Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 1.12.23

YOUR TOWN

5 stories to keep an eye on

Critical issues facing city leaders in 2023 all had their starts in 2022. SEE PAGE 3

Sit back and surrey

The Legacy Trail Surrey Program kicked off on Jan. 10 at Sandra Sims Terry Community Center in Nokomis and will run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through April 12. The surrey departs three times a day on the hour from 10 a.m. to noon.

In partnership with Friends of The Legacy Trail, Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources presents this free program for those with mobility challenges who want to see The Legacy Trail.

“This program is to give those folks a chance to ride and see the Legacy Trail,” said Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Volunteer Coordinator Brenda Canales.

This six-seat, four-wheeled canopy covered cycle is pedaled by two volunteers who give a 45-minute guided tour. Up to four riders get a chance to sit back and soak in the wildlife of The Legacy Trail.

Call 486-2757 for information and required reservations.

Learning alongside friends

Classroom animals play a key role in one charter school’s success story. SEE PAGE 19

MLK festivities coming up

City offices will be closed on Monday in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, but the city’s annual celebration kicks off at 7:30 a.m. at Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th St.

Advance tickets for the 2023 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards are available for $30 each at 2023mlksrqbreakfast.eventbrite.com.

“Each year, we pay homage to his dream when we gather together in honor of his great works and recognize the achievements accomplished by people and businesses in our community,” said Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee President Jetson Grimes.

This year’s keynote speaker is Associate Rabbi Michael Shefrin of Temple Emanu-el. The annual Unity and Historical Walk follows immediately at 11 a.m., to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

FDOT’s surprise closure catches city, drivers off guard. SEE PAGE 9

File photo

Dariela Delgado

Teacher Brittany Lear holds Dexter while teaching sixth-grade Earth Science at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences.

Eric Garwood

Work remains to be done on the roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue on the bayfront.

Dariela Delgado

BY THE NUMBERS

CALENDAR

n Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 17, City Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

n Sarasota County Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18, County Commission Chambers, County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd.

Adowntown parcel at 2051

Main St. has been acquired for $4.29 million.

The new owner of the 0.44acre, Center Pointe Property LLC of Sarasota, plans to hold the property with an eye toward future development.

An entity named Mainview Sarasota Development LLC had previously acquired the property with intentions to build a hotelcondo with some retail.

“Because there was so much interest in this property since they had acquired it, they

changed course and put it on the market instead,” said Mike Migone of SVM Advisory Group, who represented the seller in the transaction.

“The city of Sarasota recently responded to the need for affordable housing by adding an overlay district for certain downtownzoned properties, allowing up to four times greater density with inclusion of affordable housing. That move increased the property value substantially, making it very appealing to developers.”

A single-story, 6,050-square-

foot building on the property, which had most recently been used as legal offices, will be demolished to make room for new construction.

The total property tax assessment for the site is $1.13 million.

In 2021, Mainview Sarasota Development, then operating under the name Development & Growth LLC, filed preliminary plans for a mixed-used development.

Called MainView of Sarasota, it was to include 36 condominiums and 10,000 square feet of retail space.

Sarasota plans two sessions on housing

The city of Sarasota has scheduled two town hall-style meetings for residents to learn about how attainable housing can be included in future downtown developments. The town halls will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19 and Wednesday, March 1 in the City Commission chambers of City Hall at 1565 First St.

Citizens will have the opportunity to provide input to implement a comprehensive plan amendment approved by City Commission in October 2022, which is intended to stimulate developer interest to address a shortage of attainable housing.

During the Jan. 19 meeting, staff will provide an overview of the comprehensive plan change and how it may create opportunities to boost the attainable housing inventory in four downtown zone districts.

To implement the amendment, a zoning text amendment must be drafted to detail incentives for attainable housing. An overview of the proposal will then be presented during the March 1 town hall, providing another opportunity for citizen feedback.

SPAC’s Mendelson resigning her post

Just as the search begins for an architect for the proposed new Sarasota Performing Arts Center, there is a change in leadership of the SPAC Foundation. Cheryl Mendelson, the foundation’s CEO, will vacate her position in March to relocate to Palm Beach County for family reasons, a release from the organization said.

She joined the foundation in 2019. Board Chair Jim Travers will fill the void in a dual role as interim CEO while a national search for Mendelson’s replacement is underway.

As CEO, Mendelson led the foundation in fostering partnerships with the city, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Bay Park Conservancy to help develop a plan for a new, worldclass performing arts center in The Bay park.

“By 3, every phone call that we were fielding was a motorist, a resident of one of the barrier islands who was very upset.”

Deputy City Manager Pat Robinson, Read more on page 9

Eric Garwood

A 6,000-square-foot building on the land will be demolished to pave the way for future development.

Margin of victory for Booker

FIVE to watch

From plans to incentivize affordable housing to the reopening of Bobby Jones Golf Course, there is a lot coming in ’23.

ANDREW WARFIELD | STAFF WRITER

Eventful in its own right, the year 2022 also set the stage for news in Sarasota in 2023. Among significant developments in the year prior were the start of restoration of the Bobby Jones Golf Course, completion of the roundabout at Gulfstream Avenue and U.S. 41, the opening of the first phase of The Bay, the launch of the Bay Runner trolley and the approval of comprehensive plan amendments designed to incentivize workforce and attainable housing.

All of these developments will carry into 2023 with implications well into the future. Here are stories to watch as the year unfolds.

RESTORING THE DONALD ROSS LAYOUT

After five years of delays and changes in plans and scope, the renovated Bobby Jones Golf Course is moving toward a summer or early fall opening. With a project budget of $12.5 million, golf course architect Richard Mandell, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, is leading the restoration of the original 18-hole layout, paying homage to the legendary Donald Ross — who designed the course that opened in 1926 — while adding a contemporary feature of a nine-hole “adjustable” par-3 course across Circus Drive.

The golf course will occupy 108 acres, while the remainder of the 261-acre city-owned site will be redeveloped as a separately financed wetlands and nature park, and the entire complex will be engineered to naturally purify stormwater runoff as it moves from the northern edge at 17th Street to the southern boundary at Fruitville Road.

Built on a floodplain, which frequently left parts of the course under water after storms, the restoration includes raising portions of the course above flood level and contemporary drainage management systems that will redirect stormwater into the wetlands.

The course will open with a temporary clubhouse and will include three new accessory buildings. Mandell is guided by original Ross drawings and descriptions that were preserved at Tufts Archives in Pinehurst. The land has been placed in a conservation easement, which means it will be preserved in perpetuity.

The entire project is budgeted at $18.8 million, funded by a $20 million city bond supported by a $3 million Southwest Florida Water Management District grant for wetlands improvement, which requires a 50% local government match; and a $487,500 Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant for the Bobby Jones Water Quality Improvement Project, which requires no local match.

Trails into the nature park are expected to open along with the golf course with development of the park itself to take several more years.

MORE LEGACY TRAIL EXTENSIONS

December’s grand opening of the $2.4 million Ringling Trail complete street project, with an emphasis on creating a protected bike lane on Ringling Boulevard from Legacy Trail to the bayfront, is the newest spur of the multiuse trail that will one day extend from the Manatee County line to North Port.

Further, it’s part of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail which, at 336 miles, is planned to span seven Florida coastal counties from Hillsborough to Collier. The Legacy Trail is now complete from Fruitville Road just north of Payne Park to the Venice Train Depot, with extensions planned to University Parkway near SarasotaBradenton International Airport to the north and to North Port to the south.

Plans for north extension have stalled along with negotiations with Seminole Gulf Railway, which owns the right-of-way of the intended trail path. But as an alternative route northward is being sought, plans are

also being developed to extend the trail across Fruitville Road and Tuttle Avenue along and through the Bobby Jones Golf Complex site and into the underway expansion of Sarasota County’s 17th Street Park.

From there, it would continue to Nathan Benderson Park and across the planned flyover bridge at Interstate 75 and into Lakewood Ranch.

In March 2022, the section of the trail from Ashton Road to Fruitville Road opened, connecting Payne Park to the network.

During the Ringling Trail ribbon cutting, former Sarasota County Commissioner Charles Hines, now director of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail, said plans for that eastward extension of the trail toward Lakewood Ranch are solidifying, and that Ringling Trail fills an important connectivity gap for the trail network. Sarasota, he added, is at the geographic center of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which will continue to progress in 2023.

MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM

Among the final acts of City Commissioner Hagen Brody’s time behind the dais was to champion The Players Centre for Performing Arts’ effort to secure a long-term lease agreement with the city for the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium.

