Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 11.9.23

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

Observer

Speed eaters.

PAGE 2B

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FREE • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

VOLUME 19, NO. 50

YOUR TOWN

Our annual recap of the news snowbirds missed.

PAGE 14A

Ian Swaby

Lisa Poulin

A picture-perfect landscape People often bring their easels and art supplies out to the Sarasota Garden Club, said Shari Amato, the club’s fundraising chair.

As a result, said Amato, it seemed natural to organize the club’s first painting event, Painting in the Gardens, held on Nov. 7.

An artist herself, Amato said the event gave attendees, including those without painting experience, a chance to have fun and be creative amid the club’s one-and-a-half-acre garden located amid the high-rises of downtown Sarasota.

“I thought with this scenery in the background, what a wonderful thing to do,” she said.

Member Christy May enjoyed taking in the entire scene from her seat in front of a panoramic window showcasing the gardens.

“I thought I would come and try to capture the Garden Club, and the event,” she said, noting she sat toward the back of the room, to capture other attendees in her painting as well.

The class was taught by instructor Corinne Jo Fallacaro, an impressionist painter.

Illustration by Marty Fugate File photo

Veterans Day observances This year, Sarasota will host a number of opportunities to recognize military veterans for their service to the country.

The annual 248th Birthday of the Marine Corps Luncheon will be held at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 at Marina Jack.

Then, the annual Veterans Day parade down Main Street will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, ending at J.D. Hamel Park across from Marina Jack.

A ceremony there at 11 a.m. will recognize the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the armistice was signed in 1918, ending World War I. Later that day at 2:45 p.m., the Diocese of Venice will host a Veterans Day Mass at the Sarasota National Cemetery to which military personnel, active and retired, are encouraged to wear their uniforms.

A+E

Conserving the all-mighty claw New regulations aim to protect Florida’s stone crab population and harvest.

SEE PAGE 6A

Impressions flow.

INSIDE

Carter Weinhofer

Colossal stone crab claws at Walt’s Fish Market usually come two to a pound. Market prices fluctuate almost daily.

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TABS

W HAT ’S HAPPENING

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

WEEK OF NOV. 9, 2023

Record return

“We are willing to work with the county, and we’re willing to do what we need to do to be compliant and do this legally.”

The Sarasota County Tax Collector’s office is returning $17.8 million in excess fees to the county.

The office, in a statement from Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates, said the money will go back to the county’s taxing districts. That includes $16.3 million to the Sarasota County Commission.

The returned funds set an all-time record, the release states.

In her message to the county commissioners, Ford-Coates said the excess fees represent “what the private sector would call ‘profit,’” adding “this is the highest percentage returned of all Florida Tax Collectors.”

Ford-Coates said her office, over the past 10 years, has returned nearly $114 million in excess fees to fund county expenses.

In the past 10 years, the release states, more than two million transactions have been paid at ­SarasotaTaxCollector.com totaling approximately $2.5 billion.

The Sarasota County Tax Collector’s office has four locations in Sarasota County.

Charter boat Capt. Frank Martinelli Read more on Page 3A

BY THE NUMBERS $39,000

Annual cost for the St. Armands Circle Association to warehouse, install and disassemble its 60-foot holiday tree.

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99

Percentage of the stone crab harvest for the entire U.S. that comes from Florida.

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3

The number of times cyclist Greg LeMond won the Tour de France. LeMond recently partnered with a new Sarasota bike shop.

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Road closures set for Veterans Day Parade Image courtesy of Ryan Gamma

CALENDAR

The Guy Peterson-designed home is at 8250 Sanderling Road on Siestsa Key.

n Sarasota City Commission special meeting — noon, Monday, Nov. 13, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

Siesta home hits the market at $21 million A

n Sarasota City Commission workshop — 1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 13, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

waterfront estate on Siesta Key has hit the market at $21 million. Designed by architect Guy Peterson, the home at 8250 Sanderling Road has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half-baths. Situated on one acre, it has 7,756 square feet of living space.

Built in 2000, the modern beach residence was fully renovated in 2014. Comprising four rectangular pavilions, the artistic exterior is supported by an unfinished concrete framework.

The owner’s suite offers a ter-

n Commercial corridors and commercial centers attainable housing virtual public input session — 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16, via Zoom. Register online at SarasotaFl.gov/CorridorsAnd-Centers.

race overlooking the gulf, sitting area, coffee bar, closets built-ins and dual en suite bathrooms.

A landscaped rooftop terrace overlooks the grounds. There is an office with panoramic views of the gulf, and all guest accommodations include en suites.

The foyer provides a panoramic view at all levels featuring glass, concrete, metal and white surfaces. The dining room showcases concrete columns against sanded glass walls, framing a beach view through floor-to-ceiling windows. The custom kitchen

includes teak accents found throughout the home and features top-line appliances, marble counters and dual islands.

Situated within the Sanderling Club community, the home offers access to the beach clubhouse, tennis, boat docks, more than 150 feet of Gulf frontage and an additional 150-plus feet of lagoon frontage.

The home is marketed by Joel Schemmel of the Schemmel Soda Group at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Sarasota office.

To make way for the city’s annual Veterans Day Parade, several road closures will be in effect in downtown Sarasota on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m.

From 5 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Main Street will be closed between U.S. 301 and U.S. 41. The following road closures will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: ■ Osprey Avenue from Fruitville Road to Ringling Boulevard.

■ Pineapple Avenue from State Street to First Street.

■ Links Avenue from Fruitville Road to Ringling Boulevard.

■ First Street from Pineapple Avenue to Central Avenue.

■ Central Avenue closed from Main Street to First Street.

■ Gulfstream Avenue closed from Cocoanut to McAnsh Square.

Parking spots on the listed streets must be cleared by 3 a.m. Vehicles not removed by the posted time will be towed at the owner’s expense.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

WHERE BOATS MEET WATER With limited parking at Sarasota County parks’ public boat ramps, commercial charters have come under scrutiny from the County Commission.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

I

ncreasing pressure on parking at Sarasota County parks as more users move to the area has prompted the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department to suggest enhanced enforcement of a policy that would restrict charter operations in county parks.

The pandemic-fueled population explosion brought a flood of newcomers, many of whom purchased boats that must be trailered to public ramps at Sarasota County parks that have limited parking for boaters and other park users.

And with yearslong waiting lists at the handful of marinas that dot the county’s coastline, growth in charter operators to meet increasing demand means that many are conducting business as usual — picking up and dropping off clients at the county park boat ramps in violation of county policy that prohibits such commercial operations in public parks.

The problem is many, if not most of them, couldn’t comply if they wanted to.

The county also mandates charter boat captains have a business use permit to operate in the Marine District, and that requires a brickand-mortar presence either within the park or on an adjacent property.

It’s that or risk a $500 fine or up to 60 days in jail if an ordinance presented to the Sarasota County Commission at its Oct. 24 meeting were to be enacted.

The other option, nearly a dozen of operators told commissioners during public comment, is to go out of business, which would mean a loss to local tourism as access to the Gulf of Mexico supports hundreds of jobs by owners of tour and fishing charters, some of them in business here for decades.

That’s the quandary facing county commissioners as they attempt to balance the needs of taxpayers and residents with the tourism that fishing and sightseeing charters bring along with the longtime nonenforcement of the county’s own ordinance that has allowed the establishment and operation of the businesses using the parks as a depot in what’s effectively scofflaw fashion.

Commissioners showed little appetite for forcing the charter operators and their employees out of the water, but they acknowledged something must be done to either enforce the law or to change it.

“There are communities throughout this country that are absolutely suffering, and if we’re trying to figure out that we maybe have a little bit of a parking problem due to economic tourism coming our way, I think it’s our job to figure that out,” Commissioner Mike Moran said.

ALTERNATIVE ACCESS?

Charter operators told commissioners that if the proposed updated county policy were to go in effect as written — and this time be enforced — marine tourism would dry up, resulting in few options with prices out of reach for most.

Even if they wanted to comply, the captains said they can’t because of the associated business use permit requirements.

Among them was Frank ­Martinelli, owner and operator of Private Cus-

Andrew Warfield

a boat operator $98,364 for illegally providing charters around Destin.

A COLLABORATIVE SOLUTION

Courtesy image

Indian Mound Park in Englewood has 28 boat trailer spaces and 22 vehicle parking spaces.

tom Charters, a two-boat pleasure tour company he founded with a single watercraft in 2006. He’d like to operate out of Marina Jack, he told the Observer, but he has been waiting for an open commercial slip there for the nearly two decades he’s been in business.

“We have two luxury yachts. We don’t fish. We are a sightseeing tour,” Martinelli said. “We do dinners. We do weddings. We do proposals. We do burials at sea. We have two vessels and we’re out there every single day.”

He said he checks in at Marina Jack periodically, and the answer is always the same. No vacancy.

“In the meantime, we started doing like everybody else, picking up and dropping off at different parks, but mainly I do pick up a lot of highend clients on Longboat Key, Bird Key and Siesta Key at their private residence docks.”

PARKING SPACE RACE

Parking is at a premium in public parks.

In 2021, records indicate there were 22,000 pleasure and commercial watercraft registered in Sarasota County. To serve those not docked at homes or marinas, there are seven county-owned and operated water access parks with boat ramps that have a combined 180 boat trailer parking spaces and 147 vehicle parking spaces. In addition, there are three water access parks that have seawall and/or dock access with 95 vehicle parking spaces.

When Martinelli picks up at parks, he said he encourages clients to arrive by alternate means such as Frog Hop or Johnny’s Free Ride on Siesta Key, ride-share services or, in some cases, limousine.

“If we’re doing a bachelorette party for 12 girls, we’re not going to have them bring 12 cars,” Martinelli said. “They’re going to be drinking, and we don’t want (them) to drive at all, so we’re trying to be responsible and encourage getting a ride over so they’re not parking there.”

Martinelli said the proliferation

of charters that are, in part, causing park crowding may ease somewhat with time. Many operators have not taken the time or expense to become a licensed captain by the U.S. Coast Guard, which is required by law.

According to the Coast Guard, would-be captains must provide witnesses who can attest the candidate has spent 360 days as part of a crew of any vessel with at least 90 days in the last three years plus a minimum of 90 days offshore as sea time. They also must pass a Coast Guard exam.

“Since COVID, now everybody who has a boat is becoming a captain and turning it into a business, so there are a lot more guys out there,” he said. “We’re starting to see a few of these guys realizing they’re doing this illegally and don’t have a commercial charter license. When they realize the legal costs of doing it they’re starting to get out of it. My insurance costs me $47,000 a year.”

Besides insurance costs, operators of illegal passenger vessels are subject to penalties of $60,000 or more for passenger-for-hire operations. In 2022, the Coast Guard fined

Martinelli docks his boats at his home, but every morning dozens of fishing charters will trailer their boats to the public docks, meet passengers, return a few hours later, load up their boats and leave for the day.

They are not permitted to accept payment at the docks, so those transactions are typically executed online.

“How are you going to put all of these companies out of business that have been doing this for so long without any rhyme or reason?” Martinelli said. “We are willing to work with the county to find a solution.

