As Halloween draws near, some fantastical and creepy characters are appearing.
However, an imposing skeleton in the Cherokee Park neighborhood, which appears as if it is emerging from the grass, comes not from a place beyond the grave, but from Costco.
Jeff Weisenborn decorated the home, located at 1766 Cherokee Drive, with his family.
“This neighborhood is crazy for Halloween, so we like to host all the kids that are coming,” he said.
Cross-country
walker reaches Sarasota
Long-haul walker Kyndal Ray Edwards (above) is on a nomadic mission to walk to the four corners of the United States in an effort to raise support for mental health services. For Day 830 of his walk, Oct. 25, he passed through Longboat Key and continued on to Sarasota, nearing his goal of the Florida Keys for the southeastern point of his route. He hopes to inspire others through his own mental health journey. Supporters can follow along on his Facebook page “Kyndal Ray Edwards (A Walking Testimony)” and on other social media platforms.
Commissioners send plans for 51-acre project near Celery Fields back to mediation. SEE PAGE 5
Ian Swaby
Dana Kampa
Ian Swaby
Stella and Kristin Goddard, who came as E.T. and Elliot last year, reprised the concept of an iconic duo from the 1980s by dressing as Marty McFly and Doc Brown, claiming the first-place award.
Photo courtesy of Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Hurricane Debby in August 2024 flooded much of the area near the Celery Fields. A developer is trying to put a project in the flood plain with a detention pond for rain.
WEEK OF OCT. 30, 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
51.5 Acreage on which DR Horton has proposed to build homes adjacent to the Celery Fields PAGE 5
$460,000 Salary, benefits and pension contribution for Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis PAGE 10
100 Age of Plymouth Harbor resident Carol Siegler, who continues her nonstop energy. PAGE 15
CALENDAR
n Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Monday, Nov. 3, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.
n Sarasota County School Board work session — 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1960 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance).
n Sarasota County Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5, South County Administration Building, 4000 S, Tamiami Trail, Venice.
“This building has always been awful ... and to those of you all who have been sentenced here longer than I have, the new building is amazing.”
Sarasota County Commissioner Mark Smith on vacating the county administration center. Read more on page 3
Caragiulos closes its Mira Mar restaurant
Alongtime Italian restaurant has closed its downtown Sarasota business last weekend, before relocating in 2026. Caragiulos’ last day at 69 S. Palm Ave. was Oct. 26.
The building where it is located, Mira Mar, was acquired by Seaward Development for $17 million in 2023. In July, the owners of the more-than 100-year-old Mira Mar won zoning approval to build two 18-story condominium towers behind the building. Revenue from that project will go toward rehabilitating
and restoring the historic portion of the existing Mira Mar property, built in 1922, that occupies 400 feet of Palm Avenue frontage including retail, restaurant and office space.
The building must be vacated to allow for the restoration.
In the new year, Caragiulos will reopen at its new location at 1833 Ringling Blvd., which is currently under construction. The plan is to welcome patrons to the 4,300-square-foot space there, between Osprey and Links avenues, in January.
Caragiulos was founded in 1989 as a family owned restaurant, and its portfolio has grown since. The family founded Owen’s Fish Camp in 2010 in Sarasota, which added a Lakewood Ranch location in 2023.
To recognize “the community that has made Caragiulos a Sarasota tradition for nearly four decades,” the business held a collectibles raffle during its final weekend at its Palm Avenue location including artwork, tabletops, gift baskets, opening weekend dining tickets and other prizes.
Hoback starts as SRQ president and CEO
The Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority has officially welcomed Paul Hoback as the new president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Hoback officially succeeded Rick Piccolo on Oct. 20.
A 25-year veteran of the aviation industry, Hoback previously served as executive vice president and chief development officer of Pittsburgh International Airport. His duties at PIT included leadership of all capital development, operations and maintenance — most notably guiding PIT’s $1.7 billion new terminal program.
Hoback’s successful experience in large-scale development and strategic growth aligns with the SMAA’s vision for the future of SRQ.
“I am thrilled to finally be relocated to this incredible region,” Hoback said in a news release. “I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work continuing to elevate SRQ as the premier gateway to paradise for our millions of annual travelers. It is a distinct honor and privilege to serve this airport and community.”
Newsweek rates SMH sixth best in Florida
For the third straight year, Sarasota Memorial Hospital is the only hospital in Southwest Florida to be listed on Newsweek’s recently released annual Best in State hospital rankings.
The 2025 ranking recognizes 700 facilities across all 50 states. Of the 26 Florida hospitals that made the list, SMH-Sarasota came in at No. 6.
“Every day, our physicians and staff go above and beyond to provide exceptional care. These awards reflect their unwavering dedication to quality, safety, and the well-being of our patients and community,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System CEO David Verinder in a news release.
Newsweek compiles its annual Best-in-State Hospitals list in collaboration with global market research and consumer data company Statista Inc. Each state’s top hospitals are ranked based on clinical and quality performance data and surveys from the American Hospital Association, patient experience and patientreported outcome measures.
Caragiulos has closed its location in the Mira Mar building in preparation for its move to Ringling Boulevard.
That’s a wrap!
County Commission chairman gavels out the final meeting before vacating the downtown Administration Center.
ANDREW WARFIELD
STAFF WRITER
With the sharp rap of the gavel by Chairman Joe Neunder and a smattering of applause, the final meeting of the Sarasota County Commission at 1660 Ringling Blvd. came to an abrupt conclusion.
It was the last of 30 years of daylong meetings dating back to 1995 held in the former GTE building, after the county moved its administration center a few blocks west from the Terrace Building at the corner of Ringling Boulevard and South Washington Avenue.
Meeting complications characterized why the county is vacating the building and surrounding property it sold to Benderson Development for $25 million in 2021. Technical glitches with the live stream caused the recording to be shortened, indicative of the mounting maintenance needs, estimated at $32.5 million over 20 years in 2021, that rendered remaining there nonviable.
For the foreseeable future, all commission meetings will be at the South County headquarters in Venice as the county awaits completion of its new administration center at 1 Apex Road in Fruitville Commons, just a few hundred yards northwest of the Celery Fields.
The county was to vacate the downtown building and move into the new $75 million, 120,000-squarefoot facility by the end of the year, but construction delays have moved occupying the new space to a date uncertain. Until then, staff have members moved into multiple temporary locations.
The end of the final meeting in the venerable room left some commissioners waxing nostalgic.
“I’ve walked these halls as an employee, as a county commissioner and as just a regular resident and citizen,” said Teresa Mast. “It’s very creepy to walk through these halls right now because the building is really quiet and empty. There have been a lot of incredible memories made here, and I look forward to many more in the new building.
“It’s truly just been an honor to be able to say at this last meeting in this building, we are moving on to bigger and better things.”
Ron Cutsinger recalled his first meeting in the chamber nine years ago as a member of the Planning Commission, feeling intimidated sitting at the expansive dais facing the public.
“If anyone wonders about whether or not Sarasota County is efficient with their dollars, we’re sitting in the original seats that were here in this building when it was originally put into service,” Cutsinger said. “It’s been a great experience, and for me, it wasn’t so much about the building. It was about the staff, the circumstances, the people, and that carries a lot of good memories, but I’m looking forward to the new office.”
Not all commissioners are as
REDEVELOPMENT PLAN STILL UNKNOWN
Benderson Development has been mum about its future plans for the 5.3-acre former Sarasota County Administration Center site since October 2023. That’s when it hosted a three-day planning charrette, an intensive visioning process, with community stakeholders.
The developer is planning a mixed-use project on the site, although it has yet to come forward with any details. But if the charrette provides any indication, what may eventually emerge is:
Option A: 123,360 square feet of hotel space, 4,800 square feet of retail and 388,100 square feet of residential over more than 341 units and more than 540 parking spaces.
Option B: 188,970 square feet of office space, 8,600 square feet of retail and 295,400 square feet of residential over more than 250 units and more than 640 parking spaces. Or neither.
Both options presented at the end of the charrette included preserving and repurposing at least a portion of the structure.
Beyond the building and the immediately surrounding parking lot, the property sits between Ringling Boulevard and the Laurel Park neighborhood and includes parking lots south of Morrill Street and east of Pine Place.
enamored by the 1660 Ringling building. Mark Smith, an architect, said he is looking forward to the new space, describing it as “employee centric,” and the now-former headquarters as anything but.
“This building has always been awful,” Smith said. “When I got elected, I thought I was sentenced to that awful little office with the narrow window. If I stood on my desk I could see the Post Office, and to those of you all who have been sentenced here longer than I have, the new building is amazing.
“I’m not sad to see us go. We’re on to much, much better things ahead, and I’m looking forward to moving into the new building.”
The new Sarasota County Administration Center boasts a clear view of what Neunder calls “cardiac hill” at Celery Fields, which, coincidentally, the county also purchased in 1995, converting the former farmland into a stormwater collection zone, bird sanctuary and nature park.
In addition to the new, modern meeting chamber, the new building will house offices of the county administration, county attorney, clerk and comptroller, communications, human resources, libraries and historical resources and financial management. Other facilities will include Access Sarasota television studio, conference rooms, break rooms and a wellness center.
And unlike the now-vacant administration center, it will come with some pleasant views. Smith said the commissioners’ offices will have a view of the parking lot and beyond toward Fruitville Road and that of the staff, deservedly so, he said, of Celery Fields.
