Longboat Observer 5.9.24

YOUR TOWN

Crosswalk celebration

A crosswalk celebration made for a very Longboat morning.

On May 6, representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation and the town of Longboat Key met to officially cut the ribbon on the new pedestrian hybrid beacon at Bayfront Park.

The ceremony marked the completion of a project that brought safer crosswalks to the island, including the two pedestrian hybrid beacons, one at Bayfront Park and another at Country Club Shores.

The new beacons are crosswalks with masts that extend over the roadway. To operate, pedestrians press a button, and the signals on the mast flash yellow before turning red, telling cars to stop.

Service honors

When Allan Goldfarb was going to his usual Friday night Shabbat service on May 3 at Temple Beth Israel, he was not expecting over 70 temple members to be there to celebrate him.

Goldfarb recently stepped down as vice president of security and administration after 10 years of dedication to the synagogue. He is known for his passion for ensuring fun along with the safety of all members.

TBI members described him as the go-to guy in all his tasks, especially with starting TBI’s security program. His human relations and administration skills were said to have transformed the office environment. He also oversaw the landscaping, repairs and maintenance of TBI.

Goldfarb also led TBI in partnering with The Jewish Federation, Secure Community Network and the Longboat Key Police Department.

Goldfarb oversaw enhancements for crime prevention such as adding cameras, monitors, shatterproof windows and door-locking mechanisms, as well as building an additional exit door in the sanctuary.

DRESSED FOR THE DERBY

traffic

With a 900-page transportation study in hand, officials now look to implement lessons learned.

Carter Weinhofer

Mayor Ken Schneier cuts the ribbon near the new pedestrian beacon at Bayfront Park.

File image

Allan Goldfarb and Isaac Azerad

Courtesy image Town officials have been concerned for years about the effects of traffic congestion through Bradenton Beach, north of Longboat Key.

Petra Rivera

Ronna Bridges and Barbara Kelly attend the Longboat Key Club Kentucky Derby party.

LBK, Manatee commissioners talk roundabout, ferry projects

The meeting included updates on projects with interrelated impacts.

CARTER WEINHOFER

STAFF WRITER

Longboat Key town commissioners met Manatee County commissioners on April 30 for a joint meeting to discuss common issues and projects.

The two groups of commissioners discussed projects like the Broadway Roundabout, Whitney Plaza Learning Center and the Gulf Islands Ferry service during the meeting.

Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton said it was also an opportunity to thank Manatee County for its support in some of these projects.

“If we don’t say it right up front, thank you. And if we don’t say it throughout today, we want to say ‘thank you’ to Manatee County … We’re excited about the future,”

Town Manager Howard Tipton said at the start of the meeting.

BROADWAY ROUNDABOUT

Longboat Key Public Works Director Isaac Brownman updated Manatee County commissioners on the recent changes to the Broadway Street roundabout design.

As part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s 90% design inspection, the department said the project would no longer be considered because of the existing roadway banking. That meant that the project team had to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to address the elevation of the intersection.

“There was no ability to proceed with the design we had,” Brownman said. “As FDOT indicated, they would not sign a permit for that design.”

The redesign for the roundabout with Kimley-Horn began in October 2023 at a cost of $158,000.

Due to the changes to eliminate the elevation, the project needed to be extended about 900 feet in each

GULF ISLANDS FERRY SERVICE

direction and added a significant amount of drainage improvements, according to Brownman.

Brownman said the town will submit the redesign plans to FDOT in about a week or two.

“We’re really hopeful for a much more favorable outcome because they explained it will be, provided we do these things,” Brownman said.

The FDOT is currently committed to $1,685,000 for construction, but the overall cost for the project is still to be determined, though Brownman said the cost will be higher now with the new design.

Brownman estimated that design would wrap up around fall or winter of 2024 and start construction in early 2025, pending funding. A nineto 12-month construction timeline is expected due to the complexity of the changes in the roadway elevation.

WHITNEY PLAZA

Property Management Director for Manatee County Cary Knight said that 100% of the construction documents are in hand now for the Whitney Plaza Learning Center project.

Knight said firm pricing would be available in a couple of weeks, but

that there was an indication that the original budget would change.

The guaranteed maximum price would then go to the Manatee County BCC for approval in June. Its approval would allow for the construction manager to mobilize on-site in July.

Knight presented some renderings of the rooms within the center, including a reception area, a multipurpose room with a partition wall, an arts center with a kitchenette and a computer lab/library area with a partition wall.

“It seems like the school board and the committee that have reviewed and put together the plans have done a very good job of not only turning them around really quickly — allowing the project to move as fast as it has — but also have created very flexible spaces so the facility can expand and change as the needs of the community change over time,” Knight said.

According to Knight, construction should be completed in the second quarter of 2025.

Once built out, the space will be programmed by the School District of Manatee County.

The ferry service, which started Jan. 12, expanded its service to run Wednesdays through Sundays.

According to Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione, the ridership is at about 300-350 passengers a day. The total number of passengers since the service began has reached about 9,000, he added.

“The challenge we face is we’ve lost 25 days due to the weather,” Falcione said.

Falcione said the two pontoon catamaran boats were the right vessels to buy at first, but the TDC is now looking at purchasing a 90-passenger, enclosed vessel.

In terms of looking for a potential Longboat Key destination, Falcione said the town’s dock on Linley Street was earmarked about a month ago.

“We’re talking, we’re not there yet,” Falcione said. “We want what you want … All I’ll say is there’s probably not many options.”

From a visitor standpoint, Falcione said the best destination would be the north end, where guests could enjoy dinners at Mar Vista or Shore.  Longboat Key District 4 Com -

missioner Debra Williams said the emphasis for the ferry on Longboat Key should be to transport workers.

“We really suffer with getting people on the island, businesses getting employees and trying to maintain that through season,” Williams said.  Falcione said it would be hard to market the service as workforce only, but understood the ferry would serve multiple purposes.

GREER ISLAND POLICING

As a part of an agreement with Manatee County, the Longboat Key Police Department regularly patrols Beer Can Island (Greer Island).

At the joint meeting, Tipton mentioned to the Manatee County Commission that an increase in fees would be coming across its agenda in the near future.

Due to an increase in staffing costs — an increase of about 40% in police salaries — Tipton said the town is asking for an increase of $20,000, from $60,000 to $80,000 a year.

Carter Weinhofer

A total renovation of the space at Whitney Beach Plaza is still needed for the community center project.

Courtesy image

The Gulf Islands Ferry launched earlier this year.

TACKLING TRAFFIC

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Traffic congestion remained one of the top issues identified by Longboat Key residents in the latest citizen satisfaction survey. But what can be done to alleviate the issue?

For the barrier islands, steps will eventually be taken to implement recommendations from the Barrier Islands Traffic Study, which wrapped up in March 2020.

Members of the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization will have a 900-page study to reckon with before moving toward implementation.

The Florida Department of Transportation launched the Barrier Island Traffic Study in May 2017. The study, which cost about $675,000, included three phases, the last of which wrapped up in 2020.

The goal of the MPO is to act as a planning committee for Sarasota and Manatee counties’ transportation. An MPO is established by federal legislation and coordinates with entities like the Florida Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.

“We want to take the next steps and evaluate the work that’s been done in the last four or five years from the Barrier Island Traffic Study and then do a little bit more work ourselves and evaluate what can be implemented, what it would take and what costs are involved with that,” MPO Deputy Director Ryan Brown said.

Vice Mayor Mike Haycock is Longboat Key’s representative on the MPO, a position he has held for four years. The group meets about three times a year to discuss traffic-related issues.

In 2020, the MPO presented the Barrier Island Traffic Study. At the time, the study was in Phase 3, in which the organization presented a variety of possible roadway improvements, cost estimates and recommended project phasing.

The study included short-, medium- and long-term projects that varied in cost and time.

“It’s still in the works, it’s now in the form of moving toward implementation,” said Brown.

Brown said he recently met with representatives from the town of Longboat Key to present to them the next steps the MPO is taking to address the study.

Along the same lines as the Barrier Island Study is another document called the Congestion Management Plan. This is something that is mandated by federal legislation, Brown said, and evaluates traffic conditions

“With some of the conditions out here, you basically have to prepare two-and-a-half times as long as you think. There’s a certain threshold where people stop making the trip out, and that’s what we don’t want to see.”

— Ryan Brown, MPO deputy director

Sarasota/Manatee MPO to reevaluate and implement Barrier Islands Traffic Study findings.

across the region. It evaluates traffic in different settings like peak season, mornings, evenings and weekends.

Brown said the data from the Congestion Management Plan will be presented in May and finalized around September.

Though the data isn’t final yet, Brown shared something that most Longboaters are accustomed to — traffic can be unpredictable.

“With some of the conditions out here, you basically have to prepare two-and-a-half times as long as you think,” Brown said. “There’s a certain threshold where people stop making the trip out, and that’s what we don’t want to see.”

The metrics that determine this are confusing, Brown added, and could vary depending on the location and time of day.

Taking into account the data from the Congestion Management Plan, the MPO will dust off the Barrier Island Study and put together an implementation team, according to Brown.

The MPO will hire additional consultants for the implementation team, as well as form a group from within the MPO. Brown emphasized that implementation is something that will require a partnership between the barrier island municipalities, from Anna Maria Island to Siesta Key.

“We want to make sure all these things are happening in unison,” Brown said. “You don’t want to do something on one island and then facilities don’t quite connect or cooperate with one another.”

LOOK AROUND LONGBOAT

Haycock said there isn’t a lot to be done on Longboat Key itself, but the projects in surrounding jurisdictions can help the issues.

When the study was presented in 2020, Haycock said that Longboat Key had about six or seven items listed as priorities.

Among those was “John Ringling Parkway Counter-Flow.” A roundabout was then constructed to address this concern, something that Haycock said has made traffic a little smoother.

Another recommendation was to add flexible lanes to all future bridges, something that Haycock said is included in plans for future bridges like the Cortez and Longboat Pass bridges. Any future Longboat Pass Bridge alternatives would have a 12-foot shoulder.

Intersection improvements for Gulf Drive and Cortez Road were listed as priorities, which Haycock said could be an extended right turn lane getting from Gulf Drive to the

Cortez Bridge. That’s difficult, he said, since a lot of property would need to be purchased to make that work.

Longboat Key had also listed “Pedestrian Managers at St. Armands Circle” as a priority. This was piloted, Haycock said, but didn’t work out.

An “aerial tram” between Sarasota and St. Armands/Lido Key was another idea that Longboat Key had listed as a priority, something that Haycock said was a far-fetched idea.

Some successes did come from these priorities, though.

One of the priorities the town identified was to coordinate a unified transit system between Sarasota and Manatee counties, which came to fruition this year with the expansion of Sarasota County’s OnDemand service to cover all of Longboat Key.

“I think it’s been a tremendous success,” Haycock said.

