SARASOTA

Health Matters APRIL 2020

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INSIDE

KEEP MOVING

Whether you’re stuck at home or constantly on the go, staying active is importan t for your physical — and mental — health. PAGE 2

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

TENNIS VS. PICKLEBALL

How the racket sports differ in your workout.

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VOLUME 16, NO. 21

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Prioritize self-reflection over sweat.

Routines last longer than motivation.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Finding a treatment Sarasota Memorial takes part in COVID-19 research. PAGE 6

Unmasking the heroes

Courtesy photo

Bonnets cap off neighborhood’s holiday

They were not gathered together at church, but residents of Meadow Sweet Circle in Osprey felt the Easter spirit nonetheless. Easter bonnets lined neighborhood streets atop mailboxes and lamp posts. Wooden, bunny-shaped cutouts hung on doors. The idea stemmed from resident Margaret Barrington, who phoned neighbor Deb Holton-Smith last week about the idea. The response from a neighborhood web posting was overwhelming. “We kept at least 6 feet apart, but there was a constant stream of people,” Holton-Smith said. “People walking, people on bikes and motorcycles, people in cars.”

Community lends a hand to those on the front lines. SEE PAGE 3

Harry Sayer

Jennifer “Lacey” Mitchell doesn’t have to worry about Callie, 6, when she heads to work at the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office each day. Callie attends day care at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County.

A new Helping kind of the needy cocktail

Courtesy photo

Who’s that out the window?

With so many Easter events for children canceled last weekend, one company in Sarasota felt it had a solution to what could have been a bunny-free holiday. Let’s Jump Events set up “no-contact” visits from the Easter Bunny in which the costumed character would greet children from afar — either through a window or from the front yard or sidewalk. The bunny made the rounds, brightening the day for dozens of children.

Philanthropy groups aim to fill a gap among the area’s hardest-hit. SEE PAGE 5 David Conway

Rum maker uncorks a new recipe with a toast to your health: hand sanitizer. SEE PAGE 10

SARASOTA OBSERVER

WEEK OF APRIL 16, 2020

WH AT’S H A PPENING

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

BY THE NUMBERS

Roundabouts open this week

“It’s the right thing to do.” Siesta Key Rum Owner Troy Roberts on shifting production to making hand sanitizer. READ MORE ON PAGE 10

The first in a series of roundabouts on U.S. 41 are set to open this week at 10th and 14th streets. The Florida Department of Transportation announced traffic shifts on U.S. 41 between Thursday, April 16, and Sunday, April 19. The changes at 10th Street will begin at 6 p.m. April 16 and be in place by 6 a.m. April 17. The shifts at 14th Street will begin at 6 p.m. April 18 and be done by 6 a.m. April 19. New pedestrian-activated crosswalk signals will also be activated at both intersections. Although the roundabouts are scheduled to be open by April 19, construction on the $12.6 million roundabout projects will continue through fall 2020.

Tourism operator chills with new pursuit

9.6%

Rate of positive tests for the coronavirus in Sarasota County. For daily numbers, visit www.YourObserver.com.

$4.3 million

Funding set aside by county officials for the Small Business Resiliency Loan program. PAGE 4

$60,000

Raised by SPARCC through a live and silent auction. PAGE 13

Sarasota Military Academy students who won a recent national video-making competition. PAGE 16

n a world where most people step out of their homes only for essentials, there’s still one sound that inspires many to race out the door: the inviting chime of an ice cream truck. To many, The ChillMobile, a Sarasota-area ice cream truck operated by Discover Sarasota Tours CEO Tammy Hauser, represents a throwback of normal life. In another sense, it is a reminder that nearly everything has changed, especially in the tourism business. “I went through all the five stages of grief,” Hauser said. “I had to go through all that, just lock myself in a room and scream and cry and stomp my feet.” But Hauser turned her dejection into motivation. She booted up the 1979 ice cream truck she bought several months ago and rebranded it The ChillMobile. Upon invitation by parents, Hauser and her tiny papillon, Max, drive across neighborhoods around the area to sell ice cream. Most of her offerings sell for $3-$4. On her menu are

Memorial Day parade called off Sarasota’s downtown Memorial Day Parade is canceled, adding to the list of events called off because of COVID-19. The Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee decided to cancel the May 25 event after consulting with the city. “Although we won’t be able gather together this year, we hope the community will still join us in remembering the sacrifices of our beloved veterans and our fallen brothers and sisters this Memorial Day,” committee Chairman Dan Kennedy said. “We’ll now turn our efforts to preparing for the Veterans Day parade and ceremony, and we look forward to Sarasota joining us this fall for an even greater celebration.”

Brendan Lavell

Discover Sarasota Tours CEO Tammy Hauser at the window of The ChillMobile.

blasts from the past and a few connections to modernday, such as old-school “Bomb Pops” and a treat shaped like SpongeBob SquarePants. “It’s better for my psyche

to be solving a problem than crying about something I have no control over,” Hauser said. — BRENDAN LAVELL

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

EXTRA STEPS

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The “Feed A Healthcare Hero” campaign has raised more than $20,000 for Realtors to deliver restaurant food to health care facility workers.

Building together Organizations step up to provide child care, food and safe places to stay for employees and professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. BRYNN MECHEM AND HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITERS

Every day, Jennifer “Lacy” Mitchell wakes at 5:45 a.m., takes her morning shower and drives 45 minutes on near-empty roads to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. Once there, her 6-year-old daughter, Callie, puts on her mask and has her temperature taken. If it is below 100.4 degrees, she is welcomed inside. Mitchell then drives to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office headquarters, where she works as a human resource specialist. At 5 p.m., she wipes down her desk, picks up Callie without hugging her and drives home. There, she immediately takes her second shower of the day before enjoying the evening with her daughter. It’s a strange routine, but it’s become Mitchell’s new normal. A normal for which she’s grateful. Mitchell, a single mom, has relied on day care and afterschool care services under normal circumstances. When the COVID-19 pandemic started shutting businesses down, she wasn’t sure how she would manage. “It was worrisome, especially for work,” she said. “They just didn’t know what was going to happen. You weren’t really sure what essential was at that point, especially when it came to day care. … If you think: ‘OK, schools are shut down. Day cares are going to be shut down. What am I

going to do for work?’” She’s grateful to the Boys & Girls Clubs for offering day care services for Callie and the children of other essential workers during the pandemic. Several organizations and business owners are offering their services for free or lower prices as they continue to work through the COVID-19 outbreak. The state of Florida is providing free child care for essential employes for up to three months. The Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County, a state-funded nonprofit, financially supports child care centers in the county. Community Outreach Coordinator Ana McClendon said the coalition quickly identified Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office as two organizations that would have demand for daily child care. “So we knew all along that centers were going to close, and this was going to really shutter, at least temporarily, the [child care] industry,” McClendon said. “So we were sort of rolling up our sleeves figuring out what we could do to begin with right away.” The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County opened the doors of the Lee Wetherington Club on April 8 for children ages 6-12 of first responders and physicians. Callie, along with 30 other children, attend day care at the club. Instead of the typical 350 children found at the club each day, President Bill Sadlo said social distancing guidelines allows up

to 90 children, in groups of nine kids with one staff member for each group. Staff members and children have their temperatures checked upon arrival. “These are families that are on the frontlines and know what we’re dealing with,” Sadlo said. “So they have sent their kids with masks.” In addition to child care, those on the frontlines also are getting a welcome assist from the local hospitality industry. Several county hotels and resorts are offering free rooms to first responders or their families who might have been affected by the virus. One such property is Siesta Key Beach Resort and Suites. “These guys put their lives on the line to protect our families, and my concern is that there’s not being enough done to protect theirs,” Beachside Management Owner Mike Holderness said. “It’s our duty. It’s our duty to these guys and gals who are out there doing their job to make sure we’re safe.” Even though officers have implemented new guidelines, such as wearing gloves and issuing criminal citations instead of arresting people when possible, Sarasota Police Department Chief Bernadette DePino said there are a few officers who could have been potentially exposed. They have been placed in hotels to keep from exposing family members. “It’s already a dangerous enough job, and now we have an invisible enemy that you don’t have to have the symptoms of it, but you could be exposed to just because you’re doing your job,”

“These guys put their lives on the line to protect our families, and my concern is that there’s not being enough done to protect theirs. It’s our duty to these guys and gals who are out there doing their job to make sure we’re safe.” — Mike Holderness, Beachside Management owner

DiPino said. “However, not one officer has said, ‘I don’t want to work’ or ‘I’m not willing to do this.’ They all come into work, and they’re all dedicated.” And while child care and a place to stay have been offered, others don’t want essential workers to go hungry either. Local Realtors Brian Loebker and Brandy Coffey organized a “Feed A Healthcare Hero” initiative providing food for health care workers on the job. The duo have brought together more than 80 Realtors — all deemed essential workers by the Florida government — to deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner from more than 50 restaurants to workers at six area hospitals. They have raised more than $20,000 for the campaign so far.

Harry Sayer

Luis Quiles uses the computer at day care at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota while his essential worker parents are on the job.

