This fall, Longboat Key will welcome back the usual snowbirds, but also one of the island’s youngest new residents.
Born on Aug. 1 in Illinois, Brynn Rosemary Slansky weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces. She was welcomed to the family by mother Elise Kidd Slansky, father Blake Slansky and 2-year-old sister Blaire. About a month old now, baby Brynn is doing great and Blaire is working on being a big sister. Elise Kidd Slansky said she and the family are looking forward to returning to Longboat Key in a couple of months and possibly taking the title of youngest Key resident — at least for a little while.
Gerry Atric enters the ring
Gerry Atric is revving up his walker and tightening up his jokes.
Longboat’s resident comedian Cliff Hornsby, more commonly known as “Gerry Atric,” is taking on Florida’s Funniest Comedian Contest.
After sending a video with his favorite jokes to the judges, Hornsby was selected to compete in the 10th annual Florida’s Funniest Comedian Contest for the section hosted at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. Watch our very own Longboater Hornsby in action at the contest at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
Courtesy image Blaire holds her new baby sister, Brynn Rosemary Slansky.
Courtesy image
Cliff Hornsby at his “Gerry Atric” show.
Ian Swaby
Ava Crotty of Manatee River Youth Sailing at the annual Labor Day Regatta. The two-day event was off to a promising start Aug. 31 with
weather and propulsive winds.
WEEK OF SEPT. 5, 2024
BY THE NUMBERS
$3.5 MILLION
The amount, in dollars, needed to fund the enhancements for the planned Sarasota County library on Longboat Key.
76
The number of years the Sarasota Sailing Squadron’s Annual Labor Day Regatta has existed. PAGE 19
CALENDAR
n Town Commission Meeting — Monday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.
n Town Commission Budget Hearing — Monday, Sept. 9 at 5:01 p.m.
n Special Magistrate Hearing — Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m.
n ManaSota League of Cities Meeting — Thursday, Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m.
“I
think we’re going to have
to go longer than this month, which was the original plan.”
Town Manager Howard Tipton talking about fundraising for the $3.5 million library enhancements Read more on page 5
Police investigate deaths on Lido Key
Two men staying at a home on Lido Key killed each other during an argument Tuesday, the Sarasota Police Department said.
The two victims, ages 34 and 50, were discovered dead in the home in the 700 block of South Boulevard of the Presidents by people with access to the home at about 9 a.m., Sarasota Police spokeswoman Cynthia McFarland said. As the medical examiner was finishing up his investigation at the scene Tuesday afternoon,
McFarland said the two men were in town for work and staying at the residence.
From surveillance video, police were able to view from inside and outside the home, “They got into some sort of argument. It appears they did end up taking each others’ lives,” she said.
Exactly how they killed each other has not yet been determined, McFarland said. No guns were recovered, but “we have recovered a knife from the scene,” she said. She added
it was not being considered a murder-suicide.
The cause of death will not be officially determined until after autopsies are performed.
Neighbors walking along the street were stopping to look as crime scene tape surrounded the home.
Sally Esser said the scene was upsetting. “It’s horrible to just witness this whole thing going on,” she said. “It’s a little scary.”
— JIM DELA
Local officials organize forum for legislative candidates
The ManaSota League of Cities will soon host a public forum for the legislative representative candidates qualified to run in the November 2024 General Election.
The league meets regularly every other month and is composed of local municipalities from Manatee and Sarasota counties, including the town of Longboat Key, the city of Holmes Beach and the city of Venice.
At 1 p.m. on Sept. 13, the league will host a forum for the league members and residents to understand the stances of the legislative candidates from Manatee and Sarasota counties.
The forum will be held at the DoubleTree Inn by Hilton located at 8009 15th St. E. in Sarasota.
Residents and local business owners are invited to attend the forum to hear from the candidates. Anyone interested is asked to RSVP to Stephanie Garcia at SGarcia@ LongboatKey.org.
Frontier
adds
SRQ
route to Cincinnati
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will add another new route to its offerings this fall. Beginning Oct. 12, low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines will begin new nonstop service to and from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. It will be the airline’s third route available at SRQ. Frontier also offered promotional introductory fare starting at $29, providing tickets were purchased prior to midnight, Sept. 2.
“We are excited that Frontier Airlines will be introducing nonstop service this fall between SarasotaBradenton International Airport and Cincinnati,” said SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo. “This new addition will enhance Frontier’s current offerings from SRQ to Cleveland and Philadelphia.”
Jim DeLa The crimes took place early Tuesday morning in the 700 block of South Boulevard of the Presidents.
FALL TO-DO LIST
Tferent from most other Longboat Key summers — fewer tourists, no traffic and high temperatures. Year-round Longboaters don’t mind most of those things, though. There was also a lack of Town Commission meetings as the commissioners took their usual summer recess starting June 29. When Longboat Key’s town commissioners return to work Sept. 9, there will be plenty of upcoming projects to keep them busy. From major utility projects to furthering conceptual designs, there are a couple of big things that will be on the commissioners’ to-do list this fall.
SUBAQUEOUS FORCE MAIN PROJECT
The subaqueous wastewater force main project is one that can’t wait any longer. In 2020, the force main experienced a fracture on the mainland portion of the pipe, which caused a sewer spill.
The town completed a slip-line rehabilitation of the mainland portion in May 2023 for $2.72 million, but the portion of the pipe under Sarasota Bay still needs to be replaced.
The price tag for this is $31.4 million. Construction is slated for fall 2025, but first, to fund the project, the town will need to incur some debt. That debt would be paid back over time by using town utility rates.
At the June 28 commission meeting, commissioners opted to go with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program as a funding source. The loan would have an annual interest rate of about 2.89% and a total cost of $37.6 million, with a 20-year term and a $1.9 million annual payment.
This loan option presented the lowest interest rate and overall cost but will require a referendum for voters to approve the debt. If the
the vote.
CANAL MAINTENANCE FUNDING
It’s been 20 years since most of Longboat Key’s canals were dredged, and town staff are working on a new maintenance program.
The program was first brought up in November 2023, but a $16.8 million price tag and confusing funding methodology prompted commissioners to advise staff to resurvey the canals and look for ways to reduce the cost.
In June, Assistant Public Works Director Charlie Mopps was joined by a new firm, First Line Coastal, to present to commissioners the updated canal surveys. With updated data, the cost to get the canals back to baseline was estimated at $9.25 million.
To start the program by dredging canals bit by bit, Tipton and staff recommended assessing a 0.0570 millage to generate $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2025. Commissioners expressed concern over assessing a millage without public outreach beforehand, and the additional millage was taken off of the budget. Staff used $500,000 in reserves to pay for the first batch of dredging this upcoming year.
Tipton said this will come back to commissioners in the fall to further develop a maintenance program and discuss a millage moving forward. Following commission discussions, Tipton said there will be some community meetings in early 2025 to educate the public on the project and the need for the assessment.
LONGBOAT’S PUBLIC LIBRARY
The public library on Longboat Key, funded and operated by Sarasota County, is going to happen. Whether the library will include enhancements, though, is still up for debate. Sarasota County Libraries is covering the bill for the $11.1 million to build the core library, a 10,000-square-foot space on the Town Center Green. There was also the option to include an expanded meeting room for $2 million and a terrace for $1.5 million.
This summer, the Longboat Key Foundation was tasked with raising the $3.5 million for the library
Fall priorities for Longboat Key commissioners include big infrastructure projects and how to fund them.
enhancements. Naming rights were also a possibility if a donor contributed at least 25% of the project cost. However, fundraising over the summer wasn’t easy for the LBK Foundation, and the $3.5 million target wasn’t hit by the original deadline of the end of August.
Tipton said he believes that Sarasota County has a willingness to work with the town on the deadline and can work with an extended timeline for fundraising (see Page 5).
BROADWAY
ROUNDABOUT
The Broadway roundabout project, which has been in discussion since 2014, was recently put on pause because of inflated costs.
In June, Brownman updated commissioners on the project’s cost, which was $3 million higher than originally expected. The original design for the project in 2023 reached 90% completion when the Florida Department of Transportation raised concern over the banking, or elevation, of the roadway. A complete redesign was necessary, costing the town $158,000.
At the June meeting, where Brownman updated commissioners on the new design, he said the new design also came with a higher cost estimate of about $5.6 million, which would be closer to $6 million when including construction, engineering and inspection costs. Originally, the town anticipated the project to cost between $2 million to $2.5 million.
That said, the town had $2.8 million committed from its own funds, FDOT and Manatee County, but it still wouldn’t be enough for the town to cover the remaining $3 million with the new design.
Commissioners advised Brownman to go back to the FDOT to inquire about resurveys of the roundabout and see if there were possible alternatives, such as a traffic signal. Brownman said he would tell FDOT that the roundabout project has gotten “too big” and out of scale and would return to the commission this fall with updates.
GULFSIDE ROAD BEACH NOURISHMENT
Before the commission left for recess, it heard from Mopps and Al Browder with Olsen Associates about the issues that are mounting for Gulfside Road’s historically erosive beach. If the pattern continues, the erosion could continue farther up the beach and impact the property owners along the 2,500 feet of Gulfside Road beach. Browder warned that this could lead to a domino effect down the island’s shoreline.
