Longboat Observer 4.25.24

LONGBOAT

Observer

Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978

Taste of Tuscany PAGE 16

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

VOLUME 46, NO. 37

YOUR TOWN

Commission looks to future Potential projects include everything from flooding fixes to a new rec center. SEE PAGE 2

Courtesy photo

Connie DiMaggio and Pam Blevins

Longboat Harbour says farewell Longboat Harbour Condominiums threw a pizza party from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on April 18 to celebrate the end of another successful season on Longboat Key. “People stayed out there until later than we expected,” said resident Karen Pashkow.

“We love it when everyone is having fun because that is our goal, but we had to clean up so we had a wait a bit to do that.

But, that’s how you know it’s a good party.”

This was the second-biggest event hosted by Longboat Harbour with 158 people attending.

Along with pizza galore on the beach, residents danced the day away to live beach music performed by musician John Rinell.

Longboat Harbour had a busy season full of holiday events, new additions to its ever-growing Yacht Club and many watch parties in its clubhouse. The pizza party allowed residents to reminisce on the busy year and say goodbye to their Longboat friends until next season.

Pashkow said that it is events like these make residents sad to leave Longboat and can’t wait for the season to start again.

KNITTING FOR JOY Dolores Engelke spreads smiles with her lovable handmade creations.

SEE PAGE 14

Petra Rivera

Dolores Engelke has knitted and given away 2,500 bears since 2017. She says she knits a bear a day.

Image courtesy of Marc Ellis

A+E

Turtle season crawls toward us Sea turtle nesting season officially begins on May 1. But nests may start appearing earlier, like in recent years.

With that in mind, the town’s “Flip a Switch, Save Our Turtles” initiative will soon be in effect.

That means any lights that are visible from the beach need to be turned off or shielded.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission encourages people to turn off any lights that aren’t necessary at night during nesting season.

Alternatively, turtle-friendly bulbs and fixtures can be installed. That includes replacing high-intensity bulbs, like iridescent, with amber, orange or red LED bulbs with the lowest wattage possible.

During nesting season, the town also requires property owners to remove temporary structures from the beach every night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Carter Weinhofer

Crews drop a deep-cover reef module into Sarasota Bay.

Reef restoration begins Program provides habitat for fish with artificial reef program. PAGE 3

The new dance in town.

INSIDE

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Commissioners think long-term at retreat CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

O

n April 15, town commissioners met for a strategic planning retreat in preparation for the next fiscal year. The retreat was the next phase in budget preparations and a period of long-range planning for the town.

Previously, the town collected input from the citizen satisfaction survey and a public workshop with community organizations. The feedback provided from those methods helped drive some of the conversations at the April 15 workshop.

From the survey, the town noted that respondents had several common issues that were important for the town to address in the coming years, including beach management, sea-level rise, canal dredging and street flooding.

Town Manager Howard Tipton also introduced some of the budget talks, first by providing an overview of some budget positives.

The fiscal year 2023 change in fund balance was up $2.9 million as of Tipton’s presentation. That included $2.2 million in excess reserves and $750,000 in capital reserve.

The town continues to actively pursue grants, Tipton mentioned, which are important for projects like the drainage improvements in Sleepy Lagoon, Buttonwood and the Village.

Additionally, Tipton said the opening of the St. Regis Longboat Key is a budget positive on the horizon.

But there are some budget chal-

lenges that Tipton expressed to commissioners. First is to figure out a method for funding the canal maintenance program. Also included in the challenges was an increase in the cost for the town’s subaqueous force main project, for which costs have increased nearly 30%, by $8 million.

Insurance rates and inflation in general continue to be at the forefront of budget challenges as well, Tipton added.

PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

With budget in mind, Tipton walked commissioners through a chart of long-term issues that the town will address from 2024 through 2032.

The presentation focused on 20242025.

Drainage improvement projects for Sleepy Lagoon, Buttonwood and the Village will advance through design in 2025, and, pending funding, the Norton Street project will begin construction.

The town’s canal maintenance dredging program received a resurvey in March, and Tipton said an update on that will be presented to commissioners in June before furthering the discussion around funding and methodology for the program.

For the Town Center Phase 3, the remainder of 2024 will be spent focusing on fundraising and working toward the final design. In 2025, design and permitting are slated to

“The rec center at Bayfront Park is one that’s going to last a few more years, but it is on our agenda, on our radar, to look to replace.”

— Howard Tipton

wrap up, and construction could begin if applicable.

The Broadway roundabout is currently going through a redesign, and the Country Club Shores left-turn lane project should be constructed in 2024. Then, in 2025, construction of the Broadway roundabout could be on its way, depending on funding.

Tipton also mentioned that the Recreation Center at Bayfront Park is an opportunity down the road.

“The rec center at Bayfront Park is one that’s going to last a few more years, but it is on our agenda, on our radar, to look to replace,” Tipton said.

The commission approved design money to get a rough idea this year, but Tipton said staff wants to be mindful of not competing with the Sarasota County library if extra fundraising is needed for the rec center.

For now, any rec center improvements are a little ways away, but commissioners suggested maybe this would be another opportunity for Sarasota County to invest back into Longboat Key. On the topic of space, Tipton said town staff began considering the need for more space for employees in the future.

“If we were to add additional positions, we are rapidly running out of space in town hall,” Tipton said.

Tipton said the town tries to be flexible with employees who could work remotely or share an office space, but it’s at a point where it will be an “interesting conversation,” he said.

For example, there is no conference room in Public Works, and Tipton said meetings in that building often have to take place in the break room where staff are trying to have some downtime.

The next step in the strategic planning process is the first budget workshop for fiscal year 2025. That will take place on May 20. A second budget workshop will be on June 17.

File image

Finding funding to address flooding in the Village and other areas has become a priority for the commission.

FY25 — FY26 STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES

Tipton and staff updated the town’s strategic planning matrix to eliminate projects completed in 2024 and add some new initiatives in the five categories: Community Character, Fiscal Sustainability, Environmental/Resiliency, Infrastructure and Services. Below are some notable additions.

Community Character: The town will look to ensure the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Florida Department of Transportation’s funding for a Planning, Development and Environment study for the Complete Streets Corridor Plan in 2026.

Along with improvements to the town dock, the town will work with Manatee County to establish a ferry landing site.

Fiscal Sustainability: Increased funding will be explored for the town road resurfacing project.

The town will seek grants to help offset costs for a 1,300-square-foot addition to the police department and other projects.

Environmental/Resiliency: An aerial mapping of the town’s mangroves will happen in

2025.

Staff will continue to look into the design and permitting of beach structure solutions for Gulfside Road.

Infrastructure: In 2025, the town will design and replace the existing entrance signs on the north and south ends with digital signage.

Construction of the County Club Shores asbestos cement pipe replacement project will be completed in Phases 1 and 2.

Phases 3 and 4 are set to begin in 2025.

Services: The town hopes to complete a website redesign in 2025 and also implement a public-facing town performance indicator and dashboard.

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In their strategic retreat, commissioners discussed future major projects and reviewed the town’s initiatives for 2025-2026.

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

UNDERWATER COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Photos by Carter Weinhofer

Crews drop a deep-cover reef module into Sarasota Bay.

During the week of April 22, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program deployed 24 concrete artificial reefs as part of a $150,000 program aimed at providing habitat for fish.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

T Staff Scientist Jay Leverone and Executive Director Dave Tomasko suit up to examine sone existing artificial reefs.

he Sarasota Bay Estuary Program recently deployed 24 artificial reefs across six sites in Sarasota Bay, the first project of its kind in about a decade.

The reef modules, called deepcover modules, are large, concrete structures that are about four feet wide. Each site has four modules and will create an underwater ecosystem to support the growth of juvenile grouper, according to SBEP Executive Director Dave Tomasko.

Members of the SBEP went by boat

The deep-cover modules are about the size of a large circular table.

on April 23 to watch the first reefs deployed. Half were set in place the first day, and the remaining dozen would be installed the following day.

Reef Innovations, which has its plant in Sarasota, built the modules for the SBEP. Money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Sarasota Sportsmens Association provided the estuary program with the $150,000 necessary to carry out the project. Donations from the Sarasota Sportsmens Association to SBEP totaled about $50,000.

About $4.5 million of funds from the BIL allowed the SBEP to embark on a series of habitat restoration projects — something that was previously not possible within the SBEP’s standard funding. Other projects include the F.I.S.H. Preserve in Cortez and improvements to Bradenton’s G.T. Bray Park.

“We came up with the work plan a couple of years ago that said, we’ve got this opportunity to spend $4.5 million from the infrastructure law, and we’re not going to spend it on studies and reports. We’re going to spend it on restoration projects,” Tomasko said.

According to Tomasko, some artificial reef projects were completed

by Manatee and Sarasota counties in the past, and the SBEP did similar projects as well.

“It’s not like no one’s ever done this before, but it hasn’t been done in about 10 years,” Tomasko said.

CREATING UNDERWATER COMMUNITY

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Longboat Key

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Whale Key Reef

Bayshore South Reef

When choosing a type of artificial reef, SBEP took part in a year-long monitoring process to pick the best one.

When Staff Scientist Jay Leverone saw about 40 gag grouper at one reef site with deep cover modules, he knew that was the type to use.

The six sites in Sarasota Bay will

be Bayshore North Reef, Whale Key Reef, Bayshore South Reef, Walkers Reef, Harts Reef and Sportsmans Reef. These sites were previously permitted for artificial reefs, Tomasko said, which made the process easier.

The reef sites are also accessible by kayak. Once populated with fish, Tomasko said the hope is that the reef sites will give people the opportunity to experience fishing for grouper without needing a big boat and going offshore.

The four modules at each site will be spaced out, but not too far.

“The idea is to cluster them close enough to each other so that fish can swim from one to another,” Tomasko said. “And the idea also is that we don’t want to have these individual reefs scattered so far away that fish can’t go from one reef site to another.”

Creating a safe, interconnected habitat for juvenile fish to grow will hopefully help to stock the offshore fisheries.

“Fish have very high mortality and early life history stages,” Tomasko said. “So if you only focus on habitat for the adults, then you’re going to miss probably the most important thing, which is the habitat for the younger stages.”

After a couple weeks, there could be marine life like sponges growing on the reefs.

In about a year or two, the reefs will be “soaked,” according to Leverone. That means the artificial reefs will be fully immersed by then, and hopefully creating an underwater community.

Then, fish around the reefs could be tagged with the hope of becoming part of larger monitoring projects related to offshore fishing. That way, SBEP and other organizations can point to artificial reef programs like this as promoting the growth of juvenile fish that later go on to support offshore fisheries.

“The vast majority of the grouper you’re going to eat are not coming from Sarasota Bay, they’re probably coming from offshore,” Tomasko said. “But if you don’t have a Sarasota Bay, then you’re not going to be able to have a healthy offshore fishery.”

Walkers Reef Harts Reef

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ARTIFICIAL REEF LOCATIONS

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Sportsmans Reef

Larry Beggs, with Reef Innovations, helps guide the crew in deploying the deep-cover artificial reefs.

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Neighborly discussions Mayors from Longboat Key, Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach met on Longboat to address common issues.

STAFF WRITER

E

lected officials from the Manatee County barrier islands met at Longboat Key’s Town Hall on April 17 to discuss some key issues relating to the municipalities.

Mayor Ken Schneier and Town Manager Howard Tipton were at the meeting to represent Longboat Key. Also at the meeting were Mayor Dan Murphy of the city of Anna Maria, Mayor John Chappie of the city of Bradenton Beach and Mayor Judy Titsworth of the city of Holmes Beach.

MANGROVE MATTERS

To start the meeting, officials heard from Abbey Tyrna, executive director for Suncoast Waterkeeper.

Tyrna said Longboat resident and Suncoast Waterkeeper Chairman Rusty Chinnis asked her to give a presentation to the officials concerning mangrove enforcement in the area.

“This is a crisis that is occurring throughout the Suncoast,” Tyrna said.

A recent incident in Anna Maria led to the removal of mangroves along a property’s seawall. The removal caught a lot of news attention, Tyrna said, and sparked conversation as to what more local municipalities could do to regulate mangrove trimming and removal.

In the last year, Tyrna said Suncoast Waterkeeper received 18 reports of over-trimming or removal of mangroves. That doesn’t include

other reports that might not have gone through the organization.

“Now, more than ever, we need strong, local policies that protect our mangrove systems,” Tyrna said.

“And what the good news is, is that local governments can actually take delegation of enforcement of the 1996 Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act.” For example, Sarasota County, the city of Sanibel and the town of Jupiter Island are three municipalities that have taken on enforcement of the act. In those cases, the municipalities can be stricter than the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, according to Tyrna.

Along Longboat’s 81 canals, mangroves are unprotected since the

“Now, more than ever, we need strong, local policies that protect our mangrove systems. And what the good news is, is that local governments can actually take delegation of enforcement of the 1996 Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act.” — Abbey Tyrna, executive director for Suncoast Waterkeeper

File image

At their April 17 meeting, barrier island mayors discussed how they might collaborate to better enforce regulations preventing illegal trimming or removal of mangroves, like the one that occurred on Longboat in 2023.

1996 act allows for the removal of mangroves along man-made canals.

This is an issue because of mangroves’ role in coastal protection, which can be more effective than alternative methods, Tyrna said.

She also showed an example of an MLS listing that stated mangroves would be removed from the property.

“That means there’s a lack of understanding of just how beneficial these systems are,” Tyrna said.

Taking over mangrove regulation enforcement has come up in conversation in the past for Longboat Key, but wasn’t something that staff thought about pursuing.

Tipton mentioned to the other officials at the meeting that a representative from the FDEP will attend a commission meeting in May to continue the conversation about mangrove enforcement.

