Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 8.10.23

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

Fun in the sun.

Observer

PAGE 20

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

VOLUME 19, NO. 37

YOUR TOWN

City proposes spending bump Sarasota’s proposed budget includes a $33 million increase over last year’s. SEE PAGE 3

Ian Swaby

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.”

Aerial show

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.

Turtle Tracks AS OF JULY 29 TOTAL NESTS: 2023 Siesta Key 374 Lido Beach 182 Casey Key 1,945

Summer camp teaches kids skills to perform circus acts for their families.

SEE PAGE 19

Ian Swaby

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

A+E

CASE CLOSED The state found a lack of evidence to investigate the former mayor’s handling of a charitable donation.

SEE PAGE 6

Take the dive at Selby.

PAGE 12

2022 519 155 1,961

TOTAL FALSE CRAWLS: 2023 2022 Siesta Key 684 577 Lido Beach 326 197 Casey Key 2,387 1,862 Source: Mote Marine Laboratory

File photo

Erik Arroyo speaks at an event in February 2022.

2

YourObserver.com

TABS

W HAT ’S HAPPENING

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

“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.”

WEEK OF AUG. 10, 2023

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.

Sarasota City Commissioner Erik Arroyo Read more on Page 6

BY THE NUMBERS 39.96%

Affirmative votes, weighted by appraised property value on St. Armands Circle, to extend the Business Improvement District.

PAGE 4

$8M-$9M

The anticipated cost to renovate and expand Payne Park Auditorium.

Police seek help in 2007 murder case

PAGE 9

94

Age of local self-help author Nancy Schlossberg, who recently published a memoir.

PAGE 22

CALENDAR n Sarasota City Commission citywide parking workshop — 9 a.m., Monday, Aug. 14, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St. n Sarasota County School

Board work session — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1980 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance).

n Sarasota County School Board regular meeting — 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1980 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance).

Courtesy photo

Sarasota Memorial Hospital is among U.S. News & World Report’s best 50 hospitals in two specialty areas.

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

arasota 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-

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.

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.

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.

m

om .co seo.cuse uh hoe

re r eW eaWa ru r u t i t i n Fur rn

e Fu

Th he T

12 MONTHS NO INTEREST *

PICK UP TODAY OR NEXT DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE

contemporary Linear patterned details with touches of teal and umber and shades of pewter.

Versatile

styling

Ladder back design with two-tone finish.

Includes table & 4 chairs.

Stores Hours: Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 11-6

$ 99 Practical 549 SOFA

399

$

SOUTH SARASOTA 5252 S. Tamiami Trail (at Phillippi Creek) 941-260-9601

99 5-PC

NORTH SARASOTA 4027 N Washington Blvd (Hwy 301) 941-351-8600

elegance

Queen headboard, footboard, rails, dresser and mirror.

Queen

mattress Queen 9” gel memory foam mattress. All sizes available.

BRADENTON 1100 Cortez Rd W (corner US Hwy 41) 941-749-6069

ELLENTON 5814 18th Street East (across Premium Outlets) 941-479-7900

599

$

99 SOFA

39999

$

VENICE 550 S Seaboard Ave (US Hwy 41 Bypass) 941-485-3211

PORT CHARLOTTE 1241 El Jobean Rd (across Sam’s) 941-764-8700 NOW OPEN!

* On Purchases $300 or more with the Furniture Warehouse credit card made between August 10, 2023 and August 9, 2024. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full within 12 months,

by August 2024. Minimum Monthly Payments required. Offer applies to only single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Subject to credit approval. Furniture must be delivered within 60 days for all financing offers. All prices include Hot Buys, Coupon savings or any promotional discounts. Terms of promotions - Previous purchase excluded, cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount. Promotion offers exclude Hot Buys, floor models or clearance items, sales tax, furniture protection plans, warranty, delivery, or service charge.

406201-1

Casual

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

3

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

File photo

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

ANDREW WARFIELD | STAFF WRITER

GENERAL FUND EXPENSES YEAR OVER YEAR

T

hanks 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

Department

2022-23 Estimated

2023-24 Proposed

Difference PCT. Change

General Government

$24,848,545

$21,638,352

-$4,526,857

-17.3%

Public Safety

$42,559,230

$49,803,336

$7,224,106

14.6%

Physical Environment

$2,341,095

$2,851,531

$510,436

17.9%

Transportation

$6,419,614

$7,231,884

$812,270

11.2%

Culture and Recreation

$9,253,307

$11,395,448

$2,142,141

18.8%

Human Services

$1,022,183

$1,070,870

$48,687

4.5%

Other

$3,012,951

$3,036,857

$23,906

0.8%

Total

$89,456,925

$97,028,278

$7,374,970

7.6%

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 Fund

2022-23 Adopted

2023-24 Proposed

Difference

Change

General Fund

$85,831,873

$97,028,278

$11,196,405

13.04%

Special Revenue

$34,425,269

$45,879,937

$11,454,668

33.27%

Debt Service

$4,711,530

$7,970,916

$3,259,386

69.18%

Enterprise

$95,204,780

$97,901,289

$2,696,509

2.83%

Internal Service

$23,952,012

$28,964,750

$5,012,738

20.93%

Trust Funds

$7,807,611

$7,933,279

$125,668

1.61%

Total

$251,933,075

$285,678,449

$33,745,374

13.39%

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.”

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

“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

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.

Expiration date set for St. Armands BID The special tax district fell short of the required votes for renewal and will end Sept. 30.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

F

ollowing 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

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.

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

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.”

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

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.

“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.”

SARASOTA & SIESTA KEY

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

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

TO ADVERTISE

G NEW EN

LA ND

FAV OR I T ES !

ER SUM M

Display Advertising: To obtain information, call 941-366-3468, Ext. 319.

Classified Advertising / Service Directory: For information and rates, or to place an ad, call 941-955-4888. Hours 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To place a classified ad online, visit www.YourObserver.com, or email your ad to classified@yourobserver.com.

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 One year / $200 Six months / $160 Three months / $128

Canada One year / $250 Six months / $200 Three months / $160

PUBLIC NOTICES

ROAST BEEF

LOBSTER ROLL

The Sarasota/Siesta Key, East County and Longboat Observers meet the legal requirements to publish legal and public notices in Sarasota & Manatee counties, per F.S. 50.011.

AUDITOR INFORMATION Verified Audit 1101 Fifth Ave., Suite 270 | San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 461-6006 | www.verifiedaudit.com LIKE US

www.facebook.com/ObserverGroup

FOLLOW US

www.instagram.com/observergroup

WATCH US

www.youtube.com/user/YourObserverVideo

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.

FOLLOW US

https://twitter.com/observergroup

Gluten Free Options & Drive Thru • Open 7 Days A Week 11am-9pm The Square at UTC Next to to CVS pharmacy · 5407 University Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34201

407824-1

4

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

5

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

W

ith 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.

Courtesy photo

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

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.

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.

Longboat Key | 2BR/2BA/1,491sf | $1,695,000 LTG.Homes/IslandsWest6B

Our all-inclusive service includes best-in-class representation, professional marketing and concierge customer care.

Professional Photography, Video & Virtual 3D Tour

Thorough Pricing Analysis

1475 JOHN

RINGLING

PARKWAY

LOCATION • Lido Shores • North Lido Beach access with gated (must be a parking member in good standin Shores Proper g of Lido ty Owners Associ • Close to lifestyl ation) e amenities: - 0.4 mile to Mote Aquari um and Ken Thomp son Park - 1.2 miles to St. Armands Circle - 4.5 miles to Bay Isles Shoppes - 4.8 miles to Downtown Sarasota - 5.4 miles to Sarasota Memo rial Hospital RESIDENCE FEATURES • 3,930 sq. ft. A/C | 5,876 sq. ft. total • 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths • 1st floor comple te remodel

by Nautilus Homes with luxury finishe s (2021/2022) • 1st floor master suite and guest • Open concep bedroom t kitchen, dining and living room • High ceiling s: - 10’ on 1st floor - 9’3” on 2nd floor • Linear electric fireplace • Solid-core doors • Security system • 3-car side garage • 3 A/C units • Gas and electric water heater s • Central vacuum

FULFIL LING

For a complimentary consultation, call or text:

941.356.8428 LaughlinTanner.com

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

LIFESTY LE

DREAM S

-4

Captivating Online Presentation

Property Brochure + Detailed Feature Sheet

Custom Marketing Plan Online, Print, Social

Personalized Showings

We take your goals personally, and work diligently to achieve the highest results to positively impact your lifestyle and wealth.

LTG.Homes/Leaders

LTG.Homes/Sellers

LTG.Homes/Buyers

402391-1

LI NE ST W IN G

THE LEADERS IN SARASOTA LUXURY REAL ESTATE

6

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

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.

ONE PARK TIMELINE

Courtesy rendering

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

One Park headed back to Planning Board agenda The end of an FDLE investigation clears the path for the resumption of a public hearing over proposed condo project in The Quay. 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

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WIRTER

D

elayed 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

CARIBBEAN ELEGANCE AT BIRD KEY

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

HARBOR ACRES ESTATE

MLS A4557763

THE SAND DOLLAR

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.

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

A POLITICAL WITCH HUNT?

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

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

AFRAID OF THE DENTIST?

MLS A4566256

TRY IV SEDATION DENTISTRY

THE WINDEMERE

118 N Warbler Ln, Sarasota, FL 34236

1550 S Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239

4,594 Sq. Ft. | 4 Bed | 5.5 Bath | 3.5 Car Garage | Study | VIP Suite | Bonus Room with Bar | Infinity Pool | $7,250,000

4,189 Sq. Ft. | 4 Bed | 4.5 Bath | 3 Car Garage Study | Media Room | Pool and Spa $4,438,000 Including Furnishings & Fixtures

Stunning Waterfront Location No Bridges to Gulf

Furnished Model Home with Leaseback

WEST OF TRAIL HOME NOW AVAILABLE

COASTAL INSPIRED LIVING

MLS A4538727

DO NOT LET FEAR AND ANXIETY PREVENT YOU FROM HAVING PAIN-FREE DENTAL CARE

THE NASSAU

3934 Sunshine Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34231

3,157 Sq. Ft. | 4 Bed | 4½ Bath | 3-Car Garage Study | Bonus Room | Spacious Outdoor Living Pool and Spa | West of Trail | $2,589,000

2,642 Sq. Ft. | 3 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car Garage Study | Private Pool and Spa $1,898,000

Estimated Completion Winter 2024 Contact for More Information

Estimated Completion Winter 2024 Contact for More Information

Call to Schedule a Free Sedation Consult

941-529-1224

Legendary Luxury. Innovative Design.