No standing on a desk to see outside required.
Neunder closed the final 1660 Ringling Blvd. meeting with some parting thoughts of his own, recalling how the former GTE building impressed him as a child with its blue lettering on a white background lit up at night.
“It’s a new chapter in the history of Sarasota County,” Neunder said. “I do believe we’re all very excited to be part of that. But with this final ceremonial stroke of the gavel, we do close a chapter in Sarasota County’s history, and as preparations continue for our final move to the new county administration center, we carry forward the legacy of service and leadership that began right here in these chambers.
“This meeting is adjourned.”
BIG DECISIONS
Some of the most consequential decisions made by the Sarasota County Commission while meeting at 1660 Ringling Blvd.
2007: Commissioners first approved a version of the University Town Center plans in January, then in July 2007 allowed for a large-scale retail, office and residential project. The mall broke ground in October 2012 and opened in October 2014.
2009: Commissioners approved the county taking ownership of Ed Smith Stadium, built in 1989, and for the Baltimore Orioles to move their spring training there, leading to a major renovation project in 2010.
2014: Approved the Lakewood Ranch Waterside Village mixed-use development, initiating the community’s move south of University Parkway into Sarasota County. The project included the extension of both Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Lorraine Road to Fruitville Road.
2017: Commissioners approved the operating agreement for CoolToday Park, which included a 30-year, nonrelocation agreement with the Atlanta Braves to hold spring training there. Built in North Port, construction of the stadium began in October 2017 and opened in March 2019.
2019: Commissioners approved new district maps that led to a federal civil rights lawsuit, which was ultimately dismissed. The redistricting was alleged to have politically motivated goals.
2019: County commissioners approved the Mote SEA at the UTC location in January with an omnibus agreement for the project. Subsequent approvals were granted in the following years, including amendments to the comprehensive plan in August 2021 and the final conveyance of the land in July 2022. The aquarium opened in September 2025.
2020: By a 3-2 vote, commissioners approved a 30year tax-increment financing plan in collaboration with the city of Sarasota and the Bay Park Conservancy to fund the creation of The Bay park.
2021: Commissioners approved the critical area plan for Wellen Park, which allowed for the development of nine communities. Although originally known as West Villages, rebranding to Wellen Park occurred in 2020.
2021: Commissioners approved sale of 1660 Ringling Blvd. and surrounding properties to Benderson Development with the final sale documents signed on Dec. 30, 2021. The county agreed to sell the building for $25 million and leased the property back for four years.
Andrew Warfield
The entrance to the meeting chamber at the now-vacant Sarasota County Administration Center at 1660 Ringling Blvd.
Sarasota County commissioners and administrators toss the ceremonial sand at the groundbreaking for the new county administration center. The construction began in 2023 and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Courtesy image
The new 120,000-square-foot Sarasota County Administration Center will be next to Celery Fields in Fruitville Commons just east of I-75.
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Commissioners discuss evaluation process
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
As the only two direct employees of the Sarasota County Commission, the evaluations and compensation discussions for County Administrator Jonathan Lewis and County Attorney Joshua Moye are a public process. It’s a report card-type ranking of the multiple facets of their roles and, until this year, those grades from some, but not all, commissioners have made those public.
This year, though, only freshman Commissioner Tom Knight released his ranking to the public, giving an overall grade of “above average” for both Lewis and Moye.
Being his first time making those evaluations, Knight said at the Oct. 21 County Commission meeting he found the process to be awkward, uncomfortable and, in many respects, irrelevant to the core functions of the county administrator’s job. Awkward and uncomfortable because of the public nature of a process that in the private sector, or any level below Lewis and Moye within county government, is held behind closed doors.
However, commissioners had little discussion of either position’s performance during the public meeting.
Lewis told commissioners the county has used the current public process since about 2012. There is no
set policy for the process within the county charter nor prescribed by the state. It’s just how it’s been done.
“It just says in my contract, and I think in Mr. Moye’s contract, that the board will evaluate us,” Lewis said. “It doesn’t say anything about having to be in a meeting like this. This is the first place I’ve worked where it’s done specifically this way, but there are other places that do it this way as well.”
Among those places is the city of Sarasota.
Commissioner Teresa Mast was an employee of the county during the implementation of the current process. She described it as a time of significant leadership challenges. Things have changed since then, she said, and perhaps the evaluation process should as well.
“I would definitely support having the conversation,” she said, “and I didn’t make mine public because I honestly don’t think it’s the public’s business.”
Chairman Joe Neunder disagreed.
“In a world where we are judged as commissioners by our performance by the voters, our employees should be also judged by the people in control of their day-to-day operations,” he said.
Changes in the evaluation process may be a topic of discussion as well as deciding on the next chair and vice chair at the board’s annual planning retreat in December.
Tom Knight is the only commissioner who made his evaluations public.
Flood concerns still drive housing-plan objections
The Sarasota County Commission rejected a settlement that would have required a new look at slimmed-down proposal.
ERIC GARWOOD DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Abuilder, a landowner and Sarasota County are heading back to mediation over a proposal to develop housing east of Interstate 75, across the street from the Celery Fields nature preserve.
The latest twist in this more than two-year saga took place Oct. 21, when Sarasota County commissioners unanimously rejected a mediated settlement with landowner The Cindy L. Smith Revocable Living Trust and D.R. Horton, the developer behind the proposal to build the 51-acre project. County commissioners in February unanimously rejected the original request for a rezoning required to build 126 homes, backing the 4-3 recommendation weeks earlier by the county’s Planning Board.
“This is a flood plain,” Commissioner Mark Smith said on Tuesday. “I believe the decision we made earlier was the right one to be made.” In filing for mediation over the rezoning rejection, the landowner and developer argued the decision not to shift from open-use rural, with the potential for perhaps five homes allowed, to a more dense residential single-family home category was “unreasonable and unfairly burdens the use of the property,” according to the settlement agreement.
“Petitioners further allege that the County Commission failed to base its decision on substantial competent evidence in the record of the proceedings and was inconsistent with the comprehensive plan,” the settlement further reads.
WHAT’S FLUEDRA?
The Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Act provides for informal, nonbinding mediation and arbitration.
“Any owner who believes that a development order, either separately or in conjunction with other development orders, or an enforcement action of a governmental entity, is unreasonable or unfairly burdens the use of the owner’s real property, may apply within 30 days after receipt of the order or notice of the governmental action for relief under this section.”
cell and on two sides by housing tracts. In county documents leading up to the vote in February, Matthew Osterhouldt, the county’s director of planning and development services, pointed to the land’s double-edged identity.
“The proposal may be found both compatible and incompatible with the surrounding land uses,” Osterhouldt said. “It may be considered comparable with surrounding development as it relates to similar residential land use and density, and compatible with light mitigation measures and increased separation and buffers to mitigate impacts. The proposal may be found incompatible as it relates to dissimilar land use and intensity in relation to the Celery Fields and as the only development with direct access to Raymond Road.”
Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act. There, following presentations of evidence, a magistrate will make a non-binding recommendation on the validity of the developer’s assertions.
“We think it was a win, win, win for all of the parties instead of engaging in a prolonged and expensive litigation,” said Charlie Bailey, representing D.R. Horton and the landowner, of the mediation process before delivering his presentation to county commissioners.
Beyond the 32% reduction in the number of homes, D.R. Horton’s revised plan calls for extensive buffering along Raymond Road, which faces Celery Field’s southern section, and along the other edges of property that abut neighborhoods.
Also, one of two entrances was eliminated and replaced with more detention pond space, roof-color restrictions were added and streetlights were eliminated to adhere to dark-sky standards adjacent to the popular bird-watching, star-gazing and nature-viewing site.
“The project that’s before you now is not the same project,” Bailey said of the plan that at one time called for 170 homes. “The project before you is a very different project that was before you in February.”
Addressing flooding concerns that have been with the project since its early days, Bailey added the project’s stormwater system was designed to capture more than 11 inches of rain in 24 hours.
TIMELINE
AUG. 23, 2023
The Cindy Smith Revocable Living Trust requests a rezone of land it owns adjacent to Celery Fields to develop 170 detached single-family residential units on approximately 51 acres.
MAY 14, 2024
Following the second of two virtual community workshops in a 12-month span, members of the Sarasota Audubon Society express doubts about the 170home proposal. “It’s a gigantic concern to us.”
NOV. 21, 2024
Sarasota County Planning Commission rejects by a 4-3 vote a proposal to rezone the so-called Smith Farm to build 170 homes.
FEB. 12, 2025
The Sarasota County Commission unanimously rejects rezoning request as part of a nowrevised 126-home proposal.
APRIL 24, 2025
Sarasota County is informed of a petition for relief under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act.
SEPT. 11, 2025
Sarasota County and representatives of D.R. Horton and Smith Farm landowners present to a magistrate in a Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act mediation. A tentative settlement is reached, but details remain to be worked out.
OCT. 1, 2025
The mediation resumes with the developer presenting a revised plan for 85 homes. The settlement agreement calls for a new hearing on the developer’s revised proposal.
Six individual parcels totaling 51.5 acres make up the land under consideration. County tax records indicate an assessed total value of $4.7 million.
Two sides bracket the land by the acreage of Celery Fields’ southern
One of the developer’s cornerstones throughout the process that began when the original rezoning request filing in August 2023 was the county’s future land-use map, which designates the property as suitable for eventual residential use.
