Sarasota Observer 7.15.21

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PAGE 14A •

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Asplen aces test

School board ranks superintendent ‘highly effective.’ PAGE 3A

Courtesy photo

Saving a tree

Tropical Storm Elsa didn’t bring too much damage to Sarasota’s shores, but Siesta Key visitors didn’t waste any time fixing what the storm did.

Cameron Wyant and friends from Ohio spotted a palm tree in the surf the morning after the storm, July 7. Along with other beachgoers, they rescued the tree and dug a deep hole in the sand to prop the tree up.

Wyant returned the next night to discover the tree had been blown down again but was being lifted back up and even decorated by other visitors to Siesta Key. Beachgoers have gone so far as to decorate the tree with pool toys and life jackets.

SEE YA LATER… Jungle Gardens camp holds its own with something wild.

SEE PAGE 6B

Ready to roll

It’s Florida, so we roll with it.

Instead of a ribbon-cutting for the Legacy Trail expansion’s first phase on July 6, the day Hurricane Elsa passed our coast, county Parks and Recreation officials called a do-over.

The segment between Proctor Road to Bahia Vista Street is now open – no fanfare. The second segment will be finished soon.

“Once we have that done, we will have a true official celebration that will have both segment one and two open,” Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Nicole Rissler said.

Harry Sayer

Gabriel Barbosa, 7, stands with Earth the alligator during the Sarasota Jungle Gardens’ summer camp.

Tax rate on the way down

Turtle Tracks TOTAL NESTS:

2021 2020 Siesta Key 30 412 Lido Key 77 137 Casey Key 1,135 1,293

A+E

City officials set millage lower than last year.

SEE PAGE 6A

TOTAL FALSE CRAWLS:

2021 2020 Siesta Key 503 505 Lido Key 200 195 Casey Key 1,352 1,763

City leaders moved ahead with a lower tax rate.

Source: Mote Marine Laboratory David Conway

What a night with Einstein.

SEE PAGE 4B

WH AT’S H A PPENING

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

|

WEEK OF JULY 15, 2021

Lido shooting investigated

“I don’t feel my age. I have energy-plus.”

Temple Beth Shalom rabbi Stuart Altshuler, age 68.

READ MORE ON PAGE 10A

BY THE NUMBERS 6

Sarasota selectees to Tech Trek, a statewide STEM camp for girls.

PAGE 12A

$627.44

Proposed city property tax for a home with a taxable value of $200,000.

PAGE 6A Mark Bergin

108

Dead fish began washing up on Sarasota County shorelines this week.

PAGE 2B

County alerts beachgoers about red tide

Age of resident Joe Newman, who died last week.

CALENDAR

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n Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 6 p.m.

Tuesday, July 20 and Wednesday, July 21, City Hall, 1565 First St. n Sarasota County School Board budget meeting — 2 p.m. Thursday, July 22, Landings Administrative Complex, 1980 Landings Blvd. n Sarasota County Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 24 and Wednesday, Aug. 25, County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd.

ed tide is present at all 16 Sarasota County beaches, the county announced in an advisory this week.

The county announced it is posting red tide notification signs at beaches in the area and that minor fish kills and respiratory irritation are possible countywide.

In a release, the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County advised that people could experience mild respiratory symptoms at beaches where red tide is present. The health department advised individuals

om se.c u o reh

Wa

ture urni

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with chronic respiratory problems to consider staying away from the beach because those people might experience more severe issues. Symptoms usually go away when a person leaves the beach or goes indoors, according to the release.

The health department made the following recommendations: n Do not swim around dead fish. n Do not eat molluscan shellfish and dead or distressed fish from affected waters. n Do not allow pets near

water, sea foam and dead sea life. n If you live in a beach area and experience respiratory symptoms, close your windows and run the air conditioner.

A day earlier, Longboat Key officials said they had received several reports of red tide conditions on the barrier island’s shores. This week’s announcement came two weeks after the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County reported elevated levels of red tide at nine south county beaches.

A preliminary investigation into a weekend shooting incident on Lido Key indicates a former employee went into a condominium building and fired several shots before barricading himself inside a room and eventually shooting himself, the Sarasota Police Department announced.

The incident remains under investigation. Shortly before midnight Friday, police responded to a shooting at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive, the address of the L’elegance on Lido Key condo.

Callers told police dispatch the gunman was a recently fired maintenance worker.

The Police Department encouraged anyone with information on the case to share it with authorities by calling the SPD criminal investigations division at 263-6070.

Siesta fire station opens Fire Station 13’s new home on Siesta Key is open.

The two-story station was constructed on the old lot at 1170 Beach Road at a cost of $3.9 million. Firefighters for the past year have been working out of a nearby building at 5700 Midnight Pass Road.

Fire Chief Michael Regnier said he was blown away by all the amenities that the 10,500-square-foot building has. The new building features a media room, a gym, a common area and individual bunks.

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Asplen gets an A Sarasota County Schools superintendent was ranked as ‘highly effective’ after overcoming COVID-19 challenges during his first year on the job.

BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

T

he grades for Superintendent Brennan Asplen’s performance over the past year are in, and his report card shows he’s at the top of the class.

School board members unanimously voted to rank Asplen as “highly effective” for his past year of work, which helps determine how much performancebased bonuses he will be awarded.

It’s the highest possible ranking.

Asplen, who started Aug. 10, 2020, had many obstacles to overcome in his first year, including COVID-19 protocols and rebuilding trust with the community.

Board members graded Asplen on 10 criteria: relationship with the board; culture and climate; community and district relations; health, safety and security plans; student achievement data; recruitment and retention; finance; technology; reactive leadership; and proactive leadership.

Board members awarded Asplen up to three points in each criteria for a possible 30-point total. Each board member scored Asplen with a 90% or higher, rating him as “highly effective.” This year, the school board also had a unique criteria to measure Asplen on: the pandemic.

Board members on Tuesday said Asplen performed exceptionally well in his first year given the unprecedented circumstances.

“I think he’s developing that trust that we, as board members, look for,” board member Jane Goodwin said. “I think he was what we really needed over this year with such a disastrous situation.”

The high ranking in future years would mean Asplen is eligible for additional performance-based pay. Asplen’s original contract extends through June 30, 2023, at a base salary of $215,000.

Beginning in July, Asplen became available to earn up to $15,000 in performance-based pay based on goals set forth by the board. Should he be ranked as highly effective for the 2021-22 school year, he could receive up to $15,000 in the next financial year.

When Asplen was hired, he created a document containing eight goals that he would like to accomplish within his first 90 days and continue throughout the school year.

Among those goals were building strong relations with the school board and community stakeholders, elevating the dis-

File photo

Brennan Asplen was sworn in as superintendent in August 2020. Board members say he was highly effective in a variety of areas in his first year on the job.

trict’s academic standards, and learning and evaluating the district’s climate.

In his first year, Asplen held town halls throughout the district to get to know the community, and he visited each school as part of a video series titled “Dr. Asplen: On the Move!” He also helped lead the district through COVID-19 protocols, helping to create procedures for contact tracing, remote learning and enhanced safety measures for students and staff.

Despite having about 10,200, or 28% of the district’s population, as remote learners, the district still performed well in the 2020-21 school year when compared statewide. The first round of the Florida Standards Assessments, which is for third grade English Language Arts, show that although districtwide proficiency took a 4% dip, it is still performing well when compared with other schools.

The statewide average also dropped 4 percentage points.

Sarasota is fifth in the state for performance behind Sumter, Nassau, Baker and St. Johns.

The remaining test scores will be released in late July and will be used to determine school grade calculations.

Board member Tom Edwards said Asplen did a good job promoting student achievement during a challenging year, but he’s looking forward to seeing the student scores for this year and crafting a plan alongside Asplen that addresses student achievement for the new school year.

“I want to see what your goals and what your thoughts are about where the district can be, and then we can evaluate that to the test scores of our of our students,” Edwards said. “But as far as I’m concerned, you did a bang-up job this year.”

Asplen said he couldn’t have succeeded without the support of the district and was thankful to the district staff and community who made him feel welcome in his first year on the job. He said he looks forward to another year of service with the district.

“I know this was a challenging year,” Asplen said. “I think we’ve done as good of a job as we could possibly do, and I know things can only get better. As we move forward, there’s always room for improvement, and we will continue to improve every year.”

Board members will meet in September to determine which goals Asplen should strive to meet during the 2021-22 school year.

REPORT CARD

School board evaluations of Superintendent Brennan Asplen SHIRLEY BROWN Strengths: n Communication with the board n Learning from community feedback Needs Improvement: n Collecting student and staff feedback Comments: “I’m very pleased with what you’ve done. In fact, you’ve exceeded my expectations. I think we still need improvements, but we’ll always need more improvements because you always want to work better.”

TOM EDWARDS Strengths: n Proactive leadership n Reactive leadership Needs Improvement: n Recruitment and retention Comments: “You came from the other side of the state, knew no one, dropped in the middle of COVID all day all the time, and you’ve reacted like a true leader, and you’ve done 100% of what anyone could do.”

JANE GOODWIN Strengths: n Developing trust n Proactive leadership Needs Improvement: n Recruitment and retention Comments: “He’s learned the community. He has been involved with many organizations in the community, with the schools and has been very well received within our organization and outside. I just feel that he’s done a wonderful job.”

KAREN ROSE Strengths: n Board communication n Overcoming unprecedented challenges Needs Improvement: n Building community trust Comments: “I’m happy with where we are right now. We have much to celebrate, and much has been accomplished with challenges that have never been faced before in a school system. And I commend you for that.”

BRIDGET ZIEGLER Strengths: n Relationship with the board n Communication Needs Improvement: n District culture and climate n Recruitment and retention Comments: “Climate and culture is something that we need to maintain a very delicate focus on because that positive culture is going to be the foundation of what continues growth for both professional staff and advancing student achievement.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

St. Armands group considers amphitheater The St. Armands Business Improvement District is interested in exploring options for increasing activity in a park in the middle of the commercial zone.

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

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group of St. Armands property owners is interested in pursuing ambitious plans to reshape St. Armands Circle Park, the public open space in the center of the barrier island commercial district.

At a meeting today, the St. Armands Business Improvement District considered a specific vision that board member Tom Leonard imagined: constructing an amphitheater on the southwestern end of the park.

Leonard came to the meeting with little more than an idea and a conceptual sketch depicting a midcentury-modern-inspired covered stage structure, but he was optimistic the BID could team with other stakeholders to make the proposal a reality.

“I think an amphitheater would be a positive for the Circle, for residents, for the city of Sarasota,” Leonard said.

The amphitheater concept comes as the BID has spent months discussing options for creating more activity on St. Armands, including some specific emphasis on the prospect of enlivening St. Armands Circle Park. The BID previously offered

support for a private proposal to place a carousel in the park, an idea that has drawn some pushback from residents and the St. Armands Circle Association, a merchants group.

Diana Corrigan, emeritus executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association, said a mound at the center of the open space would make it challenging to install a new feature while still holding events that have traditionally operated out of the park. Corrigan suggested the park would have to be flattened and new drainage systems would have to be installed before the park could accommodate an amphitheater or carousel.

Despite that challenge, the BID remained interested in developing a more robust plan for making changes in St. Armands Circle Park. Although there were no cost estimates associated with the amphitheater project, Leonard expressed hope St. Armands leaders could facilitate a project relying solely on private funds.

“This is going to be expensive no matter what,” board member Geoffrey Michel said.

Board member Mindy Kauffman said she liked the idea of the carousel because it would generate a stream of activity in the park, rather than relying on periodic concerts or other special events.

The board agreed to let Leonard take the lead on refining the amphitheater concept for consideration at a future meeting.

“That center is so underutilized,” board member Gavin Meshad said.

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

5A

City approves revised plan for Bath and Racquet Club Despite some opposition from residents, the City Commission authorized a change that could allow up to 277 apartments on the redeveloped site.

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

The City Commission determined that a revised proposal to build up to 277 apartments on the site of the Bath and Racquet Club was in line with the city’s review standards, voting 4-1 last week in favor of a rezoning request to facilitate the project.

Although the prospective developer of the Bath and Racquet Club site had earned initial approval for a similar application in March, the project team returned to the commission July 7 in pursuit of potential changes to the plans for the site at 2170 Robinhood St. Initially, the developer sought to build a project with 207 residential units, a fitness center, commercial and office space.

One month after the commission approved that first application, the project team had filed a request to change its plans.

Architect Michael Halflants said the project team was seeking flexibility to build up to 70 more apartments on the site, asking

the city to authorize the addition of one residential unit for every 1,000 square feet of commercial space removed from the March proposal.

Last week, the revision drew opposition from residents who objected to the increased residential density — and the process of approving a new proposal just four months after the last public hearing on redeveloping the Bath and Racquet site. Still, a majority of the board felt the application remained appropriate for the site.

“I simply don’t understand how adding residential harms a residential neighborhood,” Commissioner Liz Alpert said.

The vote served as an initial approval for a request to change the zoning classification of the site. That application must go through a second public hearing before the approval is finalized, and the developer is required to submit a site plan for review.

Since April, residents neighboring the Bath and Racquet site — who have raised concerns about multiple iterations of redevelopment plans since 2017 — have criticized the proposal to increase the number of apartments. That line of criticism continued at the July 7 meeting, where speakers asserted the 277-unit plan was too much for the 13.4 acres.

“This project really needs to be right-sized,” resident Ben Cannon said.

Halflants said the potential

Courtesy photo

Michael Halflants, the architect for the planned Bath and Racquet Club redevelopment depicted in this rendering, has said adding more residences would be beneficial for a city facing housing challenges

addition of more residences was a relatively minor change within the overall scope of the site. He also pushed back against the notion that more apartments made the project less compatible.

“That reduces traffic, reduces parking load,” Halflants said.

Members of the public also questioned the commission’s decision to take up the revised application without sending it back to the Planning Board for further review. R.N. Collins, who appeared July 7 as a representative for individuals living near the property, asserted the mixture of residences and a fitness club should not be permitted under the city’s land use designation for the site. He also contended the city used improper metrics to determine the traffic impact of the rezoning.

City staff said any site plan

would be thoroughly reviewed to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, and Fournier said the traffic question could be settled at the second public hearing on the rezone application. Still, speakers remained skeptical.

“This is a really irregular process,” Collins said.

City attorney Robert Fournier said the commission had the authority to review the application rather than remanding the revision to the Planning Board.

“If a majority of the commissioners believe that these modifications are understandable and do not require another recommendation from the Planning Board, then I think the commission is free to consider the revised application without sending it back,” he said in a July 3 email.

Commissioner Jen AhearnKoch, who supported the March

proposal, was the lone member of the board to voice concerns about the procedure associated with the new rezoning application. Without a finalized site plan, AhearnKoch said she did not believe she had enough information to determine if the proposal complied with the city’s review standards.

“For me, this is not the correct process,” Ahearn-Koch said.

Mayor Hagen Brody said he believed he would have approved the revised submittal if it had been the first application the commission had reviewed, and he disagreed with residents who opposed increased density.

“Density, when you’re looking at a city planning perspective, is a good thing,” he said. “You need density to get the things we need in this community — housing, affordability. Density is environmentally friendly.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

City sets preliminary ’22 budget outline

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In the next fiscal year, the city of Sarasota will voluntarily reduce its general fund millage rate for the first time in decades.

That fact is a source of pride for City Manager Marlon Brown. The 2021-22 budget is the first Brown is responsible for overseeing since being promoted from deputy city manager in December, and he wants it to set the tone for how officials handle city finances.

“My hope is that this is a continuation of things to come in the future and that we really take a look at how we manage the city from a fiscal perspective and that we do employ some fiscal restraint in a lot of the programs we would like to implement,” Brown said.

On Tuesday, after two days of budget workshops, the City Commission voted unanimously to set the maximum general fund millage rate for fiscal year 2022 at 3.1372 mills, a decrease from 3.2632 mills in 2021. One mill is equal to $1 in tax for every $1,000 of taxable value on a property. For a property with a taxable value of $200,000, the proposed general

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fund rate would result in $627.44 in city taxes, a savings of $25.20.

The proposed rate is the rollback rate, the rate at which the city would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as it would have the previous year after accounting for property value increases. The rollback rate does not incorporate the value of new construction.

Staff’s proposed budget for 2022 includes $233.9 million in expenditures, a $513,074 decrease from 2021. The general fund budget calls for $78.8 million in expenditures, an increase of more than $3 million.

In the proposed budget, there is a nearly $2.1 million gap between general fund revenues and expenditures. A majority of the commission indicated its support for staff’s proposal to cover that gap with money from the city’s unassigned fund balance.

Finance Director Kelly Strickland said best practices in governmental budgeting recommend having enough money in reserves to cover two to three months of operations, or 17%-25% of annual expenditures. Even after covering the budget gap, Strickland said the city would have 31%.

The city’s plans for 2022 include the resumption of some spending that was put on hold in response to the pandemic and associated financial uncertainty. The city is lifting a hiring freeze and resuming its equipment-replacement

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

7A

David Conway

program. Still, Brown noted his proposed budget was largely holding the line, asking for no new positions and no level of service increases.

The commission offered largely positive feedback, signaling few areas where elected officials would like to explore changes. Commissioners indicated a desire to have future conversations about staffing in the code compliance department, funding for special events and support for enhanced tree lighting downtown during the holidays.

