Students at Music Compound had a more human experience on July 19, when they had the chance to groove with jazz musician Jay Oliver, as well as Nic Collins, son of renowned Genesis drummer Phil Collins. The drum clinic event was presented in partnership with the Percussive Arts Society of Florida.
“The old paradigm is the student crunching away in a practice room silo ... working on technique, scales, over and over, and never sounding like music ...” said Oliver in a quote provided by Music Compound.
“Let’s give them the experience of being musical straight away.”
Mote receives snook support
Rep. Danny Nix presented Michael Crosby (above), president and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, with a $250,000 check allocated from the state budget to support the Strategic Snook Stock Enhancement Initiative. The program dates to the 1990s and has impacted the aqua-culture community by focusing on snook and other fish.
“Representative Nix is here to celebrate with us and is going to help us grow a lot in terms of our ability to grow out, spawn and then out-plant snook for stock enhancement here throughout the region,” Crosby said.
$0.10
City says no to apartments
Courtesy image
Nic Collins, studio manager
Alyssa Martin, student Sophia Emmons and musician Jay Oliver
Carlin Gillen
WEEK OF JULY 24, 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
$7 The
■
“The issue on the table today is what we’re concerned about. What could go there is none of our business.”
Sarasota City Commissioner Kathy Kelley
page 5
Ohlrich. Read more on
Huey Magoo’s opens in SRQ Concourse B
Achain specializing in chicken tenders has opened its first airport location at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Huey Magoo’s is beyond security at Concourse B. Founded in 2004, the company is headquartered in Orlando. The chain that offers hand-breaded or grilled chicken tenders now has 77 locations across a dozen states.
In addition to being the brand’s first restaurant in an airport, the Huey Magoo’s at SRQ is the first for the chain to offer breakfast.
The breakfast menu includes a breakfast burrito or bowl with chicken tenders, scrambled eggs and melted cheese along with breakfast potatoes and choice of hot honey, gravy or hot sauce as well as the option of bacon. Also available are three- and fivepiece tender meals with breakfast potatoes. For lunch and dinner, diners can order a three- or five-piece tender meal with fries, Texas toast and a choice of housemade dip, as well as a sandwich, salad or wrap containing hand-
breaded or grilled chicken tenders drizzled with Huey Magoo’s signature sauce. Located next to Jimmy John’s, Huey Magoo’s On the Fly is the latest addition to Concourse B at SRQ. In June, Sarasota restaurant Mattison’s opened a location on the concourse as well. This spring, Starbucks renovated its space in Concourse B, where Salt & Tide bar also opened. Still to come as part of the concourse’s updated refreshment options are Motorworks Brewing, The Salty Key and Wahlburgers.
SMH creates prenatal care collaborative
The first trimester is a crucial time in a woman’s pregnancy, when obstetricians monitor fetal development, manage potential risks and help ensure a safe, healthy delivery. A shortage of OB physicians, however, is leaving prenatal care a challenge here and across the nation.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the deficit is expected to be 22,000 OB/ GYNs by 2050.
In response, Sarasota Memorial Hospital has announced the formation of a pregnancy care team and OB nurse navigators to help women access the vital care they need throughout their pregnancy.
Among other services, the pregnancy care team provides:
■ Help finding a prenatal care provider who is the right match
■ Access to prenatal education
■ Lactation support and services
■ Referrals for appointments and services
■ Care coordination between health care providers
■ Help accessing community and family resources
To reach the Pregnancy Care Team, call 941-917-6667 or visit the First 1000 Days Suncoast website at First100DaysSuncoast.org.
City planner among top young leaders
City of Sarasota Senior Transportation Planner Corinne Arriaga was recently named a Young Leader to Follow by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
This recognition honors transportation professionals nationwide younger than 35 who are change makers in the field of transportation planning and show promise as future industry leaders. Arriaga is one of 20 honorees who comprise the class of 2025.
A city employee for almost four years, Arriaga has been instrumental to many projects, including the acquisition of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant to help fund the 10th Street and Boulevard of the Arts Complete Streets projects.
Courtesy photo
Huey Magoo’s On the Fly is located in Terminal B, next to Jimmy John’s, at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
Park project nears major funding drive stage
With the boathouse-events center project now estimated at about $60 million, Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy will be seeking major donors in 2026.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
If building a boathouse and indoor sports events center at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota could be compared to a rowing event, park officials would be pulling oars early in the race.
But the competition is beginning to heat up.
A week after giving Sarasota County commissioners, who have pledged $20 million toward the project, a July 9 update on the progress of the boathouse and events center, Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy Board Member Louis Kosiba talked about some milestones.
Kosiba said the planning process should be complete sometime toward the end of this year. That will be an important moment for the park.
“A lot of time has been spent in feasibility of the project and getting designs together,” Kosiba said. “You can’t undertake a major fundraising event until you can show (potential) sponsors what it will look like. It’s hard to raise money without having a good plan.
“So let’s get it designed, and let’s have the plans where we can go to the major donors. We want to show a picture of what it is going to look like. (Sarasota County) provided the seed money, and Benderson Development is a big sponsor that covered most of the cost of the design. Benderson Development will also be a major contributor once the project is designed and ready to go, and a big contributor during construction.”
SARASOTA COUNTY BACKING
Sarasota County commissioners gave their financial commitment to the project in 2022, and while there has been turnover on the commission, Kosiba said last week’s update was just that, a continuation of the project and a “permanent commitment.”
In 2022, the project was pitched as an estimated $40 million project. In today’s dollars, Kosiba said it might be a $60 million or even $70 million project.
If the county’s commitment stays the same, and Benderson Development covers 20% of the cost as has been discussed, that means the conservancy must raise approximately $30 million or more.
“We have board members who are ready to begin working on getting major corporate contributors,” Kosiba said. “When we talk about this internally, and we look at detailed plans and cost estimates, we look at breaking ground in the third or fourth quarter of 2026.”
However, he said that remains a best guess until the plans are finalized and the board members test the market for contributors.
He said the commissioners seemed
FLOOR PLAN
pleased with the progress made to this point.
“The county commissioners understand this is a game-changer for the park,” Kosiba said. “The rowing lanes are world class and the finish tower is spectacular. We get a lot of compliments on those. But when it comes to facilities ... storing boats, workout spaces ... we need a facility that meets the needs in a worldclass sense. The commissioners realize the proposal includes an indoor sports facility for pickleball, volleyball, basketball and wrestling tournaments. It’s a facility we don’t have in this area.”
Kosiba joined the board in 2021, and he said the board’s main focus since that time has been the construction of a boathouse and events center.
He said during the final phase of planning, the board needs to look at all the proposals to see if they are economically feasible.
A rendering of the preliminary design of the boathouse and events center planned for Nathan Benderson Park. The final planning for the project is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
“What will that glass wall cost?” he said. “Will it be effective?”
LOTS OF COURT SPACE
The actual boathouse and storage area will be on the first, or main floor, which also will host the sports courts and will be more than 85,000 square feet of hardwood. The area over the sports courts will be open to the top of the facility. The second floor will host meeting rooms, offices, a medical facility, along with workout and locker rooms.
Kosiba lives in Lakewood Ranch, and he pointed toward Premier Sports Campus, which he said works in a reciprocal way with Nathan Benderson Park.
He said both facilities will be attracting people from all over the Southwest and Florida to tournaments and events here.
“The key is making this a dynamic economic engine for the area,” he said of the boathouse and indoor sports events center. “People are excited to get it out of the ground.”
In terms of construction time, Kosiba said he wouldn’t be able to offer a good estimate until the plans are finalized. His best guess at this time would be fewer than two years.
“I know with our board, this is our key focus. It is something we want to get done,” he said. “We’ve been managing the park as it has grown,
PROJECT
TIMELINE
JANUARY-MARCH 2022
Johnson Consulting conducts Phase I of Feasibility Study for an indoor sports complex and boathouse concept
MAY 10, 2022
Findings of feasibility study presented to Sarasota County commissioners, who dedicated $20 million from the third additional one-cent levy of Tourist Development Tax
FALL 2022
Findings of feasibility study and draft concept plan presented to Parks Advisory and Recreation Committee and Tourist Development Council
SUMMER 2023
Fawley Bryant Architects, selected through RFQ, completes Phase II of feasibility study, consisting of schematic designs and identification of desired building program requirements
JULY 9, 2024
Update provided to Sarasota County Commission, including schematic designs, site plans and building highlights
FALL/WINTER 2024
NBPC fine-tuned building program requirements and capabilities; and developed request for proposal for full design and architectural services
WINTER/SPRING 2025
Through an RFP process, NBPC selected WJ Architects to serve as the project architect through the completion of construction.
“We’ve been managing the park as it has grown, and the activities here have grown. We are building a world-class facility that will make this park more than a rowing facility.”
— Louis Kosiba, Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy board member
and the activities here have grown. We are building a world-class facility that will make this park more than a rowing facility.”
“The planning of the indoor sports facility represents a transformative moment for Nathan Benderson Park and the entire Sarasota-Manatee region,” said Bruce Patneaude, the chief operating officer of Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, in a release. “We are meticulously designing a year-round venue that will not only serve our local athletes but also will attract regional, national and international events, generating substantial economic impact for our community through increased tourism.”
In 2022, Sarasota County staff had recommended dedicating the funding from the third additional 1 cent levy of tourist development tax to the boathouse and indoor sports complex.
A study performed by the commission in 2022 said the facility could generate an economic impact of $20 million a year.
The boathouse and events center planned for Nathan Benderson Park is expected to cost between $60 million and $70 million.
Courtesy images
Pool narrows for city manager search firms
Three finalists seeking to lead the search for a new Sarasota city manager will have two weeks to respond to commissioners’ questions.
ANDREW
STAFF WRITER
With the Sarasota City Commission having narrowed the list of executive search firms for a new city manager down to three, they will get two weeks to respond to a list of questions posed as the marathon process to replace the retired Marlon Brown enters its 10th month.
During its July 7 meeting, commissioners selected three finalists to take the lead in its recruitment restart. They are Slavin Management Consultants of Norcross, Georgia, Sumter Local Government Consulting of Alpharetta, Georgia, and MGT Impact Solutions of Tampa.
As promised by City Auditor and Clerk Shayla Griggs at the commission’s previous meeting that a city manager search update would be on each meeting agenda, Griggs and City Attorney Joe Polzak — who together are tasked with leading the search firm search — sought some final guidance for questions to pose as the vetting continues.
They include:
n What is the cost?
n Do you have a warranty or other guarantee?
n What is your retention rate?
n Who would be on your search team?
n How many pending searches are ongoing simultaneously?
n How many searches can your company conduct at one time?
n What is your experience in conducting Florida city manager
searches?
n How many Florida city managers have you successfully placed and what size were the cities?
n Do you direct-source city manager candidates?
n Would you source city manager candidates nationally and in Florida?
Commissioners word-minced to combine some questions into one, particularly those related to simultaneous search capacity and statewide versus nationwide sourcing for candidates.
