Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 6.12.25

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

Observer

Seniors with Pride

PAGE 8B

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

VOLUME 21, NO. 18

YOUR TOWN

Condos pitched for Mound Developer plans 7-story housing project across from Selby Gardens. SEE PAGE 6A

SIESTA SPRUCE UP Ian Swaby

Fleeting beauty

The Queen of the Night flower blooms only once a year, but when they received notice from Selby Gardens, the Medina family jumped on the opportunity to witness it that night.

Dan Medina (above), his wife, Kim Medina, and daughter, Elizabeth Medina (above), 8, were among the many who set up lawn chairs to watch the blooms slowly open, walking around them to admire and photograph them.

The free event took place at the live oak in front of Selby Gardens’ botany building, on which the flower is located, and featured food by the Michael’s On East Food Truck.

The flower belongs to selenicereus, a genus of cactus found in Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America.

Dana Kampa

Carol Smith, Susan Rini and Diann Brown help out with cleanup at Siesta Beach during World Ocean Day on Sunday.

Courtesy image

Early Childhood Education Director Laura Freedman

Volunteers come out for World Ocean Day cleanup. SEE PAGE 14A

Temple leader receives honor Recently, The Gan at Temple Sinai, an educational center that serves kids up through pre-kindergarten, received national recognition when Early Childhood Education Director Laura Freedman was honored with the Person of Valor Award for the 2024-25 school year.

Presented annually by Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism, the award honors professionals deemed as demonstrating “exceptional innovation, advocacy and dedication to young children and their families.” It gives the award each year at its annual conference.

Freedman said she was “deeply honored and humbled to receive this recognition.”

Locks on the docks Sarasota County halts charter boat licensing plan.

SEE PAGE 3A

$0.10

Courtesy image

Jennifer Miller with a catch on charter with Capt. AJ Grande, who operates a six-passenger fishing vessel inshore and near-shore in Sarasota Bay and the Gulf.

A+E

The woman who would be king.

PAGE 15A

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2025

Chamber is finalist for national honor

“I’m a taxpaying citizen. You’re telling me I can’t use my ramp? What does it matter whether I’m putting five of my friends on board or I’m putting a charter on board?”

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives has named The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce as a finalist for its 2025 Chamber of the Year award. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the association has some 1,600 chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations as members, representing more than 9,000 professionals in the industry.

According to a news release, the award is the most prestigious and competitive in the chamber industry, recognizing excellence in operations, member service and community leadership, according to a news release.

Chamber of the Year winners will be announced on July 23, during the association’s awards show at its annual convention in Philadelphia.

Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists, which are all interviewed by a panel of experienced chamber professionals.

Sightseeing boat Capt. Danielle Nutten. Read more on page 3A

BY THE NUMBERS $575,000

The private investment goal for fiscal year 2025, plus a 50% match from the county, for the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County PAGE 4A

66

Residential units planned for 777 South Palm Condominiums across from Selby Gardens on Mound Street PAGE 6A

50

Volleyball players who were at Sarasota High coach Emma Thrift’s first summer camp PAGE 13B

CALENDAR

n Sarasota Development

Review Committee — 9 a.m., Wednesday, June 18, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

Courtesy photo

The Ness House, on Sanderling Road on Siesta Key, is considered a landmark example of the design style referred to as the Sarasota School of Architecture.

Famed architect-designed home for sale A

Siesta Key home designed by iconic architect Tim Seibert is now on the market for an asking price of $5.3 million.

Seibert, who died in 2018 at the age of 91, is credited with designing some of the area’s most distinctive buildings.

Throughout his career, Seibert racked up accolades such as being named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and winning the AIA Test of Time award multiple times, including his work on the MacDonald House on Siesta Key, the Cooney

House on St. Armands Key and Bayport Beach and Tennis Club on Longboat Key. The Ness House, on Sanderling Road on Siesta Key, is considered a landmark example of the Sarasota School design. Built in 1958 and renovated in 1971, the Ness House, at 7647 Sanderling Road, sits on nearly an acre with 135 feet of waterfront overlooking Heron Lagoon.

The 4,006-square-foot home is minimalist throughout. Indooroutdoor spaces transition seamlessly, and white tile floors are

throughout the home.

While built in the 1950s and renovated in the 1970s, the home is modern throughout and engineered with a poured concrete method developed by builder John Lambie. There are four bedrooms, three full baths and two partial baths.

The property last sold in 2014 for $1.75 million, according to county tax records. The median home sales price then was about $200,000. The current median for the region is about $470,000 for a single-family home.

County job fair will emphasize veterans With a special emphasis on hiring veterans, Sarasota County government will host a job fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 19, at the Sarasota County Administration Building at 1660 Ringling Blvd.

The job fair will feature a dedicated recruiting hour for veterans from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by general admission for the public until 3 p.m.

Sarasota County’s Human Resources team and hiring managers across multiple departments will be on-site to speak with, screen and interview qualified candidates for a variety of open positions. Veterans and other job seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes and be prepared for in-person interviews.

For more information about job opportunities and the county’s commitment to veterans, visit SCGov. net/Jobs.

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TABS

W HAT ’S HAPPENING

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

3A

CHARTER

HARDER County pauses commercial boat permit program for use of public docks and launches.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

S

arasota County is suspending its plans to implement a licensing

program to control access for charter fishing and sightseeing boats to public parks with water access.

At its June 4 meeting, the Sarasota County Commission unanimously agreed when some of its boat launch and tie-up facilities have damage or out of commission, one for at least the next two years, now is not the time to place further restrictions on charter operators.

It’s been a long-simmering issue of private charters using public county docks and launches to pick up and drop off customers. Not to mention filling up limited parking spaces at the parks.

In April 2024, the commission approved the creation of a task force to study the issue and recommend a licensing process for the use of public facilities.

In September 2024, the task force presented a plan for a bidding process, starting at $1,200 each, for a total of 124 permits across three “zones” with a limit of two permits per operator per zone.

The North Zone, which includes Turtle Beach Public Boat Ramp and Nora Patterson Bay Island Park, would issue 37 permits; the MidCounty Zone, including Nokomis Beach Public Boat Ramp, Nokomis Beach Park and Loreto Court Bay Access 48 permits; and the South Zone, comprised of Snook Haven Park, Indian Mound Park and Marina Park and Boat Ramp 39 permits.

The commission approved the plan by a 4-1 vote, instructing staff to craft an ordinance to be considered at a future public hearing. The program does not include municipally owned parks that provide water access for boats.

Then came the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, leaving not only damage to many of the county-owned docks, bulkheads and ramps, but also temporarily leaving the charter fishing and sightseeing tour industry in shambles.

Fewer access points result from damage to or closure of several other city and privately owned facilities — including Harts Landing under the Ringling Bridge.

“I think we can delay the process a little bit for our fishermen, our charter captains in the com-

“The problem is the community’s inability to meet the demand of the lifestyle it is selling to new residents.”

— Capt. Danielle Nutten

Capt. Danielle Nutten with her dogs, Delilah and Murphy, on her sightseeing charter boat.

SARASOTA COUNTY WATER ACCESS PARKS Current conditions at parks with hurricane-damaged boat launches, docks and bulkheads.

TURTLE BEACH PARK: Listed as a project within the designbuild agreement for North Beach Parks.

Capt. AJ Grande operates a six-passenger fishing vessel inshore and nearshore in Sarasota Bay and the Gulf.

NORA PATTERSON BAY ISLAND PARK: Approximately 50% of the sea wall was impacted. Listed as a project within the design-build agreement for North Beach parks.

NOKOMIS BEACH PUBLIC BOAT RAMP: Finalizing design contracts. Earliest construction date projected late 2026, dependent on funding.

NOKOMIS BEACH PARK BULKHEAD: Currently closed and expected to be closed for approximately two-and-a-half years. Area is being used as staging and material offloading for the Casey Key Road project. Nokomis Beach Park is listed as a project site within the design-build agreement for South Beach parks.

LORETO COURT BAY ACCESS: Small boat launch with limited parking and within a neighborhood.

SNOOK HAVEN PARK: Use requires carrying capacity study as Myakka River is Florida’s first state-designated wild and scenic river. Capital improvement project and potential acquisition.

INDIAN MOUND PARK: Use has significantly increased because it is the closest boat ramp in Charlotte County.

Listed as a project site within the design-build agreement for South County Parks.

Courtesy images

personal boats there had nowhere to park their vehicles.

Thus the impetus to license — and therefore limit — charter operators.

The problem, Nutten said, is the community’s inability to meet the demand of the lifestyle it is selling to new residents.

“Some days, Tuesday through Friday, it’s completely dead, but then on the weekends, everyone wants to use their boats,” Nutten said. “We’re selling this boating lifestyle here, and then there’s no place for them to go. Where are you going to keep your boat? The marinas are all sold out.

There are very few lots where you can store your boats, so you’re going to have to keep it on a trailer, and then you’re going to have to launch it. What’s available for you?”

A SHOW OF GRACE

munity, and to allow your staff and your capital projects team to do what they do,” said commission Chairman Joe Neunder after receiving a status report on the docks and launches from Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Nicole Rissler.

AN UNMET DEMAND

How long a “little bit” of a delay in implementing a licensing program is unclear. Commissioner Mark Smith suggested at least six months, but no time frame is in place on bringing the matter back to the commission.

Meanwhile, captains of larger charter boats and the so-called “six packs” — watercraft limited to six occupants — are finding increasingly crowded conditions at the city, county and private facilities that remain open, some not yet operating at prior capacity.

“Thousands of people a day are looking online in this area for charters,” said Danielle Nutten, who owns Osprey-based Salty Adventure Boat Tours and its four boats. “You have to understand what that need is because all of those businesses, all of these little six-pack charters, they need a place to pick up people. When I came through Big Pass (recently), there were no less than 10 boats sitting in the pass tarpon fishing.”

Already popular prior to 2020, the pandemic launched local charter boat tourism to greater heights, bringing more operators to take advantage of the spike in Florida visitors. That placed more strain on the public facilities and, most significantly, parking space. As more operators brought more customers to limited docks, residents visiting the parks or hoping to launch their

While charter captains remain in recovery mode after months of lost business following the 2024 hurricanes, the county works at the speed of government to regain its previous limited water access capacity.

“Most of our water access parks definitely took a beating last fall, and we are working diligently on how to get them up and operational,” Rissler told commissioners.

For example: ■ Nokomis Beach Park boat ramp is open, but erosion issues remain as relocated sand has shallowed some of the water there. Closures are imminent when mitigation work there gets underway.

■ The Nokomis bulkhead is currently closed and unavailable for at least two years, as it serves as the staging area for the reconstruction of Casey Key Road.

■ Indian Mound Park boat ramp is open, but the park itself requires significant work. Water access closures in Charlotte County exacerbate the conditions there, moving much of that traffic north into southern Sarasota County.

■ Turtle Beach boat ramp is open and operational, but is seeing additional traffic with Midnight Pass now open. “Adding a permit program there probably is not the best idea right now,” Rissler said.

■ Finally, Nora Patterson Park is operational, but the eastern bulkhead is closed because of undermining.

“It’s time to now show grace to this industry that’s such an important part of our economy and represents so many small businesses that put their food on the table by this very valuable industry,” Sherman Baldwin, a member of the advisory task

force who also owns and operates Harts Landing, told commissioners. “Delay it for a moment. Give us a chance to breathe. Harts Landing is going to be three years on. Let’s delay anything that would further hurt the industry.”

23,000 REGISTERED BOATS

Navigating the post-hurricane charter boat challenges requires some patience and cooperation among the captains. AJ Grande, who owns Grande Charter Fishing, is a singleboat, six-pack operator who largely uses Nora Patterson Park off Siesta Key to pick up and return customers.

Even with reduced access, he said he finds Nora Patterson is manageable, but only if captains are sensitive to the needs of their colleagues.

“Everyone has gotten a little more respectful of the small pick-up dock as opposed to what it used to be with people tying up for 15 or 20 minutes while waiting on their customers or filleting fish there,” Grande said. “It seems like people are a little more mindful and filet their fish (elsewhere in the park) or idle around until customers are ready to be picked up instead of tying off and waiting.”

Grande doesn’t rely only on Nora Patterson Park, and once the county does implement the licensing program, he has an alternative plan.

“I’ve already figured out different places I can pick up, like New Pass Bait Shop (on City Island), for example,” he said. “I’ve already got that lined up, so I can pick up my clients there.”

For Nutten, the access limitations run far beyond inconvenience of charter operators. In 2023, there were more than 23,000 registered boat owners in Sarasota County, with even larger numbers in Manatee and Charlotte counties.

A majority of them, she said, will trailer their boats not only from within the county, but from inland as well.

Add to that the need for boat manufacturers and repair companies that need to float test watercraft, Jet Ski rental companies and others — all jockeying for limited launch access and trailer parking.

And now, with eventually a limit of 124 charter operator permits, a crucial component of the local tourism industry will face additional challenges.

“I’m a taxpaying citizen,” she said.

“You’re telling me I can’t use my ramp? What does it matter whether I’m putting five of my friends on board or I’m putting a charter on board?”

Charter customer Jennifer Miller hauls in a catch aboard Capt. AJ Grande’s charter boat, along with her husband, Daryl Miller, and Walker Grande.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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uring the years-long protracted debate over whether Sarasota County should be levying a business tax to help fund the work of the county’s Economic Development Corp., a lot of four-letter words were likely uttered under people’s breath.

Since the commission approved canceling the business tax and replacing the potential lost revenue with a 50-cent match on each private dollar raised by the EDC, a different four-letter word has raised concerns about the contract between the parties going forward — dues.

At its June 3 meeting, the County Commission heard from Director of Community and Intergovernmental Relations of Government Rob Lewis about a unique request: to extend the current agreement for economic development services with the EDC for a period not to exceed 120 days to clear up the language in the ongoing writing of the contract for fiscal year 2026.

The commission unanimously approved the extension.

The current agreement is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The extension won’t impact the EDC’s or the county’s fiscal 2026 budget, as the organization is submitting a flat budget with no changes from the current year’s spending plan of $1.82 million.

The use of the word “dues” in the pact is problematic because the EDC doesn’t collect dues in the traditional sense. Rather, it solicits private investment from companies in varying amounts with clear definition for the matching funds to be released.

“The word ‘dues’ has been the most problematic, as I understand it, with the EDC leadership. Their finance structure, their dues structure, is different than what we might think of as a chamber of commerce dues structure,” said Vice Chair Ron Cutsinger, who is also the commis-

Andrew Warfield

sion’s representative on the EDC Board of Directors. “There’s a lot of different levels of investment that can happen that goes toward the benefit of the EDC and their work for us, but the word dues has been a little bit of a challenge.”

Lewis blamed the snafu on the brief time staff had between the commission’s approval of the contract structure on June 4, 2024, and its July due date to be included in the current fiscal year’s budget.

