Seaplace Condominiums was decked out in red, white and blue for the Fourth of July.
Residents celebrated the holiday with good old American fun at the Seaplace July 4 party. Sixty guests attended the event, made up of residents and their loved ones.
The event planning committee decorated the clubhouse with American flags to get everyone in the spirit. They love working together in creative ways to bring their themed parties to life.
Guests ate hot dogs and red, white and blue desserts. Some people brought dishes to share with everyone as they mingled. Seaplace finished off its Fourth of July holiday by watching fireworks on the beach.
at Sips.
Sips got talent?
Longboat community members came together through music on Saturday, July 6. Patrons enjoyed live music and special food options at Sips Coffee & Gelato.
Lorenzo Condensa, part of the family owned coffee shop, performed live music for a short time.
Condensa played the keys and sang classics like “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Hotel California.”
He has played piano for 15 years and also writes original music, which he said is an important outlet for him to escape, create and inspire.
Condensa and the owners said they hope to continue trying small live music events throughout the summer and working with the town to ensure the live music events comply with sound ordinances.
Urgent infrastructure upgrade
Courtesy image Lorenzo Condensa plays for the crowd
American
Petra Rivera Nancy and Glen Hjort
Photo by Petra Rivera
Chucko the Clown, Kim Verreault and Nancy Rozance
Longboat sets maximum millage for fiscal year 2025
Certified property values will bring in additional revenue for the new fiscal year.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Longboat Key town commissioners voted on June 28 to set the maximum millage for the upcoming fiscal year 2025, which will remain similar to the previous fiscal year.
So far in the budget process, commissioners participated in two workshops that outlined the town’s expected capital and operating expenditures, as well as revenues. One of the primary sources of revenue for the town is property tax revenue, which is influenced by the millage rate set by the town.
Town Manager Howard Tipton began the presentation on June 28 by explaining that, after the commission approves a maximum millage, it can’t be increased without notifying the public.
Prior to the June 28 meeting, the town’s Finance Department was using estimated property values to shape the FY25 budget. Then the department received the certified values from the county property appraisers, which showed an increase.
The June 1 estimates showed a combined increase of 9.61% between Sarasota and Manatee counties. Individually, there was expected to be a 7.78% increase in Sarasota County values and a 13.67% increase
“Any time you have double digits is a good year, so we’re very happy about that.”
— Sandi Henley, budget manager
in M anatee County values. This would have resulted in an additional $1,481,016 in revenue compared to FY24.
The July 1 certified values showed a greater increase. Those numbers showed an increase of 10.39% combined between the counties — an 8.55% increase in Sarasota County and 14.47% increase in Manatee County.
“Any time you have double digits is a good year,” Budget Manager Sandi Henley said. “So we’re very happy about that.”
The certified values will result in $1,580,544 in additional revenue compared to FY24, and an extra $99,528 that the town hadn’t accounted for when estimating the values.
For the upcoming fiscal year, staff recommended setting the maximum millage at 1.9600. The same millage was assessed in the previous fiscal year. The rate can be decreased at the next hearing in September, but not increased.
Other millage rates for facilities and beach projects add to the overall millage for property owners. Both of those rates go toward debt payments on revenue bonds.
The beach millage decreased slightly from FY24 to FY25. For Gulfside residents, the millage went down from 0.6672 to 0.6071. For Bayside residents, the change was 0.1668 to 1.1518. The town is anticipating a FY25 beach debt service payment of $3,577,750, according to Henley’s report.
That, along with a 0.0401 millage for general obligation debt, brings the total millage to 2.6072 for Gulfside residents and 2.1519 for Bayside residents.
District 1 Commissioner Gary Coffin voiced his opinion on the millage, which was on the side of increasing the town’s millage rate to help pay for things like additional staff positions that were requested by department heads.
Two fire rescue personnel, three new police officers, a geographic
“All we’re trying to do is make things better. How do we improve our parks, how do we build training facilities, how do we add staff if we don’t increase our millage rate to do that?”
— Gary Coffin, District 1 commissioner
information system analyst and a town engineer were among the fulltime positions requested by department heads. Tipton’s FY25 budget included the recommendation for a town engineer and to elevate a part-time position with the Tennis Department to a full-time position.
“It seems like money is never enough to do what we need to do,” Coffin said. “In order to provide the community that I think we want to provide, I think we should look at raising millage rates as opposed to keeping them the same.”
From his observations, Coffin said not many residents show up to challenge the millage rate, and raising it slightly would allow the town to take on some of the full-time positions, as well as move forward with projects like park improvements.
“All we’re trying to do is make things better. How do we improve our parks, how do we build training facilities, how do we add staff if we don’t increase our millage rate to do that?” Coffin said.
To include all the requested full-time positions, an additional $975,815 would be needed. While Tipton put forward the hypothetical, he was clear that he did not recommend that all the positions were necessary.
Coffin suggested raising the millage to 1.990. For example, for a homesteaded property valued at $1 million, that would be an increase of $144.44 annually.
Commissioner-At-Large BJ Bishop said that taxpayers are financially strained by other sources, like insurance rates, and that imposing a higher tax would be another burden.
“But the bottom line, for me, is, we have a town manager and directors who work diligently on setting and establishing what they believe is a responsible budget to bring to us,” Bishop said. “If there was something they felt strongly about, they would have put it in this budget, and they didn’t. From the standpoint that I look to the town manager to set the goals and set up a budget that is reasonable and responsive to the needs, not the wants, but the needs of this community, I think that’s what we have in front of us.” Coffin assured that he wasn’t questioning the ability of the staff to craft the budget and was just raising the discussion to get more things done around the town. Other commissioners seemed more in favor of keeping the millage static, and the maximum millage of 1.9600 passed 5-0.
MORE THAN BOOKS
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Longboat Key’s public library, operated by Sarasota County, won’t open its doors until late 2026. By then, there might be even more advances to the library system.
The project will bring the first county-operated public library to Longboat Key and expand Sarasota County’s library system, which currently has 10 libraries. Though books and historical resources continue to be a staple of modern libraries, the 21st century has brought with it advances in how libraries operate.
“I think it’s really evident that libraries used to be much more focused on books; that’s our bread and butter, and we love books and reading,” said Director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Renee Di Pilato. “I recognize the importance of literacy over the course of a lifetime … but libraries have become much more than book depositories and warehouses.”
Di Pilato has been involved in libraries for about 20 years and has witnessed the shift firsthand. While people may first visit a library to check out a book, Di Pilato said users might find themselves staying for something different, like attending an author talk or using a sewing machine in the Creation Station.
“We really are a community hub where someone can come throughout their lifetime,” Di Pilato said. “And when you look at all the services we provide, you can really see, from infancy to becoming a retiree, how the library has different uses depending on where you are in your life,” Di Pilato said.
In fiscal year 2023, there were 1.3 million visitors throughout the Sarasota County library system. There were also 2.3 million items borrowed from the collection and about 2 million wireless sessions (people logging onto Wi-Fi), according to Di Pilato. On top of that, there were about 1,500 people who took advantage of the county’s one-on-one technology training. While that number doesn’t seem that big on the surface, Di Pilato said that number reflects a lot of time for the county employees. It’s also a program she said continues to grow. Di Pilato also said that the digitization of family photos and videos is a newer service that is becoming increasingly popular.
BIGGER PICTURE
According to the Digital Public Library of America, libraries have embraced technology since the start, and the technological changes in recent years changed how libraries connect with users.
“A crucial part of contemporary library services is access to the Internet, as well as free use of computer equipment. Public libraries also often subscribe to online research databases, which patrons can use.
With a branch headed to LBK, Sarasota County staff highlight the ways in which libraries have evolved to offer a full suite of services.
Other services, like library websites, remote access catalogs and ebooks, have become central to the community’s library experiences,” a DPLA virtual history exhibition stated.
The way library spaces are used has also evolved. What used to be silent reading spaces are now more collaborative spaces like meeting rooms, genealogy research centers and Sarasota County’s Creation Stations, which allow patrons to use things like sewing machines and 3D printers.
This shift began in the early 2010s, as libraries welcomed modern-style “makerspaces,” according to American Libraries Magazine. Librarians now foster these types of creative spaces, host workshops and sometimes offer one-on-one technology training.
Di Pilato said programming and multiuse capabilities reinforce a library’s role as a community builder.
“What’s interesting about libraries, public libraries in particular, is they are places where everyone is
welcome,” Di Pilato said. “It really is the crossroads for people.”
The meeting rooms of many of Sarasota County’s public libraries are used for homeowners associations, nonprofit organizations, business groups and more, according to Di Pilato.
Aside from that, Di Pilato also sees libraries as a way for community members to get to know their neighbors while utilizing resources or attending events.
“I think that really solidifies the library’s role as a community anchor and a hub where everyone can visit and feel welcome,” Di Pilato said.
MODERN EVOLUTION:
SELBY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Before entering the doors of the Selby Public Library in Downtown Sarasota, guests notice the curbside pickup sign. Upon entering, there are several self-checkout devices where people can check out books on their own using the digital library card — two newer ways to utilize the physi-
“I
think that really solidifies the library’s role as a community anchor and a hub where everyone can visit and feel welcome.”
Renee Di Pilato, director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources
cal collection.
Inside, there is plenty of space for guests to sit down and utilize free Wi-Fi, meet up with neighbors for games and, of course, read.
At the Selby Public Library, an aquarium archway guides children to the designated children’s area. Next to that is the teen area. Books, movies and internet access are all tailored to the age groups in each of the areas.
As for programs, teens often enjoy things like Lego Club and Anime Club, and the Writing Boot Camp can be fun for everyone, said Marketing Coordinator Merab-Michal Favorite. Author talks in Selby’s auditorium are also a popular attraction, according to Favorite.
Upstairs are things like the genealogy research center, music archive and the Creation Station. The Creation Station is utilized in all of Sarasota County libraries in some way, Di Pilato said.
