Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 6.1.23

YOUR TOWN

Green

Helping health

Luldes Serrano, executive director of Good Samaritan Pharmacy & Health Services, said many in the community face a difficult choice when it comes to medical needs.

“They oftentimes have to pick: ‘Am I going to pay my rent, or am I going to get my medication?’” Serrano said.

On May 18, the nonprofit celebrated 15 years of helping to fill those needs in Sarasota and surrounding communities.

Supported by individual donations and a volunteer staff of physicians and medical professionals, the organization offers medical services at no cost to qualifying individuals, some of whom may even be employed or partially insured.

Those in need can find pharmacy services at its office at 2502 N. Tamiami Trail, in Nokomis, where a free clinic is open on Wednesdays or on Thursdays at the office at 2801 Newtown Blvd. in Sarasota.

Charitable counties

If you’ve ever felt like folks in the Sarasota area were more generous than people in other parts of Florida, well, you were right. And now there’s statistical methodology to back that up. A new study from SmartAsset, a financial technology company, ranks Sarasota County as the sixth-most generous county in Florida based on the percentage of net income that residents donate to charity. Only Collier, Monroe, Martin, Palm Beach and Walton counties outranked Sarasota, according to the study.

The study compared two main factors, “the amount of money people donate as a percentage of their net income, and the proportion of people who made charitable donations.” To create its index, SmartAsset used tax return information. All that math seems to confirm this place is pretty special.

WEEK OF JUNE 1, 2023

BY THE NUMBERS

4 Cities ranked ahead of Sarasota on the 2023-24 U.S. News & World Report Best Places to Live rankings.

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The additional fee per square foot the Downtown Improvement District proposes to impose on restaurants holding outdoor cafe permits for more sidewalk cleanings.

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Years local musician Rock Lee has been serenading the guests at Marina Jack’s Deep Six Lounge & Piano Bar.

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CALENDAR

n Sarasota Development Review Committee —

9 a.m., Wednesday, June 7, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

n Sarasota County School Board budget meeting

— 3 p.m., Tuesday, June 6, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1980 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance).

Greater Sarasota Chamber President and CEO Heather Kasten

Read more on Page 3

SMH Trauma Center recertified as Level II

Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Sarasota campus has been recertified as a Level II Trauma Center following a review of every aspect of its trauma program. A team of American College of Surgeons trauma experts performed the on-site assessment.

Sarasota County’s only trauma center, SMH-Sarasota is a Level II facility, meaning it is equipped with advanced treatments, technology and trauma surgeons and sub-specialists available 24/7 to provide lifesaving care to the critically injured.

Florida trauma centers undergo recertification every seven years to demonstrate compliance with state rules governing higher levels of care that trauma centers provide. In its first renewal survey since opening, the SMH-Sarasota trauma team met or exceeded all national benchmarks with no deficiencies noted by the assessment team.

“Our trauma program strengthens the safety net of care available in the community, delivering a level of care not available in most hospitals at a time when people need it most,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System CEO David Verinder.

The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved the funds and resources to open the local trauma center in 2015. In its first year, the trauma team cared for more than 1,000 patients. Presently, it treats about 4,800 patients per year.

The SMH trauma center includes specially equipped

trauma bays, operating rooms, a trauma intensive care unit, trauma step-down and progressive units, and specialty nursing and rehab units. In 2016, the hospital’s Rehabilitation Pavilion opened, further promoting the recovery process for trauma and other patients.

Bay Runner schedule changes for summer

Going into the slower summer season, the Bay Runner trolley service between downtown Sarasota and South Lido Key is changing its hours of operation.

Starting June 1, new hours will be 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The new hours reflect an adjustment to service as part-time residents and visitors decline in the summer. It also offers an opportunity for riders to reach their place of employment prior to 8 a.m.

Since the first day of service on March 2, 2022, the Bay Runner has carried nearly 200,000 passengers on a fixed route along Main Street through downtown, over the Ringling Bridge, around St. Armands Circle and then to Lido Beach and Ted Sperling Park.

The Bay Runner carries 28 passengers, is equipped with a wheelchair boarding lift and transports bicycles. The service is operated by CPR Medical Transport, the same company that runs the Siesta Key Breeze trolley.

A route map is available at SarasotaBayRunner.com. A mobile app with real time tracking is also available.

Ron Turner elected to top election post

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner has been sworn in as president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections. The organization represents all 67 supervisors of elections in Florida, who serve more than 14 million registered voters.

A native Floridian, Turner is the only person to serve as supervisor of elections in two counties in the state. Turner served as supervisor of elections in DeSoto County before moving to Sarasota County in 2001. Serving as chief of staff for the Sarasota County elections office, he was named supervisor in 2016.

“My goal as president is to work alongside all Florida supervisors of elections to ensure our state continues to be the gold standard for elections in our country,” Turner said. He will hold the office of president until May 2024.

“Quite frankly, I’m surprised that we’re not at the top of the list already.”

CHASING CHEESEHEADS: SARASOTA

RANKS

NO. 5 AND CLIMBING

Moving up four spots to rank fifth on the U.S. News & World Report Best Places to Live list, Sarasota sets its sights on dethroning Green Bay.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

According to the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Sarasota is now the fifth best city in America to live. That may not come as a big surprise since the city and region have been ranked highly for several years among a number of national publications.

What may be surprising — perhaps not to seasonal residents from the upper Midwest — is the city at the top of the list. Green Bay.

Wisconsin.

Cheeseheads. The frozen tundra. Shirtless fans at Lambeau Field in sub-zero temperatures.

Yes, that Green Bay. The biggest little city in Wisconsin.

There is no arguing the National Football League’s Packers have put Green Bay on the map, but it’s what the city has done with that opportunity, said Morgan Doshi of the Greater Green Bay Chamber, that draws and keeps residents there.

“We’re definitely grateful for the Packers,” said Doshi, the chamber’s director of talent. “They do so much for our community as far as economic development and just fostering and building a sense of community.”

Sarasota doesn’t have an NFL team, but there is one nearby, along with a Major League Baseball team and a National Hockey League franchise, all having experienced a high level of success in their own right.

And although Green Bay does have water access to the Great Lakes via the Fox River — when it isn’t frozen over — Sarasota has something Green Bay will never have: a warm year-round climate and powdery sand beaches.

“We have such diverse choices when it comes to lifestyle and housing here,” said Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heather Kasten. “If you want that city, urban, downtown feel, there is downtown Sarasota. If you want more of that suburban neighborhood, you’ve got Lakewood Ranch.”

It’s all a matter of lifestyle preference, of course, and the contrast between Sarasota and Green Bay could not be more clear. Green Bay has a multigenerational population, while Sarasota has many newcomers and seasonal residents. Green Bay’s economy is historically rooted in manufacturing and shipping, Sarasota’s in tourism. Both are diversifying, investing in the technology industry and fostering entrepreneurship. Common to both cities is they can embrace their small city feel with big city experiences nearby.

“What I’ve learned having been

TALE OF THE TAPE

Comparative

scored higher, some significantly, in the value index, where Sarasota scored 6.1. Green Bay scored 8.0, Huntsville 8.2 and Raleigh-Durham 7.0 on the value index while Boulder ranked lower than Sarasota at 5.3.

That suggests raising the value score could push Sarasota to the top of the list. The value score lies largely in housing costs. According to the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, In April 2023, the median home price in Sarasota was $491,988 versus the national median price of $420,800 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

With the average household spending about 30% of its income on housing — that number is higher for lower income individuals — and the number of “cost-burdened” households is rising, according to Michael Snipes, Associate Professor of Economics at USF Sarasota-Manatee.

It’s a double-edged sword in that as long as Sarasota keeps showing up on such lists, in-migration will keep housing costs high.

“New building is starting to keep up with the increase in demand, but the increase in demand is still higher, exacerbating price increases,” Snipes said. “As long as people still move to the area, housing prices will keep increasing. I have not seen much about how the local government plans on addressing this issue, as they tend to keep their hands off the market, but programs designed to help those with cost-burdenedhousing would certainly help.

Value, though, is only one factor — weighted at 23% of the overall ranking. At 36% is Quality of Life Index, which measures how satisfied residents are with their daily lives. Desirability Index is 22%, based on a March 2023 national poll of where people would most like to live, net migration into the metro area, and the number of days between 33 and 89 degrees. Job market index made up the remaining 19% of the ranking.

THE TOP 10 Best Places to Live as ranked by U.S. News & World Report

1. Green Bay, Wisconsin

2. Huntsville, Alabama

3. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

4. Boulder, Colorado

5. Sarasota, Florida

6. Naples, Florida

7. Portland, Maine

8. Charlotte, North Carolina

9. Colorado Springs, Colorado

10. Fayetteville, Arkansas

OTHER FLORIDA CITIES

IN THE TOP 100

n Melbourne, No. 15

n Jacksonville, No. 16

n Tampa, No. 24

n Pensacola, No. 28

n Daytona Beach, No. 49

n Orlando, No. 52

n Tallahassee, No. 60

n Ocala, No. 67

n Fort Myers, No. 91

tech pick up. We’re seeing a broad diversity of businesses locating here and that to me is so important. For our community to have a strong business community, a place where people can find work, can find good paying jobs, we absolutely tick that box.”

CONTRAST IN GROWTH

From a population standpoint, at 107,000, the city of Green Bay is about twice the size of the city of Sarasota’s year-round population, which nearly doubles in season. The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan statistical area, though, is approximately 891,000 compared to the Green Bay MSA of about 331,000. And while the Green Bay MSA gained 9,000 residents since 2018, the Sarasota region gained 71,000.

“One thousand people a day are moving to Florida. The last number I heard was an income of $4.8 million an hour is migrating to Florida,” Kasten said. “We are getting calls on a regular basis from companies that want to relocate their entire company. People vote with their money ... I think that probably was a key indicator in us moving up in the ranks.”

Staying small, though, is all well and good to Doshi. Green Bay is the kind of place where families stay from one generation to the next, and many of those who move away later return to raise their own families.

Doshi is among the natives who have stayed.

born and raised here, I really appreciate and sometimes take for granted it’s very convenient in that you can get anywhere in the greater Green Bay area in 25 minutes,” Doshi said.

“There’s a nice pace of life, and we’re in close proximity to large metro areas like Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. So if you want to get away for a weekend and fill your soul with big city energy, you can do that.”

RANKING METHODOLOGY

To climb to the top of the list, Sarasota must also surpass Huntsville, Alabama; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Boulder, Colorado. Three of the four cities ranked ahead

Sarasota’s desirability index was 7.8 compared to Green Bay’s 5.7 and a net migration score of 9.1 to Green Bay’s 5.6; but value was Green Bay’s greatest advantage at 8.0 compared to 6.1. That number can improve as the city’s population trends younger and if efforts to provide more housing drive prices down.