The EDC’s current fiscal year goal for private investment is $575,000, which, if reached, will generate $287,500 in matching county dollars. In its preliminary budget for the current fiscal year, the EDC budget included $472,421 in county business tax revenue, which it lost with the elimination of the tax, and $390,000 in private investment.

Reaching the increased investment goal, combined with the county match, will make the organization whole for the current fiscal year.

That’s not enough to satisfy Cutsinger, who was the lone dissenting vote in last year’s elimination of the business tax.

Before the vote, Cutsinger told EDC executives in the audience, “Go out and raise as much as you can.

Make us match $500,000.”

Sarasota County Director of Community and Intergovernmental Relations of Government Rob Lewis addresses the County Commission.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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Master plan helped lift downtown Sarasota from the Great Recession Commercial real estate broker John Harshman tells the update committee the downtown plan was the right strategy at the right time for downtown Sarasota.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

T

he evolution of downtown Sarasota since the mid-1990s mirrored that of urban areas across the country.

Suburban flight had left the core of the city blighted, its streets unsafe and, coming out of the Great Recession, the business district decimated with owners’ commercial buildings defaulting on loans as tenants’ businesses failed. Other than the historic neighborhoods that surround downtown — even those succumbing to rising crime and prostitution — residential presence in the downtown core was virtually nonexistent.

Those were some stories conveyed to the Sarasota Downtown Master Plan 2020 Update Committee at its May 28 meeting as involved residents who witnessed firsthand the transformation the strategy by New Urbanist Andres Duany brought to the city.

As a commercial real estate broker, John Harshman had a front-row seat to the decline and revival of the central business district.

“Downtown vacancies were high. Storefront vacancies were high. Retail rents were $5 and $6 a square foot, if you could find tenants,” Harshman told the committee of conditions in downtown as the recession was coming to an end in the mid-1990s. “The 1500 block was scary.”

There was one grocery store in downtown, he said — The Granary.

It was small — about 4,500 square feet — but it survived, and not necessarily for a good reason.

“It was successful,” Harshman said, “because all the customers utilized the always-available street parking, meaning there was nobody competing for that same street parking.”

Emerging from the recession, there was a glimmer of hope for downtown. The city was successful in securing federal grants for streetscape improvements alongside Main Street in the 1300 and 1400 blocks. It was mostly brick work and landscaping, but it communicated to the community, Harshman said, that the city government wanted downtown to survive and to be successful.

Around that same time, the popularity of suburban flight here and elsewhere began to wane as the most essential element of the downtown revival began to emerge … a demand for residential development. Business, corporate headquarters and commerce in general will follow residential, and Harshman found himself at ground zero of that movement.

Residential developer The Wynnton Group of Columbus, Georgia, one of Harshman’s clients, came to Sarasota with a plan to build an apartment building at the western edge of the Rosemary District near the corner of Boulevard of the Arts and Tamiami Trail.

“Their philosophy was that in order to revitalize the area, you have to bring people to it,” Harshman said.

The developer embarked on building the aptly named Renaissance Condominiums, although intended as rental apartments. That plan changed midstream.

“The phone kept ringing with people wanting to buy a condo there,” Harshman said. “After awhile, we had so much inquiry for condos that it was an indicator that people wanted to move back to the city.”

Many of the inquiries, he said, were from residents of Longboat Key seeking the active lifestyle that a more urban environment can provide. Eventually, the Wynnton Group relented to market demand and shifted to a condominium model.

Andrew Warfield

“The phone kept ringing with people wanting to buy a condo there. After awhile, we had so much inquiry for condos that it was an indicator that people wanted to move back to the city.”

— John Harshman

“That was really the realization that there was residential demand downtown, and this was happening all over the country,” Harshman said.

At 16 stories, The Renaissance was complete in 2001.

Duany and his firm of Duany-Plater-Zyberk were putting the finishing touches on the Downtown Master Plan 2020, the document that would bring the New Urbanism movement to downtown Sarasota. Among its recommendations was to simplify the city’s zoning code, which had 17 zoning classifications covering the downtown area.

“That’s a nightmare for redevelopment,” Harshman said, particularly for large-scale projects that may touch multiple zone districts.

“It was really fortuitous and timely that the city did bring Andres Duany into the picture. He brought in a whole new lexicon.”

More than the code, Harshman said Duany championed administrative approval throughout all five downtown zone districts, which has met with some criticism over the years that it removes the public from the process.

“He was appalled at Sarasota would have political wars over code details,” Harshman said. “He was a champion of administrative approval. If the project met the code, it should be approved administratively. If it did not meet the code or if the developer wanted some changes, then full public hearings would take place.

“The key, though, is having a good, complete and easily understood code.”

John Harshman was selling commercial real estate in downtown Sarasota when there was very little market, prior to the adoption of the current downtown master plan.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Developer plans condo complex across from Selby Gardens A development called 777 South Palm Avenue Condos is employing both the city’s attainable housing density bonus and transfer of development rights for a 66-unit building along Mound Street.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

A

Miami-area based developer is planning a seven-story condominium building on the site of the former Kodra Professional Center across Mound Street (U.S. 41) from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Unilog Group LLC had its initial appearance before the city’s Development Review Committee on June 4 for a project currently called 777 South Palm Avenue Condos. Located along Mound Street between Pineapple and Orange avenues, the development is the first to take advantage of both the city’s attainable housing inclusion bonus density and the new transfer of development rights program for the preservation of historic properties.

The proposed mixed-use development will include approximately 66 units, including five priced as attain-

Outlined in red is the proposed site of 777 South Palm Avenue Condos.

able per the city code. It will consist of one building varying in height up to seven stories with 17,946 square feet of retail space. It will feature a five-story podium used for parking integrated into the building.

The project site consists of three parcels totaling approximately 1.09 acres. Much of the site was once the Kodra Professional Center, a 56-year-old office building that was acquired in July 2024 for $5.5 million by a South Florida investment firm named Hollywood Moon Development.

Situated in the Downtown Edge zone and designated for Urban Edge Future Land Use, the property includes two single-tenant office buildings marked for demolition.

Residents’ amenities will include a gym, clubhouse and a swimming pool on the fourth floor. The proposed primary access points are along South Palm Avenue and South Orange Avenue.

The built density of 60 dwelling units per acre more than doubles the permitted base density of the Downtown Edge zoning district of 25 units per acre, but is far short of the available density of 100 units per acre permitted by the attainable housing bonus.

The transfer of development rights from a historic-designated property elsewhere in the downtown area will allow the project to exceed the fivestory limit in the Downtown Edge by two floors.

The developer has not disclosed from whom it is acquiring the development rights.

In January 2025, the Sarasota City Commission approved an ordinance to allow owners of historically significant properties in the downtown area to monetize their air rights by selling them developers of prop-

Courtesy images

A rendering by Adache Group Architects 777 South Palm along Mound Street.

erties in a receiving zone in one of the downtown zone districts. The premise is to preserve historic buildings by providing an opportunity to transfer by-right vertical space, thus preserving the scale of the historic property in perpetuity.

According to documents submitted to the city by land use consultant Kimley-Horn, the 777 South Palm Avenue Condos is compat-

ible with both the growth patterns of the surrounding area and nearby developments. These include Palm Place, located directly north of the site, a seven-story, 35-unit condominium built in 1987; and Embassy House, immediately west of the property across North Palm Avenue, an 18-story, 69-unit condominium built in 1975.

A rendering of 777 South Palm

by Adache Group Architects, planned along Mound Street between Pineapple and Orange avenues.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

OPINION

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

Investors are not hurting the housing market The lack of supply is the biggest culprit in housing climbing to unaffordable levels in the area.

CORPORATE LANDLORDS BUY ONLY A SLIVER OF U.S. HOMES

U

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Michael Harris, MHarris@YourObserver.com Staff Writers / Ian Swaby, ISwaby@ YourObserver.com; Andrew Warfield, AWarfield@YourObserver.com Sports Reporter / Vinnie Portell, VPortell@YourObserver.com Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Digital News Editor / Eric Garwood, EGarwood@YourObserver.com Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com Editorial Designer / Jenn Edwards, JEdwards@YourObserver.com A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com

ADRIAN MOORE AND ELIZA TERZIEV

nderstanding the origin of the current housing crisis is the key to solving it. While many policymakers have been busy drafting policies to expand supply and increase funding to affordable housing programs, some believe the real problem lies elsewhere: institutional investors in the market for single-family homes.

On the news, on social media, and even in legislatures, housing market speculators have been catching blame for high home prices. CBS Miami said earlier this year, “Finding an affordable home in Florida is becoming increasingly difficult for families as corporate investors buy up properties, driving prices up and limiting options for local buyers.” Even in Congress, several bills have been introduced to restrict investors from buying houses, and at least half-a-dozen states have seen similar legislation.

In Florida, despite calls for such restrictions, the Legislature has instead focused on passing several bills like the Live Local Act that make it easier to increase housing supply statewide.

There has been growth in the role of institutional investment in the housing market throughout the past 20 years, but speculation by major financial players is far from the primary culprit behind current sky-high home prices.

Lagging supply remains the largest driver of high housing costs. Rather than being a cause, persistent high prices in the housing market have attracted these investors who are aware of the major shortage.

When Jeff Bezos launched a new company to invest in buying rental properties, he pointed out that after years of housing supply not keeping up with demand, it was a sure investment. Stagnating supply and existing barriers to additional construction are what make entry into the housing market lucrative

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

Courtesy of John Burns Research and Consulting (through Bloomberg)

to investors. Should barriers be reduced, not only would prices fall, but it might spark a reduction in the presence of institutional investors.

So, Florida’s legislators are on the right path on housing.

Indeed, there is good reason not to be distracted by the issue of institution investors. Researchers at the Urban Institute categorize investors in the single-family home market as “mega investors” with over 1,000 units in diverse locations, “small investors” are those with between 100 and 1,000 units in diverse locations, and “local investors” are those that own over 100 units that are concentrated in one geographic area. The most common umbrella criterion that characterizes “institutional” is holding over 1,000 units.

These large investors first made a substantial appearance in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. In fact, before 2011, there were no investors that owned more than 1,000 units. After the housing market crash, investors anticipated a rebound and purchased thousands of foreclosed homes.

This counterbalanced the mass exit of individual homebuyers and propped up a cascading housing market. Without that infusion of capital, many of those homes would have been abandoned and whole neighborhoods gutted. Today, major investors only own about 2% of the total single-family housing stock in the United States, hardly the seeds of a crisis (see figure).

Those numbers are higher in some locations where the supply problem is most severe and investors see that local policies have created a market imbalance: Investors own 5% of single-family homes in the Miami area, 13% in the Orlando area and 15% in the Tampa area.

In those areas, some are worried that investment firms with massive

amounts of capital are outbidding individuals in the market and therefore driving up prices.

Further, they worry that through buying properties and renting them, institutional investors are detracting from the for-ownership supply and limiting homeownership opportunities for families.

The current stagnant housing market in Florida shows how oversimplified those arguments are.

A lot of things in the market have not worked consistently with that story. If investors buying up homes drives up prices, the natural market response would be to increase supply so that homebuilders could sell to both investors and families.

If supply keeps up with demand, prices won’t fluctuate much.

But while prices did increase, the expected subsequent supply expansion has had a more difficult time manifesting. Persistent regulatory barriers, including zoning restrictions, have made adjusting to the rise in demand in a cost-effective way difficult or even impossible in many places.

Investors see that and are likely to continue to invest in single-family homes.

So it is not the infusion of capital from investors that disrupts housing markets, it is local government policies that do not let supply keep up with demand. The increased involvement of investors in the housing market should be a wake-up call to policymakers.

Housing supply should be able to adjust to both the needs of the entire single-family rental and forownership sectors of the broader housing market.

Eliza Terziev is a policy analyst at Reason Foundation and a student at Florida State University, and Adrian Moore is vice president of the Reason Foundation and resides in Sarasota.

“The increased involvement of investors in the housing market should be a wake-up call to policymakers.

Housing supply should be able to adjust to both the needs of the entire single-family rental and for-ownership sectors of the broader housing market.”

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YourObserver.com

STAFF WRITER

B

y all appearances, the majority opinion of Sarasota’s Purple Ribbon Committee is leaning toward not repurposing the city’s primary performing arts venue should construction move forward for a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.

The committee is nearing the conclusion of its two-year mission to recommend a reuse of the 50-year-old Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall — if one at all — with it scheduled to submit a report to the City Commission by the end of June.

As members discussed elements of a draft report at its May 27 meeting, the panel appears to be favoring implementation of some elements of a recent study conducted

by Karins Engineering to protect the building from the elements and maintaining certain mechanical functions for the next five to seven years.

Afterward, with the lack of any interest expressed by local performing arts organizations to take over the building and given its proximity Sarasota Bay and the destruction of the 2024 hurricane season, the Van Wezel may have outlived its usefulness, based on the discussion.

“The highest and best use of that site, in my opinion, is as park and as buffer for storm surge,” said Robert Bunting, the committee’s climate scientist. “People have been talking about view corridors and seeing the bay. If you were going to build a building, you couldn’t have built a more blocking building as far as seeing the water. From the point of view of its functionality, the park and saving the park from the

Image courtesy of Rick Benitez

Mary Bensel has been executive director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for 17 years.

years under Bensel’s management, its fund balance is insufficient for spending $17 million on repairs recommended by Karins Engineering to keep the building at peak operational performance, including storm resiliency.

Bensel said the Van Wezel has never run a deficit in her years of managing it, and it has covered critical maintenance issues. An expenditure of $17 million, though, is not feasible.

“I’ve just been very fortunate that I’ve been able to book the right things for the last 17 years, but you don’t want to have no funds left over, so it would have to come out of a budget,” Bensel said of the Karins list of repairs. “The city also is tasked with significant budget factors because of the last hurricane, and right now every (department) director is going through an exercise of cutting.”

Building the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center is not yet an official certainty. The city and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation have postponed the signing of an implementation agreement on multiple occasions, most recently

as the foundation and architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop continue to work to pin down the exact location of the new PAC within The Bay park.

Once an implementation agreement is in place, the next phase of design work can begin.

Meanwhile, the Purple Ribbon Committee is attempting to strike a balance between the need to keep the Van Wezel operating optimally while the future of a new facility plays out. The opening paragraph of the Purple Ribbon Committee’s draft report, as read by Chairman Charles Cosler, reads: “The risk to the continuity, sustainability and viability of the performing arts in Sarasota is the triple risk of the aging and increasingly obsolete Van Wezel Hall, its location only 15 feet from the bay and increasing hurricanes and tropical storms. This risk is compounded by the slow-paced development of the new proposed Performing Arts Center to replace Van Wezel.”

Your editorial in the May 1st edition only came to my attention last week by the kindness of the owner of the condo we had rented in Sarasota over the winter.

