Renee DiPilato (above) called the history center a “deeply personal project” that started when she became director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources almost six years ago.
She said as a student of history, she quickly realized the special collection it will feature deserved a home to make it available to the community.
On July 3, Sarasota County held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Sarasota County History Center and Fruitville Library Expansion.
DiPilato said the center will offer access to “hundreds of unique, remarkable collections,” tools for digitizing family memories, meeting rooms, educational workshops and exhibitions when it’s complete in fall 2026.
A Shabbat with stars and stripes
At Temple Sinai, the Fourth of July was packed with special occasions.
Rabbi Michael Cohen, who began his tenure July 1, hosted his first service, alongside Chazzan Cliff Abramson and the band The Bruno Connection, as part of the monthly Rhythm and Jews service. Then, members gathered for the Sinai Sizzle 4th of July BBQ. Cohen most recently served as rabbi at Central SynagogueBeth Emeth in Rockville Centre, New York.
He spent nine years as a Jewish chaplain in the U.S. Army and five years in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command as a Psychological Operations Sergeant, with his service including deployments to Haiti, Korea, Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan.
$0.10
Ian Swaby
Gabriella Brinceanu, 14, and her sister, Alaina, 3, work
at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Kampa
Photo courtesy Sarasota County
Courtesy image
Temple Sinai President Sherry Thomas and VP of Membership Elana Margolis
WEEK OF JULY 10, 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
3
3.8779
$35,000
“We’re making it a point that we not only rehabilitate the building, but we’re using it the way it was being used back in 1920.”
Mira Mar project architect Igor Reyes. Read more on page 5
County wins land conservation recognition
In recognition of its Land Acquisition and Management Program rebranding and community education plan, the Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department has received the 2025 Conservation Award from the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials.
The award is presented annually to organizations that demonstrate exceptional efforts to acquire, restore and preserve natural or significant conservation areas and to those that
create public awareness and appreciation for conservation initiatives.
“This award recognizes the hard work and innovation of our team in engaging the community around land conservation,” said Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Nicole Rissler in a news release.
Funded through voter-approved referendums in 1999 and 2005, the programs support the acquisition, protection and management of natural lands and parklands. In November 2026,
Sarasota County residents will be asked to consider extending the program through a referendum on the ballot.
The award was presented during the NACPRO annual meeting on June 12 in Detroit.
NACPRO is a nonprofit professional organization that supports county and regional parks, recreation and conservation initiatives and is affiliated with the National Association of Counties and the National Recreation and Park Association.
City codifies granting anti-Obsidian appeal
The Sarasota City Commission on July 7 formalized the granting of the appeal by the Bay Plaza Owners Association of the Planning Board’s approval of adjustments for the Obsidian condominium tower adjacent to its building.
At its May 13 meeting, the commission by a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Liz Alpert dissenting, overturned the Planning Board’s decision to allow three adjustments related to retail frontage, parallel façade and habitable space on the first two floors of the 327-foot, 18-story project at the street addresses of 1260-1274 N. Palm Ave.
Code requires the commission adopt a resolution when an appeal is granted under such circumstances. Once the resolution has been adopted, developer Matt Kihnke may opt to appeal the commission’s decision to the 12th Judicial Circuit Court.
In other business the City Commission:
■ Authorized a locally funded agreement between the city of Sarasota and Sarasota County for the use of County Park Impact Fees for park improvements to the Nature Park at Bobby Jones Golf Club in the amount of $1.67 million.
■ Adopted upon second reading to rezone a vacant half-acre on the east side of North Tuttle Avenue north of Sixth Street and south of Eighth Street from Residential Multiple Family 1 zone district to the Residential Multiple Family 2. No development has been proposed with this application.
■ Adopted upon second reading the right-of-way vacation of a portion of Fourth Way, an alley running east-west between Fourth and Fifth streets from North Tamiami Trail to Cocoanut Avenue. The alley vacation will allow for the development of Saravela, a mixed-use, multifamily project. Saravela is proposed to include 282 residences with no fewer than 40 designated as affordable and attainable per the city’s bonus density program, in addition to approximately 11,000 square feet of commercial space and 3,000 square feet of publicly accessible green space.
Courtesy photo
Nicole Rissler is director of Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources.
Waving farewell
Visitors get one last day at Mote’s aquarium ahead of move.
DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER
Heather Rozeboom remembers accompanying her father when Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium would come calling late at night, seeking volunteer assistance with the dolphins in its care.
“We would race out here together, and the most memorable time was when we stood in the tank the entire night to hold it up to breathe, because it could no longer stay afloat on its own,” she said.
She was among those who paid a visit to the City Island facility on July 6, the last day it was open to the public before experts turn their full attention to preparing inhabitants for a smooth, safe transition to the new facility near I-75.
“We had to get here for the last day,” she said. “We’ve been coming here since we were little kids.”
Rozeboom, who still lives in Sarasota, said the new facility may not hold all the same memories, but she is looking forward to making new ones.
“It will be great in its own way, I’m sure,” she added.
Mote Aquarium’s final weeks of being open to the public on City Island brought out good-sized crowds, topping out above 1,500 on the busiest days, volunteers estimated. Over the Fourth of July weekend, visitors took in a final display of keepers feeding the river otters, picked up mementos from the gift shop and chatted excitedly about the anticipated opening of Mote Science Education Aquarium.
Officials are still working to set a date for the official opening of the much larger building near Univer-
1955 Cape Haze Marine Laboratory opens in Placida (two-room building and a shark pen)
1960 Cape Haze Marine Laboratory moves to southern tip of Siesta Key with new laboratory building, docks and shark pens
1967 Additional laboratories added to Siesta site — name changed to Mote Marine Laboratory, Navy shark tanks added 1978 Mote Marine Laboratory moves to City Island (Ken Thompson Park), with new laboratory building with one of four wings completed, filter system, pens and dock
sity Town Center. Vice President Kevin Cooper said in a press release announcing the closure and timelines for the move depend upon calibrating life support and safely transferring the animals to their new homes.
The original marine facility that would one day become Mote Marine opened under the name Cape Haze Marine Laboratory in 1955 in Placida. Five years later, in would begin operating in the Siesta Key area for 18 years before officials launched the City Island laboratory in 1978.
This center underwent name changes and adaptations over time, catering to the sharks, turtles and marine mammals that call Sarasota Bay home. Seeing a need for additional space to continue its mission of rescuing animals and educating the public, Mote made plans to open a new aquarium between UTC Mall and Nathan Benderson Park.
Community members have shared their earnest anticipation for the new facility, which experts predict will welcome upward of 700,000 aquariumgoers in its first year.
Coming from Fort Myers, Alex Marino and Sam Walch paid a visit on Sunday. Marino said he was glad to fit in a visit before the closing, especially considering he greatly appreciated participating in Mote’s summer camps and other programs.
“I’m looking forward to the new facility, but I’m still really glad I got to go here,” he said.
Walch said she appreciates all the extra space the animals will have to enjoy at Mote SEA.
The science facility will remain, but the closed-door center will focus on research and rehabilitation efforts.
Visitors weren’t the only ones reminiscing on the last day. Alexandra Goldring has accumulated nine years of experience with Mote between her initial internship and volunteer staffing.
She remembers working closely with one particular rescue animal — a turtle named Sea Salt. Goldring said she helped with this particular
turtle all the way from intake to its successful release with a satellite tag.
“I got to be part of the team holding him and releasing him into the ocean,” she said. “I was really appreciative.”
Goldring said she’s enjoyed working with staff members so dedicated to animal welfare, and she is eager to see how their ability to treat cold stunning, red tide side effects, hook injuries and more will expand with their focus on animal rehab.
St. Armands Key resident Carolyn Michel actually visited twice in the final week. First, she took visiting family members to see it all one last time. But on Sunday, she just came for herself, waving farewell to the eel that has greeted many viewers.
“I’m going to be sad to see it move so far east from me,” she said. “I
Dalphia Morgan, 5 years old, and Stetson Buel, 16 months, check out the sub-tank tunnels on the last public day at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium on July 6.
“I loved having it here by the water ... I understand why they’re moving and why they need to, but we’ll certainly miss having the displays here.”
— Carolyn Michel, St. Armands Key resident
loved having it here by the water. It’s a great location. I understand why they’re moving and why they need to, but we’ll certainly miss having the displays here.”
SAVE OUR SEABIRDS REMAINS OPEN
Save Our Seabirds, a longtime neighboring rescue facility, reassures visitors that it plans to remain open for the foreseeable future.
The two avian and aquatic centers on City Island are separately run, but visitors have long enjoyed stopping into both for a day trip. Save Our Seabirds is free to enter, though it welcomes donations to support its mission of rehabilitating sick and injured birds.
SOS Executive Director Brian Walton said visitors still have plenty to look forward to with a visit to the area, especially with the investments staff are making to improve and expand the facilities.
“We love our Mote neighbors, and we are going to miss them as much as anyone,” he said.
He said leaders are finalizing master plans for updates to the entire campus by the end of the summer.
“Guests should find something new each time they visit for the foreseeable future,” he continued.
“We are grateful to our local community for their faithful support of our mission over the years, and we look forward to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing our local wild birds for many decades to come.”
1980 Mote Marine Science Center opens, later named Mote Marine Aquarium 1988 Shark tank added to Mote Marine Aquarium, later named George Jameson Aquarium
Shark Zone exhibits open, Deep Sea Diner opens
1992 Rivers, Bays and Estuaries wing in aquarium completed, Mote Mobile exhibit acquired 1996 Roy and Susan Palmer Sea Turtle Center opens 1999 Lab Connector building opens with expanded aquarium exhibits, GilbertMahadevan Sea Cinema opens 2004 Keating Marine Education Center opens, Immersion Cinema opens 2007 Shark Tracker and
2011 Mote’s 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan wins approval by the board of directors to find a new and larger aquarium facility
2014 In September, Mote sets sights on building new aquarium along the bayfront near the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. One month later, the Sarasota City Commission votes against reserving land at the site
2018 Mote announces plans to build new aquarium on land near Nathan Benderson Park
2019 The Sarasota County Commission approves an
agreement for a Science Education Aquarium project between Sarasota County and Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
2020 Ground broken on the 110,000-square-foot Mote Science Education Aquarium with sights set on opening in fall of 2024 2024 Mote’s City Island location closes for two months because of Hurricanes Helene and Milton; final construction is delayed on Benderson site JULY 6, 2025 City Island aquarium closes to public in preparation to open Science Education Aquarium
File image The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium as it was in 1978.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium staffer Bette Boysen shares a display of the many mollusks that call Sarasota’s waters home.
Oliver Sheckler, Karson Sheckler, Haydn Rozeboom and Heather Rozeboom enjoy a final visit to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium on July 6. Oliver, age 6, likes hammerhead sharks, while Haydn, also age 6, prefers dolphins.
