Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 3.16.23

YOUR TOWN

Floody for the win

Mascots of many sizes, shapes and species raced along Siesta Beach Wednesday morning to promote Mote Marine Laboratory’s 37th annual Run for the Turtles.

Floody the Frog, Sarasota County’s mascot, outpaced seven others on a sprint to the finish line, leaving behind Cali and Petunia from Cat Depot; Chick-fil-A Cow and Kid Cow from Chick-fil-A; Rocky D. Bull from USF Sarasota-Manatee; and Mote’s own Gilly the Shark and Shelley the Sea Turtle.

Set for April 1, Run for the Turtles is a 5K race at Siesta Beach to raise funds for Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. Mote coordinates conservation of endangered sea turtles along 35 miles of Sarasota County beaches.

Run for the Turtles is Mote’s longest-standing event to financially support Mote’s 41-year sea turtle conservation program.

Hunting for (K)eggs

Mark Tuchman saw a thriving small business community in downtown Sarasota and wondered what he could do, as the owner of 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop, to catch the public’s eye.

That was when he had the idea to throw in a dash of color with an “Easter (K)egg Hunt.”

“This is not buy a ticket and enjoy an event,” he said. “This is, ‘Hey, come and just check out what’s happening around downtown.’ That’s really what the whole idea is.”

Tuchman reached out to six small businesses in the downtown area to tell them about his “crazy idea” to hide kegs in the area. He then found six local artists, through the company Grae Productions, to paint the kegs in their own unique style.

The event offers prizes once a week based on best photos and random draws, for those who tag all six businesses hosting the “keggs” on Instagram.

So let the hunt begin.

Dariela Delgado

Sherika Evans drives the Suncoast School

Courtesy photo

Ian Swaby

WEEK OF MARCH 16, 2023

BY THE NUMBERS

SRQ breaks record for February passengers

Passenger count at SarasotaBradenton International Airport maintained its torrid pace in February with 393,807 passengers, a 16% increase over the 340,465 passengers in February 2022. That represents the single highest February passenger count in the history of the airport.

The 12-month activity through February 2023 totals 3.98 million passengers, an increase of 13% over 3.52 million for the 12 months through February 2022. SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo told the Observer the

airport expects to serve even more passengers during 2023 (see Page 4).

“We think we’ll hit somewhere around 4.4 to 4.5 million,” Piccolo said. “We did 3.85 (million) last year, so we’re still growing like crazy. And when you think back to 2018 when we did 1.3 million, it’s just incredible.”

The airport recently announced two new routes. In July, Breeze Airways will add service between SRP and Providence, Rhode Island. Avelo, another discount carrier, has announced it will soon launch

County offers license reinstatement program

Operation Green Light, a statewide driver’s license reinstatement program, will be available to residents of Sarasota County in March. The program is for residents who have had their drivers’ privileges suspended or revoked and/or have outstanding fees and fines and are looking to save money.

The program provides an opportunity for drivers with overdue court obligations, including traffic tickets to save up to 30% in collection agency fees by structuring customized payment plans with the Sarasota County Clerk and Comptroller’s office that financially work for them and their families.

Sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24, at South County Courthouse, Clerk and Comptroller’s Office, 4004 S. Tamiami Trail in Venice; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Sarasota County Historic Courthouse, 2000 Main St. in Sarasota.

SPAC Foundation gala raises $1.3 million

service between SRQ and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

“We continue to experience steep increases in the number of passengers utilizing our airport,” Piccolo said in a release. “The months of March and April are the two of the busiest months of the year due to the influx of spring break travelers. Fortunately, airport operations have remained smooth, with minimal flight delays, little to no wait times ... and ample vehicle parking.”

Things got Footloose at the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation’s 21st annual Inspiration Gala, which featured a post-dinner performance by Grammy Award-winning singer Kenny Loggins. Held at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the event raised more than $1.3 million to support the foundation’s education and community engagement programs, and planning for the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.

A cocktail reception was followed by dinner, a program honoring local educators Stevey Jones, the recipient of the 2023 Appleton Arts Integration Award, and Mayra Ocasio Cuadrado and Kate Walsh, recipients of the 2023 Van Wezel Foundation Merit Scholarships.

“As the Van Wezel Foundation transitions into the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, we can assure you that education will remain at the heart of everything we do,” said Jim Travers, chairman of the foundation’s board of directors.

“I guess it’s like having an argument with your wife. You tell her what you’re complaining about and she’d say, ‘Yeah, I heard you, but I’m not taking any action.’”

Sarasota Commissioner Debbie Trice. Read more on page 12A

Courtesy photo

Does One Park depend on one word?

ously approved block site plan.”

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

In the end, the fate of One Park as currently proposed for The Quay, and those who oppose the 18-story condominium tower, may be determined by the definition of “adjacent.”

That all depends on the opinion of the Sarasota City Commission, which will take up One Park’s request for an amendment to the general development plan following the completion of the legislative public hearing before the Planning Board.

During its marathon March 8 meeting, the Planning Board opened, then after nearly five hours continued its own hearing on the GDP amendment request. If approved, that would allow One Park, a mixeduse tower proposed by developer Quay 1 and 9 LLC to submit its site plan at the entrance to The Quay on Quay Commons at Boulevard of the Arts for approval.

That’s when the matter of what is and what is not considered adjacent was raised by Planning Board member Damien Blumetti.

Regardless of what the commission ultimately decides, One Park must also clear a separate legal challenge brought by current residents of The Quay.

Proposed to span over Quay Commons, the private street serving as the multimodal spine of The Quay, One Park would connect blocks 1 and 9 above the road over an 80-footwide breezeway that would cover the street, sidewalks and what the devel-

oper describes as amenities such as retail and restaurant spaces open to the public.

Quay 1 and 9 is a partnership of Miami-based Property Markets Group and Jebco Ventures of Sarasota.

The Planning Board session will require perhaps another five hours — plus one month in between — for members to complete the hearing and engage in discussion prior to making their recommendation to the City Commission. It was continued until the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. April 12.

The hearing was not, Deputy City Attorney Michael Connelly reminded board members, about the site plan. That will be considered only if the City Commission eventually approves the amendment to the GDP after it receives the Planning Board’s recommendation to either approve or deny.

Blumetti suggested the city may not be in a position to refuse the One Park plan. Although the two blocks are separated by a street, they may, by definition, be considered adjacent and therefore allowed to be combined, regardless of the intent of the language in the development agreement.

The GDP reads, “Any block site plan may include more than a single block as shown on the general development plan, whether (A) two adjacent blocks combined, (B) one entire block and a portion of an adjacent block or (C) the remaining portion of a block after the other portion of such block was included in a previ-

Under definitions in the city’s zoning code, adjacent is defined as “abutting or being directly across the street, alley or other rights of way or alley. The diagram shows adjacent lots across a street and, as is with the case of Blocks 1 and 9, offset from one another. Blumetti said because adjacent is not defined in the GDP, he must refer to the zoning code.

Representing Block 6, attorney Robert Lincoln contends that Blumetti’s point is irrelevant. Lincoln showed the Planning Board 2016 testimony by GreenPointe executives stating that the only blocks that might be adjoined for development purposes would be Blocks 4 and 5, which are abutting and now comprise Bayso.

Lincoln also told the Planning Board members that city staff had already made a final, nonappealable determination, which is binding on Blocks 1 and 9. That dates back to October 2022, when Director of Development Services Lucia Panica determined the One Park plan was inconsistent with the GDP. Lincoln contends that because One Park did not appeal within 60 days of the determination, and instead applied to amend the GDP, her decision is irrevocable.

All that will eventually be sorted out by the City Commission in its own legislative hearing, which either side could then appeal to the Division of Administrative Hearings.

COURT CASE MAY SUPERSEDE

For more than three hours on March 8, the Planning Board heard testimony by staff and by attorneys for the developer of One Park and those representing current condominium owners in The Quay who oppose the GDP amendment. That was followed by some 25 public commenters.

When it continues next month, there may be as many as 60 more speakers who have already signed up — each granted three minutes — plus time for rebuttal by both sides, questioning by board members and finally board deliberation.

Approval of the requested amendment to the GDP, which is a 2016 agreement between the city and general developer GreenPointe, would clear the legislative hurdle for One Park to be built over Quay Commons at a height of about 20 feet above the breezeway.

Meanwhile, litigation is pending in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court as owners in The Ritz-Carlton Residences, otherwise known as Block 6, have challenged the ownership of the air rights over Quay Commons. They claim that the air rights above street, which is common property, are required to be conveyed to the master association. Those rights cannot, they allege, be conveyed to the One Park developers.

“Ultimately, the pending litigation is going to determine whether that master declaration requires that the air rights over Quay Commons be owned by the master association or it could determine whether all 695 condominium unit owners within The Quay have an undivided interest in easement and interest in those air rights,” Connelly said.

LOOKING FOR A WAY

Many opponents who spoke prior to the meeting being continued also talked about the building, pointing to the original development plan that showed — in visual representations and in text — separate buildings on Blocks 1 and 9 and an open-to-thesky, tree-lined street running from the Bayso tower on the south end to Boulevard of the Arts on the north. They purchased their homes based on that plan, many said, and object to any change after the fact.

There were also speakers in support of One Park, one of them a Bayso buyer who said he was fully aware of the One Park Plan before he purchased and welcomes the building. Bayso residents are expected to begin occupying their units this fall.

Opponents of the project consider the matter of adjacency settled by Panica’s determination. Blumetti, in his assertion, isn’t so certain, saying there is no definition of adjacent in the GDP.

“I don’t particularly care for this building, but what I think about the building and what they’re allowed to do are two completely different things,” Blumetti said. “It’s very difficult for me to figure out how to look at the development agreement and say you can’t do that. It’s hard to argue that and trust me, I’ve tried. I’ve looked through this and I’m trying to find a way.”

Courtesy renderings

A rendering of One Park, which is planned to span across Quay Commons on blocks 1 and 9 in The Quay.

The One Park breezeway over Quay Commons is proposed as 80 feet wide and 22 feet high, and would be activated with outdoor cafe seating, a restaurant and other retail.

A Planning Board member says the meaning of ‘adjacent’ has some bearing on whether One Park will be built as proposed over Quay Commons.

SRQ positioning for continued growth

of Directors approved a major work package covering all the vertical construction of the new groundbased boarding concourse adding five new gates and bringing to 18 the total number of gates at the airport.

The $71.5 million contract will build Concourse A, which will include a separate entrance, TSA screening and concession facilities.

2018 the airport served 1.8 million passengers.

Many of those travelers will need somewhere to park, a commodity currently in short supply at SRQ.