Free Sedation Consult ends 8-31-23. Call to Schedule Today

Complementing Heritage Builders’ unparalleled reputation for refined luxury homes and white-glove customer service is a stunning collection of innovative custom home designs.

Homes by Heritage Builders reflect cutting edge design trends, while maintaining an eye for timeless architectural styling, unprecedented livability and flawless quality.

ANXIOUS, PHOBIC, FEARFUL

For patients struggling with dental anxiety, visits to the dentist can lead to panic attacks, and even fainting episodes. Experience the comfort of IV Sedation Dentistry! We'll ensure your visit is relaxing and anxiety-free.

Please contact us today to learn about our available new homes, portfolio of plans and custom home design-build services.

Call to Schedule a Private Tour

Complex dental treatment that often require four to six appointments, can be done in as little as one – all while you are sedated!

Visit us at HeritageBuildersWFL.com or call (941) 328-8272

Heart disease Hypertension Diabetes Type 1 or 2 Mental Challenges

Parkinson’s disease Alzheimer’s Dementia Osteoporosis

Now accepting new patients for Cosmetic, General and IV Sedation Dentistry.

Dr. David Engelsberg DDS 398389-1

HB Realty Group, Inc. | Licensed Real Estate Broker

Medical conditions are worsened by stress and anxiety leading to possible complications and risks.. We offer safe sedation solutions for the following advanced health conditions:

ALL YOUR WORK DONE IN 1-VISIT

Custom Homes | West of Trail Homes Available

All designs are the property of Heritage Builders of West Florida, LLC. CBC1259307 Plans, pricing and specifications subject to change without notice. Renderings are artist’s conception and not intended to show specific detailing. Square footages are estimated and may vary in actual construction.

MEDICALLY COMPROMISED

201 Magellan Drive. Sarasota Fl 34243

SameDaySedation.com

Accepting Most Insurance

407864-1

THE BAHAMA

1625 Hansen St, Sarasota, FL 34231

YourObserver.com

7

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

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.

Beauty is our Business 1000 five star reviews!

Try our extensive selection of treatments to bring you back to the fresh look and confidence that you deserve.

Summer Sale! cheeks $ 499

lips & lip lines $

face & neck

treatment

FILLER FOR

each

(when you buy 2 or more)

MICRONEEDLING FOR

349

$

each

(FDA Approved)

FILLER FOR

499 (Reg. $599)

for Forehead, Frown & Crow’s Feet

5

$

Make your appointment SRQ | 6118 S. Tamiami Trl. | 941.216.2523 LWR | 6277 Lake Osprey Dr. | 941.289.3086

each

per unit

today!

Mon/Tue/Th/Fri 10am - 5pm Alternate Wed/Sat 10am - 4pm WWW.BOWTIQUEMEDSPA.COM

403131-1

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.

Sarasota & Lakewood Ranch’s FAVORITE MED SPA

DEPOSIT REQUIRED at Booking. Available while supplies last. Must mention ad to receive promotion. Cannot combine with any other discount. Not valid towards previous purchases. All sales final. No refunds. Offers expire 8/31/2023.

Open a Certificate of Deposit and start building your savings.

6.01% APY

*

14-MONTH CD SCAN TO GET STARTED OR CALL 833.698.2265

Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor llame o visite un centro bancario local.

BAYFIRSTFINANCIAL.COM

NMLS ID 806183

408096-1

*The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 6.01% is effective and accurate as of 8/3/2023. Minimum balance to open account is $1,000. Fees could reduce earnings. Penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Account must be opened by 08/31/2023. New money only. © 2023 BayFirst National Bank.

8

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

OPINION / OUR VIEW

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

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

MATT WALSH

I

n 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

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 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

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.”

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

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)

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-

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”).

ald Trump?* Send your response to: HateTrump@ YourObserver. com. 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?

EV SUBSIDIES

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

Projects Amount Georgia 4 $3,616,899,999 N. Carolina 5 $2,115,758,395 Michigan 8 $2,063,650,000 Nevada 1 $1,287,000,000 Kansas 1 $1,274,800,000 Tennessee 11 $1,154,200,000 Kentucky 6 $756,800,000 Missouri 1 $355,000,000 Oklahoma 4 $300,000,000 Arizona 6 $257,460,000 Ohio 6 $238,800,000 Indiana 4 $199,600,000 Texas 4 $69,400,000 Alabama 3 $24,700,000 Louisiana 1 $22,112,959 California 15 $19,450,000 Illinois 2 $15,945,000 Florida 1 $15,200,000 S. Carolina 6 $10,250,000 W. Virginia 2 $3,500,000 New York 3 $2,000,000 New Mexico 3 Not Disclosed Mississippi 2 Not Disclosed Oregon 2 Not Disclosed Arkansas 1 Not Disclosed 1 Not Disclosed Colorado Mass.

1 Not Disclosed Not Disclosed Wisconsin 1

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

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned.

Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, 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

YourObserver.com © 2020 The Observer Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

9

Stage set for Payne Park Auditorium expansion 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.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

W

hen 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

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 ■ 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

File photo

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.”

The current state of the main entrance of Payne Park Auditorium, which the city is using for Parks and Recreation office space

GROCERY OPEN 9-7 DAILY

LIQUIDATION OUTLET 200 N LIME AVE (AT CORNER OF FRUITVILLE RD)

NEW INVENTORY

DAILY NAME BRAND ITEMS 50% OFF RETAIL

FLYING IN WITH

SAVINGS!

EVERY ITEM LOW

408082-1

PRICES

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

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.

408334-1

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

donate & shop donate & shop donate donate & & shop shop

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.

Chamber membership offers numerous exclusive benefits and keeps business owners up-to-date with the important issues and trends that shape their community and local marketplace.

407873-1

Building Materials | Furniture | Appliances Art Materials | Decorative Accessories | Lamps Building | Furniture | Appliances

Art | Decorative Accessories | Lamps Building Materials | Furniture | Appliances Building | Furniture | Appliances Art Materials | Decorative Accessories | Lamps Art | Decorative Accessories | Lamps

FRESHEN UP YOUR SPACE

3 Stores n 1 Location Stores n 1n Location 10:00am - 5:00pm Tuesday -3Saturday n 10:00am n Sarasota - 5:00pm Tuesday -3 Saturday 2095 17th Street n 1 Location Stores n 1 Location n Sarasota 3Saturday Stores 2095 17th Street n 10:00am - 5:00pm Tuesday Have large items to donate? n 10:00am - 5:00pm Tuesday Saturday n free Call to schedule yourto pick up.

Sarasota 2095 17th Have largeStreet items donate? n Sarasota 2095 17th Street n www.habitatsrq.org (941Call ) 444-5783 to schedule your free pick up.

Have largenitems to donate?

(941 ) 444-5783 www.habitatsrq.org Have largedeserves items donate?

Our vision istoeveryone decent place Call schedule yourtoafree pick up.to live.

Call schedule your afree pick up.to live.

Our vision istoeveryone deserves decent place n (941 ) 444-5783 www.habitatsrq.org (941) 444-5783 n www.habitatsrq.org

Quick Response & Timely Job Completion!

• INTERIOR & EXTERIOR • DRYWALL REPAIR • STUCCO REPAIR • EPOXY FLOORING • POWERWASHING

RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL

• TEXTURING

For Your Free Quote & 10% Off call us Today!

Our vision is everyone deserves a decent place to live.

Our vision is everyone deserves a decent place to live.

396355-1

941-718-1863 or email angelspainting00@gmail.com

Licensed & Insured • Over 15 years of painting experience in Sarasota and Bradenton area

407011-1

TRIBUTES

COPS CORNER

10

YourObserver.com

11

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

65 Private Beachfront Residences THIS IS LIDO K EY. R EI M AGINED.

R E SI DE NCE SL I DOK EY.COM

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This project has been filed in the state of Florida and no other state. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy the condominium units in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. Equal Housing Opportunity. Rosewood Residences Lido Key is owned and being developed, offered and sold by WSR—Lido Beach, LLC (“Developer”). The project is not owned, developed or sold by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, L.L.C. or any of its affiliates (“Rosewood”). Developer uses the Rosewood marks pursuant to a license agreement with Rosewood, which may be terminated under certain conditions. Rosewood does not assume any responsibility or liability in connection with the condominium. Copyright 2023 © All Rights Reserved.

398362-1

Now Accepting Contracts • From the $6 Millions • 941-888-3131

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

YOUROBSERVER.COM

Taking a deep dive with John Pirman Life imitates art imitates life in Selby Gardens’ show of the Sarasota artist’s work.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

I

f you’ve ever wanted to meditate on the meaning of the word “meta,” look no further than Ma-

rie 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.

An aluminum reproduction of John Pirman’s “Koi Pond” is suspended above the koi pond it depicts at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota.

John Pirman

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

Pirman’s “Nick at Nite” designs.

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,

Courtesy photos

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

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

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

13

Where will you take us this year?

Enter for your chance to win a 7-night cruise in a balcony cabin on

Sponsored by: 408328-1

ENTER AT

Marc Bokoff of

yourobserver.com/contests/its-read-everywhere

ISPR GOVERNING BOARD MEETING Tuesday, August 22nd • Noon Imagine School at Palmer Ranch

To Join By Computer: https://imagineschools.zoom.us/j/9031606808 Meeting ID: 903 160 6808 | Password: Team

Top 10% in Math in the State!

Call TODAY for tour!

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

Academics • Character • Leadership

Tuition Free Charter School • 6220 McIntosh Rd • Sarasota, FL 34238 (941) 923-1125 • www.ImagineSchoolsPalmerRanch.org

405635-1

www.manasotaonline.com

1734 South Tamiami Trail Venice, FL 34293 941.493.7441

IMAGINE SCHOOL AT PALMER RANCH

4551 N. Washington Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34234 941.355.8437

2510 1st Street West Bradenton, FL 34208 941.748.4679

OUR SHOWROOMS ARE OPEN Special Financing Available

407074-1

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.

408197-1

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.)

14

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

EATING WITH EMMA 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.

ALWAYS TIME FOR BUBBLY

GROVE

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

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.

Why wait for New Year’s to get poppin’ with prosecco?

Treat yourself like it’s the best day of the year today.

BY EMMA JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

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

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

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.

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.

