Longboat Observer 3.31.22

LONGBOAT

Observer

Something is fishy at the beach. PAGE 4

Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

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VOLUME 44, NO. 34

YOUR TOWN

‘Colony Man’ unearthed 10,000-year-old civilization revealed at resort-condo construction site. PAGE 3

FULL-COURT PRESS Sport-based prank war breaks out at Bayfront Park. PAGE 2 File photo

Manatees owe $125,000 What started as a whimsical demonstration of how manatees are trained has become a sad tale of gambling and debt.

Local sea cows Hugh and Buffett have delighted Sarasota people for years with their uncanny Super Bowl picks — in Buffett’s case, an 11-2 record going into this year’s contest between Cincinnati and Los Angeles.

Perhaps overconfident at recent success, both manatees chose underdog Cincinnati and backed up their picks with a complex series of parlay wagers that could have financed Mote Marine Institute and Aquarium’s Benderson Park expansion plans if successful.

They were not.

Now, both animals owe a pair of Las Vegas sharks about $125,000, with no way to pay.

Buffett and Hugh swam off when approached by a reporter seeking comment.

Eric Garwood

Both the tennis courts and a backboard practice wall were struck this month by paint can-wielding vandals, authorities said.

Saucy swan reality show coming to TV

File photo

It’s not a friendly wave As the easing of COVID-19 protocols allow for the return of foreign visitors, town officials are once again grappling with differences in culture.

Last week, a German tourist drove a Jeep on the beach, telling a police officer he saw no signs saying otherwise.

This week, town officials posted a notice reminding visitors from foreign shores unfamiliar with American road signs that the traffic signal featuring the palm of a hand isn’t a friendly wave from your new Longboat Key friends, urging you to join them on the other side of Gulf of Mexico Drive.

It means don’t cross the street.

Courtesy photo

The debut of “Love’s Swan Song,” filmed entirely on Longboat Key, is expected for the fall season, producers say.

Network finds a lot to love in our ponds.

SEE PAGE 3

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

Vandals court trouble, put park in pickle Spray-painted messages are latest in a series of Bayfront Park incidents.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

T

own officials have begun checking athletic bags and backpacks for signs of spray paint and other evidence at Bayfront Park following incidents of graffiti and other vandalism.

Police were alerted to trouble on March 22 when an officer making a routine patrol through the park around 4:40 a.m. found several spray-painted messages on a practice backboard.

A power-washing crew blasted the paint off the wall the next day, though early morning players took to the courts without concern.

On March 23, town employees found another message sprayed on the surface of one of the park’s hardsurfaced tennis courts. It was also power washed to its original state.

Police photographed and took plaster casts of shoeprints from a size 10 ½ Acacia Dinkshot model athletic shoe in the sand alongside the court, a police source said. No suspects have been publicly identified, nor have there been public claims of responsibility.

The graffiti was seen as an escalation of a half-dozen less-showy events in previous weeks, but town officials said they’ve seen enough from enthusiasts of free sports on the island to put their foot down.

“It’s time everyone get together and play nice,’’ said a spokeswoman who withheld her name because she is not authorized to speak publicly for the town. “Don’t test us. We have the lawn bowling people on speed dial and can have that entire place razed and build six bowling rinks with artificial turf in about six months.”

A Longboat Observer reporter returned from the park Tuesday morning trembling and reporting an uneasy tenseness among fans of all

Longboat Observer staff

Town officials on March 22 discovered graffiti at Bayfront Park and ordered it removed. By afternoon, it was gone.

the court sports at the park.

“Don’t look at us,” said Frieda Polander, an avid participant in a group of seven to 10 shuffleboard players at Bayfront Park. “We don’t need this kind of headache. I’ve seen ‘West Side Story’ on Broadway, and I know what can happen when rival gangs get together, and believe me, you don’t want that.”

A small group of basketball players on the park’s half-court pointed away and turned their backs on an Observer reporter, refusing to comment.

Nearby, uniformed private security guards checked each person and their belongings before admitting them to the park, though guards would not answer questions from the reporter about what they were

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“We don’t need this kind of headache. I’ve seen ‘West Side Story’ on Broadway, and I know what can happen when rival gangs get together, and believe me, you don’t want that.’’

— Frieda Polander, shuffleboard enthusiast

looking for or whom they worked for.

“Move along, fella,” one of them said.

Pickleball players and tennis players have vied for space at Bayfront Park for years, not long after the paddle game began catching on locally.

Pickleball players routinely pack their single-use courts and a tennis

court painted with alternative lines and equipped with rollaway nets, reducing tennis to one court.

While the Public Tennis Center near Town Hall offers a wide range of options and clay courts, the Bayfront Park tennis vibe is different.

“We may not be too serious about our games, but we are serious about

our courts,” said tourist Stan Smith, who said he prefers tennis at Bayfront Park than the clay courts elsewhere in town.

“Court,” interjected Harvey Ballsworth, a pickleball player waiting his turn to play 20 feet away. “Court. You have one court for your silly sport.”

“What? I can’t hear you,” Smith retorted. “Your infernal paddles make so much noise.”

Police reports as far back as February indicated a growing set of issues at the park. Among them: n Feb. 14: A tennis ball that caromed off a court and into the parking lot was “intentionally” run over by a blue Subaru wagon, though the tennis players were not able to report a license number. n Feb. 16: Bolts holding a pickleball paddle rack were sawed nearly through, leading to the rack’s collapse to the ground once it was filled to capacity. A hacksaw was found in the bushes nearby, but no usable fingerprints could be recovered. n Feb. 21: The pages of several copies of the International Tennis Federation rulebook were found shredded by a cross-cut office document shredder and left an inch deep on the tennis courts. n March 2: Children’s Wiffle balls were substituted for regulation pickleballs left overnight, resulting in offbeat play the next morning. n March 3: Novelty crime scene tape was strung around the entire pickleball complex, making it appear the courts were off limits for hours. n March 15: The tennis court nets were removed and hidden, and a treasure map was pinned to the fence with clues to its location.

“Our police have far better things to do than hall monitor court-sport squabbles,” the town spokeswoman said. “For us, this is game, set and match.”

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GROUNDBREAKING & HISTORIC 8,000 B.C. civilization thrived on the site of once-iconic Longboat resort and condo tennis complex.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

A

stounding evidence of Longboat Key’s first inhabitants and how they lived more than 10,000 years ago is under study at the University of Florida and other sites following excavations in 2020 at the site of what will one day be the Residences at the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, scientists said in a news conference on Tuesday.

Stone tablets with pictographstyle markings, the use of a primitive and recently deciphered written language, tools fashioned from bone and sinew for a variety of uses and even the New World’s first-recorded recipe were uncovered at 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive as engineers took soil core samples in preparation for the $100 million construction project.

“The Paleo-Indian period is a fascinating time in the history of the planet, and the Longboat Key chapter is no exception,” said Dr. Ohio Jones, an archeologist with the University of Florida’s Ice Age project, which focuses on the state’s earliest inhabitants. “Not cavemen, but not modern man, either. We see wide variations along the coast in terms of development and social organization, but this sort of community was something we’ve never seen before.”

Much of what was found has been attributed to a small group of individuals scientists interpreted as “The Obsarvaires,” apparently scribes of sorts for the band of peo-

THE BATTLE FOR ‘LA OHANA’ Along with the discovery of near-ice age inhabitants of Longboat Key comes a revelation from Spain about a brief battle on the island’s gulf beach in 1527. Explorer Juan Anasco De Fortuna and 150 men landed their “longboats” on the island from three Spanish caravels anchored offshore what is believed to be Whitney Beach, archives show. Spotting a band of Calusas, the Spanish followed them south to a point De Fortuna called “La tierra conocida como La Ohana.” At that point, the Calusas barred the Spanish access to the beaches beyond. “From where the blue turns white to the land many steps away where a man may always sit without wetting himself is ours. None shall go farther,’’ a monk accompanying DeFortuna translated a Calusa chief as saying. The Spanish turned and headed north again.

ple who lived largely in a 16-acre area bounded by the Gulf of Mexico and an upland area.

Discoveries were made in early 2020 and initially kept quiet during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep crowds from forming. Scientists dressed as construction engineers or wayward tourists in Hawaiian-print shirts surreptitiously scoured the site, often with common beach shovels and pails, removing 876 artifacts.

Initially, core sampling turned up a tablet with a pictograph depicting some kind of recreational activity similar to tennis.

Ground-penetrating radar was used to pinpoint the locations of other artifacts, as little as 10 feet below the surface but up to 80 feet deep, Jones said.

“We’re confident we found everything of significance,” he said of tantalizing clues to the lifestyle of what scientists have called “Colony Man.” Among the team’s findings: n Evidence that Longboat Key’s first inhabitants often migrated back and forth from northern climates, though summers around 8,000 B.C. were cooler and drier than today.

Overland journeys to regions such as the northern Midwest and what is now Long Island were the most common, often taking years. There was evidence of a disconnect based on regional dialects and expectations of basic rituals between natives and those who arrived during the winter. Among them, difficulty moving from one part of the island to the other during what the Obsarvaires referred to as “saesin.” n A step-by-step procedure to make a citrus-based pie using ancient forerunners to key limes. Other favored dishes would today be considered paleo, though back then they were simply referred to as “fud.” n A list of men and women who were assigned to cook for the band of inhabitants. The Obsarvaires wrote on one tablet that these ancient chefs often left the tribe to begin cooking for other tribes throughout the area. One of the scribes wrote that he traveled “toward setting moon many days and enjoyed dinner unlike before. Then, I go home.” n Pictographs showed images of elder female inhabitants using local tree roots, insect entrails and a paste made of sand and other ingredients to change their facial appearance. A drawing resembling a modern-day cougar accompanied the pictograph, though zoological experts confirm no such large cat would have been seen in the area at that period of history. “We’re stumped on this one,” said Emmanuel Belough, an archeological assistant. n Villagers apparently gathered often along the beach at a shelter decorated by images of an animal that initially confused scientific investigators. First thought to be a monkey or some sort of primate seen sitting off balance alongside a bar or branch, a cross-check with forensic zoologists led scientists to believe the animal

Courtesy photo

“We see wide variations along the coast in terms of development and social organization, but this sort of community was something we’ve never seen before.”

— Ohio Jones

was neither man nor monkey. Jones jokingly referred to the site as the “Missing Link Bar.” n Drawings found on site indicated residents lived in multilevel structures, never before seen during the time period, Jones said. One sketch of the village depicted a central lagoon open to the sea in which community members were drawn swimming alongside manatees, rays and other now-extinct saltwater sea creatures. Another tablet told the story of one resident banished forever for attempting to trade trinkets for

many of the residents’ dwellings and trying to gather a plan to rebuild the community. At one point, the tablet read, the resident controlled nearly half the property until he was taken by dugout canoe to live on the mainland, never to be heard from again.

Study of the so-called Colony Man discoveries will go on for years, Jones said. He said he found it remarkable that carbon dating matched all the artifacts to perhaps a 100-year time frame, though precise timekeeping cannot be ascertained and no other civilization landed there to live permanently until the 1950s.

He said he also found remarkable the detail and breadth of the scribes’ work, owing the scientific advancement to their work.

“Clearly, there were more than one scribes or Obsarvaires over the era,” Jones said, adding that there was evidence other scribes tried to write about broader areas, though no evidence of their work survived. “Some stayed on longer than others.”

Among the findings on the former Colony site was a slate with apparent instructions on how to make a prehistoric key lime pie.

COLONY MAN, PAGE 4

Swan reality dating show to begin filming on Longboat Key After the sensational scandal with wife-swapping swans last season, one TV producer smelled an opportunity.

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

F

ollowing a saucy story about two swans that swapped partners, a television producer will spend the next few months on Longboat Key filming a new reality TV show. Based on the secret lives of swans, “Love’s Swan Song” will be coming to Animal Planet in the fall.

Jack Duros is a producer looking to capitalize on the scandals of the swans. While on vacation on Longboat Key over the holidays, he picked up a copy of the Longboat Observer

and read all about the love triangle between Donald, Lydia and Chuck.

The former two had mated, but once Chuck saw Lydia, everything changed — like something out of the reality TV show “Wife Swap.”

Instantly, Duros saw an opportunity. He braved the Longboat Key housing market to secure a condo to act as his editing studio and hired a camera crew to come down, stat.

“As soon as I read about the stealyour-girl tactics of Chuck, I knew I had something good,” Duros said.

“Every reality show needs a villain, and Chuck was willing to play that perfectly. Will Greta accept him with his wayward past? Viewers will have to wait and see.”

And the potential viewers are already setting their DVRs to record every episode. Mary Higgins, who walks her dogs past the Bay Isles Parkway pond where Chuck and Lydia reside, is ready to pop some

popcorn and pour some wine to settle in for the drama every Monday night this fall. She’s been adding a half-mile to her daily walk so she can see what’s happening at the pond and if any other wife-swapping has taken place.

