Tryla Brown Larson, above, who owns a line of locally made products with her sister, Crystal Brown, celebrated a step forward for the business last week.
She joined Design 2000 Salon co-owner Irina LaRose, Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce representatives and residents on Jan. 29 to launch her line at the salon. Larson was inspired to start her line, Herb Methodology, based on what she learned of plant-based treatments from her grandmother, Thelma Brown.
Her products, the ingredients for which she often grows, include everything from relaxing bath bombs to bug repellent to face serums.
In addition to several brickand-mortar stores, the line is available online. Visit HerbMethodology.com.
Trash to Treasure sale making its return
This season’s Trash to Treasure rummage sale is next weekend. The annual tradition is one of the biggest events of the year at The Gulfshore of Longboat Key mobile home park.
Susie Hettmansperger, an event organizer, said there are plenty of gently used items this year, particularly furniture.
The pre-sale is open to Gulfshore residents 4-5:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the clubhouse. The public is welcome from 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 14. The retirement community is located at 3710 Gulf of Mexico Drive.
Anyone with high-quality items to donate can email SusieHett@gmail.com.
Image courtesy of Susan Hettmansperger
Dana Kampa
WEEK OF FEB. 5, 2026
BY
THE
NUMBERS
“It’s at least a half-million dollar mistake to us, and that’s a lot of money to a small town.”
Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton Read more on page 5A
Ivan Zunz, the friendly face greeting visitors who walk into the Longboat Key police station, has been with the department for 10 years.
Zunz is customer service specialist for the Longboat Key Police Department, performing a wide range of duties for the small department tasked with policing the 11-mile barrier island. At a Longboat Key Town Commission meeting Monday, Zunz was recognized for his decade of employment with the department.
“He is a right arm to everybody in our police department. He has about two pages long of duties
and responsibilities as it relates to the town job, but he does about 20 or 30 more on a daily basis,” Police Chief Russ Mager said. “I can’t say enough about all the work that you do, and you are definitely appreciated.”
Zunz’s parents were active in the Longboat Key community since stumbling upon the barrier island decades ago. His mother, Pat Zunz, served on the Town Commission from 2011-2016. When she decided to step down from her position representing District 5, her husband, Ed Zunz, filled her shoes, serving on the same seat from 2016-2021.
Ivan, in a less visible position, has had an impact on the town as well, working with the police department since January 2016.
“I never would have guessed when I started coming here with my parents as a little kid in the ’70s that I’d be working as an ambassador of the community and doing my small part to keep the machine humming,” Zunz said. “Of course, it’s the officers and command staff that do the heavy lifting. We’re fortunate to have a great police department like this.”
Area now in ‘Phase II’ drought
Much of the Gulf Coast, including the entirety of Sarasota and Manatee counties, are in a severe drought. And beginning Feb. 8, a “phase II ‘severe’ water shortage” will begin, meaning more restrictive watering schedules for residents.
“As per the Southwest Florida Water Management District and our water provider, Manatee County, we are under modified Phase II water shortage restrictions regardless of the source water (potable or well),” the town of Longboat Key’s website states.
The new restrictions mean residents can water their lawns once a week, the day dependent on the last number in their address. Residents with addresses ending with a 0 or 1 may water on Monday; 2 or 3 on Tuesday; 4 or 5 on Wednesday; 6 or 7 on Thursday; and 8 or 9 on Friday.
According to SWFMD, outdoor water use accounts for more than 50% of household water use.
Gold appointed to NLC committee
Longboat Key Town Commissioner Penny Gold has been appointed to serve on a federal advocacy committee with a national coalition of municipal leaders.
Gold, the District 2 representative on the Longboat Key Town Commission, will serve a one-year term on the National League of Cities Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Federal Advocacy Committee. According to the NLC website, the FAIR committee “is responsible for developing policy positions and leading NLC’s advocacy on issues involving intergovernmental relations.”
The National League of Cities is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for and protects the interest of local governments, comprising more than 2,600 member cities, towns and villages.
“Never underestimate the importance of local advocacy at the state level and on the national stage,” said Town Manager Howard Tipton in a news release.
NAVIGATING NEW PASS
S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER
Navigating New Pass by boat is no simple task.
“You literally have to follow a zigzag following where it’s deep,” said Jane Early, marina manager of MarineMax, which stores hundreds of boats at its New Passbordering marina and dealership.
“You have to hug the left side, then go to the right side, and then there’s a new sandbar and you have to go around that one. It’s not an easy way.”
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charts and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging plans, the depth of New Pass varies from 6 inches to 16 feet. And with the sea floor shifting from storm to storm, weaving through the pass is done at boaters’ risk.
Early said she advises those embarking into the Gulf from MarineMax to take the long way, either southeast under the Ringling Causeway and out Big Pass or northwest past the 11-mile barrier island of Longboat Key and out through Longboat Pass.
But a dredging project under way on the channel connecting Lido Key to Longboat Key’s southern end will create a path that could clear the way for larger vessels.
Phillip White, superintendent of Gator Dredging, said his company was contracted to dig a 180-footwide ditch at the bottom of New Pass.
“The contractor is using a hydraulic cutter-suction dredge, which excavates shoaled material from the bottom of the channel, blends it with water to create a slurry and pushes it through a pipeline to Lido beach, where it is being deposited within the permitted Lido Key shore protection project footprint,” said USACE spokesperson Peggy Bebb in an email.
The depth of the cut will be 10 feet east of the drawbridge and 13 feet west going out into the Gulf. The sand collected in the dredge is being piped to south Lido Key Beach for a renourishment project, but another result of the project will be enhancing the navigability of New Pass.
“The reason we’re pulling the sand up is because it’s a navigational hazard right now. Everybody runs aground there,” White said. “That’s what the Army Corps of Engineer’s got permits to do. That’s why we’re
doing it. We get paid to do the depth as required, but they reuse the sand to refurbish the beach while we’re here. It’s a multipurpose thing. Tourists get their beach. Locals get their depth and get a nice, clean channel.”
ONE DREDGE, TWO BENEFITS
The dredging and renourishment project is being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to a USACE spokesperson, the project has two objectives: maintaining the New Pass channel via dredging and restoring Lido Key shoreline protection through renourishment.
At the Sarasota Sailing Squadron on City Island, sails are typically pointed so the wind takes sailors away from New Pass and into Sarasota Bay where depths are more predictable. General Manager Susan Clark said she only knows a handful of sailors who even attempt to go out to the Gulf, and when they do, they go under the Ringling Causeway, around Bird Key and through Big Pass.
Even though sailboats stored at the Sailing Squadron don’t typically have hulls with deep drafts, some with keels require more depth than others.
“Most of the sailing that we do, we stay out of the channels and we’re just in the bay,” said Nick Lovisa, sailing director of Sarasota Youth Sailing. “But some of the bigger keel boats have a harder time getting out there, and they have to follow the channel.”
David Miller, who has lived on Longboat and boated in the waters around it for more than seven decades, said New Pass hasn’t been a reliable way into the Gulf since the channel markers were removed in 2017.
Those markers gave boaters a level of trust to navigate a channel.
“Normally in the channels, they designate it between 8 to 12 feet, but if you’re outside the channel and it’s not marked, you’re at your own risk basically,” Early said.
Without markers, it’s more perilous to navigate through a pass,
“Most of the sailing that we do, we stay out of the channels and we’re just in the bay.” — Nick Lovisa, sailing director of Sarasota Youth Sailing
even for boaters with extensive local knowledge.
“I’m not an authority, but New Pass has basically been closed to boat traffic,” Miller said.
Having navigation markers is key. Charts can be months or years out of date and equipment on boats often shows the depth directly below the vessel, not ahead — not very helpful when you’ve already hit sand.
“They’re not the most accurate because you get bubbles on the transducer,” Early said. “It’ll go from 7 feet to 2 in like 10 seconds. Really, right now, it’s by sight.”
The good news is, after New Pass is dredged, the channel markers are making their long-awaited return.
“USACE and our contractor are coordinating directly with the US Coast Guard regarding proper placement of aids to navigation once the project is complete,” Bebb with USACE said.
LASTING IMPACT?
But like a sandcastle on a beach, no dredge is permanent without maintenance.
“The New Pass inlet is a very dynamic environment with constantly shifting shoals,” Bebb said. “We encourage boaters to remain aware of Coast Guard Notices to Mariners and to stay up to date on the local knowledge.”
One example of that “local knowledge” is Miller’s observations of a sort of speed hump when crossing under the New Pass drawbridge.
“I know for a fact that right underneath the drawbridge, the center of what was the channel, is only about 5 feet deep, depending on the tide,” Miller said. “In low tide it’s even less.”