He and his wife stayed there for a few weeks after we left for home at the end of April and I had asked them to bring me each weekly edition of the Sarasota Observer so I could read the entire series on the post-hurricane challenges facing Sarasota County. We two couples finally got together last week.

What a pleasant surprise it was to read the headline and, subsequently, the rest of the article.

I say “surprise” because I didn’t expect an anti-Trump stance in what could be described as a Republican-leaning newspaper. It was refreshing to read your editorial with which I generally agree, as would most Canadians.

It would have been preferable had you mentioned the scope of cross-border trade between Canada and the USA which is far more significant than the volume of trade between the USA and almost any other country, including the China and Germany you mentioned, but which most Americans take for granted.

You quote Friedrich Hayek at the top of your company directory; he would undoubtedly agree with your assessment of the current federal administration interfering big time in people’s everyday lives. Tyranny comes in many political stripes.

Thank you for your paper’s consistently quality writing, professional journalism and constant effort to report more than one side of the story.

SCOTT DAVIDSON MONTREAL, QUEBEC

SEND US YOUR LETTERS

Have something to tell us? Send your letters to Michael Harris at MHarris@ YourObserver.com.

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ANDREW WARFIELD

ravages of storm surge and having concrete walls there, it would be far better not to have it.

“You would never put it there today. If you had the choice, that would be the last place you would put it.”

At times, the discussion ventured into areas not necessarily within the scope of the committee’s charter. That included should the committee recommend the city seek historic building designation and what that might mean to the preservation of the Van Wezel, whether the city should develop a cultural arts plan and to what level the city should maintain the structure in the near term, etc.

As he has often done throughout the two years of meetings, the cityappointed facilitator Jim Shirley reminded the members of the narrow focus of their mission.

“I think maybe we’re getting a little bit too much in the weeds for what we’re being tasked to do,” he said. “When you say to the commission we recommend that you do everything that’s feasible and logical to keep the Van Wezel operating at peak condition until the new performing arts hall is built, that’s up to (Van Wezel Executive Director) Mary (Bensel) and her staff and others to make that happen, if they can.”

Just how much money the Van Wezel will have at its disposal for maintenance is questionable, since the city is in the midst of its fiscal year 2026 budget cycle following a year when hurricane season blew a $9 million hole in the city’s general fund balance, reducing the reserve fund of $28.7 million entering the fiscal year to $19.2 million.

Repairs to the Van Wezel, some of it to be reimbursed by FEMA, topped $10 million. Meanwhile, the city still faces $17 million in repairs to waterfront parks and piers over the next two to three years, much of that expected to be reimbursed, albeit years down the road.

Despite the Van Wezel not operating at a deficit for the last 17

Season resident agrees with tariffs opinion

LETTERS

Purple sunset Repurposing Van Wezel appearing less of an option.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Vascular Surgery

WELCOMES

Gaby Ghobrial, PharmD/MD

New CEO of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Sarah Firstenberger comes over from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, where she was director of marketing and events.

Vascular Surgery Dr. Gaby Ghobrial brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Cattleridge office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Vascular Surgery.

File image

Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce names CEO

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T

here is a new leader at the helm of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. Sarah Firstenberger has been named CEO of the nonprofit that promotes businesses and organizations on Siesta Key. Firstenberger, according to a statement, comes to the Siesta Key Chamber from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, where she was most recently the director of marketing and events. Before that, she was executive director of SarasotaManatee Originals, which champions independent restaurants.

“A Sarasota local, Sarah brings more than a decade of experience in audience engagement and experiential programming,” Siesta Key

8/26/21 3:27 PM

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Chamber Board Chair Eric Fleming said in the statement. “She’s a creative powerhouse with a deep understanding of what makes our community shine and how to share that story with the world.”

Firstenberger has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of South Florida, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Her focus for the chamber will be on growing visibility, amplifying members’ voices and celebrating what makes the island community special, she writes on LinkedIn. “I’m honored to step into this role and serve a place I love so deeply,” Firstenberger says in a statement.

“Siesta Key is not just a destination — it’s a way of life. I look forward to working with our members, partners, and residents to ensure the chamber continues to thrive and evolve with purpose.”

The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, according to its website, has 400 members. It promotes a strong local economy through marketing, member services and tourism.

8/26/21 3:27 PM

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As the region continues to grow and homeowners prepare for all that Florida living, including hurricanes demand, the team at Manasota Flooring remains committed to being more than just a flooring provider—they’re neighbors, ready to lend a hand. Through hardship, this community has shown incredible strength, compassion, and determination. And while flooring may seem like just one piece of the puzzle, it’s also the foundation where families gather, memories are made, and life begins to feel normal again. Manasota Flooring is honored to play a small role in that recovery, standing strong with the community they’ve proudly served for over five decades.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

COPS CORNER

FATHER’S DAY Weekend Special!

SUNDAY, MAY 25

BEACH BRAWL 7:25 p.m., South Lido Beach Fight: Upon arrival at the beachfront park, two officers located multiple subjects dispersing from the area covered with sand and with minor abrasions. Two who were detained while awaiting backup advised they had arrived on personal watercraft when they were “jumped by multiple people,” according to the incident report.

Officers who spoke with the other suspects told a different version of the story, explaining the two Jet Ski jockeys accosted them over prior issues they have had with each other. The scuffle was determined to be mutual combat, and no parties wished to pursue prosecution. Once released, all the individuals left the area without further incident.

SUNDAY, MAY 25

A CONTENTIOUS RIDE HOME 11:48 p.m., intersection of Loma Linda Street and Pomelo Avenue Suspicious incident: A caller reported a vehicle had been suspiciously parked in the middle of the street for approximately 10 minutes. Upon arrival, an officer observed a male standing alongside his vehicle, who stated he was driving home from a downtown establishment with his girlfriend in the passenger seat when they engaged in a verbal argument, during which she was prompted to exit the vehicle.

He stated his girlfriend had been out all day and went to the bar with her friend, who had consumed too many adult beverages to drive her home. Being a responsible boyfriend, he had driven to downtown to pick her up and, while there, encountered a male subject with whom he had conflicts in the past.

As the couple were traveling home, they engaged in an argument over her associating with his nemeses at the bar. That led to the age-old threat of her jumping out of a moving vehicle as she continually opened the door as he drove. That escalated to her throwing his belongings out of the car window, to which he responded by doing the same. The nature of those objects was not included in the incident report.

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Eventually, he stopped; the woman exited the vehicle and left the area on foot. The man explained he remained in the area to attempt to find his belongings and to give her an opportunity to return.

While the officer was on the scene, the woman did return, she said, to retrieve her phone. Interviewed by the officer, she confirmed her boyfriend’s account of the evening’s events. The officer observed both to be intoxicated and suggested they find alternative transportation. They both later left in an Uber, and the vehicle was left on the side of the street to be retrieved the next day.

MONDAY, MAY 26

‘JERSEY’ DID IT 10:42 p.m., 1500 block of Main Street Dispute: Staff at a downtown bar called law enforcement in reference to a battery. An officer spoke with security personnel regarding a patron who was punched in the face by another, who was no longer present, during a “disagreement over a female.”

The nature of the disagreement was not specified.

The victim described his assailant as a Middle Eastern male he knows only as “Jersey.” He presented with no visible injuries and said he does not wish to press charges. No further action was taken.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

MORE MOTE EVENTS TO EXPLORE

Volunteer Claudine Waigenfeld holds up a discarded plastic bag, which can be detrimental to a sea turtle mistaking it for food.

Robert Szucs, Bence Szucs and Timea Hullar help out with the Siesta Beach cleanup.

OCEAN COMMOTION crowd. “We had a record-breaking turtle nesting season last year. It is so important that those turtles continue to come back, and that we have a clean, safe environment for them.”

County environmental experts offered beachgoers information on how to protect Florida’s waterways, giving tips on what turtle-safe lights to use during nesting season and how to switch to low-maintenance landscaping that saves water and prevents pesticide runoff.

Volunteers Carol and Justin Lansford, parents of Clif Lansford, said the young environmental enthusiast had been looking forward to World Ocean Day the entire week leading up to it.

Asked why he likes going to the beach, 4-year-old Clif said, “Because there are turtles.”

Longtime beach cleaner Jerry Uhl said he often brings a bag with him on his morning stroll to collect

‘The Otters Tour’ Watershed Day: 10 a.m. to noon on June 12, visitors can craft their own friendship bracelets to trade and learn all about otters at the 11:30 a.m. keeper chat.

Justin, Carol and Clif Lansford say hello to Gilly at a World Ocean Day event co-hosted by Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium on Sunday.

litter, and he noted many of the nearby beaches have come a long way in their post-hurricane recovery. But many have a ways to go.

Environmental advocates in Canada first proposed World Earth Day at an international conference in Rio in 1999, and The Ocean Project launched the global coordination in 2002.

Mote’s Events Manager Sophia Johnson said the organization

Photos by Dana Kampa

looks forward to celebrating World Ocean Week with events from manatees to corals.

She said Mote is closing out the week with a land- and waterbased cleanup on Saturday at Ken Thompson Park.

“It’s our triple threat to debris, because we’ll have a dive team, kayakers paddling through the mangroves to pick up trash and people doing a land cleanup,” she said.

Sophia Johnson and Emmanuel Perry offer educational demos at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium for World Ocean Day.

Manatee Appreciation Day: 10-11 a.m. on June 13, the Manatee Research Program will educate attendees about conservation efforts and host hands-on games and activities.

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iesta Beach holds the claim to fame of being one of the best beaches in the United States, and locals who turned out for the latest cleanup effort said it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the beach thriving.

Participants turned out early Sunday morning to pitch in for the beach cleanup in recognition of World Ocean Day. Sarasota County collaborated on the cleanup with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, which is organizing a whole week of activities celebrating one of Florida’s most important resources.

Fiona Bower, the events and programs coordinator at Siesta Beach, directed volunteers, arming them with grabbers and burlap sacks to collect trash.

“It is so important to come out and keep our beaches clean, especially on a day like today, where we celebrate our beautiful oceans across the world,” Bower told the

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium kicked off World Ocean Week by collaborating with Sarasota County for a beach cleanup.

Events take place at the facility at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, unless otherwise noted, and are free with aquarium admission.

JUNE 12, 2025

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

ALL HAIL Jesse Nager stars as Jesus and Ann Morrison plays King Herod in Asolo Rep’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Morrison steals the show as King Herod in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’

Ann Morrison Courtesy image

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

A

nn Morrison is a Broadway veteran and a luminary in the regional theater firmament. She lives to perform — and she’s a natural born performer. On top of that, she empowers other performers and knows what makes them tick. (That’s why she and Blake Walton led the SaraSolo festival for 10 years.)

Her passion burns deep; her theatrical toolbox overflows with talent and imagination.

Morrison’s had many claims to fame over her long career. But her portrayal of Mary in the 1981 premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s illfated “Merrily We Roll Along” is the one most theater fans know about. It was a rare flop in Sondheim’s incandescent career.

“Merrily” closed on Broadway after a mere 16 performances — and tanked a few careers along with it. Its untimely fate inspired “The Worst Best Thing That Ever Happened,” a 2016 documentary.

It also prompted Morrison’s “Merrily from Center Stage.” Her onewoman show won the 2023 Bistro Award for Outstanding Solo Musical.

On a merry note, the 2023 revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

And speaking of resurrections ...

Morrison recently put her spirit and her skills to work when Asolo Repertory Theatre colored outside the lines of casting and gave her the role of King Herod in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Seriously?

King Herod? Ann Morrison?

Seriously.

You wouldn’t think she’d be perfect for the part. But she is.

ONCE UPON A TIME ON THE ASOLO REP STAGE

The story begins with Josh Rhodes, director/choreographer. His longstanding relationship with Asolo Rep includes “Guys and Dolls” (2016), “Evita” (2017) and “Cabaret” (2022).

This past fall, Peter Rothstein, Asolo Rep’s producing artistic director, tapped Rhodes to direct and choreograph “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

They discussed finding a fresh take on the musical and its casting. Why not put women in roles you wouldn’t expect? Why not?

With that, Rothstein had an epiphany ... “Hey, what do you think about casting Ann Morrison as King Herod?”

Rhodes thought it was a great idea.

“I immediately laughed,” Rhodes says. “I thought Annie would be absolutely perfect for our approach.”

The director called Morrison.

“Hey. We have an idea ... how’d you like to play King Herod?”

She loved the idea. But she had one question. Why? Rhodes replied, “Because Herod’s scene is a musical number, it’s a cabaret number, and that’s what you’re known for in town.”

Morrison happily got on board. In the months that followed, she and Rhodes continued to brainstorm.

Morrison had her own great ideas.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIRACLES

Morrison’s take on King Herod’s character wasn’t Josh Mostel’s glam version or Alice Cooper’s big bad. It was an original insight, one informed by her legacy as a performer.

She realized that “King Herod’s Song” was basically an audition.

“He was making Jesus perform tricks like a trained monkey,” she laughs. “‘Walk across my swimming pool!

Change my water into wine!’ It was Tim Rice’s revenge on every Broad-

Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee

QUEEN ANN IF YOU GO ‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’ When: Through June 28.

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail.

Tickets: $33-$95.

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

way bully or overbearing director.”

What if Jesus had performed a miracle and passed the audition?

“Oh, I think Herod was keeping his finger on the chess piece,” she says.

“If Jesus had walked across the pool, Herod would’ve said, ‘I knew you could do it all along.’”

Morrison also observed that Herod wasn’t just auditioning Jesus. He was also performing for his own entourage. Rhodes describes the character as a “spoiled, deluded narcissist playing to a crowd of sycophants.”

Morrison agrees. “Herod knows how to get what he wants,” she says.

“That’s not hard — nobody ever tells him ‘no.’ He’s just never had to grow up.”

Rhodes loved Morrison’s performative approach and let her do her SEE QUEEN PAGE 16A

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Shostakovich piano trio leaves a lasting impression at Sarasota Music Festival IF YOU GO

A trio of festival artists creates an otherworldly effect with piano, violin and cello.

2025 SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL When: Through June 21 Where: Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, and Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $15-$76 concerts; $5 for a single class or rehearsal.

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

GAYLE WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTOR

“F

rom Bach to Block,” Sarasota Music Festival’s first Friday night concert June 6 at the Sarasota Opera House, was eyeopening and quite satisfying.

Beginning the program was J.S. Bach’s spirited Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major. Tessa Lark and flutist Alex Sopp, both SMF faculty artists, and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, SMF director, were joined by 10 fellows, as students in the festival are called.

One fellow, flutist Ellie Eunbi Boek, played shoulder to shoulder with Lark and Sopp as one of the three solo voices in this concerto grosso, where the blend and balance were pleasing throughout.

Lark was alarmingly facile in tight runs, while Sopp and Boek fit together tightly, passing phrases back and forth all in a perfectly Bach-ish style.

