One of the close neighbors of the Southside Village shopping center is Southside Elementary.
On Aug. 2, Sarasota’s new Raining Berries location hoped to engage with the local school community with its Back to School Bash.
Kids had the chance to cool off amid activities that included face painting, special deals at the shop and prizes.
Isabella Gomez, of Raining Berries, said a big hit during the hot weather that day had been the gelato. The shop also offers premium coffee, açaí bowls, smoothies and healthconscious treats.
Healthy progress
Galen College of Nursing opened its doors in Sarasota in 2022, and it now has more than 600 students enrolled on its campus.
Yet, on July 28, it celebrated a significant milestone, as it graduated its first cohort of students in the three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The eight students were honored during the graduation ceremony held at The Venue @ LEC in Sarasota.
“Galen is very committed to improving the workforce in the area,” said Joan Frey, dean of the Sarasota Campus, in a media release. “That’s the reason we help these students to learn and to become professional nurses, because it matters to the community. They’re the ones that graduate, get jobs, pay taxes and raise a family in the community.”
$0.10
Ian Swaby
Courtesy image
Students graduate at Galen College of Nursing.
Ian Swaby
Maria Stepura paints the face of Blake Lecuyer, 5.
WEEK OF AUG. 7, 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
$1.7 BILLION Capital improvement project at Pittsburgh International airport led by incoming SRQ President and CEO Paul Hoback PAGE 3
$200,000
Approximate lost revenue by the city for storm-related shutdowns of park vendor operations in 2024 PAGE 6
544 The number of animal wheelchairs provided by John Cox PAGE 17 CALENDAR
■ Sarasota City Commission special meeting (attorney-client session) — 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 11, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.
■ Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Monday, Aug. 18, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.
“We aren’t elected to take a poll and vote according to a poll, because then we there’s no
need for us to even be in these seats.”
Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert. Read more on page 10
Chamber chief earns global recognition
Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heather Kasten has earned designation as a Certified Chamber Executive by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the ACCE has a membership of more than 1,600 chambers of commerce and related business and economic development organizations, representing more than 9,000 industry professionals.
The CCE program assesses and tests the applicant’s knowledge of core chamber management areas: management, planning and development, membership, communications and revenue and operations. Kasten is one of 26 chamber professionals from across 19 states to earn the CCE designation in 2025, the largest cohort n the program’s history. It is globally recognized as the highest designation in the chamber profession.
Waterkeeper testing adds South County
reported price. With more than 19,000 square feet of living space and a 12-car garage, 845 Longboat Club Road has few comparables in the region.
Just steps from the infinity pool deck to the beach, Polese
Built in 2005 in a Mediterranean style, the home’s features stand out.
Among them:
■ Six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, and two half-baths
■ A marble hall with a glass dome
■ A grand salon that can accommodate 100 people
■ Venetian murals ■ A
■ Sarasota County School Board regular meeting — 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 19, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1980 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance) Longboat home sells for record $30.3M
With financial support provided by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Suncoast Waterkeeper has expanded its weekly water quality monitoring program into the southern region of Sarasota County. To date, Suncoast Waterkeeper has provided testing for fecal indicator bacteria at recreational sites across Manatee and Sarasota counties. In 2023, it hired its first full-time water quality specialist and opened a dedicated lab to support that work. The program grew again this summer with the addition of a second full-time specialist, Peyton Faulk, to lead the expansion into South County.
Weekly test results for both northern and southern regions are posted on Suncoast Waterkeeper’s website and shared on social media. Results follow the same three-tiered system used by the Florida Department of Health and are also shared with local and state agencies.
For more information about the water quality program and to check weekly results, visit SuncoastWaterkeeper.org.
Courtesy photo
The home at 845 Longboat Club Road set a new Sarasota County sale price record of $30.3 million.
Paul Hoback, the next president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, gives a media tour of terminal improvements at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Terminal ferocity
Paul Hoback brings airport rebirth expertise to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
If airports are all about making connections, Paul Hoback has a head start prior to assuming the title of president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in October.
As a youngster, his grandmother lived in Zephyrhills. He had an uncle who lived in St. Petersburg. Many summers and vacations were spent in the area, including Siesta Key. Later, his sister lived in Fort Myers for a decade.
Starting Oct. 20, Hoback will follow in the footsteps of Rick Piccolo, who for three decades led SRQ, first
PIT CEO ‘A LITTLE SAD’ TO LOSE HOBACK
Paul Hoback said he is going from working for one of the most accomplished airport CEOs in Pittsburgh International Airport’s Christina Cassotis to succeeding another in Rick Piccolo. In a statement to the Observer, Cassotis said she is proud, albeit “a little sad,” that he is moving on after his 25 years at PIT.
“I congratulate the SarasotaBradenton community for being the place that Paul chose for the next phase of his successful aviation career,” Cassotis told the Observer.
“Paul is a fantastic leader who capped his tenure here at Pittsburgh International Airport as our chief development officer, responsible for delivering our new terminal, roadway system, multimodal complex and customer service building program, all while continuing to serve as a key member of the executive leadership team working with me on making strategic decisions and implementing our overall business and operational strategy.”
She added Hoback leads with integrity, enthusiasm, vision and tenacity.
“Paul has been a trusted advisor and great partner to me and the PIT team and for the Pittsburgh region,” Cassotis added. “Your region is lucky to get him. We will miss him.”
through a transition of governance, then out of a debt of tens of millions of dollars and finally through a half-decade of necessary facilities expansion to keep pace with a mid and post-pandemic explosion in passenger growth from fewer than 2 million to more than 4 million and climbing.
Meanwhile, Hoback spent his entire 25-year career in aviation helping guide Pittsburgh International Airport through the loss of its USAirways midsize hub status, serving some 21 million passengers in 2000 to just more than 7 million in the years following.
Today, PIT serves nearly 10 million flyers as — like SRQ — an origin and destination airport. As executive vice president and chief development officer, Hoback has led a $1.7 billion transformation of its passenger terminal, baggage handling system, structured parking addition and more.
While Hoback was overseeing the renaissance of PIT, Piccolo spearheaded the growth of SRQ. In partnership with the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority, since 2020, the airport added hundreds of surface parking spaces, guided the construction of the new Concourse A that opened in January 2025, the installation of a new and more efficient baggage handling system and planning for a parking reformation that will eventually include a multilevel deck for passenger parking and rental car operations.
In other words, the two airports are on a somewhat parallel track and, if it needs to happen at SRQ, Hoback has probably already done it at PIT.
“We started a master plan process to really reimagine our facilities, because we were not that hub anymore. And that was OK. We are going to be the best origin and destination airport we can be,” Hoback said of PIT’s de-hubbing and reimagining. “We knew we needed to have facilities that would enable us to have a great customer experience, have that ease of use and because we had aging infrastructure that wasn’t maintained for many years.”
To achieve that objective, Hoback led the terminal modernization program, a $155 million airside renovations effort, and strategic direction for all other capital development projects at both PIT and the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
The similarities between PIT and SRQ, he said, are many.
“I see a growing facility. I heard from the board, from Rick and from team members I talked to that it is so important for that region to make sure that you continue to have that family feel, that boutique feel, that small airport feel but have facilities that are going to be able to match the growth and be able to still provide that exceptional customer experience. That’s what I’ve been living the
last 12 years up here in Pittsburgh. I believe I can bring what I’ve learned here into that role and leading the airport.”
WHY SARASOTA?
As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, Hoback’s move is more than a professional one. It also represents a significant change in latitude, from a city with three major professional sports franchises to one with none. From a view of the Allegheny Mountains to one of the Sarasota Bay. “The next logical step, especially after this project, was I’d love to run my own airport. I’d love to be part of something special,” Hoback said. “As soon as the headhunter approached me about this job, I just saw so much opportunity. What an act to follow and to be able to help cement the legacy that (Piccolo) helped create and the board there has helped create and the incredible region that is really growing. It’s so special.”
“The best place to live, the best places to work, the best place to do business, the best place to visit and everything kept speaking to me about paradise. It was a no-brainer. I wanted it.”
Paul Hoback
Synergies between Pittsburgh and Sarasota extend beyond growing and thriving origin and destination airports. They also include the Pittsburgh Pirates spring training in Bradenton — “Half of Pittsburgh typically travels down there, especially that time of the year,” Hoback said — plus the Pirates’ Bradenton Marauders Class A Advanced minor league baseball team.
Hoback said he has heard multiple stories of connections between the Steel City and the Suncoast area.
In addition to familiarity, Sarasota’s thriving arts and cultural community were attractive to the 50-year-old Hoback and his wife, Amy, who have been together since age 15. Their 19-year-old son, Cannon, is a sophomore at Arizona State University.
“My family is everything to me,” he said. “That’s why I do what I do.”
As he researched his prospective new home during the interview process, the area’s superlatives became more apparent.
“The best place to live, the best places to work, the best place to do business, the best place to visit
A HIGH-FLYING CAREER
Paul Hoback has spent his entire 25-year aviation career with the Allegheny County Airport Authority at Pittsburgh International Airport. Here is how he worked his way up to accumulate the qualifications as the next president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
DECEMBER 2000-AUGUST 2008
Hired as engineering project manager
AUGUST
2008-NOVEMBER 2010 Manager, maintenance administration and planning
NOVEMBER 2010-FEBRUARY 2012 Director of maintenance
FEBRUARY 2012-APRIL
2014 Director of maintenance and capital improvements
APRIL 2014-MARCH 2015 Vice president, operations and facilities
MARCH 2015-JANUARY
2018 Senior vice president, facilities, engineering and maintenance
JANUARY 2018-MAY 2019 Senior vice president, engineering, planning and capital development
MAY 2019-JANUARY 2022 Chief development officer
JANUARY 2022-OCT. 2025
Executive vice president and chief development officer
OCT. 20
Begins as president and CEO of SarasotaBradenton International Airport
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Despite spending 25 years in Pittsburgh, Paul Hoback has spent an amount of time in Siesta Key and has had family from the Tampa Bay area.
Child Will Thrive
and everything kept speaking to me about paradise,” Hoback said. “It was a no-brainer. I wanted it.”