At Selby, there’s a dedicated room with sewing machines, 3D printers, glowforges for wood burning and more. At other locations, these machines may be used on an ondemand basis.
When guests get back home, the use of a library card follows. Users can use the smartphone app to download electronic books, audiobooks and movies.
“We’re so conditioned to see libraries as a place for books,” Favorite said. “Most people don’t realize all the services we provide.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LONGBOAT KEY’S LIBRARY?
Fundraising.
The Longboat Key Foundation will be in charge of raising $3.5 million for an enhanced version of the library. Sarasota County will contribute the $11.1 million estimated construction cost and operate the building.
But if residents want the enhanced version — a larger meeting room and outdoor terrace — the foundation will need to find donors before the end of August. The enhanced meeting room will cost about $2 million, and the terrace will be $1.5 million.
Naming rights are also on the table if a donor is willing to contribute a minimum of 25% of the total project cost of $14.6 million.
After the fundraising period, the county will be able to finalize designs and get started on shaping the programming.
Di Pilato said each library in the Sarasota County library system tailors its programming around the community. For example, she said the Betty G. Johnson North Sarasota Library has a younger demographic, so the library has a dedicated afterschool program.
“We’re really hoping our fundraising will be successful and we’ll be able to offer the enhanced library,”
Di Pilato said.
Until then, ideas for the Longboat Key branch are preliminary, but Di Pilato said people can expect all the core library spaces, including a collections space, community gathering space and a children’s nook.
File images
Emilia Kalev reads to Olive, a pug, during the Read with the Dogs program at Gulf Gate Library.
Creation Stations in Sarasota county libraries give patrons the opportunity to use 3D printers, sewing machines and more.
Heather Tweed shows off the 3D printer in the Selby Library’s Creation Station.
Director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Renee Di Pilato speaks at a community input session for the Longboat Key location.
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Infrastructure upgrade: Waiting
Due to rising project costs, two necessary utility projects come with a price tag of almost $40 million.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Longboat Key’s subaqueous force main replacement and Country Club Shores’ asbestos cement pipe replacement projects can’t wait any longer.
At a June 28 meeting, Longboat Key town commissioners reviewed the projects and directed staff toward a financing method for the projects that require up front costs with a multimillion-dollar price tag. As a result, the town will incur a $27 million debt.
“You have to start from the perspective of we have to do this; this is not optional,” Town Manager Howard Tipton said to frame the discussion.
The primary driver of the financial need comes from the subaqueous force main project, currently estimated to cost $31.4 million for the remainder of the project, which is a replacement of the pipeline under Sarasota Bay. This is due to a 2020 fracture and leak of the existing pipe.
Another factor in the debt is the Country Club Shores asbestos cement pipe replacement project, which has a total cost of close to $9 million.
Tipton added figuring out the cheapest option comes down to how the loan is financed, not necessarily about finding the cost savings in parts and labor. For financing, the town had three main options.
The first — and commissioners’ preferred — option is through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program. The interest rate for the SRF loan would be around 2.89% with a 20-year term and annual payments of $1.9 million. After interest,
the total cost to the town would be $37.6 million.
Though this loan option has the lowest interest and overall cost, the difficulty comes with the fact that a referendum would be required. Referendums are required for certain types of loans that would cause the town to incur debt.
This means registered voters in Longboat Key would decide if the town can take this route.
The referendum most likely would take place in the March 2025 election cycle and would require public education efforts in the months leading up to the referendum, according to town officials.
The other two options are either 30-year or 20-year revenue bonds. These are bonds that are repaid from revenue generated by the project they fund.
For the 30-year option, the estimated interest would be 5.51% with an annual payment of $1.9 million. The total cost to the town would be $58.5 million, an additional $20.9 million compared to the SRF option.
The 20-year option would come with an interest rate of 5% with an annual payment of $2.2 million and a total cost of around $45.9 million — an additional $8.3 million compared to the SRF loan.
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Courtesy image
A section of sewer main pipe lies on its side at the town of Longboat Key's Public Works Department. The June 2020 breach was in the bottom invert of the pipe.
For any of the options, the town would make payments with collections from utility rates. Commissioners were provided with an updated utility rate survey at the June 28 meeting by Bryan Mantz from GovRates Inc. The last rate study was conducted in 2021, and commissioners approved
The need for rate adjustments is driven by the two major capital projects. The subaqueous force main project rose in cost by about 30%, about $6.5 million, since the last rate study. The Country Club Shores asbestos cement pipe replacement project’s cost increased by about 18%, or $1.2 million, since 2021.
The total cost of capital needs for town utilities through fiscal year 2034 is estimated at $68.9 million.
On top of that, fiscal year 2025 operating costs are projected to be 14.4% higher than they were in 2021 due to inflation and nationwide issues with filling positions and retaining employees.
None of these increases includes Manatee County’s annual increases, which are also factored into resident utility bills.
Mantz presented two different utility plan options depending on which loan option the town chose. For the SRF loan option, adjustments would be 8% through 2027, 7% in 2028 and 3% in 2029.
If the town went with the revenue bond option, increases would be 9% through 2027, then 3.5% through 2029.
A new rate study would also be conducted by GovRates in three years to reevaluate the town’s utility rates.
Even with the increases, Mantz said the rates would be considered affordable compared to surrounding areas. For example, the average utility bill after the SRF loan increase in 2024 would be $174.44. The average for other Florida utilities is around $192.58, according to data presented by Mantz.
Rate increases would also allow for the town to have more cash reserves for any unanticipated expenses along the way, Mantz said.
Commissioners agreed the SRF loan approach was the most favorable. If the referendum fails, the revenue bond options are still on
the table. A unanimous vote among commissioners solidified the direction staff will take with that approach and begin finalizing the utility rate increase scheduled to be brought back in the fall.
BIG-TICKET PROJECTS
The town’s subaqueous force main project will replace the existing pipeline under Sarasota Bay. A fracture in the mainland portion of the pipe caused a spill in 2020.
In 2021, following the spill, the town entered into a consent order with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that put into place certain restoration and mitigation requirements, including planting mangroves.
The town completed a slip-line rehabilitation of the two-mile mainland portion of the force main in May 2023, which cost about $2.72 million.
Next is the more costly part of the project, which will install a new subaqueous pipe about 50 feet away from the existing one to decrease the chance of an accidental fracture during construction.
Staff proposed $31.4 million in FY25 for final design, easement acquisition and construction, which is slated to begin in fall 2025, said Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman.
“As I mentioned at one of the prior budget workshops, it is significantly higher than our original estimates from about three to four years ago,” Brownman said.
Some of that is due to changes from the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and inflation, he added.
The town was already granted two state appropriations in the amounts of $1.25 million and $800,000, and Brownman said staff will continue pursuing grants and earmarks to drive the cost down.
As for the Country Club Shores project, the neighborhood’s asbestos cement pipes — installed in the late 1960s and early ’70s — are being replaced with new polyvinyl chloride pipes. Asbestos cement pipes are not common practice anymore, and by replacing the mains in Country Club Shores, Brownman said about 90% of the outdated lines in all of Longboat Key will be replaced.
The asbestos cement water mains have aged beyond useful life and are
very fragile, which is the main reason they need to be replaced, according to Brownman.
The projects split the Country Club Shores subdivisions into four phases. Phases 1 and 2 cover Country Club Shores 4 and 5, while Phases 3 and 4 span Country Club Shores 1, 2 and 3.
The first two project phases were the most critical areas, Brownman said, due to having the most breakages and the need for better interconnectivity.
Phases 1 and 2 require about 15,000 linear feet of asbestos cement pipe to be replaced, as well as new meter boxes, fire hydrants and a full mill
and asphalt overlay after the underground portion is completed.
The contractor for the project, Spectrum Underground, Inc., quoted the project at $5.5 million and was given the notice to proceed in October 2023. There were about 200 days left on the contract as of June 28, which means another six or seven months, according to Brownman.
Survey work for the next part of the project — Phases 3 and 4 — has already been completed. These phases will be less intrusive in that the contractor will use a method called pipe-bursting, according to Brownman.
The method bores new pipes into
the old ones, which shatter as new pipes are fed through them. This is not only less disruptive but also more cost-efficient, Brownman said.
Due to the layout and complexity of the first project phases, Brownman said this was not an option for those subdivisions.
The project is on target to go out for bid after the FY25 budget adoption on Oct. 1, and the estimated construction cost is currently $3 million to $3.5 million.
Construction could start in early 2025, unless the project team wanted to time the project to start after peak season in 2025, according to Brownman.
Lift Station D Point of connection
Manatee County Southwest Water Reclamation Facility
The red line running from the Key to the orange dot represents the town-owned wastewater pipeline.
Country Club Shores IV and V will be the first of the neighborhoods to get their water main replaced.
Project Phases 1 and 2
3
SOAKED SANCTUARY
NEW AVIARIES
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Many area residents were surprised at the magnitude of flooding from a recent midJune storm — including some of the feathery residents at Save Our Seabirds.
Save Our Seabirds’ campus on Ken Thompson Parkway was not safe from the flooding impacts that came from that storm, and Executive Director Brian Walton said flooding has been a long-standing issue for the campus.
But a newly acquired grant from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program will go toward Walton’s long-term plans to improve the campus’ drainage.
The storm on June 11 brought about nine inches of rainfall in some parts of Sarasota. Downtown Sarasota and St. Armands Circle experienced much of the impact, as did Save Our Seabirds.
When staff returned to SOS on June 12, they found the flooding so severe that several birds had to be evacuated from their enclosures.
In SOS’ latest newsletter, Walton said Senior Tech Jonathan Hande found himself in near-hip-deep water to evacuate the birds and get them inside for safety.
“It was the most extensive flooding we’ve had, even including all the hurricanes that this staff has experienced,” Walton said.
No birds were harmed during the flooding or evacuation, Walton said.
