The Paradise Center is preparing to move from its location on Bay Isles Road to Longboat Island Chapel at the end of the month. Over the next few weeks, the community center is seeking support to facilitate that move.
Louis and Gloria Flanzer
Philanthropic Trust is matching donations between $5 and $500 through Donate.FlanzerTrust.org.
Donations exceeding $500 are tax deductible through GiveButter. Visit GiveButter. com/ROKNO6.
The center also updated its Amazon wish list with office supplies needed.
In the latest move update, Executive Director Amy Steinhauser thanked those who have supported the center so far in its transition.
“With your help, we’ll make this move smooth and keep our Paradise Center community thriving,” she wrote.
Chamber hosts two upcoming events
The Longboat Chamber of Commerce will host a networking event at not one but two spots on Aug. 15.
Starting with lunch, the Lo’ Key Island Grill at 5620 Gulf of Mexico Drive will feature small plates, seafood and sandwiches. Then for dessert, Three Island Monkeys, next door, will have a special named “Monkey Twist.” For members, cost is $30, and for nonmembers, $35. To register go to LongboatKeyChamber.com or call 941383-2466.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025
Home sale breaks record
Dana Kampa
Dana Kampa
Chef Fred Lugano dishes up pulled pork at Christ Church of Longboat Key’s Aug. 3 fundraiser to support those recovering from severe flooding in Texas.
WEEK OF AUG. 7, 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
“I’m excited to be here, and the people here have been so welcoming.”
New Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager Read more on page 6
New tourist push launches
Tampa Bay, Orlando, Miami and Naples, as well as farther-flung major metros such as Boston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and Washington, D.C., among others.
appeal to travelers seeking a relaxing escape and a visual focus on retail and golf. The campaign will lean into a combination of digital and print ads and social media storytelling, targeting key drive markets including Atlanta, greater
“Seasonal campaigns like this further demonstrate that rather than resting on our laurels, we’re having a pulse check with our community to ensure every post and promotion is helping generate more economic impact for our region,” said VSC
President and CEO Erin Duggan in a news release. “Our fall efforts underscore this commitment by putting our serene sights and sporting adventures front and center.”
With an emphasis on smaller crowds, golf and shopping were selected as visual highlights for the fall campaign.
“It’s all about showing that Sarasota County has plenty to offer when the crowds thin out,” said VSC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kelly Harb in the release.
Town hosts sandbag
distribution site
The town of Longboat Key is helping residents prepare for flooding this hurricane season with sandbag distributions.
Public Works officials held the first distribution July 3 at Broadway Beach Access, near Whitney Beach. Residents will also be able to pick up bags from 8-11 a.m. Aug. 7 and Sept. 4.
Anyone who is a resident, local business owner or property owner can collect bags, but they must present proof of residency.
Participants can collect a maximum of 10 sandbags, though they can bring additional empty bags to fill if needed.
For tips on preparing for hurricane season, visit LongboatKey.org.
Sailing Squadron meeting set Aug. 13
A community workshop for the proposed Sarasota Sailing Squadron Youth Education Building for the Sarasota Youth Sailing Program is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Selby Library secondfloor conference room. The organization is seeking a Government Zone waiver to remove the requirement that all off-street parking areas must be surfaced with asphalt, bituminous or concrete material; clay brick or concrete paving units; or permeable pavement surfaces.
The new facility is proposed to be built on property 6.2 acres of city-owned property leased to the squadron on City Island at Ken Thompson Park. According to project consultant Joel Freedman, paving of the spaces and drive entrance is not needed and will result in unnecessary additional stormwater runoff.
The new two-story building is planned to have approximately 2,000 square feet of air-conditioned space on the second floor to be used for a meeting area for the youth program, offices, bathrooms and some storage rooms. The ground level will be used for boat and equipment storage, circulation and more.
SELLING SERENISSIMA
Record-breaking deal for a Longboat Key Club home shows the town’s real estate market remains relatively insulated from regional trends.
ERIC GARWOOD
DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Longboat Key is most certainly an island — the causeways at either end give that away.
But, as a record-setting home sale in July indicates, supported by 2025 market trends on the mainland and elsewhere, it’s clear the 12-mile long community surrounded by the Gulf, bay and two watery passes is something of a real estate island, as well.
The home at 845 Longboat Club Road — named Serenissima, “the most serene” in Italian — closed on July 31 at $30.3 million. It’s the second time the home has broken the Sarasota-Manatee record for residential price points, doing so initially in 2020 when it sold for $16.5 million.
Set along the beach behind the gates of the Longboat Key Club, Serenissima is a unique home not only on Longboat Key but beyond. Built with the skeleton of a commercial structure within its walls and in the Italian style everywhere else, it covers more than 19,000 square feet with six bedrooms, six full and two half-baths, a 12-car garage and luxury touches everywhere.
Realtor Rich Polese, who founded Compass Sarasota, was the listing agent and represented the buyers in 2020. Judy Kepecz-Hays of Coldwell Banker affiliate Kepecz-Hays Team represented the buyers, but the identities were not immediately disclosed. According to property records, the seller was 845 LBCR Land Trust. Furniture was included, though priced separately.
Just steps from the infinity pool deck to the beach, Polese said the home with 145 feet of Gulf-frontage (or 44 meters if you’re sticking with the Italian theme) is built to last.
“If there’s a hurricane coming toward Sarasota, I’m driving onto Longboat Key to get into this house,” Polese said.
ITS OWN REAL ESTATE MARKET
Situated in a ZIP code with one of the highest median sales prices in Sarasota-Manatee, Longboat Key is often insulated but not always immune from general mainland market trends. Only a few neighborhoods of the barrier islands, pockets of mainland Sarasota and segments of Lakewood Ranch, have exhibited similar resilience. Particularly, east of Interstate 75, new construction and emerging amenities drive a lot of that trend, Realtors say.
Longboat Key, too, has seen some new construction of late, concentrated mostly in condo developments, particularly at the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. In fact, a condominium in the St. Regis resort last fall sold for $21 million, a stillunbroken high point for condos and, for nine months, the highest price paid for a residential property.
Kepecz-Hays called the sale of Serenissima, about 5,100 feet down the beach from St. Regis, the highest price paid for a residential property on the west coast of Florida, excluding the Naples area.
“Longboat Key is obviously its own market within the Sarasota market,” Polese said. “Most of it falls into the luxury category and much of it falls into the ultra-luxury category.”
Kepecz-Hays said the sale to a buyer already familiar with the Sarasota area and its islands is “good news” for the region in general.
And there are more $5 million-plus properties where those nine came
from. In all, as of late July, 32 homes or condo units were listed for sale above $5 million, virtually all directly on the water.
A combination of new construction and existing properties make up that total, the highest priced of these is a $25 million property in the 5900 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive, featuring 11 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and more than 17,000 square feet of living area.
More conventionally, there’s a home on Juan Anasco Drive listed for $23.95 million with six bedrooms, nine baths and about 9,200 square feet of living space.
More broadly, the overall median sales price on Longboat remained nearly flat to 2024 in May, rising 2.4% from around $1.04 million to around $1.2 million. In June, the median was higher still at around $1.8 million against a June 2024 median at around $2.4 million. Time to contract fell from month to month in 2025 and also in 2024.
Contrast that with the overall region, where median sales prices — the point at which half sell for more and half less — have been falling for months. In Manatee County overall, that figure has fallen 15% in the past year. The drop-off has been about half that in Sarasota County. Likewise, on-market times are rising in the region. That means better days for buyers than the days when list prices were simply a floor for negotiation.
“We’re seeing a clear shift in the market dynamics, with median sale prices continuing to decline and homes spending more time on the market,” said Debi Reynolds, 2025 president of the Real Estate Association of Sarasota Manatee and the managing broker at SaraBay Real Estate, of the region. “Buyers now have more leverage, and sellers must adjust accordingly.”
SELLING LONGBOAT
Even at $35 million, Polese said interest in the property was strong, and rapid. Without specifics, he said several interested parties were people in the public eye. Showings began soon after the listing went active.
“And that told me a lot that said, you know, the luxury market is sta-
JOIN THE CLUB?
