Longboat Observer 4.27.23

Parking garage earns first approval

Town hosts blood drive

The town of Longboat Key recently hosted a blood drive in partnership with Suncoast Blood Centers. The drive was held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 19 at Town Hall.

All donors received a $10 gift card to Publix and a trackable tree that the individual can watch grow. Platelet donors received a $40 Amazon gift card for their contributions.

One person donating blood can save up to three lives, according to the center’s website. Donating once a year is said to reduce one’s risk of a heart attack by 88%.

Courtesy photo Milo, a mini golden doodle

Fetch looks for pets and pups

Anyone looking for a happy dog-grooming experience, look no further.

Fannie’s House Call Pet Grooming service comes to you.

“I had my business in Miami for five years, and I moved to Longboat Key in 2021,” said Fannie Bushin, owner. “I realized, the smaller and senior dogs are more comfortable at home. There’s a whole attitude shift with dogs that don’t like to go to a pet-grooming facility.”

Bushin visits homes and brings professional equipment and products with her.

All the clients have to provide is an area to bathe the dogs and towels.

Clients don’t have to be home to have their dogs groomed, but Bushin says curiosity gets the best of them.

Bushin says she is grateful for how Longboat Key has embraced her business.

“The hardest part is building great relationships with the clients, and when their dogs pass away, there’s no reason for me to be in contact with them anymore,” said Bushin.

Sidra Wali

Ross Johnston, manager of visitor engagement at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, leads a walking tour by the bay educating visitors about various plants and trees at the third annual Nature Talks and Walks

Earth Day event April 22 at Longboat Island Chapel.

Courtesy photo

Public Works Office Manager Julie Anderson donates blood during a blood drive April 19.

locations:

n County Correctional Facility

n Animal services

n Records

n Fingerprinting

n Sex offender registration

n Civil matters

n Fugitive apprehension

n 311 Connect

n Communications operator

If a caller has an emergency, the caller will be directed to press 1 to be transferred to a 911 call taker.

If at any time a caller presses 0, the call will be routed to a communications center operator for further assistance.

A Spanish option is also available with the same prompts under the new system.

“The county hopes the new system will help both the agency streamline communication and address issues more quickly,” the release said.

When in doubt on whether you are having an emergency, dial 911.

The nonemergency line is 941-3161201.

New P&Z Board member named

Eddie Abrams was recently appointed to a vacancy on Longboat Key’s Planning and Zoning Board.

The Town Commission voted to appoint him at its April 3 regular meeting.

The vacancy followed Gary Coffin’s move to the Town Commission.

Abrams currently serves as the town’s representative on the Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizens Advisory Council.

According to his application to the board, he worked in consulting engineering for 47 years and was a partner of a 100-person engineering firm, PACE Collaborative. He touted his extensive relevant experience in planning and development, having worked alongside government agencies of varying sizes.

“I have experience in projects for roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, power distribution and indoor and outdoor lighting,” he wrote in his application. “Building and zoning code specifications were an integral part of every project I accomplished. Since becoming a resident here in Longboat Key, I have been involved with several building and development issues related to the area and I feel I can help the process with my knowledge and experience.”

Abrams attended Old Dominion University and has a number of electrical engineering certifications.

Mote awarded $7 million for coral reef restoration

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium recently received nearly $7 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The grant will cover a four-year, multifaceted project focused on implementing a holistically transformative coral reef restoration initiative at 10 reef sites along Florida’s Coral Reef, just offshore of the Florida Keys Archipelago, according to a news release from Mote.

The initiative, which will be led by Mote’s Coral Reef Restoration Research Program Manager Jason Spadaro, is seeking to expand the laboratory’s capacity to continue making strides toward restoring coral reef habitats.

“Coral reef restoration is still essentially in its infancy, but we believe that this project and the ambitious objectives we have set represent a science-based and scalable pathway to transformative and, more importantly, lasting landscape scale function restoration of the most biodiversity and socio-economically valuable habitat and natural resource in Florida,” Spadaro said in the release.

Living coral cover, the proportion of the reef covered in living coral, on Florida’s Coral Reef is currently between 1% and 5%. The number is dramatically less than about 40 years ago, when coverage was more than 30%.

“Over the last decade, Mote has been a leader in changing the par-

adigm for coral restoration science in Florida and around the world,”

Michael Crosby, Mote’s president and CEO said in the release. “With this new NOAA grant, we will build on our history of innovative science and success in restoring over 200,000 corals to date by launching a transformational initiative focused on coral reef community restoration.”

With the $7 million Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Award, Mote has committed to begin the coral reef restoration efforts immediately at 10 coral reef sites throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Mote scientists have set four major objectives that include:

n Commence or expand restoration efforts at all 10 reef sites.

n This effort’s plans include the production and outplanting of 242,000 coral fragments and 34,000 Caribbean king crabs over

the four-year period.

n Scale Mote’s restoration efforts and effect by iteratively increasing cost efficiency in production and outplanting operations: This includes developing and using new science-based methods, materials and workflows to inform, guide and enhance efforts.

n Increase production and implementation of Caribbean king crabs to facilitate restoration success: The crabs are large native reef herbivores, but are currently not present in high enough numbers to keep algae in the reefs under control.

n Apply science-based methods to ensure a genetically diverse and resilient restored coral reef community: Mote scientists will apply components of their workflow to guide production of corals that have demonstrated resilience to known stressors such as disease and climate change.

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ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM ROOM SALE Sleek

Efforts will be focused on 10 reef sites throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Courtesy photo

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office handled over 650,000 calls in 2022.

Second time’s the charm

LAUREN TRONSTAD

STAFF WRITER

It took another try and a new concept, but Courtney Rossler and Kevin Pass won Planning and Zoning Board approval for a restaurant on Longboat Key, the Lo’Key Island Grille.

The proposal was unanimously passed after more than four hours of discussion and public comment.

Residents filled Town Hall’s commission chambers and many had to sit in the hallway until it was their turn to address the board.

“We are proposing just a really beautiful, quaint, charming, friendly, happy atmosphere with a great menu; just a place you can call your own,” Rossler said. “I really believe that I can give you guys something that you will appreciate, something that can benefit Longboat Key.”

Pass owned a pest control company in Indiana before moving to the island in 2015. Rossler has been an employee of the Lazy Lobster for more than 12 years and is a lifetime resident of the Sarasota area.

Lazy Lobster owner Michael Garey spoke in favor of the restaurant proposal, touting Rossler’s work ethic and personality. He predicted success for the restaurant should it garner full approval.

Rossler, Pass and residents in favor of the restaurant spoke of the need for more restaurants on the Key to combat traffic and better serve residents and visitors looking to eat on the barrier island, especially during busy seasons.

The majority of comments from the public were positive, thanking the pair for taking their concerns into consideration when developing the new plans.

Shelley Harrison, Rolling Waves Beach Cottages manager, spoke in favor of the restaurant proposal as she said she often struggles with restaurant recommendations for her guests and tends to send them north to Anna Maria Island or south to Siesta Key.

“In my opinion, it’s not only an inconvenience to my guests due to traffic, but a great economic loss to the town of Longboat Key,” she said. “I am strongly in support of Lo’Key Island Grille because I believe this venue will grow to be a very important part of the Longboat Key culture.”

But much like the last time Rossler and Pass were in front of the board, residents expressed concerns about parking, traffic on the adjacent Tarawitt Drive, noise and use of nearby deeded beach access.

“We would love to see Courtney live her dream, but being a resident (nearby), I just think it’s the wrong place,” resident James Taylor said.

“The area is not zoned for a business of this type for a reason. It will negatively impact the peaceful enjoyment of property owners, who have chosen Longboat Key for its quiet, safe and family oriented residential nature.”

Town regulations prohibit amplified music and voices or sound audible 50 feet away from a home or establishment, which opposing residents said would be a likely issue with alcoholic beverages in the mix.

Previously, the pair’s plans were for a Tiki bar, but that changed after feedback from residents and the board in March 2022.

“We burned those plans and scattered the ashes,” Pass said. “We will not be talking about a Tiki bar.”

Lo’Key Island Grille, located at 5620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is planned to be 3,692 square feet with a lounge and outdoor dining area. There will be 33 parking spaces, which is the number required by the town. The site was formerly the home of Tina’s Beauty Salon, which closed in August 2021.

“We want to support residents and businesses to bring more to the island, bring more services to the island,” board member Paul Hylbert said. “We appreciate your intrepid efforts.”

In Pass and Ressler’s submitted plans, they indicated the intention to repave the parking lot and improve stormwater drainage on the site by providing a retention area.

“We heard (the board’s) concerns; we heard the neighbors’ concerns,” Pass said. “We have adjusted every aspect of the plans to those concerns.”

A traffic impact analysis conducted by Wey Engineering deduced the restaurant would generate 226 new trips per day down Tarawitt Drive. Of those, 24 would occur during evening peak hours and are not anticipated to degrade the level of service of the road required by the town.

“We don’t want to be a traffic problem,” Pass said. “I hate traffic as much as anybody.”

Contrary to previous plans for the site, which had nearly all outdoor seating, the ratio is a bit more balanced, with 30 seats planned for outdoor dining and 57 for inside.

