Longboat Observer 6.1.23

YOUR TOWN

Home sales slowing for summer

100 years and counting

Longboat Key resident and World War II veteran Richard Kanner celebrated his 100th birthday May 28.

In celebration of his 100 years of life, fellow residents at the Islander Club and friends surprised Kanner with cards commemorating the milestone in lieu of having a party.

“He was adamant about (not having a party),” said Linda Kanner, Richard’s wife. “That’s why I decided to invite people to send cards, which he loved.”

Friends have taken Richard and Linda out for meals to celebrate, and his family is coming into town from across the country this weekend. The couple has been married for 42 years, and Linda has only great things to say about her husband.

“He has a magnificent sense of humor,” she said. “He’s always making me laugh and other people laugh. He is very intellectual.”

Compassionate counties

If you’ve ever felt like folks on Longboat Key and in the Sarasota area were kinder and more generous than people in other places in Florida, well, as it turns out, you were right. And now there are numbers to back up that feeling.

A new study from SmartAsset places Sarasota County as the sixth-most generous county in Florida based on the percentage of net income that residents donate to charity.

Only Collier, Monroe, Martin, Palm Beach and Walton counties outranked Sarasota, according to the study.

To create its index of Most Charitable Places, SmartAsset used tax return information to calculate the net income for Florida’s counties then measured the number of individual tax returns showing charitable donations.

All that math only seems to confirm what many already knew. This place is pretty special indeed.

Courtesy photo Linda and Richard Kanner celebrated Richard’s 100th birthday May 28.

James Peter

Artist Maykel Medina, of Cape Coral, grew up with sea life surrounding him. He incorporates that motif into his artwork, which he showed at the St. Armands

Fine Art Festival on May 27-28.

Hazards on the job

Local firefighters learn about the profession’s elevated cancer risks.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

In the hopes of saving the lives of those that save others’ lives, the Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute is teaming up with local fire departments to spread the word on occupational hazards and ways to reduce exposure to hazardous and cancercausing agents.

On May 23, members of the Longboat Key Fire Rescue and area fire departments, including North Port, Venice and Manatee County, heard from cancer institute leaders Kelly Batista and Richard Brown about the risks and resources available to them through the institute’s “Firefighter Cancer Collaborative.”

“As members of your team or their loved ones may have a suspicious finding or a confirmed diagnosis of cancer, they now have a point person in our navigation team that they can go to,” Batista said. “Many times a suspicious finding or a diagnosis is very scary for the individual, their family members or caregivers, so understanding that they have someone who understands what they are going through, who is very educated in next steps that are available to them and knows the right members of the care team to go to make sure they have a seamless process through their care is of utmost importance.”

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in firefighters. While there is not a known way to pinpoint the origin of a cancer diagnosis, studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the country’s general population.

“We need to do everything we can to understand what those risks are, try to mitigate them any way that we can by educating you and understanding that any cancer, if you catch

RISK STATS

Firefighters are at a greater risk of getting a variety of cancers because of the hazardous substances they are exposed to when on the job. Cancers most responsible for the noted higher risk are respiratory, gastrointestinal and kidney cancers, according to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. Firefighters have a greater risk than the general public of getting and dying from cancers including:

n Two times as likely to get mesothelioma, 129% more likely to die from mesothelioma

n 62% higher risk of getting

esophageal cancer

n 1.39 times as likely to get skin cancer

n 1.31 times greater risk of getting brain cancer

n 1.21 times greater risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer

n 1.14 times greater risk of a leukemia diagnosis

it earlier, is better than if you let it go,” Brown said. “Firefighters tend to be younger, fitter and tend not to think anything is going to happen to them. Unfortunately, that is not correct.”

A cancer diagnosis can come from a combination of two primary factors — genetics and environmental factors. For example, while someone might have a family history of lung cancer, if they smoke cigarettes the likelihood of a diagnosis increases.

“Everyone needs to understand what is going on in them as well as their environment to try and mitigate these things,” Brown said. “We also know that firefighters by virtue of what they do are at a higher risk … We understand that there are a multitude of agents that you get exposed to on a daily basis that are carcinogenic in nature.”

Exposure to hazardous substances

comes with the job and even the gear meant to protect them from the dangers of the job.

The International Association of Firefighters and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association released a joint statement in September 2022 warning firefighters of the presence of chemicals in their gear and the increased risk of liver and kidney cancers because of it. PFAS, or perand polyfluorinated substances, are a group of chemicals present in the gear and are used to repel oil and water.

The groups encouraged firefighters to only wear the gear when necessary, but to continue doing so when responding to fires as it is still the best first line of defense for limiting exposure to fireground contaminants such as benzene, arsenic, lead, asbestos and aldehydes. These substances are byproducts of combustion and the burning of certain materials in older structures.

Photos by Lauren Tronstad

Firefighter-paramedic Trey Bowlin shows what protective gear is worn when responding to a fire.

Chief Paul Dezzi talks about safety measures in place at the department.

Longboat real estate sales slow with end of season

Properties are typically on the market between two and three months with prices softening heading into summer.

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

As the busy season on Longboat Key winds down, so does the demand for properties. The real estate market on the barrier island has slowed down alongside the greater Sarasota-Manatee area’s.

However, properties staying on the market for a longer period of time isn’t necessarily cause for alarm. Typically, demand wanes during the summer months and ramps up during peak season.

“There’s always a market,” real estate consultant for RE/MAX Andrew Vac said. “The market is much more aggressive and much more busy and showing activity in our seasonal months when there are more people here. The market is much less busy, less aggressive and showing less demand in the offseason, which is what we are seeing now.”

In spring 2022, properties often stayed on the market for as little as two or three days. Now, two or three months on the market is about average for a property on the barrier island.

“We’re seeing price reductions pretty much across the board because the demand has slowed down,” Vac said. “Some properties that are priced properly are selling more quickly. The market is adjusting and listing prices are coming down. The market is slowing down and the demand is less, but there’s still activity.”

After the pandemic, it was common to see houses listed at high prices and buyers offering above asking price in hopes of securing the home with little inventory available. Buyers were waiving inspections and contingencies to try to get their hands on their property of choice. Now, Vac said, buyers have returned to being more conscientious with inspections, and negotiations over price have returned.

One thing that has stayed consistent over the years and is expected to continue are cash offers.

“A lot of people pay cash because they have the cash,” Vac said. “That’s always going to be the case in our market because that is just the way our market is.”

The typical buyer on Longboat Key has changed slightly. While buyers are still primarily looking for seasonal residences, more plan to stay in the area longer or are hoping to call Longboat Key a permanent residence.

$4.19 million

their computers.”

As of May 30, there are 271 Longboat property listings on the Coldwell Banker Realty website. There are 221 listings on the Michael Saunders & Company website. The properties are a mix of condos and single-family homes.

The Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee compiled data from Florida Realtors into a report focusing on Manatee County and Sarasota County’s specific markets. According to the report, pending sales of single-family homes and condos show signs of positive growth, but closed sales and new listings have declined.

“The numbers from April represent a market offering both opportunities and challenges for buyers and sellers,” Brian Tressider, RASM President and Strategic Growth and Sales Manager at William Raveis Real Estate, said in a press release.

MANATEE COUNTY

Manatee County’s median singlefamily home sale price hit a record in April with a median price of $570,000. The new record marked a 10.7% increase from the previous year and a 15.8% increase from March 2023 when the median sale price was $491,988.

For condos in the county, the median sale price increased 8.8% from the previous year to $380,795.

Paired with the rise in price has come a decrease in closed sales.

increase from last April. The supply of inventory increased across both counties, according to the report. The months’ supply refers to the number of months it would take the current inventory of homes on the market to sell given the current sales pace. Historically, six months of supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers. A lower level of supply tends to push prices up more rapidly, according to the National Association of Realtors.

In Manatee County, condo supply increased by 337.5% to a 3.5-month supply. Single-family home supply increased 237.5% to a 2.5-month supply.

SARASOTA COUNTY

Compared to last year in Sarasota County, the median sale price of single-family homes increased 7.7% to $520,000. Condo prices increased 1% to a $399,000 median sale price.

Continuing with a seemingly less successful month compared to Manatee County, closed sales of singlefamily homes decreased by 5.7% to 747 sales. Condo sales dipped 22.9% to 383 sales.

Pending sales also took a hit in the county. Single-family home pending sales decreased 12.5%, but condo sales increased by 6.9% compared to 2022. For condos, 2023 was the first time the market experienced yearover-year increases in pending sales since May 2021.

April. The average time a single-family home spent on the market before going under contract increased by 250% to 21 days. Condos spent an average of 22 days on the market, a 340% increase.

“The increase in median time to contract and months’ supply of inventory indicates a changing market, necessitating informed decision making for all stakeholders,” Tressider said in the release.