The fellows — four violins, viola, two cellos and a bass — performed along with Kahane on piano. For many, the piano is a reasonable alternative to the harpsichord. I missed the distinctive pluck of the harpsichord.

I’ve attended almost three decades of SMF performances and was more profoundly moved by this night’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor by Shostakovich than any other. Composed in 1944 after the death of a close friend and as news spread about Germany’s concentration camps, the piece uses klezmer colors and folk tunes to capture the mood.

Two of the three faculty artists

Pianist Nicolas Namoradze Courtesy image

on stage for the piano trio are new to the festival: violinist David Bowlin and pianist Nicolas Namoradze. Cellist Karen Ouzounian joined only last season. Together in this remarkable trio, their fresh collaboration displayed gravitas of artistry and deep commitment.

Otherworldly harmonics on the strings grew to full-voiced sombre lines and compelling conversation with piano as the opening andante moved on to a snarling allegro scherzo with bows digging in like a threat. Taking a reflective turn in the largo, the piano’s dense dark chords rose up like a fist to the heavens. Together, Ouzounian’s exquisite cello line color under Bowlin’s ghostly high harmonics were breathtaking.

The last movement allegretto draws the clear conclusion that something is terribly wrong, and Namoradze brought forth the darkness with hints of a folk tune growing to a macabre klezmer.

Bowlin and Ouzounian brought a hint of light lyricism as well as some col legno (slapping bow wood to the strings) before turning dark again. At last, violin and cello exchange a five-note deedledeedle-dum, making for an epic ending.

Cellist Mike Block, a newish faculty member whose passion is cross-cultural collaborations, hosted a segment of the concert featuring 12 students improvising on tunes from Mali, Brazil and Bulgaria. Each student had their turn as a soloist. There were two true standouts — pianist Ningxin Zhan in the samba and clarinetist Jared Sta. Ana. Ludwig Thuille is not well known, but his Sextet in B-flat Major, Op. 6, is a welcome introduction. The ensemble of festival artists and two student fellows played together in a seamless whole. Xinrae Cardozo played horn with as smooth a tone as any faculty member. Flutist Ellen Hayun Lee showed full confidence and leadership.

Oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, bassoonist Peter Kolkay and pianist Michael Adcock, all faculty artists, filled out the ensemble in this delightful performance. The melodically rich chamber music grew more interesting as each movement passed. The Alpine horn color of the third movement painted a picture, and the finale delivered a boost of energy to send us out the door.

QUEEN FROM PAGE 15A

own thing in the King Herod scene.

It’s a pivotal story point. That said, it’s only one big number in the second act.

But Asolo Rep’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” has a small cast. Rhodes asked her to play another role in the first act, as well.

THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN’T BE KING

For her first act appearance, Morrison crafted a female character with a backstory — Joanna, wife of Chuza, and the manager of Herod’s household.

Historically, Joanna was said to have followed Jesus after he’d healed her. Morrison sees her as a grounded, maternal presence — a sharp counterpoint to Herod’s swaggering absurdity.

“Joanna’s the complete opposite of King Herod,” she says. “That’s what makes her fun.”

Morrison adds that this role is purely internal. It’s not a speaking part. “Joanna’s not in the cast list,” she explains. “But I can’t play a generic female chorus member.

The audience might not know it, but I need to know who I’m playing.”

That’s the theory behind Morrison’s characterizations. They came together during rehearsals.

And came to light on the Asolo Rep stage.

Morrison steals the spotlight in a single, dazzling scene as King Herod. A 1920s-style song gives her license to unleash her full theatrical arsenal of comedic timing, sarcastic bite, big Broadway vocals and a meta-textual awareness honed by decades on stage.

Her bravura performance takes the audience by surprise.

The campy English music hall number is buried like a time bomb in the rock opera’s second act.

Before “King Herod’s Song,” the arid, stony set is harshly lit. Without warning, the stage explodes with a sudden burst of gold.

According to Morrison, the razzle-dazzle is a much-needed release valve. She collaborated with Rhodes on the concept and also cooked up some bits of physical comedy. “We do faux healings,

visual gags and even have a puppet Jesus,” she says. “It’s sacrilegious but hilarious.”

It’s a star performance. The Asolo audience gets a kick out of it. But needless to say, Jesus is the superstar in question in “Jesus Christ Superstar.” King Herod isn’t the lead role.

Morrison’s cool with that. “I’m not the star,” she says. “I’m used to it, and I love it! I’m the second woman, and that’s always my favorite part.”

THE ‘SECOND WOMAN’

According to Morrison, the “second woman” is theater jargon for a secondary female lead. A foil, romantic rival or friend, typically flamboyant.

Morrison remembers bringing it up in a conversation she had with her son, Huck, when he was 7 years old. As she recalls it ...

“Mom, do you see your life as a movie?”

“Well, yeah, I guess so.”

“You’re the lead, right?”

“No, I’m not the lead.”

“You’re not the lead in your own life?”

“No, I’m the second woman.

They have all the best lines.”

Morrison laughs at the memory.

“And I thought, ‘What a great metaphor!’ So, I live my life as though I’m the second woman.

There’s so much drama in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ But I’m not in that play. In the movie of my life, I’m in a comedy. And consciousness is the playwright and director.”

She notes that acting is a spiritual act.

“You’re a bard; you’re a channel,” she explains. “It’s not about ego, but about dissolving ego.”

To Morrison, all the world really is a stage.

“There’s a larger consciousness behind our individual personalities,” she says. “That awareness is really playing us. So, in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ Ann Morrison will be playing the roles of Herod and Joanna. The role of Ann Morrison will be played by consciousness.”

Far out, as they used to say back when “Jesus Christ Superstar” first burst onto Broadway in 1971.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

EATING WITH EMMA

and orange bitter, I would’ve redirected the whole afterparty there. Like our wedding guests, this drink’s motto should be, “I came to party, but make it classy.”

Bottoms up

CIRCO: A TACO & BOURBON JOINT

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on the best bourbon toasts Celebrate National Bourbon Day neat, on the rocks or crafted into cocktail magic.

EMMA BURKE JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

A

s I sit here writing this, I’m simultaneously sipping a cocktail, brainstorming puns and preparing for my second Father’s Day without my dad. (Don’t worry, this isn’t going to get too sappy.)

I don’t need the holiday reminders; I’ll always find an excuse to honor my dad. His drink of choice?

Jack Daniel’s on the rocks.

Would he change it up to celebrate National Bourbon Day on June 14? I can’t say for sure his

There are a bounty of bourbon cocktails at Brine — from the coffee old fashioned ($15) to the cornbread old fashioned ($15) and more.

whiskey-loving self would go for these trendy bourbon cocktails I’m about to share. I do know that he’d raise a glass just to brag to anyone within earshot, “My kid dedicated this column to me — drink her recommendations.”

So whether you’re celebrating Father’s Day, remembering Dad or somewhere in between, let’s raise a bourbon toast to the ones we love, the ones we miss and the ones who gave us the good taste to order the second round ... on the rocks.

THE LOUNGE BY GOOD LIQUID

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Talk Bourbon to Me: Located in Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch, this new lounge’s house Bourbon Whiskey ($50, per bottle) is a classy 88-proof blend of 7-year-old Kentucky bourbon barrels handpicked and blended to near perfection. Think sweet vanilla vibes, a hint of aged oak and a finish so smooth it could charm your inlaws (though not mine because they don’t drink). Whether you’re a neat purist or just bourbon-curious, this bottle is a solid flex on your bar cart.

Totally Buzz-worthy: Just when you thought you were out, the Godfather ($16) pulls you back in ... with bourbon. This $16 boss of a cocktail at The Lounge mixes GLD Bourbon Whiskey with maple syrup, lemon juice, muddled basil and a splash of soda water for fizz.

It’s sweet, it’s herby and it’s got just enough edge to make you feel like you’re in a smoky back room making deals. One sip and you’ll be saying, “Leave the cannoli; bring me another round.”

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Courtesy images

The Lounge lets you create your own old fashioned ($16) with enhancements like flavored cubes, gold flakes and more.

BRINE

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Talk Bourbon to Me: With 68 bourbons and whiskeys (and even more globe-trotting pours), Brine is basically a whiskey wonderland, but the cornbread old fashioned ($15) is the golden child of the cocktail menu. Infused with actual cornbread (yes, you read that right), Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon gets a sweet Southern twist, stirred with chocolate bitters and a kiss of orange. It’s comforting, rich and just rebellious enough to count as dessert and a drink — name a better duo. Come for the whiskey list, stay for the cornbread-flavored booze.

Totally Buzz-worthy: After hours of champagne toasts and old fashioned clinks at our wedding, I thought we were all riding the perfect buzz into the afterparty. So imagine my surprise when I walked

in and half our guests were sipping espresso martinis. Had I known Brine was slinging a coffee old fashioned ($15) made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, coffee liqueur, espresso

Talk Bourbon to Me: If smoky, sultry and slightly sweet define your love language, then Circo’s smoked bourbon old fashioned ($12) is your soulmate in a glass.

Made with Buffalo Trace and just the right balance of sweet and bitters, this cocktail rolls in with more drama than a reality show reunion. (Trust me, I worked for Jerry Springer.) After one (or let’s be real, two or three), you’ll be whispering, “smoke show” to both the drink and yourself. Don’t forget to snack while sipping, foodies. My choice? The chips and elote corn salsa ($9).

Totally Buzz-worthy: Stop by on National Bourbon Day and sip your way through bold bourbon pours, creative cocktails and crave-worthy taco pairings all day long. And if one day isn’t enough (it never is), get your tickets for the bourbon dinner with Elijah Craig on June 19 for premium bourbon tastings, more inventive taco pairings and a little bourbon education, too. Seats fill fast, so snag your tickets now to sit with your crew.

Sip bourbon and snack on Birria queso and chips ($14), chips and salsa verde ($8) or chips and elote corn salsa ($9) at Circo.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

The duo Zeman Quick Change confounds audiences at the Summer Circus Spectacular, which runs through Aug. 9 at The Ringling.

DON’T MISS

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR Pack up the car with Grandpa and the kids and head for the Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early to give ushers time to store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.

THIS WEEK THURSDAY

MIRÓ QUARTET PLAYS SCHUBERT 4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $30-$43 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Sarasota Music Festival alum and faculty member Saeunn Thorsteindottir, a world-renowned cellist originally from Iceland, teams up with the Grammy-nominated Miró Quartet to play Schubert’s String Quintet. Giving the program its title is Schubert’s Rondo, featuring Stella Chen on violin and former SMF director Robert Levin on piano. Fans of Iceland will delight in Thorsteindottir’s performance of “Bow to String,” composed by her countryman Daniel Bjarnason.

‘FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $30-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Nia Akilah Robinson’s world premiere, “From 145th to 98th Street,” follows a Black family’s search for a better life. The American Dream proves elusive when the family’s son is wrongfully accused of a crime committed by someone with the same name. But the power of family prevails in this realistic tale of New York City life sure to resonate with all audiences. Runs through June 29.

‘HOW SWEET IT IS’ 7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

As the mercury rises, locals know how to escape the heat with Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret.

The series kicks off with a Motown tribute called “How Sweet It Is.” Led by dynamic vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits like “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and more. Runs through Aug. 3.

1734 South Tamiami Trail Venice, FL 34293 941.493.7441

IF YOU GO When: 11 a.m. Friday, June 13 Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $20 adult; $13 child Info: Visit CircusArts.org.

‘DEATH AND THE MAIDEN’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $29-$52 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Courtesy images

‘BEETLEJUICE JR.’ 7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $20 Visit ThePlayers.org.

It’s summer children’s theater season. When you see a familiar name with the appendage “Jr.,” it means the show is about 60 minutes, its performers are children — and/or both. This musical from the Sarasota Players Studio, the community theater’s youth arm, follows Lydia Deetz, an unusual teenager who finds some otherworldly friends when she and her father move to a new house.

Runs through June 22.

‘DAMES AT SEA’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Ben Liebert directs and choreographs “Dames at Sea,” a parody musicals of the 1930s starring Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell. “Dames” first debuted Off-Off Broadway in 1966 starring Bernadette Peters. With the help of sailor/songwriter Dick, chorus girl Ruby lands a role in a musical that’s trying to find its footing. FST’s Ruby is Emily Ann Brooks, making her FST debut. Runs through June 29.

FRIDAY PATTI SMITH: A BOOK OF DAYS 10 a.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey Included with $20 admission Visit Selby.org.

There’s something for everyone on this program, which includes Alberto Ginastera’s Argentina-tinged String Quartet No. 1, played by Miró Quartet. Fans of Sarasota Music Festival faculty member Jasmine Choi will appreciate her flute in Suite for 13 Winds by Richard Strauss.

Last but not least is the titular piece, Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 based on his song ”Death and the Maiden.”

SATURDAY IN-STUDIO: SANDRA PORTAL 7 p.m. at SCD Home Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 $20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance presents Sandra Portal, a faculty member from its summer intensive program. Portal, a Miami-based multidisciplinary artist of Cuban and Colombian descent, explores the intersection of community and identity.

LEVIN PLAYS MOZART 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $29-$72 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The program features former Sarasota Music Festival Director Robert Levin, a renowned pianist and Mozart scholar who plays the

Selby Gardens collaborates with poet and musician Patti Smith, its artist-in-residence, on an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from her newly published bestseller, “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature.

Runs through Aug. 31.

4551 N. Washington Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34234 941.355.8437

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prodigy’s Piano Concerto No. 17.

The bill also includes festival faculty artist and violinist Stella Chen on Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s work for nine players and Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings, which sealed his reputation as a master composer.

SUNDAY ‘LILIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’ 11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Award-winning artist Lillian Blades invites visitors to get lost in her first solo museum exhibition. Her Sarasota Art Museum installation of combines handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Runs through Oct. 26.

MONDAY ‘CONJURING THE SPIRIT WORLD: ART, MAGIC AND MEDIUMS’ 10 a.m. at the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $25 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.

Go on the trail of things that go bump in the night with this fascinating interactive exhibition, which follows the growth of Spiritualism in the mid-19th century from its roots in dining room seances to traveling shows featuring magicians and mediums. Runs through July 13.

WEDNESDAY ‘GEORGE HARRISON: A GARDENER’S LIFE’ 10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens,1534 Mound St. $28 Visit Selby.org.

“George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life” is the ninth installment of the annual Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series. Walking around the 15acre sanctuary where gardens and botanical displays have been erected to mirror those in Harrison’s estate, Friar Park, you can’t help feeling that the late Beatle would approve of this living tribute. Pro tip: Arrive early for a serene experience.

Grab a bite in the world’s first netcarbon free restaurant, The Green Orchid. You can’t go wrong with the BLT. Runs through June 29

OUR PICK

THE ROOTS OF BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICA The cross-genre blockbuster “Sinners” is raising awareness about the legacy of Black music, which has influenced everyone from Hank Williams to Elvis Presley.