ENSURING SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSION
sition. Hoback will inherit a master plan that would ultimately include further expansion of Concourse A, an overhead connector between concourses A and B, construction of a Concourse C and a four-level parking structure at the current location of short-term and rental car parking, similar to one recently built at PIT.
Hoback will officially start here 17 days after the scheduled gala to celebrate the finishing touches of terminal and other facilities improvements at PIT. Meanwhile at SRQ, passenger experience enhancements in Concourse B and in the passenger terminal are nearing completion, including upgraded food and beverage options.
“They have an excellent master plan with triggers that need to be implemented and executed when growth hits certain numbers,” Hoback said. “I’d love to get down there, roll up my sleeves, get into that master plan and figure out how we continue to elevate year after year. It is so important to have a front door to that region that they truly deserve and that reflects the community. I see that in SRQ.” Piccolo will remain for an additional six weeks in a consulting role to help facilitate the leadership tran-
“I can’t wait to get down there and learn everything I can and be that sponge working closely with Rick,” Hoback said. “The transition is so important … and we’ve already started. We’re in constant communication with each other now and making sure that he’s helping prepare me. I’m really looking forward to learning everything I can from him. I couldn’t be more fortunate to have been given the opportunity to lead the airport after all the amazing work that Rick has done. “It’s such an honor.”
No flying fish
For safety reasons, the small fish in the ‘Seagrass’ sculpture selected for the roundabout at 10th Street and U.S. 41 have been removed, while the location choice remains in flux.
here will be no flying fish hurtling through the streets of downtown should Sarasota take another direct hit from a future hurricane.
During the city’s July 28 and 29 budget workshop sessions, Public Art Administrator Ciera Coleman and City Engineer Nik Patel told city commissioners the sculpture approved in 2019 for the roundabout at 10th Street and U.S. 41 has been renamed from Life in the Seagrass to Sarasota Seagrass.
That’s because the Florida Department of Transportation has nixed the design of fish swimming in seagrass as part of its new policy that sculptures within its right of way must now withstand winds of 170 miles
per hour. The $150,000 sculpture is already “largely fabricated,” according to Coleman, but is now paused, awaiting city and state approval of the modified composition.
Also uncertain is where the sculpture will actually end up. Already partially paid for by the city, it has since been learned the construction of the pedestal on which to mount Seagrass may be cost prohibitive, and as a result, possible alternate sites had been considered.
“The big issue with 10th Street is the cost of the base,” Coleman said. “It’s significant, the same as for 14th Street, but actually quite more.”
Patel explained the reasons for the higher cost for the concrete pedestal are that the roundabout is larger than the one at 14th Street, and the sculpture itself is larger at the base than Poly, which was installed in
November 2024 at 14th Street. Poly stands on a base that cost $340,906.50. The lone bid received for the base in the 10th Street roundabout came in at $743,652.
The public art committee has explored possible alternative locations for sculptures selected for the U.S. 41 roundabouts, a key element in the city’s “Art in the Roundabouts” program. That includes “The Sun Always Shines,” which the committee chose for Fruitville Road more than two years ago but has not yet been considered by the City Commission.
The Public Art Committee has not held a call to artists for the newest roundabout at Gulfstream Avenue, which opened in December 2022, instead favoring Complexus, which once stood nearby prior to being relocated to the Sarasota Art Museum to make way for the roundabout construction. That represents a savings to the city’s Public Art Fund, paid for by developer contribution of 0.5% of any construction project costing $1 million or more, but at 70 feet the red-painted steel sculpture well exceeds FDOT’s 25-foot height limit for “community esthetic features” within its right of way.
“We intend to apply for a variance request,” Coleman told commissioners.
Added Patel, “If we wanted to consider Complexus at the Gulfstream roundabout, we would have to see if the DOT would be open to considering that piece of that location.”
As an alternate location, the Public Art Committee had considered placing Complexus, which requires some rehabilitation work, on a piece of vacant Sarasota County property at Fruitville Road and Beneva Road. If amenable to the county, the committee said in February 2024, Complexus would be highly visible in that location, considered the eastern gateway into the city.
Regardless of what goes where, the cost of the roundabout sculpture pedestals is not the responsibility of the Public Art Fund, but rather the city’s Engineering Department. At least through fiscal year 2027, however, the art fund will not grow as anticipated in the city’s 2030 Public Art Plan, which was implemented in 2023.
That plan doubled the developer’s contributions to the public art
collection — either in the form of including public art in its project or a cash donation to the fund — from 0.5% to 1% of the total cost of any development that exceeds the $1 million threshold. Not long after, though, Senate Bill 250 was passed, prohibiting cities and counties within the disaster declaration for Hurricanes Ian and Nicole from increasing any building fees.
Due to sunset later this year, the legislature in its 2025 session passed Senate Bill 180, which similarly impacts the ability of municipalities to create any new or additional fees for building permits in the wake of the 2024 hurricane season. That legislation is due to sunset at the end of fiscal year 2027.
As for Sarasota Seagrass, Coleman said staff is awaiting direction of its fate — sans flying fish — from the City Commission.
“I’ve been told we can do an informational memo about the fish and get your direction as far as whether that would still be the best fit for the roundabout,” Coleman said.
“Because the artwork has already been largely fabricated and we do have an approved site for it, the idea is to try to move forward with this site and then see how it all pans out.”
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Courtesy image
The Sarasota Seagrass sculpture selected for the roundabout at 10th Street and U.S. 41 has been redesigned to remove the fish, per Florida Department of Transportation safety standards.
Image via City of Sarasota Public Art Collection Complexus was moved from its original location at Gulfstream Avenue and U.S. 41 to the Sarasota Art Museum in January 2021.
Park storm repairs estimated at $12.45 million
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department budget also took a nearly $200,000 hit in lost revenues.
PARK, PIER AND OTHER REPAIRS
A partial list of city parks and other amenities damaged during the 2024 hurricane season, estimated cost and estimated start of construction.
mong the estimated $50 million in projects it will eventually cost the city of Sarasota to recover from the 2024 hurricane season — and the most visible — is damage to city-owned parks, piers and other waterfront amenities projected to cost more than $12.45 million.
The Observer reported last week that Interim City Manager Dave Bullock’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget included a citywide millage rate increase of 0.273 to begin replenishing the city’s reserve fund balance, which as been spent down to below the minimum threshold of 17% of the general fund expenditures. The budget proposal was based on the current 3.0 mills, with the $5.2 million extra generated by the increase earmarked for the fund balance.
FEMA will remit perhaps up to 75% of the city’s storm recovery costs, but Bullock said that remains uncertain. And even if it does, it could be years before any checks arrive beyond the $7 million advance the city received in the wake of last year’s storms.
Much of the park, pier and other city amenity repair work won’t begin until late 2025 into early 2026 and later, some of it pending FEMA coordination that has the potential to delay it even longer.
Although the capital expenses for park and pier repairs won’t impact the Parks and Recreation Department budget, lost revenue affected it in some facilities that were shut down temporarily or long-term because of the storm damage.
“It’s almost $200,000,” Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle told commissioners during last week’s budget workshop.
Bayfront Park: $1.1 million, late 2025-early 2026, design complete, permits pending Bird Key Park: $2.3 million, late 2025-early 2026, design complete, permits pending Centennial Park: $1.1 million, late 2025-early 2026, design at 60%, permits pending Citywide docks (hazard mitigation): Cost TBD, summer 2026, Design at 30%, permits pending. FEMA coordination Indian Beach Park: $1.1 million, late 2025-early 2026, design at 60%, permits pending Ken Thompson Park: $1.5 million, late 2025-early 2026, design complete, permits pending Nora Patterson Park: $300,000, late 2025-early 2026, design complete, permits pending Saprito Pier (hazard mitigation): $1.4 million, summer 2026, design complete, permits pending, FEMA coordination
Sapphire Shores Park: $200,000, late 2025-early 2026, design at 60%, permits pending Werlin Park: $1.2 million, late 2025-early 2026, design complete, permits pending Whitaker Park: $1.5 million, late 2025-early 2026, design complete, permits pending Total estimated cost: $12.45 million (excluding TBD dock repairs)
All project timelines are subject to change based on permit approvals, contractor availability and final authorization by the City Commission.
That figure includes $105,000 from the destruction of Harts Landing and its bait shop, $10,000 from temporary closure of Lido Pool, $60,000 lost by the Lido Beach pavilion concessions, $10,000 in lost revenue by the Arlington Park Aquatic Complex and some $13,500 in lost rental revenue at Municipal Auditorium.
LONGBOAT CLUB ROAD • LONGBOAT KEY, FL
Rich Polese, Real Estate Advisor and Founding Agent with Compass in Sarasota, has once again set a new benchmark in the luxury market by listing and selling 845 Longboat Club Road on Longboat Key in just 25 days for an unprecedented $30,300,000 — the most expensive residential real estate sale in Sarasota history. Known as "Serenissima," this extraordinary Gulf-front estate is a Venetian-inspired masterpiece spanning over 19,000 square feet, featuring palatial interiors, hand-carved stonework, imported marble, and breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico. This record-breaking transaction underscores Rich’s reputation for delivering trusted advice and proven results at the highest level of the Sarasota Luxury Real Estate Market.
Before the first bell
There’s plenty that has to be done to prepare for the Aug. 11 start of school, and some of that comes down to the specific color of an item in the classroom.
Fourth grade English language arts teacher Christine Harrington isn’t satisfied with the red baskets holding books on a bookshelf, and says she will be stopping by the store to find white baskets.
“I want to keep it visually a very calm, clean environment, so that the brain isn’t busy. I don’t want anything that’s distracting,” said Harrington.
Harrington returned to school last week, before her contracted hours, along with fourth grade math and science teacher Riley Hamilton, with whom she will teach in partnership.
Replacing the baskets is just one example of the tasks involved as teachers prepare for the start of school, which Harrington says also involves moving desks and other items into place after deep cleaning, arranging files and other work.
It was also just one way in which teachers are individualizing their rooms. For instance, fourth grade English language arts and social studies teacher John Freeman decorates his room with a “Star Wars” theme each year.
