Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 10.27.22

Reunion 60 years in the making

Members of Cardinal Mooney High School’s graduating class of 1962 returned to the school last weekend for a homecoming 60 years in the making.

Members of the class were introduced during halftime of the school’s Friday night football game and helped crown homecoming queen Celeste Harrell.

Elsbeth Abbate, who was the 1962 class president for the girls, still resides in Sarasota.

“When the school was first completed, we had a gym and one small building for classes,’’ said Abbate.

“In fact, the stairs were located outside of the building. When we walked on campus this weekend, several of us joked that there needed to be signs with directions as to where the different buildings are located.”

Kids keep on rolling

The St. Paul Early Childhood Learning Center revived its annual Trike a Thon fundraiser on Oct. 25, though delayed by Hurricane Ian.

What started as a means to fund a new bike path years ago has become an annual tradition.

Students up to 5 years old put on their helmets, got on their trikes and pedalled around under the watchful eyes of their parents. Many held up signs to cheer their kids on.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Harry Sayer

Mike Matheis, Terrell Haisely and Keith Misja represent Station 12 at the 22nd Annual Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-Off Oct. 23.

BY THE NUMBERS

City of Sarasota Public

1 p.m.,

Committee

9 a.m., TuesdayWednesday, Oct.

Chambers,

Administration

1660 Ringling

Sarasota County

6 p.m.,

Chambers, Landings Administration

1980 Landings

Bay Park’s 1st phase in play

City, county and state dignitaries and even one from Washington, D.C., took part in last week’s ceremonial opening of The Bay Park on Sarasota’s bayfront.

Many of them dressed in The Bay’s signature blue color motif, which, coincidentally, matched the nearly cloudless sky. County and city commissioners joined members of the Bay Park Conservancy, state Sen. Joe Gruters, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and others to cut the ribbon on the park’s first phase.

The 14-acre phase features largely passive recreation space, nature trails, an event lawn, a playground, a mangrove bayou and a welcome center, among others on land immediately adjacent to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Boulevard of the Arts.

And phase one is just the beginning.

Funding was recently approved by Sarasota’s city and county commissions to launch the second phase of the 53-acre cityowned property west of U.S. 41.

Phase two includes rehabbing the sea wall along the public docks canal near 10th Street and construction of day docks, a sunset boardwalk and pier, improvements on the western shoreline and the Cultural District.

The site is envisioned as a place for gathering and waterfront dining.

Minus $12 million in government grants and $5 million in private funding, a city bond of $48 million in tax increment financing-backed bonds makes up the balance of the funding.

County Commission rejects eastern rezone

Sarasota County commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday to drop consideration of giving a business corridor overlay designation to a strip of Lorraine Road in Lakewood Ranch from Fruitville Road north to Blue Lake Road.

Commissioners were set to decide whether to grant the business corridor overlay designation for both that section of Lorraine Road along with a section of Lorraine farther south from Clark Road to State Road 681. However, Commissioner Alan Maio made a motion to exclude the Lakewood Ranch stretch of the road from further consideration.

The commissioners then voted 5-0 to exclude the Lakewood Ranch section, before voting unanimously to pass the business corridor overlay designation for the strip of Lorraine from Clark Road to State Road 681.

At the same meeting, commissioners also voted unanimously to approve a major extension of Lakewood Ranch termed “Lakewood Ranch Southeast,” allowing the development of 5,000 homes on 4,120 acres generally between University Parkway and Fruitville Road and east of Lorraine Road.

Teen Court lands $30,000 grant

Teen Court of Sarasota works to provide local youth who have received school suspensions or civil citations with activities and services that improve their self-esteem and promote a feeling of citizenship.

Those programs often take the form of a courtroom setting, where students and volunteers conduct a trial in front of an adult judge with real consequences, such as community service or restitution.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation recently provided the nonprofit with a $30,000 grant to continue those programs. The grant funding will also go to Teen Court’s counseling programs for at-risk youth that are in need.

The funding will also go to the CAMP X-RAYD program which teams up with law enforcement, learning life skills.

“Every architect is different, and every architect changes over time, too.”

Richard Mandell, designer of Sarasota’s renovation of the Bobby Jones Golf Club, Read more on page 3A

Andrew Warfield

Community leaders prepare to cut the ribbon on The Bay Park’s first phase.

Master of Design

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Leaning back in a creaky desk chair inside the last physical vestige of what was the Bobby Jones Golf Club complex, the golf course layout spread out on the conference table before him, Richard Mandell is in his element.

Some 650 miles removed from his office in the meticulously manicured village of Pinehurst, North Carolina — the home of Donald Ross’ arguably signature masterpiece, Pinehurst No. 2 — he sits in the tattered main tenance shed overlooking drawings of the land being reengineered and reshaped into the original Rossdesigned 18 holes.

His boots muddy from an early morning inspection of the proj ect, Mandell, the golf course archi tect selected by the city to bring Bobby Jones back to an original but improved state, is in town for his biweekly oversight visit. He briefly ponders the question of what he does to relax while here.

“This is relaxing,” Mandell said. “Sometimes I wonder if there is enough for me to do when I come here, yet I seem to fill my time. Whenever I have a spare minute, I’m working with the shapers, which is the most crucial element at the ground level.”

The Bobby Jones complex is Man dell’s 11th Donald Ross restoration among dozens of new and renovation projects. After years of delays — he was contracted in 2017 — earth mov ing began in earnest this year to con vert what had been expanded into a

36-hole complex in an 18-hole course following the original, nearly 100-year old path. A nature park will one day occupy the remainder of the 261 acres, though building that is a separate project.

Sarasota Parks and Recreation General Manager Sue Martin, who managed the Bobby Jones Complex, sees a contrast between Mandell as an architect and businessman.

“I see a whole different person in Richard than when we were going through the process of preparing the contracts and putting together price estimates — then changing them numerous times — and now to see him out there with boots on the ground,” Martin said. “He’s a totally different person to watch and the vision that he sees, I can’t see. I can only see the old golf course.”

Bobby Jones was closed shortly after the onset of COVID-19, the decision made afterward to not reopen until renovations were com plete. Frequently changing plans pushed the start of the restoration multiple times before the city settled on the original 18 holes plus a par-3 layout across Circus Boulevard.

Mandell’s six degrees of separa tion from Ross starts with his first job, working for golf course architect Dan Maples, first as an intern in 1990 and later full time on staff.

“There’s a direct lineage from Donald Ross to Dan Maples even though they are architects from dif ferent eras and used different types of equipment, but the process is the same,” Mandell said. “The way Ross drew his greens is 90% of how Dan Maples draws his.”

THE PRINCIPLES

Mandell is also an author. In his book, “The Principles of Golf Archi tecture,” he catalogs 35 principles applied to thoughtful golf course design. The book highlights the work of several legends of the industry and cites examples of how they imple mented the principles in their own designs.

They include Charles McDonald, America’s first golf architect, along with Harry Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, Tom Simpson, Pete Dye, Ross and others.