Erosion is naturally occurring, but Browder said that the seawalls on that strip of shoreline — notably the Ohana estate seawall at 6633 Gulf of Mexico Drive — have caused it to worsen.
Mopps and Browder told commissioners that, to address the issues, a short-term solution would be an interim beach nourishment that could cost somewhere between $4 million and $4.5 million. Browder also presented an idea for a condensed groin field, though that would have a longer time frame.
The interim beach nourishment will happen this fall, according to a memo from Mopps to Tipton. The project will place about 80,000 cubic yards of sand from the Gulfside Road Public Beach Access to the Ohana estate seawall and will include dune planting.
Bids for the project came in lower than expected, and the lowest responsive bidder was chosen at a price of $2.5 million. This falls within the $2.9 million that the town previously budgeted for the project. At least 27% of the project would be funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as part of a cost-sharing initiative, and there is a possibility that the amount could be higher.
According to Mopps’ memo, mobilization for the project could start in mid-October and last through the rest of 2024 based on a preliminary schedule.
UTILITIES UNDERGROUNDING PROJECT
Though the utilities undergrounding project is out of the commissioners’ control, it is a major project that is expected to wrap up this fall.
Hurricane Debby did not cause major disruptions to the project, and Florida Power & Light remains on target to complete switching to the underground system in October, according to an update from Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman that was emailed to commissioners in August.
Brownman also said in this update that FPL remains committed to a more streamlined switching order process to ensure the project is completed in this timeframe. FPL also previously committed to removing all overhead poles by Dec. 31.
Another update on the project is expected at the commission’s first meeting back on Sept. 9.
Courtesy image
Back: Commissioners Penny Gold, Gary Coffin, B.J. Bishop, Debra Williams and Sarah Karon. Front: Vice Mayor Mike Haycock and Mayor Ken Schneier
Director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Renee Di Pilato speaks at a community input session for the Longboat Key location.
A photograph of the pipe lying on its side at the town of Longboat Key’s Public Works Department. The breach was in the bottom invert of the pipe.
File photos
A funding source is one of the challenges in developing a canal maintenance program.
FAA discusses flight path change over LBK
The Federal Aviation Administration admitted fault for not communicating a flight path change in a recent meeting between local and FAA officials.
change did not require public outreach.
While the flight path over Longboat Key might not revert back to its original pattern, a recent meeting between Town Manager Howard Tipton and aviation officials left the impression that it could be pushed closer to the original route.
On Aug. 20, Tipton met with seven officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and Lionel Guilbert, senior vice president of operations and public safety at the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority.
Guilbert notified Tipton in May that the FAA decided to change the two-decade-old flight path over Longboat Key because of a change in departure procedure. The fivedegree heading change resulted in a shift of the flight path about one mile north on the Key.
Tipton and the town expressed concern to the FAA about the flight path being changed without public outreach, and the FAA responded by scheduling the Aug. 20 meeting.
According to Tipton, the meeting was positive, with the FAA admitting fault in the lack of communication.
In an email Tipton sent to commissioners about the matter, he also mentioned that the FAA has criteria for public engagement, and this
“They had, at least to me, solid reasoning for the changes that they made, understanding that they absolutely could have communicated a whole lot better,” Tipton said.
The FAA representatives informed Tipton that there were safety concerns about the original route, which resulted in the change in heading and therefore shifted the flight path.
“At the end of the day, as we suspected, it came down to safety issues,” Tipton said. “We all can understand that.”
According to Tipton, Guilbert was helpful throughout the meeting and addressed the concerns raised by Longboat Key. Guilbert also proposed that the route could be shifted a little farther south.
Although Tipton said he doesn’t believe the route can be changed back to the original route, it seemed like Guilbert — on behalf of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport — was committed to submitting the recommendation to the FAA that would move the route to the south.
There are no concrete timelines for the next steps, Tipton said, and reviews for these types of changes could be lengthy. For now, Tipton said the town would continue to work with Guilbert and the FAA to ensure that the suggested alternative is reviewed.
Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS
Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS
The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment to the following boards:
Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS
The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment to the following boards:
Zoning Board of Adjustment
The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment to the following boards:
Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees
Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees
All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on September 13, 2024. All applicants must be registered voters of the Town of Longboat Key. Late applications will be held for one year for any future board or committee vacancies that may arise.
Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS
All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on September 13, 2024. All applicants must be registered voters of the Town of Longboat Key. Late applications will be held for one year for any future board or committee vacancies that may arise.
All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on September 13, 2024. All applicants must be registered voters of the Town of Longboat Key. Late applications will be held for one year for any future board or committee vacancies that may arise.
The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment to the following boards:
All members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees are required to file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and annually thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 112.
All members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees are required to file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and annually thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 112.
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees
The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants at a later date. Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941-316-1999 to request an application or questions. Applications are also available online at: www.longboatkey.org. Completed applications may be submitted to:
All members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees are required to file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and annually thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 112.
All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on September 13, 2024. All applicants must be registered voters of the Town of Longboat Key. Late applications will be held for one year for any future board or committee vacancies that may arise.
Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk 501 Bay Isles Road Longboat Key FL 34228
Stephanie Garcia, Administrative Assistant
The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants at a later date. Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941-316-1999 to request an application or questions. Applications are also available online at: www.longboatkey.org. Completed applications may be submitted to: Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk 501 Bay Isles Road Longboat Key FL 34228
Published: 08-28-2024, 09-04-2024
Stephanie Garcia, Administrative Assistant
The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants at a later date. Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941-316-1999 to request an application or questions. Applications are also available online at: www.longboatkey.org. Completed applications may be submitted to: Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk
All members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees are required to file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and annually thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 112.
Published: 08-28-2024, 09-04-2024
501 Bay Isles Road
Longboat Key FL 34228
The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants at a later date. Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941-316-1999 to request an application or questions. Applications are also available online at: www.longboatkey.org. Completed applications may be submitted to: Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk
More time needed to raise funds for library add-ons
Town Manager Howard Tipton and Jim Brown with the LBK Foundation said this time of year was not optimal for raising the $3.5 million needed for an enhanced public library.
Although the $3.5 million needed for an enhanced library on Longboat Key wasn’t raised by the deadline of Aug. 31, there’s still hope the fundraising campaign can be extended.
The Longboat Key Foundation was given a deadline by Sarasota County and the town of Longboat Key to raise $3.5 million for the county’s library project to include enhancements to a core library. Those enhancements would include a larger community meeting space and a terrace.
Summer is a tough time of year for reaching the Longboat Key com-
munity, though, said Longboat Key Foundation Chairman Jim Brown. Town Manager Howard Tipton said the same, but both are hopeful Sarasota County will extend the deadline.
“The design is kind of on hold until we complete the fundraising,” Tipton said. “I think we’re going to have to go longer than (August), which was the original plan. I think everything is just taking longer, people are away and it’s harder to reach people. So I think that’ll get extended into the fall.”
Sarasota County is currently working on the design for a public library on Longboat Key located on the Town Center Green. The core library, about 8,780 square feet,
is estimated to cost $11.1 million. Construction for the core library, as well as future operation costs, will be covered by the county.
After a series of public input sessions earlier this year, the county included the possibility of adding enhancements to the library after hearing from the community about its desires for outdoor space and more meeting space.
That led to the enhancement options: a terrace that will cost about $1.5 million and an enhanced meeting room costing $2 million. This would bring the library’s total square footage to 11,230 square feet.
But, to make the enhancements a reality, the county said private dona-
CONTACT THE LONGBOAT KEY FOUNDATION
To get in touch about fundraising or about the project, Jim Brown and the Longboat Key Foundation can be contacted at JimBrown@LBKFoundation. org or through the website at LBKFoundation.org.
tions would need to fund those parts of construction.
The Longboat Key Foundation had about 60 days, given the original deadline, to raise the $3.5 million throughout the summer.
“Raising $3.5 million in small donations is not easy, and it’s not fast,” Brown said.
Brown said so far, the LBK Foundation has accumulated a little over $100,000 in small donations for the project. But to get the fundraising campaign moving forward, Brown said large donations are key.
For large donations, naming rights are a possibility. According to guidelines set by the county’s Libraries and Historical Resources Department, a donor must fund 25% of the total estimated project cost to obtain naming rights. That would be a $3.65 million donation, with a total project cost of $14.6 million, including enhancements.
There are people out there willing to make those donations, Brown said. Before the summer, Brown had conversations with donors interested in making a large gift, but now he said it’s been difficult to get in touch with them.
According to Brown, it has to do
largely with the time of year and the fact that most residents are away or traveling for the summer.
Tipton also mentioned having “positive” conversations with donors, but that the summer was not an ideal time of year for a large fundraising campaign.
“I think we’ll have more success as we get into the fall,” Tipton said.
HOPING FOR AN EXTENSION
Brown said he thinks the best time to ramp up the fundraising campaign would be around November. When people return to the island and get talking about the project again, he thinks more momentum should pick up.
