Siesta Key Observer 7.1.21

Observer

SIESTA KEY

JULY 2021

Observer

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VOLUME 51, NO. 51

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

Still hitting the bricks?

Debate rises over restoring weekend closures on Lemon. PAGE 4

Courtesy photo

Mural looks into park’s future

A new mural of children playing in the Rosemary District is more than a nice image.

It’s the shape of things to come.

About 20 middle school students with the Sarasota School of Arts & Sciences summer camp worked with the DreamLarge organization to paint a mural at 531 Central Ave. recognizing the future site of the planned Rosemary Park on June 25.

Art teacher Brian Hubbard and his wife, Sarah, led the students in painting the mural designed by artist Cat Forrest and commissioned

by DreamLarge.

Money for art students

The Arts Advocates nonprofit in Sarasota has long provided local students studying the arts with scholarships to help advance in their various programs.

The group recently continued that trend, awarding eight grants to Sarasota County students and one Manatee County student totaling more than $25,000 for the 2021-22 school year.

Emily Cain, Sophia Coscia, Thaleia Dasberg, Pablo Gonzalez, Colin Leonard, Zaine Lodhi, Zoe Nikirk and Luca Stine from Sarasota and Markella Wagner from Manatee County were this year’s recipients.

All are pursuing arts degrees.

Turtle Tracks AS OF APRIL 25 TOTAL NESTS:

2021 2020 Siesta Key 320 344 Lido Key 53 104 Casey Key 825 975 TOTAL FALSE CRAWLS:

2021 2020 Siesta Key 362 417 Lido Key 129 154 Casey Key 994 1,380 Source: Mote Marine Laboratory

PRIDEFUL COLORS LGBTQ supporters show their stripes on 375-foot flag.

SEE PAGE 14 Harry Sayer

Michael Perez, Emma Moneuse, Jazmin Riley and Marcus Brewer march the flag across the bridge June 27.

Happy birthday, Sarasota Gripes over roads led to county’s 1921 push for independence.

SEE PAGE 3 Courtesy photo

Sarasota residents parade through the streets in 1921 after they voted to approve Sarasota County.

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Chance to shake with the ‘Killer.’

SEE PAGE 20

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WH AT’S H A PPENING

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

“We really needed to make sure we had the right dollars set aside for the significant work the building and the facilities need after the acquisition to bring it up where it needs to be.”

WEEK OF JULY 1, 2021

Trump headlines July 3 rally Former President Donald Trump is scheduled at a rally July 3 at the Sarasota Fairgrounds.

The Republican Party of Florida is sponsoring the Save America rally. The rally includes a fireworks show.

Doors open at 2 p.m., and the event will include live music, concessions, merchandise giveaways and special guest speakers. Trump is expected to give remarks at 8 p.m. followed by the fireworks.

Register for tickets at Events.DonaldJTrump.com/ events/rally-in-sarasota-fl.

Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Nicole Rissler on the county’s $170,000 bid for the South Gate Community Center and its 4.4 acres. READ MORE ON PAGE 6

BY THE NUMBERS 70

Additional residential units requested for redevelopment in Sarasota’s Bath and Racquet Club.

PAGE 4

190

Of 260 South Gate residents voting against a deal to sell their community center to Sarasota County.

PAGE 6

Reading scores drop four points

Eric Garwood

The first round of Florida Standards Assessments are in, and as expected, Sarasota County’s proficiency rates took a dip.

After a school year full of campus closures and remote learning, third grade students tested 4 percentage points lower in English Language Arts than in 2019. FSA testing was canceled in 2020.

This year, a total of 3,119 third grade students participated.

The statewide average also dropped 4 percentage points in the 2020-21 school year.

Sarasota ranked fifth in the state for performance behind Sumter, Nassau and Baker counties with 68% scoring a 3 or above and St. Johns with 78% scoring a 3 or above.

Allegiant will begin service to Washington-Dulles in December.

$35,000

Price paid by Owen Burns in 1923 for about 75% of the city of Sarasota.

PAGE 18

CALENDAR n Sarasota City Com-

mission regular meeting — 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 6 and Wednesday, July 7, Commission meeting chamber, City Hall, 1565 First St. n Sarasota County Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 14, Commission chambers, County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd.

Allegiant adds nation’s capital to its SRQ destinations S arasota-Bradenton International Airport is one of Allegiant Air’s two new Florida destinations from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport.

The airline will launch the new service Dec. 18, adding to its 24 destinations from SRQ, more than any other carrier at the airport. Washington service will begin from Jacksonville on Nov. 18.

Minneapolis-St. Paul (Oct. 8) and Springfield-Branson, Missouri, (Nov. 19) will begin

flying from Punta Gorda.

“We continue to expand our network to provide customers with our unique brand of convenient, affordable nonstop service to even more of the cities they want to visit — whether it’s for a long overdue vacation or to reconnect with family and friends,” said Drew Wells, Allegiant’s senior vice president of revenue and planning, in a statement. “Now more than ever, travelers choose to fly Allegiant be-

cause we take them directly to their destinations — without the hassle of layovers or connections.”

Allegiant in a press statement said initial introductory fares would be as low as $39.

Southwest Airlines flights from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Reagan National in Washington, D.C. will begin Nov. 7, along with daily service to Dallas’ Love Field.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

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This 1937 image shows Southside Elementary School surrounded by farmland and a few houses.

100 YEARS AGO TODAY BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

O

ne hundred years ago today, Sarasota County residents faced issues that would seem pretty common to 21st century residents: n Some landowners wanted to keep the area rural while others wanted to develop a bustling city. n Business operators were trying to find ways to attract customers. n Taxpayers complained their dollars were being collected without any benefits. Of course, the taxes then were sent to Manatee County because there was no Sarasota County.

It was that frustration with their neighbors to the north that drove community leaders of the era — John Hamilton Gillespie, Bertha Palmer, Owen Burns, and Charles and John Ringling, to name a few — to take matters into their own hands.

It was their dream to spin off from Manatee County and become their own county. And on July 1, 1921, it happened, largely over another issue familiar to modern-day residents.

Roads.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS Meet some of the people credited with making Sarasota County actually work on Page 18. Spoiler alert: You’ve seen a lot of their names on maps and street signs already.

Classifieds 25 Games 24 Real Estate 22 Weather 24

JULY 1, 2021

YOUR NEIGHBORS course in the U.S. He died on his golf course in 1923 and was buried in the Rosemary Cemetery.

Today, Gillespie Park is named for him.

Bertha Palmer’s home at Historic Spanish Point

OWEN BURNS

FOUNDING FIGURES

Above: File photo Below: Photos courtesy of Sarasota County Libraries

As Sarasota was becoming a county, there were a few key residents who helped it become a thriving community.

JOHN HAMILTON GILLESPIE

BRYNN MECHEM | STAFF WRITER

S

& Historical Resources

When Burns arrived in Sarasota in 1910, he purchased about 75% of the city’s land from Gillespie for $35,000, worth about $1 million today.

Upon his purchase, Sarasota was a dirt-road town with a few real estate developments started

by Gillespie. Burns helped start the Sarasota Board of Trade, later known as the Chamber of Commerce, and the first bank.

He is credited with creating an urban city after bringing the first paved streets, the first seawalls and the original causeways connecting St. Armands and Lido Key. He oversaw the creation of Golden Gate Point and Sunset Park.

He also was a key resident pushing for the establishment of Sarasota County.

Historic Burns Court district is named for him.

arasota County is home to the likes of author Stephen King, AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson and television personality Jerry Springer.

And although no one can deny the star power of 2021, the county

also was home to famous figures 100 years ago. While perhaps not nationally known, these figures had a large impact on the foundation of the county.

Often referred to as “the father of Sarasota,” Gillespie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1852.

The Scot was sent to Sarasota in 1886 to assist a failing colony of about 60 Scottish families who were sent to the area to settle land acquired by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Co., partially owned by Gillespie’s father.

Under Gillespie’s leadership, 3 miles of Main Street were cleared, a wharf was built on the waterfront, and a 40-acre farm was built. In 1902 he was elected Sarasota’s first mayor and held office for six terms.

Perhaps his most notable contribution is introducing Florida to golf. In 1904 he built a nine-hole course east of present-day Links Avenue. It was the second golf

BERTHA PALMER

After such figures as Gillespie began developing the area, socialites began vacationing in Sarasota. Palmer, a Chicago socialite, bought a vacation home the same year Burns arrived, 1910.

An agricultural businesswoman by trade, Palmer, already in her 60s, purchased 80,000 acres to use for cattle ranching. The land she acquired composed about

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“The issue, I think, can be called existential in the sense that if your community is not on a main road, which itself connects to other main roads, then you will wither on the vine and die economically,” said Historian Frank Cassell, who wrote the book “Creating Sarasota County.”

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A dispute over (you guessed it) roads set up the official establishment of Sarasota County on July 1, 1921.

Courtesy photos

The Ringling Causeway used to be a flat bridge.

Bradenton instead of continuing south, effectively cutting off economic business from Sarasota.

In fact, during a mass meeting in favor of the separation, Joseph Halton in 1920 said the county must split to get a “square deal.”

“The purpose of this meeting, as I understand it, is to band together to accomplish a purpose for the benefit of the individual, the city, the county and the state,” Halton said. “To a cause of progression that we feel is being found and fettered by the negligence of our section by other parts of this county to our most crying need — good roads.”

Spurred on, Sarasota residents began hosting more meetings to determine how to become their own county, resulting in snowballing public opinion. A committee, chaired by attorney John Burket, was formed in 1920 to propose how a separation could be accomplished, eventually petitioning the Legislature.

In May 1921, both Florida houses approved legislation to create Sarasota County. Then-Gov. Cary Hardee signed it the next day, setting up a referendum for June 15.

Committee members began rallying residents to vote. At the same time, Rose Phillips Wilson, the publisher of The Sarasota Times and a suffragette, held meetings to push women to express that right in a June 1921 ballot.

Six precincts were involved in the vote: Sarasota, Osprey, Venice Englewood, Miakka and Manasota. The proposal was ratified with 518 in favor and 154 against.

On July 1, 1921, the Florida government officially recognized Sarasota as its own county.

Infrastructure had to be built, including buildings, railroads and roads, none of which would have been possible without the contributions of Black residents, said Rob Bendus, the manager of the county’s Historical Resources Department.

“One thing that gets overlooked all the time is the contribution of Black Americans,” Bendus said.

“We don’t often think about how Sarasota got built. How did the roads and railroads get built?

Where did the timber come from?

How did the farming get done?

That was all done on the backs of Black Americans, and they never get enough credit for that.”

The new county also had to elect leaders, which it did a year later in 1922. That government then had to not only navigate running a new government but also deal with a Manatee County that was surely feeling sour.

Cassell said there were reports of Manatee not releasing information that was due to the new county. The Manatee County judge wouldn’t release court filings, and the Manatee tax collector wouldn’t release taxes that were due to Sarasota.

“I don’t know what they were seeking to do, but they certainly made themselves as obnoxious as possible,” he said.

Although there were hardships, the county prospered, which Cassell said wouldn’t have been possible without a civic-minded elite.

Through architecture, arts, ecological and economic ventures, Bendus said visitors have always been attracted to the area — something he doesn’t anticipate will end anytime soon.