Learn all about how traditions from Africa moved into the church with gospel, the clubs and the stage with jazz and blues and continue to influence popular music today. Instructor Karlus Trapp takes the class on a 100-year trip through time.

IF YOU GO When: 1 p.m. Friday, June 13 Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $15 Info: Visit OlliRinglingCollege.org.

Karlus Trapp

OUR SHOWROOMS ARE OPEN Special Financing Available

www.manasotaonline.com

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

19A

BLACK TIE

New Project Pride SRQ President Justyn Hunter-Ceruti speaks to the crowd while Vice President Harry Cicchetti, Immediate Past President Jason Champion and Donna Koffman look on.

Emily M. Flinchpaugh, Esq.

M. Michelle Robles, Esq.

• Estate Planning • Business Entities

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FAMILY & FOOD

Saturday, May 31, at Circus Arts Conservatory | Benefiting Project Pride SRQ

FILM & MUSIC

COMMUNITY

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Grand Carnival ‘Palm Royale’

Andrew L. Clark, Esq.

Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 11:00 am - 7:00 PM

1012 N. Orange Ave Sarasota, FL 34236

FREE ADMISSION Live performances by WBTT professional artists and rising stars from WBTT’s Stage of Discovery program Art from local artists Short films by local filmmakers and students from Ringling College of Art & Design A free jazz concert – in collaboration with Smooth Jazz Harbor online radio and Steglich Ross and Associates– by renowned jazz saxophonist Dee Lucas at 6 PM Screening of Soul Crooners – The Documentary, which discusses the history of the group and was filmed as the troupe was getting ready to perform at the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival Vendors & Food trucks Health and wellness workshops including a free introductory yoga class by Travis Ray

Daniella Padilla and Mala Vavourakis

Amy Champion, Janet Kassabian, Lisa Seifert and Janice Dziuk

PRESENTING SPONSORS PENELOPE KINGMAN DONA & SAM SCOTT

ROBERT HEEREN & STEVE KALT

Photos by Lori Sax

Jason Smith and Russ Jones

Check the WBTT website for a schedule of events - WestcoastBlackTheatre.org

Frederique Chauveau with Heather and Gabriel Welch

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LEADING SPONSORS

It’s Showtime!

BeetlejuiceJr. June 12-22, 2025

Music and Lyrics by

Book by

Eddie Perfect Scott Brown & Anthony King Based on the Geffen Company Picture, Picture, with a story by Michael McDowell & Larry Wilson

The frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon.

theplayers.org | 941.365.2494

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3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239

SELBY.ORG

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

THE COLLECTION

415 L AMBIANCE DRIVE #C403 $3,195,000

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424 BOWDOIN CIRCLE LIDO SHORES – LIDO KEY

$14,995,000

1701 SANDALWOOD DRIVE SOUTHPOINTE SHORES

PENDING $2,995,000

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LUXURY PROPERTY AUCTION BIDDING ENDS JUNE 26

PENDING $1,085,000

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CONTACT ME TODAY TO SCHEDULE A PRIVATE, COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT MARKET AND YOUR REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS. 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. Source: Stellar MLS; RealTrends Verified 2025; SIR 100.

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JUNE 12, 2025

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Courtesy image

Sarasota High School graduate Jacob Kalua successfully met all the criteria to secure a scholarship from Take Stock in Children.

LONG-GAME

SUCCESS Years of hard work pay off for Lido Key graduate.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

L

ido Key resident Jacob Kalua made a pledge in elementary school that he would do everything necessary to keep up with his schoolwork. Even when Hurricanes Helene and Milton displaced him and his family from their home for

Ian Swaby

Jacob Kalua (third from left) celebrates with his sister, Regan Kalua, father Shelton Kalua and mother Regina Kalua after graduating Sarasota High School.

nearly four months during his senior year, he stayed focused on his goal.

He reaped the rewards of that dedication during his recent graduation from Sarasota High School, when he also received a scholarship from a Florida-based nonprofit that awards scholarships to students who maintain a continuous standard GPA — even when storms come barreling in and temporarily shutter schools.

“For the first one (Helene), we actually stayed on the island during the storm,” he said. “There’s a twostory building next to us, so we went on the top floor.”

The storms were fresh on the minds of many members of the class of 2025.

This year’s graduation ceremony featured the largest class in the school’s history. The May 29 commencement meant quite a bit to Kalua, who has lived on the Key since he was 2 years old.

Kalua succeeded in meeting all the requirements to receive a Take Stock in Children scholarship, a commitment that started when he was in fifth grade.

The nonprofit requires students to meet a variety of criteria, from continuously maintaining a minimum GPA to attending college coaching meetings.

“It was a relief to know I did it,” Kalua said when he knew he would be graduating with the scholarship after dedicating such time and energy to keeping up with the program.

The Sarasota branch of Take Stock in Children serves 22 middle and high schools in the county. The broader foundation coordinates $6 million in prepaid scholarships in Florida.

His father, Sheldon, said 17 stu-

dents applied at the same time as Jacob as Eaglets at Alta Vista Elementary School, and five completed it.

Jacob celebrated the accomplishment with his family and friends at the commencement, a special ceremony for the scholarship winners, and a visit to Alta Vista.

The alumni wore their caps and gowns to meet with current elementary schoolers, answering questions from the youngsters.

“It was a full-circle moment,” Jacob said. “I remember being one of those kids ... I remember thinking that was so far away, and now it’s here.”

Looking back on his years in high school, Jacob said his class’s reading of “Macbeth” was one of his favorite moments.

Jacob is heading to the State College of Florida for his first two years of school, and while he is considering a major in hospitality, he looks forward to exploring all the options available at the school.

His father established his own legacy in the hospitality field on Longboat Key as a director of safety and security at St. Regis Longboat Key. Sheldon said he is immensely proud of everything his son has accomplished since the family moved from Hawaii. He met Jacob’s mother, Regina, when they were both in school, and they moved to the mainland when Jacob was 2 years old. Sheldon had completed a tour with the U.S. Coast Guard, and they decided to move closer to his mother living in Sarasota.

Jacob said one thing he most appreciated about growing up on the Key was living so close to the Gulf, which Sheldon said is also what drew his family to the area.

“Coming from Hawaii, we have always loved the ocean,” Sheldon said.

At the commencement, Sheldon joined Jacob’s mother, Regina, and his sister, Regan, in loading the graduate up with a plethora of specially crafted leis.

Jacob said he appreciated having a final moment to celebrate with friends who will soon be leaving.

His advice to fellow students is to make freshman year count. While they should enjoy all the fun aspects of leveling up to a new school, they should also take advantage of the opportunity to get good grades in introductory classes and set a high GPA to start.

“If I could redo high school, I probably would have joined a club to meet more people,” he added.

However, he said he is glad he focused on his grades, and he is eager to explore all the offerings at SCF, perhaps in a club about other cultures and languages.

“I hope I get to focus, learn how to manage my responsibilities and work on time management skills,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to becoming an adult.”

CONGRATS, GRADS! Five former Eaglets from Alta Vista Elementary School graduated from area high schools this year with scholarships from Take Stock in Children. The nonprofit serves communities throughout Florida, and Executive Director Lisa Bechtold noted that the Sarasota branch awarded scholarships to 121 local seniors, the largest class in its 30-year history.

Officials held an award ceremony on April 22 at The Ora. The Alta Vista graduates include:

n Jacob Kalua: Graduated from Sarasota High School and will attend State College of Florida

n Jared Aca-Bermeo: Graduated Suncoast Polytechnical High School and will attend Suncoast Technical College

n Turi Bell: Graduated Booker High School and will attend Florida International University

n Brian Hubbard: Graduated Booker High School and will attend the State College of Florida

n Israel Samedi: Graduated Manatee High School and will attend Manatee Technical College

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Wood and epoxy artist Robin Roberts

Photos by Dana Kampa

Rob Vega shows the aluminum wiring he uses to craft his lightweight, tarnish-resistant jewelry at last weekend’s St. Armands Craft Festival.

St. Armands gets crafty M

ost art venues discourage visitors from touching the art, and for good reason. But it’s a different story at the annual St. Armands Circle Craft Festival, where many of the artisans encourage patrons to hold the wooden lazy Susans, latex flower bouquets and aluminum necklaces that they lovingly designed.

The third annual festival took place Saturday and Sunday at St. Armands Circle Park, drawing many early visitors seeking to beat the heat.

Carlos and Patricia Campuzano, married 54 years, are the designers behind The Frozen Moments floral sculptures.

Carlos said their pieces are perfect for residents who travel often but still want a pop of color in their homes.

“When you touch it, it feels real,” he said, pointing out the various water lilies, bird of paradise and magnolia blooms they’ve designed. “Almost everybody asks if they are real.”

Depicting some of Florida’s most iconic natural scenery on large-scale canvases, acrylic artist Rasa Saldaitis brought her work to this year’s showcase.

“I favor an impressionistic style of painting and using lots of color in my painting,”

said Saldaitis, who has painted professionally for about 30 years. “I work with a lot of layers, making each a little different color.”

Saldaitis was among good company with her use of vibrant pigments. On the other end of the park, artist Cesia Acevedo Martinez caught the attention of many passersby, with her paintings featuring bright blue flamingoes.

The artist said she also likes bringing her sunflower-centric art pieces to festivals like this because they often inspire happy memories for viewers.

The craft festival also provided a venue for artists to explore a broader variety of media. Robin Roberts displayed the lazy Susans, charcuterie boards and tabletops he created from hand-carved wood and epoxy. Roberts works with a number of wood varieties, but his go-to is olive wood for its bold grain, ease with which to work and intoxicating scent.

This fall, a relatively new craft festival comes to St. Armands Circle. The showcase features Craft Marketplace and is scheduled for Sept. 13-14. Visit ArtFestival. com/Festivals for more information.

Pinellas Park artist Rasa Saldaitis

Jennifer Cross, showing her work at the St. Armands Circle Craft Festival, said she appreciates customers’ imagination when collaborating on a commission piece.

She started crafting her wooden hook racks in her free time during the peak of the pandemic.

Artist Cesia Acevedo Martinez, showing her work at the St. Armands Circle Craft Festival, says not every flamingo needs to be pink.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

3B

Joint Pain?

Let’s That

smh.com/ortho /ortho At Sarasota Memorial, you’ll find orthopedic excellence at the honors level and in a class of its own. From hip to spine and knee to shoulder, our surgeons and specialists aren’t just experts — they’re professors of precision with a curriculum of cutting-edge care.

Employing the latest tools and techniques, including minimally invasive technologies like robotic-assisted surgery and endoscopic spinal repair, this award-winning team pioneers the latest solutions that erase chronic joint pain and provide our patients with relief that lasts.

From total joint repair and replacement to non-surgical remedies and personalized rehabilitation plans, supplemented by pre-habilitation classes before treatment and home health care services after, this is advanced orthopedic care catered to each individual and dedicated to restoring movement, relieving pain, and empowering every patient.

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Because life is for living, not limits.

Class dismissed.

4B

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 Pirouette® Clearview Wren Sheer Shades in 1290 Goldfinch PowerView® Automation

BRATING CELE

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North Washington Drive on St. Armands after Hurricane Milton.

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Maryland girl donates to local hurricane relief

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itchen & Bath Fixtures • Sinks & Tubs

DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

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All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners.

er oilet & Bidets • Kitchen & Bath Lighting

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arasota County has received millions of dollars in hurricane assistance since three storms washed ashore and devastated large portions of the community in 2024.

But without the efforts and caring of a Baltimore fifth grader, that assistance would be under the current total.

Nora Vavere, a Girl Scout for six years in Maryland, learned about the effects of Hurricane Milton on the Sarasota area last fall and wanted to help. So, she sold lemonade and hot chocolate from October to April and sent the profits to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, along with a hand-written note.

All $77.04 of it.

“I wanted to donate this money to the Community Foundation to help people who were in the hurricane get food, rebuild, have water and a home, and be safe with their families,” she wrote.

Beyond the financial help, Jay Young, the foundation’s vice president of philanthropy, said the act epitomizes the organization’s mission.

“Nora’s compassion, her selflessness and her generosity deeply moved all of us at the Community Foundation,” said Young. “We believe strongly that anyone can be

Nora Vavere’s donation of $77.04 was accompanied by a handwritten letter.

a philanthropist, and Nora proves it. Through the simple act of selling lemonade and hot chocolate, she shows that everyone can give back in some way.”

According to a release from the foundation, the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund began in 2022 in partnership with The Patterson Foundation as Hurricane Ian made landfall. Since then, it raised nearly $10 million through the fund to help residents rebuild and recover. Nora’s donation will boost the fund just as another Atlantic hurricane season begins.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Fitness friends

Characters come to life at the SRQCon

T

99 Bottles Run Club has become a fitness and social hangout spot for the local community.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

W

hen Marc Tuchman, owner of 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop, started a weekly run club three-and-a-half years ago, it drew just 14 participants.

That is a stark contrast with the sea of runners that headed down a block of Second Street the evening of June 4, to the music of a DJ, in celebration of Global Running Day. Tuchman said most recently, the club has been averaging about 200 to 225 participants.

“Did I ever think it would be that big? Never,” he said. “I always felt like in my head it was going to be like 50 people, and it would be a lot of fun, and it’s really just people that enjoy running and having a beer afterwards and being social. This has literally taken on a life of its own.”

Tuchman said a significant amount of effort that goes into managing the club, which has become its own entity. Yet, according to 99 Bottles, the result is Sarasota’s largest weekly run club.

Runners say the event has become a hub for the community, especially for younger individuals.

Many people continue to return each Wednesday, as runners head out on the 5K run down Second Street, halfway across the Ringling Bridge, and then back to the start, where many enjoy drinks and socializing.

“We’ve been part of the club for over a year now,” said attendee Julia Hollinger. “Great people. Great way to meet friends. And I run every day, so it’s just part of our routine.”

In honor of Global Running Day, the run on June 4 had a slightly dif-

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Ian Swaby

IF YOU GO 99 Bottles Run Club. 6 p.m. every Wednesday. 99 Bottles Taproom and Bar, 1445 Second St. Run, Jog or Walk. Pacers and walkers are welcome. Prizes available with attendance credits. Visit 99Bottles.net.

David Moorehouse, Julia Hollinger, and Mike DeSoe

ferent twist, with runners led along the route by a golf cart featuring local DJ Tim Schalch of TLS Entertainment.

Tuchman said Diplo’s Run Club, which is led by the DJ Diplo inspired the event and hosts 5K runs in different American cities, combining fitness with music. He noted thousands attend Diplo’s events.

He said at 99 Bottles, attendance began pushing the level of 100 people on a consistent basis about two years ago, before it reached the tipping point in summer 2024.

At that point, he said, attendance soared from 100 a week to 300 a week.

