Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 11.10.22

TOWN

Open city seat goes to Trice

Ahearn-Koch reelected to second term as at-large commissioner. SEE PAGE 3A

They’re through the looking glass

If you noticed crowds of people dressed as fantasy queens and storybook characters downtown this past weekend, don’t worry, you aren’t going mad.

Dozens of costumed people — many dressed as Alice, the White Queen, the Mad Hatter and more — made the visit to downtown Sarasota for the Clued Upp escape room app’s Alice in Wonderland-themed puzzle hunt. The app’s escape room series travels from city to city in Florida and has a dedicated following that visits each area as well.

Teams of people scoured downtown Sarasota while checking the app’s fantasythemed map for new missions and clues.

The escape room is set to return to Sarasota in January.

Vitale gets key to city

Tipping off Monday’s Sarasota City Council meeting, Mayor Eric Arroyo awarded a key to the city to Lakewood Ranch resident and basketball-TV icon Dick Vitale in honor of his decades of commitment to and fundraising for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota.

In April 2000, the Boys & Girls Clubs announced that a new building would be named the Dick Vitale Physical Education and Heath Training Center. The following year, he was inducted into the Sarasota Boys & Girls Clubs Hall of Fame.

Vitale, who said he has had a challenging year fighting cancer on two fronts, took the microphone and the opportunity to expound on his 83 years of collective wisdom in his own unique style. He spoke of his mother’s support of a young “Richie” pursuing his basketball dreams.

“Never believe in can’t,” he said. “Don’t let can’t be part of your vocabulary.”

Back in the day Park plan a home run

Medieval Fair focuses on fun and fantasy.

Andrew Warfield

Dick Vitale and Mayor Eric Arroyo

Harry Sayer

Jacob and Micha Hostetler, from Sarasota, embrace the day and skip to their next destination.

Eric Garwood

County Commissioner Al Maio thanked Commissioner Christian Ziegler for pushing to get the park project completed.

New ballfields on deck for first part of broad remake of 17th Street Park. SEE PAGE 5A

Harry Sayer

Michelle Fallis, Susan Vincent, Kim Pratt, Kim and Ray Boehlein scour downtown Sarasota for clues.

TABS WHAT’S HAPPENING

OF NOV. 10, 2022

BY THE NUMBERS

200 Designs submitted as part of a program seeking suggestions for a new Sarasota city seal.

PAGE 4A 8 New softball fields planned as part of Sarasota County’s initial upgrades to 17th Street Park.

PAGE 5A 60 Feet in height of St. Armands Circle’s new Christmas tree, which was erected this week.

PAGE 6A

6

Finalists in Sarasota County’s youth poet laureate competition.

PAGE 3B

CALENDAR

n Sarasota City Commission swearingin ceremony — Noon, Monday, Nov. 14, City Hall Commission Chambers, 1660 First St.

n Sarasota County Commission swearing in ceremony — 9 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22, County Administration Building, 1565 Ringling Blvd.

City’s Veterans Day parade is Friday

ne way or the other, Sarasota’s beloved Veterans Day Parade will march down Main Street on Friday.

Depending on weather, though, the 10 a.m. event that normally proceeds from Osprey Avenue to Gulfstream Avenue might be smaller than usual.

A decision on Friday’s event is likely Thursday morning.

“We will march down Main Street, rain or shine,” said Daniel Kennedy, chairman of the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee. “If we cancel the parade,

we will have a group of veterans that will march our flag down Main Street.”

There will be a special ceremony at 11 a.m. on Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park at the corner of Gulfstream Avenue and Main Street. This is in recognition of the armistice that was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, ending World War I.

The ceremony will feature Thomas McElheny, chair of the Sarasota Military Academy board of directors. James D’Angelo,

chair of the board of the International Midway Memorial Foundation, will give a presentation on the Glenn Miller Project.

As a former educator, Kennedy believes that this is an important event for students to understand the importance of Veterans Day. “This is the history of our country. We honor and recognize the veterans who contributed to our society.”

This year’s parade theme is “Home of the Free because of the Brave.”

City launches park Wi-Fi program

Sarasota residents and visitors will soon be able to more easily use their digital devices for work or entertainment while visiting select city parks.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park will be the first of four city parks in the program.

Bayfront Park will be activated in early December, followed shortly thereafter by Arlington Park and Payne Park.

“This will enhance quality of life for residents and visitors alike,” said City Commissioner Hagen Brody, who proposed the idea to the City Commission in 2021. “COVID-19 kick-started the initiative to bring broadband connectivity to public locations in our community. Having free Wi-Fi in the parks will support and encourage families to be outside and enjoy the fresh air while doing homework or conducting business.”

The $470,000 pilot program is funded by American Rescue Plan dollars.

A ceremony kicking off the program was scheduled for Thursday in the park but was reset for 10 a.m. Tuesday at 2523 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

The ceremony will include comments by elected officials, neighborhood leaders and city staff who will explain how to easily access the free Wi-Fi.

Community members are invited to attend the event.

Gulf Gate Library closes for light fix

Gulf Gate Public Library is expected to be closed until next week while a lighting upgrade is undertaken.

The lighting replacement project is designed to improve visibility and make programming and maintenance of the lights easier.

The exterior book drop will remain in operation while the interior of the building is off limits.

The library closed Nov. 9 and is expected to reopen on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

“A naked dude looking over your shoulder.”

Vice Mayor Kyle Battie, describing the Sarasota city logo depicting the statue David, which overlooks the City Commission chambers, Read more on page 4A

File photo

Riverview High marches in the 2021 parade down Main Street.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

In recent months Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch has frequently found herself on the short end of 4-1 votes, par ticularly on the recent matter of comprehensive plan amendments and votes on zoning changes that followed.

Through the campaign season, her

two opponents for two seats at the dais have expressed agreement with her positions, and after Tuesday night’s election she will likely have at least one ally on such matters.

Sarasota voters sent Ahearn-Koch back to the commission with 11,551 votes, or 40.8%, where she will be joined by Debbie Trice, who edged Dan Lobeck 8,789 votes (31.07%) to 7,947 votes (28.09%) for the seat

vacated by Hagen Brody.

Brody ran an unsuccessful primary bid for Sarasota County Commission earlier this year.

“This tells me that when you work hard, and you plan and prepare, the public sees that,” Ahearn-Koch said. “Somebody just said to me, ‘thank you so much for all your hard work.’ You prepare, you research, you fol low the projects from the beginning, and it shows that the citizens appre ciate it.”

During candidate forums, Trice was generally in agreement with Ahearn-Koch in opposition to affordable- and attainable-housing density bonuses. All three candi dates opposed the now-approved practice of allowing staff review of some projects that include afford able housing in lieu of including public comments.

Those votes related to the compe hensive plan amendments required a supermajority vote, which they received, although Ahern-Koch opposed most of the measures cit ing inadequate public involvement in the process and opposition to administrative approval.

Going forward any zoning text amendments and other changes permitted under the amended com prehensive plan will require a simple majority.

Trice said she hopes she can bring all parties together to achieve con sensus on the matter of affordable housing development.

“The only reason I got into this was for housing for low- and middleincome working families,” Trice said. “I really believe the only way that we can make that happen in a manner that we’re going to ultimately be proud of is if the city government and the developers and the residents of the various neighborhoods work together in a cooperative manner to make it happen. And that’s what I want to help make happen.”

City voters also supported four charter revisions, including one that raises City Commission salaries to $44,643.97.

Trice will be sworn in on Monday in a special meeting at City Hall, at which time the newly seated com mission will select a mayor for the next year.