Brown also proposed dissolving the city’s parks and recreation taxing district.

The city created the district in 2019, which empowered the commission to set a distinct millage rate dedicated solely to parks services. Officials saw it as a way to assure residents their tax money would go toward an important cause — and to prevent future commissions from directing parks funding elsewhere.

Establishing a millage rate for the parks district required a unanimous vote.

Although a majority of the board supported the district, it was not unanimous. So for the third year running, residents will see the district on their tax bills, with the millage rate listed as 0.

“We have tried twice, and we have always come up short,” Brown said. “I don’t think it makes any sense continuing the process of trying to establish that district without a unanimous vote of the City Commission.”

Commissioners Jen AhearnKoch and Liz Alpert expressed their continued support for the parks district, stating it was a reflection of public input requesting improved recreational offerings.

“This is not something we all just decided, five people,” Ahearn-Koch said of the creation of the district. “This came really from the grassroots of the community.”

Mayor Hagen Brody, who has opposed the district during his time on the board, said he thought the mechanism added an unnecessary complication to the city’s budget.

Officials discuss the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022 at a special City Commission meeting Tuesday, July 13.

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

SARASOTA / SIESTA KEY

OPINION / OUR VIEW

Wrong time for new tax It makes little sense for the Sarasota County Commission to adopt a new tax for mental health services — especially when living costs are rising rapidly and the county is awash in federal cash.

T

hink of this: More than $80 million of federal money coming out of thin air and deposited in tranches of $40 million into Sarasota County accounts over the past two years and next year.

Local governments all over the U.S. are so awash in this federal relief money that many local government officials will tell you privately they don’t know how to spend it all or can’t spend it all.

Ha! Of course, they’ll find a way to spend it.

But here’s the point: With all this money gushing into local coffers, Sarasota County Commissioner Mike Moran is determined to have the County Commission impose a new mental health tax on county taxpayers. And that’s even knowing that much of the federal money is designated for mental health.

A new tax? Sorry, it shouldn’t happen.

This new tax idea might be the big legacy Moran wants to leave behind, but it makes little sense — especially now.

Let us count a few reasons why: n Rising prices and declining purchasing power. Thanks to Congress and the Federal Reserve Bank flooding the market with new spending and printing trillions of new dollars (i.e., the definition of inflation),

too many dollars are chasing a shortage of goods and services, and this is driving prices up for everything.

And who do rising prices hurt the most? The Sarasota County residents who can least afford it.

They don’t need another tax. n Where is the data that show the unarguable, compelling need for the county to add more taxation specifically to provide mental health services? What’s more, where is the data that show what the positive results of this new tax are likely to be?

Yes, mental health illnesses are prevalent and a serious concern in every community. So is cancer.

So is substance abuse. So is heart disease. So is obesity. So is child abuse. So is child hunger. So is homelessness. The list goes on.

Why a tax for mental health and none of the others? n Why is it the job of the County Commission to take more money from taxpayers and be the entity that controls the disbursement of these funds?

Moran, for instance, made a big issue recently of his disappointment with the way the Sarasota County Economic Development Corp. managed tax dollars for economic development. Why should taxpayers have confidence the county government will be any better at being an effective steward of

File photo

Commissioner Moran

mental health funding — more so than, say, all of the private notfor-profits in this community whose mission includes addressing mental health?

The private sector has always proven to be a better service provider than government. n If Moran is so convinced that more county tax dollars should be used for mental health services, why aren’t they now? Why isn’t he making the case to make such funding a priority over other county expenditures? Isn’t that what commissioners are elected to do — to make tough choices? Shouldn’t that avenue be exhausted before pursuing a new tax? n If the county is so awash in federal relief money, much of which has been designated for mental health, then what’s the rationale for a new tax? Use it.

We hear pushback that there’s uncertainty over the rules for that federal money. But c’mon.

The last thing the Biden administration and Democrats would cut is mental health spending.

Likewise, Moran and others make the argument the federal relief money is a one-time boost and won’t last, whereas a tax could provide a permanent source of funding.

Here’s an idea: Take the federal relief money designated for mental health, and create an endowment as a permanent source.

We know Moran is well meaning, and like most politicians, he wants to do good as he thinks it should be done. But, sorry, this idea for a new tax is the standard default for the do-gooder politicians: to use the power of office and the force of government to take people’s money for their pet projects, taxpayers be damned.

Be more creative: Rather than force all taxpayers to pay a mandatory new mental health tax, make it optional. When you check out at Publix, you often have the option to press a button to send money to a charity. The county could do the same for mental health.

This is no time to be adopting new taxes — no matter the cause.

St. Armands master plan called for hotel 13 years ago

R

emember the proposal from JWM Management to develop the asphalt parking lot on St. Armands Circle into a boutique hotel and Morton’s Market?

It continues to percolate.

The St. Armands Business Improvement District board is seeking comments from the St. Armands Circle merchants for three proposed zoning amendments to the code governing St. Armands Circle: n To allow building heights to increase to 45 feet from a current maximum of 35 feet. n To allow residential units to be built on the second floor, or potentially the third floor of buildings. n To allow a boutique hotel to be built, with retail on the first floor (Morton’s Market) and hotel rooms on the second and/ or third floors.

Although JWM’s presentation in late May to the City Commission immediately sparked resistance from St. Armands Key residents, it’s worth noting that JWM’s idea isn’t new. In fact, much of what JWM proposed fits with a plan completed in 2008.

At that time, the city engaged the Tampa engineering firm of Heidt & Associates to develop a master plan for St. Armands Circle. Heidt performed the standard routine for these types of projects, conducting two major workshops and meetings with special interest groups,

JWM Management envisions a boutique hotel and Morton’s Market.

The scenic view of the surface parking lot at Fillmore and Adams.

citizen groups, city staff and the Florida Department of Transportation. Heidt also solicited comments from landowners, merchants and residents through questionnaires and surveys.

From all that came these three top recommendations: n “An upscale grocer. … Niche gourmet grocery chains, such as Whole Foods or Morton’s Market, have emerged as prototypical anchors.” n A boutique hotel. Said the report: “One of the most cited

complaints among owner surveys was a lack of boutique hotels on or near the Circle.

“On-site hotels provide a natural customer base for retail shopping areas. Hotel visitors often have limited local mobility and limited knowledge of the area in which they are staying.

Thus, they are most likely to shop in the area immediately surrounding them. The dearth of hotels on or near The Circle is a serious disadvantage then, relative to other shopping areas.”

n “A small upscale national retail department store that would act as an end-destination retail anchor and draw customers from the entire MSA.” The report also stated that the most likely place for a hotel and/ or grocer was the surface parking lot JWM proposed to develop.

It goes without saying in Florida, and especially in Sarasota and Longboat Key, that any major development will spark vocal opposition. “I’ve got mine, but you can’t have yours.”

But that posture and attitude ignores this reality: Florida and Sarasota will continue to grow.

In that vein, if Longboat Key and St. Armands Circle intend to remain competitive, they must change to meet market demands.

Consumers are always looking for something new.

What’s more, if you’ve spent any time at University Town Center recently, that massive commercial development is all about new and continues to grow.

In that vein, consumers, travelers and tourists are always looking for something new. When Heidt & Associates completed its master plan study in 2015, it noted multiple times how little St. Armands Circle has changed from John Ringling’s vision 100 years ago.

This business truism applies to St. Armands Circle as well: If you’re not growing, you’re dying.

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Affordable housing site plans move ahead

Gracewater Community Development has proposed 620 homes that will be a mixture of affordable and market-rate housing.

County cuts list to two developers’ proposals for 114 acres off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Housing options in North Sarasota County could soon be more varied after one company takes a swing at developing a 620-unit complex near Emma E. Booker Elementary School.

The county is poised to move forward with an affordable housing development on 114 acres located at 2501 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way after receiving six bids for the parcel, bounded by North Tuttle Avenue on the east and Myrtle Street to the north.

The county-owned land was slated to become a mixed-use community after a Miami-based company submitted an unsolicited proposal to the county. However, commissioners balked at the purchase offer of $2.5 million from the out-of-town company.

Instead, a competitive public process was started to open negotiations with other proposals for the site. The county in April received six and has now selected two as potential options for the site.

After each highlighted their top two choices, commissioners selected a proposal from Gracewater Community Development as the No. 1 choice and a proposal from Habitat for Humanity and Benderson Development Co. as the No. 2 choice for the land.

Gracewater, which is now redeveloping 139 acres at the nearby

site of the former Rolling Green Golf Course, offered the county $4.4 million for the site — the highest purchase point of the six proposals.

Minimum guidelines laid out by the county included a requirement that no fewer than 150 units, or 25% of the total dwelling units — whichever is greater — be set aside for affordable housing for a minimum of 10 years.

All affordable housing units shall be sold or rented to households making at or below 80% of the area median income. The county’s 2021 AMI is $77,200, so 80% would be $61,750 for a family of four or $43,250 for a single person.

No less than half the affordable units shall be sold or rented for households at or below 60% AMI, or $46,320 for a family of four, or $32,460 for a single person.

The guidelines also set a minimum bid for the land at $2.5 million. The county paid $2.2 million in 2013.

Gracewater’s original proposal includes a total of 620 dwelling units. That number would include 176 single-family homes, 134 town homes, 54 paired villas and 256 coach homes.

To meet the affordable housing requirement, 156 coach homes will be set aside. Half will be offered at 60% AMI, and another half offered at 80% AMI. The remaining coach homes will be offered at market value.

Courtesy rendering

MYRTLE S

301

DR. MLK WAY The county paid $2.2 million for the 114 acres in 2013.

According to Gracewater’s proposal, the project seeks to create income diversity in the area, rather than serve solely an affordable housing development.

“It is our belief and experience that without income diversity, the residents of this neighborhood will continue to experience lower quality public schools, lack of essential businesses and the systemic poverty that comes from flat or decreasing property values,” the document notes.

Other proposals included such items as grocery stores, schools, boutiques, banks, medical ser-

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vices, an employment center and a minor league soccer stadium.

However, Gracewater’s proposal did not include any features aside from housing. Its proposal stated that although the county can zone for it, it doesn’t mean a grocery store or similar developments could be attracted to or sustained in the area.

Although she said additional features are nice, Commissioner Nancy Detert said the board’s main priority has to be affordable housing.

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Still, commissioners did have some nonnegotiable items they would like to see added to Gracewater’s proposal before moving forward with the project.

Commissioners with a unanimous vote directed staff to move forward with negotiations with Gracewater provided they could include in their proposal a grocery store, pharmacy and a stipulation that at least 50% of its overall units be offered to residents who earn at or below 60% AMI. The stipulations mean that the number and type of units in Gracewater’s original proposal likely will change. If negotiations with Gracewater deteriorate, staff will then move forward with negotiations with Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat offered the county $3.5 million in a proposal that included 350 affordable homes — 175 at 80% AMI or below and another 175 at 60% AMI or below. It also would partner with Benderson Development to create a 30-acre employment center on a portion of the site.

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Temple Beth Sholom welcomes new rabbi Altshuler plans to bring in thoughtful speakers to spark discussion in the synagogue.

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

S

tuart Altshuler has a love of Jewish culture and education.

The 68-year-old rabbi enjoys many things about his position as a leader in the Jewish community but said he might love making a tangible difference in his community the most.

That love of Jewish culture has accompanied Altshuler to many places, first in his native California and then in England, where he recently finished more than 10 years at a London synagogue.

Now that passion for education will be apparent in Sarasota. Altshuler has accepted a position as a rabbi with Temple Beth Sholom.

Temple members met Altshuler with a warm welcome at a gettogether in June. He began working there July 1.

It wasn’t always Altshuler’s plan to become a rabbi. He decided on the path during his third year at UC Berkeley when one of his mentors — who noted Altshuler had a charismatic speaking style and a way of working well with people — recommended he pursue the rabbi position to have a career that was enmeshed in the Jewish community. Plus, Altshuler reasoned, there wasn’t

anything stopping him from getting his doctorate down the road.

He started as a rabbi in 1980 after attending school in California, Israel and finally the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. He later received his doctorate in Jewish history from the same research institution.

“That really set me on my course for my life,” Altshuler said.

He lived in Chicago for some time before moving back to California to serve as a rabbi while also teaching at Chapman University in Orange County.

He enjoyed focusing on academia but eventually felt a need to exclusively return to rabbi duties.

He spent time studying in London and was eventually invited to serve as a rabbi at the Belsize Square Synagogue.

“I said to my wife, (Ella), ‘Let’s see what happens, it could be an interesting diversion in our lives,’” Altshuler said. “I figured I’d be there two or three years and then come back to the States.

I ended up being there 10-and-ahalf years.”

Altshuler said he’s proud of his time there, working on building membership and establishing an educational center.

That emphasis on community and education is something he wants to continue at Temple Beth Sholom. Altshuler was considering retiring but decided he had too much passion to stop now.

“People are looking for answers and meaning in life,” Altshuler said. “People trying to turn a very difficult year from despair into hope. I do believe it’s going to be

Harry Sayer

Rabbi Stuart Altshuler had his first day with Temple Beth Sholom on July 1.

a return of institutions like this and churches and mosques that can bring new hope and optimism to a world that needs it.”

He sent in his application to Temple Beth Sholom last November and was eventually accepted.

He’s familiar with Sarasota having visited years prior and also has friends in the area.

Altshuler has many plans for his new home and wants to start a series of guest speakers to visit the synagogue to promote education in the local community.

He and staff are inviting writer

Thomas Harding — with whom Altshuler is friends — to speak in October as well as planning appearances from Henry Mendoza with the Henry Jackson Society think tank in London.

Altshuler is excited for temple members to become acquainted with some of these figures he’s become acquainted with during his time in London.

“We’re really going to rock this place,” he said. “We’re going to be the hub of Jewish visitors here (in Sarasota).”

It feels good for Altshuler to

be back in the U.S. preparing to engage with an all-new community. He recalls times people have come up to him remembering him as the rabbi overseeing their bar mitzvah years before. He wants to bring that kind of connection and meaning to the community at Temple Beth Sholom.

“I don’t feel my age. I have energy-plus,” Altshuler said. “This is a tremendous community, and I’ve been welcomed with open arms. I hope we can make a contribution not only to the Jewish community but to the wider Sarasota area.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Summer of science Tech Trek accepts about 100 female students from around Florida. This year, six Sarasota County Schools students were chosen.

BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

S

Brynn Mechem

Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences teacher Alessa Laczkoski and students Kila Sons and Sriva Boggavarapu say Tech Trek helps encourage a career in STEM.

ER T IS G E W R NO

ix female students throughout Sarasota County will get the chance to join other girls throughout Florida at a summer camp designed to foster interest in a career in STEM. The 2020 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau estimated there is a total civilian population

of 10.8 million ages 16 and older employed in science, technology, engineering and math occupations. Of those, 26.7% are women.

Various studies conducted by the American Association of University Women found that young girls typically gain interest in STEM subjects at age 11, though many lose it again by age 15.

Tech Trek camp, hosted by the AAUW, hopes to change that narrative by encouraging middle school girls throughout Florida to pursue careers in the STEM field.

The camp is held annually at a Florida university and offers middle school girls the chance to take STEM classes and meet with women in the STEM field.

Seventh grade students are eligible only after receiving a nomination from their math or science teacher. Finalists are then interviewed and selected by commit-

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“A lot of times all you see is males in higher roles in sciences and mathematics. So really getting around a female who is strong in the field is amazing.”

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

A concierge practice devoted to internal medicine and wellness.

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thing,” Scharf said. “I’ve always been really academic and set in what I want to do. I feel like participating in this camp will benefit me in the future because while everyone else is out doing something, I’m still learning.”

Typically, the camp is only open to students heading into eighth grade. However, because of COVID-19, the camp did not run in 2020, so the students who were accepted to last year’s camp also will participate this year.

One such student is Boggavarapu, who said she was thankful to still get the opportunity.

“I was extremely honored to have been chosen,” Boggavarapu said. “I keep thinking about all the fun opportunities, and I’m excited to meet new people who have the same interests.”

Typically, the camp is held at a university campus where the students would stay in dorms and take classes in a university classroom. However, because of COVID-19, this year’s camp will be held entirely online.

Aside from an application fee, the camp is completely paid for.

The cost per student is estimated at around $1,000.

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tees of local AAUW members, and about 100 students throughout the state are chosen.

This year, six Sarasota County School students were accepted to the program: Kila Sons and Sriva Boggavarapu from the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, Emma Reynolds from Pine View, Anju Telang and Alexa Scharf from Sarasota Middle School, and Melora Saing from McIntosh Middle School.

“I was so excited to be chosen,” Sons said. “I’m very interested in math and science, and I’m still considering my career options, but this was a chance for me to hone in on this option as a career.”

Alessa Laczkoski, a math teacher a SSAS, nominated Sons.

She said the program is beneficial for young girls because they learn that a career in STEM is viable.

“In middle school, a lot of girls will start to drop off in these areas because of peer pressure or looking at who’s actually doing this because a lot of times all you see is males in higher roles in sciences and mathematics,” Laczkoski said. “So really getting around a female who is strong in the field is amazing.”

Students will participate next week in a variety of classes, including structural engineering, neuroscience and engineering. One new class, Thinkabit Lab’s Wearable Tech, challenges students to learn circuitry, engineering and programming by designing an automated hat that represents their strengths, interests and values.