Having parted ways with the first firm retained for the search, Colin Baenziger & Associates of Daytona Beach Shores, commissioners appear ready to move forward more quickly as Interim City Manager Dave Bullock settles into his third month in the role, endorsing via consensus a two-week deadline to respond to the questions.
“We felt like there’s been a lot of communication already with the firms, including them already producing a lot of materials,” Polzak said. “We were debating between two weeks and 30 days for them to respond.”
“We kind of feel that 30 days is probably way too long,” added Griggs. “They shouldn’t take 30 days to respond. We are looking at probably giving them 14 days to give us an adequate response.”
Andrew Warfield
Interim Sarasota City Manager
Dave Bullock looks on during his first City Commission meeting on July 7.
North Trail complex plan denied
City sides with residents of The Strand to nix plans to build 58 apartments.
ANDREW WARFIELD
Cting concerns of residents of The Strand condominiums along Whitaker Bayou, the Sarasota City Commission on Monday denied by a 4-1 vote a rezoning ordinance amendment and site plan application for a 58-unit apartment development across two buildings at 1701 and 1715 N. Tamiami Trail.
In the planning stages since the application was submitted to the city in 2022, property owner Tammy II LLC of Chicago encountered multiple obstacles since acquiring the site from the original master developer of The Strand, Jebco Ventures of Sarasota. First was the illness and death of the civil engineer, then the death of the surveyor. Then project consultant Joel Freedman developed cancer, for which he underwent extensive treatment. And now, Freedman told commissioners, developer principal Jason Vondrachek is dealing with his
own medical issues and had planned to sell the property once the project was approved.
All of that led to a protracted delay in the project and, once notice was sent to the residents of the May 14 public hearing before the Planning Board — which voted to not recommend approval of the project — they were surprised to learn that what was sold to them as a boutique commercial presence along Tamiami Trail had become plans for an apartment complex.
“That’s no excuse, but it’s just been a strange situation of why the delay has happened,” Freedman told commissioners. “Having a civil engineer pass away in the middle of a project is not good. A new one can’t just come in and take it over. They have to analyze everything and redraw everything.”
Meanwhile, residents of The Strand are dealing with issues of their own, namely frequent flooding from heavy rains that leave standing water in the garage, elevator pits and elsewhere on the property.
That’s because the drainage system discharges directly to tidal water in Whitaker Bayou. If the tide is up during the storm, there is nowhere for the water to go and, once there, can
The proposed apartments along North Tamiami Trail at 16th and 17th streets are outlined in red. The Strand condominiums are located to the left of the site along Whitaker Bayou.
take days to recede.
Representatives of the developer, including local civil engineer Mark Mueller, told commissioners the four-story apartment buildings will not add more runoff to The Strand — which stands northwest of the project site — but it won’t solve residents’ problem, either.
Addressing traffic concerns expressed by the residents, the development team and city staff insisted the 58 apartments would result in significantly lower impact on traffic than would the originally planned 16,500-square-foot commercial use previously approved at 1715 and whatever could be built to the zoning code at 1701. That lot was acquired by the applicant separately from a different owner.
The entire 1.78-acre site is zoned North Trail with a future land use classification of Urban Mixed Use. Mayor Liz Alpert, who cast the dissenting vote on Kathy Kelley Ohlrich’s motion to deny the request, warned commissioners and residents that the plan represents the lower end of the density and scope of project that could be built on the
property. With the plan that was under consideration on Monday, whatever is eventually built there will not be subject to addressing The Strand’s flooding problems, as code will not permit runoff to exceed current volumes.
“My question to all of you is, what could go there that would be less impactful than what’s being planned?” Alpert asked. “No matter what, there is going to be the same situation.”
Ohlrich, in pressing to end the discussion following her motion by exercising the Roberts Rule of Order to call the matter to question, insisted the only matter for consideration was the one presently before the commission and not what might come forward in the future.
“The issue on the table today is what we’re concerned about,” Ohlrich responded to Alpert as the debate heated. “What could go there is none of our business.”
“Then what do you envision as a lesser impact that what’s being proposed?” Alpert shot back.
“I don’t envision,” replied Ohlrich. “That’s not my job.”
WHAT COULD BE BUILT THERE
MIXED-USE 3
The properties at 1701 and 1715 N. Tamiami Trail fall within the North Trail Overlay District and have a future land use category of Multi-Use 3, which applies only to parcels along North Tamiami Trail. Permitted in that category is a base density of 35 units per acre, with a maximum bonus density of 105 units, including the base density, per acre providing 15% or more of those 70 bonus units are priced as attainable per the city’s commercial centers and corridors affordable housing ordinance. At 1.78 acres, the base density is 62 units. However, should the height limit of five stories and footprint accommodate the volume, the total density could be as high as 187 units.
LIVE LOCAL ACT
Florida’s Live Local Act supersedes municipal zoning regulations in zone districts that permit commercial, industrial or mixed-use purposes. The properties are subject to the legislation, which allows qualifying developments to bypass City Commission and Planning Board approval providing a development meets all relevant code requirements in the administrative review process and no adjustments are requested. Designed to encourage affordable housing development in urban areas, the Live Local Act permits a maximum building height comparable to the tallest structure permitted within a 1-mile radius of the site. That would allow for an 18-story tower on both lots providing 40% of the residential units are priced as affordable for those earning up to 120% of the area median income. The nearest point of the Downtown Bayfront zone district is seven blocks to the south, beginning at 10th Street, just less than 1 mile away.
Courtesy images
The vacant property at 1715 N. Tamiami Trail stands between the U.S. 41 and The Strand condominiums to the rear.
Change on the way for vacation rentals
City commissioners learn citywide ordinance isn’t really citywide as they approve staff-recommended updates to a law that regulates short-term rentals.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Seventeen months removed from implementing the city’s vacation rental ordinance citywide, staff has identified 14 points of clarification and alteration, all unanimously approved on July 21 by the Sarasota City Commission. It surprised commissioners the term citywide doesn’t really mean citywide. Instead, the registration and regulation ordinance does not apply to neighborhoods with multiuse zoning, which allows commercial uses. That’s because it was drafted to mirror the May 2021 legislation,
which included only the barrier islands.
“A year later, staff has identified some amendments to improve ordinance clarity, to enhance safety for renters and security, to support more accurate advertising and to refine our administrative processes,” Supervisor of Vacation Rental Comliance Hannah Chabica told commissioners. “It aims to incorporate the amendments in the best interest of the public health safety and welfare and to ensure residents peaceful enjoyment of their homes, to protect the health and safety of vacation rental tenants and to encourage them to be respectful of neighborhood residents.”
That is all well and good for the neighborhoods to which it applies, but Gillespie Park Neighborhood Association President Kelly Brown said the law doesn’t protect downtown-adjacent neighborhoods in zoning districts with a mix of residential, multifamily and commercial uses. Vacation rentals, she said, are springing up all over her neighborhood, and for good reason.
“Wouldn’t you rather stay in a house with a pool and have a party and do whatever you want?” Brown asked rhetorically, striking a contrast between vacation rentals close to downtown and nearby hotels.
“When I moved to the city in 2017, there were two Airbnbs (in Gillespie Park). There are now 14 on my street alone. The continual disregard for the seven-day rule is a constant in our neighborhood. It’s two days. It’s weekends. My request of the commission today is, please include all neighborhoods in this ordinance.”
Retired City Attorney Robert Fournier, who drafted all of the city’s vacation rental ordinances, advised commissioners they shouldn’t attempt to make that inclusion at Monday’s meeting, suggesting they instruct staff to craft a report on the matter by the end of the year.
Fournier said there may be a way to carve single-family neighborhoods out of mixed-use zone districts, but as it stands today, the ordinance is zone district-based.
“I thought citywide meant citywide, which I’m discovering doesn’t mean citywide,” said Vice Mayor Debbie Trice, who made the unanimously approved motion to instruct staff to explore a neighborhoodspecific amendment. “One of my concerns is that one of our objectives was to protect the health and safety of people who are renting these homes, and if we don’t include the other neighborhoods we are also ignoring their needs.”
The vacation rental ordinance currently applies to all single-, two-, three- and four-family dwellings located in residential singleand multifamily zone districts.
The ordinance does not apply to homes in Downtown Edge and Downtown Neighborhood districts and those are not required to register with the city because they are mixed-use zones.
VACATION RENTAL ORDINANCE CHANGES
Updates unanimously approved by the Sarasota City Commission.
■ If the property owner claims owner-occupancy exemption, they must provide proof. Qualifying for and receiving the Florida Homestead Exemption will be acceptable proof of owner occupancy.
■ Deletes the requirement to provide proof of Sarasota County Local Business Tax upon registration. Sarasota County repealed the local business tax requirement in July of 2024.
■ Clarifies acceptable proof of remission of tourist development taxes to the Sarasota County Tax Collector.
■ Clarifies acceptable proof of remission of taxes to Florida Department of Revenue.
■ Deletes the requirement to provide proof of Sarasota County Local Business Tax upon renewal.
■ Clarifies the requirements to amend a certificate. The owner must provide supporting information to support the amendment if requested.
■ The owner or representative must contact the city within 30 days after the application approval date to schedule any required inspection. Failure to do so will constitute a violation of this section.
■ Specifies that all registration fees are nonrefundable.
■ Simplified to state that a swimming pool, spa or hot tub must comply with the current standards of the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, Chapter 515, Florida statutes.
■ Clarifies that a map of an evacuation route to the nearest shelters in the event of a hurricane must be posted within the vacation rental.
■ Minor edit to verbiage requiring the sound ordinance statement to be posted within the vacation rental.
■ Clarifies the requirements of changes to the designated responsible party. The owner must provide supporting information to support the amendment if requested. It is a violation if the owner has not notified the city within 15 days of the change.
■ Clarifies that advertising includes online advertising and all media.
■ Minor edits to verbiage to clarify the required elements within any advertisement of the vacation rental.
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• Freedom from worries
Our quality construction means you and your loved ones can relax knowing you’ll be safe and comfortable during and after the storm.
• You don’t have to go it alone Our dedicated employees and full-time maintenance team work around the clock in severe weather.
• Life doesn’t stop for the storm Every building on our campus will be connected so you’re just steps away from amenities like the fitness center, restaurants, medical center, and more.
“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 Senior Living®-managed community
Andrew Warfield
Retired Sarasota City Attorney Robert Fournier drafted the city’s current vacation rental regulation ordinance.
What’s best for NCF, USF?
The governor should appoint a commission to determine what the best long-term structure should be for the Ringling, New College and USF.
Editor’s note: This is part two on the future of New College of Florida, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
As is often the case, perception and reality are Mars and Venus.
Anna Lazzara, a Sarasota High Bright Futures scholar, will be a senior this coming fall at New College of Florida. She has lived on campus since 2022, the year before former Florida Speaker Richard Corcoran was appointed president.
Asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 the overall atmosphere of New College today versus her freshman year, Lazzara told us:
“Today, I’m going to go with a nine. A lot more things feel lighter on campus. It’s nice that the place where you’re studying and living every day you have camaraderie between the students.
“Everything is not so heavy all the time like before,” she told us. “How it was before I would say maybe between a four and five, probably leaning lower.
“It was not like ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t stand this place, but there was definitely a kind of funk in the air. There was just this expectation to be a certain kind of student and a certain kind of viewpoint. It could be kind of discouraging at times and give you the feeling that you couldn’t be your full self.”
Roy Quest, a soccer player in the inaugural class of New College athletes, will be a junior this fall. He has lived on campus two years. His 1-to-10 rating of the New College atmosphere?
“I’d give it an eight when I got there. Today, I give it a nine or 10. There has never been a huge divide between athletes and nonathletes. Personally, I see it as tight knit. I’ve made great connections, met great people and lifelong friends.”
Lazzara and Quest both said the most noticeable, tangible improvement at New College since Corcoran’s arrival is the campus’ physical appearance and amenities.
Admittedly, we know Lazzara and Quest’s comments are those of only two of 900 students. But you cannot discount them; their beforeand-after assessments are 100% honesty.
Lazzara and Quest are passionate New College advocates. They help illustrate the turnaround underway at New College and how Corcoran is exorcising the demon that has nagged New College for the past decade: Its inability to grow enrollment.
Earlier this year, Corcoran told us that was one of the raps he heard repeatedly coming into and during his start at New College. He quickly concluded that had to be one of his first and top priorities as president.
“As a parent of six children, three who are in college, I did the parent tour,” he said, recalling his start. “OK, if I brought Kate or Jack or Caroline (his children) to this campus, what would I be saying afterward?”
He didn’t say it, but his implication was: “What a dump.”
Corcoran concluded that if New College was to have a chance at growing enrollment, the place had to improve dramatically its physical appearance and student amenities. With a $15 million infusion from the governor in early 2023, that’s
NEW COLLEGE WEST CAMPUS MASTER PLAN
what he did. In fact, in his first two years Corcoran has worked at a breakneck pace making the campus a place where students want to be and go.
Some of the results: A new grass park on the bayfront for outdoor events; six new beach volleyball courts nearby. Students rave about the jumbotron at the pool and the improvements at the fitness center. The entire campus is adorned with fresh landscaping.
Dormitories inside and out were renovated: Restuccoed and repainted on the outside; mildewed popcorn ceilings removed; new counters in the dorm bathrooms; new refrigerators and cabinetry; new flooring.
“I wanted it so when parents walked in, they’d go: “Wow, this is a beautiful dorm.”
More improvements:
■ The Charles Ringling mansion was repainted, industrial carpet removed from the historic tile floors, chandeliers replaced, paintings hung on the walls.
■ Renovated Pritzker Marine Biology building.
■ Opened a new campus bookstore.
■ Added soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball and golf and obtained admittance to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. (Admittance to the NAIA was at such a speed that it triggered calls from other colleges asking how Corcoran did it.)
■ Repaired all nonoperational cameras throughout the campus and added additional cameras for campus safety.
■ Purchased and implemented tasers and body cameras for the campus police and added two new police vehicles.
■ Conducted vulnerability assessments for all buildings on campus.
One of the most talked-about changes among the students has been the dining hall. It, too, was fully renovated, along with hiring a new food service vendor.
Says Lazzara: “The way I could tell New College was changing for the better was the difference that I saw from when I was a freshman and going in to eat my lunch or my dinner in the dining hall. Everyone had their little cliques that they went and sat with. It kind of felt like high school.”
Today, she says, “Coming into the dining hall, it’s always jam-packed … The good vibes and the good energy in that dining hall — that really speaks to how the campus life and student life are going.”
FACULTY CHANGES
Beyond the physical environment, there is the academic side. Corcoran has brought in about 60 new faculty members for the most recently completed term and next year.
What’s more, as noted in his 202425 job evaluation, “for the second year in a row, negotiated the largest cost of living adjustment in New
College’s history.” Fifty of the new faculty members carry doctorates. The college is negotiating to have famed lawyer Allen Dershowitz on next year’s faculty.
When we asked a long-time faculty member for comments on the difference at New College from preand post-Corcoran, he declined. Understandably. It’s a touchy subject for sure.
Every corporate board knows when it brings in a new CEO, he or she has a way of operating that disrupts the status quo. Predictably, there are personnel who like the changes and those who don’t. There are personnel who choose to stay, and those who don’t. There are personnel who buy into the new mission and those who resist, complain and criticize, eventually leading to their departures or firings.
The faculty member contacted made those points, acknowledging Corcoran has made improvements, but he also has made changes the faculty member considers damaging and, to be sure, controversial. One example of the latter:
When Corcoran and his staff proposed a new regulation requiring that faculty members must attest they have reviewed all materials to be presented prior to the start of the semester and confirmed the material is appropriate, that generated a flood of opposition from faculty and others.
The board adopted the regulation to comply with the state board of governors.
To be sure, it’s too soon to tell whether Corcoran’s academic direction and the new faculty members can be considered successes. But on the faculty front, if you’re so inclined, you can read the names and biographies of the new faculty members for the fall semesters starting in 2024 and 2025 and judge their caliber. (See YourObserver. com/Opinion)
And in line with Corcoran’s strategy that to increase enrollment you must have attractive curricula, New College’s spending on faculty and staff has increased 41% since he arrived — from $22.4 million to $31.6 million in the 2024-25 school year, according to the State University System of Florida.
The school’s faculty ranks have increased 32%, from 95 to 125. Which means course offerings — a key recruiting feature — also have increased 25%, from 392 to 493.
RECORD ENROLLMENT
All of Corcoran’s efforts are producing positive results — at least from the standpoints of enrollment, attracting donors and securing state funding.
Here were Corcoran’s opening remarks in his June report to the New College Board of Trustees:
“We’ll have our third class in a row of over 300 students, a number that had never been achieved in New College’s history for a single class, let alone three in a row.
“This class will put us at the
highest enrollment ever in the history of New College, somewhere between 900 and 950, also a number never achieved before in New College history.”
When Corcoran arrived, enrollment was 609. His target is to reach 1,500. But one of the inhibitors to expanding enrollment even more now is a lack of housing.
Academically, Corcoran told trustees in June: “Our SAT score is up to 1,200, and our GPA is hovering right around 4.0. Right now, it’s about 3.97.” And for those who scoff at Corcoran’s efforts to have NAIA athletics, Corcoran told us next year’s incoming freshmen athletes produced higher SAT scores than the incoming nonathletes.
Much has been reported about Corcoran and the trustees’ handling of the New College Foundation endowment. But for the first time, its asset value topped $50 million, up from $42 million when Corcoran started. In two-and-a-half years, Corcoran has raised $10,440,652 from donors, an annual average of $4.4 million, 30% more per year than his predecessors.
Corcoran’s best fundraising has occurred in Tallahassee. In the past two legislative sessions, New College has received appropriations totaling $156,525,809. Never in New College history as part of the state university system has a New College president been able to woo that much funding.
RAT-A-TAT OF ACTION
For all of the changes that have occurred in two-and-a-half years, c’mon, you have to credit Corcoran.
When have you ever seen anyone move an embedded bureaucracy as quickly and effectively in such a short time and in a direction that is producing positive results?
Since New College’s becoming independent in the state university system in 2001, none of Corcoran’s predecessors was able to generate the support of the governor and Legislature the way Corcoran has.
To be sure, you can say Corcoran has leveraged and benefited from the old saw: It’s who you know.
After all, Corcoran was DeSantis’ commissioner of education from 2018 to 2022, and one of the governor’s close advisers. He was Florida speaker from 2016-18 and still has deep connections with legislators present and past.
So when DeSantis decided he wanted to change New College’s deteriorating trajectory, he knew exactly the kind of passion and action that would come with Corcoran as the New College president.
You cannot deny Corcoran has delivered a lightning speed transformation in two-and-a-half years, more than any other New College president in the past 25 years.
Spend a half-day with Corcoran, and it’s a nonstop rat-a-tat of action and explanations of what has been accomplished and what’s about to happen.
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MATT WALSH
He has big plans. The college just released its state-required master plan. It covers how the administration envisions the school’s physical environment will change to meet its academic vision over the next 10-20 years. Just take a look at the rendering of the vision for New College’s west campus. It shows the college adding 19 buildings — 11 of them for student housing — and nearly tripling its total square footage to 750,664 square feet. That’s the equivalent of four Walmart supercenters.
The college’s five-year capital improvement plan shows the state committing $63,473,493 on top of the $150 million it already has invested.
WHAT’S BEST LONG TERM?
Having seen (or read) all of what Corcoran has ignited and transformed, go back to our first installment: Once you finish the tour of New College, the Ringling Museum campus and the USF-Sarasota-Manatee campus, Cocoran’s vision — one unified campus under one, on-site leader and board — makes practical, and likely long-term economic, sense. Or does it?
We don’t really know. And that’s the point. We should find out.
What we do know is that many people’s efforts over the decades have produced successes. The trustees of the Ringling Museum can list the many additions to its campus, while the trustees of USF can point to its new student center and dormitory and that USF has grown to offer more than 40 different degrees.
But we’ll pose again: Are the three institutions that comprise 200 of the most historic and valuable acres in Sarasota-Manatee — all owned by the state — operating at the level they could or should?
They haven’t been.
Yes, there is some cooperation among the Ringling/FSU, New College and USF. But they all have separate boards of trustees, campus CEOs and leaders; fund-raising arms and foundations; business operations and visions.
What’s more, in their current leadership arrangements, the Ringling and USF are hampered with absentee landlords. Yes, the Ringling has Steven High as its on-site executive director. But what ultimately happens
falls under FSU’s president and board. (Remember the dehumidifiers in the Rubens gallery?)
Likewise, USF has its chancellor, currently an interim chancellor. That person reports to the USF president in Tampa.
At the risk of offending, these arrangements make those institutions branches of bigger operations and relegated to less attention and resources.
In contrast, the buck stops at New College with the president. Corcoran is on-site every day, pushing initiatives; lobbying and cultivating trustees, the governor, legislators and the State University Board of Governors for the funding to build short- and long-term success; making sure mold and mildew are not damaging the campus.
That makes a big difference. All CEOs know that no matter how hard they try, they cannot duplicate the home-office culture in their satellites. When the CEO is on-site and pumping the troops every day, much more is accomplished and more quickly than if he or she is 300 miles away or even 60 miles away.
In fact, this should tell you something about the effects of the absentee landlord: After word surfaced that New College wanted to take over the physical assets of the USF-Sarasota-Manatee campus, USF’s Tampa lawyers wrote the proposed legislation — unbeknown to Sarasota and Manatee. If the home office was so opposed to such a transfer, that likely would not have occurred.
The fact is the ideas of New College taking over the physical campus of USF-Sarasota and becoming the steward, overseer and operator of the Ringling Museum campus are not going away. They will be on the agenda for the 2026 legislative session.