The months’ supply increased for both single-family homes and condos. Compared to a year ago, there was a 3.5-month supply of condos equaling a 337.5% increase. There was a 2.9-month supply of singlefamily homes, an increase of 190%.

$4.59 million

“What’s happening is people want to come to Florida and they want to be here permanently or at least six months out of the year,” he said. “That’s what created the demand after COVID-19 and the frenzy that we had because everybody wants to live here. They realized they don’t need to be in the cold when they can work remotely through

Compared to April 2022, closed sales of single-family homes decreased by 4.3% to 662 sales. Closed condo sales decreased by 15.8% to 256 sales.

Amid a decline in sales, pending single-family home sales increased by 30.2% and pending condo sales increased by 4%. Pending sales are measured by the number of homes that went under contract in the time period.

In April, single-family homes went under contract within an average of 28 days, which is a year-overyear increase of 460%. Condos averaged 27 days on the market, a 440%

Time on the market increased in Sarasota County compared to last

At the end of April, there were 5,253 active listings for both property types in the North Port-SarasotaBrandenton area. The number represents a 166.8% increase in active listings compared to April 2022.

Photos by Lauren Tronstad

The home at 603 Buttonwood Drive is listed at $4.19 million by Michael Saunders & Co.

A home at 580 Putter Lane is listed at $3.15 million by Coldwell Banker Realty.

$3.15 million

The residence at 610 Yardarm Lane is listed at $4.59 million by Michael Saunders & Co.

Traffic shifts planned for Bradenton Beach sewer line project

Two lanes will still be operating with the westernmost lane moved into the sandy parking area.

LAUREN

TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

As the season comes to an end, so do many of the traffic headaches that have plagued Longboat Key residents traveling to and from the island.

But traffic may not be completely a thing of the past with traffic shifts planned to accommodate the ongoing Bradenton Beach sewer line replacement project.

Beginning May 30, the contractor will be installing a new gravity sewer pipe along Gulf Drive South to the east at 11th Street South.

“In order to accommodate the pipe installation, traffic lane shifts will be implemented for the northbound and southbound travel lanes of Gulf Drive South through late June,” the project update said.

Two lanes of traffic will still be operating, but the western most lane will be shifted off the existing roadway and into the sandy area currently used for beach parking.

Through the end of this summer, 11th Street South will be closed to traffic for crews to install the new gravity sewer pipeline in that section of the project. A new parking area will be provided, but only for use by residents and tenants on the impacted street.

In February, the Manatee County Public Works Department began work on replacing and relocating a portion of the gravity sewer collection system for the city on Anna Maria Island.

The full project includes installa-

tion of about one mile of new sewer main along Gulf Drive. Twenty-one maintenance holes will be installed along with 100 new six-inch service laterals, which serve as connections between a private property and the sewer main in the right of way.

The new pipeline will extend from the current pipe on Gulf Drive down each side street from Sixth Street to 13th Street. Road repairs are included in the county’s plans.

Installation of the main sewer line is complete on the west side of Gulf Drive South from Sixth Street South to 12th Street South. The contractor is currently installing the remaining concrete structures on the west side of Gulf Drive South near 13th Street South. Restoration between 10th Street South and 13th Street South is also underway with completion anticipated by the end of the month.

The beach parking areas currently being used as construction staging and storage will continue as such and remain closed to public parking.

The project is expected to be complete in late 2024.

On the city’s website, a list of frequently asked questions addressed long-term benefits of the project including:

n Protects public and environmental health by preventing sanitary system overflows caused by aging sewer pipes.

n Extends the service life of existing roads by preventing gravity main leaks that cause pavement damage.

n Improves pumping capacity and avoids costly replacement of the existing lift station by eliminating storm and ground water infiltration.

n Alleviates potential sanitary sewer backups by removing multiproperty connections and providing each property with its own connection to the gravity main.

Flight paths’ impact on Longboat questioned again

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

A Longboat Key resident recently noticed more dirt and debris on her outdoor furniture than was typical and pondered whether the number of aircraft flying over the barrier island could be playing a role in the increase.

The question of negative impacts flights over the barrier island might be having on residents, specifically their properties, helped reopen a conversation that Longboat has had before.

As some residents leave for the summer, permanent residents remain and tourists continue to flock to the Key, the town of Longboat Key has revisited the conversation surrounding departing flight paths from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Town Manager Howard Tipton was brought into the discussion and the question has since restarted the conversation about the history of flights over Longboat Key and

the decision-making process that shaped flight paths over the island.

Flight paths were officially changed on June 8, 2006, after lengthy back and forth between the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration and Longboat Key residents.

The change first appeared as part of an updated noise compatibility plan in February 1997 and deemed the Runway 32 departure a “270-degree turn.” Per the plan, all aircraft would be instructed to turn left in a 270-degree radial and continue on that radial until they are beyond the barrier island and over the Gulf of Mexico before being allowed to turn north or south.

The old paths had aircraft passing over more northern portions of the Key.

The new path was expected to cut 402 homes from the 65-decibel day-night average sound level zone. The DNL is a metric used to reflect a person’s cumulative exposure to sound over a 24-hour period and is expressed as the noise level for the average day of the year on the basis

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A 270-degree turn introduced in 2006 has increased the number of departing flights over Longboat.

Current and former procedures for aircraft departures over Longboat Key

of annual aircraft operations. Sixtyfive decibels is the threshold of significant noise exposure per the FAA.

“Noise abatement is a big deal,” Tipton said. “It’s more of an issue the closer you are to the runways. I think (airport and FAA staff) were trying to make adjustments based on the growth and the population around the airport.”

The path change was anticipated to reduce the noise exposure for residents on the northern portion of the barrier island but increase the exposure for the area starting at the Sarasota/Manatee County line running north for about 1 mile. The area was chosen because it has historically included the least amount of permanent residents, with the majority of properties being commercial or vacation rental properties.

After the FAA approved the turn, Longboat Key residents played a role in its delayed effect by submitting a number of appeals. A federal appeals court held up the FAA’s ruling in 2002.

Even so, the airport still had to meet FAA requirements of extending the runway before the turn could be implemented. The airport also installed noise barriers and purchased or sound-proofed neighboring homes.

Since it has taken effect, current conditions include:

n The average altitude of aircraft crossing Longboat Key as measured from radar and GPS signals is 3,300 feet, with the occasional flight flying at 2,200 feet or 4,900 feet.

n The average speed of aircraft crossing Longboat Key is 276 miles per hour, which is the equivalent of 4.5 miles per minute.

When the conversation last resurfaced in December 2021, graphics were included with the discussion and showed about 281 flights departing from Runway 32 and flying over the barrier island during an eightday period in March.

Commissioners at the time asked airport administrators if a change in path could be considered since 15 years had passed since the original discussion.

“The decision to modify the departure path off Runway 32 in 2006 was made to alleviate the most intense aircraft noise generated during takeoff to communities closest to

the airport, while communities farther down the way from the airport are not as impacted,” airport officials said. “Sarasota County residents south of the airport see aircraft either taking off or landing every day. Also, Bradenton and Sarasota receive 100% of all aircraft arrivals, while Longboat Key sees none. Arrivals are much closer to the ground than departures at equivalent distances.”

Even with the discussion surfacing again, Tipton does not foresee a conversation being revisited to request the airport take another look at its flight paths over Longboat Key.

“I haven’t heard any (complaints) about noise or flight paths,” he said.

Howard Tipton, Town Manager

Courtesy photos

The town of Longboat Key has revisited the conversation surrounding departing flight paths from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Rabbits rankle resident

Town Manager Howard Tipton was looped into the supposed increase in rabbit population with an email from a concerned resident asking for the town to seek action on the matter before it worsens.

few days.”

Roscia further pleaded his case, citing the high costs of pest control companies using deterrents that he believes don’t get the job done.

would be able to tell there was an increase in rabbit populations was by the number they had to pick up as roadkill. From his personal account, he has not seen the same concentration that Roscia was referencing in his correspondence.

“To be honest, I’m not sure how the logistics of something like that might work islandwide nor do I see it as a priority for our scarce resources at the moment,” Tipton said in an email.  He assured Roscia that he would pursue conversations with town staff about how they might approach the issue, but directed Roscia to reach out to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences about steps that can be taken as an individual including utilizing certain plants that may deter the rabbits.

Mayor Ken Schneier shared his personal experience, which backed up some of what Roscia was saying about the population increase.

“From our perspective in Sabal Cove, the rabbit problem in Bay Isles began about two years ago and has gone from no rabbits to many since then,” he said in an email. “They do substantial damage to flowers and grass, and repellants have a limited impact. I don’t know what the solution is (since) they present no danger — unlike coyotes and raccoons — but it may be time for the town to look into the issue before it spreads even further.”

While there is uncertainty about how or if the town can or should use its resources to combat a rise in rabbit population, Tipton says for now the town will focus on educating its residents on how to protect their gardens and landscaping.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

On the University of Florida’s website, there are a few ways to make your yard and garden less attractive to rabbits.