Scharf, who wants to be a pediatric surgeon, said she is excited to take classes related to anatomy and medical sciences, even if they are held in the summer.

“I’m looking forward to every-

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

No snooze, you lose Getting enough sleep is crucial to our well-being. Here are some steps to ensure you’re getting enough of it.

A PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIC

KRISTINE NICKEL

D

o you long for those days when you could sleep for a solid eight, never getting up to make a trip to the bathroom only to get back into bed and stare at the ceiling for an hour or two?

Or when you climbed into bed, rolled over on your side, fell asleep without counting back from 100 by sevens and awoke refreshed instead of crawling to the coffee pot for that early morning jolt of caffeine? And are you growing tired of reading how important sleep is to our well-being, the elixir saving you from all ills yet denied you because of your insomnia, or your destructive late night habits? Join the club and read on.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic, and the U.S. is not alone in this. It seems that more than a third of adults in developed countries do not get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Why is this a defined public health problem? The more scientists have discovered the reasons why we sleep, the more they understand that sleeping is the third leg of the wellness stool — diet and exercise being the other two.

We now know sleep props up our immune system aiding our bodies in their resistance to diseases as potentially fatal as cancer and heart disease. Psychiatric diseases, such as depression and anxiety, are amplified by a lack of sleep. Adequate sleep is an important defense against Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep helps us stay slim by regulating hunger hormones.

The bottom line is sleep is the body’s way of enhancing a multitude of functions to keep us healthy in body, mind and spirit. Most scientists studying sleep now concur adequate sleep is the best thing we can do to stay well.

HAVE I CONVINCED YOU?

No? Please Google “sleep,” and select from myriad scientific studies that will. I promise. Those studies, however, do not ease the frustration of those who do not get the recommended seven to nine hours each night. So, where might you start to achieve better, more healthful sleep?

IS THOMAS EDISON TO BLAME?

Not really, but the invention of electric lights and before that gas and oil lamps upset the natural order of things (you sleep when the sun goes down and get up when the sun comes up). We now have all manners of artificial illumination to change when we are motivated to lay our heads down. The way our brains perceive light triggers the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Melatonin takes a few hours to bring about sleep.

The importance of this cannot be underestimated. Matthew Walker in his brilliant book, “Why We Sleep,” explains it this way: “The degree to which evening electric light winds back your internal 24-hour clock is important: usually two to three hours each evening, on average.”

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BLUE LIGHT NOT SO SPECIAL

More bad news: Blue LED light has an even more deleterious effect on melatonin release than the yellow of incandescent bulbs. The blue light emitted from electronic sources is even more sleep disturbing. That compounded by other factors — what is known as the “alert” factor of electronic devices — makes the use of tablets, phones and other devices further damaging to sleep.

Step No. 1 to better sleep is to limit your use of electronic devices beginning in the late afternoon, use lower lighting in the evening and keep your bedroom dark at night. If you must use electronic devices, invest in yellow-tinted glasses, which help filter out blue light, and use them in the afternoon and evening.

CHILL OUT — LESS ALCOHOL, LESS HEAT

The hard truth is alcohol is a sedative, and sedatives do not create useful sleep.

Sedatives affect the brain like anesthesia.

Alcohol also causes you to wake up frequently as well as disrupt REM sleeping, where much of sleep’s restorative processes occur. Stop drinking alcohol, or keep it to a minimum.

As for the temperature in your sleeping quarters, like alcohol, less is more. For a great night’s sleep, you need to reduce your body’s core temperature by 2-3

degrees. Not surprising, melatonin release is also spurred by a reduction in your temperature — like what happens when the sun goes down.

Now that you’re feeling like steps to improve your sleep will thrust you back into the cave, take heart. There are massive technological steps being taken, ranging from tying personal sleep data to temperature control in your sleeping quarters or directing the lighting in your home to release melatonin in a more natural sequence.

The chief thing to remember is improving sleep is worth it.

Kristine Nickel is a marketing communications consultant and former marketing and public relations executive. For more than 30 years, she has relieved her stress by writing features for publications across the country.

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15A

TRIBUTES

He cultivated innumerable deep and meaningful friendships throughout the community, and many consider him a mentor or an honorary ‘uncle.’ He had a positive and profound impact on the lives of everyone he touched.

William R. (“Bill”) Korp. Born November 29, 1932; died June 25, 2021.

Last Friday we lost a friend, a father, a grandfather, a husband, a brother, and a mentor. Bill was a man of valor, beloved by all who were touched by him. May his memory be a blessing.

Born in Lima, Ohio, Bill moved with his parents, Enid and Logan Korp, brother Richard and sister Marilyn to Orlando, Florida in 1933. Bill attended Kaley Elementary School; Cherokee Junior High School, where he was the Ninth Grade Class President; and Orlando High School where he was president of his Senior Class. He also played Varsity Basketball at OHS and was selected as Most Valuable Player in 1950. He graduated in 1950 with Honors and received a basketball scholarship to The University of Florida. At UF, he pledged Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and was a fervent member of Gator Nation his whole life.

After graduating from Florida, Bill was commissioned by the US Air Force. He was stationed in Japan during the Korean Conflict attaining the rank of First Lieutenant.

He served as a navigator on reconnaissance missions and dealt in electronic countermeasures. He was proud of his military career, always believed in serving his country, and relished every aspect of his time in the Air Force. However, it also created in him a life-long aversion to standing in lines.

Upon leaving the Air Force in 1959, Bill returned to Florida, took advantage of the GI Bill, and enrolled at the Stetson University College of Law in St Petersburg, Florida. He graduated in 1962. One evening in 1961, he tried to pick up Kate Page in The Stetson University Library. She was preoccupied that evening, but he was uniquely nice, respectful, and persistent. When he invited her to dinner and the ballet, she realized he might be special. After Kate returned from graduate work in France, they became close friends and then lovers and eventually married in 1963. In 1964, Bill, Kate, and Kate’s dog “Snitzy” moved to

Sarasota. Bill often liked to comment that when he got married, he got a dog.

In Sarasota, Bill began his law practice, founding the firm Stinnett, Surfus, Korp & Payne. His partners in this first venture included Robert Stinnett, Jerry Surfus, and Howard Payne. The firm was eventually joined by Richard Nelson. Kate accepted a position teaching Art at Sarasota High School. Several years later, Bill established Korp & Wheeler, Attorneys at Law, in Venice, Florida. Kate accepted a position with Manatee Community College South Campus teaching Art and Art History & Appreciation. In 1971, their son William Alexander was born.

In 1979, Bill helped organize the law practice of Isphording, Korp, Payne & Muirhead. Bill, Roger Isphording, Howard Payne, and Bill Muirhead remained partners for almost 20 years. In 1998, Bill joined Abel, Band and then Lutz, Bobo, and Telfair in 2009. At these latter two firms, he became good friends with and mentor to Scott Gordon. In 2020, the Senior Counsel of Sarasota County bestowed upon Bill the prestigious Esteemed Colleague Award. He loved the practice of law and looked forward to going to the office every weekday, including the Monday before he checked himself into the hospital.

Bill was active in many Florida civic and political activities, and he served on the State Committee to Reelect President Gerald R. Ford. In 1976, Bill and Kate were invited by President Ford to a State Dinner at the White House honoring the Emperor and Empress of Japan. He was

State Chairman of the Young Republican Club from 1964 to 1966. He participated in the Sarasota County Republican Executive Committee (1966-1975), Time Sifters Archaeology Society, and the Gulf Coast Italian Culture Society (GCICS). He was president of these latter two organizations for many years.

The fine arts and performing arts were particular pleasures for Bill and he ardently supported local theatre and music, especially the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, the Asolo Theatre, and the Sarasota Opera.

Bill’s interests in art, history and archaeology led him around the world. Bill and Kate honeymooned amidst Mayan Pyramids and navigated treacherous Incan roads. Eventually, their son Alex joined them, and they travelled even further afield. The family safaried in East Africa, boated down the Nile, and walked in the footsteps of the ancient Greeks. In Europe, they toured countless castles and museums and indulged in their shared love of unique cuisines. Over the years, they often returned to Europe, and Bill and Kate’s out-going, fun-loving and generous personalities attracted people who would become life-long friends everywhere they went. When his son married and had children of his own, the rental cars got bigger and so did the adventures. Of all his travels, the night spent at Abu Simbel, Egypt was his favorite.

Besides the Arts, Bill loved everything about the outdoors and was an avid birdwatcher. He enjoyed sailing, fishing, and all

water sports. He especially loved restoring old boats, though perhaps they didn’t always love him back. Among his favorites were his sailboat “Ricochet,” named for its tendency of bouncing off docks, his fishing boat “Bad Companion,” and his ski boat “Kate’s Craft.” One of his great joys was teaching his son and his son’s friends to fish, camp, and water ski.

He delighted in entertaining and the parties he and Kate threw were legendary.

He cultivated innumerable deep and meaningful friendships throughout the community, and many consider him a mentor or an honorary ‘uncle.’ He had a positive and profound impact on the lives of everyone he touched.

Most of all, he cherished his family and despite all his interests and commitments, he was always present. Never missing a game, performance, or exhibit, Bill always made time for those he loved. He treasured his role as husband, father, and grandfather.

Bill is survived by his wife Kate of 59 years, his son Alex, his daughter-in-law, Christina and his grandchildren, Brielle and Logan. He is also survived by Kate’s goddaughter, Francesca Turner and her daughter Uli. A celebration of life is planned for later in the summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Program, the GCICS Scholarship Fund, or the Sarasota Opera.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: Later in the summer DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Program, the GCICS Scholarship Fund, or the Sarasota Opera.

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ROLL FOOTAGE 9 p.m. — 1000 block of Ritz Carlton Drive Property damage: A valet driver at a hotel hit a pole with a guest’s truck, damaging the vehicle. The manager of the hotel said the business assumed responsibility for the damages and would pay for repairs, but the guest wanted hotel staff to show him security footage of the incident. The manager said it was against hotel policy, but the guest wanted an officer to force the manager to share the footage. An officer told the guest he could not force the hotel to show the footage unless a crime had occurred. Hotel staff and the guest exchanged information for an insurance claim without further incident.

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GATE-GATE 8:20 p.m. — 1800 block of South Osprey Avenue Property damage: An employee at a restaurant said two men attempted to enter the restaurant

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JULY 4

LEGALIZED IT 9:55 p.m. — 3300 block of Ramblewood Way Noise complaint: A woman complained that someone was setting off fireworks in her neighborhood. An officer informed the woman fireworks were legal on the Fourth of July. The officer advised the woman to call back if the fireworks continued throughout the week.

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JULY 15, 2021

SPORTS

Courtesy photo

The Sarasota National 10-11-12 All-Star baseball team is headed to the state tournament.

LITTLE LEAGUE,

BIG TALENT RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

T

hey might be young, but the players on the Sarasota National All-Star baseball team practice like grizzled veterans.

The 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds are all business in the batter’s box.

They field ground balls cleanly and put away pop-ups like they’re nothing. The players are loose and having fun, but they work hard.

It’s a recipe that has landed the team in the Little League Florida State Tournament, coming up Friday to Sunday in Palm Coast, after winning its sectional tournament July 10.

The team stamped its sectional tournament win with a 5-2 victory over LaBelle Little League. Earlier in the day, the team defeated Bonita Springs Little League 2-1.

The sectional tournament win was made possible because of the team’s District 16 championship win over local rival Sarasota American.

Coach Matt Snelson didn’t

www.manasotaonline.com

SARASOTA NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER Players: Braedon MacKay Caden Armstrong Chase Snelson Davin Cumston Gabriel Halperin Isaiah Miller Louis Leahy Luke Fisher Nico Esser Olivia Lockhart RJ Shields Stephen Gross Xavier Hill Coaches: Matt Snelson Bill Lockhart Shaun Cumston Chris Miller Marc Martocchio

think about reaching this point when he agreed to manage the team. Snelson said he volunteered to make sure his son, 12-year-old Chase Snelson, had a good AllStar experience, the same reason he coached Chase’s regular season team — and won the regular-season league title. It just so

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happens, Matt Snelson said, that this All-Star team is chock-full of talent, and his assistant coaches are helping being that talent to the surface.

“I just pull the strings,” Snelson said. “I got lucky. I deal with the parents and the district administrators. It’s been fun to watch these kids. We have a good team.

It’s funny, when this all started I said, ‘I just want to win a game,’ because you don’t know what you have. We only had three weeks of practice before our first district game. Now we’re going to states.”

The team’s road has not been easy, not only because of strong opposition but also because of scheduling conflicts. Many of the team’s players are on travel teams with events happening all summer long. At Monday’s practice, Sarasota National had nine of its 13 players on hand. It could have been fewer — Snelson said he had Chase Snelson skip an event to remain with the All-Star team.

The missing players will be flying back for the state tournament, though one player, Braedon MacKay, would be forced to miss the state championship game Sunday — if the team advances that far — because he’s competing in the Little League Home Run Derby East Regional at Kauffman

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Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, that day.

The schedules are a lot for coaches to manage, but the players don’t seem to mind, or even notice. The players available are the players who will play, and the team is confident that whoever is playing will be able to produce.

“The district championship game was fun,” said RJ Shields, 12. “(Sarasota American) beat us the game before, but then we crushed them. That showed us a lot. I think we can go all the way.”

Shields is one of the team’s top pitchers and hit a home run in the team’s district championship win. Shields said his favorite pitch is his breaking ball, a “slurve,” because of how much it moves and fools hitters. Shields said that as long as the team’s pitchers do their job, he’s confident the team can keep winning.

Chase Snelson said the team never doubted itself after dropping the game against Sarasota American, instead relishing the chance to face them again. Sarasota National knew it had more depth, Snelson said, and they proved it. It is that depth that makes Snelson think the team has

Nico Esser takes a big cut during Sarasota National’s batting practice Monday.

SEE LEAGUE, PAGE 19A

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The well-rounded team has overcome a loss and scheduling challenges to reach this point.

Ryan Kohn

18A

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PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Heading west A Sarasota grad is drafted by the Giants, plus a check-in on other Sailors alumni and a big visit for a Riverview football player.

joins former Lakewood Ranch High outfielder Grant McCray, a 2019 draftee, as Sarasota-Bradenton area players in the organization. Brown joins five other Sailors alumni in major league organizations: Joe Cavallaro (New York Mets), Evan Mendoza (St. Louis Cardinals), Dylan Busby (Pittsburgh Pirates), Eric Skoglund (Kansas City Royals) and former All-Star infielder Ian Desmond, who has opted out of his second-straight season with the Colorado Rockies.

The Sailors also have two players, Danny Mars and Andrew Jones, on the Chicago Dogs, a team in the American Association of Professional Baseball, and one player, Casey Kelly, playing for the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization.

S

arasota High baseball alumnus Vaun Brown can now call himself a professional baseball

player.

Brown, a 2016 grad, was selected in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday by the San Francisco Giants (pick No. 296 overall).

The draft was held Sunday through Tuesday in Colorado.

Brown played collegiate baseball at Florida Southern College. In four seasons with the Mocs — five if you include the shortened 2020 season — Brown hit .285 with 28 home runs, 28 doubles, 100 RBI and 140 runs scored and held a .984 fielding percentage.

His senior season was his best: Brown hit .387 with 13 home runs and 31 RBIs in 26 games. He was named the 2021 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year for his efforts, as well as the NCAA Division II All-America Second Team.

Brown was the first position player the Giants selected in this year’s draft, having taken pitchers in the first nine rounds. He

File photo

MAKING A HOME OVERSEAS

Speaking of Kelly, the one-time first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, he’s made a home for himself in Korea. Kelly, a righthanded pitcher, is in the middle of his third KBO season, and he’s thriving, holding a 3.56 ERA and a 1.326 WHIP. His performance has led to a tough-luck 5-4 personal record, though the LG Twins are second in the KBO with a 43-32 overall mark.

For someone who had great expectations surrounding his big-league arrival — he was the key piece in the trade that brought Adrian Gonzalez to Boston from San Diego after

Courtesy photo

the 2010 season — Kelly never reached his potential in the U.S. It’s nice to see him find success, even if it is overseas.

VISITING THE TIDE

Riverview High rising sophomore defensive back Charles Lester went with Coach Josh Smithers on a visit to the University of Alabama last month.

That’s a big deal. Lester doesn’t hold an official offer from the Crimson Tide yet — though he’s got plenty of time — but Alabama doesn’t let just anyone

Courtesy photo

Left: Joe Cavallaro, in the New York Mets organization, is one of now six Sailors alumni in the MLB system.

Above left: Sarasota High alumnus Vaun Brown was drafted in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants.

Above right: Evan Mendoza, in the St. Louis Cardinal organization, is one of now six Sailors alumni in the MLB system.

walk through those doors and put on their uniform.

It’s a sign that the Rams have a special talent in their defensive backfield. According to 247 Sports, Lester holds offers from Michigan State, where his teammate Jaron Glover recently committed, and Indiana, where former Rams defensive back Jamar Johnson played the past three seasons. Johnson’s now a member of the Denver Broncos.

That wouldn’t be a bad path for Lester to follow, either.

The point is, start paying

attention to Lester now. Whenever Lester does decide where he wants to play in college, you’ll want to say you watched him be a ballhawk in high school. Trust me on this one.

Ryan Kohn is the sports writer for the Sarasota Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

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COME ONE COME ALL Ryan Kohn

League FROM PAGE 17A

a chance to go far.