“We are building remote surface parking areas, and they will become our overflow lots,” Piccolo said. “Those are under contract and started construction. We hope to have all those ready by Thanksgiving. And then what we have to do is build enough excess spaces so that we have maybe 1,000 extra spaces beyond what are our needs are right now.”

It’s a long way since the dark days of the onset of the pandemic, when the commercial airline industry was all but shut down across the country. Not immune to the impact of the immediate response, SRQ had its worst month in April 2020, when fewer than 10,000 passengers passed through the airport. This after growth of 43% in 2019.

Earth is being moved both on the airfield and the perimeter of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport as work to keep pace with the rapid growth in passengers is underway.

In early March, the SarasotaManatee Airport Authority Board

That, in addition to a previously approved escalator and utilities upgrade package of $17 million, plus a future second expansion to bridge the new concourse — bringing with it three more elevated gates, a new baggage handling system and improvements to the existing Concourse B — represents a $100 million

investment.

Meanwhile, site prep is underway on airport property along University Parkway at Old Bradenton Road on the first of several phases of parking expansion that will eventually culminate in a vertical parking structure either on the current short-term lot or on land nearby.

The work is in anticipation of the need to facilitate continued growth of SRQ in the wake of COVID-19.

Rick Piccolo, the airport’s president and CEO, anticipates 4.5 million passengers traveling through SRQ this year. When all the work is complete, he said the airport could accommodate upwards of 8 million or more per year. By comparison, in

Like all other airport directors across the country, Piccolo was crunching numbers to determine how long the airport could operate. SRQ receives no local tax funding. As an authority, its revenues come from land and building leases around and outside the airfield, parking, landing fees, fuel fees and a percentage of sales from food and beverage, news and gifts.

SRQ facilitates virtually no air cargo, a major revenue source for many airports. Its budget is highly dependent on passengers, and Piccolo had no idea when they would be returning.

“I walked out into the parking lot and we had 25 cars out there, and I

WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

As passenger count continues to grow, the airport is expanding to accommodate passengers and maximize revenues.

SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo expects the airport to serve some 4.5 million passengers in 2023.

Andrew Warfield

Our goal is to continue to stay very financially sound and build more long-term revenue streams that aren’t dependent on the airlines because as the airline traffic goes down, your revenue stream goes down.”

Rick Piccolo, SRQ president and CEO

was concerned because our business model is dependent on passengers,” he said. “We had about $15 million in reserves at that time, and our budget would have eaten that up in about eight months.”

Many airports at the time were down 75% to more than 90% in passengers. Meanwhile, Florida was being discovered and a large share of those who were traveling came here, helping SRQ recover faster than most.

“I felt bad because we would have monthly conference calls with all my colleagues and the FAA over how people were faring in this problematic COVID atmosphere, and I would keep my mouth shut because I felt guilty,” Piccolo said. “Everybody else was talking about how they’re still down 50% or down 70%, and I’m sitting there up 155%. I thought I’m just going to keep my mouth shut because I had nothing to complain about.”

Like other airports, CARES Act funding in the amount of $37 million helped keep the doors open during those slow early months — operating expenses don’t stop because there are few passengers — and SRQ has since built its reserves to $60 million.

Those reserves are not enough to cover all the capital improvements. Much of SRQ’s capital project funds come from a variety of state and federal grants, the rest paid for by operations revenue.

“Even the capital grants we get there’s a matching requirement, depending on the grant, anywhere from 5% to 50%,” Piccolo said. “So right now, we have to generate about $45 million a year in business revenue just to keep the doors open and pay for our share of capital improvements.”

TERMINAL VELOCITY

Scheduled to open in December 2024, the new Concourse B will extend from the south end of the ticketing area, which will serve both concourses. Passengers traveling only with carry-on baggage will be able to directly enter the concourse from the drop-off area for prescreening. Those with checked bags will check in at ticketing as they do today, then walk to the right to enter

the new concourse for screening.

Once inside, they will find a high wall of glass overlooking the airfield, concessions and other amenities. The new gates will use the existing baggage claim area on the north end of the building, which will for now require them to walk through the ticketing area.

The next phase will be a connector between Concourses A and B, which will include three more gates served by jetways. That will allow passengers to more efficiently move through the concourse from the new gates to the baggage claim and car rental areas.

The airport authority chose to build ground-based boarding gates — passengers will go outside the building to board flights — because construction is faster and less costly than an elevated concourse.

Concourse B, meanwhile, isn’t being left out. Construction will begin soon on improvements there, including bump-outs to create more restaurant space and replacing the gate desks with smaller versions to provide additional space for passengers.

“Those very monstrosity of ticket check-in counters are going to be

taken away,” Piccolo said. “Smaller counters are going to be put near where the gate entrances are, and that gives us more space.”

In the main terminal, the existing escalator will be replaced with a wider model and a second one installed next to it. The rental car counters and vehicle staging area will remain where they are when if a future parking deck covers that part of the parking lot next to the terminal.

“We want to keep that as convenient as possible,” Piccolo said.

DIVERSIFIED REVENUE STREAMS

As air travel returned to a semblance of normalcy, travel demand pressed SRQ’s ability to handle the abnormal growth. During the busiest travel seasons, the airport has parked cars on the tarmac next to the construction site for the new concourse.

Normal growth rate for an airport, Piccolo said, is about 4% to 5% per year. Accommodating that rate of growth is easy to plan. “But when you’re growing at 300%, there’s no playbook for this,” he said.

Currently before the city’s Development Review Committee are plans for nearly 90 acres of airport property for surface parking, and a new

easy The Living is

central rental car service area, cell phone lot with restroom facilities and a flight status board for those waiting to pick up passengers. To build a parking deck, Piccolo said, there must first be parking spaces to replace the current short-term lot and then some.

Also in the works are plans for commercial development of airport land along University Parkway, including retail, restaurants and more hotels, all of which will be leased.

In addition to offering more amenities and services to travelers, the airport is building additional nonaviation related revenue streams, which currently total about $3.5 million per year.

“Our goal is to be as financially secure as possible,” Piccolo said. “We’re one of the few airports in the country that has no debt. We’ve secured enough money that we’re at about $200 million worth of projects going on and we won’t have to borrow a dime to get it done. Our goal is to continue to stay very financially sound and build more long-term revenue streams that aren’t dependent on the airlines because as the airline traffic goes down, your revenue stream goes down.”

A rendering of the interior of the new groundbased boarding concourse at SarasotaManatee International Airport.

Courtesy rendering

City park red tide cleanup underway

As monitoring continues to show improvement in this most recent bout with red tide, marine debris cleanup has begun in city of Sarasota parks and rights of way. Special garbage collections are also now available for city residents removing dead fish from private property.

Red tide conditions continue to fluctuate day to day and by location, with the occasional strong presence of aerosols. Ceres Environmental Services, a debris management company contracted by the city, has and will continue to remove dead fish from: Bayfront Park/O’Leary’s; Bird Key Park; Centennial Park/10th Street Boat Ramp; Ernest “Doc” and Eloise Werlin Park; Hart’s Landing; Indian Beach Park; Ken Thompson (boat ramp, fishing piers, playground area); New Pass; Nora Patterson Bay Island Park; North Park; Sapphire Shores Park; Tony Saprito Fishing Pier; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall; and Whitaker Gateway Park. City residents are asked to doublebag collected marine debris and call the Solid Waste Division in advance at 941-263-6170 for a special Wednesday or Saturday courtesy pickups.

Crews have been working to clear the debris by hand along the shoreline and by boat in some waterways.

Lido Beach is maintained by Sarasota County. As part of regular beach maintenance operations, Sarasota County Parks Recreation and Natural Resources staff perform weekly beach raking at Siesta Beach on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays; and Lido Beach on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.

As of March 14, the county’s regular morning monitoring showed improvements throughout Sarasota

REPORTING

To report a dead, sick or injured manatee or sea turtle, call Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

To report fish kills, diseased fish or fish with other abnormalities, call 800-636-0511.

County, with Lido Key experiencing the greatest impact.

On Monday and Tuesday, routine mechanical beach raking occurred on Siesta Beach. Because of equipment issues, Tuesday’s regular raking operations were shifted from Lido Key to Siesta Beach. Raking on Lido was planned for Wednesday, and the regular beach maintenance schedule was set to resume Thursday.

The mechanical beach raking is part of the county’s regular beach operations and maintenance. As of Tuesday, the county’s special red tide dead fish clearing policy threshold had not yet been met. Cumulation of fish kills must be enough to fill a five-yard truck for every twomile section of beach that is accessible by motorized equipment, and it has to be after two tidal cycles have not removed fish kills naturally.

Sarasota County has determined beaches haven’t reached special dead fish cleanup threshold.

Our presidential contenders

Three Floridians want to be president. Timing and circumstances appear to be working against one. Another is up to his usual insults. The third has the courage, but does he have the will to bear it all?

over Charlie Crist to be reelected governor. And in 2018, he beat longtime U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, someone believed by many political watchers to be unbeatable. Scott’s margin of victory was only 10,000 votes. But he did it.

Of course, he is running. The clincher was the book, “The Courage to Be Free.”

That’s what they all do now. To avoid election laws and the leftist national media filtering their message, candidates write autobiographies and go on book tours to tout themselves and determine whether they should run for the presidency.

Representatives in 2012 as a rookie unknown seeking to represent St. Augustine, Palm Coast and Daytona Beach. “I simply had to earn it. My years of playing baseball, my time working odd jobs and my experience in the military all helped instill in me the discipline necessary to do the daily hard work necessary for my campaign to succeed.”

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

“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

President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

We all know, surely, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is running for president.

My, how quickly things change; how timing is everything. And how uncontrollable factors throw off the best-laid plans.

That’s the story for three Floridians who want to be president.

Before the November midterm elections, before DeSantis roared to a 1.5 million vote margin over hapless Charlie Crist, the talk in Florida’s Republican circles was that there were three Floridians desiring to be president; three Floridians thinking about running; and three Floridians who have what it takes:

■ Donald Trump

■ Ron DeSantis

■ Rick Scott

But as unexpected and unpredictable events often do, events that occurred in 2022 changed the presidential picture for the three Floridians. We’ve all known Trump is in. But timing and uncontrollable factors have helped DeSantis and hurt Scott.

Republican observers figured Scott took the step of running for the Senate as a precursor to a quest for the presidency. Indeed, after his success as governor and his career as CEO of the largest health care company in America, it would be difficult to imagine Scott satisfied as one of 50 senators debating policy and not being in charge.

