Longboat Observer 2.18.21

LONGBOAT

Health Matters FEBRUARY 2021

Observer

SARASOTA

Observer

Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

INSIDE

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Equine therapy programs provide

BUSY AS A BEE

Why tending a garden is good for the soul.

PAGE 4

VOLUME 43, NO. 28

FREE

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an opportunity to flourish. PAGE 2

DEPRESSION UPS RISK

PICTURE OF HEALTH

How mental health impacts your heart.

Holding yourself, fitness routine accountable.

PAGE 8

PAGE 11

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

They’re here…

Longboat Publix opens COVID-19 vaccine distribution. PAGE 3A

Nat Kaemmerer

A species with a-peel

LIVE TO GIVE

Oh, those wacky botanists.

Next time you’re plying the trails of Joan Durante Park, keep an eye out for a tree that scientists whimsically dub the Tourist Tree.

No, it doesn’t insist on wearing a hoodie with the words Longboat Key printed on the front.

The Gumbo Limbo is so nicknamed for its propensity to peel its bark, leaving patches of red that resemble the aftermath of a tourist’s first visit to the beach.

James Durante donated $750,000 in 1994 to develop the park and restore its pristine state in honor of his late wife.

Entrepreneurial couple focuses on philanthropy locally.

PAGE 1B Courtesy photo

Longboat Key residents Donda Mullis and Ronnie Shugar in front of their downtown Sarasota corporate headquarters Nat Kaemmerer

Kiwanians Svetlana Ivashchenko and Michael Garey

Heroes get their due

Goal getters

With a $10,000 donation from the New Genesis Fund of the Manatee County Foundation, the Longboat Key Kiwanis Club recently reached its fundraising goal to help educate kids.

The club raised about $4,350 from private donations, with a promise to match the donations up to $10,000, hoping to donate $20,000.

But with the foundation donation, that total stands at $24,350, meaning 24 kids will now get professional tutoring for six months instead of the original goal of 20.

Mark Bergin

Retired West Manatee Fire Chief Ed Cleveland honors new Longboat Assistant Chief John Curran.

Fire department honors members’ accomplishments in a difficult year.

SEE PAGE 4A

GOLF SECTION

The pros play here.

INSIDE

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Leaders to decide on handling of sewage break penalties A private town meeting is set for Feb. 22. The FDEP now seeks $190,000 in civil penalties and costs from the town.

MARK BERGIN STAFF WRITER

Longboat Key leaders are set to hold another private meeting next month to discuss how to address the repercussions of the town’s June 2020 mainland sewage line break and spill of millions of gallons of effluent.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection seeks $188,382 in civil penalties and costs from the town, though that figure has been reduced from the initial proposal of $242,653.

“I don’t think there’s any one specific reason that I could give you,” Town Manager Tom Harmer said about the state’s reduction.

“It’s just been part of our back and forth with the state.”

Harmer said the lawyers on both sides have negotiated the language of the proposed consent order.

He also mentioned the formula the FDEP uses to determine penalties, based on the size of the

TOWN COSTS ■ E.T. Mackenzie, pipe leak access, identification and repair: $76,295 ■ E.T. Mackenzie, silt fence installation: $2,400 ■ George F Young, topographic survey: $5,000 ■ ESA, Sarasota Bay sampling protocoland results analysis: $65,256 ■ ESA, mangrove and wetland impact assessment: $19,600 ■ FedEx, postage: $110 ■ Steinmeyer Fiveash, environmental legal counsel: $156,960 ■ Berkeley Research Group, forensic engineering: $89,096 ■ Persson Cohen Mooney, town legal counsel: $33,674

Courtesy photos

Above: Pipe damage from the water main break Left: Bradenton-based ET MacKenzie completed repair work after Longboat Key’s sewage break in June 2020.

spill. FDEP initially estimated the spill at 17 million gallons, though a town-hired consultant delivered a report estimating the spill, which took place about 400 feet from the shores of Sarasota Bay between June 17-30, at 14.7 million.

Longboat Key town commissioners can also choose to offset the penalty by implementing an

in-kind environmental project worth at least $281,073, though the project would be subject to FDEP approval.

The private meeting among the Town Commission, Harmer, Town Attorney Maggie Mooney and other lawyers representing Longboat Key is scheduled for Feb. 22.

Although such negotiations are allowed in secret, minutes of those meetings are public once a decision has been made. A public meeting is also required to adopt a negotiated agreement.

“The shade meeting will be focused on the legal strategies of whether or not to accept and if there’s anything additional the town needs to discuss with the FDEP before they accept the agreement,” Harmer said.

The town also held private meetings on Jan. 5, 2021; Oct. 19, 2020; and Sept. 30, 2020.

The FDEP and town have also agreed to several deadline extensions to reach an agreement on the proposed consent order. Initially, the deadline was Oct. 23, 2020, before getting extended to Dec. 15, 2020, then to Jan. 22 and then again to Feb. 22.

“The commissioners will be

updated on the latest proposed order based on direction they gave us previously at the prior shade meeting,” Harmer said.

“So what issues have been addressed, and how have they been addressed since the last shade meeting?”

Any course of action that comes out of the Feb. 22 private meeting is subject to formal approval at a public meeting. Harmer said the public meeting could happen the same day depending on what gets decided.

“They could reconvene in a special meeting after the shade meeting and take action,” Harmer said.

Environmental Science Associates determined in August 2020 the environmental effect of the break was low based on its watersample testing in the Sarasota Bay waters.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

3A

MANATEE COUNTY BRADENTON

■ Bayshore Gardens Shopping Center: 6030 14th St. W. ■ Twelve Oaks Plaza: 7290 55th Ave. E. ■ Lakewood Ranch Shopping Center: 8330 Market St. ■ Rivers Edge: 5001 State Road 64 E. ■ Westgate Shopping Center: 8330 Market St. ■ Lakewood Ranch Gateway: 1755 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

■ Beachway Plaza: 7310 W. Manatee Ave. ■ Lakewood Walk: 11205 E. State Road 70 ■ Bradenton Commons: 4651 Cortez Road W. ■ Lockwood Commons: 4240 53rd Ave. E. ■ Publix at Braden River: 14605 State Road 70

LAKEWOOD RANCH

■ University Corner: 7325 University Parkway

PALMETTO

■ Publix at Palmetto: 1101 8th Ave. W. ■ Gateway Commons: 9520 Buffalo Road

PARRISH

■ The Shops at Silver Leaf: 11245 N. U.S. Highway 301 ■ Parkwood Square: 9005 U.S. Highway 301 N.

SARASOTA

■ University Walk: 2875 University Parkway

SARASOTA COUNTY ENGLEWOOD Mark Bergin

Longboat Key’s Publix store is among 24 Sarasota County locations that offers the COVID-19 vaccine.

CLOSER TO HOME Friday marked the first day Publix has offered the COVID-19 vaccine in Longboat Key. MARK BERGIN STAFF WRITER

A

ll along, Longboat Key resident Gloria Lionetti said she would have preferred to stay in town to get her COVID-19 vaccine.

So it was a big surprise last week for her to see that the Publix Super Market at the Shoppes of Bay Isles started to offer vaccines.

“We’ve been waiting for the Publix to get it,” Lionetti said, echoing a familiar sentiment around the island.

But the shift to Publix stores throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties didn’t come soon enough to head off a two-hour round trip.

Lionetti and her neighbor registered to receive their vaccinations in Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough counties. Early this week, she received her firstround shot in Tampa at the University Mall location. “We were fortunate enough to get called in Tampa,” Lionetti said.

Mike Almoslechner is a parttime resident in Longboat Key. He is still waiting to receive a call from the Department of Health in Manatee County to schedule an appointment to receive his

COVID-19 vaccination.

He was happy to see the Publix store in Longboat Key had started administering the vaccine Friday.

The Publix at 525 Bay Isles Parkway is among 24 stores in Sarasota County offering COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 65 and older through the chain’s own online registration system.

There are 17 Publix stores in Manatee County also now accepting vaccine applications.

As of this week, Publix is offering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at 593 pharmacies in 41 Florida counties.

“Considering the way everything’s going around the country, they probably did the best they could and got it as soon as they could,” Almoslechner said of the Publix chain.

Town Manager Tom Harmer said he was excited when Publix opened its Sarasota County COVID-19 registration last week, with several more sessions taking place through the weekend. The actual distribution of vaccines started Feb. 12.

“I think we anticipated that would happen, [that] it was just a matter of when,” Harmer said.

“We kept advocating for the Publix [stores] in Sarasota County, and specifically on Longboat Key, to be opened up like some of the other counties were.”

Harmer encourages residents to continue to register with the health departments in Manatee and Sarasota counties to give themselves as many options as

possible to receive the vaccine.

“There is still a supply issue,” Harmer said. “There is not enough vaccine to go around to meet the demand, and so I think good or bad, unfortunately, you have to put your name in the hat in multiple locations and not just rely on one source.”

Harmer said the town is still working with leaders in Manatee and Sarasota counties to bring a public vaccine site to the island.

This week, a site for 1,000 shots a day was to open for three days in Lakewood Ranch. Drawing from a field of applicants in Manatee County’s system, County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said most would be from Lakewood Ranch’s two ZIP codes.

Publix’s vaccination sites are available to any Florida resident 65 and older. Typically, Publix opens its online registration system on weekday mornings.

“Our preference would be to have a site on the island for the residents that are here to make it as convenient as possible, especially with our vulnerable population out here,” Harmer said.

Among the island’s approximate 7,000 full-time residents, about 69% are older than 65.

More than 100,000 vaccines have been administered in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

“As the supply increases, more and more of our residents will have access to it,” Harmer said.

“We’ve been impressed with the numbers of our residents who’ve already been vaccinated.”

■ Olde Village Publix: 55 N. Indiana Ave.

LONGBOAT KEY

■ Shoppes of Bay Isles: 525 Bay Isles Parkway

NOKOMIS

■ Nokomis Village: 1091 Tamiami Trial N.

NORTH PORT

■ Heron Creek Towne Center: 1291 S. Sumter Blvd.

■ The Shoppes at Price Crossing: 1251 S. Toledo Blade Blvd.

■ Cocoplum Village Shops: 17179 Tamiami Trail

NORTH VENICE

■ Plaza Venezia: 2438 Laurel Road E.

SARASOTA

■ Publix at Northridge: 5100 Clark Road ■ Sarasota Crossings: 5391 Fruitville Road ■ Centergate Village: 5804 Bee Ridge Road ■ The Plaza at Palmer Ranch: 8409 Tamiami Trail S. ■ Shops at Siesta Row: 3825 S. Osprey Ave. ■ Sarasota Pavilion: 6543 S. Tamiami Trail ■ Broadway Promenade: 1044 N. Tamiami Trail ■ Publix at Bee Ridge: 8300 Bee Ridge Road ■ The Landings: 4840 S. Tamiami Trail ■ Publix at Bay Street: 2031 Bay St. ■ Sarasota Village Plaza: 3690 Bee Ridge Road ■ Beneva Village Shoppes: 3428 Clark Road ■ Town & Country Shopping Center: 501 N. Beneva Road, suite 161

VENICE

■ Venice Commons: 1445 E. Venice Ave. ■ Venice Shopping Center: 535 Tamiami Trail S. ■ Jacaranda Commons Shopping Center: 345 Jacaranda Blvd.

■ West Villages Marketplace: 12165 Mercado Drive

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Firefighters honored with annual awards RECIPIENTS ■ Fire Chief Award: David Oliger ■ Life Saving Award: Deputy Chief Sandi Drake for rescuing three swimmers caught in a rip current ■ Life Saving Award: June 12, 2020, water rescue in New Pass.

Assistant Chief Bryan Carr, Lt. Tim Haas, Lt. Alan Jenkins, Matt Taylor, Jason Berzowski, Jeff Bullock, Ron Koper, Josh Falcon, William Lewis and Jamison Urch.

■ Life Saving Award: Dawn Dunkum and Ronald Franklin for getting a patient to the hospital after he had problems breathing ■ Medal of Merit Award: Ronald Franklin ■ Unit Citation Award: Rescue of a man lost on Sister Key who was trying to find a model airplane.

Assistant Chief Bryan Carr, Lt. Tim Haas, Lt. Alan Jenkins, Matt Taylor, Jason Berzowski, Jeff Bullock, Ron Koper, Josh Falcon, William Lewis, Jamison Urch and Missina Cutting.

■ Most Fit/Agility Assessment: Zack Schield ■ Completion of module training: Zack Schield, Trey Bowlin, David Oliger, Chase Bullock, Ronald Franklin, Richard Roome, Missina Cutting, Josh Falcon, William Lewis, Ron Koper and Jamison Urch ■ Promotions: Lt. Jose Rivera, Assistant Chief Jane Herrin, Assistant Chief John Curran and Assistant Chief Bryan Carr ■ Years of Service: Lt. Alan Jenkins, Lt. Kerri Brooks, firefighter Brent Kruse and firefighter Dawn Dunkum

Fire Rescue liaison and public information officer Tina Adams won Employee of the Year.

MARK BERGIN STAFF WRITER

L

ongboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi recognized members of his department Tuesday morning at the second annual Fire Rescue award ceremony.

Fire Rescue liaison and public information officer Tina Adams won the department’s Employee of the Year award.

“I was taken [aback]. I was surprised and honored,” Adams said.

“I literally just come in, and I feel as if I do whatever I can as far as my job goes. I do the best I can, and I’m happy with that.”

Dezzi said Adams has played an integral part of the town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She organized a weekly call with stakeholders to answer questions and provide updates.

“This year is a special year, like I said about COVID-19,” Dezzi said.

“A lot of you don’t realize the stuff that we’ve been doing behind the scenes, and Tina has been involved in some of those things.”

All department employees received COVID-19 citation bars.

Adams also serves as public information officer for the police department, helps run the town’s social media pages and helps with

department budgeting. She also ordered furniture for the town’s new south fire station at 6121 Gulf of Mexico Drive, which is set to open later this year.

The Fire Rescue Department also honored firefighter and paramedic Matt Taylor for serving the town since April 2006.

Dezzi said it was “bittersweet” to see Taylor leave the department to pursue other endeavors.

“Matt is one of those kind of guys — he wants to do better,” Dezzi said.

Newly promoted Assistant Chief Bryan Carr recalled a call in which Taylor broke his kneecap and didn’t turn back. Taylor was at the front of the department’s rescue boat using a spotlight when the vessel hit a big wave.

“Matt goes flying probably 6, 7 feet in the air, comes down, and I mean, I’m one of the captains on the boat, and he just smashes his knees,” Carr said.

“Honestly, I thought it was over. We’re going to have to turn around. We just destroyed one of our own.”

Carr said Taylor insisted on continuing with the rescue of a family from a sinking boat.

Carr described what it was like for his family to see him get promoted. Carr’s son, Anderson, pinned him at Tuesday’s ceremony.

“It’s almost surreal to have my family here,” Carr said. “To have my children and my son to be able to pin me, it’s just an awesome feeling.”