“The simplest way to keep rabbits out of your garden is to make sure the area isn’t an ideal habitat,” the website says. “Rabbits like to have cover from predators. They like to hide in places like low-growing shrubs, tall grasses and brush piles.”

The use of chicken wire around a particular section of garden one is hoping to protect is another suggestion.

Another way to deter them that is a more likely solution, for condo associations in particular, is planting vegetation that is less favorable to rabbits including:

n Vegetables, such as asparagus, leeks, onions, potatoes, rhubarb and squash

n Herbs, such as basil, mint, oregano, parsley and tarragon

After raccoons, coyotes and peacocks had their times as primary animals of concern on Longboat Key, rabbits have moved into the spotlight.

“There is a rabbit infestation on (Longboat Key) that has occurred since the coyotes left,” chairman of the Fairway Bay Community Council Gabe Roscia said in an email to Tipton. “They are eating the lawns and many low plants at our condominiums and homes, causing very unsightly landscaping and costing associations a great deal of money to restore and replace what they damage, only to have it eaten again in a

“An islandwide solution is needed, and only the town can implement that,” he said in the email. “I would ask the town to investigate a solution. I am sure the condo associations and homeowners would be willing to contribute to the cost since we will be spending the money one way or another and would rather spend it on something that works.”

Tipton’s response recounted how during work in other parts of the state, the way that jurisdictions

“What we’re trying to do is provide some education to our residents,” he said in an interview. “There’s a lot of natural ways to make it less desirable for the rabbits. You can put different natural products out. A rabbit’s (sense of) smell is extraordinary, so you can look into things to put out that are discomforting to them, but aren’t harmful to the environment.”

n Flowers, such as cleomes, geraniums, vincas and wax begonias

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

Stock photo

The town is looking to education as the solution to a rise in rabbit populations.

Raising Littles Takes A Lot

And though mom and dad can take care of most of those bumps and bruises along the way, when the runny nose turns into a running fever, it’s comforting to know that a little help is right around the corner.

Whether it’s a quick fix at one of our six Urgent Care Centers, a check-up with a First Physicians Group pediatrician, or even the expert attention of our dedicated pediatric unit, where specialized pediatric hospitalists from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital are on-site 24 hours a day, Sarasota Memorial is always committed to being there when you need us.

That’s just what neighbors do.

LONGBOAT

‘Session of the century’

Credit Florida lawmakers for going big with legislation that will change Florida for the better.

Hell,” a result of previous laws that provided an economic boon to trial lawyers. But now lawmakers have turned off that legal spigot.

Those milestone changes to the state’s education and legal systems were historic because lawmakers have been chiseling away for 25 years at seemingly immovable obstacles in pursuit of visions that were often regarded as dreams that would never come true. But they did it.

his first term. Alarmed then that Florida’s public schools ranked near the bottom nationally, Bush was determined to upend that embarrassing status. The thrust of his new education initiatives focused on accountability, introducing statewide testing and a grading system for schools and districts. But one small seed of his initiative was a school voucher program that would allow children in failing schools to transfer to better schools. The choice door opened ever so slightly.

were different this year versus, say, 2022 and 2021, when businessman Wilton Simpson was Senate president and lawyer Chris Sprowls was speaker.

“I would point to a commitment that we made to each other to pass each other’s priorities as the No. 1 reason why we accomplished so much,” Renner said.

“Essentially, we made all those priorities the common priorities of the House, Senate and governor’s office. And that flowed down from the top to our leadership teams to the members.

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

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

Managing Editor / James Peter, JPeter@YourObserver.com

MATT WALSH

Amonth has passed since state lawmakers closed their 2023 session, and now the fog is lifting to bring into clarity what they did.

We know lawmakers didn’t raise our taxes — ya-hoo.

Nor did they really reduce taxes for everyone. They continued their annual game of “look at us, we cut taxes” — that is, with a laundry list of sales-tax holidays (more on that in our next installment).

And it’s probably a safe guess most Floridians know Gov. Ron DeSantis, angling for his quest of the presidency, continued his culture war against wokeness. With the support of his fellow supermajority Republicans in the House and Senate, DeSantis prioritized more legislation designed to squelch the spread of the destructive ESG, DEI and transgender movements.

While that legislation predictably attracted the attention and ire of the leftist press and TV talking heads, Florida’s lawmakers actually did so much more. So much, in fact, the James Madison Institute, the state’s premier think tank, dubbed it “the session of the century.” Not just for Florida, but for all 50 state legislatures around the country.

Bob McClure, president of the institute, says state lawmakers all over America are taking cues from Florida as the model for good policies that produce economic prosperity and protect and promote liberty.

When Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch, addressed a group of James Madison Institute supporters last week, Gregory, not one to be hyperbolic or effusive, echoed McClure: “It was the session of the century for the country,” adding, “We did more this year than we did in my previous four years combined.”

Indeed, whether you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent, the breadth and scope of all they accomplished was stunning. Historic. We’ll predict: Decades from now the 2023 legislative session will be recognized as an apex for the Legislature, a turning or trigger point in Florida’s cultural and economic direction.

The numbers tell one story. In DeSantis’ first legislative session in 2019, the Legislature passed 171 bills. In the most recent session, it passed 317 — the vast majority of which will become law. It would take days for even a savvy policy wonk to wade through and understand the new requirements of so many new laws that will touch so many aspects of Floridians’ lives. But more significant than the number of bills passed are a few landmark laws that have the ingredients to change the state’s educational foundation and Florida’s economy.

Topping that list of landmark legislation:

• HB 1, universal school choice. This will end public education as we’ve known it — and it will do so for the better. Universal choice will give 3.3 million Florida K-12 students about $8,000 a year in tax money vouchers and the freedom to choose a public or private school and other educational services.

• HB 837, tort reform. Rep. Gregory estimates the provisions of this complicated legislation will save every Florida family at least $5,000 a year, simply because of a reduction in liability lawsuits against businesses. For decades, Florida has been regarded as “Legal

A sampling of other new legislation that can be considered transformational:

n The ban on abortions after six weeks, except in the cases of rape, incest, human trafficking or medical necessity.

n Not requiring a concealed weapons license to carry a concealed weapon.

n The elimination of Enterprise Florida, its associated economic development groups and the millions of dollars it dispensed in subsidies to attract corporations.

n The expansion of Kidcare, the state and federally subsidized health insurance for children, a measure estimated to enroll 16,000 children next year at a starting cost of $10 million for Floridians and $25 million for federal taxpayers and sure to grow as entitlements do.

n Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $700 million bill designed to increase affordable housing via incentives and subsidies to builders and scaling back local zoning restrictions.

n The easing of the teacher certification process.

OUTSIDE THE MARGINS

With the passage of more than 300 bills, there are many others that can be regarded as transformative. But the above bills are singled out to illustrate how this year’s Legislature is different from those of previous years in at least two respects:

One: Typically, lawmaking is plodding, incremental and in the margins; rarely bold or dramatically disruptive to the status quo. Entrenched institutional and societal ways of business are often impenetrable fortresses, even when they’re failing. That’s the nature of government.

Two: Typically, legislative bodies spend most of their sessions creating more laws that expand government interventionism. And with each intervention, the citizenry loses more of its freedoms.

If you go through the 300 bills Florida lawmakers approved, the vast majority are injecting more regulations and expanding government to solve perceived problems. The Kidcare and affordable housing legislation are two examples.

But with universal school choice and tort reform, this year’s Legislature went outside the margins, went big and bold and actually did something that few lawmakers ever do: increased citizens’ freedoms.

EDUCATION HOLY GRAIL

With school choice, Florida reached the Holy Grail. The late economists Milton and Rose Friedman must be dancing in their graves, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is seeing the seed he planted becoming an oak.

The Friedmans first proposed school vouchers as a way to improve public education in the mid-1970s. That idea finally began sprouting in the late 1990s. Gov. Bush sparked the revolution in 1999 in

Ever since then, Florida has been the national leader in spreading school choice options and spreading more freedom. “This is the next iteration of parental choice,” Bush told us. “Parents will ultimately be able to customize their children’s learning experience with hybrid offerings.”

Bush also believes this expanded choice won’t be the death of public education. Instead, it will inspire public school districts to “respond with better traditional school offerings and invigorated magnet schools.”

Let the competition begin.

INCREASED FREEDOM

Tort reform also increases Floridians’ freedom. Trial lawyers say otherwise, because they argue the laws will now protect businesses and deny poor and middle-class Floridians who can’t afford lawyers access to justice. The increase in freedom comes from having $5,000 more in every family’s checking account.

More freedom: Ability to carry a concealed weapon without having a license.