We don’t mind paying a medallion fee and naming the county as held harmless in our insurance policies.”

Martinelli may get his wish to work with the county on finding such a solution. Commissioners instructed County Administrator Jonathan Lewis to provide options to allow operations to continue until a permanent solution can be crafted, likely with the help of a task force.

“We would love to be a part of a task force,” he said. ”We need a little more support in getting our point across and coming up with a solution. We are willing to pay per boat.

We are willing to work with the county and we’re willing to do what we need to do to be compliant and do this legally.”

Lewis told commissioners a task force would likely not be seated until early 2024. In the interim, operators remain subject to possible fines for operating illegally.

Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Nicole Rissler said violators have been issued warnings, but no citations. Commissioner Neil Rainford said he would like to keep it that way for now, and perhaps by their next meeting have a stopgap measure to consider that suspends fines until the matter is resolved.

“I think that’s tough for these businesses to risk every time they pull up getting fined,” Rainford said.

Frank Martinelli’s Private Custom Charters has operated since 2006.

COUNTY PARK BOAT ACCESS Park

Seawall Dock Access

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

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PTM Partners plans to build a mixed-use project on the 1.98-acre property on Payne Parkway.

A Fort Lauderdale real estate investment and development firm specializing in opportunity zones has bought two lots in Sarasota and plans to build a mixed-use development.

PTM Partners paid $7.5 million for the two parcels on Payne Parkway. The properties total 1.98 acres, according to a company spokesperson.

In a statement announcing the purchase, PTM said it plans to build a 120,000-square-foot, mixed-use community that will include 50 forrent townhomes and about 8,000 square feet of retail space. The company plans to break ground next year with the intent of completing the project by fall 2025.

Because the development combines two existing properties near Payne Park, a street address is not available, the spokesperson said.

The residential portion of the project will be made up of threeand four-story units with three bedrooms and private rooftop terraces, and the complex will have more than 10,000 square feet of amenity space.

While this will be the company’s first Sarasota project, PTM is already active in the state with five other developments in the works, according to its website. Two of those are in St. Petersburg — the Edge Collective and Edge Collective II along Central Avenue.

The first is set to be completed next year and will include 24,000 square feet of commercial space, a 163-room hotel and 4,000 square

Courtesy image

PTM Partners purchased two parcels on Payne Parkway.

feet of retail. Edge Collective II is due to be finished in 2026 and will include 16,000 square feet of commercial space, 328 apartments and 13,000 square feet of retail.

PTM and its co-developer, DoveHill Capital Management, got $42 million in construction financing for the project last year.

The other three Florida projects are in Miami. And the company is working on two others, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Woodbridge, Virginia, a suburb of Washington.

On its website, PTM describes its investment approach as “centered around providing luxury housing that is accessibly priced.”

The company said it looks for “development opportunities where we can achieve our target returns while ensuring that the rental rates are price-attainable for at least 65% of the population living within a one-mile radius.”

This, it said, is achieved “via buying land smartly and designing efficiently sized units with a wide array of luxury hotel-quality amenities and services.”

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

File photo

Installation of the holiday tree at St. Armands Circle was completed Tuesday.

Night of Lights is back After delayed city approval, the St. Armands Circle Association will host the annual tree lighting on Dec. 1.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

F

ollowing last year’s holiday upheaval, December events will return to normal at St. Armands Circle, beginning with the traditional hosting of the 45th annual Holiday Night of Lights tree lighting ceremony by the St. Armands Circle Association from 5:30-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1.

Citing complications with the presence of the one-time Winter Spectacular in Circle Park last year, the merchants group determined it

could not safely and adequately hold the traditional tree lighting event as it had for the previous four decades and canceled the event. As a result, the city put on the event in 2022, and although it had yet to approve SACA’s special event permit application for this year, which was submitted in September, it had yet to announce plans for an encore this year.

Hearing that city staff was considering taking back the tree lighting permanently brought SACA board members and supporters to Monday’s City Commission meeting to request in person that the city grant

the special event permit so planning could continue. As they were speaking, underway was the assembly of the holiday tree for which the city had given a grant of $286,000 to purchase last year.

“It was brought to our attention last week that there were some major concerns based on what transpired last year and us hosting the event,” said SACA President Scott MacDonald. “As we speak today, the tree is being installed and the Circle is being decorated. We’ve raised over $40,000 through donations and contributions to help pay for the

tree, the decorations and the night of the event.”

Last year, the city approved the grant to the now-defunct St. Armands Business Improvement District and SACA to acquire a replacement for the previous 20-year-old tree and to cover the first year’s installation costs. SACA is responsible for contracting Christmas Designers to install, remove and store the tree at an annual cost of approximately $39,000. In previous years, the former tree was stored locally in a container and installed by a group of merchant and resident volunteers.

Last year, BID Chairman Tom Leonard and former SACA Executive Director Rachel Burns, now the organization’s marketing director, together pitched the city for the new tree as the previous one was no longer viable or safe to install. Leonard later proposed the monthlong Winter Spectacular to celebrate it as Sarasota’s new city tree.

City Commission approval of that event compelled SACA to cancel its regularly scheduled December events, including the Holiday Night of Lights, and resulted in a very public rift between Burns and Leonard.

The Winter Spectacular was not an initiative of the St. Armands BID, but was rather a private enterprise.

Earlier this year, Winter Spectacular organizers, citing continued opposition, withdrew their permit request to hold the event for a second year. SACA followed in September by submitting its own permit request for a return of the Holiday Night of Lights and began raising funds to pay for installation the tree.

“We had been putting this event on for so many years, and the executive board made the decision that we just couldn’t let it fall to the wayside,” Burns told the Observer. “We did talk to the city and to the BID to ask for assistance in putting it together prior to the BID’s dissolution, and unfortunately we were turned down. So we had to look at reworking our budgets going forward and doing some fundraising within our merchants and with our partners to make sure that this tradition can continue.”

In addition to the first lighting of the tree, the evening will include live performances, activities and the arrival of Santa. City commissioners

will be invited to participate. Following the tree lighting will be a weekend of “family fun days.”

“I truly apologize for what transpired last year,” MacDonald told commissioners on Monday. “It was bad on both sides. I truly apologize for that, and I just hope that you’ll consider approving our special events permit and we can get together and figure out a way to host the event.”

At the end of Monday’s meeting, Mayor Kyle Battie acknowledged MacDonald’s apology and the pleas of two other speakers as enough to forgive and forget, at least for this year. City Manager Marlon Brown told commissioners he was prepared to approve SACA’s permit application pending approval by consensus, which he received.

Holiday Night of Lights details are available at the SACA website at StArmandsCircleAssociation.com.

WHO IS RUNNING SACA?

During her bid for an appointment to the now-defunct St. Armands Business Improvement District Board of Directors earlier this year, Burns resigned from her position as executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association and took on the role as marketing director.

Since then, SACA has been operating under board leadership without a chief executive. That could change early next year.

“Our new board is going to have its first meeting in January and we’re going to have that discussion at that time and we will see what happens from there,” Burns said. “I will be continuing with the association.

What I do or what role or title I have, who knows? That will be entirely up to the board, but I will definitely still be continuing working with the association.”

CORRECTION: An article in the Nov. 2 edition (“Sarasota Chamber packs the house for 103rd annual meeting”) incorrectly spelled a board member’s name. Brian Hersh is an incoming board member.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

From trap to table With 99% of stone crabs coming from Florida, the fishery is critical to many local businesses.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

F

or Floridians, October has one more holiday than what might be on most calendars: the start of stone crab sea-

son.

Starting Oct. 15, recreational and commercial fishermen are able to harvest the species that holds a spot as one of the five most important fisheries in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Although stone crabs are found from North Carolina to Belize, 99% of the stone crab harvest for the entire U.S. comes from Florida.

And this year, the FWC began implementing new regulations in an effort to conserve the longevity of this important fishery.

RING REGULATIONS

Ryan Gandy is part of the Invertebrate Fisheries Research team with the FWC, and he specializes in stone crabs.

He’s been with the FWC for 15 years.

In a recent report given in October, which also saw the adoption of the new regulations, the FWC released a graph that outlines the commercial harvest for Florida’s stone crab fishery.

The graph shows landings — which are fishermen’s hauls — measured in millions of pounds of claws.

Although the landings appear to go through various periods of highs and lows, there has been a long-term decline in landings since about 2000.

The fishery spiked in the ’80s and ’90s, accounting for the increase in

the graph right before the year 2000.

“As the fishery ages, you see a decline in catch over time,” Gandy said. “That’s a normal thing.”

In the past five years, Gandy said researchers have noticed the number of stone crabs caught has leveled out.

“Some recent population assessments say we’re probably in a good spot for this fishery and that we’re taking out the maximum amount of biomass we can in any year,” Gandy said.

But, just because the fishery is in a “good spot” doesn’t mean it’s a freefor-all. In fact, the FWC thought it was important to set up new regulations for the stone crab traps.

Enter: escape rings.

These escape rings have long been used in trap fisheries and were implemented a long time ago in Florida’s blue crab traps.

First, the rings act as a way for undersized crabs to escape. Stone crabs must have claws of at least two inches to be harvested.

Stone crabs’ claws are harvested by carefully breaking them off of the crab. The crabs have the ability to grow their claws back, through multiple stages of molting. This could take many months.

While both claws can legally be harvested, FWC’s website says this leaves the crab with little way of defending itself.

Gandy said that just by containing undersized crabs in a trap, there can be up to a 13% mortality rate.

Lower mortality rates in juvenile crabs can help bolster the spawning stock for following years, thus potentially leading to more successful seasons in the future.

Another upside to the escape

Carter Weinhofer

Freshly caught stone crab claws wait to be bought at Walt’s Fish Market.

rings is that they limit the amount of bycatch.

Bycatch refers to any of the unwanted, or extra, biomass that is captured. If a crabber places a trap in the water, when it’s pulled up, the trap may contain stone crabs, along with other marine life like blue crabs, starfishes and other fish.

Less bycatch means less unwanted stuff to pick through.

“When a crabber pulls that trap up onto the deck, the first thing they notice, whether it’s a blue crab fishery or a stone crab fishery … there’s a lot less work to do to get to the legal crabs that they’re trying to catch,” Gandy said, “because they don’t have to clean all that biomass out of the trap.”

This year, the escape rings are mandatory. Gandy said most of these will be retrofitted to existing traps.

Next year, though, clarification will be added as to how and where the escape rings can be installed.

Gandy said his department did about six years of testing, working with commercial fishermen, to verify the ring would be a benefit, and narrow down exactly what size.

In testing, Gandy said commercial fishermen responded with a lot of

good feedback.

“It’s less labor that they have on the back of the boat, and they’re actually seeing crabs leaving,” Gandy said. “Those juveniles figured out how to get out of the hole and are able to leave.”

The FWC conducts most of its data through commercial fishermen.

In the 1980s, trip tickets became mandatory for commercial fisheries throughout Florida. Trip tickets provide FWC researchers with valuable data, such as where the landings were caught, weight of the total landings, grade, sizes and the current market price.

“What this does is, it is a way for commercial fishermen to provide really vital data to understand where the catch is coming from and how much,” Gandy said.