Photos by Mark Bergin

Above: Newly promoted Assistant Chief Bryan Carr with son Anderson Left: Fire Rescue liaison and public information officer Tina Adams with Chief Paul Dezzi Below: The Fire Rescue Department recognized Matt Taylor for serving the town since 2006.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

5A

Church to begin drainage construction Ross Toussaint claims stormwater runoff has damaged his property for the past 11 years.

MARK BERGIN STAFF WRITER

It’s going to take several more weeks to resolve to a drainage dispute between Christ Church of Longboat Key and a neighbor.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has given Christ Church a Feb. 26 deadline to complete construction on a redesigned pump system for stormwater runoff. However, SFWMD spokeswoman Susanna Martinez Tarokh said it will take about six weeks for the pump to arrive.

“The pump will not be available for installation prior to the notice deadline,” Tarokh wrote in an email. “Christ Church indicated they will start construction prior to Feb. 26 to prepare the site for the pump system.”

The preparation includes removing trees, curbing and crushed shell from the bioswale adjacent to property owned by Ross Toussaint, who lives next door on General Harris Street.

Toussaint said the stormwater drainage coming from the church has damaged his property during the past 11 years or so. It’s a dispute that he said has cost him thousands of dollars.

SFWMD approved Christ Church’s Feb. 1 request to make

File photos

Ross Toussaint (left) says stormwater drainage from Christ Church has damaged his property during the past 11 years, costing him thousands of dollars.

changes to the pump size used to convey stormwater runoff.

“We expect to shortly commence work on this minor modification to our stormwater management system,” Christ Church Chair John Shehorn wrote in an email.

Last month, SFWMD provided Christ Church notice for a permit condition violation on the project. In a Jan. 27 letter, the state said the church at 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive had yet to begin construction on a stormwater management system.

“It’s just unfortunate for me

because it’s holding up my life and my property, and I’m not an enemy of the church,” Toussaint said.

Public records show SFWMD approved a permit for the church to begin construction of the stormwater management system on Sept. 11, 2020. Initially, the state gave Christ Church until Jan. 9 to complete the work.

Tarokh said SFWMD will continue to work with the District’s Office of General Counsel for resolution.

“Should the church fail to complete construction in a timely

manner, staff will work with the District’s Office of General Counsel regarding enforcement options,” Tarokh wrote.

“An enforcement action is an administrative procedure or judicial proceeding to enforce rules, enjoin violations of law, protect water resources and recover a civil penalty for offenses.”

Christ Church has hired Parrish-based Claybrooke Engineering Associates Inc. to try to resolve the drainage matter.

Specifically, SFWMD has asked Christ Church to remove the curb along the east side of the

previously authorized bioswale system, install a 60-foot trench under-drain system within the bioswale system and install an inlet on the north end of the system along with a lift station and force main system, which ties into an existing culvert to the west under General Harris Street.

The state says the pump system is designed to ensure stormwater runoff is conveyed around the church site without contributing to flooding in the area.

“While I have worked very hard to defend my property rights and keep my property maintained nicely, I want people to know that I am not against the Christ Church parishioners or the religion nor the buildings and the property,” Toussaint said in a video he made explaining the issue.

“I am against the ongoing situation that I have been put in, including spending an enormous amount of precious time defending myself, holding up my life and my property for something I did not create and also how this matter has been handled since day one.”

Court documents show Toussaint’s civil lawsuit against Christ Church was closed without resolution Jan. 5. Before that, April 11, 2019, marked the last the case saw any kind of activity.

An administrative order states the types of classes the clerk is to reclose after a year of inactivity.

It means Toussaint could choose to reopen the case, but he would have to file a new motion and pay any filing fees.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

7A

Migrating birds begin arriving on beaches The shorebird nesting season isn’t quite here yet, but some birds are seeking a mid-migration rest on Lido Key.

FEATHERED FRIENDS

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

I

t would be hard to live on Longboat Key and not know the basics of turtle nesting season, but before the loggerheads come ashore, another nesting season begins. The shorebird season began Feb. 15, and the Key is already seeing some feathered visitors.

Red knots are the earliest and have already settled in the area. A Feb. 6 survey turned up more than 100 red knots on Lido Beach, Sarasota Audubon Society researcher Kylie Wilson said.

They’re not actually nesting here, but rather wintering — just fueling up before they head to their real breeding grounds.

“They migrate from here, up north to nest in the Arctic tundra,” Wilson said. “They’re one of the kind of key birds for studying migration because they make these incredible, long-distance migrations from the Arctic down to their wintering grounds.”

Although they’re not raising families here, red knots provide a good early season reminder of how to treat shorebirds.

To to make their journey, and later in the season, for other birds

Nat Kaemmerer

Red knots populate north Lido along smaller birds. They’re a bit more plump and slightly larger than a common shorebird like a sandpiper, Wilson said.

to nest successfully, they need as much rest as they can get.

Save Our Seabirds Avian Hospital Technician Rachel Pettit’s favorite reminder about birdwatching is that it goes both ways: If you can see them, they can see you. If you think you’ve given them a wide enough berth, walk a little farther away still. Fill in holes because, like during turtle season, younglings can fall in and exhaust themselves trying to get out.

“I really don’t want to put any stress on them, [so] I’m making sure that even if I know they’re not nesting yet, I still get them a wide berth,” Pettit said.

Meanwhile, wading birds are already bringing the area into “baby bird season,” SOS vet-

erinarian Maria Passarelli said.

Species including the great blue heron, black crowned and yellow crowned night herons, ibis, roseate spoonbill, green heron, the little blue heron and snowy egret nest in trees away from people, so their nests can’t be seen as often.

“If they can successfully find a mate, build a nest, have some eggs and then raise their young, they’ll just rinse and repeat a little bit later in the season because the baby birds grow up so fast,” Passarelli said.

“If they can find enough food, they’ll definitely try to get a couple more in.”

When it’s time for seaside nesting, the area’s main birds are snowy plovers, least terns, black

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skimmers and American oystercatchers, Wilson said. Because of beach erosion, most of the shorebird nesting occurs on Lido Beach, though least terns have enjoyed the scrubby expanse of the former Colony property as well as gravel roofs as sandy substitutes in recent years.

As for where they’ll end up this year, that remains to be seen, Wilson said, though it’s a good bet to expect birds on North Lido Beach or Whitney Beach, away from where people often walk.

Shorebird nesting season is listed as running until September, but it really ends when all the nesting birds and maturing chicks have left the area. Last year, it ended in late August.

The biggest issue birds on the beaches face is animal interactions — both of the four-legged and two-legged variety.

Dogs and humans alike can disrupt nesting practices simply with their tooclose presence, Passarelli said. Dogs are not allowed on any Longboat beaches.

“Birds are a major prey item for any dog. Even the most docile, domesticated [dog] is going to get a little excited when they see a bird fly away from them,” Passarelli said. “If they get that bird in their mouth, they can cause untold damage.”

Humans playing on the beach can cause chaos, too, frightening birds away from their nests. In the summer, when beaches are busy, this can spell doom for eggs.

“They’re leaving their eggs vulnerable to predators and are leaving their eggs vulnerable to the heat from the sun,” Wilson said.

“Especially in the middle of the summer, it does not take long for an egg to cook on the beach.

“Repeatedly chasing birds, disrupting their feeding, you’re causing them to expend energy that they should otherwise be conserving.”

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

LONGBOAT

OPINION / OUR VIEW

Strife on the SMH board When a member of the Sarasota Hospital Board challenged the majority, he became personanon-grata. The board’s response raises curiosity: Is it a board for taxpayers or management?

MATT WALSH

W

hen you think about all the wonderful and valuable community assets in Greater Sarasota and Bradenton, you would probably find universal agreement that Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System is among the top three on the list. For sure among the top five.

And likewise, there would be widespread agreement that under the directions, first, of former CEO Gwen MacKenzie and for the past six years, in particular, CEO David Verinder, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and its affiliates have matured into the top tier of Florida’s best-run health care institutions, as well as in many instances in the nation.

Certainly, the financial results and accolades speak to this.

No one person, of course, is entirely responsible for SMHCS’s growth and achievements. In an institution this size, it takes teams of talented people committed to the mission.

Nevertheless, this is also true: Success indeed starts with the leadership at the top. Rare is the successful business enterprise that doesn’t have a principled, charismatic, intelligent, visionary CEO, a CEO who has the ability to imbue his or her staff with the values, commitment and standards to make a great organization.

Crucial to that CEO’s talents are an ability to build a strong team of leaders who can spread the culture.

But often, there is another ingredient just as crucial to an organization’s success. In the case of many businesses and organizations, the buck stops at the board of directors. Its members are the ultimate guide and check and balance on the CEO and everything the organization does.

And if the directors are serving properly as fiduciaries protecting and representing stockholders, or in this case taxpayers, one of their important jobs is to challenge the CEO and the organization’s leadership; to question decisions, assumptions and strategies; to test leadership to rise to a higher level.

In contrast, if the directors merely become cheerleaders, friends and advocates for all that senior management does, rarely asking tough questions, inevitably this can become a recipe for danger, lax oversight and, at worst, destruction.

We cite all of this in light of revelations that became public last week regarding two issues involving the Sarasota County Hospital Board — issues that would be of great importance to

any company’s board of directors: n The transfer of funds from the company to a related company, which in turn used some of that money to fund a political action committee; and n Whether the CEO should be granted what amounts to a 10-year employment contract.

One board member, Tramm Hudson — former longtime Sarasota banker, former chair of the Republican Party of Sarasota County and recently reelected to his second term on the hospital board — has been the lone challenger to both decisions and in the process has become something of a pariah in what heretofore has appeared to be a board of collegial consensus.

Hudson essentially went rogue over the past month. Unable to win board support for his position, he took his case to the press, in this instance the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. And last week, the Herald-Tribune brought to public attention the two controversies that have been recorded in the public minutes of multiple hospital board and committee meetings. $50,000 MANEUVERS

It’s a complicated yarn. Following political money is often that way.

But the seed for tensions on the Sarasota County Hospital Board took root in October 2019.

According to hospital board documents, Verinder discussed with Hudson, then chair of SMHCS’s Audit Committee, the idea of using a not-for-profit condominium association owned by the hospital “as a possible unrestricted donor” to Save Our Community Hospital, a 6-yearold political action committee.

Hudson objected, telling Verinder he thought it was illegal to use taxpayer funds in political activity. In a July 27, 2020, letter to Verinder, Hudson wrote: “Because taxpayer dollars are involved, any contribution of district funds to a political committee should be approved by the district board.”

The issue is complicated in large part because of all the machinations and maneuvering involved.

It starts with the hospital being among the owners of an office condominium on Arling-

ton Street in Sarasota, just south of the hospital, known as Doctors Gardens. Over 20 years, the hospital bought control of 29 of the 30 units in the building. Plans called eventually for tearing the building down and redeveloping the property.

As controlling owner of the building, five members of SMH senior management comprised the board of the Doctors Gardens Association, the condo’s homeowner association.

The association in turn in 2020 assessed its unit owners (e.g., the hospital) $275,000 for roof upkeep and other maintenance needs. Along the way, the association board also voted to amend the association’s bylaws to allow it to make contributions to not-for-profit and charitable organizations.

After all of this, the board voted to contribute $50,000 out of the $275,000 assessment to Save Our Community Hospital.

All along the way in early 2020, and over at least three audit committee and general board meetings, Hudson raised questions and requested the hospital board bring in outside counsel to determine whether all of the transactions were legal.

By summer, when Hudson’s objections reached Morgan Bentley, Sarasota lawyer and chair of Save Our Community Hospital PAC, Bentley refunded the $50,000. In a June 24, 2020, letter, Bentley explained: “In the divisive age in which we live, I try to ‘err on the side of caution’ with any donation.

Anyone with a laptop can file an election complaint against both the donor and the donee, often resulting in unnecessary legal expense for both parties. Here, the donation is legal; however, the issue involves the wording of the [association’s] amended declaration dated Dec. 20, 2019.”

But Hudson persisted. At a July board meeting, he made a motion to bring in outside counsel to determine the legality of the contributions and what the board’s political contribution guidelines should be going forward; the board voted 9-1 against Hudson.

Instead, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the board relied on the opinions of two independent attorneys, the

SMH’s STORY OF FINANCIAL GROWTH

FT Employees Admissions

2014 2019 2020

3,116 5,604 5,822 27,488 50,288 48,060

FINANCIAL RESULTS ($ in millions) Operating revenues $590,128 $985,413 $986,229 Operating income $40,271 $91,531 $45,470 Surplus $83,554 $200,565 $150,881 Total assets $1,362,821 $2,288,919 $2,701,752 Total net position $699,483 $1,354,090 $1,509,065 RATIOS Operating margin Days cash on hand Debt service coverage Cash to debt

11.0% 455 4.6 158.5%

13.4% 435 5.9 160.7%

9.4% 541 4.9 213.1%

Source: SMH annual financial statements

hospital’s auditors, the board’s general counsel and the health system’s chief in-house lawyer and compliance officer.

WHOM DO THEY REPRESENT?

Is this much ado about nothing?

It’s a long-standing practice in Florida that public and governmental agencies use taxpayers dollars for political purposes.

Practically every city and county in Florida pays for lobbyists in Tallahassee. School boards hire lobbyists. And whenever school boards need to extend their one-mill or one-cent sales tax for local education, they can and do use taxpayer funds to educate the public — not urge you how to vote. Wink. Wink.

What is striking about this period of strife on the hospital board are lessons that apply to all boards and city and county commissions. We’re not saying what follows is the case for the Sarasota County Hospital Board, but the fact there was and is such overwhelming resistance to Hudson triggers curiosity: n Beware of the board that becomes management’s friend, that rarely questions or challenges management. No one likes being associated with constant strife, and certainly, no CEO wants to have a board that makes his or her life miserable.

At the same time, all CEOs should welcome board members whose questions and insights will hold them accountable and make them better CEOs. n Board members, at the same time, must always remember whom they are representing. We see it often: After town commissioners are elected on their platforms of representing and being defenders of taxpayers’ interest, once they get nestled into their positions of power, they shift to become defenders of the town government and the institution. n If any deal or transaction requires complicated maneuvering and machinations, as did the Doctors Gardens contribution, it’s usually flawed and shouldn’t be done. Everyone learns in the end: Be open and up front.

To be sure, Verinder and the hospital board no doubt didn’t appreciate reading in the HeraldTribune what they did (Bentley, an elections lawyer, says it was legal), but from the taxpayers’ perspective, they both performed a public service.

This controversy takes nothing away from Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System being the firstrate operation that it is. It simply serves as a reminder of the delicate nature of public credibility.

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

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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It’s spooky how you support Trump Wow! That was some humdinger of a screed you directed at the establishment, left wing, statist, free-speech-annihilating slime balls like Couric, Robinson, Pelosi, Schumer, Sanders, et. al. in your Jan. 28 opinion piece.

I sure hope you had some Valium on hand to help you recover your equilibrium. I just took mine to respond in what I hope to be a less frantic tone.

First, your beliefs in God, capitalism, Bill of Rights, constitutional freedoms, etc., are all patriotic and commendable, but the inference, in the context of your diatribe, is that the aforementioned targets and others like me don’t believe in these blessings. I can assure you that we absolutely do. It’s just that we don’t subscribe to free speech that incites riots, preaches bigoted hatred, provides bomb-making instructions or promotes bold-faced lies again and again.