After an unsuccessful flirtation with Lakewood Ranch master developer SchroederManatee Ranch to locate a permanent home in Waterside, the troupe is seeking to return to downtown Sarasota six years after selling its former facility at 838 N. Tamiami Trail in 2016.

In exchange for investing upwards of $9 million for repairs and upgrades, plus assuming  the $300,000 annual cost of staff and maintenance, The Players proposed it would manage the facility and control booking and scheduling of its performances and other events at the facility for eight months each year. That plan ran afoul of other local groups that regularly hold events in the auditorium and with the Bay Park Conservancy, which reminded commissioners that, as part of The Bay, a guiding principal of the 53-acre, cityowned park is that its facilities — including the auditorium — be open to all.

As part of The Bay, the BPC argued, it should manage the building and control scheduling of events there.

Rejecting the lease proposal by a 4-1 vote, with Brody opposed, city commissioners sent the matter back to staff to further mediate negotiations between The Players and the BPC, which it had done in March.

The Players CEO William Skaggs told commissioners that round of talks had reached a stalemate.

Before the vote, commissioners introduced another option for The Players: renovating and expanding the city’s Payne Park Auditorium, where The Players currently stage summer stock performances. Where The Players eventually lands, and who controls Municipal Auditorium, may be determined in the next 12 months.

SRQ VS. CITY OF SARASOTA

Litigation between the city and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will determine if an apartment complex can be built on the 25-acre former site of Sarasota Kennel Club.

On Nov. 7, the Sarasota City Commission approved Aventon Sarasota, a 372-unit rental community across University Parkway, located 1,500 feet from the end of the airport’s runway. The development is planned by North Carolina-based Aventon Cos., which is also named in the airport’s legal challenge.

Throughout the months-long approval process, SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo and attorneys representing the airport objected the rezoning and site plan approval of the apartments, citing an interlocal agreement between the airport and the city that prohibits residential development beneath the 65 decimal day-night average sound level contour unless that land use “must” be permitted.

The airport’s litigation and the city’s defense hinges on how the word “must” is defined. The airport defines must as land use required by deed restriction. The city counters that it defined as a critical need to

address the city’s housing shortage resulting in a lack of workforce and attainable priced rental units.

In December, the airport filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the 12th Judicial Circuit, which is an appeal of a judicial action to overturn the City Commission’s approval made in a quasi-judicial proceeding.

A mediation session was scheduled for Jan. 5, with the only possible solution the developer agreeing to redesign the development to move the residential buildings to the west side of the site away from the noise contour. Representatives for Aventon told commissioners that is a nonstarter because of stormwater management and that the $1.5 million Aventon has already invested in the project.

The airport has also filed for an administrative challenge to the city’s comprehensive plan amendment, which enabled the rezoning to a future land use consistent with multifamily housing. The administrative law judge has kept the case in abeyance, with a status report due Jan. 30. If the matter has not settled between the parties, a hearing will be scheduled between March and May.

ATTAINABLE HOUSING

Now that the previous City Commission has cemented comprehensive plan amendments intended to incentivize the inclusion of attainable and affordable housing in new multifamily developments, plans are beginning to find their way into the pipeline to help address the dearth in the city’s workforce housing inventory.

In addition to providing density bonuses in the downtown core and along primary corridors ripe for redevelopment, the amendments expand administrative approval of site plans outside of downtown for qualifying projects. Density bonuses are provided to developments that include a minimum 25% of attainable units within the additional density, providing they include the same specs, finishes and are scattered throughout the project.

The first test case — Bahia Vista Apartments at the corner of South Tuttle Avenue and Bahia Vista Street — didn’t pass muster with the Planning Board, which sided with residents of adjacent Arlington Park who opposed the plan on the six-acre former Doctors Hospital of Sarasota site. Although the Planning Board recommended not approving the rezoning and site plan, the final determination will be up to the City Commission.

The expansion of administrative approval — a primary point of contention to the amendments — applies to sites zoned appropriately for multifamily residential. Completion of identifying and rezoning parcels by staff will likely extend beyond 2023, but that process is underway. The Bahia Vista site has not yet been rezoned, leaving the fate of the project in the political realm.

Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, who was the lone opponent to the comprehensive plan amendments, repeatedly expressed concern over potential gentrification of legacy neighborhoods and pricing residents out of homes that are currently affordable to them.

As the comprehensive plan amendments are enabled, staff has told commissioners there are multiple projects with attainable-priced housing — defined as 80% to 120% of the area median household income of $69,490 — in the queue for consideration in 2023 and beyond.

The practice range at the Bobby Jones Golf Course is surrounded by a stream that feeds water into the nature park adjacent to the golf course.

Aircraft arriving and departing SRQ’s south side fly across University Parkway and over the land once occupied by the Sarasota Kennel Club.

Sarasota Municipal Auditorium is located within The Bay project.

File photos

Bicyclists take a ceremonial inaugural ride on the Ringling Trail bike lane starting at Legacy Trail.

Van Wezel preservation talks elicit polarizing viewpoints

access and backstage space needed for modern shows.

Opponents of a new facility point toward the Van Wezel’s unique design, its historical significance, the $275 million-plus cost of the SPAC for which the taxpayers would be responsible for 50%, and something a new building can’t fix — falling within a 90-mile touring show blackout radius from Tampa.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

While the Sarasota City Commission moves toward impaneling a  committee to study how to preserve the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, a wave of opposition to replacing the venerable building with a contemporary theater complex at The Bay is growing.

Commissioners discussed the committee’s composition during their Jan. 3 meeting but not before hearing from residents on both sides.

The debate over replacing the Van Wezel dates to 2016 when the Van Wezel Foundation — now called the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation — hired AMS Planning and Research, a Connecticut-based arts consulting firm, to assess the  facility’s needs. It gained momentum as plans for The Bay began to materialize for the 53-acre, city-owned property.

Even as a task force appointed by the foundation and the city works toward selecting an architect to develop a design for the proposed Sarasota Performing Arts Center, opposition is gathering petition signatures via a website at KeepTheVanWezel.com.

Proponents of the new center say the Van Wezel is too small and antiquated, is too close to Sarasota Bay to weather storms, requires upgrades and lacks significant features required of performing arts halls, such as a center aisle, handicapped

Van Wezel Executive Director Mary Bensel, a city staff member in that capacity, supports a new facility, although she told commissioners she has “no dog in the hunt” because she has no plans to stick around long enough to run the SPAC.

“God bless the Van Wezels for what they’ve done and what the city did back in those days, but we’re nowhere near any standard for audience members at all,” she said. “I’ve watched seniors that go down the steps and up the steps, and these people fall down and I worry every night about things like this.”

A CENTER AISLE AND A 10-FOOT WALL Not as much is needed as Bensel and other proponents of the SPAC claim, said resident Kelly Franklin, who spoke to commissioners at that Jan. 3 meeting. She charged the City Commission in 2021 was not made aware of the full breadth of the data before committing to exploring a new facility.

“The City Commission was not provided with the Van Wezel Foundation’s 2016 report about geographic market constraints and the implications of our proximity to Tampa on Broadway bookings and seat capacity needs,” Franklin said.

“The prior commission also was not provided with the October 2021 Karin’s Engineering report attesting to the Van Wezel’s structural soundness, waterproof ability, ability to be updated technologically and reconfigured with center aisles.

As commissioners start talks of a committee to explore the future of the Van Wezel, citizens draw lines between refurbishing and repurposing it as a replacement is planned.

Bensel

lating for more than a year.

“Marlon was specifically the person who asked me to have the study done,” Bensel said of City Manager Marlon Brown. “I even fought with him about it because I don’t ever like to spend our money. I can also tell you that report was available to everyone. It wasn’t concealed.”

Among the ongoing struggles Bensel cited in the Van Wezel are all of the systems such as power, chillers and plumbing; elevators and concerns about storm surge.

BACKSTAGE PAST ITS PRIME

Commissioners also heard a performer’s perspective from Alan Brasington, a retired Broadway actor who moved to Sarasota in 2014. Major shows, he said, will bypass Sarasota because the Van Wezel’s facilities are decades behind.

Critical issues regarding production demands include lighting systems, an absence of balconies and a center aisle that is necessary to minimize disruptions by patrons coming and going while performances are underway.

“The current facility does not have adequate backstage space to accommodate professional equipment, specifically lighting, sound and stage designs that are now a requirement for modern shows coming from Broadway,” Brasington said. “All that equipment has to be loaded back on trucks to be stored when it isn’t being used, which makes the setup of

a show more complicated and much more expensive.”

Beyond artistic integrity, whether to eventually proceed with the SPAC rather than refurbish the Van Wezel to the extent possible is also a business decision. In its first year of operation, the new 3,000-seat, municipally owned Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro, North Carolina generated an estimated economic impact of $23 million to the city for two Broadway touring performances alone, “Wicked” and “The Lion King.”