He has been influenced by all of them, but the $12.5 million golf project will remain true to Ross’s original design. Mandell has worked with some of the famed golf course designer’s original sketches in shap ing greens and other land contours.

Most of the modifications are being made to encourage proper drainage of what was formerly a floodplain. Tee to green, though, the layout is the same as when the course was built in 1925.

“This course has evolved and changed, and it has suffered because of all the trees that were added and it became a shade issue,” Mandell said. “That’s a challenge to bring it back to the original course, but it’s a great responsibility that will increase over

“We are so fortunate that we have Richard Mandell. Richard has hung in there with us. We’ve called him up last minute and asked ‘Can you fly in and talk to the City Commission? Can you fly in and do community input this week?’ He’s been very flexible with us and very understanding and has hung in there a lot longer than I think the average person would have.”

HE WROTE THE BOOK

In addition to a golf course architect, Mandell is a licensed landscape architect, certified arborist and is a member of the USGA Museum Committee.

He has designed more than 75 golf courses in 15 states and China. Growing up in New York, he was surrounded by some of the world’s greatest golf courses, such as Winged Foot, National Golf Links and Bethpage Black, which in part has influenced his golf architecture philosophy.

His book, The Principles of Golf Architecture is his fourth. Each chapter discusses an element or principle of design, and then how it is applied to golf architecture.

“There are seven general elements to design, but then I added the element of nature, which for golf architecture is the most important,” Mandell said.

“Then there are a whole bunch of principles. There’s a chapter of the principle of fairness, but there’s also the principle of difficulty. There’s also the principle of playability and the principle of challenge, and those four words get utilized incorrectly so often. There’s a fine line, but a clear line, in what those four things mean and how you approach golf architecture.”

time, and not just here. They aren’t making any Ross courses anymore. Every architect is different, and every architect changes over time, too.

“I’m working on Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club in St. Pete right now, and I’m doing something com pletely different there than I am here. We’re trying to create something that doesn’t look like the standard ’70s and ’80s Florida golf course, which is also completely different than what we’re doing here.”

Mandell’s experience with Ross layouts was not a primary factor in winning the Bobby Jones contract. In fact, it wasn’t much of a factor at all because the city’s original version was a renovation of the 36 holes plus the par-3.

“At the time Richard was being considered to do 45 holes, it was not a Donald Ross course anymore. That had become the back nine of the American and back nine of the British courses,” said Martin, who was a member of the selection com mittee. “Although it weighed into the decision, it wasn’t top of the list. Now that the only regulation course is the original Donald Ross course, it absolutely worked out well.”

BRINGING BACK THE FUN

The mission of growing golf extends beyond governing bodies, club pros and organizations that introduce the game to new players. Golf architects play a key role also, and Mandell said he and his contemporaries have the platform to foster enjoyment through design.

The new short course at Bobby Jones, which he expects to open shortly after the main course, is a trend revived from the 1960s and ’70s, but with more thoughtful design.

“The design of that era wasn’t that inspiring,” he said. “We’ve got our adjustable short course here, and I’m planning on it being fun and enjoyable. We’ll have nine green

complexes and multiple flat areas that will be tee boxes so you can play counterclockwise or clock wise or cross-country. We’ve cre ated five or six different ways to play that golf course so management can change that up on a monthly basis, or a weekly basis — even daily if they want to. That’s innovation that’s try ing to create repeat play, and fun and enjoyment.”

Which brings up the principle of fun. That isn’t one of the 35 defined in Mandell’s book, but is perhaps the sum of them combined.

On the back cover of the book is a quote by Bobby Jones himself:

“Every golfer worthy of the name should have some acquaintance with the principles of golf course design, not only for the betterment of the game, but for his own selfish enjoy ment … When he has taught himself to study a hole from the point of view of the man who laid it out, he will be much more likely to play it correctly.”

— Sarasota Parks and Recreation General Manager Sue Martin

Richard Mandell has been at work on the city of Sarasota’s golf project since 2017.

Courtesy photo

The Bobby Jones Golf Complex is the 11th Donald Ross course restoration project for Richard Mandell.

Richard Mandell (center) during a master plan walk at the Bobby Jones Golf Complex.

Courtesy image

Richard Mandell’s book, “The Principles of Golf Architecture.”

Photo courtesy city of Sarasota

Progress University apartments moves toward planning board

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

For the first time since express ing its opposition to Aventon Cos.’ plans to build a 372-unit apartment community at the former Sarasota Kennel Club, a rep resentative of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority was back before a city committee to address a similar project nearby.

Last week, Lionel Guilbert, the authority’s senior vice president, appeared before the Development Review Committee to address tech nical matters related to Progress University, a 280-unit multifamily development at 1400 Desoto Road. The 16.57-acre site was formerly overflow parking for the dog track.

In September, the Sarasota City Commission approved Aventon Sarasota, which is adjacent to the Progress University site despite objections of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo and the air port’s legal counsel. They charged the approval violates an agreement between the city and the airport, which they say restricts residences being built beneath the airport’s 65-decibel day-night average noise level contour.

By contrast, Guilbert wasn’t there to speak in opposition of Progress University. A site plan and rezoning for apartments there was approved in 2011 and has since expired, requir ing an updated plan to go before the Planning Board for approval.

MMI Development has petitioned to amend the rezoning ordinance adopted on Dec. 5, 2011, with the new site plan. Because the site was rezoned before the 2018 agreement between the city and airport, the airport cannot oppose the project.

Guilbert’s input addressed height restrictions for permanent struc tures and temporary installations such as cranes, which must be cleared by the Federal Aviation Administra tion, plus stormwater basins in close

proximity to the runway that must otherwise be dry to prevent attract ing birds.

He also urged the addition of lan guage that put new residents on notice regarding noise from aircraft.

“People tend to forget that there will be sometimes more noise later and more aircraft operations,” Guil bert said

Attorney John Rees of Icard Mer rill, who represents MMI, said the developer has experience in building near airports.

“We’ll coordinate with the FAA upon filing to figure out what that maximum height will be. And we’re envisioning it to be only impacting the temporary cranes for construc tion, and maybe getting trusses up to the roof,” Rees said. “We’ve already taken steps with the wildlife attrac tions and the stormwater ponds. The prior site plan actually had addition al ponds within the airport runway approach, so we’re going to take some additional steps to just ensure that they’re not a wildlife attractant.”

Progress University now moves on to the Planning Board for consider ation of site plan approval.

Raleigh, North Carolina-based Aventon Cos. remains in a holding pattern. Representatives have not responded to a request for comment on its status relative to the project.

The site of the 280-unit Progress University apartments would be on the other side of the fence from Tri-Par Estates, a manufactured home community off DeSoto Road.

Andrew Warfield

Team to pick Arts Center architect

The first meeting of the committee will be Oct. 31.

ntil now,

Monday, the project took a

Wezel

the city of

Sarasota Performing Arts Cen

as the centerpiece of The Bay,

transformation of the 53-acre bayfront site.

