Sarasota Observer 2.5.15

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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 11, NO. 11

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

’Tis the season

DESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND Notice something different? No, we didn’t change our hair.

We rethought every inch of your Observer to make it more informative and more fun than ever. Look inside to learn more about our bold new look.

SEE PAGE 9A

Plymouth Harbor plans 70 new units

With more visitors arriving earlier in the season, Siesta Key is becoming a year-round destination.

PAGE 3A

TRAFFIC TROUBLES

The Sarasota Bay community seeks a new 150,000-square-foot building by 2017.

ROBIN HARTILL STAFF WRITER

Plymouth Harbor is planning for a growth spurt.

By early 2017, the Sarasota Bay retirement community, located at 700 John Ringling Blvd., plans to build a new 150,000-squarefoot building with three stories over parking in the property’s western-most parking area that’s adjacent to the Smith Care Center.

Plymouth Harbor is still finalizing the number of units it will seek, but it is currently planning approximately 70 new residences: 30 in a memory-care unit, 30 assisted-living units and 10 indeSEE CARE UNITS PAGE 3A

YOUR TOWN GIVE A LITTLE SUPER BOWLS OF CHILI 1B St. Thomas More Catholic Church spices up game day.

BLACK

TIE

Jessica Salmond

CIRCUS ARTS GALA

Attendees got into the circus act at the Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park.

INSIDE

Traffic continues to frustrate city residents off of the mainland, but St. Armands leaders are working with city and state officials to find potential fixes.

DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR

As St. Armands property owners, residents and merchants waited to meet with representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation Wednesday morning, they speculated on the

cause of the officials’ tardiness.

Most likely, those in attendance agreed, they were stuck in traffic.

The reason the St. Armands Business Improvement District was meeting with FDOT was to discuss those same traffic issues.

Attendees at the meeting painted a grim picture of the situation:

During rush hour, traffic backs up all the way around St. Armands Circle, taking 40 minutes to an hour to get to the mainland or Longboat Key. The traffic is an issue on Longboat, too; during peak hours, cars are lined up SEE TRAFFIC PAGE 6A

Sisters Aniston Arias, 10 and Graycen Arias, 12, held a joint birthday party Jan. 4. The girls share a love for animals and decided that instead of toys or gifts for their birthdays, they asked guests to bring donations to benefit animals in need.

Animal Rescue Coalition was the organization chosen as the recipient of their donations, which included food, treats and cash.

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

WEEK OF FEB. 5 2015

BY THE NUMBERS

matters — it’s the color of the jersey.”

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman on partisan politics during the media roundtable of the Ringling Town Hall Lecture series.

READ MORE ON PAGE 8B.

RINGLING SEEKS LIBRARY DONATIONS O

n Monday, Ringling College of Art and Design announced a pair of matching donations that, if met, would reach the school’s $16 million fundraising goal for a new library. The school needs $2 million to meet its goal, but has a matching donation for up to $1 million.

Construction could begin this spring if the campaign is completed by May 31.

25

percent of Sarasota County’s total Tourist Development Tax revenues Siesta Key is generating to date in the 2015 cycle.

Siesta Key is second only to the city of Sarasota, according to data from the Sarasota County Tax Collector.

7,000

total number of runners competing in the soldout Sarasota Music Half Marathon (Feb. 8) and the sold-out First Watch Half Marathon (March 15)

$17.5 million

amount in impact fees Sarasota County collected in fiscal year 2014.

The revenue collected in fiscal year 2013 was $9.1 million. Read more online at YourObserver.com.

304

average number of complaints the county code enforcement office receives a month

Sarasota’s nerds get their revenge

“It isn’t the name on the jersey anymore that

HOW TO DONATE: Call 309-0117 or email librarycampaign@ringling.edu.

BASKET CASE

We polled downtown residents about a proposal from the Downtown Improvement District to install flower baskets on light poles:

No: 6

Should the DID install flower baskets downtown?

WHAT'S THE BUZZ?

Ivory Lounge owner Ambrish Piare's lawsuit against his downtown neighbors will continue in court after Judge Rochelle Curley tossed a motion to dismiss.

Piare claims the Plaza at Five Points condo owners have conspired to shut him down. Here’s what you said on Facebook: SOCIAL STATS Reach: 12,532 people Likes: 85 Shares: 2

"You rock Ambrish — Thanks for standing up for your convictions!"

— Rich Schineller

"As a musician who's had to deal with ... the condo bullies and noise ordinance for years, I really love seeing this little ray of sunshine break through the clouds. " — M.J. Shenk

Yes: 29 For more info on the proposal: see page 14A

ONLINE Join the conversation at YourObserver.com and Facebook.com/ObserverGroup

On the heels of being named the sexiest small city in America, Sarasota has nabbed another peculiar distinction from real estate blog Movoto: the No. 2 nerdiest small city in the country.

“We didn’t just pick cities based on which ones sounded most like Pokémon names,” Movoto content creator Willie Clark states in the article.

To produce the list, the website used variables including the number of comic book stores, video game stores, bookstores and museums per capita in cities with a population between 50,000 and 60,000.

See the complete list at YourObserver.com.

SOSS2 prepares for legal action Save Our Siesta Sand 2 is preparing to battle to protect Siesta Key beaches during the proposed dredging of Big Pass to renourish Lido Key. Peter van Roekens, chairman for SOSS2, an organization established to protect Siesta Key and its beaches, announced at Tuesday’s Siesta Key Village Association meeting that SOSS2 had partnered with the Florida Wildlife Federation to receive legal counsel should the redesign of the groins on Lido Key prove a threat to Siesta.

“They have top-notch lawyers … highly involved in wildlife issues,” van Roekens said.

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WH AT’S H A PPENING

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

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SEASON HITS EARLY

FY 2014 was a record year for tourism in Sarasota.

So far, FY 2015 is on track to be even better.

STAFF WRITER

M

Photos by Jessica Salmond

Paula Griffin, a Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce visitors center volunteer, talks with Marie Spicer, a visitor from Rhode Island, about local accommodations. Spicer said she had been to Sarasota before and loved it. She drove through Siesta Key last year and decided to come back. “I thought I’d give it a try,” Spicer said.

TOURIST TAX DOLLAR TOTALS SIESTA KEY 400,000 300,000

2013

Siesta Key Public Beach had a healthy dose of visitors Sunday, Feb. 1, even with chilly water.

DEC.*

NOV.

OCT.

DEC.

NOV.

OCT.

200,000 100,000

2014

SARASOTA COUNTY 1,400,000 1,300,000

— I hope that’s a good sign for business.”

— Debra Lynn-Schmitz, executive director of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce

terms of tourism and that 2015 was already on track to top last year’s numbers.

“What we have found with all of our beach destinations, not just Siesta, is that they have become year-round destinations,” Haley said in an email.

COUNTY MAKES PLAY FOR SPORTS TOURISM

Sarasota County has implemented a push toward sports tourism with international events for sports such as rowing and soccer hosted at Sarasota parks. These events benefit the entire area and bring people to Siesta Key, as well, Haley said.

For both the USA Ultimate Masters National Championship and the AAU 14 and under Baseball Championship Tour-

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1,200,000 1,100,000 1,000,000 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000

pendent-living units.

The estimated cost of the project is $21 million to $25 million, which will be funded through both traditional bank financing and a bond.

The Sarasota City Development Review Committee will discuss the project during a Feb. 4 meeting, at Sarasota City Hall. DRC meetings are open to the public, but participation is limited to committee members unless a member requests information from an applicant.

Renderings for the project are not yet available, but Plymouth Harbor CEO Harry Hobson wants the design of the building to let residents know they’re at home.

“It will be very residential,” Hobson said. “We don’t want it at all to look like a health care facility.”

For a memory-care unit, architectural design is especially important.

“Research has shown that the right kind of lighting and moods stimulates certain senses,” Hobson said.

Adding assisted-living and memory-care residences will fulfill a need for individuals who can no longer reside in independent living units but do not yet need skilled, round-the-clock nursing care. Assisted-living residents are typically individuals who need assistance with daily tasks, such as dressing or bathing. Memory-care residents may be physically healthy but need a protective environment.

“The unit will be secured, but it will offer residents the freedom to move throughout the unit,” Hobson said.

Plymouth Harbor has been planning the expansion for approximately three years.

During planning stages, the nonprofit conducted a demographic study to determine whether it was feasible to build another 60 residences.

“That study told us that there was enough age and income that we could easily add another 30% over the 60,” Hobson said.

The average age of entering Plymouth Harbor residents is between 77 and 78, but campuswide, the average age is 85 — which, according to Hobson, is roughly the average age nationwide at which individuals enter skilled nursing care.

“It will not only meet the need for today, but it will also meet the need for tomorrow,” Hobson said.

Plymouth Harbor was founded in 1966 and is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community. It has 206 independent-living units, 60 skilled nursing units and 10 assisted-living residences.

500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000

OCT. NOV. DEC.*

brochure racks full

nament, both held in July, Visit Sarasota threw participants receptions on Siesta Key Beach.

“No matter what brings them here, we try to make sure they get the beach experience,” said Nicole Rissler, director of sports for the Sarasota County Sports Commission.

The economic impact of both events totaled $1.8 million and brought in more than 2,000 participants and visitors.

“That shows you the power of sports tourism,” said Rissler.

Siesta Beach is a competitor in the sports field market.

Rissler said Siesta was one of the top-requested spots in the southern U.S to hold national beach volleyball competitions.

But the county parks and recreation department tries to limit the events to one a month to preserve the beach.

“Our natural jewel is Siesta Key,” Rissler said.

In addition, representatives from the World Rowing Federation met with Visit Sarasota for site visits at Siesta, Lido and Coquina beaches. The organization is looking for ideal locations to expand coastal rowing opportunities in the U.S. All three locations were viable

OCT. NOV. DEC. OCT. NOV. DEC.

“We can barely keep the

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

CARE UNITS FROM PAGE 1A

JESSICA SALMOND

ason Tush, owner of CB Saltwater Outfitters on Stickney Point Road, has spent 38 years in business on Siesta Key. And within that almost four-decade time span he’s noticed a difference in the seasonal population fluctuations — they’re become less noticeable.

“It’s a year-round business,” Tush said. “Siesta Key is as busy as it’s ever been.”

Tush hasn’t seen a full year yet in his second location, Island Outfitters, located down the road from his first store, but business has been strong, he says. He’s noticed more foot traffic at the store geared toward Gulf sports such as Jet Skiing and parasailing.

Debra Lynn-Schmitz, executive director of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, is a month shy of her first year with the organization. She started her position March 1, in full swing of season.

But this year, Lynn-Schmitz said that “full-swing feeling” started about two weeks ago.

Some of her visitors center volunteers echo this thought and say this is the earliest and busiest the Key has been, she said at Tuesday’s Siesta Key Village Association meeting.

By the middle of January, all of the 110 chamber members who have rentals — condos, hotels and vacation homes — were already booked through most of April.

“We can barely keep the brochure racks full — I hope that’s a good sign for business,” she said.

In January alone, the chamber sent out 400 information packets to people who called, interested in visiting Siesta.

“It’s a wonderful problem to have,” Lynn-Schmitz said.

Siesta Key’s tourist tax dollar revenues in fiscal year 2015, which runs October 2014 to October 2015, are already up tens of thousands of dollars from the same time in fiscal year 2014. So far, Siesta Key is generating 25% of the county’s total TDT revenues, second only to the city of Sarasota, according to data from the Sarasota County Tax Collector.

Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, has noticed the same trend in the county as a whole, and on Siesta Key in particular. Haley also said she has seen payback from the advertising strategies the tourism organization put into place at the end of August and September. Haley reported a 9.3% increase in visitors in October, November and December compared with the same months last year — a total of 252,570 — and that they were racking up 12.6% more in direct expeditures — $213 million.

Haley said fiscal year 2014 was a record-breaking year in

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FY ’13 FY ’14 FY ’15 *unofficial total

options, according to World Rowing representatives. “(Coastal rowing) could do what BMX and mountain biking did for cycling,” she said. “It adds a new dynamic to rowing.”

Visit Sarasota is assisting World Rowing in hosting both competitive and recreational activities in the county.

“Sarasota County is a community where that can happen,” she said.

Robin Hartill

Plymouth Harbor CEO Harry Hobson stands in front of the Smith Care Center, which offers skilled nursing and rehabilitative care.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

c o n t e st

CODE ENFORCEMENT: the good, the bad, the ugly Based on an increase in call volume, the county’s code enforcement department will seek two additional administration positions to help handle violations.

Photos by Jessica Salmond

This abandoned house in Kensington Park was reported to have an overgrowth violation, but only one weed stood taller than the surrounding vegetation.

JESSICA SALMOND

Headed on a great trip? Make sure to take your Observer along! Snap a photo of you holding your Observer on vacation, then submit it and you could win travel tickets, courtesy of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

STAFF WRITER

Since the recession, the Sarasota County Code Enforcement Department has received increased complaints of issues such as abandoned properties and yard overgrowth. In an average month, Sarasota County’s 11 code enforcement officers respond to 304 complaints.

However, the county’s officers don’t only deal with complaints they receive. Although call-ins and reports are the top priority,

officers are supposed to keep their eyes out for other violations in their areas that have gone unreported.

“With code enforcement, there’s a fine line between compliance and over-aggressive to where you’re intrusive,” said Dennis Murphy, the county’s development services manager.

Murphy said he’d like to add one or two more officers to the staff, but that’s not likely. The division’s budget comes out of the county’s general fund, which is generated by the ad valorem

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ENFORCEMENT MYTHS VERSUS FACTS

9:36 a.m. — Marchione drives a few more blocks and checks on the next property, an overgrowth report. When we arrive at the home, which is abandoned, the only tall plant is one small weed near the curb.

Growth has to be more than 12 inches to qualify.

Myth: A code enforcement officer can go into people’s back yards and look over fences.

Fact: Officers can only go as far as the front door and cannot access property with a no trespassing sign posted.

The officer has to be able to see the violation naturally without going to extremes.

BY THE NUMBERS 390,429

population of unincorporated Sarasota County in 2014

304

average code complaints a month Sarasota County receives

11

code enforcement officers for the county

2

supervisors

Charles Marchione walks around an abandoned home. The report said the home was unsafe and needed to be demolished, but he said it wasn’t in bad shape.

MORNING ROUTINE

officers’ names, photos and contact information is not listed on the county’s website because of the retaliatory reaction of some offenders.

A two-hour ride revealed a variety of cases — not all of which qualified as a violation.

9:10 a.m. — The Sarasota Observer meets up with Charles Marchione, one of the supervisors of the Sarasota County Code Enforcement Division.

9:12 a.m. — Marchione gives us a detailed folder of information on the county code and its enforcement, along with several cases we’ll be looking into during the drive.

9:14 a.m. — We take a photo of Marchione as he checks out some of the paperwork for today’s work. He said the

9:28 a.m. — Marchione parks his car a few blocks from the property, checks the address again and looks over the complaint. The report said the complaint was of vagrants and debris on the vacant lot.

9:30 a.m. — Marchione pulls up to the vacant lot, which looks overgrown. There are no signs of vagrants on the lot, although there is a boat parked there, which is a code violation, he said. The overgrowth could be acceptable.

If a property is grown out for more than five years, it’s

9:56 a.m. — The next home is nearby; the complaint is unprepared trash. Marchione validates the complaint — there is a pile of sticks and brush that are not bundled properly.

We then head south to McIntosh Road, where someone filed a complaint that a vacant home was unsafe and unfit.

10:14 a.m. — As we walk around the house, Marchione says the property is not that bad; he doesn’t see any violations. Through the window, we see the remnants of the previous tenants — empty chemical bottles, boxes and an office chair.

10:23 a.m. — We hop back in the car for another case.

Someone complained of a rooster, a falling fence and stationary cars in the yard of a property on South Lockwood Ridge Road.

10:32 a.m. — The residents of the property are at home, but they go inside the house as we pull up. The fence is intact in our line of vision. There are cars in the yard, but Marchione said that is only a violation if the tags on the vehicles are outdated.

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deemed to be in its natural state.

Myth: Weeds in the yard is considered overgrowth.

Fact: A property can only be deemed overgrown if plants are more than 12 inches tall.

Myth: Stationary cars are a code violation.

Fact: These cars are only a violation if their tags are out of date or inoperable.

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property tax. The millage rate has remained steady for seven years, and the staff level for code enforcement has followed suit.

“People say they want more code enforcement, but do they want to pay more taxes for them?” Murphy said. “The county administration and commissioners are happy with the existing staffing levels.”

In fiscal year 2016, however, the division is going to ask to add two administrative employees, at least. Having an extra person or two to take care of paperwork would help the officers be able to spend more time on the road and crack down on violations, instead of being bogged down in the office, Murphy said.

Charles Marchione, one of the supervisors of the Sarasota County Code Enforcement Division, has been working in code enforcement for nine years following a 30-year career as a police officer in both Philadelphia and Sarasota.

Code enforcement plays an important role not only in the overall cleanliness of the neighborhood but also in property values and general neighborhood climate. Marchione explained “broken window syndrome:” one broken home window that goes unrepaired can turn the entire neighborhood into a bad part of town as other things get neglected.

Keeping a neighborhood in compliance with code can prevent this kind of degradation and also help reduce crime.

But Marchione stresses they are looking for violations that break code — not just the rules of aesthetics.

“We don’t do ugly,” Marchione said.

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Traffic troubles from the Circle to the Publix on Bay Isles Parkway.

“It’s just bumper-to-bumper,” BID board member Michael Valentino said. “We’ve got clients coming from all over the world to shop on St. Armands Circle, and they can’t get home, and they get frustrated.”

Traffic congestion has long been a problem in Sarasota during the height of season, but at least two things make the current situation different, according to stakeholders on St. Armands.

First, traffic is worse than it has ever been, they say — and with new projects slated for construction near the John Ringling Causeway, the overcrowding appears poised to get worse.

The second factor, however, is they believe there may be some simple fixes to help mitigate the issues. Those on St. Armands think that, by coordinating a series of lights between the mainland and the Circle more effectively — at Fruitville Road, Gulfstream Avenue, Sunset Drive and Bird Key Drive — the flow of traffic could be improved. The same goes for Longboat Key, they say, if traffic signals at the Longboat Key Club and Ken Thompson Parkway were more harmonious with one another.

“What happens is you get stopped at one, and then you get stopped again,” said Hugh Fiore, president of the St. Armands Residents Association.

EASING THE PAIN

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

According to city engineer Alex DavisShaw, staff is working

FROM PAGE 1A

with FDOT to better coordinate its traffic signals — particularly at packed intersections, such as Fruitville Road and Gulfstream Avenue along U.S. 41. The city is part of a regional advanced traffic management system, designed to help facilitate that coordination.

Right now, DavisShaw said, FDOT is studying queue lengths and travel times at those intersections to get a sense of how the severity of the issues. That work is likely to continue through March, and won’t provide much in the way of immediate relief.

“They want to see how things are operating during season,” DavisShaw said.

L.K. Nandam, FDOT’s District 1 traffic operations engineer, was surprised to hear how bad things had gotten. He agreed to take a look at whether the timing of the traffic signals were exacerbating the issue, and said he would report back to St. Armands stakeholders in a couple of weeks with his findings. If the problem could be addressed with existing infrastructure, he said, implementing a solution should be relatively straightforward — and quick.

Nandam, DavisShaw and St. Armands representatives all agreed that traffic issues wouldn’t be fixed by better coordinating the lights, even if that was making things worse. A series of roundabouts planned for U.S. 41 should help matters, Nandam said, but those are still years away. Asked what she thought would help mitigate the issue, DavisShaw’s answer spoke to how severe the structural congestion issues were.

File photo

Traffic going onto and off of St. Armands Circle is often backed up for about an hour during peak hours, according to people in the area.

“My real opinion?” DavisShaw said. “The solution to the problem is another bridge.”

Nandam agreed that many of the roads in the area are simply being pushed beyond their intended capacities.

“There’s heavier demand than what the network can handle,” Nandam said.

That answer was hard to hear for people on St. Armands, who were eager to get a more immediate solution in place to at least make things better. Residents suggested that, during rush hour, police officers could direct traffic at busy intersections to help facilitate more steady streams of vehicles.

Nandam said that, although that is often an effective solution for smaller streets, it becomes an issue at bigger intersections like the ones at Fruitville and Gulfstream. With so much competing movement — traffic going across U.S. 41 and traffic turning onto Fruitville and Gulfstream — it’s hard for officers to judge what

would be the most effective way to facilitate the flow of cars.

“It gets really tough for a cop to control those intersections, even two cops,” Nandam said. “It’s something that we get feedback on from our partners.”

The group discussed other possible mitigation techniques, including crossing guards on the Circle to help control pedestrian traffic. An underlying issue throughout Wednesday’s discussion was that of funding — even if they wanted to implement some of the proposed solutions, it seemed unlikely that money would be available to do so.

“We know we have a problem,” said Diana Corrigan, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association. “We have a couple of ways to try to solve the problem, but no matter what we look at, we say we have no money.”

DavisShaw and Nandam both agreed to continue working with St. Armands groups on the issue.

Ultimately, Nandam said, the best solutions to the congestion issues

TRAFFIC TALK Options to help alleviate traffic discussed during the meeting: n Build a second bridge from mainland Sarasota to St. Armands n Better coordination of traffic lights n Have police officers direct traffic at busy intersections during peak travel times n Add crossing guards on the Circle to help control pedestrian traffic

would be those that reduced the number of vehicles on the roadway.

“The city and community has to look at some kind of service that would reduce the amount of traffic that’s going out there,” Nandam said.

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Work on Lift Station 87 project could continue into 2020 Emails between engineers and city staff highlight more problems for a project plagued by setbacks.

DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR

The leaders of the Lift Station 87 project insist that a timeline for construction is still not finalized, but a document city staff sent to engineers indicates work could drag on into the next decade.

On Dec. 17, city project manager Steve Topovski sent a sample schedule to Robert Garland, project manager for engineering firm McKim & Creed. That schedule breaks the project into three phases — the last of which is set to conclude in March 2020.

The schedule calls for 30 months of construction on Lift Station 87, extending from June 2016 until January 2019. According to the email, the wastewater treatment facility wouldn’t come online until February 2019 — nearly three years later than required by an order from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The Lift Station 87 project team has said the effort could continue past the DEP’s deadline. In early December, staff said the project could extend into 2018, and that a fourth amendment to the order from the DEP could be required.

The failing Lift Station 7 facility that Lift Station 87 will replace would be demolished in March

2020, according to the sample schedule. The project originally targeted a 2011 completion date.

Topovski said he did not recall the specifics of that timeline, and said no schedule is officially set.

“I do not have a final timeline at this juncture,” Topovski said.

Garland, too, did not speak on the origins of the schedule, and could not say when a finalized timeline might come forward.

“We really just don’t have a schedule finalized yet,” Garland said. “We’re working with the city to get that done. I don’t want to mislead anybody with a schedule that’s too long or too short.”

Still, dates listed for pre-qualifying contractors and procuring bids line up with dates Garland mentioned at the most recent Lift Station 87 project meeting Jan. 12.

tunneling contractor, and plans to begin gathering bids in March.

But Topovski felt it was unclear what role McKim & Creed’s microtunneling sub-consultant played in putting together the pre-qualifying documents.

“We continue to have to ask and inquire about their involvement in this complex effort,” Topovski wrote. “This is disturbing and unsettling to me.”

Garland told the Sarasota Observer that microtunneling sub-consultant Staheli Trenchless Consultants was responsible for drafting the pre-qualifying documents, and the confusion stemmed from a simple communication error. Garland said McKim & Creed was committed to being open and transparent.

“With any project there’s going to be perceived issues, but as with any family, you resolve them and move on,” Garland said.

Topovski said his confidence in McKim & Creed’s ability to complete the project has not waivered.

“They’re working through it,” Topovski said. “This is a very complex project, and they are working through it. I’m certain they’ll work through the issues.”

firm’s responsiveness.

On Dec. 31, Topovski communicated a number of issues to Garland regarding the development of an executive summary for the project, which was supposed to include construction sequence, cost estimates and an updated timeline. Topovski said he had gone two weeks without hearing back from McKim & Creed regarding the executive summary.

“We are extremely disappointed in the lack of attention that has been (given) to this critical assignment,” Topovski wrote.

Topovski was also concerned about the microtunneling process, which led to the firing of the previous engineering firm in charge of the project. McKim & Creed plans to microtunnel beneath Hudson Bayou to install pipes to reroute wastewater from the existing Lift Station 7 facility.

The group has developed a list of qualifications for the micro-

7A

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

TIME TRIALS Although the city has said the timeline for the construction of Lift Station 87 has not yet been finalized, a document city staff sent to engineering firm McKim & Creed in December illustrates a more prolonged project than has been discussed thus far. Here are some of the key dates in that timeline: Aug. 25, 2015: Microtunneling begins Aug. 9, 2016: Microtunneling completion Aug. 29, 2017: Lift Station 87 building construction begins Feb. 4, 2019: Lift Station 87 startup Feb. 4, 2020: Lift Station 7 demolition begins March 30, 2020: Project completion

FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE

When the city hired McKim & Creed to take over the completion of Lift Station 87 in 2013, the group said communication was one of its leading priorities.

Based on a series of emails between project officials late last year, the city may not be entirely satisfied with the engineers’ commitment to that priority. In a back and forth between Garland and Topovski, the city stated its frustration with the engineering

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OPINION / OUR VIEW

8A

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

NEVER AGAIN?

SARASOTA & SIESTA KEY

Observer “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 News Editor / David Conway dconway@yourobserver.com Staff Writers / Amanda Morales amorales@yourobserver.com Jessica Salmond jsalmond@yourobserver.com Digital Editor / Alex Mahadevan alexm@yourobserver.com Managing Editor/Black Tie-Season / Stephanie Hannum stephanie@yourobserver.com Black Tie Editor / Heather Merriman hmerriman@yourobserver.com Arts & Culture Editor / Nick Reichert nreichert@yourobserver.com

ISIS execution in Iraq.

Managing Editor/Design / Nancy Schwartz nschwartz@yourobserver.com Design Editor / Nicole Thompson nthompson@yourobserver.com Editorial Designer / Qing Tian qtian@yourobserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh jraleigh@yourobserver.com Sales Manager / Penny DiGregorio pdigregorio@yourobserver.com Digital Sales and Business Development Manager / Kathleen O’Hara kohara@yourobserver.com

This symbol is the Arabic letter N for Nasrani, or Christians. In Mosul, Iraq, the letter was placed on homes to mark the Christian occupants.

ISIS crucifies Christians in Iraq.

Iraqis prepare to bury their children.

If not we, then who will stop them?

Dear Readers: All of the associates in our company, Observer Media Group Inc., live by a mission statement that says we are committed “to inspire our communities with extraordinary local content and to help our partners prosper.”

Week after week in our newspapers and on our websites, we focus on local news, events and people, attempting to inform and sometimes entertain you on what is happening to “you, your neighbors and your neighborhood.”

We know you don’t look to us for national or international news and commentary.

But this week, we are departing from our mission, with the hope and intention to inspire you to act: To urge our nation’s elected public servants in Washington to execute overwhelming decisive force from the United States against an enemy that has proven to be as evil, if not more so, than the Nazi exterminators.

For decades, millions around the world have said, “Never Again.” Never another Holocaust. Never another diabolical, megalomaniacal Hitler. Never again the atrocities against mankind that occurred under the Nazi regime.