Work Hard, Play HARDER!

Zip•Climb Swing•Soar The Ground Is Overrated BRADENTON

MOUNTAINS OF THE MIND

Text 941-322-2130

SCHOLARS’ ROCKS FROM CHINA AND BEYOND

www.TreeUmph.com

THROUGH JUN 23

10% OFF

ringling.org

LABOR DAY WEEKEND* SAVE ON ADVENTURES TO CLIMB BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2ND AND 4TH

This exhibition is supported by the Chao Ringling Museum Endowment and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

Use Promo Code: Labor2023 * Use promo code Labor2023 and save 10% on adventures to climb on Labor Day Weekend. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

395979-1

White Taihu Stone, 21 1/16 × 9 7/16 × 7 1/2 in. Gift of Stan and Nancy Kaplan, 2019. SN11681.41

408037-1

T

he 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-

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).

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.

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.

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

15

Pee-wee’s adventure started in Sarasota The Players Centre and Asolo Rep helped form Paul Reubens’ beloved persona.

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-

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.

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.

COOL OFF AND TRY YOUR LUCK!

EVENT CO-CHAIRS: PAUL & STEPHANIE KOTLARCZYK

SATURDAY – AUGUST 26 – 6 PM TIL 10 PM SARASOTA EVENT CENTER (600 N. BENEVA RD.)

Bringing the

AM I

PROCEEDS BENEFIT

ROYAL FLUSH SPONSOR

Supporting the Ron Foxworthy Memorial Children’s Therapy Scholarship Fund.

to

TICKETS $75 PER PERSON / $125 PER COUPLE ($40 Tax Deductible)

($55 Tax Deductible)

INCLUDES $1,000 IN FREE CHIPS, LITE BITES & (2) DRINK TICKETS

Casual Attire – Must Be 21 Years Of Age

RAW BAR HAPPY HOURS LATE NIGHT

Coast Plumbing and Utilities, Inc.

399172-1

5405 UNIVERSITY PWKY #110 • OYSTERBAR.NET

Scan To Purchase Tickets CLS CONSTRUCTION

SUNCOASTSUMMERFEST.ORG | (941) 706-3685 A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA OR ONLINE AT www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com, REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.” REGISTRATION #: CH4531

407599-1

Prizes To Top Three Winners 50/50 Raffle – Music & Dancing

16

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

CAT DEPOT SUPPLY & GIFT STORE

THIS WEEK

1 PLACE TO SHOP FOR CATS & CAT LOVERS #

NOW OPEN

2542 17th St., Sarasota, FL 34234 | www.catdepot.org | 941.366.2404

TTe

406188-1

www.catdepot.org/shop

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.

THURSDAY

Graauate

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.

Buck Buck Henry, Henry, Terry Terry Johnson, Johnson, Charles Webb, Calder Charles Webb, Calder Willingham Willingham

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

Auuust Auuust

17-27, 2023 2023 17-27,

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.

3501 S. S. Tamiami Tamiami Traii, Traii, Sarasota, Sarasota, FL FL 34239 34239 3501

“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.

Courtesy photo

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.

404527-1

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

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!

Belle Yoeli AJC’s Chief Advocacy Officer

RENEW is for anyone who wants to lose weight,

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023

relieve stress, and prevent future health

The State of Jewish Affairs: Around the World with AJC

complications. It combines health coaching,

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.

group activities, meal feedback, exercise monitoring, and unlimited support.

408178-1

www.smhrenew.com

405040-1

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

Limited Seating Advanced Reservations Required RSVP Online at AJC.org/Sarasota/summer2023 Or Email: sarasota@ajc.org Or Call American Jewish Committee at 941.365.4955

Classifieds 31 Games 30 Real Estate 25 Sports 27 Weather 30

AUGUST 10, 2023

YOUR NEIGHBORS

RESEARCH AND

ROMANCE

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

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

I

ndividual 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

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

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.

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

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

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.”

WHO YOU WORK WITH MATTERS SO LD

4104 ROBERTS POINT RD | $1.749M

24 Years Connecting Buyers and Sellers Ranked in the Top 1.5% of Realtors ® in the USA $62 Million Pending & Sold In 2023 $89 Million Sold In 2022

SIESTA KEY | $1.275M

Judie Berger, P.A., REALTOR ® Judie.Berger@PremierSIR.com 941.928.3424

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

homesofsarasota.com 406995-1

3532 FLAMINGO AVE | $3.25M

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

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

Courtesy photo

SRQ LEADERS FORUM AND SOCIAL MIXER 6PM - 8:30PM SEE DATES BELOW | $9.99 INCLUDES OPEN BAR

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

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

Campus for dreamers

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.

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

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.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

JOIN THE CLUB!

2738 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota • (941) 960-1180 404758-1

bitcoinbencryptoclub.com M, T, Th, F - 9a to 6p, W - 9a to 9p, Sat - Noon to 5p, Sun - Closed

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.”

ai168987394827_Observer-newsletter-8-1-vrtcl-prnt.pdf

1

7/20/23

11:25 AM

A CHILD NEEDS YOUR HELP TODAY Get The Facts. Know The Truth. Learn What You Can Do For Your Community.

on And Trafficking ti ta oi pl Ex ld hi C d En Help

C

M

Y

T H G I F E H T N I GET

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Real Estate Professionals, Home Appraisers, and First Responders Training Program August 18, 2023 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Sarasota Fairgrounds, Ken Clark Building 3000 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34237

$15/Person – Free Parking – Refreshments Register Online: FL-Program.AmericasFuture.net Register By Phone: Call 941-876-8112 Register for the training program online and to learn more about our other series of training programs for parents and professionals.

Get In The Fight to help end child exploitation and trafficking is a nationwide campaign presented as part of America’s Future Project Defend & Protect Our Children (PDPC) and the PDPC Little Flower Advisory Board.

407502-1

Americ asFuture.net

397397-1

18

AMERICA’S FUTURE, INC. IS A FLORIDA NON PROFIT 501(C)(3) TAX-EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION. ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352, OR VISITING WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. AMERICA’S FUTURE, INC.’S REGISTRATION NUMBER IS CH67839.

1/4pg Vertical - 5.542" x 9.833"

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

19

Summer Worship Sundays at 10:00am Sunday Coffee Hour at 9:00am 401472-1

All Are Welcome!

40 North Adams Dr., Sarasota, FL • 941.388.1234 • Questions? Contact: michael@saklc.com

Locally Owned

Residential & Commercial Services

Live bug free with

Photos by Ian Swaby

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

Under the circus spotlight

W

hen 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.

Jack Williams, 11, juggles three clubs.

5-STAR GUARANTEE SERVICE Celebrating 10 years of service!

Full Service Pest Control including TERMITES • MOSQUITOES • RODENTS • FUMIGATION

Get a Free Estimate Today 941-556-9019 399897-1

CareFreePestSolutions.com

Stay Cool, Stylishly.

Marney McClain practices her high-flying skills.

— IAN SWABY

JUST FANS OFFERS EXPERT INSTALLATION ON ALL MODELS. 402213-1

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

25 YEARS IN SERVICE 402220-1

5900 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota | 941-921-6441 justfansinc.com

SEE HOW MUCH MORE YOU CAN SAVE!! $99 OFF HOT WATER HEATER INSTALLATION* The Home Service Pros Who Care

NO INTEREST FINANCING AVAILABLE ON SELECT CARRIER A/C SYSTEMS* COMPLETE INSTALLATION OF PHYN PLUS SMART WATER ASSISTANT AND SHUT OFF DEVICE.* Saves on homeowners insurance policies. *Hot Water Heater must be purchased through Aqua Plumbing & Air. *Cannot be combined with any other offers. *Contact Aqua Plumbing and Air for details. Offer expires 9/30/2023.

The Area’s most Trusted Name since 1974

!

W O N L L A C 941.866.6210

or visit www.AquaPlumbingSarasota.com

Air Conditioning

Plumbing

Electrical

Water Treatment

407664-1

Lic # cAc1816020 • PLbg cFc1428223 • ELEc Ec13009313

20

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023 Alustra®, Duette® Operating Systems PowerView® Motorization

Sarasota’s Best Voted One of

28 Years in a Row!

BLINDS•SHUTTERS DRAPERIES•WALLCOVERINGS heraldtribune.com

WINNER

941-925-7800 mmwallcoveringsblinds.com 4801 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Across from The Landings

Photos by Petra Rivera

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

Janet and Curt Mattson Owners

A new spin on summer camp

Can't-Miss Summer Read!

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

Relax and enjoy Key Life online as it shines a light on the people, experiences, culture, arts, architecture and business that set the keys apart and makes them so special.

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

“W

hen 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

RIDA’S FINEST SHOWROOM

NOWLEDGE. SERVICE. READ NOW

ce

Register today for a FREE digital edition, delivered directly to your inbox!

itchen & Bath Fixtures • Sinks & Tubs

Beautiful AND Durable YourObserver.com/Key-Life Exterior Door Hardware

404738-1

ur

er oilet & Bidets • Kitchen & Bath Lighting

TRUST. KNOWLEDGE. SERVICE.

r & Cabinet Hardware • Mirrors & Cabinets

ur• Bath Furniture & Accessories It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast For over 30 years The Plumbing Place has worked hard to earn the trust of our

homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished

150 years of combined experience, our

exterior door hardware caused by our harsh

rs customers and contractors. And with over friendly and knowledgeable staff delivers exceptional customer care.

Yes, We Are Open!

Let us do your cleaning.

salt-rich air.

BOB’S

VALID TILL 9/30/23 “Everything about the place is beautiful, we should brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance

LE A E R N

C

Must Present coupon cut out to get the discount.

Can not combine with any other coupon.

COUPON

We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime call it the pluming boutique, so clean, organized, big

of items,There friendly staff…” and selection repair. is a practical solution to this

and Dry Cleaning

- RANDA Z.

RIDA’S FINEST SHOWROOM

common problem – Bronze or Stainless

Valid only at Bobs Dry cleaning & Laundry Services, Sarasota

Steel.

LEDGE. SERVICE. Both materials offer excellent salt

Do You Want to Lose Weight?

USE A PROVEN METHOD

tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of

Shop our 6,000 sq.ft. Showroom for the

M THE PLUMBINGstyles PLACE Straightforward Name. and finishes provide a perfect match to Best & Most Extensive Collection Anywhere.

