Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 8.10.23

YOUR TOWN

City proposes spending bump

Virtual world on the stage

For many kids, summer is a time for video games, but the group at Drama Kids International’s Take 2 Musical Production Camp had the chance to enjoy something more unusual — a journey into the world of video games.

During their performance of the musical “Press Start” on Aug. 4, held for their families in the Edson Keith Mansion at Phillippi Estate Park, kids took on roles whose names may sound familiar (or at least reminiscent of famous characters’ names) including Marco, Princess Pomegranate and Pac-Anne.

The group found the experience a breeze, learning the script of the 45-minute, nearly unedited production in just over four days of the five-day camp.

“When I hear a song I like, my brain kicks into action and I just let myself go with the flow,” said Joah Martin, 11, who played Marco.

“It’s easier than you think,” said Marleah Galli, 10, who played Little Mushroom. “Yes, we did learn the whole show in a little while, but when you think of it, it’s a lot of fun also.”

Much ado about clam chowdah

Nobody knows chowder like New England — except of course Siesta Key’s Captain Curt’s Crab & Oyster Bar, which recently won the Great Clam Chowder Cook-Off in Newport, Rhode Island.

The win comes with a big title — “Best Clam Chowder in the World.”

Captain Curt’s proudly proclaims its chowder to be meatier and creamier than the competition, with a higher ratio of clams to potatoes (2.5x to be exact).

Since 1979, Captain Curt’s has been serving seafood at its South Siesta Key location.

The restaurant also sells a clam chowder kit online that allows even amateur home chefs to re-create the famous dish at home.

Ian Swaby

Nine-year-old Estella Stroth reaches great heights at the Circus Arts Conservatory’s summer camp.

Ian Swaby

WEEK OF AUG. 10, 2023

BY THE NUMBERS

SMH wins U.S. News ‘50 Best’ recognition

Sarasota Memorial Hospital has been ranked among the U.S. News & World Report’s “50 Best Hospitals” list in two specialty areas. Of the nearly 5,000 U.S. hospitals evaluated, for 2023-24 SMH-Sarasota is ranked No. 31 for specialized rehabilitation, up from No. 35, and No. 46 for obstetrics and gynecology care, a new national ranking this year. Hospitals that demonstrate exceptional performance in multiple procedures and conditions also earn state and regional

recognition. This year, SMH tied for No. 5 in Florida, up from No. 6 last year, and maintained its long-standing status as the No. 1 hospital in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan region.

SMH also received “high performing” recognition by U.S. News & World Report for specialities including gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and urology. While the specialty rankings are meant for patients with life-

Selby Gardens names Crystal Bailey COO

Crystal Bailey, who joined Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in January 2023 as chief administrative officer and general counsel, has been promoted to chief operating officer. She will also remain general counsel.

Bailey will oversee the organization’s strategic operations, including implementing best practices in risk management, compliance and governance. She will oversee human resources, guest experience, administration, internal finances, and facilities management, as well as all legal matters.

She also was elected corporate secretary of the organization by the board of trustees.

Previously, Bailey worked for eight years with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, where she was general counsel of executive staff. She was a prosecutor in Pinellas County.

Police seek help in 2007 murder case

Skeletal remains of a woman discovered buried in a shallow grave in February 2007 have been identified by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office as that of Jeana Burrus, who lived in Sarasota at the time.

The remains were discovered in a wooded area of Ashton Court. She was never identified nor was she ever reported missing and her whereabouts were never questioned. The investigation remained cold until November 2022, when the SCSO, working with DNA Labs International Inc., applied advancements in DNA testing and genetic genealogy to make a positive identification.

threatening or rare conditions, U.S. News also rates hospital performance on more commonly performed procedures and conditions such as hip replacement and heart failure.

In addition to the broader specialty rankings and ratings, SMH-Sarasota received high performing ratings for 13 specific procedures and conditions.

Now in its 34th year, the complete U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings can be found at Health.USNews. com.

The victim resided in the 6200 block of Pauline Avenue in Sarasota with her husband, James Burrus, and son. Her husband was employed at a body shop in the 5600 block of Sarah Avenue in Sarasota and her son attended Gulf Gate Elementary School between 2005 and 2006. She was not employed.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may have known either Jeana or James Burrus, or has any information about her death, to contact Det. Brian Ng at 941-861-4900.

“I appreciate FDLE’s time, but of course not surprised by the results of what is clearly a pressure campaign of baseless accusations and fishing expeditions specifically designed to influence votes at City Hall.”

Sarasota City Commissioner Erik Arroyo Read more on Page 6

With 41 maintenance personnel on staff, the Sarasota Parks and Recreation Department cares for some 700 acres of parks and nonpark city property. With more parks properties coming on line, the department has requested funding for four more employees.

Bottom-line bump

ANDREW WARFIELD | STAFF WRITER

Proposed city spending up $33 million for fiscal year 2024, with inflation, pensions and salaries cited for the increase.

Thanks to a 13.6% increase in taxable property values, the city of Sarasota expects to bring in $11.2 million more in ad valorem revenue next fiscal year while leaving the tax rate unchanged at 3.0 mills.

Still, City Manager Marlon Brown’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget will require a transfer from the general fund balance to meet expenses. With a citywide taxable value of $16.7 billion, general fund revenue is projected at $94.31 million, $2.72 million short of the proposed expenditures of $97.03 million. That’s up 13.04% over the current fiscal year’s adopted general fund spending of $85.83 million. The projected general fund spending for the current fiscal year stands at $89.45 million.

The transfer from reserves will leave the city with an estimated $28.9 million in the unassigned fund balance, or 29.8% of operating expenses. The city’s policy is to maintain reserves of 17-25% of general fund expenditures.

The proposed overall budget, including enterprise funds, capital improvements and special revenue funds, is $285.18 million, up $33 million over the current fiscal year. That prompted Commissioner Erik Arroyo to ask if recent years’ spending increases are an anomaly or a trend.

“From 2021 to 2023 we increased the budget by $20 million, and overall, now we’re increasing it by $33 million for the entire city. Is this a trend that you see coming?” Arroyo

asked. “Are we going to increase it again significantly next year? I don’t know if our population is going up by that percentage and neither is our fund balance.”

Brown and Director of Financial Services Kelly Strickland cited inflation, negotiated salary increases for the police department and pension fund requirements as primary reasons for the growth in spending.

“A lot of increases are due to some of the inflationary situations that we’re seeing nationally,” Brown said. “We don’t know what next year brings in terms of trends. We had some record increases in salaries for police officers and for the general employees. All of that is reflected in the budget, and some of the costs as we get into the special (revenue) you

TOTAL FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET EXPENDITURES

will see why that has increased. Once we get into the departments and the $33 million increase, you will see how that has been spread across all funds and all departments.”

Only one department, Parks and Recreation, has requested a growth in staff that adds to the bottom line.

“My budget message to the departments was that we would not be adding any new personnel,” Brown said. “The commission, I believe at one of the meetings when Parks and Rec came up talking about some of the needs, especially for Bayfront Park and some of the new parks that are coming online, directed me to see what resources we can provide to them. You will see that there are positions that are added to this budget for Parks and Rec, and then there’s one position in street sweeping that we’re adding, which is actually a savings to the budget.”

The addition of five employees is modest compared to recent years. Between fiscal years 2015 and 2023, the city increased staff by 269 fulltime equivalent positions, an average of 33.625 per year. With the five new jobs, the city’s employment will grow to 808 FTEs.

“Each position requested represents an increase to a level of service in the city,” Strickland said.

Commissioners had plenty of questions for Director of Parks and Recreation Jerry Fogle about his personnel request, which will grow his team of maintenance workers from 41 to 45. Currently, the department has 71.67 full-time equivalents overall. The department, he said, is responsible for the maintenance of 630 acres of park and 70 acres of non-park space, the latter

including roundabouts, medians and other city right of way.

“The landscape maintenance techs are truly the backbone of Parks and Recreation,” Fogle said. “They do the manual labor through our park system and non-parks, and over the last several years, we’ve added a lot of properties that Parks and Recreation is now responsible to maintain. We haven’t come to the commission asking for additional personnel through the years. We’ve been strategic; we’ve been very efficient in how we’re maintaining those properties.”

With properties coming on line in the next several months, though, including the revamped playground and splash pad at Bayfront Park, Fogle said his crew is now overextended.

Between now and budget adoption in September, Fogle’s request for more personnel doesn’t figure to meet with any resistance.

“Parks are one of the most important aspects of the city that we hear from citizens how much they appreciate you and your department,” said Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch. “Thank you for all your work and your dedication to this very important quality of life piece of our city, and I fully support the addition of four people to your department.

When I go to any park and I look around, I just can’t imagine the constant maintenance and responsibility of maintaining our parks. It’s a high priority. It’s what our citizens want. They want us to spend their dollars on parks.”

Expiration date set for St. Armands BID

remaining revenue collected from the property owners in the special tax district, nearly $700,000, will be turned over to be managed by the city’s finance department.

The Sarasota City Commission received a report on the results of the renewal vote at its regular meeting on Monday.

more communication.”

Regardless of the enhanced campaign, Ryan said the results were nearly identical to the first ballot, when 41 ballots were received, three rejected as invalid per state guidelines.

“This time we got 40, so the numbers are the same,” Ryan said. “Some owners vote differently. There was one property owner who represented over 12.5% who voted for it. I have heard different reasons. We did have a hurricane, insurance prices have more than doubled. The property owners within the district are paying an assessment for the parking garage, so they do have a lot of other finances and I just think the timing probably wasn’t the best.”

Rachel Burns, marketing director for the St. Armands Circle Association, which represents the merchants. Burns had served as the SACA executive director before submitting her application to fill one of two vacant seats on the BID board, seats that will not be filled.

“I ask that in next year’s budget the commissioners will consider giving at least $100,000 to the Parks and Recreation Department for the refurbishment and beautification of the four medians within the Circle,” Burns told commissioners. “I encourage this commission to recommend that the three current BID directors utilize their final meeting to allocate and distribute funds for projects that do not fit into the capital improvement project category.”

Those projects include funding for the Bay Runner for the next two years and the longstanding partnership between the BID and SACA to erect and decorate the Christmas tree in the Circle park.

“These two reoccurring projects encourage visitors, which profit the merchants, which allows them to pay their rent to the land owners,” Burns said. “I hope that the BID will choose to disburse funds responsibly prior to the Sept. 30 cessation.” Leonard took exception to Burns’ request.

Following a second round of voting by the commercial property owners in St. Armands Circle, the quest to renew the special neighborhood improvement district has failed.

Falling just short of the votes needed to renew the BID earlier this year at 48.9%, the referendum received less support on the second ballot.

As a result, on Sept. 30, 2023, the St. Armands Business Improvement District will cease to exist and all the

On June 22, 63 ballots were mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to registered property owners at their last known mailing address.

The deadline for returning completed ballots to the city was Tuesday, Aug. 1. By 7 p.m. on that date, 40 ballots had been received — all of them certified as valid. The votes were weighted based on the assessed value of the property each ballot represents. Of the returned ballots, those representing 39.96% of the assessed value voted yes with

19.71% opposed, falling well short of the required 50% to renew the BID through Sept. 30, 2033.

Julie Ryan, a city employee who serves as business manager of both the St. Armands BID and the Downtown Improvement District, told commissioners the communication process with the property owners was more robust than the first ballot earlier this year.

“We have done newsletters to not only the merchants, to the residents and to the property owners. We’ve done mailings, we personally made phone calls — not only myself and the chair — but also some other property owners who supported the BID,” Ryan said. “There had been more outreach this second time around than we did the first time because we didn’t have the mechanism. There wasn’t a newsletter. There wasn’t a website. So there was

Termination of the BID means the end in St. Armands Circle of enhanced levels of city services, which were funded by a portion of the additional 2.00 mills per year the property owners paid. Ryan told commissioners the BID had set aside $479,000 for either a complete streets or streetscape capital project, funds that can only be used for capital improvements. At the end of the fiscal year, the BID’s estimated fund balance is $187,000.

The BID was also contributing $50,000 per year to help fund the Bay Runner trolley, an equal amount paid by the Downtown Improvement District. That $50,000, City Manager Marlon Brown told commissioners at a previous budget workshop, would have to come from elsewhere should the BID not be renewed.

The BID’s demise came complete with one more appearance before the commission by opposing St. Armands business leaders Tom Leonard, chairman of the BID, and

“Unfortunately, Miss Burns did not vote to renew the BID, but now she sits here before you asking for the remaining funds from the BID for her own use,” Leonard responded. “I’d like to submit a budget of what we spent over the past 10 years. Almost $800,000 went to the St. Armands Association. That doesn’t include the $286,000 grant we got for the tree, but the BID had budgeted moving forward $50,000 a year to support the trolley and over $100,000 a year for capital enhancement services.

“We’ve also pledged over $500,000 for the streetscape. These items are all high priority for property owners and I look forward to working with staff to find a way to optimize financial opportunities to continue these services and capital improvements. This is not the end, but a new chapter, and with the support of this commission, we will continue to make St. Armands a top destination for city residents and visitors alike.”