Caden Armstrong, 12, said the team’s practices normally focus on defensive skills, both infield and outfield drills, though Monday’s practice also included batting practice.

This year is Armstrong’s first time playing All-Star baseball, he said, and he didn’t know what to expect. He thought the practices might be more intense, but he warmed to their level quickly, he said. The experience has been a fun one. Armstrong was on the mound to close out the win against LaBelle.

“I was just trying not to walk anyone,” Armstrong said.

“Thankfully, I can throw my curveball for strikes.”

Olivia Lockhart, 12, was absent

from Monday’s practice for travel ball obligations, but she has been one of the team’s most potent weapons in the hitter’s box and on the mound.

Bill Lockhart, Olivia’s father and an assistant coach with the team, said his daughter has never played softball, only baseball.

She would rather compete with the boys and pitch overhand and get dirty sliding into second base, Bill Lockhart said.

Sarasota will play its first state tournament game at 7 p.m. Friday against Northeast Little League (St. Petersburg) in Palm Coast.

The tournament will span the weekend, with the championship game being held 10 a.m. Sunday.

The winner of the tournament will advance to the Southeast Regional Tournament, held Aug. 6-11 in Warner Robbins, Georgia, the last hurdle before the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Caden Armstrong makes a catch in the outfield during a Sarasota National practice Monday.

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JULY 15, 2021

YOUR NEIGHBORS cess. Eventually, she put publishing the book on hold.

Life got busy — Chelf continued releasing cookbooks while Laughlin Tanner started a career in real estate — but as self-publishing became more mainstream and accepted, Chelf said she felt that it could be a good time to return to the book as part of a multimedia initiative. She and Laughlin Tanner started meeting a couple hours a week two years ago to refine the story and bring it to life.

They recruited Raphael Silva, who designed and recorded music for the audiobook version of the story with original songs.

Eventually, all the work paid off. The trio held a book launch party last May to celebrate.

“When I see young people lamenting the fact that their life is not going the way they thought, well, you don’t always know you know what’s in store for you,” Chelf said.

But that doesn’t mean the work is done. Chelf and Laughlin Tanner are at work on their next story.

“I have a really strong belief in us,” Laughlin Tanner said. “I’m really excited to see where it goes.”

Chelf used people as references for her illustrations in the children’s book.

A bug’s tale Creative partners Vicki Chelf and Natalie Laughlin Tanner of the Bug People Project have released their first book.

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

“L

ucy Ladybug: The Ladybug’s Lament” tells a simple story.

The children’s book follows the titular Lucy Ladybug, an insect who feels down about her round figure. She goes on leaf diets and nectar diets to no avail but eventually learns that her shape and eating preferences are healthy and beautiful.

The message of self-acceptance and body positivity is one creator Vicki Chelf and audiobook narrator Natalie Laughlin Tanner hope is instructive to children.

It’s also a message that took time for them to understand.

Chelf, a vegetarian cookbook author and artist, and Laughlin Tanner, a real estate agent and fashion model, have both had eating disorders. Chelf said she grew up overweight and turned to skipping meals and overexercising.

“My work schedule (in my 20s) kept me from being able to have regular meals, so basically, I was trying to starve myself while also running,” Chelf said. “I would run long distances to the point that I was really hurting my knees and hurting my back just to keep my weight down.”

Laughlin Tanner felt insecure about her plus-sized figure and would binge eat and then starve herself in an unhealthy cycle.

Chelf and Laughlin Tanner have since worked through their unhealthy practices and embraced physically and mentally healthy lifestyles.

They collaborated on the recently released “Lucy Ladybug: The Ladybug’s Lament” to help growing children accept themselves and their own self-image — something they feel they could have used during their times of hardship years ago. “(We want kids) to understand that the things that are unique to

them are what is going to really transform the world,” Laughlin Tanner said.

“We’re trying to communicate that to children, and it’s been a labor of love.”

The self-published book is part of a larger nature-focused and self-love-focused initiative known as The Bug Project, which has been put together by Laughlin Tanner and Chelf. The planned book series will have bug protagonists who experience real problems.

“Lucy Ladybug: The Ladybug’s Lament” is the first in the series.

Laughlin Tanner and Chelf have hopes of eventually seeing the series adapted into children’s plays or an animated TV show.

Chelf first approached Laughlin Tanner about using her children as character models for her illustrations in the book more than nine years ago.

Illustrating a children’s book proved different than Chelf’s approach to painting fine art.

She started out freely painting the images that were in her head as she was writing the story, but she soon learned that it would be smarter to use a storyboard to better plot out the book’s narrative.

She used Laughlin Tanner’s children and other figures to model as some of the human characters that accompany the bugs. It was important to Chelf that her book should have a more organic and vintage visual style than what she felt other kid’s books had.

She found difficulty in getting her book published initially, even with her cookbooks series’ suc-

Photos by Harry Sayer

Vicki Chelf has spent years working on “Lucy Ladybug: The Ladybug’s Lament.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

108-year-old lived a life of wisdom, advocacy Joe Newman was known for his outlook and his red convertible.

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

J

oe Newman wanted to make the world a better place.

From his early days learning about social causes from his parents in Indiana to his most recent years residing and leading a philosophy group at Aviva Senior Living, Newman was committed to learning more about the world around him and finding ways to help those who lived in it.

He also tried to live his life to the fullest, to the very end. Newman was well known for driving his red Mercedes convertible even up to the age of 106. His friend Richard Weingarten recalls how Newman, an accountant before retirement, and his partner, Anita Sampson, would dance at the foundation’s pool deck just a few months ago.

There was never a time where Newman felt his age was keeping him from enjoying himself. He often told colleagues at the Aviva residence that instead of feeling fear, it was better to accept growing old and enjoy the moment.

Newman died July 10 from natural causes. He was 108.

During an interview in January, upon the occasion of his most recent birthday, Newman said he thought that if every person was just kind to the people around them, society would reach a bet-

File photo

Joe Newman was the oldest living graduate of University of Notre Dame.

He died July 10 at the age of 108.

ter place.

“Any time you meet anyone, hope that when you leave them, they’ll feel glad they met you,” he said then. “Try to make them feel that even for a few seconds, life’s a little brighter, a little happier. I think if each of us took a piece of that responsibility, some of this dissension will dissipate.”

Newman’s passion for change and advocacy was perhaps inevitable. His parents, who emigrated from Russia after being jailed for protesting a tsar’s regime, taught him from an early age the importance of knowing what was right

and the dedication to make the world better.

That advocacy for change often translated to action. He and his first wife, Sophie, had a daughter with special needs in 1938 who died in 1966, prompting him to eventually found the Logan’s School for Retarded Children in 1950 to serve families and individuals with disabilities.

He let people know how he felt, too. Newman’s nephew Geoff said his uncle was often opinionated but always wanted the betterment of humankind. Newman ran for Congress against Republi-

can Vern Buchanan as a write-in candidate at 101 years old to bring new discussions into the Sarasota community in 2014. He garnered 136 votes.

That love of discussion carried with him to his time at Aviva, where he led fellow residents in the Socrates Cafe philosophy club each week. Debating hot-button topics gave Newman an excitement that he felt helped keep his mind active even as he entered the last years of his life.

“He provided such knowledge of current and former political environments and through his Socrates class brought a new level of education and awareness to our resident body,” Aviva President and CEO Jay Solomon said. “He will truly be a loss to our community.”

Geoff Newman, 80, visited Joe Newman shortly before his death and said he was still sharp.

“He always had your interests at heart,” he said. “He made suggestions to you and offered guidance to you, but if he made recommendations, it was what he genuinely thought was in your best interest. In that respect, he was a very giving and committed family member.”

Joe Newman arranged for his remains to be studied at a University of Miami research project focused on aging and dementia.

Newman is survived by Geoff Newman as well as several nieces, nephews and other family members.

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WELCOMES Carrie N. Bonaroti, MD Board Certified, Family Medicine

BEST BET WEDNESDAY, JULY 21

‘ON THE ROAD AGAIN’ OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE 7 p.m. at The Gazebo at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. Florida Studio Theatre’s roaming production of the “On The Road Again” family-friendly show will make its way to Phillippi Estate Park for an outdoor performance. Free. For information, go to FloridaStudioTheatre.org/ road-again.

FRIDAY, JULY 16

MUSIC IN THE GARDENS 5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts.

Violinist Elijah Luzginov will perform. Food and drinks will be available. Cost is $15. For information, call 955-0875.

SATURDAY, JULY 17

LIMELIGHT MARKET AT THE BAZAAR 10 a.m. at the Bazaar at Apricot and Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Expect music, drinks and animals up for adoption at this annual market get-together. Free. For information, go to BazaaOnApricotAndLime.com.

SUNDAY, JULY 18

TUESDAY, JULY 20

KIDS SUMMER BEACH RUN 5:30 p.m. at Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road. This fun family event has kids 18 and under running a mile and receiving a medal. Free. For information, call 544-8904.

Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Medical School: University of South Florida, Tampa FL Residency: Forbes Regional Health System, Family Practice Residency, Monroeville, PA Certification: American Board of Family Medicine

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How Compounded Medications Improve Pets’ Health Our pets today are beloved family members, so we when they’re not well, we want to do all we can to make them better. But anyone who has a dog or cat knows how challenging it can be to medicate a sick animal. Compounding pharmacies have solutions to this problem and other difficulties that can arise when it comes to pet medicines.

Gate, says pets most commonly require medication for itchy skin and ears, as well as digestive issues. Attempting to give pets pills, especially cats and smaller dogs, often causes problems and results in the pets not receiving the medicine they need.

Dr. Stephanie Lantry, a veterinarian at the Animal Medical Clinic of Gulf

While compounded medications can cost more than their commercially available counterparts, most pet insurance plans will cover the medicine if it isn’t related to a pre-

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existing condition. Also, a larger supply sometimes reduces the price per day of the medicine.

One advantage of compounded medications is that they can be made into alternate applications that are often much easier than pilling your pet. These include transdermal creams that are administered by rubbing on the ears and liquid formulas that you can mix into your pet’s food or have flavored to appeal to your pet’s tastebuds.

Transdermal medications work particularly well for finicky cats.

“Even if the absorption rate is lower than it would be with a pill, it’s better than none at all,” Dr. Lantry says.

In fact, she says one of her feline patients’ lives was saved thanks to a cream version of her thyroid medication. After trying and failing to feed her cat special food and give her pills for her overactive thyroid condition, the owner thought she

would have to put her cat to sleep.

Dr. Lantry prescribed transdermal medication that the owner rubs on the cat’s ears every day.

“The cat is still alive after three years,” Dr. Lantry says. “It really made a difference between life and death.”

Another main reason compounded medications are prescribed for pets is lack of availability, either because they’re off the market entirely or on backorder. For smaller dogs, standard doses simply may be too large for them but with compounding, medication can be made into any strength.

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SOUTHEAST REGIONAL LIFEGUARD CHAMPIONSHIP 9 a.m. at Siesta Key Beach. Lifeguards from across the state will converge at Siesta Key for an annual competition testing their skills in team and solo lifeguard events. Free. For information, call 954-295-7288.

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Dr. Nataly Bruk brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Hyde Park East office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Internal Medicine.

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Chain reaction The play highlights a tale of historical deeds involving Albert Einstein and contralto Marian Anderson.

IF YOU GO What: “My Lord, What a Night” When: Through Aug. 15 Tickets: $36-$39 Where: FST Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. Info: Call 366-9000, or visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

Deborah Brevoort’s “My Lord, What a Night” explores the explosive consequences that flowed from a real-life historical event.

The time is 1937; the place, Princeton, New Jersey. Marian Anderson, the celebrated Black contralto, had just performed in concert to a standing ovation.

A racist insult quickly followed.

The whites-only Nassau Inn refused to give her a room. Albert Einstein was one of Anderson’s biggest fans. He had driven her to the hotel after her performance.

After they turned Anderson away, he drove her to his home. Einstein then offered to let her stay for the night. Anderson accepted — and a powerful chain reaction ensued.

The play begins at the moment they’ve just walked in. The sense of urgency does, too. A mob of reporters gathers on Einstein’s (aka David Edwards) front lawn.

You can’t see them, but you can hear them — clamoring to come inside for a quote or a photograph.

White Brainboy Opens Doors to Black Songbird! Now that’s a story! Then Einstein’s supervisor, Abraham Flexner (Rod Brogan), arrives. He wants to make sure there’s no story to print.

Flexner tries to relocate Anderson (Thursday Farrar) to the “colored YMCA.” It seems like a craven fear of bad PR at first, but his motives go deeper. Flexner is the head of Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study and has been using that position to rescue a handful of Jewish scientists from Nazi Germany. Princeton University is still on the quota system — a racist quota that strictly limits the number of Jewish faculty members.

Anderson actually considers leaving. Then Mary Church Terrell (Nehassaiu deGannes) arrives.

She’s the founder of the National Association of Colored Women, and she wants the contralto to take a public stand. Will she?

The conflict boils down to a war between public and private self.

The play fast-forwards to 1939, the year of Anderson’s groundbreaking concert at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. She was scheduled to sing at Constitution Hall. The Daughters of the American Revolution objected because of her skin color. Her first thought is to reach

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

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NOURISHING YOUR MIND, BODY & SOUL

YOU ARE INVITED! SHAKE OFF THE COVID COBWEBS MUNCH, MINGLE AND LEARN (FOR FREE)

Photo courtesy of Matthew Holler

Scenic designers Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay depict Einstein’s study as a place of creative chaos.

Doric columns imply classical order. But books and papers proliferate like kudzu all around.

Kate Alexander’s direction brings order to this clash of personalities. You’re clear on where everybody stands. She maintains that clarity while avoiding the artificiality of an obvious message play. Brava.

Brevoort’s script is strong. The playwright achieves that strength without hype. Her characters are real; their dialogue is never forced.

If this play had been a TV episode, they’d call it a bottle show. It’s a small, self-contained action in a single room, but it stands for big moments of history. Brevoort’s captured lightning in a bottle with this play. That’s never easy.

“My Lord, What a Night” offers a glimpse at two game-changing moments. It’s the kind of meaty summer fare you expect at Florida Studio Theatre. But that’s not the only stage where it’s now opening. FST’s local premiere is part of the National New Play Network’s rolling world premiere at theaters nationwide now. We hope it’ll keep rolling in the future.

Nehassaiu deGannes and Thursday Farrar

GUEST SPEAKER DR. CHIPPY “THE MINDFUL CARDIOLOGIST” SELF CARE IN A POST-COVID WORLD

A cardiologist with Heart Specialists of Sarasota, Dr. Chippy will discuss lifestyle as the key to preventing, healing, and even reversing disease. Wellness is not only possible, it is life-altering and allows a person to reach their full potential.

JULY 22, 2021 SARASOTA YACHT CLUB 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Organized by JFCS of the Suncoast Please register in advance at https://jfcs-cares.org/beyond-me/ For more information, please contact Nicole Taylor, Development & Donor Relations Manager, at ntaylor@jfcs-cares.org.

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out to Eleanor Roosevelt, a highprofile DAR member. (Thanks to Einstein’s friendship with the first lady, that’s possible.) She could pressure the organization to change. Roosevelt actually resigns from the DAR. It occurs to Anderson that singing to a segregated, whites-only audience is no victory, but singing in public to everybody at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial is. That sets the stage for Anderson’s groundbreaking concert — and the very public stand she takes. But that uplifting moment is undercut by dark history. Einstein, the pacifist, gets word that Hitler’s scientists are working on an atomic bomb. As much as he loathes it, he has to write Franklin Delano Roosevelt and tell him that America needs to build its own A-bomb.

The acting is strong, but underplayed.

Farrar’s portrayal is internalized. Her Anderson doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve, and she thinks about every word before she says it. Edwards’ Einstein is a bit of an easy-going prankster, and he’s got nothing to prove.

He’s very lighthearted, until some outrage stirs his sense of injustice.

DeGannes’ Terrell burns with gemlike flame. Her character is no spring chicken, but her inner conviction drives her to feats of prodigious energy — and sometimes to the point of collapse.

Brogan’s Flexner is nuanced. He keeps advocating for the easy way out. He knows how weak he seems, but he’s motivated by an inner strength.

Lea Umberger’s costumes perfectly fit the characters. They range from Anderson’s precisely tailored public image on the one extreme and Einstein’s indifference to appearance on the other.

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A wild time in the jungle C

Sarasota’s Best Voted One of

hildren got up close and personal with reptiles during the Sarasota Jungle Gardens’ summer camp July 12.

Although the zoo camp is typically held throughout the garden area, the campers headed inside the education center to get away from the rain and learn more about the animal kingdom’s many reptiles.

Education Coordinator Britney Webb talked about animal facts and trivia before bringing out a bearded dragon, a skink and an alligator for the campers to touch and hold themselves. The summer camp concludes this week.

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Above: Cadyn Quigg, 8, and Madison Norman, 8 Left: Theo Spinellis pets Potato, the bearded dragon.

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Showcasing young talented students from around the USA!

Soly Barbosa, 10, pets Potato, the bearded dragon.

FSU Center for the Performing Arts 29 - 31 July 2021

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Above: Jackson Schlaiby, 9, with Earth the alligator.

Left: Education Coordinator Britney Webb educates the campers on reptiles.