FROMOWNER THE PLUMBING PLACE JOHN SMITHMAN, 5678 FRUITVILLE ROAD | SARASOTA, FL 34232 941.378.5678 | THEPLUMBINGPLACE.COM

Serving Sarasota for over 50 years! Fast and Friendly Service!

941-925-3875 | 6503 Superior Avenue | bobsdryclean.com

408258-1

M THE PLUMBING PLACE

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

S

407831-1

Wallcoverings & Blinds, Inc. Since 1989

Convenient Location.

Beautiful AND Durable

Exterior Door schemes Hardware existing color including rich patinas of

Beautiful AND Durable Outstanding Showroom.

Exterior matte nickel, andDoor black. Hardware It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast

classic bronze, contemporary polished or homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished

itchen & Bath Fixtures • Sinks & Tubs

oilet & Bidets • Kitchen & Bath Lighting

exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air.

We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime

TRUST. KNOWLEDGE. SERVICE.

r & Cabinet Hardware • Mirrors & Cabinets brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance

It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast Beautifully craftedlocated bathroom and kitchen fixtures, Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished has worked hard to earn the trust of our fittings and accessories from leading designers.

“Everything about the place is beautiful, we should customers and contractors. And with over inside The Plumbing Place, displays many and kitchen fixtures, fittings and Beautifully crafted bathroom door hardware caused by our harsh and style showcased Masterpieces of functionality 150 call yearsitofthe combined experience, our pluming boutique, soexterior clean, organized, big friendly and knowledgeable staff delivers lines of door hardware in beautiful styles for accessories from leading designers.

Masterpieces of functionality in an astounding showroom.

- RANDA Z. air. selection of items, friendly staff…” salt-rich exceptional customer care. and style showcased in an astounding showroom. your home that are well suited for our and repair. There is a practical solution to this

• Bath Furniture & Accessories

common problem – Bronze or Stainless

For over 30 years The Plumbing Place

Steel.

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.

Visit our showroom or call to arrange an appointment.

Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, located

demanding environment, and will create the We eventually learn that the Road teaseorof “lifetime 5678 Fruitville •call Sarasota • Florida 34232 Visit our showroom to arrange an appointment. first “Everything impression your front door deserves.

941.378.5678 5678 • Sarasota • Florida 34232 • 941.378.5678 about the place isFruitville beautiful, we should Road brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance inside 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.

call it the pluming boutique, so clean, organized, big

of items,There friendly staff…” and selection repair. is a practical solution to this - RANDA Z.

Shop our 6,000 sq.ft. Showroom for the

t. Showroom for the common problem – Bronze or Stainless Showroom for the ve Collection Anywhere.

Steel. e Collection Anywhere.

Best & Most Extensive Collection Anywhere.

JOHN SMITHMAN, OWNER

— Mike

5678 FRUITVILLE ROAD | SARASOTA, FL 34232 941.378.5678 | THEPLUMBINGPLACE.COM

WNER

Call (941) 365-0812 to schedule a FREE private consultation

NER LEDGE. SERVICE. | SARASOTA, FL 34232 Both materials offer excellent salt

mSARASOTA, for the FL 34232

MBINGPLACE.COM BINGPLACE.COM

n Anywhere.

Sign Up with a Partner and you Each Save $100!

with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of

Shop our 6,000 sq.ft. Showroom for the

Best & Most Extensive Collection Anywhere.

• TUBS • VANITIES FAUCETS SINKS •• • TUBS • VANITIES • SHOWERS styles and finishes provide a perfect match to FAUCETS SINKS Beautiful AND Durable • • • • SHOWERS MIRRORS STEAM MIRRORS STEAM ROOMS • SAUNAS WHIRLPOOLS Exterior Door Hardware existing color schemes including rich patinas of ROOMS • HARDWARE TOILETS • TOILETS • BIDETS • LIGHTING • ACCESSORIES SAUNAS• BIDETS classic bronze, contemporary polished or DOOR AND CABINET HARDWARE matte nickel, and black.

LIGHTING • ACCESSORIES www.theplumbingplace.com

FROMOWNER THE PLUMBING PLACE JOHN SMITHMAN, 5678 FRUITVILLE ROAD | SARASOTA, FL 34232 941.378.5678 | THEPLUMBINGPLACE.COM

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

Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, located www.theplumbingplace.com “Everything about the place is beautiful, we should inside The Plumbing Place, displays many and kitchen fixtures, fittings and Beautifully crafted bathroom Steel.

Both materials offer excellent salt

tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance

a minimum of maintenance. A variety of call it the pluming boutique, so clean,with organized, big

lines of door hardware infrom beautiful styles for accessories leading designers.

Masterpieces of functionality and style showcased in an astounding showroom. styles and finishes provide a perfect match to

existing color schemes including rich patinas of Z. selection of items, friendly staff…” - RANDA classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black.

330 South Pineapple Ave. Suite 101 Sarasota FL

daneebarnett.com

404247-1

COM

tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance

388131-1

L 34232

Danee and her team are amazing, in 6 months I am down 60 pounds and off all meds, this is a proven plan that really works, Highly recommended...

YourObserver.com

21

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

— 2 Guys —

GUN SHOW

AUGUST 12TH & 13TH, 2023 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.”

2 Hour CWP s Classe FREE Parkin g!

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

Guns, knives, accessories, ammo, parts and so much more!

Robarts Arena • 3000 Ringling Blvd • Sarasota Saturday 9am - 5pm • Sunday 9am - 3pm

$1 OFF admission Tickets sold at the door

For more information:

Contact Guy 727-776-3442 • 2guysshows.com

407686-1

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

Cardiology

Antonio Moretta, MD Board Certified, Cardiology and Electrophysiology

LUXURY VE EH H II C CL LE EURY TO OR RA AG GE E LUX V SS T

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

V E H I C L E S TOur ORAGE Why

Why Why

CHOOSE CHOOSE US US Customizable Garage Options CHOOSE Customizable Garage Options Water Fill & Disposal Tanks US Water Fill & Disposal Tanks

Undergraduate: Medical School: Graduate: Residency: Fellowship:

Villanova University, Villanova, PA Saint George’s University, Grenada, WI Immunology, Long Island University, Brookville, NY Internal Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY 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

Vacuum Station Customizable Garage Options Vacuum Station 24/7 Camera Surveillance Water Fill & Disposal Tanks 24/7 Camera Surveillance Vacuum Station

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL

UNIQUE UNIQUE AMENITIES AMENITIES Air Conditioned Units UNIQUE Air Conditioned Units Covered & Uncovered Vehicle Storage AMENITIES Covered & Uncovered Vehicle Storage 24/7 Access Air Conditioned Units 24/7 Access 30 AMP Receptacles Covered & Uncovered Vehicle Storage 30 AMP Receptacles 24/7 Access

30 AMP Receptacles 24/7 Camera Surveillance CALL TO RESERVE YOURS!

CALL TO RESERVE YOURS!

941-263-0397 941-263-0397 CALL TO RESERVE YOURS! 941-263-0397

A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group l National Expertise l Multiple Locations 8.26.21_IMG-Kassover-LWRII-18x24poster.indd 1

Our Our

8/26/21 3:27 PM

941-379-1850

A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group l National Expertise l Multiple Locations

Cattleridge Medical Building II

8.26.21_IMG-Kassover-LWRII-18x24poster.indd 1

5951 Cattleridge Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34232

8/26/21 3:27 PM

www.intercoastalmedical.com Medicare and most insurances accepted

A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group l National Expertise l Multiple Locations

8.26.21_IMG-Kassover-LWRII-18x24poster.indd 1

ELITEMOTORCOACHFL.COM ELITEMOTORCOACHFL.COM

5921 MCINTOSH RD, SARASOTA, FL 34238 5921 MCINTOSH RD, SARASOTA, FL 34238

FOR MORE INFO:

ELITEMOTORCOACHFL.COM

5921 MCINTOSH RD, SARASOTA, FL 34238

8/26/21 3:27 PM

8/26/21 3:27 PM

405759-1

A Patient Focused, Multi-Specialty Group l National Expertise l Multiple Locations

407810-1

8.26.21_IMG-Kassover-LWRII-18x24poster.indd 1

FOR MORE INFO: FOR MORE INFO:

22

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

‘Too young to be old’

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

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

STAFF WRITER

W

hen 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.

Ian Swaby

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

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.

TF-081023-1100advp

IAN SWABY

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” ■ “Counseling Adults in Transition: Linking Schlossberg’s Theory with Practice in a Diverse World”

DENTAL IMPLANTS

“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

shows on Netflix with Olin, which she called “really wonderful,” including 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.

A FREE EVENT!

by Dental Implant Specialists ESTHETIC GUM GRAFTING

EXTRACTIONS BONE GRAFTING

IMPLANT SURGERY

COSMETIC VENEERS CROWNS

Protecting the President on 9/11

IMPLANT TEETH

Providing simple to complex specialty dental care in one convenient location

The unknown backstory from the cockpit of Airforce One

The Commander and Pilot for Air Force One on 9/11, Col. Mark W.

Tillman, will share his experiences on that day, and in the days

that followed, in a riveting FREE program at the Van Wezel

Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The program begins at 10 a.m. and includes a

HARRY F. HARING III DMD

MAGGIE MISCHHARING DMD

KATHERINE E. MISCH DMD

CRAIG M. MISCH DDS, MDS

SPECIALIST IN PROSTHODONTICS AND FULL MOUTH ESTHETICS

SPECIALIST IN PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT SURGERY

SPECIALIST IN PROSTHODONTICS AND TEETH IN A DAY

SPECIALIST IN ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY & PROSTHODONTICS

Minimally invasive periodontal and implant Master clinician using surgical techniques to the latest technology to artistically transform smiles improve patients’ oral using veneers and crowns health

Over 30 years experience with an eye for achieving a natural perfection in dental restorations

special tribute to our military veterans and first responders. REGISTER TODAY!

TidewellFoundation.org (941) 552-7569

International lecturer, faculty at Univ. of Michigan, U of F & PENN, author of numerous scientific publications and textbooks

941.957.6444

This program is presented by Tidewell Foundation in partnership with Tidewell Honors Veterans program, and with support from a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County through the Walter Haskins Fund in memory of Stacey K. Haskins, and a gift from the Eluned and Edward Russell Charitable Foundation.

