Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 1.19.23

YOUR TOWN

Siesta Key incorporation supporters cheer local approval, but a lot still has to happen.

PAGE 3

Miles of smiles

If getting there truly is half the fun, the city of Sarasota’s two newest transit options must have a lot of people smiling these days.

In 2022, Sarasota launched its rental bike and scooter program, along with its free Bay Runner trolley service from downtown to Lido Beach, the latter not only picking up passengers but also an Award of Excellence for innovation from the International Parking and Mobility Institute.

By the end of January, the two programs are expected to have attracted more than 250,000 rides in 10 months of combined operations.

The free Bay Runner operates from morning to midnight daily between the east end of Main Street and Ted Sperling Park. The Veo bike and scooter rentals are available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. within the city.

no engineer ...’

Twitter followers last week had some fun at the expense of Sarasota County government’s official social media account after a posting that updated readers on an apparently tiny pedestrian bridge over Phillippi Creek in the Pinecraft neighborhood.

The Tweet included this: “The project includes construction of an 8-inch-wide pedestrian bridge,” followed by news the work should be completed by late spring.

Wise-guy commenters followed with a series of hilarious responses that included a reference to Sarasota’s circustightrope-walking Wallenda family, a comment that began with “I’m no engineer…” and mentioning balance beams.

For instance: “8 inches? That is only twice as wide as a balance beam. Dang! I’m going to have to work on my gymnastic skills.”

— Hoosier Mama

For the record, the $1.3 million bridge is really going to be 8 feet wide.

Sarasota County by Tuesday had humorously conceded its typo.

‘I’m

File photo

Courtesy photo

Dariela Delgado

AJ Sanders participates in the Unity and Historical march with a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. flag that reads “I have a dream.”

Dariela Delgado

City

police and youth groups partner on new program to keep kids out of trouble.

PAGE 24

TABS WHAT’S HAPPENING

BY THE NUMBERS

.5

Property tax millage rate proposed by supporters of Siesta Key incorporation, double the figure proposed in a failed attempt in 2022.

PAGE 3

250

Apartments approved by city commissioners in a project proposed for 6 acres on Bahia Vista Street and Tuttle Avenue.

PAGE 9

19,903

Individual birds spotted during the 76th Christmas bird count held at the newly reopened Myakka River State Park.

PAGE 10

CALENDAR

n Sarasota County Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 31, Commission Chambers, County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd.

n City Public Art Committee Special Meeting — 1 p.m., Friday, Jan. 20, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

n Convocation of Governments — 9 a.m., Friday, Jan. 20, Conference Center, Suncoast Technical College, 4748 Beneva Road.

SRQ sets another traffic record

ven with a pair of storm-related air-traffic hiccups — one in September and one in December — Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport still broke a calendar-year passenger record by more than 20%.

In 2022, a year marked by Hurricane Ian and a winter storm over the Christmas holidays that disrupted air travel, then fueled a cascade of cancellations by the airport’s top carrier, 3.87 million passengers travelled through the airport. That was a 21.6% increase over 2021’s record year

of 3.16 million passengers.

Over the past five years, the airport reported, passenger traffic has grown from 1.2 million passengers in 2017, owing largely to new flights and destinations offered by Southwest Airlines, the airport’s largest carrier, and Allegiant Air.

The airport was closed for about 48 hours in September when Hurricane Ian struck Florida. In December, Southwest canceled more than 16,000 flights nationwide over 10 days beginning on Dec. 21. Dozens of

the airline’s local offerings were affected.

Work began in late 2022 on an expansion at SRQ, revolving around adding five gates to the airport’s existing 13.

The $72 million ground-boarding facility is slated for completion in 2025.

SRQ is served by 11 airlines to 56 destinations. In addition to Southwest and Allegiant, Air Canada, American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, Frontier, Jet Blue, Sun Country and United fly from the airport, at least seasonally.

Sarasota among top retirement spots

Five of the nation’s top 20 metropolitan areas in which to retire are in Florida, according to research by personal storage provider StorageCafe. It’s also the only state in the Southeast United States to make the list.

The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metro area ranks at No. 3, two behind Fort Myers-Cape Coral as the No. 1 retirement destination.

According to StorageCafe, in the Sarasota metro:

n Seniors make up 63% of the adult population and residents have an average life expectancy of 81.4 years.

n On average, retirement income is $36,157 a year, the fifth-highest among the places analyzed.

n Of the metro’s multifamily accommodations, 10% is composed of age 55-plus communities designed specifically to cater to a more relaxed, engaging lifestyle.

n Offers one of the best safety scores out of the 100 metros ranked.

StorageCafe considered average incomes, health factors, crime statistics, housing and food costs and local tax burden.

Sarasota hosts art exhibit at City Hall

Members of the public are invited to City Hall next week, not to argue about parking or a new condo proposal but to appreciate the artwork recently unveiled in the lobby.

A free open house and art exhibit is planned from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 at the seat of municipal government, 1565 First St.

The open house will feature two 15-minute presentations and a guided tour of City Hall’s lobby, which is decorated with art works meant to share “Sarasota’s rich cultural arts history through dozens of captivating photographs and paintings by local midcentury local artists,’’ a city release said.

The city’s Office of Public Art and Historic Preservation is teaming up with Arts Advocates, the Circus Arts Conservatory and the Sarasota County History Center to present the pieces.

“Don’t give up the fight no matter what happens.”

State Rep. Fiona McFarland on Siesta Key’s incorporation proposal, Read more on page 3

File photo

Allegiant is one of the airport’s top airlines in terms of passengers served.

Off to a good start

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

More than two decades after the idea of incorporating into its own municipality surfaced, residents of Siesta Key will finally have their day in Tallahassee. Last week, the Sarasota County legislative delegation approved  placing the local bill on its  agenda this year in the state capital.

If successful, residents of unincorporated areas of the island will be allowed to vote on becoming a town via referendum in November 2024.

Thanks in part to a reconstituted local delegation — reduced from six members to four because of redistricting — the county’s representatives voted 3-1 during their annual meeting with local governments and citizens to take the measure to their colleagues in the state house and senate.

If approved by both houses, it would still have to gain the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Even ardent supporters of the notion say the issue is far from a slam dunk. But they’re off to a better start than the last time they tried.

In January 2022, the incorporation referendum request failed by a 3-3 vote. Much has changed since then. Gone from the delegation are Reps. Will Robinson and Tommy Gregory, who last year joined Delegation Chair Rep. James Buchanan in opposing the local bill. Moved into the delegation via redistribution is veteran Rep. Michael Grant, replacing Michele Rayner, who last year supported Siesta Key’s request.

Grant joined Sen. Joe Gruters and Rep. Fiona McFarland in supporting the bill language. That could be significant given Grant, a Republican, serves as House majority leader.

“We’ve been working on this for a year, and many of the proponents of incorporation have been working on it for 20 years,” McFarland said. “I am happy we got another year to work on this issue. The proponents of incorporation have answered every question and every cause for concern that we had as a delegation of fiscal responsibility financial soundness.”

Again not supporting the request was Buchanan, citing objections over establishing precedence against the state’s discouragement of cities with shared borders. The northern tip of Siesta Key is within the Sarasota city limit and would remain so.

“There are certain concerns I have that I think can’t be entirely met,” Buchanan said while acknowledg-

WHO IS TIM HENSEY?

The chairman of Save Siesta Key Inc. and point man for the effort to incorporate the island into a town is a retired 36year veteran in the construction industry with experience throughout the state of Florida. Notable projects under his watch include the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Fort Pierce, the $100 million Riverview High School, St. Petersburg College Veterinary Technology Building, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus and multiple projects for various school districts and public institutions of higher education throughout Florida.

on with Gilbane, where he led the company’s South Florida division.

He has lived in Sarasota County for more than 50 years.

“This is our second year going for incorporation,” Hensey told the delegation this past week, “and we’d like to think, among other things, we’re good listeners.”

COMPROMISES PAVED THE WAY

Among the legislators’ suggestions heeded by Save Siesta Key’s leadership was doubling the proposed town’s property tax millage rate from 0.25 mil to 0.5. That would generate a projected $4.7 million revenue in the new city’s first year, leaving a $1.9 million reserve after expenses.

“I think it’s important to recognize we have $7.7 billion worth of property assessed value in Siesta Key, and that went up just shy of $2 billion in one year,” Hensey said. “We think our half-mil is very adequate.

“The second thing that we’re good listeners on is that all of you were vocal in saying if Siesta Key wants to incorporate, we want to know this is what the residents truly want. We did an unofficial straw ballot and ran it exactly like a true election.”

Save Siesta Key mailed ballots to all 6,750 registered voters in the three precincts of unincorporated Siesta Key. Those ballots were mailed by a third party in Tallahassee with return envelopes to a law firm in Lakewood Ranch, where the results were tabulated.