Had commissioners approved the settlement on Oct. 21, a new public hearing on D.R. Horton’s slimmeddown development plan that reduced the number of homes from 126 to 85 and made other changes would have been considered. But with the rejection of the settlement, the matter returns to mediation under the
Areas of Sarasota County received close to 20 inches during Hurricane Debby in 2024, deeply flooding across Palmer Boulevard, which intersects with Raymond Road. Flooding, residents say, remains one of their main concerns regardless of the changes to the scope of the proposal.
“How many flooded homeowners do you need to hear from to provide ‘competent, substantial evidence,”’ Connie Neeley said. “Don’t kid yourselves. We all know this is not about evidence, this is about money.”
OCT. 21, 2025
Sarasota County commissioners reject the settlement agreement, sending the issue back to mediation to determine if the February denial of the rezoning petition was unreasonable or unfairly burdened the use of the property.
File image
Flooding in the area of Celery Fields caused by Hurricane Debby in 2024.
APPLES TO APPLES: HOW TO FAIRLY COMPARE FINANCIAL ADVISORS
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COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES
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UNITED BY HOPE
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
After Sarasota’s Gisele Pintchuck and Omer Shem Tov of Israel embraced for the first time on Oct. 27, both said it was as though they had known each other their whole lives.
Having held a poster of Shem Tov at the Sarasota Farmers Market Saturday after Saturday until his release from captivity in February 2025, after 505 days, it was a moment Pintchuck had long hoped for.
When the opportunity came to host Shem Tov in Sarasota, Pintchuck served as the organizer of the event, and the two met the same day that he spoke at The Ora.
His speech recounted his experiences after Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival kidnapped him on the night of the Oct. 7 attacks in 2023, held in complete darkness for a period of that time.
He told the story of how his faith and his belief in optimism ultimately guided him through the unimaginable experience.
HOLDING ON TO HOPE
Since his release, Shem Tov, 23, has traveled internationally to share his message.
He said he had two messages for the Sarasota community, the first being the top priority of the remaining hostages, who all are deceased and whose bodies have yet to be released.
“The second thing is, ever since I came back and ever since I was kidnapped, I feel like I understood something about life — a small thing,” he said. “I’m not a rabbi or a priest or anything, no, nothing like it, but I saw darkness, and I believe that a person who experiences true darkness … after he experiences true, true darkness, he experiences true light, and I try to share this light with some people.”
For Shem Tov, the night of the Oct. 7 attacks began as a youthful celebration among friends who had just come out of the army, but it ended with him being taken captive, along with his friends Maya and Itay Regev.
“I can tell that on the first two weeks of captivity, I was in denial and very, like, blaming God for everything,” he said. “Why me? Why me? Why me? I did not steal. I’m not a thief. I’m not a murderer, so why me? Why was I taken? I was just having fun at a party.”
Yet, he says he realized God gives people the ability to choose “between good and evil and between light and darkness.”
During a brief ceasefire in November 2023, Shem Tov would remain alone following the release of the Regev siblings. Immediately after that, Shem Tov was held in total darkness, 120 feet underground in a cell too small for him to stand up, where he remained for the next 50 days.
There, he only had diminishing portions of pita bread, a food he could not eat due to having celiac disease, and salty ocean water to drink.
“I was in complete darkness,” he said. “I thought that I’m going crazy, and after some time, I found peace in the darkness, and I believe God saved me.”
Afterward, he struck a deal with his captors that he would perform work for them, including cooking and cleaning, in exchange for being allowed to keep a devotional book and prayer card.
“It’s amazing to see that someone that … is on the other side of the world, doesn’t really know me, just decides to fight for me. It’s amazing, and I’m so thankful for it. I am.”
Omer Shem Tov
The prayer card featured Psalm 20, which includes the words “May the Lord answer you on a day of distress.”
Although he did not know it, that was the same psalm that his mother, Shelly Shem Tov, would read in his room at home.
It was also the same psalm that Gisele Pintchuck had kept with her after reading it aloud at a Chabad event months prior.
Pintchuck first joined in advocating for the release of Shem Tov and the other hostages during a solidarity trip to Israel shortly after Oct. 7, where she met Shelly Shem Tov.
“There were other families there, but it happened to be her, and her message was so compelling, was so painful, and although there were hundreds of other people in that room, I felt she was speaking directly to me,” she said. “It was a call to action from a mother to another.”
Pintchuck said she has three young sons whose pastime is festivals, and she felt as if Omer Shem Tov’s story could have been theirs.
As soon as she returned home, she joined with a group of individuals from Sarasota’s Israeli community who would hold signs at the Sarasota Farmers Market each week, calling for the release of the hostages.
For more than 100 weeks, they stood there through heat and rain, while everywhere Pintchuck went, she carried a miniature poster of Shem Tov to show others.
When Shem Tov’s name was announced among a group of hostages who were being released, she held on to the hope that he would come back alive.
“It was a very, very happy day,” she said. “I was grateful. I was so grateful, the prayers, support, the people who stood and understood who Omer was, for us in our community, for me, personally, that he was home.”
Before beginning his speech in Sarasota, Shem Tov referred Pintchuck as his “second mother.”
He said earlier that day, “I came back home like eight months ago now, and I’ve met many people who foster me and know me. Of course, these are special, but every time I meet someone like this, it’s just, it first of all, it warms my heart, and it’s amazing. It’s amazing to see that someone that … is on the other side of the world, doesn’t really know me, just decides to fight for me. It’s amazing, and I’m so thankful for it. I am.”
Omer Shem Tov speaks at The Ora.
Former Israeli hostage meets Sarasota supporter.
Gisele Pintchuck leads a Q&A session with Omer Shem Tov.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Il faut cultiver notre jardin
Delving into a pile of history books during a sabbatical revealed a depressing truth: Nothing has changed. To improve society, we must tend our own garden.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way — in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, 1859
To borrow from Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Terminator 3”: “I’m back.”
Cue audience: Collective “Ugh.” Maybe a “good” or two. Or a lot of: “Who cares.”
After 30 years of spewing freemarket, laissez-faire (“Leave us alone”) diatribes in this space, it seemed like a good time back in late July to take off for three months to try to figure out whether to spare you of further spewing, keep going, disappear altogether or take on a new adventure in a different direction. The place to contemplate all this was at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. It didn’t work.
It looks like you’ll be stuck with me for a while longer, albeit not as often, say, once a month.
That is, unless our elected officials go bonkers enough that they cause the kind of gasket blowing that someone needs to say something. (Count on it.)
But during the three-month sabbatical, it was a time to unplug from here and Florida; stare at the mountain for inspiration; observe the surrounding happenings of Colorado Springs; and, occasionally, tune in to what was happening in the U.S. and Washington and around the world.
The big things, of course, were the assassination of Charlie Kirk; obliteration of Iran’s nuclear facilities; and the so-called peace deal between Israel and Hamas. But here in the U.S. and Washington, it’s pretty much the same ol’ scheisse In fact, it’s remarkable how so much of what is happening everywhere — in governments around the world, in the U.S., in Colorado, Florida, Sarasota, Manatee and Longboat Key — if overlayed like a translucent page on the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, the match would seem like a duplicate. Heck, you could go back to the 1770s that Dickens wrote about London and Paris, even as far back as 170 A.D. during the time of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus in Rome and see how little human behavior changes.
This conclusion emerged after reading the pages of hardback books that have been on a long reading
JUST SAYIN’ …
In the vein of how nothing changes (see above), that’s the debate over what to do with Main Street parking downtown.
The late Gil Waters, one of Sarasota’s leading lights, was the force who brought the Ringling Bridge to fruition after years of battling the city’s small-town thinkers. One of the projects he was unable to complete was his vision of
doing?
Which pivots us to Mencken and Nock. They were particular attractions during the sabbatical because they were famous journalists, writers, editors and cultural and political observers of their times — from 1920 to the mid-1950s. You might say they were akin to being the Charles Krauthamer and Victor Davis Hanson of their day, albeit not nearly as polite.
Mencken and Nock were ruthlessly, brutally blunt. They abhorred the inevitable evils of government and Statism and were unabashed defenders of individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism. They were cynical, unforgiving critics of the stupidity of the gullible mobs and had gruff disdain for politicians. Mencken:
list, a stack that has been waiting for years. A sampling:
■ “Meditations,” Marcus Aurelius
■ “Tale of Two Cities,” Dickens (rereading)
■ “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, A History of Nazi Germany,” William L. Shirer
■ “The Skeptic: A Life of H.L. Mencken,” Terry Teachout
■ “Notes on Democracy,” H.L. Mencken
■ “Memoirs of a Superfluous Man,” Albert Jay Nock
The first three are still in progress. The latter three were consumed cover to cover.
In the forward to “Meditations,” the translator, George Long, writes about the period of around 174-164 A.D.: “The fact is certain that in the time of M. Antoninus (Marcus Aurelius), the heathen populations were in open hostility to the Christians, and that under Antoninus’ rule, men were put to death because they were Christians.”
Surely you’ve heard of the massacres of Christians occurring for more than a decade in Nigeria. The Hudson Institute reported that Islamist extremists have slaughtered 52,000 Christians over the decade; thousands of women and children raped, kidnapped and slaughtered; more than 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed since 2009 by various Islamist extremist groups.
In our own country, Kirk, today’s Jesus-like and St. Paul-like evangelist, was gunned down for his beliefs and speaking them.