1970 Main St., Third Floor, Sarasota, FL 34236 PHONE: 941-366-3468 | WEBSITE: www.YourObserver.com

Email press releases, announcements and Letters to the Editor to: Kat Hughes, khughes@yourobserver.com

TO ADVERTISE

Display Advertising:

TO SUBSCRIBE

To subscribe: Please call Donna Condon at 941-366-3468, Ext. 301 or email dcondon@yourobserver.com

MAIL DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION RATES

First-Class Canada

One year / $200 One year / $250

Six months / $160 Six months / $200

Three months / $128 Three months / $160

LOBSTER ROLL

For more than 70 years, Kelly’s Roast Beef has been the staple of the North Shore of Boston, renowned for its thinly sliced “melt-in-your-mouth” roast-beef sandwiches and generous platters of Fresh New England seafood.

The special tax district fell short of the required votes for renewal and will end Sept. 30.

File photo

St. Armands Circle will no longer benefit from the enhanced city services paid for by the Business Improvement District after the BID’s dissolution on Sept. 30.

“These two reoccurring projects encourage visitors, which profit the merchants, which allows them to pay their rent to the land owners.”

— Rachel Burns, marketing director for the St. Armands Circle Association

Attainable housing ordinance approved on first reading

Sarasota takes a step toward achieving affordable and attainable housing in the downtown zoning districts. Primary corridors are next on the list.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

With the approval of four separate motions on Monday by the Sarasota City Commission, the city is just a second reading approval away from an ordinance to incentivize the development of affordable and attainable housing in the downtown zoning districts.

Waiting in the wings, according to Planning Director Steven Cover, are three projects ready to launch the administrative review process once final approval is achieved.

Specifics of those projects were not disclosed.

Monday’s legislative hearing marked the peak of nearly a year’s work by planning staff to draft zoning text changes made possible by amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan that were approved in fall 2022. It is the city’s first foray into such zoning changes with an eye toward expanding the incentives in areas outside the downtown districts.

During Monday’s meeting, commissioners grilled planning staff and debated for nearly five hours among themselves some of the finer points of the ordinance. Those included sidewalk and parking incentives that permit additional density, dispersion of attainable units among market rate units within a single structure, and why a 15% minimum of bonus density units earmarked as attainable really equals only 11.25% of all units available below market rate.

Commissioners Jen Ahearn-Koch and Debbie Trice asked Cover why the ordinance could not require 15% of all units to be attainable.

“If we just use the flat 15% for the entire project, let’s say you have a project that only wants to go from

ATTAINABLE HOUSING BONUS DENSITIES

Under future land use identified in the city’s amended comprehensive plan, here are density bonuses permitted in the four downtown zoning districts providing 15% of that bonus are attainable residential units.

Downtown Neighborhood Edge: Existing, 18 units per acre. With bonus density, 72 units per acre.

Downtown Edge: Existing, 25 units per acre. With bonus density, 100 units per acre.

Downtown Core and Downtown Bayfront: Existing, 50 units per acre. With bonus density, 200 units per acre. Bonus density applies only if attainable units are provided for a minimum of 30 years.

50 units to 60 units. That means nine of the 10 additional units would have to be attainable,” Cover said. “No developer is going to do that. Even if you go to 100, that means 30% of the additional units would be attainable. We think 30% is not a doable number, and we don’t think any developer is going to do that. So that’s why we have 15% of all the bonus density above the base density (as attainable).”

Among the requests that surfaced through previous meetings with neighborhood organizations in the affected zoning districts was a requirement for such developments to hold public workshops. Currently, all downtown zoning district

developments are administratively approved, a process that does not require workshops.

That set off a debate among commissioners with Ahearn-Koch and Trice supporting workshops, Commissioner Eric Arroyo and Mayor

Kyle Battie opposed and Vice Mayor Liz Alpert vacillating somewhere in between.

“I almost find it discriminatory. We don’t do it in any other project downtown,” Battie said. “Why attainable housing when that’s what we’re trying to achieve? We don’t do it with any other luxury apartments. Why do we have to do it with attainable housing?”

Ahearn-Koch countered that her support of public workshops wasn’t based on the type of housing but rather the intensity of qualifying projects.

Arroyo said adding workshops to the approval process when they cannot impact the outcome is an unnecessary obstacle for a developer willing to help the city meet its attainable housing needs.

“It’s already difficult enough to get individuals to provide this,” Arroyo said. “Sarasota is a very attractive area, and it’s already competitive enough just trying to get them to accept less money. We’re saying you’re going to have these additional steps, and that if we want this to succeed, then we need to really consider

that.”

Occupying the middle ground for a time, Alpert leaned away from workshops by reasoning that they may create an expectation that the neighborhood input would have any effect on the approved project.

“I don’t want to give the false impression that if there was a public workshop you can stop the project if it’s complying with all of the ordinances,” Alpert said. “I don’t want to create a false expectation.”

She then asked Cover if workshops were required, “At what point? It seems like at the beginning before a lot of plans are drawn up. Any thoughts on that?”

“If a project is coming in and meeting all the zoning requirements, then you’re right, there really isn’t anything anybody can do,” Cover said. “If they’re requesting additional things that might require a special review by the director development services, then you could discuss that. But if it meets all the zoning requirements, the applicant doesn’t have to make any changes.”

Approval of the ordinance required four motions, three of them amendments and all posed by Arroyo. The first excluded a public workshop requirement. That passed 3-2, with Ahearn-Koch and Trice opposed. A second amendment motion by Arroyo was to clarify that either owner-occupied or rental-attainable units be interspersed at a minimum at 50% across a development, which was approved unanimously. His third amendment motion was to clarify allowing for a height bonus of one story if a minimum amount of public parking or public parking combined with setbacks allowing for wider sidewalk, which was approved 4-1, with Ahearn-Koch opposed.  Arroyo motioned to approve the entire ordinance as amended, which received unanimous support. The second reading of the ordinance and consideration for final approval will be placed on the City Commission’s agenda at a future date.

Courtesy photo

Residential developments containing attainable housing units may soon rise among the luxury condominium towers in the downtown Sarasota zoning districts.

Andrew Warfield

Planning Director Steven Cover speaks during the second Affordable Housing Town Hall. The first set of text amendments will apply only to the downtown zoning districts, with recommendations for the city’s commercial corridors to follow.

One Park headed back to Planning Board agenda

ANDREW WARFIELD

STAFF WIRTER

Delayed for four months since allegations of potential wrongdoing were first brought against local partners of One Park and City Commissioner Erik Arroyo, the proposed luxury condominium project in The Quay may soon be back on the agenda of the Sarasota Planning Board.

In a Aug. 3 email, City Manager Marlon Brown informed legal counsel on both sides of the controversial project that the Florida Division of Law Enforcement has concluded its

investigation.

The email to One Park representative Bill Merrill and to Robert Lincoln, who represents residents of the Ritz-Carlton Residences in opposition to approval of the project, read:

“Per the State Attorney’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has closed all investigations related to the above subject matter. Official documentation is forthcoming next week. I will be in touch regarding the scheduling of the continued Planning Board public hearing once I discuss with internal staff.”

That hearing is over a requested

ONE PARK TIMELINE

MARCH 8: After five hours, the One Park legislative public hearing before the Planning Board was continued until its next scheduled meeting on April 12.

APRIL 12: Before the One Park hearing could be continued, Deputy City Attorney Michael Connelly informs the Planning Board the hearing was canceled by City Manager Marlon Brown and a criminal inquiry has been launched.

APRIL 21: 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Hunter Carroll schedules a hearing with One Park and The Quay Block 6 about the dispute of air rights ownership above Quay Commons for a three-week period.

MAY 9: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement informs the city that it has concluded its investigation into an contact between a One Park investor and an Planning Board member regarding an alleged improper contact.

MAY 10: FDLE reopens the One Park investigation after new evidence was provided regarding a prior donation by a One Park investor’s company the Sarasota City Foundation headed by City Commissioner Erik Arroyo.

change to the general development agreement with The Quay, which would allow developer Property Markets Group to combine blocks 1 and 9 in order to build One Park over Quay Commons — the primary street into The Quay — above an approximately 20-foot-high breezeway.

One Park would be built across Quay Commons above this activated breezeway. Residents in the Ritz-Carlton building, collectively known as Block 6, oppose the plan, claiming the master association of the development owns the air rights above Quay Commons and that they cannot be conveyed to PMG by Quay

AUG. 3: FDLE informs the city of Sarasota that it has concluded its investigation into Arroyo’s foundation involvement, finding no violation.

master developer GreenPointe.

The air rights ownership matter is scheduled for a ruling sometime in September following a mid- to late August hearing before Judge Hunter Carroll of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court. That hearing is scheduled to occur during a three-week period beginning Aug. 14.

Even if Carroll rules in favor of One

Park, the plan to combine blocks 1 and 9 — which are not adjoining but PMG maintains meets the city’s definition of adjacent and therefore can be combined — still must eventually be approved by the City Commission once it receives a recommendation from the Planning Board.

A POLITICAL WITCH HUNT?

The FDLE investigation began in April after local One Park investor James Bridges met with Planning Board member Michael Halflants, an architect and partner with the firm of Halflants + Pichette, about potentially performing a preliminary massing study for an unrelated local project.

News of that contact prompted Brown to cancel the public hearing scheduled for April 12, which was announced at the start of the meeting, and to turn the matter over to the Sarasota Police Department for a potential criminal investigation. Days later, the SPD referred the matter to FDLE, which launched an inquiry into alleged bribery of a Planning Board member. That matter was announced cleared by the state agency in a letter to Police Chief Rex Troche dated May 9.

The next day, new information was provided to the FDLE, alleging Sarasota-based financial education company MoneyShow, headed by fellow local investor Kim Githler, last year donated $10,000 to Sarasota City Foundation, a nonprofit co-founded by Arroyo, who will ultimately cast a vote for or against the One Park plan. As a result, FDLE was required by statute to reopen the inquiry.

The donation, though, was not the focus of the reopened investigation.  Rather, the Sarasota City Foundation and Arroyo’s involvement were under scrutiny, including the timing of the foundation’s registration with state and federal governments.

The donation in question was part of funds raised by Arroyo at the Mayor’s Ball he hosted in fall 2022, from which proceeds were dedicated to Sarasota City Foundation. The ball was held just weeks before his 202122 tenure as mayor ended.

“There were hundreds of people who attended the Mayor’s Ball, and everyone had to write a check to

The end of an FDLE investigation clears the path for the resumption of a public hearing over proposed condo project in The Quay.

Courtesy rendering

A rendering of One Park, which is planned to span across Quay Commons on blocks 1 and 9 in The Quay.

get in, and the fact is they singled one person out for what is clearly some type of political witch hunt that we were in the crosshairs of,” said PMG Managing Partner Daniel Kaplan. “The investigation from a One Park standpoint has been closed for months, and it shows the overall issues with the city in the process that we had to wait an additional several months just to get put back on the schedule.”

Because One Park would not be placed back on the Planning Board agenda until the investigation was concluded, regardless of One Park being cleared earlier in the process, PMG President and CEO Kevin Maloney called it a delay tactic by opponents of the project.

“I appreciate FDLE’s time, but of course not surprised by the results of what is clearly a pressure campaign of baseless accusations and fishing expeditions specifically designed to influence votes at City Hall,” Arroyo said. “It’s disappointing that residents serving their community have to endure these kinds of attacks. But regardless, I remain committed to giving everyone appearing before the City Commission a fair shake.”

“We had to spend unnecessary dollars on lawyers and time that we could have spent elsewhere,” Kaplan said.

ALTERNATE PLANS

Pending the outcome of the legal process, Kaplan said he anticipates One Park going back before the Planning Board in October.

“We’re focused now on the legal proceedings to establish ownership of the air rights,” Kaplan said. “We really think by this time in September, we’ll be in a place where the property we’re buying (the air rights) is rightfully the owner’s to sell and hopefully the city stops putting up roadblocks to stop our project from moving forward.”

And if Judge Carroll erects that roadblock instead?

“We would redesign the building,” Kaplan said. “Our sales contract (with GreenePointe) contemplates that if we can’t buy what we were sold, the price will change accordingly and we’ll redesign the building into two buildings.”

THE RECORD SHOWS

Sarasota City Manager Marlon Brown on Tuesday received written notice from the Florida State Attorney’s Office of the 12th Judicial Circuit, stating that it had declined to open a case against City Commissioner Erik Arroyo regarding his involvement in a charity he co-founded, the Sarasota City Foundation.

The brief letter from the office of State Attorney Amira Fox dated Aug. 3 read that agency review was denied on an allegation of failure to register a charity, citing insufficient evidence. According to state records, the foundation was registered in the state on Dec. 3, 2021, and showed no activity for nearly a year. A letter from the Internal Revenue Service to the foundation dated Oct. 11, 2022, confirms its application and eligibility as a nonprofit with the federal government, and shows an effective date as the date when it was registered with the state.

“We got a notice of agency review disposition. They didn’t even open a case against him at the state attorney level,” said attorney Stefan Campagna, who represented Arroyo. “I would like to say that these were honest and concerned individuals and that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was trying to take care of taxpayers and protect the community, but from the beginning it’s been very clear that these were baseless allegations by a disgruntled local attorney who wanted in on some deal that was occurring.”

Campagna declined to identify the attorney to whom he was referring or the nature of the “deal.”

The investigation was tied to an inquiry into the proposed One Park development in The Quay, which was reopened by the FDLE after initially being closed on a report that a business owned by one of the project’s investors, MoneyShow, donated to the foundation at the Mayor’s Ball, which was hosted by Arroyo in fall 2022.

