A shell to celebrate Tarsha Butler is always in search of more seashells to showcase in glass containers and baskets.
Yet, while visiting South Lido Beach on the weekend of Aug. 16 with her husband, Michael Butler, she came across a find that wasn’t of the everyday sort.
About 8 yards from the shore, a rare scaphella junonia shell, often known as the most desired shell in Florida, caught her eye in the clear water with its distinct spotted pattern.
Tarsha, who is the medical surgical unit manager at Doctor’s Hospital, wrote The Observer that she and Michael plan to showcase the shell as a symbol of their love for the beach and love for each other and of how they will stay intact as they “stand stronger together through the storms of life.”
Rabbi throws first pitch
Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Mates joined Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key this summer as the new senior rabbi, and one of her latest adventures in getting to know the community took her out to Lecom Park.
Spitalnic Mates threw out the first pitch at the inaugural Jewish Heritage Night on Aug. 21. The game featured the Bradenton Marauders against the Dayton Tortugas.
The rabbi watched the game and even got to meet Marty the Marauder, Bradenton’s pirate mascot.
The home team pulled off a win, finishing 16-5.
OF AUG. 28, 2025
BY
THE NUMBERS
“The number one threat to the health of Sarasota Bay is wastewater pollution.”
Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton.
Read more on page 6
Two commissioners receive honors
between July 2024 and July 2025.
They earned points for participating in training events offered by FLC, including monthly webinars, online orientation, the Institute for Elected Municipal Officials, the State mandated Continuing Education in Ethics, and the League’s Annual Conference and legislative events. Gold represents District 2. Bishop occupies one of two atlarge seats.
New members donate $5K to Kiwanis Lawn Party
Longboat Key Kiwanis’ annual Lawn Party just got a boost from new members Jeff and Stephanie McKee, whose $5,000 donation through the Jeffrey P. McKee Foundation makes the couple silver sponsors.
Kiwanis President Michael Garey expressed his appreciation to the McKees for the donation despite being new to the nonprofit organization.
“As relatively new Kiwanians, you and Stephanie have already stepped forward in such a big way — both with your time and your treasure,” Garey wrote. “We are fortunate to have you as members, and even more fortunate to count you as friends.”
The Lawn Party will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, at Ken Thompson Park on City Island. Proceeds raised support the Children’s Guardian Fund, which supports children in the foster care system. The Lawn Party in 2024 was not held as businesses struggled to rebuild after the devastating double-whammy of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In 2023, the event raised more than $100,000 for CGF.
Republicans elect
Sarasota’s Gruters as chairman of RNC
Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters, who represents the Sarasota area, was chosen Friday as the chair of the Republican National Committee, about a month after President Trump endorsed him for the role. Gruters was unopposed in the election process. He’s a former state chair of the party and was first elected to the Florida Legislature in 2016. Gruters, 48, will lead the national organization chiefly tasked with fundraising and organizing political campaigns.
According to the RNC website, where Gruters is now listed as chairman, he will remain as the District 22 state senator. Gruters has been chair of the Sarasota Republican Party and chaired Trump’s 2016 campaign in Florida.
File photos
BJ Bishop and Penny Gold, members of the Longboat Key Town Commission, were recognized by the Florida League of Cities for earning Gold Certificates of Excellence from the League of Cities’ Certificate Program for Elected Officials.
REELING IT IN
For many animals, fishing line is lethal. Two groups work to keep it out of the ecosystem.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
With a tilt of their lengthy brown wing feathers and an eye scanning between the glint of sunlight reflecting off the crests of passing waves in Sarasota Bay, a mighty brown pelican soars lower, hunting mullet or whatever other small silver fish may pass.
Then, it makes a dramatic dive, dipping beneath the water’s surface with a grand splash. It successfully scoops up a fishy meal in its notoriously gaping maw, but with it, a difficult-to-spot hazard.
Monofilament fishing line poses a potentially life-threatening risk to shorebirds, turtles, fish, coral reefs and other aquatic inhabitants.
Longboat Key leaders are taking measures to help keep hazardous materials out of the ecosystem with an initiative to encourage proper disposal of fishing line that makes it easy for fishermen and keeps animals safe.
If that pelican is lucky, a trained volunteer or staff member working with Save Our Seabirds, a wild bird rescue and rehabilitation facility, will scoop it up.
Brian Walton, the facility’s executive director, said fishing line is a main cause of injury to local birds coming to the animal hospital. In fact, rescuers can fill a large gallonsized jar in a few months full of fishing line they pull off of birds.
The injured bird may find itself in the hospital, where trained staff will carefully untangle any line wrapped around its legs or wings, delicately but firmly extracting an attached hook from the wild bird, and checking the wild animal over for any other injuries.
Fishing line poses a particular entanglement risk to birds, especially water-faring species. But beyond the drowning or choking risks, birds face problems with deformed limbs when they remain tangled up for an extended period.
Stormy Wilson, lead avian keeper at Save Our Seabirds, noted that monofilament line is thin, clear, and easy for birds to miss.
“When they’re fishing for the same fish as us, there’s always a risk,” she said. “We have a few birds at our hospital right now that have swallowed lines that we may really struggle to get out. It’s pretty common.”
Mangrove roots can easily trap fishing line, and when birds are wading in the shallow waters while hunting prey, they can get caught up in the plastic web.
Director of Outreach and Education Lisa Wood said receptacles at fishing docks should prove especially useful considering how many birds regularly hang out by anglers, hoping for a treat.
“They recognize fishing activity, so they definitely seek it out,” Wood said. “Especially cormorants like to hang around kayakers. Pelicans like to stay by the piers. They can get themselves into a lot of trouble.”
While the rescue facility does its part to aid animals already caught in fishing line, the Rotary Club of Longboat Key started a new drive this summer to keep waste monofilament from getting in the water.
Members installed two new PVC receptacles on the dock at Over-
look Park — located by Quick Point Nature Preserve — allowing visitors to dispose of extra line for recycling.
Terri Driver, the new president of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key and a member of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch, launched the initiative in partnership with Public Works.
Public Works Director Charlie Mopps assisted Driver and her husband, Jeff, with installing the containers. They attached one at either end of the dock, which is often frequented by both anglers and herons seeking an easy snack.
Terri stressed that Rotary doesn’t aim to villainize anglers, many of whom are avid wildlife protection advocates. But offering a way for them and other parkgoers to recycle discarded line is the first line of defense in protecting Sarasota Bay.
She is also a member of Longboat’s citizen Green Team, and she hopes to unite her work with the group and the environmental goals of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key.
“We’ve had a laundry list of ideas, and we worked with Charlie and found this would be a great starting point,” Terri said.
The week before the installation, Rotary members enlisted the help of some local youngsters to help build the receptacles.
Youth members of Sarasota Youth Sailing joined the Rotary on City Island at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron headquarters to glue together PVC pipes to make the recycling bins. Anyone who collects the line can place it in the pipe, the opening of which is covered with a simple rubber flap. Then, disposal teams can simply open the bottom and take away the line for recycling.
Dustin Domer, SYS executive director, said they believe it is important for kids to get hands-on experience caring for the waters.
“Most of these kids will get experience fishing somehow, whether by themselves or with their families,” he said. “Or they may be out having fun paddling, and now they’ll have a bit more background knowing what to do when they come across fishing line.”
Sea turtles are also particularly at risk, given their need to surface to breathe and their chances of accidentally swallowing fishing line.
A 2022 bulletin published by Science Direct detailed a survey of 30 sea turtles. Eight had ingested fishing line, and of those, all had suffered some sort of injury, and three had
severe lesions.
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium had several local celebrity turtles it rehabilitated from fishing line injuries, including a green sea turtle nicknamed Waves.
The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital treated the turtle after it was found tangled near the Seafood Shake Marina in Cortez. Fishing line surrounded a flipper and its mouth, apparently for a long time. The unfortunate turtle had also swallowed a spinner hook.