“People have been coming to Sarasota for 14,000 years,” Bendus said. “People have been attracted to Sarasota for a really long time. I think people come here because it’s a great place to live, the quality of life is superior, and we have such a rich history.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

TIMELINE

The timeline of Sarasota County’s founding: Dec. 14, 1842 William Whitaker is the first recorded white settler.

1870 First settlers arrive and make camp between Hudson Bayou and Phillippi Creek.

1878 “Sara Sota” post office opens in the only store in the area.

1905 Bank of Sarasota is established.

1913 Legislature passes act to incorporate Sarasota as a city officially starting Jan. 1, 1914.

A.B. Edwards is elected the city’s first mayor.

April 7, 1921 The Board of Commerce meets to discuss a bill creating the county. It is approved.

May 11, 1921 Both Florida houses pass the legislation creating the county.

June 15, 1921 Citizens vote to approve a new county.

July 1, 1921 The Florida government officially recognized Sarasota County as the state’s 62nd county.

1927 John Ringling moves his circus winter headquarters to Sarasota.

1927 Sarasota County Courthouse is completed.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

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Street closure plans still in flux

Another revision, another review for Bath and Racquet DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

Will the prospect of 70 extra apartments change the City Commission’s positive outlook on the proposed redevelopment of the Bath and Racquet Club site?

That question will be answered at Wednesday’s commission meeting, when the board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on revised plans for the property at 2170 Robinhood St. Earlier this year, the commission voted 4-1 to approve a rezone to facilitate a mixed-use project on the 13.4-acre site. The initial plans called for 207 apartments, a new fitness complex with tennis courts and a pickleball facility in addition to commercial and office space. In total, the project was slated to include up to 119,000 square feet of nonresidential floor area.

Now the development team is asking the city for permission to add residences to the project in exchange for downsizing the commercial space. The revised application seeks to give the developer flexibility to add up to 70 units — one for every 1,000-square-foot decrease in the size of the nonresidential floor area.

Courtesy rendering

At an April workshop, neighborhood residents objected to adding more residential units.

IF YOU GO Regular City Commission meeting When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 7 Where: Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

Architect Michael Halflants said the change was an effort to broaden the market for a company interested in carrying out the development site. Halflants said there is stronger interest in residential space than commercial space, particularly following the emergence of COVID-19.

“We’re trying to make this work,” Halflants said.

Halflants has said the change will make the project less intensive because residential space generates fewer vehicular trips and requires fewer parking spaces than the equivalent amount

of commercial space. City staff determined the modified plan had a minimal impact on traffic considerations and did not warrant an updated report on the project.

Still, at an April workshop, residents near the project site objected to the prospect of adding more residences.

“We don’t want this many people in the neighborhood,” resident Pamela Lyon said.

Halflants said the proposed changes would make the development more compatible with neighboring residential areas. He also said the project would provide benefits for the city because 15% of the units would be offered at affordable rates and because he felt Sarasota needed a more robust market-rate supply of moderately sized housing in an urban setting.

“For a lot of people to live close to where they work, live close to where they play, live in a community close to other people — that’s something that is very enjoyable,” Halflants said.

The Gator Club is leading a push to reinstate expanded outdoor seating on Lemon Avenue, while downtown leaders consider options.

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

D

uring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city authorized a series of weekend closures on downtown street segments to facilitate outdoor dining on Lemon Avenue and Main Street.

In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis let Florida’s state of emergency associated with COVID-19 expire. The city likewise stopped extending its local public health emergency, suspending orders that had been executed under that state of emergency — including those street closures. Now at least one business is attempting to rally support to reinstate the expanded outdoor seating.

A representative for The Gator Club owners did not respond to requests for inquiry, but the bar’s staff confirmed the establishment was gathering signatures from customers on a petition to allow the closure of Lemon Avenue between Main Street and

State Street on the weekends. A June 14 post on The Gator Club’s Facebook page asked supporters to contact the City Commission to share positive thoughts on reestablishing the Lemon Avenue outdoor dining.

“This not only provides jobs to people but is a way for local small businesses downtown to stay relevant and enjoy our city!!!” the post said.

In addition to the Lemon Avenue closure, the city also authorized weekend closures in the 1300 block of Main Street and the Ringling Spur adjacent to McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. In an emailed statement, the city said the closures ended with the expiration of the emergency declaration because the City Commission hadn’t directed staff to extend the program. In May, the commission voted to extend provisions allowing for outdoor dining in public parking spaces through at least the end of the year.

The city said it has told businesses interested in restoring the street closures that they would need to secure support from the commission and neighboring property owners.

After the city initially implemented the closures in spring 2020, the concept drew mixed feedback from merchants, though the restaurants that were able to expand their dining footprint said it was a boon during a financially

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challenging time.

“You help out one industry, the restaurants, by closing the streets, and you shoot the foot of the people who have the dress stores, the hair cutters, the jewelry stores,” said Ron Soto, the president of the Sarasota Downtown Enrichment Association, in a previous interview with the Sarasota Observer.

Chip Beeman, the owner of Pastry Art Bakery Café, has expressed concern about previous plans for extended street closures associated with construction near his Main Street business, located just east of the Lemon Avenue intersection. But he said the pandemic street closure, which was limited from 3:30 p.m. until midnight prior to its expiration, would probably not be excessively disruptive if officials wished to bring it back.

“It’s probably an OK thing — as long as it’s on a north-south street,” Beeman said.

File photo

FIRST FRIDAYS (AND SATURDAYS?)

Members of the Downtown Improvement District are pushing forward with plans for an even grander street closure at least once a month.

On June 1, the DID had a brief conversation about the possibility of closing Main Street to vehicular traffic to facilitate a recurring weekend event. Although the scope of any pedestrian-focused event is still to be determined, the idea was inspired by “First Friday” gatherings in locations including Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

DID Board Member Chris Voelker said she had received a letter expressing interest in the concept from Mayor Hagen Brody, and she felt elected officials

David Conway

Above: In 2020 and the first half of 2021, the city closed portions of Main Street and Lemon Avenue to facilitate expanded outdoor dining. The program expired when the city stopped extending its COVID-19 state of emergency.

Left: Although Lemon Avenue businesses, such as Boca, can use sidewalks for outdoor dining, The Gator Club is asking the city for permission to once again extend that seating into the streets on weekends.

would be interested in working with the DID if the board desired.

“I sense some energy,” Voelker said. “I’ve heard this before from the commissioners about wanting to do First Fridays.”

Voelker and other DID board members noted that the events wouldn’t necessarily have to be held on the first Friday of the month — or limited to Fridays at all. Board member Eileen Hampshire pointed out that Palm Avenue merchants have a recurring gallery walk in the evenings on the first Friday of the month, which she suggested could be a natural foundation for a bigger event.

“We have a nucleus,” Hampshire said. “We’ve had first Friday on Palm Avenue for what, 30 years? I would say build on it; don’t reinvent the wheel.”

Although Beeman said he was OK with a limited closure on Lem-

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

on Avenue, he expressed opposition to the prospect of extended closures of Main Street. He said a once-monthly pedestrian-only event could be manageable, but he thought anything more than that would cause problems.

The DID has expressed optimism that closing Main Street to cars could create a more vibrant environment downtown, but Beeman said that he didn’t see the benefit.

“It’s changing the personality of what the city is and what’s drawn people here to being something someone saw in another town,” Beeman said. “They’re willing to take a risk with other merchants’ money to see if they can make their dream come true.”

DID board member Mark Kauffman said he’s received feedback from downtown stakeholders who have said the vast majority of efforts to create pedestrian-only streets have failed.

“I appreciate that, and I agree with that figure, but this is not a pedestrian mall,” he said. “This is closing a street only for Friday night, Saturday night and maybe Sunday afternoon.”

Although Kauffman has expressed support for a recurring event spanning the entire weekend, the DID has not settled on a plan. The board is scheduled to discuss its options July 6.

Regardless of the eventual model, the group is hopeful it can test a First Friday-style program in the near future to gauge its viability as a long-term endeavor.

“This is something I would try for, say, six months,” Kauffman said. “And if it works, then we can keep funding it.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

Residents vote to keep community center

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BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

Residents of the South Gate community had to face a decision that many business owners often find themselves in: to keep the doors open for the community or to sell.

Members of the South Gate Community Association on Tuesday voted whether to sell the South Gate Community Center and its 4.4 acres to Sarasota County or keep it, despite the burden it puts on the association’s finances.

And they had a resounding answer: Keep the building.

About 260 people of the approximately 300-member association voted. Of those, 42 were in favor of selling, 27 were opposed to the sale but in favor of continuing conversations with the county, and 190 were opposed to the sale outright.

The center, located at 3145 South Gate Circle, was designed by architect Victor Lundy in 1956 as an example of the post-war modern Sarasota School of Architecture style. The association has operated the property for 65 years and has long used the building for rentals, community events and a neighborhood swimming pool.

Sarasota County put an offer in on the property as part of its Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program. The program, approved by voters in 2005, allows

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the county to purchase land with public funds and transform it into recreational environments to preserve the county’s natural environment and cultural heritage.

Since 2018, the county has worked with South Gate to identify opportunities for the property, which sits just off Phillippi Creek.

The offer, which was sent to the association May 10, was valued at $170,000 in cash for the property.

However, many residents said the county’s offer was too low.

The association in 2018 had the property evaluated, and it was assessed at a market value of $1,055,000.

Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Nicole Rissler acknowledged the offer was below market value, but she said it was necessary.

“We really needed to make sure we had the right dollars set aside for the significant work the building and the facilities need after the acquisition to bring it up where it needs to be,” Rissler said.

The county agreed to preserve the community center and make improvements to the park including adding a playground, a kayak launch, a fishing pier and picnic shelters. The improvements have an estimated cost of $500,000.

Still, residents said the offer was too low, particularly considering the growth in 2021 real estate values across the county. Sarasota’s median price for single-family homes climbed to $407,000 in May, an all-time high for the county and an 36.6% increase from May 2020.

“It’s a laughable offer,” board

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

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member Allison Werner said. “It’s laughable that we’re even here having to discuss it, to be totally honest.”

Additionally, if the offer had been approved, the county would have demolished and filled the community pool. In the offer letter, the county notes the pool is in poor condition and would bring too much liability and operating expenses if it were kept.

However, proponents for the sale say the association is barely making enough money to keep afloat. Just about 10% of the community is signed up for the $75 per year fee, with another 80 paying the $150 a year fee to access the pool.

It takes somewhere between $4,000 and $5,000 a month to operate the property. To help make up for a lack of membership fees, the community rents the center to the public, but board members say that sometimes isn’t enough.

The building cost the association about $83,000 to operate in 2020, despite it not being open due to COVID-19. It also was not able to make any revenue due to the pandemic and relied on a loan from a South Gate resident to keep the doors open in 2021.

Last week, more than 1,100 residents gathered to discuss the future of the center before they had to vote Tuesday. Although

most were against selling, some questioned what would happen should an unforeseeable incident, such as a flood or a broken air conditioning unit, occur.

“Everything is fine now, but what if?” Vice President Seth Johnson said. “What if something goes wrong? What if a big tree falls down and hits the building? What if the AC suddenly stops working? … If any one of those things happened, the rental business that is driving the expenses would be in jeopardy.”

Although Johnson at the meeting said he was unsure which way he was voting, should the community retain the property, it would need about five times the number of current paying members to function smoothly.

Now that residents have voted to keep the building in the association’s hands, association leaders are hoping to redirect short-term support into a long-term solution.

“We have almost 2,200 homeowners in South Gate,” association President Dave Swenson said. “I am not a shy person. I will ask for their money if I have to.”