After clearing Kim Githler and MoneyShow, FDLE turned its attention to Arroyo on unrelated allegations.

“From the legal side of it, it seems FDLE has wasted time and resources pursuing what has been kind of manipulated to almost serve a political function more so than what they’re supposed to be doing, which is protecting the community from pretty severe crimes,” Campagna said. “I’ve worked multiple matters with the FDLE before. It’s disappointing to see them, or at least this agent, take this approach.”

Campagna characterized the written notice as typically internal.

What is the benefit to us?

Last week, we urged Republicans to think whether a second Trump presidency would be any different or better than the first. This week, we ask: Tell us, Joe Biden, how persecuting Trump will improve our lives.

This is all about power

The lust for power. It’s insatiable, and as we are witnessing, it has no bounds to its pursuit.

One of the great historical explanations of this lust for power is found in the late Austrian economist Murray Rothbard’s 1973 book, “For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto.”

In this space last week, we challenged diehard Republican Trump supporters to think seriously about the consequences of a second Donald Trump presidency. That was before the most recent trumped-up indictment of him, which, of course, made the diehard Trump supporters even more committed to him.

Responses to our commentary went along the line of the following, as articulated by a reader who told us he isn’t a fan of Trump’s narcissism, but the reader said: “Which of the other Republican candidates has the courage and guts to do what Trump did?

“The world was a safer place,” he said, “and therefore, America was safer. World leaders feared what Trump might do and didn’t challenge him. Especially Russia and China respect strength, not weakness.

“America was a safer place because Trump believed in law and order in the streets. He would not put up with the mobs and theft we see today in our major cities.

“Our immigration policy was well under control because of Trump’s border policies. And his statements on immigration made common sense — we should allow in those people who are smart and will build the country and economy as legal immigrants, rather than those whose first act is to break laws.

“His unraveling of illegal and onerous regulations helped businesses and the economy grow faster than they had in the previous eight years, and that also was the catalyst to making the U.S. energy independent.

“Trump exposed the cult of Washington, D.C. The entrenched bureaucrats and establishment insiders didn’t want him changing the rules of their club, and that is why they fought him.

“Trump believes in America and fought for America first. He believed in a merit-based society not a woke society.

“I’ll take that again,” the reader said.

Same here. But isn’t it likely all the other Republican candidates would agree that all of those actions above should be repeated?

So the question for Republicans remains: Who best to execute those

In his account of the roots of the American Revolution, Rothbard wrote of two men in London in the 1720s, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, who wrote a series of newspaper articles called “Cato’s Letters.”

Everything they said then you can apply to Joe Biden and the D.C. Democrats today.

As Rothbard wrote: Trenchard and Gordon pointed out that government always tended toward such destruction of individual rights.

According to “Cato’s Letters,” human history is a record of irrepressible conflict between Power and Liberty, with Power (government) always standing ready to increase its scope by invading people’s rights and encroaching upon their liberties.

Therefore, Cato declared, Power must be kept small and faced with eternal vigilance and hostility on the part of the public to make sure that it always stays within its

policies? Trump or someone else?

At this point, you cannot say whether any of the other candidates can and would do all that Trump did. They are untested in the presidential arena. Their first test will be at the Aug. 23 debate. That will help reveal who has what it will take and who can make a convincing case that:

■ They have an agenda that presents a winning vision for all of the American people and the United States’ place in the world.

■ They have been tested in life to have experienced the grit, guts, determination and perseverance required to build, operate and lead the largest, most complicated

narrow bounds. According to Cato’s Letters:

“We know, by infinite Examples and Experience, that Men possessed of Power, rather than part with it, will do anything, even the worst and the blackest, to keep it; and scarce ever any Man upon Earth went out of it as long as he could carry everything his own Way in it …

“This seems certain, That the Good of the World, or of their People, was not one of their Motives either for continuing in Power, or for quitting it.

“It is the Nature of Power to be ever encroaching, and converting every extraordinary Power, granted at particular Times, and upon particular Occasions, into an ordinary Power, to be used at all Times, and when there is no Occasion, nor does it ever part willingly with any Advantage …”

“Alas! Power encroaches daily upon Liberty, with a Success too evident; and the Balance between them is almost lost.

“Tyranny has engrossed almost the whole Earth, and striking at Mankind Root and Branch, makes the World a Slaughterhouse; and will certainly go on to destroy, till it is either destroyed itself, or, which is most likely, has left nothing else to destroy.”

enterprise in the world.

■ They have the trusting character, morals and likability that can win the hearts, minds and votes of not just Republicans, but also the large swath of independents and moderate Democrats who ultimately will determine the winner.

At this point, this is like watching a rookie NFL quarterback at training camp and in preseason games try to prove he is ready, while, say, an aging Aaron Rodgers watches from the sidelines. The coach (voter) keeps thinking: Should I go with the old, proven guy or make the jump to the next generation? But that choice may not even occur. The way Biden and his Jus-

DEMOCRATS: TELL US WHY YOU HATE TRUMP

Over the past seven years of the turmoil over Donald Trump, we have yet to hear from a Democratic Party leader, a Democratic Party voter or from a Republican Party Never Trumper specifically why they have such a visceral hate and dislike for Trump.

It’s likely not any one thing; probably a lot of things. But help us (and all Trump supporters)

EV subsidies: What a rip-off

After parking my beloved fossil fuel-powered car at the UTC mall recently, this sign in the parking lot caught my attention. And in the words of my first editor: “It chapped my a--.”

This is how ga-billionaire Elon Musk is promoting his electric vehicles at UTC: Buy my cars because your government will give you a $7,500 tax credit / subsidy / rebate.

In other words, your federal government is taking $7,500 out of the pocket of one American and giving that money — a completely unearned benefit, mind you — most likely to some upper middle-class or wealthy American.

And it’s doing this just because the arrogant, blowhard schlubs in Congress love the power of telling us how we should live our lives and are stupid enough to let Musk and others sucker them into funding businesses that should be left to survive on their own in the marketplace. This makes my stomach wrench.

And then, to compound the nausea, I read GoodJobsFirst.org’s 30-page report from October 2022:

“Will EVs Create Budget Potholes for States?” The report catalogs the billions upon billions of your tax dollars that the federal government and state governments are throwing at just about anyone who says he can make an EV car or truck, an EV battery or an EV charging station.

GoodJobsFirst reports — see chart — that 21 states have committed to taking $13.8 billion of taxpayers’ dollars and subsidizing (the government people call this “investing”) 51 known EV and EV battery factories.

There are another 53 more subsidized projects for which states have not disclosed the incentives.

These states are doing this because they have $500 billion Congress doled out to them from borrowed COVID “rescue” money.

On top of all that state EV subsidizing, Biden and the DC bozos voted $7.5 billion to subsidize the production of EV and low-carbon

tice Department hitmen are determined to imprison their most feared and hated rival via an outrageous, unjust prosecution and persecution, they are all but guaranteeing that Republican voters will nominate Trump.

Indeed, Trump’s most recent video surely will inspire many voters. Watch it: youtube.com/ watch?v=7nt4VZWz3P8.

Trump urges his followers “Just never quit.”

Trump will not quit. You know he is craving winning: 1) for vindication; 2) to defeat his D.C. enemies; and, 3) in his heart, to help save the American people from the progressive Marxist Jacobins.

With this war raging between Trump and the D.C. Democrats and subjecting Americans to endure it for the next 15 months, here is what may be the most pertinent and important question to pose to the Biden mobsters:

To what end the persecution of Donald Trump? Tell us, Joe Biden, King of Liars. Tell us how all of this effort (at taxpayer expense, mind you) is benefiting the American people. Tell us how the poor widows, poor families and average hard-working Americans will benefit from your persecution of Donald Trump? What is in it for us?

And don’t use the horse-manure that Donald Trump is an existential threat to democracy.

Explain to Americans what, specifically, is in Trump’s persecution that will make Americans’ lives better and make the United States better?

As far as we can see, there is nothing but bad. The people lose.

The persecution of Trump is sure to bring hate and wounds that rage beneath the skin, that fester like a sore ready to break open at any moment. The persecution of Trump is sure to bring the kind of hate and wounds that percolated for more than a century after the Civil War. This time the hate and wounds will divide, not regions, but Republicans and Democrats — and irreconcilably divide America.

For what benefit?

Here is the answer: To preserve your and your mob’s corrupted power (see “This is all about power”).

“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

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

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

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

Editorial Designer / Luke Reasoner, LReasoner@YourObserver.com

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com

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

Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com

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

Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com

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

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

Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com

Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com

understand. Why? What is the source of the hate that has made the Democratic Party (e.g. Department of Justice, FBI) go to such extraordinary lengths to destroy him, imprison him and keep him out of the White House.

If you’re a Democrat or Never Trumper, how about sending us your response to this question: Why, specifically, do you hate Don-

ald Trump?* Send your response to:

Please include your name and city of residence so we can verify if you’re real or a bot.

*If “hate” is too strong a word for you, then: Why do you so strongly dislike Donald Trump?

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

buses and ferries and $7.5 billion in grants to build EV charging stations in the bogus infrastructure bill.

If EVs are so wonderful, why should money be confiscated from widows, fixed-income people, middle-class Americans and the like and then be given as an unearned benefit to others?

They don’t get it in D.C.: What you give to one you must take away from another. A form of theft. — MW

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned.

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

CEO / Matt Walsh

President / Emily Walsh

Vice President / Lisa Walsh

Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles

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

MATT WALSH

Stage set for Payne Park Auditorium expansion

STAGE MANAGERS

The Stage also announced its new management team:

■ Brian McCarthy, board member for The Players: CEO

■ David Sanders, board member for The Players: CFO

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

When The Players Centre for Performing Arts moves into Payne Park Auditorium to begin its 2025-26 season in September 2025, the venerable facility will have a new look, a fresh brand and 50% more square footage.

To accomplish this, The Players Inc. has spun off The Stage at Payne Park LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary nonprofit. The new organization will guide an $8 million to $9 million renovation and expansion to create and operate a contemporary, flexible live performance space with a seating capacity of nearly 300.

The Stage will launch a capital campaign for the work in September, which The Players will match dollarfor-dollar up to $4 million.

Led by CEO Brian McCarthy, who also sits on The Players Board of Trustees, the mission is two-fold.

“One is to bring in the general contractors and everything needed to convert this space into a community performing arts center,” McCarthy said. “No. 2 is to head up the capital campaign to raise the money to build this facility.”

Currently, about 10,000 square feet, plans include expanding the building by 5,000 square feet to make it a fully functional performing arts venue.

“We’re going to keep the look of the existing auditorium and we will expand it to add a lobby, and we need to have some ancillary facilities like bathrooms, a box office, concessions and some offices,” McCarthy said. “We need to increase the backstage area for a green room, storage and

■ Steven Butler, artistic director for The Players: chair of the community consortium committee

■ Nancy Jenkins: project manager for new construction

■ Bill Porter, chair of The Players board of trustees: advisory board member

■ William Skaggs, CEO for The Players: advisory board member

bathrooms for the backstage. One thing that facility is lacking is sufficient bathrooms.”

McCarthy knows something about building facilities. He is the CEO of The Pickleball Club LLC, which recently opened an indoor club just south of Lakewood Ranch on Sarasota Center Boulevard.

The city has entered into a 10-year lease with The Players with two subsequent 10-year renewals, subject to agreement by both parties. It will pay the city $100 per year plus $1 per ticket sold for each performance.

The Players will assume responsibility for all expenses related to capital repairs and replacement, interior and exterior maintenance, utilities, insurance and any taxes. The city will complete repair and replacement of the roof damaged during Hurricane Ian.

“The facility will have just under 300 seats,” McCarthy said. “They’ll be collapsible and mobile so we can move them to the sides or we can configure in a more traditional seating arrangement. Or we could do something like theater in the round.”

That flexibility is important

because The Stage at Payne Park is intended to serve as an asset to multiple community performing arts organizations. The Players will use the building for about half the year, leaving ample opportunity to rent the space to other arts groups.

“We only have to fill up the other half of the year to make it an economically viable model, which it need it to be, so everybody’s going to pay for the space, but it will be much less expensive for them,” McCarthy said. “It’s going to be very flexible, and it’s going to be state-of-the-art. We can reconfigure the space very efficiently and easily. Someone come in and have a one-night performance and then reconfigure it the next day for another use.

“We would have a permanent staff so that the other organizations don’t have to go and mobilize logistics people and technical people. The permanent staff will be more efficient in being able to set it up.”

The Stage is finalizing the project team with the selection of an architect, engineer, general contractor and business development leader for key positions in the project. An announcement on the architect selection is expected this week. Initial goals for The Stage include convening a consortium of performing arts groups in August for input on design and unique requirements for their organizations. In September, it plans to hold a community workshop.

Parking will also be added.

“We do have to improve the parking area because much of the parking there is on the grass,” McCarthy said. “We’re not going to be very intrusive because we’re staying within the envelope. We’re not intruding on the tennis courts or the playgrounds, running paths, or any of those things, so it’s a fairly small footprint.”

A subsidiary of The Players Centre for Performing Arts begins its work to raise capital and begin planning to create a venue for local theater groups.