On the recreational side, both stone crab and blue crab traps need to be registered with the FWC. Then, the permit will give fishermen a unique ID number to be tagged with.

The purpose, according to Gandy, is for the FWC to have an idea of how many recreational traps are out there.

“In a fishery that is highly exploited like stone crab, it’s very sensitive

to the amount of withdrawals,” Gandy said.

He also mentioned that regulations usually take anywhere from three to five years to “settle out.”

After that, then researchers can really start looking at the data and seeing if any new trends emerge.

In a recent study done by the FWC that tested the escape rings in stone crab traps, researchers found that the rings resulted in a 24% reduction in catch of undersized crabs and a 76% reduction in bycatch.

FRESH CATCH OF THE DAY

For Brett Wallin, his family owned business, Walt’s Fish Market, is more than a restaurant, it’s an industry — one that he’s passionate about conserving.

Wallin is a fourth-generation fisherman and owner of the market. He started learning about the industry at a young age, doing internships with other crabbers to learn the trade.

Now he runs the Walt’s business while also being a part of the crab catching.

“There’s not much of that at all anymore,” Wallin said.

Wallin operates about 1,200 traps during stone crab season. His crab

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

by hand. Once the stone crabs are removed from the trap, then comes the most important part: breaking off the claw.

“It’s all in the wrist,” Wallin said.

He’s seen plenty of people break off the claw wrong, leading to the crab not being able to regrow the claw or dying.

Education is key, and Wallin believes there should be more of that when it comes to properly harvesting the claws.

Back at the market, the cooked claws from earlier in the day sit on beds of ice and are sold fresh, or served later in the day.

Claws are cracked before served, another process that Wallin believes needs to be just right.

Wallin said because of the new escape ring regulation, he had to retrofit all his traps, using a hole saw to install the rings. Traps are made of plastic now, and most of the new ones already have the rings.

But, Wallin thinks the ring is about the right size. To him, it’s important that the fishery is managed correctly and that everyone in the community is well educated.

Without stone crabs, Walt’s Fish Market would be a different place.

“I need it every year, 100%,” Wallin said. “And I’ll do anything to protect it. A place like this wouldn’t survive without it.”

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boat can hold up to 250 at a time and is docked right in his Siesta Key backyard.

Another fisherman who supplies Walt’s puts out another 6,000 traps.

It’s a partnership, Wallin said. For example, on a typical day, Wallin may go out in the afternoons after receiving fresh catch from another fisherman in the mornings. That way, the restaurant has a steady supply of fresh catch.

Stone crab, he said, is a unique season because it’s exactly that: seasonal.

“It gets the town excited; it gets the employees excited; it gets me excited,” Wallin said. “Because it’s not something that you’re doing all year long. I don’t think stone crab would be as special if it ran all the way through.”

Most of the time, stone crabs are actually cooked right on the boat, or very soon after they dock.

From trap to table, everything has to be done right to Wallin’s standards.

But before they’re cooked, the crabs have to be caught.

Before the traps are soaked in the water, Wallin fills them with freshly fileted fish heads and unused parts coming right from the fish in his market.

Each of the traps weighs about 70 pounds, Wallin said. On his boat, he doesn’t have a winch, so it’s done all

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OPINION / OUR VIEW

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

The war is here, personal The Israel-Hamas War is being fought 7,000 miles away. But within the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community, the war is touching families directly. Everyone ‘must thrust himself … into this struggle.’

“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

MATT WALSH

T

he world said: “Never again.”

Then, after the news started coming from Israel a day after the Oct. 7 massacres, emotions raced like adrenaline through your veins — shock, horror, fear, anguish, anger, sadness, an emptiness and tightening in the stomach.

Is this it — again?

The night before, in temples and synagogues throughout Sarasota and Manatee — throughout the world — Jews were celebrating Sukkot, one of their most joyous festivals. “There was a lot of dancing,” remembers Joel Auerbach, president of Temple Beth El in Bradenton.

Sukkot is a time of celebrating, dancing and happiness, commemorating the fall harvest and God’s protection of the Jews during their flight from slavery in Egypt.

But as details of the Oct. 7 massacres filtered around the world, Auerbach remembers how his congregants’ joy quickly turned somber and solemn by Saturday night.

“It was the most horrific day of our lives,” remembers Rabbi Brenner Glickman of Temple Emanu-El in Sarasota.

For a month now, the 24/7 news diet on the Israel-Hamas War has had us all on edge. And it’s wearing on our psyche as we watch and wonder: What’s next? How bad is it going to get?

And though that war is on the other side of the world, 7,000 miles away, even here, in this idyllic slice of Florida, this war is in our neighborhoods, among our co-workers, among so many families.

It is deeply personal.

And for many, it is excruciatingly painful — no matter on which side your ancestors and family members lie.

Look around you. Six degrees of separation? No, try one, two, three.

It is real.

On Sunday, Oct. 8, when Dr. Liot Alon, a native Israeli and chief learning and engagement officer at the Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee, was driving to a rally for Israel at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, she received a text from her ex-husband in Israel. The terrorists had killed the son of a close, former colleague of Alon.

In his early 30s, he was trying to protect his kibbutz at Kfar Aza on the border with Gaza. He had three children.

Alon pulled over. “I thought I was going to throw up,” she said.

In the days after the attacks, Alon counted 17 funerals she would have attended — all of friends’ family members whom the terrorists murdered: A brother and nephew of a friend murdered on the beach where they were surfing; another colleague and her two young children, the woman’s 14-year-old son the only survivor.

“It goes on and on,” Alon said.

Two days after the massacres in Israel, Mark Gordon, managing editor of our Business Observer, based in our Observer Media Group office in Sarasota, informed us his niece — the daughter of Gordon’s sister — was in Tel Aviv when the attacks occurred.

She had arrived five days earlier as a Fulbright scholar, set to teach English at a university. She was staying with her father’s cousin, who lives in Tel Aviv. That cousin and five of his siblings were called up for duty with the Israel Defense Force.

For seven days, the family of Gordon’s niece scrambled frantically, working the State Department channels to try to get her on a plane

Courtesy image

SHOW SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL ■ UNITY GATHERING — The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee will conduct a Unity Gathering for Israel from 3-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Circus Arts Conservatory, 2075 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota. Open to the public, the Federation is requesting that attendees pre-register. Go to: JFedSRQ.org/Event/UnityGathering-For-Israel/.

to the U.S. She made it — flying home via the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Al Treidel, 77, is president of Temple Beth Shalom on South Tuttle Avenue. For him, the war not only touched his congregants, it is familial. “One congregant lost three relatives,” he told us. “Another’s stepson was kidnapped. Another’s cousin was kidnapped and escaped.

I have 30 relatives and friends there.

“My family has lived in Israel since the early 1900s,” he told us.

“A family home near the Sea of Galilee is a national monument.

Most of my family was murdered in the Holocaust. My grandfather hid from the Nazis in a pogrom; he and others lived on a half-cup of water a day. This is just so reminiscent of what happened in the Second World War.” Throughout the Sarasota and Manatee synagogues, rabbis and temple leaders unanimously described their congregants in the two weeks after the massacres as fearful, nervous, sad, anguished and angry.

“They’re terribly shaken by it,” Glickman said of his congregants at Temple Emanu-El. “The dread of knowing what’s coming.”

Said Isaac Azerad, executive director of Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key: “This is very scary to the elderly Jewish population because their parents were part of the Holocaust.”

HEIGHTENED SECURITY

To be expected, the region’s temples and other Jewish organizations all have increased security in the wake of Oct. 7. They had increased security in 2020 after a vandal defaced two temples with swastikas and hate-filled graffiti. Now this has compelled them to bring on more armed guards on their campuses.

A Sarasota family that declined to be identified out of fear, fretted since the Oct. 7 attacks about the safety of a family bat mitzvah that occurred this past Saturday. The family hired two off-duty sheriff’s deputies for the temple and two offduty police officers for the celebration.

So far, though, none of the temple officials has reported any sordid incidents. But they’re ready.

Tom Baugher, director of the Sarasota-Manatee region for the Secure Community Network, a national security organization for all Jewish organizations in the U.S., says the region’s synagogues constantly live with heightened awareness and preach to their congregants “situational awareness.”

On top of that, Baugher notes: “We really have outstanding law enforcement in this area. They are dialed in.”

Said Azerad of Temple Beth Israel

Shepard Englander, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, returned from Israel last week. Among those he saw: Hadas Kalderone. Her 16-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son were kidnapped from their home Oct. 7.

on Longboat Key: “We’re eternally grateful to the Longboat Key police.” Voluntarily, the town’s police department has stationed a patrol car and officer near the temple at the times of its services.

At Temple Emanu-El, security personnel are on campus almost around the clock seven days a week, costing the temple $150,000 a year.

“It’s an enormous bill,” Glickman said. But necessary.

Brian Lipton, regional director of the American Jewish Committee in Sarasota, the international nonprofit human rights organization, said he had AJC’s name removed from his office building’s first-floor directory as a precaution, and he has booked additional security personnel to augment the usual number of security officers for an upcoming dinner.

CHRISTIANS REACH OUT

While rabbis and temple officials say many of their congregants were in shock after the massacres, instead of their staying away from temple services out of fear, the war has had a counter-effect on attendance. It has mushroomed.

A weekly lunch at Temple Emanu-El often attracted about 75 congregants. On the “Day of Rage,” the first Friday after the massacres, attendance rose to 115.

“People are coming in very large numbers,” Glickman said. “Everyone wants to be with other Jews now. They are carrying deep pain, and that can be dealt with by being with other people who are feeling similar pain.”

“There’s a Jewish saying,” said Auerbach. “From generation to generation. Jewish people know they must stick together.”

To that end, in the week after the attacks, congregants at Temple Emanu-El mobilized. Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman told her husband, Rabbi Glickman, the temple needed to marshal “a comprehensive response.”

She became the guiding force behind 16 projects underway simultaneously, each with 50 to 180 congregants in groups. They’re writing letters to IDF soldiers and the families whose loved ones were murdered. Ten congregants a week are making donations to different Jewish groups here and in Israel in need of funds. An advocacy group is writing letters to the U.S. Department of Education to address the anti-Semitism on college campuses. Another group is focused on counseling families, teens and younger children, all to help with fears, grief and explanations for what is occurring.

Support has also come from nonJews. “My next door neighbor, who isn’t Jewish, knocked on my door to see how we’re doing,” said Treidel.

Unsolicited, Christian clergy attended the Sabbath services Oct. 13 at Temple Emanu-El, then Temple Beth Israel on Oct. 27 and Temple Kol HaNeshama Nov. 3.

Temple Beth Shalom’s Altshuler called the support of the area’s Christian clergy gratifying. “We know we have a lot of friends,” he said, adding, however, “I wish we had calls from Muslim leaders.”

Said the Rev. Tom Pfaff, president of the Sarasota Ministerial Association and participant in the visits to the temples: “The war — just like hurricanes unite Florida neigh-

bors — has united us in a more than collaborative way, the ways of trust and friendship.”