The newly seated Architecture Review Committee is tasked with drafting a request for qualifications, which will be posted for 30 days. From that list it will invite 15 to 20 requests for proposal approximately 20 days later. The committee will then pare that list to five or six firms, according to Foundation CEO Cheryl Mendelson.

“At no point will architects sub mit any concept designs during this process,” Mendelson said. “It’s really about their body of work.”

The RFP has attached all of the requirements, including a build ing brief that includes specs culled from 18,000 survey responses. They include a 2,100-seat main hall, a 300-seat flexible performing space and 165,000 square feet of building utilizing inside and outside educa tion, event and rooftop spaces.

“We don’t want to be too directive as much as talking about the pro gramming we want to achieve so that the architect really has the greatest flexibility to envision a building that will be spectacular,” Mendelson said.

The foundation works in harmony with the Bay Park Conservancy, the nonprofit group chartered by the city to develop and operate The Bay. The Van Wezel Foundation operates in harmony with, but not overseen by,

ON THE TEAM

Community members selected to serve on the Architecture Reveiw Committee for the planned Sarasota Performing Arts Center are:

Jenne Britell, Chair: Vice chair of the Van Wezel Foundation Board of Directors, she is an acclaimed director and trustee of public companies and private organizations for more than 20 years following a career as a senior officer of several financial institutions, including GE Capital, and chair of United Rentals.

Mary Bensel: Executive director of The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and member of the Broadway League and Florida Presenters.

Mark Famiglio: Co-founder of the Sarasota Film Festival, a 50-year Sarasota resident and investor in the development and growth of many Sarasota neighborhoods.

Michele Hooper: CEO of the Directors Council, governance expert and business leader recently named to Forbes 50/50 Women Making an Impact.

Larry Thompson: Long-time president of Ringling College of Art and Design who successfully led the creation of the Sarasota Art Museum and served as the founding executive director of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

the conservancy.

Mendelson said she expects the RFQ and RFP process to take approx imately 50 days complete. Once the finalists are selected, site visits and “listening tours” will take place to refine proposals. The search for an architect is funded by a $1 million appropriation from the state.

The first meeting will be Oct. 31. Mendelson expects the selection process to take about six months.

The timeline for construction to begin is 2026 with a 2028 opening.

The new facility won’t replace the Van Wezel, but will be built on the opposite corner of the parking lot, which will also be converted into green space during the final phase of The Bay redevelopment. The location is necessary in part because FEMA guidelines require it be built outside the “wave action zone.”

Mendelson said the foundation believes the 55-year-old facility should be repurposed.

Sarasota County Commission District 2 guide

THE BASICS

In a County Commission race determined by a three-candidate Democratic primary and a twocandidate Republican primary in August, Democrat Fredd Atkins now will face off with Republican Mark Smith for the District 2 seat, which encompasses Longboat Key, St. Armands, Lido and Bird keys, the northern half of Siesta Key and western Sarasota.

Christian Ziegler chose not to run for reelection.

In the District 2 primaries, former Sarasota City Commissioner and Mayor Atkins, with 35.24% of the vote, edged City Commissioner Hagen Brody and Mike Cosentino for the Democrat nomination. Brody got 34.20% and Cosentino 30.57% of a total of 10,557 votes cast.

With 57.74% of the vote, Smith defeated Lourdes Ramirez at 42.26%.

This is the first election held in District 2 under the county’s singlemember district system in which residents of the district are the only ones casting ballots for the two candidates. District 2 skews slightly Democratic by a margin of about 25,000 to about 23,000, though there are nearly 16,000 voters who don’t identify with a major party.

Early voting opened on Monday. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8

WHO ARE THEY?

Fredd Atkins: He’s a not-forprofit CEO, substitute teacher and Realtor. The 70-year-old is a former Sarasota city commissioner and mayor. He grew up in Sarasota’s Newtown community.

Mark Smith: He’s a 67-year-old architect is running for public

Fredd Atkins faces off against Mark Smith.

office for the first time. He’s a 50-year resident of Sarasota.

WHAT THEY SAID Atkins: The Sarasota native saw the opportunity to serve thanks to county voters upholding single-member districts. He said he hopes a successful campaign will encourage more city and county residents to get involved in government.

“I think one of the most important things is I’m going to bring the commission back to the people,” Atkins said. “We have, over the last 50 years, less and less people participating in the process. They have taken not only referendums and not only skewed them, they’ve taken the power away from the people and tried to keep making it more and more difficult to get issues on a referendum. They’ve taken referendums we’ve passed and disrespected them.”

Atkins said the county has altered the 2050 comprehensive plan in favor of developers, disregarding the public participation process in what the future of the county should be, suppressing opportunities for workforce housing.

“Attainable housing is the primary issue as it relates to how we are going to survive the developments in Sarasota County,” he said. “We need to get not only inclusionary zoning, we need to get developers participating in correcting the ills they have created in our community because they can make a difference.”

Responsibility for environmental issues such as last year’s red tide, Atkins said, lie at the feet of the

county. “The county has made the citizens of Sarasota County suffer for over 40 years with wastewater treatment,” he said.

“The county has not implemented the eradication of septic tanks near tributaries, waterways or sloughs and they are contaminating the bay. Our problem with fecal matter in the bay is the county. We are also we were having problems with seepage of all the other runoff the county has.”

Smith: He has said one of his biggest priorities is traffic, but there are more.

He adds a few more words to extrapolate. “My office is on Siesta Key and I live out here. Traffic is a big one. Water quality is another one, not only the quality of the water we’re drinking, but also making sure our sewer doesn’t end up in the bay. Also opening up Midnight Pass would be one of my goals. I remember playing out there as a kid and how you can’t even stand at the water’s edge and breathe.”

Smith pointed toward his daughter as an example of lack of affordable housing across the county. With a good job making a decent living, she lived at home while looking for a home to purchase. Giving up, she moved out of state.

“We’ve got to tackle that one, which is challenging considering construction costs and land costs right now, but people who work here can’t live here and that’s been a problem for a long time. I believe we need to really tackle that, whether it’s inclusionary zones or what the county is working to develop 750-square-foot starter apartments that are counted as half-density in order to get the impact fees lower and make them affordable.”

Smith advocates concentrating new housing along existing infrastructure to the extent possible, employing adaptive reuse of vacant or underutilized commercial centers, particularly in the growing south county cities.

“The 2050 plan has a lot of good aspects of how growth should go out east to maintain the environment and make it as fiscally feasible as possible … but if you put the workforce housing way out of town, you defeat the purpose of it. The goal is to get workers as close to work as possible.”

M. Michelle Robles,

Republican Mark Smith

File photos

Democrat Fredd Atkins

A vote to save the republic

FEDERAL OFFICES

U.S. Senate — Marco Rubio U.S. Representative, District 16 — Vern Buchanan U.S. Representative, District 17 — Greg Steube

The following is an excerpt from the Oct. 20 edition of the Ross Rant, the newsletter of Joel Ross, co-founder and principal of Citadel Realty Advisors:

MATT WALSH

This is our final installment of recommendations for the Nov. 8 elections.