The mayors discussed the possibility of joining forces in mangrove enforcement. Murphy suggested that maybe in the future it could be a joint effort through an interlocal agreement.

“The scalping is not going to stop.

It’s going to continue until we do something about it,” Murphy said.

Tipton said that while Longboat Key doesn’t have the resources to

take on something like this, a cooperative effort could be possible.

TRAFFIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Chappie informed the mayors that the contractors associated with the Bradenton Beach sewer replacement project have about 140-169 days left on the contract.

“They’re moving along great,” Chappie said.

Schneier discussed the Gulf Islands Water Ferry and informed the other mayors that the town boat ramp on Linley Street was in consideration for becoming a future ferry destination. The ramp is also up for some repairs.

Tipton said the Florida Department of Transportation might come back to the Longboat Key town commission in June to discuss the Longboat Pass Bridge, which connects Longboat Key and Bradenton Beach.

Tipton also said that town staff met with the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization to talk about the corridor going from Cortez south into Longboat Key. He noted that traffic in that corridor was longer this year than in previous years.

“And so the MPO is looking to circle back around to the Barrier

Island Traffic Study and look at the rest of the recommendations that were implemented to see what else can we do to help with the traffic,” Tipton said.

Longboat Key is in communication with Manatee County about the topic, according to Tipton, and asked for participation from the other barrier islands as well.

One of the problems, Tipton said, is the Coquina Beach parking lot.

Chappie confirmed that the latest construction added well over 100 spaces.

“Don’t misunderstand where the traffic is coming from,” Chappie said. “I would guess most of them are actually coming from Longboat Key, not the beach … I think the bridges are the big thing that’s going to help.”

Tipton noted that many cars waiting in traffic tend to turn into the beach parking lot and drive north and get back into the traffic line to cut ahead.

The solution may be closing the gates, which could prevent that situation, Tipton said.

At the end of the meeting, Schneier introduced the mayors to District 4 Commissioner Debra Williams, who was recently appointed as the commission’s Manatee County liaison.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

5

Costs rise by over 1/3 for underwater sewer main The project rose in cost by about $8 million and would replace the subaqueous line underneath Sarasota Bay.

“The biggest way that we’re paying for it is through the rates that our users pay, which is typically how utility work gets done.”

Lift Station

Point of Connection

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

T

he latest estimate for replacing Longboat Key’s subaqueous force main — one of the largest upcoming projects for the town — came with an estimated increase of about $8 million.

According to estimates from two private consultants, the cost of the project went from about $21.9 million to about $30 million.

“It’s not that it’s gone out to bid, but the market has changed dramatically,” Town Manager Howard Tipton told commissioners at the April 15 strategic planning retreat.

The new number takes into consideration construction and construction administration costs.

Between the two consultants, the higher estimate was $28.7 million. Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman said staff went with the higher estimate to be conservative with rate assessments.

He also told commissioners on April 15 that some of his peers estimated the project would be $35 million to $40 million, so a $30 million estimate sounded pretty good.

“We still need to negotiate easements with Long Bar, and so by just rounding, $30 million is probably a fair number to do a new rate assessment on,” Brownman said.

The project would replace the force main that is underneath Sarasota Bay and leads from Longboat Key to the mainland. Permitting was already acquired for the project from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

— Howard Tipton,Town Manager

Lift Station

Point of Connection Courtesy photo

The purple line running from the Key to the orange dot represents the town-owned wastewater pipeline.

Another cost increase came for the Country Club Shores asbestos cement pipe replacement as well, Tipton informed commissioners.

“Between the subaqueous and Country Club Shores, we’ll be issuing debt that will be paid back with utility revenues,” he told commissioners at the planning retreat.

For the subaqueous project, the town has $6.8 million already secured.

Of that, $1.8 million is a general fund transfer of some of the town’s funds available through the American Rescue Plan Act. A 2023 Omnibus Community Grant Program sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan adds another $3 million, and a state appropriation provides

$2 million.

That still leaves about $20.8 million to $23.9 million that the town needs to head into construction.

Tipton said that staff hopes to pull in some grants for this project.

Another opportunity could be to ask Manatee County for some assistance.

“That seems, to me, like one that we could make a pretty strong pitch to Manatee (County) to participate in,” Mayor Ken Schneier said about the project.

But most likely, the town will need to go into debt for the project.

“The biggest way that we’re paying for it is through the rates that our users pay, which is typically how utility work gets done,” Tipton said.

In 2021, the town approved utility rate increases of 5% each year.

There are still two more years on that plan, so residents’ water bills would increase by 5% each year for the next two years. The rates would not roll back at the end of the program.

Tipton said staff needs to evaluate if these increases will be enough to cover what they now know.

In the meantime, he told commissioners that the town can utilize utility fund reserves and short-term financing, then issue long-term bonds when feasible.

22 square inches. The leak caused an estimated 14 million gallons of effluent to leak into the bay, which led to fees of more than $440,000 for the town.

The subaqueous replacement project was originally split into two parts. First was the mainland portion, which began construction in November 2022.

For that project, about 1.2 miles of the old pipeline was relined with new, upgraded material that was estimated to last between 75 to 100 years. The relining went from the leak point, about 400 feet north of Sarasota Bay, to the Manatee County meter.

The town opted to slip-line new pipe into the old pipe. That meant installing a new pipe, about 18 inches in diameter, into the old pipe, which was about 20 inches in diameter.

Construction wrapped up in May 2023 and the mainland portion was operational.

That portion of the project cost about $2.6 million, $2 million of which was funded by state appropriations.

WHY THE REPLACEMENT?

In June 2020, a leak in the old pipeline caused by corrosion was discovered. The break in the pipe was about

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Residents lead rookery revitalization Residents, staff and board members cut the ribbon on Earth Day for the revitalized bird rookery and peninsula at Plymouth Harbor.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

P

lymouth Harbor residents and staff spent Earth Day 2024 celebrating the completion of a year-long revitalization for the community’s bird rookery and peninsula.

The peninsula, about three acres in size, is home to a bird rookery where a variety of birds come to nest and create a small ecosystem in Plymouth Harbor. The project was a resident-led effort.

Now, residents and staff can enjoy a stroll around the new peninsula, with benches, a cushioned walking path, viewing areas, signage, a songbird garden and new vegetation.

Before cutting the ribbon, Plymouth Harbor board members, campaign Chair Bill Johnston and Save Our Seabirds Executive Director Brian Walton had a chance to give a few remarks.

Harry Hobson, former president and CEO, said the vision to revitalize the rookery began more than 12 years ago but couldn’t be fully realized at the time. Over the years, some modifications were made, and in fall 2021, a committee was formed to further the project’s vision.

Johnston chaired that committee and led the fundraising effort, which began in spring 2022. Later that year, the campaign surpassed the goal of raising $1.65 million and construction could begin.

Johnston said the rookery was a special place to him and his family.

His father, who also lived at Plymouth Harbor, enjoyed the scenery of the rookery, which often made him smile later in life.

“The ability to see him smile, whether it was the waves, or birds or whatever, just made my mother as

“It truly is a remarkable place, an important place where diversity can take place in terms of our bird species.”

— Brian Walton, Save Our Seabirds

happy as anybody can be,” Johnston said.

In total, there were about 88 donors, according to Vice President of Philanthropy Beth Watson.

Construction lasted until last week, when finishing touches of replanting took place.

Walton spoke a little bit about the work that Save Our Seabirds does, and said that the few interactions he’s had with the rookery have made the place stand out to him.

“It truly is a remarkable place, an important place where diversity can take place in terms of our bird species,” Walton said. “That is an important contribution to the biodiversity of our environment and our community here.”

After the remarks, the ribbon was cut and guests were able to walk the peninsula, take in the views and enjoy refreshments with music from Sarasota Steel Drum and violinists from Prometheus Duo. One resident who was invested in the project from the start was Lou Newman.

“Our goal was, number one, to restore our environmental jewel that all the residents could enjoy for years to come,” Newman said.

“Our second goal was to preserve the rookery.”

Newman traveled the world — all

Photos by Carter Weinhofer

Donors, Plymouth Harbor residents and staff cut the ribbon for the three-acre bird rookery.

seven continents — often with three cameras at the ready. A veterinarian turned wildlife photographer, Newman looks out at the rookery daily.

His apartment provides him with a good view, and he can get some good photographs from his neighbor’s balcony, he said.

But walking around the rookery is where he can point out all the nests he keeps an eye on, from a blackcrowned night heron to a green heron protecting her chicks.

For Newman and many of the residents — and staff — of Plymouth Harbor, the revitalization of the rookery and peninsula gives a fresh way to enjoy the environment within the community.

Esther and JJ Kidd sit on the bench named for them to commemorate their donation to the rookery.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

OPINION / OUR VIEW

LONGBOAT

An attack on religion?

A new Biden rule on immigration is forcing thousands of foreign-born clergy to leave their churches, temples and synagogues.

“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

MATT WALSH

T

he arrogance of the Biden administration and its unelected, authoritarian regulators and the fecklessness of Congress know no bounds.

You might also say the Biden administration’s obvious assault against Christians is marching forward with punitive force.

We say all of that in the wake of an announcement in this week’s Sunday bulletin at St. Martha Catholic Church.

Pastor George Suszko announced that the Rev. Krzysztof “Chris” Frost is leaving St. Martha and the United States because of the Biden administration’s surprise change in green card rules in March 2023 — and because of Congress’ subsequent lack of will to act.

New rules — imposed by the Department of State and not legislated by Congress — are forcing Father Frost out of his job and back to his native country of Poland at the end of May. He must be out of the country before May 30; if not, he will be banned from entering the United States for 10 years.

Father Frost, 45, has been serving at St. Martha four-and-a-half years. Previously, he served parishes in Buffalo and Brooklyn. He started his ministry in the U.S. in 2012.

All the while, he has been working legally with an R-1 visa, with the intent to apply for a green card for permanent residency status.

The R-1 category is a religious worker visa that allows foreignborn religious workers — of all religions — to work 30 months in the U.S. Father Frost has extended his R-1 visa five times, legally.

After being settled at St. Martha for two years, in 2022, he qualified to begin the process to qualify to apply for a green card. He spent an entire year off and on gathering documentation about his health and history, proving he met immigration standards to apply for a green card.

In early March 2023, after exhaustive red tape, he finally completed the documentation and sent it to his lawyer in Buffalo. A week later, his lawyer called him with the bad news.

The Department of State — without notice to anyone — changed the rules. The federal government stopped the process on all religious worker applications for green cards.

The change meant his R-1 status would end, forcing him to leave the country.

“I missed the deadline by one month,” Frost said. “After so many years here and filing all the papers — it’s just unbelievable. It’s like being told you were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, but they gave it to someone else.”

THOUSANDS FORCED OUT

Frost is far from being alone. He is one of thousands of foreign-born priests, nuns, rabbis, imams and other religious workers all over the U.S. who are being forced to leave their jobs and go back to their places of origin. The Los Angeles diocese is losing 30 priests; Brooklyn is losing 30. The diocese of Venice here will lose two other priests in August.

Why did the State Department change the rules?

Of the five people interviewed, in a report in the National Law Review and in documents from the American Immigration Lawyers Association, no one understands why the Biden administration did what it did. Nor has the Biden administra-

tion explained explicitly why. But here is what it did: State Department bureaucrats issued an immigration bulletin in March 2023 in which it said for the past seven years the green card applications for so-called neglected or abused minors from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras were being placed in the wrong greencard category. So by fiat, they decided to put the minors in the same category as religious workers and declared that applicants who applied prior to March 2018 would have priority.

This essentially gave preference to 55,000 slots previously set for religious workers to the minors who came through the southern border by the thousands as asylum seekers in 2014 and 2015.

“For religious workers and the communities they currently serve as R-1 nonimmigrants, this means they will not be able to become lawful permanent residents before their nonimmigrant status expires,” according to a letter the American Immigration Lawyers Association sent to Secretary of State Andrew Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Majorkas. “For most, the only option is that they leave” the country.

For more than a year now, the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops, the immigration lawyers association and other religious groups have written letters, lobbied the State Department and Congress.

The immigration lawyers provided Homeland Security with four detailed steps that could resolve the issue for religious workers.

An assistant Homeland secretary responded last October in a onepage letter. Ultimately, she concluded: “… Only legislation can fully address the important concerns you raise.”

Frost gave us copies of responses to requests for help he sent to Rep. Greg Steube and Sen. Marco Rubio.

As Frost interpreted them: “Blah, blah, blah.”

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-California, filed a bill last June to fix the matter, but GovTrack, the legislative tracking site, gives the bill a 2% chance of it being enacted.

Frost is blunt about Washington not fixing the problem: “It’s a pure lack of will.”

Said Pastor Suszko: “It will have to be a new government. A new government can change it.”

Suszko himself is concerned.

Unless the rules and law are changed, he too will lose his work visa and be forced to leave his pastorship at St. Martha and return in November 2026 to his home country of Poland. Suszko has been on his first assignment in the U.S. at St. Martha for the past two-and-ahalf years.

WORSENS CLERGY SHORTAGE

The adverse consequences of this ruling go beyond the clergy themselves. Suszko said St. Martha needs at least four priests to meet the demands of the parish, visiting the sick in hospitals and overseeing St. Martha Catholic School. Now it will be down to three.

What’s more, this brilliant regulatory decision-making comes when Catholic parishes around the country — as well as other Christian denominations — are already

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Matt Walsh

Because of new Biden immigration rules giving preference to unaccompanied minors who crossed the southern border in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Rev. Krzysztof “Chris” Frost of St. Martha Catholic Church in Sarasota is one of thousands of foreign-born clergy and religious workers in the U.S. being forced to return to their native homelands. Frost will return to Poland at the end of May.

struggling because of a shortage of clergy.