While Sarasota County continues to respond to COVID-19, new policies are implemented as county officials attempt to secure supplies and the safety of employees. The county has implemented a personal protective equipment distribution center to serve as a conduit between the state and local organizations. The county receives PPE requests from local organizations and passes the requests to the state. The state then supplies the materials to the county, where it is distributed by need. Steve Thomas, the county’s materials manager, said the center has provided support to first responders and more than 100 assisted living facilities. Common materials requested, Thomas said, include gowns, face shields, gloves and N95 masks. Carlos Valhuerdi, an employee at Maris Pointe Senior Living, receives muchneeded supplies through the county distribution center. “It’s a life and death situation,” Valhuerdi said. “If one person catches something like COVID-19, we’re in a world of trouble.” In addition to the PPE center, the county has set up a call center and added questions to help 911 dispatchers determine whether a caller might be a COVID-19 patient. The county also added two rapid response vehicles to all callers that complain of flu-like symptoms. The crews on the vehicles received additional training to maximize safe and efficient use of PPE. Currently, the vehicles respond to around 40 calls a day, Collins said, and make up about 17% of the county’s daily call volume.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

County, EDC partner on business loan program

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Officials are preparing to issue up to $4.3 million to support small businesses in hopes of supplementing larger state and federal initiatives.

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Before the month is over, the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County plans on setting up a system to facilitate more than $4 million in loans to small businesses affected by COVID-19. The County Commission authorized the Small Business Resiliency Loan program at an April 8 meeting, voting 4-1 to set aside $4.3 million in economic incentive funds for the initiative. The maximum loan amount is $25,000, which means at least 172 businesses could receive money through the program. The loans are interest-free and require no payments for the first year and can be paid off over a three-year term at a 3.5% interest rate. The commission dedicated 35 loans for licensed child-care facilities and directed the EDC to disperse the money by May 1. That gives the EDC just more than three weeks to develop an application process and collaborate with the county on procedures for distributing the money. Dave Bullock, interim head of

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the EDC, said the EDC hoped to launch applications after the April 22 County Commission meeting. “While the whole emphasis here is speed, it’s also public money, so there’s a significant responsibility,” Bullock said. “It’s not just, knock on the door, ‘Take a check.’” The EDC helped advise the commission on the creation of the loan program. On March 24, the county directed the EDC to investigate possible uses for economic incentive funds for COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Shortly afterward, the EDC held a series of listening sessions with representatives from different sectors of the local economy. During those conversations, Bullock said it became clear that the county’s recovery investments would be a small fraction of the resources the state and federal governments could offer. “We have a relatively small amount of money,” Bullock said. “We’re not going to help the 500-employee or 800-employee company much with our $4.3 million, so let’s focus where we can help the most.” The EDC intends for the application to build on the application for the federal Paycheck Protection Program, adding one page for information the county needs for its program. More information about the Small Business Resiliency Loan program is available at www.EDCSarasota.com.

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Foundations organize COVID-19 support strategies Philanthropy groups are working to support struggling individuals and nonprofit service providers preparing for increased demand.

COVID-19 RESOURCES Organizations seeking support can request funds from the COVID-19 Response Initiative by visiting www. GulfCoastCF.org. Because the Community Foundation issues grants to nonprofits, individuals interested in receiving funds from Season of Sharing must be working with a case worker at a social service agency. More information is available at www. CFSarasota.org.

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

ne day before the Gulf Coast Community Foundation was scheduled to host its Better Together luncheon, a major annual gathering for the philanthropic organization, Gov. Ron DeSantis advised event planners statewide to cancel mass gatherings to limit the risk of spreading COVID-19. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation announced it was canceling the luncheon later that day — and behind the scenes, it immediately began the process of formulating a response to help the community deal with a rapidly emerging public health crisis. “We did a 180 from planning to celebrate to dropping everything and making this a priority for our foundation,” said Mark Pritchett, Gulf Coast Community Foundation president and CEO. For Gulf Coast and other local philanthropic foundations, the past month has involved developing a strategy for reorienting their work to address the effects of COVID-19. From providing resources for struggling individuals and families to helping service providers facing increased demand and new operational restrictions, these groups hope they can help Sarasota get through challenging and uncertain times.

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Mark Pritchett, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, said the organization has helped issue more than $1 million in grants over the past month in response to COVID-19.

This work involves a good deal of collaboration. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation partnered with the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation to launch the COVID-19 Response Initiative, which announced more than $200,000 in grants earlier this month as the first wave of an effort targeted specifically at supporting health and humanservice organizations. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Patterson Foundation are also teaming up on coronavirus aid efforts. The Patterson Foundation has committed up to $1 million in support for the Community Foundation’s Season of Sharing program, an annual initiative focused on helping people in the community with basic needs, such as rent and child care. The Patterson Foundation

has also committed to matching all unique donations between $25 and $100 during the annual Giving Challenge on April 28-29, a fundraiser event for nonprofits throughout the region. The foundations are approaching their work with a sense of urgency, with some upending the procedures that typically guide their decision-making. John Annis, the Barancik Foundation’s senior vice president for collaboration and impact, said the organization has been able to swiftly issue grants because the foundation’s board preemptively authorized staff to take action, reversing the traditional approval process. The foundation is reaching out directly to organizations with which it has partnered in the past, rather than waiting for applications and going through a

more formal review. “This isn’t the time to be rigid and do things as you normally do,” Pritchett said. “You have to just blow up your model and innovate.” Some initial grants issued through the COVID-19 Response Initiative are designed to help service providers work remotely. Groups including the Women’s Resource Center, First Step of Sarasota and CenterPlace Health received more than $70,000 to help with a shift to virtual service. Other announced grants are going toward child care, rent assistance and crisis loan programs. Annis said the COVID-19 Response Initiative is focused on health and human-service organizations because the foundations anticipated an increased demand for those services, not only because of the health effects of COVID-19 but because of the ongoing economic hits, as well. “Nonprofits already stretched thin have a whole new line of

people that are going to ask for support,” Annis said. Although those involved with the foundations say some donors have expressed trepidation about giving money amid an economic downturn, the majority of philanthropists are continuing to seek opportunities to give to help those in need. Annis said some philanthropists are being more deliberate as they decide how best to donate, a sentiment echoed by Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of the Patterson Foundation. “If you have a generorsity gene, you don’t stop being generous,” Jacobs said. “You focus.” Kirsten Russell, vice president of community impact for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, said the continued support is possible because of Sarasota’s robust philanthropic network and the foundations’ history of positive work. As foundations attempt to respond as quickly as possible to the community’s needs, they must also deal with the lack of clarity on how long COVID-19 will affect Sarasota. The resources available to them aren’t unlimited, and there’s a concerted effort to issue money responsibly, prioritizing the most pressing short-term gaps that must be filled. Russell said the Community Foundation is continuously working to refine both its short- and long-term strategies as it continues to get new input from both donors and nonprofit partners. Those involved with the philanthropic response to COVID-19 agreed that collaboration and flexibility will continue to be key moving forward. “We have never dealt with anything quite like this,” Annis said. “This is all new ground.”

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Sarasota Memorial Hospital tests COVID-19 treatments

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We are continuing to see patients during regular business hours. In addition, Telehealth services are being offered temporarily to all established Intercoastal Medical Group patients seen within the last three years to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

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Sarasota Memorial Hospital is participating in two clinical trials testing potential treatments for the coronavirus. One involves the use of remdesivir, an antiviral drug produced by Gilead Sciences. The other, a partnership with Suncoast Blood Centers and Mayo Clinic, focuses on plasma from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. In an April 9 press conference, hospital officials discussed their involvement in the trials and their hope an effective treatment for the coronavirus could be identified quickly. SMH Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Fiorica said existing treatment options available for the virus include off-label use of the drug hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin. Fiorica said the trial options differ from what is currently available to medical professionals because the tests involve treatments designed specifically for the novel coronavirus. “It’s a whole different level of research,” Fiorica said.

The trials are in their early stages, and the patients who qualify for the treatments are limited. Dr. Kirk Voelker, a critical care pulmonologist and director of clinical research for SMH, said the hospital was only using the drug for individuals in intensive care and on ventilators. Two individuals at the hospital have received convalescent plasma as part of the second study. On April 9, Fiorica said three individuals who previously had COVID-19 have agreed to donate their plasma for use in that study. Manager of Clinical Research Tamela Fonseca said the hospital was reaching out to former patients and partnering with a local blood bank in hopes of increasing the robustness of the plasma trial. “We are well underway to really stock our shelves in order to provide plasma to our patients,” Fonseca said. Although it can take years from starting a trial to earning approval for a new treatment under normal conditions, Fiorica said medical professionals were pursuing a more aggressive timeline. “We want to be on the forefront of finding a treatment,” he said. As of Tuesday, 12 patients who tested positive for the coronavirus have died at SMH, and 25 remained hospitalized.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

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When Selby Gardens first filed plans for renovations to its bayfront campus, it required nearly 30 hours of public hearings. Now as Selby seeks approval for revised plans, the city is still working out a remote meeting strategy.

Coronavirus could delay major projects DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

At the beginning of 2020, The Bay Sarasota and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens were in the process of raising tens of millions of dollars toward long-term capital projects in the heart of the city, hoping to begin construction later in the year. Just a few months later, however, the spread of COVID-19 has cast uncertainty on the timing of those projects. Although representatives for both organizations were optimistic about funding and the capacity to begin construction if authorized, the city has temporarily suspended its public development review process. As a result, it’s unclear when The Bay and Selby Gardens will be able to go in front of the City Commission seeking approval for the projects. “It certainly is slowing things down, understandably so,” said Bill Waddill, The Bay’s chief implementation officer. “We’re kind of making the best of it that we can.” The Bay is working with the city on developing more than 50 acres of city-owned bayfront land surrounding Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The public park project is expected to take more than a decade and $100 million to complete. The Bay is working to get the city to approve the first phase of that project, a 10-acre segment expected to cost $25 million. Waddill noted The Bay has already secured about $15 million in private contributions toward phase one, and he expressed confidence the group remains on track to fully fund that portion of the project. He acknowledged

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shifting economic conditions could affect The Bay’s ability to obtain public funding in the immediate future, but he said the long-term nature of the project meant the effects of the pandemic might not be as challenging. “If it causes a little delay, that’s fine,” Waddill said. “We’ll just be nimble and adapt.” Although the city remains under a state of emergency, Waddill noted The Bay is continuing to work on a mangrove restoration project on the park site. He said the organization has adjusted its plans to ensure public access to open space will be maintained during construction — and as lockdown measures are in effect. Selby Gardens has been closed to the public since March 17, but President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki is eager to begin work on the nonprofit’s campus master plan project as soon as possible. In February, Selby Gardens filed revised plans for phase one of its $92 million renovation initiative. Like The Bay, it has had to wait for judgment on its proposal after the city suspended meetings of its Development Review Committee and Planning Board. “We’re waiting to hear when those meetings will be scheduled,” Rominiecki said. As the city works on a new strategy for holding meetings, Rominiecki argued moving forward with the Selby Gardens master plan project would be beneficial during the coronavirus response. “In our minds, we believe it would be greatly helpful for the local economy for our project to be approved and for us to start because we could put those funds into the community,” she said.