Two years into his Senate term, and one week after the 2020 general election, Scott’s U.S. Senate colleagues acknowledged his leadership and elected him chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the fundraising arm of the Senate. This was another calculated move. That gave Scott access to Republican donors all over the U.S. and a valuable network for a presidential run.

But the 2022 midterm elections turned out to be the one election you could say Scott did not win. To Republican voters’ surprise, Republicans did not take back the Senate.

Was that Scott’s fault? Unlike his own elections, Scott was not in control of the financial strategy of all Senate races. What’s more, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell undermined Scott’s efforts in certain races, punishment, to an extent, for Scott stepping outside the Establishment.

Not one to stick with the status quo if it is not working (e.g. the Republicans’ strategy in Congress), Scott, before the election, produced a highly publicized 12-point plan to rescue America. McConnell hated it. And then, Scott went one step further. After the midterms, he challenged McConnell for the Senate minority leadership.

Scott lost big — the first election for which he was a candidate. But voters didn’t reject him; he lost to the GOP Washington Establishment. National media and Florida media coverage undeservedly cast Scott on the outs.

Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy — they all have published recent autobiographies with their prescriptions for U.S. DeSantis’ book is no different. Perhaps telling, Scott has not published a book.

Like Scott coming out of nowhere to become Florida’s governor in 2010, DeSantis and his wife, Casey, came out of nowhere in 2012, knocking on thousands of doors from Ponte Vedra to Daytona Beach to win his first attempt at public office.

In that first adventure, DeSantis learned what has propelled him ever since. “The one theme I heard repeatedly was the concern that candidates often say the right things and even have the best of intentions, but once the D.C. swamp gets its hooks into them, they change for the worse … My task was to demonstrate to voters that I was not just giving lip service to their values, but would walk the walk once elected.”

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ROOTS: SALT OF THE EARTH

We have read only the first third of DeSantis’ book so far. That alone is worth reading.

DeSantis explains his roots, which in turn gives you a clear and important understanding of how and why he is who he is and how he got where he is.

Although he is a native Floridian, DeSantis’ grandparents and parents were from the manufacturing towns of Aliquippa, Pa., and Youngstown and Poland, Ohio — “gritty, working-class, God-fearing.” The people of these towns, he wrote, “represented the salt of the earth.”

“What I came to understand was that they had an incredible amount of common sense and accumulated wisdom …” he wrote.

Born in Jacksonville, DeSantis and his family moved to Dunedin when he was 4. He spent his youth through high school there, with his world revolving school and baseball. It was the latter that attracted the attention of the Yale University baseball coach.

“I figured that getting a degree from a school like Yale would help open doors down the line,” he wrote. But the only problem was the cost. Yale didn’t offer athletic scholarships, and the annual cost was more than what his parents earned combined.

And as governor, he also has learned: “The people will support a leader who displays courage under fire and resolutely stands firm for the truth because it is so rare among elected officials,” DeSantis writes. “When a governor demonstrates to the people he is willing to fight for them under difficult circumstances, the people will have that leader’s back and then some.”

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THE TRUMP INSULTS

Timing is not everything. But it almost is.

When Scott became governor, Florida’s economy was in a tailspin. Unemployment was 11%.

TOO BAD FOR SCOTT

Knowing what Floridians know about the way he turned Florida around economically from 2010 to 2018, he would make a solid, competent president and leader.

When Scott served as governor, he brought a business and financial discipline to the office that is so sorely, desperately and badly needed in the White House and throughout the Washington Swamp.

While governor, Scott was unlike almost all politicians at the time because he told Floridians what he was going to do as governor, and he did it. He stuck to a simple agenda that he repeated over and over: create jobs; cut taxes; cut regulations; pay down Florida’s debt; cut waste; and make Florida the number one business climate in America.

Scott came as close as anyone ever has in showing that government can be operated like a business, and he was the rare politician who fulfilled his campaign promises.

Those who know Scott well will tell you they have met few people as mentally and physically driven as Scott and that he doesn’t do anything without thoroughly analyzing and assessing the consequences of choices before making a choice.

Indeed, that calculating has been the reason Scott has had a perfect 6-0 record in elections for public office. In each case, he analyzed down to the last detail what it would take for him to win, and he executed the plan.

He came out of nowhere in 2010 to knock off the favorite, Bill McCullom, as the Republican candidate for governor. He eked out a victory for governor over Alex Sink in the 2010 general — a time when the media tried to paint him as a crook during his tenure as chairman and CEO of Columbia-HCA.

In 2014, he eked another victory

Things often change unexpectedly in politics, but Scott is now repeatedly saying when asked if he is running for president: “I am running for re-election.” Asked who he wants to be the Republican nominee, Scott told a radio interviewer recently: “It must be someone who is competent.”

Hmm. That would describe Scott.

When Scott won his Senate seat in 2018, you could envision his calculating that Trump would win a second term and be unable to run in 2024. That would clear an opening for Scott to make his move.

But after Biden beat Trump in 2020, and the GOP failed to win the Senate in 2022, timing and circumstances threw the Scott scenario off course. Trump is running again, and Scott’s gubernatorial successor has eclipsed every politician in the country with his bold leadership.

Even so, as Scott supporters will tell you: Never count him out.

THE COURAGE TO BE FREE

But while Scott’s star lost sparkle, DeSantis’ star was on the rise.

He pulled off a stunning reelection landslide that shook the entire country. And that came after DeSantis was constantly featured in every national media outlet for, as he said, “standing up to the woke mobs” at every turn. He vociferously fought against the BLMers, letting them know riots would not be tolerated in Florida. He challenged Fauci & Co. over COVID. He took on Disney … the ESGers … the DEIers … and he took on Joe Biden when DeSantis sent a planeload of illegal aliens to Martha’s Vineyard.

The DeSantis momentum has been growing. Turn on the radio or cable TV every day, and DeSantis is being interviewed by every conservative talk-show host in America about what he has done as governor and his potential run for president.

To pay his way, DeSantis worked summers as an electrician’s assistant at $6 an hour. While attending Yale, he held jobs recycling trash, parking cars at events, moving furniture, coaching baseball clinics and as a ball boy for the Yale soccer team.

“If someone needed a job done around campus, they knew to call me,” he writes. “I was living paycheck to paycheck. I ended each school year with only about $100 in my checking account. I didn’t go on spring vacations to the Bahamas, spend summers in the South of France or ski in Aspen over Christmas. I worked year-round …”

DeSantis graduated cum laude from Yale. From there, he was accepted into Harvard Law School. Which begs the question: How do you earn degrees from two of the most liberal, woke Ivy League universities in the country and come out a conservative? How could DeSantis possibly get through those schools without being waterboarded into a progressive, leftist elite?

“Experiencing unbridled leftism on campus pushed me to the right,” DeSantis writes. “I am one of the very few people who went through both Yale and Harvard Law School and came out more conservative than when I went in.”

Credit the common-sense genes inherited from his parents and grandparents. Indeed, once you take in DeSantis’ story — his upbringing to college to his service in the Navy to winning his first try for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, you can see DeSantis has that “salt of the earth” common sense; the work ethic of a steel mill foundry worker of the 1960s; and astute political instincts.

“Nobody handed me anything,” DeSantis writes in the chapter “Underdog,” describing how he was first elected to the U.S. House of

Scott brought the right leadership skills at the right time. He championed fiscal discipline; he brought business-CEO acumen that was needed to right what was then a bloated state government; and he championed a business and regulatory climate that created a framework that attracted businesses, allowed them to flourish and made Florida one of the best states in which to do business.

And while all those skills are needed in Washington more than ever, Scott finds himself somewhat lost in the crowd of Washington senators. He is one of 50 and not in charge.

DeSantis, meanwhile, has the advantage of being the executive in charge of running a state. What’s more, the times have changed. Fiscal restraint hasn’t been at the top of DeSantis’ agenda. He instead has focused on the issues that have dominated the public square: the nation’s culture wars, pushing back unabashedly and courageously against the vast progressive left.

The pendulum always swings. DeSantis and his “I don’t care what people think” style of governing and leadership appear to be suited to the time. National Public Radio describes DeSantis as “Trump without the baggage” and “Trump with a brain.”

But now, at age 44, DeSantis is on the verge of making the biggest leap of all from his modest roots in Dunedin. Can he knock Donald Trump off the top of the GOP ticket? We’ve said before we would rather DeSantis not run; Floridians want him to continue making Florida great. But it appears inevitable that he is succumbing to the forces that overtake so many ambitious politicians. He has, as his book title says, the courage to be free.

Does he have the mental and physical wherewithal to stay on the high road, deflect Donald Trump’s incessant insults and win the hearts and minds of Trump supporters and Republicans and independents at large?

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MATT WALSH

Attacks on SMH unfounded, reprehensible

Out-of-town agitators are using deceitful, defamatory and violent verbal abuse to seed distrust in Sarasota Memorial. Our community should not tolerate such ugly bullying.

Sarasota Memorial has been a trusted cornerstone of this community for nearly a century, through decades of growth and generations of change.

Just as SMH provided lifesaving care to our parents and grandparents through the polio epidemic of the 1940s, our dedicated doctors, nurses and staff worked around the clock, in the face of significant personal risk to keep our community safe through the COVID-19 pandemic.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these health care heroes.

Unfortunately, rather than receiving messages of support, our doctors, nurses and other staff at SMH are currently being subjected to a daily onslaught of violent verbal abuse.

As reported in the local press this past week, law enforcement is involved. Many of these messages are full of profanity and antisemitic slurs, and some even include graphic death threats.

It is important for Suncoast

residents to be aware that these hate-filled messages are being spread as part of a coordinated political campaign in our community led by national activists who have never been patients at Sarasota Memorial and who do not live anywhere near Sarasota or even in Florida. The small but vocal group behind this campaign is using misinformation about COVID-19 care at Sarasota Memorial to seed distrust in our award-winning public health system as they strive to strengthen their political standing in Florida.

In addition to personal attacks on our clinicians, they are deploying a range of deceitful tactics, including spreading defamatory social media posts and leaving

false reviews of the hospital and its physicians to further their own ideological goals.

These attacks are not only reprehensible, but they also are utterly unfounded, as demonstrated by the detailed information and data about Sarasota Memorial’s COVID care that is publicly available at SMH.com.

Over the past three years, SMH cared for more than 70% of hospitalized COVID patients in Sarasota County. Despite all efforts, COVID was the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. from 2020 to mid-2022.

Sarasota Memorial leaders and staff appreciate the heartfelt stories and concerns shared at recent Hospital Board meetings and understand the grief of those

who lost loved ones during this time. Our health system has an important role to play in helping the community heal and reach closure, which is why the SMH board has placed a significant emphasis on transparency and open, clear-eyed reflection.