“You get excited because the kids get excited,” he said of the process.
— IAN SWABY
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Southside Elementary teachers prepare for the start of school.
Fifth grade English language arts teacher Ashlee Middleton places a label on a bookshelf.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Fourth grade English language arts teacher Christine Harrington and fourth grade math and science teacher Riley Hamilton plan the display they will create on their bulletin board.
Michelle Revas, a fourth grade teacher for all subjects, cuts a printout into separate labels for folders.
Fourth grade math and science teacher Riley Hamilton adds a border to the display she is creating on the bulletin board.
Fourth grade English language arts and social studies teacher John Freeman, whose full name is John Thomas Freeman IV, received this statue of Yoda from his father, John Thomas Freeman III. It’s just one of the many “Star Wars” decorations in his classroom.
Fourth grade English language arts teacher Christine Harrington staples a border onto the bulletin board.
County needs to go on a spending diet
Sarasota County’s budget has grown 56% in the past four years. As revenue growth slows, spending needs to be trimmed to prepare for the future.
From a budget standpoint, Sarasota County and its nonboard-controlled constitutional offices — the supervisor of elections, tax collector, property appraiser, sheriff’s office, public defender, state attorney and clerk’s office — have been living quite well for the past several years. Their budgets have been super-fueled by a combination of rising property values, unprecedented population growth and federal government bailouts in response to the pandemic and two seasons of hurricanes. Because there was so much taxpayer money available, they forgot about the value of small government and got used to niceties like fancy parks and recreational facilities, shiny new public buildings, helicopters, cars, software, additional staff and more. That type of spending is certainly partially responsible for an increase
of more than 56% in the county’s budget from 2021-2025.
One might think that at our recent county budget workshops alarm bells would be going off. But surprisingly, I did not hear a single presenter, from within the county or from the constitutional offices, discuss how they were trying to trim the fat and spend less. They wanted more. In some cases, a lot more.
Nearly all of our elected county officials campaigned for office as “conservative” Republicans, and most have been in the same or other local offices for several years. They know that our tax revenues have risen and so have the tax bills of county citizens. For example, a house my family once owned in Nokomis, which we sold in 2014, saw an increase of 41.5% on its county tax bill in 10 years.
Despite this knowledge, many of our officials are failing to even try to reduce spending. In some cases, to support their requests, they are subtly threatening emotional issues — from excessive wait times to layoffs and the ultimate emotional hot button: a reduction in public safety.
As a former Florida Highway Patrol command officer and the Sheriff of Sarasota County for 12 years, I can state firsthand that it is possible to serve the public and keep them safe, even if it’s on the occasional shoestring budget.
NOTABLE BUDGET INCREASES
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Proposed: $225 million budget is the largest in the county’s general fund and has grown by more than 30% since 2022.
SARASOTA COUNTY TAX
COLLECTOR MIKE MORAN
Proposed: $3.1 million increase, a 27% budget bump County projections show that by 2028, expenses will outpace revenues by $31.6 million. The deficit climbs to nearly $41 million the next year and remains above $39 million into 2030.
You may not operate from the most beautiful building or have all of the bells and whistles, but you must roll with the ups and downs of the economy and the public’s will. I recognized this when I became sheriff in the midst of the Great Recession and returned $1.4 million to the county’s coffers. It is said that DOGE is a state of mind. I’m calling on all county officials, especially elected ones who position themselves as conservatives, to embrace that mindset and get to work now making the hard decisions that will soften the impact when the revenue train crashes.
Tom Knight represents District 3 on the Sarasota County Commission.
THURSDAY, JULY 10
ASSAULT AND CANNERY
6:45 p.m., South Pineapple Avenue at South Lemon Avenue
Battery: Sitting at a table in a park, a man told an officer that he and the complainant, a woman, approached him and, in random fashion, referred to him by a racial epithet. An argument ensued during which the man said the woman reached into her purse in such a fashion that he believed her to be retrieving a knife.
Feeling threatened, he said he picked up some canned goods and threw them in her direction out of self-defense. He first told officers the woman never brandished a knife nor directed any threats toward him.
An officer then spoke with the woman who had left the area in fear of the man. She said she was in the park area with a male friend and offered the canned goods to the man out of an act of kindness. Why she then uttered the epithet was not addressed in the report.
At this point, the stories told by both parties began to vary. During the argument, the woman said out of anger she threw an empty bottle at a tree in the opposite direction and that the man then picked it up and threw it back at her. He then, she said, picked up the canned goods and threw them at her with one can bouncing off a bench and striking her on the shin, leaving a noticeable red mark.
The man then admitted to throwing a wooden food tray at her and began chasing her around the park. That’s when she left the area and called law enforcement.
Hearing enough, officers placed the man under arrest and read the can thrower his rights. That’s when the man changed his story to state the woman pulled a knife and began walking toward him, initiating the retaliatory salvo of launched canned goods. He also recanted his admission to throwing the food tray and following her around the park area.
The woman’s friend chimed in, stating he was uncertain of the number of canned goods hurled, that the man did chase her around the park, at one point getting close enough to tear a piece of jewelry from her.
All canned goods were located on scene and photographed. It was determined that probable cause existed to charge the man with simple battery with bodily harm and was transported to Sarasota County Jail.
SATURDAY, JULY 12
DRIVE-BY FLIP-OFF
1:45 p.m., 1600 block of Main Street
Disturbance: While enjoying a peaceful al-fresco lunch in downtown, a man told an officer his exwife drove past and, reaching out the window, directed toward him the international single-fingered salute, double-barrel style. He reported she then exited her parked vehicle, approached him on foot and began yelling at him regarding a prior incident that involved the man and her father. After a short interaction, she then left the scene heading eastbound Main Street.
The man stated the interaction was only verbal in nature. The man was advised to contact the police if she returns so officers can issue a trespassing warning from the business.
Apartment plan rejected
WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
If Gilbane Properties is to develop an apartment complex on land it would acquire from Temple Beth Sholom, it will have to find another way.
During its Aug. 4 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission declined a proposed amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan that would allow Gilbane and the temple to pursue rezoning and site plan approval to build a 275-unit apartment development with 32 attainable-priced units at the northwest corner of the intersection of Bahia Vista Street and Tuttle Avenue.
Since being recommended for denial by the Planning Board in June, Gilbane added 12 attainable units — the city’s affordable housing ordinance requires only seven — and made other enhancements to the plan.
For Commissioners Jen AhearnKoch and Kathy Kelley Ohlrich, it was more about establishing further precedent for high-density development in the area, with the 250unit Bahia Vista Apartments already under development at the southwest corner of the intersection.
As an alternative to selling the entire property and moving to a more affordable suburban location, the temple had planned to sell six of its 10 acres to Gilbane for development, which leaders told commissioners it must do to remain viable on that property. Gilbane would, in turn, demolish two buildings on the property with the temple remaining in place and make drainage and parking improvements over the property.
In making her motion, Alpert warned something will be built on that property, and that by right, it can be an even higher intensive use. Under its current zoning, it could be as up to 360,000 square feet of office space with 900 parking spaces.
First, though, the site would require an amendment to change its future land use classification from Community Office/Institutional to Multiple Family-High Density.
That would need a supermajority of four commissioners, the motion to approve made by Mayor Liz Alpert failing 3-2, with Alpert joined by Commissioner Kyle Battle.
That rendered moot a scheduled quasi-judicial public hearing to rezone the property.
“This property is going to be developed one way or another, and the proposal before us is a well-thoughtout proposal to probably make the least intensive use of the property,” Alpert said. “It helps the affordable housing issue in that we add 32 more attainable units. It helps the affordable housing because we add (275 apartments) to the stock of property that we have in our community.”
The sticking point for Vice Mayor Debbie Trice was that Gilbane’s application was for the entire 10 acres, even though it was planning to acquire only the southern six acres, and that the density calculations were based on the entire site.
Gilbane Senior Vice President Alastair Jenkin told commissioners if the quest to rezone the property failed, the company will consider developing the site under Florida’s Live Local act, which removes local control for residential developments that include qualifying affordable housing in any area zoned for commercial, industrial or mixed-use. It may also consider the state’s newest law to facilitate affordable housing development on properties owned by religious institutions, providing 10% of the units are priced at 120% of area median income or less.
Andrew Warfield Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert passed the gavel to make the motion to approve a Comprehensive Plan amendment to allow rezoning for Temple Beth Sholom’s apartment plans.
Sarasota’s school district approves tentative budget and millage
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
The school board unanimously approved its annual tentative budget and millage rates for the 2026 fiscal year on July 29, as the district faces a difficult financial situation.
The budget totals $1,355,312,054, while is a decrease from last year’s final budget of $1,771,250,908. Total expenditures are projected at $1,055,333,992.
The proposed millage rate was 6.095 mils per $1,000 of taxable property value, a decrease from last year’s 6.131 mills.
That means year, taxpayers will incur $609.50 in school taxes for every $100,000 of taxable value, a decrease of $3.50 per $100,000.
The final budget hearing will be Sept. 16.
During a July 22 school board meeting, Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor cited numerous reasons the district was facing constraints to its budget this year.
Some factors included rising costs in areas including utilities, health insurance, transportation, construction and facilities, and cuts to weighted funding equivalent to 200 students in the state budget.
Connor noted the cost of Skye Ranch School, which opens this year, and said is intended to manage overpopulation at other schools.
The budget notes an initial enrollment of 679 students at Skye Ranch.
The total enrollment of students in Sarasota schools totals 4,732 up from
FINAL BUDGET HEARING
When: 5:01 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16
Where: School board chambers, 1960 Landings Blvd. Info: Visit SarasotaCountySchools.net.
BREAKDOWN OF 2025 TO 2026 BUDGET COSTS
3,929 last year. Classes begin on Aug. 11.
Conner said the district had initiated a summer staffing process during June and July, which involved switching staff to new positions, with reductions across all departments.
“The fact remains is that 80% of our budget is based off staff, and so, the last thing we want to do is impact the classroom,” he said. “The sanctity of the classroom is what we’re trying to preserve, meaning keeping class sizes manageable, making sure they have the right resources.”