Flooding isn’t unusual for SOS, Walton said. There have been other times in less severe storms where he noticed water collecting in some areas. He suspects that it has to do with the layout of the campus.
The storm on June 11 illustrated for Walton that when there is that much water, the campus’ existing drainage system has difficulty pumping out
The five new aviaries on the way for SOS will be another step toward Walton’s long-term vision for the campus. Each of the new aviaries will cost about $30,000, he said. The campus’ older aviaries are mainly made from wood and wire fencing material. Newer installments will be made from aluminum and a more flexible wire rope mesh that is commonly seen in zoos.
water. One positive from the situation, he said, was that the storm shed light on how important the issue is to address.
Recently, SOS received a $10,000 grant as a part of SBEP’s regular grant cycle. The grant will go toward SOS’ large-scale project to reconstruct the underground drainage system.
Though the $10,000 won’t cover the entire project, Walton said it will provide a good start, first by installing the new drainage system in five new aviaries that are soon to be built. After that, the remaining funds will be used to construct the skeleton of the larger system.
Each aviary has its own drain, according to Walton. Some have become problematic over the years and clog often, he said.
Walton said flooding wasn’t the main problem addressed in the grant and drainage system project, but the project will help.
The main issue, instead, was clean water and ensuring that the campus doesn’t add to the pollution of the bay.
Staff at SOS scrub each aviary daily, and the used water is then deposited into the aviary’s drain. Additionally,
Walton said the birds’ ponds or water features are protected with a chemical that prevents a microbial film from building. Though the chemical is very watered-down, Walton said he wants to ensure the campus has zero impact on the bay.
“We want to be better stewards than that,” Walton said. From the perspective of clean water, the project was attractive for the SBEP’s grant. The new system will hopefully be able to filter out anything harmful, with improved drainage as a potential benefit.
“I think long-term, it’s a good thing for everybody,” Walton said.
This upcoming drainage improvement project will be a model for a campuswide drainage system and set the foundation for a larger vision.
Walton mentioned that DSDG Architects is working with SOS on a master plan for the campus, a long-term plan that will reimagine the entire location.
Included in that plan is a new hospital, which Walton hopes will give his veterinary staff more space and equipment they need. Additional improvements will be made to aviaries and staff facilities.
The master plan project is still in its early phases, Walton said.
Courtesy images
Flooding at Save Our Seabirds from the June 11 storm.
Beyond First Class™
Observer recommends
The common refrain and complaint you here about all county commission candidates is this: “The greedy developers control them.”
The proof? Their campaign contributors. Look at the accompanying table below for the four Republican Sarasota County Commission candidates.
But before we elaborate on that, let’s first be clear: It’s wrong to label developers greedy. They do what every business does. They fill an essential need. They provide homes, apartments, condominiums and townhomes for the thousands of people moving to Florida.
And let’s get even more micro: You. A developer built the structure where you reside. And you paid the price because you thought it was a fair deal. You didn’t have to buy that residence. That was your choice. Why does that make the developer evil or greedy?
What’s more, consider this: Compare the annual net profit margins of the following companies — the first three being national homebuilders: Lennar: 11.58%, D.R. Horton, 13.3% and Pulte: 16.5% compared to Alphabet: 26%, Apple: 26.3%, Meta: 32% and Microsoft: 36%.
Now, tell us: Who’s greedy?
One more consideration: When Sarasotans decry developers for their campaign contributions to politicians and the politicians for accepting developer contributions, put that in context. Indeed, if you own, have owned or work for a business, put yourself in the shoes of the developer or homebuilder. Your livelihood, everything you have — plus the business that supports the lives of all your employees’ families; and the business that builds homes for hundreds or thousands of people — is largely dependent on politicians. They rule what you can and cannot do. They make the rules that affect the cost of what you do.
So for all who decry developers, think how you would like your livelihood to be in the hands of elected officials who think you’re greedy and evil. How do you think that would work out?
It should be expected, then, that homebuilders and developers would support the elections of candidates and politicians who are inclined to support the economic arguments for development and homebuilding.
We have argued this for three decades: Florida is a growth state with 350,000 new people a year moving here — all of whom need places to live. And yet, as the rising prices of housing reflect, we are not building enough residences to accommodate this growth. That’s why we need elected officials who understand this and who are willing to stand up to the immoral forces who oppose development. Yes, immoral.
When Sarasota County Commission candidates say we need to “manage growth,” beware. What they actually are saying is it’s OK for you to have your homes, but they believe they have the power to decide who else has the right to live or build here.
Which brings us to the Republican candidates on the Aug. 20 primary ballot for Sarasota County Commission:
Sarasota County Commission
Commission Districts — Only voters in the districts with contested elections are permitted to vote.
District 1: From University Parkway south to State Road 72; roughly east of McIntosh Road to the county line.
ELECTION ’24
SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSION; PUBLIC HOSPITAL BOARD; CHARTER REVIEW BOARD
Full-length Editorial For the complete recommendations, including Sarasota County Commission District 3 and Sarasota County Charter Review Board commentary, go to: YourObserver.com/opinion. Also see: “Republicans killing their own; Go negative to win” at YourObserver.com/ opinion
Candidates: Republicans
Alexandra Coe and Teresa Mast
Coe and Mast are competing to replace term-limited Mike Moran. Give them credit and gratitude. It takes courage and perseverance to pursue public office.
It also takes humility — the ability to remember to be a servant of the people and to resist an addiction to power, traits rarely seen in politicians. As a longtime Tallahassee wag once told an aspiring legislator, there are only two reasons people seek public office: to be somebody or to do good. If you are motivated by the first, don’t run.
In Coe and Mast, at least in their written comments, they want to do good. The question, then, is which of them would be better for you, for individual taxpayers? Not better for the collective or the county government; better for every individual’s liberty and property.
They are both longtime Sarasota County residents — Coe, 30 years; Mast, 45 years. Both have sought public office before. Coe, 60, was elected in 2020 and 2022 to the Charter Review Board; was a 2018 candidate for the County Commission; and has been active for many years in the Sarasota Republican Party. Mast, 58, ran for school board in 2016; served after that on the Sarasota County Planning Commission.
They’re both engaged citizens.
To judge them on previous experiences that would translate to the job of county commissioner, Mast is decidedly more qualified. In addition to developing an understanding of county codes and having voted on land-use issues as a planning commission member, Mast has been vice president and president of the Davin Group Inc., a custom residential design and remodeling business, for 32 years; and for 10 years served as Sarasota County’s business relations coordinator. She has seen county government work first hand.
Coe, meanwhile, describes herself as “an experienced cultural sustainability practitioner, creative social innovator, farmer, statesman and an anthropologist with a strong commitment to addressing global challenges through sustainable agriculture policy and environmental stewardship.” (For more on her eclectic passions and skills, go to: Linkedin.com/In/CoeAlexandra/).
Suffice it to say there is a gap between Mast and Coe in business and government experience.
If Coe has any edge over Mast, it would be as the commission’s unpredictable, nonestablishment member. She has no ties to the region’s development and construction circles and could be an independent voice among four other members of similar political philosophies. It’s often good to have at least one voice on a board willing to challenge the prevailing views.
Fiscally, Coe and Mast talk the
talk.
Coe: “Government should not overly burden our labor or our land with excessive taxes. Instead, it should strive to be efficient, transparent and focused on serving the needs of its citizens without infringing on their financial freedoms.”
Mast: “We need leadership that consistently prioritizes the interests of taxpayers and scrutinizes how every dollar is spent. I advocate for maintaining the lowest possible taxes while delivering the highest quality of life for all residents.”
In Mast, voters have a candidate who understands what it takes to operate and manage a business and the burdens government creates when it intervenes where it should not. But because of her heavy support from developers and contractors — as well as her husband’s role as CEO of the Suncoast Builders Association, Mast has the challenge of being able to make decisions independent of their influence.
Mast did not respond to the Observer for comment on how she can assure voters of that.
For our tastes, while Mast and Coe profess fiscal conservatism, they also are strong advocates for the county government to intervene with aggressive growth management and controlling where development occurs. This will satisfy the voters who think Sarasota’s growth is out of control.
But whoever is sitting in the five commission chairs, they must keep in mind their primary job is to keep Sarasotans safe; keep taxes at a minimum; create a framework for businesses to thrive and economic growth; and that all government regulation on development and people’s property rights will make Sarasota increasingly unaffordable for our children and grandchildren.
Overall, Mast has the better experience and qualifications, but she must apply those skills with each vote to what is best for individual taxpayers.
We recommend: Teresa Mast Sarasota County Public Hospital Board
Three items Sarasota County voters should hold in their minds for the primary and general elections to fill the seats for the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board:
1. The Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System is a huge, complicated business enterprise.
2. The COVID crisis is over. Get over it. Move on.
3. The SMH System is one of the best-managed in the country, certainly among the best in Florida.
When you consider $1.6 billion goes through the accounting department of SMH each year; the system has more than $1.3 billion worth of structures and highly sophisticated equipment; that it treated more than 1.6 million people in 2023; and that it has more than 570 physicians and 10,000 employees, all of that requires board members with diverse skills, high intelligence and the ability to sort and meld details with 30,000-footlevel strategic thinking.
Board members cannot be oneissue agitators. Ask board members Patricia Maraia and Bridgette Fiorucci, two RNs who were elected to the board as part of an antiadministration, Medical Freedom slate in 2022. They will tell you the responsibilities of hospital board members go far beyond a platform of “medical freedom,” “patient autonomy,” “transparency” and “accountability” — four pillars of this year’s slate of four Medical Freedom candidates.
All from a raucous wing of Republicans in south Sarasota
County, spearheaded by retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn, the four candidates are seemingly obsessed with and stuck in the COVID past. They want to re-litigate and harp on what happened with patient treatment during COVID. To wit:
Asked what are the top three priorities SMH needs to address, candidate Dr. Tamzin Rosenwasser replied the first priority is: “Tracing what went wrong during COVID, not just at SMH, but all over our nation, for all of us to understand and correct it.”