“My dogs will be excited, too,” Higgins said. “They’re tired of taking such a long walk to the pond so I can see what those randy swans are up to every day.”

Duros said filming will take place during the swans’ mating season for maximum drama potential, so expect to see TV trailers pop up on the edges of Longboat Key’s golf courses, where the birds live. The early days of mating season have just begun, but Duros is waiting on some camera equipment to arrive due to supply chain issues.

File photo

SWAN SONG, PAGE 4

The romantic involvements of Longboat Key swans will be the subject of a TV series.

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Happy April Fools’ Day from the Longboat Observer! The stories on pages 1 through 4 are not real news. Hope you’re as relieved as we are!

Concerned Longboaters report fish kill Weekend angst subsides as sloppy family is blamed for scaring locals in the middle of tourist season.

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fish-kill scare last weekend that initially worried tourism officials and shocked city leaders and wildlife experts was traced to a sloppy family from Waukegan, Illinois and not a red-tide event in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said.

State and local red tide hotlines began receiving calls from Longboat Key on Saturday, March 26 through the weekend with frequent and consistent reports from residents who were concerned about a “massive die-off of sea life.”

More than 110 calls were received on town emergency-services phone lines, and dozens more were fielded by the state Department of Environmental Protection and Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

One caller reported seeing tiny, perfectly shaped orange fish in a trail along the surfline in front of the Diplomat Resort. Others reported slightly larger, translucent fish in red as far south as the Quick Point Park, as far east as the canals of Country Club Shores and as far north as Ohana (but not a step farther).

“A variety of small fish in a wide array of colors on the beach, floating in the bay, gulf and canal waters. It seemed like they were everywhere. It was really scary,” said a town spokeswoman on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly.

Adding to the confusion was a story under the headline CARCASSES ON OUR SHORES in a local weekly newspaper claiming the town knew about the situation for days but refused to act to avoid upsetting visitors during the height of tourist season.

On Monday, as experts began trying to piece together what had happened, the town responded to a stack of media inquiries with a measured and well-reasoned statement: “We monitor the situation each day and have determined the concentration to be minor to moderate. We believe our beaches are safe. There is no cause for alarm.”

The first break in the investigation came Tuesday, March 29 when Matt Hooper, an oceanographer with Mote, noticed there was no horrible odor normally associated with tons of decaying sea life.

“I held one up, noted its shape, size, weight and coloring as a scientist should,” he said.

“On a whim, I popped it in my mouth. Sharp cheddar. Delightfully

Swan Song

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“Once we get those cameras, I’m going to give them all the fruit and bugs they could eat and wait for the dramatic magic to happen,” Duros said. “Everyone knows the best reality show bits happen when everyone has been imbibing all night.”

Also on the scene will be Donna Braxton, a resident who volunteered to help Duros film the series. She’s a self-described reality TV junkie who jumped at the chance to get behind the scenes.

“I’m sure I won’t have to help with editing much,” Braxton said. “After all, what would you have to edit about reality?”

The show should follow a reality season timeline similar to that of “Love is Blind.” The swans will get

Eric Garwood

crunchy. It was then I knew this was no fish kill, it’s was a snack spill.”

Calls for help spread quickly, though, reaching the highest level of state government. In a news conference Monday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed the “unprecedented damage to our beaches on the Biden Administration’s disregard for the fine people of the Free State of Florida. I call on the federal government to deliver the millions of dollars in resources, relief funds, compensatory damages, free dinners, gasoline cards, and expanded federal unemployment compensation we need to restore our beaches to the pristine state they were before this catastrophic natural disaster took place.”

Hooper’s forensic follow up examined hours of security footage from all over the island, and everywhere a patch of Goldfish, Swedish Fish or imported-from-Japan Meito Puku Puku Tai fish-shaped wafers were spotted, so was an unkempt vacationing family.

The two parents and four children, initially unidentified, on the videos wore mismatched clothing, pulled wagons filled to the brim with beach supplies, snacks and soft drinks and each wore a novelty hat of some sort.

With the help of the town’s license plate recognition system, Hooper and town detectives connected a wood-paneled Chrysler minivan with the Wurff family of the Chicago suburb of Waukegan.

Police found the family staying in two rooms at a vacation resort.

“Well, you got us,” patriarch Howard Wurff said, adding his 9-year old son Nelson (“we call him Booger”) insisted on bringing sweet and savory snacks with him where ever the family went. “He probably spilled more than he ate. You should see the backseat of the van.”

the chance to experience time with all the other birds and see who they want to pursue before pairing off for the rest of mating season — er, pilot season.

“If we’ve already had one wifeswap scenario, just think about what we’ll get when we film them 24/7,” Duros said.

As for the show’s stars, they’re tight-lipped about any plotlines viewers might see in the first season, and Duros denied the Longboat Observer a chance to view any trailers or speak to the swans. Other than wife swappers Chuck and Donald and their partners Lydia and Greta, the other swans on the show are bachelor Bello and the long-term lovers Nick and Lacy. However, fans might be able to pick up a few clues by watching who’s paired up with who on the shores of Longboat Key’s ponds — if you can tell them apart, that is.

One caller reported seeing tiny, perfectly shaped orange fish in a trail along the surfline in front of the Diplomat Resort. Others reported slightly larger, translucent fish in red as far south as the Quick Point Park.

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PAGE 19

Observer

Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

VOLUME 44, NO. 34

YOUR TOWN

Town is cutting the cords Underground wire work advances ahead of schedule and under budget. PAGE 7

File photo

A pair of home rule heroes A pair of heroes can be found at Town Hall, the Florida League of Cities says.

Town Commissioner B.J. Bishop and Town Manager Tom Harmer were recognized with the group’s 2022 Home Rule Hero awards for their ability to solve local problems with local solutions, a news release said.

“It was a great opportunity to remind the legislators how their decisions will impact our residents,” Bishop said.

“I’m honored to receive this award for doing what was right and for working on behalf of the citizens of the town,” she added.

“It is an honor to receive this award, Harmer said. “I am proud to help represent the town’s interests to ensure legislation which protects and enhances the quality of life on Longboat Key.” Harmer and Mayor Ken Schneier were similarly honored in 2021.

Nat Kaemmerer

Manatees surface alongside the Longboat Key Fire Department’s rescue boat during Longboat Harbour’s Blessing of the Fleet last week.

A MIXED BLESSING Visit by group of manatees during boat ceremony prompts concerns for their safety. PAGE 10

A+E Courtesy photo

Happy trails, Dave After more than 18 years, Dave Ambrose will wave goodbye to Westchester. The condo’s community association manager will retire for good in May. But first, on March 20, residents hosted a party for Ambrose, who started at the Westchester as the maintenance manager in 2003. More than 70 residents came to the clubhouse to wish him well on his next adventure. Ambrose will spend “retired” life running the company he owns with his wife, Nancy, and in his downtime will be venturing out in his recreational vehicle.

Resident Joan Bowdon said Ambrose and his willingness to go the extra mile for the community’s residents will be missed.

Making progress Home project one approval away.

SEE PAGE 6

Vibrant strokes.

File photo

Mark Ursini’s Brista Homes aims to build two residences at Buttonwood Drive and GMD.

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proposal to build two homes at 597 Buttonwood Drive has advanced closer to final approval than any other plan put before town voters under the provisions of a decades-old rule requiring popular approval of additional residential density.

With a pair of votes recommending advancement from the Planning and Zoning Board on March 15, builder Mark Ursini now requires the same approvals from the Town Commission in April before the project gets a green light.

Ursini is only the second landowner to win voter approval for the potential of more residential density on the island and the only developer to move forward to request landuse and zoning changes to make the project possible. The project was approved by voters 62% to 33%.

“I wanted to congratulate you on getting through the referendum process on Longboat Key,” Planning and Zoning Board Chair David Green said. “That’s a gauntlet.”

Since 2016, voters have rejected five of seven developer requests for increased residential zoning, though Unicorp National Developments Inc. found an alternative route to win approval for its St. Regis project, now under construction. Voters also approved density changes on a parcel at 5360 Gulf of Mexico Drive, though specific plans for development of that land have not yet been submitted to the town.

Ursini, the owner of Brista Homes, has proposed a pair of 4,000-squarefoot single-family homes on the 0.86-acre lot at the corner of Buttowood Drive and Gulf of Mexico Drive, immediately adjacent to Winslow Place.

The land has been cleared in preparation for construction, as was a second plot just to the north that was not subject to the November density referendum. That land, zoned for commercial use, and a proposal from Ursini, who also owns it, is likely to appear before the Planning Board next month.

Ursini’s proposal sought a change in the town’s comprehensive landuse plan, which would then open the door for a change in zoning from commercial uses to residential uses, limited to three units per acre.

Town planner Tate Taylor said the surrounding Buttonwood Harbour neighborhood is zoned for four units per acre, and a commercial use of the property would bring still more intensive uses to the land.

“These businesses, if they were to develop the property, would be much more intense, definitely have much more traffic volumes associated with them than with the single-family land use that’s being proposed,” he said.

Tate added that residential use, such as the one Ursini proposed, would require no more than 50% of the available land built upon it. The standard for a commercial site is 80%. Part of the application called for a master drainage system that tied together the still-to-be-developed land to the other with the residential land. But even if the commercial project didn’t come to fruition, the residential project’s drainage mechanisms could stand alone.

Drainage is a critical concern in the neighborhood, which has experienced stormwater flooding.

“As you go through this, that area has such a history of drainage issues and flooding and impacting other properties,” Green said. “Your sensitivity to addressing the drainage concerns and creating a transition from your commercial properties over to residential is really important.”

In a letter to the Planning and Zoning Board, Town Commissioner and Buttonwood Harbour resident B.J. Bishop praised Ursini as a builder and complimented him for “including providing funds for the homeowners association to hire their own engineer to address stormwater issues. I fully support Brista Homes’ comprehensive plan amendment and change of zoning. I will also remind you the voters of Longboat Key clearly support this change of zoning.”

Ursini said he’s been doing business on Longboat Key for about 10 years, remodeling a condominium at The Pierre as his first job. His company has remodeled and built new homes around the island since then and is building a home for his family in Triton Bend.

“Longboat Key has always been a special place for us,” he said.

Land on Buttonwood Drive has been cleared in preparation for construction, as was a second plot just to the north that was not subject to the November density referendum.

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

WORK IN PROGRESS Here is a progress report on some of the other major projects in the works in the town of Longboat Key: Durante Park boardwalk: Work is underway to the boardwalk stretches damaged in Hurricane Eta in 2020.

Demolition began in February, and construction work on the 256-foot-long length of boardwalk and a 250-square-foot observation deck is expected to be completed soon.

Town Center Green: Bids are expected to be sought soon for a covered stage, lighted walkways, stormwater drainage system, restrooms and landscaping. Design of the stage, financed by a private donor, is nearly complete. Bids will be advertised for at least 30 days.

Eric Garwood

Powerlines and poles in phase 4 near Buttonwood Harbour will likely be the last to come down, later in 2022.

Eric Garwood

Wires and poles are gone from side streets and neighborhoods in the south end of town and along Gulf of Mexico Drive. New neighborhood light poles also are in.

WIRE LESS With first phase completed, town officials look to the end of 2022 for the project to be wrapped up.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

S

omething’s missing on the south end of the island.

Sometimes, without thinking, it’s hard to imagine what once was there looming above Gulf of Mexico Drive and the nearby neighborhoods. But now that power lines, TV and phone cables, transformers, insulators, cutouts, lightning arrestors and all kinds of other tech have disappeared from view, the progress being made on the town’s underground utilities is visual and obvious, at least in the first phase.

“We’re done,” said James Linkogle, project manager of the town’s Public Works Department of the phase from Country Club Shores south to the town limit. “If you haven’t been down there, if you have noticed, I hope, all the poles are gone, and we are finalizing all of our remaining punch list items with our contractor.”

The town’s underground project, begun in July 2019 at an estimated cost of $49.1 million, is showing glimpses of what the town might look like the end of the 2022, when all the cables and components might be gone. Florida Power and Light is responsible for removing the poles, which could take some time beyond, but by then the underground system could be fully energized.

As things stand now: n Phase one is completed. n Phase two, which comprises the northern tip of the island south to

Dream Island Road, has been the most difficult, said Mark Porter, CDM Smith project consultant, given the tight areas in which to work. He said most of the underground boring work to install plastic tubing called conduit is complete, and work has begun installing ground-level pads for equipment. Like phase one, no budget contingency money has been spent in phase two, which Porter said was good news. The digging to install conduit is often where trouble can be found, he said. “Thats usually where you run into your biggest challenges with a project. … That’s why we’re kind of excited about where we are with the project,” Porter said n Phase three, which comprises the area from Dream Island Road south to the Manatee-Sarasota county line, is ahead of schedule both along Gulf of Mexico Drive and in the adjacent neighborhoods with the boring work completed and equipment installation underway. Linkogle said the team is awaiting final FP&L designs to begin pushing into Twin Shores and Gulf Shores communities. n Phase four, from the ManateeSarasota county line to Country Club Shores, is also ahead of schedule, Porter said.