“We didn’t touch the ballots,” Hensey said. “We tried to run it as much like an official election as possible. We had a deadline. We did it over the holidays, competing with Christmas holidays and the U.S. Postal Service. And the results we think were very, very encouraging.”

ON THEIR OWN

Newest Florida municipalities—

Cities and towns incorporated in Florida since the year 2000.

n Westlake, Palm Beach County, 2016

n Estero, Lee County, 2014

n Grant-Valkaria, Brevard County, 2006

n Loxahatchee Groves, Palm Beach County, 2006

n Cutler Bay, Miami-Dade County, 2005

n West Park, Broward County, 2005

n Doral, Miami-Dade County, 2003

n Miami Gardens, Miami-Dade County, 2003

n Palmetto Bay, Miami-Dade County, 2002

n Miami Lakes, Miami-Dade County, 2000

n Southwest Ranches, Broward County, 2000

yes,” Hensey said.

During the past year, Grant also recommended Save Siesta Key leadership agree to an election cycle likely to bring the highest voter turnout possible. That resulted in a late change to the bill to place the referendum on the November 2024 ballot, the next presidential election.

“I know it’s a lot of work incorporating,” Grant told Hensey and the group of blue T-shirt-wearing supporters in the packed County Commission meeting chamber. “I appreciate everything that you’ve done. I appreciate you reaching out to me and listening to me and my concerns, especially about the date of the vote. While I think the results of your straw ballot are impressive, I obviously want to make sure every resident of the community has the opportunity to vote in a general election, and I appreciate the compromise you made.”

MUCH WORK REMAINS

Why incorporate? Residents represented by Save Siesta Key complain their concerns are not adequately addressed by the Sarasota County Commission, and its decisions are often opposed to their wishes. They include permitting “hotel houses” to be built in residential areas, commercial development being held to the same coastal construction standards as residences, water quality, traffic management and more.

In that regard, should the referendum reach the ballot in 2024, those residents will be asked if they want to pay an additional 0.5 mil in ad valorem taxes for a greater degree of local control.

The Save Siesta Key plan calls for a full-time staff of six including a town manger, town clerk, finance director, community development/ planner and two assistants. Combined, personnel costs are projected at $1.35 million by fiscal year 202728, with operations costs at an additional $1.41 million.

Combined with general fund appropriations such as law enforcement provided by the Sheriff’s Office, public works, public transportation and reserves, that’s a total expense of  $5.42 million, balancing projected expenses to revenues.

Those plans have met the criteria set by the local delegation. Now comes convincing the Legislature and, perhaps, the governor. Save Siesta Key has contracted two lobbyists.

TIMELINE

Estimated incorporation 2023 Local bill considered by the Legislature. A vote to reject or no vote at all kills the bill in Tallahassee.

30 DAYS If approved by Legislature, the governor has 30 days to approve or veto the incorporation referendum bill.

ing the delegation’s majority support. “One of those is around the elements of incorporation itself when you look at the proximity of this proposed geography to the city of Sarasota. Just in terms of precedent, that’s a concern for me as we look to the future across other parts of Florida. So that’s my probably biggest concern, which cannot necessarily be met.”

In addition to the composition of the delegation, another significant change came in the leadership of Save Siesta Key Inc., the organization chartered to lead the incorporation effort. Former commercial construction executive with experience in government interaction Tim Hensey, a 14-year Siesta Key resident, became chair of Save Siesta Key this past February.

“I’m in my first year of retirement, so I’ve got more time on my hands,” he said.

Hensey retired from national commercial construction giant Gilbane, which acquired regional construction company W.G. Mills in 2010, where he held he position of executive vice president. He stayed

Those results included 41.4% voter participation, outpacing the local voter turnout in two of the three elections occurring in the past 12 months. The results were 87% in favor of incorporation.

“I think if you ask the question is this truly what the residents of Siesta Key want, the answer is a resounding

“The work is not over,” McFarland said. “If you look around the room today, we’ve got a lot of blue shirts showing their support for Siesta Key incorporation. Don’t give up the fight no matter what happens. We’ve had great conversations, and no matter where we land on a future vote in Tallahassee, I think Siesta Key is better for this conversation.”

NOVEMBER 2024 If approved by the governor, referendum is placed on the general election ballot for unincorporated Siesta Key residents only in November 2024.

SPRING 2025 If referendum succeeds, five commissioners would be selected.

Although the Sarasota legislative delegation approved taking the Siesta Key incorporation request to Tallahassee, a referendum is a long way from reaching the ballot late next year.

From left, Rep. James Buchanan, Sen. Joe Gruters, Rep. Michael Grant and Rep. Fiona McFarland comprise the Sarasota County delegation in the Florida Legislature.

Photos by Andrew Warfield Save Siesta Key Chairman Tim Hensey speaks with media members after the Sarasota delegation’s approval to add a bill paving the way for a vote on incorporating the island to this year’s Florida legislative agenda.

The north end of Siesta Key, which is within the city limits of Sarasota, would not be affected by potential incorporation.

Our Two Exciting Series

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Music Mondays

Monday, January 23

Sarasota,10:30 am - Venice, 3:00 pm

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Global Issues

Tuesday, January 24

Sarasota,10:30 am - Venice, 2:30 pm

Beyond Cryptocurrencies

Lee Schneider will explore the history of cryptocurrencies and digital assets and what it means for commerce, economics, politics, communication, and recreation.

Wednesday, January 25 Sarasota,10:30 am

Decentralized Finance as a Gateway to the Metaverse Lee Schneider will define “DeFi” and metaverse and how the traditional world and coming digital world will intersect, coexist and lock horns.

Thursday, January 26

Sarasota,10:30 am - Lakewood Ranch, 5:00 Friday, January 27 Venice,10:00 am

SATURDAY, JAN. 7

SUNDAY,

JAN. 8

BENCH BRAWL

4:29 p.m., Central Avenue at Five Points Park

Dispute: An argument between two men about a park bench escalated to death threats, though no weapons were involved. During the argument, one man said the other threatened to “shoot him with a gun.” He said he did not see a gun, but the other man made a motion toward his back pocket. Officers spoke to the other man, who did not have a gun and denied the threat, though video refuted his claim. Audio captured a threat that the man “had a bullet for him.” The caller said he was planning to leave soon on an out of state trip, and both parties left the scene without further incident.

DOG BITES THIEF 4:13 p.m., Second Street at North Lemon Avenue Motor vehicle theft: Officers responded to a reported vehicle theft and a chase ensued when an officer spotted the vehicle traveling south on North Tamiami Trail. Once lights and sirens were activated, the chase moved into neighborhood streets and, after it came to a stop, four suspects got out and ran. As the suspects entered tall grass, a dog caught and bit one of them. The four surrendered.

SUNDAY, JAN. 8 NO DOG DANGER 12:30 p.m., Lido Beach parking lot Animal issue: A dog left alone in a pickup prompted a call to law enforcement. The responding officer met with the caller who explained that the owner of the dog had since returned to her vehicle and that the dog was fine. The officer then spoke to the owner of the dog, who explained she briefly left her service dog while she used the public restroom. The dog appeared to be in good health, and the officer determined that no crime occurred.

several hours earlier and driven to Pinellas County. The officer phoned the caller, who told police he was playing pool the prior evening when the mother of their two children dropped them off and called 30 minutes later stating she took the estranged couple’s truck.

The man drove another vehicle to the woman’s residence in Seminole and attempted to contact her, at which time deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office were called and responded to the scene. The man told the Sarasota officer that he wanted to report the vehicle as stolen and explained the couple were going through a divorce.

An examination of the vehicle’s registration showed the truck was in both of their names and therefore cannot be reported as stolen.

FRIDAY, JAN. 13

TRAY TOSSING

9:29 a.m., 300 block of North Beneva Road

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

TUESDAY, JAN. 10 TRUCKING ACROSS COUNTY LINES 5:30 p.m., Fruitville Road at South Beneva Road

Motor vehicle theft: An officer was notified at 1:55 a.m. of a complaint of a vehicle stolen in Sarasota

Dispute: A disgruntled customer tossing plastic food trays around a fast food restaurant brought police to the establishment, where an officer made contact with the manager, who said an unknown man approached the counter to place a food order. The manager said he explained the restaurant was not open for indoor food service at the time, at which point the tray flinging ensued. The manager provided a description of the offender plus the make, model and license plate number of his vehicle.

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

Total renovation overlooking the Oaks Club

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

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,

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).

Call Paul Stern at 941.330.3051 for further details.

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.

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

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.

PAUL STERN • 941.330.3051

PAUL STERN 941.330.3051 paul@sarasotabrokers.com

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

Sergei Kvitko, Piano

Sergei Kvitko has “polished pianism ...glorious Horowitzian three-dimensional perspective” ( ). He is an internationally sought-a er classical recording engineer and producer, and a multiple award winning composer.