But they are back. Different, but just as horrific. And despite the president’s refusal to identify them, all of America and the world know who this enemy is and what its objective is: radical Islamic extremists who want to annihilate all Jews and Christians and establish a Muslim-ruled world that exterminates modernity.

Day after day, we see in newspapers and on TV, websites and social media, gruesome videos and photos, like the ones above, of the most heinous, barbaric crimes against humanity. And yet little

seems to be done to stop the perpetrators.

Go down the list: Boko Haram, Al Nusra, al Qaeda, ISIS, Assad, Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Putin in Ukraine. Relentless in their determination and destruction. Retired Army Vice Chief of Staff and four-star Gen. Jack Keane told Congress last week al Qaeda has “grown fourfold in the last five years” and is “the major security challenge of our generation.”

And what is our response?

Little if anything to make a difference.

There is no urgency, no determination, no convincing commitment from the president. His response is so feckless,

it’s as if he is willingly letting the Islamic extremists advance their wicked cruelty and ideology.

Congress is no better — nattering politicians in their starched shirts and striped ties; disorganized, fractured; all talk no action; afraid to step out of political protocol.

Yes, we all have our reservations, misgivings and objections about sending our troops to battle and becoming entangled again in the Middle East. “We can’t be the world’s policeman,” so the line goes.

But here is what Americans should ask:

If not we, the United States, then who?

HOW TO STOP THEM “One: You accept that you are in a war. Two: You name the enemy, Islamist terrorists. Three: You get the lawyers off the battlefield […] you accept there will be collateral damage and you do not apologize for it.

You do not nation-build, you don’t try to hold ground. You go wherever in the world the terrorists are and you kill them, you do your best to exterminate them, and then you leave, and you leave behind smoking ruins and crying widows.

If in five or 10 years, they reconstitute and you’ve got to go back, you go back and do the same thing, and you never, never, never send American troops into a war you don’t mean to win.”

— Ret. Army Lt. Col. Ralph Peters

There is no one. No other nation with the might, the ingenuity or the ability to muster the will, courage and commitment to do whatever is necessary to end this slaughtering of innocents, to destroy this mortal enemy of western values and civilization.

And there is no one else to do it now.

You talk to your neighbors. You read and watch the news. You see how terrorism is spreading. You see history repeating.

The world is worried; you are worried.

You know, ultimately, it will be here.

We urge you then: Let your public servants in Washington hear from you. Their top priority is to protect you from harm and from being enslaved and slaughtered by foreign invaders.

The people of the Western World said, “Never Again.” We must show — now — we meant it.

— Matt Walsh, Editor/CEO Observer Media Group

Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, lritter@yourobserver.com Advertising Executives / Robyn Didelot, rdidelot@yourobserver.com Austin Holmes aholmes@yourobserver.com Beth Jacobson bjacobson@yourobserver.com Robert Lewis, blewis@yourobserver.com Suzanne Munroe smunroe@yourobserver.com Richeal Parisi, rparisi@yourobserver.com Toni Perren, tperren@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 Creative Services and Information Technology / Kathy Payne kpayne@yourobserver.com Assistant Creative Services Manager / Brooke Schultheis bschultheis@yourobserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / John Day, Monica DiMattei, Marjorie Holloway, Shawna Polana, Luis Trujillo, Allison Wampole Chief Financial Officer / Laura Keisacker lkeisacker@yourobserver.com Controller / Lisa Schwenk lschwenk@yourobserver.com Office Coordinator-Subscriptions / 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 Times & Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Business Observer, LWR Life Magazine and Season Magazine Chairman / David Beliles Editor and CEO / Matt Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

9A

We asked for unique; we got it: Mondrian recent one served us well. The Observers were recognized and awarded repeatedly in Florida and nationally for their design.

When we decided to freshen up, we turned to the best — Mario Garcia and Mario Garcia Jr., Tampa residents who are regarded among the world’s foremost newspaper designers.

Lucky for us, they recommended we work with one of Mario Sr.’s proteges, Pegie Stark.

What you see this week is Pegie’s brilliance and creativity — the results of seven months of research, sketching, trial and error and training our designers and editors.

Stark immersed herself in this process so deeply that she traveled to each of the cities where we publish weekly newspapers in Florida to digest the colors that reflect each community. You may not notice, but all of our color palettes in the paper are shades of color that reflect our environment. Now that’s paying attention to detail.

No doubt you also noticed a dramatically different frontpage design. It reflects two things — changing reader habits and expectations, and a design that is unique to any newspaper in America —Stark’s brilliance and creativity at work.

EVOLUTION OF THE PELICAN PRESS The Observer SARASOTA

SEASON

eqyptian eXCLUsiVe: season Golden faShion magazine

The Observer Group’s Guide to the Arts & Society Fall 2005

neighbors 7a

Arnie Berns’ history passion

Talk about a tough decision.

Such is the world of busisLiCe oF a new newspaper ness — making the City observer expands todecisions include sarasota you believe are best for the business.

As of this week, what was thesaiLor Pelican Press — the banDstanD Teen loiterhurting weekly newspaper thaters shops' sales served Siesta Key for 33 years — is now the Siesta Key Observer.

Longtime Pelican Press school’s in readers will likely mourn the new principal changes face of booker loss of the Pelican name, but it’s not really a loss. Let’s call it part of an evolution.

This will mark the third time the newspaper will have changed names.

Started by Siesta Key

pharmacist John Davidson and his wife, Elizabeth, in March 1971, the newspaper was first called Key News to the Key. It became the Siesta Key Pelican in 1972, Pelican Press 10 years later.

The new name, Siesta Key Observer, fits with our company’s other four Observers in this market — Longboat Observer, Sarasota Observer, East County Observer and Business Observer.

So while the name is different, the content will stay the same — your source of news for Siesta Key.

When we began the process, we were feeling our pages were becoming staid, almost like dullpatterned wallpaper.

Stark presented a freshened version of what we had. Publisher Lisa Walsh said, “Uh-uh, too much the same.”

Stark said, “I’ve always wanted to do a Mondrian design.” Lisa Walsh said, “Go for it.”

Mondrian is named after Dutch abstract artist Piet Mon-

drian. He became famous in the 1920s for the use of what is called “asymmetrical balance” — lines and rectangles and simple, primary colors. To tease our new design, the past two weeks we published full-page samples of Mondrian-inspired art.

“The minute I saw it,” Lisa Walsh said, “I said, ‘That’s it — because it didn’t look like anything I had ever seen before.”

We like that — that it is

in this issue Season magazine has been redesigned and reorganized just for you.

sixth-graders learn about ancient egypt. 3a

He says it was love at first sight when he came to Sarasota.

you. your neighbors. your neighborhood.

Free

thUrsDay, oCtober 13, 2005

by Matt walsh | editor / Ceo

PeoPle, PiCS and PlaCeS

Coverage of siesta Key will be folded into the new paper.

If you’re a Siesta Key resident and did a double take when you picked up this week’s Observer, that’s understandable. We’ve changed — a lot. More on that in a minute.

If you’re a Sarasota city resident, allow us to borrow a country phrase that sometimes brings fear but is really just a down-home, friendly greeting: “Howdy, folks, I’m your new

neighbor.”

Today, we introduce The Sarasota Observer, the newest member of our family. Many of you already are familiar with our other community weeklies, The Longboat Observer, The East County Observer, The Osprey Observer and heretofore, The Siesta Observer.

With this inaugural edition of The Sarasota Observer, our

locally-owned company, The Observer Group Inc., is making a few dramatic (and, we hope, exciting) changes: • We’re launching coverage of the west side of the city of Sarasota, the neighborhoods from the Asolo Theatre south to Phillippi Creek and west of Tamiami Trail, with emphasis on the downtown and its surrounding area.

• We’re folding our Siesta Observer and its weekly news coverage into The Sarasota Observer.

• And we’re launching a new design and look for all of our Observers.

The mission is pretty simple: to provide the residents of the city of Sarasota and Siesta Key with a community weekly whose focus is triple-minded: as our slogan says, “You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.”

For nearly 30 years, and for the past 10 years as part of The Observer Group Inc., The Longboat Observer has distin-

see sarasota page 6a

Main street

by Katy Kickham | staff Writer

+ shell we decorate ?

shop owners say the teens' fighting and ’belligerent’ behavior have scared away customers

a new accessory decorates downtown sarasota. brower hatcher, a Rhode island artist, installed his work, “source,” on the corner of Lemon and First streets last week. The “source” is a 9-foot copper seashell, which features a running water fountain. Hatcher competed with 181 other artists for the city-commissioned project. The city spent $94,716.50 on the project to enhance the city’s master plan to create a pedestrian-friendly downtown.

+ ‘Katastrophe’ benefits another catastrophe

It’s just before dark on a Friday night. Hundreds of teens start gathering between Links Avenue and Washington Boulevard on Main Street, around Links Plaza Park. As the crowd mushrooms, the smell of burning cigarettes quickly overcomes the spicy aroma of nearby restaurants.

The crowds start to linger in front of businesses, and shoppers seem to disappear.

The store and restaurant owners dread this weekly ritual. It’s bad for business. Their sales have declined. They’re tired of dealing with miscreants.

“We used to do much more business on Friday and Saturday night than we do now,” Scott Proffitt, owner of Main Bookshop, says. “I think people feel intimidated coming down here on Friday and Saturday night and very uncomfortable.”

Proffitt says the teens seem “very belligerent and aggressive,” but he understands they need somewhere to go. Proffitt was unsuccessful when he tried to work with the teens to behave in his store. “We’ve

Tammy Roberts

sherri and Larry brunner, with son bobby, watch their niece erica Johnston, one of the four drum majors, at the mighty sailor Band’s ”Bar-B-Que Under the stars”. For story and photos, see 11a.

Two local artists used their skills to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims on sept. 24th at the arte Rara gallery in Burns Court.

Francesca turner and David Carr, both teacher at The

by tammy roberts | staff Writer

see sLiCe page 2a

Jill Dorsett wants to change the way the school has always done things, to the way they need to be.

inDeX

arts & entertainment. . . . 1C Black Tie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B Siesta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1a+ Real estate . . . . . . . . . . . 15a Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9a+ Community calendar . . . . . 6a Cops Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . 5a Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . 13a+

For two decades, Booker High School has been known for both its Visual and Performing Arts Program and its longtime principal, Jan Gibbs.

Gibbs, after her retirement in April, left behind her groundwork, a sizeable legacy and a big pair of shoes to fill.

“Initially, I didn’t realize just how big those shoes were,” said

Vol. 1, no. 1 Four sections

Jill Dorsett, the new principal at Booker High School.

Surrounded by adjacent purple and yellow walls, and a muddled desk housing various files and papers, Dorsett made sure to mention that her new office was Tammy Roberts a work in progress.

Although her neat business principal Dorsett’s motto is attire and silver-framed glasses “good, better, best, never let it rest until your good is better and see Dorsett page 10a your better is best.”

see Downtown page 6a

— Matt Walsh

— Matt Walsh, Editor/CEO mwalsh@yourobserver.com

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unique. We don’t want to be like other newspapers, and that uniqueness fits with Sarasota’s aspirations to be on the edge of creativity.

A great feature of the Mondrian-inspired design is its flexibility, while still allowing us to maintain a consistency with typefaces.

Because our design is on a grid, it allows more movement; we can incorporate proportional white space, giving the pages more energy and different looks.

You’ll see evidence of this on our front pages and in the new Black Tie section. When Stark was working on the design for the front pages, Mario Garcia Sr. encouraged her to envision the front page much like a storefront, or advertisement, telling shoppers what’s inside the store.

This is the way we are now — readers with so little attention span. We’re all scanners now.

So each week, you’ll get a fresh piece of Mondrian-inspired art on the front page, giving you a sense of what’s inside our weekly store of news, events and photos.

It’s the same Observer, but it will be even more fun to read.

Let us know what you think.

162598

Trust me you’ll get used to it — our new design.

Think of it this way: The same Tide, with the same cleaning power, just in a new container.

It’s the same Observer, with the same local content, just packaged differently.

Times change.

And you have to change with them. You don’t want to be drivWalsh ing around in that old Cadillac Eldorado that’s as long, as heavy and as inefficient as a World War II PT boat.

It was difficult for us to believe we introduced Stark our previous design a decade ago. Talk about time for a new hairdo!

Women especially know how that goes. Just as hairstyles evolve, so does newspaper design. Indeed, the Observers have evolved since Ralph and Claire Hunter started the Longboat Observer in 1978.

I have to say, though, of all of our previous designs, the most

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Q+A WITH CARL SHOFFSTALL

GulfCoastGood.org David Conway

Lido Key Residents Association President Carl Shoffstall is keeping a close watch on the ongoing post-Tropical Storm Debby shoreline renourishment project.

The go-to website for giving and volunteering in our community!

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lthough beach renourishment has been the major headline-generator on Lido Key over the past year, life on the island is more than just worrying about the well-being of the shoreline. We sat down with Lido Key Residents Association President Carl Shoffstall to discuss the biggest issues impacting the area — including the short-term and long-term plans to protect its beaches.

needed at

Q: With one beach project ongoing and another one in the works, what’s the mindset of Lido Key residents about the state of the shoreline right now?

A: The renourishment needs to get done. This (ongoing renourishment project) is an interim project — for lack of a better term, I call it a Band-Aid project, but it needed to get done. We’re working now to get the big project in the works. The big thing is that the federal government, with the Army Corps, is going to maintain that over 50 years. Just the financial feasibility of something like that is going to be huge for the city and the county, with what they’d have to put up over 50 years.

Children First to assist teachers with fun classroom activities including rocking infants, reading books & helping with art projects.

Q: How optimistic are you that the Army Corps project will eventually be completed?

A: I’m a lot more optimistic than I was two years ago. We’ve still got a long way to go yet, but hopefully in 2016, 2017, it’ll get done.

Q: You’ve been an advocate for improvements to the Lido Pool and Pavilion. Where do things stand with that?

A: For three years we’ve been working as an ad-hoc pool committee to come up with some kind of an idea of what the residents would like to see out here. In three years of work, we gave three presentations to the city of what we would like to see. In August, an Invitation to Negotiate was written by the city (to find groups interested in making the improvements). It went out, and in the middle of November we got a couple of groups interested in doing it. As of right now, it’s in a review process; I’m the public person for Lido during the review process. I would think it’s going to be the better part of this year before any decision gets made.

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Q: People might look at the pool and say, “The beach is right there; what’s the big deal?” How important do you think the pool is for Lido Key? A: It’s dated, there’s no doubt about it. We’re looking to put

a playground out here; a lot of residents want their families and grandchildren to come down, have a playground to use. We want to improve the entire facility, bringing it up to what other counties have on their beach properties. We want a splash pad out here for the kids. Put a tiki bar out here and stuff like that.

This is one of the best assets for the city of Sarasota that they have. I’m a little bit biased about that, but the beach experience is what people come to Sarasota for.

It needs to be updated, and it has to be one of the jewels of the city.

Q: You’ve been talking with Commissioner Eileen Normile about traffic issues. How is congestion affecting life on Lido?

A: It’s tough to get off the island between 2 and 6. Again, it’s season, so we have to expect to put up with some traffic. It does need to be addressed, because it is getting more and more busy. The city is aware of it — at the (January residents association) meeting, a lot of the questions were directed to what are we going to do about the traffic situation. You’ve basically got one road off and one road onto the island.

Q: In general, how do you feel about the city’s responsiveness when you bring issues to its attention?

A: Very good. We have about 800 members. We’re very organized.

We do go to the city with issues, and our district commissioner, Eileen Normile, she’s very receptive to us. If we have anything, we can call her and talk to her. All of the commissioners now, they listen to us.

Q: There’s an election this March. What are some of the qualities you’d like to see in your elected representative?

A: Listening to us and hearing what our needs and wants are — with balance, with everyone else in the city. The biggest issue, though, is, citywide, we believe the commissioners need to work together for the good of the city.

— DAVID CONWAY

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

INDIAN BEACH 916 Indian Beach Drive $9,975,000 | Web ID A3992156 Joel Schemmel 941.587.4894

AQUA

INDIAN BEACH

280 Golden Gate Point #2 $2,895,000 | Web ID A4111632 Cheryl Loeffler & Joel Schemmel 941.302.9674

2309 Alameda Avenue $3,650,000 | Web ID A4107189 Steve Wexler 941.586.1124

ENCHANTED ISLES 473 Anchorage Drive $1,550,000 | Web ID N5784001 Terry Herschberger & Melissa Caldwell 941.468.8439

BRADENTON 8921 9th Avenue North West $1,495,000 | Web ID A3988572 Frank Lambert 941.920.1500

SUNSET PLACE 144 Puesta Del Sol $1,095,000 | Web ID A4112475 Tamara & Todd Currey 941.587.1776

THE OAKS BAYSIDE 273 Osprey Point Drive $998,300 | Web ID A4105036 Louis Wery 941.232.3001

VENICE ISLAND 926 Gibbs Road $759,000 | Web ID N5902419 Terry Herschberger 941.468.8439

AQUALANE ESTATES 1501 Ridgewood Lane $739,900 | Web ID A4112340 Tamara & Todd Currey 941.587.1776

LIDO BEACH CLUB 1212 Benjamin Franklin Drive #806 $620,000 | Web ID A4112815 Karin Stephan 941.504.4435

NORTH WEST BRADENTON 715 58th Street NW $599,000 | Web ID A4112899 Jackie Kleppinger 941.320.0049

PARK TRACE 825 Oak Briar Lane $449,900 | Web ID A4107959 Tamara & Todd Currey 941.587.1776

SARASOTA 1350 Main Street #1309 $429,000 | Web ID A4113028 Sandra Appignani 941.320.1002

SIESTA KEY 6100 Midnight Pass Road $5,999,000 | Web ID A4108479 Cheryl Loeffler & Martie Lieberman 941.302.9674

WEST OF TRAIL

LIDO KEY

1924 Bougainvillea Street $1,495,000 | Web ID A3994394 Roberta Tengerdy & Carolyn Collins 941.321.2292

1212 Benjamin Franklin Drive #1206 $1,395,000 | Web ID A3994168 Karin Stephan 941.504.4435

VENICE 605 Barcelona Avenue $980,000 | Web ID N5901457 Stephen Lingley 941.809.7580

VENTIAN GOLF & RIVER CLUB 158 Portofino Drive $695,000 | Web ID A4110911 Patricia Guenther 941.961.3570

UNIVERSITY PARK 6925 Conestoga Place $549,000 | Web ID A4111941 Jo Rutstein 941.587.9156

CENTRAL PARK 11889 Forest Park Circle $355,000 | Web ID A4112305 Jim Soda & Stacy Haas-Goodwin 941.961.5857

PRESTANCIA 4287 Escondito Circle $899,000 | Web ID A4112658 Joel Schemmel 941.587.4894

SIESTA KEY 5560 Contento Drive $659,000 | Web ID A4112888 Judie Berger 941.928.3424

150 Givens Street $3,650,000 | Web ID A3975791 Arnie DuFort 941.224.8602

BIRD KEY

SIESTA KEY

629 North Owl Drive $2,673,000 | Web ID A4107980 Craig Cerreta & Toi Estes 941.993.2502

4732 Ocean Boulevard 1 $1,995,000 | Web ID A3996611 Peter Laughlin 941.356.8428

SIESTA BEACH

UNIVERSITY PARK COUNTRY CLUB

141 Ogden Street $1,299,000 | Web ID A4112132 Cheryl Loeffler & Joel Schemmel 941.302.9674

VENETIAN GOLF & RIVER CLUB 173 Portofino Drive $799,900 | Web ID N5900471 Chris & Elizabeth Shiparski 941.375.1148

7304 Chelsea Court $1,289,300 | Web ID A4107994 Louis Wery 941.232.3001

LAKEWOOD RANCH CC 7017 Kingsmill Court $799,000 | Web ID A4112117 Gloria Bracciano & Greg Van Natter 786.348.9488

GULF SHORES | VENICE ISLAND

TWO J’S FLYING RANCH AIRPORT

401 Sunset Drive $649,000 | Web ID N5902482 Maryanne Kurtz & Dan Olson 941.441.6624

20151 Powerline Road $648,900 | Web ID A4112484 Katty Caron 941.928.3009

BOCA ROYALE 1763 Grande Park Drive $544,900 | Web ID N5782821 Bob Linthicum 941.228.9206

BAHIA VISTA GULF 1555 Tarpon Center Drive #G-139 $349,900 | Web ID N5902480 Debbie Sugden 941.223.9363

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SIESTA KEY

4087 Shell Road $3,765,000 | Web ID A4112359 Judie Berger 941.928.3424

LAKEWOOD RANCH | GREENBROOK 6515 Coopers Hawk Court $547,000 | Web ID A4112333 Jim Soda & Stacy Haas-Goodwin 941.961.5857

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SIESTA KEY

SIESTA KEY 842 Mangrove Point Road $2,975,000 | Web ID A4101670 Joan Koplin 941.315.3221

|

VENICE 4700 Lemon Bay Drive $325,000 | Web ID A3983712 Carol Clark & Paul Clark 941.350.4500

RIVIERA DUNES 301 10th Avenue East $499,900 | Web ID A3998984 Arnie DuFort 941.224.8602

PALMA SOLA BAY CLUB 7830 34th Avenue West #102 $314,990 | Web ID A4112121 Brian & Kathy Maher 941.284.5070

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THE PLAZA AT FIVE POINTS | 941.364.4000 50 Central Avenue, Suite 110 Sarasota, FL 34236

VENICE | 941.488.2600 215 West Venice Avenue Venice, FL 34285

SOUTH TAMPA | 813.217.5288 202 South Moody Avenue Tampa, FL 33609

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500 517 Bay Isles Parkway Longboat Key, FL 34228

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541 8141 Lakewood Main Street, Suite 101 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

ST. ARMAND’S | 941.383.2500 540 John Ringling Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34236

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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. Property information herein is derived from various sources including but not limited to county records and the multiple listing service, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

It’s not about accounts.

It’s about ACCOUNTABILITY.

David Conway

Veronica Hernandez and Kenneth Castro have kept in close touch over the past two decades, culminating in Hernandez’s swearing-in as an SPD officer last month.

Castro was there to pin on her badge.

Perfect Pairing Nearly 20 years ago, a gifted pair of glasses helped change Veronica Hernandez’s life, and paired her with a lifelong mentor.

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For Sarasota Police Department Lt. Kenneth Castro and newly sworn-in officer Veronica Hernandez, a pair of glasses has sparked a lifelong relationship that has changed both of their lives.

In 1997, Castro was working as a member of the department’s Community Resource Team in the Cohen Way housing projects.

Hernandez, 13 at the time, was a resident in those projects, and caught Castro’s eye — at first, for the wrong reasons.

“It was apparent to me that, after she would come home from school, she would hang out with a group of kids that weren’t doing their homework and she wasn’t doing what she should be doing,” Castro said.

Castro had already striven to improve the community he was policing, by helping to create a neighborhood library in the area’s police substation. He thought he saw something in Hernandez — the potential to turn her situation around and for her to avoid trouble with the right guidance.

He approached her and asked her about her situation, overtures that were largely ignored initially.

“At first, I really didn’t pay much attention to him,” Hernandez said. “He was kind of really persistent.”

That persistence paid off.

Eventually, Castro keyed in on a major issue: Hernandez had had her glasses stolen months earlier, which was negatively impacting her ability to succeed in school.

“I was nearly blind,” Hernandez said. “A person standing 10 feet away from me was a blur. Everything was a blur to me.”

Luckily Castro was old friends with an optician: Ron Soto, who ran a glasses shop in downtown Sarasota. Castro reached out to Soto, who was more than willing to help replace the glasses. Almost instantly after she received her new pair of glasses her grades started improving — a change for which Castro is reluctant to take too much credit.

“She did the hard work,” Castro

said. “She had to do the homework, show up when we told her to. A few times, we had to say, ‘Hey, get back in here,’ but she was just a typical child that needed someone to inspire her and motivate her.”

The two didn’t lose touch after Hernandez received the glasses. Castro and Hernandez both described it as a sort of fatherdaughter relationship — when she was going through tough times, she looked to Castro for support.

Whether it was during her time in the U.S. Air Force or at college at the University of Turabo in Puerto Rico, Castro was there when Hernandez needed a boost.

Castro also helped to shape Hernandez’s career ambitions.

From her early teens, inspired by her interactions with police, Hernandez was determined to become a police officer. She took some detours — while in Puerto Rico, she served as a martial arts instructor at an orphanage — but upon returning to Sarasota, she focused on achieving that goal.

“It gave me the opportunity to also give back to the community and also inspire other young people as well,” Hernandez said.

“That’s what I’ve been driven by, is just inspiring people, because it did impact me so much. It took me a long time to get here, but I always had it in my heart that I always wanted to give back to my community and help out.”

On Jan. 26, Hernandez was officially sworn in as a member of the Sarasota Police Department — and Castro was there to pin on her badge. The ceremony was an emotional experience for both individuals, a moment 17 years in the making.

“It’s a very special moment that’s never going to be forgotten,” Hernandez said. “It’s going to be held near to my heart because it was a long journey and he was part of it.”

As Hernandez begins her training with the police department, Castro is confident she’s a perfect fit for her new position.

“I personally feel she’ll be excellent, because her heart is in it,” Castro said. “That’s half the battle, if not more.”

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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JAN. 27

COPS CORNER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

BALLER BLOCKIN’ 8 a.m. — 1400 block of Ninth Street.

Dispute/Fight: A man reported that another male, whom he knows as “Baller,” is threatening him. Baller had given the man “a couple of pieces of dope,” the man said, and wanted to be paid for the drugs. The man didn’t have the money right now, he said, and wanted to make a report in case something happens to him.

BLOWN COVER 8:10 a.m. — 1500 block of Main Street.

Suspicion General: A man reported that an unknown male ran up to him and began yelling “Marine Corps, stand back!” The male then left the area walking westbound, before turning around and crossing paths with the man again heading eastbound. The man was annoyed, and told police that he was an undercover DEA officer.

HONKING MAD 11:40 a.m. — 900 block of University Parkway.

Other Disorderly Conduct: A man reported that he got in a dispute on the road with another driver. The man said the other driver got out of his car at one point and threatened to fight him. Officers made contact with the other driver, who reported that the man followed him and acted as if he was going to run him over. The other driver said the incident was sparked because he honked his horn at the man, who was sitting at an intersection and not moving.

FAUX RENT 1:22 p.m. — 1200 block of Cocoanut Avenue.

Cheating/Gross Fraud: A woman reported that an unknown subject listed her house for rent on Craigslist.

The woman said an interested tenant who saw the online posting checked the property records for the house and decided to contact the owner.

After discovering that the post was fraudulent, the prospective tenant sent an email to the man who listed the residence online. The man sent back an email, asserting that the residence would be available for the dates she requested.

SOAP & SUDS 1:30 p.m. — 1300 block of South Tamiami Trail.

Petit Theft — Shoplifting: The produce manager of a supermarket observed a man attempting to leave the store with a shopping cart who was going the wrong way through the entrance doors. The manager then noticed the items were not bagged, and suspected the man was trying to steal them. The manager told the man he needed to pay for the items first, to which the man responded that a cashier had his receipt. The manager went to ask the cashier if the man had paid; meanwhile, the man pushed the cart to the exit doors and left. The manager confirmed with the cashier that the man had not paid for the items. The manager said the cart contained at least three cases of beer and one large container of laundry detergent, valued at nearly $90.

Where should your flowers go?

A downtown group wants resident feedback as it works on installing flower baskets on light poles.

DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR

After months of planning, the Downtown Improvement District is finally ready to pose a question to residents: Where on downtown light poles should flower baskets be installed?

On Thursday, a DID-funded exhibition of three options will be mounted on light poles at Main Street and Palm Avenue.

Two of the flower baskets will be wrapped around the light poles, mounted 2 and 7 feet above the sidewalk. A third option will place the flower basket off to the side of the light pole, hung from an arm 7 feet off the ground.

The flower basket project has been a regular topic of discussion on DID agendas since May. DID Operations Manager John Moran said the project idea dates back almost a year earlier than that, and was based on a similar effort in Cape May, N.J. The project has been on hold

as the DID has dealt with board vacancies and budget shortfalls, but the group is ready to move ahead. Still, at Tuesday’s DID meeting, Moran said there could be some virtue in exercising patience. If the model exhibitions are left up over a six-month period, he said, it would allow the landscape architect working on the project to discover any maintenance issues before undertaking the installation.

Already, city staff has shared some concerns about the impact of the baskets on light poles with the group.

“The cautionary note from public works was — that location up high would obviously make the older poles more vulnerable than having nothing on them,” Moran said.

Moran said the DID would possibly be held liable for repairs if any light poles were damaged as a result of the project. Mark Kauffman, DID chairman, said the project shouldn’t be held up by aging

“The cautionary note from public works was — that location up high would obviously make the older poles more vulnerable than having nothing on them.”

John Moran, DID operations manager

FLOWER POWER Want to weigh in on the basket placement?

Contact John Moran by email at John.Moran@ sarasotagov.com.

city infrastructure.

“If something has outlived its useful life, we shouldn’t be responsible just because we’re putting flowers up there,” Kauffman said.

Once it has locked in the ideal placement of the flower baskets, the board will determine the scale and scope of the project, called Downtown in Bloom. Moran has estimated that hanging baskets on the more than 130 light poles within the DID’s boundaries could cost as much as $100,000, though some board members have advocated for a smaller project that would cost less.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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All three groins will be designed to be smaller and as part of the Big Pass THU dredging project.

DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR

In response to residents’ concerns about the impact groins on Lido Key will have on waterway navigation and Ted Sperling Park, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is redesigning

Wreford, coastal initiatives manager for Sarasota County.

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SAND PLAN The city of Sarasota announced Wednesday that the interim beach renourishment project to replenish sand on Lido Beach lost during Tropical Storm Debby in 2012 will begin Thursday.

This restoration project is a short-term solution to buy Lido a little time between now and when the Big Pass dredge is completed.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Y.

Ringling Bridge: merged into one lane in each direction from Tamiami Trail to Bird Key Drive and to Adams Drive from 6:30 to 11 a.m.

41

First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon & Relay Sarasota Music Half Marathon

MYRTLE ST.

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Sarasota Music Half Marathon road closures

10TH ST. 301

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41

Cherokee Park

Drivers will share the road with runners for the Sarasota Music Half Marathon Sunday, starting at 6:30 a.m. The inaugural half marathon will take runners throughout downtown Sarasota, St. Armands Key and through Southside Village.

South Osprey Avenue: closed from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. from McClellan Drive to Webber Street.

Tamiami Trail: one northbound and one southbound lane open from 10th Street to South Orange Avenue from 6:30 to 11 a.m.

Sarasota runners flock to half marathons A total of 7,000 runners will participate in the Sarasota Music Half Marathon and the First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon.

AMANDA MORALES STAFF WRITER

Two of the most anticipated events for Sarasota runners have officially sold out before race day.

As local runners are coming into the homestretch for training for Sunday’s Sarasota Music Marathon and the 10th annual First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon March 15, both have announced that they are at capacity. Both races are attracting a similar crowd of runners but promise something different.

Runners, leave your headphones at home for the inaugural Sarasota Music Half Marathon.

The race of 2,000 runners features 16 bands that will be located throughout the course and will play as a soundtrack for participants. According to lead organizer John Korff, the race is about more than just the runners. He wants spectators to get involved as well.

“We view the spectators as just as important as the runners,” Korff said. “We really want people to have a lot of fun and take ownership and pride in hosting it.

For this route, runners will cross over the John Ringling Causeway, loop around St. Armands Circle back east and continue on Bayfront Drive, then head south on Osprey Avenue. Before finishing, runners will go through Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and finish at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center. Along the way runners will also be able to make stops at special booths including

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Thinking of selling your home?

Now is the Perfect time.

Under ContraCt - SieSta Key

4740 ocean Boulevard $5,790,000 Three of the last gulf-front lots on siesta key, this site is being sold as one parcel.

South Orange Avenue: closed from Mound Street to McClellan Drive, from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Map by Nicole Thompson

ROAD CLOSURES

St. Armands Circle: all lanes closed from 6:30 to 9 a.m., along with the southbound lane of Boulevard of the Presidents from Madison Drive to St. Armands Circle and the northbound lane of Boulevard of the Presidents from Monroe Drive to St. Armands.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

one featuring Girl Scout cookies and one that will include a beer stop.

For some runners, such as Osprey resident Kerry Cameron, who are participating in both races, the first race is serving as a warm-up for the First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon.

“I’ll be focusing more on time after the Music Half Marathon so I can really see where I’m at when I’m not focusing my time,” Cameron said. “Then I will have a really good idea of where I need to be for the First Watch Half Marathon.”

The First Watch Half Marathon course will take 5,000 runners across the John Ringling Causeway before looping at St. Armands Circle and heading back across the bridge, then going north on Tamiami Trail toward the Ringling Museum. Runners will comb through bayfront neighborhoods to reach the finish line at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center.

The First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon is the final race in the five-race Florida Storm Series presented by Life Time Athletic Events. Race Director Javier Sanchez attributes the sold-out crowd to runners accepting the challenge of completing three or more of the five events.

“We’ve challenged people to participate in all of them,” Sanchez said. “There’s a lot of heart and soul going into this one, and I’m proud to see it become the second-largest event in the series.”

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

the support of sponsor BDH Associates LLC, will present a climate change symposium titled, “Fire, Floods and Famine: What Can We Do About Climate Change?” Featured panelists for the event will be David Hastings, professor of marine science and chemistry at Eckerd College; Eric Draper, the executive director of Audubon Florida; and Linda Marsa, an author and journalist. Admission is $25 and will include a catered dinner by Morton’s Gourmet Market. For information, call 371-4974.

ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, FEB. 6

JOE CROOKSTON PERFORMANCE Starts at 8 p.m. at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court. Artist, writer, singer, guitar player, painter and claw hammer banjo player, Joe Crookston will return to play the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center.

He’ll be joined by his friend, award-winning songwriter Tim Grimm. Grimm returns to Sarasota for a leading role in the Asolo’s production of “Good People.” Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

For information, visit wslr.org/ station-events.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

File photo

Barrie Sokmensuer browses glass wind chimes at last year’s Siesta Key Craft Festival.

JERRY ECKERT JAZZ TRIO Starts at 6 p.m. at St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Road. Enjoy a performance by the Jerry Eckert Jazz Trio with Jerry Eckert on piano, Dave Hubbell on bass and Rich MacDonald on drums. The program will include music from Gershwin, Bricusse, a medley of popular music from the stage and film and more.

Admission is free. For information, call 349-5616.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11 BLAIR CRIMMINS CONCERT Starts at 7 p.m. at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court.

Blair Crimmins is known for his Ragtime and 1920s-style Dixieland Jazz. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For information, visit wslr.org.

COMMUNITY SATURDAY, FEB. 7, AND SUNDAY, FEB. 8

SIESTA KEY CRAFT FESTIVAL Runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Siesta Key Village, Ocean Boulevard. The 21st annual Siesta Key Craft Festival is bringing folk art, handmade jewelry, pottery, paintings and more to the key. Artists will be on hand with artwork available to purchase. Admission is free. For information, call 813-962-0388.

MONDAY, FEB. 9

PHILANTHROPY LECTURE SERIES Runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at Selby Auditorium on Uni-

versity of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail. The Lifelong Learning Academy presents the five-part series, “Discover the Joy of Giving.” The fourth lecture of the series is “The Charitable Impulse” featuring James Joseph, a former ambassador, presidential Cabinet member, businessman, educator, philanthropy expert and professor at Duke University.

Admission is $100 per person for all five parts of the series. A reception will take place at the Powel Crowley Estate immediately following the presentation.

For information and to register, call 359-4296.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11

CLIMATE CHANGE SYMPOSIUM Runs from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, with

SATURDAY, FEB. 14

‘OH BABY! LIFE CYCLES OF THE SEAS’ Opens Feb. 14, at Mote Marine Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway. The family-friendly educational exhibit invites visitors to discover animal reproduction and the challenges new generations of marine life face. The exhibit is on display during regular aquarium hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sept. 27 and is included in regular admission. Visit mote.org.

LOOKING AHEAD MARDI GRAS ON ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE What: Celebrate Mardi Gras on the Circle with entertainment, including face painters, tarot card and palm readers, jugglers, tumblers and musicians. All guests will receive free beads, and Circle restaurants will be offering Mardi Gras food and specials. Visit starmandscircleassoc.com.

When: 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17 Where: St. Armands Circle

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lunch. Admission is free. For information and to register, call 320-8825.

SATURDAY, FEB. 7

RELIGION

HEARING AWARENESS FORUM Runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, 2635 Fruitville Road. Veterans and their families are invited to attend a Veterans Hearing Awareness Forum to learn about available technology, services and communication strategies.

There will be door prizes and a complimentary breakfast and

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11

‘SOPHISTICATED LADIES — BROADWAY BOUND’ Starts at noon at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave. The Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood will host its annual fashion show. The event will include a luncheon and silent auction.

Tickets, which are $45, include wine and lunch. For information, call 223-8494.

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SPORTS

“We pride ourselves on defense. I expect us to always score one more point than our opponent.” — SARASOTA GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH ROBERT JUTRAS PAGE 21A

HOW TO JOIN Public shows take place at 2 p.m. Sundays, at the Ski-A-Rees Stadium, 1602 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, and continue through Mother’s Day. To join the Ski-A-Rees, email skiarees@gmail.com.

SOUTHERN SKI FANATICS To learn more about Southern Ski Fanatics, visit its website at http://southernskifanatics.weebly.com/.

Southern Ski Fanatics practices will rotate throughout Florida to accommodate team members from across the state.

Jason Clary

Carrie, Samantha, Robert and Kirsten Hannabass

FAMILY MATTERS From skiing in the Manatee River to putting together a team to ski on a national level, the Hannabass family has been through it all together on the water.

JASON CLARY STAFF WRITER

W

aterskiing is woven into almost all of the Hannabass family’s memories. East County residents Carrie and Robert Hannabass, and their two daughters, Kirsten and Samantha, have been involved in skiing ever since the sisters were children.

“What makes it so nice is you spend the entire day together,” Robert Hannabass said. “Both daughters are 75 feet behind you and your wife is next to you in the boat. That's what makes it such a nice time.”

Kirsten and Samantha Hannabass were involved in other sports growing up, but the feeling wasn't the same.

In other sports, both Carrie and Robert Hannabass recall, the kids would play in a game and everyone would go their separate ways. But with skiing, everybody is involved and everybody makes a difference — it's like a big family.

“It's interesting,” Robert Hannabass said. “You see kids, and not just your own, grow from high school to college to adult to getting married. It's almost like everyone is brother and sister.

We're here Saturdays and Sundays for eight to 10 hours. We're here with family, and that makes it worthwhile.”

About eight years ago, Kirsten Hannabass, now 21 years old,

joined the Sarasota ski team, the Ski-A-Rees, and the rest was history.

Just a year later, Robert Hannabass joined the Ski-A-Rees team as a boat driver. Soon after, Samantha Hannabass was skiing with the team, and Carrie Hannabass was in the boat controlling the ski ropes.

After competing at nationals last year, Kirsten Hannabass and some other southern region skiers thought it would be fun to put together a team from the southern region.

So Kirsten Hannabass and Lakeland skier Diane Engberg set out to build the team, deemed the Southern Ski Fanatics, and get it ready for the national competi-

tion in Rockford, Ill. While Engberg and Kirsten Hannabass bring the team together, Carrie Hannabass and others work behind the scenes to set up lodging and other logistics.

“I'm the mom behind the scenes,” Carrie Hannabass said.

“I'm helping put the transportation together and helping orchestrate the communication part.

(Kirsten will) be the show director, put the acts on the water, figure out who's qualified and run the practice.”

Each ski team must come up with a theme, which includes dances, costumes and styles of skiing.

“Every show is like a play. It tells a story,” Carrie Hannabass said. “There's an announcer on the stage, skits and dances. They dance before they hit the water and dance on the stage after.

Every team has their own little skit. There's a little bit of every-

Photos by Jason Clary

Southern Ski Fanatics members practice their routines in Sarasota.

BY THE NUMBERS

The next practice will be held Feb. 28, in Tampa.

Robert Hannabass, a USA Water Ski certified boat driver, will be one of the drivers for the Southern Ski Fanatics during nationals.

WANT TO HELP? The Southern Ski Fanatics team needs help getting to nationals.

To donate, visit gofundme. com/jqeqr0

80

Southern Ski Fanatics members who visited Florida in 2014.

83

Age of the oldest Ski-A-Rees member

6

Age of the youngest member

thing.”

Along with finding a theme and trying to make sure everyone is on the same page, another inherent difficulty Kirsten Hannabass and Engberg face is trying to bring together the members of separate ski teams from across the state — and even in Alabama and North Carolina — to choreograph the routine and be ready by the time nationals roll around in August.

Because they’re from different teams, some performers might hold a skier differently during a routine, while another skier might have a different way of climbing to the top of the pyramid.

Carrie Hannabass recalls fondly a ski show in Punta Gorda when her daughters were on top of a pyramid.

“There was a three-tier pyramid, and a woman behind me said, ‘What mother in her right mind would let her kid climb to the third tier of that pyramid?’ I turned around and said, ‘That’s me!’”

Contact Jason Clary at jclary@ yourobserver.com.

Members of the newly formed Southern Ski Fanatics national team perform at the team’s first practice Jan. 24, in Sarasota.

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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STAFF WRITER

The Sarasota girls basketball team won its second-straight district title Friday after defeating Lakewood Ranch 31-20 in a tough defensive game.

At halftime, Sarasota led by only one point, 7-6.

“We were a little tight and didn’t really execute our offense (in the first half),” Sarasota coach Robert Jutras said.

Both the Sailors and the Mustangs struggled on offsense.

Sarasota held Lakewood Ranch to 17% shooting during the game.

Sarasota’s guard tandem of Zharia Grable and Camille Giardina scored 28 of the Sailors’ 31 points; each had 14 points.

The guards also led Sarasota in rebounding with seven apiece.

The presence of Grable and Giardina has been huge for Sarasota. When the offense isn’t quite performing, the two have the ability to get it back in rhythm.

After the slow first half, Giardina said she “had two quarters to get my act together.”

Jutras said it wasn’t about making adjustments, but just getting his players to execute the game plan like they know how.

“One of the things we talked

about was getting out there and running the things we normally run,” Jutras said. “In the first half we didn’t look like we normally look. We talked about relaxing and playing our game.”

Despite the offensive struggles, Sarasota’s defense was strong; the team allowed a total of 44 points in two district games.

“We’re a very good defensive team,” Jutras said. “The last two times we played (Lakewood Ranch) we held them to 36 and 35. We pride ourselves on defense. I expect us to always score one more point than our opponent.”

Jutras said there’s no question that the senior leadership of Grable and Giardina has made a difference with the team in crunch time.

“The seniors do so much for us,” he said. “It’s on them to be able to carry the team, especially when we’re maybe not executing properly. They’ve been doing it all year. We’re lucky to have those two.

“I think a lot is to be said of how we practice and prepare.

We’ve been there; most of the team is back from last year. I think we’re hitting our stride.”

Sarasota will host Northeast High in the regional playoffs Thursday.

Contact Jason Clary at jclary@ yourobserver.com.

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Sarasota girls win district title JASON CLARY

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Photos by Jason Clary

Sarasota players pose with the district final trophy after defeating Lakewood Ranch 31-20 Friday night.

“We’re a very good defensive team.

The last two times we played (Lakewood Ranch) we held them to 36 and 35. We pride ourselves on defense.

I expect us to always score one more point Sarasota guard Camille Giardina cuts through the defense during the first half of a district final playoff game against Lakewood Ranch on Friday.

Sarasota guard Zharia Grable shoots a 3-pointer during the first half of a district final playoff game.

than our opponent.”

Robert Jutras, coach, Sarasota Girls Basketball Team

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Baseball coach finalist for award The National High School Athletic Coaches Association has announced that longtime Sarasota High School baseball coach Clyde Metcalf is a finalist for National Coach of the Year in baseball.

There are eight finalists from across the nation who will be honored during the National Coach of the Year awards banquet during the June 20 NHSACA National Convention at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Minneapolis. The highlight of the banquet will be the naming of a National Coach of the Year in 19 different sports.

The Florida High School Coaches Association selected Metcalf based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years and winning percentage.

Metcalf has been the head baseball coach at Sarasota High for more than 30 years and has served as the school’s athletic director for more than 16 years. He has compiled a career record of 731 wins and 173 losses. Metcalf’s teams have advanced to the Final Four 10 times, winning six state titles and finishing as runner-up three times. The Sailors have twice been named as national champions and were the USA Team of the Decade for the 1990s.

Metcalf has received the National Coach of the Year award twice and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Lifetime Membership award. He was also inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December 2010.

JUST THE STATS

SIGNING DAY 2015

27

Area athletes signed on the dotted line Wednesday to continue their sports careers at the next level. Athletes from Booker, Riverview and Cardinal Mooney high schools signed Wednesday, while Sarasota High School athletes are expected to sign April 15.

the number of points Cardinal Mooney’s Ryan McMahon averaged during the regular basketball season.

17 Jason Clary

BOOKER HIGH SCHOOL Football: n Romello Burke, Fort Hays State University; Hays, Kan. n Jeremiah Henderson: Coffeyville Community College; Coffeyville, Kan. CARDINAL MOONEY Boys Lacrosse: n James Kahl, SUNY at Oswego; Oswego, N.Y. n Alex Stoffel, Skidmore College; Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Girls Soccer: n Rose Amato, University of Tampa, Tampa n Sarah Quick, Towson University; Towson, Md. Football: n Reese Vita, Furman University; Greenville, S.C.

Sarasota Open tickets on sale The 2015 Sarasota Open, which has moved to Lakewood Ranch Country Club and Tennis Center this year, will be offering new ticket options.

There will be two stadiums this year, with a $50 general

RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL Football: n Mason Hupalo, Jacksonville University; Jacksonville, n Brian Liddy, Lyon College; Batesville, Ark. n Marquis Moodie, Stetson University; Deland n Riley Sheehan, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville Soccer: n Ben Bates, Lehigh University; Bethlehem, Pa. Swimming: n Nancy Hu, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Sand Volleyball: n Ashley Allmer, Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, La.

admission pass for the entire week. The general admission pass does not cover access to the feature stadium, the James T. Driscoll Centre Court Stadium, which requires a separate ticket (prices vary).

Also new to the tournament is an enhanced vendor and food court with live, real-time

Tennis: n Michael Moore, Tyler College; Tyler, Texas

Sarasota held Lakewood Ranch to 17% shooting in a 31-20 victory over the Mustangs Friday.

28

SARASOTA HIGH SCHOOL Expected to sign April 15 Football: n J.R. Clancy, Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton Baseball: n Carson Kyser, Indian River State College; Fort Pierce Baseball: n Matt Schlabach, Nova Southeastern University; Fort Lauderdale Softball: n Avery Miller, Northwood University; West Palm Beach

Sarasota guards Zharia Grable and Camille Giardina scored 28 out of Sarasota’s 31 points Friday night against Lakewood Ranch.

32

The Out-of-Door Academy girls basketball team scored 32 points in an upset victory over Cardinal Mooney on Friday, winning the district title.

75

The number of points the Sarasota Military Academy boys basketball team scored in a 75-43 victory over The Out-of-Door Academy Jan. 27.

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The Sarasota Open will run from April 11 to April 19.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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Classifieds 20B Games 19B Real Estate 12B Weather 19B

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Super Bowls

WISH GRANTED

Jack Dyer serves Pam’s famous Las Vegas chili.

Pine View School senior Jamie Meyers is on his way to the Big Apple to meet his favorite musician thanks to Make-A-Wish.

PAGE 4B

NEIGHBORHOOD

Shirley Berardinelli serves a chili made with beer alongside the Rev. Michael Szyszka, who served his own special chili. Participants wore aprons made for the event with Szyszka’s photo on them.

W

ith full stomachs, members of St. Thomas More Catholic Church gathered to watch the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks play in Super Bowl XLIX Sunday. The Super Bowl watch party was complete with different types of chili members made from their own recipes. Even the Rev. Michael Szyszka got in on the fun and made his own special chili for guests to taste.

Along with chili, guests brought other snacks to enjoy during the game, which was projected onto a big screen.

— AMANDA MORALES Maryann Sorrentino and Mary Overman

WHAT’S YOUR SECRET? “The beer, of course.”

— Angela Cianiulli and Shirley Berardinelli on their beer chili

“It’s really the McCormick seasoning and how you prepare the bratwurst. The key is to boil then broil.”

Photos by Amanda Morales

Marie Portulano and Julie Kroll

Its centerpiece lake evokes a sense of peacefulness for this northern Sarasota neighborhood.

PAGE 11B

— Jack Miller, on his bratwurst chili

“What’s different is the authentic Mexican chili powder that makes it hot.

Not many people would go out of their way for it, but it makes a difference.”

— Jack Dyer, on Pam’s famous Las Vegas chili

Stan Szafranski and Hank Preppard help serve guests.

The Uplands

BUDDY SYSTEM Southeastern Guide Dogs celebrates its 232nd graduation.

PAGE 6B

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Above: Michelle Golden and Susan Randall Left: Karen Harding keeps thankyou notes and birthday cards from Edith Barr Dunn.

Edith Barr Dunn enjoys a night surrounded by friends and family.

Family, friends tip their hats to Edith Barr Dunn

G

uests took turns sitting at Edith Barr Dunn’s table and sharing their best memories, along with the lessons they learned from their years of friendship with her, Saturday, at Marina Jack. Musician Ralph Shannon said it with song when he serenaded Barr Dunn; others gave her gifts and mementos.

Barr Dunn is well known for her continued efforts to collect money for local organizations and causes. Friend and fellow Longboat Key Kiwanis Club “yellow apron” helper Sylvia Babineau often assisted Barr Dunn with her famed 50-50 raffles at the annual Longboat Key Gourmet Lawn Party.

“She corralled us every time she had an event. She would say, ‘You have to help me,’” Babineau said. “And you would do it. She is a jewel to this community.”

Paul Thorpe shares stories of Edith Barr Dunn riding in the annual Downtown Sarasota Holiday Parade.

Photos by Amanda Morales

Karen Harding and Sylvia Babineau reminisce with old photos and article clippings that Harding put together.

— AMANDA MORALES

GULF GATE

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* FREE $20 promotional gift card with purchase of one hour Massage or Facial guest-priced gift card excluding waxing and cash denomination purchases or with guest-priced Spa Gift Package purchase excluding series packages. Not valid toward Introductory Offers. FREE $20 promotional gift card good towards future purchase, expires one year from issue and can be redeemed at issuing location only. Rates and services may vary by location. Offers may not be combined. Offer Expires: 2-16-2015 **Introductory offers valid for first visit only and not valid towards gift cards. Sessions include time for consultation and dressing. Independently Owned & Operated. @2015 Hand & Stone Corp. Franchises Available. MM22195/CE9976949

SieSta Key

Condominium CounCil

P.o. Box 40031, SaraSota, Florida 34242

Notice - Meeting

941.929.9893

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

6639 SUPERIOR AVE

3pm Sign-in & Refreshments • 3:30pm Meeting

South BBQ

OPENI

NG

GR

AND

OPEN

IN

SPEAKER: Mike Angers, Vice-President

Brown & Brown of Florida Insurance

TOPIC:

G

2. State admitted Carriers vs. non-admitted Carriers 3. Upcoming Flood Insurance changes & rate increases

“We put the South in your Mouth”

6616 SUPERIOR AVE 941.926.0099

4. Coverage responsibilities for Associations vs. Unit Owners 5. Mitigation Form changes Session will be followed by Question and Answers

OICE U R CH O F Y O IS COUPON H WITH T

PLACE: 161972

SERVING LUNCH AND DINNER

1. Status of Citizens Wind Program & alternative Carriers

Siesta Key Chapel-Presbyterian Church; Fellowship Hall 4615 Gleason Ave (East of Siesta Village - 1 mile on Ocean Blvd.)

Condominium Owners, Board Members, and Managers are encouraged and welcomed to attend meeting.

162817

Pride of the

AND

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Make-A-Wish grants Pine View student dream trip

J

amie Meyers thought it was a normal school day Jan. 29, until his classmates and family members surprised him.

Hundreds of students holding signs and balloons waited patiently by the car pickup area Thursday morning, at Pine View School.

Meyers was caught off guard when he recognized his family members and was told that on Monday he will be making a trip through Make-A-Wish to Manhattan, N.Y., to meet his favorite musician, Regina Spektor.

Following the surprise, Meyers took the rest of the day off from classes to enjoy a ride in a limo and lunch with his family.

Make-A-Wish Regional Director Rebecca Blitz helped coordinate the surprise for Meyers. She said that Meyers’ family approached Make-A-Wish a few months ago to let them know he has a life-threatening illness, and the organization put a plan into motion to surprise him at school.

“Jamie loves Pine View, so we thought it would be a great way to surprise him and bring him to the school to announce his send-off,” Blitz said. “We do our best to make everything happen for our children.”

— AMANDA MORALES

3B

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Cele

et foregd t ’ n r r o

D

|

b

ea h to w rt Mont a e H r o f

ATTENTION

rati ng 4 Ann 0 th iver

sary

!

All Healthcare Providers & General Public In Celebration of the Heart Month and our 40th Anniversary of providing quality Cardiovascular Care in Sarasota, The Cardiovascular Center of Sarasota is pleased to sponsor the

11TH ANNUAL CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPOSIUM CARDIOLOGY UPDATE 2015: Time to Focus on Early Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Endorsed by American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC), Florida Medical Association (FMA), Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) and the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation (SMHF)

Organized by the Cardiovascular Health Assessment Center in cooperation with the University of Minnesota Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center

Approved for 7.5 CME and 7.5 CEU by FMA

Photos by Amanda Morales

Classmates made signs for Jamie Meyers’ wish reveal.

Saturday, February 7th, 2015 8AM - 5PM Sarasota Memorial Hospital Auditorium 1700 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239

Cardiovascular Health Assessment Center

Free for students, nurses and pharmacists. Nominal charge for other healthcare professionals.

CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER OF SARASOTA

FACULTY MEMBERS INCLUDE: • Pres. of American Society of Preventive Cardiology • Past Presidents of …

• American College of Cardiology • American Society of Hypertension • American Society of Geriatric Cardiology • American Society of Heart Failure • Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

Mahfouz El Shahawy MD, MS, FACP, FESC, FASH FSCCT, FAHA, FACC,

Above: Jamie Meyers soaks in the excitement after his Make-AWish reveal Thursday.