“We’re moving really fast through the project, and, as a matter of fact, I’m anticipating within the next 45 days for sure, all of the conduit boring will be complete throughout the whole project,” Linkogle said.

The project, which can trace its lineage to 2015, was originally planned along a five- to seven-year timeline.

But following the 2020 hurricane season, Porter said, FP&L sought to compress the schedule.

“They said, ‘We’d really like to get this in three years,’ so we came back and said 3.2 years, and now we’re getting down close to that window in December of this year, so we’re really excited as to where we are,”

Porter said.

Remaining on the to-do list is installation of Gulf of Mexico Drive streetlights, a process Linkogle said was delayed somewhat by a production glitch that built streetlight bases with the wrong mounting-bolt pattern, and consideration of additional lighting along the Gulf of Mexico Drive corridor, along the roadway and the multiuse pathways.

With funding remaining in the town’s Gulf of Mexico Drive accounts owing to that portion of the overall project remaining under budget (about $1.2 million in unspent money), the town’s Public Works Department recommended three areas for highway-style streetlights not originally part of the Florida Department of Transportation plan.

Public Works Director Isaac Brownman said additional lights could be installed in the 5100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive, the 4700 block and the 4400 block, based on the patterns of pedestrians crossing the highway to and from the beach.

“A lot of sunsetters walk across or drive across and come back, so we would actually recommend extending those highway lights to those three locations because they have shown a level of pedestrian activity in those areas that exceed (FDOT’s) their peak hour warrants,” he said, Each light would cost about $16,000 to buy and erect and connect to the grid. “I would recommend being agreeable to adding those three lights,” he said.

Town leaders could also tap into that $1.2 million to finance the purchase and installation of 3.5- and 4.5-foot-high bollard-style lighting along stretches of the town’s multiuse trail, though costs for the entire island would exceed the available budget, as much as $3 million.

Tightening of the New Pass groin: As part of the town’s overall beach maintenance plan, the New Pass groin will receive attention to reduce the amount of sand that passes through it. Surveys are complete, and data on sea turtle nesting points have been received. A staging area location is being coordinated. The town is still to request a de minimis impact maintenance permit from state and federal authorities. Work could begin by November.

Greer Island and Canal 1A: Permits to remove sand from the spit east of Longboat Pass Bridge have been received from state authorities, though the town is still waiting on federal permitting.

Sand from the project will be deposited on Gulf-facing beaches of Greer Island. Depending on cost estimates, the project might be rolled into an interim renourishment project or a full project. The town is also examining the possibility of another emergency dredge of Canal 1A to improve boat access and facilitate tidal flow.

Costs and funding have not yet been finalized.

Asbestos cement pipe replacement: Four phases of water pipe replacements are planned in Country Club Shores. Two phases will require full water main replacement into roadway areas; two will involve a less invasive process.

Funding is expected in the 2023 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Construction contract will follow.

7

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Get events directly to your inbox From festivals to performances and art exhibits, discover the wide variety of events happening in Sarasota and Manatee.

Goals and Objectives opens busy calendar The Town Commission’s calendar is filling up in the next few weeks.

It all begins Monday with the annual Goals and Objectives special workshop, an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the community to appear before commissioners and propose projects, policies or new ideas for them to consider as the 2022-23 budget season approaches.

The meeting is scheduled for noon in Town Hall.

At 1 p.m. is the first regular meeting of Vice Mayor Maureen Merrigan, who was chosen by her colleagues two weeks ago to serve for a year.

Among the topics on the agenda will be selection of commissioners to serve on various town and other advisory boards.

On April 18, the town commission heads into its annual planning retreat. Typically, many of the ideas put forth at the Goals and Objectives workshop will be discussed further and prioritized ahead of the town’s first budget workshop, which is planned for May 16.

Also on the commission’s calendar is a joint meeting with Sarasota County commissioners. Though the agenda for the April 27 gathering is not final, the town and county have been discussing cooperation on a variety of topics, including potential public library space in a proposed building on the Town Center Green.

That meeting is planned for 1 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Boulevard in Sarasota.

A similar meeting is planned with Manatee County commissioners on May 26.

Courtesy photo

Among LobsterCraft’s specialties are lobster roll sandwiches, the company said.

to run for the seat as well. Siesta Key resident Mike Cosentino and Sarasota lawyer Andrew Bevan have also announced their intention to run.

Atkins ran for the District 1 seat in 2016 but lost to Republican Mike Moran. Atkins won the vote in District 1 but lost the countywide vote to Moran. Following a redrawing of district lines, Atkins’ residence was reset to District 2 in 2020, the election for which was two years away at the time.

Longboat Key is within District 2.

Lobster specialist coming to St. Armands A restaurant that began business as a food truck operation in Connecticut plans to bring New England flavor to St. Armands Circle in April.

LobsterCraft, launched in 2012 as a fleet of trucks selling lobster rolls in Norwalk, Connecticut, announced this week plans to open a store at 28A S. Boulevard of the Presidents in mid-April. The 1,400-square-foot outlet will offer seating for 30, takeout, delivery and catering services.

“This is an exciting chapter for myself and my crew,” said owner Mike Harden. “The expansion of the brand into Florida, and the opportunity to bring a little taste of New England to the Sunshine State has been a dream of mine. We get to introduce our brand in the beautiful St. Armands Circle area, making it even sweeter.”

Ex-Sarasota mayor files for county commission

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A second former Sarasota mayor has entered the race for the Democratic nomination for Sarasota County Commission, District 2.

Former Mayor Fredd Atkins announced last week his intention to seek the office now held by Republican Christian Ziegler.

City Commissioner Hagen Brody announced his intention in February

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER

Blake Fussell

Vice Mayor Kyle Scott Battie and Commissioner Hagen Brody ride new Veo scooters.

Sarasota’s big wheels roll out first rental scooters, bicycles Micro-mobility plan includes access to rentals in St. Armands Circle.

BLAKE FUSSELL STAFF WRITER

S

arasota city commissioners tested electric scooters and bikes last week outside of City Hall for the official unveiling of the Veo Micro-mobility

Project that will continue to be rolled out in the coming weeks.

In a partnership with scooter company Veo, a pedal bike (the Halo), a standing electric scooter (the Astro 3) and a seated scooter (the Cosmo) will be available for rent throughout Sarasota. Approximately 350-400 scooters and 50-75 bicycles will be available when the rollout is complete.

In combination with the city’s month-old Bay Runner trolley, leaders hope to put a dent in troublesome

traffic between downtown and the beach, along with other locations.

“I’m happy that our city leaders have supported this program and have supported creating an environment where we live more and drive less,” said Mark Lyons, Sarasota Parking and Mobility general manager. “That means taking advantage of these mobility options.”

Veo mobility scooters and bikes have already been implemented in several cities, including St. Petersburg. Scooters will cost $1 to unlock

and 37 cents a minute to use, while bicycles will cost 50 cents per half hour.

Before taking off on an electric scooter in downtown Sarasota, Mayor Erik Arroyo spoke about how increasing means of mobility has been an emphasis since he became mayor. Even though it has been a priority from his first day, additional modes of clean transportation have been especially prevalent recently.

“We’ve been committed to reducing our carbon footprint by nearly 100% by 2050, and this is how we get there,” Arroyo said. “Especially with everything going on in the world.

There’s people who cannot afford gas because it’s now $6 a gallon in many parts of the country. This reduces our reliance on foreign oil.”

Besides the environmental impact electric scooters could have, Vice Mayor Kyle Scott Battie acknowledged the impact they could have on traffic. With the option of a bicycle or scooter, Battie said traffic congestion in Sarasota could be decreased.

Battie recently visited Washington, D.C., and said his primary mode of transportation besides walking was an electric scooter. He said that it not only allowed him to bypass some traffic but also made him feel more engaged in the community, which can now be done in Sarasota.

“It’s a great way to get yourself involved and engaged in the city.

It’s a way to partake in the beautiful paradise we live in,” Battie said.

“You can experience what’s happening in Sarasota with all of the activity that’s going on.”

Battie thanked Commissioner Hagen Brody, a longtime and outspoken supporter of the scooter program. Brody said the recent work between commissioners and Veo has given him confidence that the program will be a solution.

Brody, who joined the mayor and vice mayor in riding the scooters on Friday, said that the program is a reflection of the future of transportation. He said that because Sarasota has many venues within close proximity of one another, the scooters could eliminate unnecessary traffic and attract more people to popular destinations.

“This is one way we see the multimodal and multifaceted means of

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

OVER THE BRIDGE Yes, Veo scooters and bikes can go across the Ringling Bridge.

Under Florida state law, scooters are treated like bicycles.

Users will be expected to follow state laws and avoid crowded or narrow sidewalks. As with bicycles, the city encourages users to travel on bike lanes/ paths when available. In the near future, a specially designed shared bus bike shoulder lane will facilitate easier passage over the bridge.

transportation plan for Sarasota,” Brody said. “It’s not a silver bullet that solves all traffic issues, but it helps. It’s an enjoyable way to get out of your car. We’re looking to expand this so people from all corners of the city can utilize this.”

Brody also said he has hoped to expand the project beyond city limits.

He spoke about the Legacy Trail, operated by the county, as a “multimodal superhighway.” If the scooters or other future projects are combined with the Legacy Trail, multimodal transportation could grow in popularity.

“Transportation options are critically important, not just to our community but to every community going forward,” Brody said. “I think over the next few decades you’ll see more and more options. I think these assets in our community will become more and more important to citizens of Sarasota.”

Once the rollout of scooters and bicycles has been completed, they will be available to rent between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. More information on Veo scooters can be found on the website VeoRide.com.

The scooters and bicycles are limited to an electronically controlled area of operations via a GPS-monitored process called geofencing, which will not allow them to leave the city and cross into Longboat Key, for example.

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Blessed be the boats and manatees As boats made their way through the harbor to be blessed, manatees tried to make their own safe passage.

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

L

ongboat Harbour boaters can take to the water with a little more ease after getting their annual blessing on March 22.

The community has held a Blessing of the Fleet and Rum Runner Rendezvous party every year for more than 10 years, with only one year off because of COVID-19. Commodore Bill Coughlin organizes the fleet every year.

The Rev. Robert Dziedziak from St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church said a blessing before boats began to come through. By the end of the day, 20 boats, including the Longboat Key Fire Department boat, and 23 stand-up paddleboarders and kayakers came through.

As the harbor got more crowded, the boats weren’t the only ones trying to avoid one another. About 30 manatees were also in the harbor, and some bystanders on dry land shouted to boaters to change course away from the sea cows, who can’t hear low-frequency boat motors like those of the slow-moving boats in Longboat Harbour. There was at least one close call but no collisions.

“Everybody’s intentions I think are good, but when you have so many boats and they’re not high enough to see, it can be bad,” resident Lewis Gluckstern said.

March is mating season for manatees, and resident Mary Lentz said she saw babies nursing with mothers early in the day and was upset about how close boats got to the mammals.

Lentz and a few other residents were trying their best to keep the manatees safe from harm. The mammals were active and stayed close to the surface, splashing around, throughout the blessing.

Several manatees swam in the harbor during the blessing.

MANATEE SAFETY TIPS According to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, these are some ways to keep manatees safe, regardless of whether it’s mating season. n Designate a spotter on a boat. n Use polarized sunglasses to better see into the water. n Abide by slow-speed, nowake zones. n Don’t drive through seagrass beds. Not only are they important to maintain for water health, animals such as manatees and turtles hang out and eat there. n View groups of manatees from a distance. n Stash trash and fishing line. n Do not feed, harm, harass or give fresh water to manatees. n If you see a distressed or deceased manatee, note your GPS location, take photos and videos and call Mote Strandings at 888-345-2335.

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

The Rev. Robert Dziedziak says a blessing to the crowd.

There are generally a lot of manatees in Longboat Harbour at this time of year, for they like the warm waters, but this was among the most residents like Gluckstern had seen.

“It’s not just any ordinary time for them,” Lentz said.

Above: Jac Lentz waves to the crowd.

Left: Dziedziak blesses Bill Coughlin’s boat.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

OPINION / OUR VIEW

LONGBOAT

We need Colorado’s TABOR All of our governments are spending unthinkable amounts of money. After Colorado limited spending to population and CPI growth, wild government spending stopped, and Colorado’s economy flourished.

STATE GOVERNMENT SPENDING & PERCENT CHANGES Dollars in millions

“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.”