Staff released the healed turtle in August 2022, and they took the opportunity to encourage those on the water to dispose of fishing gear.
Gretchen Lovewell, Mote’s stranding investigations program manager, said in a statement, “What we do every day has a huge impact on these animals. You can be a good environ mental steward by making sure you stow fishing gear before you go.”
Besides seabirds and turtles, der elict lines also cause more coral mor tality, a 2023 Science Direct publica tion notes.
FWCC sends recyclable line to the Berkley Pure Fishing company in Iowa, which turns it into raw plas tic pellets. Those a repurposed into tackle boxes, line spools and other equipment.
WHERE TO FIND THEM
An important part of making cleanup initiatives successful is making recycling points easily accessible.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission main tains a GPS map of recycling loca tions as part of its statewide Mono filament Recovery and Recycling Program.
Ghost fishing gear, which includes
fishing line, nets and other equipment, makes up at least 10% of all marine litter, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. That amounts to between 500,000 to 1 million tons of gear every year.
When gear is lost to the waves, animals can get trapped and drown or starve if they’re unable to escape.
ANGLERS SHARE OPTIMISM
Anglers in the area voiced their willingness to help curb the effect on the ecosystem.
Fishermen Brad Merkamp and Max Walker, who were visiting from Indiana and Ohio, just happened to be casting lines from the Overlook Park dock the afternoon that the Drivers and Mopps installed the new receptacles.
“Some people are always going to be leaving trash around, but some people will use them, and I think it will keep trash down quite a bit,”
Merkamp said.
He added, “It’s important to remember that this affects wildlife, and not just aquatic animals, but all of them.”
The state officially added the new Longboat Key containers to its GPS map this month, labeled “Quick Point Preserve West” and “Quick Point Preserve East.”
The map also shows nearby locations near Causeway Park, South Lido County Park and Marina Jack at Bayfront Park in Sarasota.
On the day they installed the Overlook Park bins, the Drivers found several clumps of tangled line and christened both receptacles. Terri said she hopes they will contribute
DANGERS OF FISHING LINE
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a GPS map of nearby locations where citizens can recycle discarded monofilament fishing line for recycling.
The Rotary Club of Longboat Key installed two new receptacles for the public to recycle discarded monofilament fishing line. They are located at either end of the dock underneath the bridge at Overlook Park, the entrance to Quick Point Preserve. Users can place bundles of line into the PVC pipes, which are marked with decals. Visit App.MyFWC.com/Maps/Shared/MRRPBins.
INGESTION Animals may swallow fishing line, causing internal injuries or blockages.
GHOST FISHING Lost or abandoned lines continue to catch and kill marine life or cause physical damage to habitats.
Photos by Dana Kampa Hospital technician Abby O’Donnell, with Save Our Seabirds, treats one of half-adozen brown pelicans that came into the animal hospital that week. Entanglement with monofilament fishing line is one of the most common injuries the facility sees with shorebirds.
Ali Claypoole demonstrates to members of Sarasota Youth Sailing how to assemble a monofilament fishing line recycling receptacle. The Rotary Club of Longboat Key installed two new containers at Overlook Park this summer.
ENTANGLEMENT
Marine animals can become entangled, leading to restricted movement, injury or drowning.
An osprey looks out at a fishing boat heading across Sarasota Bay. The same afternoon, volunteers were hard at work assembling fishing line recycling containers. They hope keeping the used gear out of waterways will help protect shorebirds and other aquatic wildlife.
Good neighbors help each other when needed — maybe by loaning a cup of sugar — but for neighboring police departments, the way neighbors help each other is a little different, which can include using a neighbor’s helicopter, or putting on diving equipment and plunging into the bay.
Police departments and law enforcement agencies with bordering jurisdictions sign what is called a memorandum of understanding, which allows separate departments to work together to solve crimes or respond to emergencies.
“The town of Longboat Key has memorandums of understanding with neighboring agencies. These agreements outline how departments assist each other during major incidents, investigations and emergency responses,” said Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager. “They allow us to share personnel, resources and information, including specialized units like our marine unit.”
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche and Mager both hailed the partnership their departments share, saying it increases public safety and that the departments are in constant communication, even sharing a radio system.
“Working with our neighboring agencies doesn’t stop at the city of Sarasota, town of Longboat Key or Sarasota County boundaries. The situations we face, whether it’s traffic, a crime or an emergency, can
possibly have an impact on our entire area,” said Troche. “Partnering with our neighboring law enforcement agencies, including the town of Longboat Key, Florida Highway Patrol, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and others, we can share resources and knowledge, which ultimately make our communities safer.”
Some specific examples of crossjurisdictional cooperation are during unique circumstances where one department’s specialized unit can help a neighboring department respond to an emergency. Troche gave the example of when a driver drove off of Gulf of Mexico Drive into the gulf. SPD jumped in to help.
“The Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit and Dive Team assisted the town of Longboat Key Police Department on this traffic call out,” Troche said.
“Officers from Sarasota PD can respond quickly due to the city of Sarasota being close to the town of Longboat Key on the south side of Longboat Key.”
Mager used several examples of how his department works together with neighboring agencies from fraud investigations to searches for missing persons.
“For example, in missing person cases we’ve utilized Sheriff’s Office helicopters. In fraud investigations, we’ve worked with Sheriff’s investigative units. Our officers have backed up Sarasota PD on traffic stops around St. Armands and Lido, and assisted Bradenton Beach PD with suspicious person calls,” Mager said.
Sarasota and Longboat Key police departments work together in patrolling the waters of Sarasota Bay as well as on land.
TIME CHECK
ou get off work, punch the time clock and onto the next adventure you go. But if you want to get to that town commission meeting on time, you’d better be quick. Really quick. Local governments across the state have a habit of scheduling their meetings for 5:01 p.m. Unless you snuck into the universe of Gene Roddenberry’s imagination and made off with a transporter, it’s unlikely you’ll get to town hall in time for the meeting.
Longboat Key’s two public hearings to pass the next fiscal year budget are scheduled for 5:01 p.m.
The city of Bradenton has its budget hearing scheduled for 5:01. The city of Tampa has 5:01 listed as the start time for multiple meetings, including a public hearing on the budget and a special called meeting for future land uses in the city’s comprehensive plan. Broward County
Why are public meetings sometimes scheduled for 5:01 p.m.?
and Orange County also hold certain meetings at 5:01.
But why 5:01? Why not 5? The simple answer is to abide by state law.
“The local governing body shall hold two advertised public hearings on the proposed ordinance. At least one hearing shall be held after 5 p.m. on a weekday, unless the local governing body, by a majority plus one vote, elects to conduct that hearing at another time of day,” reads Florida Statute 166.041(c)2.a.
The town’s charter says that public hearings abide by that statute, which is why the town has scheduled meetings at 5:01 p.m., says Town Clerk Trish Shinkle. Town commission votes on the schedule for meetings.
“Florida Statutes require that budget hearings have to start after 5:00 p.m., hence the 5:01 p.m. start time to comply with statutes,” Shinkle said in an email. “It was intended to allow time for the working public to attend the hearings, but hard to attend when you get off work at 5
and are a distance from the hearing locations.”
Longboat Key’s archive of past meetings, which goes back to 2019, shows that all budget hearings have started at 5:01 for the past six years. Before that, the town went back and forth. In 1997, the budget hearing was scheduled for 5:01. In 2009 and 2010, the hearings were held at 7. From 2011 through 2016, one hearing was held at 5:01 and the other at 7. (Two public hearings for the budget are held each year.) In 2017, the hearings were held at 5:01 only, which has remained the norm since.
Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier said the meetings are held after 5 to comply with state law and the reason why 5:01 was picked was so the meetings wouldn’t run late. Schneier said the September public hearings don’t have much community involvement because the budget is formed earlier in the year. Off-site budget retreat meetings drew public attendance and input back in March, April, May and June.
“By (September), virtually anyone who has anything to say has said it, and usually by the end of June we have the budget locked in,” Schneier said. “So for good or for bad, these final meetings that we have are just stamping things in that are done months in advance. We have virtually no people that come to these meetings.”