Stella and Fynn are 1.5-year-old otters living at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, and they enjoyed a fishy treat in front of guests on the last public day July 6.
Photos by Dana Kampa
City Manager search firm list narrowed to three
The Sarasota City Commission selects executive recruitment finalists for further evaluation.
arrowing a list of executive search firms down to three, the Sarasota City Commission has begun anew in the search for a city manager.
At its July 7 meeting, City Attorney Joe Polzak and City Auditor and Clerk Shayla Griggs presented the commission with six firms that specialize in recruiting for municipal executive positions. Commissioners also developed a list of questions to be posed to the firms as the city opens communications with the candidate firms.
At the commission’s direction, on May 23, the city issued a letter of interest to the Florida Local Government Executive Search Firm List seeking a firm to lead the search. Having received six, in mid-June each firm was asked to provide supplemental responses to express in greater detail their experience, success rates, performance guarantees and other pertinent details.
Of the six, the commission instructed staff to provide additional questions to the finalists and to arrange video interviews with each. They are:
■ Sumter Local Government Consulting, Alpharetta, Georgia.
■ MGT Impact Solutions, Tampa.
As Interim City Manager Dave Bullock looked on during his first City Commission meeting since being appointed, commissioners discussed the process to find his permanent replacement.
Former City Manager Marlon Brown retired in October 2024 when the commission appointed Public Works Director Doug Jeffcoat to serve in an interim capacity. Jeffcoat stepped back from that temporary role in May and Bullock, a former Longboat Key town manager, began.
As the process moves forward, the candidate firms will be asked to respond to approximately 10 questions. They include:
■ How many active searches do you have currently underway?
■ What is your retention rate?
■ What is the cost?
■ How do you source your candidates?
■ What size of cities have you worked with in Florida?
■ Are your searches national in scope?
Also, Mayor Liz Alpert asked to determine if the firm has watched relevant City Commission meetings by having them restate the commission’s stated preferred criteria for the next city manager. Alpert suggested submitted answers to the questions posed to the firms be in writing. Vice Mayor Debbie Trice, who presided over the meeting as Alpert joined remotely, added the motion to select the three finalists, which was unanimously approved, include the commission, will determine which firm or firms to interview and how interviews will take place.
In May, the commissioners ended their prior search in partnership with Colin Baenziger and Associates of Daytona Beach Shores ostensibly because they felt they were not directly enough involved in selecting the firm and setting its expectations for their participation in the process.
Griggs told commissioners to not expect all responses to be completed by its next regular meeting scheduled for July 21. What they can expect, though, is to see the city manager search item on the agenda for all upcoming meetings.
“We plan on having a standing item every meeting to discuss this,” Griggs said. “I don’t think we’ll get all this information back in enough time for the next meeting, but this will be an agenda item. We may not have much of an update, but we’ll keep a standing item on the agenda.”
Photos by Andrew Warfield
Sarasota City Attorney Joe Polzak is helping spearhead the city’s search for a new city manager.
Interim Sarasota
City Manager Dave Bullock looks on during his first City Commission meeting on July 7.
Mira Mar project wins city approval
The century-old building along South Palm Avenue will be restored with the addition of twin condominium towers.
ANDREW
WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
If all goes as scheduled, by this time next year, the work to rehabilitate the historic Mira Mar building and redevelop the rest of the 1.2-acre property to cover the estimated $29 million in cost will be well underway.
During its July 7 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission approved on second reading a comprehensive plan amendment that paved the way for a unanimous approval later in the meeting to rezone the property from Downtown Core to Downtown Bayfront.
The small-scale comprehensive plan amendment — which does not require transmittal to the state for comment and endorsement — was approved by a unanimous vote of the commission on May 19.
The rezoning will allow property owner and developer Seaward Development to build its planned twin 18-story condominium towers behind the Mira Mar. Seaward executives say that is necessary to provide the economic engine to generate the revenue needed to pay to preserve and restore one of downtown’s most beloved historic structures to its original form.
Seaward has worked for more than two years to bring its plans to fruition after being denied by the Historic Preservation Board permission to demolish the building to make way for a redevelopment. Rather than appeal that decision, the City Commission, Seaward Principal Patrick DiPinto and President Matthew
Leake opted to devise a plan to both save the Mira Mar building, which is in danger of collapse, and develop a mixed-use project along the 400foot span fronting South Palm Avenue to the west and Mira Mar Court to the east.
Seaward has worked with preservation architecture expert Rick Gonzalez and architect Igor Reyes — both of the Miami area — to devise a plan that restores the two-story Mira Mar to its mid-1920s origins and design compatible towers behind it.
Monday’s approvals have now green-lighted the unique project, and Seaward is ready to step on the gas.
“Our current plan is to begin the rehabilitation at the end of the year, and to get a head start on stabilization and the rehabilitation prior to commencing construction on the new buildings in the second quarter of 2026,” Leake told the Observer on Tuesday.
To do that, the team must submit a site plan application to start the development review process, which according to Leake will occur, “in the next few months.”
The design of the towers will reflect the Mediterranean Revival architecture of the Mira Mar. Comprehensive Plan and zoning changes came with a long list of proffers to
assure the project is as proposed, or both revert to their prior designations. They include:
■ No more than 60% building coverage of the two towers above the podium level
■ Discount rents of 50% or less on second-story nonresidential space for 10 years
■ Average of approximately three feet of interstitial space between floors
■ Height limitation of approximately 262 feet, not including elevator overrun and architectural features
■ The designation of historic portions of the Mira Mar property, measuring 30 feet in depth from South Palm Avenue, shall remain as Downtown Core and not change to Downtown Bayfront
■ The developer will not capitalize on the city’s Transfer of Development Rights program for historic properties
In addition, the restoration of the Mira Mar must extend to the full depth of the current structure, not just preserve the façade. Gonzalez said it will go much further than that.
“We’ve got quite a good set of plans already underway, and we are going to remove the 1980s elements and bring it back to the original 1922 aesthetics of the project,” he told
commissioners. “It’s going to be a really beautiful restoration when we’re done.”
Gonzalez, who specializes in restoration and rehabilitation projects across the state, told commissioners he is currently working on similar projects in Lake Park just south of North Palm Beach and in downtown Miami.
“Historic buildings we are putting to reuse by adding structures to it — large structures — which is the economic impact that is required to save the historic structures,” he said.
Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch used the approval of the Mira Mar to advocate for a zoning category between Downtown Core, with its 10-story limit, and Downtown Bayfront at 18 stories to provide greater flexibility in developments.
“This is, yet again, another example of when we have a land use change and the only zoning choice is DTB or DTC,” she said. “I am looking forward to the day when we discuss having other options, since those are the only two land use categories where we only have one choice.”
Once a lease is signed, Seaward will begin work on a Mira Mar Residences sales center, which Leake said would be nearby on Palm Avenue.
The goal is to open that facility by November.
A rendering by architect Igor Reyes depicts the two residential towers behind the Mira Mar building on South Palm Avenue.
Courtesy image
Andrew Warfield
Igor Reyes (left) and Rick Gonzalez are leading the design of the restoration and redevelopment of the Mira Mar project.
Preliminary Sarasota County budget shows 4% spending increase
The county’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes requests for 152 new full-time positions.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
With a watchful eye toward potential future slowdowns in property tax revenue growth, the Sarasota County Commission began its fiscal year 2026 budget process in earnest this past week.
The commission held workshops July 1 and 2 to receive and discuss the proposed budget prepared by County Administrator Jonathan Lewis and staff, a $507.1 million county operations spending plan as part of a proposed $2.5 billion budget.
During its July 8 regular meeting, the commission set the maximum millage rate for next fiscal year at 3.2273 mills, a reduction of .05% from the current fiscal year.
“The budget is predicated no new revenue sources for existing services as well as a flat county millage rate, except for fluctuations due to the voter-approved legacy debt, so at this point, that’s how it is built,” Lewis told commissioners.
The general fund revenue is based on the newly released final countywide property valuation, which indi-
cates a 5.6% increase in residential and commercial tax values. That projects approximately $353.6 million in revenue over the current fiscal year, a $15.7 million increase. The total value of all properties across the county, according to the Property Appraiser office, is $103.5 billion, That gain, though, is partially offset by decreases in other revenue sources.
“You will also see a lot of your state revenue-related things — halfcent sales tax, state revenue sharing and others — we are seeing some decreases in those so we’re being conservative in budgeting in the next year,” said Financial Management Director Kim Radtke.
Those projected declines include $1.45 million, or 3%, in half-cent sales tax; $912,000 (5.3%) in state revenue sharing; $2.54 million (4.2%) in Infrastructure Sales Surtax; and $2.6 million (19.2%) in mobility fees.
With uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook and future revenues, Commissioner Tom Knight suggested the county reexamine its budget approach, stopping short of a zero-based budgeting process,
Sarasota County Commission Chairman Joe Neunder presides over the commission’s July 1 budget workshop.
which would keep commissioners and staff working all summer.
“We’re in a healthy economy; the housing values are down. A lot of things are going up naturally that we can’t control,” Knight said. “I would like to see what that future looks like, what our options are as we build out our budgets because I don’t think there’ll be a whole lot of citizen support for pushing millage rates up.
“It doesn’t mean we want to
change, but certainly we don’t want to sit back and not miss an opportunity to review different ways to do our business.”
One way business is currently done is projecting anticipated new revenue to compensate for anticipated deficits, and budgeting low for revenue and high for expenses. The bottom line shows a possible $23 million shortfall for the next fiscal year.
“We’re expecting $14 million of additional revenue,” said Chief Financial Management Officer Steve Bothelo as he changed a presentation side. “It’s really just showing based on that $13.9 million of new money, if everyone had to stay within their proportionate share, that’s what their increases would be. But we show what the actual ask is, and then the difference, and that’s the $23 million.”
Partially driving the spending increase for the next fiscal year is more than 100 new full-time equivalent positions. That includes 108.8 FTEs for departments under control of the County Commission and 44.57 new FTE’s requested by the constitutional officers. That would bring the total county employment to 4,151 full-time equivalents.
NEW LEADER
Just one week after the Sarasota County Commission created its newly structured Stormwater Department, the county has selected a leader to head planning for and response to natural disasters. On July 7, the county announced Ben Quartermaine, who had previously worked in the county’s stormwater operations when it was part of the Public Works Department, is expected to assume the role on Aug. 11 upon successful completion of standard preemployment processes. A native of Sarasota, he has nearly 30 years of experience in civil design and stormwater infrastructure throughout Florida. A lifelong Floridian, he’s led sustainable watershed management projects and renewable energy initiatives while working as a senior project manager at engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firm Stantec. In his new role, Quartermaine will develop and implement comprehensive stormwater and flood mitigation strategies, lead infrastructure planning, maintenance and inter-agency collaboration.
