Longboat Observer 6.4.26

LONGBOAT

SEASON SUMMER 2026

Observer

T H E O B S E R V E R ’S G

U I D E TO T H E A R TS

AND SOCIETY

Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978

INSIDE MUSIC DANCE ART THEATER BLACK TIE

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

VOLUME 48, NO. 42

YOUR TOWN

Getting tough not an option With fines locked in, Longboat leans on education for car-carrier scofflaws. SEE PAGE 5

Courtesy image

First green turtle nesting spotted Longboat Key Turtle Watch reported its first green turtle nest on Longboat Key last week.

The team that documented the nest is the same group that saw evidence of the first loggerhead turtle nest on April 30.

Last year was a recordbreaking year for turtle nests, with a total of 1,473 nests on Longboat Key and 5,732 throughout the area. Only 351 of the latter were green turtle nests.

Mote Marine reported that as of May 30, Longboat Key has a total of 154 loggerhead and green turtle nests this season.

Trained volunteers mark nests with yellow stakes to help beachgoers avoid disturbing them. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, educational Turtle Walks starting this month and more, visit LBKTurtleWatch.com.

Gearing up

to grow

Cyclists ride to new heights as part of Longboat association.

SEE PAGE 15

Dana Kampa

Tennis Center honors Rombo founder Since the Longboat Key Tennis Center opened 27 years ago, plenty of players of all experience levels have played on its courts. But only a select few have been part of its journey from the beginning. One of those people was longtime resident Dolores Levy.

To honor the memory of one of the originals, players unveiled a plaque of contributions on May 30.

Friends gathered to see the tribute, share stories and look through photo books. One of her most notable contributions was founding Rombo, a weekly women’s round-robin group.

The plaque will be placed on a planter with flowers, and anyone wishing to contribute to its care can visit the office on the center’s second floor. Checks can be made to the Friends of the Tennis Inc., with the memo denoting it is in Dolores’ memory. $0.10

Dana Kampa

Tom Saunders, president of the Longboat Key Bicycle Association, encourages riders to exercise caution while exercising on their bikes this summer.

Tickets behind gates?

A+E

Speeding enforcement in private communities requires HOA permission first. SEE PAGE 6

S.T. Cardinal

A Longboat Key police officer measures the speed of vehicles traveling on Gulf of Mexico Drive. Traffic enforcement in gated communities requires a memorandum of understanding with the Homeowners Association, said Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager.

Life is a cabaret.

PAGE 12

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

WEEK OF JUNE 4, 2026

Cyclist killed on Sarasota Causeway

“We have a form that they fill out that will allow us to do speeding enforcement in gated communities.”

Sarasota Police are investigating a crash that killed a cyclist on the Ringling Causeway on Saturday night, officials said Monday.

Police said the crash killed a 35-year-old woman who was riding to the west around 11:30 p.m. on the smaller bridge near the Plymouth Harbor property. An 18-year-old driver was behind the wheel of the vehicle involved and was not hurt.

Police said the driver remained at the scene and was cooperative with investigating officers.

Westbound lanes of the causeway were closed for more than four hours after the incident.

Anyone with information to share with police about the crash should contact officer Jason Frank at 941263-6870.

Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager. Read more on page 6

BY THE NUMBERS 63

Plastic bottles needed to make a square yard of carpeting.

PAGE 3

56

Patriotic banners the town is installing ahead of Independence Day. PAGE 4

Fertilizer ban limitations in place

150+

There are at least 150 cyclists now in the Longboat Key Bicycle Association.

PAGE 15

CALENDAR

n Sandbag filling event – 8:30 a.m., June 4, 100 Broadway St. n Planning and Zoning Board Meeting – 9:15 a.m., June 4, 501 Bay Isles Road n Let’s Talk Longboat – 3 p.m., June 4, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive n Hands-only CPR/AED training – 10 a.m., June 9, 5490 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Lesley Dwyer

Matthew Myers is chief of Emergency Management for Manatee County.

County spends for storm response

I

n preparation for the season ahead, Manatee County rolled out its new high-water vehicle and offered a glimpse of its latest storm software at the Emergency Operations Center on May 27.

The $236,155, custom-built truck, that County Public Safety Chief Chet Brown nicknamed “the Rhino” because of its size, can drive through 48 inches of water and rescue up to 30 people at once.

Beach patrol members take swift water training classes and have been trained to operate the

high-water rescue vehicle, but the vehicle is a countywide asset.

The high-water vehicle was delivered at the end of last year, so it hasn’t been put to a reallife test yet. But the Peregrine software has been used through three hurricanes and has produced some impressive results.

The software that started during Hurricane Debby with about a dozen data points, such as stream gauges and lift station calculations, expanded to over 50 data points during the next two months.

The initial cost for the software was $140,000, and the expansion cost is $267,500.

The software itself is not new.

It’s long been used by fire departments and law enforcement agencies to consolidate data.

But Manatee County is the first municipality to aggregate data for use through a natural disaster.

The software organizes data so efficiently that Director of Public Safety Jodi Fiske contends it saves staff days’ worth of time during a hurricane activation.

The first day of June marks the start of meteorological summer, and the first day of fertilizer restrictions for those caring for lawns and gardens on the Key. The town’s annual fertilizer ban, in effect through September, prohibits residents from using nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizers. Any fertilizer used during the summer season must be at least 50% slow-release, according to the town’s fertilizer ordinance.

The ban is in place to prevent contamination of Sarasota Bay and the town’s canals. When it rains, fertilizer is swept up with the stormwater before it is discharged into water bodies. When nitrogen and phosphorus are carried into the bay, harmful algal blooms can result.

The region typically received 60% to 70% of its annual rainfall from June through September, often in heavy downpours that can easily wash away recently applied fertilizers.

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TABS

W HAT ’S HAPPENING

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE Recycling plastic packaging can extend the material’s useful life from five minutes to 10 years or more.

A truckload of recyclables dumps a load onto the tipping room floor of Circular Services’ materials recovery facility in Sarasota. Both Manatee and Sarasota counties contract with Circular Services to process their curbside recyclables.

S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

A

common refrain by those who don’t recycle is: “It all just ends up in the landfill, anyway.”

That’s often true, but the journey of a plastic

water bottle, for example, can be a lot more complicated than going from shelf to recycling bin to landfill. A bottle can live a whole new life as a different product, extending the material’s useful life from five minutes to 10 years or more. Your feet could be resting against

Plastic bottles have been separated from other recyclables as they travel along a conveyor line at the Circular Services materials recovery facility in Sarasota.

a plastic bottle right now, or you could be wearing one.

Plastic bottles are made of polyurethane (or PET), a popular plastic with a wide range of uses.

According to the National Association of PET Container Resources, nearly 2 billion pounds’ worth of plastic bottles are collected each year in America for recycling.

In Sarasota and Manatee counties, PET is mixed with various other recyclable materials and placed into recycling bins that are pulled out to the curb next to the garbage bins.

That’s the beginning of an elaborate operation to extend the life of “single-use” plastics, cardboard and other materials.

But we wanted to know: What happens to a plastic bottle thrown in a recycling bin on Longboat Key? SORTING IT OUT

Recycling has changed since the widespread adoption of the practice that occurred alongside rising environmental awareness in the 1960s.

Now, AI-powered “optical sorters” are used to separate recyclables rather than leaving the sorting to consumers who would place recyclables into separate bins.

Locally, the company Circular Services is contracted to process and sell curbside recyclables picked up by both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Doing so diverts tons of recyclable materials away from local landfills, extending the lifespan of the facilities, which are costly to cap and maintain once they are at capacity.

The elaborate separation of recyclables in Sarasota and Manatee starts at the tipping room floor of Circular Services’ materials recovery facility off Myrtle Street and North Orange Avenue in Sarasota.

Circular Services Operations Manager Andrea McCauley compares the facility to the Mouse Trap

At the end of a day’s work at the MRF, Circular Services has converted the thousands of pounds of recyclables into bales of separated materials. The products are put out to bid and purchased by manufacturers.

board game.

“There’s so many different levels and things it all has to go through,” McCauley said.

Truckloads of recyclables are dumped onto the facility floor that resembles a warehouse and then are pushed onto a conveyor belt. Workers (the facility has 70 employees) stand on the conveyor line looking for “contaminants” like plastic bags that could damage mechanical sorting equipment, batteries that can cause fires and other nonrecyclables that make their way to the facility.

The conveyor belts travel quickly in places, which help to automatically separate materials, with heavier objects like HDPE being catapulted past a tube below where lighter products fall.

“Basically, we’re relying on force and gravity,” said Circular Services Facility Manager Chris Massey.

“We’ve got spinning wheels that essentially move fiber one way and they let containers go another way, they let them drop down.”

There’s mechanical separation, separation by employees and then there are the optical sorters, which McCauley compares to a grocery store product scanner. The AIequipped camera measures the heat signature of items and, as they reach the end of the conveyor belt, a burst of air catapults them into a separate chute.

BALE BUYER

At the end of a day’s work at the MRF, Circular Services has converted the thousands of pounds of recyclables into bales of separated materials. The products are put out to bid and purchased by manufacturers.

Circular Services would not disclose the companies who purchase PET or other materials, but McCauley said “we are business partners with all the main players” and that a vast majority of its product stays in America.

In northwest Georgia, Mohawk Industries could be considered a main player when comparing manufacturers that use recycled PET. The flooring manufacturer purchases around 6 billion plastic bottles per year, according to Mohawk Senior Director of Sustainability Jonathan North.

Once a truckload of PET bales arrives at Mohawk’s Summerville, Georgia manufacturing facility, the bottles are put through what is essentially an industrial sized tumble dryer. This breaks apart the bales back to individual bottles. Any remaining non-PET contaminants are removed in another round of decontamination. That process is a financial lift for the company, North said.

“We’ve invested a tremendous amount of money in that facility in equipment to sort and separate, to remove any contamination, to wash those materials, to flake them, to do all the sorting and separating to get to the purity of material that we need,” North said. “That is a very capitally intensive business.”

Photos by S.T. Cardinal

After processing, the bottles are chopped up, melted down and formed into pellets, which are then melted down and spun into carpet fibers for residential uses.

“The bit that you, as a consumer, interact with, the bit you sit and stand on, is primarily PET fiber,” North said. “And then we use a little bit of it in certain commercial applications, (such) as the cushion on the back of those commercial flooring products.”

According to Mohawk, it takes about 63 plastic bottles to produce one square yard of carpeting.

Mohawk makes a wide range of flooring products with different materials. Nylon is the typical product used in commercial applications because it’s more durable than PET. The company also purchases “virgin PET,” produced using oil, which has a volatile price.

“The price of recycled PET and the price of virgin material is volatile, and those numbers change on a weekly basis,” North said. “We’ve been very steadfast in our commitment to and our use of recycled content.”

The flooring company is also looking at how to expand its environmentally conscience efforts by researching ways to extend the life of the product it sells, explains Mohawk Sustainability Manager Preston Poag. The idea is to collect carpet the company has produced years after it has been installed to reuse it once more, extending the life of the carpet that was produced using a plastic bottle even further.

“What we’re working to do is eventually close the loop,” Poag said.

“Eventually we’re looking at how can we bring material at end of life, bring it back to our manufacturing facilities, process material and make new material out of it.”

Doing so is a large ask, and the process isn’t feasible yet.

“We’ve got to shred it and apply technologies to extract, ideally, the nylon and the PET and all the components that have gone into making the carpet so that we can extract as much value for that material and feed it back into the process again,” North said. “That is an emerging area. It’s an emerging opportunity, and one that we are intensifying our efforts in.”

THE COST OF SORTING THROUGH TRASH What locals dispose of in their recycling bins are useless to them and valuable to the company that processes them.

And for county governments, keeping product out of the landfill to extend its lifespan also holds value.

Both Manatee County and Sarasota County pay Circular Services to accept and process recyclables that are picked up curbside.

Manatee County’s contract with Circular Services is billed monthly and varies based upon the market price of recyclables.