407046-1

CHECK OUR REVIEWS ONLINE

www.drmisch.com

120 South Tuttle Ave Sarasota, FL 34237

397067-1

A Family-Owned Dental Speciality Practice

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

23

INTRODUCING

PHONAK SLIM DELIVERING AN U N R I VA L E D H E A R I N G EXPERIENCE

ALL OF THE FEATURES YOU’D EXPECT FROM A PREMIUM HEARING AID AND MORE! • unique left and right hearing aids • Three different color options • AutoSense OS 4.0, SoundRecover, StereoZoom, Motion Sensor Hearing, Tap Control, RogerDirect, Dynamic Noise Cancellation, Speech Enhancer Reprogram your current hearing aids with your new hearing prescription and up-to-date software improvements at no charge.

• “Made for All connectivity” with true It is important to have your Our Video Otoscope can hands-free calling detect if ear wax may be the reason you are experiencing hearing difficulty.

hearing checked at least once a year.

FREE

FREE 50% OFF YOUR NEXT FREE SET OF DEVICES

HEARING AID CHECK UP

HEARING EXAM & CONSULTATION! NO OBLIGATION!

VIDEO EAR SCAN MAKES SURE IT’S NOT EAR WAX

OTHER DIGITAL SPECIALS

A fast-charging option, a drying function via inductive charging, and intuitive left and right LEDs for status information.

from the safety and comfort of your home or office.

100% Digital Open-Fit BTE (Open Fit Behind-the-Ear)

100% Digital ITE (In-the-Ear)

100% Digital CIC (Completely -in-Canal)

100% Micro CIC (Completely -in-Canal)

WAS $795

WAS $995

WAS $995

WAS $1995

NOW 395 $

each

(Up to 40 db Loss)

NOW 395 $

each

(Up to 40 db Loss)

NOW 495 $

each

(Up to 40 db Loss)

NOW 595 $

each

(Up to 40 db Loss)

WE FIT & SERVICE ONLY THE WORLD’S BEST HEARING AIDS Connect your Lumity hearing aids to your smart phone for carefree streaming of TV shows, movies, phone calls, music & more!

OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF DOCTORS OF AUDIOLOGY & LICENSED HEARING AID SPECIALISTS

of America

OVER 50 LOCATION NATIONW S IDE

Rated

!

OPEN NOW: SARASOTA 941-278-5392

2807 University Pkwy In Publix Plaza at University Walk

BRADENTON 941-278-5391

DELRAY BEACH 561-377-3057 4900 Linton Blvd #3 (In between Poppies Restaurant and Kristi Cleaners)

ROYAL PALM BEACH 561-377-3063 11985 Southern Blvd (In between Publix and Sal’s)

(Bradenton Pain and Wellness Center)

BOYNTON BEACH 561-377-3058 4739 N Congress Ave (In between Dollar Tree and Fon Shan Chinese)

JUPITER 561-377-3066 6725 West Indiantown Rd Bay 39 (In Jupiter West Plaza)

2001 Manatee Avenue E. Ste 104

SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS- 0638, HAS-0633

GEORGIA LICENSE NUMBERS: HADS000995, HADS000996, HADS001001, HADS001003

407693-1

Elite Hearing Centers

smartphone without the need for other hardware!

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

SIESTA KEY 1250 Hidden Harbor Way 5 Beds 5/1 Baths 7,506 Sq. Ft. Kim Ogilvie & Melissa Gissinger 941-376-1717 A4565141 $9,995,000

SIESTA KEY 7340 Point Of Rocks Road 6 Beds 6/1 Baths 4,676 Sq. Ft. Denise Mei 941-685-3198 A4564248 $5,999,900

SIESTA KEY 3920 Roberts Point Road 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,070 Sq. Ft. Melissa Gissinger 941-404-2722 A4565405 $4,999,000

SIESTA KEY 5310 Avenida Del Mare 5 Beds 5/2 Baths 3,759 Sq. Ft. Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4563770 $4,500,000

SIESTA KEY 9269 Blind Pass Road 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,920 Sq. Ft. Tammy Mast 941-256-6543 A4568691 $4,500,000

SIESTA KEY 1250 Sea Plume Way 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,917 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy, PA & Gail Wittig, LLC 941-961-8850 A4559353 $4,400,000

SIESTA KEY 5300 Avenida Del Mare 4 Beds 4/2 Baths 3,234 Sq. Ft. Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4563903 $4,250,000

SIESTA KEY 8223 Midnight Pass Road 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,783 Sq. Ft. Jonathan Abrams & Brian Loebker 941-232-2868 A4562629 $3,950,000

SIESTA KEY 5215 Hidden Harbor Road 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,497 Sq. Ft. Thomas Cinquegrano 941-284-5049 A4555269 $2,850,000

SIESTA KEY 472 Island Circle 4 Beds 3/2 Baths 3,339 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4568053 $2,650,000

SIESTA KEY 7309 Pine Needle Road 5 Beds 5/1 Baths 5,600 Sq. Ft. Linda Driggs 941-374-2920 A4570824 $2,500,000

SIESTA KEY 1252 Riegels Landing Drive 3 Beds 2 Baths 3,777 Sq. Ft. Rudy Dudon & Denise Mei 941-234-3991 A4564438 $2,425,000

SIESTA KEY 361 Avenida Leona 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,614 Sq. Ft. Sherri Mills 941-350-7112 A4573754 $2,300,000

SIESTA KEY 4185 Roberts Point Circle Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4572976 $2,200,000

SIESTA KEY 6326 Midnight Pass Road 508 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,318 Sq. Ft. Karen Chandler 941-544-4919 A4568357 $1,999,999

SIESTA KEY 763 Siesta Drive 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,269 Sq. Ft. Maria Beck PA & Jalina Beck 646-531-4118 A4568874 $1,775,000

SIESTA KEY 4185 Roberts Point Circle 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,844 Sq. Ft. Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4568194 $1,750,000

SIESTA KEY 4708 Ocean Boulevard E1 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,277 Sq. Ft. Ethel Lovelace 941-586-7390 A4562351 $1,699,900

SIESTA KEY 4520 Higel Avenue 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,214 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941-356-9642 A4573406 $1,495,000

SIESTA KEY 1660 Summerhouse Lane 302 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,110 Sq. Ft. Stacy Liljeberg & John Garmong 941-544-6103 A4565356 $1,465,000

SIESTA KEY 651 Mangrove Point Road Beverly St Hilaire & Tak Konstantinou 818-416-2505 A4568377 $1,400,000

SIESTA KEY 3484 Hamilton Avenue 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,658 Sq. Ft. Linda Driggs 941-374-2920 A4571423 $1,399,000

SIESTA KEY 1137 Coquille Street 107 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,071 Sq. Ft. Lorraine Neal 941-350-0997 A4576210 $1,375,000

SIESTA KEY 831 Siesta Drive 2 Beds 1 Baths 1,202 Sq. Ft. Barbara Dumbaugh & Victoria Lear 941-951-6660 A4562249 $1,200,000

SIESTA KEY 19 Whispering Sands Drive 404 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,282 Sq. Ft. Stacy Liljeberg & Pat Rodriguez 941-544-6103 A4577353 $1,125,000

SIESTA KEY 5131 Jungle Plum Road 6 Beds 6/1 Baths 6,369 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer 941-465-1124 A4564288 $9,980,000

SIESTA KEY 8324 Sanderling Road 3 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,674 Sq. Ft. Kim Ogilvie 941-376-1717 A4562963 $7,995,000

SIESTA KEY 3722 Flamingo Avenue 5 Beds 5/2 Baths 4,985 Sq. Ft. Barbara May & Fred Sassen 404-822-9264 A4546740 $6,750,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

406082-1

24

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

JULY 24-28

ADAM HUGHES

Other top sales by area

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home 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.

SARASOTA

BEAU 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

REAL ESTATE

Siesta Key home sells for $2.9 million

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

25

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

In with the new NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Downtown St. Petersburg

400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From the $1MM’s | Call for appointment. | Residences400central.com SOLD OUT

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest city of Sarasota and Sarasota County building permits issued for the week of July 24-28, in order of dollar amounts.

Longboat Key

CITY OF SARASOTA Address

Permit

Applicant

Amount

3800 Flamingo Ave.

Windows/Doors

Thomas Forshaw IV

$121,684

1872 Hibiscus St.

Pool/Spa

Gregory Pfeifer

$113,941

100 Central Ave. #PH01

Alterations

Ram Gupta

$105,569

306 Golden Gate Point #7

Windows/Doors

Waldron Kraemer,

$45,163

The Residences at the St. Regis | 941.213.3300 | From $2.4MM to $10.9MM | Call for appointment | SRResidencesLongboatKey.com 1 FINAL OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

trustee 2434 Novus St.

Plumbing

Vicky Anderson

$35,000

1750 Hawthorne St.

Repairs

Mary Sharp

$32,161

1907 Magnolia St.

Re-roof

Edward Hasler

$29,280

820 Freeling Drive

Mechanical

William Crick

$23,059

1709 N. Tamiami Trail #A411

Boat Lift

Bessie Giannopulos

$18,915

Downtown Sarasota

SARASOTA COUNTY Address

Permit

Applicant

1218 Vermeer Drive

Re-roof

Joseph Dalton

Amount

8501 Midnight Pass Road

Tennis Pavilion

Crystal Lahners

$320,000

2714 Valencia Drive

Addition

Beau Bratton

$200,000

4164 Roberts Point Circle

Re-roof

Robert Swain

$157,950

800 Idlewild Way

Seawall

Craig Huss

$125,995

8506 Sandy Oak Lane

Remodel

Tanya Steel

$119,201

3637 Mineola Drive

Seawall

Carol Mc Namara

$108,730

5740 Midnight Pass Road

Alterations

David Cella

$96,300

Solar System

Bryan Suter

$90,960

$426,000 The Collection | 941.232.2868 | thecollection1335.com

#106 4435 Cactus Ave.

Source: Sarasota County, city of Sarasota

mscdeveloperservices.com | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida Prices as of December 2022

Licensed Real Estate Broker

406130-1

Sales galleries open and available for virtual or in-person presentations.

Virtual home tours | OnDemand local experts | Interactive site and floorplans

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

Your membership supports independent local journalism here, at home, in your neighborhood.* 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

Become a Newsie Today!

65

$

ANNUALLY

JOIN TODAY, VISIT

YourObserver.com/subscribe

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.

408477-1

Call 941-366-3468 or newsies@yourobserver.com *Don’t worry - we’re still free and always will be.

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

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

Questions?

BEST BET

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

File photo

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.

406991-1

Get Behind the Headlines

YOUR CALENDAR

26

AUGUST 10, 2023

SPORTS

“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

Fast

Break

Courtesy photo

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

T

he 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.