It’s just common sense that in a civil society, such “free speech” should be restricted, and if you’re suggesting that there should be no boundaries whatsoever, one must wonder if you have any common sense.

We also believe it’s OK to own guns, so long as they’re not part of an arsenal of weapons or weapons of war capable of killing 100 people in as many seconds.

Let’s get real here. Surely, our founders, whose concept of “arms” was either a cannon or a flint-locked musket, could

not have imagined such lethality for self-defense. So please spare us the Second Amendment as a rationale for such weaponry or its appearance at rallies or on the steps of state capitols.

Insofar as the “deep state” and “swamp” dwellers of Washington are concerned, your assertion that “they have been destroying the U.S. for decades” seems ludicrous in the face of one simple fact: Never before Trump and his raging acolytes have Americans invaded and sacked our national seat of government and attempted to overturn a legitimate election certified by scores of Republican state officials.

So please tell me, what governmental group has been more destructive, the preceding establishment of prior decades or the recently departed tourists?

As to the issue of big tech and others censuring speech or canceling associations, let me remind you all of that is a legitimate part of the free enterprise you say to believe in.

Every company has the right to disassociate from people or organizations they deem detrimental to their brands and business by virtue of actions and words that offend their customers or are patently dangerous.

They do it all the time by canceling sponsorships of TV shows with offensive content, firing CEOs whose behavior is embarrassing, eliminating suppliers who exploit labor, cutting loose bad actor product

endorsers, etc. So it isn’t antifree enterprise or anti-free speech to prohibit dangerous or offensive discourse from their business platforms or to withhold support from wingnut theory purveyors.

Finally, I would say this: Supporting Trump for his policies (some of which I actually agreed with) is one thing.

But don’t even try to attach any moral high ground to this guy, who lied incessantly, ignored or distorted science, alienated our most important allies, undermined our security and intelligence services, acted and behaved like a schoolyard bully, never uttered a word that united the country and, in the end, provoked tens of millions of Americans to distrust their government and its institutions.

Maybe that’s what Mr. Semisch meant by “Trump brought our democracy to its knees.”

That intelligent, well-educated people like you supported Trump twice is bewildering to me. That you feel victimized by comments meant to address the extremists who, in his name, sacked the Capitol suggests that you identify personally with them, and, quite frankly, that’s really spooky.

RAYMOND CARO SIESTA KEY

Mr. Caro: We respect your First Amendment right to express your opinion. What’s more, unlike big-tech social media organizations — to which, by the way, Congress

has granted special legislative exemptions that we don’t have — we welcome and will always publish opposing, disparate views. Yes, those tech companies can ban customers and speech if they want — at the price of diminishing, if not losing, two of their most important assets: credibility and integrity. It’s a choice.

– EDITOR

We like weather, not your politics You are so, so angry about the outcome of the presidential election. Your guy lost. I get it.

As you brag about how many new residents and visitors are coming to Florida, you should know that many of us — not all, but many of us — are here for the winter weather, not your politics.

In the spring, many of us gladly return to, as you like to call them, those miserable Northeast states, which, by the way, all rank higher than Florida in public health. Massachusetts and New Jersey also rank higher than Florida in public education.

It looks like they are doing something right. Money well spent.

Many of us “escapees” from the Northeast are Democrats and continue to vote that way.

We keep coming. We’re always here for Election Day.

|

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

9A

Keep public notices in print; kill HB 35 The Legislature is doing a huge disservice to our citizens in attempting to eliminate public notices in newspapers.

The public relies on the papers for notices about rezonings, tax changes and all manner of other important public business.

House bill 35 must not be approved.

Legislators’ attempt to eliminate this important source of communication with the public will disenfranchise the poor, those who are not tech savvy and the many in our community who depend on local newspapers to keep them in touch with the government’s business.

I know here on Longboat Key newspaper notices are well read and responded to by our citizens.

As an elected official, I know there is cost associated with public notices in newspapers, but there is a larger cost associated with the failure to communicate and provide total transparency regarding government activities.

BJ WEBB BISHOP TOWN COMMISSIONER LONGBOAT KEY

ELAINE GALLINARO LONGBOAT KEY

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

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Parking project change set for consideration

BE SOMEONE’S HERO. UNITE IN THE FIGHT.

The town’s Planning and Zoning Board on Thursday will discuss an application to change the site development plan associated with a parking lot and satellite office proposal on the north end of the island.

High Ground LBK LLC, whose manager is Ed Chiles, the CEO of the Chiles Group, owner of Mar Vista Dockside and other restaurants in the Sarasota area, is requesting the action. The company is seeking to amend a previously approved plan to build 98 parking spaces and a 300-square-foot office into a plan to build 88 parking spaces and replace the building with a 1,493 square foot historic cottage at 6920 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

The meeting takes place at 9:15 a.m. at Town Hall and can be viewed virtually or in person, though seating is limited.

The proposal is designed to provide additional parking for Mar Vista, which is not far away.

Approval by the board would be final and not require additional action by the Town Commission.

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Hines could fill in for Manatee

FPL work planned for Feb. 18 Traffic in the 5800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive is expected to be reduced to one lane for about four hours on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 18 as Florida Power and Light crews perform work atop poles.

Crews expect to close the northbound lane beginning around 9:30 a.m. to begin work setting equipment.

Road signs warning of the traffic change will be set to alert drivers.

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Former Sarasota County Commissioner Charles Hines is under consideration as acting county administrator in Manatee County as commissioners negotiate a separation agreement with County Administrator Cheri Coryea.

Several commissioners who had worked with Hines in the past expressed their support for him during a recent public meeting, especially after considering the temporary nature of the acting administrator position.

Commissioner Vanessa Baugh pointed out that he could be helpful in finding the permanent administrator because he has helped search for several in his previous role.

Manatee commissioners voted 7-0 last week to begin negotiating with Hines, who left Sarasota’s commission in 2020 because of term limits.

Say hi on Friday with the Chamber The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is planning a Finally Friday Live! event via Zoom next week for networking, catching up with friends and learning a little about what’s in store for the chamber in 2021.

The virtual gathering takes place at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26.

Register for the event at the chamber’s website at LongboatChamber.com.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

2020 real estate sales top 2019 records Sales volume, prices rise as inventory falls in Sarasota and Manatee.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

Even with the unpredictability in the economy, real estate sales in Sarasota and Manatee counties came through 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic in record fashion.

Closed sales of single-family homes and condominiums in the two counties surpassed figures reported in 2019 and past years, up 10.4% and 15.1%, respectively, according to data released last week by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

Combined, the total of 25,031 closed sales across the two counties represented an 11.8% gain over 2019. Value of those sales reached $10.6 billion.

In Manatee County, condos fell to two months of supply, while single-family homes dropped to 1.5 months. Sarasota condos fell

to a 2.6 months’ supply, while single-family homes decreased to 1.6 months’ supply. At this time last year, there were 6,858 properties on the market, compared to 3,725 now.

“When the pandemic hit early last year, we weren’t really sure what to expect for real estate,” RASM President Alex Krumm said. “These record number of sales just show the strength and resiliency of our local housing market. Sales are up while the number of available homes is down. Importantly, this is not a ‘housing bubble.’ This is purely supply and demand, and as long as we have more buyers than sellers, we’ll continue to see this incredibly strong market in 2021.”

Last year saw the highest price fetched for a residential property in Sarasota and Manatee and five of the top 10 all-time sales in the two counties.

In November, the Serenissima estate on Longboat Key sold for $16.5 million just months after the sale of a $13 million property, also on Longboat Key.

SARASOTA SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES

MANATEE SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES

2020

2020

2019

2019

Closed sales 9,521

8,746

Closed sales 7,663

6,825

Median price

$318,000

$290,000

Median price

Average price $461,144

$396,590

Average price $450,488

$397,142

Paid in cash 3,194

3,067

Paid in cash

1,926

1,783

Median time to contract

30 days

51 days

Median time to contract

31 days

48 days

Median time to closing

77 days

94 days

Median time to closing

77 days

94 days

$325,000

SARASOTA CONDOMINIUMS 2020

$345,000

MANATEE CONDOMINIUMS

2019

2020

2019

Closed sales 4,635

4,635

Closed sales 3,212

2,674

Median price

$235,980

Median price $225,000

$200,400

Average price $385,676

$340,689

Average price $273,326

$240,919

Paid in cash 2,364

2,349

Paid in cash 1,484

1,401

Median time to contract

47 days

61 days

Median time to contract

43 days

51 days

Median time to closing

93 days

106 days

Median time to closing

90 days

95 days

$255,000

Source: Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

After spending five years developing plans for a free-standing restroom facility, the St. Armands Business Improvement District is moving toward scrapping that project and pursuing alternate options.

At its Feb. 10 meeting, the St. Armands BID agreed to procure temporary bathrooms in the form of luxury trailers, estimated to cost around $20,000 for four months of use. The group did not finalize a location for the restrooms but targeted a space in St. Armands Circle Park near Fillmore Drive as its preferred option.

The BID also agreed to gather more information about a potential long-term option for providing public restrooms: leasing the commercial space at 21 Fillmore Drive. Although the BID did not have detailed cost estimates for the lease or other expenses associated with that option, the group believed it would offer cost savings as compared to the price associated with building a new stand-alone structure.

The push to place restrooms on St. Armands Circle is tied to feedback from merchants and property owners who have bemoaned the lack of public facilities. Since 2016, the BID has been focused primarily on constructing bathrooms in the medians on the Circle, spending about $90,000 on engineering and other preconstruction expenses. The latest estimates place the cost of building out the BID’s preferred design at $480,877 for a two-building, three-stall restroom project.

The price drew concerns from BID board members, who began to more seriously consider other options late last year. At the February meeting, board member Gavin Meshad continued to express concern about a longterm commitment to a permanent stand-alone restroom structure.

“I think we’re going to look back in five or 10 years and say, ‘Wow, what did we do?’” Meshad said. “‘Why did we put something that we’re stuck with forever in this median?’”

The board discussed questions they would need to answer before finalizing the use of the commercial space on Fillmore Drive, including design details and a staffing plan.

“We want it to be special; we want it to feel good,” board member Geoffrey Michel said. “I don’t want this to be a Band-Aid. I want it to be a really healthy solution that happens to be the least cost.”

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“Born To Be Wild”

KICKOFF PARTY

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA OR ONLINE AT www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com, REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.” 351762-1 REGISTRATION #: CH4531

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Rather than build permanent structures in the medians, property owners are advancing two options for adding restrooms to the circle.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

If you’re wondering what a gift to the Healthcare Foundation can do,

Ask a trauma patient.

A car crash changed high school athlete Jaelen’s life, forever. He endured life-threatening injuries requiring 17 surgeries and months in rehab. Jaelen recovered thanks to the SMH trauma and rehab teams.

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR THE STATED PURPOSE BUT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO USE THE GIFT IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE IF THE STATED PURPOSE IS IMPOSSIBLE OR IMPRACTICAL TO ACHIEVE. 349319-1

St. Armands group revises restroom plan

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Former commissioner O’Connor dies at 84 MARK BERGIN STAFF WRITER

I

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f there was one quality former Longboat Key Town Commissioner Peter O’Connor exemplified, it was preparation, colleagues said.

Whether it was an issue related to beach erosion or something to do with the town’s organizing documents, O’Connor was always ready to make his case, former Commissioner and Mayor Joan Webster said.

“He studied everything before we had meetings, and he was an expert on the town charter,” she said. “He always defined his comments with how the charter was saying we should handle this particular kind of issue.”

O’Connor, who served on the commission from 2006 to 2010 and previously on other boards, died last week. He was 84.

“He was a serious commissioner, worked hard and approached things in his unique fashion,” said Commissioner George Spoll, who served with the Navy veteran for four years.

Webster sat alongside O’Connor for two terms and said it was a pleasure to work with him on issues of town interest. “Peter never spoke to hear himself, his own voice,” Webster said. “He spoke because he was defining some issue we were discussing.”

Before his election to the com-

File photo

mission, O’Connor served on the Longboat Key Zoning Board of Adjustment from 2004-2006. He also served on the Code Enforcement Board from 2002-2004.

David Brenner, who died in 2019, defeated O’Connor in the 2010 commission election.

O’Connor was a retired commander in the Navy and served as a Seabee engineer. He held a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a civil engineering degree from Notre Dame University.

O’Connor, who had visited his parents on Longboat Key since 1973, bought his first home on the island in 1990. O’Connor and his wife, Patricia, have five children.

His funeral was Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Peter O’Connor served as a Longboat Key commissioner from January 2006 to March 2010.

He was 84.

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15A

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Coveted Sanctuary

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Modern yet refined, meticulous yet relaxed, The Residences brings a revered best-in-class legacy to the shores of Longboat Key. For the privilege of ownership please call (941) 213-3300 or visit www.srresidenceslongboatkey.com

The St. Regis logos are the trademarks of Marriot International, Inc., or its affiliates. A Unicorp National Developments, Inc. project. The Residences at The St. Regis Longboat Key are not owned, developed or sold by Marriot International, Inc., The St. Regis or their affiliates. Unicorp National Developments, Inc. uses the St. Regis trademarks and trade names under a license from The St. Regis. If this license is terminated or expires without renewal, the residential project will no longer be assoicated with, or have any rights to use, the St. Regis brand trade names or trademarks. All images and designs depicted herein are artist’s conceptual renderings, which are based upon preliminary development plans, and are subject to change without notice in the manner provided in the offering documents. All such materials are not to scale and are shown solely for illustrative purposes.

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

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FEB. 6

JUST CHECKING 8:06 p.m., 2100 block of Harbour Oaks Drive Citizen assist: A man called police to check on the authenticity of a new home health aide. An officer checked the aide’s credentials and assured the man all was OK. Additionally, the officer spoke via phone to a relative.

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ONE CAR TOO MANY 11:44 p.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Parkway Suspicious vehicle: While on a routine security check of a retail area, an officer became curious about a vehicle left in the parking area. A look-around revealed no one connected to the vehicle and a check of its registration indicated nothing out of the ordinary.

FEB. 7

WHERE’S THE FIRE, BUB? 11:04 a.m., 300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Traffic citation: While monitoring traffic, an officer confirmed a car’s 63 mph speed with radar.

When asked why the driver was 28 mph over the limit, the driver replied he was in a hurry to get somewhere. The driver was ticketed.

WHO CALLED, THEN? 10:53 p.m., 400 block of L’Ambiance Drive Rescue assist: Police assisted fire rescue personnel with a report of a stuck elevator. When police arrived, an officer was told there was no one in the elevator.

FEB. 8

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MAKING A REPORT 10:17 a.m., 400 block of Broadway Street Information report: An officer

FEB. 9

TREK INTO THE WOODS 12:37 p.m., 6800 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Found property: Police were called after a business operator’s family member reported finding a bicycle in the woods behind their building. The bicycle was taken into safekeeping and its serial number checked through a crime database.

was flagged down by a woman wishing to report an incident that had taken place earlier. She said she had tried to make a left turn in her car but was hit by a bicycle crossing in front. She said the cyclist yelled and hit her car several times, scaring the driver. The woman said she sought to report the incident in case the bicyclist made a police report.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE 12:25 p.m., 6300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Rescue assist: An officer was sent to the scene of a downed power line and directed traffic in the area until Florida Power and Light workers made repairs.