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“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Executive Editor and COO / Kat Hughes, KHughes@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Eric Garwood, EGarwood@YourObserver.com Staff Writers / Mark Bergin, MBergin@ YourObserver.com; Nat Kaemmerer, NKaemmerer@YourObserver.com Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Copy Editor / Shawn Candela, SCandela@YourObserver.com Editorial Designers / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com; José Valle, JValle@YourObserver.com A+E Editor / Spencer Fordin, SFordin@YourObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Harry Sayer, HSayer@YourObserver.com

$

MATT WALSH

A

s you would expect in these culturally charged days, all the media attention in Florida has focused on HB 1557, what Republican legislators call the “Parental Rights in Education” bill and the liberal Democrats call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

That’s the way it goes every day in the media. Little attention is paid to what they used to teach in journalism schools: Follow the money.

Sure, there were stories two weeks ago reporting the Legislature adopted another record high budget — $112 billion.

In two years, Florida’s state government will have increased spending $19.8 billion, a 21% increase.

In most times, these amounts and percentages would be unheard of and alarming. If Florida Democrats had control of the Legislature and passed this kind of spending, the so-called conservative Republicans would be screaming.

You can say the same when you go downstream to the local government levels. As you can see in the accompanying box, in the current fiscal year, total spending for Sarasota and Manatee counties jumped 15.1% and 16.8%, respectively.

Again, these numbers are alarming. Back in the day, when lawmakers and the public actually cared about taxes and government spending, many fiscally conservative lawmakers would go ballistic if government budgets exceeded the combined percentage growth of population and inflation.

To that end, if you look at the red fever line in the top accompanying graph, you can see how the Legislature during the Charlie Crist, Rick Scott and first two years of the Ron DeSantis administrations kept the growth rates in Florida’s spending at 5% or less for a 12-year period. Of course, the two years when Florida’s overall spending declined were the years of the Great Recession.

We all know what’s driving the big jump in spending — Congress’ $6 trillion spending and borrowing binge the past two years to rescue (Ha!) the U.S. economy and the citizens whose jobs were destroyed by the federal government’s overreactions to COVID-19.

Inflation? This is another example of how it looks: more profligate government spending. Every government entity in the country is awash in money that came off the federal government’s printing presses. And all this new money being spent is contributing to the rise in prices — too much money chasing too few goods and services.

We are witnessing, of course, proof yet again of that old saw: If you give government money, it will spend it. And the justification, as we often hear, goes like this: “If we don’t spend this federal money, it’ll just go to some other city or state, and they’ll get it.”

What a perverse system.

So here we go. The crazy spending begins. When Congress recently passed the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill, according to Sen. Rick Scott, it contained 5,000 earmarks — money for individual lawmakers to pay for special projects in their districts. In Tallahassee, Republicans included their share of earmarks as well (see box).

What’s more, state and local governments can’t resist their do-good, get-re-elected desires to throw money at a problem they largely created: affordable housing.

Senate President Wilton Simpson proudly touted in his post-legislative summary that the Legislature has allocated more than $350 million for affordable housing, “with

HOW TWO GOVERNORS COMPARE

State budgets and percent changes. Dollars in millions. No doubt, you’ll notice the double-digit increases in Florida’s spending — thanks to Congress doling out and the Federal Reserve Bank printing so much COVID relief money.

GOV. DESANTIS’ FIRST TERM

2022-2023 $112,071.0 2021-2022 $101,653.8 2020-2021 $92,268.1 $90,987.5 2019-2020 Total change in 4 years

10.25% 10.17% 1.41% 1.88% 23.17%

GOV. SCOTT’S SECOND TERM 2018-2019 $89,312.7 2017-2018 $84,953.0 2016-2017 $82,284.9 $78,396.6 2015-2016 Total change in 4 years

5.13% 3.24% 4.95% 1.71% 13.92%

Source: Florida Department of Demographic & Economic Research

SPENDING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

The following tables show overall budgets and spending for the past four years, including the transfer of money from state and federal sources. With the exception of Longboat Key, you can see the big jumps in cash and spending in the most recent fiscal year — attributed to COVID relief cash from Congress. Dollars in millions.

SARASOTA COUNTY 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019

$1,535,552.4 $1,333,705.1 $1,320,929.3 $1,242,441.0

+15.1% +0.9% +6.3% —

MANATEE COUNTY 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019

$1,767,040.7 $1,512,350.8 $1,540,205.4 $1,417,022.4

+16.8% -1.8% +8.6% —

LONGBOAT KEY Longboat Key’s overall budget increased 28.7% in fiscal 2020-2021 because beach renourishment and the town’s underground utility project.

2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019

$109,286.4 $129,745.3 $100,804.9 $105,734.9

-15.7% +28.7% -4.6% —

Source: Sarasota, Manatee, Longboat budget documents

$100 million to focus on down payment assistance for our hometown heroes — teachers, health care workers, law enforcement and others.”

“We can do more to make sure housing is affordable so that those who provide critical services can live in the communities they serve,” Simpson said.

Classic picking winners and losers — e.g. what about all the restaurant, waste haulers, food delivery and grocery people who were hometown heroes during the pandemic?

The Sarasota County Commission was expected to jump on the affordable housing wagon Tuesday as well. It was expected to approve $25 million of federal COVID money for affordable housing programs, in addition to the $38 million it already approved for “miscellaneous projects.”

While a few people — a few in comparison to the millions who will not receive a housing subsidy — will benefit from this affordable housing largesse, all this relief money is harmful than helpful.

For one, it’s the cause of the current economic conditions, the rising prices, rising interest rates and the recession that is to come.

Second, in the case of affordable housing, handing out subsidies does nothing to address why housing is increasingly costly. Once again, point to government.

Pat Neal, one of the most prolific homebuilders on the West Coast of Florida, says government regulations, impact fees and such items as delays in permitting typically add 20% to the cost of a home. If you add in density and height restrictions, which constrict the numbers of units that can be built, that adds more, especially for land.

Everywhere you turn, especially now when all these governments are awash in money, the amount of waste and the cost to taxpayers is almost criminal.

The politicians keep spending.

There is a way to stop it. They did in Colorado — for a while. In 1992, voters approved the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It limited state government spending to no more than the combined annual percentage increase in population growth and the CPI. If the state took in more money than those two measurements from the previous year, it refunded to all taxpayers the excess.

For 10 years, before politicians persuaded taxpayers to change the rules, TABOR held government

FLORIDA EARMARKS Here’s a sampling of the local earmarks in Florida’s 2022-23 appropriations.

Reliever Road Design Project, $400,000 Blountstown City Hall, $500,000 Brevard Zoo Aquarium, 950,000 Camp Gilead Facility Improvements - Polk County, 500,000 Casa Familia Shared Living, 2,000,000 Central Florida Smart City Centers, 4,000,000 Charlotte County Airport Aviation Technician Facility, 3,000,000 Charlotte County William R. Gaines, Jr. Veteran’s Memorial Park, 2,000,000 City of LaBelle Emergency Generators, 130,000 City of Sanford Parking Facility, 1,500,000 Coral Springs - Public Safety/Public Works Building Hardening Project, 800,000 Cox Science Center and Aquarium Expansion-West Palm Beach, 10,000,000 Crystal River Kings Bay River Walk Final Phase, 3,000,000 Fort Myers Inclusive Playground for Children of All Abilities, 1,000,000 Greater Palm Harbor YMCA Field House and Family Locker Rooms, 3,000,000 GWC Woman’s Club Restoration, 350,000 Habitat for Humanity at Citrus Springs, 2,500,000 Hernando County Central Fueling Facility, 980,000 Holmes County Consolidated Government Efficiency Center, 4,000,000 Hope Partnership Attainable Housing, 500,000 IDignity Statewide Operational Headquarters-Orlando, 1,500,000 Jewish Federation of Greater Naples-Campus Security, 245,000 K-9 Behavioral Enrichment & Training To Enhance RehomingMiami-Dade, 150,000 Lake Conine Recreation Elements, 200,000 Lincoln Park Community and Vocational Center, 152,600 McIntosh Town Hall, 500,000 Milton Community Center Expansion Project, 500,000 Monroe County Habitat for Humanity Affordable Housing, 1,956,500 OCEARCH Mayport Research and Operations Center, 4,500,000 Royal Palm Beach-Commons Park Corporate Picnic Pavilions, 450,000 Sports Training and Youth Tournament Complex, 35,000,000 Stewart Street Facility Revitalization-Milton, 500,000 Town of Hilliard-Community Center/Hurricane Shelter Project, 5,144,800 Veteran Memorial Park Maintenance and Repair-Pensacola, 355,000 Veterans Park Land Development, 400,000 Veterans Resource Center Phase II, 1,650,000 Victory Village Rehabilitation Project, 250,000

spending in check; Colorado’s economy and personal income grew faster than the national average; and Coloradans received $3.3 billion in refunds, $3,200 for a family of four.

Perhaps one day, Florida lawmakers will be able to quit fighting culture wars and focus more on spending and regulating less.

Ah, we dream.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

Republican Club of Longboat Key, Inc. P.O. Box 8181 Longboat Key, FL 34228-8181

DINNER MEETING! Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Above: Carolyn Hall and Chuck Malkerton browse art on the walls.

Right: Barbara Jendrysik brought her piece “Captivating,” which she’s added to over the years.

Below: Vice Mayor Maureen Merrigan spoke at the show, which Susan Phillips organized.

Reception: 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM Dinner / Speaker: 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Longboat Key Club and Resort Harbourside Ballroom 3200 Harbourside Drive (North Gate by Publix) Longboat Key, FL 34228

OUR GUEST SPEAKER WILL BE: Jason Bearden Candidate Manatee County Commission District 6, at Large

Along With Candidates for the Sarasota County School Board including: Bridgett Zeigler, Robyn Marinelli, & Tim Enos This is our last meeting until September.

Bring a guest and let’s hear from the candidates for these important positions!

DINNER MEETING SPONSORSHIP:

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

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Local art fills Town Hall

O

n Longboat Key, art and government do mix. On March 24, the town hosted the community alongside the artists from the Town Hall Art Show.

Susan Phillips, assistant to the town manager, has been organizing the shows for 19 years and gotten back in the swing of hosting receptions after COVID-19 protocols prevented them. On March 24, more than 100 residents came to browse and buy art from 14 local artists. Many of the artists, such as Patrick and Sandy Bogert and Lynn Armstrong Coffin, had presented at Town Hall before, but a few newcomers made their way into the gallery.

“This is all new for me, and it’s fun to be here,” artist Madeline Wikler said.

Artists submitted pieces to hang on the walls of the Town Commission Chamber and in the halls,

and brought even more pieces for the reception. Some, such as Pat Lundy, set up tables with smaller pieces available for purchase, and others, such as Barbara Jendrysik, brought other pieces they were proud of and set up easels.

Jendrysik brought “Captivating,” a portrait of a woman with a glittering diamond earring set against an oceanic background.

“I had it before with just a blue background ... but I entered it at ArtCenter Manatee into a show called ‘Fishing for Diamonds,’ and the painting had to have diamonds,” Jendrysik said. “I thought, ‘That’s what she’s missing!’”

Residents and elected officials browsed the art, met with artists and snacked on light bites from the Longboat Key Club throughout the evening.

—NAT KAEMMERER

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

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Above: Sandy and Patrick Bogert had art on display. Left: Marie Therese Lacroix presented for the first time at Town Hall.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

OODLES OF KITTENS

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Above: Terry Phelps, Kristin Fourie and Debbie Fulton connected over their businesses. Left: Tryla Larson and Earl Larson promoted Tryla’s real estate business with Michael Saunders & Co.

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Russ Callahan, Linn Torres and Philip Deming picked up copies of the Business Observer.

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Located in the Centre Shops (with Nature's Gem CBD) 5360 Gulf of Mexico Drive, #108 Longboat Key MyRehabPilates@gmail.com

Businesses and residents meet, greet … and eat

T

here were plenty of people and businesses to meet and greet and plenty of snacks to eat at the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce’s event on March 22.

The 17th annual Meet, Greet, Eat drew 28 member businesses to the Harbourside Dining Room at the Longboat Key Club to set up a table and connect with the residents of Longboat Key. Cadence Bank, Tidewell Foundation, The Paradise Center, Jack Dean

Flooring and more businesses and services mingled with one another and the dozens of residents who came by. Harry’s Continental Kitchens, the Longboat Key Club and Publix provided the “eat” portion of the evening.

“It’s one of my favorite events,” chamber President Gail Loefgren said. “Our businesses get a lot of business from this, and it becomes a community event, too. People like to meet up here.”

—NAT KAEMMERER

11th Annual

TASTE OF THE KEYS & Fashion Show

A COVID Vaccine Mandated Campus

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1951 N. Honore Ave. | Sarasota, FL 34235

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Gary and Judy Buchanan stood outside to enjoy the afternoon.

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Above: Ramin Mesghali and Michael Fletcher from Jack Dean Flooring connected with the community.

Left: Donna Sharp Blaney and Suzy Brenner from The Paradise Center prepared games with prizes for guests.

Debbie Cohen, Lynn Adelmann and Mac Spitzer made their way around the room.