That 5-or-so-foot bump will
remain. White said his team will not dredge directly under the New Pass bridge because of an existing gas line. For New Pass to remain a viable pathway for boats to travel after the dredging project is completed, maintenance is necessary. Bebb with USACE said “maintenance dredging of the entrance channel has been conducted every three to five years by the USACE,” and that the Coast Guard will maintain the navigation aids after the project.
But it just takes one storm to essentially reset the progress made by a dredge.
“They’ll be able to get into it for the first six months, but a major storm comes through here it’s going to close back off,” White said. “There’s so much sand out there to be moved.”
Jetties to reduce sediment movement are something local boaters would welcome on either end of the island. Miller, who more often uses Longboat Pass, points south to Venice, where twin jetties flank each end of the inlet.
“They rarely ever dredge that, but they’ve got those two great big jetties going out into the Gulf,” Miller said. “I think they function to the fact where they keep the pass open.”
Don’t bet on it on Longboat Key, though. There are no plans for anything of the sort, especially on the southern end, Public Works Director Charlie Mopps said, noting that jetties are expensive and difficult to permit because of potential impacts to surrounding coastal processes.
“If you try to put in a wide, long structure at an inlet to either hold the channel, jetty or a long wide groin in the vicinity of an inlet, you would have to prove that you were not negatively impact the natural movement of sand around the inlet to the downdrift beach,” Mopps said in an email.
“So if the town tried to build something like that, the town through its construction of such a large long structure, would more than likely starve the city (Lido Beach) of naturally bypassing sand. No bueno.”
Photos by S.T. Cardinal
Money at work
Longboat’s millions in cash, bonds earned about a 4.46% rate of return in 2025.
The town’s investment portfolio brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue each year, and even in uncertain economic conditions, it has performed consistently.
The town’s investment portfolio isn’t just extra cash. Much of it is from debt issued to the town to pay for large projects. The town invests the money while the projects are planned and executed, and withdraws it to pay back the debts upon completion. In total, the town has $83.4 million in four accounts.
“These are the four pots of money we have that cover 30 different funds, so if we’re spending a bunch of money on an underground project, that would come out of those funds,” Finance Director Sue Smith said. “So big projects outside of the general fund, we would draw down from those balances. They’re all liquid.”
On those four accounts, in 2025, the town earned investment income of $3.11 million, had $642,695 in unrealized gains and paid investment expenses of $31,789 for a net income of $3,721,082. This amounts to a 4.46% return on the town’s $83.4 million worth of investments.
At an investment advisory/finance committee meeting recently, Chandler Asset Management Senior Portfolio Strategist Scott Stitcher updated the town on economic conditions and the state of Longboat Key’s $46.6 million account with the firm. In 2025, the town’s investments, managed by Chandler Asset Management, earned $488,427.
The town’s portfolio with Chandler Asset Management mostly consists of Treasury bonds, which make up 48% of the account. Corporate bonds make up 24%, with
LONGBOAT’S DEBTS INVESTED
In all, the town of Longboat Key has $83.4 million in investments and cash. That’s less than in 2024, when the town had $86.5 million, largely drawn down from the town’s checking account and investment funds to pay for storm repairs.
The town’s largest investment account is $46.6 million with Chandler Asset Management, $17.5 million is kept in a Synovus Bank checking account, $11.2 million and $8 million are kept in FL Prime and FL Class accounts, respectively.
Smith said the town tries to leave as much money as it can in the FL Prime and FL Class funds to collect interest, but that the pooled cash and investments, is broken into 30 “allocation by fund” accounts, which the town plans to eventually spend on big-dollar projects in the future. For example, there is $10.3 million in the GMD underground capital projects fund. That project has been completed, and the town will soon draw down balances from its four accounts to pay back that debt in a project that came in under budget.
the remaining 28% split between mortgage-backed securities, assetbacked securities and 8% in the federal home loan bank system.
The town’s investment stance is dictated by law and local policy.
“We’re very conservative when we budget,” Town Finance Director Sue Smith said. “For example, this year for Fiscal ’26, we thought the feds were going to reduce rates, so we didn’t use what we were making today, we used something else predicting that those rates were going to come down. So, Longboat will have a surplus probably in Fiscal ’26 because those rates had not come down like in a normal setting.”
Stitcher said a looming change in leadership at the Federal Reserve is setting in motion uncertainty around interest rate changes.
“The challenge for him is there are 12 votes on the direction of interest rates,’’ Stitcher said. “We are in the camp that we may see one rate cut in the next six months, 25 basis points.”
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Appraiser vows to fix costly mistake in 2026
The town of Longboat Key doesn’t know how much an error by the Manatee County Property Appraiser cost it in 2025 tax revenue, estimating it to be at least $500,000.
roperty owners who saw big breaks in their property taxes, but suffered no storm damage, will likely see the values of their properties return to previous levels this tax year.
Property taxes are the main method of raising funds by local governments, Longboat Key included, and the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 meant the town brought in a lower amount of revenue in the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
The change in revenue on the barrier island was a tale of two counties. The town saw a 14% increase in property tax revenue from Sarasota County properties, largely attributed to the opening of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort.
On the Manatee County side, however, there was a 10% decrease in property tax revenue. During the budgeting process, that was attributed to damage caused by the storms because the north side of Longboat Key has older properties not built to newer and stricter floodproofing requirements. That looks to be only part of the cause, though.
“The assumptions that (the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office) made that all ground-floor or first-floor units were damaged was an incorrect assumption,” Town Manager Howard Tipton said. “There are newer developments where your first floor is actually 15 to 20 feet up.”
Despite not being on the ground floor and susceptible to the effects of storm surge, property evaluations at some “first floor” condos with unit
numbers starting with a “1” saw as much as 65% decreases in valuations.
Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney’s office did not respond to requests for comment from the Longboat Observer, but wrote back to the town that because “time and access to assess the conditions” of waterfront properties before Jan. 1 were limited, the Property Appraiser’s Office “made the decision to treat all Level 1 condominium units” on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key as having been affected by floodwaters.
“The intent was to apply an adjustment to ground-floor units. However, our current condominium data does not distinguish between ground-level Level 1 units and elevated Level 1 units,” Hackney’s office said in an email to Tipton. “As a result, some Level 1 units that were not damaged received a valuation adjustment for the 2025 tax year.”
Although the town doesn’t know the totality of cases, several came to light in the fall of 2025. In one example, a first-level unit at a Gulfside
condominium, built in 2007, received a $43,746 reduction in its tax bill in 2025, a 66.1% decrease from the year prior. It was one of several examples of condominiums that received large decreases in valuation and property tax bills without sustaining damage.
“We didn’t spend a lot of time trying to analyze it because there’s nothing we can do about it,” Tipton said. “But it’s at least a half-milliondollar mistake to us, and that’s a lot of money to a small town.”
For FY 2026, the town relies on ad valorem funding for $18.33 million of its general fund budget. A $500,000 loss would amount to about 2.7% of its general fund budget.
After the town and the property appraiser’s office sat down to discuss the discrepancies in evaluations, Tipton wrote a letter to the Town Commission in which he said Hackney owned up to the mistake and apologized for the impacts caused to the town. The town was also told it was the appraiser’s intent to “restore values to all properties that were deemed uninhabitable (as long as the repairs or rebuild has been com-
pleted by 12/31/2025).”
There was question whether this was something that could be legally done, given that homesteaded properties can only increase in appraised value by a maximum of 3% each year, according to state law.
“We asked him three times, and he said, ‘I have the authority to do this under statute,’” Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman said at a recent Investment Advisory/ Finance Committee meeting.
The talks between the Property Appraiser’s Office and Longboat Key look to be the start of a more communicative relationship between the two public bodies in the event of another storm. Tipton said the Property Appraiser’s Office will be granted read-only access to the town’s permitting system and will receive post-damage assessments from the town and vice versa.
“Emergency situations create opportunities for improvement,” Tipton said, “and we believe going forward that the relationship and communication between our two offices have been strengthened.”
DIFFERENT ESTIMATES
The Manatee County Property Appraiser and the town of Longboat Key both evaluated the damage to properties sustained in the 2024 storms. Those values differed greatly, leading to questions by the town as to how the property appraiser performed its assessments.
Longboat Key estimated that 174 of the 3,303 taxable properties on the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key had structural damage of at least 40% of the appraised value. That’s 6% of properties on the Manatee portion of the island.
Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney’s office, however, had a much higher damage estimation. According to MCPA responses to questions from the town, 1,387 condo units and residences were classified as uninhabitable by the property appraiser due to storm damage. That’s 42% of properties.
S.T. Cardinal
The Tides of Longboat is one of several condo complexes in Manatee County where the first floor units saw a significantly reduced property tax assessment despite being undamaged by the 2024 hurricanes due to the first floor units’ elevations.
GMD lot to become church parking
Christ Church has been approved to add 58 new parking spaces across the street.