“There was once a time when Sarasota was dismissed as a playground for retirees, but that reputation is slowly changing as more young professionals begin to make it their own,” writes U.S. News & World Report in its report, although it still ranks Sarasota as the No. 11 best place to retire.

“We have a diversified business community with a lot of different opportunities,” Kasten said. “We’re starting to see different sectors like

“I was born and raised in Green Bay, and I think our community is at this really sweet spot where we have a great sense of community, it’s friendly, it’s safe, it’s affordable and it’s fun,” she said. “There is a misperception is that there’s nothing to do here. We have hiking trails, lakes, rivers, the Fox River flows into the Bay of Green Bay and we’re connected the Chain of Lakes. You can go hiking to Lake Michigan or to the Bay of Green Bay, you can do water activities. In the winter there’s cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. There’s a lot to do if you’d like to be outdoors and active.”

So what will it take for Sarasota to knock Green Bay off the top of the list?

“I guess it really depends on those key indicators and how they’re quantifying quality of life as a best place to live,” Kasten said. “Quite frankly, I’m surprised that we’re not at the top of the list already.”

Courtesy photo

The Fox River is a central feature in Green Bay’s recreational opportunities.

Andrew Warfield Gleaming condominium towers form the backdrop of the Marina Jack Yacht Basin in downtown Sarasota.

Andrew Warfield Sarasota’s beaches were among the notable features highlighted by the U.S. News & World Report ranking.

World-class access

OBSERVER STAFF

John L. Clark, a research botanist at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, was recently reappointed as a research associate in the department of botany at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Clark’s appointment lasts for three years, until May 2026. It continues an affiliation he has had with the Smithsonian since 2005.

Clark has been affiliated with Selby Gardens through a research partnership since 2009 and joined its staff full time in January 2023. Since then, he has conducted plant research expeditions to the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

Clark specializes in the plant family Gesneriaceae, flowering plants that are distributed throughout the world’s tropical forests. About a third of gesneriads are epiphytic, meaning they grow on other plants without harming them. Selby Gardens is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the study and display of epiphytes.

“The renewal of John’s appointment as a Smithsonian Research Associate attests to the value of the science being conducted at Selby Gardens,” Jennifer O. Rominiecki, president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens said in a release. “Our botanists have discovered or first described for science more than 2,000 species, and their findings are critical to the understanding and conservation of plant biodiversity.”

The academic affiliation with the Smithsonian gives Clark personal access to the vast collections in the National Museum of Natural History’s department of botany. The department’s herbarium, or

collection of dried and preserved plants, currently holds 5 million specimens, making it one of the world’s 10 largest.

The research associate position will facilitate Clark’s ongoing collaborative research with botanists around the world.

“Institutionally, this appointment promotes sharing information,” Clark said in a release. “The Smithsonian does such a good job with digitizing, curating the specimens and making the information widely available.”

Clark has contributed more than 17,000 plant collections to major herbaria. He typically dedicates his collections to at least three priority institutions — Selby Gardens, the Smithsonian and an herbarium in the host country where the plant was collected. He noted that the Museum of Natural History’s plant collection is particularly strong in “type” specimens, the specimen designated as the reference point for a plant species when it is first named.

“Whenever I describe something new to science, I try to make sure that a type is at Selby Gardens and a type is at the Smithsonian,” said Clark.

Galina Vugman,

Board Certified, Hematology and Oncology Hospice and Palliative Care

Dr. Galina Vugman brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Cattleridge Medical Building II office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Hematology/Oncology medicine.

Undergraduate: Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Medical School: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Residency: Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Fellowship: Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Hospice and Palliative Care, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Certification: Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine with Subspecialty Certification in Hematology/Oncology and Hospice and Palliative Care.

Hospital Affiliations: Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital

Selby botanist earns a Smithsonian appointment, which means access to 5 million specimens and a boost for ongoing research.

Courtesy photo

John L. Clark holds a Columnea eubracteata specimen during a field expedition on the western slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Once the city staff desks and office equipment are removed from the floor of Payne Park Auditorium, there will be a blank canvas for The Players Centre for Performing Arts to make its own.

The seven-year search for a permanent home for the nearly century-old community theater appears to have ended at the city-owned building in Payne Park.

The Players and the city are drafting a 10-year lease agreement to rent the building for $100 per year plus $1 per ticket sold. The agreement will include options for two successive 10-year extensions.

In exchange, The Players will invest heavily in upgrades and equipment to retrofit the space to accommodate live theater performances — “In the millions,” according to Executive Director William Skaggs — while the city will be responsible for replacing the Hurricane Ian-damaged roof. The building is currently occupied

by Sarasota Parks and Recreation Department staff.

Sarasota city commissioners authorized staff to prepare a lease agreement to present for approval, which won’t happen unless until July as the commission takes its traditional June break. Meanwhile, Skaggs and company are planning how to best utilize the building and outdoor space.

The Players has been in pursuit of a new home since selling its downtown property in 2016. In 2018, it entered into an agreement with Lakewood

Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to build a $30 million theater complex at Waterside Village. In 2020, The Players vacated its downtown theater and moved performances to a temporary location in vacant retail space at The Crossings at Siesta on South Tamiami Trail.

After the Lakewood Ranch plans failed to materialize, in March 2022, the troupe turned its attention to the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium in downtown located within The Bay, the city-owned 53-acre park under development by the Bay Park Conservancy in partnership with the city.

Unable to reach an agreement with the Bay Park Conservancy for use and management control of that building, city commissioners in October 2022 suggested The Players consider Payne Park Auditorium for its future needs.

Skaggs said depending upon configuration, the space can accommodate seating for up to 300.

“The fact that it is largely an open space is actually very good because what we want to do is create a space that is not only valuable for The Players, we want to engage many other community-based arts organizations that oftentimes need 250 to maybe 300 seats,” Skaggs said.

“For them to be able to have more options, maybe a regular venue that they can depend on, we can work with them on scheduling. We want it to be a very convertible space.

“If somebody wants theater in the round, let’s do that. If they want a thrust setup, let's do that. If they want multiple rows of seating facing just one end of the building let's be able to do that, too. Flexibility is key as to how we want to build out the space and make it as useful for as many parties as possible.”

OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS

The Players may possibly explore an eventual expansion of the Payne Park Auditorium, but for now, Skaggs said the objective is to reach a lease agreement and go about making the building suitable for live theater. More than shopping for moveable seating, requirements include proper acoustics, dressing rooms, backstage facilities, even bringing the restroom facilities up to code. The public park’s location offers plenty

of parking nearby. The Players’ lease proposal includes land surrounding the building, which Skaggs is adamant is not planned for parking but for outdoor uses.

Because Laurel Street is a dead end just east of the auditorium, a paved loop around the front of the building and perhaps a few parking spaces may be in order immediately adjacent to the building plus space for drop-off and pick-up. Otherwise, the outdoor space under the lease would remain open.

“We need to think about the age of a lot of our patrons and ADA requirements,” Skaggs said.

Inside, there is a stage of sorts on one end of the floor. Among the original uses of the building were dances and public speakers for which wing space wasn’t needed. Nor were dressing rooms or prop storage. The Players will address those needs as it forms its renovations plans.

“We will see how we can utilize the whole space and make it as useful and flexible as we can,” said Skaggs. Payne Park Auditorium isn’t a new $30 million facility in the suburbs, nor is it the 900-seat Municipal Auditorium. What it is, Skaggs said, is an opportunity to establish a new home for a historic cultural organization in the next part of a downtown poised for growth.

The luxury apartment and retail development One Main Plaza is underway just a few blocks away on Main Street. Two blocks west of there, the luxury condo and hotel tower SOTA is scheduled to start this summer. And next to Payne Park Artist Court, a 139-unit luxury apartment development is planned at South Washington Boulevard and Adams Lane.

“From an overall economic development perspective, Payne Park actually sits in one of the federal opportunity zones that exists in Sarasota,” Skaggs said. “As a nonprofit locating on government property there’s no monetary value to us making this investment, so not only does the city partnering with a nonprofit bring more activity and even more spending, but even more reasons for people to live work and play right in downtown.”

DID serves up fee hike for sidewalk cafe permits

are currently 49 downtown restaurants with sidewalk cafe permits.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Downtown restaurants with sidewalk cafe permits will likely soon have to pay more to help keep sidewalks clean.

At its May 15 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission voted 4-1, with Erik Arroyo opposed, to instruct staff to prepare an ordinance that increases the fee on restaurants with outdoor dining to pay to clean sidewalks more often.

Wayne Ruben, chairman of the Downtown Improvement District board of directors, brought the request for the commission to consider an ordinance that would add an annual fee of $3 per square foot of permitted outside dining space to cover the cost of additional cleaning.

The fee hike would not apply to restaurants that do not hold sidewalk cafe permits or to on-street parklet space, which has its own fee and permit structure outside the auspices of the DID.

The DID board approved a resolution to make the request at its April 4 meeting.

Outdoor food service, Ruben reasoned, is a primary contributor to dirty sidewalks, which are cleaned 12 times per year, along with four alley cleanings, at a cost of $92,700. To cover that cost and others, restaurants currently pay $274 per year for sidewalk cafe permits, plus $2 per square foot of sidewalk-adjacent use.

The 150% increase, Ruben told commissioners, would provide for an additional four sidewalk cleanings per year along with one more alley cleaning, the latter of which is where grease traps are located.

Or, as an option, individual restaurants could be allowed to clean their sidewalk areas on their own. There

Ruben said the DID board has received generally positive feedback about the fee from the downtown restaurants. Jonathan Van Dyck, general manager of Duval’s Fresh Local Seafood on Main Street, was not among them.

“What we’re looking for is finding a funding source that maintains cleaner sidewalks without putting the burden on a few restaurants who have chosen to have outdoor dining,” he told commissioners. “It’s every business within our city that shares the need to maintain clean sidewalks. It’s every business that sees increased foot traffic on their sidewalks. We agree with the DID that cleaner sidewalks are the right decision for Sarasota, and maintaining them helps to beautify our city.

“What we’re urging this commission to do is find an equitable funding solution that doesn’t unduly burden only restaurants who have made the choice to have outdoor dining.”

To Van Dyck’s point, Commissioner Debbie Trice asked Ruben why the additional cost shouldn’t be shared by retailers or restaurants that don’t offer outdoor seating, but still benefit from the foot traffic they generate. Ruben said they are already paying for a portion of sidewalk cleaning through property taxes.