Care to live like the uberwealthy? Here are the five highest price active listings on Longboat Key.
n 5965 Gulf of Mexico Drive, $25 million n 612 Juan Anasco Drive, $23.95 million n 5861 Gulf of Mexico Drive, $19.5 million n 6489 Gulfside Road, $16,996,000
bilizing,” he said. “We are starting to see more buyers come off the sidelines. I’m not going to say in all market segments, but definitely in the luxury and ultra-luxury and definitely in the ultra-luxury on Longboat Key.”
Buyers in the ultra-luxury market care where they live, for sure, but location, location, location isn’t always as critical a factor.
Polese said most people who fall into this category are mobile enough through private means that access to an airport with a fixed-base operation often does the trick. In years past, some of those same customers might have glimpsed Longboat Key’s distinctive island from out a window of their Gulfstream jets on the way south to Naples, the neighbor of Fort Myers in southwest Florida. No more.
“I think we’re actually becoming even a more desirable alternative to Naples,” Polese said. “You have to look at buyers that are coming to purchase a $30 million home, or a $10 million home or a $15 million
SINCE JANUARY ...
Nine homes originally listed on Longboat Key for $5 million
home, whatever it may be in that range. They can buy anywhere they want. But you compare us to, you know, the Naples market, the West Palm market, the Miami market, Sarasota has really become a value alternative.”
He said buyers seek value even when planning to spend what would take most Sarasota-Manatee residents more than 500 years of salary to amass.
“I’ve said the word value before, but in today’s market, that’s what buyers at all price points are looking for. Combine the value that you get in Sarasota compared to those other markets with the culture and the convenience that Sarasota offers in addition to the lifestyle and the remarkable beaches. You know, it’s becoming a smart choice for the buyers that typically were drawn to Naples and those other markets. And, you know, it’s on the map now.’’
The Gulf is steps away from the infinity-edge pool along the 145 feet of beach frontage. The recent sale of 845 Longboat Club Road included furnishings.
The interior of 845 Longboat Club Road.
Courtesy images
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How many eggs hatch?
Experts share turtle nest excavation midway through season.
Against the backdrop of a fiery Gulf side sunset, members of the public got a rare glimpse into the research informing future healthy sea turtle nesting seasons.
This season has been particularly exciting as Mote Marine Laboratory confirmed this week that the nest count on Longboat Key has exceeded the record number set in 2019, and there is still part of the season to go.
As of Aug. 3, staff recorded 1,460 nests on the Key — 1,435 loggerhead and 25 green.
Melissa Macksey, a senior biologist and data manager with the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program at Mote, noted nesting is starting to slow down but still occurring. The final record number is yet to be seen, but she said this milestone
follows the overarching trend of both species increasing nesting activity in the area over the past 15 years.
Longboat Key residents got a look behind the curtain of the most successful nesting season to date with an evening excavation of a nest.
After experts gave the all clear sign that no hatchlings were still making their way out of their sandy nest and up to the surface, the crowd quickly pressed in for a closer look. Faces of all ages lit up with wonderment as they examined the contents of the nest and touched the leathery casing of the empty turtle shells.
Certified volunteers from Mote Marine conducted an excavation of an already-hatched loggerhead turtle nest, which provides researchers with valuable information about the health of the population.
“We’re really excited to share this with you,” Cyndi Seamon, vice president of Longboat Key Turtle Watch, told the about 100 attendees.
She noted the record for the highest nest count on Longboat Key was in 2019, topping out at about 1,300. That year, the first nests arrived even before the official nesting season started.
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DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Photos by Dana Kampa
Brenda Jameson, a certified volunteer with Mote Marine, places an unhatched loggerhead turtle egg to one side while her son and fellow certified volunteer, Caleb Jameson, reaches into the nest to collect the shell of an already hatched turtle.
The season continues through October, but at this midway point, experts are optimistic that 2025 could break records. As of July 26, it appears to have done just that.
Excavating an already-hatched nest gives scientists insights into the success of nests laid early in the season. After noting evidence of a hatch, typically through miniature flipper tracks in the sand, surveyors wait a few days for any stragglers hopefully to emerge. Then, they dig out the nest to count how many empty, hatched shells remain and how many unhatched eggs there may be.
The July 21 dig offered an opportunity to educate the community about helping turtles thrive during the season while giving them a unique opportunity to connect with nature.
Seamon said the group has tried to host evening excavations in recent years but consistently got rained out by the frequent nighttime summer storms. But participants lucked out this time.
Brenda and Caleb Jameson, a mother-son duo of certified volunteers, carefully dug out the nest, surprising many viewers with just how deep sea turtles make their nests.
But that depth was important, Seamon noted, because this particular nest was laid only 40 feet from the water’s edge and ran the risk of getting washed out if the swell was particularly high.
Seamon painted the image of a 200-pound loggerhead emerging from the surf to lay her eggs.
“She uses her back flippers to make a big indentation in the sand, and she drops about 100 eggs in this nest cavity,” she said, explaining how volunteers then place yellow stakes to denote the nests.
Each stake is coded so volunteers and staff know what type of turtle nested there and when the nest was laid.
“We check them every single day. Last Friday, somebody came along and saw a bunch of tracks here. We were hoping they would all go that way,” she said, gesturing toward the sea. “But what this stake tells me is that they hatched and DISOed, which means they didn’t all go the right direction.”
“DISO” is when a turtle becomes disoriented and struggles to return to the water, typically because of
SPONSOR A NEST
light interference.
As the sky darkened, Seamon pointed out the importance of keeping light pollution to a minimum, especially on beaches like that near 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive, where there are no dunes to break up the line of sight to residences.
Otherwise, hatchlings and mothers that rely on lunar light to find their way may become disoriented.
For information on turtle-friendly lighting, visit LBKTurtleWatch. com/Flip_A_Switch.
“Changing out lights is just one of the little things we can do to help the turtles,” Seamon said.
Like the turtles that hatched from that nest, loggerheads are by far the most common type of sea turtle.
Looking back as an example, for the week of July 20-26, Mote recorded 175 loggerhead nests and 48 green sea turtle nests throughout Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key and Venice. Specifically on Longboat Key, it recorded 1,441 nests for the year, along with 2,166 “false crawls,” when a turtle comes to a beach but retreats before laying eggs. That compares to 1,342 loggerhead and green nests on Longboat Key, counting both Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Each one of those nests typically has between 80 and 120 eggs. But it’s a numbers game when it comes to these little aquatic animals’ survival to adulthood as they navigate pre-
Turtle watch members noted it is not too late to sponsor a nest. Sponsors who sign up before Aug. 15 can get a nest named for them this season.
dation and other hazards.
Using a framed net to sift the eggs from the sand, the Jamesons extracted 87 shells of successfully hatched turtles from this nest. Only three hadn’t hatched, and though they most likely would have emerged at the same time as their siblings, the volunteers reburied them in case they defy the odds.
Not all groups certified by the state to monitor turtle nests get the opportunity to host public nest excavations. But the Longboat vol-
unteers were extensively trained to make sure hatchlings are protected while giving the public a valuable learning experience.
The Monday evening event drew viewers of all ages, including children holding their plush turtles.
Brenda said she appreciated how many youngsters shared their interest in making sure every single egg was counted.
Seamon said this is particularly encouraging considering how Hurricane Debby devastated nests throughout Sarasota Bay last year.
Mote experts estimated the August storm wiped out nearly half of the known sea turtle nests on area beaches.
But sea turtles have the capacity to rebound. Seamon noted each turtle can make about five nests, amounting to 500 eggs per season.
She took the opportunity during the nest extraction to remind the public how imperative it is for everyone to contribute to maintaining good nesting conditions.
Particularly, she encouraged visitors and residents to make sure they remove any beach furniture from the shoreline every day, and fill in any holes they dig.
“Some people ask if the turtles can make it down the steep ramp of sand leading down to the water,” she said.
Mote Marine provides by-the-week updates on turtle nests throughout the area, starting the week of April 13. For the week of July 27 to Aug. 2, the figures are as follows:
LONGBOAT KEY, WEEKLY n 16 loggerhead
DATE
“They can make it down, but what they can’t do is make it out of holes.” NESTS BY THE NUMBERS
TOTALS TO DATE for Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key and Venice n 5,656 nests n 8,308
Source: Mote.org
Longboat Key Turtle Watch Vice President Cyndi Seamon shares details of the Sea Turtle Defender Club, which teaches youngsters ages 2 to 18 to learn about marine wildlife.
Brightly colored stakes mark the sites of known turtle nests on beaches along Longboat Key.
