children and 60 caregivers between North Port and St. Petersburg attended the party. Danube is headquartered in Sarasota

but helps refugees from all over the country apply for social service benefits and restart their lives. For more information, call 727-644-4839.

The children play hopscotch.

Michelle Ewing, Katerina and Valeria Anokhova, Katie Jewett and Elissa Anokhova traveled from Largo for the party.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Chapel helpers David Stone, Karen Pashkow and Lesley Rife

It’s a Ukrainian tradition to decorate trees with eggs for Easter.

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Exceeding Sellers’

Political strategist discusses Trump vs.

DeSantis at Democratic luncheon

On April 4, the co-founder of The Lincoln Project spoke to the Longboat Key Democratic Club.

If you like a good Donald Trump joke, then the Sarasota Yacht Club was the place to be on April 4. Rick Wilson was the guest speaker at this month’s Longboat Key Democratic Club luncheon.

Wilson is a political strategist, a former Republican and a co-founder of The Lincoln Project, formed in response to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.

Wilson has a few traits in common with the man he describes as hating with the fire of a billion suns. Both men know how to draw a crowd — 200 seats sold out and disappointed Democrats were turned away at the door — and neither man is opposed to name calling.

Wilson said Republicans can’t be shamed, but they can be mocked. Then, the roast of Gov. Ron DeSantis commenced. Wilson called him “Diet Trump.”

“You’ve got to mock these people, too,” he said.

When an audience member asked why he was so sure DeSantis couldn’t beat Trump for the Republican nomination, Wilson cited the project’s latest survey that said Trump has 56% of Republican voters, then he painted the image of DeSantis on a “sewage chute headed South.”

“Make no mistake, Ron DeSantis is the most dangerous Republican governor in the country. He is an autocrat. He is a bully. He is a punk. He is a thug. And as I said earlier, he has a voice that’s the mansplaining voice of every woman’s first husband,” Wilson said. “You guys have a lot of work to do, not just in Florida, but across the country. Democrats need to learn a couple of simple rules to

win in 2024.”

The first rule was more of a credo that he repeated until the audience laughed: The race isn’t about policy. Wilson posed two outcomes. In the first, the country survives as a democracy with free markets and individual liberties. In the second, the country descends into authoritarianism, chaos and oppression.

The guest brought his own guest — Andrew Warren, the Hillsborough County state attorney who was fired by DeSantis last August and has been fighting to get his job back since. While a federal lawsuit ruled that Warren’s indefinite suspension violated both the Florida and U.S. constitutions, the court also ruled that it didn’t have the authority to reinstate him.

“That was so unbelievably unconstitutional and so authoritarian. He removed Andrew from office because he thought Andrew might do something someday that he didn’t like. That’s Fidel Castro. That’s Stalin. That’s Kim Jong-un,” Wilson said. The rest of Wilson’s rules focused on increasing voter registration and finding ways to slowly but surely take back local government and then Senate and House seats.

773-1954 Elvira Starrett (941) 720-3528

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Lesley Dwyer

Andrew Warren, Rick Wilson and Club President Arlene Skversky

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BEYOND IMAGINATION, with unparalleled amenities and a lifestyle of privacy and comfort awaits you here to create everlasting memories. Instant enjoyment with captivating views from this ultimate southwest corner residence. Generously proportioned wrap-around terrace with sliding floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors offer stunning views in this meticulously designed, ALMOST NEW residence.

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1300 Benjamin Franklin Dr #601

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R ITZ CARLTON MANAGED THE BEACH RESIDENCES

Lori Lawson Judy Kepecz-Hays Steven Kepecz

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

PARKINSON’S COMBINED SUPPORT GROUP

1-2 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Sponsored by Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, this group is designed for both people with Parkinson’s and their care partners. No fee. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

RECURRING EVENTS

WEEKDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, 555 Bay Isles Road. On Wednesdays, most books are on sale for $1 or less. Call 3832011.

MONDAYS STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

THINKING OUT LOUD: TIMELY TOPICS WITH MIKE KARP

From 1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Topics will include U.S. and world current affairs, popular culture and topics relevant to seniors. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS

PUMPING THE PRIME

From 10-11 a.m. at Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Low-impact cardio and strength exercises to boost

File photo Carolyn Hall and Chuck Malkerton browse artwork on the walls.