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
FOR THE BIRDS
An eye-catching exhibition of bird photography lands at Selby Gardens.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Arecent survey revealed that 160 species of birds can be found at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota. But that count took place before the installation of “The High Life: Contemporary Photography and the Birds,” an exhibition of 70 photographs of birds in myriad locales, from the jungle to the museum.
No doubt there is some overlap between the live species at Selby’s 15-acre campus overlooking Sarasota Bay and those in “The High Life,” but in the exhibition you’ll find feathered friends and foe that you’ll never see in Sarasota, including a New York City pigeon and a Miami rooster.
The birds that have landed at Selby Gardens with the photo exhibit can be found in a museum painting, a canal boat and even on a lady’s hat. There was no requirement the winged creatures in the photos had to be alive in the show organized by the Minneapolis-based Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.
When Jennifer Rominiecki became CEO and president of Selby Gardens a decade ago, she moved to convert the botanical garden, which houses the world’s largest scientifically documented collection of living orchids, to a “living museum” model. By adding art exhibits and live performances, Selby has more than doubled its number of members and visitors.
Since 2021, Rominiecki has been assisted in that mission by David Berry, a Ph.D. who spent 10 years at
The Ringling before joining Selby as chief curator. Selby recently wrapped an elaborate tribute to George Harrison that featured “horticultural vignettes,” memorabilia and music in honor of the former Beatle’s dedication to gardening.
“George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life,” the ninth annual installment of the Jean and Alfred Goldstein exhibition series, ran from February to June. It was the latest blockbuster in the series to draw hordes of visitors and garner international press.
A SLOWER PACE FOR SUMMER SHOWS
Selby’s summer shows like “The High Life” tend to be more low key. They give locals a chance to enjoy Selby with out jockeying for position for tourists taking selfies. Hot weather can be off-putting in the summer, but some of the exhibit’s most dazzling prints, including Junji Takasago’s “Heavenly Flamingos,” are inside the air-conditioned Museum of Botany & the Arts.
Whether you’re a tourist or a local, make it a point to get to Selby Gardens right when it opens at 10 a.m. for a lovely stroll around the grounds. Some views are obscured by construction, as Selby works on its Phase
Two expansion and recovers from last year’s hurricanes, but “wayfinding” (museumspeak for figuring out where to go) is clear and unobstructed throughout the exhibition.
Photography fans and Selby Garden habitués may remember a 2022
BIRDS PAGE 14
IF YOU GO ‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’
When: Through Sept. 14
Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
Tickets: $28; $23 online Info: Visit Selby.org.
Joseph McGlennon’s 2021 photo “Pollen 1” is part of “The High Life” exhibition at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Photos by Matthew Holler
The bird in Anne Morgenstern’s 2014 photo “Untitled” looks right at home among the tropical setting of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Karen Knorr’s 2001 photo “In the Green Room” is on display outside at Selby Gardens.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Cheryl Medow’s 2014 photo “White Ibis with Fish” overlooks Sarasota Bay in “The High Life” exhibition at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Sarasota Ballet School names new principal
The Sarasota Ballet School has named Alberto Blanco its new principal, succeeding Jennifer Welch Cudnik, who has moved on after two years to join the Kansas City Ballet School.
A former professional dancer and dedicated teacher, Blanco brings both artistic passion and educational expertise to his new role.
The Sarasota Ballet School is the official school of the Sarasota Ballet, offering dance training to students ages 3 and older at all skill levels. The school uses the American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, which emphasizes a program in strong technique, musicality and dancer health.
Blanco is an ABT-certified teacher. At Sarasota Ballet School, he will apply his expertise across all levels, utilizing the ABT National Training Curriculum.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alberto as our new principal,” said Christopher Hird, Sarasota Ballet’s education director, in a statement.
“He shares our commitment to high-quality training and our core values, and I have every confidence that the school will thrive under his thoughtful leadership.”
He noted that Blanco worked closely with Welch Cudnik.
Commenting on his new role, Blanco said in a statement, “I strive to encourage a love for dance in my students, while nurturing focus and dedication in a supportive environment.”
In the announcement of his promotion, Sarasota Ballet underscored its commitment to excellence, inclusivity and developing well-rounded dancers.
Sarasota Opera taps
Arthur Bosarge
Sarasota Opera has named Arthur Bosarge as artistic administrator. He most recently served as chorus master and director of the Apprentice Artists Program.
In his new position, Bosarge will manage the casting, scheduling and artistic planning for Sarasota Opera productions and artist training programs. He will collaborate with Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell on long-term artistic goals and strategic initiatives.
“Stepping into a new role at a familiar place is exciting. Along with Maestro DeRenzi, Richard Russell and our incredible staff, I’m honored to be a part of continuing the level of artistic excellence that Sarasota is known for,” Bosarge said in a statement.
A native of Fairhope, Alabama, Bosarge joined Sarasota Opera in 2022 as assistant conductor for “Il matrimonio segreto.” The following year he served as assistant conductor for the company’s fall concert, “The Music of Giacomo Puccini,” and assumed the role of director of the Apprentice Artists Program and chorus master.
In that position, Bosarge prepared the company’s chorus for a variety of productions and helped develop apprentice artists from across the country who train and perform with the company.
Bosarge’s background in opera includes both musical and administrative experience. Prior to joining Sarasota Opera, he held music staff positions at Utah Festival Opera, Opera Southwest and Opera Birmingham.
Bosarge holds degrees from University of Alabama and Mannes College of Music in New York.
BIRDS FROM PAGE 13
summer show called “Flora Imaginaria: The Flower in Contemporary Photography.” The display of flower photographs was also organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.
William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, co-curators of “The High Life,” also formed the curation team behind “Flora Imaginaria.”
Ewing joined Rominiecki at Selby on a recent Friday to talk about how “The High Life” took flight. (Reader advisory: Birds seem to lend themselves to corny word play, inviting a writer to get carried away on flights of fancy.)
Even Ewing couldn’t resist getting in on the act, noting that the executive director of the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Todd Brandow, is a former Minneapolis resident who spends a lot of time in Lausanne, where the American nonprofit has an office, but lives in Ibiza, Spain.
“He flies back and forth, and he has a high life because he’s always in the air, trying to sell our shows all around the world,” Ewing quipped at a preview of the photo exhibition to appreciative laughter.
“The High Life” draws from the work of several types of photographers, Ewing says. They include those who have done bird projects and then moved onto other areas
of interest, say urban warfare, and those who specialize in birds.
Among the latter group are those who capture images of birds in nature. These intrepid shooters spend hours “waiting in camouflage getting eaten alive by mosquitos” until they get the right shot, Ewing says. The other type of bird specialists bring their subjects into the studio.
The studio photographers often mix fashion and birds, Ewing says. That’s because human beings have been adorning themselves with plumage for as long as they’ve been around, even driving several species of birds to extinction during the Victorian era, when feathers were much in demand for hats.
“I’m not a bird person myself,” Ewing says, noting that in his native Britain they’re called “twitchers,” so he was coming at the subject cold.
When he started doing research, Ewing found bird photography wasn’t as common as he first assumed, for a variety of reasons, including lack of interest and difficulty capturing images of creatures that camouflage themselves and are perpetually in motion.
RESPECT WAS A LONG TIME COMING
Ewing cited the American landscape photographer Eliot Porter as a pioneer in the field of capturing birds on film, a practice he dedicated himself to on a regular basis
in the middle of the 20th century. Porter’s 1943 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, “Birds in Color: Flashlight Photographs,” is considered to be the first important solo show by a photographer of birds. Ewing noted that the documentation for the show was quite apologetic, along the lines of “some people might think this is a silly topic.”
But thanks to Porter, bird photography finally gained respect. In the past 30 years, the genre has exploded, Ewing says, thanks to young photographers and advances in digital technology that allow lensmen (and women) to instantly see whether they got their shot. The field has also been fueled by the realization that birds aren’t as plentiful as they used to be. In 2019, a Cornell University study found that the American bird population has declined by 3 billion, or 30%, since 1970 because of ecosystem changes.
Amid the rising interest in bird photography, co-Curators Ewing and Panchaud had no trouble finding an assortment of arresting images.
“The High Life” exhibition at Selby was edited down from a book created in conjunction with the show. Published by Thames & Hudson, “Aviary: The Bird in Contemporary Photography” is a hardcover book with 223 color illustrations. It sells for $65.
“What’s fun from my point of view is figuring out what photographs work in two very distinct environments,” Berry says, since part of “The High Life” is inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts while other large-scale prints have been installed outside.
All “High Life” photos are covered with a protective coating that picks up reflections. This can be frustrating to the amateur photographer trying to capture the show’s images, particularly outside, where shadows of foliage and clouds turn up in the frame.
My photos looked OK on my cellphone, but when I viewed them on my computer screen, I could see a faint reflection of myself in nearly all of them. Suddenly, $65 for the companion book didn’t seem like much at all.
Monica Roman Gagnier
“The High Life” co-curator William Ewing and Selby Gardens CEO and President Jennifer Rominiecki explain the origins of the exhibition.
Arthur Bosage
Alberto Blanco
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; $15 child Visit CircusArts.org.
It’s last call for Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue that elevates any event. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early so ushers can store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.
‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, she leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Runs through Sept. 14.
Ethan Jack Haberfield and Alice M. Gatling star in “Dorothy’s Dictionary,” which runs through Aug. 10 at Florida Studio Theatre.
FRIDAY
CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘CHINATOWN’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
With mass media fragmented into a million different TikToks, podcasts and Substacks, it’s hard to find a universal cultural reference these days. But if you’ve ever wondered where the catchphrase “Forget it, Jake. It’s just Chinatown,” comes from, here’s your chance to find out. Along the way, you’ll learn about heat, thanks to the sizzling chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in a glamorous neo noir set in Los Angeles before the advent of air conditioning. Robert Towne won an Oscar for his screenplay, brilliantly directed by Roman Polanski.
‘CABARET’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $35; student $15 Visit The Players.org.