TOP COP
shaking a little bit,” Beth Mager said. “It’s so emotional. I’m so proud of him.”
Russ Mager was chosen out of 76 applicants in Longboat Key’s nationwide search to replace Chief George Turner, who left the department in January.
The official swearing in ceremony of the town of Longboat Key’s new police chief, Russ Mager, took a little longer than expected. Perhaps it was first-day jitters or just inexperience. Not from Mager; he’s ready to go and has years of experience.
No, they came from his wife, Beth, who took several moments to make it official by pinning his new badge on his uniform.
“I gotta tell you, my hands were
“I’m excited to be here, and the people here have been so welcoming,” Mager said. “It’s just been a great transition to go from what comes to another or a whole new town, a whole new life.”
The previous life was that of a 29-year veteran of the Delray Beach police, ending with being the city’s police chief since 2022.
Mager started in Delray Beach in 1996 and since has served as a SWAT team member, detective, sergeant and lieutenant.
“I think it was being in a coastal community in Florida,” said Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton of why Mager was the best fit
MICHAEL HARRIS MANAGING EDITOR
Photos by Michael Harris
New town of Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager, is sworn in on his first day, Aug. 4, as his wife Beth looks on.
for
got that storm experience, which is helpful with the hospitality experiences that we have out here and I think, just as interpersonal, I think he’s very engaging kind of very connected, and I think that’ll go a long way here on this island.”
Mager said being visible in the community is a key factor, which he got to experience firsthand when police department members of Longboat Key, Bradenton Beach, Sarasota and Manatee County Sheriffs and Florida Highway Patrol packed Longboat Key Town Hall.
That’s also not to mention Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi, town commissioners and town residents also in attendance.
“I didn’t know I would have this kind of reception, so it means a tremendous amount,” Mager said after being sworn in by Tipton.
He went on to say that having experience in a coastal community on the east coast is not unlike being in Longboat, especially when it comes to battling hurricanes.
“They’re very similar except (Longboat) is exclusively a barrier island,” he said. “They’re similar in the responsibilities that come with it, and that includes hurricanes. Although we’re not looking forward to that. Hopefully, we had enough of that last year.”
In spite of it being his first day, Mager said he hasn’t had time to
evaluate to institute any initial plans yet. His first step will be getting out in the community and assessing the needs of the department.
“I’m going to get out there and see the relationships that need to be addressed,” he said. “I need to establish what are the issues that my knowledge, training and experience will help me build on, and what I think possible needs are. That’s whether it be technology or something related to traffic or something else.”
Mager’s salary starts at $160,000 during a six-month probationary period, and he’ll receive a 3% increase after the probationary period ends.
Mager and his family moved to the area in the last week of July. He has a 22-year-old daughter, Sophia, and two sons, Donovan, 18, and Zander, 17.
Beth Mager, who went to Riverview High in Sarasota, recently retired from law enforcement herself, ending her career as a sergeant with the city of Coral Gables.
“I moved here when I was 12,” she said. “My friends and family are still here, so this makes it full circle.”
With Beth’s background, though, she was never at the part of pinning the badge on, but rather receiving a new badge. As a police chief, Russ has experience at that too.
“They’re never easy, though; they never go in nicely,” he said.
Longboat Key Town Manager, Howard Tipton, speaks about Chief Russ Mager during Mager’s swearing in ceremony on Aug. 4.
“... I think he’s very engaging kind of very connected, and I think that’ll go a long way here on this island.”
—
Howard Tipton, Longboat Key Town Manager
LIVING WALL COMES TO LIFE
DANA
KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Last month, Longboat Key became the site of an innovative project meant to provide a home to filter feeders living along the shore at Bayfront Park. The project is progressing and already seeing a few inhabitants start to move in.
Alex Burgos, a diver with Kearns Construction Co., said he and his team have already seen small sea stars and crabs starting to explore the printed concrete panels they’ve installed so far along the water’s edge. Panels modeled after the root system of red mangroves provide shelter.
As work on this environmental project continues, film students from Ringling College of Art and Design have been recording the progress.
Ryan Zyck, Andrew Lamm and Lachin Kerbabaeva have been learning the tools of the trade under the guidance of Patrick Alexander, the college’s department head of film.
Zyck, the student director, said the filming process has been going well so far, and the students plan to check in every few months to see how the underwater community will grow over the coming years.
He said that likely will mean the project will continue in the hands of an up-and-coming class of students following graduation. But he will be eager to see the final product.
A week ago, Vadim Dumbrava joined the documentary film team recording the process of installing the wall, bringing his experience as a drone pilot to capture aerial footage of the park.
He said he found it to be an interesting project and was happy to shoot it for them with his DJI Air 3 Drone.
Dumbrava has been flying drones since 2014, and now he operates his own company, Motion Media LLC.
Burgos said if everything goes to plan, the team should be putting the last panels soon.
Box by box, the team with Kearns Construction Co. has been unpacking and installing panels of a “living wall”
A project to improve water quality at Longboat Key’s Bayfront Park is only a few weeks from completion and already starting to meet its goal.
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Workers with Kearns Construction Co., who have been leading the charge installing the new “living wall” at Bayfront Park on Longboat Key, said plenty of parkgoers have been curiously inquiring about the project.
Patrick Alexander, department head of film at Ringling College of Arts and Film, enlisted the help of drone operator Vadim Dumbrava, right, to capture aerial film of the “living wall” installation at Longboat Key’s Bayfront Park. Through Alison Alexander’s Florida Eco Films organization, film students Ryan Zyck, Andrew Lamm and Lachin Kerbabaeva have the opportunity to get hands-on experience creating a short film documentary.
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Julio Ramos and Alex Burgos work with the high tide to install the “living wall” panels along Sarasota Bay. They have been working row by row, and they’ll put their diving skills to the test to install the deep-water panels.
Jonathan Mosqueda, working with teammates from Kearns Construction Co., said they have been learning how to work with the high tide to help with installing the concrete “living wall” panels, each of which weighs 45 pounds and has to be specifically placed to keep the mangrove root pattern intact.
modeled off red mangrove tree roots at Bayfront Park on Longboat Key.
Photos by Dana Kampa
County needs to go on a spending diet
Sarasota County’s budget has grown 56% in the past four years. As revenue growth slows, spending needs to be trimmed to prepare for the future.
From a budget standpoint, Sarasota County and its nonboard-controlled constitutional offices — the supervisor of elections, tax collector, property appraiser, sheriff’s office, public defender, state attorney and clerk’s office — have been living quite well for the past several years. Their budgets have been super-fueled by a combination of rising property values, unprecedented population growth and federal government bailouts in response to the pandemic and two seasons of hurricanes. Because there was so much taxpayer money available, they forgot about the value of small government and got used to niceties like fancy parks and recreational facilities, shiny new public buildings, helicopters, cars, software, additional staff and more. That type of spending is certainly partially responsible for an increase
of more than 56% in the county’s budget from 2021-2025.
One might think that at our recent county budget workshops alarm bells would be going off. But surprisingly, I did not hear a single presenter, from within the county or from the constitutional offices, discuss how they were trying to trim the fat and spend less. They wanted more. In some cases, a lot more.
Nearly all of our elected county officials campaigned for office as “conservative” Republicans, and most have been in the same or other local offices for several years. They know that our tax revenues have risen and so have the tax bills of county citizens. For example, a house my family once owned in Nokomis, which we sold in 2014, saw an increase of 41.5% on its county tax bill in 10 years.
Despite this knowledge, many of our officials are failing to even try to reduce spending. In some cases, to support their requests, they are subtly threatening emotional issues — from excessive wait times to layoffs and the ultimate emotional hot button: a reduction in public safety.
As a former Florida Highway Patrol command officer and the Sheriff of Sarasota County for 12 years, I can state firsthand that it is possible to serve the public and keep them safe, even if it’s on the occasional shoestring budget.
NOTABLE BUDGET INCREASES
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Proposed: $225 million budget is the largest in the county’s general fund and has grown by more than 30% since 2022.
SARASOTA COUNTY TAX
COLLECTOR MIKE MORAN
Proposed: $3.1 million increase, a 27% budget bump County projections show that by 2028, expenses will outpace revenues by $31.6 million. The deficit climbs to nearly $41 million the next year and remains above $39 million into 2030.