According to a 2025 contract agreement with Manatee County, market prices in January 2025 were 19 cents per pound for PET, 88 cents per pound for uncolored HDPE (high density polyurethane) and 17 cents per pound for polypropylene.

Manatee County pays a $100 per ton processing fee to Circular Services.

If the recyclables sold by Circular Services exceed the value of $100 per ton, the county and Circular Services have a revenue sharing agreement, with 95% of revenue excess of the $100 per ton paid back to the county.

Sarasota County’s agreement with Circular Services is more straightforward.

Sarasota County paid Circular Service $18 million to enter into a seven-year contract that expires this October but can be renewed in four two-year increments if both parties agree.

Plastics are separated and baled at the Circular Services materials recovery facility. Polyurethane can be seen to the left, with uncolored and colored high-density polyethylene to the middle and right.

The recovered plastic is sold by the truckload to manufacturers who repurpose the plastic into a new product.

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

We Serve All Families

Town to line GMD with patriotic banners

Experts In Celebrating Life

A banner depicting the American flag that can be reused was picked over one that featured recognition of the country’s 250th birthday.

S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

Our Cremation Garden

L

ongboat Key’s Gulf of Mexico Drive is one of those streets where American flags are as common a sight as street signs.

Now, the town’s main thoroughfare will get a lot more red, white and blue. The town has ordered 56 banners depicting an American flag blowing in the wind that will be attached to light poles before Independence Day. “We’re trying to decorate just to show some patriotism and support,” Town Manager Howard Tipton said.

“We’re trying to get ready for the big 250 celebration, Freedom Fest.”

Getting ready includes landscaping on Bay Isles Road, planting in Bicentennial Park and organizing the town’s annual parade on Bay Isles Road.

Public Works Director Charlie Mopps said the town will pay Allegra Printing $6,535 for the banners and brackets, and town staff will install them. The funds come from a Special Event Miscellaneous Supply account, Mopps said.

Different designs were considered, with one design briefly installed “featuring some verbiage,” said town spokesperson Tina Adams.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t large enough and could only be used if it included specific wording, such as ‘250th Anniversary.’ Because those would only be suitable for a limited time frame, we decided it would make more sense to go with a classic American flag design,” Adams said.

“This approach keeps costs down and allows us to use the banners year-round, rather than just for special occasions.”

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PARADE READY

Longboat Key’s Independence Day Parade will be short in length and short in time.

“It starts at 9 and it can be over at 9:05,” Tipton said of the event cancelled last year because of weather.

“We try to get it done in the morning and then we have the festivities in the park.”

Following the event on Bay Isles Road, a rededication ceremony is planned at Bicentennial Park. The small park does not accommodate many, so Tipton said he anticipates the rededication will be done from the steps of Town Hall, overlooking Bicentennial Park.

Those who attend the celebration could get their hands on a commemorative challenge coin. Tipton said 400 have been minted to be handed out at the event.

, S T N E PAR

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

5

IN BRIEF

S.T. Cardinal

A car carrier operator unloads a Chevrolet Corvette on Bay Isles Road, the town of Longboat Key’s designated dropoff and pickup area for car carriers.

A fine new proposal With higher penalties and tickets for car owners off the table, education for carrier drivers is next.

S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

C

ar carriers dropping off and picking up vehicles on Gulf of Mexico Drive has prompted discussion at Longboat Key Town Hall once again.

Months ago, Commissioner Steve Branham restarted the conversation by mentioning during a workshop that he saw a car carrier unloading a vehicle on the town’s thoroughfare, a safety concern that became tragically obvious after a fatal crash involving a car carrier in 2019.

Town Manager Howard Tipton said Gulf of Mexico Drive is too busy of a street to accommodate vehicles being unloaded from car carriers.

“It’s not like you’re dropping off a passenger in an Uber. It takes time to load and unload a car. It impacts other traffic, cyclists. It’s a danger,” Tipton said. “It’s just not the right roadway for that type of activity.”

Instead, the town has set up a designated location for car carriers to load and unload vehicles on Bay Isles Road, but compliance has been spotty.

Because the practice has continued, what to do about it has sparked renewed discussion from the dais.

Recently, Town Attorney Maggie Mooney was asked by members of the commission several questions, including whether penalties for unloading vehicles could be increased and whether the fine could

be issued to the owner of the vehicle being unloaded instead of the operator of the truck.

“I think they (car owners) are the source of the challenge,” Tipton said.

“They potentially know that they should be loading on Bay Isles Road, but they want it more convenient for them.”

Right now, unloading a vehicle from a car carrier on Gulf of Mexico Drive is considered a non-moving traffic violation. The fine is $116, and Mooney wrote in a memo to commissioners that the state pre-empts local governments from “imposing other additional fees or fines in excess of those uniform state-wide penalties.”

Mooney also wrote that precedent set in the Peninsula Logistics Inc v.

Erb case suggests that only the car carrier operator could be held liable for improper unloading.

“The rationale behind the court’s decision was due to the fact that the cargo owner was an independent contractor and not the ‘employer’ of the driver,” Mooney wrote. “Without an employer-employee relationship, vicarious liability would not apply. In our opinion, due to the independent

nature of the car carriers who provide limited services to the car owners, the Town would not be able to cite both the vehicle owner and the car carrier driver, as there is likely no threshold employer-employee relationship to legally sustain such liability.”

So, with increasing fines not possible and fining the owner of the vehicles also not possible, Tipton said the town will need to find other ways to compel compliance.

“We’ve got to really push out the education side of things both to the car carriers but also the individual residents,” Tipton said. “It’s got to be more of an educational effort than a fining effort.”

Longboat Key Town Attorney Maggie Mooney’s threepage memo concludes by saying that a $500 fine would be possible if the activity were fined as a public nuisance, but that car carriers dropping off vehicles does not meet the criteria to define the action as such. She then summarizes the main points of her firm’s legal advice with the following: “In sum, the town has authority to regulate car carrier unloading through designated zones or restrictions, subject to coordination with the State for roadways under state control. Enforcement, however, is limited to drivers, and penalty amounts must conform to state statutory limits.

Alternative enforcement mechanisms, such as public nuisance designations, are legally and practically problematic and should be approached with caution.”

“It’s not like you’re dropping off a passenger in an Uber. It takes time to load and unload a car. It impacts other traffic, cyclists. It’s a danger.”

— Howard Tipton, town manager

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

Gated from strangers, and traffic enforcement Police and HOA must cooperate for private road traffic enforcement.

“Everybody here is aware of the situation of the speeders.

It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

S

peeding in neighborhoods is a common complaint heard by police departments across the nation, but the issue becomes a bit complicated for officers to deal with when that neighborhood’s private roads are behind a gate.

Roberta Straff, who lives in the Bay Isles neighborhood on Longboat Key, has raised concerns with police about a speeding neighbor. Straff said she has seen the same car repeatedly speeding through the neighborhood and estimates the car had been traveling 60 or even 70 miles per hour.

“Everybody here is aware of the situation of the speeders,” Straff said.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

The police report documenting Straff’s complaint states that Longboat Key Police Department is “limited in its ability to enforce traffic laws inside the community due to its roads being private.” Police Chief Russ Mager said police can get into gated communities at any time for routine patrols and to respond to calls.

Setting up a speed trap, though, is a different story.

“We have to get an agreement with the community to actually do that kind of work,” Mager said. “We have a form that they fill out that will allow us to do speeding enforcement in gated communities.”

The Bay Isles homeowners’ association signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the police in 2022 to allow for traffic enforcement in the neighborhood, but it has since been terminated.

Straff, who walks her dog often on Bayou Sound, hopes a new agreement is signed to address the speeding issues.

“Bay Isles Association stopped them,” Straff said. “It was great when the police were here.”

— Roberta Straff, Bay Isles resident

Traffic slows for a speed hump in Bay Isles.

File photo

SPEED ENFORCEMENT GOES BOTH WAYS Mager said a majority of speeding enforcement takes place on Gulf of Mexico Drive because of the thoroughfare’s volume of traffic. Pooling resources to high traffic areas is more efficient than patrolling neighborhoods.

“The logic is that Gulf of Mexico Drive is the main thoroughfare into our town. You look at where you come across the greater volume of traffic and the high-visibility areas where you want the public to know that the police are here,” Mager said. “It’s a higher visibility on a main corridor.”

On that main thoroughfare, speeders aren’t the biggest issue Longboat police

see, but the opposite. Police are stationed prominently on the busy road often to enact Chief Mager’s high visibility goal, and he is sure to emphasize the presence of patrol cars is not because the road is dangerous.

“Just because you see us out there doesn’t mean this is some unhappy or ugly place. It’s still paradise, still every bit of Longboat. You might see police officers when you navigate the island, but that’s not a bad thing,” Mager said. “It’s really to make everybody feel safe and know that we’re here if you need our help.”

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S.T. Cardinal

Longboat Key police Sgt. Adam Montfort speaks with bikers on Gulf of Mexico Drive while the department was performing “highvisibility enforcement.”

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

7

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The first luxury high-rise residences in downtown Sarasota with short-term rental freedom RESIDENCES FROM THE $900S S A R AV E L A . CO M | 9 41 . 2 0 3 . 5 3 8 3 Artist and computer renderings, floor plans, and depictions are for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the final product. Dimensions, features, finishes, and amenities are approximate and subject to change without notice. No representation is made regarding future views or surrounding development. This is not an offering where prohibited by law. Any offering may be made only through the applicable disclosure or offering plan. © 2025 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The Sotheby’s International Realty network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Any services or products provided by independently owned and operated franchisees are not provided by, affiliated with, or related to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC nor any of its affiliated companies. Buyer’s Brokerage Compensation not binding unless confirmed by separate agreement among applicable parties. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

OPINION / MY VIEW

LONGBOAT

This is not how to ‘cut’ taxes The governor’s property tax plan won’t eliminate taxes. It will just shift them.

Your city will become increasingly dependent on the state.

ANNUAL PROPERTY TAXES BY JURISDICTIONS Dollars in billions 2015 School boards $12.0 $10.4 Counties $4.0 Municipalities Ind. School Districts $1.9 Total Statewide $28.3 6.8% Yearly % Chg. Total % Change since 2015

2016 $12.3 $11.1 $4.4 $2.0 $29.7 4.9%

2017 $12.6 $11.9 $4.8 $2.1 $31.4 5.7%

2018 $13.1 $12.8 $5.2 $2.1 $33.3 6.0%

2019 $14.2 $13.8 $5.6 $2.2 $35.7 7.3%

2020 $14.7 $14.6 $5.9 $2.4 $37.7 5.5%

2021 $15.3 $15.5 $6.3 $2.5 $39.6 5.2%

2022 $17.5 $17.5 $7.1 $2.8 $44.9 13.1%

2023 $20.1 $19.6 $7.9 $3.3 $50.9 13.5%

2024 $21.5 $21.7 $8.7 $3.4 $55.2 8.4%

4.9%

10.9%

17.6%

20.7% 33.2% 39.9%

58.6%

79.8%

95.0%

POPULATION + INFLATION VS. GROWTH IN TAXES

One measurement of whether government is growing too fast is to compare the annual growth rate of tax collections versus the combined growth in population and inflation. (Population figures in millions)

JEFF BRANDES

F

loridians are angry about property taxes. They should be.

Over the last decade, home values have surged, tax bills have climbed and many families feel like they are paying rent to the government on homes they own.

The frustration is real.

The affordability crisis is real.

The desire for meaningful tax relief is real.

But anger is not a fiscal plan.

Our legislators need to think hard in this week’s special session on property taxes and do the right thing for the right reasons.

Gov. DeSantis’ plan is not it.

What the Legislature was expected to do this week reminds me of a professor in college who would listen to students passionately advocate for a solution. Then, he would lean back in his chair and ask a simple question: “And then what happens?”

No matter the issue, he always came back to that question. Not because he opposed change, but because he understood that good policy requires thinking one step beyond the headline and one step beyond the applause.

That question has been stuck in my head as Florida debates one of the most significant changes to its tax system in modern history.