Beat the summer doldrums with “Cabaret,” Kander and Ebb’s sexy, scintillating musical set in Weimar Germany. There’s lots of naughty fun and games to be had at the Kit Kat
OUR PICK
JAZZ HAPPY HOUR
Join Kevin Çelebi and his fellow musicians in the band Harmonic Sanity for a program of lush horn harmonies and deep grooves as they skillfully blend jazz, funk and R&B. Joining Çelebi, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn, will be Aaron West on alto sax, Bob Miner on tenor sax, Greg Nielsen on trombone, Stretch Bruyn on piano and keyboards, Todd Jefferis on bass and Michael Washington on drums. Somewhere, Chuck Mangione is smiling.
IF YOU GO
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13
Where: Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Tickets: Free with registration Info: Visit SarasotaMusicArchive.org.
Club, but the men in uniform have a sinister agenda stashed up their Nazi sleeves. Director Brian Finnerty brings the tale of Sally Bowles and her fellow performers to a round stage.
‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees an opportunity for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“Boeing-Boeing”) and Robin Howdon, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a high-speed farce sure to shake anyone out of their summer torpor. Runs through Aug. 24.
SATURDAY
PATTI SMITH: A BOOK OF DAYS
10 a.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey Included with $20 admission Visit Selby.org.
Selby Gardens collaborates with poet and musician Patti Smith, its artist-in-residence, on an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from her newly published bestseller, “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature. Runs through Aug. 31.
SUNDAY
HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE:
HANDEL’S ‘THEODORA’ 1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The Royal Opera gives Handel’s opera a modern-day makeover in this production starring Julia Bullock, Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Jozf Orlinski. Directed by Katie Mitchell, “Theodora” retains the original English libretto by Thomas Morell as it follows a religious fundamentalist’s plan to destroy
DON’T MISS
‘DOROTHY’S DICTIONARY’
Alice M. Gatling stars as Dorothy, who introduces a troubled teen, played by Ethan Jack Haberfield, to the healing power of books. Directed by Kate Alexander, the tale explores memory, identity and how relationships can transform our lives. Runs through Aug. 10.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7
Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
Tickets: $42 and up Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
the Roman embassy. The feminist interpretation features scenes of sexual violence and themes of terrorism, so it’s not recommended for the faint of heart. Opera buffs will delight in the depth and beauty of its ensembles, duets and arias.
MONDAY
‘NEWISH JEWISH PLAYS’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Jewish Theatre, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130 $20 Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.com.
The third of three readings of “Newish Jewish Plays,” Gary Morgenstein’s “A Black and White Cookie” tells the story of a conservative black newsstand owner in New York City facing a huge rent hike. A longtime customer who is a Jewish Communist persuades him to fight back, and an unlikely friendship is forged. Directed by Diane Cepeda.
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 her first solo museum exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum. Her installation of “veils” combines handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in The Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Runs through Oct. 26.
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Courtesy image
Kevin Çelebi
Learning to ‘make something out of nothing’
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Today, Gee’s Bend quilter Loretta Pettway Bennett has enough money to buy new fabric for her creations, but it just wouldn’t feel right. That would be against the tradition of the isolated Alabama hamlet whose quilts have become world famous.
Adds her fellow quilter Louisana Bendolph, “When we were growing up, we didn’t know what recycling was. We just knew how to make something out of nothing.”
Bennett and Bendolph came to the Sarasota Art Museum on Aug. 2 for an artists talk moderated by SAM Associate Curator Lacie Barbour that was attended by about 200 people.
Bennett and Bendolph’s works are part of SAM’s exhibition, “Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press,” which runs through Aug. 10. The traveling exhibition was organized by Bedford Gallery of Walnut Creek, California, and was curated by Carrie Lederer.
A selection of Gee’s Bend quilts, including some made by Bendolph’s mother-in-law, Mary Lee Bendolph, are part of the wide-ranging exhibition that also includes fine-art prints, magazine covers, four mixedmedia sculptures and a basketball pyramid installation.
The Bendolphs and Bennett were invited to the Paulson Bott Press in Berkeley in the early 2000s, where their creations were transformed into graphic prints. This required considerable adjustment on the part of the quilters.
Instead of assembling quilts, often with the help of friends and neighbors, over a long period of time, they were required to produce small-scale works called “maquettes” relatively quickly. But they made it work.
Quilts have been made by Black women in Gee’s Bend since before the Civil War, but they burst onto the art scene in 2002, when the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, organized a traveling exhibit that made its way to the Whitney Museum in New York later that year.
In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service issued 10 commemorative stamps featuring quilts made from 1940 to 2001 by African American women from Gee’s Bend, including Mary Lee Bendolph.
Although the Gee’s Bend quilts sometimes incorporate patterns used in traditional quilts such as “housetop” and “log cabin,” they typically have asymmetrical designs that have been improvised, making them closer to art than handicrafts.
Even after slavery ended, most of the inhabitants of Gee’s Bend grew
up picking cotton under the hot sun, a job that began in childhood.
“Everyone had to work on the farm,” says Bennett. “No one was excluded. When I was little and I couldn’t pick cotton or chop cotton, I had to carry water to the one who wanted to drink.”
Sewing quilts from worn-out clothes and remnants left over from sewing homemade clothes was a matter of necessity, Bennett told the SAM audience, because the homes weren’t heated.
“Even though I hated picking cotton, now I can open a book and look at a museum wall and see that same cotton I hated to pick,” Bendolph said.
“I should have been grateful for my homemade dress, but I wanted one from the store,” she continued. “I didn’t like patches, but now people go to the store and buy jeans with holes in them,” evoking laughter from the audience. “Everything that was hard then was getting us ready for today, to appreciate what a rag can do.”
GOING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE
Although they were designed by one person, the quilts would be sewn by an assortment of girls and women, who would move from house to house for quilting bees over the course of the blanket’s construction.
The pieces used in the quilts were cut out during the harvest, which the quilters call the “lay-by season.” They were put aside until the quilts were assembled during the winter, when women would bring their children to the quilting bees if they weren’t old enough for school.
Quiltmaking was a form of socializing and the end results were often bestowed as gifts before there was a brisk commercial market for the Gee’s Bend quilts, which today can sell for thousands of dollars.
Despite their busy lives with family and lecturing, both women say they continue to stitch their quilts by hand. When they teach younger members of their families to quilt, even crooked stitches are left in.
Perfection isn’t the goal; preserving family and community legacy is.
Although they appeared relaxed in front of an audience, both Bennett and Bendolph both described themselves as reluctant speakers and travelers. “I’d rather be at the gynecologist than where I’m sitting right now,” quipped Bennett, drawing a big laugh from the mostly female attendees of the SAM talk.
Bendolph said her aversion to travel had to do with “marrying a military man,” leading to the family being uprooted or being separated from her husband while he was overseas.
But Bennett and Bendolph say they owe it to the artisans who came before them to make public appear-
Gee’s Bend quilters share their stories at Sarasota Art Museum.
ances, sign books and answer questions about Gee’s Bend quilts.
“Who am I to say I don’t want to go?” Bendolph asked rhetorically.
Bendolph described a childhood cut off from the outside world and having little awareness of what was going on around her. “We didn’t know who Dr. King was when he came to Gee’s Bend,” she says.
Born in 1960, Bendolph was just a child when Martin Luther King took the ferry across the Alabama River to speak at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in February 1965. He encouraged members of the congregation to travel to the Wilcox County seat and register to vote.
After a flurry of Black voter registrations, local authorities suspended ferry service to Gee’s Bend, whose official name is Boykin. It was not reinstated until 2006.
Bendolph says years of having to forage for materials for her quilts has made her “a bit of a hoarder.” Her home in Gee’s Bend is packed with fabric scraps, discarded clothes and old sheets, which are used for the backing of the colorful quilts.
She also collects old sewing machines, most of which don’t work. Bendolph leaves them outside on tree stumps, she said, creating an art installation of sorts in the town, which today has fewer than 300 residents.
Despite the collectors devoted to Gee’s Bend quilts, the younger generation isn’t as interested in painstakingly piecing together scraps of fabric as their elders were. There are too many high-tech distractions. But Bennett believes they will return to the tradition of quiltmaking.
“It’s in our blood,” she says. “We’ve got to pass it on. We must share it.”
IF YOU GO ‘PERSONAL TO POLITICAL: CELEBRATING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS OF PAULSON FONTAINE PRESS’ When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $20 Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Loretta Pettway Bennett, Lacie Barbour, Sarasota Art Museum associate curator, and Louisiana Bendolph
Mary Lee Bendolph’s 2005 quilt “Strips and Strings” is on display at the Sarasota Art Museum through Aug. 10.
Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Lee Bendolph’s Untitled Maquette, 1935
Images courtesy of Ryan Gamma
A rolling rescue
Former Sarasota deputy has gone global in his mission to provide wheelchairs to animals.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Charles Moore was excited for his “playdate” with Mattie Mae.
As her foster parent, Don Jackson, pulled up in his vehicle, the dog came bounding out and pressed her hands on Moore’s chest, licking him in the face.
The wheels she was wearing to support her back legs weren’t an obstacle.
In fact, John Cox says wheelchairs have been the key to dignity and a normal life for the animals to whom he has provided them — 544 of them.
Since the former deputy with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office founded his nonprofit Ruck9 in 2021, his efforts have taken off to encompass countries around the world, and animals as diverse as dogs, ducks and skunks.
A NONPROFIT GETS MOVING
Cox says he has been asked where his love of dogs comes from, and he compares it to his love of kids, about which he has been asked the same question.
Cox served as a schoolteacher after graduating college, and his 27-year career with the sheriff’s office involved roles that included a school resource officer and a lead instructor of Camp X-Ray’d, a bootcampstyle program for at-risk youth run by Teen Court.
Other roles included serving 15 years on the SWAT team, serving in patrol and as a detective and running the police athletic league.
Cox spent his last six years in the civil section, where he met a Bernese Mountain dog who had been left in an abandoned trailer. His family adopted the dog and named him Writ, for a writ of possession document.
Today, he calls himself “not retired by any stretch of the imagination.”
Currently, he’s running a windowwashing business called BiggunSqueegee, coaching girls basketball and operating Ruck9, which also includes fundraising events like the Beer Mile it will be hosting at Big Top Brewing on Aug. 9.