The Prosecutor’s Art From the Streets to the Suites to the Oval O ce Judge Charles B. Schudson addresses how prosecutors direct investigations, assemble evidence, and present cases to judges and juries.

MUSICAL CONVERSATIONS WITH GREAT PERFORMERS

AN INSIDER’S VIEW OF TODAY’S WORLD LECTURE SERIES

NEW APARTMENTS PROGRESS IN DOWNTOWN

SARASOTA

More new apartment developments are working their way through the city of Sarasota’s Development Review Committee.

Developer GK Sarasota Venture is planning Artist Court, a nine-story, 139-unit multifamily building, including town houses, at 200 S. Washington Blvd. at the intersection of Adams Lane. The site is occupied by three one-story commercial buildings totaling 15,735 square feet on 1.39 acres. The applicant is proposing to transfer residential density from abutting parcels, which will require a joint-use agreement.

The property is among the downtown zoning districts over which the DRC has final approval authority.

Architectural drawings show a

parking garage with an entrance from Golf Street at the north elevation adjacent to three floors of apartments facing south along Adams Lane. The garage is attached to a nine-story building. A rooftop amenity is shown above the parking structure.

Plans list one-, two- and threebedroom apartments but no affordable or attainably priced units.

Joel Freedman, of Freedman Consulting, requested a partial signoff on the project at the end of the comments session with staff, which was denied because of lingering solid waste and utilities issues. Artist Court can move forward once it receives final approval from the Development Review Committee.

Affordable apartment community inches closer to final approval

local champion of affordable housing, aims to be priced to be affordable to tenants at or below 80% of the area’s average median income. In 2020, the county’s average median income was $32,535 for individuals and $64,644 for households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

roughly five years from the start of the project, but Stefan Baron, director of development for One Stop Housing, said as of now that’s a moving target.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

A revival of a project that would bring 210 affordable and attainably priced apartments to the site of a telephone call center and vacant industrial property just north of Fruitville Road continues to move toward a final decision.

Sarasota Station, the culmination of nearly a decadelong effort by a

The property address is 2211 Fruitville Road, but the site is one block removed at Third Street and Audubon Place. Active on the site is Vengroff Williams Inc., which is a call center, and breakfast and lunch diner Bob’s Train. The call center building will be demolished as part of the third phase of the project. Bob’s Train will remain.

The timing of the call center ceasing operation is a key point in the project because that is referenced in the ordinance showing approval of the rezoning of the site. That’s

“This is kind of a loose timeline for phase three,” Baron said. “Our goal is to build phase one, (have) full occupancy, stabilize the property and then start the remaining phases.”

Harvey Vengroff, founder of developer One Stop Housing, was a pioneer in innovating affordable housing concepts.

In addition to running Vengroff Williams for a half-century, Vengroff, who died in 2018, was an entrepreneur who, during his career, acquired a distressed boat manufacturer and turned it into one of the largest in the country before he acquired a construction company that he sold to its employees; he also

started more than a dozen new businesses.

One of those businesses, One Stop Housing, was created to provide housing for his and other companies’ employees.

Vengroff’s son, Mark, is managing partner of One Stop Housing.

Harvey Vengroff’s effort to build what is now Sarasota Station dates to 2015, when he scaled back to 400 an original plan to build 800 affordable apartments.

In March 2016, the Downtown Improvement District endorsed Vengroff’s ambition, and because of parking requirements imposed by

city, scaled back the project again in September, this time to 368 units. Three years and $300,000 after he started, in 2018 he abandoned the project citing rising fees and construction costs, making building and operating affordable housing in downtown impractical.

Finally in March 2021, One Stop Housing revived the project under the name Sarasota Station as providing affordable in the downtown zoning districts gained momentum. With additional changes required, the project is required go make a resubmittal to the Development Review Committee.

Eight years and several revisions after it first surfaced, affordably priced apartment community Sarasota Station enters the late stages of consideration.

Artist Court, at the corner of South Washington Boulevard and Adams Lane, is proposed as a 139-unit market rate apartment development.

This nearly eight-acre site at 2211 Fruitville Road is proposed for Sarasota Station, a 2010-unit affordable rental community priced at or below 80% of the city’s average median income.

Photos by Andrew Warfield

Condo plan hits metal roadblock

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Aproposed condominium development on Fruitville Road could become the first project subject to the Rosemary District overlay regulations.

But first, it must overcome an interpretation of a portion of an ordinance that prohibits the use of metal as an exterior surface along the corridor.

Named 780 SRQ Condominiums, the plan calls for a five-story, 34-unit building on Fruitville between Central and Cocoanut avenues.

The 0.67-acre site is zoned Downtown Edge with a future land use classification of Urban Edge. Located within the Rosemary Residential Overlay District, it is utilizing available bonus density provisions there.

The city created the district with the goal of fostering higher-quality development and affordable housing in the booming neighborhood north of Fruitville road and south of 17th Street.

During a late December meeting with the city’s Development Review Committee, Mark Sultana of DSDG Architects told the DRC that the site had been vacant for about three years after a previous planned development was abandoned. Developer Eres Capital acquired the property within the past year.

“I think this is the first project to go through the new Rosemary District regulations, so I did my best to decipher everything in that code,” Sultana said.

What he didn’t successfully decipher, according to Development Review Planner Amy Pintus, is a prohibition on the use of metal on a

building’s exterior, with the exception of the roof. The design shows aluminum screening over the exterior of the parking structure, typically used to camouflage activities within the garage and to ventilate exhaust.

“If we want to ventilate the garage and provide screening to the parking, there’s really no other way of doing that other than with metal because it’s not technically an exterior finish,” Sultana argued.

“I don’t agree with your interpretation,” Pintus responded. “It says clearly in the Gateway Corridor District that you cannot use metal as an exterior building finish.”

“What about railings?” Sultana asked.

“It can’t be metal,” Pintus said.

Project Consultant and Planner Joel Freedman, a regular  before the DRC, offered an explanation of historical perspective regarding the metal use restriction.

“I’ve been here so long, and the

reason that came up was because someone put a metal prefabricated building on Fruitville, (of) which the walls are metal,” Freedman said. “So we’re going to go back and discuss this about whether or not railings. If you look at that, we couldn’t do a wrought iron fence like the Ringling School has. We’ll go back to that.”

While incorporating metal into the design remained unresolved, staff identified other technical matters to be addressed before the proj-

ect’s  resubmittal.

Not subject to debate is the project’s right to take advantage of the affordable housing density bonus offered in the district.

The midcentury modern designed building will include two affordable units, defined as attainable for those earning at or below 120% of Sarasota County’s average median income. By right, the development could have 26 units. With the two affordable units, it can include six more at market rate, bringing the total to 34.

All units facing Fruitville Road will feature balconies. Vehicular access to the site is via an alley on the opposite side of the building. A rendering shows a fitness center on the second floor overlooking the required 10% open urban green space. The top floor shows extended ceiling height in exterior and interior spaces.

As a development within the Downtown Core, the DRC has final approval authority.

The

challenge over staff’s interpretation of a restriction on the use of metal as an exterior surface. The rendering shows metal rails on balconies and also planned is aluminum screening on the parking structure.

Developer and city are at odds over exterior finishes on the first project to avail itself of building rules in Sarasota’s Rosemary District.

“It says clearly in the Gateway Corridor District that you cannot use metal as an exterior building finish.”

— Amy Pintus

34-unit 780 SRQ Condominiums project on Fruitville Road faces a

Courtesy rendering

Do

Ahh, poor New College of Florida. Its saga of ambition and woe continues.

It has always been thus.

And now, we see, Gov. Ron DeSantis and his staff are intervening in attempt to quit doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

By now most people who follow this region’s colleges know that DeSantis recently appointed six new members to the college’s board of governors, all of whom subscribe to a conservative political philosophy.

Indeed, Manny Diaz, Florida’s new secretary of education, ignited cherry bombs after the appointments were announced when he was quoted saying: “It is our hope that New College of Florida will become Florida’s classical college, more along the lines of a Hillsdale of the South” — a reference to the most famous Christian liberal arts college in America, Hillsdale College in Michigan. One of its claims to fame is it refuses to accept any government funding. Its motto is “Learning, character, faith and freedom: These are the inseparable purposes of Hillsdale College.”

With that DeSantis sent shock waves through the New College community, present and past.

And so suffice it to say we can all expect another tumultuous chapter in the college’s six-decade history, one that is likely to last at least two years, certainly no more than the term of DeSantis’ governorship, which will end either in 2025 if he is elected president or in 2026 when his second term ends.

For the residents of Sarasota and Manatee counties who see New College as one of the region’s prized assets, expect a lot of headlines and controversy. Turnarounds and throwing out old ways are never easy or comfortable. Often, they are nasty and ugly.

But for sure, DeSantis has sent his opening message: New College cannot and will not maintain the status quo.