Challenger Tanya Parus says she “champions medical freedom and patient autonomy, advocating for informed healthcare decisions without coercion.”
Mary Flynn O’Neill, Gen. Flynn’s sister, says she “is committed to transparency and accountability of all operations … ” (and) “pledges to advocate for the protection of all patients and … true medical freedom.”
Good for their earnestness. They mean well. And of the four, Dr. Rosenwasser has the experience and credentials to be an effective board member. But first they all need to get over what happened in 2020 and 2021 during COVID.
With 100% probability, you can go to every hospital in America and find it did things it now wishes it did not do during COVID. It was a chaotic, uncharted period — as if bombs were being dropped every day on the American medical system. Every hospital made mistakes.
What’s more, what public hospital anywhere at the time would dare risk being a complete outlier in the medical establishment and go against federal health care officials’ protocols and guidelines? Most likely: none.
To be sure, the SMH board and administration did their best. And they learned from COVID, affirming that by making a commitment recently to patients having the right to decide their treatments. No coercion.
Done. Over. Move on.
Which brings us to our final points: The litmus test for every election is how well the incumbents have performed. In that vein, the SMH System is an exceptional organization. All the data show it.
That is a reflection of the hospital board’s oversight. The incumbents are doing an admirable job, and it and the administration have great, positive momentum — expanding SMH’s Venice hospital and on the verge of building a hospital in North Port. There is no need to change, no need for disruption.
As for the two open seats — Atlarge Seats 2 and 3 — when you put the skill sets and experiences of Kevin Cooper and Pam Beitlich up against those of Medical Freedom candidates, Dr. Stephen Guffanti and Ms. Flynn O’Neill, Cooper and Beitlich would add better and even more depth and breadth of useful knowledge to the board.
Lastly, the Medical Freedom side has said there are too many business people on the board and that it needs more medical people focused on patient care. To that: Every successful business person knows, above all, if his or her business is to succeed, the satisfaction of its customers is always the business’ highest priority. They get it.
We recommend: Sharon Wetzler DePeters (incumbent), Sarah Lodge (incumbent), Kevin Cooper and Pam Beitlich
Sarasota County Charter Review Board
Sarasota County’s Charter Review Board is charged primarily with serving as a conduit between citizens who want to change the county’s governing constitution and the voters.
Historically, most members elected to this board appropriately have adopted a Hippocratic Oath toward the charter: “Do no harm.”
That is the correct approach.
In that vein, there are three candidates who would maintain that approach.
We recommend: Nicholas Altier, Tom DeSane and Greg “Tex” Bukowski.
“If
to
is the only
progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
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1970 Main St. Third Floor Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
JUST A DREAM
1:59 a.m., 3500 block of Mistletoe
Lane
Suspicious Incident: Dispatch advised an officer to a report of a suspicious incident. At the scene, the officer spoke with the caller who said she had a vivid dream and thought there was an intruder in her house. The caller and a family member stated they checked the house before the officer arrived and no signs of forced entry were reported or observed.
SERVICE INTERRUPTION
12:41 p.m., 700 block of Emerald Harbor Drive
Officer Public Service: A resident called the police to report that she had recently returned after being away for a couple of months and now had no running water. The officer determined that the handyman turned off the water, and the water was able to be turned back on.
NO VESSELS ALLOWED
3:15 p.m., Beer Can Island
Vehicle Stop: A marine patrol officer observed two individuals together, but with separate pontoon vessels, in the vessel exclusion zone at Beer Can Island. Upon approaching the boaters, the two told the officer they entered the zone to seek shelter from a storm.
But the story didn’t quite check out; a number of people were enjoying the beach in front of the vessels, according to the officer’s report. The two were given citations for violation of the exclusion zone.
ESCORT TO SAFETY
4:05 p.m. Jewfish Key
Officer Public Service: While on marine patrol, an officer noticed a disabled vehicle west of Jewfish Key and approached the vehicle. The officer was able to help the crew get the vessel into safe waters, but when one of the individuals said she was not feeling well, the officer transported her and two others to a local restaurant. Others remained at the boat to wait for a commercial tow.
MONDAY, JULY 1
ATTEMPT TO FLEE
7:44 p.m., 100 block of North Shore Road
Suspicious Vehicle: An officer on
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
SISTER KEYS FIGHT
CLUB
10:50 a.m., Sister Keys
Disturbance: An anonymous caller reported that two citizens planned to fight at the Sister Keys sandbar over the weekend. A day after the tip came in, an officer located one of the potential fighters on his vessel and asked him about his involvement in the situation. The man said he and the other person had been involved in verbal altercations about vessel speeds. He also claimed the two had not seen each other in a few days, and he was not planning on fighting him at Sister Keys. The officer called the other man involved, who said he had been avoiding the other man and would not engage in a physical altercation. A Bradenton Beach Police officer was also notified of the report.
Pre-storm sandbag operations continue
Residents who want to be even more prepared for storm season are invited to the town’s pre-storm sandbag operations this summer.
Though the July 1 date has passed, the town still has two more scheduled for Aug. 1 and Sept. 3.
The operations will take place at the Broadway Beach Access point from 9 a.m. to noon.
According to the latest Town Manager Brief, there will be two selffilling sandbag stations for residents to fill up their sandbags. The operations are to help property owners address potential flooding issues ahead of time.
Each household is allowed 10 sandbags and must provide proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill.
Town communications outreach ramps up
north of the Longboat Pass Bridge to State Road 64, and Gulf Drive from State Road 64 to White Avenue.
The project length is about six miles total and will evaluate multimodal alternatives for the corridors in Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach. Aspects like pedestrian safety, bicyclist safety and quality of life will be considered in the study.
“Minimizing environmental impacts while enhancing the future transportation network consistent with the community’s vision and character is also a project goal,” an FDOT release stated.
This PD&E will not include Longboat Key. Looking forward though, Longboat Key is eyeing a similar project with its Gulf of Mexico Drive Complete Street Corridor Project.
The project was listed as a priority for the town and the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, which set aside $18.3 million for the project in its long-range planning from 2025 to 2045.
patrol saw a motorcycle parked in front of a handicapped parking sign.
The officer investigated, did not see any handicap sign on the motorcycle, found that the license plate number was expired and then wrote a citation for the handicap parking violation.
After that, the officer continued routine patrol down to Broadway Street and then returned to North Shore Road, where the officer saw a man on the motorcycle attempting to leave. When the motorcyclist saw the patrol car, the man attempted to put the motorcycle in gear, revved the motor and tried to flee. The officer quickly exited his vehicle and stopped the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist said he just purchased the vehicle and had not yet registered it.
After searching the motorcyclist's name in a database, the officer found that the man did not have a driver’s license. The man had to make arrangements for the motorcycle to be removed, and the officer warned him that operating without a license is a criminal offense.
Amid hurricane season, the town manager’s office is increasing outreach efforts to get residents to sign up for the town’s e-notification system.
The system provides important updates directly to residents’ cellphones as soon as the updates are published on the town’s website.
The notifications are especially important for storms, evacuation, traffic lane closures and major utility service disruptions.
As a part of the town’s outreach efforts, the communications team developed business cards with a QR code that goes to the registration site. The cards were distributed to local businesses around the island.
Residents can also go to the town’s website at LongboatKey.org and click the “E-Notification” button at the top of the page.
Complete Streets study underway on Anna Maria Island
The Florida Department of Transportation is conducting a Project Development and Environment Study for potential improvements to the corridor from State Road 789 from
Bradenton Beach sewer improvements near completion
About one mile of Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach — from Sixth Street South to 13th Street South — was recently repaved as the Bradenton Beach Sewer Improvements project nears completion.
The $7.1 million project, which began in January 2023, includes about a mile of 10-inch and eight-inch gravity main installation along Gulf Drive South and 21 manholes.
The replacement addressed the aging sewer infrastructure and will improve the resiliency of the system, according to the project’s website.
The latest project update on June 21 stated that the new rectangular rapid flashing beacon crosswalks are expected to be activated in late July 2024. The next steps will include work on the side streets and restoring the parking area on the west side.
Completion of the project was slated for fall 2024, according to the project website.
TRIBUTES
James Michael “Mike” LaPensee 1945-2024
James Michael “Mike” LaPensee, a long-time resident of Anna Maria, passed away June 22, 2024, at the age of 79. Mike was born April 10, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, to parents Wilfred and Edith (Glasgow) LaPensee. Here he spent his early childhood before moving to Wayne, Michigan. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and then Wayne High School where he graduated in 1963. In 1967, he made the move to Florida and settled on Anna Maria Island. In December of 1976 he met the love of his life, Karen, and married her 90 days later in March 1977. Mike was a plumber by trade, becoming a Master Plumber, and was well-known around the business community for founding LaPensee Plumbing, Inc alongside Karen which they began in 1985. He was an active member of our community, whether that was coaching his children’s youth sports teams at the Center in their younger years, attending various events and fundraisers around the island or volunteering with The Rotary Club of Anna Maria of which he was a member. He was notorious for striking up conversations with strangers wherever he went, always leaving them a friend. He was immensely proud of his family and was always bragging about them to friends and strangers alike. He loved trains, old cars, and work-
“He was notorious for striking up conversations with strangers wherever he went, always leaving them a friend.”
ing on his hobbies: model airplanes, boats, and cars were his favorite. Mike was a loving husband, father and friend and he will be greatly missed.
He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Kenneth LaPensee and Wilfred “Sonny” LaPensee; and son, Gregory LaPensee. He is survived by his wife, J. Karen LaPensee; son, Michael J. LaPensee, daughters, Michele Crouthamel (Jereme) and Shawn Shields (Logan); daughter-in-law, Carlee LaPensee; sister-in-law, Nancy LaPensee; brother, Richard LaPensee (Carol); and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held 4:30-7:30PM, Sunday, July 14, 2024, at The Key Royale Club, located at 700 Key Royale Dr. Holmes Beach, FL 34217. Those who knew him are encouraged to drop in, have a rum and coke and share some memories. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel is overseeing the arrangements. In lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made to The Center of Anna Maria Island or The Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island. Condolences may be made to www. brownandsonsfuneral.com.