The town has outdoor dining rules that state when an outdoor dining area is located within 250 feet of residential property, service in the outdoor dining area shall not begin before 8 a.m. and the area should be vacated by 10 p.m.

The pair had already agreed to those conditions, which were made necessary by approved plans for a three-story, eight-unit condomini-

um building across Tarawitt Drive to the north.

During board deliberations, each member spoke in favor of the increase in restaurants available on the island and the applicant’s willingness to adjust plans to address concerns raised.

Now that the plans have been approved by the board, they will have to visit the Town Commission twice for additional deliberation and public hearings before plans can move forward.

PREVIOUS ATTEMPT

Rossler and Pass had their first hearing for their original idea, Lo’Key Tiki Bar, in March 2021. The P&Z board denied the plans and sent the owners back to the start.

The previous plans included an open-air, roofed Tiki bar on the west side of the building at 5620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, to the edge of the property line.

The owners planned 144 seats, all but five of which were planned within the open-air structure.

“I’m worried about scale; I am worried about compatibility,” board Chair David Green said at last year’s meeting. Some feared the Tiki bar would entice loud parties into the late evening hours.

Residents also expressed fear that consuming alcoholic beverages so close to Gulf of Mexico Drive would increase pedestrian traffic across the state road, through private property and onto the beach.

Following concerns about the size of previous plans, Rossler and Pass opted to scale back the number of seats available in the restaurant as a whole and move the majority indoors.

After P&Z rejected plans for a Tiki bar in 2022, ‘quaint’ restaurant concept earns the board’s approval.

“I am strongly in support of Lo’Key Island Grille because I believe this venue will grow to be a very important part of the Longboat Key culture.”

Shelley Harrison, Rolling

Waves

Beach Cottages Manager

Rendering of indoor dining area at proposed Lo’Key Island Grille.

Proposed Lo’Key Island Grille property looking southeast from the corner of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Tarawitt Drive.

Parking changes move to commission

Following hours of public comment, board members voted 5-2 to pass the issue onto the Longboat Key Town Commission.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

After about four hours of debate and public comment, a parking change proposal to the Residences at the St. Regis Longboat Key was approved by the Planning and Zoning Board on Tuesday.

The matter passed 5-2 with board vice chair Jay Plager and member Paul Hylbert voting in opposition.

The issue was part of a nearly 10-hour meeting Tuesday with the majority of the public commenters on the subject speaking against the proposal.

“This should have been part of the original application,” resident Susan Clark said. “But then the project might not have been approved. It’s too big. It’s too close, and it’s too late.”

A Longboat Key Landmark

Harry's

The

Many of the comments against the proposal had a similar theme, stating that if the new structure was part of the original plans then they would not have been approved. Others believed such a structure was always part of the plan regardless of it being absent from the approved application.

“We are totally against the garage proposal,” Michael Taylor, Bay Isles Harbor homeowners association president said. “Not one homeowner in the neighborhood has spoken in favor of this ... (Parking garages) are just not consistent with the aesthetic of Longboat Key.”

However, there were a few comments in favor of the project and the change.

“The Aquarius Club, 58 owners, all

want the parking garage,” said Frank Morneau, president of the condo association. “We are in a situation where we believe we need more parking spaces. We are next door and we are the only condominium in the area that does not have a guard house. We believe that we will become the overflow car parking place.”

Unicorp National Developments Inc.’s presence in front of the board followed a desire to increase parking on the site ahead of what they expect to be a largely successful development.

“We saw there was a need to adjust the parking,” Unicorp CEO Chuck Whittall said. “We realized we didn’t have enough (parking) if you looked at (the hotel and condos) independently.”

The changes, which are now set to head to the Town Commission, would replace a plan to install mechanical lifts in the alreadyapproved 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 garage, rather than the lift spaces, comes with the developer’s hope to get cars in and out more quickly and more efficiently to further ensure a five-star experience for guests and visitors. All spaces in the garage will be valet parking.

The two-deck garage would be built on the site of an alreadyapproved outdoor surface lot. The garage plans show the structure two stories above ground level.

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

“I do think it is appropriate that there is sufficient parking to meet the demands,” said Planning, Zoning and Building Director Allen Parsons.

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WHAT IS STAYING THE SAME

Even with a handful of changes planned for the development, other key components of the project are remaining the same including

n 67 residential units

n Covered parking deck

n 166 hotel rooms

n Three restaurants

n Two bars

n A spa and fitness center

n 17,654 square feet of meeting space, which includes a ballroom, meeting and boardrooms

n Four swimming pools

“There really are no parking alternatives along Gulf of Mexico Drive. There are no public streets nearby where overflow parking could be accommodated, so in order for this to be successful to meet the demands of the parking needs the existing approved project has, this does seem like an improvement to allow for additional parking.”

Results of a traffic study show no change in the number of trips expected to the development during peak hours. For both original plans in 2021 and the new plans proposed this year, about 99 trips are expected

to occur between the peak hours of 4 and 6 p.m.

Parking revisions are not the only changes being requested. Unicorp seeks to:

n Delete beach shelters and a 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 dimen

sions of parking spaces in the new parking structure and the building separation requirements between the hotel podium and the new parking structure.

As part of staff recommending approval, developers had to first agree to conditions relating to landscaping on the property. Conditions include that developers must use confederate jasmine vine or a similar plant in the new parking garage green screen planters. The planters must be maintained at all times. The other landscaping condition is that a park-like buffer should be created with a canopy of trees screening at least 90% of the parking structure.

In the event that new plans are not approved by commissioners, con

struction of previous plans would move forward.

The hotel and condominiums are already a year into construction, with developers anticipating at least another year before the entire project is completed.

Rendering of planned parking garage at St. Regis with landscaping.

Proposed plans for the St. Regis development with addition of a parking garage in place of a surface lot.

Courtesy renderings

Complete street feat

structure improvements typically include fiber connectivity, drainage upgrades, enhanced pedestrian crossings, stormwater resiliency and more.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

On the surface, St. Armands

Key may appear to be an idyllic oasis of luxury seaside living surrounding a quaint but bustling retail village. Scratch that surface, though, and you’ll find an aging infrastructure and noncompliance with contemporary safety standards.

Residents, business owners and other interested parties learned about that and more at Wednesday’s “complete street” open house where Sarasota city staff presented them with three options on which to provide input:

n $45 million and 10 to 15 years for a complete infrastructure rebuild covering the length of the primary corridors

n $15 million and two to three years for streetscape improvements covering the business district, or n do nothing at all.

The option of doing nothing will still be something, explained Chief Transportation Planner Alvimarie Corales, as both options 1 and 2 include Americans With Disabilities Act compliance projects the city will have to undertake regardless.

“The city is going through an ADA transition plan, and it will follow through the queue of what the ADA transition plan is,” she said. “It will be addressed as they’ve been prioritized. That has to happen.”

Those ADA compliance issues on St. Armands include sidewalk access ramps and undersized handicap parking spaces with no direct access to sidewalks at all.

The complete street concept is focused on creating safe multimodal and transit accommodations for vehicles and pedestrians. During construction, additional infra-

The city embarked on the St. Armands complete street process in fall 2022 and by December had selected a consultant for the project. By February of this year, however, the project was paused.

“Once we began negotiations, we realized that the amount of funding that we had allocated for the project was less than what the project cost was going to be,” Corales said. “So then we paused the project to get community feedback.”

The complete street concept on St. Armands would be disruptive, staff members warned, with the upwards of 15-year timeframe causing “construction fatigue.”

Every effort will be made to minimize impact on their operations, City Engineer Nik Patel told business owners at the open house, but with the complexities of the work, some disruption is inevitable. Because St. Armands is an overlay district with a parking bond, though, parking capacity must remain intact.

“We did include as part of the scope of the project some kind of parking analysis that we can try to improve some of the parking aspects,” Corales said. “Other existing conditions you have are trip hazards and narrow sidewalks. There’s one that we pointed out here that is 4 feet wide, and now with the standards that are being updated at a minimum, they will have to be 5 feet. We have different sidewalk materials. There are different colors and different textures.”

Both options will be publicly funded with no special assessments to residents and businesses on St. Armands Key.

“St. Armands has been highlighted as one of the top resiliency projects as part of the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, so there are opportunities to get the project funded. It is also part of their multimodal emphasis corri-

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

dor, and that is another pot of money that we could tap into. We just don’t know when it would happen.”

Among the aspects for the complete street project are connecting the multiuse recreational trail to St. Armands Key and ultimately extending it to Longboat Key; underground fiber connectivity; evaluating pedestrian crossings; installing variable message boards; trolley and multimodal transit accommodations; enhanced landscaping, hardscaping and lighting; undergrounding some of the power infrastructure; enhanced pedestrian crossings; and reconfiguring parking to be more pedestrian friendly all while still allowing traffic flow to neighboring jurisdictions.

“And very importantly here is addressing some of the underground concerns we have related to utilities,” said Capital Projects Manager Camden Mills. “There is some outdated water and sewer infrastructure as well as the drainage we are looking to upgrade. But with those improvements, it’s very costly. The city is looking to fund the planning and

ST. ARMANDS COMPLETE STREET

PROJECT LIMITS

n Pansy Bayou Bridge to the north

n Polk Drive to the west

n South Washington Drive to the south

n Cook Key Bridge to the east

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

n Multimodal and transit accommodations

design phases, and we would reach out to FDOT and federal agencies for some funding support through grant programs.”