RESULTS

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Votes %

District 16 

Vern Buchanan (R) 187,040 62.45%

Jan Schneider (D) 112,456 37.55%

Ralph Hartman (WRI) 0 0%

District 17

Andrea Doria Kale (D) 106,234 37.14% 

Greg Steube (R) 178,099 62.26%

Theodore Murray (NPA) 1,740 0.61%

FLORIDA HOUSE District 70 

Mike Beltran (R) 47,927 63.18%

Eleuterio “Junior” Salazar Jr. (D) 27,931 36.82%

District 72

Tommy Gregory (R) 55,362 66.94%

Roberts Guy Dameus (D) 27,345 33.06%

District 73

Fiona McFarland (R) 50,169 56.02%

Derek Reich (D) 39,388 43.98%

SARASOTA COUNTY Sarasota City Commission

Jen Ahearn-Koch 11,551 40.84%

Dan Lobeck 7,947 28.09% Debbie Trice 8,789 31.07%

SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSION District 2

Fredd Atkins (D) 18,321 49.23% Mark Smith (R) 18,891 50.77% District 4

Daniel Kuether (D) 18,915 40.50%

Joseph Neunder (R) 27,794 59.50%

SARASOTA COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW BOARD District 1 Alexandra Coe (R) 126,573 60.84%

Nancy Simpson (D) 81,483 39.16% District 2

Matthew Brockway (R) 126,447 61.04%

Jae Langston Williams (D) 80,718 38.96% District 4

Jack Miller (R) 124,911 60.45%

Ray Porter (D) 81,728 39.55%

SARASOTA COUNTY HOSPITAL BOARD

Northern District, Seat 2 Vic Rohe (R) 131,782 71.48%

Jonathan Tubbs (LPF) 52,580 28.52%

Republicans hold on to County Commission seats

OBSERVER STAFF STAFF

Republican candidates held their party’s Sarasota County Commis sion seats in a pair of races contested in single-member voting districts.

In the closest race, Mark Smith edged former Sarasota Mayor Fredd Atkins by about 1.5 percentage points with 31 of 31 voting precincts report ing in District 2. Smith won 18,966 votes (50.72%) to Atkins’ 18,425 votes (49.28%).

It was the first election in District 2 held under the provisions of singlemember districts in which commis sioners are elected by the voters in their districts vs. countywide vot ing. Sarasota County voters passed the system of voting in 2018, then upheld the practice again this year.

In District 4, Joe Neunder defeat ed Daniel Keuther by nearly 9,000 votes. The tally with 25 of 25 pre cincts was 27,794 (59.5%) to 18,915 (40.5%). Term limits prevented Dis trict 4’s Al Maio from running for re-election.

“I am very happy,” Neunder said Tuesday. “I am very excited. I am looking forward to getting to work.”

Neunder and Smith will be sworn in at 9 a.m. Nov. 22 in the com

mission chambers of the county’s administration building in Sarasota. Vice Chair Ron Cutsinger is expected to take over for Maio as chair of the County Commission.

Neunder said he hopes to have an effect on affordable housing and the potential for reopening Midnight Pass on Siesta Key.

“I love my community, and I am looking forward to getting sworn in and getting to work,” he said.

On his campaign Facebook page, Smith posted an image of himself with the phrase “We did it.”

Thank you for your support!” he wrote. “I look forward to serving each and every one of you in District 2.”

Atkins’ run was expected to be

close as District 2, which covers much of the city of Sarasota and the barrier islands, leans more Demo cratic than any other County Com mission district following a redraw

Sarasota County voters support

collected is shared by governments within Sarasota County, based on population. The school district is entitled to the other 25%.

As they have every 15 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Saraso ta County voters again supported an additional penny of sales tax for each dollar spent, locking into place a revenue source for the county, cit ies, towns and public schools for another run, beginning in 2025.

By a 78% to 22% margin in ballot ing that concluded Tuesday, voters approved the 1% infrastructure sales tax that was originally passed in 1989 and renewed in 1997 and 2007. Sur tax IV, as it has become referred to, is estimated to deliver about $900 mil lion between its launch in 2025 and its conclusion in 2039.

Three-quarters of the revenue

Last spring, municipal and county officials pared down lists of poten tial uses for the revenue for eventual approval by the County Commis sion. Though those specific projects are not set, though changes to the agreed-upon list must be done pub licly, through hearings and votes of elected officials.

Among the projects countywide authorized for use of the money over the course of the tax’s 15-year run:

n Siesta Key water system improvements: $24.1 million

n Fruitville Library expansion and renovation: $6.36 million

n Two new fires stations to serve

ing of boundaries in 2021. District 4 cuts a swath across the middle of the county between the city and the greater Lakewood Ranch area to the north and Venice and North Port to the south.

Incumbent Christian Ziegler chose not to run for re-election in District 2. In August, Atkins won the primary with 35.24% of the vote, edging City Commissioner Hagen Brody and Mike Cosentino for the Democratic nomination. Brody got 34.20% and Cosentino 30.57% of a total of 10,557 votes cast.

Smith, a 67-year-old architect, is running for public office for the first time.

Neunder is former a Venice city commissioner and owns his own chiropractic practice.

Lauren Tronstad and Eric Garwood of the Observer staff contributed to this report.

BY THE NUMBERS

62.05% Sarasota County turnout 219,325 Ballots cast 43,241 Difference between the number of ballots cast by Republicans vs. Democrats 79% Highest turnout of any voting precinct in Sarasota County (Precinct 301 at the Waterford Sports Club in Venice.

the Lorraine Road corridor: $12 million

n The city of Sarasota’s Bobby Jones Nature Park: $5 million

n Sarasota Police vehicles: $30 million

n Longboat Key sea level rise, storm water and flood control: $1 million

n Longboat Key Public Tennis Center improvements: $1.09 million.

Incumbent City Commissioner picks up most votes in threeperson race for two seats.

Smith and Neunder hold off Democratic challengers in Sarasota County.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

Andrew Warfield

election

File photo

Mark Smith is a 67-year-old architect is running for public office for the first time. He’s a 50-year resident of Sarasota.

Eric Garwood

Surtax

ladder truck for the Longboat Key Fire Rescue

Sarasota commissioners approve new city seal

Seven months after launching a public engagement process, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously approved a replacement of the 120-year-old emblem.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Much has happened here since the city of Sarasota was founded by John Hamilton Gillespie 120 yeas ago. One thing that hadn’t — until Monday — is a redesign of the original city seal. In the 12 decades since the rudi mentary, hand-drawn seal depicting water, palm trees and an unidentifi able aquatic creature has projected the image of the city on documents and in various mediums.

All that changed when the Sara sota City Commission unanimously approved a new city seal. Elements shared by the new and original seals are the circular shape, the slogan “May Sarasota Prosper” and the number “1902” and images of water and palm trees. New in the seal are birds in flight over something Gil lespie could never have imaged in his day, the John Ringling Bridge, set against the backdrop of a sunset.

The seal project began in May 2021 when the City Commission launched official discussions about updating the seal. To lead the effort, the city contracted Sarasota branding and design firm DreamLarge, which in April launched a campaign to solicit seal design submissions from the public.

That effort yielded 200 designs from citizens and nonresidents alike, which DreamLarge narrowed to six for consideration by the City Commission in August, including its own hybrid version culled from common elements among the other finalists. That version was given the go-ahead for further refinement, and DreamLarge founder Anand Pallegar appeared once more before

the commission for guidance prior to Monday.

“It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put our fingerprints on shaping a transformative project that’s as significant as our city seal,” Pallegar said. “It’s been an incredible honor and privilege to have earned the trust of both the city and the community in guiding this project to a successful outcome.”

The new seal most closely resem bles a submission by Rachel Manza no, who also addressed commission ers on Monday. The design originally submitted under the name of Rachel Ewing, she is a six-year immigrant from Northern Ireland who told commissioners she earned her U.S. citizenship in August.

“I thought this would be a great opportunity to take an artistic approach that would really set our selves apart from the other city seals that I have seen,” she said.

DreamLarge isn’t stopping with the city seal. The company has also been working on an updated city logo, dominated by a silhouette of the statue of David, a replica of which adorns the courtyard of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. That same logo is emblazoned on the wall behind the dais of the City Commis sion meeting chamber, described by Vice Mayor Kyle Battie as “a naked dude looking over your shoulder.”

No timeframe has been set for fur ther action on the logo.

Sarasota’s new city seal is the realization of a project that began in 2021.

Courtesy image

County launches expansion, upgrade of 17th St. Park

Softball renovations and new artificial turf fields are coming in the first phase of the regional park plan.

ERIC GARWOOD MANAGING EDITOR

Tossing a few shovelfuls of infield clay in front of photographers just wasn’t enough for county officials at 17th Street Park as they ceremonially launched a comprehensive remake of the North Sarasota recreation site this past week.

Preceding their traditional smilefor-the-camera moment was a symbolic out-with-the-old, inwith-the-new moment as heavy equipment took a few bites out of a nearby concession stand.