“All the businesses on those streets are paying already,” Ruben said.

“We’re asking additional increase in the fee just in the cafe permit area because that’s where the area needs to be cleaned. If they choose to take care of their own, then there’s no increase in fees for they would police their own dining areas.”

Vice Mayor Liz Alpert said the increased one-time annual fee would likely cost less than the restaurant buying equipment and assigning a staff member for the task or hiring an outside contractor. She also wasn’t interested in offering the option for restaurants to clean their own sidewalk area for the sake of continuity.

“I think it needs to be consistent that we charge the fee and the city

makes sure it’s all done, because if we leave it up to the restaurants to do it, then we’ve got to have someone on staff making sure it’s being enforced and making sure they’re doing it correctly,” Alpert said. “I think it’s the price of doing business.”

An example of that price was cited by DID Business Manager Julie Ryan. A restaurant permitted for 153 square feet of sidewalk space currently pays $580 per year for the base fee plus $2 per square foot. The additional $3 per square foot would add $459 to its tab, bringing the annual total to $1,039.

Because of the increased burden on downtown restaurants with outdoor seating, Arroyo said he would support the DID’s request if restaurants have the option of the cleaning their sidewalk areas themselves.

Ruben said compared the cost of renting indoor space, a $5 per square foot once a year for outdoor space is minimal.

“We want to have a clean city. We want to have a city that is welcoming, that has a high quality of life,” said City Manager Marlon Brown. “It’s either the city pays or the DID pays.”

Arroyo, who is championing the cause of alley beautification, did agree that the conditions in the alleys need to be addressed.

“I do think that the grease, especially in the back of restaurants and alleys, is a problem and does need to get addressed somehow,” Arroyo said. “I think maybe a collective reservoir for a uniform way of getting rid of the grease would be helpful.”

Raising Littles Takes A Lot

And though mom and dad can take care of most of those bumps and bruises along the way, when the runny nose turns into a running fever, it’s comforting to know that a little help is right around the corner. Whether it’s a quick fix at one of our six Urgent Care Centers, a check-up with a First Physicians Group pediatrician, or even the expert attention of our dedicated pediatric unit, where specialized pediatric hospitalists from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital are on-site 24 hours a day, Sarasota Memorial is always committed to being there when you need us.

That’s just what neighbors do.

‘Session of the century’

Credit Florida lawmakers for going big with legislation that will change Florida for the better.

Hell,” a result of previous laws that provided an economic boon to trial lawyers. But now lawmakers have turned off that legal spigot.

Those milestone changes to the state’s education and legal systems were historic because lawmakers have been chiseling away for 25 years at seemingly immovable obstacles in pursuit of visions that were often regarded as dreams that would never come true. But they did it.

his first term. Alarmed then that Florida’s public schools ranked near the bottom nationally, Bush was determined to upend that embarrassing status. The thrust of his new education initiatives focused on accountability, introducing statewide testing and a grading system for schools and districts. But one small seed of his initiative was a school voucher program that would allow children in failing schools to transfer to better schools. The choice door opened ever so slightly.

were different this year versus, say, 2022 and 2021, when businessman Wilton Simpson was Senate president and lawyer Chris Sprowls was speaker.

“I would point to a commitment that we made to each other to pass each other’s priorities as the No. 1 reason why we accomplished so much,” Renner said.

“Essentially, we made all those priorities the common priorities of the House, Senate and governor’s office. And that flowed down from the top to our leadership teams to the members.

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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

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

Managing Editor / James Peter, JPeter@YourObserver.com

Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com

Staff Writers / Ian Swaby, ISwaby@ YourObserver.com; Andrew Warfield, AWarfield@YourObserver.com

MATT WALSH

Amonth has passed since state lawmakers closed their 2023 session, and now the fog is lifting to bring into clarity what they did.

We know lawmakers didn’t raise our taxes — ya-hoo.

Nor did they really reduce taxes for everyone. They continued their annual game of “look at us, we cut taxes” — that is, with a laundry list of sales-tax holidays (more on that in our next installment).

And it’s probably a safe guess most Floridians know Gov. Ron DeSantis, angling for his quest of the presidency, continued his culture war against wokeness. With the support of his fellow supermajority Republicans in the House and Senate, DeSantis prioritized more legislation designed to squelch the spread of the destructive ESG, DEI and transgender movements.

While that legislation predictably attracted the attention and ire of the leftist press and TV talking heads, Florida’s lawmakers actually did so much more. So much, in fact, the James Madison Institute, the state’s premier think tank, dubbed it “the session of the century.” Not just for Florida, but for all 50 state legislatures around the country.

Bob McClure, president of the institute, says state lawmakers all over America are taking cues from Florida as the model for good policies that produce economic prosperity and protect and promote liberty.

When Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch, addressed a group of James Madison Institute supporters last week, Gregory, not one to be hyperbolic or effusive, echoed McClure: “It was the session of the century for the country,” adding, “We did more this year than we did in my previous four years combined.”

Indeed, whether you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent, the breadth and scope of all they accomplished was stunning. Historic. We’ll predict: Decades from now the 2023 legislative session will be recognized as an apex for the Legislature, a turning or trigger point in Florida’s cultural and economic direction.

The numbers tell one story. In DeSantis’ first legislative session in 2019, the Legislature passed 171 bills. In the most recent session, it passed 317 — the vast majority of which will become law. It would take days for even a savvy policy wonk to wade through and understand the new requirements of so many new laws that will touch so many aspects of Floridians’ lives. But more significant than the number of bills passed are a few landmark laws that have the ingredients to change the state’s educational foundation and Florida’s economy.

Topping that list of landmark legislation:

• HB 1, universal school choice. This will end public education as we’ve known it — and it will do so for the better. Universal choice will give 3.3 million Florida K-12 students about $8,000 a year in tax money vouchers and the freedom to choose a public or private school and other educational services.

• HB 837, tort reform. Rep. Gregory estimates the provisions of this complicated legislation will save every Florida family at least $5,000 a year, simply because of a reduction in liability lawsuits against businesses. For decades, Florida has been regarded as “Legal

A sampling of other new legislation that can be considered transformational:

n The ban on abortions after six weeks, except in the cases of rape, incest, human trafficking or medical necessity.

n Not requiring a concealed weapons license to carry a concealed weapon.

n The elimination of Enterprise Florida, its associated economic development groups and the millions of dollars it dispensed in subsidies to attract corporations.

n The expansion of Kidcare, the state and federally subsidized health insurance for children, a measure estimated to enroll 16,000 children next year at a starting cost of $10 million for Floridians and $25 million for federal taxpayers and sure to grow as entitlements do.

n Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $700 million bill designed to increase affordable housing via incentives and subsidies to builders and scaling back local zoning restrictions.

n The easing of the teacher certification process.

OUTSIDE THE MARGINS

With the passage of more than 300 bills, there are many others that can be regarded as transformative. But the above bills are singled out to illustrate how this year’s Legislature is different from those of previous years in at least two respects:

One: Typically, lawmaking is plodding, incremental and in the margins; rarely bold or dramatically disruptive to the status quo. Entrenched institutional and societal ways of business are often impenetrable fortresses, even when they’re failing. That’s the nature of government.

Two: Typically, legislative bodies spend most of their sessions creating more laws that expand government interventionism. And with each intervention, the citizenry loses more of its freedoms.

If you go through the 300 bills Florida lawmakers approved, the vast majority are injecting more regulations and expanding government to solve perceived problems. The Kidcare and affordable housing legislation are two examples.

But with universal school choice and tort reform, this year’s Legislature went outside the margins, went big and bold and actually did something that few lawmakers ever do: increased citizens’ freedoms.

EDUCATION HOLY GRAIL

With school choice, Florida reached the Holy Grail. The late economists Milton and Rose Friedman must be dancing in their graves, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is seeing the seed he planted becoming an oak.

The Friedmans first proposed school vouchers as a way to improve public education in the mid-1970s. That idea finally began sprouting in the late 1990s. Gov. Bush sparked the revolution in 1999 in

Ever since then, Florida has been the national leader in spreading school choice options and spreading more freedom. “This is the next iteration of parental choice,” Bush told us. “Parents will ultimately be able to customize their children’s learning experience with hybrid offerings.”

Bush also believes this expanded choice won’t be the death of public education. Instead, it will inspire public school districts to “respond with better traditional school offerings and invigorated magnet schools.”

Let the competition begin.

INCREASED FREEDOM

Tort reform also increases Floridians’ freedom. Trial lawyers say otherwise, because they argue the laws will now protect businesses and deny poor and middle-class Floridians who can’t afford lawyers access to justice. The increase in freedom comes from having $5,000 more in every family’s checking account.

More freedom: Ability to carry a concealed weapon without having a license.

More freedom: Elimination of corporate incentive subsidies. For every tax dollar used to subsidize or lure corporations to relocate to Florida, those are dollars taken out of the pockets of everyday Floridians and, often times, out of the pockets of existing businesses that end up at a competitive disadvantage to the subsidized corporate newcomer.

More freedom: Relaxing teacher certification requirements. This will give schools the freedom to tap the expertise of Florida’s welleducated but noncertified retirees. Finally, how is a ban on abortions after six weeks more freedom? It’s giving unborn children the freedom to live.

HOW AND WHY?

Underlying the historic breadth and depth of legislation adopted in this year’s session are the questions of “how?” — how they did it, and why? — why were they able to push through so much? An obvious answer is supermajorities. Republican have that in the House and Senate, rendering Democrats virtually powerless to stop whatever is on the Republicans’ agenda.

But the answer to those questions goes deeper than that. Republicans have controlled the House, Senate and governor’s office for two decades. But unlike in previous years, this time around there was an essential ingredient: strong and almost complete alignment on the issues among the top three leaders — Gov. DeSantis, President Passidomo and Speaker Paul Renner.

The three of them had multiple meetings over multiple months prior to the session, Renner told us. And in those meetings they “reiterated that we were going to try to do it a different way. It was not necessarily an explicit joint plan, but it was an ‘everybody wins’ approach.”

Renner explained how things

GOVERNOR WILL STILL BE PAID

Asked if Gov. Ron DeSantis will continue to receive all of his $210,000 annual state salary while campaigning for president, Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern replied to the Observer in an email:

“The governor remains serving

“In times past,” he said, “you saw things devolve based on personality conflicts, egos or ‘If I don’t get what I want, your bill is not going to get moved.’ It was a traditional belief then that everything had to be leveraged — ‘If you want this, I’ve got to get something for it,’ a trading out of priorities of ‘I’ll do this for you, if you do this for me.’”