“We’ve got to get this cranked up, but I think it requires people being here,” Brown said.
Brown thinks that, based on previous discussions, Sarasota County would be willing to extend the fundraising timeframe.
Tipton agreed and said he thinks that fundraising could extend through the fall season with the county still able to work on the design following that.
The town of Longboat Key also has a joint meeting with the Sarasota County Commission on Oct. 23, which will be an opportunity to talk about the library project further, according to Tipton.
“I know that there is a willingness to work with us as we try to get the right design,” Tipton said. “I don’t think anybody, Sarasota County included, wants to build a library that the community doesn’t appreciate as much.”
The enhancements requested for the library include a terrace and extra meeting space.
Police secure new boat lift
The department now has three boat lifts on the island, which will help the officers respond more quickly to calls on the water, according to Chief of Police George Turner.
solar-powered lift, located along the Dry Dock boat slips, brings the department’s total boat lifts to three — the town built one on town property on the north end and the department has a space at the Longboat Key Club Moorings.
Having this new boat lift for the department’s marine patrol unit will help improve efficiency everywhere, according to Chief of Police George Turner.
“It adds more time on the water, and it’s much easier in off hours when we need to respond to something,” Turner said.
The department has had space at the Longboat Key Club Moorings since about 2001, according to Turner, but having a boat lift on both ends of the island was a long-term goal.
About six months ago, the town installed a lift for the police department on the north end of the island at Broadway Street. This was town property, which made it easier to find
a spot, according to Turner.
But Turner said it took about a year of work to find space for a boat lift on the south end.
The town entered into a lease for $1 a year with Dry Dock for the space. The town funded the lift itself.
For both the north-end lift on Broadway Street and the one at the Dry Dock, the town spent $25,000.
Currently, the department has three different-sized vessels for marine patrols: 34 feet, 23 feet and 17 feet.
Turner said some part-time officers operate the boats and eight or nine patrol officers are now certified for marine patrols. The department is still advertising for more parttime boat operators, too.
Marine patrol vessels go out every weekend and holiday, and wherever else they’re needed to respond to calls.
Having these new lifts allows the department to already have boats in the water rather than having to haul them to a boat launch and deploy them, and then do the reverse after responding to a call.
Turner said it used to take about an hour to get a vessel in or out of the water. Now, officers can just get to the boat and lower into the water.
Longboat’s newest firefighter
Aaron Maness spent about four years as a firefighter in Tennessee before relocating to the area with his family.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
This summer, the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department welcomed a new firefighter paramedic to its crew.
Aaron Maness moved from Tennessee earlier this summer to start the new job on Longboat Key. Prior to that, Maness was working at the Kingsport Fire Department in Tennessee.
A little while ago, Maness and his family decided they wanted to move to the Gulf Coast, and he started looking for fire jobs. During his search, Maness said Longboat Key appealed to him because of the smaller size and “family feel” of the department.
The Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department is also unique in that the crew are firefighter paramedics, dealing with calls for fires and medical emergencies. That’s one of the main things that drew Maness to the department. Maness, 32, started his fire career in 2020, a little later than most peo-
ple get into the career. But he has been interested in the medical side of things since high school, he said. With Longboat Key, Maness said he gets the “best of both worlds” — the adrenaline from fire calls and being able to run medical calls that he’s remained passionate about.
After starting the hiring process in April, Maness had a virtual interview with the department this summer and was offered the job shortly after the interview in July, he said.
Maness’s first day with Longboat Key was Aug. 6, and he immediately started training. Even though he’s not new to the fire service, he had to spend two weeks’ worth of shifts to learn Longboat Key Fire Rescue’s system.
After that, Maness, like all new recruits, will be with a field training officer for about three months to learn the paramedic side of things before being tested by the department’s medical director. Maness will be on a probation period for a year — standard for all new crewmembers — and continue training for the fire side of fire rescue.
Maness said he and his family are excited about living in Florida. Although much of his free time has been spent unpacking since the move, he said the family has also enjoyed exploring some of the beaches closer to where they live in North Port.
Photos by Carter Weinhofer
Aaron Maness joined the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department in August.
Sgt. Adam Montfort frequently patrols the waters around Longboat Key for the police department.
Speak now, or forever …
MATT WALSH
Time is running out for taxpayers to let elected officials know what they think of the way they’re spending your money.
This is it, your last opportunity. September is adoption month — when Florida’s municipalities and county governments adopt their budgets and tax rates for the next fiscal year. By law, each government jurisdiction must hold two final public hearings. This is when you can try to make your final case either for or against what your elected officials are going to collect from you and/ or how they’re going to spend your money over the next 12 months.
Rare is the day when these hearings attract much of an audience. For one, and sadly, most taxpayers pay little to no attention to this process. What’s more, after months of talking about their budgets, elected officials would look at you with glazed eyes and pretty much tune out anything you had to say.
The fact is, taxpayers pretty much operate on blind faith and trust that the people they have elected locally are fiscally responsible — unlike the corrupt spendthrifts in Congress.
To be sure, the Observer can be a better watchdog. (A commitment: We will.) But with the amazing power of creative software and availability of data and information in the cyber world, there is a new tool to help taxpayers see with a couple clicks how their tax jurisdictions are taxing and spending and how they compare. The accompanying informational graphics are a sample.
The producer of this data is Statisnostics, an upstart company with roots on Longboat Key. One of its creators is lawyer Ed Tiesenga, a Chicago and longtime, part-time Longboat Key resident. He and his team have created software that can scrub through census data and information from every municipality’s online data to create remarkably useful information — especially for people contemplating a move.
You can compare cities’ taxes and spending; real estate values and sales; crime data; individual schools’ performance; demographics; weather risks; incomes and more.
As our graphics demonstrate, you can see that Longboat Key is in the red zone of spending, while Marco Island has a dangerous debt issue. If you were thinking of relocating to either place, the Statisnostics data might trigger a need for more research. Statisnostics.com, in fact, is faster and easier than, say, trying to wade through your city’s annual budget book.
We can attest to that.
You can go blind and insane trudging through each jurisdiction’s budget. Longboat Key, for instance, recently hailed its new online budget book. We’ll certainly give the town’s Finance Department and Finance Director Susan Smith credit. It’s the best presentation, best organized, most detailed and most explanatory budget book in the region. Smith and her team created an easier-to-follow and navigate book than all of her peers’ books. It is so detailed, it even lists the projected costs of a beach rake; updating a bathroom at Durante Park; a mowing trailer for the parks department; and virtually anything a department intends to purchase. While all that detail is the epitome of transparency, the budget book for Longboat Key is 781 pages! Sarasota County’s book is a tortu-
HOW OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COMPARE
The Spending Pressure score measures the economic burden imposed on taxpayers because of government expenditures. The source of the scores and the debt and spending indexes below is Statisnostics.com. In addition to tracking
DEBT & SPENDING INDEX
SPENDING, DEBT
the taxation and finances of every jurisdiction in the United States, Statisnostics compiles similar data on individual school performance; income; real estate values and sale prices; crime statistics; demographics and more.
ous 612 pages. And talk about nonuser-friendly: the Manatee County website is the winner, or more like it — the loser.
Surely, there is artificial intelligence that could standardize the most salient pieces of information that taxpayers want to know. Like this one: In the thousand-plus budget pages, it’s rare — or certainly not emphasized as it should be — to find a table or chart that shows the year-over-year percentage change in revenues, expenses or staff numbers. Such percentages are crucial for taxpayers. They are the quickest way to spot aberrations.
We’re convinced the finance directors are instructed to leave out percentage changes for that reason
Longboat Key Average
$8,997 Five
Venice Average
$4,510 Five
BUDGET SNAPSHOTS
Source: Statisnostics.com
Marco Island
$2,084 Five
“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com
Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com
Staff Writers / Petra Rivera, PRivera@ YourObserver.com; Carter Weinhofer, CWeinhofer@YourObserver.com
Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com
Digital Content Producer / Jim DeLa, JDeLa@YourObserver.com
Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana
Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com
Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com
Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com
Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com
Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com
GENERAL FUND EXPENSES
— to make it difficult for taxpayers to detect unusual spending or big jumps in tax revenue.
We’ve tried on this page to cull a sampling of that useful information. Our apologies if there are so many numbers that your eyes and mind glaze over.
But take a little solace. Here is what we’ve gleaned from the proposed budgets: Florida’s local governments and school districts are benefiting now
Source: Jurisdiction budget books
with gobs of new cash, thanks to rising real estate values and all of the housing construction accommodating Florida’s population growth.
And, of course, these governments will spend that new money —much of it justified to update old and add new infrastructure.
That’s what governments and elected officials do. But if you don’t approve, you have two more opportunities to let them know.
Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine
CEO / Matt
How LBK voted in Manatee County races
Editors note: Last week, in our story on how Longboat Key voted in the primary election, we used the incorrect precinct in Manatee County to report primary results. To correct the error, we are rerunning the portion of the story affected by the error.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF
RWRITER
esults from the Aug. 20 primary election showed that although Longboat Key residents fell in line with the counties at large on many of the races, Longboat Key voters favored many of the winners more strongly. Because Longboat Key is split in half between Manatee and Sarasota counties, it has two voting precincts: one for each.