“We’ll finish that up later,” Coun ty Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Nicole Rissler joked, as pieces of cracked and crum pled roof tumbled to the ground.

What’s planned to come next, among other things, is a new girls softball complex in the footprint of the Miss Sarasota complex with eight new fields, each with an out field fence set to 220 feet, a standard for collegiate, professional and youth tournament play. One will serve as a stadium field.

Nearby, on land that isn’t now part of the park, four artificial turf multipurpose fields are planned for such sports as soccer, lacrosse, rugby and football. Renderings show room for two soccer pitches on each of the four fields.

The initial improvements are part of a countywide plan for broad reno vations at a series of parks, designed to not only host local and com munity youth and adult sports but also regional tournaments that can attract overnight participants to area hotels and restaurants.

In 2022, county commissioners set aside $5.5 million for the first phase, which includes the softball fields and the multipurpose fields. In October, county commissioners authorized a potential add-on of three adultleague softball fields to the north, with the idea that the existing fields will one day have to make way for additional green space features on the western end of the park, which borders the city of Sarasota’s Bobby Jones Golf Course and nature park project.

The county and the city are work ing to one day link the two amenities, and county park planners envision a

pathway through 17th Street Park that could link with a Legacy Trail extension through Bobby Jones.

From there, a link to Nathan Bend erson Park is possible, as is a cross over of Interstate 75 into Lakewood Ranch,

“So that was phase one going into last week when we presented that to the board, they said, ‘This is fantas tic, but Nicole, we want to do more,”’ Rissler said. “And so what they’re asking us to do, we’re not commit ted yet, we’re going to price it, the adult fields.”

The expansion of the county’s parks with an eye toward sports tour ism was supported by the County Commission consistently with 5-0 votes, but outgoing commissioners Christian Ziegler and Al Maio were often the proposal’s biggest cham pions.

“We will have tournaments that will have thousands of kids that are involved in them over the course of three days, four days, hundreds of hotel rooms,” Ziegler said. “You’ll have people going to restaurants here locally. You’ll have people seeing Sarasota for the first time and then ending up moving here. I think that’s what this park will help do. It brings a sense of community here.”

Parks in the south and central por tions of Sarasota County also are in line for similar upgrades, but 17th Street Park is the first.

Commissioner Ron Cutsinger, the vice chair who will likely be elevated to chair when Maio leaves the board, joked that Maio and Ziegler pushed for the additional features, then left him to figure out how to pay for it.

The complete buildout of the remade park could reach more than $45 million, which would be financed through park impact fees, the countywide 1 penny surtax, Tourist Development Tax revenue and proceeds of the sale of a oncecounty-owned recreation facility.

“One of the first things that Com missioner Maio did was he made this statement to staff,” Cutsinger said. “And you remember this, he always said: ‘Look, you bring us the vision. You bring us the plans. Don’t worry about the money. We’ll take care of the money. That’s our problem. That’s not your problem.”’

Rissler said the project likely will take until fall 2024 to complete.

During that time, while demolition and construction are underway, the alternate venues for youth softball will be found at other county parks.

Officials and members of the design/ build team dig into the soil for a groundbreaking.

Eric Garwood

T. Shannon, DPM Podiatric Surgery

Holiday Night of Lights event canceled

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Citing “restrictions” caused by the new Winter Spectacular event at St. Armands, Rachel Burns, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association, announced this week the annual Holiday Night of Lights scheduled for Dec. 2 has been can celed.

Although not specific as to the restrictions imposed on the 43-year tree lighting event, in an email to SACA members, Burns explained the six-week festival in Circle Park set for Nov. 18-Jan. 3 rendered the traditional tree lighting celebration impossible.

The email read: “The restrictions placed on the St. Armands Circle Association for Holiday Night have made it impossible for us to present a celebration on Friday, December 2nd for the public this year, but we look forward to celebrating Holiday Night of Lights with you in 2023.”

Burns did not respond to calls for comment by deadline to detail the restrictions imposed by the festival.

On Oct. 3, the Sarasota City Com mission approved Ride Entertain ment’s request to put on the Winter Spectacular, which was presented as a one-time event to highlight the circle’s new 60-foot holiday tree, which that was erected this week.

The amusements company was joined by St. Armands Circle res taurant owner Tom Leonard in the

request. Leonard is also chairman of the St. Armands Circle Association board of directors, which partnered with Burns and SACA in securing a $286,000 grant from the city to replace the 20-year-old tree.

The two have been on opposing sides ever since, Burns saying several annual events will have to be moved or canceled because of the festival. Holiday Nights is one such casualty.

An email from Winter Spectacular organizers expressed surprise in the Holiday Night of Lights cancelation.

“To say we were shocked and sad dened by this announcement would be an understatement,” it read. “We were looking forward to the SACA tree lighting events. We (the Win ter Spectacular) were planning to go dark with our events in order to accommodate their event on that one night.”

Logan

St. Armands Circle Association cancels the 44th annual Holiday Night of Lights event, citing restrictions caused by the one-time Holiday Spectacular event in Circle Park.

Eric Garwood

Crews assembled St. Armands Circle’s new 60-foot tree this week.

- Susan Kare

Instructions from Ian

While we await the effects of Tropical Storm Nicole, we should take heed of the lessons we learned from Hurricane Ian.

Emma Burke, digital fulfillment specialist at the Observer Media Group, frantically called her wedding planner, Janice Blackmon, on Monday, worried about the status of her upcoming nuptials to her fiancé, Patrick Jolly. The ceremony and reception are slated to take place Thursday, at the Powel Crosley Estate. Outside.

The Sarasota-Manatee region is expected to begin to feel effects of Tropical Storm Nicole by Wednesday afternoon.

Blackmon reassured Burke, “Everything should be fine unless there is a state of emergency.”

Five minutes after they got off the phone, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Sarasota and 33 other counties.

Devastated, Burke’s colleagues tried to cheer her up with positive reinforcement. “Rain on your wedding day is good luck,” said one co-worker, who added, “A tropical storm means you’ll be married forever!”

Another reminded her that she is in good hands with her caterer, Philip Mancini, of Michael’s On East, who recently served on the front lines of Hurricane Ian prepping thousands of meals for World Central Kitchen. Mancini assured Burke that the tent to be placed on the Crosley bayfront lawn could withstand up to 40 mph winds … but he wouldn’t recommend being inside the tent at that time. Mancini also informed her that he had gone down to Fort Myers that day to acquire a generator to make sure that the band could play.

While the Sarasota-Manatee region for the most part got lucky in Hurricane Ian, and rain may be lucky on a wedding day, relying on luck isn’t the best strategy when it comes to storms. Shortly after Hurricane Ian, Roger Pettingell, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty and a Bird Key resident, shared that he thought an article about the things we learned from Ian would be a great idea. It is a great idea, and who knew it would be relevant so soon?

Whether you’re preparing for Tropical Storm Nicole or the next storm further away, Pettingell shares with us his lessons learned: n Gas — Fill up your car with gas and charge your electric vehicles up to 100%. And fill up multiple gas cans for generators.

n Generators — If you have a generator, make sure you test it before the storm. Don’t wait to turn it on for the first time after the

storm is over.

n Water — It’s not about getting thirsty and having water bottles on hand to drink. You’re really talking about what happens when your water gets shut off. You should fill up your bathtubs and all the vessels you have when your water is running, so you have it on hand when your water is turned off.

n Cars — When storm surge is a threat, a critical lesson we learned is to park your cars on a high level of a parking garage. If you’re out of town, make sure your keys are somewhere someone can access them. Pettingell offered to move cars for many of his clients, but their house checkers had evacuated with the car keys.

n Hotel — Pre-book a hotel in Evacuation Zone C or higher.

During Ian, Pettingell said he booked a downtown hotel in Zone B that eventually got evacuated. Also, look for a hotel that has been built in the past five years, has a generator and is up to hurricane codes.

n Power — Pettingell left his front door light on before evacuating Bird Key during Ian. He used his Ring doorbell app to check and see when his power came back on. The Ring doorbell is battery operated, so put in fresh batteries before you leave.

n Insurance — Check with your insurance agent to make sure you’re adequately insured. Don’t wait until the last minute to do a walk around with an iPhone to video what the contents of your home are if you do have to make an insurance claim.