But there was one other ingredient: “It goes back to having people going big,” Renner said. DeSantis has said in many speeches and in his book, “Be willing to take bold stands.”

Renner is of the same mind.

“That was my overarching goal — to get as much accomplished as we could during my (two years) as speaker. I wanted to make sure that every big problem that could be solved was solved.”

He added: “There is certainly more to be done.”

Passidomo declined to comment.

THE NEXT SESSION

Renner and Gregory already have priorities for the 2024 session. Near or atop the list: infrastructure.

Renner and Gregory both said given the amount of tax money the state is taking in with rapid population growth, the state’s infrastructure needs — roads, bridges, sewer systems, water treatment — will be an essential priority. Renner is forming a strategy commission to determine Florida’s needs 20 and 30 years from now.

Renner also listed health care costs and solving the shortage of physicians and nurses, adding, “Child welfare needs to be fixed.”

Better funding for the state’s overburdened court system is likely to be a high priority as well. As Gregory told the James Madison audience: “When the courts don’t have enough resources, that’s justice delayed and justice denied.”

FREEDOM COMES WITH RISKS

After watching the Legislature for 40-plus years, we’ve observed the standard post-session assessments. Lawmakers go back to their districts and tout how wonderful they are and how they passed more laws to fix problems that were created by previous laws.

The media, in turn, pecks away at the politicians for what they failed to do or how they kowtowed to sacred-cow special interests.

And the constituents go “ho-hum.”

This time, it’s different. No one, of course, knows at this point what the unintended consequences will be of, say, universal school choice, tort reform, the six-week abortion ban, the concealed carry gun law, or, for that matter, the 300 other bills that will become law.

But whether you like or dislike Florida’s Republican controlled Legislature, the governor, Senate president, speaker and Republican lawmakers deserve positive recognition. They did what few politicians do: They went outside the margins and went bold — with the belief they will be changing Florida and Floridians’ lives for the better. We hope, and we believe, history will prove them right.

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the people that he was elected to serve.” When we emailed Redfern a second time, saying he did not answer the question, Redfern replied again: “Ron DeSantis is still the governor of Florida. Hope that helps.”

We’ll ask you: Could you do your job 100% and still run for president? — MW

When a former teacher told Gregory she worried about the effects of school choice on the state’s public education system, Gregory said he understood her concern. But then he added a comment that applies universally: “Freedom comes with risks.”

Risks worth taking.

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

Midyear report sets tone for county budget process

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Revenues are exceeding projections and expenditures are generally behind budget at the midpoint of fiscal year 2023, Sarasota County commissioners learned during a budget workshop last week.

Commissioners received progress reports from a number of departments plus a presentation from economist Shawn Snaith, who said the nation’s economy is on the brink — if not already in — a mild, self-inflicted recession that he said should remain mild barring unforeseen circumstances.

“Everything we’ve gone through over the past three years really is rooted in our policy response to COVID-19,” Snaith said. “We shut down the economy. We plunged into the worst recession since the Great Depression. Two weeks to flatten the curve became two months largely to bulldoze the economy, and when the decision to open back up for the most part happened, the economy roared back to life.”

The Federal Reserve, Snaith said, has managed to get a handle on inflation, adding that he expects the economy to contract slightly while the Fed holds the line on interest rates.

The recessionary conditions have yet to show up in the county’s bottom line as revenues not including property taxes have exceeded projections through the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Compared to budget, at the

SARASOTA COUNTY

midpoint of fiscal year 2023, major revenues beyond ad valorem taxes are running 27.9% above, utilities revenues 15% above and general fund

MAJOR FUND EXPENDITURES

Sarasota County midyear expenditures for fiscal year 2023 and the percentage of full-year allocated amount spent:

major revenues 19.3% above. This compares to overall expenditures running at 39% below and general fund expenditures 42% below budget.

Major revenue sources include the one-cent infrastructure surtax at $29.35 million collected, or 30.1% over midyear projections; gas taxes at $9.54 million, or 6.9% above budget; and tourist development tax revenue of $20.18 million or 65.3% above budget.

Delivery of the midyear financial report is a preliminary step In setting the next fiscal year’s budget. Several workshops remain until the budget is adopted once the property tax assessor sets the preliminary property values for the next fiscal year. On June 20-21 and 23, budget workshops will include the presentation of County Administrator Jonathan

Lewis’ recommended budget, constitutional officer requests and commissioner input.

Key dates that follow include:

n July 1: Final property values set.

n July 11: Set tentative not-to-exceed millage rates.

n Aug. 25: Budget workshop (if needed).

n Sept. 11: Public hearing.

n Sept. 26: Public hearing and budget adoption. For the current fiscal year, commissioners set the countywide millage rate at 3.4561, a slight decrease of 0.0098 mill from fiscal 2022. Lewis did not indicate his recommended millage for fiscal 2024.

The county’s revenues are above projections and its expenses are below at the fiscal midyear mark.

SUNDAY, MAY 21 SHEAR MISUNDERSTANDING

11:56 p.m., 3700 block of Rilma Avenue

Domestic disturbance: An officer who was unable to locate parties involved in a reported attempted stabbing made phone contact with the complainant who stated that he and his wife were in a verbal argument when she became visibly upset and reached for her book bag. The complainant said he knows she keeps scissors in her bag and thought she might reaching for them. He said he took the scissors and threw them in a ditch, but at no point were they used in a threatening manner. He added that the incident occurred near the 3500 block of Old Bradenton Road and that his wife walked away in an unknown direction. Officers were unable to locate the woman. No further action was taken at the time of the report.

MONDAY, MAY 22

BUS-TED GLASS

9:55 a.m., 100 block of North Lemon Avenue

Criminal mischief: A man known to Sarasota County Area Transit employees broke a glass panel on a county bus. Onboard security cameras captured the act. SCAT wishes to press charges for criminal mischief for damage of $200-$1,000.

The bus driver who called police explained he was traveling eastbound on 12th Street when he stopped to let passengers out at the rear door when he saw a man he knew from previous incidents to be aggressive approach the front door of the bus. The suspect knocked on the door but was refused entry. The man proceeded to punch the door until breaking the glass, then walked away. The suspect was identified by video; the driver agreed to participate in a lineup at a later date. The damage is estimated at $500.

DOG DAY AFTERNOON

1:50 p.m., 1200 block of East Avenue

Civil dispute: A customer at an auto service shop called police, accusing the manager of possessing his pit bull. The complainant told an officer he spotted one of his 14 dogs that has been missing for six months and asked the shop manager for his dog back, which the manager refused.

SUNDAY, MAY 21

TOO MANY PAPER PLATES

5:59 a.m., 1800 block of North Tamiami Trail Dispute: A motel guest taking an excessive number of paper plates led to a dispute with an employee who called police for assistance. The employee stated the guest took too many paper plates from the complimentary breakfast and when confronted became irate.

The employee said she would like the officer to speak to the guest and tell him he must check out at 11 a.m. The guest agreed to leave and no further action was taken.

The complainant had a photo of his missing dog, which appeared to be similar if not the same, according to the police report. The complainant said he had no ownership documents nor was the dog chipped. He was advised he could take the matter to civil court and that law enforcement was not permitted to take the dog from the manager and give it to him.

FENCES MAKE BAD NEIGHBORS

8:55 p.m., 2000 block of Bougainvillea Avenue

Disturbance: Allegedly rambunctious guests partying drew police to a house that is rented weekly, according to the complainant who stated a party of 12 to 15 people was underway when “a blonde woman and a shirtless tattooed man climbed on his fence and broke it.”

Officers examined the fence, which had two of the panels lying on the grass but did not appear damaged other than being pulled from the frame. He also mentioned the alleged female fence climber had previously knocked on his front door. In their defense, the two accused of damaging the fence said the homeowner next door had gotten into a confrontation with them and climbed the fence himself, which fell back onto his own property.

Unable to determine who damaged the fence, officers could not bring any charges.

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One fine show

Fine

JAMES PETER MANAGING EDITOR

St. Armands Circle turned into an open-air fine art gallery May 27-28, with artists’ tents covering the green for the annual St. Armands Fine Arts Festival.

The artists showing their work were accomplished in a variety of

media, including oil and acrylic paints, metalwork, ceramics and fossilized shark teeth. One common denominator among the artists was that most were from Florida.

Painter Victoria B. Cooley, of Sarasota, described her work as “more traditional and coastal.” The Ringling College graduate said the beauty of festivals like the St. Armands show is that it brings artists into contact with “hundreds of different people” in a short time period.

She shows her work at about 30 shows a season. Cooley explained that she’s received a number of com-

missions through the festivals, with commissions booked through July.

“Summer is when I replenish my work,” she said.

Cooley offers a variety of special prints and artwork, including pocket-sized canvases on mini easels, perfect for fitting into a suitcase or carry-on.

“I just want people to have art,” she said.

On the other side of the circle, an artist’s tent stopped passersby with a simple sign, “Yes, they are paintings.”

Ken Orton’s paintings prompted a number of double takes from festivalgoers who might have mistaken them for photos. The Venice-based artist hails from Birmingham, England, and taught art in Spain at the Centre de Arte Joan Miro of the

Baleares International School in Palma de Mallorca, where among other lessons he imparted the power of the ellipse and transparency to students.

“I can build anything from that,” he said.

His Venice studio is called The Workhouse, which he jokingly described in Dickensian terms. While Orton paints there, he said he prefers the cadence of baseball broadcasts or audiobooks. Music would overpower or distract from the painting, which itself is “very musical.”

After years of attending 40 shows a year, Orton said he plans a more sensible 20 or so shows in the future, yet he still paints “most of the night.”

With tongue in cheek, he advised, “Every time someone takes a photo of an artist’s work without permission, a kitten dies.”

“I

Ken Orton of Venice, Florida

Photos by Sidra Wali

Victoria B. Cooley, of Sarasota, paints with acrylic and oils to create beach scenes.

arts festival draws crowd to St. Armands Circle, where local artists showed their work.

A+E INSIDE:

< THIS WEEK: Savor Sarasota serves up lunch and dinner specials from June 1-14. 15

REVIEW: Audience favorite ‘Shear Madness’ is back on stage for the third time at FST. 16 >

JUNE 1, 2023

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT FRINGE THEATER TAKES

IN SARASOTA CENTER STAGE

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

Victoria Montalbano is excited.

The self-described “theater kid” from Sarasota is coming home for the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, to perform her one-woman show, “The Princess Strikes Back: One Woman’s Search for the Space Cowboy of her Dreams.”

If you guessed that Montalbano is a “Star Wars” fan, you would be right. She saw the original movie when she was 13 years old and immediately started crushing on Hans Solo, played by Harrison Ford.