Property taxes deserve reform. They may even deserve replacement. But before we blow up the system that funds local government, we should ask the same question: And then what happens?

Florida is not debating a tax cut.

Florida is debating a fundamental redesign of how local government is financed.

Florida’s property tax system generates $52 billion each year for local governments. Replacing that revenue is not a bookkeeping exercise. It is a redesign of the state’s fiscal architecture.

Property taxes fund much of the basic operating system of local government: police, fire protection, roads, parks, emergency services and debt on infrastructure taxpayers have already approved.

You may believe local governments spend too much.

But believing there is waste in government is not the same thing as having a plan to replace billions of dollars in revenue.

Every serious reform proposal should answer four basic questions: ■ What gets cut?

■ What replaces the revenue?

■ How do we pay existing debt and obligations?

■ What happens during the next recession?

Those are not arguments against tax relief. They are questions responsible adults ask before making permanent changes

CORRECTION

In last week’s Opinion, “Buchanan, Robinson provide relief,” the Observer incorrectly stated former Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates did not charge a commission on the Sarasota school district’s voter-approved school tax.

Ford-Coates did charge a commission, but it was paid by the Sarasota County Commission.

Florida 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Population growth 1.6% 1.6% 1.5% 1.6% 1.6% 1.6% 1.7% Inflation rate 0.7% 2.1% 2.1% 1.9% 2.3% 1.4% 7.0% Population + Inflation rates 2.2% 3.7% 3.7% 3.5% 3.9% 3.0% 8.7% Property tax revenue growth 6.8% 4.9% 5.7% 6.0% 7.3% 5.5% 5.2% Cumulative population + inflation: 42.8%; cumulative tax revenue growth: 76.4%

2022 1.7% 6.5%

2023 1.6% 3.4%

2024 1.7% 2.9%

8.2%

5.0%

4.6%

13.1%

13.5%

8.4%

Source: Florida Legislature; Office of Economic & Demographic Research

to a system that affects every homeowner, renter, business, city and county in Florida.

The most important question may not be about taxes at all. It may be about governance.

For generations, Florida has operated on a simple principle: Local governments raise local revenue and answer to local voters. If a city council or county commission spends too much, voters can replace them. The accountability is direct.

The emerging alternative moves Florida toward something very different. Local governments would become increasingly dependent on state support and state-controlled trust funds to maintain core services.

Consider small counties like Liberty, Lafayette or Glades. These are proud Florida communities with strong local identities but small populations and limited tax bases. Under this model, some counties could become increasingly dependent on state trust fund dollars to fund deputies, firefighters, road maintenance and other core services.

Independent local government means paying your own bills.

Once a county becomes dependent on Tallahassee to fund basic services, local selfgovernment is eroded. Decisions that once belonged primarily to local voters become increasingly subject to state appropriations, state priorities and state politics.

Local officials spend less time answering to residents and more time lobbying the state for funding.

And then what happens?

What happens during a recession when state revenues decline? What happens if multiple counties need assistance at the same time? What happens if the trust fund cannot meet every request? Who decides which communities receive funding and which are told to wait?

History offers another warning.

Big structural reforms are easiest to adopt during good times and hardest to sustain during bad times. Florida’s economy is strong today. But recessions still happen.

Housing markets cool. Sales tax collections decline.

The real test of a tax system is not how it performs when the economy is booming. It is how it performs when the economy is under stress.

Those questions become even more important when viewed against Florida’s long-term budget outlook. State economists are already projecting structural deficits in the years ahead. If the state itself is facing fiscal pressure, it is reasonable to ask whether it can permanently assume a larger role in financing local government.

None of this means reform should stop. Quite the opposite. Florida should absolutely pursue property tax reform. We should challenge wasteful spending, examine larger homestead protections and explore alternatives.

But reforms this large should be approached with humility.

Reforms this large should be tested, measured and evaluated before they become permanent.

That is why any proposal of this magnitude should include a sunset provision. If the reform works, extend it. If it creates unintended

WHO PAYS FLORIDA’S PROPERTY TAXES

Florida businesses, second-homeowners and rental properties (e.g. the tenants) pay 65% of Florida’s property taxes.

HOW COUNTIES GET THEIR MONEY Revenues

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

Friedrich Hayek

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WHERE THE COUNTY MONEY GOES Expenses

The two pie charts show data for all Florida counties from 2019.

Source: Florida House of Representatives

consequences, fix it. The larger the experiment, the more important the safety valve. Most important, we should be honest about what may happen next.

Government has only a handful of ways to collect revenue. Property taxes, sales taxes, fees, assessments, utility taxes and state transfers all come from taxpayers.

Nearly one in three Floridians rents their home. If this proposal simply shifts the burden from property taxes to fees, assessments, sales taxes or other revenue sources, renters will not be spared. They will receive the bill in a different form.

If local governments replace lost property tax revenue with other taxes, fees or state transfers, taxpayers may discover they did not eliminate the bill. They simply moved it.

That is the question at the heart of this debate. Is this a tax cut, or is it a tax shift?

The choice before Florida is not

between tax relief and the status quo. It is between thoughtful reform and blind faith.

Floridians deserve tax relief. They also deserve honest answers.

The irony is hard to miss.

The Boston Tea Party was a revolt against distant government making decisions for local communities.

I am arguing against distant government making decisions for local communities.

Read that twice.

Before we redesign the financial foundation of local government; before we trade local accountability for state dependency; and before we replace a system we know with one we have not fully modeled, we should ask the question my professor asked all those years ago: And then what happens?

Jeff Brandes served in the Florida House and Senate from 2010 to 2022. He is president and founder of the Florida Policy Project (FloridaPolicyProject.com).

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

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

PUSHING BACK Town writes state delegation urging against DeSantis property tax plan.

S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

A

s the Florida Legislature gathered in Tallahassee for a special session on potential changes to Florida’s property tax system, the Longboat Key Town Commission discussed how best to get its point across in a letter arguing against major property tax reductions.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been advocating for huge changes to property taxes in the state, but details on what reform would look like were not shared until recently, when DeSantis shared the “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” last week. A graphic shared

on DeSantis’ social media platforms shows that the plan calls for eventually exempting the first $250,000 of a homesteaded property’s value from taxation.

“If we were starting from scratch, I would not do a system that relied on that type of taxation. I mean, think about it, they’ll justify it and say you have to pay property tax because you’re using police or you’re using these services. Well, wait a minute. If you bought a house that you bought for $330,000 and now it’s worth $900,000, are you using three times as much services? No,” DeSantis said. “There’s not really a connection to what you’re consuming and what they’re charging you.”

But it’s not a blank slate, DeSantis said, and to gain 60% approval among the House, Senate and eventually voters, the homestead exemption has been proposed.

Local governments, counties and other organizations across the state

File image

have pushed back. Property taxes are the main revenue source for municipalities and counties. In Longboat Key, 76% of the town’s 2026 fiscal year budget revenue came from property taxes, and 58% of expenses went to police and fire.

Town Manager Howard Tipton and other local leaders have been ringing the alarm bells on the issue for months, saying major property tax reform would cripple local governments’ ability to fund vital public safety and infrastructure costs without some kind of new revenue stream.

But with details released on the proposal on a Wednesday and a special session on the topic beginning Monday, Tipton and town leaders are now getting a bit more pointed in their comments. A letter sent on behalf of the town to Florida Rep. Will Robinson, chair of the State Affairs Committee, is strongly worded.

“For months, there has been ample opportunity to disclose to the public and the local governments impacted the details of any tax reform. That would have provided full transparency and the opportunity for public engagement prior to the special session,” the letter reads. “Instead, we are treated to political theater and

Luxury Villas

9

something that’s been crafted to achieve the 60% (voter and legislator approval) threshold, rather than making Florida and its local governments stronger and more resilient.”

DeSantis’ proposal does not get into the specifics of how local government services would be funded other than a bullet point on a graphic that says the state would establish a trust fund to provide grants to local governments “to assist with the continuation of core local services.” He has also pledged not to raise sales taxes in Florida.

Longboat Key’s letter says that “in a small, efficient and well-run town, all services are core services.”

The town describes the governor’s proposal for property tax reform as incomplete and shared on short notice. It urges the state to take a more measured approach, pointing out that the Florida Constitution outlines that every 20 years a Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is to meet to consider and recommend changes to taxes at the state and local level.

“This would be a thoughtful alternative that would allow all sides of the issue to weigh in before anything is placed on the ballot,” the letter reads. “The obvious problem with this thoughtful and inclusive approach is that the Commission doesn’t meet until 2027, and that is a timing issue for our outgoing governor.”

Commissioners fine-tuned the content of the letter at Monday’s Commission meeting, and also voiced some frustration.

“This is something that’s being pushed down our throats. The Senate has nodded their heads and said ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ll do what you want.’

The House has said we don’t have anything to look at yet,” Commissioner BJ Bishop said. “I’m more than frustrated with Tallahassee. I’m hoping that somebody in Tallahassee develops a backbone.”

Town Attorney Maggie Mooney agreed with the contents of the letter despite the strong wording.

“Most of the time we are very careful with what we put out there, but I think this is an extreme time,” Mooney said. “This is a particularly poignant letter, but with good reason.”

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

OPEN HOUSES

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Courtesy image

The home on Jewfish Key opposite Longboat Key is listed at $5,995,000.

Selling the island life ERIC GARWOOD DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

A

home with a Longboat Key address, listed last week for sale at nearly $6 million, isn’t for everyone.

Michelle Ward, of Compass Florida, who is teaming up with Jessica Dunham to represent seller Stephen Ellis, concedes that point.

It’s not so much the $5,995,000 price — there are at least five Longboat Key properties listed with higher asking prices. Nor is it the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage or anything else that normally figures into a mainstream buyers’ calculations.

It’s the address.

Specifically, the home is on LaLenaire Drive, 7143 to be exact, which means it’s on Jewfish Key, a 32-acre island alongside the larger island of Longboat Key. Which also means, well, buyers and eventual owners need a boat.

Not nice to have someday.

Need. Like on day one.

But, what they get after a short, nautical jaunt from the northern end of Longboat Key is something unusual in Florida, which gains about 1,000 new residents every day, according to most estimates.

“They’re not purchasing the square footage or how many bedrooms and bathrooms, they’re purchasing the privacy, the adventure, the exclusivity, the lifestyle that very few people have access to,” Ward said.

The particulars include four bedrooms, four baths, 2,700 square feet of living space on 1.24 acres with 300 feet of waterfront overlooking Longbeach Village.

Marketing such a property can be as different as the lifestyle itself, Ward said. A lot of the typical approaches just won’t work.

“You can’t simply rely on driveby traffic or doing open houses or

LECTURING, ROWING AND WAVING AGGRESSIVELY 8:36 p.m., Bayview Drive Disturbance: While a man was relaxing on his back patio overlooking a canal, a kayaker approached and began accosting him, prompting a call to police. The caller told police that a man in a red kayak approached the dock of the house and began yelling at him and his wife, stating that the town belongs to locals and to stop renting in the area. As he lectured, he began waving his oar in the air aggressively. Also on the kayak was a woman who was trying to calm the man down and a boxer dog. After the argument, the kayaker left the area, and the trying-to-relax man called the police. A search of the area was done to no avail, and police closed the case.

FRIDAY, MAY 22

showings — every showing with us has an experience, because we have to,” she said, adding she owns and operates her own boat.

“We go get it from the marina, pick them up and show them the areas where they can grocery shop, where they can go out to dinner, where they would pick up their boat, those sort of things. So, we’re selling a life truly on this one. I know there’s a lot of other properties people say, ‘Well, we’re selling the lifestyle.’ This one truly is selling the lifestyle.”

Jewfish Key is home to 22 deeded properties, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser, eight of which have homes on them. Though LaLenaire Drive runs the length of the island, there aren’t any cars or trucks, as such, though golf carts and four-wheel ATVs are often used to get around.

Boating from the island back to the bigger islands of Anna Maria or Longboat Key takes a matter of minutes. In the case of the property represented by Ward, the seller also owns a parcel just north of Broadway Street that allows for a car park and a dock. Other owners do the same or boat to Coquina Beach boat ramp.