Multimodal transportation, like water taxis, were included in the Barrier Island Study. This January, the Gulf Islands Ferry service began and has seen good ridership so far.

“We’re trying to figure out how people on Longboat Key could utilize that,” Haycock said. “We’re kicking around the idea of trying to have some sort of taxi for our workers so they can get back and forth.”

The problem there, according to Haycock, is that adequate parking spots are needed on both ends to make it work.

The town also listed the Anna Maria Island Trail as a priority, something that is entering the planning stages now. Haycock said he thinks this is a good opportunity for Longboat Key to get involved, especially since the town plans to pursue a complete street design in the future.

It’s also a way to collaborate, similar to what Brown said about a partnership between municipalities.

“We think we’re going to be able to at least be involved in, and potentially influence, how they control traffic leaving the beaches in the afternoon,” Haycock said.

When the MPO does start the implementation process, Brown said that it will start with getting some general timelines in place for some of the projects.

Going forward, Haycock said he believes Longboat Key’s role will be as a voice that shares residents’ concerns with traffic congestion among the barrier islands.

“I think the biggest thing we can do is influence the commissioners on the north end … to help us get our workers off the island faster than it takes now,” Haycock said.

image

Alternatives for the Longboat Pass Bridge focus on bicyclist and pedestrian safety, widening lanes and building higher to avoid frequent openings.

Filling out the boards

Nicholas Gladding, one of the appointments, will take over David Green’s seat on Planning and Zoning.

CARTER WEINHOFER

STAFF WRITER

On May 6, Longboat Key commissioners selected members for several of the town’s boards, including the Planning and Zoning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Citizens Tax Oversight Committee and the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee.

The applicants were invited to a meet and greet workshop held by the commission on May 6 a couple hours before the official appointment.

For the Planning and Zoning Board, there were five open seats. One was left vacant after David Green’s recent resignation from the board due to his relocation from Longboat Key. The other four were board members whose terms had expired, all of whom sought reappointment.

There were five new applicants for the Planning and Zoning Board. Nicholas Gladding, Wilhelm Meierling, Thomas Simonian and James Whitman all attended the meet and greet to talk with commissioners about their background and interest in the board.

Christopher Laurent, the fifth applicant, was unable to attend.

In the Longboat Key Town Commission meeting held later in the afternoon, commissioners voted to reappoint the four board members whose terms were up. Those members are Paul Hylbert, S. Jay Plager,

Eddie Abrams and Margaret Nuzzo. That left one seat on the Planning and Zoning Board for commissioners to fill. All the new applicants were nominated, but, in the end, Gladding won the appointment.

NICHOLAS GLADDING

Originally from Maryland, Gladding’s professional background is what he thinks will help him as a member of the Planning and Zoning Board the most.

Gladding has about 40 years of experience with planning and zoning issues from his time as a lawyer. Over the years, his main focus was on environmental and land-use law. He is currently a member of The Florida Bar, though his status is inactive and he doesn’t take on new clients.

In 2014, he decided to shift his focus to representing various nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations.

His main interest is with the environmental challenges the town faces, including climate adaptation and beach erosion.

Though Gladding became a Longboat Key resident about eight months ago, he’s no stranger to the island.

For about 14 years, Gladding has been involved with Longboat Keyrelated matters in one way or another, whether that’s working on the boards of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program or Save Our Seabirds.

Gladding has also known Mayor Ken Schneier for the same amount of time.

He said Schneier encouraged him to apply for the Planning and Zoning Board because he thought Gladding could bring a different dimension to the town’s environmental issues.

“I’ve been reading about what the P&Z has been up to, particularly with

“I’ve been reading about what the P&Z has been up to, particularly with the comprehensive plan and environmental stuff that’s coming up, I just said, ‘You know, I really think I might be able to help.’”

—Nicholas Gladding

the comprehensive plan and environmental stuff that’s coming up, I just said, ‘You know, I really think I might be able to help,’” Gladding said.

His interest increased after speaking with people at the Climate Adaptation Center who he said spoke highly of how Longboat Key has approached environmental issues.

“They talked up to me quite a bit about what a great job Longboat Key

has done,” Gladding said.

And after reading about Green’s resignation from the board, Gladding saw similarities in their backgrounds, both lawyers in the landuse and environmental realm. He thought it would be a good way to contribute to the Planning and Zoning Board with similar knowledge that Green had.

He also completed the 2024 Citizens Academy, during which he said he was able to learn more about the town and its various departments.

Overall, Gladding is looking forward to getting started with the board and contributing to the community.

“Despite the fact we have become new homeowners, I’m not a newcomer to Longboat Key,” Gladding said. “I want to do everything I can, and Planning and Zoning seems like a good way to do it from my background.”

OTHER BOARD APPOINTMENTS

There were no new applicants for the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which is made up of five members who meet once a month.

Ann Roth and Gaele Barthold were up for reappointment after their three-year terms expired. Both were reappointed by town commissioners.

One citizen is tasked with sitting on the MPO Citizen Advisory Committee, which meets for citizens to provide input for the planning process of the MPO.

Eddie Abrams was up for reappointment to his seat on the committee and though there were three new applicants, commissioners chose to keep Abrams in his position. He was also reappointed to his spot on the Planning and Zoning Board.

The Citizen Tax Oversight Committee has seven members who meet to review expenditures and take note of changes made to the project list by the town. The committee meets once a year and members have fouryear terms. There were two vacant seats on the committee after two members’ terms expired. Alzira Meierling and James Whitman were chosen to take over the two spots.

Carter Weinhofer

Nicholas Gladding was recently appointed to Longboat Key’s Planning and Zoning Board.

Rough elements

South Lido residents express concern over noise, suspicious activity and personal watercraft at Ted Sperling Park.

Some residents of South Lido Key are at their wits’ end about what they believe is an increase in criminal activity over the years in Ted Sperling Park.

David Rayner and Jim Musel, who both live about three building lots away from Ted Sperling Park, believe there needs to be more enforcement at the park, which has become a crowded party spot according to their accounts.

“If I had to suspect what’s going on, is that this is just the place to party, and it’s gotten out there,” Musel said. “It just has to stop. It can stop within a few weekends if they would start to enforce the rules.”

Noise disturbances, dogs on the beach and traffic have been going on for a while, he said.

Musel has lived on Lido Key for about 10 years, and he said the issues increased after the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s when the spot became more popular, especially with personal watercraft users, said Rayner.

“There’s becoming a rough element that goes out there, maybe because they know they can get away with this stuff,” Musel said.

Groups of personal watercraft users frequent the park, often bringing professional DJs and loud music played from boomboxes out of car trunks, Rayner said.

He said the complaints from residents have grown over the years.

“They’re both of a nuisance nature, stemming from noise,” Rayner said about the complaints. “And they’re also of an environmental nature

JUGGLING JURISDICTION

Sarasota County owns and manages South Lido and Ted Sperling Park, according to Scott Moranda, Sarasota County division manager for beaches and water access. The rules at the park are administered by the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources team. Those rules include things like the park hours and prohibition of dogs on the beach.

Lido Beach is owned by the city of Sarasota, but Sarasota County manages the sand portion of the beach, including the lifeguards and emergency management. For violations on the water, the SPD would take charge.

because all this noise has an impact on animal life.”

According to Rayner — who acquired police records from the Sarasota Police Department — the nature of these calls included armed kidnapping, drowning, sexual crime, reckless boating, suspicious vehicles and noise complaints.

The Sarasota Police Department addressed the residents’ concerns by clarifying the nature of calls for service in South Lido and Ted Sperling Park.

There were 381 calls for service at South Lido Park in 2022 and 250 calls in 2023.

In 2022, there were 50 calls for service at Ted Sperling Park and 64 calls in 2023.

For the calls in 2023, 22 calls were when officers signed out as busy, and six were illegal parking complaints.

An officer signing out as “busy” could mean things like going out on foot patrol, checking restrooms or going on a lunch break.

So far in 2024, there have been 64 calls for service in Ted Sperling Park and 63 calls at South Lido Park.

“As far as recent discussions, I can assure you that the Sarasota Police Department actively patrols both locations for criminal and illegal behavior as well as for the safety of beachgoers, residents and visitors as you can see by the number of times officers sign out, walk, bike, or ride ATVs in the area,” said SPD Officer Jason Frank in an email.

Rayner and Musel said they’ve tried talking to the county Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department and commissioners at both the city and county levels to try to raise awareness of the resident’s concerns.

“I don’t think they feel our pain,” Rayner said. “I think that if that car with the speakers was parked outside their house, they’d figure out how to get rid of it. But that car is parked outside our house.”

CAN BE DONE?

WHAT

Adding park rangers or a similar level of enforcement in Ted Sperling Park would be one ideal and effective solution, according to Rayner and Musel.

“We’re kind of at our wits’ end at trying to figure out how to communicate this and how to get a couple of park rangers in there to enforce the rules,” Rayner said. “If they enforce the rules, a lot of this goes away.”

Members of the Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department met with the Lido Key Residents Association on April 20 at the request of the residents.

“We are aware of the concerns presented by the neighbors,” said Scott Moranda, division manager for beaches and water access.

Moranda said the park, like most other Sarasota County beaches, is a tourist hotspot, which gets busier during weekends and holidays.

There is a staff of about six people dedicated to Lido Key with one supervisor on duty at least five days a week, according to Moranda. The shifts for staff runs from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. or later, depending on the day.

“I think that if that car with the speakers was parked outside their house, they’d figure out how to get rid of it. But that car is parked outside our house.”

— David Rayner

“We as parks and rec don’t have the ability to write citations, but we do educate and escalate as needed,” Moranda said.

Moranda explained that when staff see violations in progress, they approach the violator and have a conversation. Then, depending on the conversation, staff may call the police department, which has the authority to enforce the regulations.

The department also contracts for evening security services seven days a week, which typically starts

right after the park closes at 10 p.m., according to Moranda. The security detail advises park staff if cars are parked there after hours, makes sure all doors are locked and that no one is sleeping around the facility.

During busy weekends and holidays, Moranda said that security services could be hired, and the department can request a special detail from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office would primarily help with managing traffic, Moranda said.

As for adding more enforcement, like a park ranger program, Moranda said it’s not entirely out of the question, but it’s something that would require approval of more staff members and resources.

“Parks and rec has done research on a park ranger program — that would be staff that has enforcement capabilities,” said Moranda. “But we have not moved forward with implementation,” he said.

Courtesy image

Trash left by crowds of beachgoers at South Lido and Ted Sperling Park are among concerns raised by residents.

Sarasota County readies for hurricane season

Researchers around the county predict an active year for storms.

Sarasota County is gearing up for the official start of the 2024 hurricane season, which begins June 1.

Preparations made this year could be crucial. Forecasters are predicting an active hurricane season, with one group of scientists issuing what’s being called its most aggressive forecast in 30 years.

Sandra Tapfumaneyi, the county’s emergency management chief, said Sarasota County is ready for whatever 2024 brings.