Nor should it.

For 63 years, its financial model has not worked. Nor will it ever without dramatic change. The accompanying chart pretty much tells you the problem. It’s difficult to justify New College as a good investment for taxpayers (shareholders) when its costs are so out of whack compared to the 11 other state universities.

“It’s stunning what a bad idea this is,” Rep. Randy Fine told us last week. “It’s $35 million a year just lit on fire.”

Fine was the lawmaker who proposed in 2020 that New College be merged into Florida State University. In the staff analysis of the bill he proposed, it said: “The state cost per degree is $197,68121 at NCF compared to $36,857 at Florida State University.”

FAULTY BUSINESS MODEL

New College has had a business model problem from its start in the 1960s. Back then, a group of civicminded people thought that, amid the region’s rich arts community, that Sarasota and Bradenton needed its own liberal arts college.

With seed money from Jane Bancroft Cook, an heiress to the Dow Jones & Co. enterprises, they came up with the idea of making New College a one-of-a-kind liberal arts honor college for talented students. At the time, there was little competition.

From 1964, when it opened to its first class, to 1970, its enrollment

mushroomed from 100 to 500. But by 1975, the college was in debt and near bankruptcy. The state rescued it, with the New College board agreeing to hand over its land in exchange for wiping out its debt and folding New College into the University of South Florida Sarasota-Bradenton branch.

The two co-existed for 25 years in a relationship that could be described as an arranged marriage destined not to work. The two cultures clashed. New College honors professors and students looked down on the USF profs and students and vice versa. At the same time, the USF administration in Tampa wasn’t all that nice toward New College. But as the saying goes: The one with the money (USF) calls the shots.”

By 2000, the faculties and administrators at both institutions had enough of each other. Convinced by New College advocates that it would be economically sustainable and that it had a sufficient endowment to help it flourish, in 2001, the Legislature finalized the divorce. New College became New College of Florida, the independent honors college in the state university system.

As part of the separation, the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus was required to move off the New College property. The USF facilities north of New College on North Tamiami Trail are the results of the marriage split.

ATROPHIED PHYSICALLY

Ever since, New College has been operating as it always has. Enrollments fluctuated in the 900s. The school stuck to its original independent-study, no-letter-grade, honors college mission under Presidents Gordon Michalson Jr. (20012012) and Donal O’Shea (20122021). The endowment continued to grow, thanks to local fundraisers. And the college stayed under the radar of legislators, letting it do what it has always done.

But during this 20-year period, the college also atrophied physically. In a talk to the Harvard Club of Sarasota last week, New College President Patricia Okker acknowledged the physical campus is in

need of extensive refurbishment and upgrading.

“We have some real problems with our facilities,” she said.

It hurts recruitment. When parents and prospective students compare New College’s facilities with, say, those of Florida’s other bigger, better state university campuses, the sell becomes harder.

Indeed, during the past 20 years, New College now finds itself competing for Florida’s honor students with all 11 other state universities. This presents another challenge that Okker cited: New College doesn’t have branding and marketing power that comes with an institution that has championship football teams.

CONSERVATIVES EXCORIATED Okker acknowledged another challenge: The student body’s attitude toward conservatives. We learned elsewhere that in recent years an internal messaging system developed among the students that excoriated the school’s few conservative students.

“I do want to address that,” Okker told the Harvard members. “I’m going on 19 months, and I would say we are not as welcoming to conservative students that we would like to be. This pains me greatly.”

Bingo.

You can be sure that situation greatly influenced Gov. DeSantis’ board appointments.

Asked whether she had conversations with the governor before he made his board appointments, Okker emailed:

“As president of New College, I report to the board of trustees … Throughout my term as president, I have met with senior members of the governor’s team but not directly with the governor as yet.

“I continue to talk and meet with the new trustee members, and together we are taking the necessary time to learn, assess and build toward the future of New College.”

Okker told her Harvard Club listeners “New College will always be committed to change. We are designed to be that nimble institution. That is in our DNA.”

The test for Big Change is about to begin.

Heretofore, the administration and student body has resisted and fought it, holding on to New College’s model with a death grip.

Interviews with former members of the board of governors were full of stories of suggestions made to the administration to change its operating model to one that is economically sustainable.

Two former board members everything they suggested was rejected:

n Eliminate the full-time police force and maintenance staffs (because there is no summer school); rejected.

n Merge with State College of Florida to create a pathway for State College students to get into New College’s honors programs; rejected.

n Partner with the Ringling College of Museum to create a nationally recognized arts and music program; rejected. The Ringling Museum, by the way, sits in the middle of New College’s property, of which only 8% is developed.

n Merge with the Ringling College of Art and Design and go back to being a private college; rejected.

n Outsource its marine science program to Mote Marine Laboratory; rejected.

As one former board member told us: “The college is not sustainable.”

DeSantis, who is known not to take in much counsel or be a collaborator, obviously has made up his mind.

By his appointments to the New College board, you can interpret that DeSantis wants his appointments to try to change the culture and direction of the college. That will not go well.

Whenever a business brings in new leadership and a new direction, those two things result in a lot of blood, executions and exoduses of the old guard.

“It’s a shut down of New College,” Fine said.

Or as Sen. Joe Gruters said last week at a public hearing: “The alternative, the school is going to be eliminated. It will be shut down. So the question is how do you keep it moving forward and how do you keep it open?”

If New College is to remain the asset it has become to be known here, a better strategy than DeSantis’ approach is the one suggested by John Lilly, former board member from 2016-2021 and former Pillsbury Co. CEO: Okker should ask the governor for a year for her and the board of governors to examine bold options for New College’s future — and examine those options in public. Have debates.

“New College can go on defending the past or get ahead of the future,” Lilly said. “It should only do what only New College can do.”

“If

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Florida International University 4 6,079

Florida

Florida

New College of Florida 6 60

University of Central Florida 6 8,442

690,323,585 $10,086

23,622

University of Florida 5 3,372 $21,430 $949,037,125 $17,781

University of North Florida 16,926 $21,730 $207,854,078 $12,280

University of South Florida 49,867 $24,178 $ 618,573,154 $12,404

University of West Florida 1 3,265 $22,718 $140,529,880 $10,594

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MATT WALSH

City Commission approves rezoning for Bahia Vista Apartments

By the 4-1 supermajority required for a future land use change, the Sarasota City Commission paved the way for Bahia Vista Apartments. It will include 35 affordable and attainable units.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

ver the objections of many residents in the adjacent Arlington Park neighborhood, the Sarasota City Commission has approved rezoning the former Doctors Hospital of Sarasota site to permit a highdensity multifamily development.  Bahia Vista Apartments is the first test of the city’s 2022 comprehensive plan amendments that incentivizes affordable and attainable housing outside of the downtown core by providing density bonuses and other considerations for developments along primary corridors.

The comprehensive plan amendments alone don’t permit that. Until wholesale rezoning and future land use classifications are adopted and such projects are placed under administrative review, qualifying plans must undergo the political process for approval.

On Tuesday, city commissioners approved by the required 4-1 supermajority to change the future land use classification of the 6.09acre parcel at the corner of South Tuttle Avenue and Bahia Vista Street from Multiple Family Medium Density to Multiple Family High Density. Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch voted no.

That will allow Bahia Vista Associates to build a 250-unit apartment complex in which the developer plans to include 35 attainable housing units per the city’s new enabling comprehensive plan amendments.

It’s a development more than three years in the making, one that

has been opposed by Arlington Park residents since it was first proposed in 2019 as a 233-unit complex called Arlington Commons, a plan that was later withdrawn.

Although the hospital was demolished in 2015, the site remains active with a medical practice on a portion of the property along with a 400-space parking structure that the developer will renovate for residents’ use.

During Tuesday’s meeting, more than 20 Arlington Park residents expressed concerns over traffic, pedestrian safety, effect on property values, stormwater runoff, spillover parking and the idea of having a fourstory building on a parcel bordered on two sides by single-family homes.

In December, the Planning Board sided with the residents, recommending denial of the future land use map change by a 3-2 vote.

“As you listen to my neighbors, realize that Arlington Park residents opposed to this project are not NIMBYs (not in my back yard), we are not intolerant and we are not afraid of change,” said Rob Grant, who has been among the most vocal opponents of the apartments. “We are, though, a diverse group of very concerned citizens concerned about the destruction of our high quality of life. We see, as the planning board did, that on balance this proposal is not consistent with the comprehensive plan.”

Four city commissioners disagreed, saying the site is exactly what they had in mind when three of the five sitting members approved the comprehensive plan amendments last year. Debbie Trice has

AFFORDABLE HOUSING BREAKDOWN

Affordable and attainable housing is defined as rents deemed affordable for those earning 120% or less of the county’s average median income.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the AMI in Sarasota County is $32,535 per individual and $64,644 per household. Here is a breakdown of the 35 attainable units planned at Bahia Vista Apartments. By code, they must be scattered throughout the development and include the same features, appliances and finishes as the market rate apartments.

