Longboat Observer 12.5.13

E

N 1 # AMERICA’S

PER PA S W

bserver LONGBOAT

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

END OF AN ERA

+ Paint the town red and green Do you have the spirit of the season?

Then show us.

This year, we won’t just be on the lookout for the most festive holiday lights on the Key. We’ll be on the prowl for anything that embodies the happiness of the holidays with our new “Spirit of the Season” contest.

We’re searching for anything — indoor and outdoor decorations, costumes, Christmas sweaters and more — that embody the holiday spirit. We’ll run our festive favorites in the Dec. 19 issue of the Longboat Observer, and our elves will distribute prizes.

Photo submissions are welcome. For suggestions, email Robin Hartill at rhartill@yourobserver.com.

TRADITION

DIVERSIONS

Community gives thanks at 33rd interfaith service.

PAGE 17A

‘Gulf Coast Heritage’ depicts Old Florida for new Floridians.

INSIDE

PIC signs off after 27 years.

PAGE 3A

OUR TOWN

FREE • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

to be continued

by Kurt Schultheis | Managing Editor

Colony: Judge suggests sale U.S. Bankruptcy Judge K. Rodney May delayed his ruling on the case, but said a sale might be the best resolution. ‘None of us will ever see a case like this again,’ he said.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge K. Rodney May didn’t rule Tuesday on the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort case, opting instead to continue the hearing to Wednesday.

He said he needed “to go through this one more time” Wednesday to review what had transpired.

He also expressed frustration

with both sides and for the first time suggested that a foreclosure sale could resolve issues in a case in which the parties have yet to agree on a settlement.

“It may be best to go to bid and see who wants to bid for the heart of the Colony and let the pieces fall where they may,” May said.

The parties made several revelations Tuesday.

Colony Beach & Tennis Resort unit owner and developer Andy Adams and his entities agreed to a settlement amendment proposed Tuesday afternoon in a Tampa-based U.S. Bankruptcy courtroom that resolves his issues with the proposed settle-

ment and his votes that he cast in favor of the settlement last month.

And, Colony Lender LLC principal David Siegal announced that Orlando-based Unicorp National Development Inc. managing member Charles Whittall,

SEE COLONY / PAGE 2A

Commission changes ULI committee makeup The committee will have five citizens, two commissioners and two PZB members — a balance that concerns some.

Roger Pettingell

Courtesy photo

+ Pettingell tradition is as sweet as pie Longboat Key Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate broker associate Roger Pettingell doesn’t take the cake when it comes to appealing to customers’ sweet spots. That’s because apparently he’s more of a pie guy.

For the sixth consecutive year, Pettingell delivered pies from Yoder’s Restaurant in Sarasota to his customers at Thanksgiving. This year, he delivered a record 90 pies.

Customers who were out of town had the option of donating their pies to Church of the Palms’ Thanksgiving dinner to sweeten the celebration for those in need.

SEE OUR TOWN / 16A

CLAUS FOR CELEBRATION Kelsey Grau

Julia and Brandon Yu pose with Gilly the Shark, or, as he is known during the holidays, Santa Jaws, Saturday, Nov. 30, at Mote Aquarium. Every Saturday until Dec. 21, aquarium visitors can take pictures with Santa Jaws from noon to 2 p.m.

The committee that prepared for the Urban Land Institute’s October study of Longboat Key consisted of two town commissioners, two Planning and Zoning Board members and two citizens.

The Urban Land Institute Implementation Advisory Committee that the commission formed last month to replace the original committee consists of Mayor Jim Brown or his appointee, PZB Chairwoman B.J. Bishop and five citizens.

Brown voted for the new committee — then he voted against it.

The mayor said at the commission’s Monday, regular meeting that he made a mistake when he voted in favor of the new committee last month.

So, he made a motion to continue with the original committee consisting of Commissioners Jack Duncan and Pat Zunz, PZB members Walter Hackett and George Symanski and Longboat Key citizens Tom Freiwald and Larry Grossman, both of whom are on the new committee.

Brown proposed adding the three additional citizens on the new committee — Roger Leibin, David Novak and Jered Whitehead — while removing himself and Bishop from the committee.

SEE ULI COMMITTEE / PAGE 15A

INDEX Briefs....................3A Classifieds......... 29A

Cops Corner....... 14A Crossword.......... 28A

Neighborhood.... 17A Opinion.................8A

Real Estate........ 26A Weather............. 28A

Vol. 36, No. 18 | Two sections YourObserver.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

COLONY / FROM PAGE 1A who was sitting in the courtroom, has agreed to pay Colony Lender $12 million in a foreclosure sale scheduled for Friday in Sarasota for Colony Lender’s 80% interest in recreational property.

But the revelations didn’t simplify matters.

They only confused them, leading May to postpone ruling and schedule more time to make decisions that will affect several parties in the case.

The hearing will resume at 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 4, in May’s courtroom. May will attempt for the fourth time in two weeks to either accept or deny a settlement that gives $3 million to longtime Colony owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber and doles out $2.3 million to a U.S. bankruptcy Chapter 7 trustee to pay creditors. The settlement also absolves the association from a $25 million judgment for damages Klauber won in an appeals court last year.

“None of us will ever see a case like this again,” May said. “Again I find myself in the position of not really knowing where we are heading.”

Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association attorney Jeff Warren announced that the association and Adams, Breakpointe LLC and his family have agreed on an amendment to the proposed settlement. That agreement calls for giving $400,000 to be paid to creditors, $75,000 to Carolyn Field through the Field Trust and $25,000 to Adams through Breakpointe LLC. Attorney Morgan Bentley, who represents Field, said she would not accept the offer, noting her investment in a recreational facilities lease is worth more than $300,000. The association’s legal counsel, though, pledged to work with Field to come to an agreement.

Warren said the association board of directors signed off on the amendment and said another vote of the unit owners wasn’t necessary to approve the amendment.

But Colony Lender attorney Michael Assaf argued another vote was needed.

Once again, though, Colony Lender, the largest affected creditor in the bankruptcy case, was left out of the settlement.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

Colony debtor attorney Michael Markham told May that as part of the settlement, Colony Lender and the association would either come to a cash settlement or receive fair market value for three acres of recreational land that sit in the middle of the resort within one year of closing on the settlement in March.

“The association will deliver the deed in lieu of foreclosure in the event amounts are not paid,” Markham said.

Assaf, who received the settlement amendment for the first time as May walked back into the courtroom after a break, objected to the amendment, calling the revelation “improper” and the entire case “a quandary.”

“In 30 years of practice, I’ve spent more time scratching my head over this case than any other case,” Assaf said.

Assaf again asserted the association was attempting to force May to set a price for Colony Lender’s claim and again urged the judge to allow the foreclosure sale to proceed. The association is urging May to postpone the sale.

Siegal also urged May to allow the sale to occur.

“We ask your honor to rule,” said Siegal, emphasizing Unicorp will pay $12 million at the sale. “This settlement is an inhibitor to the resolution of the issues. Let us have our sale.”

Siegal also disputed the original settlement.

“It can’t be right to sell all the assets, not pay your debts and leave with $3 million,” said Siegal, referencing Klauber’s right to $3 million as part of the settlement.

Markham urged May to approve the settlement.

“We are trying to stop some of the parts from moving,” Markham said. “Instead of saying the problem is too hard to solve, we’ve done the best we can under the circumstances. We’re trying to clear as much as we can so things can start happening.”

Warren told the court “a foreclosure sale destroys what we are trying to accomplish, which is a whole Colony property.”

The case will resume Wednesday.

For more information on Tuesday’s hearing and May’s rulings, check YourObserver.com for updates.

COLONY LITIGATION APRIL 2007 — Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber sued the Colony Beach & Tennis Association in Sarasota County, seeking $14.1 million in damages for repairs and upgrades.

Klauber partnership bankruptcy trustee and pay $7,751,470 in damages or pay $20,646,312 in damages to the partnership with no return of units.

NOVEMBER 2008 — The association filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing the $14.1 million judgment as its largest unsecured debt.

OCT. 12, 2012 — Judge May awarded damages of more than $20 million to Klauber, his partnership with the association and the resort’s limited partners. The association vowed it wouldn’t let the judgment stand.

JULY 31, 2009 — U.S. Bankruptcy Judge K. Rodney May ruled in favor of the association, finding that it wasn’t responsible for assessing unit owners $14.1 million. Klauber appealed the ruling.

OCTOBER 2009 — The hotel partnership led by Klauber filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

FEBRUARY 2010 — Colony Lender LLC, managed by developer/entrepreneur Randy Langley and businessman/attorney David Siegal, purchased overdue loans on key Klauber Colony properties from Bank of America for an undisclosed amount.

AUG. 9, 2010 — May converted the Klauber-led Partnership’s Chapter 11 case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, giving unit owners possession of their units and dissolving the hotel partnership. The Colony shut down hotel/resort operations and all on-site businesses six days later.

SEPTEMBER 2013 — Colony Lender LLC won a judgment of more than $13 million in Sarasota County court.

SEPT. 30, 2013 — The association’s board of directors approved a settlement with Klauber that includes a $3 million consulting agreement over five years and absolves the association of the judgment.

OCT. 10, 2013 — Colony Lender attorney Michael Assaf urged Judge May to liquidate and allow a sale of all resort assets. May wasn’t ready to convert the case from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 liquidation but said meaningful settlement talks with Colony Lender must occur to end the case.

JULY 27, 2011 — U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday reversed May’s August 2009 and essentially ruled in favor of Klauber.

NOV. 20, 2013 — Owners of 205 units voted to approve the settlement, while three voted against it, according to the association. But the association counted votes for 58 units owned by Andy Adams, his family and his corporate affiliates as “yes” votes even though they were subject to a list of conditions.

OCT. 12, 2011 — Merryday remanded the case to May and directed him directed him to rule on whether to return possession of units to the

DEC. 3, 2013 — In the third day of hearings, May declined to rule. He continued the hearing to 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 4.

127468

2A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

by Robin Hartill | News Editor

PIC ends 27-year run Board members of the former Public Interest Committee opted not to reorganize the group after a new state law required it to dissolve.

PIC TIMELINE Spring 1985 — The Longboat Key Public Interest Committee (PIC) formed.

October 1985 — PIC published its first newsletter, “The Voice of Longboat Key.” Jan. 1, 1986 — PIC incorporated after discussions with the town clerk and Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections.

Courtesy photo

Longboat Library President Trice Greene, center, accepted a check Monday, Dec. 2, from former PIC Co-President Ann Roth and former PIC Treasurer Jack McMahon.

The Longboat Key Public Interest Committee is history.

Officially, the group dissolved in September after a new state law eliminated all committees of continuous existence (CCEs), including PIC, and required them to cease all activities and have zero bank-account balances by Sept. 30.

Critics of CCEs argued that they were ripe for abuse because they lacked limits on what expenditures were allowed.

PIC’s board considered reorganizing as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organization “with the intent of continuing our educational mission without political overtones,” according to a letter sent to PIC members in September.

But, when board members of the organization formerly known as PIC gathered Nov. 9, to discuss the future of the group, they agreed to discontinue PIC and donate the balance of $3,200 in its coffers to the Longboat Library.

“The deciding factor was really that we couldn’t be a political committee,” said PIC Co-President Gaele Barthold, citing the extensive reporting requirements such a reorganization would have required.

“It’s been 27 years,” she said. “That’s a good, long run for an organization.”

PIC formed in 1985 and incorporated in 1986 “to try to find a suitable way to provide their neighbors with factual, unbiased information about the town as it seeks to address its problems,” according to the first issue of its newsletter, “The Voice.”

At the time, many residents who joined PIC were concerned about the possibility of overdevelopment on the Key as Arvida Corp. de-

Estate-sized homes on estate-sized lots

veloped the south end. In the 1980s and early 1990s, PIC helped to elect commissioners who instituted strict regulations for development.

At its peak, membership swelled to more than 1,000.

But with the goals of many of PIC’s early leaders accomplished, the group began to lose interest from the community. The group also shifted its once hard-line stance against development and commercialization on the island to one that advocated for a balance of residents, tourists and businesses.

“Without all the controversy, we just didn’t have all the excitement going forward,” said PIC Co-President Ann Roth.

Barthold and Roth were at the end of their three-year terms as co-presidents and couldn’t find anyone willing to assume leadership of the group.

PIC continued to endorse candidates and take positions on issues.

But much of its role became educational in recent years.

Typically, it held one or two public forums about Key issues and a debate for commission candidates every year.

Both Roth and Barthold credit the work of a PIC panel with helping to get the commission’s attention about the town’s underfunded pension plans.

Barthold hopes programs that inform the community will continue, possibly with help from the library.

“One thing we’re going to talk to them about is using some of that money to sponsor educational forums,” she said.

The Majesty Of

1993 — PIC membership peaked at 1,100 members.

1999 — PIC changed the mission on its newsletter from “dedicated to reporting the facts about our town” to “dedicated to promoting good government in our town.”

2008 — PIC supported the approval of a referendum allowing the rebuilding of 250 tourism units — indicating a shift in stance for a group that was once considered anti-development by many.

2013 — A new state law required all committees of continuing existence (CCEs) to cease operations and have a zero bank balance by Sept. 30.

NEWSBRIEFS + Quiet hurricane season comes to an end A quiet hurricane season came to an end Saturday, Nov. 30.

The six-month Atlantic hurricane season had 13 named storms, only two of which became hurricanes.

Tropical Storm Andrea was the only storm that made landfall in the United States. The storm brought heavy rains, 40 mph winds and flooding to Longboat Key June 6, but didn’t result in major damage.

In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a more active hurricane season than usual of between 13 to 20 named storms, including seven to 11 hurricanes, and three to six major hurricanes.

The Sarasota area has experienced hurricane impacts in recent decades but hasn’t had a direct hurricane hit since 1944.

+ Water meter replacement program continues Replacement of potable water service meters continues throughout the town this month at no cost to water customers. The replacement program will be ongoing through February. Minimal water service interruption will occur when meters are changed out. Water meters have a useful life of 10 to 15 years. Public outreach methods for water meter replacements include utility bill inserts, a mailing, street signs in immediate work areas, door hangers and a knock on the door before an employee replaces a home’s meter.

+ Town, police department collect items for Toys for Tots Santa Claus is coming to the town of Longboat Key. Toys for Tots boxes are currently located at Longboat Key Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, and the Longboat Key Police Department, 5460 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Drop off a new unwrapped toy valued at $5 or more to either location to help a needy child have a merry Christmas and happy holidays.

MEETINGS AGENDAS

&

 Town Commission Regular Workshop — 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11.  Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17.  Town Commission Regular Meeting — 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6.  Code Enforcement Board Regular Meeting — 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 13.

All meetings take place at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, unless otherwise noted.

Sarasota’s best builders are constructing exceptional custom homes in a gated master planned community designed for real estates.

It’s true private living on 3 to 5 acre wooded homesites.

Contact Brian Wood, The Forest’s exclusive representative, to schedule a private tour of this premier new community on the historic Hi Hat Ranch.

Brian Wood | 941.928.8408

Premier Sotheby’s International Realty brian.wood@sothebysrealty.com sarasotaprivateranch.com

Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission.

Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

122899

end of an era

3A

4A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

news this week

by Observer Staff

YourObserver.com Observer Media relaunches NORTH AMERICA’S BEST OVERALL LOCAL NEWS SITE TM

of The Sarasota-Manatee Originals Scan th e to watch QR code or visit o the video YourObs ur website, e InTheKit rver.com/ chen.

THIS WEEK Chef Alfredo Rodriguez from Cosimo’s gives us his recipes for Margherita and quattro formaggio pizzas, cooked in a wood-fired brick oven.

LV6954 LV6954

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE CONTEST:

WHAT’S INSID E

• SEASON SNAPSH OTS. Learn • PERFEC more about T TIMING the Observer . Area malls • SANTA ’s holiday stay SIGHTIN photo contest GS. See inside open longer to aid you 4 • THAT’S // PAGE 4 in your shopping for a complete contest // PAGE A WRAP. holiday photo Learn the list of St. Nick’s the Observer’s // PAGE 8 secrets of // PAGE 8 aboutneeds areamore . Learn wrapping shopping needs appearan picture-p aid you in your ces // to • SEASON SNAPSHOTS PAGE // PAGE 18 erfect presents stay open longer 18 Area malls // PAGE 20list of St. Nick’s area appearances • PERFECT TIMING. complete 20 See inside for a t presents // PAGE • SANTA SIGHTINGS. the secrets of wrapping picture-perfec Learn • THAT’S A WRAP.

Snap a photo of yourself holding the 2013 Holiday Gift Guide at one of the featured advertisers’ locations!

Then, upload your photo to YourObserver.com for a chance at a $250 gift card, and a $250 Give Card.

Entries accepted through Dec. 24. Happy shopping!

WHAT’S INSIDE

THE GOOD NEWS SERIES: Visit YourObserver.com/TheGoodNews to learn how donors, volunteers and beneficiaries connect through Gulf Coast Good, an initiative of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. And, learn how to become involved!

The Observer Media Group has added to its digital footprint with the relaunching of ThisWeekinSarasota.com, a local entertainment and events guide.

Started in 2006 by Matt Orr, then a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Co., ThisWeekinSarasota.com was an events calendar designed to help his clients discover what to do in Sarasota.

Orr sold the website this summer to the Observer Media Group, which spent the fall redesigning the website.

“Matt and I have always wanted to combine the powers of the Observer and ThisWeekinSarasota.com,” says Emily Walsh, chief digital officer of the Observer Media Group. “I’m thrilled that he’s entrusted us to help grow this amazing product he began.”

A daily, alternative digital publication, ThisWeekinSarasota.com is designed to help readers stay up to date on what’s happening — you guessed it — this week in Sarasota. With its new design and contributors, ThisWeekinSararsota.com includes a mix of calendar listings, blogs, profiles, video stories and local event coverage.

Its content will help readers navigate the ever-growing list of activities and events while introducing them to local artists, musicians and newsmakers.

ThisWeekinSarasota.com’s staff consists of professional journalists and a group of contributors who are plugged into their respective beats. Editor of ThisWeekinSarasota.com is Nick Friedman, former community editor with the Sarasota Observer. The site also features Zara Barrie, who produces the “Factory Girl” video blog. Community contribu-

LIKE US

thisweekinsarasota

WATCH US

This Week in Sarasota

FOLLOW US

@thisweekinsrq

CONNECT

ThisWeekinSarasota.com

CONTRIBUTE

ObserveandConnect.com tors will generate content about fashion, food, music, art and general community coverage.

Walsh and Friedman said they are encouraging readers to participate and be interactive with ThisWeekinSarasota. com.

“Keep in touch, sign up for our e-newsletter, Facebook and Twitter, and apply to be one of our contributors at Observe andConnect.com to help contribute,” Walsh said.

Café Don Giovanni Casual Italian Restaurant

DAILY HEADLINES

Register on YourObserver.com and receive a daily digest of top stories and events delivered to your inbox!

Delicious Dinners Nightly 4:30 - Close

Osso Buco • Veal Chop • Chicken • Lamb • Fresh Seafood Sea Bass • Dover Sole • Pasta • Pizza

Call for reservations (941) 383-0013

Observer LONGBOAT

5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key

5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Fla., 34228

Email press releases and announcements to: Jessica Luck, jluck@yourobserver.com Email Letters to the Editor to: Kurt Schultheis, kschultheis@yourobserver.com

LIGH

TO E-MAIL US

OU

PR SE

OPERTY MA

NA

G

ENT EM

TH

PHONE: 941-383-5509 | FAX: 941-362-4808 | WEBSITE: YourObserver.com

127581

The Observer has partnered with The Sarasota-Manatee Originals and is producing an online video series.

Each episode features one of the more than 53 members of The Originals.

ThisWeekinSarasota.com

TO ADVERTISE

Display Advertising: To obtain information, call Donna Condon at 941-366-3468, Ext. 301. Advertisers also may obtain all Observer Group Inc. advertising rates and editorial calendars online at www.YourObserver.com.

Classified Advertising/Service Directory: For information and rates, or to place an ad, call 941-955-4888. Hours 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. To place a classified ad online, visit YourObserver.com, or e-mail your ad to classified@yourobserver.com.

We offer two separate programs:

Free home delivery: The Longboat Observer offers free home delivery to single-family homes on Longboat Key, Bird Key, St. Armands Key, Lido Key and Lido Shores.

The Longboat Observer also delivers to every condominium, resort and commercial building on Longboat Key and Lido Key. To subscribe: Please call Donna Condon at 941-366-3468, Ext. 301, or email dcondon@yourobserver.com.

LIKE US

Observer Group

WATCH US

YourObserverVideo

Canada One year / $250 Six months / $200 Three months / $160

FOLLOW US

@ObserverGroup

Full Service Property Management for Condominiums and Homeowners Associations.

OR Full Monthly Accounting Service, without any Property Management Services.

941-650-5770

www.lighthousepropertymanagement.net

Our offices are located on Longboat Key: Harbour Square Office Building 4134 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Unit 203 (Next to Pattigeorge’s Restaurant)

119232

TO SUBSCRIBE

MAIL DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION RATES Standard First-Class One year / $95 One year / $200 Six months / $76 Six months / $160 Three months / $61 Three months / $128

Looking for a NEW Property Management Company?

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

CHARTER CHANGE

by Robin Hartill | News Editor

Voters will decide ZBA’s future

5A

game time

by Kelsey Grau | Community Editor

A referendum question on the March 25 ballot will determine whether the commission can dissolve the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The Zoning Board of ILITIES Adjustment (ZBA) is BA RESPONSIB Z heading to the referCURRENT ons made endum zone.

Appeal of decisi officials S R E B M E e ZBA M The Longboat Key by administrativ code; Feole ng en ni B zo e Town Commission — th 1 t to Sea related ant voted 7-0 at its Monr special Seat 2 — Vac Applications fo te hi me day regular meeting to W exceptions for ho alls; Seat 3 — Jean approve an ordinance dw in w d ant occupations an Seat 4 — Vac on first reading and u ijo B as ylight plane m ho T fro Wavers m da Seat 5 — public hearing that r ck Fulle regulations; will allow voters to deSeat 6 — Chu d ol th ar B certain le ae cide during the March Variances from Seat 7 — G the in ith w ns io 25 general municipal provis election whether to dezoning code lete from its charter the requirement that the town maintain a permanent ZBA. The commission bewouldn’t be necessary to the board’s responsibilities gan considering the possibility of asking voters to elim- receive affirmative votes from a permanent function of the Planning & Zoning Board. inate the requirement for the each member present.

There are two seats that “You talked about a whole ZBA because of the board’s longstanding difficulty in ob- need to be filled on the board, lot of possibilities,” Bullock and, despite several attempts said. “Those all become postaining a quorum.

In May, the town’s Planning to fill the seats with advertise- sible when the charter is no Zoning and Building Depart- ments from the Town Clerk’s longer the governing document received two applica- office, the seats remain va- ment and you can place it in your ordinance.” tions for variances, but the cant.

Town Manager Dave BullThe commission will disZBA couldn’t reach a quorum until October. Even then, it ock explained that removing cuss how it seeks to reassign was a minimum quorum of the requirement that the ZBA the ZBA’s duties at a future four members that would exist from the charter would workshop.

The town’s charter curhave required all members to give the town more flexibilvote in favor of the variance ity. The commission has dis- rently states that the town’s cussed possibilities such as permanent boards must into approve it.

One applicant withdrew giving the ZBA one opportu- clude a Planning and Zoning the application. The second nity to reach a quorum before Board, Zoning Board of Adapplicant opted to wait for assigning its responsibilities justment and Code Enforcea majority quorum so that it to another board or making ment Board.

ALSO AT ITS DEC. 2 REGULAR MEETING, THE COMMISSION ...

Approved on first reading: • An ordinance amending the town’s flood-control ordinances to comply with state and federal regulations; • An ordinance that withdraws the town from receiving state tax revenues, known as Chapter 185 monies, because of the town’s intention of freezing its police pension plan Jan. 1.

• An ordinance establishing March 25 as the date for the town’s General Municipal Election.

Adopted on second reading and public hearing: • An ordinance extending no-parking zones around Longboat Key Town Hall during early voting and Election Day.

25

MARCH

File photo

Bill Upton, Angela Mantilla, Nancy Kane and Ted Tilton were Division 4 champions at last year’s Observer Challenge.

Take the Observer Challenge: See you at the net Action begins Friday, Dec. 13, at the Public Tennis Center.

The 14th annual Observer Challenge kicks off with a pre-party at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center, 590 Bay Isles Road. Opponents will be revealed over cocktails, wine and hors d’oeuvres catered by Harry’s Continental Kitchens. Guests will also enjoy a pro mixeddoubles exhibition.

The tournament begins Friday, Dec. 13 and lasts all weekend, concluding Sunday, Dec. 15. Its format of four players (two women and two men) per team with four levels of play is unique to USTA tournaments because it includes both singles and doubles for each team.

An entry fee of $25 gets you the chance to play, along with a tournament T-shirt, balls, refreshments, awards and admission to Thursday’s cocktail party. Admission for non-players to the cocktail party is $10.

To register, call 316-8367.

What’s Happening at Freedom Village Bradenton?

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

Come to Freedom Village Bradenton in December for entertaining and informative events of particular interest to seniors and their families.

COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Tuesday, December 10 | 3 p.m.

Join us for happy hour and mix and mingle with our residents.

HOLIDAY INFORMATIONAL LUNCH Thursday, December 12 | 11:30 a.m.

Join us for lunch and learn how you can enjoy more freedom to live the life you love.

Complimentary admission and refreshments Reservations are required for all events.

6406 21st Avenue West | Bradenton, FL 34209 | brookdale.com ALL THE PLACES LIFE CAN GO is a Trademark of Brookdale Senior Living Inc., Nashville, TN, USA. 51280EF-ROP09-1213 SW

127007

A Life Care Community

124699

To RSVP for one of these events or to be added to our mailing list, call 1-888-584-7178.

6A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

ON THE RECORD

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

by David Conway | Staff Writer

Sarasota City Commission admonishes BID directors 127594

J.L. BAINBRIDGE &

C O M PA N Y,

I N C .

• A fee-only Registered Investment Advisor helping clients achieve their investment goals • Locally owned and operated, serving clients for over 3 decades • Helping clients grow their wealth since 1981 • Payment of fees contingent on client’s complete satisfaction • Every client relationship has a dedicated portfolio manager • Off ering both growth and income investing • For investment philosophy and results please visit our web site • Sign up for our free monthly newsletter

Jerry L. Bainbridge

Fay E. Bainbridge

K. David Schoonover

Joel G. Oldham

John B. Leeming

Barton L. Bainbridge

1582 Main Street | Sarasota, Florida 34236

(941) 365-3435 | (800) 899-5171

118228

To learn more about J.L. Bainbridge’s unique commitment to client satisfaction and the payment of our fees, call for a free investment review.

The commission emphasized the importance of advisory board members using their city-issued email accounts after a request for St. Armands BID directors’ emails.

At November’s St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District meeting, Chairman Marty Rappaport was upset about a records request involving BID directors’ personal email accounts.

On Monday, the Sarasota City Commission was upset, too — with the BID directors who conducted city business using their personal email accounts, which goes against a city resolution. The resolution, passed in 2011, requires all city business to be conducted on cityissued email accounts.

Last month, Rappaport said the group of BID directors was being targeted and said he would consider resignation if the group continued to be scrutinized — unfairly, in his opinion.

Michael Barfield, a paralegal who works with the group Citizens for Sunshine, sent an email to the BID directors in October requesting a series of emails.

The query related to emails linked to the BID’s consideration of limiting the commercial space restaurants can occupy on the Circle and hiring another consultant to determine the proper retail mix there.

To comply with the records request, Rappaport had to turn over his personal computer, and the city had to pay for a forensic examiner to recover any emails that matched Barfield’s query and had been deleted from Rappaport’s personal account. Emails on other BID directors’ personal email accounts had not been deleted and could be forwarded to their

city accounts.

City Attorney Robert Fournier said it was unknown at this point whether any deleted emails were unrecoverable; the forensic examiner’s report could cost around $1,500. If there are unrecoverable emails, the city could be open to legal action, Fournier said. A settlement was reached in a similar case involving Downtown Improvement District board members last year, with the city paying $8,300 to cover opposing attorney’s fees after certain emails could not be recovered.

On Monday, the commission voted to require all advisory board members to acknowledge the city resolution regarding city-issued email accounts before those boards could meet again. Commissioner Paul Caragiulo said he sympathized with Rappaport’s plight, but that other advisory board members should avoid his misstep so they don’t find themselves in a similar situation.

“You don’t want them to get into the situation where they have to relinquish stuff that a normal person would not want to relinquish,” Caragiulo said. “You just think the incentivization would be built in here.”

Rappaport declined to comment following Monday’s meeting.

“I respect all the work Marty’s done out there, but we can’t keep doing this,” Mayor Shannon Snyder said. “Everyone knows you can’t do this.”

YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE NIGHTMARE MAY BE OVER WE HAVE A BETTER OPTION TO FEMA’S HIGH COST • Has your flood insurance increased on your older pre-FIRM (built prior to 1975) home?

• Have you recently purchased an older pre-FIRM home?

• Is your pre-FIRM policy about to renew?

We have the solution to high FEMA premium increases.

Secur-All is now issuing policies with an A-rated company that will cut FEMA’s policy premiums in half on older pre-FIRM homes.

Call George or Sandra at your local Secur-ALL insurance agency or stop by our office in the Suntrust Bank building across from Town Hall to see if we can help you as well.