You may not operate from the most beautiful building or have all of the bells and whistles, but you must roll with the ups and downs of the economy and the public’s will. I recognized this when I became sheriff in the midst of the Great Recession and returned $1.4 million to the county’s coffers. It is said that DOGE is a state of mind. I’m calling on all county officials, especially elected ones who position themselves as conservatives, to embrace that mindset and get to work now making the hard decisions that will soften the impact when the revenue train crashes.
Tom Knight represents District 3 on the Sarasota County Commission.
FRIDAY,
CONVERSATIONS
5:54
Alarm: An officer arriving to follow up on an activated home alarm found an open garage door, a van in the driveway and a man from Bradenton. The officer first spoke to the man, then to the homeowner via the communications link built into the home’s doorbell system. The homeowner, through the doorbell, vouched for the man from Bradenton, ending police business at the address.
SUNDAY, JULY 27
INSIDE VOICES, PLEASE
12:25 a.m., 3000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Noise: A day into a weeklong vacation, an out-of-town couple encountered two police officers investigating a report of bothersome noise. The officers reported hearing voices from within a vacation rental unit and knocked. The man responsible for the rental said he had been unaware their noise had risen to a level sufficient to warrant an anonymous call to police. The out-of-towners said they’d be more mindful of their volume.
SLOW ROLL
4:26 p.m., 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Disabled vehicle: An officer pulled in behind a troubled vehicle moving north at 15 mph with hazard lights flashing. When the car ground to a halt, the driver said the engine was struggling. The officer followed the slow-moving car to a safe parking space.
MONDAY, JULY 28
TWO LICENSES, ONE TICKET
12:40 p.m., 6100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
SATURDAY, JULY 26
WHEEL ON, WHEEL OFF, WHEEL ON 10:26 p.m., 3400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Highway obstruction: A vehicle off the road with hazard lights flashing prompted a look-see from an officer. What he found was a driver who reported the wheel lug nuts had fallen off, followed by the wheel. A jack was first no help, then broke. With the help of a substitute jack from the police department, the driver and her brother were able to lift the vehicle, replace the wheel and its lug nuts and set off again.
LARGE, MASKED SUBJECT AT LARGE
1:50 p.m., 700 block of Tarawitt Drive
Animal incident: A resident alerted police to the presence of a large, possibly rabid, raccoon in the neighborhood, last seen heading west toward Gulf of Mexico Drive, 45 minutes before a 911 call. When police promptly arrived, the raccoon had exited the area.
ELECTRICITY SOUGHT, ELECTRICITY RECEIVED
11:21 p.m., 200 block of Broadway Street
Vehicle stop: The town’s licenseplate recognition system alerted officers to a southbound car owned by a driver with a suspended Florida license. The officer confirmed the owner of the car and the driver were one in the same and also that his driving license had been suspended in the state since 2023. But the man produced a valid license from a Midwestern state. He was ticketed for possession of an out-of-state license while the first license was suspended.
Citizen assist: A pair of pedestrians contacted a passing officer to say they were on their way from Coquina Beach to downtown Sarasota, but their cell phones had run out of power and were unable to summon a ride-sharing service. The officer connected one of their phones to a charging cord, facilitating the ride-request process.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
FOR THE BIRDS
An eye-catching exhibition of bird photography lands at Selby Gardens.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Arecent survey revealed that 160 species of birds can be found at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota. But that count took place before the installation of “The High Life: Contemporary Photography and the Birds,” an exhibition of 70 photographs of birds in myriad locales, from the jungle to the museum.
No doubt there is some overlap between the live species at Selby’s 15-acre campus overlooking Sarasota Bay and those in “The High Life,” but in the exhibition you’ll find feathered friends and foe that you’ll never see in Sarasota, including a New York City pigeon and a Miami rooster.
The birds that have landed at Selby Gardens with the photo exhibit can be found in a museum painting, a canal boat and even on a lady’s hat. There was no requirement the winged creatures in the photos had to be alive in the show organized by the Minneapolis-based Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.
When Jennifer Rominiecki became CEO and president of Selby Gardens a decade ago, she moved to convert the botanical garden, which houses the world’s largest scientifically documented collection of living orchids, to a “living museum” model. By adding art exhibits and live performances, Selby has more than doubled its number of members and visitors.
Since 2021, Rominiecki has been assisted in that mission by David
Berry, a Ph.D. who spent 10 years at The Ringling before joining Selby as chief curator. Selby recently wrapped an elaborate tribute to George Harrison that featured “horticultural vignettes,” memorabilia and music in honor of the former Beatle’s dedication to gardening.
“George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life,” the ninth annual installment of the Jean and Alfred Goldstein exhibition series, ran from February to June. It was the latest blockbuster in the series to draw hordes of visi-
tors and garner international press.
A SLOWER PACE FOR SUMMER SHOWS Selby’s summer shows like “The High Life” tend to be more low key. They give locals a chance to enjoy Selby with out jockeying for position for tourists taking selfies. Hot weather can be off-putting in the summer, but some of the exhibit’s most dazzling prints, including Junji Takasago’s “Heav
enly Flamingos,” are inside the airconditioned Museum of Botany & the Arts.
Whether you’re a tourist or a local, make it a point to get to Selby Gardens right when it opens at 10 a.m. for a lovely stroll around the grounds. Some views are obscured by construction, as Selby works on its Phase Two expansion and recovers from last year’s hurricanes, but “wayfinding” (museumspeak for figuring out where to go) is clear and unobstructed throughout the exhi-
IF YOU GO
‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’
When: Through Sept. 14
Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
Tickets: $28; $23
online Info: Visit Selby.org.
Joseph McGlennon’s 2021 photo “Pollen 1” is part of “The High Life” exhibition at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Photos by Matthew Holler
The bird in Anne Morgenstern’s 2014 photo “Untitled” looks right at home among the tropical setting of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Karen Knorr’s 2001 photo “In the Green Room” is on display outside at Selby Gardens.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Cheryl Medow’s 2014 photo “White Ibis with Fish” overlooks Sarasota Bay in “The High Life” exhibition at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Photography fans and Selby Garden habitués may remember a 2022 summer show called “Flora Imaginaria: The Flower in Contemporary Photography.” The display of flower photographs was also organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.
William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, co-curators of “The High Life,” also formed the curation team behind “Flora Imaginaria.”
Ewing joined Rominiecki at Selby on a recent Friday to talk about how “The High Life” took flight. (Reader advisory: Birds seem to lend themselves to corny word play, inviting a writer to get carried away on flights of fancy.)
Even Ewing couldn’t resist getting in on the act, noting that the executive director of the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Todd Brandow, is a former Minneapolis resident who spends a lot of time in Lausanne, where the American nonprofit has an office, but lives in Ibiza, Spain.
“He flies back and forth, and he has a high life because he’s always in the air, trying to sell our shows all around the world,” Ewing quipped at a preview of the photo exhibition to appreciative laughter.
“The High Life” draws from the work of several types of photographers, Ewing says. They include those who have done bird projects and then moved onto other areas of interest, say urban warfare, and
those who specialize in birds.
Among the latter group are those who capture images of birds in nature. These intrepid shooters spend hours “waiting in camouflage getting eaten alive by mosquitos” until they get the right shot, Ewing says. The other type of bird specialists bring their subjects into the studio.
The studio photographers often mix fashion and birds, Ewing says. That’s because human beings have been adorning themselves with plumage for as long as they’ve been around, even driving several species of birds to extinction during the Victorian era, when feathers were much in demand for hats.
“I’m not a bird person myself,” Ewing says, noting that in his native Britain they’re called “twitchers,” so he was coming at the subject cold.
When he started doing research, Ewing found bird photography wasn’t as common as he first assumed, for a variety of reasons, including lack of interest and difficulty capturing images of creatures that camouflage themselves and are perpetually in motion.
RESPECT WAS A LONG TIME COMING
Ewing cited the American landscape photographer Eliot Porter as a pioneer in the field of capturing birds on film, a practice he dedicated himself to on a regular basis
in the middle of the 20th century. Porter’s 1943 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, “Birds in Color: Flashlight Photographs,” is considered to be the first important solo show by a photographer of birds. Ewing noted that the documentation for the show was quite apologetic, along the lines of “some people might think this is a silly topic.”
But thanks to Porter, bird photography finally gained respect.