He said after that summer, it went through a decline, but the club has continued to hit the mark of about 200 for the past year, with ebbs and flows in between.

“One of the best compliments that we get often is how so many participants say that they love coming back every Wednesday because they have met friends and groups of friends that they hang out with,” he said.

he least expected place to see superheroes and villains is a library, walking through aisles of booths filled with handmade pieces, art and novels, but that is exactly where these characters came to life.

On June 7, the Selby Library hosted SRQCon, its annual pop culture convention.

Booths filled the library with types of merchandise, from artwork to novels and even handmade crochet pieces.

Camille Feaser, vendor of Camille’s Crochet booth, started crocheting with her grandmother when she was 9 but has learned this specific style of crochet from Etsy and YouTube. She fills her booth with many characters spanning from different franchises and universes in the style of plushies.

Merab Favorite, marketing coordinator for Sarasota Libraries, said the convention also serves as the perfect way to kick off the summer learning programs. Almost every day from May 31 to Aug. 2, the library has fun activities to keep children’s brains active and entertained during the summer lull. Go to SarasotaLibraries.org for more information

Robert Schwab enjoyed the SRQCon Cosplay Contest dressed as Pool Party Pool, from the Deadpool franchise.

ShimmyBoom and their Master Teacher Misha Nell dance with the audience, showcasing different bellydancing moves.

— CARLIN GILLEN

Photos by Carlin Gillen

Finalists from the SRQCon cosplay contest show off a variety of costumes.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Bust a Move

K

icking off Pride Month, two trolleys decorated with strings of rainbow flags and colorful flower leis rolled through the downtown area, receiving many smiles, honks and double thumbs-up from passersby.

Attendee Toni Wright said this year’s Silver Pride celebration at Senior Friendship Centers was spectacular.

“We’re here to stay,” Wright said. “I’m trans, and I’m celebrating my people.”

Asked about the best part of the celebration, Wright said, “The love here today is unbelievable.”

A full day of activities included dance performances, informational booths and a “legacy couples” moment of recognition for those in attendance who have been together for decades.

Patricia and Cynthia Hevert said they have been together for 30 years, and they appreciated having a local event specifically for people who share their life experiences.

They have been longtime Sarasota residents, and they met at a bar on Main Street. The two shared a love of writing, as a magazine writer and bookstore manager, and hit it off immediately.

“When we were coming up, a lot of times, we had to hide our love,” Patricia said. “It’s so beautiful that we can celebrate it, in public, with a lot of other people.”

The centers, along with Project Pride SRQ and Golden Girls Solutions, have uplifted members of Sarasota’s LGBTQ+ community for the past three years with Silver Pride events.

President Jason Champion said there is a need for such joy-filled events amid divisive discourse.

“This year has been bigger and better and stronger than before,” he said. “We’ve had more elder LGBTQ+ members come out to understand why we are celebrating.”

Champion said the legacy couples recognition is meaningful because, “It shows the representation of how you can live your life and enjoy it, just like everybody else in this world.”

Among the multitude of booths was Pink Haven and the Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota, which provide support to community members who need it. Visit PinkHaven.org for details. The senior-centric event was one of several taking place in June for Pride Month. Visit PPSRQ.org.

Photos by Dana Kampa

Dame Lindsay Carlton-Cline hits the dance floor for Silver Pride.

Silver Pride attendees waved their flags as they prepared to cruise through downtown before returning to Sarasota Friendship Centers.

Pride Project SRQ President Jason Champion welcomes legacy couples to the dance floor at Senior Friendship Centers.

Attendees at this year’s Silver Pride event filled two trolleys and waved to passersby in downtown Sarasota as they celebrated Pride Month.

— DANA KAMPA Patricia and Cynthia Hevert said they have been together for 30 years.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

MAY 26-30

ADAM HUGHES

Other top sales by area

RESEARCH EDITOR

G

reat North Investments LP sold the Unit 1211 condominium at 301 Quay Commons to Richard Tefteller and Efren Anez, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, for $2,495,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 2,072 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,589,200 in 2023.

SARASOTA

THE CONDOMINIUM ON THE BAY Jack and Liliana Neely, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 19 condominium at 936 Boulevard of the Arts for $2,325,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,904 square feet of living area.

It sold for $192,000 in 1990.

AVONDALE Raul and Alison Elizalde, trustees, sold two properties at 1839 Irving St. to Stephen Joseph Kukanza and Lynn Ford Kukanza, of Sarasota, for $1,825,000. The first property was built in 1924 and has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,387 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2006 and has one bedroom, one bath and 757 square feet of living area.

MIDWOOD MANOR Daniel Brudzynski and Carol Church Brudzynski sold their home at 1764 Floyd St. to Armando Elliott and Malorie Lipman, of Sarasota, for $1,695,000. Built in 1950, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,339 square feet of living area.

It sold for $692,000 in 2014.

MARK SARASOTA Guy DiCicco and Nancy Hamilton DiCicco, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1006 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to G. David and Ann Walters, of Sarasota, for $1.54 million. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,767 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1,045,200 in 2020.

VALENCIA ROSEMARY PLACE TOWNHOMES Stephen Platek and Joyce Paulin, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1273 Boulevard of the Arts to Asha Lundal, of Sarasota, for $1.3 million.

Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,088 square feet of living area. It sold for $521,900 in 2017.

RUSTIC LODGE Lawrence Lipshutz, trustee, sold the home at 2563 Prospect St. to Madelon and Carmen Difiglio, of Sarasota, for $930,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,234 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2019.

SIESTA KEY:

Hidden Harbor Cynthia Blair Woodling and Scott Blair, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5179 Hidden Harbor Road to TDI Coastal Homes LLC for $1.55 million.

Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,358 square feet of living area. It sold for $186,400 in 1981.

PALMER RANCH

Legacy Estates on Palmer Ranch Danielle Mathews, of Sarasota, sold her home at 5376 Trails Bend Court to John and Michelle Obetz, of Sarasota, for $1,328,400. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,343 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,475,000 in 2024.

Image courtesy of Cindy Taliaferro

The Palmer Ranch home at 5376 Trails Bend Court sold for $1,328,400.

Canada, sold their home at 8188 Gabanna Drive to Jack and Liliana Neely, of Sarasota, for $870,000.

Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,104 square feet of living area. It sold for $587,200 in 2015.

PINE SHORES ESTATES Robert Sabre sold his home at 6429 Hollywood Blvd. to Candace and Duane Lang, of Export, Pennsylvania, for $775,000. Built in 1962, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,810 square feet of living area. It sold for $560,000 in 2005.

BROADWAY PROMENADE Gerardo Gerardi and Rosanna Ramirez, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1414 condominium at 1064 N. Tamiami Trail to Justin Callahan and Diane Orians, of Sarasota, for $620,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,459 square feet of living area. It sold for $547,000 in 2022.

PALMER RANCH

DEER CREEK David and Leslie Housman sold their home at 8504 Woodbriar Drive to Barry and Amanda Meyers, of Sarasota, for $1,125,000. Built in 1994, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,598 square feet of living area. It sold for $664,500 in 2020.

OSPREY

Southbay Yacht and Racquet Club Richard Even and Bernadette Cuen, of Osprey, sold their home at 327 Sea Anchor Drive to David John Goddard and Judith Alexandra Goddard, of Osprey, for $1.15 million. Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,521 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.28 million in 2023.

STONEYBROOK GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Andrew and Mary McGee, trustees, of Ontario, Canada, sold the home at 8975 Whitemarsh Ave. to Robert and Ann Vanderlaan, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for $630,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,812 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2008.

NOKOMIS

Calusa Lakes Brian King and Kathryn Matysek, trustees, of Lynn, Massachusetts, sold the home at 2085 Sandhill Lane to Pamela and Dale Wood, of Nokomis, for $655,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,802 square feet of living area.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

SIESTA KEY STEVENS Alan Shobert, trustee, of Tampa, sold the home at 9161 Midnight Pass Road to Warren Middleton, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million. Built in 1964, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,052 square feet of living area.

SARASOTA BEACH Joseph Marotta sold the home at 615 Avenida Del Norte to Janet Witte, trustee, of Tuxedo Park, New York, for $1,185,000. Built in 1962, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,288 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1,665,000 in 2023.

SIESTA MANOR Mark Graham Briscoe and Joanne Payne, of the United Kingdom, sold their home at 398 Avenida Milano to 398 Avenida Milano LLC for $887,700. Built in 1960, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,325 square feet of living area. It sold for $180,000 in 1991.

OUR HOUSE AT THE BEACH Raffaela Giorno, of Ontario, Canada, sold her Unit C-110 condominium at 1113 Lake House Circle to Elbf at Siesta Key LLC for $670,000.

Built in 1981, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,352 square feet of living area. It sold for $191,000 in 1998.

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LIMITED OPPORTUNTIES

These are the largest city of Sarasota building permits issued for the week of May 26-30, in order of dollar amounts.

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA

LONGBOAT KEY

CITY OF SARASOTA

DeMarcay | 941.404.8858 | TheDeMarcay.com | From $7,200,000

ESPLANADE BY SIESTA KEY Christopher Getty and Wendy Frances Johnston, of Ontario,

REAL ESTATE

Bayso Sarasota condominium sells for $2,495,000

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Permit

Applicant

Amount

2829 S. Osprey Ave.

Alterations

David Heskett

$215,585

1644 Eighth St.

Renovations

Ruby Ann Dollins

$176,176

1718 Bayview Drive

Remodel

Nabil Elsheshai

$172,000

2229 McClellan Parkway

Pool/Spa/Deck

Norman Worthington III $135,467

315 Ringling Point Drive

Seawall/Dock

Patricia Harrell, trustee $110,000

1001 Tocobaga Lane

Dock/Boat Lift

Terrence Arenberg

$77,000

1809 Loma Linda St.

Alterations

Susan Morin

$65,000

1713 Bay St.

Seawall

Dennis Montgomery

$62,690

1165 Tahiti Parkway

Re-roof

Ted Power

$44,530

2078 Goldenrod St.

Windows/Doors

Adam Negroski

$36,040

Source: Sarasota County, city of Sarasota

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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Bee Ridge Office (941) 926-9100

FRIDAY, JUNE 13

BEESWAX CANDLE MAKING 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library. Free. Create a hand-rolled beeswax candle using all-natural materials and take it home for yourself or for a gift. No experience required. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION 1-7 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, from Pershing Avenue to Osprey Avenue. Free. Join the Newtown community in this outdoor celebration by supporting local vendors and businesses and commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Visit SarasotaFL.gov.

HISTORY IN THE PARK — OPEN HOUSE: DR. C.B. WILSON HOUSE 10 a.m. to noon at Urfer Family Park, 4000 Honore Ave. Free. Take a self-guided tour through the historic Dr. C.B. Wilson House, a pressed stone home constructed in 1906.

Learn about the Wilson family and other historical aspects of Sarasota County. Volunteer docents will be on site. Visit SarasotaCountyParks.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 15

MUSIC IN THE GARDENS 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts.

Members, $30; nonmembers, $35.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and violin music by Elijah Luzginov, while enjoying the facility and gardens of the Sarasota Garden Club. Visit SarasotaGardenClub.org.

TUESDAY, JUNE 17

EXPLORE & RESTORE: FAMILY CORAL WORKSHOP 9-10:30 a.m. at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. Free. Join Mote’s education and citizen science teams for this free, family friendly event.

Tour Mote’s nursery, learn about its coral research and restoration efforts, observe a special microfragmenting demonstration and then create a coral craft to take home.

Visit Mote.org.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18

Five Star Rated

TAI CHI | QIGONG 8-8:45 a.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts.

Free. Learn and practice the an-

sarasotaoms.com

Courtesy image

BEST BET SUNDAY, JUNE 15

FATHER’S DAY AT THE BAY WITH THE ROCKEFELLERS 6 p.m. at The Oval, The Bay, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Bring your dad and enjoy live music by The Rockefellers outdoors at The Bay. The band’s repertoire spans genres, from rock, classic rock, blues and country to pop. Grab bites from the PopStroke food truck, including chicken fingers and smash burgers, as well as food and drinks from The Nest Café. The Sundays at The Bay free concert series is offered every Sunday afternoon featuring a different band each week. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

cient Chinese exercise forms of Tai Chi and Qigong, known as “moving meditation,” at The Bay, with instructor Gail Petit. Petit is a Level 3 graduate and certified teacher of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi and has taught in Sarasota for more than a decade.

Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 19

TEEN SUMMER PROGRAM — JUGGLING WORKSHOP 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Ages 9 and older.

Learn how to juggle using scarves and bean bags in a session led by Gerard Tricarico. Space is limited.

Tickets are available at the youth desk starting at 1:30 p.m. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

Ages 8-11

from June 9 - 20 Level 1 Ages 8-9 Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Level 2 Ages 9-11 Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

REGISTER TODAY

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JUNE 12, 2025

SPORTS

“I started playing golf when I was 7. I just wanted to spend some time with my dad.”

— Nicholas Brown, Cardinal Mooney golfer SEE PAGE 15B

FAST

BREAK

Mike Lewis/USA Swimming

Former Riverview High swimmer Emma Weyant won the 400-meter individual medley at the USA Swimming National Championships from June 3-7.

F

ormer Riverview High swimmer Emma Weyant placed first in the 400-meter individual medley (43:34.81) and ninth in the 400-meter freestyle (4:09.69) at the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis, from June 3-7. ... Recently graduated Riverview student and current Sarasota Sharks swimmer David Melnychuk placed 12th in the 200-meter backstroke. Melnychuk completed the event in 1:59.53 — a personal-best time for Melnychuk. ... Former Cardinal Mooney swimmer Michaela Mattes placed fifth in the 400-meter freestyle (4:09.66), sixth in the 1,500-meter freestyle (16:22.22) and eighth in the 800-meter freestyle (8:41.38). ... Former Riverview swimmer Gracie Weyant placed 21st in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:32.76). ... Sarasota rising sophomore quarterback Hudson West announced on X he was named MVP of the University of North Carolina football camp and also received a scholarship offer after speaking with head coach Bill Belichick. ... Former Sarasota pitcher Conner Whittaker has been on a hot streak with the Lynchburg Hillcats, the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. Whittaker has allowed one earned run on seven hits and five walks with nine strikeouts over his last six appearances spanning 14 2/3 innings. Whittaker is 6-1 with a 3.41 ERA across 37 innings pitched in his first year of professional baseball. ... Sarasota resident Jagger Leach, the son of former world number one tennis player Lindsay Davenport, made it to the third round of singles play in the Roland Garros Junior Championships before he bowing to Ivan Ivanov of Bulgaria on June 4. Leach entered the tournament ranked No. 6 in the International Tennis Federation Junior Rankings.

A WINNING BEAT PAGE 14B

Vinnie Portell

RIVAL

Emma Thrift, a former indoor and beach volleyball player at Riverview, is the new head indoor volleyball coach at Sarasota.

VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER

S

arasota County has produced some of the state’s best volleyball over the past decade.

Cardinal Mooney, Riverview and Venice have each made it to the final four in the past 10 years, with the Cougars (one) and Indians (two) bringing home state championships.

Sarasota, however, could not tap into that local success. The Sailors haven’t made it to the regional round of postseason play since 2015 and have never played in a regional final.

New Sarasota volleyball head coach Emma Thrift hopes to change that.

Thrift knows Sarasota volleyball better than most.

She played both indoor and beach volleyball at Riverview and has coached with Sarasota Volleyball Club — an AAU and travel organization — since she was a senior in high school.

After routinely beating the Sailors in her high school days, the challenge of going to the rival excites Thrift.

“It’s exciting to be on the other side,” Thrift said. “It fuels the fire a little bit more. It feels like I have something to prove.”

In the Sailors’ 10-11 season, Riverview eliminated Sarasota in its first district tournament game.

That leaves plenty of room for improvement, but Thrift is focusing more on the intangibles than the record.

“Success for me this season would be building a solid culture and foundation,” she said. “It’s not about winning, winning, winning.

It’s about having them grow. Even if they lose, I want it to be five sets, close games, extra points every time.

I don’t want it to be a 3-0 sweep. I would still count that as a win. Set wins are wins to me. When we see that growth in the season, that will set us up really well in the long term.”

Thrift, 23, graduated from Florida State University in 2024, but she isn’t inexperienced in coaching.

She has coached with Sarasota Volleyball Club, SRQ Beach Volleyball and The Classical Academy of Sarasota.

However, she is well aware she will be one of the youngest head varsity coaches in the state this season, and she’s planning on using that to her advantage.

“I try to relate to them a little more because they’re still in high school,” Thrift said. “They’re going through the hardest part of their life right now. I feel like a lot of coaches, as they get older, kind of dismiss that, whereas I was more recently in their shoes. They want to feel respected and feel like they’re being heard, and I feel like I’m able to communicate

Sarasota volleyball adds new coach with Riverview roots.

REVELRY

THE LAST 10 YEARS OF SARASOTA VOLLEYBALL

Image courtesy of Emma Thrift

New Sarasota indoor volleyball coach Emma Thrift was a part of the inaugural beach volleyball team at Riverview High School.

that with them.”

Despite Sarasota’s record and postseason result last year, Thrift should have some talent to work with this fall.

Kills leader Liza Collier, a rising junior, is set to enter her junior season, while Braelynn Rebholz, third in kills, will be a senior.

Blocks leader Gemma Mulhollen is entering her junior season, and ace leader Rylan Miller will be a senior.

The work for next season has already begun.

Thrift held her first summer workout on June 9 at the school, and said roughly 50 players — including freshman, junior varsity and varsity — showed up, with more expected to come later in the summer.

June will focus on building stamina and mental strength. Thrift intends on the Sailors playing deep into matches, which will require forti-

tude. That means cardio work on the track, high-repetition weightlifting and time on the court.

Perhaps more important than strength and conditioning will be creating a team-first culture. Thrift said she can’t remember the players who were on the freshman and junior varsity teams when she was a varsity player.

Instead, she wants an all-inclusive environment to encourage players to stay with the team through graduation.

“What I really want to build right now is good culture,” Thrift said. “I want this team to be one unit. I don’t want freshman, JV, varsity. I want Sarasota volleyball. I feel like it didn’t really build a positive culture, and I want longevity.

“I know they can be great. I just need them to understand that they can be great, as well.”

2014: 16-7 (Eliminated in regional semifinal round) 2015: 12-14 (Eliminated in regional quarterfinal round) 2016: 15-11 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2017: 6-15 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2018: 10-13 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2019: 6-16 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2020: 6-10 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2021: 8-18 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2022: 9-16 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2023: 12-14 (Eliminated in district tournament) 2024: 10-11 (Eliminated in district tournament)

14B

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

VINNIE’S VIEW

VINNIE PORTELL

Sarasota paddlers to compete in Dragon Boat World Championships F

HISTORY OF DRAGON BOATING 77-476 BC: Dragon boat racing originated in China as a way to appease rain gods. The legend of its origin revolves around a man named Qu Yuan, who threw himself into the Mi Lo River after being banished from China due to claims of treason. Fisherman raced their boats to save him, beating a drum and throwing rice dumplings into the water to distract fish, thus founding a lasting tradition.

Vinnie Portell

Paddlers based at Nathan Benderson Park celebrated their selection to Team USA.

for the first time — including seven paddlers from Nathan Benderson Park.

Some other paddlers have served in the military or dealt with life obstacles thrown their way.

“You think you know someone who’s overcome something, and then you come here and you meet some guy who’s getting over rectal cancer or a woman with stage four breast cancer and still has a port and is going through chemo,” said Team USA paddler and Sarasota resident Beth Turconi. “It’s just humbling. They make no excuses.

They never say, maybe, or someday, or should I? It’s just, ‘Do it. Do it and live for today.’ And these people inspire me.”

Like myself, Turconi didn’t know much about dragon boat racing at first.

She moved to the area from New Jersey 10 years ago and saw a sign at

Nathan Benderson Park advertising Dragon Boat 101. After reading up on the sport at home, Turconi was all-in.

That led her to compete in races and trials across the country and even a trip to Thailand for the 16th IDBF World Championships.

To qualify for Team USA, paddlers had to be tested in time trials using tandem outrigger boats in which one person steered the boat while the other paddled.

Those times along with rowing ergometer results evaluate both the speed and power of the paddler.

Making it to the world championships is a feat in itself, but winning gold would make that journey even sweeter, and Team USA has a strong history of winning.

Team USA brought home 24 gold medals, 39 silver medals and 19 bronze medals from the 16th IDBF World Championships in Thailand.

There isn’t any history to lean back on for the Breast Cancer Paddlers because this year will be the debut of the division at the IDBF World Championships, but optimism abounds nonetheless.

“They’re the ones paving the way,” Long said of the BCP team.

“They’re trying this division out and seeing how it works. I know it’s going to be successful. They already have seven countries that are going to be participating, so they’ve got a really good turnout. It’s going to be great.”

Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.

206 BC to 220 AD: Dragon boat racing became a sport during the Han Dynasty 1976: The first Hong Kong International races are held, an event that the IDBF acknowledges to be the start of the “modern era” of dragon boat racing.

1991: The International Dragon Boat Federation is formed.

1995: The first IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships was held in Yueyang, China.

2025: Today, people compete in dragon boat races around the world. According to the IDBF, there are 50 million participants in China, 300,000 participants in Europe and 90,000 participants in the United States and Canada.

440283-1

or the uninitiated, dragon boat racing is as much of an art as it is a sport.

That’s something I learned quickly upon my first exposure to it at Nathan Benderson Park.

I’m not the biggest fan of water sports, but it was hard to not be impressed by what I saw while watching Team USA paddlers train for the 17th International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany from July 14 through 20.

The paddlers selected to represent Team USA include 22 people who train at Nathan Benderson Park. They include Sarasota residents Gina Toynton, Duneska Grant, Kim Sheffield, Beth Turconi, Don Bickel and Brian Long.

These athletes had their fortitude tested quickly upon learning the sport.

A new paddler must learn how to paddle in sync to the beat of a drum alongside their teammates. If the timing is off, paddles will collide, water will splash onto the boat, and maximum speed will be impossible to reach.

The elements — from Florida heat and humidity to foggy mornings — create an adjustment period as well.

That’s not even to mention the fact alligators are lurking underneath the surface of the water.

“Your hand goes in the water when you paddle, so every time I’m like, ‘Please don’t eat me,’” said Team USA dragon boat paddler Maybe Sullivan, a resident of Lakewood Ranch. “My coach will say, ‘Put your leg in the water,’ and I’m like, ‘No way.’”

For as challenging as the sport can be, what’s even more commendable is what many of the paddlers have had to overcome in their lives.

This year’s Dragon Boat World Championships will include a Breast Cancer Paddlers division

YourObserver.com

What was the most memorable part of your first year of high school golf?

I definitely enjoyed being with the team, winning as a team, losing as a team and working together for a common goal.

What’s been going right for you personally lately?

My irons and my putting have been pretty consistent. I just try to keep it in play, put it on the green and see what I can do from there.

What are your goals and dreams in golf?

I’d love to make it on the PGA Tour.

In the next few years, I just want to maintain consistent low scores and try to get a ride to a DI school.

What’s been your most humbling moment in golf?

There was a period where I just could not putt for my life. It was a lot of mental battles, and it was a really rough time then. I switched to a claw grip. I needed to switch something up.

What’s your favorite TV show or movie?

My favorite show I’ve watched is ‘Band of Brothers.’ It’s a World War II series. I liked watching it with my dad. It was entertaining.

What’s your go-to warm-up song?

I listen to a playlist I have on Spotify.

There’s a lot of different artists. I like Maroon 5. It calms me down and gets me focused.

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If you’re not golfing, what are you doing?

Playing basketball or hanging out with friends. I played basketball for the junior varsity high school team this year.

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What’s your favorite all-time golf memory?

I had a hole-in-one at (Esplanade at) Azario. I played pretty good that day. I shot 5-under (par). I had a seven iron and it was like 181 (yards) downwind. I hit a good shot, but it was pretty lucky. It landed on a hill and took the hill and rolled in.

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When and why did you start playing golf?

I started playing golf when I was 7. I just wanted to spend some time with my dad.

What is your favorite meal?

I have to go with steak. I like it cooked medium with mashed potatoes.

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Nicholas Brown has been busy working on his golf game fresh off his first year at Cardinal Mooney Catholic.

Brown finished tied for 10th or better in all three events he played in May. He shot a 77-73 to finish T5 at the Lakewood National Open (May 1112) and a 77-74 to finish 10th at the Harbor Hills Open (May 18-19) on the Florida Junior Tour.

If you would like to make a recommendation for the Sarasota Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Vinnie Portell at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Nicholas Brown

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

16B

YourObserver.com

WEATHER

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, JUNE 12

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 89 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 61%

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 High: 90 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 24%

Thursday, June 12

6:34a

8:25p

Friday, June 13

6:34a

8:25p

Saturday, June 14

6:34a

8:26p

Sunday, June 15

6:34a

8:26p

Monday, June 16

6:34a

8:26p

Tuesday, June 17

6:34a

8:26p

Wednesday, June 18

6:34a

8:26p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 High: 89 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 24%

June 18 Last

June 25 New

July 2 First

July 10 Full

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JUNE 15 High: 88 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 24% Michael Falcone captured this photo of a dragonfly mid pose at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Monday, June 2

0

Tuesday, June 3

1.07

Wednesday, June 4

0.8

Thursday, June 5

2.35

Friday, June 6

0.01

Saturday, June 7

0

Sunday, June 8

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Contests. All submissions will be entered for the 2025-26 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2026, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE: 2025 13.13 in.

17.18 in.

2024

MONTH TO DATE: 4.46 in.

2025 7.49 in.

2024

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Daily crossword puzzles available at YourObserver.com/crossword after a spaghetti dinner 127 Build on

60 25-time LPGA Tour winner Se Ri ___ 62 NFL field DOWN 63 Yank 1 Touchscreen tools 64 Cellular messenger 2 About 65 Fashion letters 3 Whipped dessert 66 Nonsense 4 Veterans 68 A long, long time 5 What might fill a pint 69 Oboe insert glass 70 Connect the ___ 6 EGOT winner and “West 71 Ain’t equivalent?

Side Story” actress Rita 72 Statistician Silver 7 Thomas ___ Edison 77 Mars, but not Earth 8 Pricing category 78 Family guy 9 Actress Longoria 79 Biblical garden 10 Fam member 80 “Stick Season” singer 11 “So there!”

Kahan 12 CPR pro 81 Witnessed 13 ___ Paulo 82 Not trimmed, as a beard 14 Container tops 83 “What’s up, ___?” (Bugs 15 Berry that’s mostly Bunny’s catchphrase) vowels 85 Some Canadian cops 16 Utters 87 Like a red steak 18 Confuse 88 Some classic PCs 19 Venue for gladiators 89 Compete (for) 20 British sports car, 90 Assist with a crime informally 92 Big Apple inits.

22 Canine command 93 “10” actress Bo 23 Tweaks, as an essay 97 Poet W.H. ___ 29 A few 98 Out of tune 30 Pumpkin pie spice 99 Epitome of thinness ©2025 Universal Uclick 31 Feel sore 101 Sounded like a smoke 95 “Dancing With the Stars” day!”

32 Luggage-checking org.

ACROSS 33 Congressional periods detector network 66 Amazonian snake 35 It’s just for show(rooms) 1 American ___ (territory 34 Music blaster 102 Put forward 96 Advertising slogan for 67 Advertising slogan for whose capital is Pago Pago) 36 Advertising slogan for 37 Overflow (with) 106 Paving goo Midas’ muffler service? the NBA? the MLB? 6 Aussie pals 38 Bar bill 107 Midsection 100 “The Wire” actor Idris 73 “Black gold” 11 Units named after inven- 43 Australian runner 39 Corporate VIPs 108 It’s a thing 103 Anderson Cooper’s 74 A la king?

45 A pop tor and engineer Nikola 40 ___ of expertise 109 “Curses!” network 75 Throw out 46 Result of waves hitting 17 Fairy-tale baddie 41 Big name in potato chips 110 Branch headquarters?

104 Regrets 76 Droop 18 South American country rocks on the shoreline 42 Caustic cleaner 112 Condition that may 105 Most greasy, maybe 78 Await judgment 47 Advertising slogan for with the world’s largest 44 Org. aka the Postal involve repetitive behaviors, 108 Accelerator particle 80 “Science Guy” Bill Chippendales? salt flat Service for short 20 Birthplace of Rastafari- 53 Tie-breaking periods in 81 “Steve Jobs” actor Rogen 111 Three-___ sloth 47 “SmackDown” org.

113 Chart-topping songs 113 Labor leader Jimmy 82 “Do ___ others ... ” the NHL anism 48 Juno’s Greek counter114 Protest singer Phil 115 100 centavos 83 Family guy 54 Apt rhyme of “spy” 21 Advertising slogan for part 117 “___ pasa?” (“What’s 116 Advertising slogan for 84 Texter’s “I think ...”

55 Ties the knot “America’s Got Talent”?

49 Dutch cheese happening?”)

McCafe?

86 Advertising slogan for 56 Hurt badly 24 Certain deadly sin 50 Soft mineral 118 www.wiktionary.org, e.g.

122 Made certain 25 “What concerns me is ...” 57 Surgery sites, for short the PGA? 51 Swank in Hollywood 119 “Losing My Religion” 123 Nor’s partner 91 Rural route with little 59 Bitter brews, briefly 26 Slight advantage 52 Nonparticipation anxi- band 124 Swerves traffic 61 Historical period 27 Fam member ety, briefly 120 Pizzeria order 94 Nickname that sounds 125 Roadside stops 62 Audacity 28 Demand 58 One who pays a monthly 121 Charlottesville sch.