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

CHUBB, AIG, UNIVERSAL, UNITED, TRAVELERS, SAFECO, PROGRESSIVE, CITIZENS, FLOOD. WE HAVE YOU COVERED!

128220

941-383-3388 STOP BY AND MEET YOUR LOCAL AGENTS, SANDRA & GEORGE CESHKER

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

charitable effort

by Robin Hartill | News Editor

New community foundation makes Longboat its mission The Longboat Key Foundation was established through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to benefit the island and its residents.

Charity starts at home.

And now Longboat Key residents who want their charitable contributions to stay at home have a new way to make that happen.

Community leaders recently established the Longboat Key Foundation through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County (CFSC).

The foundation exists “for the support and benefit of exclusively charitable purposes in and for the benefit of Longboat Key, Florida and its residents,” according to the fund agreement with CFSC, which will provide administrative support and philanthropic expertise.

Bob Simmons is chairman of the board of advisers, which also includes Bob Coyne, Cheryl Loeffler, Jeff Mayers, Jules Rose and Warren Simonds.

“It gives us a vehicle for any local donors to designate any donations they would like to make for Longboat Key,” Simmons said.

Longboat Key Mayor Jim Brown, Vice Mayor David Brenner and Tom Aposporos, a member of the Longboat Key Revitalization Task Force and former Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce president, provided the initial work, support and funding for the foundation.

“We were finding a variety of things that we thought would enhance Longboat Key but that were really not the types of things you would turn to the town government for,” Brenner said.

Aposporos told the Longboat Observer last year that he and others discussed

7A

LoCaL LuXury.

InTernaTIonaL CLouT. Gorgeous direct beachfront views from Longboat Key Towers This is Florida beach living at its best. Spacious and private, southwest corner condominium with 2,593 sq ft, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. The residence is surrounded by walls of windows and has a European flair with deep crown moldings and custom cabinetry throughout.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

MLS A3987049

For more information about getting involved with or donating to the Longboat Key Foundation, contact Bob Simmons at simmonsbob@aol. com. To learn more about the Longboat Key Foundation and other Community Foundation of Sarasota endeavors, visit cfsarasota.org.

$1,495,000 SW corner Sanctuary condominium with gorgeous Caribbean island like views

the possibilities for positive development during the Longboat Key Club’s hearings for its proposed $400 million expansion project. He and others discussed the possibilities for positive development if both sides put their money for attorney fees toward a community foundation.

Aposporos and Brenner began discussing possibilities last year with CFSC officials.

Aposporos served as acting managing director during the organization’s formation. Aposporos, Brown and Brenner are not members of the board of advisers.

Simmons, a retired health care executive and 11-year Key resident, said that although the group is still in its infancy, the board has identified two priorities: establishment of a medical center on the island and the creation of a community or cultural center.

“Now, we’re just looking to compile a list of people who would be interested in donating,” Simmons said. “We’re excited to have this vehicle on Longboat Key.”

One-of-a-kind 3,115 sq ft residence with gorgeous, direct beach front views and private stairs to the beach that gives it the feel of a private beach house. Beach front master with en-suite bath and glorious views, 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a huge wrap terrace. MLS A3971860

$1,699,000

This LBK Club Bayou residence is situated on one of Longboat Key’s best waterfront locations Majestically overlooking Crane's Bayou & Buttonwood Bay with deep sailboat water and room for a 60' +/- yacht, this two story 4 bedroom home w/soaring 20 ft ceilings is a boater's paradise.

Huge living room w/fireplace, family room, pool & pool bath + dock & lift. MLS A3981543

$1,395,000

Magnificent views of the gulf to Tampa Bay from this Water Club penthouse This furnished 3 bedroom, 4 bath, 3,054 sq ft residence will take your breath away when you enter the penthouse from your private foyer.

Walls of glass off the spacious living room lead to the private balcony with miles of fabulous beach and sunset views. The master retreat with private sitting area has his and hers baths and large walk-in closet. MLS A3963869

$1,995,000

Spectacular bayfront homesite with protected waterfront for your yacht

To have your wedding considered for publication in Diversions, please email stephanie@yourobserver.com the information below, in addition to 5 to 10 high-resolution photos.

Rare opportunity to purchase a home site of this size on the Bayfront of south Longboat Key. With 306 feet of waterfront, build your spectacular new dream home with gorgeous views of the open bay and the beautiful Sarasota skyline. The lucky homeowner will have endless changing views from sunrise to sunset. MLS A3983924

Bride’s and Groom’s full names: Parents’ names:

$2,495,000

How the couple met: The proposal (details and date): The wedding (details and date): The reception: Honeymoon: Fun facts: Details on vendors ...

First dance: Photography: Wedding planning: Floral design: Invitations: Cake: Dress:

Beautiful views from this turnkey furnished, Sunset Beach condominium

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Turquoise blue waters and sunsets year around can be viewed from this 2 bedroom condominium. The entire, corner location, condominium has been remodeled beautifully with stone tile flooring, two new bathrooms and a new kitchen.

Great floor plan with a huge en suite master. MLS A3957661

19

$549,500

// BLACK TIE: OCCAsIOns

BrIdE’s pArEnTs: Carl and susanne Wise

GrOOm’s pArEnTs: Clifford and marylin snyder

First Dance: “make You Feel my Love” by Adele wedding Photography: Jason mize photography wedding Planning + Design: sarah Tucker Events Floral Design: Victoria Blooms & The naked Florist Invitations: A&p designs | Cake: pastries by design music: musical rendez Vous (wedding) and private stock (reception)

Michael Saunders & Company 440 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228 PH 941.387.7300 FX 941.296.7722 HannerleMoore@michaelsaunders.com photos by Jason mize photography

tHe weDDING: The couple was married at sunset March 1, at Ringling’s Cà d’Zan Mansion. Courtney’s tHe PRoPoSAL: 12-month-old nephew was even Dan had the ring three months part of the processional. The Rev. before he proposed to Courtney. Andrea Taylor, of St. Boniface

Episcopal Church, performed off the beautiful neutral colors of shoes once the dancing began. the ceremony. the Ca’ d’Zan. The evening featured a photo booth by Bash Booths so guests tHe ReCePtIoN: HoNeymooN: could take their photo home as The reception also took place Wanting to go somewhere nei- a favor, including a photo holder at the beautiful Cà d’Zan. Sarah ther one of them had been, the designed by Inkling-Print.

Tucker, of Sarah Tucker Events, couple decided to honeymoon The bride’s sister, Erika Wise Borwas instrumental in assisting on the islands of French Polyne- land, designed and created many with the look and many details sia. They became scuba certified of the paper items for the big day, of the wedding. The goal was to so they could dive on the trip. including the ceremony program, incorporate nautical elements table numbers and menu cards. that represented Dan’s passion FUN FACtS: The couple desired a smaller for fishing and softer elements To keep with the nautical theme, cake, because they wanted to to represent Courtney. The colors the bridesmaids wore matching have a dessert bar by Michael’s were a mix of navy, cream and lockets with tiny anchors inside and On East at which guests could gold. The couple wanted to play the groomsmen changed into boat choose their own sweet treat.

Get relief from foot, knee & back pain... even Plantar Fasciitis!

■ Arch supports that fit all shoes — even sandals

*Occasions feature is free of charge

20 OFF

$

111346

Any pair of arch supports

Valid only in Sarasota-Tampa area.

Cannot be combined with other offers.

Expires 5/12/13 SOY01

■ Free personal fitting and balance demonstration ■ Lifetime warranty on most arch supports ■ Free test walk so you can try before you buy

4950 Fruitville Road • Sarasota Just West of Honore , Opposite Goodwill 941-487-7974 www.GoodFeetTampaBay.com

C O M I N G

M A R C H

www.longboatlife.com for information on the local real estate market, your neighborhood or for more information about Hannerle.

2 0 1 3

For the Perfect Wedding Gift...

Simon Pearce Engraved Bowl....

Bride and Groom’s names and date!

facebook.com/Longboatlife

127936

He tried to get her to go out of town one weekend, but Courtney’s focus was on her 4-day-old nephew. Because he couldn’t get Courtney out of town, Dan decided the morning of Feb. 13, 2012, that he had waited long enough and was ready to propose.

LV5924

How tHey met: Both being at a point in their lives in which they were ready to meet “Mr. or Mrs. Right,” Dan and Courtney are happy to admit they met through eHarmony. At the time, Dan was living in Apollo Beach, so the two emailed back and forth for quite some time before they met in person.

The couple’s first date was Feb. 13, 2010, at Mediterraneo.

8A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

Observer opinion | our view LONGBOAT

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

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Editor / CEO / Matt Walsh mwalsh@yourobserver.com Publisher / Lisa Walsh lwalsh@yourobserver.com Chief Digital Officer / Emily Walsh ewalsh@yourobserver.com Executive Editor / Kat Hughes khughes@yourobserver.com Deputy Executive Editor / Jessica Luck jluck@yourobserver.com Managing Editor / Kurt Schultheis kschultheis@yourobserver.com News Editor / Robin Hartill rhartill@yourobserver.com Community Editor / Kelsey Grau kgrau@yourobserver.com Managing Editor/Design / Nancy Schwartz nschwartz@yourobserver.com Managing Editor/Diversions-Season / Stephanie Hannum, stephanie@yourobserver.com Arts & Entertainment Editor / Mallory Gnaegy mgnaegy@yourobserver.com Black Tie Assistant Editor / Heather Merriman hmerriman@yourobserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh jraleigh@yourobserver.com East County Advertising Manager / Lori Ruth lruth@yourobserver.com Sales Manager / Penny DiGregorio pdigregorio@yourobserver.com Sales Manager / Rosemary Felton rfelton@yourobserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter lritter@yourobserver.com Advertising Executives / Robyn Didelot, rdidelot@yourobserver.com Patti Duff, pduff@yourobserver.com Laura Fernandez, lfernandez@yourobserver.com Beth Holman, bholman@yourobserver.com Beth Jacobson, bjacobson@yourobserver.com Robert Lewis, blewis@yourobserver.com Suzanne Munroe, smunroe@yourobserver.com Brand Marketing Manager / Leslie Gnaegy lgnaegy@yourobserver.com Sales Coordinator/Account Managers / Lori Downey, ldowney@yourobserver.com Susan Leedom, sleedom@yourobserver.com Rachel Livingston, rlivingston@yourobserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executives/ Maureen Hird, mhird@yourobserver.com Deedie Parker, dparker@yourobserver.com Director of Production and Information Technology / Kathy Payne, kpayne@yourobserver.com Assistant Production Manager / Brooke Schultheis, bschultheis@yourobserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Monica DiMattei, mdimattei@yourobserver.com Marjorie Holloway, mholloway@yourobserver.com Jim Knake, jknake@yourobserver.com Chris Stolz, cstolz@yourobserver.com Luis Trujillo, ltrujillo@yourobserver.com Director of Digital Sales / Kathleen O’Hara kohara@yourobserver.com Interactive Art Director / Caleb Stanton cstanton@yourobserver.com Digital Marketing Consultant / Brandon Steinert bsteinert@digitalobservermedia.com Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Jordon Stone jstone@digitalobservermedia.com Digital Content Producer / Alex Mahadevan alexm@yourobserver.com Chief Financial Officer / Laura Keisacker lkeisacker@yourobserver.com Controller / Lisa Schwenk lschwenk@yourobserver.com Office Coordinator / Donna Condon dcondon@yourobserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned

Publishers of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Pelican Press, Plant City Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, Business Observer and Season Magazine Chairman / David Beliles Editor and CEO / Matt Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh

5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive Longboat Key, Fla. 34228 941/383-5509

YourObserver.com ©Copyright The Observer Media Group Inc. 2013 All Rights Reserved

Dec. 7, 1941: Never forget This Saturday marks the 72nd anniversary of what President Franklin Roosevelt declared a “day of infamy” — the day Japan unleashed its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

We lost 2,335 U.S. service men and women at Pearl Harbor — now the seconddeadliest, one-day loss of Americans’ lives in war and conflict. The terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, surpassed Pearl Harbor in loss of life — 2,996. Many have referred to that day as our nation’s second day of infamy.

Just as we say today in memory of 9/11 that “we will never forget,” so, too, the same should continue for Dec. 7, 1941.

To commemorate the memory of that day, we take you there — via a firsthand account. We are printing this week excerpts on Pearl Harbor Day from the book “Letters to Lee,” by Longboat Key resident Cecelia Edmundson, daughter of the late Lt. Gen. James V. Edmundson, an Air Force hero of three wars.

“Letters to Lee” chronicles the military life and marriage of Edmundson’s parents.

It’s great reading — especially if you knew the main characters. Indeed, we can’t think of anyone Longboat Key history who was a greater and more extraordinary war hero and person than Gen. “Gentle Jim” Edmundson.

Chapter 18: The Flight Line of Dec. 7, 1941

That day was one I will always remember.

To a young lieutenant whose exposure to violent death and mutilating wounds had been limited, it was unreal. The day had a sense of horror and unreality that are hard to convey.

The sky was full of Japanese airplanes.

Formations of high-level horizontal bombers were laying down a pattern of bombs on our parked aircraft. Dive-bombers were making individual attacks. Several put bombs into the consolidated barracks and into the flight line hangars as I was running for the line. I saw one dive-bomber go straight into the big Hawaiian Air Depot hangar without appearing to try to pull out.

Fighters and dive-bombers that had released their bombs were making strafing passes over our parked aircraft, up and down the streets and over the quarters area.

It was a random operation, without opposition, and they seemed to be having a great time. In open cockpits, they wore cloth helmets, and their faces were clearly visible.

Strafing planes were carefully picking off individual men trying to make their way across the parade ground. They also seemed to delight in shooting up parking lots full of cars. Perhaps they were making sure there would be a good post-war market for Datsuns and Toyotas in the United States. Their activity seemed heaviest over

Army Air Corps pilot 1st Lt. James Edmundson in 1941 at Hickam Field before the attack Pearl Harbor, especially around Ford Island and battleship row. Muffled explosions were continuous, and huge columns of black smoke poured up.

My little squadron was hard hit. Our wing of the barracks was hit, killing many of my troops sleeping in on Sunday. The Central Mess Hall was hit in the middle of serving breakfast. My first sergeant was killed at his desk in the orderly room. The hangar that housed our aircraft, our operations, and maintenance activities took a direct hit, and I lost my line chief and my operations clerk, both of whom were at work that Sunday morning.

Much had to be done: fires put out, small arms distributed, wounded taken to the hospital, and aircraft dispersed. At various times, I was involved in doing all these things. I couldn’t begin to tell you when or in what order certain things were done.

I remember one small man, a Japanese civilian. I don’t know what his job was, but he had gone to the yard in front of the hospital where the wounded were beginning to be collected — some horribly mutilated — and this little man had somewhere found a basin of water and a piece of rag and was going from person to person wiping off their faces. It wasn’t much, but it was all he could do. For some reason, the memory of him has stayed with me.

I recall taxiing a B-18 across the runway for dispersal. It had one engine knocked out, but the aircraft next to it was on fire, and it needed to be moved. I’d rev up the one engine to the limit, and as the plane would start to circle forward, I’d slam on one brake to make the plane swing back around the other way. We duck-walked across the ramp and the runway that way, with the crew chief pounding me on the shoulder, saying, “Lieutenant, you can’t taxi

these things on one engine.”

There was a squadron of B-17s arriving from the mainland that morning, on the first leg of their journey to the Philippines.

They were arriving without any warning in the midst of the attack, and you can imagine the confusion. Most were low on fuel. They had, of course, made the flight without ammunition in their guns to save weight. Some landed at Hickam, with Zeroes trying to shoot them down in the traffic pattern.

Some landed at other airfields, and some went to the outer islands. I remember that one landed on the Waianai Golf Course.

One B-17 landed at Hickam with the tires shot up and a fire in the radio compartment. It slid to a stop in the middle of the runway. I was with a group trying to clear the runway, and we ran up to the airplane.

The pilot turned out to be a guy I knew named Swenson. He stuck his head out the window and yelled, “Hi, Eddie! Hey, what the hell goes on here?” Under the current conditions, it seemed a pretty reasonable question.

We got him out. He had a couple of wounded on board and a flight surgeon with him who had been killed. I wanted to extinguish the fire in the radio compartment of his plane so we could get it off the runway to clear space for other airplanes to land. We got one of these big pushcart CO2 fire extinguishers from one of the hangers and rolled it out there. I climbed up and through the pilot’s window over the wing and was going back through the bomb bay to the radio compartment. The minute I turned on that rascal, I had CO2 sprayed all over my hand because the rubber in its nozzle had rotted. It froze my hand, which I didn’t realize at the time.

We got the fire out, and I climbed back down. We got wire cutters and cut the control cables because the B-17 had broken in half, in the center. We got a tug and towed the two halves out of the way so others could land.

About then, a Japanese airplane went across strafing and dropping fragmentation bombs. I felt a big bang and was knocked out. When I came to, of two guys who were with me, one was very badly wounded, and the other was dead. I felt my head because I couldn’t see out of one eye. There was blood running down, and I felt with my frozen hand. It felt like I had a hole in my head big enough to put my fist into. “Well,” I thought, “that’s all she wrote. That’s the end of the road. What can I do? I’ll just sit here and wait to die.”

I hadn’t seen anyone just slightly wounded that day at all. I sat there and waited to die, but nothing seemed to happen. Then, I reached up with the other hand and found out that all I had was a little nick in my head. Feeling very foolish, I got up and went back to work.

LETTER TO MOM AND DAD, DEC. 24, 1941 it was butchery.

This is the day before Christmas. It hardly Now that we are squared away, things seems possible. Christmas this year is sure a farce. Writing to you now is almost an impos- will be different. Cold-bloodedly speaking, it was a cheap lesson because sible job because so much has the American people, being happened the last couple of what they are, had to have weeks, and there is actually something like this happen so little I can tell you about before we could get any public it. Needless to say, we had a sentiment aroused. It’s just ringside seat. Lee will undoubttoo bad we, over here, had to edly be home before too long, be the goats, but now that we and she will be able to tell you are in it, I’m glad I was here. much more about what went on The war is my own personal than I will be able to in a letter. fight now. You can read about Luck was certainly on my side. I things like that from now until was in the middle of everything doomsday, and it will never and got away almost without a Newlyweds Lee and scratch.

Jim Edmundson, 1940 mean as much as to actually have people you know and like My little squadron was hit blown in half in front of your extra heavy, and my adjutant, eyes without chance to defend themselves.

Lt. Green, was killed, among others. It was a Believe me, it’s only a matter of time until horrible thing to go through. There is nothing honorable about being machine-gunned while every little Jap in the world is either dead or flat on his face in the dirt, and I’m so very in bed as so many were. We were so utterly happy that my training has suited me for a helpless on the ground, and the attack itself was so wanton and ruthless. It wasn’t a fight- major role in bringing this to pass. It’s up to

those of us who know how to take over from here on, and believe me, it will be done. As soon as Lee is safely home, I’ll be able to relax and enjoy it.

As a country, we can’t help but win. As for me personally, that’s in somebody else’s hand. I’ve a job to do that I know how to do, and I’m looking forward to it. However I come out of it myself, you can rest assured I’ll have never done anything to make you ashamed of me. The American way of living and doing things is a religion with me, and one I’ve sworn to protect as an officer in the United States Army. I hope this doesn’t sound like flag-waving to you because it’s not.

Don’t worry about me. Now that we are on our feet, nobody is a match for us, and they’ll never catch us flat on our backs asleep again. My letters will be few and far between from now on, and they will be none too full of news. Will have lots to talk about when it’s all over, which shouldn’t be too long.

Remember my love is with you, and I’m proud of you both. It won’t be long.

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

ANALYSIS: WHERE LONGBOAT KEY TAX DOLLARS GO The town has outlined where your Longboat Key 2013-14 tax dollars are going — and the majority of those dollars aren’t staying in the town. In fact, Sarasota County returns just 14 cents of every tax dollar to the town, and Manatee County sends back 13 cents of every tax dollar.

Holiday

LBK tax monies to Sarasota and Manatee counties for fiscal year 2013-14 Manatee millage 6.2993 7.5720 0.1286 0.0394 0.3818 N/A 0.1333 14.5544

Manatee taxes 8,185,942 9,839,816 167,116 51,200 496,149 N/A 173,223 $18,913,446

Clearance

Longboat Key Tax Districts District A Operating Debt service Total

Sarasota millage 2.0760 0.0560 2.1320

District B Operating Debt Service Total

Sarasota taxes Manatee millage Manatee taxes $4,275,544 2.0760 $1,521,055 115,333 0.0560 41,030 $4,390,877 2.1320 $1,562,085

2.0760 0.0560 2.1320

$2,783,279 75,079 $2,858,358

2.0760 0.0560 2.1320

$1,176,708 31,742 $1,208,450

SPECIAL PURCHASE

How your 2013 tax dollar is split Stress Free Danish Styled Recliners.

In blended leather.

SARASOTA COUNTY 53¢ Sarasota County School District

MANATEE COUNTY

Brown 30¢

Sarasota County

Buff

14¢ Cream 3¢ LBK Other

Green

Red

39¢ Manatee County

45¢ Manatee County School District

Brown

13¢ 3¢ LBK Other

299

$

Cognac

Red

349

$

Does your water taste funny?

Brown

Beige

Red

SPECIAL PURCHASE

599

$

TRY ON A

Burgundy

399

$

TAILORED MORTGAGE

127343

Go to www.AquaPlumbing.com to learn how to get better tasting water today!

N O IN TER EST TILL N O V 2014 W ITH SAM E D AY P ICK U P O R N EX T D AY D ELIVER Y !**

128248

Sarasota taxes 10,634,478 27,099,625 273,716 133,968 1,298,198 3,693,641 622,577 $43,756,203

LETTERS TO THEEDITOR

health insurance comfortably fits into Hayek’s economic theory. The reason and approval for it are expressed in his seminal work, “Road to Serfdom” at page 148: “Whereas in the case of sickness and accident neither the desire to avoid such calamities nor the effort to overcome their consequences are + ‘Curve’ analysis fails as a rule weakened by the provision Dear Editor: of assistance — where, in short, we Upon returning to Longboat Key, deal in genuine insurable risk — the I look forward to the beauty of this CASE FOR THE STATE’S HELP IN island — sun, water, foliage and ORGANIZING A COMPREHENSIVE gentle breezes. How can it be that SYSTEM OF SOCIAL INSURANCES in such an atmosphere, the LongIS VERY STRONG” (Emphasis boat Observer’s editorials too often added.) Thus, your opposition to produce sewage and hot air?

Obamacare does not stem from libThe Nov. 14 editorial tells us that ertarian economic theory but pure seeking equality is statistically political demagoguery. doomed because failure is ordained To adopt the “Bell Curve” as our by the “Bell Curve,” i.e. there will social/economic guide for rejecting always be rich and poor; sick and concepts of equality demonstrates a healthy, etc. total misunderstanding of the prinIn demonizing the value of equalciples upon which this country was ity, the editorial extols its version founded: “We hold these truth to be of Hayekian capitalism; attacks self evident that all men are created equality as a subversive plot by libequal … ” erals and progressives; and ends No state shall deny the “equal up, where the extreme Right usually protection of the law”; and “four does, denouncing Obamacare. score and seven years ago … our Because the editor’s “Bell Curve” forefathers were … dedicated to analysis is based upon myth and the proposition that all men are creslogans, it fails on several fronts. ated equal.”

First, if the “Bell Curve” alThose great words were written ways applies to economic outand spoken to be read and heard by comes, then no economic/social the many and also for those few system, including capitalism, can who rejected freedom for all, liberty alter the results. for all and equality for all. Those few Second, the editorial assumes instead sought and now seek freethat the curve applies to static and dom and liberty for themselves. And not dynamic social conditions. That some of those few escape the teachis, circumstances never change. But ings of our forefathers by dwelling we have moved a long way from in the confines of “Bell Curves” the cave man. We eat better, live where darkness reins and clappers longer. Civilized society need no deafen the voices of those who longer accept that some must live in seek “a more perfect union.” uncivilized conditions.

Rosen 100% Paul LeatherASofa Third, as to Obamacare, and Longboat Key Like Floating On A Cloud! contrary to the editorial, universal This 100% leather sofa offers style without losing comfort.

This group gives you a fashion statement and will not bust your budget! Available in beige and brown.

Sofa and Loveseat

From Famous Makers Simmons.

You®get sofa and love seat at an unbelievable price of just $599. Sleeper also available.

Give them a home for the Holidays

127356

All cats and kittens $50* * Now through Dec. 31, 2013.

599

$

HOLIDAY e c n a r 499 a e SPECIAL PURCHASE

Cl

NO INTEREST UNTIL DECEMBER 2014! NEXT DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE!*

Hand-Rubbed Merlot Dining Set

Hand-Rubbed Merlot Dining Set Includes dining table and 4 matching chairs.

www.catdepot.org

♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Play Bridge!! Lessons

Learn to

You have it all here style, comfort and value.

Sleeper available.

Includes dining table and 4 matching chairs

Sofa

399

$

1st FOUR lessons

FREE!

Play in a game your first day!

Modern bridge the easy way in just a few weeks!

In-Between BRIDGE CLUB

SARASOTA

Thursday, Jan. 16 • 9-11:30am Call Michelle Golden

941-365-7875

127374

wa .furn www

m

se.co

rehou

Town & Country Plaza NW Corner Fruitville & Beneva Unit 612 ♦ Inside Courtyard ♦ Sarasota, FL

5 Piece Set

299

$

*with approved credit

CLASSES BEGIN:

EASYBRIDGE IS HERE!!

$

Features a drop down table with 2 cup holders. Style, “Retailer ofcomfort the Yearand value is the word here. Do not miss this to save big! Available in beige and sage.

- State of opportunity Florida”

2542 17th St., Sarasota, FL 34234 - Hours: M - F 11am -7pm S - S 11am - 5pm 941.366.2404

Coastal Casual Look At An Unbelievable Price.

Beginner

Dual Reclining Sofa

Dual Reclining Sofa In 100% Microfibers

4027 N. Washington 1 Mile South of University on 301

(941) 351-8600 Mon.-Sat. 9-9 Sun. 11-6

BRADENTON

ELLENTON

VENICE

PORT

Mon.-Sat. 9-9 Sun. 11-6

Mon.-Sat. 9-9 Sun. 11-6

Mon.-Sat. 9-6 Sun. 11-6

Mon.-Sat. 9-9 Sun. 11-6

5814 18th St East 550 S. Seaboard Ave. CHARLOTTE Across from the Ellenton Just North Of Venice Nissan 1241 El Jobean Rd. Outlet Mall on U.S. 41 Bypass (776 across from Sam’s) (941) 749-6069 (941) 479-7900 (941) 485-3211 (941) 764-8700 1100 West Cortez Rd. Corner of 41 and Cortez Next to Office Depot

127044

Description Sarasota millage County government 3.1276 Schools 7.9700 Mosquito district 0.0805 0.0394 WCIND Water management 0.3818 1.0863 Hospital County debt service 0.1831 12.8687 Total

9A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

THE GOOD NEWS // How donors, volunteers and beneficiaries connect

Sponsored Content

by Nick Friedman | Staff Writer

“After graduate school, I’ve only worked at nonprofits. At first, I wanted to be a social worker, but I changed my mind; I thought going into nonprofit management would mean I could still do something that was helping other people, just in a different vein.” — MEGAN WENGER

MEGAN WENGER

Community Engagement Coordinator // Community Youth Development

As community engagement coordinator for Community Youth Development, a local organization that serves approximately 2,000 middle school and high school students in Sarasota, Megan Wenger says she enjoys the opportunity to interact with some of the city’s most involved and promising students.

Her job is to help find ways to reach out to others within Sarasota to help fulfill the organization’s mission of providing these students with safe, positive activities and valuable life skills.

Later this month, she’ll have the

chance to combine that mission with one of her favorite holidays at the fifth annual CYD Gingerbread Festival, which takes place Dec. 13 through Dec. 15, at the Westfield Sarasota Square Mall. The annual event averages about 150 gingerbread house submissions from area students, businesses and organizations, who come together to kick off the holiday season with a familyfriendly activity.

Wenger, who grew up in Sarasota, says she was first drawn to the nonprofit sector as an undergrad at the University of South Florida. She was still undecided about her career path at the time, but she remembers always being drawn to opportunities to help others. So, after graduation, she pursued a master’s in nonprofit management.

“After graduate school, I’ve only worked at nonprofits,” says Wenger.

“At first, I wanted to be a social worker, but I changed my mind; I thought going into nonprofit management would mean I could still do something that was helping other people, just in a different vein.”

Since she began working at CYD, she says she’s enjoyed being able to work alongside students as they develop life and leadership skills — an

opportunity she wishes she had at that age. She says the Gingerbread Festival in particular fulfills both her personal desire to help others while being fun and lighthearted at the same time. CYD is currently seeking about 15 volunteers to help the event run smoothly.

“I love that we are getting to give these students a really positive activity to participate in,” she says. “After they build it, they can bring their families to see what they made. It’s fun, and it’s a seasonally appropriate activity for them to participate in with their families.”

To volunteer, visit youdbeperfectforthis.org.

// BY THE NUMBERS

150 15 3,000

NUMBER OF HOUSES SUBMITTED TO THE FESTIVAL EACH YEAR

APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT THIS YEAR NUMBER OF VISITORS WHO ATTENDED IN 2012

YOUROBSERVER.COM/THEGOODNEWS // Visit our website to watch a video about the upcoming Gingerbread Festival and CYD’s mission.

