Longboat Observer 1.8.26

LONGBOAT

Observer

Plan ahead

Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978

PAGE 18

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

VOLUME 48, NO. 21

YOUR TOWN

WHAT’S NEXT?

File image

Calling all photographers The deadline for the 2025-26 Florida City and County Management Association’s photo contest is fast approaching.

Artists wishing to showcase the natural beauty of Longboat Key to people across Florida have until 4 p.m. Jan. 9 to submit a photo. Winning photos will be featured in the association’s membership directory, online and across social media platforms.

Submissions must be formatted as a JPG with editing limited to cropping. No filters, watermarks, signatures or date stamps. One submission per person. Judging criteria include how well the image represents Longboat Key, visual appeal, composition, originality, creativity and overall quality.

Send your photo to LBKNews@LongboatKey.org with the photographer’s full name for credit. Visit LongboatKey. org for full contest details.

S.T. Cardinal

An e-biker heads south on the sidewalk parallel to Gulf of Mexico Drive. The town of Longboat Key is having initial discussions about writing a new ordinance to regulate the use of e-bikes to increase public safety.

2026: The road ahead Old and new ideas begin taking shape in the months to come. SEE PAGE 3 ST. REGIS ARCH Are new rules in the offing?

LONGBOAT LIBRARY

CORTEZ BRIDGE

Designs are expected by summer.

Years of construction begin in 2026.

S.T. Cardinal

Eagle perches on City Island home A bald eagle was seen using the dome of a City Island home as a lookout, perching atop the Mediterranean-styled “Villa Mykonos” recently on John Ringling Parkway by New Pass.

Bald eagles live almost exclusively near bodies of water, and the American Eagle Foundation estimates that 70% to 90% of bald eagles’ diet is fish.

The raptors, which have wingspans of up to 8 feet, were near extinction in the 1960s, and now have a population of more than 300,000, says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bald eagle was chosen to adorn the Great Seal of the United States in 1782 and as the national bird in 2024.

Gladding ready to get started Town’s newest commissioner will take his seat in March with a wealth of expertise.

SEE PAGE 10

$0.10

Nick Gladding Lori Sax

A+E ‘Bad,’ but in a good way.

INSIDE

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

WEEK OF JAN. 8, 2026

Canal maintenance workshops coming

“I value the idea of a residents association because I think that residents need the same voice that developers have.”

The town will soon hold community meetings to discuss needed maintenance to canals in the town.

Though no dates have been set, the town has announced that community workshops will be held with town staff to discuss the need to dredge the canals on Longboat Key and share a “proposed funding methodology.” The town is asking residents to contact the town if they would like to schedule a meeting with a homeowners association or community group on the topic.

The project, which could cost around $9 million or more, would dredge canals to ensure they can be safely navigated.

Longboat Key has 96 canals, and a survey completed in 2024 showed that half would need dredging.

St. Armands Residents Association President Chris Goglia Read more on page 12

BY THE NUMBERS 28 MPH

The speed many e-bikes reach before the electronic motors shut off. Longboat Key plans to update its ordinances to regulate the use of e-bikes this year.

PAGE 6

250

Guests served on the first night of Nōnnō Umberto’s soft opening.

PAGE 24

$9 MILLION

Price of a Sarasota Bay-bordering home with a two-stop elevator and 648-bottle wine cellar.

PAGE 28

CALENDAR

n Town Commission regular meeting — 1 p.m., Jan. 12, Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road n Town Commission joint

meeting with Sarasota County School Board — 9 a.m., Jan. 16, Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road

n Town Commission regular workshop — 1 p.m., Jan. 20, Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road

S.T. Cardinal

The 859-square-foot space next to Swim City at 3172 Gulf of Mexico Drive is going through an interior renovation to make way for the second Sips coffee shop on Longboat Key.

Sips in, Starbucks out A fter almost three years in business, Sips coffee shop has started the process of opening a second branch, and the Starbucks planned next door is no longer happening.

Sips co-owner Chris Carter confirmed the expansion of Sips on Monday, and workers were seen renovating the space next to Swim City at 3172 Gulf of Mexico Drive the same day.

Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons said the building permit for the

project was issued last week.

Sips will take over the space formerly occupied by Turtle Coffee Bar, which closed after receiving 4 feet of flooding from Hurricane Helene.

The space neighbors 3174 Gulf of Mexico Drive, where a Starbucks was planned. That project is not moving forward, Greg Sausaman said on Tuesday. Sausaman would have been the franchise operator of the Starbucks, which was originally announced for the space in February.

“We are no longer moving forward with a Starbucks at this location,” he said. “We wish the new coffee shop well.”

According to permit applications, the 859-square-foot space will include a 303-square-foot kitchen, a 169-square-foot “prep area” with coffee grinders and espresso machines and a cozy waiting area, just 137 square feet. The space, which is across the street from a public beach access, also has a small outdoor seating area.

File image

Class participant Michael Hartman begins to put on the AED pads to the CPR mannequin.

Free CPR lessons scheduled While setting those New Year’s resolutions, consider learning a skill that could save a life.

Longboat Key Fire Rescue has announced the dates for its latest set of free one-hour courses teaching hands-only CPR and AED. Upcoming dates include Jan. 14, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, March 4, March 10, April 7 and April 20.

All classes start at 10 a.m. at Station 91, 5490 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Space is limited to 16 people per class, so register early by emailing TAdams@LongboatKey.org or calling 941-316-1944.

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W HAT ’S HAPPENING

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

LOOKING AHEAD

Longboat set to change the rules in 2026 A new mayor, a new bridge and the start of a new library are all things to look out for in the new year on the barrier island.

— S.T. CARDINAL

oad es R

Isl Bay File images

New Cortez Bridge will break ground Courtesy renderings

The library will be constructed on the light green area depicted on this map within Longboat Key’s Town Center Green. The entire library would be around 11,230 square feet with the possible enhancements.

A

fixed-span bridge replacing the Cortez Bridge is expected to begin construction in the summer, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The Cortez Bridge is a two-lane drawbridge that connects the barrier island of Bradenton Beach to Cortez. With the bridge’s 70th birthday coming in 2026, FDOT is well under way in the process of designing a replacement. The fixed-span bridge will have a 65-foot clearance and is expected to cost $135.3 million, according to FDOT’s most recent estimates.

Construction bids will open in March, and construction is expected to begin in the summer and continue for about three years and four months. The existing drawbridge will remain in operation during construction with temporary lane closures expected as the new, fixed-span bridge is constructed just to the north of the existing bridge.

Town Green library design will be finalized in 2026

T

he town of Longboat Key’s efforts to transform the Town Green into a hub for community gatherings will continue in the new year. The Complete the Green initiative by the town included fundraising to expand the Sarasota County-funded library into a facility with event and meeting space. That fundraising exceeded its $3.5 million goal. With more than $4 million raised, any excess funds will be used to bring entertainment to the venue through arts and musical programming.

“The generosity of this community is amazing. I’ve worked in several communities and I’ve never had this problem before,” Town Manager Howard Tipton said, tongue in cheek.

Of the town’s fundraising efforts, $1 million came from the Vernon G. and Sandra J.C. Buchanan Foundation. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and his wife, Sandy, have lived on

Longboat Key for four decades, and the new library will be named in the couple’s honor.

“Sandy and I have been looking for an opportunity to give back to our Longboat community, and when this project was presented to us it was a perfect match,” Vern Buchanan said in a statement last June when news of the donation came to light. “We are all about community, and this space will be a gathering place for Longboat residents and visitors for generations to come.”

The library’s design is expected to be finalized in late summer, and groundbreaking on the project could be in early 2027. Orlando’s Borelli + Partners is the architecture firm and Jon F. Swift Inc. will be the construction manager.

Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique, whose district includes the Manatee portion of Longboat Key, described the project as a long-term benefit with short-term inconvenience.

The Cortez Bridge is the quickest way off the barrier islands for northend Longboat Key residents.

To get to that bridge, Longboaters first need to cross the Longboat Pass Bridge, which is also nearly 70 years old. Replacing the Longboat Pass Bridge is still a possibility for FDOT. In 2024, it held community meetings to gather public opinion on the possibility with three design options introduced, including a 78-foot-tall, fixed-span design that was not received warmly by residents. FDOT has since begun looking at the possibility of repairing the existing bridge rather than replacing it, though no decision has been made.

Pedestrian railing

Traffic barrier

Image courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation

As seen in this cross-section of the bridge roadway, the new Cortez span will have two vehicle traffic lanes, a large buffer on each side and large pedestrian sidewalks.

Broadway roundabout the next step in Gulf of Mexico Drive transformation

T

Courtesy image

An updated rendering of the Broadway Roundabout from the May 1, 2025 public discussion.

he town of Longboat Key and the Florida Department of Transportation are planning a roundabout to replace the intersection of Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Town staff and commissioners say a roundabout will keep traffic moving and increase safety.

“The community up there has looked for safer access to the beach from the village, and the roundabout will do a great deal to make that a safer intersection,” Commissioner BJ Bishop said. “I’m not a huge fan of roundabouts, but in that area, it works. It will work very well to mitigate the pedestrian and cycling safety issues.”

In September, the Town Commission unanimously approved two resolutions that would allow the future contractor to perform utility relocation work ahead of the project.

They also specify the town would be responsible for landscaping and brick paver maintenance of the roundabout.

Design work for the roundabout is expected to be complete by the end of February and will follow the town’s comprehensive plans to transform Gulf of Mexico Drive into a “Complete Street” that caters to pedestrians and bikers as well as motor vehicles.

“Gulf of Mexico Drive essentially serves as the town’s main street,” Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman said. “It is a great opportunity to be able to change the face of just one road corridor and have such a dramatic positive impact to the community over time.”

The first step of the town’s Complete Street initiative wrapped up in December with the completion of the Country Club Shores turn lane project, which repaved 0.84 miles on the southern end of the street, added curbed and landscaped medians and increased the width of bike lanes.

SEE LOOKING AHEAD PAGE 4

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

LOOKING AHEAD

4

LOOKING AHEAD FROM PAGE 3

Cross-bay wastewater pipeline set to start in 2026

P

ermits have been issued for the wastewater pipeline, which will replace the aging sewage line that traverses Sarasota Bay to a Manatee County treatment facility.

In March 2025, Longboat voters decided by a 90% margin to take out a State Revolving Fund loan with a 2.89% interest rate to pay for the project, which is estimated to cost about $30 million.

The 1.1-mile landward portion of the pipe has already been newly lined thanks to a $2.3 million effort.

Now, design is under way for the underwater portion of the project.

Design is nearly complete, and town

donate &&shop onate donate &donate shop shop & shop

Utility Manager Jessie Camburn said construction could begin in mid2026.

Garney Construction will install the pipe, using barges, turbidity curtains, excavators and cranes to dig a trench and bury the pipe under the floor of Sarasota Bay. The new 20-inch plastic pipe will replace the metal pipe that is more than 50 years old. That metal pipe ruptured in 2020, leaking 11 million gallons — according to Berkeley Research Group estimates — of sewage into Sarasota Bay.

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Images courtesy of Longboat Key permit support document

This map shows potential routes considered to replace the aging metal wastewater pipeline that connects Longboat Key’s wastewater to a Manatee County treatment center across Sarasota Bay. The line in solid light green is the route that was chosen, and the solid red and purple lines show where the existing pipe is located.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

S.T. Cardinal

St. Regis arch dispute could A alter town’s rules on signs

n arch placed on a groin by St. Regis Longboat Key has led to the latest chapter in the town’s long history of disputes over signs.

The stainless steel metal arch erected on a groin extending into the Gulf entered the crosshairs of Longboat Key Code Enforcement, which ordered the resort to remove

the structure for not adhering to town code.

After a lawyer representing the developers sent a letter to the town requesting it amend the code to allow the sign, Code Enforcement said it would allow the arch to stay through February until the Town Commission could discuss the issue in public.

Originally, town commissioners voted not to pursue an ordinance that would alter the sign code, but they later changed their mind and decided to begin the process of a possible code revision.

“We are now in a position where we can avail ourselves of the process that has been established here to meet our citizens’ and businesses’ requests and look dispassionately on the merits,” Commissioner Sarah Karon said. “I trust the process. I have no leaning whatsoever as far as what the process will bring forward.”

In the new year, the Town Commission will vote on whether the sign code should change to allow the arch.

If not, the issue would likely head to court as St. Regis’s stance is that a Florida Department of Environmental Protection permit allows the structure and it does not need a permit from the town. The town disagrees.

“From the town’s perspective, that is a type of structure that requires a permit from the town,” Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons said.

LOOKING AHEAD

St. Regis Longboat Key Resort installed a stainless steel metal arch on a converted groin extending into the Gulf.

Longboat Key town staff asked the hotel to take the arch down because it does not follow town code.

5

Changing makeup of town commission will bring new mayor

L

ongboat Key will have a new mayor come March, but who that will be is yet to be determined.

Ken Schneier, mayor since 2020, is ineligible to remain on Town Commission after his term expires in March as he will reach his term limit. Schneier’s District 3 seat will be filled by Nick Gladding, president of the Republican Club of Longboat Key and a former environmental and land use lawyer.

“A lot of people say they want to keep Longboat Key Longboat Key.

Janet Combs

Nick and Danielle Gladding attend the Save Our Seabirds gala held on March 29.

My own theory is we need to keep Longboat Key forever,” Gladding said when he filed for his candidacy in October. “In order to keep it forever you’ve got to be able to deal with all the environmental issues and deal with the canals and deal with the money it’s gonna take for mitigation and hardening in regard to sea level rise, and I believe I can be helpful with all that.”

Gladding was the only candidate who filed to run for that seat, paving the way for an uncontested victory.

Gary Coffin will retain his District 1

seat, and Sarah Karon will retain her District 5 seat, both also running unopposed. When Gladding is sworn in, the seven-member Town Commission will vote who next will represent the town as mayor and vice mayor.