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SARASOTA / SIESTA KEY

OPINION / OUR VIEW

‘Lacking moral compass’

s expected, last week’s editorial — “What about the 99%?” — triggered responses. The letters that follow line up with five

against what we advocated and three in favor. But overall, based on emails and comments from people we saw in person, the support for reopening the economy is 3-1 over the opposition. — MATT WALSH, EDITOR

Your points don’t survive science Economics has been my hobby from my time studying engineering at the University of Michigan. So inferential statistics is a discipline I spend a great deal of time visiting. Inferential statistics is the use of analysis of the past to predict the future. That discipline came to mind after reading your editorial “What about the other 99%?” Several points for you to consider: n Comparative analysis The use of heart disease, cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, drug overdoses, flu/pneumonia as comparative data to COVID-19 is inappropriate because the only contagious diseases on that list are flu-pneumonia (not all types) and bronchitis (not all types). COVID-19 is contagious, and therefore the only comparison that is fair for your list is flu. If you really wanted a splashy noncontagious death rate, I would suggest worldwide starvation, which claims about 25,000 lives each day (750,000 per month). Given the worldwide capacity for food production, starvation can be dramatically reduced if there was a resolve to do so. Sadly, there is no such resolve. Your basis for the outrage argument does not survive the basic requirement of science to substantiate the inclusion of that list of different causes of death. And if they did, almost none kills as quickly as COVID-19. n Media outrage I don’t know who Seth Liebsohn and Bill Bennett are, but I suspect they are participants in the media market. Is there any reason they do not report on death rates for diseases? I am sure they can, if they wished. As an owner of a number of newspapers, you could raise public awareness by publishing disease death rates and covering efforts to improve public health. I’ll leave to you to opine one why this is not a story, as you know more about media business models than I. n Lay people know best This section made me laugh out loud. Imagine, the decision to allow restaurants to remain open and owners knowingly putting people at risk to contract a highly contagious disease, with no known treatment and a worldwide death rate (based on extremely limited data) of 3.4% being left to someone who has no medical training with no incen-

tive to consider public health. It is an absurd and flawed argument. There is no context for someone who has no education and experience to make such a decision. If your argument is to abandon all oversight from experts who can advise based on science, that’s one thing. But to assume the greater good will outweigh the wallet in someone’s pocket is naive at best. n The goal You raise many good points in this section. In business, sports and most things in life, a goal is easily defined. For this pandemic, there is so much unknown that it is not possible to set a measurable goal. We really have no idea how many people have this disease anywhere because we are unable to do random testing of people because of no infrastructure to do so and not enough test kits if we did have the infrastructure. Your use of incident rates for populations is not valid because we have not tested enough people. I would submit that the role of government is to protect its citizens. From there, it is not too difficult for any elected official to seek expert advice on the best way to accomplish this task. Even with expert advice, it is impossible to know the best way to address COVID-19 (quarantine in specific areas versus all areas) because we can only do this one way rather than try several ways and choose the best. So far, the data from South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand and China indicate a highly restrictive quarantine seems to reduce the spread more so than the approach in the U.S. It is intellectually stimulating to learn from differing views. Thanks for writing your editorial. STEVEN MIESOWICZ LONGBOAT KEY

We need to define terms of victory Before the days of football in today’s modern arenas, the ancient Romans pitted gladiators against each other, or animals, in the Colosseum. In either case, rules existed to determine the victor. In today’s football, the victor has the best score; back in Rome, it was the survivor. Now let’s suppose the Roman gladiator represents the American economy and the U.S. Constitution, and the animals represent COVID-19. In this game, have the American people been

“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

provided the terms of victory? Are we fighting to eliminate COVID-19 or to minimize it? How will we know when it’s defeated? Will someone snap fingers and say we are now safe — like they did when they said we should all be fearful? Your statistics on annual deaths from other causes was telling. As a nation, we didn’t seem as concerned about death from opioids or obesity, etc. At this point, without rules to determine the end game, it appears as if the animals might be winning with a combination of government edicts that trample our rights under the Constitution and cripple the economy. At its worst, the market value of the economy had lost almost $10 trillion; the government printed more than $5 trillion to feed the bailout and Fed Reserve Bank’s actions; the unemployment claims will easily exceed 15 million; tens of thousands of businesses have closed or will go bankrupt because of the government’s actions; the government has participated in tortious interference in suggesting tenants not pay their rent or cannot be evicted; etc. All of these actions were done without any rules to define victory over COVID-19. “We the People” need to fight back for our constitutional rights and demand accountability from elected officials and unelected experts who are exercising seemingly unchecked powers. First and foremost, define the rules now for a win, so we can track ourselves and not be directed by changing political sound bites. People and employers can then take precautions they deem fit moving forward. For example, to mask or unmask is an individual decision. Second, with the rules defined, let’s lay the groundwork now for reopening businesses and bringing people back to work, so we don’t have another month of economic destruction. Lastly, the press, in general, is an accomplice to the destruction with its mixed messages and hyped narratives. As your editorial correctly pointed out, 335 million (100%) Americans are now being impacted. Although the death/ infection rate is worrisome — as are the other diseases you cited — COVID-19 is only impacting the health of 0.12% of Americans. The press needs to report the facts and news, not make the news or sensationalize it. Your editorial, thankfully, has done the former. Thank you! JOEL SCHLEICHER SARASOTA

Your 30-day trial of socialism Your opinion piece “What about the 99%?” was excellent. Lucid, rational, calm, realistic, data-driven versus emotional, irrational, hysterical and mediadriven. The governor of South Dakota (one of about nine, dare I say, Republican governors) profoundly stated no statewide

lockdown order. In her mature view, Americans should be intelligent and responsible enough to make the best decisions for themselves, their children and family and even their business in any socalled crisis. Everywhere else the authoritarian civil authorities at all levels of government are imposing their leap-frogging restrictions on all citizens and answering to no one. The sheeple are awaiting permission from these lords and masters before so much as stepping out of their homes. Everyone’s hands are outstretched to grasp whatever soon-to-be valueless dollars are benevolently bestowed upon them. The list of the deleterious effects is long: Empty shelves in supermarkets, liquor stores and pot shops (keep the populace sedated!); hoarding and black markets; curfews; arrests for daring to walk outside or kayak in open waters; “immunity certificates” proposed to be carried on your person (“Where are your papers?”); etc. To those who wanted socialism, you just received a 30-day trial. How do you like it? Ben Franklin rued the day Americans would flippantly trade their freedoms for socalled security. That day has arrived. JOSEPH IANNELLO LONGBOAT KEY

Your warped mind is dangerous I read with genuine disgust the editorial, “What about the 99%?” published in the April 9 edition. This editorial appears to be written by someone lacking even a semblance of a moral compass, who remains completely tone deaf and flippant about the value of human life and readily willing to sacrifice whatever is needed to keep the economic engines and stock portfolios roaring along in America. Your editorial mentioned that Americans are choosing “computer models over facts.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Combining that false assertion with a rather intelligence-insulting nonpoint stating that, “For starters, elected officials should use facts, not opinions and emotions of cable news talking heads” sounds strangely “Hannity-esqe.” Your warped mode of thought predictably follows the dangerous path brought to America by the glaring incompetence and unbridled ignorance of the 45th president of the U.S., at whose feet the explosion of COVID-19 in America ultimately lies. I suggest you take a few days off to visit New York City. Observe firsthand the brave, selfless, modern-day heroes caring for our critically ill, along with the grief and the final goodbyes of families separated by glass partitions to drive home the reality of the human suffering of this pandemic in your mind. You are correct about one thing in your editorial. This

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pandemic has driven Florida into a recession. Once-in-a-lifetime plagues have always had devastating human and economic consequences. Unfortunately, we cannot responsibly end the economic impacts of COVID-19 at this time, but we sure as heck can minimize the human toll. JOHN WEBER LONGBOAT KEY

What we’re doing makes sense I must take issue with your editorial about the 99%. Yes, the financial devastation across the country and the state are awful. My own daughter working in technology in Boston just got laid off. But I want to make a few points: n The many causes of death you cite, heart disease, cancer etc., are not invisible and highly contagious. COVID-19 is both. The fact there is inadequate testing — we don’t know who has it with mild or no symptoms thus whom to quarantine and whom not to — is what has required governments to shut down regular life. n In the case of this virus, its growth is exponential. Each infected person unknowingly goes on to infect many other people as we saw in the case of the funeral in Georgia. That is why we are facing the legitimate question of constitutional rights versus public safety. With no vaccine and few tests, the best we can do is limit contact. If your choice is to go to church and risk death from con-

tact, wouldn’t you rather pray at home? To your point “officials should use facts”: President Trump is using facts from highly qualified epidemiologists to analyze the spread of the disease. n Your point about letting business owners and consumers decide for themselves is preposterous. Restaurant owners are not knowledgeable about a disease that can spread but that you can’t see. And customers can be ignorant about what is safe for their own health. That is why we have public health departments. I know from reading your editorials you tend to have free market, less government views, but we are in a true, life-ordeath crisis whose duration and severity are not yet known. For a while longer, it makes sense to let governments be in charge. FRANCINE ACHBAR LONGBOAT KEY