“There’s been a few storms that have come through and affected Sarasota the last couple of years, and we learned a lot from those,” she said. “Really, we have a good plan in place for this hurricane season.”

Tapfumaneyi said they also learned from studying what happened in Lee County, which took the hardest hit from Hurricane Ian.

“You can learn a lot from seeing how things played out in those areas,” she said.

One thing the county will focus on this year is trying to make residents aware of the risks when deciding whether to stay or evacuate during a storm.

“During Ian, we heard from the residents there (Lee County) that they were not understanding the risks, when we were talking about 10 to 15 feet of storm surge,” she said. “We need residents to really listen to the evacuation orders issued per each storm and to treat them seriously so that they don’t get caught up into making decisions for their families and their property based off of what previous storms have done here.”

ALARM SOUNDED

While forecasters themselves admit it’s still too early to say with certainty what the 2024 hurricane season will look like, predictions so far are sobering.

In their annual report, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania said their data predict 33 named storms this year.

The Penn researchers noted that would rank as the third-highest season on record; the fifth-highest number of total hurricanes; and the ninth-highest number of major hurricanes.

The Penn team also compared 2024 with five previous years that had similar early conditions — El Niño conditions the previous winter, followed by La Niña conditions during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (August-October). These five years, called analog years, also had above-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic early in the year.

The analog years were:

„ 1878 (12 named storms, 10 hurricanes and two major hurricanes);

„ 1926 (11 named storms, 8 hurricanes and six major hurricanes);

„ 1998 (14 named storms, 10 hurricanes and three major hurricanes);

„ 2010 (19 named storms, 12 hurricanes and five major hurricanes);

„ 2020 (30 named storms, 14 hurricanes and seven major hurricanes).

“We’ve seen many hyperactive seasons over the past decade, and in just about all cases, like our prediction for this year, the activity is substantially driven by ever-warmer conditions in the tropical Atlantic tied to large-scale warming,” said Michael Mann, presidential distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media.

Meanwhile, the annual prediction

from Colorado State University predicts 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes, including five major hurricanes.

The CSU prediction also sees much higher odds of a major hurricane hitting the U.S. than usual: 62%, compared to the long-term average of 43%.

And Florida may again be in Mother Nature’s crosshairs. The CSU forecasters said there’s a 34% chance for a major hurricane to hit the East Coast or Florida Peninsula and a 42% chance that the Gulf Coast will see a storm make landfall. The annual prediction from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is due out later this month.

BE PREPARED

Having a disaster plan worked out before the season starts is critically important, Tapfumaneyi said. “That disaster plan should encompass if they have to evacuate, and where they would evacuate to, she said.

Evacuation zones maps can be complicated to read. Sarasota County has a webpage where residents can simply type in their address to see which zone they are in.

“We also would encourage people to have a disaster kit prepared,” Tapfumaneyi noted.

Typical kits include such things as batteries, a first-aid kit, medica-

tions, cash, important documents, extra keys and clothing.

The county’s website also has checklists that can be used in creating a disaster kit.

“We want to be sure that if you’re sheltering in place that you have enough supplies for three to seven days,” Tapfumaneyi said, including nonperishable foods and water (one gallon per person per day).

If you have to think about going to one of the county’s designated evacuation shelters, she reminded residents that every shelter in Sarasota County is pet-friendly.

“Plan for pets. You need a crate, pet supplies and a photo of your pet in case you’re separated,” she said.

You can even sign up for a ride to an evacuation center if you do not have transportation. If you have special qualifying medical needs, there is a special shelter where you and a caregiver can ride out the storm. Prior registration is needed. Besides the website, residents can call the county’s 311 system to get information.

“We want to remove any barriers that people have to evacuate,” Tapfumaneyi said. “You can always reach us.”

“We need residents to really listen to the evacuation orders issued per each storm and to treat them seriously so that they don’t get caught up into making decisions for their families and their property based off of what previous storms have done here.”

— Sandra Tapfumaneyi

Carter Weinhofer Hurricane Idalia caused flooding in 2023 along some parts of the north end of Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Destined for dissolution?

The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation should pull out The Bay Park Conservancy playbook. The foundation, city and county are not in alignment.

The good news is the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, formerly the Van Wezel Foundation, Monday pulled itself and the Sarasota City Commission and administration out of a big, troublesome, nasty jam. The foundation announced it would cover the $8.8 million cost of the architectural design concept for a new performing arts center. Had it not done so, you pretty much could have concluded the reality of a new performing arts hall in The Bay Park was dead. It still could be. The foundation’s commitment is keeping the project alive — but only for a short time. Unless …

It’s not exaggerating to say there is a chasm as wide as Sarasota Bay separating two parties from the third — city officials and Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation on one side and the Sarasota County Commission far out to sea on the other.

The obvious observation from watching how this whole process is unfolding is this: The parties are not in alignment. At all. They’re not in alignment on the tax increment financing, to begin with; on the wording in the interlocal agreement between the city and county; on how the TIF money is to be spent; on the process under way; or, and this is the most crucial part, on the overall vision, objectives, ambition and the why of the project.

Unless the parties are brought into alignment, the results are predictable: intractable disagreement, dissension and distrust; lack of will; and, inevitably, dissolution. The bad feelings and scars last for years, often decades.

This pronounced dis-alignment was on full display April 24, when the five members of the Bay Park Improvement Board met to consider a request from the city administration for approval of $44 million to fund the architectural portion of the project.

That amount came from standard 24% architectural and engineering estimates of the total cost of a project, whose hard costs originally were estimated to be $185 million.

City Manager Marlon Brown told the improvement board members that, actually, only $8.8 million was needed for the first architectural phase — the design concept, which in turn would lead to a projection for the entire cost of the new hall.

What’s more, of that $8.8 million,

only $4.4 million would be needed from the TIF funds — $2.2 million of which would come each from the city and county, the other $4.4 million from the foundation.

Brown said he was asking for the full $44 million so the city would not have to seek approval from the improvement board and the city and county commissioners for each architectural step along the way. Moreover, he said the process could be terminated along the way, so the full $44 million was not at risk.

These assurances didn’t matter. County Commissioners Mark Smith and Ron Cutsinger were and are steadfastly opposed to spending any of the county’s money on the architectural design concept.

Smith wanted to wait for the final report from the Purple Ribbon Committee, which is tasked with determining whether the Van Wezel can be renovated and floodproofed. The city gave the committee two years (August 2025). Its chairman told us Monday it has no timeline or deadlines and may or may not need more time.

Cutsinger said he opposed any spending until he knew the total cost of the project.

Brown and board members, Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert and city Commissioner Debbie Trice, pointed out the conundrum: You cannot find out the total estimated cost until the architect performs the architectural concept.

The logic didn’t matter. There was impasse. At which point Improvement Board member Jon Thaxton broke the tension and painted what could be a 3-footby-3-foot portrait of this situation — a painting on the verge of being slashed and shredded.

Thaxton:

“I am going to vote in favor of this … This motion will likely pass (the Improvement Board) with a vote of 3-2. But you still have to get a 3-2 vote at the County Commission.

“Let’s assume that you’re going to get a majority vote at the City Commission. And we know that we have a county commissioner who is not a part of this vote and who has voted pretty much in opposition to everything that has been brought forward with this project (County Commissioner Mike Moran).

“So that’s a 3-2 vote potentially to deny, if not 4-1 or 5-0.

“I was a part of the discussion when this TIF was first agreed upon … on Day One when this project started almost 12 years ago. It took a lot of work to build that faith and trust between the city and the county to get this TIF approved. … I’m just offering a word of caution that we should consider not interrupting that hard-fought level of trust.”

The vote was 3-2 — Thaxton and the two city commissioners, Alpert and Trice, in favor of funding the architect; Smith and Cutsinger opposed.

That vote — and the entire Bay Park Improvement Board meet-

Shocker: DeSantis puts politics above competence

Here’s a shocker (Not!): Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed inexperienced Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher over the most qualified candidate in Florida to be Manatee County’s supervisor of elections. In our Feb. 21 Opinion, we chronicled the upcoming March 1 retirement and departure of Manatee Supervisor Mike Bennett. The choice to replace Bennett was, as the saying goes, a “no-brainer,” which is vernacular for: You would have to be a village idiot not to see who the best candidate was and what constituted the right thing to do for Manatee citizens. It wasn’t even close. The choice:

ing — was a microcosm of what is ahead if the foundation and city and county commissioners do not align.

There is a way.

The winning playbook exists: It’s The Bay Park Conservancy.

Repeat it.

Start at the beginning.

The Bay Park started with one man’s vision in 2013. Restaurateur Michael Klauber saw unlimited potential to transform 53 bayfront acres into “an iconic destination.”

One man became three leaders and champions — Klauber; Virginia Haley, CEO of Visit Sarasota, and Drayton Saunders, Sarasota native and president of Michael Saunders & Co.

Their effort was initially dubbed Sarasota 20:20. They were small rocks thrown into a pond, but with ripples that spread far and wide throughout the city.

This is from a 2014 Bayfront 20:20 document summarizing its progress:

“Coalition of 20+ diverse organizations representing thousands of Sarasotans and supporting an articulated vision & long-term master plan for Sarasota’s Bayfront:

i. Neighborhood organizations

ii. Cultural organizations

iii. Civic organizations

c. Outreach progress to-date: i. Initial rounds of outreach to stakeholders ii. October and November public meetings with 550 active participants iii. 200 pages of written comments

iv. Social media outreach — 1,500 Facebook likes, etc.”

With the public embracing the vision, Bayfront 20:20 became the not-for-profit Bay Park Conservancy. And from there its leaders — Chair Cathy Layton and CEO AG Laffley — and influential board members committed hours upon hours upon hours crafting a to-thedollar master plan and making a convincing and persuasive case to city commissioners. Crucial to the effort: They did it with palpable, persistent passion and commitment.

It worked. And it’s working.

That is now the job of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation — but on a wider, geographic scale. County commissioners bristle at using county dollars for a new performing arts center in the heart of the city of Sarasota — what good does that do Venice or North Port?

But there are times when leaders must rise above their parochialism and politics. Fact is, whether it’s a renovated Van Wezel (not likely) or a new performing arts center, it always will be a regional destination, attraction and landmark.

This is a 50-year commitment worth getting right. What’s more, this region has flourished culturally and economically from its rich and deep-rooted arts genealogy. We should want that to continue for the next generations. Everyone can align with that.

UF’S SASSE: AN ADULT WHO MEANS WHAT HE SAYS

Sasse

Ben

Congratulations to University of Florida President Ben Sasse on his courage to tell the world “The adults are still in charge” at the university. When former U.S. Sen. Sasse, R-Nebraska, received his appointment to the presidency, detractors immediately thought the appointment was a case of taking a friend of the governor and a so-so politician unfamiliar with Florida out of the Washington swamp and rewarding him with a highpaying, figure-head job. Sasse has proven otherwise, that he is a leader unafraid to stand up for what is right and not tolerate what is wrong.