SOUTHGATE

Give With Purpose Receive a free $25 Holiday Give Card when spending $200 in same-day purchases at Westfield Southgate from December 1 to 21.

Donate Give Cards on GulfCoastGives.org to support the real and immediate needs of local charities.

GulfCoastGives.org connects citizen philanthropists with meaningful charity projects in our region.

an initiative of

127020

10A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

goLden gate Point 280 golden gate Point, 2 Cheryl Loeffler & Joel Schemmel 941.302.9674 premiersir.com/id/A3987646 $3,495,000

Longboat Key 941.809.0041 $824,900

premiersir.com/id/A3960484

MCCLeLLan PaRK

LaKeWood RanCH

1510 Hyde Park Street Joel Schemmel & Cheryl Loeffler 941.587.4894 premiersir.com/id/A3973603 $8,995,000

7045 Portmarnock Place Peter Laughlin 941.356.8428 premiersir.com/id/A3965468 $2,999,000

SoRRento SHoReS

premiersir.com/id/A3963895

noKoMiS 321 Sunrise drive Helena & Per Nordstrom

941.587.4894 $1,100,000

premiersir.com/id/A3971439

SieSta Key

premiersir.com/id/A3988358

premiersir.com/id/A3984119

941.468.8439 $1,700,000

premiersir.com/id/A3988274

941.228.7356 $1,099,000

5353 Cape Leyte drive Judie Berger

premiersir.com/id/A3988366

Longboat Key

941.504.4435 $1,175,000

2525 gulf of Mexico drive, 13e Tom Perkins 941.773.7634 premiersir.com/id/A3957383 $749,000

854 evergreen Way, 854 Mark Huber & Erin McWhorter 941.356.2435 premiersir.com/id/A3985906 $321,500

FoundeRS CLub

LaKeWood RanCH

941.587.4894 $1,650,000

3585 Founders Club drive Don Carroll 941.539.2132 premiersir.com/id/A3981199 $1,299,000

13623 Legends Walk terrace Pat & Julie Warren 941.350.7044 premiersir.com/id/A3981616 $1,280,000

SaRaSota 941.928.3424 $1,095,000

7758 Holiday drive Melissa Caldwell

premiersir.com/id/N5782381

941.518.1278 $1,559,000

MyaKKa RiveR tRaiLS 941.266.8829 $1,000,000

550 north River Road Freya Fuller

941.223.1644 $950,000

premiersir.com/id/N5782512

RiveRvieW bouLevaRd 3812 Riverview boulevard Martha Marlar 941.812.0455 premiersir.com/id/A3970383 $949,000

941.587.4894 $795,000

6140 Midnight Pass Road, 307 Tom Kelley & Jaci Krawtschenko 941.284.3789 premiersir.com/id/A3988095 $719,000

94 Sunset Lane Devon Davis & Jesse Carr 941.720.2053 premiersir.com/id/M5842008 $699,900

2042 84th Street north West Circle Shellie Young 941.713.5458 premiersir.com/id/A3986629 $595,000

SieSta Key

PaLMetto

bRadenton

MiSSion vaLLey eStateS

PaLMa SoLa

8635 Midnight Pass Road, 208 Tamara & Todd Currey 941.587.1776 premiersir.com/id/A3988247 $499,900

3304 7th Street Circle West Shellie Young 941.713.5458 premiersir.com/id/A3985729 $488,000

9102 16th avenue Circle north West Devon Davis & Jesse Carr 941.720.2053 premiersir.com/id/M5840109 $449,900

2355 Mission valley boulevard Terry Herschberger 941.468.8439 premiersir.com/id/N5782523 $439,000

6808 7th avenue north West boulevard Victoria Horstmann 941.518.1278 premiersir.com/id/M5840872 $435,000

PoRt CHaRLotte

SieSta Key

HeRitage HaRbouR

gReyHaWK Landing

tHe FoReSt at Hi Hat RanCH

4621 grassy Point boulevard Susan Dahn 941.408.3021 premiersir.com/id/N5779358 $359,900

1166 West Peppertree drive, 112 Chris Price 941.284.8008 premiersir.com/id/A3984067 $349,000

8705 Stone Harbour Loop Debbie Sugden 941.223.9363 premiersir.com/id/N5781699 $324,900

premiersir.com/id/A3977148

941.524.8299 $419,900

premiersir.com/id/N5782509

premiersir.com/id/M5836537

Longboat Key

CaSey Key 2816 Casey Key Road Joel Schemmel

941.993.3695 $1,795,000

bRadenton

RiveR CLub 6709 Medinah Court Charles Totonis

premiersir.com/id/A3976525

premiersir.com/id/A3936460

Longboat Key 3171 bayou Sound Victoria Horstmann

teRRa Ceia

3859 boca Pointe drive Joel Schemmel

941.356.8428 $559,000

3691 bayou Circle Karin Stephan

eagLe Point CLub 745 eagle Point drive Terry Herschberger

941.383.2550 $2,249,000

594 bay isles Road Gigi Silverberg

SieSta Key

WeSt oF tRaiL 1511 Crocker Street Peter Laughlin

455 Longboat Club Road, PH2 Mark Huber & Erin McWhorter 941.356.2435 $1,495,000

premiersir.com/id/A3965453

Longboat Key

Longboat Key

SieSta Key

PReStanCia

8735 Midnight Pass Road, 601b Kathleen Ucci 941.302.2344 premiersir.com/id/A3977921 $895,000

premiersir.com/id/A3973865

Longboat Key

2295 gulf of Mexico drive, 1 Dennis Girard

521 South Shore drive Joel Schemmel

Lido Key 453 South Polk drive Andrew Bers

11A

12634 Cara Cara Loop Christopher Iacobelli

premiersir.com/id/A3982673

941.405.3506 $314,999

bent tRee 7703 Weeping Willow Circle Sandra Appignani 941.320.1002 $585,000

premiersir.com/id/A3985214

9309 Swaying branch Road Brian Wood 941.928.8408 premiersir.com/id/A3956080 $786,000-$952,000

13,809 associates. 646 offices. 51 countries worldwide. 20 locations along the Gulf Coast.

CLeaRWateR | 727.585.9600

CaPtiva | 239.395.5847

tHe gaLLeRy | naPLeS | 239.659.0099

SoutH taMPa | 813.217.5288

SanibeL | 239.472.2735

tHe viLLage | naPLeS | 239.261.6161

Longboat Key | 941.383.2500

tHe PRoMenade | bonita SPRingS | 239.948.4000

eStuaRy SaLeS CenteR | naPLeS | 239.261.3148

LaKeWood RanCH | 941.907.9541

bonita bay SaLeS CenteR| bonita SPRingS | 239.495.1105

FiFtH avenue | naPLeS | 239.434.8770

tHe PLaza at Five PointS | 941.364.4000

vandeRbiLt | naPLeS | 239.594.9494

bRoad avenue | naPLeS | 239.434.2424

veniCe | 941.412.3323

MeRCato SaLeS CenteR | naPLeS | 239.594.9400

MaRCo iSLand | 239.642.2222

Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity 11/25/13

122878

premiersothebysrealty.com

12A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

SWEET SEASON

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

by Kelsey Grau | Community Editor

Key bakers offer taste of favorite holiday treats Seasonal baking traditions vary from home to home, but there’s probably a holiday treat you’ve been craving all year. Here, three Longboat Key bakers share their favorite seasonal recipes for your tables.

JAN HERMAN

ANDY YOUNGS Andy Youngs enjoys making sand tarts every holiday season. She has been using the same recipe for more than 45 years and even gives them as gifts to friends at Christmas. Youngs has two baking tips to make these sand tarts just right: Do not let them brown, and roll them in powdered sugar while still warm. These cookies last for the entire holiday season — but only if there are any left.

Jan Herman’s Christmas memories, filled with her mother’s baking, inspire her to carry on the tradition. Herman’s favorite solution for her holiday sweet tooth is cherry coconut bars. She bakes these bars every year for family and friends.

One important tip: Only use butter in the recipe. Any substitutions and the bars will not turn out as intended.

This recipe for cherry coconut bars makes about three dozen, so you can enjoy them all season.

Cherry Coconut Bars

Sand Tarts

Crust: 1 cup flour 3 tablespoons confectionary sugar 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

4 cups flour 3 sticks butter, softened 2 cups finely chopped pecans 12 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla Powdered sugar

Filling: 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, quartered 1/2 cup flaked coconut

• Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl Courtesy phot until blended well. o • Using your hands, take a small amount of dough and roll it with your hands to form an 1.5-inch log. Make ends slightly pointed.

Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 325 F, or until lightly browned.

• Remove from the oven, and roll in powdered sugar. Add powdered sugar to the bottom of a cookie jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add cooled cookies to jar.

• For the crust, combine flour and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press it into greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 F until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

• For the filling, combine the beaten eggs, sugar and vanilla in another small bowl.

Level of difficulty

Level of difficulty

FEATURING

6:30A.M. - 9:00P.M.

Fresh Squeezed OJ, Grab & Go Sandwiches, Hot-Pressed Cubans, Italians & Subs, Soups, Coffee, Drinks & Beer Cave

4032 Gulf of Mexico Drive

(Next to Longboat Ace Hardware)

P: 941 383-6900 FAX (941) 383-2170

127607

Gourmet Candies & Gifts

The Business Observer is Florida’s newspaper for the C-Suite. With coverage from Tampa to Naples, we go beyond the “what” and help you see “how.”

LONGBOAT ACE HARDWARE

4030 Gulf of Mexico Dr. • Longboat Key • 383.1313

HOLMES BEACH HARDWARE

3352 East Bay Dr. • Holmes Beach, FL • 778.0999 Monday - Saturday 8am - 5:30pm • Sunday 10am - 4pm

Since 1967

HAPPY HOUR m 4 to 6 p

STONE CRAB RESTAURANT

More visionary than local journals, more in-depth than global media.

We offer a better view of business.

Larg Parti e Welc es ome

Purchase a gift subscription: 26 Issues for ONLY $25...

Christmas Parade in the Historic Village of Longboat Key • Sat. Dec 14th

plus 12 complimentary issues for you!

3:00 Parade starts through the Village 4:00 Santa Claus at Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant Bring a toy for Toys for Tots 6:00 Lighted Boat Parade leaving Moore’s Dock

It’s the perfect gift for your clients and coworkers. We’ll send a greeting card announcing your gift and label each gift issue “Compliments of (your name).”

For info: Go to Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant Facebook page

It’s Stone Crab Season So Get Your Bib On!

To order, please visit: BusinessObserverFL.com/subscriptions or call 877.231.8834 and mention promo code GIFTS13

Call ahead seating • Reservations for 5 or more

Best Food, Best Service, Best View Any closer to the water and you’ll need a towel

By Land: 800 Broadway St. • By Sea: Marker 39 on the Waterway

11:30 am to 9:30 PM 7 Days a Week

www.stonecrab.cc

Offer expires 12/31/2013

127636

North End of Longboat Key • 383-1748 Call Ahead Seating/Reservations for 5 or more

Give the gift that inspires!

128080

OPEN

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

13A

JUDY MARSH If you’re searching for a recipe to satisfy even the pickiest holiday guest, Judy Marsh’s chocolate and raspberry cake could be your answer.

“It’s been a family favorite,” Marsh said. “It’s kind of a ‘wow’ cake. People take a bite and just have to say, ‘wow.’”

Marsh is a fan of raspberries, but her family loves chocolate, so this cake is her own rich and flavorful creation. As long as the baker follows the directions closely, a small piece will be enough for holiday guests to taste the full quality of the cake. There’s even an added bonus during preparation: “The grandkids love to help put the raspberries on top,” Marsh says.

Chocolate and Raspberry Cake Cake: 2 cups cake flour 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups golden brown sugar, packed 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 16 ounces fresh raspberries 20 ounces slivered almonds 1 jar red currant jelly Frosting: 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided 1 1/3 cups sugar 16 ounces cream cheese Chocolate ganache: 2 cups (16 ounces) high-quality dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup heavy whipping cream • Position the rack in the center of oven; preheat oven to 325 F. Generously butter a 6-inch pan.

• Dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat for approximately two minutes, until well blended.

• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour 2 cups of batter into the pan. Use the rest for cupcakes.

• Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

• Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Invert the cake onto the rack; lift the pan off of cakes. Cool completely.

• Mix cream and chocolate in a one-quart double boiler and

Level of difficulty

cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Beat with a hand mixer for one minute.

Refrigerate for one hour.

• Slice your cake in half so you have two equal layers. Set one layer on an 8-inch flat plate. Take enough ganache to ice the top of that layer with 1/3 inch of ganache.

• Starting from the outside edge, gently press raspberries on top until it is covered. Put the second layer on top and repeat the same procedure. Then ice the sides of the cake with ganache and press in slivered almonds.

• Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving. Warm 2 tablespoons of red currant jelly and lightly brush on top of raspberries. Enjoy!

2014

419

36

500

1500 3LER801319

0.0

2500

FACTORY CONQUEST REBATE

60

2LDBL47509

* 2014 Lincoln MKZ-Not all buyers will qualify for Lincoln AFS Red Carpet Lease. Payments may vary; dealer determines price. Cash due at signing is after 1st month payment of RCL Bonus Cash equal to $500 paid by Lincoln (PGM #50123). See dealer for qualifications and complete details. Competitive Conquest Bonus Cash (33095) is available to customers who currently own a non-Ford Motor/Lincoln/Mercury Company Car, SUV, or Light Duty Truck or have terminated a lease 30 days prior to new retail delivery. Residency restrictions apply. 2013 Lincoln MKX-$2,500 Competitive Conquest Bonus Cash (PGM #33095) is available to customers that currently own or lease a 1995 or newer non-Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Motor Company car, SUV, or light duty truck. Not all buyers will qualify for Lincoln AFS financing. 0% APR financing for 60 months at $16.67 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment. Take new retail delivery from dealer stock by 12/31/13.

1/2/14.

127792

Howard Lincoln Ed HowardEdLincoln

7110 S Tamiami Trail 7110 S Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 Sarasota, FL 34231 941-921-4402 941-921-4402 WWW.EDHOWARDLINCOLN.NET WWW.EDHOWARDLINCOLN.NET

14A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

COPS

LONGBOAT

NOV. 20 TIME TO MEND FENCES 9:20 a.m. — 1600 block of GMD. Vandalism. The property manager at the shuttered Colony Beach & Tennis Resort noticed the fences surrounding four buildings were bent to the side. A unit owner said during an association meeting the night before that he was the one who bent the fencing to gain access to his units. The next morning, the manager found two doors kicked in for units that don’t belong to the unit owner but are in the same building.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

CORNER NOV. 18 SEEDY STEAL 8:08 a.m. — 600 block of Cedars Court. Larceny from Residence. A man discovered 10 potted plants missing from around his garage.

Police found several rings indicating where the plants had been and a pile of dirt that had been poured out of one of the plants.

Kelsey Grau

man’s wife to take him to a hospital.

OFF BASE 9:52 a.m. — 3100 block of GMD. Property Damage. Two condo board members reported that a brick column outside the building was moved off its base, possibly by a large cutting truck that was in the area. They said they would try to have the column moved back onto the base but aren’t sure if it will fall apart when moved.

NOV. 21 HOLY TERRIER 11:51 a.m. — Intersection of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Buttonwood Drive.

Dog Bite. A leashed fox terrier bit a man who was riding his bike on the sidewalk, causing him to fall off his bike. The dog’s owner said the cyclist rode up from behind and startled her dog, causing the dog to bite him. The man sustained lacerations and scrapes.

Firefighter/paramedics advised the

YOUR NEIGHBOR | Roslyn Schindler

IN THE HOT SEAT 12:29 p.m. — 5600 block of GMD. Suspicious Person. A caller reported that a man with a briefcase was in his condo’s parking garage and didn’t belong there. The man is a cook at a nearby restaurant and was waiting for a bus but became hot and went into the parking garage to wait. He said he might have dozed off. The man agreed to wait on the street for the bus.

NOV. 25 DEPOSIT SLIP 4:26 p.m. — 500 block of Schooner Lane. Civil Disturbance. A man rented a home on Schooner Lane and the landlord hasn’t returned his $750 deposit.

The landlord said he would “look into it” more than three months ago.

I

nspiration has a strange way of showing up when we least expect it. This is especially true in the case of Roslyn Schindler and her children’s book, “Zeon.”

“When my children were young, we had a cabin in upstate New Neighborhood: York where we would Country Club go skiing,” Schindler Shores said. “On those trips, my husband and I Your neighbor started joking that we since: 2005 were from Zeon and when the kids turned 13, we would take them to the home planet.”

A former Spanish teacher, Schindler always considered herself a creative spirit.

Her mother and husband were artists, so she was exposed to visual arts in many aspects of her life. But, in 2011, she decided to try something else she loved: writing.

This new outlet produced her first published work, “The Radio Set.” She mostly wrote it to leave a legacy for her two children, but, by then, she had caught the writing bug.

Earlier this year, Schindler’s second book, “Zeon,” was published. Written and illustrated by Schindler, the children’s story revolves around a family living on Earth and another planet, Zeon, in need of their help. It contains themes that appeal to children’s interest, but not gratuitous violence.

“There’s so much violence in our culture, so the idea was to write something that’s gentler and still has some adventurous elements,” Schindler said.

With her drive and imaginative ways, Schindler hopes to turn “Zeon” into a series.

“I don’t want to give it away, but the way the ending is written, it really leaves the door open to continue the story,” she says.

— Kelsey Grau

IN HER OWN WORDS: “In order to be a writer, you really have to write every day.” — Roslyn Schindler

Don’t Miss These Special Editions!

December 26 - Christmas Edition

Deadline: Tuesday, December 17, 4 p.m.

January 2 - Year in Review/Year in Pictures

Deadline: Wednesday, December 18, 4 p.m.

January 9 - Top issues for 2014 Deadline: Thursday, January 2, 4pm

To reserve space or for questions, contact your Observer advertising representative 941.366.3468

119647

The Observer Media Group offices will be closed December 24 through January 1.

YourObserver.com

ULI COMMITTEE / FROM PAGE 1A

Eat In or Take Out

OMA PIZZA & ITALIAN RESTAURANT

TOWN CENTER TALK

Specializing in Veal • Chicken • Fish • Pasta Maker of the World’s Largest Pizza

Town Manager Dave Bullock told the ULI Implementation Advisory Committee at its initial meeting Nov. 26 that he and staff are moving ahead on several fronts to address the recommendations, including the town center concept for Bay Isles Road.

Bullock announced that he has hired Sarasota architect Gary Hoyt, who designed the new Longboat Key Publix, to make up two sets of town center renderings. One rendering will show a town center concept with the current office and commercial buildings in place, and one rendering will display a concept without the buildings. The renderings will be available this month.

“I’ve met with several property owners about the concept, and discussions with them will continue,” Bullock said.

Bullock said he’s hiring someone who can “focus on this concept on a parttime basis for the town.”

Other ULI recommendations the town is already working on include town gateways, Gulf of Mexico Drive landscaping, pedestrian- and bike-path widening and Bayfront Park upgrades.

“I’m not waiting for this committee to tell us to do something,” Bullock said.

“We’re charging ahead with what we know we can get done.”

Open 7 days • 11AM to Midnight 201 N. Gulf Dr., Bradenton Beach 778-0771 or 778-0772

that would test ideas and showed how they would be implemented. He also presented an action summary that the committee accepted, which allowed each member to rank the ULI recommendations in order of importance.

Staff can then use an implementation ranking system to show how recommendations panned out to find common ground on what can be implemented first and what will take longer to implement.

At the committee’s next meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, members will review the list.

GIVE A GIFT. GET A GIFT.

1 off

$ 00

FREE DELIVERY

Any Size Pizza!

127525

“We had a good committee,” Brown said Monday night. “This is an important committee. And I believe it’s important to have people who have the institutional knowledge and the history of the town. I understand the need to have unelected, unappointed citizens right now. But I feel pretty strongly that we made a mistake.”

Duncan seconded Brown’s motion. But other commissioners and citizens, including Freiwald, the committee’s chairman, had concerns.

“I think we have institutional memory with you and the Planning and Zoning Board chair on there,” said Commissioner Lynn Larson. “My concern is if we put more elected people on there. I want to hear what citizens want to do, not elected officials.”

“This is not a decision-making body,” Freiwald said. “This is a group that’s going to gather ideas and discuss the pros and cons.”

Describing the original group as “terrific,” Freiwald opposed the idea of changing the new group, arguing the committee would eventually present its findings to the commission.

Grossman said he was concerned the commission was focusing too much on the committee’s makeup instead of implementing the ULI study.

Brown’s motion passed 4-3, with Brenner, Larson and Commissioner Terry Gans voting against it.

The seven-member ULI Implementation Advisory Committee met the week before the commission opted to change its composition.

During that meeting, the committee appointed Freiwald as chairman. He said he believes the committee needs to act swiftly to make sure the ULI recommendations are implemented while they are still fresh in everyone’s minds.

“Let’s force ourselves into action and not meetings,” Freiwald said. “We need some goals to force this into progress.”

Freiwald presented a hierarchy chart

15A

127824

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

LAST

SALE of the

USE YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE TO MAKE THIS YEAR’S SHOPPING LIST. THEN TAKE IT WITH YOU AND...

SEASON!

YOU COUL D

WIN

250

Now is the time to get the best for LESS!

* Scan the QR Code or go to yourobserver.com and click on Contests for information.

This is your final opportunity to get savings of 50-70% on select Christmas merchandise. Many items will not be restocked and can’t be found at other stores, so hurry in while supplies last.

• Vast Selecction of collectibles for decorating or gifting.

• Area’s largest selection of pre-lit trees!

Three days only Dec. 6, 7 & 8

TAKE A PHOTO AND UPLOAD IT TO OUR

www.christmasbyluxart.com Showroom - Warehouse 128252

8155 25th Ct. East, Sarasota

( 1/4 - mile North of University Parkway on New 301 )

358 - 0100 Mon. - Sat. 9 - 5 • Sat. 11 - 4

126028

$

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

COMMUNITY CALENDAR THURSDAY, DEC. 5 Shifting Sands Support Group — meets from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays, at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The group provides an opportunity to discuss issues related to personal and/or health concerns; give and receive emotional, spiritual and practical support; and exchange information in a confidential setting. Call 383-6491.

Longboat Key Chamber Holiday Party — takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mar Vista Restaurant, 760 Broadway. Cost is $5 for members; $10 guests. Call 383-2466.

FRIDAY, DEC. 6 Holiday Night on St. Armands — takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on St. Armands Circle. With a performance by the Cuban Ballet School, a Christmas carol sing-along and photos with Santa, there’s something for the whole family.

Call 388-1554.

OUR TOWN

+ Former Key Club manager takes on new role Former Longboat Key Club & Resort General Manager Michael Welly has a new gig.

Welly was recently named general manager of Eaglewood Resort & Spa, in Chicago. The resort is owned by Benchmark Resorts & Hotels.

He served as the Key Club’s general manager from 2004 through 2012.

DON’T MISS The 14th annual Observer Challenge

+ SOS keeps eye on eagle Save Our Seabirds (SOS) rescued a bald eagle in November from The Concession in University Park, after it was apparently injured by barbed wire.

After stabilizing the bird, treating her wounds and performing X-rays, SOS sent the eagle to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, in Maitland, for specialized treatment.

If her treatment is successful, the eagle will be landing back at SOS, which will then release her back into the wild.

What: Get your tennis rackets ready for competition and fun for the 14th annual Observer Challenge. The event kicks off with a cocktail party at 4 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 12, and matches begin Friday, Dec. 13. The entry fee is $25, which includes a T-shirt, balls, refreshments, awards and entrance to the cocktail party. Cost of attending only the cocktail party is $10. For information or registration, call 316-8367.

When: Thursday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, Dec. 15 Where: Longboat Key Public Tennis Center, 590 Bay Isles Road

Right: Sarah Olivero, SOS avian hospital administrator, with the injured bald eagle.

SATURDAY, DEC. 7 Introduction to Traditional Chinese Brushstroke Painting — takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Longboat Key Education Center, 5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive. All artistic levels are welcome, and all supplies will be provided. Cost is $90 for members; $100 for non-members.

Call 383-8811.

St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church Annual Parish Picnic — takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This year’s event celebrates the 40th anniversary of the parish. Call 383-1255.

MONDAY, DEC. 9 92nd Street Y Broadcast — begins at 8:15 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. The temple will host the Live from New York’s 92nd Street Y broadcast. Howard Gardner, a Harvard professor, speaks about the App Generation and how younger people live in a digital world. For information, visit tbi-lbk.org.

>> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A

TUESDAY, DEC. 10 All Angels Transitions Support Group — meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. The group is free and open to individuals in the community who are experiencing changes in their lives. Call 383-8161.

Courtesy photo

+ Salvation Army kettle: Be there with bells on

+ Marketing guru Kotler thinks Hall of Fame

The Salvation Army is searching for volunteers who can ring its bell.

The Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key is seeking Salvation Army bell-ringers for its kettle outside of Publix. Contact Sean McGrath at jmcgraw@comcast.net.

The Rotary Club of Sarasota Keys is ringing the bell on St. Armands Circle.

To volunteer, visit rotarysarasotakeys. com/sa.php.

Part-time Longboat Key resident Philip Kotler, considered one of the leaders of modern marketing, can add another title to his mantel.

Now Kotler is in the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, a London-based global organization that ranks the top 50 management thinkers every two years. Thinkers50 was launched in 2001, and its lists, with names such as “Good to Great” author Jim Collins and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, have been called the “Oscars of management gurus.”

Kotler, according to Thinkers 50, has “pushed the frontiers of where marketing can make a difference.” An international marketing professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Kotler says he began to consider marketing at the University of Chicago in the 1960s.

His professors there: Nobel Prize winners Milton Friedman and Paul Samuelson — the latter of whom was also a part-time Key resident.

Longboat Key Democratic Club — meets at 11:30 a.m. at the Longboat Key Club’s Harbourside Dining Room, 3100 Harbourside Drive. Sarasota Memorial Hospital CEO Gwen MacKenzie and Marquerite Malone, board chairwoman, will speak. Cost is $25. Call Murray Blueglass at 383-4899.

Sandpiper Men’s Group — meets at 11:30 a.m. at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. Bill Kunkle, director of the Dominican Development Group, will speak. Call 383-8161.

File photo

Maj. Phillip Matthews, Martin Bobzien, Edith Barr Dunn and Andy Lappin tallied the money raised in 2010.

All Angels by the Sea

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

The Episcopal Church on Longboat Key

563 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key

383-8161

All are welcome. Please join us in worship!

Website: www.AllAngelsLBK.org

Sunday Services

8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

The Rev. David L. Danner, D. Min., Rector

127545

16A

Sunday Worship 10 a.m.

An InterfAIth CommunIty ChurCh founded In 1956

The Rev. Dr. Bruce W. Porter Sermon: “WAITING FOR A NEW BIRTH” 127615

127585

Visitors Welcome

6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive • Longboat Key, Florida 34228 Telephone: 383-6491 • web: www.longboatislandchapel.org The Lord’s Warehouse

St. Mary, Star of the Sea,

open Mon., Wed. and Sat. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Jo

in

A Center of Jewish Life and Learning in the Sarasota Area Share Shabbat and more: Friday Evening, 8:00 pm

MASS SCHEDULE

U

s!

Last Friday of the Month, 5:30 pm Saturday Morning, 10:00 am

Please visit our Judaica Shop

567 Bay Isles Road • Longboat Key, FL

125417

941.383.3428 www.tbi-lbk.org 127657

4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive Longboat Key, FL 34228 383-1255

THRIFT SHOP

Temple Beth Israel

CATHOLIC CHURCH Welcomes You to Mass

Saturday: 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:30 AM & 10:30 AM Confessions before all Masses Msgr. Gerard Finegan, Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Vincent Carroll Senior Minister

Neighborhood B U S I N E S S | C L A S S I F I E D S | G A M E S | K E Y L I F E | R E A L E S TAT E | S P O RT S | T R AV E L | W E AT H E R

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

SOCIAL SCENE

REAL ESTATE

WEATHER Visiting family member strikes a photo-worthy pose. PAGE 28A

Check out photos from our new event feature, You Observed.

PAGE 20A

Three-bedroom condo at Grand Bay sells for $1.25 million.

PAGES 26-27A

Jane Hunder and Ginny Dreher

The Rev. David Danner, of All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church

CARING CONGREGATIONS Photos by Kelsey Grau

Rabbi Jonathan Katz, of Temple Beth Israel

The 33rd annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service was held Tuesday, Nov. 26, at Christ Church of Longboat Key, Presbyterian.

This gathering of faiths rotates to a different church each year and supports local charities with the collected offering. Those involved were Temple Beth Israel, St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, St. Armands

Marc Fors and Michael Chester

Key Lutheran Church, Longboat Island Chapel and Christ Church.

“This service is an opportunity to provide outreach, support wonderful organizations and serve with other churches,” said the Rev. Vincent Carroll, of Longboat Island Chapel. “We celebrate that generously.”

SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 18A

Helen Breidenstein, Susan Schaefer and Molly Carroll

An interfaith choir performs at the Thanksgiving service.

18A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

Lynne Koy

INTERFAITH PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17A

presents her

u

PREMIER COLLECTIONu D

SOL

Karen Fors and Patty Buck

LONGBOAT KEY New Construction! 4 BD/5.5BA/5CG gated residence situated on over 1 acre of Gulf front property! Listed by Michael Saunders/Sold by Lynne Koy. $6,800,000 G

DIN

PEN

Bruce and Edie Black

Steve and Hannah Miller

BIRD KEY - Sprawling 3312 sq. ft. pool home on a large corner lot. 3 bedrooms and 3 full

$799,000

baths.