Michael Wolf, eminent scholar chair in local government for the University of Florida, said scheduling meetings for 5:01 allows the town to abide by the letter of the law, but may miss the point of why the law was passed in the first place. He says most municipalities and counties schedule meetings that are required to be after 5 p.m. at 7, or 5:30. He said he had not heard of meetings scheduled at 5:01 before being contacted by The Observer.
“The idea behind the statute was not to make the meeting at 5:01,” Wolf said. “The idea was to make it after normal business hours, and when you make it at 5:01, you’re not giving people working normal business hours time to get to the meeting. When you make it at 5:01, I don’t know what the intent is, but I know the effect. The effect is you’re going to reduce the amount of public participation.”
Algae forms near bay
S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER
Areport of dead fish washing up in Palma Sola Bay led to water testing, which is raising alarm bells among environmental advocates.
According to Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna, a water sample from Palma Sola Bay determined an algae known as Ceratium furca was found in the water.
The algae causes brownish-red water, which people could see at Palma Sola Bay, where they observed dead fish.
“This is NOT good news,” said Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director David Tomasko in an email. “This organism is rightfully classified as a harmful algal bloom.”
Decomposing dapis pleousa, another type of blue-green alga, was also seen at Emerson Point Preserve and Terra Ceia Bay, according to Suncoast Waterkeeper water quality and pollution specialist Pia Ronquillo-See. Tyrna said the recent rain the area experienced may have flushed out some of the blooms. She said the algae that were present do not seem to have an impact on health for humans, but can kill fish. A more recent test showed improvement from the previous week.
“There were no dead fish on the shore (when we tested this week), so we don’t think it’s intensifying,” Tyrna said. “Rain usually dissipates the algal bloom. Hopefully, that’s true in this case, but we can only wait and see.”
Tyrna said it’s too early to tell the extent of the algal bloom or determine whether the issue is resolved for the season.
Image courtesy of Suncoast Waterkeeper
Dead fish washed ashore on Palma Sola Bay in August just north of Longboat Key, prompting water testing, which found algal blooms.
PIPE DOWN
work, said Utility Manager Jessie Camburn.
ive years ago, the need to replace the lone wastewater pipe exiting Longboat Key was obvious, but construction of the new pipeline crossing the bay has yet to begin.
The town is inching closer to beginning work, with funding applied for and design work nearly complete.
Town leaders don’t expect to start on the underground portion of the project until at least mid-2026, though.
It’s been a long process to work through the many layers of red tape a project of this magnitude involves, including funding, permitting, designing and engineering.
The landward portion of the project has already been completed, with the $2.3 million project replacing 1.1 miles of the aging pipe with new lining.
But 2.3 miles of pipe still need replaced, and with that portion being under Sarasota Bay, the cost is expected to be around $30 million.
It took two years, but permits have been issued for construction of the underwater portion of the project, including from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The 20-inch-wide plastic pipe will be laid into a 12,200-foot-long, open-cut trench just north of the current wastewater pipe. But there still could be some more permitting
“Although the town has an approved environmental permit, revisions are being sought to align with the final route and construction methods,” Camburn said.
Permitting, check (pending revisions).
In March, 95% of Longboat voters supported securing a State Revolving Fund loan to fund the project. The loan would fund a majority of the cost, which increased from $21.9 million to $30 million since original estimates.
Funding, check?
“That’s being worked on now by the engineers and our grant coordinator of getting that application in, but the voters approved that we would go for that as a funding source,” said town Finance Director Susan Smith. “It’s roughly a $27 million loan, possibly, but we’re also getting grants that we’re pursuing for that project, as well.”
It’s rare for issuance of debt to go before the voters directly like it did in this instance, but Smith said it was because the State Revolving Fund Loan comes with contract stipulations that require the town’s general fund to act as a guarantee if the utility fails to pay for the project.
“Say if the utility doesn’t have the money, the general fund has got to produce the money to pay the debt payment, so that’s why it had to go to referendum to get approval. Our
charter says so,” Smith said. “The general fund is guaranteeing that we will make these debt payments if the utility for some reason doesn’t have the money, the general fund guarantees we’ll make the payment.”
The state revolving fund incorporates federal and state grant money to provide loans to municipalities for infrastructure projects that protect waterways. The state revolving fund would have an interest rate of 2.89% instead of a typical bond rate, which would have at least 5% interest, saving the town millions in interest. The town currently pays about $5.9 million annually in interest for debt service. Camburn said grants and loans have already been applied for.
Next up is design, which Camburn said is “nearing completion.” Carollo Engineers is collaborating with the town to finalize the design.
Once the design is finalized, ground can be broken (carefully).
The permit support document detailing the construction process explains that temporary impacts to the natural ecosystem are necessary to construct the pipe, but that efforts will be made to minimize impacts.
“With respect to the proposed project, impacts to wetlands and aquatic resources — primarily mangroves, sea grasses and oysters — are a primary concern. However, it must be emphasized that any and all impacts to these resources caused by the proposed project are associated with project construction only — not
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941-383-8161
Replacement of ruptured sewage line inching ahead.
long-term operation,” the permit support document states. “No components of the proposed project will result in a permanent loss of any ecological resources within Alignment 1; therefore, all impacts are considered to be temporary.”
The last step is building the thing. According to Camburn, construction may begin in mid-2026 and continue for a year.
“However, the schedule is highly dependent on permitting and funding,” he said. Garney Construction will install the pipe, using barges, excavators and cranes to dig a trench and bury the pipe.
The old metal pipeline, which was constructed in 1973 and installed in 1975, will be replaced with a plastic (HDPE) pipeline, traveling under Sarasota Bay to a Manatee County treatment facility. In 2020, the 50-plus-year-old iron pipe ruptured, leaking about 11 million gallons of sewage “within the mangrove fringe” near Sarasota Bay, according to a permit support document commissioned by the town.
“The number one threat to the health of Sarasota Bay is wastewater pollution,” Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton said. “So we are absolutely committed to making sure that we’ve got a safe system that transmits the flow to Manatee County. The only way to guarantee that is through this new pipe project.”
This map shows the potential routes considered to replace the aging metal subaqueous wastewater pipeline that connects Longboat Key’s wastewater to a Manatee County treatment center across Sarasota Bay. The line in solid light green is the route that was chosen, and the solid red and purple lines show where the existing pipe is located.
Images courtesy of Longboat Key permit support document
The subaqueous wastewater pipeline was damaged by corrosion from resting against a log or tree stump, spilling about 11 million gallons of sewage before being repaired, according to a Longboat Key permit support document.
A life of giving
Longboat Key Kiwanis benefactor, friendly neighbor and storyteller
Woody Wolverton died at 91.
He’s a two-time Oklahoma Sooners national champion.
He was in Hawaii during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. He traveled to China, Vietnam and France, to name a few. He was a talented pilot, and he excelled at horseback riding.
Back home in Longboat Key, he was ever-presently involved in his community. He served as town commissioner and president of the Kiwanis Club. But his accomplishments, experiences and talents aren’t what Woody Wolverton will be remembered for.
It’s his big heart.
“If he saw something he thought he could fix, he was kind of all in,” Woody’s stepdaughter, Jessica Ross, said. “He’s helped out so many in the community.”
Many who knew Woody repeated that sentiment. He was a helper.
“He was very generous with nonprofit organizations with his time for certain, and philanthropic with any organizations he was part of,” said Kiwanis member Susan Phillips. “Kiwanis had their pancake breakfast and their lawn parties. He was always the guy working the events, selling raffle tickets, flipping pancakes at the pancake breakfast. Those are our biggest fundraisers. He would do anything he could to help.” Wolverton died at his home on Longboat Key on Aug. 11. He was 91. His impact on the community he moved to in the late ’80s with $25 in his pocket is hard to overstate.
Starting his post-Army career running a furniture store in Oklahoma, he packed up and moved down south after the stock market crashed in fall 1987.