But rather than endure the inevitable angst, anger and fighting that will surface between now and then, this community and Florida taxpayers deserve better.
Gov. DeSantis and the Legislature should appoint a special, independent commission to analyze, explore and recommend the best long-term structure or structures to maximize the assets of the Ringling, New College and USF and bring a vision to life that makes sense and suits those 200 acres of historic and priceless bayfront.
More to be done with housing
Florida Housing Coalition executive tells Chamber luncheon attendees Sarasota County needs 15,000 affordable homes built in 10 years.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Local governments have accomplished much to address the shortage of affordable housing, but there is much more left to do, according to Kody Glazer, chief legal and policy officer of the Florida Housing Coalition.
Judging from the capacity crowd at the July 15 Greater Sarasota Area Chamber of Commerce State of the Community Luncheon, interest in finding solutions to the crisis remains intense as well.
Glazer was the guest speaker at the event, addressing one of the key issues facing the city and county of Sarasota for decades, further exacerbated by the mass migration to the area during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the audience took nothing else away from his presentation, Glazer implored members to memorize the chant “15,000 homes in 10 years.”
That’s much easier said, however, than done.
To help get it done, Glazer brought with him a blueprint developed by the FHC in partnership with local partners that requires active participation across the public, private and philanthropic sectors. The strategy requires bold and perhaps courageous policy considerations by governments to incentivize and accommodate innovative approaches to encourage development of truly affordable residences.
According to the FHC, approximately 59,738 (29.6%) of total households are considered cost-burdened, meaning paying more than 30% of their monthly household income for housing costs. Of this total, 47,305 (79.3%) are low-income households, defined as earning approximately $68,000 per year for a family of two.
Additionally, nearly 70% of local worker incomes are at 80% area median income or below, with the 10 most common jobs in the county not paying enough to afford typical home costs.
That forces more than half the county’s workforce to live outside Sarasota County. Of the nearly 163,000 workers employed in Sarasota County in 2021, 51% (83,000) commuted from outside the county. It is reasonable to assume that number has only grown in the years since.
“The next time you hear someone be angry about not wanting affordable housing in my neighborhood, that is most of the workforce you’re talking about,” Glazer said. “I would
say a trend in NIMBY (not in my backyard) circles has been to focus less on the NIMBYs and more on the folks who do want housing. A lot of polling does show that the majority of communities want more housing.”
To achieve that ambition, the FHC’s blueprint strategy to address what Glazer said is a deficit of 20,000 affordable rentals in the area includes:
n Deploy all possible funding for affordable housing needs
n Create and sustain local affordable housing trust funds
n Unlock and support all possible public funding mechanisms
n Ensure subsidy programs meet high-priority needs
n Explore local fee relief and property tax incentives
n Recruit private capital and community partners
From a policy perspective, Glazer said public subsidy is critical for development of new housing that’s built for the lowest income families. This can come in the form of tax increment financing districts and other funding mechanisms with revenues dedicated to housing. Those policies should be applied to not only to private land, but also land owned by the local governments. And finally, there is Senate Bill 1730. Passed in the 2025 legislative session, it allows, but does not require, local governments greater latitude and flexibility to approve housing on parcels owned by religious institutions providing 10% of the homes are affordable. Parcel eligibility includes land owned by a religious institution that contains a house of public worship or is contiguous to a parcel with a house of public worship.
The FHC estimates this tool can make available more than 30,000 parcels for affordable housing statewide.
Andrew Warfield Florida Housing Coalition’s Kody Glazer tells
VOTED SARASOTA’S TOP IMPLANT & AESTHETIC DENTISTS
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
SISTERLY LOVE
10:57 a.m., 1500 block of Cunliff
Lane
Property damage: A woman told an officer she believes her sister vandalized her vehicle during the early morning hours. The complainant said she has had no contact with her sister since February 2025 and that she was in town visiting her mother when her sister began texting family members, calling them vulgar names and “liars” for no apparent reason.
On this morning, the complainant went outside to find all the windows of her vehicle spray painted with colorful metaphors and, consistent with the text messages from the day before, the word “liar.”
A neighbor had provided the victim with doorbell camera footage that shows someone walking onto her mother’s property and, although the image is not definitive, she believes it shows her sister. She said she wishes to press charges, and the case was forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for review.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
WORKPLACE ROMANCE
GONE BAD
12:43 a.m., 1200 block of North Palm Avenue
Battery: Claiming to having been cheated on by her boyfriend, who also happened to have just fired her from her job at a downtown restaurant, a woman was seated on a street side bench when contact was made by an officer.
The woman said after the unpleasant exchange with her ex inside the restaurant, she flipped a table and stormed out. The investigating officer then made phone contact with the ex-boyfriend who said the woman be came belligerent over a break-up that occurred about a year ago. He added the woman punched him in the face during the incident.
The man mentioned he was at another downtown establishment at the time and a second officer was dispatched to check for injuries he may have sustained, of which there were none. Because he declined to press charges against the woman, she was not charged with a crime.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
7:51 a.m., 2200 block of North Lemon
Avenue
Dispute: Claiming a woman in another apartment kicked her 3-month-old Shih Tzu puppy in the face, a woman told an officer she was on her way to her apartment after taking her two dogs for a walk when the alleged incident occurred. Video footage of the encounter was supplied by the complainant, which showed a contrasting account.
The complainant’s dogs were not leashed, she told the officer, because she was training them to climb the stairs. The video shows both pooches attempted to enter another apartment after the door had been opened and the female occupant attempted to prevent them from going inside. Rather than kicking the dogs, the video shows the neighbor using her leg and foot to gently nudged them away from her open door.
The subject said she did not kick the dogs and had no intent to harm the little Shih Tzu. She further advised she has had ongoing issues with the complainant and believes she is trying to incite trouble and have her evicted. The officer advised her to do her best to stay away from her and avoid further conflict. The dog was not injured and not charged with trespassing, therefore no crime occurred.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Raising the barre
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
When an interviewer calls Liesl Kraft “Lisa” by accident, Sarasota Ballet Education Director Christopher Hird gently corrects her.
“Oh, Liesl, like in ‘The Sound of Music,’” the interviewer responds. But the parallel goes a bit further than that.
Liesl, age 17, is one of three siblings studying at the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive this summer. The other two are Johnston (Jack) Kraft, age 15, and Rosemarie Kraft, age 13. Back home in Toledo, Ohio, there are five other Kraft kids, some of whom are also studying ballet.
So, as Sarasota Ballet Marketing Director Jess Abbott observes, the Krafts could be American ballet’s answer to the singing von Trapp family of Austria. The von Trapps were made famous by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s hit Broadway musical “The Sound of Music,” also made into a movie. Its soundtrack, including such songs as “The Hills Are Alive” and “Climb Every Mountain,” forms part of the bedrock of 20th century American popular culture.
But there are no hills to be found in this tale of the dancing Kraft siblings, only ballet barres and Sarasota beaches. Along with their fellow Summer Intensive student Broc Stull, age 17, of Novi, Michigan, they sat down with a reporter to discuss life in the Sarasota Ballet’s five-week Summer Intensive.
This year, the prestigious program attracted 189 students ages 12-21 from all over the U.S. Some, like the Krafts, learned about the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive from their ballet teachers, while others, such as Stull, found out about the program by competing in dance competitions.
Hird was a judge in the semi-finals of the Youth America Grand Prix in Chicago, where Stull competed. After seeing him perform, Hird awarded him a scholarship.
Back in Michigan, Stull studies ballet with a man, but he is the only male student in his classes. One of the things he likes about the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive is taking class with other male dancers in the company’s Tallevast Road studios.
According to Hird, in his ninth year as Sarasota Ballet’s education director, just 10% of the dancers in the program are male. But that’s still an improvement as far as Stull is concerned. “I’ve been able to learn faster in terms of the steps and the positions by having other guys there around me,” he says.
In addition to ballet, Stull also studies gymnastics and freestyle dancing. “Flips and tricks: I love that stuff,” he says. “That adds to my dancing abilities.” Having those moves in his repertoire could help him stand out in an audition and land a role that he might not otherwise get, is his thinking.
Like the Krafts, Stull comes from a dancing family. His sister is a member of a Christian dance company in the Chicago area and has been supportive of his ambition to be a professional dancer, as have his parents, he says.
Like Stull, Jack Kraft followed his sister into the dance studio. Liesl, the oldest in the family, recalls announcing to her mother before she turned 2 that she wanted to take ballet lessons. She can’t recall how she got the idea. Both her parents played serious basketball when they were young and didn’t try to steer her toward dance, she says.
Before Liesl’s mom enrolled her in dance class at the age of 2 1/2, she showed the toddler documentaries and videos about ballet to make sure the toddler understood what she was getting into. “See, it’s hard. This isn’t something you have to do,” Liesl remembers her mom telling her.
But there was no question in Liesl’s young mind that ballet was her destiny. Fifteen years later, she still has her sights on becoming a professional dancer. She will perform in an excerpt from “Swan Lake” in the Summer Intensive’s InMotion recital, as well as an original contemporary and jazz piece, which was choreographed by Sarasota Ballet faculty Kaylin Carrera, Sea Lee and Drew Travis Robinson.
She’s also learning a key role from “La Sylphide,” but she’s not sure she will be tapped to dance it, she says.
FOLLOWING IN HIS SISTER’S FOOTSTEPS
Given gender stereotypes, it’s no surprise that Jack Kraft’s parents wanted him to be sure that ballet was his calling. He’s tall, so basketball was definitely a possibility. But Jack set his heart on ballet after seeing Liesl perform in “The Nutcracker” because it “looked like a lot of fun.”
Jack began taking ballet between the ages of 5 and 6, but he also studied gymnastics and karate. “In the beginning, they were fine with us dancing, but they wanted us to try out other things,” he says. “We dabbled in some other stuff, but eventually, we went all in on ballet.”
So it probably wasn’t a shock to the Krafts when Rosemarie decided to follow in her siblings’ footsteps and
Students of the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive aim for new heights with the InMotion recital.
take ballet lessons. When all three were accepted into the 2025 Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive, the family decided to rent an Airbnb rather than have the kids stay in a dorm at the nearby University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus, like most of the students in the program. Their mom stays with them all week long while their dad comes on weekends. For Rosemarie, being surrounded by family when she isn’t dancing — from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding a lunch break) — makes all the difference. It’s the first time the Kraft kids have been away from home for an extended period.
“I’m having a really good time,” Rosemarie says. “I don’t know if I’d
IF YOU GO INMOTION
When: July 24-26
Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail.
Tickets: $30 and up Info: Visit SarasotaBallet. org.
Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive student Madelyn Murphy shows off her flexibility.
About 190 students from all over the country studied at the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive this year. Courtesy images
Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive student Elin Mulock demonstrates an arabesque. Students hone their technique as they dance from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Johnston (Jack) Kraft, Rosemarie Kraft, Broc Stull and Liesl Kraft relax between rehearsals for InMotion, the recital of the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive.