D

D

SOL

SOL

CASTILLIAN - Gulf and Bay views! 3BA/2.5BA, end/ $699,000

corner unit condo. Pet friendly!

HARBOUR OAKS - Beautifully updated 3BD/3BA end unit villa, with private heated pool and spa $565,000

REPORT CARD FOR 2012: 40 SALES $40,000,000 IN SALES VOLUME 40 MILLION “THANK YOU’S” TO MY CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS FOR THEIR SUPPORT! D

G

DIN

D

SOL

SOL

PEN

Juliette Eiger and Dottie Baird PLAYERS CLUB - Experience paradise with partial Gulf views from this 2BD/2BA condo. $562,000

D

PROMENADE - Incredible Gulf, SEAPLACE –2BD/2BA condo with direct beach, and city views from the terrace Gulf views and numerous updates. Guard/ of this 2BD/2BA condo! $550,000 gated community. $525,000

D

SOL

SOL

We’reLongboat Back From Vacation!

Serving Key since 1996 “Free” Flu Shots Available

ING

D

PEN

❑

All ages, infants to seniors (MCR & BCBS accepted) Visitors, tourists, snowbirds, full-time residents Worker’s compensation - drug screens, injuries

Dr. Pamela J. Letts Board Certified

• sore throats, colds, coughs, pinkeye, bruises • cuts, bites, allergic reactions, broken bones • lumps, bumps, rashes, burns • blood pressure, acute chest pain, shortness of breath

❑ ❑

SEAPLACE – Partial Gulf views available ISLANDER CLUB – Bay views from the SEAPLACE - 2BD/2BA condo with relaxing from this 2BD/2BA turnkey furnished condo. terrace of this 2BD/2BA renovated condo garden views. Bonus storage room and $390,000 spacious closets! $420,000 residence. $329,000

Family Physician ING

D

PEN

ING

Centre Shops Family Practice & Urgent Care

D

SOL

D

PEN

Lab, X-Ray, EKG, Coumadin Testing

SEAPLACE - Completely renovated; 2BD/2BA condo features tranquil Northwest garden views. $309,000

LONGBOAT HARBOUR - 2BD/2BA LONGBOAT HARBOUR - Charming Canal front ground floor end-unit 2BD/2BA condo overlooking canal and condo. Stand-out updates! $250,000 swimming pool. $225,000

lkoy@coldwellbanker.com

Tour Lynne’s properties at

www.lynnekoy.com

At The Chart House on Longboat Key

Broker/Associate, CRB, CRS, GRI Previews International Property Specialist, Legends Society

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE DEDICATED TO LUXURY REAL ESTATE SM

Owned and operated by NRT, LLC

Follow me on Facebook / Twitter LinkedIn / YouTube

You can search Lynne’s website in 13 languages – including English.

127058

INVOLVED CITIZEN: Sarasota Opera, SPARCC, Make-a-Wish, Meals on Wheels, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Breast Cancer Awareness

LIC.#CFC1426956 ~ CPC 1458020

941.387.1803

Give Your Home the Gift of Caldrea this Christmas

www.lapenseeplumbing.com 778.5622 * 401 MANATEE AVENUE , HOLMES BEACH

127599

Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00

Appointments Preferred, Walk-ins urgent care only

128207 114469 103634

5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite 205

(941) 387-1211

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

YourObserver.com

19A

128246

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

20A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

top dogs

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

by Kelsey Grau | Community Editor

YOU OBSERVED

Here’s a roundup of reader-submitted photos from events around the Key. To submit photos for this new weekly feature, email Robin Hartill at rhartill@yourobserver.com.

Above: Tory Newman and Jane Boehme Left: Marjorie Singer with Sotheby

Man’s best friends visit the Longboat Key Garden Club On the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 19, the Longboat Key Garden Club members gathered to hear Marjorie Singer, donor relations manager of Southeastern Guide Dogs, speak about the organization’s dedicated pups and the individuals they

Submitted by Mary Donato

TEA TO TEQUILA. Members met Nov. 19 for a cooking class at the home of Terry Buzan. Members enjoyed learning new recipes and sampling dishes.

assist. Since it was founded in 1982, the nonprofit organization has trained more than 2,800 guide-dog teams. Garden Club members also were invited to visit the campus where the dogs are trained to help visually impaired individuals.

Karen and Rob Jennings CHRIST CHURCH OF LONGBOAT KEY, PRESBYTERIAN. Parishioners enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner, with four turkeys and all the trimmings, for 60 church members and their guests Nov. 28.

Photos by Kelsey Grau

Millard

Gail Wyer, Beverly Shapiro and Jackie Salvino

MICHAEL

No BS*.

Just a better home buying experience.

No BS*.

MOULTON

Certified Residential Specialist

Licensed Real Estate Broker

NE W

SANDERLING ON SIESTA - Rare over one acre 200’ gulf front estate in a private gated community. $5,500,000

LISTI

NG

No BS*.

Just a better home buying experience.

TESSERA - Downtown bayfront 3 bedroom furnished residence rarely available. A3988085 $1,600,000

Introducing BankUnited Home Mortgage Center.

RITZ BEACH RESIDENCES - Elegantly designed 3,300sf 3BR condo with a large terrace. A3981649 $2,795,000

Submitted by Marc Fors

Carol Fillmore, Kit Torchia, Joe D’Eugenio and Patty Buck

Just a better Introducing home buyingBankUnited Home Mortgage Center. experience.

At BankUnited, we understand that finding the Introducing BankUnited right Mortgage mortgage is just as important as finding Home Center.

the right home. From application to closing, our loan consultants will work with you through every step of the financing process to help you make owning your dream home a reality. *BankSpeak At BankUnited, we understand that finding the right mortgage is just as important as finding the right home. From application to closing, our loan consultants will work with you through every step of the financing process to help you make owning your dream home a reality.

No BS*.

Just a better home buying To learn more about our home mortgage products, call or email our Home Mortgage experience.

Center at 941.921.1115 or visit us at http://mortgages.bankunited.com/ssvirsky.

*Bank Speak At BankUnited, we understand that finding the right mortgage is just

as important as finding the right home.

From application to closing, COUNTRY CLUB SHORES - Remodeled canal front our loan with you through every step of the 4BR residence onconsultants an oversizewill lot.work A3975981 $1,695,000 $150 discount on closing costs** financing process to help you make owning your dream home a reality.

To learn more about our home mortgage products, stop into your local branch, call our Home Mortgage Center at 941.592.7649 or visit us at www.mortgages.bankunited.com.

*BankSpeak

Introducing BankUnited Home Mortgage Center.

** To be eligible for the closing cost discount you must be an existing BankUnited accountholder. Discount on closing costs is only applicable to first mortgage purchase or refinancing transaction loan amounts greater than $150,000.

Fee reductions are those in effect as of October 10, 2013 and are subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined with any other offers or specials.

All loans subject credit and approval.

Other At BankUnited, weto understand thatproperty finding the right mortgage is justrestrictions, limitations and fees may apply. This is not a commitment as importantto aslend. finding the right home. From application to closing,

©201

our loan consultants will work with you through every step of the financing process to help you make owning your dream home a reality.

$150 discount on closing costs**

*BankSpeak To learn more about our home mortgage products, stop into your local branch, call our Home Mortgage Center at 941.592.7649 13_BKU_1192 Jumbo Home Mortgage Print ad_Luxe Interiors.indd or visit us at www.mortgages.bankunited.com.

1

Steve Svirsky Bart Leereveld $150 discount on closing costs** LBK ** BAYFRONT LOT - 115’ wide mid key location w/ To be eligible for the closing cost discount you must be an existing BankUnited accountholder. Discount on closing deeded beach access.

A3971918 $1,975,000 To learn more loan about amounts our home mortgage stop into your costs is only applicable to first mortgage purchase or refinancing transaction greaterproducts, than $150,000.

941.730.3517 941.592.7649 local branch, call Home Mortgage at 941.592.7649 Fee reductions are those in effect as of October 10, 2013 and are subject to our change withoutCenter notice.

Cannot be

SSvirsky@BankUnited.com BLeereveld@BankUnited.com or visit us at www.mortgages.bankunited.com.

440 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, 34228 combined withFL any other offers or specials. ** Tolimitations be eligible for the closing discount must be This an existing loans subject to credit and property approval. Other restrictions, and cost fees mayyouapply. is BankUnited not a accountholder. Discount on closing Office 941.383.7591 | Mobile 941.928.3559 All | SarasotasFinestProperties.com costs is only applicable to first mortgage purchase or refinancing transaction loan amounts greater than $150,000.

127625

commitment to lend.

Fee reductions are those in effect as of October 10, 2013 and are subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined with any other offers or specials.

All loans subject to credit and property approval. Other restrictions, limitations and fees may apply. This is not a commitment to lend.

13_BKU_1192 Jumbo Home Mortgage Print ad_Luxe Interiors.indd 1

We’re with you.

We’re with you.

Member FDIC ©2013 BankUnited, N.A.

NMLS#418452

Member FDIC ©2013 BankUnited, N.A.

NMLS#418452

128197

BIRD KEY - Stunning remodeled, pristinely maintained 3BR canal front residence. A3985864 $1,575,000

We

10/10/13 5:05 PM

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

21A

TOP SALES ASSOCIATE Ranked in the Top .5%

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

of Coldwell Banker Associates Worldwide

Ackerman

BARBARA

REALTOR®

The name to know in real estate

NEW

IN LIST

G ALR

D PEN Y D A E

ING!

barbara@barbaraackerman.com Direct 941-387-1820 Toll-Free 800-910-8728

For results, call Barbara!

Lido Regency - Bay and City Views Choice south corner two bedroom two bath apartment on the 10th floor with tons of space, oak wood floors, and spectacular Sarasota Bay and city views! $525,000

Harbour Oaks - Incredible Value Behind the gates of the Longboat Key Club with BIG golf course views! 3BR/2BA ground floor villa has 2,224 SF, fireplace, family room, huge wood deck and 2-car garage. $399,900

THE LANDINGS EAGLES POINT $799,000

N

PALATIAL VIEW. Longboat Key resident Phyllis Ploener brought her Longboat Observer along while sightseeing with her granddaughter, Bess Anne Ploener, in London. Bess Anne, a student at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., performed with her choir at Oxford University.

Siesta Cove - Waterfront Short Sale An incredible opportunity to live in a premier neighborhood, on a superb waterfront lot in a gorgeous 4,869 SF home. Open waterfront $1,805,000 views.

Solve the puzzle by placing the numbers 1 through 9 in each row, column and box. See answers on page 29A. © 2013 Universal Uclick

Grand Bay - Stunning Views Sunrises and sunsets from this beautifully furnished two bedroom plus den apartment at Grand Bay with gorgeous water views. Includes two valuable garage spaces. Shows like a model. $1,299,000

Call 941-383-5577

Bringing People Home Since 1939

Corner Penthouse apartment with unobstructed water views from every window. Beautifully furnished with 3 bedrooms, glassed-in patio and 10ft ceilings. 2 valuable parking spaces included.

$599,900 LI NEW

STIN

G

Islands West - Direct Gulf Front On the Gulf - Longboat Key Gated privacy Beach, Views, Location and Opportunity! on 1.69 acres directly on the Gulf of Mexico.

Magnificent Southwest Beach & Gulf Views 10,000SF, 7BR/6.5BA with attached guest from every room of this 6th floor 2BR/2BA wing, plus 5,000 air-conditioned SF of play and $649,000 storage area. residence. $9,400,000

Have a slice of paradise! Fully turnkey furnished 1 BR/1.5BA apartment ready for immediate enjoyment, a rare opportunity!

127700

5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite 101, Longboat Key

ING

WATER CLUB I PIED-Á-TERRE

www.WagnerRealty.com

WAGNER REALTY

IST EW L

SPACIOUS, INVITING, FANTASTIC, coastal, turnkey inspired Florida mobile home. Only a short stroll to the beach, the other way boasts all activities the association offers. Dia Wilson/Mary Moore $139,000 #M5835734

TOWNHOME, 2BR/2.5BA with oversized garage in active tennis community.

Spacious, turnkey furnished with many updates throughout. 10 Har-Tru tennis courts, 24 hr. fitness & Jr. Olympic pool.

Mary Moore & Dia Wilson #M5837881

Ritz Carlton Tower Residences - Sarasota Below pre-construction price! Best downtown price per SF of 3,751. 6th floor corner furnished apartment with gleaming wood floors 3BR + Den/3BA. 2 terraces for beautiful $1,795,000 sunsets.

Ringling Pointe - Historic Sapphire Shores Stunning Direct Bay Front On 145 feet of deep water with 5BR/3.5 BA, a 2,200 SF master suite, 1,000 bottle wine room, $3,490,000 private dock.

P NEW

$239,000

TROPICAL PARADISE ON BRADENTON BEACH Great income investment. Brand

WHISPERING SANDS SIESTA KEY

$745,000 NEW

PRIC

E

RICE

new furnishings. Pet friendly. Private beach access just steps away. Onsite cafe & gift shop. Daily rates available. Mary Moore & $269,000 Dia Wilson #M5835837

$379,900

REDUCED!

AMAZING VIEW! Gorgeous white sand beach & Gulf view as you walk thru the door. Nicely furnished with large screened lanai. Gulf to Bay community with heated pool, tennis & cabana w/BBQ. Teresia Bradford $550,000 #M5812253

ISLAND

STYLE

INSPIRED

2BR/2BA unit. Great rental income property was completely renovated in 2005. New kitchen & bathrooms. Oversized screened lanai for maximum garden view. Mary Moore $389,000 & Dia Wilson #M5835441

Marina Tower - Downtown Sarasota Exciting city living in this gorgeous townhome.

3,890 square feet with 3BR/3.5BA and dramatic interiors and views. Two garage parking spaces and excellent amenities. $1,499,000

Phillippi Landings - Waterfront Value!

Turnkey furnished 2BR+ den/2BA Penthouse level apartment originally purchased for $773,100 includes private single car garage and premium deeded boat dock. $399,000

Amazing Sunsets from this Southwest corner 2BR/2BA beach front residence completely renovated directly on one of Siesta Key’s most unique beaches.

Mobile (941) 780-6045 www.barbaraackerman.com Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, LLC 201 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Suite #1, Longboat Key All Barbara’s listings are linked Internationally in 13 languages.

Owned and operated by NRT, LLC

122691

PENTHOUSE BAY VIEW LBK 2BR/2BA designer furnished, boat docks, beach cabana, pets welcome. A must see. Great complex, shows like a model. Best value on LBK. Hurry! Marc Turner #A3926740

22A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

crikey!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

by Nolan Peterson | Observer Staff

WHERE TO GO

THE REAL-LIFE

Crowley Museum and Nature Center

‘SNOWBIRDS’ Sarasota County’s moderate winter weather attracts a variety of migrating wildlife, which can be easily viewed thanks to the area’s variety of outdoor recreation areas.

This year more than 100,000 seasonal residents (“snowbirds”) are expected to migrate to Sarasota County during the winter months — but they won’t be alone.

Florida’s moderate winter climate also attracts a wide range of wildlife that fill our skies, lakes, forests and seas with new species not typically seen during the warmer summer months.

According to the Sarasota Audubon Society, winter in Sarasota is the best time of the year for bird watching.

Migratory birds including flocks of ducks, warblers, wading birds and hawks move into the area from the North in search of warmer temperatures. Hawks visit the area during the winter, and other birds of prey, such as eagles, can be seen nesting and hunting, as well. Bald eagles move into the area from October through May and are frequently seen at Oscar Scherer State Park.

Other rare bird species, such as the avocet and caracara, appear in area forests and wetlands.

Bald eagle

Myakka River State Park

The area’s mammals are also more visible in the winter. Falling leaves and lower water levels in fresh water sources concentrate the animal populations, making them more visible. It is not uncommon in the winter months to see more deer, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, foxes, bobcats and even otters, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife experts.

Aquatic mammals, such as manatees, spend more time in the bay and move into bayous in search of warmth as offshore waters begin to cool.

Even the world’s most dangerous sea-going predators choose Southwest Florida for their winter vacation destination. According to wildlife experts from Mote Marine Laboratory and the NOAA’s Fisheries Service, great white sharks move into the Gulf of Mexico each year starting in January, when offshore temperatures drop to around 60 degrees. In March, two men fishing 30 miles off the coast of Tampa caught an 18-foot, 3,000-pound great white shark.

S aint C acchiotti,

The Crowley Nature Center features 185 acres of rare and unique habitats, including a 2,000-foot boardwalk, which traverses Maple Branch Swamp and the Tatum Sawgrass Marsh.

WILDLIFE: Roseate spoonbills, hawks, eagles, wood storks, avocets, caracaras, alligators, turtles, snakes, deer, raccoons, foxes, bobcats and otters.

ADDRESS: 16405 Myakka Road, Sarasota HOURS: Open from 10 a.m. until sundown, Thursday through Sunday

Courtesy photos

Roseate spoonbill Experts assure us there is nothing to worry about — the apex predators, which can grow to 20 feet, typically stay about 20 miles offshore.

Large reptiles are also more visible in the winter. Species such as alligators, saltwater crocodiles and turtles sun themselves on the banks of area waterways, attempting to regulate their body temperatures in the cooler temperatures with more time in the sun. Wildlife experts caution residents to be on the lookout for more snakes sunning themselves on pavement during the winter.

More information about where to go and what one can hope to see in Sarasota County’s wild spaces is available on the Visit Sarasota County website: visitsarasota.org.

PA,

One of Florida’s oldest and largest state parks, the Myakka River flows through 57 square miles of wetlands, prairies and woodlands. Myakka is popular for hiking, fishing, camping and wildlife observation.

WILDLIFE: Roseate spoonbills, hawks, eagles, wood storks, avocets, caracaras, alligators, turtles, snakes, deer, raccoons, foxes, bobcats and otters.

ADDRESS: 13208 State Road 72, Sarasota HOURS: Open from 8 a.m. until sunset every day

Oscar Scherer State Park The park offers 15 miles of trails; these natural areas provide opportunities for hiking, bicycling and wildlife viewing.

WILDLIFE: Bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, hawks, wood storks, avocets, caracaras, alligators, turtles, snakes, deer, raccoons, foxes, bobcats and otters.

ADDRESS: 1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey HOURS: Open from 8 a.m. until sundown every day

Ted Sperling Park This is a gateway to four significant bodies of water: the Gulf of Mexico, Big Pass, Sarasota Bay and Brushy Bayou. Here you’ll find beaches, birding opportunities and a paddling trail through a diverse ecosystem.

WILDLIFE: Manatees, bottlenose dolphins, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, great blue herons, great egrets and hermit crabs.

ADDRESS: 2201 Benjamin Franklin Drive, Lido Key HOURS: Open from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m., 365 days a year

Sign Up Today!

Realtor®

Direct: 941.38.SAINT (387-2468) Cell: 941.809.0787 Toll Free: 877.581.3444 SaintCacc@aol.com

It takes a lifetime to become an experienced professional and only minutes to realize you’re working with one!

JUST LISTED

CORAL SHORES CANAL FRONT

Beautiful waterfront home with view of Tidy Island bird sanctuary in a tropical setting. Gourmet kitchen, granite countertops, wood burning fireplace, garage has separate A/C and generator, dock with 10,000 lb boat lift and 5,000 lb boat davits with 100’ of sea wall. Sold partially furnished. Great rental opportunities. $699,000

GRANDE OAKS PRESERVE

Magnificent contemporary Penthouse residence in Grande Oaks Preserve. Largest plan with enclosed Summer Suite, rich cabinetry, granite counter tops, crown moldings, tray ceilings and large tile flooring in a spacious layout. Customized unit has been tastefully upgraded and shows like a model. Sold partially furnished. $435,000

CONDO & LOTS

December 13-15 Party/Exhibition date: December 12 Longboat Key Public Tennis Center Open to All Four Players Per Team (2 men, 2 women) Four Levels of Play

$30 Entry fee includes:

Players Tournament Party & Pro Doubles Exhibition FAIRWAY BAY – BAYFRONT

SUNSET HARBOR BAYFRONT

Behind gates of Longboat Key Club Harbour. Spacious & Enjoy spectacular sunsets and endless water private 2BD/2BA overlooks Sarasota Bay. Split floor views from this direct Bay front lot with deeded boat slip located in private and gated plan, partially furn. Beach club memberships available.

$359,900 community.

$699,000

at LBK Public Tennis Center 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., Dec. 12 Hors d’oeuvres provided; beer, wine, cash bar

Tournament shirt • Trophies • Balls and Refreshments

Party & Exhibition for non players: $10

2009 - 2013 Five Star:

Register today. Call 316-8367

Best in Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agent!

SPONSORS

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!

Exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates & Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

Wilson Sporting Goods • Longboat Key Tennis Center

127831

Michael Saunders & Company, Licensed Real Estate Broker 440 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, FL 34228 • 941-383-7591

127633

Access Virtual Tours & MLS at SaintCacchiotti.com

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

23A

Coldwell Banker

®

FLORIDAMOVES.COM

Open Sun 1-4pm 3314 Bayou Rd

Open Sun 1-4pm 777 Jungle Queen Way

Longboat Key, Bay Isles $1,699,000 4/4.5 Linda Weber 941-387-1863 MLS#A3951531 79203

Longboat Key, Longboat Key $789,000 3/3 Gail Kayajian 941-383-6411 MLS#A3987010 78629

Longboat Key, Sea Gate Club $749,000 2/2 John Sloan Smith 941-587-0348 MLS#A3988257 91226

University Pk, University Park $719,900 3/3.5 Michael/Mary Nell Moore 941-387-1851 MLS#A3982981 74444

Sarasota, Harbor Acres $8,995,000 6/6.5 Joleen Roskamp 941-383-6411 MLS#A3984725 78648

While You Sleep,Your Home is Traveling theWorld.

Our unrivaled Internet reach and 3,100 offices in more than 50 countries will showcase your house to buyers around the globe, 24/7.

Mainland Sarasota Mcclellan Park $1,195,000 Mike Greve, 941-383-6411 West of Trail. Gorgeous executive 4B/4.5B; 3 blocks from southside village. MLS#A3984098 77461 Essex House $314,900 Barbara Standish, 941-504-9458 1/1 condo across from the bay & w/in walking distance of downtown Sarasota. MLS#A3984405 34925 Stoneybrook $244,900 Charles Offer, 941-388-3966 Follow your heart to this 2BR/2BA condo. Cathedral ceilings, central air. MLS#A3988250 44900 Golden Gate Pt/ $224,900 Mary Ann Dabney, 941-350-9806 1/1 condo.

Newly renovated. Near beaches & downtown Sarasota. MLS#A3980222 73012

Open Sun 1-4pm 226 Pesaro Dr Nokomis, Venetian Golf & River $549,900 4/4 Valentina Pippin 941-366-8070 MLS#A3977992 95105

Veranda 6 $149,500 Glen Ridgeway, 941-388-3966 Enhance your life with this rewarding 2BR/2BA condo in a gated community. MLS#A3987479 44901

The Keys Country Club Shores $929,000 Judy Kepecz-Hays, 941-387-1825 Tileroofed 3BR/3BA home set on the waterfront. Ceiling fans. MLS#A3988166 79202 Aquarius Club $625,000 Tom Rodgers, 941-387-1858 Create the perfect environment with this irresistible 2BR/2BA condo. MLS#A3986414 78630 Westchester Condo $615,000 Toni Giliberti, 941-383-6411 Win the reward you deserve with this gracious 2BR/2BA condo. MLS#A3986406 78647 Tidy Island $574,900 Michelle Musto, 941-387-1882 Verify for yourself the charms of this wonderful 3BR/2+BA condo. MLS#A3976683 74448 Inn On The Beach $347,500 Judy Kepecz-Hays, 941-387-1825 For classic comforts see this distinctive waterfront condo. Elevators. MLS#A3988339 79201

Longboat Key, Longboat Key Estates $1,795,000 3/3 Roger Pettingell 941387-1840 MLS#A3986998 79196

Longboat Key, Harbour Oaks $549,000 3/2.5 Bruce Myer 941-387-1859 MLS#A3985496 79206

Open Sun 1-4pm. 4234 Gulf Of Mexico Drive V2, Longboat Key. $330,000 Phil Schneider, 941-525-2818 Direct Bay views; tons of updates; pet friendly; excellent rental potential MLS#A3985289 78627 Lido Towers $249,900 Angie Campbell, 941-383-6411 Enhance your life with this very special condo. 1 and 1/2 baths. MLS#A3978881 79287

Manatee West Glenn $232,000 Mirta Klauber, 941-387-1817 Just sense the charm of this distinctive, 4BR/3BA Contempo. Ceiling fans. MLS#A3983454 74453 Wildewood Springs $133,900 Scott Norris, 941-387-1880 Large and open; 1,632 sq ft condo w/full Big Lake views & large lanai. MLS#A3984285 79208

Venice/Osprey/Nokomis

Bradenton, Conquistador Bayside $324,900 3/3 Glenn Huminski 941-350-6135 MLS#A3987248 78646

Cortez, Waterway $235,000 2/2 Team Vitale 941-388-3966 MLS#A3987338 44898

Open Sun 1-4pm. 140 Riviera Dunes Way, Palmetto. $829,950 Karin Swanson, 941-383-6411 A scenic riverfront complements this exhilarating 4BR/4BA condo. MLS#A3980886 South Venice Unit 54 $180,000 Lynn A. Luken, 941-388-3966 You will marvel at this welcoming, fenced 3BR/2BA home. MLS#A3986760 44902

Yes, you can buy peace of mind! Contact a local Coldwell Banker associate. ®

Coldwell Banker Delivers Instantly! ®

Administered by American Home Shield



Call 866.600.6008 from your smartphone and enter the  code to receive our mobile brochure with multiple photos, details and a virtual tour for any of these properties. © 2013 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International, the Previews International logo and “Dedicated to Luxury Real Estate” are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification.

126547

Open Sun 1-4pm 4003 Bayside Ct

24A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

NEW BUSINESS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

by Mark Gordon | Business Observer

Linen Locker lands at Whitney Beach A couple show dry cleaning doesn’t have to be a hassle.

It just needed some technology to iron out the kinks.

David and Cheryl Walstad have tackled more than the recession in running a commercial dry cleaning and coin laundry service.

The couple also recently confronted what’s potentially an entrepreneur’s worst nightmare: a crippling fire.

That happened in April at the coin operated Laundromat they own on Bee Ridge Road, about five miles south of downtown Sarasota. The fire, ruled an accidental electrical blaze, destroyed more than $350,000 in machines and equipment. Although insurance covered the financial loss, it was still a harrowing experience. The Walstads, in fact, worked 20 hours straight, out of a U-Haul trailer in a parking lot, to organize linens and materials that weren’t destroyed for the commercial service.

Says Dave Walstad: “We have a real sense of community there.”

The husband-wife business team also has a sense of purpose in reopening the facility, which is currently slated to reopen Dec. 11.

The Walstads’ ambitions, however, go beyond merely rebuilding one store after a fire. They’ve also undertaken an audacious statewide creative disruption mission to change the way consumers do laundry and dry cleaning.

They aim to do that through Lakewood Ranch-based Linen Locker, which is what it sounds like: The company has hightech, password-protected lockers in multiple locations, both private and public settings, where customers can drop off bags of dirty laundry, alterations, comforters or dry cleaning. A customer can

place an order through a smartphone application. Linen Locker crews then pick up the clothes and bring the bags to the Lakewood Ranch facility, just east of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County. The linens are laundered or dry cleaned, put back in the bag and returned to the locker.

“This makes perfect sense,” says Walstad. “We feel like this is a can’t-lose opportunity. We are pretty excited to be a part of this.”

A former executive who once oversaw a 1,000-employee division of ProBuild Holdings, a lumber and building material supply firm, Walstad certainly has lofty hopes for the concept. He projects Linen Locker can be a $25 million business with 75 to 100 employees when it’s fully up and running in Florida’s big three markets: Tampa, Miami and Orlando.

“The (Florida) demographics are a great opportunity,” says Walstad, a Madison, Wis., native. “Florida is really poised for a great comeback.”

The Linen Locker service is already operational in the Sarasota-Bradenton market, including a locker kiosk recently installed at Whitney Beach Plaza on Longboat Key. Future kiosks are planned for several office buildings, such as Sarasota City Centre in downtown Sarasota.

The Walstads bought the license and technology to the concept for Florida from San Francisco-based Laundry Locker, the firm that created the idea in 2005. The couple paid $50,000 for the license, and they’ve spent about $250,000 to prepare to launch the service in the Sarasota-Bradenton market. The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce award-

Photo by Mark Wemple

Entrepreneurs Dave and Cheryl Walstad target markets across Florida for their new dry cleaning and laundry service business, Linen Locker.

Talk to Tina today

WHITNEY BEACH Bring your decorating ideas to this 1BR/1BA, 2nd flr condo with beautiful Bishop Bayou and canal views. Over 900 sq ft of living space. Being offered turnkey furnished and As Is with Right to Inspect. Whitney Beach offers 3 heated pools, docks/boat slips on protected water a short boat ride to Sarasota Bay, kayak launch & storage area, beach front tennis courts, fishing pier and several hundred feet of deeded beach front and miles of sandy beaches. A3985987 $189,000

SERENE Enchanting SARASOTA Bayfront BAYEstate VIEWS

Ich spreche Deutsch

(941) 920 - 0303

Completely3private 5 BR, 4.5 Spanish only inspired residencefrom withBaydeeded Impeccable bedroom/2.5 bathBAresidence one property on beach access, deep water channel, boat lift and kayak dock, 4 car garage quiet cul-de-sac in Country Club Shores. and RV parking surrounded by tranquility and lush tropical grounds.