In a commentary in The Wall Street Journal on May 4 about the pro-Hamas protests on college campuses, Sasse told readers:

“To cherish the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly, we draw a hard line at unlawful action. Speech isn’t violence. Silence isn’t violence. Violence is violence. Just as we have an obligation to protect speech, we have an obligation to keep our students safe. Throwing fists, storming buildings, vandalizing property, spitting on cops and hijacking a university aren’t speech …”

“Actions have consequences. At the University of Florida, we have repeatedly, patiently explained two things to protesters: We will always defend your rights to free speech and free assembly, but if you cross the line on clearly prohibited activities, you will be thrown off campus and suspended. In Gainesville, that means a three-year prohibition from campus. That’s serious. We said it. We meant it. We enforced it. We wish we didn’t have to, but the students weighed the costs, made their decisions and will own the consequences as adults. We’re a university, not a day care. We don’t coddle emotions; we wrestle with ideas.”

Sasse was similarly tough immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israelis. He called the attacks evil and vowed to protect UF’s Jewish students. For those who cherish the Constitution and rule of law, Sasse has earned their respect and admiration. Keep going, President Sasse.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Satcher: Elected to the Manatee County Commission in 2020. Profession: Minister. Day job: CEO of Satcher Evangelistic Association, a not-for-profit that offers ministry outreach services. IRS records show Satcher’s association paid him $19,315 in 2018 and his last reported salary was $45,024.

Prior to coming to Manatee, Satcher was a pastor at Dream Builders Church in Kennesaw, Georgia. The church address is a single-family home in Kennesaw. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Berry College near Rome, Georgia, and a diploma in pastoral studies from Rhema Bible College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Farrington: He holds a master’s degree in information systems management from the University of South Florida. He served 11 years as the number two executive (chief

operating officer) in the Manatee supervisor of elections office. Prior to that, he served 10 years as the number two executive in the Sarasota County supervisor of elections office. He is a certified election administrator and a master Florida certified election professional. At the time, we shared two endorsements about Farrington: ■ Bennett (obviously biased, but nonetheless): “Scott is very cool under pressure. And he is as cheap as I am about spending taxpayers’ money. He watches every nickel going in and out. The staff loves him and loves his leadership. I just can’t say enough about him.”

■ Manatee Commissioner George Kruse: “Scott Farrington, bar none, is the most qualified elections guy in the state of Florida.”

What’s more, we reminded readers that Gov. DeSantis has always been quick to brag about Florida “running the most secure elections in the country” and that Florida has “the best election integrity measures in America.”

This decision was so easy. So easy to do the right thing. We have nothing against Satcher. Fact: He is not as qualified as Farrington.

And to top off the absurdity of it all, Commissioner Satcher will see his annual government compensation increase from $104,723 to $178,586. That’s an increase of $73,863, or 70%.

In the private sector, employers typically base salaries on experience and give raises based on merit. But in government and politics, little to nothing makes sense. Taxpayers are routinely shafted.

There may be hope: Voters can decide who is more suited for the office. Satcher and Farrington have filed to run for election.

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DeSantis

Baby swans take first swim

David Novak, swan keeper of Longboat, helped ensure the survival of newly hatched cygnets.

Six new swans hatched on Longboat Key for the first time in four years, according to David Novak.

Novak has been the swan keeper on the Key for 17 years. He welcomed the six cygnets as they hatched from their eggs on May 3 near their pond across from the CVS on Bay Isles Road. The cygnets were the offspring of the swan pairing of Chuck and Lydia.

On the morning of May 4, Novak guided the new hatchlings for their first dip in the water.

“This is the start of developing this routine for them,” said Novak.

“By getting the father, Chuck, to lead them towards the water, they will start to prefer the water because they are safer there. Then I will destroy the nest so that they never come back because the smell of the eggs hatching makes them prone to predators.”

Swans inhabited Longboat Key

in 1995, when Novak’s neighbor brought them to the island. Novak took over the swan keeping of the island from him in 2007.

Through years of experience, experimentation and advice from other swan keepers, Novak believes he has perfected a routine for keeping the swans in the best health that he can. He will feed them once a day with special food pellets and knows how to guide the cygnets in the best way for their well-being.

Novak said he names the swans after important Longboat Key residents or his favorite pop culture references. Chuck was named for Longboat resident Charles Barancik, who died in a car crash in 2019. Lydia was named after the song by John Prine, “Donald and Lydia.”

Along with making a website and a Facebook page, Novak developed the Gracie Swan Foundation so Longboat residents can donate for the well-being of swans. He also petitioned the Longboat Key Club to add a patch of grass to the CVS pond. The grass now serves as a ramp for the swans to easily enter the water.  Novak shared that he loves that swan-keeping is a part of his daily routine and is a rewarding pastime.

Goodbye snowbirds, hello sea turtle nests

Longboat Key Turtle Watch records first nests of 2024 season.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

Though tourist season is coming to a close, a new season is now upon Longboat Key — sea turtle nesting.

On May 3, volunteers with Longboat Key Turtle Watch recorded the first sea turtle nest on the Manatee County side of Longboat Key. It was the first on that half of the island, which is where most of the organization’s efforts are.

The nest was laid by a loggerhead sea turtle, the most common sea turtle in the area. In 2023, there were 978 loggerhead and 12 green turtle nests on Longboat Key.

Patrols by LBKTW and other organizations from Anna Maria Island to Venice began on April 15, before the official start of sea turtle season on May 1.

The first nest recorded by Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium this season was found April 28 on Venice Beach.

Since the first recorded nest on Longboat, LBKTW President Tim Thurman said sea turtle activity keeps going.

“Once it starts, it doesn’t stop,” Thurman said. “And it keeps getting busier and busier.”

That includes both nests and false crawls, which is when a sea turtle comes on shore to lay a nest but turns back without laying eggs.

The start of nesting season on May 1 also means the start of enforcement of Longboat Key’s sea turtle-related

ordinances. That includes keeping the beaches dark and clean, eliminating light that is visible from the beach and making sure items like beach chairs are removed from the beach. Following those ordinances is important, Thurman said, because in 2023, Longboat Key was among the top three communities with the highest disorientation rates in the state.

A disorientation is when a nesting turtle or hatchlings become confused with artificial lights and veer off course.

Thurman emphasized the importance of turning off artificial lights during nesting season or replacing bulbs with turtle-safe lighting.

For those interested in learning more about LBKTW and its efforts, the organization hosts free public beach walks every Saturday morning starting on June 1.

CORRECTION

An article in the May 2 edition (“Turtle time”) incorrectly stated the number of sea turtle disorientations in 2022 on Longboat Key. There were 262 disorientations.

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

Courtesy image by Lou Newman

Six cygnets recently hatched on Longboat Key.

Carter Weinhofer

Longboat Key Turtle Watch’s first recorded nest of the 2024 season

and stopped the vehicle, the driver said he did not know his license was suspended. But the officer saw a traffic warning issued to the driver a month previously for the same violation. The officer issued the driver a notice to appear and had the vehicle towed.

JUST WAITING FOR THE TIDE

12:21 p.m., Longboat Pass

Officer Public Service: An officer on marine patrol checked on a vessel anchored close to the Longboat Pass Bridge. The occupants said everything was fine and that the anchor was fouled on the bottom. The group said they were waiting for the tide to loosen the anchor and there was no need for police assistance.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

BOATERS TRY TO BE SLICK

12 p.m., Jewfish Key Vehicle Stop: While on marine patrol, an officer spotted a vessel with no registration numbers or stickers. The officer stopped the vehicle and asked the officer for paperwork or a bill of sale for the vessel, which the operator was unable to show. Then, the officer conducted a safety check and the operator did not have the required personal flotation devices for everyone on board. With those violations and bad weather on the horizon, the officer asked him to navigate back to shore while he continued looking for the PFDs.

While the operator was heading back to shore, the officer witnessed the operator’s friend from a nearby boat throw PFDs over to his boat. When the officer met the operator back on shore, he said he saw the sleight of hand trick and issued a citation to the operator.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

MARINE FENDER BENDER

12:19 p.m., Cortez Bridge Assist Other Agency: A marine patrol officer was asked to assist with a report of a disabled vehicle that struck the Cortez Bridge fenders. Upon the officer’s arrival, it was concluded that there were no injuries, and officers were just needed to supervise the commercial tow.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

CELLPHONE SUPPORT

11:56 a.m., 4500 Block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Officer Public Service:

Dispatch sent an officer to a welfare check. The caller told the officer that her father had not answered the phone in 24 hours. The officer went to her father’s house and found him in good health.

He said he did not have his cellphone turned on and had forgotten how to use it. The officer gave the man a

quick cellphone lesson and said his daughter was trying to reach him.

MONDAY, APRIL 29

DOG ON BEACH OK, BUT NEEDS

LEASH

1:36 p.m., 100 block of Broadway

Street

Animal Problem: A caller reported a dog running off-leash on the beach. When an officer responded, he found the dog — with a service dog collar — off-leash. The officer spoke with the owner, who said the dog was a service dog and offered to show the proper paperwork. While service dogs are allowed on the beach, the officer said it still needed to be on a leash, which the owner complied with.

TUESDAY, APRIL 30

OUT-OF-STATE WARRANT

2:57 a.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Person: An officer on patrol noticed a man standing near a garbage can outside of a closed business and decided to investigate. As the officer drove toward the man, he walked closer to the patrol vehicle. The officer spoke to

the man and got his name while other officers arrived on scene. A warrant check turned up a warrant from Texas for the man, which was listed as an in-state extradition only. The warrant was confirmed as an in-state pickup only, so he was let go and left Longboat Key toward Sarasota.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1

‘STAY OFF THE ROAD’

9:13 a.m., 6700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Vehicle Stop: A landscaping vehicle emitting a “large amount” of black diesel fumes for an extended period of time prompted an officer to conduct a traffic stop. The driver provided a Mexican identification card and said he did not have a driver’s license. The officer confirmed that with a database check and issued the driver a notice to appear. The driver said his boss was on the way to remove the vehicle, and the officer advised him to not drive again until he got a license.

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY

5:20 p.m., 3200 block of Gulf of

Mexico Drive

Trespassing: Upon arrival at the scene of a reported trespassing, an officer spoke with a man out on the beach with his family. The man admitted the family rode their bikes through the parking lot, which was private condominium property. The officer informed him it was private property and that they needed to use the public beach access to exit whenever they were ready to leave. The family is not from around here, the man said, and didn’t know the access was private.

THURSDAY, MAY 2

PELICAN PROBLEM

7:54 p.m., 3800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Animal Problem: Dispatch sent an officer to investigate an injured pelican on the beach. Upon arrival, the officer met with the complainant who showed the location of the injured pelican. The pelican was unable to move, and the officer stayed with it at the scene until someone came to transport the pelican to Venice.