CAC board elects new leadership
The board of trustees of the Circus Arts Conservatory unanimously elected new officers during its June meeting, the arts nonprofit recently announced. Julie Harris becomes the new chair of the board, succeeding Shari Ashman, who held the post for three years. Ken Woodworth will serve as vice chair, a post Harris filled for the past year.
Ashman will continue to be involved with the board as immediate past chair.
During Ashman’s term as chair, the board launched several committees, one focused on facilities and one to manage investments.
Several of the board’s committees updated their bylaws during Ashman’s tenure, which also included recovering from three hurricanes and acquiring a new home for the CAC administrative offices.
In addition to maintaining financial stability, the board oversaw the expansion of programs, including the Sailor Circus and the CAC’s inschool circus arts education.
While Ashman was board chair, the CAC celebrated its 25th year and the Sailor Circus Academy marked its 75th year.
Harris was born in Fort Lauderdale and has lived in Sarasota for 36 years. Harris, who studied art at Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby, Ohio, and attended Jacksonville University, is a fierce champion of the arts.
Harris currently serves on the executive and governance committees of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and is secretary to SPAF’s board of trustees. She also sits on the boards of the Sarasota Ballet and Ringling College of Art and Design.
Woodworth brings a wealth of professional management experience. He studied mechanical engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and project management at George Washington University, and oversaw major operations domestically and internationally for Marathon Oil.
With Harris and Woodworth in their new positions, the CAC board plans to advance the mission es-
tablished by CAC’s founders, Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, who stepped down from day-to-day operations in 2024. At that time, Jennifer Mitchell became CEO and president, moving up from managing director, a post she held since 2013. Reis remains production and artistry strategist for the CAC, while Jacobs is vice president.
Joseph Caulkins renews contract with Key Chorale
Key Chorale announced that Artistic Director and CEO Joseph Caulkins has signed a 10-year contract extension, ensuring that the symphonic chorus’ bold programming and community impact will continue.
At the same time, the chorus welcomed four new vocalists to its professional ranks: tenor Erick Crow, soprano Heather Weiskerger, baritone Stephen Lusmann and soprano Emmy Grate.
Key Chorale also announced two promotions. Trish Ivey, previously director of marketing, steps into the expanded role of general manager, while Lori Maxwell has been promoted to education and curriculum specialist.
“This moment is a celebration of everything we’ve built and a vision of where we’re headed,” said Caulkins in a statement.
This past season, Key Chorale celebrated its Ruby Anniversary, marking 40 years of presenting innovative and high-quality choral programming. During his tenure, the group has become known for its collaboration with other arts organizations.
The 2025-26 season will be Caulkins’ 19th at the helm of Key Chorale.
CORRECTION
Sarah Durham is associate improv director at Florida Studio Theatre. Her title was incorrect in the July 17 edition of The Observer.
Raising the barre
FROM PAGE 13
do too great if I were alone. I like having my family around me.”
Asked what they talk about when they don’t discuss ballet, the Krafts say they talk about food. “We have a lot of food allergies. I eat ‘clean’ all the time, but Jack eats meat and dairy. Still, we have to watch what we’re eating,” Liesl says.
Hird notes that even those Summer Intensive students living in a dorm can have their dietary needs met, whether they’re vegetarian, vegan or have food allergies.
Despite the rigorous class schedule, Jack Kraft says what he values most about his Summer Intensive experience isn’t training; it’s communication. “Talking with partners, asking questions, being able to be social with people — I’ve improved a lot personally,” he says.
As the reputation of the Sarasota Ballet has grown under the leadership of Director Iain Webb and his wife, Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, the caliber of students applying to the Summer Intensive has grown, Hird says. Promising students in the Summer Intensive can make their way to the preprofessional program in the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory, he notes, and maybe eventually the Sarasota Ballet itself.
One big draw is that the closing recital of the Summer Intensive is held in a real theater, not a studio. In Motion will take place July 24-26 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
Abbott notes that when she was a dancer, many of the summer programs that she attended didn’t even have a recital.
There’s something new at the Summer Intensive’s InMotion recital this year. In addition to the traditional lineup of classical ballet and contemporary dance performances, there is a musical theater number. Former Broadway dancer Savannah Holds, whose two children studied in the Summer Inten-
sive, volunteered to stage an excerpt from “Gypsy.”
Hird admits he’s biased, but he thinks the recital is something special. “I think it’s lovely for the families to see the improvement in their child’s ballet,” he says. “It’s also a chance for the community to see some really nice dancing in the summer, when there’s not much going on. Plus, you get to see the stars of tomorrow.”
You can be pretty sure one or more of those future stars is going to have Kraft as their last name. While Liesl, Jack and Rosemarie were in Sarasota, their sister, Laurelyn Kraft, traveled to New York City for the School of American Ballet’s Junior Summer Intensive, a weeklong program, a recent Instagram post from Toledo Ballet reveals.
The dancing Krafts are the stuff reality TV shows are made of, though no doubt a little more wholesome than some of the programs.
One big draw is that the closing recital of the Summer Intensive is held in a real theater, not a studio.
Courtesy image
Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive students Greg Dempsey and Macie Miersch prepare for their pas de deux.
Sarasota foodie bestows her birthday honors
To celebrate her special day, Emma reveals her favorite dishes in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
EMMA BURKE JOLLY
CONTRIBUTOR
Food is one of the best ways to celebrate life’s big and bitesized moments, and I get to celebrate my birthday on the tastiest holiday of all: National Culinarians Day.
Every July 25, this delicious day honors the chefs, cooks, bakers and culinary creatives who turn simple ingredients into unforgettable experiences. It’s about more than just plating pretty meals; it’s the heart, hustle and flavor they bring to our tables and our communities.
So, in the spirit of celebration (and maybe a little personal indulgence), I’m shouting out some of the incredible dishes that have truly opened my eyes and tastebuds to what our local food scene is all about. From spicy to sweet, comforting to creative, here’s how I’d spend my ideal foodie birthday if stomach size wasn’t an issue. Each of the five unforgettable restaurants on my list serves up a totally different cuisine, but they share one key ingredient: culinary excellence. Forks up, friends. Let me eat cake ... and a few other things.
NEW PASS GRILL & BAIT SHOP
1505 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota; 941-388-1618; NewPassGrill. com
Birthday Girl Breaky: I’ve been gatekeeping my favorite breakfast sandwich in town because, well, I don’t want to give up my weekend spot. On boat days or lazy Sunday mornings when I want a bite of comfort, a bacon, egg and cheese
($8.99) on white bread hits the spot. Some of my friends argue the BEC is better on croissant with hash browns ($3.99), but I know what I like. Starting my special day with this greasy, toasty and delectable breakfast sandwich inches from the Gulf waters? Party in paradise. Birthday Wish: That this eatery, originally founded in 1929, remains open until my 96th birthday. Between the breakfast, burgers and beautiful views, there’s a bounty of boasts to give the grill. I hope to spend many more boat days by the Pass.
EATALIA MARKET
1561 Lakefront Drive, Unit 100, Sarasota; 941-413-5945; EataliaMarket.com
Birthday Lady Who Lunches: The first year we were dating, my future husband asked me what my favorite meal was — the answer is and always will be chicken Parmesan. Being the great guy that he is, he made enough chicken parm to last until my next birthday. The mounds of chicken cutlets could have replaced sandbags during Hurricane Irma. This year, we’re headed to the new Eatalia Market in Waterside so we can get my birthday fave made to order and not let anything go to waste. Follow my lead and order a chicken parm entree ($18.99) or make your own grinder with a juicy, crunchy chicken cutlet ($5.99) and toppings of your choice on one of seven types of bread (including a gluten-free wrap).
Birthday Wish: The inner tristate (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, of course!) girlie in me wishes I had enough room left in my stomach to devour the pistachio cheesecake ($5.99) or nibble on the sausage and broccoli rabe arancini ($5.99).
KOJO 1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941536-9717; EatKojo.com
Happy (Birthday) Hour: Next, you’ll find me sitting downtown at KOJO trying to not order the entire menu at this hot spot, which is as chic as its dishes are delicious. This birthday girl will be snacking on at least one order of the yellowtail with jalapeño ($19), accompanied with house ponzu and micro cilantro plus an order of the spicy tuna nori tacos ($20) with pickled Thai chile, shiso, scallion and sesame. I’ll be sipping at least one Fujiyama Mama ($13), made with my absolute favorite Aperol, some St. Germain, sake and yuzu, a slice of cucumber and topped with sparkling rosé.
Birthday Wish: That my newly engaged sister joins me in finishing a plate of the cured salmon and caviar nigiri ($15) and perhaps a lychee martini ($15) made with vodka, grapefruit, lychee blend, Peychaud’s bitters and rose water.
Tini Bit Older: This delectable café holds a special place in my heart. It was the last restaurant we took my dad to as a family. It’s also the scene of our first date night after my husband and I got married.
(Did I mention the Birthday Girl can get just a little sentimental?) To
choose just one appetizer is a nearly impossible task, but the burrata and fresh fennel ($18) transports me to the Mediterranean, so I’ll start there. Next up, the jumbo black tiger shrimp and peanut noodle salad ($34) with broccoli slaw, spinach, crispy shallots, Thai basil and mint. Meanwhile, I’ll beg my husband for a bite of his beef short rib fettuccine ($27).
Birthday Wish: The cucumber basil gimlet ($9) made with CROP organic cucumber vodka, fresh lime juice, muddled with basil and cucumbers and strained into a martini glass — becomes a staple at all my favorite bars.
C’EST LA VIE
1553 Main St., Sarasota; 941-9069575; 9118 Town Center Parkway Unit 102, Lakewood Ranch; 941961-0111; CestLaVieSarasota.com
Another Year, Another Treat: I was privileged to spend a week in Paris earlier this summer (yes, during the heat wave), and I was worried I wouldn’t taste another decadent Parisian dessert when I got back home. But then I walked into C’est La Vie, and my worries faded into the Sarasota heat. By all means, take a long look at their pastry case, but some of my favorites are: the opera (coffee mousse and dark chocolate ganache), the Tarte Madame ( raspberry jam and caramelized chiboust cream) and of course, macarons.
Birthday Wish: To wake up tomorrow hungry enough to come back and try the Croque Madame ($14.95). The toasted bread, ham, covered with melted Swiss and a sunny-side-up egg is chef’s kiss.
Courtesy images
Here’s hoping my newly engaged sister can join me on my birthday at KOJO for some cured salmon and caviar nigiri ($15) and cocktails!
Thinking about my birthday present? I’ll take the cucumber and basil martini from Baker & Wife, please.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$20 adult; $13 child Visit CircusArts.org.
This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.
BASILE
7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
Basile has appeared on HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central and “The Tonight Show.” He’s visiting Sarasota as part of his Greek Mystique World Tour, which is taking him everywhere from Nevada casinos to cruise lines to Greek Orthodox churches. Runs through July 27.