Here is what too many elected politicians — of both parties — don’t get: Laissez-nous faire! “Leave us alone!”

If you asked people what they want in life, we’ll venture to say one of their top answers would be: Let me live my life as I want to live. Let me live in peace. Let me live in peace and harmony with my neighbors. Don’t tell me what to do. Let me make my own decisions.

And when you ask them what they would want from their government, we’ll bet the top answer would be: Keep us safe from criminals and violence.

That is the way it should be. That simple.

That is the framework the Founders established and envisioned.

But as all of us have experienced and seen since Joe Biden took the oath of the presidency in January 2021, life for Americans is nothing close to Laissez-nous faire and feeling safe.

It has been the extreme opposite.

And it has been a complete disaster.

Think about then (2016-2020/ Trump) and now (2021-2022/ Biden). One of the best summaries of what we have experienced came last week from Joel Ross, co-founder and principal of New York-based Citadel Realty Advisors and a part-time Longboat Key resident. Ross writes one of the most astute, insightful and unfettered critiques and analyses you will find of U.S. and world affairs, economics and politics. His voice and commentaries are unabashed, and thus appropriately named, the “Ross Rant.”

In his Oct. 20 edition, Ross perfectly summed up the past two years, which we have printed with his permission above.

We all know it and feel it every day. We have lived through nearly two years of economic and social decline and constant misery.

In an earlier editorial, we borrowed the title from the late Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises: “Planned chaos.”

That is what we have endured at every level of our society — from the diabolical, power-hungry Democrat elitists in the White House and Congress down to the authori-

The U.S. economy was doing very well when Trump left office.

We were energy independent, the stock market was still high, home prices were high, inflation was 1.4%, and consumers had a lot of money, and credit card use was very low.

The Federal deficit was too high, but not completely out of control and unsustainable.

We were still in Afghanistan holding off the terrorists and Taliban in most of the country, and the Iranians were struggling under serious sanctions.

Russia was not threatening Ukraine, and China was not obviously threatening Taiwan. Kim was quiescent.

The U.S. was still way ahead of the rest of the world in reducing carbon emissions and switching to gas and alternatives.

In short, things in the world were OK as the pandemic was getting under control.

Then Joe arrived with his band of social radicals and climate change crazies pulling the strings of the puppet. The decline of the U.S., and now the world, in under two years is a perfect example of how left-wing policies, and ESG, can destroy the world economy and peace in no time.

How anyone can embarrass himself or herself and vote for Dems this election is beyond me.

What is it they do not understand?

FLORIDA

Governor/Lieutenant Governor — Ron DeSantis/Jeanette Nunez

Attorney General — Ashley Moody Chief Financial Officer — Jimmy Patronis Commissioner of Agriculture — Wilton Simpson State Representative, District 72 — Tommy Gregory State Representative, District 73 — Fiona McFarland Florida Supreme Court — Vote yes to retain Justices Charles Canady, John D. Couriel, Jamie Grosshans, Jorge Labarga and Ricky Polston Florida Second District Court of Appeal — Vote yes to retain Judges Patricia Joan Kelly, Nelly N. Khouzam, Suzanne Y. Labrit, Matt Lucas, Robert Morris, Stevan Travis Northcutt, John K. Stargel, Craig C. Villanti

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Amendment 1 / Limit on Assessment of Real Property — Yes Amendment 2 / Abolish Constitution Revision Commission — No Amendment 3 / Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption — No

MANATEE COUNTY County Commission, District 2 — Amanda Ballard County Commission, District 4 — Michael Rahn County Commission, District 6 (At-large) — Jason Beardon School Board, District 2 —

SARASOTA COUNTY County Commission, District 2 — Mark Smith County Commission, District 4 — Joe Neunder Charter Review Board, District 1 — Alexandra Coe Charter Review Board, District 2 — G. Matthew Brockway Charter Review Board, District 4 — No recommendation Hospital Board, Northern District, Seat 2 — Victor J. Rohe County Referendum to Continue One-Cent Sales Infrastructure Surtax — Yes County Bond Referendum to Accelerate Community Infrastructure Projects with OneCent Sales Tax Bonds — Yes Charter Amendment Question One: To Amend Section 7.1 Charter Petition Procedures — No Charter Amendment Question Two: To Avoid Conflicts with the Constitution, General Law or the charter — Yes

CITY OF SARASOTA Commissioner At-Large — Debbie Trice Charter Amendment: Increase City Commissioners’ Annual Salary — No Charter Amendment: Allow Option to Purchase Insurance Coverage or Surety Bonds — Yes Charter Amendment: Charter Review Committee’s General Recommendations — No Charter Amendment: To Require Referenda on City Charter Amendments to Be Held Only on the Dates of General Elections in Even Years and Prohibit Special Charter Elections — Yes

tarian school board members and deviant, perverted teachers in our public schools.

All of their top-down, centralized government schemes, all of their “planning” to have us live according to their world views have brought nothing but chaos and misery for the American people.

We agree with Ross: “How anyone can vote for Dems this election is beyond me.”

With apologies to the many smart Democrats who also are good people, and not to be insulting, but it would defy logic to vote Democrat. To do so is to say you support the current course we are on as a nation, that you want more of the disasters we have been getting.

Yes, we know millions of registered Democrats will vote dutifully for Democrat Party candidates regardless of reality. That’s what lifelong Democrats do. That’s what

Many Sarasota and Longboat Key voters, no doubt, are being surprised and will be surprised when they look at their ballots and see that Congressman Vern Buchanan is not on the ballot. At least not on their ballot.

Because of the new districts that were redrawn in the most recent legislative session, Buchanan’s district boundaries shifted north. Even though he owns a home on Longboat Key and has been representing the northern portions of Sarasota County since 2007, Buchanan now represents only the Manatee portion of Longboat, all of Manatee County and the southeastern portions of Hillsborough County up to Brandon.

Now representing northern Sarasota County and the Sarasota portion of Longboat Key is Republican Rep. Greg Steube.

Steube is seeking his third term in Congress. Before that he served six years in the Florida House and two in the Florida Senate. The Club for Growth, a leading free-enterprise advocacy group in Washington, gives Steube a lifetime 97% conservative voting record, second to Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, in the Florida congressional delegation.

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remember that the

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lifelong Republicans do. They vote their party.

But here is an appeal, particularly to the 29% of Florida registered voters who are neither Republicans nor Democrats: Vote the country. This one time vote Republican.

To be sure, Republicans are far from perfect. But at this moment in history, they offer the only chance to stop the annihilation of this great country and our communities.

America must be saved. It must be preserved — preserved as the one and only beacon of individual liberty and what is left of free-market capitalism, both of which are on the verge of becoming wisping ashes.

It is going to take years to undo what Biden & Co. have done in two years. And it will take a generation to restore and rebuild the way of life that made America great.

When Alexis de Tocqueville came to America in 1831 to see what this great, young republic was like, he was in awe. One of the characteristics that struck him most was the ingrained belief of the “sovereignty of the people” — the freedom of the individual to live his life as he sees it, not to live as the slaves of despots and their despotic cabals.