According to The National Catholic Reporter, a Catholic University of America study of priests indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born (8,900). And of those, 15% were ordained outside the U.S., said Brandon Vaidyanathan, chair of Catholic University’s Department of Sociology and the study’s lead researcher.

“If we assume, for instance, that foreign-ordained priests are largely on visas — that’s a large chunk of your 15%, given just the priest shortage, and the number of parish closures,” Vaidyanathan told The National Catholic Reporter. “A single priest is sometimes responsible for three to five parishes. So you can imagine with that situation, losing 10% to 15% of your priests, that becomes a serious crisis.”

For now, the Diocese of Venice says it does not have a shortage of priests. “Not yet,” said diocese Chancellor Volodymyr Smeryk.

“But we could in the long term. It takes up to six years to finish in the seminary.”

Nonetheless, when you hear the Rev. Frost’s story and frustrations, you can multiply that by the thousands across the country.

“You have to deal with all your belongings,” Frost said. “I’ve already shipped two boxes (back to Poland). I have two more. I’m selling my bike, my computer. I have to close my bank accounts.

“I still can’t believe after almost 12 years, I cannot do what I love to do,” he said.

Frost will be returning to his hometown of Chelmno, an 18,000-population city in northern Poland. “My mother is counting the days,” Frost said. He hasn’t seen her or his brother or sister in more than three years. Traveling back to Poland during that time would have jeopardized his visa status.

Frost said he would like to come back to the United States and continue his ministry, but it’s not likely.

HOW THE VISA SYSTEM WORKS The following is excerpted from a National Law Review article written by lawyer Raymond G. Lahoud: The R-1 visa, a nonimmigrant or temporary visa granted by the U.S. government to individuals working in religious roles, lasts up to 30 months and can be extended for five years. This type of visa allows religious organizations to recruit proficient and skilled religious professionals from foreign countries.

To become permanent residents, immigrants often apply for green cards. The number of green

cards available annually is set by Congress and is categorized based on factors like family relationships and employment skills. Unfortunately, the backlog for certain categories can be extensive.

Historically, faith leaders had shorter wait times for green cards.

But in March, the State Department announced that applications for neglected or abused minors from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador had been in the wrong queue for nearly seven years.

These applications were then

To return, he would have to wait a year to apply for another R-1 visa, which then would take another six to eight months to obtain. A green card would likely take another five to 10 years.

“I see on YouTube thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border and then get picked up by Uber and taken to a hotel,” Frost said.

“I’m tired of the whole process and really discouraged.”

ASSAULT ON CHRISTIANS?

As we’ve often noted, the famed economist-philosopher Thomas Sowell said there are no solutions to problems, only tradeoffs. And in making the tradeoff — to give preference to unaccompanied (illegal) minors from Central America over religious workers serving millions of congregants, the federal government clearly demonstrated what the famous libertarian writer and newspaper columnist of the 1940s, Isabel Paterson, said about government: “Government is solely an instrument or mechanism of appropriation, prohibition, compulsion and extinction; in the nature of things, it can be nothing else, and can operate to no other end.”

What’s more, she wrote: “It is a fundamental error to suppose that a law may do some good and cannot hurt anyone. Whether it does any good or not, a law enforced must hurt someone.”

As his administration has done throughout his term, Biden and his immigration bureaucrats are hurting thousands and thousands of clergy, their families and hundreds of thousands of Christian, Jewish, Muslim congregants throughout the United States.

Whatever government touches, it always makes matters worse.

What’s more, it’s difficult not to suspect or see this deporting of mostly Christian clergy as another Biden administration assault on religion and Christianity.

added to the general queue alongside those of clergy members.

As a result, only applications filed before January 2019 are currently being processed.

This change has left faith leaders whose visas are expiring with no other option than to leave their congregations behind. The wait time for green cards has become so long that some estimate it to be at least a decade.

This lengthy wait is likely to discourage religious organizations from hiring foreign-born workers, even as there is a growing demand among immigrant congregations.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

NICHOLAS M. KAVOUKLIS LONGBOAT KEY

Ted Sperling Park in need of enforcement For the past many years, we have been trying to work with Sarasota city and county officials to address a weekly cycle of environmental infractions at Ted Sperling Park.

To date, after many meetings, phone calls with police and emails with park, city and county officials, the situation has only worsened. For whatever reason, officials respon-

CO N G R AT U L AT E S

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JIM MUSEL LIDO BEACH

Pothole repairs no help to cyclists I am an owner who enjoys biking along Gulf of Mexico Drive on a regular basis and am greatly disappointed in the LBK service department! They sent a crew out to fill a small number of potholes recently.

Thank you from the drivers!

However, I am totally dismayed that the crew involved did NOT also broom and shovel the tailings in the bike lanes, specifically both north and south of the fire station in both the north and south bike lanes! I mean, come on!

A bike rider needs to leave the “protection” of the bike lanes, risk the 45 mph drivers’ courtesy and avoid a spill in the gravel/old hot mix from last year’s fillings! Isn’t there a road supervisor who inspects the crew’s work? I would give them all an “F” as a retired teacher!

While on the subject of the road work, I believe it is time to send out the street sweepers again on the entire GMD! Thank you for your help!

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THOMAS M MORGAN

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My wife and I are rare native Floridians from Tampa, and Longboat Key homeowners since 2019.

We enjoy the Observer’s no-nonsense “Opinion/My View.” It’s consistently fair, objective, informed and simply logical. I am compelled to write regarding the recent library battle after I read the mayor’s angry response simply because the opinion page doesn’t agree with Mayor Ken Schneier.

Many politicians are initially motivated by a desire to serve.

Unfortunately, most also become victims of their own hubris and self-importance from power.

It appears to me Mayor Schneier is no exception. Why do we need a new library? Did we get to vote for a new library? It doesn’t seem to matter to the mayor who is attempting to accomplish nothing but contributing to the ever-growing bureaucratic monster that will never be tamed.

Let’s step back as Matt Walsh recommends and assess the residents’ desires. Who wants to pay more taxes for a service only a fraction will utilize?

Unfortunately, the internet information age has converted good old-fashioned libraries into relics of the past. Let it go — just order whatever book you want to be delivered to your doorstep, and let’s stop wasting our tax dollars on politicians’ pet projects. Mayor Ken, please try to fine tune the services we currently have rather than invent something that is sure to raise our taxes.

sible for the park are not responding to our pleas to reduce the noise pollution, trailers putting Jet Skis in the water, boats coming on to the beach and staying all day, and to rid the park of pets that dig up turtle nests, chase the endangered birds and deposit their excrement on the beach. It is horrible here on Saturday and Sunday … simply horrible.

Residents that live and love Lido Key are at their wits end to address these issues. The park is at a cusp of being environmentally destroyed, and our only hope is the state will step in to require our city and county officials to follow more proactive measures, such as mandating park rangers and police to stay in the park all day (especially weekends) and enforcement (fines; not warnings) to protect Ted Sperling Park.

We are not getting any tangible response from the city and county.

(Many emails and phone calls to prove that.) Please help us!

LETTERS

Why do we need a new library?

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COPS CORNER

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

FRIDAY, APRIL 12

CAN’T BE TOO EARLY, RIGHT? 2:16 a.m., 300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Suspicious Vehicle: While on patrol, an officer conducting a business check noticed a red truck with its headlights on parked in a private parking lot. The officer spoke with the driver, who said he recently moved to the area, was a carpenter for a job nearby and was waiting to go to work. A check for wants and warrants came back negative, and the officer let the man be.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

MONDAY, APRIL 15 ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DOGS 6:54 p.m., 100 block of Broadway Street Animal Problem: An officer was dispatched to the beach in reference to a dog on the beach. The complainant reported there was a group of five people with two dogs. When the officer arrived at the beach and found the group, he attempted to explain the town’s ordinance that prohibits dogs on the beach.

According to the police report, the group was highly uncooperative, and one of the women took both dogs and walked south on the beach. The officer caught up with her and again said that dogs were not allowed on the beach. She became argumentative and started to walk north on the beach, the police report said.

A sergeant then arrived on scene and the group continued to be uncooperative. The officers escorted the group off of the beach.

NO DROP-OFF SERVICE ALLOWED 1:35 p.m., Greer Island Vehicle Stop: Marine patrol officers observed a man operating a pontoon boat in the vessel exclusionary zone on the east side of Greer Island. The officers approached the vessel and its operator, who admitted he knew of the exclusionary zone but was dropping off a passenger. The operator received a civil citation for the violation.

QUICK TRIP TO THE GAS STATION 4:34 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Officer Public Service: Dispatch sent officers to a citizen assist call after a caller contacted 911 because he ran out of gas. Officers arrived on scene and the driver said he was unfamiliar with the vehicle and had run out of gas. One of the officers provided him with a ride to the gas station and then back to his vehicle. After filling the car with some gas, the driver was able to continue on his way.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

FALSE ALARM 8:12 p.m., 100 block of North Shore Road Distress: A caller reported a possible person in distress who was flashing a white light about 300 yards off of Greer Island. Upon arrival, an officer saw the white light and identified it as the safe water navigational marker.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

‘JUST GIVE IT A LITTLE GAS’ 4:17 p.m., Jewfish Key Disabled Vehicle: While on marine patrol, an officer was waved down by a boater who could not free his anchor. The operator said the boat was a rental and he could not get the anchor free. The officer instructed the boater to go forward slightly to break the anchor free.

The instructions worked, and the boater was in compliance with the officer’s safety check, so he was sent on his way.

MAD ABOUT MUSIC 5:51 p.m., Jewfish Key Noise Disturbance: A resident called 911 to report a boat playing loud rap music and flying a confederate flag. An officer spoke to the caller, who said the music was loud and vulgar and she wanted it to be turned down. Longboat Key marine patrol was unavailable at the time.

RACCOON RELOCATION 5:58 p.m., 200 block of Sands Point Road

Animal Problem: Dispatch sent an officer and animal control to a report of an adult raccoon with two babies in a pool area. The officer arrived first and found the

raccoons taking shelter in a large planter. Animal services retrieved the baby raccoons and set a trap for the adult.

POO PROBLEM 8:07 a.m., 1000 block of Bogey Lane Suspicious Incident: Dispatch sent an officer for a reported suspicious incident. At the residence, the officer spoke with the homeowner who said she was concerned someone was putting dog feces in and around her pool, which is secured with a fence and locked gate behind the residence. The officer walked with the homeowner to the pool to see the feces, which the officer realized was from a raccoon and not a dog. Upon further investigation, the officer found that the residence was surrounded by shrubs that had more raccoon feces around it.

WARM WELCOME HOME 5:25 p.m., 3600 block of Fair Oaks Place Suspicious Incident: A neighbor called the police to report suspicious individuals who showed up at a vacant home. The caller said he heard a loud bang in the house and saw one man exit the house. Police showed up at the residence-inquestion and spoke with the man inside, who identified himself as the homeowner with proper identification. He said he had purchased the home and was in the process of having some renovations.

MONDAY, APRIL 15 PROBABLY SHOULD’VE WALKED 9:07 a.m., 1200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Vehicle Stop: A license plate reader notified officers of a red convertible traveling with an expired tag. But, the picture taken by the license plate reader camera showed the tag on a silver Honda. An officer located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver admitted to not having a valid Florida driver’s license and never received one. He also said he just purchased this vehicle and took the license plate off of his old red convertible and put it on the silver Honda. The Honda was not registered nor did it have insurance. In the end, the driver racked up three criminal citations with court dates and a traffic citation, and the officer took away the license plate and had the vehicle towed.

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Website: advisor.morganstanley.com/ the-cornerstone-capital-group

Thomas Bardwell, CFP®

Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Senior Porfolio Management Director Family Wealth Advisor Financial Advisor

T. Michael Osterman

Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Financial Planning Specialist Financial Advisor

Rylan K. Lanham

Financial Advisor Financial Planning Specialist

Susan A. Knight

Sr. Registered Associate Financial Planning Specialist

Adrienne Lambers

Sr. Registered Client Associate

Amanda Lewis

Client Service Associate

Left to Right: Rylan Lanham, Adrienne Lambers, Mike Osterman, Tom Bardwell, Susan Wilson, Susan Knight, Amanda Lewis

Source: Forbes.com (Jan 2024) 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams ranking awarded in 2024. This ranking was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by SHOOK Research LLC (the research company) in partnership with Forbes (the publisher) for the period from 3/31/22–3/31/23. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors paid a fee to SHOOK Research LLC, for placement on its rankings.

This ranking is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each Financial Advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research LLC, and may not be representative of any one client’s experience; investors must carefully choose the right Financial Advisor or team for their own situation and perform their own due diligence. This ranking is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is not affiliated with SHOOK Research LLC or Forbes. For more information, see www.SHOOKresearch.com.

© 2024 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC6240443 3/24

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CFP Board owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S.

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

11

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Plan a WILD Day for Mom!

PET PICS

MOTHER’S DAY!

Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them! Share them at YourObserver.com/contests/petpics to be published online and for a chance to see them in print!

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$129/person (gratuity and tax not included)

Steak & Frites Night Tuesdays $36.99 Wine Down Wednesdays 20% Off All Bottles of Wine

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

13

Antonio Mancini’s Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza made in multiton gold-tiled Neapolitan pizza oven.

IF YOU GO

Photos by Petra Rivera

Alessandro Di Ferdinando, Antonio Mancini and Giancarlo Di Cosmo

Little Italy on the Circle STAFF WRITER

1

5 South By Napulè is ready to serve St. Armands Circle.

The grand opening for the highly anticipated two-story restaurant will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 27. The public is invited to come to browse the restaurant, meet the staff and taste a sampling of appetizers and pizzas along with a complimentary glass of wine or beer.

The restaurant officially opens the following Monday, April 29.