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Primary rooms all have outstanding beach views and access to the outdoor entertaining area. A retractable awning expands out over the pool and spa. Incredible floor plan lives like a single-family home with a casual family room/breakfast room off the kitchen and a formal living room with dining. The kitchen boasts Neff wood cabinetry, stone countertops, a five-burner gas stove, Subzero refrigerator, Décor double ovens and a walk-in pantry. All en-suite bedrooms are generously sized. Features include travertine marble floors, 11-foot ceilings in most areas, crown molding, wet bars in the Owner’s suite and 2nd bedroom, plantation shutters, and an oversized laundry room. Being sold fully furnished. Amenities include 24-hr guard gate, 2 guest suites, fitness center, social lounge, private dining room, library, dog run and concierge service. This is the ultimate beachfront home! $4,700,000

ADAM HUGHES | RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Ocean View tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Stephen Barr, trustee, of St. HEADLINE HERE HEADLINE HERE Petersburg, sold the home at Ernam dolorem asitaque eum unde same eos qui audia Ernam dolorem asitaque eum unde same eos qui audia INE HERE HEADLINE HERE non explam abores alitiisti volupta debit quatur? non explam abores alitiisti volupta debit quatur? orem asitaque eum unde same eos qui audia Ernam dolorem asitaque eum unde same eos qui audia 8347 Midnight Pass Road to E H E occaboria A D L I N Eid et HE RE Iqui repuda cus eatum re quam, eostiis Iqui repuda cus eatum re quam, occaboria id et eostiis m abores alitiisti volupta debit quatur? non explam abores alitiisti volupta debit quatur?

Robert Pappas, of Fort Mye eum unde same eos qui audia Ernam dolorem asitaque eum unde same eos qui audia dolorro magnimusa nam, quiatiorrum eatem nes dolorro magnimusa nam, quiatiorrum eatem nes da cus eatum re quam, occaboria id et eostiis Iqui repuda cus eatum re quam, occaboria id et eostiis ers, for $6.5 million. Built in sti volupta debit quatur? non explam abores alitiisti volupta debit quatur? agnimusa nam, quiatiorrum eatem nes dolorro magnimusa nam, quiatiorrum eatem nes e quam, occaboria id et eostiis Iqui repuda cus eatum re quam, occaboria id et eostiis 2010, it has four bedrooms, L’AMBIANCE ON LONGBOAT KEY Presenting fresh, unparalleled sophistication in this like-new residence.

Sand to City views with the Gulf nes to the West and the Bay and , quiatiorrum eatem nes dolorro magnimusa nam, quiatiorrum eatem five-and-a-half baths, a pool downtown Sarasota skyline to the east. This incredible space with penthouse high ceilings and an open loft vibe was taken down to the studs during a year-long renovation. Luxury features include the latest Miami Dade rated windows, Provenza white oak floors along solid core doors details C A Lwith L large T Oformat D Atile Y flooring T O from I NItaly, QU IR E modern ABO U &TtrimTthroughout, H E S E incredible O N Emodern - O F lighting -A-K I N and D R E S I Dand E N C6,512 E S . square feet of living coves throughout with fixtures from Restoration Hardware and Arteriors along with handwoven wall coverings by Philip Jeffries.

TheQuartz counters with Sea Pearl Quartzite details the kitchen featuring a built-in wood breakfast table and Buoyant Cable wine area. It sold for $4,075,000 in L T O D Astorage Y Tarea O willI N UIR E AB U T T venue.

H E SThe E owner O Nchose E -toOalter F -theA3-BRKplan I NtoD Rplan E Ssince I Dthe EN CES. be aQ natural gathering andO entertaining a 2 BR building has guest suites for family and friends. Could be converted back. Coveted 2 car parking included. $4,440,000 2012.

TO INQUIRE ABOUT THESE ONE-OF-A-KIND RESIDENCES. CALL TODAY TO INQUIRE RESIDENCES K I ABOUT M O THESE G I L VONE-OF-A-KIND IE RE ALTOR

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9, 4G 1R I. 3 7 6 . 1 7 1 7 K I M O G I LV I E . C O M . 1717 G I LV I E @ M I C H A941 E L S A U N.D 376 E R S .CO M 9 4 1 . K3I M7O6 . 1K I7M O1 G7KIMOGILVIE@MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM I LV I E . C O M RE ALTOR

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SARASOTA

THE BLVD OF SARASOTA John Boc and Terri Allen sold their Unit 1401 condominium at 540 N. Tamiami Trail to Lawrence Walk III and Tracey Welk, trustees, of Sarasota, for $3.8 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths and 3,698 square feet

of living area. It sold for $3.3 million in 2020.

PARADISE SHORES Carl William Hurlebaus III and Amy Michele Lauvray Hurlebaus, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1561 Blue Heron Drive to James Parker Turner IV and Victoria Branch Turner, of Bradenton, for $2,847,300. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,118 square feet of living area. It sold for $2 million in 2014.

LA BELLASARA John and Valerie Barrett sold their Unit 504 condominium at 464 Golden Gate Point to Bruce and Irene Mackler, of Sarasota, for $2.68 million. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths and 3,290 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.1 million in 2013.

THE CLOISTERS AT THE LANDINGS Walter and Angelina Furman sold their home at 1427 Cedar Bay Lane to John and Dagmar Ladle, of Sarasota, for $1.85 million. Built in 1992, it has four

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bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 6,167 square feet of living area.

area. It sold for $1,125,000 in 2013.

OSPREY AVENUE Brian and Marisol Betensky sold two properties at 505 Osprey Ave. to David Joel Murack and Michele Marie Davolos, of Sarasota, for $1.75 million. The first property was built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,213 square feet of living area.

The second property was built in 2017, it has one bedroom, one bath and 470 square feet of living area. They sold for $1.2 million in 2017.

AQUALANE ESTATES Noel and Gretchen Speranza, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1722 Stanford Lane to Hermes Eraclides and Gail Eraclides, trustees, of Siesta Key, for $1.2 million. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,076 square feet of living area. It sold for $414,500 in 2018.

Q Bruce and Roberta Fox, of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, sold their home at 267 Cosmopolitan Court to Douglas and Deborah Stewart, of Robbinsville, New Jersey, for $1.73 million. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 4,566 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,537,500 in 2017.

THE RESIDENCES Joan and Joseph Motta, trustees, of Staten Island, New York, sold the Unit 1005 condominium at 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive to Pamela Nash, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1.35 million. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,295 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,700 in 2018.

WHITAKER’S LANDING Kyle Lawton, of Sarasota, sold his home at 990 Whitakers Lane to Ziv and Fiona Gani, of Sarasota, for $1.35 million. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,555 square feet of living

Stanley Gorski, Stephen Gorski and Thomas Gorski, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1649 Stanford Lane to Michael Donato, of Sarasota, for $800,000. Built in 1977, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,995 square feet of living area.

HARBOR ACRES Frank Chinnici and Maria Baird, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1383 Harbor Drive to Margaret Pawlik, of Chicago, for $1.2 million. Built in 1964, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,145 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2012.

THE LANDINGS Eric Steenburgh and Meghan Nimitz Stapleton Steenburgh, of Great Falls, Virginia, sold their home at 5026 Kestral Park Way to Leslie Benton, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,397 square feet of living area. It sold for $780,000 in 2018.

Margaret Smith, trustee, of Westhampton, Massachusetts, sold the home at 4896 Peregrine Point Circle to Ronald and Deborah Fellman, of Orleans, Massachusetts, for $905,000. Built in

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1985, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,360 square feet of living area.

It sold for $350,000 in 1995.

MARINA TOWER James Charles Devellano, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 802 condominium at 1233 N. Gulfstream Ave. to Claude Leeman Buckles and Diane Hauck Buckles, of Sarasota, for $1,175,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,780 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2001.

RISDON ON 5TH Karen Stamos, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 401 condominium at 1350 Fifth St. to Richard Peake, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1.1 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $985,000 in 2019.

THE ROYAL ST. ANDREW Bruce Franklin Mackler and Irene Goding Mackler, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1501 condominium at 555 S. Gulfstream Ave. to Justin Travis Barnes, of Atlanta, for $938,000. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,221 square feet of living area. It sold for $735,000 in 2018.

FOREST LAKES COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES Mary Thornhill, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 3256 Pine Valley Drive to LuAnne Kirschner, of Sarasota, for $930,000. Built in 1965, it has

|

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Other top sales by area SARASOTA

Aqua Andrew and Barbara Cervasio, of Sarasota, sold their Unit PH-2 condominium at 280 Golden Gate Point to Thomas Tyler, trustee, of Venice, for $5.2 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, four baths and 4,101 square feet of living area. It sold for $4,295,000 in 2016.

PALMER RANCH

Silver Oak Helen Kaye Cillessen and Michael Cillessen, trustees, of Lenexa, Kansas, sold the home at 8931 Bloomfield Blvd. to Douglas and Maria Babel, of Fairview, Pennsylvania, for $1.3 million. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,575 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,025,000 in 2008.

OSPREY

Oaks I Ali and Samar El-Haj, of Easton Connecticut, sold two properties at 95 and 99 Osprey Point Drive to Joseph and Cheryl Abraham, of Osprey, for $2.3 million. The property at 95 was built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,263 square feet of living area.

The property at 99 was built in 1998, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 968 square feet of living area. They sold for $900,000 in 2019.

NOKOMIS

Mission Valley Estates Wayne and Lisa Starr, of Venice, sold their home at 1610 Equestrian Creek to Lowry Dawson Hughes IV and Kelly Lynn Hughes, of Nokomis, for $679,500. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,973 square feet of living area.

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 10B

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Real estate

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FROM PAGE 9B

three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 3,470 square feet of living area. It sold for $312,000 in 2014.

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Jeffrey and Margaret Wilson, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3265 Espanola Drive to Christine Chwallek and Creig Beaghler, of Sarasota, for $515,000. Built in 1967, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,106 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,000 in 2019.

Kenneth Webber, trustee, and Phyllis Webber, of Sarasota, sold the home at 2227 Brookhaven Drive to Justin and Alessia Jensen, of Sarasota, for $450,000.

Built in 1970, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,356 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2019.

HARTSDALE Isabel Rauch and Ruth Rauch, trustees, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 1860 and 1858 Boyce St. to Jeffrey Scott, of Sarasota, for $899,000. The property at 1860 was built in 1926, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,372 square feet of living area. The property at 1858 was built in 1946, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,012 square feet of living area. They sold for $190,000 in 1994.

Massachusetts, sold her Unit 101 condominium at 11 Sunset Drive to Ora Reynolds, of Leawood, Kansas, for $830,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,389 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2014.

1350 MAIN RESIDENTIAL David Hansen, of University Park, sold his Unit 1501 condominium at 1350 Main St. to Paul Lueken Jr., of Siesta Key, for $760,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,364 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,000 in April.

MARQUEE EN VILLE Marten Quadland and Paula Szypko, of Jackson, Wyoming, sold their Unit 105-B condominium at 235 Cocoanut Ave. to Lynne Ann Chintala, of Sarasota, for $745,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, three-anda-half baths and 2,116 square feet of living area. It sold for $798,800 in 2006.

PHILLIPPI GARDENS John Ross, of Dayton, Ohio, sold his home at 2561 Constitution Blvd. to Lorenz Weidl, of Goleta, California, for $729,000. Built in 1976, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,736 square feet of living area. It sold for $190,000 in 2011.

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

11B

Join the

These are the largest city of Sarasota and Sarasota County building permits issued for the week of June 28-July 2, in order of dollar amounts.

C I T Y O F SA RAS O TA Address

Permit

Applicant

Amount

3306 Old Oak Drive

Pool/Spa

Rachel Saltzberg

$90,000

3225 Osprey Ave.

Pool/Spa

Adam Hurley

$69,345

750 N. Tamiami Trail #512

Remodel

Eduardo Pamintuan

$50,000

435 N. Jefferson Ave.

Solar System

Cecilia Brannen, trustee $42,024

2536 E. Paulstan Court

Addition/

Jerald Sparkman

$30,000

Renovations 1430 Harbor Drive

Windows/Door

Teresa Lee

$27,161

1783 Fortuna St.

Generator

John Gagne

$22,721

707 S. Gulfstream Ave. #806 Alterations

Maria Martinez

$18,500

2821 Greenbriar St.

Re-roof

Janet Meinhart, trustee $16,150

2769 Novus Place

Re-roof

William McGarvey

$15,150

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

Permit Applicant Amount

508 S. Casey Key Road

Remodel

James Ballard

1010 Seagrove Lane #PHS

Remodel

Donald Schappacher $260,000

1412 Ridgewood Lane

Remodel

Brian Williams

$222,578

6635 Ave. B

Alterations

John Lichter

$138,500

2049 Timucua Trail

Alterations

Ronald Mcparland

$135,000

5760 Midnight Pass Road

Remodel

Martin Fleming

$116,439

5858 Palmer Ranch Parkway Pool/Spa/Deck

William Duty

$111,850

8773 Midnight Pass Road

Michael Clapp

$99,000

$400,000

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#608 Remodel

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5

$ /mo.

#103G 133 Avenida Messina #4

Remodel

David Kidd

$82,480

1823 Pandora Circle

Pool/Spa/Deck

Kevin Waters

$74,905

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NEW

SOLD

PENDING

Your home has never been worth more $1.975M

1031 CONTENTO ST | $1.55M

9 DAYS | $1.199M

1013 BAYSHORE RD | $5M

4 DAYS | $1.1M

317 BEACH RD | $3.4M

SOLD

PENDING

SELLER | $5.9M LP

SOLD

PENDING

3 DAYS | SELLER | $1.5M OVER LIST

BUYER | $1.295M LP

Who you list with matters SIESTA KEY’S TOP SELLING REALTOR® SINCE 2005

$107 Million Pending & Sold 2021 Year-to-Date $72 Million Sold in 2020

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

357997-1

941.928.3424 | judie.berger@premiersir.com | www.homesofsarasota.com |

12B

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, JULY 15 High: 91 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 24%

FRIDAY, JULY 16 High: 92 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 33%

SATURDAY, JULY 17 High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 46%

SUNDAY, JULY 18 Ann Klemeyer captured this photo of these swans,“Fred and Ginger”, swimming in Camelot Lakes Village in Sarasota.

High: 90 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 40%

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 2021-22 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2022, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, July 15

6:44a 8:25p

Friday, July 16

6:45a

8:25p

Saturday, July 17

6:45a

8:25p

Sunday, July 18

6:46a

8:24p

Monday, July 19

6:46a

8:24p

Tuesday, July 20

6:47a

8:23p

Wednesday, July 20

6:47a

8:23p

MOON PHASES

Aug. 8 New

Aug. 15 First

Aug. 22 Full

Aug. 30 Last

RAINFALL Monday, July 5

0

Tuesday, July 6

0.19

Wednesday, July 7

1.43

Thursday, July 8

0.42

Friday, July 9

0

Saturday, July 10

0 0.7

Sunday, July 11 YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2021 22.69 in.

2021 4.48 in.

2020 26.23 in.

2020 0.70 in.

MANASOTA FLOORING INC 941.748.4679 | Venice

BLENDS by Rebecca Goldstein; CROSSWORD SEASONING Edited by David Steinberg

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Snail-mail org.

5 It turns on a watch 9 Sleep under the stars 13 Course standard 16 Seventeen-syllable poem 18 “So You Want to Talk About Race” author Ijeoma 19 Vowel-rich farewell 21 U.S. Army uniform’s pattern 22 Changes of heart, say?

(Theme hint: The word “tarragon” is scrambled within this answer) 25 Slightly 26 People who are old news

27 See 115-Down 28 Crocodile, for one 30 Remote batteries 31 Alley-___ 32 Musical finale 33 Calif. airport with a yoga room 34 Conflict threatening democracy (... cilantro ...)

41 Word after “shoulder” or “razor” 42 Butterfly catchers 43 Spammer 44 Wine and ___ 45 “Yikes!”

46 Mean, median or mode, briefly

941.493.7441 | www.manasotaonline.com 101 Middle-earth monster 102 Strong urge 103 Foreshadow 105 Funny person 107 Sensitive subject 112 Analogous 113 Downloadable show like “Serial” (... turmeric ...)

116 Dryer buildup 117 Smooth-talking 118 Reebok competitor 119 Astronaut Ride 120 “Gemini Man” director Lee 121 Jonathan Van ___ of “Queer Eye” 122 Gender-neutral plural pronoun 123 Place to wade

40 Flood (with) 41 First thing some make in the morning 46 Scrubber near the sink 47 JFK alternative 48 Fly high 50 Ticklish Muppet 51 Bridle strap 53 West African who may live in Accra 54 Sass 55 Nada 57 Visine target 61 “Hyperbole and a Half” or “The Oatmeal” 63 DNA sample collector 64 Caffeinated nut variety 65 Welcome green substance in the shower 66 Graph line DOWN 67 One with a rare hair color 1 “Here comes trouble!”

68 Penultimate Greek letter 2 Gilbert of “The Conners” 69 Road trip essential 3 Oinkers 4 Group such as Reel Big Fish 72 It’s often in blue text (Abbr.)

5 Tuba or trumpet 76 Hail Mary pass, for one 6 “Sad to say ...”

77 Tae___do 7 Habit wearer 78 Journalist Lisa 8 Throw back whiskey, 79 Succulent in some juices perhaps 80 Meg of “You’ve Got Mail” 9 Tranquility 81 Filming location 10 First name?