In the past 30 years, the genre has exploded, Ewing says, thanks to young photographers and advances in digital technology that allow lensmen (and women) to instantly see whether they got their shot.
The field has also been fueled by the realization that birds aren’t as plentiful as they used to be. In 2019, a Cornell University study found that the American bird population has declined by 3 billion, or 30%, since 1970 because of ecosystem changes.
Amid the rising interest in bird photography, co-Curators Ewing and Panchaud had no trouble finding an assortment of arresting images.
“The High Life” exhibition at Selby was edited down from a book created in conjunction with the show. Published by Thames & Hudson, “Aviary: The Bird in Contemporary Photography” is a hardcover book with 223 color illustrations. It sells for $65.
“What’s fun from my point of view is figuring out what photographs work in two very distinct environments,” Berry says, since part of “The High Life” is inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts while other large-scale prints have been installed outside.
All “High Life” photos are covered with a protective coating that picks up reflections. This can be frustrating to the amateur photographer trying to capture the show’s images, particularly outside, where shadows of foliage and clouds turn up in the frame.
My photos looked OK on my cellphone, but when I viewed them on my computer screen, I could see a faint reflection of myself in nearly all of them. Suddenly, $65 for the companion book didn’t seem like much at all.
Sarasota Ballet School names new principal
The Sarasota Ballet School has named Alberto Blanco its new principal, succeeding Jennifer Welch Cudnik, who has moved on after two years to join the Kansas City Ballet School. A former professional dancer and dedicated teacher, Blanco brings both artistic passion and educational expertise to his new role.
The Sarasota Ballet School is the official school of the Sarasota Ballet, offering dance training to students ages 3 and older at all skill levels. The school uses the American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, which emphasizes a program in strong technique, musicality and dancer health.
Blanco is an ABT-certified teacher. At Sarasota Ballet School, he will apply his expertise across all levels, utilizing the ABT National Training Curriculum.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alberto as our new principal,” said Christopher Hird, Sarasota Ballet’s education director, in a statement.
“He shares our commitment to high-quality training and our core values, and I have every confidence that the school will thrive under his thoughtful leadership.”
He noted that Blanco worked closely with Welch Cudnik.
Commenting on his new role, Blanco said in a statement, “I strive to encourage a love for dance in my students, while nurturing focus and dedication in a supportive environment.”
In the announcement of his promotion, Sarasota Ballet underscored its commitment to excellence, inclusivity and developing well-rounded dancers.
Sarasota Opera taps
Arthur Bosarge
Sarasota Opera has named Arthur Bosarge as artistic administrator. He most recently served as chorus master and director of the Apprentice Artists Program.
In his new position, Bosarge will manage the casting, scheduling and artistic planning for Sarasota Opera productions and artist training programs. He will collaborate with Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell on long-term artistic goals and strategic initiatives.
“Stepping into a new role at a familiar place is exciting. Along with Maestro DeRenzi, Richard Russell and our incredible staff, I’m honored to be a part of continuing the level of artistic excellence that Sarasota is known for,” Bosarge said in a statement.
A native of Fairhope, Alabama, Bosarge joined Sarasota Opera in 2022 as assistant conductor for “Il matrimonio segreto.” The following year he served as assistant conductor for the company’s fall concert, “The Music of Giacomo Puccini,” and assumed the role of director of the Apprentice Artists Program and chorus master.
In that position, Bosarge prepared the company’s chorus for a variety of productions and helped develop apprentice artists from across the country who train and perform with the company.
Bosarge’s background in opera includes both musical and administrative experience. Prior to joining Sarasota Opera, he held music staff positions at Utah Festival Opera, Opera Southwest and Opera Birmingham.
Bosarge holds degrees from University of Alabama and Mannes College of Music in New York.
Monica Roman Gagnier
“The High Life” co-curator William Ewing and Selby Gardens CEO and President Jennifer Rominiecki explain the origins of the exhibition.
Arthur Bosage
Alberto Blanco
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$20 adult; $15 child Visit CircusArts.org.
It’s last call for Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue that elevates any event. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early so ushers can store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.
‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
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, she 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. Runs through Sept. 14.
Ethan Jack Haberfield and Alice M. Gatling star in “Dorothy’s Dictionary,” which runs through Aug. 10 at Florida Studio Theatre.
FRIDAY
CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘CHINATOWN’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
With mass media fragmented into a million different TikToks, podcasts and Substacks, it’s hard to find a universal cultural reference these days. But if you’ve ever wondered where the catchphrase “Forget it, Jake. It’s just Chinatown,” comes from, here’s your chance to find out. Along the way, you’ll learn about heat, thanks to the sizzling chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in a glamorous neo noir set in Los Angeles before the advent of air conditioning. Robert Towne won an Oscar for his screenplay, brilliantly directed by Roman Polanski.
‘CABARET’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $35; student $15 Visit The Players.org.
Beat the summer doldrums with “Cabaret,” Kander and Ebb’s sexy, scintillating musical set in Weimar Germany. There’s lots of naughty fun and games to be had at the Kit Kat
OUR PICK
JAZZ HAPPY HOUR
Join Kevin Çelebi and his fellow musicians in the band Harmonic Sanity for a program of lush horn harmonies and deep grooves as they skillfully blend jazz, funk and R&B. Joining Çelebi, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn, will be Aaron West on alto sax, Bob Miner on tenor sax, Greg Nielsen on trombone, Stretch Bruyn on piano and keyboards, Todd Jefferis on bass and Michael Washington on drums. Somewhere, Chuck Mangione is smiling.
IF YOU GO
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13
Where: Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Tickets: Free with registration Info: Visit SarasotaMusicArchive.org.
Club, but the men in uniform have a sinister agenda stashed up their Nazi sleeves. Director Brian Finnerty brings the tale of Sally Bowles and her fellow performers to a round stage.
‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees an opportunity for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“Boeing-Boeing”) and Robin Howdon, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a high-speed farce sure to shake anyone out of their summer torpor. Runs through Aug. 24.
SATURDAY
PATTI SMITH: A BOOK OF DAYS
10 a.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey Included with $20 admission Visit Selby.org.
Selby Gardens collaborates with poet and musician Patti Smith, its artist-in-residence, on an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from her newly published bestseller, “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature. Runs through Aug. 31.
SUNDAY
HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE:
HANDEL’S ‘THEODORA’
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The Royal Opera gives Handel’s opera a modern-day makeover in this production starring Julia Bullock, Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Jozf Orlinski. Directed by Katie Mitchell, “Theodora” retains the original English libretto by Thomas Morell as it follows a religious fundamentalist’s plan to destroy
DON’T MISS
‘DOROTHY’S DICTIONARY’
Alice M. Gatling stars as Dorothy, who introduces a troubled teen, played by Ethan Jack Haberfield, to the healing power of books. Directed by Kate Alexander, the tale explores memory, identity and how relationships can transform our lives. Runs through Aug. 10.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7
Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
Tickets: $42 and up Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
the Roman embassy. The feminist interpretation features scenes of sexual violence and themes of terrorism, so it’s not recommended for the faint of heart. Opera buffs will delight in the depth and beauty of its ensembles, duets and arias.
MONDAY
‘NEWISH JEWISH PLAYS’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Jewish Theatre, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130 $20 Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.com.
The third of three readings of “Newish Jewish Plays,” Gary Morgenstein’s “A Black and White Cookie” tells the story of a conservative black newsstand owner in New York City facing a huge rent hike. A longtime customer who is a Jewish Communist persuades him to fight back, and an unlikely friendship is forged. Directed by Diane Cepeda.
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 invites visitors to get lost in her first solo museum exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum. Her installation of “veils” 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. Runs through Oct. 26.
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Courtesy image
Kevin Çelebi
Learning to ‘make something out of nothing’
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Today, Gee’s Bend quilter Loretta Pettway Bennett has enough money to buy new fabric for her creations, but it just wouldn’t feel right. That would be against the tradition of the isolated Alabama hamlet whose quilts have become world famous.
Adds her fellow quilter Louisana Bendolph, “When we were growing up, we didn’t know what recycling was. We just knew how to make something out of nothing.”
Bennett and Bendolph came to the Sarasota Art Museum on Aug. 2 for an artists talk moderated by SAM Associate Curator Lacie Barbour that was attended by about 200 people.