The Saturday after the attacks, representatives of Temple Beth El in Bradenton set out an 8 1/2 x 11 paper sign on the temple’s table at the weekly farmer’s market in Lakewood Ranch. It asked for contributions to help Israelis. Auerbach said people gave $200. The fund is now more than $3,500.

“We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed from the support of the community — Jewish and nonJewish,” said Ellen Biddle, director of marketing and communications at the Jewish Federation.

MANKIND WOVEN TOGETHER

All of this — how the Oct. 7 massacres are intensely personal to our Jewish brethren in Greater Sarasota and Manatee; how the attacks triggered memories and fears of another Holocaust; and how the region’s Jews and non-Jews came together to support one another — is a tapestry of how horrific tragedies weave mankind together, no matter if they are near or far.

The world, and this community as well, did not respond to Russia’s invasion and murdering of Ukrainians as it has to the massacres in Israel. Nor has America’s silent majority recoiled to Israel’s bombing and incursions into Gaza with the same shock and horror that swept across us after learning of Hamas terrorists’ barbaric atrocities.

There is a difference.

For one, the Holocaust. The degree of separation between those living in this community today whose families still bear the scars and intimate memories of that horror — Jews and non-Jews alike — is one and two; not six.

As Rabbi Glickman told us: “The dread of not knowing” — will this be it … the end of Israel? — is real.

It’s not 7,000 miles away. For weeks now, what is occurring in Israel has been reverberating monumentally here.

Even in peaceful Sarasota, we cannot and should not ignore it.

Regular readers of this space know how we often refer to the wisdom of the late, great Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises. He was much more than a scholar of economics. As someone who personally lived and observed the rise Nazism from his home in Vienna in the 1930s, Mises became an astute observer and philosopher of human action. He wrote an 885-page book with that title. And one of the conclusions he reached is apropos for this moment in time: “Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders; no one is relieved of his share of responsibilities by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping toward destruction. Therefore, everyone, in his own interests, must thrust himself vigorously into the great historical struggle into which our epoch has plunged us.”

We stand against evil. For historical, biblical and moral reasons and for humanity, We Stand with Israel.

“Never again.”

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; Lexi Huelsman, Lexi@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 / Anna Reich, AReich@YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com Advertising/Marketing Coordinator / Caitlin Ellis, CEllis@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

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Have your say about the Bobby Jones nature park Citizens can share their thoughts Nov. 15 about amenities to include in the newly created wetlands and nature park next to Bobby Jones Golf Club.

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Built in conjunction with the restoration of the Donald Ross golf course layout, the nature park will be a rustic area with newly created wetlands, crushed shell trails and cart paths repurposed into walking and biking trails. The city of Sarasota is seeking input regarding additional park amenities to complement the natural surroundings.

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For those who cannot attend the community meeting, comments may be emailed to ParksandRec@ SarasotaFl.gov by Nov. 30.

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No exceptions to rental restriction The City Commission’s ordinance to expand the vacation rental policy citywide could resolve possible lawsuits and balance costs.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

S

ometime in early 2024, the Sarasota City Commission will consider and — from all indications — approve an ordinance that will expand citywide the vacation rental ordinance that currently applies only to about 135 properties on the barrier islands.

When it does, the approval will affect two related matters that came before commissioners on Monday: 1.) An effective doubling of fees associated with the registration and monitoring of short-term rental properties doing business in residential neighborhoods, and 2.)

Potential litigation brought by the owners of three “hotel houses” on Lido Key. By a 4-1 vote on second reading with Commissioner Erik Arroyo opposed, commissioners approved increasing fees on vacation rental operators on average from $150 per year to $350 in an attempt to close the gap of the cost of city personnel dedicated to registering, inspecting and monitoring the properties and the regulatory fees they generate.

Once the ordinance goes citywide, the scaling of revenues will hopefully offset if not exceed those costs.

The ordinance will not apply to owner-occupied, short-term rentals, only to those operating an entire home as a business enterprise.

The ordinance could also be crafted to address a Bert Harris Act claim by three LLCs of common ownership of three vacation rental homes just steps away from Lido Beach, City Attorney Robert Fournier told commissioners.

That suit cites the devaluation of the homes, which were built before the ordinance was enacted and

File photo

This vacation rental property at 234 Grant Drive is one of three on Lido Key involved in a Bert Harris Act claim against the city for alleged devaluation resulting from a city ordinance that caps overnight capacity.

“They never had any desire to seek monetary recuperation from the city, but they did have three units that they had invested a significant amount of money in prior to the ordinance. They want to recoup those funds.”

— Scott Rudacille, owners’ attorney

whose maximum occupancy exceeds said ordinance. The Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act of 1995 provides a legal process for landowners to seek relief when their property is unfairly affected by government action.

That complaint was brought by three separate LLCs of common ownership doing business as Vunique Vacations, which owns three homes. Although all three can accommodate 16 people, restrictions

placed on them after the fact limit two of them to 12 each and another to 10, based on a formula of two people per bedroom plus two additional people. The homes are at 234 Grant Drive, 209 Garfield Drive and 24 N. Polk Drive.

During their Oct. 2 meeting, commissioners unanimously agreed to allow the matter to go to litigation should the owners decide to file suit.

In the interim, the owners’ attorney, Scott Rudacille, sent a letter to the city requesting commissioners reconsider that decision and reiterated the owners’ proffers to adhere to several standards exceeding the ordinance in exchange for renting the properties at their occupancy capacity.

“Our client has been engaged with the city throughout the vacation rental ordinance process,” Rudacille told commissioners. “They never had any desire to seek monetary recuperation from the city, but they did have

three units that they had invested a significant amount of money in prior to the ordinance. They want to recoup those funds. And so that was why they filed these claims.”

He said Vunique Vacations would restrict vehicles to those that will fit in the driveways, rent to no responsible party younger than 25, count children 2 years and older as occupants — the current ordinance has a threshold of age 6 — use noise-monitoring devices and employ other impact mitigating practices.

As cooperative as that sounds, commissioners were in agreement that a one-off exception to the ordinance would open the floodgates to many more.

“If we turn and revisit what we’ve already put into place, what is already working, I see this as a big mistake,” said Commissioner Jen AhearnKoch. “And not only will this open us up to more lawsuits, we’ll be doing our community and our neighbor-

hoods a disservice by revisiting this by adding new standards, by adding new requirements and by increasing the occupancy numbers and succumbing to this kind of a situation.”

“Would that leave us open to all of the other good-performing, longterm short-term rental properties to say, ‘We want a custom agreement also?’ So we could potentially have 135 custom agreements in the barrier islands?” asked Commissioner Debbie Trice.

Fournier confirmed that as a likely outcome.

On the other hand, the risk of going forward with litigation and losing would yield a similar result, which is why he reminded commissioners that the citywide ordinance could be crafted to include some of the stipulations cited by the Vunique Vacations and stave off further lawsuits.

A proposed ordinance brought before the city as early as January will have to be vetted via the public process. In the interim, Vunique Vacations could choose to proceed with litigation unless, and even if, a stopgap measure is put in place.

City Manager Marlon Brown suggested a temporary agreement with the potential litigants to find middle ground while the citywide ordinance is crafted, an ordinance that may address their grievances.

“They could go ahead and file and we just say we won’t attempt to enforce the ordinance for whatever the term of this agreement is,” Fournier said of a possible interim solution. “It could always be extended. I could see that as a possibility, but of course it requires the consent of both parties.”

Commissioners unanimously approved Fournier’s suggestion to leave in place the Oct. 2 decision to defend the ordinance should a suit be filed, and also to direct him to include standards offered by Vunique Vacations in a citywide ordinance. He added that doesn’t require the commission to approve any proposed changes.

“At least the conversation could be held,” he said.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

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T o O u r V e t e r a n s,

WE SALUTE YOU! To those who have served both past and present, from our family to yours, THANK YOU!

And to our family HERO, We honor your memory today.

Photo: Stewart Waddell Matter, Sr., United States Marine Corps

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COPS CORNER

FRIDAY, OCT. 27

HEART-STOPPING RENT HIKE 9:11 p.m., 5200 block of Stevens Drive Civil dispute: Upon arrival, officers made contact with a landlord and tenant; the latter appeared to be intoxicated. The tenant said he was upset that the complainant raised the rent of the home in which he had lived since August 2023. The officer then spoke with the landlord, who confirmed he did recently rent a room to the tenant but did not know at the time he had a drinking problem and became aggressive when intoxicated.

Officers advised the tenant had established residency at the house and if the landlord wishes for him to be removed, he would have to be legally evicted. While explaining the eviction process, the tenant began complaining of chest pain and requested rescue to respond.

Paramedics did state the man had an irregular heart rhythm and was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Officers advised the landlord to have no further contact with the tenant until he sobered. Whether the rent actually was increased was not reported.

HOT WHEELS 8:04 p.m., 2200 block of Benjamin Franklin Drive Disturbance: While on patrol on Lido Key, an officer observed a man lying on the ground next to his wheelchair, which was on fire. The man was intoxicated. It was determined that the fire was caused by the man’s laptop battery igniting.

The Sarasota County Fire Department was called to extinguish the fire and the man was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

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MONDAY, OCT. 30

A POWERFUL NOISE 8:22 p.m., 600 block of South Gulfstream Avenue Noise complaint: A backup generator that had been running for 10 hours resulted in a noise complaint. An officer made contact with the complainant who said the generator was so loud he could hear it over his TV and was unable to sleep.

The complainant was informed that there was no noise ordinance in place that prevents the use of a generator to power a building when the main power source was out.

The officer then made contact with FPL personnel on the scene, who advised they had been working to replace the main power lines all day and that they would be finished and the power restored before 10 p.m.

The man insisted on further law enforcement action and was reminded that no noise ordinance violation was taking place.

Still, he insisted a noise reading be made to present to the city.

A second officer responded to the scene with a noise meter. The complainant took a photo of the reading and, satisfied with the result, returned to his home. Before officers left the scene the power was restored and the generator turned off.

MONDAY, OCT. 30

NAME CALLING 11:20 p.m., 1500 block of 20th Street Disturbance: When officers arrived at the scene they met with a “very irate” man who was yelling that his girlfriend “took his clothes and weed” and placed them in her vehicle. He said he had just arrived home from work and that the girlfriend was accusing him of cheating.

The man then refused to speak further to officers and climbed on

THE HOME SERVICE PROS WHO CARE

the hood of the woman’s vehicle to keep her from leaving. An officer told the woman to stop the vehicle and let the man retrieve his belongings, apparently including his weed.

Prior to leaving the area himself, the irate man was yelling racial slurs toward officers, calling them “crackas.” No further action was taken.

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14A

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

WELCOME BACK

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE The long, hot summer saw a ‘perfect storm,’ soaring construction costs, and record-setting real estate sales.

3

DESIGN TIME FOR SPAC

The Public Art Committee selected Whitaker Gateway Park adjacent to the 14th Street roundabout on U.S. 41 to place the sculpture Poly. The City Commission will make the final decision.

OBSERVER STAFF

S

arasota’s traffic may have eased up (slightly) in the offseason, but the news certainly didn’t slow down. Major developments have been afoot underfoot while you, our snowbird friends, were in cooler climes. (Yes, some of us may be jealous. How’s the weather been down here you ask? Well, not to be hyperbolic, but practically volcanic!)