More freedom: Elimination of corporate incentive subsidies. For every tax dollar used to subsidize or lure corporations to relocate to Florida, those are dollars taken out of the pockets of everyday Floridians and, often times, out of the pockets of existing businesses that end up at a competitive disadvantage to the subsidized corporate newcomer.

More freedom: Relaxing teacher certification requirements. This will give schools the freedom to tap the expertise of Florida’s welleducated but noncertified retirees.

Finally, how is a ban on abortions after six weeks more freedom? It’s giving unborn children the freedom to live.

HOW AND WHY?

Underlying the historic breadth and depth of legislation adopted in this year’s session are the questions of “how?” — how they did it, and why? — why were they able to push through so much?

An obvious answer is supermajorities. Republican have that in the House and Senate, rendering Democrats virtually powerless to stop whatever is on the Republicans’ agenda.

But the answer to those questions goes deeper than that. Republicans have controlled the House, Senate and governor’s office for two decades. But unlike in previous years, this time around there was an essential ingredient: strong and almost complete alignment on the issues among the top three leaders — Gov. DeSantis, President Passidomo and Speaker Paul Renner.

The three of them had multiple meetings over multiple months prior to the session, Renner told us. And in those meetings they “reiterated that we were going to try to do it a different way. It was not necessarily an explicit joint plan, but it was an ‘everybody wins’ approach.”

Renner explained how things

GOVERNOR WILL STILL BE PAID

Asked if Gov. Ron DeSantis will continue to receive all of his $210,000 annual state salary while campaigning for president, Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern replied to the Observer in an email: “The governor remains serving

the people that he was elected to serve.” When we emailed Redfern a second time, saying he did not answer the question, Redfern replied again: “Ron DeSantis is still the governor of Florida. Hope that helps.” We’ll ask you: Could you do your job 100% and still run for president? — MW

“In times past,” he said, “you saw things devolve based on personality conflicts, egos or ‘If I don’t get what I want, your bill is not going to get moved.’ It was a traditional belief then that everything had to be leveraged — ‘If you want this, I’ve got to get something for it,’ a trading out of priorities of ‘I’ll do this for you, if you do this for me.’”

But there was one other ingredient: “It goes back to having people going big,” Renner said. DeSantis has said in many speeches and in his book, “Be willing to take bold stands.”

Renner is of the same mind.

“That was my overarching goal — to get as much accomplished as we could during my (two years) as speaker. I wanted to make sure that every big problem that could be solved was solved.”

He added: “There is certainly more to be done.”

Passidomo declined to comment.

THE NEXT SESSION

Renner and Gregory already have priorities for the 2024 session. Near or atop the list: infrastructure.

Renner and Gregory both said given the amount of tax money the state is taking in with rapid population growth, the state’s infrastructure needs — roads, bridges, sewer systems, water treatment — will be an essential priority. Renner is forming a strategy commission to determine Florida’s needs 20 and 30 years from now.

Renner also listed health care costs and solving the shortage of physicians and nurses, adding, “Child welfare needs to be fixed.”

Better funding for the state’s overburdened court system is likely to be a high priority as well. As Gregory told the James Madison audience: “When the courts don’t have enough resources, that’s justice delayed and justice denied.”

FREEDOM COMES WITH RISKS

After watching the Legislature for 40-plus years, we’ve observed the standard post-session assessments. Lawmakers go back to their districts and tout how wonderful they are and how they passed more laws to fix problems that were created by previous laws.

The media, in turn, pecks away at the politicians for what they failed to do or how they kowtowed to sacred-cow special interests.

And the constituents go “ho-hum.”

This time, it’s different. No one, of course, knows at this point what the unintended consequences will be of, say, universal school choice, tort reform, the six-week abortion ban, the concealed carry gun law, or, for that matter, the 300 other bills that will become law.

But whether you like or dislike Florida’s Republican controlled Legislature, the governor, Senate president, speaker and Republican lawmakers deserve positive recognition. They did what few politicians do: They went outside the margins and went bold — with the belief they will be changing Florida and Floridians’ lives for the better.

We hope, and we believe, history will prove them right.

When a former teacher told Gregory she worried about the effects of school choice on the state’s public education system, Gregory said he understood her concern. But then he added a comment that applies universally: “Freedom comes with risks.”

Risks worth taking.

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1970 Main St. Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

A view of the border

interested in documentary-style photography. I got more interested in 2016 with the election and … social justice movements.

I became involved with an activist group, Witness at the Border. I ended up at the border in 2019 photographing both sides of the border. I’ve been all over the border in Texas.

comprehensive visual narrative of what is happening at the border. My pictures are what they are.

JAMES PETER MANAGING EDITOR

It’s not the job that pays the bills, but it’s the one that he’s most passionate about.

Allan Mestel has photographed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent exodus into Poland. He’s captured scenes of homelessness in Sarasota and Bradenton. He also owns the Longboat Key gym Beach Fitness 24/7 with his wife and runs a photography studio in Bradenton.

Most recently, Mestel was in Brownsville, Texas, shooting photos at the U.S.-Mexico border for five days in the leadup to and aftermath of the May 11 expiration of Title 42.

The public health restriction was implemented in response to COVID-19 and allowed U.S. officials to quickly turn away migrants and deny asylum seekers “on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19,” according to the Associated Press. “(There) were no real consequences when someone illegally crossed the border.”

After Title 42 expired on May 11, the U.S. returned to the stricter policies of Title 8 under which, “Migrants caught crossing illegally will not be allowed to return for five years and can face criminal prosecution if they do,” according to AP reporting.

The Observer spoke with Mestel shortly after he returned from his trip where he took thousands of photos of migrants, their living conditions and the border itself.

How did you come to this project?

Basically, I spent the bulk of my career as a TV ad director and photographer in Canada. It wasn’t until I moved to the U.S. and set up my own studio that I became more

Where exactly did you travel this time?

I went to Brownsville, Texas. I have contacts down there, with Team Brownsville. They are a team of volunteers who provide resources as best they can to (migrants) … I made contact with them once I was in Brownsville, and I did some shooting there. The international bridge in Matamoros is just a short walk across the Rio Grande.

How do you approach this type of documentary project?

The lens provides its own commentary. My feeling was that for most people, they don’t have a chance to go to the border. To some degree, they are held hostage to the narrative that’s in the media.

My intent was to provide, for those who choose to seek it out, a pretty

I have certain protocols I adhere to when shooting people who are living in adverse circumstances. I never shoot down. If people are sitting or lying down, I crouch down or lie down. I want people to look at the subject eye to eye. I never want to be looking down on people.

I try to isolate a subject so you’re always looking at an individual. When I shoot with a wide lens, I tend to shoot very close to the subject, so you’re getting a sense of immediacy. I like for the audience to look at an image and feel that they are there with someone they can’t look away from.

I’m really conscious of not engineering a photo so it feels staged. I will shoot with minimal interaction — just enough to feel that I’ve got the consent to shoot. It’s very much a process of feel.

What was the mood like at the border?

On Friday, the day after Title 42 was lifted, the bridge was pretty hectic. There’s a lot of traffic back and forth. A lot of people live on one side and work on the other.

I’ve been in migrant camps and refugee camps quite a bit. I was in Ukraine a week after the war started.

I’m always amazed by how upbeat the camps at the U.S. border are (despite) the people there living in the most primitive conditions in the Western Hemisphere. People are living in structures constructed with sticks and tarps. The living conditions are hellish.

Most of the migrants were from Venezuela. To think of the journey they’ve had through the Darien Gap, the jungle and some of the most violent countries in the world, mostly on foot — to make that journey and end up in that camp at the border and still have hope. There was definitely despair, but for the most part there was a sense of hope whether it was realistic or not. The chances of actually getting asylum

SMITTEN WITH KITTENS Adopt, Don’t Shop

under the current rules are very difficult.

What do you think people misunderstand about the border issue? There has been a demonization of migrants. I think there’s a perception that the majority of migrants are looking to cross the border as criminals. I think if people could go to the border and see who is actually living there they would be surprised. It’s families, looking for an opportunity. They’re not looking to come to the U.S. and involve themselves in criminal enterprises.

I have heard rhetoric that the camps are filled with military-age members, gang members —  what you see at the camp, and it’s evi-

dent in the photographs is that it’s mostly families. Everyone from teenagers to babies.

The majority of people that I interacted with want to (enter the country legally). They want to come and do their best to convince a court that they are legitimately afraid for their lives or are living in conditions in their home country where they are in fear due to the levels of crime. Most of these migrants are Venezuelans escaping human rights abuse and persecution. Why do we not feel they are entitled to take advantage of the asylum law?

Longboat business owner and photographer Allan Mestel documents the migration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

ALLAN MESTEL PHOTOGRAPHY

To view more of Mestel's documentary photos from his trips to Ukraine or the U.S.-Mexico border, visit AllanMestel.com.

Photos courtesy of Allan Mestel

A child in a migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico, in May 2023.