TRIBUTES

Linda Lombardo Gidel, 1950-2024

Linda Lombardo Gidel, 73, of Longboat Key, Florida – beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt, friend and philanthropist – passed away peacefully in the presence of close family members on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

She is survived by her eternally devoted husband, Robert “Rob” Gidel; daughters Jill (Brian) Smith and Allison “Ali” (Jarrod) Lord; son Robert “Rob” (Jacqui) Gidel Jr.; granddaughters Madison Smith, Sydney Lord, Lauren Smith and Caroline Lord; grandsons Zachary “Zach” Smith, Andrew Lord and Robert “Tre” Gidel III; brother Drew (Marilyn) Lombardo; special cousin Jerry (Carol) Fausz; mother-in-law Mary Gidel; sisters-in-law Joyce Gidel and Kathy Clark; and many nieces, nephews and lifelong friends.

Linda was born in Woodlawn, Kentucky on December 22, 1950 to the late Adolph and Lucille (Fausz) Lombardo. Upon graduating from Our Lady of Providence, she moved to the Tampa Bay area, where she would meet her eventual soulmate – then colleague – while working as a bank teller at Clearwater Federal Savings and Loan. Their marriage would form the basis of an unwavering 48-year partnership that changed the trajectory of their lives and the generations to follow.

Known for her generous spirit, infectious smile and extraordinary selflessness, Linda was a beacon of warmth and kindness. Slow to judge and quick to trust, she never knew a stranger; always wanting to learn more about

people. She treasured motherhood and her family; constantly doting on her children and grandchildren, telling (and re-telling) stories that would bring smiles and laughter, and never missing an opportunity to send a greeting card or a thank you note to express how much she cared. Her eventual promotion to “Glammy” brought her immense joy and profound happiness.

A faithful servant and great example of God’s love, she gave her time and energy towards volunteering at local community and beautification projects and serving in various leadership roles on community association and nonprofit boards, such as the University Park Women’s Club (founding board member), Longboat Key Garden Club (former board member) and the Gidel Family Foundation, where she also served as President since 1997. During her tenure, the

Foundation funded more than $2M towards scholarships at various academic institutions, including the University of Florida, University of Kentucky, Baylor University, Florida Polytechnic University, University of Miami (Fla.),

“Her warmth, kindness, and joyful spirit will be dearly missed but forever remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know and love her.”

and Maryvale Preparatory School in Baltimore, in addition to various other initiatives and causes.

Linda loved to laugh, play cards, travel, hike, read and cheer on her Kentucky Wildcats. Her

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

passion for gardening made her a familiar face at botanical gardens and parks, where she loved to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with others – her certification as a Master Gardner from the University of Florida being one of her proudest achievements.

Her warmth, kindness, and joyful spirit will be dearly missed but forever remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know and love her.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held on June 6 @ 10:30am at the St. Mary Star of the Sea church on Longboat Key. There will be a reception immediately following at the Harbourside Ballroom. If you plan on attending the reception, please RSVP to: LindaGidelRSVP@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/ccfmemorial/team/LindaGidel), whose mission is to find a cure and improve the quality of life for those affected by cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). This gesture will honor her spirit of giving and love for her community.

SERVICE: Thursday, June 6, 10:30AM St. Mary Star of the Sea Church Longboat Key, FL

DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers please contributions to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation

Shooting for the stars

LBK resident Dr. Frank Sulzman spoke to the Bird Key Yacht Club about the Webb Telescope and the search for life on other planets.

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

r. Frank Sulzman is retired, but he hasn’t fully left NASA behind.

The former NASA scientist gives lectures on the agency’s recent finds and studies to stay connected to his life’s passion — space.

In his most recent talk, he explored the objectives of the Webb Telescope with an audience of area residents on May 2 at the Bird Key Yacht Club.

“I looked it up to know a little more about the telescope before this talk,” said Bird Key Yacht Club Vice Commodore Michael Landis. “The pictures were absolutely astounding. The fact that we get to experience a talk from such a bright mind and an expert is amazing.

“The Webb Space Telescope ... I’m going to try to convince you is one of the greatest things NASA has ever done in humanity,” said Sulzman in his presentation.

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021 with the ability to observe faraway objects in space and better understand the early universe. Its high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments capture photos that help scientists see how galaxies and stars change over

time and the characteristics of other planets and worlds.

With the Webb Telescope, NASA can observe the atmosphere of different planets and their moons, black holes and other objects that are too old, distant and faint for detection by its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.

Sulzman explained that the telescope was not named for a NASA scientist but for the attorney and businessman James Webb. Webb was appointed as a NASA administrator by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 because of his commitment to science.

Webb insisted that NASA go beyond human spaceflight and become a science agency in its early days. Under his leadership, famous programs such as the Mars rovers, Pathfinder and Voyager programs were initiated.

Sulzman said that the Webb Telescope might be instrumental in discovering intelligent life on other planets and in other galaxies. Its photos capturing clues, such as the atmosphere of different planets, have led scientists to suspect life exists outside Earth. An example of this is water that spouts from the atmosphere of one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, creating similar

WORSHIP directory

atmospheres to Earth and the ability to support intelligent life.

“I think Webb is going to inspire people to think more about the sky and the universe,” said Sulzman.

“Not only just enjoy the beauty in itself, but also stimulate us to ask these questions like ‘Where does this all come from? What does it mean? Where is it going?’ I think the Webb is really going to benefit us over the next 10 years. It’s already produced things that were unexpected.”

Originally from New York, Sulzman received his doctorate in molecular and cell biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He did his post-doctoral research at Harvard and an exchange program in the biophysics department at Moscow State University.

After serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, he joined NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1985 to manage the NASA biomedical research program. He retired from NASA in 2013 after holding several leadership positions, mostly in life sciences.

Now, Sulzman lives on Longboat Key and is a part of the oldest men’s golf group on the Key, the Friars. He plays with Bird Key Yacht Club

“I think Webb is going to inspire people to think more about the sky and the universe.”

— Dr. Frank Sulzman

member Jim Hanes, who connected him with the club.

After retiring, Sulzman wanted to stay connected to research projects at NASA. He said giving talks about recent studies allows him to continue to be a lifelong learner and stay involved with the agency.

Sulzman shared that although he learned from and contributed to many studies while working for NASA, his favorite part was the people he worked with.

“My favorite part of the job was working with the actual investigators,” said Sulzman. “They came from all over the country and all over the world. I always just enjoyed working with them, hearing their ideas, their perspective and their background. It made all the difference for the work we were doing.”

Petra Rivera

Dr. Frank Sulzman speaks to the Bird Key Yacht Club on May 1.

Courtesy of NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope

Courtesy of NASA NASA Webb Space Telescope unveils young stars in formation.

MUSIC IN THE COURT

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

Democracy depends on dialogue and debate. That’s not confined to political campaigns. It also applies to crime and punishment. Reginald Rose’s “Twelve Angry Men” (1954) explored the volatile jury process as an episode of “Studio One” on CBS. Rose then adapted his original teleplay as a stage play in 1955 and a movie in 1957.

But that’s not the final verdict. His jury will be in session from May 11 to June 9 on the Asolo Rep stage. But there’s a side note: Their deliberations haves been reimagined as “Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical,” a new adaptation by David Simpatico (playwright) and Michael Holland (composer and lyricist).

The Asolo Rep’s producing artistic director, Peter Rothstein, directed the 2022 premiere at Theatre Latté Da in Minneapolis. He was part of the development process for five years before that. He’s now directing the Asolo Rep’s performance. In the following conversation, Rothstein shares why the angry jury’s findings are still relevant and why this inventive new adaptation sings the song of democracy loud and clear.

Let’s start with your source material. What makes Reginald Rose’s “Twelve Angry Men” such a classic American drama? There are several reasons. Its dramatic structure is one. Rose originally wrote it for television —

‘Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical’ sings a song of freedom in Asolo Rep’s inventive production.

Image courtesy of Michael Devaney

Asolo Repertory Theatre Producing Artist Director Peter Rothstein

and the “action” takes place in one room.

It’s a “bottle story.” Yes, exactly. That’s a radical departure from the typical dramatic structure of live theater revolving around trials. There are scores of courtroom dramas, but “Twelve

IF YOU GO

When: May 11 through June 9

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: $35-$95

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

Asolo Repertory Theatre’s production of “Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical” runs through June 9 at FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

Angry Men” explores the claustrophobic jury process. That’s something you rarely see — and that’s what people want to see! It’s also a fascinating character study. The piece is incredibly hopeful and idealistic. The playwright wanted America to deliver on its promise. Rose used the judicial system as a microcosm for our democracy. His drama takes you to a place where people are judged by their peers and the citizens of the nation exercise justice. Those are big ideals. For these and many other reasons, it’s an American classic.

Why turn this classic into a musical? Why not?

It’s unlikely subject matter — and I’m drawn to that. Some of the greatest musicals of all time deal with unlikely subjects.

How’d you get involved with this unlikely project?

With one innocent question. I’d been collaborating with lyricist and composer Michael Holland on a couple of new musicals, and it just came up in conversation. I asked, “Is there anything else you’re working on?” Michael said that he’d done the first draft of a musical adaptation of “Twelve Angry Men” with a book by David Simpatico, but the original producer had lost interest in it. Once I read it, I thought the draft had terrific potential. So, we put it in our development pipeline at Theater Latté Da; after five years of work, it premiered there. The story is still incredibly relevant, even though it’s 70 years old.

What makes it so relevant?

The societal issues it confronts. “Twelve Angry Men” delves into racism, ageism, xenophobia, prejudice and toxic masculinity. America wrestled with those problems in 1954 — and they haven’t gone away. They’re still with us in 2024.

OK. So, the relevance is baked into Rose’s original teleplay. It’s not something you added. Yes and no. We did make a few changes to the original. Right at the beginning, I said this musical had to have a multiracial cast. And I had zero interest in directing yet

another drama where the hero is a white person. We all agreed on that. Our goal was to cast diversity — but how diverse? In the early stages, we left that casting choice up to each individual director. But I encouraged my collaborators to spell it out. So, the script became very specific about the characters’ ethnic and cultural identities. If we’re addressing racism, xenophobia and ageism in our society, our writer and lyricist needed to lean into that. And they did.

And the result was not a color-blind musical?

No. I’d say it’s very color conscious. One character is Korean-American; one is a Mexican immigrant; one is Jewish; one is biracial. And Juror No. 8 — the Henry Fonda role — is also an African-American.

How’d you find the right mix?

Our development process weirdly echoed the experience of the 12 jurors. During our workshops, we got constant input from our multiracial cast — and the back-andforth was quite similar to the jury deliberations. It was a rare experience. How often do you have people of different races in one room together, talking about racism and toxic masculinity? The cast’s contributions, especially from men of color, added nuanced perspectives on race and representation. So, after five years of hard work, we felt like the script was ready. We originally slated it for a full production to premiere in May of 2020. But it was the weekend that George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis.