Leaders said should the need arise in the future, the association could approach the county for another sale. It would still be listed under the acquisition program, though the county would need proof of a willing seller before negotiations again began.

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

SARASOTA / SIESTA KEY

OPINION / OUR VIEW

How will this end?

No one knows how the current strife in America will end. But we’ve been resilient for 245 years.

And we know this, too: An essential ingredient to pursuing happiness is you must be free.

MATT WALSH

R

uminations — some new, some old — on Independence Day, liberty, pursuit of happiness, Spirit of America, revolution and how it ends …

To help remind us that Independence Day is much more than beer, hot dogs, fireworks and family, that July 4 is etched in history as the birth of a nation the likes of which the world had never seen, the Observers since 2007 have published our special section, “Spirit of America.”

Each year we try to capture through the people who live among us the special characteristics that make Americans American and how these neighbors of ours embody and live those memorial words in the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As you’ll see in this year’s section, our editorial staff focused on “the pursuit of happiness.”

How do we pursue happiness?

At the root of that pursuit is the human yearning to be free; to be individuals; to be free to make our own choices, choices in our self-interest and the interests of others; and not to be under the yoke of some tyrannical power who makes us slaves.

Far, far too few Americans seem to appreciate — indeed, revere — all of that. Nor do they appreciate how extraordinary were the Declaration of Independence and the aura around it or how precious it still is and how precious it is to their lives today.

We always hope our “Spirit of America” section helps stir readers’ patriotic sentiments.

And we hope it reminds us that what we have — one of the freest nations in the world — is always so tenuous.

Often repeated are those famous words of founding father Benjamin Franklin. As he exited the Constitutional Convention, a group of citizens asked him what kind of government the delegates created. He responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Surely few in that group realized at that moment Franklin’s deep wisdom — foreshadowing the endless trials this republic

has endured for 245 years.

We are in one of those trials now. As a friend has told us repeatedly: We have been in the midst of another civil war since 2016, at least since then — albeit one that so far, thankfully, has avoided widespread death.

It sure feels like a civil war.

For the generations that were born after World War II, the strife in America today might feel worse than at any other time. But to a great extent, it’s comparable to the social and civil unrest that swept the country in the 1960s and early 1970s.

History always repeats.

We baby boomers lived through the racial riots that burned our major cities; through the radical terrorist attacks of the Weather Underground, Symbionese Liberation Army, Black Panthers and Students for a Democratic Society — all Marxist-inspired groups. Their members were the leading anti-Vietnam War protesters and serious agitators for a major revolution.

In an 18-month period between 1971 and 1972, author Brian Burrough reports these groups set off 2,500 bombs across the U.S. “What makes the 1970s so different, especially from today,” Burrough told NPR, “is that there were all these militants that believed that the way to right these wrongs was to detonate bombs, was to assassinate policemen, was to engage in shootouts and kidnappings.”

Then, as now, one of the war cries was police brutality against black people.

The Weather Underground also went so far as to detonate bombs in the U.S. Capitol and Pentagon in separate incidents in 1971 and 1972. But unlike today, neither Congress nor the U.S. military set up wire fencing with armed soldiers to surround the Capitol or Pentagon and protect members of Congress from the radical protesters.

LIKE AN INSIDIOUS CANCER

To an extent, you can say history is repeating. But this time those who want to tear down our republic, who want to tear down what the framers’ extraordinary minds created (the most just constitutional republic in all of mankind), have spread far, wide and deep like an insidious cancer into our academies, halls of governments (local, state and national) and the courts.

We have lost two generations in our education system, conditioned to believe that what the founders created and all that followed should be rejected in favor of government models that have murdered and impoverished hundreds of millions.

What’s more, those who reject what Americans have defended for 245 years have taken over in the highest places of public and corporate power. Their mission is increasingly clear: to enslave you to their power and the power of the state, to take away your freedom to pursue your happiness.

That is no exaggeration.

To pursue happiness, an essential requirement is that

you must be free. Author Robert Reilly captured this idea well in his recent book, “America on Trial, a Defense of the Founding”: “To be fully human, one must be free. That is why Jefferson said that ‘the God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time.’ If freedom is God’s intention for man, then the ground of freedom must be virtue so as to prevent enslavement by vice.”

In a similar vein, Reilly notes, “politics cannot meet the demands of the human soul, for it cannot achieve perfect justice.

The founders realized that one must look beyond politics for the spiritual fulfillment for which man hungers.

“Any attempt to fulfill the soul’s ultimate desire through politics — by trying to achieve perfect justice — would transform the state into a totalitarian enterprise. The founders knew this,” Reilly writes.

If we want Americans to enjoy the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we must reject the politicians, academicians, court justices and agitators who reject the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, the truths and principles that Americans have defended for 245 years.

DON’T COUNT US OUT

How will the strife that has gripped this nation the past halfdecade end?

In Robert Reilly’s “America on Trial,” he notes that John Adams wrote a letter in 1818 to a publisher: “The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People. … This radical Change in the Principles, Opinions, Sentiments and Affection of the People was the real American Revolution.”

We’re not suggesting we are headed toward another revolutionary war or another civil war full of death and destruction.

But the conflict in America today has two distinct, opposing sides that are festering “in the Minds and Hearts of the People.”

You can read many articles here and abroad of predictions of the fall of the American empire, much like the fall of the Roman Empire — destruction from within.

No one, of course, can see just yet how our troubles will end.

Like most difficult times, they’re likely to get worse before they get better. And you can expect there likely will be a tipping point.

As noted earlier, to an extent, we are repeating some of the strife that tore the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s. That ended with the adoption of the Civil Rights Act, the end of the Vietnam War, the resignation of Richard Nixon, and the eventual election of Jimmy Carter and his four years of malaise.

Then along came Ronald Reagan.

So don’t count us out. The pendulum will swing. We have been a resilient people from the moment the pilgrims landed at

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

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Publisher / Emily Walsh EWalsh@YourObserver.com

REMNANTS: MORE THAN YOU THINK At times of social upheaval like this, you hear of family, friends and co-workers express despair, helplessness and worry that great catastrophe looms.

This cloud of concern brings to mind a 1936 essay by the distinguished writer Albert Nock, “Isaiah’s Job.” Nock wrote of a friend who had ambitions to spread his political-economic doctrine to the masses.

But Nock tried to dissuade him with the story of the prophet Isaiah.

Using literary license, Nock wrote how God instructed Isaiah to go out and warn the people of the great wrath that was about to befall them if they didn’t change their ways.

Quoting God in modern language, Nock wrote: “Don’t mince matters.

Make it clear that they are positively down to their last chance. Give it to them good and strong, and keep on giving it to them.”

Then Nock added, quoting God again: “I suppose perhaps I ought to tell you that it won’t do any good.

The official class and their intelligentsia will turn up their noses at you, and the masses will not even listen.

They will all keep on in their own ways until they carry everything down to destruction, and you will probably be lucky if you get out with your life.”

Hearing this, Isaiah responded, “Why, if all that were so was there any sense in starting?”

To which, Nock wrote God responded: “Ah, you do not get the point. There is the remnant. … They are obscure, unorganized, inarticulate, each one rubbing along as best he can. They need to be encouraged and braced up because when everything has gone completely to the dogs, they are the ones who will come back and build up a new society; and meanwhile, your preaching will reassure them and keep them hanging on. Your job is to take care of the remnant.”

As Nock’s essay proceeds, he tells how God lets Isaiah know there are far more remnants than Isaiah realizes and that he should take comfort because the remnants will prevail.

— M.W., JULY 2, 2020

Plymouth Rock.

Continue to believe that all men are indeed created equal, and stand strong for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Happy Independence Day.

Executive Editor / Kat Hughes KHughes@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Eric Garwood EGarwood@YourObserver.com Deputy Managing Editor / David Conway, DConway@YourObserver.com Staff Writers / Brynn Mechem, BMechem@YourObserver.com Sports Reporter / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com Copy Editor/ Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Editorial Designers / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com; Carol Parker, CParker@YourObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Harry Sayer, HSayer@ YourObserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Sales Manager / Penny DiGregorio PDiGregorio@YourObserver.com Digital Sales and Business Development Manager / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver. com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@ YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@ YourObserver.com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver.com; Brenda White, BWhite@YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Audri Ferguson, AFerguson@ YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Emma Burke, EBurke@YourObserver. com; Lori Downey, LDowney@ YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com Marketing Coordinator / Samantha Dischinger, SDischinger@YourObserver. com Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Allison Wampole Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com Director of Information Technology / Adam Quinlin, AQuinlin@YourObserver. com Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@ YourObserver.com Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@YourObserver.com Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@YourObserver. com

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YourObserver.com

Commission to discuss investigating Brody’s conduct Ahearn-Koch requests consideration of inquiry, but support might be hard to find among other commissioners.

DAVID CONWAY DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

At the request of City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, the board is scheduled to discuss the possibility of investigating the conduct of Mayor Hagen Brody in the wake of a reported angry outburst at City Hall in March.

Three staff members filed reports to the city’s Human Resources department about Brody’s behavior March 29. The reports said Brody was upset with a video posted to the city’s Facebook page about a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. All three reports characterized Brody as being notably upset in the workplace for several hours, with one accusing the mayor of creating a toxic environment at City Hall.

Brody acknowledged his involvement in an argument with City Manager Marlon Brown on March 29, though he downplayed the severity and significance of the dispute. Subsequent HR reports from Commissioner Erik Arroyo and Planning Board member Dan Clermont, filed after the first statements became

File photos

Reports of Mayor Hagen Brody’s improper conduct were tied to his displeasure regarding a city-produced video highlighting a COVID-19 vaccination event at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

IF YOU GO

REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 6 Where: Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

public, said that they only heard elevated voices in the office for eight to 12 seconds.

The commission broached the subject of Brody’s behavior at a meeting in May. At the time, Ahearn-Koch raised the prospect of an investigation, stating her

belief officials had an obligation to thoroughly pursue allegations of improper conduct. AhearnKoch noted there was no clear precedent for how officials could respond to the reports about Brody, but she said she felt the city should take some action.

“As challenging and as difficult as it is to address these kinds of things, I think we do need to address it,” Ahearn-Koch said.

Finding support for an investigation from a majority of the commission could prove difficult. Commissioner Liz Alpert was also critical of Brody’s behavior, but she stated she would not pursue punitive action if the mayor acknowledged his actions

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were inappropriate and issued a sincere public apology. Brody was reticent to apologize at that meeting, but one day later, he did so in a statement.

“I’ve given this a lot of thought, and after reflecting on the conversation last night, I would like to clearly and publicly apologize to our staff and community for my behavior March 29,” Brody said in the statement. “I will do better.”

Commissioner Kyle Battie said he disapproved of Brody’s actions but did not want to dwell on the subject.

Arroyo offered limited remarks beyond his recounting of events, stating he did not perceive the incident to be as severe as reports made it out to be.

As part of the backup material for Tuesday’s meeting, AhearnKoch provided emails from residents who supported a continued investigation into Brody’s conduct — and, in some cases, punitive action from the rest of the commission.

“In any corporate environment, a leader who indulged in such behavior would be shown the door,” resident Kelly Franklin wrote in a May email. “While the City Commission does not have the power to remove a fellow commissioner from office, they do have the ability, and I believe the responsibility, not to condone or enable this behavior. Even if you can’t remove a bully from his pulpit, you can, and I believe must, take away the gavel.”

|

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

9

BACK-UP PLANS

Also at Monday’s commission meeting, the board is scheduled to discuss the possibility of waiving the city’s prohibition on back-in parking in public garages.