At your service LBKRealEstate.com

941.383.5502 or 941.724.7228 CathyMeldahl@michaelsaunders.com 3174 Gulf of Mexico Dr. Longboat Key, FL 34228

127620

Your international real estate connection

127508

Call Tina Rudek

Offeredatat Offered $1,485,000 $2,500,000

Michael Saunders & Company Cathy C. Meldahl P.A. Licensed Real Estate Broker

bedrooms. 3.5 baths,great room, formal living and dining rooms all exquistely finished and decorated. 4100 sq.ft. Pets welcome.

On Vacation and don’t have your own golf clubs?

Offered furnished. This is a Ritz Carlton managed property....................................................................................$3,895,000

Come to Pinebrook Ironwood Golf Club

LONGBOAT KEY - charming 3/3/waterfront home privately situated across from a 7 acre preserve..........$515,000

where we have an excellent selection of quality rental sets at an affordable price.

BEACH RESIDENCES - enjoy sunrises, sunsets and city lights from this southwest corner gulf front residence. Three

WINDWARD BAY - 2/2 direct bay front with amazing bay views and a peak of the Gulf. 2 pets allowed. Many com-

We also have Juniors!

munity amenities. Offered furnished ................................................................................................................................$285,000 MARINA AND BAY VIEWS at Bay Harbour on the south end of LBK – just minutes to St. Armand’s Circle. 2/2 with screened porch. ........................................................................................................................................................... SOLD........$275,000 LONG BEACH - Elevated Longboat Village home with 4 car garage, vaulted ceilings and lush landscaping... SOLD...$375,000 BLACKBURN POINT WOODS - Beautifully appointed maintenance free 4/3 villa with its own pool in an attractive

Pinebrook Ironwood 4260 Ironwood Circle ∙ Bradenton Fl ∙ 941-792-3288 pinebrookironwood.com

127640

neighborhood close to Casey Key. Amenities include tennis, community pool and clubhouse. .........................................$349,000 WINDWARD BAY - corner villa with a screened porch, carport, full size laundry room and a beautiful yard. 2 pets allowed.............................................................................................................................................................................$279,000 WINDWARD BAY - 2/2 with expansive view of Sarasota Bay. Community amenities include 2 pools, tennis,clubhouse, boat docks and deeded beach access. 2 pets allowed. ...........................................................................PENDING........ $257,900

Voted “Best Social Media Initiative” - 2012 Local Media Association

®

bobbiebanan@michaelsaunders.com

Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker

St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, FL (941) 388-4447

127812

BOBBIE BANAN, REALTOR 356-2659 • 383-2659

Like Us on Facebook!

Ambassador’s Circle

/ObserverGroup

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

25A

Top 1% Producer in Real Estate Sales for Sarasota & Manatee County!

REID MURPHY Luxury on the Water

We feel like this is a can’t-lose opportunity.

We are pretty excited to be a part of this.

— Dave Walstad, Linen Locker

California closet

Walstad read about Laundry Locker in Forbes magazine a few years ago. He was intrigued by it. And he was hooked when he met the founder of the company, Arik Levy, at a trade show in New Orleans earlier this year. Says Walstad: “We knew we had to partner with them and launch our platform in Florida.”

The feeling was mutual. Laundry Locker executives say they only license the technology to people they believe will do well with the concept. It’s not a franchise, and the company can be hyper-selective.

“We want to work with people who think the way we do,” says Laundry Locker Customer Operations Manager Cody Morrison. A San Francisco-based executive, Morrison came to town in early October to help the Walstads set up the software. “We want to work with people who will disrupt this antiquated industry.”

The disruption stems from an idea hatched by Levy, who had been a vice president of operations for a consumer electronics company north of San Francisco. Levy, according to the company, has since run Laundry Locker with a straightforward mission: to change the way the world does laundry.

Laundry Locker now serves more than 800 buildings in San Francisco. The firm has also licensed the technology to entrepreneurs in New York City and Detroit, in addition to the Walstads.

The first disruptive alteration was to eliminate a problem the firm says plagues service industries such as dry cleaning and laundry. That’s inconvenient hours and inconvenient locations.

The next shift was to infuse the concept with technology. That includes features such as Closet 2.0, what the company calls “advanced wardrobe management software.” It’s a system where every dry cleaning item is photographed and cataloged, so customers can go online and see what’s being cleaned and how it’s being cleaned. Closet 2.0, part of the system the Walstads acquired, also uses bar codes and precision equipment to make sure all the items are returned to the customer.

The system heavily utilizes emails and texts for when orders have been processed and delivered back to a locker.

“Apps and the mobile Web are changing the game in every industry, even dry cleaning,” says Cheryl Walstad, “and technology is a major component to Linen Locker’s success strategy.”

‘Break loose’

The strategy at All Star Laundry & Dry Cleaning, the Walstads’ initial venture into the industry, founded in 2008, was to grow through providing high-end concierge service. That includes the commercial linen service where clients are local hotels, spas and athletic clubs. It also includes the Bee Ridge coin-operat-

LOUISIANA PURCHASE Dave Walstad sought a spot for his stock options in 2007, when he left his corporate job with ProBuild Holdings, a $3.6 billion Fidelity Capital subsidiary.

He chose real estate. Walstad and his wife, Cheryl Walstad, looked for multifamily complexes all over the country, from Alabama to Oklahoma.

They found three viable options in Baton Rouge, La. The opportunity, says Walstad, was even better, because in 2007 real estate investors could capitalize on a 50% postHurricane Katrina federal tax credit on certain building purchases in Louisiana.

The couple ultimately acquired Summer Grove Condominiums, an 80-unit rental complex in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana state capital.

The complex is a mix of studio, onebedroom and two-bedroom apartments that range in size from 500 square feet to 800 square feet.

The Walstads paid $4 million for the property, through a combination of the stock options and bank financing. The investment has been a success, and some of the profits, says Walstad, have gone toward Linen Locker, a new laundry delivery service that recently debuted in the Sarasota-Bradenton market.

The couple is involved in the daily operations of the complex. Dave Walstad travels to Baton Rouge at least six times a year, he says, and the Walstads are regularly involved in marketing and rental price adjustments. The couple is also considering adding 20 units to the complex and developing another project on empty adjacent lots. “It’s done well for us,” says Walstad. “It has been a good investment.”

Call REID Today!

941.232.3304

www.reidmurphy.com

BAYFRONT POINT ESTATE

Gated 4BR home plus a separate 2BR guest house on private one acre+ !

Casual elegance with bayside pool & 2 docks w/lifts. $8,200,000

$8,900,000

LIGHTHOUSE POINT CUSTOM HOME $3,850,000 Exquisite 5,000 SF waterfront 4BR home w/ dock.

L’AMBIENCE GULF FRONT 3BR CONDO $2,750,000 Southern exposure. Elegant designer upgrades.

WESTWAY ESTATE ON NEW PASS $8,500,000 4BR home + 4BR guest house. 210’ frontage with dock.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT GULFSIDE Gated 5BR w/private beach & gulffront pool .

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES $2,495,000 BEACH FRONT ESTATE $3,795,000 4BR custom home w/designer finishes. Deepwater dock w/lift. 100’gulf front estate plus guest house. Beach sunsets & superb privacy.

ed Laundromat destroyed in the fire.

A constant challenge in the business, Dave Walstad has learned, is laundry can be a cost-heavy operation. A large industrial dryer the company has, for instance, costs $25,000. Energy costs are another a big expense.

The timing of opening All Star was also risky, in retrospect. “We launched our company in the face of the recession,” Walstad says. “Looking back, it was kind of scary.”

And although he’s excited about the Linen Locker possibilities, he nonetheless carries a dose of fear into that venture. There are a lot of potential pitfalls, he realizes, in trying something new on such a large scale.

Walstad’s biggest up-at-night worry, actually, isn’t so much one issue, but every issue. He constantly finds himself awake at 2 a.m., writing something down about something.

“It all stops with you,” says Walstad.

“You get to celebrate the successes and victories when you’re an entrepreneur, but when all hell breaks loose, it’s all on you.”

POSITANO GULF FRONT PENTHOUSE $3,950,000 3BR/3BA + den. Superb amenities & finishes.

GRAND MARINER BAYSIDE $1,600,000 - $2,400,000 Luxury 3,200 - 3,600 SF 3BR condos with boat docks.

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME $925,000 Wide canal lot on Dream Island Rd. A boater’s paradise.

SLEEPY LAGOON BAYSIDE ESTATE $2,550,000 Approximately 2 acres, gated drive, tennis, deepwater dock.

MEDITERRANEAN BAYFRONT ESTATE $8,700,000 5BR 10,000 sq. ft. masterpiece. Views plus dock.

DREAM ISLAND ROAD $1,624,500 4BR canal home on sailboat water w/dock & lift.

Developers Realty Inc. Lic. R.E. Broker • 1266 1st St., Suite 9, Sarasota, FL 34236

128198

ed Linen Locker a silver award at a Nov. 1 luncheon for investing $400,000 into the business in 2012 and 2013. (The business also received a gold award for “Hiring Our Neighbors.”)

The funds, says Walstad, come from savings, stock options and profits from an 80-unit rental condo property the couple owns in Baton Rouge, La. Walstad expects to invest another $2.5 million to $3 million to launch Linen Locker statewide. He will likely seek bank financing for that phase.

All told, it’s a sizable investment for a concept that remains unproven in Florida.

The Walstads, though, believe the idea is too ingenious not to work. Plus, counterintuitive ventures are the couple’s forte.

“The only way I know how to go through a recession,” says Walstad, 51, “is to double down.”

26A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

real estate | transactions

By Adam Hughes | Research Editor

Grand Bay condo sells for $1.25 million Longboat Arms

The following residential real estate transactions took place between Nov. 18 and Nov. 22.

A condominium in Grand Bay tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Sand-Ral Inc. sold the Unit 156 condominium at 3060 Grand Bay Blvd. to Costello Family Ltd. Partnership for $1.25 million. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,781 square feet of living area.

John and Jodi Sittig sold their Unit 104C condominium at 3320 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Gerald Fernandez and Barbara Dietz, of Longboat Key, for $239,000. Built in 1971, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,080 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $245,000 in 2004.

Longboat Harbour

George and Susan Duditch sold their Unit 106 condominium at 4370 Chatham Drive to Robert and Georgeanne Gregory, of Malvern, Pa., for $239,000. Built in 1969, it has one bedroom, one bath and 1,092 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $350,000 in 2004.

Marina Bay

John and Arlene Gill, of Osprey, sold their Unit 131 condominium at 2410 Harbourside Drive to R. Bonnie Haber and Sven Mohr, of Longboat Key, for $1 million. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,690 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $830,000 in 1999.

Country Club Shores

Richard and Sylvia Gilliam, of Sarasota, sold their home at 580 Wedge Lane to Douglas and Joan Danko, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., for $875,000. Built in 1966, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,783 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $1,295,000 in 2005.

LBK Schooner 572 LLC sold the home at 572 Schooner Lane to Charles Nechtem for $780,000. Built in 1963, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,222 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $1.45 million in 2004.

Longbeach on Longboat Key

Ingeborg Krieger, trustee, sold the home at 718 Linley St. to George and Ellen Featherstone, of Longboat Key, for $710,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,961 square feet of living area.

File photo

Unit 156 at Grand Bay has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,781 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million.

Beachplace

FGI-Oser Avenue Associates LP sold the Unit 405 condominium at 1085 Gulf of Mexico Drive to John and Elizabeth Reardon, of Southold, N.Y., for $608,700. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,819 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $300,000 in 1997.

Longboat Harbour Towers

Agnes Peterson, of Stamford, Conn., sold her Unit 204 condominium at 4401 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Dorothy Beemsterboer, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $432,500. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,314 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $350,000 in February.

Windward Bay

C. James and Penny Burmeister, of Ven-

ice, sold their Unit 206 condominium at 4700 Gulf of Mexico Drive to The La Dulce Vida Revocable Trust for $400,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,152 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $350,000 in 2004.

Susan Elliott, trustee, sold the Unit 301 condominium at 4700 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Lindsey Fisher and Catherine Glendon-Fisher, of New York, for $300,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,337 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $149,000 in 1993.

Federal National Mortgage Association sold the Unit PH-1 condominium at 4540 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Thomas and Anne-Marie Wells, of Longboat Key, for $227,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,337 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $158,700 in May.

ST. ARMANDS

John Ringling Estates

Vienna & Naples Inc. sold the home at 44 S. Washington Drive to William and Jane Knapp, of Sarasota, for $810,000. Built in 1967, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,184 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $550,000 in 2009.

Judith Weisser, of Sarasota, sold her home at 712 S. Blvd. of the Presidents to Camille Schwabe, of Sarasota, for $480,000.

Built in 1950, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,701 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $377,000 in 2010.

BIRD KEY David Cohn, trustee, sold the home at 510 Blue Jay Place to Arlene Rubin and Vicki Pollard, of Sarasota, for $725,000.

Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,312 square feet of living area.

YOUROBSERVER.COM // See a map

of this week’s real-estate transactions.

LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER

250 Sands Point Rd # 5401 #A3921919 $699,000 Gail Wittig

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-228-1985

2301 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 23N #A3984508 $699,000 Susan Fox

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-544-6648

5645 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 202 #A3986854 $645,500 Sylvia Zimmerman

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-350-5022

411 Burns Ct #A3926009 $645,000 Tak Konstantinou

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-374-1606

373 Benjamin Franklin Dr #A3971800 $3,000,000 Stephanie Church

800 Ben Franklin Dr # 709 #A3986052 $600,000 Elizabeth Pitts

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-780-9536

521 Ranger Ln #A3986400 $575,000 Michael Moulton

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-928-3559

101 Ben Franklin Dr # 82 #A3986395 $574,000 Douglas Parks

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-400-9087

550 Oakford Rd #A3985889 $549,000 Valerie Telfair

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-315-5488

4325 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 406 #A3985818 $539,000 Brigitte Von Kessel

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-724-5448

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-266-2174

1000 Longboat Club Rd # 603 #A3968910 $499,500 Catherine De’Ath

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-350-9799

FAMILIAR FACES. EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. Showcase your property to over 6,500 affiliate branches in 52 countries.

2109 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 1201 #A3957661 $489,000 Hannerle Moore

4765 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # B102 #A3974664 $2,825,000 Nell Leffel

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-387-7300

230 Sands Point Rd # 3302 #A3985776 $459,000 Ian Addy Pa

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-961-8850

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-932-0032

1770 Benjamin Franklin Dr # 206 #A3986006 $420,000 David Simon

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-400-8764

1350 Main St # 709 #A3981779 $399,000 Ann Martin

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-356-7717

1700 Benjamin Franklin Dr # 3 #A3986114 $369,000 Judy Nimz

LIDO KEY 941-951-6660 941-374-0196

615 Dream Island Rd # 306 #A3969421 $349,000 Barbara Dumbaugh

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-350-3743

744 Jungle Queen Way #A3986398 $339,900 Rory Jaret

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-348-3989

2039 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 204 #A3972416 $330,000 Tom Delaney

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-387-3990

6750 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 148 #A3978064 $300,000 Tammy Mast

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-256-6543

1001 Benjamin Franklin Dr # 501 #A3987685 $300,000 Valarie Wadsworth

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-780-3858

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

michaelsaunders.com

BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest building permits issued by the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Department for the week of Nov. 22 through Nov. 28, in order of dollar amounts. (GMD = Gulf of Mexico Drive) Address

Permit

Applicant

876 Tarawitt Drive

New single family home

Moskovitz Real Estate and Equity

$1,214,700

4430 Exeter Drive

Alteration

Jolene Goldenthal

$70,000

Alteration

Girdon Simmons

$54,857

4540 GMD

Alteration

Tom Wells

$28,000

4621 GMD

Pool

Casa del Mar

$24,765

652 Lyons Lane

Re-roof

John Hodgson

$15,000

3440 GMD

Seawall

Dock on the Bay Assoc. $14,700

6841 GMD

Sliding glass door

Maria Tymiak

$13,900

366 Firehouse Lane

Deck

Baldo Carnecchia Jr.

$13,034

3621 Bayou Circle

Alteration

Maria Desanto

$12,000

685 Spanish Drive N.

Re-roof

Julianne Delaney

$10,650

4825 GMD

Sliding glass door

Joseph Tombasco

$8,898

1000 Longboat Club Road Windows and doors Lester Bockow

$8,500

847 Spanish Drive S.

Re-roof

John Corsini

$6,900

4420 Exeter Drive

Alteration

Kenneth Euerle

$6,000

3010 Grand Bay Blvd.

Alteration

Irwin Press

$150

412 GMD

Alteration

Eric Hammersand

$150

3806 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # C-301 #A3988051 $225,000 Stephen Harris

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-228-8580

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-780-2352

1111 Ritz Carlton Dr # 1505 #A3966943 Diane Lyons

Sarasota $7,200 941-552-4200

4401 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # 105 Longboat Key #A3968824 $3,500-$5,500/month, 30 day min Diann Thelen 941-552-4200

4340 Falmouth Dr # 305 #A3985972 $275,000 Tama Traberman

6051 Gulf Of Mexico Dr #A3983113 $3,795,000 Ann Martin

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-356-7717

535 Sanctuary Dr # 401 #A3985337 $1,799,000 Robert Dardas

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-376-7591

565 Sanctuary Dr # B104 #A3971860 $1,699,000 Hannerle Moore

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-387-7300

531 Yardarm Ln #A3980172 $1,649,000 Maureen Horn

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-539-3384

572 Gunwale Ln #A3980750 $1,499,000 Jenifer Schwell

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-780-0968

3347 Sabal Cove Way #A3976159 $1,350,000 Nora Johnson

Longboat Key 941-951-6660 941-809-1700

3030 Grand Bay Blvd # 333 #A3957486 $1,299,000 Sandi Layfield

Longboat Key 941-383-5502 941-914-2807

4171 Las Palmas Way #A3984519 $1,250,000 Jane Rees

Sarasota 941-388-4447 941-586-3970

230 Sands Point Rd # 3101 #A3960738 $950,000 Ian Addy Pa

Longboat Key 941-383-7591 941-961-8850

618 Bayview Dr #A3982183 $899,000 Eileen Burke

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-266-8949

3010 Grand Bay Blvd # 415 #A3983643 $899,000 Julie Klick

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-780-6001

Longboat Key 941-383-5502 941-225-3351

2800 Harbourside Dr # E-14 #A3954322 $135,000 Bruce & Jenine Meyer

Longboat Key 941-383-5502 941-266-8152

RE N TA L

4380 Exeter Dr # 102H #A3976328 $275,000 Richard Perlman

RE N TA L

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-545-0899

RE N TA L

4420 Exeter Dr # 305-L #A3988456 $265,000 Sharon Freeman

Longboat Key 941-388-4447 941-356-2659

Explore now on your phone or tablet.

Amount

694 Spanish Drive N.

4830 Gulf Of Mexico Dr # V-11 #A3987845 $279,000 Bobbi Banan

27A

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

1912 Harbour Links Cir # 11 #A3979838 Diann Thelen

Longboat Key $3,000 941-552-4200

VA C AT I O N R E N TA L S Little Bokeelia Island #A3959962 $29,500,000 Klaus Lang

Little Bokeelia Island 941-383-7591 941-320-1223

Mid Longboat 383.5502 • South Longboat 383.7591 • St. Armands 388.4447 Main Street 951.6660 • Palmer Ranch 966.8000 • Siesta Key 349.3444

White Sands of Longboat whitesandsoflongboat.com 800.230.2428

113738

Veranda Beach Club verandabeachclub.com 800.411.5511

28A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

OBSERVER WEATHER

Do you love taking photos? We want your best photos of sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, etc.

Submit your local weather photos for a chance to have your photo published in the paper!

See all of the winning photos each week by visiting The Observer’s Facebook page.

TEMPERATURES

Record Temperatures High

Low

High

Low

Tuesday, Nov. 26

84

68

88 (1992)

28 (1970)

Wednesday, Nov. 27

74

51

86 (1960)

38 (1962)

Thursday, Nov. 28

66

40

87 (1958)

30 (1930)

Friday, Nov. 29

74

51

86 (1990)

40 (1959)

Saturday, Nov. 30

77

55

87 (1994)

30 (1959)

Sunday, Dec. 1

77

60

88 (1991)

34 (1979)

Monday, Dec. 2

70

58

88 (1991)

35 (1963)

Average Gulf water temperature: 69

MOON PHASES

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Dec. 9 First Dec. 17 Full Dec. 25 Last Jan. 1 New

Sunrise

Sunset

Thursday, Dec. 5

7:06a

5:36p

Friday, Dec. 6

7:07a

5:36p

Saturday, Dec. 7

7:08a

5:36p

Sunday, Dec. 8

7:08a

5:36p

Monday, Dec. 9

7:09a

5:37p

Tuesday, Dec. 10

7:10a

5:37p

Wednesday, Dec. 11

7:10a

5:37p

TIDES  Beth Brewer submitted this photo of her daughter, Marjorie, doing a yoga pose at sunset. The Brewer family was in town for Thanksgiving to visit Virginia Saunders, Beth’s mom and Marjorie’s grandmother.

Scan the QR code on your smartphone to submit your weather photos!

Or visit YourObserver.com and click on the “Contests” tab.

Edited by Timothy E. Parker

3

CRYPTOGRAMS 1. V D G J R X C D R U Z Q D E E Z R K D N Z I R T G J I M R G K J I T . A Y E Y G D G Y I X XOLDUI

UYYGX

D TA

DUI

DEEZI

ERIX

XOLDUIA?

AY I X

ARKRTB VDMI PIBIGDNZIX RTGY EIUCIKGZQ XJDEIA KLNIX? 2. S Q J Q B O C O Q E A B I Y I W C Y Q O O C P W J I Z C M C P M C J N L V A M Q U U ZQCYBYH

HQIHJCGSP

CYN

SBOAIJP

OESIUCJ:

ASQ

Thursday, Dec. 5

12:01a

3:25p

Friday, Dec. 6

12:57a 1:59a

Saturday, Dec. 7

Lows 8:40a

7:29p

4:05p

9:29a

8:39p

4:44p

10:17a

9:58p

Sunday, Dec. 8 ­3:09a

5:22p

11:04a

11:26p

Monday, Dec. 9

4:28a

6:02p

11:50a

—

Tuesday, Dec. 10

6:05a

6:43p

12:00p

12:36p

8:04a Wednesday, Dec. 11

7:25p

12:42p

1:22p

MEASURE by Jerry Berns

O B S E RV E R C RO S S WO R D

JDPI

Highs

GPJCZBNO

C J Q C J C Y H Q I W Z I V YA C B Y O L Q A M Q Q Y W J C Y E Q C Y N O G C B Y.

70 Get “altared” ACROSS 71 Shake that seals a 1 Good farm soil deal 5 Large, leaflike part 75 Sighs of relief of a flower 76 Like the son in a 11 Dinner crumbs Biblical parable 15 Fancy hotel 79 Fix, as an election amenities 80 Assaults from 19 Vaulted altar area above 20 “The Taking of ___ 84 Always, to a poet 123” 85 “___ your disposal” 21 Actress Arlene 87 Fairy tale baddie 22 Type of cornbread 89 Arrange 23 Be way off 90 Wheelchair access 25 “The Cantos” poet 92 Hums like an 27 What the engine sympathizer lends 94 Atlas and others 28 Those with visions 96 “Les Miserables” 30 Bliss award 31 Greek wine 97 ___-down (topsy34 Sitcom with Ross turvy) and Monica 99 Revolutionary War 36 Daily Planet figure photographer 37 “Mighty Aphrodite” 101 Bit, chewed and swallowed star Sorvino 102 Empty calorie 39 Casual Friday provider castoff 104 Sunbather’s desire 40 Adjust to the 105 On the ocean correct pitch 107 All-knowing one 42 Dance maneuver 110 Environmental 45 Not tall at all group member 49 Anise liqueur brand 114 Hardly a torrent 53 Rajah’s mate 119 State of warm, snug 54 Overpowering comfort terror 121 Serious offender 55 Draw forth, as 123 Dean something latent 124 Primitive timepiece 57 Extremely dry, as 126 Kind of timing land 129 Word with “number 58 Roman statesman one” who opposed 130 In ___ of (replacing) Caesar 131 A Muse 60 Basic unit for the 132 “Beetle Bailey” elements pooch 62 Tall tales 133 War god of myth 64 Hole in one 134 Lingerie item 65 Some refuse 135 Most mentally receptacles sound 67 Chicken-king 136 In short order connector 68 Guiding night light

DOWN

1 Odom of the NBA 2 Make one’s views known 3 Coveted quality 4 Southwest sights 5 Mata Hari, for one 6 It may be split for soup 7 Help for the hapless 8 Pickpocket, e.g.

9 More robust 10 Academic retirees 11 Pope piece 12 Brought down to earth?

13 Rocket booster’s push 14 “Three Stooges” assault 15 Print ___ (sequencing programs) 16 Comes down in buckets 17 Musical with a little redhead 18 Family car, perhaps 24 Fedora feature 26 Word with “tag” or “booth” 29 Take by force 32 Japanese name of Japan 33 Met highlight 35 In the poorhouse 38 Tutor in “The King and I” 41 Tip over 42 Place for roasting 43 Small, hairless caterpillars 44 ___ together (assembled) 46 Tennessee footballer 47 Chide, as children 48 Some exhaust systems 50 Oil made from cattle 51 SeaWorld behemoth 52 Whitetail or roebuck 53 “His Master’s Voice” co.

56 59 61 63 66 69 72 73 74 76 77 78 81 82 83 86 88 91 93 95 98 100 103 106 107 108 109 111 112 113 115 116 117 118 120 122 125 127 128

Farmer’s concerns Diameter fractions PC shortcut Company that once offered mail-order catalogs Name of 51-Down Volcanic Cascades peak Chili hotness unit?

Easy to lift Match up South American nation Gather, as grain Looked at with open mouth “Full House” surname Coastal-flying eagle Pig’s sloppy home Overused, as a saying Jane Austen novel Ants Devour, slangily (with “down”) It may be due Cost of ___ business Civil disturbances Set upon West Wing underling Neutral vowel sound indicator One a’courting Color of a clear sky Japanese immigrant Kind of wave “The Man Without a Country” character Islands near Sumatra Japan’s former capital Slow, musically ___ a positive note 90-degree pipe joints Longest river in the world Have a light repast “Whether ___ nobler ...”

Had a seat

12-05-13

Thursday, December 5, 2013

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

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

(No phone calls please.)

(Please provide your name and address) Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group P.O. Box 3169 Sarasota, Fl 34230 BED FRAME: Queen size, metal, new, $25.00. Call 941-400-9099.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER: rattan, medium color, excellent condition, 5’wx6.5’h, $75.

941-383-3193.

XMAS TREE: artificial lights/ornaments, $60.

4 Teapots, $40. Office chair, $50. Knife set, $25.

941-383-6297.

Autos For Sale 1987 CADILLAC: yellow, 1 owner, great condition.

Call 765-463-7271.

2003 MERCEDES E350. Beautiful classic black, leather, garage kept, 125,000 miles with another 125,000 to go! Call 349-4835 to see, $11,999.

Autos Wanted WE BUY CARS. TOP $$ PAID FOR YOUR VEHICLES. Call Hawley Motors, 941-923-3421.

Boat Slips For Rent/Sale BOAT SLIP for sale. Boathouse, S. LBK, fully enclosed, top level, S.W. corner, will accommodate 32/ft. boat. Make an offer. Mark, 941-383-4381 bradtma@yahoo.com HIGH & DRY, indoor boat slip for sale or rent. Fast, easy, access to Gulf and Bay. Owner financing available. Why rent when you can own? Call 941-544-5597.

LONGBOAT KEY: Indoor boat slip for rent. Top Level, 30/ft. length x 8/ft 6� beam x 9/ft. 10� height. 941-806-8500.

SLIP RENTAL- LBK Moorings. By Owner.

M18, premier slip, 58 ft. $600 month.

941-316-9372

Boats Boats are selling very well. We need your boat!

Please visit, www.Islandboatsales.net Buy-Sell-Consign-Donate. “Business on a Handshake� Call Dave, (owner) 941-228-3489.

ChitwoodCharters.com Cruise or Fish Hyatt Sarasota Docks 32’/53’ Yachts - 2hrs./2 months 941-383-5232 LBK BOATERS..SELLING OR buying, call Captain Dave! World Class Yacht Sales (877)901-BOAT. captaindave@wcyachtsales.com SAILBOAT: 20/FT. 1990/95 COM-PAC, (Hutchins) 19/3, 8HP Honda, with 27 hours, fully equipped, like new, $6900 O/B/O. Must see. 941-383-3337.

Garage/Moving/Estate Sales CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE. Mix and match homemade specialty cookies. Sold by the pound.

Saturday, December 7th., 10:00a.m.-2p.m. Faith Lutheran Church, 7750 Beneva Rd., Sarasota 34238.

D L O

S

SELL 955.4888 IT!

Garage/Moving/Estate Sales ESTATE SALE Friday, December 6, 10a.m.-3p.m.

Saturday, December 7, 10a.m.-1p.m.

201 Seagull Lane, Bird Key 34236 Modern style: Weber black lacquer baby grand piano, king & queen bed sets, leather sofa & matching chair, etegere, display cabinets, round dining table with lazy Susan & dining chairs, buffet, glass sculptures, coffee & end tables, easels, art supplies, yard tools, china, linens & kitchenware.