The nonprofit began with another endeavor, the SUP & RUN 5K at Nathan Benderson Park, which was managed by Cox and his wife, Anne, for 10 years.
Cox told a race sponsor about an idea he had of helping dogs in wheel-
chairs. She pointed him to a Labrador named Sandler at Satchel’s Last Resort — the same place Cox would later help his 100th dog — who was in need of a new wheelchair.
The event raised enough funds to buy the wheelchair after Cox found the company that supplies them, Walkin’ Pets, which comes with a choice of pink or blue.
The work took off further after he raised $10,000 through a challenge to himself that was inspired by the 4x4x48 challenge he had heard about online.
He performed a 9K walk (as a play on K-9), which has a distance of 5.59 miles, repeating it every five hours and 59 minutes from May 4-6, wearing a 30-pound rucksack for each round.
Yet, he said even from some friends, he was met with skepticism about the need for a nonprofit helping bring wheelchairs to dogs.
“Unless you know somebody that has a wheelchair, you don’t see them all the time, so they were like, ‘Is there really a need to have a nonprofit to help dogs in wheelchairs?’
I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ If I can help two or three or four here in the Sarasota area, that’d be perfect.”
Cox says the funds continue to pour in, with a “pot of gold” that makes it possible to assist whoever calls.
He says without the wheelchairs, many of these animals will be recommended for euthanasia. Yet, even in cases where that is inevitable, it doesn’t stop him.
“I don’t care if they say, we’re going to put him down in a week. I’ll overnight it to them,” he said. “I’ll pay extra to get it to them, so even if
is one of the 544 animals John Cox has helped through Ruck9. John Cox provided a wheelchair to a duck, Dip, pictured with sister, Dot)
IF YOU GO
BEER MILE AT BIG TOP BREWING When: 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9
Where: Big Top Brewing, 975 Cattlemen Road
Tickets: Single entry $15; Relay entry $25 Visit: Ruck9.com to register.
Among them are goats, cats, sheep, ducks, raccoons, a rooster, a chicken, a miniature zebu cow, a goose, a skunk and “every imaginable type of dog,” with records including a 2.5-pound Chihuahua and a 215-pound Great Dane.
it’s a day, a week, a month or a year, they’ll have the gift of mobility, and it’s the dignity, the fact that they can run around like this instead of just laying in the crate.”
Cox will continue to support the same pets with new wheelchairs, whenever they are needed.
Thanks to word spreading on social media, his reach has come to extend globally, as he ships the wheelchairs to other countries.
The animals he has helped now total 544, he says, covering 43 states, with 12 in Canada and 22 in 18 countries from Romania to Taiwan.
He describes the experience as “beyond words” to see “the dog be the dog again, or the sheep be the sheep again, or the duck be the duck again.”
Once, a girl reached out to him from India to let him know that a dog that was dragging itself through the streets.
The dog, named Diva, now lives in Barcelona, Spain, where she could later be seen online running through waves along the beach.
In another case, a family who was visiting in Sarasota, but leaving the country, took along a wheelchair, and soon Cox was watching online as their dog navigated the streets of Egypt with them.
“It’s just not me,” he said. “It’s everybody that donates. It’s everybody that volunteers and helps out that is able to gift someone an animal that mobility by giving it back.”
A NEW LEASH ON LIFE
After his 110-pound pit bull, Gizmo, died, Charles Moore was left without a canine companion.
“I was beside myself in the house, didn’t hear no pitter patter, no dog,” he said.
Yet when he met Mattie Mae, a hound mix who was Cox’s 12th dog, he was quickly enamored with her. Cox had discovered Mattie Mae’s story through social media, and after heading to Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood to take her measurements, called Anne Cox to tell her that he was bringing the dog home.
He said Mattie Mae took to the wheelchair naturally.
“Because she’d already been in one, we dropped her, she was just gone, just flying around,” Cox said. From there, Don Jackson, who began fostering Mattie Mae with his wife, would bring her to run 5K races with Cox, in her wheelchair, and he also introduced her to Moore. Moore said he related to her because of her disability, having recently had back surgery at the time.
“She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I was lost without Gizmo,” he said.
He says they do have their differences, like when he’ll have to clean up after she plays by digging holes in the dirt, or when she steals water from bowl of the biggest dog nearby. Moore’s and Mattie Mae are just two of the lives Cox has touched.
He says his goal is 1,000 animals currently, before he reevaluates, but he says it won’t be a problem at the rate he’s moving.
“I tell people all the time, I don’t care how stupid you think it is, or it’ll never work,” he said. “I’m living proof that you see a dog, you get an idea, you start a nonprofit.”
Shasta
Courtesy images
Photos by Ian Swaby Mattie Mae runs across the grass.
Charles Moore found a companion in Mattie Mae, after Ruck9 founder John Cox (right) brought her home and made her one of his “wheelie warriors.”
Serving of support
Tennis for Fun wraps up a third season at Arlington Park.
Brenda Shields began volunteering with Tennis For Fun in Brandon in 2015, where she worked with Judy Moore, the retired educator who manages the program.
After moving to Longboat Key, she decided her next step would be to organize a local branch of the organization, which provides free tennis clinics to people with disabilities from ages 8 to 65, in partnership with Special Olympics.
In May, the program wrapped up a third season at Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex in Sarasota, a location that Brenda’s husband, Ron, says has made the program more accessible to the community.
That month, the Tennis for Fun organization sent 76 athletes statewide to the State Summer Games of the Special Olympics in Orlando, out of the 197 athletes. Six of those athletes came from Sarasota’s program.
HITTING THE SPOT
Ron Shields, who manages the program alongside Brenda, said when it began in Longboat Key in 2021, there was one athlete, Nico Moschini, who took enthusiastically to the sport and returned for two subsequent years.
Ron said after moving to Arlington Park, the program drew about 12 athletes, and the next year 15 or 16, then finally 20 in 2024.
He said the organization will resume its clinics at Arlington Park beginning Nov. 10, on Tuesdays.
This year’s Special Olympics medal recipients, who competed in the categories of Red Ball and Red Ball 1, were Lucca Bocci (gold), Tessa Rager (gold), Virginia Barakos (bronze), Keith Torres-Viteri (bronze), Wendy Mikula (gold), and Marcus Truss (Silver).
Ron said about 90% of athletes are retained, while some decide to play other sports.
Athletes may include people with special needs, such as mild to severe autism or Down syndrome.
The program is tiered based on age and ability, and all athletes have the opportunity to advance to the district, regional and state competitions.
However, Ron said coaches adapt to the needs of participants, to focus on athletes “just being a part of a group and giving it their best shot, so it’s not so much about how good they are and maybe how well they’re progressing, it’s all about them having fun and making connections with other people.”
Brianna Chapman, 17, decided to try Tennis for Fun this past season. Chapman has Williams syndrome,
which she said affects the body and means she needs help with learning, including math.
Chapman began in the Red Ball Skills category, learning abilities like how to hold a racket, bounce the ball and serve.
This past year, she won gold medals in regional, district and state championships, and this year, after advancing to Red Ball 1, won silver at the district level and bronze in regionals.
“It’s nice,” Brianna said. “You do exercising before you play, you get to play with your friends, you have coaches ... that support you through it and help you, and guide you.”
“I don’t see her stopping this,” said her father, Jay Chapman. “She really, really, really loves it and looks
forward to it. It wasn’t one of those things that she started and said, ‘Well, I tried this, and I don’t want to do that anymore.’”
Jay said one factor in their commitment to the program has been the temperament of the coaches.
“They don’t get upset or frustrated, but you can tell they really love it, because they really love tennis also, and sharing that, you can see that it’s something they want to do, like they really, really want to do it.”
Amy Truss was seeking different
social activities for her 13-year-old son, Marcus, who is homeschooled and has high-functioning autism, when she saw Tennis for Fun. Amy said while Marcus has moved on to many neurotypical sports, Tennis for Fun is a program in which he is continuing.
When he first began two seasons ago, it became apparent he had a natural ability in tennis, but she said what clicked about the program was “the positivity, the other volunteers, just the love surrounding the athletes, the other athletes.”
Through the first season in Red Ball Skills, Marcus earned gold medals in both sectionals and regionals, as well as at the state competitions, and after advancing in his second season, earned gold in sectionals and silver at the regionals and state levels, in Red Ball 1.
“I think of all of the sports that we have done, this program really immediately helped with his confidence and just kind of got him excited,” she said. “It helped him socially. He made a lot of friends, and Brenda and Ron have just been amazing.”
Ron said there is plenty of work involved in operating Tennis for Fun beyond the instruction; some of that, he says, can include getting the word out, entering athletes into the Special Olympics, and finding facility. He hopes its offerings can expand in scope, and notes that while the program has involved one-hour sessions each week, a Brandon program serves more than 100 athletes a day, with multiple sessions.
“It’s been very welcome; it’s been very successful,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of support, and we’re very thankful to have that support.”
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Brenda Shields, director, and Nico Moschini
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Gearing up for safety
Parent Jocelyn Martinez said she’d learned a new trick during the Bike Rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 2.
She learned that taking the pedals off a bike could help kids discover how to balance on it, and said this was something she was going to bring home with her.
“We’ll be coming next summer, as well,” Martinez said.
The sixth-annual Bike Rodeo, held at the Sarasota City YMCA branch on Aug. 2, included a bike safety and obstacle course for kids, with free bikes, helmets and tune-ups, all provided on a donation basis.
The Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club and the Sarasota Police Department also managed the event, with vendor Taco Fusion Express offering breakfast tacos.
Pamela Peters, membership coordinator at the YMCA, said the rodeo is held before the start of school, since many children ride their bikes to and from school.
She said although the event did not draw as large of a turnout as in past years, due to not being held during the YMCA’s summer camp, 70 families registered, with 32 bikes and some 40 helmets offered.
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby
Marina Prybylski, 7, and her brother Tristan Prybylski, 5, prepare to head onto the course.
Eloise Windsor, 5, receives a helmet from her mother, Christine Windsor.
Ivy Windsor, 2, rides on the course.