Commissioner Erik Arroyo placed the item on the agenda, stating it was inspired by feedback from residents who received tickets for violating the rule restricting back-in parking.

Arroyo said his research led him to believe that back-in parking is often considered a safer approach compared to pull-in parking, and he felt the city might not need to regulate how drivers navigated their cars into parking spots.

“I just put it on there as a discussion to see how we can move forward,” Arroyo said.

In an emailed statement, the city said the prohibition on back-in parking is intended to provide consistency and avoid confusion or safety issues while allowing enforcement personnel to easily identify license plates.

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

Awards go to top businesses M ore than 500 business figures and supporters filled the Hyatt Regency Sarasota for the 2021 Small Business Awards put on by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. The annual Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Small Business Awards recognize small business triumphs and acumen in the Sarasota community.

Larry Thompson of Ringling College of Art and Design welcomed back guests to in-person gatherings before chamber President and CEO Heather Kasten took the podium to welcome the business winners.

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Jim Miller with JMX Brands thanks the audience for receiving the Medium Business Award.

Darrin Rohr hands the Rising Star Award to Dennis Murphy with Gulfside Bank.

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

Budget projections higher than expected An increase in the county’s property values, among other factors, means the county will have more money than planned.

BRYNN MECHEM STAFF WRITER

Despite a year of budget uncertainties because of COVID-19, the county’s budget projections for fiscal year 2022 show promise of growth.

The county’s major revenue sources are trending higher than expected, which means commissioners have more money to consider when creating the fiscal year 2022 budget.

Before the pandemic spread throughout the U.S., officials estimated county property values would rise 5.8% in time for fiscal year 2022 evaluations. That estimate fell to 4.2% after the spread.

However, county officials in late May announced the value at

Courtesy rendering

One major project for fiscal year 2022 is $612,000 in planned amenities at The Bay project.

6.3% — a number that outperformed original projections.

That increase equates to an additional $11 million in the general fund budget, based on present millage rates. County officials told commissioners June 22 they expect a larger uptick when the final property values are released this week.

Property value figures are used by local government to set their budgets for the fiscal year. Sara-

sota County has had a promising year as the median home sale prices have risen to $407,000, a record high for the county.

In 2020, the taxable property values countywide hit a record mark of $65.5 billion. With median home prices on the rise, the taxable property values for fiscal year 2022 are estimated at $69.6 billion assuming at least 95% of the property taxes are paid.

In addition to property values,

Director of the Office of Financial Management Kim Radtke said several other county figures are promising.

The half-cent sales tax, state revenue sharing and the Florida Power & Light franchise fee all are trending upward.

Additionally, the tourist development tax has a projected revenue of $22.5 million, an increase of 18.4%.

It’s not all good news, though.

The Communications Services Tax number is down by about $585,000. Gas tax revenue will drop by about 5.4%, Radtke said.

Altogether, the general fund’s revenues are projected at $264 million, an increase of 5.1% over the previous year. Major revenues are projected at $550 million, an increase of 4% over the previous year.

“This increase is good news,” Radtke said. “We have seen really good growth this year.”

Two major projects will receive funding from the fiscal year 2022 budget.

About $612,000 will be given to pay for amenities in The Bay project on the city of Sarasota’s waterfront as part of an agreement between the county and the city.

Additionally, the county plans to begin work on a 40-bed mental health and substance abuse treatment facility for people charged with low-level crimes. The center will cost approximately $2.6 million.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Home-price record Benchmark sales figure has risen each month of 2021.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

The economic principal of supply and demand is demonstrating itself in the Sarasota-Manatee county real estate market as inventories of properties plummet and median prices climb — to record levels in one county’s case.

The local real estate market has shown no signs up letting up, as evidenced by the May 2021 numbers from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

Sarasota’s median price for single-family homes climbed to an all-time high of $407,000 in May, a 36.6% increase from the same time in 2020.

Manatee’s median price for single-family homes rose to $400,000, a year-over-year increase of 23.1%.

By comparison, the median price for a single-family home for 2020 in Sarasota County was $325,000. In Manatee County, that figure was $345,000 in 2020.

Thus far in 2021, median single-family home prices in Sarasota have climbed each month: $340,004 in January, $359,900 in February, $379,695 in March and $380,000 in April. The June figures are expected in late July.

At least eight properties have sold for more than $10 million

|

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

JUNE 27

CYCLE OF VIOLENCE 5 p.m. — 0 block of North Tamiami Trail Property damage: A driver was sitting at a stoplight when a motorcycle pulled in front of his car. The driver pulled his car up close to the motorcycle. The motorcyclist got off, walked up to the driver’s car door, pulled the handle and told the driver to get out and fight. The driver did not get out of the car.

The motorcyclist then walked to the front of the driver’s car and kicked it several times. The motorcyclist was wearing a full face helmet, so the driver could not provide a face description.

Eric Garwood

since the beginning of 2020.

Across the region, typical properties sell in less than two weeks, down more than 78% from 2020 across both counties.

“The numbers continue to demonstrate that we’re in a historically strong seller’s market,” 2021 RASM President Alex Krumm said.

In May across the two counties, 2,584 closed sales were recorded in May, an 84.7% increase from May 2020. All of those sales were at listing price or above.

In Manatee County, single-family sales increased by 66.1% to 739, and condo sales increased by 112.7% to 319. In Sarasota County, single-family sales increased by 75.3% to 985, and condo sales increased by 123.6% to 541. Cash sales also more than doubled.

For 2021, though, March still holds the standard for closed sales. In Sarasota County, 1,169 homes and 738 condominiums sold. In Manatee, 907 homes and 496 condos sold.

This Bird Key home sold in February for more than $6.6 million.

JUNE 26

HOSE DOWN 12:14 p.m. — 2000 block of Bee Ridge Road Property damage: The owner of a gas station said a customer forgot to remove the nozzle after pumping gas and drove off, inadvertently disconnecting the hose from the pump.

The customer then backed up, removed the nozzle from the vehicle and hung it back up on the pump. The owner said he would try to get information on the customer.

JUNE 27

PARENTAL CONTROL 1:57 a.m. — 700 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive Noise complaint: An employee at a hotel received several noise complaints about a room. The employee wanted the occupants to leave because of the disruptive behavior. When an officer arrived, the employee was talking to one of the occupants, who was sharing the room with a group of 18- and 19-year-olds

whose parents were staying on a different floor. The employee agreed to let the occupants stay at the hotel if they left their room and stayed with their parents. All occupants of the room agreed.

THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL CAR 6:38 p.m. — 1900 block of Siesta Drive Suspicion: A woman staying in a rental house went to the beach with some friends. When the group returned, they found a Lamborghini in the driveway.

An officer spoke to the owner, who said he was aware the car was at the house. The vehicle broke down while the owner’s son was driving it, and the driveway at the house was the closest place for him to pull into. The son knocked on the door to make residents aware of the situation, but nobody answered because the group was still at the beach at the time.

The owner said a tow truck was en route to pick up the car.

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

Cindy Burke and Jason McGuire Wedding Announcement

Harry Sayer

Jim Jablonski heads up the Ringling Bridge.

Hundreds of feet of Pride

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he John Ringling Causeway has sported the colors of the rainbow at night in support of Pride Month.

The Project Pride SRQ organization wanted to close out the month adding some color of its own. The group and dozens of supporters marched a 375-footlong rainbow flag up the Ringling Bridge on June 27.

Sarasota’s LGBTQ community and supporters gathered at Hart’s Landing and split into two lines to carry the massive flag up the bridge. When they reached the top, supporters flattened out the flag and displayed the colors to passing cars and pedestrians.

Cindy Burke and Jason McGuire, who both reside in Siesta Key, Florida, were married on Saturday June 19, 2021 at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church.

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Fr. Eric Scanlan presided. Immediately following the mass was the reception at the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom in downtown Sarasota. The bride and groom hosted a “wedding week” which included a Thursday night sunset boat cruise for the wedding party, and a Friday day golf scramble for the men. The rehearsal dinner was held at Cafe Gabbianos on Siesta Key. After a 10 day honeymoon in St. Lucia, the couple will reside in Siesta Key, Florida.

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JULY 1, 2021

SPORTS BRING THE THUNDER Vo Williams, who grew up playing hockey, says the opportunity is a dream come true.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

www.manasotaonline.com

Photo courtesy of Vo Williams

Sarasota native Vo Williams has seen his song “Ready Set” become the official playoff anthem of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

TAKING OFF You might not recognize Vo Williams by name, but you have likely heard his music.

The Sarasota native has contributed music to more than 1,500 projects, which include commercials, film trailers, TV scores and even video games, such as the “Madden NFL” franchise. He also composed the main title theme for the

on his own, though he admits his first few attempts weren’t good.

As he improved, the Booker High graduate burned his songs to CDs and tried selling them, but the streaming era squashed any hope of making money that way.

It wasn’t until he tried out for 106 & Park, a freestyle rap battle show on BET, that he began to break though the industry. Williams, then a student at Ringing College of Art and Design, said he would fly to New York to tape the show and then fly home. His first performance on the show was his first stage performance ever.

Williams watched his performance on TV while waiting tables at a chain restaurant. He was on the show seven times and won seven times; after that, the show “retired” him, Williams said. His

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But his music also stands on its own, outside the context of a show, movie or game. Williams has more than 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

His most popular song on the service, “Work,” a collaboration with Apashe, has nearly 4 million listens.

final performance was in front of Jay-Z, one of his childhood idols.

It went so well, Williams said, that Jay-Z wanted to sign Williams to Roc-A-Fella Records, but the deal was never finalized.

In pursuit of his music career, Williams moved to Los Angeles. There, through a series of connections, he made music for TV commercials and film trailers. His love of massive sounds meshed well with what directors wanted. From there, his career took off. A short list of where Williams’ music has appeared: HBO’s “Vice Principals,” FX’s “Atlanta,” Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch,” this year’s NBA Conference Finals and a commercial in last year’s Super Bowl.

Even with all those credits, performing at Amalie Arena hit

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Williams in a way other things did not. Williams played hockey growing up, first on inline skates at Stardust Skating — before there was a rink anywhere close — and then on the ice at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. He started in middle school and played though high school. His love of the sport began even earlier, when his father, Emanuel, took him to see a Lightning game.

Williams was a defenseman.

“I was nasty,” Williams said.

“I’m not like (Lightning forward) Brayden Point. I can’t do all the shuffling and stuff he does. But I can focus on the puck. If someone’s trying to do a lot of tricks, I won’t be taken off balance. I lock in. At minimum, I’ll knock the puck away.”

For a time, after moving to LA, Williams’ love of sports — he also played basketball — took a backseat as he focused on his career.

He stopped following things for a few years. But the kind of music he makes, what Williams calls “epic hip-hop,” is perfect for sports, he said.

That was exemplified with “Ready Set,” which he dropped the first week of January. The song was part of Williams’ “Winzday” series, in which he drops a new track each Wednesday to help

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efore Game 5 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup semifinal series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders, the Lightning ran a series of activities on Amalie Arena’s video board designed to get the 14,800 people in attendance primed for the game.