In Longboat Key’s form of government, mayor is a position largely in charge of running the commission’s meetings and representing the body externally. There have been 39 mayors in the town’s 70-year history.

SEE LOOKING AHEAD PAGE 6

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

LOOKING AHEAD FROM PAGE 5

e-bike regulations in the works

A

s e-bikes increase in popularity, town staff is looking into regulating their operation.

Town staff has floated the idea of updating town code to include how and where e-bikes are permitted. Concerns include how fast the vehicles can go, with some able to hit 28 mph. Police Chief Russ Mager said he has been discussing potential safety concerns with the vehicles operating on sidewalks alongside pedestrians.

“Our considerations would be that it’s operated safely and you have some kind of mechanism in place to maybe

Mike Graham rides his bike from the Rosemary District in Sarasota, over the Ringling Causeway Bridge and to Longboat Key, a trip he wouldn’t take if he didn’t have his pedalassist e-bike.

have some speed governing on the sidewalk to make it safe for the pedestrians and the other cyclists,” Mager said.

State law allows e-bikes the same rights and privileges as nonmotorized bicycles, meaning they can be used on the sidewalk, in bike lanes or on the side of the roadway. A recently passed state law specifies that counties and municipalities are allowed to enact ordinances to regulate the use of e-bikes, golf carts, mopeds, etc. How and whether Longboat Key will do so is likely to be decided in the new year.

Longboat leaders will keep a close eye on Tallahassee M ore than three-quarters of the town’s general-fund revenue comes from property taxes, and nearly 60% of that revenue is used to fund police and fire.

So, with state leaders in Tallahassee floating the idea of a massive overhaul of property taxes in the state, municipalities all over the state are paying attention. Gov. Ron DeSantis called property tax reform “the big Kahuna” of his policy goals in the coming year.

“For me, I think the basis is if you’re a Florida resident and you have a primary residence here, a homesteaded residence, you’ve got to be able to own that free and clear of the government,” he said. “The notion that you should be just paying rent to them indefinitely, people have been pinched by these property taxes.”

Longboat leaders are urging state leaders to think about how local fire and police departments are funded when discussing property tax reform in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 13.

“Let’s just make sure that everybody understands that eliminating a revenue source doesn’t eliminate the cost,” said Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton. “Unless you’re going to do something with that cost, which is a lot of public safety, you’ve got to find another way to pay for it. So let’s just have a really thoughtful conversation about where we want to go with this.”

Any significant changes to how property taxes are implemented would need to be decided by a ballot measure, which requires 60% approval of voters to amend the state constitution.

File images

A proposal that could eliminate property taxes in the state of Florida would affect the funding of Longboat Key police and fire departments.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

OPINION / OUR VIEW

LONGBOAT

2026 Word: Laissez-faire That two-word phrase is a reminder — a reminder to politicians and officeholders to let us live our lives the way we want to live, and a reminder that we must teach the next generations of the virtues of capitalism.

MATT WALSH

J

ust leave us alone!

That’s what we want.

Laissez-faire.

That is our Word for 2026.

Longtime readers know this tradition. In the first or second edition each year, we publish a Word — one word to live by, to guide our direction and actions in the new year, to inspire us year-round, to serve as a guidepost for what we do and want to accomplish in the new year.

Laissez-faire is a bit different.

It’s a reminder — on multiple levels. It’s a reminder and direct admonition to every elected and wanna-be officeholder of how most Americans want to live; a reminder of what is required for liberty and economic prosperity; and a reminder of what we should be teaching our children and grandchildren.

Indeed, my guess is if you cut through all the noise, divisiveness and vitriol that erupts as a result of the actions of our politicians and governments — federal, state and local, Republicans and Democrats alike — at the core of Americans’ most fundamental desires is to be left alone.

We want to live our lives the way we want to live them; to live in the ways that make us happy; to live as neighbors who respect one another’s personal interests (so long as they do no harm). To live in peace.

Yes, we also want to live by the rule of law. But we want to live by the rules our Founders established — with our governments constrained and limited, and reversing the never-ending, growing, freedomsucking leviathan that nags, nips and intrudes into every facet of our lives.

Laissez-faire.

Then there is the economic side.

It’s quite obvious today the term laissez-faire capitalism is reviled.

There are only a few of us who embrace the idea of an unfettered, free-market economy based on peaceful, voluntary trade with one another; with government serving only as a forum for determining the rules of the game; as an umpire to resolve disputes; and, most important, serving to protect our individual rights.

In the words of laissez-faire capitalism’s most ardent advocate in history, the late Ayn Rand, “If one wishes to uphold individual rights, one must realize capitalism is the only system that can uphold and protect them.”

Sadly, however, it’s no exaggeration to venture that most Americans reject this truth: That we would all be so much better off and prosperous if the chains of government were taken off U.S. businesses and individuals. Abolish crony capitalism and subsidies; dismember the federal regulatory leviathan.

a merchant named M. Le Gendre responded: “Laissez-nous faire!” …

“Let it be!”

Seventy years later, according to Tucker, the incident was reported in a French economic journal, and the full phrase became “Laissez-faire et laissez-passer, le monde va de lui même!” Translated: “Let it be, and let goods pass; the world goes by itself.”

But the roots of laissez-faire go back even before the French disaster. Tucker found that wise Chinese philosophers spoke of laissez-faire as early as 300 B.C. In his 2017 essay, Tucker recounted Chinese references. A sampling: ■ Chuang Tzu (369-286 B.C.): “I would rather roam and idle about in a muddy ditch, at my own amusement, than to be put under the restraints that the ruler would impose. I would never take any official service, and thereby I will [be free] to satisfy my own purposes….”

The world “does simply not need governing; in fact, it should not be governed.”

■ Ssu-ma Ch’ien (145-90 B.C.): “Each man has only to be left to utilize his own abilities and exert his strength to obtain what he wishes…

When each person works away at his own occupation and delights in his own business, then like water flowing downward, goods will naturally flow ceaseless day and night without being summoned, and the people will produce commodities without having been asked.”

■ Lao Tzu (6th century B.C.): “The more artificial taboos and restrictions there are in the world, the more the people are impoverished…

The more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the more thieves and robbers there will be…

“The Sage says: ‘I take no action, yet the people transform themselves, I favor quiescence and the people right themselves, I take no action and the people enrich themselves … ’” MEDDLING POLITICIANS

And yet, the politicians cannot help themselves.

So many of them, of course, are smarter than we are and know far more than we how we should live our lives. Clearly, the majority of them must believe that.

Judging from their actions, they obviously think it is their votergiven mandate and right to go to Washington or Tallahassee or Town Hall to pass laws that regulate how you live; to prescribe a benefit or favor to one group at your expense; to create a government benefit that can be seen now — but to heck with thinking about the inevitably negative unintended consequences.

They can’t help but meddle.

In the Florida Legislature, for instance, the 120 House members are limited to filing six bills each a year.

Typically, they do — 720 bills.

There is no limit for the 40 Senate members. In the 2025 legislative session, Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, sponsored or co-sponsored 45 bills; Sen. Lori Burton, D-Palm

THE LEVIATHAN One measurement of the ubiquitousness of the federal government is the Federal Register, the journal daily journal of all agency regulations; proposed rules and notices; executive orders, proclamations and presidential documents.

The annual average of pages during their presidential terms: Ronald Reagan........ 53,300 Barack Obama..........70,700 Donald Trump I......... 72,400 Joe Biden.................. 88,200

Beach, sponsored or co-sponsored 48 bills. Altogether, 1,959 bills were filed in the 2025 session.

Really? There is that much that requires new laws?

Thankfully, only 269 were passed.

Still, imagine that every year.

Mind you, some bills are necessary to keep Florida’s government operating. Many come to life from constituents who want the government to tilt the playing table one way or another.

Still others are the result of what Milton Friedman referred to as “the law of laws.” A legislature adopts one law to fix a perceived wrong.

Then it comes back the next year to modify the unintended consequences of the original law. And then the next year it modifies the consequences of the previous year.

Ad infinitum this goes.

Washington is far worse. It’s always a pendulum swing — from the exasperation and disappointment brought on by one side to the exasperation and disappointment from the other — e.g. Biden to Trump; Democrat majority to Republican majority. We merely trade one version of egregious intervention and picking winners and losers for another.

Neither is successful. They both bring ever-more government, with a never-ending litany of failures from both sides — $38 trillion national debt; $1.7 billion annual deficit; $100 billion a year taken from taxpayers to subsidize 42 million Americans on SNAP; disastrous health-care regulations; and on and on.

Or consider this marker of the extent of government in our lives: The Federal Register. The register is the daily journal of all agency regulations; proposed rules and notices; executive orders, proclamations and presidential documents. See the accompanying box showing how government always grows.

When you put all of the federal Leviathan together, you can still apply Milton Friedman’s conclusion in his 1962 classic, “Capitalism and Freedom”: “The greater part of the ventures undertaken by government in the past few decades have failed … The central defect of these measures is that they seek through government to force people

THE GILDED AGE OF INVENTORS AND ENTREPRENEURISM, 1865-1900

CHINESE AND LAISSEZ-FAIRE

The idea of laissez-faire has been around since long before Christ.

Jeffrey Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, wrote an engaging essay in 2017 on the meaning and origins of laissezfaire for the Foundation for Economic Education.

The French term came about in 1680 during the reign of King Louis XIV. Like all despots, he created an economic disaster with ever-increasing taxation (Some things have never changed.) To reverse this, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the king’s finance minister, believed that imposing more government regulations and controls would boost economic activity and prosperity.

But as the story goes, when Colbert asked a group of manufacturers what he could do for industry,

Christopher Sholes the typewriter, 1868

Henry Ford automobile 1896

Alexander Graham Bell the telephone, 1876

John D. Rockefeller Standard Oil Co.

Thomas Edison electric light bulb, 1879

Andrew Carnegie Carnegie Steel Co.

to act against their own immediate interests to promote a supposedly general interest.”

How and why does this happen?

Friedman: “Men of good intentions and goodwill who … use the power of the state to achieve their ends and confident of their own ability to do so.”

As noted earlier, they are certain they know better than we how we should live. Talk about hubris.

When you vote in the mid-term elections in 2026, choose the candidates who reject the Zohran Mamdani dogma that “there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.”

Choose the candidates who will leave us alone. As the late Austrian economist F.A. Hayek noted: “Though democracy is probably the best form of limited government, it becomes an absurdity if it turns into unlimited government.”

Laissez-faire. Leave us alone!

CAPITALISM WORKS

The word “capitalism” has been a dirty word in the U.S. for a century.

The full phrase, laissez-faire capitalism, has been even dirtier.

Progressives and conservatives alike harrumph that we can’t have an unfettered, unregulated, freemarket economy. They fret there would be anarchy and unbridled greed.

Indeed, as Jeffrey Tucker wrote: The Left thinks “if we let the economic sphere be free, the world will collapse.” Oh, imagine what a horrible calamity life would be without government control. Ha! Likewise, the Right disdains a free market because it “is similarly convinced that state control is necessary, lest the world collapse into violent, warring, culture-destroying gangs.”

Neither would happen.

History is always a good reference point. If you go back to the beginning of the second century of the U.S. — for 35 years from the mid-1860s to 1900 — laissez-faire capitalism and limited government worked.

In “The Fall and Rise of LaissezFaire in the United States, 17891900,” economic historian Burton Folsom Jr. chronicles how the “Gilded Age” was the most laissezfaire and limited government era in American history. The U.S. prospered.

“More Americans than ever before,” Folsom wrote, “came to believe that if the United States were ever to become a serious economic force in the world, it would have to be done in free markets with very limited federal aid.” Leading Democrats and Republicans alike actually embraced that.

Folsom: “To help ensure that Congress would not be tempted to seriously intervene in future economic development, President Ulysses Grant worked to eliminate the federal income tax” — a goal he achieved in 1872.

During this period, the U.S. and Congress achieved 28 consecutive years of budget surpluses. The national debt shrank from $3 billion in 1866 to less than $1 billion in 1893.

More important, Folsom said, the achievements of entrepreneurs, inventors and developers during this period were “in a word, spectacular.” A few: Christopher Sholes secured a patent for the typewriter in 1868.

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. Thomas Edison changed the world with electricity and invented the phonograph and movie film in the late 1880s. Henry Ford operated his first car in 1896.

And, of course, there were John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, the kings of oil and steel. Their businesses made kerosene and railroad travel widely affordable and created thousands of jobs.

By 1900, the U.S. surpassed Great Britain as the greatest economic power in the world.

It can be done — limited government and free-market capitalism.

And with great success.

But sadly, Folsom wrote: “The triumph of laissez-faire lasted only one generation.”

“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

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THE WORD FROM PAGE 8

The Gilded Age gave way to the Progressive Era (1900-1920), when the cries began for government intervention … taxing high earners; regulating railroads; breaking up big businesses. Cries that have carried on for a century and have spread into every corner of the economy and our lives.

From agriculture to health care to home building to employee pay to savings accounts to light-bulb wattage to toilet bowl flushing, our so-called free-market, capitalistic, economic system is anything but free.

It’s a system of crony capitalism, subsidies, regulations and lawsuits — tentacles of an incurable cancer that persistently pervades federal and state governments. Quoting Friedman again: When it comes to asking for favors from government, businesses are always first in line.

There are no signs the evils of interventionism and crony subsidizations will end. It’s quite the opposite. Not only is our current Republican president an interventionist extraordinaire, constantly picking winners and losers, we have a socialist radical as the mayor of New York City.

This is why we’re heralding laissez-faire as the Word for 2026.

Even 60 years ago, F.A. Hayek, said of the slide toward serfdom and socialism, “What is most urgently needed in most parts of the world is a thorough sweeping away of the obstacles to free growth.”

Let the world take care of itself.

Laissez-faire. Leave us alone!

9

How to turn the tide toward laissez-faire

E

lecting pro-liberty, procapitalist candidates to public office is one way. Another is education — of the American populace and next generations.