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“Our experience with Hurricane Ian was fantastic. All the planning that the staff did kept us very informed. We could go down to the common areas, have meals, mingle with friends, and meet new friends.”
—Kathy F., Resident of an Erickson
Andrew Warfield
Courtesy image Ben Quartermaine has been selected to head Sarasota County’s new Stormwater Department.
$12,900,000
$4,600,000
Housing plan falls short
The affordability crisis is not a market failure. Sarasota needs to remove barriers. Other cities have done so and are seeing meaningful results.
Recently, the Florida Housing Coalition, along with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Barancik Foundation, Patterson Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota released a Sarasota Housing Action Plan diagnosing the county’s housing crisis and recommending some approaches to fixing it.
The report provides valuable and much needed data and analysis, and we commend the partners for their foresight and commitment to producing it.
The Housing Action Plan rightly diagnoses the symptoms of housing stress — cost burdens, displacement pressure and a growing mismatch between income levels and housing costs. But it does so while clinging to an outdated paradigm of housing policy.
The report largely recommends that Sarasota continue a lot more of what it has been doing to address housing needs. Its recommendations get some things right and some things wrong, but mostly they hew to existing approaches that have helped, but cannot ultimately solve our housing problems.
Indeed, we are seeing other fast-growing metro areas around the country succeeding at solving housing problems by using different approaches.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
As the accompanying graph shows, a useful way to envision Sarasota’s housing problem is to look at how few homes in the region are affordable for most of the region’s workers. The report notes that more than 47,000 low-income households in Sarasota pay more than 30% of income on housing and that nearly 25,500 pay more than 50%.
What the report does not point out is of the 71,000 newly built homes in Sarasota County from 2000 to 2024, only 2,300 (3%) were single-family attached units on smaller lots. These include small lot single-family, townhouses, duplexes or backyard cottages.
If just 20% of that land used for detached homes (single-family, one home per lot) had instead hosted SFAs, Sarasota could have added 44,000 more moderately priced homes, many affordable to essential workers like nurses, teachers and first responders.
WHAT THEY GOT RIGHT
The Housing Action Plan does endorse many approaches that experience has shown would help improve the region’s housing situation. Notably:
■ Community Collaboration: Reducing permitting and fee burdens that slow down or raise costs of new housing, approaches that incentivize private capital to expand on public investments.
■ Zoning and Land Use Reform: Allow more density with small lot by-right zoning, more accessory dwelling units (granny flats), make it easier to repurpose unused commercial buildings to multipurpose projects and allow factory-built housing by right.
■ Ensure lands that are developed are prepared for storm resiliency.
■ Strategic Partnerships: Local governments work with employers, nonprofits and faith groups to expand their capacity to help with housing needs.
These measures would help the region’s housing supply, but mostly at the margins. The second item is the key to really solving the problem, but it is not given enough emphasis in the report, which also does not point out how zoning reforms around the country have been successful.
AFFORDABILITY GAP ANALYSIS FOR SARASOTA
WHAT THEY GOT WRONG
The number one recommendation of the Housing Action Plan is to expand use of incentives and subsidies — from government construction and ownership of affordable housing; to subsidizing the building of affordable housing; to incentivizing the sale of some properties at affordable prices by allowing developers to build more and denser projects if they set aside some units to sell below market.
While this may sound good on the surface, this is the approach that Sarasota has taken for decades, as have many other parts of the country. But these approaches have failed to solve housing problems, and overall have made housing less affordable.
Indeed, housing provided through subsidies and incentives has proven to be slowly incremental at best compared to needs and drives up the cost of other housing. Every subsidy given to one requires that someone else must pay to cover the subsidy.
The report estimates a need for 15,000 affordable units in the region by 2035 — yet it fails to lay the groundwork meaningfully for a private-sector response that could meet this need, at scale, and without perennial public subsidy.
WHAT IS NEEDED
One of us has worked on housing policy for more than 50 years, another for more than 30 years, and the Florida Policy Project has spent the past two years focused on best practice research in housing affordability. Our focus has been on what works, what creates housing markets that are affordable, desirable and sustainable.
What Sarasota needs is to empower property owners, small builders and neighborhoods to build — legally, affordably and sustainably. What has worked around
the country to achieve this are approaches that include:
■ Zoning changes to allow small lot by-right building and light touch density.
By-right is when a project conforms to zoning and building codes and thus qualifies for construction with requiring a hearing process. Light-touch density refers to allowing duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and accessory dwelling units within existing single-family neighborhoods.
Such zoning changes are crucial. To its credit, the Housing Action Plan endorses this.
Sarasota County should legalize two- to eight-unit structures by right in existing lots in residential zones and set a minimum lot size of 1,400 square feet in new residential subdivisions.
These changes can yield thousands of affordable homes with prices under $400,000, compared to the $657,000 average for new detached homes.
These would be homes the county’s teacher, retail worker, restaurant and other typical service worker households can afford without subsidies.
Austin, Texas, has made aggressive use of these policies in recent years to allow more housing to be built, allow more density in parts of the city and allow a wider range of housing types. The result is that average rents dropped by 22%, about $400 a month.
■ Allow livable urban villages near Live Local commercial areas. Florida’s Live Local law already allows higher residential density in commercial areas. Sarasota County could be much more aggressive to implement light touch density in areas adjacent to Live Local areas. This would create walkable denser housing areas within a half-mile of amenity-rich Live Local commercial areas.
■ Keep the housing approval process short and simple (KISS principle). A “KISS” permitting model — simple height, lot coverage, and unit size rules — would enable small builders and property owners to act. Keeping permitting and other fees on new housing at reasonable levels and with quick processing time helps as well. The success of Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle, which added more than 4,500 homes on less than 1% of city land without price controls or subsidies, proves that ministerial approvals and density unlocks affordability.
■ Redirect state and federal affordable housing grants to housing vouchers.
Local governments simply cannot make housing supply happen in a way that comes close to keeping up with demand. But it can help lower income individuals and families afford housing by helping them make rent payments with housing vouchers.
If housing supply is permitted to keep up with demand, and developers are allowed to build enough lowcost housing units, vouchers can close the smaller gap that remains.
Altogether, the Housing Action Plan, while filled with data, sidesteps this fundamental truth: That housing scarcity is a policy choice.
The affordability crisis is not a market failure, but the result of shackling the market with zoning handcuffs and process bottlenecks.
Sarasota County does not need more subsidies. It needs a renaissance in abundant, naturally affordable housing driven by allowing more housing, lower cost
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National real estate firm names new leadership for Sarasota office
Sarasota native Andrew Greenwell has history of building West Coast firms.
ELIZABETH KING BUSINESS OBSERVER
national residential real estate
Abrokerage is growing its presence in the Sarasota market, naming a managing broker and adding three agents to its office downtown.
Sarasota native Andrew Greenwell will head up the Douglas Elliman office at 1350 Main St.
Also joining him are his business partner and an independent team, marking a “significant expansion of Douglas Elliman’s Sarasota operations” and “signaling the firm’s strategic investment in Florida’s West Coast,” according to a statement.
Greenwell is founder and CEO of Venture Sotheby’s International Realty, a California brokerage, and he was a cast member on Bravo’s show “Million Dollar Listing San Francisco.” In his more than 20 years of real estate leadership experience, Greenwell has built firms in Washington, California and Hawaii, according to a statement.
“Being third generation, Sarasota has always felt like home,” Greenwell says in a statement. “My family has deep roots in construction and development along the Gulf Coast, which inspired me to carve my own path in real estate. Now that I’ve returned, I’m eager to build a collaborative, forward-thinking culture with the Douglas Elliman team.”
Nikki Taylor, Greenwell’s longtime business partner at Sotheby’s International Realty and a Sarasota resident since 2000, will also be joining him at Douglas Elliman Sarasota. She and Greenwell currently represent about $18 million in listings, with more in the pipeline.
“Andrew’s return to Sarasota
marks a full-circle moment,” says Jay Phillip Parker, an executive with Douglas Elliman Florida. “His deep local roots, paired with national leadership experience, make him uniquely qualified to lead our next chapter.”
Team members Kelly Mooney and Betsy Sublette, who have decades of experience, will be joining Douglas Elliman Sarasota as well, the release states. Mooney, a licensed Realtor since 2004, was the contract manager for the sold-out Hyatt Residences on Siesta Key Beach, according to the statement, while Sublette has spent 30 years in the real estate industry.
Douglas Elliman Inc., which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DOUG, owns Douglas Elliman Realty. Headquartered in New York City, Douglas Elliman Realty has operations in Florida, New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. It has done $36.4 billion in sales with $87 billion in new development and has 6,600 agents in key luxury markets, according to its website. In addition to Sarasota, Douglas Elliman Realty has offices in Naples and St. Petersburg.
HAPPY TRAILS
The ringing of bells, honking of horns and loud cheers of excitement were all heard above Clark Road.
On Wednesday, July 2, the Florida Department of Transportation District One, opened the new Legacy Trail bridge over Clark Road, in early celebration for the Fourth of July Holiday.
A similar overpass crossing Bee Ridge Road to the north opened in June. The completion of the Clark Road span brings to a close the $13.2 million project that began in late 2023.
To celebrate the completion of the overpasses, Friends of Legacy Trail were the first to safely bike over Clark Road.
The overpasses are the trail’s third and fourth such structures, the most recent previous opening was in 2019 over Laurel Road. Another spans Tamiami Trail in Venice. Previously, cyclists, runners and pedestrians had to cross highways with the use of surface crosswalks, which trail advocates noted was unsafe.
Also in the name of user safety, a long-envisioned widening of one of the busiest sections of the trail is moving toward reality. Construction
is expected this year on the 1.4-mile first phase of an additional lane from Shade Avenue in Sarasota to Beneva Road, designed to separate those on foot from those on wheels.
In 2018, Sarasota County voters approved a $65 million referendum to extend the trail from the Palmer Ranch area into Downtown Sarasota.
“That referendum passed with over 70% of the voters approving it. So voters decided to tax themselves. Partnering with FDOT, they came forward and raised additional money for the construction of these bridges,” said Louis Kosiba, president of the Friends of Legacy Trail, while giving his thanks to the taxpayers.
The Legacy Trail is an 18.5-mile paved multiuse recreational trail from Downtown Sarasota to the Historic Venice Train Depot. The trail follows the route used by the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad and later by CSX. Sarasota County and the Trust for Public Land in 2004 to be used for public recreational activities purchased the right of way.
“We can’t have all these people here that want to bike and then all the sudden interact with dangerous vehicles. So these overpasses are why we do that,” said Charles Hines, program director for the Trail for Public Land for the Florida Gulf Coast Trail.
Carlin Gillen Bikers of the Friends of Legacy Trails are all smiles about the Legacy Trail bridge.