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? 6:22 p.m., 7000 block of Longboat Drive East Citizen assist: An officer arrived to discover about an inch of water on the road, apparently flow-

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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tation for violating a slow-speed, minimum-wake zone.

MAKING WAVES (ILLEGALLY) 12:45 p.m., Linley Street boat ramp Boating: The town’s marine patrol officer watched as a boat headed west from the Intracoastal Waterway at speed while creating a wake in the area of numerous anchored or moored boats. The boat eventually slowed to a no-wake speed as it came to a stop at the ramp. The officer recognized the vessel and its operator from an incident in which a verbal warning was issued. This time, the operator was given a ci-

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MISSED THE FLASHING LIGHTS 11:40 a.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Traffic: The driver of a vehicle was ticketed after a police officer spotted it driving through a crosswalk with pedestrians waiting and activated flashing yellow lights. The driver told the officer she had not seen the crosswalk or the flashing lights. About an hour later in the same location, another vehicle was cited, though that driver also received a citation for not wearing a seat belt. A third and fourth driver were also cited there later in the day.

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OFFICER BOB VILA 7:20 p.m., 900 block of Spanish Drive South Suspicious incident: A caller to police was concerned about a front door that might have been tampered with. An officer examined the locking mechanism and discovered some screws that needed tightening, allowing the deadbolt to again operate properly. The resident said the concern arose from an incident weeks earlier in which the keyless and wireless lock system alerted to a possible tampering attempt.

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FEB. 10

MISSING, NOT MISSING 7:26 p.m., 2300 block of Harbour Oaks Missing person: On the way to a report of a missing child, police learned the child had been accounted for. Police learned the child left a home via a back door without saying anything to go outside, resulting in a 911 call when adults couldn’t find the child. The adults said they would speak to the child about going outside without notice.

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INCLINED TO ASSIST 11:08 a.m., Linley Street Boating call: A complaint to police alerted officers about the presence of a barge at a public boat ramp, blocking the path for other vessels. An officer asked the crew of the barge why they were there and was told the crew was waiting on a supervisor to arrive with more work materials.

The officer asked the crew to follow town regulations and move their vessel unless they were actively loading or unloading.

17A

New Leaseback and Quick Move-In Opportunities Available

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FEB. 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

MODEL HOME NOW OPEN

IT’S OK 6:30 p.m., Longboat Pass Bridge Suspicious person: A caller alerted police to the presence of a suspicious person underneath the bridge near one of the structure’s bumpers. Police determined the person was the bridge tender at work.

ing from a nearby cross street.

A team from the town’s Public Works Department was already on the scene working on the problem. The original caller was updated with that information.

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Look for the 2021-22 Weather and Nature Photo Contest details soon.

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18A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

ENJOY SOUL FOOD & LIVE JAZZ

MONDAY, 22nd of February from 6pm to 9pm Beth and Lance Lindeman 352111-1

5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive - The Centre Shops of Longboat Key | 941-383-6262 LaNormaRestaurant.com

HARRY'S RESTAURANT Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Happy Hour, Dinner

A Longboat Key Landmark

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t the Longboat Key Education Center, Feb. 12 was set aside not only to celebrate the beginning of Valentine’s Day weekend but also to commemorate the center’s 35th anniversary. The occasion was celebrated with a romantic concert featuring singer Joy Leitner accompanied by Robert Lischetti and pianist Lee Dougherty Ross.

There were 10 in-person attendants accompanied by several more on Zoom. Carl Kurtyka, the resident technology wrangler, navigated the ring lights and multiple cameras for the Zoom attendants while Executive Director Susan Goldfarb welcomed all attendants.

The concert was billed as a romantic evening on the Riviera from Italy to France, but of course there were educational elements, as well. Leitner gave a brief description of the history and tradition with each song she and Lischetti sang.

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— NAT KAEMMERER

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DIGITAL SPONSOR

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

19A

A series of free online concerts and discussions with preeminent classical musicians.

Pianists Garrick Ohlsson & Kirill Gerstein Thursday, Feb 25 | 7 pm

Violinist Samantha Bennett & Percussionist George Nickson

Mo Hayward, Dodie Loewe and Peggy Keefe

Thursday, March 11 | 7 pm

Academy of St Martin in the Fields Thursday, March 25 | 7 pm

Register now!

SCAsarasota.org

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941.225.6500

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

Above: Susan Goldfarb greets her Zoom and in-person participants.

Left: Ann and Jim Hitchen

Samantha Bennett & George Nickson

Photo by Matthew Holler

OUTDOORS ON THE TERRACE STAGE

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Temple couple lends a helping vaccine hand The Steeles can’t promise the world, but they try to help friends and neighbors get vaccinated.

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

Courtesy photo

After receiving COVID-19 vaccinations themselves, Sally and Jay Steele are now helping others to get inoculated.

J

ay and Sally Steele, a 79-year-old married couple who live in the Sarasota County portion of Longboat Key, know they were lucky when they got their COVID-19 vaccine appointments. They were on the

computer at the right time when Jay hit the button.

But not everyone is so lucky.

By Feb. 5, the Steeles had received both doses of their COVID-19 shots, and now they’re trying to help more of their friends, neighbors and fellow Temple Emanu-el congregants get inoculated as well. The couple is lead-

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ing a committee at their Sarasota temple to help seniors register for the vaccine in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Along the way, though, they’re finding a wave of other vaccine searchers. In Sarasota County alone, about 150,000 residents are currently eligible.

“So there’s really quite a lot of competition,” Sally said.

At Temple Emanu-el, Rabbi Elaine Glickman’s husband, Brenner, approached the couple, when they had gotten their first dose. The Steeles are reasonably computer-savvy, so Glickman asked them to put together a committee to help congregants who were scared and struggling to navigate the system. Everyone in the group of eight volunteers has gotten at least one shot, Sally said, so they had all been through it. Information-sharing is huge among the volunteers, who meet regularly on Zoom and dish it out as soon as they get it.

“It’s people who either figured out the system or were lucky,” Sally said. “Jay and I were just lucky. We were on the computer at the right nanosecond. But it’s a frustrating system.”

The Steeles and their fellow volunteers help people who are having trouble getting an appointment and those in need of technical support. Sally suggested getting a computer-savvy helping hand, such as a child or grandchild, and Jay suggested looking into surrounding counties with smaller populations.

They encourage people to go outside of the two counties if they can, but travel is often an issue.

“I have one woman that I’m working with who is 90 years old.

She has a lot of physical issues, a lot of health issues; she’s on 24/7 oxygen; she doesn’t text,” Sally said. “How is she going to get the vaccine on a digital system that uses it? It’s almost punishment.

It’s just so frustrating, so you just try to help in any way that you can.”

So far, they have helped about 40 people in their temple and beyond get registered, Sally said.

At this point, the way the vaccine registration system works is through a queue. Registrants are given a number and are contacted to set up an appointment when it’s their turn.

“A few of the people that we have been helping have been able to get appointments, and that’s really exciting for the people who are volunteering because that makes us feel so good that we were able to help these people through the process,” Sally said.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

YOUR HOME DE SERVE S HUNTER D OUGLAS

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

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Digital Program 5

BALANCHINE & GRAZIANO 26 Feb - 2 Mar 2021

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

The “sips” of Sip and Shop.

Sip and Shop event helps Turtle Watch Passersby could stop and learn the ins and outs of turtle season before it arrives.

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

TICKETS $35

O

n Feb. 13, Longboat Key Turtle Watch set up shop in front of another shop — J. McLaughlin in the Bay Isles Shoppes. The store was hosting one of its Sip and Shop events, and representatives from the LBKTW set up a table to educate the public on the ins and outs of turtle season.

The day started out rainy and unwelcoming, but as the sun dried out the island, more shoppers strolled by. Representatives Karey Kaine and Sam DiGiammarino stood by the several educational displays, ready to swap turtle stories and teach about caring for the tiny turtles.

“It’s a chance for us to answer questions from the public, and it’s early enough that we’re catching them before the season starts if they do have questions,” DiGiammarino said.

LBKTW is far from the only organization that sets up its table in front of J. McLaughlin on Saturdays. Store Manager Melanie Dale keeps up a healthy schedule

941.359.0099 | WWW.SARASOTABALLET.ORG 349351-1

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Sam DiGiammarino shows the life cycle of turtle eggs.

Members of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch took questions from patrons before they entered the J. McLaughlin store.

Personalized Estate Liquidation Benefiting Youth, Inc.

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of local organizations coming on the weekends, especially during season. She works closely with the Longboat Key Garden Club to set up two trunk shows a year and has done Sip and Shop events for The Paradise Center, Longboat Key Library and Tidewell Foundation. Every time, the organization of the week gets 15% of the profits from that day’s sales and the opportunity to educate passersby on their work.

“I try to do one a week and keep it to nonprofits and organizations that are relevant to people on Longboat Key,” Dale said. “It’s just a good way to give back and support people who have supported us.”

PEL HAS DONATED OVER $220,400 TO COMMUNITY YOUTH IN NEED.

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URGE FLORIDA LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE HB 35 AND SB 402

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notice and allow local governments to post notices on publicly accessible government websites and government access channels.

DON’T LET FLORIDA LAWMAKERS REMOVE YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW!

URGE FLORIDA LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE HB 35 AND SB 402

BE INFORMED

BE INFORMED

To learn more, visitNEWSPAPER floridapublicnotices.com FIND PUBLIC NOTICES IN THIS OR ONLINE

DON’T LET FLORIDA LAWMAKERS YOUR LOGO HERE REMOVE YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW YOUR LOGO HERE Call your legislators and voice your

BE INFORMED

1520 N. Lime Avenue • Sarasota, FL 34237 | Hours: Wed - Sat, 10am - 4pm

941.210.3149 for store merchandise 941.993.8757 for estate sales, donations and consignments

www.personalizedestateliquidation.com | Facebook & Instagram – @pelsarasota

348038-1

DON’T LET FLORIDA LAWMAKERS These bills seek to eliminate the newspaper requirement for public Call your legislators and voice your REMOVE YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW notice and allow local governments to post notices on publicly DON’T today.

LET FLORIDA LAWMAKERS opinion accessible government websites andlegislators government access channels.

Call your and voice your REMOVE YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW Read public notices to find out what’s going on in your community. opinion today.

Call your legislators and voice your Read public notices to find out what’s going on in your community. opinion today.

To learn more, visit floridapublicnotices.com FIND PUBLIC NOTICES IN THIS NEWSPAPER OR ONLINE

351625-1

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

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Garden Club forges on In lieu of gathering hundreds of people in one place, the club turns to video to keep its fundraising on track.

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

A

Courtesy photo

Mar Vista Dockside Chef Seth Kondor prepares his contribution to the Garden Club’s Taste of the Keys presentation on video.

lthough the Longboat Key Garden Club hasn’t been able to stop and actually smell the roses, members have continued with their flowery programming through Zoom as the pandemic has worn on.

This time of year would normally mark the start of the club’s big three fundraising events: the Taste of the Keys and Fashion Show, Home Tour, and Dinner and a Movie. Those will go on, but significantly differently.

First up is the Taste of the Keys, which will continue without a fashion show. Organizers Nancy McLean and Lyn Haycock hired a videographer to film cooking demonstrations of the 12 local restaurants featured in past years of the event.

The videos and grocery lists will be available to those who donate.

So far, they have filmed two and are trying to finalize the dates.

“You just get so hungry, watching what they do,” McLean said.

“They’ve been great about suggesting things on onion cutting a different way or how you make risotto. … Great tips like that.”

In addition to the cooking dem-

os, the videographer is hosting interviews with each cook, creating an opportunity to dive deeper than attendees normally would in a massive ballroom.

“We were really digging into the chef, Eric, at Tommy Bahama, and it turned to, ‘How did you become a chef?’” McLean said.

“And he was an aeronautical engineer for seven years out in California and decided that just really wasn’t what it was, so then he went to culinary school.”

Taste of the Keys is just the first Garden Club event to usher in the new mode of gathering and fundraising. The annual home tour will go on in much the same way as Taste of the Keys, with videos instead of physical tours.

“COVID-19 is not as strong as a 44-year historic run of an event, so we’re just innovating and keeping on with that,” Phillips said. “But it will be pushed [to] April, just because we want our events spaced out.”

The virtual aspect, which will feature a longer run of guided tour videos of the homes, is actually widening the possibilities of homes to feature. This year will include the penthouse in the gated community of Positano on Longboat Key. Years before, the

homeowners had offered their home as a stop on the tour, but the community association didn’t want hundreds of people coming through their gates.

Raising money for scholarships and the organizations they support, such as Mote and Selby Gardens, is still at the forefront of the club’s goals.

Haycock said it’s important to keep fundraising for organizations whose income has been impacted by the pandemic.

“Our fundraising this year, even though it kind of looked dismal, at first, last March, when we had to cancel Dinner and a Movie, and we had to cancel our annual meeting, … we had to get our legs back under us, and our determination for success just overruled every obstacle we had,” Phillips said.

“So I’m enthusiastic about 2021.”

Dinner and a Movie was the first Garden Club event to be canceled due to COVID-19, and now Phillips plans on having it be the first in-person event back after the pandemic, albeit a little later than normal.

Aiming for April or May, the club is planning on doing away with a catered buffet in favor of order-ahead, boxed dinners and a checkerboard set-up for seating.

“Because of the amount of work, and we’ve had to reinvent all of our events, it’s put us a little bit behind on our typical calendar,” Phillips said.

St. Armands Key

WORSHIP

LUTHERAN CHURCH

351486-1

directory

JOIN US FOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP on Sundays at 9 and 11am. Or join us online at 9am at www.saklc.com/live or on Facebook COMING UP 2/28: Blood Drive from 9-1pm GARDEN CONCERT ON 2/28 at 4pm Featuring Dave Morgan & Friends St. Armands Key Lutheran Church • 40 North Adams Dr., Sarasota, FL • 941.388.1234 • Questions? Contact: michael@saklc.com

Temple Beth Israel

5 Ways to Worship at All Angels

All Angels Episcopal Church | 563 Bay Isles Rd

A Center of Jewish Life and Learning in the Sarasota Area

• Indoor worship services this Sunday at 8 am and 10 am

Your health and well-being are of the utmost concern to us!

Face covering required.

With the situation engendered by the current public health emergency around the country and the world, we want to err on the side of caution.

All TBI physical gatherings are postponed until further notice.

Please access our Shabbat Services and programs on our website, YouTube, Facebook and Zoom.