FALL RUN. PAGE 28

Courtesy photos

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

GO PRO

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

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

J

acqueline 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

“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

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

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

28

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Fall’s for more than football Swimming, golf, cross-country and volleyball deserve time in the spotlight as much as the gridiron does.

W

hile 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

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

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.

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.

File Photos

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).

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

Live the Lake Life 4 NEW MODEL HOMES - NOW OPEN!

Lakeside homesites are now available in this amenity-rich new home community.

Scan for Community Info

MODEL CENTER 408255-1

7915 Waterbend Trail | Sarasota, FL 34240 941-361-2536 | www.homesbytowne.com

LHC_ECO_LiveLakeLife_11.25x9.833_0823_LS-2.indd 1

Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm | Sun 12pm-5pm 8/4/2023 10:43:45 AM

YourObserver.com

29

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

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.

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.

Weather

&Nature

2023-24 PHOTO CONTEST

A R E F L E C T I O N O F N AT U R E ’ S B E A U T Y

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.

Submitted by: Becky Edwards

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.

Sponsored by

KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

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

Submit your photos of spectacular local weather and nature displays and you could win $500!

Go to Yourobserver.com/contests for details.

Save up to $7,995!

First Physicians Group Welcomes

Call us today for more information.

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.

11 Bedroom Apartmentsstarting starting Bedroom Apartments atat unde underApartments $5,000 per month 1 Bedroom starting at under $5,000 per month Available Now! 1 Bedroom Apartments startingNow! at under Available Now! $5,000 perINDEPENDENT month Available MEMORY CARE LIVING ASSISTED LIVIN

Board Eligible: American Board of Plastic Surgery

$5,000 month Available Now! MEMORY CAREper INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTED LIVING

1 Bedroom Apartments starting at under INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTED LIVING $5,000 per month Available Now!

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

MEMORY CARE

MEMORY CARE

Internship and Residency: Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ Fellowship: New York University Langone Health, New York, NY

408300-1

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.

The Observer’s

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Tommy Tyler

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.

INDEPENDENT LIVING

ASSISTED LIVING

Transitioning senior living apartment be overwhelmin Transitioning totoa a senior living apartment can becan overwhelming.

Transitioning to a senior living apartment From coordinating coordinating a move, to selling a home and even unpacking!

From a move, to selling a home and even unpackin

can be overwhelming. From coordinating a move,

Transitioning a senior livingand apartment can be overwhelming. toto selling aLet home even !unpacking! us HELP ! even unpacking!

From coordinating a move, to selling a home and

Let us HELP

Tour today to see Sarasota’s best valued

Transitioning to a senior can be overwhelming.

Tour today toliving see apartment Sarasota’s best valued 1 Bedroom Apartment and all of the other From to selling a home unpacking! ! and 1 coordinating Bedrooma move, Apartment and all even of the other

Accepting New Patients!

Let us HELP

lifestyle amenities that it includes.

To schedule an appointment, call (941) 952-4001

Tour to see Sarasota’s best valued lifestyle amenities that itappointment! includes.

Call ustoday at 941-413-7997 to schedule your Let us HELP !

1 Bedroom Apartment and all of theappointment! other Call us at 941-413-7997 schedule your 5650 Gantt Rd, •to Sarasota, FL 34233 Tour today to see Sarasota’s (One block north of Clark Road) best valued lifestyle amenities that it includes.

941-413-7997 • DiscoverSaraBella.com 5650 Gantt Rd,and • Sarasota, FL 34233 1 Bedroom Apartment all Road) of the other (Oneschedule block north of Clark Call us at 941-413-7997 to your appointment!

ALF License #13578

941-413-7997 •that DiscoverSaraBella.com lifestyle amenities it includes.

5650 Gantt Rd, Sarasota, FLyour 34233appointment!

Call us at 941-413-7997 to •schedule (One block north of Clark Road)

First Physicians Group Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Waldemere Medical Plaza

941-413-7997 DiscoverSaraBella.com 5650 Gantt• Rd, • Sarasota, FL 34233

ALF License #13578

941-413-7997 • DiscoverSaraBella.com

ALF License #13578

(One block north of Clark Road)

408245-1

1921 Waldemere Street, Suite 504, Sarasota, FL 34239 firstphysiciansgroup.com

ALF License #13578

407028-1

30

YourObserver.com

WEATHER

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, AUG. 10

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 94 Low: 81 Chance of rain: 23%

FRIDAY, AUG. 11 High: 94 Low: 80 Chance of rain: 24%

Thursday, Aug. 10

6:57a

8:11p

Friday, Aug. 11

6:58a

8:10p

Saturday, Aug. 12

6:58a

8:09p

Sunday, Aug. 13

6:59a

8:09p

Monday, Aug. 14

6:59a

8:08p

Tuesday, Aug. 15

7:00a

8:07p

Wednesday, Aug. 16

7:00a

8:06p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, AUG. 12 High: 95 Low: 79 Chance of rain: 51%

Aug. 16 New

Aug. 24 First

Aug. 30 Full

Sept. 6 Last

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, AUG. 13 High: 94 Low: 79 Chance of rain: 58% Gordon Silver captured a shot of this Limpkin eating a freshwater clam in Del Webb.

Monday, July 31

0

Tuesday, Aug. 1

0

Wednesday, Aug. 2

0.4

Thursday, Aug. 3

0.08

Friday, Aug. 4

0.61

Saturday, Aug. 5

0

Sunday, Aug. 6

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/contests. All submissions will be entered for the 2023-24 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2024, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE: 2023 12.23 in.

2022 27.72 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2023 1.09 in.

2022 3.93 in.

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood | tile | stone | pavers | and more

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC Sarasota 941.355.8437 | Bradenton 941.748.4679 | Venice 941.493.7441 | manasotaonline.com

SHOWROOMS!

crossword

celebrity cipher

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

It Had It Coming” (astronomy book) 2 List of requirements sent by a performer to a booker 3 “Hail Mary,” in Latin 4 Drops on the lawn 5 Volcanic output 6 Name that begins with a doubled vowel 7 Sheepish sound?

8 Party planners 9 Resistance units 10 Bit of light 11 Few and far between 12 Female horse 13 Modern day “Wow!” (Abbr.)

24 “You Send Me” singer Sam

18 Martini garnishes 19 ___ shirt (collared top from Hawaii) 20 Sleeveless top, for short

30 Like some pond life

shipped?”

25 Not even 26 Thing

29 Barn toppers 31 “Shoot the Moon” singer

67 Get older

71 College application stat 72 Steal from 75 Ages and ages 76 Overdo it with the grandchildren

New Black”

86 Hive buzzer 87 VHS player

actor Waititi 94 Violas’ cousins 95 Fairy tale character

35 Voice part in a choir

73 Turns sharply

106 Super Smash Bros. ___

38 Animal’s coat

(Nintendo game)

39 Grass alternative 40 From Juneau, perhaps

97 Former Yankee Derek

42 Sylvan ___ (electronic

101 Hunks

41 Prompt

78 Bakery fare

109 Fishing necessity

44 Sixty seconds

80 Appeal to a higher power 110 GA city

whose brother was almost eaten 96 Stratford-___-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace)

music duo)

in a row?

43 Short TV installment

focus in cheese studies?

to Shetland

116 Business VIP

44 Had apprehensions

50 Hiking guide

86 *Drum whose sound

117 Like someone texting

45 Quaint place to stay

54 IRS form info

really comes to life?

“almost there” during the

46 Wrote down

55 Ain’t correct?

90 Heavenly instrument

main course

49 Weasel relative

91 Letters before iotas

118 Make changes to

50 Some free NPR mer-

112 Milk variety

93 Not refined

114 RPG runners

59 Raising up

94 *Kinshasa party night

119 Cuts into itty-bitty pieces chandise 120 Shop posting (Abbr.)

51 Automobile, to a Brit

63 In progress

activity?

121 List ender (Abbr.)

52 Hubbub

122 Brings onto the team

53 Write

97 Wielder of the Force

123 Trusty horse

sudoku

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

103 Weight unit

111 *Five misplaced items

83 Scottish city with a ferry

Diane

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

41 Consequence of touching 99 Communion offering 100 In unison poison ivy

82 Mock a pigeon

65 “The Family Stone” actor 96 Coffee vessels

UWSXD ITDUWLI

92 “Let me think about it ...”

37 Phrase said at the altar

32 Dangle

KLTYWO?” NXXKGTOO FTOO XN NTRW’I

91 “Our Flag Means Death”

102 South Korean capital

108 Must

BTNOJ HIDDICNZT

89 Petroleum jelly brand

71 Pheasant relative

77 Group of whales

WESD MIW. RT XDTXIDTC.”

88 Charged atoms

34 Ad-___

dance?

LED EXXEDOSZNOW MJTZ NO HEGTP

84 ___ Island (Providence’s

34 Trilby or fez

107 “Oh, no! A mouse!”

“VSHB NP PNGXVW RTNZF XDTXIDTC

81 Genetic inits.

99 Nest buzzer

verbally

SRAES SPZNYALI

79 Seized auto, for short

already!”

38 *Copycat Argentinian

XEDNEL.”

70 Aioli base

68 *”Label that tropical fruit 98 Basketball hoop part

36 “World of Warcraft” event 74 Went back-and-forth,

DY MFD EL DYPZN XEDN CYTFDNELM

69 Darjeeling or chamomile

33 Insects that live in hills

27 Animals with rectangular 56 ___ it (walks) 58 Dedicated poem pupils 28 Minecraft find

66 Tolkien tree creature

Jones

21 “Splash” director Howard 47 Arm bone 48 *Secondary collegiate 22 *”Hey man, what happened to the surfboards I

64 Pro

DNF LFFS DY HF BES YU CYTFDNELM YB

Puzzle Three Clue: Y equals V

23 Olden day “Wow!”

15 Prefix meaning “prior to”

62 Arctic hazard

FXZ WOIW SI T IKTL IVAAXIWU KX

“Wednesday”

11 Polluted haze

61 “___ the season”

“RLGEFDI EC JRBD YU ZBFRDEAEDI ...

16 Bull-riding event

is the origin of the word

6 Detest

“Rugrats”

“IVLW ZW’LW SD OSRXI. ZW’LW IKTLI.

18 Norse god whose name

1 “The Devil Wears ___”

60 Tommy’s dad on

14 Italian equivalent of John state) 85 Brooks of “Orange Is the 15 “ASAP!” 17 Finishes

©2023 Universal Uclick

57 “I’m impressed!”