The team showed highlights of its season. Greg Wolf, the team’s in-arena host, screamed at the crowd to get on its feet. A montage reminiscent of the intro to a ride at Disney World, showing various weather reporters calling for a “storm” of epic proportions, played into the thundering atmosphere.

And a musician by the name of Vo Williams performed his song “Ready Set” live for the first time.

The song has become the official anthem of the Lightning’s 2021 playoff run. For Williams, who was born and raised in Sarasota, it has also become his ticket to his dreams coming true. Long before he was performing at Amalie Arena, Williams was a typical teenager, inspired to make music after hearing such artists as Michael Jackson, Metallica, Jay-Z and Kanye West.

“It was music designed for performing in front of a massive audience,” he said. “I didn’t realize it then, but now I can see that I was drawn to that music because of how it made me feel: confident and powerful. I wanted to give people that same feeling.”

Williams began writing music

SARASOTA OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Still stars A few Sarasota college athletes were honored by their conferences for their efforts.

A

s successful as area high school athletes have been at the next level recent times, their collegiate success has grown.

Sarasota athletes in college have been more successful than ever in the 2020-21 school season, with a handful of them even racking up acclaim from their conferences.

Let’s start with football. Former Booker High wideout Talik Keaton was named to the AllConference USA First Team as a punt returner after another strong season at Marshall University. Keaton, a sophomore, led the conference with 6.8 yards per return. In eight games, Keaton had 17 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown on offense.

Another former Tornadoes player, defensive tackle Jacques Bristol, played in all six of Central Michigan University’s games in 2020. Bristol, a sophomore, doesn’t rack up a lot of statistics because of his position, but he did record seven tackles — two tackles for loss — and a sack. I’m excited to watch Bristol when he and CMU open the season against my Missouri Tigers on Sept. 4. Another former Booker defensive tackle,

Photo courtesy USF Athletics

Left: Former Rams DB Zahodri Jackson made four starts and had 20 tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry as a junior at Utah State.

Above: Former Sailors running back Brian Battie had 46 carries for 332 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown, plus four catches for 35 yards as a freshman at USF.

Photo courtesy USU Athletics

Kelvin Pinkney, made a similar impact at the University of South Florida. The senior played in all nine of the Bulls games, recording 14 tackles — four tackles for loss — one sack and one pass breakup.

Staying on the Bulls, freshman running back Brian Battie, a Sarasota High grad, finished his first college season strong. Battie had 46 carries for 332 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown, plus four catches for 35 yards. Almost

a third of his yards came in the team’s final game against Central Florida, when he rushed for 102 yards.

Former Riverview High defensive back Zahodri Jackson had a strong junior season at Utah State.

In five games, Jackson made four starts and had 20 tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry.

As good as this area is on the gridiron, let’s not put all of the focus on football players.

Former Rams boys basketball player A.J. Caldwell became a glue guy for the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Caldwell averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 21 minutes per game (33 games). He was second on the team in steals (22) and fourth in blocks (six). He also hit a buzzer-beating shot to give the Mocs a 67-65 win over East Tennessee State University.

Sophia Hritz, a member of the

state title-winning 2019 Cardinal Mooney volleyball team, got off to a good start as a freshman at Davidson College. Hritz played in all 13 of the team’s matches as a defensive specialist (41 sets), recording 68 digs and eight kills.

Former Sailors baseball catcher Ben McCabe started all 60 games for UCF. McCabe, a sophomore, hit .242 with 12 home runs, 11 doubles and 56 RBIs. He also had a .985 fielding percentage behind the plate.

Fellow Sailors alumnus Alex Arauz hit .353 with six home runs and 47 RBIs as a junior for Faulker University, leading Faulkner to an NAIA World Series appearance.

He was named to the All-Southern States Athletic Conference Second Team for his efforts.

And, of course, former Rams softball player Devyn Flaherty had an outstanding year at Florida State.

What’s amazing is that none of these players was a senior, so they are setting records and earning conference honors with years left to improve on their contributions.

It speaks to both their natural talent and the level of coaching they received while growing up.

We’re lucky to have great leaders at youth and high school levels here. It makes the performances of these outstanding athletes all the more fun to watch.

Ryan Kohn is the sports writer for the Sarasota Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

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Photo courtesy of Vo Williams

FROM PAGE 15

motivate his fans to push though the rest of the week. The Lightning’s in-house DJ, Sean Bovelsky aka DJ Bolt, heard the song and sent it to the team’s higher ups.

They liked it so much that they wanted to use it as the Lightning’s playoff anthem.

Fast forward to June 21, and Williams has returned home.

Clad in a Lightning jersey, he steps in front of the 14,800-person crowd to perform his song for his hometown team.

“It’s an unexplainable feeling,” Williams said. “I’ve rapped on TV, and movie trailers with my music have a lot of views, but I had never physically seen that many people looking at me. Those 15,000 might as well have been 2 million.

Hearing everyone screaming with one purpose, one objective, it was like I was standing in the middle of a ceremonial circle and leading the call to victory. Then our guys

head into battle to duke it out.

“Everyone in the building is a part of the show. Leading into (a game) with music, there’s nothing like it.”

The Lighting won the game 8-0 and won the series 3-2, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second-straight season. The defending champions are up 1-0 on the Montreal Canadians in the Finals. Williams performed at Game 1 of this series, too, and with the expanded crowd — the Lightning are now allowing in 16,300 fans for the Finals — Williams said he was even more nervous than before. But he’s also grateful for the chance to follow in the footsteps of the artists who got him into music. Now, Williams is the one making crowds feel like they can conquer the world.

He’ll be performing again before Wednesday’s Game 2, bringing the same energy he always does.

“This has been life changing,” Williams said. “I’m manifesting a dream into reality. It’s been special.”

Sarasota native Vo Williams appears on the video screen at Amalie Arena while performing his song “Ready Set.” The song has become the official playoff anthem of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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JULY 1, 2021

YOUR NEIGHBORS Bertha Palmer’s home at Historic Spanish Point

course in the U.S. He died on his golf course in 1923 and was buried in the Rosemary Cemetery.

Today, Gillespie Park is named for him.

OWEN BURNS

FOUNDING FIGURES

Above: File photo Below: Photos courtesy of Sarasota County Libraries & Historical Resources

As Sarasota was becoming a county, there were a few key residents who helped it become a thriving community.

When Burns arrived in Sarasota in 1910, he purchased about 75% of the city’s land from Gillespie for $35,000, worth about $1 million today.

Upon his purchase, Sarasota was a dirt-road town with a few real estate developments started

by Gillespie. Burns helped start the Sarasota Board of Trade, later known as the Chamber of Commerce, and the first bank.

He is credited with creating an urban city after bringing the first paved streets, the first seawalls and the original causeways connecting St. Armands and Lido Key. He oversaw the creation of Golden Gate Point and Sunset Park.

He also was a key resident pushing for the establishment of Sarasota County.

Historic Burns Court district is named for him.

JOHN HAMILTON GILLESPIE BRYNN MECHEM | STAFF WRITER

S

arasota County is home to the likes of author Stephen King, AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson and television personality Jerry Springer.

And although no one can deny the star power of 2021, the county

also was home to famous figures 100 years ago. While perhaps not nationally known, these figures had a large impact on the foundation of the county.

Often referred to as “the father of Sarasota,” Gillespie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1852.

The Scot was sent to Sarasota in 1886 to assist a failing colony of about 60 Scottish families who were sent to the area to settle land acquired by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Co., partially owned by Gillespie’s father.

Under Gillespie’s leadership, 3 miles of Main Street were cleared, a wharf was built on the waterfront, and a 40-acre farm was built. In 1902 he was elected Sarasota’s first mayor and held office for six terms.

Perhaps his most notable contribution is introducing Florida to golf. In 1904 he built a nine-hole course east of present-day Links Avenue. It was the second golf

BERTHA PALMER

After such figures as Gillespie began developing the area, socialites began vacationing in Sarasota. Palmer, a Chicago socialite, bought a vacation home the same year Burns arrived, 1910.

An agricultural businesswoman by trade, Palmer, already in her 60s, purchased 80,000 acres to use for cattle ranching. The land she acquired composed about

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one-fourth of modern day Sarasota County.

She also introduced purebred hogs, a canal farming system to drain marshes and experimental horticultural practices to the region. Her botanical legacy can be seen in her home at Historic Spanish Point. Her two sons, Potter II and Honoré, established citrus groves and cattle ranches in the county after her death in 1918.

Aside from farming, Palmer helped extend the railroad from Manatee County south to modern-day Venice.

Myakka River State Park was opened in 1941 after Palmer’s family gifted nearly 2,000 acres to the state of Florida.

Palmer Ranch bears her family name. Potter and Honoré also are represented in local landmarks.

JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING

Although developments already were underway when the Ringlings arrived, they are often credited with bringing artistic features to the county.

In 1911, John Ringling, along with his brother Charles and cofounder of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, began purchasing land. At one point, the Ringlings owned more than 25% of Sarasota’s land mass.

In 1917, Ringling purchased St. Armands Key and developed its

circle shopping district. Ringling’s circus elephants helped haul timbers to build the original bridge from the mainland to the islands.

His booming circus business often took him to Europe, where he amassed a collection of European art. In 1929, the Ringlings fell upon financial hardship.

Although he once was worth an estimated $200 million, John Ringling died in 1936 with $311 in the bank. He donated his art collection to the public, many works of which can be seen in the Ringing Museum.

ROSE PHILLIPS WILSON

Phillips Wilson was married to Cornelius Van Santvoord Wilson, a newspaper man 40 years her senior. Together, they founded the area’s first newspaper, The Sarasota Times, in a small building on Main Street.

The first edition was published June 1, 1899, 22 years before Sarasota officially became a county.

They ran the weekly publication together until Wilson died in 1910.

Phillips Wilson, then 33, became the editor and proprietor of the paper. She often used the paper to spread news about the suffrage movement and was the first woman in Sarasota to register to vote.

She was a founding member of the Town Improvement Society, later the Sarasota Woman’s Club, and chaired the Membership Committee for the Board of Trade.

When the county was formed, Phillips Wilson changed the name of the paper to The Sarasota County Times. In 1923, she sold the paper to the Sarasota Publishing Co. so it could better keep up with the community.

COMMUNITY SATURDAY, JULY 3

SAVE AMERICA RALLY Doors open at 2 p.m. at the Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd. Former President Donald Trump headlines a rally sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida. Fireworks are planned after sunset. For tickets, visit Events.DonaldJTrump.com/ events/rally-in-sarasota-fl.

|

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

BEST BET SATURDAY, JULY 3

FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE 5 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park. Traditional fireworks return to Nathan Benderson Park with an afternoon event that features music, a play area for kids and, after sunset, fireworks. Free. For information, go to NathanBendersonPark.org.

SUNDAY, JULY 4

SKI-A-REES WATER SKI SHOW At 2 p.m. July 4 at 1602 Ken Thompson Parkway, stop by for a free water ski show. Call 3881666 or visit SkiARees.com for information.

‘AMERICAN FANFARE’ 2:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. The Choral Artists of Sarasota and the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble join for a celebration of patriotism and choral works. Visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org for information.

PARADE AND BAYFRONT FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR Sarasota’s Fourth of July festivities start with a festival at 3 p.m. at J.D. Hamel Park that will make way for an 8 p.m. parade that ends with the national anthem from Alana Sherman before fireworks shoot off at 9 p.m. Free.

Visit SuncoastSummer.org.