This was exemplified by the Hospital Board’s request for a comprehensive three-year review of SMH’s COVID care, the findings of which were released in a public report this past month.

The report and independent data showed that Sarasota Memorial’s performance throughout the pandemic was strong. COVID patients hospitalized at SMH experienced fewer complications and shorter hospital stays, and, most importantly, its COVID

mortality rate was nearly 25% lower (better) than state and national hospital benchmarks.

The data speak for themselves and show that the continuing accusations of poor care and patient outcomes at SMH are simply not based in fact.

Rest assured that the 9,000 staff who power Sarasota Memorial will continue doing what they do best — providing nationally acclaimed health care for people living on the Suncoast.

SMH’s clinicians are extraordinarily resilient and will not be deterred by agitators working against the best interests of the health system and community it serves. However, it is unacceptable that their bravery and compassion are being repaid in this way and that their demanding jobs are being made even more challenging. Our doctors and nurses need our support.

Our community should not tolerate the bully tactics of this unprecedented political attack to destroy our public hospital and privatize health care in our community.

This will not always be comfortable, but we cannot allow ourselves to be cowed by a vocal minority who would see our nearly 100-year-old communityowned hospital privatized; its clinicians vilified; and decisionmaking transferred from a locally elected board to shareholders of a private corporation.

We all have different visions of what the best health care looks like, and our community may not always see eye-to-eye on the detail, but we can all agree that the interests and needs of local residents should remain at the heart of our community-owned health system.

Tramm Hudson is chair of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Board. He is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Sarasota banker and longtime community leader.

TRAMM HUDSON CHAIR, SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD

File photo

Staff, doctors and nurses are receiving threats from politically motivated individuals outside the Sarasota community.

Committee to study future of Van Wezel

zens, are not clear as to whether a decision to build a new SPAC had been made and therefore what the actual purpose of this committee is.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

When the Sarasota City Commission gets around to seating a committee to explore the reuse potential of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, it will consist of seven members — five of them with demonstrated expertise in specific relevant disciplines and two citizens at-large. That was the decision made on March 6 by commissioners, who also officially changed the name of the panel from Blue Ribbon to Purple Ribbon, paying homage to the color scheme of the building.

The panel will be tasked with exploring feasibility and functionality of refurbishing the building, and re-tasking it in a manner that would not operate in competition with the planned Sarasota Performing Arts Center planned for the opposite corner of the parking lot.

At the onset of the discussion, two citizens raised the question of whether the committee’s task should be so narrowly focused, challenging that the city doesn’t need both the Van Wezel and the SPAC to meet its cultural ambitions.

The committee is required as part of a forthcoming implementation agreement with the SPAC Foundation, which the commission will see at its March 20 meeting.

“Today you’re discussing a process for appointing a committee to determine future uses of the Van Wezel,” said resident Jose Fernandez. “Even commissioners, not to mention citi-

“We have already started implementation of the agreement and spending money with the architects’ selection committees, benchmarking visits to other venues, workshops, etc., all the while some of you are still not clear on what you’ve agreed to,” he continued. “There are people on both sides of this issue — build new or refurbish the old. (The decision to build) the new SPAC has been made as evidenced by the work that’s been done and the money that’s been spent.”

To his point, establishing the process of selecting the reuse-oriented committee was the subject of the commission’s discussion, and the timing lends itself to concurrency with the eventual signing of the implementation agreement with the Van Wezel Foundation and advancing toward funding, design and construction plans.

Among the most vocal opponents of the SPAC, city resident Kelly Franklin reiterated her position that the Van Wezel should be refurbished and continue to serve as the city’s primary performing arts hall.

“(The SPAC) proposal is based on two assumptions, which have proven to be fundamentally flawed,” she said. “The first is that we need more seats. The fact is the Van Wezel has only reached capacity 11% of the time over the last 10 years. We don’t need more seats, and even if we had them, Tampa will still enforce 90-mile blackouts on the newest Broadway tours. The second false assumption is that the Van Wezel is in bad shape and can’t be protected from the elements.”

Franklin added that the first question the task force should address is the cost to “protect, polish and keep

The Sarasota City Commission will select five diverse experts and two citizens to study the reuse of the 53-year-old bayfront venue.

the iconic Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.”

Objections notwithstanding, the discussion proceeded with the commission ultimately settling on selecting five professionals with expertise — they sidestepped the word “experts” as a subjective term — in five areas. They are:

n Performing art centers and broader use of large public buildings and structures.

n Historic preservation.

n Civil and structural engineering.

n Financial acumen pertaining to the operation performing arts centers.

n Climate adaptation, given the proximity of the Van Wezel to Sarasota Bay and weather conditions that can impact the building. In addition, two citizens will be appointed to the committee. All candidates must submit applications and the panel will be selected by majority vote of the commission.

Ideally, candidates will have no demonstrative bias toward replacing the Van Wezel. Vice Mayor Liz Alpert suggested the commission not restrict itself to considering local candidates only. She agreed with Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch that, providing equal qualifications, selections should favor local candidates.

Downtown Sarasota’s Premier Senior Rental Retirement Residence

“If there is somebody better qualified, I don’t want to take the Sarasota County one over somebody who’s more qualified from somewhere else,” Alpert said. “I want to make sure we have the expertise, and they all might be here.”

As a practical matter, Commissioner Debbie Trice offered, most applicants, if not all, will be local anyway.

“I am assuming that people who serve on this committee will be doing it without remuneration,” she said, “so it’s probably unlikely that someone from Idaho is going to apply. It’s possible, but unlikely.”

City Manager Marlon Brown suggested a time frame of 12 to 18 months for the committee to research and prepare a report with the help of a facilitator who can help guide its discussions.

Staff will draft a resolution for commissioners to consider any a future meeting, after which candidates can submit applications.

Concurrent with the Purple Ribbon Committee discussions, a SPAC Foundation task force continues its work to whittle down to three the architecture firm finalists for the task of designing the new building from six that were chosen as semifinalists for the project.

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Andrew Warfield

The city of Sarasota is exploring future uses or repurposing of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall once a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center is built.

Commission gives input on affordable housing strategy

three income tiers — 80% and below Sarasota County’s area median income, 81%-100% AMI and 101%120% AMI. The formula is intended to yield 11.5% of new development units priced in those ranges.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

At the onset of Monday’s City Commission workshop on affordable housing, Commissioner Jen AhearnKoch wondered aloud why, if no input from commissioners will alter details in the plan before its formal presentation to the Planning Board, were they meeting at all?

She wasn’t alone.

“Well, I guess it’s like having an argument with your wife,” Commissioner Debbie Trice offered as an analogy. “You tell her what you’re complaining about and she’d say, ‘Yeah, I heard you but I’m not taking any action.’”

Communication being critical to a successful relationship, City Manager Marlon Brown said a discussion between staff and commissioners that only a workshop can facilitate will make for a more perfect union when the zoning text amendments eventually come before the commission in a formal setting.

The proposed amendments are in part the result of two public workshops and meetings between planning staff and numerous downtown neighborhood groups. The first round of affordable housing incentives contained within them will apply only to the four downtown zoning districts. Plans for commercial corridors will follow later this year.

Chief among the proposed incentives are bonuses of up to four times the base density for new developments that voluntarily include a minimum of 15% of those bonus units priced for renters or buyers in

Along with Planning Director Steven Cover, three planning staff members made the same presentation to commissioners that they made at a March 1 town hall. It will also be the same one they present to the Planning Board, which will make its recommendation on the plan at its May meeting.

It was not received without pushback, though, led by AhearnKoch who said the city isn’t getting enough affordable and attainable units in exchange for the density bonus offered.

She also challenged staff’s insistence that developers say a less generous bonus density and ratio of affordable-to-market rate units will yield no tangible results.

“I’ve reached out to you all about (Miami Commissioner) Ken Russell,” she said. “They are building right now inclusionary housing in downtown Miami and having a tremendous amount of success, and they are including much higher percentages of attainable housing units. There are affordable housing developers who would be more than happy with those numbers.”

Trice asked staff to include income distribution data to show the percentage of the population at the three target AMI tiers, which may provide guidance on where the city should focus its efforts.

“We don’t know if half of our population that’s below that median (income) is also below 80%. We don’t know that whether half of our population that’s over the 120% AMI are the people who want the super luxury,” Trice said.

“Let’s get the distribution so we can show factually why we are aiming for this distribution for affordable housing.”

No action was taken, but city commissioners request more research before it comes up for a vote.

At Sarasota Memorial, you’ll find the award-winning comprehensive cardiovascular care that you need to stay active and living the life you want to live. Whether it’s a sudden heart attack or a chronic condition, our expert team of cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiovascular surgeons stand ready, equipped with state-of-the-art technology to deliver both rapid diagnosis and equally swift intervention. And a multidisciplinary approach to collaborative care ensures every patient receives the personalized treatment they need to get them back on their feet and back with the people they love.

smh.com/heart

Because home , not the hospital , is where the heart should be .

Red tide strains local kayak companies

cancel. Guests were told about the conditions and asked if they had asthma, emphysema or any other respiratory issues before checking in.

The timing couldn’t be worse for owners and employees.

LESLEY

ALido Key tour guide nicknamed Sea Biscuit recently went viral on TikTok, garnering more than 3 million views on a video he took while kayaking at Ted Sperling Park on Lido Key.

The video was taken March 6 after a large amount of fish kill due to red tide swept into Sarasota Bay. Hundreds of fish, from shiners to large sheepshead, can be seen floating lifeless on top of the water.

On Tuesday, three out of the seven kayak concessionaires in the park were closed, and the others were issuing warnings with an option to

“We’re looking at maybe 20, maybe a couple dozen people, as opposed to a hundred,” tour guide Steffan Simmons said.

But that was on Tuesday, and winds and tides change quickly. By Thursday, the fish kill had subsided and all seven kayak businesses were up and running again.

“We send scouts out in the morning, and if it’s bad, then we cancel that day. So far, we’ve only canceled two days, which were both this week,” owner of Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures Will Bither said. “It’s definitely day-to-day and not ideal for what’s supposed to be our busiest time of the year.”

Most of the concessionaires refused to comment on the effect

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Darrell Poole holds up a dead fish in front of the kayak launch at Ted Sperling Park.

Tour guide Darrell Poole’s video shot from Ted Sperling Park reached 3.2 million views on TikTok.

red tide has on business or the TikTok post. The sentiment from at least one owner, who asked not to be named, was that the video is scaring people away and hurting business during a crucial time of high tourism season.