TWO-BEDROOM UNITS

80% AMI or below: two units

80%-100% AMI: two units

100%-120% AMI: two units

ONE-BEDROOM UNITS

80% AMI or below: nine units

80%-100% AMI: eight units

100%-120% AMI: 12 units

since replaced Hagen Brody at the dais and Ahern-Koch opposed the amendments. The location is within walking distance of three schools, they said, is located along a main corridor and is convenient to public transit.

By right, the developer could, and consultant Joel Freedman said probably would, build a more intense use on the property as an alternative. That included potentially a 300-plus unit assisted living and memory care facility that would generate more traffic than a residential use.

The site could also host up to a 600-unit memory care facility or a combined use of 300 to 400 units.

The by-right medium density apartment complex at 35 units per acre is likely not an option. Although it could have a density of up to 50 units per acre under the new land use classification, Arlington Park Apartments will be 41 units per acre.

“Something is going to be built there,” said Vice Mayor Liz Alpert.

“Every planner will tell you this is a better use of the land. Yes, they could put a 300-unit assisted living facility, and I’m sure we need more of those, but that’s going to be a more intense

Opposition signs to the Bahia Vista Apartments plan are scattered throughout the neighboring Arlington Park neighborhood.

use and still doesn’t accomplish our goal of providing more workforce housing and just more housing in general because you can’t bring the prices down if you don’t have enough stock.”

Future land use change in hand, Freedman said he expects site plan consideration will come before the City Commission in March.

Photos by Andrew Warfield

The parking structure at the Bahia Vista Apartments site will be renovated for residents’ use, and the medical practice building to the right will be demolished. The grass area is the former Doctors Hospital location.

Myakka reopens with near-record bird count

On Dec. 19, 2022, after being closed since Hurricane Ian because of wind and flood damage, Myakka River State Park reopened to the public. And in the early hours of that very day, 45 birders arrived to participate in the 76th Myakka River Christmas Bird Count.

The Christmas Bird Count is a National Audubon Society community science project. It helps highlight conservation action required to protect birds and the habitats they need to survive. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which impacted natural systems that serve as critical habitat for countless bird species, expectations for the count were low.

This year’s birders, many of whom have participated for decades, covered almost 124 miles in areas rendered unrecognizable by the storm. Access was hampered by stormfallen trees and unseasonably high water levels. Nonetheless, they spotted a record 126 species, just one shy of the highest number recorded in 1996, and counted an impressive 19,903 individual birds.

It was a very good year for wild turkeys, an especially meaningful species for Myakka River State Park. When the park was established in 1941 with the goal of protecting this ecologically significant place and its inhabitants, many species of native wildlife, including wild turkey, had been hunted to near extirpation.

Wild turkey are once again abundant at Myakka, largely due to one of the park’s first mangers, Allen Crowley, who “imported” and bred the birds, then reintroduced them to the park.

Also of interest, the population of American bald eagles, Myakka’s largest raptors, remained stable, despite nest trees blown over and nests destroyed by the storm. Stable numbers were also reported for wood storks, a federally designated threatened species. Like many Florida native birds associated with wetlands, this species has suffered from habitat loss and degradation due to development and greatly depend on protected lands.

Our natural areas and their inhabitants, which are essential for the health of our ecosystems, will continue to recover from this storm’s impact, as they have many times before. We can support this recovery by minimizing harmful humanrelated impacts and continuing to support and protect public lands.

—MIRI HARDY, FRIENDS OF THE MYAKKA RIVER

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Follow us @FriendsofMyakkaRiver

COME ON BACK!

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

National Congress

An exploration beyond the pavement.

Miri Hardy

In the aftermath of the Hurricane Ian, access during the annual bird count was hampered by storm-fallen trees and unseasonably high water levels.

Islanders pay a visit to the city

Miranda Dupuis

“We do residential, commercial, interior and exterior painting,” Boykin said.

Cindy Jessup joined in December. Her business is Welcome Home Concierge, a home-watching service. Her customers are mainly seasonal. During inspections, she’s looking for things such as pest infestation and humidity blooms. Jessup is certified through Home Watch, and each inspection comes with a full report for insurance purposes if a homeowner needs to file a claim.

The

a

“Off

and Denise Boykin joined the week before. They work for Red Door Painting in Bradenton.

chamber meets once

month

the Clock” at different area restaurants both on and off the barrier islands.

— LESLEY DWYER

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Jack Dean and Kim Bouchard

Celia Moore, Aaron Virgin and Tryla Larson

Miranda Dupuis, Kellie Spring and Mitch Lomazov

Go ahead and jump!

The $50,000 Grand Prix of Sarasota at the TerraNova Equine Center on Jan. 14 in Myakka City included a Mick Jagger sighting.

No, not the rock singer.

Mick Jagger, ridden by New Zealand Olympian Sharn Wordley, finished just short of the title, unable to match Ocala rider Kristen VanderVeen and Jireh.

Wordley placed both second with Mick Jagger as well as third with his entry Gatsby.

Wordley and Mick Jagger had no satisfaction from the second-place finish.

Twenty horse-and-rider combinations competed for the event, which attracted an international field.

Australian Olympian Scott Keach placed fourth on Wild Thing and fifth on Cencorinue.

— JAY HEATER

Photos by Jay Heater

Brooks Hull and Zechariah are coming straight ahead at the $50,000 Grand Prix of Sarasota.

Kristen VanderVeen and Jasmijn race through the course at the TerraNova Equestrian Center during the $50,000 Grand Prix of Sarasota. Although that pair didn’t make the final four, VanderVeen won the event aboard Jireh.

Christian Dior balks at jumping, and that sent Craig Starr out of the saddle. He managed to land on his feet and wasn’t injured.

Stephanie Gallucci brings down Broken Heart after a successful jump.

Scott Keach and Wild Thing had a clean run to qualify for the jumpoffs.

Haley Gassel soars on Iliano Van D’Abelendreef but failed to complete a clean run, which took them out of the competition.

Fast Break

Cardinal Mooney High senior Jordyn Byrd was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Florida Player of the Year. Byrd, who also won the award this past year, recorded 571 kills, 206 digs, 52 service aces and 48 blocks while posting a .571 kill percentage and a .439 hitting percentage. She is signed to play at the University of Texas.

The pre-professional soccer team coming to Sarasota in May as part of the United Soccer League’s League Two now has a name: the Sarasota Paradise. The team’s crest depicts a waterside sunset and a palm frond.

The team also named a coach in Andy Thomson Thomson, who hails from Scotland, has previous USL experience with Miami FC, among other stops.

How about the Sarasota High boys basketball program? After a 5-20 campaign last season, the Sailors are 15-4 in the first year under coach B.J. Ivey after a 61-24 win over DeSoto Country High on Tuesday.

Former Riverview High boys basketball star Brion Whitley had perhaps the best game of his collegiate career on Jan. 14. The Southern University guard, a graduate student, scored 32 points in an 81-73 win over Grambling University, making five of his 11 three-point attempts.

Riverview High volleyball coach Nickie Halbert stepped down from the program Tuesday. Halbert coached the team for six seasons.

The New Paddler Day event at Nathan Benderson Park that was scheduled for Jan. 14 was rescheduled for Jan. 29 because of inclement weather, so if you missed it before, you have another chance. 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.

Three for (Final) Four?

The 13-5 Cougars have more to learn if their dream of a third straight Final Four appearance is to become reality.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Even programs that have reached back-to-back Final Fours still have lessons to learn.

Cardinal Mooney High girls basketball (13-5) found that out Tuesday night.

In a back-and-forth home game against Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High (11-8), the Cougars made enough mistakes down the stretch to make first-year coach Marlon Williams literally hopping mad. The mistakes — poor shot selection and turnovers in transition among them — added up to a 64-61 loss.

The loss won’t deter the program’s goal, a third straight trip to the Florida High School Athletic Association Final Four in Class 3A. In fact, Williams is hoping his team, which entered the game third in the class by MaxPreps, learns a thing or two from the disappointing experience.

“We miss a few defensive assignments and a few rebounds, and you see what happens,” he said. “We also have to learn to win as a team, moving the basketball and learning how to take good shots. Sometimes a three isn’t needed. Sometimes you have to go down low and make the basket that you can. So we’ll get better from this.”

Williams took over the program from Rico Antonio, who stepped down in 2022 after four seasons. Antonio took the program from a middling place to new heights; last year, Mooney was four points away from winning its first state championship, losing 44-41 to Westminster Academy instead. Though that team was young — and the Cougars still are, in some ways — the roster Williams inherited looks different.