TRIBUTES

Rosenberg, Michael

Rosenberg, Michael, 84, of Longboat Key and Sarasota, passed peacefully on August 2, 2023. He spent many enjoyable years volunteering himself and his boat to the Sarasota Auxiliary Coast Guard. He is survived by his sister, Arlene Swiger, his niece and nephew, Karen (James) Lee and Lawrence (Amy) Swiger, and grand nephews, Andrew and Jack Swiger. He will be dearly missed.

Our

THURSDAY, JULY 27

NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES

11:42 a.m., 2000 block of 21st Street

Dispute: Two brothers in a dispute over finances entered into a tussle over a router. An officer met with the subject who stated he came home from work on break and found his brother, as he usually is, playing video games. He then took the router, which resulted in them attempting to grab it from one another. Both brothers stated they did not put hands on one another. The gaming brother said he had a rush of anxiety over the fight, which is why he called police. The dispute was determined to be only verbal in nature and no further action was taken.

SATURDAY, JULY 29

GUESTS NOT WELCOME

1:34 p.m., 2900 block of Palmadelia Avenue

Civil dispute: Complaining that two female tenants who reside above him have visitors who steal from him, a man called police because he believed someone from upstairs stole his vehicle key. The complainant is the owner of the property and advised he does not want anyone other than the tenants staying at the residence.

The complainant said he planned to call a locksmith to remake his vehicle key and was not concerned about his belongings, but wanted to make sure no one else was staying at his property. The officer made contact with the women, who advised the landlord frequently misplaces his belongings and they do not believe someone would have taken his vehicle key. No further action was taken.

VEHICLE VANDALISM

3:12 p.m., 700 block of North Lime Avenue

Property damage: A rock was thrown through the rear window of a vehicle between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. The complainant said he had to tape the window in order to make the vehicle usable by his wife. An officer observed the vehicle after it had been taped, noting a large rock was in the rear seat. While canvassing the area, the officer contacted a neighbor who was able to provide

MONDAY, JULY 31

FACETIME FRACAS

12:49 a.m. 700 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive

Noise dispute: Visitors from Massachusetts were involved in an argument that brought law enforcement to a beachside resort in the early morning hours. An officer met with a woman who said she was engaged in a verbal dispute with her fiancé and her mother via video chat. An officer arrived on scene and heard the woman screaming. She stated there was no physical altercation, she was not injured and that no crime had occurred. It was suggested they quiet down for the night and that the resort could order them to leave if their disruptive actions occurred.

footage of the incident from his surveillance cameras, which showed three perpetrators, possibly juveniles.

The footage shows one subject throwing the rock through the rear window before all three fled north on foot on Lime Avenue. A fourth subject is then seen walking briskly by approximately one minute later who appeared to be part of the group. None of the subjects attempted to enter the vehicle. The camera was too far from the incident to provide meaningful details of the subjects, although they appear to be juveniles based on their size. The victim stated the cost to replace the window is $619.

NO PARTIES ALLOWED

9:10 a.m., 2300 block of Huntington

Place Noise complaint: An apartment community property manager called police because the pool was closed and a group of subjects refused to leave. Security personnel was on the scene who had asked the subjects to leave, but they refused to comply.

An officer spoke with several of the subjects and advised they should leave, some replying they had secured permission earlier in the week to hold a party there.

The property manager countered that the apartment complex does not permit parties at the pool. All subjects vacated the pool area with no further issues.

SUNDAY, JULY 30

UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY

6:44 a.m., 1600 block of Pine Tree Lane Dispute: A woman told police responding to a domestic dispute complaint that she had awakened early to prepare a man’s birthday breakfast, but drinking ensued. She also advised she did not call police and did not wish to make a report.

The woman, who did not want to provide the officer her personal information, said she is an immigrant from Macedonia and claims several first names and different birthdays. She said at one point during the argument the man pushed her, but she did not know if it was intentional. During the interview she changed her story several times.

The man said both were up early to celebrate his birthday when the woman began yelling at him for no reason. They argued until law enforcement arrived on the scene. He said at no point did the dispute become physical, and then left the scene without incident.

A+E INSIDE:

< EATING WITH EMMA: Practice selfcare with prosecco cocktails. 14

HOMETOWN HERO : Remembering comic actor Paul Reubens. 15 >

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

AUGUST 10, 2023

Taking a deep dive with John Pirman

Life imitates art imitates life in Selby Gardens’ show of the Sarasota artist’s work.

If you’ve ever wanted to meditate on the meaning of the word “meta,” look no further than Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

There you will find suspended above the koi pond with a statue of the Buddha a large aluminum reproduction of artist John Pirman’s illustration of the same scene.

Life imitates art imitates life. (Breathe.)Meta, in case you don’t know, isn’t just a hipster term that Facebook founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to adopt as the name of his social media company.

Meta means the thing is about the thing, the way that the hit musical “A Chorus Line” is about dancers trying out for a Broadway show. Or Fellini’s “8-1/2” is about a philandering auteur who hits a psychological roadblock on the film he’s making.

“Koi Pond” isn’t the only meta image in Pirman’s show, which runs both inside and out at Selby Gardens through Sept. 17. That’s not surprising because many of the transplanted New Yorker’s illustrations of Sarasota are iconic.

You don’t have to be a weatherman to know that morning is the best time to visit Selby Gardens at this time of year. Pirman wisely suggests meeting at 10 a.m. on a recent Sunday morning to see his show, “John Pirman: Diving into Nature.”

Although the aluminum images outdoors won’t wilt in the face of tropical temperatures and lush greenery, any of Pirman’s paper artworks would. Fortunately, they are on display inside Selby’s air-conditioned gallery.

As we walk in the door and Pirman identifies himself to the museum volunteer checking tickets at the entrance, she exclaims without prompting, “Everyone who comes here leaves happy!”

As they should. Pirman’s world is populated with happy families on vacation, mid-century modern design, swimming pools and technological conveniences like TV dinners and online shopping sites. Life is good.

Pirman attributes the optimism of his art, whether personal or commercial, to sunshine. (Did he see the Anita Bryant commercial in the 1970s for Florida orange juice?) But his New York winter scenes on holiday cards and shopping bags are also full of magic. They leave you feeling like a child who has just shaken a snow globe.

As one views the evolution of Pirman’s work over the years it’s apparent that a talented boy was encouraged in his artistic ambitions by parents and teachers.

The first things a visitor sees in the show are cut paper artwork that was featured in a hallway showcase when Pirman was in kindergarten. Next to it his first published drawing,

in Highlights For Children, when he was 8 years old. “Those early artistic successes brought me confidence,” he recalls.

If there was ever a poster child for elementary arts education, Pirman is it. But his artistic training also began at home, where he was exposed to the skills of his father, who was a mechanical draftsman, and his uncle, who was a package designer.

In the suburb of Akron, Ohio, where Pirman grew up, people went to work to make things with their hands and with machines. Computers were still in the future.

Born in 1956, Pirman came of age during a sweet spot in American history, a time when there was money and leisure for family vacations, and where TV and travel were opening up new vistas to middle-class denizens of the Midwest like Pirman and his peers.

One of the sunny images in the Selby gallery is a giant snapshot of Pirman’s family in bathing suits at a motel in the Smokey Mountains, where they stayed on their way to

An aluminum reproduction of John Pirman’s “Koi Pond” is

IF YOU GO

JOHN PIRMAN:

DIVING INTO NATURE

When: Through Sept.

17

Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.

Tickets: $18

Info: Visit Selby.org

suspended above the koi pond it depicts at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota.

“Backyard Birdbath” was inspired by the yard of Pirman’s grandmother.

Courtesy photos Pirman’s “Nick at Nite” designs.

John Pirman

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

vacation in Treasure Island, Florida.

It’s fitting that Pirman was tapped to create branding material and merchandise for “Nick at Nite” in the mid-1990s. He watched the programs from the golden age of TV, like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” that were repackaged into a cable channel. Surely, Moore would adore the glass case where her smiling face is featured on Pirman’s “Nick at Nite” merch for sponsors.

Besides having the luck of a supportive family and living in an era of great prosperity for many, Pirman is a man in step with his time and his place. His New York work emphasizes fashion and shopping, first at department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and later at pioneer internet shopping channel bluefly. com.

After visiting Siesta Key over the years and deciding to move to Sarasota in 2008, he was immediately adopted by his new hometown. Pam Daniel, then managing editor of Sarasota Magazine, commissioned Pirman to create pictures for the last page of the magazine after he presented his work to her over lunch.

Thanks to his magazine gig, Pirman’s images of familiar places like Selby Gardens’ Spanish Point campus, the Dolphin Fountain in Bayfront Park and the cast-bronze replica of David in the Ringling Museum courtyard have become synonymous with Sarasota.

Pirman fits right in in his adopted hometown. He’s friendly, polite and knows how to protect his privacy as well as those of his clients. He declined to be interviewed at his home in Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores, not far from the Ringling Museum, but came through with the helpful substitution of a guided tour.

Those who want a sense of Pirman’s taste in decor can get a clue from his depiction of his New York City apartment for a Museum of Modern Art Christmas card. (You guessed it: it’s mid-century modern.)

You won’t catch Pirman giving out the address of the area home with poodles sitting beside the swimming pool that is part of his Selby Gardens show. But he makes small talk with a gallery visitor who seems to know the former owner of the house.

Asked to describe his artistic process, Pirman says modestly, “I see things in shapes of color.”

That hasn’t changed over the years. What has changed is that Pirman no longer uses pieces of colored paper, vellum, a pen and an Exacto knife to create artwork. He started using computers in the 1990s and now “paints” with a Mac and the Adobe Illustrator software program.

Some of Pirman’s work hanging on the walls in the Selby gallery was stored in a portfolio box for 30 years before his show.

The treasure trove includes art inspired by his grandmother’s backyard. Called “Backyard Birdbath,” it shows a green-and-white web lawn chair that is instantly recognizable to Americans who lived in the 1960s. The cut paper work was created for Hopper Paper in 1992.

In his low-key way, Pirman radiates pride. He’s happy to reminisce about his years in New York City with a fellow veteran of those heady days of magazine publishing.

It was a time when an illustrator made appointments with magazine art directors and presented his portfolio on Fridays. “That’s the way it was done,” Pirman says.

It’s the way future pop art superstar Andy Warhol got his start at Glamour magazine with a now famous illustration of women’s shoes. As Warhol demonstrated during his life, there’s a fine line between being a graphic artist and a fine artist. Certainly, Pirman has crossed the line and will continue his journey.   “I don’t like it when they call it a retrospective because I’m not done yet,” he says. It’s the only thing close to a complaint that you will hear in an hour’s conversation.

John Pirman in his studio, where a Mac has replaced cut paper and Exacto knife.

BY EMMA JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

The past few months have been tough, taste buds.

I’ve taken on the role of a caretaker, and no one prepares a caretaker for the lack of care you give to yourself. A good friend of mine shared advice worth repeating: “Airlines tell you in case of an emergency to put your mask on before assisting others. Remember to care for yourself first.”

So, the second I came back to Sarasota for a few days, I decided to practice the art of self-care in its highest form. A good caretaker deserves to feel like royalty (espe-

ALWAYS TIME FOR BUBBLY

be supremely satisfied. My summer snacking choice? Oysters (market price) by the half dozen or dozen served with mignonette cocktail sauce, horseradish and charred lemon. If you aren’t a fan of the briny shelled bites, order the ahi tuna “nachos” ($23) packed with ponzu dressing, avocado, sesame, scallion and crispy wantons for a perfect prosecco pairing.

GROVE 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch; 941-893-4321; GroveLWR. com

Since its 2018 opening, Grove has positioned itself as a contemporary culinary mecca for East County residents and beyond. With a plethora of menus from bar bites offered in the bar area from 3-7 p.m. daily, happy hour in all dining areas from 3-7 p.m. daily, lunch and dinner, brunch (served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.), drinks and wine list, sushi and kids (for foodies 12 and under), there is something for everyone at this lively Lakewood Ranch dining destination.

chicken, both goat and manchego cheese, roasted red pepper, marinara, red onion and chimichurri.

SHORE

800 Broadway St., Longboat Key, 941-259-4600; 465 John Ringling Blvd., #200, Sarasota, 941-2960301; DineShore.com

One thing’s for shore. Nothing quite makes you feel like you’re getting the royal treatment like a visit to Shore Longboat Key. Come to the north tip of Longboat Key and dine with a view that drives home our local saying, “We live where others vacation.” Al fresco dining has never looked this good: crystal blue waters as an exterior backdrop for the mid-century design inside. If Longboat Key is too out of the way for your travels, hop over to the casually glamorous St. Armands location.

cially in the days leading up to her birthday).

It’s time to treat yourself to paramount prosecco cocktails poured in paradise (and for pairing those boozy treats with amazingly appealing appetizers).

JACK DUSTY 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota; 941-309-2266; RitzCarlton.com

As a foodie you know that this marina-front, Ritz-Carlton-run seafood bistro offers luxurious cocktails and fresh seafood appetizers with local ingredients. Offering a unique dining experience for eaters of all likings (not just seafood

fanatics), this modern café with indoor and outdoor seating makes men and women feel majestic. Don’t blame yourself if you want to have “just one more” — whether it be bite or cocktail.

Let’s Get Fizzical: Pause a moment for the prized prosecco pick any person would proudly devour, the Siren ($28). This Jack Dusty icon is made from your choice of Absolut Vodka or Tanqueray Gin and is mixed with St. Germain, lemon juice, prosecco topper, grapefruit ice, cranberry ice and incredible eye-catching orchid ice. You’ll always remember your first Siren.