Open house attendees and other interested citizens are invited to provide additional input for the project.

An online survey is available on the city of Sarasota website at SarasotaFL.gov through May 5. A video recording of the open house presentation is on the city’s website.

n Fiber connectivity

n Variable message signs

n Enhanced pedestrian crossings

n Parking reconfiguration

n Drainage

n Stormwater resiliency

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St. Armands project could cost up to $45 million and take more than a decade.

Courtesy photos

Handicap accessibility ramps at St. Armands Key are not in compliance with contemporary Americans With Disabilities Act standards.

Trip hazards are among the mobility issues at St. Armands Key.

Dark beaches, protected turtles

LAUREN TRONSTAD

STAFF WRITER

An increase in calls regarding artificial light disorientation on the beach during last year’s turtle nesting season makes it clear that it’s important to know the rules that help protect sea turtles.

By August 2022, the number of calls to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium related to light disorientation had already surpassed the total number of calls received in the entire 2021 season. Turtle nesting season kicks off May 1 and runs until Oct. 31.

Whether you are a longtime resident or this is your first time visiting local beaches, it is important to keep in mind ways you can protect local sea turtle populations.

“Whether it’s a nesting female or hatchlings, when they emerge for the first time their instincts tell them to travel towards the brightest horizon,

which is supposed to be the ocean,” Sea Turtle Conservation Manager Melissa Macksey said.

When artificial light hits the beach, turtles are likely to go inland and can end up in swimming pools, roads and parking lots.

“We’re really trying to encourage people, especially after last year, to keep the beaches dark at night,” she said. “Turn off lights, pull the shades closed, shield lights to make them turtle friendly, whatever you need to do to help keep those beaches dark.”

Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program staff and volunteers begin their beach patrols on April 15 in search of early nesters, since turtles don’t have a calendar to follow.

The first nest of 2023 was spotted April 18 on Casey Key. The nest marks the earliest one documented in the program’s history, meaning a busy nesting season may be ahead. The nest was laid by a loggerhead sea turtle, a threatened species protected under federal law. Loggerheads are also the most common species on Southwest Florida nesting beaches.

Mote Marine keeps track of nests along 35 miles of beach in Sarasota County from Longboat Key to Venice.

Longboat Key Turtle Watch is part of Mote’s volunteer efforts to walk the beaches each morning in search of new nests and keep an eye on ones already documented.

No nests have been found on Longboat’s beaches yet, but a false crawl was spotted this week. A false crawl is when a turtle emerges from the water, perhaps in search of a nest, but decides not to lay its eggs there.

The group continues to remind

Sarasota Memorial Presents

May 2023

DO’S AND DON’TS

On Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s website, there is a list of important actions to take or avoid during turtle nesting season.

“When you’re done (at the beach), take everything with you and leave the beach better than you found it,” Macksey said. “Leave fewer holes and less trash. The turtles can use (the beach) at night, and then we can come back in the morning and spend time at the beach again.”

n DO stay away from sea turtle nests marked with yellow stakes and tape

n DO remain quiet and observe from a distance if you encounter a nesting sea turtle or hatchlings

n DO shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach from May through October

n DO close drapes after dark and stack beach furniture at the dune line or ideally remove it from the beach

n DO fill in holes that may entrap

residents and visitors alike to flip a switch and make a move, two slogans they have adopted and continue to use to educate others.

“‘Flip a switch’ is to keep (the beach) dark,” Cyndi Seamon, vice president of Longboat Key Turtle Watch said. “‘Make a move’ is to keep the beach nice and clean and have nothing left out overnight.”

TOWN-ENFORCED RULES

The town sent a press release April 21 to remind residents and visitors of things to keep in mind when visiting the barrier island’s beaches during turtle nesting season. Already in place are code requirements for beachfront properties and properties whose lights can be seen from the beach.

“The requirements address the adverse effects of artificial light, which can distract sea turtles from making their way into the Gulf, and obstructions or other hazards that can cause injury or disruptions to marine turtles nesting and hatch-

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hatchlings on their way to the water

n DON’T approach nesting turtles or hatchlings, make noise or shine lights at turtles

down to sunup. Turtle-friendly bulbs and fixtures are widely available and can provide lighting that does not distract sea turtles. Remove any beach items such as chairs, umbrellas, tents and toys and recreational equipment including paddleboards, kayaks and flotation devices from the beach each day.

Turtle protection regulations are among the most frequent code violations seen in the town. Violators are issued a citation upon notice of the violation rather than going through the typical code enforcement process.

By age 60, half of all men will have an enlarged prostate. And out of every 100 men, about 13 will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. But with time also comes progress. During this free lecture series, hear directly from the urologic surgeons at Sarasota Memorial about how the latest treatments and the newest technologies are changing the outlook for patients everywhere. A brief Q&A will follow each presentation.

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Dr. Robert I. Carey

Dr. Ramsay L. Kuo

Dr. Daniel Kaplon

Artificial light disorientation calls to Mote Marine Aquarium and Laboratory spiked during the 2022 turtle nesting season.

“Turn off lights, pull the shades closed, shield lights to make them turtle friendly, whatever you need to do to help keep those beaches dark.”

Sea

Turtle Conservation Manager Melissa Macksey

LONGBOAT

Garage meets town codes

In time, we won’t even notice Unicorp’s proposed garage.

Two years ago, when the town discovered Unicorp’s plans contained too many parking spaces for the condominium units and not enough for the hotel, Whittall proposed parking lifts, thinking then they would suffice and solve the shortage of hotel spaces.

But as time has passed, Whittall’s analysis has changed. “We realized we didn’t have enough (parking) if you looked at (the hotel and condos) independently,” Whittall said at the planning board meeting.

Parkinggarageroofdeck

“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.”

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This is how it typically goes: Whenever a developer goes back to the city midway through the construction of his approved (but contested) project, neighbors and observers raise their eyebrows and go: “Here we go — the bait and switch, the con man’s flim-flam. We knew it.”

A lot of that talk is going around Longboat’s Bay Isles residential neighborhoods after Chuck Whittall’s Unicorp National Developments Inc. submitted an application early this month to change its St. Regis development. Unicorp wants to replace a 38-space surface parking lot with a free-standing, two-deck, 156-car parking garage in the northeast corner of the St. Regis Hotel and Residences site. The first stand-alone parking garage on Longboat Key.

Longboat’s Planning and Zoning Board approved the application last week in a 5-2 vote. That came after public comments were decidedly against the garage.

No surprise there.

Nor was it surprising to hear residents essentially make the claim of bait-and-switch, pretty much accusing Whittall of conspiring from the beginning not to include the parking garage in his original application because it would have jeopardized approval of the whole project in 2021.

We’re not going to be that cynical. Whittall, who is also a parttime Longboat resident, has worked amicably with the town throughout five years of negotiating the development’s design details. The two sides have had honest, compromising negotiations.

What’s more, how soon we forget.

More specifically, the town’s planning staff laid out Whittall’s rationale in its documents describing the proposal: “As construction plans for building permits were being prepared, it became clear that a free-standing parking structure would be more efficient, easier to use by valet drivers, less expensive to construct than the mechanical lift system and would provide more parking for special events at the hotel.”

So Unicorp requested what we all call “a change order.”

Surely most Longboaters know about change orders, having built or remodeled their homes and condos at some point. They happen all the time. Not because you’re scheming against your contractor but because you change your mind or need to adjust to the circumstances.

Look at Unicorp’s request that way. And in the grand scheme of the $1 billion development, while significant, the two-deck parking garage is neither outrageous nor egregious. Here’s the key point: According to the town’s planning staff, the proposed garage is a development departure that fits within all of the town’s codes.

We encourage you to read Unicorp’s application and the town staff’s responses (files.longboatkey. org). Here is a sampling of the planning staff’s evaluation:

n Density: No changes are proposed in the 2023 plan.

n Lot coverage: The lot coverage provided in the 2021 plan and the 2023 plan is below the 40% maximum coverage.

n Open space: (O)pen space provided will exceed the amount required by 56,772.6 square feet.

n Recreation space ratio: Required: 80,678.7 square feet. Provided: 101,944.6 square feet, a 2.7% increase.

n Side setbacks: No changes.

n Parking: 2021 plan: 468 spaces; 2023 plan: 520 spaces

n Maximum seating and valet parking for special events: No

change is proposed.

Gulf of Mexico Drive

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n Valet parking for special events: Ordinance 2021-12 limits attendees at special events in the ballroom to a maximum of 425 people at one time. No change is proposed. With the new parking structure, the 2023 plan will provide 115 more parking spaces than required by code.

n Minimum street yard: The new garage must be set back a distance of at least 54.75 feet (27.375 x 2) … The face of the new garage is set back 54.76 feet from the closest point of Gulf of Mexico Drive to the garage. Therefore, the new garage complies with the required setback.

n Maximum length of building: The new garage conforms to the required 30-degree angle.

n Floor area ratio: No change is proposed.

n Landscape plan: The width of the garage tapers down along the north side adjacent to the Aquarius property. Therefore, the new garage will have very little visual or noise impact on its closest neighbor to the north … (T)he façade of the

new garage facing Gulf of Mexico drive will be covered in dense landscaping, Juliette balconies and planter boxes for 91% of the façade. Because the garage is only 27.375 feet tall and sits in front of a five-story over parking hotel tower, the new garage will have very little visual impact on drivers or pedestrians along Gulf of Mexico Drive.