Christ Church of Longboat Key will soon have 58 more parking spots.
In a hearing Jan. 27, the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board gave unanimous approval to the church to convert the vacant land across Wake Island Road into a parking lot. Planning and Zoning
Director Allen Parsons said that was the last step needed before the project could commence.
The 1.3-acre plot at 6350 Gulf of Mexico Drive used to be home to Reed Medical Group, Secur-All Insurance and other small businesses before the damage brought by the 2024 hurricanes. That building was demolished, leaving an empty lot.
The property was bought by the church with the goal of expanding parking inventory, with churchgoers already using the lot for parking on Sundays, according to pastor Julia Piermont.
“During season, we use those spaces every Sunday beginning in December,” Piermont said. “It’s really critical that we use these additional spaces.”
Both the church and town staff made clear the parameters for the lot’s use: It’s not a parking lot for beachgoers.
Town Planning Manager Elma Glisson said the lot will “serve the adjacent church property only,” something reiterated by Piermont. No parking, tow-away zone signs have been installed by the church, and unauthorized vehicles in the lot have not been an issue.
Conditions for approval of the site development plan state that the property may not be used as a com-
mercial parking lot for any off-site parking uses involving monetary compensation. That condition leaves open the possible use of the parking lot if there was no charge to use the space, which prompted discussion about whether to change that condition to be more specific.
Town Attorney Maggie Mooney said any changes to conditions in such a hearing need to be “supported by competent, substantial evidence in the record. Competent, substantial evidence means evidence presented in these proceedings that is based upon facts that can be reasonably inferred from the testimony and evidence before you.”
Glisson explained to the board the reason staff chose that verbiage.
“Monetary compensation for parking is paid parking, and that use is a commercial use that is not allowed. However, the code does not also codify general parking. So, there is nothing that disallows a parking lot to be used for parking. You are allowed to have a parking lot. It cannot be a paid parking lot,” Glis-
“During season, we use those spaces every Sunday beginning in December. It’s really critical that we use these additional spaces.”
— Julia Piermont, Christ Church pastor
son said. “The town cannot enforce a parking lot, whether that’s beach parking or parking for an event for your property. Because there is nothing in the code that we can lean on that says that the code discourages or disallows this use, the only thing that we can lean on in the code is that it cannot be commercial, paid parking.”
Mooney further explained that quasi-judicial hearings have specific requirements for how decisions are made and why. She said one of the three requirements is that the board is following “the essential requirements of law, meaning that which is codified on the books.”
“Not what we want the law to be, but what the law actually says. So as
a friendly reminder to the board, we are bound to comply with that criteria whenever we are evaluating quasi-judicial decisions,” Mooney said.
In short, adding conditions not based on town code is not something that could readily be done at the meeting, and the board was satisfied with the church enforcing the use of its own parking lot.
The board voted unanimously to approve the redevelopment of the lot into a 58-space parking lot.
With the change, the amount of impervious surface coverage on the lot will decrease, which could lead to better drainage.
“With the reduction of impervious surface, the existing drainage will be improved,” Public Works Director Charlie Mopps said, and town engineer Jennifer Fehrs said she has no issues with the drainage plan.
On the parcel already are two stormwater retention ponds that will remain and which the property owner will maintain.
Two Planning Board positions will soon be open as one member has resigned due to health reasons and another is set to step down as he will soon be sworn onto the Longboat Key Town Commission.
Below is the list of current Planning Board members:
David Lapovsky (chair)
Jay Plager (vice chair)
Paul Hylbert (secretary)
Ron Ginsberg
Margaret Nuzzo
Nicholas Gladding (resigning in March or April)
Eddie Abrams resigned from the board.
Planning Commission board members are appointed by the Town Commission, who review applicants after an opening on the board is advertised.
Christ Church pastor Julia Piermont (standing, left) attended a Longboat Key Planning Board hearing where the board approved the conversion of a neighboring lot into 58 parking spaces.
Legislature tackles housing affordability again
With the introduction of two bills, the state attempts to address underlying issues that increase the costs of developing new homes.
While the housing market in Florida ebbs and flows, anyone trying to sell a house right now knows we are in an ebb.
Overall, cities statewide don’t approve new housing at a rate that keeps up with job and population growth in the formation of new households. As you can see at any city commission meeting, the forces of “not in my backyard” remain a potent opposition to adequate housing supply.
Florida faces an ongoing shortage-driven housing crisis. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that:
■ Florida has a shortage of more than 410,000 rental homes that are affordable and available to extremely low-income households.
■ 82% of these households spend more than half of their income on housing.
This gap reflects long-standing land-use restrictions that limit housing construction, especially of small and less-expensive options.
The state Legislature has tried to address this problem in recent years by passing a series of bills to incentivize local governments to permit adequate amounts of housing, notably, a series of Live Local reforms, which have had limited success.
This year the Legislature is trying again, with a pair of bills aimed at strengthening property rights and improving housing affordability by reducing regulatory barriers.
HOUSE BILL 1049
The first is House Bill 1049, which aims to modernize Florida’s permitting framework in a targeted way that lowers costs and delays without compromising safety. New housing projects suffer from regulatory delays, administrative complexity and inconsistent local permitting practices. A recent Mercatus Institute analysis of Florida’s permitting and land use framework shows that the absence of consistent statewide standards has led to fragmented local processes that increase delays, raise soft costs and create uncertainty for homeowners and contractors alike.
HB 1049 streamlines permitting and inspection requirements for low-risk work and residential backup power systems while preserving the Florida Building Code and existing inspection standards. It exempts residential work valued under $7,500 on single-family dwellings from building permit requirements, while preserving permits for electrical, plumbing and structural work regardless of cost. Minor repairs and small improvements are often subject to the same permitting process as complex projects, despite posing minimal safety risk. These requirements raise costs, discourage compliance and delay routine maintenance that helps preserve housing quality. The bill also tackles permitting delays and inconsistent local requirements for residential backup power systems that kick in when hurricanes or other events cut off the power grid. Making it easier to permit backup power systems means more homes will have them, increasing storm resiliency. HB 1049 sets up a clearer statewide framework that preserves compliance with the Florida Building Code
and Florida Fire Prevention Code while improving inspection flexibility. Local agencies keep inspection authority, including virtual inspections, and property owners may use licensed private providers when local capacity is limited. Finally, HB 1049 limits local technical amendments and approval processes that add what are local and informal permitting requirements layered on top of the statewide code. These redundant local rules increase costs and create unpredictability for homeowners and contractors. Reinforcing uniform statewide standards lowers administrative burdens and improves consistency across jurisdictions, which is especially important in Florida, where construction demand can shift rapidly following storms.
Overall, HB 1049 helps create more predictable, risk-based permitting framework that reduces unnecessary delays, improves regulatory clarity and supports housing resilience while keeping Florida’s core safety standards.
SENATE BILL 948
A second bill, Senate Bill 948, reduces minimum lot sizes and parking requirements and creates clear statewide building standards that would lower barriers to building starter homes and expands housing options for low-income buyers across the state.
By reducing minimum lot sizes to 1,200 square feet per home on lots
connected to central sewer and water, SB 948 allows an efficient use of available land and makes small starter homes profitable. With this change alone, the American Enterprise Institute estimates Florida could add 51,700 homes annually at below-average prices. Allowing lot splits and standardizing setback requirements are essential complementary reforms that make minimum lot size reductions workable in practice.
SB 948 also reduces parking requirements for smaller homes and housing located near transit, allowing developers to deliver units that better match the needs of residents who rely on public transportation, using less land without wasting space and requiring them to pay for parking they do not need. By expanding flexibility for both developers and residents, Florida’s Legislature can allow housing supply to grow in ways that align with local demand, including development patterns that reflect residents’ transportation preferences.
The bill also tackles some of the local inconsistencies that the National Association of Home Builders estimates adds up to 23.8% of the purchase price of a new single-family home. It prohibits local height caps below three stories, restricts maximum floor area ratio requirements, and allows manufactured homes in single-family areas statewide.
SB 948 does not require anyone to build smaller homes, forgo parking, or develop on the minimum lot size; it simply makes these options legal and available for those who want them.
NECESSARY STEPS
These two bills are a step in the right direction by the Legislature. They would help ensure Florida can meet the growing housing needs of its residents, including allowing for some new housing to be more affordable, while not taking anything away from anyone.
Adrian Moore lives in Sarasota and is Vice President at Reason Foundation, where Christina Mojica and Eliza Terziev are policy analysts.
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ADRIAN MOORE CHRISTINA MOJICA AND ELIZA TERZIEV
Christina Mojica
Eliza Terziev
Property tax issue a big one for Longboaters
Our governor keeps talking about eliminating property taxes — except for school taxes.