Program Director • Clinical Professor of Medicine Univ. of Florida and South Florida • Medical Director, Cardiovascular Health Assessment Center • President, Cardiovascular Center of Sarasota Sarasota, Florida

SLEEP KING Since 1972

Learn more at

WWW.CARDIOLOGYCENTER.NET

For Details and online registration: www.cardiologycenter.net/pages/registration or CALL (941)366-9800

MON - FRI 8:30 - 8 • SAT 8:30 - 6 • SUN 11 - 6

941-922-5271 TOLL FREE 800-265-9124 www.sleepking.net

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NEVER KNOWINGLY UNDERSOLD! 1 BLOCK SOUTH OF BEE RIDGE OFF 41 TURN @ TIRE KINGDOM

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Program Co-Director • Professor of Medicine • Director, Rasmussen Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention • University of Minnesota Medical School, Cardiovascular Division • Past President of Hypertension and Heart Failure Society of America Minneapolis, Minnesota

11th Annual Symposium faculty includes 8 of the nation’s leading and distinguished professors in CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION from the most prestigious institutions in the country such as Univ. of California, Univ. of Minnesota, Cleveland Clinic, Emory and much more.

Jamie Meyers’ family members: Christopher and Heather Meyers, Janye Meyers, Lauren Ralph, Blaire Shinn, Jill Shinn and Skylar Shinn

• 30 Day Comfort Exchange • Removal and Set Up • Discount Prices on Adjustable Beds • Locally Owned and Operated • Same Day Delivery • FREE DELIVERY

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162614

4B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

|

Temple Emanu-El celebrates the Birthday of the Trees

T

emple Emanu-El families and friends commemorated the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, or Birthday of the Trees, Saturday, at the Sarasota Children’s Garden. Rabbi Brenner Glickman led a special Shabbat service that included a special story and sing-along songs for children and their parents to remember to cherish the trees that surround them.

Following the service the guests sang “Happy Birthday” to the trees and enjoyed the birthday cake.

Simone Velez and Emma Witherspoon explore the Sarasota Children’s Garden.

–AMANDA MORALES Rabbi Brenner Glickman shares stories and songs for the Birthday of the Trees.

Photos by Amanda Morales

Alexandra Witherspoon takes a turn on the rope swings in the gardens.

TRY ON A

TRY ONMORTGAGE A TAILORED TRY ON A TRY ON A

Alicia Zoller presents the cake to celebrate the Birthday of the Trees.

Emily and Alana Duffy fill a pot with soil to plant parsley during the party. ®

GRAND OPENING

Scott Kolbe

TRYONONA A TRY

TAILORED MORTGAGE TAILORED MORTGAGE TAILORED MORTGAGE

NMLS ID: 365464

NMLS ID: 450635

Call 941.228.6100 941.312.2478 today Call today today Call 941.228.6100 941.312.2478 Call today

Contact the Penny Hill Group to Call 941.312.2478 today Call 941.228.6100 today or email pennyhillgroup@everbank.com email:the pennyhillgroup@everbank.com Call 941.545.1275 today email pennyhillgroup@everbank.com or email:the pennyhillgroup@everbank.com

Ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on February 6 at noon

Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota ® ® Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota ExpediaCruiseShipCenters CruiseShipCenters inin Sarasota Expedia Sarasota ®

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Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota ®

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| 10:00am Friday, February Saturday,February February 07 07 | 10:00am - 6:00pm Friday, February 06 -06 07 10:00am - 6:00pm Friday, February 06 - -Saturday, February - 6:00pm | | 10:00am Friday, February 06 - Saturday, Saturday, February 07 - 6:00pm Ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on February 6 at noon

| 610:00am Ribbon-cutting will be February at noon Friday, February 06 - Saturday, February 07 Ribbon-cutting on February 66 at |noon - 6:00pm Friday, February 06 - ceremony Saturday, February Ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on February 07 at noon10:00am - 6:00pm | noon Friday, February 06 Saturday, February 07 10:00am - 6:00pm Ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on February 6 at Ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on February 6 at noon COME HEAR ALL ABOUT OUR AMAZING GRAND OPENING SPECIALS COME HEAR ALL ABOUTOUR OUR AMAZING GRAND OPENING SPECIALS COME HEAR ALL ABOUT AMAZING GRAND OPENING SPECIALS ceremony will on February 6 at noon COME HEAR ALL ABOUT AMAZING GRAND OPENING Celebrate with usRibbon-cutting 25 years ofOUR expertise inbe cruise and land vacations & soSPECIALS much more.

COME HEAR ALL ABOUT OUR AMAZING OPENING SPECIALS COME HEAR ALL ABOUT OUR GRAND OPENING SPECIALS Celebrate with us of expertise in cruise andland land vacations so much more.

Celebrate usyears 25 years of expertise inAMAZING cruiseGRAND and vacations & so much more.

Celebrate withwith us25 25 years of expertise in cruise and land vacations && so much more.

COME HEAR ALL OUR AMAZING GRAND OPENING Celebrate with uswith 25 years expertise in cruise land & so SPECIALS much Celebrate usABOUT 25ofyears of expertise in and cruise andvacations land vacations & so more. much more.

5 000

$,

BRAND NEW LOCATION

*

Celebrate ENTER TO with us 25 years of expertise in cruise and land vacations & so much more.

WIN A

$

CRUISE VACATION FOR 2

5 000 000 555000 5 000 000 CRUISE VACATION FOR 2

* $ , A WIN ENTER TOCRUISE ENTER TOTO ENTER *** 2 * ENTER $$$TO VACATION $ , FOR ENTER * AA $ ,,A, WINTOAWIN WIN , FOR CRUISE VACATION FOR222FOR 2 CRUISE VACATION FOR A WINVACATION CRUISE VACATION CRUISE

(941) 254 6484

(941) 254 6484

100 GIFT CERTIFICATES

for the first 50 visitors per day *

BRAND NEW LOCATION

ENTER TO

$

100 GIFT CERTIFICATES

for the firstNEW visitors per day * BRAND LOCATION BRAND LOCATION BRAND NEW50NEW LOCATION BRAND NEW LOCATION $GIFT 100 GIFT CERTIFICATES 100 CERTIFICATES 100 GIFT CERTIFICATES BRAND NEW LOCATION 100 GIFT CERTIFICATES for first the first 50 visitors per * day * for the 50 visitors per day $

$

$

learn more Scott Kolbe

NMLS ID: 450543

Scott Kolbe

NMLS ID: 450543

Penny NMLS Hill

Penny Hill13ERM0324. NMLS ID: 399805

Melissa Rickey NMLS ID: 365464

© 2013 EverBank. All rights reserved.

Celebrate with us 25 years of expertise in cruise and land vacations & so much more. ®

Call 941.312.2478 today Call 941.228.6100 today email the pennyhillgroup@everbank.com or email:pennyhillgroup@everbank.com pennyhillgroup@everbank.com email: the pennyhillgroup@everbank.com ororemail email: pennyhillgroup@everbank.com Scott Kolbe

Contact the Penny Hill Group to learn more

Contact the Penny Hill Group to learn more

NMLS ID: 399805 13ERM0324.

NMLS13ERM0324.

ID: 399805 13ERMO324.

NMLS ID: 399805 © 2013 EverBank.

All rights 13ERM0324.

NMLS ID: 399805 © 2013 EverBank.

All reserved. rights reserved. © 2013ID: EverBank.

All rights reserved. © 2014 EverBank.

All rights reserved.

NMLS 365464

COME HEAR ALL ABOUT OUR AMAZING GRAND OPENING SPECIALS ®

TRY ON A

Melissa Rickey NMLS ID: 450635 Melissa Rickey NMLS ID: 450635 Melissa Rickey NMLS ID: 450635

Friday, February 06 - Saturday, February 07 | 10:00am - 6:00pm

®

Contact the Penny Hill Group to learn more

Contact the Penny Hill Group to learn more NMLS ID: 450543 KolbeHill Group to learn more ContactScott the Penny Scott Kolbe NMLS ID: 450543 Penny Hill ScottNMLS Kolbe ID: 450543 NMLS ID: 365464 NMLS ID:Penny 450543 Hill Penny Hill NMLS ID: 365464 Penny Hill Melissa Rickey NMLS ID: 365464

Melissa Rickey NMLS ID: 450635

ID: 450543

NMLS ID: 365464

Penny Hill

NMLS ID: 450635

162459

Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota ®

TAILOREDMORTGAGE MORTGAGE TAILORED TAILORED MORTGAGE

Contact the Penny Hill Group to learn more

Call 941.228.6100 941.312.2478 today Call today

ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR

pennyhillgroup@everbank.com or email email:the pennyhillgroup@everbank.com

Call 941.228.6100 941.312.2478 today Call today

pennyhillgroup@everbank.com or email email:the pennyhillgroup@everbank.com When the call came in for us to save some 200 trees 13ERM0324. NMLS ID: 399805 © 2013 EverBank. All rights reserved. from bulldozing, we of course said yes. Could we do it in two weeks and move hundreds of plants, too? Oh, and install the saved plant material in other community areas that lacked landscaping? ArtisTree crews were out in no 13ERM0324. NMLS ID: 399805 time, with one bystander saying it looked like a ballet of © 2013 EverBank.

All rights reserved. coconut palms, Natal plums and ornamentals being lifted and swirled away to their new locations.

But a few days later, another call. They needed us to come back out. Imagine our surprise and delight when we were thanked with sweet, Natal plum jam and warm coconut bread made from one of the coconut palms. It made our day.

Do you have a “landscaper” in your life you’d like to thank – a relative, teacher, friend or company who introduced you to the joys of nature?

$

per day day* * forthe thefirst first50 50 visitors visitors per 100for GIFT CERTIFICATES

for the first 50 visitors per day *

5215 University Parkway, Sarasota

Be watching for our launch of thankalandscaper.com later this month and make their day, too.

(941) 254 (941)(941) 2546484 6484 254 6484 (941) 254 6484 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota (941) 254 6484 5215 Parkway, Sarasota (941) 254 6484 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota 5215University University Parkway, Sarasota

www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark

5215 University Parkway, Sarasota www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark

*Gift certificates are exclusively redeemed at Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota: 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota, F1 34201. Gift certificate is redeemable for a $100 onboard cash credit on any 6-night or longer cruise with Celebrity Cruises®, Royal Caribbean International®, Princes Cruises®, Norwegian Cruise Line®, Holland America Line or Regent Seven Seas Cruises®. New bookings only. Limit one gift certificate per household. Non-refundable and valid until May 31, 2015 (reservation and deposit must be made before this date). This gift certificate is a receipt only and is of no monetary value. Cancellation or changes to booked travel are subject to any applicable cancellation penalties. This gift certificate is valid only through the above Expedia CruiseShipCenters location. Onboard spending, gratuities and additional amenities are not included. Fla. Seller of Travel No. ST39279

www.cruiseshipcenters.com/UniversityPark

*Gift certificates are exclusively redeemed at Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota: 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota, F1 34201. Gift certificate is redeemable for a $100 onboard cash credit on any 6-night or longer cruise, balcony category or higher with Celebrity Cruises®, Royal Caribbean International®, Princes Cruises®, Norwegian Cruise Line®, Holland America Line or Regent Seven Seas Cruises®. New bookings only. Limit one gift certificate per household. Non-refundable and valid until May 31, 2015 (reservation and deposit must be made before this date). This gift certificate is a receipt only and is of no monetary value. Cancellation or changes to booked travel are subject to any applicable cancellation penalties. This gift certificate is valid only through the above Expedia CruiseShipCenters location. Onboard spending, gratuities and additional amenities are not included.

Fla. Seller of Travel No. ST39279 162437

artistree.com • 941.488.8897 • Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte counties • Celebrating 25 years

162184

*Gift certificates are exclusively redeemed at Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota: 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota, F1 34201. Gift certificate is redeemable for a $100 onboard cash credit on any 6-night or longer cruise with Celebrity Cruises®, Royal Caribbean International®, Princes Cruises®, *Gift certificates are exclusively redeemed at Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Sarasota: 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota, F1 34201. Gift certificate is redeemable for a $100 onboard cash credit on any 6-night or longer cruise with Celebrity Cruises®, Royal Caribbean International®, Princes Cruises®, *Gift certificates are exclusively redeemed CruiseShipCenters Sarasota: 5215 University Parkway, Sarasota, 34201. Gift certificate is redeemable forMay a $100 onboard cash credit any 6-night longer cruise Celebrity Caribbean Princes Cruises®, Norwegian Cruise Line®, Holland America Lineat orExpedia Regent Seven Seas Cruises®.in New bookings only.

Limit one gift certificate perF1 household.

Non-refundable and valid until 31, 2015 (reservation and on deposit must beormade before thiswith date).

This giftCruises®, certificateRoyal is a receipt only International®, and is of no moneNorwegian Cruise Line®, Holland America Line or Regent Seven Seas Cruises®. New bookings only. Limit one gift certificate per household. Non-refundable and valid until May 31, 2015 (reservation and deposit must be made before this date). This gift certificate is a receipt only and is of no monetary value. Cancellation or Holland changesAmerica to booked travel are subject to any cancellation penalties.

This gift is validper only through the above Expediaand CruiseShipCenters spending, gratuities andbe additional amenities are notThis included.

Fla. SellerisofaTravel No.only ST39279 Norwegian Cruise Line®, Line or Regent Seven Seasapplicable Cruises®.

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31, 2015Onboard (reservation and deposit must made before this date). gift certificate receipt and is of no monetary value.

Cancellation or changes to booked travel are subject to 5215 any applicable penalties. This gift certificate is valid only through the for above Expedia CruiseShipCenters location.

Onboardorspending, gratuities and additional amenities areCaribbean not included.

Fla. Seller of Travel No. ST39279 *Gifttary certificates are exclusively redeemed at Expedia CruiseShipCenters in in Sarasota: Parkway, Sarasota, 34201. certificate is redeemable aonboard $100 onboard cash on any 6-night longer cruise with Celebrity Royal International®, Cruises®, value.

Cancellation changes to booked are CruiseShipCenters subject to any applicable cancellation penalties.

This Sarasota, gift certificate is valid only through the above Expedia location. gratuities and additional amenities are not included.

Fla.Princes Seller of Travel No.Princes ST39279 *Gift certificates are or exclusively redeemed attravel Expedia Sarasota: 5215University University Parkway, F1F1 34201.

GiftGift certificate is redeemable for a $100CruiseShipCenters cash credit on credit any Onboard 6-night orspending, longer cruise with Celebrity Cruises®, RoyalCruises®, Caribbean International®, Cruises®, Norwegian Cruise Line®, America Line or Regent Seven Seas Cruises®.

New Limitone onegift giftcertificate certificate household.

Non-refundable anduntil validMay until 2015 (reservation and deposit must be made before Thisisgift certificate is aisreceipt only and is of no moneNorwegian CruiseHolland Line®, Holland America Line or Regent Seven Seas Cruises®.

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Thisthis gift date). certificate a receipt only and of no monetary value.tary Cancellation or changes to booked traveltravel are subject to any applicable Thisgift giftcertificate certificate is valid through the above Expedia CruiseShipCenters Onboard gratuities spending, gratuities and additional amenities included. of Travel No. ST39279 value. Cancellation or changes to booked are subject to any applicablecancellation cancellation penalties. penalties. This is valid onlyonly through the above Expedia CruiseShipCenters location. location.

Onboard spending, and additional amenities are not included.are Fla.not Seller of TravelFla. No.Seller ST39279

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

5B

162138

YourObserver.com

6B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Stoneybrook reminisces on its 20th anniversary

R Amanda Morales

Guide dogs patiently wait their turn with their handlers.

Guide dogs help graduates gain independence

T

Area coordinator for Southeastern Guide Dogs and puppy raiser Shay Doerner with 6-month-old Rocky

ONLINE

he nine handlers graduated with a new best friend and a newfound freedom Jan. 29. Southeastern Guide Dogs hosted its 232nd graduation at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for friends and family members to support graduates who completed almost a month of training with their new guide dogs.

One graduate, Ginny Eichholz, is ready to move on to a life of new opportunities with her guide dog, Sotheby.

“This is an emotional day for most of the students because it’s a day that we gain freedom that we never had before to travel with our dogs,” Eichholz said.

Alan Rothman looks at a world map of where Stoneybrook residents hail from originally.

esidents of Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club commemorated the 20th anniversary of the community with a three-day celebration last week. The event was divided into three nights to accommodate the more than 900 residents who could take part in various festivities.

Thursday’s kick-off event included a cocktail hour while guests took a stroll down a memory lane, with photos and articles documenting the community from its start in 1995 on display. Each resident in attendance wore a name badge that also listed the year they moved into the community.

Guests also enjoyed a variety show performance by residents.

— AMANDA MORALES

— AMANDA MORALES

Watch graduates take their first steps with their new guides at YourObserver.com

Amanda Morales

Shari Burau and Pat Howlett perform on the harp and piano.

St. Armands Key Lutheran Church

• Scheduled Home Checks

40 N Adams Drive | www.saklc.com Scholar in Residence (SIR) Dr. Marcus Miller Past President of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary

• Service Vendor Monitoring

“Peace of Mind While You Are Away”

suncoastpropertycare.com •

941-928-2820

162816

162433

• Bonded and Insured

FEBRUARY THEME: Rediscovering the Nicene Creed for Our Day February 8th FEBRUARY LECTURE SESSIONS: at 9:00 & 11:00 worship 10th 10:00-11:30 “We Believe in One God” 941- 388 -1234 for further 12th 10:00-11:30 “We Believe in One Lord” Adult Forum at 10:10 15th 10:10 “We Believe in One Church” information We Believe

LOOK WHAT'S NEW ON THE MENU AT State Certified General Contractor

Sunday SCHEDULE

Rev. Dr. McConnel discusses Dietrich Bonhoffer Wednesdays 1/28-2/11 WORSHIP SERVICE 8:45 & 11:00 5:30pm ADULT BIBLE STUDY 10:00

CHAPELKIDZ 11:00

CAT CARE CLINIC

SieSta Key Chapel preSbyterian

USa

941.349.1166 www.siestakeychapel.org

4615 GLEASON AVE | 1 MILE NORTH OF SIESTA KEY VILLAGE OFF OCEAN BLVD 161200

ALSO AVAILABLE …

Low Cost Care for your Felines

921-1113

Exams, spay & neuter services, vaccines, microchips, dental cleaning

By Appointment Only - 941.366.2404

2542 17th St., Sarasota, FL 34234 • 941.366.2404 • www.catdepot.org

5330 Ashton Ct., Sarasota

492-5200 1955 So. Trail, Venice

157235

IMPACT ENERGY STAR RATED

NEW! Open to the Public

Since 1969 • www.wilson-window.com

Windward Isles 1683 Cattlemen Road

941.928.2339

vendors, crafts, raffles, bake sale & more...

Saturday, February 7th

TOP $ PAID

8:00am - 1:00pm

FOR CLASSIC AND MUSCLE CARS 162439

Coffee fellowship on deck Nursery open for 11:00 service The Rev. Dr. Kathleen Wiggins

•HURRICANE WINDOWS

100 Car Enclosed Showroom

Pancakes, eggs, sausage & more...

Italian sausage, chips & more...

1 Catamaran Drive • Sarasota, Fl 34233 100 yards West of exit 205 (Clark Rd)

161456

217 Avenida Madera - Siesta Key Village 941-706-3421 • www.beachbitessiesta.com

160289

FREE “Best Cuban anywhere” John B WIFI “No better value on the key” Deb S “Your kids will love it - Cotton candy + sno-cones” Cheryl G “I can’t believe they delivered my Reuben to the beach” Connie L

•Porch Enclosures •Parts •Repair

®

• Rescue • Adoption • Education • Resource

162442

BURRITOS and AHI TUNA TACO'S FREE BEACH DELIVERY

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

IMMEDIATE

|

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SALE

Present your BEST OFFER 1726 Questar Lane This exquisite gated estate, positioned on Sarasota Bay and close to the area’s most beautiful beach at Siesta Key, offers all the glorious amenities for a resort lifestyle.

For a limited time, this extraordinary Bayfront residence is available for immediate sale.

The property will be available for preview on:

Saturday, January 31 and February 7, 2015, 1pm-4pm Sunday, February 1 and February 8, 2015, 1pm-4 pm The owner will consider any reasonable offer.

Present your offer to Klaus Lang, or through your real estate agent.

A deposit is required. Seller will respond within 24 hours.

Closing after 30 days.

For more information on this exclusive property, or to arrange your private tour, please contact Klaus Lang.

There are places money can’t buy, for all others contact Klaus Lang.

Klaus Lang, CIPS 941.320.1223 KlausLang@michaelsaunders.com www.klauslang.com

162599

440 Gulf of Mexico Dr. | Longboat Key, FL 34228 | 941.383.7591 michaelsaunders.com

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Huntsman speaks about his international experiences, U.S. and China relations

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ormer Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman took audience members across the globe and back when sharing his experiences abroad as the U.S. ambassador to China and as a Republican Party presidential candidate hopeful in 2012. The lecture, held Monday, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, was the second in this year’s Ringling College Library Association Town Hall lecture series.

Huntsman grew up in politics and told the story of how he met former national security adviser Henry Kissinger while his father worked in the White House during the Nixon administration. He also gave his firsthand experience on how running a presidential campaign in 2012 compared with when he ran for governor of Utah.

Looking toward the future, Huntsman advised about the rise of China. He suggested that the U.S. maintain a close diplomatic relationship.

Following the lecture, Huntsman joined audience members for a luncheon and Q&A session.

(Located on south side of building).

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– AMANDA MORALES

Photos by Amanda Morales

Lou and Rosemary Oberndorf

Ann and Larry Barberding

ONLINE 90318

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Check out what’s happening

INTERCOASTAL MEDICAL GROUP

welcomes

Ricardo Gonzalez,

This Week In Sarasota!

EAT AND DRINK

MD, DDS

Behind the Bar with: Social Eatery and Bar on First Since opening its doors, Social Eatery and Bar on First has become one of the hottest spots in town to grab a bite to eat, catch up with friends and, perhaps most importantly, get a quality craft cocktail. Guests are familiar with the bar’s steady rotation of drinks …

Board Certified, Neurology Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez brings to Intercoastal Medical Group a wealth of experience in Neurology to address your medical needs from the routine to the complicated.

He has a particular interest in Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders.

READ MORE AT THISWEEKINSARASOTA.COM

Intercoastal Medical Group is a patient-focused health care provider comprised of more than 75 board certified physicians in multiple specialties dedicated to serving your health care needs.

Made: Sarasota’s almost-secret surprise

Made Restaurant opened in its current location, 1990 Main St., across from Hollywood 20, two years ago. Although not obvious to the casual consumer, the clever name is an acronym for Modern American Delicious Eats, and it aptly describes the restaurant. The shared vision between two friends, Michael Ripatranzone …

Undergraduate: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia Medical School: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia Dental School: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia Residency: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Fellowship: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.; Movement Disorders Certification: American Board of Neurology

EAT AND DRINK

READ MORE AT THISWEEKINSARASOTA.COM

VIDEO

Come at Me, Sarasota: Sarasota High School Lady Sailors softball

With area high schools gearing up for spring sports season, Alex took note of the Lady Sailors’ daily practice routine and saw it as a personal challenge. Pitching, jogging and fielding grounders — who did they think they were? Having recently watched “The Sandlot,” he felt confident enough in both his athletic abilities …

accepting new patients

READ MORE AT THISWEEKINSARASOTA.COM

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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8B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

9B

A new level reached.

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Intimately close to downtown’s finest shopping, dining, arts, culture and entertainment.

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Expect more at this level.

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ec helononpalm.com Sales Center at 624 S. Palm Avenue by appointment.

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Community features, amenities and pricing are approximate and subject to change without notice. The information and materials displayed on materials provided to you are solely intended to provide general information about proposed plans of WSR-Sarasota LLC. These proposed plans are conceptual in nature and are subject to change or cancellation (in whole or in part) at any time without notice. Land uses, public and private facilities, improvements, and plans described or depicted on any materials are conceptual only, subject to government approvals and market factors, and subject to change without notice. Nothing in these materials obligates WSR-Sarasota, LLC, or any other entity to build any facilities or improvements, and there is no guarantee that any illustrated or described proposed future development will be implemented. Neither the information and materials provided to you, nor any communication made or given in connection with and of the foregoing may be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty or may otherwise be relied upon by any person or entity for any reason whatsoever. Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

162163

AJC luncheon discusses Christian-Jewish relations

Photos by Amanda Morales

Marty Katz with Jules and Sheila Rose

T

he American Jewish Committee met for the inaugural Winter Lunch & Learn Friday, at Michael’s On East. The topic for discussion was “The Changing Face of Christianity in America and its Meaning for Christian-Jewish Relations,” featuring keynote speakers the Rev. Cynthia Campbell and Rabbi Noam Marans. After the presentations, guests were allowed to ask questions regarding the topic.

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YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

“I like the neighborhood, especially because of its natural beauty, proximity to the bay and being able to go to the library, the theater and the museum.”

— Resident Kafi Benz, who moved to the neighborhood n 1982

Lake Uplands is an natural spring-fed body of water, although it was once mistaken for a stormwater retention pond.

Neighborhood spotlight:

THE UPLANDS

USF SarasotaManatee Powel Crosley Estate

SarasotaBradenton International Airport

UPLANDS New College of Florida Ca d’Zan

41

RSIT Y UNIVEPKW Y.

Lying near the boarder of Sarasota and Manatee counties, this neighborhood is full of natural charm.

JESSICA SALMOND STAFF WRITER

T

Herb Braren designed this unique home to the specifications of the original owner: Every room had a door to the outside. It was built in 1953.

BIRDS OF PARADISE

Photos by Jessica Salmond

Lake Upland draws a variety of birds. You can see ibis, herons, pelicans and ducks in one visit. Osprey and eagle nests are also located nearby.

ucked out of sight offNorth Tamiami Trail, The Uplands is home to about 110 residents. The small community along the bay was once part of the neighboring Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores neighborhood association, but it maintains its own identity.

The original developers of The Uplands were Virginia and Augustine Thierry and Jeanette and Paul Thielen, who built their own homes on Poinciana Drive and Parkview drives in the late 1940s. One of the original homebuilders in The Uplands was Herbert Braren, who lived in one of the first homes he built in the neighborhood, on Poinciana Drive, from 1950 until his death in 2012 at the age of 101.

The neighborhood’s original houses, all built around the late 1940s, all have a similar architecture and design. The most common design is international style, although there are a few Spanishstyle homes.

The neighborhood has its own natural centerpiece: a spring-fed pond, dubbed “Lake Uplands.” It was first recognized in the 1890s, when the neighborhood was first platted, said Kafi Benz, one of The Uplands’ residents.

The seven homeowners surrounding the lake own it. They are responsible for the maintenance and landscape of the lake and the surrounding land; they all contribute to an annual fund

STREET SMART

The neighborhood’s northernmost street, Edwards Drive, is also the boundary line between Sarasota and Manatee counties. The street is named after the seventh city of Sarasota mayor, A.B. Edwards, who grew up in area.

to pay for the upkeep.

Although the lake attracts a variety of native Florida birds, three white ducks have claimed the territory as their home.

The ducks are the last line in of a family a previous neighbor brought in, Benz said. The former resident raised the ducks and set them loose on the pond. At the peak of his roost, there were 25 to 30 living there.

Besides the peaceful fresh water, the residents have a second nature hub right on the bayfront.

The narrow, 272,173-square-foot plot of parkland area to the west of the neighborhood is jointly owned by the state and New College of Florida. It used to belong to The Uplands Neighborhood Association, but the president of the association turned it over to the state when the organization became quiescent a few years ago, Benz said. But the association could be revived again soon; neighbors are meeting later this month to discuss the association’s future.