In “Tale of Two Cities,” Dickens wrote: “In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting. Daring burglaries by armed men, highway robberies took place in the capital itself every night; families were publicly cautioned not to go out of town without removing their furniture to upholsterers’ warehouses for security … ”
Yep. Think of D.C., Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Memphis, as well as London and Paris.
When the Trump Deranged Syndrome mobs came out on “No Kings” Day, the irony was laughable. They flung the standard epithets of “Hitler,” “Nazi” and “fascist” in reference to Trump. But had they read Shirer’s book on the rise and fall of Hitler, they would know how moronic they are. Trump let’s them speak. Hitler gassed them — 6 million Jews, Catholics and others.
Maybe this might resonate: In his trilogy on World War II, author Rick Atkinson reported what was found at Auschwitz: “seven tons of women’s hair shorn from victims, 348,820 men’s suits and 836,515 dresses, neatly baled” and pyramids of dentures and spectacles whose owners had been reduced to ash and smoke. More than 1 million were exterminated there.”
Is that what “King Trump” is
turning Main Street from Orange Avenue down to Gulfstream into a pedestrian-only, European-like plaza from, say, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Waters went so far as to create the accompanying rendering.
City commissioners this month approved going ahead with two more years of design and engineering for the Main Street Complete Street project, a mix of parking ideas. But here’s our bet: This debate will never end.
faintest idea of what it was doing or where it was going (from 19201940).
“It had not yet got a glimpse of the elementary truth which was so clear to the mind of Mr. Jefferson, that in proportion as you give the State power to do things for you, you give it power to do things to you; and that the State invariably makes as little as it can of the one power, and as much as it can of the other.”
Nock also saw the fatal flaws of public education:
“Our system was founded in all good faith that universal elementary education would make a citizenry more intelligent; whereas most obviously it has done nothing of the kind …
■ “The American people, true enough, are sheep. Worse, they are donkeys. Yet worse, to borrow from their own dialect, they are goats. They are thus constantly bamboozled and exploited by small minorities of their own number, by determined and ambitious individuals, and even by exterior groups.”
■ “All government, in its essence, is organized exploitation, and in virtually all of its existing forms, it is the implacable enemy of every industrious and well-disposed man.”
■ “The politician under democracy … is a sturdy rogue whose principal, and often sole aim in life, is to butter his parsnips. His technical equipment consists simply of an armamentarium of deceits. It is his business to get and hold his job at all costs. If he can hold it by lying, he will hold it by lying; if lying peters out, he will try to hold it by embracing new truths.”
Hard to argue he was wrong — especially at the gubernatorial and federal levels.
Nock is far less known than Mencken, but no less brilliant of a writer and seer of the world as it was in his day. He jolted politicians and the intelligentsia during Franklin Roosevelt’s vast expansion of the federal government when Nock wrote what became a famous essay, “Our Enemy, the State.” Read it. He nailed it.
Like Mencken, Nock saw little good in the State. He believed wholeheartedly that the U.S. was unavoidably destined for collectivism.
■ “In my brief career as a sort of jack-leg executive, I had seen at close range all I wished to see of Western society’s floundering progress toward collectivism … American society had not the
“Aside from this negative result, I saw that our system had achieved a positive result. If it had done nothing to raise the general level of intelligence, it had succeeded in making our citizenry much more easily gullible. By being inured to taking as true whatever he read in his schoolbooks and whatever his teachers told him, he is bred to a habit of unthinking acquiescence, rather than to an exercise of such intelligence as he may have.”
Altogether, when you read what Mencken and Nock wrote about politicians and our democratic republic in the 1940s, you likely could conclude: Nothing has changed in a century.
The illiterate mobs of today are no different than they were then. The politicians of today are no different than they were then. They want to intervene and control every aspect of our lives, thinking they are improving society. Ha.
Nock was ever the skeptic on that point. “I have regularly had occasion to notice that grandiose schemes for improving societyat-large always end in failure, and I have not wondered at it because it is simply not in the nature of things that society can be improved in that way.”
To be sure, Mencken and Nock can leave you dejected. Indeed, apologies for this sounding like such a downer. But it’s true: Human behavior hasn’t and doesn’t change. Nonetheless, at the end of his “Memoirs,” Nock gave his reader hope and encouragement on how to make things better:
“Il faut cultiver notre jardin.”
“We must tend our garden.” (See the accompanying box below.)
As we live through the best of times, the worst of times, it’s a great reminder to us all.
NOCK ON HOW TO IMPROVE SOCIETY
“I have known many persons, some quite intimately, who thought it was their duty to take ‘the social point of view’ on mankind’s many doings and misdoings, and to support various proposals, mainly political, for the mass-improvement of society.
“One of them is a friend of long standing who has done distinguished service of this kind throughout a lifetime, and is directly responsible for the promulgation of more calamitous and coercive ‘social legislation’ than one could shake a stick at.
“In a conversation with me not many months ago, this friend said mournfully, ‘My experience has cured me of one thing. I am cured of believing that society can ever be improved through political action. After this, I shall cultivate my garden.’
Il faut cultiver notre jardin.
“With these words, Voltaire
ends his treatise called ‘Candide,’ which in its few pages assays more solid worth, more informed common sense, than the entire bulk of 19th-century hedonist literature can show.
“To my mind, those few concluding words sum up the whole social responsibility of man. The only thing that the psychicallyhuman being can do to improve society is to present society with one improved unit.
“In a word, ages of experience testify that the only way society can be improved is by the individualist method, which Jesus apparently regarded as the only one whereby the Kingdom of Heaven can be established as a going concern; that is, the method of each one doing his very best to improve one.”
Albert Jay Nock
“Memoirs of a Superfluous Man”
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MATT WALSH
MONDAY, SEPT. 29
BUSINESS RECEIVES
HARASSING CALLS
2:05 p.m., 1900 block of Main
Street
Harassment: The manager of a business reported an unknown male had left two voice messages and also had spoken directly to an associate regarding his assertion that the business was in violation of the American with Disabilities Act by not reasonably accommodating him. He then threatened a civil remedy by assessing the matter to rise to the level of a hate crime.
An officer listened to a recording of the conversation between the subject and the associate and found his allegations to be a rambling dissertation during which he never explains his complaint. Because the business has no ability to block the number, the officer encouraged staff to refrain from engaging the subject further.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1
LACK OF RESTRAINT
12:34 a.m., 1500 block of Main Street
Disturbance: Having accidentally happened upon a woman in a bar who had a restraining order against him, a man reported he tried to immediately leave but was blocked from doing so by her and a female companion.
After he had dinner at a different downtown restaurant, the complainant said she saw the man approaching the bar, then he left because she believes he saw her there. Then, she said he returned a short time later.
The man was no longer on the scene when the officer arrived and, because he lives in Venice, the officer requested a Sarasota County deputy take a statement, which was contradictory to the women’s account of the evening’s events.
He attempted to leave immediately when ordered, he told the deputy, and had video to prove it.
The video shows the women approaching the vehicle, standing closely enough to not permit him to move and were verbally berating him. Because of the conflicting statements the case was referred to the State Attorney’s Office for review.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4
SUBURBAN COWBOY
2:34 a.m., 2500 block of South Tamiami Trail
Battery: Upon arrival to the scene of an alleged battery, the victim flagged an officer and stated an unknown diminutive cowboy beat him, for no reason. The man requested EMS service and was transported to the hospital.
Prior to going to the hospital to take the man’s statement, the officer met with the bar manager and two security guards who were told there was a fight occurring outside.
After separating the two, the alleged assailant left the scene, and the victim, who remained behind, noted the other combatant claimed he owed him $50.
At the hospital, the victim wove a meandering tale, claiming the subject sucker punched him, rendering him briefly unconscious before he fought back, which he repeated several times to medical staff prior to the officer’s arrival. He then changed his statement, saying he was only able to grab the combatant’s collar, as his ever-evolving story led to skepticism.
He described the alleged assailant as a 5-foot, 4-inch white male wearing “cowboy clothing” and that he would be able to identify him in a lineup because he had “memorized his eyeballs,” according to the incident report.
The man did suffer multiple visible injuries. The bar manager advised there are security cameras covering the parking lot, but he did not have immediate access to the video.
Burglar makes off with senior center’s therapeutic plants
Town Square University Parkway hopes donors now can help replace what was stolen.
ERIC GARWOOD
DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
AManatee County day center specializing in dementia and senior care is hoping for donations of plants to replace ones stolen during an early morning theft from Town Square University Parkway’s member-maintained outdoor garden.
“These gardens represent more than just plants — they represent progress, connection and peace for individuals who may otherwise feel lost in their diagnosis,” said Catherine McDermott, an owner of Town Square University Parkway in a statement. “We use gardening as therapy — it brings smiles, movement and purpose to our members’ days.”
According to an email from the facility at the corner of Lockwood Ridge Road and University Parkway, the garden provides familiar routines for its clients, and the herbs and vegetables it produces are used in farm-to-table activities.
Skyler Betts, the business development director at Town Square University Parkway, said someone vandalized the garden and stole plants around 5 a.m. Wednesday.
In an interview, she said a vinecovered fence surrounds the outdoor garden at the rear of the building and is part of the facility’s Garden Shop, where clients can tend to indoor and outdoor plants and participate in crafts. She said one of the facility’s owners arriving before dawn saw someone scale the fence early Wednesday and drive
off with the greenery.