Appys That Make Me Happy: Set your eyes on the starter section as you slowly (or quickly, no judgment here) sip that seductive-looking Siren and your stomach will surely

Let’s Get Fizzical: Who put the pro in prosecco? The Tree Nymph ($16). This colorfully cool craft cocktail lives up to its name by being nothing short of attractive. The Tree Nymph is mixed with Grainger’s organic vodka, domaine De canton, prosecco, harmonious house-made sour and seasonal fruit cubes. Cheers to creators of this incredibubble concoction!

Appys That Make me Happy: Pick up the prosecco refreshment with your pinky out and bite into these tasty brisket sliders ($9-$13) like the strong and selfless sovereign that you are. These spectacular sliders are stacked with smoked brisket, tangy sweet barbecue sauce, out-of-this-world bacon jam sandwiched between toasted house-made brioche buns. Feeling like a famous flatbread? Order the chimi chicken ($17) with seared

Let’s Get Fizzical: I have fond memories of drinking Aperol spritz with my family on the ChampsÉlysées (Lah-dee-dah!). It was also the signature drink at my wedding. Needless to say, I like this Italian liquor-based cocktail, and Shore makes a sensational Aperol spritz ($12). Mix Aperol (a sweet and bitter Italian aperitif), prosecco, a splash of soda and side of orange and cheers to you! Fancy gin? Order the French 75 ($12), made with gin, fresh lemon, simple syrup and topped with prosecco.

Appys that Make Me Happy: Place your order for Shore’s succulent shrimp ceviche and guacamole ($18) served with flavorful cumin corn tortillas and you’ll feel shrimply the best. The list of small plates and shares varies at locations, but regardless of where you sit, this option is available! The summer heat making you feel like you can turn things up a notch more? Nosh on Kung Pao calamari ($18) served with Napa cabbage, red peppers, toasted peanuts, black sesame, basil, mint and cilantro.

Emma Jolly

Made from your choice of Absolut Vodka or Tanqueray Gin and mixed with St. Germain, lemon juice, prosecco topper and flavored ices, the Siren ($28) is a Jack Dusty icon.

Pee-wee’s adventure started in Sarasota

ROBERT PLUNKET

CONTRIBUTOR

Contributor Robert Plunket sums up the life of Sarasota’s Paul Reubens. The wacky comic genius known as Pee-wee Herman died July 30 after a six-year battle with cancer that he kept private. He was 70. Plunket wrote about Reubens over the years and was friends with his mother, Judy.

How did Paul Reubens become Peewee Herman? What in his childhood planted the seeds of his future persona? And what part did Sarasota play in creating his wacky vision?

Paul’s journey to fame started when the Rubenfeld family moved to Sarasota in 1961. It was only 1,300 miles from their previous home in Oneonta, New York, but light years away in atmosphere.

After bleak and snowy upstate New York, Paul fell in love with the slightly exotic and kitschy glamour of Sarasota. “It was an incredibly exciting place at the time,” he told an interviewer much later in life, “and a cool place to grow up.”

Part of Sarasota’s allure was the circus. Ringling Brothers was still very much a part of the town’s life during Paul’s childhood. He could see the most amazing performers in ordinary situations  — retired Munchkins shopping in Publix. The Flying Wallendas lived nearby — with rigging set up in their backyard — and famed clown Emmet Kelly’s home was just a few blocks away.

For an impressionable young kid, it was a revelation. Paul was fascinated; his second movie “Big Top Pee-wee” is a love letter to these early memories.

In Sarasota, the Rubenfelds found the perfect house for the future Peewee to grow up in.

Just south of Harbor Acres on a street called Sparrow Circle, it is still remembered today as a great place to hang out: right on the bay, full of kids from the neighborhood, with the family’s latest mutt running about.

It was modern in design, rather Japanese-looking with shoji-type screens made of fiberglass that could be pulled back to open things up. There was a painting on velvet in the living room, indicative of the family’s slightly bohemian lifestyle. It was the forerunner of Pee-wee’s famous playhouse — full of fun, toys and gadgets, with all sorts of people dropping by.

Paul was lucky enough to have the perfect mother for a budding per-

former. Judy Rubenfeld was smart and outgoing. “She was the mother everybody wanted to have,” recalls one friend. She would often spend the entire day in her bathing suit.

Paul developed much of his comic timing from her. Judy could always come up with the perfect one-liner, even in a crisis. When the media circus surrounding Paul’s 1991

arrest for indecent exposure at the XXX South Trail Theatre was in full swing, she went into “mother bear” mode to protect him. Still, when she heard that ABC News’ Diane Sawyer wanted an interview, her first response was: “How can I lose 20 pounds fast?”

The most important part of Paul’s early creative life was spent in the family room on Sparrow Circle, watching TV. He had an immediate connection with the performers he saw on the flickering screen. Reruns of “I Love Lucy” were his favorite. He watched Lucille Ball over and over, absorbing her comic technique.

Howdy Doody was another favorite. “I cried the day the show went off the air,” he said. Paul dreamed of becoming a child star like Ron Howard, who played Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show.” He even wrote a letter to Walt Disney, hoping to get a job somewhere in the Magic Kingdom. A young artist needs training and mentoring and Paul was in the perfect place. Sarasota had the highly acclaimed Players Centre, which was and still is a “community the-

ater,” but one which held a special place in the town’s life. The work the Players did was excellent and everybody attended the shows. In sixth grade, Paul auditioned for “A Thousand Clowns” and got the part. He was immediately accepted into the town’s extended theater family.

Paul was soon good enough to work at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, a professional regional theater famous for the excellence of its acting company. Once again, he found mentors. “I always thought he would end up a respected actor in rep,” leading lady Issa Thomas remembered.

When he wasn’t at the theater or Sarasota High School, Paul hung out with friends. They were the arty crowd at school and they had some wonderful times.

They even invented their own dance: You stand on your toes, knees bent, and jab your hands to the front and then to the back, all to the tune of “Tequila.” It was a routine that would become world famous when Pee-wee performed it to ward off angry bikers in Tim Burton’s 1985 film, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

But all that was still in the future. Paul was just beginning to put the pieces together. Then one night at the Asolo Rep, the magic finally happened.

He was in a play called “Life with Father,” a 1939 comedy about a stern, demanding father and the four sons he has such trouble controlling. Paul played the youngest, most obnoxious one. It was a long run, several months, and as they continued performing Paul started to experiment with his part.

His instincts told him he should play it more cartoonish. So he began working on a voice — high-pitched and adenoidal. He’d try it out in certain places, refine it and try again. He finally thought he had it.

So just as the play was in its closing week, he came out one night and delivered his last line in the voice. He knew immediately from the audience’s reaction that he was on to something.

And so, Pee-wee Herman found his voice on the stage of the Asolo Rep. Literally. We miss you, Paul.

The Players Centre and Asolo Rep helped form Paul Reubens’ beloved persona.

Courtesy photos

Paul Reubens appeared at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, in 2016 to promote his Netflix film, “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.”

Paul Reubens at the Oscars in 1988.

CAT DEPOT SUPPLY & GIFT STORE

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road $15-$20 Visit CircusArts.org.

Experience the best of the circus arts at affordable prices thanks to The Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling. Runs through Aug. 12.

THURSDAY JAZZ AT THE SAM

5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

The Barker Project performs on the Michael & Marcy Klein Patio.

‘SOMETHING ROTTEN!’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave W, Bradenton $30-$44 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

“Something Rotten!” is a musical about writing a musical about William Shakespeare. Runs through Aug. 27.

‘A COMEDY OF TENORS’

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

Set in 1930s Paris, “A Comedy of Tenors” is a madcap romp about

OUR PICK

FRIDAY FEST: TEN-76

Formed during the pandemic, TEN-76 is a high-energy rock band covering classic rock, punk and modern rock. Its members are in their late teens and early 20s and are brimming with talent.

IF YOU GO

When: Friday, 5 -9 p.m.

Where: Lawn of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Tickets: Free Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

opera and real-life drama. Runs through Aug. 27.

FRIDAY

GEORGE MCVEY RIVER ROAD

7 p.m. at Centennial Park, Venice Free Visit VisitVenicefl.org.

The popular local acoustic guitar player “Just George” is backed up by two of his musical compadres. No alcohol permitted.

SATURDAY

OPEN STUDIOS AT CREATIVE LIBERTIES

11 a.m.-3 p.m. at 901B Apricot Ave. and 927 N Lime Ave. Free Visit CreativeLiberties.net

Artists open their studios to the public each second Saturday of the month.

2023 SUMMER LUNCH & LEARN SERIES

Proudly Sponsored by Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

August 23, 2023

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Michael’s On East, Sarasota

Only $39 for Lecture & Includes Luncheon!

To RSVP: Call AJC at 941.365.4955 or Online at: AJC.org/Sarasota/summer2023

International Expert Belle Yoeli, Speaking in Sarasota! This is Not To Be Missed!!

Start Living Healthier Today!

RENEW is for anyone who wants to lose weight, relieve stress, and prevent future health complications. It combines health coaching, group activities, meal feedback, exercise monitoring, and unlimited support.

APPLY BY SEPTEMBER 1 to join the next 10-week program, beginning September 11!

Belle Yoeli

AJC’s Chief Advocacy Officer

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023

The State of Jewish Affairs:

Around the World with AJC

There is never a dull moment for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Join us for an in-depth conversation as we tackle some of the most challenging current events and how they are impacting our community.

Or Email: sarasota@ajc.org

Or Call American Jewish Committee at 941.365.4955

RESEARCH ROMANCE

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

Individual dolphins can be distinguished by the shape of their fins, which is why, for Randy and Martha Wells, dolphin fins and their variations have added significance.

“For our wedding rings, Randy made a band, and it has eight individual fins that he did tiny little carvings on. Each of them is special in our relationship. Fins have become a really big symbol in our life,” said Martha Wells.

Martha and her husband, Randy, weave their life around their curiosity and love for dolphins. Randy is the director of the world-renowned Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, and it was through this program that Randy and Martha met.

FORMING CONNECTIONS

Randy grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and moved to Sarasota in high school. The Florida curriculum allowed Randy to take classes that weren’t offered in Illinois schools, such as oceanography and marine biology. This began his fascination with marine life, specifically sharks.

After getting rejected from his dream internship working with sharks at Mote, his father helped him get another opportunity. In 1970, Randy became a volunteer assistant for Blair Irvine, who worked at Mote Marine Laboratory at the time.

Irvine was studying the behavioral interactions of sharks and dolphins, while in his free time focusing on the mysterious lives of wild bottlenose dolphins. Throughout the rest of Randy’s high school career, he and Irvine set out to do the first study on wild dolphin ranging patterns. This led to the creation of the Sarasota

AND

Dolphin Research Program.

After getting his doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Randy returned to work at the SDRP. In 1989, he became a senior conservation scientist with the Chicago Zoological Society, which started its operation of the SDRP that same year.

But why is an organization in Chicago running a program in Sarasota?

“The Gulf of Mexico is crucial to so much,” said Martha. “There is the environmental connection, in essence with what comes down the river system out of Chicago. The river system is directly tied to the Gulf of Mexico and the Sarasota dolphins.”

Around the same time, Martha worked for the Brookfield Zoo, the Chicago Zoological Society’s home base.

“(SDRP) ended up being one of the programs that we went to Washington to find support for. The politicians in Illinois and also in Florida saw that connection with the Gulf

of Mexico,” said Martha. “So this brought new money into the agency that allowed them to do work they really wanted to do and supported the program. Randy and I met through doing that work.”  Randy and Martha started dating after a few months of working together. They bonded over their passion for environmental conservation and love of marine life. After enduring three years of longdistance dating, they got married in 2002 and settled in Sarasota to be near their favorite finned friends.

ENGAGING NEIGHBORS

The Chicago Zoological Society’s main mission focuses on connecting people to wildlife and nature to inspire conservation. The Wells explained that this is the purpose behind SDRP and their efforts to

educate people about their work.

Much of that work involves identifying and tracking wild dolphins in Sarasota Bay to learn more about their behavior and the threats they face. The SDRP is the longest-running study of wild dolphins in the world.

“We hope to help people appreciate (dolphins) more as individuals, knowing that they’re our neighbors and we’re their neighbors,” said Randy.

Martha now works at Carter Global, a nonprofit consulting agency, but she uses any chance she gets to help Randy and his team. Her science communications background allows SDRP to have access to many connections in the community that are useful for the animals. She also helps with spreading the word about the program and getting people engaged.

Martha never misses one of the many research trips Randy goes on with the SDRP. While Randy and the employees are focusing on their research, Martha talks with the many different people they encounter abroad and documents their work by taking photos.

“It allows for the science people to do the science,” said Martha. “So then if there’s a local constituent who wants to learn about it, or who has questions like ‘Why are you guys driving boats fast? Why can you get close to the dolphins and we can’t?’ ... I can go and talk to people with a level of knowledge.”

Randy and Martha always find a way to connect Randy’s research to their daily life. They explained that every day they spend out in the field, they know they are in for a surprise.

“I could not ask for a better partner. She is amazing. She’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. And she does only high-quality work. She’s never steered me wrong and any bit of guidance, I’ve gotten from her.”