Sale by Julie McClure Pix: estatesales.net

General Merchandise MINK COAT: Black, full length, almost new, perfect condition. $500. 941-755-1846

THRIFT SHOP: Longboat Island Chapel, 6140 Gulf of Mexico Dr. Open Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays, 9a.m.-1p.m.

Volunteers welcome! 941-383-6491.

Merchandise Wanted BUYING VINTAGE Sports Cards and Memorabilia, American Flyer and Lionel Trains, pre-1970.

Leave message 941-928-5908.

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, time pieces, coins, jewelry and antiques. Please call Marc, 941-321-0707.

Personals SINGLES ON LONGBOAT! Dinner club forming ages 48-65. Please email: lbkdine2@yahoo.com Include your name and interests. Groups of equal numbers of men and women will be set up for dinner.

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

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

Condos/Apts. For Rent BEACHPlACE, lBk. Casual beachfront living in 2BR/2BA, balcony condo. Olympic pool, health club, tennis courts. Available June through December, $2000/mo. Also available January through March, $5000/mo. Call for info. Contact Elizabeth/NYC. 212-570-2950.

Condos/Apts. For Rent LBK: SANDS POINT 1BR/2BA, annual, unfurnished. Non-smoking, No Pets. $2000/month.

941-383-3702 LBK: TIFFANY Plaza Beachfront Condos, 1st floor, 2BR/2BA, W/D in units, walk out to beach.

Furnished, heated pool, covered parking. 1 mo. min. 941-383-3338.

RITZ CARLTON Marina: 3BR/3BA townhome, 2 car garage, 3 balconies, large boat dock. N/P, N/S. $3500/mo. 970-948-6815

Condos For Sale BEACH SIDE of street. 2 bed 2 bath Condo. $299,000 CLUB REALTY. Call 941-726-2677 Brooke O'Malley FREE! What every Real Estate buyer or seller needs to know!

Go to: www.yourmarketupdate.com INN ON THE BEACH: LONGBOAT KEY CLUB.

By Owner. Private club suite, turnkey, tennis, Golf course view, 650/sq.ft. $349,000. 708-267-6704.

LBK CONDO: For sale by owner, 2BR/2BA, 3rd floor unit, bay front, fully updated, $380,000.

941-374-0060.

MARINA BAY: Largest condo under 1 million.

3BR/2.5BA, 3,100 sq. ft. Incredible views. Brooke O’Malley, CLUB REALTY. 941-726-2677

Homes For Rent LIDO SHORES: Waterfront home 3BR/3BA. Lagoon Pool/Spa, Dock, Private Beach access.

Walking distance to world class shopping and restaurants! Furnished or unfurnished. Annual rental. $4500/month. Call 941-928-1542.

Real Estate Wanted WANTED LUXURY ANNUAL RENTALS For Qualified Waiting Clients Contact - Sarasota Luxury Rentals 941-225-1356 email: info@sarasotaluxuryrentals.com Personalized attention with professional honest advice.

25 Years Experience - References available

Vacation/Seasonal Rentals

Need More

ROOM for

Your Seasonal Guests?

Introduce your guests to a tropical winter stay at an unforgettable haven on the beach.

LONGBOAT KEY: beach facing, 3BR, $1900/mo. +utilities. Updated, granite/ stainless kitchen, garage, patio, 55+. 941-232-1357.

B E A C H

Luxurious suites & penthouse accommodations

Lots/Acreage For Sale BIRD KEY. Prime Sarasota Bay lot. SSE exposure.

Waiting for your dream house. For sale by owner.

No brokers please. 631 Mourning Dove. See our lot on www.forsalebyowner.com. $2,800,000.

941-388-7832

'ULF OF -EXICO $RIVE s ,ONGBOAT +EY s 6ERANDA"EACH#LUB COM

Reserved Space Visit us online at LP Reserved Space www.yourobserver.com

.QVL <ZMI[]ZM

?IV\ \W Ă&#x2026;VL I OZMI\ LMIT WV [WUM\PQVO aW]Âź^M IT_Ia[ LZMIUML WN'

C L U B

Charming Gulf-to-bay cottages 124953

Items Under $200 For Sale

'ULF OF -EXICO $RIVE s ,ONGBOAT +EY s 7HITE3ANDS/F,ONGBOAT COM LIDO BEACH CONDOMINIUMS Weekly - Monthly - Seasonal Resort Properties, Inc. Licensed Real Estate Broker Full Service Condominium Management 941-388-3921 - 888-388-3921 941-650-1857 Visit us at: resortproperties.pro

WEEKLY RENTALS. Luxurious, fully furnished 1 - 4 bedrooms. Condominiums and Cottages.

Beach to Bay. On-site management. Pools, tennis, boat slips. Visit: www.FloridaRent.com for information and virtual tours. 800-333-7335, 941-383-3117.

This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crossword answers

955-4888

www.yourobserver.com www.yourobserver.com HOUSE CLASSIFIEDS LP # 56733

This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sudoku answers

HOUSE CLASSIFIEDS LP # 117730

AW] VM^MZ SVW_ _PI\ aW]ÂźTT Ă&#x2026;VL QV \PM KTI[[QĂ&#x2026;ML[

Your source for local ClassiďŹ eds

2013

This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cryptogram answers

1. Math is fairly applicable in the kitchen. Do potatoes have square roots and are apple pies squared? Does dicing make vegetables into perfectly shaped cubes?

2. Here is a section of an essay from a wayward but well-meaning geography and history scholar: the Pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain.

30A YourObserver.com 30A Classifieds Vacation/Seasonal Rentals Weekly/ Monthly/ Seasonal Rates Beachfront, Bayfront and In Between Houses or Condos Reservations 941-383-6127 Visa/ MC 800-352-0367 5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite 101 Longboat Key, FL 34228 Rental office 9a.m. - 5p.m. M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty Since 1939 www.wagnerrentals.com

“Your Home by the Sea” www.casadelmar.net Weekly/Monthly Condominium Rentals 4 Night Minimum Reservations: 941-383-5549 Fax: 941-383-7925 Office Open 7 Days, 9a.m. - 5p.m.

4621 Gulf of Mexico Drive Longboat Key, FL 34228 Fully equipped 2BR/2BA condos with washer and dryer, and wireless internet in each unit.

LONGBOAT OBSERVER THE LONGBOAT OBSERVER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013 Thursday, December 5, 2013

www.yourobserver.com Vacation/Seasonal Rentals

Cleaning

Painting/Wallpapering

3 BEDROOM Longboat Key beach rental.

Seasonal ($3200/ mo. includes tax). Across from private beach. Garage. Unobstructed views. Updated, patio, fully furnished, 55 +. March and April plus off-season. (941) 232-1357.

BLUE FISH CLEANING INC. 941-705-3812.

Insured, Bonded. Affordable reliable home cleaning, $60, 2 cleaners, 2 hours.

CARLO DATTILO PAINTING. Licensed & insured.

Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing. Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable. Free estimates.

941-744-1020. 35+ years experience.

RICK STEAKLEY PAINTING. Interior/Exterior.

Pressure Washing. Wallpaper Removal. Drywall Repairs. Reasonable. Reliable. Professional.

30+/years experience. References available.

Free Estimates.

Lic./Ins. 941-228-7605, rlsteakley60@gmail.com

BEACH PLACE: 3BR/2BA, fully furnished, elevator, gated security, pool, walk out to beach.

Available January 1st, seasonal or annual.

631-765-3162 LBK SEAPLACE Town House at the beach for rent. Beautiful TH with 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, 1 powder room, terrace, screened lanai, direct access to tropical garden, at the beach, 2 pools, tennis, club, gym, sauna, hot pot, etc. Completely equipped, 2 car parking spaces. Available from June to December, 2013. Ask for availability 2014, info about price etc. at: mandalka@gmx.de LIDO BEACH Vacation paradise. 1 & 2 bedroom condos overlooking beautiful Lido Beach.

Weekly rates. Lido Dorset. Rental condo.

1-800-734-3370.

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service by Maria.

Residential/ Commercial. Meticulous Cleaning.

Excellent References. Free Estimates. Reliable.

Lic./ Ins. 941-400-3342.

CLEANING: HIGHEST quality, low cost. Punctual, honest, fast, very careful. References. Call Esperanza, 536-6733.

Computer Services Cmagik - LBK resident, servicing our island year round for over 12 yrs. Bachelors Degree with 20 yrs. experience, PC or MAC. Professional help with computers, iPad/iPhones and tutoring.

References upon request.

Call Cort: 383-3878, 587-5588 cmagik.com OWN A MAC/iPHONE/iPAD? MacTutor has 21+ years experience teaching Apple products.

I speak English, not “Geek”! (941) 812-3887 www.FLMacTutor.com

LIDO KEY Beachfront condo: 3BR/2BA, covered parking, nicely furnished. Seasonal rental: $3500/mo. or yearly lease at $2750/mo.

613-722-7767.

E-mail: lainecooper@cooperhr.com

Home Improvement/ Remodeling

LONGBOAT HARBOR TOWERS: Unit 805.

2BR/2BA, beachfront condo. Wonderful sunsets.

Recently remodeled. Large pool, exercise room.

Available February 1, 2014. 2/month minimum. $4700/mo. 719-201-8801.

FOR “QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE”

LONGBOAT KEY. Gulf front, heated pool on beach, 1BR/1BA condo, full kitchen, dining, sleeps/4, king pillowtop. 617-328-7145, 857-939-1049.

ON THE Gulf w/pool. 1BR condo, sleeps 4. Nicely furnished, cable, phone, full kitchen, living, dining area, W/D in building. Weekly or Monthly. May through January. $1600/mo. 941-351-5101.

Adult Care Services

ISLE TILE

Floors, bathrooms, showers, backsplashes, patio and pool decks.

OUR GUESTS RETURN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE 726-1802 LIC/ INS

Exceptional Vacation Rentals Since 1994 Homes & Condominiums Studios to Six Bedrooms Beachfront, Intercoastal or Garden Excellent Service & Staff FloRIDA VACATIon ConnECTIon www.Flvacationconnection.com 941-387-9709 877-705-2460

Auto Transport

Cleaning 30 YEARS experience. We take pride in pleasing customers. Homes, schools, churches, resorts, offices. 941-756-4570.

Pet Services

TIKI TIME PET SITTING! In-Home Pet Sitting! Leave your fur kids in their environment with trusted, loving care! Providing quality pet care for 10 years! No extra charge for multiple pets & Holidays! Excellent references.

480-694-0756 tikitimepetcare@gmail.com

Pressure Cleaning PRESSURE WASHING: Residential and Commercial. ECO Cleaning. Roofs, lanais, pool areas, etc. Roof coating also. 941-756-4570.

TILE TILE TILE All Variations of Ceramic Tile Supplied & Installed.

Free Estimates & Custom Designs.

Expert Marble & Travertine Installation Floor & Walls

SHIP YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV anywhere in the United States. Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors, 941-923-3421.

BONDED & INSURED Over 25 yrs. experience

Transportation

Provides home healthcare from as little as 4 hours to 24/7 care.

For more info Phone: 941-809-3725 License #230506 & #30211577

GULFSIDE A/C & Heating, LLC. SALES & SERVICE, FREE ESTIMATES! 10 MINUTE RESPONSE. Visa/MC/Disc. Lic. #CAC1816929 941-962-6863.

4 Bill Paying & Account Reconciliation 4 Organizing Personal and Business Files 4 Budgets & Financial Reports 4 Federal and State Tax Returns

DOGGY HOTEL/GROOMING. 24 Hour Daycare.

FREE Daycare with groom (we are the best).

3925 Brown Avenue behind Sleep King. doggyhotel.net 941-554-4620.

PROFESSIONAL TILE & MARBLE INSTALLATION

Air Conditioning

I come to your home or office.

JOHN GUBERNAT SERVICES Residential/ Commercial. Handyman Repairs, Roof Repairs, Coatings, Painting, Power Washing, Property Management, Home Watching. LBK Resident. Lic./Ins. 941-962-4867.

20 YRS. EXPERIENCE

2BR/2BA, open, direct views, tennis court, 2 heated pools, steps away from the sand.

Recently remodeled.

941-228-5671.

Personal & Business Bookkeeping Accounting/ Taxes

Telephone: 941-749-5646 yourbookkeeper@tampabay.rr.com

Extra Large Heated Gulf View Swimming Pool!

THE WESTCHESTER GULF FRONT

YOUR PERSONAL BOOKKEEPER, LLC Gail Sunray, Owner

20 years design background.

Licensed - Insured - LBK Resident References upon request.

941-383-2659

STEVE ALLEN FLOOR COVERINGS

A Lending Hand, Inc.

Personal Services

Grout Cleaning & Sealing Service Available Call Ashdown Flooring, Inc. LICENSED (941) 726-3077 INSURED

ISLAND SEDAN Serving Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, West Bradenton and St. Armands Towncar Service Rates: To or From: Tampa International Airport: $80 St. Pete/Clearwater Airport: $75 Sarasota/Bradenton Airport: $35 Call for rates to other locations Gratuities not included.

941-730-8803 islandsedan@gmail.com www.islandsedan.com

Masonry ALL TYPES OF MASONRY Specializing in concrete driveways, pavers, decorative concrete, stone work, patios.

Call for free and honest estimates.

941-525-2435

FIND in the

IT! Classifieds

Observe

what you are missing...

Reserved Space LP Reserved Space

Classified Ads

LV6442

YOUR LOCAL SOURCE!

Reach us online 24/7 www.YourObserver.com/classifieds YourObserver.com PalmCoastObserver.com

YourObserver.com

PERSONAL SERVICES

IRRIGATION

A FULL SERVICE IRRIGATION COMPANY

DOCKSIDE BOAT REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE SMS Mobile Marine Service GPS/Fishfinder Installation â&#x20AC;˘ Outboards I/Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;˘ Inboards Call for appointment â&#x20AC;˘ 941-232-3523

Maintenance - Repair -Installation

CERTIFIED & INSURED

20 any irrigation OFF repair over $100

$

941-888-2988 FREE ESTIMATES

127729

127727

15% rain OFF sensors

Licensed & Insured CNA on staff

rainscapeďŹ&#x201A;.com

CLEANING

KITCHEN/BATH REMODELING

Krow Cleaning Co.

941-807-6288

GRAB THIS DEAL

Your Bathroom Safety Specialist

Tim

Always reachable at

941-735-5778 Move In/Move Out Clean Up Foreclosures Clean Up Storms Clean Up Events Clean Up House/Condo/Apartment/OfďŹ ce Next Day Guaranteed Call for Free Estimates

941-966-0333

Buy 1 grab bar & get 1 FREE FREE

www.drgrabbars.com

suncoasterrandservices@yahoo.com

126799

Residential/Commercial/Events/Storms Clean Up

INSTALLATION

Call today to reserve your space

PLUMBING

â&#x20AC;˘ REPAIRS & REMODELING â&#x20AC;˘ NEW CONSTRUCTION â&#x20AC;˘ EMERGENCY SERVICE â&#x20AC;˘ WATER HEATERS Family Owned & Operated â&#x20AC;˘ SEWER & DRAIN CLEANING 2 Florida State Cert. Master Plumbers #CFC1426596

Since 1975

COASTAL MASSAGE THERAPY

INSTALLATION & CERTIFY

Offering Swedish, deep tissue, and neuromuscular therapy Your home or my ofďŹ ce Private & Small Group Tai Chi & Yoga Instruction

DEPENDABLE & ON TIME BACKFLOWS

126606

941-753-7766

OR 778-4461

RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL

955-4888

MASSAGE

COMPUTER

PLUMBING

CHRISTIEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 778-3924

Grow your business in the Service Directory

â&#x20AC;˘ Cleaning Home/OfďŹ ce/Rentals â&#x20AC;˘ Pre-arrival Services/Grocery Delivery â&#x20AC;˘ Courier Service (STA certiďŹ ed/IDC) â&#x20AC;˘ Pet Sitting/Groom/Vet Drop Off â&#x20AC;˘ General Errand Running â&#x20AC;˘ House Sitting/Vacation Home Check â&#x20AC;˘ Gourmet Meal Delivery â&#x20AC;˘ Anything you need, just ask!

126962

BOAT SERVICES

125870

Classifieds 31A 31A

www.yourobserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

5508 MARINA DR., HOLMES BEACH â&#x20AC;˘ OPEN SAT

126801

THE LONGBOAT OBSERVER LONGBOAT Thursday, OBSERVER December 5, 2013

POWER WASHING

Lic. #MA34584

MOVERS

Before

MO V I N G

After

Dave McCarthy Operator/Owner

PATIO REPAIRS, INC PATIO REPAIRS 126470 38056

FurnitureSales Sales &&Repairs Furniture Repairs Cushions â&#x20AC;˘ Slings â&#x20AC;˘ Re-powdercoating #USHIONS s 3LINGS s 5MBRELLAS

/54$//2 &52.)452% %80%243 s 777 0!4)/2%0!)23 .%4

INSURANCE

Lic./Ins. se Window Washin i r n Su and Pressure Cleaning g

Phone (941) 704-4278 Fax (941) 538-3781 dmccarthy114@hotmail.com

Environmentally Friendly

MOVE IT! DELIVERY AND TRANSPORT Day Same * e Servic

What ever â&#x20AC;&#x153;...ITâ&#x20AC;? is, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll MOVE IT! Call: 941-803-4959

*In Mo st Cases

Delivery â&#x20AC;˘ Transport â&#x20AC;˘ Hauling â&#x20AC;˘ Junk Removal Moveitsuncoast@gmail.com

INSURANCE

125873

Res./Com.

126471

I.C.C 361253 â&#x20AC;˘ DOT 812623 FL MOVERS #IM1102

Call 955-4888 to reserve your space.

FURNITURE REPAIR

Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2022;Č Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Č Â&#x2018;Â?Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;

WINDOWS

LOCAL - LONG DISTANCE FREE ESTIMATES

WorkS for you!

Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022; Č Â&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2022; Č Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â?Â&#x2022; Č Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D; Â&#x192;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;

top2bottompressurewashing.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Will move anything from a couch to a householdâ&#x20AC;?

The Service DirecTory

941-504-0903

Í?Í&#x2DC;Í&#x2022;ǤÍ?Í&#x2013;Í&#x161;ǤÍ?Í&#x203A;Í&#x201D;Í&#x201D;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leave Your Dirty Windows To Usâ&#x20AC;?

941-447-0127 â&#x20AC;˘ 941-284-5880 â&#x20AC;&#x153;UP TO 25 STANDARD WINDOWS â&#x20AC;˘ $109.00â&#x20AC;?

SPECIAL

10%

Free Estimates

126565

5.00

OFF + Additional $

For Senior Citizens Prices Include:

2 Bath Mirrors â&#x20AC;˘ 2 Fans â&#x20AC;˘ Tracks â&#x20AC;˘ Screens

126805

127728

Dave McCarthy

INSURANCE

SECUR-ALL INSURANCE AGENCY 510 BAY ISLES ROAD, SUITE 1 â&#x20AC;˘ LONGBOAT KEY, FL (INSIDE SUNTRUST BANK)

CHUBB, AIG, UNIVERSAL, UNITED, TRAVELERS, SAFECO, PROGRESSIVE, CITIZENS, FLOOD. WE HAVE YOU COVERED!

125687

941-383-3388 STOP BY AND MEET YOUR LOCAL AGENTS, SANDRA & GEORGE CESHKER

Sell your service with success.

Advertise in The Observersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Service Directory

Call 955-4888 for more information...

PelicanPress sIesTA KeY

LV2879

www.yourobserver.com

32A

LONGBOAT OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

OVER $62 MILLION SOLD OR PENDING SINCE JANUARY 2013 Roger has pending and sold 9 residences in Grand Bay since January 2013 Roger has sold 7 residences in Seaplace since January 2013 Roger has sold 4 homes in Country Club Shores since January 2013 Roger has sold 3 homes in Bird Key since January 2013 Roger has sold 3 Gulf front homes since January 2013 For the third time in five years, Roger has been named: #1 Realtor on Longboat Key and Bird Key #1 Realtor for all of Sarasota #1 Single Coldwell Banker agent for all of Florida

ROGER SELLS BIRD KEY

602southowldrive.com

ROGER SELLS LA FIRENZA

$5,495,000

4 bedrooms, 4½ baths

Exquisite bay front home on South Owl Drive built by Murray Homes and just completed in 2012. You will experience all that new construction offers. The more than 5,500 square feet of indoor space includes spacious en-suite bedrooms, office, media room, kitchen/family room, garages for three cars and more.

THE PIERRE

PELICAN HARBOUR

$4,995,000

lafirenzas301.com

3 bedrooms, 3½ baths

Direct Gulf 4,800+ sf penthouse with endless beach views in a community of only 10 residences. “Transitional coastal” interior with custom finishes and upgrades throughout. A wraparound terrace overlooks the turquoise waters with a summer kitchen while two bayside terraces provide the best of both worlds.

LONGBOAT BAYSIDE

MARINA TOWER

marinatower304.com Wonderfully upgraded 3BR + media room/ 3½BA in the heart of downtown Sarasota.

Sweeping city and bay views. Two master suites. Two parking spaces. $1,499,000

COREY'S LANDING

3436mistletoelane.com Light and open 4BR/4BA home situated directly on Sarasota’s bayfront, 2-car garage, boat dock and lift. $1,395,000 thepierre602.com Southern views abound! Enjoy sunsets from this 3BR/3BA Gulf front retreat, with views of the beach, Sarasota’s bay and Islandside golf course at nearly every turn. $1,149,000

pelicanharbourmh2.com Villa on the Beach! Rarely available 2BR beachfront Manor Home. Recent upgrades.

Enjoy the beach in your backyard. $1,495,000

BIRD KEY

629rountreedrive.com Boater’s paradise! On deep sailboat water, just one in from Sarasota’s bay, this 3BR/3BA custom waterfront home is ready for your personal enjoyment. $1,795,000

EMERALD POINTE

QUEENS HARBOUR

emeraldpointesouth16.com Perfectly secluded lake front 3BR/3.5BA villa.

2-car garage. Deeded access to private Bay Isles Beach Club. $699,000

3613fairoaksplace.com Charming 2BR + den/2BA home with an open pool deck and wonderful lake views.

2-car garage. Private beach access. $899,000

BUTTONWOOD HARBOUR

SEAPLACE

fourwinslowplace.com Light and open 3BR/2BA bay front home in this secluded community. Ideally located on deep bay water and offers deeded access to the private Bay Isles Beach Club. $1,095,000

seaplaceg4109.com Walk out to the white powdery sands of the Gulf from this 2BR retreat. Recently updated.

One covered parking space. $479,000

www.rogersmarketupdate.com

Sign up to receive a customized, monthly market snapshot. You will receive, by email, the industry’s most impressive market reports, packed with up-to-theminute MLS market and property information, plus interactive photos, maps and graphs.

You may also scan this QR code with your smartphone, call our office, or send us an email.

SARASOTA BAY

350southshoredrive.com Palatial 5BR/3½BA estate with views of the bay and downtown Sarasota. Heated pool.

Spacious 3-car garage. $2,445,000

GRAND BAY

grandbay263.com Beautifully upgraded 2BR/2½BA Cayman.

Media room, wine storage, cook’s kitchen and custom features throughout. $1,575,000 grandbay542.com 2BR/2BA, 4th floor, Bimini, custom details and views of the bay, golf course and downtown. Furnished. $699,000

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

1015bogeylane.com Stunning 4BR/5½BA plus den with views down the canal out to the bay. Upgraded finishes and designer features. $1,695,000

WESTCHESTER

westchester404.com This direct Gulf front 2BR/2BA residence has been completely upgraded. Just steps to the beach. Furnished. $625,000

L'AMBIANCE

lambiancel307.com Building II, Areca plan, wonderful sunsets views, expansive wraparound terrace. All new windows and sliders. $1,595,000

LONGBOAT BEACHCOMBER II

longboatbeachcomber11.com Walk out to the beach. 2BR/2BA ideal retreat or rental. Furnished. $695,000

Roger has listed and sold more than $1 billion in local property.

ROGER C. PETTINGELL LUXURY WATERFRONT SPECIALIST

941.387.1840 roger@longboatrealestate.com

941.586.6668

www.longboatrealestate.com

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

125013

398bobwhitedrive.com Charming 4BR/3BA waterfront home offers southern views and recent updates. Sailboat water, a newer dock and lift. $1,195,000

LONGBOAT KEY ESTATES

7100longboatdriveeast.com Bayfront Rustic Luxe! Upgraded 4BR/3BA home on deep-water dockage with multiple lifts offers two separate homes. $1,395,000

DEDICATED TO LUXURY ESTATES M OWNED AND OPERATED BY NRT, LLC

Diversions YourObserver.com

A&E

Must-attend events for the holidays.

PAGE 8

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

GARDEN An artful landscape in the city.

PAGE 10

BLACK TIE

‘The Art of Caring’ PAGE 13

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT | PAINT THE TOWN by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

“New Pass Fisherman” by William Hartman depicts Byrd’s bait shop, a great spot to grab a burger in the 1950s and the New Pass Grill’s predecessor.

Courtesy

INHERITED IDENTITY Florida life impacted the work of Sarasota painters William Hartman, Larry Stults and Wilfrid Berg. The influence lives on in their descendants, who decided to feature their elders’ work in an exhibit.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

2

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: PAINT THE TOWN

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor (continued from page 1)

INHERITED IDENTITY

Florida life impacted the work of Sarasota painters William Hartman, Larry Stults and Wilfrid Berg.

The influence lives on in their descendants, who decided to feature their elders’ work in an exhibit.

A

Photo by Mallory Gnaegy

Bill Hartman holds the work of his father, William Hartman, and Larry Stults holds the work of his grandfather, Larry Stults. The piece by William Hartman is of a 1940s dredge, one of the live-in dredges that shaped Sarasota’s shoreline as we know it today. The piece by Larry Stults is a gill net fisherman bringing in his catch.

Discover What Makes Sarasota Bay Club So Different!

cool-colored watercolor features a bait, tackle and sandwich shop tucked behind a row of palm trees lining the side of a bridge overpass. A man with a fishing pole walks by, about to be passed by an older model car. The scene looks vaguely familiar, but hints of a different era. The portrayed spot is actually what we now know as the burger staple New Pass Grill and Bait Shop at Ken Thompson Parkway.

Back in the 1950s, the small buildings in the painting were located on the southeast wall of the New Pass Bridge, up the hill from where the New Pass Grill now sits. Back then, Sarasotans knew it as “Dan Byrd’s Fish Camp,” or more simply, “Byrd’s,” and some called it “Daisy’s Place” because it was famous for Daisy’s hamburgers.

William Hartman knows all about it because he grew up here. And his father, also named William Hartman, is the late artist who painted the snapshot of old-time Sarasota.

It’s just one story depicted in the 24 paintings in the upcoming “Gulf Coast

Heritage” exhibit opening Dec. 5 at the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.

Larry Stults, president of the board of Sarasota Bay Watch (a supporter of The Conservation Foundation) got the idea for the exhibit after attending other exhibits hosted by the Conservation Foundation. His late grandfather, who coincidentally is also named Larry Stults, was an artist and family friend of the senior William Hartman. In fact, the two used to paint together.

So, Stults approached the younger Hartman about putting together an exhibit that displayed both of their heritages.

Fifty-five-year-old Larry Stults is a retired biotechnology patent attorney who grew up in Sarasota.

After working in mid-Atlantic states for 25 years, he moved back to the area in 2006.

William Hartman is an art collector/framer and owner of William Hartman Gallery. The 66-year-old grew up in Sarasota, and he’s an active collector of photography and artwork

Siesta Interiors

Sarasota Bay Club offers outstanding services and amenities that are personalized to fit your lifestyle. From complimentary valet parking to fine dining on chef prepared meals, the freedom to design the ideal retirement lifestyle is all yours.

Reliable and Professional Interior Design

Sarasota Bay Club ownership is carefree, with all maintenance included, and complete health care & rehabilitation services conveniently located on-site.

z

“I moved to Sarasota Bay Club to take advantage of the many personalized services, and my concerns are now few because the staff takes care of everything extremely well. Living here has freed me up to enjoy life more!”

Bob Wagner

Sarasota Bay Club Resident

Interior Design | Window Treatments | Flooring

z

Furniture & Accessories | Kitchen & Bath Renovations Lighting | All Hunter Douglas Window Treatments

Full-Service Retirement Living On Sarasota Bay Please Join Us For A Luncheon and Tour!

Call Today To Reserve Your Spot: (941) 552-3284 (Space is limited) Join us for lunch and discover the value Sarasota Bay Club has to offer.

1301 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida 34236 (941) 366-7667 • www.SarasotaBayClub.com

127651

Please Call To Attend Our Luncheon Event Or Schedule Your Personal Tour Today!

Linda Ware or Dana Moe (941) 552-3284

2095 Siesta Drive | Across from Dillards 941.951.1822 | 941. 724.2353 cell www.siestainteriorsfl.com

127887

26 YEARS in Business!

WE DO IT ALL Call for an appointment

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

3

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT featuring earlier Florida. He also has a collection of work by Wilfrid Berg, his father’s childhood friend and painting contemporary, which will also be in the exhibit.

IF YOU GO Gulf Coast Heritage When: Opening reception 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, runs through Feb. 28. Viewing hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Deep Roots

Where: The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, 400 Palmetto Ave., Osprey Cost: Free Info: Call 918-2100 or visit Conservationfoundation.com Wilfrid Berg (left) with William and Martha Hartman in the ‘40s.