Wow. In a horrific way, the musical’s story became even more relevant.

Yes, it did. Simultaneously, George Floyd’s tragic story hit very close to home. Minneapolis became the epicenter of the protests following his murder — and Theatre Latté Da was swept up in that. In a very short time, the conversation around racism and toxic masculinity completed shifted in this country. We went back to the drawing board and addressed the core societal issues more directly. We finally premiered in June 8, 2022.

Let’s talk about the shape of this musical. Musical theater and un-musical theater are very different animals. How did the creators make the original story work as a musical adaptation? By serving the needs of the story — and reflecting the time it takes place. Michael wanted a sophisticated midcentury jazz sound. If you listen, the 1950s is definitely a big influence on his score. There are elements of Bebop and the music of Nina Simone. But, as I said, every song must serve the story. And what is the story?

“Twelve Angry Men” is not a plot-driven narrative. It’s full of arguments, not action. Men change their minds — that’s the only action in the play. How do you translate that to musical form? In musical theater tradition, the characters sing when words alone fall short. So what justifies our songs? Ultimately, we decided each song leads to a character changing their mind. That was the driving force behind our musical moments — but we kept the character turns subtle. We didn’t want to telegraph where the story was going. A predictable structure is the last thing you want in a musical.

ON THE ROAD

Photographs of the Traveling Circus and Carnival by Jill

Freedman and Randal Levenson

You obviously directed the musical’s premiere. Are some of the original actors and creative talents returning for the Asolo Rep production?

Yes. Eight actors are returning, but not simply repeating what they’ve done. It’s a character study, and that is always informed by each actor’s personality. We have a new music director, but it’s mostly the same core creative team. I’m still refining the script. Just a few tweaks — not a radical reimagining.

Will this show inspire our readers not to avoid jury duty?  I would hope so. Juror No. 11 said it best. He’s the immigrant character, and he’s escaped from a dictatorship. He thinks jury duty is a great privilege. Twelve ordinary citizens deciding on another citizen’s guilt or innocence? “We have a responsibility,” he says. “This is a remarkable thing about democracy. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. This is one of the reasons why we are strong.”

Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

“Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical” made its premiere in 2022 in Minneapolis.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

KYSHONA

7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court

$12-$20 Visit WSLR.org.

Trained as a musical therapist, Kyshona gives voice to those who feel overlooked or abandoned.

JIM MCCUE

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

$26 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Jim McCue went viral with his DryBar special “Nothing Personal,” which racked up more than 4 million views. Runs through May 11.

‘MARVIN GAYE: PRINCE OF SOUL’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.

$20-$50 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

Sheldon Rhoden reprises the title role in “Marvin Gaye: Prince of Soul,” written, adapted and directed by

DON’T MISS

‘DISCOVERIES 3: BECOMING TCHAIKOVSKY’

Under the direction of guest Conductor David Alan Miller, the Sarasota Orchestra imagines Tchaikovsky’s playlist. The program includes pieces by the composer’s musical heroes, including Bizet, Grieg, Schumann and Mozart. The program concludes with virtuoso cellist Zlatomir Fung performing Tchaikovsky’s timeless “Rococo” Variations.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 10

Where: at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Tickets: $35 and up

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

WBTT Founder and Artistic Director

Nate Jacobs. Gaye was a trailblazer with musical partner Tammi Terrell at Motown before touching a nation with haunting solo ballads like “What’s Going On?” Runs through June 2.

‘BANK JOB’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice

$15-$32

Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

After two brothers execute a bank heist, their perfect crime gets thwarted in a comic romp with a dash of romance thrown in. Runs through May 19.

‘KISS ME KATE’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton

$30-$42

Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Winner of the first Tony Award for Best Musical, “Kiss Me Kate” tells the story of an estranged showbiz couple playing Petruchio and Kate in Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” Runs through May 11.

‘THE IMMIGRANT’

7:30 p.m. at The Players Centre, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Studio 1130 $28-$36 Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.

Directed by Gus Kaikkonen, Mark Harelik’s “The Immigrant” tells the story of a Russian-Jewish newcomer who makes his way in a devout Christian community in Texas. Runs through May 12.

‘THE FLIP SIDE’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $37-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

With songs like “The Ballad of Sigmund Freud” and “Killed by a Coconut,” the latest cabaret creation of Richard and Rebecca Hopkins tips its musical hat to comic songwriters. Runs through June 16.

‘TROUBADOUR’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $39-$56 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Featuring music by Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, “Troubadour’ tells the story of a country music legend’s son in the 1950s who is trying to carry on his father’s legacy. When he joins forces with unlikely allies, the world of country music is changed forever. Runs through May 19.

FRIDAY

HERMAN’S HERMITS STARRING PETER NOONE

7:30 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice

$66 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

The lead singer of Herman’s Hermits achieved worldwide fame in his teens with such hits as “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” and “I’m Telling You Now.”

SATURDAY

‘CELEBRATE BROADWAY!’ SPRING MUSICAL SHOW

2 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton

$20 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Manatee Performing Arts Center celebrates Broadway and honors 75 years of the Manatee Players with a revue of student performances.

TWELFTH ANNUAL STUDENT

10-MINUTE PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL

FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail

$15-$30 Visit TheatreOdyssey.org.

Theatre Odyssey presents the student rendition of its popular 10-Minute Playwriting Festival. The festival continues Sunday, May 12.

SUNDAY

THE BROTHERS DOOBIE

2 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave. Building 5, Venice

$50 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

This Doobie Brothers tribute band performs hits of both the Johnston and McDonald eras, including “China Grove,” “What a Fool Believes,” “Long Train Runnin’” and others.

CURTIS ON TOUR 2023-24

STRING SEXTET

7:30 p.m. at SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton

$40 Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.

A sextet of faculty and alumni of the Curtis Institute of Music perform Richard Strauss’s sextet from his final opera “Capriccio,” Berg’s Piano

OUR PICK

‘PARISIAN REFRACTION’

This four-program micro festival marks ensembleNewSRQ’s first appearance in The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater. The salute to the City of Light begins with “Soloists and Sinfoniettas,” led by Maurice Cohn, assistant conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Program 2 consists of a solo recital by pianist Conor Hanick, who will perform Otte’s “Book of Sounds.” Program 3 showcases enSRQ co-founder Samantha Bennett on violin and soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon, who perform Kurtag’s “Kafka Fragments.” The festival closes with “Plucked and Struck,” a program led by enSRQ co-founder George Nickson, a percussionist, featuring the works of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez with three harps, three pianists and three percussionists. Runs through May 11.

IF YOU GO When: Thursday, May 9

Where: Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bayshore Road

Tickets: Info: org.

Sonata in B minor, Brahms’s String Sextet No. 2 in G major and a new work by Alyssa Weinberg.

MONDAY

‘LONG TIME GONE: THE MUSIC OF CROSBY, STILLS & NASH’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice

$50 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

This CSN tribute band is dedicated to re-creating the special tunings, keys and sounds of the group’s songs of peace and love.

TUESDAY

TRIO GAIA

7:30 p.m. at State College of Florida, 5840 26th St. W., Building 11, Bradenton

$40 Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.

Artists Series Concerts presents New England Conservatory’s graduate piano trio in residence performing music inspired by folk tunes as well as Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio. The chamber group includes violinist Grant Houston, cellist YiMei Templeman and pianist Andrew Barnwell.

on the Hermitage Beach.

Image courtesy of Matthew Holler

Image courtesy of Gary Gold

En Plein Air Wine Dinner

April 26 at Sarasota Art Museum | Benefiting SAM

As if dining under the stars in the picturesque courtyard of the Sarasota Art Museum wasn’t enough for attendees of SAM’s En Plein Air Wine Dinner on April 26, they also left with a special gift — a plate handpainted by the guest of honor, artist Molly Hatch.

About 75 people enjoyed the four-course meal, with each course paired with wines from Bordeaux, and celebrated Hatch’s new installation, “Amalgam.” The installation is a collection of uniquely designed plates. Proceeds from the evening benefit the museum, which is dedicated to showcasing and celebrating new works of art in Sarasota.

— OBSERVER STAFF

• WHERE: Longboat Island Chapel at 6200 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key

• WHEN: Saturday, May 18th | 9am - 1pm

All donors receive a FREE $10 Publix Card and a 10% off Coupon for

Skip and Janis Swan

SAM Executive Director Virginia Shearer and Michael Klauber

Camila Hatch, artist Molly Hatch and Oliver Hatch

Photos by Lori Sax

Mary Ann and John Meyer with Teri Hansen and Roberto Cordaro

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Where wild things are

Former drive-thru farm veterinarian Lou Newman retraces the road that led him to Sarasota and his passion for wildlife photography.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

From the 19th floor of Plymouth Harbor, Lou Newman has a clear view of the community’s bird rookery. He can point out every one of the great blue heron nests — at least four — each with herons at different stages of life.

For Newman, at 93 years old, birds are his passion — specifically photographing birds in flight. Most weekends, Newman ventures out to places like the Celery Fields or Myakka River State Park equipped with his mirrorless Canon camera.

He’s also still undergoing physical therapy from a car accident that left him paralyzed about a year ago.

It’s difficult for him to squat down. He has to watch his step more often and needed an extra hand when stepping aboard a charter that took him to a different rookery the other week.

But, as soon as he was able to, he got right back into his passion of being behind a lens in nature.

COWBOY TO DOCTOR

Newman had a camera in his hands from the time he was a teenager.

Originally from Massachusetts, he spent his high school years in New York. He said that at an early age, he decided to become a farmer instead of a fireman. So when he went to college at the University of New Hampshire, he spent most summers working on farms.

A “college cowboy” is what he called himself.

About two years into his college career, he decided to be a veterinarian.

After graduation, he went to work for a veterinarian in Wyoming before starting his own practice in Montana, in a small town where he said there were 5,000 people and about 75,000 cows.

“Innovative from the start,” is how Newman described his professional life. His own practice grew to include a drug wholesale business and ranch.

At one point, Newman said he did cesarean sections as a drive-thru service. Farmers would bring cattle to him in the beds of pickup trucks, drive them into Newman’s barn and he would perform the surgery in the bed of the truck for $45.

There was a time, he said, when he would perform as many as eight C-sections in a day.

Throughout his time on his ranch, Newman said he often used a camera to document his practice and to show others the work he was doing.

After awhile, Michigan State University started courting him. The university wanted him as a faculty member.

Newman said he shrugged them off a couple of times. But when his wife was diagnosed with cancer, he accepted Michigan State’s offer so he could move with his wife and six kids closer to better medical care for his wife. Unfortunately, she died about a year later.

But Newman stayed at Michigan State, where he pursued a master’s degree.