The owner also added that kayaking is a safe activity for people without respiratory issues, the best way to learn about red tide is getting out on the water and no one is sending their guides out in harmful conditions.

The Florida Wildlife Commission said it doesn’t have a recommendation regarding kayaking, but replied via email in regards to swimming.

“In the last eight days, we have seen background-high levels of red tide in Sarasota Bay. Some people experience respiratory irritation (coughing, sneezing, tearing and an itchy throat) when red tide is present,” wrote spokesperson Carly Jones. “You should not swim in or around red tide because the toxin can cause skin irritation, rashes, burning and sore eyes.”

VIRAL SEA BISCUIT

When you hear Darrell Poole’s accent, it’s apparent the Sarasota Paddleboard Co. employee is not from around here. Originally from Alexandria, Louisiana, Poole moved to Florida three years ago and started working as a tour guide at Ted Sperling six months later.

He was given a nickname on his first day after telling a bad dad joke, “What does a ladyfish give a dogfish?

A sea biscuit.”

While Poole didn’t grow up in the area, he’s a country boy who’s used to being outdoors. His TikTok video was shot in a moment of anger and intended to be a call for change after a local Realtor posted similar footage with the comment, “This is the way of life.”

“If you want to think this is the way of life, then you have a very grim outlook on life,” he said while navigating through dead fish in his kayak. “The way of life should be everything living and enjoying life.”

Red tide is a naturally occurring algae that can be documented back to the 1700s, but Poole wants to use his 15 minutes to point out how human activity exacerbates the blooms.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquar-

ium backs up this claim on its website: “In short, we know humancontributed nutrients can affect a coastal red tide, and we must expand our data and monitoring efforts to confirm whether and how they did in each specific case.”

When red tide resurfaced toward the end of last year, Poole became a member of Captains for Clean Water. The nonprofit was started in 2016 by a couple of guys like himself, fishing guides fed up with water pollution and ready to take action.

Now that Poole has a voice, he plans to use it. TikTok influencers have reached out about future collaborations, and he’s creating a T-shirt using the hashtag, #FightTheTide. The logo is a manatee wearing a hazmat suit, and all proceeds will go to local water keeper organizations.

According to the FWC, three manatees were found dead in Sarasota Bay during February and March. One suffered a watercraft injury, and the other two may be added to the red tide suspect list, but it will take weeks to determine if it was a possible cause of death. Regardless, red tide is killing wildlife.

“My job as an eco guide is to be a voice for the wildlife, teach about the ecology and what we can do to help it out, what we can do to be better and hold other people accountable who constantly pollute our water,” Poole said.

Our goal is to continue to move Florida forward. We’ve transitioned from foreign oil to natural gas and are moving responsibly toward solar energy, battery storage and clean hydrogen to advance energy independence and stabilize energy costs. Learn more at FPL.com/Value

Janet and Curt Mattson Owners

Fish of all sizes washed into shore this past week.

TUESDAY, FEB. 28

A PAIN IN THE GLASS

8:28 p.m., 1400 block of 21st Street

Property damage:

Police are investing an incident in which a white brick was thrown through a window at a residence. The victims were uncertain who the suspect or suspects might be, but advised they do want to press charges if they can be identified.

The victims were inside the home when they heard glass breaking and immediately stepped outside to see as many as 10 subjects running into a nearby apartment complex. The window was double-pane glass, and only the exterior pane was broken. Because of the coarse texture of the brick, latent prints could not be collected at the time of the call.

Officers canvassed the area, but no subjects were located. The estimated cost of the damage is $600. The victims were provided with a victim rights brochure the case number. The scene was cleared after without incident.

vehicle as small pieces of paper remained in place beneath the screws. No further evidence of a stolen tag was obtained at the scene. The officer provided the complainant with a case number to enable her to seek a replacement for the tag. The officer had no probable cause at the time of the incident to charge the accused.

officer was unable to speak to the neighbor about the incident because she was not on the premises at the time. The officer did learn she is trying to rent the property. The complainant was advised the issue was civil in nature, but he could call police the next time the neighbor is on-site so a conversation may be facilitated.

PAPER CHASE 2:24 p.m., 1500 block of 28th Street Stolen license plate: A woman called police for what she said is a stolen temporary license plate. The complainant advised that she knew the suspect and that he had warrants for his arrest. She was seeking instruction about how to go about obtaining another temporary plate.

Police observed that a paper plate appeared to have been torn from her

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

APOLOGY ACCEPTED

11:30 a.m., 2100 block of Dixie Avenue

Family dispute: A mother called police saying her teenage son was “out of control” and yelling while “making a mess.” When the officer arrived on the scene, the teen was loudly agitated. After determining no physical violence was involved, the officer explained to the teen his options were to help his mother and to avoid criminal action in the future. Receptive to that, the teen offered a “sincere apology” to his mother. With the situation de-escalated, the officer ensured all parties were safe before leaving the scene. No further action was taken.

Fast Break

‘Scrappy’ Sailors

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Some sports teams shy away from using terms like “scrappy.”

While not overtly negative, the word implies that the team in question will do — perhaps has to do — anything it takes to win. It carries the connotation of a hard-working group, but also one that is maximizing all the talent at its disposal to win. It is not a term typically applied to favorites or teams that win blowout after blowout. When those teams play a similar way, they get descriptors like “tenacious” or “relentless.”

The Sarasota High softball team, led by coach Heather Mushrush, doesn’t mind those connotations of “scrappy.” In fact, she embraces the term for itself. In the Sailors’ minds, a gut-check win is as good as any other. They all count the same, after all.

“To me, if you’re someone who is scrappy, that means you’re never out of a fight, even into the late rounds,” Mushrush said. “That’s who we have been. We don’t give up.”

The Sailors, coming off a 17-8 season in 2022, lost only three seniors to graduation this offseason and entered 2023 with expectations of building off last season. Through seven games, the team looks to have

succeeded. The Sailors are 6-1 and have showcased a penchant for bringing home wins however they can.

Sometimes Sarasota can put together an offensive barrage, like it did March 2 in a 14-2 win over Riverview High. Other times, the Sailors lean on workhorse senior pitcher Ryleigh Bennett, who holds a 1.20 ERA through 40.2 innings. And sometimes, the team has to rely on its mental toughness, like when the Sailors blew a 4-0 lead against North Port High, but stopped the Bobcats’ rally at 4-4 and got a late run of their own, on a walk-off hit by sophomore Brooke Bendel, to win 5-4.

The Sailors have been honing their mental strength for a long time in preparation for the season’s long journey.

“We have a saying on this team,” Bendel said. “It is SAIL: sacrifice, accountability, integrity and leadership. We try to have all of those things every game, and I feel like we’ve done a good job of that so far.”

Mushrush said she believes the team’s scorching start has come from playing as a complete unit. After games, Mushrush said the Sailors will stand in a circle and go over what just happened, as most teams do. What’s different this season is the willingness of the players to shout out their teammates for strong play, unprompted. Then those teammates will respond with a shoutout to

someone else, and the circle of support continues. The team’s chemistry has been building for years. Bendel said the majority of the team’s players have known each other for a long time, and their bond has only increased.

Mushrush said the team has volunteered with the Miracle League of Manasota, which provides opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball, to help with that bond, plus has held fun get-togethers like a “camping trip” at a coach’s house.

Bendel said the camping trip was used to play neighborhood games like manhunt and wiffle ball. It all circles back to being the most supportive team the Sailors can be.

But on-field talent helps, too. Bendel is hitting .429 with two doubles, two home runs and a teamleading 12 RBIs. Senior Jaydan Baker, who March 9 announced her intentions to enter the Fire Academy upon gradation, is hitting .474 with two doubles. Sophomore Sommer Speers and junior Abbey Johns both have a double and two triples. And anchoring the other side of the game is Bennett, who as a senior has lowered her ERA by 1.44 runs per game from 2022 as of March 14.

Bennett said she spent the past year working on her pitch accuracy, but also changing her mindset on the mound.

“I’m not trying to be perfect anymore,” Bennett said. “I’m putting trust in my teammates to make plays behind me and put up runs. Last year, when I started to struggle is when I tried to strike everybody out instead of letting them put the ball in play. It led to a lot of walks and a lot of pitching errors. This year (with the new mindset), it has helped me throw more strikes, and we’ve been more productive as a team.”

In some ways, the Sailors are still the underdogs. They play in a district with two-time defending state champion Lakewood Ranch High (7-3) as well as Venice High, who has started this season 5-1. Getting as deep into the postseason as the team dreams will not be an easy task.

The good news for the Sailors? They’re used to working hard.

“Last year was a growing year,” Mushrush said. “This year, we’re starting to come into our own. We’re starting to understand who we are as a team. We want to be a family. If you can get that aspect of it, you’re golden. They have all the talent, they just have to produce it in a way where we’re fighting for each other, and I think we have started to do that.”

There will be no NCAA basketball tournament runs for any Sarasotaarea players in 2023; the closest player to doing so, former Riverview High star A.J. Caldwell, and his University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs lost 88-79 to Furman University in the Southern Conference tournament championship game, which would have secured a bid.

... It’s not all bad for former Rams, though: Riverview grad Brion Whitley was named an HBCU All-Star Game participant on March 13. He’ll play for Team Willis Reed. The game will air on CBS on April 2 at 4 p.m. Whitley averaged 11.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game as a graduate student at Southern University.

... The Sarasota Sharks took home the team title at the 2023 Florida Swimming Spring Senior Champs held March 9-12 in Orlando.

... If you haven’t yet been to a Baltimore Orioles spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium in 2023, then the 1:05 p.m. March 19 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates is a great chance to remedy that. The game will double as Youth Sports Day, and all kids 4-14 will get a chance to run the bases afterwards. Tickets can be purchased at the stadium box office or at Orioles.com.

... The Lucky Leprechaun 5K is set for 8 a.m. March 18 at Nathan Benderson Park, and all participants in the main 5K get a green beer after finishing. The main 5K division is flanked by a pet-friendly “furry friends” division and a “swift stroller” division for participants with young children, as well as a “rainbow dash” for kids 12 and younger, meaning everyone can have fun. Registration fees vary by division and spectators enter for free. To register or for more information, visit NathanBendersonPark.org or Fit2Run. com/Races.

“I love being part of a school sport. I love the atmosphere ...”

— Sarasota High’s Ava Kozicky SEE PAGE 19A

Courtesy photo

Former Riverview High boys basketball star Brion Whitley is a graduate student at Southern University.

The Sailors are 6-1 and have shown an ability to win in multiple ways.