— Randy Wells

“It’s like opening a Christmas present,” said Randy. “When you go out there, you don’t know what you’re gonna find. And as we’ve gotten to know the animals better, we can interpret things much more easily with background information, knowing who the animals are, how old they are, what their sex is, who they spend their time with. That sort of thing allows us to ask more and more complex questions and get new answers that nobody’s ever, ever been able to do before.”

Randy said his complex work could not be done without Martha.

“I could not ask for a better partner,” he said. “She is amazing. She’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. And she does only high-quality work. She’s never steered me wrong, and any bit of guidance I’ve gotten from her.”

Randy and Martha Wells met through the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program and have complemented each other’s strengths ever since.

Photos by Petra Rivera

Randy and Martha Wells with a copy of “Dolphin Man,” a children’s book about Randy’s career as a researcher.

Randy Wells’ office is filled with objects representing his research, such as this plate with different fins of dolphins that have impacted his life.

CRYPTO CURIOUS?

Come see what all the excitement is about - ask questions, network, exchange ideas. Start joining, learning, sharing and earning right away!

EVERY WEDNESDAY

SRQ LEADERS FORUM AND SOCIAL MIXER

6PM - 8:30PM SEE DATES BELOW | $9.99 INCLUDES OPEN BAR

Listen to top influencers and leaders in the industry. Meet fellow members and learn about the benefits of Bitcoin Ben’s Crypto Club.

WED. AUG. 16TH

JAKE BOYLE - (CALEB & BROWN)

Caleb & Brown is the world’s leading cryptocurrency brokerage, helping their clients navigate the complexities of buying, selling, and swapping cryptocurrencies, with a 24/7 personal broker service.

WED. AUG. 23RD

HEATHER MURRAY & JORDAN PAGE (FIREFLY)

Heather Murray is a researcher/blogger. She spent four years traveling the world with the military, forever changing her political views, thus starting Information Warfare News to counter fake news and propaganda. Jordan Page comes from Firefly, a blockchain-based education platform where students, teachers, and content creators are rewarded within a crypto economy.

Campus for dreamers

The ribbon was cut on the Dreamers Academy’s Newtown campus, which offers a dedicated space for bilingual learning.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Geri Chaffee, founder of Dreamers Academy, described a scene filled with exclamations of joy among students, laughing parents and excited teachers as a ribbon cutting and open house was held for the school’s new campus on Aug. 7.

The new campus, located at 2146 Myrtle St. in Newtown, is the first dedicated space for the bilingual elementary school, which alternates its instruction between English and Spanish throughout the week.

“Everybody loves the school. They love the colors,” Chaffee said. “It’s very bright and big; the spaces are comfortable.”  She said the school, which had previously rented a space at Temple Beth Sholom, saw a need, and a great

potential, among the children in Newtown. The teaching focuses not only on literacy, but also on oracy, or speaking, she said.

“We don’t just want to close the achievement gap, we want to surpass the achievement gap,” she said.

Features of the campus include a new bilingual library. The school will also offer two to three events per month that allow parents to participate, she said.

The ribbon cutting was attended by officials including school board Chair Bridget Ziegler and board member Tom Edwards, Sarasota County Commissioner Mark Smith, and Sarasota County Schools Director Harriet Moore, as well as individuals from community foundations, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and parents.

Without the support of the community’s nonprofits, the dream of a campus couldn’t have been realized, Chaffee said.

“It feels amazing,” said Head of School Catherine Rodríguez. “It was a lot of work, a lot of sweat and tears, but we made it happen. And it was a team effort.”

Courtesy photo

Tom Edwards, Sarasota County School Board member; Andrea Doggett, United Way Suncoast; Kirsten Russell, Community Foundation of Sarasota, Esther Quilmes, lifelong educator & volunteer; Mark Smith, Sarasota County District 2 commissioner; Cathy Rodriguez, Dreamers Academy Head of School; Geri Chaffee, Dreamers Academy founder; Harriet Moore, Sarasota County Schools director; Bridget Ziegler, Sarasota County School Board chair and Dan Kennedy, Dreamers Academy Board vice chair

Under the circus spotlight

When 17-year-old Emma Wilson Weber began attending Circus Summer Camp at the Circus Arts Conservatory, she wasn’t the performer she is today.

“I couldn’t point my toes. I couldn’t touch my toes. And now, not only can I do all those things, but I can help other people learn to do those things,” she said.

She now serves as a counselor, helping kids learn circus skills.

As she led part of the camp’s act practice on Aug. 3, the sights to be seen throughout the tent included performances involving the trapeze, the rolling globe, the rolla bolla, wire walking, juggling and more.

“The experience of doing circus is not like any other experience you can have,” said 9-year-old Lena Chesnoff, explaining that the entertainment form blends gymnastics with many other skills.

“I love circus camp,” said 7-year-old Hudson Nesmith.

Many kids, Weber said, do not come from a circus background or play any sports, yet she finds herself impressed with the skills they acquire.

“They’re always so talented and so able to achieve such powerful and great things in a short amount of time,” she said.

On the final Friday of each weeklong session of camp, kids close out the learning experience by offering a show, featuring limited admission, for their families.

— IAN SWABY

Jack Williams, 11, juggles three clubs.

Marney McClain practices her high-flying skills.

Counselor Ella Abrahamson, 13, Ryan Miller 6, and Madison Barrett.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Dylan Welling, 8, practices in the lyra with counselor Elle Singerman, 12.

Beautiful AND Durable Exterior Door Hardware

It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air.

We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance and repair. There is a practical solution to this common problem – Bronze or Stainless

Both materials offer excellent salt tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of styles and finishes provide a perfect match to existing color schemes including rich patinas of classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black.

It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air.

Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, located The Plumbing Place, displays many lines of door hardware in beautiful styles for your home that are well suited for our demanding environment, and will create the first impression your front door deserves.

Beautifully crafted bathroom and kitchen fixtures, fittings and accessories from leading designers. Masterpieces of functionality and style showcased in an astounding showroom. Visit our

We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance and repair. There is a practical solution to this common problem – Bronze or Stainless

Both materials offer excellent salt tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of styles and finishes provide a perfect match to existing color schemes including rich patinas of classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black.

A new spin on summer camp

The camps at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium engage children in themed fun and education.

“When I first visited Mote, I remember telling my mom ‘I want to work here.’ I was like 10 years old and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing.’ I fell in love with it,” said Madison Royer.

Royer started in January of this year as the new education program coordinator at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Since then, she’s redesigned the summer camp programs at Mote and recently led her staff through a successful first summer full of education and fun.

Originally from Ohio, Royer moved to Manatee County for a job

as a teacher right after college. She had wanted to return to the area since her college internship at Mote. She taught for five years in a range of different grades, including third grade, fourth grade and marine science for high schoolers.

During the summer, her main focus is on Mote summer camps. These ran as one-week camps starting June 5 and ending on Aug. 4. She said Mote’s education department encouraged her to make the programs her own.

“I redesigned our themes and our curriculum and made it a little bit more of an educational experience,” said Royer. “I wanted them to walk away with knowledge that they can take. I’ve had really great feedback from parents who say, ‘They are coming home, and they are teaching me about things that I don’t even know about.’ My main goal was just to add a little bit more relevant education to the camps. Previous Mote camps were amazing. I just came

your

Photos by Petra Rivera

Annabeth Howell and James Nicholson at the stingray touch tank at Mote

with a different mindset.”

The summer camps at Mote are divided into three age groups: Tidal Tykes are 5-7 years old, Aqua Kids are 8-10 years old and Sea Sleuths are 11-13 years old.

Each week has a different theme. This includes “Habitat Hoppers,” focusing on different underwater habitats, “Alien Invasion,” which ties a connection between sea and space exploration, and “Salty Super Heroes,” which teaches about different people who have impacted the world of marine science.

“It’s really a lot of critical thinking,” said Royer. “These changes are just making sure there’s a purpose to everything in camp and you’re not just doing an activity to do it, but you’re doing it because it goes with your overall theme of the day.”

The Mote summer camps have flexible schedules, offering a choice between a morning or afternoon camp and registering for another week or two of camp. Mote also offers day and virtual camps.

Royer designed each of the camps around engaging the different age groups. The typical camp week started on Monday with an overview of the grounds and a behind-thescenes tour of Mote and dry activities in the classroom establishing the theme for the week. Tuesday, the action started with water activities such as snorkeling, dip netting and kayaking. Water activities continued throughout the week, finishing on Friday with a project tying up everything the campers learned.

“The goal was to give them a fun experience,” said Royer. “But that they are also walking away with that knowledge from that camp and able to apply it to their lives and hopefully help create our future generation of ocean conservation specialists.”

The summer camp staff is made up of volunteers, interns and full-time education employees.

At the beginning of May, the staff went through a two-week training that encouraged team bonding and taught them about what the summer would entail.

“It’s been amazing, because everybody clicked really quick,” said Royer. “We had a great first two weeks together, just training. And during that time, I tried to keep it nice and fun. I did all the activities

with them that we do with the kids. We played different games, because I wanted them to experience camp a little bit, too, from the camper’s side of things.”

Royer would like to implement more day camps throughout the school year to provide an opportunity for children to keep learning on teacher work days.

“Our education department is actually great because they’ve already brought a lot of initiatives in to reach into underserved and underrepresented communities,” said Royer. “Once the new aquarium opens, we’re going to be so much more accessible to all of those communities. I’m excited to be a part of it because I really want to bring my knowledge of Title One schools to our education department.”

Royer has already started dreaming about how to make next summer better for the campers.

After seeing how much her high school volunteers loved spending the summer at Mote, one goal of hers is to make a summer camp focusing on high school students.

“It’s just neat seeing everything come together and come to life because I wasn’t sure how it would all go,” said Royer. “I have never done this before. But we’ve had a lot of smiling faces, people falling asleep on the way home. We have a lot of parents saying how their kids are so tired but they loved it. Their excitement is really what drives us all.”

Antonio Moretta, MD

Board Certified, Cardiology and Electrophysiology

Dr. Antonio Moretta brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Cattleridge Medical Building II office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Electrophysiology medicine.

Undergraduate: Villanova University, Villanova, PA

Medical School: Saint George’s University, Grenada, WI

Graduate: Immunology, Long Island University, Brookville, NY

Residency: Internal Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY

Fellowship: Cardiac Electrophysiology, Stony Brook University, New York, NY; Cardiology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY

Certification: Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine with Subspecialty Certification in Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophsiology Hospital Affiliations: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital

Sarasota,

Madison Royer, new education program director at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

‘Too young to be old’

Self-help

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

When Nancy Schlossberg began thinking about entering a retirement community

10 years ago, her son, Mark Schlossberg, told her she was too young.

But Schlossberg, 94, a professor emerita of counseling psychology at the University of Maryland and author of multiple self-help books, said she knew that people ought to do things before they need to.

Today, as a resident of the retirement community Sarasota Bay Club, she leads a life that involves speaking engagements, co-hosting a discussion group at Senior Friendship Centers and even the publication of a new book, “My Path, My Transitions,” in May 2023.

“I’m very busy, I live in a wonderful community, I have a very active social life and I have two wonderful adult children,” she said.

FIRSTHAND FIELD EXPERIENCE

Although Nancy Schlossberg’s research and books have often focused on old age, she said she likes to think she has something for all ages.

Life transitions affect everyone and have defined her own path, including her time as a young Barnard College student struggling to find her calling.

When she graduated and served as director of admissions for a fashion school, Tobé-Coburn School, the search didn’t end. Julia Coburn, the school’s director, was perplexed that while Schlossberg was skilled at her job, she didn’t enroll enough students. This, said Schlossberg, was because she tried to help students understand what they wanted, not recruit them.

Yet she was onto something — an interest in understanding and help-

ing others.

The pieces all came together as she pursued a doctorate in counseling psychology at Columbia University, reading works by sociologist Robert Merton and psychologist Bernice Neugarten.

Schlossberg found herself intrigued by Neugarten’s ideas, such as the theory that much of people’s well-being in their later years is determined by their social clock, which involves the social norms of how people behave.

Thus, she discovered her true passion: adult development.

That’s not to say that life was suddenly free of change. In 1963, after she married attorney Stephen Schlossberg, with whom she remained until his death in 2011, she gained the responsibility of two children.

When Stephen found the job of a lifetime as an attorney for labor leader and civil rights activist Walter Reuther in Detroit, that meant Nancy couldn’t carry out her dream to study with Neugarten at the University of Chicago.

Instead, she organized a conference to bring Neugarten to Wayne State University, where she was then serving, while continuing to explore her field.

Of course, she could also depend on Stephen Schlossberg for support, with him there to remind her that she could not give up, despite her many responsibilities.

“I’ve never had anybody in my life who believed in me the way he did,” she said.

She went on to work for almost 28 years at the University of Maryland as a professor of counseling psychology, during which time she created Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, which details the factors impacting life transitions.

“The principles are the same, whatever age you are at,” she said.

GRATITUDE IN RETIREMENT

Now as a retiree, she chooses to focus on all the things she has to appreciate — not on what she may have lost.

“I’m a good speaker, but I’m not as good as I was 20 years ago,” she said. “I was terrific; I don’t focus on that. I think it’s amazing that I can still speak.”