Bennett and Bendolph’s works are part of SAM’s exhibition, “Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press,” which runs through Aug. 10. The traveling exhibition was organized by Bedford Gallery of Walnut Creek, California, and was curated by Carrie Lederer.
A selection of Gee’s Bend quilts, including some made by Bendolph’s mother-in-law, Mary Lee Bendolph, are part of the wide-ranging exhibition that also includes fine-art prints, magazine covers, four mixedmedia sculptures and a basketball pyramid installation.
The Bendolphs and Bennett were invited to the Paulson Bott Press in Berkeley in the early 2000s, where their creations were transformed into graphic prints. This required considerable adjustment on the part of the quilters.
Instead of assembling quilts, often with the help of friends and neighbors, over a long period of time, they were required to produce small-scale works called “maquettes” relatively quickly. But they made it work.
Quilts have been made by Black women in Gee’s Bend since before the Civil War, but they burst onto the art scene in 2002, when the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, organized a traveling exhibit that made its way to the Whitney Museum in New York later that year.
In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service issued 10 commemorative stamps featuring quilts made from 1940 to 2001 by African American women from Gee’s Bend, including Mary Lee Bendolph.
Although the Gee’s Bend quilts sometimes incorporate patterns used in traditional quilts such as “housetop” and “log cabin,” they typically have asymmetrical designs that have been improvised, making them closer to art than handicrafts.
Even after slavery ended, most of the inhabitants of Gee’s Bend grew
up picking cotton under the hot sun, a job that began in childhood.
“Everyone had to work on the farm,” says Bennett. “No one was excluded. When I was little and I couldn’t pick cotton or chop cotton, I had to carry water to the one who wanted to drink.”
Sewing quilts from worn-out clothes and remnants left over from sewing homemade clothes was a matter of necessity, Bennett told the SAM audience, because the homes weren’t heated.
“Even though I hated picking cotton, now I can open a book and look at a museum wall and see that same cotton I hated to pick,” Bendolph said.
“I should have been grateful for my homemade dress, but I wanted one from the store,” she continued. “I didn’t like patches, but now people go to the store and buy jeans with holes in them,” evoking laughter from the audience. “Everything that was hard then was getting us ready for today, to appreciate what a rag can do.”
GOING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE
Although they were designed by one person, the quilts would be sewn by an assortment of girls and women, who would move from house to house for quilting bees over the course of the blanket’s construction.
The pieces used in the quilts were cut out during the harvest, which the quilters call the “lay-by season.” They were put aside until the quilts were assembled during the winter, when women would bring their children to the quilting bees if they weren’t old enough for school.
Quiltmaking was a form of socializing and the end results were often bestowed as gifts before there was a brisk commercial market for the Gee’s Bend quilts, which today can sell for thousands of dollars.
Despite their busy lives with family and lecturing, both women say they continue to stitch their quilts by hand. When they teach younger members of their families to quilt, even crooked stitches are left in.
Perfection isn’t the goal; preserving family and community legacy is.
Although they appeared relaxed in front of an audience, both Bennett and Bendolph both described themselves as reluctant speakers and travelers. “I’d rather be at the gynecologist than where I’m sitting right now,” quipped Bennett, drawing a big laugh from the mostly female attendees of the SAM talk.
Bendolph said her aversion to travel had to do with “marrying a military man,” leading to the family being uprooted or being separated from her husband while he was overseas.
But Bennett and Bendolph say they owe it to the artisans who came before them to make public appear-
Gee’s Bend quilters share their stories at Sarasota Art Museum.
ances, sign books and answer questions about Gee’s Bend quilts.
“Who am I to say I don’t want to go?” Bendolph asked rhetorically.
Bendolph described a childhood cut off from the outside world and having little awareness of what was going on around her. “We didn’t know who Dr. King was when he came to Gee’s Bend,” she says.
Born in 1960, Bendolph was just a child when Martin Luther King took the ferry across the Alabama River to speak at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in February 1965. He encouraged members of the congregation to travel to the Wilcox County seat and register to vote.
After a flurry of Black voter registrations, local authorities suspended ferry service to Gee’s Bend, whose official name is Boykin. It was not reinstated until 2006.
Bendolph says years of having to forage for materials for her quilts has made her “a bit of a hoarder.” Her home in Gee’s Bend is packed with fabric scraps, discarded clothes and old sheets, which are used for the backing of the colorful quilts.
She also collects old sewing machines, most of which don’t work. Bendolph leaves them outside on tree stumps, she said, creating an art installation of sorts in the town, which today has fewer than 300 residents.
Despite the collectors devoted to Gee’s Bend quilts, the younger generation isn’t as interested in painstakingly piecing together scraps of fabric as their elders were. There are too many high-tech distractions. But Bennett believes they will return to the tradition of quiltmaking.
“It’s in our blood,” she says. “We’ve got to pass it on. We must share it.”
IF YOU GO ‘PERSONAL TO POLITICAL: CELEBRATING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS OF PAULSON FONTAINE PRESS’ When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $20 Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Loretta Pettway Bennett, Lacie Barbour, Sarasota Art Museum associate curator, and Louisiana Bendolph
Mary Lee Bendolph’s 2005 quilt “Strips and Strings” is on display at the Sarasota Art Museum through Aug. 10.
Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Lee Bendolph’s Untitled Maquette, 1935
Images courtesy of Ryan Gamma
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Diving into change
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Longboat Key’s waterways are among some of the most beautiful in the world, noted for their turquoise sparkle and abundant sea life inhabiting the swell. But they can only thrive if the people who enjoy them take care of them, and one teen is taking on the task of doing that.
Coco Claypoole, 15, recently started the Florida chapter of Bubbles of Hope, a group that unites young scuba divers to volunteer cleaning up local waters.
The chapter marked its fifth cleanup on Aug. 3, working with Sarasota Bay Watch to clean up a basin off Roberts Bay in Venice, just south of Higel Marine Park.
Also joining her were Grace Suter, an 18-year-old Sarasota resident on her second dive that day, and 14-yearold Ziggy Tulok from Naples.
Claypoole, who recently completed her 50th dive, officially formed the group at the beginning of the year. In April, they went on their first mission.
“When you get involved, you see that no matter what age you are, you can make a difference,” she said.
Previously, the teens worked with Mote Marine Laboratory to clean up Sarasota Bay in the waters near the now-private aquarium facility on City Island, and with Florida Underwater Sports to tackle Bird Key’s shores. They also cleaned up Venice Beach on one of their early dives.
“Our first dive at Mote was only about five minutes because of thunder, but we still got a lot of trash,” she said.
In just that short amount of time, the team picked up 56.91 pounds of trash, which they followed up with 378.29 pounds on the second dive at Mote.
Claypoole explained she was inspired after befriending Julia Aveline Rabenjoro, a diver who founded the original organization in Borneo.
They met virtually when serving as ocean ambassadors with Manta Trust, a United Kingdom-registered group that protects manta and devil rays worldwide.
“One day, she sent me a message asking about my diving, and she told me about her group and asked if I’d be interested in starting a branch of it,” Claypoole said.
“I love cleanups and all kinds of
diving, so I said, ‘Let’s do it!’” she added.
The certified diver has a passion for conservation and founded Bubbles of Hope three years ago to facilitate her environmental projects. She has been celebrating every milestone with Claypoole’s group.
Her mother, Ali Claypoole, joined the team for the Sunday morning dive. She said the family drew conservation inspiration from living on Longboat Key, in the Longbeach Village area.
“I grew up here, and I wanted our kids to learn to love the bay as much
WHAT THEY FOUND
Some of the items they recovered included a traffic cone, a large door, a marine battery and dock box they pulled from the water with an SUV hitch.
as I do,” Ali said. “They’ve learned to sail and scuba, and we were always out on the docks or out paddleboarding. They’re huge conservationists now, and I think it came from that experience.”
Unfortunately, they had to move off the island after last year’s hurricanes flooded their home, which they sold several months ago.
Coco has been playing an important role in the community’s recovery. When cleaning up around Mote Marine and neighboring facilities, her team pulled plenty of storm debris out of the water, including wooden planks thrown into the bay by high winds.
For their efforts, they’ve been treated to some unique animal encounters. Coco said they pulled a toad fish, crabs and pistol shrimp from the trash before taking it out of the water, giving them a chance to find a home in their natural habitat.