Retract editorial; lives trump dollar The idea, as expressed in your opinion piece April 9, of reopening businesses and easing stay-at-home practices poses an unacceptable risk to everyone in Longboat Key and should not be carried out. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that more than 85% of deaths in Florida because of coronavirus are people 65 or older. “Usually, this is a chronic condition, but clearly, this is a virus that presents a specific danger to elderly populations,” DeSantis said. His words describe virtually the entire population of

Longboat Key. Furthermore, the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security project that lifting shelter-in-place orders after only 30 days would lead to a spike in infections. The projections presented to the administration state that if the orders currently in place are lifted, the death toll is estimated to reach 200,000, even if schools remain closed. America’s greatness has always been that it values human life above all other considerations. We never leave a soldier on the battlefield, and our medical profession is dedicated to saving every life within its power to save. The suggestion that we should reorder our priorities to elevate commerce above the sanctity of human life would forever be a stain upon the nation. Do you really value the almighty dollar more than precious human life, especially the vulnerable population here on Longboat Key? We hope that you retract this editorial because its message is insensitive and ignores our values as Americans and human beings. MICHAEL BOORSTEIN DAVID GORIN ROBERT ISRAELOFF LONGBOAT KEY

Let’s get back to sensible society

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

to a sensible society. I suspect, however, a fair amount of damage has already been done to the local businesses across America. Trump can’t win this one; he will be damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Refreshing to read! DENISE GREHN SARASOTA

Actually, it’s all about the 1% The title to your April 9 editorial should have been, “It is all about the 1%.” One percent of the U.S. populations is 3.3 million people. COVID-19 is carried and dispensed by people. At the present time, the only proven way to stop it is by physical isolation, including social distancing and other actions to keep it from your eyes, nose or mouth. Although the economic implications are awesome, not staying the course would be catastrophic. We are on the right path, and we need to stay the course. To do anything else would be irresponsible. The data will tell us where, when and what should be done to chart a future course to a healthy and prosperous future. LENNY & SUSAN LANDAU SARASOTA

Bravo for a well-written view that I have been saying all along! Hopefully, public officials will take a deep breath, this stupidity calms down, and we can get back

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Freya’s Personal reFlections about

MEDIATION

nterestingly enough, in today’s google accessible world, mediation is still relatively novel and little known to the general population. So I often find that people have questions about what I do and why I do it. Mediation is an effective alternative to dispute resolution. It is being used today in many areas, such as business, small claims court, foreclosure, family mediation, eldercare mediation, and the list goes on. It provides a path for people to resolve legal issues without traditional legal representation, which can be very rewarding for all involved. Why did I enter the field of mediation? Faced with a marriage that could not be reconciled, my situation ended up in a litigated setting with my spouse and I spending over $100,000 for a dissolution of a marriage that had minimal assets. I was devastated from the divorce, but as much from the horrible process of divorce than being divorced from my husband, if that makes sense. It felt as though the divorce became my whole life, a second job, our entire family was hit like a tornado and the cleanup was left to us while the professionals moved on without a care. As a part of the healing process I went to therapy. My counselor suggested that I might do well as a mediator. I thought about it and I decided to recreate myself. I obtained my mediation certification and my certification as a CDFA, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and started my business helping others in a way that I was not able to be helped. What do you enjoy most about family mediation? Helping couples and families avoid a catastrophe brings me joy. Guiding couples to be the best they can be as parents while separating in a kind and respectful way is to me what it is all about. There is no reason to tear each other apart. The process you use for your divorce will affect your children

for the rest of their lives. The work I do is all about helping people. I really enjoy being able to resolve people’s conflict. What are the best possible outcomes of mediation? Fair and equitable always comes to my mind as what everyone wants, and that is obtainable in mediation. Children having free and loving access to all family members and friends they had before the divorce. Parents sharing in birthdays, extracurricular activities and any event for their children. Yes, that means sitting together at their events too! Individuals having enough money after the divorce to continue to live without struggling.

File photo

Siesta Key Rum Owner Troy Roberts says everyone should do their part to help the community through the effects of the pandemic.

Siesta Key Rum mixes it up in switch to sanitizer Distillery cuts back on spirits to make much-needed product for front-line workers.

What are some of my favorite mediation moments? Laughing and crying with clients. That might sound sappy, but we are dealing with people’s lives here and everyone matters. People need to be heard, listened to and responded to in a way that they feel they matter. Helping clients see the light come on, either by realizing that there will be life after divorce or maybe that they create a new career, or that they decided to be the best co-parents they can be for their kids, or maybe they create a new and different relationship with their spouse. Helping the spouse that didn’t handle the financials understand what that looks like and how they will handle money in the future. Having discussions with couples about their children who are struggling, not only from the divorce, but perhaps because they have some challenges that need to be addressed. Couples can be very focused on themselves during the divorce process, which is natural, and sometimes we can miss the desperate needs of a child.

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On any given day, employees of Siesta Key Rum can be found mixing alcohol and oils and bottling the liquid for distribution. But it’s nothing you’d mix with Coke or a tropical fruit juice. They recently have taken on a new

endeavor: making hand sanitizer. As businesses began to shut down, and the number of positive coronavirus cases in the county grew, employees at the distillery began looking for ways they could help, Owner Troy Roberts said. Because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains more than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol, creating hand sanitizers in lieu of rum seemed like a no-brainer. “It’s the right thing to do,” Roberts said. “Everybody needs to do

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their part, and it was just such a cool and obvious idea for us, so we just joined in with all the other small distilleries around the country and started making sanitizer.” After they decided to make the sanitizers, Roberts said the employees, including his son, Wyatt, who is a lead distiller, started researching the proper way to make it. They had to make sure they were making the sanitizer legally because the Food and Drug Administration and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau created guidelines for distilleries to follow. They follow a recipe from the World Health Organization that is TTB-approved. Roberts said employees at Sarasota Memorial Hospital also tested the sanitizer to make sure it would kill viruses. Once the employees learned how to make it, they began acquiring the ingredients, which got increasingly more difficult day by day, Roberts said. “There’s only three ingredients, but getting the ingredients besides the rum has been a challenge,” he said. “Even just getting the bottles to put them in has been a challenge. And of course, the prices on this stuff has just gone through the roof.” So far, Roberts estimates the company has put about $15,000 into producing the hand sanitizers. At the same time, the distillery is losing about six figures in sales a month, Roberts said. However, Roberts said the employees still want to give back to the community, which is something they regularly do with their sea life series. Portions of the sales from that series are given to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

“We’re in a pretty decent position compared to a lot of businesses these days because we have two parts to our business,” Roberts said. “We have the tasting room, where we normally have the biggest margins, but we also have distribution, where we have sales going through liquor stores.” The distillery is still producing rum, but after an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis shut down the company’s tasting room, the company doesn’t have as great of a need for the alcohol. “We don’t have to make as much rum as we normally would during this peak time of year,” Roberts said. “But the good news is we have extra rum to turn into sanitizer.” After the sanitizer was created, employees bottled it into gallon jugs, 16-ounce bottles and 8-ounce bottles and began donating it to those on the frontlines. One such organization was the Sarasota Police Department, which received several gallon jugs. “It was so nice to receive that,” Chief Bernadette DiPino said. “We put hand sanitizer at strategic locations throughout the building and in each patrol vehicle, so it was a big help.” The group is starting to make its second batch, but it still has several 8-ounce bottles it would like to give away to the general public, though Roberts is still brainstorming ways to safely do so. “It’s been pretty cool to be able to do this,” Roberts said. “It’s nothing compared to what the doctors and nurses and all the first responders are doing out there. It’s a pretty small piece of the puzzle, but everybody should do their part.”

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APRIL 1

APRIL 6

TAINTED GOODS 8:48 a.m. — 500 block of North Washington Boulevard Theft: A convenience store employee said a man came into the business and placed an Italian sub and beef burrito in his pants before trying to purchase a beer. When the man approached the register, the employee asked him to remove the food from his pants and place them on the counter. The man took the food out of his pants and attempted to leave the store, but the employee said he had to pay for the items because they were in his pants, and the store could not resell them. Another employee tried to block the door to stop the man from leaving. The man tried to push past the employee, walked back to the register and then again tried to exit the store. The man was eventually able to leave and did not pay.

FAM I LY

ON THE WRONG TRACK 12:09 p.m. — 800 block of Indian Beach Drive Property damage: A man reported that, sometime overnight, a car ran over his mailbox and hit a palm and oak tree outside his home. Based on the paint left on the mailbox fragments and trees, the man said it might have been a metallic navy blue car. Based on the tire tracks, the man said it appeared the car hit the mailbox, trees, backed up and then left the area. The man concluded the car sustained extensive damage but was still drivable.

GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWALS 12:35 p.m. — 1600 block of North Drive Financial crime: A man hired a contractor to remodel a home in 2018. The man set up an account and deposited $100,000 to be used as the contractor did work. Recently, the man discovered more than $200,000 had not been paid to subcontractors, and the contractor withdrew the $100,000 from the account. The contractor sent a letter in February apologizing that the money was gone. The man has been unable to contact the contractor since then, and the contractor’s house is now listed for sale.

Family Owned. Family Focused.