Overall, voter turnout was 25.2% for Longboat’s Manatee County residents and 34.2% for Sarasota County residents. Vote-by-mail was the preferred method for both counties, with 328 out of 548 votes being by mail in Manatee County and 1,116 out of 1,493 by mail in Sarasota County.
One race that was especially relevant for the Key’s Manatee County voters was the Republican race for Manatee County Commission District 3. District 3 represents parts of Bradenton, Cortez, Anna Maria Island and north Longboat Key. The seat is currently occupied by Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who ran for an at-large commission seat in this year’s primary election.
With Van Ostenbridge out of the District 3 race, Tal Siddique opposed April Culbreath for the Republican nomination. Like the rest of the district, Longboat Key voters fell more in favor of Siddique.
According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office, Siddique won 60.84% of Long -
boat’s votes and Culbreath received 39.16% of the votes. That’s equivalent to 174 votes for Siddique and 112 votes for Culbreath.
In the district overall, the race was similar, with Siddique beating Culbreath by a vote of 6,070 to 3,870, or 61.07% to 38.93%. Siddique will now face off against Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the Nov. 5 general election.
Van Ostenbridge campaigned against incumbent George Kruse for the District 7 at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission On Longboat Key, north-end residents favored Kruse. Kruse gained 59.86% of the votes from Longboat’s precinct and Van Ostenbridge had 40.14% (170 votes to 114 votes).
The race was similar at the county level, with Kruse winning with 58.43% of the votes. Van Ostenbridge garnered 41.57% of the votes.
FRIDAY, AUG. 23
ANOTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
11 p.m., 1600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Assist other Agency: An officer on patrol heard a transformer explosion nearby and went to the scene to see a small brush fire along the sidewalk and downed power lines that were sparking. While the officer was waiting for the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department’s arrival, more fuses from the nearby pole had blown and started more small brush fires. The fire rescue department arrived at the scene and that section of GMD was shut down for a short time until Florida Power & Light arrived.
SUNDAY, AUG. 25
LENDING A HAND
12:55 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Road
Disabled Vehicle: After wrapping up a traffic stop, an officer was approached by a man who asked for assistance with a flat tire. The officer told the man that he could not help change the tire due to the department’s policy, but the officer helped in any way he could. The man called AAA for roadside assistance, which would not get there until three hours later. With the long wait time, the officer gave the man a courtesy ride to a nearby store to wait for AAA inside.
TUESDAY, AUG. 27
BOISTEROUS BOAT MAINTENANCE
10:28 a.m., 600 block of Buttonwood Drive
Noise Disturbance: Dispatch sent an officer to investigate two separate noise complaint calls from residents who claimed there was loud music from a neighbor’s house for the last 90 minutes. Upon arrival at the residence in question, the officer did not hear loud music but spoke with the homeowner. She said someone was having work done on her boat’s sound system and loud music was on for a few seconds to make sure everything was working properly.
While speaking with the homeowner, she mentioned that one of the complainants had trespassed on her property to talk to the
SATURDAY, AUG. 24
SUSPICIOUS WASHING
MACHINE
3:10 p.m., 1900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious Incident: A condominium employee called 911 after she heard a washer turn on when she entered a unit that no one was supposed to be in. Longboat Key officers responded to the suspicious incident and entered the unit. All rooms were cleared, and it appeared that the sound the employee heard was an air conditioning unit. No signs of forced entry were observed, and an officer contacted the unit’s owner to let him know of the situation.
worker after the music was played. However, she told the officer that she did not want to file a trespass warning because she was rushing to get to an appointment.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28
BOGUS BONE
9:26 a.m., 4700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious Incident: Officers were dispatched to a report of a bone found on the beach. The caller said he was walking on the beach when he found what appeared to be a joint bone. An officer took a picture of the bone and sent it to a medical examiner, who confirmed it was not from a human. The bone was disposed of in a nearby trash can.
Architects from Renzo Piano Building Workshop will return to Sarasota from their home base in Genoa, Italy, on Sept. 18 to share their preliminary vision for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center.
Members of the RPBW team will pay their first visit here since holding two “Meet the Architects” sessions on July 16. They’ll return with their initial design concept, which will be unveiled at two community workshop sessions.
During the workshops, attendees will get a first look at the latest ideas for the spaces planned for the center, which will be built at the northeast corner of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot and serve as the centerpiece of The Bay park.
After a presentation, the design team, along with the project’s architect of record, Sarasota-based Sweet Sparkman, and designers from Arup Group, will break into smaller groups where attendees may engage directly with the design team, ask questions and provide input.
Arup Group is a leading multinational theater and venue design and advisory practice based in London.
“These gatherings will not only inform the community but also spark meaningful conversations and
inspire everyone to dream with us about the future of the arts in Sarasota,” said Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation CEO Tania Castroverde in a statement.
The firm is on the fast track to provide a final design concept and estimated project cost by Nov. 30, when the city and the foundation are set to enter into an agreement for the public-private venture. The project is to be funded in equal parts between public dollars, almost all from the tax increment financing district surrounding the park and philanthropy.
In May, the city and Renzo Piano entered into a contract worth up to $36.9 million for the design work. The final cost of the project has been estimated between $275 million and $300 million.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
SOS releases rescued great blue heron
The bird spent a little more than a month at Save Our Seabirds, and its rescuer, Terri Driver, was able to be a part of the full-circle moment.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Being able to release the great blue heron she rescued earlier this summer was like sending your kid to catch the bus on the first day of school, Terri Driver said — a time of excitement, but also caution.
After a month-and-a-half of care at Save Our Seabirds, the heron that Driver rescued was released on the beach at the Broadway Street Public Access.
Driver had been on patrol for Longboat Key Turtle Watch on July 7 when she heard a bird cry out for help. On the shoreline, she saw a great blue heron tangled in fishing line and with a hook in its leg.
The heron was wrapped in about 10-15 feet of line and in terrible condition. It was exhausted, and, with the tide rolling in, the bird seemed to be in danger of drowning.
Driver described the bird as waterlogged, looking like it was drenched and unable to fly.
Watch volunteers to watch the heron take flight back to its home.
3
3
3
3
An experienced turtle patroller, Driver had scissors on hand and freed the heron from some of the line and stayed with it until her friends and volunteers with SOS Heather and Ray Sellers arrived.
The Sellers transported the heron to SOS, where it received about a month-and-a-half of care. In that time, the bird was able to recover and regain some strength.
Once the heron healed, it had to wait its turn in the flight testing cage, which took a couple of weeks before it was cleared for release.
On the morning of Aug. 26, Driver and her husband, Jeff, joined Sellers and other Longboat Key Turtle
For Driver, she said it was a buildup of excitement getting to that moment. First, the excitement came when she first heard the heron was going to be fine and was releasable.
“I thought for sure it was going to be dead within hours, and Save Our Seabirds was reassuring me that it’s going to be fine,” Driver said. She continued to receive updates on her heron from SOS until the day of its release.
“To actually see it fly off and look healthy, it’s awesome,” Driver said. “It’s also a little scary because it’s like letting your kid go to first grade on the bus by themselves.”
At the release, the bird seemed energetic and Driver said she hoped that the heron would stay out of trouble near fishermen in the future.
The great blue heron flies out of the crate onto the beach.
Heather Sellers responded to the rescue call from Terri Driver in July.
Photos by Carter Weinhofer
Chapel members gather and give
n her first week on the job, Carolyn Nielsen, the new special events coordinator at Turning Points in Bradenton, is already making big moves. Longboat Island Chapel was her first visit to Turning Points’ community partners, and the church’s charitable outreach committee presented her with $5,000 to use for needs of her choosing at the nonprofit.
Every month, chapel members gather at its “Gather and Give” happy hour to collect donations for a local nonprofit over a potluck. These charity hours are the church’s creative way to educate on how to help those in need around the community. Since children started school in August, the committee collected children’s socks and shoes to donate to Turning Points at this month’s Gather and Give on Aug. 27.
Nielsen said that the nonprofit’s mission is to reduce homelessness in the area and to help families gain financial stability and independence. Turning Points provides services such as hot showers, laundry services, clothing, food, employment services, rental and utility assistance, veterans’ services and free medical and dental care for the uninsured.
Before joining the Turning Points team, Nielsen worked for the Salvation Army in Bradenton while volunteering for Turning Points when she had time. After being on the emergency housing side of the homeless population for years, Nielsen decided it was time for a change and went to work to keep people off the streets.
Jamie Engel, Connie DiMaggio and Anne Summers organized this August charity hour. DiMaggio said she could see Nielsen’s great passion while working with her on this month’s Gather and Give.
Nielsen is planning on taking a group of chapel members on a tour of the nonprofit to show them firsthand how they impact the many lives at Turning Points.
— PETRA RIVERA
WORSHIP directory
Isles Rd • 941-383-8161 AllAngelsLBK.org
Photos by Petra Rivera
Greg Fiore and Gordon Govalet enjoy refreshments at the August event.