He built homes, was a financial advisor, then became a stockbroker.
But his involvement in the community is what he’s best known for in Longboat. He was on the board of zoning adjustment before serving on the Longboat Key Town Commission from 1991 to 1993.
He was a huge advocate of the Kiwanis, working the phones on the club’s behalf, doing his darnedest to sell tables and tickets to the nonprofit’s annual fundraisers.
He wanted to help kids, and he did. The causes that the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key benefited “shifted to scholarships for young adults in our community, and later to supporting foster children across our region— an enduring legacy that continues to change lives today,” Kiwanis President Michael Garey said in an email. A member of the Longboat Kiwanis Club since 1990, Wolverton stayed involved for decades.
“Late in his life, with what breath he had, he used to raise money for foster children,” said Kiwanis member Lynn Larson.
He was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, where much of his family is and has been for generations. Though he moved away decades ago, Woody is still remembered in the Sooner state. He won two national championships with the Oklahoma Sooners football team in 1955 and 1956 during their remarkable 47-game win streak that spanned five seasons. Back then, they didn’t give out championship rings to students.
“They gave him a blanket,” his wife, Sue Wolverton, recalled.
Six decades later, Woody got his ring and was honored for his play on both sides of the ball — he was a center and linebacker — during an onfield ceremony with the rest of the team during the 2016 football season.
He loved to fly, and his skills matched his passion. Woody would fly recreationally late into his life, last taking to the skies at the age of 85. When he earned his type rating to fly a Citation 2, a twinjet engine, the FAA told him he was the oldest to do
so at the age of 80.
“He was the most phenomenal pilot that I’ve ever flown with,” Sue said. “Even the people that trained him said he could (land) it on glass.”
His talent in the cockpit eventually intersected with his love for Sooners football. He flew Sooner coaches like Barry Switzer around the state to visit prospects. His last flight was with former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley on a recruiting visit.
He had been flying since the late ’50s. He served his country as a pilot in the Army for eight years. Owning a plane of his own was a lifelong dream fulfilled, Brendan said.
Woody loved telling stories about his escapades. One impressive tale explains how one of the most iconic landmarks of the West Coast was completed in 1961. Woody swore to friends and family that the “needle” on the top of Seattle’s Space Needle was placed by him. This occurred while he, a 27-year-old pilot for the Army stationed at a base in Washington, piloted a helicopter holding the last piece of the needle while four workers stood atop the structure guiding the heavy metal beam into place and screwing it down.
A far-fetched tale? Yes. Somehow still believable coming from Woody? Also yes.
A formative experience in Woody’s life happened when he was just 7 years old. After being uprooted from Oklahoma to stay with his father, who was on active duty in Hawaii, Woody woke up to one of the most consequential scenes in American history.
Wolverton said that on Dec. 7, 1941, he looked out of the window
and saw Japanese planes strafing the fields outside. He went and woke up his mother and father. Women and children, including Woody, were loaded onto a bus that was painted black to hide from the invaders above and taken away from the fighting to a mountain.
“They lived off the land,” Sue said. “So he still didn’t eat fruit until the time he passed away.”
He was a dedicated family man. His son, Brendan Wolverton, said he would drive his RV to take the kids and grandkids to sporting events far and wide. Brendan remembers a family trip to a lake in Texas in 1969 when the boat his father was piloting ran into a submerged drum barrel full of cement, destroying the lower unit of the engine.
“He drives all night long. He found a dealer who had a lower unit that was willing to replace it,” Brendan said. “Dad jumps in the truck, drives to Houston which is about a six, seven-hour drive. Drives all day, they replace the lower unit and he’s there by the following evening. He had to be up about 36 hours and spent several days getting the boat fixed and had it back so we could ski and enjoy the rest of the vacation.”
Brendan said he was a parent who led by example. When Brendan stubbornly refused to take his piano lessons, Woody signed up for piano lessons of his own, which nudged Brendan to give it a go.
His grandkids called him Papa Woody, and his dual-faceted way of showing his love for them can be explained by a story Brendan tells of when Woody sent all his Christmas gifts up to Oklahoma for his grand-
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“They had to pass an etiquette test before they opened the presents,” Brendan said. “Some of the questions were hard even for me, but I never saw kids so excited to take a test.”
Woody met his third wife, Sue, when he came into her office to complain about a Realtor. “All I’m gonna tell you is that if she worked for me, I’d fire her,” Woody told Sue. That meeting stuck with Sue who, twoand-a-half years later, asked a secretary if the man who walked into her office back then was single. While he didn’t remember the five-minute meeting between the two very well, he agreed to meet Sue for a date at Pattigeorge’s. Football was on all the TVs (it was the end of college football season), and Woody asked Sue if she supported a team.
The University of Oklahoma.
“He said ‘You’re full of bull,’” Sue remembers. “I said, ‘No. My kids went there, and my daughter graduated from the University of Oklahoma.’ He said, ‘So did I.’”
Then they found out they were both pilots, though Woody was a little more experienced in that regard. He asked how many flight hours she had, and she responded 450.
“I have that many hours upside down and backwards,” she remembers him responding.
After a wonderful first date, Sue told Woody she was moving to Atlanta the next day. That didn’t stop the two. He called her every day.
He loved his family, his football, his flying. And he loved his dogs, always having at least a pair of bichon frise as companions. One night, Woody tragically lost one of his beloved dogs after being caught under the pool cover.
“He called me crying and he said I need you, I just really need you,” Sue said. “He told me the puppy was 7 months old and died, and he needed me to be there. I flew back from Atlanta and never left him.”
Sue and Woody were married on New Years Day, 2006.
“His love for Sue was above all things, and I really think the cornerstone of his life was his dedication and commitment to his wife, and it was wonderful to see,” Phillips said.
“He had a big heart.”
Unsurprisingly, Woody shared the love that his dogs emanated with kids in need, training them as therapy dogs to comfort those bedridden in the hospital.
Woody had many friends on Longboat he would golf with, watch football with and eat with. Each Sunday after church, he would host a barbecue. His friends describe him as outgoing, funny, memorable.
“You ever meet somebody that after you met him you feel like you knew him your whole life? He was just an iconic individual,” said his friend Joe McElmeel.
“He was just a nice guy. Nice to everybody. He loved bragging on his friends,” said Roger Lutz, another of Woody’s longtime friends on the Key. “He would tell people his doctor is the best doctor in the world. I was the best lawyer in the world.”
Another thing on Woody’s long list of accomplishments was being a founding board member of the Sarasota Military Academy.
It’s hard to describe Woody Wolverton in a news article. But when asked what he was like, multiple people repeated one description: “Woody is Woody.”
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Images courtesy of the Wolverton family
Woody Wolverton poses for a photo with his grandsons, Joshua and Wesley Wolverton, in 1994.
Woody Wolverton poses for a photo in army fatigues with his grandfather. Woody and Sue Wolverton were married New Year’s Day 2006.
SUNDAY,
When the officer was walking down the beach access, he ran into a couple who were hastily getting dressed while walking. Both the man and the woman were shoving items into their pockets they were trying to hide and told the officer they were just having sex on the beach (not the drink). Police asked both of them to remove their hands from their pockets. The couple complied, revealing their clenched fists holding their respective underwear. The woman said they were in town for a friend’s birthday and just wanted to fool around on the beach. Police issued a parking citation.
THURSDAY, AUG. 21
NO LIMPING ALLOWED
3:46 p.m., 3464 Mistletoe Lane
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20 FORE!
2:09 p.m., 2377 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Property damage: A driver was traveling north on Gulf of Mexico Drive at the same time a golfer hit a wicked slice, prompting police to be called. The driver told officers she heard a loud pop and a golf-ball-sized break in her windshield. She yelled out to a group of golfers who told the driver to “go to the clubhouse and they will take care of it.” She said the golfers were rude to her and would not give their names. The clubhouse advised her to file a police report. The report was filed, the driver and clubhouse staff worked on the issue and the case was closed.