APRIL 6

TOOL CRIME 7:55 a.m. — 1200 block of Boulevard of the Arts Burglary, structure: A man said his company’s tools were left at a construction site over the weekend in a makeshift locked box, and when he returned, he discovered several had been stolen. The man said the lock was forced open and damaged. The man estimated the tools’ value at $1,050 and said they had the company’s logo on them.

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APRIL 16, 2020

YOUR NEIGHBORS SPARCC prepares during quarantine The abuse services nonprofit views the current shutdown as a calm before the coming storm. HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

any of Sarasota’s organizations are closed for business. But there are some that are exceptions to this rule, and the Safe Place And Rape Crisis Center is one of them. The domestic violence and sexual assault service nonprofit still offers support to abuse survivors through a number of confidential programs. SPARCC also has an emergency shelter for survivors to escape from their abusers and to make plans for what’s next. But right now, that shelter is more quiet than it has ever been. The living space, which can hold 32 people, is housing only around half that number. Although that could seem healthy on the surface, Executive Director Jessica Hays said the reality is more ominous. “Everybody’s sheltering in place, and people have so much fear around even leaving their home to go to the grocery store,” Hays said. “So they are probably just enduring an abusive relation-

“Right now is a downtime for us. But when we’re full, it’s busy, and it’s taxing on the body, so we spend a lot of time talking about physical activity. ‘What do you like to do for self-care?’” — Tanjee Lane, director of Shelter Service

ship that may have already existed, and they were already living with it.” Hays said the shelter consistently sees a drop in traffic during hurricanes and then an influx as soon as they pass. The current pandemic is different, though, and brings new challenges. “The way people access us a lot of times are through friends or neighbors or school or a referral from another place that they’re visiting in the community, and when people aren’t having any of those support systems, it’s concerning,” Hays said. The new residents coming into the shelter during the quarantine are more critical — situations where violence and possibly fatal harm are more likely. Hays does note SPARCC is seeing a greater number of referrals from local law enforcement. SPARCC, like other groups, is making the transition to greater online support services as well. Staff participate in hearings with judges on Zoom, and Hays said they are working on implementing text technology into the support hotline. Staff are preparing for the worst-case scenario where they house someone who might end up being infected with the coronavirus. Hays says the organization has a plan in place to isolate any people at the shelter who begin to exhibit symptoms. The shelter has also provided cloth masks for staff and residents and increased its professional cleaning services to several times a week. The extra space in the shelter has proved helpful for SPARCC staff to enforce social distancing guidelines. Survivors are spread

Harry Sayer

Director of Shelter Service Tanjee Lane is preparing herself and other staff for a possible influx of shelter residents after the quarantine.

out across more rooms, with some — typically survivors with children — having a room for themselves. Although SPARCC’s spring fundraising event was canceled due to the pandemic, the organization was able to recoup some profits from a streaming virtual event that raised nearly $60,000 through a live and silent auction. There are more than 40 SPARCC staff members working, with some operating in satellite offices in Venice and Arcadia. Two staff members now work at the shelter at a time — half the usual number. Working at the shelter can be demanding. Director of Shelter Services Tanjee Lane said serving the various needs for 25 people 24/7 can take a lot out of staff. “Right now is a downtime for us,” Lane said. “But when we’re full, it’s busy, and it’s taxing on the body, so we spend a lot of time talking about physical activity. ‘What do you like to do for self-care?’” Shelter lead Gwen Davis has noticed a spike in anxiety in the

shelter’s residents. “Even if we extend them, most people will want to transition out [of the shelter],” Davis said. “For a lot of people, it’s: ‘What is it going to look like when this is even over? Am I going to be able to maintain a job or successfully find employment? Is employment I find going to be temporary?’” For Davis and Lane, the downtime is a chance to mentally prepare to offer stability. “We have a lot of staff here at the shelter, and we are also able to recognize burnout,” Lane said. “So when we’re feeling a certain way, or we’re feeling like this is becoming overwhelming, we communicate that to our supervisors. And then we take the time to take care of ourselves.” Hays recommends people living in unsafe or abusive situations to make a plan while things are calm before things reach a crisis point, to better act on that plan when the situation cools. You can find information on SPARCC, visit www.SPARCC. net.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Mort Skirboll remembered for kindness, sense of humor The mental health advocate and nonprofit patron was 82. HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

here was something different about Mort Skirboll — Bunny Skirboll recognized it the day they met. He had a kindness to him, an easygoing nature and a tendency to make people laugh. Even on their first date in college, Bunny knew it was something special. “I told [my mother] afterwards that ‘I think that’s somebody I can spend the rest of my life with,’” Skirboll said. They ended up spending 59 years together — she says he was the wind beneath her wings. His penchant for kindness and humor became well known to everyone who met Mort in Sarasota and Longboat Key for the 16 years he called the area his home. Morton Jay Skirboll died April 7 of complications from COVID-19. He was 82. “Mort walked out of the house [to the paramedics]” Skirboll said. “I never in a million years thought I would never see him again.” Mort and Bunny moved from Pittsburgh to Rochester, N.Y., where he founded the Liquitane plastic container manufacturing company, which isn’t to say he kept himself at a distance — Bunny says her husband was often helping out personally whenever

File photo

Mort Skirboll became a supporter of Compeer Sarasota, the mental health organization his wife, Bunny, founded and leads as chair of the board.

and wherever he could. “He never asked [his employees] to do anything he wouldn’t do in manufacturing,” Bunny said. “He even got a trucker’s license. … If they didn’t show up, he could drive the truck if he had to.” That empathy carried over to Longboat when he and Bunny bought a house on the Key more than 15 years ago. Mort supported Bunny as she led Compeer Sara-

sota, a local affiliate of the mental health organization she founded in New York and serves as chair of the board in Sarasota. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and was a genial patron of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee CEO Howard Tevlowitz said Mort was, simply put, an übermensch.

“He always believed in giving back, but he never wanted for himself. … I received a card last week from our mail carrier saying he would miss Mort. I mean, how many people actually talk to their mail carrier? He just treated everybody the same, and … he never forgot where he came from.”

“He had a great sense of humor and room presence,” Tevlowitz said. “[Mort and Bunny] wouldn’t stand out in a room because of their height. They would stand out because of their stature.” Not that he was interested in talking about his accomplishments. When he accompanied his wife to Sarasota’s many philanthropic events, he would often just tell people that he was Bunny Skirboll’s husband. “He always believed in giving back, but he never wanted to for himself,” Bunny said. “I received a card last week from our mail carrier saying he would miss Mort. I mean, how many people actually talk to their mail carrier? He just treated everybody the same, and … he never forgot where he came from.” He played golf almost every day of the week and saved Sundays for games with Bunny. Although they often joked they had no need to travel because they lived in paradise, Mort and Bunny were passionate about travel and made sure to plan a lengthy trip every fall. Bunny is grateful they bumped up a trip to Israel to this past New Year’s instead of the originally planned April. More than anything, Bunny hopes people remember Mort for his sense of humor and his kindness to everyone he met. Mort is survived by Bunny and his two children, Stephen Skirboll and Lisa Axelrod. To honor Mort’s legacy, Bunny recommends donating to a charity of people’s choosing.

– Bunny Skirboll

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The 22nd annual festival will be offered online from April 27 through May 3 with a detailed schedule to come. BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

ne of Sarasota’s staple events will still go on this year, just in a different way. The 22nd Sarasota Film Festival will present its first-ever virtual film festival that will still include feature-length films, documentaries, short films, student films, Q&As and live events. The festival was scheduled for March 27 through April 5 but was postponed after Gov. Ron DeSantis recommended postponing mass gatherings throughout the state to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Now the festival will be presented online from April 27 through May 3. “We are thrilled to bring the power of storytelling to the Sarasota community with an online film festival and select programming from our curated 2020 program,” said Mark Famiglio, chairman and president of the Sarasota Film Festival. “During this time, supporting the arts of our local community

is a priority, and we hope audiences can find solace in this festival and engage with the films in our lineup.” Held annually in Sarasota, the festival emphasizes works in cinema alongside programs and events. More than 1,000 works are submitted annually and are narrowed down to about 200 to be screened each year. The lineup for this year’s festival has yet to be finalized and will be released along with cost in the coming weeks. Last year’s festival included such works as Avi Belkin’s documentary “Mike Wallace is Here” and Greg Kinnear’s directorial debut, “Phil.” Panels included the topics of Florida on film, African American spotlight, LGBTQ representation and fashion on film. The 2020 festival will include an audience award competition for feature-length films, which will be voted on by online viewers. One film will be awarded the prize. A jury of local and national judges will present awards to the short films and student feature films at a future date. At a later date, interested parties will be able to be purchase tickets, and films will be viewed through the Sarasota Film Festival app, available for download in the app store or on the festival website.

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SMA students win video contest With a horror-movie feel, production earns juniors a timely prize. BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

In late February when Sarasota Military Academy Capt. Jeanette Marks walked into her classroom, it was flooded. Her 300-gallon aquarium had leaked overnight and lost about half its water on the floor. “When school was supposed to start, it was kind of like, ‘Well, what do we do?’” Marks said. “My students instantly started helping, and we got the fish out to save them.” Once the mess was cleaned, another problem arose: Marks didn’t have a tank large enough to hold all the fish in one place. So it was kismet, when a month later, four students from her marine science class won a national video competition. The prize: an aquarium. Earlier in the school year, Marks had challenged her students to create a video for The National Coral to Action Student Challenge, hosted by the Coral Restoration Foundation. SMA juniors Timothy Baldwin, Kelly Fletes, Haley Coady and Dominique Storr were named finalists, along with Collegiate Academy of Colorado and Mandalay Elementary School. “Florida has such a big part in the coral reef program,” Coady

Courtesy photo

said. “This is our home, and this video is about protecting what we want and what we love.” The quartet decided a horrorfilm theme would grab an audience in the one minute time constraint they had to work with. “We just really thought about the whole situation and how the coral reefs are dying and how we needed to raise awareness,” Fletes said. After the finalists were chosen, the winner was selected by popular vote on social media. “Stuff like this doesn’t happen in our world,” Baldwin said. “We don’t win national competitions.” Because it will be a special tank, Marks hopes to display it somewhere in the school where all students can enjoy it. However, she intends for her marine science students to care for the fish. “I think as a group we feel really proud of ourselves,” Fletes said. “We are juniors, so we’ll be leaving in another year, but now we’ll be leaving behind something really cool that other students can enjoy for years to come.”