“During the slow months, when raccoons, mosquitoes and the Stultses were the only inhabitants (of Cabbage Key), my family would go down and spend several days,” says Hartman.

“The adults would paint, and I would fish off the dock.”

Stults fondly remembers his grandfather letting him drive the same pre-World War II boat called “Sandspur” that was used to pick up the Hartmans from the mainland. A lot of his memories relate to that boat.

“My grandmother would have these big meals…. A big roast or turkey, and all the fixings she’d set on the engine box and then we’d anchor by the bird rookery,” Stults says.

It was this life on the island that inspired him to serve with the Sarasota Bay Watch, the copresenter of the exhibit, today.

“It was really rustic, untouched, beautiful and rugged,” Stults says of his childhood influence. “That shaped me a lot.”

Finding Sarasota

A portrait of Larry Stults in the 1960s that was taken by the artist William Hartman.

That same Gulf Coast childhood led Hartman to develop a natural interest in Old Florida.

He collects art and photography of the post-World War II good old days, and his affinity for art reflects on his family’s involvement in the community.

His parents operated The William and Martha Hartman Gallery art school and exhibition space. It was located below the world-renowned Sarasota artist Syd Solomon’s art school at 1216 First St., the previous home of the Ceviche restaurant downtown.

Hartman’s father ended up in Sarasota after the war. Upon his return home to Muskegon, Mich., following his service, he and his hometown buddy, Berg, decided they wanted to attend an art school. They had heard of a little art school in Sarasota. So, they hooked up the elder Hartman’s travel trailer, headed to Sarasota, and immediately parked the trailer on the Whittaker Bayou and

signed up for classes at Ringling College.

Growing as painters together, they often painted the same subjects, used similar styles and even became interested in watercolors together. They were “co-conspirators” in art, as Hartman says.

The duo painted together up until the end of their days.

As contemporaries, there are many similarities in the three artists’ paintings. They each explore life on the water, working on the water, landscapes surrounding their lives and how much his life revolved around the environment. They depict a time that’s hard to imagine for many young Floridians, and even Florida transplants today. Hartman and Stults say the exhibit aims to teach viewers about what it was like, and to explore a shared heritage with the artists.

“The more we know about where we came from, the greater desire to preserve it,” says Hartman.

Top: Wilfrid Berg’s vision of the old town gas station. Bottom: William Hartman’s vision of the old town gas station. Berg and Hartman used to set their easels next to each other to paint the same landscape.

This is the gas station in Overtown, Sarasota’s early black community.

re-imagine

Elegant

Monday-Saturday 10aM-7PM Sunday 12PM - 5PM

3979 South taMiaMi trail (941) 921 4016 | (941) diaMond

Y our JewelrY experience reimagined

diaMondVaultJewelerS.coM

loose diamonds | engagement rings | Fine Swiss watches custom design | estate Jewelry | Full-Service repair 127103

Despite the fact that the senior Hartman and Stults were good friends and painting comrades, the younger generations didn’t know each other as children.

In fact, in 1970 when Hartman opened his framing business, one of the first pieces he framed was a piece of Stults’ grandfather’s work. Stults’ grandfather gave it to him as a high school graduation present. Stults remembers taking it to the gallery to have it framed, one of the first times he and Hartman met.

And even though the two men never met as children (they’re 10 years apart), they both grew up exploring the same cottage and waters on Cabbage Key, a remote island located north of Captiva Island, off the coast of Cape Coral. Stults’ grandfather kept an inn there after retiring from a commercial art career, during which he illustrated ads for Coca-Cola and magazine covers for publications such as The Saturday Evening Post.

On a whim, he bought a place on Cabbage Key that he operated as an inn and studio from 1944 to 1969. In those times, the only visitors were seasonal ones, and the children had to take a boat to a one-room schoolhouse.

Back then, Stults and Hartman explain, most artists on the Gulf Coast knew of each other because they’d take art classes together or paint together — it was a tight-knit artist community.

127072

est. sarasota 1978

4

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: BACKSTAGE PASS

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

Tim Minar does what The Players need Tim Minar doesn’t have a formal title at The Players Theatre of Sarasota.

“What badge do I have on today?” he asks, pulling the silver nametag from his vest to look at it.

He relays a story from The Players gala a month ago, during which he was honored for his service to the theater. In Artistic Director Jeffrey Kin’s speech, Kin said the title on Minar’s nametag should say, “What do you need done now?” Minar says it’s because he’s the do-anything-thatneeds-to-be-done-and-thensome man.

For the Dec. 5 production of “White Christmas,” he’s more formally known as the assistant stage manager to his wife, Stage Manager Cinda Goeken. He says she’s the do-anything-thatneeds-to-be-done-and-thensome woman, but with one difference: “She points and I go,” he says with a laugh.

He says that one of his favorite lines in “White Christmas” is when one of the male leads asks: “What can you tell me about women?” The other answers: “They have longer hair and they’re smarter than us.” Minar undoubtedly agrees.

He has learned a lot of the lines through his backstage role; he deals mostly with props. In addition to helping with “White Christmas,” he also coaches the Sarasota Silver Stars, the 50-plus performance troupe at The Players, twice a week. And when the group doesn’t have any men available to perform, Minar will

IF YOU GO ‘White Christmas’ When: Opens at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 5 and runs through Sunday, Dec. 22 Where: The Players Theatre of Sarasota, 838 N. Tamiami Trail Cost: Tickets $25 to $30 Info: Call 365-2494 or visit ThePlayers.org

Photo by Mallory Gnaegy

“I love theater, No. 1,” Tim Minar says. “And by and large, I love the people who are involved in theater — it’s a community.” occasionally join in on stage.

“They are about as much fun as you’ll ever get to have with a bunch of people,” he says of his Silver Stars, his favorite activity at the theater.

Minar also helps with auditions, such as with last season’s “Annie.” He had the taxing job of keeping 150 girls and their parents quiet backstage. He also

does play readings when they need him. Sometimes he’s a volunteer; sometimes he’s a paid stage manager.

“It’s whatever they need,” he says.

This particular Tuesday, he is at the theater from noon until 10 p.m., bouncing from a Silver Stars practice, to a production meeting and then rehearsal, with

a couple of hours for a break, or to eat — or, of course, to do whatever they need him to do.

Minar knows something about service. He moved in the late ’70s to Sarasota following 20 years working as a Navy SEAL, including during Vietnam. A year after his service, he ended up in Sarasota where he met his real-life leading lady, Goeken, at church.

She had been volunteering at The Players for a decade. The new couple realized they had a lot in common.

Minar had been performing since he was a 9-year-old living in Central New Jersey. He did theater throughout his schooling, and he continued to perform throughout his time as a Navy SEAL at various venues around the nation. His most memorable performance was in the prestigious Shakespeare in the Park in New York City — twice.

Nearly 30 years later, he’s happy in a backstage role. Of the three productions he typically stage manages per year — he says he’s lucky to do the Christmas production. He likes all the Irving Berlin songs. And, just like one of Santa’s elves would do come Christmas Eve, when the curtain closes just before the holiday, it’s time for a rest.

“By that time, the two of us want to fall in a heap and hide,” he says with a laugh.

thisholiday

You Deserve The BEsT giFT EvEr.

Think of it as

Healthier Care. ™

Cabinetry

At LernerCohen Healthcare, our patients are always our primary concern. That’s why we limit the number of patients we treat, never keep you waiting, and always answer the phone when you call, every day and any time.

• Board Certified in Internal Medicine • Exceptional, Experienced Primary Care Physicians • Personal Attention • Unlimited Visits • 24/7 Access with No Waiting So, when you’re considering your overall wellness plan this year, think about Healthier Care from LernerCohen. 941.953.9080

Closets

Enhance your favorite spaces with new cabinets, countertops and closets.

From new construction to a complete refurbishment, Affinity Kitchen & Bath specializes in taking your vision and creating a quality, customized look for your home.

Countertops

Call 953.3240 and ask about our 50% off quartz countertop special*!

NOW ACCEPTING A LIMITED NUMBER OF NEW PATIENTS

100477

1921 Waldemere Street Suite 814, Sarasota, FL 34239 LernerCohen.com

Brad S. Lerner, MD Louis M. Cohen, MD

*While supplies last. Solid black, white or champagne quartz only. Mention DV/EC083 to take advantage of this limited time offer. Must be purchased by DEC 31, 2013. Can be installed in first quarter of 2014.

When Quality Comes First.™

1035 N Lime Ave. | Sarasota, Florida 34237 | SRQ-Kitchens.com | 941.953.3240 Granite | Marble | Quartz | CaMbria® | Vetrostone™ | Corian® open Mon–Fri 10aM to 5pM, sat 10aM to 2pM

115161

The Doctor Is In. Always.

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: SPOTLIGHT

5

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

Bill Schustik is Sarasota’s wayfaring stranger IF YOU GO Munchtime Musicales: Bill Schustik ‘A Troubadour’s Christmas’ When: Noon Wednesday, Dec. 11 Where: David Cohen Hall at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail Cost: Free Call: Call 351-7467 or visit scasarasota.org The free series continues at the same time and place on the following dates: Jan. 15 — Jerry Eckert Jazz Trio Feb. 19 — Lee Dougherty Ross and Joseph Holt March 19 — Studio Artists from the Sarasota Opera April 16 — Gloria Musicae singers

Photo by Mallory Gnaegy

“It’s the only thing I’ve ever known how to do (for a living),” says Bill Schustick. “I’m not a musician, I’m a troubadour.” ing topics from Abraham Lincoln to Jesse James.

Schustik’s voice sounds like Johnny Cash’s with less twang.

The tenor excels with his vocals and says he can play enough of his accompanying instruments to get by. He plays the guitar, banjo, concertina, dulcimer, mouth harp, harmonica, badhrán and the bones.

More than 50 years ago, when this interest in combining history and performance began, he was strictly a singer. When he was 15 years old, his then-girlfriend

stole a Burl Ives folk-singing record and songbook from her older brother to give Schustik as a present. He still has it.

“That’s when my life started to go in a divergent path than most of my contemporaries,” he says.

While skirts and rock ‘n’ roll interested his peers, the lived-in songs of his American predecessors captivated him.

He has performed for three presidents: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.

And he performed the national anthem at game seven of the

YOUROBSERVER.COM // See a video of Bill Schustik performing a few songs from his songbag.

1979 World Series when the Baltimore Orioles played the Pittsburgh Pirates. The governor of Maryland at that time had seen him perform his historic version of the song and was so moved by it, he personally invited Schustik to perform.

Nowadays, Schustik has less of a set performance schedule. True to his troubadour self, there’s no website or email blast to keep track of him. He says you can see him weekly at Pastry Art bakery café.

“But tell them to call first in case I’m not there that week,” he says. He typically plays there from 7 to 9 p.m. every Saturday.

He’s working on another regular gig with the Historical Society of Sarasota County to initiate monthly performances at Crocker Memorial Church. He performed a pirate-themed concert there in November.

Schustik hopes to enchant his audience with the stories of history in a way that goes beyond reading them in a book — with his stories, there’s a particular emotion.

“Troubadours connect people with the past,” he says. “When I sing, I spark memories.”

She’ll SayYes

MASTER JEWELER ON SITE

126569

MONDAY – SATURDAY 10 – 6PM | 1922 BAY ROAD, SARASOTA 34239 | 941.926.3335 CARATSFINEJEWELRYANDWATCHES.COM

128147

Bill Schustik came to Sarasota from New York in 1989 because of the sand. He says he was having a tough time in life and wanted to just escape and play in the sand for as long as he needed to heal.

But, instead of just constructing run-of-the-mill sand castles, Schustik built castles using the Romanesque and gothic styles, the way the buttresses were really built. He made keystones from sand; they were large enough to walk through. He built every day for three or four months, and at one point, he decided he should move here. He’s been living and performing here ever since.

Schustik’s passion for history is no surprise considering his occupation as a troubadour, one who sings historical songs and tells the stories that belong to them. He will perform a free Christmas-themed concert Dec. 11 as part of the Sarasota Concert Association’s Munchtime Musicales series. His performance will include a popular Christmas carol that has nothing to do with Christmas; a song about the Christmas truce of 1914; and he will reveal the darker side of one Christmas carol about a mother who murdered her son.

The songs’ stories can be love songs, or they can be songs someone sang before he was hanged — there’s a whole range of emotion and topics involved.

Schustik is particularly fond of Civil War music and pirate songs, but he’s also great at songs rang-

6

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: HIGHLIGHTS

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor

Conservatory students make it to the nice list in Holiday Variations ‘Twas three weeks before Christmas, and all through the Glenridge Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Dec. 1 many dancers were stirring — and twirling and leaping.

Nikki Jennings performs lilac fairy variation from “The Sleeping Beauty.”

The talented students of the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance could put any Scrooge in the holiday spirit. They gave The Observer a backstage pass to their dress rehearsal.

The faculty gave last -inute blocking and made sure the lights were perfect as the dancers prepared to

shine. Off stage, they tightened up corsets, applied their blush and practiced big smiles.

And, as the curtain went up, they performed like dancers double their age (and height in some instances). They performed variations such as “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Don Quixote,” “La Bayadere,” “The Talisman” and “The Nutcracker.”

For more photos, visit YourObserver.com.

Olivia Ratner and Eddie Duffy perform “Satanella” Pas de Deux

Isabel Dubrocq adjusts her students

Tarpon Shores D E N TA L

125078

Photos by Mallory Gnaegy

127820

Caitlin Gish and Yamil Maldonado

Toni Renee Taylor and Oliva Vessillo perform the Princess Florine variation from “The Sleeping Beauty.”

Ashlynn Rutherford and Rachel Silverman have fun on the wings awaiting their turns to perform.

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: HIGHLIGHTS

7

Representing The Finest Properties In Sarasota Single Family Homes and Condos Beachfront • Bayfront • Mainland • & Golf Course

Isn’t it time for you to buy your piece of Paradise?

D

SOL

D SOL Ari Colliard, Andy Angstadt, Christian Dyer, David Boyette, Meg Lineau, Mirella Martinez and Ricki Fagan

Fashionable exhibit inspires catwalk show

by Mallory Gnaegy | A&E Editor Ringling College of Art and Design photography students recently got to try their hand at fashion photography. They tapped into their inner Annie Leibovitzes, Herb Rittses and Helmut Newtons and explored their own visions, which were displayed in an opening Nov. 21, at the Diane Roskamp Exhibition Hall. To coincide with the photography, the college presented a fashion show.

Molinari Model & Talent Agency provided the models, Shore provided the apparel and Cutting Loose Salon did the hair and makeup.

CLOSE TO HOSPITAL

COMPLETELY RENOVATED. In Hospital /Southside Village area - Very convenient. 3 bedrooms, 2 updated baths. Large fenced back yard. New windows. Kitchen new granite, cabinets, appliances & breakfast bar opening to dining room. Laundry room with new washer & dryer. New tile floors. 1 car garage. New A/C. $204,000 www.2348boug.com

D

2N

AY

B ROM

IN F

ONE HOME IN FROM SARASOTA BAY

Gloria Newcomb and Halina Davidson

*SPECTACULAR* views. Master suite with HUGE walk-in closet & luxurious master bath + 3 more bedrooms . 4 ½ baths. Living room w/gas fireplace. Formal dining room. gourmet eat-in kitchen with Viking appliances. Family room, office & media room. Elevator. The heated pool & spa, 2 boat lifts, 2 jet ski lifts and outdoor kitchen make entertaining even more enjoyable $2,589,000 www.610YardarmLane.com

April Sicairos and Kelly Machado

JU

David Jennings, Janet Minker and Elliott Himelfarb

The Sarasota Garden Club presents

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES 2nd home from the Bay. New dock w/lifts for boat and jet ski on deep water canal. Fabulous views.

3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Baths. Kitchen with granite and new appliances. Very open floor plan with large rooms. New carpet, just painted. Very lush landscaping. Enjoy beach access to the beautiful beaches of Longboat Key. Unfurnished. $4,000/month

AL

AN ND C

GRA

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

Photos by Mallory Gnaegy

TAL N E R

ED

IST ST L

Al and Patti Lowe

COUNTRY CLUB SHORES

3rd from Bay in neighborhood of million $ homes. Living Room with 20’ ceiling.

Formal dining room. 4 BR + office. 3 car garage & workshop. Gas and solar heat for pool. Roof deck. 68’ dock on deep water with no bridges to the bay.

New seawall. $1,345,000 www.622ranger.com

Sitting on a deep water canal with it own dock and caged pool and the very sought after Southern exposure. The lovely updated home offers 3 bedrooms and 3 baths and is in mint condition. This home also enjoys beach access to the beaches of Longboat Key and is only minutes to the fabulous shopping and dining of St. Armands Circle. $874,000

SIESTA KEY

conveniently located on the GRAND CANAL the most desirable boatable canal on the key. Only minutes to the world famous white powder sands of the nation’s No. 1 Siesta beach as well as the quaint shops and restaurants of the Village. Perfect for a remodel or to build your dream home in Paradise. $575,000

Hanly & Associates

St. Armands Circle, Sarasota ( 941 ) 388-2331 • pahanly@gmail.com

HanlyHomes.com

December 6th • 9am–4pm Specially ordered poinsettias, Christmas cactus, and fresh wreaths from North Carolina.

Vendors will have an assortment of holiday gifts and lunch is available for purchase.

124196

Located at the Sarasota Garden Club 1131 Boulevard of the Arts • 941-955-0875

Selling Sarasota Successfully

Big or Small We Sell Them All!

Pat, Tom and Spencer Hanly

124375

There will be a Raffle Table.

8

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: CALENDAR

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, here’s a list of holiday-themed arts events that will help you count down the days until Christmas.

THURSDAY, DEC. 5

‘Music in the Village’ The First Brass 6:15 p.m. at the Chapel at Sunnyside Village Ticket donation $20. Call 371-2750.

‘White Christmas’ 7:30 p.m. at The Players Theatre Runs through Dec. 22.

Tickets $25 to $30. Call 365-2494.

The Sarasota Craft Show 10 a.m. at Robarts Arena Tickets $5 to $9. Call 845-355-2400.

‘Santa’s Yard Sale’ Diversity: Voices of Sarasota 8 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House Tickets $26 to $51. Call 888-5506279.

35th annual Holiday Night of Lights 6 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park Free. Visit starmandscircleassoc.com.

‘Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge’ SCF Theatre

SATURDAY, DEC. 7

The Sarasota Craft Show 10 a.m. at Robarts Arena Tickets $5 to $9. Call 845-355-2400.

59th annual G.F. Handel’s Messiah Sarasota Choral Society 1 and 4 p.m. at Church of the Palms Tickets $10 to $20. Call 924-1323.

Venice Boat Parade 6 p.m. at Intercoastal Waterway, Venice. Free. Visit venicechristmasboatparade.com ‘Colored Lights’ Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota 7:30 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater Tickets $25 to $45. Call 360-7399.

Holiday Harmonies — Barbershop 3 p.m. at Glenridge Performing Arts Center Tickets $15. Call 552-5325.

THURSDAY, DEC. 12

‘Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge’ SCF Theatre 8 p.m. at Howard Studio Theatre Tickets $12. Call 752-5252.

SUNDAY, DEC. 8

The Sarasota Craft Show 10 a.m. at Robarts Arena Tickets $5 to $9. Call 845-3552400.

MONDAY, DEC. 9

FRIDAY, DEC. 13

TUESDAY, DEC. 10

Holidays Around the Ranch 6 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Main Street Free. Call 757-1530.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11

‘Colored Lights’ Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater Tickets $25 to $45. Call 360-7399.

New York Tenors Christmas 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets $40 to $55. Call 953-3368.

PLATO by request — Holiday Edition 6 p.m. at Jager’s Tavern and Grill, 1100 N. Tuttle Ave. Free with donation. Call 363-1727.

Michael McDonald: ‘This Christmas — An Evening of Holiday & Hits’ 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Call 953-3368.

Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ Siesta Key Chapel Adult Choir 10 a.m. at Siesta Key Chapel Free. Call 349-1166.

Great Escapes Series: ‘Let it Snow’ Sarasota Orchestra 7:30 p.m. at Holley Hall Tickets $29 to $49. Call 953-3434.

Munchtime Musicales: Bill Schustik Sarasota Concert Association Noon at Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center Free. Call 955-0040.

Great Escapes Series: ‘Let it Snow’ Sarasota Orchestra 5:30 p.m. at Holley Hall Tickets $29 to $49. Call 953-3434.

Cirque des Voix — Noel Key Chorale, Circus Sarasota, Sarasota Young Voices and Cirque Orchestra 7:30 p.m. at The Big Top Call 921-4845.

Nate Najar’s Jazz Holiday 8 p.m. at The Glenridge Performing

W eldons Jewelry & Antiques Stand Out FrOm the CrOwd

Buy • Sell • COnSign

2132 Gulf Gate Dr. Sarasota 941.923.6242 National Association of Goldsmiths Member -UK

127876

URGENTLY REQUIRED!!

Fine Quality Estate Jewelry

IMPECCABLE STYLE 100 CENTRAL AVE. | SUITE 1026 | SARASOTA, FL | 941.957.0300

127766

FRIDAY, DEC. 6

8 p.m. at Howard Studio Theatre Tickets $12. Call 752-5252.

Great Escapes Series: ‘Let it Snow’ Sarasota Orchestra 5:30 p.m. at Holley Hall Tickets $29 to $49. Call 953-3434.

Musica Sacra Cantorum 4 p.m. at St. Boniface Episcopal Church Tickets $20. Call 405-7322.

Diversity: Voices of Sarasota performs “Santa’s Yard Sale,” Dec. 6.

123971

‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ 7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center Runs through Dec. 22.

Tickets $26 to $36. Call 748-5875.

The 12 Days of Christmas 3 p.m. at Riverview Performing Arts Center Tickets $20 to $25. Call 926-7677.

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

Sarasota Cuban Ballet School will perform “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 21.

9

6:30 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art courtyard Tickets $15; $10 members/students. Call 360-7399.

‘A Christmas Carol’ 7 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Call 953-3368.

Escapes Series: perform its Great ll wi tra es ch Or . ta Saraso 11 through Dec. 14 “Let it Snow,” Dec.

Arts Center Tickets $15 members; $20 nonmembers. Call 552-5325.

The Sounds of Christmas 2013 8 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $25. Call 488-1115.

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

Atomic Holiday Bazaar Noon at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. Tickets $12. Visit atomicholidaybazaar.com.

Cirque des Voix — Noel Key Chorale, Circus Sarasota, Sarasota Young Voices and Cirque Orchestra. 2 p.m. at Under the Big Top. Call 921-4845.

The Sounds of Christmas 2013 8 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $25. Call 488-1115.

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

Atomic Holiday Bazaar Noon at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. Tickets $12.

Visit atomicholidaybazaar.com.

‘Christmas is Coming’ Suncoast Concert Band 3 p.m. at Northminister Presbyterian Church Tickets $5. Call 907-4123.

Cirque des Voix — Noel Key Chorale, Circus Sarasota, Sarasota Young Voices and Cirque Orchestra. 5 p.m. Under the Big Top. Call 921-4845.

Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade of Lights 6 p.m. at Sarasota Bay from Centennial Park to Bayfront Park Free. Visit sarasotachristmasboatparade.com.

A Celtic Christmas City of Sarasota Pipe Band 7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets $10 to $30. Call 366-8450.

Great Escapes Series: ‘Let it Snow’ Sarasota Orchestra 8 p.m. at Holley Hall Tickets $29 to $49. Call 953-3434.

‘Sing Noel!’

7 p.m. First United Methodist Church Freewill Offering. Call 955-0935.

‘The Nutcracker’ Sarasota Cuban Ballet School 7 p.m. at Neel Performing Arts Center Tickets $15, students; $25, adults.

Visit srqnutcracker. brownpapertickets.com.

‘Messiah Sing-Along’ 7:30 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer Tickets $10. Call 955-4263.

MONDAY, DEC. 16

6 p.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Runs through Dec. 30.

Tickets $19. Call 366-5731.

Black Diamond Burlesque presents ‘A Holiday Burlesque-a-pade’ 7:30 p.m. at Louies Modern Tickets $28. Call 228-5107.

‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ with Andrea McArdle Artist Series Concerts 7:30 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater Tickets $25 to $45. Call 360-7399.

Holiday Revue 7 p.m. at The Players Theatre Tickets $8. Call 365-2494.

‘A Christmas Carol 2013’ 7 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $17. Call 488-1115.

Danú Christmas in Ireland: an Nollaig in éirinn 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Tickets $15 to $45. Call 953-3368.

‘John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker’ Sarasota Ballet 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets $35. Call 359-0099, Ext. 101.

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ with Andrea McArdle Artist Series Concerts 7:30 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater Tickets $25 to $45. Call 360-7399.

‘A Ditchfield Family Christmas’ 2 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center.

Tickets $26 to $36. Call 748-5875.

Star of Bethlehem Planetarium Star Talk 5:30 p.m. at South Florida Museum Tickets $3 members; $5 nonmembers with RSVP. Call 746-4131.

‘A Christmas Carol 2013’ 7 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $17. Call 488-1115.

‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ Artist Series Concert 2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater Tickets $15 to $30. Call 923-0754.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

‘John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker’ Sarasota Ballet 2 and 8 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Tickets $35. Call 359-0099, Ext. 101.

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

Greet the Light / A Celebration of the Winter Solstice The Ringling

‘A Christmas Carol 2013’ 7 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $17. Call 488-1115.

Lights in Bloom

‘A Christmas Carol 2013’ 2 p.m. at Venice Theatre Tickets $17. Call 488-1115.

UPCOMING...

And if you didn’t get your fill, don’t miss the Sailor Circus Holiday Spectacular, which runs Dec. 27 through Dec. 30, at the Sailor Circus Arena.

NO MEMBERSHIPS § AERIAl yOgA § PIlAtES § BOOt CAMP § tRX § PERSONAl tRAININg BARRE ClASSES § CIRCuIt tRAININg § ACCESS tO OVER 50 ClASSES AND MORE...

Merry Fitness and a Happy new you! treat someone to a special, health-boosting gift this holiday season at Studio South Fitness.

No contracts Pay as you go personalized pricing Small, boutique-style classes Seasonal packages available Highest qualified and credentialed trainers 941-365-4584 711 SoUTH oSPRey Ave. SARASoTA, Fl 34236 STUdIoSoUTHFITNeSS.CoM

BODy By BlAINE Small group personal training sessions to boost your body with Blaine Bott, Certified Strength Trainer. This gives you all the benefits of a personal trainer, while sharing your session with a few people. It is cost-effective and offers a feeling of camaraderie, and helps you focus on your training.

• 10 group sessions for just $150.00 – total!

• Reservations required and subject to availability About Your Trainer - Blaine Bott • USA Weightlifting CPT, TRX, FMS, Trigger Point Therapy, Myokinematic Restoration Certification • Former Top Performance Specialist with IMG Academies

F o r t H os e wHo wa n t M o r e …

N

110533

• • • • •

10

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// HOME&GARDEN: LIVELY LANDSCAPE

by Heather Merriman | Black Tie Assistant Editor

Hidden tropical paradise features touches

ng “Walter — Goi

orah Dart

Down” by Deb

urchased in 2004 by local sculptor Deborah Dart and her husband, John, the home at the corner of Cherry Lane and Ohio Place in downtown Sarasota had what she calls “the beginnings of a garden landscape.” The property behind the home, which they acquired two years later, made it possible for her to expand her artistic landscape even further.

“It’s unusual to have this much space downtown,” says Dart about the property, which provides not only plentiful space for entertaining, but also has a patio, swimming pool and a guesthouse.

Dart utilizes the incredible space her backyard offers well.

“We enjoy a lot of outside dining and entertaining,”

On the corner of Cherry Lane and Ohio Place lies a gem of a garden, nuzzled in the middle of downtown Sarasota.

We’re Celebrating Our 25th Anniversary!

With rebate offers that are the highest ever offered on our most premium and popular products! our expansive showroom for all your Custom $100 rebateVisit $100 rebate $100 rebate $100 rebate ® ® Window Treatments as well as 1 Luminette® Privacy on 4 Duette® Architella®Hunter onDouglas 2 Pirouette on 2 Silhouette Honeycomb Shades Window Shadings Sheer or Modern Drapery Window Shadings Custom Draperies and Bedding.

Celebrating Years!

First Place Reader’s Choice 20 Years in a23Row! First Place Reader’s Choice 18 Years in a Row!

MARISSA MCGOWAN, CANDACE C. CULCLEASURE, E. FAYE BUTLER, PHOTO BY FRANK ATURA

Come in and browse our showroom and Hunter Douglas Gallery for a huge selection of blinds,

941.925.7800

mmwallcoverings.hdwfg.com

Wallcoverings & Blinds, Inc....Since 1989

4801 S. Tamiami Trail Janet & C Curt Ma Mattson, Ow Owners Sarasota Jan Across from The Landings

941.925.7800

© 2010 Hunter Douglas. ® and ™ are trademarks of Hunter Douglas.

NOW PLAYING–DEC 29

mmwallcoveringsblinds.com

Janet and Curt Mattson Owners

128245

941.351.8000 | ASOLOREP.ORG

127562

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE

4801 S Tamiami Tri Stefabrics, 7 • Sarasota, FL draperies, wallcoverings and shutters.

M-F: 9:00-5:00 • Sat. 10:00-3:00 • Sun. Closed

1607193

• Sarasota Bay‘s leading home & condo remodeling craftsman since 1997.

KERN|Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II| Based on the novel by Edna Ferber Renovations professionally designed fit your style and budget.