Suspicious person: Police were called when a neighbor witnessed a man “stumbling around” a white truck. Police made contact with the stumbling man who said he had hurt his foot and was limping but did not require medical assistance. Police closed the case.
FRIDAY, AUG. 15
UNPERMITTED MAINTENANCE WORK
8:54 a.m., 1050 Longboat Club Road
Civil disturbance: Police were called to the front office of a condominium complex after maintenance workers attempted to gain entry to a closet on a resident’s property. The resident said she was not notified and did not know why maintenance needed access to her closet. The conversation between condo staff and the resident escalated, prompting the call to police who responded and advised the two that this was an HOA matter, not a police matter.
SICK RACCOON FOUND IN GARAGE
9:02 p.m., 490 North Shore Road
Animal problem: The police were called when a resident said a worker told her there was a sick raccoon in
her neighbor’s open garage. Police arrived and searched the premises, but the under-the-weather raccoon had left beforehand. The case was closed.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13
ABANDONED BARGE CRASHES INTO DOCK
1:04 p.m., 3760 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious boat: A barge recently crashed into a private dock at a Gulf of Mexico Drive home, prompting police to respond and investigate the captainless vessel. The woman who reported the incident said nobody knew who the barge belonged to and that the dock had been damaged. A registration search showed that the vessel belonged to a seawall construction company with worrying Google reviews. Both numbers listed for the business went straight to voicemail.
LKPD advised the resident to report the incident to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who could retrieve the derelict vessel.
COPS CORNER
Sarasota Art Museum pays tribute to a dynamic era of design.
EXTRAVAGANZA
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
It’s hard to believe, but not so long ago, marketing didn’t consist of corporate sponsorships for nearly everything, annoying pop-ads on websites and a barrage of computer-generated emails filling up your inbox. Advertising was elegant, sophisticated and often devilishly simple. Yes, once upon a time advertising was art.
The art poster movement got its start in Paris during the Belle Epoque, a period from 1871 to 1914 literally known as the “Beautiful Era.” During this era, artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse Latrec, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen and others created colorful, often whimsical ads for tobacco, liquor, nightclubs and theatrical performers such as Sarah Bernhardt.
The Belle Epoque officially ended with the start of World War I, a barbarous conflict that led to the downfall of royalty in some European nations and ushered in a period of democratization and less formality in social relations.
The House of Windsor was a survivor, and London held on to its commanding position in finance and culture, if not in fashion. Across the channel in France, a seamstress with humble origins was set to revolutionize fashion with casual women’s apparel inspired by nautical and athletic styles. A century later, her name — Chanel — is still synonymous with luxury.
Paris was cheap between the wars, and its “Moveable Feast” attracted a literary set that included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce. Their writing spread the word far and wide about the pleasures of a bohemian lifestyle, where alcohol was freely available and nightlife flourished. Scantily clad Black singer Josephine Baker defied convention and the jazz music
IF YOU GO
‘ART DECO: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION’
When: Aug. 31 through March 29, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Sarasota Art Museum campus of the Ringling College of Art and Design Tickets: $20 Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
that originated in Harlem, New Orleans and Chicago filled Paris nightclubs.
Technology was speeding things up. By the time of the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) in Paris, a bold, modern style had taken hold in art and design. Known as Art Deco, it was the signature of the Jazz Age and infused everything from art to home furnishings to advertising.
THE OFFICIAL 100TH
ANNIVERSARY OF ART DECO
Those who like to celebrate anniversaries consider 2025 to be the 100th anniversary of Art Deco. While the groundbreaking exposition was held in Paris, Art Deco was an international movement that embraced freedom, embodied in the jazz music emanating from Harlem’s Cotton Club and other night spots, and speed, achieved through automobiles, trains and even bicycles. These motifs and more can be seen in an exhibition of 100 large posters from the Crouse family’s collection on display at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College of Art and Design. Curated by Rangsook Yoon, senior curator at SAM, the exhibition is called “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration.”
Some of the images on the walls of SAM, which is housed in the former Sarasota High School, may be familiar to society types who attended parties at the home of William and Elaine Crouse on Siesta Key.
They used their home, designed by Guy Peterson, to showcase their Art Deco collection of posters, sculp -
“Chrysler,” a 1930 lithograph by Roger de Valerio, is on display at Sarasota Art Museum.
Paul Colin’s 1938 lithograph “Leroy: Premier Opticien de Paris,” is on display at Sarasota Art Museum’s exhibition, “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration.”
Images courtesy of Poster House
N. Weber’s 1932 lithograph, “Trage Schmuck du Gewinnst,” is part of Sarasota Art Museum’s Art Deco exhibition.
tures, cocktail shakers and other objects created between 1919 and 1939. They also lent art to museums such as The Guggenheim and the Victoria and Albert. From September 2023 through February 2024, posters from the Crouse Collection were displayed in a show at New York City’s Poster House called “Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde.”
In the U.S., the heyday of Art Deco coincided with Prohibition (192033), but there were no constraints on advertising encouraging the consumption of alcohol in France and other European countries.
Another dichotomy was that the advent of mass consumption and the worship of luxury goods occurred while the world was mired in a Great Depression following the 1929 stock market crash. Those beautiful Art Deco posters were promoting a lifestyle that was out of reach for the majority of Americans and Europeans. But like movies and fashion magazines, they provided inspiration for DIY style and glamour.
The power of speed and the excitement of racing cars and bicycles was championed in France and Italy, where Mussolini’s triumph of industrial efficiency would ultimately give way to a darker era of Fascism.
Yoon has smartly organized the Art Deco exhibition into different sections. The first room you enter is filled with advertisements for consumer products such as Oxo bullion cubes, Twinings tea, Dubonnet and others. “In the early 20th century, before television and the digital age, posters dominated the visual landscape, particularly in Europe,” Yoon says.
One of the leading proponents of Art Deco style was the artist A.M. Cassandre, several of whose posters are on display in the SAM exhibition.
One of the most stunning displays in “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” is Cassandre’s triptych of posters for the aperitif Dubonnet.
Created in 1932, “Dubo Dubon Dubonnet” shows three illustrations of a man whose image becomes more fully formed as he drinks more of the fortified wine. Each poster is a different primary color — red, blue and yellow — and is 78-1/2-by-55 inches. Occupying a single wall in one of SAM’s galleries, the stunning
display is worth the price of admission alone.
Some of the typefaces created by Cassandre, including a font called Bifur, are instantly recognizable as signatures of the Jazz Age and show up today in invitations to parties inspired by F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s 1925 book, “The Great Gatsby.”
Speaking of Gatsby, A.D. Colin’s 1938 poster for a Paris optical store on display at SAM can’t help but bring to mind the billboard for the optician Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in “The Great Gatsby,” which graces the book’s cover and is featured movies inspired by the book. Its spectacled all-seeing eyes bore witness to the crass commercialism of the age and the carelessness of its characters.
A second larger gallery contains posters celebrating electricity, and travel by cars, trains and cruise lines.
Although Charles Lindbergh became a cultural icon in 1927 with his nonstop, solo flight from New York to Paris in his plane the Spirit of St. Louis, commercial air travel didn’t become widespread until the 1950s and 1960s.
“Drawing on avant-garde influences such as Futurism and Constructivism, these posters used bold colors, geometric shapes, sleep lines and witty visual metaphors to sell products and earn brand recognition and loyalty,” Yoon says. “But they also offered dreams and desires — the thrill of flight, the glamour of ocean travel and revolutionary transformation of modern life through technology.”
Lester T. Beall’s 1930s-era posters for the U.S. government’s Rural Electrification Administration are a stark reminder that the public works projects embarked upon by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration transformed the lives of Americans on farms and in small towns during the Great Depression. While residents of big cities were dancing the Charleston, drinking bootleg liquor and entertaining at home, those living in the sticks had to get by without lamps, radio and refrigerators.