The students’ video focused on coral reef and how it is dying.

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RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

uring his quarantine, Riverview High football junior middle linebacker Daevon LeBron is still reading opposing offenses’ presnap movements. He is still committed to stopping the run first, then the pass. He still will call an audible if he sees something he does not like. LeBron, who had 64 total tackles in 2019, is still a defensive force, but he’s doing these things not for Riverview but for the New Orleans Saints, his preferred team in Madden 20. LeBron, like a lot of high school athletes, has turned to e-sports to fill the void of real sports while social distancing. LeBron was a gamer before it

started, though, playing sports games including Madden in addition to shooters, such as Fortnite and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and he takes his virtual football as seriously as he does the real thing. “All the stuff our coaches teach us to do, I try to translate that to the game,” LeBron said. “That’s the biggest key. You have to understand football to be good at the game — that and having good user skills.” LeBron said he considers himself and fellow junior linebacker Brandon Davenport to be the best Madden players on the team, giving himself a rating of 7.5-8 out of 10 in comparison to e-sports professionals. Spring football practice was scheduled to begin April 27. At the least, spring practice will not start on time, and it is looking more likely by the day that it gets altogether canceled. Although Madden cannot replace the real thing, winning still satisfies his competitive spirit. “If the game is close — if you

SPORTS

VIRTUAL VICTORIES Sarasota athletes get their competitive sides flowing with video games.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Photo courtesy EA Sports

Minnesota VIkings running back Dalvin Cook splits the Detroit Lions defense in Madden 20.

win on the final play of the game or something — that is a great feeling,” LeBron said. “That is exciting and something to celebrate. But the real thing is different. You’re with your teammates and the crowd. You’re only focused on football. You don’t feel that flip of the switch with Madden.” At Sarasota High, baseball junior pitcher Conner Whittaker is waiting to see if the FHSAA cancels its spring season, ending the Sailors’ campaign early. He, too, has begun playing more video games, sticking

with Madden as well as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the Grand Theft Auto series. He prefers shooters because you can play with more people at once online, he said. “We get so mad at each other,” Whittaker said of his Sailors teammates. “When we’re all on the same squad, it’s crazy. And if the other team starts chirping at us, we are going to chirp back. Reese (Clancy, senior pitcher), he’s the most vocal when it comes to that.” Leagues like the NBA and MLB have set up tournaments where

their athletes play one another in NBA 2K20 and MLB: The Show 20, respectively. ESPN aired the NBA’s tournament, while the MLB’s games are streaming for free on Twitch and other sites. Whittaker and LeBron both said they are interested in watching such events while real sports are on the sidelines. “You get to see another side of people when they play video games,” Whittaker said. “You see their real personalities and how they interact with other players. It’s a lot like we do.”

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

With hearts of gratitudeâ€¦

As we embrace the safety and sanctuary of our homes, we salute those who must leave theirs to provide the essential care and services we need to overcome this pandemic.

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Home on Siesta Key sells for $1.89 million ADAM HUGHES

home on Siesta Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Badie Farag sold his home at 378 Canal Road to Robert Bartlett, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., for $1.89 million. Built in 1948, it has seven bedrooms, six-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,908 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million in 2014.

VUE Michael and Ilene Fox, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1502 condominium at 1155 N. Gulfstream Ave. to Larry Linhart, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1.72 million. Built in 2017, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,939 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.23 million in 2017.

THE TOWER RESIDENCES Graeme Malloch, trustee, of Midlothian, Va., sold the Unit 904 condominium at 35 Watergate Drive to Henry Anthony and Carol Geiger, of Sarasota, for $1.6 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,985 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.49 million in 2017. OYSTER BAY ESTATES Ronald and Debra Anno, of Osprey, sold their home at 1511 N. Lake Shore Drive to Scott and Elizabeth Woods, of Sarasota, for $1.33 million. Built in 1950, it has four bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,613 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,000 in 1997.

MARCH 30-APRIL 3

SARASOTA

OSPREY

PALMER RANCH

NOKOMIS

Arbor Lakes on Palmer Ranch Mark and Darcy Nicora, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., sold their home at 5819 Palmer Ranch Parkway to Karen Fordham, of Venice, for $837,500. Built in 2013, it has six bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,331 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2017.

Nat Kaemmerer

The home at 378 Canal Road was built in 1948 with seven bedrooms, six-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 3,908 square feet of living area.

BAY VIEW ACRES Charles and Michelle Romine, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1720 Anchorage St. to Kimberly Spencer, Tampa, for $1.13 million. Built in 1961, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,988 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,500 in 2014.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Tessera Barbara Reighart, trustee, and James Reighart sold the Unit 52 condominium at 500 S. Palm Ave. to Michael and Ilene Fox, of Sarasota, for $1.75 million. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths and 3,315 square feet of living area. It sold for $960,100 in 2000.

SARASOTA

AQUALANE ESTATES Michelle Pennie, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1774 Meadowood St. to Robert and Jennifer Rubenzer, of Sarasota, for $1.19 million. Built in 1958, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,076 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.02 million in 2018.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Other top sales by area

RESEARCH EDITOR

SANSARA John Feeney Jr. and Shiuan Chen sold their Unit 401 condominium at 300 S. Pineapple Ave. to Louis Rehak Jr., of Sarasota, for $1.7 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,702 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.88 million in 2017.

Meridian at the Oaks Preserve Susan Kilsby, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 703 condominium at 385 N. Point Road to Robert and Jennifer McKechnie, of Hudson, Ohio, for $529,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,203 square feet of living area. It sold for $507,500 in 2003. Duke John Leyva and Julie Leyva, of Nokomis, sold their home at 1501 Sweetland St. to Susan Conners, of Nokomis, for $865,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,636 square feet of living area.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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IDLE LANE Henry and Susan Gemma, of North Smithfield, R.I., sold their home at 1601 Idle Lane to Dennis Jensen and Melissa Jensen, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1.08 million Built in 1958, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,189 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 1998.

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These are the largest city of Sarasota and Sarasota County building permits issued for the week of March 30 and April 3, in order of dollar amounts.

C I T Y O F SA RAS O TA Address

Permit

Applicant

Amount

707 S. Gulfstream Ave. #103 Alterations

Taylor Yunis

$158,000

401 S. Palm Ave. #603

Alterations

Albert Esformes

$115,000

2802 W. Tamiami Circle

Pool/Deck

Stuart Broberg

$46,000

707 S. Gulfstream Ave. #1007 Windows

Larry Hietbrink

$42,500

2462 Milmar Drive

Judy Bruk

$36,420

707 S. Gulfstream Ave. #503 Windows

Remodel

Richmond Havard Jr.

$15,975

4530 Guava Court

Re-roof

Aaron Nickamin

$15,198

3510 Iroquois Drive

Alterations

David Patton

$15,000

SA R A S O TA CO U N T Y

MOVE-IN HOMES AVAILABLE

South Sarasota Sandhill Lake | Single family homes in the heart of Sarasota. SandhillLakeSarasota.com From the $500,000s | 941.234.0432

COMING SOON

Address

Permit Applicant Amount

14409 Masthead Drive

Pool/Spa/Deck

Christopher Stevens

1273 Tree Bay Lane

Windows

Donna Blincoe

5337 Salcano St.

Pool/Deck

James Smith

$53,357

1754 Stanford Lane

Pool/Spa/Deck

Matthew Peterson

$51,000

4914 Sabal Lake Circle

Windows/Doors

Michael Podolsky

$49,816

486 Bellini Circle

Wall

Todd Miles

$40,000

440 Pine Ranch Trail

Remodel

Mary Moretti

$40,000

$155,515 $103,000

Source: Sarasota County, city of Sarasota

Longboat Key The Residences on Longboat Key Coming to the former Colony Site TheResidencesLongboatKey.com From the $2,000,000’s | 941.213.3300

MOVE-IN READY

WATERFRONT HOMES & HOMESITES

Downtown Sarasota Risdon on 5th Urban Oasis Downtown Sarasota RisdonOn5th.com From the high $300,000s | 941.365.1414

NEW PRICING, MOVE-IN READY

Northwest Bradenton Palma Sola Bay Club | The Lifestyle You Deserve | PalmaSolaBayClub.com From the $300,000s Immediate occupancy | 941.216.7436

Bradenton Riverfront Riverside Point | A gated community of riverfront homes | RiversidePointFlorida.com Home sites from $229,900 | Homes from the mid $400,000s | 941.201.4574

MOVE-IN READY

Osprey Bayfront Edgewater at Hidden Bay Move-in ready EdgewaterHB.com From the $500,000s | 941.966.3600

MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM ⁄ NEW-HOMES | 844.591.4333 | SARASOTA, FLORIDA Prices as of April 3, 2020.