SIESTA KEY COMMUNITY FIREWORKS The 30th annual fireworks show from the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce will kick off at 6 p.m. at Siesta Key Beach with the fireworks starting at dusk. Free. For information, go to 349-3800.

File photo

MONDAY, JULY 5

LIBERTY LITTER CLEANUP 7 a.m. at Siesta Key Beach and other locations. The annual cleanup initiatives looks to clean up the damage from the Fourth of July holiday at a number of locations including Siesta Key, Lido Beach, South Lido Beach and more. Free; preregistration is required. For information, call 861-5000.

TUESDAY, JULY 6

SONGS ON THE CIRCLE From 6-9 p.m. on St. Armands Circle, enjoy a tapestry of music with several musicians set up around the Circle and its spokes.

Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.net or call 388-1554 for information.

Congrats to FNAME Scholarship Winners!

C A R O L Y N N A R IA S

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Graduating May 2021

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My major at Flagler is Strategic Communication with minors in Graphic Design, Advertising, and Fine Arts.

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

A whole lotta shakin’ Florida Studio Theatre performance showcases rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis’ career.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

J

imi Hendrix torched his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Cool pyrotechnics, but not entirely original.

Jerry Lee Lewis had incinerated an entire piano at Alan Freed’s Big Beat Show at the Brooklyn Paramount in 1958.

The motive? Pure spite. By contract, Chuck Berry closed the show after Lewis’ penultimate act. Lewis decided to upstage him. A match and a Coke bottle filled with gasoline did the trick.

“I want to see you follow that, Chuck.” Berry didn’t even try.

“Great Balls of Fire” captures a host of such musical moments in Lewis’ incendiary career on the Florida Studio Theatre cabaret stage. This revue is the brainchild of Jason Cohen (the lead performer) and Michael Schiralli. Cohen first

began channeling Lewis during the national tour of “Million Dollar Quartet,” a tribute to the legendary day when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley all wound up together in the Sun Records recording studio.

After the “Million Dollar” tour terminated, Cohen dropped the Jerry Lee Lewis character. But he didn’t feel like dropping Lewis’ music. That led to a gutsy creative decision.

Simply put, Cohen stopped bleaching his hair blond. He’d go back on tour and keep banging out the Killer’s hits in a new, original revue called “Great Balls of Fire.” But he’d do it as himself, not in the Jerry Lee Lewis persona. Peroxide would be the commercial, exploitative, sell-out, inauthentic, easy, smart choice. Authenticity was the right choice. Bravo.

Cohen’s touring band is composed of Justin Brown (saxophone), Luke Darnell (lead guitar), Nathan Yates Douglass (double bass) and Jon Rossi (drums). These talented musicians all play multiple instruments and sing as well, but that gives you a general idea.

The revue kicks off with

Courtesy photo

In “Great Balls of Fire,” Jason Cohen captures a host of musical moments in Jerry Lee Lewis’ career.

“Good Golly Miss Molly,” Little Richard’s 1956 hit and the first of many double entendres. Cohen follows it up with “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” Bill Haley’s smash from 1954. (Here, the double meaning refers to throwing dice, if Wikipedia is not a liar.)

Cohen delivers a killer rendition of “Money (That’s What I Want),” Janie Bradford and Berry Gordy’s R&B classic from 1959, made famous by The Beatles in 1963. A medley of tunes from

the Big Easy gives a nod to Lewis’ roots. He’s a proud, native son of Louisiana, and it shows.

The second act opens with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” (1955) — the third double entendre, if my count is accurate. The revue taps into Lewis’ country roots with Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (1949) and goes deeper with a medley of spiritual selections. Cohen and the band open their hymn books to

“I’ll Fly Away,” “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “I Shall Not Be Moved.” Yes, Lewis was raised in the old-time religion — though he gave his soul to rock ‘n’ roll. In the 1950s, Jimmy Swaggart, Lewis’ double-first cousin, was a budding Pentecostal evangelist confined to tents and not TV. He crusaded against Lewis and other rockers for playing “the devil’s music.”

Lewis kept on playing, though he feared there’d be hell to pay.

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‘GREAT BALLS OF FIRE’ When: Through Aug. 29 Where: Florida Studio Theatre, Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota Tickets: $36-$39 Info: Call 366-9000.

Lewis’ “High School Confidential” is a sweet as a malted milkshake. (The song takes on a cringe-worthy meaning, granted Lewis’ marriage to his 13-year-old cousin.) Cohen saves “Great Balls of Fire” for last. His performance is not only energetic; it’s downright athletic. The man jumps up on the pounds the keys upsidedown, backwards and every which way. When that gets old, he kicks out chords with one foot. Cohen doesn’t literally set the piano fire. Metaphorically, it’s toast.

Manic movement is the key to Lewis’ music. Cohen’s tribute plays in that key. That’s why it feels like the real deal.

Hyperactive children are repeatedly commanded to sit still. Some obey — and go on to lead lives of quiet desperation.

Others disobey — and grow up to be rock stars. I’m confident Lewis was one of the latter.

Cohen is definitely another.

This cabaret concert gives each of his bandmates a slice of the spotlight. Douglass lays down a funky, bluesy groove on the harmonica in Chuck Berry’s “No Particular Place to Go” (1958). Guitarist Darnell sizzles in the switchback turns of “Johnny B. Goode,” anoth-

er Berry classic. Saxophonist Brown makes his instrument wail and moan on “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954). Drummer Rossi holds his own at the stage’s perimeter — and captures the aggressive beat of tunes like “Money (That’s What I Want)” (1959) and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957).

Great show. But what makes it a Jerry Lee Lewis show — especially when the lead performer isn’t pretending to be Jerry Lee Lewis?

It’s a question of style and substance. With Jerry Lee Lewis, style was substance. He was no singer-songwriter, but he made the songs his own. Not in the sense of respectful homage. More like the way a shoplifter makes off with a bottle of wine. In the process, Lewis set a good/bad example for the rule (and instrument) breaking musicians who followed in the 1960s. (I imagine The Who still blame him for all the gear they smashed on stage.)

Lewis’ style was never safe.

(The actual human being wasn’t either.) But Cohen perfectly captures the man’s cocky flash and flair.

This review offers a sizzling tribute to the musical side of Lewis’ legacy and doesn’t dig into his various scandals. It’s all about the music. If you want to go behind the music, try VH1.

If you want to enjoy the show, come here. And expect no sermons.

Lewis was a damn fine pianist and an incendiary, rock ‘n’ roll showman. Lewis was also a sinner. Unlike his televangelist cousin, he never claimed to be otherwise.

21

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

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Harbor Acres home sells for $7.85 million ADAM HUGHES

A

SARASOTA

SOUTHPOINTE SHORES John and Lori Liguori, of Freedom, New Hampshire, sold their home at 1717 Southpointe Drive to Robert Pappas, of Fort Myers, for $6.3 million. Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, five-andfour-half baths, a pool and 6,883 square feet of living area.

JUNE 7-15

Other top sales by area

RESEARCH EDITOR

home in Harbor Acres tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Douglas Secrest and Carmen D’Ambrosio, of Key Biscayne, sold their home at 1333 Vista Drive to John and Carol Bruno, of Sarasota, for $7.85 million. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 5,844 square feet of living area. It sold for $4.8 million in 2019.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

SIESTA KEY

Eric Garwood

The home at 1333 Vista Drive was built in 2018. It has five bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 5,844 square feet of living area.

SAPPHIRE SHORES Fred Gerigery, of Douglas, Michigan, sold his home at 335 S. Shore Drive to Klaus Neuhaus, of Duesseldorf, Germany, for $1.68 million. Built in 1954, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,791 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2011.

DESOTA PARK Charles Vaughn Strimlan and Janet Milliken sold their home at 1846 Datura St. to Billy Pullman Jr., trustee, of Sarasota, for $1.59 million. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three-and-two-half

baths, a pool and 3,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in 2015.

MORTON TERRACE Charles and Colleen Maguire sold their home at 1623 Floyd St. to David and Susan Gorin, of Sarasota, for $1.56 million. Built in 1925, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,635 square feet of living area. It sold for $725,000 in 2015.

Beach Villas at the Oasis 304 Charljack LLC sold the Unit 304S2 condominium at 304 Calle Miramar to Joleigh Enterprises LLC for $1.83 million.

Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,236 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.36 million in 2018.

PALMER RANCH

Turtle Rock Vincent Grillo, of Sarasota, sold his home at 4897 Sabal Lake Circle to Martin and Kathleen Finn, of Sarasota, for $557,000.

Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,120 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,000 in 2006.

OSPREY

Spanish Point Shores Heather Davis, of Osprey, sold her home at 223 Palmetto Ave. to Donald and Brandi Day, of Boca Raton, for $3 million. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 4,820 square feet of living area.

NOKOMIS

Sorrento South Roberta Rusco and Jason Rusco, trustees, of Valparaiso, sold the home at 482 Bellini Circle to Robert Macklin, of Nokomis, for $720,000. Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,175 square feet of living area. It sold for $237,000 in 1990.

Kelly Andrus, of Sarasota, sold her home at 1654 Prospect St. to WRI Capital Group Inc. for $865,000. Built in 1925, it has

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three bedrooms, three baths and 2,667 square feet of living area.

It sold for $750,000 in 2016.

HARBOR VIEW ON GOLDEN GATE POINT Michael Post sold his Unit 503 condominium at 650 Golden Gate Point to Alice Gingles Sample, of Sarasota, for $1.43 million. Built in 1962, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,837 square feet of living area. It sold for $787,500 in 2010.

THE CONDOMINIUM ON THE BAY Kenneth Salazar, trustee, and Gayle Martinez, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 7 condominium at 914 Boulevard of the Arts to Mandy LLC for $1.1 million. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,904 square feet of living area. It sold for $219,000 in 1990.

Q JEBCO Ventures LLC sold the home at 259 Cosmopolitan Court to Saul and Debra Landesberg, of Sarasota, for $975,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,588 square feet of living area.

INDIAN BEACH Bay Shore Cottages LLC sold two properties at to Daniel Patrick Johnson JR. and Ekaterina Pavlovna Kroupnik, of Truckee, California, for $949,000. The first property was built in 1939; it has two bedrooms, one bath and 810 square feet of living area.

The second property was built in 1939; it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,812 square feet of living area. They sold for $545,700 in 2017.

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS Rose Lynette Mancuso, of Sarasota, sold her home at 1618 Loma Linda St. to Leslie Loftus, of Sarasota, for $925,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,494 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2014.

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

These are the largest city of Sarasota and Sarasota County building permits issued for the week of June 14-18, in order of dollar amounts.

C I T Y O F SA RA S O TA Address

Permit

Applicant

Amount

128 Golden Gate Point #602 Renovations

Patrick McNamee

$150,000

WEBER Andrew Owens Jr., of Sarasota, sold his home at 2040 Alameda Ave. to TYG4 LLC for $870,000.

Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,486 square feet of living area. It sold for $95,200 in 1986.

988 Blvd. of the Arts #1615

Alterations

Leslie Knebl, trustee

$125,000

2821 Greenbriar St.

Solar power system Janet Meinhart, trustee $71,000

401 Quay Commons #402

Remodel

2740 Belvoir Blvd.

Solar power system Gideon Baugher IV

1420 Bay Point Drive

Mechanical

Katherine Ebbeson

$45,347

1836 Orchid St.

Pool/deck

Joseph Collado

$44,000

2310 Tami Sola St.

Solar power system Allen Clements

$35,544

VALENCIA ROSEMARY PLACE TOWNHOMES Grant Castilow and Tracee Murphy, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1285 Boulevard of the Arts to John Carey Barney and Janice Seman Barney, of Sarasota, for $830,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,146 square feet of living area. It sold for $543,100 in 2017.