SNAPSHOT Herbert Braren, one of the original developers of The Uplands, built thousands of homes and other buildings throughout his career, including overseeing the design and construction of the Frank G. Berlin YMCA and the First Methodist Church sanctuary, education building, renovations of the historic chapel and the current chapel of officers.

Location: Between U.S. 41 and Sarasota Bay, from Edwards Drive to Parkview Drive, which overlooks the Ringling Estate.

What’s in a name? The Uplands is a tribute to the fact that the land on which the neighborhood was developed sits up to 26 feet above sea level, resident Kafi Benz said.

The northern lots on Uplands Boulevard are 14 feet above sea level, among the highest bayfront land in Sarasota.

Built in: The land was platted in the 1890s and built out in the 1940s and ’50s; most of the 110 homes are original.

Unique feature: The neighborhood is home to a private lake, which seven of the residents surrounding the lake maintain.

The lake is most notably home to a duck family, which a former resident introduced.

REAL ESTATE

12B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Field Estates home sells for $2.1 million

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

JAN. 19 - JAN. 23

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Connie Gould, of Sarasota, for $250,000. Built in 1926, it has three bedrooms, one bath and 1,018 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $27,700 in 1991.

A

home in Field Estates tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Joan Peterson, of Sarasota, sold her home at 4548 Camino Real to Kenneth and Anne Culotta, of Houston, for $2.1 million. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 5,348 square feet of living area.

Amanda Morales

This home at 4548 Camino Real has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,348 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.1 million.

SARASOTA Beau Ciel Richard Cameron sold his Unit 903 condominium at 990 Blvd. of the Arts to Eric Tennen and Polly Davis, of Sarasota, for $1,225,000. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,335 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $1,187,500 in 2013.

Portofino on the Bay Barry and Linda Holliday, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 16 condominium at 1650 Assisi Drive to Gary and Delilah Simmons, of Hixson, Tenn., for $550,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths,

two half-baths, a pool and 2,990 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $500,000 in 2012.

Sunset Towers Jennifer Kimmel, trustee, of Vacaville, Calif., sold the Unit 307 condominium at 11 Sunset Drive to Harvey and Judith Wolfson, of Sarasota, for $418,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,420 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $370,000 in 2004.

Bungalow Hill Gulf Coast Home Partners LLC sold the home at 948 Citrus Ave. to Boston Light Develop-

ers LLC for $390,000. Built in 1930, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 803 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $60,000 in 1996.

Palmer Square West Jean-Paul and Lucia Goergen, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 26 condominium at 3681 Square W. Lane to Mioko Matsusaka and Cheeko Matsusaka, of Sarasota, for $285,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,806 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $217,500 in 2011.

Sarasota Bay Park Wayne Cote, of Sarasota, sold the home at 2227 Ixora Ave. to

Shadow Lakes Nikolov Viktor and Dimitrova Veneta, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6313 Mosby Place to Thomas Keough, of Holbrook, Mass., for $250,000. Built in 1971, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,674 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $170,000 in 2009.

Gulf Gate Brian and Marlene Yost, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6426 Colonial Drive to Christopher and Joy Wiegman, of Austin, Texas, for $247,500.

Built in 1961, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,760 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $156,000 in 2010.

Monticello Larry and Shirley Rogers, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2131 Montclair Drive to Beverly Roseman, of Sarasota, for $245,000. Built in 1972, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,279 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $100,000 in 1991.

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

|

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

13B

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest city of Sarasota and Sarasota County building permits issued for the week of Jan. 19 through Jan. 23, in order of dollar amounts.

C I T Y O F SA RAS O TA ADDRESS

PERMIT

APPLICANT

AMOUNT

684 Freeling Drive

Pool/Spa

Seth Katz

$100,000

2350 Loma Linda St.

Addition

Tanya Radtke

$40,000

1931 High Point Circle

Alterations

Brad Murrell

$26,204

722 Indian Beach Lane Pool/Spa

Michelle Bennett

$24,745

1934 Bougainvillea St.

Doors

Vernon Bowen

$23,500

4804 Stevens Drive

Alterations

Carine Axelius

$20,000

1350 Main St.

Alterations

Richard Strauss

$19,975

1725 Stapleton St.

Deck

Brad Lerner

$15,000

2300 Hillview St.

Re-roof

Stuart Barger

$14,760

11 Sunset Drive Remodel Jane Conner

$12,700

SA R A S O TA CO U N T Y ADDRESS

PERMIT

APPLICANT

AMOUNT

2105 S. Brink Ave.

Photovoltaic

Geoffrey Proffitt

$376,510

5146 Sandy Beach Ave. Remodel

Lesleigh Redavid

$124,821

1408 Casey Key Road

Re-roof

Robert Kane

$93,000

508 Beach Road

Renovation

Louis Colosimo

$72,965

6841 Peacock Road

Seawall

Scott Barcomb

$70,000

354 Avenida De Paradisio

Pool/Spa Mark Gravley

$65,376

101 Whispering Remodel Robert Hofmann Sands Drive

$60,000

8636 Woodbriar Drive

$52,352

Renovation

Robert Wagner

1952 White Feather Re-roof William Pappas, trustee Lane

$39,420

4133 Losillias Drive

$38,200

Re-roof

Charles Elliott Jr.

Source: Sarasota County; city of Sarasota

Read more real estate transactions at

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

PROFIT WITH PURPOSE Harvey Vengroff seeks to raise $100 million to convert an abandoned motel into housing for the homeless.

MARK GORDON OBSERVER STAFF

S

uccessful debt collection industry executive Harvey Vengroff wasn’t sure how bad things really were when he bought an apartment complex in a gritty Sarasota neighborhood in 2000.

One telltale sign: Paramedics who arrived for emergency calls at the complex on Old Bradenton Road, weren’t allowed to exit their ambulance until two police cars arrived. One set of officers escorted the EMTs into the apartment. The other officers guarded the ambulance from would-be thieves who sought to steal medicines and supplies.

Vengroff says he used a combination of his “own guys” and law

enforcement to fix up the complex. “Now it’s clean and safe,” says Vengroff. “It’s just like any other neighborhood.”

It’s also one of multiple apartment buildings Vengroff owns in the Sarasota-Manatee area that offer mostly one- and two-bedroom units for the professional working crowd. Vengroff owns more than 1,400 apartments, part of a small empire of residential and commercial properties.

Now, at 74, Vengroff has added a new dynamic to this already colorful portfolio: He converts old motels into workforce and transitional housing for homeless people. He currently has about 300 studio apartments under this conversion model, and seeks to add hundreds more.

He doesn’t participate in federal,

Mark Wemple

Harvey Vengroff owns more than 1,400 apartment units in the Sarasota-Bradenton region. He recently started a new business line to convert rundown motels into efficiency apartments for homeless people.

state or local government housing affordability programs.

While the move sounds more like charity than real estate, and it’s certainly life-changing for many tenants, Vengroff says this is, above all else, a shrewd business move. He says he makes a profit of at least 40% on each unit he leases for $575 a month.

A waiting list of 200 prospective tenants validates the demand.

Vengroff realizes most commercial real estate developers

Daisy Cotton

stick to high-end projects. But to Vengroff, that merely means greater opportunity with his own model. “There is more money in low-end,” Vengroff says. “But nobody wants to be there.”

Vengroff wants to be there so much that he’s part of a team putting together a $100 million capital raise effort to expand the model. Area commercial real estate broker Stan Rutstein, who helps Vengroff scout and buy properties, says one avenue to raise the

funds could be through a private real estate investment trust.

Another could be through a more traditional investment fund.

The Vengroff-led team, in an investor prospectus, says it has five motels totaling 350 apartments ready for purchase and conversion. Although Rutstein declines to name specific sites, motels that fit this model, in general, are about 25-40 years old. The properties tend to need renovations and have outdoor

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entrances to rooms — a big turnoff to major hotel brands in a potential sale. Rutstein says the team is focused on Florida, for now, but would like to expand out of the state eventually.

Rutstein says the deals help a variety of sides: For starters, people in dire need of shelter get a place to live. Property owners get to cash out. Municipalities get people back on the tax rolls and off the streets. And Vengroff and his partners get a tidy profit. “We are definitely interested in finding more properties,” says Rutstein.

“The intent is to take this past (Manatee and Sarasota) counties.”

NEW MATH Sarasota-Bradenton area commercial real estate and debt collection entrepreneur Harvey Vengroff uses simple math to explain the profitability difference between the two types of apartment markets in which he’s invested. Says Vengroff: “It’s not that hard to figure out.”

There’s the standard middle market, where rents for one- or two-bedroom units start at about $800 a month. The other market, low-end, has studios that go for about $575 a month.

The apartments that get

‘A GOOD DEAL’

EXAMPLE: PAYBACK TIME

88 months

The amount of time it would take for you to recoup your investment if you invest $70,000 in an apartment and charge $800 a month for rent.

ties and cable TV. Says Vengroff: “It’s a good deal when the alternative is living in your car.”

Vengroff has added amenities to the complexes, including a pool, and he tries to install a sense of community. There are Saturday night potluck dinners, yoga classes three times a week and, coming soon, a hydroponic vegetable garden. Vengroff provides nighttime security for the buildings and residents aren’t allowed to drink alcohol or use drugs. “We try to keep it clean and safe,” says Vengroff.

Frame It Up 924-6656 924-6656

Gulf Gate Village

A successful tenant, in return, will do more than pay rent. He or she will also get and maintain employment, something Vengroff’s team monitors the oldfashioned way: His people knock on doors at 8 a.m. to roust anyone in bed. “If they are not out there working we will take them out to places with help wanted signs,” says Vengroff. “If they don’t want to work, they can’t stay here.”

Tenants come mostly from local nonprofits, such as the Salvation Army and Jewish Family & Children’s Services. Those orga-

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someone told me the only way to make money and keep it is in real estate or oil wells.

I don’t know much about oil wells.

— Harvey Vengroff

‘Harvey is filling a niche. I’m unaware of anyone else doing anything like this.’

— Jon Thaxton, former Sarasota County commissioner, now director of community investment for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation

convince cautious or cynical investors that it’s a viable strategy. “It’s a model that’s young and untested,” Rutstein says. “It hasn’t exploded — yet.”

Vengroff has little doubt it will soon, and in the meantime he combines profit with purpose.

“It’s kind of cool to help people,” he says. “The challenge is all the people you can’t help. That’s disheartening.”

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EXPLORING NATURE’S BEAUTY

162415

Stop By Our Fresh Cut Flower Shop on your way to the National Cemetery

161486

162575

6578 Ave. 6578 Superior Superior Ave.

The amount of time it would take to recoup your investment if you invest $20,000 in an apartment and charge $575 a month for rent.

A long time ago

WILD WEST

Vengroff has been in business in some form since the 1960s, when he ran a janitorial services business on Long Island, N.Y. His first office was 300 square feet.

A client ran up a $35,000 tab of unpaid bills, and the cumbersome process of tracking down the money led Vengroff to pursue a new venture in 1963, in debt collections. The early days of the industry, more than a decade before the 1977 federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act passed, were the Wild West. That’s why Vengroff usually brought along his Great Dane on collection calls.

Vengroff eventually shifted his focus to real estate, and he also relocated to the Sarasota area.

In addition to his large portfolio of apartments, Vengroff has owned multiple commercial real estate properties in the SarasotaManatee region, including several industrial buildings.

“A long time ago someone told me the only way to make money and keep it is in real estate or oil wells,” says Vengroff. “I don’t know much about oil wells.”

So Vengroff forges ahead with his latest ambitious real estate project. Rutstein says one challenge, in terms of rapid expansion of the model, is the sheer novelty.

That could make it difficult to

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nizations help find tenants with the best chance of succeeding in the apartments. “Harvey is filling a niche,” says former Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, who is now director of community investment for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and helps on the tenant side of Vengroff’s model. “I’m unaware of anyone else doing anything like this.”

1635394 1635394

Vengroff currently operates three former motels on U.S. 41 between downtown Sarasota and downtown Bradenton under the conversion model. One is University Row Apartments, a building with 120 units on the Manatee County side of 41, near the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus. Vengroff has owned that building for seven years, and in addition to apartments there’s also office space that houses employees for his debt collection business, Vengroff Williams.

Another building in the conversion portfolio, the most recent addition, is the former Sarasota Airport Hotel, with 117 units.

Vengroff paid $2.25 million for that building, on the Sarasota County side of 41, in September, according to county records.

That’s about $19,000 a unit.

The converted apartments, with kitchens and bathrooms, are about 300 square feet; these are former motel rooms, after all. The $575 monthly rent includes utili-

$800 a month cost Vengroff, on average, $70,000 each to buy.

The ones that get $575 cost about $20,000 each.

Renovation costs differ for each project, but are sometimes more in low-end.

Low-end, therefore, is the more profitable market, by far — given he gets a good deal. “You have to be careful with the price per unit,” says commercial real estate broker Stan Rutstein, who helps Vengroff scout and buy properties. “The keynote to this it to buy at the right price.”

|

16B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

#1 Agent in the Siesta Key Office for 24 years!

Vibrant Downtown Living Move In Ready-Siesta Key Protected Sailboat Water OPE

1330 Main St. #7,Orange Blossom Tower

Betsy

de MANIO

Realtor®

office: 941-349-2922 cell: 941-914-5540 betsy@betsydemanio.com

     

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate 5145 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, FL

. 1-4 N SUN

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1214 Sea Plume Way

5821 Riegels Harbor Rd., Siesta Key

 Canal front home, no bridges to the Bay!  Only 1 block to delightful Crescent Beach!  Totally remodeled pool home in quiet neighborhood  New kitchen, new metal roof, new flooring  3 BR/3BA, 3684 sq. ft, 2 garages and elevator  10,000 pound boat lift on private dock

Stunning views of Downtown and Sarasota Bay 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, 3,954 sq. ft. in historic building Private entry lobby & concierge service Pet friendly; 2 Secured parking spaces Sophisticated elegance in downtown cultural district www.OrangeBlossom7.com $1,799,000 MLS # A4103189

Just ½ mile to the white sands of Siesta Beach  Directly off the Intracoastal Waterway  3 generous bedrooms plus a den, 2,465 sq. ft.  Tranquil harbor views from most rooms  2nd story wraparound balcony overlooks the pool  Ground level 28’x15’ Bonus room opens to pool  Gated boating community of Riegels Landing $1,200,000 MLS# A4112028

$1,200,000 MLS# A4109444

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4416 Golden Lake Drive McIntosh Lake Subdivision - 2,461 Sq. ft. living area.

Model-like split 4 bedroom (2 suites), 3 bath home in a community with deed restrictions. Wood floors, elevated ceilings, private caged pool.

$429,000

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 1-4PM

The Villas at Eagle’s Point

The Landings 1705 Starling Drive Rarely available Townhouse Villa with private preserve views. Totally updated, tastefully remodeled 3 bedroom (main floor master) 2½ bath with 2,172 sq. ft. living area plus an oversized double garage and screened lanai.

$599,000 Furnished

Ron Stahl 941.374.1671

Island Style Luxury Beach Home

Ron Stahl Realty

rstahlrlty@aol.com

Everything You Want In A Siesta Key Condo!

417 Island Circle

MLS#A4105232 $995,000

1350 Siesta Bayside Drive, #1350-B

4 bedroom, 3 ½ bath pool home with a versatile open floor-plan, close to the beach! Outdoor living at it’s finest. Immaculately maintained and upgraded throughout, beautifully landscaped. Easily rentable beach house offers luxurious space for vacationing families. Separate owners quarters. Great rental history

Call The Boerner Team Annemarie Boerner Broker Associate 941.350.9408 Annemarie.Waterside@comcast.net

Ali Murphy, Realtor® 941.228.3099

Joseph Boerner ® Realtor

941.726.1723 JM.Boerner513@gmail.com

5140 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key

Key West style three bedroom, two bath, turnkey furnished condo with garage.

Meticulousley maintained beautifully furnished.

MLS#A4110033 $589,000

ali@argusmgmt.com

Argus Realty

Walter Hammerling, Licensed Real Estate Broker 2477 Stickney Pt. Rd. Ste.118A Sarasota, FL 34231

Stephanie Church Stephanie Church 941.724.5448 941.724.5448

StephanieChurch@michaelsaunders.com StephanieChurch@michaelsaunders.com

1320 POINT CRISP RD., SARASOTA 1425 Westway Road, Sarasota

AnDiscover icon of contemporary style with a stunning island location, an exclusive waterfront lifestyle, beautifully poised on Siesta this was Keycaptivating within the onlythree-story, gated Gulf front pre-construction community in Sarasota.residence This oversized masterfully designed byMexico award-winning architect, lot rests between the Gulf of and tranquil Heron Lagoon Jonathan Parks, be frontage. skillfullyThe brought toClub life residents by luxury builder, with 89and feet will of water Sanderling enjoy deededCustom beach access, private cabanas hugging the shores of the Gulf, a Modus Residences.

www.StephanieChurch.com www.StephanieChurch.com

A stunning expression of contemporary waterfront living, Positioned on Westway Drive, arguably the most prestigious address in this 2006 custom-built masterpiece exudes luxurious Sarasota, this expansive level grassed lot features an impressive 96 feet coastal style. an exclusive of waterBeautifully frontage, with positioned sweeping viewswithin over thePoint Gulf ofCrisp, Mexico and New residential area on aSiesta Key, the tranquil setting Pass. In addition to thelocated new seawall, boat dock is already permitted and can be customized to meet your watercraft needs, while private deeded and unites complete privacy with breathtaking, full views beach access invites to relax onBay. the pristine sands of Lido Beach. direct access toyou Sarasota

15 slip bayside marina, three tennis courts and a vibrant social calendar.

MLS# A3986618 $2,000,000

MLS#4113188 $3,750,000

www.facebook.com/srqrealestateagent www.facebook.com/srqrealestateagent

MLS# A3993117 $2,800,000

MLS#A3989653 $2,999,900

162629

305 FRANKLIN 7445BENJAMIN Sanderling Road, SarasotaDR., SARASOTA

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

NEW LISTING

4087 Higel Ave

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

17B

recently sold

$3,765,000 8254 Roseburn Court

$2,000,000 449 Canal Road

$1,295,000

Gulf-front estate, panoramic Gulf views, gated 2/3 acre compound, 4 beds/3.5 baths, Selby-like gardens, heated Gulf-front pool, seawall.

Exquisite custom home, unparalleled quality and finishes, built in 2006.

Lakefront estate lot in gated golf community, 5 beds/5 baths, office.

Siesta Key waterfront townhome, 3 beds/3 baths/2-car garage.

Great rental history. Wood floors, boat dock, private pool.

OPEN HOUSE SUN 1-4PM

OPEN HOUSE SUN 1-4PM

SOLD

458 Island Circle

|

$1,225,000 526 Treasure Boat Way

Siesta Key beauty, 2 blocks to Siesta Beach, built in 2005, 4 beds/3.5 baths, hardwood floors, pool and boat dock.

$789,000 742 Shadow Bay Way

Siesta Key canal-front home, oversized fenced corner lot, metal roof bamboo floors, solar heated pool, large pool deck and a boat dock.

Top producer on SieSTa Key - premier SoTheby’S inTernaTional realTy a leader in SaraSoTa reSidenTial SaleS VoTed SaraSoTa magazine’S FiVe STar agenT “beST in clienT SaTiSFacTion” 8 yearS in a row Specializing in luxury marKeTing and negoTiaTion diScreeT conSulTaTionS

lp $695,000 Spacious custom executive lakefront home, 4 beds/3 baths, office, large lanai, heated pool, close to Pine View School.

778 Siesta Drive 7508 Midnight Pass Road 13211 Palmers Creek Terrace 3147 Founders Club 7251 Plovers Way 8015 Midnight Pass Road 452 Canal Road 5415 Azure Way 5353 Cape Leyte Drive 4568 Woodside Road 7220 Proctor Road 222 Osprey Point Drive 631 Waterside Way 5348 Shadow Lawn Drive 1529 Key Royale Drive 662 Fernwalk Lane 10 Lands End Lane 757 Siesta Key Circle 5770 Midnight Pass Road, 502 742 Shadow Bay Way 3288 Alex Findlay Place

941.479.3880

Judie Berger

PA, ABR, GRI

Judie.Berger@SothebysRealty.com

HOMESOFSARASOTA.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.

Property information herein is derived from various sources including but not limited to county records and the multiple listing service, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

West of the Trail Vintage Charm!

Y A D N U OPEN-S 1 4 pm

Successfully Selling Sunsets & Waterfront

3657 San Remo Terrace OPEN HOUSE 1/18 from 1-4

$4,390,000

1715 Prospect Street

4 Bedrooms, 2 full and 2 half baths, 3310 Sq Ft ·· Expanded and remodeled in 2001 kitchen, Thermador gas range, ample cabinets ·· Gourmet dining, family room, den and office 8’ x 24’ Front porch ·· Living, x 23’ Screened back porch with built-in kitchen lagoon style pool/spa with waterfalls ·· 14’Heated Close to sought after Southside School, Southside Village and Morton’s Market MLS A4105900

$869,000

etsy

Anthony Aveni, PA

Realtor®

office: 941-349-2922 cell: 941-914-5540 betsy@betsydemanio.com

$549,000

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 5145 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, FL

office: 941-349-2922 cell: 941-504-1194 tony.aveni@floridamoves.com

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Owned and Operated by NRT,LLC

Like UsUs on Facebook!

Like Voted “Best Social Media Initiative”

on Facebook!

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LEMON BAY ESTATES, VENICE

$2,497,000

Laura Pearson Sales Associate

941.993.5167 laura.pearson@sothebysrealty.com laurapearson.premiumsothebysrealty.com Sotheby’s International Realty® and Sotheby’s International logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity Property information herein is derived from various sources including but not limited to county records and the multiple listing service, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

162634

B de MANIO

4822 Ocean Blvd., SIESTA TOWERS, SIESTA KEY

18B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Over one-half billion dollars in career sales

Ogilvie

Kim & Michael

Quiet resolve. Remarkable results.

• Precise target marketing • Unrivaled market knowledge • Strategic international exposure

941.376.1717 • www.SarasotaFineHomes.com • KimOgilvie@michaelsaunders.com 1801 Main Street • Sarasota, Florida 34236

941.376.1717

BRAND NEW KEY WEST STYLE HOME

Located on Siesta Key’s boating waterfront, close to the white sand Beaches and The Village, this home approaches 4,000 sq. ft with 4 BR, 4 BA and a 4 car garage. Terrific open and expansive Great Room floor plan. All concrete construction, metal roof, PGT hurricane rated windows, tray ceilings, Lutron lighting system, spray foam insulation, salt filtrated pool with jetted sun shelf surrounded by a pavered patio. Fire pit, new seawall cap and dock. $ 1,650,000

www.SarasotaFineHomes.com

KimOgilvie@michaelsaunders.com 1801 Main Street Sarasota, Florida 34236

ISLAND LIVING AT ITS BEST

Canal front home just a short distance to Siesta Key Village and the beach.

One level home with heart pine floors, tongue-n-groove Pecky Cypress ceilings, open floor plan, living room with wood burning fireplace, TV/Family room overlooking the screened pool area. Master bedroom suite with canal views, French doors to back lanai and totally fenced yard with storage room.

Spacious guest bedrooms with one overlooking pool and gardens. Solar heated pool. Two car garage. $795,000

Our Team Work ... Makes Your Dream Work

Kyle Henson Team

January 2015

Kyle: 941.320.0887 Terri: 941.320.5517 Lauren: 941.807.1261 Glenda: 941.224 .0032 Jeremiah: 941.400.8667

Top Listing Associate in Units and Volume

Top Selling Associate in Volume

Helene Hyland 941.685.2274

Greg Hudson 941.302.1485

Top Selling Associate in Units

Top Closing Associate in Volume and Units

Jo Dawn Martin 1.352.598.9201

Greg Hudson 941.302.1485

team.henson@gmail.com www.floridamoves.com/kyle.henson en Op day n Su 1-4 8304 Grand Estuary Trail, #104, River Strand 3BR/2BA/2CG. $248,900

en Op day n Su 1-4

Virtual Tour by Texting 89943 to 35620 1536 Hickory View Circle, Rivers Reach 3BR/2½BA/3CG. $339,000

en Op day n Su 1-4

Virtual Tour by Texting 89444 to 35620

Contact Kerry Langman at 941.705.5073

16809 Destrehen Court, Rivers Reach 3BR/2BA/CG. $248,900

16418 Rivers Reach Blvd., Rivers Reach 3BR/2BA/3CG. $259,900

Virtual Tour by Texting 89442 to 35620 13611 Glossy Ibis Place, Greenbrook Village 4BR/3½BA/2CG $399,900

Virtual Tour by Texting 89441 to 35620 5032 Newport News Circle, Central Park 3BR/2BA/2CG. $264,900

nt ca Va ot L

LE SA DING EN

P

Virtual Tour by Texting 89445 to 35620 3407 155th Ave., Twin Rivers .67 acre lot $99,900

4637 72nd Court East, Creekwood 3BR/2BA. $194,900

Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate/Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of the company.©2015 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 and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC.

NMLS #261859

Andrea L. Files Senior Loan Originator Appy online at: www.sunbeltlending.com/AndreaFiles-Manatee Office:941.747.9648 Direct: 941.243.9914 Toll Free Fax: 888.883.9507 email: afiles@sunbeltlending.com

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE 5145 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34242 | 941.349.4411 | FloridaMoves.com

©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company.

Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. 6537FL_1/13

Your real estate professional is not a mortgage lender. Please contact your Loan Officer for information about mortgage products and your eligibility for home financing.

Financing provided by PHH Home Loans, LLC d/b/a Sunbelt Lending Services. All rights reserved. Sunbelt Lending Services, 300 South Park Place Boulevard, Suite 150, Clearwater, FL 33759 NMLS # 4256 PHH Home Loans, LLC, One Mortgage Way, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

162604

Mortgage Amortization Table Monthly Payments per $1,000.

%RATE

5-YEARS

3.0

17.97

3.5

10-YEARS

15-YEARS

20-YEARS

25-YEARS

30-YEARS

9.66

6.91

5.55

4.74

4.22

18.19

9.89

7.15

5.80

5.01

4.49

4.0

18.42

10.12

7.40

6.06

5.28

4.77

4.5

18.64

10.36

7.65

6.33

5.56

5.07

5.0

18.87

10.61

7.91

6.60

5.85

5.37

5.5

19.10

10.85

8.17

6.88

6.14

5.68

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

High: 67 Low: 48 Chance of rain: 100%

WE AT HER

19B

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SUNRISE / SUNSET

THURSDAY, FEB. 5

FRIDAY, FEB. 6 High: 71 Low: 49 Chance of rain: 0%

|

Sunrise

Sunset

Thursday, Feb. 5

7:15a

6:14p

Friday, Feb. 6

7:14a

6:15p

Saturday, Feb. 7

7:14a

6:16p

Sunday, Feb. 8

7:13a

6:16p

Monday, Feb. 9

7:12a

6:17p

Tuesday, Feb. 10

7:12a

6:18p

Wednesday, Feb. 11

7:11a

6:19p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, FEB. 7 High: 73 Low: 52 Chance of rain: 0%

Feb. 11 Last

High: 75 Low: 55 Chance of rain: 0%

Visit YourObserver.com to submit your local weather or nature-related photos. Each weekly winner will be entered into a monthly drawing for a $25 gift card. One grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 flooring makeover, to be announced in October.* *Grand prize winner must own a home in Sarasota or Manatee counties.