“I feel excited to be opening up this week. We are prepared to adjust things as we go because things don’t always go as planned.” ­— Alessandro Di Ferdinando

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

WORSHIP

directory

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 567 Bay Isles Rd, Longboat Key, FL

All are welcome at All Angels no exceptions

Growing in Jesus’ Name

longboatkeytemple.org

Worship With Us at Our Church

• Worship services Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

• Live Stream the 10 a.m. service at AllAnglesLBK.org

Sunday Service 10:00 AM Dr. Julia Wharff Piermont, Pastor

Join the Discussion Tuesday or Wednesday

Men’s Bible Study: Monday @ 9:00 Women’s Bible Study: Wednesday @ 10:00

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

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about Scripture and an issue in society.

6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive • Longboat Key, Florida 34228 • 941-383-6491

Follow us on Facebook • www.longboatislandchapel.org

Lord’s Warehouse hours are 9:00 - 1:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays

St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church

Would like to Welcome & Invite You, Your Family Members & Friends to Celebrate Mass with Our Parish Community MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:00 AM Daily Mass at 9:00 AM; Rosary at 8:30 AM Monday - Friday 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily following Mass.

Longboat Key, FL 34228 941-383-1255 • www.stmarylbk.org

Rev. Robert Dziedziak, Pastor

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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.

An Ecumenical Church that Welcomes all People Founded in 1956

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941-383-3428

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Owner of the new restaurant and Napulè on Tamiami Trail, Alessandro Di Ferdinando promised to bring back that lively atmosphere of the beloved 15 South Ristorante, the place to be in its heyday of the 2000s. The restaurant will have the same two-story concept as its predecessors.

“It was the talk of the town,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, a longtime friend of Di Ferdinando and employee helping out with the opening of the restaurant. “People to this day talk about it how much they miss that

PETRA RIVERA

spot open with good food and a fun bar and dance floor. I think we will be able to bring that lively vibe back to give the people what they want.”

The downstairs will be perfect for families and friends to enjoy a cozy, intimate environment while eating fresh pasta and pizza. As people head up the stairs, the second floor will provide an upbeat energy with a dance floor, full bar and balcony to look upon St. Armands Circle.

Di Ferdinando plans to bring back the nightlife atmosphere with live bands, salsa dancing nights and DJ parties.

As Di Ferdinando plays the frontman, all things food will be handled by his longtime friends and business partners, Antonio Mancini and Giancarlo Di Cosmo. Di Ferdinando

and Di Cosmo met when they worked together at a Soho House concept in London. After years of staying in touch and keeping tabs on each other’s careers, Chef Di Cosmo joined the team to head the kitchen with his creative dishes and love for authentic Italian food.

Former Napulè pizza maker and Vesuvio Frozen Pizza owner Mancini will man the multiton gold-tiled

Watch Our 10:00 AM Service Live: www.bit.ly/cclbksermons or www.christchurchof lbk.org (follow YouTube link)

Christ Church of Longboat Key invites you to

THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER Thursday, May 2nd, 2024

Visit any time between 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM

Come to our welcoming

sanctuary and take a moment to pray, celebrate, and reflect.

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.

Visitors & Residents Welcome

6400 Gulf of Mexico Dr. • 941.383.8833 (office) • www.christchurchoflbk.org

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Highly anticipated Italian restaurant, 15 South By Napulè, will be the best of both worlds with an intimate restaurant downstairs and a lively bar and dance floor upstairs.

15 SOUTH BY NAPULÈ What: Grand opening Where: 15 S. Boulevard of the Presidents, is having its grand opening When: 6-8 p.m. on April 27.

Info: Officially open starting April 29. Restaurant hours will be Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays until 10 p.m.

Call 867-8081 or visit 15SouthByNapule.com/ for more info. information.

Neapolitan pizza oven. Customers will be able to watch his careful process from their seats as he makes his iconic wood-fired pizzas and fresh bread.

15 South By Napulè prides itself on the authenticity of its Italian cuisine.

“The flour is imported from Italy and everything is just made so fresh here,” said Rodriguez. “I have never worked with Giancarlo and Antonio, but I definitely trust Alessandro to bring in the best chefs to give the most authentic Italian experience.”

The menu will be similar to Napulè’s authentic Italian menu but will have Di Cosmo’s twist on it. It will include fresh pasta made from scratch, Neapolitan-style woodfired pizza and a full bar of with specialty cocktails, wine and beer on both floors.

Having Mancini, Di Cosmo and Rodriguez as part of his staff shows the family dynamic Di Ferdinando has wherever he sets up shop. Rodriguez started working with Di Ferdinando when she was 17 and now her daughter works for Napulè as well. They hope to provide the same close-knit, friendly dynamic with their customers, too.

“I feel excited to be opening up this week,” said Di Ferdinando. “We are prepared to adjust things as we go because things don’t always go as planned.”

Di Ferdinando emphasized that his team is doing everything to make 15 South by Napulè a place full of memories with loved ones, eating top-tier Italian cuisine and dancing the night away.

Classifieds 28 Games 27 Real Estate 25 Weather 27

APRIL 25, 2024

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Stitched with love Dolores Engelke spends about five hours every day knitting to provide stuffed bears stitched with love and comfort.

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

L

ongboat Key resident Dolores Engelke is known as “the bear lady.” Not because of any affinity for the large, furry animals, but rather the miniature cuddly ones she creates herself.

Engelke, 90, knits football-sized teddy bears by hand, and then gives them away to anyone and everyone as a way of sharing joy.

Through her hobby, which she began in 2016, she has spread this joy to more than 2,500 people, ranging from people she meets around town to larger donations she makes to a variety of nonprofits and local organizations.

“It’s a comfort for me to knit,” said Engelke. “Just the act of putting something together makes me feel accomplished.”

Since her childhood, Engelke felt a strong connection to teddy bears and always preferred them to all other toys. If you walk into her bedroom today, you see subtle themes of bears scattered throughout. Most of the gifts that she’s received usually relate to bears in some way.

But when she started knitting, she wasn’t thinking about bears. She was focused on healing. Her neighbor taught her how to knit as a way to pass the time while she recovered from back surgery. She started by

Courtesy image

knitting afghans. It would take her about two-and-a-half weeks to finish one.

Soon after that, it became a part of her daily routine, a comfort to keep her grounded. Engelke said she can’t watch television without her knitting needles. She will also knit while sitting in the car since she can’t drive anymore.

Once her daughter heard of her new hobby, she sent Engelke a pattern to knit a bear because she knew her mother would enjoy it. She never made an afghan again.

After many years, Engelke has a routine down, but that does not

Petra Rivera

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Dolores Engelke has knitted 2,500 bears since 2017.

mean each bear is the same. Every day, she will look in her box of yarn and pick different colors than the day before to avoid repetition. It will take her about five to six hours throughout the day to finish one bear.

“If I don’t finish a bear, I feel like I’ve wasted the day away,” said Engelke.

Engelke has given boxes of bears to the Red Cross, the U.S. Ambulance Corps, the Christ Child Society, Solve Maternity Homes and several pediatric wards. She even knitted a box full for her dentist’s office to give away. Her friends persuaded her to send the bears globally. Engelke’s fellow parishioner of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church Ginny Akhoury shipped some of her bears to children in Paraguay.

Along with giving her bears away for charity, Engelke is constantly giving them to people she knows.

Friends, neighbors and loved ones from home have all asked her for bears for their grandchildren. Each of her family members has their own special bear. Her daughter will send her photos of her bears dressed up for different holidays.

Engelke’s work is such a family affair that, before her husband died, he would hug and kiss every bear as it went out to the multiple nonprofits where they were donated. This was his way of solidifying the love she stitched into them.

One day when she was in an ice cream shop, Engelke remembers overhearing a child crying. She couldn’t help but run to her car to

grab a bear to give to him. He immediately stopped crying once he received the bear.

Recently, she was speaking with the man who was fixing the air conditioning at her condominium. After seeing her bears, he couldn’t help but ask for one. When she asked if he was giving it to a child, he told her it would ride alongside him in his truck every day.

Another day, she had given away a box full of bears to a nonprofit. She overheard the lady speaking to the bears as she walked away, “You are all going to good homes.” Now, Engelke loves to repeat this before she gives away each bear.

Her favorite bear story goes further than the ones she has given away locally.

When Engelke’s husband was in the hospital, she passed the time there by knitting her bears. One day, a nurse saw her knitting and shared that she had one of them. Her mother was a member of St. Mary and had picked one up for her when she was on Longboat. Engelke was amazed at how she had run into someone who owned one of her bears but whom she had never met.She marveled at the coincidence that that nurse was working the same weekend she was there.

“What were the odds that she’d be on the same floor on the weekend that my husband was a patient there?” said Engelke. “I thought that was pretty incredible. The bears have traveled so far and impacted people I never thought would have one.”

Dolores Engelke and her bears. She began her knitting hobby in 2016.

“It’s a comfort for me to knit.

Just the act of putting something together makes me feel accomplished.”

— Dolores Engelke

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

15

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

WINING AND DINING PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

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ongboaters were transported to Italy with a wine tasting hosted by the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce.

The event was an information session for residents to learn about the chamber’s trip to Tuscany in the fall.

It was held the afternoon of April 17 in the garden of the Longboat Island Chapel.

From his hometown of San Gimignano, Italy, Gabriele Salvatori flew to Florida to provide an authentic Italian wine-tasting experience from his family’s winery estate, Tenuta Torciano, which attendees will be visiting on the Tuscany trip.

“I don’t just sell wine,” said Salvatori. “I sell a little bit of passion, poetry and love. I sell love.”

Most of the guests at the wine tasting weren’t yet signed up for the trip, but an afternoon of Italian wine and bites piqued their interests.

“When we heard about the wine tasting, we did not expect this,” said Longboat resident Michele De Luce.

“We really thought we’d try maybe three wines and hear about the trip.

Sort of like a quick thing, but this completely blew me away. Gabriele

Gabriele Salvatori traveled from his winery in San Gimignano to provide an authentic wine-tasting experience to Longboaters considering traveling to Italy.

IF YOU GO

Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is hosting a nineday, seven-night trip to Tuscany from Oct. 12-20 for $3,479. This includes the flight, accommodations, transportation, several meals, guided tours and more.

For more information, call (855) 438-0999, email Ops@ JetVacations.com or visit JetVacations.com/LBKTuscany.

is so fun and the wines are absolutely amazing. We are truly considering the trip now.”

Salvatori led guests through a tasting of about seven wines with commentary on when to drink them and what they are best paired with. Along with the wine, attendees had charcuterie bites with cheese, salami, and bread to dip in different types of olive oil that were also made in Tenuta Torcino. Zota Beach Resort’s Chef Brian Harmon also attended the event to make chorizo, spinach and Boursin cheese ravioli to pair with the wine.

The trip is organized through Jet Vacations led by the father-son duo,

Myra Hegmann, Nancy Richards, Deborah Frongil and Patricia Hurd

Photos by Petra Rivera

Carl Monticelli, Angelo Monticelli, Gabriele Salvatori, Kim Verreault, Lois Hefflefinger and Brian Harmon

Carl and Angelo Monticello, who attended the wine tasting and mingled with guests.

“Discover Tuscany with the Chamber” will be a nine-day, seven-night trip from October 12-20.

The trip spans the Italian cities of Montecatini, Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Chianti and Lucca. Tours of Pisa and Cinque Terre are options for guests as well.

For those who seek a longer Italian adventure, Jet Vacations is offering a two-night pre-trip tour of Rome and a four-night post-tour of the biggest lake in Italy, Lake Garda.

The $3,479 price includes a roundtrip flight, first-class hotel accommodations in Montecatini, deluxe air-conditioned transportation, guided tours and admissions to tourist spots. Daily breakfast, four dinners and one lunch will also be included. Guests will also attend a wine tasting and a cooking class while on the trip.

“As you can already tell, food and

drinks are a very important aspect of this trip,” said Carl Monticello.

“We’re very focused on making sure the experience is highlighted in the culture and meeting local people.

We want everyone to get the full sense of the region of Tuscany that we are going to. People have no problem going back to Italy seven or eight times because you go to different regions and each has a different energy about them. It’s just a very fascinating place that everyone will find something to enjoy.”

“I don’t just sell wine.

I sell a little bit of passion, poetry and love. I sell love.”

— Gabriele Salvatori

Courtney Rossler and Ashley Dawson

Your ADVENTURE Awaits!

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

ADVERTISEMENT

What’s Your Personal Inflation Rate?

Photos by Petra Rivera

Michael Garey, Cynthia Craig, Svetlana Ivashchenko and Chris Sachs

Inflation is not a one-size-fits-all number.

Inflation affects everyone, but differently. That’s why it makes sense to think about how inflation impacts your personal finances.

After all, the most common measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) really only tracks inflation for the average urban consumer. And nobody in the Sarasota area is just average!

You can’t control inflation. But you can make financial decisions designed to reduce its effects.

Above and beyond

Remember to revisit your inflationrelated information regularly, especially when economic factors change or for major life changes such as buying a house or funding a child’s education.

Representatives from the Children’s Guardian Fund share the impacts the Lawn Party will have on kids.

Knowing your personal inflation profile is crucial for smart financial planning. It helps you predict how much additional you’ll need to save based on rising costs. If certain expenses, like healthcare, are increasing, you might consider investing in those areas to benefit from their growth.

BYLINE TITLE

T

he Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key raised $102,150 for the Children’s Guardian Fund from Longboat’s most anticipated event of the year, The Lawn Party.

At the Kiwanis Club’s bimonthly meeting on April 18, Lawn Party Chair Michael Garey and President Chris Sachs presented the total impact of the annual event on Dec. 2, 2023. Some 800 guests attended the event to enjoy the endless food and drink options from local toptier restaurants, raffles with coveted prizes, and to raise money for the Children’s Guardian Fund.