The Cougars lost two members of last year’s starting five, neither to graduation. Forward Jordyn Byrd decided to focus on her booming volleyball career instead of basketball, and forward Kennedy McClain transferred to Sarasota High after Antonio’s departure. Roster losses of that significance are hard to overcome, but the Cougars’ returning trio of senior guard Olivia Davis, sophomore guard Sy’Monique Simon and sophomore forward Kali Barrett provided the program with a solid foundation.

All three have lived up to the lofty expectations set by their previous performances. Davis, the team’s only senior, is averaging 15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. The University of Tampa signee is never afraid to play aggressively, something that often catches opponents off guard. Simon averages 11.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and is a Velcro-like defender; she leads the Cougars with 1.9 steals per game. Barrett is averaging nearly a double-double with 16 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Filling the other two spots on the floor has been a combination of sophomore guard Bri Behn, junior forward Sam Kotasek, sophomore guard Avery Davis and sophomore guard Josie Maloni. Mooney is thinner in its rotations than it has been in years past, putting more pressure on everyone to contribute each night as well as stay out of foul trouble.

Thus far, the plan has worked. Mooney’s losses have come to elite

IF YOU GO

What: Cardinal Mooney High girls basketball (13-5) vs. Bell Creek Academy (13-9) When: 6 p.m. Jan. 24 Where: Cardinal Mooney High Why: The Cougars have a goal of reaching their third straight Final Four in Class 3A; the Panthers will be a good test of Mooney’s abilities.

Mooney player to watch: Sophomore forward Kali Barrett, who averages 16 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Bell Creek player to watch: Junior guard Gigi Allen, who averages 15.8 points per game.

teams such as Seffner Christian (fifth in Class 3A) and Blanche Ely High (first in Class 6A). Even Brooks DeBartolo, despite its average wonloss record, is ranked ninth in Class 3A and will likely climb after beating Mooney.  But Williams does not want to see any more losses, especially if they come how Tuesday night’s did.

Williams came to Mooney with more than 20 years of coaching experience, most recently coaching with the Florida Girls Basketball AAU program in Orlando. Williams said he knew the program has been to two Final Fours in a row when he was hired but didn’t know much about the returnees. Williams said he was glad to find a roster with as much young talent as Mooney’s has. But he’s an old-school coach at heart, so before he let the Cougars’ stars do their thing, he had to make sure they had their fundamentals down pat.

“We always start out on the defensive end playing hard,” Williams said. “That’s pretty much it. Play help defense. Follow your man. All these things that you are taught at a young age, we try to hang our hat on those. But it’s a challenge. Playing defense is not the most glamorous thing. Everybody wants to shoot the Steph Curry three, but the defense is always going to be the core of a good basketball team.”

In December, Davis said Williams is not shy about making his point known during practice and looks to her to provide leadership.

“He definitely holds me accountable, that is for sure,” Davis said of Williams in December. “He’ll yank me out of the game if I make a turnover. He pushes me past my limits. He pushes my basketball side out of its comfort zone. But that’s what I need to do to go to the next level.”

Davis also said she believed the team has the ability to return to the Final Four despite its younger roster. With four regular season games remaining, the Cougars — though still learning — are in position to be as tough an out as ever.

“My expectation since I got here was to get a ring,” Davis said in December. “We have our eye on it and we’re not going to let up.”

“I love how much of a team sport it is. It’s great to play for a group of guys, especially this team.”

— Cardinal Mooney High’s Owen Clough

Courtesy photo

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

Mooney senior Olivia Davis drives the baseline against Brooks DeBartolo.

Mooney sophomore Bri Behn takes the ball up the court.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Mooney coach Marlon Williams talks to his team during a timeout.

Let’s make a deal

site, features swimwear for women with various pink and blue patterns featuring flowers, butterflies, birds, sand dollars and other images.

One-piece swimsuits are $48.95 while bikini tops and bottoms are $34.95 each.

A link to the collection’s page is prominently featured on SwimOutlet’s main page.

The NCAA has a problem with NIL — that’s name, image and likeness rights — and the rules surrounding it. Since the NCAA changed its rules in 2021, allowing athletes to sign deals with any company not affiliated with their school, things have gone haywire, especially in revenue sports.

Thankfully, one local athlete is doing it right, setting an example for how these deals should work.

Emma Weyant, the former Riverview High and Sarasota Sharks swimmer — not to mention an Olympic silver medalist — announced a collaboration with Sporti, a swimwear brand under the SwimOutlet umbrella, on Jan. 10.

The Sporti x Emma Weyant Collection, as it is called on Sporti’s web-

In the collaboration announcement, Weyant — who attends the University of Florida — said she wanted the collection to represent self-belief.

“I wanted this collection to represent always believing in yourself,” Weyant said in an announcement.

“It’s always been a dream to be an Olympian since I was a little girl, but then progressing through the stages, that dream really turned into more of a goal. And with the support of my family and teammates, I realized that this dream could be real.”

It is the type of NIL partnership that makes sense for a college athlete — especially an Olympian such as Weyant. Unlike college athletes in revenue sports like football and basketball, big-time athletes in Olympic sports will never receive

much of a salary for what they do. There’s no professional javelin league awaiting them, no rifle tour, no water polo showcase with an ESPN contract. For these athletes, their personal brand is all they have. Sure, they get a bonus if they come home from the Olympics with a medal, but that only goes so far and certainly does not apply to most of these athletes — Weyant just happens to be in the 1% of the sport’s 1%. And even Weyant’s silver-medal swim was a year-anda-half ago. In an era where culture and trends move fast, that’s a long time. There’s no guarantee she’ll have that kind of spotlight again — although I would not put it past her. So good for Weyant for taking advantage of her brand while she can and in a way that makes sense. Attaching her name to a swimwear brand is a win-win; Sporti gets to use her image, and Weyant gets to be involved in something creative outside of the pool and expand her skillset. That, to me, is what an NIL deal should be: a cool opportunity, not a payment for play.

Weyant’s announcement comes at a time when her school’s football program is in the news for an

NIL deal gone bad. According to reports from multiple outlets, but most prominently The Athletic, the Gators signed Jaden Rashada, a four-star quarterback from Pittsburgh, California, by working with the Gator Collective — a Florida Gators NIL group and fan club that is, importantly, not directly affiliated with the school — to give Rashada an NIL deal. The deal, initially agreed upon in November, according to reports, was for an eye-popping $13 million. Since then, the deal has fallen apart, with the collective not having the money it promised Rashada, Rashada considering asking out of his letter of intent and the collective coming back with a still-large counteroffer. As of Jan. 17, Rashada is still signed with the program, but that could change at any time. The whole thing, to put it plainly, is a mess.

I highlight Rashada’s deal not to put the Gators or Rashada on blast but because deals like it are happening across the country, in football and basketball. Maybe not for $13 million, but for quite a bit of money. They are certainly legal if done through a fan collective, per the changes the NCAA made to its rules, but to me, they go against the spirit of what NIL should be.

I’m all for college athletes earning money for themselves. With all the time they put into not only their sports programs but their school work, they don’t have time to get a job like other students. Yes, some of them get their education and room and board paid for, but that is hardly the same as having enough money to be a college kid, going out with their friends and having fun.

But the money they can earn shouldn’t be used as a lure, with adult coaches and boosters reeling them out of the water on a hook. That’s what the Rashada deal is. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young leveraged his talent and fame to get deals with Cash App, Onyx and other companies. Elite LSU gymnast and social media sensation Olivia Dunne has a deal with Vuori. And, in perhaps my favorite deal, wide receiver Decoldest Crawford,

then enrolled at Nebraska, signed a deal with a local A/C company in 2022 and filmed a great commercial. Now that’s brand synergy.

The Crawford deal in particular shows the power athletes can have when they market themselves. He wasn’t a five-star player. He was an average recruit that sat out his freshman season with an injury and then transferred to Louisiana Tech. But he got paid all the same, and good on him for taking advantage of his opportunity.

As much as I think the pay-forplay model of NIL deals is bad for college sports, I also realize it’s not going away and also that players were being paid long before the NCAA’s rules changed. It was just done in the shadows back then. You have to spend money to make money, after all, and goodness knows college athletics makes a ton of money for its schools. I don’t write this column expecting to change anything, just to lament that there’s a better way.

There’s a possibility, far down the line, that the NCAA decides to treat student athletes as employees and lets schools sign players to deals directly — with regulations. I  think that would be more fair to both teams and players than the current system, which is the Wild West. There would be no reneging on an NIL deal in that scenario, and the schools with the most money to spend, or the wealthiest boosters, would be limited in how that money was spread out.

But that is all speculation for the future.

For now, there are pay-for-play deals, and there are deals that result in something everyone involved, including the general public, can benefit from. Emma Weyant’s deal is a shining example of the latter.

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

Courtesy photo

Former Riverview High swimmer and Olympian Emma Weyant announced a collaboration with Sporti on a swimwear collection featuring a variety of pink and blue patterns.

Owen Clough

When did you start playing soccer?