Nowadays, even May through October, Sarasota keeps humming along, so we don’t want you to feel left out when the conversation turns to local happenings. That’s why we’ve put together this rundown of some of the top stories you may have missed while you were elsewhere.

So welcome back, but before we dive in, you should know it’s easier than ever to keep a finger on the pulse of paradise, because while you were away, the Observer rolled out its own app for smartphone, tablet and desktop users, featuring an enhanced reading experience.

Of course you can always read the latest on YourObserver.com, but with the app you can even have Observer articles narrated for your listening enjoyment!

So here’s some of what you may have missed …

2

NOT-IN-THE-ROUNDABOUTS ART

By now, seasonal residents may have expected to see some work on the foundations for the installation of sculptures in the roundabouts on U.S. 41 at 10th and 14th streets.

The city is on the hook for Seagrass and Poly, for which it has earmarked some $350,000. Meanwhile, the initial bid — as in singular — to build the concrete pads in the roundabouts was in excess of $1 million, more than double the amount budgeted by the city. That’s because it costs more to do work within the FDOT right-of-way and certified contractors are few and far between. That and the cost of concrete has rapidly risen since the foundations were budgeted.

Jon F. Swift Construction value-engineered the project to a point, but not far enough for the city’s liking, so Public Art Coordinator Mary Davis Wallace and the Public Art Committee were tasked to identify locations within the city and county right-of-way, where construction is less costly. The City Commission has yet to sign off on the relocation plans and does have the option of instructing staff to find the money to place them in their intended locations.

1

THE BIG BLOW-BY

File photos

O’Leary’s picnic area at Sarasota’s Bayfront Park was flooded the morning of Aug. 30.

For about two solid weeks, there was one word on everyone’s minds: Idalia. The tropical storm, then hurricane seemed at times like it might chart a course right for Sarasota.

Sandbag stations were crowded as Idalia approached, and on Aug. 28, evacuation orders began. Soon Longboat Key, St. Armands, Bird Key, Siesta Key and low-lying and coastal areas of Sarasota were under evacuation orders in advance of the storm.

But the Category 4 hurricane brushed past the area, diverting north through the gulf before making landfall Aug. 30 in the Big Bend area of Florida.

Although Sarasota was spared a direct hit, it didn’t escape completely unscathed. Storm surge from Idalia combined with a king tide to inundate areas of Siesta Key and flood St. Armands Circle and Sarasota’s bayfront. Several boats in the bay were damaged or shoved ashore.

And then another wait began for some. The wait to return home. Emergency responders were hard at work restoring access to the barrier islands, with access to Siesta Key restored quickly but with the Circle underwater and both bridges closed, residents had no way of knowing what they would find. Gradually the waters receded, with Cortez Bridge and Longboat Pass Bridge reopening before the Ringling Bridge. It wasn’t until the night of Aug. 31 that St. Armands Circle was fully accessible again with most businesses open the next day.

A nine-month global search by a select committee yielded three finalists for architects to create a design for the planned Sarasota Performing Arts Center. Following a daylong public forum during which the three — Renzo Piano Building Workshop of Genoa Italy, Snohetta of Olso Norway and Foster + Partners of New York City — made their in-person pitches, the task force selected Renzo Piano.

Contract negotiations with the city to draw up the replacement of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall have yet to begin as the firm is in the process of obtaining a license to provide architectural services to a government entity in Florida. A boutique firm, Renzo Piano on average takes on only two new projects per year.

Contrary to what its name might infer, the firm does not build pianos. It is named after its founder, Renzo Piano, who remains active in its work.

There was high interest in the project among the global architecture community. The city’s initial request for qualification brought 43 responses from around the world from firms that specialize in the design of such cultural facilities.

The committee first sent requests for proposals to 18 of those firms, then cut the list to seven before paying site visits to one each of their finished projects. From that pool, three were invited to Sarasota to make their pitches.

SEE WELCOME BACK, PAGE 16A

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ADVERTISEMENT

Ronto Announces Approval for The Owen Golden Gate Point in Downtown Sarasota

Designed by MHK Architecture and Planning, The Owen Golden Gate Point’s contemporary design will be awash in the neutral tones of the shore with gentle curves suggestive of the building’s setting on the Point.

The site encompasses the southern tip of the Point, gracefully arcing from east to west while providing partial bay and marina views from the residences. Wide, lightfilled floor plans with full-height windows will feature Ronto’s signature luxury finishes and features. Sensitive to the comfort of each resident, The Owen Golden Gate Point’s concrete block walls and ample airspace between floors will make noise transmission nearly non-existent.

The building’s amenities and common areas are being designed by Riley Interior Design Principal Carrie L. Riley, ASID. The LRM Group at Douglas Elliman located at 1350 Main Street, Suite 2 in downtown Sarasota will provide brokerage services for the project.

Artist’s Rendering

The Owen Golden Gate Point’s flowing great room and dining areas opens to a spacious covered balcony with glass railings and a built-in stainless-steel Artisan Professional Series grill with a hood.

“Golden Gate Point is one of the hottest neighborhoods in downtown Sarasota,” said Amy Drake, Broker Associate with the LRM Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “It’s literally in the middle of everything, and offers easy access by foot, bike, car, or trolly to St. Armand’s Circle, the beaches, and the shopping, dining, and gallery venues in the Sarasota downtown district.

Even amidst all the downtown activity, The Owen will convey a sense of tranquility. Gorgeous flowers, towering palm trees, a meandering walking path on the site’s perimeter, a convenient dog park, and a stunning pavered entry will contribute to the relaxed setting. Taken in combination with its array of resort-style amenities, The Owen presents a remarkable opportunity to enjoy a remarkable life in downtown Sarasota.”

Artist’s Rendering

Owners and their guests will be greeted in a grand two-story rotunda lobby.

The rotunda’s architecture provided Carrie Riley, ASID, an opportunity to make a visual statement that will be one of the interior’s most enduring memory points.

Artist’s Rendering

The Owen Golden Gate Point’s kitchens will be equipped to satisfy even the most discriminating gourmet.

The popularity of downtown Sarasota is stronger than ever. With the growing number of high-end residences, the emergence of new restaurants, shops, galleries, workout facilities and spas, and the presence of world-renowned theater, opera, and ballet, as well as its location along a pristine bayfront, it is no surprise downtown Sarasota is often found on the nation’s “best places to live” lists. Ideally situated in one of downtown Sarasota’s most cherished historic locations, the 22-acre Golden Gate Point peninsula’s smart, relaxed personality is distinctive and perfectly suited to a luxury lifestyle.

With its tree-lined sidewalks, brick pavered streets, gas lighted entry, and bayfront backdrop, Golden Gate Point is a peaceful neighborhood that is insulated from the typical hubbub, density, and congestion found in various other downtown areas. Protected sidewalks extend for miles in all directions, creating opportunities for an invigorating run, a peaceful walk with the dog, a trip to the marina or yacht club for fishing, boating, or dining. Just across from the entry to the Golden Gate Point community are the Ritz Carlton & Westin Hotels, where one can indulge in a meal, a cocktail, a rooftop encounter, or a spa treatment.

Residents of Owen Golden Gate Point will enjoy a comprehensive array of on-property resort-style amenities. In addition to its priceless amenity that is wrapped in its enviable location, Owen Golden Gate Point’s interior amenities will include a lobby reception area, a spacious Club Room with a bar and comfortable seating, a Board Room, a work from home space and a Game Room outfitted with an assortment of table and arcade games. A Fitness Center will offer state-of-the-art equipment, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a massage suite that will allow residents to invite their favorite massage therapist or simply stretch and tone in the generous spaces, a steam room, and sauna. Residents may also invite personal trainers to work with them within the Fitness Center. Outside, an expansive landscaped pavered amenity deck will include billowing palm trees and tropical container gardens, a saltwater pool with an infinity edge, an outdoor grilling area, a bocce ball court, and a spa.

Ronto has made reservations for residences at Owen Golden Gate Point available now. For additional information about this extraordinary opportunity, contact the LRM Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, located at 1350 Main Street, Suite 2 in downtown Sarasota.

Call 941.210.0987.

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The award-winning Ronto Group announced that the Sarasota Planning Board has approved The Owen Golden Gate Point. One of the last condominiums to be developed on Golden Gate Point, the gated, mid-rise boutique building will include just 29 residences on eight floors over two levels of parking. Situated on a 1.18acre site, the building’s design features four residences per floor plus one residence on the amenity level that will include an oversized terrace outfitted with planters and a fire pit and direct access to the community pool.

The residences, including four penthouses, will range from 2,263 to 3,076 square feet under air. Framed by Sarasota Bay, and with generous terraces included with each residence, the gated Owen Golden Gate Point will be the ideal spot to capture gentle bay breezes and the ever-changing colors of Southwest Florida’s glorious sunsets. As well as offering extensive finish selections, The Owen is the only new downtown Sarasota offering with residences that are fully customizable during the pre-construction phase. Secure parking under the building with two spaces per residence, private elevator foyer and secured bike storage are included. Preconstruction pricing starts from $2.2 million.

Artist’s Rendering

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

WELCOME BACK FROM PAGE 14A

5

THOSE PURPLE RIBBON PEOPLE

With the process moving forward on its replacement as the city’s performing arts facility centerpiece, a new committee has begun its work on the underlying question of what to do with the beloved, and iconically purple, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

A seven-member “Purple Ribbon Committee” was selected by the City Commission and has begun its two-year quest to study options and provide a recommendation on how to best repurpose the city-owned 1,741-seat theater on Sarasota Bay. Committee members were selected in one each of five areas of expertise and two others

6

GOIN’ ROUND THE TWIST

File photos

1233 Hillview Drive is listed at nearly $34 million.

4

WHAT’S IN A BUBBLE?

If you thought Sarasota real estate was headed for a correction this offseason, think again! Slow-down, what slow-down? Rising interest rates?

Never heard of ’em.

While insurance companies question the wisdom of building houses on narrow strips of sand in the Gulf of Mexico, luxury homebuyers remain undeterred and as a result still more record real estate listings closed this summer. Two of them in a single day, in fact.

On June 1, a house at 622 S. Owl Drive sold for $9.75 million, claiming the record for the highest residential sale ever recorded on Bird Key — briefly.

Because later that same day, the neighboring house, 626 S. Owl Drive, sold for $11.25 million. Practically a bargain after being listed at $12 million.

Of course, those estates on Bird Key are emblematic of the continued interest,

Although some obvious esoteric work remains to be competed on its perimeter, the long local traffic nightmare that was the construction of the roundabout on Gulfstream Avenue at U.S. 41 is over. Although the roundabout opened to traffic last winter, it was subject to occasional lane closures that continued into the spring as work on approaches to the city’s largest traffic circle lingered.

Those lane closures have ceased as ancillary work around the roundabout was completed, the long-term intersection closures north of the project area are now open, pedestrians can now safely cross the highway, and it’s easy once again

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to get to the Swim City parking lot.