At $94 million, though, the price for the Tanger Center was  less than the estimated $275 million for the SPAC. At 105,000 square feet, it’s also 60,000 square feet smaller than the proposed SPAC, and its only function is that of a theater. The SPAC plan includes education, event and rooftop spaces.

“I’ve heard plenty of opinions about how the current facility is good enough, but I believe that the arts form the life blood of Sarasota’s economy and quality of life, and that our residents and visitors deserve the kind of quality entertainment they should expect in a city of the arts,” Brasington said.

Taking the contrary point of view, Franklin said, “It is time to cease and desist the ill-considered partnership with a 3-year-old foundation. Please focus our civic energies and resources instead on what it will take to maintain, protect and respect Sarasota’s purple heart and cultural soul.”

File photo Groundwater seepage and occasional flooding from Sarasota Bay are among the reasons the city is pursuing a replacement for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Neighbors fall short in Bath & Racquet appeal

legally aggrieved.

Four of the five Sarasota City commissioners, with Jen Ahearn-Koch opposed, last week did not recognize the residents as being aggrieved persons having such legal status, defined as being injured to a degree exceeding the general interests of the community.

WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

After two years and several changes in proposals, the Sarasota Planning Board in November finally approved a site plan and rezoning to redevelop the Sarasota Bath & Racquet Club off South Tamiami Trail.

Developer Sarasota Springs LLC is planning to rebuild the club, shuttered since 2020, with tennis and pickleball courts and surround it with 256 condominiums, 33 priced attainably, on the 13.43-acre site behind Trader Joe’s.

But first, the developer may still face a legal challenge from a group of nearby residents who claim to be

That presents something of a gray area subject to interpretation, which, attorney Robert Lincoln who represents the developer, describes as situations such as blocked driveway access, lights shining onto a homeowner’s property or other direct adverse impact.

The neighbors who brought the challenge, led by Ben Cannon who lives approximately 465 feet from the site on Riverwood Court, could better be defined as affected persons, four of five commissioners agreed. Those with affected persons status have rights to present opposition to a development before the Planning Board and/or City Commission,

which they had previously done.

During his testimony, Cannon said he and his neighbors qualify as aggrieved persons with a right to appeal the project because: n The proposed building can be seen from his property n Potential for on-street parking in circumstances of overflow n Inadequate buffering and landscaping n Truck and cut-through traffic to the site n Nighttime lighting potentially leaking from the site into the neighborhood.

Lincoln said none of Cannon’s arguments were based on facts, but rather, speculation. Attorney Brenda Patton, who also represents Sarasota Springs LLC, cross-examined Cannon, extracting testimony that Riverwood Court is a cul-de-sac that provides no vehicle direct access to Bath & Racquet, that he purchased his home in 2012 when the club was operational, and that there is more

than 3,000 feet of road separating Riverwood Court from the site.

To get to his street, she said, a driver seeking a place to park would have to leave the site and make several turns before reaching his property.

However, a public pathway will be provided to the site from the neighborhood, which Cannon said may bring overflow parking onto neighborhood streets, including his.

“They can park by my house and walk down the pathway to get to Bath and Racquet, so I feel like we are going to be substantially affected by this,” Cannon said.

Affected perhaps. But aggrieved by legal definition? Vice Mayor Liz Alpert and three colleagues at the dais weren’t convinced. She specifically cited on-street parking where it is legally permitted.

“I don’t see anything here that is a legally recognized interest that would be beyond anybody else,” Alpert said. “The condo that was built behind my condo, we didn’t have any parking (on) Palm Avenue until they built their condos, now there’s onstreet parking all the time. Should I have challenged that they could build that? You couldn’t build anything if those were legally recognized interests or make you an aggrieved person. I’m not convinced.”

Barring additional legal hurdles, in addition to the residences and the private racquet club, Bath & Racquet will include 65,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.

Sarasota Springs LLC acquired the property in January 2022 for $15.35 million with the intention to build the plan conceived for previous owner Mark Lucas by the Sarasota architecture firm Halflants + Pichette.

Planned club amenities include 16 tennis courts, 16 indoor pickleball courts, an outdoor pool for the club and a fitness center.

Built in 1969, the club had 29 courts when it closed, along with several racquetball courts.

ANDREW

With a 4-1 vote, commissioners decide that neighbors opposed to the project failed to reach ‘aggrieved’ status.

File photo

The planned Bath & Racquet redevelopment includes luxury apartments surrounding a private tennis, pickleball and swim club.

“They can park by my house and walk down the pathway to get to Bath and Racquet, so I feel like we are going to be substantially affected by this.”

— Ben Cannon

Nikki Fried is right to sue for medical marijuana patients’ gun rights

Although federal law prohibits marijuana use, it doesn’t give it grounds to discriminate against marijuana users.

ADRIAN MOORE AND GEOFFREY LAWRENCE

Florida Agriculture Commissioner and recent candidate for governor Nikki Fried has appealed her case seeking to restore the rights of medical marijuana patients to buy and possess firearms. Fried initially filed the suit against the U.S. Justice Department in April.

She argues that the department’s regulations against gun ownership for medical marijuana patients violate those patients’ Second Amendment rights and run afoul of appropriations riders that restrict the department from using any resources against state-regulated medical marijuana programs.

The case was dismissed in November by a federal district court judge. Judge Allen Winsor ruled that Fried held standing to bring the suit as she holds oversight over both Florida’s concealed carry licenses and medical marijuana programs.

She was joined by two plaintiffs who are registered medical marijuana patients and were barred from purchasing a firearm and a third coplaintiff who is a gun owner with a qualifying medical condition who would like to participate in Florida’s medical marijuana program.

The standing of all plaintiffs was affirmed by Judge Winsor because they suffer direct harms from the Justice Department’s enforcement actions.

The Justice Department, through its Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Division, bars participants in state medical marijuana programs from owning or purchasing a firearm. One method of enforcing this prohibition is the inclusion of a question on ATF background checks about whether the prospective gun buyer uses illegal drugs.

Although marijuana is legal for medical use under some state laws, and for adult use in some states, it remains illegal at the federal level. By contrast, use of federally legal pharmaceuticals with intoxicating characteristics, such as oxycontin, is not necessarily a reason for ATF to deny a gun purchase. Neither is alcohol use.

In court briefings, the department argued that there is a public interest in prohibiting marijuana users from possessing guns and that its regulations are consistent with historical restrictions on the Sec-

ond Amendment. The department pointed out that the federal government has previously barred Catholics, Native Americans, panhandlers and the mentally ill from obtaining firearms, so it has adequate historical precedent to bar medical marijuana patients.

The Biden administration received backlash for relying on these comparisons and eventually backed off its claims that marijuana use makes individuals more inclined toward crime. Yet, the administration has continued to argue—in spite of evidence—that medical marijuana patients might be more disposed to engage in domestic violence.

Central to Fried’s claim is that congressional riders to federal appropriations bills specifically restrict the Justice Department from using any financial resources to impair state-regulated medical marijuana programs. Judge Winsor seemingly dismissed this claim prematurely, arguing that the department can bar gun possession because marijuana possession is a federal crime:

Regardless of whether Plaintiffs are prosecuted (or whether Congress allocates funds for their prosecution), possession of marijuana remains a federal crime. The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment at best precludes prosecution now; it does not forever bless Plaintiffs’ actions.

Winsor’s opinion does not consider that the Justice Department presumably spent financial resources to include its question about marijuana use on ATF background-check forms and pays staff to review these forms. While the department might argue that these enforcement actions are related to regulation of gun ownership and not medical marijuana programs, it clearly has the effect of discriminating against medical marijuana

Although marijuana is legal for medical use under some state laws, and for adult use in some states, it remains illegal at the federal level. By contrast, use of federally legal pharmaceuticals with intoxicating characteristics, such as oxycontin, is not necessarily a reason for ATF to deny a gun purchase. Neither is heavy alcohol use.

patients using funds appropriated by Congress. On this basis, the ATF’s screening of prospective gun buyers on the basis of whether they use marijuana for medical purposes would appear as a clear violation of Congressional appropriations directives.

There is no evidence that medical marijuana patients are any more disposed to engage in violent crime than other groups. To the contrary, the available evidence indicates that medical marijuana is associated with slightly lower crime rates. Fried expressed her disappointment in August that the Justice Department “would perpetuate such harmful and offensive prejudicial stereotypes that cannabis users are dangerous or mentally ill.”

As Fried continues the appeal process, cannabis consumers in Florida and elsewhere should remain highly interested in the outcome. After all, any ruling against the Justice Department could result in positive outcomes for medical marijuana patients across the nation.