Jamie Engel, Carolyn Nielsen, Connie DiMaggio, Valerie Evanko and Anne Summers at the August Gather and Give.
Sandy Endres, Nancy Chanos and June Hessel at the August Gather and Give at the Longboat Island Chapel.
David Stone and Carolyn Nielsen at the August Gather and Give at the Longboat Island Chapel.
Connie DiMaggio shows off shoe donations the Chapel is giving to Turning Points.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Four Sarasota cultural groups strutted their stuff out of town in the off season.
Taking the show on the road
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
When the temperatures rise in Sarasota, the snowbirds head home for the summer.
But this year, four local arts organizations also took wing and performed for out-oftown audiences in France, England, North Carolina and Massachusetts.
The summer road trips were a chance for Sarasota performers to strut their stuff and show the world just how lucky we are to have firstclass cultural institutions in our cozy beach town.
The four groups who took their shows on the road were:
n Sarasota Ballet, which performed in “Ashton Celebrated” at the Royal Opera House in London from June 4-9
n Choral Artists of Sarasota, which sang and marched in ceremonies honoring the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France on June 6-7
n Circus Arts Conservatory, which presented “Sommersaults in the Berkshires” from July 19-28 at the Duffin Theatre in Lenox, Massachusetts
n Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, which appeared at the International Black Theatre Festival for the sixth time, from July 29-Aug. 3 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
As anyone who has ever taken a big trip knows, lots of things can go wrong. Even with all the hightech tools at our disposal, plans can still go awry. The security detail of a president can unexpectedly close down a travel route, a hurricane can result in delayed airline flights and costumes can be damaged.
When you’re a touring arts organization, you have to make compromises about lighting, sets and personnel to keep costs manageable. You learn to travel light, bring your best people and rely on the expertise of locals who are familiar with the venue and audience preferences where you’ll be in the spotlight.
But Sarasota’s intrepid arts ambassadors were troupers (that’s what they call them in the theater) this summer. Some were even troopers, like the members of Choral Artists who marched alongside veterans and military personnel in honor of the U.S. invasion of Normandy to liberate France from the Nazis.
In addition to performers and staffers, Sarasota arts organizations brought along well-wishers and donors to accompany them on their summer adventures.
Those of us who had to hold down the fort at home can still take pride in their high-profile appearances. Read on to learn more about each cultural organization’s summer sojourn.
SARASOTA BALLET IS THE TOAST OF LONDON
The Bible tells the story of the prodigal son who is welcomed when he comes home to ask for forgiveness after squandering his inheritance.
Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb has multiplied his investment in the works of Sir Frederick Ashton, so his triumphant return to his native England doesn’t exactly fit the biblical story line.
What’s more, he returned to Covent Garden with his wife, Sarasota Ballet Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, who also danced Ashton’s ballets during the couple’s days with the Royal Ballet.
What if Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden and returned to paradise with the fruits of their labors? That sounds more like it. And since we’re talking about Old Testament tales here, of course, judgment had to be handed down — and it was good.
With rare exceptions, the critics loved the Sarasota Ballet’s performances of such Ashton ballets as the ensemble-driven “Dante Sonata,” the showcase of choreographic satires “Facade,” the abstract “Sinfonietta,” the waltzing “Valses nobles et sentimentales” and Ashton’s selfparody “Varii Capricci.”
What’s more, these same critics sent Webb home with the British National Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to celebrate because the June 3 ceremony was the night before Sarasota Ballet’s debut at the Royal Opera House.
In an interview following his return to Sarasota after the London residency, Webb confessed his fears that the critics who had just feted him would turn around and torch his efforts to preserve the legacy of Ashton.
“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.
It’s not just the leadership of Webb and Barbieri that have put Sarasota Ballet on the map. With the spread of YouTube and other streaming services, the ballet’s performances are being watched by people around the world, noted principal dancer Jennifer Hackbarth in a post-mortem of the London trip.
If the London reviews and robust ticket sales are any indication, the Sarasota Ballet is acquiring devoted fans on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
With the London trip behind him, Webb has his eye on returning to the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Massachusetts Berkshires. The company made its Jacob’s Pillow debut to great acclaim in August 2015, with a program featuring the world premiere of Graziano’s “In a State of Weightlessness.”
Sarasota Ballet was scheduled to appear again in August 2020, but the pandemic terminated all those plans. But Webb is determined to return to the Berkshires in the years ahead.
CHORAL ARTISTS TAKES PART IN A MASS MUSICAL OPERATION
People who travel outside the United States for the first time are often surprised to discover that Americans don’t always receive a warm welcome, for a variety of reasons. That’s not the case in Sainte-MèreÉglise, the first town in France that U.S. troops liberated in 1944.
Members of Choral Artists of Sarasota and their entourage got to experience the love and gratitude the village has for Americans firsthand when they took part in ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
“It was so incredible as people of all walks of life and ages ranging from the youngest child to the oldest person were cheering us as we marched,” says Joseph Holt, artistic director of Choral Artists. “They were so thankful for the Americans that freed them from the ravages of WWII and thankful for us as current Americans who made the trip back to this town to commemorate and celebrate the event.”
During their trip to Normandy, Choral Artists participated in a mass gathering of music ensembles at Brittany American Cemetery that also included several groups from Australia and New Zealand. As they performed a piece entitled “Blades of Grass and Pure White Stones,” members of the group could see hundreds of gravestones stretching into the distance as well as members of the audience.
“Many were in tears as we performed as this piece is a poignant recognition of those that lost their lives in the fight against tyranny and domination by an evil empire,” Holt said.
Sarasota’s Choral Artists march in a parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France.
Above: Before traveling to the International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presented a soldout preview of “Soul Crooners: Solid Gold Edition” in Sarasota. Left: Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, his wife, pose on stage during the ballet’s June residency at the Royal Opera in London.
Courtesy images
One of the most moving parts of the trip for Holt was watching Ben Colvard visit the grave of his father, also named Ben Colvard, at the Normandy American Cemetery. Colvard had joined Choral Artists’ trip to France precisely for this opportunity.
Colvard was born in October 1944, several months after his father died in July 1944 participating in the massive invasion of Normandy by Allied troops.
Because the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery was curtailed by a visit by President Joe Biden, it wasn’t clear whether Colvard would have the opportunity to find his father’s grave, Holt said. “A last-minute change in our schedule allowed us to visit the enormous cemetery — there are almost 10,000 buried there — and Ben was able to locate his father with help from cemetery staff,” he said.
“An aide took Colvard and his wife to the grave and gave him sand to rub over the gravestone so the name would stand out. When Colvard shared the story with Chorale Artists members later and showed them pictures and a video of the event, we all had tears in our eyes. This was likely the most memorable event of the entire trip,” Holt recalls.
The changing schedules of President Biden and French Presidential Emmanuel Macron created some challenges for Choral Artists’ travel plans. At the last minute, they had to cancel their participation in a largescale ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery. Instead, the tour company working with Choral Artists took them to Bayeux, where they were able to tour a museum dedicated to the invasion.
While they were at the museum, French soldiers and police stationed in the entrance openly speculated about the possibility of President Macron’s imminent arrival. “As it turned out, President Macron altered his plans and we were able to continue without interruption,” Holt said.
Some other groups scheduled to take part in the ceremonies had already arrived at Normandy and were stranded on their buses for hours due to President Biden’s visit. “We were the lucky ones,” said Holt.
He is no stranger to military operations and political maneuverings, having spent more than two decades as principal pianist with the United States Army Chorus in Washington, D.C., performing for presidents and generals from around the world.
HEAD OVER HEELS FOR ‘SOMMERSAULTS IN THE BERKSHIRES’
Yes, its performers use high wires and trapezes, but are the circus arts as “elevated” as the orchestra or the ballet? In the town that John Ringling made the winter home of his circus, few would disagree that the circus arts can hold their own against classical performing arts.
But what about in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, home to Tanglewood, the summer residence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the live theater company Shakespeare & Company?
How would the circus arts be viewed there? This summer, Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, founders of Sarasota’s Circus Arts Conservatory, found out for themselves. Thanks to the efforts of Robin Eldridge, a former producer at Shakespeare & Company, the CAC held its first-ever summer residency in the Berkshires.
From July 19-28, the group of international artists performed 18 shows at the Duffin Theater in Lenox, Massachusetts. “The Berkshires is a family destination,” said
Reis in a telephone interview following his return to Sarasota. “We took an ensemble from last season, with the exception of one act, and the model of a one-hour show to Massachusetts.”
Reis says the CAC’s residency, called “Sommersaults in the Berkshires,” didn’t fill all 500 seats in the Duffin for its shows, but he still considers it a great success. “The audience went crazy for the show,” he says. “They loved it. At least 90% of the audience was three generations.”
He said the performers — master of ceremonies Heidi Herriott, clowns Dick Monday and Slappy, crystal balance act Serge Sergeev and Aurika Annaeva, speed juggler Tersit Asefa Dersu and Garrett Allen on aerial rope —stayed at the Whistler’s Inn bed and breakfast in Lenox. “It was great sharing breakfast and hanging out in the living room,” Reis says.