What most residents of Longboat do not realize is that they are paying a majority of their taxes to support the school boards of Manatee and Sarasota. Using myself as an example, I paid my taxes early to take advantage of the early pay discount. I live in the Manatee County section of LBK. Of the total property taxes that I paid, 42% went to the Manatee School Board. We do not have a school on Longboat, and I would be surprised if there are more than 20 kids on the north end who attend a Manatee school.
From the Sarasota end of LBK in FY23, the Sarasota School Board received $32,288,022. With 39 students registered, well you can do the math. That’s over $800,000 per student.
Why does LBK have to be the cash cow for both counties?
Maybe we should take a serious look again about becoming our own county. I urge the taxpayers of LBK to take a hard look at your property taxes. What DeSantis is proposing won’t help us much since nearly a
half of what we pay is for phantom schools.
DR. WARREN G. SIMONDS LONGBOAT KEY
Orchestra, SPAC should combine efforts
Both the Sarasota Orchestra and the Sarasota Performing Arts Center are proposing to build separate venues, each costing approximately $400 million. Each is dependent on raising most of that through contributions from the Sarasota community; $800 million is a lot of money, even for Sarasota. The answer may be to build one facility that accommodates the needs of both organizations.
What then do we do with the Van Wezel?
The Burns Court Cinema is well past its best-if-used-by date. The Van Wezel could be repurposed as the venue for a new Burns Court Cinema. It might then be possible for the annual Sarasota Film Festival to have all is programs at one location.
RAY KNOWLES SARASOTA
Courtesy rendering
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
OUTTA GAS
3:43 p.m., New Pass
Disabled vessel: A police officer on marine patrol found a boater in distress, drifting toward the New Pass bridge pilings. Police approached the boat and made contact with the captain, instructing him to drop his anchor, which he did. The captain told police he ran out of fuel and was attempting to reach a nearby marina. The marine patrol officer was not able to safely approach the boat as he was in a tidal zone and close to the bridge. The officer told the captain he would not be able to tow him safely, and instructed him to call a commercial towboat. Police closed the case, and the boater got a much-needed tow just up the pass.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23
ILLEGAL TENDER
2:35 p.m., 525 Bay Isles Parkway
Suspicious incident: Police were called to a grocery store after a woman presented a cashier with counterfeit money. When police responded, the manager of the store told officers about the incident, saying that when the customer was checking out, she attempted to pay for her groceries with a fake $100 bill. When the cashier used the counterfeit-detector pen, the mark on the bill was dark, showing the bill was counterfeit. The cashier gave the bill back to the customer, as store policy requires, and the customer promptly pulled out her cellphone and yelled at someone on the other line for giving her fake money. She then pulled out another bill, this one authentic, paid for her groceries, got into the passenger seat of a convertible sports car and left the store. Police closed the case as the store did not suffer financially.
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
CAR, DRIVER AND PASSENGER NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH
12:01 a.m., 400 block Gulf of Mexico Drive
Drug case: On a late Friday night/ early Saturday morning, police pulled over a driver and passenger of a vehicle that was traveling on
Gulf of Mexico Drive with a headlight out. When the officer approached the vehicle, he reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana. When he looked inside the vehicle, he could see smoke coming from the cup holder of the car. The driver of the vehicle then surrendered a marijuana cigarette to the officer. The passenger of the vehicle told police it belonged to him and that he did not have a medical marijuana card. Police tested and weighed the cigarette, which showed a positive result, arrested the passenger and closed the case.
SUNDAY, JAN. 25
PARKING LOT SOLICITING?
11:04 a.m., 525 Bay Isles Parkway.
Suspicious vehicle: Police were called by someone who said they saw a man driving around in a blue Honda trying to speak with elderly people next to their vehicles outside of a grocery store and drug store. The caller, who did not wish to meet with police, said the incident had been happening for about 15 minutes and gave dispatch the tag number of the suspicious vehicle. Police arrived on scene, ran a search on the tag that showed no active warrants and surveyed the parking lot. No vehicle matching the description was seen.
A new site map for the proposed Sarasota Performing Arts Center shows the location south of the 10th Street boat basin. Two parking garages are proposed to the south of the building in The Bay park.
Scan below for a full list of Open Houses, property details, driving directions and more
Pilatus begins construction at SRQ
ANDREW
With the ceremonial turn of shovels, Swiss business jet
manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft on Jan. 23 marked the start of construction of Phase 1 of its sales, service and manufacturing facilities at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
The $60 million, 71,000-squarefoot first phase, which will house its sales operations, will take approximately 18 months to complete. By the time the total project is finished,
Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher told the groundbreaking audience the investment could reach $200 million.
Pilatus Aircraft assembles all of its planes at its Stans, Switzerland headquarters. Plans are to assemble the company’s PC-24 twin-engine business jet at SRQ once its Phase 2 assembly plant is completed. The base price of a PC-24 is just less than $11 million and typically costs $12 million to $14 million fully outfitted.
“This be the very first time Pilatus is going to build airplanes outside of Switzerland,” Bucher said. “We started thinking about a U.S. strat-
egy about three years ago, and very early on, we learned that the wealth is moving out of California and into Florida. So Florida, from a Pilatus point of view, is the second most important state where business aviation is happening.”
When the project was announced in August 2024, Pilatus and airport executives said they anticipated the creation of some 350 jobs with an average wage of $80,000 per year. In addition to manufacturing and sales, SRQ will host a maintenance base to serve the Western Hemisphere.
Pilatus will lease two parcels total-
ing 17 acres on the “north quadrant” of the airfield just off Tallevast Road for 40 years at $400,000 a year.
The site is adjacent to the recently opened fixed-base operator Sheltair.
Gradually expanding its North American footprint, Pilatus now operates sales and maintenance facilities in Broomfield, Colorado; Westminster, Maryland; Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Atlanta; with employment totaling about 400.
The company already operates a PC-12 and PC-24 completion facility in Broomfield. At SRQ, it will create approximately 200 new jobs over the next five years and, according to Bucher, more beyond that.
“Why did we select Sarasota? We said we wanted to be in Florida. That was number one,” Bucher said.
“Number two, we wanted to be where no other OEM (original equipment manufacturer) is. Number three, we wanted to have a decent plot of land that we can lease for a long time.”
In addition, more than half of Pilatus’ supply chain for parts and equipment originates in the U.S. An assembly facility here will provide greater efficiencies.
Initially, Pilatus will assemble the shell of the aircraft here, which will then be flown to other facilities for painting and interior finishing.
Bucher hinted some of those operations may be eventually located here, along with pilot training.
“We’re bigger than Piper, we’re smaller than Gulfstream, and we believe we serve a market in the U.S., where there is the highest demand in the class of the PC-12 and the PC-24, so that’s why we are investing $200 million here,” Bucher said.
Bucher said Pilatus’ presence at
WORKER SUPPLY CHAIN
Pilatus Aircraft positions itself as an innovator in apprenticeships. Among its reasons for selecting SRQ is the burgeoning aviation ecosystem on and around the airfield, part of which will provide a trained workforce for maintenance and assembly of aircraft. Recently opened is the magnet Team Success School for students in grades 6-12 who are embarking a path toward aviation careers. In addition, Manatee Technical College is building a new airframe and power plant school, which expects to graduate 40 to 50 students annually with FAA licenses for aircraft maintenance.
SRQ will indirectly support additional regional employment as it attracts high-net-worth clients from around the world.
The area’s resort atmosphere is ideal for lodging, dining and entertainment of its demographic.
“This is a long-term investment that will lead to a production and assembly facility right here at SRQ,” said SRQ President and CEO Paul Hoback. “These are business jets that are going to be made in America and for the American transportation industry. We can’t wait to see the impact that you have on this entire region, and we are so proud to welcome you to paradise.”
TRIBUTES
Harry Ronald Northington, of Germantown, Tennessee and Longboat Key, Florida, Certified Public Accountant, died January 6th, 2026, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital after eighty-six years of a full and eventful life.
He was born in Kennett, Missouri on November 15th, 1939. He always said that the only way he wanted to live his life was in a way that he would be remembered as a good man. He will be remembered by his family, friends and clients for his dedication and integrity. One of his many friends and clients, Attorney Roane Waring, Jr. said “I can certainly attest to that and so can many others.” Ron was loved, well-respected and cherished by his immediate family and his family of clients whom he serviced in his sole practitioner accounting firm, H. Ronald Northington, C.P.A. from 1972 to 2011.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
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He attended Kennett High School, Kennett, Missouri. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Memphis State University in 1963 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1966. He was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants where he served actively on the
Harry Ronald Northington 1939-2026 458165-1
Council for twelve years from 1990 to 2002. He was also a member of the Memphis Chapter of Certified Public Accountants. He was a Presbyterian elder at Church of Christ of Longboat Key Florida where he served on session beginning in 2013. He was a member of the Racquet Club of Memphis and past member of the Racquet Club of St. Louis. He was a past member of the Crescent Club of Memphis. He was an avid sportsman and past member of Ducks Unlimited. He was also an avid gardener and took great joy in sharing his produce with friends, neighbors and clients. He was married to his loving wife, Rebecca Joy Robinson Northington, for 53 years (Married June 19, 1959) before she passed away on February 8, 2013. He is survived by Susan Snow Atwater, who celebrated eleven years of partnership with him. He is also survived by his sons,
Jeffrey Ronald Northington and his wife Deborah, of Tampa, Florida, Gregory Mark Northington of Orlando, Florida and his four grandchildren, Drake Ronald Northington (Veronica Northington) and Brianna Joy Northington of Tampa, Florida and Laura Leigh Jacoby (Noah Jacoby) and Connor Alexander Northington of Orlando, Florida, and great-grandchild Eros Ronald Northington.