Up the beach, a Tiki-style home at 7147 LaLenaire Drive is also for sale, priced at $5 million. It’s represented by Chase Moore of Sight Real Estate.

Tapping into that whole lifestyle vibe, Moore’s description of that home includes “Equal parts island hideaway and refined coastal home, this one-of-a-kind property offers the rare combination of true privacy, effortless access and natural beauty set against a backdrop of turquoise water, powder soft sand and endless sky. Here, relaxation, adventure and natural beauty converge in a setting that feels almost like an escape, yet unmistakably home.”

COCONUTS STOLEN FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY 10:45 a.m., Gulfside Road Trespassing: A homeowner emailed the police department to report continuing coconut thefts from his property. The complainant said that about every two months, two males enter his property and take coconuts.

Installing signs had not deterred the thieves, and police were not able to respond quickly enough after hours to catch the thieves in the act in the past. The responding officer was not able to obtain a phone number and emailed the complainant. The case was closed until more information becomes available.

SATURDAY, MAY 23

PROTECTIVE MOTHER, SPEEDING BOATER 11:28 a.m., Beer Can Island Disturbance: Police were called after an argument between a mother and a boater at Beer Can Island. Police arrived to find the two in the midst of an argument.

The officer spoke to each of the two individually. The mother said her kids were playing in the water when the man pulled up to the beach too quickly, causing her to fear for her children’s safety. The man said he was not traveling quickly and did not see kids in the area when he anchored near the shore.

He said the woman began yelling at and insulting him, and he responded. Police determined the two arguing parties did not know each other and that there was no physical altercation. The officer played mediator and closed the case.

COPS CORNER

FRIDAY, MAY 22

Jewfish Key properties require a real estate approach as different as the enclave’s lifestyle.

11

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27

‘JESUS’ LIZARD RESCUED

BY REPTILE HANDLING EXPERIENCED OFFICER 4:50 p.m., Lyons Lane Animal problem: A woman flagged down a passing officer requesting assistance when she saw Jesus. Well, not that Jesus, but she described a “Jesus lizard” stuck in a fence on her property. “National Geographic” describes the variety of lizard as common to South America and Central America, and is renowned for its ability to sprint across the surface of water, though it was not showcasing its elusive abilities as that particular moment. The officer got out of his car and saw a large lizard stuck in a chicken-wire type of fence.

The report describes the officer approaching the lizard who “did not like” the officer’s presence. Attempts to dislodge the large, stuck lizard were unsuccessful, so the officer called backup. Another officer “who is experienced in reptile handling” was called to the scene.

The second responding officer donned bite-proof gloves and freed the lizard safely. Case closed.

6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228 941 383 4738

Faith and Flip-flops

WORSHIP

An Ecumenical Church that Welcomes all God’s People Founded in 1956

Safe Happy Hopeful Worship Sunday 10 a.m.

6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive Longboat Key Florida 34228 941-383-6491 Live Stream available www.longboatislandchapel.org

directory

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The Lord’s Warehouse summer hours: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Closed Monday, May 25) 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FLSaturday 34228 (941)-383-4738.

The Lord’s Warehouse is open Monday, Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228 941-383-4738

St. Mary, Star of the Sea,

Looking for a Spiritual Home?

Catholic Church

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

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

Worship Service Sunday 10 a.m.

Service is live streamed at AllAngelsLBK.org

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A Generous & Joyful Community

Join Us For Worship!

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Sunday, 10:00 AM

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

Rev. Robert Dziedziak, Pastor

You are invited to join us in worship, song & friendship at Shabbat services every Sharing Values, Friendship, and Faith Friday evening at 5:30 pm and Saturdays at 10 am.

Dr. Julia Wharff Piermont, Pastor

Watch live or livestream: www.christchurchof lbk.org (follow YouTube link)

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To learn more about our Temple and all our educational, cultural, and social programs, please call us. We’d be delighted to talk with you.

Questions? Email us at info@longboatkeytemple.org 567 Bay Isles Rd, Longboat Key, FL

941-383-3428

longboatkeytemple.org

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Growing in Jesus’ Name

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JUNE 4, 2026

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

COOL OFF CABARET

AT THE

Catherine Randazzo is associate producer of Florida Studio Theatre.

Image courtesy of Emiliano Mejias

Images courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

Collin Purcell, Katie Blackwell and Brian Ott bring back the feel-good era of folk music in “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

Florida Studio Theatre’s music shows provide a welcome respite from summer in the city.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

F

lorida Studio Theatre offers cabaret shows all year, but there’s nothing like slipping into one of them when temperatures are in the 90s.

When you step inside one of FST’s two dimly lit cabarets, you enter a cool musical cave, one with cold drinks, reasonably priced food and friendly faces.

The cares of the outside world are left behind as you groove to the upbeat, idealistic soundtrack of baby boomers’ youth.

Maybe the reason FST cabaret resonates so strongly in the summer is that even those who are retired remember the freedom of the months without school. There was more time to daydream, wander and listen to music. Before the era of personal digital devices, music mainly came from the radio — either in a car or the transistor model you took with you everywhere during your summer travels.

As Van Morrison asks in “BrownEyed Girl,” Whatever happened /To Tuesday and so slow/Going down the old mine/with a transistor radio Sure, there was vinyl, but the record player was at home. And who wanted to be stuck at home during the summer?

Yes, it’s true

that Brian Wilson spent years in his room and even wrote a song about it. But he was a troubled genius. The rest of the Beach Boys raced cars, chased girls and tried to catch the next wave.

When FST launched its summer cabaret series in 2014, it tuned the nostalgia dial to the doo-wop days of the 1950s immortalized in Broadway’s “Jersey Boys” and to the Beach Boys-inspired groups of the 1960s surfer movement.

But the surfer craze has receded at FST Summer Cabaret. Time has moved on to folk music era of the 1960s and early 1970s. With its small stage and intimate setting, the Goldstein Cabaret isn’t much different from the Greenwich Village clubs in the 2024 Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” except there are no candles and cigarettes.

Another perennial draw for FST’s boomer patrons is Motown, Berry Gordy’s Detroit hit factory. Its artists spanned the decades. After learning their craft in Motown groups, singers such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Michael Jackson went solo and became superstars.

Before folk princess Linda Ronstadt topped the charts with soulful ballads like “Blue Bayou” and had-enough anthems like “You’re No Good,” she was a member of the lesser-known Stone Poneys. The Poneys’ big hit (“Different Drum”) was written by The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith. As FST Summer Cabaret performer Brian Ott rightly notes during a show, “There was a lot of cross-hybridization.”

Singers who were starting to become popular would record a ditty by an unknown song-

Florida Studio Theatre cabaret veteran Brian Ott returns to FST in “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

IF YOU GO ‘LEAVING ON A JET PLANE’ When: Through July 12 Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. Tickets: $42 Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

writer pal so they could gain recognition and hopefully earn royalties.

The quintessential female folk singer, Joni Mitchell, is sui generis.

She’s one of a kind. The only thing she shares with some other folk stars of her era is that she’s Canadian, like Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young.

Her provenance cost her a spot on The New York Times’ list of the 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters, but to her fans, Joni’s the GOAT. You’ll find acoustic folk music, Motown and pioneering female troubadours of the 1970s showcased in this year’s crop of FST Summer Cabaret shows. The series is programmed by FST Associate Producer Catherine Randazzo, who joined the theater the same year it launched its summer cabaret.

This year’s three shows are “Leaving On a Jet Plane” (through July 12), “Songbirds of the Seventies” (July 7-Sept. 6) and “Legacy: Motown & More!” (Aug. 4-Oct. 4). Subscriptions are $59, which brings the cost of each show to about half of the single ticket price of $42.

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After more than a decade, Randazzo understands the taste of her older audiences, the majority of whom are repeat subscribers. She knows what they like. “It’s like comfort food.

People grew up with it,” is how Randazzo described the mix.

Unlike the cabaret shows created by FST CEO and Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins and Managing Director Rebecca Hopkins during season, the summer cabarets aren’t produced by FST. That means it’s up to Randazzo to fill the stage. To do that, she relies on her relationships with producers and artists. She also scouts for talent at conventions where producers offer cabaret fare to regional theaters like FST and cruise lines. It’s not unusual

for her to work with artists to cultivate followup shows to programs that have performed well for FST. For instance, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” grew out of last summer’s “A Band Called Honalee.”

A Band Called Honalee is a real band that performs songs by Peter, Paul and Mary and other folk singers. Its roster of vocalists have solo careers and also appear with the band all around the country. One “Honalee” member, Katie Blackwell, is in the trio of vocalists in “Jet Plane.” The others are Collin Purcell and Brian Ott, who both play guitar.

They are backed up by Geoff Neuman and other rotating bass players.

FST audiences will remember Ott, a native of Minnesota, from his recent appearances in “A Band Called Honalee” and “59th Street Bridge,” a show inspired by the songs of Simon and Garfunkel and other folk singers.

On stage, Ott’s the thread that runs through FST’s folk-driven cabaret, but the idea for “Leaving on a Jet Plane” comes from Aaron Gandy, Randazzo says.

A former member of Band Called Honalee, Gandy is now part of Epic Arts Management, a firm that Randazzo calls a “creative partner” of FST. “I discovered Epic Arts Management and its producing director, Ron DeStefano, from looking at websites. During the pandemic, Ron reached out with a show called ‘Shades of Bublé,’ that we picked up.

His pitch was that he can bring a new generation in.”

Even though it takes its title from a Peter, Paul and Mary song, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” is not a tribute show.

Its subtitle is “A Folk Journey,” and it makes good on its word. These are the songs that propelled the struggle for civil rights, women’s liberation, better conditions for workers, ending war and protecting the environment from pollution.

Many of these issues are back in the news again. Hearing Blackwell sing “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” during “Big Yellow Taxi” seemed quite apt for 2026 Sarasota.

But the throughline of “Jet Plane” is the loneliness of life on the road.

It’s a theme that the artists lean into by revealing their hometowns. Each spoke of ambivalent feelings — being grateful to be performing in Florida, but missing loved ones back home.

The playlist mines homesickness with the titular song, and with Blackwell’s moving cover of Joni Mitchell’s “California” and the trio’s excerpt of CSNY’s “Love the One Your With,” a solution to loneliness that rings differently today than in the free-love era. Perhaps it was my imagination, but the applause seemed restrained after that number.

“Leaving on a Jet Plane” covers a lot of territory with medleys, including tributes to CSNY and the Loving Spoonful. The audience was encouraged to join in on The Turtles’ “Happy Together” and John Denver’s “Grandma’s Feather Bed,” but they sang even when not invited.

There were a few surprises, including “Early Morning Rain,” a lesser-known Gordon Lightfoot song about being stuck at the airport. For a troubadour, the only thing worse than having to catch an early plane is watching it take off without you because you don’t have a gig lined up to pay for your ticket.

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‘THE COMMON GROUND’ 7 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Set in a coffee shop, “The Common Ground” follows a young woman as she rebuilds her life, one cup of coffee at a time. Repeats June 6.

Gabrielle Leonore’s confessional one-woman show won rave reviews at major fringe festivals, including Edinburgh. Repeats June 7.

‘IT’S ALIVE! LIVE’ 10 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Casey Berkery’s creation features TV talk show-style interviews with things that go bump in the night and other ghoulish creatures. What could go wrong? Repeats June 6.

‘HONKY TONK ANGELS’ 7 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25-$59 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

FRIDAY

Follow three Dolly Parton wannabes on a road trip to Nashville as they pursue their dreams of country music stardom. Runs through June 21.

‘GREASE IS THE WORD’ 7 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $12.30 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

‘MY LIFE AS AN INSPIRATIONAL PORN STAR’ 8:30 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Created by Kelly Haramis and Kallista Schneiderman, the show tries to right the real-life wrong of Haramis not being cast in a high school production of “Grease.”

Repeats June 6.