‘HOW SWEET IT IS’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Led by dynamic vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits like “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Runs through Aug. 3.
DON’T
MISS
‘VICE & VIRTUE’
Art Center Sarasota is one of Sarasota’s best kept secrets, even though it’s about to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2026. Located in The Bay, the center offers free admission to its galleries, where the artwork on display is for sale. Its annual juried regional show, “Vice & Virtue,” features artists from across the Southeast charged with exploring the dualities of the human condition. Runs through Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
IF YOU GO
When: 10 a.m. Friday, July 25
Where: Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami
Trail Tickets: Free Info: Visit ArtSarasota.org.
FRIDAY IN THE ROUND
7 p.m. at SCD Home Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300
$20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.
In the Round gives rising choreographers from across the country a chance to set a work in progress during Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s Summer Intensive. Choreographers are given feedback from audience members, led by SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott. Repeats July 28.
CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘THE BIRDCAGE’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The 1996 remake of the French farce “La Cage aux Folles” stars Robin Williams as a Miami drag club owner and Nathan Lane as his partner and the club’s headliner. Dan Futterman and Calista Flockhart play an engaged couple introducing their future in-laws, one of whom is a Republican senator played by Gene Hackman. Watch the feathers fly!
THE SILVER SCREEN SINGS CABARET
7:30 p.m. at Tree Fort Productions, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 136 $40 Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects. com.
Tree Fort Productions founder and multihyphenate Katherine Michelle Tanner teams up with singer Martina Long to present their favorite songs from four decades of film.
SATURDAY
‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $28; $23 online Visit Selby.org.
This eye-catching exhibition features about 70 breathtaking works of birds by more than 50 photographers from around the world. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and outside throughout the gardens, where some of the birds look like they just flew in. Go early for an optimal experience. Runs through Sept. 14.
MONDAY
RAUSCHENBERG: A CENTENNIAL
CELEBRATION
10 a.m. at 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 Captiva Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Runs through Aug. 3.
Alex Hatcher and Will Westray star in Asolo Rep’s “A Year With Frog and Toad,” which runs through Aug. 3 at FSU Center for the Performing Arts.
OUR PICK
‘A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD’ Asolo Repertory Theatre rolls out a fun, family-oriented production that’s priced right. Most people looking at the title of the show assume it’s based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale, “Wind in the Willows,” but that is not the case.
Adapted from Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s stories, Robert and Willie Reale’s musical is structured as a series of vignettes that follow the friendship of Frog and Toad through the seasons. Scott Keys directs. Runs through Aug. 3.
IF YOU GO When: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 24
Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $15-$19 Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.
TUESDAY
‘LILLIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’
10 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 “veils” that combine handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing effect. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in The Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Stop at the Bistro for a cold beverage or a tasty tartine. Runs through Oct. 26.
WEDNESDAY
‘THE ART OF JAZZ IMPROVISATION’
6-7 p.m. at Selby Library, 1131 First St. Free with registration Visit SarasotaMusicArchive.org.
Sarasota Music Archive presents the second of three installments of its summer jazz happy hour, featuring The Jazz All-Stars. Led by bandmaster Jack Berry, some of the area’s best jazz players use saxophone, vibes, piano, trumpet, bass, guitar, vocals and more to explore jazz improv.
Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee
Courtesy image
Joseph Locala’s “The Shadow of Virtue”
‘Dorothy’s Dictionary’ defines redemption
The production is an odyssey set on the oceans of language at Florida Studio Theatre.
MARTY FUGATE
CONTRIBUTOR
E.M. Lewis’ “Dorothy’s Dictionary” is a story of reading, imagination, aspiration, healing and human connection. There are only two characters. But they stand for all of us.
Zan (Ethan Jack Haberfield) is an angry young man. Understandably. His father’s emotionally dead; his mother is literally dead. One day, he snaps — and beats the living daylights out of another kid.
The judge sentences Zan (short for Lyzander) to community service at a convalescent home. He serves his sentence by helping Dorothy (Alice M. Gatling), a reluctantly retired librarian. She’s only 45 years old — and sidelined by an unnamed degenerative illness that’s weakening her heart and eyes.
Dorothy can no longer read the books she loves, so she asks Zan to read them aloud to her. The sullen kid resents it, but he does as told. As the days go by, Zan’s reading gradually stops being a chore and becomes a joy. That’s been Dorothy’s plan all along.
Once a librarian, always a librarian. Dorothy is in love with books. Her nursing home room’s stuffed with them. When Zan begins reading to her, she shares her bibliophilia with evangelical zeal.
Zan reads snippets of “The Old Man and the Sea,” “Hamlet,” “Moby-Dick,” “Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary” and Dorothy’s private dictionary of her own favorite words.
When Zan mentions he’s never been to the ocean, which is only a short bus ride away, Dorothy promptly provides a stack of nautical reading material. Zan’s universe of possibility expands.
Director Kate Alexander guides this short, sweet production with a deft, delicate touch. It’s a quiet play. The hero is a librarian, after all. The scenes are intimate moments, not shouting matches.
Gatling’s Dorothy is a quiet force of nature. Her characterization is nuanced, sharp, funny and never sentimental. She’s got a love affair with language — and a private war with digital devices. “Look it up,” is her mantra.
Her indomitable personality will share her literate loves (and hates)
IF YOU GO
‘DOROTHY’S DICTIONARY’
When: Through Aug. 10
Where: FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
Tickets: $25-$42
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre. org.
with Zan. (In the process, she becomes the mother he never had.)
Haberfield’s Zan is locked inside himself. Beneath his hoodie, his character’s a gumbo of hurt and anger. The kid’s not hostile — but his words can be cutting. His disgusted description of the care center? “The whole place smells like bleach and sick people.”
But when Zan reads Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, the words catch in his throat. As if he’s considering these alternatives for the first time.
The action unfolds in Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay’s nursing home set. It resembles a massive diorama or a cut-away model in a Wes Anderson movie. They evoke the sterility with implied drop ceilings and an angular wall in forced perspective.
Chelsea Allen’s costumes clue you into the characters. Dorothy’s decked out in decorative shawls of pink or purple. Zan’s decked out in a hoodie like a teenage version of the Unabomber. It’s body armor — his own wearable hiding place.
Lewis’ script is elegantly simple and highly original. A bare synopsis sounds formulaic. But the playwright reinvents the narrative recipe. Lewis avoids after-school special clichés and stock characters. And she’s happy to leave big questions hanging.
What’s Dorothy’s illness?
How did a classmate trigger Zan’s rage?
The playwright doesn’t say. She has bigger questions to answer. Why do books matter?
Dorothy (and presumably the playwright) loves books and the power of words. Not only for the mental trips that reading provides. She also loves the human connections it sparks.
When used for good, words bring people together. Which they do, for Zan and Dorothy. And the FST audience all around me. Their wordless reactions spoke volumes. They all were touched by this gentle, witty, smart, literate and moving play.
Ellen Kealey recalls being among the first guests at the establishment formerly known as Boo’s Ice House and Dog Bar.
“When they shut down, we didn’t know what we were going to do, and we were so overjoyed when we found out that Dog Bar St. Pete was going to come and rescue us,” she said.
On July 19, the city’s only dog bar returned as Dog Bar Sarasota, with a grand opening celebration that welcomed many longtime members and supporters back to the space, while offering a foam machine.
The space features a 1,500-square-foot indoor yard, an outdoor turf area with a splash pool and a bar and restaurant, welcoming dogs with a $7 day pass or membership package, as well as solo attendees for free.
Indeed, it wasn’t only humans who were happy to be back, but the canines, as well.
Kevin Quick said his and his fiancee Amanda Hopper’s dog, Lando loves the site.“He’ll run around for two hours, we’ll have a couple of drinks, and then he’ll sleep like a rock,” he said.
Yet, they’ve also enjoyed returning, as well.
“We would come here probably two or three times a week, and I always said to people, it was a restaurant that allowed dogs,” said Kevin Quick. “The food was so good.”
When Boo’s closed in January after less than two years, its owners Mindy Kauffman and her husband, Bobby Boivin, cited a slowdown in sales following the Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
Yet, Stephanie Marble and Fred Metzler, owners of Dog Bar St. Pete, who already knew Kauffman and Boivin from their attendance at the St. Pete bar, took up the task of reviving the space.
Metzler said in his and Stephanie’s opinion, every city should have a dog bar. He also said the community’s interest was visible that day.
“We expected busy, we didn’t expect quite this,” he said. “But it’s been great. People have been mostly understanding and really gracious. They get the fact that it’s our first day. There’s going to be some growing pains.”
He says the focus of the busi-
ness will be on the dogs. At the same time, it offers a revised food menu, food not being something that was offered at the St. Pete location, with the help of its chef Emerick Polgar.
“We’re going to try our best to create what we have in St. Pete with a bigger, more beautiful space,” Metzler said.
“I’m going to do my part,” said Kealey. “I’ll be here every day.”
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby
Ciaran and Nadya Collins’ dog Riley sits in the foam.
Ciaran Collins and his wife, Nadya Collins, call their dogs Riley and Mara toward the foam.
Andrea Cesas meets Apache, a friendly dog, in the lounge.
Lindsey Balliette’s dog Nirvana meets Brenda Valdivia’s dog Draco.
Taylor Sallee, Lolly the Pom, and her boyfriend, Mikel Petree, came for the grand opening. They
pets.
Marshmallows and a mission
Atotal of 60 marshmallows and 60 seconds — a new world record, declared Shayne Boyle after completing his performance.
The social media star known as “Insane Shayne” drew an audience at Payne Park on July 18, as a central part of Bedrock Church’s Family Night, which also featured food trucks and yard games.
“Bedrock Church reached out to do this event, to do a lot of ... our fun games, but the bigger message being Jesus and us using our unique gifts for his glory,” said Boyle.
Boyle holds the Guinness World Record for the farthest marshmallow propelled and caught in the mouth, at 73.57 meters, as well as for the most marshmallows kicked and then caught in the mouth in one minute with a team of two, alongside Evan McPherson, as of Feb. 21, 2025.
Those records were broken during Crossroads Church’s “The Big Night” event in Cincinnati.
During Friday’s event, Boyle and his team also entertained guests with “UnDodgeball,” a form of dodgeball that excludes dodging, and other unusual games.
“I thought it was great that a YouTube guy could be this close to us, and a social media star could be this close to us, and it was great to be part of the event,” said John Riley, who attended with his son, John Riley Jr.
“He also broke a world record today, and that was really cool, too,” Riley said. “Especially the buildup to it and everything was great.”
Pastor Blake Harcup said the church wants to invest in families, encourage them and help bring them together.
“We think we need more stuff to bring families together, and so Shayne is family fun entertainment, and so we wanted to bless our city by hosting a free event for them that they could come out and just have a great time,” he said.
— IAN SWABY
Brad Mason and his wife, Debbie Mason, applaud Shayne Boyle.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Shayne Boyle dodges a projectile.
Shayne Boyle catches a marshmallow.