SERVICE: Sunday, July 14, 4:30-7:30 PM Key Royale Club 700 Key Royale Dr Holmes Beach, FL 34217
DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers please contributions to The Center of Anna Maria Island or the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island
Emergency allies
Longboat Key seeks interlocal agreement to share planning staff in times of need.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
In an emergency, a little help from neighbors is a good thing to have.
The town’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department hopes to enter into an interlocal agreement with neighboring jurisdictions to share certain staff members when necessary, which could be used in emergencies or if the department is unexpectedly left short-handed.
Per the agreement, Longboat Key’s department could call on building officials and plans examiners from the cities of North Port, Venice and Sarasota, and the counties of Sarasota and Charlotte.
The most recent revision of the interlocal agreement was in 2014. At that time, the town was invited to participate but turned down the offer, according to Parsons. Town staff recently reviewed the agreement and saw the value.
The memo drafted by Director of Planning, Zoning and Building Allen Parsons for the commission’s June 28 meeting said this would help tap into a broader pool of staff to assist in times of need.
If a hurricane were to hit Longboat Key, this agreement could be utilized to bring in extra building officials and plans examiners from the participating jurisdictions. On the other hand, if another jurisdiction suffered an emergency and needed assistance, Longboat Key could send a staff member to help out. Either way, the jurisdiction that receives the extra hand would be responsible for any costs.
But Longboat Key’s is also a small department compared to most others in the area. Parsons said if there was a staff shortage for some reason, the agree-
ment could also be utilized then.
“We’re a small department,” Parsons said. “If our building official is out in an unplanned way and we have difficulty getting someone from a private provider to do the work for us, it would be a real benefit to us to be able to see if there’s availability with one of the other jurisdictions to kind of cover for the limited staffing that we have if somebody critical is out.”
The staff memo also stated that qualified personnel for these positions are in demand, and there are more positions to fill than available employees. That’s partly because of “demanding licensing requirements” and years of necessary experience, according to the memo.
Last year, the town’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department faced difficulties due to staff shortages and frequently had to hire thirdparty contractors to assist. Since then, Parsons said the department was able to hire a plans examiner/ building inspector, which has alleviated the issue.
According to the memo on the June 28 consent agenda, Town Manager Howard Tipton had already reached out to the managers and administrators of the participating municipalities and received support.
The June 28 consent agenda was unanimously approved, and the next step for the interlocal agreement will be to receive approval from the other participating municipalities.
American medley
Christ Church of Longboat Key finished the holiday weekend with a patriotic service on July 7. Instead of its usual Sunday service, the Rev. Julia Piermont picked 13 American hymns for the church’s first “festival of the hymns.”
Congregants complimented Piermont on the unique music program.
“This is the first time we have ever done something like this,” said Christ Church member Bill Wartinbee. “Last week, we had 60 attendees, and today we had 90. I can for sure tell you it is all Julia. She is one of the youngest pastors we have had, so I really think that is why she is always looking for new ideas and ways to engage us. She is really making us look good.”
Music Director Robert Romanski and his step-daughter, Alexa Lowrey, led the church through the hymns. The music team also had organist Chris Westfall, trumpet player Brad Turner and flute player David Tagliarini.
Throughout the service, Piermont explained the history of each hymn and how it could be used in worship and to honor America. She used four songs that sounded uniquely American, five samples of American poetry and two songs that show a trend that is both old and new.
The hymn lineup included “Medley of Patriotism,” “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” “America the Beautiful” and “Amazing Grace.”
With a degree in music, Piermont encourages musical worship as a form
of prayer for Christ Church congregants. Partnering with Romanski and the music team, she hopes that everyone will take hymns home and continue to meditate on them as they grow in their faith.
WORSHIP directory
Bayfront sparkles
uth Weisberg said there was
That might seem like high praise, but attendees found the Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular that night offered an experience worthy of the name.
“It was awesome. It was spectacular. It was nice to be here in the park and see so many people enjoy it,” said Bello Nock. “It was great to see all of Sarasota just having a great time.”
A staple of Fourth of July events in Sarasota for more than 10 years, the show, hosted by Suncoast Charities for Children as part of its Suncoast Summer Fest, draws huge crowds to Bayfront Park each year.
Zack Altman, who attended with his fiancée, Carmen Altman, was among the newcomers this year.
“It was amazing,” said Altman, who recently came to Sarasota from Wisconsin. “It was cool to be in a different environment and watch the fireworks with my fiancée.”
– IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby Alexandra Osipyan, 11, celebrates the Fourth of July with a sparkler.
Jane Donovan and Ruth Weisberg
Russa Fecteau and his girlfriend, Estefani Gillum, and Carmen Altman and her fiancé Zack Altman
The crowd enjoys the fireworks.
— PETRA RIVERA
Robert Romanski, Alexa Lowrey, Julia Piermont and Chris Westfall
Photos by Petra Rivera David Tagliarini
Joyce Wartinbee and Lynn Baron
CORRECTION
the June 27 editorial, “Moran, tax collectors in a Supreme Court fight,” the Florida PACE Funding Agency (FPFA) was incorrectly referenced throughout. There are multiple PACE agencies in Florida not connected to the Florida PACE Funding Agency, or FPFA.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
To London
Sarasota Ballet wins hearts with its Royal Opera House residency.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
More than 35 years after his death some of Ashton’s ballets are more popular than ever and some of those that might easily have been forgotten are being kept alive in Sarasota. —Bachtrack
All hail the Sarasota Ballet. They came, they saw, they conquered. The glowing reviews of their June 4-9 London residency at London’s Royal Opera House provide the proof.
Among their fans and benefactors in Florida, there seemed little doubt that the Sarasota Ballet would be a hit in London.
After all, the company, which has made its reputation preserving the ballets of Sir Frederick Ashton, has gone from strength to strength since Iain Webb became managing director in 2007 and was joined by his wife, Margaret Barbieri, in 2012, as assistant director.
Earlier in their careers, Webb and Barbieri danced the principal roles in Ashton ballets at the Royal Ballet, where Ashton was choreographer under Ninette de Valois and later director of the company when Valois retired.
The Sarasota Ballet flew to London and performed in “Ashton Celebrated” at the invitation of Royal Ballet Director Kevin O’Hare, but the residency was fraught with peril, to hear Webb tell it.
“It was like bringing coals to Newcastle,” said Webb, a native of Yorkshire, in the north of England.
“Even though it was a great honor, there was the fact that we’ve been known for doing Sir Fred’s ballets — it’s what put the company on the map. But you’re basically taking his ballets, which are very special, back to his home theater,” Webb noted in an July 3 interview.
“There’s long been a perception that the Royal can’t dance Balanchine and the Americans can’t dance Ashton. We were going up against that by bringing in rarely seen works with new dancers,” he adds.
Before the residency, Webb couldn’t stop thinking about how the National Ballet of Canada met with disaster when it performed Ashton’s “La fille mal gardée” at the Royal Opera House in 1979. Recalls Webb: “I was there and everything possible
with love
The revelation was “Dante Sonata,” which sends 22 dancers flooding across the tiny stage in movement at once uninhibited and highly sculptural. —The Guardian Tuesday’s strongly danced triple bill began with Ashton’s swoony, wistful take on Ravel’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales,” which premiered in 1947. Sarasota’s well- drilled couples inhabit Sophie Fedorovich’s debs-and-dancecards setting with smiling conviction, led by Jessica Assef swivelling undecidedly between two romantic possibilities (a cheeky nod to “Sleeping Beauty”). — Financial Times
went wrong. It was as if it had been sabotaged.”
“It was daunting because there had been so much hype beforehand,” says Barbieri about the Sarasota Ballet’s London showcase. “Tickets sold out almost immediately and the expectations were so high.”
It was Barbieri who staged the Ashton ballets the company performed in London. The repertoire included the ensemble-driven “Dante Sonata” (staged with Patricia Tierney), the showcase of choreographic satires “Facade,” the abstract “Sinfonietta,” the waltzing “Valses nobles et sentimentales” (with Webb) and Ashton’s self-parody “Varii Capricci,” as well as several divertissements, smaller pieces that are ballet’s answer to a chef’s amuse bouche.
Ashton’s considerable legacy and the storied reputations of the Royal Ballet dancers weighed on the Sarasota Ballet’s performers. “The Royal
Ballet is such an icon in the ballet world,” says principal dancer Jessica Assef, who joined the company last season from the Atlanta Ballet. “It’s such an honor to dance there. It’s something you dream of when you’re little.”
Assef adds, “You know you’re going to meet these ballet stars from today’s generation and hear about the ones from before. The studios are named after them — the Fonteyn, the de Valois, the MacMillan — and they all have the pictures of their namesakes above them. So you’re there dancing and MacMillan is watching you. You [feel] the weight of it.”
Asked if she was surprised by anything during the residency, Assef replied, “How welcoming everyone was,” at which point Barbieri chimed in. “The surprise was that the reviews were great. The audience reaction was wonderful too,” she says.
As it turns out, all the fears about flopping in foggy Londontown were for naught. The hard work paid off. It took lots of heavy lifting to get the Sarasota Ballet to the “Ashton Celebrated” program in London honoring the choreographer’s 120th birthday.
Of the Ashton ballets performed at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, the Sarasota Ballet had presented three — “Varii Capricci,” “Dante Sonata” and “Sinfonietta” — during its 2023-24 season, which wrapped April 26-27 at the Sarasota Opera House.
“Sinfonietta” was in the last program of the season, so it was fresh in the dancers’ minds and bodies, but it still needed polish, Webb says.
Five days after their season finale, the Sarasota Ballet dancers returned to the studios, where Barbieri began to stage all the Ashton ballets that would be performed in London.