Geoffrey Lawrence is director of drug policy, and Adrian Moore is vice president at the Reason Foundation.

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Surprise roundabout lane closure sets off outrage

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

nly a few weeks after celebrating the opening of the roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue and a brief holiday break, construction crews are back to work finishing what will be a two-yearlong project.  Motorists may have expected traffic to flow more smoothly in this final phase of construction as work will largely return detours and staging areas into travel lanes and finish up details extending a couple of blocks away from the circle in all directions.

On Tuesday, though, eastbound traffic was backed up across the Ringling Bridge onto St. Armands Key and onto Longboat Key as crews closed one lane in the middle of the day to install islands and curbing.

During previous phases, lane closures largely occurred overnight.

Although the roundabout is a state project on a state road, Sarasota City Hall took the brunt of the outrage, according to Deputy City Manager Pat Robinson. Longboat Key’s Town Hall also got a fair share of complaints from residents and workers trying to make it to the mainland.

“At 11:30, the phones started ringing with folks asking what was the backup attributed to, and then by 3, every phone call that we were fielding was a motorist, a resident of one of the barrier islands who was very upset about the traffic backup and the lack of movement off the keys,” Robinson said. “We weren’t notified by FDOT that a lane closure was going to occur.

“When it was brought to our attention by our citizenry, we started making phone calls, and we learned that the eastbound lanes were

CLOSURES REMAIN

During the final phase of the U.S. 41/Gulfstream Avenue roundabout project, several closures to vehicles and pedestrians remain in place.

They include:

n Palm Avenue, First Street and Second Street remain closed at U.S. 41 in both directions.

n Sidewalk at the northwest corner of U.S. 41 at Gulfstream Avenue is closed. Pedestrian paths are available via U.S. 41

Multi-Use Recreational Trail along Ritz Carlton Drive.

n Sidewalk on the east side of U.S. 41 between Gulfstream Avenue and Fruitville Road is closed for reconstruction.

Pedestrians should use Cocoanut Avenue for access to downtown.

reduced to one lane. That’s when we started putting information out through the city website to the SPD website, but obviously by that point it was self-perpetuating.”

The entire roundabout complex was anticipated to open late last year.

Monthly updates with the contractor, CDM Smith, projected completion sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the state’s response to Hurricane Ian upended those plans, as materials, equipment and manpower were diverted south.

That delay caused the contractor to focus on opening the traffic circle itself by the end of the year, which it did, leaving the finishing touches extending into this spring.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Sarasota Police Department issued a traffic alert warning drivers that it takes

45 minutes to an hour to reach the mainland from St. Armands.

“The Florida Department of Transportation understands the impact motorists experience when disruptions on roadways occur,” reads a statement from FDOT. “Project teams must balance completing necessary work at the same time of maintaining traffic flow. In addition, certain tasks on our projects have different requirements, from when work should occur to how many lanes are needed to be closed to perform the work.”

Frustrated residents took to social media, blaming the snarl on everything from newcomers to a failed functioning of the roundabout.

“Too many people. That won’t be fixed,” wrote one on the Facebook page Sarasota Word of Mouth. “It’s because all the people that keep moving here from up north,” wrote another. “It’s the new normal. Will never get better.” And so on.

Wrote a more informed resident, “Construction congestion, and it

didn’t help to strangle traffic down to one lane.”

Others placed the blame where it didn’t belong. Wrote one commenter, “Some brilliant Sarasota traffic person isn’t too smart.”

Managing the construction schedule and maintaining traffic flow is the responsibility of the FDOT and the contractor.

On Tuesday, FDOT states, “One lane was able to remain open while time-sensitive work was performed and, as soon as work was completed, the contractor fully reopened the roadway. Moving forward, we have noted the timing for performing mid-day operations and will exercise greater efforts to keep the public informed in advance of traffic flow changes will be made. In addition, the FDOT welcomes feedback from the community.”

During Tuesday’s communications with FDOT, Robinson said he was assured that the city would be notified of any future nonscheduled daytime lane closures.

ROUNDABOUT LIVE CAM

Drivers who plan to use the roundabout at Gulfstream Avenue and U.S. 41 during the duration of construction can catch a live look at the traffic conditions there by viewing live video feed from the roof of the Marina Tower. The live feed can be accessed at www.Video.Nest.

Com/Live/pY8lAo91sg

“At this point, we are not aware of any scheduled lane closures,” Robinson said.

“We were advised that there is a possibility of them closing other lanes to do similar work in the future, but we’ve been assured that they will be communicating with both the city of Sarasota and Longboat Key so that we can minimize the effect to the motoring public.”

Sarasota city officials say FDOT will alert them in advance to similar work in the future.

Eric Garwood

Though work is not fully complete, traffic was again moving smoothly through the roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue on Wednesday morning.

Expansion of Sapphire apartment plans on Tamiami proposed

The developer of Sapphire North and South has secured the parcel separating the two.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

With the recent acquisition the Super 8 motel at 4309 N. Tamiami Trail, the Sapphire North and Sapphire South apartment developments will add a third building in the middle.

Sapphire North and Sapphire South were approved by the Planning Board in November 2022. Those projects were bought by Jarzi Realty Advisors of New York. Owner and developer Roers Cos. of Plymouth, Minnesota, has acquired the property separating the two, a 1.35-acre site occupied by a Super 8 motel, with plans to create a cohesive  community between 42nd and 47th streets.

Represented by Sarasota attorney Charlie Bailey, Roers had its first appearance before the Development Review Committee on Dec. 21. The revised proposal for the  project incorporating all three parcels calls for three four-story buildings totaling 225 apartments and 292 parking spaces — an average of 1.3 spaces per unit — taking advantage of parking reduction incentives offered in the North Trail Overlay District.

The North Trail Overlay was approved by the City Commission to help incentivize redevelopment along U.S. 41 in north Sarasota, which had been in decline for decades since Interstate 75 was completed, pulling retail, restaurants and hotels from what was historically the primary north-south corridor.

“What we’re proposing is a single unified site plan that would embrace the Sapphire North and Sapphire South properties and the intervening Super 8,” Bailey said.

One benefit of combining the three parcels into a single project, Bailey said, is a reduction in the number of driveways off U.S. 41.

“There are now seven driveway connections cumulatively along U.S. 41,” Bailey said. “We’re proposing to replace them with just two — a rightin-right-out and one full access.”

A previously approved driveway from Sarasota Avenue into the west side of the Sapphire North plan, which had been met with concerns by residents of the adjoining Sapphire Shores neighborhood, is proposed to be eliminated, leaving only a pedestrian access there.

The development is proposed to include primary New Urbanism features, such as placing buildings close to the street and hiding parking behind them, along with reduced parking requirements. When Sapphire North and South were approved, the developer told the Planning Board the architecture would be similar to another of its projects on Tamiami Trail, Solle Apartments closer to downtown at 24th Street.

Once it meets all technical criteria with the DRC, the expanded project will move to the Planning Board for final consideration.

Andrew Warfield Sapphire apartments on North Tamiami Trail will be similar in appearance to Solle Apartments on U.S. 41 at 24th Street.

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

overlooking the Oaks Club JAMIE STERN 210.612.6654M jamie@sarasotabrokers.com

JAMIE STERN 210.612.6654M jamie@sarasotabrokers.com Total Renovation! Custom Home Overlooking the Oaks Club 110 North Creek Lane • Oak Creek • Osprey • 3 BR + loft • 3.5 BA • 4071 SF • MLS # A4549599

PAUL STERN 941.330.3051 paul@sarasotabrokers.com Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

Courtesy rendering

Trial likely in Quay air-rights dispute

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Barring a significant change in the design of the proposed One Park condominium development, a legal dispute within The Quay may prevent the project from moving forward until at least mid-2023.

are seeking an amendment to that agreement to effectively allow Quay Commons to become a breezeway beneath the structure.

The effect of Carroll’s order is to require a trial on all the issues, primarily whether master developer Quay Venture can sell the air rights over Quay Commons. That trial is tentatively set for May.

Block 6 residents and their attorney, Robert Lincoln, have argued that allowing One Park to be built as proposed would create an 18-story monolith at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Boulevard of the Arts. The development agreement for The Quay calls for separate buildings on blocks 1 and 9.

An updated conceptual drawing of The Quay shows One Park as one building on the northern end of the 14.7-acre development at the corner of North Tamiami Trail and Boulevard of the Arts.