“They even took the owl off the fence, meant to scare away hawks,’’ Betts said.
Reports say a silver Volkswagen SUV was leaving the area with several leafy plants strapped to a cargo rack on the roof. It appears to be driven by a woman with a dog in the front passenger seat. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office was notified and supplied with the photos of the SUV taken by the witness.
Town Square is asking for plant donations from local nurseries, gardeners and community members to help restore the sensory garden. Donated plants should be nontoxic and dementia-friendly, as some late-stage members may explore plants by touch or taste.
Dementia-friendly plants are those that have a soft texture and pleasant scents, like lamb’s ear, lavender, rosemary or mint.
Plants to avoid, for example, are foxglove, oleander, azalea, philodendron, poinsettia, sago palm and others known to be poisonous.
“Town Square has become a lifeline for so many families in Sarasota
HOW TO HELP
Plant donations can be dropped off directly at Town Square University Parkway, 8450 Lockwood Ridge Road, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For information or to coordinate a donation, contact Betts at 720-690 3078 or SBetts@TownSquareUniversityParkway.net.
and Manatee counties,” Betts said. “We’re asking our community to come together once again — just as we do every day — to restore something that truly brings healing and happiness to our members.” The buesiness occupies the southwestern corner of the Centre at University Parkway shopping plaza. It features a 1950s-themed interior with more than a dozen “storefronts” inside, medical care and therapeutic programs. It’s been in operation since early 2023.
Courtesy image
A silver Volkswagen SUV was reported leaving the Town Center University Parkway with several leafy plants strapped to a roof cargo rack.
A Century Old Story
A story that began over 100 years ago and is still being written today. Once a beloved landmark, now an enduring icon reborn. Mira Mar is the future of luxury living in Sarasota, grounded in the grandeur of its past, and offering an unparalleled residential experience in the heart of downtown.
One of Sarasota’s few remaining flagships of the great Florida Land Boom of the 1920’s, it is with great pride that we restore the Mira Mar to its rightful place as a gleaming icon of Sarasota.
Rising elegantly above South Palm Avenue, the revived and resplendent Mira Mar presents a limited collection of 70 estate-style residences across two 18-story towers. Each home is designed to the highest standards, with sweeping views, refined interiors, and private access to best-in-class amenities.
Mira Mar is more than a residence — it’s a return to grace.
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
The end of the football regular season is upon us. For FHSAA teams, Oct. 31 represents the final opportunity for tune-ups and adjustments before the postseason. It’s been a big year for several local teams — Cardinal Mooney (8-1), Booker (8-1) and Riverview (7-1-1), who are a combined 23-3-1 entering Week 11. All three won their Week 10 matchups by a 43.3-point average margin of victory. As of the Oct. 21 FHSAA rankings, the Cougars are No. 1 in Class 2A, the Tornadoes are No. 1 in 3A and the Rams are No. 6 in 7A. Booker senior quarterback Joel Morris has thrown 24 touchdowns and no interceptions, while passing for 1,755 yards on a 64.2% completion rate.
Toryeon James — Riverview junior running back — has racked up 21 rushing touchdowns and 1,286 yards on 129 carries. Cardinal Mooney senior defensive end and Notre Dame commit Elijah Golden owns 11.0 sacks and 25.0 tackles for loss.
... Cardinal Mooney girls’ swimming & diving finished fifth at the FHSAA Class 1ADistrict 8 championship on Oct. 25, while Sarasota Christian placed seventh among the 11 teams competing. Sophomore Sofia Krajewski won gold for the Cougars in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 59.05, while freshmen Dru and Mae Hershberger finished first and second for the Blazers in the 500-meter freestyle with times of 5:09.97 and 5:15.28, respectively. On the boys’ side, senior Turner Mitten claimed gold in the 500-meter freestyle (4:41.26) and silver in the 200-meter freestyle (1:48.06) for a Cardinal Mooney team which placed 10th.
... Sophomore Gabe Milliken set a new personal best with a time of 17:19.8 for Sarasota Christian boys’ cross country in the 5K race of the King’s Invitational on Oct. 25 in Fort Myers. He placed fifth and best among all Blazers in a field of 139 runners. Madison Muller — another sophomore — placed sixth with a time of 17:52.5 for Riverview girls’ cross country in the 5K race of the FSU Invitational on Oct. 25 in Tallahassee. The field featured 273 runners from 31 different high schools.
“I just wanted to be a leader on my team and maybe get some best times. But I already have, so I’ve kind of met my goals.”
SAILORS FOREVER
Magdi El Shahawy, former defensive lineman, is one of seven inductees into Sarasota High School’s Hall of Fame.
JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER
Love for a longtime job began to fade for Magdi El Shahawy. Three decades of work in athletic administration took a toll, and he struggled to find meaning beyond the dollars and cents of it all.
He sensed burnout and recognized the symptoms. Family was always paramount in his mind, but the time spent with them didn’t reflect such a priority.
It was unsustainable — he knew it.
On July 10, 2023, he took to Facebook and shared his decision to step down as Georgia’s deputy athletic director for student athlete support services.
“Sometimes, with people who are struggling, there’s a lot of shame in coming out and saying things,” El Shahawy said. “But it helped me to get out there and talk about it openly. I kind of felt a little bit of a calling to do that.”
Still, he never ruled out getting back in the game. He maintained confidence in his ability.
When a new opportunity arrived, he took it, knowing in his heart it would be compatible with his commitment to a wife and three children.
El Shahawy walked up to the podium at the Sarasota High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Oct. 26 to rousing applause. The 1986 graduate gazed upon a packed room at Michael’s On East and smiled, eight months after reentering the workforce as San Diego’s associate athletic director for academics.
He was last to speak among a class of distinguished Sarasota alumni. The group featured Lois Webb, Jim Tollerton, Shawn Hocker, Mike Bennett, John Lilly and the 1989 boys’ wrestling team.
“I’m humbled. It really is one of the greatest honors I can think of in my life,” El Shahawy said. “This community meant everything to me.”
He’s now a resident of Redondo Beach, California, alongside his wife, Wealthy, and three children, Micah,
Madison and Mila. All of them flew to Florida on the night of Oct. 25 for the following evening’s festivities.
The year 2025 has become memorable in more ways than one for El Shahawy, but fittingly, he began his acceptance speech with an anecdote from the Sailors’ 1985 football season.
Sarasota defeated Manatee during that regular season. That alone was significant considering the Hurricanes had won the 1983 FHSAA Class 4A state title. It was even more significant considering how it put the Sailors in position to win a district championship.
But El Shahawy and Co. fell to Riverview in the final week of the season, forcing them into a threeway tiebreaker that didn’t go in their favor. Sarasota didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
Manatee went on to win the 5A state title in 1985 — defeating two teams along the way the Sailors had defeated — as Sarasota watched from afar.
“I’d like to say, ‘I know guys — we would have done it that year,’ But it was still special and I wouldn’t trade anything,” said El Shahawy in his speech. “Other than maybe having a chance to win a state title.”
He played for the Sailors from 1983-85 under Charlie Cleland, the winningest coach in program history, as well as defensive line coach Tom Whitehurst, whom El Shahawy thanked first in his prepared list of names. Much time transpired between the two while sitting in Whitehurst’s office chatting about football, life and anything inbetween.
El Shahawy was a tri-sport athlete, also earning varsity letters in weightlifting and track & field. But it was football that took him places. He went on to play 15 games for Florida State across the 1987 and 1988 campaigns. At one point, his time there overlapped with eventual Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Sports were indeed El Shahawy’s
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the word extra ... I credit Sarasota for this foundation of doing extra every day.”
— Dr. Magdi El Shahawy
passion. Former Florida State defensive line coach and assistant head coach Chuck Amato saw that and suggested pursuing a career in athletics.
“My first response was, ‘I really don’t want to coach,’” El Shahawy said. “I really didn’t see that being a lifestyle for me.”
But coaching was not the only avenue. He stuck with Florida State and earned a doctorate in athletic administration in 1999 after getting his start as a graduate assistant in athletic compliance with the university from 1993 to ’94.
El Shahawy journeyed out of state for his first full-time job out of college — as Michigan State senior associate director for student athlete support services in 1999-2000. Journeying even farther resulted in what he still reflects on as the “greatest work-life experience” of his extensive career.
He served as USC senior associate athletic director for 18 years beginning in 2000. During his time there, El Shahawy oversaw a rise in graduation success rate for student-ath-
SARASOTA HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 2025
n Lois Webb — Eddie Howell Award of Excellence n Jim Tollerton — Community Steward Award
n Shawn Hocker — Male Athlete Award (Football & Wrestling) n 1989 boys’ wrestling Team Award n Mike Bennett — Community Steward Award
n John Lilly — Community Steward Award
n Magdi El Shahawy Male Athlete Award (Football)
letes from 68% to 90%. And the Trojans’ 2003 national championship in football was a bit of extra gravy.
It was also in Los Angeles where he underwent evolution as a leader, adding lessons from coach Pete Carroll — among others — to the foundation set by Whitehurst and Amato. He grew even further by watching Georgia football coach Kirby Smart from 2018 to 2023 and reading up on servant leadership from author John Maxwell.
“You take elements from what you see that people do,” El Shahawy said. “And sometimes, just as much as it’s good to learn what to do, sometimes you learn what not to do. I learned through my own mistakes.”