Courtesy image Andrew Greenwell
ISPR GOVERNING BOARD MEETING EETING
Tuesday, July 15TH • Noon Imagine School at Palmer Ranch
To Join By Computer: https://imagineschools.zoom.us/j/9031606808
DRC discusses 2 new projects
The Sarasota Development Review Committee got its first look at two downtown residential developments.
Taking advantage of the state of Florida’s Live Local legislation, the plan for Adagio made its first official appearance before the city of Sarasota’s Development Review Committee on July 2.
Developers planned the twintower project, built above a shared podium and parking structure, for the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Ringling Boulevard and Palm Avenue. The parcel zone is Downtown Core, but the Live Local Act permits a height of 18 stories to match any building within a onemile radius, providing the project includes an attainable housing component.
Downtown Core otherwise limits buildings to 10 stories.
Developed by the Lutgert Cos. of Naples, there have been some changes to the plan since its March 5 pre-application appearance before the DRC. The number of luxury condominiums in the 18-story tower has grown from 100 to 103 and attainable apartments in the accompanying nine-story tower fronting Pineapple Avenue from 67 units to 69.
The preliminary plan also included 18,564 square feet of commercial space, now nearly doubled to 31,933 square feet. That space includes offices for Church of the Redeemer, which currently has office space and parking on that site.
The plan also includes parking spaces dedicated to the church.
Florida’s Live Local Act requires 40% of the total dwellings of a residential development to be designated as attainable for a period of no less than 30 years. Implementation of the Live Local Act for developments also provides for administrative-only approval, providing a project meets all code requirements.
tral Avenue in the Rosemary District is a planned seven-story residential development also making its first appearance before the DRC on July 2.
Designed by the Sarasota architecture firm Halflants + Pichette the project, at 650 Central Ave., is a modern, seven-story luxury residential building with 24 units including four two-story townhomes with private yards and pools. The building will feature private elevators to access the 20 condominiums and a facade with cantilevered balconies.
According to documents filed with the city, a south-facing rooftop terrace complete with a pool provides views of downtown. The building will feature incorporated greenery throughout, from the balconies to rooftop gardens, supporting a sustainable and nature-driven design. Concealed parking access off Seventh Street will be behind the lobby amenity space and ground floor gym.
“A key aspect of the development is the public park, which spans the entire property, connecting Cohen Way to Central Avenue, fostering pedestrian access and community integration,” the document reads. “The project also increases the required parking, accommodating both residents and visitors.”
The zone is Downtown Edge and no rezoning will be required. As a downtown zone development, the project requires only administrative approval. There is no proposal for attainable housing units. A resubmittal to address outstanding staff comments is required.
The act preempts local zoning regulations, allowing the affordable housing projects in areas zoned for commercial, industrial or mixed-use without requiring special exceptions, conditional use approvals, variances or comprehensive plan amendments. It also provides tax exemptions for qualifying affordable housing projects, further incentivizing the development of the affordable units.
7TH & CENTRAL CONDOMINIUMS
As its working name would suggest, located at Seventh Street and Cen-
HYATT REDEVELOPMENT SIGN-OFF
Also announced at the July 2 DRC meeting was the full staff sign-off of the first phase of redevelopment of the Hyatt Regency property known as 1000 Boulevard of the Arts. Manager of Development Services Allison Christie reported a change since the sign-off. There is an addition of a basement to the parking structure to add 45 spaces. That change still requires additional sign-off from appropriate staff members.
Courtesy image A street level rendering of Adagio by Kobi Karp Architecture.
DENTAL IMPLANTS
& AESTHETIC DENTISTS
COPS CORNER
MONDAY, JUNE 9
DIFFERENT STROKES
12:39 a.m., 2300 block of Ringling Boulevard
Lewd and lascivious act: About a week prior, a woman told officers she encountered a white male subject approximately 40 to 50 years old with a white beard and tattoos on his face engaging in solitary selfgratification outside her apartment slider door. She said she did not report the incident at the time, assuming it would be an isolated event.
A few days later, however, she noted a patio chair had been turned to face her bedroom window. A couple of days after that, according to the incident report, she noticed the same man near her bedroom window, once again engaging in the same lewd activity.
Finally, she called authorities on this night when she saw him yet again, likely planning to resume his one-man performative art. She attempted to confront him, but he quickly fled on a bicycle.
Now for the weird part.
The woman found items she assumed were left behind by the creeper, including a water bottle, a pair of socks, what appeared to be some kind of lubricant and ... a Chucky doll and Bride of Chucky doll. She told officers she was quite alarmed by the subject continuing to return.
Efforts by officers to locate the subject in the area were unsuccessful. A video clip of the subject was retrieved from a nearby convenience store and a photo was distributed in an attempt to identify him.
THAT’S NOT A KNIFE!
9:09 p.m., 1500 Glen Oak Drive
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MONDAY, JUNE 9
BATTERY THREAT 2:58 p.m., 2800 block of Ringling Boulevard
Suspicious incident: The manager of a retail store told an officer one of her employees was threatened by a customer the day prior. Shortly after 3 p.m., the complainant said one of her elderly regular customers entered the store to purchase D batteries. Dismayed at the price of the batteries, she uttered to the cashier, “If you voted for Trump, I’ll kill you.” She then purchased the batteries and left the store.
The officer advised in order to issue a trespassing warning to the customer, she would have to be present to be identified. The manager was told to contact law enforcement if she returns. The woman was described as 5 feet tall, about 100 pounds, 70 to 80 years of age and wearing a colorful ensemble including a yellow shirt, red pants, green bandana and gray visor with a black bag and dark sunglasses.
Disturbance: A complainant expressed concern to officers about his on-and-off girlfriend of 20 years, with whom he had been living for the past five years, over her alcohol issues. He said she often drinks to the point where she becomes belligerent and starts arguments.
On this night, the woman was again intoxicated and, again, initiated an argument, during which she opened a silverware drawer, causing the man to fear she was reaching for a knife. At no point, though, did
the woman possess a knife, and the complainant advised he was not in fear “due to this being a common occurrence,” according to the incident report. He added his girlfriend “usually will just pass out due to her intoxication,” the report reads. An officer spoke with the woman, who was described as visibly intoxicated, had slurred speech and was struggling to maintain balance. She said she never had the intention to pick up a knife and that her boyfriend was lying.
Both were advised to separate for the remainder of the night.
‘Alice’ with a twist
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Riley Aparicio-Jerro, 13, says she’s always been a fan of “Alice in Wonderland.”
“I love how it’s spooky and just, I don’t really know the word but, like, magical. I’ve always just kind of been amazed when I was younger,” she said.
As she was starting her third year with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s Stage of Discovery Summer Education Program, the title of this year’s performance caught her attention.
“I was super excited when they said that we were going to do ‘Alice in Boogie Wonderland,’” she said. “I wasn’t really sure what that was but, I heard the ‘Alice’ part, so I was excited.”
As students rehearsed for the performance, which takes place July 12-13, classic songs from various genres could be heard reverberating through the halls.
Stage of Discovery began in 2016, and since then, the five-week program has been free to participants due to community support.
Numerous alumni have gone on to study the performing arts in college and achieve professional acting status, according to a media release. Education Director and Artistic Associate Jim Weaver says each year, he looks for something that will grow campers’ foundational performing arts skills, while also challenging them.
He decided to bring the distinctive characters of “Alice in Wonderland” to music that would be alternatingly new and unfamiliar to students, while engaging a wide audience.
The musical numbers span genres including pop, disco, R&B and oldies, with examples like a Roy Hamilton song from the 1950s, the band Earth, Wind and Fire, and “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste of Honey.
The performance will include a live band led by Resident Music Director Matthew McKinnon.
“There’s ways that everybody can relate to these different things, and
IF YOU GO
When: Performances will take place in WBTT’s Donelly Theatre (1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota). Showtimes are Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Cost: $30 adults; $10 students Visit: WestCoastBlackTheatreTroupe.org.
that’s why I picked music that’s from different eras and different styles, because it all lives in Boogie Wonderland,” Weaver said. “That’s the connection. That’s the ultimate point that I’m trying to, in the story, have people walk away with. That music connects us all in so many ways.”
The theater advertises new twists in the classic story, and the crew says the production reenvisions “Alice in Wonderland” in a way uniquely suited to WBBT.
“I like how Mr. Jim changes up the script to make it more of a Westcoast Black Theatre original piece, and then the show kind of takes more of the scary parts out of “Alice in Wonderland,” because “Alice in Wonderland” can be a bit crazy and scary, but I feel like this one is so fun and it’s going to be really fun to watch,” said Aparicio-Jerro, who plays Tweedledee as part of a quartet of characters.
The two performances of “Alice in Boogie Wonderland” will take place on July 12-13.
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Courtesy image
TRIBUTES
Suzanne Berry Bissell
Suzanne Berry Bissell
was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on October 29, 1926. She died in Sarasota surrounded by her family on Monday, June 23, 2025. Near the end of her life, she made certain everyone knew she wasn’t just 98 years old, she was “98-anda-half.”
Sue loved her family, her friends, and her church. She enjoyed swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, decorating her cherished Ralph & William Zimmermandesigned home, puttering in the yard, volunteering in the community, and keeping up with the news. She was curious, creative, and hardworking. To her final days, she had an incredible memory. She was a feminist, even if she didn’t use that word to describe herself. She admired strong, intelligent, independent women. When someone tried to compliment her by saying she was “sweet,” she would reply, “I don’t want to be sweet!”
Beetles (1954 and 1963).
1926-2025 448059-1
Sue was shaped by growing up during the Great Depression and World War II. She and her family moved often, from Oklahoma to Indiana and back to Illinois, wherever her father could find work. Sue, her parents, Max and Mildred Berry, and her younger brother, Bill, lived in a series of rental houses and an apartment
above a hardware store in Berwyn, Illinois, a business her father later owned.
During the war, while attending Downers Grove North High School, Sue worked at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Plant in Chicago assembling quartz crystal radios. After graduating, she attended Lindenwood College, an all-girls school in St. Charles, Missouri. Her sophomore year, she had the opportunity to sit in the press box and report on Winston Churchill’s famous Iron Curtain speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Her article appeared in the student newspaper, the Linden Bark. Sue called it “a once-in-alifetime experience.”
That same year, Sue met her future husband, Jack Bissell, a University of Missouri business student and former WWII Army Air Corps B-24 bombardier, on a blind date. They married in 1947, lived briefly in St. Louis, then moved to Gainesville, Florida, where Sue earned her bachelor’s degree in education at the
University of Florida and Jack graduated from the College of Law.
After touring several towns in Florida, they settled in Sarasota in 1952, even after their friends urged them to choose Bradenton, because Sarasota was a little too “avant-garde.” They ignored the advice and never regretted their decision.