On Sunday, five divers with Bubbles of Hope Florida joined the 20-some volunteers with Sarasota Bay Watch.
Executive Director Ronda Ryan said they were glad to lend their support to the up-and-coming group with the collaboration.
“It’s really great to have the opportunity and framework to help them get the experience that they need,” she said.
Between the boat activity in the bay and low visibility, it wasn’t the easiest of dives. But Ryan said she was glad to see the young divers rise to the challenge. Heather Arnone, owner of Florida Underwater Sports, also joined the cleanup volunteers. She stressed the importance of getting the business community to support groups like Bubbles of Hope.
“Especially when you see how they’re working to make a difference, it’s been our pleasure to help carry that along,” she said. “We want to see positive action taken as well.”
She added, “Our recreational divers are the frontlines for protecting our oceans, and it’s awesome that we can help.”
Looking to the future, Coco said she hopes membership will continue to grow so the chapter can have an even greater impact in the community.
Those ages 13 to 18 can message
Bubbles of Hope Florida on Instagram to inquire about joining. While recruitment efforts have been focused on connecting through SCUBAnauts International, all area teens who want to help are welcome.
JOIN THE GROUP
Young leader launches underwater cleanup group for teens.
Photos by Dana Kampa
Ziggy Tulok, a 14-year-old diver and member of Bubbles of Hope, gives the thumbs-up before joining the underwater cleanup.
Image courtesy of Ronda Ryan
Sarasota Bay Watch and Bubbles of Hope Florida teamed up to clean up area waters this weekend, finding items like a traffic cone and marine battery.
Coco Claypoole, founder of the new Bubbles of Hope Florida, and Ronda Ryan, executive director of Sarasota Bay Watch, prepare for a collaborative cleanup of Roberts Bay on Aug. 3.
WORSHIP directory Support as big as Texas
Not even a year into its own recovery from devastating hurricanes, one Longboat Key church has turned its attention to helping another community recover from an unexpectedly damaging natural disaster.
Christ Church of Longboat Key’s the Rev. Julia Piermont said the church raised $21,514 to donate to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund with its Aug. 3 lunch fundraiser.
“It’s a great joy to be doing something generous for others today,” she said before offering up a prayer for recovering communities.
The church was inspired to host the event after learning more about what Texas community members experienced during the flooding through congregation members Wiley and Fran Osborn.
navigating a crisis. Residents said it was especially heartening to now reach a point of being able to support others after neighboring communities stepped up to help them recover from last year’s hurricanes.
Wiley and Fran, who couldn’t attend in person but helped coordinate the fundraiser, thanked Longboaters for their support.
While they were impressed by the church’s fundraising efforts, Wiley said they equally appreciated the show of community support.
“It’s just terrific,” he said. “We always keep in mind that our objective isn’t just about money. It’s about giving people a chance to participate in healing.”
Their daughter, Susie Baskin, and son-in-law, Steve Baskin, saw how the floodwaters devastated Kerrville when visiting family weeks after the storms hit.
Piermont read to the congregation a letter Susie wrote about visiting Steve’s aunt, Kathy Ragsdale, at Camp Stewart. The site where Steve spent his childhood days was hit particularly hard. Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Hill Country region experienced flash flooding for miles along the Guadalupe River, where officials report that at least 120 people died.
Among them was Jane Ragsdale, Steve’s cousin and the camp director at Heart O’ the Hills.
Susie shared that Ragsdale died in her home on the camp property.
“Her camp was in between sessions, so there were no campers or counselors on property, a blessing, as there surely would have been more lives lost,” she wrote.
Susie explained Texas is in mourning as residents navigate the aftermath of a flooding disaster of a magnitude no one expected. But they have shared their appreciation for communities, like Longboat, that have stepped up to help.
Attendees at the lunch, which was free but gathered thousands of dollars in donations from diners, said they found meaning in giving back to another community
Texas-inspired dishes were on the menu, including pulled pork, fried chicken, beef chili, cornbread and miniature pecan pies, along with other fixings.
Chef Fred Lugano said he appreciated being able to contribute his cooking skills for the event.
“We all had our hearts broken when we saw those little girls in the flood,” he said. “Our church is all about fellowship, and when we realized we had congregants personally involved, we wanted to help.”
Those interested in donating directly to the relief fund can find more information at CommunityFoundation.net.
— DANA KAMPA
Attendees at the buffet lunch enjoyed Texasinspired treats like mini pecan pie.
Grace Masefield and Bill McClure make a plate at the buffet fundraiser.
Patricia Jacinto joins Marcia, Abraham, Claudio and Jennyfer Evaristo at the fundraiser lunch at Christ Church of Longboat Key on Aug. 3.
Chef Fred Lugano dishes up pulled pork at Christ Church of Longboat Key’s Aug. 3 fundraiser to support those recovering from severe flooding in Texas.
Photos by Dana Kampa Christ Church of Longboat Key’s the Rev. Julia Piermont thanks those who attended the Aug. 3 fundraiser lunch to support Texas’ rebuilding from severe flooding.
Bill Buckley lends his musical talents on the bagpipe at Christ Church of Longboat Key’s fundraiser for rebuilding from severe flooding in Texas.
Serving of support
Tennis for Fun wraps up a third season at Arlington Park.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Brenda Shields began volunteering with Tennis For Fun in Brandon in 2015, where she worked with Judy Moore, the retired educator who manages the program.
After moving to Longboat Key, she decided her next step would be to organize a local branch of the organization, which provides free tennis clinics to people with special needs from ages 8 to 65, in partnership with Special Olympics.
In May, the program wrapped up a third season at Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex in Sarasota, a location that Brenda’s husband, Ron, says has made the program more accessible to the community.
That month, the Tennis for Fun organization sent 76 athletes statewide to the State Summer Games of the Special Olympics in Orlando, out of the 197 athletes this year.
Six of those athletes came from Sarasota’s program.
HITTING THE SPOT
Ron Shields, who manages the pro-
resume its clinics at Arlington Park beginning Nov. 10, on Tuesdays.
This year’s Special Olympics medal recipients, who competed in the categories of Red Ball and Red Ball 1, were Lucca Bocci (gold), Tessa Rager (gold), Virginia Barakos (bronze), Keith Torres-Viteri (bronze), Wendy Mikula (gold), and Marcus Truss (Silver).
Ron said about 90% of athletes are retained, while some decide to play other sports.
Athletes may include people with special needs, such as mild to severe autism or Down syndrome.
The program is tiered based on age and ability, and all athletes have the opportunity to advance to the district, regional and state competitions.
However, Ron said coaches adapt to the needs of participants, to focus on athletes “just being a part of a group and giving it their best shot, so it’s not so much about how good they are and maybe how well they’re progressing, it’s all about them having fun and making connections with other people.”
Brianna Chapman, 17, decided to try Tennis for Fun this past season. Chapman has Williams syndrome, which she said affects the body and means she needs help with learning, including math.
Chapman began in the Red Ball Skills category, learning abilities like how to hold a racket, bounce the ball and serve.
temperament of the coaches.
“They don’t get upset or frustrated, but you can tell they really love it, because they really love tennis also, and sharing that, you can see that it’s something they want to do, like they really, really want to do it.”
Amy Truss was seeking different social activities for her 13-year-old son, Marcus Truss, who is homeschooled and has high-functioning autism, when she came across Tennis for Fun.
Amy said while Marcus has moved on to many neurotypical sports, Tennis for Fun is a program in which he is continuing.
When he first began two seasons ago, it became apparent he had a natural ability in tennis, but she said what clicked about the program was “the positivity, the other volunteers, just the love surrounding the athletes, the other athletes.”
Through the first season in Red Ball Skills, Marcus earned gold medals in both sectionals and regionals, as well as at the state competitions, and after advancing in his second season, earned gold in sectionals and silver at the regionals and state levels, in Red Ball 1.
“I think of all of the sports that we have done, this program really immediately really helped with his confidence and just kind of got him excited,” she said. “It helped him socially. He made a lot of friends, and Brenda and Ron have just been amazing. They’re amazing people. They’ve just been so good with Marcus and all of our athletes.”
gram alongside Brenda, said when it began in Longboat Key in 2021, there was one athlete, Nico Moschini, who took enthusiastically to the sport and returned for two subsequent years.
This past year, she won gold medals in regional, district and state championships, and this year, after advancing to Red Ball 1, won silver at the district level and bronze in regionals.