Lithographs from Australia feature strongly in SAM’s Art Deco exhibition and demonstrate a simplicity and angularity that differs from posters created for U.S. and European markets. Print aficiona-
dos will appreciate A.D. McKnight’s 1918 poster “Soaring to Success! Daily Herald - The Early Bird,” which shows an origami-like flock of birds in flight.
Today, Chrysler is no longer a luxury name in the automobile market, but French artist Roger de Valerio’s 1930 advertisement for the brand exudes American speed, innovation and glamour. Another work from the prolific Cassandre celebrates the inaugural voyage of the cruise ship Normandie in 1925.
“During the 1920s and 1930s, tourism surged as automobiles, railways and ocean liners made long-distance travel more accessible than ever before,” Yoon says. “Posters became essential marketing tools, offering visions of distant lands, exotic adventures and restful retreats: skiing, swimming in the sea or playing golf.”
WHEN TRAINS WERE THE WAY TO TRAVEL
The long gallery at SAM housing travel posters contains Art Deco furniture, including a couch and ashtray that once sat in the train station in Cincinnati, back in the days when train travel was the height of sophistication and car ownership was out of reach for many. In 1920, there was one car for every 5.3 Americans. Today, there is 0.85 car for every
person in the U.S. and 1.83 cars per household. Another standout is a chrome ticket counter from a movie theater in Miami Beach, today considered the capital of Art Deco architecture since many of its pastel-colored hotels have been restored to their 1920s and 1930s-era glory. Furnishings in the SAM exhibit were loaned by The Wolfsonian-Florida Interna-
tional University in Miami Beach. The last room of SAM’s Art Deco exhibit is dedicated to sports, including automotive and bicycle competitions.
“In the 1920s and 1930s, competitive sports surged in popularity, fueling the rise of professional athletes and their fans,” Yoon notes. “Sports became a pillar of modern mass entertainment. Spectator events drew large crowds, while newspapers and the newly available radio brought sports, including major international competitions, into homes.”
Cassandre’s dynamic 1932 poster for the Coupe Davis tennis competition at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris features an oversized Dunlap tennis ball ready to burst out of the frame.
Although European athletic contests dominate the exhibition, the U.S. gets a nod with two posters created to honor Lake Placid, New York, the site of the 1932 Winter Olympics. Today the town in New York’s Adirondack Mountains is still a U.S. Olympic Training Center, along with Colorado Springs, Colorado.
After seeing SAM’s Art Deco exhibition, you might long to have one of these iconic Art Deco images hanging on your wall at home. It’s not out of the realm of possibility. In May, Swann Auction Galleries held an auction titled “Art Deco at 100: Iconic Posters from the William W. Crouse Collection” that brought in $403,585, according to Art and Antiques Weekly.
Even the landmark 2013 book of the Crouse Collection posters is a collectible these days. Published by Vendome Press, “The Art Deco Poster” is out of print. The hardcover edition sells for more than $500 online. Unfortunately, the SAM exhibit will not have a companion book, Yoon says.
Like many of SAM’s exhibits, the Art Deco exhibition is worth more than one visit. Yoon has painted various gallery walls in colors that really make the posters pop. The museum’s knowledgeable docents, wearing their signature pink aprons, are always a source of interesting insights about SAM shows and are happy to engage in conversation, if that’s what you’re after.
Franz Hagenauer’s chrome metal sculptures, “Romeo and Juliet,” can be seen at Sarasota Art Museum’s exhibition, “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration.”
Scotti’s 1931 lithograph “Mar del Plata” is on display at Sarasota Art Museum.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
STEVE WHITE
7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26
Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
How many comics can say Eddie Murphy gave them their big break?
Steve White can. Murphy cast White in his first film role, “Coming to America.” White has done stand-up on “Showtime at the Apollo” and has covered the NHL and MLB for Comedy Central. White’s all over the map, but wherever he is, he makes folks laugh. Through Aug. 30.
‘A BAND CALLED HONALEE’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 Palm Ave. $39 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
OUR PICK
‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’
Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, Bufford leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Through Sept. 14.
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28
Where: FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. Tickets: $39 and up Info: Visit FloridaStudio Theatre.org.
DON’T MISS
‘BIG SEXY: THE FATS WALLER REVUE’
Don’t let this summer cabaret show pass you by.
The subtitle to this Florida Studio Theatre cabaret show is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul Mary … and Friends,” but any self-respecting folk rock fan can spot the play on words in the name “A Band Called Honalee.”
ICYMI, it refers to the mythical land made famous by the song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Through Oct. 26.
‘THE PRINCE OF EGYPT’
7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $42.50
Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.
Directed and choreographed by Rick Kerby,” The Prince of Egypt” brings the tale of Moses to the stage. The musical, which comes from the creators of “Wicked,” features such memorable songs as “When You Believe.” Through Aug. 31.
‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre,
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees a chance for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend.
“Don’t Dress for Dinner” will shake you out of your summer torpor. Through Sept. 7.
FRIDAY
CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘THE APARTMENT’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The year is 1960, and the sexual revolution is about to burst forth, thanks to the advent of the Pill. But a boss (Fred MacMurray) who wants to cheat on his wife still has to lean on an underling (Jack Lemmon) to find a pad for his assignations with yet another employee (Shirley MacLaine). Plenty of mishaps occur on the road to mischief in Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment.”
‘DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL’
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $40 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Venice Theatre revives its tribute to TV theme songs, Roger Bean’s “Don’t Touch That Dial,” which uses a gameshow-within-a-gameshow format. If you’re the kind of person who remembers the opening song to “Hawaii Five-O,” this one’s for you. Runs through Sept. 14.
SATURDAY
‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $28; $23 online Visit Selby.org.
This exhibition features 70 works of birds in a variety of locales. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and in the gardens, where some appear right at home. Through Sept. 14.
SUNDAY
HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘STARSTRUCK’
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Opera House $20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
“Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue” is not part of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s subscription series, but it’s got a lot of bang for the buck. The show tells how the life of Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller inspired WBTT leading man Leon S. Pitts II. With more than 30 songs, “Big Sexy” recalls the days of rent parties and speakeasies in Harlem and brings the eternal mating dance to life with the cat-and-mouse antics of Pitts and diva Ariel Blue. Through Sept. 7.
IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28
Where: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.
Tickets: $52; students younger than 25 and active military, $22.
Info: Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe.org.
“Starstruck” transports audiences to Paris in 1960, when Hollywood star and choreographer Gene Kelly was invited to create an original work for the Paris Opera Ballet. In collaboration with Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, the Scottish Ballet’s artistic director, Christopher Hampson, revived the jazzy, joyful pas de deux.
TUESDAY
‘LILLIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’
10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College,1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Award-winning artist Lillian Blades combines handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in the Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Through Oct. 26.
Courtesy images
The tunes of jazz pianist and composer Fats Waller are performed by the cast of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s “Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue.”
Carole J. Bufford
The Van Wezel is already getting ready for Christmas
Executive Director Mary Bensel is doubling down on the holidays after last year’s hurricane disruption.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Last year, the Grinch stole Christmas at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall when damage from Hurricane Milton closed the city-owned venue from Oct. 10 through the end of 2024. This season, Mary Bensel, executive director of the Van Wezel, is packing the schedule with as many holiday shows as she can.
“Christmas is my favorite time of year,” enthuses Bensel, who confesses that she spends four days decorating her house for the season.
The Van Wezel’s holiday extravaganza kicks off Nov. 14-16, when Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” comes to town. The yuletide music continues Nov. 18, with Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, and doesn’t stop until Dec. 30, with the annual Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert.
A favorite with Sarasota audiences, Salute to Vienna found a home at the Sarasota Opera House last year after losing its slot at the Van Wezel, thanks to the efforts of Bensel and Attila Glatz Concert Productions.
Also on the Van Wezel’s holiday schedule are: “Rain: A Beatles Christmas Tribute” (Nov. 22), Ezra Ray Hart ’90s Hits and Xmas Riffs (Nov. 29), Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour 2025 (Nov. 30) and Sarah Brightman: A Winter Symphony (Dec. 15).