During his studies, the camera once again became a prominent part of his life while documenting his research. That included research into E. coli, and later a study for his doctorate where he studied the use of a coronavirus vaccine for calves in utero.

Newman completed his doctorate and then moved to Kentucky for about 20 years and worked as a veterinary pathologist. Then he worked as the director of veterinary pathology diagnostics for a while at the University of Georgia.

PASSION FOR PHOTOS

Around 1990, Newman decided to prepare for a career in wildlife photography.

He did that for about two years but decided to take a step back and stick to photography as a hobby. The marketing and business side of it wasn’t for him, he said. In 2002, he made the move to Florida and started getting into wildlife photography thanks to a couple of mentors along the way, like Arthur Morris.

Around this time, he also volunteered as a veterinarian pathologist at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, and a veterinary surgeon at The Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary, now called Save Our Seabirds.

Over the years, though, Newman had the chance to photograph some amazing places. He’s been to 73 countries — all seven continents — and explored the Arctic 10 times.

Alaska is his favorite destination, and somewhere he’s gone a dozen times. China was his favorite country, though.

Some of those excursions came during a time when he taught photography lessons on cruise ships. Over four years, he spent 56 weeks at sea.

“Anytime we went to a location where I could, I was most interested in the wildlife photography that was available,” Newman said.

His growing expertise allowed him to judge various contests and give local lectures.

Now, Newman doesn’t teach anymore. He does have an email list to which he enjoys sending educational emails. He also emails updates to Plymouth Harbor residents about the nests in the rookery — something he keeps a keen eye on.

And he still takes trips to photograph wild birds.

Before his accident, he said he went on photography trips about four times a week. Then after the accident last summer, it took until about January to get back to doing what he loves.

“I like being out there with a camera,” Newman said. “Even if I don’t take a picture, or I take 2,000 pic-

tures and don’t use one of them … it’s just about being out there, looking at things through the camera lens.”

Recently, he said he’s been going on excursions about two or three times a week. His favorite spot is South Lido, especially during this time of year when shorebirds are nesting.

Most importantly, he just likes sharing his pictures. He donates as many as he sells nowadays, he said.

But one can still find Newman’s photography sold on greeting cards at local shops or around the walls of Plymouth Harbor. His prints can also be bought online.

Over the years, Newman had a connection with cameras, but his career took him to various places, from agriculture to animal science and veterinary medicine.

As a piece of advice on following your passion, Newman said what’s important is, “having the ability to plan ahead, not with the idea that this is what you’re going to do, but so that you have the option to do it.”

“Plans can change, easily,” he continued. “As long as you have a plan, you can change it … My advice to people is to plan in such a way that you have options. And the person that has a sense of what they want to do is blessed.”

“Even if I don’t take a picture, or I take 2,000 pictures and don’t use one of them … it’s just about being out there, looking at things through the camera lens.”

Courtesy of Lou Newman

Alligators sun themselves at Myakka River State Park.

Courtesy of Lou Newman

American Avocets in flight at Myakka River State Park

Carter Weinhofer

— Lou Newman

Lou Newman observes the Plymouth Harbor rookery from his apartment.

Derby day on the Key

Seaplace and Longboat Key Club residents wear their best hats, outfits to watch the 150th Kentucky Derby.

PETRA

RIVERA STAFF WRITER

Longboaters broke out the colorful clothes and extravagant hats just in time to celebrate the May 4 running of the 150th Kentucky Derby.

The Observer visited two of the many Kentucky Derby parties on the island to see the festive outfits and tasty food Longboat Key residents enjoyed while watching Mystik Dan (18-1) nose out competitors in a three-way photo finish.

SEAPLACE

Seaplace Condominiums celebrated the Kentucky Derby for the first time in years. The watch party in the clubhouse drew 90 residents.

For betting, the committee took a different approach. Each bettor received a ticket assigning a horse at random. This allowed the winning bettor to be chosen by chance.

Kentucky native Penny Gold was in charge of making mint juleps, the signature Kentucky Derby drink. Gold said her family is from the

center of the action for The Derby — Louisville, Kentucky. Her favorite Kentucky Derby was when her sister decided to bet on every horse that had a cat name.

“She is like the biggest cat person I know,” said Gold. “She ended up winning $7,000. So, it wasn’t a bad strategy.”

Betty Lou Miccio made her Kentucky Derby hat. When planning her hat, she couldn’t find the right colored roses that matched her creative vision. Instead, she decided to use pink bath loofahs to make a colorful and unique hat.

“Now I won’t have to buy loofahs for a bit,” said Miccio. “All I have to do is pull them off my Kentucky Derby Hat, so I like that it serves two purposes.”

LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

The Longboat Key Club looks forward every year to making sure its residents have outstanding experiences for the Kentucky Derby. Its party was held bayfront near the tennis courts.

“It is our largest party of the year,” said event manager Stephanie Kaelin-Bare. “It is also our farewell party, so we try to make it as fun as possible, with great food and entertainment while, of course, enjoying the main event, watching The Derby.”

Live music played while the guests placed their bets. Everyone was dressed in colorful garden dresses and suits. There was a variety of hats: some store-bought and some made by their owners.

This year was the first year Anne Sears attended the Kentucky Derby Party at the Key Club. She said she hadn’t been to The Derby itself, but was in Louisville’s Kentucky Derby parade when she was in the marching band at her high school.

“We slept in a terrible school bus all the way from Pennsylvania,” said Sears. “But Louisville went all out. The experience of being in the city

during one of its biggest events was incredible. It is such a great tradition.”

Brooke Bayo wanted her hat to have a moss theme, so she styled patches of fake moss with flowers and ribbon. Her favorite part of The Derby is that it allows her to get creative and think outside the box for extravagant hats.

Donna Larson attended The Derby multiple times in her life.

Her favorite time was when she won $5,000 from betting on the horse whose jockey was wearing her favorite color.

“Don’t listen to any other methods of betting on these races,” said Larson. “You just need to look at what the jockeys are wearing and pick the one wearing your favorite color. This is the true key to winning your bets at The Derby.”

and same-day visits.

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

Photos by Petra Rivera

Sandy Endres, Cheryl Carrier, Joan Carrier and June Hessel at the Seaplace Kentucky Derby party.

Theresa Di Stefano and Dana Lamont at the Seaplace Kentucky Derby Party

Donna Larson and Wendy Roalstad at the Longboat Key Club’s Kentucky Derby party

Eric Teoh at the Seaplace Kentucky Derby party.

Peter Calamaras, Bernadatte Calamaras, Ramona Glanz and Andrew Vac attend the Longboat Key Club Kentucky Derby party.

The sisterhood of Femcity

Women entrepreneurs find networking opportunities, business advice and sisterhood from the organization.

The group is a branch of a national organization that promotes networking among women business owners. The local branch spans businesses from Sarasota and Longboat Key. Medge Jaspan is president of the Sarasota chapter and owner of the Holistic Healing Center of Longboat Key.

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“It is hard, as a woman, to be successful in business,” said Jaspan.

“So, really we are just a support system for each other to make connections, give advice and be there for whatever we need.”

The women meet once a month for an educational lunch and have two fashion shows with the public in the fall and spring of each year.

Jaspan said it is open for anyone who wants to move forward with their businesses and be surrounded by an environment of encouraging women.

The spring fashion show was a Hawaiian-themed party, so guests came in with their best tropical prints. After dinner, guests enjoyed an enthusiastic fashion show emceed by Jaspan.

Some of the models were Femcity members wearing summer styles from five local designers. These

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

Photos by Petra Rivera

Gloria Pacheco works the runway at Femcity of Sarasota’s annual spring fashion show.

Helene Bergbaur, Amelie Sigaudo and Christin Lilly

YOUNGEST FEMCITY MEMBER

introduced the sponsors of the night, which included Longboat Key Dental, Safe Money Advisory, Holistic Healing Center of Longboat Key and Chari Center of Health. Chari is a Femcity member who runs a holistic medical center with her brother, Deepak. They offer services both in mental health programs and integrative medicines for women in hormone balance, gut health, etc.

For each fashion show, Femcity always chooses a local nonprofit to support and promote with its members and their guests. Jaspan introduced Katherine Hermes from the SRQ Wellness Foundation and SRQ Med Spa. Hermes started the foundation 16 months ago to provide access for nutrient-deficient individuals to affordable IV vitamins and holistic supportive care.

After spending the evening with the Femcity members, Hermes said she was seriously considering joining Femcity to be surrounded by such an amazing group of women. The event ended with the members and their guests dancing the night away to iconic music.

Jackie Williams, 18, is the youngest member of the Sarasota chapter of Femcity. She met Jaspan at the “Launching Leaders in Performing Arts” luncheon for the National League of American Pen Women on April 10. Williams had won a merit award for her painting, “Show Business, Baby.” After speaking with Williams, Jaspan saw a spark for entrepreneurship and passionate creativity in her and encouraged her to join Femcity. Jaspan also bought Williams’ painting, making it the first sale of her artwork. Williams designed and sewed a few outfits from scratch for the fashion show as well. She will be graduating this year from Suncoast Polytechnic High School.

Jackie Williams

Season’s sayonaras

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but the Women’s Golf Association of Longboat Key Club took some of the sting out of the end of season by hosting a luncheon on April 30 in the club’s Harbourside Ballroom.

Ninety-nine golfers from both the Key-Niners and the Eighteenholers groups started their games in the morning and said so long to the season with a lunch served by the Key Club. Mary Taylor and her committee organized the event.

A mix of full-time Longboat residents and snowbirds make up the two golf groups. Many of the fulltime residents had forlorn farewells for friends who were leaving, but they were already excited for them to come back in the fall.

“What I have been seeing is that people are coming back to the Key earlier and leaving later,” said golfer Arlene Klein. “So there is that to think about it as we go into the summer. We can’t wait for everyone to come back, but until then, we will continue playing golf every week.” Lynn Hancock thanked everyone for another successful season for the Women’s Golf Association. She especially thanked the Key Club staff for hosting them.

This year, the groups switched from keeping score on paper to a smartphone app called Golf Genius. Hancock said the switch was successful and made games go a lot smoother.

“With the new (scorekeeping) program and getting a lot of new members in both the Key-Niners and the Eighteen-holers,” said golfer Elaine Dabney, “I think we are set up a great new season next year.”

— PETRA RIVERA

Photos by Petra Rivera

Elaine Dabney and Betsy Gentile

Jane Henry, Kelly Masteria, Sue Moore and Kiran Kimbell

Lynn Koy, Judy Brostron, Arlene Klein and Bobbi Goldwater

Mary Taylor and Lynn Hancock

YOUR CALENDAR

SUNDAY, MAY 12

MOTHER’S DAY AT CAFE

L’EUROPE

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Cafe L’Europe, 431 St. Armands Circle. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner is served from 4-9 p.m. For Mother’s Day, Cafe L’Europe is serving a menu of cafe favorites, plus new dishes. Call 388-4415.