Sue carried the lessons of the Depression with her, and like many of her contemporaries, she lived frugally. She was a thrifter before it was considered cool, but back then she called it “antiquing.” Sue was an enthusiastic volunteer at the Women’s Exchange for years and served on the board as secretary and vice president. She was an avid reader, especially of biographies and history. Sue qualified for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, just in time to celebrate America’s bicentennial in 1976.
During her long life, Sue owned just three cars. The first two were her favorites, both classic Volkswagen
She’d load dozens of lunches in her tiny car when she delivered food for Meals on Wheels. Sue could be seen zooming all around smalltown Sarasota. Everyone knew who was behind the wheel of the pale blue VW Bug. She reluctantly bought another brand when she could no longer find a mechanic to work on her 40-year-old car.
In the mid-1950s, Sue and several friends began talking about forming a Junior League in Sarasota. Many of them had lived in other cities where Junior League members were trained to be effective community volunteers. They thought Sarasota needed a similar group.
In 1957, the Junior Welfare League of Sarasota was established with 75 charter members. Sue was the founding president, proudly serving two terms. She remembered the early projects fondly: writing and producing puppet shows for elementary students, staffing a community Halloween haunted house, reading
aloud weekly as the “Story Lady” to young children at the Chidsey Public Library, and working on one of the first fundraisers, Barely Blemished, a large thrift sale.
After satisfying all the requirements to be admitted to the national organization, including the town reaching the required population, the Junior Welfare League officially became the Junior League of Sarasota in 1976.
Over the years, Sue received numerous awards for her work in the League, including Sustainer of the Year and the inaugural Charter Award. She remained active in the League, working on projects and supporting fundraisers well into her 90s. She was proud that her daughter and granddaughter followed in her footsteps as League members. Nearly 70 years have passed since Sue helped found the organization. She was delighted to see the League grow, adapt to change, and flourish, with hundreds of women making a difference in their community to this day.
A lifelong Episcopalian,
Sue was a communicant at Church of the Redeemer, where she served on the Altar Guild and was a member of Episcopal Church Women. She volunteered for years at Caritas and the Episcopal Thrift House with fellow parishioners. Sue is survived by her daughter, Cady Ferguson; son-in-law, Scott Ferguson; granddaughter, Grier Ferguson; and niece, Tricia Berry Drendel (Tom). She was predeceased by her husband, Jack (2003), and her brother, Bill (2022). Sue’s wish was to live the rest of her life in her beloved Siesta Key home of nearly 60 years. Her “All-Star Team” of caregivers helped her almost achieve her goal. Joy, Richelle, LeiAnn, Libby, Llirna, and Teresa cared for her diligently the last seven years of her life. When the 2024 hurricanes forced Sue to move temporarily to the mainland, they continued their excellent care. The family is indebted to each one of them for doing everything possible to make her life comfortable. Care manager Heidi and Tidewell Hospice nurse Frankie were tremendous additions to Sue’s team.
SERVICE: A requiem mass will be held Friday, July 18, at 11:30 a.m. at Church of the Redeemer, 222 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota.
DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Junior League of Sarasota or Church of the Redeemer.
Asolo Rep’s ‘A Year With Frog and Toad’ explores the seasons of friendship.
WILD, WHIMSICAL, WOODLAND
MARTY
FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR
Scott Keys says some of his favorite characters are frogs and toads. “A Year With Frog and Toad” introduced him to those amiable amphibians; he’s directing the Asolo Repertory Theatre production of Robert and Willie Reale’s musical. This heartwarming, hilarious show follows the yearlong adventures of Frog and Toad. Adapted from Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s classics, the musical odyssey is structured as a series of short vignettes. According to Keys, the theatrical journey is well worth taking.
As a director, you’re focusing your adult brain on “A Year with Frog and Toad.” Has that changed your take on Arnold Lobel’s original children’s stories?
No. Before directing this show, I didn’t have a take. I hadn’t actually read those stories as a child. I’d heard of “A Year With Frog and Toad,” but I assumed it was a musical adaptation of “Wind in the Willows.” But Peter Rothstein, Asolo Rep’s producing artistic director, is big on children’s theater. He reached out to me and asked if I’d like to direct a summer production, and I said “yes.” Once I did my research, I realized this musical has nothing to do with Kenneth Grahame’s classic. It’s an adaptation of a very American, very popular set of children’s books. After I read the source material, I fell in love.
How do you balance musical entertainment and faithful storytelling?
Well, Willie Reale’s script does that — it follows Lobel’s stories very closely. His books definitely do have a story arc — the friendship between Frog and Toad ties everything together. But it’s not a linear narrative. The original stories are self-contained and go from one vignette to the next. The musical echoes that — and it bounces from one novelty number to the next. I describe it as “wild, whimsical, woodland vaudeville.”
So, it’s kind of like “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” That movie was officially a story about the grail quest. But it was really sketch, sketch, scene, scene. Each bit stood on its own.
Yes, exactly. In “Frog and Toad,” it’s sketch, song, sketch, song. But the structure’s very similar.
Is directing at Asolo Rep a big step up for you?
It’s been an incredible step. It’s kind of a bucket-list moment for me. I’ve directed all over Florida and have known the Asolo folks for years, but I’ve never had the chance to direct there until now.
You’ve literally reached a new stage in your career. How does it feel?
Asolo Rep offers a much bigger theatrical sandbox to play in — more people, more resources and a very professional environment. You get your set and props on day one, and the support is amazing. It’s creatively energizing — and it feels great.
Does working with student actors impact your direction?
No. But “student actor” really gives the wrong impression. They’re all
process is collaborative and communicative — there’s a real “yes, and” energy. We’re having a blast.
Does that apply to your other creative collaborators? Absolutely. They’ve all been a blast.
Carl Haan, our brilliant music director, has been a joy to work with. And Cat Brendisi, our choreographer, has become a dear friend. We’ll sit through rehearsals and talk about style. Or I’ll call her out of the blue with a brainstorm. Just the other day, I had an idea for “I’m Coming Out of My Shell,” Snail’s big vaudeville number. I said, “What if we do it as a striptease — but family friendly? Snail’s in gloves and a scarf for most of the year. He delivers this letter in winter and finally feels fulfilled — and comes out of his shell!” Cat loved the idea.
That’s how we work — lots of shar-
SEE FROG AND TOAD, PAGE 16
IF YOU GO ‘A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD’ July 16FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami $15-$19 AsoloRep.org.
Will Westray and Alex Hatcher star in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s “A Year With Frog and Toad.”
Images courtesy of Adrian Van Stee
How do design and performance evoke the passage of the seasons?
SCOTT KEYS: A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
After a productive decade in New York City, Scott Keys moved to sunny Sarasota with his partner, David Covach (now head of costumes at Asolo Rep) in 1993. In the years that followed, he’s made his mark across the area’s performing arts scene. A big impact, in more than one field.
This multitalented man of many hats is an educator, actor and director. Keys has directed more than 150 local shows, including “Ruthless!” for Sarasota Players in 2023 and “Parade” for Manatee Players in 2024.
This tireless talent is also a published composer, lyricist and playwright. Keys lit up the stage with his original one-man shows at the 2023 and ’24 Squeaky Wheel Fringe festivals.
How do the designers capture Lobel’s whimsical tone?
Set designer Natalie Eslami has been incredible. She loved the “Frog and Toad” books as a kid. (The original) illustrations were very simple. She references them, but we wanted to go more stylistic. For spring, she suggested vintage lampshades as flowers. She plays with scale — like big blades of grass and oversized props. Natalie also plays with duality. Downstage, it’s a slatted wood floor. Upstage, it becomes a grassland. Costume designer David Covach has also been very inventive. So, our birds are 1920s flappers with feather boas and headpieces. Snail is a little bumpkin with a big backpack roaming the forest. He dressed Frog in all greens — very dapper and debonair. Toad’s costume is in browns and oranges with polka dots. Are the actors in amphibian makeup? No, the characters are very anthropomorphized. We’re suggesting their animal natures through color and texture, not their costumes. They hop into place sometimes. But no makeup and no frog suits.
In autumn, leaves fall from the ceiling. Frog and Toad rake each other’s leaves — then squirrels mess them up. As winter approaches, snowflakes fall. Frog and Toad hibernate in winter, wake up in spring. The whole year is a cycle of friendship. Just very playful little vignettes.
This show is part of Asolo Rep’s educational outreach. Does that influence your directorial choices?
Yes. Having been a teacher and director, I’m keenly aware of the educational dimension. We’re targeting a younger audience and hoping their parents or grandparents will come too. Asolo shows are typically more mature — “Frog and Toad” is specifically for young people. Our dramaturg, James Monaghan, is putting together some wonderful activities — like mazes, word searches and a gallery of famous amphibians. There’s even a “Write a letter to your best friend” prompt. It ties into the show’s throughline of Frog writing Toad a letter. Ideally, the students will write and mail an actual letter, not just an email.
Why is that important? Because a letter in the mail is real
But his warm, witty adaptation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is Keys’ local claim to fame (a collaboration with composer E. Suzan Ott and others). Like the
human contact. That’s what “Frog and Toad” is all about. They’re friends together in the real world — they’re not communicating through screens. I was listening to an NPR talk about how in-person connection is vital to mental health — and I agree 100%. An actual physical letter you take the time to write creates that personal connection. Hitting a “like” or sending an emoji just isn’t the same. Live theater is another deeply human connection. Being in a room with other people, sharing an experience — kids need that.
What’s your ideal audience takeaway?
At its heart, “Frog and Toad” is the story of an enduring friendship. It’s about two friends coming together. Despite their different temperaments, they’re deeply connected. And they’ve both left their comfort zones.
How so?
Because they’re amphibians! Frog and Toad are creatures of two
ever-returning Spirits of Christmas, it’s become a holiday tradition at Venice Theatre. Tradition, yes — but no relic. It’s not your grandma’s Dickens. Regional audiences know it — which is why the show’s a perennial sell-out. Along with his own creative output, Keys is equally devoted to empowering other talented people. He taught classes in theater and led Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Theatre program from 2000 to 2021. His students applauded when he was named Sarasota County Teacher of the Year in 2008-09. On the national level, Keys’ successful graduates include Charlie Barnett, Drew Foster and Syesha Mercado. He also mentored stellar local talents like Brian Finnerty, Sarasota Players’ artistic director. (Finnerty says he was “thrilled” when his former teacher played the narrator in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” in April, which
worlds. They’ve both adapted to the land — but they both grew up in the water. Now they’re off on a new journey. They go from hibernation to hibernation across four seasons. Along the way, Frog pushes Toad to try new things. Toad is more timid. They have little spats, but also share big adventures. Together, they make each other better. That’s the essence of a realworld friendship.
directed.) Keys
but his
he’s directing “A Year With Frog and Toad” on the Asolo Rep stage. His creative fingerprints are all over this inventive, irreverent, energetic production.