333579-1

Licensed Real Estate Broker

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

SUNRISE / SUNSET

THURSDAY, APRIL 16 Don’t worry,

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, April 16

7:04a 7:55p

Friday, April 17

7:03a 7:56p High: 74 I T ’ S S M A R T S T R A N D. Saturday, April 18 7:02a 7:56p Low: 67 Only SmartStrand® can handle the 747 lbs of ice cream a family will eat in a carpet’s lifetime. Chance Sunday, April 19 7:01a 7:57p ofprotection rain: that 60% Other carpets use stain has to be reapplied. But only SmartStrand’s stain resistance is built right into Monday, April 7:00a 7:57p the fibers. So it never wears or washes out. Even after multiple cleanings. Even better, It’s on 20 sale now! To learn more about what makes SmartStrand® with DuPont™ Sorona® #1 in customer satisfaction, visit MohawkFlooring.com/SmartStrand.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

High: 85 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 20%

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 High: 85 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 20%

SUNDAY, APRIL 19 High: 85 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 10%

MaryAnn Parks captured this image of a red shouldered hawk in her yard in Sarasota.

Submit your photos at www.YourObserver.com/Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 2020-21 Weather and Nature photo contest. Contest details to come.

Tuesday, April 21

6:59a 7:58p

Wednesday, April 22 6:58a 7:58p

MOON PHASES

May 7 Full

May 14 Last

May 22 New

May 29 First

RAINFALL Monday, April 6

0.08

Tuesday, April 7

Wednesday, April 8

Thursday, April 9

Friday, April 10

Saturday, April 11

Sunday, April 12

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2020 4.06 in.

2020 0.08 in.

2019

2019 0.55 in.

6.11 in.

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY 332777-1

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

941.748.4679 | Venice

*DuPont™ Sorona® contains 37% renewably sourced ingredients by weight. The DuPont Oval logo, DuPont,™ Renewably sourced™ and Sorona® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates and are licensed to Mohawk.

DILEMMA by Christopher Adams and Steve Faiella; CROSSWORD DESSERT Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS

a fruity dessert with ice cream? 1 Training group 31 Praise highly 6 Like a wet noodle 32 “Certainly, monsieur” 10 Sour candy morsel 33 Remove one’s approval, 14 Caramel Hershey on Facebook candies 36 Adidas competitor 19 Bay window 38 Bargains that may 20 The Buckeye State influence you to buy a tart 21 Gym shoe woe dessert? 22 Muse of love poetry 23 “If ___ Street Could Talk” 44 Cause of many com24 Large quantity of fabric puter errors 45 Tehran’s country 25 Formal ceremony 46 Threw 26 “Bad and Boujee” trio 47 Dalmatian marking 27 Choice about buying 48 “Buenos ___!”

KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

941.493.7441 | www.manasotaonline.com

98 What Jack Sprat’s wife couldn’t eat 99 Modern acknowledgment 100 Holly Holm’s combat sport, for short 101 Coffee brand 103 Ice cream and meringue dessert that you finally bought? 111 Director Sam 113 Neural transmitter 114 Tied 115 Settlement-building game 116 Elected (to) 117 ___ bar (mai tai venue) 118 Saag paneer go-with 119 Build 120 System of belief 121 Home of Laos 122 Hit, as a fly or a homer 123 “Floppy” data holders

DOWN 1 Salad with bacon 2 Realm of expertise 3 Best Actress after Faye Dunaway 4 They make hair easier to straighten 5 Colleague of Sonia 6 Maine course need? 7 Flapjack chain 8 Rumor spreader? 9 Magical liquid 10 Bygone Quebec NHLer 11 “Tommy” star Falco 12 Campus cadets’ org. you to buy a custardy 49 Small metal fastener 13 Square root of neun dessert? 51 Fashionable Fisher 14 Jog the memory of 77 5,280 feet 53 Anti-vaping ad, e.g. 15 Baltimore birds 79 Small battery 54 Addams cousin 16 Small gift for a customer 80 Donkey’s sound 55 Felt sorry for 17 Ear doctor’s prefix 81 Tough spot 57 NASA thumbs-up 18 Sailor’s “Help!” 58 Passes with flying colors 82 Like moldy food 28 “For ___ care ...” 60 Internal conflict about 83 Confident step 29 Derriere 86 Snare or tom-tom buying a dessert with a 30 Blue shoe material 87 Bit of praise graham cracker crust? 34 “Project Runway” host 88 Felipe in MLB history 64 “Prolly not” Karlie 90 Madden 65 Some Met stars 92 Apple of Discord thrower 35 This, in Tijuana 66 “I’m ___ roll!” 36 One at a certain beach 94 Adidas competitor 67 Egyptian beetle 95 Judgment about buying 37 “Am I missing some71 Temper tantrum 72 Sample that may entice a swirly breakfast dessert? thing?”

39 Ana’s “Knives Out” role 40 TV studio sign 41 Dickens’ Heep 42 Distribute 43 Smell like a dump 50 Crusoe creator 52 Civil rights org. 55 “Check this out!” noise 56 “Queen of the Blues” Washington 59 Spicy Indian tea 61 Texter’s “That’s hilarious!” 62 Iroquois tribe members 63 Played Fortnite, perhaps 64 (This is risque) 68 Breathes new life into 69 Easternmost U.S. national park 70 Cry over 72 Scottish terrier variety 73 Picker-upper tool? 74 Author of a novel with no E’s (although this answer has two) 75 “Star Trek” officer 76 Members of one household, often 77 Elder Obama daughter 78 “No need to fear me!” 79 Tuscan river 82 Composer J.S. 84 Home of ASU 85 Extreme self-importance 87 Desert where the lions may sleep tonight 89 Like many lions 91 Trees that line streets 93 Talk while drunk 96 Jujitsu relative 97 Los Angeles team 102 Emailed surreptitiously 104 Stuff to crunch 105 Center of revolution 106 “Thor: Ragnarok” role 107 Declare 108 Org. fighting for faux fur 109 Hit the ___ 110 Tolkien’s sentient trees 111 “Arabian Nights” bird 112 Mortgage figure, for short

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“MKBGAM DJ K TEBB LADVG MCKM IDBB REM AUMCDAF EABGJJ DM DJ IDGBTGT IDMC FOGKM VUORG.” – JMGXCGA LDAF “BS RUL JGCK UPK TLPAR XH RG MPD BAZGTL RPVLH, UL’K UPEL TPKL XH HTPCR LAGXNU RG MCLMPCL RUL CLRXCA.”

– OBCO OBCOMPRCBZO Puzzle Two Clue: S equals F

Sarasota

SAVE ON EVERY SPECIES, COLOR AND STYLE!

Puzzle One Clue: U equals O

HARDWOOD

SUDOKU

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

04-16-20

CLASSIFIEDS

Thursday, April 16, 2020

LV9433

The Sarasota and Siesta Key Observers reserve 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 and Siesta Key Observers 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. 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

Items Under $200 For Sale ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising. Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer. Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236 JEWELRY CHEST- Oak, 42” tall, top opens with mirror, 9 drawers, each side opens $60. 941-927-9212.

Autos Wanted

Condos For Sale

Boat Slips For Rent/Sale

THE OAKS CLUB - MERIDIAN BUILDING Two championship 18 hole Golf courses, 12 tennis courts, 2 fitness centers, 2 pools, 2250/sq.ft., condo, 3BR/3BA, move-in ready, private elevator, 24 hour security. MLS#A4433761

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles. Call Hawley Motors, 941-923-3421.

BOAT SLIP for rent/sale. High and dry indoor marina. Excellent location, instant access to Gulf and bay. Up to 25/ft. Call 941-544-5597.

Boats

Open House By by appointment only Lowest price in Meridian Complex: $229,000

2016 IMM Boat Lift 13000 lb lift 13000 pound Imm boat lift by Custom Dock & Davit. Gem remote control with automatic up & down limit. Must move. $4,885 OBO. (260) 403-2102.

Steve Abby: 941-400-3969

GET RESULTS!

PRESSURE WASHER, 1300 PSI works well; Craftsman miter saw $20 for each OBO. 941-371-3376.

classifieds.yourobserver.com

PRO-FORM XP Elliptical Exerciser with adjustable resistance with monitoring console. $190. 941-243-1884

Storage

Call: 955-4888 Email: classified@yourobserver.com Online: www.yourobserver.com

WHITE PATIO set: Table and 4 chairs, $100. Modern black leather chair, Italian, $100. 941-993-3843.

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you! Ho Ho Buys cars. 941-270-4400.

Homes For Sale

PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE TODAY

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area. 941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

Help Wanted

FIELD SERVICE Technician Airvac, the global leader in Vacuum Technology Systems is seeking a FST to provide I, O & M support for projects in Sarasota, training will be provided. Benefits include 401(k), holiday, vac & sick pay, health, dental, & vision insurance. 574-223-3980 x 3877. www.aqseptence.com

Homes For Sale 2 Bedroom 2 bath Updated with Bay View

$595,000

Puzzle Two Solution: “If the Lord had meant us to pay income taxes, he’d have made us smart enough to prepare the return.” – Kirk Kirkpatrick

This week’s Sudoku answers

CLASSIFIED LINE AD PRICE First 15 words ............. $17.50 per week Each Add’l word ...............................50¢ 15% DISCOUNT for 4 week Run Yellow color $5 per Week Border as low as $3 per Week

KANGEN ALKALINE water machine- $100. Art Deco sofa bed- $100. 941-356-5506.

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Talent is a dull knife that will cut nothing unless it is wielded with great force.” – Stephen King

This week’s Crossword answers

YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL CLASSIFIED ADS Homes For Rent 4BR/2BA SIESTA Key home minutes from Siesta Key Beach! Quiet neighborhood, newer kitchen appliances, large deck, pool, gated back yard, ranch style natural yard. (941) 587-9122.