DON’T MISS SAVOR SARASOTA RESTAURANT WEEK Now in its 21st year, Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week is actually a two-week period where more than 60 restaurants offer prix fixe menus that give locals the chance to step out of their comfort zone and try new dishes for affordable prices.

Lunch menus are just $25 per person and dinner offerings are $45 during what many locals call “the most wonderful time of year.” Runs through June 14.

IF YOU GO Where: Assorted eateries in downtown Sarasota, St. Armands Circle, Lakewood Ranch, Siesta Key and Venice Tickets: $25 for lunch; $45 for dinner Info: Visit VisitSarasota.com.

‘TIMEY WIMEY STUFF’ 8:30 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

THIS WEEK

MONDAY

Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

Jade Wheeler pulls back the kimono on the life of Eartha Kitt in “Who is Eartha Mae?” at Urbanite Theatre through June 21.

‘CONFESSIONS OF A THEME PARK WORKER’ 10 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

COMEDY LOTTERY 7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

‘CASA HAVANA’ 2:30 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

‘WHO IS EARTHA MAE?’ You may know singer Eartha Kitt as the sultry siren who sang “Santa Baby,” a 1950s holiday ditty that lives forever on the internet. Or maybe you remember her as Catwoman from the 1960s TV series “Batman.” One thing is sure: You’ve never seen the glamorous entertainer backstage as Eartha Mae, a country girl from South Carolina who became a citizen of the world. Jade Wheeler created and stars in this show with spirited piano accompaniment.

Runs through June 21.

returns to his Christian college to lead a homecoming pep rally.

Winner of last year’s Audience Choice Award at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe, Tania Vergara Dance Theatre returns with “Casa Havana.”

SATURDAY

OUR PICK

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 4 Where: Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. Tickets: $5-$44 Info: Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Victoria Montalbano returns to the Squeaky Wheel Fringe with a humorous show inspired by a medical scare. Repeats June 7.

This tell-all tale provides a peek into the inner workings of more than one theme park. You’ll never look at Orlando the same way again.

Repeats June 6.

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Everyone’s a winner when the audience selects games for Florida Studio Theatre’s improv troupe.

Runs through June 27.

SUNDAY ‘SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING NEW’ 11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

See the works of major modern artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Chuck Close and Ai Weiwei on loan from local private collectors. Runs through Sept. 27.

‘THE ONE’ 10 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $10.20 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

‘THE PEP RALLY: A RELIGIOUS VARIETY SHOW’ 2:30 p.m. at Cook Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $20.70 Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

This one-woman piece weaves together dance, music, audio, video and writing.

In this multigenre show featuring some familiar faces from The Sarasota Players, Ezra Mathers

ANCIENT ART FROM CYPRUS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN 10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road $30 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.

After a decadelong project, John Ringling’s Cypriot treasures have a permanent home in Gallery 12 for the first time.

THOMAS CARABASI’S NEW STANDARDS QUARTET 7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret, 1965 First St. $34-$39 Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Thomas Carabasi’s New Standards Quartet raises percussion to a new level as it blends favorites from the American and Brazilian songbooks with originals. In addition to Carabasi on drums, the quartet features Alejandro Arenas on bass, Perry Chiles on sax/flute and Patrick Bettison on keys.

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ince it was founded 62 years ago, the Sarasota Music Festival has become a reason for classical music fans to stick around Sarasota past the end of season.

Each June, the SMF brings together student musicians and professional faculty members. They rehearse together and then play side by side in public concerts.

Sarasota’s arts patrons provide support for the SMF, founded at New College of Florida by Paul Wolfe and then merged with the Sarasota Orchestra’s predecessor in 1985.

That’s not expected to change this year, when the festival runs only two weeks (June 1-13) rather than its normal three.

For nearly a decade, the Sarasota Music Festival was led by Jeffrey Kahane, a Los Angeles-based conductor, pianist, educator and scholar. Kahane and the SMF parted ways in August 2025.

This year’s festival was organized

by Sarasota Orchestra employees and faculty, with heavy input from its fellows. The result is fewer public performances and more interaction between fellows and faculty.

Is it still worth staying in town for?

Definitely, even despite last-minute changes in the schedule and faculty.

In recent years, the SMF has held about 10 public concerts. This year, there will be four. But they still contain the star power the community has come to expect, even if some familiar faces like Kahane, cellist Mike Block and violinist/fiddler Tessa Lark are gone.

Unfortunately, a mainstay of the festival, former SMF Artistic Director Robert Levin, was forced to cancel. He was replaced by pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown.

Some know Brown from his appearances with La Musica, the Sarasota chamber group that shares its artistic director, Wu Han, with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

In April, Brown debuted his “The Carnival of Endangered Wonders” at La Musica concerts in Sarasota. The new composition was paired with the 1886 piece by Camille SaintSaëns, “Carnival of the Animals,” that inspired Brown’s piece.

Brown returns to the Sarasota stage again June 6 in an SMF concert entitled “Mozart and Schumann.”

The program also includes SMF faculty artists Alan Stepansky on cello, Mark Nuccio on clarinet and Andreas Oeste on oboe. A 2011 SMF alum who teaches at Penn State,

IF YOU GO

SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL When: Through June 13 Where: Holley Hall and the Sarasota Opera House Tickets: Festival pass for rehearsals $75; concerts $35-$50.

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Oeste replaced faculty member Toyin Spellman-Diaz, who also had to bow out.

Before she canceled, SpellmanDiaz dispelled any notion that this year’s SMF was short on star power.

“I think it’s pretty star-studded,” she said in an interview. “You’ve got Jeffrey Scott, a founding member of Imani Winds, a Grammywinning quartet. (Spellman-Diaz is also a member.) There’s no brighter star than Jasmin Choi on flute, and there’s conductor Nicholas McGegan.”

Scott and fellow Imani Winds member Valerie Coleman are among the SMF faculty members who will perform at the June 12 concert, “Tchaikovsky, Ravel, & Dvořák.” It takes place at Holley Hall, which has mostly general admission seating.

(Note to self: Arrive early.)

Those who want to see Choi and McGegan should attend the SMF closing night concert on Saturday, June 13, at the Sarasota Opera House.

Called “The Masters in Concert,” it features Franz Schubert’s “Overture in the Italian Style,” Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 with Choi and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. violinist Alexander Kerr will perform.

The public concerts of the SMF kick off Friday, June 6, with “Beethoven & Mendelssohn.” The concert includes faculty members Stepansky (cello), Peter Kolkay (bassoon), David Bowlin (violin) and Teng Li (viola). Despite its title highlighting male masters, the program also features works by two female composers — Florence Price’s “Adoration” and Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet.

As in any educational environment, Spellman-Diaz says it’s hard to strike a balance between SMF faculty members who are great performers and those who are effective teachers. Spellman-Diaz was involved in the planning for this year’s festival, which she says will be more responsive to student needs than ever.

“I’ve had fellows tell me that they learn more in a couple of weeks at the Sarasota Music Festival than they do all year in school,” she says. “That’s what it’s all about.”

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JUNE 4, 2026

YOUR NEIGHBORS

150 members and pedaling for more

The Longboat Key Bicycle Association is far from just spinning its wheels.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

M

embers of the bicycling community recently united for the annual Ride of Silence, honoring riders who died or were hurt on public roadways. Among the more than 100 participants in the Sarasota ride were several members of the Longboat Key Bicycle Association, which was born out of a community’s desire to improve safety for cyclists on local roads.

President Tom Saunders offered updates on the group, which is now up to more than 150 members, and advice for staying safe out on the road this summer.

Howard Tessler and Ronald Gricius founded the group in 2017 with the primary goal of advocating for safety measures. The first members were concerned with vehicles parking in bike lanes along busy roadways, particularly on Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Saunders said early members built relationships with law enforcement officers, lending extra pairs of eyes to spot parked cars and help educate drivers on why even stopping temporarily can force bike traffic out onto busy roadways.

Their efforts over the years seem to have gotten results. As Saunders noted, it is now somewhat rare to see a car parked along the main roadway.

Those efforts didn’t go unnoticed.

In 2020, Tessler won the Florida Bicycle Association’s Citizen Advocate of the Year Award.

Saunders said cyclists still need to remain vigilant though, for any loss has a deeply felt effect on the community.

He recalls when cyclist Ridgely Harrison III died seven years ago on GMD in an incident where investigators reported a truck driver and Harrison shared responsibility in the crash. The driver reported he was away from his concrete pumping truck for only 5-7 minutes when Harrison collided with it in the bike lane.

The association president encourages even experienced cyclists to stay vigilant while on Longboat Key roads. However, he also urged cyclists not to be deterred from exploring some of the island’s interesting routes this summer.

Saunders moved to Longboat Key in 2018 from Houston, and he said he has appreciated exploring the routes around the island ever since. As a dedicated cyclist since his days in college, he said he was happy to step into the role of board member — now one of seven — and eventual president in recent years.

“The idea of advocating for cyclists and helping to improve the amenities and safety appealed to me,” he said.

“We added people to the board, and we’ve tried to expand the remit a bit to include pedestrians and sidewalk

HOW WELLVERSED ARE YOU ON BICYCLE SAFETY? The Longboat Key Bicycle Association encourages motorists and cyclists to test their road safety knowledge with the Florida Bicycle Association’s safety quiz at FloridaBicycle. org/bicycle-safetyquiz.

TOM SAUNDERS’ TOP TIPS Both cyclists and drivers can contribute to making Longboat Key’s roadways safer, according to Longboat Key Bicycle Association President Tom Saunders. Here are some of his top recommendations for easy steps to take to make commuting safer for everyone.

FOR CYCLISTS:

Be familiar with hand signals for stopping and turning; examples can be found on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website Stay aware of your surroundings Maintain eye contact with drivers, especially when crossing an intersection Find a route that fits your experience and comfort levels Always wear a helmet

FOR DRIVERS:

Don’t drive distracted and keep phones tucked away When turning onto busy roads like GMD, always doublecheck sidewalks for oncoming bicycles or pedestrians before pulling forward

Photos by Dana Kampa

safety for everyone.”

Even homeowners play a role in road safety. Saunders said the club is working to reach out to property owners, encouraging them to keep sidewalk interfaces edged, cleaned and cleared of debris.

The Longboat Key Bicycle Association does not currently organize group rides.

But it does help keep residents informed of relevant news, especially on issues like the incorporation of bike lanes into “complete streets.”

Looking toward long-term development of the island’s amenities, Saunders said he hopes to see more surveys done so planners can gain a better understanding of what side roads and paths are most heavily used or most in need of repair.

“Of course, a lot of this is controlled by the Florida Department of Transportation,” he said. “So, while I think the town is a big supporter of doing complete streets, they don’t necessarily have complete control.”

The group also works closely with partners such as the statewide association and the Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club, which organizes group rides throughout both counties, including on Longboat Key. Visit SMBC.us for the full ride calendar.

Tom Saunders, president of the Longboat Key Bicycle Association, encourages cyclists to use whichever paths make them feel safest when pedaling along Gulf of Mexico Drive.

LEARN MORE Anyone interested in learning more about the group can visit https://sites.google. com/view/lbkba/ home. To receive updates on projects the association’s activities and advocacy initiatives, email SaundersRomR@ gmail.com.

For those on the mailing list, Saunders said to keep an eye out for the return of club shirts, the design of which is being finalized.

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ommunity members on Bird Key spent the evening of Memorial Day on the grounds of their future clubhouse. Earlier that day, several residents joined in the Sarasota parade recognizing servicemen and servicewomen before preparing for the smaller, more intimate ceremony with the yacht club.

The color guard included Mark Akerman, Jay Plager and Past Commodore Michael Landis, who marched alongside professional bagpiper Gemma Briggs to “God Bless America.”

Then, with trumpeter Kevin Celebi accompanying, BKYC Vice Commodore Saul Landesberg and Commodore Tony Britt offered commendations to those who served and died for their country.

“We want to thank everyone for being here today as we remember the true meaning of Memorial Day,” Britt said.

“This is not just a holiday marking the beginning of the traditional summer season.