Create a family Dropbox with all of your important documents scanned so you can access them on your phone so you’re not running around looking for insurance papers.

n Landscaping — Now that we know how our landscaping and trees can break and blow down, prepare your landscaping ahead of time and pre-trim at the beginning of hurricane season. Don’t count on your fences being able to stand any

significant winds.

n Evacuation plan — When making your evacuation plan, keep in mind that the cone of uncertainty is just that, it’s uncertain. You may want to have a couple of places available to evacuate to, for example, out in east in Sarasota, farther east in Orlando, or even up and out of the state.

So while we prepare for another storm, we will leave you with this message from a meme circulating on social media — “Currently in Florida: Exhausted and confused as we listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas album, prep our Thanksgiving menu and wonder if we need to go out and buy hurricane snacks while trying to keep our eyes open for an extra hour.”

Stay safe, don’t rely on luck and best wishes to the future Mr. and Mrs. Jolly.

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

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Hughes, KHughes@YourObserver.com

Managing Editor / Eric Garwood, EGarwood@YourObserver.com

Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com

Staff Writers / Andrew Warfield, AWarfield@YourObserver.com; Dariela Delgado, DDelgado@YourObserver.com

Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com

Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com

Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

Editorial Designer / José Valle, JValle@YourObserver.com

A+E Editor / Spencer Fordin, SFordin@YourObserver.com

Black Tie Editor / Harry Sayer, HSayer@YourObserver.com

Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com

Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com

Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com

Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com

Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com

Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@ YourObserver.com

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma Burke, EBurke@yourobserver.com

Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com

Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com

Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com

Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com

Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana

Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

Director of Information Technology / Adam Quinlin, AQuinlin@YourObserver.com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com

Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon @YourObserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

1970 Main St. Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

“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

CEO / Matt Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles

Courtesy photo Emma Burke and Patrick Jolly prepare to get married during Tropical Storm Nicole, rain or shine.

EMILY WALSH

File photo

Roger Pettingell, Coldwell Banker Realty

Board picks 3 Fruitville roundabout art finalists

The Sarasota Public Art Committee has chosen its preferred artists for a sculpture inside the roundabout at U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road. Installation of an approved piece is still two years away.

WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

ore than six months after the Sarasota City Commis sion sent it back to the draw ing board, the city’s Public Art Committee narrowed its list of sculptors for art in the U.S. 41-Fruit ville Road roundabout to three.

In April, commissioners rejected the committee’s choice of Dwell, a coral sculpture by Canton, New York, artist Sujin Lim, and instruct ed committee chair Wendy Lerner to bring back three choices — not just one — and to provide additional guidance in the design of proposals.

After seeking re-submittals from artists, the PAC this past week selected three finalists for the proj ect, including Lim. It will now invite proposals for what will be the third roundabout sculpture on U.S. 41, with more to follow in the city’s Art in the Roundabouts program.

In a first-of-its-kind program on Florida state-maintained highways, scheduled for installation in 2023 are sculptures in the roundabouts on U.S. 41 at 10th and 14th streets. The city’s public arts program is funded by a 0.5% fee on all new develop ments that cost at least $1 million.

Lim is joined as a finalist by Shan Shan Sheng, of San Francisco, and Mark Reigelman of Brooklyn, New York. Like Lim, both had submitted designs in the prior selection pro cess. Alternates are Mark Aeling, of St. Petersburg, and Volkan Alkano glu of Portland, Oregon.

Commissioners previously reject ed the PAC’s recommendation and other higher-ranked submissions

the first time around because they felt the sculptures did not reflect Sarasota’s environmental or cultural history. The committee then set about asking artists to reapply and reopened the application process via request for qualification.

It could still be more than two years before the selected piece is installed in the roundabout. A timeline devel oped by Sarasota senior planner and

City Commission approval in January 2024 and submittal for concept review to FDOT two months later.

At least two members of the PAC won’t be involved in the Fruitville Road roundabout going forward. Their terms expiring, Leslie But terfield and Joanne McCobb have attended their final meeting.

GETTING THERE FROM HERE

The anticipated timeline for the U.S. 41-Fruitville Road roundabout sculpture.

n Nov. 10, 2022: Transmit creative brief from PAC to finalists.

n Jan. 9, 2023: Finalist first draft/high-level sketch submitted to staff.

n Jan. 20, 2023: PAC meeting to review draft sketches with finalists (virtual).

n Jan. 24, 2023: Transmit PAC comments to finalists.

n Feb. 10, 2023: Revised concept sketches submitted to staff.

n Feb. 13-28, 2023: Staff one-on-ones with finalists for design development.

n March 17, 2023: Finalized concept design submitted to staff.

n April 17, 2023: Public workshop (virtual) finalist presentations to the public. Site visit is optional.

n May 3, 2023: Finalist presentations to PAC. One finalist selected for recommendation to city commission.

n July 2023: Recommendation of the PAC artist selection presented to City Commission for approval.

n August 2023: Contract administration — anticipated contract signing within 30 days after which the artist will submit a work plan to the city.

n Oct. 13, 2023: Artist work plan sent to City of Sarasota Office of Public Art.

n Nov. 1, 2023: PAC meeting to review final artwork proposal.

n January 2024: PAC recommendation for artwork presented to the City Commission for approval.

n March 2024: Submittal to Florida Department of Transportation for concept phase review.

n TBD: Fabrication of the artwork and site prep followed by installation to begin upon FDOT final approval and permit issuance.

“When I started all these years ago it was a very different committee,” Butterfield said. “I think the mem bers of this committee are much more engaged with art. They’re not just on a public committee to be advisors. They are actually all very deeply interested in art and are becoming very knowledgeable.”

ANDREW

public art lead Mary Davis Wallace projects

An example of work by Brooklyn, New York sculptor Mark Reigelman.

An example of work by San Francisco sculptor Shan Shan Sheng.

Courtesy photos

Sujin Lim is once again a finalist for a new round of submissions.

PICS

The natural choice for luxury coastal living.

Wild Blue at Waterside in Lakewood Ranch by Stock Development is a natural choice for those who appreciate luxury living, a connected and relaxed coastal vibe and an array of social and active lifestyle amenities. Here, a verdant waterfront setting, along with quality design and construction, blend seamlessly to create a naturally beautiful community. Featuring a collection of single-family homes by some of the region’s most acclaimed builders. Sales Center Now Open: 8307 Lake Club Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941.313.3852

Proudly presented by

COPS CORNER

TUESDAY, NOV. 2

A FIERY DEBATE

1:08 p.m., 1500 block of 24th Street Dispute: A dispute between two women who had been in a dating relationship for two months resulted in an arson threat. The complainant told police that after a dispute, her girlfriend arrived to retrieve her belongings. When she was asked if the altercation became physical, the complainant became uncooperative and told police she just doesn’t want the woman in the home any longer. The complainant said her now-former partner said she would burn the house down if there were any future arguments. Arson threat notwithstanding, it was determined that no crime was committed.

FRIDAY, NOV. 4

BUY MY NARCOTICS! 9:03 p.m., 1500 block of Oak Park Avenue Dispute: Police arrived at the scene of a domestic dispute and spoke with a woman who advised she and her boyfriend were having an argument because she refused to finance a fentanyl purchase. During the argument, she stated he began yelling profanities and at one point, grabbed a knife and threatened to stab himself if she didn’t give him money. The woman also alleged the man was involved in a previous aggravated assault, which took place outside of the city. A check for warrants yielded no results. It was determined no crime was committed.

SUNDAY, NOV. 6 NIGHT OUT FIGHT

2:22 a.m., 1100 block of North Washington Boulevard Dispute: A man accusing his husband of looking and talking to other men inside a club resulted in a parking lot dispute that brought police to the scene. There, the accuser told officers his husband was struck by a third party in the parking lot, which the accused denied. However, the accused did tell police that during the verbal altercation, which never became physical, that he said he wanted a divorce and to see other people. During his investigation, the officer observed both men to be intoxicated and incapable of provid-

extending their stay became the cause of a dispute when they stopped making payments. The complainant stated the guests had been staying in the room since September, and when told they would have to leave after not paying became verbally hostile toward her, at which point she called law enforcement. When police informed one of the guests he would have to leave, he was in the process of packing his belongings and was to leave within the hour. The hotel employee was advised to call police the next morning if the room was not vacated.

ing clear details of the events that transpired inside the club and in the parking lot. Both parties said they would separate at least for the night. No further action was taken.