SERVICE:
Funeral services were held on January 12 in Memphis, TN, and burial on January 13 in Sumach Cemetery in Kennett, Missouri.
A Memorial Gathering of family and friends will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 2:00p.m., in the Fellowship Hall of Christ Church of Longboat Key (6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive).
DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Florida 34228,
A LASTING PLACE OF PEACE AND REMEMBRANCE
As our new mausoleum nears completion, we invite families who wish to plan ahead to reserve from the limited indoor spaces available.
Also introducing our Cremation Garden
A beautifully landscaped setting designed for families who choose cremation.
Offering permanent memorial spaces where loved ones can be honored and remembered with dignity. Planning today ensures your wishes are respected tomorrow, while easing the burden on those you love. Contact us for a personal consultation.
DOWN UNDER: Proof that “everywhere” includes the bottom of the earth. Charlie and Heather Annaloro in Antarctica with a copy of the Longboat Observer
Honoring friendship and legacy
Temple Beth Israel names Barry and Suzan Friedman honorees of its 47th anniversary gala.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Suzan Friedman said she and her husband, Barry, always laughed at how her parents were constantly going out for the evening to explore all the educational and entertaining programs on Longboat Key. Now, they find themselves doing the same thing, and that involvement has earned them new commendation from the community they love.
Temple Beth Israel named the Friedmans as this year’s honorees for its 47th annual gala on Feb. 22.
The pair led careers in the legal world before retiring to Longboat Key, where they live when they’re not busy spending time with friends in Maryland.
At the temple, Suzan is vice president for membership, and Barry is chair of the Endowment Committee.
“We really didn’t know too many people when we were just visiting my parents, and what we found at Temple Beth Israel was just the most welcoming community,” Suzan said.
“People were extremely friendly.”
She said she appreciates how the temple offers faith-based services but also functions as a community center for all residents.
Especially after members did so much to welcome them, Suzan said she now enjoys planning plenty of membership events, helping with the newsletter and otherwise contributing to outreach.
“It’s truly a labor of love,” she added.
She was proud to note that membership increased by 50 people this season.
Barry said he is glad to assist with
keeping operating funds in good condition, especially for a barrier island community that may contend with a natural disaster at a moment’s notice.
“You have to always be prepared to deal with the consequences,” he added.
The Friedmans said they have always appreciated being able to contribute to the community and were flattered to receive the recognition.
JOURNEY TO LONGBOAT
They are both from the New York City area, and they met in law school.
“A classmate of (my) brother was a classmate of Barry’s, and they cooked this up,” Suzan said.
They both had plans to work in Washington, D.C., and their classmates’ intuition proved fruitful. They moved to the D.C. area, married and both embarked on their legal careers. Suzan worked with the Federal Communications Commission, and Barry was primarily with Thompson Hine, a full-service business law firm based in Cleveland.
Besides finding kinship in their career paths, they both appreciated a trip to NYC for a show or museum visit and engaging with one another to discuss politics and other news.
Suzan’s parents, Albert and Nora Balk, moved to Longboat Key in 1989, to a condo at the Islander Club. Eventually, she and Barry followed, and they all found a community at Temple Beth Israel.
“I know my parents would not have moved here if there was not
IF YOU GO
TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL
47TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
When: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22
Where: Sarasota Yacht Club
What: Rabbi Howard Simon will serve as master of ceremonies, and singers Delores McKenzie and Michael Mendez will perform Information: Visit LongboatKeyTemple.org/Gala.
a synagogue actually on Longboat Key,” she said. “I think they had the impression this was not a predominantly Jewish area. It was important to them.”
Though her parents died in 2015 and 2016, the family decided to stay in the community they loved.
Barry and Suzan both liked what they saw as they got to know their neighbors, and they went on to serve as TBI board members. They officially became full-time Florida residents last year.
The pair attends as many cultural events hosted by the temple, The Education Center and other organizations as they can, including lectures and musical events. Some of Barry’s favorite programs involve learning more about residents’ former careers.
“We always intended to keep the condo here,” she said. “What we didn’t expect was how much we would love it here.”
WORSHIP directory
Book your date with books
Longboat Library to host annual sale on Valentine’s Day. IF YOU GO BOOK
What better date is there for a book lover than an afternoon of shopping for deals and making a lobster picnic on Longboat Key?
None, according to the team at the Longboat Library. Staff members have planned the library’s annual book sale for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 14 on the library lawn.
Mary Baker, the library’s board president, said they are glad to once again host the annual sale after a hiatus last year while the island recovered from the hurricanes.
Now, especially with the need to start downsizing the library collection in anticipation of the new public library coming to the Key, they are happy to bring back the sale.
“This year, because of the new library that’s coming, we’re starting to downsize some of our permanent collection that’s not normally included,” she said.
Baker said visitors will be able to find some exceptionally nice finds amid the downsizing, especially for art and local interest books. There will be an extensive selection for both nonfiction and fiction fans, including an impressive array of $1 cookbooks, she said.
Most books will be priced under $3. Proceeds will benefit Save Our Seabirds.
“The prices are going to be really good,” she said. “Most paperback
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 14. If weather is poor, the sale will be rescheduled to Feb. 15. Where: On the library lawn, 555 Bay Isles Road. Information: Visit LongboatLibrary.org or call 941-383-2011 with questions.
“This year, because of the new library that’s coming, we’re starting to downsize some of our permanent collection that’s not normally included.”
— Mary Baker, library board president
books will be a dollar, and hardback books will be $2.”
Those planning to make a date of it can grab lunch from The Maine Line food truck, which offers lobster rolls, chowder, sandwiches, whoopie pies and more.
The town hopes to break ground on the new Sarasota County-run library in the fall.
Until the new facility opens, Baker said the private library plans to keep operating so there isn’t a gap in library availability for residents. Baker said she hopes they can sell some books in a “Friends of” book shop as part of the new public library. The library is located at 555 Bay Isles Road. If weather is poor, the sale will be rescheduled to Feb. 15. Visit LongboatLibrary.org or call 941383-2011 with questions.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Dana Kampa
Mary Baker, board president of the Longboat Library, says guests can plan a fun book date for Valentine’s Day to shop the annual sale.
Courtesy image
Suzan and Barry Friedman had careers in the legal world before retiring to Longboat Key,
File image
Temple Beth Israel named Suzan and Barry Friedman as this year’s honorees.
IS
The attractions of Amara, diverse and extraordinary, know no equal. This begins with its Golden Gate address— for the Point is one of those rarest of natural wonders — an enclave that looks across the bay and back to the city — once-in-a-lifetime views that are yours every day.
ACCEPTING CONTRACTS Visit Our Sales Gallery | 1819 Main Street, Suite 110 | Sarasota, FL 34236
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Pro hits triple-digits, in a good way, to raise $114,000 to help families.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Golf is often a game of patience as participants attempt to carefully tee up the perfect shot. But pro Stephen Arnold had to balance that precision with speed recently as he worked to tackle the challenge of playing 100 holes in a day, with a charitable focus at the heart of it all.
Even with his level of experience, it was a race against the rapidly disappearing last few rays of daylight as he neared his goal. Then, with a final swing, he beat the self-imposed challenge.
Arnold, a golf instructor at the Longboat Key Club and Resort, set himself the challenge not only to test his skills, but also to raise funds for a local organization benefiting families.
He enlisted friends and acquaintances to donate to First 1,000 Days Suncoast through his “Longest Day of Golf” on Dec. 4 at the Longboat Key Club. The timing worked out well, considering one nine-hole course was briefly closed for maintenance, so Arnold was able to work uninterrupted.
Similar to a walk-a-thon fundraiser, supporters pledged either a flat amount or a certain amount per hole or birdie completed.
Arnold also works as the director of instruction at Red Sky Golf Club in Vail, Colorado, and he shared his gratitude to members from there and Longboat Key for their support.
“We did this with 118 unique donations,” he said. “All I can really say is thank you and share how blown away we were by the support.”