Casey Key home sells for $4 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Julie Tota, of Osprey, sold the home at 3909 Casey Key Road to William Roth and Margaret Roth, trustees, of Nokomis, for $4 million.
Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, five-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 6,335 square feet of living area.
SARASOTA SOUTHPOINTE SHORES
Polly Moles sold the home at 1701 Sandalwood Drive to Jeffrey Richard, trustee, of Boston, for $2.25 million. Built in 1969, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,712 square feet of living area. It sold for $720,000 in 1998.
HARTSDALE
Charles and Charlotte Winney, of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, sold their home at 1813 Boyce St. to Elizabeth Fraser and Edwin Ward Fraser, of Sarasota, for $2,224,500. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,414 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,655,000 in 2020.
CAMINO REAL
David Haenel, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 4153 Camino Real to Robert and Danae Pesce, of Sarasota, for $1.9 million. Built in 1966, it has four bedrooms, three-andtwo-half baths, a pool and 4,491 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,025,000 in 2018.
HARBOR ACRES
Richard and Jane Rosen, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1735 Flower Drive to Flower Drive LLC for $1.85 million. Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,840 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.1 million in 2020.
TOWN OF SARASOTA
Ivo Travnicek, of Sarasota, sold his home at 1251 Fourth St. to GSP Sarasota LLC for $1,555,800. Built in 1953, it has one bedroom, one bath and 1,219 square feet of living area. It sold for $455,000 in 2020.
FIELD CLUB ESTATES
Dennis Karl Morton and Edith Morton, of Louisville, Kentucky, sold their home at 1922 Field Road to Bridgette Anne Ehly and Kevin Ronald Ehly, of Sarasota, for $788,000. Built in 1963, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 1,900 square feet of living area. It sold for $137,000 in 1994.
SCHINDLER’S
Toby Jeffery Wade and Nicole Renee Desantis sold their home at 1738 Seventh St. to Osprey Avenue Sarasota LLC for $750,000. Built in 1972, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,624 square feet of living area. It sold for $701,000 in 2022.
PALMER RANCH
RIVO AT RINGLING
Timothy Wells McAneney and Terry McAneney, of Medford, New Jersey, sold their Unit 705 condominium at 1771 Ringling Blvd. to Scott Mulgrew, of Sarasota, for $610,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,483 square feet of living area. It sold for $398,000 in 2006.
GULF GATE EAST
Dana Marie Blatti, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 6684 Easton Drive to Peter and Renee Belina, of Owatonna, Minnesota, for $590,000. Built in 1982, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,794 square feet of living area. It sold for $285,000 in 2016.
BAHIA VISTA HIGHLANDS
Marlin Yoder, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1019 S. Tuttle Ave. to Jason and Kimberly Johnson, of New Philadelphia, Ohio, for $555,000. Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,078 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2019.
SIESTA KEY
SUMMER COVE ON SIESTA
John and Amie Marie O’Neill, of Canton, Ohio, sold their Unit 102C condominium at 1660 Summerhouse Lane to Jeffrey and Marie Ritter, of Cincinnati, for $1.2 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,110 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2017.
CRYSTAL SANDS
Ronald Hall, of Paducah, Kentucky, sold his Unit 20 condominium at 6300 Midnight Pass Road to Andrea and Eric Middleton, of Mesa, Arizona, for $880,000. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,128 square feet of living area. It sold for $28,000 in 1969.
SARASOTA BY THE SEA
Kevin McKinney, of Dearborn, Michigan, sold his home at 1138 Sun N Sea Drive to 1138 Sun N Sea LLC for $700,000. Built in 1958, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,246 square feet of living area. It sold for $245,000 in 2000.
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
PRESTANCIA
Michael Joseph Bartoszek and Renea Bartoszek sold their home at 3973 Boca Pointe Drive to Glenn Edwin Dixon III and Margaret Johns Dixon, of Sarasota, for $1.65 million. Built in 1993, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,689 square feet of living area. It sold for $725,000 in 2021.
Other top sales by area
SARASOTA: $3.8 MILLION
Graham Heights Lisa Knoop, trustee, sold two properties at 1714 Irving St. to AnnieMac Private Equity Cash2Keys for $3.8 million. The first property was built in 2012. It has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,718 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2012. It has one bedroom, one bath and 797 square feet of
area. They
for $1,795,000 in 2017.
SIESTA KEY: $1.8 MILLION
Cocoanut Bayou
Catherine Hoge, of Sarasota, sold her home at 222 Cedar Park Circle to Davenport Development LLC for $1.8 million. Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,201 square feet of living area.
PALMER RANCH: $2.11 MILLION
Legacy Estates on Palmer Ranch
Frank and Malushua Griffith, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5328 Brookgrove Drive to Volodymyr and Mariya Pigrukh, of Sarasota, for $2.11 million. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,853 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,026,500 in 2020.
OSPREY: $1.05 MILLION
Southbay Yacht and Racquet Club
YourObserver.com.
James and Drinda Michaud, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 142 Dory Lane to Jennifer Ponico, of New Rochelle, New York, for $1.05 million. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,531 square feet of living area. It sold for $360,000 in 2011.
Full Mouth Implant Dentistry
YOUR CALENDAR
FRIDAY, AUG. 8 BOOKMARK
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. Free. Create handmade bookmarks using leftover pulp from the library’s paper-making program. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9
MUSIC CLUB: AUDIO ENGINEERING TECH
Noon-1:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Professional musician Sandi Grecco will share her knowledge of music, including the looping pedal and digital recording, at the library’s Teen Room. She will return for another event on Aug. 23. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket. com.
FRESH, EASY, HEALTHY SNACKS
1-3 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. All ages. Chef Rocco Cartia and Chef Warren Caterson will provide fresh, easy, healthy snacks that you can make at home. This is the third of four Saturdays the program spans, the last being Aug. 23. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
MONDAY, AUG. 11
THE Y: PRIMETIME+
7:30-8:15 a.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. This total body conditioning class is suited to active seniors and beginners. Focusing on the core muscles including the abs and glutes, it helps support strength, safety and posture and balance. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
TUESDAY, AUG. 12
THE UKE DAYS OF SUMMER
1-2 p.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. Free. Learn the basis of the ukulele, including how to play a I— IV—V or Blues Progression with just three chords. Develop a vocabulary of chords, practice fluid chord transitions and learn rhythmic strumming techniques. A limited number of ukuleles will be available from the library’s Creation Station, while a few select ukuleles will be available to borrow for practice at home. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
BEST BET SUNDAY, AUG. 10
BRUNCH AT THE BAY FEATURING LIVE MUSIC BY MWIZA 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Nest, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy brunch at The Nest Café, with menu items that include waffles, eggs, sandwiches, muffins, Bloody Mary’s and mimosas, while you listen to live music “for the moderate hipster and pop lover” from Mwiza. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
THURSDAY, AUG. 14
SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP
2-3:30 p.m. at Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. Free. Teens and adults. Converse with others to improve your Spanish. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
ROSÉ ALL DAY ... ROSÉ ALL SEASONS SIP & SAVOR ROSÉ WINE & CHARCUTERIE TASTING
5-7 p.m. at Sarasota Wine Co., 64 South Palm Ave. Cost for members, $35; nonmembers, $40. Learn why rosé isn’t just for summer in an expert-led seminar showcasing this style of wine across all seasons. Learn about topics including the process of rosé winemaking, food pairings and tasting techniques while enjoying a generous selection of charcuterie. Spaces are limited, and reservations are required. Visit EventBrite.com.
Fun
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
“I’m super confident in our new coaching staff. I’m really excited for the games this year.”
SARASOTA AREA PREP FOOTBALL TRANSFER TRACKER
Anew high school football season begins Aug. 15 with Kickoff Classic preseason games. Cardinal Mooney will play at St. Thomas Aquinas at 7 p.m. The Raiders went 12-3 last season and won the Class 5A state championship over Lakeland 34-0. Booker will host Manatee at 7:30 p.m. The Hurricanes were a 10-2 program in 2024 and ended their season in the 5A state semifinals in a 16-13 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas. Riverview will play at Port Charlotte at 7:30 p.m. The Pirates ended last year at 10-3 with a loss to Naples in the 4A Region 3 final. Sarasota will play at Brandon at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles ended 2024 with a 1-9 record.
... Two Cardinal Mooney football players were nominated for the Sports Illustrated Florida High School Football Class 2A Preseason Player of the Year. Quarterback Devin Mignery, who threw for 1,637 yards and 22 touchdowns and ran for 1,199 yards and nine touchdowns last season was nominated, along with running back Connail Jackson, who rushed for 1,604 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2024. Mignery and Jackson helped lead Cardinal Mooney to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the 2A state semifinals.
... Former Riverview swimmer and Olympian Emma Weyant competed in the 22nd World Aquatics Championships in Singapore from July 27 through Aug. 3. Weyant placed fifth in the 400-meter individual medley (4:34.01).
... Making Waves Softball Team, based in Sarasota, played in the 2025 National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa, from July 24 to Aug. 4. The team finished 2-1 in pool play, defeating Sho-Me from St. Louis 10-1, and CT Thunder from Connecticut 22-7, before losing to California Spirit CAC 20-0.
KEY ADDITIONS
n Colton Dempsey
(Lakewood Ranch to Sarasota)
n Viktor Monoki
(Lakewood Ranch to Sarasota)
n Jayden Rivers (Lakewood Ranch to Sarasota)
n Luke O’Brien
(Lakewood Ranch to Riverview)
n Trenton Huffman
(Lakewood Ranch to Riverview)
n Cade Huffman
(Lakewood Ranch to Riverview)
n Nash Hudgens (North Port to Cardinal Mooney)
n Trevor Dutting-Morrell (Braden River to Cardinal Mooney)
n Vantrez Yarn (Palmetto to Cardinal Mooney)
KEY LOSSES
n Tyree Mannings Jr.
(Booker to Venice)
n Da’Ron Parks (Cardinal Mooney to Nitro WV)
IN-AREA TRANSFER
n Jamaun Thompson (Riverview to Booker)
Top football transfers to know
These additions and losses will impact the 2025 season.
Some of the top high school football players in the area transfer in and out of Sarasota area schools each year. That’s been the case again this offseason.