• Walk-up Church, enjoy the garden setting and listen to the service • Live-stream - go to AllAngelsLBK.org to watch on-line

Growing in Jesus’ Name

Worship With Us at Our Church 941-900-4903 The Rev. Dr. Norman Pritchard

Would like to Welcome & Invite You, Your Family Members & Friends to Celebrate Mass with Our Parish Community

•

941.383.8833 (office)

347483-1

An Ecumenical Church that Welcomes all People Founded in 1956

•

347395-1

Visitors & Residents Welcome

6400 Gulf of Mexico Dr.

567 Bay Isles Road • Longboat Key, FL

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Please Register to Attend • Masks Required

or www.christchurchlbk.org (follow YouTube link)

RABBI STEPHEN L. SNIDERMAN, D.D.

St. Mary, Star of the Sea,

Sunday Service 10:00 AM

Watch our 10:00 AM service live: www.bit.ly/cclbksermons

941.383.3428 | www.tbi-lbk.org

www.christchurchlbk.org

Please join us in worship in person on Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. or online at our website and Facebook Live Stream at 11 a.m.

ASH WEDNESDAY February 17th 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM

MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday: 3:30 PM & 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30 AM During Lent: Monday-Saturday 9:00 AM Stations of the Cross: Friday, 5:00 PM Confessions after daily Mass or by appointment COVID- 19 safety measures are still in effect. Please visit our website for the most current information or to view Mass.

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

Follow us on Facebook • www.longboatislandchapel.org

4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive Longboat Key, FL 34228 383-1255 • www.stmarylbk.org

Lord’s Warehouse Thrift Shop is Open Mon., Wed. & Sat., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rev. Robert Dziedziak, Pastor

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941-383-8161 • www.AllAngelsLBK.org

347370-1

• Zoom service - email dave@allangelsLBK.org for the link

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• Drive-in Church, Sunday at 10:00. Tune your car radio to 107.5 FM

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

ROGER SELLS

LUXURY WATERFRONT PROPERTIES RECORD-BREAKING $175+ MILLION SOLD IN 2020

324 WEST ROYAL FLAMINGO DRIVE

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1241 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #1001

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This beautiful, 2011 built John Potvin designed Bird Key home is in a prime location, overlooking peaceful, sailboat-deep waters that flow out to Sarasota Bay. Set among lush greenery beside the coastal landscape of the bay, you will immediately fall in love with the trendy, custom features offered throughout this home’s interior and exterior. The 4BR split-level retreat offers no end of luxurious accommodation.

The tenth-floor location of this 3,400 SF Arlington residence at the Water Club ensures that breathtaking southern direct views stretching from the Gulf to Sarasota Bay are showcased throughout this home’s interior and from its three terraces. With its enviable views and resort-style amenities, this 3BR residence is waiting for you to add your personal style. Also includes two under-building parking spaces!

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Striking beach and bay views perfectly complement an exclusive Ritz-Carlton lifestyle at this 9th-floor Beach Residences getaway. The open-concept interior is spread across 3,000+ SF, offering a sunlit atmosphere, hardwood flooring, granite kitchen overlooking the living/dining area, as well as walls of glass that open to wraparound and guest terraces, plus two private, under-building parking spaces.

Direct views of the Gulf of Mexico’s turquoise waves welcome you to this 10th-floor getaway at Longboat Harbour Towers. Its prime corner location ensures you can relish cross breezes, sunset vistas, as well as bay views. The 1,300 SF interior has been thoughtfully updated with a newer granite kitchen and modernized bathrooms. Also includes covered parking.

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2003 HARBOUR LINKS DRIVE

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This sunny 3BR villa overlooks the 13th green of the Harbourside golf course’s lush grounds and abounds in tranquil water views. You will love the privacy and seclusion highlighting this maintenance-free community, located behind the secure gates of Bay Isles. The light and open interior is waiting for you to add your personal touches. Enjoy a short bike ride to the private Bay Isles Beach Club.

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Completely renovated and move-in ready! Directly overlooking peaceful waters that flow out to Sarasota Bay, this 2BR, furnished villa is in ideal turnkey condition, waiting for you to immediately begin enjoying. The bright and open-plan living space is thoughtfully laid out to maximize the direct picturesque water views that are the highlight throughout the nearly 1,200 SF interior.

Offered furnished and in move-in ready condition, this bright and open residence is a wonderful place to escape reality. The unique position of this lovely getaway includes two generous-sized terraces (a rarity in this community), one offers spectacular Gulf views, while a cozy east-facing balcony overlooks the lush community grounds. Walls of floor-to-ceiling glass sliders ensure that multiple rooms are sunny and airy.

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CALL TODAY FOR YOUR EXCLUSIVE TOUR (941) 387-1840

443 John Ringling Boulevard, Suite F | Sarasota, FL 34236 595 Bay Isles Road , Suite 250 | Longboat Key, FL 34228 Roger@Pettingell.com www.Longboatrealestate.com | www.bestSarasotarealestate.net Twitter.com/RealRoger | Instagram.com/RogerPettingell Owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC 348290-1

Classifieds 13B Games 12B Real Estate 9B Weather 12B

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

YOUR NEIGHBORS Ronnie Shugar and Donda Mullis, the owners of Raw Sugar, have integrated themselves into a community that feels like home.

seemed to be a better match. He was working in production and marketing, and she had been successful in her creative business endeavors.

“We wanted to meld both of those worlds together,” Shugar said. “How can we develop a program that was really true to our hearts, which was natural, clean products that stood out on a shelf and that had a lot larger meaning outside of a product?”

And so Raw Sugar was born, a brand with recognizable white bottles, bamboo tops and philanthropy at its core — and yes, it is indeed a play on Shugar’s name. On the back of the bottles are “sugar notes,” sweet little reminders to love yourself and take care of yourself and all the good, bad and ugly parts.

“I come from a very highly dysfunctional family background with a lot of stuff going on, things that kind of robbed self-esteem and confidence and loving yourself, like body positivity things,” Mullis said.

Shugar and Mullis, now both 56, bought a home on Longboat Key in 2015 and moved here fulltime in 2017. Raw Sugar began in 2014 in Los Angeles but moved with the couple when they put

THE

SWEET

SEE RAW SUGAR, PAGE 2B

LIFE

NAT KAEMMERER | STAFF WRITER

I

t has taken 30 years, a new company, a cross-country move and one fateful email, but two Longboat Key residents are living their dream and keeping the philanthropic spirit of the area thriving in younger generations.

Recent Longboaters Ronnie Shugar and Donda Mullis, now the owners of Sarasota-based care and beauty brand Raw Sugar, met and dated in their 20s.

As savvy, scrappy and upwardly mobile businesspeople, they had their eyes on the prize — and back then, the prize was not each other.

“That only lasted a few years because she was involved in her business, [and] I was involved

in mine,” Shugar said. “And as young people do, we separated.”

More than 20 years flew by as they both moved up in their respective business worlds until, thanks to an accidental LinkedIn email to Shugar from Mullis’ sister, the pair met again.

“We met by happenstance, really, and the connection was there again,” Shugar said.

The second time around, they

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

A sample of Raw Sugar soap with its recognizable white bottle and bamboo top.

THE DREAM TEAM BEHIND THE SCENE Lindsey

941-218-2914 352149-1

Bonnie Debbie Serena Jesslyn Lorna Amber Amy Rebecca Kim

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Raw sugar

Now that they’ve become part of the island, they have their routines.

Mullis walks the beach from Pelican Harbour to the bridge daily, picking up shells along the way, while Shugar bikes long stretches of the island. But although they love the restaurants, the calm waters for boating, the sunshine and the sunsets Shugar said are the best in the country, it’s their neighbors who make the place for them.

“The people here have been phenomenal, fantastic, really,” Shugar said. “You couldn’t ask for a nicer atmosphere of neighbors, of business partners and people in general. It’s just a joy being here.”

Shugar makes it a point to see a 95-year-old neighbor every day, when the man and his wife have martinis at 5 p.m. He visits on the balcony listening to stories of the World War II veteran’s life while learning lessons he might apply to his still-developing life.

“It’s just a joy to listen to him and how he enjoyed the fullest part of life, even through calamity and chaos and death,” Shugar said. “He still has a great perspective, and I just I enjoy being there.”

FROM PAGE 1B

down roots on the opposite coast.

“Donda and I, being part of the Longboat-Sarasota community, it’s important for us … to be a part of the community and be forefront in really being part of the city activism in terms of showcasing there are people in need in our community,” he said.

For Mullis, it was like coming home, a childhood vacationer returning to the paradise of her youth. The youngest of five girls, Mullis remembers road trips from New Jersey, and during her and Shugar’s initial romance, she introduced him to the place, too.

“I’ve been coming to Longboat Key since I was 2 years old,” Mullis said. “It’s been our family’s little personal dream haven.”

They’ve been heavily involved in philanthropy since the early days of Raw Sugar. Since the company’s start in 2014, Shugar and Mullis have donated millions of dollars in products with more to come. Since the pandemic, they’ve donated more than $3 million in sanitizer and soap.

“If you’re going to have the privilege of having this space, in which you have millions of eyes walking through retail space every day, do something with it,” Shugar said.

Their philanthropy started hyperlocally on the Key. In late 2019, the couple donated soap and other products to Temple Beth Israel for donation to Turning Points and followed that up in 2020 with a donation to Longboat Island Chapel that was passed along to women’s charities.

Shugar had become a member

BIRD OF THE WEEK

LIFE ON LONGBOAT

of TBI upon moving down to the Key, and they found out about the chapel’s philanthropy through their neighbor and chapel member Lesley Rife.

“It was just getting to know our neighbors and getting to know the places around you and then just kind of going from there,” he said.

Most recently, they’ve taken their philanthropy off the island with a donation of 72,000 containers of hand soap to All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota.

A closer look at the feathered friends with which we share Longboat.

Red-bellied woodpecker R ed-bellied woodpeckers are named for perhaps their least distinctive feature: a light wash of red on their bellies.

As long as trees are available, these highly adaptable birds will flourish in a range of natural and human-altered habitats. Indeed, they’re the most widespread woodpecker in Florida.

Red-bellied woodpeckers nest in cavities that they excavate with their sharp bills in dead limbs of live trees or in dead trees (also known as snags). If a suitable tree isn’t available, they will create cavities in utility poles and fence posts. They often suffer from competition for nesting cavities with nonnative species.

European starlings arrived in the U.S. in 1890, when 60 birds were released into New York City’s Central Park by a member of the American Acclimatization Society. To create comfort and familiarity in the new nation, he tried to introduce plants and birds from the “old world.” Although most introductions failed, two were successful: the European starling and the house sparrow.

There are now more than 200 million starlings in the U.S. To avoid conflict and loss of their nest, red-bellied woodpeck-

Miri Hardy

ers will sometimes delay cavity construction until after starlings have started nesting.

We can help our native cavity nesters, and many species that depend on dead and dying wood for shelter and food, by maintaining dead trees and limbs in our landscapes, when safe to do so.

Red-bellied woodpeckers use their chiselshaped bill to forage for insects, seeds, mast, fruit and pulp.

— MIRI HARDY, SAVE OUR SEABIRDS

Save our Seabirds is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick and injured wild birds. Follow @SaveOurSeabirds to learn more.

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443 JOHN RINGLING BLVD., STE. F | SARASOTA, FL 34236 595 BAY ISLES ROAD, STE. 250 | LONGBOAT KEY, FL 34228 348519-1

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

BENCH M A R K R E SU LTS • S T R AT EGIC M A R K ET I NG • PER SONA L I Z ED SERV ICE

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

THURSDAY, FEB. 18

THE PLAGUE AND THE FLU From 9-10:30 a.m. on Zoom with the Longboat Key Education Center. Two sessions.

Discuss the plague and flu in fiction and nonfiction with Albert Camus’ novella, “The Plague,” and Gina Kalata’s “Flu,” a nonfiction account of the great influenza pandemic of 1918. Members $40, nonmembers $45. For information call 383-8811, email Info@LBKEducationCenter.org, or visit LBKEducationCenter.org.

HOW WE THINK: EXPLORING THE MECHANISM OF THE MIND From 3-4:30 p.m. on Zoom, Longboat Key Education Center. Explore research about how minds work. Members $15, nonmembers $20. Call 383-8811, email info@LBKEducationCenter.org, or visit LBKEducationCenter.org.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24

351459-1

IS CBD RIGHT FOR ME? Beginning at 11:15 a.m. outdoors at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. With Lisa Baskfield, the owner of Nature’s Gem CBD on Longboat Key. Free for members; $10 for nonmembers. Registration is

Center, 546 Bay Isles Road.

The class, designed for active seniors, starts with Zumba and shifts to all-level mat Pilates at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $10. RSVP to 383-6493.

TUESDAYS

IPHONE & IPAD: ‘BEYOND’ BASICS PLUS From 1-3 p.m. on Zoom with the Longboat Key Education Center. Four sessions with Keith Coker, an IT and technology consultant. Members $100, nonmembers $110. Zoom only.

Call 383-8811, email info@LBKEducationCenter.org, or visit LBKEducationCenter.org.

MAHJONG From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road.

Work on your skills playing other beginners and/or intermediate level players. Held indoors or outdoors, weather permitting. Face masks required.

RSVP to MaryAnnBrady@ TheParadiseCenter.org, or call 383-6493.

FRIDAY, FEB. 19

FRIDAY AT FIVE: SAMBA MEETS JAZZ From 5-6:30 p.m. in person or on Zoom, Longboat Key Education Center. With group leader Tom Carabasi. $25 for all. Wine and appetizers will be served to those in attendance. Call 383-8811, email info@LBKEducationCenter.org, or visit LBKEducationCenter.org.

culture and topics relevant to seniors. Groups are limited to 10, and masks are required. Cost is $10. RSVP to DonnaSharpBlaney@TheParadiseCenter.org or by phone at 383-6493.

DON’T MISS THURSDAY, FEB. 18

LEARN HOW TO PLAY MAHJONG From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in person at the Longboat Key Education Center, 5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive, suite 212. Six sessions. Students cannot miss the first class. Temperatures taken, gloves provided, face masks required and game tiles disinfected. Members $90, nonmembers $100. Call 383-8811, email info@LBKEducationCenter.org, or visit LBKEducationCenter.org.

preferred. Email DonnaSharpBlaney@TheParadiseCenter. org, or call 383-6493.

RECURRING EVENTS MONDAYS

STRETCH & STRENGTHEN From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road.

Groups are limited to 10, and masks are encouraged. Class led by Suzy Brenner. Fee is $10.

RSVP to DonnaSharpBlaney@ TheParadiseCenter.org, or call 383-6493.

HULA CLASS From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., dance with Debbie White, who is originally from Honolulu and grew up with hula. Held outdoors with social distancing. Free for members, $10 per person. RSVP to DonnaSharpBlaney@TheParadiseCenter.org or by phone at 383-6493.

THINKING OUT LOUD: TIMELY TOPICS WITH MIKE KARP From 1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road.

Topics will include U.S. and world current affairs, popular

ROTARY CLUB Meets at 5 p.m. virtually on Zoom every first and third Tuesday. Call Nancy Rozance at 203-605-4066, or email info@ LongboatKeyRotary.org.

WEDNESDAYS

TAI CHI From 10-11 a.m. outdoors at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Cost is $10. RSVP to Mary Ann Brady at DonnaSharpBlaney@TheParadiseCenter.org, or call 383-6493.