A man in sits in a migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico.

TRIBUTES

1942-2023

COPS CORNER

FRIDAY, MAY 19

BIRD IN NEED

9:56 a.m., 600 block of Roundtree

Animal complaint: An officer was dispatched for a report of a bird hanging from a tree upside down. While on the scene, the bird fell to the ground. The officer transported it to Save Our Seabirds.

AGAINST POLICY

9:25 p.m., 2600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: Police were called to the scene of a broken down vehicle. Upon arrival, the driver asked if police could assist in jump starting their car. However, it is against police policy to jump start a citizen’s vehicle. The individual told police that AAA had already been contacted.

SATURDAY, MAY 20

HELPING OUT

12:22 p.m., 5500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Citizen assist: Police responded to reports of a water leak behind the Public Works maintenance facility at Durante Park. Personnel requested the officer turn off the pump to keep it from seizing up.

Bill Cook passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 15th at his home on Longboat Key from complications of Lewy Body and Vascular Dementias. He was a 6th generation Florida native from the Blackburn, Roberts and Knight pioneer families. He was born in Tampa and graduated from Sarasota High School.

He earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Florida and a post doctorate from Stanford University. He was a psychology professor at the University of Louisville, worked at DuPont in Wilmington DE then moved to New York where he worked at General Foods, Simmons Market Research

Bureau and Equifax NDS. He also began his own company

e-Strategic Advantage while editing the Journal of Advertising Research for 20 twenty years. He finished his career at the ARF as Executive Vice President. After 30 years in NY, he retired and returned to Florida in 2011. Bill was a Volunteer Emeritus at Mote Marine Laboratory and a 10-year Turtle Patroller. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Lynn, their four sons (Monty, Damon, Darius and Jonathan), one daughter (Tiffani) and six grandchildren. A Private Family Memorial Service will be held in New York. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Brain Foundation.

SUNDAY, MAY 21

TOMORROW’S PROBLEM

9:57 p.m., 5400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Citizen assist: The caller told police about a car parked at the address running with its lights on in the bushes. Upon arrival, the officer located the vehicle in question; it was not running. The vehicle had been parked in the same spot for two days with its lights on and belonged to the property owner. Police called the owner, who promised to turn off the lights upon returning in the morning.

MONDAY, MAY 22

CHANGING REGISTRATION

1:02 p.m., Longboat Key Police

Department

VIN serial number inspection: A resident entered the department for assistance with VIN verification. She had driven her vehicle down from northern Michigan so it could be registered to her home on Longboat Key. After receiving a negative result for wants and warrants, department

SUNDAY, MAY 21

NOT A THEFT

4:56 p.m., 100 block of Broadway

Citizen assist: Officers were dispatched on report of a theft. They met with the caller, who said an unknown person had taken her purse, flip-flops and beach blanket and left the beach. One of the officers canvassed the area and was not able to locate any of the items but did notice a security camera. Officers asked the caller to show where she was sitting on the beach. She then realized she had placed her items farther down the beach. The officers walked with her to her belongings and made sure everything was still there.

staff stamped her DMV paperwork and sent her on her way.

FILLING UP

3:23 p.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic hazard: A driver was using an air compressor filling up a flat left tire on the side of the road. The officer put on his safety vest and directed traffic around the vehicle until the tire was filled with air and the vehicle was back on the road.

TUESDAY, MAY 23

FALSE ALARM

7:02 p.m., 7200 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious incident: An officer was dispatched to reports of a fight on a boat near Longboat Pass Bridge. While en route, dispatch notified the officer there was not a fight and the boat in question was leaving the area. Officers still checked out the area and did not see any fights.

THURSDAY, MAY 25

WORK DAY IS OVER

5:11 p.m., 600 block of Jackson Way

Noise complaints from land: Construction work after 5 p.m. prompted a call to police. The responding officer met with the contractor and advised the workers of their noise ordinance violation. Work ceased immediately and a written warning was issued.

JUST A LITTLE SNAKE

9:09 p.m., 500 block of Putter Lane

Animal complaint: Police responded to a call about a snake in the property’s enclosed patio. A small orange and brown snake was located in the corner of the patio and the officer relocated it outside the enclosure.

William A. Cook

INSIDE:

< THIS WEEK: Savor Sarasota serves up lunch and dinner specials from June 1-14. 13

REVIEW: Audience favorite ‘Shear Madness’ is back on stage for the third time at FST. 14 >

JUNE 1, 2023

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT FRINGE THEATER TAKES

IN SARASOTA CENTER STAGE

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

Victoria Montalbano is excited.

The self-described “theater kid” from Sarasota is coming home for the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, to perform her one-woman show, “The Princess Strikes Back: One Woman’s Search for the Space Cowboy of her Dreams.”

If you guessed that Montalbano is a “Star Wars” fan, you would be right. She saw the original movie when she was 13 years old and immediately started crushing on Hans Solo, played by Harrison Ford.

But it wasn’t until she saw “Star Wars” again years later on the Disney+ streaming service that she realized that most of her romantic relationships resembled that of Solo and Princess Leia, the late Carrie Fisher’s character.

Being a performer, Montalbano

Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival features a smorgasbord of edgy performances.

founder of the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, which runs June 8-11 at the Cook Theatre at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to “The Princess Strikes Back,” the fest will present eight other performances of roughly an hour each.

Like Montalbano, Radish is a Florida native. Before founding the nonprofit Squeaky Wheel Theatre Group in 2020, she worked in regional theater for nearly a decade, in a variety of roles at venues ranging from the Ogonquit Playhouse in Maine to the Utah Festival Opera.

About five years ago, Radish decided to get out of the theater business, which can be hard on the body for those involved in scenery, props, lights and the other nuts and bolts of production. But after a hiatus, Radish found herself being drawn back to theater and specifically to fringe.

‘What is fringe exactly?’ you might ask. Good question.

wanted to share that revelation with an audience. “Storytelling is how I do comedy, so I went to an open-mic night and talked about a crush I had on a boy when I was 13,” said Montalbano, who lives in Chicago. That open-mic performance

evolved into a one-woman show that she has been performing at fringe festivals around the country since July 2021. But it wasn’t until now that she had a venue to present “The Princess Strikes Back” in Sarasota.

It’s all thanks to Megan Radish,

As its name implies, fringe is not mainstream. And it’s not one type of performance. It can be drama, dance, comedy, music or all of the above.

“Smorgasbord” is a word you hear a lot when people talk about fringe.

“I’ve been watching fringe for

SEE FRINGE ON PAGE 12

“It’s really wonderful that Sarasota is getting a fringe festival. The city has such a strong theater community, and this is something that’s been missing.”

Victoria Montalbano

Courtesy art Victoria Montalbano stars in the "The Princess Strikes Back," one of the selections at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, Sarasota's first fringe fest.

years,” says Radish. “I’ve seen some very unique shows. I’ve seen classically trained musicians perform on Segways.”

In addition to offering a little of this and a little of that, fringe pushes the boundaries. It tests limits, so perhaps it’s best to leave the kids at home. If you’re easily offended or have rigid ideas about who and what is acceptable as entertainment, you should probably stay home too.

“Fringe is a home for things that may not get a stage elsewhere,” Radish says. “Most of what we do is about accessibility and advocacy, both for artists and audiences.”

Not sure if fringe is for you? Radish has come up with a way for you to find out. A fringe “teaser” showcasing the nine performances in the festival takes place on June 7. It costs just $5, plus $5 for a festival badge required to attend all of the shows.

In addition to the $5 button, all festivalgoers must buy a $12 ticket to each show they attend. All proceeds go to the shows’ creators, who are responsible for their own publicity.

In addition to prodigal daughter Montalbano, Sarasota-area artists presenting their works at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival include Katherine Michelle Tanner, Jessica Pope and Scott Keys.

Tanner, an actress, musician, dancer and filmmaker, stars in “Shakespeare’s Lovers.” The play incorporates 29 of Shakespeare’s sonnets and 19 of Tanner’s own. Asked to describe the play, Tanner replies, “It’s about a male poet and a female painter who meet in a pool of water, a river. There’s a narrator. Things happen and it gets intense.”

The set of “Shakespeare’s Lovers” is built like a children’s pop-up book. “What we use for the water is a surprise,” Tanner adds.

The Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival is a trial run for “Shakespeare’s Lovers,” which Tanner’s new theater company, Tree Fort Productions, will perform later this year.

Even though fringe is new to Sarasota, it’s been around since 1947, when it got its start in Edinburgh, Scotland. According to Radish, there

are four fringe festivals in Florida, with Orlando hosting the longestrunning fringe festival in the U.S.

Radish had the chance to meet with representatives from fringe organizations near and far at the World Fringe Congress held in Orlando last year. “We’ve got a WhatsApp and we’re always chatting,” she says. “It’s been a wonderful resource to getting started down here.”