Garey said that this year the funds raised were just short of last year’s record due to the absence of the silent auction. He thanked his committee, including his Lawn Party “MVP volunteer” Bill Totten, the sponsors, the attendees and everyone in Kiwanis for all the hard work this year.

The total proceeds from the event were $80,000 with the help of multiple sponsors and attendees. The Kiwanis Club brought its donation to $102,150 with multiple matches it received from community partners. The Doris M. Carter Family Foundation provided a match of $15,000 once the total proceeds from raffle tickets hit $20,000. The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust provided a $1,850 match. The Michael Sanders Community Foun-

Understanding your inflation rate also helps you make more informed decisions about spending and saving for the long term, ensuring Finding your personal inflation your budget fits your retirement rate will help you manage your planning needs as well. finances more effectively than just thinking of inflation as an average, slightly relevant number. In fact, JL Bainbridge family wealth you don’t need to think of this as a advisors are fiduciaries with a specific number. Instead, think of duty to act first and foremost in it as an exercise to evaluate which their clients’ interests. areas of your budget are most JL Bainbridge offers free hourexposed to higher inflation. long financial reviews with one of Review your expenses and look their advisors. To reserve a time at wide categories such as real for yourself, visit their website, estate, travel, healthcare, and call, or scan the QR code below. entertainment. Spending priorities will vary by person, even within the same family.

– John B. Leeming, CFP® President at JL Bainbridge

$80,000 Total proceeds from Lawn Party.

Total raised for the Children’s Guardian Fund.

dation donated $750. The individual donations from Lawn Party attendees and supporters of the cause brought in an extra $4,550.

Gary and Sachs presented the check for the total proceeds to Svetlana Ivashchenko, executive director of the Children’s Guardian Fund, and Cynthia Craig, gold sponsor of the Lawn Party and Children’s Guardian Fund board member. The Children’s Guardian Fund focuses on meeting emergency needs and promoting normalcy and enrichment in the lives of foster children in Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit.

Craig explained that most of the donation will help further its resources in providing academic tutoring to foster children, which is the biggest expense for the nonprofit.

“When we first started it, we could only pay for six weeks to six months of tutoring,” said Craig. “But if a child showed that he was engaged with the tutor, this is one-on-one tutoring that we want to and are willing to pay for. If the child wanted to keep learning, we eventually rounded up enough money to keep tutoring them as long as they are engaged in the process. It becomes the kind of work that more than just tutoring, it sometimes becomes a mentorship.”

Experience

(941) 365-3435 jlbainbridge.com

PERSONALIZED CARE & EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

J.L. Bainbridge & Company, Inc. 1582 Main Street Sarasota, FL 34236

BY THE NUMBERS

$102,150

PETRA RIVERA

DR. JOHN MASSEY, Au.D./CCC-A

since 1981

Board Certified Audiologist dedicated to providing quality hearing healthcare services. During Dr. Massey’s apprenticeship, he did research in psychoacoustics and speech perception.

He also has a background as a professional audio engineer and producer, which brings a unique knowledge of acoustics and signal processing to the practice.

Disclosure: JL Bainbridge is a registered investment adviser. J.L. Bainbridge & Co., Inc., is not a broker dealer and does not offer tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor for assistance regarding your individual situation. Registration of an Investment Adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. It should neither be assumed that future results will be as profitable or that a loss could not be incurred. For more information on our firm and our investment advisor representatives, please review our Form ADV, Privacy Notice, and Form CRS at jlbainbridge.com and reference the SEC website for more information on the firm and its advisors: https://adviserinfo. sec.gov/firm/summary/108058. Identifying the SEC as our regulator does not imply any level of skill or training.

AD0424

I am pleased to recommend Dr. John Massey for his professional care, especially for those of us who dreaded having to need hearing aids.

He made this new challenge as easy as possible for me, as I am sure for all his patients.

—JEANNE

• Tinnitus Evaluation • Hearing Aid Consultations • Hearing Aid Fittings • Rehab & Preventive Hearing Consultations

FREE Consultation 941.312.4274 3333 Clark Road, Suite 170 Sarasota FL 34231

www.HearSarasota.com

412439-1

• Hearing Evaluations (Adults & Pediatrics) • Custom Programming that is Individualized using Probe Tip Microphones • Veteran’s Discount

419419-1

18

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

1

TOP

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE

%

$3.2 Billion Career Sales

IN THE WORLD

Coldwell Banker

19

Kepecz@JudyHays.com | www.LongboatKeyLuxury.com 443 John Ringling Blvd, Suite F | St. Armands Circle, FL 34236

Leah George

941-780-0597

Judy Kepecz-Hays

941-587-1700

Steven Kepecz

941-376-6411 April 25, 2024

L’Elegance

Regency House

1800 Benjamin Franklin Dr #A403 | L’Elegance | $1,118,000 2 bed | 2 bath | 1,350 Sq Ft

435 S. Gulfstream Ave #1005 | Regency House | $975,000 2 bed | 2 bath | 1,537 Sq Ft

Discover luxury beachfront living at L'Elegance on Lido Key. Enjoy a casual and inviting floor plan with panoramic views from every room. Top amenities include a resort-style 85' pool & spa, 2 tennis courts, fitness center, and private beach access. Embrace Sarasota's vibrant arts, dining, and walk to St. Armands Circle. 2 pets welcome - under building parking. Experience coastal living at its finest at L'Elegance. www.1800BenFrank403.com

Regency House, known by locals as Sarasota’s “Park Avenue”, the residents on this quiet side of South Palm Avenue enjoy leisure walks along the tree-lined street to everything Sarasota's vibrant downtown has to offer. From the minute you open the front door of the condo you have the sense of living in paradise, from the impressive city views to the ample living space and natural light. www.RegencyHouse1005.com

ARIA

2251 Gulf of Mexico Drive #204 | Aria - Longboat Key | $9,200,000 3 bed + office or 4 bed | 3.5 bath | 4,032 Sq Ft

3500 Bayou Louise Lane | Siesta Key | $10,750,000 5 bed | 5.5 bath | 6,300 Sq Ft

This home is almost new, and it’s a WOW! Live in this Gulf-front corner residence that feels like a home on the beach at the South end of Longboat Key. Enjoy your private 3400 sq. ft. terrace, with private pool & summer kitchen. This home has private stairs to the beach, a breathtaking clubhouse w/guest suites, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a 5-car www.Aria204.com garage.

Location, Location, Location – Exquisite gated estate on the northern tip of Siesta Key. This home offers Gulf of Mexico views, a 40x20 pool, a spa, an outdoor kitchen, a 24K boat lift & a 12x20 platform to lift 5,000 lb. - kayaks or jet skis. The main level has the Primary & Guest suites, a library, a chef's kitchen, an elevator, and a 4-car garage. This home is a few steps to DEEDED BEACH ACCESS and is the most beautiful home on the north end of Siesta Key. www.3500BayouLouise.com

3312 Sabal Cove Lane | Bay Isles | $3,380,000 4 bed en-suite + den + bonus room | 2 half bath | 5,150 Sq Ft Unsurpassed island living on Longboat Key! This Lakefront Home with southern exposure offers an easy blend of comfort, style, and privacy within the gates of Bay Isle Harborside.

It boasts 4 bedrooms en-suite, plus an office with 2 half baths spanning over 5,150 sq.ft. of air conditioned living space, ensuring ample room for family and guests. The Chef's Kitchen has high-end stainless-steel appliances, custom cabinetry, and a generous island, a culinary enthusiast's dream. 3 car garage. DEEDED BEACH ACCESS. 3312SabalCove.com

North Siesta Key A rare jewel is available: A Beachfront & Bayfront Estate Size Home Site for your dream house or family compound. This prime homesite estate offers unparalleled vistas of the glistening waters, downtown Sarasota, and the keys of Bird and Lido from its expansive 120-foot private beach and bay frontage. Included is a deep water dock on Big Pass as well as 2 deeded boat slips in the protected sailboat waters of Bayou Louise. This exclusive property is among the few that capture downtown views and the beauty of western sunsets. www.21LandsEndLane.com

The VUE

2109 Gulf of Mexico Dr #1404 | Longboat Key | $1,325,000 2 bed, 2 bath | 1,358 Sq Ft | Furnished!

1155 N Gulfstream Ave #1407 | The VUE | $2,450,000 2 bed | 2.5 bath | 1,665 Sq Ft | Furnished!

Exquisitely updated two-bedroom corner residence at Sunset Beach showcases turquoise water views and spectacular sunsets. Wood flooring, crown molding, and tasteful appointments accented the bright, open floor plan. The main terrace overlooks the Gulf of Mexico through brand new hurricane impact sliders that were replaced along

At The Vue - It is all about the Epic forever VIEWS! This fantastic, almost new residence is on the 14th floor with 10-foot ceilings. The home, accessible via a semi-private elevator, has extensive floor-to-ceiling glass walls offering a 180-degree hypnotizing forever view of Sarasota and her islands, including sunrise – moonrise, and sunsets—It is an excellent split floor plan. The Vue offers a concierge, on-site management, a social room, a swimming pool, and valet parking. It offers a southern exposure in the city's heart, and your pet is welcome.

with the windows in 2021. Home chefs will enjoy creating culinary delights in the open kitchen with stainless steel Samsung appliances replaced in 2020. www.SunsetBeach1404.com

www.Vue1407.com

422958-1

Sunset Beach

20

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Farewell Snowbirds T

he snowbirds are flying home.

After its weekly 10 a.m. service, Longboat Island Chapel hosted an end-of-season brunch on April 21 to say farewell to its members who are heading back to their home states for the summer.

“It was such a busy season but a good one,” said Becky Jones. “I got to spend time with my friends here, taking naps on the beach and going to all the fun events and services at the chapel. So I am sad to go home and leave the wonderful Longboat life for a bit.”

Chef David Stone made his coveted prime rib along with eggs Benedict, mini quiches, potatoes and various vegetables. Many washed down their brunch with mimosas.

Judy and Gordon Govalet, who live in Bradenton, discovered the chapel through friends and instantly fell in love with it. Gordon Govalet is now the vice president of the Chapel Board of Trustees.

They find themselves inviting their neighbors and friends every chance they get.

“This place has amazing people and impacts so many different nonprofits,” said Judy Govalet.

“That is probably our favorite part.

We can get involved in making a difference and get to know amazing people, both snowbirds and full-timers, who come from different backgrounds.”

Many snowbirds are leaving at the end of April and beginning of May. Most of them said they will be spending the rest of the time with their Longboat Key friends and soaking in the sun before they head home.

Dia Wilson, Dona Petruccelli, Lori Halfpenny and Elizabeth Nichols enjoy mimosas before brunch.

Photos by Petra Rivera

Chef David Stone carves up prime rib.

Sheila Frayne, Mary Schultz and Gail Gallagher

— PETRA RIVERA Ginger Stefan, Becky Jones, Donna Dolan and Denise Leonard

Island life begins here.

Do what you have always wanted to do!

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME No experience necessary Join us for lunch every two weeks Operating sessions as scheduled

CANAL FRONT POOL HOME 5941 Emerald Harbor Drive 3 BR/2.5 BA $2,900,000 Jan Jordan

Open House Sunday 1-4 pm

Broker Associate / REALTOR®

Price Reduced!

at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Atchley Properties 423736-1

For More info call George 202-374-8521

Phone 941-556-9100 Mobile 941-737-4169 Email janjordan@atchleyrealty.com

(daytime only please)

Website www.jansellssarasota.com

6485 Gulf of Mexico Drive 3BR | 3BA | 2,000 SF A4600758 / $3,500,000

5941 Emerald Harbor Drive Longboat Key

7137 Orchid Island Place Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 MLS# A4603278 | $785,000

G

IN ND

PE

PENDING

Canalfront Pool Home 2600 Sq. Ft.

Jan Jordan Broker Associate/Realtor jan@jansellssarasota.com 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive A602 3BR | 3BA | 1,980 SF A4587573 | $2,000,000

793 Jungle Queen Way 4BR | 3BA | 2,688 SF A4575835 | $1,995,000

Open House Sunday 1-4 pm

Open House Sunday 1-4 pm

1918 Harbourside Drive 901 3BR | 2BA | 2,135 SF A4588451 | $1,600,000

2143 Harbourside Drive 1201 3BR | 2BA | 2,224 SF A4592954 | $875,000

941-737-4169 jansellssarasota.com

We’ve got you covered...

Plumbing

Pools

Air Conditioning

Specialty Services

Water Heaters

Living and Working on Longboat Key

julieklick@ michaelsaunders.com

Beverly St. Hilaire

REALTOR®, GRI, CLHMS 818.416.2505 beverlysthilaire@ michaelsaunders.com

LIC #CFC1429635 • CPC1459826 • CAC 1818472

422597-1

REALTOR®, MBA 941.780.6001

417243-1

Julie Klick

www.lapenseeplumbing.com 775.5622 • 401 Manatee Ave, Holmes Beach

422570-1

Price reduced! $2,749,000

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

21

WATER

on the

Reid MuRphy PResents

LONGBOAT KEY GULF FRONT $ 9,970,000

LONGBOAT KEY L’AMBIANCE $ 4,195,000

LONGBOAT KEY WATER CLUB $ 2,795,000

Casually elegant 3BD/3BA Key West style estate Breathtaking views. Floor to ceiling pocket sliding glass doors extend living space to lanai w/ above ground pool & spa & expansive sitting area. Private master retreat w/ Gulf front terrace.

Fourth floor 2BD/3BA Sunset & panoramic views of Gulf & beach. East terrace views of the Bay & downtown. Fully furnished, available immediately. Private elevator, floor to ceiling windows. Two car parking. Resort style amenities.