BEST BET TUESDAY, APRIL 18

ART EXHIBIT AND ARTIST RECEPTION

From 5:30-7 p.m. at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Drive. Meet the 13 talented artists showing in the Town Hall Art Exhibit. Artists will be sharing additional work, and everything is for sale. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Call 316-1999 for more information.

metabolism, strengthen muscles and bones. Instructor is Mirabai Holland. Cost is $10 for members; $15 for others. Call (201) 956-1466.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS

LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE

The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.

TUESDAYS

QI GONG

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Qi gong is a mind-body-spirit practice designed to improve mental and physical health. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

YOGA

From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles

Road. Debbie Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $15; free for members. Call 383-6493.

MAHJONG

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

ROTARY CLUB

Meets at 5 p.m. on first and third Tuesdays in All Angels Parish Hall, 563 Bay Isles Road. To learn more, call Nancy Rozance at 203-6054066 or email Info@LongboatKeyRotary.org.

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS

BREATH BALANCE AND BLISS YOGA

From 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Cost is $10 for members; $15 for others. Call 3616411 ext. 2212.

WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MARIACHI MUSIC

From 5-8 p.m. at La Villa Mexican Grill, 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Enjoy dinner and a serenade by Mariachi Contemporaneo. Call 383-8033.

THURSDAYS KIWANIS CLUB OF LONGBOAT KEY

At 8:30 a.m. at Lazy Lobster, 5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This service organization meets every first and third Thursday of the month for breakfast and a speaker. Breakfast is $15. Email Lynn Larson at LynnLarson@comcast.net to register.

ZUMBA AND MAT PILATES FOR SENIORS

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. The class, designed for active seniors, starts with Zumba and shifts to all-level mat Pilates at 10:30 a.m. Come for 30 minutes or the full hour. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

FRIDAYS INTERMEDIATE TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Reuben Fernandez teaches the class outdoors, weather permitting. Free for members; $15 for others. Walkins welcome. Call 383-6493.

QI GONG AND MEDITATION

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

www.instagram.com/observergroup

St. Armands house sells for $5.55 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in John Ringling Estates tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. David and Therese Dixon sold their home at 211 Tremont Lane to Daniel and Amanda McMurtrie, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for $5.55 million. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,326 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,641,000 in 2019.

ISLANDER CLUB OF LONGBOAT

Audrey Heimler, trustee, sold the Unit 95-N and 96-N condominiums at 2301 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Eileen George and Michael George, trustees, of Longboat Key, for $2.75 million. Built in 1970, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,470 square feet of living area. It sold for $662,500 in 2016.

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

Christopher Scott Young and Maureen Fitzgibbons Young, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 511 Putter Lane to Scott and Christina Roemer, of Longboat Key, for $2.35 million. Built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,576 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,325,000 in 2020.

L’AMBIANCE AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

Kenneth Alan Goldblatt and Sarah Roth Goldblatt, of Port Washington, New York, sold their Unit B202 condominium at 415 L’Ambiance Drive to Gerry Van Geyzel and Barbara Van Geyzel, of Wilton, Connecticut, for $1.9 million. Built in 1992, it has two bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths and 2,385 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.9 million in 2022.

PROMENADE

Gordon White, of Beavercreek, Ohio, sold his Unit 406C condominium at 1211 Gulf of Mexico Drive to W.A.S. Tower L.B.K. LLC for $1.57 million. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,598 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,033,000 in 2022.

ST. ARMANDS TOWERS

Robert and Alice Brittingham sold their Unit 91 condominium at 101

Benjamin Franklin Drive to Larry and Sally Martin, of New Holland, Pennsylvania, for $1.46 million. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,275 square feet of living area. It sold for $557,500 in 2012.

L’ELEGANCE ON LIDO BEACH

Dorothea Phillips sold the Unit A-603 condominium at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Morgan David MacKay and Lisa Dawne MacKay, of Madison, Connecticut, for $1,125,000. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,350 square feet of living area. It sold for $244,600 in 1996.

COREY’S LANDING

Jay and Sally Steele sold their home at 3447 Byron Lane to Chad and Laurel Schmitt, of Longboat Key, for $1,075,000. Built in 1989, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,227 square feet of living area. It sold for $278,900 in 1989.

LONGBOAT KEY YACHT AND TENNIS CLUB

Sharon Ray Alt, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 203 condominium at 3115 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Jennifer Ahlstrand, trustee, of Rockford, Illinois, for $1 million. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,153 square feet of living area.