Fans of the Great American Songbook will welcome its champion, Michael Feinstein, as he breathes new life into the Christmas songbook at the Van Wezel on Dec. 16.
The holiday merriment continues Dec. 21 with Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, followed by “A Very Broadway Christmas” on Dec. 22 and the musical based on the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 23. As Tiny Tim would say, “God bless us, everyone!”
If you’re not done with Christmas after unwrapping your presents, you can keep the holiday spirit going with “Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet” (Dec. 27) and “Straight No Chaser Holiday Road Tour” (Dec. 29).
If you’re the kind of person who wants to see a Broadway show during the holidays but can’t stand the sound of Christmas music, Bensel’s looking out for you. “The Book of Mormon” returns to the Van Wezel Dec. 9-14 and “Mark Twain Tonight,” starring Richard Thomas, plays from Dec. 19-20.
There are a lot of Mark Twain shows out there, but Thomas, known to many from the long-running family TV show “The Waltons,” is the only actor authorized to portray Twain in the show written and originated by Hal Holbrook.
“The Book of Mormon” and “Mark Twain Tonight” are both part of the Van Wezel’s Broadway series, along with “Some Like It Hot” (Jan. 21-25).
The musical is based on the classic film about Chicago musicians who disguise themselves as women to elude the mobsters on their tail.
No doubt the most anticipated show in the Van Wezel’s Broadway series is “MJ,” which runs Feb. 3-8.
Created by Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, the show follows the late Michael Jackson as he prepares for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. One of the shows that got blown away by Hurricane Milton last season, “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical,” is finally making its way to the Van Wezel Feb. 20-22. This warms Bensel’s heart because she’s been working to bring the show to Sarasota for years, she says.
Rounding out the Broadway series are singer Neil Diamond’s story, “A Beautiful Noise” (March 31-April 4), the revival of Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” (April 10-11) and “Mrs. Doubtfire” (April 14-15). Bensel travels to New York about a dozen times a year to decide which Broadway shows to bring to Sarasota. She also attends national
“Christmas is my favorite time of year,” enthuses Bensel, who confesses that she spends four days decorating her house for the season.
and regional conferences of theater managers to help book the music and comedy stars she brings to the Van Wezel.
Sometimes, reeling in a show can take as long as five years, but Bensel nails down her schedule a year in advance. As the Van Wezel unveiled its 2025-26 season on Aug. 24, she was putting the final touches on the 2026-27 season, her 19th at the cityowned venue.
As a member of the Broadway League, Bensel votes on the Tony Awards and sees the many shows in competition.
“In recent years, a lot more shows are opening right before the (endof-April) deadline for the Tonys, so I see a lot of theater in the spring,” she says.
Asked to identify the must-see Broadway show at the Van Wezel in the 2025-26 season, Bensel responds without hesitation, “MJ,” describing it as “pure excitement.”
For those who like live versions of gameshows and other family fare, there’s “Wheel of Fortune Live!” (Dec. 17), “Mutts Gone Nuts — Unleashed” (Jan. 10), “The Price Is Right Live! (Feb. 18)” and the Halloween-themed magic extravaganza Haunted Illusions (Oct. 26).
Like Christmas, Halloween got short shrift last year due to Hurricane Milton. Bensel’s making up for it this year with an Oct. 17 candlelight screening of the vampire romance “Twilight,” which will be accompanied by a live orchestra.
The 2008 film captured the hearts of a generation, thanks to the on-screen chemistry and real-life relationship between its stars, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
The excuse for a nationwide tour is the 20th anniversary of the novel that started it all. But some people don’t need an excuse to get goth. If you’re one of them, better move fast because “Twilight in Concert” has already sold 1,000 tickets, and the Van Wezel only has 1,700 seats.
Most single tickets for the Van Wezel’s Broadway series go on sale in September. For more information, visit VanWezel.org.
Courtesy images
Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” plays the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Nov. 14-16.
A Wish Fulfilled:
Geno’s Story
BY: TIDEWELL HOSPICE
Animals have an extraordinary ability to bring comfort and joy - especially during life’s most difficult moments. This was the case for Geno, an 89-year-old Marine veteran in Tidewell Hospice care due to advanced prostate cancer. It was his lifelong love of horses that sparked an idea to give Geno an unforgettable experience.
HE REMINISCED ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE CARING FOR HORSES
During a visit from Sheila, the Tidewell Hospice social worker on Geno’s care team, he reminisced about his experience caring for horses and shared a cherished memory of taking his daughter horseback riding. It had been years since he’d been near a horse, and he expressed how much he would love to see one again in person.
Moved by his story, Sheila collaborated with the rest of Geno’s care team - registered nurse Sarah, care team manager Janelle, and veteran volunteer
coordinator Nancy. Together, they turned to the Tidewell Foundation’s Wishes Fund to make his dream a reality
THIS DONOR-SUPPORTED PROGRAM
Thanks to this donor-supported program, Geno and his daughter Lori visited Easterseals Ranch of Southwest Florida, where therapy horses help veterans and others heal. That day, Geno came alive among the majestic equines. As they groomed and fed the horses, Geno shared tender moments with Breezy, a gentle mare. She seemed to adjust her gait to match Geno’s pace as they walked and remained calm under his touch.
“He became a different person when he got to the barn,” Sheila shared. “It was like love at first sight,” she said of Geno’s connection with Breezy. As Geno brushed the mare’s shiny coat, she relaxed so deeply that she fell asleep - an unforgettable moment of peace and joy.
HOSPICE CAN BE ABOUT LOVE
“Hearing the stories and seeing his reaction is a reminder of why we do this,” Geno’s care team nurse, Sarah, said. “Hospice isn’t just death and dying. It can be joy, laughter and love.”
Geno’s story is one of many made possible by the Tidewell Foundation Wishes Fund. Whether it’s a final sunset at the beach, a special birthday, or a quiet moment like Geno’s, these experiences fulfill patient dreams and create lasting memories for their loved ones.
YOU CAN BRING MORE OF THESE MOMENTS TO LIFE
Visit tidewellfoundation.org/ impact-areas/hospice-services/ wishes-fund to support the Wishes Fund today.
Mary Bensel
JAZZ TO STEEL PAN
Your guide to Longboat Key’s lively live music scene.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Eddie Tobin’s setup at the Haye Loft is simple: a keyboard, a mounted microphone and himself. But as evening set over Longboat Key, he cast a spell with his rendition of Billy Joel’s “The Stranger” and other hits, his voice offering a raspy sweetness that wouldn’t be out of place in the musical hub of Bourbon Street.
When the Euphemia Haye restaurant reopened earlier this summer, one particular announcement from new owners Rachel and Jason Ghormley caught the island’s attention. They planned to bring back live music.
With Tobin’s return, Euphemia Haye joins multiple Longboat Key and St. Armands Key venues featuring live musicians. It offers yearlong residents the opportunity to enjoy a close-up, intimate form of entertainment.
Rachel said this aligned with their overall vision of reigniting Euphemia Haye’s flame. She fell in love with the Longboat institution while growing up on the island, and she said bringing back live music was an important step.
“Enjoying music in the Haye Loft was something I enjoyed doing with my dad, especially after he started to get sick,” she said. “As a matter of fact, Ray (Arpke) used to play music upstairs, and he is who my dad wanted to play at his celebration of life.”
The two met at Euphemia Haye, and their family legacy of connection has continued through the generations.
“It all comes back to honoring the history of the restaurant,” she said. “I believe, at one point, they had music almost every night.”
Tobin played at the restaurant for
years, and over the past few months, he has been tickling the ivories Monday and Tuesday nights upstairs, typically from 6 to 9 p.m.
Ghormley noted the restaurant will be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the remainder of the offseason. But fans of Tobin can still catch his performances on Thursday nights until the restaurant resumes its typical hours later this fall.