Extensive custom home renovation just completed! As soon as you cross the threshold, you’re greeted by a grand 2-story tall foyer, and long golf course views of the Oaks Club main clubhouse. Trees, ponds, and fairways are your rear sightlines – not homes. The first floor features a master suite on the main level, formal living and dining at the front of the home, separate family room at the rear facing the golf course, a breakfast room with 2 walls of windows, kitchen with both a large eat-in kitchen island and additional serving counter for the family room, a 22’ long butler’s pantry hallway with both upper and lower cabinets, and an immense laundry/craft room/ home office that’s 11’ x 19’ in itself. The second floor features a sizable loft/sitting room at the top of the stairs and two large guestrooms (with ensuite full baths).

Twelfth Circuit Judicial Court Judge Hunter Carroll declined a summary judgment request by Quay 1 and 9 LLC to determine if ownership of the air rights above Quay Commons on the northern edge of the development belongs to the Quay Sarasota Master Association or if they can be conveyed to Quay 1 and 9 by the master developer, Quay Ventures, to build One Park above the street at a height of 14 feet.

PAUL STERN 941.330.3051 paul@sarasotabrokers.com

Call Paul Stern at 941.330.3051 for further details.

JAMIE STERN 210.612.6654M jamie@sarasotabrokers.com

While both sides argued multiple points, Carroll boiled the matter down to one issue: the air rights.

PAUL STERN • 941.330.3051 Paul@sarasotabrokers com PRICE JUST REDUCED.

family room at the rear facing the golf course, a breakfast room with 2 walls of windows, kitchen with both a large eat-in kitchen island and additional serving counter for the family room, a 22’ long butler’s pantry hallway with both upper and lower cabinets, and an immense laundry/craft room/ home office that’s 11’ x 19’ in itself. The second floor features a sizable loft/sitting room at the top of the stairs and two large guestrooms (with ensuite full baths). Call Paul Stern at 941.330.3051 for further details.

“The parties raise several factual and legal arguments,” Carroll wrote. “The Court need address only one to resolve this summary judgment motion.’’

$1.34M

110 North CreekLane • OakCreek • Osprey • 3 BR+ loft • 3.5 BA • 4071 SF • $ 1.39M • MLS # A4549599 Extensive custom home renovation just completed! As soon as you cross the threshold, you’re greeted by a grand 2-story tall foyer, and long golf course views of the Oaks Club main clubhouse. Trees, ponds, and fairways are your rear sightlines – not homes. The first floor features a master suite on the main level, formal living and dining at the front of the home, separate family room at the rear facing the golf course, a breakfast room with 2 walls of windows, kitchen with both a large eat-in kitchen island and additional serving counter for the family room, a 22’ long butler’s pantry hallwaywith both upper and lower cabinets, and an immense laundry/craft room/home office that’s 11’ x 19’ in itself. The second floor features a sizable loft/sitting room at the top of the stairs and two large guestrooms (with ensuite full baths). Call Paul Stern at 941.330.3051 for further details.

$1.34M

level, formal living and dining at the front of the home, separate family room at the rear facing the golf course, a breakfast room with 2 walls of windows, kitchen with both a large eat-in kitchen island and additional serving counter for the family room, a 22’ long butler’s pantry hallwaywith both upper and lower cabinets, and an immense laundry/craft room/home office that’s 11’ x 19’ in itself. The second floor features a sizable loft/sitting room at the top of the stairs and two large guestrooms (with ensuite full baths). Call Paul Stern at 941.330.3051 for further details.

PAUL STERN • 941.330.3051

PAUL STERN 941.330.3051 paul@sarasotabrokers.com

PAUL STERN 941.330.3051 paul@sarasotabrokers.com

JAMIE STERN 210.612.6654M jamie@sarasotabrokers.com

JAMIE STERN 210.612.6654M jamie@sarasotabrokers.com

Residents of The Quay Block 6 Condominium Association challenged the One Park plan primarily the basis of those air rights relative to the 2016 development agreement with the city. The principals in One Park — Property Markets Group of New York City and Miami and Sarasota-based JEBCO Ventures, which make up Quay 1 and 9 LLC —

The plan for One Park also lacks full support of the city’s planning team.

At its the Dec. 7 meeting, the Development Review Committee expressed concerns that One Park would create a “tunnel-like” and “echo-chamber” effect over Quay Commons.

110 North CreekLane OakCreek

4071 SF MLS # A4549599

Extensive custom home renovation just completed! As soon as you cross the threshold, you’re greeted by a grand 2-story tall foyer, and long golf course views of the Oaks Club main clubhouse. Trees, ponds, and fairways are your rear sightlines – not homes. The first floor features a master suite on the main level, formal living and dining at the front of the home, separate family room at the rear facing the golf course, a breakfast room with 2 walls of windows, kitchen with both a large eat-in kitchen island and additional serving counter for the family room, a 22’ long butler’s pantry hallwaywith both upper and lower cabinets, and an immense laundry/craft room/home office that’s 11’ x 19’ in itself. The second floor

110 North CreekLane OakCreek • 4071 SF MLS # A4549599

Extensive custom home renovation just completed! As soon as you cross the threshold, you’re greeted by a grand 2-story tall foyer, and long golf course views of the Oaks Club main clubhouse. Trees, ponds, and fairways are your rear sightlines – not homes. The first floor features a master suite on the main level, formal living and dining at the front of the home, separate family room at the rear facing the golf course, a breakfast room with 2 walls of windows, kitchen with both a large eat-in kitchen island and additional serving counter for the family room, a 22’ long butler’s pantry hallwaywith both upper and

choice

Waterside

Lakewood Ranch by Stock Development

COPS CORNER

MONDAY, JAN. 4

GOLF CART RODEO 10:25 a.m., 3000 block of Ringling Boulevard

Property Damage: An employee of the Sarasota County Fairgrounds reported that three male juveniles illegally entered a barn at the rear of the property and damaged three golf carts while racing them around the barn. The barn is located in the center lot the property and is surrounded by a tall chain link fence. The perpetrators apparently climbed the fence to enter and exit the barn, an officer reported.

Surveillance video shows three male juveniles entering the barn, racing around in the golf carts and smashing through a stack of soda cans. Damage, which included headlights, a flattened tire and a shattered windshield, is estimated at $1,000. No arrests had been made at the time of the report.

SUNDAY, JAN. 1

AIR CONDITIONING VANDALISM

1:31 p.m., 2100 block of Dixie Avenue

Criminal mischief: Rather than calling an HVAC repair company, a resident called police about her air conditioning system that was not working properly. Upon inspection, the caller discovered key components of the machinery missing. The caller said she believes the perpetrator was a family member. The caller said her son saw the family member nearby but did not witness him vandalizing the air conditioner. The caller said she did not know where her cousin went because he is homeless. She also said she did not want to press charges. The value of the damage was estimated at approximately $1,500.

STOLEN PISTOL AT LARGE

3:30 p.m., 1500 block of 22nd Street Burglary vehicle: A woman told po-

vehicle while inside. When she returned, she noted her purse was too light, and opened it to find the pistol missing. While the officer was on the scene, a neighbor came forward and said he believed a family member was involved in the theft of the firearm, adding he has heard him speak about breaking into vehicles previously. The juvenile was later discovered nearby with a second juvenile. Both were questioned, but a firearm was not found in their possession. The case was forwarded to the police department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

lice someone broke into her vehicle and stole a 9-millimeter pistol from her purse. The victim said she was visiting a friend at his residence and left her purse in her locked

Man on a mission

DARIELA DELGADO STAFF WRITER

a true beachcomber.

round out the image of someone who truly cares for the shoreline.

Wherever he goes on the sand, he carries two pieces of equipment that are abstract to his outfit — a five-gallon orange bucket and a pickup claw.

Boyce is a certified general contractor but has dedicated the past three years and eight months to

cleaning up Siesta Key’s beach to make it a safer and healthier place to watch the waves.

He has only missed a total of 12 days. When Hurricane Ian made its mark on Florida, he started cleaning Siesta Key Beach the day after.

“I was out cleaning the beach the very next morning. There were all kinds of things washed up on the main roads,” Boyce said.

What caused him to start cleaning the beach was after a couple roped off a section of beach near Siesta Key Beach Access 1.

“I would find shattered glass on the parking spots along the (North Shell) road next to the couples’ house,” Boyce said, adding his aim, at first, was to keep beachgoers safe in the area.

“I have made this my mission. I want everyone to do their part and make this a place where residents and visitors can admire the island.”

With the recent holidays, Boyce has found all kinds of debris that was left behind from beachgoers.

“On New Year Eve, there was a group that shot confetti guns with butterfly-shaped confetti, but if you look closely, it doesn’t decompose,” Boyce said. “This is bad for our marine life. A fish will see this and eat it right up.”

Boyce had used a leaf blower to remove the thousands of pieces of butterfly-shaped confetti from the sand and onto the road so he could sweep it up and into the trash. He still finds a couple to this day.