Fast Break

More sports should use scoring systems similar to what iWanamaker does for golf. It’s easy to navigate and read and more importantly, it updates in real time with accurate scores and other information, even for small, nonpostseason events. Some football scores on MaxPreps from seasons long past are still wrong, and the rosters are often a mess. Stats, scores and rosters are something the Florida High School Athletic Association should do more to regulate. Misinformation doesn’t help anyone.

College basketball broadcasting legend Dick Vitale received the key to Sarasota on Monday, at a Sarasota City Council meeting, for his dedication to community service in the area. It’s deserved. No one works harder to improve the lives of children everywhere than Dickie V.

The All-American Women’s Baseball Classic, showcasing 60 of the best female baseball players in the country, hits Ed Smith Stadium Nov. 19-22. Ticket prices vary but kids 12 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit AmericanGirlsBaseball.org.

Winter is here. Or the winter sports season, at least. Boys and girls soccer games began this week and the girls basketball regular season starts next week, with boys basketball the week after. A choice first game to attend: the Riverview High girls basketball team, which went 20-2 last season, hosts Venice High at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15.

In case you haven’t heard, there’s another strong storm — named Nicole — headed to Florida this week. While our part of the Gulf Coast isn’t the storm’s target area, we could still see some changes to things like the football postseason depending on how much rain the region receives Thursday. Any updates will be posted to YourObserver.com.

NO SWEAT

Riverview girls, Sarasota boys again win state swimming titles

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

In theory, the 2022 Florida High School Athletic Associa tion Class 3A girls swimming state meet was technically anyone’s to win.

It really wasn’t, though, once defending champion Riv erview High showed up.

The Rams won seven gold medals on their way to a second straight team title, besting second-place Oviedo High by 155 points. The Rams’ 200-yard medley relay team of juniors Gracie Weyant, Addison Sauickie and Bailey O’Regan and freshman Taylor Schwenk won gold and set a state record (1:42.04) by 0.30 seconds. Weyant later won the 200-yard individual medley (1:58.66) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.68); Sauickie won the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.38) and the 100-yard freestyle (49.03 seconds); and O’Regan won the 500-yard freestyle (4:49.28).

The team’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Weyant, Sauickie, O’Regan and junior Brianna Deierlein also won gold (3:22.22).

Sauickie said she was most happy about her leg of the 400 relay, which was a moment for her to reassess after falling just short of her personal goal of 48 seconds in the 100 free style. Weyant, the sister of former Rams state champion and Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant, said her 200 IM was her proudest moment of the day; it was an event Weyant felt like she had been improving since the summer, so seeing that feeling validated by results was a cool moment.

O’Regan was in her first season with the Rams after moving to Sarasota from Ontario, Canada. O’Regan said the biggest difference she noticed between the two places is the team aspect of the sport. O’Regan said her previous school didn’t even have a swim team; she only swam for her club. Here, she does both, and O’Regan said she was pulled into the team aspects of high school swimming right away, falling for the way teammates cheered on each other, win or lose. O’Regan said the other members of the Rams made it clear that the expectation was to win another state title, so it was easy for her to enter the meet with 100% focus — though she was unsure of how she personally would do.

“In Canada, they don’t have the 500-yard race because they use a short-course meters format,” O’Regan said. “I didn’t know what time I was supposed to go or how I would place. I just wanted to get my hand on the wall first to get some points for the team. It ended up paying off. It was fun.”

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

The Sarasota High boys team was eager to talk about its third consecutive title at the Florida High School Athletic Association state meet — but first, there was some business that needed attention.

A group of Sailors had to finish a special “raid battle” in Pokemon Go, a popular free-to-play smartphone game that encourages collaboration. The boys were trying to collective ly take down a special boss Pokemon — a Mega Gyarados, for the curious — but they failed, despite giving it their best shot, sitting on the ground at Arlington Aquatic Complex and tap ping their phones with fury. The loss was especially costly.

“I wasted $10 on the raid pass,” said junior Elias Corn. “They made me buy it.”

They, in this case, meant his teammates, who shook off Corn’s complaints with laughs. The make-believe loss was the only letdown the personality-filled team has suffered of late. The Sailors’ win at the 2022 state meet was as lopsided as ever, a 45-point defeat of G. Holmes Braddock High.

In the past, the Sailors relied on depth to win titles. In 2020 and 2021, Sarasota won no gold medals in individual or relay races. This year, the Sailors had several. Senior Liam Heary won the 100-yard butterfly (48.61 seconds) and the 100-yard breaststroke (55.00 seconds). The Sailors’ 200-yard medley relay team of Heary, senior Evan Keogh, junior Ethan Ooi and junior Luca Simon also took gold (1:32.91).

One event in particular stood out to Heary.

“I have always wanted to win the 100 breaststroke,” he said. “Before this one, I had finished second and third and second again. Thinking about that going into it, it was emotional when I finally won. It’s a picture-perfect ending to my high school career.”

Keogh and Drew Vanden Heuvel, the team’s other seniors, agreed with the sentiment: This meet went as well as it could have, and they left their all in the water.

They also said they look forward to following the team car ries on the now-established traditions and expectations in the future.

Is a four-peat possible in 2023? With only three Sailors graduating, Sarasota thinks it is.

“We’re going to have a lot of younger swimmers,” Luca Simon said. “We’re going to have to fill in a few relay spots. That will be key. But we are going to have a lot of (state) quali fiers next year, so a fourth is the goal.”

RIVERVIEW GOLFER WINS STATE TITLE; SARASOTA, MOONEY RUNNERS FINISH SECOND

overall (15:40.3) at the FHSAA Class 4A state meet, held Nov. 5 at Apalachee State Park in Tallahassee. Miller finished five seconds behind Nease High junior Matt Ryan. The Sailors boys finished 10th as a team. The Sailors girls finished ninth as a team and were led by senior Ella Menke, who finished 12th overall (19:15.6).

Cardinal Mooney High girls crosscountry runner Addison Dempsey, a junior, finished second overall (17:54.0) at the FHSAA Class 2A state meet. Dempsey finished seven seconds behind Bolles School senior Jillian Candelino. The Cougars finished 25th as a team.

Sarasota

“When you play, you feel free. It’s the best.”

High’s Strale Gole

File photo

Riverview High girls basketball senior Sami Slusarek.

Sailors collect three individual gold medals on their way to third title in a row.

The Rams dominated the meet, winning seven event gold medals and the team title.

Riverview High senior boys golfer Aksel Moe took home the Florida High School Class 4A individual state championship Tuesday, shooting a 2-under-par 70 at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills to beat three other golfers by a stroke.

The championship was intended to be a 36-hole tournament played through Wednesday, but the FHSAA modified the event to be 18 holes because of tropical storm Nicole’s impending arrival on the east coast of the state. Moe had qualified for the tournament as an individual; the other Rams golfers did not compete.

High boys cross-country runner Alec Miller, a senior, finished second

Addison Sauickie, Bailey O’Regan and Gracie Weyant were individual gold medalists for the Rams.

Photos by Ryan Kohn Liam Heary won two gold medals for the Sailors boys swim team.

File photo

Alec Miller

Now or never

With the playoffs beginning this week, a look at each team’s chances and the players who could decide the games.

t might feel like high school foot ball season just began, but now that the calendar has turned to November, the postseason is here. It’s win

go home for all four Sarasota teams. All four are on the road, facing higher-seeded opponents — but that does not necessarily mean they can’t win or even that they are at a disadvantage. Here’s a breakdown of each program’s next game: All games are at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 unless otherwise specified.

SARASOTA HIGH (NO. 6; 4-4) AT MANATEE HIGH (NO. 3; 6-3)

This Class 4S Region 4 matchup is a rematch of a Sept. 2 game, which the Sailors lost 42-20 at home. That was in week two. Both teams have had ups and downs since.

The Sailors come into this game following an off week after a stinging 14-0 road loss to rival Riverview High, one in which the Sailors had two touchdowns called back on penalties. The week before, the Sailors played perhaps their best game of coach Brody Wiseman’s three-season tenure, beating Class 3S playoff team Braden River High 28-3 on the road.