Brayton Dietz, 12, carries his brother, Jacob Dietz, 8, during the sibling “pick-up” game.
Abigail Hetzer, 14, carries her brother, Abel Hetzer, during a game that involves siblings picking one another up on command.
Leading court and community
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
When Barbara Briggs attended college, she initially earned a teaching degree, but then chose to enter the field of law.
She says she thinks what has drawn her to volunteer with 4-H for over 35 years was the teaching aspect involved, and says it complemented her work as a Sarasota judge for the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.
Briggs became actively involved in Sarasota’s Action Clovers 4-H club with her own children, and, according to UF/IFAS Extension Office, was instrumental in re-creating it later on as Action Clovers 2.0.
Briggs is one of six selected for induction into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame, to be honored at a ceremony at the University of Florida’s campus in Gainesville, on July 31.
Briggs began attending 4-H while growing up in the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri.
The national youth development organization, which offers education in areas that include agriculture, science, health and citizenship, is administered through the landgrant university system, including by UF/IFAS Extension Office in Sarasota County.
Her experience went on to encompass numerous roles, including that of a youth member, leader, mentor, judge and foundation member.
After she graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and served as a judge for 18 years, she continued to serve the organization, which included 25 years with the Sarasota County 4-H Foundation.
“We’re really lucky that we have such a good 4-H foundation supporting 4-H, the community,” she said.
Some of the reasons Briggs cites for her admiration of 4-H is the variety of subjects it includes, the dedication of its leadership and the ability for kids to showcase their animals and projects at county fairs.
She notes the inclusion of demonstrations and public speaking.
2025 FLORIDA 4-H HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
■ Barbara Briggs of Sarasota County
■ Roy Carter Sr. of Gulf County
■ Todd and Sandra Dailey of Marion and Sarasota counties
■ Steven Alden Hilliker of Florida (posthumously awarded)
■ Oliver “Pat” Miller of Okeechobee County
“I think you really get a lot of confidence, so that by the time you get to high school and college, the kids have done that every single year, and I think it really helps all the kids to know how to do that,” she said.
According to UF/IFAS, Briggs often taught youth about parliamentary procedure and public speaking, and has advocated for the local club in Tallahassee, organizing 4-H “Day at the Capitol” visits.
“Barbara is an exemplary model to our entire community — not just 4-H — of what it looks like to live a life dedicated to citizenship, leadership and character,” Ashley Worsham, co-leader of Action Clovers 2.0, said in a media release.
Courtesy image
Barbara Briggs will be honored at a ceremony in Gainesville on July 31.
PET PICS
Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them! Share them at YourObserver.com/Contests/Pet-Pics to be published online and for a chance to see them in print!
A home on Sarasota Beach
million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Odd Joergenrud and Anna Helena Joergenrud sold their home at 601 Avenida De Mayo to David Spaulding, of Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, for $2.55 million. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,496 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.9 million in 2021.
SARASOTA MARK SARASOTA
John and Martine Bordages, trustees, of Binghamton, New York, sold the Unit 813 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to Albert Aurelio Chisholm and Barbara Chisholm, of Sarasota, for $1,185,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths and 1,482 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.55 million in 2022.
MANDARIN PARK
David and Joyce Kay, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1359 Tearose Place to James Mitchell, of Sarasota, for $860,000. Built in 1998, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,543 square feet of living area. It sold for $463,000 in 2014.
SOUTH GATE
Stuart and Jessica Dickson sold their home at 2202 Alpine Ave. to Laura Calleia, of Sarasota, for $730,000. Built in 1962, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,815 square feet of living area. It sold for $349,900 in 2017.
WESLO WILLOWS
David and Tiffiney Nichols, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, sold their home at 2460 Whippoorwill Circle to Stephen Spurr, of Sarasota, for $648,000. Built in 1972, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,010 square feet of living area. It sold for $83,000 in 1981.
SCHINDLER’S
Silvia Fitte Amieva and Jorge Guillermo Amieva, trustees, of Germantown, Maryland, sold the home at 1742 Ninth St. to BCK North Carolina Rentals LLC for $625,000. Built in 1925, it has three bedrooms, one bath, a pool and 1,317 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2018.
GULF GATE WOODS
Universal Capital LLC sold the home at 7431 Dickens Drive to Christian Alcay Ladnier and Josephine Elsie Ladnier, of Fort Eustis, Virginia, for $510,000. Built in 1973, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,909 square feet of living area. It sold for $499,900 in 2024.
SIESTA KEY
SIESTA ISLES
Other top sales by area
SARASOTA: $1.85 MILLION
Riverwood Park
Carol Vengroff, trustee, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 5135 Riverwood Ave. to Corey and Risa Segal, of Sarasota, for $1.85 million. The first property was built in 1951 and has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 6,075 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1979, it has one bedroom, one bath and 294 square feet of living area. They sold for $707,500 in 2001.
PALMER RANCH: $1,345,000
Prestancia
Catherine Wilber, trustee, of Collinsville, Illinois, sold the home at 4002 Las Palmas Way to Dale Hamil, of Sarasota, for $1,345,000. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,328 square feet of living area.
OSPREY: $1.5 MILLION
SARASOTA SURF AND RACQUET CLUB
Douglas and Linda Lynn, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their Unit 104 condominium at 5920 Midnight Pass Road to Trickle Creek LLC for $1,135,000. Built in 1971, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,334 square feet of living area. It sold for $140,000 in 1986.
CRESCENT ARMS
Michael and Kylee Hope sold their Unit 702-S condominium at 6312 Midnight Pass Road to Kevin and Lisa Sharick, of Union, Michigan, for $1,125,000. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 977 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.2 million in 2022.
OCEAN BEACH
Margaret Veeneman, of Sarasota, sold the home at 4710 Gleason Ave. to Julia Benz and Michael Joseph Benz, of Sarasota, for $725,000. Built in 1955, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $76,500 in 1979.
PALMER RANCH
ESPLANADE ON PALMER RANCH
John and Linda Reardon, trustees, of Venice, sold the home at 5401 Manchini St. to Carmen and Arabella Alaimo, of Sarasota, for $920,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,346 square feet of living area. It sold for $579,300 in 2018.
Carmen and Arabella Alaimo, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5341 Popoli Way to Barry and Lisa Krumwiede, of Batavia, Illinois, for $755,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,918 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,800 in 2019.
Cesar Vasquez and Kimberly Langedyk, of Siesta Key, sold their home at 5402 Shadow Lawn Drive to 5402 Shadow Lawn LLC for $1.3 million. Built in 1962, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,886 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2004.
TURTLE ROCK
Roger and Gretchen Cudini sold their home at 5087 Timber Chase Way to Robert Stewart and Teresa Hoaglin Stewart, of Sarasota, for $669,000. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,770 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,000 in 2001.
ONLINE
See more transactions at YourObserver.com.
Pine Ranch East
Michael and Sheila Lewis, trustees, of the United Kingdom, sold the home at 269 Pine Ranch Trail to Curtis Allan Price and Natalia Price, trustees, of Osprey, for $1.5 million. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,572 square feet of living area. It sold for $805,000 in 2021.
NOKOMIS: $775,000
Calusa Lakes
Sally Barnes, trustee, of Nokomis, sold the home at 2209 Calusa Lakes Blvd. to Norman Jay Price, trustee, of Nokomis, for $775,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,180 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2021.
Source: city of Sarasota
Ian Swaby
The home at 601 Avenida De Mayo was built in 2005 and has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,496 square feet of living area.
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YOUR CALENDAR
Library, 1331 First St. Free. Join Chef Rocco Cartia and Chef Warren Caterson to learn about fresh, easy, healthy snacks you can make at home. This program consists of four Saturdays, which began July 12 and continues July 26, Aug. 9, and Aug. 23, coinciding with special Music Club programs: recording basics and the looping pedal workshop in July, and guitar lessons in August, as well as Coding Club at 2 p.m. in July and August. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
BUBBLES UNDER THE BANYANS
10 a.m. to noon at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Sarasota Campus, 1534 Mound St. Members free; member guests, $12; adults $28; ages 5-7, $12; Ages 4 and younger admitted free. Join bubble artist Blaise Ryndes, a former contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” for a unique bubble show, also held Aug. 2. Free for Selby Gardens members and included in admission for nonmembers. Visit Selby.org.
TUESDAY, JULY 29
TRAVELOGUE | TREKKING IN NEPAL
2-3:30 p.m. at Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. Free. Join world traveler Jane Mahler for a journey through the culture and breathtaking landscapes of Nepal, known as the “ceiling of the world” for being home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
3-4 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road Free. Meet the Sarasota County Emergency Management team and learn how to get ready before disaster strikes. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
TAI CHI | QIGONG
8-8:45 a.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Learn and practice the ancient Chinese exercise forms of Tai Chi and Qigong with Gail at The Bay. These forms are also known as “moving medication” due to their benefits for the body and mind. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
BEST BET
SATURDAY, JULY 26
CHRISTMAS IN THE CARIBBEAN
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Free to attend. Celebrate Christmas in July and the half-birthday of Jimmy Buffett (who was born on Christmas Day), while enjoying deals and
THURSDAY, JULY 31
END OF SUMMER CELEBRATION — MAGIC SHOW
3-4 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road Free. Recommended for ages 6 and older. Magician Gerard Tricarico will offer magic tricks, juggling and surprising illusions. Space is limited. First come, first seated. Get your ticket at the youth desk starting at 1 p.m. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.
CREATION STATION TEEN LAB:
GLOFORGE COASTERS
3-5:45 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Patrons will learn to use the Glowforge laser cutter to cut out and engrave wooden coasters. Registration required. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
CINEMA AT THE BAY: ‘THE GREATEST SHOWMAN’
7:30-9:15 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts Free. Enjoy a free outdoor movie under the stars at The Bay, with a screening of “The Greatest Showman” (PG). Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
DISABILITY PRIDE AWARENESS
WALK 6 p.m. at 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop, 1445 Second St. Free. This 2-mile community walk celebrates Disability Pride Month, inclusion and visibility, with 99 Bottles and other partners. A post-walk gathering will feature snacks and drinks. Visit EventBrite.com.
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
“I haven’t hit a home run yet in my high school career, and that’s a big goal of mine next year.”
eral
including rising junior running back Connail Jackson, who rushed for 1,604
and 28
Anew high school football season is set to begin soon. Teams in Florida are allowed to begin noncontact practices for the fall season on July 28 before transitioning into padded practices on Aug. 2. Cardinal Mooney is coming off a 12-1 season that ended in the Class 2A state semifinal round. Booker football finished with a 10-4 record this past fall and made it to the 3A state semifinal round. Riverview went 4-6 last year, and its season came to an end in the 7A-Region 2 quarterfinal round. Sarasota had a 3-7 record last fall.
... Rising sophomore wide receiver Tyree Mannings Jr. has transferred from Booker to Venice, as confirmed by Tornadoes coach Carlos Woods Mannings Jr. had 35 receptions for 838 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman last fall. He has 17 Division I scholarship offers, including Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Auburn, Miami, Florida and Florida State.