126 Like a toddler’s face like its first two letters 63 “Go ahead, make my 30 ___-pedi flat fee?

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“DA ADH YIDPM PA MHH WAAT KHAKTH OACDF EBCTTCIDPTL. C YIDP PA MHH PZH MPBSFFTH. PZIP’M PZH NSD ECP.” BCWXL FHBJICM Puzzle Three Clue: N equals F

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Manufactured Home Community 55+ Active Lifestyle

M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty www.rentalsonlongboat.com

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Sailboat Access Canal 4 Bed $675,000

RED PAGES AD RATES

Plantation Golf Course View Condo 3 Bed $294,000

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN

To schedule a tour, call 844-552-4574

Condos/Apts. for Rent 2BR/2BA SIESTA KEY Bay & Gulf Views. Condo avail NOVAPRIL 2026. TOP CORNER. King bed and 2 queens. W/D .Walk to Bch,. 2 pools, tennis, gym, carport. (941) 539-6233 THREE BEDROOM CONDO Unit 1305 for monthly rental in Copperleaf the Brooks.

Contact donnamariecos5@icloud.com

Brooke O’Malley CLUB REALTY Call 941-726-2677

JAMES BOTTORFF HANDYMAN SERVICES Call or Text 941-807-0032 Registered in the state of FL. MITCHELL HANDYMAN. Painting, Carpentry, Tile, Pressure Cleaning.

Home Improvements, Repairs.

Small and large! 941-284-8488.

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888

Color background: $5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

PLACE YOUR AD:

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC

Call: 941-955-4888 | Email: redpages@yourobserver.com Online: yourobserver.com/redpages

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

This week’s Crossword answers

Call 941-955-4888

Handyman Services

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.

INTERIOR / EXTERIOR / CABINETS WE ARE THE BEST!!!

Residential & Commercial.

Fully Insured.

CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “We are a very typical Spanish family – a bullfighter, an actress, a flamenco dancer and singer!”

Paz Vega Puzzle Two Solution: “In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.”

Christopher Morley Puzzle Three Solution: “No one wants to see cool people doing brilliantly.

I want to see the struggle. That’s the fun bit.”

Ricky Gervais

This week’s Sudoku answers

SEARCH the RED PAGES for GREAT DEALS To place an ad

www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

Painting

Over 1 Acre Beachfront House $6.5 million

Luxury Sarasota Bay views 4 Bed 5 Bath with Boat Dock $1.9 million

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342.

YourObserver.com/RedPages

View our listings online: www.bahiavistafl.com

Pool Home Completely Upgraded $545,000

BETTY’S HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE. Residential, high quality cleaning. Reasonable rates. Lic./Insured.

Free Estimates!

Call 941-650-6180

Since 1939

3901 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota

House on Canal with Pool & Dock $1,250,000

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

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

Brand New Model Homes starting in the low $200s

WANTED: Vintage/collector cars for cash purchase. Will buy 1 or a collection. (941) 993-4060

real estate

MOVING MUST SELL! Tan leather sofa in excellent condition. $200 941-545-5643

HOMES FOR SALE

Open House 1st Saturday of the month 10am-2pm

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

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

FREE SHEET MUSIC for voice, music for piano.

New Violin (1/8th size) $199 941-358-8511 HOOVER 2-TANK rug steam vac plus 3.5 liters cleaning solution. $60 941-350-9141

The Premier Golf & Marina Manufactured Home Community 55+ Active Lifestyle

©2025 Universal Uclick

5 BURNER Frigidaire electric stove w/ stainless steel front.

Excellent condition. $150

HOUSE FOR SALE Wonderful 4 bedroom 2 bath home for sale in Philippi Gardens. Covered at X flood zone private Key West style, tropical backyard and pool area. $725,000 Contact Robert Day, Rose Bay international Realty.

(941) 400-1247 RoseBay.com

You’re only cheating yourself.

3 GRAB BARS. Stainless steel.

24" is $8, 18" is $7, 12" is $5. In Nokomis. $20 (941) 966-6816

Autos Wanted

3 BED/2BATH/1CAR garage condo-built 2014-Lakewood Ranch Neal Communitygorgeous amenities-pets accepted. Possible seller concessions/loan buy down.

Lorna Leduc RoseBay Int'l Realty, 941-928-2639 cell

peekers’ place

Items Under $200

Homes for Sale

auto

stuff

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Room for Rent

©2025 NEA, Inc.

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

home services

Made for where you live. Here!

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Cleaning

Handyman

STEVE PANEBIANCO

Don’t Let Your DRYER

Start A FIRE!

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Paradise Dryer Vent Cleaning TODAY!

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YoderAluminum.com

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

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

6968 Beneva Road (Next to Beneva Flowers)

941-929-9095

Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

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

We have mediated divorces involving up to 15 million dollars of assets over past 30 years.

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

William J. Leininger, JD

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

941-735-3362

446745

Auto Service

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Pegatronics.com

446167

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

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

Call me for a free 30 minute consultation before you call a Divorce Lawyer!

CREATE BUZZ!

SELL YOUR CAR!

Advertise your business in the Red Pages. Call 941-955-4888

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

Home Watch

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

Doors

FAST • EASY • SAFE

Dave and Connie Grundy

DON’T let your

WE COME TO YOU

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your

5-Star Rated

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

WINDOWS be a PANE!!

445445

HoHoBuysCars.com

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts | Window Repairs

Blinds/Window Treatments

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

IN-HOAMTEES ESTIM

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www.ezslider.com

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CALL 941-955-4888

446263

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com Handyman

Landscaping & Lawn

KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES INTERIOR RENOVATIONS ONE STORY GUTTER CLEANINGS ONLY $250-$350 TEXT OR CALL 574-354-7772

YOUR HOME found here.

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RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

GG1 Lawn Care & Landscaping Services Pruning, Weed Maintenance, Tree Care Call Today for FREE Estimate

446748

Showcase your products or services each week in the Red Pages.

DRGRABBARS.COM

*DRILLING CHARGES MAY APPLY FOR MARBLE, GRANITE OR PORCELAIN. COUPON REQUIRED.

941-879-6310 | designingwindowsbyisabel@gmail.com www.designingwindowsbyisabel.com Special Discounts for Veterans & Seniors

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

INCLUDES22MOEN MOEN STAINLESS INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIP CONCEALED PEEN CONCEALED SCREW SCREW GRAB GRAB BARS (16”BARS & 24”)(16” & 24”)

941.966.0333

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Blinds, Shades, Shutters, Draperies, Cushions, Wall Coverings, Motorized Systems

249 235

* $ $235

$

FREE

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RED PAGES

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

Divorce is never fun, but it does not have to be nasty & hateful! Protect your family relationships and assets from expensive Court litigation. Consider Divorce Mediation, the peaceful alternative.

446155

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Computer

Divorce without Lawyers

941.270.4400

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

446740

941.650.9790 941.650.9790YOUR SAFETY IS PRICELESS! YoderAluminum.com

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

445342

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

445463

Dustin Yoder

Health

941.979.2707 paradisedryervent.com

“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

FREE (941) 809-7311 ESTIMATES!

24/7 SERVICE

446459

Call

445452

Aluminum

364556 446168

18B

423.251.2368 / 863.473.1069 446568

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Plumbing

RIVER GRAVEL, GRAYSTONE

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!

YARDS INSTALLED DRIVEWAYS

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

BOULDERS, BRICK PAVERS

(941) 228-6479

941-923-8140

Real Estate

DAVID

446747

You Pay NO Realtor Commissions or Fees!

20 years local expe-

Sarasota Cash Home Buyers

Lic./ Insured

We Pay All Closing Costs!

Design & Installation

Call Today for a FREE Consultation 941-809-4333 | www.tendingtohisgarden.com FREE 25 gal palm tree with job of $3000 or more. expires 8/30/25

• We Buy In “As Is Condition” • No Need For Repairs

SOLD

luislopeztreeandlawnservices.com

WE ALWAYS PAY CASH Call us FIRST at

941-202-6957

Wizard Moving SRQ For $149 per hour you get:

Sarasota Cash Home Buyers Your Local Home Buyers

A truck, 2 men with equipment, experience and a great attitude to

www.SarasotaCashHomeBuyers.com

446460

Licensed and insured #IMT708

(941) 544.5663

• Any Situation, Any Price Range • Water Damaged Houses are OK • Fair Cash Offers • Close When You Want • No More Uncertainty • We Also Buy Land and Condos

Movers

make your moving day a pleasure.

FREE ESTIMATES, CALL TODAY!

• We are Local Cash Buyers • We Provide The Flexibility You Want

446172

Roofing

ON TARGET

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

OBSERVER RED PAGES

Building & Roofing Contractor

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

Windows

AFFORDABLE WINDOW CARE

by John Larson Residential specialist for window cleaning & tinting

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC

30+YEARS LOCAL EXPERIENCE.

Cut Your Energy Bill by Tinting Your Home or Business!

Tax benefits! FPL rebates!

affordablewindowcare.com affordablewindowcare@gmail.com

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005 Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins.

Exterior / Interior / Cabinets

445453

941-626-3194 kennethfuhlmaninc.com

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Transportation

CALL OR TEXT 941-900-9398 TODAY! OWNER: DON HUBIAK

UP TO

941 - 248 - 4734

All Florida Airports, Concerts & Dinners - Hourly Cruise Ships & Medical | See Specials at: www.blacklabelcarservice.com

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Trees

Pet Care by Melanie Gates Serving South Sarasota Only including: Palmer Ranch – Osprey – Nokomis

446461

Dog Sitting (sm/md) Dog Walking (sm/md) Cat sitting & Cat/Kitten Introductions

(941) 966-2960

445465

Administering medication

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE RED PAGES

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888

STUFF

found here.

The Red Pages is the perfect store to buy and sell locally! You’ll find a wide selection from antiques to furniture to condos!

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

160

25 $

STANDARD WINDOWS

410036

445455

446166

Pet Services

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE “Luxury for Less”

FULLY INSURED • OWNER OPERATED

30+ years Exp. & Excellent References

on US CAPITAL, SENATE & LIBRARY of CONGRESS buildings after 9/11.

CALL (941) 955.4607 (941) 321.1304

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit and Fascia • Metal & Shingle Roofing • Pool Cage, Pan Roofs & Lania Fabrication • Aluminum Welding & Fabrication

Painting

TRUSTED SECURITY FILM INSTALLER

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount.

www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

445456

446462

Rich Briandi | 941-356-5616

Landscape

WE ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE, HASSLE FREE WAY TO SELL YOUR HOUSE FOR CA$H TODAY!

Tree Removal Tree Trimming Lawn Maintenance and More!

Your Local Home Buyers

Driveways | Yards | Dirt Work | Light Demo

445215

Sarasota Cash Home Buyers

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE SARASOTA NATIVE

Shell Work & Landscape Stone

Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

446742

WASHED SHELL, LIMESTONE

• 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

445461

ROCK & SHELL LANDSCAPING

General Plumbing Services Inc.

Trees

446107

Landscaping & Lawn

19B

20B

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

1

#

Sotheby’s International Realty® Affiliate in the World* Florida Luxury Market Share** CASEY KEY

*Peerage Group Sotheby’s International Realty. **Sotheby’s International Realty® leads the Florida luxury real estate market in sales volume and units sold.

1304 Casey Key Road Valerie Dall’Acqua

$6,850,000 941.445.7295

THE GULF COAST LUXURY LEADER

Open House Event Scan for a full list of open houses, property details, driving directions and more.

SIESTA KEY HIDDEN HARBOR 5132 Jungle Plum Road Joel Schemmel

SIESTA KEY 6512 Midnight Pass Road #301 Judie Berger

PALM ISLAND ON SIESTA KEY $3,000,000 941.928.3424

PREMIER ON MAIN 62 Audubon Place Andrew Tanner

SIESTA KEY $875,000 941.928.3424

$469,000 941.525.8707

7551 Calle Facil Joel Schemmel & Sharon Chiodi

$1,285,000 941.587.4894

333 Sunrise Drive Courtney Green & Melissa Caldwell

THE LAKE CLUB 8312 Catamaran Circle Laura Stavola

$2,695,000 941.447.4875

430 Kumquat Court #210 Frank Lambert & Anita Lambert

13457 Drysdale Avenue Lily Buzey

$560,000 941.702.3461

11601 Parrotfish Street Frannie Smith

4809 Benito Court Andrew Tanner

$1,196,000 941.920.1500

734 Canal Road Judie Berger

$325,000 407.353.8810

$1,000,000 941.928.3424

SARASOTA $559,000 941.877.2550

139 Long Meadow Lane Mia McKeehan

$1,950,000 941.539.0998

SIESTA ISLES

2724 Ashton Road Kevin Milner

ROTONDA WEST LONG MEADOW $459,999 941.236.1796

5729 Garden Lakes Palm Darren Beddoe

15364 Isla Palma Lane Debi Cohoon

$3,375,000 941.809.8432

ESPLANADE

PALMERO

GARDEN LAKES VILLAS $374,000 941.223.0686

$5,300,000 941.587.4894

NOKOMIS

VILLA BALLADA

CARIBBEAN VILLAGE

SOUTH VENICE 976 Euclid Road Peggy Olson

$2,900,000 941.928.3424

7647 Sanderling Road Joel Schemmel

PORT CHARLOTTE

SOUTH VENICE 460 Bard Road Jody Callan

497 Island Circle Judie Berger

PRESTANCIA $1,675,000 941.539.0998

6300 Midnight Pass Road #5 Judie Berger

$6,900,000 941.587.4894

SANDERLING | SIESTA KEY

$419,000 941.726.0898

MIRA LAGO 3804 Amapola Lane Cindy Taliaferro

PUNTA GORDA 14257 Heritage Landing Boulevard #1122 $325,000 Martin Dimovski 862.414.1184

$475,000 941.539.3287

$400,000 941.894.7269

VENETIA 4522 Cancello Grande Avenue Jody Callan

$319,000 941.525.8707

Featured New Developments

941.213.0014 TheEstatesatTerraNova.com

941.920.1500 OrangeOneFL.com

941.920.1501 TheFrankLambertTeam.com

941.920.1500 TheFrankLambertTeam.com

BECAUSE EVERY HOME IS UNIQUE. JUST LIKE YOU. JUST LIKE US. BROKERAGE | RENTALS | RELOCATION | NEW DEVELOPMENT | MORTGAGE | TITLE | INSURANCE | FINE ART CONSIGNMENT VENICE | 941.412.3323

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

RENTALS | 941.203.3433

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 resources, including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate. *Peerage Group Sotheby’s International Realty. Source: BrokerMetrics®

438430-1

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000