He continued, “To have that many people support what you want to do, it shows the trust they have in you and the causes you believe in. It really is amazing to see that level of support and generosity.”
That sliding scale of how much he would end up raising proved to be strong motivation for Arnold.
“I had a different member or client play with me for each nine that I
100 HOLES FOR FIRST 1,000 DAYS
played,” he said. “It was, essentially, a continuous loop of golf. I teed off at 6:45, and the sun wasn’t quite up yet. I just kept doing those nine-hole loops for the next 11 hours and finished right at sunset.”
There was no time for breaks if he hoped to finish before dusk.
“Because I had those members hopping in with me, every nine was a new game, so in the end, it wasn’t bad,” he said.
The day was physically demanding with so many swings of the club and mentally demanding from sizing up each and every shot. Arnold felt some trepidation when darkness started to fall with 18 holes to go. However, it all contributed to the satisfaction he felt sinking the final shot.
He raised $57,000, and with a matching contribution from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation — the group that launched First 1,000 Days Suncoast — he facilitated a total donation of $114,000.
All told, he made 20 birdies, 14 bogeys, and two double bogeys over 100 holes.
“We had hoped to raise some money and awareness, but in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think we’d raise as much as we did,” he said.
His wife, Chelsea Arnold, is the organization’s director, and she said
this contribution will go a long way in supporting its mission.
She brought the connections with nonprofits, and he brought his connections with clients who have the means and interest in supporting their work.
“They do incredible work to support families who are struggling in our community,” she said of the initiative’s network. “It really brings together two worlds.”
She said a contribution of this size can make a significant difference in the initiative’s work, perhaps covering the salary of a family navigator, one of the key people helping parents find the resources they need.
As parents of 5-year-old, 3-yearold and 10-month-old children, they understand everything that goes into raising kids.
“We know how important this time is, so to be able to support others so they can help their children thrive is something we strongly believe in,” she said.
Arnold said he was proud to be able put the skills and client base he has worked hard to build toward helping a good cause. Given the success of the undertaking, he said he hopes to make it an annual tradition.
“I’m glad to give something on my end,” he said.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
First 1,000 Days Suncoast supports families throughout Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties in the early development phase. Through this initiative, families with young children can access resources to set them up for long-term success.
Director Chelsea Arnold explained, “Those first 1,000 days are a critical time period, when rapid brain development is occurring. We know that it’s important to expose children to as many resources and experiences as possible.”
She continued, “It’s also really important to promote that bonding with parents and their children at that time.
The way we do that, through the initiative, is reducing stress so parents can focus on their most important job. ... The earlier the investment, the greater the return.”
The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation initially launched the effort in 2018,
“We had hoped to raise some money and awareness, but in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think we’d raise as much as we did.”
the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation and other local donors have helped keep it going.
Golf pro Stephen Arnold succeeded in his goal of playing 100 holes of golf in a single day to benefit families involved with First
Image courtesy of Roni Padua Photography Chelsea and Stephen Arnold enjoy a day at the beach with their 5-year-old, 3-year-old and 10-month-old children.
Courtesy image
— Stephen Arnold
Education Center celebrates the Piano Man
Biographical historian
Susan Benjamin teams up with singer Jay O’Brien to celebrate the life and times of Billy Joel at their latest presentation with The Education Center.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Billy Joel might not have started the fire, but biographical historian Susan Benjamin anticipates that her upcoming presentation with singer Jay O’Brien will ignite the audience’s passion for the iconic singer’s works.
Benjamin and O’Brien, along with conductor Robert Hanson, have been bringing their musical events to The Education Center for years. Last year, they highlighted the works of Paul Simon. She offers insight into well-known musicians through stories of their lives, and O’Brien sings their beloved tunes.
It was actually Benjamin’s husband, Marc Benjamin,who suggested they turn their attention to Billy Joel this year.
“I wasn’t sure what stories I was going to tell, and it got even harder because this fabulous two-part documentary aired on HBO,” she said.
Still, Joel has such a prolific career that Benjamin was still able to uncover new, interesting stories for listeners.
The American singer, pianist and songwriter is best known for his hits “Piano Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” “My Life,” “Uptown Girl” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
Joel had an early introduction to the performing arts.
His parents met at a Gilbert and Sullivan musical production at The City College of New York. He went on to craft some of history’s most recognized anthems, backed by his classical music training.
“He would take Beethoven or Bach, and he would practice, but
then he would start to syncopate, changing the rhythm and notes,”
Benjamin said.
He landed a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2014, among many other commendations.
While Benjamin always finds a way to connect with the musician through her extensive research into biographical books, films and other media, this presentation has a uniquely personal touch for her.
She and her husband deemed Joel’s 1977 hit “Just the Way You Are” as “their” song. Despite some reservations from Joel, the song became his first mega-hit.
“We were on vacation and were dancing, and we heard this song for the first time,” she said. “It so affected me, and I said, ‘Marc, this is going to be our song.’ ... It affected me, but it also affected the country and eventually the world too.”
Billy Joel is an especially good fit for Benjamin and O’Brien’s style of show considering how many of his works are autobiographical.
“They’re about whatever was happening to him in his life at the time,” she said of his songs. “They often have to do not only with the events, but the feelings surrounding them.”
She added, “He had a lot going on in his early life, and his solace was music.”
Asked what it is about Joel’s work that so connects with listeners, she said, “I think he’s really honest about the struggles he’s faced in his life.”
O’Brien spends most of his year in Highland Park, Illinois, but has
Susan Benjamin, The Education Center’s biographical historian who is praised for her presentations about the lives of some of the industry’s most famous musicians, turns her attention to Billy Joel, Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse this season.
regularly visited Longboat Key for the special performances.
O’Brien said Joel also has a distinct level of musical sophistication not always found in popular music that seems to drive listeners’ fascination with him.
“He has this ability to write things that are very technically complex but sound very simple,” he added. “That takes a lot of skill and is something rare.”
Without giving away too much before show, O’Brien said audience members should look forward to what they have planned for Joel’s hit, “Uptown Girl.” Benjamin said O’Brien’s version of “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel),” which he sang previously at a show in Chicago, is worth seeing live.
“There were hundreds of people there, and you could have heard a pin drop,” she said.
A SEASON OF DANCERS
In Benjamin’s other presentations this season, she is focusing on dance legends.
Last month, she detailed the legacy of Hollywood powerhouse Fred Astaire. Coming up on Feb. 20 and 27, she is leading a two-part talk on Gene Kelly of “Dancing in the Rain” fame. Then, in the spring term at The Education Center, she is turning her attention to dancers Donald O’Connor and Bob Fosse.
O’Connor, Astaire’s costar in “Singing in the Rain,” cemented his place in dancing history with his performance to “Make ’Em Laugh.”
Fosse, winner of multiple Tony awards for his choreography skills, made a name for himself on the stage with his inventive, exaggerated style of dance. He is most widely known for his work on “Cabaret” and “Chicago.”
IF YOU GO
Historian Susan Benjamin, cantor Jay O’Brien and conductor Robert Hanson present a musical evening about the life of Billy Joel from 3-4:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the presenters at the complimentary champagne reception. Registration required. Cost is $50 for members; $60 for others. Stop by the office or visit TBIEducationCenter.org, email Admin@TBIEducationCenter. org or call 941-383-8222. Benjamin is also leading a two-part talk on the legacy of Gene Kelly titled “Singing and Dancing in the Rain — and Everywhere Else.” The presentations take place from 1-2:15 p.m. Feb. 20 and 27 at The Education Center. Cost is $45 for members; $55 for others. In the spring term, Benjamin is turning her attention to dancers Donald O’Connor and Bob Fosse. The first session, “Make ’Em Laugh,” is 1-2:15 p.m. March 6, and the second session, “Life Was a Cabaret,” is 1-2:15 p.m. March 13. Cost is $45 for members; $55 for others.
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Courtesy image Jay O’Brien
Dana Kampa
Use your healthy habits to find fabulosity
When considering goals, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But small habits gives us the power to achieve larger — and lasting — change.
I’ve been health coaching a lot of the same clients for going on 15 years now. Naturally, a few of us have gotten pretty friendly. So, I decided to take some of them out for tea and dessert to celebrate the New Year. As their coach I’m aware of their eating habits, and I know that this group likes a good dessert as much as I do.
I thought for a minute the dessert part was a bad idea when a couple of them wouldn’t eat a piece of cake. But when I dug in myself, moderately of course, the party got started. I asked them if they wanted to share things that were important in their lives over the past year.
As we went around the circle, they spoke of daughter’s weddings, losing a job, getting pregnant, becoming a gym rat, outliving heart disease, surviving cancer and menopause, the joy of grandchildren, joining a pickleball league, fishing, golf and a trip to China.