I started in kindergarten. My family wanted to get me into a sport early. I thought soccer was a lot of fun. I was drawn to goalkeeper right away. I would laugh whenever I caught the ball.

What is the appeal to you?

I love how much of a team sport it is. It’s great to play for a group of guys, especially this (Cardinal Mooney) team. I couldn’t do anything without my team. The other goalie here, Trey Higgins, he’s a fantastic goalie. He always helps me out. It feels great to be part of a group like that.

What is your best skill?

I’m vocal. I try to organize the team to the best of my abilities. My hands are pretty good, too. I can make some catches.

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.

What have you been working to improve?

My punting and my goal kicks. I’ll go to a park and work on those things for an hour each time, punting down the field and kicking it back. I also work on some of my footwork skills.

What is your favorite memory? Honestly, this one is great. I never thought I’d get this opportunity (to be interviewed). This is cool. But any time I can go out and compete with my team, that’s a great memory for me. Being able to play this game is a pleasure.

What is your favorite food? It’s a little weird, but I love poutine.

What is your favorite movie? Well, I’m a hockey fan, so I love ‘Miracle.’ I also like war movies like ‘Saving Private Ryan.’

What is your favorite subject?

I like history. I enjoyed both AP U.S. History and AP World History. I just like learning about that stuff.

What are your hobbies?

I work at a golf course (Lakewood National Golf Club), and I work at a child development center called Discovery Point over the summer. I also played football in the fall.

Which superpower would you pick?

The ability to freeze time. I’m terrible at getting up in the morning. I would love to be able to sleep for another hour.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Owen Clough is a senior on the Cardinal Mooney High boys soccer team. Clough kept a clean sheet during the Cougars’ 0-0 home tie with Clearwater Central Catholic on Tuesday.

A MARCH OF CELEBRATION

Sarasota began its commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 15 at Temple Emanu-El and continued on Monday, Jan. 16 at Robert L. Taylor Community Center.

The temple hosted its seventh interfaith tribute to King after missing 2021 and 2022 because of COVID-19.

This event featured performances by Soul Sensations, Light of the World Men’s Ensemble and local clergyman the Rev. Charles McKenzie reciting the words of King’s speeches and writings.

“Today we take our place once again in the important history in the Jewish and Black communities coming together as we have for generations,” Rabbi Michael Shefrin said. “I pray that it never stops.”

The Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee hosted its 2023 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards on Monday at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex.

“The committee is always excited to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy with the Sarasota community,” Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee President Jetson Grimes said. “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.”

Sandra Kay Daniels, a teacher at Booker Middle; Gregory Rumph, an

assistant principal at Booker High; Rex Troche, Sarasota’s chief of police James Hill; Renee Gilmore of ABC-7; and Jaida Cunningham, a senior student at Riverview High, were honored during the breakfast.

The unity walk to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park was led by Booker High School’s JROTC. The march followed after the Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards ceremony.

“This is important because Martin Luther King Jr. has made an impact for all,” said Sarasota High School student Zionna Gamble.

Newtown neighbors watched and cheered from their porches.

“It’s always been a part of our history, what we overcame and what we are still dealing with said march participant Velvet Sumpter.

“It’s not over. We are still fighting. We are still marching. We are still asking for equality.”

— DARIELA DELGADO

The Booker High School cheer team prepares for the start of the march.

Booker High School’s Marching Band plays as they march to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

City Manager Marlon Brown and Mayor Kyle Battie speak at the 2023 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards.

Booker High School Principal Rachel Shelley and City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch participate in the Unity and Historical march.

Photos by Dariela Delgado

The Light of the World Men’s Ensemble performs at Temple Emanu-El in anticipation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Zionna Gamble hands out candy to Newtown neighbors and families.

Tennis For Fun makes a move to Arlington Park

DARIELA DELGADO STAFF WRITER

Tennis For Fun has moved to Arlington Park from Longboat Key, where the program can serve more athletes with disabilities who are interested in tennis.

For an hour beginning at 4:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Tennis For Fun offers a free clinic on three courts at Arlington Park.

The program welcomes all athletes with disabilities from ages 8 to 50 who have an interest in learning and enjoying tennis.

Tennis For Fun is a free tennis program and volunteer organization that offers the opportunity to learn basic court skills, socialize with other participants and have fun.

This program started on Longboat Key in 2020, but Training Site Director Brenda Shields and tennis professional Ron Shields realized that this

program would benefit more people if they stayed on the mainland.

“After our second season, we decided to move the program from the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center into the city of Sarasota to reach and serve more participants,” the Shieldses said in an email.

“As you know, traffic on Longboat Key can be a major delay and deterrent for parents getting athletes to Longboat Key, especially during season.”

All volunteers must pass a background check through the Special Olympics organization. All interested athletes must be cleared by their family physician to participate in the sport.

The Shieldses said they feel fortunate to have their trained volunteers from Longboat Key who are passionate about tennis.

“We are wanting to grow the athletes,” they said.

Program for athletes with disabilities heads to mainland after initial stint on Longboat Key.

Courtesy photo

Volunteers Molly Gleason and Michelle Coates, athlete Ryan Smith, Director Brenda Shields, tennis professional Ron Shields, athletes Nico Moschini, Tim Rabbu and Bryanna Schmidt

Ron Shields helps Bryanna Schmidt with her racket.

Brenda Shields helps Bryanna Schmidt with her racket.

File photos

Tamara Wright, Bryanna Schmidt and Chris Goodwin warm up before a 2022 session of Tennis For Fun on Longboat Key.

HOUND HAPPY HOUR 58 p.m. at Hamlet’s Eatery, 821 Apricot Ave. Bring

four-legged friends to this gathering. Low Riders Dachshund Rescue are bringing Dachshunds looking for their forever home and Chris Lincoln will be playing music. This is a free event. For information, call 445-1938.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

SARASOTA SUCCULENT SOCIETY PRESENTS FREE GARDEN WORKSHOP

10-11 a.m. at The Sarasota Succulent Society, 1310 38th St. Guest speaker David Uguccioni will present a garden workshop. The garden will be open at 9 a.m. for those who want to browse an hour before the workshop. This is a free event. For information, visit SarasotaSucculentSociety.org

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY FEATURING SHINDIG

4:30-5:30 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Guitarist Ed Maryon will play classical, alternative and acoustic rock. He is a seasoned musician with more than 25 years of experience. This is a free event. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.com

MONDAY, JAN. 23

CONNECTIONS, A DOCUMENTARY

FILM SERIES: “EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION” (2021) 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail. Watch “Eating Our Way to Extinction,” narrated by Kate Winslet, and engage in a facilitator-led conversation about the film’s content and impact, which forges deeper learning and social connections. Tickets are $15. For information, call 941-309-5111.

SILL MUSIC MONDAY: PIANIST SERGEI KVITKO

10:30-11:30 a.m. at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road. Pianist Sergei Kvitko 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 you navigate your iPhones and iPads. Sessions are $3 for members; $6 for nonmembers. For information, call 556-3265

TUESDAY, JAN. 24

CORESRQ: CARDIO FUSION 5:30-6:15 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Enjoy a high-energy fitness class that fuses the best of low- and high-impact aerobic, yoga and Pilates moves. Appropriate and adaptable for all fitness levels. This is a free event. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25

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. This is a free event. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

PHILLIPPI FARMHOUSE MARKET 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. Shop local produce and enjoy live music, arts and crafts and food trucks. This is a free event. Call 861-5000.

THURSDAY, JAN. 26

LISTENING TO WOMEN

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

EXHIBIT GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

Noon-3 p.m. at Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive. Join the community to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Embracing Our Differences. There will be live performances, kid-friendly activities and food trucks. This is a free event. For information, visit EmbracingOurDifferences.org

1-2:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum on the Ringling College Museum Campus, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail. Renée James Gilmore and Mercedes Soler will discuss the optics of storytelling when told by women journalists of color. Tickets are $90. Call 941-309-5111.

Courtesy photo

New Years at Bird Key Yacht Club

Flappers and fedoras were plentiful as members of the Bird Key Yacht Club welcomed in 2023 and said goodbye to 2022 with a bash worthy of Gatsby himself.

Members danced the final hours of 2022 away to the sounds of Jelly Roll Jazz after enjoying a spectacular feast prepared by the BKYC culinary team and a visit to the BKYC Speakeasy. A prime view of the midnight fireworks over Sarasota Bay capped off the evening.

— TONY BRITT

Ami Rodriguez with speakeasy host Sam Sperduti

Photos courtesy of Tony Britt

Steve and Louise North, Juli and Brad Camrud, Robin and Chase Curtis

Sarasota police, youth organizations say Y.E.S.

DELGADO STAFF WRITER

The Sarasota Police Department recently teamed up with Teen Court of Sarasota, Brotherhood of Men Mentor Group and Truly Valued Inc. to launch the Youth Empowerment Services program.