De Tocqueville wrote: “Providence has given to each individual, whoever he may be, the degree of reason necessary for him to be able to direct himself in things that interest him exclusively. Such is the great maxim on which civil and political society in the United States rests.”

That great maxim must be restored. You can start the rebuilding Nov. 8.

ABOUT THE JUDGES

Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen said it best in 1990: “Typically we are better informed about our choice of stick deodorant than our choice of judges.”

So true. Even so, Floridians go through the dance every two years with nary a clue of who these Supreme Court justices and District Appeal Court judges are and whether they deserve to be retained.

It’s an odd system. But it’s also a safeguard. It gives Floridians the opportunity to boot a judge who turns corrupt or incompetent — both of which have been exceedingly rare. Florida governors and the Judicial Nominating Commissions take great care in the selection of judges.

The Florida Bar also keeps tabs on them. Every two years, it conducts a retention poll of its members. For this cycle, the Supreme Court justices scores ranged from 59% to 85% to be retained and from 15% to 41% not to be retained. Ratings for the Appeal Court judges ranged from 64% to 86% for retention and 14% to 36% not to be retained.

The lowest rating? For Justice Jamie Grosshans, 59% to be retained, 41% not to be retained. She is the newest Supreme Court justice, appointed by Gov. DeSantis.

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“If we

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In letter, town raises concerns over St. Armands winter festival

LAUREN TRONSTAD STAFF WRITER

The town of Longboat Key, which has a long history of expressing concerns about traffic tie-ups in St. Armands Circle, has crafted a letter on behalf of its citizens oppos ing a new, monthlong winter festival approved by the city of Sarasota for the holiday season.

The proposed event was passed by a 4-1 vote by the Sarasota City Com mission during its Oct. 3 meeting.

On Oct. 17, Longboat Key com missioners discussed and ultimately agreed to have Mayor Ken Schneier write a letter to Sarasota Mayor Erik Arroyo and to the Florida Depart ment of Transportation to voice their concerns with the festival and its effects on traffic to and from the island.

FDOT was included in the corre spondence due to the event sched uled to take place in the state’s right of way.

The festival, proposed by Tom Leonard and Ride Entertainment, is set to span six weeks, with a pro posed opening date of Nov. 18 and closing date of Jan. 3.

“Traffic between the town and Sarasota, especially during the holi days and the winter season, has long been a major concern for Longboat Key and its residents,” Schneier wrote in the letter. “The chokepoint at St. Armands Circle is a focal point for that concern even in the absence of special events at those times of year.”

St. Armands Circle Association Executive Director Rachel Burns has voiced concerns about the probabili ty of the event’s ability to be executed the way it was proposed as opening day approaches.

Her frustration also centers around events she has been working on since February being canceled to make way for the winter festival. The events she typically hosts during the

season are all free and are focused on benefiting merchants in the circle.

“People are saying I’m the Grinch and I must have had a horrible child hood and hate Christmas,” she said. “I just want Christmas to be free.”

When proposing the event, Leon ard stated access to attractions would come at the cost of $10 per wristband. A stage is planned to host free entertainment from local schools and performance groups. No admission fee would be required to enter the festival grounds.

Monday afternoon Arroyo sent out a response letter to Schneier.

“We value your partnership with the City of Sarasota, and we thank you for your letter regarding the commission’s decision to approve the St. Armands Circle Winter Fes tival,” Arroyo wrote. “All our actions will take into consideration the con cerns of the community as well as neighboring jurisdictions such as the Town of Longboat Key. We welcome the opportunity to discuss this mat ter and bring your concerns into the conversation.”

The letter further stated that the town should make note that it is able to contact the city commissioners directly, and they are happy to con nect town commissioners with the applicants and potential event host.

The town’s letter was addressed to Mayor Erik Arroyo and FDOT as the event is scheduled in state right of way.

File photo

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

STATUTORY VANDALISM

1:49 a.m., 500 block of South Orange Avenue

Criminal mischief: A woman awakened by noises from outside her home found many of her lawn statues and planters out of place. Among the items, one planter valued at $150 and a statue at $400 were damaged. No suspects were seen.

The victim advised she has no external cameras on the premises. A canvass of the area turned up no other cameras that may have captured the incident. The complainant said she does wish to pursue charges against the suspect or suspects if new information results in any arrests. The officer reported the suspect(s) appeared to have willfully and maliciously damaged personal property.

OCT. 22

Civil Dispute: A neighbor described as “creepy” may have only been a considerate smoker. A woman called police claiming her neighbor was standing at the end of her driveway and staring at her, making her feel uncomfortable when walking her dog. When the officer spoke with the man, he advised that he stood where he did to smoke a cigarette so the smoke would not enter either home. He further stated when the complainant stepped outside, she began yelling at him, including “What the (bleep) are you staring at?” The officer recommended the man smoke on the opposite side of the house to avoid further confrontation.

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

OVER THE ROADWAY INTO THE WOODS

2:51 a.m., 2000 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way Dispute: An officer arrived on scene to find a crowd of eight or nine people in the parking lot of a business. The officer also observed a woman run east across North Washington Boulevard toward the business. The crowd reported they did not call for nor need law enforcement assistance.

When leaving the area, the officer found the woman lying in the roadway, causing vehicles to swerve to avoid her. She then got up and ran into nearby woods. Once assisted out of the woods, she was unable to stand or walk. She said she had “consumed a lot of alcohol.”

She was taken by ambulance to a hospital under involuntary admission provisions of Florida’s Marchman Act.

Break

PICKLEBALL GOES INDOORS

The 33,000-square-foot facility, complete with 12 indoor courts and four outdoor courts, will open in Sarasota in early 2023.

there are more players at a location than there are available spaces on courts, meaning that players were doing a lot of waiting.

Football is never better than in late October and early November. At the Sarasota-Braden River game Oct. 21, long sleeves were required if you wanted your arms warm. It felt great — and it’s a sign that the playoffs are almost here.

The Sarasota Parks and Recreation Department is making a racket — so to speak. The department, in partnership with the Sarasota Police Department, Robert L. Taylor Community Complex and Payne Park Tennis Center, will host a “K.O.P.S. Teen Tennis Night” event at the tennis center at 6 p.m. on Nov. 4. The free event is designed to teach kids ages 10-15 about the sport of tennis. Call 263-6562 to learn more.

The only area volleyball program remaining in the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs is Cardinal Mooney (17-9). The Cougars de feated Canterbury High (14-6) 3-2 at home on Tuesday. They will travel to No. 1 seed Calvary Christian (24-3) on Friday. It’s a tough draw, but Mooney was likely going to play the Warriors at some point anyway.

Gracie Weyant, the junior Riverview High/Sarasota Sharks swimmer, committed to the University of Florida on Oct. 23. When she arrives in Gainesville in 2024, she will join her Olympic silver-medalist sister, Emma Weyant. Gracie Weyant is a member of the U.S. Junior National Team.