Gulfstream Avenue joins completed roundabouts on U.S. 41 at Fruitville Road, 10th Street and 14th Street.

The good news for construction-weary drivers is that Gulfstream Avenue is the last of FDOT’s chain of planned roundabouts along U.S. 41 through the downtown area for a while.

Under design are two more on U.S. 41 at Myrtle Road and MLK Jr. Way, and studies and planning for roundabouts at U.S. 41 at Ringling Boulevard and at Main Street are underway. Such projects take eight to 10 years from the time they reach the top of the FDOT priority list to the start of construction.

nay, the wild-eyed demand for Sarasotaarea real estate.

Proof positive of that trend could be found in the $34 million Sarasota listing that hit the market in September. The bayfront estate at 1233 Hillview Drive hasn’t sold yet, but its sale is likely to set records when buyers are found for the nearly acre site with more than 140 feet of water frontage. The custom-built home is 11,275 square feet with eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.

In the meantime, a record was set for the most expensive condo sale in Sarasota, when buyers closed on a penthouse at 605 S. Gulfstream Ave. in June.

The two-level unit in the Epoch Building fetched $11.15 million for its Sarasota Bay views and 6,000 square feet of interior space and 1,700 square feet of exterior space.

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as city residents at-large. Members are Morris Hylton III (historic preservation), David Rovine (performing arts facilities finances), Charles Cosler (architecture, design and reuse of large public buildings), Robert Bunting (FEMA, climate adaptation and floodplains), chairperson Lee-En Chung (civil structural engineering), and at-large members Melissa Gissinger and Selma Goker Wilson.

The committee is in the process of drafting its scope of work. Its task is to study and recommend any potential reuse of the 54-yearold, city-owned facility once the proposed SPAC is built in The Bay park on the opposite corner of the current Van Wezel parking lot.

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

17A

TRIBUTES Freda Perrotta Freda Perrotta passed away September 3, 2023 in Bradenton, FL. She was 97 years old.

Upper floors of Obsidian would offer bay views to the east and downtown views to the west.

7

THE AIR UP THERE

Plans for one controversial condo building were rejected by both the Planning Board and a circuit court judge while another is still working to overcome regulatory hurdles.

One Park, which was planned by developer Property Markets Group on two blocks in The Quay, was determined by the Planning Board to be noncompliant with the general development agreement for the 14-acre site.

Judge Hunter Carroll of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court ruled the developer may not legally acquire the air rights over Quay Commons to join blocks 1 and 9 over a breezeway. Now working on Plan B for the two blocks, PMG will not appeal the ruling nor seek City Commission override of the Planning Board’s recommendation.

Meanwhile, the 342-foot tall, 14-luxury unit Obsidian proposed for 1260 Palm Ave., while administratively approved on almost all points, will appeal to the Planning Board a staff rejection of two of its key groundlevel city code exception requests. Having met with a groundswell of opposition from residents of adjacent and nearby downtown condo towers, primarily over the height and scale of the building, should the Planning Board uphold the staff’s ruling, developer Matt Kihnke could eventually take his case to the City Commission.

SEE WELCOME BACK, PAGE 18A

Born in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, NY in 1926, Freda was the second child of Abraham (Al) Polansky and Fay Polansky (née Golding). Her brother Paul was two years older.

A bright and eager student, Freda moved through the grades of the New York City public school system at an accelerated pace. By age 16, she had graduated from high school and was taking classes first at the Cooper Union in Greenwich Village and then at City College of New York on East 23rd Street, now known as the Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York. It was there she met her future husband, Francis (Frank) Perrotta.

Encouraged by Frank’s offhand comment that he would marry her when she was “21 and had graduated from college,” she wasted no time in enrolling as a fulltime engineering student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now known as Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, VA. This was during the height of WWII, and women at VPI had only very recently been permitted to pursue this course of study. She and Frank were married in July of 1947, shortly after her 21st birthday and her graduation.

For the first seven years of their married life, Freda and Frank lived on West 57th Street in Manhattan.

Each pursued professional careers – Frank in credit and commercial factoring; Freda in commercial engineering.

Around 1954, they decided to leave New York City and move to the Hudson River Valley town of Garrison, NY, where they built a house on 5 acres of forested land. Frank became a commuter on the Hudson Line and continued with his career in New York City. Freda became a fulltime homemaker and mother of three sons.

As her youngest child was approaching high school age, Freda readied herself for a return to work by earning a Master’s in Library Science from C.W. Post College on Long Island, NY. After receiving her degree, she had a 15-year-long career in libraries, working first as a children’s librarian at the Alice Curtis Desmond and Hamilton Fish Library in Garrison, NY and then as middle-school librarian in

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the Highland Falls, NY public school system. During this time, she was also an adult literacy volunteer.

After the death of her beloved husband Frank in 1992, Freda began a new chapter of her life. In search of a milder climate, she moved to Longboat Key, FL – a Perrotta family vacation destination since the 1960’s – and re-committed herself to volunteerism.

She delivered Meals on Wheels to homebound residents of Longboat Key, spent countless hours phone-banking for the local chapter of the Democratic Party, organized (and catered) the monthly newsletter mailout for the Manatee-Sarasota Sierra Club, and – most famously – became the unofficial “Top Turtle” of Longboat Key Turtle Watch, a volunteer group dedicated to sea turtle conservation. During her many years with LBKTW,

she took on numerous responsibilities, including scheduling beach patrols, organizing t-shirt sales, and educating the public through well-attended “nest openings” on the beach and at impromptu sunset releases of straggler sea turtle hatchlings. For many years, she was also a volunteer docent at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

Freda was well known for her seemingly inexhaustible energy and her eternal optimism. Over the years, there were few if any setbacks that she couldn’t find a way to view as opportunities for something else.

She died with family and friends close by and is survived by her three sons, Peter Perrotta (Sharon Kraus) of Chicago, IL; Paul Perrotta (Tamra Myers) of Seattle, WA; and David Perrotta (Janet Stocks) of Washington, DC. Other surviving family members include her three granddaughters, Melinda Rosen of Chicago, IL; Cara Frances of Philadelphia, PA; and Nora Stewart of New York, NY; as well as two step-granddaughters Catherine Thornton-Stocks and Cora Thornton-Stocks, both of Chicago, IL and great-grandchildren Hanna Mae Borden-Stocks of Chicago, IL and Walker Jefferson James Stewart of New York, NY. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks that those wishing to make a memorial gesture consider a donation to Longboat Key Turtle Watch (https://www. lbkturtlewatch.org/friends_ of_freda).

18A

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

WELCOME BACK

9

ST. ARMANDS BID NO MORE

FROM PAGE 17A

St. Armands Circle won’t look any different to returning visitors and seasonal residents even though the special district overlay has been removed with the dissolution of the St. Armands Business Improvement District.

On two separate ballots, the district’s board of directors failed to garner the necessary weighted votes of the 63 commercial property owners on and around St. Armands Circle, meaning the BID was not renewed for another 10 years following a two-decade run.

What that means is the building owners won’t be paying additional property taxes for enhanced city services and other improvements for the benefit of the landlords, their tenants and customers. The result will be fewer sidewalk and alley cleanings, less landscaping and other esoteric niceties that the BID provided, unless the property owners take on those expenses on their own.

Also, the Winter Spectacular will be absent this year as organizers abandoned plans to bring the monthlong holiday festival back, citing “the loud voices of a minority of citizens.” In its place, the annual Holiday Night of Lights treelighting event will return.

8

TEE IT UP

Returning snowbirds will have a new place to play golf this winter with the imminent grand reopening of the Bobby Jones Golf Course. Talk of a renovation of the 45-hole complex on Fruitville Road began in the middle of the last decade and, after multiple iterations, the city finally settled on a restoration of the original 18-hole Donald Ross layout plus a reimagined par-3 course in what project architect Richard Mandell calls an “adjustable” course.

While the par-3 will have five possible circuits for play, the Donald Ross course will have only one — the original track created by the world-renowned architect enhanced to incorporate modern drainage on what would otherwise be a wetland. Although the course was lengthened, the scorecard identifies the tee boxes on each hole to allow golfers to play each from the original Ross distance.

Golfers will check in and snack in a temporary clubhouse for at least two years, but the city is working with general contractor Jon F. Swift Construction to design an upwards of $9 million facility in Old Florida style that will include a full-service restaurant and event space above a cart barn for electric carts. Although the course layout invites walking, with no indoor cart storage it will open with gas-powered carts.

10

GOING UP?

If you flew into Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to start your wintertime residency, you most likely saw vertical construction taking place adjacent to the south end of the passenger terminal.

Thanks to a nearly four-fold increase in passengers over pre-pandemic levels, the airport is adding five new, groundbased boarding gates to meet the ever-growing demand.

In 2019, SRQ served 1.3 million passengers. This calendar year, airport officials project 4.3 million travelers passing through the terminal.

Future plans include connecting the new gate area, which will be labeled Concourse A, with the existing 13-gate Con-

course B, where three more jet bridge-served gates will be added. That will give SRQ the capacity to serve upwards of 7 million passengers per year, according to Rick Piccolo, the airport’s president and CEO. Airport expansion isn’t limited to passenger areas, though.

A new parking lot at Old Bradenton Road and University Parkway will add capacity, a new, amenitized cellphone lot is already open, and the airport is working to rezone land it owns within the city to add more hotel rooms, retail and restaurant space and consolidate rental car service areas onto one parcel. Long-term plans include a parking structure on the current short-term parking lot.

Exterior rendering of the new ground boarding facility under development at SarasotaBradenton International Airport.

File photos

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SPORTS Break PLAYOFF PUSH “I like the team aspect of cross-country. We have pasta parties on Fridays and we do fun activities like scavenger hunts at Nathan Benderson Park. We also do nonrunning things, like bowling.”

— Rosemary Selke, Cardinal Mooney High girls cross-country. SEE PAGE 21A

Fast

Three area teams qualified for the postseason; two of them begin their journeys this week.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

S

Courtesy image

Former Booker High defensive lineman Jacques Bristol (92) is a senior at Central Michigan University.

F

ormer Booker High football defensive tackle Jacques Bristol, now a senior at Central Michigan University, had three tackles and a fumble recovery Oct. 31 in the Chippewas’ 37-31 win over Northern Illinois University. The win improved Central Michigan’s record to 5-4. … The 2023 All-American Women’s Baseball Classic is coming to Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium on Nov. 17-19. The event, which is in its second year, will see 52 of the nation’s top women’s baseball players — not softball players — form teams and play a showcase of games, including members of the 2023 U.S. Women’s National Team. There will also be a free skills clinic conducted by tournament players for girls up to 16 years old Nov. 20 at Ed Smith Stadium.

For more information on the event or the skills clinic, visit ­American­GirlsBaseball.com. … Cardinal Mooney High football running back Carson Beach received a preferred walk-on offer from the University of Florida on Nov. 7.

Per Rivals.com, Beach also holds offers from West Virginia University, the University of T­ennessee, the University of South Florida and the University of Tennessee-Martin. … Sarasota High boys crosscountry runner Austin Biller finished seventh (16:30.00) at the Sailors’ Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A District 4 meet held Nov. 2 at North Port High. The Sailors finished third as a team. The team will next compete at the Class 4A Region 2 meet Nov. 9 at Holloway Park in Lakeland.