ONLINE

Enter your photos and see all the winning photos

at YourObserver.com/weather and by visiting The Observer’s Facebook page

Feb. 25 First

March 5 Full

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, FEB. 8 Claudia Daniels submitted this photo of two great blue herons, taken at the Venice Rookery.

Feb. 18 New

Wednesday, Jan. 28

0.00

Thursday, Jan. 29

0.00

Friday, Jan. 30

0.00

Saturday, Jan. 31

0.00

Sunday, Feb. 1

0.00

Monday, Feb. 2

0.20

Tuesday, Feb. 3

0.00

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2015 1.27 in.

2015 0.20 in.

2014 2.11 in.

2014 0.01 in.

4551 N. Washington Blvd.,Sarasota • 941.355.8437 2510 1st Street W., Bradenton • 941.748.4679 1734 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice • 941.493.7441

CROSSWORD

Awarded 2014 National MOHAWK Dealer of the Year!

CRYPTOQUIZ

POINT TAKEN by Jessica C. Crawford 112 Catcher’s need 113 “___ as good a time as any” 116 Owl noises 118 Temporary period 122 Not aboveboard 126 Part of the brain 128 Tire mishap 129 Spine-tinglingly weird 130 Arrival island for many 131 Trouble spot for Indiana Jones 132 Forms an opinion 133 Corn-chip dip

DOWN

©2015 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

35 Story with bite 38 Moisten, as a roast 1 Capo’s group 40 “If ___ told you once ...”

6 Pasta, potatoes and such 43 Bro or 18-Down, e.g.

11 Swimmers’ woes 45 “Long ___ ...”

19 “Dynasty” actress Linda 46 Temporary paper cur20 Garlicky garnish rency 21 Swallow routes 48 Earth, air, fire or water, 22 Common tablet PC e.g. feature 51 Rock with value 24 Waterproof roof joints 52 Bodybuilder’s exercise 25 Architectural band 54 ___ Bell (fast-food 26 ___ Arabia chain) 28 Jack and Jill’s carryall 55 Respect for others’ 29 Island near Java beliefs 30 Make fun of 57 Come up again 32 Examine, as evidence

59 Opposite of apex 62 Grand ___ (vintage) 63 Better suited 64 Refuse receptacle 66 Assessor 68 Like Scrooge McDuck 70 ___ carotene 71 Facial flaw 74 Drive-___ window 75 Producing an effect 78 “___ Man” (Village People hit) 79 Fishing nets 82 Civil War general 83 “Born in the ___” (Springsteen tune)

www.manasotaonline.com

154722

a a reflection reflection of of nature’s nature’s beauty beauty

1 “I never ___ man I didn’t like” 2 The Bard’s river 3 Goat-legged deity 4 Demons that prey upon sleepers 5 Masonry stones 6 Desert growths 7 Balloon’s filling 8 Some reddish deer 9 Sounds from a flock 10 Curve in and out 11 Amazon zapper 12 “... and make it fast!”

13 Santa ___, California 14 Sap-sucking insect genus 15 Hotdog topper, sometimes 16 Harrison in “Star Wars” 17 Breakfast item 18 Sibling, in brief 23 Cull 86 Vacation memento 24 “Jaws” sighting 88 Have a funny feeling 27 Two-person fight 89 Next life 31 Malayan island 91 Unwritten test 33 Ones leading the pack 93 ___ good example 34 Toyota model 94 Cause wonder 35 Pelvic bones 95 Small hairpieces 36 Fevers with chills 98 Tiniest bits 37 Leaders of movements 100 Radiation dosage 38 Antacid, for short 101 Fold, spindle or mutilate 39 Having no feet 102 Air pressure meas.

41 Soft palate 103 Overturn or overthrow 42 Hurricane heading, 105 Gentlemen (Abbr.) sometimes 107 “Answer, please” 44 Distrustful (Abbr.)

47 Bled in the laundry 110 Cook’s covering 49 “... yadda, yadda,

yadda” 50 Bad-mouths 53 Swiss canton or its capital 56 Mimicries 58 Knocking noise 60 Agendum, e.g.

61 Amend, as an atlas section 65 Actress Fabray, for short 67 With money to burn 69 “___ your call” 72 Guaranteed winner 73 Drag race participant 75 Old Irish memorial inscription 76 Period before a conflict 77 Ballerina’s skirts 80 “Steer” anagram 81 Parts of a baseball 84 Old photo tone 85 “___ we having fun yet?”

87 Bran type 90 Affected dandy 92 Thin plate or layer 96 Continental currency 97 Parodied 99 Colonizes 104 Main dish 106 “A Streetcar Named Desire” role 108 Sweater style 109 ___-cochere (carriage entrance) 111 Impressive degree 112 Pesky arachnids 114 Defeat a la Ali 115 Mumbai dress 117 In need of a massage 119 Bagel kin 120 Large wading bird 121 Clifflike, flat-topped elevation 122 ___ and downs 123 Her life is in order?

124 Modern evidence 125 Tennis court divider 127 “Bus” or “rod” starter

Each of the following cryptograms is a clue to the identity of a renowned dancer.

Using the hints A=E and C=R, decipher the clues to name the dancer.

1. H U F A C B 2. K G C U B O K X A 3. K X W Q A H B A R Q C E 4. H E J X A X A E D C E L 5. M G O Q A G U N R A This dancer has been called the “Picasso of Dance”:

SUDOKU

Solve the puzzle by placing the numbers 1 through 9 in each row, column and box.

Difficulty: Hard

02-05-15

CLASSIFIEDS

Thursday, FEBRUARY DATE, 2015 5, 2015

The Sarasota Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in The Sarasota Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Items Under $200 For Sale 27" GE TV & stand $50. Excellent condition. Sam 941-922-4572. Located Three Oaks in Sarasota 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.

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Consignments RITA’S ATTIC Consign your furniture with me and browse my store.

5777 Beneva Rd. (Beneva-Clark Plaza) 941-468-5995

Flooring

COMPUTER: DELL, Dual Core, refurbished, $80, 941-756-6728.

DESK W/CREDENZA: neutral and gray, bought at Office Depot, great condition, $80 O/B/O. 941-966-6743.

HP PRINTER/ Scanner/ Copier, Dell 17" flat monitor, keyboard, mouse, excellent cond. $40.

941-966-4875.

ROWING MACHINE: Stamina "in-Motion", used once, 5 resistance levels, $75, (941) 343-3034.

DESK: SOLID white washed oak executive desk, $175 o/b/o. (386) 447−7273.

ANTIQUE COUCH from Vermont. Comfortable and in excellent condition, $180. (941) 924−5093.

ENGINE HOIST: 2 1/4 ton engine, fifth wheel hitch hoist, $195. (941)258−3310 rgregg@yahoo.com

Antiques/Collectibles PURCHASING EAMES, Knoll, Danish, Dunbar, Evans, Laverne, Nakashima, Parzinger furniture, glass, pottery and designer clothing. Tommy McDonnell 772-643-3209.

STEFF’S STUFF CONSIGNMENT Longboat Key - 5380 Gulf of Mexico Dr. 941-383-1901 steffstufflbk.com

Autos For Sale Hawley Motors II 5741 Pinkney Ave. 941-312-5890 www.hawleybudgetcars.com 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 ST, reg. CAB, 8’ bed, 3.7 V6, $13988 2002 Lexus RX300 locally owned and maintained, clean Car Fax reduced, $7988 2005 VW Beetle GLS TDI, turbo diesel, 5 speed, 45MPG, power windows/locks, sunroof, REDUCED, $7988 2007 Hyundai Azera Limted, one owner, local car clean Car Fax, 26K/miles, $10988 2011 Kia Forte EX, only 56K miles, clean Car fax, like new REDUCED, $9988 2009 Scion xD, hatchback, 65K/miles, new tires, clean, $9988 2001 BMW Z3 2.5 Convertible, 1 owner, Florida car, $7988 1999 Isuzu Trooper S 4X4, great condition, 1 owner, clean Car Fax, Florida vehicle, only $4988 1993 Mazda MX5 Miata, 1 owner, locally owned, 97K/miles, only $4988 2003 Buick LeSabre Custom, leather, only 72K/miles, clean, $5988 2005 Lexus ES330, like new, just serviced $10988 2006 Nissan Altima, 76K miles, well kept, leather, $8988 2004 Lexus ES330, Florida car, clean Car Fax, $9988 Hawley Motors Over 32 Years in Business Sarasota’s Oldest Dealership Financing Available Cars Wanted - We Buy Cars!

Autos Wanted GOTTA CAR You Wanna Sell?

The good, the bad, or the ugly.

Call now!

727-400-1910.

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

Help Wanted

Open House

BADGER BOB'S Services is seeking New Construction HVAC installation helpers, Residential HVAC Installers, and Qualified HVAC estimators.

Badger Bob's Services offers a very attractive benefits package and the pay scale is dependent on your qualifications. All positions will require a valid Drivers License, the passing of a background check and drug test. If you’re ready to come work for a growing industry leader then please send your resume to info@badgerbobs.com. Qualified candidates will be contacted in short order.

“SHORT STORIES”

HAIR DRESSER: Experienced for busy retirement home. Part-time. Clark/Beneva area. Must have Florida license. 941-918-8805.

Chest Freezer: Small, GE, white. Runs perfectly. $115.00 941-266-7231 COMPUTER MONITOR 19" screen, H.P., $25.

Keyboard, for desk top computer, $20.

941-932-5595.

LV9433

INFO & RATES: 941-955-4888 • Fax: 941-362-4808 • EMAIL: classified@yourobserver.com • ONLINE: classifieds.yourobserver.com HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm • DEADLINES: Classifieds - Tuesday at Noon • Service Directory - Friday at 3pm • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

WE’RE NOT YOUR ORDINARY FLOORING INSTALLERS! We are more. We have multiple crews with over 20 years experience to master your tile and wood flooring installation. We specialize in tile that looks like wood, offset, patterns, and more. Call us.

You won’t regret it. Fully Licensed and Insured.

Joe Davis, 941.929.3000.

Furnishings BRAND NEW Serta Queen Pillowtop Mattress Set. Willing to sacrifice for $150. Need to sell quickly!

(941)387-4810.

CHINESE ORIENTAL: 13’x9’, medium rose, 70 years old, original fringe, medium condition, $500 fixed price. 941-379-3323.

Garage/Moving/Estate Sales COMMUNITY SALE Saturday, Feb. 7th - 8am-12noon Woodside South Clubhouse 7100 Bright Creek off Bispham between 41 & Gulf Gate COMMUNITY SALE: Saturday, February 7, 8a.m.-2p.m. Glen Oaks Estates. Beneva, just south of 12th Street.

THREE FAMILY Garage Sale: Saturday, February 7th - 8a.m.-2p.m., 660 Clear Creek Drive (Woodlands at Rivendell, off Old Venice Rd., Osprey). Computer desk, stereo and computer speakers, men’s roller blades, Tigger phone, women’s skis, Haviland china, antiques, much more!

TAMMIE’S PATIO BOUTIQUE Showroom Manager Sales Associates (experience in retail sales a must) Administrative Assistant (computer skills required) For consideration, please send resume to: Email: tammie@tammiespatio.com TRADE FREE rent and utilities in exchange for P/T CNA/companion care. Home on water, Siesta Key. Call for details. 941-685-9940 or 941-349-2460.

Commercial Property For Rent

2BR/2BA DOWNTOWN Sarasota, 1350 Main.

Views of bay. Fully Furnished. Pool, gym, concierge, parking space. $2800 annual.

941-383-1802 TREE-HOUSE CONDO Gem. Sarasota School of Architecture designed, quiet “old Florida” woodsy, pet-friendly community between Tamiami Trail and Casey Key, home to numerous artists. Open, light, remodeled, upgraded 1BR/1BA w/soaring ceilings, carport, storage, many amenities. Turnkey $128,000. Carolyn Kenney, MICHAEL SAUNDERS & COMPANY. 941-223-7111 or 941-966-8000.

Condos For Sale FREE! What every Real Estate buyer or seller needs to know!

Go to: www.yourmarketupdate.com VILLA, CENTRALLY located 55+ community. 1425 SF, 2BR/2BA + carport. 1st Floor, W/D, pool, club house, newer central A/C, upgrades. Close to bus, shopping and walking trail. Water, sewer, cable, pest control included in monthly maintenance.

Small pet ok. $130,000. Serious inquires only.

941-373-5770.

GUITAR: VINTAGE, Yamaha FG331. Original case.

Like new. $385 o/b/o. 765-517-1693.

Pools/Spas

Homes For Sale

Personals *ADOPTION*: ART Classes to Zoo Trips & Everything in Between, 1st baby will be our King/Queen.

FLBar 42311. 1-800-552-0045.

Expenses paid. *Uma & Darren* WANTED! NEED someone dependable to drive me to Doctor’s Hospital at 4:00 am on 3/9! Details, call 941-952-1097.

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

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

Business Opportunities JAN PRO CLEANING FRANCHISE: $950 Down Required, Financing Available for growth, Includes customers. Earn up to $10,000 Month+.

Call 941-907-8141.

SIESTA KEY Condo: 1BR, furnished, walk to beach, shopping, restaurants. Pool, laundry, on ground floor. Two week minimum. May through mid-December. $500/wk or $1500/mo. Also available for April 16, 2016. No pets. Steve 586-883-3392.

SIESTA KEY: waterfront, 2BR/2BA, pet friendly, walk to Shell Beach, with dock. $3000/mo.

941-232-9959.

THE TERRACE CONDO: Siesta Village, on beach with pool, 1BR/1BA, minimum 3/months. No pets.

References. All deposits. $4000/mo. 941-232-6669 or 941-232-9959.

This week’s Cryptoquiz answers

DIRECT BAYFRONT PELICAN COVE HA263− SARASOTA 2,396 s.f. 3BR/2.5BA/DEN condo, huge glassed lanai, cathedral ceilings, clerestory windows, light & bright. Steps to pool and boat harbor. Joe Cleary RE/MAX Alliance Group (941) 650−8485 www.pelicancovesales.com

Events

DIPLOMAT BEACH RESORT 3155 Gulf of Mexico Dr. Daily, Weekly, Monthly Rentals Fully Furnished Studio, 1BR & 2BR Units All direct beachfront with full kitchens, large heated pool and lounge area to enjoy beach and sunset views.

Please contact our office at: 941-383-3791 or online at: www.diplomatresort.net

1) Modern, 2) Chronicle, 3) Clytemnestra, 4) Maple Leaf Rag, 5) White House, Martha Graham

Motor Homes/RVs

WANTED: TICKETS (2) to Alvin Ailey Dance Van Wezel, Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Phone 941-342-2853

Vacation/Seasonal Rentals

Classified Ads Bring Results 941-955-4888

COINS, STAMPS, GOLD & SILVER WANTED. Paying Spot on Gold Bullion. IMMEDIATE PAYMENT. Suncoast Stamp Company, 8520 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-921-9761

HOT TUB with lounger, never used, maintenance free cabinet, 110 or 220 volt, can deliver, $1895.

941-462-0633.

$779,431 941-321-8848 Jerry Cunningham Jr. KW Realty - shortstoryes@gmail.com

Condos/Apts. For Rent

CASH FOR Old Military Items. Swords, uniforms, insignia & old guns. Call 941-416-3280.

Musical Instruments

Kitchens by Kerrie Designer This home has top-of-line appliances with open floor plan. Split 5 bedrooms for kids, in-laws or privacy with home office. Pool and Bay access.

Mint condition, newly restored with warm inviting colors

RETAIL 850/SQ.FT.: $1100/mo. (triple net).

2083 Siesta Dr. Call Fred, 941-922-3428.

Merchandise Wanted

PARK MODEL Trailer. Located in Windward Isle RV Park, Sarasota. Call 330-573-3210 for details.

1843 Caribbean Drive West of The Trail Open Friday and Sunday - 1p.m.-3p.m.

This week’s Sudoku answers

840 TARAWITT DR., LBK Spectacular waterfront views.

Protected dock. $1,239,000. www.tarawittdrive.com Take a look!

941-650-9761 TRUE 4BR+DEN, 3BA/2.5CG, Built 2006.

Accented with pillars, crown moulding, landscaping, granite. $350,000. Brooke O’Malley, CLUB REALTY 941-726-2677

This week’s Crossword answers

WEST OF Trail. One level, near Selby with Community Boat Dock. 3BR/3BA, pool. Potential Mother-in-Law. $1,200,000. *Up to $12,000 Buyer Rebate. Call Brooke O’Malley, CLUB REALTY 941-726-2677.

EAST COUNTY

D L O SObserver

Observer LONGBOAT

955.4888

SARASOTA

Observer

www.yourobserver.com

2015

THE SARASOTA OBSERVER/PE YourObserver.com Thursday, February 5, 2015

Classifieds 17B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

www.yourobserver.com

|

21B

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Adult Care Services

Air Conditioning

Cleaning

Painting/Wallpapering

CAREGIVER, F/T, Spanish & Italian. Live-in, Sunday through Friday, 10 years experience. Studied geriatrics, gourmet chef, cleans, irons. Norma Morales 941-536-6174, 786-333-9280.

GULFSIDE A/C & Heating, LLC. SALES & SERVICE, FREE ESTIMATES! 10 MINUTE RESPONSE. Visa/MC/Disc. Lic. #CAC1816929 941-962-6863.

RESIDENTIAL CLEANING. 10 Years Experience.

Reliable. Dependable. Professional. Friendly Service. Call 860-333-4574.

Auto Transport

SUPERWOMEN CLEANING SERVICES. Homes & Offices. Call Ana Miras: 941-536-6174, Sarasota FL.

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

PARKINSON’S LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT is a program based on exercise to help manage the disease. I have an MS degree in Exercise Science and certified in Parkinsons Community Exercise from Ohio health hospitals. 941-685-1144.

Excellent References.

PERSONALIZED INDIVIDUAL CARE IN YOUR HOME. Offering non-medical and medical care developed and designed for your wants and needs. Includes: Homemaking, errands, doctor’s visits, transportation, meal prep in conjunction with special dietary needs & medication supervision (plus so much more). For more details call 941.377.4465 or visit our website at www.EldercareSarasota.com or E-mail us at: EldercareSRQ@aol.com. Lic# 30211372, Bonded and Insured.

Carpentry RON VOIT CONSTRUCTION L.L.C. Comm/Res. Room Additions. Interior Renovations. Kitchen and Bath Remodeling. Door and Window Replacement.

Rotted Wood Repairs. Crown Molding and Trim.

Call Ron 941-228-7601. State Lic. CBC1259788.

Cleaning AUGUSTINE’S CLEANING SERVICE. Full service, organizing. Dependable, Professional. Move in/ Move out. Heidi 941-724-3425. Service you can trust.

BLUE FISH CLEANING INC. 941-705-3812.

Insured, Bonded. Affordable reliable home cleaning, $80, 2 cleaners, 2 hours.

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service by Maria.

Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References. Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./ Ins. 941-400-3342.

HOUSE CLEANING, housekeeping, pet sitting, window washing. Excellent services by European couple. 941-350-8072.

Pressure Cleaning

THE CONCIERGE PROPERTY SERVICES. Affordable, trustworthy, quality Housekeeping and Home Management. Great references from happy, satisfied clients available. 941-320-2469.

PRESSURE WASHING: Residential and Commercial. ECO Cleaning. Roofs, lanais, pool areas, etc. Roof coating also. 941-251-5948.

Computer Services

Professional Services

OWN A MAC/iPHONE/iPAD? MacTutor has 21+ years experience teaching Apple products.

I speak English, not “Geek”! (941) 323-2363 www.FLMacTutor.com

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES & MEMOIRS professionally edited and published. Are you ready? Liz Coursen, EditNATION.com, Sarasota. 941-706-2463.

Home Improvement/ Remodeling

VALUE APPRAISALS Francine DiFilippo, AiS/V AiSociety Accredited Value Appraiser

MITCHELL HANDYMAN. Painting, Carpentry, Tile, Pressure Cleaning. Total Home Improvements, Repairs. Small and large! 941-284-8488.

Estate * Antiques * Collectibles Artwork * Jewelry * Furniture 941-923-3597

Painting/Wallpapering 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.

Visit us online at www.yourobserver.com

ATTORNEY

Frank Beck Upholstery Honesty • Integrity • Quality • Value

Move Ins/Move Outs

House/Condo/Office Cleaning Carpet & Floor Care FREE ESTIMATES

Law Office of

In shop free estimates Pick up and delivery services available

Sharon M. Guy, P.A.

Lic. # 46264

ADDY’S CLEANING SERVICE

Hours: Monday-Friday 9am - 3pm • Weekends by appointment

ESTABLISHED 1975!

Office in Palmer Ranch 8586 Potter Park Drive, Sarasota, FL 34238

161776

Sharon M. Guy

ALUMINUM

AUTO SERVICE

161547

160328

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

New & Refurbished Computers Servicing PC & MAC on Site or In Shop Virus Removal We Make Windows 8 User-Friendly!

BOAT SERVICES DOCKSIDE BOAT REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE

CERTIFIED & INSURED

NEW LOCATION: 6968 Beneva Rd. (Just around the corner Next to Beneva Flowers)

941-929-9095

CONCRETE

CLEANING

Since 1967

Residential Concrete Specialist

Commercial and Residential Best Prices in Town

We Use Organic Products

724-1395

Cell (941)

Licensed • Free Estimates

Patios - Driveways - Sidewalks

Antiques and Chatchkes 160227 160227

Conducting Estate Sales Since 1990

DON’T LET YOUR

DRYER START A FIRE!

Furniture – Oil Paintings – Collectibles & Other Antiques

FREE Consultation

By Appointment 161272

YOUR SAFETY IS PRICELESS! 941. 979. 2707

Dryers and washing machines were involved in one out of every 22 home structure fires LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED reported to U.S. fire departments in 2006-2010.

www.paradisedryervent.com

941-716-0872 Walkways•Landings•Driveways: New & Repairs Pavers Installed & Sealing Stucco: New & Repairs Blocks: New & Repairs

Custom Surfaces Inc. DECORATIVE SURFACES FOR: PATIOS, POOL DECKS, DRIVEWAYS, ENTRYWAYS

160631

www.antiquesandchatchkes.com

922-3157

Lic. #AAA-14-00088

Call Paradise Dryer Vent Cleaning Today

On-site

3680493-01

JR Concrete & Masonry Contractor

Insured & bonded

Always Buying!

Once piece or entire estate Estate Jewelry, Sterling, Gold & Diamonds.

LACIVITA CONCRETE 160228

Let Us Handle Your Estate Sale

Mercy’s Cleaning Service

State Lic. CR CO25291

160226

ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES

160551

Call 955-4888 to reserve your space.

DON’T THROW YOUR COMPUTER OUT THE WINDOW – CALL LORITECH!

161143

SMS Mobile Marine Service GPS/Fishfinder Installation • Outboards I/O’s • Inboards Call for appointment • 941-232-3523

161125

WorkS for you!

941.356.3318

161385

COMPUTER

The Service DirecTory

Calls Answered 24/7

3687954-01

Homes – Apartments – Offices

15505 Lemon Fish Dr. Dustin Yoder Bradenton, FL 34202 yoderaluminum@gmail.com Office 941-650-9790

Highest Prices Paid on Estates

singleturtle@aol.com

Free Estimates • References Available • Professional Work Vanderleia 941-238-8922, leave message vdamorena@hotmail.com

Yoder Aluminum Inc. Yoderaluminum.com

Ph. 376-4228

Araujo’s Cleaning Services

Insured

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

• One Time, Weekly, Monthly • Res./Comm. • Move Ins/Outs • Carpet Cleaning • References • Free Est. ★ Very Affordable Rates ★

161777

552-5766

Allow me to do my very best for you!

941• 925 • 2447

Call Liz for the Best Price

WILLS, TRUSTS, PROBATE, ELDER LAW

Home Furnishing Restoration and Upholstery Specialist!

Gulf Gate Village 6568 Superior Ave., Sarasota, FL 34231

CLEANING

160812

ALTERATIONS/UPHOLSTERY

LV9459

SERVICE DIRECTORY

160806

MATURE COMPASSIONATE Caregiver to help with cooking, light housekeeping, doctor’s appts., etc. Non- medical. Also, experience in child care.

Excellent references. 941-914-3259.

SHIP YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV anywhere in the United States. Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors, 941-923-3421.

Licensed • Insured Lic. #25393

3675768-01

• POLY-PEBBLE / EPOXY • TEXTURED CONCRETE • RESEAL & REPAIRS • INTERLOCKING BRICK PAVERS Free Serving Sarasota 355-1148 Estimates Since 1979 SARASOTA • BRADENTON • VENICE

160813

LICENSED CNA with many years experience, has openings for short or longterm, personalized individual care. Experienced in all areas including dementia and Hospice. All shifts available.

Excellent references. 941-536-7313.

18B Classifieds 22B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

THE SARASOTA OBSERVER/ YourObserver.com Thursday, February 5, 2015

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

www.yourobserver.com

CONCRETE

HANDYMAN

Michael Koch Concrete, Inc.

STEVE PANEBIANCO

Driveways • Sidewalks

918-8587

Licensed & Insured

161556

Reasonable Prices

HOME REPAIR SERVICE • NO JOB TOO SMALL • SCREEN REPAIRS • PAINTING/DRY WALL • TILE REPAIRS • & MUCH MORE!

Servicing the Sarasota area since 1999

Also Laying Stone

Free Estimates

KITCHEN/BATH REMODELING

24/7 SERVICE

966-5094 Cell #809-7311

FREE

161558

“No Job Too Small�

LV9459

SERVICE DIRECTORY ESTIMATES!

160616

CUSTOM WOODWORKING

Licensed Lic. #38333 References

162194

) Carpentry ) Indoors ) Remodeling ) Ceramic Tile ) Water & Fire Damage ) Kitchen/Baths “OUR ESTIMATES & ADVICE ARE FREE�

957-4762 (cell #) 504-3168

LAWN CARE

HOME SERVICES

LAWN TOPDRESSING

160802

A healthy turf starts with a healthy soil

Sarasota Gate & Access

DOORS

Sliding Glass Door Repair

Only organic and sterile material used

• Topdressing is adding a compost/topsoil mix to rejuvenate your soil structure • Plant and weed problems can often be attributed to poor soils • Helps suppress disease-causing bacteria and fungus • Helps lawn retain moisture and nutrients longer making it less susceptible to drought

Joey McKinney

941-705-0106

joey@oridatopdressing.com•www.oridatopdressing.com

160384

Licensed/Insured • Free Estimates

161778

LIGHTHOUSE ELECTRIC of Sarasota

100

$

CHIC

With Interior Design Plan

1-866-663-6062 160632

ON WORK COMPLETED!

941.727.0272

Local Ads at Your Fingertips

For $85 per hour you get: A truck, 2 men with equipment, experience and a great attitude to

make your moving day a pleasure.

CHEAP

RedeďŹ ning Interior Design

OZ - 941-313-4538

www.chiconthecheap.net chiconthecheap@gmail.com

Residential & Commercial

941-350-3296 • signaturepaintingtc.com

IRRIGATION

Licensed and Insured

A FULL SERVICE IRRIGATION COMPANY

PATIO REPAIRS, INC PATIO REPAIRS 160062 38056

FurnitureSales Sales &&Repairs Furniture Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating #USHIONS s 3LINGS s 5MBRELLAS

/54$//2 &52.)452% %80%243 s 777 0!4)/2%0!)23 .%4

rain sensors

ll County Painting

20 any irrigation

$

$ OFF repair over 100

KITCHEN/BATH REMODELING

Honey Do Handyman

THE GRAB BAR GUY

Repairs, Replacement, Home Improvements, Kitchens, Baths, Pressure Washing, Painting, Rescreening, etc.