Homes For Sale Beach Front Home: 4BED-5BATH, 2CARGAR $3,999,000 55+ Beach and Boating: One story villa 2BED2BATH $424,000 2.5 Acres: 4BED/3BATH, 3CAR GAR. Luxury kitchen, barn, horses. $645,000 Longboat Key Beach House: on Canal, 3BED3BATH, 2/CARGAR, Dock/Lift. $530,000.

2020

OUR ONLINE TOOLS MAKE IT EASY TO PLACE YOUR AD

Private Boat Lift: beach access villa/condo $415,000

333729

Sarasota: Like new, built in 2010 4BED-2.5BATH Lakeview Lanai $345,000 Fully Furnished • Completely Remodeled • Top Quality Grade Construction • Water Front Ground Floor Unit • Siesta Key Inter Coastal

419-487-1971 • 1367 Gulf and Bay Side

Phillipi Creek: Renovated 3BED-2BATH $309,000 Buy or Sell with Brooke O’Malley as your Realtor, and CLUB REALTY will Pay your title insurance. Call 941-726-2677

Visit the online classified marketplace at classifieds.yourobserver.com

Explore the

CLASSIFIEDS for great deals. Visit classifieds.yourobserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Vacation/Seasonal Rentals

Adult Care Services

Auto Transport

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States. Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors, 941-923-3421.

Carpentry GOT WOOD ROT? Facia. Siding. Soffits. Decks. 35+ yrs. Exp. Licensed & insured See our specials @ Schrockcarpentry.com 941-894-8432.

2BR/2BA GRAND Bay in Bay Isles 2BR/2BA First floor condo with extended wraparound terrace. Floor to ceiling windows look out onto the Sarasota Bay from every room. Secured parking, full use of the state of the art workout facility, Olympic size pool and a second adult pool, Har Tru tennis courts, private Beach Club and year round social activities in the gorgeous Clubhouse. Guard Gated community with onsite management. Turnkey furnished - all you need is your suitcase to begin life in Paradise. $6,300. (941) 383-2458.

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.

NEED ASSISTANCE? A LENDING HAND HOME CARE - Transportation - Meal Preparation - Light Housekeeping - Personal Care - Dementia Care - Companionship - Medical Reminders

Cleaning

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References. Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342.

PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE TODAY

CNA Licensed, certified, independent, looking for clients. $18.50 per hour. ajsafari@hotmail.com

941-809-3725 www.alhhomecare.com NR#30211577

classifieds.yourobserver.com

SEARAY SPRINKLER SERVICES Repairs, Additions, Drip, Timer/Head Adjustment Call Rick Today: Cell 720-299-1661 Office 941-518-6326

SELL IT! 941-955-4888 or

classifieds.yourobserver.com

Painting/Wallpapering

Health Services

Schedule your free in-home consultation today!

Landscaping & Lawn Service

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.

DOORS

HOME SERVICES

DON’T let your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your WINDOWS be a PANE!!

Pinnacle Home Watch.com Stop Worrying About Your Home While Away

• Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

Call us today!

941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

ezslider.com

333664

COMPUTER

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

Vantage Home Watch SRQ “FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

332168

(Next to Beneva Flowers)

941-929-9095

Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think! Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

HANDYMAN

INTERIOR DESIGN

✦ Carpentry ✦ Indoors ✦ Remodeling ✦ Ceramic Tile ✦ Water & Fire Damage ✦ Kitchen/Baths

Framing for all your Fine art and Collectibles

Licensed Lic. #38333 References

3680493-01

333348

Servicing the Sarasota area since 1999

Free Estimates

SERVICE DIRECTORY THIS SPACE COULD BE

YOURS!

about Call for Information y or ct re Di ce the Servi

955-4888

LV10365

WORKS FOR YOU

LV10321

333668

333888

DOCKS· BOAT HOISTS· SEAWALLS DECKS STAIRS • BARGE SERVICE

SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT 607-703-9003

KITCHEN/BATH REMODELING

Licensed & Insured

www.PalmerRanchHomewatchers.com PalmerRanchHomewatchers@comcast.net

301054

918-8587

Serving the Palmer Ranch Area Since 2007

1314 Central Ave Sarasota, FL 34236 BlueFraming@gmail.com

CUSTOM BUILT DOCKS, BOAT HOISTS, SEAWALLS!

Bob & Carol Guthrie 941.993.6613

Michael Koch Concrete, Inc. Licensed & Insured

Jessica 941 928 4845

IRRIGATION

Watching your home while you’re away

Residential Concrete Specialist

Reasonable Prices

ESTIMATES!

PALMER RANCH HOMEWATCHERS®

Since 1967

Also Laying Stone

FREE

Cell #809-7311

HOME SERVICES

LACIVITA CONCRETE

922-3157

966-5094

CALL 955-4888 to reserve your space

333349

332685

24/7 SERVICE

CONCRETE

Driveways • Sidewalks

(941) 504-3168

ome epaiR eRvice • No JoB Too SmaLL • ScReeN RepaiRS • paiNTiNG/DRY WaLL • TiLe RepaiRS • & MUCH MORE!

941-735-3362

“No Job Too Small”

“OUR ESTIMATES & ADVICE ARE FREE”

blue door picture framing

STEVE PANEBIANCO H R S

Pegatronics.com

Patios - Driveways - Sidewalks

The Right Choice For Your Home While You Are Away

332169

6968 Beneva Road

VantageHomeWatchSRQ.com 333415

DON’T THROW YOUR COMPUTER OUT THE WINDOW – CALL LORITECH!

941.217.6045

333333

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

332683

New & Refurbished Computers Servicing PC & MAC on Site or In Shop Virus and Spyware Removal- Free Software We Make Windows 10 User-Friendly!

State Lic. CR CO25291

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

Sliding Glass Door Repair

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

Hardware Repair Virus / Malware Cleanup Software & Printer Install New Computer Setups New Purchase Consults Seniors & Beginners

Dave and Connie Grundy

THE GRAB BAR GUY GLENN KROECKER

954-1878

(cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

333342

Owner / Operator Insured

332686

Dustin Yoder

941.628.8579

332170

ALUMINUM

LV9459

SERVICE DIRECTORY

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

PLUMBING

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

332687

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

Veteran Owned & Operated • Third Generation Master Plumber All Major Credit Cards Accepted Generalplumbingsarasota.com

941-923-8140

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

• Pool Cage Restoration • Rescreening Specialists • Specialty Screens • Paint • Doors and more! Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties

Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

941-345-5264

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

POWER WASHING

LAWN CARE

Curt’s Lawn Service

TREES

Doors and more!

Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

10 Years Experience

Free Estimates Lawn & Landscape Maintenance

724-2945

941-232-1192

MOVERS

WINDOWS

...will move anything from a couch to a household

ROOFING

LEAKY ROOF? 333661

www.davidmccarthymoving.com

333670

For $95 per hour you get: A truck, 2 men with equipment, experience and a great attitude to

make your moving day a pleasure.

941.628.8579

Gulf Gate RoofinG inc. 38 Years Experience

All Work Guaranteed

941-228-9850

Joe Murray, Owner

Ezslider.com

d Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005 ows

Fully Insured

UP TO

Licensed and insured #IMT708

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

Melanie Gates

• Pet Sitting • Dog Walking • Over 24 years experience • Excellent references

Building & Roofing Contractor • Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

Res./Com. ndow & Pressure Clea Lic./Ins. et Wi nin s n wn as Sunrise Win g Su erly kno

State Licensed Contractor #CCC057066

PET SERVICES

Pet Care

Call us today!

Specializing in Re-Roofing & Repairs

Wizard Moving SRQ

Ray - 941-313-4538

• Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

120

WINDOWS $ 25STANDARD

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL $500 senior citizen discount.

www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

333335

dmccarthymoving@gmail.com

Local And Long Distance Movers Residential Moves Commercial Moves Pack, Crate & Wrap

332173

941-704-4278

• • • •

DON’T let your WINDOWS be a PANE or your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG!!

333872

David McCarthy Moving

333346

Lic. & Ins.

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

941-626-3194

332172

(941) 966-2960 Serving South Sarasota Only including: Palmer Ranch – Osprey – Nokomis

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936 333667

Team Up With Classifieds • 941-955-4888

GROW

GROW YOUR BUSINESS with Service Directory

Call today to reserve your space, 955-4888

YOUR BUSINESS

For more information, call 941-955-4888 or visit classifieds.yourobserver.com

LV10306

373-9299

Licensed & Insured

(941) 345-5264

333669

3687676-01

Complete Plumbing Services & Repairs Residential, New Construction and Commercial Serving the area since 1993 No Job Too BIG or Too SMALL. We DO IT ALL!

• Drain & Sewer Cleaning • Backflows Installation • 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

333334

General Plumbing Services Inc.

332174

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

SCREENING

332689

KITCHEN/BATH REMODELING

LV9459

SERVICE DIRECTORY

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Now thru May with a minimum purchase of $200.00

WE WILL BE OFFERING FREE DELIVERY

in the following Sarasota Zip Codes. Monday thru Friday Only. Hours of delivery are 11-4. 34231 | 34232 | 34242 | 34233 | 34236 | 34237 | 34238 | 34239 | 34229

“ Now that’s funny!!!

You’ve never heard of TheWinetoBuy.com? That’s where all the WI$EGUYS shop. ”

Sarasota’s Best Kept Secret

Located in the historic Gulf Gate section of Sarasota our shop carries a world class selection of wines at prices lower than the Big Box stores. Come in and see what savvy wine buyers are talking about.

CURBSIDE DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE.

2140 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota 333906-1

| www.TheWinetoBuy.com

(941)926-9463

The Observer Group Inc.

Published on Apr 15, 2020

Sarasota Observer 4.16.20

Published on Apr 15, 2020

yourobserver.com

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