But it wasn’t until she saw “Star Wars” again years later on the Disney+ streaming service that she realized that most of her romantic relationships resembled that of Solo and Princess Leia, the late Carrie Fisher’s character.

Being a performer, Montalbano

Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival features a smorgasbord of edgy performances.

founder of the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, which runs June 8-11 at the Cook Theatre at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to “The Princess Strikes Back,” the fest will present eight other performances of roughly an hour each.

Like Montalbano, Radish is a Florida native. Before founding the nonprofit Squeaky Wheel Theatre Group in 2020, she worked in regional theater for nearly a decade, in a variety of roles at venues ranging from the Ogonquit Playhouse in Maine to the Utah Festival Opera.

About five years ago, Radish decided to get out of the theater business, which can be hard on the body for those involved in scenery, props, lights and the other nuts and bolts of production. But after a hiatus, Radish found herself being drawn back to theater and specifically to fringe.

‘What is fringe exactly?’ you might ask. Good question.

wanted to share that revelation with an audience. “Storytelling is how I do comedy, so I went to an open-mic night and talked about a crush I had on a boy when I was 13,” said Montalbano, who lives in Chicago. That open-mic performance

evolved into a one-woman show that she has been performing at fringe festivals around the country since July 2021. But it wasn’t until now that she had a venue to present “The Princess Strikes Back” in Sarasota.

It’s all thanks to Megan Radish,

As its name implies, fringe is not mainstream. And it’s not one type of performance. It can be drama, dance, comedy, music or all of the above.

“Smorgasbord” is a word you hear a lot when people talk about fringe.

“I’ve been watching fringe for

SEE FRINGE ON PAGE 14

“It’s really wonderful that Sarasota is getting a fringe festival. The city has such a strong theater community, and this is something that’s been missing.”

Victoria Montalbano

Courtesy art Victoria Montalbano stars in the "The Princess Strikes Back," one of the selections at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, Sarasota's first fringe fest.

years,” says Radish. “I’ve seen some very unique shows. I’ve seen classically trained musicians perform on Segways.”

In addition to offering a little of this and a little of that, fringe pushes the boundaries. It tests limits, so perhaps it’s best to leave the kids at home. If you’re easily offended or have rigid ideas about who and what is acceptable as entertainment, you should probably stay home too.

“Fringe is a home for things that may not get a stage elsewhere,” Radish says. “Most of what we do is about accessibility and advocacy, both for artists and audiences.”

Not sure if fringe is for you? Radish has come up with a way for you to find out. A fringe “teaser” showcasing the nine performances in the festival takes place on June 7. It costs just $5, plus $5 for a festival badge required to attend all of the shows.

In addition to the $5 button, all festivalgoers must buy a $12 ticket to each show they attend. All proceeds go to the shows’ creators, who are responsible for their own publicity.

In addition to prodigal daughter Montalbano, Sarasota-area artists presenting their works at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival include Katherine Michelle Tanner, Jessica Pope and Scott Keys.

Tanner, an actress, musician, dancer and filmmaker, stars in “Shakespeare’s Lovers.” The play incorporates 29 of Shakespeare’s sonnets and 19 of Tanner’s own. Asked to describe the play, Tanner replies, “It’s about a male poet and a female painter who meet in a pool of water, a river. There’s a narrator. Things happen and it gets intense.”

The set of “Shakespeare’s Lovers” is built like a children’s pop-up book. “What we use for the water is a surprise,” Tanner adds.

The Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival is a trial run for “Shakespeare’s Lovers,” which Tanner’s new theater company, Tree Fort Productions, will perform later this year.

Even though fringe is new to Sarasota, it’s been around since 1947, when it got its start in Edinburgh, Scotland. According to Radish, there

are four fringe festivals in Florida, with Orlando hosting the longestrunning fringe festival in the U.S. Radish had the chance to meet with representatives from fringe organizations near and far at the World Fringe Congress held in Orlando last year. “We’ve got a WhatsApp and we’re always chatting,” she says. “It’s been a wonderful resource to getting started down here.”

Speaking of getting started, it wouldn’t have been possible without the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, says Radish, as well as the support of sponsor Deep Creek Eye Care.

Reached last week in Chicago by telephone, Montalbano was counting the days until her return to Sarasota. She’s invited her parents and friends from FST theater camp and high school to see “The Princess Strikes Back.” Says Montalbano, “I’m inviting everybody.”

It will be an old home week of sorts because Scott Keys, who is starring in “The Sequestered Jester” at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival, was her high school drama teacher. Keys recently retired as chair of the theater program at Booker Visual and Performing Arts High School.

“It’s really wonderful that Sarasota is getting a fringe festival,” Montalbano says. “The city has such a strong theater community, and this is something that’s been missing. I hope people will come out and see what it’s about.”

IF YOU GO

SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE

FESTIVAL

When: 7 p.m. on June 8-9, 11 a.m. on June 10-11

Where: Jane B. Cook Theatre, FSU/Asolo Center for the Performing Arts

Tickets: $12 each plus $5 festival pass Info: SqueakyWheelTheatre. org.

MORE SELECTIONS FROM THE FESTIVAL

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

OPENING RECEPTION FOR ‘IDENTITY: EXPLORING THE HUMAN CONDITION’

6-8 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Free Visit ArtSarasota.org.

Art Center Sarasota’s largest juried exhibition of the year highlights the diverse talents of artists from across the Southeast and will be on display

OUR PICK

LES MCCURDY AND GUESTS

Join McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre founder Les McCurdy, above, in one of his rare Sarasota stage appearances. Most of the time, he’s booking other comics, teaching comedy or visiting comedy festivals and performances with his wife and club co-founder, Pam McCurdy. Runs through June 8.

IF YOU GO

When: 7 p.m. on June 7-8

Where: McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

Tickets: $25

Info: Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

in four gallery spaces. Christy Paris, an art professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, is the juror. She will present her critique on Tuesday, June 6. Runs through Aug. 11.

‘REEL MUSIC’

6 p.m. at Florida StudioTheatre’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $34-$39 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

“Reel Music” celebrates the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century, with classics like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Circle of Life” and “My Heart Will Go On.” This lively music revue reminds us that movies and music have always gone hand in hand. Runs through June 25.

‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’

8 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $35 Visit AsoloRep.org.

Incoming Asolo Rep Producing

Artistic Director Peter Rothstein directs a modern-day version of the 1965 musical hit “Man of La Mancha,” based on the classic Cervantes novel about Don Quixote’s “Impossible Dream.” Runs through June 11.

‘SHEAR MADNESS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $25 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

There’s been a murder in a local hair salon, and it’s up to Sarasota audiences to outwit the suspects and catch the killer in this interactive comedy whodunit. Runs through June 25.

MARK SCHATZ AND BRYAN MCDOWELL

7:30 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $24 members; $20 nonmembers; students $12 Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville.

Acoustic music “Renaissance man” Mark Schatz and multiinstrumentalist Bryan McDowell deliver a high-energy show full of fiddle tunes, songs, clogging and hambone.

TOM SIMMONS

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Tom Simmons’ TV appearances on major networks include Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, Bounce TV, Comedy.TV, Laughs on FOX and Comics Unleashed. Runs through June 4.

MONDAY ‘GRAND CARNIVAL — DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER’

8 p.m. at Circus Arts Conservatory, 2075 Bahia Vista St. $75 Visit PPSRQ.org/GrandCarnival-2023.

The Grand Carnival features Ada Vox and Zee Machine, an open bar and light bites. The honorary chairs for the Project Pride SRQ event are Donna Koffman and family.

TUESDAY

‘MIDDLE EARTH AND THE SHIRE: THE WORLDS OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’

11 a.m. at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $10 Visit OlliRinglingCollege.org.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) presents a lecture by Martha Hill on distinguished scholar and professor J.R.R. Tolkien, whose special subject was Old Norse. Tolkien’s love of languages led to the creation of his own and the fully realized world of Middle Earth.

WEDNESDAY

FRINGE TEASER: SQUEAKY

WHEEL FRINGE FESTIVAL

8 p.m. at Cook Theatre at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $5 with a $5 festival button. Tickets for individual shows are $12. Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.

Sarasota’s first fringe festival shines a spotlight on affordable, no-holdsbarred theater, dance, puppetry, music, visual arts and spoken word. Fringe fests don’t focus on a single genre but act as a performing arts potpourri. Runs through June 11.

DON’T MISS Ready, Set, Eat!

Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week is back, and it’s bigger than ever.

Foodies, rejoice! It’s the most wonderful time of year —Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week, which is actually two weeks. From June 1-14, more than 50 area restaurants will offer lunch menus (appetizer and entrée) for $25 per person and dinner specials (appetizer, entrée and dessert) for $40. Many eateries are also offering upgrades and wine and spirit pairings in honor of the occasion.

Savor Sarasota participants are located in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Nokomis/Osprey/Venice/Englewood and St. Armands Circle.

“Our restaurants stepped up and created some impressive lunch and dinner menus this year, like Organic Farmer’s Table’s Mushroom French Dip, A Sprig of Thyme’s Canard Pyrenees and Fins at Sharky’s Seafood Risotto,” said Erin Duggan, vice president of Visit Sarasota County, in a statement.

This year, there are several newcomers, including 481 Gourmet in the Rosemary District, Kona Grill at University Town Center, Grillsmith, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Maestrale Restaurant & Pizzeria in Sarasota, LobsterCraft on St. Armands, Lazy Lobster on Longboat and Kacey’s Seafood Lockwood Ridge, as well as the Kacey’s on Fruitville Road.

Savor Sarasota was launched in 2006 as Restaurant Week with the aim of helping local eateries attract business during the “off season.”For a full list of participating restaurants and to browse their menus, visit VisitSarasota.com/Savor-Sarasota/Restaurants.

Courtesy photos

Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell will appear at Fogartyville on Thursday, June 1.

The raw oysters are always fresh at Crab & Fin.

Carved porcini-rubbed sliced iron steak at Michael’s On East.

Soar with Dad

‘Shear Madness’ brings hair-raising hilarity to FST

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

“Shear Madness” has returned to the Florida Studio Theatre stage — for the third time. What kind of play is it? Let’s just say it lives up to its name. The show’s an audience hit, but it’s hard to describe.

In live theater, scripted plays and improvisation are usually kept as rigidly separate as peas and mashed potatoes on a high school lunch tray. If the play’s got a script, the actors and director find their own interpretation, but don’t mess with the words on the page.