Boyce believes that the first step to a cleaner beach starts with education. He explains that it is crucial to learn about the difference between trash and compost. He adds that sea life is our environment as well because Sarasota residents live on or near the coast.

“I believe that change has to start with education,” Boyce said. “When you see an actor in a movie smoke a cigarette, what do they do with the butt? They throw it on the ground and step on it, and people think it’s okay to do the same. It’s a crime to litter.”

Boyce can be spotted with his bright orange bucket every day at the break of dawn at Siesta Key North Bridge and throughout Siesta Key Beach.

“Picking up a little does a lot,” Boyce said. “If you see something extra, take it with you. Be kinder than the next person.”

Rick Boyce has dedicated the past three years and eight months to cleaning up Siesta Key Beach.

Photos by Dariela Delgado

Rick Boyce has made it a personal mission to make Siesta Key Beach a safer and healthier place to watch the waves.

Confetti shaped as butterflies scattered the Siesta Key Beach on New Year’s Eve.

Fast Break

Former Sarasota High running back Brian Battie announced Monday that he’ll transfer from South Florida to Auburn for the 2023 season. Battie, a twotime All-American player, has a chance to put up massive numbers in Coach Hugh Freeze’s potent offensive scheme.

In case it was missed over the holidays, the Riverview High football program announced Dec. 23 that it was adding former Sarasota High coach Brody Wiseman to its staff as offensive coordinator. That rivalry just developed a little more bad blood.

Jan. 14 is New Paddler Day at Nathan Benderson Park. Beginners 14 and older can register for a free spot at NathanBendersonPark.org and learn the basics of paddling. The event starts at 9:30 a.m.

For those interested in learning more about Sarasota baseball legend Buck O’Neil, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer and given a mural downtown, the Black Diamonds podcast released a two-part special Dec. 15 talking to people around the game about O’Neil’s legacy. The episodes can be heard wherever you listen to podcasts.

The best game to attend this weekend: The Sarasota High boys basketball team, 13-3 as of Jan. 9, gets a test in the form of Venice High, which is 8-6 but has won four of its last five games and is constantly getting better. The teams will square off at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at Sarasota High.

TORNADOES BACK IN A FRENZY

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

With about two minutes to go in Booker High’s girls basketball game against Lake Placid High on Tuesday, Tornadoes coach Ty Bryant was getting on his team about free throws after a few misses.

“Come on, they’re free!” Bryant said with a look of bewilderment.

The free throws came with Booker (13-5) leading the Dragons (5-6) by 46 points. It didn’t matter to Bryant, though. He was going to coach his team down the stretch as if the game was tied.

The scene was indicative of how Booker has regained its edge since Bryant took over in 2020. There’s no such thing as good enough, as high school players can always get better — and at a certain point, they will likely need to be, especially if the Tornadoes want to accomplish their goals.

Booker finished 20-8 last season and went on a postseason run that took the Tornadoes to the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A Final Four. The run ended there, in a matchup with eventual state champion Lake Highland Prep. Booker lost 73-51 to the Highlanders. The Final Four loss was disappointing, but considering Booker lost 77-40 to Cocoa High in the regional quarterfinals the previous season, it represented major postseason progress.

Getting back to the state semifinals this season will be its own type of challenge. The Tornadoes have six seniors, but the rest of the team is fairly inexperienced. Bryant has 12 Booker players averaging at least 10 minutes per game; despite the inexperience, the talent runs deep, and Bryant wants to unlock it. But that’s not all on his shoulders.

“Last year’s team wasn’t as talented, but they had a maturity,” Bryant said. “They controlled the locker room, and they had a little bit more control on the court. I’m a firm

believer that it’s not the coach that leads a good team, it’s the players. We’re struggling a little bit with that right now, but we’re getting there.”

The program’s player leadership aside, this year’s Tornadoes spread their stats in a similar fashion as last year’s team. Only one player, senior Chariot Johnson, averages doubledigit points per game (11.6), but five players average 6.8 points per game or more. Likewise, five players average four or more rebounds per game, and a sixth — junior Cheyla Zastrow — averages 3.9 rebounds per game. Everything from scoring to hitting the glass is dictated by game flow and who is in the right position at the right time. Bryant said he can put together a game of five-on-five in practice that is competitive. On most teams, a game like that will be lopsided, as the team’s top talent will outweigh its depth players. But that’s not the case on Booker, and the competitive nature of practices works to elevate everyone’s game.

Against Lake Placid on Tuesday, the person often in the right spot was senior guard Sariah Bradley, who finished with eight points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, doing a little bit of everything to help her team win. Bradley said the outcome was indicative of how the team wants to win every game. Execute on offense and play “Booker basketball” on defense — meaning tight, relentless pressure — and they’ll be fine, Bradley said. Her coach agreed with her on one point, but he still wants to see more.

“We can defend anybody,” Bryant said. “That is a fact. We can defend. We have to become better offensively. If there’s something that is going to hurt us, it’s offense. We are doing a better job of taking care of the basketball. Our turnovers are down. But we still need to get better at the simple things.”

Simple things like making free throws when presented with them, or capitalizing on second-chance opportunities. It’s why Bryant was still taking the opportunity to coach his players at the end of an eventual 58-12 win. Every second on the court is a chance to get better, no matter the opponent or game situation.  Booker had plenty of fun Tuesday night, too. After terrorizing Dragons players on defense and causing turnover after turnover, leading to a deluge of points in transition, it was clear by halftime which team would win. The Tornadoes took the opportunity to play its reserve players for much of the second half, getting them experience, and Bryant spent much of the fourth quarter laughing on the sideline — except when it came to the details.

Booker will face tougher opponents, including a home rematch with Cardinal Mooney High (11-3) on Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Booker lost the first game between the two teams 60-46 on Dec. 20. Mooney is a Class 3A team (ranked No. 3 in the class by MaxPreps as of Jan. 11), so another loss would not be indicative of Booker’s postseason prospects, but a win or a closer game would show how much the Tornadoes have grown over the last several weeks.

“I like (facing) adversity with my team and being around them.”

— Booker High’s Sariah Bradley SEE

Photo courtesy of USF Athletics

In 2022, former Sailor Brian Battie became the sixth USF Bulls running back to record 1,000 rushing yards in a season.

The Tornadoes have a different look in 2022-23, but a return to the Final Four is the goal.

Booker’s Annette Castro dives for a loose ball against Lake Placid High.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Booker’s Sariah Bradley watches her shot fall against Lake Placid High.

Booker’s Jakai Peterson hits a layup against Lake Placid High.

Booker’s Terrietta Smith looks to create her own shot against Lake Placid High.

On the horizon

A rundown of what our columnist is looking forward to covering over the next 12 months.

The 2023 Sarasota sports calendar looks stacked.

Could the same be said of every year? Maybe, but that’s a product of how talent and event-rich the area has become over the last several years. Between top-tier high school sports, bigtime golf tournaments and national water sports events at Nathan

Benderson Park, it is easy to take all the area has to offer for granted.

We shouldn’t. It’s a great sports community with diverse offerings, and there is plenty to mark on your calendars.

The 2023 USRowing Masters National Championships will return to Nathan Benderson Park Aug. 10-13. If you attended the 2022 event, which saw more than 775 rowers from 96 clubs across the country compete, you know this is not an event to be missed.

At last year’s event, I told the stories of such people as Elliott Vasquez, a paraplegic who lost his motor skills and sensation below

the T5/T6 region of his spine but persevered to become a rower and won a gold medal in the PR1 Men’s Masters 1x Final (8:11.99). I hope I get to tell more stories like that from the 2023 event, because if that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.

The 2023 USRowing Youth Nationals will also be held at the park, for the sixth straight year. The exact dates aren’t set, but it will be held during the summer.

Of course, football is always intriguing in the 941 area. That shouldn’t change in 2023. The question we’ll get an answer to first is who will coach the Sarasota High team. That answer could come at

any time, but it will certainly come before spring football practices start on May 1 (and likely much sooner). Whoever it is will inherit a talented backfield and a hardhitting defense coming off its first playoff win in 18 years. Seeing if the program’s upward trajectory continues will be fascinating.

The other three area programs — Riverview High, Cardinal Mooney High and Booker High — also made the postseason, with Riverview reaching the third round. It is also expected that Sarasota Christian will make the jump to 11-on-11 football in 2023 after one season of eight on eight. All of these programs are on the upswing, which is a rarity, at least in recent years. Can it continue?

As a former baseball player myself, the diamond sports are always of particular interest to me.