But throughout his career, he’s never forgotten what was once written in the Sarasota locker room during his high school days: He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail. He spoke it once more at the induction ceremony.
While passing down that message to his children, he taught them four keys to success in life. He called upon his youngest son, Madison, to share the fourth near the end of his acceptance speech.
Do extra.
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the word extra,” said El Shahawy in his speech. “And I do believe that if you do extra, you don’t have to be the best athlete and you don’t have to be the smartest person in the room — I certainly wasn’t either of those. I credit Sarasota for this foundation of doing extra every day.”
There was plenty of extra time to be with family when he left work for over a year. There’s extra time in his new position, which allowed him and his loved ones to make the crosscountry trek back to Sarasota. Facebook, which he often uses to stay connected with his home community, now serves a different purpose than to share his struggles. It’s the means by which El Shahawy shares the everyday joys and memories made with his wife and kids.
— Dru Hershberger, Sarasota Christian girls’ swimming & diving
Jack Nelson
Toryeon James (21) of Riverview football sprints down the sideline en route to a touchdown against Sarasota. The junior ran for nearly 300 yards in the team’s Week 6 victory.
Photos by Jack Nelson
El Shahawy gives his Hall of Fame acceptance speech nearly 40 years after graduating Sarasota High School. He’s now a father of three living in Redondo Beach, California.
The 2025 individual inductees into the Sarasota High School Hall of Fame pose for a photo during the Oct. 26 ceremony. From left: Magdi El Shahawy, Shawn Hocker, Lois Webb, Jim Tollerton, Mike Bennett and John Lilly.
A season of storylines
ime to lace up the cleats. Whistles are at the ready. Sweat to be shed. Soccer is back and soon to be at full tilt. The FHSAA regular season officially begins Nov. 3, but practices have been underway as early as Oct. 13.
Here are storylines to watch among Sarasota-area teams as the season gets going.
FLAMMANG BROTHERS
APPROACH SEASON AS ONE Cardinal Mooney boys (11-7-2 in 2024-25, reached 3A regional quarterfinals)
It’s not every day you see two brothers on the same squad. Even more rare is for them to be in the same graduating class.
Try three.
That’s the case for Cooper, Jackson and Quinn Flammang. All three are seniors for the Cougars under coach Juan Osorio.
“It’s just another element where we can grow together and show what we have,” said midfielder Cooper Flammang. “It’s another way for us to build each other up and go for the same common goal.”
Each of them differs in personality and skill set, but their passion for the sport has kept them a package deal. There were times before high school when their talents took them in separate directions, but their paths have never fully diverged.
They’ve all played on varsity for three years and are poised for a fourth.
In 2024-25, the Flammang brothers contributed 24 points combined to Cardinal Mooney’s 108 total on the season. Quinn Flammang’s five goals were the most among the trio, while Cooper Flammang’s four assists bested both his brothers.
Mark Yencik was the leading point-getter for that team with 21, but he has since graduated. Cardinal Mooney does bring back a pair of top scorers, though, in senior
midfielder/forward Samuel Shamsey (nine goals) and senior striker/ forward Lance Lopez (seven goals).
“Making it farther in regionals and going to states is definitely a goal that we have, and I think that comes with just showing up to practice and giving 100%,” said midfielder/ defender Jackson Flammang. “Each year that we’ve been a part of the program, and as other kids have progressed, our team has gotten better.”
The Cougars boast a remarkable 16 seniors on their 25-deep squad for 2025-26. Experience is decidedly on their side in that regard.
Among those will be a crucial three — the Flammang brothers. In all likelihood, it will be the final time they ever compete as one.
“Soccer is a big part of our lives, and we love it a lot,” said midfielder/defender Quinn Flammang. “No matter where we end up in college — together or not — we’ll feel that drive just to stay in shape and have that competitive aspect still with us.”
ARMAND DIKRANIAN FACES TEST WITH REVAMPED ROSTER
Sarasota Christian girls (7-9-1 in 2024-25, missed state tournament)
The Blazers made a big-time move when they hired Armand Dikranian ahead of the 2024-25 season. He has the kind of credentials several coaches in the area would envy.
After playing for Fairfield men’s soccer of NCAA Division I, he worked as an assistant for Division II Bridgeport men’s soccer (2007-10) and Division II Southern Connecticut State women’s soccer (2011-12). His in-state experience dwarfs that resume. Dikranian went on to work assistant positions with South Florida women’s soccer (2012-13) and Florida State women’s soccer (2013-17).
During his time with the Seminoles, the program won the 2014 national championship, along with four consecutive ACC titles.
“Players at Florida State were on the path to being professional in soccer, and those that didn’t (go pro) got fantastic jobs upon graduating because they held remarkable leadership qualities and work ethic and commitment,” Dikranian said. “The aim here is the same thing for the girls ... we’re giving them values and skill sets to succeed in life.”
Sarasota Christian graduated six players from last year’s team. That pool of production is gone, so in its place, the group has welcomed nine new faces into its ranks — four of whom are freshmen.
Naturally, the first few weeks of practice have required the newcomers to adapt the habits and tactics that Dikranian instilled in his debut season.
That’s a process which will take time, but the standards won’t waver for anyone.
“We want to replicate that same Blazer way, and what it means is to work hard for each other and give it everything you’ve got,” Dikranian said. “Let everything out on the field and do the best we can, while also learning and being as organized as possible.”
Senior Haley Bolton will constitute a considerable part of the equation. Her leadership and scoring volume, per Dikranian, will be crucial if Sarasota Christian is to move in a positive direction.
Year-to-year adversity is inevitable. The Blazers chose Dikranian to manage such moments as this.
“We need players to step up and absorb more of a role, and they already have, so I’ve been happy in that regard,” Dikranian said. “But it seems to all look good until you’re tested.”
LEGGETT’S FOLLOW-UP TO A STELLAR SOPHOMORE EFFORT
Riverview girls (12-4-1 in 2024-25, reached 7A regional quarterfinals)
Exceptional seasons weren’t plentiful in the Sarasota area for 2024-25.
Some teams struggled just to make the state tournament.
Bronwyn Leggett stood out like a diamond in the rough.
In her sophomore campaign, she racked up 1,163 minutes in goal and made 79 saves. She registered a goals against average of 0.963 through 17 games played.
Leggett was one of the region’s most valuable players — bar none. And she’s just now beginning the latter half of her high school career.
Riverview is back-to-back district champions, but the road to a three-peat could be rockier than either of the past two. The squad lost its three leading scorers, who, according to coach Joe St. Onge, were also the top three scorers in program history.
Junior midfielder Emily Simone, who produced six goals and three assists as a sophomore, projects to be a major contributor. Sofia Sepulveda — a senior midfielder — will be
a crucial cog, too. But the Rams also have an intriguing midseason addition looming.
Sophia Oszlanczi is currently away from the team while training with the U17 Hungarian National Team.
The sophomore midfielder was called up in April, and won’t be available for Riverview to begin the campaign.
Still, there is a constant among all the moving pieces. Leggett will once again form a steel wall in net.
Jack Nelson is the sports reporter for the East County and Sarasota/Siesta Key Observers. Contact him at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.
Jack Nelson
Senior midfielder Sofia Sepulveda (10) embraces junior midfielder Emily Simone (16), with junior midfielder Colette Maute (6) and sophomore midfielder Mia Alexander (12) joining in on the celebration. Riverview girls’ soccer enters the 2025-26 season as back-to-back district champions.
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Dru Hershberger
Dru Hershberger outdid herself in more ways than one last weekend.
The freshman set two new personal bests in the 200-meter and 500-meter freestyles at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship on Oct. 25. Her 5:09.97 mark in the latter event won gold for Sarasota Christian girls’ swimming & diving, while a 2:01.35 in the former placed fourth. She also swims for Sarasota Sharks.
Producing the only gold medal for Sarasota Christian at the postseason meet, Dru Hershberger is the Sarasota Athlete of the Week.
When and why did you start swimming?
I started swimming when I was 6 (years old) because my dad (Benji Hershberger) wanted me to do a sport, and that was what he did when he was little.
On any given day, what do you enjoy most about getting in the pool?
I like it because it’s kind of hot and it’s just a good way to cool off. And it’s fun to swim, and I just feel really good after I do it.
What’s been the highlight of the high school season for you so far?
Districts last weekend, because I went best times in both of my events and I made it to regionals in all my
What were your goals entering your freshman season with Sarasota
I just wanted to be a leader on my team and maybe get some best times. But I
A LETTER FROM NICK VANDENBREKEL, OWNER OF ORION SKY CHARTERS
If you would like to make a recommendation for the Sarasota Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Jack Nelson at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.
already have, so I’ve kind of met my goals.
With the postseason now underway, what’s been your recent focus in practice and preparing for competition?
Just to train and get ready for upcoming meets, really.
When you’re not swimming, how do you like to spend your free time?
I like to read and I like to bake — cookies and cupcakes.
What’s one quote or piece of wisdom that you live your life by? “If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not trying hard enough.”
If you could go anywhere in the world right now for a dream vacation, where would you go and why?
Hawaii. I like the beach, and it’s beachy. I also like snorkeling, and it’s got good coral reefs to snorkel.
What is your favorite book series? I like the Harry Potter books. Those are very good.
If you were stuck on a desert island with only one item to survive, what would you bring and why?