MOTHER’S DAY AT ZOTA BEACH RESORT

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Zota Beach Resort, 4711 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Spend Mother’s Day at the poolside Viento Kitchen and Bar with unlimited mimosas and bloody marys for $22. The menu includes strawberry and cream stuffed French toast, eggs Benedict, rack of lamb, fresh salads and desserts. Call 248-1211.

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.

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.

TUESDAYS QIGONG

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

YOGA 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The

BEST BET

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

‘LIVE TO 100: SECRETS OF THE BLUE ZONES’ WATCH PARTY 1-2 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” is a documentary that takes viewers around the world to investigate the diets, behavior and lifestyles of the people living the longest and happiest lives. Call 383-6493.

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.

MAHJONG

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

ROTARY CLUB

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

WEDNESDAYS

BEGINNER TAI CHI

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

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.

325

$3,985,000

Sleepy Lagoon home

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Sleepy Lagoon tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Randall Welch and Cynthia Heit-Welch, trustees, of Longboat Key, sold the home at 6111 Gulf of Mexico Drive to SYM USA Real Estate LP for $8.5 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,320 square feet of living area. It sold for $6.1 million in 2021.

VIZCAYA AT LONGBOAT KEY

Gloria Detwiler, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 3C1 condominium at 2399 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Pelican Watch LLC for $5.4 million. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,018 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.45 million in 2015.

BIRD KEY

Terri and Michael Hornbrook, trustees, of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, sold the home at 401 Pheasant Drive to Harold Flynn Jr. and Treva Flynn, trustees, of Sarasota, for $3.95 million. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,704 square feet of living area. It sold for $2,259,000 in 2022.

THE WATER CLUB AT LONGBOAT KEY

Francis Marshall Van Meter and Barbara Nowosielska Van Meter, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, sold their Unit 707 condominium at 1241 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Raymond Grimm, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $3.4 million. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, four baths and 2,965 square feet of living area. It sold for $778,500 in 1996.

BAY ISLES

Christine Hersberger, trustee, of Longboat Key, sold the home at 531 Harbor Point Road to Jennifer Shimek, of Longboat Key, for $3.2 million. Built in 1987, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 4,050 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,562,500 in 2007.

L’ELEGANCE ON LIDO BEACH

Ruth Zackin, trustee, of Chandler, Arizona, sold the Unit B-606 condominium at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Nader and Vicki Tomasbi, of Sarasota, for $2.87 million. Built in 1996, it has three

bedrooms, three baths and 2,070 square feet of living area.

Sheila Ann Martin, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit B-208 condominium at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Coralea Wennberg, trustee, of Hanover, New Hampshire, for $1.3 million. Built in 1996, it has one bedroom, one-and-a-half baths and 1,023 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2022.

TANGERINE BAY CLUB

Marilyn Kushen, trustee, of Chicago, sold the Unit 534 condominium at 380 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Richard and Jill Reiter, of Longboat Key, for $2,725,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, four baths and 2,840 square feet of living area. It sold for $810,000 in 2002.

JOHN RINGLING ESTATES

Nelson and Victoria Hernandez, of Bradenton, sold their home at 115 N. Boulevard of the Presidents to Ankur Garg, of Orlando, for $1.55 million. Built in 1953, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,072 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2010.

GRAND BAY

Steven Peters sold his Unit 132 condominium at 3060 Grand Bay Blvd. to William Shaheen, trustee, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for $1,385,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,143 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,281,500 in 2022.

PORTOBELLO

Dean Congbalay, of Columbus, Ohio, sold his Unit A505 condominium at 3235 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Bethany Reardon Badrawi, trustee, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, for $1.1 million. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,260

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Source:

square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2004.

LIDO BEACH CLUB

Hugh Mitchell, of Lexington, Kentucky, sold his Unit 308 condominium at 1212 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Theresa Donatelli and Richard Norris, of Groton, Connecticut, for $1,025,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,421 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,000 in 2021.

BEACHPLACE

Donald Leone, trustee, of Watertown, Massachusetts, sold the Unit 303 condominium at 1095 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Calvin and Maria Holmquist, of Dix Hills, New York, for $945,000. Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,503 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2020.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

APRIL 22-26

THE BANYAN BAY CLUB

Geoffrey Hecht, trustee, of New Haven, Connecticut, sold the Unit 502 condominium at 5270 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Susan Wayde, trustee, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for $790,000. Built in 1974, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,498 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2000.

SEAPLACE

Bradley and Susan Smith, of Sarasota, sold their Unit M1-614F condominium at 2045 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Michael and Sue Ann Rieg, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, for $725,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 928 square feet of living area. It sold for $640,000 in 2022.

Teri Kleinmann, of Loudonville, New York, sold her Unit M1-402F condominium at 2045 Gulf of Mexico Drive to John and Holly Logan, of Sarasota, for $469,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 928 square feet of living area. It sold for $309,000 in 2013.

SUNRISE SHORES

Miyoko Honda, of N. Conway, New Hampshire, sold her Unit S-103 condominium at 5220 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Douglas Scheflow, trustee, of Hampshire, Illinois, for $550,000. Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,145 square feet of living area. It sold for $130,000 in 1989.

LONGBOAT HARBOUR

Joseph and Robin Donadio, of Mount Sinai, New York, sold their Unit 203 condominium at 4360 Chatham Drive to Kevin VanderWoude and Lindsey VanderWoude, of Longboat Key, for $547,000. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,072 square feet of living area. It sold for $342,000 in 2020.

Town of Longboat Key

Courtesy of Reid Murphy

Randall Welch and Cynthia Heit-Welch, trustees, of Longboat Key, sold the home at 6111 Gulf of Mexico Drive to SYM USA Real Estate LP for $8.5 million.

Situated in one of Sarasota’s most cherished historic locations, and framed by Sarasota Bay, the gated Owen Golden Gate Point’s luxurious resort lifestyle will allow residents to take full advantage of both the city ranked as the number one place to live in Florida and beaches that are acknowledged as being among the best in the world. A development of the award-winning Ronto Group in partnership with Wheelock Street Capital, The Owen offers just 29 condominium owners an opportunity to fully enjoy all the best of Southwest Florida. Named by U.S. News & World Report as the 2023-2024 #1 Place to Live in Florida and the #5 Place to Live in the United States, Sarasota is renowned for the caliber of its galleries, performing arts, boutiques, and dining. Just across the Sarasota Bay Bridge, St. Armand’s Circle, a Southwest Florida treasure, provides a gateway to a beach scene that includes Siesta Beach that is ranked the #2 Beach in the U.S. and the #9 Best Beach in the World in 2024 by TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards™.

The 22-acre Golden Gate Point peninsula’s smart, relaxed personality is distinctive and perfectly suited to a luxury lifestyle. With its tree-lined sidewalks, brick pavered streets, lighted entry, and bayfront backdrop, Golden Gate Point is insulated from the density and congestion found in other downtown areas. Urban dwellers appreciate Golden Gate Point’s easy access by foot, bike, car, or trolly to St. Armand’s Circle, the beaches, and downtown’s attractions. Protected sidewalks extend for miles in all directions, creating opportunities for an invigorating run, a peaceful walk, or a trip to the marina or yacht club for fishing, boating, or dining. Just across from the entry to Golden Gate Point are the Ritz Carlton & Westin Hotels, where one can indulge in a meal, a cocktail, a rooftop encounter, or a spa treatment.

Designed by MHK Architecture and Planning, The Owen’s exterior will be awash in the neutral tones of the shore with gentle curves suggestive of its setting on the Point. Created by Carrie L. Riley, ASID, IIDA, NCIDQ and president and licensed principal interior designer at riley interior design, The Owen’s amenities and common areas will present a soft, livable ambiance that encourages residents to become fully engaged with the new building’s resort lifestyle. That lifestyle will offer a full measure of privacy, exclusivity, and luxury.

Owners and their guests will be greeted in The Owen’s grand two-story lobby. The lobby’s architecture will be one of the interior’s most enduring memory points. The building’s amenity level will feature a social room with comfortable seating as well as a game room with an indoor/outdoor bar. Both spaces will open to a landscaped outdoor amenity deck with an infinity edge saltwater pool, billowing palm trees and tropical container gardens, lounge chairs, a separate spa that will be ideal for soothing aching muscles or enjoying a perfect moonlight plunge, a fire pit seating area, and a bar and grilling area with seating. Additional outdoor amenities will include a walking path along the property’s perimeter, a fenced dog walk/park area, guest parking, and bicycle storage.

The interior design throughout the communal spaces will present organic materials and finishes that create a softer, more livable ambiance that is neither sterile nor contemporary. On the amenity level, herringbone wood flooring and fluted or channeled wood wall details will be incorporated into the look. The attractive, comfortable, and highly functional social room will be a multipurpose space that caters to the residents while encouraging them to enjoy the opportunities to socialize afforded by the design. Whether it’s a private party, a bridal shower or baby shower, a game day viewing party, a club meeting or group get together, the social room will offer an engaging space that will be enjoyed by all.

Adjacent to the social room, the game room’s casual feeling will make it a fun, appealing space for entire families – whether it be children, grandchildren, young adults, or adults. The room will have warm finishes and wall coverings, hanging lighting fixtures, and ceiling details. Banquette seating will convey a coffee shop vibe. As planned, the room will feature a pool table, shuffleboard, and ping pong. An indoor/outdoor bar and an open-door style will open to the outdoor amenity deck.

A fitness center will also be featured on the The Owen’s amenity level. The space will provide a spa-like ambiance with marble, wood, and other soothing finishes. The selections will ensure the fitness areas avoid feeling like a space with just equipment and a rubber floor. Residents will have the freedom to bring in their own personal trainers and massage therapists to work within the fitness center. Additional spaces are being created for stretching, yoga, and Pilates.

Even given the comprehensive array of indoor and outdoor amenities that will combine to present a uniquely luxurious living experience, The Owen’s most valuable amenity is its location on a 1.18-acre site that encompasses the entire southern tip of the interior point of Golden Gate Point. Saltwater breezes wafting from the waters of Sarasota Bay, Southwest Florida’s renowned sunsets, views of the nearby marina, and Sarasota’s vibrant entertainment and cultural arts scene will all serve as joyful reminders of the allure of the Southwest Florida living experience.

Ronto is continuing to accept sales contracts for residences at The Owen Golden Gate Point. Contact the LRM Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate located at 1350 Main Street, Suite 2, Sarasota, FL 34236. Call 941.210.0987.

Artist’s Rendering

Artist’s Rendering

The

Artist’s

Situated in one of downtown Sarasota’s most cherished historic locations, and framed by Sarasota Bay, the gated Owen Golden Gate Point is being developed by The Ronto Group in partnership with Wheelock Street Capital.

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

TIDES SUNRISE

MOON PHASES

TRACE ELEMENTS by Dylan Schiff, edited by Jeff Chen

By Luis Campos

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