162193

30 Years Experience References Licensed/Insured

Pressure Washing “Professional, Dependable and Reliable�

Call Steven@

941-565-8302

941-888-2988 FREE ESTIMATES rainscape.com

HANDYMAN

“Anything around the home Honey can do.�

Interior / Exterior

161140

15% OFF

FURNITURE REPAIR

941-275-0712

SIGNATURE PAINTING SERVICES, INC.

Maintenance - Repair -Installation

classifieds.yourobserver.com

Licensed and insured #IM2186

PAINTING 161129

In-Home Consultation

Phone (941) 704-4278 Fax (941) 538-3781 dmccarthy114@hotmail.com

Oz the Wizard of Moving

Mark Dalton’s on the

Residential

FREE

ESTIMATES

Commercial PROMPT

han Dewey RESPONSE t a N Painting

COMPANY

“Quality Workmanship for Over 25 Years�

Faulkner’s

GLENN KROECKER

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

allcounty-painting.com LICENSED AND INSURED

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL Interior & Exterior Pressure Washing Pool Decks Drywall Repair Family Owned & Operated

160230

3690387-01

160229

SAVE $50

941-504-0903

Dave McCarthy Operator/Owner

CALL 24/7 • RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL NEEDS!

/LFHQVHG DQG ,QVXUHG (6

I.C.C 361253 • DOT 812623 FL MOVERS #IM1102

INTERIOR DESIGN

Franklin Kenny • Electrical Contractor

377-2272

LOCAL - LONG DISTANCE FREE ESTIMATES 160620

A Private Company Serving the Palmer Ranch Area Since 2007

ELECTRIC

Lic. #ER0013984

MO V I N G

“Will move anything from a couch to a household�

160007

161557

Watching your home when you’re away

Dave McCarthy

160798

780-3788 • 822-0436

Classified Ads Bring Results • 941-955-4888

Driveway and Deck Staining

161145

• Repair • Remodel • New Construction

724-2945

Lic. & Ins.

160693

941-349-4455

CHALMERS DRYWALL

373-9299

MOVERS

160088

DRYWALL

Free Estimates Lawn & Landscape Maintenance 162204

FAST SAME-DAY SERVICE • Installation • Access Control • Maintenance • System Design

160081

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

CURT’s Lawn Service

3687676-01

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE�

484-4576 Painting & Pressure Cleaning Free Estimate 941-922-3996

THE SARASOTA OBSERVER/PE YourObserver.com Thursday, February 5, 2015

Classifieds 19B

SARASOTA OBSERVER www.yourobserver.com

|

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

23B

RENOVATIONS 123 LLC

Airport Transport Super Star

941-320-8530

www.renovations123.com Office: 941.379.6302 Cell: 941.928.4325 www.yourveryownassistant.com

ROOFING

E-mail: jamerkt@comcast.net

3 Document Creation 3 Special Projects

Eddie’s Limousines

160807

Gift Certificates Available

941-735-4732

PET SERVICES

Melanie 161750

• Dog Walking • Over 13 years experience

941-923-8140

Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

• Repairs • Remodels • Installs • • Drains & Sewers • Cleaning • Repiping •

Disposal Special

23900 Installed

$

Reg. Price 27900 Installed

$20.00 OFF

ANY SERVICE W/THIS COUPON

$

379-9070

All Work Guaranteed

941-228-9850

Joe Murray, Owner

24 HR. EMERGENCY SERVICE

162206

162207

• Drain & Sewer Cleaning • Backows Installation • Re-piping Houses & Slab Leaks • Natural Gas Installations - Appliance Hook ups • Power Flush & Comfort Height Toilets • All Water Heaters - Tankless - Gas - Solar • All Major Plumbing Fixtures Repaired or Replaced • Garbage Disposals • New Water & Sewer Services • Dishwashers Installed • Wells & Pump Repairs

Free Estimates Porches • Pool Cages •Lanais Pinellas: (727) 424-0220 Manatee: (941) 928-9112 www.screenandmore.com

10%

Cell: 941.525.4474

Email: dgirgis@adt.com Lic# EF20001034

Environmentally Friendly

“Leave Your Dirty Windows To Us�

“UP TO 25 STANDARD WINDOWS • $109.00â€?

SPECIAL

160490

ADT Security Services

Lic./Ins. se Window Washin i r n Su and Pressure Cleaning g

941-447-0127 • 941-284-5880

Business and Residential Security Pulse, CCTV, Card Access

After

162192

$59.

00

Res./Com.

David Girgis

LICENSED & INSURED. Ask for Doug.

Cl assesSt arti ngAt

WINDOWS

SECURITY

Roofs | Homes | Driveways | Sidewalks Pool Cages & Decks| Residential | Commercial

ScreenRe-screen ProsSpecialists and More

POWER WASHING

Before

TUTORING

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SPG

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INSIDE: ARTS + CULTURE Master Builder David P. Gordon creates Sarasota’s operatic world. 11 People with Purpose For Kyla Weiner, giving back is not an option, it’s an obligation. 10

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Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: John and Debra Sandefur Right: Amy Kaiser gets her face painted by Suzy Kalin

Circus Arts Gala HONORING TANA SANDEFUR

Gabriel and Kim Dominguez

Friday, Jan. 30, Under the Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park Benefiting The Circus Arts Conservatory Sarasota Honorary Co-Chairs: Jennifer Saslaw and Betty Schoenbaum

T

he lights atop the Circus Sarasota Big Top were shining the evening of Friday, Jan. 30, for the 2015 Circus Arts Gala. This year’s gala, held at its new location at Nathan Benderson Park, was dedicated to the late Tana Sandefur, a local philanthropist whose dedication and passion for The Circus Arts Conservatory dates back to its earliest days. More than 500 guests donning their interpretation of “circus glamorous” attire attended the event, which was expected to net more than $100,000 for the Circus Arts Conservatory.

Honorary Co-Chair Betty Schoenbaum and Jeremy Lisitza

THE MENU

The 2015 Circus Arts Gala menu featured a collection of Tana’s favorite foods.

Passed hors d’oeuvres — Tana’s favorite snacks, including potato pancakes, mini bison burgers and chicken nuggets

HEATHER MERRIMAN | BLACK TIE EDITOR

Above: Dolly JacobsReis and Pedro Reis Left: Lynn Barrie and Frances Broussard

Jonathan McCague with Bob and Joan Tufts

Entrée — A chateau of beef served as a nod to the hearty Midwest, where Tana was born Dessert — A tribute to Tana’s sweet tooth, dessert included a candied apple, a popcorn ball and a waffle-cone clown filled with chocolate mousse (right).

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

BLACK TIE & TALES

BLACK TIE STAFF Tidbits

A wedding to remember Carol Brualdi’s second time around as chairwoman of the Sarasota Opera Gala was a smash hit that celebrated the winter season’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro” in every detail. There was a display of incredible wedding cakes by Alla Levin of The Cake Zone. Favors for the 270 guests were Jordan almonds, white of course, and in the odd number that is traditional at weddings to encourage fertility, according to the chairwoman.

There was even a beautiful-ifnot-exactly-bridal white dress on always stunning Elissa Soyka.

Best of all, as Brualdi pointed out, there was “no bill for the bride’s father to pay.”

New faces were another theme of this long-established event.

They included former Metropolitan Opera General Manager Joseph Volpe and his wife, Jean, who have recently moved to Sarasota. Dennis Thompson and his wife, Nancy, from Atlanta, are here as snowbirds this season, evaluating future residency. Mrs. Thompson volunteered that she had been a board member of the Atlanta Opera but it took some prodding to uncover that she was also a Fulton County commissioner for 26 years — the first African American and the first woman to hold that post. And she gets credit for observing that you can measure age by heel height, which varies inversely with age.

That comment was prompted by the shoes of the night on Dr. Olga Ulitsky. She struggled to recall the designer, but her

Cliff Roles

Upside down cake à la Alla Levin of The Cake Zone.

husband, Dr. Justin Wasserman, knew instantly because the Sergio Rossi personal pedestals were a gift from him. Going to the Chicago Lyric Opera, as the dermatologist duo did in their previous town, she would have been wearing boots. There was more youthful style, exemplified

by Tiffany Zampol and husband, Eric. And red raiment was simply marvelous on Ann Moe, Mary Mitchell, Stephanie Shaw, Amanda Pileggi, Annette Lloyd and Wendy Feinstein.

… Author, author … Snowbirds Kurt and Eleanor Luedtke parked behind the strip of stores on Osprey en route to Knick’s for lunch last week. Not realizing there was a walkway, they moseyed through the Bank of the Commonwealth, where they discovered on display a history of the bank that Eleanor had written a few years back. They let that be known, then Eleanor graciously responded to requests to autograph a few copies …

Lunch for lunch’s sake … An old saying goes, “We celebrate on occasion and sometimes on no occasion at all.” Roddy Samuels did the latter Jan. 31; she simply decided she wanted to see “the girls” and treated more than two dozen to a buffet including baby lamb chops, shrimp, blintzes and more at Michael’s Wine Cellar.

Among her lucky friends: Renee Sheade, Doris Kaplan, Evelyn Koshner, Betty Iserman, Jo Betty Weiner, Lillian Richman, Phyllis Steingard, Helen Sherman, Temi Saivetz and Claire Love … Congratulations are due … along with the new baby to come in August to Kameron Partridge Hodgens, executive director of the Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center, and her husband, Bart, who were accepting congratulations at the Circus Arts Gala Jan. 30 … Caught napping … also at the Circus Gala, a tired teenager who pronounced “Old people have too much energy.” From her mouth to God’s ear … New on the calendar … Having transformed Cause 4 Fashion from an evening event

Molly Schechter

Hostess Roddy Samuels and Jo Betty Weiner

into a successful luncheon, Neuro Challenge Foundation is launching Cause 4 Hope: Unmasking Parkinson’s Disease March 12, at Michael’s On East. Co-chairs Deb Knowles Kabinoff and Sharyn Weiner are promising a lively, fun evening with dancing throughout and without an auction. For more information, call Judith Bell at 926-6413 … Redesigning Designing Woman … Changes are in the works at nonprofit consignment boutique and estate liquidation service Designing Women Boutique. Executive Director Pamela Day, who was with the shop for nine years, has resigned. Karin Gustafson, formerly president of the YMCA Foundation, is there on a six-month consulting assignment, which includes strategy, operations and volunteer recruitment as well as heading the search for a new executive director. The shop has also contracted with Susan Jackewicz, formerly with the Institute for the Ages, for marketing. A new volunteer addition is Rebecca Goldthwaite, who joined the team as estate

galleries manager … Local launch … a new company with Sarasota ties launched a line of junior golf apparel at the PGA show last week. Sarasota resident Christina Elias heads up product development along with Longboat Key residents Jerry Cable as vice president of sales and Judy Welch as director of marketing.

Washington, D.C., area resident (and part-time Longboater) Kris Bartholomew, founder and CEO of the design company, created the idea because “most of the ladies' golf apparel in the market today is very mature for juniors, and who wants to wear clothes that look like an outfit for mom?”

You can shop the line at turtlesandtees.com.

Courtesy

Turtles and Tees team: Print Designer Chole Parsons, CEO Kris Bartholomew and VP of Product Development Christina Elias

The calendar calls BT is collecting events for the social calendar — if we don’t know about it, we can’t cover it! Email the following to stephanie@yourobserver.com: name of event; group benefiting; time, date and place; ticket price; chairperson; contact name; phone number; website and event description.

Hawthorne Village of Sarasota, a Not-for-Profit Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, invites you to attend a FREE community education seminar.

Foot & Ankle: Common Problems & Treatment Monday, February 9 • Noon - 1pm

Daniel Howard, DPM

Enjoy a light lunch and a discussion on common foot and ankle problems, such as bunions, hammertoe, fasciitis, tendinitis and arthritis, along with various treatment options including non-surgical.

Presented by Daniel Howard, DPM of Sarasota Orthopedic Associates. Fellowship Trained and Board Certified Foot and Ankle Surgeon.

Please RSVP by Saturday, February 7 to 941.355.6111

5381 Desoto Road, Sarasota, FL 34235 (Just East of Honore on Desoto Road) Marketing@HawthorneVillageofSarasota.com

www.HawthorneVillageofSarasota.com License #SNF130471051 EOE

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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Sarasota Opera Gala: ‘A Wedding to Remember’

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Saturday, Jan. 31, at Hyatt Regency Sarasota Benefiting Sarasota Opera

Above: Scott Anderson, Pam and Jerry Claiborne and Richard Russell

Above: Sandy and U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan, Teri Hansen and Wanda and Harold Libby

Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: Les and Chairwoman Carol Brualdi Left: Jerry and Wendy Feinstein

Above: Jennifer Rust and Amanda Pileggi. Left: Marsha Johnson, Bill Lloyd and Hillary Steele

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Catholic Charities Ball Saturday, Jan. 31, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Benefiting Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice

Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: Anne and Hugh Windom with Tim and Linda Whitacre

Above: Co-Chair Mary KenealyBarbetta and Joe Barbetta with CoChair Danielle and Nick Gladding

Above: Bishop Frank Dewane, Joe Divito and Jim Owen Left: Jayne Delmedico and Karen Soscia

See more photos from this event and more at

yourobserver.com/blacktie.html

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Selah Freedom Luncheon and Fashion Show ‘A New Beginning’

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Tuesday, Jan. 27, at The Francis Benefiting Selah Freedom

Photos by Amanda Morales

Above: Laurie Deane, Sydelle Pittas and Teresa Simmons

Above: Kerry Connolly, Eleni Sokos, Nikita Ludera and Shannon Gower

Left: Mary Forristall; Above: event co-chairs Susan Wilcox and Sandi Janneta Kristin Kochevar and Isabelle Blanch

Casual Elegance

Presents

Elliot Lauren

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Fashion, Fun & Refreshments!

February 12th 10:00 to 7:00 February 13th 10:00 to 6:00

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

‘Baubles & Bourbon: The Final Touch’ Wednesday, Jan. 28, at June Simmons Jewelry Benefiting Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Tickets on sale now!

Saturday, March 7, 2015 Sarasota Polo Club, Lakewood Ranch

3:00 pm 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Gates Open Polo Match Begins Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres Dinner & Dancing

Join us for a great event and a great cause.

Everyone is welcome! Please join us for our 5th Anniversary of polo and fun as we raise money for advances in research, education and the treatment of cancer.

Photos by Heather Merriman

Above: Cathy Layton, Margie Cooper and Roger Capote. Right: Liebe Gamble and June Simmons

Since 2011 we have raised over $1 million.

With your help we can continue to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families everywhere.

2015 PRESENTING SPONSOR:

For sponsorships call 941.928.9296.

Purchase your tickets online today.

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2015 MEDIA SPONSORS:

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THE NEXT ITEM UP FOR BID ...

This one-of-kind Jemma Wynne, donated by June Simmons Jewelry, will be auctioned off at the Feb. 14 Orchid Ball.

The bib-style necklace features emeraldcut watermelon tourmalines and pavé diamond bar details — 150 carats of tourmaline, .70 carats of diamonds and 18-karat gold. This piece retails for $7,700. The watermelon tourmalines represent the heart chakra and promote divine love, perfect for Valentine’s Day.

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Gourmet Buffet, Beer and Wine, entertainment, Silent auction

in five different languages.

Thursday, February 26, 2015 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m $85.00 per person Reserved Table for 8 at a cost of $800

Location: Mote Marine Aquarium 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 Dress Is Sophisticated Sarasota Casual

Kindly R.S.V.P. By February 12, 2015 (941)388-3010

www.saveourseabirds.org/events/ If you are unable to attend, please consider a tax-deductible donation to Save Our Seabirds

St. Armands Circle • 22 N. Blvd. of the Presidents • Sarasota, FL 34236 3976 Destination Drive • Osprey, FL 34229

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Save Our Seabirds would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to The Resort At Longboat Key Club for sponsoring this event.

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Photos by Heather Merriman

Jessica Mlavsky, Kelly Crawford, Caleb Jones and Lana King

3rd annual Fashionistas for a Cause Thursday, Jan. 29, at Michael’s Wine Cellar Benefiting The Center for Building Hope

Above: Mary and Ryan Heise with Jessica Papineau. Top-right: Liz Murray and Bethany Holmstrom. Right: Anne Weichel and Ashley Leon

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Historic Burns Court 941.951.0620

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

FAS HI O N INS I D ER BLACKBIRD STYLE HEATHER MERRIMAN BLACK TIE EDITOR

T

o a large degree, your style reflects your lifestyle, and for Wayne Rollins, that is exactly the case. The Atlanta native, who moved here from California in 2008 with his wife, Mindy, opened Blackbird Home Décor at 1540 Main St., Sarasota, in 2009. The store offers stylish and unique home furnishings — the type of furnishings you won’t find anywhere else, and that’s Rollins’ intention. The one-of-akind home gallery has now evolved into Blackbird Lifestyle, which includes men’s clothing, so Black Tie stopped in to see what’s new.

The concept behind Blackbird Lifestyle is to intermingle the fashionable aspects of life — style in the form of home decor and fashion.

“This has been my plan the whole time. This is more me,” says Rollins, “There are tables and clothing and everything is just all around cool.”

SO WHAT’S IN STORE?

“What I’m trying to sell is what I would wear,” says Rollins.

“I found there was a gap between Shore and Brooks Brothers, in terms of what is sold locally for men’s clothing.” This gap, he says, is men’s apparel that’s modern, attractive and simple.

Don’t expect prominent stitching on jeans or patterned cuffs on shirts in Blackbird. The apparel Rollins offers is a classic, yet updated approach to men’s style.

The clothing has a modern fit while mixing old school elegance with contemporary trends.

“It’s what I believe everyone should have in their closet,” says Rollins.

Parke and Ronen bathing suits, Cotton Citizen T-shirts, Joe’s Jeans and Ned Bowman leather goods are a few of the lines that Rollins is currently carrying at Blackbird. After just returning from buying in New York City last week, Rollins is bringing in six more lines for spring, including Fidelity Jeans, J. Lindeberg Jeans, Riviera shoes (think a boat shoe crossed with Vans) and Randolph sunglasses, to name a few.

The space has also had some additions recently. Three dressing rooms were added in a back corner of the store. Their design was approached with the same attention to detail as every other part of the Blackbird Lifestyle.

The dressing room spaces were built with raw wood, and the walls are covered with vintage galvanized steel from an old barn roof — a perfect match for the industrial look the store emanates.

“Something that has been great for me is collaborating with friends and other creative people throughout this process,” says Rollins, who had friends help

Photos by Heather Merriman

Blackbird Lifestyle owner Wayne Rollins is bringing a new stye of men’s clothing to the Sarasota fashion scene. With the addition of newly constructed dressing rooms, right, and custom created clothing racks, bottom, the existing home gallery is now also home to uniquely classic men’s clothing.

with the design and construction of the store. The edgy dressing rooms, the hand-painted black crow at the desk and the custom handmade clothing racks, made from brass and steel —all products of Rollins’ vision for the store — came to life with the help of friends.

From the merchandise to the layout, and smaller details like the clothing racks, every aspect

of Blackbird Lifestyle represents Rollins’ vision. The result is that every corner seeps with style.

Blackbird Lifestyle will continue to expand, adding more apparel each season — and with more than 1,240 square feet of unused balcony space in the loft, the opportunities for expansion abound.

“It’s a process, and that’s the fun part about it,” says Rollins.

TATIANA PALNITSKA

WE BELIEVE

TRUNK SHOW

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Ring Leaders of

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

BLACK

FASHION HEATHER MERRIMAN BLACK TIE EDITOR

T

he Circus Arts Gala always brings out an exciting array of fashion, and this year’s “circus glamorous” theme was bound to be one with standouts. Black Tie pulled aside a few of our favorites at the event.

Photos by Heather Merriman

Mechele Leonard, left, and Colleen Campbell, right, sport ringmaster-inspired style

Above: Bru Relin dressed for a night out at the circus in this glamorous red ensemble. Above, right: Lauren Walsh goes circus glam with gloves and statement jewels.

Right: Barb Tye, donning a fabulous butterfly headpiece made custom by a friend. “It’s very heavy – I have to walk with very good posture.”

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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 Property information herein is derived from various sources including but not limited to county records and the multiple listing service, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

161648

Albert Joerger, PhD | 941.685.6145

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

P EO P LE W IT H PUR POSE KYLA WEINER AFTER HAVING Amara (her daughter, pictured left), what I care about the most is centered on what is good for her. I still serve on a few committees and when people need my help on something, I’ll see what I can do, but my only board level commitments now are with Amara’s school, Temple Beth Sholom Schools, and Planned Parenthood.

CURRENT INVOLVEMENT: Temple Beth Sholom Schools and Planned Parenthood

BLACK

INVOLVED IN NONPROFITS: 10 years HER FAVORITE FUNDRAISERS: n Planned Parenthood Halloween Bash n SPARCC Princess and Pirate Ball n

Key to the Cure

n Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida’s Rock of Ages and Wish White Party Heather Merriman

HEATHER MERRIMAN BLACK TIE EDITOR

W

hen Kyla Weiner was growing up, her mother was always involved — whether it was with the PTA or the local soup kitchen — and Weiner was always with her. As a teenager, Weiner volunteered at the nursing home where her mother worked and at the hospital where her grandmother worked. Years later, not much has changed. Here, Weiner, 33, shares her thoughts on why getting involved is important for the next generation.

MY INVOLVEMENT with philanthropy in Sarasota began almost 10 years ago when I moved here from New York City for my boyfriend, now

husband, Dave. I was an assistant buyer for Victoria’s Secret and my degree is in fashion merchandising management from Fashion Institute

of Technology (FIT), so there weren’t any jobs here related to that. I ended up getting a job as a marketing specialist at Suntrust Bank. Working for a bank was never in the plan, but after meeting Margaret Callihan and Veronica Brady, I knew I had to work for them. They were such strong, positive female role models who really do it all.

BECAUSE OF that job, I had a giant snapshot of what was available in terms of volunteering and getting involved with a nonprofit organization. I was able to find my passion pretty quickly.

boards, including ALSO Out Youth, Florida Public Relations Association, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and the Junior League of Sarasota. In addition to serving on committees for those organizations, I’ve volunteered on committees for Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida, Children First, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Animal Rescue Coalition and The Ringling, chairing around 10 events with those organizations.

IT’S IMPORTANT for me to be

involved in these organizations because I can really make a difference. They listen to my ideas and let me run with them. I feel like everything I do for them has a direct impact, and that’s powerful. It’s so refreshing when organizations empower their boards and volunteers and are not afraid of change.

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I’M PASSIONATE about these two organizations because for one, I want to be extremely involved in my daughter’s education and to make sure she’s getting every opportunity to learn and be challenged. I watch the amazing teachers and administrators at Temple Beth Sholom Schools and I’m inspired to give more of my time and help them give the kids an incredible education.

My involvement with Planned Parenthood can be summed in up the fact that it’s a woman’s basic right to have control over her body. I want to be sure that right is always available for all women, and it’s so much more important to me now that I have a daughter.

South Gate Community Center 3145 South Gate Circle • Sarasota www.fabsarasota.com

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CIRCUS ‘FEARLESS’ ALL-STARS PERFORM 16 REVIEW ‘Knock Me a Kiss’

WBTT tackles Harlem Renaissance politics. 22

ARTS + CULTURE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

SPOTLIGHT

Nathan Wilson

The recent New College of Florida grad fuses the disparate fields of science and sculpture into his works, shown at Ringling Underground. Complex yet practical, his work is an artistic evolution. PAGE 15

HIGHLIGHTS

When designing opera sets, David P. Gordon aims to create scenes where the audience becomes immersed.

Art Center Sarasota The community gallery opened its first exhibits of the year with food, drink and performances. The main gallery showed local artists in a juried show.

PAGE 18

FOOD

Master of the

HOUSE

David P. Gordon designs the epic settings of the Sarasota Opera’s winter season.

Sarasota Honey Co. What started as a victory garden turned into a buzzing business for one couple. Honey products aside, there is an even sweeter cause behind the business. PAGE 19

Photo by Nick Reichert

NICK REICHERT A&E EDITOR

W

hen David P. Gordon was 3 years old, his grandfather, a violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra, thrust a child-sized violin into his tiny hands. Gordon came from a long line of classical musicians — his father was a cellist in the Philadelphia Orchestra and his great uncle was a violinist in the Budapest String Quartet. PAGE 12

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

MASTER: Setting the scene CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

“I think people think set design is just decoration or background. For me, it really is a crucial environment where the piece takes place and should become part of a whole world that the audience buys into.”

DAVID P. GORDON, Sarasota Opera set designer Courtesy images

David P. Gordon chose a rich and colorful design of 20th century Japan for the Sarasota Opera’s 2007 production of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” pictured top, from his model, above.

It was assumed Gordon would follow in their classical-playing footsteps.

But, a couple of months later, Gordon’s grandfather quietly confiscated the violin. Gordon didn’t have the chops to be a string player.

So, instead of the violin, he turned to crayons, pencils and pens for his creative outlet. And with opera and classical music constantly playing around the house, it wasn’t a leap for him to combine his love of drawing and his family’s deep roots in musical performance into his future career.

“When I was about 10 or 11 years old, my parents took me to my first opera, ‘Tosca,’” says Gordon. “I had heard a lot of them at home, and my mother told me the stories as we listened to them on Saturday afternoons. After I got home from my first opera, I came home and made a model set out of shirt cardboard and lit it with flashlights. I decided then and there that that was what I wanted to do.”

Working as a professional set designer for the last 30 years, Gordon has spent every season with the Sarasota Opera since 1995. Three out of the four productions in the opera’s winter repertory star Gordon’s scenic creations. The colorful, bombastic and diverse worlds of “Tosca,” “The Golden Cockerel” and “Don Carlos (Paris version)” first came to life inside Gordon’s mind.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

IF YOU GO

SCENIC START

Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $29 to $135 Info: Call 366-8450

In high school, David P. Gordon’s art teacher connected him with Tony Award-nominated set designer Clarke Dunham. Gordon apprenticed with Dunham in his studio in Philadelphia as well as his offices in New York City.

“I would visit his house on Saturday mornings and show him what I was doing, and he’d give me advice and guidance,” Gordon said.

This mentorship continued when Gordon attended New York University’s prestigious Tisch School for the Arts. The young professional designer worked as an assistant in Dunham’s studio, which allowed him to make the connections to begin his own independent design career. In 1985, the year he graduated from Tisch, Gordon took his United Scenic Artist union exam and received his first independent opportunity to design. The Center for Contemporary Opera was searching for a designer for an upcoming production of Robert Kurka’s “The Good Soldier of Schweik,” and the organization asked Dunham if he could recommend someone. His apt pupil was more than ready to accept the challenge.

This first job was in Martin Luther King Jr. High School’s auditorium on Amsterdam Avenue, which was adjacent to the opera world beacon: the Metropolitan Opera.

“Tosca” by Giacomo Puccini Feb. 7 to March 28 “The Marriage of Figaro”

by W. A. Mozart Feb. 14 to March 27 “The Golden Cockerel”

by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Feb. 21 to March 19

Gordon’s model, left, of the iconic Cafe Momus from Giacomo Puccini’s “La bohème,” came to life in 2006 at the Sarasota Opera, above.