It is also a day of reflection and gratitude.”

The approximate 100 attendees then joined in a moment of silence before Briggs played out the guard with “Amazing Grace.”

Joe Hayden was one of those members who attended both ceremonies, which he thought paid meaningful respects to those who passed.

He joined the U.S. Naval Academy after graduating from high school. He then

Photos by Dana Kampa

Mark Akerman, Jay Plager and Past Commodore Michael Landis carry away the colors at the conclusion of Bird Key Yacht Club’s Memorial Day ceremony on May 25.

served in the Navy from 1980 to 1993.

To any new members now entering the service, he acknowledged that there is a lot of dialogue surrounding global affairs.

However, he said his best advice is to focus on the principles that motivated them to join military service.

“They make an oath, and that oath to the service of their country is important and serious,” he said. “When you swear that you are going to protect the Constitution and serve the country, that’s really what it’s all about.”

— DANA KAMPA

BRATING CELE

Bird Key Yacht Club Commodore Tony Britt, Vice Commodore Saul Landesberg and Rear Commodore Lynne Pettigrew hold their hands over their hearts during the national anthem.

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1065 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #402

2067 H A R BOUR DR I V E, #4 Longboat Key Club LINKS | Offered at $950,000

2067 A R| Offered BOUR LINKS DR I V E LongboatH Key at $845,000

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7 H A R BOUR LINKS DRatI V E, #4 Longboat Key | Offered $6,750,000

225 SANDS POINT ROAD #6103

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415 L’ AMBIANCE DRIVE #A701

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

about 18 by 24 feet, and a small ramp will make it easier for residents to reach the shaded seating.

Swartz also noted the structure will be set 75 yards farther inland.

“These guys have a lot of experience building around the ocean, which was important to us when we were trying to find someone,” she said. “We had about eight companies bid on the project.”

New Pass Dock & Seawall coowner Jonathon Sisler said he and Wagner have a strong incentive to see the project get finished quickly considering it is in their own neighborhood.

“They can rest assured it will be a top priority for our company,” Sisler said with a smile.

Swartz added, “They know the weather conditions we have to deal with here and understand the environment and corrosion considerations.”

Contractors said they aim to complete work before the end of the winter season, and Swartz said Lido Shores residents look forward to getting back part of what they lost in the storms.

“As a neighborhood, we usually have a welcome-back potluck,” Swartz said. “We’ll have a grandopening ceremony for this, ideally, when people are coming back into town.”

Central to the celebration will be the unveiling of a plaque with the names of those who supported the rebuilding, many doing so in memory of beloved neighbors.

make the project happen, and Swartz said they are thrilled to see the entirely donor-funded project move forward.

CAREFUL DESIGN CONSIDERATION

Dana Kampa

Lido Shores Property Owners Association board members, including President Michelle Swartz, Vice President Jon Tilkemeier, Tom Fitzgerald and Jan Farber, joined team members from New Pass Dock & Seawall, including Co-owner Jonathon Sisler, President and co-owner Todd Wagner and Sales Manager Matt Billib, to break ground on a new beachside pavilion.

Regaining community connection DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

B

efore hurricane-force winds destroyed a popular beachside pavilion on Lido Shores’ north end, the outdoor space offered a vital sense of community to residents. Now, homeowners are on a path to regaining a place to gather with the recent groundbreaking of a new project.

Residents including Michelle Swartz joined contractors to ceremonially dig the first shovels full of sand on May 26 at the site of the old pavilion.

Swartz is the president of the Lido Shores Property Owners Association, which she noted is a longstanding neighborhood community group,

not a private homeowners’ association. As many of those homeowners are completing essential rebuilding works on their own homes, she said they are glad to be turning their attention to a project to benefit the estimated 109 households in the group.

“It was very challenging for a lot of people to be able to come to the happy hours and gatherings without the shade,” Swartz said, explaining how important the weekly meetups are, not only for community planning, but also for strengthening social ties.

She said residents have long enjoyed meeting for potlucks, small concerts, caroling during the holidays, community cleanups and volunteer events. Besides organized events, many residents also appreciated informally watching sunsets from the pavilion with friends, she said.

Though they maintained connections in recent years, especially as they helped one another through home repairs and other post-storm

challenges, they have missed their former gathering space. The permanent structure afforded everyone, but especially residents with limited mobility, necessary shade and easier access to meet-ups.

Residents were determined to

The rendering of the new pavilion replacing the structure destroyed by Hurricane Helene at the north end of Lido Shores depicts a space designed to provide comfortable shade and seating while remaining storm-resistant.

Courtesy image

JoDene Moneuse

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

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Lido Shores group breaks ground on replacement pavilion.

Swartz said association members put plenty of thought into their vision for the new pavilion’s design. The previous structure aligned with the area’s architectural flair stemming from the 1970s. It was modernized in 2004, and Swartz said the revitalization drew inspiration from architect Paul Rudolph’s historic Sanderling Beach Club cabana, designed in 1952.

For the new pavilion, the association called on the design talents of Damien Blumetti.

The Sarasota-based architect started his firm in 2017, and he has served on the city of Sarasota Planning Board.

Blumetti’s design for the new pavilion is straightforward, offering visitors protection from the elements and bench seating.

But it also incorporates important elements geared toward storm resiliency, like open wall slats built for wind resistance. Composite plastic decking and pressure-treated wood will enhance its durability and make for easier maintenance.

The roof is also slightly contoured to meld with the natural surroundings, Swartz pointed out as one of her favorite features.

Todd Wagner, co-owner of the primary contracting company New Pass Dock & Seawall, said it will be

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

19

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

Celebrating America’s

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Discover the stories, traditions, and hometown pride that make our communities uniquely American in this special patriotic edition celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Featuring local July 4th event listings from across Sarasota and Manatee counties, inspiring community stories, and timeless traditions, this keepsake section is one you won’t want to miss.

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SHIPSHAPE CREW: The Longboat Observer traveled with Toma and Vilia Crawford, Deborah and Mike Purdum, Deane and Lynn Baron, Bob and Pam Anderson, Nancy Schroeder and Leonard and Mary Anne Wall to celebrate Nancy Schroeder’s birthday while on a Explora Journeys cruise from San Juan to Miami.

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

What’s New in Sarasota?

Hiring the Bruce Myer Group to represent your interests is one of the smartest decisions you can make!

We are fully committed to putting your interests first and delivering a smooth, rewarding experience from start to finish.

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

LONGBOAT KEY 6664 & 6660 & 6670 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 2 Beds 2 Baths 10,298 Sq. Ft. Mark Huber 941.356.2435 A4694502 $18,500,000

LONGBOAT KEY 536 Ketch Lane 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,960 Sq. Ft. Kathy Callahan & Todd Callahan 941.900.8088 A4686553 $2,599,000

BAY ISLES 3421 Bayou Sound 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,768 Sq. Ft. Stephen Strong 941.201.9662 A4684177 $2,499,500

CONRAD BEACH 333 Firehouse Court 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 2,900 Sq. Ft. Steve Walter & Janet Walter 941.809.0907 A4672573 $2,495,000

BAY ISLES 3610 Bayou Circle 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,192 Sq. Ft. Mike Prisco & Eileen Prisco 941.812.1291 A4688141 $2,400,000

CONRAD BEACH 311 Firehouse Court 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,352 Sq. Ft. Kathy Harman 941.900.9828 A4665445 $2,399,000

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE 41 S Adams Drive 2 Beds 2 Baths 3,913 Sq. Ft. Jenifer Schwell 941.780.0968 A4672116 $2,050,000

BAY ISLES 2450 Harbourside Drive #234 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,383 Sq. Ft. Beverly St. Hilaire & Julie Klick 818.416.2505 A4682324 $2,000,000

LONGBOAT KEY 210 Sands Point Road #2101 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,399 Sq. Ft. Tom Cinquegrano 941.284.5049 A4694354 $1,950,000

EMERALD HARBOR 741 Old Compass Road 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,173 Sq. Ft. Steve Walter & Janet Walter 941.809.0907 A4684578 $1,895,000

TANGERINE BAY CLUB 360 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #333 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,581 Sq. Ft. Sherry Dominick 203.605.9582 A4675387 $1,795,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2425 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #2E 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,470 Sq. Ft. Robert Delaney 941.315.3185 A4691707 $1,400,000

BAY ISLES 3511 Fair Oaks Court 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,579 Sq. Ft. Kathy Callahan & Todd Callahan 941.900.8088 A4684840 $1,399,999

BAY ISLES 3010 Grand Bay Boulevard #432 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,143 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy 941.961.8850 A4683353 $1,245,000

LONGBOAT KEY 240 Sands Point Road #4104 1 Bed 1 Bath 640 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy 941.961.8850 A4694224 $1,025,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2301 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #43N 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,235 Sq. Ft. Steve Nursey 941.356.7010 A4686190 $1,000,000

LONGBOAT KEY 250 Sands Point Road #5106 1 Bed 1 Bath 634 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy & Gail Wittig 941.961.8850 A4676698 $960,000

BAY ISLES 3435 Winding Oaks Drive #18 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,555 Sq. Ft. Sean Clark 941.312.1146 A4680403 $949,000

LONGBEACH VILLAGE 7105 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #21 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,170 Sq. Ft. Diana Kryszak & Eileen Saunders 941.993.4078 A4665082 $895,000

LONGBEACH VILLAGE 490 N Shore Road #6 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,350 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941.302.4913 A4657668 $750,000

BAY ISLES 2110 Harbourside Drive #523 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,031 Sq. Ft. Caroline Mitchell 913.787.3131 A4682869 $699,000

LONGBOAT KEY 6700 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #117 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,449 Sq. Ft. Kelly Sallee & Amy Cullen 941.914.0400 A4687787 $550,000

LONGBOAT KEY 729 Saint Judes Drive S #3 1 Bed 1 Bath 630 Sq. Ft. Steve Schield 941.650.1010 A4685189 $449,000

LONGBOAT KEY 4350 Chatham Drive #106 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,072 Sq. Ft. Michael Yawitz 941.587.8091 A4687361 $399,000

BAY ISLES 2850 Gulf Of Mexico Drive #5 1 Bed 1 Bath 657 Sq. Ft. JoDene Moneuse 941.302.4913 A4691701 $368,500

LIGHTHOUSE POINT 65 Lighthouse Point Drive 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 4,921 Sq. Ft. Steve Walter & Janet Walter 941.809.0907 A4674851 $7,445,000

LONGBOAT KEY 5422 Sandhamn Place 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,802 Sq. Ft. Richard Perlman 941.228.8580 A4686120 $3,499,000

LONGBOAT KEY 535 Sanctuary Drive #A603 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,375 Sq. Ft. Steve Walter & Janet Walter 941.809.0907 A4689260 $2,999,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

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LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

MAY 18-22

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

D

aniel Fangmeyer and Janet Belle Fangmeyer, of Waynesville, North Carolina, sold their home at 6161 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Andrew Elliot, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $8 million. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,224 square feet of living area.

It sold for $6.4 million in 2021.

REAL ESTATE

Sleepy Lagoon home tops week’s sales at $8 million

23

SEA GATE CLUB

COREY’S LANDING

Marla Levine, of Sylvania, Ohio, sold the home at 3519 Mistletoe Lane to Kevin and Suzanne Zavaflia, of Longboat Key, for $1,015,000.

Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,997 square feet of living area. It sold for $505,000 in 1990.

LONGBOAT SANDPIPERS

Bruce Danziger and Joan Danziger, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, sold their Unit 202 condominium at 5635 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Cheryl Hansen and Craig Hansen, trustees, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, for $900,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,000 in 1988.

SEAPLACE

Beachhouse2 LBK LLC sold the Unit M1-511G condominium at 2045 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Klara Dianna Gubacs-Collins, of Stuart, for $749,000. Built in 1974, it has

Dana Kampa

two bedrooms, two baths and 1,076 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2012.

Spillane, of Chalfont, Pennsylvania, sold their Unit 205 condominium at 4350 Chatham Drive to Joseph Richard Szakal and Kelli Lynne Szakal, of Troy, Ohio, for $250,000.