UNDERRATED. PAGE 21A

cottie Littles isn’t taking any of this for granted.

The Booker High football coach took over a program in 2022 that had gone 1-29 over its previous 30 games.

Under Littles, the Tornadoes have made the playoffs two years in a row. The Tornadoes’ 2023 postseason journey begins Nov. 10. Booker, the No. 7 seed in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 2S Region 4 bracket at 6-4, will play the No. 2 seed, Fort Meade High (9-0), at 7:30 p.m. at Fort Meade.

His team will be the perceived underdog. That’s OK with him, he said. As he told his team this week, come playoff time, everyone is 0-0.

Perception doesn’t matter; on-field results do.

“Every team is there for a reason,” Littles said. “Everybody has the potential to win. You have to play your best game every week.”

Booker is not the only area team locking in their mental state for the most important time of the season.

Cardinal Mooney High (8-2) and Riverview High (6-4) also qualified for the postseason. Below is a breakdown of each team’s outlook in their opening-round games and what each program’s key to victory will be.

BOOKER HIGH

The Tornadoes will take on the undefeated Miners, who have outscored their opponents 300-81 in 2023.

Miners junior running back Keveun Mason has been the source of a lot of that scoring: Mason has 108 carries for 1,067 yards and 14 touchdowns. His production earned him offers from Rutgers University and Liberty University in October, among other schools. Stopping Mason will be a priority for Littles and the Tornadoes defense, which boasts highlevel players of its own in defensive lineman Kevontay Hugan, a sophomore, and Jordan Radkey, a junior.

Offensively, Booker has gone with the hot hand at quarterback. Lately, that hot hand has belonged to junior Jordan Johnson, who threw two touchdown passes in a 42-13 win over Lakewood Ranch High School on Nov. 3.

“He has a gunslinger mentality,” Littles said of Johnson. “If he makes a mistake, he’s going to play the next

Cardinal Mooney sophomore Devin Mignery has produced with his arm and his legs since becoming the Cougars’ starting quarterback.

File photos

Booker senior receiver Joshua Burrows can be a threat on the outside for junior quarterback Jordan Johnson and the Tornadoes offense.

IF YOU GO

What: Riverview High (6-4) vs.

Palmetto High (5-4) When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 Where: Riverview High Why: The matchup is the only Sarasota-area playoff game at home this weekend. Plus, both offenses can put up a lot of points in a hurry.

Previous matchup: Riverview beat Palmetto 52-42 on Sept. 8 Rams player to watch: Senior linebacker Luke Haskins, who has four sacks and six tackles for loss in 2023

series (the same way). He goes out and gives us a chance.”

Johnson has plenty of weapons, including seniors Josiah Booker (614 receiving yards, five touchdowns) and Joshua Burrows (344 receiving yards, six touchdowns). The Tornadoes will also lean on senior running back Ahmad Hunter, who has been a consistent presence in the backfield; he’s run for more than 600 yards and six touchdowns.

Littles knows it won’t be easy to keep pace with the Miners on the scoreboard, but his team has the ability to do it.

“I think we can match up athletically with anybody,” Littles said.

“We’re blessed to have a lot of good players, a lot of speed. It’s going to come down to discipline and execution.”

RIVERVIEW HIGH

The Rams (6-4) are the No. 3 seed in Class 4S Region 4 and will host Palmetto High (5-4) at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10. Riverview already beat the Tigers once in 2023, a 52-42 win on Sept. 8 in which the Rams’ offense scored on every possession.

That should give Riverview confidence, but it also does not mean a win is inevitable, as both teams have faced (and overcome) adversity in the weeks since that game.

Palmetto can score at an elite level, put-

Riverview High will need junior running back DJ Johnson to have a big game against Palmetto High on Nov. 10.

ting up 288 points this season against a difficult schedule. Tigers senior quarterback Clayton Dees is a Florida International University commit; he’s thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Senior running back Davaughn Thomas is also averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Rams defenders like junior Landon Marsters (76 tackles, two interceptions) and senior Luke Haskins (four sacks, six tackles for loss) will need to cause disruption and keep the Tigers off balance.

Offensively, the Rams will likely try to repeat their performance from the first matchup. Riverview ran for a combined 363 yards and seven touchdowns in that game, while senior quarterback Braxton Thomas added 175 yards through the air.

CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH

The Cougars (8-2), the No. 3 seed in Class 1S Region 3, are off this week before a game against No. 2 seed Lakeland Christian (7-3) at 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 17.

The game will be played at Cardinal Mooney High despite the Cougars being the lower seed, as Mooney won its district and Lakeland Christian did not.

The Vikings use multiple quarterbacks but rely on their running

game above all else. Junior running back Josh Bellamy Jr. has 124 carries for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns, while junior Killian O’Neal has 80 carries for 578 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Mooney will need senior leaders like George Leibold to step up and hold the Vikings ground game at bay.

When Mooney has the ball, it too will look to the ground first. Senior running back Carson Beach has 128 carries for 826 yards and 11 touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Devin Mignery has 57 carries for 540 yards and six touchdowns.

Mignery has also thrown for 835 yards and seven touchdowns since taking over as the starter in midSeptember.

Mooney has played many games competitive into the fourth quarter in 2023.

In the teams’ eight wins, the Cougars have outscored its opponents 400-61. But in its two losses, to Riverview and to Bishop Verot High (9-1), Mooney has been outscored 85-21.

The game against Lakeland Christian will likely be up for grabs late; how the team responds to that moment may decide the outcome.

20A

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Under the radar While their teams may not have strung together wins, these local athletes still delivered.

NICOLAS BENCOMO, CARDINAL MOONEY BOYS GOLF

The Cougars’ season ended at the FHSAA regional meet stage, but junior Nicolas Bencomo had another strong year. Bencomo is ranked 35th in the Class 1A individual rankings by the FHSAA — using a formula developed by iWanamaker — as of Nov. 7. Bencomo had a number of strong performances in 2023, including an individual win (70) at the team’s district tournament, held Oct. 23 at Laurel Oak Country Club.

JACKSON MULLET, SARASOTA HIGH FOOTBALL

The Sailors (1-9) had a tough season in their first year under head coach Josh Phillips, but Jackson Mullet, a senior wide receiver, did the best he could given the circumstances.

According to MaxPreps, Mullet caught 42 passes for 642 yards and four touchdowns. Entering the season, Mullet had 238 receiving yards for his career, so 2023 qualifies as a breakout season for the 5-foot-11 pass-catcher.

DANIEL KRAJEWSKI,

CARDINAL MOONEY SWIMMING

At the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A state meet, held Nov. 3-4 in Ocala, Cougars junior Daniel Krajewski finished 12th overall in the boys 200-yard individual medley (1:56.16) and helped Mooney finish 14th in the boys 200-yard medley relay (1:40.91) alongside senior Alexander Mitten, junior Michael Navarro-Lenza and freshman Turner Mitten.

JOLIE PASTORICK, CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH GIRLS GOLF

Ryan Kohn

Like her Mooney boys golf counterpart Nicolas Bencomo, Jolie Pastorick had a strong individual season. The freshman girls golfer finished 64th in the FHSAA’s Class 1A rankings. She had multiple second-place finishes, including at the district meet, and finished tied for eighth (75) at the team’s regional meet, held Oct. 31 at Valencia Golf and Country Club in Naples.

Nicolas Bencomo had a strong junior season for Cardinal Mooney High boys golf.

AUTUMN MARKEY, RIVERVIEW HIGH VOLLEYBALL

ETHAN WANG, BOOKER HIGH BOYS SWIMMING

It was a rebuilding year for the Rams, who finished 10-12 under first-year head coach Jason Mocherman. Markey, a senior, won’t be around to see the fruits of the rebuild, but she left everything on the court, playing her best in her final season. Markey did a bit of everything for the Rams and did it efficiently: She was second on the team in kills (128) while leading the team with a .235 hitting percentage.

She also was second on the team in aces (25) and blocks (57).

AUBREY ANTCZAK, SARASOTA HIGH GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY

Sailors sophomore runner Aubrey Antczak finished fourth (18:40.10) at Sarasota’s FHSAA district meet, held Nov. 2 at North Port High. The run was a season’s best for Antczak, who will now move onto the team’s regional meet, held Nov. 9 at Holloway Park in Lakeland.

At the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A state meet, held Nov. 3-4 in Ocala, senior Ethan Wang finished 12th overall in the boys 200-yard freestyle (1:48.00) and 15th overall in the boys 100yard freestyle (49.75 seconds).

JILLIAN DAVIDSON, SARASOTA HIGH VOLLEYBALL

The Sailors finished 12-14 under second-year head coach Daris Rodriguez. Sarasota senior Jullian Davidson’s play at middle hitter made sure the Sailors maximized their performance level. Davidson

had 168 kills while making just 48 attack errors. She also led the Sailors with 127 total blocks while making just 20 block errors.

KATIE POWERS, CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH VOLLEYBALL

The Cougars were the premiere Sarasota-centric volleyball team in 2023, finishing 21-8. Still, liberos (and defensive players in all sports) tend to get overlooked, which is why Katie Powers is on this list. Powers, a junior, had 397 digs for the Cougars this season, and added 32 aces and 62 assists to provide some offense.

JUSTIN BROCK, SARASOTA CHRISTIAN FOOTBALL

The Blazers play eight-on-eight football in the Sunshine State Athletic Association.

It is not the same level of competition as 11-on-11 in the FHSAA, and is stylistically different as well, but Sarasota Christian went 8-3 in 2023 before losing 54-20 to Mas-

ter’s Academy (10-0) in the AAAA quarterfinals on Nov. 3.

The Blazers had a lot of contributors, but no one contributed as heavily, or in as many ways, as sophomore Justin Brock. He led the team in passing yards with 1,115, throwing 15 touchdowns and just one interceptions. He also led the team in rushing, gathering 551 yards and five touchdowns on 38 carries. But Brock also found a way to collect 223 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches. He even returned four punts for 145 yards.

It all adds up to 2,034 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns in 11

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

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W

ith high school fall sports now in the thick of the postseason, it gets difficult to acknowledge all the strong performances.

That’s why this column exists.

Every few months, I like to give a shout-out to under-the-radar athletes in the area, the ones who aren’t getting a lot of headlines for one reason or another, but are putting on a show in their sport.

Here are 10 high school fall athletes who deserve credit for strong 2023 campaigns:

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Rosemary Selke is a junior runner on the Cardinal Mooney High girls cross-country team. Selke, who also runs track and field, finished ninth (20:58.40) at the Cougars’ postseason district meet, held Nov. 4 at Lemon Bay High.

When did you start in competitive running?

I started track when I was in fourth grade. During the (COVID-19) shutdown, I stopped running for two years, but then I picked it back up. I just started doing cross-country last year.

Do you have a preference between cross-country and track and field?

I like different things about crosscountry and track. I like the team aspect of cross-country. We have pasta parties on Fridays, and we do fun activities like scavenger hunts at Nathan Benderson Park. We also do nonrunning things, like bowling. But I like the events of track and field more.