While many Bay Isles residents whose homes are across the street from the St. Regis bristle over the parking garage setting a precedent for future garages and being an eyesore, it reminds us of the fuss over CVS and Publix. Look how well they are camouflaged. You can bet Whittall will do even better.

What’s more, we agree with the town planning staff’s conclusion:

“The development will be a beautiful neighbor to surrounding properties and will increase property values for neighbors and the town of Longboat Key community at large.”

Approve it. In time, we won’t even know it’s there.

Buy a Bud Light and toast the distributors

The following first appeared April 20 on YourObserver.com

If you talk to John Saputo, owner of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, the Sarasota-Manatee region’s distributor of AnheuserBusch beers, the past two weeks have been the worst in his 50 years in the business.

All because of a marketing vice president who did what so many other corporate hotshots do: follow the crowd, like a sheep jumping off a cliff with all the others.

By now, no doubt, you’re familiar with the uproar that occurred after Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light brand sponsored during March Madness an Instagram post on the account of Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender media limelight seeker.

After Bud Light consumers who do not embrace transgenderism saw the post as it went viral, they literally trashed Bud Light, many of them vowing to boycott the brand and never drink another AnheuserBusch product again.

ABInBev’s stock lost $3.3 billion in market value in a day once the news spread, with its stock dropping from $65.11 a share to $63.43. And as of Friday, April 21, the stock had fallen to $59.67 — a loss of $9.2 billion in market value.

Two weeks in, the high-profile controversy continued.

Saputo said more than 400 Anheuser-Busch distributors were to meet last week with the CEO Brendan Whitworth to talk about

the company’s marketing and response to the controversy.

This was after Saputo spent the previous weeks incessantly fielding phone calls and emails from angry Anheuser-Busch loyalists berating the company and everyone associated with it. By Monday of last week, Saputo was exasperated, exhausted and frustrated — that the incident occurred; by the media coverage; and by the corporate response. That’s what happens when you have no control over the events; it drives you nuts.

In time, the smoke from this bomb will blow over, to be remembered in the future as an all-time, infamous marketing catastrophe. It’s one of those “What were they thinking?” moments.

The marketing VP who directed the partnership was yet another woke, sheep-like millennial joining the other corporate sheep kowtowing to the latest cultural agitators and alleged victims who have garnered the sheep-media spotlight.

Alissa Heinerscheid, the Anheuser-Busch vice president of marketing apparently responsible for the uproar, told a podcast that her job was to transform Bud Light and make it more inclusive.

More inclusive? By jumping on the trans train?

But at what price and what consequences?

A UCLA study estimates 1.6 million Americans identify as transgender, while there are about 240 million Americans 18 and older —

old enough to drink beer.

So those figures beg the question: If trans people comprise 0.6% of the beer-age population, and if the first principle of ABInBev’s 10 principles is “We dream big. We are building a profitable, growth company,” why would any smart marketing executive think that trying to appeal to 0.6% of the population would move the needle toward being a “growth company”? And why run the obvious risk of offending the millions of Americans who, more than likely, are not on board with the trans movement?

Is this what they teach in the marketing classes at Harvard, Heinerscheid’s alma mater?

She obviously didn’t think through the possible repercussions, in particular how her decision might play in places like Sarasota and Bradenton and among the other 400 AB distributors around the U.S.

These are mostly family owned businesses that have deep roots in their communities — sponsoring hundreds of All-American community and civic events year after year with free beer, marketing campaigns and other charitable contributions. Last weekend, for instance, Gold Coast provided beer at a dozen charitable events.

Fact is, these distributors don’t deserve to be punished for some colossal gaffe made in the marketing department bubble in New York City.

So if you’re one of the Anheuser-

Busch beer drinkers who was totally offended by the Mulvaney fiasco, apply some perspective: Yes, it was a stupid move. Yes, the AnheuserBusch CEO should have taken responsibility and admitted it was a stupid move that they didn’t think through.

And think of the whole thing as a “one-off” incident. (We hope.)

A key characteristic of American values is we give people a second chance. Go buy a Bud Light, and make a toast to the 400 AB distributors who are great corporate citizens and American patriots.

—MW

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MATT WALSH

Renderings of the proposed St. Regis parking garage and landscaping screening.

Are we keeping Longboat, Longboat?

Now that the town Planning and Zoning Board has approved the very first multilevel parking garage on our pristine island of Longboat Key, directly across the street from a multimillion dollar single-family neighborhood, it is time for all island residents to get involved and ask the Town Commission to revisit the town’s mission statement to “Keep Longboat, Longboat!” and deny the St. Regis multilevel parking garage permit application.

As a sympathetic, old, retired CEO of Universal Orlando Resort and other theme park resort developments, this is just plain wrong from a process, operational and harmonious land-use standpoint.

First, nothing significant or material has changed from the long ago approved St. Regis project and business plan. So why this drastic solution to a perceived new problem? Answer: The original resort application would not have been approved with this additional parking and a multilevel parking garage right on GMD directly across from South Bay Isles. It is simply “another bite at the apple.” Yes, there was a minor permit mistake in the allocation of 60 some cars from one side of the development to the other, but why the request for incremental parking and a multilevel parking garage only 57 feet from GMD, again, across from a residential neighborhood? (Incidentally, the upper portion of cars on the top floor will be visible from adjacent properties and the proposed garage landscape screening will not be really effective for many years, if ever.)

Yes, the originally permitted use of some electric lifts for valet car stacking could possibly slow valet service, which can easily be resolved with more dedicated valets to that specific operation. Why should a solvable operational problem be a Longboat Key resident aesthetic problem?

Why not get some St. Regis real world operating experience before trying to fix some perceived

problem with a drastic and unnecessary solution? A good plan has already been approved and is well along in construction.

In addition and pivotal, it is inarguable that allowing the first commercial multilevel parking garage to be constructed on our island is precedent-setting. This newly proposed parking structure, in addition to the already approved building mass of the St. Regis project, is striking compared to the Colony Resort, a shock to many. More building mass should not be allowed on this already visually crowded site. Clearly, this proposed parking structure is not in keeping with the town of Longboat Key’s inalterable mission statement to “Keep Longboat, Longboat.”

This is job No. 1 for our elected Town Commission. Yes, the St. Regis Resort will be a real asset to our community and hats off to Chuck Whitall and Unicorp, the developers, for their tireless efforts on this complex improvement project and their efforts to mitigate neighbor resident concerns. We hope that approach continues.

In closing, please, everyone, write town commissioners and make your voices heard before and at the May 1 Town Commission meeting. We do not need or want a multilevel parking garage on Longboat Key ... anywhere.

To our commissioners and P&Z, thank you for your service to our beautiful community.

BOB GAULT LONGBOAT KEY

It’s more than a timing issue

I am a 30-year condo owner and four-year resident on Longboat.

After spending the entire day at the Planning and Zoning Board meeting April 18 regarding a proposed parking garage at the St. Regis, I felt compelled to share my concerns. After processing the St. Regis applicant’s presentation, I have two points to make.

First, the applicant shared that the existing plan allows for tem-

gigi SILVERBERG

porary overflow parking on the outdoor event area. This minimizes the need for the additional 50 new parking spaces proposed for the new parking garage.

Second, the applicant demonstrated a significant concern over a timing issue. He said it takes a valet 7.5 minutes to retrieve a car from a lift and return it to the owner. Whereas, if a valet retrieves a car from the parking garage, it takes four minutes to return a car to the owner. My conclusion here is that the 3.5 minutes shaved off the time it takes a valet to retrieve a car is more important than the concerns of the residents of Longboat Key and those who voiced their concerns at the meeting. This is very disappointing. I was under the impression that the Planning and Zoning Board looked out for the interests of the town and its residents. It seems that I was sadly mistaken.

In addition, a parking structure is not consistent with the aesthetic standards I have observed on Longboat Key over the past 30 years. This also sets a precedent for future construction. I would sincerely appreciate the Longboat Key commissioners’ thoughtful consideration regarding the construction of a parking garage in our beautiful town.

JACKIE MICHAELIDES

KEY

LONGBOAT

Elephant on the island

We think the St. Regis will be an amazing place and a big plus for our beloved Longboat Key, but we are shocked at the possibility of town government approving a three-story parking garage right on Gulf of Mexico Drive anywhere on the island for any reason. I think we can all agree that it is not in keeping with the charm that is literally everywhere on LBK, differentiating us from other islands. We believe that ownership knew they were going to want this garage from the beginning but knew that if it were part of the original proposal it would have been vetoed.

We hope this garage is shutdown because we believe it is aesthetically wrong. There are other ways to accommodate the needed parking. Please do not allow this precedent-setting, three-story garage to be built.