Leave your assumptions about stand-up comedy at the door when David Scott, aka Mr. Showtime, takes the stage at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. The host of his own nationally syndicated radio show, “Mr. Showtime” holds the Guinness World Record for Longest Stand-Up Comedy show by an individual, at 40 hours and 8 minutes. He’s got props such as a straitjacket, performs tricks such as mind reading and wraps his performance with a funny tour of four decades of music. Runs through July 13.
‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, she
DON’T MISS
‘DAMES AT SEA’
Fresh from his success with Florida Studio Theatre’s “Jersey Boys,” Ben Liebert directs and choreographs “Dames at Sea.” A parody of 1930s musicals, “Dames at Sea” first debuted Off-Off Broadway in 1966 starring Bernadette Peters. With the help of sailor/songwriter Dick, Utah 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 July 13.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 10
Where: FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
Tickets: $42 and up
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Runs through Sept. 14.
‘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 endurance of hits like “Tracks of My Tears,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Runs through Aug. 3.
‘DOROTHY’S DICTIONARY’
8 p.m. at Florida Studio’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Alice M. Gatling stars as Dorothy, an older woman who introduces a troubled teen, played by Ethan Jack Haberfield, to the healing power of books. Directed by Kate Alexander, the tale explores memory, identity and how relationships can transform our lives. Runs through Aug. 10.
FRIDAY
CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA
HOUSE: ‘FOUL PLAY’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Sarasota Opera presents “Foul Play,” Colin Higgins’ 1978 film about a librarian (Goldie Hawn) who finds herself in the middle of a plot to kill the pope. When a bumbling detective (Chevy Chase) is assigned to the case, romance blooms. Meanwhile, the assassin (Marc Lawrence) is determined to keep the lovebirds from foiling his plot.
Pack up the car with Grandpa and the kids and head for the Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue that elevates any show. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh, new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. Runs through Aug. 9.
IF YOU GO
When: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Thursday, July 10
Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
2 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.
$30; students 25 and younger, $10 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s Stage of Discovery summer musical theater camp is celebrating its 10th anniversary with its most ambitious production to date. An original musical written by WBTT Education Director/Artistic Associate Jim Weaver, “Alice in Boogie Wonderland” features characters from Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale and disco favorites such as “Boogie Ooggie Oogie” and “Boogie Nights” as well as ballads such as “That’s What Friends Are For.” Repeats Sunday, July 13, at 2 p.m..
FST IMPROV: ‘FREEDOM! THE MUSICAL’
7:30 p.m. FST’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Feeling patriotic but looking for a laugh? Florida Studio Theatre Improv explores “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Laughter” in this comedy musical with a promise
to share an untold story of the American Revolution.
SUNDAY
HARD HEART BURLESQUE
11:30 a.m. at The Mable, 2831 N. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit EventBrite.com.
Grab your friends, your dollar bills and your appetite for glitter and breakfast. Join Swanky Valli, Karma Kandlewick and Marina Elaine as Burlesque Brunch returns to the Mable Bar and Grill. Step into Hard Heart Burlesque’s little cabaret, where the mimosas flow, the music sizzles and the performers … Well, they don’t just light up the stage — they set it on fire.
HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘L’ELISIR D’AMORE’
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Sesto Quatrini makes his house debut in this Royal Opera performance of Donizetti’s opera about a country boy, Nemorino (Liparit Avetisyan), who seeks to win the affections of the high-falutin’ Adina (soprano Nadine Sierra). Can the “elixir of love” concocted by Doctor Dulcamara (Bryn Terfel) help Nemorino win his reluctant lover’s heart? You’ll have to find out for yourself.
MONDAY
RAUSCHENBERG: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $25 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.
The Ringling joins museums around the world in honoring the centenary of maverick artist Robert Rauschenberg, who burst onto the art scene in the mid-20th century with collages he called “combines.”
The first American to win the grand prize at the Venice Biennale, Rauschenberg set the stage for the Pop Art movement. The exhibition includes works that The Ringling has in its collection, including pieces Rauschenberg created during his time on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Runs through Aug. 3.
TUESDAY
‘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 at Sarasota Art Museum. Her installation of “veils” combine handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in the Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages from a hodgepodge of materials to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Runs through Oct. 26.
Courtesy image
“America’s Got Talent” star Aidan Bryant performs on the aerial straps at the Summer Circus Spectacular, which runs through Aug. 9 at The Ringling.
ADOPT DON’T SHOP
BRIEFS
leadership and development skills as she elevates the Sarasota Ballet’s marketing efforts.
“I am thrilled to join the Sarasota Ballet and contribute to its remarkable legacy,” Abbott said in a statement. “Dance has always been a central part of my life, and returning to this world with such a respected company is a dream come true. I look forward to helping share the artistry and stories of the Sarasota Ballet with audiences new and old, and to being part of a team that values creativity, excellence and community.”
Choral organizations merge into new ensemble
Choral Artists of Sarasota and Via Nova Chorale are combining to create a single musical ensemble.
If the names don’t seem immediately familiar, both groups were founded under different monikers.
Sarasota Ballet names Jess Abbott as its marketing
director
The Sarasota Ballet has named Jess Abbott as its marketing director, filling a vacancy created with the death of Jeanne Leo in January after a long illness.
Abbott brings a strong background in arts leadership and a personal passion for dance to the Sarasota Ballet.
She previously was chief executive officer of Greenville Center for Creative Arts in South Carolina and executive director of Dogtown Dance Theatre in Richmond, Virginia.
Abbott’s background in creative marketing and her experience in building engagement between artists and audiences should prove valuable as the Sarasota Ballet continues to expand its reputation under the leadership of its director, Iain Webb, and his wife, Margaret Barbieri, the company’s assistant director.
“We’re delighted to have Jess join the Sarasota Ballet’s marketing team,” said Executive Director Joseph Volpe in a statement. “Her extensive experience in both the nonprofit sector and the dance world has consistently demonstrated her ability to elevate organizations with creativity, insight and strategic vision.
“Jess is a mover and shaker, and we look forward to seeing how her leadership will further strengthen and expand the reach of the Sarasota Ballet brand.”
As a former dancer, Abbott brings a unique understanding to her new job and can also leverage her
Choral Artists, which recently celebrated its 46th season, was known as Gloria Musicae in its early years. Via Nova was originally founded in 2008 as Musica Sacra Sarasota. With the retirement of longtime Artistic Director Joseph Holt, Via Nova’s artistic director, Steven Phillips, assumes the same role at the combined choral group.
The move “ensures the continuation of Choral Artists’ legacy of artistic excellence, professional engagement and community-centered programming,” according to a statement announcing the merger of the two groups.
Bill Kimbell, board president of Choral Artists, said, “Via Nova is uniquely positioned to build on the foundation Joe Holt created: a deep commitment to musical integrity, thought-provoking repertoire and a belief that choral music can be a voice for the community.”
Via Nova Chorale will take over Choral Artists’ music lending library. The ensemble will also continue Choral Artists’ tradition of engaging professional singers, a hallmark since its early years as Gloria Musicae.
Known for his innovative programming, Phillips will curate concerts that give voice to the community, often through works that explore pressing social issues.
“Steven brings both artistry and purpose to his work,” says Holt. “I’ve admired the integrity of his programming and the clarity of his vision. He understands how to create music that resonates — with audiences and with the times. It’s reassuring to know that the next chapter of choral excellence continues in such capable hands.”
Performance dates for the 202526 season are expected to be finalized over the summer.
Courtesy image
Former dancer and nonprofit arts leader Jess Abbott has joined the Sarasota Ballet as marketing director.
A fireworks show, not rain showers
Although weather forecasts this year may not have looked promising, the boom of thunder wasn’t the only sound heard the night of July 4.
First was the boom of fireworks that echoed across Sarasota Bay.
Numerous attendees gathered at Bayfront Park for the annual tradition, bringing lawn chairs and blankets.
It was ultimately support from the community that helped make the event possible.
Amid rising costs, Suntex Marinas, which operates Marina Jack, fronted the $35,000 cost of this year’s event, with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, which had previously sponsored the event, serving as a co-sponsor.
As in other years, the city of Sarasota provided in-kind services.
Despite the presence of a tropical depression off the east coast, there was ultimately no rain to interfere with the experience.
Attendees came from far and wide for the event, including Gabriela Pérez, who was visiting Sarasota from Miami with her family, because they enjoy spending the holiday here.
Pérez said her family, who are all originally from Cuba and are American citizens, visit Sarasota
because while in the area, they feel more connected to their roots in America.
“We like the vibes here,” she said, stating she sees more people dressing up for the occasion, and the community is more connected to the kinds of experiences they are seeking on the holiday.
Cody Maple, a former Sarasota resident who visited from Oregon with his fiancee. Rachel Bliesner, was glad to be back at the bay once again that night.
“I’ve seen the fireworks here so many times,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It’s always beautiful. It’s the best place to watch them.”
— IAN SWABY
Stephen Schlabach and his wife, Jennifer Schlabach, watch the grand finale of the fireworks.
Friends Brian Phipps, Susan Hoffman, Bonnie Schiavone, Darlene Marks, Patti Tebo and Joe Garofalo, enjoyed watching the fireworks together.
were impressed by the fireworks at the event.
Liam Stokes, his brother, Brian Stokes, and Brian’s girlfriend, Alicia Kamski, enjoy the park grass.
Irena Smirnova, her husband, Luther Landrum, and their daughter, Olivia Landrum, 2, enjoy the event. Cody Maple and his fiancee, Rachel Bliesner
HOT DOG!
There’s nothing better to combat the sweltering heat than a hot dog, free beer samples, live music and all you can pet and greet “hot” dogs.
On Saturday, July 5, Hamlet’s Eatery hosted its fifth annual Hot Dog Day. Hamlet served hot dogs, burgers and fries. Hamlet’s partnered with local breweries, such as Big Top Brewing Co. and Sun King, for free beer samples.
Hamlet’s Eatery also partnered with Dachshunds Seeking Forever Home Rescue, to help their wiener dogs find their forever homes.
“We get a chance to come out and meet people and let them meet our dogs. And the fact that it’s wiener dogs and it’s a hot dog celebration makes it all the more fun,” said Forever Home Rescue founder Tia Bednarczyk.
For more information about Dachshunds Seeking Forever Home Rescue, contact DachshundSeekingForeverHome@gmail.com or visit its website at DoxieRescue.WixSite.com.
— CARLIN GILLEN
“Coastal
“Coastal elegance meets modern luxury.”
Nestled in Sarasota’s most
neighborhoods.
Hurricane Resilient & Energy Efficient Homes Built for your Safety and Peace of Mind.
Hurricane Resilient & Energy Efficient Homes Built for your Safety and Peace of Mind.