EVERY THURSDAY AT 5:30 PM MARCH 17th THROUGH APRIL 21st

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

COPS CORNER

TRIBUTES David E. Flatow 1933-2022 David Efram Flatow, 88, of Longboat Key Florida, passed away on March 15, 2022.

David was born on November 5, 1933, in New York City to the late Fred Flatow, an attorney, and Olga (née Hyman) Flatow. He attended Blair Academy and received his undergraduate degree from Lehigh University. He earned a J.D. from New York Law School after serving in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. He recently received a Master’s degree in English from Long Island University.

David married the love of his life Ellen (née Schroeder) in 1977 and together with her founded New York Surety Company and DEF Brokerage Company.

David was a modern-day renaissance man. He loved the outdoors and was an accomplished sailor, golfer, skier, and tennis player. He enjoyed jogging, biking, swimming and – later in life – taking long walks. David was a life-long learner and natural teacher. He enjoyed sharing his deep love of literature, history and music with family and friends who were enriched by his wide-ranging knowledge and enthusiasm, punctuated by a dry sense of humor. David had an uncanny ability to recall poetry. A phrase he recited often, which reflected his appreciation for irony and philosophical bent, was by the poet John Gay:

FRIDAY, MARCH 18

ARE WE THERE YET? 2:05 a.m., 300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Citizen assist: An officer stopped to help the driver of a rental vehicle that was pulled to the side of the road. The driver, who had three small children in the vehicle, said he had run out of gas and alerted the rental agency. The officer stood by with the driver and children until a road-service truck arrived.

MONDAY, MARCH 21

CALL IT CONCERN 8:49 p.m., 3600 block of Bayou Circle Welfare check: A caller to police expressed concern for a town resident to whom she had placed three calls without response. Police knocked on the door and learned from the resident he had switched off the phone to facilitate charging. The resident appeared well and did not require assistance. The officer informed the caller of his findings.

AMATEURS 12:01 p.m., Harbourside Drive Traffic hazard: While on routine patrol, an officer encountered a civilian directing traffic at a road-paving project. The officer was concerned the civilian was directing vehicles into oncoming traffic without the benefit of lane-separating cones or flaggers to alert drivers. The crew agreed to open the road until more cones and employees arrived.

area learned from the driver he was delivering newspapers in a rental truck because his vehicle had been experiencing mechanical problems.

SATURDAY, MARCH 19

“Life is a jest, and all things show it.

I thought so once, and now I know it.”

John Gay

“Life is a jest, and all things show it. I thought so once, and now I know it.”

David believed strongly in education as a means to independence and fulfillment.

To that end, he encouraged and supported his children and grandchildren in their educational and professional pursuits.

From childhood through retirement, friendships were important to David. He was loyal, a leader and a people person. His friends enriched his life and he theirs. He was a consummate host, an able captain, and a gifted raconteur.

David and Ellen retired to Longboat Key in 1998 where David formed many new friendships. In Longboat, he served as president of the

PAGING HARRY HOUDINI 10:23 a.m., 4000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Citizen assist: A bathroom door that remained locked for 45 minutes drew concern and a police response to a town park. The responding officer determined the bathroom’s deadbolt lock was engaged but was unable to learn who might be a keyholder. Fire-rescue was summoned to retrieve a key from a lockbox, and when the door was opened, no one was inside.

Grand Bay community board and his building for several years. Throughout his life, David was philanthropic, supporting various institutions and the arts.

He was devoted to his large, adoring family who survive him including his beloved wife Ellen, children Jonathan (Elaine) Flatow, Jennifer Flatow, Jeremy (Alison) Flatow, Leon (Lynn) Greenberg, Jennifer (Richard) Sexton; grandchildren Brett, Max, Samantha, Ethan, Emily, Kyle, Gabrielle, Marissa; sister Marcia Foster and his beloved canine companion Gracie.

David lived a long and rewarding life. He contributed to and was loved by many.

He was his family’s North Star and he will be missed.

May his memory be for a blessing. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to All Faiths Food Bank. https://allfaithsfoodbank.org/

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23

SO, WHICH ONE’S SUSPICIOUS? 10:55 p.m., 7200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Suspicious person: Following up on a report of a suspicious person fishing on the Longboat Pass bridge, an officer arrived to find several people fishing. The officer reminded the anglers to remain in the allowed area for fishing.

THURSDAY, MARCH 24

THE HOLE TRUTH 12:13 p.m., 1500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Citizen assist: Police were called to the beach on an anonymous report of a big hole in the sand. Officers arrived to find children filling the hole with beach sand.

MOVIN’ ON 9:39 p.m., 700 St. Judes Drive South Citizen assist: A landlord asked officers to check a property to ensure evicted tenants were no longer there. The property appeared vacant, the officer reported. Neighbors said the tenants had moved out.

MONDAY, MARCH 21

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

GETTING THE JOB DONE 5:34 p.m., 4300 block of Falmouth Drive Suspicious vehicle: A resident concerned by the sight of a stranger driving a popular brand of rental truck in their neighborhood reported what he saw to police. An officer who spotted the vehicle leaving the

TICK, TICK, TICK 7:49 a.m., Palm Drive Noise: An officer on patrol stopped at a construction site and asked the foreman to shut down the use of heavy machinery until allowable town work hours. The work was immediately halted.

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All are welcome at All Angels no exceptions • We’ve ramped up, anyone of any mobility is welcome An Ecumenical Church that Welcomes all People Founded in 1956

• In-person worship services Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

• Live-stream at AllAngelsLBK.org to participate on-line 372279-1

• Bible Discussion Group meets on Wednesdays at 10 a.m.

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563 Bay Isles Rd • 941-383-8161 AllAngelsLBK.org

Please join us for worship in person on Sunday at 10 a.m. or online at our website and Facebook Live Stream at 10 a.m.

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

Follow us on Facebook • www.longboatislandchapel.org

The Lord’s Warehouse is OPEN Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9am -1pm.

St. Mary, Star of the Sea,

Growing in Jesus’ Name

Catholic Church

372315-1

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

Worship With Us at Our Church

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

Sunday Service 10:00 AM The Rev. Dr. Norman Pritchard

WINTER MASS SCHEDULE Saturday: 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30 AM Daily Mass at 9:00 AM- Monday through Friday Confessions after daily Mass or by appointment

Rev. Robert Dziedziak, Pastor

St. Armands Key

Masks Are Optional Watch Our 10:00 AM Service Live: www.bit.ly/cclbksermons or www.christchurchoflbk.org (follow YouTube link)

LUTHERAN CHURCH

EASTER MESSIAH SERVICE

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:

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Sunday, April 3 • 10:00 AM Service

Palm Sunday- April 10th, 9 & 11am Maundy Thursday- April 14th, 12 & 7pm Good Friday- April 15th, 12 & 7pm Easter Vigil- April 16th, 7pm Resurrection of Our LordApril 17th, 7 & 10am Garden Service, 9 & 11am Main Sanctuary

UPCOMING EVENTS:

SAKLC Speaker Series April 21st @ 4pm - Dr. Demian Chapman, Director of Center for Shark Research, and Dr. Michael Moore, Special Advisor, Office of the President, of Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium April 28th @ 5:30pm Allen Speer, CEO of Agape Flights

Christ Church is pleased to feature the Easter portion of George Frederick Handel's crowning achievement, the Messiah.

Under the direction of the Director of Music, Robert Romanski, Our Chancel Choir and Soloists will be accompanied by a professional orchestra, presenting this masterpiece during our regular Sunday Service on April 3, at 10:00 a.m.

Come and rejoice in God's glorious plan of redemption, accomplished through our crucified, risen, and returning Savior!

St. Armands Key Lutheran Church • 40 North Adams Dr., Sarasota, FL • 941.388.1234

Childcare Available • Visitors & Residents Welcome

Due to the rise of Covid cases in our area, we will require masks & encourage social distancing until further notice.

•

941.383.8833 (office)

•

www.christchurchoflbk.org

941.383.3428 | www.tbi-lbk.org

RABBI STEPHEN L. SNIDERMAN, D.D.

567 Bay Isles Road • Longboat Key, FL

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6400 Gulf of Mexico Dr.

The Center of Jewish Living on Longboat Key

Please join us for Friday Evening Shabbat Services at 7:30pm each week in our Sanctuary, and morning Shabbat service & Torah Study at 10:00 am every Saturday.

Check our website for more information on upcoming events & programs, including the NEW Education Center at TBI offerings!

If you’d like to join our mailing list, send an email to office@tbi-lbk.org to stay up to date!

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Watch Sunday sermons LIVE at 10:00 am: www.bit.ly/cclbksermons

Temple Beth Israel

Classifieds 30 Games 29 Real Estate 27 Weather 29

MARCH 31, 2022

YOUR NEIGHBORS just become swimming weather for some. Bob Dreyfus, who lives on the beach and goes out every day, has seen plenty of swimmers, though many are spring breakers with perhaps a more hardy composition against the cold than your average Floridian. Family friends visited, and the two teens spent their time boogie boarding, he said.

As for Dreyfus, he’s been enjoying more time on the beach. The afternoons aren’t so hot yet that he seeks air-conditioning ASAP, and for him, spring means that it’s time to work on his beach-art installation. He organizes found items on the beach, including clamshells, branches, bits of coral and rope that washed ashore into an art piece that he takes down

by May 1 for the start of turtle season.

“Like a painter sits down with a canvas and with all his colors and brushes and sees what comes out, that’s how I try to do it,” Dreyfus said.

“The weather adds to the piece.”

SPRING HAS

SPRUNG

PART-TIMERS LOOK NORTH

NAT KAEMMERER STAFF WRITER

W

“Like a painter sits down with a canvas and with all his colors and brushes and sees what comes out, that’s how I try to do it.”

— Bob Dreyfus

e’ve sprung forward, the Longboat Observer has done the April Fool’s issue (if you see people looking fooled, play along, huh?) and temperatures are on the rise.

No matter what you use to mark the changing of the seasons in Florida, it’s undeniable: Spring has sprung.

No, we don’t have melting snowdrifts, April showers or a genuine unbridled happiness at rapidly rising temperatures, but spring still shows its face on Longboat Key. Though it can be tough to notice the subtle shift from “warm” to “pretty hot,” here’s how you know that the weather is changing around here.

BLOOMS ABOUND

Spring and new life go hand in hand.

As you drive down Gulf of Mexico Drive, you might notice flowering trees along the road. Florida is never really not green, but lately it’s been extra verdant on the Key, with yellow flowers from tabebuia trees, pink bougainvillea and creamy magnolias.

On a drive back from Sarasota one morning, Longboat Key Garden Club President Susan Phillips made a mental list of everything she saw in bloom. By the time she got back to Town Hall, her list included orchid trees, geraniums, hydrangeas, royal poinciana, azalea, dogwood, frangi-

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

Top: Bob Dreyfus spends long days on the beach working on his art installation.

Above: Tabebuia trees are the yellow ones spotted on St. Armands Circle and along Gulf of Mexico Drive.

pani, hibiscus and bird of paradise.

If you take a walk in Joan Durante Park in the next couple weeks, you can see some of those, like orchid trees, frangipani and hibiscus. The latter two are easily recognizable by their quintessential tropical look — just seek out the brightest, pinkest blooms in the park.

TEMPERATURES TICK UP

On St. Armands Circle, the outdoor heaters are being wheeled to the sides and shop doors are open. Warm

breezes have replaced the chilly ones of January and February, and even though the mornings are still somewhat cool, the afternoons could easily be mistaken for the middle of summer. Somewhere in the middle of that is spring — or 10 a.m., as we call it in Florida.

Meanwhile, on the beaches, residents are brave enough to wade back into the Gulf. As daily temperatures average out to about 77 degrees in March, the water temperatures off Longboat Key are 70 degrees. It’s

EVEN WORSE TRAFFIC

For a brief yet groan-inducing time in March, the spring breakers descend and bring even more traffic with them. The most common weeks for spring break are March 5 and 20, according to SpringBreak.com, so if you’ve noticed it’s taking you even longer to find a spot at Publix recently, it’s not just your imagination. Look closely and you’ll notice the sunburned sightseers picking up a week’s worth of groceries and probably not enough sunscreen. The season for SPF comes along a little sooner in Florida than elsewhere.

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Temperatures rise, flowers bloom and sunburned tourists appear.

Though most snowbirds don’t leave until around Easter, which is April 17 this year, every stay must come to an end. Canadians Sandy and Patrick Bogert are looking ahead to their late April departure, when they pack up their car, trailer and dog and head back to Toronto. This year, it’ll be a reluctant departure as the couple didn’t get to come to Longboat Key in late 2020 and early 2021 like they usually do.

“Even with a few chilly days, it’s been so nice,” Patrick said. “We were so delighted to get down here this year.”

The rising temperatures aren’t what pushes them north — Toronto gets up to some pretty humid days in the 80s in the middle of summer, and Sandy said Longboat Key never gets too hot for them — but as Canadian residents, they can’t spend more than 182 days in the United States.