“He’s a fabulous entertainer,” she added. “He’s so charismatic, and he plays songs that people recognize, but he puts his own spin on it.”
Longboaters Ileana and Larry Comas visited one recent evening, and Tobin’s playing of “Sabor a Mi,” the first song to which they danced together, delightfully surprised them.
“We went to the disco, and at the end of the night, they would do a slow song,” she said, noting they’ve been married since 1982.
They are among the residents thrilled with the return of music at the Loft as longtime fans of artists like jazz singer Amandah Jantzen, who regularly performed there.
“We’re blessed to have artists like this here, only a walk away from home,” she said.
Tobin said his inspiration to pursue music started at a young age, when his uncle gifted him an accordion upon seeing he had a natural musical gift.
“When I was maybe 4, I was kneeling on the floor, playing spoons with my aunt while a record was going around,” he said. “I heard the end was coming, and I improvised a little dah, dah, dah, dah, dah! We both looked at each other, and I knew I had the music in me.”
MUSICAL ISLANDS
Further north on Longboat, artist Chad Tallman plays at Whitney’s on Sundays.
Tucked into his green oasis on Whitney’s patio with his guitar, Tallman brings to life tunes like “I Am the Highway” with an angelic croon.
While he enjoys working across genres, he particularly takes joy in playing ’80s and ’90s rock ballads.
“I’d describe it as something of an emotional journey,” he said of his set.
Manager Kelli Rosenbaum said the restaurant also features Akiem Esdaile on Fridays,
Joyce Corbert on some Saturdays, and special guests including DJ Milo, who debuts this Labor Day weekend.
Whitney’s artists have a unique talent for getting people up and dancing when the mood is right or providing some mellow ambiance while residents enjoy a weekend cocktail, she said. She said the restaurant takes pride in being one of the island’s live music venues, bringing a lot to the Key’s atmosphere.
“Residents really seek out opportunities for something to enjoy outside, even in the summer,” she said.
Heading south, music lovers can catch Ross David strumming his guitar on Sundays at the Lido Beach Pool and Pavilion.
The acoustic instrumentalist carved some sunshine out of summertime showers on the beach.
Underneath blue tarps holding off some of the drizzle, listeners gathered to hear David perform and wait out the weather.
He finds opportunities to challenge himself, learning how to play “When You Say Nothing At All” by Ronan Keating on the spot by audience request.
Continuing in the vein of laid-back island vibes, Steel Pan Dan has been offering his talents on the metallic drum for decades at Cha Cha Coconuts on St. Armands Circle.
The origins of the steel pan trace back to the 1930s in Trinidad, and its beautifully plinking melody has grown to become an iconic element in warm-weather climates.
Steel Pan Dan said he picked up the instrument after moving to Florida, guided by his xylophone experience.
He said there’s no beating playing outdoors on the Circle when it comes to venues, and he appreciates getting to offer visitors a special experience when they’re out exploring.
“The drum is a great mood setter here,” he added.
Restaurant General Manager Emily Ranney said not only tourists enjoy his tunes. Plenty of regulars have been coming to see him play for more than 25 years.
“We’ve been able to feature a lot of the same artists for years, and everyone has their favorites they’ll check in on and come see,” she said.
WHERE TO MOVE AND GROOVE
Visitors to Longboat Key and St. Armands Key can find a multitude of musical genres to explore at some of its live music venues. Some artists include:
EDDIE TOBIN n 6-9 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays at Euphemia Haye, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive (revised to Thursdays through September) n For more from the artist, visit EddieTobin.com.
CHAD TALLMAN n Noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays at Whitney’s, 6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive n For a calendar of Whitney’s performers, visit WhitneyLBK.com.
ROSS DAVID n 1 p.m. on Sundays at Lido Beach Pool and Pavilion, 400 Benjamin Franklin Drive n For David’s full schedule of shows, visit RossDavidMusic.com.
STEEL PAN DAN n 1-5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at Cha Cha Coconuts, 417 Saint Armands Circle n For the restaurant’s full list of entertainers, visit ChaCha-Coconuts.com.
Ross David
Chad Tallman
Eddie Tobin
Steel Pan Dan
Courtesy image
Photos by Dana Kampa
Maestro!
The Rev. Kenneth Blyth, of St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, joked with the audience at a
The church utilized the power of music to bring people together on Aug. 19 in the newly renovated music hall.
The Klassika Ensemble performed as the third of four acts comprising the free Midsummer Concert Series the church is hosting.
Chris Romeo, Stephanie McCranie, Jolanda Nel and Derek Roura blend classical music with popular tunes, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Mariah Carey’s “Hero.”
The four said they appreciated the energy audience members brought to the church that evening and enjoyed the choreography options available with the layout of the renovated hall.
Attendees Jan Braun and Elke Lanphar said they greatly enjoyed the.
“It was wonderful,” Lanphar said. “I’m a member here, and I think this was the best music program I have seen yet.”
— DANA KAMPA
IF YOU GO FINAL MIDSUMMER CONCERT SERIES PERFORMANCE
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 27
Where: St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive.
What: The Sarasota Piano Trio plans to put on its “(Un)Known” show. Tickets: Attendance is free, though the church welcomes donations to support its musical outreach programs. Complimentary parking is available, and seating is on a firstcome, first-served basis. Info: Visit SAKLC.com.
Stephanie McCranie, Derek Roura, Chris Romeo and Jolanda Nel perform as the Klassika Ensemble on Aug. 19 at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church.
Photos by Dana Kampa
Attendees Jan Braun and Elke Lanphar said they were thrilled with the Midsummer Concert Series performance by the Klassika Ensemble.
REAL ESTATE BY REAL EXPERTS
YOUR CALENDAR
BEST BET
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4
PREP YOUR SANDBAGS
8-11 a.m. at the Broadway Beach Access, 100 Broadway St. The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is typically in early September, and the town of Longboat Key is playing its part in helping home and business owners be prepared to guard against flooding. Those with proof of residency on Longboat Key can get 10 bags of sand per household or shop. Participants may bring their own containers as well. Contact Public Works at 941-316-1988 with questions.
THURSDAY, AUG. 28
ENJOY A FISH FRY
5 p.m. at Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Church members can enjoy a summer meal together, featuring George Rauch preparing the fish fry and Sally Rauch whipping up her signature tartar sauce. Call 941-383-8833 with questions.
RECURRING EVENTS
TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
LONGBOAT LIBRARY
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 941-383-6493.
TUESDAYS POP-UP LIBRARY
10 a.m. at the Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road. The Sarasota County Pop-Up Library hosts services on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with storytime beginning at 10:30 a.m. and other services available from 10-11:30 a.m.
SATURDAYS
LACE UP THE RUNNING SHOES
7 a.m. at Sips coffee shop, 6830 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join this newly formed community running club for a morning jog at your own pace. The group is free and open to the public, and registration is not required.
Courtesy image
Sarasota County residents fill sandbags as Hurricane Milton approaches.
Gulf of Mexico Drive home tops week’s sales at $11 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Longboat Key Property LLC sold the home at 5861 Gulf of Mexico Drive to 5681 GOM LLC for $11 million. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, a pool and 7,050 square feet of living area.
LONGBOAT
Donald Murray and Romaney Berson, of Longboat Key,
their home at 581 Kingfisher Lane to Christopher James Demarche and Linda Perry Demarche, of Denver, for $4,225,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,925 square feet of living area. It sold for $2,725,000 in 2020.
BIRD KEY
Robert and Marlen Connelly, of Miami, sold their home at 121 Seagull Lane to David Federico and Mary Bell Federico, of Sarasota, for $4 million. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,496 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.1 million in 2021.
SUTTON PLACE
Anna Kudlash, of White Plains, New York, sold the Unit V-9 condominium at 565 Sutton Place to Button’s Place LLC for $302,000. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,198 square feet of living area. It sold for $324,000 in 2018.
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
ONLINE
See more transactions at YourObserver.com.
The home at 121 Seagull Lane in Bird Key sold for $4 million.