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Dexter and owner Gary DiDonna are excited to celebrate Hot Dog Day at Hamlet’s Eatery.
Willow Livengood, the daughter of Kim Livengood, who is co-owner of The Bazaar.
Photos by Carlin Gillen
Sully, Toby, Tito, Munchkin and Gryffindor are all smiles for the fifth annual Hot Dog Day.
Downtown church celebrates in song
POn Friday, July 4, Church of the Redeemer held a Fourth of July concert and fireworks viewing celebration. The event, catered by Mission Barbeque, included pulled pork, mac and cheese and rolls. The event began in prayer, led by the Church’s newest minister, the Rev. Andrew Yow.
“We want to have people here and not just be limited to what we do on Sunday mornings. We have a variety and really rich community being formed here,” said Yow.
The concert was led by Choralmaster Sam Nelson, who played American classics.
“People grew up singing these songs, and it’s a way to just bring us all together and do something we can all understand and appreciate,” said Nelson.
— CARLIN GILLEN
crowd gathers for fireworks at Bayfront Park.
Photos by Carlin Gillen
John Meyer, Scott Ferguson, Cady Ferguson and Cathie Meyer
FRIDAY, JULY 11
GEOLOGY
Noon
MONDAY, JULY 14
TRAUMA INJURY PREVENTION: STOP THE BLEED
10:30-11:30 a.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. Free. Learn how to help in case of an emergency from a Sarasota Memorial Trauma Expert so you can recognize a lifethreatening bleed and intervene effectively. Registration required. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket. com.
SEAS THE SUMMER FIELD EXPLORATIONS
10-11:30 a.m. at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway. $25 per child and required parent or guardian. This weekly event includes a session about a different animal that lives in Sarasota Bay, followed by a session in which participants wade into the bay to catch animals and learn about their place in the ecosystem. One free chaperone is required per every two children. Visit Mote.org.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16
ARTISTS IN THE LIBRARIES:
WEAVE A COLORFUL MINI WALL HANGING
2-4 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Use mini looms to weave colorful rows of yarns and fabrics and create a colorful mini wall hanging. All skill levels are welcome. Space is limited. Registration required. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.
THURSDAY, JULY 17
CINEMA AT THE BAY:
WAKING NED DEVINE
7:30-9 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy an outdoor movie under the stars. In “Waking Ned Devine” (PG), when a lottery winner dies of shock, his fellow townspeople attempt to
Bouchard plays a blend of funk, jazz, folk and blues, covering songs from the 1960s to the present. Brunch at The Bay will also be held without live music from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. Visit TheBaySarasota.org for more information.
claim the money. The film is shown to coincide with the 153rd British Open held at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Bring your own blankets and chairs. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
ECOWALK: SHINRIN YOKU: ‘FOREST BATHING’ MEDITATION IN THE PARKS
9-10 a.m. at Urfer Family Park, 4000 Honore Ave. Free. Practice mindfulness in a contemplative walk through nature, using breath work and all of the senses, led by a UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County educator or volunteer. Registration is required. Wear comfortable, loose clothing and bring water and a portable chair or blanket to sit on. Visit SarasotaCountyParks. com.
Bubbles and barbecue
Achance of rain didn’t deter attendees from their Independence Day celebrations this year, including the Fourth of July AllAmerican Cookout at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of the organization, called the turnout that evening “incredible.”
“It looks like the skies have parted from the storms, and the sun is shining, and we’re excited to enjoy the fireworks from Selby Gardens with the whole community,” she said.
Attendees came out to the Great Lawn for hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue and other Fourth of July foods from Michael’s On East, as well as vendors Kona Ice and Twisted Sugar ConfectionAIRy, and activities including face painting and cornhole games.
Younger attendees also enjoyed the bubble show by Blaise Ryndes, who has appeared on “America’s Got Talent” and who will also be returning to Selby Gardens for subsequent events this summer.
Later that evening, attendees had the chance to enjoy a view of the Fourth of July fireworks at Bayfront Park, which Selby Gardens funded alongside Suntex Marinas this year.
Amirah Graham, 11, enjoys the bubble show.
Deb and Dick Pelton
Photos by Ian Swaby
Eicher, 11, pops a bubble.
It’s
It’s
homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air.
We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance and repair. There is a practical solution to this common problem – Bronze or Stainless
Both materials offer excellent salt tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of styles and finishes provide a perfect match to existing color schemes including rich patinas of classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black.
Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, located inside The Plumbing Place, displays many lines of door hardware in
styles for your home that are well suited for our demanding environment, and will create the first impression your front door deserves.
A home on Siesta Key sells for
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
RSARASOTA
BAYSO SARASOTA
onald and Phyllis McSwain, of Cincinnati, sold their home at 4185 Shell Road to 4185 Shell Road LLC for $4.4 million. Built in 1956, it has six bedrooms, seven baths, a pool and 6,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.8 million in 2001. and 4,989 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.85 million in 2020.
Bayso 1209 LLC sold the Unit 1209 condominium at 301 Quay Commons to Janice Fuchs Morris, of Sarasota, for $1.75 million. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,856 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,092,600 in 2023.
BAY POINT PARK
Robert Bernstein, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 980 S. Orange Ave. to Heather and Wilhelums van Workum, of Fort Lauderdale, for $1,725,000. Built in 1937, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,554 square feet of living area. It sold for $924,500 in 2016.
HARBOR ACRES
Lisa Knoop, trustee, sold the home at 1610 S. Orange Ave. to Brian Glassel and Rebecca Glassel, trustees, of Madison, Wisconsin, for $1,495,000. Built in 1969, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,193 square feet of living area. It sold for $795,000 in 2016.
THE LANDINGS
Kenneth and Dawn Drost, trustees, of Lafayette, Colorado, sold the home at 5179 Flicker Field Circle to William Buckley III and Kate Brearley Buckley, of Sarasota, for $1.45 million. Built in 1987, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,135 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in 2021.
SARASOTA BAY CLUB
Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 508 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail to Sandra Montgomery and Irving Ash, of Sarasota, for $1.15 million. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,546 square feet of living area. It sold for $890,000 in 2023.
WESLO WILLOWS
Nehama Guralnik, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 2458 Whippoorwill Circle to Norman and Carol Coliane, of Sarasota, for $970,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,157 square feet of living area.
SOUTH GATE
Samuel Huntington Elliott and Alaina Krystle Elliott, of Bend, Oregon, sold their home at 2111 Ivory Place to Danielle Shea Sutter, of Sarasota, for $720,000. Built in 1966, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,484 square feet of living area. It sold for $505,000 in 2021. Kelly Andrus, of Lake Lure, North Carolina, sold the home at 2502
The Unit 1014 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. was built in 2019 and has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,035 square feet of living area.
Alpine Ave. to Brendan David March and Danielle Amanda March, of Sarasota, for $625,000. Built in 1958, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,068 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2018.
Donald and Lois Richter, trustees, sold the home at 2611 Sunnyside St. to Marcia Clark and Melissa Shepard Sykes, of Sarasota, for $580,000. Built in 1970, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,189 square feet of living area. It sold for $107,500 in 2001.
ONE HUNDRED CENTRAL James and Rachel Ory sold their Unit C-521 condominium at 100 Central Ave. to Richard Haynes, trustee, of Sarasota, for $620,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,114 square feet of living area. It sold for $629,000 in 2021.
FOREST LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
ESTATES
Amy Reid, of Silver Spring Maryland, sold her home at 1864 Mid Ocean Circle to Benjamin and Martha Zook, of Kinzers, Pennsylvania, for $565,000. Built in 1970, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,250 square feet of living area.
PALMER’S
Harvey Miller, of Sarasota, sold the home at 2641 Hyde Park St. to Adam and Erin Kabinoff, of Sarasota, for $500,300. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,622 square feet of living area. It sold for $275,000 in 2019.
POMA
JoAnn McManus, trustee, and Connie McManus, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1612 Pocatello St. to Dick Oscar Fuster and Wendy Fuster, of Sarasota, for $500,000. Built in 1983, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,222 square feet of living area.
SIESTA KEY
SARASOTA BEACH
Timothy and Denise Cloe, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 645 Beach Road to Taylor Suncoast Properties II LLC for $4 million. Built in 2018, it has eight bedrooms, six-and-three-half baths, a pool
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
SIESTA GULF VIEW
Lawrence Crossett and Nancy Hickcox, of Pittsburgh, sold their Unit 502 condominium at 420 Beach Road to 420 Beach Road 502 LLC for $1.45 million. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,316 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,275,000 in 2021. File
See more transactions at YourObserver.com.
Other top sales by area
SARASOTA: $2.25 MILLION
Mark Sarasota
Yvonne Betlem and Bryan Haskell sold their Unit 1014 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to Silvio Visconti, trustee, of Chicago, for $2.25 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,035 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,226,000 in 2020.
PALMER RANCH:
$1,155,000
Esplanade on Palmer Ranch
William Hungate, trustee, and Beverly Hungate, of Morton, Illinois, sold the home at 5388 Bartolomeo St. to Michael Nepveux, of Sarasota, for $1,155,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $623,000 in 2019.
OSPREY: $2.5 MILLION
Oaks II Kevin and Mary Fitzpatrick, of Sarasota, sold their home at 624 Eagle Watch Lane to Samuel Ray Strickland and Paula Strickland, of Osprey, for $2.5 million. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 6,157 square feet of living area. It sold for $940,000 in 2012.
photo
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
“I
swam my first 800 this season, and I rewatched it and I thought I could do better ... So I picked it up and went for it.” —
26.
Two standout Cardinal Mooney football players will announce their commitments to their respective college football programs in the coming weeks.
Da’Ron Parks, a 6-foot-5, 350-pound interior offensive lineman, a four-star prospect by 247 Sports, will announce his decision on July 26. Parks has listed his top 12 choices, including Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia, Oregon and Florida State. Elijah Golden, a 6-foot4, 275-pound defensive lineman, is also a four-star recruit who will announce his decision on July 26. Golden has recently visited Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Alabama and Notre Dame. ... Rising senior running back and defensive back Vantrez Yarn announced he is transferring from Palmetto to Cardinal Mooney. Yarn rushed 137 times for 707 yards and six touchdowns and caught two passes for 67 yards and a touchdown on offense last year. He was Palmetto’s two-way player of the year in 2024. ... Sarasota resident Jagger Leach defeated Linus Lagerbohm 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round of the Boys’ Singles draw of Wimbledon before he losing to Thijs Boogaard 3-6, 7-6, 4-6. Leach and Oliver Bonding played Zangar Nurlanuly and Damir Zhalgasbay in the first round of Boys’ Doubles on the morning of July 9. ... The 2025 MLB Draft begins on July 13, and one area name to watch for is Karson Ligon. The former Riverview High pitcher played for the University of Miami from 2022-23 in his freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to Mississippi State for his junior and senior seasons. Ligon struggled at times this past season, but started 15 games and struck out 73 batters in 56 2/3 innings for a team that made the NCAA Tournament.