Speaking of getting started, it wouldn’t have been possible without the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, says Radish, as well as the support of sponsor Deep Creek Eye Care.

Reached last week in Chicago by telephone, Montalbano was counting the days until her return to Sarasota. She’s invited her parents and friends from FST theater camp and high school to see “The Princess Strikes Back.” Says Montalbano, “I’m inviting everybody.”

It will be an old home week of sorts because Scott Keys, who is starring in “The Sequestered Jester” at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, was her high school drama teacher. Keys recently retired as chair at Booker Visual and Performing Arts High School.

“It’s really wonderful that Sarasota is getting a fringe festival,” Montalbano says. “The city has such a strong theater community, and this is something that’s been missing. I hope people will come out and see what it’s about.”

IF YOU GO

SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE

FESTIVAL

When: 7 p.m. on June 8-9, 11 a.m. on June 10-11

Where: Jane B. Cook Theatre, FSU/Asolo Center for the Performing Arts

Tickets: $12 each plus $5 festival pass Info: SqueakyWheelTheatre. org.

“Director Peter Rothstein’s inventive, Broadway-quality production brings Quixote’s quest to the 21st century.” –The Observer

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

OPENING RECEPTION FOR ‘IDENTITY: EXPLORING THE HUMAN CONDITION’

6-8 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Free Visit ArtSarasota.org.

Art Center Sarasota’s largest juried exhibition of the year highlights the diverse talents of artists from across the Southeast and will be on display

OUR PICK

LES MCCURDY AND GUESTS

Join McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre founder Les McCurdy, above, in one of his rare Sarasota stage appearances. Most of the time, he’s booking other comics, teaching comedy or visiting comedy festivals and performances with his wife and club co-founder, Pam McCurdy. Runs through June 8.

IF YOU GO

When: 7 p.m. on June 7-8

Where: McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

Tickets: $25

Info: Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

in four gallery spaces. Christy Paris, an art professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, is the juror. She will present her critique on Tuesday, June 6. Runs through Aug. 11.

‘REEL MUSIC’

6 p.m. at Florida StudioTheatre’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $34-$39 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

“Reel Music” celebrates the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century, with classics like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Circle of Life” and “My Heart Will Go On.” This lively music revue reminds us that movies and music have always gone hand in hand. Runs through June 25.

‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’

8 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $35 Visit AsoloRep.org.

Incoming Asolo Rep Producing

Artistic Director Peter Rothstein directs a modern-day version of the 1965 musical hit “Man of La Mancha,” based on the classic Cervantes novel about Don Quixote’s “Impossible Dream.” Runs through June 11.

‘SHEAR MADNESS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

There’s been a murder in a local hair salon, and it’s up to Sarasota audiences to outwit the suspects and catch the killer in this interactive comedy whodunit. Runs through June 25.

MARK SCHATZ AND BRYAN MCDOWELL

7:30 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $24 members; $20 nonmembers; students $12 Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville.

Acoustic music “Renaissance man” Mark Schatz and multiinstrumentalist Bryan McDowell deliver a high-energy show full of fiddle tunes, songs, clogging and hambone.

TOM SIMMONS

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Tom Simmons’ TV appearances on major networks include Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, Bounce TV, Comedy.TV, Laughs on FOX and Comics Unleashed. Runs through June 4.

MONDAY ‘GRAND CARNIVAL — DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER’

8 p.m. at Circus Arts Conservatory, 2075 Bahia Vista St. $75 Visit PPSRQ.org/GrandCarnival-2023.

The Grand Carnival features Ada Vox and Zee Machine, an open bar and light bites. The honorary chairs for the Project Pride SRQ event are Donna Koffman and family.

TUESDAY

‘MIDDLE EARTH AND THE SHIRE: THE WORLDS OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’

11 a.m. at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $10 Visit OlliRinglingCollege.org.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) presents a lecture by Martha Hill on distinguished scholar and professor J.R.R. Tolkien, whose special subject was Old Norse. Tolkien’s love of languages led to the creation of his own and the fully realized world of Middle Earth.

WEDNESDAY

FRINGE TEASER: SQUEAKY

WHEEL FRINGE FESTIVAL

8 p.m. at Cook Theatre at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $5 with a $5 festival button. Tickets for individual shows are $12. Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Sarasota’s first fringe festival shines a spotlight on affordable, no-holdsbarred theater, dance, puppetry, music, visual arts and spoken word. Fringe fests don’t focus on a single genre but act as a performing arts potpourri. Runs through June 11.

DON’T MISS Ready, Set, Eat!

Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week is back, and it’s bigger than ever.

Foodies, rejoice! It’s the most wonderful time of year —Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week, which is actually two weeks. From June 1-14, more than 50 area restaurants will offer lunch menus (appetizer and entrée) for $25 per person and dinner specials (appetizer, entrée and dessert) for $40. Many eateries are also offering upgrades and wine and spirit pairings in honor of the occasion.

Savor Sarasota participants are located in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Nokomis/Osprey/Venice/Englewood and St. Armands Circle.

“Our restaurants stepped up and created some impressive lunch and dinner menus this year, like Organic Farmer’s Table’s Mushroom French Dip, A Sprig of Thyme’s Canard Pyrenees and Fins at Sharky’s Seafood Risotto,” said Erin Duggan, vice president of Visit Sarasota County, in a statement.

This year, there are several newcomers, including 481 Gourmet in the Rosemary District, Kona Grill at University Town Center, Grillsmith, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Maestrale Restaurant & Pizzeria in Sarasota, LobsterCraft on St. Armands, Lazy Lobster on Longboat and Kacey’s Seafood Lockwood Ridge, as well as the Kacey’s on Fruitville Road.

Savor Sarasota was launched in 2006 as Restaurant Week with the aim of helping local eateries attract business during the “off season.”For a full list of participating restaurants and to browse their menus, visit VisitSarasota.com/Savor-Sarasota/Restaurants.

Courtesy photos

Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell will appear at Fogartyville on Thursday, June 1.

The raw oysters are always fresh at Crab & Fin.

Carved porcini-rubbed sliced iron steak at Michael’s On East.

with

‘Shear Madness’ brings hair-raising hilarity to FST

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

“Shear Madness” has returned to the Florida Studio Theatre stage — for the third time. What kind of play is it? Let’s just say it lives up to its name. The show’s an audience hit, but it’s hard to describe.

In live theater, scripted plays and improvisation are usually kept as rigidly separate as peas and mashed potatoes on a high school lunch tray. If the play’s got a script, the actors and director find their own interpretation, but don’t mess with the words on the page.

“Shear Madness,” which opened on May 31, is a rare exception. It’s scripted comedy, but the script isn’t sacred. Night after night, many lines wind up on the cutting room floor.

Other dialogue is made up on the spot. An actor might do some Robin Williams-style improv. Or audience interaction might create a new direction. It’s never the same play twice.

It’s been that way since Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams first launched the show in 1978. They adapted it from Paul Portner’s “Scherenschnitt,” an interactive German language play about the killing of a concert pianist.

It was no laughing matter. “I was in a production of that play,” Jordan recalls. “Portner was a Swiss psy-

chologist. He wrote it as a serious drama about human perception — but the audience input could get so off-the-wall, it’d instantly turn into a comedy, and the house would just crack up. For our adaptation, Marilyn and I decided to take it in a comic direction.”

In Jordan and Abrams’ version, the action unfolds in the “Shear Madness” hair salon. The victim (still a pianist) is also now the landlady who lives directly above. Scissors are still the murder weapon — the unkindest cut of all. Two detectives appear, look for evidence and grill the suspects. (And everybody’s a suspect.)

At the end of the show, the audience becomes the jury that decides who’s guilty.

Each production fleshes out this story skeleton with local and timely references. The salon’s now in Sarasota. The hellish traffic on U.S. 41, Ron DeSantis and Bradenton’s arcane street names are now the comic targets of choice.

With the exception of Gina Milo, all the actors are “Shear Madness” veterans. The director’s none other than Jordan himself. When I attended a recent rehearsal, he was sitting close to the action with a big smile on his face. The actors were playing around. He lets them play and tosses out occasional notes.

The cast is rehearsing an early (pre-murder) scene. The laconic Nick (Gil Brady) sits in the barber’s chair awaiting a shave. The flamboyant Tony (Jordan Ahnquist) hops around him with nonstop chatter and the attention span of a West Highland Terrier. He’s giving Nick

Courtesy photos

“Shear Madness” runs through June 25 at FST’s Gompertz Theatre.

In this murder-mystery comedy, the play is never the same thing.

directions to his Bradenton house …

Tony: It’s real easy to get to. You just hop on U.S. 41. It turns to 14th Street West, but keep going. You’ll go past the Walmart, the wastewater treatment plant, the other Walmart, then follow …

Nick: Whoa! Stop with the directions, ’cause I am never going to Bradenton …

Jordan rewinds the scene. The actors replay it a few times and sprinkle in more local references, while the director and the other actors shout out suggestions.