Built in 1969, it has one bedroom, one bath and 667 square feet of living area. It sold for $187,000 in 2014.

PELICAN HARBOUR & BEACH CLUB

Jonathan and Rena Boniuk, of Riverdale, New York, sold their Unit J-1 condominium at 4234 Gulf of Mexico Drive to 4234 Gulf LLC for $555,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,150 square feet of living area. It sold for $86,000 in 1979.

The home at 6161 Gulf of Mexico Drive sold for $8 million. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,224 square feet of living area.

ONLINE See more transactions

FAIRWAY BAY

at YourObserver.com.

George Kenneth Kohlmaier and Susan Lynn Kohlmaier, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, sold their Unit 602 condominium at 1912 Harbourside Drive to George Clarence Brooks and Mary Kay Brooks, of Roswell, Georgia, for $496,500.

Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,590 square feet of living area. It sold for $429,000 in 2004.

LONGBOAT HARBOUR

Brian Gerald Snyder and Erin Margo

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of May 22-28 in order of dollar amounts.

LONGBOAT KEY Address

Permit

Applicant

Amount

531 Broadway St.

Res. New/Replacement Jeff Zwerin

$1,500,000

435 L’Ambiance Drive #PHM

Comm. Alteration

Brett Markley

$300,000

2410 Harbourside Drive #151

Comm. Alteration

James Wagler

$273,000

2101 Gulf of Mexico Drive #2101 Comm. Alteration

Silviana Falcone

$240,728

535 Sanctuary Drive #C508

Comm. Alteration

Christopher Lisinski $200,000

4320 Falmouth Drive #205

Comm. Alteration

Andrew Riedel

615 Dream Island #312

Comm. Alteration

David Voight

$155,018

1701 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Comm. Minor Work

Seamus Devlin

$132,470

575 Sanctuary Drive #A402

Comm. Alteration

Bruce Crinkley

$85,870

3344 Sabal Cove Lane

Res. Roof

Joseff Watter

$57,312

1211 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Comm. A/C Changeout Brad Schlabach

$42,283

801 Bayport Way

Comm. Windows/Doors Andrew Werner Sr.

$30,715

560 Halyard Lane

Res. A/C Changeout

Donald Lester

$25,767

2944 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Res. Roof

Guadalupe Cardenas $24,200

725 Penfield St.

Res. A/C Changeout

Kenneth Haines

$24,000

632 Ranger Lane

Res. A/C Changeout

Gary Christopher

$18,131

540 Bay Isles Road

Comm. Electrical Reno

Jan Otting

$17,000

615 Dream Island #103

Comm. Windows/Doors Joe Long

$16,510

$175,455

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

Robert Reynolds

$16,019

550 Wedge Lane

Res. A/C Changeout

Donald Lester

$15,250

3391 Bayou Sound

Res. Plumbing Alt.

Franciso Jose Figueroa$15,000

2110 Harbourside Drive #511

Comm. Alteration

James David Capo

$14,741

2110 Harbourside Drive #531

Comm. Alteration

James David Capo

$14,741

2110 Harbourside Drive #541

Comm. Alteration

James David Capo

$14,741

2110 Harbourside Drive #551

Comm. Alteration

James David Capo

$14,741

941.951.6650

2550 Harbourside Drive #322

Res. A/C Changeout

Jamie Munsell

$14,500

MSCDeveloperServices.com

510 Wedge Lane

Res. A/C Changeout

Brian Drechsler

$14,000

2010 Harbourside Drive #2003 Comm. A/C Changeout Robert Holsbeke

$13,932

4900 Gulf of Mexico Drive #201 Comm. A/C Changeout Brad Schlabach

$11,314

3302 Sabal Cove Lane

Sean McCutcheon

$11,211

4235 Gulf of Mexico Drive #T404 Windows/Doors

Andrew Petersen

$10,600

3802 Gulf of Mexico Drive #A303 A/C Changeout

Brad Schlabach

$10,344

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

Prices as of January 2025

Source: Town of Longboat Key

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

Let’s build something extraordinary together.

2089 Gulf of Mexico Drive #104 Comm. Alteration

Res. A/C Changeout

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

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

460073-1

Mark McNeill, of Cape Coral, sold his Unit 6-D condominium at 2425 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Kevin and Maris Tuite, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.75 million. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,470 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,495,000 in 2021.

24

YourObserver.com

YOUR CALENDAR

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

SATURDAY, JUNE 6 AND SUNDAY, JUNE 7

ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE CRAFT FAIR 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle.

Check out the talents of craft jewelers, metalworkers and more. Visit ArtFestival.com.

MONDAY, JUNE 8

WRITE YOUR MEMOIR 1:30-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Learn to journal and tell your story at this interactive workshop with guided prompts. Ideal for beginners. Cost is $30. Call 941-383-6493 or email RSVP@TheParadiseCenter.org.

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

CPR AND AED TRAINING 10 a.m. at Longboat Key Fire Rescue Station 91, 5490 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Learn about handson CPR and AED training at this free session. Space is limited to 16 attendees per session. The last scheduled summer session is July 8. Register by emailing TAdams@ LongboatKey.org or calling 941316-1944.

RECURRING EVENTS MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Open to peruse a variety of books. Call 941-383-2011.

IYENGAR YOGA (RESUMES JUNE 15) 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Certified instructor Deborah DiCarlo focuses on alignment,

precision, timing and sequencing in this class designed for all ages.

Class is on the second floor, accessible via stairs only. Cost is $20 for drop-ins or one class pass. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

TUESDAYS

ROTARY CLUB 5 p.m. at All Angels Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. The Rotary Club of Longboat Key typically meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month to hear from community guest speakers and plan upcoming events. Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org to learn more, or contact President Terri Driver at TDriver1@comcast.net or 703-517-8925.

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

QIGONG 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Experienced instructor Sandi Love leads this class on ancient healing arts, designed to improve mental and physical well-being through movement. Cost is $20 for drop-ins or one class pass. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

WEDNESDAYS

JUST DANCE 11-11:45 a.m. at The Paradise

Image courtesy of Mote

Cyndi Seamon, vice president of Longboat Key Turtle Watch, and Steve Howard (aka “Sea Turtle Steve”), walk the beach looking for nests that have not yet hatched.

BEST BET SATURDAY, JUNE 6

PUBLIC TURTLE WALKS 6:45 a.m. at Longboat Key Beach Access, 4795 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join wildlife experts at the Longboat Key Turtle Watch’s first free guided public turtle walk. Participants must be able to walk for about a mile in the sand. Comfortable shoes and sun protection are recommended. No reservation required. Visit LBKTurtleWatch.com for more information.

Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Debbie White teaches this popular, high-energy class. Boost cardio health and have a blast. No dance experience needed. Accessible via stairs only. $20 drop-in or one class pass. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

COMMUNITY BINGO 2-4 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Caller Renee Fannin runs the show for

this fun and lively game. Cards are $1 each; $2 for the final round. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS

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

at 262-215-2566 or PattySarasota33@gmail.com.

SATURDAYS

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

WORLD PREMIERE • $35 SCAN FOR TICKETS

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LIFELINEPRODUCTIONSINC.ORG

462611-1

JUNE 11-21 C O O K T H E AT R E S A R A S O TA

FELTZ COLLINS ARCHITECTURE

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FELTZARCH.COM

YourObserver.com

25

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

FRIDAY, JUNE 5 High: 87 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 35%

Thursday, June 4

6:35a

8:22p

Friday, June 5

6:34a

8:23p

Saturday, June 6

6:34a

8:23p

Sunday, June 7

6:34a

8:24p

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Monday, June 8

6:34a

8:24p

High: 89 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 16%

Tuesday, June 9

6:34a

8:24p

Wednesday, June 10

6:34a

8:25p

WEATHER

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

MOON PHASES SUNDAY, JUNE 7 High: 88 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 19%

June 8 Last

June 14 New

June 21 First

June 29 Full

TIDES Highs Lows

P. Nicki Bergin took this photo at Bayfront Park on Longboat Key.

Thursday, June 4

5:50a

2:18p

8:08a

11:08p

Friday, June 5

6:14a

3:11p

9:24a

11:50a

Saturday, June 6

6:40a

4:10p

10:52a

—

Sunday, June 7

7:07a

5:20p

12:34a

12:27p

Monday, June 8

7:34a

6:41p

1:17a

1:52p

Tuesday, June 9

8:01a

8:15p

1:58a

3:06p

Wednesday, June 10

8:30a

9:59p

2:37a

4:12p

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

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood | tile | stone | pavers | and more

Daily crossword puzzles available at YourObserver.com/crossword

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ by Ryan Mathiason, edited by Jared Goudsmit 116 Of help 117 “I swear!”

118 Grads-to-be, for short 119 Genesis garden 120 Drops in for a bit

©2026 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Pig on British TV 6 Movie that might make you snicker and swoon 12 Wild guess 16 Shaq’s Southern alma mater 19 Sleepover game challenges 20 ___ borealis 21 Plushie with a “belly badge” 23 Fantasy movie with Lindsay Lohan, or a hint to 70-Across 25 Forest-damaging precipitation 26 Group of eight 27 ___ cable (console-TV connector) 29 Locates

86 Rowing stick 30 Server who may wear back tour, say 87 Cardinals’ homes skates 58 Burn on the grill 89 “Relax, soldiers!”

32 Reason for a snow day, or 59 Strep doc 90 Only even prime number 60 To and ___ a hint to 82-Across 62 Work period for someone 92 This, in Spanish 37 Figure skater Galindo 38 Feathered insurance on “vampire hours,” or a hint 94 Bets with multiple legs 96 Like some exams and mascot to 108-Across medication 39 The “m” of Einstein’s 64 Paid for cards 67 Two-person Fortnite team 97 Parts of a camper’s famous equation sweet treat 68 Falsehood 41 “___ you sure?”

101 Organism that needs 42 California wine region 69 Lock of hair oxygen 43 “I pranked those folks” 70 They produce milk 46 “___ habits die hard” 73 “SNL” comic ___ Marshall 103 Canon rival 104 “___ No Love in Okla49 Cinderella team’s 74 Zodiac’s big cat chance to shine, or a hint to 75 Poems of praise homa” (Luke Combs song) 76 Not outsourced 97-Across 105 No later than 53 ___ up (agitate) 78 Cause-and-effect con106 Marvel-ous team?

54 Fried rice veggie 108 Very complex concept cept in Buddhism 55 Aardman’s animated in physics 80 Red Lobster garment sheep 115 “The broadcast has 81 Eye layer 56 Link up to do a comebegun!”

82 Important court figure

51 Good with tools, say 52 Star of the Icarus myth?

57 Long African river 58 Google browser 60 Cozy Russian headwear item 121 Eyelid concerns 61 NFL analyst Tony 63 Back of a ship DOWN 64 Spicy marinade 1 Adobe file format 65 Nobelist Murad 2 Body part with a canal 66 Overtime rounds 3 Buys in advance 67 Great ___ (large dogs) 4 Hunky-dory 71 Early hour to wake up 5 Invite for 72 Fishy, in slang 6 Whitewater vessel 7 “___ Last Summer” (ABBA 73 Paul McCartney, e.g.

74 Word before “show” or song) “bloomer” 8 CT scan alternative 77 Tony ___, aka Iron Man 9 Fish-and-chips fish 10 “Your Song” singer Rita 78 Smooch 79 Field of study with star 11 Chaos signs 12 Many emails about 81 Straighten out, like knotunpaid tolls ted cables 13 Implicitly understood 83 Backside 14 Singer Grande, to fans 84 Routes 15 What may support a 85 Q-tip, e.g. king?

88 Extend across 16 Low in fat 91 “Go, Pele!”

17 Stated 93 Gleamed 18 Fancy vases 95 Throws a tantrum, say 22 Bowler hats’ edges 96 Show the ropes to 24 “That’s right!”