83 Fire sign?

11 60 secs.

85 Med. show settings 12 Fuel for a Jaguar 13 Shops where Macron buys 89 Periods of work 91 Deem authentic macarons 92 Beagle and basenji 14 Italy’s ___ Coast 93 Bad photo subject?

15 Competitions with steer 94 African antelope wrestling 95 Adopted 17 Discomfort 47 Queues 73 Nosh 96 Evasive maneuver in 20 Secondhand music 49 More certain 74 Shawkat of “Search Party” football purchase 52 Color for a traffic cone (... 75 “I ___ my best” 97 Impolite person 21 Feline oregano ...)

76 Certain cactus fruits (...

98 Wrap served with tzatziki 23 Exam 56 Cone’s ocular counterpart parsley ...)

104 Explosive initials 24 Daddy, in Spanish 58 River through Egypt 82 Foundation 105 Accelerates, with “up” 29 Climate accord city 59 That guy’s 84 Clam’s covering 106 Frozen treats 31 Clips in some credits 60 Soul producer?

86 Boo-boo 107 Go like hotcakes 32 One with many mouths 61 Have on 87 Soapmaking ingredient 108 Anagram of 109-Down to feed?

62 Singer Lovato 88 Actors who exaggerate 34 “Happiest Season” director 109 ___ Alto 63 Outfit for the slopes (...

90 Timeline chunk 110 Nobel Peace Prize city DuVall paprika ...)

91 “Let’s go!”

111 Texter’s “Bye now!”

35 Chardonnay adjective 68 Detective in a 2020 92 Group of hippos 114 Home of Abu Dhabi, briefly 36 Digging reboot (... rosemary ...)

94 Paraphrased line from 115 With 27-Across, women’s 37 Rip 70 Shabby Kermit (... ginger ...) soccer legend 38 Award related to a Tony 71 Guitars, informally 99 Broom go-with 39 Prefix for “binary” 72 PC port type 100 Nice

349227-1

349227-1

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

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.

“DJR WRUWYR KJU AULYM MU VUFD DU XVWBUNR DJR FXDLIDXUH UT FU VIHZ KUVRH IHM AJXYMBRH IBR, XH TIAD, VRH.”

WIDBXAC FDRKIBD

“NKNFASVN BULNX GTEEUVNXX, VS SVN BULNX ETUV. ZRY ASR OTV’Y GTKN T FTUVZSJ JUYGSRY T BUYYBN FTUV.” UVHCTF ZNFHCTV Puzzle Two Clue:: L equals K

Sarasota

KITCHENS, BATHROOMS, BEDROOMS & MORE

Puzzle One Clues Z equals Y

HARDWOOD

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

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

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

07-15-21

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages DEADLINES: Classifieds - Tuesday at Noon Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

BLACK & Decker cordless drill/driver. SS18, 2 18v Nicad batteries,charger. $30 (941) 966-6816

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales ESTATE SALE Saturday July 17, 8am-2pm. Rain or shine.

1701 Wisconsin Lane Furniture, Webber gas grill, garage shelving/storage, tools, garden tools, Kitchenware, homegoods, books and more!

SPECTACULAR CONTEMPORARY Estate Sale 1002 Tara Vista Dr July 16-17-18 Fri Sat Sun 9am to 6pm #s out at 8am Parking is very limited! EXTRA parking at Sarasota Community Church back parking lot 4041 Bahia Vista Dr Sarasota 34232. HUGE estate sale fi fillled with sculptures and art work by renowned Artist David Wilson, mid century modern furniture, collectible coins,gorgeous collection of estate jewelry including 2ct plat round solitaire diamond ring, a vast array of sterling and one of a kind jewelry. Hopi pottery,Navajo rug, art glass, contemporary furniture, bedroom suits, king size beds, electronics, patio furniture,designer clothes, a gorgeous full length Serval cat fur coat, unusual lamps, area rugs, kitchen ware, beautiful glass dining room table and chairs, leather sofas, original Wurlitzer jukebox, massive amount of tools, garage items ie: multiple Miller welders, industrial wrenches, generators,power washers, cutting torches,Grizzly drill press, chain saws, lawn mowers, ladders, pull carts, Skil table saw, BOBCAT m-600, forklift, storage lockers, 2 large full Craftsman’s tool boxes, much much more!

Visit: antiquesandcha tchkes.com

CEMENT PELICAN 2 feet tall $65, keurig coffee maker $30, bike rack for car holds 2 $30, margaritaville beach chair $50.

941 359 8460

For more Information call Ken at: 941-356-3318

CHINA CABINET Antique Mahogany with glass doors$199 (941) 925-7850 wplgt14@gmail.com

General Merchandise

FOR SALE: Roll Easy Plus, lightweight aluminum collapsible wheelchair with foot rests.

Needs 2 back wheels replaced. $125. 941-504-0165

INTERESTED PERSON(S) wishing to make a bid on a 50 ft storage unit consisting of household, outdoor, clothing and holiday items.

Call 941-330-4511

Mitsubishi HS-U680 VCR. Has remote, manual, some cables, works. $35 (941) 966-6816

BUY STUFF HERE! YourObserver.com/RedPages

WEDGEWOOD DINNER plates, 1st edition 1941. Old London views, perfect. 12 for $45 941-922-4025 WURLITZER ORGAN omni 5000 keyboard, computer, like new $200 941-744-0404

PORTER CABLE generator 5250 watts, with transfer switch and power cable. Used once, excellent condition. $600.

941-302-7559 WHEEL OF Fortune game, never open, new, $45. Exercise bike $30. Kitchen table 42” Oak 2 leafs $62. Kobalt air compressor 3.74 HP like new, $225. Kitchen Aid microwave $50. 941-544-7513

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and collectors plates.

Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707.

$15 words ..................

First 17.50 per .................. week First words First $$15 15 words ..................

17.50 per week Each add’l word ....... 50¢ 17.50 per week $ ¢ 17.50 per week Each add’l word ....... 50 ¢ Each Each add’l add’l word word ....... ....... 50 50¢

15% DISCOUNT 15% DISCOUNT 15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN 15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN FOR 4-WEEK RUN FOR 4-WEEK RUN Color background: $ background: Color 5 background: per week Color $ background: Color 5 per week Ad$$border: as low 5 week 5$3per per week Ad border: as low as per week Ad border: as $ Ad border: as low low as $3 per week as week as $3 3 per per week PLACE YOUR AD: PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 PLACE PLACE YOUR YOUR AD: AD:

Call: 941-955-4888 Fax: 941-955-4808 Call: 941-955-4888 Call: 941-955-4888 Fax: 941-955-4808 Email: redpages@ Fax: 941-955-4808 Fax: 941-955-4808 Email: redpages@ yourobserver.com Email: redpages@ Email: redpages@ yourobserver.com Online: yourobserver.com yourobserver.com yourobserver.com Online: yourobserver.com Online: Online: yourobserver.com yourobserver.com

FIND BUYERS & FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! FIND BUYERS & FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! SELLERS HERE! SELLERS HERE!

Adult Care Services

Adult Care Services CAREGIVER/CARE COORDINATOR. Available AM Shift or PM shifts.

941-448-5486 PERSONAL CARE GIVERPrivate care: Meal preparation, errands, shopping, and more.

Affordable hourly rates, available weekdays, weekends, and holidays.

Minimal shift hours 5-12.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

Epic Home Care Personal Care-Respite Care Alzheimer’s CareLight Cleaning Med AdministrationMeal Prep Shopping, Errands & More Call for a FREE Evaluation!

941-536-6372 EpicHomeCare@yahoo.com Rosa Torres- Owner

This week’s Crossword answers

SELL STUFF HERE!

Autos Wanted

YourObserver.com/RedPages

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE! CALL 941-955-4888

Condos/Apts. for Rent OR RENT ANNA MARIA FO ISLAND UPDATED 5 STAR CONDO. Available September November (monthly with multimonth discounts) millions $ waterview, first floor, 2br/2b, patio, walk to beach, pool, tennis, smoke free, boat slip available. marketreps@aol.com

Rentals Wanted Individual seeks space on farm to germinate plants and flowers, prefers farm with bedroom/bathroom. Tom 678-755-3804

©2021 Universal Uclick

You’re only cheating yourself.

ARTIST easel, wooden floor model on wheels, great condition $50.

941-349-4875

LOCAL COLLECTOR pays cash for flags, guns, medals, helmets, war souvenirs, military items ours/theirs.

941-323-9417.

peekers’ place

Area rugs 5X9, 5X7, $50 each, Silk tree florals $100 each, Mirrors $50 each.

941-800-4476

ONE QUARTER mile of the east german Berlin wall. authenticated. Available immediately. Call Jim 941-725-2239

CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGER LOCATION: SARASOTA, FL. DUTIES: OVERSEE ALL GENERATOR PROJECTS. COORDINATE PROJECT WORK W/POWER CO, ELECTRICAL & CIVIL ENGINEERS, FACILITY MGRS & ELECTRICAL SUBCONTRACTORS. ENSURE FACILITIES HAVE BACK UP POWER TO W/STAND NATURAL DISASTERS, INCLUDING HURRICANES. ANALYZE PROJECT PLANS & DEVELOP SPECS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS. DETERMINE PROJECT MATERIALS & ESTIMATE OVERALL COSTS. ENSURE PERMITS HAVE BEEN SECURED FROM LOCAL, COUNTY, STATE & FEDERAL AGENCY. ENSURE COMPLIANCE W/ ALL BUILDING CODES & REGS. PREPARE COST ESTIMATES FOR PROJECTS INCLUDING EQUIPMENT REQUIRED; ELECTRICAL MATERIALS; ADD’L CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL & SUBCONTRACTING LABOR NEEDS, ENSURING EACH PROJECT’S ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY. OVERSEE ANALYSIS & TESTING OF ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS & OVERSEE SURVEYING ACTIVITIES TO DETERMINE THE MOST BENEFICIAL LAYOUT & PLACEMENT FOR GENERATOR PROJECTS. ENSURE SAFETY PROCEDURES & REGS ARE FOLLOWED AT EACH INSTALLATION SITE. REQUIRES: BACHELOR’S DEGREE OR FOREIGN EQUIV. IN CIVIL ENG. & 2 YRS PRIOR EXP AS A PROJECT MGR. EXP WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN OBTAINED CONCURRENTLY MUST INCLUDE 2 YRS PRIOR EXP IN SURVEYING W/ BUILDER’S TRANSIT LEVEL & MEASURE, 2 YRS PRIOR EXP IN AUTOCAD, & 2 YRS PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN REVIEWING & APPLYING INDUSTRY SPECIFIC BUILDING CODES. MAIL RESUME TO: MR. LEE UPSHAW, AMEURO CONTRACTING & CONSULTING, LLC 242 S. WASHINGTON BLVD., STE. 352, SARASOTA, FL 34236.

real estate

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

Merchandise Wanted

auto

Items Under $200

Antiques/ Collectibles

jobs

stuff

The Sarasota and Siesta Key Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Sarasota and Siesta Key Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Help Wanted

home services

RED PAGES

RED PAGES RED PAGES RED PAGES AD RATES RED PAGES AD RATES AD RATES AD RATES First 15 words ..................

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “The people who could do most to improve the situation of so many women and children are, in fact, men.”

Patrick Stewart Puzzle Two Solution: “Everyone likes happiness, no one likes pain. But you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.”

Ingmar Bergman

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2021 NEA, Inc.

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

Auto Transport

Cleaning

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

CLEANING BY Brazilian Lady.

Meticulous, reliable, deep cleaning specialist. Residential.

Commercial. New Construction. 941-400-2866.

BUY STUFF HERE! YourObserver.com/RedPages

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service by Maria. Residential.

Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References. Free Estimates.

Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES offered by Christian lady to Sarasota area. Years of experience with satisfied references. Call Theresa: 502-767-0259.

SELL STUFF HERE!

Landscaping/ Lawn Services Professional Gardener Design, installation, maintenance, flowers, herbs, vegetables, and exotic gardens.

Regular weekly lawn maintenance and restoration 40+ years experience.

Tomlarsen559@gmail.com farmgirlfarmboyorganics.com 941-357-7750 business or 678-755-3804 cell

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Aluminum

Painting

RED PAGES AD RATES

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.

First 15 words ......................... $17.50 per week Each Add’l word ...........................................50¢

CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE HERE!

Place your ad online: yourobserver.com/redpages

CALL 941-955-4888

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Boat Services

FAST • EASY • SAFE

941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com 360982

941.270.4400

HoHoBuysCars.com

5-Star Rated

We coMe to your House or Marina

359633

WE COME TO YOU

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

Owner / Operator Insured

Call: 941-955-4888 | Fax: 941-362-4808 Email: redpages@yourobserver.com

Auto Service

SELL YOUR CAR! Dustin Yoder

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN Color background: $5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

Doors

- Mobile boat Detailing Reliable, Dependable, Prior Military Call, email or text 401-644-5370 • upsmar29@gmail.com

Cleaning

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

PROFESSIONAL AND DEPENDABLE CLEANING SERVICE. Home, Office, Hotel, Airbnb, Businesses, and resorts. Free estimates. Daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly. Insured.

CALL 941-587-5122

360738

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

10% OFF

Find anything in the RED PAGES | 941-955-4888

2 PANELS OR MORE For the Month of July.

Computer

Call us today! 941.628.8579 360440

www.ezslider.com

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

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

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

Realtors

6968 Beneva Road (Next to Beneva Flowers)

941-929-9095

361233

SARASOTA OBSERVER

359646

14B

Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think!

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

Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

359639

Pegatronics.com

941-735-3362 Concrete

Michael Koch Concrete, Inc. Driveways • Sidewalks

Servicing the Sarasota area since 1999

361235

Also Laying Stone

Reasonable Prices

TREASURES FOUND HERE!

Licensed & Insured

918-8587

Free Estimates

TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT

YourObserver.com/RedPages

360495

“No Job Too Small”

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

|

Doors

Home Services

Roofing

Sliding Glass Door Repair

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

LEAKY ROOF?

Dave and Connie Grundy

941-504-0903 941-504-0903

GRAB BARS

235

Handyman

941.504.2745 941.400.1563

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

LIFETIME GUARANTEE

361231

COVERAGE AREA: LAKEWOOD RANCH ƭƨ S. VENICE

Screening • Pool Cage Restoration • Rescreening Specialists • Specialty Screens • Paint • Doors and more!

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties

941-345-5264

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint Doors and more!

Find anything in the RED PAGES | 941-955-4888 Manufacture and workmanship

GLENN KROECKER

954-1878

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Plumbing

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

General Plumbing Services Inc. 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!

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

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

941-923-8140

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression provides safe, gentle & effective relief for upwards of 90% of patients that qualify for care.

STANDARD WINDOWS

• 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 Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

Pressure Washing

ows

120

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00

Power Washing

5

$

Pressure Washing

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

Honesty, Integrity and Pride

University Health Park 2415 University Parkway Bldg. 3, Suite 216 Sarasota, FL 34243

• Roofs • PoolCages Cages•• Decks Decks ••Driveways • Roofs • Pool Driveways • Deck/Paver Sealing • Gutter Cleaning • Deck/PaverAnd Sealing • And Much More Much More!

361387

The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

360978

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

941-544-1066

BEFORE

| scaperotta@aol.com

GROW

YOUR BUSINESS Advertise as low as $85 per week.

Rescreening & Repairs

Eldridge Re-Screen

PALMER RANCH HOMEWATCHERS® Watching your home while you’re away

Bob & Carol Guthrie 941.993.6613

Licensed

360484

Licensed & Insured

www.PalmerRanchHomewatchers.com PalmerRanchHomewatchers@comcast.net

AFTER

Italian American Owned

Home Services

Serving the Palmer Ranch Area Since 2007

25

UP TO

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

Lic./Ins.

& Pressure C Window lean t e s ing as Sunrise Wi n w o n k Sun y l nd er

359640

Call John 941.377.2940

Health

(941) 345-5264

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888

Res./Com.

359645

(941) 504-3168

359642

“OUR ESTIMATES & ADVICE ARE FREE”

Windows

360448

(cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

✦ Carpentry ✦ Indoors ✦ Remodeling ✦ Ceramic Tile ✦ Water & Fire Damage ✦ Kitchen/Baths Licensed Lic. #38333 References

Warranties

“No Job Too Small”

Insured

941-270-1561

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

361232

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

360415

GladysKhabbaz@gmail.com 805 Molly Circle, Sarasota

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

THE GRAB BAR GUY

360417

Naji Aoun

361236

Building & Roofing Contractor

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

360443

• Home Repairs & Maintenance • Interior & Exterior • Garage Floor Paint • Power Wash

Fully Insured

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

DrGrabBars.com

INCLUDES 2 MOEN STAINLESS STEEL ANTI SLIP CONCEALED SCREW GRAB BARS (16” & 24”)

CONSTRUCTION HANDYMAN

941-228-9850

941.966.0333

$

/ DELIVERY FREE PICKUP ONSITE QUOTES outdoor furniture experts• •FREE www .patiorepairs .net

All Work Guaranteed

CALL BEFORE YOU FALL

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

360418 38056

FurnitureSales Sales &&Repairs Furniture Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating Cushions • Slings • Umbrellas

Specializing in Re-Roofing & Repairs

State Licensed Contractor #CCC057066

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Patio Furniture Repairs.com patio RepaiRS

38 Years Experience

Joe Murray, Owner

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

Furniture Repair

Gulf Gate RoofinG inc.