Luckily, the snow will have melted by the time they get up there.

Even though the trip home is a production of Tetris-like packing, they don’t worry about it until a few days before. With their time left, they’re planning on soaking up as much beach time as possible.

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7

TASTE OF THE KEYS AND FASHION SHOW From 6-9 p.m. at the Longboat Key Club’s Harbourside Dining Room, join the Longboat Key Garden Club for its 11th annual fashion show. Restaurants from Longboat Key and the surrounding area will be serving light bites, and local models will show fashions from Marcello’s and Foxy Lady. Tickets are $100 and include a raffle ticket. Visit Bit.ly/TasteFashion2022 to sign up.

RECURRING EVENTS MONDAYS

STRETCH & STRENGTHEN From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $10. Walk-ins welcome.

Call 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 culture and topics relevant to seniors. Cost is $10.

Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

this low-impact cardio and strength class. Participants should be able to get up and down from the floor.

Bring a mat or towel. Classes are outside; $10 for members and $15 for others. For information, email Mirabai Holland at mirabai@movingfree.com or call 201-956-1466

LONGBOAT LIBRARY The Longboat Library is open again from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit the library at 555 Bay Isles Road. There will be a half-price sale on the library’s collection of used books every Wednesday.

Call 383-2011 for information.

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY

MUSCLES AND MORE WITH ANN ALVIS From 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 GMD, use strength equipment to build flexibility, endurance and balance.

Class focuses on proper lifting technique. Class is $10 for members and $15 for others. Visit LongboatKey. org for information.

PUMPING THE PRIME WITH MIRABAI HOLLAND At 10 a.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 GMD, take

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

TAI CHI MASTERCLASS From 10-11:30 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road, take a master class with visiting tai chi master Max Yan. He is a 27th generation practitioner who has been practicing for more than 30 years. Tai chi is a gentle form of exercise that involves slow movements and deep breaths.

The class is free for members and $20 for nonmembers.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE The thrift store will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6140 GMD. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.

File photo

MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS

SARASOTA INSTITUTE OF LIFETIME LEARNING VIDEOS OF MUSIC MONDAYS AND GLOBAL ISSUES III LECTURES 9 From 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Through Thursday, April 7. $10 per person.

Visit SILLSarasota.org or TBI-LBK. org.

TUESDAYS

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

BEST BET

QI GONG From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Qi Gong is a mind-body-spirit practice designed to improve mental and physical health. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MAH JONGG From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Fun time for experienced players. To check availability at the tables, email MaryAnnBrady@TheParadiseCenter.org.

ROTARY CLUB Meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday in All Angles Parish Hall, 563 Bay Isles Road. To learn more, call Nancy Rozance at 203-6054066 or email Info@LongboatKeyRotary.org.

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAY

PILATES SCULPT WITH DEBBY DEBILE From 9-10 a.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 GMD. Class is $10 for members and $15 for others. Visit LongboatKey.org for information.

FEEL GOOD YOGA WITH DEBBY DEBILE From 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 GMD, get into this therapeutic yoga style combining gentle vinyasa, alignment and restorative yoga. Suitable for all levels. Class is $10 for members and $15 for others. Visit LongboatKey.org for information.

WEDNESDAYS

BEREAVEMENT GROUP From 2-3:30 p.m. weekly through March 23 at the JFCS office at 540 Bay Isles Road, facilitated by Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz. Cost is $36 for the six-week program. To register, contact Katz at 366-2224 ext. 166 or jkatz@jfcscares.org.

BEGINNER TAI CHI From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

THURSDAYS

KIWANIS CLUB OF LONGBOAT KEY At 8:30 a.m. at Lazy Lobster, 5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This service organization meets every first and third Thursday of the month for breakfast and a speaker. Breakfast is $10. Email Lynn Larson at lynnlarson@comcast.net to register.

ST. ARMANDS KEY LUTHERAN CHURCH BRIDGE CLUB Every Thursday beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive, join an ACBL-sanctioned game of contract bridge with certified teachers. All skill levels are welcome. There is an $8 suggested donation for each session. Refreshments provided. RSVP to 952-9251.

ZUMBA AND MAT PILATES FOR SENIORS From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise 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. Come for 30 minutes or the full hour. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

FRIDAYS

QI GONG AND MEDITATION From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road, take a qi gong and meditation with Sandi Love. Free for members, $10 for others. Call 383-6493.

INTERMEDIATE TAI CHI From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Reuben Fernandez teaches the class outdoors, weather permitting. Free for members, $10 for others. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

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2067 H A R BOUR LINKS DR I V E, #4 2067 H A BOUR LINKS DR I V E, #4 656 TARAWITT DRIVE | OFFERED ATR$2,495,000 L onSpectacular g b o a t K e y opportunity | O f f e re d ato t $build 7 79, 0your 0 0 dream home onLthis on gcanal b o a t front K e y lot | Owith f f e reoptimal d a t $ 7southern 79, 0 0 0 MLS# A4178487 MLS# A4178487 exposure and 120’ of water frontage on the north end of Longboat Key. Work with John Cannon

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2067 H A R BOUR LINKS DR I V E, #4MLS# A4524096 2067 H A R BOUR LINKS DR I V E, #4 L on g b o at K e y | O f f ere d at $ 7 79, 0 0 0 MLS# A4178487

L on g b o a t K e y | O f f e re d a t $ 7 79, 0 0 0 MLS# A4178487

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

YourObserver.com

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Above: Sylvia Pastor, Sharon Levite and Lana Benatovich prepare to sit down to dinner.

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he monthly Shabbat dinner at Temple Beth Israel featured a culinary twist on March 19. Members gathered to have an evening of friendship and Italian food.

More than 100 members came to Temple Beth Israel to have dinner together before Shabbat services began. On March 18, the theme was Italian Night, and diners came to their tables with fresh bruschetta waiting for them.

Before they made their way to their tables and eventually their dinners, attendees mingled about the social hall, catching up with one another.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

Rotary takes a turn reading

T Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

Above: Once the first graders left, Nancy Rozance organized the props for the second grade book. Left: Jack Rozance performs as the wolf, Philippe Koenig narrates and Ellen Greenberger plays the little girl.

he Rotary Club of Longboat Key visited more than 100 students at Tuttle Elementary School on March 25 and gave them a gift they can open day after day: a book.

First and second grade students listened as three Rotarians brought the books to life before their eyes. First graders heard “The Wolf Who Learned to be Good” with a performance by Jack Rozance as the wolf, Ellen Greenberger as the little girl and Philippe Koenig as the narrator. Rozance donned a wolf mask, and Greenberger brought the little girl’s signature pink beret to add to the show.

Afterward, before heading back to class, each student got to take a copy of the book home to practice their reading. This was the third reading event in a six-month-long program called “Books 4 Kids” at Tuttle, and by the end of the school year, the club will have donated more than 1,200 books.

The club had to take a break from reading to classes due to the pandemic but returned this year. Starting in January, a group of Rotarians visited Tuttle Elementary School and read a book to groups of first and second graders. Next month, in keeping with the school’s mascot, the club will bring a book about turtles, much to the delight of the Tuttle Turtles in class.

—NAT KAEMMERER

Jack Rozance, Philippe Koenig and Ellen Greenberger sit in their costumes as Susan McGuire asks first grade students about the book.

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Sarasota’s Only Locally Owned Community Bank People like to shop local. Supporting local retailers and frequenting independent restaurants is a great way to make an investment in the place where you live, work, and play.

Have you considered banking local? The money we lend at Gulfside Bank supports the families and businesses who are living and investing in our community. As Sarasota’s only locally owned community bank, we are your neighbors, we are your friends, and we care about your success.

Choosing Gulfside Bank is another great way to support and invest in your community.

Meet your new banker. Call us today.

(941) 303-4200

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333 N. Orange Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 303-4200 gulfsidebank.com 378129-1

24

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

25

Coldwell Banker CONGRATULATES the TOP team!

The #1 sales team in the state of Florida $134 Million Sold in 2021

1

#

Small Team

Lori Lawson

941.735.4385

Judy Kepecz-Hays 941.587.1700

Steven Kepecz 941.376.6411

Judy Kepecz-Hays Team $2.3 Billion Career Sales

CE EN I PR STM JU D A

T

April 1, 2022

FAIRWAY BAY | BAY ISLES

Ritz-Carlton Managed Residence 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive #1204 Offered for $3,750,000. $3,495,000 www.Ritz-Carlton1204.com

1930 Harbourside Drive #121 Longboat Key, FL 34228 Ofered for $850,000.

Luxury Knows No Limits! Sought after residence at the Ritz-Carlton in the heart of the city. Beyond Imagination, this home affords terrific views of the marina, Sarasota, and her islands.

M

Bay views from this light and bright large corner residence!

2 bedroom, 2 bath. 1,442 sq. ft. Deeded beach access and endless amenitites. One parking space under the building.

E N! – W PPE D A L H SO IT E D A

Ritz-Carlton Managed L’AMBIANCE

THE BEACH RESIDENCES

415 L Ambiance Drive Unit B602

1300 Benjamin Franklin Dr. Residence 1001 Sarasota, FL 34236 Offered for $5,399,000.

Ofered for $2,785,000. www.LAmbianceB602.com

L’Ambiance, a Longboat Key community synonymous with luxury and exclusivity! 270-degree unobstructed stunning water views that sweep from the Gulf of Mexico to Sarasota Bay and beyond.

WE SOLD – WE MADE IT HAPPEN! We closed for $2,600,000.

BEYOND IMAGINATION with unparalleled amenities in a lifestyle of privacy and comfort await you here – instant enjoyment with hypnotizing views of the Gulf, Bay, Sarasota skyline, and the nature preserve. Beautiful views envelop this meticulously designed 3 bdrm plus a family room of 4200 sq. ft. residence. Ultimate casual elegance. 2 parking spaces & 2 pets welcome no weight limit.

Call us today for similar results 941-587-1700 $2.3 BILLION IN CAREER SALES

Judy Kepecz-Hays | 941.587.1700

COLDWELL BANKER REALTY 423 St. Armands Circle | Sarasota, FL 34236 595 Bay Isles Road, Suite 250 | Longboat Key, FL 34228 Email: Kepecz@JudyHays.com Website: LongboatKeyLuxury.com

$134 MILLION IN CLOSED SALES IN 2021

378123-1

If you’re thinking of buying or selling, please call us for exceptional service.

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

SARASOTA 1423 Hillview Drive 6 Beds 7/2 Baths 11,588 Sq. Ft. Linda Driggs & Kim Ogilvie 941-374-2920 A4525534 $21,600,000

ST. ARMANDS KEY 96 N Washington Drive 3 Beds 4/2 Baths 5,660 Sq. Ft. Eileen (Dee Dee) Burke 941-266-8949 A4525014 $7,899,000

BRADENTON 5708 Inspiration Terrace 4 Beds 5/1 Baths 6,326 Sq. Ft. Fran DeDona & Pam Goodwin 941-812-5023 A4528037 $5,500,000

SIESTA KEY 7108 Midnight Pass Road 6 Beds 5 Baths 4,697 Sq. Ft. Stephen Weeks & Jeff Hinrichs 941-504-3689 A4523915 $4,950,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 820 N Shore Drive 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,953 Sq. Ft. Kathy Harman 941-900-9828 A4524887 $4,500,000

SARASOTA 1898 High Point Drive 5 Beds 6/1 Baths 4,102 Sq. Ft. Jeffrey Hinrichs 941-456-1251 A4527192 $4,350,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 112 Mangrove Avenue 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,577 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4502423 $3,999,000

SARASOTA 473 Partridge Circle 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,226 Sq. Ft. Drew Russell 941-993-3739 A4511642 $3,195,000

SIESTA KEY 472 Island Circle 4 Beds 3/2 Baths 3,339 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4526972 $2,995,000

SARASOTA 35 Watergate Drive 603 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,990 Sq. Ft. Joan Dickinson & Beth Afflebach 941-914-0496 A4529059 $2,950,000

SIESTA KEY 430 Island Circle 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,282 Sq. Ft. Carol Thomas 941-349-3444 A4525370 $2,700,000

BIRD KEY 628 N Owl Drive 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,534 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4526783 $2,595,000

LONGBOAT KEY 656 Tarawitt Drive 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,330 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy, PA & Gail Wittig, LLC 941-961-8850 A4524096 $2,495,000

UNIVERSITY PARK 8171 Abingdon Court 2 Beds 2/2 Baths 2,609 Sq. Ft. Rachel Benderson 941-376-0218 A4525357 $1,650,000

SIESTA KEY 5966 Midnight Pass Road G-73 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,164 Sq. Ft. Jonathan Abrams 941-232-2868 A4528314 $1,600,000

SARASOTA 8149 Grande Shores Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 3,214 Sq. Ft. Drew Russell 941-993-3739 A4529184 $1,595,000