One of the high points of the trip for Reis was meeting Chris Noth (best known as Mr. Big in “Sex and the City”) and having the actor attend the circus with his family.
On July 11, Eldridge organized a panel discussion on how the performing arts shape our culture. Moderated by Williams College President Maud S. Mandel, the panel featured Reis and leaders from Shakespeare & Company, Tanglewood Music Center, Jacob’s Pillow, the art museum MASS MoCA and Berkshire Theatre Group.
Performers in the Circus Arts Conservatory show “Sommersaults in the Berkshires” take their bows at the end of the performance.
“Some of the institutions represented on the panel haven’t recovered as well as others from the disruptions of Covid,” Reis says. “We’ve been fortunate in Sarasota.”
WBTT DOES A CHA-CHA WITH HURRICANE DEBBY
In his 11 years attending the International Black Theatre festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs has gone from being a rising star to an elder statesmen.
Asked how WBTT’s peer organizations at the festival are faring postpandemic, Jacobs replied, “We’re one of a kind. We don’t have any peers. People at the festival call us the miracle theater.”
What’s the reason for the nickname? “Because I am based in a predominately white community that supports a Black theater. Folks ask me, ‘How are you doing that?’”
There are lots of reasons: Jacobs’ dedication and eye for talent, WBTT’s executive director, Julie Leach, and the generosity of Sarasota’s arts patrons.
With their help, WBTT was able to attend what Jacobs calls “the powwow of the Black theater world” for the sixth time (it’s a biannual festival) and present three shows out of the 50 that were showcased in Winston-Salem.
WBTT brought two of its own shows to the festival — the original musical “Soul Crooners: Solid Gold Edition” and the one-act play “Float Like a Butterfly” based on the life of “The Greatest of All Time” heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali. It also collaborated on a third, the one-act play, “From Birmingham to Broadway,” which was written by and starred Tarra Conner Jones. Presented in tandem with “Float,” a tribute to Broadway and TV performer Nell Carter, it was directed by Jacobs.
Jacobs said he would like to bring “Ruby,” WBTT’s first homegrown musical production that premiered in the 2023-24 season, to the Winston-Salem festival, but that it isn’t yet feasible because of economics.
The IBTT pays its presenting companies a flat fee for their shows and a large, elaborate production such as “Ruby” is too costly to take to the festival, he says.
In an telephone interview following the festival, Jacobs himself was still floating. “The whole city shuts down, just like the Olympics. You have buses taking people all over the city. We were one of the highlights of the show,” he said.
The tough part was getting home to Sarasota as Tropical Storm Debby approached and strengthened into a hurricane. Jacobs escaped unscathed because he was headed north to New York City for meetings.
The rest of the entourage made it from Winston-Salem to Atlanta before the storm. After their flights were repeatedly canceled, Leach made the decision to rent vans and have the WBTT team drive to Sarasota. By the time they got home, the worst of Hurricane Debby’s wrath had passed.
Remembering a scientist who nurtured Sarasota’s arts
Ernie Kretzmer died on Aug. 24, four months shy of his 100th birthday.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
If you’ve ever attended a performance of the orchestra, ballet, theater or a chamber music concert in Sarasota, no doubt you’ve heard the name Ernie Kretzmer.
The longtime Sarasota resident, who died Aug. 24 at the age of 99, was a generous donor to Sarasota’s arts organizations, both in his own name and in honor of his late second wife, Alisa Kretzmer.
An open house at Kretzmer’s Lido Key home on Aug. 27-28 hosted by his family drew a wide array of luminaries from Sarasota’s arts and charitable organizations.
Daniel Jordan, concert master for Sarasota Orchestra, stopped by on the afternoon of Aug. 28, having just arrived from New Mexico, where he was performing with the Santa Fe Opera.
Jordan recalled Kretzmer’s love of music and his generosity, noting that the first violin that he played upon joining the Sarasota Orches-
tra in 1998 was purchased by the retired scientist and inventor. At the time, the orchestra was known as the Florida West Coast Symphony.
Also on hand to pay her respects to Kretzmer’s son, Peter Kretzmer, was Marcy Miller, executive director of Artist Series Concerts, one of the many cultural organizations that Ernie Kretzmer supported.
Miller’s relationship with Kretzmer was relatively new, since she only joined Artist Series Concerts in 2019, after spending six years at the William King Museum of Art in Virginia.
Like others paying tribute to Kretzmer on Lido Key, Miller remembered the philanthropist as a man of great joy and generosity.
According to a eulogy by Peter Kretzmer, his father was born Dec. 24, 1924, in Germany and was fortunate to escape the Nazi persecution with the help of his sister, Laurie.
The Kretzmer family first moved to the Isle of Man in England.
In his eulogy, Peter Kretzmer noted his father spoke English “like a royal” and sprinkled his conversation with such Shakespearean aphorisms as “To thine own self be true,” wisdom that he passed along to his son and daughter, Wendy. (The siblings were not named for the characters in the children’s book “Peter Pan,” Peter told guests.)
From a young age, Ernie Kretzmer
had a love of music. He also liked to take things like radios apart and tinker with them. This mechanical aptitude served him well in his education, first at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he attended college, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned his Ph.D.
CHARTING HIS OWN COURSE
In an interview, Peter Kretzmer said his father discovered Sarasota while on a business trip to Miami during his 35-year career at Bell Laboratories, the research arm of AT&T.
“Initially, my dad wasn’t big on Florida because he said everyone retired there. He wasn’t a follower,” he said. “But then he discovered Sarasota after seeing a reference in Time magazine to the town as a cultural pearl.”
Ernie Kretzmer was first a snowbird, buying a time-share property and later a condo on Benjamin Franklin Drive on Lido Key. In 1989, he moved to Sarasota full time after retiring. He built a home on Polk Drive with his second wife, Alisa, whom he married in 1983.
Kretzmer’s first wife, Suzanne, died in 1981 at age 54 after several bouts of cancer. Her family members perished in Hitler’s concentration camps and she was never able to recover from the trauma, her son said.
In a fortuitous twist of fate, Peter Kretzmer was later able to buy the condo his father first owned after it came up for sale many years later, just when Peter was moving to Sarasota in 2018. “It really feels like home to me,” he says.
When Peter Kretzmer was growing up, he remembered his father being frugal and calculating tips with exactitude. He credits his late stepmother with encouraging his father to expand from being a music aficionado to becoming a full-fledged patron of the arts.
Recent arrivals to Sarasota will know that Ernie Kretzmer’s later life
was enriched by his wife’s caretaker, Dorathea Sandland, a registered nurse who became his companion after Alisa’s death.
“Dorathea watched my dad slowly age while still enjoying life here and attending events galore,”
Peter Kretzmer told mourners at his father’s funeral. “They became a pair on the social scene, and Dorathea helped my dad through heart surgery, walking difficulties necessitating a new hip and the other inconveniences of aging. Through it all, Dad never complained, always intent on enjoying and taking advantage of the cultural life around him while he could.”
It would take more than a page in a newspaper to enumerate all the important financial contributions Kretzmer made to Sarasota’s arts and charitable organizations. He once told a reporter that he supported more than 60 different groups. His favorites were Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Ballet and Florida Studio Theatre. In 2015, he donated $500,000 to FST to build housing for its artists.
Sarasota philanthropist Ernie Kretzmer, a generous supporter of the city’s artistic institutions, died Aug. 24 at age 99.
Courtesy images
Peter Kretzmer, his father, Ernie Kretzmer and, Ernie’s companion, Dorathea Sandland, enjoy a black-tie event.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
MODERN WORKS FESTIVAL
2 p.m. Lia Romeo’s “A Nice Motherly Person;” 5 p.m. Baylee Schlichtman’s “In the Mouth of the Beast;”
8 p.m. Sarah Elizabeth Grace’s “I’m Saving You a Seat.” Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. Festival pass $45-$57 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.
This is the fifth annual installment of Urbanite Theatre’s Modern Works Festival featuring the new works of emerging female playwrights. At the end, panelists, attendees and guest adjudicators will vote for their favorite new work, and the winner
DON’T
MISS
will take home a prize of $3,200. Award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson is the keynote speaker. Runs through Sept. 8.
‘THE FOUR C NOTES’
8 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
For fans of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons, the doo-wop sound never goes out of style. With “The Four C Notes,” Florida Studio Theatre continues the tradition of presenting Four Seasons tribute shows inspired by “Jersey Boys” and starring performers from the Broadway smash
‘THE FLORIDA HIGHWAYMEN: INTERSTATE CONNECTIONS’
As the title of Selby Gardens’ latest exhibition, “The Florida Highwaymen: Interstate Connections,” indicates, the show links the pioneering artistic work done on Florida’s East Coast with simultaneous efforts to desegregate Lido Beach in Sarasota. Runs through Sept. 15.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
Tickets: $28
Info: Visit Selby.org.
hit’s touring production. Runs through Oct. 13.
FRIDAY
NEW EXHIBITIONS: PRECIOUS DARLING, TANNER SIMON AND BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MANATEE COUNTY
10 a.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Free Visit ArtCenterSarasota.org.