LIDO AMBASSADOR

Alexander Onishenko, of Parrish, sold his Unit 705 condominium at 800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to James Matthew McDonald and Susan McDonald, of Lakewood Ranch, for $975,000. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, two baths and

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of March 31-April 6 in order of dollar amounts.

LONGBOAT KEY

1,150 square feet of living area. It sold for $185,000 in 1998.

LONGBEACH ECL Rental Properties LLC sold the Unit 22 condominium at 7135 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Double Bogey LLC for $900,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,170 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2017.

SEAPLACE Elizabeth Hartter-Cornell, of Windermere, sold her Unit G4-306-C condominium at 1975 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Brian Mullin, of Longboat Key, for $685,000. Built in 1977, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 933 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2012.

LIDO HARBOUR SOUTH Joyce Ostrin, of New York City, sold her Unit 205 condominium at 2110

Benjamin Franklin Drive to Joseph and Catherine Romano, of Sarasota, for $535,000. Built in 1968, it has one bedroom, two baths and 1,009 square feet of living area. It sold for $141,000 in 1997.

BEACH HARBOR CLUB Robin Dubow, Leila Dubow, Lisa Dubow and Benjamin David Dubow, of Southgate, London, sold their Unit B-303 condominium at 3804 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Nest Tree Properties LLC for $465,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,007 square feet of living area. It sold for $88,000 in 1995.

Lesley Dwyer

The home at 211 Tremont Drive sold for $5.55 million.

Bird Key Yacht Club’s new commodore shares story of USS Cole commission

The former lawyer and rear admiral was charged with drafting the report.

The Bird Key Yacht Club is welcoming a new commodore. Lisa Adams is retiring, and Steve Horton will take her place on July 1. Horton is the current vice commodore and is a retired lawyer and U.S. Navy JAG Corps rear admiral. He also worked for Boeing and was the principal legal advisor on the USS Cole Commission report. On April 6, he spoke to about 100 people at the club’s Seafarers lecture series about his experience on the commission. His presentation was delivered in three parts: the attack, investigation and co-conspirators. The bombing of the USS Cole was the first Al Qaeda terrorist attack before 9/11. At 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 12, 2000, two men approached the ship in a 20-foot, fiberglass motor boat stocked with explosives.

They smiled and waved to officers, who had assault rifles slung over their shoulders. Other boats were delivering mail and supplies that morning. The men didn’t appear to be a threat.

Horton walked to one side of the ballroom and pointed to the door on the other side. That’s 40 feet, he said. Then, he pointed up to the ceiling. “This is about 10 feet. Multiply it by four times, so you sort of get the scope of this explosion,” Horton said. “The floor, what we call the ‘deck,’ the floor of the galley was pushed all the way into the ceiling.”

The bombing caused 39 injuries and 17 deaths.

After the FBI investigated criminal culpability and the Navy investigated the actions of the crew, the Department of Defense formed a

commission to assess the unity of effort by the U.S. government.

“We did an immediate site visit to Yemen and the ship. We had two retired four-star commissioners, and I went to every interview they did at every site visit, so it was just the three of us,” Horton said. “The idea was that my group, and I had two other lawyers and an intelligence officer, would do all the drafting of the report for the commission, and I would be sort of the corporate knowledge and corporate history as we went through these interviews and the site visit.”

He described the crew as dejected and said stepping onto the ship was one of the most depressing days of his life. What the commission found was an overload of intelligence that couldn’t be put into practical use and a dire need for more Arabic translators and traditional, human spies.

Because the U.S. had become so adept at intercepting Soviet communications, spies were becoming obsolete, but Al Qaeda doesn’t operate anything like the Soviets did.

The USS Cole suicide bombers had already attempted an attack and failed. Before and after, they didn’t text or gab on the phone about it, and they weren’t tipped off on the Cole’s arrival. They were lying in wait, secretly surveilling that port every day, for their next opportunity.

In the final segment on co-conspirators, Horton went over a list of Al Qaeda terrorists and updated the crowd on whether they were dead or alive or in Guantanamo.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Steve Horton

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

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All submissions will be entered for the 2023-24 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2024, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

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BUSINESS NEWS by Rebecca Goldstein, edited by Jeff Chen

Luis Campos

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Items Under $200

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