Along with tweaking the dialogue, Jordan also fine-tunes the movement. In the next scene, Milo’s character Barb appears — the salon’s other hairdresser. They cross the space, then turn and go in opposite directions. At the turn, they almost collide — but spot each other just in time.

“Do it again, but don’t make eye contact,” Jordan suggests. “It’ll be funnier that way.”

The actors repeat the scene. Tony’s lost in thought, a motormouth as usual. He’s oblivious to Barb’s vector of motion. At the turn, he almost ploughs into Barb. But he doesn’t even notice the near-collision.

The director’s right. The scene is

funnier. But it’s only one of many.

“Shear Madness” is packed with physical comedy. It’s as much dance as dialogue. Along with being a director/playwright, Jordan’s also a choreographer.

At the break, the actors in the show express their love for “Shear Madness.” Its unpredictable improv isn’t their usual wheelhouse — and that’s why they love it. They get a kick out of the collaborative nature of the play, and their freedom to change lines and add new bits here and there.

Brady sums it up best. “There’s a reason we keep coming back to ‘Shear Madness,’” he says. “It’s the same reason audiences keep coming back. This play is so much fun. It’s insanely fun! And it never gets old because it changes every time.”

IF YOU GO

‘SHEAR MADNESS’

When: Through June 25

Tickets: $29-$49

Where: FST Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota Info: Call 366-9000 or visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

ONE LOCATION ENDLESS EXPERIENCES FOR ALL ringling.org

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Capping off the school year

Graduates

with ties to Longboat Key take the next step in their education.

Another year down, another step forward — whether it’s college or continuing school locally, the next step is always an exciting one. Congratulations to the Class of 2023!

As the Observer likes to say, ad astra (to the stars)!

Here’s a selection of recent graduates with close ties to Longboat Key and a snapshot of their scholastic careers so far. This year’s class of Longboat graduates might be a small one, but it’s accomplished.

— JAMES PETER

REAGAN LEE WALTER

Reagan Lee Walter, daughter of Janet and Steve Walter, was born on Longboat Key and has lived there since, making her a Longboat Key native. She graduated on May 19 from Sarasota High School, where she was in the AICE and MAST honors programs. Reagan was also chosen to represent Florida at the American Junior Academy of Sciences conference.

She played four years of varsity lacrosse and golf during her high school career.

Outside of her studies, Reagan competes in equestrian eventing and enjoys boating and fishing with her family, along with drawing and weightlifting.

This fall, she is headed to Auburn University, where she’ll study architecture. She won’t be headed to college alone, though. She’ll be accompanied by her Dutch warmblood horse, “Ellie,” because Reagan will continue her equestrian career as a member of Auburn’s eventing equestrian team.

JORDAN TOBEY

Jordan Tobey has lived on Longboat Key with her grandparents, Bradford and Debra Schinbeckler, since she was in preschool.

OLIVIA BERGENHOLTZ

Olivia Bergenholtz, daughter of Erik and Karen Bergenholtz, graduated from the Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey. She was a distance runner for the varsity cross country and track teams. As a junior and senior, Olivia was captain of both teams. She also took part in the Female Athlete Network. As a member, she helped support women athletes’ equity in sports.

She won a number of awards including the Coaches’ Award (three times) and the MVP Athlete Award (three times).

Outside of sports, Olivia was a senior member of the Red Shield Society, a group that promotes the school and shares student experiences with prospective students of the Hun School.

What’s next for Olivia? She’ll be attending Loyola University Chicago.

Jordan recently graduated from Anna Maria Elementary School. The theme of the graduation ceremony was “Aloha!”

Jordan’s scholastic career is off to a great start; she’s won a number of awards already, including the President’s Award for Academic Achievement, the Certificate of Achievement for the Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science Program at Anna Maria Elementary School and the Florida 4-H Certificate of Public Speaking. She also earned the Holmes Beach Police Excellence in Law Enforcement coin for safety patrol.

Next year, Jordan will be attending middle school at Inspiration Academy in Bradenton.

When she’s not busy with schoolwork, Jordan’s often found playing flag football or soccer. She also loves to water ski, and she’s a big fan of the Sarasota Ski-a-Rees water ski show.

Ian Swaby

Courtesy photos

Michael Saunders & Company

Follow on Instagram @LongboatLife

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Honoring the fallen

Bird Key Yacht Club pays tribute to the sacrifices service members made in defense of the country.

There were more than 135 people in the audience for the Bird Key Yacht Club’s annual Memorial Day Remembrance Monday night at the Bird Key Yacht Club. Among them were 40 club members who are veterans.

Bird Key Yacht Club Vice Commodore Steve Horton, in his address, reminded those in attendance that it’s the obligation of every American to ensure that the sacrifice of the country’s fallen soldiers is not in vain, to see that the freedoms we enjoy are preserved.

Horton, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, described an October trip to Normandy, France, and the magnitude of the sacrifice that is memorialized there. He also recalled how during the Vietnam War he and his fellow midshipmen at the Naval Academy were instructed not to wear their uniforms while on leave.

“The legacy of Vietnam remains complicated,” said Horton.

Horton concluded by contrasting the lack of freedom in Russia and Ukraine currently with those enjoyed in the U.S.

It was not “a political statement,” he explained, but an “observation.”

The Young Marines of the Imagine School at North Port posted and retired the colors. Michael Kutner, club member and a former opera singer, sang the national anthem without accompaniment. Gemma Briggs, on bagpipes, played “Danny Boy,” before the “Tribute to the Fallen,” during which Horton paid tribute to the more than 600,000 soldiers who have died in service to the country since 1775.

Briggs concluded the ceremony with a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

— JAMES PETER

563 Bay Isles Rd • 941-383-8161 AllAngelsLBK.org

TheRev.Dr.NormanPritchard

Men’sBibleStudy:Monday@9:00

Women’sBibleStudy:Wednesday@10:00

Visitors&ResidentsWelcome

www.bit.ly/cclbksermonsor www.christchurchoflbk.org (followYouTubelink)

The Rev. Dr.Norman Pritchard Masks Are Optional Visitors & Residents Welcome Watc hO ur 10:00 AM Service Live : www.bit.ly/cc lbksermons or www.christchurchof lbk.org (follow YouTube link)

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

Steve Horton, vice commodore of the Bird Key Yacht Club and a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, presents the “Tribute to the Fallen.”

Photos by Sidra Wali

Young Marines from the Imagine School post the colors.

Gemma Briggs plays "Danny Boy" for the Song in Memory.

Michael Landis speaks during the Memorial Day ceremony at Bird Key Yacht Club.

Curtiss Schantz and John Roble

One fine show

JAMES PETER MANAGING EDITOR

St. Armands Circle turned into an open-air fine art gallery May 27-28, with artists’ tents covering the green for the annual St. Armands

Fine Arts Festival.

The artists showing their work were accomplished in a variety of media, including oil and acrylic paints, metalwork, ceramics and fossilized shark teeth. The one common denominator among the artists was that most were from Florida.

Painter Victoria B. Cooley of Sarasota described her work as “more traditional and coastal.” The Ringling College graduate said the beauty of festivals like St. Armands’ is that it brings artists into contact with “hundreds of different people” in a short time period.

She shows her work at about 30 shows a season. Cooley explained that she’s received a number of commissions through the festivals, with commissions booked through July.

“Summer is when I replenish my work,” she said. Cooley offers a variety of special prints and artwork, including pocket-sized canvases on mini easels, perfect for fitting into a suitcase or carry-on.

“I just want people to have art,” she said.

One artist’s tent stopped passersby with a simple sign, “Yes, they are paintings.”

Ken Orton’s paintings prompted a number of double takes from festivalgoers who might have mistaken them for photos. The Venice-based artist hails from Birmingham, England, and taught art in Spain at the Centre de Arte Joan Miro of the Baleares International School in Palma de Mallorca, where among other

lessons he imparted the power of the ellipse and transparency to students.

“I can build anything from that,” he said.

His Venice studio is called The Workhouse, which he jokingly described in Dickensian terms. While Orton paints there he said he prefers the cadence of baseball broadcasts or audiobooks. Music would overpower or distract from the painting, which itself is “very musical.”

After years of attending 40 shows a year, Orton said he plans a more sensible 20 or so shows in the future, yet he still paints “most of the night.”

With tongue in cheek, he advised, “Every time someone takes a photo of an artist’s work without permission, a kitten dies.”

Ken Orton of Venice, Florida

Victoria B. Cooley, of Sarasota, paints with acrylic and oils to create beach scenes.

Photos by Sidra Wali

Fine arts festival draws crowd to St. Armands Circle, where local artists showed off their work.