SIESTA KEY 6146 Midnight Pass Road 10S 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,204 Sq. Ft. Marlene & George Marshall 941-539-8850 A4527968 $1,500,000

BRADENTON 5520 Title Row Drive 5 Beds 4/1 Baths 4,392 Sq. Ft. Adam Cuffaro 941-812-0791 A4524258 $1,495,000

LONGBOAT KEY 775 Longboat Club Road 906 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,524 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4527843 $1,450,000

LONGBOAT KEY 791 Broadway Street 2 Beds 2 Baths 2,236 Sq. Ft. Matthew Voss 941-237-0877 A4528588 $1,450,000

LONGBOAT KEY 1926 Harbourside Drive 1304 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,135 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer & Mark J Baron 941-465-1124 A4528490 $1,195,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4311 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 401 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,293 Sq. Ft. Victoria Lear 941-350-1064 A4522542 $1,100,000

SIESTA KEY 6480 Midnight Pass Road 403 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,265 Sq. Ft. Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4527435 $1,100,000

SIESTA KEY 6236 Midnight Pass Road 107 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,150 Sq. Ft. Tara Lamb & Judy Greene 941-266-4873 A4528175 $875,000

SARASOTA /SARASOTA SQUARE 12649 Promenade Estates Boulevard 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,045 Sq. Ft. Kristina Waskom 941-266-8658 A4529107 $779,000

CASEY KEY 712 N Casey Key Road 8 Beds 9/1 Baths 13,553 Sq. Ft. Brian Loebker 941-735-4393 A4503358 $20,000,000

ST. ARMANDS KEY 66 N Washington Drive 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 4,983 Sq. Ft. Kristina Waskom 941-266-8658 A4519666 $10,900,000

SIESTA KEY 7722 Sanderling Road 2 Beds 3 Baths 2,580 Sq. Ft. Brian Loebker 941-735-4393 A4527041 $9,000,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM 373428-1

26

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Lighthouse Point tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Nicholas Reding, trustee, and Patricia Reding, of Longboat Key, sold the home at 70 Lighthouse Point Drive to Remer Stephen Buffington and Mary Ellen Buffington, of Atlanta, for $8 million.

Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, five-and-twohalf baths, a pool and 4,979 square feet of living area.

It sold for $6.35 million in 2004.

LONGBEACH ON LONGBOAT KEY

Michael Stanley Kimball, of Nokomis, sold his home and a vacant lot at 7150 Longboat Drive E. to 2538970 Ontario Inc. for $5 million.

Built in 1950, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,956 square feet of living area.

Michael Stanley Kimball, of Nokomis, sold his home at 771 Longboat Court to 2538970 Ontario Inc. for $1.5 million. Built in 1944, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,602 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

Wesley Walraven, of Rome, Georgia, sold his home at 110 Bogey Lane to Scott Charles Brunjes, trustee, of

MARCH 14-18

EMERALD POINTE SOUTH

Anthony Crincoli and Patricia Topran-Crincoli, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 3 condominium at 1905 Harbour Links Circle to David Roberts, of Medford, New Jersey, for $1.7 million. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,376 square feet of living area.

Photo courtesy of Linda Driggs, Michael Saunders & Co.

TANGERINE BAY CLUB

Built in 2000, the home at 70 Lighthouse Point Drive has three bedrooms, five-and-twohalf baths, a pool and 4,979 square feet of living area.

Douglas and Charlene Nolan, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 412 condominium at 370 Gulf of Mexico Drive to David and Laura Atchison, of Oak Brook, Illinois, for $1.5 million. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,380 square feet of living area.

THE CASTILLIAN

Michael Andary, trustee, sold the Unit 104 condominium at 4525 Gulf of Mexico Drive to David and Paige Brewer, of Kansas City, for $850,000. Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,340 square feet of living area.

LONGBOAT HARBOUR TOWERS

Flavio Riva, of Sarasota, sold his Unit 1001 condominium at 4401 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Michael Thurston, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, for $1.2 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,314 square feet of living area.

LIDO SHORES

Earl Van Dorn Catoe III, of Bradenton, sold his Unit 502 condominium at 350 S. Polk Drive to Vaibhav Yee Kumar and Christine Yee Kumar, of Sarasota, for $590,000. Built in 1977, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,036 square feet of living area.

SEASCAPE

Meredith Angioletti sold her Unit 104 condominium at 5135 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Monica Veliz, of Tampa, for $930,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,516 square feet of living area.

FAIRWAY BAY

BEACH HARBOR CLUB

Aly Razek, of McLean, Virginia, sold the Unit 623 condominium at 2120 Harbourside Drive to Robert and Taube Levitt, of Longboat Key, for $875,000. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,031 square feet of living area.

Carl and Alina Mazzaferro, of Brimfield, Massachusetts, sold their Unit C-109 condominium at 3806 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Frank Carpin, of Longboat Key, for $519,900. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,027 square feet of living area.

WINDWARD BAY

Jerry Lee Holston Jr. and Mary Ann Holston, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 6-V-11 condominium at 4770 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Lee Abrahamson, trustee, of Clearwater, for $460,000. Built in 1974, it has one bedroom, one bath and 812 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2021.

SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB

Harold and Sharon Erisman, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, sold their Unit 211 condominium at 711 Spanish Drive S. to Jeffrey and Lisa Page, of Natick, Massachusetts, for $450,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,327 square feet of living area.

PELICAN GARDENS

Equity Trust Co. FBO IRA Account #Z029889 and Equity Trust Co. FBO IRA Account #Z038192 sold the Unit 20 condominium at 170 Roosevelt Drive to Jacob Goodman, of Gilbert, Arizona, for $449,000.

Built in 1964, it has one bedroom, one bath and 601 square feet of living area.

In with the new

These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of March 18-24 in order of dollar amounts.

L O N G B OAT K E Y

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

PERMIT Interior alterations

APPLICANT Viviana Marquez

AMOUNT($) 850,000

#26B

Revocabe Trust

535 Sanctuary Drive #A402Interior alterations

ASF Enterprises LP

535 Sanctuary Drivd #C707 Interior alterations

Plaster Family Revocable Trust 275,000

701 Lands End Drive

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Brookfield, Connecticut, for $3.25 million. Built in 1967, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,605 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,297,500 in 2021.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

ADDRESS 675 Longboat Club Road

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

Windows, doors

721,475

John Edward Hansen

205,000

4825 GMD Unit 402

Interior alterations

John M. Costello

204,356

791 Emerald Harbor Drive

Dock

David Edell

143,848

795 Marbury Lane

Interior alterations

Kenneth H. Brown and

125,000

Teresa Gray

5840 GMD

Dock and lift

Susan M. Graf

93,157

6821 Longboat Drive S.

Interior alterations

Michael D. Drake

85,482

582 Juan Anasco Drive

Seawall

Markus Waite

63,885

2151 GMD

Demo concrete

En Provence Condo Assn II

60,000

612 Juan Anasco Drive

Plumbing

Wilson AMI LLC

50,000

4420 Exeter Drive Unit 306 Windows, doors

Robert Bushman

47,359

2 GMD

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Installation of

Longboat Key

The Residences at the St. Regis | 941.213.3300 | From $2.4MM to $10.9MM | Call for appointment | SRResidencesLongboatKey.com NOW TAKING CONTRACTS

proposed small cell

Downtown St. Petersburg

equipment 2 GMD

REAL ESTATE

Lighthouse Point home sells for $8 million

|

Installation of

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

proposed small cell equipment 2 GMD

Installation of

400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From the $1MM’s | Call for appointment. | Residences400central.com

proposed small cell

2 UNITS LEFT

equipment 2 GmD

Installation of

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

Town of Longboat Key

21,000

proposed small cell equipment 2 GMD

Installation of

Downtown Sarasota

proposed small cell equipment 2 GMD

Installation of proposed small cell equipment

2 GMD

Installation of

The Collection | 941.232.2868 | From the $2MM’s | Call for appointment. | thecollection1335.com

proposed small cell equipment 2 GMD

Installation of

Sales galleries open and available for virtual or in-person presentations.

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

proposed small cell equipment 2 GMD

Installation of proposed small cell Plumbing

Jeffrey L. Tushar

17,295 Source: Town of Longboat Key

373410-1

equipment 511 Putting Green Lane

MichaelSaunders.com/New-Homes | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida Prices as of February 2022.

Licensed Real Estate Broker

27

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

HAIR • NAILS • SPA Les Ciseaux Salon & Spa has a new owner, Dawn Lewis!

An employee at Les Ciseaux for over 24 years, Dawn recently purchased the business and will continue its legacy of unparalleled service.

The weather is getting Humid!

Get a Keratin Treatment to tame the Frizz!

Ann Stephenson-Moe sits at the piano to direct her choir.

Stop in or call today to book your appointment with our talented staff!

Temple Beth Israel hosts memorial concert

941-388-2176

NAT KAEMMERER

Photos by Nat Kaemmerer

STAFF WRITER

374288-1

6 N Blvd of the Presidents | St Armand’s Circle | Above Columbia

TBI Rocks, and so do its longtime musicians Ann Stephenson-Moe and Kei Sulhi. At Temple Beth Israel’s fourth memorial concert for Florence Katz, guests and the choir took a moment to mark the significance of the pair’s 26 years at the temple.

“This concert is in memory of Florence Katz, who founded the choir some 30 years ago, and tonight we’re honoring Ann StephensonMoe and Kei Sulhi for their service,” Executive Director Isaac Azerad said.

“We wanted to do their 25-year anniversary last year, but because of the pandemic we couldn’t do it.”

Before the concert, choir member Carole Shaw gave Sulhi and Stephenson-Moe silver anniversary presents, to the delight of the more than 100 attendees. Both musicians arrived in 1996, Sulhi as a soloist and Visit our Holmes Beach Showroom Stephenson-Moe as a pianist.

401 Manatee Avenue, Holmes BeachBob Vigder, son-in-law of the late Katz, gave some background on the choir’s founder. She was a lifelong 778-5622 musician and teacher who founded www.lapenseeplumbing.com Visit our Holmes Showroom LIC. #CFC057548 CPC1458020 Beach choirs at multiple schools where she Visit our Holmes Beach Showroom Visit our Holmes Beach Showroom Visit our Holmes Beach Showroom taught. As a child, she played violin 401 Manatee Avenue, Holmes Beach 401 Manatee Avenue, Holmes Beach 401 Manatee Avenue, Holmes Beach and performed around Ohio with her Avenue, Holmes sisters. Beach She developed the Temple 778-5622 401 Manatee 778-5622 Beth Israel choir after moving down LIC.#CFC1429635 ~ CPC1459826www.lapenseeplumbing.com ~ CAC1818472 www.lapenseeplumbing.com full time and ran it until Stephensonwww.lapenseeplumbing.com CPC1458020

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Rabbi Howard Simon and Barbara Pressman welcome attendees to the concert.

54153

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CPC1458020

April is National

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION

M NTH

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379117-1

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Moe took over in 2004.

“They’re (the choir) a central attraction of our rituals and services,” Vigder said. “They make everything harmoniously beautiful.”

Shortly after, the concert got going. The theme of the night was TBI Rocks and featured music either performed or written by contemporary Jewish musicians.

“Florence was a human dynamo,” Stephenson-Moe said. “We were going to do this program in 2020, but we soldiered on. We went on a new adventure for us, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed making it for you … for a few minutes I hope we can escape into another world tonight.”

$25

New underwear & diapers

$125

A child's therapy session

$250

A 3rd grade class learns the Touching Rule

$500

A child receives a forensic medical exam

379115-1

28

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

SUNRISE / SUNSET

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

Sunrise Sunset

High: 77 Low: 70 Chance of rain: 58%

29

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

WEATHER

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

|

Thursday, March 31

7:22a

7:47p

Friday, April 1

7:21a

7:48p

Saturday, April 2

7:20a

7:48p

Sunday, April 3

7:19a

7:49p

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

Monday, April 4

7:17a

7:49p

High: 80 Low: 71 Chance of rain: 35%

Tuesday, April 5

7:16a

7:50p

Wednesday, April 6

7:15a

7:50p

MOON PHASES SUNDAY, APRIL 3 High: 78 Low: 67 Chance of rain: 54%

April 30 New

May 8 First

May 15 Full

May 22 Last

TIDES Highs Lows Thursday, March 31 Deb Carver captured this photo of “Darwin,” a dolphin that frequents the seawall on the north end of Longboat Key.