TODD AND LIBBY RIEKE LONGBOAT KEY

We should encourage Hillsdale’s curriculum

I had to laugh at Lisa Schurr’s “My View” opinion in the April 20 Observer. The title says it all: “Hillsdale dogma should not dominate schools.” An addendum to that should read: “But my dogma should dominate schools.” After all, that’s what she’s saying.

As a proud financial contributor to Hillsdale College and recipient of its monthly periodical, “Imprimis,” I can attest that Schurr has no knowledge of Hillsdale’s philosophy of education, promoting America and freedom of the individual. I guess if you don’t proselytize CRT and the “1619 Project” as fact, then you aren’t teaching our school children the truth about America. Nonsense.

America was very much founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs as a governing way of life and was defended by our Founders with all of their properties, wealth and lives pledged before, during and after the American Revolution toward freedom from British oppression.

Power is never given: It is taken. And take we did.

Given the three precepts presented at the beginning of Schurr’s article, it’s obvious she doesn’t have a clue about protecting the children from unionized teachers and administrators gone astray. “Modern, scientific and fact-based standards for educational curriculum” means what exactly? Brainwashing young children to reject their bodies as born; pushing reading materials way beyond their young minds’ comprehension; rejecting America as the savior of the world during two world wars and countless

incidences of aggression against us and our allies?

Let’s talk about teacher unions. By definition, unions are nothing but legalized price-fixing organizations, which if manifested by businesses colluding among each other in pricing, would be subject to federal legal action and fines. But who cares? They exist for the benefit of the children! More nonsense.

The question looms large: Who is looking after the interests of the consumer, the children? It wasn’t until the massive shutdown of this great country by the Democrats during the pandemic and the consequential home schooling that parents were exposed to the selfserving, philosophically repugnant curriculum of current teaching doctrine. “Hey, let’s teach masturbation to kindergartners; develop new sexes; invent new pronouns; reject all that is taught at the freedom loving and proud American institution of greater learning, Hillsdale College, which receives no government funding of any kind from any governments.

Parents rebelled and were consequently labeled as “domestic terrorists” by the Department of Justice for the act of protecting their children from teacher tyranny — a lesson learned from the Soviet Union about the destruction of the nuclear family.

Hillsdale College offers many online classes provided by worldclass instructors, such as Victor Davis Hanson of Stanford’s Hoover Institution and a great many others too numerous to mention. That is the direction our school children should be encouraged to follow: freedom of the individual to explore, to learn, to question and to challenge.

May America never succumb to the death wished by Schurr and her misstated “health and well-being of all students” when the health and well-being are narrowly defined by her dogmas. Open discussion and inquiry rule but not in her world.

America the great. The proven savior of the free world. Live on!

MILAN V. ADRIAN LONGBOAT KEY

Climate awards celebrate the impact of individuals

Sarasota-based Climate Adaptation Center’s Champions Award Ceremony showcased locals’ efforts to drive climate action.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

From the wrath of Hurricane Ian, to flooding in Fort Lauderdale on April 12, severe weather events induced and intensified by climate change are experienced by many Floridians, said Robert Bunting, CEO and chair of the Climate Adaptation Center.

Yet many individuals don’t know what they can do to address climate change, he said.

He hopes the center’s 2023 Climate Champions Award Ceremony will offer the public an example. The inaugural event was held on April 18 at Michael’s On East.

The CAC itself started off with a simple idea, after Longboat Key Realtor Janet Walter introduced community activist and philanthropist Elizabeth Moore to Bunting.

The two sat down for wine at Art Ovation Hotel, where Bunting told her something he’d been thinking about. Moore knew immediately she wanted to be involved with the orga-

nization, for which she now serves as director, and which she said is the only Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the climate and its impact.

The organization’s continual growth, which Bunting said has resulted in 4,000 readers of its newsletter and its events always selling out, eventually led it to hold the ceremony recognizing the efforts of the wider community.

Honorees included Charles Reith of Sarasota Urban Reforesters; Bill Waddill, chief operating officer of Bay Park Conservancy; Ed Chiles, founding board member of All Clams on Deck; Jennifer and David Shafer of the Science and Environment Council; and Jon Thaxton, senior vice president for community leadership at Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

“The times are changing,” Thaxton said. “The question of climate change and sea level rise has been put to rest, and I think people are now acknowledging the need to take action.”

“We are all part of the climate system,” Moore said. “What we do impacts the climate, and the climate impacts all of us in its turn.”

Also in attendance were city of Sarasota commissioners Jen AhearnKoch and Erik Arroyo and Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton, Director of Support Services Carolyn Brown, and Commissioner B.J. Bishop.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS SPANNING

A RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTS

Bunting said programs like the awards are a crucial first step to recognizing good work in the community, educating and inspiring others in turn.

“I am flattered to be considered,” said Ed Chiles of All Clams on Deck, who is also known for his ownership of local restaurants including Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key. “It’s great to be recognized. I’m inspired by the leadership in this room.”

The accomplishments of honorees involved a range of initiatives in the local area.

Charles Reith accepted the award of Sarasota Urban Reforesters, which is responsible for numerous micro-

LIST OF HONOREES

n Ed Chiles: Founding board member of All Clams on Deck

n Bill Waddill: Chief operating officer of the Bay Park Conservancy

n Charles Reith: Sarasota Urban Reforesters

n Jennifer and David Shafer: Executive directors of Science and Environment Council

n Jon Thaxton: Senior vice president for community leadership at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation

forests on small parcels of undeveloped land. Reith said these systems divert excess water, prevent excess nutrients from reaching the bay, cool the surrounding area and restore habitats.

Jennifer Compton, secretary of the board at the Bay Park Conservancy, accepted an award on behalf of Chief Operating Officer Bill Waddill.

Waddill, who has more than 36 years of experience as a planner and landscape architect, said in a video statement that when teams designed

The Bay Park, which opened in 2022, they created the roughly 10-foothigh surrounding pathway to separate lower areas to the west — which are equipped to deal with flooding due to features including the choice of plants — and the higher ground to the east.

“I think the ability to leverage the public and private sector and partner together to do something like this is really a model for the future,” he said in the video.

Chiles said that he had become increasingly concerned about the environment and involved in environmental causes over his 45 years in the area, establishing All Clams on Deck after the 2021 crisis at Piney Point in Manatee County.

The organization helps restore seagrass and high-density clam sites to improve water quality and promote economic growth.

Although Jennifer and David Shafer, executive directors of the Science and Environment Council, were unable to attend, the award was personally delivered by Moore and Bunting. The pair have been involved in leadership, education and strategic planning roles for various community organizations, and currently are working with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program on a climate adaptation plan.

Thaxton, who has participated in panel discussions and been a local advocate for resilience strategies, said among his roles was a project replacing 53 acres of hardened shoreline on Sarasota’s bayfront with a soft shoreline he said would allow habitats to migrate as sea levels rise, with the project also moving structures and adding filtering mechanisms for waters entering the bay.

“It’s not about me. It’s not about any of these other award recipients. They will all tell you it’s about the work. It’s progressing the mission of protecting our natural environment, and if that means we have to get on stage and accept an award, then that’s the price we pay.”

Photos by Ian Swaby

Elizabeth Moore, Robert Bunting, Jon Thaxton, Jennifer Compton, Amy Grossman, Ed Chiles and Charles Reith.

Elizabeth Moore, director of the Climate Adaptation Center, presents an award to Ed Chiles, founding board member of All Clams on Deck.

Local postal worker arrested for fraud and money laundering

products purchased, but they were never received. They also reported the checks had been deposited into unknown accounts.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Sarasota Police investigators are warning citizens and businesses they may be victims of fraud following the arrest of a U.S. Postal Service employee.

Anabel Ossombi, 27, of Bradenton, has been arrested and is facing several felony charges, including criminal use of personal identification, scheming to defraud more than $70,000 and money laundering.

Ossombi has been employed by the USPS since May 2022 as a mail sorter. She was taken into custody on April 19 at the post office on Beneva Road.

Sarasota Police detectives and the USPS Office of Inspector General began a check fraud investigation in January after two victims said two customer checks were not received. The victims told detectives the businesses mailed checks as payment for

Detectives obtained and submitted certified subpoenas for bank records to begin their investigation, finding that 75 checks totaling $70,109.28 were fraudulently deposited, including approximately 60 victim complaints.

Detectives believe the crimes occurred between May 2022 and April 2023.

During the investigation, managers or accountants of 13 companies said checks were fraudulently deposited into Ossombi’s account. All 13 said they mailed checks through USPS, which were either picked up by a carrier or dropped off at one of three locations in Sarasota. Detectives confirmed Ossombi worked at all three locations during her employment.

Detectives believe there may be more victims in this case. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Jessica Sullivan at 941-263-6076 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online at SarasotaCrimeStoppers. com.

At least 60 businesses were victims of stolen mailed checks amounting to more than $70,000.

SATURDAY, APRIL 15 HERE IN CASE

3:50 a.m., 500 block of Bayport Way

Fire assist: An officer was dispatched to the scene of a power line reportedly arcing and producing a small flame. Upon arrival, the fire department was already on the scene and police were advised Florida Power and Light had been made aware of the issue.