This is crazy: Typically, the most important issues to Americans in every election are their pocketbook and the state of the economy. And yet, so few Americans appear to have an understanding of or care how economics and capitalism work, or how their freedom and capitalism are so intertwined and so adversely affected by government intervention.

Indeed, the amount of disdain Gen Zers have for capitalism is alarming. When pollster Frank Luntz conducted focus groups of Gen Zers in 2024, Luntz summarized the results: “(They) think the inequality that exists in America justifies economic redistribution and government directly engaging in the economy in a more aggressive fashion. The intensity is anti-capitalism rather than pro-socialism. Young people resent and reject the current system much more than they embrace and support socialism.”

Much of that can be attributed to ignorance.

To that end, when we asked Florida State University economics professors about their experiences with first- and second-year undergrads who come into their classes, here are the comments of Professor Michal Hammock, Ph.D., who teaches principles of micro and macroecomics to 2,000 students a year: “Most of my students … had a high school economics class of poor quality. The class is usually taught by a coach with no knowledge or interest in the subject, and students come away from this experience with an impression that economics is boring, and no clear understanding of what economics is. A small group of students has taken AP economics courses in high school, and those are much higher quality.”

For 75, years, the Council of

STATUS OF ECONOMIC EDUCATION

Source: Council on Economic Education

Economic Education has tried to spread the knowledge of economics and personal finance. This not-forprofit coalition of economics and personal finance educators, privatesector corporations, business leaders and economists has been dedicated to training teachers and integrating economics and personal finance into K-12 schools. It has been slow going, but it’s making progress. (See: CouncilForEconEd. org/Cee-History-Timeline/.)

In 2024, the CEE said it reached 5 million students. Sadly, that is not quite 10% of the estimated 55 million children in U.S. schools. To

the good, the numbers continue to grow, albeit slowly. (See map.)

But the economic educators’ plight is also a clear indicator that if the understanding of capitalism versus socialism versus entitlementitis is to spread, it must happen in our homes.

Ultimately, we are responsible for teaching our children the virtues of capitalism and limited government.

No other economic system in the world has lifted more people out of poverty than capitalism. And it is also true than whenever government intervenes into the market, it inevitably makes matters worse,

more expensive and less efficient.

As written here in 2024, it’s worth quoting Ronald Reagan again from a 1989 speech: “Let me offer lesson No. 1 about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins …”

Laissez-faire means more than “Leave us alone.” It’s a symbolic phrase for liberty and prosperity.

Advocate that word in 2026.

— MW

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LOOKING AHEAD

Q+A WITH NICK GLADDING

YourObserver.com

Elected without opposition, the former land-use and environmental lawyer will represent District 3 when he takes office in March.

STAFF WRITER

N

ick Gladding will be sworn in as the newest Longboat Key town commissioner after running without opposition to replace Ken Schneier as District 3’s representative. The president of the Republican Club of Longboat Key, Gladding formerly was a land-use and environmental lawyer and was appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist to serve on the Florida Energy and Climate Commission. Gladding spoke with the Longboat Observer in his study to discuss key issues ahead of his swearing-in this March. The following are edited excerpts of the conversation.

You have experience with land-use and environmental law, and also served on the Florida Energy and Climate Commission. How will that background, along with your Planning and Zoning Board experience, help you in your role on the Longboat Key Town Commission?

I hope it will. One of the things I’ve learned with the Planning and Zoning Board over the last couple of years is they wait for the Commission to give direction. That experience has been great for me because I now understand how that direction can be given, and it comes from the Commission.

There’s hardening and strengthening the coastlines, and we’ve got to do something better with our beaches. There’s an issue and somewhat of a debate about the use of groins, particularly on the northern end. It’s not clear to me, yet, whether we should be adding more or not. We’ve got to get into that debate.

I’ve got a pretty good background on advocacy, both as a lawyer but also because I’ve had experience in Tallahassee. As a result of that, I dealt a lot with the legislators up there and with FDEP and FDOT. As a result, I believe that I can bring some assistance here as an advocate in Tallahassee. I really want to be able to help because I still have good contacts in Tallahassee. I want to advocate for allowing the state to give us more tools locally.

The relationship between Tallahassee and local governments has seemed to be more combative than collaborative lately. Is that something you’ve seen?

There seems to be a problem going on in the sense of the state wants to tell localities don’t do things. They want to run everything out of Tallahassee. That’s not the best way to do it. I think we should work with the state to kind of turn this around a little bit. Work with us, not just to dictate things. That didn’t used to happen as much, but you’re really getting this sense that local people can’t do things that interfere with what the state is saying. I want to kind of work on that.

Canal maintenance is an issue that will come before the commission this year, and I wonder what your take is on how it should be funded and what other discussions need to be had before work begins?

The big issue is who is going to pay for it. The people who don’t live on canals don’t want to pay anything. The problem is similar to the debate about whether people who live on the bay side should have to pay for sand on the gulf side. There ended up being

S.T. Cardinal

Nick Gladding poses for a photo in his Sarasota Bay-facing backyard. In March, Gladding will be sworn in as the next Longboat Key District 3 commissioner.

an 80-20 split on that. They’re looking at this with canals now, but not all the commissioners and not all the town people agree, so it’ll be interesting how it comes out. My theory is that we get some benefit even though we’re not on canals because it’s part of Longboat Key. It will probably impact the values of everybody that lives on Longboat Key. If we aren’t going to take care of the canals, then what’s going to happen overall? But to the question as far as how I would vote on it, I wouldn’t want to get into that now.

Another environmental topic that has brought some talk among Commission is regarding the Ohana seawall now that the property has changed hands. How should responsibility be split between local governments and landowners

when it comes to downshore erosion and seawall repairs?

That’s why I got into environmental law. The whole reason I got involved years ago was because I found it fascinating between private interests, governmental concerns and the threat of the environment itself. Right after the Clean Water Act was passed in the mid-’70s, that’s when it all started.

When I got into my first case, it was in Connecticut. It involved a problem similar to that where a private company had a metal reclamation business sitting on a river intake and they thought they had the rights to do whatever, the state said no, and furthermore it was causing long-term degradation to the river. It was fascinating to me.

Turning to this, it’s the same situation. You’ve got the Ohana’s new owners. They feel they’re grandfathered in to leave the

seawall there, but then you have the impacts the town is concerned about when it comes to beach degradation and erosion to the south of the wall. That tension between private rights and the government and then possibly the impact of the environment, that’s the crux of it that I think is fascinating. If I were representing the homeowner, I would try to make a deal. I would be looking at that if it comes up before me.

The first vote you will take as commissioner is who will be mayor. Do you know who you are going to support for that?

I’m going to support the current vice mayor (Debra Williams).

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96-year-old grandmother “GG”, or Grandma Gladys, who still helps at the local “We are all blessed by the beauty that the food pantry where she volunteers two days birds bring to our community,” she said.

“Every single day, my husband and I are a week for most of her life. walking on the beach and we encounter “That’s just what she’s always done,” so many different birds. What many people Johnson said. “Helping people wasn’t a don’t realize is how vulnerable these phase or a project. It was part of who she seabirds are, from natural injuries to living was.” That example filtered down through so close to human activity.” the family, influencing Johnson’s own upbringing and shaping the values passed Johnson explained that over 1,200 birds a year visit the Save Our Seabirds hospital. “I from one generation to the next. was really overwhelmed by that,” she said.

Johnson grew up to become a financial “Everything from hooks in pelicans from planner with Edward Jones who believes in fishermen to birds that hurt their wings helping others achieve the highest return or birds that become too acclimated to on their lives. “That’s what drew me to some humans and can’t be released.” of the things that I’ve supported over the years, as far as charities and giving back,” Save Our Seabirds is always looking for more volunteers to help educate the public she said of her upbringing. at different organizations and children’s In the past, Johnson has been involved programs or facility maintenance. in organizations like P.E.O. International, which educates women throughout the “We’ve seen how much this community world. These days, she devotes her time cares,” Johnson said. “Each additional person who participates, even with small and efforts locally. actions, helps strengthen the future and This year she founded Longboat Key 100, safety of these beautiful animals.” which presents local charities with the opportunity to be gifted up to $100,000 People can also support the organization to help them achieve their missions. The and its education and rescue efforts by initiative is modeled after the Power of attending its annual gala on March 21.

100, a group she chaired when she lived in Wherever Johnson has lived, she’s Hudson, Wis. Participants in Longboat Key immediately involved herself and created 100 each pledge to donate $1,000 to the community.

She summarized her charity the group selects by vote. philosophy on philanthropy by saying: The organization has sent out applications “Many of us are fortunate to have so much, to local nonprofits, and the Longboat but there is still so much need, even in our Key 100’s charity committee will narrow backyard. I believe real prosperity comes the applicants down to three who will be from investing in our communities just presented at the dinner on February 17 at as intentionally as we invest financially. I Longboat Key Club. All participants will think it’s important for us to be able to give vote that night and a winning charity will be back in a meaningful way, whether that’s financially or in service.” the recipient of all the money collected.

“I’m really excited about this and about the impact that we’ll be able to make on that day,” Johnson said.

Edited by Brett Henne

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Chris Goglia has been president of the St. Armands Residents Association since 2020.

Q+A WITH CHRIS GOGLIA S.T. Cardinal

St. Armands Residents Association president S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

C

hris Goglia has been president of the St. Armands Residents Association, or SARA, since 2020, often an outspoken advocate for the residents who live around St. Armands Circle, the shopping and dining district built by John Ringling 100 years ago. Goglia has fought against developments he believes residents wouldn’t want to see on the Circle and shared concerns about infrastructure and the need for investment to prevent damage from storms, which was evident after the dual hurricanes of 2024 hit the Sarasota area, causing flooding to businesses and homes on St. Armands Circle and the other barrier islands. Goglia spoke with the Longboat Observer to discuss his role, what he hears from residents and how the Circle could change in

the coming years. The following is an edited excerpt of that conversation.

Each year you send out a survey to SARA members. What is the goal of that survey?

The reason this survey is important to me is that was my career, marketing research. I’m a datadriven guy, and the majority of my career has been writing surveys, fielding surveys, analyzing the results of surveys and making business recommendations based on those results. So when I took over this association, this is not Chris’ views, this is the residents of St. Armands Circle’s views, and the survey each year is how we learn that and quantify that.

When issues have come up over the past several years, developers wanting to build things they’re not currently allowed to do, for example, I feel that they’ve tried to single me out and make it sound like this is all Chris, Chris, Chris.

When, in fact, if I’m performing my role the correct way, that’s intrinsically untrue. This is

what we’ve determined that the residents and residential property owners of St. Armands Key want, and I’m just simply the mouthpiece.

What do the residents of St. Armands want the district to look like?

My sense, and this is not based on survey data, but my sense doing this for over five years now, is that people are nostalgic for the more upscale shopping district that St. Armands used to be, and they value the charming nature of St. Armands Circle. The fact that there aren’t big buildings and that the hustle and bustle is under control is something I feel people value.

Sarasota County recently approved $13.5 million of investment into stormwater and drainage infrastructure on St. Armands. How big of a deal is this for the area, and what does it mean for residents and business owners?

I think it will impact people’s will-

ingness to invest and the speed at which we see new investment.

After the hurricanes, sale prices went down, in some cases significantly. Properties were distressed, people wanted to get out of here, and properties sold for less than they were worth just a year before.

How willing would you be to purchase an expensive home on St. Armands if you felt this could happen again? You’d be cautious.

So I think that seeing that millions of dollars is about to be invested here, I think that will give you more confidence in making that investment. I think that applies to businesses as well as residential property.

It’s not uncommon for developers to want to increase density of projects when they move into or expand in an area, with residents often in opposition. This has been true in St. Armands, and I’m wondering if you can explain, for example, the opposition to taller buildings or short-term rental units on the Circle.

Going back decades, the city government at the time said we think St. Armands should be a tourist destination, but not hotels, and we need to control building heights all over the barrier islands.

It’s an environmentally sensitive area, it’s an evacuation route and it impacts marine wildlife. All the reasons you don’t want to overdevelop barrier islands. You saw the reason a year ago when massive hurricanes came through and put the islands underwater.

Now, what we’ve seen in the last couple of years, is a very small number of developers saying hey, I’d like to try a hotel on St. Armands. Well, you can’t do it, currently, and you can’t build high. So what we’re now seeing is developers saying it won’t be a hotel, it’ll be “residential units.”

We know a short-term rental, a weekly rental, can make as much money in one week as a yearround rental can make in a month.

So we believe that this will be driven by economics and not by altruism.

If residential units are added to one of the larger properties on the Circle, they will be hotels in all but name and they will be rented out as Airbnbs or essentially a hotel house, just on top of an existing building instead of on a residential property. The city has a vacationrental ordinance put into place to regulate these rental properties, but it only applies to single-family and multifamily residential zones.

It does not apply to the CT zone, which St. Armands is in, so the city will have no enforcement mechanism to make sure that these things aren’t rented out to really large groups or that they honor that one-week minimum rental period.

What motivates you to take on and continue in this volunteer position?

I love my neighborhood. I love this city, and I love all the people I meet down here. I count the waiters, bartenders and shopkeepers as my friends. I value the idea of a residents’ association because I think that residents need the same voice that developers have.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

TUESDAY, DEC. 23

REVIEW RANSOM 3:37 p.m., St. Judes Drive Harassing phone call: The manager of a Longboat residence operating as an Airbnb called police after receiving phone calls from a previous renter of the property. The property manager told police that former renters called threatening to leave a bad review on the property unless they received a $1,500 payment.

Police told the property manager that because no threats of violence were made, the calls were not a criminal offense, but could be a po-

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31

RUNAWAY KAYAK 2:02 p.m., Fair Oaks Place Lost/Found property: A woman called police after her kayak floated away from her dock, which she described as a common occurrence.

The caller told police that her kayak was last seen at 5 p.m. the day before and that the kayak had “a history of floating away,” according to the police report. The caller said she wanted to report the missing kayak in case it was found. The officer filled out the paperwork.