1421 Cocoanut Ave.

Remodel

Enkeleida Veizaj

$35,000

340 S. Palm Ave. #PL-1

Alterations

Ronald Kendall

$37,500

Joseph Meintel

$56,299 $49,860

SA RA S O TA CO U N T Y Address

Permit Applicant Amount

3105 Casey Key Road

Alterations

Dean Lebaron

$447,158

7302 Periwinkle Drive

Renovations

Jeffrey Stern

$239,669

4026 Las Palmas Way

Remodel

Joseph Schneider Jr.

$195,000

9393 Midnight Pass Road

Remodel

Lisa Schroer

$183,402

Renovations

Daniel Koch

$130,000

Remodel

Carol Ordona, trustee

$98,000

1765 Southpointe Drive

Renovations

Jonathan Hoffberger

$85,000

201 Osprey Point Drive

Remodel

Ihor Hron

$75,000

6145 Abaco Drive

Pool

Janet Sue Shearn

$69,227

1835 Caribbean Drive

Alterations

Todd Nowak

$65,000

#907

BADGER HEIGHTS FP Silversands LLC sold the home at 1219 Osprey Ave. to Terrance Banicki and Heidi Shantz Banicki, of Decatur, Illinois, for $829,900. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,938 square feet of living area. It sold for $735,000 in April.

5880 Midnight Pass Road #703 1375 Siesta Bayside Drive #1375-B

Source: Sarasota County, city of Sarasota

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

NEW

SOLD

PENDING

Your home has never been worth more $1.975M

5742 HYDRANGEA CIR | $1.199M

5 DAYS | $1.249M

1013 BAYSHORE RD | $5.1M

11 DAYS | $1.249M

317 BEACH RD | $3.4M

SOLD

PENDING

SELLER | $5.9M LP

SOLD

PENDING

3 DAYS | SELLER | $1.895M LP

3 DAYS | SELLER | $1.5M OVER LIST

Who you list with matters SIESTA KEY’S TOP SELLING REALTOR® SINCE 2005

$100 Million Pending & Sold 2021 Year-to-Date $72 Million Sold in 2020 357994-1

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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, JULY 1 High: 89 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 72%

Submit your photos at YourObserver. com/ Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 202122 Weather and Nature photo contest.

In February 2022, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

FRIDAY, JULY 2 High: 89 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 24%

SATURDAY, JULY 3 High: 89 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 24%

SUNDAY, JULY 4 High: 90 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 24%

Patricia Donnelly captured a photo of this anhinga drying its wings in Village Walk.

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, July 1

6:38a 8:27p

Friday, July 2

6:38a

8:27p

Saturday, July 3

6:39a

8:27p

Sunday, July 4

6:39a

8:27p

Monday, July 5

6:40a

8:27p

Tuesday, July 6

6:40a

8:27p

Wednesday, July 7

6:40a

8:27p

MOON PHASES

July 23 Full

July 31 Last

Aug. 8 New

Aug. 15 First

RAINFALL Monday, June 21

0

Tuesday, June 22

0

Wednesday, June 23

0

Thursday, June 24

0.08

Friday, June 25

1.35

Saturday, June 26

0.12

Sunday, June 27

1.39

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2021 18.06 in.

2021 8.95 in.

2020 25.52 in.

2020 25.52 in.

MANASOTA FLOORING INC 349225-1

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

941.748.4679 | Venice

PRO by Ella Dershowitz and Matthew Stock; CROSSWORD TURNING Edited by David Steinberg

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Longtime sporty Ford, briefly 6 Like a mostly negative review 13 Vietnam neighbor 17 Plaster mural 18 When a movie begins 19 Sina ___ (microblogging site) 20 Pack your tent and leave 21 Fab Five’s TV program 22 Underworld 23 Inverse (Across theme hint: In this answer, look down after letter 6) 25 Apt rhyme of “grab”

26 Fire-prevention bear 28 Glum 29 Green-lighted 30 ___ bag (expo giveaway) 32 Alley-___ 33 Do well 36 Common med. scan 37 Kerfuffle (... letter 3) 41 Apple on Apple Music 43 ___ vu 45 Where St. Louis is 47 Filming device, informally 48 Actor Guinness 51 Snip or clip 52 Tussaud’s title, for short 53 Feuding 54 Many kilt wearers

56 Unit on a utility bill 58 Hurdle over 60 Cribbage markers 61 Afro-Caribbean music genre 63 Angry 64 Quibble 66 Elite groups 69 “Taste the explosion!” candy (... letter 4) 71 Aquafina alternative 73 Photographer Goldin whose first name is palindromic 74 “How’s it goin’?”

76 Early Greek astronomer 78 Red-rinded cheese

79 Fine distinction 82 Cocktail with cranberry juice, casually 83 Kansas or Arkansas 84 Daisy support 85 “Minari” director ___ Isaac Chung 86 Follow a snowy trail 87 e-tron automaker 89 ___-Mex 90 Spot for a slippery bar 92 Fails to be 94 Strongly encouraged 96 “It’s fine!” (... letter 4) 97 Fishing implement 99 Compilation of bad takes?

941.493.7441 | www.manasotaonline.com

102 “... man ___ mouse?”

103 App purchaser 105 Move like molasses 106 Beer hall option 109 Poolside hangout 112 “Te ___” 113 Place to order a beer (... letter 4) 116 Afikomen finder on Passover 117 New look 120 Morphine, e.g.

121 TikTok upload 122 Mr. Peanut’s brand 123 First act 124 Pester with emails 125 Nasal passages 126 Kind of code in 16-Down’s clue DOWN 1 Baobabs and birches 2 “Bachelor Happy Hour” host Kufrin 3 Parent’s words after “Because” 4 Ottawa law force, for short 5 Not disappoint (Down theme hint: Look right after letter 4) 6 Landed heavily 7 Sorrow 8 Olympian Jesse 9 Tan floor covering 10 Dress shirt clasp 11 Youngest sister in “Little Women” 12 “Mudbound” director Dee 13 Tightly sealed (... letter 6) 14 Helper 15 Follow orders 16 ...---...

17 Fireside chats prez 18 Cry of excitement 19 “My bad!”

24 Sooners’ capital, briefly 27 Desktop item that might have a wrist rest 31 “I want that!”

34 Some, in Spanish 35 Convert from code 38 Enjoying dinner for two, perhaps 39 Was the first to portray

40 Tailor’s concern 41 Design on a mug?

42 British electropop pioneer 44 Double Dutch need (... letter 5) 46 Muslim prayer leader 47 Channel with hearings 49 And so on (Abbr.)

50 Go dry, like lips 55 Airport agcy.

57 Skip the big wedding 58 Bounds along 59 Org. opposed to flavored cigars 62 Jazz musician’s joy 65 Smartwatch maker 67 Popular web portal 68 Old TV’s “The Ed ___ Show” 70 Actress/activist Watson 72 Complete group 75 Cobbler cousins 77 “If I Ain’t Got ___” (Alicia Keys song) 80 Ad-lib comedy (... letter 4) 81 India’s first prime minister 83 Address for a king 84 XXX-XX-XXXX ID 86 What accompanies a course list?

88 Fifth Amendment right (... letter 5) 91 El ___ (lost city) 93 Winery visitors 95 National park in Montana 98 Resident of Japan’s thirdlargest city 100 Their teeth are called cogs 101 Cori Bush or AOC 104 Plant stabilizers 107 Tilts 108 ___ Lauder 109 Guacamole scooper 110 Musical set in Egypt 111 Hypes (up) 114 Research on a political rival, briefly 115 Spanish for “to be” 116 Walgreens rival 118 Wong of comedy 119 Geese formation

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“JRMXDY XU MPO JTUODRO BW JRMXDY. XM’U TOSXOIXDY XD MPO MGKMP BW MPO FBFODM VBK JGO RGOJMXDY.”

YJGV TKUOV

“D’X B AFHBXHF. D IBTH RM AFHBX BCA FHBPI LMF RIH NRBFN, BCA DL D XDNN B NRBF RIHC D YFBE B IBCALOU ML PUMOAN.” XDWH RVNMC Puzzle Two Clue: T equals V

Sarasota

SAVE ON SELECT COLORS & STYLE

Puzzle One Clue I equals V

HARDWOOD

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

07-01-21

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

RED PAGES The Sarasota and Siesta Key Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Sarasota and Siesta Key Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

FREE BATTERY Operated Patient Lift, never used. 941-413-7895

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

NATUZI LEATHER cream colored sofa, 3 years old. Pull out bed broken. Must be picked up

by July 4. $100.

314-974-1101 PLASTIC STORAGE containers - $3.00 to $6.00 each, like new, various sizes.

941-417-2771

Items Under $200 ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less.

Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236 BEAUTIFUL MODERN painting on canvas. Gold, silver, white. 45”X30”. $199.

301-524-6513 BRAND NEW Violin With bow and case $179 (941) 358-8511 ww.allegromusicacademy.com DARK STAINED Rattan removable cushions occasional chair, $100. 3 drawer night stand $50 941-993-3859 EDGERS STONE for walkways & garden landscaping, 50 cents, like new (941) 920-2494 EXCALIBUR 9 Drawer Food Dehydrator & cook book excellent condition $80. Franklin 17 ft multi function ladder (like new) $35. 913-269-7102

WHEELCHAIR STILL in package, brand new $100. New Bariatrics commode, holds 650 lbs., $100 941-730-0038

Merchandise Wanted LOCAL COLLECTOR pays cash for flags, guns, medals, helmets, war souvenirs, military items ours/theirs.

941-323-9417.

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and collectors plates.

Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707.

Musical Instruments PIANO LESSONS In Downtown Sarasota!

25 years experience, all styles.

Specializing in adult instructions. Call Betsy 860-368-8327

auto

stuff

RATTAN ETAGERE, arch top, 81”X30”X18”, floor steamer, $10 each. Downsizing.

941-927-3805

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

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

Adult Care Services CNA: 20 years experience, with doctors recommendations.

Available for days, nights, and traveling. COVID vaccinated.

941-536-5339.

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

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

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service by Maria. Residential.

Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References. Free Estimates.

Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

CLEANING BY Brazilian Lady.

Meticulous, reliable, deep cleaning specialist. Residential.

Commercial. New Construction. 941-400-2866.

CALL 941-955-4888

Epic Home Care Personal Care-Respite Care Alzheimer’s CareLight Cleaning Med AdministrationMeal Prep Shopping, Errands & More

OR RENT ANNA MARIA FO ISLAND UPDATED 5 STAR CONDO. Available September November (monthly with multimonth discounts) millions $ waterview, first floor, 2br/2b, patio, walk to beach, pool, tennis, smoke free, boat slip available. marketreps@aol.com

Call for a FREE Evaluation!

941-536-6372 EpicHomeCare@yahoo.com Rosa Torres- Owner

SELL IT NOW!

GARAGE SALE

YourObserver.com/RedPages

As low as $17.50 per week!

941-955-4888

Rentals Wanted

Auto Transport

CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE!

Condos/Apts. for Rent

LOOKING FOR a ground floor efficiency on Longboat Key or Siesta Key with storage area for my tools. Working, professional man. Call (678)755-3804

PERSONAL CARE GIVERPrivate care: Meal preparation, errands, shopping, and more.