... Cardinal Mooney rising senior offensive lineman Da’Ron Parks is scheduled to announce his commitment to a college on July 26. Parks, a four-star recruit, has most recently visited Ohio State, Kentucky, Florida State, Rutgers and Auburn.
... Cardinal Mooney rising senior defensive lineman Elijah Golden was scheduled to announce his college football commitment on July 26, but has pushed the date back to Aug. 9. The announcement will be broadcast on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel.
... Sarasota Sharks swimmer Blair Wootson finished first in the 50-yard freestyle, and Daniil Siutsou placed second in the 200 IM and 400 IM in the Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training Championships in Ocala from July 17-20. Jaxon Griffin and Ruby Broadfoot led the Sarasota Tsunami swim team in the event. Griffin placed second in the 200-yard fly and third in the 400-yard IM and Broadfoot placed second in the 400-yard IM.
Former Riverview pitcher heads to Dunedin
Karson Ligon was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays on July 14.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
When the celebration died down and reality set in, Karson Ligon found himself packing his bare essentials into his car and driving up the road from his family home in Sarasota to Dunedin on July 16.
The former Riverview High pitcher went in the ninth round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 14, but after celebrating with friends and family at a surprise party at his parents’ home, life suddenly became uncertain.
“I’ve got the necessary stuff in the car with me right now,” Ligon said while on the road to Dunedin for initial training and introduction to the team. “I probably did forget some stuff. It was pretty quick, so I just grabbed some stuff, threw it in the car and went. It’s like an hour-anda-half drive, so I’ll probably come back and get some things. Right now, it’s light packing.”
Once in Dunedin, Ligon found out his professional debut would have to wait. After pitching nearly 60 innings this year for Mississippi State, he said the Blue Jays are monitoring his workload and postponing his minor league assignment until 2026.
That speed bump is nothing new for Ligon after navigating a winding road of pit stops and detours in baseball since he first dreamed of becoming an MLB player as a child.
Ligon was a three-year letterman at Riverview and ranked as the No. 339 high school prospect by Baseball America — headlining a Miami Hurricanes 2021 recruiting class that was ranked first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and seventh in the nation.
Despite starting 15 games as a freshman, Ligon struggled to a 4.90 ERA and allowed 114 baserunners in 75 1/3 innings. Then, arm soreness that wouldn’t go away limited him to just 10 starts as a sophomore, and Ligon’s stats didn’t improve.
He spent almost a full month following that sophomore season contemplating what to do to get his career back on track before transferring to Mississippi State.
“It was tough,” Ligon said. “I had a bunch of meetings with the coaches, but when it was all said and done, I really knew for the better of my career, I did need to leave.
The toughest part was leaving the relationships I made. I definitely lost some friends doing that, which sucks because I didn’t want to lose those friends, but I still have friends from there who will be some of my best friends for the rest of my life.”
Ligon said he still talks with Dorian Gonzalez Jr., his freshman year roommate and his “very best friend,” regularly, but largely had to leave the life he made in Miami behind.
In Starkville, Ligon worked on syncing his legs with his upper half to fix his pitching mechanics and reduce the wear and tear on his body.
He also learned what it was like to play in front of rabid baseball fans — something he may encounter again soon.
Rather than being a relatively unknown athlete like he was in Miami, Ligon suddenly became someone who would be stopped on the street and asked to take photos and sign autographs.
“Starkville definitely is a baseballonly place,” Ligon said. “The people there love their baseball, and they kind of live and die with the wins and losses. When you’re losing or you’re not performing, the fans let you hear it, and when you’re winning and you are performing, they really let you hear it. That’s what makes it such a cool place because it really matters to the whole city.”
After working as a reliever in his first season as a Bulldog, Ligon started 15 games as a senior this past spring. His ERA never improved, and he reached a career high of 5.40 this year, but his peripheral stats became intriguing.
Ligon became a strikeout pitcher in Starkville. He struck out 73 bat-
KARSON LIGON SCOUTING REPORT
“Mississippi State right-hander Karson Ligon has always shown a power arm from 60 feet, 6 inches. It is a rare day that Ligon did not touch the upper 90s with his fastball, regularly reaching 98 on the Dudy Noble Field radar gun. But Ligon was not a one-trick pony. He also had a devastating slider at times, and his change of pace was filthy, sometimes unhittable. Putting all three together with command, however, could be a challenge. That has never dissuaded MLB scouts in the past.” — MIKE NEMETH, 247 SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
ters in 562/3 innings, the first time in his career that he averaged over one strikeout per inning, while also improving his control.
That improvement and his status as a college senior made him an appealing draft prospect for MLB teams.
However, he has leverage.
Ligon said he received offers from two teams in the seventh round of the draft, but declined them both for financial reasons before accepting the Blue Jays’ offer.
If Ligon’s dream goes according to plan, he could find himself one day playing in Canada, a country he’s visited just once before on a family trip to Niagara Falls.
“I honestly think it’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s going to be a new experience. It could have been easier to go to the Rays and live around here, but I get to go up to a totally new place and see what it’s like up there.”
Ligon is still close to home while training at the Blue Jays’ spring training complex in Dunedin, but he could be on the move somewhere in the coming years — possibly to the team’s High-A team in Vancouver, its Double-A team in New Hampshire or its Triple-A team in Buffalo.
“It’s going to be a new experience. It could have been easier to go to the Rays and live around here, but I get to go up to a totally new place and see what it’s like up there.”
— Patrick Drymon, Sarasota baseball SEE PAGE 27
File image
Cardinal Mooney football returns sev-
promising players this fall,
yards
touchdowns this past fall.
Images courtesy of Mississippi State Athletics
Karson Ligon will train at the Toronto Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin this year after pitching 56 2/3 innings this year for Mississippi State.
Karson Ligon was drafted with the No. 262 overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth round of the MLB Draft on July 14.
— Karson Ligon, former Riverview High pitcher
Felipe Rojas sat in silence alone on the bench after the Sarasota Paradise’s 2-1 soccer playoff loss
July 20 to Fort Lauderdale United at Premier Sports Campus Stadium in Lakewood Ranch.
Rojas grew up playing soccer in Sarasota, and eventually at Riverview High School. Playing for the Paradise for the past three years has given him a chance to fulfill dreams that might not have otherwise materialized.
“It means the world,” Rojas said. “My dream was to play at a high level, play in front of thousands of people, and play for my hometown. Getting to see my loved ones here supporting me and getting to see the local crowd finally have a soccer team is testament to what Marcus Walfridson (the team owner) has built, and I’m proud to be a part of it.” Rojas, 27, said he is “getting up there in age,” and isn’t sure if he will be invited back to play next season. He isn’t alone.
Next year, the club will move up to USL League One — a professional level of soccer with better competition.
That means the amateur team that Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch residents have come to embrace could have an entirely new look next summer.
For Rojas and many of his teammates, there is a good chance the team’s loss in the semifinal round of the USL League Two Southern Conference playoffs will be the last time they suit up for the Paradise.
Paradise head coach Mirko Dakovic isn’t immune to the potential changes coming to the club.
“I’ve been coming here since I was 8 years old,” said Dakovic, who is from Toronto, Canada, but has visited the area since his childhood when his parents purchased a home in North Port in 1984. “This is home to me. I wear the crest on my heart. What happens going forward is out of my hands. I’m ready to go into battle for the club if they call on me at any point. I’m proud of my two years here. I’ve put my heart and soul into it.”
Though the Paradise might be forced to part ways with players and coaches with local ties, it could be in the best interest of its sustainability.
The USL League Two club has made significant strides in its three-year history.
After playing its games at Sarasota High in front of a few hundred fans for its first two seasons, the Paradise moved to Premier this summer and averaged more than 1,200 fans per match.
The club won its second consecutive South Florida Division title this year and hosted playoff matches for the first time in club history.
Continuing forward progress at a higher level of play, and building its fan base, will require a winning product on the field.
Rojas, who also is the head of marketing for the Paradise, said having local players is important, but the Paradise needs to win to reach its goals. “If it’s local players, that’s great,” he said. “But it’s most important we have a team that will take us far.”
If the Southern Conference playoffs are an indication of what’s coming, the team should be able to build its fan base.
The 1,235 people in attendance who came out on a Sunday night — and waited around for a heat and humidity delay that pushed a 7:30 p.m. start past 8 p.m. — were rowdy and excitable.
Fans chastised referees on arguable calls, cheered boisterously when forward Romeo Dahlen scored
on a header off a corner kick in the 47th minute, and some fans hung around to console the players after the defeat.
Will sacrificing local ties for talent pay off? Only time will tell, but I think the Paradise could be losing a vital element to the team’s recent success.
“The level difference is rough,”
Walfridson said of the move up to USL League One. “I’ll be surprised if you see more than three guys from this roster next year. It’s a big difference. We have some talent and some guys who potentially can make it, but I would say three to five guys could, if we even get to three.”
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Patrick Drymon
Patrick Drymon played a pivotal role in the resurgence of the Sarasota High baseball team this spring, and he’s followed that up with a successful summer in travel ball.
Drymon hit .378 with 20 runs and 20 RBIs with a team-high 12 doubles in 29 games last season. This summer, he’s kept up that strong hitting, including a 7-for-17 performance at the Perfect Game 17U World Wood Bat Association National Championship.
When and why did you start playing baseball?
I started really young in T-ball. I don’t know exactly what age. I started playing to see if I liked it, and I’ve really enjoyed it ever since. I’ve been working hard to get better.
What’s been the best moment of this summer?
I’ve been playing with the shortstop on our high school team (Mark Metcalf) year-round, and it’s really fun because we have a really good connection up the middle. I really enjoy it. I feel like we both know what each other is thinking at all times. The chemistry we have is unmatched. It helps us work together to do some pretty cool things.
What sparked Sarasota’s turnaround this year?
We had a different type of energy. Last year I got to experience it a little bit and everyone was all kind of down, but I feel like coming into this year, we
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.
were very energetic. We all worked really hard and bought into what the coaches were telling us. It proved itself on the field and from there, we took it and ran with it.
What’s gone right for you at the plate this summer?
Just the work that I’ve put in every day. Every day I go hit, most of the time with Mark. I go hit and work out, and I think the work I’ve put in is starting to show.
What’s your favorite meal?
Steak, cooked medium rare on the grill. I’m a big mashed potatoes guy, too.
What’s your favorite TV show or movie?
The movie “Moneyball” is a good one. I like that one. It’s about the Athletics, and they didn’t have a lot of money, but they figured out a way. They didn’t have money compared to other big teams, but they figured out a way to fight through and win.
What’s your go-to warm-up song?
My walk-up song was “Raindrops” by Metro Boomin. Walking up to the plate, I hear it every time, and it gets me locked in.
If you’re not playing baseball, what are you doing?
I like to fish and hunt. I live out in the country area (in Parrish), and out by my house we have some property out there.
Finish this sentence.
Patrick Drymon is ... A dawg.
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