THURSDAY, JAN. 1

LEAVING THE NEGATIVITY IN 2025 4:07 p.m., Hibiscus Way Disturbance: A tree trimmer started his new year off by walking away from a job after an argument began.

According to a police report, the tree trimmer got into an argument with a woman after showing up to trim a coconut palm tree. He told police the argument began immediately when he arrived when the woman said he showed up late to the job. The tree trimmer responded that no start time had been agreed upon and that he had trouble finding help with the job because it was a holiday. After a heated argument between the two ensued, the tree trimmer told the woman the job was not worth the trouble, and he moved on to the next job down the street.

As the tree trimmer began his second job of the year, the woman’s husband confronted him and another argument ensued. The husband told police he confronted the tree trimmer because he spoke rudely to his wife and that he walked away from the argument and called 911 before the situation got worse. The tree trimmer said he had finished his work and was headed off the island. The officer determined that no crime had occurred and closed the case, but made sure to advise the tree trimmer that there is no tree trimming allowed on Longboat Key on holidays for future reference.

GMD isn’t just Longboat’s ‘main street’ — it is its only street

LETTERS

PADDLEBOARD IN PERIL 4:40 p.m., 100 block Gulf of Mexico Drive Property damage: A paddleboarder called police after he discovered his board had been damaged after it was left in a common area at a condominium complex. According to the peeved paddleboarder, he left his 7-foot “Sup USA” on a rack with other boards, adjacent to a trash bin.

The paddleboarder said the homeowners association had been no help, leaving him nowhere to turn besides the police. The responding officer inspected the board and saw “several large dimples,” which appeared to be from heavy items such as bricks being placed on the board, according to the police report. The paddleboarder noted to police that contractors are commonly seen in the area of the paddleboards. The officer said the incident did not seem to be a crime, and the paddleboarder said he was content with a report for a potential insurance claim. The case was closed.

tential civil case. The officer advised the property manager to go through Airbnb’s dispute-resolution process and closed the case.

COPS CORNER

MONDAY, DEC. 29

I am writing to respond to the recent article (Longboat Observer, Dec. 18) regarding the contemplation of a new vision for Gulf of Mexico Drive.

I am a full-time, year-round resident of Longboat Key. I can understand the reference by (Assistant Town Manager) Isaac Brownman that GMD is our main street. But the town must also consider that GMD is also our one and only thoroughfare on the island.

Those of us who live here yearround have only two ways on and off the island, either the Cortez Bridge or the Ringling Bridge, but in either case, the only way to get there is via GMD. Most of us yearrounders use it as our only way off and back on the island. When we have a doctor’s or other appointment, we need an efficient and reliable way to get there.

I understand and appreciate the snowbirds or tourists who visit our island and want to meander down GMD either to sight see, or scope out a possible neighborhood they might be interested in, or slow down looking for an address, all at 25 or 30 miles per hour. But the speed limit is, and should be 45 miles per hour. If the lead car is going 30 miles per hour, the cars behind might stack up to 30-50 cars behind. It is frustrating for those behind who have no recourse but to “patiently” wait, while we count how may minutes late we will be for our appointment.

I advocated before, and I do again now, that we should have a dedicated turning/passing lane down most, if not all, of GMD. If the real estate hunter wants to meander, then good for him/her, but please let’s have a way for me to pass them, so that I am not late for my appointment.

S.T. Cardinal

Thankfully, Longboat avoids political insanity My wife and I come to Longboat Key for several weeks several times a year from Arkansas. One of the things we look forward to is a feeling that petty politics, especially the Washington insanity, is not in your face. A feeling that maybe these Longboat Key folks are smart enough not to buy into the whimsical changes that may or may not make any sense.

Changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, a perfectly acceptable name we have all grown up with, just on the whim of a man who will not be there in three years, is foolish at best.

It makes us think less of the judgment of the kind folks in charge.

Please do your best to let the crazy ideas of the moment stay in Washington and let us all take comfort in knowing some things that don’t need changing can stay the same.

MARK ABERNATHY LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS / LONGBOAT KEY

MARK FISHMAN

SEND LETTERS

LONGBOAT KEY

Send your letter to the editor to Executive Editor Kat Wingert at KWingert@YourObserver. com.

HONORING THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 - 5:30 PM

WORSHIP

directory

TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL 34228 941-383-3428 | info@longboatkeytemple.org

St. Mary, Star of the Sea,

Growing in Jesus’ Name

Catholic Church

Dr. Julia Wharff Piermont, Pastor Visitors & Residents Welcome Watch Our 10:00 AM Service Live: www.christchurchof lbk.org (follow YouTube link)

WINTER CONCERT SERIES

Rev. Robert Dziedziak, Pastor

Sunday • January 18, 2026 • 2:00 PM

Looking for a Spiritual Home?

Cruisin’ with Alexa Season Premier Recital

You are welcome at All Angels whether it is for a day, a season, or a lifetime... you are welcome here.

Worship Service Sunday 10 a.m.

Service is live streamed at AllAngelsLBK.org

Everyone’s invited to see in person The Sensation of The Four Seas, Alexa Lowrey.

Following eight months as the Principal Entertainer of the Seabourn Sojurne where she dazzled audiences from around the world, you now can experience her thrilling repertoire of classical, pop, sacred, and Broadway selections. Accompanying Alexa is the acclaimed Shawn Marren, (“The Human Cannonball” from his circus days) on the piano.

CONCERTS & PARKING ARE FREE

VISITORS & RESIDENTS WELCOME

6400 Gulf of Mexico Dr. • 941.383.8833 • www.christchurchoflbk.org

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563 Bay Isles Rd • 941-383-8161

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Worship With Us at Our Church Sunday Service 10:00 AM

Would like to Welcome & Invite You, Your Family Members & Friends to Celebrate Mass with Our Parish Community MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:30 AM, and 10:30 AM Daily Mass at 9:00 AM; Rosary at 8:30 AM Monday - Friday 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily following Mass.

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

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COMMUNITY PROGRAM - ALL ARE INVITED! Temple Beth Israel will host a Special Shabbat Service honoring Temple Beth Israel - 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Guest speakers Sarah Wertheimer, President & CEO, and The Hon. Charles E. Williams, Board Chair, Embracing Our Differences of Sarasota will join us. An Italian-themed Shabbat Dinner to follow ($40 per person) Must RSVP by Jan. 12 for the dinner: longboatkeytemple.org/MLK

16

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Florida’s

Luxury Real Estate Brand* In a world of options, there is only one like us — the one for results. *Based on Internal Data Compilation for calendar year 2024 for Florida, covering approximately 90% of MLSs. Data set includes all properties valued at $1 million and above, across all property types.

Scan below for a full list of Open Houses, property details, driving directions and more

HOLMES BEACH

$2,448,000 941.525.2740

WILD BLUE AT WATERSIDE

1241 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #203 Jo Rutstein & Hilary Souza

15107 Derna Terrace Laura Stavola

MARK SARASOTA

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

775 Longboat Club Road #606 Chris Wetzig

1343 4th Street #101 Frank Lambert & Anita Lambert

$1,249,000 941.400.7359

240 Sands Point Road #4206 Jackie Kleppinger

12729 Fontana Loop $950,000 Bridgett Tackett-Byzewski & Robert Sherman 941.780.0462

$1,575,000 941.350.8083

4604 Mondrian Court Christopher Bush & Angie Walters

ISLAND AT RIVIERA DUNES $1,900,000 941.735.3186

805 Riviera Dunes Way Gloria Bracciano

$1,425,000 941.404.9504

25 North Washington Drive Peter Laughlin

ARTISTRY

$1,394,600 941.920.1500

$1,115,000 941.320.0049

140 Riviera Dunes Way #1001 Laura Stavola

$1,325,000 941.447.4875

$1,115,000 941.320.0049

COUNTRY CLUB EAST $949,900 941.726.1998

$1,425,000 941.356.8428

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

LONGBOAT KEY CLUB 240 Sands Point Road #4205 Jackie Kleppinger

$1,600,000 941.229.4000

ST. ARMANDS

RIVIERA DUNES

RAINBOW RANCHES 16372 Winburn Drive Megan George

$2,450,000 941.524.8299

LONGBOAT KEY 6549 Gulf Of Mexico Drive Holly Switow

LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

LAKEWOOD RANCH

508 Blue Shell Loop Charles Totonis & Joe Harris

$1,950,000 941.275.6838

VISTA URBANA

$1,395,000 941.539.3287

SARASOTA 4674 Hidden River Road Linda Dooley & Art Paterson

3060 Grand Bay Boulevard #175 Judy Mitchell

LONGBOAT KEY

111 South Pineapple Avenue #1013 $1,599,000 Moriah Taliaferro & Vittoria Rutigliano 941.504.9910

848 Seascape Place Kevin Milner

$2,195,000 941.587.9156

LONGBOAT KEY CLUB $2,035,000 941.447.4875

$4,950,000 941.713.5458

SARASOTA 1810 Lincoln Drive Mike Warm

LONGBOAT KEY

AZARIO ESPLANADE

201 North Harbor Drive Shellie Young & Nathan Mathers

14325 Stirling Drive $829,900 Katy McBrayer & Montana Taplinger 941.400.2406

14519 Leopard Creek Place Laura Stavola

$1,289,000 941.447.4875

LAUREL OAK ESTATES 3247 Alex Findlay Place Linda Dooley & Dwight Dooley

$1,095,000 941.400.7359

LAKEWOOD RANCH | GREENBROOK 6404 Royal Tern Circle Holly Switow

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various resources, including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. Source: BrokerMetrics®

$810,000 941.735.3186

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

CONCESSION 19451 Ganton Avenue Gloria Bracciano

THE LAKE CLUB $4,500,000 941.229.4000

8009 Bounty Lane Chris Constantinou

VISTA URBANA 1343 4th Street #201 Frank Lambert

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB $3,400,000 860.227.0044

13231 Palmers Creek Terrace Rebecca Zimmerman

AZARIO ESPLANADE $2,208,000 941.920.1500

15115 Montello Way Laura Stavola

17

$2,345,000 941.224.4824

LAKEWOOD RANCH $1,495,000 941.447.4875

8358 Redonda Loop Alex Turco

$1,340,000 630.667.7183

THE GULF COAST LUXURY LEADER

POLO RUN 18013 Polo Trail Gloria Bracciano

HOLMES BEACH $780,000 941.229.4000

101 73rd Street #2 Shellie Young & Nathan Mathers

ZAHRADA 2 1558 4th Street #406 Frank Lambert & Anita Lambert

$700,000 941.713.5458

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL $695,000 941.920.1500

5916 Wake Forest Run #104 Leslie DuFresne & Lori Carey

$615,000 941.374.5010

ESPLANADE 4809 Benito Court Andrew Tanner

$1,825,000 941.539.0998

CRESSWIND 4927 Carova Way Valerie Esposito & Judy Heuerman

3802 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #A203 Holly Switow

$1,475,000 941.447.4875

$419,900 941.735.3186

$529,000 941.809.3541

610 Riviera Dunes Way #306 Cindy Pierro

LONGBOAT HARBOUR

COUNTRY CLUB EAST 15024 Castle Park Terrace Laura Stavola

BEACH HARBOR CLUB

RIVIERA DUNES

SARASOTA

4370 Chatham Drive #104 $480,000 Thomas Netzel & Sharon Dolan Meier 941.539.0633

LAKEWOOD RANCH 13008 Deep Blue Place Chris Constantinou

SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB

2651 Midnight Pearl Drive Jaci Krawschenko & Jennifer Garrabrant

$342,500 941.284.3789

738 El Centro $329,000 Kimberly Freiwald & Sherrall Van Leeuwen 941.256.6775

$485,000 941.920.6818

$441,500 860.227.0044

BRADENTON 4223 Overture Circle Nathan Mathers

$325,000 941.720.0408

BAYFRONT LUXURY RESIDENCES FROM $1.5 MILLION Discover the Art of Living Without Limits Overlooking The Bay Park, Sarasota Bay and the Quay Harbor

941.770.3993 | LIVE1000.COM ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SELLER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THE BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A SELLER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This project has been filed in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Prices and availability are subject to change at any time without notice. This is a limited time offer.

Developer may withdraw offering at any time. Illustrations are Artist’s Rendering and may not represent the final offering. Sotheby’s International Realty is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Artist’s Concept

BECAUSE EVERY HOME IS UNIQUE. JUST LIKE YOU. JUST LIKE US. BROKERAGE | RENTALS | RELOCATION | NEW DEVELOPMENT | MORTGAGE | TITLE | INSURANCE | FINE ART CONSIGNMENT VENICE | 941.412.3323

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

RENTALS | 941.203.3433

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various resources, including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. Source: BrokerMetrics®

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SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000

Classifieds 32 Games 31 Real Estate 27 Weather 31

JANUARY 8, 2026

YOUR NEIGHBORS SAVE THE DATES

FOR 2026

As we welcome a new year, check out these standout local events for the next 12 months.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

W

“Art for the Heart” attendees add their prayer intentions to a tree.

ell, 2025 was loads of fun, but the coming year is chock-full with

its own slate of anticipated events.

From holiday parades to foodie fun, the calendar holds plenty of opportunities to get outside and connect

Guest speaker Walter Gilbert extols the perseverance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Friday Shabbat service at Temple Beth Israel.

with community members. Here is a sampling of what’s ahead so you can save the date.

GARDEN CLUB NEW MEMBER RECEPTION

6 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Windward Bay Clubhouse, 4888 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

New members of the Longboat Key Garden Club can connect with current members at this welcoming event. Learn about upcoming events and programs with the club. Visit LBKGardencClub.org/Events.

Ken Bennett, Bob Carlisle and Mike Seamon share a laugh at the Dinner and a Movie fundraiser.

TBI 47TH ANNUAL GALA

5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd.