Last year, Riverview High’s baseball team came the closest to making a deep run, going 18-9 in the regular season and reaching the regional quarterfinals before losing 4-3 to East Lake High. After graduating 11 players from last year’s team, can the Rams get back there — and beyond?

Plus, 2023 will be the first year since 1981 that Clyde Metcalf has not been the Sarasota High baseball team’s bench boss, as he stepped down after last season. I’m looking forward to attending a Sailors game, if only to see how different it feels without the legend there. New coach Greg Mulhollen has a tough job in front of him.

And hey, you can’t talk baseball without mentioning the Baltimore Orioles. They’ll be back in town next month; Spring Training opening day is Feb. 25, as they host the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium.

Each year, it seems we have athletes emerge as state track and field contenders. Last year, that group included Sarasota High’s Alec Miller, who finished second in the Class 4A 1,600 meter run (4:13.50) as a junior. He’s back as a senior, and it will be fun to see if he can capture gold this time, but I’m more interested in the people we have

not yet seen make the jump to the elite. Will Cardinal Mooney High’s Addison Dempsey be one of them? Dempsey finished second in Class 2A at the girls cross-country state meet in 2022 (17:54). She didn’t compete in track and field in 202122 — her first year of competitive running — because of an IT band injury. She could make a splash come spring.

Will anyone else join her? Someone in the niche field sports, perhaps? I love covering things like pole vault and javelin, so I hope the answer is yes. We will find out in May.

Covering things in person is, of course, the most fun part of the job, but I also enjoy following the careers of our college athletes from afar. With so many of them now at big-time programs in various sports, it can be overwhelming to keep track of them all, which is actually a good thing. It’s thrilling to see how far some of the young athletes I talked to as freshmen have come. I’ll continue to update readers on their progress throughout the year and let you know how you can check out their play on TV for yourself.

I’m also looking forward to getting to know more of you. I received more suggestions for story ideas and athletes of the week in 2022 than in any other year since I joined the beat in 2016. Not only are the suggestions themselves helpful, but it’s nice to be reminded that people still read sports news and features. I shouldn’t be surprised because the people in Sarasota have always been knowledgeable and helpful. It’s a trend I hope continues into the new year.

For all of these reasons and more, 2023 should be another terrific time on the Sarasota sports beat.

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

File photo

Maya Schultz and Maeva Ginsberg-Klemmt let out some screams after winning the A Final of the Women’s U17 2x (7:36.96) at the 2022 USRowing Youth National Championships.

OF THE WEEK

ATHLETE

Sariah Bradley

Sariah Bradley is a senior shooting guard on the Booker High girls basketball team. She had eight points and six rebounds Tuesday in the Tornadoes’ 58-12 home win against Lake Placid High. On the season, Bradley averages 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds a game for the Tornadoes (13-5).

When did you start playing basketball?

I started in seventh grade. I did cheer before then but I got tired of it, so I looked at basketball. I actually played for Coach Ty (Bryant, Booker coach) in AAU. It took a minute for me to warm up to it at first, but I gradually started to love the game.

What is the appeal to you? I like (facing) adversity with my team and being around them. I love everyone coming together and hooping.

What is your best skill? Oh, it’s my shot. I have a good shot, especially inside the arc — when I use it. I need to use it more.

What have you been working to improve?

My court vision. I’m trying not to turn the ball over. I just want to gradually get better.

What is your favorite memory? My sophomore year, the whole team got together for a Christmas party. Just being together at that time of year and being able to talk and all that, I loved it.

What are the goals for this year’s Booker team? We know we can get back (to the

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.

Final Four). When we do, we’re going to prove everyone wrong, everyone on the outside that has been talking about us. We just have to execute on offense and play Booker basketball on defense.

What is your favorite food? Definitely chicken Alfredo.

What is your favorite movie?

I like “The Karate Kid” a lot. Which superpower would you pick?

I want to read people’s minds.

What are your hobbies?

I honestly don’t have any. Basketball is my life. It’s all basketball.

What is the best advice you have received?

My mom (Da’Sha Bradley) says people move out of the way for a reason. When they move, take the opportunity.

Finish this sentence: “Sariah Bradley is … “ … Outgoing.

Pets with SSAS

DARIELA DELGADO STAFF WRITER

Teacher’s pet takes a literal meaning at Sarasota School of the Arts and Sciences. From dogs to rats, this public charter middle school is embracing its third school year of having animals in the classroom.

“We’ve been doing this for two years, and it’s been working out very well,” said Sarasota School of the Arts and Sciences Principal Tara Tahmosh. “We did our research and ended up writing a policy that we’ve taken from different organizations and modified for our school.”

Sarasota School of the Arts and Sciences makes sure the pets are involved in students’ learning.

Cleo is a bearded dragon that dedicates long hours of teaching seventh grade students of the responsibilities of caring for a reptile while incorporating the science of aquaculture.

“The students love feeding Cleo crickets. I have classroom jobs, and I have an application out for whoever wants to feed her. She eats vegetables as well, so someone will have to chop her vegetables,” said seventh grade life science teacher Hollie Nelsen.

“We do aquaponics. Some of the food that we grow from it, feeds Cleo.”

Dexter is a distinguished professor and highly respected at Sarasota School of the Arts for teaching the

longest. Dexter is a Yorkshire Terrier and weighs two-and-a-half pounds and is an expert at calming kids.

“The kids really like having him here. It calms a lot of students,” said sixth grade Earth science teacher Brittany Lear.

“I had a student last year who would have explosive outbursts, and I let the student hold the dog for class and it calmed the student. It helped the whole class that we didn’t have these outbursts.”

Lear’s students collectively said that having Dexter in the class is awesome and gives them something to look forward to.

Algernon and Geomernon are two sisters who help seventh and eighth grade social science teacher and gifted specialist Trevor Bliss. Algernon

and Geomernon are rescue rats.

“A student told me to get a rat since they are more trainable and better pets,” said Bliss. “The students really like the rats. With my population of kids, it’s nice for them to have the comfort of an animal.”

Bliss explains that having a class pet takes a certain amount of commitment and classroom management.

“I find it very exciting and having a pet in the classroom brings something to the classroom and makes everyone happy,” said eighth grader Elektra English.

Tahmosh adds that this is something that she feels passionate about, “anything that helps the kids and my teachers. I’m a teacher of teachers.”

Sarasota School of the Arts and Sciences’s animals bring a sense of calm to the classroom.

The wondrous Cleo, a bearded dragon, teaches seventh grade students of the responsibilities of caring for a reptile while incorporating the science of aquaculture.

Photos by Dariela Delgado

Elektra English holds Algernon on her back.

Daniel Izquiredo holds the distinguished Dexter.

Aquaponics is incorporated into the caretaking of Cleo.

In February I fell and broke my shoulder. I contacted Dr. Page who examined and diagnosed me and made a recommendation for surgery, carefully explaining the procedure in terms my husband and I could understand. After surgery, I was in physical therapy the following week. In less than 3 months, I regained most of my mobility back and my shoulder continues to improve. The surgery was a complete success. The nurses and office staff were very competent and helpful. I would recommend Dr. Page without reservation.

Glasco surprises rabbi at Shabbat service

“Bashert” is a Yiddish term, meaning a soulmate who is “meant to be.” April Glasco, the founder and CEO of Second Chance Last Opportunity, was “bashert” indeed when she spoke Jan. 6 at Temple Beth Israel’s Shabbat service.

“I didn’t know she was going to be here tonight,” said Rabbi Howard Simon of Sarasota’s Temple Emanu-El. “We came here tonight because it’s the anniversary of my brother’s death, and I want to say kaddish (mourner’s prayer) for my brother, and my April is standing here, and I think ‘Oh, my lord.’”

The two traveled to Israel together and laughed over the looks they received, but the odd couple wasn’t traveling alone. Simon led three trips to Israel for nonJewish clergy and community leaders.

He took between 30 to 40 people on each trip. One year, there were a number of Catholic clergy in attendance who, upon seeing the Jordan River, wanted to be baptized again. The question was who

would perform the baptism.

“They looked at me and said, ‘You know we talked it over. Jesus was a rabbi, you’re a rabbi, you’ll do,’” Simon said. “I did the prayers for the Catholics as they got baptized. They were special, special journeys.”

Simon invited Glasco along in 2010 after hearing about her contributions to Sarasota’s Newtown. SCLO opened in 1995 and has continued to expand Plans for 2023 include moving emergency food services into an air conditioned building.

“Our clients come from a dark pit of hopelessness to being no longer homeless and to seeing a better and brighter future. They move from not eating for days to having healthy food to eat,” Glasco said.

“The greatest principle that they have learned through Second Chance is love, peace and hope. Individuals are provided with tools and skills to be encouraged to further their education, live a better life and become a productive citizen.”