Today, her life involves co-hosting the group Aging Rebels at Senior Friendship Centers with retired lawyer Mike Karp; working remotely with the nonresident committee of the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., for which she serves as chair; offering speaking engagements for nonprofits and other organizations, and enjoying life in Sarasota alongside her partner, Richard Olin.

The Aging Rebels fills a need she said is essential for seniors: a solid net of support. While she is grateful to find such a net in her children, Mark and Karen Schlossberg, not everyone can be so fortunate, she said.

“That’s why people come here,” she said of the group. “Whether they have it at home or not, they get it here. They make friends here.”

Even though she’s highly qualified to promote the possibilities in life, she knows it isn’t perfect.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

by Dental Implant

Specialists

AGING REBELS DISCUSSION GROUP

Tuesdays, 1:30-3 p.m. at Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way

SELECTED WORKS BY NANCY SCHLOSSBERG

■ “My Path: My Transitions”

■ “Too Young to Be Old: Love, Learn, Work and Play as You Age”

■ “Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships, and Purpose”

■ “Retire Smart, Retire Happy with Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg”

PBS special on DVD

■ “Overwhelmed: Coping with Life’s Ups and Downs“

■ “Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding Your True Path in Life”

Ian Swaby

“First of all, I’m 94, so you do spend a lot of time running from doctor to doctor, and it becomes a part-time job,” she said.

She said when people encounter immense challenges, like the loss of the spouse or a child, there is often no easy solution. With events like these, she said people must assess their situation, examine their “self” and choose to be an optimist, ensure they have a network of support and find strategies for coping. They also must understand that transitions are impermanent.

“The day your spouse dies, the day your job is eliminated, is not the way you’re going to feel six months later, or two years later,” she said.

“Stay open, go to someplace like the Senior Friendship Center, go listen to jazz, go to the discussion groups, look for new paths, don’t say I’m too old — you’re not too old … ” she advises. “It’s not over till it’s over, and you can spend your life closing up, or staying open.”

Staying intellectually stimulated is always important, she said.

“I’m not a TV watcher,” she said. “I used to watch the news. I can’t watch the news anymore … If I’m free, I’m not going to turn on the television.” However, she has enjoyed watching

■ “Counseling Adults in Transition: Linking

she called “really wonderful,” includ ing the Korean shows “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” and “Crash Landing on You.”

Helping others is also essential to happiness, she finds. For her, a major way of helping has been her life’s calling of studying and teaching others about adult development. Recently she celebrated the publication of her memoir, “My Path: My Transitions,” with a book launch being hosted at Senior Friendship Centers. Every week, she said, she receives emails from people she has never met, describing how her writings have helped them.

author and former professor Nancy Schlossberg encourages seniors to embrace their stage of life.

Nancy Schlossberg leads a discussion on aging Tuesdays at Senior Friendship Centers.

Siesta Key home sells for $2.9 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Ocean View tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Louis Colosimo, trustee, of Orlando, sold the home at 8377 Midnight Pass Road to Thomas and Karen Martellucci, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, for $2.9 million. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,777 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.85 million in 2020.

CIEL Richard Galson, of Sarasota, sold his Unit 902 condominium at 990 Boulevard of the Arts to Pamela Redmond and Joseph Michael Redmond, of Sarasota, for $1.83 million. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,335 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.3 million in 2005.

SOUTH HIGHLAND

Todd and Amanda Rowley sold their home at 1809 Ivanhoe St. to Randal Tyler Cole and Shannon Lee Cole and Cora Lee Blanton, of Alexandria, Virginia, for $1.72 million.

Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,712 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.19 million in 2021.

EAGLES POINT AT THE LANDINGS

William Lambrecht, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 303 condominium at 5440 Eagles Point Circle to Richard and Kathryn Stern, of Sarasota, for $1,455,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,943 square feet of living area. It sold for $875,000 in 2012.

Paul Weber, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 304 condominium at 5420 Eagles Point Circle to Debra George and William Marinelli, of Sarasota, for $570,000. Built in 1993, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,330 square feet of living area. It sold for $232,000 in 2011.

ORANGE PARK Alexandra and Matthew LawsonBaker, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2919 Marshall Drive to Anastasia and Hya Entin, of Sarasota, for $1.33 million. Built in 2018, it has

three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $980,000 in 2021.

QAlexandra Glauser, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at to Svitlana Grebin, of Sarasota, for $1.1 million. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,918 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.05 million in 2022.

SAPPHIRE SHORES

Jeanne Graham, trustee, of La Jolla, California, sold the home at 418 Sapphire Drive to Matthew and Lisa Garrison, of Winnetka, Illinois, for $1.05 million. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,724 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2019.

1350 MAIN RESIDENTIAL

Lewis Wasserman sold his Unit 1200 condominium at 1350 Main St. to WFD 4 LLC for $1.02 million. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $760,000 in 2021.

Peter Haas and Barbara Maya Nagel, of New York City, sold their Unit 1009 condominium at 1350 Main St. to Eric Doy Howell, of Sarasota, for $530,000. Built in 2007, it has one bedroom, one bath and 895 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,000 in 2017.

PHILLIPPI LANDINGS

Paul and Christina Martinelli, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 803 condominium at 5531 Cannes Circle to Eric Smith and Lynn Smith, trustees, of Sarasota, for $925,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA: $1.85M

Sarasota Bay Club

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 814 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail to Sanford and Marcia Mackman, of Sarasota, for $1.85 million. Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,772 square feet of living area. It sold for $980,000 in 2015.

PALMER

RANCH: $1.37M

Silver Oak William Marshall, of St. Paul, Minnesota, sold the home at 5304 Hunt Club Way to Laura Gibson and Stewart Holmes Gibson, of Sarasota, for $1,365,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,867 square feet of living area. It sold for $855,000 in 2018.

baths and 1,706 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,000 in 2016.

HARTLAND PARK

Elizabeth Kay Jordan and Corey Jordan sold their home at 1856 Jasmine Drive to 1856 Jasmine Drive LLC for $730,000. Built in 1951, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,701 square feet of living area. It sold for $409,900 in 2016.

CASTEL DEL MARE

Timothy and Marcella Maloney, of Bernards, New Jersey, sold their Unit 1624-404 condominium at 1624 Stickney Point Road to SNS Industries USA LLC for $699,000. Built in 1975, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,432 square feet of living area. It sold for $218,900 in 2020.

OSPREY: $715,000

The Woodlands at Rivendell David and Jody Leonhardt, of Osprey, sold their home at 801 Goldenpond Court to Ronald and Joyce Predmesky, of Osprey, for $715,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,134 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2020.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

Courtesy of Robert T. Anderson Jr., RE/MAX Alliance Group

Located at 8377 Midnight Pass Road, this home recently sold for $2.9 million. It has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,777 square feet of living area.

Get Behind the Headlines

Membership benefits include:

• Unlimited access to our newsletters and website; no registration pop-ups when logged in

• Get our e-Newspaper on your laptop, smartphone or tablet all in our new easy-touse app. Scroll through the pages of the paper on any device, and take us with you, wherever you go.

• Invitations to member-only events • Opportunities to connect with our journalists and give feedback

SATURDAY, AUG. 12

SUMMER ART MARKET 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Art Ovation Hotel, 1255 N. Palm Ave. Free.

Browse artful inspiration from a variety of vendors and shop for gifts in the atmosphere of the Gallery Lounge.

NAMASTE AT THE BAY

9-10 a.m. at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy an hour of yoga at The Bay. On Saturday mornings, join an assortment of Sarasota’s most beloved yogis for a morning of stretching and breath work. Bring a friend, a mat and water to experience the unique styles of a new instructor each week. To register, visit TheBaySarasota.org/ events.

SUNDAY, AUG. 13

SARASOTA SUNDAY RIDE — 50 MILES/275’

7:15-10:45 a.m. Sarasota Christian School (parking lot), 5415 Bahia Vista St. Free. This First Responder Cycling Club route includes some of the best rural roads that the area has to offer — low traffic volume, great scenery, and an opportunity to “stretch your legs” biking. Nonmembers are welcome to come out for a “test” ride. Note: This ride is intended to be “no drop.” Due to the wide range of fitness and ability levels among cyclists, you should load the course onto your GPS device in case you become separated from the group. All riders must be self-sufficient (nutrition, hydration, tools, tubes, etc.). Communication is the key! This is our Chapter’s “advanced” ride! More info, visit FRCycling.org.

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY WITH JENNIFER REAL

6 p.m. at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Singer Jennifer Real’s vocal talents and stage presence make for memorable performances. Bring a chair to ensure a comfortable seat.

MONDAY, AUG. 14

CORESRQ BOOTCAMP

6 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club at Bay Park. Free. With one of CoreSRQ’s trained fitness pros,

BEST BET

SATURDAY, AUG. 12

SARASOTACON

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Carlisle Conference Center. General admission is $20; kids under 11 free (one per adult ticket, additional children tickets are $10). A mix of vendors, artists and activities will be present, including a “Super Smash Bros.” tournament, cosplay contest, candy giveaway and anime vendors. TheSarasotaCon.com

work out with a series of circuits that build muscle, reduce fat and increase cardio fitness. Please bring a mat or towel and water bottle for hydration.

TUESDAY, AUG. 15

STORYTIME AT BARNES & NOBLE

10 a.m. at children’s section, Barnes & Noble, 200 N. Cattlemen Road For information, visit UTCSarasota. com. Free. Storytime on The Green is moving inside to Barnes & Noble due to the heat.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 16

SYNIA & FRIENDS

7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center. Tickets: $24 for members; $28 for nonmembers; $14 for students. Synia & Friends will perform a summer evening concert of jazz favorites and more. This concert celebrates great music and Synia Carroll’s new CD to be released in the fall. The Currywurst Truck SRQ will be onsite serving German street food. Visit WSLRFogartyville.TicketSpice.com/816-SyniaAnd-Friends.

SPORTS

Fast Break

The Sarasota Sharks women’s masters swim team took first place overall at the 2023 U.S. Masters Swimming Summer National Championships, held Aug. 2-6 at Selby Aquatic Center. The Sharks’ men’s and combined teams took second place. At the Play for Life tournament hosted by the Pickleball Club on July 29, Yvonne Corrigan and Dawn Vishey won the 3.0 Women’s Doubles division, Rico Antonio and Terry Hebda won the 3.0 Men’s Doubles division, Yanette Davis and Grayson Hall won the 4.0 Women’s Doubles division and Jonathan Aiken and Ethan Eddy won the 4.0 Men’s Doubles division. The event’s entrance fees raised $1,000 for the Play for Life Foundation.

The Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team will host multiple events with Carsten Effertz and the Tanner Speed Academy in September. A two-day coaching clinic will be held at 5 p.m. Sept. 8-9, and a speed clinic for players age 9-13 will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 9, while a clinic for players age 14 and up will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 10. Locations for the events are to be announced. Registration for the coaching clinic is $225; registration for each speed clinic is $100. For more information, visit SarasotaParadise.us.

The Riverview High football program is holding a Night of Champions event at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 at Grove restaurant in Lakewood Ranch to raise funds for the program. Former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson will be the guest speaker. The event will also feature a cocktail hour, dinner, a silent auction and a wine pull. Individual tickets are $200. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit RiverviewRams.com.

GO PRO

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

Jacqueline Putrino has always acted like a professional on the course and prepared like one, even as a junior golfer.

Now, she’s a professional for real.

Putrino, a two-time individual state champion and one-time team state champion while at Riverview High, played in her first event as a pro at the Florida State Golf Association’s Florida Women’s Open, held July 28-30 at Grand Harbor Golf and Beach Club in Vero Beach. Putrino finished with a 208 at the three-day Open, two strokes behind winner Jordan Fischer of Cape Coral, who is a Louisiana State University signee. Putrino received a check of $5,500 for her finish.

Putrino wasn’t nervous when approaching the first tee, she said. She’s been preparing for this step her whole career. Her dream became reality.

That dream, though exciting, also had consequences: Turning professional means Putrino’s college golf career has come to an end. Putrino, 19, committed to Florida State University out of high school and spent a semester with the Seminoles before transferring to Oklahoma State University. She had three starts for the Seminoles in the fall, in which she recorded a stroke average of 73.75 and shot 75 or better in six of her eight rounds played. But after an additional semester with the Cowgirls — one where she was ineligible to play in tournaments because of her transfer — Putrino realized college golf was not the game best suited to helping her achieve her goals.

“I have a coach here named David Whelan, and he helps with my game so much,” Putrino said. “Whenever I

would go back to college after working with him, I would realize how important it was to be around him. That was a big part of the decision.”

Whelan is the coach of current world No. 1 women’s golfer Nelly Korda, a Bradenton native, and has also worked with LPGA Major winners Paula Creamer and Catriona Matthew, among other clients. Putrino said Whelan has especially helped with her short game, with their being a “dramatic improvement” in both her putting accuracy and speed. She put her new putting skills to use at the Women’s Open, Putrino said; everything was falling for her.

As happy as Putrino was with her debut pro performance, she also hopes it is just the beginning of her next chapter.

Starting Aug. 24, Putrino will participate in the Epson Tour’s Q School, or qualifying school, in an attempt to play professionally full time. The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour; Q School is for players wanting to get on the Epson Tour. It’s a series of tournaments played in stages, with a given number of golfers advancing through each stage. Stage one will take the form of a 72-hole stroke play event, played at Mission Hills Country Club

in Rancho Mirage, California, and at Indian Wells Country Club in Indian Wells, California, plus an additional 18-hole final round at Mission Hills.