Temple Beth Israel’s 47th annual gala celebrates the theme of “Friendship & Legacy” and honors the leadership of Barry and Suzan Friedman. The evening includes a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, dinner with wine, entertainment, dancing and a live auction. Proceeds support the temple’s programs and events throughout the year. Tickets are $250 per person, and space is limited. RSVP by Feb. 9 at LongboatKeyTemple.org/Gala or call 941383-3428.

MLK JR. SHABBAT SERVICE

5:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road.

Honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at this special Shabbat service at Temple Beth Israel.

Guest speakers include Embracing Our Differences President and CEO Sarah Wertheimer and board Chairman Charles E. Williams. An Italian dinner follows in the social hall.

Tickets are $40 per person. RSVP by Jan. 12 at LongboatKeyTemple.org/ MLK or call 941-383-3428.

A CENTURY OF CARS

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 17 at St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive.

The Sarasota Yacht Club and St. Armands Circle celebrate their centennial with this parade and car show.

The YachtRodders are conducting a parade down Sarasota’s Main Street to St. Armands Circle. Submit applications to participate in the showcase on the Circle to VicLippa@ SMI-Net.com.

Photos by Dana Kampa

Bartender Sam Lastinger keeps the party going at Taste and Tunes of the Keys.

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE WINTER ART FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 24-25 on St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive.

Admission is free to this showcase of high-end artists specializing in various media. Gallery-style booths will line the South Boulevard of the Presidents and St. Armands Circle Park.

Email Info@ArtFestival.com with questions, or visit ArtFestival.com.

ART FOR THE HEART SHOW

5 p.m. Feb. 10 at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Take in works by some of Longboat Key’s finest artists at this Valentine’s Day art show hosted by the Women’s Guild. Members are opening up the celebration to the public this year.

Visit StMaryLBK.org/Womens-Guild for more information.

TASTE OF THE KEYS

Feb. 26 at the Harbourside Ballroom at The Resort at Longboat Key, 3000 Harbourside Drive.

Restaurants across the barrier islands join in celebrating local cuisine all while helping support community beautification projects through the Longboat Key Garden Club. Tickets will be available at LBKGardenClub. org/Events.

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4 SERVICES. WE DO IT ALL. Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical Generators

SEE SAVE THE DATES PAGE 20

Youngsters at the open house especially enjoyed their exclusive look into the Longboat Key Fire Department’s newest rig.

YourObserver.com

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

BICENTENNIAL PARK REDEDICATION

St. Armands Circle at this family friendly Halloween event. Free to attend.

July 4 at Bicentennial Park, 500 Bay Isles Road.

Join the town of Longboat Key in celebrating the United States of America’s 250th anniversary. Festivities will include the rededication of Bicentennial Park. Visit LongboatKey.org.

FERRARIS ON THE CIRCLE

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle.

It’s Ferrari vs. Ferrari at this annual car show. Check out the latest and greatest models at the show supporting Flight to the North Pole. A minimum donation of $25 to show a car is requested. For additional information or to register, contact Joe Gliksman at JoeGNSX@gmail. com or 863-860-1053.

EXOTIC CARS ON THE CIRCLE

Photos by Dana Kampa

Corvettes on the Circle featured about 170 entries in 2025.

SAVE THE DATES FROM PAGE 18

‘NATHAN-ISM’ FILM SCREENING

3:45 p.m. March 5 at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road.

Rabbi Jessica Mates hosts a screening of the film “Nathan-ism.” This documentary shares the story of artist Nathan Hilu, explaining how the veteran of World War II uniquely captured his own experience interacting with Nazi German leaders as a prison guard during The Nuremberg Trials in the 1940s. Free and open to the public, but registration is required. Call 941-383-8222, email Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org, or visit TBIEducationCenter.org.

COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE

March 7 at Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road.

Learn about local organizations, businesses and more at this free community event. Enjoy live music, food trucks and more while connecting with neighbors.

FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE

March 25 at Longboat Fire Rescue Station 92, 2162 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Take the opportunity to connect with Longboat Key’s first responders.

Learn about the department’s first aid equipment and more.

ARTISTS IN THE GARDEN

Starting April 10 at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

This celebration of art from all forms of media returns to Longboat Key.

The Comedy Night, introduced last year, takes place April 16. Visit LBKGardenClub.org/Events for further details.

DINNER AND A MOVIE

JAGUAR FESTIVAL D’ELEGANCE

April 24 at Bayfront Park, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Join the Longboat Key Garden Club for its fundraiser movie night in the park. Visit LBKGardenClub.org/ Events for further details.

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 2 at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle.

Check out impressive hot rods and support the Honor Flight of West Central Florida at this car show featuring views of vehicles of both classic and modern models. Sponsored by the Skyway Corvette Club of Sarasota/Bradenton and Sunset Chevrolet.

TRIP TO THAILAND

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 6-7 on St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive.

More than 100 artisans are expected to share their crafts at this outdoor event. Admission is free, and patrons will have opportunities to connect with artists. Visit ArtFestival.com.

FREEDOM FEST

9-11 a.m. July 4 at Bicentennial Park, 500 Bay Isles Road.

Bust out your best red, white and blue attire for the annual parade down Bay Isles Road. Family friendly festivities to follow in the park. Visit LongboatKeyChamber.com for more information.

Take Advantage of a Buyer’s Market

LIGHT UP LONGBOAT

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 10 at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle.

All things Jaguar come to St. Armands Circle for this annual car show hosted by the Suncoast Jaguar Club, which will be coordinating awards in a variety of classes. Attendance is free. Register at SuncoastJaguarClub.com.

CORVETTES ON THE CIRCLE

ST. ARMANDS CRAFT FESTIVAL

9 a.m. on Sept. 5 at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle.

Admire new, vintage and rare performance cars at this annual car show that supports the Flight to the North Pole. The organization supports families of terminally ill children and brings youngsters some cheer at the holidays. A minimum donation of $25 to show a car is requested. For additional information or to register, contact Joe Gliksman at JoeGNSX@ gmail.com or 863-860-1053.

Oct. 22-31 starting in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is leading a group trip to Thailand this year. The 10-day trip starts in the northern part of the country and includes stops at sacred temples, markets, a tea plantation and an ethical elephant sanctuary. Open to all. Visit LongboatKeyChamber.com.

5-7 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road.

This holiday celebration features local vendors, live music, food trucks, festive raffles, a holiday tree lighting, visits with Santa and a best-dressed costume contest. For vendor information and more, contact the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce at 941-383-2466, visit LongboatKeyChamber.com or stop in at 5390 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 102.

HOLIDAY NIGHT OF LIGHTS ON ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE

5:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive.

Witness the lighting of St. Armands Circle’s 60-foot Christmas tree to kick off the holiday season. Join in the Christmas carol sing-along in the park, watch the Sarasota Academy of the Arts dancers perform, and help Santa count down to the tree lighting. See StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.

Carlyn Vigil and Cyndi Seamon snap a picture with Santa Claus at Light Up Longboat.

FRIGHT NIGHT ON ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE

6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive.

It’s never too early to start planning a Halloween costume, and holiday celebrants have the perfect venue to show off their creations.

Check out the spooky storefronts and trick-or-treating spots around

Each condo community has its own vibe - and its own fine print.

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Seaside Retreat at3540 Promenade MagicalSophisticated Sunrises, Sunsets & Waterviews, Gulf of Mexico Dr 1211 Gulf of Mexico #108Bayfront - 2BR/2BA/1827sq.ft. #202, 2BD / 2BA/ 1,479sf, with Beach Access Absolutely Gorgeous Interior w/ Wet Bar & Elec. Fireplace $639,000 MLSA4648922 Offered at $1,199,000

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

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Local Roots, Legacy of Experience: One Family, Two Generations Over $70 Million Closed in 2025 TOP 5% of Coldwell Banker Realty Agents Globally 49+ YEARS Selling Sarasota & Manatee Counties and Lakewood Ranch

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1421 N. LAKE SHORE DR. • 4BR/4F, 2H BATHS • 4,217 SQ FT • 4-CAR GARAGE Hurricane Impact Windows & Sliders 72” Glass Fireplace • High-Capacity Wine Room • Gourmet Quartz & Stainless Kitchen Hardwood Floors

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1932 HARBOURSIDE DR. #217 2BR/2 BA + OFFICE/BREAKFAST ROOM • 1,442 SQ FT • Southeast-Facing

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THURSDAY, JAN. 8

GARDEN CLEANUP 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Anyone with a green thumb is invited to help with planting, watering and cleaning up brush in the chapel garden. No registration necessary. Appropriate outdoor dress is encouraged.

Contact Kelly Shrout with questions at 256-490-3378.

SATURDAY, JAN. 10

ROADWAY CLEANUP 8 a.m. starting at Overlook Park, 201 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The Rotary Club of Longboat Key is coordinating a cleanup. Contact Jim Chirgwin to participate. Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org for club details.

EFELT RIBBON CUTTING 10:30 a.m. at Bradenton Elks Lodge No. 1511, 2511 75th St. W., Bradenton. Help Christ Church of Longboat Key members celebrate the official opening of the new storage facility for Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies, supported by a $40,000 transformational grant from the church. Attendees are asked to bring two cans of protein, soup, veggies or other tinned meals.

SUNDAY, JAN. 11

YIDDISH COWBOYS KICK OFF SEASON 3-4:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. The Yiddish Cowboys kick off this season’s Sunday performing arts program.

Michael Drapkin, Judi Glover, Joe Porter and Nick Bruno will offer an evening of klezmer music.

Cost is $40 for members; $45 for nonmembers. Register at TBIEducationCenter.org, 941-383-8222 or Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org.

MONDAY, JAN. 12

MEET AUTHOR EXPLORING BOB DYLAN TIES 7:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Sam Sussman, author of “Boy from the North Country,” is sharing insights into a book Oprah named among the best debut novels of fall. He explores his identity and possible connections to Bob Dylan. Regis-

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tration is $20 and includes admission to the talk and a hardcover copy of the book. Sign up by Jan. 8. Visit LongboatKeyTemple.org/ Sussman or call the Temple office at 941-383-3428.

HOPE SEEDS 1-3:15 p.m. at Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Volunteers pack seeds to send to families in need globally.

Call 941-735-9454 or visit ChristChurchOfLBK.org.

events and programs with the club.

Visit LBKGardencClub.org/Events.

THE KING’S BRASS CONCERT 6:30 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive.

All are invited to enjoy a free, family friendly concert by The King’s Brass, a musical group that formed more than four decades ago in Detroit to blend contemporary and classic tunes. Visit SAKLC.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14

WIND DOWN WEDNESDAYS 5-6:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. The Barbara Jordan Quintet performs classics from the Great American Songbook over happy hour. Cost is $40 for members; $45 for nonmembers. RSVP required. Register at TBIEducationCenter.org, 941383-8222 or Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org.

THURSDAY, JAN. 15

Sue Wertman refills a pitcher with loose coriander seeds for volunteers with Hope Seeds to pack into 1 teaspoon sachets.

TUESDAY, JAN. 13

LEARN ABOUT GUT MICROBIOMES 3-4:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. Dr. Isaac Kalvaria leads the second installment of The Education Center’s winter lecture series with a talk on “The Gut Microbiome: Conductor of the Body’s Organs?” Registration required. Cost is $25 for members or $30 for nonmembers for a single lecture; $240 for members and $300 for nonmembers for the full lecture series. Register at TBIEducationCenter.org, 941-3838222 or Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org.

NEW GARDEN CLUB MEMBERS WELCOME 6 p.m. at the Windward Bay Clubhouse, 4888 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

New members of the Longboat Key Garden Club can connect with current members at this welcoming event. Learn about upcoming

GAMBLE CREEK FARMS TOUR 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Gamble Creek Farms, 14950 Golf Course Road, Parrish. The Longboat Key Garden Club is coordinating a onehour walking tour of this organic, sustainable farm followed by a farm-style, seasonal lunch. Cost is $50 a person for members; $60 for a guest. RSVP at LBKGardenClub.org/Events.

FRIDAY, JAN. 16

MLK DAY SHABBAT 5:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. at this special Shabbat service at Temple Beth Israel. Guest speakers include President and CEO Sarah Wertheimer and Board Chairman Charles E. Williams from Embracing Our Differences of Sarasota. An Italian-food dinner follows in the social hall. Tickets are $40 a person. RSVP by Jan. 12 at LongboatKeyTemple.org/MLK or call 941-383-3428.

RECURRING EVENTS TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 941-383-2011.

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SATOSARAS

SUNCOAST BLOOD DRIVE 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Longboat Island Chapel parking lot, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donate blood at the SunCoast Blood Centers’ mobile unit and receive a 10% off coupon for the Lord’s Warehouse.

Additional gift cards available for specific blood types. Visit SunCoastBlood.org or call 866-972-5663 to sign up.

TUESDAYS

POP-UP LIBRARY 10 a.m. at the Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road. The Sarasota County Pop-Up Library hosts services on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with storytime beginning at 10:30 a.m. and other services available from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

KEY OF SEA REHEARSAL 1-3 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive.

Warm up those vocal cords with the Key of Sea Choral weekly rehearsal. Email Goodman@Oakland.

EDU with questions.

THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS

BRIDGE CLUB 1 p.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This American Contract Bridge League-certified group meets twice weekly. Reservations required. Contact Patty Mayer at

262-215-2566 or PattySarasota33@gmail.com for more.

FRIDAYS

WALKING CLUB 9-10 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This new walking group meets outside The Paradise Center before heading out to local sites. Led by certified Nordic walking instructor Enrico “Sam” DiGiammarino Jr. To RSVP, email Amy@TheParadiseCenter.org or call 941-383-6493.

SATURDAYS

RUN CLUB 7 a.m. at Sips coffee shop, 6830 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join this newly formed community running club for a morning jog at your own pace. The group is free and open to the public, and registration is not required.

20

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Photos by Dana Kampa

Phlebotomists Kierrah Stanford and Diana Lemus staff the SunCoast Blood Centers’ mobile unit stationed outside of Longboat Key Town Hall in 2025.