— LESLEY DWYER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Rabbi Howard Simon, April Glasco and Rona Simon enjoy a bashert reunion at Shabbat service Friday night.

YOUR CALENDAR

FRIDAY, JAN.

HOUND HAPPY HOUR 5-8 p.m. at Hamlet’s Eatery, 821 Apricot Ave. Bring your four-legged friends to this gathering. Tender Heart Charities is bringing adoptable puppies, and Chris Lincoln will play live music. Free. For information, call 445-1938.

SATURDAY, JAN. 14

NAMASTE AT THE BAY WITH MEG METCALF 9-10 a.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Start your morning with stretching and breath work with a certified yoga instructor. This is a free event, but reservations are required. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.com.

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF SARASOTA MEETING

10:30 a.m.-noon at Gulf Gate Public Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. Genealogist Cyndi Ingle will discuss mastering digital filing for genealogists. Free, but registration is required for virtual link. For information, visit gssfl.org.

SUNDAY, JAN. 15

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY FEATURING THE JAMIE TREMPS TRIO 4:30-5:30 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. The trio delivers a show that is soulful, fun and theatrical. The Jamie Tremps Trio ranges from soul and country to folk and jazz. Free. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.com.

MONDAY, JAN. 16

SARASOTA INSTITUTE OF LIFETIME LEARNING MONDAY: TALAMANTES AND WILLKERSON

10:30-11:30 a.m. at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road. Soprano Danielle Talamantes and baritone Kerry Wilkerson will perform locally. Tickets are $10 at the door. For information, visit SillSarasota.org.

INDIVIDUALIZED IPAD AND IPHONE WORKSHOPS FOR SENIORS 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way. Come to the Friendship Centers in downtown Sarasota for one-on-one workshops to help navigate iPhones and iPads. Sessions are $3 for members; $6 for others. For information, call 556-3265

TUESDAY, JAN. 17

THE STATE OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AFTER TWO YEARS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION 10:30-11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple

Ave. Stephen Biegun will look at how the administration has dealt with challenges. Tickets are $10 at the door. For information, visit SillSarasota.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

CORESRQ AT THE BAY: TAI CHI 8-8:45 a.m. at The Bay Sarasota, 655 N. Tamiami Trail. Come out and enjoy this outdoor group class using ancient forms of Chinese exercises. Free. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.org.

PHILLIPPI FARMHOUSE MARKET 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. Shop local produce with live music, arts and crafts and food trucks. A free, docent-led tour of Edson Keith Mansion begins at 10 a.m. Free. For information, call 861-5000.

BEST BET

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

‘EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES’

Through March 12 at Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive. Come out and admire this outdoor art exhibit featuring 50 billboard-sized images created by local, national and international artists. This is a free event. For information, visit EmbracingOurDifferences.org. Courtesy photo

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

CORESRQ AT THE BAY: PRIMETIME 7:30-8:30 a.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Join in on this low-impact class that includes resistance training. This total body conditioning will target muscles in your core. Free, but registration is required. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.org.

SARASOTA INSTITUTE OF LIFETIME LEARNING: IRAN: IS RECONCILIATION WITH THE U.S.

POSSIBLE?

10:30-11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave. University of South Florida Executive Director of Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies and Professor Mohsen Milani will explore the complex relationship, Tickets are $10 at the door. For information, visit SillSarasota.org

Datura Street property sells for $1.95 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Grovelawn tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Mission Property Partners LLC sold the home at 2163 Datura St. to Oliver McConnell, of Sarasota, for $1.95 million. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths and 3,056 square feet of living area. It sold for $290,000 in 2021.

SARASOTA

THE PLACE 450

Bradley and Cindy Herold, of Siesta Key, sold their Unit 5 condominium at 450 Beach Road to Patrick McKendry, of Kent, Ohio, for $1.5 million. Built in 1977, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,515 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $740,000 in 2019.

INDIAN BEACH Mark and Linda Midyett, of Sarasota, sold their home at 771 Indian Beach Circle to Robert Keith Sheesley and Lanette Maria Dixon, of Sarasota, for $1,025,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,359 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $305,000 in 2018.

ESPLANADE BY SIESTA KEY

P. David and Elaine Charney, trustees, of Norfolk, Virginia, sold the home at 2361 Vaccaro Drive to Joseph Silvestri and Sandra Silvestri, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1 million. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,322 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $591,200 in 2014.

THE STRAND OF SARASOTA Kane Management Group Ltd. sold the Unit A510 condominium at 1715 N. Tamiami Trail to Tracey Stetler, of Sarasota, for $932,900. Built in 2022, it has one bedroom, two baths and 1,193 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $579,300 in 2022.

PLAT OF SARASOTA Laurel Park Management Inc. sold two properties at 404 Julia Place to Devin and Marian Rutkowski, of Sarasota, for $857,500. The first property was built in 1925, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,986 square feet of living area. The

second property was built in 1925, it has one bedroom, one bath and 320 square feet of living area. They previously sold for $140,000 in 2015.

1350 MAIN RESIDENTIAL

Russell John Kowalik and Jennifer Ellen Preiss, of Pittsburgh, sold their Unit 1507 condominium at 1350 Main St. to Investment Group LLC for $800,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,165 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $472,000 in 2014.

RUSTIC LODGE Domain Homes Inc. sold the home at 2577 Temple St. to Susanna Alan, of Sarasota, for $742,500. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths and 2,149 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $713,600 in 2022.

COLONIAL TERRACE

Landz Management & Consulting LLC sold the home at 2910 Valley Forge St. to FroggieJubiles LLC for $715,000. Built in 1972, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $330,000 in 2022.

RISDON ON 5TH

Dongling Guo sold the Unit 203 condominium at 1350 Fifth St. to Ralph Hoenle and David White, trustees, of Sarasota, for $650,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,143 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $549,000 in 2019.

BRODEURS

Paul Vagts and Indra Souvereyns sold their home at 5016 Riverwood Ave. to Edwin and Denise Harris, of Sarasota, for $620,000. Built in

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

1956, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,186 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $225,000 in 2016.

BAY’S BLUFF

Timothy Kelly and Sheila Kelly, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 406 condominium at 1100 Imperial Drive to Russell Hohlt, of Austin, Texas, for $590,000. Built in 1971, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,187 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $391,000 in 2016.

CITRUS RESIDENCES

Citrus Residences Inc. sold the Unit 205 condominium at 555 N. Orange Ave. to Mark and Theresa Pierce, of Sarasota, for $578,400. Built in 2021, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,275 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $600,000 in 2021.

Other top sales by area

SIESTA KEY: $1.35 MILLION

Heron Lagoon Lodges

Heron Lagoon SCI LLC sold the home at 8540 Heron Lagoon Circle to Steven and Cynthia Jerger, of Hampshire, Illinois, for $1.35 million. Built in 1949, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,877 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2010.

PALMER RANCH: $1.4 MILLION

Prestancia

Kenneth Cameron, of Bradenton, sold the home at 3800 Boca Pointe Drive to William Lawrence McDorman and Vivian Green McDorman, of Sarasota, for $1.4 million. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,096 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $580,000 in 2015.

OSPREY: $1.34 MILLION

Meridian at the Oaks Preserve

Richard and Monique Plociak, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, sold their Unit 703 condominium at 3621 N. Point Road to John and Rita Davidson, of Osprey, for $1.34 million. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,680 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $735,000 in 2016.

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Eric Garwood

The home at 2163 Datura St. has three bedrooms, two full baths, one half-bath and more than 3,000 square feet of living space.

FORECAST

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

High: 75 Low: 63 Chance of rain: 3%

FRIDAY, JAN. 13 High: 68 Low: 47 Chance of rain: 74%

SATURDAY, JAN. 14 High: 55 Low: 40 Chance of rain: 0%

SUNDAY, JAN. 15 High: 64 Low: 46 Chance of rain: 3%

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Jan. 12 7:21a 5:55p

Friday, Jan. 13 7:21a 5:56p

Saturday, Jan. 14 7:21a 5:57p

Sunday, Jan. 15 7:21a 5:57p

Monday, Jan. 16 7:21a 5:58p

Tuesday, Jan. 17 7:21a 5:59p

Wednesday, Jan. 18 7:20a 6:00p

Jan.

Monday, Dec. 26 0

Tuesday, Dec. 27 0

Wednesday, Dec. 28 0

Thursday, Dec. 29 0 Friday, Dec. 30 0 Saturday, Dec. 31 0 Sunday, Jan. 1 0

YEAR TO DATE: 2023 0.76 in. 2022 0.03 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2023 0.76 in. 2022 0.03 in.

By Luis Campos