360416

360419

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

359644

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

15B

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

DOING MORE IS OUR DISTINCTION

$

WWW.SCHEMMELGROUP.COM

SA R A BAY AC R E S 1 3 3 W E S T B AY S T R E E T | $1 , 5 4 5 ,0 0 0 Direct bayfront investment opportunity.

CLOSED IN 2020

$

124

MILLION

CLOSED OR PENDING IN 2021

NEW LISTING

S I E S TA K E Y 3 5 3 6 BAYO U LO U IS E L A N E | $ 6 ,97 5 ,0 0 0 Gulf-front estate on the north end of Siesta Key.

B EN T T R EE V I L L AG E 4 8 8 1 H AW KS H E A D PA R K | $1 ,4 8 9,0 0 0 Location, privacy and tranquil setting come together in this gracious residence.

104

MILLION

S I E S TA K E Y 3 7 2 6 F L A M I N G O AV E N U E | $ 6 , 8 0 0,0 0 0 This impressive residence is perfectly positioned to take advantage of its waterfront location.

UNDER CONTRACT IN 3 DAYS PR E S TA N C I A 7 2 6 0 A L I CA N T E D RI V E | $ 6 8 0,0 0 0 Enjoy preserve, lake and golf course views in this updated move-in ready villa.

PR E S TA N C I A M O N T E V E R D E | $170,0 0 0 Buildable lot in a gated golf course community.

S I E S TA K E Y 1 2 14 S H A RSWO O D L A N E | $ 3 ,4 5 0,0 0 0 Build your dream home in Siesta Key’s newest waterfront community.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SELLING YOUR HOME, NOW IS THE TIME. There is unprecedented demand for luxury properties in our area. With the increased demand, the right representation is very important. As a result of our extensive marketing reach and in-depth understanding of our local market, we can provide our customers with the best possible experience when buying or selling a home. Please contact us!

JOEL SCHEMMEL, J.D., REALTOR® 941.587.4894 | JOEL.SCHEMMEL@PREMIERSIR.COM SHARON CHIODI, REALTOR® 941.809.0380 | SHARON.CHIODI@PREMIERSIR.COM SCHEMMELGROUP

SCHEMMELGROUP

SCHEMMELGROUP

SCHEMMELGROUP

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate and neither suggests nor infers that Sotheby’s International Realty participated as either the listing or cooperating agent or broker in the sale or purchase of the properties depicted.

357973-1

16B

. . . t i a W But

S ’ E R THE !

E R MO

XNLV19038

Flip the page for more sales and specials!

YOU’VE BEEN SERVED a menu of options for Fall classes!

ENTREES Workforce Certificates Get a certificate, get noticed and earn more in less than a year.

Two-year Degrees Prepare to enter the workforce or a four-year university. 30+ programs to choose from.

Four-year Degrees Succeed in high-demand careers with one of our five bachelor’s degrees.

MENU SPECIALS Flex Start Classes Opt for flexible scheduling with classes in 5-, 8- or 12-week sessions.

Go Live with SCF Online Take advantage of live instruction from convenient locations.

Weekend College Attend classes stress-free on Friday evenings and Saturdays.

Take classes when you can, the way you want.

PLACE YOUR ORDER! SCF.edu/FallMenu | Text 941-304-5443 | Call 941-752-5050 State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, religion, age, national origin/ethnicity, color, marital status, disability, genetic information or sexual orientation in any of its educational programs, services and activities, including admission and employment. Direct inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies to: Equity Officer, 941-752-5323, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34207.

Our Chef Invites You

Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care

See for yourself why Sarabella Senior Living is more than just a home.

TAKE A TOUR & GRAB DINNER FOR TWO 3 DATES TO CHOOSE FROM: Thursday, July 22nd Thursday, July 29th Thursday, Aug. 5th

TO GO BOX

Chef’s Choice Gourmet Summertime Meal for Two

RSVP REQUIRED DiscoverSaraBella.com

ALF License #13578

360745-1

call 941-302-5420 or email MarketingDirector@DiscoverSaraBella.com 5650 Gantt Road • Sarasota, FL

Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care Choices, Flexibility & Quality... Discover the difference today!

Our beautiful new community is open!

• Call or Tour to learn about JULY MOVE IN SPECIALS • “Resort-Style” Living • Leading-Edge Technology • Outstanding Amenities & Programs • State-of-the-Art Services

CHEF’S CHOICE

Gourmet Summertime Meal

Pick up Dinner for 2 & Book Your Tour 3 Dates to Choose From:

Thursday, July 22nd | Thursday, July 29th | Thursday, Aug. 5th

Please RSVP 941-302-5420

MarketingDirector@DiscoverSarabella.com

5650 Gantt Road • Sarasota, FL DiscoverSaraBella.com

ALF License #13578

longer other no

the

newspaper

More people read The Observers during the week than the region’s daily newspapers.

THURSDAY PRINT DISTRIBUTION 60,000

The Observers* 50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

59,286

Sarasota Observer Longboat Observer East County Observer Siesta Key Observer

Sarasota Herald-Tribune** 31,712 Bradenton Herald*** 18,632

10,000

*Source: Verified Audit Circulation Annual Audit ending March 31, 2020. **Source: Alliance for Audited Media Annual Audit ending Dec. 31, 2019, does not include Venice and North Port in Sarasota or Charlotte counties. ***Source: Alliance for Audited Media, 24 months ending Dec. 31, 2019.

Pick up your FREE copy of The Observer every Thursday.

For the nearest location: YourObserver.com/rack-locations 355730-1

BRIDGE July 2021 Issue

Quarterly Member Magazine

Greater Sarasota Chamber Celebrates Small Businesses for the 31st year!

Winn Winners Feature | Page 8

From the CEO Page 2

New Team Members Page 6

New in Membership Page 12

FROM THE CEO Our Chamber is all about celebrating small businessafter all small business is the true heart and soul of our business community in the Sarasota region. It was such a pleasure and honor to recognize and honor our small businesses at our annual Small Business Awards Luncheon this past month. This year we had a record crowd of over 550 chamber members attend the luncheon to recognize and celebrate our hardworking small businessmen and women.

This event is a fan favorite for many of our members and staff because it is ALL about our members.

This marks the 31st year that we have hosted the Small Business Awards and it is always incredibly tough on our judges to determine the finalists and winners. We are so grateful for the team of judges who spent hours poring over the quality applications and narrowing down the field to 24 finalists to be recognized at the luncheon.

All of our finalists’ businesses are extraordinary examples of successful businesspeople that truly exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of the Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Mr. Berlin was a successful businessman and community leader who chaired the Chamber more than 65 years ago.

It is for that reason that this Chamber event bears his name. These 24 finalists and hundreds of other small enterprises are the backbone of our community’s economy. Please join me in my celebration of their innovation and pursuit of excellence. (Kindly refer to page 8 for the feature of the 31st Small Business Awards.)

C H A M B E R S TA F F Heather Kasten

President/CEO hkasten@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4050

Kristi Hoskinson

Vice President of CareerEdge khoskinson@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4045

Brittany Lamont

Vice President blamont@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4040

Samantha Badgley

Executive Assistant sbadgley@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4051

Alyssa Barnsley

Programs Communications Coordinator abarnsley@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4031

Shauna Donahue

CareerEdge Program Director sdonahue@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4038

Zach Henkel

Membership Investment Representative zhenkel@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4029

Craig McGonigal

Membership Engagement Manager cmcgonigal@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4034

Kelly Monti

Events Coordinator kmonti@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4035

Kaveecia Moore

Opportunities For All Programs Manager kmoore@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4058

Sara Rachon

Programs Manager srachon@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4039

Christine Seaman

Accounting Manager accounting@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4053

Jodel Velarde

Communications Coordinator jvelarde@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4046

HEATHER KASTEN CEO/PRESIDENT

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

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Alicia Williams

CareerEdge Program Coordinator awilliams@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4030 P: (941) 955-8187 | F: (941) 366-5621

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lunch

Second Wednesday of the Month 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Members: $24, Non-Members: $40 July 14 - The Ringling Grillroom August 11 - Speaks Clam Bar at St. Armands September 8 - Tripletail Seafood & Spirits

Thursday, July 22 | 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Sarasota Sports Medicine Members: Complimentary; Non-Members $20

Thursday, August 19 | 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM Rise and Nye’s Members: Complimentary; Non-Members $20

Held at the Sarasota Chamber Board Room

Connecting Community and Conversation

Tuesday, July 13 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Virtual Event Sponsored by Bank of America Calandra Walker Jarell, Diversity & Inclusion Executive, Global Human Resources Members and Non-Members: No Cost

Wednesday, July 14 | 8:30 AM -10:00 AM How to Select the Right Retirement for your Business & Employees Paul Allen, President of Wealth Strategies Members: Complimentary; Non-Members: $20

STATE

Community

Thursday, August 5 | 8:30 AM -10:00 AM Uncover The Valuable Leader In You: 7 Steps to Greater Growth, Value & Influence Velma Knowles, Best-selling Author & Leadership Coach Cost: (includes Velma’s book “The Valuable Leader”): Members: $20; Non-Members: $30

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T H E

LU NCH S ER IES

Thursday, July 29 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Marina Jack What’s Trending in Real Estate?

Members: $40; Non-Members: $55

Wednesday, September 22 | 8:30 AM -10:00 AM Leading Into The Future: “Attracting & Retaining Talent” Tony Daum, Founder/CEO and Head Coach at EXCELLence Performance Members complimentary; Non-Members $20

CEO & JOE

Tuesday, September 14 | 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM Sarasota Chamber Board Room Members: Complimentary; Non-Members: $20

M E E TIN G

101st ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND LUNCHEON

SHOWCASE

Wednesday, August 25 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Sarasota Municipal Building

Friday, September 17 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Hyatt Regency Sarasota

Friday, October 22 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM Sarasota Art Museum

Trustee Focus Group Lunch Friday, July 30, 11:30 AM- 1:00 PM

August 26 - The Founders Golf Club September 23 - Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota

Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club Trustee Members Only: $35

Please Note: Trustee Receptions are complimentary for Corporate Trustee, Community Builder, & Economic Driver Members

GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBER MAGAZINE

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Trustee Receptions Thursdays | 5PM - 6:30PM

ANNUAL EVENTS

A NNU A L

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MONTHLY EVENTS

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A LETTER FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

“We have had a great first 100 years marked by astonishing innovations and growth. Because of you, I know the next 100 years will be even more magnificent.”

I can’t believe that my time as chair of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce is soon coming to a close. When I was asked over two years ago to consider serving as Chair of the Chamber during its 100th anniversary year, I never anticipated that we would be facing a once-in-ahundred-year pandemic. We have weathered this crisis together, and have grown stronger through it, thanks to this community’s ability to collaborate and work together creatively. And, incredibly, in the midst of all of this challenge, we have still celebrated 100 years of history.

For me personally, my year as chair has been truly fulfilling. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the amazing team of superb staff and volunteers at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce in service to this vibrant community.

Although I have had the joy of living in Sarasota for over 20 years, I am continually astounded by the vibrant businesses, non-profits, and committed people here in the Greater Sarasota area. We are also blessed with rich and varied arts and cultural offerings, extensive public parks lands, sporting events, golf courses, numerous options for outdoor activities, educational institutions, and historic neighborhoods, and so much more that are on par with any major city in the world. What sets us apart – aside from our beautiful weather – is the uniquely giving nature of the people here. There is a dedication to philanthropy, to giving back, to serving others here that I have not witnessed anywhere else. I can’t thank all of you enough for demonstrating every day just how blessed we are to be a part of this community.

So, as I reflect back on my year as chair, what I want most to do is to look forward to the limitless future I see for this region. We have had a great first 100 years marked by astonishing innovations and growth. Because of you, I know the next 100 years will be even more magnificent.

LARRY THOMPSON CHAIR OF THE BOARD

T H A N K YO U C H A M B E R C H A M P I O N S

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U-18 BASEBALL WORLD CUP ED SMITH STADIUM SEPTEMBER 10-19, 2021

The 30 th edition of the U-18 Baseball World Cup will take place in September 2021 and feature the world’s best players from 12 countries in the U-18 category.

ALL DAY PASSES AVAILABLE $10 FOR ADULTS | $5 FOR STUDENTS (AGES 6-18) FREE FOR AGES 5 AND UNDER ORIOLES.COM/BASEBALLWORLDCUP GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBER MAGAZINE

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MEET OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS Kristi Hoskinson

Vice President for CareerEdge Over 20 years of experience as a recognized leader in the workplace and community, Kristi successfully leads people and teams to organizational excellence. She enjoys finding creative solutions, solving business problems with expert consultative skills, and strategically enhancing the employee experience and organizational performance. Kristi is a people strategist optimizing human talent to enhance business outcomes. She is an expert at analyzing an organization’s people-performance-culture ecosystem to identify opportunities for improved results. Using a very consultative approach, Kristi delivers a sustainable process for companies to maximize the drivers of human performance. A natural leader and influencer, Kristi is continually active in her community, serving on various boards in key leadership roles – Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Team Tony Cancer Foundation, and CareerSource Suncoast - and volunteering for local non-profits. Kristi lives in Sarasota, with her husband and their two dogs, enjoying an active lifestyle.

Jodel Velarde

Communications Coordinator Jodel’s passion for serving the community through the art and science of communication landed her a role at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she worked in development, programs, and communications at the Ear Research Foundation. Her initiative included developing a new communications plan and rebranding the foundation’s collateral. She graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from De La Salle University, Philippines. In 2018, Jodel migrated to the United States to further her career. She recently joined the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and currently serves as the Vice President of Public Relations of a local Toastmaster club. At her new venture, she is responsible for the Chamber’s communications to connect, promote and support its 1,100 members. Outside of work, Jodel gets creative, either with photography or journaling. On weekends, she loves to ride her bike and watch the sunset.

RIBBON CUTTINGS

Sertoma Kids 2750 Stickney Point Rd Suite 210, Sarasota, FL 34231

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota 301 N. Cattleman Rd. Sarasota, FL 34232

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant 3130 Fruitville Commons Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34240

Sertoma Kids Dedication, Grand Opening, open house held their ribbon cutting last April 8, 2021 for their new Sertoma Kids location for speech therapy. The event had food, music, and refreshments.

Encompass Health Rehabilitation had an expansion grand opening event, adding 20 private rooms to their hospital. This gave them a total off 116 beds, now with 50 private rooms. The expansion allows them to better serve the needs of the community.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant held their Ribbon Cutting on June 26, 2021. The restaurant celebrated this Preview Event with the Chamber Staff.

Interested in booking your Ribbon Cutting Ceremony?

Please contact Kelly Monti, Events Coordinator, at kmonti@sarasotachamber.com 6

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INTRODUCING A NEW CHAMBER PROGRAM Opportunities For All (OFA) initiative kicked off its summer internship program the week of May 24th with the “Keys to Success” Internship Mixer.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

This year’s program has successfully connected 25 diverse students to 20 local businesses and Chamber member companies. The eight-week program provides an opportunity for local employers to benefit from the attributes of bright, talented, rising future leaders, while providing access to cross-cultural career-oriented experiences for those seeking to broaden their exposure to the professional work world.

This experience has been fully funded by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce through the Opportunities For All grant provided by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.

COMING SEPTEMBER 2021!

The Opportunities for All (OFA) Business Assistance Funds Program. This program is designed to assist minority small business owners and organizations with navigating resources to help their business grow and thrive. Minority small business owners must be registered with the state and/or a 501 © (3) taxexempt organization that provide programs and services that benefit the residents of either Sarasota or Manatee County with assistance in expanding economic collaboration in our region.

For more information or questions, please contact Kaveecia Moore, kmoore@sarasotachamber.com, and Davian Spires, dspires@sarasotachamber.com

LOOK FOR UPDATES

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Congratulations!

Over 550 individuals celebrated the dreamers, providers, and collaborators of the Sarasota community at the 31st Annual Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Small Business Awards on Friday, June 25.

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce honored local member businesses in several areas, including innovation of product or service, response to adversity, business growth, and contributions to the greater Sarasota community through this annual awards luncheon.

Congratulations to all local businesses for creating opportunities for everyone and making Sarasota a better place to build a life!

SMALL BUSINESS

MEDIUM BUSINESS

LARGE BUSINESS

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Team Tony Cancer Foundation Winner

JMX Brands Winner

MÜV Florida Winner

All Faiths Food Bank Winner

First Home Bank S-One Holdings Corporation

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center

Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. Swor Women’s Care, LLC

Bird Key Yacht Club Sabal Palm Bank

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AWARD

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD

RISING STAR AWARD

WOMAN LED BUSINESS AWARD

Air Products Winner

The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime Winner

Gulfside Bank Winner

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Winner

Atlantic Mold & Machining Corp.

HBK CPA’s & Consultants

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DreamLarge Tervis Tumbler Company

Camelot East Village, A Cove Community SpeedPro Imaging Affinity Solutions

GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBER MAGAZINE

Music Compound Professional Benefits Inc.

tions!

“Our Chamber is all about celebrating small businessafter all small business is the true heart and soul of our business community in the Sarasota region.”