Art Center Sarasota’s latest round of exhibitions features artists Precious Darling, Tanner Simon and teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County. Darling’s “How He Sees Me” uses black-and-white photography and sculpture to focus on how women are viewed, while Simon’s “Big Soup, Big Responsibility” explores the intersection of humor and gravity with large-scale paintings. Runs through Sept. 28.
‘THE MOUSETRAP’
7:30 p.m. at the Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $35 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Scott Keys directs the Venice Theatre’s production of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, which has been playing in London’s West End since November 1952. Runs through Sept. 15.
SATURDAY
‘SKYWAY’ ART EXHIBITION
10 a.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bayshore Road, and the Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail
$30 at The Ringling (free Mondays); $15 at Sarasota Art Museum Visit SkywayTampaBay.com.
The triennial contemporary Florida art exhibition “Skyway” encompasses five museums in the Tampa Bay area. Even if you don’t have time to visit all five, check out The Ringling Museum of Art and the Sarasota Art Museum. Runs through Jan. 25 at The Ringling and Oct. 27 at SAM.
MONDAY
BALLET AND THEATER COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE
10 a.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Free Visit AsoloRep.org.
The three arts companies housed in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts — Sarasota Ballet, Asolo Repertory Theatre and FSU/Asolo Conservatory — show what they have to offer. The schedule includes a “Meet the Leadership” panel with Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein, Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb and Interim Con-
OUR PICK
COMEDY LOTTERY
Everyone’s a winner in this FST Improv show where audience members select the night’s lineup of games replete with scenes, sketches and songs designed to provoke laughter. Runs Saturdays through Sept. 28.
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St.
Tickets: $15-$18
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
servatory Director Marcus Denard Johnson and presentations throughout the day. Food will be available for purchase from Empanada Girl food truck.
TUESDAY
DECADES REWIND: ‘ALL THAT MUSIC’ 2 and 7 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center $32-$40 Visit ManateePerforming-ArtsCenter.com.
Jukebox Revolution’s live eightpiece band follows the history of the golden years of rock ’n’ roll — the ’60s ’70s and ’80s.
A Mark Twain enthusiast tackles an age-old story
Alan Kitty brings his play ‘Original Sin’ to Tree Fort Productions.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
+ ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
The ghost of Mark Twain has haunted Alan Kitty nearly his entire life.
Like many a child, he read “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and dreamed of running away from home and living the way Tom did. Only the river that Kitty planned to navigate by raft wasn’t the Mississippi in Missouri, but the Susquehanna in central Pennsylvania. He even packed some of his belongings in a knapsack. But like most young boys on the Twain Trail, he was back home by dinner.
Unlike many young rascals, Kitty didn’t outgrow his fascination with Twain and his colorful cast of characters. Instead, the actor/playwright has made a career impersonating the author of such classics as “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.”
Since 1979, Kitty has portrayed Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, more than 1,000 times — both on stage and film and at corporate events — all over the country.
In an eerie coincidence, Kitty has also lived around the corner from where Twain once resided. “I lived in New York for more than 12 years, and I found out after the fact that every neighborhood I moved into, Mark Twain also happened to have lived there,” he says.
After pausing for dramatic effect (Kitty is nothing but dramatic, even in real life), he adds, “which freaked me out not a little bit.”
One day not long after Kitty moved to New York City, around the corner from Washington Square, he noticed a plaque at 21 Fifth Ave. stating that Samuel Clemens lived there from 1904-08. “This discovery was incredible to me because I had just
IF YOU GO
‘ORIGINAL SIN’
When: 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 6-8 and Sept. 13-15
Where: Tree Fort Productions, The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 136
Tickets: $40
Info: Visit MarkTwainEducation.org or call 813-543-6613.
started performing as Twain,” Kitty says.
That wasn’t the first time Kitty found himself walking in the footsteps of Twain. When Kitty was starting out professionally, he went into the printing business, which was — you guessed it — Twain’s first line of work.
Scientists actually have a name for Kitty’s Twain experience. It’s called “frequency illusion,” where something you recently learned about or has become important to you seems to be around every corner.
Kitty’s not likely to find one of Twain’s former residences in Sarasota. But he’s still mining the works of the All-American raconteur for his creative endeavors. Most recently, Kitty starred in “Mark Twain: They Told Me to Be Brief,” at The Sarasota Players in February 2023.
Helping encourage his creativity since he arrived in Sarasota 11 years ago is a group called the Sarasota Area Playwrights Society. SAPS, as it is known for short, was founded in 2007 by George Loukides and has since grown from a small group of actors and playwrights to more than 70 members.
Kitty’s latest effort, a play called
“Original Sin,” is based on Twain’s works, “The Diaries of Adam & Eve,” a series of monologues he wrote between 1904-06. The work was Twain’s tribute to his wife, Olivia, who died in 1904.
“Original Sin” follows Adam and Eve as they discover life and each other. Kitty plays Adam, and Jill Schroeder stars as Eve in a produc-
tion being produced by the Mark Twain Society and directed by Alan Brasington.
Following a recent rehearsal of “Original Sin” in the playwright’s Sarasota home, Kitty and his team sat down for a conversation about their upcoming production. It will run at Katherine Michelle Tanner’s Tree Fort Productions in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall Sept. 6-8 and Sept. 13-15.
Asked why older actors were playing Adam and Eve, who were newly created by God and presumably should be in the bloom of youth, Kit-
Since 1979, Kitty has portrayed Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, more than 1,000 times — both on stage and film and at corporate events — all over the country.
ty replies, “In the Bible, it says Adam lived to be 900 years old.”
Then Kitty, who is in his 70s, has a little time left before he hits the age mark for Adam.
In the tradition of “great minds think alike,” it turns out another adaptation of Twain’s “The Diaries of Adam & Eve” was simultaneously developed on the West Coast. It was written by Ed Weinberger, a TV sitcom writer best known for hit shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Taxi.”
The “Journals of Adam and Eve” played at The Barry Marshall Theatre in Burbank in January. In Weinberger’s version of the Garden of Eden tale, Adam is 93 years old and was played by Hal Linden. Eve, whose age isn’t disclosed, was portrayed by Sally Struthers. (Maybe Eve was the first woman who declined to reveal her age.)
In Kitty’s production, the playwright and lead actor explains that there is a quality of timelessness that makes the age of the performers irrelevant.
There is also a fair amount of bickering about gender differences, sure to spark recognition and laughter from the audience. The more things change ...
The fact that Kitty’s mythical Garden of Eden will be on stage in a part of Florida that some residents consider paradise should ramp up the believability quotient. But will there be palm leaves instead of fig leaves? Kitty’s keeping mum about the costumes, although he volunteered he has grown a beard for his role as Adam.
The staging of “Original Sin” in Sarasota follows a reading in New York for a producer Schroeder helped locate who was interested in the material.
“Things didn’t turn out as planned, but that’s OK,” Kitty says. It only took him about a week to locate funding for his production in Sarasota, which Kitty says is testament to local support for the arts. “It’s a wonderful, loving arts community,” he says.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Jill Schroeder and Alan Kitty rehearse for Kitty’s play “Original Sin,” which makes its world premiere Sept. 6 at Tree Fort Productions.
KIDS SET SAIL
Sarasota Youth Sailing took the helm from Sarasota Sailing Squadron for the 76th Annual Labor Day Regatta.
Nick Lovisa, sailing director at Sarasota Youth Sailing, has been involved in the sport since he was 8 years old. He said the Annual Labor Day Regatta is important for introducing kids, and the viewing public, to sailing and the lifelong enjoyment it offers.
“It’s a lifelong sport, and when a kid gets hooked on it, it is definitely life-changing,” he said. “It’s not just a small thing you come to and you do and then you forget about it. It’s a community.”
In past years, the Sarasota Sailing Squadron had hosted the event, which began in 1946, however, Sarasota Youth Sailing took the helm for the regatta’s 76th year.
The two-day event was off to a promising start Aug. 31 with favorable weather and propulsive winds.
The event brings together some 160 kids, some as young as 6 years old, from various sailing clubs, including the Sailing Squadron, Florida Yacht Club, Manatee River Youth Sailing and others.
“For a lot of them, it’s their first regatta,” Lovisa said. “They’re just getting a taste for what all this is.”
Jason Herpai, who is 11 years old, has been sailing for about a year. He said he enjoys the competition of the sport and the fact that the results are never predictable due to wind gusts that can appear anywhere.
“It’s not like a race where if you start first, you’re probably going to end first,” he said. “Because for sailing, you could start like the middle and then get first place.”
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby Alexander Sanderson of Manatee River Youth Sailing
Samantha Jones and Lillie Esposito of Sarasota Youth Sailing
Curt Wheeler and Brynn DeJongh of Sarasota Yacht Club
The boats of Alexander Getzels and Alexander Hryniewicz, of Sarasota Youth Sailing, and Harper Emerson and Ashley Korakis, of Davis Island Race Team
Bratwursts and burgers
Longboat Harbour condominium brought the All-American fun to celebrate Labor Day on Sept. 2.