And now for something completely different: The Micro Wrestling Federation is holding a show at 8 p.m. on Friday at Robarts Arena. The MWF features wrestlers under 5 feet tall, but otherwise resembles a WWE event. Tickets start at $24. Visit MicroWrestling.com.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Brian McCarthy is trying to relish the moment.

Even though McCarthy’s longtime project, The Pickleball Club, won’t open until January or February, McCarthy has little doubt it will be a success. People won’t sour on the sport, McCarthy said, in the long or short term. In fact, he and General Manager Dominic Catalano believe the sport’s biggest days are still ahead — which is why they are aiming to create the ultimate experi ence for Sarasota-area athletes.

McCarthy got the idea for The Pickleball Club four years ago when he was on the Board of Governors at the Bird Key Yacht Club as strategic planning chair. McCarthy pitched the board an idea of putting in a few pickleball courts on some empty lots the club owned. The members loved the idea — but the club’s neighbors did not love the noise they said the courts would generate, so the idea was shelved. But McCarthy could not let the idea go.

It was not just the sport itself that interested him — though he cer tainly enjoys playing it — but where the sport could go. McCarthy said he had a feeling it would soon explode in popularity across all ages because of its ease of play and how the game encourages socializing. McCarthy hired a researcher to ask athletes what they liked and disliked about the current pickleball experience. He wanted to reach as many pickleball players across as many demographics as possible. Some common refrains seen in the results. People wanted a space to play indoors, especially in the summer, but wanted to do so on a surface that wouldn’t cause much joint pain. They also wanted to retain the game’s social aspects while refin ing the matchmaking process: Often,

McCarthy took this informa tion and turned it into what will soon be The Pickleball Club, a 33,000-square-foot facility.

The club, which will be located at 1300 Sarasota Center Blvd., will fea ture 12 indoor courts and four out door courts, as well as a small cafe selling to-go style food and bever ages, plus a bocce ball area, a table tennis area and a cornhole area. And there will be plenty of areas to relax and watch sports on TV.

McCarthy compared the club’s indoor court surfaces to that of the U.S. Open in tennis, which is a multilayered acrylic hard court. McCarthy said he believes the surface will be comfortable and cushioned so peo ple with injury histories and sensi tive joints can still play.

True to the sport’s all-ages, alllevels origins, The Pickleball Club will have no skill requirements. In fact, McCarthy is expecting most of the club’s members to be beginners or otherwise low-level players. But the club will have coaches available for each level in case players want to improve their skills. Nonmembers can also take lessons with coaches at higher rates.

All of these activities and amenities won’t come for free. The Pickleball Club will be a private club. McCar

thy said that until the club opens, it will be offering a special initiation (one time) fee rate of approximately $1,000, plus monthly membership fees of approximately $100 for adult and family plans and $55 for youth plans. Those prices will increase after the grand opening. Unlike oth er private clubs, The Pickleball Club will not require monthly food and beverage minimums. A membership provides free open court play and use of the facility’s other activities.

Members will have to pay a small fee if they want to reserve a court, but the fee can be divided among four players. Accumulated fees will be billed once a month.

McCarthy said the club has more than 200 members, with more than 1,900 people asking for more information once the club officially opens.

Catalano said the COVID-19 pan demic and subsequent months of social distancing led to pickleball getting back to its roots as a family friendly game, something all loved ones can do together. The sport has continued to ride a wave of popular ity since.

“People just need to get past the stigma of ‘Oh, it’s pickleball,’” Cata lano said. “So what? It’s a great time. Get out there and have fun. That’s exactly what they are doing now.”

For information on the club or to become a member, visit ThePickle ballClub.us.

Construction on The Pickleball Club is expected to be complete in time for it to open in early 2023.

David C.

WHAT IS PICKLEBALL?

n Pickleball was founded by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965.

n It was conceived as a variation on badmin ton using ping pong paddles and a plastic ball. The net was originally set at the badminton standard height of 60 inches before being lowered to 36 inches after the players discovered how well the ball bounced on asphalt and added more rules akin to tennis.

n The five key rules of pickleball: The ball must stay inbounds; there should be one bounce per side per shot; serving must be done at the baseline; a serve cannot land in the no-volley zone (the lined box seven feet from the net); and the game traditionally ends at 11 points, but a player or team must win by two points.

File photo

Gracie Weyant

Ryan Kohn

The Pickleball Club owner Brian McCarthy and General Manager Dominic Catalano are excited about the growth pickleball has made in the past two years.

Courtesy photo

ered, thanks to the Sailors defense playing with the stoutness of a brick wall.

Sailors make football waves

28-3 and ending a seven-game losing streak to Braden River.

Breaking that streak at all is a nice prize for coach Brody Wiseman, but it’s not purely the result that was so impressive.

It was how it happened.

The average margin of victory during the Pirates’ streak over Sarasota was 22.7 points. That’s quite a bit. It also makes sense.

years. For us to come out and play a quality team like that — what I consider to be a playoff team — and win in dominant fashion, that makes me proud of our kids and of everything we are doing in our program. It has been a long, long grind. I think we’re starting to show the signs of turning the corner.”

It should be noted that the Pirates were not at full strength. A handful of key players were either absent from the field or played banged up, including junior running back Trayvon Pinder, the team’s best skill position player, who left the game in the second half with an injury. But by the time he did, the game was no longer in doubt. Make no mistake: The Sailors earned this win. Braden River knows it.

“Sarasota outplayed us tonight,” Pirates coach Curt Bradley said. “They’re a good football team, much improved. The coaches have done a good job over there.”

It was a show of potential hinted at by the Sailors’ win 16-7 win against Palmetto High (5-3), another team talented enough to make playoff noise, on Sept. 16. But that game saw Palmetto take an early lead while Sarasota figured out its offense. The Sailors scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to win. Against Braden River, there was no need to figure anything out.

Sarasota High football team’s Oct. 21 game against Braden River High was not the first sign of progress for the Sailors (4-3) in 2022, but it might have been the most obvious.

The Sailors beat the Pirates in dominant fashion, scoring on the first possession and never letting up until the clock hit zero, winning

Braden River is a perennial playoff team. The Sailors have been in a rut. Wiseman said as much.

“I have a lot of respect for Braden River,” Wiseman said. “I’ve been here when we have gotten our ass kicked by them in the past. They do a great job. Their coaching staff, I actually have taken a lot from them, from what they have done over the

He’s right. For the first time in years — since I have been on the sports beat, in all honesty — the Sailors went against a disciplined, talented team and always looked in control. It started on the first drive.

Sailors sophomore quarterback Alexander Diaz found senior wideout Caleb Bradley on a post pattern, which Bradley took 57 yards for a score. The big play put the Pirates on their heels. They never recov-

The Sailors are 4-3 against what Wiseman said is the toughest schedule he’s put together since becoming the team’s coach in 2020, and likely longer than that. It may not be on the level of schools such as Riverview or Venice, which always seek out competition equal to or better than themselves, but it’s a step up. Unless the Sailors add a game the week of Nov. 5 to make up for one of the games lost to Hurricane Ian, the team’s regular season will come to an end at 7:30 p.m. on Friday against Riverview (2-5) at home.