“We knew that we needed to step in and be a bigger part of a diversion program with juveniles if we are going to make any changes in their lives,” said Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche.

The Y.E.S. program focuses on providing mentorship and services to at-risk youth between the ages of 8 and 18 and their families.

The program supports the Sarasota Police Department’s crime prevention focus.

“We would arrest one child one day of the week, then a few days later we would arrest the same child again,” Troche said. “We are trying to stop the cycle.”

Derick Payne serves as coordina-

“I think we are all doing this together. So it’s not a ‘you’ it’s a ‘we,’ and if we do this in our community, we can bring this community back to dominance. But we have to do this together.”

— Derick Payne

tor of the Y.E.S. Program, where he assists and engages with youth that need guidance.

“We want to be able to assist them so that they know who they are,” Payne said. “That’s my goal, to be able to see these young people grow, move forward and move into where they are supposed to be.”

The Sarasota Police Department awarded $50,000 in Law Enforcement Trust Funds to the Y.E.S. partners and to fund Payne’s position as coordinator.

“I think we are all doing this together. So it’s not a ‘you’ it’s a ‘we,’ and if we do this in our community, we can bring this community back to dominance. But we have to do this together,” Payne said.

DARIELA

The police chief says that the organization aims to provide mentorship and services to at-risk kids in the city.

The Y.E.S. program is a diversion program focused on providing mentorship and services to at-risk youth between the ages of 8 and 18 and their families.

Troche explained that this program is the start of something bigger.

“Our goal for the kids that participate in these programs is to graduate high school and go on to secondary school. We are trying to work with other NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) to assist with scholarships as we move forward,” Troche said. “We are not taking this as a small piece; we are taking this as several steps to ensure success.”

He plans to develop better relationships with high school coaches so when a student gets in trouble, they can articulate what’s best for

the child.

Troche adds that a chief’s advisory commission is in process where two young adults in each of the three programs will discuss community issues.

“We’ll meet once every two months and we’ll discuss issues within the community,” Troche said.

“They are going to learn about government and how the government is run. We are going to empower these kids where they feel like they have the ability to give some direction and see change in their own community.”

has been a

five years. Shaw shares the reasons he believes this program is important.

D’Kai Shaw attends State College of Florida and

mentee for

Photos by Dariela Delgado

Sapphire Shores home sells for $6.35 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Sapphire Shores tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Eric and Wendy Jestings, of Bradenton, sold their home at 387 S. Shore Drive to Jeffrey and Jennie Simmons, of Sarasota, for $6.35 million. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,676 square feet of living area.

SARASOTA KENTWOOD ESTATES

Steven Brown and Bonnie Brown sold their home at 1567 Eastbrook Drive to Linder Ventures III LLC for $4 million. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,574 square feet of living area.

HANSEN

3901 Red Rock Way LLC sold the home at 3901 Red Rock Way to Doris Swor, of Sarasota, for $3.2 million. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,536 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.15 million in 2022.

THE PEARL

Thomas Drew and Carolyn Benedict-Drew, of Westport, Massachusetts, sold their Unit 402 condominium at 609 Golden Gate Point to FLP Goldengate LLC for $2.95 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,462 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.45 million in 2020.

TESSERA

Marcus Heinrich and Anita Sauers, of St. Petersburg, sold their Unit 81 condominium at 500 S. Palm Ave. to Alexis Romano, of Sarasota, for $2,875,000. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,830 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,625,000 in 2008.

MARK SARASOTA

Donald Edgerton, of Newport, Rhode Island, sold the Unit 1115 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to John Dapello, of Sarasota, for $2.65 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths and 2,122 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.78 million in 2021.

The home at 387 S. Shore Drive in Sapphire Shores offers more than 3,600 square feet of living space.

PHILLIPPI GARDENS

Lennart and Margareta Gille, of Sweden, sold their home at 2251 Constitution Blvd. to David Brown, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1,425,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,910 square feet of living area. It sold for $565,000 in 2012.

THE CONDOMINIUM ON THE BAY Tracey Smith sold the Unit 1211 condominium at 988 Boulevard of the Arts to Pamela Stanford, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,555 square feet of living area. It sold for $449,900 in 2013.

PALM PLACE

Frank and Letitia Berlin, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 602 condominium at 755 S. Palm Ave. to David Gettleson and Sandra Hurst, of Jupiter, for $925,000. Built in 1983, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,421 square feet of living area. It sold for $640,000 in 2018.

THE VILLAS AT EAGLES POINT Doris Walch, of Archer, sold her Unit 1691 condominium at 1691 Starling Drive to Peter and Virginia Mermin, of Sarasota, for $708,500. Built in 1993, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,994 square feet of living area. It sold for $240,600 in 1993.

PAYNE PARK VILLAGE Weekley Homes LLC sold the home at 2505 Boone Court to Charles Naddaff Hughes and Camila Agra De Figuciredo, of Sarasota, for $705,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,070 square feet of living area.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

RINGLING PARK

Jonathan Currier, of Sarasota, sold his home at 236 Davis Blvd. to Adam Rudnicki, of Warsaw, Poland, for $575,000. Built in 1966, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,940 square feet of living area. It sold for $195,000 in 2003.

SOUTH GATE

Flamingo Enterprises Group LLC sold the home at 2904 Homasassa Road to David and Louise Kolin, of New York City, for $552,300. Built in 1964, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,386 square feet of living area. It sold for $281,500 in 2018.

Other top sales by area

SIESTA KEY: $1.7 MILLION

Siesta Isles

Steven and Karen Hagan, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5628 Cape Leyte Drive to Lisa Vinagro, trustee, of North Scituate, Rhode Island, for $1,705,000. Built in 1963, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,030 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.53 million in 2021.

PALMER RANCH: $710,000

Arbor Lakes on Palmer Ranch

Andrew Taylor and Lauren Taylor, of Venice, sold their home at 6137 Anise Drive to Stacey Borelli and Joseph Dean Borelli, of Scottsdale, Arizona, for $710,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,624 square feet of living area. It sold for $372,600 in 2015.

OSPREY: $595,000

Bay Oaks Estates

Rosemarie Laverdure, of North Port, sold her home at 599 Oak Bay Drive to Nhu Tran, of New Hartford, New York, for $595,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,037 square feet of living area. It sold for $266,000 in 2003.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Brandon Surline $84,800 340 Bayshore Drive Re-roof John Sutter $81,050 7432 Ridge Road Windows/Doors James Mitchell Jr. $73,753 8330 Sanderling Road Remodel Pool Aaron Jagdfeld $65,000 2745 Tangelo Drive Addition Ryan Jacobson $50,000 2316 Fiesta Drive Solar System Nathaniel Macksey $42,365 4184 Via Mirada Mechanical Mark Brus $41,680

Eric Garwood

choice

Waterside

Lakewood Ranch by Stock Development

THURSDAY, JAN. 19 High: 77 Low: 64 Chance of rain: 9%

FRIDAY, JAN. 20

High: 74 Low: 59

Chance of rain: 21%

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

High: 72 Low: 63

Chance of rain: 39%

SUNDAY, JAN. 22 High: 76 Low: 64 Chance of rain: 20%

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Jan. 19 7:20a 6:01p

Friday, Jan. 20 7:20a 6:01p

Saturday, Jan. 21 7:19a 6:02p

Sunday, Jan. 22 7:19a 6:02p

Monday, Jan. 23 7:19a 6:03p

Tuesday, Jan. 24 7:19a 6:04p

Wednesday, Jan. 25 7:18a 6:05p

MOON PHASES

Monday, Jan. 9 0

Tuesday, Jan. 10 0

Wednesday, Jan. 11 0

Thursday, Jan. 12 0

Friday, Jan. 13 0.25

Saturday, Jan. 14 0.03 Sunday, Jan. 15 0

YEAR TO DATE: 2023 1.04 in. 2022 0.11 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2023 1.04 in. 2022 0.11 in.

FAREWELL

TOUR by Jessie and Ross Trudeau, edited by David Steinberg

By Luis Campos

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

Help Wanted

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

ENGINEER Sarasota (Sarasota County)

Provide technical advice on telecommunication systems. Review or prepare budget and cost estimates for equipment installation projects, and control expenditures. Provide technical support and instruction to staff and customers regarding equipment, standards, and help solve speci c, dif cult in-service engineering problems. Analyze system requirements, capacity, cost and customer needs to determine feasibility of project and develop system plan. Determine material and equipment needs and order supplies. Design and oversee installation of telecom equipment, including IP networks, telephone service facilities, electronic switching systems.

Interface with management to integrate sales, operation, engineer, installation and procurement services. Coordinate with managers and Technicians as needed to complete projects and services ef ciently.

Requires a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering. Send resume to of ce@wenzelsrq.com.

W Wenzel Electrical Services Inc