Bratwursts and burgers were the main meal at its Labor Day party. Sparky Pashkow and Greg Bodkin manned the grill outside while Karen Pashkow and Connie DiMaggio set up red, white and blue decorations in the clubhouse to get everyone in the spirit.
About 30 residents attended the party for Sparky Pashkow’s grilling and laughter with their neighbors. They raved about Bodkin’s homemade desserts, which included red, white and blue cupcakes and brownies.
Bodkin said he has loved baking all his life and was excited to make it for his friends at Longboat Harbour. Bodkin currently works at the Publix bakery in his retirement.
Pashkow said that this Labor Day party was perfect for spending it with their close friends and catching up while the summer is coming to a close.
“We have been living here for 20 years now,” said resident Al Fischbein. “The people are just amazing. You can just tell from parties like this. Even though it’s small because we are out of season, we still have great food and a lot of fun.”
— PETRA RIVERA
443F John Ringling Blvd. • Sarasota, FL 34236
Al Fischbein, John Caruso, Connie DiMaggio, Susan D’Aloia and Carol Fischbein prepare to eat at Longboat Harbour’s Labor Day party.
Photos by Petra Rivera
Gail Gelber, Abbe Catapano, Wendy Winick and Pam O’Halloran Blevins enjoy food and friends at Longboat Harbour’s Labor Day party.
Jeff and Joyce Hecklau at Longboat Harbour’s Labor Day party.
Greg Bodkin shows off his homebaked goodies with Connie DiMaggio.
2067
Longboat Key 2067
2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4
2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4
2067 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE, #4
Longboat Key | Offered at $779,000 MLS# A4178487
Fannie’s House Call Pet Grooming
annie Bushin’s toy poodle, Miles, hated going to groomers. She said the chaos and loudness of the environment made him and most dogs nervous.
While working her corporate job, Bushin took it upon herself to learn to groom Miles.
After her night pet-grooming classes, people started to notice how dapper Miles looked. Soon, she found herself grooming others’ pets in her neighborhood.
Inspired by her father Howard’s entrepreneurial skills, Bushin quit her job and started grooming dogs full time. Her life-long love for animals was combined with her passion for creativity.
Now, she is Longboat Key’s resident in-house dog groomer.
BUSINESS DATA
Line of Business: Pet Grooming
Owner: Fannie Bushin
Founded: 2021
Price Range: $150 for a new dog’s first session
Phone: (941) 315-8150
Website: FanniesPetGrooming.com
PERSONAL
Birthplace: New York
Residence: Sarasota
Education: Parsons School for
• Consistent
•
•
Design and Merryfield Pet Grooming Academy Family: Rose Mary Bushin, mother; Rosa Maria Portillo, grandmother; Miles the toy poodle; and cockatoos Eydie and Lydia How long in this area: Since 2021
CAREER
First Paying Job: Publix on Longboat Key because she used to come with her family every summer.
Between then and now: “I was working in finance for a freight forwarding company in Miami. Not a dream job by any means. It was a typical desk job, but I’m not that kind of person.” How she came to the area: To spend time with her father, who was terminally ill. Claim to fame: “Word of mouth mostly, but everyone also knows my car. I have a white Mini Cooper with my logo of a poodle on it. So many people will call out when they see it, ‘Hi, Fannie the Dog Groomer.’”
INTERESTS/PASSIONS
Favorite pastime: Taking walks on the beach with her dog Miles and reading Most recent read: “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle Favorite television show: “Seinfeld” Why Longboat Key? “The people are so nice, and everyone has such
interesting stories. I love getting to know about their lives and what they were like before Longboat.”
PHILOSOPHY
Business philosophy: “Honestly, just to be safe. That is the most important thing when it comes to grooming. The dog comes first. It’s not just about a pretty haircut. It is also about hygiene for the dog and safety.”
Best business advice you can give: “I changed my whole life. So, if you have an idea, you have to go for it. That’s what I told my mom after my dad passed away. She was so depressed and I said, ‘Just pick something that you enjoy.’ She enjoys being with pets, like me, so now she dog-sits for my clients. You can literally do anything.”
Heroes: “My dad. He was entrepreneurial and loved to work for himself, and I also love to work for myself. He was very hard working, and he loved animals. He used to bring home all sorts of pets, which was a great way to grow up.”
Current goal: “I have been working toward becoming a Nationally Certified Master Groomer. So, you compete in five practical grooming tests. I did three already. I have two more to go, and then there’s a big written test at the end. I’m taking my time with it. I’m in no rush.”
— PETRA RIVERA
Petra Rivera
Fannie Bushin holds her toy poodle, Miles.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
Headed
NARROW VIEW: Susan and Don Talbot stand in front of the Flume Gorge at Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire, with the Longboat Observer.
YOUR CALENDAR
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
MUSIC BY AKIEM ESDAILE
6-9 p.m. at Whitney’s, 6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Akiem Esdaile is the new generation of Jazz Guitar. Enjoy the soothing sounds of Sarasota’s most refreshing jazz guitarist. Call 383-4606.
RECURRING EVENTS
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS
LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE
The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to noon at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.
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 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.
WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7
EXOTIC CARS ON THE CIRCLE
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle. Exotic Cars on the Circle comes back to St. Armands with a display of exotic supercars for all to enjoy. Sponsored by Ferrari Drivers SRQ, the event benefits Flight to the North
THURSDAYS
ZUMBA & TONING
9:45-10:30 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Taught by Reena Malik, this class begins with 30 minutes of zumba and finishes with mat Pilates for flexibility and strengthening core muscles. Come for 30 or 60 minutes. Free for members; $15 for nonmembers.
FRIDAYS INTERMEDIATE TAI CHI
From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Reuben Fernandez teaches Chen style class. Outside if weather permitting. Free for members; $15 for others. Walkins welcome. Call 383-6493.
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.
Two-bedroom condo tops week’s sales at $1.17 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Acondominium at 615 Dream Island Place tops the week’s sales. Douglas and Elizabeth Gowan, of Meridian Charter Township, Michigan, sold their Unit 106 condominium at 615 Dream Island Place to Getaway Harbour LLC for $1.17 million. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,293 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2004.
SPANISH MAIN YACHT
Frank and Annemarie Schippers, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their Unit 67 condominium at 868 Spanish Drive N. to Caroline Schultz, of Windham, New Hampshire, for $925,000. Built in 1967, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,357 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2020.
Above and below: Donald and Stephanie Cone sold their Unit PH-4 condominium at Windward Bay at 4500 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Carylee Adamushko-Fili, of Nashville, Tennessee, for $755,000.
WINDWARD BAY
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
Donald and Stephanie Cone sold their Unit PH-4 condominium at 4500 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Carylee Adamushko-Fili, of Nashville, Tennessee, for $755,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,312 square feet of living area. It sold for $629,900 in 2021.
FAIRWAY BAY
Joel and Carolyn Mangel, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 111 condominium at 1930 Harbourside Drive to Lisa Stone, trustee, of Longboat Key,
for $665,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $349,900 in 2001.
KINGSTON ARMS
Daina Strong, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 10B condominium at 500 S. Washington Drive to Gregory Gomer, trustee, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, for $653,000. Built in 1963, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,034 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in 2007.
Rene DiPinto
Nicholle DiPinto McKiernan
John Schafer
Janette Schafer
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
FORECAST
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
MOON PHASES
TIDES
Sept. 5 1:46a 2:11p 8:35a 8:52p
“B’ZA CAZAV VAFPPU XRNKERX NT
WUOAPT FO HASVAOOAH ON WKMR FO B FW SFVFPUDAH YU RNSA.”
OXFCH-KS MNWAHBFC WFVBF YFWTNVH
“YSKMU’ MI S PEK PMRA WMIXMU’. IEZAKMZAI TSKTX SUY FAPASIA MI KXA NAIK ZAKXEY.”
LFSULAF IZMKX, S.R.S. ASFP YMNNPAI GF.
“CTHI H PXDHV YI CHJ IU CYIEDJJ ITD NDEYMJ ITHI CHJ SUS EDCTHXI. ... WZHJJB, GYEP, NDEDXUMJ HEP HSJUZMIDZB TYZHXYUMJ.”
BACK TO SCHOOL by Adam Levav, edited by Jeff Chen
By Luis Campos
INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888 redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages
DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at 2PM Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card
The Longboat Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.
*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.
*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Longboat Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.
Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.
3030 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #346
Immerse yourself in luxury with this exceptional Antigua residence at Grand Bay, perched on the corner of Building III and offering sweeping panoramic views of Sarasota Bay, Harbourside Golf Course, the marina, and the shimmering downtown skyline. This nearly 3,000-square-foot residence is a sunlit, expansive retreat, perfectly designed for comfort. As you enter, the grandeur of floor-to-ceiling glass sliders draws your attention to the expansive wraparound terrace, where breathtaking vistas create a captivating backdrop. The interior offers a neutral palette, enhancing the lightfilled ambiance and seamless flow throughout the space. Grand Bay is nestled within the prestigious Bay Isles community on Longboat Key, blending exclusivity with convenience.