941.778.5622 | lapenseeplumbing.com 401 Manatee Avenue, Holmes Beach

456125-1

YOUR CALENDAR

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

CFC1429635 - CPC1459826 - CAC1818472

FELTZ COLLINS ARCHITECTURE FELTZARCH.COM

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22

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

23

REAL ESTATE BY REAL EXPERTS GULF FRONT

BIRD KEY

6685 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE LONGBOAT KEY, FL

656 S. OWL DRIVE SARASOTA, FL

EXTRAORDINARY 12,000+ SQ. FT. ESTATE

CANAL FRONT ARCHITECTURAL SHOWCASE

8 BED / 8 BATH / 2 HALF BATH • $15,500,000

INN ON THE

210 SANDS POINT RD. #2405 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 1 BED / 1 BATH • $1,175,000

3 BED + DEN / 3 BATH / 2 HALF BATH • $6,185,000

BEACH

225 SANDS POINT RD. #6201 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 1 BED / 1 BATH • $790,000

SANCTUARY

225 SANDS POINT RD. #7205 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 1 BED / 1 BATH • $750,000

565 SANCTUARY DR. #B106 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 3 BED / 3.5 BATH • $1,999,000

ISLANDER CLUB

2301 GULF OF MEXICO DR. #25N LONGBOAT KEY, FL 2 BED / 2 BATH • $599,000

2301 GULF OF MEXICO DR. #36N LONGBOAT KEY, FL 2 BED / 2 BATH • $849,000

2295 GULF OF MEXICO DR. #23S LONGBOAT KEY, FL 2 BED / 2 BATH • $1,495,000

2301 GULF OF MEXICO DR. #101N LONGBOAT KEY, FL 2 BED / 2 BATH • $1,395,000

FAIRWAY BAY

NEPTUNE

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LONGBOAT HARBOUR

1904 HARBOURSIDE DR. #202 SARASOTA, FL 2 BED / 2.5 BATH • $489,000

2850 GULF OF MEXIDO DR. #2 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 2 BED / 1 BATH • $449,000

2155 HARBOURSIDE DR. #804 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 3 BED / 2 BATH • $769,000

4430 EXETER DR. #106 LONGBOAT KEY, FL 2 BED / 2 BATH • $710,000

VIEW ADDITIONAL LISTINGS ON OUR WEBSITE • OVER $60 MILLION SOLD - 2025 • RANKED #2 COLDWELL BANKER DUO IN THE NATION • TOP 1.5% OF ALL REALTORS IN THE NATION • TOP FLORIDA 100 REALTOR - COLDWELL BANKER

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www.BruceMyer.com

449594-1 449599-1

CHASE MYER 941.315.5318

595 Bay Isles Rd, STE 250 Longboat Key, FL 34228

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

IF YOU GO

NŌNNŌ UMBERTO What: Italian seafood and steakhouse Where: 22 S. Boulevard of the Presidents When: Hours to be announced following the official ribboncutting ceremony Info: Call 941-5569353 or visit NonnoUmbertoRestaurant.com.

Dana Kampa

Surmounting the impasta-ble Nonno Umberto celebrates soft opening in St. Armands.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

T

456305-1

he owners of Nōnnō Umberto expected a fairly quiet soft opening for the rebranded Italian restaurant on St. Armands Circle the first week of January.

But it was anything but quiet as staff served more than 250 people on the first night, growing to 800 people over the course of the first week, co-owner Amber Mayner said.

She and her husband, Simone Salustri, have looked forward to the opening all year.

When Hurricanes Helene and Milton forced the family to close Le Colonne, they didn’t know what the next steps would be.

To keep the business afloat, Simone and Mayner opened an Italian food truck called Buonissimo Mobile Italian Kitchen last year. The move gave them time to figure out what to do next with the brick-and-mortar location on St. Armands Circle.

Mayner and Simone decided to reopen the restaurant under a new name, recognizing the legacy of Simone’s father, Umberto Salustri, who

Get There in a Hop, Skip and a Splash

opened the original Le Colonne.

She said they had always hoped to open around the holidays, so they were glad to finish the renovation in time for the New Year, even if it took an all-hands-on-deck push to get there.

“It feels like a dream come true that we did it, we made it,” she said.

“We had a big team to help us.”

Simone added, “We worked from 6 a.m. to midnight for a month. It was sometimes one step forward, two steps back. But we did it.”

Holiday spirit helped them get through the final stages of construction. Even before they painted the walls, Simone found a frosted Christmas tree to place in the center of the dining room. Their vision for the restaurant gradually came to life, and the team opened quietly on Dec. 29.

Mayner noted that the rebranded restaurant isn’t exactly the same as Le Colonne. The team is excited to share what the new menu has to offer for diners, especially the beloved Italian dishes that showcase seafood, like the ravioli aragosta (lobster ravioli).

She added that one of the best parts of reopening has been seeing the joy on Umberto Salustri’s face upon seeing the restaurant bustling once again.

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24

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

JOIN US FOR A

Tuesday, January 20th

Grand Opening Celebration

10AM - 5PM Brista Commons, Longboat Key’s newest development, is now open, and we invite you to stop by our grand opening event. Explore each thoughtfully designed space, enjoy beverages from the Patio Coffee Truck, and take part in individual raffles throughout the plaza.

Brista Homes & Realty is a family-owned luxury construction company and boutique real estate brokerage serving Longboat Key and Sarasota. Known for premier building, renovation, and a designer’s eye in real estate, they offer a seamless experience delivered with vision, integrity, and personal service.

Discover a curated collection of American-made indoor and outdoor furniture, stylish decor, rugs, custom window treatments, blinds and shades. Our interior design services help bring every space together beautifully. Complete your home with Thomas Blonde, a non-toxic fragrance that smells amazing and is perfect for your home, office or car.

Raffle Drawing

Raffle Drawing

Thomas Blonde Whole House Room Diffuser (100% natural essential oil)

Thomas Blonde candles and fragrances, drawn on the hour for in-store guests

3120 GULF OF MEXICO DR.

3130 GULF OF MEXICO DR.

bristahomes.com | bristarealty.com | 941-373-0500

couchlbk.com | 941-373-9644

Cucine Ricci has been a Sarasota leader in high-end cabinetry for over 20 years. Their Sarasota Design Studio and satellite showroom at Couch Longboat Key offer consultations and world-class Italian craftsmanship that transforms vision into timeless design.

Your Flooring Warehouse is a third-generation, family-owned company serving the Greater Tampa Bay area for over 35 years. They offer practical to bespoke flooring solutions, combining buying power, regional expertise, and non-commissioned design-level guidance.

Raffle Drawing

Raffle Drawings

A one-time coupon of 25% off a cabinet contract

Beach Essentials Cart or Beach Picnic Basket

3140 GULF OF MEXICO DR.

cucinericci.com | 941-554-8000

yourflooringwarehouse.com | 941-315-2899

ClearView Windows & Doors is a family-owned business founded in 2002, now serving Longboat Key with high-performance windows and doors. Their showroom makes secure, energy-efficient, and impact-resistant solutions easily accessible to local customers.

Goodwill Industries-Manasota, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to changing lives through the power of work. This location features a public bookstore and a donation drop-off center, so every visit or contribution directly supports the community.

Raffle Drawing

Raffle Drawing

$200 Visa Gift card and a ClearView Swag Bag

$100 Goodwill Gift Card

3150 GULF OF MEXICO DR.

clearviewwindowsflorida.com | 941-746-9848

3160 GULF OF MEXICO DR.

experiencegoodwill.org | 941-355-2721 Open Daily 8am-8pm 456074-1

3130 GULF OF MEXICO DR.

25

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

LONGBOAT KEY 6477 Gulfside Rd 6 Beds 6/1 Baths 5,862 Sq. Ft. Robert Delaney 941.315.3185 A4666887 $10,000,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1241 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #804 3 Beds 4 Baths 3,045 Sq. Ft. Michael Moulton 941.928.3559 A4669837 $3,395,000

LONGBOAT KEY 595 Bowsprit Ln 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,550 Sq. Ft. Melissa Gissinger 941.404.2722 A4668868 $3,275,000

LONGBOAT KEY 415 L Ambiance Dr #E507 2 Beds 3 Baths 2,385 Sq. Ft. Linda Driggs 941.374.2920 A4672684 $3,250,000

LONGBOAT KEY 545 Sanctuary Dr #B204 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,115 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy, PA & Gail Wittig, LLC 941.387.0100 A4667288 $3,150,000

LONGBOAT KEY 6810 Longboat Dr S 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 2,848 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse, PA 941.302.4913 A4669890 $2,799,000

LONGBOAT KEY 333 Firehouse Ct 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 2,900 Sq. Ft. Steve Walter & Janet Walter 941.809.0907 A4672573 $2,795,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3361 Bayou Sound 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,327 Sq. Ft. Jennifer Linehan 941.266.7555 A4671605 $1,975,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2525 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #8d 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,468 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse, PA & Eddie Campbell 941.302.4913 A4670942 $1,945,000

LONGBOAT KEY 761 Tarawitt Dr 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,377 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse, PA 941.302.4913 A4672164 $1,599,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1465 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #106 3 Beds 3 Baths 1,815 Sq. Ft. Michael Moulton 941.928.3559 A4670993 $1,525,000

LONGBOAT KEY 691 Gulf Bay Rd 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,581 Sq. Ft. Angela Scott 941.928.7462 A4670206 $1,495,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2323 Harbour Oaks Dr 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,395 Sq. Ft. Steven Moore 401.767.7180 A4671542 $1,023,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2295 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #115s 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,235 Sq. Ft. Michael Nink, PA 941.914.2805 A4670081 $975,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1922 Harbourside Dr #1104 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,316 Sq. Ft. Beverly St. Hilaire & Julie Klick 818.416.2505 A4666101 $795,000

LONGBOAT KEY 5270 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #508 3 Beds 3 Baths 1,460 Sq. Ft. Beth Ann Boyer 941.780.6606 A4673695 $794,999

LONGBOAT KEY 4900 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #205 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,312 Sq. Ft. Richard Perlman 941.228.8580 A4671087 $698,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1932 Harbourside Dr #254 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,192 Sq. Ft. Beverly St. Hilaire & Julie Klick 818.416.2505 A4666650 $650,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4234 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #E2 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,150 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941.356.9642 A4667654 $649,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3320 Gulf Of Mexico Dr Dr #208c 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,154 Sq. Ft. Mimi Kruk 941.587.5188 A4670488 $599,000

LONGBOAT KEY 597 Sutton Pl 2 Beds 1/1 Baths 1,008 Sq. Ft. Simone Schaerf 941.260.1550 A4669989 $530,000

LONGBOAT KEY 6700 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #139 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,305 Sq. Ft. Maruta Miluns 941.374.9702 A4674675 $499,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4370 Chatham Dr #204 2 Beds 2 Baths 928 Sq. Ft. Tammy Mast 941.256.6543 A4674741 $495,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4440 Exeter Dr #204 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,152 Sq. Ft. Malihe Karimi 941.376.5099 A4666657 $485,000

LONGBOAT KEY 576 Sutton Pl 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,270 Sq. Ft. Kathy Callahan & Todd Callahan 941.900.8088 A4675729 $459,000

LONGBOAT KEY 560 Harbor Point Rd 4 Beds 5 Baths 5,245 Sq. Ft. Jonathan Fox, PA & Meghan Leiter 941.544.6649 A4671218 $9,700,000

LONGBOAT KEY 510 Harbor Gate Way 4 Beds 5/1 Baths 5,080 Sq. Ft. John August & Jeff Weller 941.320.9795 A4671696 $4,895,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3488 Mistletoe Ln 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,341 Sq. Ft. Kim Ogilvie 941.376.1717 A4670010 $3,980,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

454993-1

26

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Bird Key home tops week’s sales at $6,345,000

REAL ESTATE

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

DEC. 15-19

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

H

B Land Holdings II LLC sold the home at 118 N. Warbler Lane to Michael and Kerridan Crowe, of Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania, for $6,345,000. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, fourand-two-half baths and 4,843 square feet of living area.

LONGBEACH

Franklin Keith Ekenseair and Tammy Lisko, of Greensboro, Georgia, sold their home at 718 Linley St. to Pamela Oakley and Shelby Oakley, trustees, of Longboat Key, for $4,177,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,101 square feet. It sold for $2,925,000 in 2023.

JOHN RINGLING ESTATES

Michael and Diamond McKenna, trustees, of Milton, Wisconsin, sold the home at 200 Garfield Drive to Andrew and Ashely Warnock, of Hilliard, Ohio, for $4.1 million.

Built in 2023, it has six bedrooms, six-and-two-half baths, a pool and 3,965 square feet. It sold for $3,910,600 in 2023.

Gary and Elizabeth Munch, of Sarasota, sold their home at 360 N. Washington Drive to Fred and Sarah Kawa, of Sarasota, for $3.5 million.

Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,951 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.25 million in 2012.

27

The home at 118 N. Warbler Lane sold for $6,345,000.

Dana Kampa

18-26 George Street LLC sold the home at 113 Fillmore Drive to 5 Star Short Term Rentals LLC for $2,825,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,008 square feet. It sold for $3,275,000 in 2021.

BAY ISLES

John and Patricia Sheller, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3261 Bayou Sound to Jerome Sousa III, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $2,087,600.

Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,849 square feet. It sold for $1.27 million in 2017.

SANCTUARY AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

Nigel Graham and Linda Rosemary Graham, of North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, sold their Unit A-404 condominium at 575 Sanctuary Drive to Vincent and Susan Silvaggio, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, for $1.88 million. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,785 square feet. It sold for $405,000 in 1990.

LIDO BEACH CLUB

Allan Mayer, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 901 condominium at 1212 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Evelyn Mayr, of Sarasota, for $1.06 million. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,532 square feet. It sold for $66,500 in 1974.