Spectacular Gulf front 3rd floor 3BD/4BA Brighton floor plan the south building of the sensational Gulf front Water Club complex on south Longboat Key. Private elevator to open floorplan & sensational views.

SOLD

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

LONGBOAT KEY PROMENADE

LIDO KEY NEW CONSTRUCTION

2,330,000

LONGBOAT KEY DREAM ISLAND ROAD LONGBOAT KEY SLEEPY LAGOON

2,695,000

$

$

$

$

Stunning 5BD/7BA 3 level coastal home w/elevator.

Beautiful Gulf, beach & downtown views from multiple balconies. Short walk to beach & St. Armands shopping.

Perfect family vacation home.

Rare Opportunity. Completely renovated, fully furnished 2BR/2BA, behind the gates. Amazing finishes and fixtures.

Garage parking w/ ample storage + Promenades excellent amenities.

Double lot on a wide canal that is 1.06 acres with 200 ft of waterfront. Update the current 4BD/3BA retreat or build a new waterfront home, or possibly two canal front homes.

Great tranquil location.

Boater’s Dream. Gated 1/2+ acre lushly landscaped on wide canal. 3BR/2BA across the street from the beach w/new dock & seawall.

5,500,000

3,595,000

PENDING

LONGBOAT KEY SLEEPY LAGOON

LONGBOAT KEY DEEP WATER

LONGBOAT KEY BEACHES

LONGBOAT KEY BOATERS DREAM

$

2,795,000

$

$

Canal front 3BD/3BA indoor/outdoor multi level living w/ lush landscaping, boat dockage, extra storage.

Large screened lanai w/ heated pool.

2,495,000

$

Gulf front sixth floor 2 BD/2 BA w/ southern exposure behind the gates of LBK Club. Completely renovated in 2023.

Expansive wrap around balcony & spectacular Gulf to Bay panoramic views include Golf course and Sarasota City skyline.

Beautiful & immaculate 3BR/2BA completely renovated.

Southeast exposure on tranquil canal. Dock w/water & electric up to 10,000lb lift.

Beautiful & immaculate 3BR/2BA completely renovated.

Southeast exposure on tranquil canal. Dock w/water & electric up to 10,000lb lift.

2,325,000

1,650,000

SOLD

LONGBOAT KEY, LONGBEACH LOT

LONGBOAT KEY DEEP WATER

LONGBOAT KEY PRIVATEER

LONGBOAT KEY WESTCHESTER

$

1,845,000

$

$

Meticulously maintained 3BD/2.5BA recently updated canal home w/new roof. 30ft dock, no bridges to Bay. Deeded beach access & Bay views.

1,395,000

$

1th floor luxury Penthouse, behind the gates of LBK Club & Resort. 2BD/2BA split-plan w/ two private terraces for Gulf, Bay and City views.

Many high-end updates and full resort ammenties.

Beachfront southern exposure 2 BD/ 2 BA split plan, corner condo. Exceptional sunsets from 2 screened lanais. Remodeled w/ outstanding finishes. Designated covered parking, 2 pools, tennis, pickleball & shuffleboard courts and more.

Lot is located in The Preserve at Longbeach, an exclusive enclave of 12 new homes at the north end of LBK in Longbeach Village. Beach-to-bay access, kayak launch points, + neighborhood boat dock w/ ramp.

CALL REID

800,000

for a successful real estate experience!

941.232.3304

DEVELOPERS REALTY LBK, INC. | LIC. REAL ESTATE BROKER

REIDMURPHY.COM

422578-1

BUYING OR SELLING

1,175,000

YourObserver.com

YOUR CALENDAR

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Cindy Fischer 2023 Top Performing Agent Exclusive Island Properties

Photos by Petra Rivera

Annabeth Howell and James Nicholson at the stingray touch tank at Mote Marine Aquarium

SCAN FOR MORE

BEST BET

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

SENSORY SATURDAY AT MOTE 8:30 a.m. to noon at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium will open its doors an hour early, exclusively for individuals who have sensory processing differences or those with autism spectrum disorders. Individuals with disabilities who would benefit from a calmer sensory experience are also welcome. The exhibits can be enjoyed under soft lighting without crowds and with less noise and visual stimulation. Register with general admission tickets to attend at mote. org/Events/Details/Sensory-Saturday-At-Mote. Email Educate@mote.org with any questions.

200FT OF BAY FRONTAGE, CASEY KEY | $3,795,000

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

SCAN FOR MORE

MUSIC BY JEFF JAMES 6-9 p.m. at Whitney’s, 6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Jeff James is a Na Hokuhanohano award winner (Hawaiian Grammys). Born and raised on the islands of Hawaii, James is an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, ukulele, piano, drums and other instruments. He is a full-time professional musician and music educator. Call 383-4606.

WATERFRONT HIDEAWAY WITH BOAT DOCK, LONGBOAT KEY | $2,250,000

THURSDAY, MAY 2

MUSIC BY JOYCE CORBERT 6-9 p.m. at Whitney’s, 6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Vocalist Joycelyn Corbert brings a show with music from artists such as Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye, The Righteous Brothers and The Temptations. The

SCAN FOR MORE

combination of Motown and soul creates a body-moving experience.

Call 383-4606.

RECURRING EVENTS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LONGBOAT LIBRARy From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., MondayFriday. 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 383-2011.

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.

DIRECT BAY FRONT AVAILABLE $3,325,000

KEY-WEST INSPIRED BEACH BUNGALOW W/ GUEST COTTAGE, LONGBOAT KEY | 1,995,000 $

SCAN FOR MORE

3606 Fair Oaks PL | A4555331 4 Bedrooms, Bay Front in Queens Harbour, Longboat Key DIRECT GULF FRONT $1,750,000

JUST LISTED LONGBEACH OASIS, LONGBOAT KEY | $1,299,000

SOLD

2105 Gulf of Mexico Dr #3403 | A4599416 2/2, New Kitchen w/updates, Gulf Front, Longboat Key PENDING $1,299,900

MAGNIFICENT BAYFRONT SANCTUARY, SIESTA KEY | $9,330,000

SOLD

2101 Gulf of Mexico Dr. #2504 | A4565766 2/2, Penthouse, Totally Renovated, Gulf Front, Longboat Key

COASTAL SOPHISTICATION, LONGBOAT KEY | $2,575,000

Dennis Girard

CindyFischer.com CindyFischer@michaelsaunders.com 440 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228

941-809-0041 | dennis.girard@premiersir.com 517 Bay Isles Pkwy Longboat Key, FL 34228 dennisgirard.premiersothebysrealty.com

423048-1

Broker Associate

941.465.1124

422613-1

22

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Celebrating 50 YEARS of Living and Working on Longboat Key Cathy C. Meldahl, P.A. Your Longboat Key Community Realtor

MONDAYS

ZUMBA & TONING 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Taught by Reena Malik, this class begins with 30 minutes of zumba and finishes with mat Pilates for flexibility and strengthening core muscles. Come for 30 or 60 minutes. Free for members; $15 for nonmembers.

• Consistent top producer on Longboat Key • In-depth knowledge of the real estate market • Active in our community with Longbeach Village Association Longboat Key Historical Society Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce Longboat Key Garden Club

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.

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.

MARIACHI MUSIC From 5:30-8:30 p.m. at La Villa Mexican Grill, 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Enjoy dinner and a serenade

by Mariachi Contemporaneo. Call 383-8033.

THURSDAYS

STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise

Your Hometown Favorite For More Than Eight Decades!

LOCAL, VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1939

Sandi Love leads qi gong and meditation at the Paradise Center on Fridays.

LONGBOAT KEY KEY LONGBOAT

LONGBOAT KEY

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.

4380 Exeter Drive, #306| Longboat Harbour MLS#A4589316 | 2/2 - 1,168 sf | Great amenities | $574,900 | Sherry Flathman (941) 592-3433

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

4370 Chatham Drive, Unit 104| Longboat Harbour MLS#A4592435 | 2/2 - 1,040 sf | Great amenities | $530,000 | Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165

SIESTA KEY

LONGBOAT KEY

FRIDAYS

INTERMEDIATE TAI CHI From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Reuben Fernandez teaches Chen style class.

Outside if weather permitting. Free for members; $15 for others. Walkins welcome. Call 383-6493.

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

NEW PRICING

612 Marbury Lane | Sleepy Lagoon Pk| MLS#A4590263 | 2/2 - 1,128 sf | Canal Front | NOW $1,275,000 | Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165

1240 Dolphin Way #402 | Dolphin Bay MLS#A4595025 | 2/2 - 1,915 sf | $1,297,777 Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165

RESIDENTIAL SALES - RENTALS - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT VOTED “Favorite Real Estate Company” by readers of the local newspaper for 25 years in a row!

Longboat Key Office

5360 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 101 Longboat Key, FL 34228

941.383.5577

423233-1

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.

CathyMeldahl@michaelsaunders.com

WagnerRealty.com

422639-1

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.

941.724.7228

422609-1

TUESDAYS

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

Debby 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.

23

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

SARASOTA 360 N Washington Drive 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,951 Sq. Ft. Jeff Weller 941-266-8206 A4599067 $6,750,000

LONGBOAT KEY 6485 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,000 Sq. Ft. Julie Klick 941-780-6001 A4600758 $3,500,000

LONGBOAT KEY 620 Jackson Way 2 Beds 2 Baths 2,140 Sq. Ft. Cathy Meldahl, Pa 941-724-7228 A4606443 $3,400,000

LONGBOAT KEY 525 Norton Street 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,601 Sq. Ft. The Walter Group 941-809-0907 A4595862 $2,950,000

LONGBOAT KEY 545 General Harris Street 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,294 Sq. Ft. Marta Altizer 941-544-4437 A4593444 $2,850,000

SARASOTA 111 S Pineapple Avenue 1009 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,591 Sq. Ft. Richard Perlman 941-228-8580 A4602708 $1,795,000

LONGBOAT KEY 550 De Narvaez Drive 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,758 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4598789 $1,450,000

LONGBOAT KEY 690 Jungle Queen Way 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,317 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4599997 $1,350,000

LONGBOAT KEY 548 Lyons Lane 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,560 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4596628 $1,275,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3235 Gulf Of Mexico Drive A405 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,260 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy & Gail Wittig 941-961-8850 A4602938 $1,249,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3010 Grand Bay Boulevard 422 2 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,143 Sq. Ft. Michael Nink, Pa 941-914-2805 A4588579 $1,195,000

LONGBOAT KEY 578 580 Companion Way 3 Beds 3 Baths 1,792 Sq. Ft. Bill Anderson 941-313-4059 A4598090 $1,145,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2143 Harbourside Drive 1201 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,224 Sq. Ft. Julie Klick 941-780-6001 A4592954 $875,000

BRADENTON BEACH 117 10th Street N 122 2 Beds 2 Baths 873 Sq. Ft. Deborah Schlener 651-894-3916 A4588152 $774,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4234 Gulf Of Mexico Drive E2 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,248 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4585739 $759,000

LONGBOAT KEY 831 Bayport Way 831 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,456 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy & Gail Wittig 941-961-8850 A4601460 $749,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3540 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 102 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,284 Sq. Ft. Camille Buck 941-894-4771 A4593069 $725,000

LONGBOAT KEY 529 Forest Way 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,440 Sq. Ft. Cathy Meldahl, Pa 941-724-7228 A4603909 $695,000

LONGBOAT KEY 806 Bayport Way 806 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,260 Sq. Ft. Maruta Miluns 941-374-9720 A4589330 $629,000

BRADENTON 6440 Mourning Dove Drive 403 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,364 Sq. Ft. Michael Nink, Pa 941-914-2805 A4595845 $599,000

LONGBOAT KEY 250 Sands Point Road 5105 1 Bed 1 Baths 634 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy & Gail Wittig 941-961-8850 A4598746 $599,000

LONGBOAT KEY 542 Sutton Place 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,450 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer 941-465-1124 A4603180 $595,000

LONGBOAT KEY 565 Sutton Place V-9 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,198 Sq. Ft. The Walter Group 941-809-0907 A4594253 $549,000

LONGBOAT KEY 600 Sutton Place 303B 2 Beds 2 Baths 992 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4592570 $515,000

BRADENTON 7172 Chatum Light Run 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,818 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4606163 $410,000

LONGBOAT KEY 65 Lighthouse Point Drive 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 4,941 Sq. Ft. Michael Moulton 941-928-3559 A4593518 $8,150,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2333 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 1B1 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 3,238 Sq. Ft. Robert Delaney 941-315-3185 A4599566 $4,625,000

LONGBOAT KEY 648 Bayview Drive 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 4,157 Sq. Ft. The Walter Group 941-232-2000 A4567089 $4,495,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

422402-1

24

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

APRIL 8-12

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

condominium in Vizcaya at Longboat Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Reel Funding Inc. sold the Unit 1A1 condominium at 2333 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Kevin Theroux and Christine Carol Theroux, of Lone Tree, Colorado, for $4,999,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,349 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.3 million in 2007.

L’AMBIANCE AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

Robert and Andrea Ingram, of New York City, sold their Unit H802 condominium at 435 L’Ambiance Drive to Robert Shapard, of Dallas, for $3.65 million. Built in 1994, it has two bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths and 2,385 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.5 million in 2012.

SABAL COVE

Jack and Judith Bloch, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3330 Sabal Cove Lane to Ronald Whitehouse, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $2,565,000.

Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,529 square feet of living area.

ISLANDS WEST

Alan Pryor and Pamela Ray Price Pryor, of Wellesley, Pennsylvania, sold their Unit 7-A condominium at 2525 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Thomas and Heidi Oas, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for $1.81 million.

Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,460 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2015.