The Sailors volunteer at places like the Miracle League of Manasota.

Sarasota High’s Ryleigh Bennett has been the team’s workhorse.

Sarasota High’s Sommer Speers (21) races home for a run.

Spring in their step

With spring break here for Sarasota County Schools, it’s time to see who has started the season on fire.

The spring sports season is the shortest of the high school sports seasons, but every year, it feels shorter.

Case in point: It feels like this year’s season just began, but in reality, we’re approximately three weeks away from postseason play starting in lacrosse, and the other sports soon will follow suit. As we’re more than halfway through the lacrosse season and close to halfway through other sports, it’s time to compile a list of players and teams who have started their seasons hotter than the sun — even though you may not have heard about their efforts. Call it an under-the-radar list, as I have in the past, or call it whatever

you like: The bottom line is these people deserve some recognition.

KEVONTAY HUGAN, BOOKER HIGH TRACK AND FIELD

Hugan, a freshman, starred on the Tornadoes’ football team in the fall as a defensive lineman and earned himself offers from Penn State, South Florida and Maryland. He looks to be just as dominant a force in field events. Hugan finished second in the shot put (47 feet 0.25 inches) at the 2023 North Port Invitational on March 9 at North Port High.

That mark may have only earned second place at the meet, but it was also the 15th-best mark by anyone in a Class 2A school this season. The 14 people in front of Hugan — which includes Cardinal Mooney High senior Marc Dalmau (48 feet, 11 inches) at No. 9 — are all juniors or seniors. Hugan has three years to refine his technique and get stronger. With these early results, it would be a surprise if he did not bring home a track and field medal at some point in his high school career.

LUIS CASTANEDA, RIVERVIEW

HIGH TRACK AND FIELD

Speaking of people who could bring home a track and field medal: Rams junior Luis Castaneda is the current Class 4A leader in the boys discus (171 feet, 11 inches). Like Hugan, Castaneda set his best mark at the North Port Invitational. His throw is approximately three feet better than second-place Dylan Horne (168 feet, 11.25 inches), a senior at Ocoee High, and approximately 20 feet better than anyone else in the class, at least thus far.

Castaneda has improved immensely from his 2022 performance, when he had a personal best throw of 150 feet, 7 inches, and finished 12th at the state meet with a 141-foot, 3.25-inch toss. Even if he never bests his current mark, he’s got a chance to take home gold at the state meet in May.

SUSAN LOWTHER, RIVERVIEW

HIGH GIRLS LACROSSE

After scoring at a 3.8 goals per game

pace a season ago, Rams junior

Susan Lowther has made a leap to a different level of lacrosse play in 2023. Lowther has 60 goals in 10 games (6.0 goals per game), which ranks second in Florida, and has added 23 assists. In six of her 10 games, Lowther has recorded 10 total points or more. Her offense has helped a young Rams to a 6-4 record.

THE SARASOTA HIGH BASEBALL PITCHING STAFF

The Sailors have only used four pitchers this season, according to MaxPreps data, but all four have been commanding on the mound.

Here’s what I mean. Junior hurler Bernard Barnes Jr. holds a 1.17 ERA through 12 innings pitched. That’s a sparkling mark and it would be the lowest ERA on plenty of good baseball teams, but on the Sailors, it’s actually the highest.

Senior Luke Jackson has a 1.11 ERA over 12.2 innings. Senior Tanner Crump has a 0.74 ERA over 19 innings. And junior Michael Bendever has yet to allow a run through 7.1 innings. That all amounts to a 0.82 staff ERA through seven games.

It’s still a little early in the baseball season compared to other spring sports, but that is still an absurd number. It’s no wonder the Sailors are 6-1, despite having scored just 27 runs themselves (3.9 runs per game).

ISABELLE BAIN, RIVERVIEW HIGH SOFTBALL

The Rams have gotten off to a 1-5 start in 2023, but Bain has been an offensive bright spot. After hitting .118 in 17 varsity at-bats as a freshman in 2022, the sophomore is hitting .444 with a double, a home run and eight RBIs this season.

CALEB BRADLEY, SARASOTA HIGH TRACK AND FIELD

Bradley, a senior sprinter and hurdler, has put himself into the elite conversation in the Class 4A 200-meter dash category with his performance at the North Port Invitational. Bradley finished in 21.85 seconds, which is good for 13th in the class. But the top of the

class is packed as tight as sardines: 0.25 seconds separates Bradley from fifth-place Treasure Coast High senior Shomari Pettigrew (21.60 seconds). That’s a difference that can be covered if things break right.

JULIA PIOTROWSKA, RIVERVIEW HIGH TENNIS

Piotrowska, a sophomore, is listed as the Rams’ No. 1 singles player on MaxPreps, and for good reason. She’s the No. 184 player in the national class of 2025 (and No. 31 in Florida) according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, which gave her a four-star rating. Piotrowska has started the 2023 high school season 4-0 and is surely a contender to go deep into the postseason.

Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

Sarasota High sprinter and hurdler Caleb Bradley is in the mix in the Class 4A 200-meter dash.

File photos

Riverview High girls lacrosse player Susan Lowther is one of Florida’s goal leaders.

Ava Kozicky

Ava Kozicky is a sophomore on the Sarasota High girls lacrosse team. Kozicky scored her 100th varsity goal March 10 against Tampa Catholic. Kozicky has 50 goals on the season, which ranks seventh in Florida.

When did you start playing lacrosse?

I started in the summer before seventh grade. I did gymnastics for a long time before that, but I got injured and my parents made me quit it. (Laughs.) So I switched to lacrosse and also volleyball. Some of my best friends played lacrosse on a small recreational team, so I tried it to play with them.

What is the appeal to you?

I just love being athletic. I’m always willing to go out and do something. I hate sitting around the house.

For this Sarasota team, it’s a great group. I have a lot of friends on the team. I love being part of a school sport. I love the atmosphere. But I also play club lacrosse for True Lacrosse, and that’s a different atmosphere, but I love that too.

What is your best skill?

On this team, I think it’s my leadership and my lacrosse IQ, which means knowing when to pass and when to do certain moves and when to shoot.

What have you been working to improve?

Just my shooting and my passing overall. I want less drops (on my passes) and less misses.

What is your favorite memory?

My club team won its first tournament in 2021. When I first joined, we had a rough season. The next year, we got some good girls and we played better and we won an event in Tampa. Since it was our first one, it has to be that.

What are your goals?

Since I hit 100 goals, I want to hit 300 points by the end of my senior year. That’s a long-term goal. Other

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

than that, just for us to keep winning more and keep playing better.

What is your favorite food?

I love a steak cooked medium rare.

What is your favorite TV show?

It’s pretty basic, but I like both “Outer Banks” and “The 100” a lot.

What is your favorite subject?

Math is my strongest subject, but I also like weightlifting. I have a lot of friends in that class, and it is fun to work out with them.

Which superpower would you pick?

I would pick invisibility so I could sneak around and spy on people.

What is the best advice you have received?

My dad (Alan Kozicky) gives good advice. He always says that if you don’t put the work in, the work’s not going to happen. You’re not going to get better if you just sit around and wait for it to happen.

Finish this sentence:

“Ava Kozicky is ...” ... Passionate. I’m eager to get things done.

Start with heart

DARIELA DELGADO STAFF WRITER

The executive director’s colorful silk gown kisses the floor, making her steps look effortless — just like the way she manages all her various responsibilities at Suncoast School of Innovations Studies.

When Sherika Evans became executive director of the charter school just north of Sarasota High School in 2019, she also became one of the school’s bus drivers, a certified food service manager, a guardian, a notary and a teacher.

Asked why she goes to this extent for her students, Evans joins her hands together, leans forward, and with a subtle Southern accent says, “To understand that — that I am these kids.”

THE ROAD TO SOMETHING BETTER

In summer 1991, in the poorest part of the Mississippi Delta, 11-year-old Evans was hard at work in her first job picking cotton.

“That part of Mississippi is stuck in a particular time,” said Evans as she reminisces on that season of her life. Her younger self was determined to help pay for her siblings’ clothing, so on her first day, she chopped cotton.

As the youngest and the only female in the group, she did the best she could, only to get fired on her first day. “They said chop cotton,” said Evans as she shook her head.

“I was supposed to chop the weeds of the cotton.” She was sent home immediately after, however, she came back the next summer ready to try again.

“I grew up working hard,” said Evans. “As poor as we were, I didn’t know it.”

When she got to high school and heard other students speak about college, she didn’t really know much about it.

“I heard people talk about college, and I didn’t know what college was. I said, ‘Is it in Walmart?’ because Walmart was 30 minutes away from my town,” said Evans.

She turned to her best friend, Daniel, for answers about this college phenomenon. “Buddy, where’s college?”

“Whatever I do, you do. I’m going to make sure you get there,” she recalled Daniel telling her. He told her they were both going to Jackson State.

Evans applied to various schools and got into every single one of them,

SUNSHINE ROOM

“Our kids needed a place to be themselves,” said Evans. “This was the birth of The Sunshine Room.”

The Sunshine Room at SSIS offers students a sensory break and a safe space where they can have access to school counselors and talk out their frustrations.

The room has a small hut where students can crawl in and read their favorite books. There is also equipment that helps students stretch out their muscles and a caterpillar-like swing where they can cradle inside and feel like a swaddled baby.

“Our students have learned to use The Sunshine Room,” said Evans. “They need a moment to reflect on a behavior and talk ... but they will go back to class.”

including Harvard. “I didn’t know it was a big deal,” she said. Her mother didn’t want her going to college at all “because it was so different from her way of life.”

Evans ended up attending Jackson State University and earning a degree in elementary education in 2002. She went on to earn her master’s in early childhood education in 2004 and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University in 2010.

“I know what it’s like for our students to not have their education celebrated,” said Evans. She was always a straight-A student — even though she never studied. “I was ridiculed for it (not studying) because that’s not going to help me in the fields. It’s not going to help me and the way of life that the people in town I knew.”

Because of Evans’ background, she hopes to be an example of becoming a better version of herself with education.

“I’m an example of ‘How do you move past that?’ I’m an example of ‘That doesn’t have to define who you

are forever,’” said Evans. “I always want to help children like me, like my siblings and like my cousins.”

DRIVING THE BUS

There are two school buses that are parked at the back door to Evans’ office. SSIS Mental Health and First Aid Paraprofessional Aide Latosha Robinson-Butler, and Evans are the designated bus drivers. “Not only do I drive the bus, I also became a qualified trainer so I can teach others to drive the bus,” Evans said.