Puzzle Two Clue: X equals P

1 “How I Killed ___ and Why

56 Wi-Fi connectivity place

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle One Clue: J equals P

DOWN

ACROSS

399843-1

COME SHOP OUR

104 Egged on 105 Some August babies 106 Speed-of-sound word 107 “Como ___ usted?”

108 TV cable port 113 “I’ll pass” 115 One of eight in a byte

©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

8-10-23

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Help Wanted

redpages@yourobserver.com •yourobserver.com/redpages DEADLINES: Classifieds - Tuesday at Noon Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card 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.

3-CUSHION BROYHILL couchGrey, Houndstooth material. Like new, $200. 941-914-5025 APPLIANCES: KITCHENAID hand mixer $40, Mr Coffee $10, Oster toaster $10. (941) 966-6816

YourObserver.com/RedPages

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

Please be able to throw at least 20 yards proficiently, be available for one or two weeknight practices and one game on Friday or Saturday night.

Coach can provide transportation. Registration fee for league will be provided.

Tryout at 11 a.m., Aug. 12th at Greenbrook Park, 6655 Greenbrook Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, Fl. 34202.

941-726-8210

Merchandise Wanted SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and some collectors plates. Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707 WANTING TO Buy Vintage & Old Costume Jewelry in large amounts. Jane (941) 356-1568

BILL O’REILLY & Martin Dugard hardcover books (qty 6) $5 each OBO. (941)371-3513

GARAGE SALE

As low as $17.50 per week!

BOOKS & 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

auto

941-955-4888

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

DESPERATELY NEEDED Low mileage, cars and trucks.

Also rare or unusual vehicles.

Larry 941-350-7993 STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

real estate

Place Your Ad Online

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals LUXURY 2BR/2B VILLA RENTAL Pool/2-car garage. Hot Tub. 30-Day min. Avail NOW: Not avail Season 2024. $3,400 inclusive.

941-350-2285 WEEKLY MONTHLY SEASONAL RATES Beachfront, Bayfront and In

Help Wanted MKT’G ASST – Asst academy in Sarasota, FL w/ increasg revenues/members. Conduct mkt research/competitor analysis.

Advise on/assist/implmnt mkt’g, advertis’g &amp; public relatns strategies, &amp; budget plan’g.

40 hrs. Bach’s degree (or for. equiv) in Mkt’g, Communcatns or Public Relatns &amp; 2 yrs exp req’d. Mail resume: Celsius Tennis Academy LLC, Attn: Mr. Cohenour, 2170 Robinhood St, Sarasota, FL 34231.

SR. ASSOCIATE, Internal Audit.

Roper Technologies, Inc. Sarasota, FL. Deve audit programs & proj plans. BS: Accounting, or rel. 3 yrs Industry Finance (accounting, IA, or consulting), or large public accounting firm audit exp.

Other exp reqd. 40% trav: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, VT, WA, Belgium, Canada & England. Email resume to: cwomack@ropertech.com.

Between Houses or Condos Reservations 941-383-5577 wagnerlbkrentals@gmail.com Visa/MC 5360 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Suite 101 Longboat Key, FL 34228 Rental office 9a.m. - 5p.m.

M-F Ask about our special rates!

Wagner Realty Since 1939 www.rentalsonlongboat.com

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

AMISH RAISED, helping hands.

Need care for your loved one?

We are here to help.

4 hrs up to 24/7 care.

Personal care, doctor appointments, shopping, cooking, companion.

We have references plus CNA and HHA licensed.

Please call us (941) 400-9743

Health Services CNA-- CAREGIVER •Daily routines •Meal preparation •Doctor appointments •Shopping •Companion

CNA CAREGIVER Experienced & reliable.

20 years experience.

Call Sandy 941-387-6176

Excellent local references Call Lisa 845-544-3243

IN-HOME PERSONAL CARE

Home Watch

•Meal Prep •Daily routines •RT Background •Hospice Experience •Doctor appointments

PEACE OF MIND WHILE AWAY FROM HOME!

15+ years experience.

Excellent local references.

Call Robyn: 941-685-7199

SELL IT NOW! 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

PERSONAL CARE GIVERPrivate care: Meal preparation, errands, shopping, and more.

Affordable hourly rates, available weekdays, weekends, and holidays.

Minimal shift 5 hours can also provide overnight care.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ years experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

Auto Transport SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Landscaping/ Lawn Services T L r L ndsc n Professional landscape, design, installation and maintenance. Regular weekly lawn maintenance.

1 year guarantee on all new installations.

Sarasota & surrounding cities.

Please call 334-739-3409 Tomlarsen559@gmail.com Thank you for your business!

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

This week’s Crossword answers

Melissa is here with Melissa Help Me With LLC! We offer a variety of home watching related services.

Email me at melissahelpmewith@gmail.com for a quote. Text me on 727-340-4918 for immediate service. I have served Sarasota, Bradenton, and the barrier islands for over 18 years. Allow Us to show you the true meaning and value of customer service!

Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos.

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Anxiety is part of creativity ... the need to be rid of something or to get in touch with something within.”

David Duchovny Puzzle Two Solution: “Luck is simply being prepared for opportunity when it comes your way. Be prepared.”

Keith Carradine Puzzle Three Solution: “Sure we’re in limos. We’re stars. How else is a star supposed to travel?”

Football Hall of Fame’s Deion Sanders

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2023 Universal Uclick

©2023 NEA, Inc.

2 TIRES size 265 70 R 16 $80.00 for pair. Bob 941 536 5075

OLD MOTORCYCLES WANTED *Before 1985* ALL Makes & ModelsAny Condition!

Running or Not! $Cash Paid$ Call 845-389-3239 cyclesndmore10@gmail.com

First 15 words .................. $ 17.50 per week Each add’l word ....... 50¢

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Adult Care Services

jobs

ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236

SELL IT FAST!

Use the RED PAGES to clean out your garage

CALL 941-955-4888

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

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.

Motorcycles

peekers’ place

stuff

Announcements

WATERPROOFING SPECIALIST sought by Painting and Waterproofing of Commercial Structures co., to perform leak repairs at ground-level and high-level sites, detecting origin of leaks and identifying necessary materials required for repairs. U.S. High School Diploma (or foreign equiv.) + 1Y exp. in waterproofing, caulking, or painting occupations.

Job Site: Sarasota, FL. No travel or lang. fluency req. Please send resumes by postal mail only to: Patty Breitfelder, Human Resource, Florida Service Painting Inc. DBA Service Contracting Solutions, 12140 Metro Parkway, Suite K, Fort Myers, FL 33966.

home services

RED PAGES

RED PAGES AD RATES

32

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

Aluminum

Carpentry

Health

McKnight Construction

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Remodel & Home Improvements

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

YoderAluminum.com

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Computer

Divorce without Lawyers

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

New & Refurbished Computers Servicing PC & MAC on Site or In Shop Virus and Spyware Removal- Free Software We Make Windows 10 User-Friendly!

Divorce is never fun, but it does not have to be nasty & hateful! Protect your family relationships and assets from expensive Court litigation. Consider Divorce Mediation, the peaceful alternative.

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

DON’T THROW YOUR COMPUTER OUT THE WINDOW – CALL LORITECH!

Home Watch

6968 Beneva Road 406906

(Next to Beneva Flowers)

941-929-9095

Call me for a free 30 minute consultation before you call a Divorce Lawyer!

Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think!

We have mediated divorces involving up to 10 million dollars of assets over past 27 years.

Hardware Repair Virus / Malware Cleanup Software & Printer Install New Computer Setups New Purchase Consults Seniors & Beginners

William J. Leininger, JD

406914

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

SELL YOUR CAR!

Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

Pinnacle Home Watch.com Stop Worrying About Your Home While Away Dave and Connie Grundy

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

Pegatronics.com

941-735-3362

407647

Auto Service

PALMER RANCH HOMEWATCHERS® Watching your home while you’re away

Doors

Bob & Carol Guthrie 941.993.6613

Sliding Glass Door Repair

FAST • EASY • SAFE

WE COME TO YOU “FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

Autos Wanted

DESPERATELY NEEDED

FIRST RESPONDER OWNED & OPERATED

Furniture Repair

Low Mileage, Cars & Trucks.

Also Rare or Unusual Vehicles.

Patio Furniture Repairs.com

Made for where you live. Here!

RED PAGES

Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

941-504-0903

(941)544-0475

408229

407641

UNIQUE SPORT & IMPORTS 941-350-7993

YourObserver.com/RedPages

www.PalmerRanchHomewatchers.com PalmerRanchHomewatchers@comcast.net

406916

406915

HoHoBuysCars.com

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

Serving the Palmer Ranch Area Since 2007 Licensed & Insured

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

dan@shorelockhomewatch.com

www.shorelockhomewatch.com

Handyman

KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES INTERIOR RENOVATIONS & ANYTHING FROM THE GROUND UP

TEXT OR CALL 574-354-7772 KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES

408401

941.270.4400

5-Star Rated

407648

Attorney

406931

408227

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America

408238

941.650.9790 Mike McKnight Free Estimates 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com Sarasota and surrounding areas 941~400~6786

406925

Dustin Yoder

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

Professional Craftmanship on Carpentry • Cabinets Plank Floors • All Trims and Moldings Pressure Cleaning Services

407649

“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

Call us today! 941.628.8579 407324

www.ezslider.com

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

249 235

* $ $235

$

INCLUDES22MOEN MOEN STAINLESS INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIP CONCEALED PEEN CONCEALED SCREW SCREW GRAB GRAB BARS (16”BARS & 24”)(16” & 24”)

941.966.0333 LIFETIME GUARANTEE • LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED COVERAGEAREA: AREA:LAKEWOOD PARRISH TO NORTHPORT COVERAGE RANCH TO S. VENICE

364556 407342

DON’T let your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your WINDOWS be a PANE!!

408230

Doors

DRGRABBARS.COM

*DRILLING CHARGES MAY APPLY FOR MARBLE, GRANITE OR PORCELAIN. COUPON REQUIRED.

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-955-4888

YourObserver.com

Movers

THE GRAB BAR GUY

Wizard Moving SRQ

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

For $149 per hour you get:

Building & Roofing Contractor

make your moving day a pleasure.