NEEDED A PUSH

9:24 p.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic hazard: While on patrol, the officer noticed a vehicle that had died while pulling onto Gulf of Mexico Drive, blocking parts of traffic. After speaking with the driver, the officer helped push the vehicle into the grassy shoulder off the roadway. A tow truck was already en route.

ALREADY HANDLED

5:55 p.m., Greer Island Citizen dispute: An officer was dispatched to the area after reports of a past disturbance. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the caller via phone, as she and her family had already left the area. She stated that while attempting to pull up to the beach on her boat, another boat began telling her she was too close and requested more space. After speaking with each other more, the caller and her family opted to leave the area.

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

SUN’S OUT BUNS OUT?

11:34 a.m., 4400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: An officer was dispatched to the area following a report of a male riding a bicycle wearing a jockstrap. Upon arrival, the officer did see the male in question, who appeared to be covered and not exposing himself. Another officer confirmed the observation.

MONDAY, APRIL 17

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

11:42 p.m., 5300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Unsecure premises: While conducting business checks at retail shops, an officer noticed one of the business doors was unlocked. Fortunately, another business had extra keys to the shops. With the help of the officer, staff of a restaurant helped check inside the business. Nothing appeared out of order. The doors were locked, and the owner was contacted.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18

AVOIDING A SCAM

9:03 a.m., Longboat Key Police Department

Suspicious incident: A resident came to the station after he received suspicious mail stating he needed to send money and provide personal information or his property would be seized by the government. Police were shown the mail and further confirmed it was fake. The resident said he had not sent any money or provided information and officers further iterated that was the correct response.

NOT AN EMERGENCY

11:38 a.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Fire assist: An officer was dispatched after reports of a vessel fire in the Gulf. The officer observed black smoke coming from the vessel in question. However, the Longboat Key Fire Department said it was a fishing boat and was not in need of emergency services. The smoke was coming from the exhaust of the boat.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

LATE NIGHT UPDATES

4:13 a.m., 200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: An officer noticed a suspicious vehicle parked behind a restaurant. Shortly after, the driver came out of the restaurant and told the officer he had been doing handiwork in the evenings to avoid being in the way during regular business hours.

LEAVE ROOM FOR BIKERS

1:30 p.m., 6500 Gulf of Mexico

Drive

Traffic hazard: A landscaping vehicle encroaching on a bike lane warranted a call to the police. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the driver and instructed them to move the vehicle out of the lane.

NOT A CRIME

2:30 p.m., 5900 block of Emerald Harbor Drive

Noise complaints from land: Police were sent to the address from reports of a loud generator. However, the only sound noted was regular construction noise, which was allowed at the time.

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

LEFT THE SCENE

10:01 p.m., Gulf of Mexico Drive and North Shore Road

Citizen dispute: Police were dispatched to a disturbance on Longboat Bridge. The caller stated three individuals were throwing fishing rods at him and he had sustained no injuries. Bradenton Beach Police were already on the scene. The other department stated that the caller was not in the area when they arrived. Longboat Police searched the area for the caller and called the listed number with no success.

So,

need is greatest.

Thank you for your generosity. Have a wonderful

Teachers are the unsung heroes of our community, inspiring and uplifting future generations with their dedication and passion.

We are grateful for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to shaping young minds.

The community celebrates and appreciates teachers.

Appreciation Week | May 1-5

Longboat artists bring color and beauty to Town Hall

The town’s 7th Annual Artists’ Reception is the largest yet.

SIDRA WALI CONTRIBUTOR

Art has the power not only to inspire but also to transform perceptions of the world around us. It explores new perspectives one may not even hold yet.

Thirteen local artists gathered at the town of Longboat Key’s seventh annual Art Exhibit and Artists’ Reception on April 18. They showcased their self-expression and skills, whether that was through the use of a paintbrush or a pencil. Some of the local artists, united by the craft, shared how art shaped their perspectives.

Joni Ross, local artist, started her artistic journey during COVID-19. Ross focuses on forces and energy in her artwork capturing movement.

“I’ve never done it before, and one thing led to another, and from there it evolved,” said Ross.

Lynn Wellings’ journey started after she retired as a real estate developer 18 years ago.

“I’ve always wanted to paint ever since I was a child, but life got in the way,” said Wellings.

Wellings studied with top landscape artists focusing on en plein air, which is the act of painting outdoors.

“My easel flew into the river in Connecticut while painting outdoors,” said Wellings.

Judy Herman has been painting for four years on anything from large canvases to clothing.

“Miss (Pat) Lundy, one of the local artists, took me out to her patio and gave me a brush and canvas and told me to play. That’s how I got started,” said Herman.

Madeline Wikler has been an artist for more than 30 years.

“I do watercolor portraits, although I’ve worked with other mediums,” said Wikler.

Michael Tendall majored in art in

college and owned her own business selling ceramic art.

“I fell into my second love, which is painting using acrylic. I paint landscapes, skyscapes and seascapes, and I’ve been doing that for 10 years,” said Tendall.

Mary McGrath has been creating art all her life, and Barbara Jendrysik has exhibited her art in every town hall exhibit.

“I also illustrate books, too,” said Jendrysik, holding a copy of “A Story of the Pelican Man” by Nell Rude.

Susan Phillips has been organizing the art exhibit events for 20 years, working with more than 113 artists and showcasing 1,605 individual pieces at town hall. The exhibits change every three months.

“This has been one of the joyous parts of my job. This was the best turnout ever, and the reason I do it is because these are amazing artists that live right here in the community.

We give them a place to show their amazing work and sell their work at no cost or fee,” said Phillips.

Please join us for worship in person on Sunday at 10 a.m. or online at our website and Facebook Live Stream at 10 a.m.

Follow us on Facebook • www.longboatislandchapel.org

Wednesday Bible Study 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Lord’s Warehouse hours are 9:00 - 12:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays

C

In these tumultuous times give yourself and your friends, relatives, and neighbors this opportunity to appreciate all that we have through the power of prayer.

You are invited to join us in worship, song & friendship at Shabbat services every Friday evening at 5:30 pm and Saturdays at 10 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

Marie Therese Lacroix and Linda Italiano, artists, with Susan Phillips, center.

Lynn Armstrong Coffin, artist, stands by her artwork in which she combined ink and acrylic.

Photos by Sidra Wali Joni Ross, local artist, stands by her collages at the town of Longboat Key’s art exhibit on April 18.

Cheryl Taub, local artist, has a master’s in art education and has been creating art all her life.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

FAIRWAY BAY WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB

The women’s book club started in 2000, although informal meetings started in the ’90s with more than 25 active members.

The club meets on the last Monday of each month at 4 p.m. at the clubhouse starting in November and ending in April.

“My email list for the number of members we have is over 60 people long,” said Claire Leininger, organizer of the book club since 2016. “To pick the books, we try to get suggestions throughout the year, and if someone wants to volunteer to lead the discussion, they can.”

Leininger explained members try to read literary fiction, nonfiction, historical fiction and anything that sounds interesting.

Keeping the written word alive

Four Longboat Key book clubs share their passion for reading.

From the moment readers turn the first page of a good book, they’re transported through time and to a different world where characters feel like familiar friends.

The words on the page come to life.

Book clubs at the Longboat Library, Fairway Bay and Temple Beth Israel want to preserve those many printed lives and share their love for reading.

With each meeting, the desire for community meets a passion for the written word. Here is a peek inside their clubs.

LONGBOAT KEY LIBRARY

The book club at the library started in the early 2000s and is finishing its 17th year. The group’s season starts in November and goes through April.

The club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at the library and currently has 17 members.

“I worked at this library as a volunteer, and one of our members asked if we had a book club. We didn’t, and we thought we’d put a sign up trying to see if anyone was interested,” said Pat Geraci, chair of the book club.

Geraci explained that she gets suggestions from club members about what books to read.

“They’ll send me titles of what to read, and I’ve even gotten three pages’ worth of books they would like to read,” said Geraci.

Once the votes come in on what six books to read, Geraci asks members if they want to lead the discussion on any of the books.

The last book they read was “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell” by

Robert Dugoni. The story of Sam Hell, who was born with ocular albinism — a condition that reduced the pigmentation in the eye — recounts 40 years of his life battling bullying, navigating friendships and dealing with the pain of a tragedy’s aftermath.

“It created such an interesting discussion about school and online bullying as how his mother handled it,” said Geraci. “Anyone can join our book club. It’s open to the whole community and we read fiction and nonfiction. I think it’s important to have something like this because you get to hear different viewpoints and experiences about the books whether they liked them or not. It can be very lively.”

To sign up, contact the Longboat Key Library at 383-2011.

TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL’S BOOK CLUB

The book club has been gathering for several years with 14 active members. It runs from November through April, with a meeting in May to discuss books outside the book club.

“We meet at the temple library on the second Monday at 12:30 p.m. with our lunches and the discussion starts at 1 p.m.” said Tena Tessler, co-chair of the book club.

During the year, Tessler takes suggestions from the Jewish Federation in Chicago and meets with Judy Posner, co-chair, to discuss the pros, cons and length of each book.

“This year I sent out a list of 12 books that we picked and asked the members to vote on six of them,” said Tessler.