Maybe because I was their host, the conversation drifted toward how getting fit, eating healthier and reducing stress changed their lives.
They shared about feeling invisible, putting on belly fat, having no energy and feeling like a lump. One remembered tearing her hair out, saying, “My doctor told me I need to do something. I’ve got serious health issues, but I hate to exercise, I’m stressed all the time and I love sugar. What do I do?”
She said I told her, “We are going to fix this. We’re going to design a program together you can look forward to instead of dread.”
My coaching style is to start people wherever they may be physically and emotionally and get them on their way smoothly and pleasantly, one small goal at a time. If the first experience is pleasant, you’ll
want more. Sustainability is the key to a healthier life. And that’s what happened with these clients. But something else happened.
They said reaching their goals had given them the self-confidence to pursue things they would never have dared to try; that the change in their bodies had kindled a change in the way they saw themselves.
Instead of feeling invisible, they felt fabulous, and that fabulosity spilled into the rest of their lives.
As much as I would love to take all the credit for this transformation, I checked to see if there’s any science behind this phenomenon, and here’s what I found. When you achieve a major life goal, your brain shows you the new pathways through a process called neuroplasticity, a kind of brain rewiring. It triggers a new mindset that sees growth and challenges as opportunities instead of obstacles. You feel like you can go on to the next goal. And you can. It boils down to a healthy body triggers a healthy mind.
Pretty cool, huh?
Mirabai Holland is CEO of NuVue LLC, a health education and video company. She is a certified health coach, exercise physiologist and wellness consultant for Manatee County government employees and has a private practice. Visit MirabaiHolland.com or contact her at AskMirabai@MovingFree.com.
Guild greetings
From stories of hiking the mountains of Tanzania to artistic passions to generational family ties, attendees at the St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church Women’s Guild new members luncheon offered insights into why they joined.
The Jan. 29 meeting at the church offered new and longstanding members a chance to connect and plan for upcoming events.
Women’s Guild President Kay Kochenderfer took the opportunity to celebrate that the scholarship endowment fund members started about a year ago has raised over $102,000 to support area students.
She also shared that she, along with several other officers, will be looking to step down soon.
The guild welcomed about 35 new members to start the season, bringing total membership up to about 250.
Those interested in learning more about the guild can email LadiesGuild@StMaryLBK.org.
— DANA KAMPA
UPCOMING EVENTS
St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church has a season of events lined up. That includes the 5 p.m. Feb. 10 Valentine’s Day Art Show, which is open to the public. Email Claudia.Stieber@ gmail.com or text 313-207-6291 by Feb. 5. The annual rummage sale begins with early access on March 6 and the main sale on March 7.
Ann-Marie Thompson and Cheryl Mulherin
St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church Father Robert Dziedziak and Women’s Guild President Kay Kochenderfer share a laugh at the beginning of the new members’ luncheon.
Jennifer Mott-Mueller, Karen Geck, Pam Bradley and Betsy Bauernschmidt join the Jan. 29 Women’s Guild new members luncheon at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church.
Photos by Dana Kampa
THURSDAY, FEB.
KIWANIS
8:30 a.m.
Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key for a breakfast meeting to recap the club’s recent Lawn Party fundraiser.
THE POWER OF FOOD
1:30-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Chef and health enthusiast Kimberly Knox leads a workshop with featured recipes to include easy baked black bean burgers and cranberry smoothies. Cost is $25 to attend and sample. Call 941383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org to register.
JEWISH/ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL
2-5 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. Curated by the center’s program director, Susan Goldfarb, this four-session film festival highlights a variety of award-winning movies. Cost is $90 for members; $100 for others for all four Thursday screenings. Register at TBIEducationCenter. org, 941-383-8222 or Admin@ TBIEducationCenter.org.
ROTARY WITH SPEAKER
BEN JAMESON
4 p.m. at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. Guest speaker Ben Jameson will talk with the Rotary Club of Longboat Key about the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org.
MONDAY, FEB. 9
HOPE SEEDS
1-3:15 p.m. at Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join volunteers in Fellowship Hall to help pack seed packs for farmers in need worldwide. Call 941-735-9454.
TUESDAY, FEB. 10
PARKS ON LONGBOAT KEY
Noon to 1:30 p.m. at Windward Bay Clubhouse, 4888 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Ryan Gandy, the executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, and Susan Phillips, former town manager assistant and former Longboat Key Garden Club president, will speak with club
members about plans for rehabilitation efforts at the Key’s parks. The luncheon runs noon to 12:30 p.m., and the program will follow. Register online at LBKGardenClub. org/Events.
THE CREATION OF ‘WICKED’
3-4:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. The latest installment of The Education Center’s lecture series features musical theater historian Charles Troy’s multimedia presentation on how the worldwide musical phenomenon came to be. Cost is $25 for members; $30 for others. Register at TBIEducationCenter. org, 941-383-8222 or Admin@ TBIEducationCenter.org.
ALL THAT JAZZ
7:30-9:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. Join jazz artist Kid Dutch and guest musicians for an evening of New Orleans-style jazz. Cost is $30 for members; $35 for others. Register at TBIEducationCenter.org, 941383-8222 or Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11
THAILAND TRIP PRESENTATION
6-7 p.m. at the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce office, 5390 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Chamber staff and Jet Vacation representatives will offer details on the chamber-organized trip to Thailand planned for October. Attendance also available by Zoom. RSVP by Feb. 10 at Angelo@JetVacations.com, JetVacations.com, or 770-776-7585. Visit LongboatKeyChamber.com for video link.
THURSDAY, FEB. 12
GAUTHIER SALON
ANNIVERSARY
11 a.m. at Gauthier Salon & Wellness Spa, 369 St. Armands Circle. This St. Armands Key salon celebrates its third anniversary. Visit LongboatKeyChamber.com.
ROBERT POORTINGA CONCERT
6:30-8 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive. Classical pianist Robert Poortinga will be a featured artist at this community concert. Visit SAKLC.com.
Dana Kampa
at a
RECURRING EVENTS
MONDAYS THROUGH FRIDAYS
LONGBOAT LIBRARY
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Open to browse a variety of books at the volunteer-run library. Call 941-383-2011.
TUESDAYS ROTARY CLUB
5 p.m. at All Angels Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. The Rotary Club of Longboat Key meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month to hear from community guest speakers and plan upcoming events. Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org or contact President Terri Driver at TDriver1@comcast. net or 703-517-8925.
POP-UP LIBRARY
10 a.m. at the Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road. The Sarasota County Pop-Up Library hosts services on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with storytime beginning at 10:30 a.m. and other services available from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
KEY OF SEA REHEARSAL
1-3 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive. Warm up those vocal cords with the Key of Sea Choral weekly rehearsal. Email Goodman@Oakland. edu.
WEDNESDAYS COMMUNITY BINGO
2-4 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Caller Renee Fannin runs the show for this fun and lively game. Cards are $1 each; $2 for the final round. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.
THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS BRIDGE CLUB
1 p.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This American Contract Bridge League-certified group meets twice weekly. Reservations required. Contact Patty Mayer at 262-215-2566 or PattySarasota33@gmail.com.
FRIDAYS SOCIAL HOUR AT PARADISE
4-5 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join friends and meet new island neighbors at this weekly social hour.
BEST BET
TUESDAY, FEB. 10
ART FOR THE HEART
5 p.m. at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Take in works by some of Longboat Key’s finest artists at this Valentine’s Day art show hosted by the Women’s Guild. Members are opening up the celebration to the public this year, though RSVP is required. Email Claudia.Stieber@gmail. com or text 313-2076291 by Feb. 5. Visit StMaryLBK.org/Womens-Guild.
Nonalcoholic beverages and light bites served. Takes place on the first floor or outside, depending on weather. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.
WALKING CLUB
9-10 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This new walking group meets outside The Paradise Center before heading out to local sites. Led by certified Nordic walking instructor Enrico Sam DiGiammarino Jr. To RSVP, email Amy@TheParadiseCenter.org or call 941-383-6493.
SATURDAYS RUN CLUB
7 a.m. at Sips coffee shop, 6830 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join this newly formed community running club for a morning jog at your own pace. The group is free and open to the public, and registration is not required.
Kathy Surma and Jorge Varcelotti admire an oil painting by Richard Boyer
previous “Art for the Heart” show.
A-door-able ARTWORKS
St. Armands adds to its ‘Tiny Door’ art collection.
DANA
KAMPA STAFF WRITER
rtist Joan Love couldn’t hope for a better reaction to her work than when children spy it hidden in plain sight.
Whether it’s because their perspective is a little closer to the ground, they have an eye for magic or some combination of the two, they have a knack for being some of the first to find her “Tiny Door” artwork. Love said she is delighted to see the faces of viewers of all ages light up upon noticing the colorful doors sprinkled throughout the Sarasota area.