97 Chews like a beaver 28 Pharmacy product 98 “Cry me a ___” 30 Study hurriedly 31 Cool vibe, in Gen Z slang 99 Make, like a jack-o’lantern 32 Breeze 100 Out of bed 33 “That’s my cue!”

34 Uno o dos, por ejemplo 101 Colony insect 102 Cultural values 35 Joke around with 105 ___ sweater party 36 Eggy brunch order 107 Ramadan-ending 38 Borrowed sum 40 WNBA player Cunning- festival 109 Chinese menu general ham 42 Steamy writing such as 110 One squat, e.g.

111 Coding conditionals “Heated Rivalry” 44 Starting point, or (0,0) 112 Well-used pencil 113 Fish eggs on a graph 114 Gridiron distances 45 Church donation 47 Toronto Maple ___ (NHL (Abbr.)

457539-1

celebrity cipher

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“NQW UXIV LQ MBIV LUVF UQHV. UQHV PQT X DVLLVT CQTGE, UQHV PQT X DVLLVT LQFQTTQC ... UQHV LUXL XGG CBGG DV XGG TBMUL.”

UXTIVN FBGY

“A EM DBX DM YIHO UBAHIKX ... A DBX DM FO YMROCD DM VYM A IW VYOR A IW AR UQFJAK, FQD A IJCM DBX DM LOOU DYARPC NMB WXCOJN.”

GOREIXI

“WEMD EP FVY DBPR MVX BFR VM CP. GCY JZBY VM YZBY? JD ICPY ZBKD LDXPDKDXBFUD BFH BGVKD BWW UVFMEHDFUD EF VCXPDWKDP.” IBXED UCXED Puzzle Three Clue: X equals R

crossword

Puzzle Two Clue: B equals R

Sarasota 941.355.8437 | Bradenton 941.748.4679 | Venice 941.493.7441 | manasotaonline.com

Flooring Made for Your Family

Puzzle Two Clue: G equals L

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

sudoku

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

team) 48 Pub game 50 “Let’s toast!” ©2026 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

06-04-26

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

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

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

Condos/Apts. for Sale

SEAPLACE LBK gulffront highrise.Peaceful greenbelt & bay views, elegant turnkey-furnished 2BR/2BA, hurricane-impact ready, half mile beach, next to clubhouse pool, gym & sauna, 2 properties from St. Regis restaurants & beach bar $549,000 (619) 787-7811

Homes for Sale

Merchandise Wanted

941-955-4888

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

941-400-8811 Boat Slips for Rent/Sale BOAT SLIPS FOR LEASE ON LONGBOAT KEY Annual and monthly leases are available. Deep water slips up to 40 ft with water and electrical service. Easy access to Sarasota Bay, ICW and Gulf Call 941-500-3895.

jobs

Pool Home Completely Upgraded $545,000

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

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

Luxury Sarasota Bay views 4 Bed 5 Bath with Boat Dock $1.76 million

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

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

Honest & reliable.

For Free estimates call CARL 941-448-8468 35+ years experience.

Professional Services AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR Edited and Published HighCottonPublishing.com 941-706-2463

Roofing

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Call Bob today for a free, no pressure quote! 727-486-2389

Want Some Mad Money?

Sell Your Item for Free! $200 or less

YourObserver.com/RedPages

This week’s Crossword answers

Near South bridge to Siesta One level, heated pool, stroll to shops. 3Bed-2.5Bath $1,250,000 Brooke O’Malley CLUB REALTY Call 941-726-2677

GARAGE SALE 941-955-4888

auto

Al Tomlinson

POSITION NEEDED Accountant/Bookkeeper needed part-time for a small HVAC Company in Bradenton. Please send resume'/inquiry to Sales@ckphvac.com. or Rae@ckphvac.com (330) 413-2740 Rae@ckphvac.com

House on Canal with Pool & Dock $1,250,000

YourObserver.com/RedPages

LICENSED CNA SERVICES Companionate caregiver, 10 yrs experience, good references.

Helps with medication, transport, errands, light cleaning.

Great for all types of patients 941-400-1667 lahego90@hotmail.com

As low as $17.50 per week!

ANTIQUES WANTED

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

Positions Wanted

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Antiques/ Collectibles

WANTED

Plantation Golf Course View Condo 3 Bed $294,000

BUY STUFF HERE!

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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

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

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Condos/Apts. for Rent 2BR/2BA FAIRWAY Bay Harborside Longboat Key Luxury 2-bedroom, 2-bath townhouse behind the gates in Fairway Bay. 2-car garage plus extra space for hobbies and storage. Kitchen, floors, appliances, and baths all recently updated. The home is minutes from private beach access, LBK Club, and local shopping. Fully furnished or unfurnished options.

(941) 928-0079 kimberley@kpaa.ca

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals L’AMBIANCE, LONGBOAT KEY Beach front 2BR/3BA condo on high floor with wrap-around terrace, 270 degree views over the Gulf, Sarasota Bay and LBK Club.

Sunrises, sunsets through floor to ceiling windows. View at: www.thephotos.smugmug.com Call John at: 203-984-8477 or E-mail: garment@optonline.net WEEKLY MONTHLY SEASONAL RATES Beachfront, Bayfront and In Between Houses or Condos Reservations 941-383-5577 wagnerlbkrentals@gmail.com Visa/MC 5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite 101 Longboat Key, FL 34228 Rental office 9a.m. - 5p.m.

M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty Since 1939

©2026 Universal Uclick

You’re only cheating yourself.

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

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

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

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Sailboat Access Canal 4 Bed Pending $675,000

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

Call 941-383-3338.

peekers’ place

Items Under $200

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

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

Over 1 Acre Beachfront House $6.5 million

real estate

stuff

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

Confidential & Honest.

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

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

home services

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Health Services

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “You have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow ... Hope that all will be all right.”

Harvey Milk

Puzzle Two Solution: “I do try to have privacy ... I try to be honest to who I am when I am in public, but I also try to keep things for myself.”

Zendaya Puzzle Three Solution: “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.”

Marie Curie

This week’s Sudoku answers

www.rentalsonlongboat.com

Use the RED PAGES to clean out your garage

CALL 941-955-4888

©2026 NEA, Inc.

SEARCH the RED PAGES for GREAT DEALS To place an ad

Call 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com

27

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

SELL YOUR CAR!

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John M. Campora, ChFC , CRPC

Insurance

SECUR-ALL INSURANCE AGENCY 510 BAY ISLES ROAD, SUITE 1 • LONGBOAT KEY, FL (Next to SUNTRUST BANK)

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

STUFF

found here.

The Red Pages is the perfect store to buy and sell locally! You’ll find a wide selection from antiques to furniture to condos!

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

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

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Sandra Smith | 941.383.3388

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YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

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1199 WESTWAY DRIVE

$6,999,000

A rare offering in coveted Lido Shores, this Gulf-front property is an exceptional opportunity to build a signature coastal estate on nearly half an acre with 127 feet of water frontage. Perfectly placed at the dynamic junction of New Pass, where turquoise waters meet the open Gulf—an unmatched setting.

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www.1199WestwayDrive.com

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www.RitzResidences805.com

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$8,495,000

Rarely available Ritz-Carlton residence is a furnished, highly customized corner getaway perched on the 8th floor, offering panoramic views of Sarasota Bay, John Ringling Bridge, downtown, and the Gulf. Includes private one-car garage and additional secure space. Incomparable luxury service awaits!

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www.667MourningDove.com

401 QUAY COMMONS #805

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$10,995,000

Set along the deep-water shores of Bird Key, this direct bayfront 5BR estate was designed by renowned architect Cliff Scholz and constructed by luxury builder Murray Homes. Spanning nearly 6,600 SF of elevated living space, the residence captures panoramic Sarasota Bay views that stretch out to the Gulf.

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667 MOURNING DOVE DRIVE

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E XC L US I V E L I S T I N G S - TO U R T H E S E L U X U RY H O M E S TO DAY

Sunday, 6/7 1p-3p

6001 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE $9,995,000

2116 CASEY KEY ROAD $6,995,000

476 MEADOW LARK DRIVE $4,495,000

575 SOUTH SPOONBILL DRIVE $4,295,000

www.6001GulfofMexico.com

www.2116CaseyKeyRoad.com

www.476MeadowLark.com

www.575SouthSpoonbill.com

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This stunning, newly custom-built Bird Key residence is spread across two levels, spanning nearly 4,000 SF. Ready to enjoy immediately!

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This 4BR waterfront residence blends timeless coastal design with extensive updates and exceptional indoor-outdoor living.

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Gulf-to-Bay 4BR, 5,500 SF estate on Casey Key with deeded private beach access, 100+ feet of deep-water bay frontage, and lovely updates.

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

8017 MANASOTA KEY ROAD $3,995,000

464 GOLDEN GATE POINT #304 $3,775,000

7689 COVE TERRACE $3,499,000

8250 HUGH ALISON PLACE $3,249,000

www.8250HughAlisonPlace.com

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www.7689 CoveTerrace.com

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

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www.LaBellasara304.com

Just three homes in from the open bay waters, this updated 4BR waterfront residence is on a quiet cul-de-sac with nearly 100’ of water frontage.

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www.8017ManasotaKey.com

Walk to the best that downtown Sarasota offers from this 3BR La Bellasara getaway with a private 2-car garage and boat dock.

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This 5BR estate offers a bay-to-Gulf lifestyle that combines deep-water boating access and a private beach to enjoy on Manasota Key.

3548 FAIR OAKS LANE $2,895,000

2410 HARBOURSIDE DRIVE #142 $2,695,000

2050 BEN FRANKLIN DRIVE #B-704 $2,650,000

35 WATERGATE DRIVE #1506 $2,499,000

www.3548FairOaks.com

www.MarinaBay142.com

www.OrchidBeachB704.com

www.TowerResidences1506.com

This 15th-floor Ritz-Carlton corner residence is the epitome of downtown luxury living with stunning views. Includes 2 parking spaces!

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

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Beautiful updates throughout this direct bayfront, nearly 3,400 SF residence, offered fully furnished with secure parking and beach access.

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Boaters will love this direct bayfront, 4BR courtyard residence within the Longboat Key Club community. Bike to deeded beach club.

3530 MISTLETOE LANE $2,495,000

541 FORE DRIVE - HARBOUR WALK $1,850,000

1513 OAK STREET #18 $1,449,000

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

www.3530MistletoeLane.com

www.541ForeDrive.com

www.1513OakStreet.com

www.Beachplace8504.com B U YE R’ S

Furnished, direct Gulf-front getaway boasts an average of $70,000/year in rental income! Includes covered and additional parking spaces.

1350 SIESTA BAYSIDE DRIVE #1350B $949,000

3295 ALEX FINLDAY PLACE $899,000

5311 GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE #5 $799,000

1350 MAIN STREET #712 $589,000

www.1350SiestaBayside.com

www.3295AlexFindlayPlace.com

www.BeachCastle5.com

www.1350Main712.com

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This 3BR, two-story, 1,900+ SF residence offers the privacy and comfort of a single-family home with the walkability and energy of downtown.

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This 4BR direct bayfront residence is a combination The epitome of coastal contemporary living at of waterfront views, thoughtful renovations, and this gorgeous 5BR home. Designer finishes, seamless outdoor living, and new dock (2025). a low-maintenance Longboat Key lifestyle.

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Experience turnkey island living at this 3BR townhome residence a short walk from famed Siesta Key Beach. Includes private 1-car garage.

Perfectly placed on an oversized corner parcel, this 3BR, 2,273 SF courtyard home is waiting for your personal touches.

Turnkey furnished and updated, this 2BR Beach Castle getaway is steps from the Gulf, offering proven rental potential.

This walkable, 7th-floor residence is the epitome of downtown living, in a pet-friendly community with many convenient amenities.

$400+ MILLION SOLD IN THE LAST TWO YEARS 443 John Ringling Boulevard, Suite F, Sarasota, FL 34236 | PettingellProfessionals.com | 941.387.1840 YouTube.com/@PettingellProfessionals | Instagram.com/RogerPettingell | Professionals@Pettingell.com

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The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker.

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