These are the top transfers to know about heading into a new fall season:
SARASOTA
Typically, a team like Sarasota would be on the wrong end of transfers.
The Sailors have historically been on the short end of other Sarasotaarea football programs. Last season, the team started 3-2, but lost its last five games to finish 3-7 under firstyear coach Anthony “Amp” Campbell.
However, the Sailors have added three talented players — running back Colton Dempsey, receiver Viktor Monoki and athlete Jayden Rivers — from Lakewood Ranch.
Each of those players should see the field in an impactful role for Sarasota, but the addition of Dempsey is intriguing.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior rushed for 1,015 yards (6.9 yards per rush) and 13 touchdowns last year with the Mustangs, and should force defenses to respect the run game enough to open up the passing game for sophomore quarterback Hudson West, who already has six Division I scholarship offers.
CARDINAL MOONEY
The Cougars had a key player leave this summer.
Offensive lineman Da’Ron Parks, who committed to Florida State University in July, went back home to West Virginia to play for Nitro High School the same week he committed to FSU. That loss would hurt, but the Cougars added Nash Hudgens, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound interior lineman, from North Port in January and Trevor Dutting-Morrell, a 6-foot-1, 295-pound lineman, from Braden River in February.
Those additions, coupled with senior returners like 6-foot-3, 300-pound offensive lineman Max Polivchak and 6-foot-5, 300-pound
offensive lineman Ethan Salata, should keep the Cougars stout up front.
Defensively, Cardinal Mooney retained most of its top players from last season and also added defensive back Vantrez Yarn, a senior transfer from Palmetto who had two interceptions and nine tackles in the Tigers’ spring game.
BOOKER
Booker didn’t lose any impact players this spring even though its former head coach Scottie Littles resigned in April.
Sophomore receiver Tyree Mannings Jr. transferred to Venice in July. That loss shouldn’t hurt the team too much, as the Tornadoes still have seniors Tyren Wortham, Dylan Wester and Chauncey Kennon, who combined for more than 2,300 yards and 29 touchdowns.
However, Mannings Jr. is a dynamic player who had 35 receptions for 838 yards and seven touchdowns despite being a freshman competing with four older receivers for targets. Losing Mannings Jr. will surely be felt in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
The Tornadoes also improved their defense thanks to a local transfer, though.
Senior edge rusher Jamaun Thompson transferred from Riverview to Booker in July, and he should help replace the pass-rushing efforts of recently graduated players Jordan Radkey and Dajien Walton, who combined for 21 sacks in 2024.
RIVERVIEW Speaking of Thompson, the loss of
his presence stings at Riverview.
The Rams have lost several top seniors to Sarasota County programs — namely Venice — over the past few years, and that trend continued into 2025.
Thompson would have fit in well on a defensive line alongside 5-foot11, 309-pound defensive tackle Kyvon Love, but the Rams will now have to find a replacement.
Before Thompson’s departure, Riverview was in a strong spot with transfers.
The Rams had lost no players since the hiring of coach Mark Cristiani until Thompson, and had even added three players — left tackle Luke O’Brien and receivers Trenton and Cade Huffman — from Lakewood Ranch. Coming off a 4-6 season, Riverview still has the chance to have a better year this fall, and the challenging practices and no-nonsense discipline of Cristiani, a former Army Ranger, will likely produce a tougher team.
— Sydney Mullen, Sarasota High volleyball SEE PAGE 27
File image Cardinal Mooney quarterback Devin Mignery and the Cougars will travel to Fort Lauderdale to play St. Thomas Aquinas in a Kickoff Classic game on Aug. 15.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
Lakewood Ranch High junior Colton Dempsey bursts through the Lemon Bay High defense.
The top fall prep sports games in Sarasota
Rivalries, district matchups and top talent litter the schedule this year.
Each
and the regular season begins Aug. 19. I’ve combed through the schedules, matchups and districts to put together a list of the top fall sports games fans will want to mark on their calendars.
Some standout teams to watch this season include Cardinal Mooney and Booker football, which both finished last season one game short of playing for a state championship, and Cardinal Mooney volleyball, which went 22-5 and made it to a regional championship match. But that doesn’t mean those teams have the only games worth watching. These are the top high school games to watch this fall in Sarasota:
CARDINAL MOONEY FOOTBALL VS. TRUE NORTH CLASSICAL ACADEMY (AUG. 22 AT 7 P.M.)
Fans will have their first look at the Class 2A Cougars football team in the regular season at home against Class 1A True North Classical Academy out of Miami.
The Titans finished last season 8-4 and made it to the regional semifinal round. They feature junior quarterback Zac Katz, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound three-star prospect who threw for 2,412 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2024. Though this game doesn’t hold any weight in the district, every game will be important for regional seeding and this game could give a good indication of Cardinal Mooney’s talent.
CARDINAL MOONEY VOLLEYBALL VS. VENICE (SEPT. 4 AT 7 P.M.)
Cardinal Mooney finished with a 22-5 record and a run to the Class 3A regional final round.
However, the Cougars lost four of their top seniors from last year, and this early-season matchup against Class 7A Venice — another top team in southwest Florida — should test this new-look team and give a peek at their ability to replicate last season’s success.
BOOKER FOOTBALL VS. NAPLES (SEPT. 12 AT 7:30 P.M.)
In a matchup of two teams who made it to the state semifinal round last season, Class 3A Booker will host Class 4A Naples in one of the best matchups of the year.
The run-heavy Golden Eagles graduated star running back Shawn Simeon, who ran for 2,079 yards and scored 21 touchdowns last year, but have replaced him with Sam
Sparacio, an Army commit who has averaged 6.4 yards per carry across three seasons with First Baptist Academy.
SARASOTA FOOTBALL AT RIVERVIEW (SEPT. 26 AT 7:30 P.M.)
This is a Class 7A-District 8 matchup, but when both teams play in a district with Venice, this game might not mean much for the championship.
However, area matchups are always fun and this should draw a packed house.
Though the Rams should be favored in this one, the Sailors have added some talented players this offseason and will have Division I quarterback prospect Hudson West leading the offense in his sophomore season.
CARDINAL MOONEY VOLLEYBALL
VS. RIVERVIEW (OCT. 9 AT 7 P.M.)
Cardinal Mooney and Class 7A Riverview were the two best volleyball teams in Sarasota last season, and that should be the case again.
Though this game doesn’t matter for district standings, it gives both teams a chance to lay claim to bragging rights as the best team in Sarasota this season and a chance for the Rams to avenge their 3-0 loss to the Cougars last year.
CARDINAL MOONEY FOOTBALL
VS. LAKEWOOD (OCT. 10 AT 7 P.M.)
The Cougars play in a three-team district this season with St. Petersburg Lakewood and Tarpon Springs, and this game is their first of two district games — and their only district game at home.
If Cardinal Mooney can beat Lakewood, it will set up a de-facto district championship game at Tarpon Springs. Lakewood went 6-6 last season, but lost several playmakers including 1,000-yard rusher Tayshawn Bell and two receivers, Keontae Byas and Derrion McNeal, to graduation.
BOOKER FOOTBALL VS. SEMINOLE (OCT. 31 AT 7 P.M.)
One of the Tornadoes’ best matchups of the year comes at a great time — a regular-season finale at home on Halloween. Seminole (Seminole) is a traditionally successful program that finished 10-2 in 2024 and made it to the Class 7A-Region 1 championship before losing to Lake Mary, which lost to Venice in the state championship.
File photos
Sarasota freshman quarterback Hudson West rolls to his right against Braden River High, looking for an open receiver. The Sailors’ 10-6 win over the Pirates was a sign of progress for the rebuilding program.
Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.
Cardinal Mooney’s RJ Mosley catches a deep ball from Devin Mignery against Booker High in the fall 2024 season. Mosley would score on the play.
Booker High’s Joel Morris (11) escapes the pocket for a big gain.
Sydney Mullen
The Sarasota High volleyball team is entering a new era under first-year coach Emma Thrift, and some returning veterans will be back to help usher in that change. Libero Sydney Mullen, a 5-foot5 junior, is back after posting the second-most digs on the team (157) last season along with receiving the third-most serves (134) and posting the third-most aces (23).
When and why did you start playing volleyball?
I started playing volleyball in fourth grade. I was just looking for a sport to spend my time in because I wasn’t sure what I was interested in. I love making new friends, and it gives me something to keep me active all the time.
What’s been the most memorable part of summer workouts?
Making new friends. I have all of my friends from volleyball. Meeting the new coaches has been fun, too. I think they’re awesome. I’m really excited for this upcoming year. They give really good feedback, nothing like I’ve ever had before, and I feel like I can really connect with them because it’s an all-girls staff.
What is your favorite all-time volleyball memory?
In club (Elite Volleyball Prep Academy), we got second place in AAU nationals, which was huge for me. Also, we won a bid this year to go to Dallas. We went undefeated up until the last game, and we had never done anything like that before, so it was super cool to accomplish that.
What makes you confident in this year’s Sarasota High volleyball team?
I’m super confident in our new coaching staff. I’m really excited for the games this year. But also, we have some amazing talent on our team, and I feel like we can go really far.
What is your most humbling moment in volleyball?
How our Riverview game went last year and the end of the year was
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.
pretty humbling. We did not play our best and we got crushed.
What is your favorite meal?
I really like nachos. Chicken nachos, beef nachos, any nachos. I like to go to Mi Pueblo; that’s a place we go to as a family, and also Gilligan’s nachos are pretty good.
What is your favorite TV show or movie?
I don’t have any favorites. I kind of just watch everything.
What is your go-to warm-up song?
I have a playlist that’s like good vibes, but I don’t have a specific song I always listen to. It’s kind of a mix of everything.
If you’re not playing volleyball, what are you doing?
Hanging out with my friends and family. We like to go to the beach and the mall, kind of just local things in Sarasota. I like to go to the gym, too, when we’re not training.
Finish this sentence. Sydney Mullen is ... Hard-working.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
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By Luis Campos
Scott Veix took this photo of a honey bee feasting on sap from a fallen tree in Braden Woods.
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