THURSDAYS

KIWANIS CLUB OF LONGBOAT KEY At 8:30 a.m. at the Lazy Lobster, 5350 GMD every first and third Thursday of the month for breakfast, a social hour and a speaker. Breakfast is $10.

Email President Lynn Larson at LynnLarson@comcast.com to register.

ZUMBA AND MAT PILATES FOR SENIORS From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise

RESISTANCE IN EUROPE IN WWII From 3-4 p.m. with the Longboat Key Education Center.

Limited in-person class with a Zoom option. Four sessions about the activities of the Underground, their major organization, contributions and fates.

Members $75, nonmembers $85. Call 383-8811, email Info@ LBKEducationCenter.org, or visit LBKEducationCenter.org.

FRIDAYS

YOGA AND MEDITATION From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road.

Walk-ins welcome. Cost is $10 for nonmembers, free for members. RSVP to 383-6493.

VIRTUAL COCKTAIL HOUR At 5 p.m. on Zoom with Temple Beth Israel, join for a themed cocktail hour. The temple is holding “My Jewish Journey,” a series of talks from congregation members. Contact iazerad@TBI-LBK.org or info@ TBI-LBK.org for information.

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

‘Roy Lichtenstein: Monet’s Garden Goes Pop!’ blends pop art with classic garden displays.

Photos by Harry Sayer

Above and left: The koi pond has Monet’s water lilies along with Lichtenstein’s onomatopoeia.

Below left: The conservatory has a mural of Lichtenstein’s “Sunrise” painting.

POP!

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

M

arie Selby Botanical Gardens CEO Jennifer Rominiecki has overseen the Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibit series for six years now, and she said she is proud of the work she and her staff have put on display.

The series spotlights esteemed artists and displays their work in the context of the greenery of Selby’s botanical garden. And throughout those

GARDEN

GOES THE

six years, she and Curator-atLarge Carol Ockman have heard requests repeatedly for one artist in particular: French impressionist painter Claude Monet.

It’s a natural fit at first glance.

Monet did revered, vibrant work of his flower garden and water garden in Giverny, France, in the 19th and 20th centuries, and many have felt it would make sense to highlight such material at Selby’s downtown campus.

But Rominiecki felt it was still too obvious a selection.

“I’ve heard from a num-

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

properties properties expertise expertise results results

EXTRAORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY

IF YOU GO

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845Longboat LongboatClub ClubRoad Road 845 www.845LongboatClubRoad.com | Regent Court 19,300 | A4440615 | $19,750,000 19,300 SFSF| A4440615 $19,750,000 A4440615 | 19,300SF | 140’ on| the Gulf | $16,500,000

some Lichenstein-inspired onomatopoeia. The conservatory is now full of Lichtenstein constructs, Benday dots, elaborate murals, weeping willow structures and tropical flowers. A Japanese-style bridge spans a small pond created by Selby staff and has been painted through Lichtenstein’s lens.

The display at the Museum of Botany and the Arts has comprehensive information on Roy Lichtenstein before leading further in with photos from Monet’s gardens and loaned paintings of Lichtenstein’s interpretations.

Collecting all of that artwork took some doing.

Rominiecki borrowed a Lichtenstein painting of Monet’s haystacks from Selby supporter Flora Major and eventually was able to display borrowed paintings of the water lilies from the Pérez Museum of Art in Miami.

Other items were found at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.

“I love seeing people go up to [the artwork], sit down at the bench and become part of the artwork,” Rominiecki said.

“We want people to be part of the installation and to really immerse themselves.”

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‘ROY LICHTENSTEIN: MONET’S GARDEN GOES POP!’ EXHIBITION When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 27 Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. Tickets: From $15 Info: Call 366-5731, or visit Selby.org.

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ber of members and supporters that we do Monet’s garden in Giverny,” she said. “But the thing is, [Monet] has been done already in a number of ways. …

What we’ve been doing is really trying to feature artists that you don’t necessarily associate with nature and revealing a surprising connection.”

Serendipity came a few years ago when Rominiecki was looking up various artists’ works and discovered a series of paintings done by seminal pop artist Roy Lichtenstein — known for his striking colors, thick lines, Benday dots and comic strip and vintage advertisement inspirations. His work added a different spin to Monet’s water lilies and haystacks.

So, Rominiecki thought, what if the gardens filtered the wellknown works of Monet through the bold, pop-art style of Lichtenstein, then further interpreted the art into Selby’s tangible, 3D space?

Selby Gardens recently opened its “Roy Lichtenstein: Monet’s Garden Goes Pop!” exhibition, which will run through June 27.

The exhibition has a series of installations, newly constructed creations and museum pieces that staff hope will give a full view of the differing styles of both artists.

Familiar components of Monet’s life and body of work can now be seen across the Selby campus, several of which are modeled with strong black outlines and other visual touches for more of a pop-art feel.

Staff have built red- and yellow-dotted haystack models. The koi pond now contains Monet’s water lilies along with

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

LOCALLY KNOWN. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. SINCE 1976.

LONGBOAT KEY 1511 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 202 Carol Aviles 941-356-6777 A4481414 $3,075,000

LONGBOAT KEY 535 Sanctuary Drive B405 Ian Addy, PA & E. Gail Wittig 941-961-8850 A4490206 $1,950,000

LONGBOAT KEY 677 Lands End Drive Jenifer Schwell 941-780-0968 A4490677 $1,675,000

SARASOTA 1233 N Gulfstream Avenue 801 Richard Perlman 941-228-8580 A4487948 $1,275,000

LONGBOAT KEY 350 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 219 Sherry Dominick 941-500-3774 A4489936 $1,225,000

HOLMES BEACH 512 68th Street Hannah Hillyard 941-744-7358 A4484565 $985,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1485 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 104 Kathleen Callender 941-321-3115 A4483591 $925,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2101 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 2501 Michael Moulton 941-928-3559 A4490860 $895,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2425 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 13A Douglas Parks 941-400-9087 A4490525 $859,000

SARASOTA 988 Blvd Of The Arts 1911 Nora Johnson 941-809-1700 A4478131 $845,000

LIDO KEY 1750 Benjamin Franklin Drive 3C Linda Thompson 941-400-0805 A4466823 $790,000

PINELLAS PARK 7462 Water Silk Drive N Malihe Karimi 941-376-5099 A4488150 $788,400

SARASOTA 707 S Gulfstream Avenue 205 Marci Mcfarland 941-961-3390 A4488641 $768,000

LONGBOAT KEY 5461 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 402 Maureen Horn 941-539-3384 A4483717 $749,900

SARASOTA 945 Benjamin Franklin Drive 5 Camille Schwabe 941-894-4771 A4488654 $699,000

BRADENTON 73 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4477926 $670,000

HOLMES BEACH 101 66th Street 6 Kristi Berger 941-730-3801 A4452260 $588,888

LONGBOAT KEY 4234 Gulf Of Mexico Drive Q1 Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4488478 $535,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3240 Gulf Of Mexico Drive B305 Terri Derr & Rita Holbrook 941-356-6694 A4485219 $510,000

BRADENTON 221 21st Street W Lynne Callahan 941-720-3278 A4474894 $469,000

LONGBOAT KEY 100 Sands Point Road 225 Sandi Layfield 941-914-2807 A4448551 $450,000

BRADENTON 7730 34th Avenue W 102 Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4486333 $435,000

SARASOTA 101 S Gulfstream Avenue 14C Anja Deichmann 941-284-7987 A4484125 $369,900

LONGBOAT KEY 729 Saint Judes Drive S 2 Cathy Meldahl 941-724-7228 A4488291 $339,000

LONGBOAT KEY 5230 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 201 Becky Sirigotis 941-201-8000 A4489753 $339,000

LONGBOAT KEY 600 Sutton Place 101 George Zimmerman 941-320-8931 A4479167 $325,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3155 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 253 Susan Mitchell 941-780-5085 A4490518 $325,000

SARASOTA 449 Golden Gate Point B Dede Curran 941-928-3255 A4490616 $290,000

LONGBOAT KEY 3440 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 14 Susan Smith & Cathy Meldahl, PA 941-302-3440 A4473639 $239,000

SARASOTA 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive 1604 Kim Ogilvie 941-376-1717 A4481610 $2,750,000

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LIDO KEY The Ritz Carlton Beach Residences, 406 Joan Dickinson & Beth Afflebach 941-914-0496 A4417010 $2,385,000

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SARASOTA 2524 Pleasant Place Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4490046 $2,950,000

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

condominium in Bonaire at Longboat Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Marijo Chudik Martin and Anthony Albert Martin, trustees, of Westerville, Ohio, sold the Unit 1 condominium at 5005 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Paul Seed for $7.13 million. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 6,380 square feet of living area.

THE WATER CLUB AT LONGBOAT KEY

Daniel and Jeannine Mullan, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1007 condominium at 1281 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Lemuel Seabrook III and Michele Hooper, of Longboat Key, for $2.88 million. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, four-anda-half baths and 3,273 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.06 million in 2010.

LONGBOAT KEY ESTATES

Rountree Sarasota LP sold the home at 604 Rountree Drive to Karen and Andrew Kober, of Longboat Key, for $2,635,000.

Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,709 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.4 million in 2009.

LONGBOAT KEY TOWERS

J. Weaver Inc. sold the Unit S-101 condominium at 601 Longboat Club Road to Thomas Joseph, of Canonsburg, Pa., for $1.22 million. Built in 1970, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,420 square feet of living area.

It sold for $535,000 in 1993.

GRAND BAY

Daniel Idzik, trustee, and Kathleen Osborne, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 393 condominium at 3030 Grand Bay Blvd. to Kenneth and Kerry Gorman, of Longboat Key, for $1.1 million. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,369 square feet of living area.

BEACHPLACE

Blue Pearl LBK LLC sold the Unit 302 condominium at 1045 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Amanda and Stephen Heese, of Tampa, for $935,000. Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,392 square feet of living area. It sold for $765,000 in 2018.

Jon and Kimberly Bowe, trustees, of Eau Claire, Wis., sold the Unit 204 condominium at 1145 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Steven and Mary Custenborder, of Cincinnati, for $840,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,503 square feet of living area. It sold for $689,000 in 2015.

SANCTUARY AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

Linden Terrace Holdings Inc. sold the Unit A-203 condo at 565 Sanctuary Drive to SLK Family Trust for $898,900. Built in 1989, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,375 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,000 in 1990.

SLEEPY LAGOON PARK

Fred and Karen Langmeyer, of Longboat Key, sold their home at 737 Penfield St. to Phillip Edward Younger and Fanny Cohen Younger, of Longboat Key, for $888,000. Built in 1966, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,178 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 1999.

John James Varley and Virginia Harley, of Windermere, sold their home at 520 De Narvaez Drive to James and Ashley Dawson, of Longboat Key, for

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

FEB. 1 - 5

$730,000. Built in 1958, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,640 square feet of living area.

It sold for $555,000 in 2007.

EMERALD POINTE SOUTH

James Sean Lebaron and Darleen Lebaron, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 4 condominium at 1907 Harbour Links Circle to Deborah and Mark Marcantano, of Longboat Key, for $779,500. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,376 square feet of living area. It sold for $508,500 in 2004.

FAIRWAY BAY

Robert and Jane Lewit, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 633 condominium at 2120 Harbourside Drive to Jay and Elizabeth Berke, of Longboat Key, for $745,500. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,031 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2013.

SALTY ACRES

Reenie and Margarita Lopez, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 101 condominium at 5621 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Jason and Melinda Ann Brandt, of Pikesville, Md., for $680,000. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,395 square feet of living area. It sold for $523,000 in 2019.

LIDO BEACH CLUB

Joseph Iossa sold the Unit 308 condominium at 1212 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Hugh Mitchell, of Sarasota, for $650,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,421 square feet of living area. It sold for $576,000 in 2018.

CLUB LONGBOAT BEACH AND TENNIS

Barry J. Black Investments Inc. sold the Unit 213 condominium at 5055 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Stephen and Karen Hale, of Horseheads, N.Y., for $549,000.

Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,484 square feet of living area. It sold for $185,000 in 1985.

SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB

Michael Nink and Linda Olsen, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 125 condominium at 524 Spanish Drive S. to Michelle Abbey, of Longboat Key, for $370,000.

Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,399 square feet of living area. It sold for $202,000 in 2020.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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

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installation 1485 GMD #204

Interior alterations Gordon White

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Interior alterations Outrigger Longboat Key $43,000

3581 Bayou Circle

Re-roof

Bonnie and Mike Dooley $32,585

772 Marbury Lane

Siding

Sterling Group Sarasota $30,000

765 Jungle Queen Way

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New plumbing

Thomas A. Blakely

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WATERFRONT HOMES & HOMESITES

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In with the new

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of Feb. 5-11 in order of dollar amounts.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

REAL ESTATE

Bonaire residence sells for $7.13 million

|

$15,412 $14,500

Source: Town of Longboat Key

WWW.MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM/NEW-HOMES | 844.591.4333 | SARASOTA, FLORIDA Prices as of February 2021.

Licensed Real Estate Broker

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Selby hosts preview for donors

S

elby donors got an early look at the “Roy Lichtenstein: Monet’s Garden Goes Pop!” exhibit Feb. 10. Masked supporters took a walk through the new pop art exhibition — which looks at Claude Monet’s garden and nature paintings through the lens of Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art style — at Selby’s downtown campus. Guests eventually were able to pick up light bites and snacks and sit at spacedapart tables to eat.

Photos by Harry Sayer

Board Chair Pauline Wamsler and David Sales

— HARRY SAYER

Above: The event had wrapped Pop! cookies.

Right: Rob Rominiecki and Selby President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki

Shelley Lee and Lynn Bates

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3174 Gulf of Mexico Dr | Longboat Key, FL 34228 | 941.383.7591 | michaelsaunders.com

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FL AWLESS E XECUTION J.D., REALTOR ® , LBK COMMISSIONER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

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T H E C I R C U S A R TS CO N S E RVATO RY

Prevail P R E S E N TS

Left: BJ Creighton, Fritz Maxwell, Jan Swan, COO Wendy Deming and Skip Swan Below: Marianne and Douglas Weiss

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FRI/SAT/SUN MARCH 5–7 & MARCH 12–14 SOCIAl DISTANCINg PROTOCOlS

DIgITAl SHOW AVAIlABlE PROCEEDS SUPPORT CAC OUTREACH PROgRAMS

CircusArts.org | 941.355.9805

David Welle and Rosemary Reinhardt with Kelvin and Margie Cooper

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA, FLORIDA LUXURY

BOUTIQUE RESIDENCES WITH ONLY 3 + 4 HOMES PER FLOOR Tucked amongst the most coveted galleries, restaurants, shops, theaters and the marina, The DeMarcay offers a respite from the bustling downtown while remaining the most walkable condominiums in Sarasota.