Ultimately, the top 95 finishers will advance to stage two at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice in October. Putrino will see how she does in stage one of Q School before making any plans for later in the year.

She’s excited to test herself against other players in her position and does not expect to feel any nerves despite never previously playing those California courses in stage one.

Putrino said Whelan has helped her with the mental side of her game as much as the physical side — not with any fancy tricks, but by reminding her that golf is played one shot at a time. It’s an easy thing to forget when your mind is racing, Putrino said, and it has helped her stay calm when she finds herself in a difficult spot.

Putrino is a professional now, but she has not lost her sense of fun. After receiving her first check, Putrino made a singular purchase: A cat named Harvey, after the “Suits” character Harvey Specter. Harvey cost Putrino $100 and is quite a talkative animal, she said. Putrino is also not done with her education, taking online college classes when not working on her game. But she’s making money playing golf, and soon she’ll be vying to play alongside the best in the world.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Putrino said. “It came quicker than I expected. I thought I would have a little more time in college golf. But I’m ready.”

JACQUELINE PUTRINO’S CAREER AT A GLANCE

Sport: Golf

Age: 19

Accomplishments:

Two-time Florida High School Athletic Association individual state champion at Riverview High, onetime FHSAA team state champion with the Rams, 2021 Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship winner, third-place finisher at the 2023 Florida State Golf Association’s Florida Women’s Open in her first event as a professional

Previous stops: Florida State University and Oklahoma State University

Next steps: Playing in the Epson Tour’s Q School starting Aug. 25

Courtesy photo Lee Childs, Karen Einsidler, Rick Walker and Jami Gray competed for the Sarasota Sharks at the 2023 USMS Summer National Championships.

Former Riverview state champion Jacqueline Putrino sets her sights on professional golf tour.

“I’m a competitive guy. I like putting myself against other people and seeing how I do.”

—Tommy Tyler, Cardinal Mooney boys golfer. SEE PAGE 29

Courtesy photos

Jacqueline Putrino won two individual girls golf state titles while at Riverview High.

Jacqueline Putrino began her college career at Florida State before transferring to Oklahoma State. Now, she has turned professional.

“It still doesn’t feel real. It came quicker than I expected. I thought I would have a little more time in college golf. But I’m ready.”

— Jacqueline Putrino

Fall’s for more than football

While high school golf, volleyball, swimming and cross-country might not start their seasons with the fanfare of football, they feature plenty of talented and exciting athletes — including some defending state champions. Yet football always gets the most attention.  Football previews will come soon, but I like to even the scales a bit at this time of year. So let’s take a look at the athletes and storylines I will be following as the other fall sports’ respective seasons get underway later this month.

SWIMMING

Can the Sarasota Sailors boys team make it four state championships in a row? That’s the biggest question facing the pool as the 2023 season approaches. The Sailors have never done it with the biggest stars, instead using the squad’s immense depth and strong relay performances to outlast the competition. With key contributors from 2022 like gold medal winner Liam Heary and Evan Keogh now graduated, this fourth championship run might well be the team’s most difficult yet. But the Sailors has earned the benefit of the doubt, and I would not bet against them. Seniors Ethan Ooi and Luca Simon return from the team’s gold medal-winning 200-yard medley relay team (1:32.91).

Meanwhile, the Riverview High girls team is trying to make it three state titles in a row, and unlike the Sailors boys, the Rams return several key contributors, including individual 2022 gold medal winners

Gracie Weyant, Addison Sauickie and Bailey O’Regan, all of whom will be seniors. The Rams won by 155 points as a team last season; it will be difficult for any team to close that gap in 2023.

GOLF Can any area golfers rekindle the fire that lit up Riverview High boys golfer Aksel Moe in 2022?

Moe captured the Class individual state championship last season, shooting a 2-under-par 70 in the state tournament, shortened to one day thanks to inclement weather. Moe competed in the event alone, as Riverview did not qualify as a team.

On the boys side, it is a pair of Cardinal Mooney golfers who perhaps has the best shot. Cougars now-junior Nico Bencomo finished tied for second overall at the state tournament in Class 1A at 71 in 2022, one stroke behind winner Jack Quinn of Florida Atlantic University High. Cougars teammate Tommy Tyler, now a senior, was one stroke behind Bencomo at 72, tied for sixth overall. With Bencomo and Tyler back, the Cougars should also be strong as a unit: They finished third as a team in 2022.

On the girls side, no one from area schools qualified for the state tournament. But all that means is there’s plenty of room for someone to surprise in 2023.

CROSS-COUNTRY

The area girls do have some excellent returning competitors here.

Cardinal Mooney senior Addison

Dempsey is a serious state title contender in Class 2A. She finished second overall (17:54.0) at the FHSAA state meet in Tallahassee, seven seconds behind Jillian Candelino of the Bolles School — but Candelino has since graduated, so there’s no one from last year in front of Dempsey. As long as she runs her best, she has a great shot at a medal. Oh, and last year was only her second actual year of crosscountry, so another year of experience should only help her.

Others to watch on the girls side include Sarasota High sophomore Aubri Antczak, who finished 46th as a freshman (20:27.90) in 2022.

On the boys side, Mooney senior teammates Christian Kline and Gage Hassler have a chance to be the area’s highest finishers. Kline finished 37th in Class 2A in 2022 (17:02.80) while Hassler finished 43rd (17:10.40). Sarasota High senior Cole Homer also could finish high; Homer was 84th in Class 4A a season ago (17:21.60).

VOLLEYBALL

It feels odd to place volleyball last in this column, for the Sarasota area typically has several strong indoor volleyball programs. But that’s what happens when the other fall sports either have reigning state champs or runners-up.  So don’t take volleyball’s place on this list as an indication that it will be a down year for the sport in the area. Cardinal Mooney had the best finish of anyone in the area in 2022, going 18-10 and reaching the Class 1A regional finals (Elite Eight) before losing 3-1 to eventual state champion Clearwater Central Catholic. Mooney will feel the loss of two-time Gatorade Florida Player of the Year Jordyn Byrd, who is now at the University of Texas, and other graduates, but Mooney coaches are confident in the squad they have returning. Senior Helena Hebda had 920 assists last season and junior Riley Greene had 64 blocks.

Elsewhere, things are more

cloudy. Riverview has a new coach in Jason Mocherman after Nickie Halbert stepped down following six seasons on the job. The Rams went 8-17 in 2022 but return senior Gabrielle Meese, who was second on the Rams with 87 kills as a junior.

Sarasota High finished 9-16 in 2022 but returns senior Jillian Davidson, who led the team with 109 kills and 48 blocks.  Booker High went 8-10 last season and returns senior outside hitter Jenasia Behn (60 kills) and senior setter Cheyla Zastrow (50 assists).

File Photos

Nico Bencomo finished tied for second at the Cardinal Mooney boys team’s state tournament in 2022.

PROSE AND KOHN RYAN KOHN

Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

Addison Sauickie, Bailey O’Regan and Gracie Weyant were individual gold medalists for the Rams girls swim team in 2022, which won the state team title.

Swimming, golf, cross-country and volleyball deserve time in the spotlight as much as the gridiron does.

Addison Dempsey finished second at the cross-country state meet in 2022.

The Cardinal Mooney volleyball team will have to replace Jordyn Byrd (center) among other contributors.

Tommy Tyler

Tommy Tyler is a rising senior on the Cardinal Mooney High boys golf team. Tyler finished tied for sixth at the 2022 Florida High School Athletic Association state meet (72), two strokes off the lead.

How did you start playing golf?

My dad (Tom Tyler) used to be a golfer growing up. I play different sports growing up, like baseball and football, but when I was getting older, like middle school age, I started focusing on golf because of him.

What is the appeal to you?

I’m a competitive guy. I like putting myself against other people and seeing how I do. I was also better at golf than the other sports I played, and that was a factor, too. I like winning.

What is your best skill?

I feel like my putting is strong. I can make them when I need to make them, when it’s down to the wire. I’m not affected by the pressure.

What have you been working to improve?

I had some swing problems earlier this summer. I wasn’t playing well. I was steep with my swing, so I have tried to shallow it out and make better contact. It’s been going better lately.

What is your favorite memory?

I won a big Florida Junior Tour event in 2021, the University of Florida major (70-69-75—214). It was 54 holes and I beat the best junior players in the state for my age. That was probably my best tournament ever.

What are your goals for the 2023 high school season?

I think we can win state as a team. Last year was our best finish ever (third place). I think everyone has gotten

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

better, and we have some rising sophomores and juniors who will be a big part of the team. I think we have a good shot.

What is your favorite food?

I love chicken wings. I like them spicy.

What is your favorite movie?

“The Hangover.” I love that movie. (Laughs.)

What are your hobbies?

I like to go fishing and play basketball and work out.

Which superpower would you pick?

I would pick flying. It’s a classic power, and I could get anywhere. Can’t go wrong with it.

What is the best advice you have received?

Never give up. You have to persevere. There are going to be struggles. You will have bad days. You have to keep going.

Finish this sentence: “Tommy Tyler is …” Funny. I’m not too serious. I like to joke around and have a good time.

First Physicians Group Welcomes Jerette Schultz, MD

Dr. Schultz is fellowship trained in microsurgery. She performs a wide variety of plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures. Dr. Schultz specializes in reconstructive microsurgery, autologous and implant-based breast reconstruction, skin cancer removal and reconstruction, extremity reconstruction and cosmetic surgery of the breast and body.

Board Eligible: American Board of Plastic Surgery

Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL

Internship and Residency: Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ

Fellowship: New York University Langone Health, New York, NY

call (941) 952-4001

“RLGEFDI EC JRBD YU ZBFRDEAEDI ... DNF LFFS DY HF BES YU CYTFDNELM YB

DY MFD EL DYPZN XEDN CYTFDNELM XEDNEL.” SRAES SPZNYALI

“VSHB NP PNGXVW RTNZF XDTXIDTC LED EXXEDOSZNOW MJTZ NO HEGTP

WESD MIW. RT XDTXIDTC.”

BTNOJ HIDDICNZT

“IVLW ZW’LW SD OSRXI. ZW’LW IKTLI. FXZ WOIW SI T IKTL IVAAXIWU KX KLTYWO?” NXXKGTOO FTOO XN NTRW’I

GIVE IT A GO! by Sara Cantor, edited by Jeff Chen

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

RED PAGES

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com •yourobserver.com/redpages

The Sarasota and Siesta Key Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.

*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Sarasota and Siesta Key Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Announcements

At 3:00 PM on August 20, the Greater Hurst Chapel AME Church will host a Women’s Day service, honoring twelve African American female business owners in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Pastor Anita Williams of the Bethel CME Church will be the guest speaker. All are welcome to 2730 N. Links Ave., Sarasota 34234 as we celebrate our brave and enterprising women! Female owned food trucks will be on hand after the service to sell dinners. For more information contact Elizabeth.deane1@verizon.net.

SELL IT FAST!

Place Your Ad Online YourObserver.com/RedPages

WANTED: QB! For Lakewood Ranch 5th & 6th Grade Flag Football League.

Please be able to throw at least 20 yards pro ciently, be available for

GARAGE SALE

& MAGAZINES (Fortune, Popular Mechanics) on circus, history, stocks/bonds, phonographs $1 each. 941-921-1815

BOSE MUSIC system IV, $170. Rod & reel, never used- $25. OBO. 941-321-2694

DRIVE LIGHT weight folding wheelchair swing away footrests.

Used 1x. $60.00 941-383-5437

GE S/S Dishwasher Excellent

Condition. $199 obo, cash only. (941) 376-1900

GE SPACEMAKER Fridge $150

excellent condition 34x23x34

Stainless door 941-966-3261

GE STEAM iron, vintage-$7.

Ironing board, steel, folding-$17. 941-741-9727

KENMORE DRYER. Model

110.65964401, Sept. 2004.

Works. 4-prong. $40 (941) 966-6816

PORTMEIRION BOTANIC garden

15” round mandarin bowl. Like new, $35. 941-504-0165

RED SKELTON "RODEO"

11"x14" framed/signed litho

painting-$125. Rachael Ray

stoneware NIB Evoo bottle-$20. 941/776-0034

TRANSPORT CHAIR, used once.

Paid 239. Sell for $160.

Call Dave 941-928-3211

TWO STOOLS for $200. Very good condition. 917-331-4315

SELL IT NOW!

Auto Transport

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States. Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Cleaning

ARELIS CLEANING Services Inc.

Residential & Commercial cleaning, powerwashing and interior/exterior painting. Licensed, bonded & insured. 941-822-4114

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service by Maria. Residential. Meticulous

Cleaning. Excellent References. Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342.

www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AT GRAND BAY I

PRICE

“Love the ever-changing unobstructed panorama of the Bay from every room and our large terraces!”

– John & Mary P.

“...the special recreational activities and the private beach are perfect for my husband and me and even our grandchildren!”

– Julie & Steve R.

“Our apartment in Grand Bay lives like a home & the elevator coming straight up from the garage gives us ultimate privacy and convenience.” – Frank & Rebecca M.

“Love the extra security of Grand Bay’s 24/7 guard gates and proximity to the best Longboat Key has to offer... especially the short bike ride to Publix!”

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AT GRAND BAY II

LISTING Clubhouse / Bar Private Beach Two Har-Tru Tennis Courts