When SSIS was short staffed with bus drivers, she took matters into her own hands. “That’s not what’s going to shut my school down,” said Evans.

In her office, there’s a mini kitchenette. “I do a lot of cooking. I cook for my staff and students,” said Evans. “A lot of our families are homeless. Ms. Tasha and I often cook so they have hot food for the weekend.”

When students return home, she makes sure to hand them the hot meal along with nonperishable foods.

Currently, SSIS is collaborating with All Faiths Food Bank to provide food for the staff, students, families and the community. The charter school currently has two food pantries.

“I knew from my experience from being a first-year teacher in the Mississippi Delta that I never had enough money for food,” said Evans. “I want my families to use the pantries like a store.”

In her efforts to give kids a better life, Evans remains passionate about helping not just them but their entire families.

One of her plans is to open a laundromat for  families to wash their clothes while having a studentteacher conference, as well as cooking spaghetti dinners for the staff, students and their families.

“Having our parents rediscover their value, I think, is going to be the next part of this journey. We will elevate our students,” said Evans.

Sherika Evans believes giving kids a better life doesn’t just involve the children — it involves the whole family.

“I’m an example of ‘How do you move past that?’

I’m an example of ‘That doesn’t have to define who you are forever.’”

Sherika Evans

Photos by Dariela Delgado Suncoast School for Innovative Studies Executive Director Sherika Evans takes on multiple responsibilities to enable her students to succeed.

Fourth grader Chloe Lewis gets in the caterpillar-like swing located in the Sunshine Room.

Latosha Robinson-Butler and Suncoast School for Innovative Studies School Ambassador Director, Registrar, Record Coordinator and Attendance Clerk Jae Langston Williams.

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The Dancing Nana celebrates 100th birthday

The secret to longevity is to dance your feet off and eat chocolate.

Shirley Goodman celebrated her 100th birthday on March 14 at the Senior Friendship Centers. The entrance into the main building turned into a dance party where more than 60 guests danced to music by the Skip’s Dixie Mix Band.

Goodman became “The Dancing Nana” in 2019, when a video of her dancing the “Push Tush” at a wedding went viral on social media with more than 100 million views. This year, she shares her joy of dance with her family, friends and the Sarasota community.

“The dancing, the music and eating chocolate keeps my longevity,” said Goodman. Before the students of Boys & Girls Club cut the cake, Goodman told the band to play her a beat, strutted to the dance floor and performed a tap dance solo for the crowd.

“Milestone birthdays are fun to celebrate,” said Senior Friendship Centers CEO Erin McLeod. “To be celebrating 100 years with a big party like this, it’s inspiring.”

— DARIELA DELGADO

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7742

Photos by Dariela Delgado

Shirley Goodman tap dances at her 100th birthday party at the Senior Friendship Centers’ dance floor.

Shirley Goodman (center) and her family joins Senior Friendship Centers to celebrate her 100th birthday.

More Than A PLAN

IT’S A PROMISE.

Pre-planning does more than provide your family with peace of mind. It’s making a promise to keep them free of future financial burdens and the responsibility of carrying out rushed arrangements during their time of remembrance.

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Create a plan and a promise for your loved ones. Give us a call today to start the conversation.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

HOUND HAPPY HOUR WITH LOVE4PAWS AND DOG COSTUME CONTEST

5-8 p.m. at Hamlet’s Eatery, 821 Apricot Ave. Make sure you dress your dog in green and join Hound Happy Hour at Hamlet’s Eatery. Love4Paws will attend with dogs who will be up for adoption. Food and live music will be available. This is a free event. For information, visit HamletsEatery.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 19

DOWNTOWN SARASOTA

FINE ART & CRAFT FAIR

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Downtown Sarasota, 1718 Main St. Get ready to admire creativity at its finest. Sculptures, paintings, jewelry and so much more will be available for sale. This event is free. Visit DestinationDowntownSarasota.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY FEATURING

CASSIE JEAN & THE FIREFLIES

6-7 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Bring your lawn chair and listen to Cassie Barbaresi and Rich Odato as this duo plays some indie Americana. This is a free event. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.org.

MONDAY, MARCH 20

MUSIC BINGO

7-9 p.m. at The Green at UTC. Want to impress your friends with how many songs you know? Show off at this month’s music bingo. Snippets of songs will replace bingo numbers and you guess the song or artist. Seating is first come, first served. This is a free event. For information, visit UTCSarasota.com.

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

ART AT NOON WITH THOMAS CARABASI

Noon at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail. Spend your midday discussing and listening to Department Head of Photography and Imaging Thomas Carabasi. He will lead a discussion on “Richard Benson: The World is Smarter Than You Are” exhibition. $20 for not-yet members. For information, visit SarasotaArtMuseum. org.

BEST BET FRIDAY,

MARCH 17

ST. PATRICK’S DAY BLOCK PARTY

6 p.m. at The Gator Club, 1490 Main St.

Summon your inner Irish at this annual party. Live music and food trucks will be available. This is a free event. For information, call 366-5969.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22

FARMERS MARKET WEDNESDAYS

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. Get your week’s groceries from more than 50 local vendors. There will be live music and dogs are welcome, too. This is a free event. For information, call 861-5000.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

BOURBON & BRUSHES

7-8:30 p.m. at Art Ovation Hotel, 1255 N. Palm Ave. Get creative with your painting with guided instruction while tasting a variety of bourbons. Tickets $50. For information, visit ArtOva tionHotel.com.

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the places we have gone!

Enter the Observer’s 2023 It’s Read Everywhere contest for your chance to win a 7-night/balcony cabin Celebrity Cruises® cruise.

2023 It’s Read Everywhere contest winner will receive a seven-night balcony cabin Celebrity Cruise from any Florida port. *

Peter and Robin Miller to the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, Canada. Hepsey Mitchell to the Port d’ Andratx, Mallorca, Spain.

O- Man is ready to join you and your favorite Observer newspaper on your next adventure. For more than 25 years, the Observer has encouraged our readers to take us with you on vacation, snap a photo and enter the It’s Read Everywhere contest.

Our adventurous readers have photographed themselves with the Longboat, Sarasota/Siesta Key and East County Observers at their favorite locations.

Traveling to all seven continents, the Observer has flown high in the sky in hot air balloons, gone on camel rides and safaris, deep sea scuba diving and even hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

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Take your favorite Observer with you.

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We know you are out there traveling again and, “O”-man, do we want to come along!

Take your favorite Observer newspaper with you, take a photo and send it to yourobserver.com/contests/its-read-everywhere for your chance to win.

Pictured above are a few of our It’s Read Everywhere photo favorites.

THE OBSERVER HAS TRAVELED WITH:

Frankie and Sam Creco to the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Joyce Giaconia-Coughlin to Prague, Czech Republic. Mike and Inah Sporer and Rick and Debbie Brown to Acropolis, Greece. Karin Otterstrom and Randy Van Vlaenderen to Mt. Olympus, Washington. Joseph and Gloria Kaminsky to Mt. Rainer, Washington. Jennifer Mott-Mueller to Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Michelle Crabtree to Bryce Canyon, Utah. Anne McCunney to Lisbon, Portugal. Amy Muth and Sylvie Obidowski to Seward, Alaska. Karen Renda, Jean Lolli, Lynn Reuss and Kim Raymond to Bomarzo, Italy. Arietha Blackman to Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Diane Bartoszek to Salt Lake City, Utah. Bob and Kay Blair to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Steve Postie to Queensland, Australia. Alie, Kent and Kyle Williams to Machu Picchu, Peru.

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Monica and Rick Rice to Zion National Par Joyce Miller a Brooks to B

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OFrankie and Sam Creco to the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Joyce Giaconia-Coughlin to Prague, Czech Republic. Mike and Inah Sporer and Rick and Debbie Brown to Acropolis, Greece. K arin Otterstrom and Randy Van Vlaenderen to Mt. Olympus shington. Josand Gloria to aminsky to Rainer, Washinton. JeJennnifer Ken Mottsa Mueller to Mt. Kilim nzania. ichelle o Bryce CaCunney Lisbon, Amy M uth and ylvie owski tward, laska. aren enda, Jean ynn s and ymon marzo.

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A Top Producer in the Cruise Planners network and based in Lakewood Ranch, Marc has proudly hosted the Sarasota Luxury Travel Forum for the past three years.

“For me traveling is all about seeking new adventures and making travel memories. And these adventures become even more fun when you can share them with a good friend.”

-O-man

Orioles raise funds for music education

Ashley “Ms. Black” Yates smiled ear-to-ear as she slowly scanned the 400 baseball fans and arts supporters that roamed Ed Smith stadium for the sixth annual “Athletes and Artists Play for Kids” charity event on March 11.

Yates, The Intersection of Change’s Jubilee Arts program director, slightly tilted her head as she expressed the joy she felt seeing the community come out to support nonprofit. “I flew from Baltimore just to come here for this event,” said Yates.

The organization, which provides comprehensive arts programs to both children and adults, was the beneficiary of this year’s event. According to a news release, it uses art as a catalyst for social change, a tool for empowerment and an alternative to drugs and violence in the community.

“The Orioles have always tried to find creative ways to activate the community and be impactful,” said Baltimore Orioles Chairman and CEO John Angleos. “This was a synergy. Margaret (Valentine) had the music access and relationships and professional platform, and I’ve been around sports media and entertainment.”

Baseball fans, arts supporters and musicians also came together to support and raise funds for the Orioles Charitable Foundation’s Music & Arts Education Scholarship; this scholarship was created in 2019 and helps deserving students and programs in Baltimore, Nashville and Sarasota.

Attendees mingled while enjoying lite bites before taking their seats and listening to the artists speak of the stories behind their hit songs.

— DARIELA DELGADO

Liz Mikola and Susan Mele

Orioles’ Chairman and CEO John Angleos with event founder and singer-songwriter Margaret Valentine

Tammy and Chad Bolen

Photos by Dariela Delgado

Cayleigh Mecleod, Mollie Bradish, Jackie Akin, Taylor Mountcastle and Liz Voth.

Sarasota

Chamber hosts its annual breakfast

Chamber members met March 10 to hear entrepreneurship lessons from the founder of Boom Chicka Pop.

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce started its day with a breakfast and a side of life and business lessons at its annual breakfast March 10 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota.

About 370 members of Sarasota’s business community chatted with each other over coffee and breakfast before guest speaker Angie Bastian spoke about the trials and tribulations of running her popcorn company, Boom Chicka Pop, with her husband.

From starting in a garage popping kettle corn to eventually selling the business to ConAgra Foods, Bastian said the No. 1 thing she learned is to always be thinking about your customer.