If the off week can help the Sailors regain that winning mindset, Sarasota has a shot against a Manatee team that finished its season losing three of five. The Hurricanes use a two-quarterback system with junior Johnny Squitieri and sophomore Andrew Heidel; the two have combined to throw for 1,425 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. The Sailors will need defensive backs Tyler Pack

and Caleb Bradley to lock down the outside of the field, forcing those QBs into poor throws.

On offense, the Sailors are a run-first team and use a three-man backfield to control the game flow.

Juniors Joe Ziegler and Jaden Judge and sophomore Takurian Smith have combined for 1,570 yards and 12 touchdowns.

RIVERVIEW HIGH (NO. 7; 3-6) AT GULF COAST HIGH (NO. 2; 8-2)

The Rams thought they were done.

It was plain to see on players’ faces after the team’s 14-7 home loss to Cardinal Mooney High on Nov. 1. Coach Josh Smithers was emotional when discussing his team, especially his seniors. With no game on Nov. 4 to improve their record, all Riverview could do was wait.

“I honestly don’t even know how they do it (the rankings) anymore,” Smithers said at the time. “We’ll sit back and see what happens. Maybe there’s a game that knocks someone out and gets us in.”

He said it with disenchantment, but he was right. There was a chance. Riverview had done enough in previous weeks, and played a tough enough schedule, to impress the FHSAA algorithm and emerge as the No. 7 seed in the difficult Class 4S Region 4.

The reward? A date with Gulf Coast, which has won five in a row with one of the most diverse offenses around. Four backs each account for 268 yards or more and three touchdowns or more. Senior Konnor Barrett leads the way at 497 yards and five touchdowns.

The quartet will test Riverview’s defense, which has played well all season. Senior linebacker Deshaun Olave and junior linebacker Eugene Hicks, and others, will have their hands full. But Riverview will have an X-factor in junior defensive back/wide receiver Charles Lester III, who is the best player on the field the vast majority of the time.

Lester, rated a five-star player and the 18th best player in the country by the 247Sports Composite, will be keyed on by the Sharks, as he has been by each opponent in 2022. But big-time players make big-time plays when it matters most. If the Rams are going to pull the upset, Lester will be a key reason.

BOOKER HIGH (NO. 7; 6-4) AT FROSTPROOF HIGH (NO. 2; 8-2) There’s a refrain that first-year Booker coach Scottie Littles has sung all season: There will be some early learning moments for the Tornadoes, but opponents will not want to see them late in the season.

He was right. Entering the postseason, Booker, a Class 2S school has won four in a row, most recently a 43-39 win over Class 4S Lakewood Ranch High — a win that knocked the Mustangs (6-4) out of the postseason and sewed up a spot for the Tornadoes in 2S Region 4.

The Tornadoes will hit the road to play Frostproof, a team that won eight in a row before being demolished 41-0 by First Baptist Academy (6-2) this past week. MaxPreps actually has Booker ranked as the better team, 23rd in the class to

Frostproof’s 25th.

The Tornadoes have a real chance to come out on top of the Bulldogs.

The most explosive player on the Tornadoes is junior wideout Josiah Booker, who has reeled in 51 catches for 802 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior running back Ahmad Hunter has also had a consistent season, running for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns.

CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH (NO. 4; 4-6) AT JOHN CARROLL CATHO LIC (NO. 1; 8-1)

This Class 1S Region 4 game — which will be held next week, at 7 p.m. Nov. 18, because there are fewer teams in the region — is a rematch of an Oct. 14 game, which the Cougars lost 26-3 to the Rams in Fort Pierce.

While the first matchup was four weeks ago, a lot has changed. Mooney played a close game against rival Bishop Verot High, 27-24, then ripped off three straight wins against St. Petersburg Catholic, Riverview and Bayshore High. The win over the Rams was the most impressive. It’s not often a 1S schools topples a 4S school, no matter their respective records.

Mooney’s use of a two-quarterback system — with junior Griffin Gisotti as a run-first option and junior Johnny Antonucci as a more traditional passer — has given its offense the spark it needed. The Cougars dropped 50 points on Bayshore this past week. The Bruins are winless, yes, but scoring that many points with a second-half running clock is impressive efficiency nonetheless.

On defense, the Cougars will need to stop senior Aidan Singleton, a defensive back/wide receiver, who is averaging 31 yards per reception on offense and has two interceptions on defense. Singleton is committed to Lehigh University.

JCC junior running back Tony Colebrook should also be a focus; Colebrook has 1,064 yards on the season (6.3 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns.

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

Ryan Kohn

Booker High wide receiver junior Josiah Booker races past the Braden River secondary for a touchdown.

Strale Gole

Strale Gole is a senior on the Sara sota High boys soccer team. Gole scored a goal in the Sailors’ 4-1 road win over Booker High on Tuesday. The victory kicked off the team’s 2022 season.

When did you start playing soccer?

When I was around 3 years old. My dad (Darko Gole) taught me. I was born in Serbia. I had seen people playing soccer in the street there and wanted to learn. I just fell in love with it. I moved to Sarasota about five years ago.

What is the appeal to you? I think my passion stems from my home country. It’s a big deal there. I grew up playing it with my friends every single day. When you play, you feel free. It’s the best.

What is your best skill?

Scoring goals. I have always played striker. I have always wanted to be the one to score.

What are you working to improve? Winning. The younger players on this team, I want them to know how

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.

it feels to win, how good it feels. I want to help them feel it.

What is your favorite memory? When I was in eighth grade, my soccer team played in our league’s championship game. It was tied in the last few minutes, and I got a free kick from the halfway line. I shot it top left and it went in. I went crazy. We won the championship.

What are your goals this season?

I want us to win our district tourna ment and see where we go from there. I think there’s good talent on this team. Everyone is dedicated. If we work on our play a bit more, hopefully we will get there.

What is your favorite food? Buffalo chicken wings are the best.

What is your favorite movie? I love “Money Heist” on Netflix.

What is your favorite subject? I like English a lot because I like reading and writing.

What are your hobbies?

I hang out with my family or my girlfriend or go to the beach.

Which superpower would you

That’s a good question. I would want to be able to fly, to be as high as the

What is the best advice you have received?

My dad told me that the soccer field is the same as a war field. You’re fighting for the win, for your team and for yourself.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Time is ripe for Medieval Fair

A

of Mallaranny.

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

Shawn Shelnutt has the best job, if you hear him tell it, at the Saraso ta Medieval Fair in Myakka City.

At every festival, Shelnutt walks up to his spot, pokes his head through a hole in a fence and heckles the crowd while they bom bard him with tomatoes.

“If we’re talking about glancing blows, I probably get hit 50 times a day,” Shelnutt said. “If we’re talking (direct hits), that’s usually five to 10 times a day that I wish I wouldn’t have taken those hits.”

Shelnutt performs in the traveling Renaissance festival industry, mov ing from city to city helping bring medieval landscapes to life with a team of fellow performers. The Sara sota Medieval Fair runs every Satur day and Sunday in November.

It’s common for festival employees to cycle through jobs over the years — some have run the gamut from jest ers to jousters — but Shelnutt has kept with his specific role for nearly a decade.

He’s had other fields of interest that include a background in psy chology and some experience in

IF YOU GO

SARASOTA MEDIEVAL FAIR

Where: Woods of Mallaranny, 29847 S.R. 70 E., Myakka City

When: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 27

Price: $22 for adults; $11 for children

Information: Visit SarasotaMedievalFair.com.

stand-up comedy, but the Wisconsin native has decided that festival life is right for him.

It’s a fine line to walk, playfully heckling the crowd while being pelted by tomatoes, but Shelnutt said he does it well. Even in the aggressive (and sometimes messy) environment, Shelnutt cherishes the chance to connect with people.

“I know I’m going to have a good conversation, and I know I’m going to make people laugh,” Shelnutt said.

“I think my purpose is to bring cheer and happiness, and if that happens while tomatoes are being thrown at me, I love that.”

Shelnutt is far from alone in his passion. Thousands of visitors attend the Sarasota Medieval Fair.

Many of the patrons dress in fan tasy and medieval costumes just for the occasion. Vendors sold a num

ber of types of mead, food, periodappropriate weaponry, crafts and much more.