REAL ESTATE

A condo in Vizcaya tops the week’s sales at $5 million

25

Courtesy image by Gigi Silverberg

Reel Funding Inc. sold the Unit 1A1 condominium at 2333 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Kevin Theroux and Christine Carol Theroux, of Lone Tree, Colorado, for $4,999,000.

SLEEPY LAGOON PARK

WINDING OAKS

BAYPORT BEACH AND TENNIS

PELICAN HARBOUR & BEACH CLUB

HARBOUR VILLA CLUB AT BUCCANEER

LONGBOAT HARBOUR

BEACHPLACE

SANDERLING SEA PINES

Mark and Christina Zeitouni, of Longboat Key, sold their home at 601 Norton St. to Bruce Dragt and Angie Dragt, trustees, of Lutz, for $1,575,000. Built in 1986, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,560 square feet of living area. It sold for $665,000 in 2017.

Bonnie Schneider, of Bradenton, sold her Unit MH-5 condominium at 4239 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Eric Van Severen, trustee, of Davenport, Iowa, for $1.25 million. Built in 1950, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,286 square feet of living area.

It sold for $480,000 in 2004.

Roger Pettingell, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 401 condominium at 1125 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Jay and Amy Stemler, of Mound, Minnesota, for $1.2 million. Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,172 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2021.

Jill Considine sold her Unit 3 condominium at 3405 Winding Oaks Drive to Christine Hersberger, trustees, of Longboat Key, for $1.2 million. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,555 square feet of living area. It sold for $839,000 in 2006.

Earl and Tryla Larson, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their Unit 212 condominium at 615 Dream Island Place to Lipton Properties LLC for $1,125,000. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,293 square feet of living area. It sold for $432,500 in 2018.

Andrew Groesch sold his Unit 11 condominium at 6945 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Lisa Schneider, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $848,000.

Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,170 square feet of living area. It sold for $799,000 in 2021.

Maria Baartz-Douwen, of Surrey, United Kingdom, sold her Unit 823 condominium at 823 Bayport Way to Jeffrey and Caroline Schneider, of Longboat Key, for $787,000. Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,456 square feet of living area. It sold for $175,000 in 1994.

Julie Doughty, of Osprey, sold her Unit 102 condominium at 4320 Falmouth Drive to Daniel Sommer and Cynthia Sommer, trustees, of La Vista, Nebraska, for $521,000. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,072 square feet of living area. It sold for $459,000 in 2021.

CONTINENTALS SEA CLUB

David Long, trustee, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, sold the Unit 22 condominium at 4141 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Diana and Scott Silk, of Topsfield, Massachusetts, for $380,300. Built in 1960, it has one bedroom, one bath and 564 square feet of living area. It sold for $43,000 in 1978.

PROMENADE

Belinda Berman sold her Unit 306 condominium at 1211 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Francis and Mary Mahoney, of Harwich Port, Massachusetts, for $1.2 million. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,598 square feet of living area. It sold for $230,000 in 1985.

In with the new NOW TAKING CONTRACTS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of April 12-18 in order of dollar amounts.

Longboat Key Address

Permit

Applicant

565 Sanctuary Drive

Re-roof

Sanctuary at Longboat

Amount $1,597,780

Key Club

784 Dream Island Road

Alt/Renovation

Flapico LLC

$991,258

574 Norton St.

New Con - Res

John Sizemore

$980,000

591 Chipping Lane

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Clara McGonigle

$301,191

565 Sanctuary Drive

Mechanical

Sanctuary at Longboat

$220,757

Alt/Renovation

Key Club

Electrical

Steven G. Haussler

New Construction

2012 Spousal GST

Alt/Renovation

Steven G. Haussler

608 Cutter Lane 608 Cutter Lane

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA SOTA Residences & Hotel | 941.462.3900 | From $1.8M | Visit the Main Street Gallery | thesota.com

DOWNTOWN ST. PETERSBURG 400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From the $900,000s | Call for an appointment | Residences400central.com

$207,227

MOVE-IN SPRING 2024

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

$119,501

GOLDEN GATE POINT

LONGBOAT KEY

En Pointe | 941.685.1598 | enpointesarasota.com | From $2,775,000

$154,250

2012 Spousal GST

4835 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

Alt/Renovation

Sally Shaw

$153,688

Re-roof

Pelican Harbour

$150,269

Unit 305 4241 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

and Beach Club

6937 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

Alt/Renovation

Trevor Rudderham

2550 Harbourside Drive

Cage/Screen

Marina Bay Association Inc. $134,638

2450 Harbourside Drive

Cage/Screen

Marina Bay Association Inc. $134,638

5055 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

Handrail/Stairs

Club Longboat Beach

$149,000

Unit 23

Bldg. 1

and Tennis

5055 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

Handrail/Stairs

Club Longboat Beach

$119,501

Handrail/Stairs

Club Longboat Beach

$119,501

Handrail/Stairs

Club Longboat Beach

$119,501

Handrail/Stairs

Club Longboat Beach

$119,501

Alt/Renovation

Cristina Fernandez

$111,200

Bldg. 2 5055 Gulf Of Mexico Drive Bldg. 3 5055 Gulf Of Mexico Drive Bldg. 4 5055 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

The Residences at the St. Regis | 941.213.3300 | SRResidencesLongboatKey.com

Sales galleries open and available for virtual or in-person presentations.

Virtual home tours | OnDemand local experts | Interactive site and floorplans

Bldg. 5 #504

and Ryan Strong

650 Triton

Christopher Czarnecki

$106,840

Joseph Bailer TTEE

$90,700

Plumbing

MichaelSaunders.com/New-Homes | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida

New Construction 1281 Gulf Of Mexico Drive Alt/Renovation #908

Prices as of November 2023

Source: Town of Longboat Key

422414-1

1465 Gulf Of Mexico Drive

YourObserver.com

GO WILD AT CRITTER CAMP!

SCIENCE LESSONS | GUEST SPEAKERS CRAFTS | CATS | AGES 8-14 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN 2542 17TH ST, SARASOTA, FL 34234

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WILD FLORIDA

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Join Us In Our Garden

For Music, Wine & Cheese More Classic Hits Concert COUNTRY • GOLDEN OLDIES • R & B• ROCK • SWING Miri Hardy

Anticoagulant poisons in bait traps threaten native rodent hunters, like barred owls, who help keep pests in check.

CONCERT PRESENTERS

Raptors keep rodents in check

Gregg Prescott With extensive experience, Gregg has been mastering lead and rhythm guitar.

His expertise spans across generations, contributing to numerous bands including pop, country, hard rock, and easy listening.

Widespread use of anticoagulant rodenticides is a growing threat to Florida’s birds of prey.

423396-1

Chuck Drager Chuck is the perfect fit for intimate gatherings to concert stage settings. He performs regularly in Las Vegas and at private and public functions around the country. He is the entertainer of choice for countless corporations and country clubs.

Connecting with your doctor when you need them most is crucial.

At Gulfshore Personalized Care, it’s possible to meet your medical needs anywhere at any time. Thomas Arne Jr., DO, FACC, proudly offers patient-centered care through concierge services, such as 24/7 access and same-day visits.

Call us to schedule your no-obligation meet & greet with Dr. Arne today.

Dr. Arne 1250 S Tamiami Trail, Suite 401, Sarasota, FL 34239

941-366-2194 | gulfshorepc.com

MIRI HARDY CONTRIBUTOR

W

IS CONCIERGE MEDICINE RIGHT FOR YOU?

417775-1

ith their keen eyesight, sharp talons and hooked beaks, birds of prey — or raptors — are adept at hunting.

The word “raptor” comes from the Latin word rapere, which means “to seize or take by force.

As they prey on a wide variety of species, including insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and fish, carnivorous birds such as owls, hawks and eagles are important links in the animal food chain.

They play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of Florida’s ecosystems.

A primary concern for our region’s raptors is habitat loss. And though the state-protected lands of Myakka River State Park provide crucial habitat for numerous raptor species, human activities in the park can still pose threats.

For example, recreational activities, such as photography, hiking and boating, can disrupt nesting and foraging behaviors. As raptors are highly sensitive to disturbances, constant human presence in their habitats can lead to the abandonment of nesting sites and reduced reproductive success.

Encroaching development also poses a threat to Myakka’s raptors.

Increased traffic, in and outside of the park, results in higher collision risk for birds that forage at the same height as vehicles, such as owls. And rising use of anticoagulant rodenticides for pest control in our communities is having a deadly impact on our region’s birds of prey.

Anticoagulants prevent blood from clotting and cause animals to bleed to death internally.

As these poisons don’t kill rodents immediately, but rather slowly

A primary concern for our region’s raptors is habitat loss.

And though the state-protected lands of Myakka River State Park provide crucial habitat for numerous raptor species, human activities in the park can still pose threats. ­ — Miri Hardy

weaken them, they become easier prey for raptors. Consuming poisoned rodents has disastrous consequences for raptors and their chicks.

Poison use in our environment exacerbates pest infestations, as it threatens native rodent-controllers who keep pests in check.

We can help protect animals in the wild, including raptors, by always giving them plenty of space. At home, we can research pest-control solutions to avoid using hazardous poisons.

Opting for preventative practices, such as rodent-proofing human structures, trimming foliage and tree limbs away from houses and reducing rodent attractants, such as trash, pet food, spilled birdseed and fallen fruit can effectively protect both our homes and our environment.

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River.

Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. ­Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.

Plants & Decor

for your favorite space!

We are your source for everything yard and garden!

Largest selection of plants & flowers Including those unique to our area Locally Owned • Beautiful Garden Accessories & Gifts • Statues & Containers

Your

FARM & GARDEN 941-366-4954 • YourFarmandGarden.com 735 South Beneva Rd., Sarasota FL 34232

415493-1 392198-1

26

YourObserver.com

27

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

SUNRISE / SUNSET

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

Sunrise Sunset

High: 84 Low: 67 Chance of rain: 4%

Submit your photos at YourObserver. com/contests.

All submissions will be entered for the 2024-25.

Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2025, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

WEATHER

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

Thursday, April 25

6:56a

8:01p

Friday, April 26

6:55a

8:01p

Saturday, April 27

6:54a

8:02p

Sunday, April 28

6:53a

8:02p

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Monday, April 29

6:52a

8:03p

High: 85 Low: 68 Chance of rain: 4%

Tuesday, April 30

6:51a

8:03p

Wednesday, May 1

6:51a

8:04p

MOON PHASES SUNDAY, APRIL 28 High: 84 Low: 68 Chance of rain: 5%

May 1 Last

May 7 New

May 15 First

May 23 Full

TIDES Highs Lows Thursday, April 25

2:42a

12:40p

7:02a

9:10p

Friday, April 26

3:44a

1:08p

7:13a

9:55p

Saturday, April 27

5:07a

1:42p

7:18a

10:46p

Sunday, April 28

—

2:23p

—

11:47p

Monday, April 29

—

3:14p

—

—

Tuesday, April 30

—

4:21p

12:54a

—

Wednesday, May 1

—

5:54p

2:01a

—

Jenelle Alber took this photo of a clear day on Beer Can Island.

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood | tile | stone | pavers | and more Sarasota 941.355.8437 | Bradenton 941.748.4679 | Venice 941.493.7441 | manasotaonline.com

Come Shop our Showrooms!

crossword

celebrity cipher

ALL DESKED OUT by Paul Coulter, edited by Jeff Chen 125 Brood

55 Brings down

126 Does a trick for a treat

59 Burnable data-storage

127 Detective’s need

medium, for short

128 Question type

61 Philly Ivy

DOWN 1 Often-injured knee component, for short 2 Field of study

62 Some underworld groups 64 Contingencies

4 “Me, too!”

67 Cuts back, as a hedge

5 Author Harper

68 Hot spot?

6 Texter’s qualifier

69 Perrier competitor

7 Concern for vets

70 Many an IRS employee

WXTV FC KYCV BJV SYYA IV YUB WGSJB

8 Call to a pig

71 Tombstone name

9 Personal

72 Flip out

IGZ, OE UVXNGZS BY XBBVWRB.”

10 Some clouds

77 Polynesian paste

11 Apple pie order?

79 Still competitive

12 Scarecrow stuffing

80 Concern for vets

13 Cow fodder

81 Garden spots

14 ___-Lorraine (French

82 Low digits

6 ___ facto (logician’s statement) 10 Venmo alternative 14 Fivers, in slang 18 Origami birds 20 Cat call 21 Big name on beauty boxes 22 Ornate Tiffany creation 23 *Continue granting loans? (+8) 25 “The Maltese Falcon” leading lady 27 Spam and such 28 Antlered creature 29 Speedy feline seen on some shoes

16 Ham it up

87 Follow, as a tip

17 Nautical pole

88 Owner of the hammer

19 Easy marks for a con

Mjolnir

man

89 Democratic donkey

24 “Naked Maja” artist

cartoonist

26 Cries of discovery

90 Deter or discourage

can Republic

66 Unload on

31 In a lather?

67 *Le bon ami? (+A)

108 Impatient

34 Fencing event

97 Scam

33 *Cowardly Martian? (+J) 73 Baltimore birds

109 College grads, for short

35 Evita’s husband

99 Dives like an eagle

36 “Let’s do it!”

74 Mince words?

110 Lowly laborer

36 Rip open

101 Way to go!

39 Zeroed out a debt

75 “Doggone it!”

111 Goes on

37 Fortitude

102 Shooter Adams

40 Don’t waste

76 Bouncer’s task

93 Reason for a “Safe!” call 96 Don’t shoot for the stars

103 Short pants?

42 St. Paul-to-Fargo rte.

114 Home of the tallest bldg. 38 DOL division 41 “OMG, spare me!”

77 It’s a good thing to break in the world 43 Attempt to obtain 116 Approach furtively 78 Pester, puppy-style

44 H, to the Hellenes

81 Payoff

118 Request to a poker

45 “Shame on you!”