“Shear Madness,” which opened on May 31, is a rare exception. It’s scripted comedy, but the script isn’t sacred. Night after night, many lines wind up on the cutting room floor.

Other dialogue is made up on the spot. An actor might do some Robin Williams-style improv. Or audience interaction might create a new direction. It’s never the same play twice.

It’s been that way since Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams first launched the show in 1978. They adapted it from Paul Portner’s “Scherenschnitt,” an interactive German language play about the killing of a concert pianist.

It was no laughing matter. “I was in a production of that play,” Jordan recalls. “Portner was a Swiss psy-

chologist. He wrote it as a serious drama about human perception — but the audience input could get so off-the-wall, it’d instantly turn into a comedy, and the house would just crack up. For our adaptation, Marilyn and I decided to take it in a comic direction.”

In Jordan and Abrams’ version, the action unfolds in the “Shear Madness” hair salon. The victim (still a pianist) is also now the landlady who lives directly above. Scissors are still the murder weapon — the unkindest cut of all. Two detectives appear, look for evidence and grill the suspects. (And everybody’s a suspect.)

At the end of the show, the audience becomes the jury that decides who’s guilty.

Each production fleshes out this story skeleton with local and timely references. The salon’s now in Sarasota. The hellish traffic on U.S. 41, Ron DeSantis and Bradenton’s arcane street names are now the comic targets of choice.

With the exception of Gina Milo, all the actors are “Shear Madness” veterans. The director’s none other than Jordan himself. When I attended a recent rehearsal, he was sitting close to the action with a big smile on his face. The actors were playing around. He lets them play and tosses out occasional notes.

The cast is rehearsing an early (pre-murder) scene. The laconic Nick (Gil Brady) sits in the barber’s chair awaiting a shave. The flamboyant Tony (Jordan Ahnquist) hops around him with nonstop chatter and the attention span of a West Highland Terrier. He’s giving Nick

Courtesy photos

“Shear Madness” runs through June 25 at FST’s Gompertz Theatre.

In this murder-mystery comedy, the play is never the same thing.

directions to his Bradenton house …

Tony: It’s real easy to get to. You just hop on U.S. 41. It turns to 14th Street West, but keep going. You’ll go past the Walmart, the wastewater treatment plant, the other Walmart, then follow …

Nick: Whoa! Stop with the directions, ’cause I am never going to Bradenton …

Jordan rewinds the scene. The actors replay it a few times and sprinkle in more local references, while the director and the other actors shout out suggestions.

Along with tweaking the dialogue, Jordan also fine-tunes the movement. In the next scene, Milo’s character Barb appears — the salon’s other hairdresser. They cross the space, then turn and go in opposite directions. At the turn, they almost collide — but spot each other just in time.

“Do it again, but don’t make eye contact,” Jordan suggests. “It’ll be funnier that way.”

The actors repeat the scene. Tony’s lost in thought, a motormouth as usual. He’s oblivious to Barb’s vector of motion. At the turn, he almost ploughs into Barb. But he doesn’t even notice the near-collision.

The director’s right. The scene is

funnier. But it’s only one of many.

“Shear Madness” is packed with physical comedy. It’s as much dance as dialogue. Along with being a director/playwright, Jordan’s also a choreographer.

At the break, the actors in the show express their love for “Shear Madness.” Its unpredictable improv isn’t their usual wheelhouse — and that’s why they love it. They get a kick out of the collaborative nature of the play, and their freedom to change lines and add new bits here and there.

Brady sums it up best. “There’s a reason we keep coming back to ‘Shear Madness,’” he says. “It’s the same reason audiences keep coming back. This play is so much fun. It’s insanely fun! And it never gets old because it changes every time.”

IF YOU GO

‘SHEAR MADNESS’

When: Through June 25

Tickets: $29-$49

Where: FST Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota Info: Call 366-9000 or visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

ONE LOCATION ENDLESS EXPERIENCES FOR ALL ringling.org

Remembering the fallen

Memorial Day Tribute at Sarasota National Cemetery honors service members who died in the line of duty.

Hundreds filled the amphitheater on May 27 at Sarasota National Cemetery to remember loved ones who died in active service or who are missing in action at the cemetery’s annual Memorial Day Tribute.

The tribute included spoken vignettes by the event’s Gold Star families, who were its stage guests. Akiel Reyes Melendez, a top-ranking cadet at Sarasota Military Academy, offered an opening speech as the event's master of ceremonies.

“Memorial Day is different from other military days of acknowledgement,” Melendez said during his speech. “Veterans Day honors veterans for the time they served in uniform. Armed Forces Day celebrates those in active duty. Memorial Day was established exclusively to honor and remember the men and women who died in service to our country and did not live to be honored the other days of the year.”

The event also featured performances by recording artist Lindsay Graham and a trio of musicians, Jae Williams, Kregg Edwards and Michael Shultz.

The placement of flags on each grave in the cemetery by Flags For Fallen Vets preceded the

ceremony. Paul Sciacca Jr., whose father, Paul Sciacca, was a veteran of the Vietnam War, said he appreciated the gesture.

“They sacrificed a lot for us,” he said. “I love my dad a lot.”

“I don’t want people to forget that we need to live our dreams because they gave theirs,” said Yolanda Mercado, a Gold Star parent who spoke at the event.

—IAN SWABY

The event's Gold Star families are flanked by Sarasota Military Academy cadets Raphael Fabyanic and Akiel Reyes Melendez.

Erin Masciulli and 15-year-old Aly Miller place flags to memorialize those buried in the cemetery. Bernie Regan and Mike MacDonald bow their heads in prayer.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Emma Masciulli helps Jim Currie with the flags, as does Phala Amey.

Behind the Headlines

Marching in honor of sacrifice

Members of the community assembled on May 29 during the city of Sarasota’s annual Memorial Day parade in honor of those who gave their lives defending the country.

The parade, hosted in conjunction with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, centered on the theme “All Gave Some. Some Gave All” and included marchers along with trucks, bicycles and motorcycles.

Among the many organizations involved were the Veterans of Foreign Wars Sunshine Post 3233, Sarasota Military Academy, Sarasota Police Department and Sarasota County Fire Department.

“This is a really fine tribute,” said Chaplain Herbert Jordan, who served in the National Guard in Sarasota. “I know a lot of communities hold Memorial Day celebrations, but Sarasota has gone all out and done a whole lot for this.”

The parade was followed by a ceremony at J.D. Hamel Park, where the keynote speaker was Richard Petrucci, a former Navy pilot of 25 years. Petrucci spoke about the importance of honoring fallen or missing service members.

“To be killed in wars is not the worst thing that can happen. To be lost is not the worst thing. To be forgotten is the worst thing,” he said.

— IAN SWABY

STAY ACTIVE AND PAIN FREE

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Brett Watson and 2-year-old Roman Watson watch the parade.

Photos by Ian Swaby

David Bonci and Cmdr. Ron Evans, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Sunshine Post 3233, greet the crowds lining Main Street.

Music mixed with memories

The ‘piano man’ at Marina Jack, beloved by patrons, celebrated his 30th anniversary with the restaurant on May 15.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Rock Lee said he recognized just about all the faces crowded around his keyboard at Marina Jack the night of May 15.

They were there to celebrate his 30th anniversary of playing music in the Deep Six Lounge & Piano Bar, where’s gotten to know them all over the years as the lounge’s piano man.

“I’ve had people propose at the piano bar, people meet each other for the first time at the piano bar and then get married,” Lee said.

That wasn’t what he expected when he signed a one-year contract with the restaurant in 1993, with thoughts of paying the bills and supporting his daughter, Donna Saenz, who was 9 years old at the time.

“I never dreamed I’d be here this long, but I’m certainly happy that it happened,” he said.

Key to his happiness? The connections that flow naturally out of his music.

“They let me know what they like.

I start playing some of those songs, and then it reminds people of wherever in their life they were at when they heard the song. And that always leads to a conversation.”

One pair of friends is Sharon and Phil Semmer, who remember Lee’s warm welcome when they first moved to Sarasota in 2000.

Phil Semmer, a former member of the United States Marine Band, will challenge Lee, who plays by ear and usually works up his music at home, to bring in particular tunes.

“Rock always comes through with the music,” Sharon Semmer said.

PLAYING IT BY EAR

While Lee said he is largely selftaught, his upbringing heavily

IF YOU GO

influenced the direction of his career.

His parents were Lewis Lee, a drummer, and Bettie Lee, a singer, who both belonged to large bands in Oklahoma, where he grew up. Having learned drums at age 12, Lee took a group summer course in piano at Oklahoma City Community College.

After becoming a pianist, Lee toured the country. Lee said the reason it’s uncommon for musicians to spend so long at one venue is because many like to travel.

Yet after he stayed at the Holiday Inn on Lido Key and a resident lent him a bicycle so he could explore, he knew what place he wanted to call home.

Since 1985, he has lived in Sarasota, and he went on to play at venues that now survive only as memories.

He played at Nick’s Vineyard in The Quay, once found at the intersection of Fruitville Road and U.S.

41; Tail O’ the Pup, a restaurant that once existed on St. Armands Circle; and Café on the Bay, at one time a restaurant on Longboat Key.

He’s also played at locations including Beach Club at Siesta Key, LeBarge Tropical Cruises and Lido Beach Inn.

’NO ONE IS AN ISLAND’

Lee often spends his free time formulating and memorizing new songs to bring to Marina Jack — although that means he can’t pursue his other passion, golf, as often as he would like.

But his music enables him to hone in on another passion — people.

“I’m a very positive, forwardlooking person. I like to meet people, always have,” he said. “I have a great

friendly spirit. I love doing things, just enjoying life. And people are all part of that. No one is an island.”

He said he loves meeting people from other places and cultures and discussing his favorite topics, like include food, which often means swapping recipes.

Lee also noted he hopes to recenter local clientele as the focus in Sarasota, having seen the group slowly become more peripheral during his many years at the piano bar. He’ll also play at venues frequented by locals, like Clubhouse Tavern on South Tuttle Avenue, if he gets the chance.

“I have a pretty good reputation, so a lot of times I go places and, ‘Aren’t you Rock Lee? Aren’t you the piano guy at the Marina Jack?’ or something like that,” he said.

In difficult times, it’s being able to make others happy that keeps him

going. One face he no longer sees in the crowd is that of his wife, Vera Parker, who died 13 years ago and whom he called “the most selfless woman I’ve ever met.” From 2001 to 2005, when he operated a studio, Parker helped with his recording, engineering and graphic design.

After her death, he didn’t take any time off at Marina Jack.

“The people that have been coming here for years, and years and years — being able to make them feel good helped me feel better,” he said.