“It’s a fantasy world,” vendor Mark Hawkins said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a cool kid or not.”

Sarasota resident Kyle Larsen said he was impressed by the day’s joust ing. He was dressed as “Encanto’s” Bruno, complete with a poncho from South America, accessories from Goodwill and a mouse plushie that rested on his shoulder.

“I had family invite me and I had this costume on me so I thought, ‘Let’s go have some fun,’” Larsen said.

Mark Hawkins is a festival worker who’s been traveling in the Renais sance circuit for years.

He said he’s played peasants and kings, but these days Hawkins has a more narrow task as he helps sell swords, maces, katanas and other weaponry with the Legacy Forge com pany based out of Texas.

“I was working as a mechanic,” Hawkins said. “I decided to quit my job and join the circus. I needed a change.”

tomato toss was just one of the fun events at the annual festival at the Woods

Photos by Harry Sayer

Shawn Shelnutt has found his passion as the Sarasota Medieval Fair’s Tomato Guy.

Alexandra and Brian Wright, from Tampa, bring a parasol to keep them safe from the sun.

Knights keep the crowd entertained with bouts of jousting at the Sarasota Medieval Fair in Myakka City.

Kyle Larsen, from Sarasota, dresses as “Encanto’s” Bruno, complete with a rat.

YOUR CALENDAR

FRIDAY, NOV. 11

SARASOTA MEDIEVAL FAIRE Fridays and Saturdays Nov. 5-27 at 29847 State Road 70. The Sarasota Medieval Faire promises old-school swords and shining armor fun in Myakka City. $10 for kids, $22 for adults. For information, call 888303-3247

SIESTA KEY CRYSTAL CLASSIC Nov. 12-14 at Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road. Sand artists of all stripes will compete over the weekend for the most impressive sand sculpture. Tickets start at $10 for adults; $5 for children. For information, go to SiestaKeyCrystalClassic. com.

SATURDAY,

NOV. 12

NAMASTE AT THE BAY 9 a.m. at Bay Park Sunset Deck, 655 N. Tamiami Trail. Instructor Jessica Amaya leads a yoga class near Sarasota’s bayfront. Free. For information, call 203-5316.

SANTA’S GRAND ARRIVAL PARADE 6 p.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive. The holidays start in earnest with a lively Christmas parade marking the arrival of Santa at UTC. The

FRIDAY,

NOV. 11

ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PARADE 10 a.m. at downtown Sarasota. Sarasota will again pay tribute to its veterans with a parade that will travel through downtown Sarasota. The parade starts at Osprey Avenue and goes down Main Street ending at Gulfstream Avenue.

night will end with a fireworks show. Free.

SUNCOAST’S LARGEST FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL 2.0

Runs through Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive. More than 60 food trucks will fill the Mall at UTC area for a two-day celebration that will include food, a family fun zone and Santa’s arrival parade on Nov. 12. Free. For information, call (727) 674-1464.

SUNDAY, NOV. 13

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY 4:30 p.m. at the Bay Park, 655 N. Tamiami Trail. Sarasota singer and songwriter Joe Bernui brings ’70s acoustic music to the new Bay Park at the Common Ground. Free. For information, visit TheBaySarasota. org.

MONDAY, NOV. 14

BRIDGE FOR BEGINNERS

10 a.m. at North Sarasota Public Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. The Betty J. Johnson North Public Library hosts bridge classes for potential card players looking for a way in. Classes are held the second and fourth Monday of every month. Free. For information, call 861-1376.

File photo

Sarasota’s youth poet laureate named

The Sarasota Youth Poet Laureate Awards Ceremony invited lovers of poetry to the Historic Asolo Theater at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art on Monday night to find out which of the six students would be the Sarasota Youth Poet Laureate.

Hayley Peace, an 11th grader at Pine View School, was selected as the Sarasota Youth Poet Laureate.

“I believe that every finalist is deserving of this recognition,” she said after her name was announced.

This event was also a celebration for the finalists who made the effort to go through the application process for the possibility to be selected as the National Youth Poet Laureate. This group of young poets each recited one poem they had written.

Ada Limón, poet laureate of the United States, made an appearance to support this group of young poets. After the award ceremony, Limón signed books for guests and students.

“The one thing that I believe in anything that my kids want to do, I’m always going to support them. I was raised that way. I believe that it’s important to expose kids to different things and she showed interest,” said Dekesha Battieste, mother of youth poet finalist A’rayia Davis. “If you get a chance to meet her, she’s a different kid. She has a very special gift, but she’s very humble. When everything is going wrong, she finds something to celebrate.”

“Whenever you do a competition,

The Sarasota Youth Poet Laureate finalists were: A’rayia Davis, Booker Middle School eighth grader; Jacob Gardner, Sarasota High School sophomore; Nelson Rapalo, Pine View School sophomore; Laura Glik Fusaro, Riverview High School junior; Hayley Peace, Pine View School junior; and Hannah Van Hise, Sarasota High School senior.

—DARIELA DELGADO

ABOUT DR. SMITH Dr. Smith specializes in natural hormone replacement and thyroid therapies, is a diplomat of the Board of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians, and Director of the Center for Personalized Medicine. She founded the Fellowship in AntiAging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine.

there’s going to be a winner, but there’s never a loser,” said Jim Shirley, the executive director of the Arts and Cultural Alliance. “They were all winners. I was in awe with what they all wrote.”

Photos by Dariela Delgado Hayley Peace, winner of the Sarasota Youth Poet Laureate, with Sarasota County School Superintendent Brennan Asplen.

Paul Dean with his Pineview School students, EllaRose Sherman and Sarasota Youth Poet Finalist, Nelson Rapalo.

Mary Davis Wallace with Marlon Brown enjoying the celebratory reception.

Cultures come together at festival

The 2022 Hispanic Fall Festival

brought cultures together for a colorful celebration at St. Jude Catholic Church on Nov. 5.

The annual festival — which features locals serving food from Latin America — had a hearty turnout over the weekend, where hundreds of locals and visitors stopped by to enjoy the day.

It was a thrilling sight for Deacon Humberto Alvia, who helps put together the event each year.

“Everyone is just enjoying the food,” Alvia said. “This brings our community together.”

Guests picked up food and enjoyed games before sitting down to enjoy music and performances from singers and dance groups.

— HARRY SAYER

First Physicians Group Welcomes

Peter Vosler, MD, PhD, FACS

American Board of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery

Medical School:

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA

Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA

Fellowship: University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1901 Floyd Street, Sarasota, FL 34239 firstphysiciansgroup . com

Photos by Harry Sayer

Noah and Geraldine Marquez pick up a balloon along the way.

Carlos Alvarez cooks in the Venezuela tent.

Ferraris file onto St. Armands Circle

Ferraris filed into St. Armands Circle Park on Saturday, thanks to Ferrari Drivers SRQ. The exhibition drew a couple dozen owners and plenty of fans, both of Ferraris and Batman.

Eugene Nock brought his replica of the 1966 Batmobile from the original TV series with Adam West. Before his death in 2017, West borrowed it on occasion for autograph signings.

The Batmobile is mostly a fundraising vehicle. It was in the Circle to support the Flight to the North Pole, but every once in awhile, Nock drives it up and down Longboat Key just for fun.

Ferraris can jog childhood memories,

too. As Michael Foote walked up to a shiny red F430, he said, “This was my favorite car when I was 8 years old.”

Owners brought their Ferraris, both brand new and vintage. Fred Fiali brought two. One was built in 1983, the other in 2014. The latter has nearly four times the horsepower at 750 versus 200 horsepower. Now, hybrid Ferraris can deliver up to 1,000 horsepower.

That was the last chance to see luxury vehicles in the park until next year.

Porsches in the Park, originally scheduled for Dec. 11, has been canceled to make way for the new Winter Festival.

—LESLEY DWYER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Fred Fiala with his 1983 (left) and 2014 Ferraris.

Raegan Waxko says she loves Batman.

The 2022 F8 is William and Samantha Bacchus’ second Ferrari.

— HARRY SAYER

Photos by Harry Sayer

Stacy Stevenson specializes in coastal artwork. Charlotte Jordan paints animals with a surreal bent.

Michele Innocent sings.

The marketplace offered a number of jewelry pieces.