One of the books on their list for this year was “My Father’s Paradise” by Ariel Sabar.

It centers around a man’s search for his family’s past after having his own son.

“If it’s a book we enjoy, we’ll go with it,” said Leininger.

One of the books to make it on the list was “A Gentleman In Moscow” by Amor Towles. The story revolves around a count who is sentenced to house arrest in a hotel across from the Kremlin in Moscow. The new Bolshevik regime has stripped the count of his wealth.

“A former professor of Russian literature led the book club that month, and it was such a fantastic one,” said Leininger. “It has been a fantastic way of meeting new people, and it’s been a big part of my life. It’s a way to bring the community closer, which is what it’s all about.”

The book club started four years ago and meets on the third Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. from November until April.

“We meet at the clubhouse, and each year we send out a ballot where we ask members to nominate two books they recommend. Based on the nomination, we send out ballots to vote for ones they’d like to read and ones they’d like to lead the discussions for,” said Phil Lieberman, the book club’s leader.

The men’s book club currently has 21 members who enjoy reading nonfiction.

“This year we had four fiction books and two nonfiction but we typically read a lot of nonfiction,” said Lieberman.

The book club members’ read this month is called “Plagues and Peoples” by William H. McNeill.

“It’s a great opportunity for men to get together to discuss books they have liked as well as learn about other members. It’s a very enjoyable interaction,” said Lieberman.

FAIRWAY BAY MEN’S BOOK CLUB

The Fairway Bay Women’s Book Club started meeting in the ’90s but was officially formed in 2000.

Courtesy photo

Gathering for our planet

SIDRA WALI CONTRIBUTOR

Bananas are berries and strawberries are not.

Palm trees are a type of grass.

These are just some of the facts that visitors learned at the Third Annual Nature Talks and Walks for Earth Day event at Longboat Island Chapel on April 22. There were several exhibitors and bay walks at the Friendship Garden followed by an afternoon panel discussion of environmental and public health sustainability.

“The Longboat Island Chapel and Rotary Club of Longboat Key sponsored the event, and I organized the panel. This was an environmental summit to highlight remarkable institutions and organizations here,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Driver, organizer and president of the Rotary Club.

“This event has created synergy around the dialogue in raising funds to target resources for educational outreach.”

People mingled and stopped at various exhibits to learn about local organizations committed to helping the community and environment. Among them were the Longboat Key Garden Club, Rotary Club of Longboat Key, Manatee County’s Clerk Department of Historical Resources, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Sarasota Bay Watch, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Save our Seabirds and Longboat Key Turtle Watch.

“This event was created three years ago to share our beautiful grounds with the community. We have five acres of land and a large Friendship Garden. We wanted people to go through it in a guided fashion and have an educational walk,” said Ingrid McClellan, member of the church and grounds chair.

Educational walks along the bay started at 11 a.m. and were held throughout the day. The walks were led by Ross Johnston, manager of visitor engagement at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

During the presentation, Johnston educated visitors about orchids, palm trees and the surprising behavior of mangroves.

“Mangroves are viviparous, which means they ‘birth’ live young, like most mammals. They produce young that are attached to themselves and the young will drop off when they

become ‘teenagers,’” said Johnston.

The presentation covered various fruits, and visitors gasped as they learned that all figs harbor wasps inside, technically preventing figs from being considered vegan.

As people followed the path around Friendship Garden, Save our Seabirds educated visitors about the importance of rescuing and saving injured birds.

“We get about 5,000 phone calls a year, and of those, 1,200 (birds) are rescued. If we don’t do this, there would be no one to help them,” said Heather Sellers, a volunteer rescuer.

As visitors made their way through the Friendship Garden, they learned about all the work Longboat Key Turtle Watch has done for more than 50 years.

“Sea turtles lay approximately 100 eggs, and the temperature of the sand determines the sex of the turtles. If the sand is cool, the hatchlings will be males; and if the sand is hot, the hatchlings will be females,” said Bridgette Clark, permitted volunteer.

Clark also pointed out that raccoons are a major problem for sea turtles because raccoons will listen for the noises the hatchlings make and try to eat them.

“What we are doing, from the chapel’s perspective, is educating the community on how to be the best stewards of God’s creation. What better way to do that than on Earth Day?” said McClellan.

‘Remarkable organizations’ share environmental knowledge at Longboat Island Chapel Earth Day.

Alison Albee and Richard Moore, board members, explain the mission of Suncoast Waterkeeper is to protect and restore Florida Suncoast waters for the benefit of all.

The Longboat Key Turtle Watch educated visitors about sea turtles and how the temperature of the sand determines the gender of the hatchlings.

Photos by Sidra Wali Save Our Seabirds educated visitors about the importance of rescuing injured birds.

MOONSHINE POINT

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.

Sunset Soirée breaks records

2023 Save Our Seabirds benefit exceeded previous attendance.

Bird-lovers gathered at the 10th Annual Sunset Soirée benefiting Save Our Seabirds on April 13 at Michael’s On East.

The event was originally scheduled at Michael’s on the Bay at Selby Gardens, but due to inclement weather, it had to be moved.

“My small but mighty committee of seven women pulled off a record-breaking event,” said Linda Mitchell, chair of the Sunset Soirée. “We exceeded previous attendance records by 100 people.”

Mitchell explained that Michael’s On East helped relocate the event from its original location to the restaurant venue in 48 hours.

“We ended up raising over half-a-million dollars, and I had a goal of 280 attendees, which we reached,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell explained that the funds will help start the process of converting 32 aviaries to new structures because they are now worn.

“We want to use aluminum

because the older ones are made of wood. I’d like to acquire the best bird habitats available,” said Mitchell.

Another area Mitchell would like to focus on is drawing plans to upgrade and expand the hospital, which is “the heart of the mission.”

The event entailed a silent and live auction, as well as a paddle raise.

“One couple that attended the

event offered to match dollar for dollar during the paddle raise. It was a high-energy group, and it broke records,” said Mitchell.

Aaron Virgin, CEO of Save Our Seabirds, explained that the group’s mission is to save, rescue and rehabilitate injured birds with the goal of releasing them back to their natural habitat.

— SIDRA WALI

Photos by Sidra Wali Mike and Beverly St. Hilaire

Janice and Dean Scarborough

Bill Mitchell, Bill Gordon, Maria Gordon and Andy Kinnecom

Chair Mary Lou Johnson, CEO Aaron Virgin and Judy Kozlowski

Danielle and Nick Gladding, Sherry Dominick and Cyndi Seamon

Sam Seager celebrates milestone at Longboat Key Club

The Friars and Seager’s children got together to mark his birthday.

Sam Seager, member of the Friars golf group, celebrated his 95th birthday and was awarded the Bill Flinter Memorial Award after a day of golf on Friday, April 21.

“It’s an award for the most outstanding Friars, which is handed out each year,” said Frank Sulzman, a Friars member. “It’s named after Bill Flinter, who was a member of the Friars that passed away a few years ago. His friend, Harold Seegmiller, wanted to immortalize Bill’s memory.”

Sulzman explained that everyone who has ever played golf with

Seager loved playing with him.

“He’s just a wonderful person, and everybody agreed that he was the great guy to get this award,” said Sulzman.

Although Seager’s official birthday is on May 1, his two daughters flew in from Illinois, and his son flew in from Massachusetts to attend the ceremony and celebrate his 95th birthday.

“He’s been playing golf since he was a kid and he was on the Harvard varsity golf team,” said Jo Ann Seager, Sam’s daughter.

The Friars golf group meets once a month on Fridays to have drinks and snacks after a game of golf, but this day was made special because of Seager, explained Sulzman.

— SIDRA WALI

Photos by Sidra Wali

Above: Frank Sulzman, Friars golf group member, presents Sam Seager with the Bill Flinter Memorial Award.

Left: Sam Seager, Liz Seager, Bert Seager, Jo Ann Seager and Frank Sulzman

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LONGBOAT KEY L’AMBIENCE $3,850,000

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LONGBOAT KEY BOATERS DREAM $2,495,000

Meticulous 4 BD/3 BA wide deep water canal with direct access to Sarasota Bay - no bridges! Great dock. 2 boat lifts. Private beach access directly across the street.

LONGBOAT KEY EMERALD HARBOR $3,100,000

Updated & meticulously maintained split-plan 4 BR/3 BA pool home on wide canal w/ direct Bay access. A boater’s dream w/new dock and 10,000lb boat lift. Deeded beach access.

LONGBOAT KEY DREAM ISLAND ROAD

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Your Dream House, lovely & tranquil on Dream Island Road. Completely remodeled updated home on lushly landscaped 1/2 acre. 100’ wide canal w/ great boat dock, open living & saltwater pool/spa.

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Positano condominium tops sales at $4.9 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Acondominium in Positano tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. James and Amy Merlino sold their Unit 305 condominium at 4975 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Mary Sigmon and Steven Sigmon, trustees, of West Hartford, Connecticut, for $4.9 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,122 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.1 million in 2017.

SLEEPY LAGOON

Ash Hale Properties LLC sold the home at 6541 Gulfside Road to 6500 Gulfside Road LLC for $4,075,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,164 square feet. It sold for $499,900 in 2022.