“It would have been easy to just do one program throughout the six days but instead I did three different programs,” says Webb. “So Maggie had to really teach everything with the help of Victoria (Hulland) and Octavio (Martin).”
Hulland, a former Sarasota Ballet principal dancer, danced many of Ashton’s ballets during 16 years on stage. She returned to the company in 2022 as artistic assistant to the directors. Martin is ballet master of the Sarasota Ballet.
Once they arrived in London, the Sarasota Ballet dancers only had a day off before they had to begin rehearsals. After the residency, Webb gave them another day off to go sightseeing. During the London run, everything went like clockwork except for a last-minute laundry snafu on the first night, says Jennifer Hackbarth, Sarasota Ballet principal dancer.
“Our white tights turned pink in the laundry,” she says. “They must have been washed with something.” However, the Royal Ballet’s costume department came up with some fresh white tights for their guests.
Ricardo Graziano and Macarena Giminez performed “The Walk to Paradise Garden” on the main stage of the Royal Opera House in London.
Images courtesy of Foteini Christofilopoulou
The Sarasota Ballet won favor with London critics with such productions as Sir Frederick Ashton's "Dante Sonata," part of the program of "Ashton Celebrated" at the Royal Opera House.
In addition to dancing their Ashton repertoire in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre, the Sarasota Ballet also shared the main stage with the Royal Ballet. The company performed “The Walk to the Paradise Garden” on June 7, 18, 21 and 22.
“For Kevin (O’Hare) to do that was quite remarkable,” Webb says. “It was a great gesture that showed he understood and respected what we’ve been trying to do with Sir Fred’s works.”
But no good deed goes unpunished. This was the performance that received a brickbat from the critics amid all their other bouquets.
The Guardian dismissed “The Walk to Paradise” as “an oddity, best forgotten.” Still, that’s more a criticism of Ashton than the company.
While the Sarasota Ballet’s management, staff and dancers pushed themselves to the limit to make the London residency a reality, it wouldn’t have been possible without the financial wizardry of Joseph Volpe, the company’s executive director, and the generosity of donors, Webb says.
The $640,000 cost of the London trip didn’t come out of the Sarasota Ballet’s regular budget, which is about $9.2 million. It was raised separately, Webb says, after the company received its London invite in April 2023.
Volpe joined the Sarasota Ballet in 2016 after retiring as general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. Along with Webb and Barbieri, Volpe forms the troika that has raised the Sarasota Ballet’s international profile and strengthened its financial footing.
Volpe’s financial acumen is needed more than ever in the wake of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rejection last month of $32 million in state arts grants for fiscal 2025. Last year, the Sarasota Ballet got a state cultural grant close to $104,000. It had hoped for at least a similar amount this year.
The news of the cuts came while the Sarasota Ballet was in London, Webb says. But the company didn’t let it rain on their Covent Garden parade.
Bringing home the souvenir of a lifetime
arasota Ballet Director
SIain Webb got some good news last month when he was in London rehearsing for the company’s residency at the Royal Opera House: Webb was honored with the 2024 British National Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Webb was presented with the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement by Graham Watts and Dame Monica Mason at London's Coronet Theatre on June 3, the night before the first performance.
He didn’t have time to dally at the presentation. “I took a taxi to the ceremony in Notting Hill Gate, said, ‘Thank you’ and got a cab back to the opera house,” says Webb, only half in jest. “I might have shed a tear or two along the way.”
The National Dance Awards have been handed out since 2000 by the U.K.'s Critics' Circle, made up of more than 60 dance writers
and critics. This year, more than 300 companies, choreographers, performers and other artists were nominated for the awards.
“I was hoping the critics didn’t honor me one day and murder us the next,” Webb quips.
Webb’s honor wasn't just in recognition of his efforts to elevate the Sarasota Ballet since he and his wife, assistant-director Margaret Barbieri, took over the reins in 2007. The award also spotlighted his achievements as a former first soloist with London's Royal Ballet and other star turns during his career.
Under Webb's stewardship, the Sarasota Ballet has performed at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the Massachusetts Berkshires, twice at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and several times in New York City, most recently in August 2022 at the Joyce Theatre. Although the Sarasota
Ballet is known for its expertise in the works of Sir Frederick Ashton, the late choreographer and director of the Royal Ballet, it has a wide-ranging repertoire.
Among the choreographers whose works it performs are George Balanchine, Johan Kobborg, Kenneth MacMillan, Jessica Lang, Twyla Tharp and Christopher Wheeldon, to name a few. Along with its profes-
sional dance company, the Sarasota Ballet offers youth and adult classes as well as pre-professional training at the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. Its summer intensive attracts hundreds of students from around the nation to study with the faculty of the Sarasota Ballet School, which uses the American Ballet Theatre national training curriculum.
Left: The Sarasota Ballet traveled to London to appear in "Ashton Celebrated" June 4-9 at the Royal Opera House.
Courtesy image
Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb displays the National Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement that he received in London on June 3.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
JAZZ THURSDAY AT SAM
5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free to $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
The Jazz Club of Sarasota teams up with the Sarasota Art Museum for an evening of jazz on the museum’s Michael and Marci Klein Plaza. Watch Darcie Allen and the Five Points Quintet and enjoy extended hours in the museum’s galleries, shop and bistro.
‘RHINESTONE COWGIRLS’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Created by Nancy Allen Productions, this musical tribute to some of the first ladies of country features such classics as Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” Runs through Aug. 4.
‘THE MUSIC OF LAUREL CANYON’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
If you know, you know. But not everyone knows about Laurel Canyon, the neighborhood above West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip that became home to folk musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and The Mamas and the Papas. Runs through Aug. 25.
‘DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE’
8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
$29-$46
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig tells the story of his parents’ courtship during World War II. The play follows U.S. Army Capt. Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, who begins a life-changing pen-pal relationship with Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress living in the Big Apple. Runs through Aug. 11.
FRIDAY
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road $20 adults; $15 kids Visit Ringling.org.
If you’ve never seen a performance in The Ringling’s jewelbox venue, the Historic Asolo Theater, here’s your chance. Presided over by Ringmaster Jared Walker, the Summer Circus Spectacular includes contortionist Uranbileg Angarag, acrobatic hand balancers The Bello Sisters, hair hang artist Camille Langlois, slack wire performer Antino Pansa and clown Renaldo, a veteran of the Big Apple Circus. Runs through Aug. 17.
WBTT STAGE OF DISCOVERY SHOWCASE: ‘MAKE ROOM FOR ME’
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $27 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
“Make Room for Me” showcases students in Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s seventh annual summer musical theater program. The show represents the culmination of WBTT students’ five-week experience developing their musical, writing and dramatic talents. The student performances will be accompanied by a live band led by WBTT Resident Music Director Matthew McKinnon. Runs through July 14.
MONDAY
JAZZ JAM SRQ
5:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
Jazz Club of Sarasota presents an open mic jam session for professionals and amateurs alike sure to be enjoyed by the listening audience.
DON’T MISS 14TH ANNUAL SARASOTA IMPROV FESTIVAL
Florida Studio Theatre’s downtown Sarasota campus becomes a hotbed of improvisational comedy as visiting acts join the resident FST Improv for a jamboree of laughter and unexpected fun. Chile’s Lospleimovil troupe makes its debut at this year’s festival, which will be headlined by Impro Theatre, a Los Angeles group that gins up full-length plays inspired by the world’s greatest playwrights. Returning are fan favorites Available Cupholders, Big Bang Improv, Dad’s Garage, Parallelogramophonograph and North Coast. Don’t miss the grand finale, when more than 80 festival artists unite on FST’s Gompertz Theatre stage for an unscripted show. Runs through July 13.
7 p.m. The Players Centre, Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $12; $30 for three-play series Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.
If it’s summer in Sarasota, it’s time for play readings. The Sarasota Jewish Theatre enters the derby with Newish Jewish Plays, a three-play series on three consecutive Mondays. First out of the gate is Gary Morgenstein’s “Dancing on Glass,” a play about the firing of a Jewish teacher of Israeli-Palestinian studies for not being “balanced enough.” This ripped-from-the-headlines production will be directed by Blake Walton, managing director of SaraSolo Productions and an award-winning multihyphenate performer.
OUR PICK
CLYDE BUTCHER: NATURE THROUGH THE LENS
If you haven’t seen the breathtaking exhibition of photographer Clyde Butcher at Historic Spanish Point, why not take a morning drive to the 30-acre compound overlooking Little Sarasota Bay? Dotted throughout the campus are large-scale prints of Butcher’s black-and-white photographs of Florida’s flora and fauna. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
IF YOU GO
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, July 14
Where: Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point campus, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Nokomis
Tickets: $20
Info: Selby.org.
Courtesy image
"All Play," the annual finale performance of the Sarasota Improv Festival, shown in 2023.
Image courtesy of John Jones
Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” runs through Aug. 11 at FST’s Keating Theatre.
File photo
You may never see a ghost orchid in the wild, but you can see Clyde Butcher's photo of it at "Nature Through the Lens," which runs through Aug. 31 at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point.
EATING WITH EMMA
Hot diggity dog! July is National Hot Dog Month
Bite into the best buns and dogs in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
EMMA BURKE JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR
My mother has not always been a fan of the boys I chose to partner up with — and as usual, mother knows best.
My high school boyfriend sported fake teeth after getting knocked out one too many times during hockey games. He was also on a first-name basis with the local cops. My college boyfriend broke up with me while I was packing for a trip to Disney World with my entire family. Plus, the number of times he cheated on me was greater than all the galas thrown during a Sarasota season.
So when I went from zero to hero with my forever boyfriend, I think it was the proudest I ever made my mom. When he brought her flowers, prosecco and her favorite toilet paper (Charmin) just a week after meeting her, she knew I had learned quite well from my mistakes. Other than their love for me, my mom and now husband have bonded over their joy for Johnny Walker (black) on the rocks and their admiration for Idris Elba. Most importantly, they have joined forces and created the “we hate hot dogs” task force.