SARASOTA HARBOUR EAST APARTMENTS

John Patrick Henderson and Mary Janet Henderson, of Noblesville, Tennessee, sold their Unit 32 condominium at 775 John Ringling Blvd. to David Waldock and Kathleen Waldock, trustees, of Sylvania, Ohio, for $640,000. Built in 1965, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 882 square fee. It sold for $280,000 in 2003.

SEAPLACE

Lloyd Taustine and Katherine Preston Tate Taustine, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit M2-207-G condominium at 1945 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Marsha and Andrei Dorochenko, of Columbus, Ohio, for $505,000. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,076 square feet. It sold for $129,900 in 1989.

LONGBOAT HARBOUR

Thomas Ferraro and Joseph Ferraro, of Malverne, New York, sold their Unit 303 condominium at 4380 Exeter Drive to Brian and Ann McHenry, of Longboat Key, for $460,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,152 square feet. It sold for $440,000 in 2021.

TURTLE CRAWL

Alyssa Nohren, Special Magistrate, sold the Unit T-203 condominium at 4235 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Turtle Crawl T203 LLC for $545,000.

Built in 1973, it has one bedroom, one bath and 780 square feet. It sold for $315,000 in 2003.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of Dec. 18-Jan. 1 in order of dollar amounts.

LONGBOAT KEY Permit

634 Buttonwood Drive

Res. New/Replacement Chuck Crossan

Applicant

$1,691,456

Amount

6533 Bayou Hammock Road

Res. New/Replacement Frank Agnelli

$900,000

740 Russell St.

Res. New/Replacement Donald Haight

$750,000

3010 Grand Bay Blvd. #482

Comm. Windows/Doors Scott Brigham

$145,481

5211 Gulf of Mexico Drive #202 Commercial Alteration

Onex Valles Jr.

$143,960

1 Winslow

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Lee Palmer

$131,560

3331 Bayou Sound

Residential Alteration

Josef Watter

$114,129

551 Yardarm Lane

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Brian Wood

$97,315

3625 Fair Oaks

Res. Windows/Doors

Andrew Fiedel

$91,734

3541 Bayou Pointe

New Electrical

William W. Erickson

$83,000

Trust 536 Cutter Lane

Dock/Seawall/Lift

663 Penfield St.

Res. Swimming Pool/Spa Eric Haeck

Todd Duncan

$75,575

5010 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Scott Myers

$66,475

3172 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Commercial Alteration

Jose Azocar

$63,935

100 Sands Point Road #324

Commercial Alteration

Bruce Smith

$60,769

3605 Fair Oaks

Residential Alteration

Pablo Arnaud

$60,700

3311 Bayou Sound

Residential Pool Cage

Laura Beane

$59,577

3040 Grand Bay Blvd. #275

Commercial Shutters

Bill Spindel

$58,888

$68,000

3330 Gulf of Mexico Drive #102 Comm. Windows/Doors Scott Brigham

$55,632

5621 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Commercial Addition

Jason Blakeman

$55,464

560 Cutter Lane

Residential Roof

Brian Wallace

$53,800

3040 Grand Bay Blvd. #284

Commercial Shutters

Bill Spindel

$50,057

2185 Harbourside Drive #1401

Comm. Windows/Doors Andrew Werner Sr.

$44,601

686 Norton St.

Residential Roof

$44,350

Danielle Forrey

5285 Gulf of Mexico Drive #101 Comm. Windows/Doors Robert Contraguerro Jr. $42,255 3005 Gulf of Mexico Drive #101 Commercial Alteration

Adam Maio

$40,000

3005 Gulf of Mexico Drive #102 Commercial Alteration

Adam Maio

$40,000

350 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Scott Liebel

$37,020

834 Bayport Way

Comm. Windows/Doors Cody Green

$34,471

642 Ranger Lane

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Scott Myers

$29,388

4340 Falmouth Drive #203

Comm. Alteration

Alexander Hall

$25,000

813 Bayport Way

Comm. Windows/Doors Dale Lewis

$23,000

For nearly 50 years, Michael Saunders & Company has led Southwest Florida real estate. Our Developer Services Division offers unmatched expertise from concept to sell-out, partnering on 85+ landmark projects like the St. Regis Longboat Key Residences, The Collection, The Mark and The Ritz-Carlton Residences with innovation and integrity.

The Edge Sarasota | 941.866.3068 | From Mid $3M Sales Gallery at 1801 Main Street | TheEdgeSarasota.com

581 Golf Links Lane

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Scott Myers

$22,046

Dock/Seawall/Lift

Mark Powers

$20,187

941.951.6650

551 Wedge Lane

Res. Windows/Doors

Thomas Lippert

$18,850

MSCDeveloperServices.com

435 L’Ambiance Drive #M708

Comm. A/C Changeout Brad Schlabach

$18,268

100 Sands Point Road #104

Commercial Alteration

David Gilson

$18,234

William Kerrane

$15,600

5757 Gulf of Mexico Drive #202 Comm. Electrical Alt/Reno Angel Fernandez

$15,000

2675 Gulf of Mexico Drive #101 Comm. Electrical Service Jurand Gronkowski

$15,000

640 Fox St.

Residential Roof

3806 Gulf of Mexico Drive #C307 A/C Changeout

Ramon De Jesus Goas $14,645 William Tow

$13,851

Source: Town of Longboat Key

400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From $1.3M Call for an appointment | Residences400central.com

Let’s build something extraordinary together.

5070 Gulf of Mexico Drive

5055 Gulf of Mexico Drive #516 Mechanical Alt/Reno

Waldorf Astoria Residences Sarasota From From $2.5M to $30M+ | WAResidencesSarasota.com

Prices as of January 2025

Issa Homes at SeaFlower | 941.491.7879 From $1.29M | SeaFlower.IssaHomes.com

455008-1

Address

28

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Celebrating 50 YEARS of Living and Working on Longboat Key Cathy C. Meldahl, P.A. Your Longboat Key Community Realtor • Consistent top producer on Longboat Key • In-depth knowledge of the real estate market • Active in our community with Longbeach Village Association Longboat Key Historical Society Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce Longboat Key Garden Club

456130-1

941.724.7228

CathyMeldahl@michaelsaunders.com

Image courtesy of Pix360

The home at 1418 John Ringling Parkway was built on 0.28 acres in 2005. It was remodeled by Mindy Webb of Mindy Webb Design.

456096-1

ADOPT DON’T SHOP

OPEN 7 DAYS 10am-6pm - 941-366-2404 | 2542 17th St., Sarasota, FL 34234 • www.catdepot.org

Within a walk to Circle, home lists for $9 million With five bedrooms and eight baths, Lido Shores home is near shopping, overlooks Sarasota Bay. ERIC GARWOOD DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

W

AMISH HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE FOR EVERY ROOM OF YOUR HOME

Solid Hardwood - Sustainably Made - Lifetime Warranty

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449804-1

1529 U.S. 301, Palmetto, FL 34221 - 941.721.6715 3737 Bahia Vista St. Sarasota, FL 34232 - 941.952.5646 6100 N Lockwood Ridge Rd. Sarasota, FL 34243 - 941.960.2942

ithin walking distance of the shopping and dining of St. Armands Circle, a luxurious home on the shores of Sarasota Bay recently went on sale in Lido Shores with an asking price of $9 million.

The five-bedroom, eight-bath home sits on .28 acres not far from the New Pass Bridge spanning toward Longboat Key. Built in 2005, its nearly 5,600 square feet of living space was recently remodeled

by Mindy Webb of Mindy Webb Designs. Among its highlighted features: n Italian flooring n Gourmet chef’s kitchen n Butler’s pantry n Billiards room n Two wet bars n Climate-controlled wine cellar holding up to 648 bottles n Intricate crown moldings and tray ceilings n Two-stop elevator The home was listed by Kelly Gettel and Faye Doyle of Coldwell Banker Realty in late December.

According to Sarasota County property records, Charles and Laura Muth have owned the home since 2020.

Though the luxury market typically operates and reacts differently to the Manatee/Sarasota market as

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS More than 250 homes are listed in the area for more than $4 million, and 54 for $9 million or more. The highest is a 10,697-square-foot home on South Lake Shore Drive in Sarasota, listed for $26.4 million.

a whole, even the broader housing economy has seen county to county variations on a theme in late 2025.

According to the Real Estate Association of Sarasota and Manatee: n In November 2025, Sarasota County reported 564 closed sales for single-family homes, a 28.5% increase year over year. The median sale price declined 6.6% to $457,495, continuing a gradual normalization from last year. Cash buyers made up 42.7% of all closed sales, while sellers received a median of 93.3% of their original list price. n In Manatee County, there were 548 single-family sales, representing a 13.7% decline year over year, reflecting a slower pace than October. The median sale price increased 13.3% to $487,233, driven in part by a shift in the mix of homes sold. Cash sales accounted for 27% of transactions, and sellers received 94.5% of their original list price.

“Sarasota and Manatee may share a border, but their single-family markets are behaving very differently,” said Debi Reynolds, 2025 RASM President and Managing Broker at SaraBay Real Estate.

CELEBRATING 86 YEARS OF REAL ESTATE EXCELLENCE

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McCalls Beach Castle Condo 5310 Gulf of Mexico Dr., #16, LBK 2BR/2BA / A4673264/ $699,000 Miguel Rosa (941) 477-5928

Mainsail Beach Inn Condo 103 66th St #10, Holmes Beach 2BR/2BA / A4675260 / $699,000 Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165

Why Choose Us? Board-certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Dual Degree Licensed Dentists (DMD) & Physicians (MD) Professional & highly trained staff Patient centered solutions backed by cutting-edge technology

NEW LOCATION Venice Office (941) 263-7343

Hillview Tamiami Office (941) 365-3388

Bee Ridge Office (941) 926-9100

Turtle Bay Condo 8735 Midnight Pass Rd., #301B, Siesta Key 3BR/3BA / A4671343 / $925,000 Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165 455297-1

Five Star Rated

sarasotaoms.com

Anna Maria Island Single Family Home 519 Villa Rosa Way, Anna Maria 4BR/4/5 BA / A4671485/ $5,000,000 Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165

LOCAL, VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1939

Harbor House South Condo 400 Golden Gate Pt #11, Sarasota 3BR/2BA / A4671447/ $1,350,000 Miguel Rosa (941) 447-5928

Longboat Key Office 5360 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 101 Longboat Key, FL 34228 941.383.5577

SCAN QR CODE FOR THIS WEEKEND OPEN HOUSES

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Call us!

Whitney Beach Condo 6701 Gulf of Mexico Dr. #311, LBK 1BR/1BA / A4640305 /$798,000 NOW $748,000 Ed Taaffe (636) 346-6165

YourObserver.com

29

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

It’s Written In the Stars

Since 2016, Sarasota Memorial has accomplished what no other Florida hospital could: a perfect 5-Star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — every year — for 10 years straight.

What does that mean for our patients?

It means timely care and world-class results.

It means the highest possible ratings for patient safety and patient care, with substantially fewer readmissions and complications than the national average. It means healthcare our patients can trust from a healthcare system that has been tried, tested, and proven to put its patients first.

Don’t believe it? It’s written in the stars★

456115-1

smh.com/5stars

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Luxuriously Fresh Perspectives INSIDE AND OUT.

R E SI DE NCE SL I DOK EY.COM

Welcoming Owners 2026 • From the $7 Millions • 941-888-3131 Visit Our Sales Gallery: 540 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236 ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This project has been fi led in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Equal Housing Opportunity. Rosewood Residences Lido Key is owned and being developed, offered and sold by WSR—Lido Beach, LLC (“Developer”). The project is not owned, developed or sold by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, L.L.C. or any of its affi liates (“Rosewood”). Developer uses the Rosewood marks pursuant to a license agreement with Rosewood, which may be terminated under certain conditions. Rosewood does not assume any responsibility or liability in connection with the condominium. © Copyright 2026. All rights reserved. The Ronto Group®. Rosewood Hotels and Resorts®.

455313-1

30

YourObserver.com

31

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

FRIDAY, JAN. 9 High: 79 Low: 63 Chance of rain: 7%

Thursday, Jan. 8

7:21a

5:52p

Friday, Jan. 9

7:21a

5:53p

Saturday, Jan. 10

7:21a

5:54p

Sunday, Jan. 11

7:21a

5:55p

SATURDAY, JAN. 10

Monday, Jan. 12

7:21a

5:56p

High: 78 Low: 64 Chance of rain: 7%

Tuesday, Jan. 13

7:21a

5:56p

Wednesday, Jan. 14

7:21a

5:57p

WEATHER

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

MOON PHASES SUNDAY, JAN. 11 High: 75 Low: 56 Chance of rain: 14%

Jan. 10 Last

Jan. 18 New

Jan. 25 First

Feb. 1 Full

TIDES Highs Lows

Donna Jablonski took this photo of a stunning cloud formation over the Gulf on Longboat Key.

Thursday, Jan. 8

2:48a

4:11p

10:16a

10:45p

Friday, Jan. 9

3:52a

4:36p

10:45a

—

Saturday, Jan. 10

5:12a

5:06p

12:01a

11:12p

Sunday, Jan. 11

7:20a

5:43p

1:20a

11:30p

Monday, Jan. 12

—

6:26p

2:37a

—

Tuesday, Jan. 13

—

7:15p

3:43a

—

Wednesday, Jan. 14

—

8:06p

4:38a

—

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Contests. All submissions will be entered in the 2026-27 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2027, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

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

Daily crossword puzzles available at YourObserver.com/crossword

SPLITTING HAIRS by Ryan Mathiason, edited by Jared Goudsmit 115 Isolated from other

51 Dubuque’s state

departments

53 ___ tube (water park

116 Get there

item)

117 List of mistakes in a text 55 Citrus drink suffixes 118 Goes viral online

57 Port-au-Prince’s country

119 Piled up

60 Like full lips

120 Ocean passage

62 TV remotes often go

65 Most shortly

2 “The Big Lebowski”

66 Khaki garment

actress Reid

67 Zero, zip, nil

3 Ocean predator in a pod

68 Slip-on shoe

4 Make a choice

69 Greasy salon product

5 Some Japanese perform-

71 Pro golfer Rory

ers

72 “Later!”