He felt touched by the songs he remembered she loved. Yet his playing has also touched other hearts as well. Any service member or veteran who enters the bar will hear the familiar tune of “God Bless the U.S.A.”

“When he plays that song, I still cry,” said Ronald Nesser, whose son, Sgt. Christopher Nesser, was killed

while on deployment in Iraq in 2006.  Nesser recalls that on the last night his son spent at the restaurant, he took napkins and folded them into roses, giving them to the women there.

“There are good memories here and there are sad memories, but Rock’s a good person,” said Nesser.

“He was a wonderful, wonderful guy,” said Lee. “We were all just heartbroken ... I do it always for them, and I do it always for any service member that walks into this room. I love our country. Anything I can do within my realm, that can help that cause, I will do it.”

The song is personal for Lee as well; his oldest sister, Betty Lucas, younger brother, Rodney Lee, and niece, LaRonda Lee, are all veterans. Most important to him, he said, is his faith.

“I’m a Christian. I love the Lord. I think that actually says all of it. Without Jesus in my life, nothing would happen. It impacts everything, every phase in my life. Not one little space is empty from that. It impacts every part of my mind.”

This community rock has no plans to leave just yet.

He’s not joking when he says he might be able to match the more than 35 years that singer and pianist Bobby Short spent at Café Carlyle in New York City.

Bill Ford, a Marina Jack regular, said, “I think we all have aged now, but he plays just as beautifully as he did 30 years ago.”

Photos by Ian Swaby

Rock Lee plays the keyboard during his 30th anniversary party.

Carol Salzinger and Dorsey Olson toast to Rock Lee.

Orange Blossom Tower condo sells for $3.05 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Acondominium in Orange Blossom Tower tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Gerald Jager and Jeanne Feldhusen, of New York City, sold their Unit 3 condominium at 1330 Main St. to Julie and Richard Peppers, of Sarasota, for $3.05 million.

Built in 1926, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,954 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.5 million in 2015.

SARASOTA WESTBROOK

Robert Sabatino and John Sullivan, of Osprey, sold their home at 1409 Westbrook Drive to Florida Almeria Avenue LLC for $2,985,000. Built in 2008, it has five bedrooms, fiveand-two-half baths, a pool and 4,921 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,712,500 in 2021.

FLOYD AND CAMERON

Deidre Beaudette, of Sarasota, sold her home at 1870 Loma Linda St. to David Bradford, trustee, of Sarasota, for $2.91 million. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 3,995 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.55 million in 2016.

BAYVIEW HEIGHTS

Earl and Cynthia Dye, of Rockville, Maryland, sold their home at 2515 Puritan Terrace to Ronald David Evans Jr. and Jordan Kennedy Evans, of Sarasota, for $2.1 million. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three-and–a-half baths, a pool and 3,334 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.4 million in 2019.

LA LINDA TERRACE

Jaime and Lisa Castro, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2283 Arlington St. to Tiffany and Anthony Howard, of Heath, Texas, for $1,901,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,977 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in 2021.

MARK SARASOTA

David and Alethea Kushner, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1111 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave.

to John Deans and Agueda Deans, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1.81 million. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,482 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,039,700 in 2020.

The Mark 718 LLC sold the Unit 718 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to Anthony Joseph Delgado and Robin Davis Delgado, of Sarasota, for $1.5 million. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 1,498 square feet of living area. It sold for $712,900 in 2019.

LAKE PARK

M&J Pham Development LLC sold the home at 1719 Shoreland Drive to Richard Hamilton Kewley and Melissa Lenore Kewley, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for $1.6 million. Built in 1968, it has three bedrooms, three-and–a-half baths, a pool and 2,568 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,025,000 in 2022.

ONE WATERGATE

Sandra Hokansson, of Ontario, Canada, sold her Unit 8A condominium at 1111 N. Gulfstream Ave. to Danny Snyder, trustee, of Sarasota, for $1,499,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,577 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2016.

PALM AVENUE VILLAS

Robert Kruse, of Huntley, Illinois, sold his home at 523 S. Palm Ave. to Jane and William Knapp, of Sarasota, for $1,375,000. Built in 1998, it has two bedrooms, two-and–a-half

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Other top sales by area

SIESTA KEY: $1.2 MILLION

Dolphin Bay Mark and Kristine Tikson, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 303 condominium at 1240 Dolphin Bay Way to 303 Sarasota Inc. for $1.2 million. Built in 1998, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,915 square feet of living area. It sold for $685,000 in 2016.

Summer Cove on Siesta Tamara Walsh, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 502B condominium at 1640 Summerhouse Lane to Marina Weinstein and Yakov Weinstein, trustees, of Short Hills, New Jersey, for $1.2 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and–a-half baths and 2,166 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,045,000 in 2007.

PALMER RANCH: $1.4 MILLION

Silver Oak Samuel and Janette Petersheim, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8890 Bloomfield Blvd. to John and Cynthia Savu, of Sarasota, for $1.4 million. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,203 square feet of living area. It sold for $597,000 in 2003.

NOKOMIS:

$2.4 MILLION

baths and 1,901 square feet of living area. It sold for $532,000 in 2003.

KENTWOOD ESTATES

HB Land Holdings LLC sold the home at 1582 Eastbrook Drive to Bryan Jay Vannatter and Kathleen Vannatter, of Quogue, New York, for $1.25 million. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,500 square feet of living area.

Casey Key Ronald and Michelle Winnie, of Seneca, South Carolina, sold their home at 3858 Casey Key Road to Golden Scarab LLC for $2.4 million. Built in 1975, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,690 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.54 million in 2021.

OSPREY:

$2.5 MILLION

Oaks I James and Kay Lauritsen, of Sarasota, sold their home at 65 Osprey Point Drive to F. Keith Jacobson and Judith Ann Jacobson, trustees, of Overland Park, Kansas, for $2.5 million. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, three-and–a-half baths, a pool and 5,335 square feet of living area. It sold for $180,000 in 1997.

Ian Swaby

The Unit 3 condominium in Orange Blossom Tower tops all transctions in this week’s real estate at $3.05 million. Built in 1926, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,954 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.5 million in 2015.

BEST BET ENCHANTED BAZAAR

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. The Enchanted Bazaar will bring together unicorns and fairies. The Bazaar’s courtyard will be transformed into a magical wonderland and open to all ages. Visitors can make a fairy door and have their faces painted among other activities. Enjoy live music by Sabrina, lunch at Hamlet’s Eatery and browse the 40 local creators and curators inside The Bazaar. For information, visit BazaarOnApricotandLime.com.

and live performances on the main stage by Ada Vox of American Idol and Queen of the Universe, and Zee Machine, nominated for Breakout Musical Artist at The Queerties Award, plus more. For information, visit PPSRQ.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3 TO SUNDAY, JUNE 4

SUNSHINE STATE OUTDOOR

VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION

SUMMER SMASH ON SIESTA KEY

With the motto of “The first tour run by the players for the players,” Sunshine State Outdoor Volleyball Association incorporates player feedback into its tournaments, through staff that consist entirely of players. Its juniors are seeing its biggest area of growth, and the organization works with coaches, parents and kids. Groups play at 8:30 or 9 a.m. Registration deadlines are 3 p.m. Thursday (adults open level), 12 p.m. Friday (men’s & women’s), 3 p.m. Saturday (coeds and juniors.) For times and information and to register, visit SSOVA.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

MUSIC IN THE GARDENS

FRIDAY, JUNE 2

FRESH FRIDAYS — SOUNDS OF SUMMER

7-10 p.m. adjacent to Art Ovation Hotel at 1255 N. Palm Ave. Sounds of Summer will feature live music by Bay Kings Band, food and drink options from Azul Steak and Sushi Lounge, Art Ovation Hotel, and a sangria bar from Beso, and a tailgate party by Brick’s Smoked Meats, where you can meet players from the Paradise, Sarasota’s first pre-professional soccer team.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

GRAND CARNIVAL — DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER PRESENTED BY PROJECT PRIDE

7-10 p.m. at The Circus Arts Conservatory, 2075 Bahia Vista St. General admission $75; VIP $125. This unique event will offer exciting visuals by Botanica Design Studio

4:30-6:30 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts. Admission $25. Join the Sarasota Garden Club while sitting, strolling or dancing in a beautiful garden setting and sipping Champagne, wine, and enjoying hors d’oeuvres. The JAM Rocks Sarasota will play songs from favorite artists. There’s bound to be a tune or two that will resonate with each member of the audience. For information and to purchase tickets, visit SarasotaGardenClub.org.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

KIDS’ SUMMER BEACH RUN

5:30 p.m. (Registration opens) and 6:30 p.m. (Run begins) at Siesta Beach near the playground, 948 Beach Road. The annual Kids’ Summer Beach Runs are returning to Siesta and North Brohard beaches June through July, offering one-mile fun runs for kids and families to participate in healthy activities together over the summer.

Meet Amy. She’s worked at FPL for seven years managing customer outreach for our Storm Secure Underground Program, an initiative that replaces overhead neighborhood power lines with underground lines to improve storm resiliency and reliability. To Amy, family and community are everything. Providing reliable energy is just one of the many ways she feels she can make a real difference for her family and yours. Learn more at FPL.com/Value

Courtesy photo

SPORTS

Fast Break

A Ram comes home

Brandon Knecht is a Rams alumnus and spent seven seasons as an assistant coach between Riverview and Sarasota High.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Brandon Knecht won’t take his opportunities for granted.

Knecht, 33, has been fascinated by the game of basketball for as long as he can remember, he said. He didn’t play much competitive basketball at Riverview High, just one season of junior varsity ball. But he never stopped obsessing over it, studying it and convincing himself he wanted to be involved in it.

Five-star defensive back Charles Lester III announced May 29 that he is transferring from Riverview High to Venice High for his senior season. Lester, the No. 15 overall player in the country according to 247Sports, has announced a top-three list of schools consisting of Florida State University, the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia.

... Former Riverview High softball star Devyn Flaherty and the Florida State Seminoles are still alive in the NCAA Women’s College World Series as of May 30. The Seminoles are in Bracket 2 of the tournament alongside Oklahoma State University, the University of Washington and the University of Utah. They will start with a game against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. June 1 on ESPN, and the bracket will wrap on June 5, with the winner advancing to the WCWS Finals. Check NCAA. com for the full bracket.

... Booker High wide receiver Josiah Booker received a scholarship offer from the University of Toledo on May 16. Booker had 58 catches for 957 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.

... The Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team, which plays in the United Soccer League’s League Two, will hold its inaugural home game at 7:30 p.m. June 3 at Sarasota High against Miami FC. The Paradise are 0-2 on the season, losing each of their first two games 1-0. Tickets can be purchased at SarasotaParadise.us.