106 Mac maker

46 Back then

84 Has every intention of

dealer ... and a hint for

46 The least bit

107 1971 Fonda film

49 *Nanny’s warning? (+K) 86 *”I’ll give you a belly rub making 23-, 33-, 49-, 67-,

47 “Beau ___” (classic

112 “___boy!”

53 Brandy glass

41 “I love you,” in Lima

IGKKGXW CJXTVCRVXNV

“CSVI UVEUBV WGMXV MG AV, GSVL PETBO JV CSKWUVXKIY ... ‘GSMG YTL WTPFW! SMRV LET WVVI SKA JVDEXV? SV’W SEXXKJBV.’”

OMRKO WUMOV

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

104 “Silas Marner” novelist 105 Elbow

soon”? (+10)

86- and 103-Across match

novel)

113 Formal accessory

56 Boiling feeling

91 Identity theft fig.

their clues

48 Cookies that come in

115 Biblical plot?

57 Test for purity

92 Do poorly

121 Possum pal of Porky

many varieties

117 Common port type

58 Response to a goo that

94 Martina’s court rival

Pine

50 Rubs the wrong way, to

118 Dopey drawing, perhaps

isn’t cute

95 Right hands

122 Sharp rebuke

say the least

119 Coral isle

60 Desist’s redundant

96 What a pitcher might ice 123 “___, Brute?”

51 Java is in it

120 Outstripping capacity,

partner

98 On the subject of

61 Wrinkly type of tangelo

100 Some QB six-pointers

124 Firefighter’s extendable 52 Food sticker?

54 Sew up equipment

“YFN AYFOBC XNV BNXGBYNC, XZA

Puzzle Three Clue: D equals F

mausoleum’s name

NIOT DNUMRB

Puzzle Two Clue: U equals F

1 Last word in a famed

UJNBBT EC LMJ VJCL NUL.”

3 Act of agreement

103 *Noah’s ship as it trans- 29 First course of action 32 Heaps and heaps ports the Wise Men? (+2)

30 Neighbor of the Domini- 63 Fanatical fan

ANCCEIH LMURXHM EL.” – UXKE / “BNIO

66 Cook quickly, as mushrooms

83 Mild movie ratings 15 It can be dyed in the wool 85 Highland hats

ACROSS

“TRX ORI’L BEPJ RI JNULM, TRX NUJ

65 Leveling device

region)

©2023 Universal Uclick

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle One Clue: B equals L

421803-1

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

briefly ©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

4-25-24

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Homes for Sale

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

5 ACRES Lake Barn Near Fruitville I-75 Call for Price

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at 2PM Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card The Longboat Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Longboat Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

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

Merchandise Wanted

ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236

Pets ISLAND PET CARE Longboat resident, background checked/profile on Rover. Daily walks or overnights.

Call/txt 804-366-7650

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

Boat Slips for Rent/Sale

Rattan sofa, chair, coffee & end table; Poang rocking chair, chrome & vinyl dinette set, tulip base dinette set, bar stools, 2 sets twin & full beds, sofa sleeper, dresser, mirrors, area rug, coffee tables, Whirlpool stove & refrigerator, Frigidaire stove, Americana refrigerator, microwaves, books, floor, table & ceiling lamps; coastal decor, linens, stackable GE washer & dryer, doors, windows, cabinets, knobs, 2 Rheem 30 gallon water heaters, Keter storage box, patio table & chairs, sinks, toilets and much more!

Pix: www.estatesales.net Sale by Julie McClure

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

TREASURES FOUND HERE!

wagnerlbkrentals@gmail.com Visa/MC

Longboat Key, FL 34228

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals ISLANDER CLUB / Gulf front condo: 11th floor, full bay view, 2BR/2BA, updated granite kitchen, heated 75/ft. pool, 2 Har Tru tennis courts, exercise room, updated clubhouse. 3 months or more. Available starting Dec ‘24 - April ‘25 516-458-8758 or peggygl@optonline.net

LONGBOAT KEY: SUNSET BEACH oceanfront condos (2 br & 3 br).

Beachfront, direct Gulf, 3 balconies, gated community, heated pool. $9-11k / month for the next rental season. Videos available. Call 860-558-9234

You’re only cheating yourself.

201 67th Street- Holmes Beach

Reservations 941-383-5577

Brooke O’Malley | Club Realty Call 941-726-2677

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Beautiful upgraded 2BR/2BA. Incredible water vew. Waterfront patio. Pool, tennis, pickle, walk to the beach. Private carport.

Excellent rental terms.

Owner/Renter Call/Email for pics.

570-239-0431 marketreps@aol.com

peekers’ place

9-2 Sat. April 27

auto

ALL MUST GO!

Between Houses or Condos

5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite

941-955-4888

GREAT VALUE

LBK CONDO FOR SALE by motivated owner: updated 2 bd/2 bath, first floor Whitney Beach condo w/ great bayou view & steps to the Gulf. $665,000 781-405-7631

Beachfront, Bayfront and In

Bradenton: Pool Home, New windows, hvac, Completely Updated $689,900

May to December

48X21 BOAT SLIP P07, at Long Boat Key moorings FOR RENT Slip runs north and south, and provides views of Sarasota Bay. Asking $800 per month + utilities Call 941-724-9486

SEASONAL RATES

L’AMBIANCE, LONGBOAT KEY Beach front 2BR/3BA condo on high floor with wrap-around terrace, 270 degree views over the Gulf, Sarasota Bay and LBK Club.

Sunrises, sunsets through floor to ceiling windows. View at: www.thephotos.smugmug.com Call John at: 203-984-8477 or E-mail: garment@optonline.net LONGBOAT KEY Portobello Seasonal Rental.

Available Now! Beautifully renovated condo, 2BR/2BA. 1,260 sq.ft. Pool, tennis court, private beach. 1 month min.

No pets.

Rental office 9a.m. - 5p.m.

M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty Since 1939 www.rentalsonlongboat.com

RED PAGES AD RATES First 15 words ................... $ 15.00 per week Each add’l word .........25¢

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

EPIC HOME CARE Personal Care-Respite Care Alzheimer’s Care Light Cleaning Med Administration Meal Prep Shopping, Errands & More Call for a FREE Evaluation!

941-536-6372 Epichomecareprovider@gmail Rosa Torres- Owner

Auto Transport SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Handyman Services HANDYMAN SERVICES Over 25 years Chicagoland experienced handyman looking for local projects. (773) 456-3780

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE!

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

$7,000 - April and/or May (2024) $5,000 June-Dec (2024) Call 908-692-4756 LONGBOAT KEY: Beachfront Condos, 1st or 2nd floor, 2BR/2BA, W/D in units, free Wi-Fi, heated pool, & parking.

Call 941-383-3338.

Adult Care Services

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A POWERFUL COMBINATION

FOR RENT: ANNA MARIA ISLAND CONDO

Condos/Apts. for Sale

DEMOLITION ESTATE SALE

Venice: 2/2 Condo Plantation Golf Club. Call for Price

IN PRINT AND ONLINE

Condos/Apts. for Rent

48’ BOAT Slip for Sale or Lease: Longboat Key Moorings. No club membership. 941-812-3395.

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

Sarasota: Pool home, 4 bed. $649,900

WEEKLY MONTHLY

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

This week’s Crossword answers

HIGH-END INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING WE ARE THE BEST!!!

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CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “You don’t live on Earth, you are passing through it.” – Rumi / “Land really is the best art.” .

Andy Warhol Puzzle Two Solution: “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

William Shakespeare Puzzle Three Solution: “When people stare at me, they could be whispering ... ‘That guy sucks! Have you seen him before? He’s horrible.’”

David Spade

This week’s Sudoku answers

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TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

©2024 NEA, Inc.

Items Under $200

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and some collectors plates. Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

Sarasota: 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Car Garage House $359,000

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Bradenton: Condo, 2 bed, 2 bath$229,900 Pet friendly 55+

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

home services

Made for where you live. Here!

YourObserver.com

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

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Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

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FULLY INSURED • OWNER OPERATED

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We have mediated divorces involving up to 15 million dollars of assets over past 30 years.

Roofing

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

William J. Leininger, JD

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

Building & Roofing Contractor

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

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Formerly known as Sunrise Windows UP TO

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INCLUDING SCREENS, TR ACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

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PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

Insurance

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510 BAY ISLES ROAD, SUITE 1 • LONGBOAT KEY, FL (Next to SUNTRUST BANK)

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MIC INSURANCE

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

97 SOUTH WASHINGTON DRIVE

$10,995,000

Discover this captivating bayfront estate, just a stroll from the vibrant heart of St. Armands Circle. Nestled across two sprawling corner lots, encompassing over half an acre, this 5BR home with a 5-car garage rests on one of the largest parcels in the neighborhood. Offered turnkey furnished, this exquisite residence spans nearly 8,000 SF, with bay and city views from nearly every room. www.97SouthWashington.com

MORE THAN $149 MILLION PENDING AND SOLD SINCE JANUARY 2024

6603 GULFSIDE ROAD

$15,000,000

This is a brand-new, direct Gulf-front masterpiece, set on over 1/4-acre on Longboat Key and crafted by Vertical Design Build is still in the beginning stages so there is plenty of time to make your personal selections! www.6603GulfsideRoad.com

7652 SANDERLING ROAD

$8,995,000

This private custom estate, on over an acre of land with 172’ of beachfront, offers unobstructed views of the Gulf’s coastal landscape, complemented by a design specifically crafted to accentuate breathtaking beach and sunset panoramas. www.7652Sanderling.com

500 HARBOR POINT ROAD

$8,900,000

Boasting 4BR and nearly 7,000 SF of meticulously updated interior and exterior, this Bay Isles Harbor boater’s sanctuary offers many bonuses including 4-car garage with golf simulator, new (2022) dock and lift. www.500HarborPoint.com

HUNTERS POINT

6923 WESTCHESTER CIRCLE

$4,695,000

This exquisite 5BR Arthur Rutenberg home is situated on nearly 1/2-acre of Lakewood Ranch lakefront property. Offering nearly 7,000 SF inside, with luxurious finishes, contemporary upgrades, and resort-style outdoor areas. www.6923Westchester.com

5610 AVENIDA DEL MARE

1300 BEN FRANKLIN DR #504

4305 MARINA VIEW WAY

4317 MARINA VIEW WAY

4318 MARINA VIEW WAY

$1,700,000

$1,550,000

$1,250,000

Move right in and begin enjoying an ideal, sustainable lifestyle at this beautiful 3BR waterfront residence. www.HuntersPointFL.com

The pinnacle of modern luxury living is found at this brand-new, 3BR, waterfront home. www.HuntersPointFL.com

Relish the convenience of brandnew construction at this stunning 3BR, sustainable, green residence. www.HuntersPointFL.com

This Ritz-Carlton, 3BR +den & office residence comes complete with 3,550 SF of interior, plus 2 garage parking spaces. www.BeachResidences504.com

7180 MANASOTA KEY ROAD

601 LOTUS LANE - SIESTA KEY

455 LONGBOAT CLUB RD #305

$4,495,000

$3,795,000

$3,495,000

$2,995,000

1901 MORRILL STREET

201 N. WASHINGTON DRIVE

8052 GRANDE SHORES DRIVE

3825 SARASOTA GOLF CLUB

$2,795,000

$2,195,000

$1,975,000

$1,799,000

3060 GRAND BAY BLVD #152

4004 CASCINA WAY

$1,395,000

$899,000

Gorgeous updates and investment options abound at this 7BR compound, just a short sunny walk from Siesta Key Beach! www.5610AvenidadelMare.com

$6,600,000

Completely updated inside and out! This 7BR compound or rental is in Sarasota’s Historic District. www.1901MorrillStreet.com

This bayfront 5th-floor Biscayne at Grand Bay offers 2,250 SF, and is ready for you to make it your own. www.GrandBay152.com

Ready for you to design your dream home, this parcel is in an ideal walkable St. Armands location. www.201NorthWashington.com

Crafted in 2017 by Taylor Morrison, this 3BR home, nestled on a corner parcel is move-in ready! www.4004CascinaWay.com

This updated 4BR Key West style beach home offers stunning Gulf views and a resort experience. www.7180ManasotaKey.com

Move right into this beautifully furnished (included), 4BR+loft lakefront, 2021-built home! www.8052GrandeShores.com

Escape to Siesta Key at this 2017-built waterfront 3BR + office residence, exuding quality and style. www.601LotusLane.com

Prepare to be captivated by Gulf and sunset views at this 3BR, direct beachfront Pierre residence. www.Pierre305.com

255 COSMOPOLITAN COURT

Rare opportunity to build your dream home on 5-acres among luxurious estate-sized homes in east Sarasota. www.3825SarasotaGolfClub.com

Fall in love and move right into this 2016-built, 3BR downtown townhouse with 2-car garage. www.255CosmopolitanCourt.com

225 SANDS POINT RD #6105

743 ANNA HOPE LANE

631 N. ORANGE AVENUE #107

$649,000

$629,000

$375,000

Exciting opportunity for island living or enticing rental property at the exclusive Longboat Key Club. www.InnontheBeach6105.com

This sunny 3BR residence in Rivendell boasts a brand-new roof (2023), and newer A/C in 2021. www.743AnnaHope.com

$1,399,000

Experience the essence of urban living in the vibrant Rosemary District this 2BR renovated retreat. www.MentoneCourt107.com

CA L L TO DAY FO R YO U R EXC LU S I VE TO U R ( 9 41 ) 3 8 7-1 8 4 0 443 John Ringling Boulevard, Suite F, Sarasota, FL 34236 | Pettingell.com | www.bestSarasotarealestate.net Twitter.com/RealRoger | Instagram.com/RogerPettingell | Roger@Pettingell.com The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. 417306-1

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