But this July, with it being National Hot Dog Month, I am determined to get them both to down some dogs. Here are the best spots in town to do just that.
TONY’S CHICAGO BEEF CO. 6569 Superior Ave., Sarasota; 941-922-7979; Facebook.com/ TonysChicagoBeef
Let’s Be Frank: If I’m getting my mom to eat a hot dog, I know it’s gonna be the Chicago Dawg ($6.29). Served up just like they do at Wrigley Field, Tony’s prepares this “is-it-a-sandwich or is-it-not-asandwich?” in a poppy-seed bun with all the Midwestern fixings: yellow mustard, gorgeous green sweet pickle relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, a delightful dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers and celery salt.
food truck is parked to get your dawg on. The list of these all-beef hot dogs ($5 each) will have you relishing foodie heaven, but the chili and cheese is frankly the top dog. However, if you aren’t feeling like a heavy doggie, go ahead and get the classic New York style. I can just picture my dad snacking on this, humming Frank Sinatra and saying, “I’ll never get why your mom hates hot dogs.”
You’re the Bun for Me: To brat or not to brat, that is the question. The answer? Definitely yes. The Chicago brat ($6.69) comes with kraut on a hot dog bun or, my personal pick, French bread.
WILLY-YUMS HOTDOGS & MORE 2003 14th St. W., Bradenton; WillyYums.com
Let’s Be Frank: Don’t be a loser, be a wiener and find where this local
You’re the Bun for Me: Next time I head to Willy’s, I am crushing a Carolina slaw dog made with mustard and homemade coleslaw. My eyes are on the prize, and the prize lays between buns found in this Bradenton food truck.
PACIFIC COUNTER
4942 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-217-6016; 11581 FL-70, Suite 109, Bradenton, 941-7398039; PacificCounter.com
Let’s Be Frank: What do you get
when a girl who loves food walks into a poke bowl and burrito bar? A newfound love for Hawaiian dogs ($5.99). Never judge a restaurant by its vibe, right? I wouldn’t have expected to add this dog to the list, but ever since my first bite, I can’t stop thinking about it. After eating this dog smothered with Hawaiian salsa, sesame seeds and chili aioli, I now know the true meaning of aloha.
You’re the Bun for Me: My oh my, the banh mi dog ($5.99) is the runner-up wiener for me. Packed with cucumber, jalapeno, daikon radishes, cilantro and avocado lime deliciousness, the flavors flawlessly fold into one another in a fantastic way that foodies only dream of.
JOEY D’S CHICAGO STYLE EATERY & PIZZERIA 3811 Kenny Drive, Sarasota, 941378-8900; 6401 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, 941-753-8900; 945 10th St. E., Palmetto, 941-417-2106; 750 U.S. 41 Bypass N., Venice, 941-7861300; JoeyDsFL.com
Let’s Be Frank: I was raised by two proud Chicago natives. When we went to Madison Square Garden as kids, we were not there rooting for the Knicks, baby, we were rooting for MJ, Scottie and Dennis. Our answering machine message when I was growing up was, “Da Bulls, Da Bears, Da Burkes aren’t home right now so leave a message.” So when I stumbled upon the original Chicago-style hot dog ($6.09) at Joey’s, I felt instantly connected to my Chicago roots. I am determined to have my husband eat one as he watches the Cubs beat the Guardians in the next World Series ... again.
You’re the Bun for Me: Come one, come all, it’s chow time. Chicago combo, AKA Da Chief ($12.99) is dished out with thinly sliced beef on top of a tasty Italian sausage and sweet or hot peppers.
DOGGYSTYLE
1544 Main St., Sarasota; 941-2605835; HotDogsWithStyle.com
Let’s Be Frank: With more than 13 signature dog options ($6.99) to choose from and four types of dogs (100% beef, beef/pork, red hot or vegan) dog-lovers are surely to fall in love with the array of samplings here. Choose from Memphis style with beautiful bacon jam, shredded cheese and green onion or the Philly with sautéed onions, mushrooms and Swiss.
You’re the Bun for Me: Animal rights group PETA ranked Sarasota’s own Doggystyle as one of the top 10 best vegan options in the country. Their pick? The Chicago Hot ($6.49), where you sub standard relish for hot pepper relish, has been named one of the best!
Courtesy images
Doggystyle, Sarasota’s Main Street one-stop dog-shop, is bun in a million.
Willy-Yums, in business since 2017, makes the best (and most unique!) dogs in Bradenton.
Choose from Hawaiian, kimchi, banh mi or Cali dogs at Pacific Counter.
A Freedom Fest first
Longboat dogs ‘married’ at annual July 4 event.
Did anyone hear wedding bells at the 2024 Freedom Fest?
The annual tradition run by the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce held its first red, white and blue dog wedding July 4.
Last year, the two lovebirds Bisou and Tinkerbell met at the parade and had an instant connection of puppy love that the Observer covered. The dogs’ love pushed the owners, Medge and Michael Jaspan and Frank and Martina Kinslow, to become friends. This was the start of many doggy playdates.
A year later, the dogs are expecting puppies, with Tinkerbell’s due date being July 9.
For the annual hot diggity-dog contest sponsored by the Rotary Club of Longboat Key July 4 as part of Freedom Fest, the couple decided to throw a doggy wedding that won them first prize. Mayor Ken Schneier officiated for the happy couple.
Along with Tinkerbell and Bisou’s wedding, Freedom Fest had a lot of firsts. It was the first time that Chamber President Kim Verreault and Marketing Media Relations Manager Felicia McDermott hosted the event.
They hoped for some “old-fashioned American fun” and that is what they gave Longboaters.
The “shortest parade in America” started at 9 a.m. on Bay Isles Road with many Longboat organizations and businesses walking in it such as the Longboat Island Chapel, the Longboat Key Garden Club, the Rotary Club, Observer Media Group, Longboat Key Police and Fire Rescue Department and Cannons Marina.
Harry’s Continental Kitchens General Manager Hal Christensen led the parade as grand marshal. Cannons Marina awarded the Observer Media Group as the most patriotic group. After the parade, the Garden Club released butterflies in Bicentennial Park.
The Chamber trio of Verreault, McDermott and Connie Darah prioritized having new activities for children this year.
General Manager Hal Christensen represented Harry’s Continental Kitchens as the grand marshal in the 2024 Freedom Fest. Christensen is the son of owner Harry Christensen and grew up in the beloved restaurant. Harry’s hit its 45th anniversary this year, so it was an honor as they celebrate the achievement. “There weren’t a lot of other
businesses involved in the event,” said Christensen. “So we were definitely honored to lead it. We have been a part of this community for a long time so it felt great to know how we are supported by the Chamber, the Rotary Club and the town, of course. I loved having my family out there. We felt very patriotic, and it was a fun little parade, being that it is the shortest parade in America.”
The Chamber set up a petting zoo for children to learn about and play with unique animals. The team found out about the petting zoo through Chamber member Jessica Ryherd from Feeding Empty Little Tummies.
Ryherd’s children own a petting zoo business called RCC Farm Experience and were very accommodating to the Chamber. They offered big and small animals and a variety for the children to learn about including goats and ferrets.
The Chamber also had face painting, arts and crafts activities and games for the children.
“Everyone has been telling me that this is the most kids and families they have seen at Freedom Fest,” said Verreault. “The petting zoo was a really big pull, and I love that we are able to support Jessica and her family like this.”
WINNERS OF THE HOT DIGGITY-DOG PARADE
BEST OWNER & DOG
COMBINATION: Medge and Michael Jaspan and their dog, Bisou, and Frank and Martina Kinslow and their dog, Tinkerbell
MOST CREATIVE
Eileen
HONORABLE MENTIONS: n Kevin and Jan Madden and their dog, Fly n Katie Armstrong and her dog, Auggie n Judy Boice and her dog, Brigitte n Diane Weisman and her dogs,
PETRA RIVERA | STAFF WRITER
MOST PATRIOTIC DOG: Heather, Ray and Ayla Sellers and their dog, Banyon
DOG:
Kamerick and Vic Heckler and their dog, Tully
Photos by Petra Rivera
Bisou and Tinkerbell were “married” at the Longboat Key Chamber's Freedom Fest.
Kibble and Parker
Courtesy image
Lynn, Harry and Hal Christensen are celebrating 45 years of business in 2024.
Chucko the Clown
Mahjong master class
Carol Peschel refined her play over 20 years and now breaks down the challenging game for Longboaters.
PETRA
RIVERA STAFF WRITER
Multiple days a week, Longboater Carol Peschel walks out of her home with distinctive jewelry. She wears bracelets, necklaces and earrings with Chinese symbols written on tiles. These aren’t just any tiles. These are patterns from her favorite game: mahjong.
Peschel has been playing mahjong for 20 years and teaches it at The Paradise Center. Even with its intricate tiles and many cognitive benefits, it is so much more than just a tabletop game. What brings Peschel back every time is the close-knit community she has built through the game.
“In mahjong, you can play with two, three or four people,” said Peschel. “So with those options, you can build a strong community while playing. I have this one group that is very social, and we always get together, like for people’s birthdays. It is so important for people our age to have a community. You should have a place to go where you can meet like-minded people and have fun.”
Peschel started playing mahjong after her friend from the Longboat Key Garden Club, Susan Landau, introduced it to her in 2004. She found it difficult at first, but the beauty of tiles and the complexity of the game pushed her to practice. After years of dedicated play, she started teaching mahjong at The Paradise Center in 2014.
Mahjong is a Chinese game with distinctive tiles and an annual rule card governing combinations and scoring. Each turn, a player will pick up a tile on the table and discard a tile. Players keep doing this to make a combination from the card depend-
CAROL PESCHEL’S ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS
“The hardest thing for beginners to realize is they’re not going to learn how to play overnight. It’s not like any other game. It takes sometimes years for people to really master it. You cannot get frustrated when you don’t get it on your first try.”
n Practice combinations on your time
n The most important thing is to learn the card. The combinations remain the same even though other aspects change.
ing on what other players put down.