“Don Carlos (Paris version)” by Giuseppe Verdi March 7 to 24

“I think that people think set design is just decoration or background,” says Gordon. “For me, it really is a crucial environment where the piece takes place and should become part of a whole world that the audience buys into.”

Before the curtain rises, before the sets are built, and before Gordon creates rough sketches, he studies his shows. As a faculty member at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, Gordon emphasizes the intrinsic value of learning with each new production.

“I love the research,” says Gordon. “Everything you do takes place in a different world, and

while you research you learn all kinds of things. It’s a great general education.”

For this winter season at Sarasota Opera, Gordon dived into the architectural and production history of each piece as well as the most valuable asset: the music.

“In an opera you have the music to work with and that helps really describe the world that’s onstage,” says Gordon. “I feel you really have to know the material inside-out. It’s your most important piece of research.”

In “Tosca,” Gordon re-created the opera’s real-life Roman settings, such as the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, the opulent mansion Palazzo Farnese and

the imposing fortress of the Castel Sant’Angelo.

“The Golden Cockerel” is a Russion opera that deals with the inner-political workings of a despondent king in a near fairytale world. Gordon created a design pastiche that incorporates the work and design of 20thcentury Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin and the French illustrator Edmund Dulac, who had both done illustrations depicting Alexander Pushkin’s original story on which the opera is based.

And this year’s production of “Don Carlos” is the original uncut Paris version that has all five acts instead of four. The challenge for Gordon is that acts two through

five are all set throughout Spain and share a common architectural style. But for the often-omitted first act, the opera opens in the dead of winter in the forest of Fontainebleau, France.

However, no matter the difficulty of the season, it’s worth all the research and attention to detail for Gordon to create the desired effect: complete audience immersion.

“If all the elements are correct, then the audience is going to buy into the world, and that’s the important part,” says Gordon. “When it all comes together, it transports you to a whole different place, and that’s what I’ve always loved about it.”

FUN FACT David P. Gordon’s grandfather kept his violin collection in the bathtub.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Dazzling Donation Philip and Nancy Kotler and Warren and Margot Coville announce major financial and artistic gift to the Ringling for glass pavilion.

NICK REICHERT A&E EDITOR

T

he front door of the Ringling complex that houses the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Cà d’Zan, the Historic Asolo Theater, the Circus Museum, Education Center and bayfront gardens is about to receive a major remodel.

Longboat Key residents Philip and Nancy Kotler and Bird Key residents Warren and Margot Coville, who have been longtime contributors to the art museum and Florida State University, have collaborated to provide two major gifts to create the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion. The pavilion is projected to open in fall 2017 and will act not only as a new formal entrance to the Ringling facility but also be a permanent gallery for studio glass art. The KotlerCoville Glass Pavilion project was also made possible by assistance and cooperation from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

“This is a dream come true for us,” says Nancy Kotler. “We’ve always wanted the public to have

3rd

Annual

access to this relatively unknown glass work.”

Construction of the pavilion will cost approximately $5 million, according to Steven High, executive director of the Ringling. He said that the rest of the year will be spent searching for a lead architect and designer for the pavilion project, which will begin in January or February 2016.

“These highly respected families — the Kotlers and the Covilles — have worked for decades supporting artists and the organizations that collect and present art to the public,” says High. “We are grateful that they entrusted their collections, their financial support and their names to us.”

The work that will be on display at the pavilion will come from the respective families’ personal glass collections, totaling 250 to 300 pieces. Previously, the Philip and Nancy Kotler Glass Collection was displayed from November 2013 to June 2014 at the museum.

The Covilles donated a collection of photography to the museum in 2012.

“Glass is gaining more and more exposure,” says Carol Camiener,

Nick Reichert

Philip and Nancy Kotler and Margot and Warren Coville donate their combined 300-piece glass art collections to the Ringling. Right: “Form No. 23 (Brown Vessel)” by Pavel Hlava, given by the Covilles. Bottom right: “Circle” by Bohumil Elias, given by the Kotlers.

manager of the Southwest Florida Glass Art Alliance and Ringling College of Art and Design Board of Trustees member. “There are more than three major collections in this area, the Coville, Kotler and Basch collections, and we’re just lucky for these people to settle and want to put their collections in Sarasota.”

According to Camiener, even though studio glass art is a fairly new branch of the art world, its popularity and artistic credibility is rising. More and more museums are adding glass art to

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their permanent collections, she says. The Southwest Florida Glass Art Alliance, which covers Tampa to Naples, has approximately 100 individual members — and is growing.

And with the Kotler/Coville gift as well as Richard and Barbara Baschses’ $3 million gift announced in November to the Ringling College of Art and Design, which includes a glass hot shop, the future of glass art in Sarasota is bright and vibrant.

Courtesy images

The gift that keeps on giving: Learn how the donation also benefits the Historic Asolo Theater at YourObserver.com.

DISCOVER WHAT’S ON NEW STAGES: ETHEL’S Documerica

Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 6:00 PM Michael’s On East $175 Per Person

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A visual and musical snapshot of America in the 1970s, Documerica pairs ETHEL’s dynamic playing with photos from the National Archives.

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Silver Butterfly Sponsors Elaine and Bill Crouse Design Works Gulf Coast Community Foundation The Arthur S. Karp Family Foundation Saks Fifth Avenue

Enjoy live music and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard. Check out up-and-coming artists.

Select galleries are open for viewing.

RoAR! RiNGLiNG oRdER of ART REAdERS FEb 7, 10:30 AM, Free

Bronze Butterfly Sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Anthony L. Franke Pauline W. Joeger Ellen and Jeff Steinwachs Sheila and Merrily Wynne

The Ringling Art Library’s family storytime, designed to engage children ages 4–7 in activities that connect art with early literacy.

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Bronze Butterfly Business and Media Sponsors iHeart Radio Norman’s Liquor Scene Magazine SNN SRQ Media Group

Through circus posters, explore the changing nature of commercial printing from wood block to the modern offset lithography process.

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ARTS + CULTURE

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The Science of Art Nathan Wilson distills his passion into science and sculpture.

Nick Reichert

Nathan Wilson’s work melds the intricacies of nature with the form of sculpture. His work will be on display at Thursday’s Ringling Underground.

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admiration: He plans to use geometric construction and design to help build solid structures for the homeless. It’s clear this artist is still a scientist at heart.

“My ‘Close Quarters’ piece is constructed with cardboard by the rules of geodesic augmentation,” says Wilson. “And in this way it’s the strongest and most efficient per-pound technique of construction. They are bound by equal weight from other elements ­— or, in this case, individual triangle pieces of cardboard — and make the overall structure extremely strong.”

Nathan Wilson’s “Method Man 3”

IF YOU GO RINGLING UNDERGROUND When: 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 Where: John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $10 for adults and seniors 65 and older; $5 for children 6 to 17; free for students with college ID Info: Call 359-5700 or visit ringling.org

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athan Wilson was in dire need of inspiration his junior year at the New College of Florida. Wilson had studied the physical and natural wonders of the world since childhood. However, by the time he reached his junior

also in need of extra class hours to fulfill his bachelor’s degree requirements. So, he randomly decided to take a general sculpture course. That decision led him to become an artist of science.

Wilson started by sculpting forms familiar to him — the shapes and fixtures from his science courses.

His work is a stylized represen-

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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A&E EDITOR

year, the science aficionado realized he had reached his limit for the rigidity of formal, lab-based science research.

“I wasn’t able to take chemistry, physics and biology to the professional level,” says Wilson. “I grew uncomfortable in a formalized lab space and found a comfortable home in the sculpture studio.”

Fortunately for Wilson, he was

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tation of structures that occur realistically and theoretically in nature. Each detail and measurement of the piece is key for its structural integrity.

“For me, it all came together with a protractor, ruler and a pencil,” says Wilson. “Recursion became a big part of my process, repeating the same series of steps and patterns. That’s what led to one of my first pieces that was geometrically informed.”

His science-centric artwork will sit adjacent to more traditional sculptures of human forms at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art’s Ringling Underground event Thursday. It is the event’s first installment of the year.

Wilson’s pieces on display, such as “Close Quarters,” “Living Lattice” and “Method Man” are geometrical works that require intimate knowledge of crystalized polygons, which seem to have an infinite amount of sides and details. His first piece was a truncated octahedron, which has 14 faces and 36 individual edges.

However, bridging the gap between the science and arts departments at New College carried its own unexpected challenges.

“The scientists loved what I was doing,” says Wilson. “I was able to display and explore crystals and shapes in a new way. But the artists were a dead audience.

My work divorces from the usual way of things in art with pieces coming from your imagination instead of science, I suppose.”

And after writing a 100-page thesis for his general studies degree based on the uses of the crystalline structures he features in his art, Wilson saw another purpose for his artwork beyond

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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n integral part of Sarasota’s performing arts season is the winter show by Circus Sarasota, “Fearless,” which runs Feb. 6 through Feb. 22 in the big top at Nathan Benderson Park. The professional branch of the Circus Arts Conservatory, Circus Sarasota has enraptured audiences for 66 years with international circus performers who have spent decades mastering their unique art form. Before the big show, we share the stats of some of the circus’ well-known all-stars: Nik Wallenda, Dolly Jacobs-Reis, Rafael Palacios and Joseph Dominick Bauer.

NIK WALLENDA Number years performing: 34 Number of Guinness World Records: Nine Longest distance traversed: 1,500 feet over the Grand Canyon Next long-distance performance: Wisconsin State Fair in August Number of members in The Flying Wallendas family: 16 Youngest Flying Wallenda: 14 years old Oldest Flying Wallenda: 70 years old Hours of practice the week before a performance: 30 to 40 Number of performers for his performance at ‘Fearless’: Seven, including his mother, Deliah, who hasn’t walked the tightrope with her family since 2001.

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Number of years performing: 40 and 47, respectively Name of act: Aerial pas de deux called “Wings of Love” Hours of practice the week before a performance: 15 Age when Palacios first started performing with his family: 3 Professional companies with which Jacobs has worked: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Big Apple Circus and Circus Sarasota Both have earned honors at: The International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo. Members of both Jacobs’ and Palacios’ families have been inducted into Sarasota’s Ring of Fame.

JOSEPH DOMINICK BAUER

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Number of years performing: 42, starting when he was 6 Family legacy: He is an eighthgeneration circus performer Other circus skills: Equestrian master Signature act: Cirque du Soliel’s “Wheel of Death” Number of horses in his production: Eight Hours of practice the week before a performance: 35 Origins of ringmaster suit: Handmade in Las Vegas Number of other ringmasters in his family: Zero

Photos by Nick Reichert

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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Milman-Kover

Kenny Dodd, Dante Maratto, Michele Strauss and Herta Cuneo

Circus Celebrity Night Awards

6TH ANNUAL

Saturday, Jan. 24, at Historic Asolo Theater

MARCH 8-16, 2015

SPECIAL GUESTS AND EVENTS! OPENING NIGHT: SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH THEO BIKEL in person plus Dessert Reception SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH: “Real Russ and Daughters Brunch”

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH: DANI MENKIN in person, “Is that You?” Premiere, plus Dessert Reception

15 SCREENINGS

Photos by Nick Reichert

OF EIGHT GREAT NEW FILMS!

Above: Steve and Heather Swinturne with Max and Uschi Frimberger. Right: Deborah Walk and Tiki Davies

GOD’S SLAVE HUNTING ELEPHANTS KIDON OPERATION SUNFLOWER THE STURGEON QUEENS UNDER THE SAME SUN THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM IS THAT YOU?

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Custom Dining Sets, Deep Seating Group, Chaises, Fire Pits & Unique Table Tops

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

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* Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 2/1/15 - 4/25/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2015 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas.

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Sasha Fields, Judith Lambert and Alex Suczewski

PUCCINI A diva's jealousy leads to tragedy in Puccini's most powerful drama

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Production Sponsor: Photos by Nick Reichert

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Real-time English translations above the stage

Above: Al Letizio and Sam Lowry Right: Bruster Dombkowski and Rachel Herman

What’s the Buzz?

The Sarasota Honey Co. offers a career path for those with special needs.

Photos by Nick Reichert

Jason Gould with Glenn and Alma Johnson, who bring honey and special-needs education to Sarasota.

NICK REICHERT A&E EDITOR

Johnsons and staff are certified beekeepers by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. They tend to the hives every week by feeding the bees jars of sugar water, mending the wooden colony boxes and eventually collecting the sweet, sugary haul, whose taste varies based on where it was made. Residents of the Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities make soaps and candles out of beeswax and bottle the honey

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

HONEY DO’S Breed of bee used: Italian bees Number of individual colonies: 70 Number of bee yards: Eight Types of products made: Honey, candles and soap Product bottled by: Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities

DID YOU KNOW? Italian bees, descendants from continental Italy, are the most popular bee used in the U.S. for honey production. They are adaptable to most climates and have relatively gentle behavior.

ning to attend bee college in St. Augustine through the University of Florida. That’s my goal in life — to go to bee college.”

It’s accomplishments and dreams such as Gould’s that the Johnsons use to measure their business success.

“It is our ultimate vision to be able to grow the company where we could acquire a space to offer classes in core academics, life skills and employment skills for people with special needs,” says Johnson. “The beekeeping business would act as a means to support that vision.”

Create a lasting impact on healthcare in our community.

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rom a distance they seem like ordinary wooden boxes. Four waist-high stacks stand in the corner of Alma and Glenn Johnson’s backyard, just off of North Tamiami Trail. The boxes are hand painted in bright colors, such as purple, orange, green and red. However, as one gets closer to these boxes, a faint hum grows into a clear and distinct sound — buzzing.

Those boxes are the heart of a local small business, the Sarasota Honey Co., that not only produces quality goods but also provides employment for Sarasota’s special-needs community.

At eight locations, including at Sweetgrass Farms, Myakka, and private residences in Sarasota, the Johnsons and their staff of special-needs children and adults tend approximately 70 colonies containing thousands of Italian honeybees. The

from the hives. The products are then sold online and at local food markets.

After a career that included traveling with the Cirque du Soleil’s North American touring company as a marketer and customer service attendant for patrons with special needs, Alma Johnson settled down in the Florida area in 2008 and met her now husband, Glenn.

Unfortunately, nine months after their marriage, Johnson was diagnosed with cervical cancer and underwent surgery.

As a way to cope after the surgery as well as start a healthier lifestyle, the two planted a victory garden to grow their own plants and vegetables.

It was obvious that the produce wasn’t reaching its full growth potential, and the Johnsons wanted to find a natural way to increase their yield.

Thus, they decided to use bees to increase their yield through pollination.

While the duo’s bee collection kept growing, Johnson worked as the transition manager for the Family Network on Disabilities. She led workshops and classes to help young adults with special needs transition from school life to public life.

“My husband asked me what I love to do and I said, ‘I love my kids and I love my bees,’ so we married them,” says Johnson.

She saw the bees as a great conduit for people with special needs in her youth group to learn about employment and etiquette and to pick up a hobby.

“I’m a certified beekeeper and I have three hives at my house,” says Jason Gould, a beekeeper with special needs at Sarasota Honey Co. “And now I’m plan-

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Short story collection proves masterful JENNIFER MCPHETERS

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BOOK CRITIC

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mainstage “Action packed”

“Richly entertaining”

- The Washington Post

-Venice Gondolier

Available at Bookstore1 Sarasota, 1359 Main St., Sarasota.

For more info, call 365-7900.

“Honeydew,” Edith Pearlman’s recent and critically acclaimed short story collection, is masterful. Pearlman impeccably employs the short story form, producing a collection that is evocative, challenging and graceful.

Godolphin, Mass., a fictional suburb of Boston, provides the setting for many of the stories in “Honeydew.” And although there are characters who make appearances in multiple stories, each story in the collection stands alone. In each story, Pearlman renders fully realized characters that negotiate life-altering events and crises great and small with intensely accessible and human emotions.

“Tenderfoot,” the volume’s

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“Compelling” - Washingtonian

“Superior piece of theatrical synergy” - The New York Times

Terrell Wheeler, Shane Taylor, and Greg Brostrom. Photo by Maria Lyle.

by Trey Ellis & Ricardo Khan

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Ben Mackel and Joe Casey. Photo by Carla Varisco.

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1. All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr 2. Revival

by Stephen King 3. My Brilliant Friend

by Elena Ferrante 4. Orphan Train

by Christina Baker Kline 5. The Story of a New Name

by Elena Ferrante 6. An Officer and a Spy

by Robert Harris 7. Gray Mountain

by John Grisham 8. Let the Great World Spin

by Colum McCann 9. The Mathematician’s Shiva

by Stuart Rojstaczer 10. The Secret History

by Donna Tartt

opening story, introduces Paige, a war widow and pedicurist whose hope of intimacy with her new neighbor, Bobby, while at first promising, is extinguished suddenly when issues from Bobby’s past resurface. In “Castle 4,” Zeph, an isolated and self-possessed anesthesiologist who struggles to make personal connections, unexpectedly exposes himself by pursuing an improbable relationship with a terminal patient.

“Puck” introduces a recurring character, Rennie, the owner of an antiques store who impulsively buys an engaging oddity — a small bronze statue of the king of the fairies — from a frequent customer and finds herself so taken with the object and its history that she violates the cardinal rules of her business.

And in the title story, “Honeydew,” Alice, headmistress of a private school for girls, is engaged in an affair that has left her unintentionally pregnant, while she struggles to deal with a student who is both a star pupil and anorexic.

In the book, Pearlman expertly reveals her characters’ histories, realities, struggles and innermost emotions, and she does so by opening only a small window into their lives. But Pearlman manages to demonstrate more through that limited scope than most novels convey in hundreds of pages.

“Honeydew” well deserves the critical attention and excitement it has garnered. Sophisticated and skillful, the collection is a fantastic representation of all that is wonderful about short stories. Pearlman’s collection will equally resonate with fans of short stories and serve as a tremendous introduction to readers less familiar with the form.

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ARTS + CULTURE

Dance Theatre of Harlem dazzles with great promise ANNA DEARING DANCE CRITIC

pique-turn, double pique-turn en dedans diagonal sequence.

“Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven: Odes to Love and Loss” by Ulysses Dove was a contemporary piece set to music

by Arvo Pärt. The dancers wore sleek white unitards, and the set was stark. The undertone of a clock was interspersed between the scenes. The dancers started out in a circle in a clock-ticking rhythm, emulating the gears of a clock.

Samuel Wilson and Dylan Santos were absolutely stunning in a pas de deux that demonstrated the sheer power of male strength. Wilson, with gymnastic strength and flexibility, would jump over Santos and then pose in second position grand plié rolled over on his toes as if en pointe. Then Wilson partnered Santos as he was mid-straddle, demonstrating inner thighs of steel. The final piece of the evening, “Vessels,” choreographed

by Darrell Grand Moultrie and set to music by Ezio Bosso, was another contemporary piece that seemed to build in four movements: Light, Belief, Love and Abundance.

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Ingrid Silva, Ashley Murphy and Jenelle Figgins of the Dance Theatre of Harlem performed in “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven: Odes to Love and Loss” by Ulysses Dove.

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The Sarasota Ballet presented the Dance Theatre of Harlem at its recent performance at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded by the first AfricanAmerican ballet dancer, Arthur Mitchell, celebrates its 45th year and is in its third year of relaunch under the direction of former DTH ballerina, Virginia Johnson.

Although the new company shows signs of lack of experience, the building blocks of strong technique and stage presence showcase a budding company ready to take back its historic stature.

DTH started off the program with a piece of its history, “New Bach,” which was created in 1999 by resident choreography Robert Garland, set to music by J.S. Bach. The piece is a neoclassical, Balanchine-inspired, three-act ballet led by a principal couple and flanked by four women and four men. Interspersed between the criss-crossed- and on-andoff-balanced choreography were more current dance movements such as snapping and clapping, and sassy rolling of the hips.

Lead couple Lindsey Croop and Fredrick Davis demonstrated strong technique during the piece that included petite allegro work, pirouettes and jumps.

Croop was elegant as she glided across the floor in hip-swaying drags en pointe and stunned in a penché promenade.

Chrystyn Fentroy and Jorge Andrés Villarini performed the always vibrant “Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux” by George Balanchine. Fentroy danced with strength and grace in the pas de deux that requires a multitude of fouetté pirouette sequences, lifts and jumps. She followed up that strength in her fast-paced solo that included a difficult

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

‘Knock Me a Kiss’ tackles Harlem Renaissance politics MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC

W.E.B. Du Bois was a giant of the Harlem Renaissance and the early Civil Rights era. But even giants have children and make all-too-human decisions about their welfare. Charles Smith’s “Knock Me a Kiss” — the current Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe production — considers the gigantic damage Du Bois did to his only daughter, Yolande.

What went wrong? The historical facts are up for grabs.

In Smith’s imaginative retelling, it’s all quite clear. In the Harlem of 1928, the vivacious, slightly spoiled Yolande (Emerald Rose Sullivan) has a thing for bandleader Jimmie Lunceford (Joel Patrick King).

It’s strictly platonic and that’s strictly her idea. Her father, Du Bois (E-Mani Cadet), thinks that’s a bad idea. Their family is African-American royalty — setting a national example by their intellectual and strictly genteel ways. Marrying his daughter to a coarse, jazz musician simply won’t do.

So, Du Bois pushes Yolande in the direction of the courtly Countee Cullen (Ethan Henry), the Harlem poet laureate and latter-day disciple of John Keats. Their resulting wedding ceremony rivals the Prince Charles/Lady Di shindig and has equally disappointing

results. Countee wants to keep the marriage platonic, though he feels differently about his friend Harold Jackman, “the handsomest man in Harlem.”

Countee and Yolande divorce in 1930. Yolande realizes the jazzman was her one true love.

She goes back to him, but that ship has sailed.

Director Chuck Smith navigates this intimate narrative with a keen sense of bigpicture history. Du Bois and Yolande’s bad choices reflect the era’s ugly racial politics. For Du Bois, the political trumps the personal — and he sacrifices his daughter on the altar of appearance. You laugh at the folly, cry at the pain.

One-note plays are easy.

But this story turns on a dime from hilarious to heartbreaking. It ain’t easy, but the talented actors give it everything they’ve got.

Cadet’s Du Bois is suitably patriarchal. He plays his role with stature, though the script makes Du Bois the bad guy — a domineering, pompous bully.

Henry’s epicene poet is definitely not the bad guy. As a gay African American in the 1920s, Countee is a member of two persecuted groups. He’s just the wrong man at the wrong time. Henry smartly conveys his quiet tragedy — and the failure of his brilliant rationalizations to sway the tide of the human heart. With his patois,

IF YOU GO “Knock Me a Kiss” runs through Feb. 8, at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. Call 366-1505 or visit wbttroupe.org for more information.

charisma and dance moves, King fully sells you that he’s got the chops to be a Cotton Club superstar.

Sullivan evokes Yolande’s unfolding inner life as she grows from naïve entitlement to the sorrowful wisdom of loss. Makeba Henry gradually reveals her own loss as Du Bois’ stroke-impaired wife, Nina.

As Leonora, LaNisa Frederick provides a reality check to Yolande’s unrealistic ideals.

Leonora speaks truth, but fails to talk sense into her.

Kudos to the talented actors and director. Kudos also to Cristy Owen (for period costumes worthy of “Boardwalk Empire”) and Steve Patmagrian (for an evocative set conveying an intellectual warrior’s devotion to his people). As to the playwright? Kudos, with quibbles.

Smith’s script oscillates between naturalistic dialogue and haunting spells of spokenword poetry. It’s a long, strange trip, brilliantly written, but perhaps not entirely fair. His Du Bois verges on caricature.

I’m not looking for praise of

Courtesy of Don Daly Photo

W.E.B. Du Bois (E-Mani Cadet) has a serious conversation with his daughter, Yolande (Emerald Rose Sullivan), in “Knock Me A Kiss.”

famous men — just don’t cut them out of cardboard.

As history, take this play with a grain of salt. As allegory, it works just fine. “When somebody asks for a sacrifice, always check the fine print,” being the moral of the tale. As

Bogart once said, “The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” The crazy world comes first, kid. A lofty sentiment in 1942 “Casablanca.”

In 1928 Harlem, it’s a bad idea.

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Honoring Mollie Cardamone as the Caring Heart of the Year

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Spring 2015 Issue - March 5th

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Orchestra masters enigma with clear intention JUNE LEBELL MUSIC CRITIC

“Enigma” was the title of the Sarasota Orchestra’s Masterworks series this past weekend but, aside from the program featuring Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” there was nothing perplexing about it.

Opening with Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten,” we heard a sonorous Sarasota Orchestra playing music that is sheer simplicity embodying sophistication. Principal percussionist George Nickson began the work with the sound of a distant chime, a church bell, tolling a mournful death knell somewhere over the hill, that slowly came closer and closer while the strings played a simple downward minor scale. The sophistication came in the tempos each section played for this motif: the violins, for example, playing faster while the lower strings took up the toll at a much slower pace, enabling dissonances and resolutions that made ethereal colors, finally ending in a simple minor third.

Sounding a little like the opening of Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the Pärt’s difficulty is in sustaining the sound and keeping the energy. The Sarasota Orchestra, led by Estonian Music Director Anu Tali, maintained both with an intensity that was spine-shivering.

Beethoven’s grand Piano Concerto No. 4 followed with Stephen Hough (pronounced Huff), the award-winning, international pianist, leading the way with the composer’s opening proclamation of few notes on the piano, developed by the orchestra so that the work sounds more like a chamber piece than a full-fledged concerto. Duets were passed from full ensemble to soloist, and Hough and Tali seemed fully glued at the hip, following each other seamlessly through the performance.

Hough is a clean, clear player, and he brings both important inner voices and obvious melodies out in a forthright manner that’s also imbued with emotion. In the second movement, for example, there was a beautifully thought-out duet between the pianist and the orchestra, with the pianist whispering the connective tissue between the pronouncements of the orchestra and Tali bringing the soloist and ensemble together in one grand scheme.

The pianist occasionally took uncharacteristically grand pauses, especially in the cadenzas, but his intention seemed to be to emphasize the silences, making Beethoven’s monolithic qualities even more prominent. In fact, the cadenzas seemed to become gigantic sonatas in themselves, transforming the whole group — soloist, conductor and ensem-

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Award-winning international pianist Stephen Hough performed this weekend with the Sarasota Orchestra.

ble — into one organic body that was extremely satisfying.

But the great transformation came after intermission when Tali and the orchestra tackled Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.”

With each of the sections written in honor of the composer’s friends, some by name, others by initial, this is a particularly personal piece. But to try to decipher which friend is which surely defeats the purpose. It’s the music — the great, sonorous, warm, action-packed, otherworldly, funny and moving music — that leads us to imagine our own friends and hear their voices through time.

Yes, there are some friends who are closer than others, Nimrod — written as a glorious adagio — speaks to us with more understanding and weight than some of the others. So does the cello solo (beautifully performed by acting principal Jake Muzzy) leading into the richness of the lower strings and a lushness of sound from the ensemble.

The transitions between the variations are as tricky as those between the Beethoven cadenzas and tutti sections.

But Tali, again, made them so continuous and unified it was, except for the personalities of

the friends, difficult to know there was an actual segue.

The encore was Nimrod, repeated. But, taken out of context, it was just that much slower than it had been within the complete work and, at that tempo, there was an elasticity of sound that tore at our hearts. John Milton described the moment in his poem, “Il Penseroso”: “There let the pealing organ blow/ To the full voiced choir below/ In service high, and anthems clear/ As may with sweetness, through mine ear/ Dissolve me into ecstasies/ And bring all Heav’n before mine eyes.”

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