I’d bring my family because they could help me survive. And I would bring a tent, maybe.
What’s your favorite meal?
Dessert.
What’s your go-to hype music at practices or meets?
I like fast music. I don’t really care about the genre, just as long as it’s fast and it’s got motivational lyrics.
Finish this sentence.
Dru Hershberger is ... Resilient.
As the owner and founder of Orion Sky Charters, I am proud of our partnership with The Observer as this year’s sponsor of the “It’s Read Everywhere” Contest. When I started Orion, my mission was clear: to connect people with extraordinary destinations while leaving zero carbon impact. Today, we are one of the very few private air charter services operating at net zero emissions.
From your first call to wheels-up, our private flight experience is built for simplicity, speed, and service. Whether you’re planning a business trip or a spontaneous island getaway, Orion and its sister charter Key West Executive Air Charters makes every journey feel personal, pet-friendly, and completely stress free.
We offer 24/7 concierge support, pet friendly options, and seamless personalized travel - wherever you are headed.
This partnership with The Observer was more than sponsorship - it was a celebration of stories, connection, and a shared vision for a sustainable future. I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you.
Warm Regards and Blue Skies, Nick VandenBrekel
Owner, Orion Sky Charters
A century well-lived
Plymouth Harbor resident reflects on a life filled with philanthropy.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Carol Siegler comes from a longlived family.
However, when asked for advice on longevity, the centenarian urges people to look for something greater than themselves.
Another quality that runs in Carol’s family is her interest in building community, and it’s something that she has worked to instill in her three daughters, Meg Callahan, Jan Kliger and Kim Shaffer.
On Oct. 23, Siegler celebrated her 100th birthday, with festivities taking place across three days and involving her community of Plymouth Harbor.
“I would recommend it,” she said of turning 100. “I would recommend it if you’re feeling all right and you have your wits about you. And I have devoted children who make sure that I don’t miss a step.”
Siegler calls her home of Plymouth Harbor “a very giving kind of a community.”
She has lived there for about 10 years, having previously lived in L’Ambiance at Longboat Key.
SERVICE IN SARASOTA
Siegler’s philanthropic work in Sarasota is inseparable from that of her husband, Mort Siegler, who died in 2018 at the age of 95, and is known for supporting numerous organizations alongside her.
Carol says one of her proud accomplishments is providing the capability for Temple Emanu-El, where she is a member, to livestream its services and other events.
She established the program alongside Mort a few years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and says it filled an important need for people who were older or not able to access the services.
“I set that up in the temple so that on Friday night, you could sit home and listen to good Shabbat,” she said.
The initial gift from the Sieglers allowed the temple to purchase equipment and cameras and subscribe to a livestreaming service, which Rabbi Elaine Glickman says made it the first Jewish congregation in Sarasota to offer livestreaming.
Her husband, Rabbi Brenner Glickman, said he was initially worried the service would discourage people from attending in person if it was raining or there were other obstacles.
However, he realized it was “absolutely” worth investing in when he saw what it meant to the congregation.
GROWING UP IN CUBA
Siegler’s parents, Charles and Wilma Shapiro, moved to Cuba from Brooklyn, New York, in 1920, with Charles opening a textile factory and a department store, Los Precios Fijosin, in Havana.
Their other children were Jeffrey Shapiro and Dorothy Tanenbaum.
Both Wilma and Charlie helped provide business opportunities to Jewish refugees from Europe so they could earn a living in Cuba.
“They were like, I would say, the foot soldiers for those people that ended up in Cuba,”
Carol said. “My parents’ home was always like a safe haven, and they were respected for it.”
Men would begin selling coffee, and women who had never held a needle before would become seamstresses, Carol said.
“It was an interesting time. And my parents were always there,” she said.
Siegler said the refugees would not be permitted on the island without paying fees, noting the American Jewish Committee in New York City would send the necessary money.
During the initial unrest of the Cuban Revolution, Charles stood by his businesses, but the family had to flee in 1960, while the store burned to the ground and the family’s financial assets expropriated.
“They were ‘down with the Americans,’ and a lot of nefarious things were going on, and you had to be out of there if you were anything but a Cuban,” Carol said.
The family made it to the United States with nothing, although she says that friendships her parents had formed in the past helped them find a new start.
“It was too bad, because my dad really worked so hard for everything that he was able to develop, and then lost it all,” she said. “It’s something you have to learn in life, is to be able to pick yourself up and start over again, and if you have good friends that you’ve helped over the years, they’re bound to come back and help you, which is exactly what happened.”
“Surround yourself with really nice people, people that are involved, people that see life as bigger than themselves.”
Siegler
Carol
He said virtual attendance skyrocketed during the pandemic, while after the pandemic, attendance returned to normal levels, but with a nearly equal number of people attending online every week.
In 2021, the temple received the Siegler Family Virtual Fund, which continually funds the project. Today, it has four cameras instead of one, and a technician who monitors the sound and the camera angles.
He said the gift has been especially meaningful for those who are sick or disabled, and he says when people attend through livestream, they don’t feel as if they are watching a video, but feel present, as they worship and offer prayer with the congregation.
“It was a transformative gift of philanthropy that Carol did for our congregation, for our community and for thousands and thousands of people who attend every year,” he said.
She and Mort also served in other roles in the community, including supporting arts organizations and
serving as guardians ad litem for children in the court system who had been removed from their homes.
They were involved extensively with the American Jewish Committee, for which Carol currently serves on the national board.
“I find that they are able to be very helpful in difficult situations, when Jews are involved in worldly affairs, and they are a very well-known national organization. Well, actually it’s international,” Carol said.
One area in which she and Mort were instrumental was in helping to create the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, said Brian Lipton, the director of AJC West Coast Florida.
“I say every day with Carol Siegler is a job interview,” Lipton said.
“You’ve got to be on your game, and she is a wonderful person to work with, because even at 100, she has great suggestions and great ideas, and it is amazing. She always has, and she’s always been generous in sharing her suggestions with me and with other staff.”
At 100, Carol says she’s in good health.
“I guess I had a healthy body to begin with, and that has seen me through, because I eat everything,” she said. “There isn’t anything that I’m not able to eat, and I don’t see a doctor from one year to the other.”
However, she still has some advice for those who wish to live a long life.
“Surround yourself with really nice people, people that are involved, people that see life as bigger than themselves,” she said.
Ian Swaby
Carol Siegler sits with her greatgrandson, Miles Dadosky, 4.
Fur-ightfully cute costumes
Building a time machine is no small feat. However, Kristin Goddard was willing to undertake the task as she and her dog Stella returned to Dog-A-Ween this year on Oct. 24, dressed as Doc Brown and Marty McFly from “Back to the Future.”
As she stood before the judges, Goddard said that the costume, which included a wagon converted into a DeLorean, took about six hours to put together.
Ultimately, she claimed the first place slot in the contest, which the Sarasota Downtown Merchants Association hosts each year at the Sarasota Farmers Market, and supports the shelter Donte’s Den in Myakka City.
City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, who has repeatedly served as a judge at the event, noted that it supports the downtown merchants and restaurants.
“This is one of my favorite events all year, and you can just see the enthusiasm. It’s just really, really cute, and I enjoy it very, very much,” she said.
Naomi Bentley and her dog, Fig, came dressed as Lilo and Stitch.
Alysia Santos and her dogs, Scarlett and Gracie, dress in costumes inspired by “Wicked” and claimed seventh place.
Michele Strauss brought her cat, Felix, in a gumball machine costume.
Brenda Whitehouse walks with Teddy in “Where’s Waldo” costumes.
Kim Police’s dog, Capri, came dressed as his favorite toy, a sunflower.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Mushu and Emmett dress as Kermit and Fozzie, while Teagan Nickols dresses as Miss Piggy, claiming eighth place.
FRIDAY, OCT. 31
GATOR CLUB HALLOWEEN PARTY
6-11:59 p.m. at The Gator Club and Lemon Avenue, 1490 Main St. Free.
The Gator Club hosts its annual block party with live music, food and drinks, and costumes encouraged. Visit SarasotaFL.gov.
SIESTA KEY SAFE TREATS
3-6 p.m. at various businesses.
(See website for listing.) Free. Bring little ones for trick-or-treating at different Siesta Key businesses. Participating businesses will be displaying festive balloons. Visit SiestaKeyChamber.com.
HALLOWEEN AT THE RINGLING
4:30-7:30 p.m. at 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Free.
The Ringling invites the community for a safe and familyfriendly Halloween event. Come in costume to trick-or-treat in the museum courtyard, with guides highlighting “not-too-spooky” paintings in the galleries, a seek and find adventure, and noncandy prizes. A food truck and art-making will take place in the Museum of Art circle. The event benefits All Faiths Food Bank. Visit Ringling.org.
SATURDAY, NOV. 1
FERRARIS ON THE CIRCLE
BEST BET FRIDAY, OCT. 31
FRIGHT NIGHT ON ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE
6-8:30 p.m. at St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive.
Free. This Halloween event for all ages returns for its 17th year, as storefronts along St. Armands Circle are decorated for Halloween, with adults and children trick-or-treating throughout the circle and special characters present. Retailers and restaurants will be offering candy, games and promotions. Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc. com.
THE GRINCH IS COMING TO SARASOTA
ing your culture,” came into play. Held Oct. 24 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, the event featured a rock ’n’ roll aesthetic while welcoming Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, to the role of board chair and honoring the departing Chair Joe Hembree, broker at Hembree & Associates.