You can make patterns based on certain numbers, winds (north, south, east or west), flowers and dragon tiles. The first to make a specific number of matching pairs and sets wins. Peschel explained that the game changes based on the number of players and forms of the game.
Peschel described mahjong like a dance. Players are responsible for their own moves, but they build off other players’ moves to create beautiful patterns. She likes that the solo aspect of the game allows her to build independence in her skills but playing with others encourages socializing.
Along with the community aspect, Peschel said that mahjong is a stimulating game that keeps the mind sharp. Playing mahjong is proven
to improve hand-eye coordination, short-term memory, attention span and logical thinking, according to a study done by Frontiers in Neurology.
Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., The Paradise Center is filled with dedicated mahjong players. During the fall, Longboaters fill seven or eight tables in the center.
Since summer is a slower time on the island, it’s a good time to learn the complicated game. Peschel teaches beginners, usually teaching three at a time during the season.
Paradise Center member Bonnie Wilder helps intermediate-level players with any questions they might have once they have played for a few months.
Peschel said she never expected to be a teacher, but teaching mahjong has brought her a whole new level of
fulfillment. She loves to see when it clicks for people after working with them for weeks. Mahjong players at The Paradise Center said she is a kind and patient teacher.
“Mahjong is basically a foreign language,” said Peschel. “It takes time to learn, but it is so worth it when you get it. It’s fun and great for the brain. But really, it is a great place to make friends. I have taught so many people throughout the years so it is crazy to think about how they are carrying on my passion for it themselves.”
Photos by Petra Rivera
Carol Peschel and Marilyn Katzmark
Sandi Love
Maria Ray
OFF TO THE RACES
The Bird Key Yacht Club has a unique way to pass the time while waiting for the fireworks show on the Fourth of July.
Every year, BKYC members team up and build cars out of potatoes and carrots during their July 4 celebration. The racers look forward to this tradition to bond with other club members.
“I was on a cruise in the Caribbean, and this was one of the activities on the ship,” said club member Buck Fry. “I thought it was so intriguing and different. It was a fun way to spend time with everyone bonding, so I took a photo of the ramp that they used and built it when I came back.”
Fry suggested the potato car races as a way to pass the time while waiting for the fireworks show. A decade later, the potato car races have become a tradition.
Vice Commodore Tony Britt said it is nothing like he has ever seen before.
Adults and children participate either by themselves or as a team. Rules for the race are to build your potato car after dinner only using the materials given by the club, which include a potato, a carrot, wheels and sticks to hold it together.
This year, there were 28 teams. The races are performed in a bracket-style competition. Commodore Michael Landis judges each race, especially if it's a close one.
The Rodgers family won this year’s event and received the potato car races trophy, which is in the shape of a Mr. Potato Head toy.
“It is amazing to see how not only the kids get involved but how the adults get into it,” said Peggy Fry. “The adults really take it more seriously than the kids do.”
— PETRA RIVERA
Courtesy image by Tony Britt
Cooper Rodgers, Ryan Rodgers, Karen Frumkin and Patrick Rodgers were the 2024 Bird Key Yacht Club Potato Race champions.
Petra Rivera
Scott Matthews pulls the lever to release the cars, while JJ Johnson races his potato car.
Petra Rivera
Emma Bailey Gaddy, Walker Gaddy and Curt Nothstine build their potato car.
Dessert Club
Join us for a casual discussion of current events, the economy and investing We look forward to seeing you! Coffee and dessert will be served.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17
MOVIE MATINEE
1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Enjoy some fresh popcorn during a free showing of “The Highwaymen.” In this 2019 film, two former Texas Rangers come out of retirement to apprehend the two famous outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde. Call 383-6493.
RECURRING EVENTS
BEST BET
TUESDAY, JULY 16
POP-UP LIBRARY
10-11:30 a.m. at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road. On the first and third Tuesday of each month in the back parking lot of Town Hall, the Pop-up Library will be at Longboat Key with books for all ages. Sign up for a library card or read a book by the beach. Call 861-5475.
When Tuesday, July 2, 2024
When Tuesday, August 6, 2024
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Where Edward Jones 595 Bay Isles Road, Suite 260 Longboat Key, FL 34228
Where Edward Jones 595 Bay Isles Road, Suite 260 Longboat Key, FL 34228
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS
LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT
STORE
We hope you and a guest will join us. Please call Linda at 941-263-7821 or email linda.dillon@edwardjones.com by 07/30/2024.
We hope you and a guest will join us. Please call Linda at 941-263-7821 or email linda.dillon@edwardjones.com by 06/26/2024.
The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to noon at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.
MONDAYS
STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN
From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. This class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.
THINKING OUT LOUD
1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Retired Lawyer Mike Karp will lead a lively discussion on current topics such as world affairs, national politics and local issues. Bring questions, thoughts and an open mind. Call 383-6493.
TUESDAYS
PILATES SCULPT
From 9-9:50 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Pilates Sculpt is a combination class mixing traditional Pilates exercises into a fun, challenging workout to upbeat music. It will make you sweat, encourage your body to burn calories and make you stronger and more flexible. This class is for all levels. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.
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
From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $15; free for members. Call 383-6493.
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 203-605-4066 or email Info@LongboatKeyRotary.org.
TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday and Friday, 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 3832011.
WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI
From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.
North
Condo in Sage LBK tops sales at $6 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Acondominium in Sage LBK tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Robert and Barbara Geertsema, of Ontario, Canada, sold their Unit 303 condominium at 4651 Gulf of Mexico Drive to CAJ Associates LLC for $6 million. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths and 4,012 square feet of living area. It sold for $5,374,100 in 2023.
COUNTRY CLUB SHORES
Richard and Sarah Ayotte, of Longboat Key, sold their home at 520 Chipping Lane to Ronald and Tammy Jurinek, of Naperville, Illinois, for $5.13 million. Built in 2022, it has five bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,412 square feet of living area.
LONGBOAT KEY TOWERS
Ronald and Marilyn Horner, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit S301 condominium at 601 Longboat Club Road to Brian Smith, trustee, of Bristol, Indiana, for $2.8 million. Built in 1970, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,420 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.35 million in 2017.
L’AMBIANCE AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB
Edward and Helen Rhawn, of Louisville, Kentucky, sold their Unit D-206 condominium at 415 L’Ambiance Drive to The Bryn Mawr Trust Co., trustee, for $2,575,000. Built in 1992, it has two bedrooms, two-and-two-half baths and 2,634 square feet of living area. It sold for $670,000 in 1992.
JOHN RINGLING ESTATES
Richard Kelly, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, sold the home at 225 N. Boulevard of the Presidents to Peter Tom Edward Turner and Michelle Lynn Turner, of Longboat Key, for $2.3 million. Built in 1968, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,058 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2009.
RESIDENTIAL
JUNE 24-28
QUEEN’S HARBOUR
Norman and Sylvia Samet, of Greensboro, North Carolina, sold their home at 3584 Fair Oaks Lane to Stephen and Annette Shores, of Centralia, Illinois, for $2.3 million. Built in 1998, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,959 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.3 million in 2001.
THE BEACHES OF LONGBOAT KEY
Rochelle Diana McKinney, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 308 condominium at 775 Longboat Club Road to Henry and Alexandra Walter, of Longboat Key, for $2 million. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,122 square feet of living area. It sold for $610,000 in 1998.
SANCTUARY AT LONGBOAT KEY
CLUB Susan Santos Paulson and Thomas Paulson, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit B-202 condominium at 585 Sanctuary Drive to NDKIRK Real Estate LLC for $1.8 million. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,823 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,952,000 in 2023.
PROMENADE
Moonasar Rampertaap, trustee, and Coulisia Rampertaap sold the Unit 506 condominium at 1211 Gulf of Mexico Drive to William Connors Jr., of Longboat Key, for $1,475,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,598 square feet of living area. It sold for $225,000 in 1991.
HARBOUR OAKS AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB
William and Kathleen Humphrey,
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
in order of dollar amounts.
trustees, of South Easton, Massachusetts, sold the Unit 1103 condominium at 2101 Harbourside Drive to Sheree Debra Levitsky and Mordechai Pinkasovic, of Resto, Virginia, for $1,397,500. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,219 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.31 million in 2022.
TPHLBK7KIDS LLC sold the Unit 903 condominium at 2123 Harbourside Drive to Bart and April Richert, of Williamson, Tennessee, for $925,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,224 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,800 in 2016.
J&B’s Beach Pad LLC sold the Unit 803 condominium at 2153 Harbourside Drive to Mariano Ruben Sanchez and Deidre Margaret McMahon Sanchez, of Longboat Key, for $775,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two baths and
2,224 square feet of living area. It sold for $800,000 in 2022.
SEAPLACE
James and Nathalie Diener, of Sarasota, sold their Unit T1-102-C condominium at 2063 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Robert Elmes and Lindsay Ann Wardman, of Longboat Key, for $825,000. Built in 1974, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,846 square feet of living area. It sold for $687,500 in 2017.
BAYPORT BEACH AND TENNIS CLUB
Robert and Susan Ellis, trustees, sold the Unit 518 condominium at 518 Bayport Way to Bradley Andrew Charlton and Carrie Elizabeth Russell, of Ontario, Canada, for $750,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,601 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2006.
Source: Town of Longboat Key
Courtesy image by Kathleen and Brian Maher
Robert and Barbara Geertsema, of Ontario, Canada, sold their Unit 303 condominium at 4651 Gulf of Mexico Drive to CAJ Associates LLC for $6 million.
Tracey StetlerSteven Moore Patrick DiPintoRene DiPintoNicholle DiPinto McKierman
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CROSSING THE LINE by Halle Amore Bauer, edited by Jeff Chen
By Luis Campos
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