- Heather Kasten, CEO/ President

THANK YOU 2021 SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS SPONSORS!

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YOUR LOCAL CREDIT UNION FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR BUSINESS At Achieva Credit Union we offer the same products and services as a bank, but with more attention on what matters most - you.

Mortgages & home equity loans

Credit cards & no balance transfer fees

Vehicle loans & refinancing

Business Accounts & lending

EVERYONE IS WELCOME Stop by your local branch or visit us online to become a member.

941.907.4000 • www.achievacu.com Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender.

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4254 53rd Ave East, Bradenton • 3000 Bee Ridge Rd & 5881 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota

GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBER MAGAZINE

CAREEREDGE GRANT FUNDING REMAINS OPEN A F T E R I N I T I A L AWA R D S M A D E TO H E L P LO C A L E M P LOY E R S T R A I N E M P LOY E E S CareerEdge awarded $151,100 to train 219 employees at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Aviva Senior Living, Chris-Craft, and Air Products. The total employer investment among the four companies for their employee training is $526,496.

“CareerEdge grant funding will benefit Chris-Craft by increasing our ability to attract and hire workers entering the manufacturing industry as well improve retention which, in turn, allows us to deliver the high-quality products that our customers demand,” said Kathy Alder, human resources director at Chris-Craft.

CareerEdge’s annual evaluation found that workers benefiting from this grant funding saw an average wage gain of 12% after the first year of training. Over the past eleven years, CareerEdge employer grant funding resulted in a $32.4 million cumulative annual earnings gain from new and wage increases following CareerEdge training investments.

Employers will use the grant funding for the following training priorities: • • • •

Air Products: Provide technical training for Production Welding Technicians Chris-Craft: Provide entry level manufacturing and workplace English training Sarasota Memorial Hospital: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training Aviva Senior Living: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training

Graduation of the inagural CNA Fast-Track training program participants at State College of Florida (SCF)

To be eligible for funding, businesses must: • • • •

Be industry focused: Manufacturing, health care, insurance, or skilled trades (automotive or HVAC) Agree to train and close skills gaps for new or current workers Design new “career ladders” with increased wages for workers who successfully complete training or streamline and integrate training. i.e., cross-training Actively participate on the CareerEdge Industry Council

Funding is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested businesses must submit a letter of interest by July 30. Grant applications are due August 31 at 5:00 p.m. and those selected will be notified mid-September.

CareerEdge aligns resources and strategies to develop a solutions-based plan for our community’s workforce needs. To learn more or become involved with CareerEdge, please visit: https://careeredgefunders.org/

STAY INFORMED!

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W H AT ’ S N E W I N M E M B E R S H I P April - May 2021 All Florida Safety Institute Arcade Monsters Art Ovation Hotel Sarasota Baby Fox Academy of Florida, LLC Berkshire Hathaway Florida Realty Waters Team BYO Sports Complex, Inc. careGen Consultants Certified Collectibles Group CFS Roofing Services Chris-Craft Corporation Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant CSi Networks Curve Trends Marketing LLC David Allen Capital Agency DGR Systems Dynasty Building Solutions First Centennial Mortgage

Five Star Claims Adjusting Glory Days Grill Harmar High Definition Mortgage Ipava State Bank Jeanette Tiano Kevin Tighe Law Office of Kenneth J. Nota, PA Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, Suncoast Region Marina Jack Marina Jack II Massage Heights Sarasota Mitchell Family Interests Modus Builders Momentum Consulting Mr. and Mrs. Restore Oleary’s Tiki Bar & Grill

Ooh La La Beauty Bar Operation Warrior Resolution ORW Workplace Recordables, Inc. Renn Haus Roberts Insurance Group, LLC Sarasota Web Studios, LLC Solmart Media, LLC Suncoast Skin Solutions Swor Women’s Care, LLC TechCare, LLC Tekscape Tervis Tumbler Company Turtle Beach Bar and Grill Veteran Media Group Walmart Neighborhood Market West Coast Woman Wolff Roofing LLC

A QUARTER OF A CENTURY OF MEMBERSHIP

Join us as we recognize members who have been a part of our Chamber for 25 years or more.

May - July 2021

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Alvin J. Singleton, Inc. Roofing Contractors Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar - South Siesta Key Esprix Technologies, LP

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Aladdin Equipment Company, Inc. Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Coldwell Banker Residential & Commercial Real Estate

Gettel Automotive LaGasse Plumbing, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc.

Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, Inc.

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Sir Speedy Printing and Marketing

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Pacer Group

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Hanson Professional Services Inc. RE/MAX Alliance Group/ Linda Starcher

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Adams and Reese LLP

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Florida Southern Roofing & Sheetmetal, Inc. ICORR Properties International, LLP Sarasota Ford

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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

FCCI Insurance Group Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Inc.

SunCoast Blood Centers

The Haven Hembree & Associates, Inc.

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Ringling College of Art and Design

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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota

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Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency, LLC

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Gilbane Building Company

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The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art Publix Super Markets, Inc.

MEMBER TIP

M E M B E R N E WS TRI COUNTY AIR received the Best Local HVAC/AC Company Platinum Award from the readers of SRQ Magazine. This is the company’s third award-winning year in a row and they credit their amazing team of employees.

A local teen from BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES named the 2021 Florida Youth of the Year title. The program recognizes members who demonstrate strong leadership and service skills, as well as, academic excellence and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle.

CHILDREN FIRST was recognized as one of the top 50 nonprofit organizations to work for nationwide in the 2021 Best Nonprofits to Work For competition. The exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County ranked 24th overall in the medium-sized category.

SOUTHTECH collected 11,438 pounds of electronics at the “Data Dump” that took place on April 22nd.

SouthTech thanks all who participated, including the Bradenton Area EDC for co-hosting, the Manatee Technical College for hosting, and Quicksilver Recycling Services for their collection services.

Florida based, GETTEL AUTOMOTIVE GROUP made the TOP 150 Dealerships Groups in the U.S. nudging ahead in the 2020 ranking to 57, from 63 in 2019 in the latest rankings complied by Automotive News. The Dealerships are ranked based on the number of retail vehicles sold in 2020.

ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK received $65,000 in support of Nutrition Education, Snap Application Assistance and Hunger Relief Programs. The donation was in support of Nutrition Education which teaches individuals how to prepare healthy low-cost meals.

LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine recognized with National Award for Clinical Excellence and Center of Distinction 2020. LWRMC Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine by Healogics®, is the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services.

SARASOTA BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SRQ) continued to break passenger records. In the month of April, passenger traffic at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) totaled 294,165 passengers, breaking the all-time record set the previous month with 277,590 passengers.

U P DAT E YO U R P R O F I L E Has your staff, business, or contact information changed recently? Help us help you, and update your member profile!

Step 1:

Go to www.sarasotachamber.com.

Step 2:

Click on Member Login at the top of the page.

Step 3:

Login with your Organization Username & Password.

If you do not have your organization’s master login information, please contact Craig McGonigal.

Step 4:

You will appear on the Member Portal Home after you have logged in. Your company name should be listed above the paragraph.

Step 5:

Under the Member Portal Home, in the third column, select the fourth option, Profile Update.

Simply click on Edit My Profile for the Organization (a pop up appears) to edit any of your information.

Click on Directory Listing and update your listing with a short company description (250 characters or less) and a long company description.

Click on Social Media and link any of your social media profiles including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Yelp & more!

Questions?

Contact Craig McGonigal, Membership Engagement Manager at cmcgonigal@sarasotachamber.com.

blix Super Markets, Inc.

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CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES! Both our Adult and Youth Leadership Sarasota participants perservered through this difficult year and graduated the program!

We are so excited for the Adult leaders to take what they have learned and use it for good in the Sarasota community.

And, we are thrilled for the Youth class and whatever they may accomplish in their futures.

YOUR CHAMBER’S LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Join us in congratulating both Classes of 2021!

Leadership Sarasota is building a community of leaders for Sarasota today and tomorrow.

Your Chamber’s leadership program offers four tracks for leadership development: Adult Leadership, Youth Leadership, Engage Sarasota, and Leadership Alumni. Visit sarasotachamber.com for more information.

Want to remain part of this amazing program?

Keep an eye out for your renewal dues in July!

FOLLOW US!

CELEBRATE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARDS Sarasota has a legacy of strong leaders and innovators. Leadership Sarasota, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, is continuing that legacy by building a community of leaders for Sarasota today and tomorrow.

We are looking forward to this annual celebration of our program’s legacy-makers on August 12, presented by Willis Smith Construction. The Leadership awards recognize leadership alumni with a legacy in community participation and impact in three unique categories.

Lifetime of Leadership Award: Recognizing body of work in career, community and beyond.

Chris Gallagher, Hoyt Architects Impact in Action Award: Recognizing a current community leadership endeavor.

Joe Hembree, Hembree & Associates, Inc. Jennifer Vigne, Education Foundation of Sarasota County Leadership Sarasota Dedication Award: Recognizing commitment to the Leadership Sarasota program.

Mark Gordon, Observer Media Group

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: TAYLOR AULTMAN Hometown: Inverness, FL Company: Willis Smith Construction Title: Project Executive Leadership Class Year: 2012 How do you stay connected with area professionals?

Staying involved with a community organization and volunteer opportunities.

You will be surprised with the people you meet and the connections you make.

What was the most impactful part of the Leadership Sarasota program?

As a class participant, the program gives you a “backstage pass” to the inner workings of Sarasota County while developing lifelong relationships with fellow emerging leader in the community.

As an alum, the program provides the opportunity to stay connected and involved in the community as well as mentor emerging leader.

What is the best piece of professional advice you have been given?

Never be good at something you don’t want to do again.

BUILDING TODAY’S LEADERS UPCOMING ALUMNI HAPPY HOURS Thursday, July 15 Tamiami Tap

MEDIA DAY Both of our Leadership classes spent the day at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall hearing from various media outlets and getting a look at the news industry as a whole and locally.

CLASS PROJECTS Our Adult Leadership Sarasota participants have completed their four separate class projects with their chosen nonprofits: Embracing Our Differences, Safe Children Coalition, Take Stock In Children, and Tidewell Hospice.

We are so moved by the wide-reaching impact four distinct projects were able to make.

Combined the four groups completed 341 volunteer hours. With the current estimated national value of each volunteer hour at $28.54, they completed $9,732.14 worth of volunteer impact.

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WHAT OUR MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY

“I really enjoy being a member of The Greater Sarasota Chamber because there are so many events that are helpful to me for professional & personal reasons. As an active member I have to opportunity to support local businesses & meet new people very often.”

- Justin Johnson Business Development Officer IAS Marketing Services

“The Greater Sarasota Chamber is a special organization where you see results from your membership.

Whether it is timely training for your employees through CareerEdge or safeguarding a positive business climate for our region, the member benefits add to your bottom line.”

- Mark Pritchett President and CEO Gulf Coast Community Foundation

“I continue to choose to be a member of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce for the relationships - with the Chamber staff, fellow members and businesses, and with people in my community. The GSCC strives to connect people who live, work, and play in our beautiful city and they are truly passionate about each member.”

- Elizabeth K. Topp Co-Owner Twinkle Toes Nanny Agency

YOUR

COMFORT COMES FIRST

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 6:30p.m. - 9:30p.m.

When you call Honest Air Conditioning, your comfort becomes our main priority. We put customer relationships first and our team is committed to earning your trust and exceeding your expectations.

H O N E S TA C O F V E N I C E . C O M

941.496.7566 License# CAC1819590, CAC1813219, CPC1459449

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be in good company.

YPG SPOTLIGHT: Bethany Silvis Hometown: South Lyon, Michigan Company: Kerkering, Barberio & Co. Title: Marketing Coordinator YPG Member Since: 2018

Annual YP SUMMIT Friday, July 23 | Embassy Suites Sarasota

The Sarasota Young Professionals Group is proud to host the Annual Young Professionals Summit, presented by Kerkering, Barberio & Co.! The YP Summit brings together local young professionals to hear from community leaders and network with peers. During this half-day event, you will learn new ways to grow personally and professionally, and one of the outstanding finalists will be recognized with the annual Young Professional of the Year Award.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FINALISTS! Jade Davis Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP Ross Johnston Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Lauren Tominelli Sarasota County Government

What is the best piece of professional advice you have been given?

Never stop learning. Venture outside of your career comfort zone. You never want to assume you are the smartest person in the room; you can ALWAYS learn from others around you.

What is your favorite thing about Sarasota? My favorite thing about Sarasota is tied between the weather and the people. The weather is hard to beat; most days, it is beautiful without a cloud in the sky and 80 degrees.

The people fascinate me; everyone has a story, very few people are Sarasota natives, and I love meeting new people and learning what brought them here.

What do people say you do really well? Being flexible. I have been given the feedback that my ability to roll with the day is an asset for our team.

For example, 2020 pushed everyone to their limits in many ways. Some days, our information and plan for the day were going hour by hour; being flexible and patient allowed me to be able to shift, re-evaluate, and quickly re-prioritize quickly and efficiently. Creating a positive work environment is another piece of feedback I hear often and possibly my favorite. Being a positive, enthusiastic team player is in my nature. I love being able to brighten my co-worker’s days or bring a smile to their face days before a stressful tax deadline.

YPG’ers met up for a guided tour of the Sarasota Art Museum.

Thursday, August 5 Sage SRQ | 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 2 Mellow Mushroom | 5:30 p.m.

Get Connected

GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBER MAGAZINE

A NEW TYPE OF YPG EVENT! Wednesday, September 29 | 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

We are excited to announce a new type of event for our YPG members, Young Networking Lunch for the Young and Hungry. This luncheon event will give current and new YPG members with the opportunity to introduce themselves and give a short “lighting talk” about who they are and what they do. We hope you’ll join us!

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CHAMBER NEWS

Sarasota Chamber marks 100 years with annual breakfast Observer | Harry Sayer | “The 100th annual chamber breakfast had members of members of Sarasota’s business community mingling, sipping coffee and eating breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. This year’s event had guest speaker and Selby Gardens’ Vice President for Historic Spanish Point John McCarthy remotely addressing the crowd.”

CareerEdge Offers Grants to Help Close the Skills Gap, Build Companies’ Talent Pipeline Sarasota Magazine | Staff | “CareerEdge will open its annual request for proposal (RFP) process on Monday, March 22, soliciting plans from manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, skilled trades, and construction employers in Manatee and Sarasota counties. […] Over the past 11 years, CareerEdge has coinvested nearly $13.2 million in grants to businesses […]”

REAL HISTORY by Jeff LaHurd: Boosters played a starring role to promote Sarasota Sarasota Herald-Tribune | Jeff LaHurd | “The major players in boosterism were organizations such as the Board of Trade formed in 1911 with Owen Burns as president. It morphed into the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce in 1920, each putting Sarasota in the spotlight.”

INDICATORS: Celebrating small businesses in Sarasota Herald-Tribune | Heather Kasten | “Over the last year, small businesses have had to be creative and resilient in navigating the effects of the pandemic, which is why now more than ever we look forward to celebrating and honoring them at our annual Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business Awards.”

Sarasota Chamber Presents Inaugural ‘Spirit of Sarasota’ Award Sarasota Magazine | Staff | “The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce awarded Rae Dowling, area manager with Florida Power and Light Company, the inaugural Spirit of Sarasota Award at its 2021 Annual Breakfast. The award recognizes a local individual who has made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of the Sarasota area business community.”

2020 Evaluation Finds Wages Increase 12% Within First Year for CareerEdge Bridges to Careers Program Participants SRQ Daily | Staff | “The impact CareerEdge continues to make is resounding in 2020 - for every dollar invested in workforce development the return on investment is $4.72. Last year, CareerEdge and its employer partners invested $1.25 million in workforce funding, resulting in $2 million in economic impact for the community from new wages and raises.”

Heather Finds Value In The Teen Perspective At The Chamber Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties | “We were proud to add GSCC to that list of partners in 2020 with the placement of Camila, a STAR grad and 17-year-old senior in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Riverview High School who sees herself pursuing a career in international relations. With her passion to develop the critical skills for this aspiration, Camila’s match with GSCC enables her to start exploring this career path and gain a better understanding of the unique relationships between people, organizations and communities.”

Name That Landmark!

Sarasota Magazine | “Sarasota Magazine is celebrating its Best of Sarasota issue and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Centennial. Our area has persevered this year, making us a stronger, more connected community of great people and businesses. One lucky winner will receive gift cards from these Sarasota Chamber member restaurants named to our Best of Sarasota list […].”

Chamber Launches Cross-Cultural Business Development Resources WWSB – ABC7 | Staff | “The Opportunities For All initiative is such an exciting opportunity for the Chamber. […] There were two areas that we wanted to focus on, one was providing an opportunity for internships to grow and develop with our local companies, and to provide that opportunity to minority students […] and then also for us to work with our small minority-owned companies and have the ability to help them to grow by injecting some capital and resources.”

Best of Sarasota 2021: Arts and Entertainment Sarasota Magazine | The Editors | “In 2020, it seemed like murals were popping up everywhere, searching our history (as with two murals at the Lido Beach Pavilion and two marking the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce centennial on their downtown HQ), celebrating our diversity and our arts (at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s home) and exploring the power of myth (1526 Fruitville Road).”

SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE APRIL• 2017 • BRIDGE GREATERGREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERMEMBER MAGAZINE • July •2021 BRIDGE

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