... Former Sarasota High baseball star Vaun Brown is hitting .344 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 61 atbats for the AA-level Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants) as of May 30. Brown, the Giants’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com, also has an eight-game hitting streak.

Knecht decided coaching would be a good way to accomplish that. He worked his way up, starting as an assistant coach with the Mambas travel club, then getting involved with Riverview’s junior varsity program under head JV coach Rudy Fraraccio. When Fraraccio took the head varsity position in 2019, Knecht took over the junior varsity program himself. Last season, after Fraraccio stepped down, the Rams hired veteran travel ball coach Kendall Ellis as their varsity coach, and Knecht went to Sarasota High as a varsity assistant.

But the Riverview connections still ran deep: at Sarasota, Knecht coached under BJ Ivey, who coached the Rams before Fraraccio and led the team to a state championship game appearance in 2016.

Ellis left the Rams program after one season. To replace him and regain stability, Riverview turned to someone who knew the program inside and out, someone to whom the opportunity to coach the Rams meant coming full circle as a coach: Knecht.

“It’s a special place,” Knecht said.

“To be able to take over a program that has a state runner-up finish in its history, which you don’t often see in this part of the state, it’s an honor. It’s going back to where I went to school. It’s a place that means so much to me.”

Knecht said he learned a lot from coaches like Ivey and Fraraccio, but the biggest thing is how they implemented culture in their programs — not just talking about it, but living it, through the relationships they made with their players.

“You have to be a family,” Knecht said. “You’re around these guys for a good chunk of the year, even in the offseason. If you have a poor culture where guys don’t want to be around their coaches and they aren’t completely committed, it’s not going to work. So you have to build those relationships first.”

Knecht has a head start in that area. Knecht said many of the players he expects to fill out the team’s varsity roster next season were players he coached at the junior varsity level. They’ll know what to expect from him, and him from them, he said.

On the court, Knecht said the Rams’ style of play will depend heavily on how he evaluates the team and its talent over the offseason, but there are things he expects to see every season, like moving the ball efficiently on offense and scouting the opposition to know what weaknesses to exploit. Knecht said he puts an emphasis on playing smart basketball over everything else.

“I’ve seen a lot of teams that take a lot of quick shots; they take the first shot they see,” Knecht said. “If you do that to us, we’ll take it. And we’re going to make you work on defense. We’re going to get not a good shot, but a great shot. We’re going to play things the right way.”

Knecht inherits the Rams coming off a down season with an optimistic ending. Riverview went 10-19 in 2022-23, down from a 21-8 season in 2021-22, but the Rams finished strong, winning their final regular season game over Lakewood Ranch High, then winning three-straight games in the district tournament to win the championship. In the district title game, the Rams beat Knecht and Ivey’s Sailors team 52-49. Riverview would lose to Winter Haven High 81-66 in the regional quarterfinals.

The Rams will also have to deal with the graduation of senior players like Jason Jackson, a 6-foot-3 guard who committed to the University of Mississippi on May 30.

Knecht said that getting the Rams back to deep postseason runs is a goal, but more than that, he wants to create a positive basketball community, one where players are having fun regardless of a game’s outcome.

“We’re going to work hard as a program,” Knecht said. “It’s not about me. It’s about the work the kids are putting into this. It’s about what we’re doing as a staff and what the team is doing as a family to bring Riverview basketball back to a great level again.”

“I just grew into the game and came up alongside it. I’ve been grinding to be the best I can be, and it’s paying off. I want to keep it going.”

— Cardinal Mooney’s Chris McCorkle SEE PAGE 27

File photo

Booker High junior wideout

Josiah Booker

Courtesy photos

Brandon Knecht previously coached the Riverview High junior varsity team.

File photo

Former Rams guard Jason Jackson, who committed to the University of Mississippi on May 30, will be one of several key players new coach Brandon Knecht will have to replace in 2023-24.

“We’re going to work hard as a program. It’s not about me. It’s about the work the kids are putting into this.”

Brandon Knecht

Brandon Knecht

Sarasota brings fun in the sun

School is out, but the sports calendar keeps rolling along with big events in a variety of disciplines.

School’s out for summer.

If you’re a student, this is great news. If you’re a parent, this can be a nightmare. If you’re a fan of community sports, it might sound like there’s not much happening over the next few months. But that’s not true.

There’s actually quite a bit happening in the Sarasota area this summer. Big events, the kind of events you won’t want to miss — events that parents can bring their kids to see, giving them something to do, if that’s on your mind.

So mark these down on your calendar and get ready to experience some exciting sporting events this summer.

USROWING 2023 YOUTH

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The biggest youth rowing event in the country will once again descend on Nathan Benderson Park on June 8-11. Rowing can be a tough spectator sport, but USRowing and Benderson Park (and the other behind-the-scenes supporters) have continually succeeded in making the Youth Nationals the best live viewing experience possible, complete with gigantic video boards that follow the boats the whole race.

Plus, rowers from Sarasota historically do well at the championships. Last year, Sarasota Crew rowers Maeva Ginsberg-Klemmt and Maya Schultz took home gold medals in the Women’s U17 2x race (7:36.96). The club’s Men’s Youth 8+ boat finished with a bronze

medal (5:50.70), as did the Men’s U17 8+ boat (6:09.92) and the Men’s U16 4x (6:54.42).

Plenty of rowers at this event will go on to row for big-time college programs, and some may even get a seat on an Olympic boat someday. If that sounds preposterous, just ask former Sarasota Crew rower Clark Dean, who represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics; Dean previously led the Crew’s 8+ boat to a gold medal at the 2018 Youth Nationals.

For more information, visit USRowing.org.

SARASOTA POWERBOAT

GRAND PRIX

The annual event will hit Sarasota’s Lido Beach June 30-July 2. The event is expected to draw more than 90 teams from around the world to the Gulf of Mexico.

As much fun as the sport itself is — the event will serve as the 2023 P1 Offshore and AquaX Championships — the atmosphere is as big of a selling point. If you’re looking for a weekend of beautiful views, delicious food, fun music and, of course, exciting racing, it’s a hard event to beat. And there are events happening even before racing begins, like the July 1 downtown block party that allows fans to get an up-close look at the massive powerboats that will race the next day.

For more information, visit P1Offshore.com.

LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STAR BASEBALL

Not much is more American than kids competing for a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

It’s a long road: All-Star district tournaments begin in June, but the entire process runs through the

summer, with the Little League World Series taking place Aug. 16-27. To get there, teams have to go through the district, sectional, state and regional levels of play first. And while the traditional LLWS, which is for kids 10-12, gets a lot of the spotlight, there are also World Series events for older players, too. Younger players don’t see their AllStar seasons extend to the national level, but, hey, there’s nothing wrong with winning a state championship either.

Without knowing much about teams in other areas, it’s difficult to predict how Sarasota teams will do, but last season the Sarasota Little League’s 8-9-10 “National” team won its district title. No matter who wins, though, it’s fun to support the kids attempting the challenge — and the sport itself — while eating a hot dog and some chips sitting on the bleachers. You can visit LittleLeague.org for more info.

USDBF 2023 CLUB CREW NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

If you go to the U.S. Dragon Boat

Federation 2023 Club Crew National Championships, make sure you refer to the action that drives the dragon boats as paddling, not rowing.

Trust me. I’ve made that mistake.

The Club Crew Nationals, held July 21-23 at Nathan Benderson Park, are a great chance to see some of the country’s best dragon boat teams in action. Unlike rowing, where there are some singles and pairs events that show off the prowess of specific rowers, every dragon boat event is about the team and how well it works together. Benderson Park crews, like the Survivors in Sync breast cancer survivor team, will be in action. More information can be found at USDBF.org. And remember: It’s paddling, not rowing.

U.S. MASTERS NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The water sports never end.

On Aug. 2-6, the U.S. Masters National Swimming Championships will come to Selby Aquatic Center, and like the other water

The Survivors in Sync dragon boat team, alongside other Nathan Benderson Park teams, will compete at the 2023 USDBF Club Crew National Championships.

sports on this list, the Sarasota area has competitors expected to compete for national titles — and maybe set some records.

For instance, Sarasota Sharks Masters swimmers Karen Einsidler, Jami Gray, Nancy Kryka and Marilyn Early are the current USMS record holders in the 65+ 200-yard freestyle relay (1:56.21), the 400yard freestyle relay (4:21.32), the 800 freestyle relay (9:55.65) and the 200-yard medley relay (2:15.99). Plenty of other Sarasota-area swimmers hold records, too, and they could easily be broken again at the USMS Nationals. For more information, visit USMS.org.

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

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

File photo

FROM

Chris McCorkle is a rising junior defensive back at Cardinal Mooney High. McCorkle, who is 6-foot-2, has received 11 NCAA Division I offers, including offers from the University of Florida, West Virginia University and Michigan State University.

When did you start playing football?

I started when I was 5. I just grew into the game and came up alongside it. I’ve been grinding to be the best I can be, and it’s paying off. I want to keep it going.

What is the appeal to you?

Football frees me from a lot of things. It’s almost hard to explain, but it brings me peace.

What is your best skill?

My ball skills are great. I can go high point the ball and I have good hands to bring it in. I can come down with the ball.

What have you been working to improve?

Mostly it has been my tackling. I feel like that’s something I’ve gotten better at over time.

What is your favorite memory?

I transferred to Cardinal Mooney last year from South Charleston High in West Virginia. My first game with Mooney, I caught three interceptions, but two of them were called back by the refs. It was still fun. That one has stuck with me for a while. It’s a core football memory now.

What has receiving all these offers been like for you?

ATHLETE

What feedback have the schools given you? They want to see me get more out of my backpedal, because I can open up too quickly sometimes. But other than that, everything has been great. I’m long, you know? I can do everything, sideline to sideline.

What is your favorite food?

I like to grub on some cheese pizza and some wings.

What is your TV show?

I like “Stranger Things” a lot.

What is your favorite school subject?

I really liked geometry. It just came naturally to me and made sense.

What are your hobbies?

I like to chill with my family and spend time with them. I like to play some games. Other than that, I’m usually working out.

What is the best advice you have received? Keep your head down and push forward. Don’t listen to what other people say. You’ve got to keep going.

Finish this sentence: “Chris Mc Corkle is ...” ... Energetic.

THE PLUMBING

It’s a blessing. It started happening quick, but it has been great. I guess I have to get used to it (the attention from schools). The Florida offer was big. It’s an SEC school, and it’s close to where I live, so that was like a “wow” moment.

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