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Emerald Harbor house tops this week’s sales at $2.25 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Emerald Harbor tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Eileen Hassel and Joseph James Fleming, of Edina, Minnesota, sold their home at 700 Old Compass Road to Donald and Sally Johnson, of Pekin, Illinois, for $2.25 million. Built in 1960, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,982 square feet of living area. It sold for $799,000 in 2001.

BIRD KEY

JRMR Florida Bird LLC sold the home at 526 Bird Key Drive to Bird Key Piano House LLC for $2,225,000. Built in 1965, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,350 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.3 million in 2022.

JOHN RINGLING ESTATES

Danny Snyder, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 517 Madison Drive to E. Denison Holder, of Big Sky, Montana, for $2 million. Built in 1953, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 1,951 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2004.

EMERALD POINTE NORTH

Houston and Betty Little, of Brentwood, Tennessee, sold their Unit 4 condominium at 2067 Harbour Links Drive to Teresa South, of Longboat Key, for $1.55 million. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,643 square feet of living area. It sold for $705,000 in 2018.

THE BEACHES OF LONGBOAT KEY

Robin Davis Delgado and Anthony Joseph Delgado, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 505 condominium

at 775 Longboat Club Road to Ari and Zoe Paxinos, of Western Springs, Illinois, for $1,495,000. Built in 1984, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,602 square feet of living area. It sold for $915,000 in 2016.

HARBOUR OAKS II Peter and Susan Lanzavecchia, of Longboat Key, sold their home at 2362 Harbour Oaks Drive to Gary Friedland and Jeanne Calderon, of Tarrytown, New York, for $1,367,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,409 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2021.

SEA GATE CLUB Richard Newman, of New York City, sold the Unit 2-E condominium at 2425 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Kevin and Arlene Crute, of Harbor Springs, Michigan, for $1.3 million. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,470 square feet of living area. It sold for $73,500 in 1977.

GRAND BAY Corrine Schaffer, trustee, and Sol Schaffer, of Morristown, New Jersey, sold the Unit 541 condominium at 3080 Grand Bay Blvd. to Patrick Gilmore and Mary Ann

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Gilmore, trustees, of Louisville, Colorado, for $1.04 million. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,270 square feet of living area. It sold for $515,000 in 2001.

FAIRWAY BAY

Nicholas Gallinaro and Elaine Gallinaro, trustees, sold the Unit 347 condominium at 2016 Harbourside Drive to Katherine and Matthew Sperling, of New York City, for $995,000. Built in 1984, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $455,000 in 2012.

WINDWARD BAY

Victor Cuco and Melissa Rodocker sold their Unit 9-V-32-C condo-

MAY 15-19

Shirsyl Inc. sold the Unit 425 condominium at 5055 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Francis and Patricia Grey, of Easttown Paoli, Pennsylvania, for $725,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,484 square feet of living area. It sold for $172,000 in 1989.

Delbert Heath Jr., trustee, of Mokena, Illinois, sold the Unit 114 condominium at 5055 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Robert and Jamie Voskovitch, of Ft. Myers, for $665,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,484 square feet of living area. It sold for $134,000 in 1987.

SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB

William Jameson Roberts, of Bradenton, sold his Unit 118 condominium at 578 Spanish Drive S. to Laura Lynn Smith, of Longboat Key, for $545,000. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,337 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,000 in 2021.

LONGBOAT ARMS

minium at 4810 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Richardson and Elizabeth Hendee, of Deep River, Connecticut, for $839,900. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,422 square feet of living area. It sold for $465,000 in 2021.

SANDS POINT

Ruth Wheeler, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 220 condominium at 100 Sands Point Road to Brian Donahue, of Collierville, Tennessee, for $760,000. Built in 1966, it has one bedroom, two baths and 1,492 square feet of living area. It sold for $43,800 in 1980.

CLUB LONGBOAT BEACH AND TENNIS

Barbara Dietz and Gerald Fernandez, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, sold their Unit 104-C condominium at 3320 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Richard Paul McKeown Jr. and Sheray Elaine McKeown, of Dana Point, California, for $455,000. Built in 1971, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,080 square feet of living area. It sold for $239,000 in 2013.

ST. JUDES

David Kaylor and Catherine Kaylor-Bean, of Temple Terrace, sold their Unit 3 condominium at 571 Saint Judes Drive to Steven Earl Kemp and Lisa Kemp, of Colfax, Wisconsin, for $400,000. Built in 1957, it has one bedroom, one bath and 611 square feet of living area. It sold for $159,900 in 2014.

James Peter

This home at 700 Old Compass Road has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,982 square feet of living area.

YOUR CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

PUBLIC TURTLE WALKS 6:45 a.m. at 4795 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Free. Join the Longboat Key Turtle Watch every Saturday in June and July. Learn about protecting sea turtles. Participants will learn about turtle tracks and how volunteers scout the beaches for signs of turtle nesting. The walk will also provide information about keeping beaches safe for sea turtles. Please arrive by 6:45 a.m. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes and bring water and sunscreen. No unattended children. In the event of severe weather, the walk may be canceled.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6 LIFE IN THE UN-FREEDOM STATE

Noon to 1 p.m. Virtual event. Free. The Longboat Key Democratic Club welcomes Andrew Warren, Florida District 13 state attorney, who will speak as part of a free Zoom presentation that will address the governor’s latest legislative and policy moves, including his retaliation against Disney. A Q&A will follow the presentation. Register online at LBKDems.com/Events.

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. This class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS

LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE

The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to noon 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 Cen-

BEST BET

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

LONGBOAT NETWORKING AT NOON

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ventura’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar, 6814 Gulf of Mexico Drive. $30 for members; $40 for prospective members. Join Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce members and your fellow Longboat Key residents for this luncheon opportunity to catch up, shoot the breeze and get to know one another. Menu options include linguine and clams in white or red sauce, Mama Deb chicken Milanese or meatball Parmigiana sub. RSVP with menu choice to 383-2466 or info@LBKChamber.com

ter, 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 Amy@ TheParadiseCenter.org.

ROTARY CLUB

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

WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

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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.

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

Mary Kondrat captured this photo of an incoming storm on Longboat Key.

1325 WESTWAY DRIVE

$15,000,000

Step into this tropical escape through the hidden courtyard that connects the 3BR main home to the private 2BR guest house, as the perfect introduction to a contemporary masterpiece

415 L’AMBIANCE DRIVE #PHA

$12,000,000

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7652 SANDERLING ROAD

$9,995,000

This private, custom estate, situated on over an acre with 172’ of beachfront, offers unobstructed views of the Gulf’s coastal landscape, complemented by a design specifically crafted to accentuate the breathtaking beach and sunset panoramas from any room.

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1172 HORIZON VIEW DRIVE

$6,995,000

Indulge in this delightful beach getaway boasting over 100’ of water frontage, inviting you to personalize it with your unique touches. However, it is equally perfect for immediate enjoyment in its current state.

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816 JUNGLE QUEEN WAY

$1,599,000

Turnkey furnished! This lovely 3BR waterfront on Longboat Key is waitingt for you to make it your own. Positioned in a central locale, you will love the deeded beach access and easy boating access to Sarasota Bay.

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235 COCOANUT AVENUE #125D

$995,000

Nestled only a few minutes from the heart of downtown Sarasota, this townhome is perfectly positioned in a central location. With its contemporary 3BR design and move-in ready condition, you’ll feel right at home.

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3030 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #346 $2,595,000

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

435 L’AMBIANCE DRIVE #J603 $3,950,000

As soon as you step into this exquisite, custom-designed residence at the sought-after L’Ambiance on Longboat Key, you’ll be captivated by its stunning and unobstructed Gulf-to-Bay views. This fully furnished getaway, including two parking spaces, invites you to move in and immediately start enjoying its beauty. www.435LAmbianceJ603.com

3030 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #316 $2,495,000

Prepare to be enchanted by the stunning, awe-inspiring views that await at this luxurious 3BR Grand Bay residence. Fall in love with its sprawling 2,925 SF and modern updates. www.GrandBay316.com

3040 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #251 $2,295,000

Sunny bay views welcome you to this 5th-floor, nearly 3,000 SF retreat, featuring an open, 3BR layout waiting for you to add your personal touches. Includes private beach! www.GrandBay251.com

201 NORTH WASHINGTON DRIVE $2,195,000

The walkable location of this St. Armands home will immediately draw you in. Ideally situated on an oversized, 1/4-acre lot for you to design your dream home. www.201NorthWashington.com

You will love the convenience of moving right into this wellmaintained home, with its sunny, open interior, 3BR+den layout, and many resort-style amenities a short walk away. www.173CiprianiWay.com

5693 CABRERA COURT $499,000

Constructed by DiVosta Homes, this exquisite 3BR townhome on the exclusive grounds of Palmer Ranch, offers a private courtyard lifestyle that exudes beauty, light, and warmth. www.5693CabreraCourt.com