12:14a

12:46p

7:11a

7:23p

Friday, April 1

1:01a

12:57p

7:31a

8:03p

Saturday, April 2

1:45a

1:11p

7:48a

8:41p

Sunday, April 3

2:29p

1:28p

8:04a

9:20p

Monday, April 4

3:17p

1:50p

8:18a

10:03p

Tuesday, April 5

4:13p

2:16p

8:29a

10:51p

Wednesday, April 6

5:34a

2:47p

8:28a

11:49p

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 2022-23 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2023, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

The Observer’s

Weather ENTER: &Nature

Sponsored by

YourObserver.com/contests KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

371167-1

2022-23 PHOTO CONTEST

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY

celebrity cipher

©2022 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

tropical forest? (... letter 2) 33 Reindeer’s feet 1 Short putt 37 Pans’ partners 6 Apple assistant 10 Something to scratch 38 “Affirmative” 14 Fluffy footwear brand 39 Pirate’s booty, after be17 Omit in pronunciation ing set on fire? (... letter 4) 43 Hedren of “The Birds” 18 Gin’s go-with 47 Valuable holdings 19 Hot rod’s sound 48 Possess 21 Shade 49 Reclined 22 Trade of swindling 51 Candies on a rope, secrets? (In this clue’s sometimes answer, note letter 1) 24 Venue for a hand drum 53 That and that 54 Casual hairstyles? concert? (... letter 2) 55 Type of bike for two 26 Intellectual thrills 57 Iranian currency 27 Mass email intro 58 Totally stink 29 Pole ___ (Olympic 60 Nickname that drops event) “hew” 30 Triage ctrs.

61 Greets someone from 31 Ringing things in a

afar 63 Bill dispenser that’s out of order? (... letter 6) 67 Rounded roofs 68 Like some home cooking? (... letter 7) 69 Wide area 70 “Indeed” 71 Hideout 72 Perfume vessel 73 Maker of motorcycles and keyboards 75 Respectful address 76 Was at the wheel 81 What makes you a sucker?

83 Not any 84 It really gives a hoot 85 Alligator’s cousin 86 Uses a swizzle stick

88 One who makes your bed on a ship? (... letter 2) 91 Quaker morsel 93 ___ Day (Wednesday) 94 Tweaks 95 Spots to store hiking shoes? (... letter 6) 100 Jigsaw solver’s concern 101 Section of a song 102 Wilson of “The Office” 103 Pastrami and others 109 Hallmark employee’s first product? (... letter 4) 111 Chopper used to take pictures? (... letter 9, and note what all the specified letters spell) 113 Name within “Shania” 114 Partner of “aahed”

“U’B GMP FWINWDP, XEP VKM LIW VW HUOOUGC? GWUPKWI LIW AME. LGO AME VLGGL HGMV VKLP? U OUC UP!”

–

SUGDW SLECKG “VX MPWX FE ARX XCZX. DPVPU VPMM NMVNJU UNKYPBPKX SFEXJ NEC UXKTYPAJ BFY NCWXEATYX NEC KRNMMXEZX.”

– MTKJ MNVMXUU

“B GSLN SX STZBCN NOOIDZ ZI DNGSBX S AIWBZBCN DIMN GIENM ZI LBEW ... ZI WUIV ZUNG ZUNDN’W SXIZUND VSK.” – GT USGGND Puzzle Three Clue: C equals V

45 Solid that makes a rainbow 46 State known for potatoes 50 Game show vehicle, maybe 52 Thin 54 Humiliate 55 “Beautiful Surprise” DOWN singer 1 C.S. major’s future field 56 When repeated, a fish 2 Lotion ingredient used in tacos 3 ___ colada 59 Artisan’s website 4 Asked for one’s license, 60 Brooding parent say 62 Lush with greenery 5 “I can help another 63 Software engineers, customer!” briefly 6 Telenovelas, e.g.

64 Leaves 7 Roadside lodgings 65 In pieces 8 Manipulate, as a game 66 ___ Lama 9 Arctic fishing shelters 67 Hollywood’s Keaton 10 Drip source in a 71 Cheerful tune hospital 74 Mass of people 11 Online menace 75 Trade 12 2021 NBA All-Star Mike 77 Fair attraction 13 Take all of 78 Representative Ilhan 14 Rental truck brand 79 Brand of skater shoes 15 Some seabirds 80 Sinus doc 16 Hanukkah treat 82 Had as a pen pal 18 ___ trap (alluring Insta- 84 Units of resistance gram post) 85 Laker’s Boston rival 20 Unpacks and gets 87 Spanish seasoning settled 89 Enter the big leagues 23 Doctrines 90 Clothing worker 25 “2001: A Space Odys- 92 Scrolls in arks sey” computer 95 Designer Geoffrey 28 Keeps cool or warm 96 Go in circles?

31 ___ of Arc 97 Sch. west of Tulsa 32 Wager 98 Isn’t indifferent 33 “Quiet!”

99 Youngster 34 Guess hedge 100 Honors lavishly 35 Bits of dough?

101 Feb. 14 36 Seasoned pro 103 “Mourning” bird 37 Church seats 104 Jell-O ___ (shaped 39 Softball club food) 40 Castle for castling 105 Fencing sword 41 Long one-star reviews 106 Heaps and heaps 42 “___ Mubarak” 107 Outdoor reception 44 Oscar nominee Rosie shelter whose surname has the 108 Indian titles same consonants as 110 103-Down’s cry “prize” 112 Concealed

115 Colorado or Congo 116 Tea of “Madame Secretary” 117 “Then again ...”

118 ___ buco 119 Some Sharon Olds poems 120 Car or can problems

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: D equals K

NOT I by Matthew Stock and Emet Ozar. Edited by David Steinberg

Puzzle One Clue: N equals F

crossword

© 2022 NEA, Inc.

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

©2022 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

3-31-22

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Auto Transport

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at 2PM

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

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

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

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

Boat Slips for Rent/Sale LBK MOORINGS Slip Rental, 60‘ x 18’ Open Water View R/8 Dock. $700.00 per month.

Jennifer 727-831-3133

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

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

Call 941-726-2677.

Rentals Wanted SEAPLACE OWNERS Inquiring about a 2 or 3 bedroom rental for next (2023) season.

We are seeking an updated rental with a water view.

I was an original owner in G-5.

Contact with dates & photos. rnelson137@outlook.com

HOME CARE (KNOWLEDGEABLE CARE) Small upcoming business serving surrounding Beach areas.

At this company, there is 23+ years of experience altogether. We are happy to serve your needs when you need a Professional for the task. You can call us anytime, thanks. OWNER: Tammy (941) 5678499

CLAUDIA C. Cleaning Services.

Experienced, dependable, and ready to begin!

Residential.

Excellent references.

941-773-6895.

RED PAGES AD RATES First 15 words ................... $ 15.00 per week Each add’l word .........25¢

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN

Adult Care Services

SEASONAL Rates Between

Reservations 941-383-5577

auto

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M-F Ask about our special rates!

Home Services TILE, STONE, and vinyl plank installers. We do showers, backsplashes, floors, and more.

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* Assistance with Daily Living Activities * Hourly 24/7 Care -Affordable Rates * Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured

Phone (941) 809-1438 HHA# 299994819

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “I’m not perfect, but who are we kidding?

Neither are you. And you wanna know what? I dig it!”

Vince Vaughn Puzzle Two Solution: “We live on the edge. Kiwis will always sacrifice money and security for adventure and challenge.”

Lucy Lawless Puzzle Three Solution: “I make an active effort to remain a positive role model to kids ... to show them there’s another way.”

MC Hammer

This week’s Sudoku answers

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages ©2022 NEA, Inc.

Wagner Realty Since 1939 www.rentalsonlongboat.com

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941809-3660, 941-809-3662.

Advertise as low as $17.50 per week!

SALE

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

SERVING YOU IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

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HoHoBuysCars.com

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Ho Ho Buys cars.

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

E-mail: longboatlimousine @yahoo.com

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Auto Service Autos Wanted

Call/Text 941-383-1235

Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

Houses or Condos

101

New luxury Sedans and SUVs. Fully Licenced and insured.

THE LONGBOAT KEY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS HOLDING A BLACK HUFFY BICYCLE WHICH WAS TURNED IN AS FOUND DURING THIS TIME PERIOD OF 02-01-2022 THRU 03-23-2022.

IF NOT CLAIMED BY OWNERS, ITEMS SHALL BE DISPOSED OF AS AUTHORIZED BY F.S.S. 705.103. INQUIRES 941-361-6411 x1928

PLACE YOUR AD:

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

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Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

Beachfront, Bayfront and In

5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite

Your local luxury transportation provider since 1994.

PUBLIC NOTICE LOST OR ABANDONED PROPERTY Held by Longboat Key Police Department 5460 Gulf of Mexico Dr.

This week’s Crossword answers

Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

Painting

WEEKLY MONTHLY

Visa/MC

LONGBOAT LIMOUSINE

Government

©2022 Universal Uclick

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

wagnerlbkrentals@gmail.com

Transportation

You’re only cheating yourself.

MATTRESS TWIN, Brand New, Foam, Firm/Plush Still in Orignal Pkg, $100 941-920-2494

LONGBOAT KEY Incredible views Private boat dock Owner/agent $650,000

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ANGELO'S LAWN Care. Mow, edge, string trim & blow. From $20/cut. Licensed & Insured.

941-217-9000

peekers’ place

GOLF CLUB by Adams. Used, left hand, plus golf bag $150.

347-564-9897

Homes for Sale

LBK BHC Penthouse Condo 3BR/2BA, 2 Terraces.

Gulf views, private beach/boat/pool/fitness.

Minimum 3 months rental.

248-202-6865 or 440-623-9068

home services

Items Under $200

real estate

stuff

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

Cleaning

Professional Services

424-333-0713 | rockstarmobilehair@gmail.com www.rockstarmobilehairsalon.com

YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

Check out our 5 Star Reviews on Google

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Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

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378897

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specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

MIC INSURANCE

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GROW

941-626-3194

Mike Mailliard ~ Lacey Weaver Allen Hovis ~ Chloe Gardner Matthew Mailliard ~ Julia McIlrevey Haley Jestings ~ Samantha Ryan Jaimie Simpkins

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RED PAGES

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

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Windows

Massage

LMT, CMCE

609-820-4251

By appointment only

Res./Com.

MediCupping & Massage Therapy services for healing

Lic./Ins.

& Pressure C Window lean t e s i Sun merly known as Sunrise Windo ng For

Rest your mind & body.

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377435

Chrissy Stites

Dog Grooming

| scaperotta@aol.com

Italian American Owned

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Sliding Glass Door Repair

BEFORE

AFTER

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

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• Roofs • Pool Cages • Decks • Driveways Deck/Paver Sealing• •Decks Gutter• Driveways Cleaning ••Roofs • Pool Cages AndSealing Much•More!

• Deck/Paver And Much More

378327

BUZ CORP D/B/A

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Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

ws

140

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Registered member of the National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA)

377661

Furniture Repair

Patio Furniture Repairs.com Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

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SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

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Find anything in the RED PAGES | 941-955-4888

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

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941-504-0903

378032

Insurance

SECUR-ALL INSURANCE AGENCY

Sandra Smith

| 941.383.3388

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

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378948

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Naji Aoun

CARPET, TILE, UPHOLSTERY CLEANING ODOR CONTROL • AREA RUG SPECIALIST

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$100 COUPON $100 COUPON

378893

Handyman

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

$100 COUPON

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|

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

ROGER SELLS LUXURY WATERFRONT PROPERTIES MORE THAN $206 MILLION CLOSED IN 2021

3731 INDIAN BEACH ROAD

$6,495,000

Built in 2006, this gorgeous 5BR estate offers exceptionally high quality construction, designed with energy efficient and sustainable materials. The enviable central locale minutes from downtown, plus spectacular bay and sunset views perfectly complement the lavishness at this custom residence.

www.3731IndianBeach.com

5207 HIDDEN HARBOR ROAD

$3,795,000

This well-maintained, 4,600+ SF, waterfront home in the soughtafter Siesta Key neighborhood of Hidden Harbor is ideally located. Offering lush landscaping, a brand-new roof, elevator, a custom design, plus Travertine pool deck. The deep-water dock and unobstructed bay access are the perfect finishing touches.

www.5207HiddenHarbor.com

862 GRANDE PASS WAY

$2,995,000

Create your dream beach home experience at this private, gated enclave on the southern tip of Boca Grande. Offering more than a 1/4-acre in the exclusive Hill Tide Estates community.

www.862GrandePassWay.com

15111 GADDY UP RANCH ROAD 3060 GRAND BAY BOULEVARD #112 This sunny, 3BR Biscayne residence at Grand Bay is in ideal condition, featuring bay views, open-plan layout adorned with walls of glass sliders that lead out to the spacious wraparound terrace.

www.GrandBay112.com

$1,450,000

$3,995,000

Country breezes rustling through century old oaks and pines welcome you to this unique, 821/2-acre property known as the Gaddy Up Ranch. Located in Sarasota County, nearby to Myakka River State Park, this Gentleman’s Ranch is a quiet, private retreat, while still being close to the Sarasota’s “cultural coast”.

www.GaddyUpRanchSRQ.com

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 Pettingell.com Twitter.com/RealRoger | Instagram.com/RogerPettingell | Roger@Pettingell.com Owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC 371485-1

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