“I believe companies that learn how to understand their consumer, know who their consumer is, know how to speak to their consumer both authentically and with integrity, they are the ones that create intangible value that ultimately lands in a concrete way,” said Bastian.

Prior to Bastian’s speech, the chamber presented its Spirit of Sarasota award to Mark Pritch-

It’s Almost Kitten Season!

ett, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, who is retiring this year. He received a standing ovation as he accepted the award.

DARIELA DELGADO

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Photos by Dariela Delgado

Sarasota Chamber President and CEO Heather Kasten welcomes the audience.

Guest speaker Angie’s Boom Chick Pop Co-founder Angie Bastian speaks about her entrepreneurship journey.

Siesta Key home tops this week’s sales at $2.3 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Prince’s Gate tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Paul and Diana Wilkinson, of Osprey, sold their home at 1287 Whitehall Place to FLKD LLC for $2.3 million. Built in 1972, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,762 square feet of living area. It sold for $740,000 in 2012.

and 2,454 square feet of living area. It sold for $859,000 in 2019.

ANCHORAGE STREET

Debbie Layer, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1628 Anchorage St. to Dayton Drew Russell and Christina Nicole Russell, of Sarasota, for $1,739,000. Built in 1988, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,200 square feet of living area. It sold for $345,000 in 1995.

MARK SARASOTA

Paul Matthew Scholl and Catherine Ann Calewarts-Sellers, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 916 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to Shelley Roisen, of Sarasota, for $1.6 million. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,585 square feet of living area. It sold for $869,000 in 2019.

VUE Mark Stautberg, of Sarasota, sold his Unit 207 condominium at 1155 N. Gulfstream Ave. to Sean Sanford, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1,445,000. Built in 2017, it has one bedroom, two-and-a-half baths and 1,563 square feet of living area. It sold for $885,200 in 2017.

EMBASSY HOUSE

Brennan Asplen III and Mari Ellen Asplen, of St. Augustine, sold their Unit 1203 condominium at 770 S. Palm Ave. to Jerel Johnson, of Sarasota, for $1.4 million. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,520 square feet of living area. It sold for $805,000 in 2021.

SONADA

Richard Ross and Deborah Alison Dietz sold their home at 4709 Sonada Court to Jennifer Folvig, of Sarasota, for $1.4 million. Built in 2001, it has five bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,058 square feet of living area. It sold for $720,000 in 2021.

VALENCIA ROSEMARY PLACE

TOWNHOMES

Donna Gutierrez sold her home at 1282 May Lane to Rita Loreti, of Sarasota, for $1.1 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,291 square feet of living area. It sold for $590,000 in 2019.

CONDOMINIUMS OF ORANGE

CLUB

Brian Sternthal and Alice Marie Tybout, trustees, sold the Unit 202 condominium at 635 S. Orange Ave. to Anne and Larry Clemons, of Kansas City, Missouri, for $1,075,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $732,800 in 2017.

SARASOTA BAY CLUB

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 925 condominium at 1299 Tamiami Trail to Mary McGrath, of Sarasota, for $1,018,000. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,524 square feet of living area. It sold for $884,000 in 2021.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA: $2.2 MILLION

Sarasota Bay Club

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 528 condominium at 1299 Tamiami Trail to David Kotok and Christine Schlesinger, of Sarasota, for $2.2 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths and 2,206 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,152,000 in 2016.

The home on 1287 Whitehall Place was built in 1972. It has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,762 square feet of living area.

THE UPLANDS

Randall Sean Sellers and Mary Colleen McGue sold their home at 504 Parkview Drive to Robert Kendall Marshall and Kelly Michelle Marshall, of Sarasota, for $1 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,185 square feet of living area.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

PALMER RANCH: $1.7 MILLION

Prestancia

Suzette Michaels Lodge, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 4298 Boca Pointe Drive to Ryan Taylor and Karen Varone, of Sarasota, for $1.7 million. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, six baths, a pool and 6,123 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,148,000 in 2018.

NOKOMIS: $1,175,000

Blackburn Ridge Wade and Linda Hubbard, of Haddon Township, New Jersey, sold their home at to Tom Alan Anderson and Marisa Alexandra Anderson, of Brighton, Michigan, for $1,175,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,421 square feet of living area.

OSPREY: $1,735,000

Oaks II David and Frances Kaplan sold their home at 874 Mac Ewen Drive to Theodore and Sandra Broome, of Osprey, for $1,735,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,930 square feet of living area. It sold for $735,000 in 2015.

Courtesy photos

THINK EVERYTHING’S GOOD?

Healthy wildlife requires healthy floodplains

Floodplain marshes, which are found along rivers and streams, are an important natural community at Myakka River State Park. A defining feature of these marshes, which are dominated by herbaceous vegetation and shrubs, is that they are directly influenced by flooding on an annual or semiannual basis. Indeed, wildlife and plants that live in or along the wild and scenic Myakka River depend on such hydroperiods, when marshes are covered by water, to survive and thrive.

We provide essential support to:

The Suncoast is a beautiful place to live. Unfortunately, amongst our beautiful surroundings, there are many people who are struggling to find work, to secure housing, and to overcome addiction, just to name a few.

The world, and therefore our lives, seems to be moving at a more rapid pace than ever before. Although our intention to help those who need us is there, our focus can become sidetracked. And let’s face it, it is easier to avoid really looking at the difficult side of life.

At JFCS of the Suncoast, we understand that the only way to be good is to do good. We know that real courage is about conviction. It’s knowing that we can make things better, bit by bit, one family at a time. It’s understanding that it’s our duty to help those in need and dig deep to do the tedious, everyday work of making it happen.

• Seniors who feel isolated and alone

• Caregivers who are desperate to interact with others who understand the challenges they face every day

• Families and children dealing with addiction

• Fathers trying to reunite with their children after incarceration

• Homeless veterans feeling hopeless and forgotten

• Holocaust survivors trying to live in peace

• Youth feeling angry, depressed, and destructive who need diversion and counseling

As experienced in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, by slowing runoff and storing flood water, floodplain marshes like Myakka’s reduce the impact of flooding. And by providing habitat and critical sources of energy and nutrients, they also support large and diverse populations of plants and animals, including many threatened and endangered native species.

When allowed to remain intact, natural communities self-manage. Unfortunately, Myakka’s floodplain marshes were heavily impacted by human development and agriculture and became overwhelmed by nonnative grasses, including the highly invasive para grass and West Indian marshgrass.

Related Article February 16, 2023, Local nature key in hospitality for real-life snowbirds. In both public and private lands, native plants are critical for supporting these important winter visitors.

To protect the important benefits offered by floodplain marshes, Myakka’s Florida Park Service staff, in partnership with The Florida Fish

Floodplain marsh restoration creates important habitat for native plant and wildlife species, including threatened and endangered birds, such as roseate spoonbills, resulting in enhanced wildlife viewing opportunities.

and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Southwest Florida Water Management District, have been working diligently to restore their health.

For more than 10 years now, using a variety of treatments, including prescribed fire, they’ve been removing invasive plants from Myakka’s Big Flats Marsh and the Upper Myakka Lake shore, to the benefit of native species — including the crowdpleasing coreopsis, a golden wildflower that blooms in late spring.

As natural hydrology is also very important for floodplain health, a deteriorating weir, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, was removed last year to restore the natural flow of the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. As part of this restoration, a bypass channel, created in 1974, was filled in.

—MIRI HARDY, FRIENDS OF THE MYAKKA RIVER CONTRIBUTOR

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Follow us @FriendsofMyakkaRiver

COME ON BACK!

Myakka River State Park has reopened to the public. Some amenities, such as the historic cabins, the birdwalk and the canopy walkway, were damaged by Hurricane Ian and are not available until further notice. For updates, please see FloridaStateParks.org/ parks-andtrails/myakka-riverstate-park.

For 36 years, JFCS has been empowering individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds. Our mission is to guide those who need us toward well-being and self-reliance by providing mental health and human services, and just caring about the people in our community – the people in YOUR community. What makes us unique is our ability to wrap around our services and provide support to multiple members of the same family who have a variety of needs.

Being good means doing good – it requires action on all of our parts. Join us, and let’s do good together. All it takes is a willingness to take action. To volunteer. To donate. That’s how we make our community stronger. That’s how we change lives for the better. One challenge, one person, one day at a time.

Visit JFCS-CARES.ORG/INFO to learn how you can help, and even see your how your donation can be doubled by the Flanzer Philanthropic Trust.

About Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast: One of the Florida Suncoast’s leading mental health and human services agencies, JFCS delivers programs and services on a non-denominational basis with the goal of empowering individuals toward well-being and self-reliance. Inspired by the Jewish tradition of helping all people, JFCS of the Suncoast believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect and have equal opportunity for physical and mental well-being, selfexpression, and joy.

• People who are incarcerated or hospitalized seeking a comforting conversation with a chaplain being

means doing good

Miri Hardy

BEAUTY WITH

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by Caryn Robbins and Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

By Luis Campos

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MES SOLUTIONS

ARCHITECT MANAGER

sought by Intertape Polymer Corp in Sarasota, FL. Duties include but not limited to: Architect, design, develop and implement software applications to support manufacturing operations. Perform database design, integrate shop oor applications with external systems and build proof of concepts for new implementations. Create and propose technical design documentation. Perform code review, implement standard concepts. De ne execution plan and approach. Support technical/business team. Oversee, coordinate delivery and integration of digital shop oor and manufacturing executing systems. Anticipate short term and future MES needs from an architecture standpoint. Responsible for the overall management of their application development team. Create and maintain documentation of development standards, templates, and processes. Researches, prepares detailed speci cations, design, develop, test, debug, install, and modi es computer software in various complex platforms. Supervisory duties. Requires a Bachelor’s or its foreign equivalent in Computer Science or related degree in IT or Engineering plus 60 months post bachelor’s and progressive experience in the following: Web applications using Apriso FlexNet Software; Microsoft SQL Server; SQL Server Reporting Services; C# and ASP.net (Visual Studio); jQuery and JavaScript; Altova Mapforce and Schema Builder tools; Cascading Style Sheets, XML, XSD and XSLT’s; SOAP/REST Web Services; queries, report writing and presenting ndings; in performance tuning of applications; T-SQL including complex SQL queries (ex: using various joins and sub-queries) and best practices ; MES, WMS and Quality Management concepts; in developing shop oor web applications solutions; integrating shop oor with SCADA and ERP systems. Remote - work from home but must reside within the MSA of HQ location in Sarasota, FL. Up to 30% short-term (primarily domestic and occasional international). Email resumes to: aharmon@itape.com