Her latest installation found a home on St. Armands Circle last week outside Gauthier Salon & Wellness Spa.
The Tiny Doors draw inspiration from the full-size shops and buildings around them. In this case, the teal door is decorated with the silhouette of a woman’s face, topped with a flower crown. One of the salon’s own stylists painted the mural on the staircase that inspired Love.
Owners Sonia and Serge Gauthier said they extended an invitation to Love as part of their ongoing efforts to uplift local artists.
“I love our regular art fairs, but there is so much room here,” Sonia said while gesturing around the studio. “For us, a focus on local is super important, so we were glad to find this woman with so much talent and help put it out there for people to see.”
Four Tiny Doors reside on St. Armands Circle, with another awaiting restoration. Keen-eyed viewers can also find more than 30 others throughout the Sarasota area, mostly along Main Street.
Love said she came up with the idea when bringing home a few keepsakes from a clay factory while on a trip to Italy around 2018.
She brought home eight souvenirs in her suitcase. Not long after returning home, Love saw them as
SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THE LATEST
Those in search of a challenge can try to find the several dozen Tiny Doors dotted around Sarasota, including the newest addition on St. Armands Circle. Art hunters can find clues on the Instagram page “TinyDoorsSRQ.”
Locals inquiring about offering space for new installations can directly message artist Joan Love through the page.
blank canvases.
Eventually, a forest-green door with Christmas decorations, flanked by both evergreen and palm trees, popped up near John Ringling Bridge. Thus, the “Tiny Doors” series was born.
“When I first started, I came out to the Circle at midnight, dressed in all black, and I brought my girlfriend so, if I went to jail, she could call my husband,” Love said with a laugh, reminiscing about her first installations.
Love started working with building owners to bring her diminutive decorations to the public. Once she worked through the original eight Italian doors, she started ordering more from a London producer.
The retired teacher said she now shares her artistic talents solely to bring some surprise cheer to the community. She doesn’t charge the businesses for her talents. She does, however, invite them to offer ideas for inspiration.
Love said she is especially glad to collaborate with St. Armands shops given how hard they worked over the past year to recover from hurricane damage.
“The one in front of Starbucks has kind of been destroyed,” she said. “I used to sit there with my coffee and watch little kids knock on the door and put little gifts by the fairy door.”
“I used to sit there with my coffee and watch little kids knock on the door and put little gifts by the fairy door.”
— Joan Love, artist
Those seeking out the doors can find hints to their locations on her Instagram page, “TinyDoorsSRQ.”
She previously maintained a QR code-based scavenger hunt for fans, an element she hopes to bring back soon.
Each door has its own character that she appreciates, but Love said she was personally pleased with one celebrating Brutus Buckeye, the grinning Ohio State mascot.
Sonia Gauthier said she sees the whimsical works as a fitting tribute to John Ringling’s vision. He was the one who brought the Circle’s iconic statues home.
Love said she remembers drawing inspiration from similar artists based in Atlanta.
“I said to myself, ‘It’s so artsy here in Sarasota. This has got to happen,’” she said.
Joan Love said the artistic collaboration between her “Tiny Doors” and muralist Nicole Bedoya was a happy coincidence.
Every day, pedestrians pass one of several “Tiny Door” art installations on St. Armands Circle — but not everyone spots the doors hidden in plain sight.
Photos by Dana Kampa
Joined by owners Sonia and Serge Gauthier, artist Joan Love knocks on her latest “Tiny Door” art installation outside Gauthier Salon & Wellness Center to see who is home.
V | 5005 Gulf of Mexico Drive #5
$4,424,000 MLS#A4661988
Longboat Key, FL | British West Indies Masterpiece. 4 bed/4.5 bath residence in prestigious Bonaire subdivision. Features a “Sunset Terrace” with amazing sunrise to sunset views with a Private Beach Access. Luxuriously appointed for effortless coastal living.
$1,150,000 MLS#A4661956
Longboat Key, FL | Gulf front elegance at the Player’s Club. Beautifully renovated 3 bed/2 bath residence being offered turn-key furnished. Designed with attention to detail including custom ceramic floors, exquisite cabinetry, and open floor plan.
Club Shores | 524 Ketch Lane
$829,000 MLS#A4656811
Sarasota, FL | Close to SMH, great school
$424,900 MLS#A4675729
Longboat Key, FL | Experience the effortless beach to bay lifestyle this 2 bed/2 bath residence offers. Beautifully appointed and sold turnkey, this ground floor unit is truly move in ready and designed for relaxed elegance.
John Ringling Estates home tops week’s sales at $4,175,000
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
The home at 148 Coolidge Drive was sold by 148 Coolidge LLC to Steven Foster and Gillian Foster, trustee, of Franklin, Tennessee, for $4,175,000. Built in 2025, it has six bedrooms, sixand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,982 square feet of living area.
2C
Lane to 548 Ketch Lane LLC for $2.2 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 2,273 square feet. It sold for $1.2 million in 2018.
LONGBOAT KEY
Michael Madden, trustee, of Longboat Key, sold the home at 5930 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Graham and Lynne Cherrington, of Longboat Key, for $2.1 million. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,570 square feet of living area. It sold for $1 million in 2017.
FAIRWAY BAY
Nancy Hernstat, trustee, of Reno, Nevada, sold the Unit 617 condominium at 2120 Harbourside Drive to Christopher Rich, of Longboat Key, for $740,000. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,039 square feet of living area. It sold for $286,000 in 1988.
Lynn Kitchen, trustee, of Longboat Key, sold the Unit 416 condominium at 2020 Harbourside Drive to FWBII $416 LLC for $650,000. Built in 1984, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,270 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2015.
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
Photos by Dana Kampa
VALENTINE’S GIFT GUIDE
THE GIVING TREE GALLERY
5 N Blvd of the Presidents • Sarasota, FL 34236 1379 McAnsh Square • Sarasota, FL 34231
941-388-7754 • TheGivingTreeGallery.com
Make hearts sparkle with high-design jewelry from award-winning designers. For over 30 years, The Giving Tree Gallery has offered unique, artful jewelry and home decor on St. Armands Circle. From demifine to 18KT fine jewelry, we have pieces for every budget. Experience exceptional customer service in a warm, welcoming atmosphere this Valentine’s Day!
MCCARVER & MOSER
1301 Main St • Sarasota, FL 34236 1601 Gulf of Mexico Dr • Longboat Key, FL 34228 941-387-8000 • McCarverMoser.com
McCarver & Moser Jewelers has sophisticated design collections from around the world. We provide customer service that exceeds expectations with our knowledge, hand crafted designs and a personal concierge team that represents over 115 years of experience. Making our customers happy and beautiful is our passion.
CAFÉ ON ST. ARMANDS
MILLER HAUS FURNITURE
6100 N Lockwood Ridge Rd Sarasota, FL 34243
941-960-2942
DutchHausFurniture.com
Give a gift that lasts longer than flowers! A Miller Haus Furniture gift certificate lets them choose something handcrafted and timeless -beautiful, functional furniture made to be loved and enjoyed for years. Visit a Miller Haus Furniture in store and let us help you find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift today!
431 St. Armands Circle Sarasota, FL 34236
941-388-4415
CafeOnStArmands.com
Join us at Café on St. Armands this Valentine’s Day for a romantic dining experience made to share. Enjoy a romantic brunch, relaxed all-day dining, or let the evening unfold over a special Dinner for Two. Whether you’re celebrating early or settling in for the night, it’s the perfect setting for a memorable Valentine’s Day together.
SIRIUS DAY SPA, SALON & MED SPAS
11585 E SR70 • Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 1551 Lakefront Dr. Ste 101 • Sarasota, FL 34240 941-357-4611 • SiriusDaySpas.com
Start your journey with the right life partner and a jeweler you trust. Since 1973, Bartlett Jewelers, provides the honest guidance needed before you ask forever’s most important question. We also offer both mined and lab-created diamonds all with prices to fit any budget. Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm.
The ultimate Valentine’s indulgence �� A luxe spa gift card to the #1 ranked spa in Lakewood Ranch & Sarasota - redeemable at either of our two premier locations, including our stunning new Waterside spa. 200+ ways to relax, glow, and feel adored - plus a Serenity Lounge and couples experiences.
Order your Valentine’s Day cookies now-or bring your someone special in for a sweet experience like no other! Where warm, freshly baked cookies meet creamy scoops of handcrafted ice cream. Customize sundaes with toppings or share a gooey cookieand-ice-cream combo for a cozy, delicious date-night dessert.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
FORECAST
FRIDAY, FEB. 6
SATURDAY, FEB. 7
MOON PHASES
SUNDAY, FEB. 8
TIDES
Thursday, Feb. 5 1:43a 2:27p 8:51a
MEGA FREESTYLE 3 by Rafael Musa, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
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