Tessera condo unit sells for $3.4 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Acondominium in Tessera tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Michael and Ilene Fox, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 52 condominium at 500 S. Palm Ave. to Jay and Iris Leonard, of Sarasota, for $3,425,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,315 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.75 million in 2020.

SARASOTA

CHEROKEE

PARK

Raymond Joseph Polito and Donna Simoneau Polito sold their home at 1585 South Drive to Extra Garage LLC for $2.1 million. Built in 1964, it has two bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths and 2,764 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,116,000 in 2020.

SARASOTA BAY CLUB

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 405 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail to Barbara Du Treil, of Sarasota, for $988,000. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,546 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2015.

ONE HUNDRED CENTRAL

Helios Technologies Inc. sold the Unit F912 condominium at 100 Central Ave. to Renate McMillin, of Venice, for $970,700. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,532 square feet of living area. It sold for $970,000 in March.

LA LINDA TERRACE

Julie Chambers sold two properties at 2188 Hillview St. to Logan and Lori Archer, of Sarasota, for $900,000. The first property was built in 1947, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,000 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1947, it has one bedroom, one bath and 640 square feet of living area. They sold for $231,000 in 2014.

RIDGEWOOD

Thomas Belleman, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 2335 Pine Terrace to Christian Young and Zuzanna Olszewska, of Sarasota, for $705,000. Built in 1967, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a

pool and 2,810 square feet of living area. It sold for $266,000 in 2000.

HUNTINGTON POINTE

Curt and Coleen Keller, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8809 Havenridge Drive to Lynda Yaker and Francine Hansen, trustees, of Sarasota, for $700,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,794 square feet of living area. It sold for $423,000 in 2016.

TROPICAL SHORES

Olya and Chad Trettin sold their home at 1677 Bayonne St. to Alicia and Bradley Ward, of Sarasota, for $610,000. Built in 1977, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,547 square feet of living area. It sold for $335,000 in 2018.

GULF GATE EAST

Buddy Ritchie, Robert Ritchie and Duane Ritchie, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3896 Easton St. to Mark and Sandra Linder, of New Albany, Ohio, for $585,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,297 square feet of living area. It sold for $282,000 in 2004.

WEBBER HEIGHTS

John and Kathleen Akin sold their home at 2528 Webber Place to Mykan Cruz and Juan Carlos Cruz Figueroa, of Sarasota, for $575,000. Built in 1963, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,409 square feet of living area. It sold for $133,000 in 1997.

GULF GATE

Ioannis Antoniadis and Dawn Basile sold their home at 6726 S. Lockwood Ridge Road to Nicklaus Stallings an Olivia Nicole Server,

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

of Sarasota, for $570,000. Built in 1965, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,731 square feet of living area. It sold for $382,000 in 2021.

SOUTH GATE

Jared and Stephanie Hawkins, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3130 Key Way to Mario and Lorraine Charles, of Nashville, Tennessee, for $570,000. Built in 1960, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,706 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,000 in February.

Allen Roy Hochfelder and Stephanie Hochfelder, trustees, of Osprey, sold the home at 2402 Goldenrod St. to Norwood Restoration Group Inc. for $550,000. Built in 1957, it

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 10A

Other top sales by area

SIESTA KEY: $2 MILLION

Gulf and Bay Club

James Zink, of Indianapolis, sold his Unit 301 condominium at 5790 Midnight Pass Road to Mimi Carlin, of Sarasota, for $2 million. Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,730 square feet of living area.

PALMER RANCH: $1.9 MILLION

Silver Oak

Karen Gaetano-Wilson, of Sarasota, sold her home at 9033 Rocky Lake Court to Matthew John Mickelson and Annie Lee Mickelson, of Sarasota, for $1.9 million. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,082 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million in 2021.

OSPREY: $1.4 MILLION Oaks

Vincent and Susan Cavanaugh sold their home at 97 Sugar Mill Drive to Christopher Cassidy and Alice Joy, of Burlington, Vermont, for $1.4 million. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,351 square feet of living area. It sold for $905,000 in 2020.

NOKOMIS: $874,900

Mission Valley Estates Don and Kimberly Chasteen, of Bloomington, Indiana, sold their home at 671 Percheron Circle to Rocco Tatasciore, trustee, of Nokomis, for $874,900. Built in 1965, it has two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,550 square feet of living area. It sold for $90,000 in 2009.

File photo

Built in 2000, Unit 52 of Tessera has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,315 square feet of living area.

has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,312 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,000 in 2004.

OP Gold LLC sold the home at 2443 Sunnyside Lane to Gregg Kaplan and Pamela Olin, of Sarasota, for $540,000. Built in 1960, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,647 square feet of living area. It sold for $170,000 in 2003.

PAVER PARK ESTATES

Magnum Investment Properties LLC sold the home at 2462 Milmar Drive to Darren McDonald and Sarah Parker, of Bee Cave, Texas, for $500,000. Built in 1951, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,040 square feet of living area. It sold for $21,500 in 1974.

SIESTA KEY

SIESTA GULF VIEW Robert and Kimberly McCarty, of Portsmouth, Virginia, sold their Unit 204 condominium at 420 Beach Road to Jonathan and Catherine Lum, of Milford, Michigan, for $1.35 million. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,316 square feet of living area. It sold for $757,500 in 2018.

SURFSIDE

Michael and Kathleen O’Keefe, of Siesta Key, sold their Unit 1B condominium at 298 Beach Road to Kevin and Lynda Daves, of Wichita, Kansas, for $1,175,000. Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,823 square feet of living area. It sold for $239,000 in 1993.

AND BAY CLUB

GULF

Ronda Stewart, trustee, of Myakka City, sold the Unit 301 condominium at 5770 Midnight Pass Road to James Hammond, of Canfield, Ohio, for $1,125,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,337 square feet of living area. It sold for $669,000 in 2016.

SIESTA’S BAYSIDE

Harry Lee Weaver, of Siesta Key, sold his home at 767 Birdsong Lane to Lennartz Beach House LLC for $1,025,000. Built in 1973, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,553 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2019.

HORIZONS WEST

Clara Dinunzio, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit A-7 condominium at 6140 Midnight Pass Road to David Block and Sandra Block, trustees, of Sarasota, for $765,000. Built in 1967, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,212 square feet of living area. It sold for $35,000 in 1971.

SEA WINDS

Geno and Jill Pedigo, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 205 condominium at 6703 Midnight Pass Road to Timothy and Julia Enders, of Monument, Colorado, for $507,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 964 square feet of living area. It sold for $257,500 in 2014.

Jeremy Flynn, of Temecula, California, sold his Unit 203 condominium at 6703 Midnight Pass Road to Christopher Philip Thomas and Ally Shay Thomas, of Pittsburgh, for $505,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 964 square feet of living area. It sold for $249,500 in 2014.

PALMER RANCH

SILVER OAK

Christopher and Sandra Albright, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8945 Wildlife Loop to Olaf Harry Fagerli Jr. and Dianne Fagerli, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,905 square feet of living area. It sold for $730,000 in 2018.

THURSDAY, NOV. 10 High: 76 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 99%

FRIDAY, NOV. 11 High: 81 Low: 70 Chance of rain: 37%

SATURDAY, NOV. 12 High: 81 Low: 69 Chance of rain: 24%

SUNDAY, NOV. 13 High: 78 Low: 61

Chance of rain: 6%

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Nov. 10 6:47a 5:40p

Friday, Nov. 11 6:47a 5:40p

Saturday, Nov. 12 6:48a 5:39p

Sunday, Nov. 13 6:49a 5:39p

Monday, Nov. 14 6:50a 5:38p

Tuesday, Nov. 15 6:50a 5:38p

Wednesday, Nov. 16 6:51a 5:38p

Nov. 23 New Nov. 16 Last Nov. 30 First Dec. 7 Full

Monday, Oct. 31 0

Tuesday, Nov. 1 0

Wednesday, Nov. 2 0 Thursday, Nov. 3 0 Friday, Nov. 4 0.03 Saturday, Nov. 5 0 Sunday, Nov. 6 0.01

YEAR TO DATE: 2022 49.09 in. 2021 45.74 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2022 0.07 in. 2021 1.39 in.

By Luis Campos

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

OLD

941-741-9727