Licensed and insured #IMT708

Pet Services

Pet Care by Melanie Gates

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

• Pet Sitting • Dog Walking • Over 24 years experience • Excellent references

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

1/10/23, 10:25 AM

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE 406908

(941) 966-2960

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

Serving South Sarasota Only including: Palmer Ranch – Osprey – Nokomis

Landscaping & Lawn

ROCK & SHELL LANDSCAPING

chrome_qrcode_1671726737617.png

Transportation

Luxury for Less

10% off

941-248-4734 406927

Licensed & Insured

All Airports, Hourly & Tours www.blacklabelcarservice.com

Booked Referral Program Next Ride with Booked Referral

Trees

CREATE BUZZ!

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#search/royaltreasurecasino%40yahoo.com?projector=1

1/1

Advertise your business or services in the Red Pages.

SARASOTA NATIVE

406911

Washed Shell • River Gravel Boulders • Pavers Driveways • Patios Plants • Palms

Call 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Windows

407268

Res./Com.

Plumbing

General Plumbing Services Inc.

BODY WORK FOR YOUR

health & well-being SPECIALIZING IN:

• Swedish • Deep Tissue• Reiki • Thai • Shiatzu • Sports Massage

Complete Plumbing Services & Repairs Residential, New Construction and Commercial Serving the area since 1993 No Job Too BIG or Too SMALL. We DO IT ALL! Veteran Owned & Operated • Third Generation Master Plumber All Major Credit Cards Accepted Generalplumbingsarasota.com

941-923-8140

• Drain & Sewer Cleaning • Backflows Installation • Natural Gas Installations - Appliance Hook ups • Power Flush & Comfort Height Toilets • All Water Heaters - Tankless - Gas - Solar • All Major Plumbing Fixtures Repaired or Replaced • Garbage Disposals • New Water & Sewer Services • Dishwashers Installed • Wells & Pump Repairs Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

406909

Massage

941-204-7717 • 777 S. Palm Ave. Sarasota, 34236

(Located across the street from the Botanical Gardens) 407650

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE RED PAGES

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

Roofing

EASY ONLINE BOOKING: zenmassageworks.com

Lic./Ins.

indow & Pressure Clea W t e nin s wn as Sunrise Win g o n k Sun y l r e d ows

150

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Gulf Gate RoofinG inc.

38 Years Experience

Specializing in Re-Roofing & Repairs

5

$

All Work Guaranteed

941-228-9850

Joe Murray, Owner

Fully Insured

State Licensed Contractor #CCC057066

TREASURES

found here.

Looking for something? Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

SPECIAL 00

407652

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

407344

FREE ESTIMATES CALL DAVID 941-228-6479

MM41568

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

407651

A truck, 2 men with equipment, experience and a great attitude to

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346 407327

Roofing

406910

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

GLENN KROECKER

406907

33

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

34

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023

STANDING UNITED WITH UKRAINE THE ACKERMAN GROUP

941.387.1820

941.387.1820

TOP PRODUCING SMALL TEAM IN SARASOTA COUNTY RYAN ACKERMAN ryan@ackermangroup.net

BARBARA ACKERMAN barbara@ackermangroup.net

www.ackermansrq.com

www.ackermansrq.com AVAILABLE PROPERTIES

RYAN ACKERMAN

ryan@ackermangroup.net

BARBARA ACKERMAN

barbara@ackermangroup.net

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AT GRAND BAY I NEW LISTING NEW LISTING NEW LISTING W

NE

ICE

PR

CRYSTAL SANDS - SIESTA KEY

6300 MIDNIGHT PASS RD., #101, SARASOTA, FL • 2BR/2BA • 1,240 SF • $1,395,000 GRAND BAY I -Turnkey LONGBOAT KEY $2,399,000 furnished walkout residence with split plan, porcelain wood floors & new hurricane impact sliders. A great investment opportunity!

3060 GRAND BAY BLVD. #126 | 3 FULL BR/3.5BA | 2,925 SF Protected Parking Spaces with EVBREEZE Charging Station WATER CLUB ISouth Side Location in Bldg. I, 2 Side-by-Side $3,495,000 THE SEA Open Kitchen & Views Spanning Over the LBKC Golf Course, Sarasota Bay & Downtown | Pet-Friendly 9008 MIDNIGHT PASSSkyline RD., #5 SARASOTA, FL Community 1241 GULF OF MEXICO DR., #704, LONGBOAT KEY, FL

NEW PRICE

$3,199,000

3BR/3.5 BA • 3,700 SF • Private 2-Car Garage

3BR/4BA • 3,045 SF

Breathtaking sunset views over the Gulf of Mexico from this 7th floor residence with two terraces.

Rare 2-story Penthouse with a private roof-top terrace on Siesta Key with private elevator access, deeded boat slip, hurricane rated windows and sliders, and oversized private 2-car garage.

WHY GRAND BAY???

LA BELLASARA - DOWNTOWN

$3,995,000

464 GOLDEN GATE PT., #503, SARASOTA, FL 3BR/4.5 BA • 3,490 SF • 2-Car Garage Rarely available 5th floor residence offering expansive bay and city views, outdoor grill, an open floor plan, and full concierge services in a gated, pet-friendly community.

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

– John & Mary P. LA BELLASARA $4,289,000 SIESTA COVE $4,250,000 5212 SIESTA COVE DRIVE, SARASOTA 464 GOLDEN GATE PT., #503 , SARASOTA, FL “...the special recreational activities Golf Course, Bay & City Views Clubhouse / Bar 3BR/4.5 BA • 3,490 SF • 2-Car Garage 5BR/6 BAperfect + 2 Halffor Baths • 5,133 SF • Situated on 1.5 lots and the private beach are WATER CLUB I LONGBOAT KEY $3,495,000 Rarely available 5th floor residence offering expansive bay and city views, an open floor plan & Spacious, beautifully landscaped 2-story waterfront point property on a clu-de-sace, with 1241 GULF OF MEXICO DR., #704, LONGBOAT KEY, FL my husband and me and even our full concierge services in a gated, pet-friendly community. a 120’ boat dock & 10,000 lb. lift. Exceptional open water views.

3BR/4BA • 3,045 SF grandchildren!”

Breathtaking sunset views over the Gulf of Mexico from this 7th floor residence with two terraces.

– Julie & Steve R.

NOW PENDING NOW PENDING “Our apartment in Grand Bay lives like

NOW PENDING

NEW PRICE

State-of-the-Art Fitness Center

AQUARIUS CLUB

$1,260,000

1701 GULF OF MEXICO DR. #207, LONGBOAT KEY 2BR/2BA • 1,551 SF • St. Regis Membership

a home & the elevator coming straight up from the garage gives us ultimate privacy and convenience.”

– Frank & Rebecca M.

NOW PENDING

Private Beach

“Love the extra security of Grand Bay’s $1,899,000 24/7 guard gates and proximity COREY’S LANDING LA BELLASARA $3.395,000 REGENCY PRICE $2,900,000 $549,000 THE SEA BREEZE - SIESTA KEY LIDO NEW MOTIVATED the bestKEY Longboat Key has GATE to PASS 3414 FAIR OAKS LANE, to LONGBOAT 464 GOLDEN PT.,RD., #202, 1700 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DR.#5F, SARASOTA 9008 MIDNIGHT #5,SARASOTA SARASOTA, FL 3BR/3.5 • 3,700 SFSF• •Private 2-Car Garage 4BR/4BA • 3,729 SF • Bay, Golf Course views the 1BR/1.5BA • 981 SF • Bay and city views 3BR+DEN/3.5BA • 3,153 2-Car garage offer... especially shortBA bike ride to 360 degree views & glorious sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico from this full floor penthouse with a Publix!” private roof-top terrace, deeded boat slip, and hurricane impact windows and sliders.

– Melinda & Charles L.

CONFUSED ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS?

DEMYSTIFY THE EXPERIENCE — CALL THE ACKERMAN GROUP! 941-387-1820 Two Har-Tru Tennis Courts

Heated Olympic Size Pool wth Lap Lanes & Hot Tub

PRE-CONSTRUCTION

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AT GRAND BAY II SIESTA COVE- SIESTA KEY

5212 SIESTA COVE DRIVE, SARASOTA

$3,987,000

5BR/6 BA + 2 Half Baths • 5,133 SF • Situated on 1.5 waterfront lots

Spacious, beautifully landscaped 2-story waterfront point property on a clu-de-sace, with a 120’ boat dock & 10,000 lb. lift. Exceptional open water views.

G

TIN

LIS

W NE SOTA 1703 Main Street Sarasota, FL 34236 Completion: Summer 2025

THE EVOLUTION 111 Golden Gate Point Sarasota, FL 34236 Completion: Fall 2023

GRAND BAY II - LONGBOAT KEY

THE EDGE 290 Cocoanut Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236 Completion: Spring 2026

PENINSULA SARASOTA 223 Golden Gate Point Sarasota, FL 34236 Completion: Spring 2026

THE DEMARCAY 33 S. Palm Avenue Sarasota, FL 34236 Completion:: Fall 2023

SORRENTO SHORES - MAINLAND

688 GOLDEN GATE PT 688 Golden Gate Point Sarasota, FL 34236 Completion: TBD

$2,495,000

$949,000

1355 2nd Street 509 Golden Gate Point 1546 4th Street 430 Kumquat Court 1100 Blvd. of the Arts 1100 Blvd. of the Arts Sarasota, FL 34236 Sarasota, FL 34236 Sarasota, FL 34236 Sarasota, FL 34236 Sarasota, FL 34236 Sarasota, FL 34236 595Completion: BAY ISLES RD.,Fall SUITE LONGBOAT KEY, FL2024 34228 Completion: • 443 JOHNFall RINGLING STE. F | SARASOTA, 34236 Completion: Winter 2023 Winter 2025 BLVD., Fall 2025 Completion: Fall 2026 FLCompletion:: 2026250 |Completion:

406009-1

3040 GRAND BAY BLVD. #221 | 3BR/3.5BA | 2,925 SF 449 S. SHORE DRIVE, OSPREY 3BR/3BA • 2,564 SF •Terrace Minutes |to Key Furnished | 2 Garage Parking Spaces | Beautiful Bay & City Skyline Views | Wraparound 10Siesta FT Ceilings Contemporary styled home with oversized lap pool, waterfall feature, spa, a large, covered Resort-Style Amenities | Pet Friendly Community | Includes Private Beach patioMembership with gas2grill and private backyard with firepit.

THE COLLECTION EN POINTE ZAHRADA ROSEWOOD RESIDENCES VILLA BALLADA ONE PARK SARASOTA