BAY ISLES

Marsha Katz Eisenberg, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 540 Harbor Gate Way to William Hadley and Janet Anderson, of Sarasota, for $3.6 million. Built in 1991, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,048 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.7 million in 2009.

COREY’S LANDING

Michael McNally and Sherry Gage McNally, of University Park, sold their home at 3580 Mistletoe Lane to Thomas Connaughton, trustee, of Englewood, for $3,414,300. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,333 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,575,000 in 2016.

JOHN RINGLING ESTATES

Lawrence and Barbara Shapiro, of Sarasota, sold their home at 140 S. Boulevard of the Presidents to Sarasota 516 LLC for $2.2 million. Built in 1951, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,052 square feet of living area. It sold for $39,000 in 1972.

GRAND BAY

Harry and Summer Friedlander sold their Unit 263 condominium at 3040 Grand Bay Blvd. to Jane Matson, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $2,195,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,369 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.2 million in 2018.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

APRIL 10-14

BIRD KEY

Barbara Patricia Stuart, trustee, of Ontario, Canada, sold the home at 606 Owl Way to Penelope and Christopher Benis, of Sarasota, for $2.1 million. Built in 1973, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,475 square feet of living area. It sold for $760,000 in 2013.

MARINA BAY

Helen Ferguson sold her Unit 142 condominium at 2410 Harbourside Drive to John David Hall Jr. and Glenda Cody Hall, of Knoxville, Tennessee, for $2.1 million. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,382 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.21 million in 2002.

LONGBOAT HARBOUR TOWERS

Jeffrey and Donna Naples, of Saybrook Connecticut, sold their Unit 807 condominium at 4401 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Christopher Klein and Megan Klein, trustees, for $1.35 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,314 square feet of living area. It sold for $165,000 in 1991.

HARBOUR OAKS II

Deena Delmoro sold the home at 2399 Harbour Oaks Drive to Chaitanya and Sheela Swarup, Sujata Swarup Donahue and John Donahue and Sanjeev Swarup, of Wexford, Pennsylvania, for $1.2 million. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,396

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of April 14-20 in order of dollar amount. LONGBOAT

square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2007.

SANDS POINT

Jascott Enterprises LLC sold the Unit 219 condominium at 100 Sands Point Road to Rely Ventures LLC for $1.15 million. Built in 1966, it has one bedroom, two baths and 1,492 square feet of living area. It sold for $987,400 in 2022.

PORTOBELLO Arlene Babik, of Bradenton, sold the Unit A-301 condominium at 3235 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Stephen and Linda Marie Barry, of Oradell, New Jersey, for $1.05 million. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,505 square feet of living area. It sold for $215,000 in 1997.

SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB

Margaret Richlin, of Columbia, Maryland, sold her Unit 72 condominium at 948 Spanish Drive S. to Steven Burmeister and Janet Burmeister, trustees, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for $1 million. Built

in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,399 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,005,000 in January.

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

Laurie Kimball, of Hancock, New Hampshire, sold her home at 1110 Bogey Lane to Ludmila Ozeruga, of Longboat Key, for $942,000. Built in 1967, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,614 square feet of living area. It sold for $120,000 in 1986.

WINDWARD BAY

Gary and Tambra Praznik, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 305 condominium at 4700 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Janice Van Dyck, of University Park, for $825,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,312 square feet of living area. It sold for $690,000 in 2021.

Courtesy of Steve Walter, Michael Saunders & Company

Unit 305 of Positano at 4975 Gulf of Mexico Drive sold for $4.9 million.

YOUR CALENDAR

BEST BET APRIL 27 GOODNIGHT AT THE AQUARIUM

From 5:30-6:15 p.m. Virtually visit the Mote Marine Lab and Aquarium after hours. This virtual tour is led by Mote’s knowledgable and passionate guides who are excited to share their love of the ocean as we say goodnight to fascinating sea creatures and learn about their habitats and behaviors. This event is recommended for elementary school and middle school students, librarians, parents, grandparents and family. Register online for this free, virtual event at Mote.org/Events/Details/Remake-Learning-Goodnight-AtThe-Aquarium

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 383-2011.

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 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. Call Nancy Rozance at 203-605-4066 or email Info@LongboatKeyRotary.org.

408 Jackson Dr | St. Armand's - LIDO KEY

3 bed + den, 3 bath | 2,344 sq.ft.

The Gem of all Jewels on St. Armands Circle!

The location makes this spacious home with a pool an exceptional opportunity for those who want to be minutes from St Armand's Circle, Lido Beach, and Main Street in the heart of the city. The residence has many modern updates and unique features that add to its overall appeal. The newer windows improve energy efficiency, and the high ceilings feel more open and airy. With its glass walls, the family room/office can be readily transformed into a fourth bedroom. Walk out to the garden, pool, and patio. Offered for $2,988,000

435 L’Ambiance Dr #H802 | LONGBOAT KEY

2 bed + den or 3 bed, 4 bath | 2,525 sq. ft.

Updated perfection is here, ready for enjoyment. Iconic luxury, 270 degrees of endless views. Welcome to L’Ambiance, Longboat Key’s spectacular residence defined by sophistication, casual elegance, and gracious living. Surrounded by gen tle breezes off the water, set as one of the most prestigious residences to live on Longboat Key. Endless amenities plus three guest suites. Legendary service, extraordinary Bay and Gulf of Mexico views. COMPLETELY UPDATED. Offered for $4,500,000

RITZ-CARLTON MANAGED THE BEACH RESIDENCES

1300 Benjamin Franklin Dr #601 | LIDO KEU

3 bed, 3.5 bath | 4,194 sq. ft. 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. Offered for $5,500,000

3 bed, 3.5 bath | 2,925 sq. ft.

Be prepared to be WOWED! Upon arrival home, you take your private elevator to your residence. Here you are hypnotized by the captivating views of the Sunrise, Bay, City, and the Longboat Key Mooring Marina. Every room has a sliding glass door with access to your wraparound terrace to enjoy Sarasota and her islands. Three bedrooms and three and a half baths await its new owner. This gated community includes 24 hr. security, clubhouse activities,heated swimming pools and spa, tennis courts, a library, a fitness center, and deeded beach access via Bay Isles Private Beach Club.

JUST

Offered for $2,750,000

ROSEWOOD RESIDENCES BANYAN BAY on the Bayside

PRE-CONSTRUCTION

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, 3335 to 4942 sq. ft.

Offered from $5.9 million

5260 Gulf of Mexico Drive 404 | LONGBOAT KEY 3 bed, 3 bath | 1,453 Sq Ft

Rarely on the market! This Gulf to Bay community is a pet-friendly (no weight limit), 44 residences only, that offers tennis courts, pool and day dock fishing pier.

Offered for $749,000

535 L'Ambiance L207 | LONGBOAT KEY

3 bed, 4 bath | 2,525 Sq Ft

Almost new within the gates of the exclusive Longboat Key Club. From sunrise to sunset, this residence offers an abundance of natural light and lovely views from the wrap around terrace.

Offered for $2,600,000

3030 Grand Bay Blvd #321 | LONGBOAT KEY

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH TIDES

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/contests. 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.

By Luis Campos

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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STATION IDENTIFICATION by Wendy L. Brandes and Hoang-Kim Vu, edited by Jeff Chen

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood |

Leighton Allenby captured this photo of a roseate spoonbill on Longboat Key.

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Advertise your business or service in the Observer RED PAGES

Advertise your business or service in the Observer RED PAGES

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing. Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable. Free estimates. 941-744-1020. 35+ years experience. SARASOTA INTERIOR PAINTING HIGH-END INTERIOR PAINTING WE ARE THE BEST!!! Fully Insured. CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398 POST YOUR AD WITH EASE YourObserver.com/RedPages

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ROGER SELLS LUXURY WATERFRONT PROPERTIES #1

SARASOTA SINGLE AGENT 2012 - 2022

This spectacular Siesta Key beach home is a one-of-a-kind experience! Directly overlooking the coastal landscape of the

Direct beachfront opportunities are a rarity on Siesta Key! This lovely beach home offers more than 100’ of water frontage and is waiting for you to add your custom touches, or move right in. The three leveled, nearly 4,000 SF of living space welcomes you with walls of glass, clean lines, cathedral ceilings, Olympic pool, and beach in the backyard. www.1172HorizonView.com

$6,995,000

Move right in and begin enjoying the panoramic, direct views of Sarasota Bay, Harbourside golf course, Moorings Marina, and downtown abounding throughout this lovely 3BR, corner residence. www.GrandBay346.com

$2,795,000

#316

Prepare to be enchanted by the stunning views that await at this luxurious 2,925 SF, 3BR Grand Bay residence. This exquisite condominium offers the ultimate in elegant single-family living.

www.GrandBay316.com

$2,495,000

You will love the convenience of immediately enjoying this well-maintained home, with its sunny and open interior, 3BR plus den layout, and many resort-style amenities that residents relish. www.173CiprianiWay.com

$599,000

3030 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD

3030 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #346

173 CIPRIANI WAY

1172 HORIZON VIEW DRIVE - TURTLE BEACH

7652 SANDERLING ROAD - SIESTA KEY