Affordable hourly rates, available weekdays, weekends, and holidays.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

941-955-4888 MATURE COMPASSIONATE Caregiver to help with cooking, light housekeeping, doctor’s appointments, etc. Non- medical. Excellent references.

941-914-3259.

Landscaping/ Lawn Services Professional Gardener Design, installation, maintenance, flowers, herbs, vegetables, and exotic gardens.

Regular weekly lawn maintenance and restoration 40+ years experience.

Tomlarsen559@gmail.com farmgirlfarmboyorganics.com 941-357-7750 business or 678-755-3804 cell

Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing.

Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

This week’s Crossword answers

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

RED PAGES CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

REAL LOCAL STUFF HERE!

YourObserver.com/RedPages

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “Acting is the absence of acting. It’s believing in the truth of the moment you are creating.”

Gary Busey Puzzle Two Solution: “I’m a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds.”

Mike Tyson

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2021 Universal Uclick

©2021 NEA, Inc.

MITSUBISHI HS-U680 VCR. Has remote, manual, some cables, works. $40 (941) 966-6816

real estate

GARMIN NUVI 2557 with lifetime map updates. Recently updated, great for foreign travel. $50 Phone or text: 941-527-9509

You’re only cheating yourself.

Deadline for classified advertising in the July 8 issue will be due on FRIDAY, July 2nd at 12pm.

Autos Wanted

peekers’ place

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING EARLY DEADLINE The Observer will be closed on July 5th in observance of the Fourth of July.

Items Under $200

Adult Care Services

Paint the town RED!

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Tuesday at Noon Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

home services

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

26

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

Aluminum

Boat Services

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

359646

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

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

ON TARGET

Michael Koch Concrete, Inc.

OBSERVER RED PAGES

“No Job Too Small”

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

FAST • EASY • SAFE

941.270.4400

5-Star Rated 359633

HoHoBuysCars.com BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

Reasonable Prices

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

(Next to Beneva Flowers)

941-929-9095

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

359500

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

CALL 941-955-4888

Doors

Furniture Repair

DON’T let your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your WINDOWS be a PANE!!

Patio Furniture Repairs.com patio RepaiRS FurnitureSales Sales &&Repairs Furniture Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating Cushions • Slings • Umbrellas

941-504-0903 941-504-0903

/ DELIVERY FREE PICKUP ONSITE QUOTES outdoor furniture experts• •FREE www .patiorepairs .net

Handyman

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

CONSTRUCTION HANDYMAN

10% OFF

• Home Repairs & Maintenance • Interior & Exterior • Garage Floor Paint • Power Wash

2 PANELS OR MORE For the Month of July.

Call us today! 941.628.8579 360440

www.ezslider.com

Realtors

Free Estimates

Sliding Glass Door Repair

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

6968 Beneva Road

Licensed & Insured

Doors

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

Showcase your products or services.

918-8587

Also Laying Stone

Computer

WE COME TO YOU

Servicing the Sarasota area since 1999

Driveways • Sidewalks

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

Naji Aoun GladysKhabbaz@gmail.com 805 Molly Circle, Sarasota

941.504.2745 941.400.1563

✦ Carpentry ✦ Indoors ✦ Remodeling ✦ Ceramic Tile ✦ Water & Fire Damage ✦ Kitchen/Baths Licensed Lic. #38333 References

“OUR ESTIMATES & ADVICE ARE FREE”

(941) 504-3168

GROW

YOUR BUSINESS Advertise as low as $85 per week.

359502

360495

SELL YOUR CAR! RED PAGES

Concrete

360419

Auto Service

941-735-3362

360418 38056

359147

Pegatronics.com

Reliable, Dependable, Prior Military Call, email or text 401-644-5370 • upsmar29@gmail.com

360417

941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

Owner / Operator Insured

- Mobile boat Detailing -

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

359642

We coMe to your House or Marina

359639

Dustin Yoder

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

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Health

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Roofing

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

THE GRAB BAR GUY

LEAKY ROOF?

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

Specializing in Re-Roofing & Repairs All Work Guaranteed

941-228-9850

(cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

360448

954-1878

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

359501

Building & Roofing Contractor

359640

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

University Health Park 2415 University Parkway Bldg. 3, Suite 216 Sarasota, FL 34243

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

www.showerandbathsarasota.com Pet Services

Pet Care

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

$

Warranties

• Drain & Sewer Cleaning • Backflows Installation • Natural Gas Installations - Appliance Hook ups • Power Flush & Comfort Height Toilets • All Water Heaters - Tankless - Gas - Solar • All Major Plumbing Fixtures Repaired or Replaced • Garbage Disposals • New Water & Sewer Services • Dishwashers Installed • Wells & Pump Repairs Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

Pressure Washing

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

LIFETIME GUARANTEE Licensed • Bonded • Insured COVERAGE AREA: LAKEWOOD RANCH ƭƨ S. VENICE

359206

941-544-1066

CREATE BUZZ!

Advertise your business in the Red Pages.

Call 941-955-4888

AFTER

BEFORE

| scaperotta@aol.com

Italian American Owned

Eldridge Re-Screen “No Job Too Small”

Insured

941-270-1561 359498

Lic./Ins.

& Pressure C Window lean t e s ing as Sunrise Wi n w o n k Sun y l nd er

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

ows

120

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Rescreening & Repairs

Licensed

Res./Com.

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

Honesty, Integrity and Pride

360484

CALL BEFORE YOU FALL

941.966.0333

(941) 345-5264

Windows

Licensed & Insured

DrGrabBars.com

INCLUDES 2 MOEN STAINLESS STEEL ANTI SLIP CONCEALED SCREW GRAB BARS (16” & 24”)

Manufacture and workmanship

Pressure Washing

• Roofs • PoolCages Cages•• Decks Decks ••Driveways • Roofs • Pool Driveways • Deck/Paver Sealing • Gutter Cleaning • Deck/PaverAnd Sealing • And Much More Much More!

Trees

359205

359644

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

Doors and more!

Power Washing

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

GRAB BARS

941-345-5264

Plumbing

941-923-8140

Bob & Carol Guthrie 941.993.6613

www.PalmerRanchHomewatchers.com PalmerRanchHomewatchers@comcast.net

• Pool Cage Restoration • Rescreening Specialists • Specialty Screens • Paint • Doors and more!

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

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

Watching your home while you’re away

Screening

Serving South Sarasota Only including: Palmer Ranch – Osprey – Nokomis

Complete Plumbing Services & Repairs Residential, New Construction and Commercial Serving the area since 1993 No Job Too BIG or Too SMALL. We DO IT ALL!

PALMER RANCH HOMEWATCHERS®

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936 359493

(941) 966-2960

General Plumbing Services Inc.

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

Serving the Palmer Ranch Area Since 2007

Melanie Gates

• Pet Sitting • Dog Walking • Over 24 years experience • Excellent references

Home Services

Dave and Connie Grundy

by

359164

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

359645

359488

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Fully Insured

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

Joe Murray, Owner

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

360415

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

360443

38 Years Experience

GLENN KROECKER

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression provides safe, gentle & effective relief for upwards of 90% of patients that qualify for care.

235

Gulf Gate RoofinG inc.

360416

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

27

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

|

RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888

RED PAGES. MADE FOR WHERE YOU LIVE. HERE! TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT WWW.YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

SARASOTA OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021

DOING MORE IS OUR DISTINCTION

$

WWW.SCHEMMELGROUP.COM

S I E S TA K E Y 8 2 1 8 S A N D E R L I N G R OA D | $14 ,0 0 0,0 0 0 The ultimate beachfront compound encompassing over 4 acres on Siesta Key.

G O L D E N G AT E P O I N T 1 28 GO LD EN G ATE POINT # 9 01- #10 01 | $ 3,49 5,0 0 0 Three-story penthouse in one of the best locations in downtown Sarasota.

NEW LISTING

104

MILLION CLOSED IN 2020

$

120

MILLION

CLOSED OR PENDING IN 2021

LO N G B OAT K E Y 3 10 5 G U L F O F M E X I C O D RI V E | $1 2 , 9 0 0,0 0 0 Over 176 feet of direct beachfront and just under 10,000 SF of interior living space.

NEW LISTING

S I E S TA K E Y 6 4 8 0 M I D N I G H T PA S S R OA D # 5 14 | $1 , 10 0,0 0 0 This beachfront condo is conveniently located and features full amenities.

S I E S TA K E Y 3 97 7 R O B E R T S P O I N T | $ 3 , 5 0 0,0 0 0 This beautiful home is perfectly located on the north end of world-famous Siesta Key.

D OW N TOW N S A R A S OTA 101 S O U T H G U L F S T R E A M AV E N U E # 6 C | $ 3 2 6 ,0 0 0 Great downtown location.

S I E S TA K E Y 8 4 2 3 M I D N I G H T PA S S R OA D | $7, 9 9 5 ,0 0 0 Grand waterfront estate with 100 feet of frontage.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SELLING YOUR HOME, NOW IS THE TIME. There is unprecedented demand for luxury properties in our area. With the increased demand, the right representation is very important. As a result of our extensive marketing reach and in-depth understanding of our local market, we can provide our customers with the best possible experience when buying or selling a home. Please contact us!

JOEL SCHEMMEL, J.D., REALTOR® 941.587.4894 | JOEL.SCHEMMEL@PREMIERSIR.COM SHARON CHIODI, REALTOR® 941.809.0380 | SHARON.CHIODI@PREMIERSIR.COM SCHEMMELGROUP

SCHEMMELGROUP

SCHEMMELGROUP

SCHEMMELGROUP

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate and neither suggests nor infers that Sotheby’s International Realty participated as either the listing or cooperating agent or broker in the sale or purchase of the properties depicted.

357972-1

28

. . . t i a W But

S ’ E R THE !

E R MO

XNLV19038

Flip the page for more sales and specials!

YOU’VE BEEN SERVED a menu of options for Fall classes!

ENTREES Workforce Certificates Get a certificate, get noticed and earn more in less than a year.

Two-year Degrees Prepare to enter the workforce or a four-year university. 30+ programs to choose from.

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MENU SPECIALS Flex Start Classes Opt for flexible scheduling with classes in 5-, 8- or 12-week sessions.

Go Live with SCF Online Take advantage of live instruction from convenient locations.

Weekend College Attend classes stress-free on Friday evenings and Saturdays.

Take classes when you can, the way you want.

PLACE YOUR ORDER! SCF.edu/FallMenu | Text 941-304-5443 | Call 941-752-5050 State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, religion, age, national origin/ethnicity, color, marital status, disability, genetic information or sexual orientation in any of its educational programs, services and activities, including admission and employment. Direct inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies to: Equity Officer, 941-752-5323, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34207.

longer other no

the

newspaper

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THURSDAY PRINT DISTRIBUTION 60,000

The Observers* 50,000

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30,000

20,000

59,286

Sarasota Observer Longboat Observer East County Observer Siesta Key Observer

Sarasota Herald-Tribune** 31,712 Bradenton Herald*** 18,632

10,000

*Source: Verified Audit Circulation Annual Audit ending March 31, 2020. **Source: Alliance for Audited Media Annual Audit ending Dec. 31, 2019, does not include Venice and North Port in Sarasota or Charlotte counties. ***Source: Alliance for Audited Media, 24 months ending Dec. 31, 2019.

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