Directed by ROB•RUGGIERO| Choreography by NOAHtoRACEY • Complete turn-key project management & on time, on budget, guaranteed.

Music by JEROME

• Sarasota Bay’s leading home & condo remodeling craftsman since 1997.

• Sarasota Bay‘s leading home & condo remodeling craftsman 1997.

• Sarasota Bay‘s leading home & condo remodeling craftsman sincesince 1997.

• Renovations professionally designed to fit your style and budget.

• Renovations professionally designed fit your budget.

• Renovations professionally designed to fittoyour stylestyle andand budget. turn-key project management time, onbudget, budget, guaranteed.

•• Complete Complete turn-key project management &ontime, on time, on budget, guaranteed.

• Complete turn-key project management &&on on guaranteed.

Call Bob Elmes today for for a free consultation: Call Bob Elmes today a free consultation:

941.925.3723 941-925-3723 www.creativekitchenandbaths.com

State Certified General Contractor Lic#CG-C060087

www.creativekitchenandbaths.com

127384

State Certified General Contractor Lic#CG-C060087

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

11

I wouldn’t the lands say I have a garde cape in it s entirety n – I would say is my ‘ga rden.’

— home o wner, Deb orah Dart

// HOME&GARDEN

Australian tree ferns mask the home’s original entrance.

Nora Grant ixora, top, and a Meyer lemon tree

she says. the yard, Dart pays particular atThe whitewash wood table in tention to color and shape. the back left corner of the yard “Varying the shades of greens, sits under a wrought-iron candle leaf sizes and shapes make a garchandelier. The chandelier hangs den far more visually appealing,” from a rope tied to the laurel and she says. live oak trees that encompass the Although Dart doesn’t have a table. To further enhance the out- particular method for choosing door dining area, outdoor string and planting plants in the lights hang between the trees, yard, the three Austraalong with staghorn ferns — lian tree ferns in the one of which they have front yard are stratehad since living on Sigically placed — they esta Key five houses hide the home’s origiago. nal front door. Because This home, an Old the home is historically Florida-style lime designated, they had to green structure, has maintain the original ena well-defined tropical trance of the home. theme, and the plants and “We added a few more of Succulent trees in the crushed-shell potted plant the trees as a way to mask yard complement it well. it,” says Dart, because the “We are definitely challenged original entrance is not the enin creating the tropical look we trance they use. like with cold-hardy plants,” Dart Along with the native plants and says. “Sarasota’s climate is not as colorful flowers that thrive in Dart’s mild year-round as many of the yard, she also favors edible plants. tropical varieties need.”

Scattered mainly in the front and While adhering to their tropical side yard are four types of citrus design when choosing plants for — Meyer lemon, Key lime, Dancy

tangerine and navel orange. The Meyer lemon tree located near the front door of the home is currently in full bloom — the other fruits have not turned yet this season.

Dart also has an avocado plant, a banana tree and rosemary, and she’s integrated decorative ginger plants in the mix.

In addition to Dart’s landscape being an art in itself, the sculptor also uses her yard as an outside gallery to exhibit her sculptures.

“I’ll place some of my work in the yard for a period of time to add an artistic element,” she says.

“Walter — Going Down,” the orange powder-coated aluminum rabbit sculpture, resides near the pool. Walter was previously displayed on the trunk of a tree in the front yard; the tree has since fallen and the trunk has decayed, so Walter’s homebase is now by the pool.

The piece is part of a two-part sculpture from Dart’s “Rabbit Series” — the second orange rabbit, “Walter — Coming Up,” is located in the back of the yard, hopping out of a Sarasota city manhole.

Photos by Heather Merriman

View of the patio area from the guest house

Roses, left, and string lights add a whimsical touch to the outdoor dining area

“Walter — Coming Up” by Deborah

Dart

WEST INDIES HOME COLLECTION Tropical Furnishings  Luxury Patio  Unique Home Accessories 1312 Tamiami Trail N. Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 951-9222

Designing and Collecting unique furniture And accessories since 1998

NAPLES 9465 Tamiami Trail N. Naples, FL 34108 (239) 596-7273

127692

SARASOTA

12

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT: REVIEWS

THEATER // ‘Hairspray’

1962 Baltimore) with a suitably aw-shucks lack of guile. David P. Brown does a nice turn as Corny Collins, the dance show program’s host.

(Turns out, Corny’s not a slick-talking head after all. A heroic DJ — this may be a first!)

Nancy Denton and Antoinette Gagliano portray the enemies of the love-one-anotherright-now future; Denton is the Cruella de Vil mom who produces “The Corny Collins Show;” Gagliano is the stuck-up daughter hogging camera time. Fine performances, all.

The supporting characters (Syreeta Banks as Motormouth Maybelle and Allison Pickens as Penny, to name a few) are equally fine.

These characters come to life against goofy, stylized sets by Christopher A.D. Parrish while dressed in over-the-top costumes by Stephanie Gift. Yes, there really was a time when the beehive was a hairdo. You can see it live, on the Venice Theatre stage! The musical laughs at the past — and laughs with it. It lets you in on the joke. It gives you nostalgia, too.

But it always gets back to people.

Flash and fluff aside, the musical is about individuals. They’re stylized to be sure — but you feel the reality beneath the evanescent characterizations. Young, talented black people pushing back against limits. Smiling TV hosts who don’t want to play the stooge. Young women with stage presence who just happen to be a little overweight.

“Hairspray” is a feel-good story that happens to be honest.

And far too much fun.

— Marty Fugate

YOUROBSERVER.COM // Read Pam

Nadon’s review of “Philomena” and Popcorn Bob’s Movie Magic reviews.

COME & SEE...why our customers say we are the best kept secret in Sarasota.

Fredy Mayer chef/owner OPEN Christmas Eve & NewYear’s Eve Make your reservations early! Open at 4:30pm.

127782

The official kickoff performance to the 2013-2014 season featured two of George Balanchine’s most famous works — “Serenade” and “Who Cares?” — and the first ballet that Sir Frederick Ashton choreographed for the New York City Ballet (Balanchine’s company) in 1950, “Illuminations.” But Webb’s attention to detail doesn’t stop there … It also happened to be the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer Benjamin Britten, who composed the music for “Illuminations.”

But maybe even more important is the fact that the dancers of the Sarasota Ballet, each and every single one of them, continue to really wow. If there ever were a perfect performance, this one would be it. It’s no surprise that the Sarasota Ballet is now attracting audience members like Merrill Ashley, one of the most famous Balanchine ballerinas.

This performance began with Balanchine’s “Serenade,” which he choreographed for the students of the School of American Ballet (where Ashley trained and eventually taught after retirement). The second the curtain raises on this ballet the audience always erupts into oohs and aahs at the sight of the 17 women in floor-length, light-blue gowns posed with arms raised high. The girls eventually point their flexed hands and drape their arms over their foreheads as if in despair. Then they lower their arms down to lower first and flick their feet into first position. It’s amazing how powerful such a simple movement can be.

Kate Honea danced her heart out as the

Courtesy photos

“Hairspray” runs through Dec. 8, at Venice Theatre. Call 488-1115 for more information.

www.morelrestaurant.com

Open Tuesday - Saturday 4:30 - 9:30 PM 3809 South Tuttle Ave. Sarasota 927-8716

Expires December 18, 2013 123659

// ‘Serenade,’ ‘Illuminations’ and ‘Who Cares?’

Russian Girl, one of the more technically challenging roles that includes multiple pirouettes, leaps, chaînés turns and allegro sequences.

Amy Wood and Jamie Carter were stunning as the Dark Angels. And a surge of emotion was felt at the end of the ballet when the Waltz Girl, danced by Danielle Brown, falls to ground only to be lifted up by four men and carried off stage while she arched backwards.

“Illuminations” was quite the departure for Ashton. The Ashton style of dancing was all there, but the piece was quite psychedelic and probably scandalous at its premiere in 1950.

This Ashton piece isn’t my favorite, but the dancing was dynamite, nonetheless.

Ricardo Graziano was excellent as the tormented “Poet” who grappled between Sacred Love, danced by Amy Wood, and Profane Love, danced by Ellen Overstreet, who was subsequently promoted to soloist at the end of the performance. Wood continues to display a more developed and refined technique with each role she takes. Overstreet amazingly danced her role with one pointe shoe and one bare foot. With an amazing facility, Overstreet has incredible extensions and lines. However, her youth was hard to disguise in the more mature character role.

Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” is another audience favorite and a perfect way to close the show. The jazzy number set to musical favorites of George Gershwin is danced in front of a New York City skyline. The entire cast was spot on and bravo to all for their group dances, pas de deux and solos.

Making the evening even more special was the live music expertly played by the Sarasota Orchestra and conducted by Ormsby Wilkins, the music director for American Ballet Theatre.

Another thrill was Tenor Matt Morgan’s beautiful singing in “Illuminations.”

— Anna Dearing

128171

DANCE

At Venice Theatre, the year is 1962, the soundtrack is rock ’n’ roll, the city is Baltimore, and the main stage musical is “Hairspray.”

“Hairspray” (in case you missed the 1988 John Waters movie) tells the tale of Tracy Turnblad (Alyssa Goudy). She’s a plus-sized high school girl who dreams of getting a shot on “The Corny Collins Show” — a local knockoff of “American Bandstand” — where teens dance to the latest Top 40 hits on camera.

Tracy not only gets on the show, she finds true love, launches her career, gets a college scholarship and strikes a blow for integration.

Along the way, the musical makes a message. People of different colors or dress sizes shouldn’t be second-class citizens. Heavy truth, delivered in a lighter-than-air tone — as light as, well, hairspray. (What’s in those aerosol cans the cast was constantly spraying, anyway?) But the after-school-special point never gets in the way of the fun. And what’s more fun than a movie?

The musical has movie DNA, after all.

Director/choreographer Brad Wages makes you feel like you’re watching a movie that just happens to be on stage. (As it’s been said, a good movie moves.) The pace never drags in his production. It’s snappy, with excellent comic timing. Under Wages’ direction, the cast fires off the comic patter and dances up a storm — but the individuals never get lost in that storm.

It really is all about character. The source material shares DNA with “American Graffiti” — well-drawn characters — with bold outlines — set against a troubled time that still pushes our nostalgia buttons.

Goudy is excellent as Tracy — the hefty girl who could. She truly sells her bubbly, highenergy character: Goudy’s performance never feels like a put-on. Tracy’s parents (Joseph Giglia as the gag shop proprietor dad and Timothy J. Fitzgerald in the obligatory drag performance as mom) are endearing in a surrealistic, sitcom way. Dick Baker plays Tracy’s love interest (Link Larkin, the Baby Elvis of

Black Tie

INSIDE: SMA Military Ball PAGE 16

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

Photos by Heather Merriman

Honorary Co-Chair Betty Schoenbaum and Phil King

Yolando Melgarejo with Manuel, Miquel, Max and Melody Ramos and Chuck Sidlow

by Heather Merriman Black Tie Assistant Editor

Salena Wilhoit and Michele Brault

More than 400 guests attended Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center’s “The Art of Caring for Children” event Sunday, Nov. 17, at The RitzCarlton, Sarasota. The event was a spectacular of Sarasota’s finest, featuring performances from Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, Players Theatre, Sarasota Opera, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Circus Sarasota and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

Shirley Silverman, Ina Schnell and Tana Sandefur

Gail and Skip Sack

Before being seated for the three-course dinner, accompanied by the encore of performances, guests enjoyed a red-carpet reception during the cocktail hour. Executive Director Phil King greeted guests as they arrived, and Co-Chairs Alex Miller and Ronald Giarrusso made the rounds, mingling with their guests. Among those in attendance were honorary Co-Chairs Betty Schoenbaum and Sam and Sally Shapiro. The event benefited the construction of the Sam and Sally Shapiro

Dr. Larry and Pat Thompson

Lauren Hayes, Anne Swain and Katie Hayes

Honorary Co-Chairs Sam and Sally Shapiro

Babies and Children’s Medical Center at Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center.

The gala happened to be King’s last event as the center’s executive director — King is retiring, but “he’s not going far,” he says.

“Witnessing the collaboration between the arts communities and the human services communities in a combined effort to help the less fortunate members of our community is very meaningful to me,” he says about the event.

Co-Chairs Alex Miller and Ronald Giarrusso

Sally Yanowitz, Iain Webb, Margaret Barbieri and Lois Stulberg

Jane and Jack Kidd

BLACK TIE COVER PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Monee Arpin and Kay DeFrances

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

Katherine and Sarp Kaya with Veronica Miller

Matt and Jamie Shapiro

(continued from page 13)

Marlene Hauck and Joan Biller

Julia McClung, Jim Braun and Kathye Faries

Margaret Wise and B.J. Creighton

Rabbi Jonathan and Marty Katz

Photos by Heather Merriman

Harold Ronson and Molly Schechter

TheHigh Booker High Theatre Department Proudly Presents: The Booker School VPASchool TheatreVPA Department Proudly Presents:

SPARCCle

Neil Simon’s

by the Bay FOOL to benefit Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center

7PM | December 11 - 14th, 2013 Tickets: $15 adult, $10 senior, $5 student online: vpabooker.com by phone, call Judy Piercy 355-2967, ext. 65215

Sunday, December 8, 2013 at the Sarasota Yacht Club

at the VPA Theatre 3201 N. Orange Avenue Sarasota, FL 34234

VPA2013 THEATRE 7 p.m. | December 11 - 14th,

1100 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota, Florida

The VPA Theatre GIVE THE GIFT OF 3201 N. Orange Ave, Sarasota

DANCE

6:00 pm Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres 7:00 pm Dinner and dancing featuring Soul Sensations Black Tie | Open Bar $250 per person

Tickets: $15 adult, $10 senior, $5 student

online: vpabooker.comBallroom | by phone, call| Social Judy Piercy 355-2967, ext. 65215 | Latin Dance Club | Competitive

VPA THEATRE Private & Group Lessons • Social Dancing Parties • Meet New People • Learn New Steps • Great Exercise

NO PARTNER NECESSARY

Complimentary Dance Lesson with this ad 126622

127112

For more information contact Barb Lewis, (941) 365-0208 ext. 124 or blewis@sparcc.net. Register online www.sparcc.net.

Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center’s mission is to stop domestic and sexual violence in our communities.

S 127056

14

2272 Main Street, Sarasota 34237 Off Lime Avenue

| dynastydanceclubs.com

941-955-8558

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

15

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY ‘KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE’ Benefiting Jewish Housing Council Foundation | Tuesday, Nov. 19, at Michael’s On East

Photos by Heather Merriman

Co-Chairs Carol Camiener and Sally Yanowitz with Debbie and Larry Haspel

Carlene Cobb with Kenneth and Sylvia Stock

Jane Schanban and Barbara Katz

Richard and Rebecca Bergman with Randy Mallitz

Marie Brown, Francie Weintraub and Jayne Forstenzer

ARE YOU A WEEKEND WARRIOR? W E A R E YO U R B AC K U P T E A M !

Andy Frank and Mickey Fine

Key Chorale and Circus Sarasota present

Cirque des Voix

Unique & Exhilarating Featuring the 100+ voices of Key Chorale, the Cirque Orchestra and Circus Artists

TM

CO N S U LTA N TS FO R • PREMIER SPORTS CAMPUS AT LAKEWOOD RANCH • THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY • SARASOTA ORCHESTRA • IMG ACADEMIES

When you need an Orthopedic or Sports Medicine Specialist who will listen to your concerns and discuss your treatment options, BOARD CERTIFIED physicians, Christopher Sforzo, M.D. and Christopher Dillingham, M.D. have the expertise and commitment to help you

FRI DEC 13 – SUN DEC 15, 2013 UNDER thE BIg top (tuttle Ave. & 12th St.)

CHRISTOPHER R. SFORZO, M.D. CHRISTOPHER L. DILLINGHAM, M.D.

tICKEtS: 941.355.9805 • CIRCUSARtS.oRg

return to feeling your best.

5831 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 200 Sarasota, FL 34233

of Sarasota, FL

126856

123237

941.378.5100 • fossm.com

16

2085 Siesta Drive Sarasota, FL 34239 941 - 951 - 9200

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY

andreassarasota.com

SMA MILITARY BALL

Since 2009, Chef Andrea Bozzolo, a native of Piedmont, Italy has provided the highest quality ingredients available, working mostly with local farmers and fisheries. All of our pastas are homemade and cooked el dente.

Benefiting Sarasota Military Academy Saturday, Nov. 23, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

Private dining room available for all your special occasions throughout the year with no venue fees or hidden charges (accommodates up to 32 guests).

Mention this ad and enjoy a complimentary dessert on us!

Spiny Lobster with Homemade Spaghettoni

Open Daily at 5pm Matthew Leavitt and Shannon Hunihan

Nick Gobio, Zane Funk and Joseph Kirschner

Almuta Hawks and Kallyah Carter

126647

Justin Woods and Alyson Miller

Michael and Victoria Finley, Brian Krcelic and Riess Pellegrino

Get relief from foot, knee & back pain... even Plantar Fasciitis!

Photos by Heather Merriman

The Anna Maria Island Art League presents the 26th Annual

Winterfest

Fine Arts & Crafts Festival

December 14 & 15, 2013 Sat. & Sun. 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

■ ■ ■ ■

Holmes Beach City Hall Field

Arch supports that fit all shoes — even sandals Free personal fitting and balance demonstration Lifetime warranty on most arch supports Free test walk so you can try before you buy

Juried Art Exhibit Live Music “Young at Art” Children’s Exhibit & Activity Area Community Booths Free Admission & Parking

www.islanddartleague.org

20 OFF

$

4950 Fruitville Road • Sarasota Just West of Honore, Opposite Goodwill 941-487-7974 www.GoodFeetTampaBay.com

128242

Valid only in Sarasota-Tampa area.

Cannot be combined with other offers.

Expires 12/15/13 SOY01

127365

Any pair of arch supports

941 778 2099

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

17

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY ed open t a h es t o fac w t e ts. Th n a r e! estau f Gate. ntur r e t v a ag ul ew cal Z are in G g their n in. o l n ei arg ton nin rienc itz Carl ow ope r Sean D e p x aR en de se year Sarasot ardy ar l barten 5 2 Over usty in & Ruth H ll be loca for the new venue will be casual D i Jack k Bucko r team w dining, local seafood with weekly c i u Patr oining o menu changes and a late night j menu bar offering.

Also 6630 Gateway Ave, DINING ROOM HOURS Sarasota FL 5PM to 10PM

THE

CONCEPT

127762

Corner of Gulf Gate Dr and Gateway Ave

first come first serve no reservations needed Late night menu 10pm – 1am Drinks 5pm – ? 

941-923-5570

www.facebook.com/offthehookseafoodco

Jayne and Patrick Del Medico with Gigi Simpson and Reese Milner

CARDINAL MOONEY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL GALA ‘ILLUMINATE’ Benefiting Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School | Saturday, Nov. 23, at Chelsea Center

Unique, live musical events that entertain, engage and inspire.

OF SARASOTA SARASOTA

In the Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling Museum of Art

Saturday–December 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday–December 8 at 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Photos by Heather Merriman

 Elena Sandberg, Amalia Flores and Maryse Grandious

Internationally acclaimed Cabaret artist

KT SULLIVAN With Jon Weber, piano “Colored Lights”

Music by...Irving Berlin | Rodgers & Hart | Stephen Sondheim | Cole Porter Betty Comden & Adolph Green and more...

Sat/Sun–December 21 & 22–7:30 p.m.

Broadway’s Original “ANNIE” Co-Chairs Cassie Vassallo and Jodi Gambardella

Jeff and Lisa Fiorini

THIS

W

EN EEK

D

ANDREA McARDLE With Steve Marzullo, piano

“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

A feast of holiday music also featuring baritone Todd Donovan, singers Maria Wirries, and Deborah Berioli, pianist Alan Corey, dancers from the Carreno Dance Festival, Le Voci di Venizia Singers ( Sat ) and Gloria Musicae Singers ( Sun)

The Suncoast’s Premier Indoor Fine Art & Craft Show

Saturday–December 21–2:00 p.m. Only!

Gian Carlo Menotti’s Holiday a n dOpera the Favorite – One-act

AMAHL NIGHT VISITORS

Featuring Deborah Berioli, Todd Donovan, Christopher Culpepper, Joshua Mazur, Andrea Guiaita, Jose Guiaita, Michael Algeria, Mary Jeanne Moorman and Le Voci de Venezia

Willcox

December 6•7•8

Fri. 6, Sat. 7: 10am-6pm Sunday 8: 10am-4pm

Media Sponsor

Robarts Arena 3000 Ringling Blvd.

Roa

Reduced Price Tickets Online

With additional support from Iberia Bank, WUSF Public Media, The Observer Group, and Spotlight Graphics

126715

Adults: $9 • Seniors: $8 Students: $5 Weekend Pass: $12 Cash at the door only Children under 10 Free

| SarasotaCraftshow.com

TICKETS BY PHONE – DAILY 10A-4P

941-360-7399

Tickets/details 24/7 at www.artistseriesconcerts.org

127761

110 Artists

18

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// BLACK TIE: CAMERA READY ART & SOUL III: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’ Benefiting YMCA Foundation’s Community Coalition for Children | Tuesday, Nov. 19, at Bird Key Yacht Club

Hosts Paul and Carina Bowman

Photos by Heather Merriman

Dory Poveda with Margarita and Antonio Carrillo

Featured artists Josefina Villagomez de Filotas, Janice Schmidt and Debbie Dannheisser

Heather and Josh Blank

Kitchen

Sally Weintraub and featured artist Betty Menell

Lee Anne Moody Hansard, Alyzza Flores and Jennifer Catena

In The

of Euphemia Haye

™

with Owner John Ganley

St. Armands 35th Annual “Holiday Night of Lights” WHEN : 6 p.m. Friday, December 6 WHERE: St. Armands Circle Park

of The Sarasota-Manatee Originals Visit YourObserver.com/InTheKitchen For The Recipe And Video

Kick-off the holiday season with the tree lighting ceremony, holiday parade, carols, pictures with Santa, a performance by the Cuban Ballet School and much more! Also take advantage of special store promotions and additional hospitality provided by the St. Armands merchants.

For a list of local ev ents, or to submit your own, visit ThisWeekI nS

5501 Palmer Cr ossing Circle Sarasota, FL 34 233 941-922-7999 www.cosimos .net

arasota.com/calen da

r

127830

FreshOriginals.com

122708

Scan Here To Watch The Video

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// BLACK TIE: JUST MARRIED

GROOM’S PARENTS:

BRIDE’S PARENTS: Drs. Thomas and Jacqueline Kelly

U.S. Rep. Vern and Sandy Buchanan

The wedding of Matt Buchanan and Diana Kelly was full of love, faith, family and many surprises.

The Oct. 25 ceremony at St. Martha Catholic Church included people important to the couple, including the Rev. Fausto Stampiglia and the Rev. William Hild, who both officiated the wedding ceremony, and the Rev. Jerome Carosella, who baptized the bride, as well as married her parents 28 years ago.

Following the ceremony, more than 350 guests arrived through the front gates of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art ready to celebrate. While sipping on “Mr.” (a gimlet) and “Mrs.” (Bellini) cocktails, guests were treated to a jet fly-by (a surprise from aviation enthusiast Matt), complete with “Top Gun” music playing in the background, which signaled the start of the reception.

The courtyard was draped in romance — chandeliers hung from the trees, votives twinkled

and the weather was absolute perfection. The surprises continued with Diana’s debut on stage, singing “I Can Only Imagine” to her groom, followed by a fireworks display (from Matt) and a taste of Sarasota featuring food

by Michael’s On East and a circus performance from The Circus Arts Conservatory (from the couple to their guests).

“The surprises were for each other and for our guests to feel really loved and know we were so excited they were there,” says Diana.

They didn’t stop at the reception, either. As the evening wrapped up, sounds of a helicopter swirled above the courtyard.

Diana soon realized Matt had arranged their departure. After the couple lifted off, they enjoyed a tour over the Ringling and Longboat Key. The couple will honeymoon in Bora Bora, Australia and New Zealand in the spring.

THE DETAILS Dress: Rivini Bride’s shoes: Custom by Diana E Kelly Hair and makeup: Saks Fifth Avenue, Eri Vincent and Fresh Salon and Spa Catering: Michael’s On East Cake: Pastries by Design Lighting: Affairs in the Air Floral design: Botanica Band: Clint Wiley’s None Other First dance: “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban Photographer: Ryan Joseph Photography Videographer: Voila Cinematography Paper goods: The Paper Tree Wedding planning: NK Productions Photos by Ryan Joseph Photography

Re-Imagine

Celebration

3979 SOUTH TAMIAMI TRAIL (941) 921 4016 | (941) DIAMOND | DIAMONDVAULTJEWELERS.COM Loose Diamonds | Engagement Rings | Fine Swiss Watches Custom Design | Estate Jewelry | Full-Service Repair 128188

19

20

DIVERSIONS

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

// BLACK TIE: CALENDAR

SOCIAL CALENDAR: DECEMBER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5

Chairs: Katherine Harris, Lee Peterson and Margaret Wise Tickets $250. Call 351-9010, Ext. 4702.

Visiting Artists Dinner Series: David Greilsammer Benefiting: Sarasota Orchestra 6 p.m. at Darwin’s Tickets $150. Call 487-2737.

14th annual Signature Chefs Auction Benefiting March of Dimes 6:30 p.m. at Polo Grill Chairs: Dr. Mark and Tanya Ramos Tickets $75. Call 813-898-4957.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

26th annual Festival of Trees, Lights and Holiday Gifts Benefiting: The Florida Center for Early Childhood 6:30 p.m. at Michael’s On East Chairs: Jessica Richardson and Mary Mapp Tickets $175. Call 371-8820, Ext. 1025.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7

21st annual Hot Dogs & Cool Cats Gala Benefiting: Humane Society of Sarasota County 5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club Chairs: Chris Voelker and Molly Crawford Tickets $195. Call 955-4131, Ext. 121.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8

 Scott and Michelle Bell with Molly Crawford at the Hot Dogs and Cool Cats Gala in 2012.

 Joan Morgan, Bob Petersen and Chari Isaacs at Sonata a Due in 2012.

6 p.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club Chairs: Lisa Walsh, Sandra Lindqvist, Carol Chiarella and Pat Good Tickets $250. Call 365-0208, Ext. 124.

Boutique 5 p.m. at Asolo Repertory Theatre and Treviso Restaurant Tickets $250. Call 366-5293.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9

Sarasota Orchestra Association Holiday Luncheon ‘Holiday Prelude’ Benefiting: Sarasota Orchestra 11 a.m. at The Francis Tickets $55. Call 358-2002.

Women’s Day with Campbell Brown Benefiting: The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee 11 a.m. at Michael’s On East Tickets $65. Call 343-2111.

Christmas in Candy Land Benefiting: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida Noon at Michael’s On East Tickets $35 for adults, $10 for kids.

Call 952-9474.

Sonata a Due Benefiting: La Musica 6 p.m. at Charles Ringling Mansion, New College of Florida Tickets $150. Call 371-6798.

SPARCCle for the Holidays Benefiting: Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center

Designing Women Boutique Annual Gala ‘Designed to Give’ Benefiting: Designing Women

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12

Lemur Conservation Foundation Gala Benefiting: Lemur Conservation Foundation 6 p.m. at Michael’s On East Chair: Charlene Wolff Tickets $200. Call 371-6798.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

JFCS Gala ‘Celebrating the American Spirit’ Benefiting: Jewish Family & Children’s Services 5 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Chairs: Ken and Peggy Abt Tickets $500. Call 366-2224, Ext. 142.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16

Starry Night Dinner 1, highlighting the production of ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come’ Benefiting: Asolo Repertory Theatre 6:30 p.m. at The Resort at Longboat Key Club

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17

Y Achievers’ Scholarship Partners Holiday Luncheon Benefiting: YMCA Foundation of Sarasota 11:30 a.m. at Michael’s On East

By Invitation Only. Call 9511336, Ext. 7.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21 Debutante Ball Benefiting: Sarasota Orchestra 6 p.m. at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium Chairs: Bill and Debbie Partridge Tickets $225. Call 350-8579.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Eve Speakeasy Soiree Benefiting: Powel Crosley Estate Foundation 8 p.m. at Powel Crosley Estate Chairs: Roberta Montelione and Kala Clark Tickets $75.

Call 312-0000.  Norma Cohen at the JFCS Gala in 2012.

Have your cake...

Make a gift to All Children’s Hospital now.

Receive income for life.

Fund a Charitable Gift Annuity with a minimum gift of $5,000 (cash or appreciated securities) and enjoy the following benefits: • Guaranteed, fixed payments for life to you and/or a loved one • Partially tax-free income • Immediate charitable deduction for a portion of the gift • Favorable treatment of capital gains • Satisfaction of making a lasting contribution to All Children’s

Calculate your benefits at www.allkidsgifts.org To request a personalized illustration or to learn more, please contact: Lydia E. Bailey, CFRE All Children’s Hospital Foundation 727-767-8914 Lydia.Bailey@allkids.org

Charitable Gift Annuity Rates as of January 1, 2012 Age 90 85 80 75 70

One-life rate 9.0% 7.8% 6.8% 5.8% 5.1%

Seek advice from a tax professional before entering into a gift annuity agreement.

All Children’s gift annuities are not available in all states.

...and eat it too.

122323

Men, Whiskey, & Watches Benefiting: Child Protection Center 2 to 6 p.m. The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Chairs: Angela Nutter and Courtney Edbrooke Tickets $150. Call 365-1277, Ext. 103.