American 10U All-Stars head to state
Winning is all business for these Little League All-Stars.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
The 8- 9- and 10-year-old Sarasota American Little League All-Stars are kids, but they take baseball seriously.
That mindset can be challenging for kids who are still in elementary school, but it’s also helped them advance to the state tournament in Freeport starting July 11.
“We’re firm, but understanding,” coach Mike D’Hondt said. “Out here (at practice), this is the place to make mistakes. Our biggest thing at this age is that you’re hustling all the time, whether it’s in practice or in games. We don’t like to see them walking out on the field or back to the dugout. If they’re getting a drink of water, I say, ‘No butts on the bench during practice days.’
“That’s really where it starts,” D’Hondt continued. “You know you’re out here and you’re working hard and putting the time in. We don’t get them on mistakes. They’re going to make mistakes because they’re 9 and 10 years old. We don’t scream at them because that doesn’t work at any age. We just encourage them.”
That mentality of firm encouragement the coaching staff has emphasized is a need on American’s run to the district and sectional championships.
Sarasota American could have folded against Golden Gate American in LaBelle in its sectional finals and had its season end, but instead played some of its best baseball.
Stone Meininghaus hit a home run in the first inning to give Sarasota American a 3-0 lead, but Golden Gate scored six unanswered runs to take over the game.
Sarasota American made sure that lead wouldn’t last.
Grayson Hugo hit a two-run home run to cut into the lead, and then Jax Roberts opened the fifth inning with a leadoff double and driven in by Leo Izzo’s hit with two outs to knot the game at 6.
Then Henry D’Hondt had to face one of the most difficult spots for any pitcher in baseball in the home
SARASOTA AMERICAN 8-9-10 ALL-STAR ROSTER
Coaches: Mike D’Hondt, Aaron Meining haus, Greg Folgia
Players: Leonard Izzo, Quinn Geisdorf, Davis Brown, Jax Roberts, Matthew McCarthy, Stone Meininghaus, Henry D’Hondt, Jack McQuillan, Lorenzo Izzo, Brody McGill, Miguel Bermudez, Zeke Folgia, Grayson Hugo
“We have trust in each other ...”
half of the fifth inning — no outs with the bases loaded late in a tied game.
“I was really nervous because it was the fifth inning, but I thought it was the sixth,” Henry said. “It was a 3-0 count with the bases loaded, and I don’t know how I did it. I was thinking, ‘If I don’t strike them out, this will be the second year in a row we lost to a team we should have beaten in sectionals.’” Henry responded by striking out the side, and Sarasota American piled on three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to gain a 9-6 win and a sectional championship.
Sarasota American is a team made up of mainly 10-year-old players who have experience.
Several of these players compete on travel ball teams and played this past Little League season in the “Majors” division, which features 12-year-olds who throw around 65 miles per hour, D’Hondt said.
While that experience has certainly been valuable, Sarasota American’s best attribute has been how much the players trust each other.
Hard moments, like the 10U All-
Star team’s sectional loss last season, forged some of that trust. Other times, there are strengthening moments like celebrating a win with a pool party or a trip to a restaurant.
“We have trust in each other,” Sarasota American player Jack McQuillan said. “I’ve been friends with some of these guys for a long time. If somebody calls you off in the outfield or in the infield, you know they’ll get it.”
The season is going to end at the state tournament for Sarasota American, no matter what happens in the round-robin format. Little League All-Stars for the 8-9-10 and 9-10-11 levels culminate at the state level, while the 10- 11- 12-year-old teams have the chance to make it to the Little League World Series.
That means the clutch wins, pool parties, barbecues and fun practices won’t last much longer for Sarasota American, but there’s still some motivation to keep the season going as long as it can.
“The prize is also kinda good,” McQuillan said. “You get rings.”
Emma Lynch, Sarasota Sharks
Image courtesy of Elijah Golden Cardinal Mooney rising senior defensive lineman Elijah Golden is expected to announce his collegiate commitment on July
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Sarasota American player Henry D’Hondt helped his team win the sectional tournament in LaBelle by striking out the side with the bases loaded in the fifth inning of a tied game against Golden Gate American.
Sarasota American third baseman Jack McQuillan makes a throw home during a practice at Twin Lakes Park ahead of the state tournament.
— Jack McQuillan, Sarasota American player
Kennon lives out a dream with commitment to FSU
Not many athletes ever have the chance for the team they grew up rooting for on TV, so when that opportunity arrived for Booker High rising senior Chauncey Kennon, he couldn’t say no.
Kennon told Florida State coach Mike Norvell and his coaching staff he would be committing to the Seminoles when he wrapped up his official visit on June 13. Everyone else was kept in the shadows until Kennon’s “The Pick is In” announcement party on July 6 at the Desoto Boys and Girls Club in Bradenton.
Kennon tried on each of the hats laid out on the table in front of him
— Georgia, Florida, Florida State and Miami — and playfully sug-
Outside corner that could fit into a variety of different schemes and systems with his size, eyes and ball skills. Needs some technical polish, but athletic markers (4.5 in the 40-yard dash, 6-foot-2 in the high jump) and offensive production signal no shortage of developmental upside, especially with a frame that’s believed to be stretching just over 6-foot-1. Has manned-up primarily in a Cover 2 look on Friday nights and showcased the ability to stick his hip on larger wide receivers and turn/run with them. Will get physical as routes progress and does a favorable job of anticipating breaks. Might have picked off just one pass as a junior, but prevented plenty of scores and had a higher success rate in 50-50 situations when he was challenged. Serviceable as an open-field tackler, but a semester or two in a developmental lifting group could go a long way when it comes to providing run support. Must keep progressing and working on all the little things that come with playing one of the game’s most difficult positions, but should be viewed as a risk-taking defender with all-conference potential that can shade top weapons and help shutdown potent passing attacks. Traits likely to draw looks from NFL — ANDREW IVINS, 247 SPORTS DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING The Booker
gested that none of them fit.
That’s when he whipped out a bag from underneath his table and proudly put a different Florida State cap on his head to an eruption of cheers from dozens of supporters in attendance.
For Kennon, it was always going to be Florida State.
Kennon was first introduced to football when his mother, Tiki Shields, signed him up to play flag football at 4 years old to burn his pep because “he was so highenergy.”
“He was grabbing flags and waving them around like, ‘Look, Mom, I got a flag!’ From 4 years old, he was running track and playing football, and from that moment on, that’s what he loved doing,” Shields said.
Shields said Kennon grew up rooting for the Seminoles, and
he’s held on to memorabilia from that time — including a sign they purchased from the county fair with Florida State football roster and a football signed by legendary coach Bobby Bowden.
“It really felt like my ‘I made it’ moment,” Kennon said of when he informed the FSU coaching staff he was committing. “That’s my dream school. I grew up watching Jameis Winston and all of them boys.”
Kennon’s commitment to Florida State might mean more to the Seminoles than it does to him.
Florida State is coming off a 2-10 season that can be described as nothing other than a complete disappointment. The Seminoles opened the season ranked No. 10 in the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Despite that, top recruits like
CHAUNCEY KENNON SCOUTING REPORT
Kennon are still flocking to the Seminoles.
Florida State has the No. 11-ranked class in the country for the Class of 2026 according to 247 Sports, led by Kennon as its top recruit.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback ranks No. 27 in the nation, No. 2 at his position and No. 4 in Florida according to his 247 Sports composite score.
“I know I’m going to play a lot of corner on the boundary,” Kennon said. “I can rotate position to position. I’m an athlete. I just have to do my job, and they’re there to coach me.”
Kennon has played both sides of the ball for Booker. He recorded 10 catches for 317 yards and six touchdowns on offense and also posted 33 tackles, 16 pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble in 2024.
Even though Kennon had made up his mind three weeks before he
announced, he still decided to host a party to inspire the many children in attendance to follow their dreams in the same way he did.
“There’s a lot of kids here, and I wanted to show them that there’s more to life than Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida,” Kennon said. “There’s bigger things, whether it’s playing football, being a lawyer, or anything. The main message is ‘Don’t be satisfied with being here.’ This is going to be here. You have to get to the next level and then come back. That’s what I wanted to show the kids.”
Vinnie Portell
Booker High rising senior Chauncey Kennon announced his commitment to Florida State University on July 6 at the Desoto Boys and Girls Club in Bradenton.
Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for
OF THE WEEK
ATHLETE
Emma Lynch
Emma Lynch is an 11-year-old swimmer in Sarasota who is already off to a fast start.
Lynch, who competes with the Sarasota Sharks, was first in the 100-yard free, the 50 fly and the 400 IM and also recorded two secondplace and two third-place finishes in the 12U age group at the Shark Open from June 19-22.
Lynch has been selected as one of the 12 fastest swimmers in Florida for the 11-12 year-old age group to compete at the Southern Zone Age Group Championships in Orlando from July 30 through Aug. 2.
When and why did you start swimming? I started swimming when I was 6, and then I kind of took a break and came back when I was 8 years old. That’s when I started swimming with the (Sarasota) Sharks. My parents knew I loved swimming, so they put me back into it.
What has been your most memorable moment in swimming?
This year I was getting picked up from school and my mom told me I made the Southern Zones team. It’s the 12 best swimmers in Florida who race against the southern part of the United States.
What is your best swimming stroke and why?
The butterfly. I just have
What have you been working on lately?
Definitely my backstroke. I’ve been working on kicking faster and having more of a pull.
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.
How often do you swim? I go from 5 to 7 in the summer, but for school days, we do 5:15 to 7:30, and it’s every day except for Sunday.
What has been your most humbling moment in swimming? I swam my first 800 this season, and I rewatched it and I thought I could do better. I saw I was going really slow in the pool and kind of just relaxing too much. So I picked it up and went for it.
What is your dream goal for swimming?
To win Olympic gold medals.
What is your favorite meal?
Steak with pasta. I like my steak cooked medium rare with alfredo pasta. My mom makes it.
What is your favorite TV show or movie?
My favorite movie is “Avengers Endgame.” I like how it’s so exciting.
What is your go-to warm-up song?
The Hall of Fame by The Script. It’s a pump-up song for me.
If you’re not swimming, what are you doing?
Either hanging out with my friends or my family. I like to paint or just chill out and play games.
What does your ideal weekend look like?
Practice on Saturday morning and then just chill the rest of the day and sleep on Sunday.
Who is your favorite swimmer and why?
Katie Ledecky. She’s this powerful woman, and she swims amazingly.
Finish this sentence. Emma Lynch is ... Strong.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
UNDERGROWTH by Jim Heane, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