As Wiseman and the Sailors are aware, a game like the one against Braden River only matters if it becomes the norm, a building block to consistent excellence. And as good as it must have felt for the Sailors to break the Pirates’ win streak, imagine how it would feel to break Riverview’s? The Rams have beaten the Sailors in 10 consecutive meetings. That’s a full decade of dominance. Last year, the rivalry game was the most hyped it had been in a few years, as the Sailors came into it 4-1 while the Rams were 5-1. The Rams won 35-0.

I don’t know how this year’s game will go. Yes, Riverview is 2-5, but the Rams have played a lot of tough opponents and they have improved in recent weeks. On Tuesday night, Riverview’s offense finally came alive in a 41-21 road win over Charlotte High (0-7). They will also have the most talented player on the field — and on most fields — in junior defensive back/wideout Charles Lester III.

But the Sailors play as a team. Wiseman likes his guys. He believes in them now and knows the potential is there for them to get even better. The Sailors are playing just seven seniors. Everyone else should be back for another ride.

“There’s another level,” Wiseman said. “I want to see us taking steps toward that. But I feel like we have established a solid foundation that we can repeat year after year. We’re establishing a brand of Sarasota football. The core things, you saw them (against Braden River).”

A quick start. A punishing defense. An ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities when given. Repeat those things, and another lengthy win streak might fall.

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

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Sarasota picked off Braden River junior quarterback Nick Trier three times, once each by senior defensive backs Joshua DeCrapio and Tyler Pack and junior defensive back Kyser Bordones. Each interception turned into a touchdown; in Bordones’ case, he took it to the house himself. The Sailors also forced two fumbles late in the fourth quarter when the Pirates tried to mount a desperate comeback.

Sarasota High dominated Braden River on Oct. 21 to break a seven-game losing streak to the Pirates. Is another streak set to break Friday?

Ryan Kohn

Sarasota’s Jackson Mullet (9) and Kyser Bordones (24) celebrate after Bordones returned an interception for a touchdown against Braden River High.

Alexander Malaj

Alexander Malaj is a sophomore on the Sarasota High boys swim team. Malaj won the 100-yard freestyle (48.62 seconds) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.14) at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A, District 9 meet, held Oct. 21-22 at Selby Aquatic Center. Malaj also swims for the Sarasota Tsunami club.

When did you start swimming? I started swimming competitively after third grade. My family signed me up for the Sarasota Sharks, and I started there. I joined the Tsunami about two years ago.

What is the appeal to you? It’s an outlet. With all the stuff that goes on in school and all the work you have to do, after a hard day it is nice to come and swim. It gets out emotions. And I like the competition.

What is your favorite event? I love the 50-yard freestyle. It’s all speed. You can’t mess anything up. I just like going fast and giving it your all at once.

What have you been working to improve? The distance (500-yard) freestyle.

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

I’m trying to branch out. I can see the appeal of it now. It is a me thodical race. It is almost like chess. When I was little, I would go all out on the first 100 or 200 yards and then suffer back on the next 300. But I’m improving my pacing now.

What are your goals for the rest of the high school season?

For the 200-yard free I will have to drop a little time to get to states. I have to get to 1:45. Until I do that, that’s my only goal for that event. For the 100-yard free, I just need to match my time from districts, but I’d like to hit the mid- to low-47 second mark. I’m also hoping to be on a relay team or two at states.

What is your favorite food? Byrek. It’s a Balkan dish that my family makes a lot. (Byrek is a pastry filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables or fruits.)

What is your favorite subject? It would be between physics and his tory. I like both. With physics there is a lot of math, but I like how it is not as abstract as normal math. It is easier to grasp the concepts. There is always a natural observation you can make with it. With history, it is important to me to know because it dictates or explains how we live in the world today.

What is your favorite movie? I like ‘Rocky’ a lot. I’ll go with that.

Finish this sentence: “Alexander Malaj is …” … Taciturn. I’m always a little shy when it comes to meeting new people. But when I do warm up to people, I’m pleasant to talk with, I think.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

T. Shannon,

Hot competition at chili cook-off

—HARRY SAYER

Photos by Harry Sayer

Jay Yung, Zavh Wiegele and Zach Siegel work to keep their dogs focused.

Matt Gouge and Jack Daniel flex hard for

Andrea Ackley, Jamison Urch and Violet Laurey make a day of it.

Luca Giunta, John Giunta and Amy McKinlay stay cool in the shade.

Maria Chacon, Kayla Kunz and Jodi Glazier bring Pearl the pup to the show.

Musicians rock out throughout the day.

Sarasota Chamber hosts annual membership event

held on Oct. 21 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. The annual membership luncheon included updates, awards and keynote speaker Kerry Szyman ski.

Deborah Jacobs was the first wom an to take on the role of chair in 1992. There have only been five since.

bam

Walsh

She led a champagne toast to the heroic effort of earning chamber accreditation this year, which had been attempted twice previously.

“It’s arduous. It’s days, nights, weekends. It’s 129 attachments and more than two dozen essays,” Jacobs said.

event

It was a group effort, but she gave

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Outgoing and incoming chairs, Dennis Murphy and Emily Walsh.

President and CEO Heather Kasten a special thanks for leading the charge.

Joe Hembree was unprepared when Rob Lane presented him with the Chair’s Cup Award for his work on the board and Affordable Housing Task Force.

“This is unexpected,” he said, “But what the chamber does is near and dear to my heart. An effective cham

ber is key to having a good commu nity.”

Walsh, who is president and pub lisher of Observer Media Group, shared some of her history with the chamber, from covering the first Young Professionals event as an Observer reporter in 2003 to her role as chair in 2022.

“The chamber has played a huge role in my own professional develop ment,” she said. “In this community, the chamber plays a vital role in sup porting growth and economic devel opment. I am proud to serve.”

Finally, former Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton intro duced Szymanski. He described her as a cross between the prominent Realtor Michael Saunders and the local comedian Les McCurdy.

Szymanski is director of the Tam pa Bay Women’s Business Centre and also a stand-up comedian. She spoke and joked about the impor tance of “leading through laughter.” Dan Sidler took that lead. During his closing remarks, he ripped open his button down shirt and clip-on tie to reveal a chamber T-shirt like Superman.

Kerry Szymanski talks about the importance of fun and laughter in the workplace.

Jill Bowen and Jodi Ruberg

A move to the bay

RADD Night series has rotated

various venues since its inception but looks to have found a new home for years to come.

latest community party was held at the new Bay Park as part of the “10 Days at The Bay” event series on Oct. 20.

stopped by for an evening of food, music and fun. A number of vendors sold their hand-crafted designs and offered services, while others picked up food from a number of food trucks.

also picked up paint brushes and contributed to a mural along the wall near the festival.

— HARRY SAYER

Photos by Harry Sayer Kelli Lukert and Sasha the dog dress for the occasion.