SALES@THEDEMARCAY.COM

|

941.404.8858

|

SALES CENTER AT 32 S PALM AVE

|

THEDEMARCAY.COM

350513-1

©2021 Wolf Development Strategies and Wolf Residential. All Rights Reserved. Wolf Residential and Coldwell Banker operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. fully supports the principles of the fair housing act and the equal opportunity act. 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 Statues, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee

352013-1

AT THE SAIlOR CIRCUS ARENA

TICkETS: $50 / $35 / $20

12B

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

SUNRISE / SUNSET

FRIDAY, FEB. 19 High: 71 Don’t worry, I T ’ S S M A R T S TLow: R A N48 D. Chance Only SmartStrand®Submit can handle the 747 lbs of ice cream a family will eat in a carpet’s lifetime. of rain: 71% your photos at

Other carpets use stain protection that has to be reapplied. But only SmartStrand’s stain resistance is built right into YourObserver. the fibers. So it never wears or washes out. Even after multiple cleanings. Even better, It’s on sale now!

To learn morecom/ about what makes SmartStrand® with DuPont™ Sorona® #1 in customer satisfaction, visit MohawkFlooring.com/SmartStrand.

Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 202021 Weather and Nature photo contest.

In February 2021, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

Patricia Muller captured this butterfly on north Longboat Key.

SATURDAY, FEB. 20 High: 64 Low: 52 Chance of rain: 2%

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Feb. 18

7:04a 6:24p

Friday, Feb. 19

7:03a

6:25p

Saturday, Feb. 20

7:03a

6:26p

Sunday, Feb. 21

7:02a

6:26p

Monday, Feb. 22

7:01a

6:27p

Tuesday, Feb. 23

7:00a

6:28p

Wednesday, Feb. 24

6:59a

6:28p

MOON PHASES

SUNDAY, FEB. 21 High: 73 Low: 62 Chance of rain: 4%

March 5 March 13 March 21 March 28 Last New First Full

TIDES

Highs

Lows

Thursday, Feb. 18

4:41a 3:41p 9:50a

Friday, Feb. 19

6:52a 4:20p

—

12:14a 9:55a

Saturday, Feb. 20

— 5:10p

1:34a

—

Sunday, Feb. 21

—

6:17p

Monday, Feb. 22

—

7:32p 3:53a —

2:50a

—

Tuesday, Feb. 23

12:18p

8:40p

4:44a

2:57p

Wednesday, Feb. 24 12:24p 9:38p

5:26a

4:03p

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY 349206-1

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

CROSSWORD

941.748.4679 | Venice

941.493.7441 | www.manasotaonline.com

32 Operating again (letter 10) 35 Places to hear “Stat!”

(Abbr.)

36 Dolphins Hall of Famer Larry 38 Bad-mouths 39 Mimicking 40 Letter before sigma 42 Put down roots 45 Have a frank discussion (letter 3) 50 Getting little rain 53 One catching slippery fish 54 Strong point 55 Suffix with “Tao” 57 Long of “Boyz n the Hood”

59 “Auld Lang ___” 60 Wonder Woman’s “real” first name 61 Kate Middleton’s sister 64 Last non-A.D. year 66 To the rear, to a rear admiral 67 Funny money maker (letter 9) 70 Strings for Kamakawiwo’ole, briefly 73 Injures 74 They help around the House 75 Viscounts’ superiors 77 Apple assistant 81 Tie-dyed top

112 Singer Grande, familiarly 113 Ring out 114 Dream up 116 Piles 118 Album with “I Am a Rock” ... and a hint to the Down, but not Across, pronunciations of the indicated letters (letter 15) 121 “The king,” in Spain 122 Suzhou Museum architect 123 Successful hitchhiker 124 Mushers’ vehicles 125 Thai or Lao 126 Maine, e.g., to Macron 127 Giga- times 1,000

KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

49 “Oh, my!”

51 Concave navel 52 Slimming plans 56 Clingy wrap brand 58 Prez born in a log cabin 61 Prepare, like baby food 62 Processor maker 63 Six for a TD 64 Hefty ref.

65 Belief systems 68 Inside ___ 69 Buddy’s buddy, perhaps 70 Pakistani language 71 Heidi of “America’s Got Talent” 72 “NFL Matchup” channel 76 Be sick DOWN 77 Religious offense 1 “On Language” writer 78 Olympic skater Midori 2 Lana or Tina 79 One of 32 on a checker3 Battery terminals board 4 Stared at the stars, say 80 “You got me!”

5 Puny puppy 82 Rockies animal 6 Kennel noises 85 Delhi garment 7 Nat ___ Wild 87 “___ She Sweet” (Beatles 8 See 24-Down song) 9 Ravi of 5-Across 89 Faithful “Odyssey” 10 Jeans measure 11 Lou Gehrig’s disease, briefly character 90 Former spouses 12 Beach city near L.A. 91 Org. concerned with can13 Full assembly nabis 14 Acronym for Obama’s 92 Loops in on an email signature health law 94 Actress Reid 15 Range tops?

96 Entered gradually 16 In an obvious way 99 Iran, in the past 17 Oven gloves 100 “Hit the ceiling” and “hit 18 Croats and Poles the sack” 20 Change for a 20 24 With 8-Down, tangy French 102 Greek H’s 103 Recoil in fear 82 Word before “product” or poultry dish 104 Teammate of Dasher “quote” 29 Egyptian vipers 105 Noted women’s rights 83 Embellished, informally 32 Knock on the head measure, informally 84 Agenda units 33 Terrible smell 106 Campfire remnants 86 Airline to Haifa 34 “Ah, gotcha” 107 Flashlight battery, 88 It always has a view 36 PC’s “brain” perhaps (letter 10) 37 Dame’s counterpart 108 Sleep disorder 93 Signals nonverbally 39 Fasten on 109 One may be storewide 95 “I Like ___” 41 Cuban sandwich meat 110 Representative 97 Corporate VIPs 43 Goodman known for his 114 “Little” star Rae 98 Secure, as with a seat belt moves 115 Spray in a sauna 101 Virgil protagonist 44 “... ___ he drove out of 117 The “S” in CBS, originally 103 Windy City summer hrs. sight” (Abbr.)

106 Coffee and liquor, to 45 Cry of success 119 News agcy. some (letter 2) 46 “Yeah, right!”

120 Excess spending 109 Jazz legend Vaughan 47 Aspiring D.A.’s hurdle 111 Filmy buildup 48 Barbie’s partner

NOW YOU HEAR ME, NOW YOU DON’T by Ed Sessa; Edited by David Steinberg

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Male forest ranger?

5 Indian music 9 Crocodile’s habitat 14 Throat-clearing sounds 19 Nude 21 Kosher, to a Muslim 22 Like some liberties 23 Where cold cases are opened? (see letter 13 in this answer) 25 Gut concern 26 Hits the tab key 27 Dashes 28 Two peas ___ pod 30 Many a flat-screen set 31 Marsh grasses

*DuPont™ Sorona® contains 37% renewably sourced ingredients by weight. The DuPont Oval logo, DuPont,™ Renewably sourced™ and Sorona® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates and are licensed to Mohawk.

CELEBRITY CIPHER

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“FXPEL EY DMS YZRS YLESHLS HZD XLLSNDSI AU YLESHDEYDY, ASLXOYS DMSU LXH’D OHISVYDXHI ED.”

– MXVVU MZOIEHE

“V DUVRG VA LMZ NMZTX UHSJ KZD UMZXVRV NVDU H GRVAJ, FTMMX NMZTXR’D KMPJ MZD, YB NMZTX.”

– KBVOO HRIJT

Puzzle Two Clue: Y equals P

Sarasota

SAVE ON EVERY SPECIES, COLOR AND STYLE!

Puzzle One Clue F equals M

HARDWOOD

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

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

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

02-18-21

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Homes for Sale

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at 2PM

Luxurious 4 Bed 4 Bath Built in 2020 Lakefront Lakewood Ranch $1,599,900

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.

Merchandise Wanted WANTED: HEALTHRIDER exercise machine in excellent condition.

Call/text 815-751-4160 or email Richard.katz1@gmail.com

GARAGE SALE Advertise as low as $17.50 per week!

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

Condos/Apts. for Sale

jobs Help Wanted

2 CEILING fans, $60 and $40.

One dining room light fixture $20. LBK, cash, you pick up.

321-8007.

ST ARMANDS Sports Gallery is looking for a part/full time employee with a knowledge of sports. Over 55+ please apply.

Life experience is important.

Call Loring: 954-467-1000 or loringholtz@yahoo.com

Boat Slips for Rent/Sale MARINA SLIP for sale. Longboat Key Club.

Moorings Lot C-01. $150k.

62 x 21.

Call Steve: 727-898-9388.

Merchandise Wanted COIN AND Currency collector Paying top dollar.

Call Tom: 513-939-5955.

WANTED: LOCAL church needs garage type storage shelves: metal or heavy plastic.

Will pay if reasonable, will pickup. Contact: 863-660-2044.

auto

SELL IT FAST HERE! POST YOUR AD WITH EASE YourObserver.com/RedPages

Longboat Key Beach House: on Canal, 2BED-2BATH, 1/CAR, Dock. $530,000. Owner/agent Private Boat Lift: beach access villa/condo Pet Friendly $399,000 Call for coming soon listings.

Buy or Sell with Brooke O’Malley as your Realtor, and CLUB REALTY will Pay your title insurance.

Call 941-726-2677

CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE HERE!

Homes for Rent COZY COTTAGE Sandpiper AMI 55+. 1.5 minute walk to the beach or bay, near pool. 1BA/1BR, W/D for sale or rent.

Call: 941-251-4767 leave message.

Homes for Sale LBK BEACH Harbor Club 2BD/2BA Condo 1062sqft Fully updated corner unit with new furnishing $349,000.

Call Jane: 941-524-0264.

BEACH HARBOR Club Gorgeous penthouse condo with access to beach/boat/pool/fitness.

3BR/2BA, 2 large terraces, sunrise/sunset views. $5500/mo in season.

248-202-6865 or 440-623-9068.

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888 LBK BEACHFRONT condo: 2BR/2BA, first floor walkout.

100% renovated, high-end.

Non-smoking, no pets, 1 month minimum rental.

Available March 2021. Email for photos and videos and more info: lbkcondo000@gmail.com

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

RED PAGES

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

Call 941-383-3338.

CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

Autos for Sale REDUCED PRICE! MERCEDES BENZ 1999 For Sale- S500 (stretch) M: 136K; Asking: $3,800 OBO. Great Condition.

Sunroof, Heated Electric Seats, Original W/S with sticker, 4Dr, Original MB hood emblem.

Black Car w/ light grey interior.

Located on Lido Key Cell 315.727.4933. Theresa

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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

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

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

You’re only cheating yourself.

WHIRLPOOL STACKABLE washer and dryer 27W, excellent condition $200 386-206-9006

BAYVIEW CONDO contemporary, 2BR/2BA 1618/sqft, remodeled, laminate flooring, luxury kitchen storage, turn-key, carport, pool, private beach, 4 Har-tru courts, kayak launch, $710,000.

941-962-0767.

CALL 941-955-4888

peekers’ place

BRAND NEW Wilson 6 pack Tennis Bag. White with padded attached shoulder straps. $70.

(941) 383-1184.

55+ Beach and Boating: One story villa 2BED-2BATH $424,000

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

Items Under $200

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

Everything Updated Sarasota's Phillipi Gardens 3/2/2 $359,900

This week’s Crossword answers

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “Magic is the sole science not accepted by scientists, because they can’t understand it.”

Harry Houdini Puzzle Two Solution: “I think if you would have cut Houdini with a knife, blood wouldn’t come out, PR would.”

– Criss Angel

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2021 Universal Uclick

RED PAGES. MADE FOR WHERE YOU LIVE. HERE! TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

©2021 NEA, Inc.

stuff

SELL YOUR STUFF FAST!

real estate

Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

Paint the town RED!

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals WEEKLY/MONTHLY SEASONAL RATES Beachfront, Bayfront and In Between Houses or Condos 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.

|

Adult Care Services

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

941-536-6372 EpicHomeCare@yahoo.com Rosa Torres- Owner

M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

home services

14B

Adult Care Services

Since 1939

Auto Transport

Painting

AIRPORT RIDES to Tampa, St.Pete, Sarasota from surrounding islands. Super ride, super fares. Ride includes mask and gloves. Call/Text Anna: 941-932-1600.

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

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

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

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing.

Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

Cleaning

Restaurants

Transportation

CLAUDIA C. Cleaning Services.

Experienced, dependable, and ready to begin!

Residential.

Excellent references.

941-773-6895.

BLUE DOLPHIN CAFE

LONGBOAT LIMOUSINE

CLEANING BY Brazilian Lady.

Meticulous, reliable, deep cleaning specialist. Residential.

Commercial. New Construction.

941-400-2866.

Painting

www.rentalsonlongboat.com

RED PAGES AD RATES First 15 words .................. $ 17.50 per week Each Add’l word ....... 50¢

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Fax: 941-362-4808 Email: redpages@ yourobserver.com Online: yourobserver.com

ES HANDYMAN & REMODELING. Hardwood flooring, kitchens, painting and electrical.

Honest and best prices.

30+ years exp. Fully ins/lic.

716-474-8492.

FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS ARE BACK AT OUR LONGBOAT KEY CENTRE SHOPS LOCATION!!

Perfect Solutions Perfect Solutions For Seniors Perfect Solutions For Seniors For Seniors *Caregivers/Companions Perfect Solutions *Caregivers/Companions *For CNA’s/HHA’s Seniors *Caregivers/Companions * CNA’s/HHA’s * Assistance with Daily Living * CNA’s/HHA’s **Caregivers/Companions Assistance with Daily Living Activities * Assistance with Activities * Hourly 24/7Daily CareLiving * CNA’s/HHA’s Activities *-Affordable Hourly 24/7Rates CareLiving * Assistance with Daily *-Affordable Hourly 24/7Rates Care * Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured Activities * Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured *-Affordable Hourly 24/7Rates Care *Phone Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured (941) 809-1438 -Affordable Rates (941) 809-1438 HHA# 299994819 *Phone Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured

consultation today!

Schedule your free in-home 941-809-3725 consultation today! www.alhhomecare.com 941-809-3725 NR#30211577 www.alhhomecare.com 941-809-3725 NR#30211577 www.alhhomecare.com NR#30211577

SELL IT FAST HERE! POST YOUR AD WITH EASE YourObserver.com/RedPages

941-955-4888

Your local luxury transportation provider since 1994.

New luxury Sedans and SUVs. Fully Licenced and insured.

Call/Text 941-383-1235 E-mail: longboatlimousine @yahoo.com

FRIDAY **FEBRUARY 19TH**

 LIVE MAINE LOBSTER  BLUE FIN CRAB CAKES  PRIME RIB  DUCK A L’ORANGE ALL ENTREES SERVED WITH CHEF’S CHOICE STARCH & VEGETABLE ENTIRE REGULAR DINNER MENU ALSO AVAILABLE!

NEED ASSISTANCE? A LENDING HAND HOME NEED ASSISTANCE? CARE A LENDING HAND HOME NEED ASSISTANCE? CARE A LENDING HAND HOME - Transportation CARE - -Meal Preparation Transportation - Light - MealHousekeeping Preparation -- Transportation Personal Care - Light Housekeeping - -Meal Preparation Care - Dementia Personal Care - Light Housekeeping --Companionship Dementia Care - Personal Care - Medical Reminders - Companionship - Dementia Care - Medical Reminders - Companionship Schedule your free in-home -consultation Medical Reminders today!