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 300 Madison Drive, Suite 201. Free. Ferrari of Tampa Bay brings this event featuring new, vintage and rare Ferraris to St. Armands Circle. A minimum donation of $25 is requested to show a vehicle. Proceeds benefit Flight to the North Pole, a charity that provides support to terminally ill children and their families in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
OFF THE PAGE:
PUBLISHING DAY
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. A series of events held throughout the day at Selby Library will explore different aspects of the publishing process including publishing routes, first pages, author headshots and others. It is part of the Off the Page literary celebration hosted by Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
10:30-11:30 a.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Free The Grinch is arriving early this year. Enjoy exploring The Bazaar as it is transformed into Whoville. Earn the chance to win tickets to the Grinch’s show The Van Wezel. Shop from over 40 local creators and artisans, and enjoy food from Hamlet’s Eatery. Visit HamletsEatery.com.
VERY MERRY JERRY DAY
4-9 p.m. (Music starts at 5 p.m.) at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court. Free. This ode to the music and culture of the Grateful Dead, one of Fogartyville’s most popular events, will feature performances by Old Man Down, Uncle John’s Band, and Foolish Quartet (members of Ship of Fools), as well as vendors and food trucks. Visit WSLR.org.
SATURDAY, NOV. 1
TO SUNDAY, NOV. 2
EAT, DRINK & SHOP BY THE BAY
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Drive. Free. Visit J.D. Hamel Park for food, drinks, and shopping. Enjoy delicious treats, sip on refreshing beverages, and browse through unique items from local vendors. Visit SarasotaFL.gov.
Chamber rocks on
According to Heather Kasten, president and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, the past year has been “one for the record books.” She highlighted the chamber’s five-star accreditation and record participation in its programs including CareerEdge, Leadership Sarasota and its summer internships.
Addressing the crowd in a denim jacket, she said that was where the theme of the 105th Annual Chamber Meeting, “rock-
•
F
rom the progenitors of Rock and Roll in the 1940s, through the glory years of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, up until MTV in the early ‘80s, NEIL BERG’S
Fittingly, the keynote speaker was Jim Knight, a 21-year head of global training and development with Hard Rock International.
He told companies that they should behave like a nonprofit for “every single person that walks through the door,” to build their company’s culture.
He emphasized culture as more fundamental to success than products and distinct from concepts like heritage.
“The true path to Nirvana has definitely been people that have three C’s, all three C’s — confidence, character and culture fit,” he said. “They are the amplifier.”
“It is such an honor to be here and to be accepting the role of board chair for this historic chamber,” Rominiecki said. “What a privilege it is to build upon its 105-year legacy, along with our incredible board, and amazing staff, in order to cultivate Sarasota’s prosperity and quality of life through our member businesses.”
She said the board had built upon its three-year strategic plan and had several new initiatives ahead, including an umbrella of new offerings for its businesses centered on building, investment and growth, and more internships than ever before, with a total of 50 internships.
— IAN SWABY
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The keynote speaker was Jim Knight, who led global training for Hard Rock International for two decades.
Heather Kasten stands with incoming board Chair Jennifer Rominiecki.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Anatoly Lebedev showcases pictures he’s taken to Joan Leonard and Chelsea Bradshaw of Suncoast Blood Centers.
PET PICS
Have photos of your
A two-property sale on Big Pass Lane tops sales at $3 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Richard Dewey King Jr. and Janice Rosemary King, of Westport, Connecticut, sold two properties at 137 Big Pass Lane to 137 Big Pass Lane LLC for $3 million. The first property was built in 2006 and has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,020 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1993 and has one bedroom, one bath and 466 square feet of living area. They sold for $2.35 million in 2020.
SARASOTA MARK SARASOTA
Peter Charles Simmet and Mary Clare Simmet, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 804 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to Kevin Killips and Cynthia Gizzo-Killips, of Hinsdale, Illinois, for $1.26 million. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,513 square feet of living area. It sold for $874,100 in 2019.
FISHERMAN’S BAY
Peter and Ashley Burroughs, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8871 Fishermans Bay Drive to Robert and Kimberly Disilvio, of Sarasota, for $1,114,500. Built in 1989, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,214 square feet of living area. It sold for $769,000 in 2015.
PHILLIPPI LANDINGS
Carlos Santana, of Venice, sold his Unit 403 condominium at 5591 Cannes Circle to James and Christina Mangie, of Sarasota, for $746,700. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,706 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,400 in 2021.
SCHINDLERS
Steven and Janelle Mosher, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1775 Eighth St. to Jodi Riching, trustee, of Sarasota, for $735,000. Built in 1985, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,099 square feet of living area. It sold for $248,000 in 2017.
SIESTA KEY
HARMONY
Hamed Elmahdi Abouzeid and Laila Hadi Abouzeid, of Sarasota, sold their home at 512 Treasure Boat Way to Kurt Bollman Dunteman and Angela Marie Dunteman, of
Other top sales by area
SARASOTA: $1.85
MILLION
Cherokee Park
Phyllis Pare, trustee, sold two properties at 1713 North Drive to Thomas and Penelope Forshaw, of Sarasota, for $1.85 million. The first property was built in 1953 and has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,827 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1981 and has one bedroom, one bath and 400 square feet of living area. They sold for $820,000 in 2013.
PALMER RANCH:
$1.3 MILLION
Legacy Estates on Palmer Ranch
Ruben Lodeiro and Nora Santilli De Lodeiro, trustees, of Fernandina Beach, sold the home at 5341 Greenbrook Drive to Brandon and Theresa Harper, of Sarasota, for $1.3 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-
half baths and 2,868 square feet of living area. It sold for $791,900 in 2017.
OSPREY: $625,000
The Woodlands at Rivendell
Michael Mattina, of Ontario, Canada, sold his home at 644 Rivendell Blvd. to Anna Maria Reyes Agnew, of Sarasota, for $625,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,298 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2007.
NOKOMIS: $1,013,000
Mission Valley Estates
Michael and Carla Smith, of Nokomis, sold their home at 1901 Mission Valley Blvd. to Alexis Hone and Charles Hines, of Nokomis, for $1,013,000. Built in 1965, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,075 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,000 in 2021.
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
Trabuco Canyon, California, for $2.65 million. Built in 1979, it has four bedrooms, four-and-twohalf baths, a pool and 5,078 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.39 million in 2021.
SIESTA KEY BEACH
RESIDENCES
Mandana Beteiligungs GMBH sold the Unit 503 condominium at 915 Seaside Drive to MCI Miritz Citrus Intercontinental LLC for $2.25 million. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,825 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.59 million in 2022.
FISHERMAN’S COVE
Phillip and Linda Stone, of Wadsworth, Ohio, sold their Unit 208 condominium at 9000 Blind Pass Road to Sim Fam Properties LLC for $903,000. Built in 1968, it
has two bedrooms, two baths and 969 square feet of living area. It sold for $795,000 in 2022.
PALMER RANCH
VILLAGEWALK
Marvin and Elyse Diamond, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5521 Bilbao Place to Gisele Pelaprat, trustee, of Sarasota, for $680,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,521 square feet of living area. It sold for $313,800 in 2001.
The Cherokee Park home at 1713 N. Drive was built in 1953 and has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,827 square feet of living area. It sold along with another property at the same address for $1.85 million.
Ian Swaby
A proud moment
Zee Machine, also known as Joe Bissell, said not everyone has been as lucky as he was, growing up in a household where he never felt he had to hide his membership in the LGBTQ+ community.
The Los Angeles-based musician, who headlined the Gulfcoast Pride Festival, said he hoped to convey that experience through his music, known for its pop-rockelectronic combination.
“I think that kind of like, openness comes through the music, and I’m hoping that maybe it will rub off on people who may not have felt that growing up,” he said.
Project Pride hosted Sarasota’s largest Pride event on Oct. 25, renamed the Gulfcoast Pride Festival this year after the organization merged with Manatee Pride for the celebration.
The event featured live performances, food from local restaurants, and a vendor market with more than 100 vendors.
Tom Edwards, Project Pride’s executive director as of August, also said while the organization has done an “amazing” job serving as a social organization, it is also looking to expand its reach.
“The board was forward-thinking enough that they knew that we were moving into an era that required more civic engagement, community building, community programming that really helped build large coalitions of community to help us organize and get the government we deserve,” he said.
Nonetheless, he said that day was a celebratory occasion recognizing the progress the LGBTQ+ movement has made, and a chance for those who have faced bullying or peer pressure to be “out and proud.”
“It’s also to build community with our allies, and to show, with our allies, that we’re just like everybody else,” he said. “We have the same values, we have the same care for community, the same love for our higher powers, however we worship, but our only difference is how we love.”
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby Charles Herwig, his partner, Ty Knightingale, and their dog, Bronco, walk the vendor market.
Headlining artist Zee Machine, left, of Los Angeles, poses with Atune.
Kay Mount gets a little tangled in the banner, but is still having fun anyway.
Jordan Sacks, Brooke Strickland and Coast hang out at the event.
“JM GEN ECZG VWHI XDW AEETB XDHX WSWVGECW WZBW JB VWHIJCF, GEN RHC ECZG XDJCT UDHX WSWVGECW WZBW JB XDJCTJCF.”
MEGA FREESTYLE 2 by Rafael Musa, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
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