“It’s nice,” Brianna said. “You do exercising before you play, you get to play with your friends, you have coaches ... that support you through it and help you, and guide you.”
“I don’t see her stopping this,” said her father, Jay Chapman. “She really, really, really loves it and looks forward to it. It wasn’t one of those things that she started and said, ‘Well, I tried this, and I don’t want to do that anymore.’”
Ron said there is plenty of work involved in operating Tennis for Fun beyond the instruction; some of that, he says, can include getting the word out, entering athletes into the Special Olympics, and finding facility.
He said he is glad for the support the program has received locally, including the use of Arlington Park and donations from the men’s league of Suncoast Tennis League.
Ron said after moving to Arlington Park, the program drew about 12 athletes, and the next year 15 or 16, then finally 20 in 2024.
He said the organization will
When the summer games were held in Orlando, even though Brianna was not among the participating athletes, she decided to attend as a volunteer to help the other athletes.
Jay said one factor in their commitment to the program has been the
However, he hopes its offerings can expand in scope, and notes that while the program has involved onehour sessions each week, a Brandon program serves more than 100 athletes a day, with multiple sessions.
“It’s been very welcome; it’s been very successful,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of support, and we’re very thankful to have that support.”
Brenda Shields, director, and Nico Moschini
Courtesy images
Lucca Bocci
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7 a.m. at Sips Coffee, 6828 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Community members can enjoy a new weekly running club starting Saturday mornings. Organizers encourage participants of all activity levels to join. No registration required.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13
LEARN TO SAVE A LIFE
10 a.m. at Longboat Key Fire Rescue Station 91 at 5490 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The department is offering its last free hands-on CPR and AED training scheduled this summer. Sessions are one hour, and though they are free and open to the public, they are limited to 16 attendees per class. Register at LBoggs@LongboatKey.org or 941-316-1944.
RECURRING EVENTS
MONDAYS DISCUSSION GROUP
1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Chat about world affairs, pop culture, news and more at a discussion led by Mike Karp. Free. Call 941-383-6493.
TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 941-383-6493.
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS QIGONG
10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Learn about this ancient healing art of movement and meditation. Fee is $20. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941-383-6493.
YOGA
11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $20. Call 941-383-6493.
you won’t want to miss.
WEDNESDAYS CHAIR YOGA
11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile leads a class on improving stability and mobility. Accessible for all ages and fitness levels. Cost is $20. Call 941-383-6493.
FRIDAYS UP YOUR TAI CHI SKILLS
10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Certified instructor Reuben Fernandez leads a weekly intermediate tai chi class, held outdoors when weather permits. Fernandez also leads a beginner class at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, but builds off those skills with a focus on Chen Style, Lao Ca Dija. It’s recommended to wear close-toed shoes with low heels rather than running shoes. Cost is $20. Call 941-383-6493.
File image Reuben Fernandez teaches tai chi at The Paradise Center.
Photography by Denis Lauzon
Club forms its own nonprofit
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Stephania Feltz, the philanthropy and special projects coordinator at Sarasota Yacht Club, said members have long valued giving back to the community while enjoying social events together.
Early on, when members formed the fundraising arm of the club in 2017, it made sense to work with other organizations to coordinate the structural side of fundraising. This allowed members to put everything they raise toward benefiting local charities.
“At the time, it was a really good decision for us,” Feltz said.
However, members have increased their efforts in recent years, and they made the decision to turn the 20-member committee into an official 501(c)(3) foundation.
“Since our beginnings, we have awarded $1.4 million to local organizations,” she said, adding that she looks forward to what the future may hold with their investment in a 501(c) (3).
One of the group’s main events is the “Community Connections” grant program, which took place on Jan. 15 this year. SYC members nominate worthy causes, and, by vote, they select the top three projects to award $100,000.
This year’s top awardees were Project 180, Sarasota Teen Court and The Payton Wright Foundation.
The remaining seven organiza -
tions that made it to the final round also received $2,500 each.
Feltz said having the internal leadership to lead their fundraising will hopefully lead to even more opportunities to give back when the need arises. For example, members raised $200,000 to support hurricane recovery efforts.
That support extends beyond finances. Feltz said the committee prepared meals in the SYC kitchen to distribute among residents at Aloha Mobile Home Park, which was hard hit by the storms.
“We went door to door and delivered over 1,000 meals there, and we became friends with a lot of residents,” she said. “It was a wonderful relationship we were able to develop.”
One of their largest fundraising events in the year is “Casino for a Cause.” This year, the nonprofit broke its record, raising nearly $430,000 in one evening.
Although the group coordinates large grant donations, Feltz said it also appreciates giving back in small ways.
Two years ago, SYC Cares started a “Birthday in a Bag” program, which gifts families everything needed to host a child’s birthday party.
“It’s one of my favorite programs,” she added. “A lot of families have to prioritize putting food on the table, so we can step in and help give the kids that experience. We do individual bags with cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, balloons, a cake pan and a few gifts.”
The Sarasota Yacht Club will continue to raise money for local charities.
WHAT IS A 501(C)(3)?
Section 501(c)(3) is the portion of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code that allows for federal tax exemption of nonprofit organizations that meet the code requirements. These nonprofits may be considered public charities, private foundations, or private operating foundations.
The club currently distributes 20 bags a month. But like the other fundraising efforts, Feltz said she looks forward to seeing how members can expand their efforts with this new chapter in SYC Cares’ history.
A 501(c)(3) is just one category of 501(c) organizations, but it is the primary nonprofit status through which donations made to the organization are tax-deductible. A 501(c)(3) status is regulated and administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury through the Internal Revenue Service.
Source: 501c3.org
Dana Kampa
Sarasota Yacht Club Philanthropy and Special Projects Coordinator Stephania Feltz, center, joins Nicki Martin, Don Ellis, Roy Grossman and Mark Padgett, who are the board members leading SYC Cares. The charitable arm of the yacht club recently became an official 501(c)(3).
Sleepy Lagoon Park home tops week’s sales at $1.05 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Diane Mason, trustee, sold the home at 650 Penfield St. to Longboat Canal House LLC for $1.05 million. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,579 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2000.
WINDWARD BAY Stephanie Bank, of Boca Raton, sold her Unit 201 condominium at 4600 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Walter and Lynda Wolverton, of Longboat Key, for $790,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,559 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2021.
SEAPLACE
Nicholas Burbulis, trustee, sold the Unit M2-310-C condominium at 1945 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Elizabeth Peterson and Troy Peterson, trustees, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, for $600,000. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 928 square feet of living area. It sold for $68,500 in 1978.
CEDARS EAST
Paul and Dana Slackman, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 38 condominium at 821 Evergreen Way to Steven John Keilman and Patricia Keilman, of South Bend, Indiana, for $589,000. Built in 1991, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2019.
WHITNEY BEACH Chad and Laurel Schmitt, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 153 condominium at 6750 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Craig and Allison Carrow, of Alpharetta, Georgia, for $475,000. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two
SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB John Hall and Marjorie Padula Hall,
of Bellevue, Nebraska, sold their Unit 76 condominium at 914 Spanish Drive S. to Carmen Rodriguez and Margarita Valcarcel, of Winter Park, for $350,000. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,341 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2019.
Sigita Aldona Zibas, of Cranford, New Jersey, sold her Unit 96 condominium at 754 Spanish Drive
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
S. to Joseph Paul Mercer Jr. and Anita Golson Mercer, of Gainesville, Georgia, for $350,000. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,245 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2016.
Dana Kampa
The Unit 96 condominium at 754 Spanish Drive S. sold for $350,000 and was built in 1968.
845 LONGBOAT CLUB ROAD • LONGBOAT KEY, FL
Rich Polese, Real Estate Advisor and Founding Agent with Compass in Sarasota, has once again set a new benchmark in the luxury market by listing and selling 845 Longboat Club Road on Longboat Key in just 25 days for an unprecedented $30,300,000 — the most expensive residential real estate sale in Sarasota history. Known as "Serenissima," this extraordinary Gulf-front estate is a Venetian-inspired masterpiece spanning over 19,000 square feet, featuring palatial interiors, hand-carved stonework, imported marble, and breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico. This record-breaking transaction underscores Rich’s reputation for delivering trusted advice and proven results at the highest level of the Sarasota Luxury Real Estate Market.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
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