6 Carved in stone

73 Code in which “code” is

7 “i c it this way ...”

“-.-. --- -.. .”

8 Showed the ropes to

74 iPhone downloads

10 Starting lineup

agewise

11 Name hidden in “play-

76 Like human thumbs

land”

77 Hinder

12 “Killer Klowns From Outer 78 Atkins diet no-no

58 Cockatoo’s home

86 Off in the distance

selves with air

59 Drink quickly

87 Vim

61 Goes from 0 to 60, say?

88 Syrup-producing trees

7 Stick using a wooden stake 40 Potato pancake 13 Like “Saturday Night Live” 42 Key next to Q 19 “Magic” conveyance in “Aladdin” 20 Use as a rendezvous point 21 Enter from outside 22 “I Wanna Be Yours” band 24 Left-___ (like about 10% of people) 25 Sheep’s cry 26 “___ sells seashells ...”

27 Blue-green hue 28 Security org. busts 30 “Howdy!”

32 Prefix meaning “largescale” 34 Mechanical pencil brand

here!”

85 Responsive to stimuli

14 Low-alcohol lager, for

86 Like Usain Bolt’s last

example

name

15 Hawaiian porch

90 Not widely recognized

16 Habit-forming

94 Say “I’m kind of a big

17 Like an even score

deal,” say

18 Doesn’t continue

95 Pueblo bricks

23 Blend together

97 “Kiss the Cook” garment

28 Chilly coffee drinks

99 Be very fond of

29 Annoy

100 “Kama ___”

31 NBA great James

102 “Wild” U.S. region 103 Arab ruler

62 ___ Diego

89 “Star Wars” heroine

45 Word after “french” or

64 “Only Murders in the

90 Slanted writings

“curly”

Building” actress Gomez

91 ___-Caps

46 Actress Arthur

65 Planted a bug, say

92 Bosc fruits

47 Activist Scholl

67 Completely useless

93 African plant that stores

48 Water cooler?

70 American currency

water in its trunk

33 Disguised

49 ___ Danbury (“Bridger-

(Abbr.)

ton” noble)

71 Castle defense

96 Impractical Joker Vulcano 35 LGBTQ+ advocacy org.

36 Cyan planet 98 Small bits

50 Cranes and cockatoos

72 Stormproof space

101 Wisconsin dairy blobs

37 Fit as a ___

108 Nibble and nibble

52 Computer data storage

74 Bit of bismuth, e.g.

102 Swords, spears, etc.

38 “The Four Seasons”

109 Rabbit-protecting org.

devices

77 Widely recognized

105 Tear ___ (channel next

actress Tina

110 “Don’t go!”

54 Fish ___ chips

79 Cheese that’s made

to the eye)

39 Give lip to

112 “Not interested”

55 Potatoes, in Indian

backward?

cuisine

80 “Te ___” (Spanish “I love

107 Rep. who played “Among 41 Child 43 Las Vegas WNBA team Us” with Ilhan Omar

56 “Wastin’ away again in

you”)

108 Google Maps tech

44 Outdo

114 “___-la-la!” (Captain

47 Theater platform

Underpants’ cry)

Margaritaville / Searchin’ for 81 Christmassy candy my lost ___ of salt”

84 Zones

111 Stage of life after zygote 112 “Swish!”

H.T. IJRWD

“BG X MBZVC / B XY KNZ XUJZGLZ AM MBZVC. / KNBJ BJ XVTXFJ KNZ LXJZ. / TNZDZIZD B XY / B XY TNXK BJ YBJJBGS.”

YXDP JKDXGC

“ZB KUL NRSC R GRIIK TSYZSM, CGRC YTITSYH, UB DULPHT, US NGTPT KUL HCUI KULP HCUPK.”

UPHUS NTXXTH

Puzzle Three Clue: G equals H

1 Curly, Moe or Larry

35 Vipers that inflate them-

CYM RAKC MW KJXWT JSYAZ ZCWR.”

82 Hired

13 “Didn’t expect to see you 83 “Hair Love” actress Issa

ACROSS

JXW TWJT ZCJZ MW KJF DJLWVB DCYM

63 Throat-clearing noise

9 Chinese toy dog, for short 75 Many a college freshman,

©2026 Universal Uclick

“HWXCJHD OZ’D YFVB MCWF HWYHVW

missing in them

1 Picket line crosser

Space” beings, e.g. (Abbr.)

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: I equals V

DOWN

celebrity cipher

Puzzle Two Clue: S equals B

crossword

Flooring Made for Your Family

448064-1

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

© 2026 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

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

104 Affirming gestures 106 Teacup flaw

113 “Game of Thrones” father Stark

50 Lightheaded? ©2026 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

01-08-26

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

Commercial Property for Sale

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

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

Merchandise Wanted

Antiques/ Collectibles

ANTIQUES WANTED

WANTED Paintings •B Bronzes •P Sculptures •O Oriental Rugs •S Asian Art •A Antique Furniture •A

Al Tomlinson 40+ years in Sarasota Honest Evaluations NO ONE PAYS MORE!

941-400-8811

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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WEEKLY MONTHLY SEASONAL RATES

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC INTERIOR / EXTERIOR / CABINETS WE ARE THE BEST!!!

Residential & Commercial.

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Beachfront, Bayfront and In Between Houses or Condos

This week’s Crossword answers

Reservations 941-383-5577 wagnerlbkrentals@gmail.com Visa/MC 5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite 101 Longboat Key, FL 34228 Rental office 9a.m. - 5p.m.

M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty

Over 1 Acre Beachfront House $6.5 million Over 1 Acre Beachfront House $6c.c5em lioannal 4 Bed Sailboat A ssilC

Since 1939 www.rentalsonlongboat.com

Pending $675,000 Sailboat Access Canal 4 Bed nn din PlantP ateio Ggol$675,000 f Course View

©2026 Universal Uclick

Condo 3 Bed Plantation$294,000 Golf Course View Condo 3 Bed House on Ca$294,000 nal with Pool & Dock

$1,250,000 House on Canal with Pool & Dock Pool Home $1,250,000 Completely Upgraded $545,000 Pool Home Completely Upgraded $545,000

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

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

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

LONGBOAT KEY: Beachfront Condos, 1st or 2nd floor, 2BR/2BA, W/D in units, free Wi-Fi, heated pool, & parking.

Call 941-383-3338.

CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos.

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-448-8468.

35+ years experience.

Luxury Sarasota Bay views 4 Bed 5 Bath with Boat Dock Luxury $1.76 Sarasomillion ta Bay views 4 Bed 5 Bath with Boat Dock Near So$1.76 uth brmillion idge to Siesta

One level, heated pool, stroll to NeasrhS breid oo pu s.th3B dg -2e.5toBaStihesta One level,$1,250,000 heated pool, stroll to shops. 3Bed-2.5Bath $1,250,000 Brooke O’Malley CLUB REALTY Brooke O’Malley Call 941-726-2677 CLUB REALTY Call 941-726-2677

Real Estate Wanted Real Estate Wanted Looking to buy a house with no hoa and a yard. Good, bad or ugly, with down payment, I’ll pay closing costs and make payments.

941-529-6822

You’re only cheating yourself.

LUGGAGE SAMSONITE Garment Bag on wheels, Red or Black $40 each (941) 920-3348

Homes for Sale

auto

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

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

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

Call 214-986-2287

DONALD PERKINS Abracadabra Painting Licensed and Insured. Painting, drywall, texture, and wallpaper removal.

(941) 705-7096

peekers’ place

Items Under $200

LONGBOAT KEY Gulf front Condo

home services

stuff

BUYING GOLD, SILVER W/ CASH. RETIRED INVESTOR Diamonds, Coins, Jewelry, Watches & Pocket Watches.

Confidential & Honest.

FREE HOUSE CALLS. Call David (941) 499-6417

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

Available February-March 2026 2 bedroom/2 bath Portobello 4th Floor Fully renovated Spectacular views

real estate

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

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

LONGBOAT KEY CAFE/ BAKERY/ICE CREAM SHOP FOR SALE. BUSINESS IN PARADISE! Located off busy street & lots of hungry locals.

Great small business opportunity for your kid or grandkid ready to be their own boss. Please email pennysicecreamFL@gmail.com $150,000

Painting

RED PAGES AD RATES

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “Perhaps it’s only when people are dead that we can safely show how much we cared about them.”

P.D. James

Puzzle Two Solution: “In a field / I am the absence of field. / This is always the case. / Wherever I am / I am what is missing.”

Mark Strand Puzzle Three Solution: “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”

Orson Welles

This week’s Sudoku answers

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

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

©2026 NEA, Inc.

SEARCH the RED PAGES for GREAT DEALS Visit YourObserver.com/RedPages

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33

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

Insurance

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34

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026

$4,195,000

Spectacular bayfront living in the heart of downtown! This 3BR+den residence is perched on the third floor in the soughtafter enclave at La Bellasara. Combining the feel of singlefamily 3,200+ SF of living with its own dock and lift, all within walking distance to the best that Sarasota’s city center offers.

B U YE R’ S TO

$2,195,000

Positioned on the south side and fifth floor of Building 2 at Sanctuary at Longboat Key Club, this beach-to-bay residence spans nearly 2,400 SF, offering notable updates and a refined coastal lifestyle with sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota Bay, and the Harbourside Golf Course.

www.SanctuaryB506.com

775 LONGBOAT CLUB ROAD #204

$1,089,000

Exclusive luxury living behind the gates of Longboat Key Club at the Beaches! Welcoming you to this nearly 1,700 SF getaways are sunny views, impact glass throughout, beautiful hardwood flooring, gourmet kitchen, custom light fixtures, and first-rate amenities including concierge services.

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TO

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B U YE R’ S

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www.LaBellasara304.com

565 SANCTUARY DRIVE #B506

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464 GOLDEN GATE POINT #304

B U YE R’ S

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6001 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE $11,995,000

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Modern updates inside and out create the perfect move-in ready experience at this 3-level, 5BR direct bayfront home.

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Custom 5BR, 5,100 SF residence captures the essence of Laurel Oaks’ golf-course lifestyle, on nearly an acre with sweeping fairway views.

B U YE R’ S

Brand-new 5BR home minutes from Siesta Key Beach is furnished and move-in ready! The chic design is 5,200+ SF spread across two levels.

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Gulf-Front 6,900 SF masterpiece perfectly placed on nearly an acre of direct beach frontage along Longboat Key’s shoreline.

258 GOLDEN GATE POINT #801 $3,395,000

2050 BEN FRANKLIN DRIVE #B-704 $2,799,000

355 SOUTH SHORE DRIVE $2,695,000

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www.MajesticBay801.com

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Coastal Elegance on Phillippi Creek! With 198’ of peaceful water frontage, this 4BR, 3,500+ SF home blends privacy and an ideal location.

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Design your waterfront dream home in the heart of one of Sarasota’s most sought-after neighborhoods. Unobstructed bay access!

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Beach-to-bay views abound from every room of this 3BR/3BA executive getaway at the exclusive Orchid Beach resort-style community.

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This 3BR residence blends contemporary downtown living with stunning bay and city views. Includes dock lift, and 2-car garage.

1901 MORRILL STREET $2,195,000

800 NORTH TAMIAMI TRAIL #505/507 $1,650,000

1994 TOM MORRIS DRIVE $1,650,000

111 SOUTH PINEAPPLE AVENUE #1103 $1,299,999

www.1901Morrill.com

www.Alinari505-507.com

www.1994TomMorrisDrive.com

www.TheMark1103.com

Built in 2019, this 2BR+den downtown residence is perched on the 11th floor, featuring spectacular city views and exceptional upgrades.

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Beautifully updated and well-maintained lakefront country club home offers a 3,800 SF, 4BR + office, family, and bonus room layout.

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Experience panoramic bay and skyline views from this furnished and move-in ready, 3BR double residence. Includes 3 coveted parking spaces.

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Stunning updates inside and out welcome you to this 7BR family compound or rental, located in Sarasota’s walkable Historic District.

1055 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #504 $1,299,000

1308 OLD STICKNEY POINT ROAD #W23 $1,199,000

1000 LONGBOAT CLUB ROAD #402 $1,095,000

1125 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #101 $899,000

www.Beachplace8504.com

www.MarinaDelSolW23.com

www.PrivateerSouth402.com

www.Beachplace3101.com

Offering true walk-down convenience from its wraparound terrace, this 2BR retreat includes impact windows/sliders and covered parking.

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Completely renovated, furnished, and offering a flourish of Gulf-to-bay views! Relish a luxurious beach lifestyle behind exclusive resort gates.

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Three-bedroom residences with multiple parking options are a rarity at this waterfront community, a short walk to Siesta Key Beach.

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Furnished, direct Gulf-front getaway boasts an average of $70,000/year in rental income!

Includes covered and additional parking spaces.

4235 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #T101 $899,000

1065 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #603 $849,000

1328 SIESTA BAYSIDE DRIVE #1328C $759,000

631 NORTH ORANGE AVENUE #107 $419,900

www.TurtleCrawl101.com

www.Beachplace10603.com

www.1328SiestaBayside.com

www.MentoneCourt107.com

Beautiful custom updates adorn every inch of this beachfront escape. Unlimited possibilities abound with a weekly rental program.

This Beachplace penthouse is waiting for you to create a personalized beach retreat. Includes extended terrace space and covered parking!

Located in a gated community, this 2BR turnkey getaway offers a beach-to-bay Siesta Key lifestyle, with its own private garage.

Furnished, updated, and move-in ready, charming 2BR retreat in downtown’s Rosemary District, with covered parking.

MORE THAN $180 MILLION SOLD AND PENDING IN 2025 443 John Ringling Boulevard, Suite F, Sarasota, FL 34236 | PettingellProfessionals.com | 941.387.1840 YouTube.com/@PettingellProfessionals | Instagram.com/RogerPettingell | Professionals@Pettingell.com

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