Schedule your free in-home

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

INCLUDING HOMEMADE PIES! AND MUCH MORE... JUST ASK...

FRIDAYS OPEN 5P.M.-8P.M. SERVING DINNER ITEMS

941-383-3787 CALL FOR RESERVATIONS BEER & WINE AVAILABLE

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE! 941-955-4888 PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE: YourObserver.com/RedPages

Phone (941) 809-1438 HHA# 299994819 HHA# 299994819 Phone (941) 809-1438 HHA# 299994819

Carpet Cleaning

SELL YOUR CAR!

We Are So Thankful for our Customers

FAST • EASY • SAFE

HoHoBuysCars.com

5-Star Rated

Dries in hours - not days.

Serving AMI/LBK/Bradenton Area for 25 years

941.778.2882 | 941.387.0607 Like Us on Facebook

Sliding Glass Door Repair

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE” 350456

941.270.4400

CARPET CLEANING • TILE • GROUT UPHOLSTERY STAIN • CONTROL

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

351217

WE COME TO YOU

Doors

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

351514

Auto Service

Insurance

SECUR-ALL INSURANCE AGENCY | 941.383.3388

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

CHUBB, AIG, UNIVERSAL, UNITED, SAFECO, PROGRESSIVE, VAULT, FLOOD, WE HAVE YOU COVERED!

TREASURES FOUND HERE!

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

350830

Sandra Smith

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Handyman

Insurance

941.504.2745 941.400.1563

EXPERIENCE KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS

Honesty, Integrity and Pride • Roofs • PoolCages Cages•• Decks Decks ••Driveways • Roofs • Pool Driveways • Deck/Paver Sealing • Gutter Cleaning • Deck/PaverAnd Sealing • And Much More Much More!

THE BEST

350832

SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PHYSICIANS IN AMERICA

941-544-1066

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc. Building & Roofing Contractor

Home • Condo • Auto • Umbrella • Boat

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

199923

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Landscaping & Lawn

350454

Screening

IMPROVE YOUR CURB APPEAL!

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC University Health Park 2415 University Parkway Bldg. 3, Suite 216 Sarasota, FL 34243

• Pool Cage Restoration • Rescreening Specialists • Specialty Screens • Paint • Doors and more!

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties

Horticultural Design Services | Landscape Construction Landscape Maintenance | Irrigation Installation & Repair Brick & Stone Pavers | Walls, Gates, Fences | Tree Trimming Low Volt Outdoor Lighting Repair & Installation

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Call 941.358.2224 today to schedule a

FREE CONSULTATION

1

12/14/16

941-345-5264

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint Doors and more!

The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

Warranties

(941) 345-5264

Home Services

350457

RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888 FOR MORE INFO

WHO’S WATCHING YOUR HOME & BOAT?

Windows

941.704.9025 ShadyLadyFL.com

Call a certified HOME WATCH PROFESSIONAL you can trust!

Res./Com. 351526

OUR BEST PRACTICES PROMISE IS APPLIED TO RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE.

Lower your home insurance with our GPS stamped reports on every visit.

CREATE BUZZ!

RIGHT ON TARGET Advertise your business, starting at only $85 per month.

Movers

dmccarthymoving@gmail.com

OBSERVER RED PAGES

Local And Long Distance Movers Residential Moves Commercial Moves Pack, Crate & Wrap

5

$

www.davidmccarthymoving.com

Call 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

YOUR HOME found here.

Find a place where you can visit listings, not just imagine them.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

120

$

SPECIAL 00

...will move anything from a couch to a household

941-704-4278

25

ows

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

David McCarthy Moving • • • •

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

STANDARD WINDOWS

352026

DAYANA

Lic./Ins.

& Pressure C Window lean t e s ing as Sunrise Wi n w o n k Sun y l nd er UP TO

Advertise your business in the Red Pages.

Call 941-955-4888

351703

941.348.1359 TheConcierge.co

Trees

Manufacture and workmanship

4:43 PM

350452

shadylady_14x16magnet_FN.pdf

351520

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

| scaperotta@aol.com

Italian American Owned

595 Bay Isles Rd. Suite 215 941.554.8909 | www.micinsurancefl.com

“Medical Breakthrough Technology for bulging, herniated and degenerative disc ...

No Pain, No Drugs, No Injections, No Surgery”

BEFORE

Roofing

Mike Mailliard ~ Lacey Weaver Allen Hovis Matthew Mailliard ~ Hannah Gamso Chloe Gardner

This Doctor is Among

AFTER

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

Our team of professionals provides superior service and expertise for all of your insurance needs.

Health

Pressure Washing

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

351521

GladysKhabbaz@gmail.com 805 Molly Circle, Sarasota

Power Washing

350641

Naji Aoun

351525

• Home Repairs & Maintenance • Interior & Exterior • Garage Floor Paint • Power Wash

15B

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Pressure Washing

MIC INSURANCE

CONSTRUCTION HANDYMAN

|

16B

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

READY TO BUY? IF NOT NOW....WHEN? NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

LONGBOAT KEY $ 895,000 PROMENADE 1211 Gulf of Mexico Dr., #706 2BR/2BA | 1,788 SQFT | Completely Updated

LONGBOAT KEY $595,000 GRAND BAY V 3080 Grand Bay Blvd., #535 2BR/2BA | 1,276 SQFT | Furnished | Bay views

LONGBOAT KEY $1,255,000 QUEENS HARBOUR 3560 Fair Oaks Lane 3BR/3 Full / 1 Half BA | 2,915 SQFT

$599,000 DOWNTOWN LONGBOAT KEY $799,000 LIDO KEY $625,000 SARASOTA THE “Q” OAKS PRESERVE MERIDIAN BEACHES LIDO BEACH CLIB 267 Cosmopolitan Ct. 3603 North Point Rd., #302 775 Longboat Club Rd. #404 1212 Benjamin Franklin Dr., #608 2BR/2BA | 1,602 SQFT | Gulf & City views 2BR/2BA | 1,421 SQFT | Gulf views

3BR/3BA | 2,545 SQFT |Preserve views

LONGBOAT KEY $11,495,000 DIRECT GULF-FRONT ESTATE 5965 Gulf of Mexico Drive 7BR/6.5BA | 10,087 SQFT 150’ of Beachfront on Nearly 2 Acres

$1,795,000 OYSTER BAY ESTATES NEW CONSTRUCTION 1421 N. Lake Shore Dr.

3BR/3BA | 4,566 SQFT | Stunning Townhome

$2,595,000

4BR/4 Full / 2 Half BA | 4,217 SQFT

COLDWELL BANKER’S

#1 SMALL TEAM

IN SARASOTA & MANATEE COUNTIES FOR SALES VOLUME 2019-2020

THE NAME TO KNOW IN REAL ESTATE

RYAN ACKERMAN ryan@ackermangroup.net BAY POINT APARTMENTS

UNDER CONTRACT

GOLDEN GATE POINT

350 Golden Gate Pt. #33 Representing Seller

BARBARA ACKERMAN barbara@ackermangroup.net

www.ackermangroup.net

SARABANDE

WATER CLUB I

LA BELLASARA

COCOANUT BAYOU

OAKS PRESERVE

UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

SOLD

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA 340 S Palm Ave. #10 Representing Buyer & Seller

LONGBOAT KEY

1241 Gulf Of Mexico Dr. #306 Representing Seller

GOLDEN GATE POINT

464 Golden Gate Pt. 302 Representing Seller

SIESTA KEY

4317 Midnight Pass Road Representing Seller

OSPREY

292 Turquoise Lane Represented Seller

JUST IN JANUARY... we connected all of these sellers and buyers!

The Ackerman Group represents sellers and buyers in all areas of Sarasota and her Keys!

WATER CLUB II

LAWRENCE POINTE

MERIDIAN OAKS PRESERVE

VIZCAYA

CORAL COVE

BAY ISLAND SHORES

UNDER CONTRACT

SOLD

SOLD

UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

1281 Gulf of Mexico Dr. #PH1108 Representing Buyer & Seller

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA 101 Sunset Dr. #302 Represented Seller

OSPREY - THE OAKS

409 N Point Rd #1001 Represented Buyer & Seller

LONGBOAT KEY

2333 Gulf of Mexico Dr. #1B3 Representing Seller

SOUTH SARASOTA

7302 Periwinkle Drive Representing Buyer & Seller

SIESTA KEY

891 Freeling Drive Representing Buyer

CALL THE ACKERMAN GROUP 941.387-1820 COLDWELL BANKER REALTY | 423 JOHN RINGLING BLVD., STE., F | SARASOTA, FL 34236 This is not a solicitation of another broker’s listings.

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(941) 999-3205 | 3951 Swift Rd., Sarasota, FL 34231

February 11th and 18th, 2021

SELLING LOCAL LUXURY WITH G L O B A L C O N N E C T I O N S

Coldwell Banker Realty 423 St. Armands Circle Sarasota, FL 34236

Website: www.LongboatKeyLuxury.com | Email: Kepecz@JudyHays.com

941.587.1700

Judy Kepecz-Hays

$2.2 BILLION IN CAREER SALES

Steven Kepecz

941.387.1825

Over $185 Million SOLD & PENDING in 2020

$125+ Million CLOSED and $60+ Million PENDING SALES

Your View

1281 Gulf of Mexico Drive #401 | Water Club $3,600,000 | MLS A4489409 | Furnished BEACHFRONT - Water Club II. Choice southwest corner on 4th level. Furnished 3 bedrooms plus den or 4 bedrooms 3,460 sq. ft. of understated elegance with SUNSETS and endless Gulf of Mexico views. This Arlington model is ready for instant enjoyment to create new memories. This residence has been thoughtfully planned and meticulously executed. The Clubhouse, 17,000 sq. ft. offers a large and luxurious social room with beach and pool views that can be reserved for private parties, a private bar with liquor lockers, a state of the art fitness center with his and hers locker rooms, a game/billiards club room, a handsome oakpaneled library & Mahjong room. Those who prefer to be outdoors can choose from playing on lighted Har-Tru tennis courts, swimming in the Olympic-sized pool, or enjoying the powdered-sugar sandy beaches and turquoise water.

WaterClub401.com

New Market he On T

Ritz-Carlton Beach Club

Ritz-Carlton Managed Foyer

Private Garage

Guest Suite

Theater

Fitness Room

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1300 Benjamin Franklin Drive #1203 | The Beach Residences $5,200,000 | MLS A4490587 Enjoy this exquisite 4 bedroom Penthouse with Beach to Bay - Sunrise to Sunset views. This home in the sky is the pinnacle on the beach at The Ritz-Carlton managed "THE BEACH RESIDENCES". Unsurpassed luxury, unimaginable legendary Ritz-Carlton services and lifestyle where memories are made, and dreams are treasured. Enjoy BBQ on your terrace, 2 pets welcome, and a private garage in the garage.

TheBeachResidences1203.com

941

7107 Hawks Harbor Circle | Hawks Harbor $699,900 | MLS A4458161 This 3 bed/3 bath home resides in the gated enclave of Hawks Harbor with a deeded boat slip on a double lot. Immaculately kept w/stunning hardwood floors, updated kitchen and cozy wood burning fireplace. Mature lush landscaping located close to all Sarasota has to offer!

7107HawksHarborCircle.com

916 North Casey Key Road | GULF to BAY ESTATE $4,975,000 | MLS A4408082 200 ft. private beach, 2 guest homes on the Gulf of Mexico. On the bayside, main residence with 3 bedrooms, pool, dock, and lift.

Total 1.5 acres. Enjoy year-round sunrise and sunsets.

916NCaseyKeyRoad.com

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50 Central Ave Penthouse 16 South | Plaza At Five Points $2,499,000 | MLS A4454416 Magnificent and breathtaking views from each and every room in this open design plan with 4,000 sq. ft. Walls of glass to view all of Sarasota & Her Islands. Endless amenities and upgrades in this 3 bedroom plus den. 3 parking spaces.

PlazaAtFivePoints16G.com

1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive #1006 | The Ritz-Carlton $995,000 | MLS A4143524 Enjoy picturesque views of Sarasota Bay & Her Islands. Elegant 1 BR, 1.5 bath residence with high ceilings in the coveted Ritz-Carlton w/5-star amenities in the heart of the City.

Ritz-Carlton1006.com

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Amen

SELLING LOCAL LUXURY WITH G L O B A L C O N N E C T I O N S

Coldwell Banker Realty 423 St. Armands Circle Sarasota, FL 34236

Website: www.LongboatKeyLuxury.com | Email: Kepecz@JudyHays.com

941.587.1700

Judy Kepecz-Hays

$2.2 BILLION IN CAREER SALES

Steven Kepecz

941.387.1825

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1300 Ben Franklin Drive #PH1203 1300 Ben Franklin Drive #PH1208 1300 Ben Franklin Drive #606 $5,200,000 | MLS A4490587 $3,800,000 | MLS A4448354 $2,675,000 | MLS A4445110 TheBeachResidences1203.com TheBeachResidences1208.com TheBeachResidences606.com

1300 Ben Franklin Drive #708 $2,350,000 | MLS A4471978 TheBeachResidences708.com

Amenities: over 400 ft. of Gulf frontage,guest suites, 2 pets-no weight limit! Dedicated staff & legendary resort-style amenities.

SELLING LOCAL LUXURY WITH G L O B A L C O N N E C T I O N S

Coldwell Banker Realty 423 St. Armands Circle Sarasota, FL 34236

Website: www.LongboatKeyLuxury.com | Email: Kepecz@JudyHays.com

941.587.1700

Judy Kepecz-Hays

$2.2 BILLION IN CAREER SALES

Steven Kepecz

941.387.1825

New Market he On T

2020 Harbourside Drive #442 | Fairway Bay $455,000 | MLS A4490699 Sarasota Bay is your back yard with endless views to the mainland. Instant enjoyment awaits you in this updated 2 bedroom/ 2 bath residence on the 4th floor of Fairway Bay. It is within the gates of The Longboat Key Club Harborside. Walk or bicycle to Publix, CVS, tennis, 27 holes of golf, 2nd largest Marina on the West Coast of Florida or to your private deeded beach.

FairwayBay442.com

Residence #304

Residence #704

1050 Longboat Club Road #304 | Privateer $799,000 | MLS A4485457 Indulge in luxury and privacy in this completely updated residence on the beach within the gates of The Longboat Key Club, Islandside. 2/2, 1,409 sq. ft.

1050LongboatClub304.com

1050 Longboat Club Road #704 | Privateer $925,000 | MLS A4485456 Better than NEW! Panoramic views of the spectacular beach, city skyline, SRQ Bay, and the mainland! It looks close enough to touch! 2/2, 1,409 sq. ft.

1050LongboatClub704.com

Privateer North has every amenity. A newly updated club room with catering kitchen, a well-equipped fitness room with saunas, heated Olympic sized pool and spa, tennis and pickleball courts, shuffleboard, BBQ grill, and a new gas fire pit where residents gather. The beautiful lobby and common areas include the onsite office with helpful management staff. Not to be missed, there is storage and FREE laundry on every floor. Don’t miss this opportunity, a must-see!