Nadia and Leo Polemi add to the new mural.

Casey

Key property sells for $4 million

Ahome on Casey Key tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Louann Lemek Glaser, trustee, of Tuckerton, New Jersey, sold the home at 412 S. Casey Key Road to Janelle Bruland, of Blaine, Washington, for $4,022,500. Built in 1951, it has six bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,983 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $1.19 million in 2016.

SARASOTA CONDOMINIUM ON THE BAY Michael Joseph Campbell Jr. and Stacey Campbell, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sold their Unit 1208 condominium at 888 Boulevard of the Arts to Shawn and Jennifer Diehl, of Sarasota, for $1,625,000.

Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,642 square feet. It sold for $1.3 million in 2021.

THE LANDINGS

Jason and Shauna Wagner, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5167 Kestral Park Lane to Shea and Brigitte Rutstein, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million. Built in 1984, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2019.

FIELD CLUB ESTATES

Robert Lewis D’Avanzo Jr., Joan D’Avanzo and Christine Holzer sold their home at 1802 Field Road to Baja Casa I LLC for $1.04 million. Built in 1963, it has two bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 1,542 square feet of living area. It sold for $230,000 in 2010.

SARASOTA BAY CLUB

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 408 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail to Lee Vickman, of Sarasota, for $820,400. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,546 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2014.

5TH AND CENTRAL Ralph Hoenle and David White, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 203 condominium at 433 Central Ave. to Machaela Brabham, of Sarasota, for $708,000. Built in 2008, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,475 square feet of living area. It sold for $679,000 in March.

INWOOD PARK 87 Sandy Court LLC sold the home at 1862 Sixth St. to Stream Holdings LLC for $690,000. Built in 1925, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,419 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in January.

NORWOOD PARK Kelley Callaway and Eric Tobin, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2020 Craft Lane to Jill Witofsky, of Sarasota, for $675,000. Built in 1959, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,414 square feet of living area. It sold for $333,000 in 2017.

GULF GATE

Brenda Joan Viola, of Jacksonville Beach, sold her home at 6758 S. Lockwood Ridge Road to Toni Zanetti and Kevin Williamson, of Westbury, New York, for $670,000.

Built in 1968, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,439 square feet of living area. It sold for $360,000 in 2019.

Jill Keene, of Sarasota, sold her home at 2509 Bispham Road to David and Katherine McKay, of Frisco, Colorado, for $610,000.

Built in 1966, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,416 square feet of living area. It sold for $200,000 in 2018.

Nick Allen Burkholder, of Durango, Colorado, sold the home at 2716 Seaspray St. to Nicholas Ruthsatz, of Cincinnati, for $574,900. Built in 1963, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,263 square feet of living area. It sold for $148,000 in 2001.

Russell and Stacie Stevens, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3070 Gulf Gate Drive to JFunkhouser LLC for $550,000. Built in 1965, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,524 square feet of living area. It sold for $308,500 in 2017.

GULF GATE EAST

Shelby Lisette Anderson and Richard Charles Anderson, of Eagle, Idaho, sold their home at 3731 Kingston Blvd. to Lara Porter Steere, of Sarasota, for $618,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,731 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,000 in 2021.

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA: $1.8 MILLION

Kanaya Steven and Aviva Scheer, trustees, of Mount Dora, sold the Unit 802 condominium at 505 S. Orange Ave. to Martin Cawley and Pamela Cawley, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1,823,500. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,600 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $826,500 in 2007.

SIESTA KEY: $3.5 MILLION

Siesta Key Michael and Susan Shroder, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3423 La Palmoa Ave. to Sarasota Area Real Estate Group LLC for $3,555,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,398 square feet of living area.

PALMER RANCH: $1.5 MILLION Esplanade on Palmer Ranch

Matthew and Michelle Pino, of Osprey, sold their home at 5437 Manchini St. to Mark Steven Reis and Helen Sandra Simpson, of Sarasota, for $1.5 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,126 square feet of living area. It sold for $797,100 in 2019.

OSPREY: $1.19 MILLION Bayside

Garry John Welsh and Christine Constance Welsh, of Arden, North Carolina, sold their home at 3932 Waypoint Ave. to Christopher and Mildred Mead, trustees, of Cave Creek, Arizona, for $1.19 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,416 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2017.

Condominium

BEST BET

SATURDAY, OCT. 29

14TH ANNUAL DOG-A-WEEN 9 a.m. at Sarasota Farmers Market, N. Lemon Avenue. Dogs of every size and stripe will walk through the farmers market dressed up in every costume you can imagine. $15 to participate. For information, go to DowntownDestinationSarasota.com

FRIDAY, OCT. 28 34TH ANNUAL PUMPKIN FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 30 at Fruitville Grove Farmers Market, 7410 Fruitville Road. The monthlong festival brings food trucks, petting zoos, games, crafts and plenty of pumpkins. $5 to park. Call 377-0896.

LIGHTS AT SPOOKY POINT Runs through Oct. 31 at Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey. Historic Spanish Point hosts a new spooky-themed walk through its nature setting for families to enjoy. $20 for members; $25 for nonmembers. For information, go to Selby.org.

SATURDAY, OCT. 29 WILD-O-WEEN Runs through Oct. 30 at Big Cat Habitat, 7101 Palmer Blvd. Trick or treat, pumpkin carving, costume contests and more are the name of the game at the annual Big Cat Habitat shindig. $10 for kids; $25

for adults. For information, go to BigCatHabitat.org.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

10 a.m. at Sarasota Children’s Garden, 1670 10th Way. The Children’s Garden embraces the spooky Halloween spirit with a fun day of scavenger hunts, witch’s brews and more. Tickets start at $6. For information, go to SarasotaChildrensGarden.com.

HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY Starts at 8 p.m. at downtown Sarasota. The annual block party returns with plenty of costumes, music and happenings that someone could want. Free.

SUNDAY, OCT. 30

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY 6 p.m. at the Bay Park, 655 N. Tamiami Trail. Clover’s Revenge brings Irish music to the new Bay Park at the Common Ground. Free. For information, go to TheBaySarasota.org.

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by Paul Coulter. Edited by Ross Trudeau

By Luis Campos

Luncheon helps families thrive

The organization — which distributes diapers, wipes, and other

items to families in need

welcomed more than 150 members to the Sarasota Yacht Club’s ballroom for a luncheon filled with good intentions and fashion.

Guests arrived at the event and looked through several silent auction items before sitting down for the luncheon to begin. The event’s theme and decor played up fairy tales and had dolls and designs adorn each table.

After lunch was finished, guests enjoyed a

el’s

show with

outfits from Dillard’s.

— HARRY SAYER

Beverly Hungate, Debbie Pryor and Irina Milligan

Photos by Harry Sayer

Guests pored over silent auction items.

Caroline Lawrence, Sandy Slaminko, Barb Price and Bonnie Wiedeman

Marilyn Keyes and Georgia Anderson

Gladys Delgado and Lisa McMahon