What was the adjustment to cross-country like?

I was terrible at first. Like, so bad.

I was a middle-distance runner in track, so this was a different kind of running. I just kept working and kept running and got better. And now I think I’m going to be running some longer-distance events in track as well.

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.

get lower than that.

What is your favorite food?

It’s probably chocolate milk.

What is your favorite school subject?

This year it is probably English. I like getting to be creative with my writing.

What are your hobbies?

I like drawing and crafting, anything like that. I just do it for myself.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Rosemary Selke

21A

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Which superpower would you pick?

The power to heal. I don’t like seeing people hurt, so I’d try to help anyone who gets injured.

What is the best advice you have received?

Just keep working. Stick with things.

You can do so much more than you think you can when you keep working at something.

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What is the appeal of long-distance running to you?

I like seeing how much better I can get every time I run. I like pushing myself in that way.

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What is your goal for the regional round of the postseason?

I don’t have a specific time in mind. I just want to set a personal record. My current best is 20:50.40. I just want to

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Joel Schemmel, J.D., REALTOR® Joel.Schemmel@PremierSIR.com 941.587.4894 SCHEMMELSODAGROUP.COM With expert market knowledge and unparalleled team resources, we can provide the highest level of service throughout the buying and selling process for customers on the barrier islands, mainland neighborhoods, and in the area’s golf course and master-planned communities, including Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch.

CONTACT US TODAY! 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. Property information herein is derived from various sources, including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

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NOVEMBER 9, 2023

YOUR NEIGHBORS WINNER: Pam and Russell Hyatt remembered to pack their East County Observer for their trip to the Bergisel Ski Jump in Innsbruck, Austria. They won the “It’s Read Everywhere” contest and the grand prize of a sevenday cruise.

2ND PLACE: Jen Mott-Mueller took the Longboat Observer to Uhuru Peak (19,354 feet) at Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

SKI JUMP ENDS WITH PERFECT LANDING Photo in Innsbruck, Austria lands grand prize in the Observer’s ‘It’s Read Everywhere’ contest.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

I

t was the trip of a lifetime, so East County’s Pam Hyatt wanted to make sure she had everything packed. Hyatt and her husband, Russell, were going away for a month beginning last April out of port in Fort Lauderdale. They were first going on a two-week cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to North Africa and then Europe, before spending two more weeks touring Europe by car and bus.

The Hyatts were all packed when Pam was reminded by her mom, East County’s Pat Ciemniecki, to remember to pack the East County Observer.

“Every time we go on a trip, she reminds me to bring the Observer,” Pam Hyatt said of her mom.

While it has paid off in the past for much,” Pam Hyatt said. “I was 9.” the Hyatts, in terms of having their They walked around the grounds photo run in the “It’s Read Every- and chatted with the athletes and where” section of the East County those working at the site.

Observer, this time included an “You can go to the top and look out unexpected bonus. over the edge,” she said of the jump.

Pam and Russell Observer readers Hyatt have won the voted for the It’s “It’s Read EveryRead Everywhere “Every time we go on where” contest photo they liked the a trip, she reminds me best, and the Hyatts for 2023 and will be going on a sevcame up winners. to bring the Observer.” Pam Hyatt said she en-day Celebrity cruise to be booked encouraged all her — Pam Hyatt said of her mom

by Marc Bokoff’s family and friends ACC Cruise Planto vote for their ners. photo.

They took their East County She also noted that her parents, Observer to the Bergisel Ski Jump in Pat and Ray Ciemniecki, have been Innsbruck, Austria, which hosted taking the East County Observer with the 1964 and 1976 Olympics. them on vacation for years, so it has While their tour group had things become a tradition in their family. planned, the Hyatts drove on their Now they can take the Observer own to the Bergisel Ski Jump because with them on their next trip. they both are avid skiers, often vacaPam Hyatt was asked if she tends tioning in Vail, Colorado. Seeing an to be lucky in contests. She said she Olympic ski jumping site had special is not. meaning for them.

She was asked if her husband tends “I know that I watched (the Olym- to be lucky. pics in 1976), but I don’t remember “He is lucky,” she said. “He has

me.”

They were on their monthlong vacation earlier this year to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The Hyatts, who live in River Point, were married during Leap Year, Feb. 29, 1992.

“This is so awesome,” Pam Hyatt said when received the news about the free cruise.

The contest had 114 submissions and 3,457 votes were cast for entries from March 16 through Oct. 20.

The Hyatts had 668 votes. An entry by Jen Mott-Mueller — whose photo was taken with the Longboat Observer at Uhuru Peak at Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa — finished second with 589 votes.

Mott-Mueller climbed to 19,354 feet to raise money for Africa New Life’s Food and Care program.

An entry by Myles Tobin — at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya — was third with 440 votes. Tobin’s entry was from the Sarasota /Siesta Key Observer.

3RD PLACE: Myles Tobin poses with his Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya.

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

We’re ready for storm season.

Are you?

Photos by Ian Swaby

Ben Gallaher, of Seaward CrossFit, and Patti Lawson and Paul Leonard, of PLT Nutrition, gulp down ice cream. The challenge gave competitors 3 minutes to eat as much as they could.

Sweet indulgence for a cause

M

ark Russell was deliberate in choosing the foods he ate at Rise Up Cafe the morning of Nov. 4.

Russell had one-third of a Mary’s Cinnamon Bun (named for his daughter Mary Russell, who works at the shop) and onethird of a garlic everything bagel, both of them warm and just large enough to get his stamina up.

“That freeze is real,” he said.

Other participants in the Great Ice Cream Eating Championship at Rise Up Cafe, a coffee and ice cream shop staffed by people with intellectual disabilities, echoed his sentiments.

“I know it’s cliche, but you’ve got to be quick,” said Aaron McWhorter, a two-time winner. “You have to keep going forward and keep trying to get it down ... It’s icecold. If you have sensitive teeth, you’ll freeze up for sure.”

McWhorter said the experience is about more than the challenge of the competition. It’s also a chance to support the opportunities and work culture the shop offers to those who may not be able to find them elsewhere.

— IAN SWABY

Ivan Gorodnitchev, 10, became the youth champion. As a result, he will have the chance to create and name his own ice cream flavor. His mother, Elena Prostova, said the opportunity is perfect for him, as he wants to open his own restaurant one day.

Newsies

t o t d a o h w w o n k

Florida is no stranger to the power of storms. The mere mention of names like Ian, Nicole, or Andrew evokes strong memories. But amidst the destruction, there are unsung heroes who embody the spirit of strength and unity – individuals who have come together and shown extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. Their stories and commitment to Florida, highlight the unbreakable spirit of the Sunshine State. Together, we can weather any storm.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

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Honoring All WHo Served

THE ACKERMAN GROUP 941.387.1820 TOP PRODUCING SMALL TEAM IN SARASOTA COUNTY RYAN ACKERMAN

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9008 MIDNIGHT PASS RD., #5 | 3BR/3.5BA | 3,700 SQ FT | Private 2-Car Garage & Roof Top Terrace | Full-Floor Penthouse 10 FT Ceilings | 2 New A/C Units | Deeded Boat Dock

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

WEST FLORIDA’S PREMIER POOL BUILDER

Mote creates spooky fun for Halloween

T

he sharks weren’t the spookiest thing at Mote this Halloween.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium hosted its Halloween event, Mote A-scare-ium, which several attendees said was the perfect Halloween activity for their children.

“This is something very different from the usual trick-or-treating,” said Chuck Shue, a father who brought his family to the event. “You can still get candy, but there also is an educational aspect to it.”

The main event was the scavenger hunt, which led families through the aquarium and out to the courtyard. Children could play in the bouncy castle, get candy, get their faces painted, take pictures with the Mote mascots and dance to the live music. Scuba divers were also in the shark tanks carving pumpkins and greeting the children that passed by.

It was also a chance for area visitors to celebrate Halloween.

“My parents have a house in Bradenton, and we were in the area for the week,” said Angelique Chapus, who was visiting from France. “This is the safest thing to do since we don’t know where to go trick-ortreating. It keeps the kids very engaged, and we get to see some local aspects of the area since we aren’t from here.”

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Heather, Savannah, Chuck and Bryson Shue

Ed Doucette carves a pumpkin in the bonnethead shark tank

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

NEW HOMES FOR ACTIVE ADULTS

If you’d rather enjoy a morning jog than work on a paint job, Cresswind Lakewood Ranch makes it easy to Set Yourself FREE and find your next adventure, new home and fun. This is active adult living designed for the way you want to live.

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

UP IN SPACE

Ian Swaby

Rishik Yellu, Dylan Bell, Felix Ratner, Yatharth Kakkad, Marie Rosander and Rugan Suresh

A cosmic achievement A project by four Pine View School students will be among a series of student experiments carried out on the International Space Station.

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After four middle school students from Pine View School finished assembling their science experiment, they packaged it according to protocol and sent it to Houston, Texas, for a toxicology report.

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For information on the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, visit SSEP.NCESSE.org.

The report ensured that the materials inside would not harm the astronauts who will be handling it aboard the International Space Station.

“Something that we touched is actually going to be flying in space,” said Rugan Suresh.

The team of seventh graders (now

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Details on SSEP Mission 17 to the International Space Station Launch date (as of Friday, Nov. 3): 9:16 p.m. EST Nov. 7, 2023 Launch location: Launch Complex 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center Vehicle (for transport to ISS and for return journey): SpaceX CRS-29 Payload duration on ISS: Nominally 4-6 weeks (Expected duration is 4 weeks) Crew on vehicle: None Crew on ISS managing experiments: Expedition 70 crew Unberth/Landing Date: TBD Landing Site: Splashdown off Atlantic or Pacific coast Payload Designation: “SSEP19 – Orbiter,” after NASA’s Lunar Orbiter Program, which imaged the lunar surface from 19661967. (Starting with Mission 16, all SSEP payloads have been named for NASA’s robotic lunar exploration programs in advance of the Apollo missions.)

eighth graders), which also includes Yatharth Kakkad, Felix Ratner and Rishik Yellu and is led by teacher facilitator Marie Rosander, was among 39 selected, out of 2,261 in 37 communities among the United States; Edmonton, Canada, and Ukraine, and from 350 students at

Pine View School, for the Spaceflight Experiment Program.

The team will help test the ability of a microalgae, chlorella vulgaris, to treat wastewater in a microgravity environment like the one found on the ISS. But according to Dylan Bell, a science teacher at Pine View, there’s more.

“As soon as it comes back, you’ll see the implications for years to come, with the amount of research papers that you guys produced, the people who cite you,” he told the students. “You’ll see what you have been implementing in the scientific community.”

After the four students began participating in the program, they started to learn more about microalgae and its wastewater treatment applications on earth.

That includes learning about chlorella vulgaris, a microalgae strain that can grow without sunlight, using organic carbon and wastewater.

“It’s a really innovative new tool that’s being researched at the moment. We still don’t know its full extent or the possibilities of the field,” said Kakkad.

The students’ hypothesis is that the microalga will remove nitrogen and phosphorous from water in microgravity, to the same extent it does on Earth or even more effectively. They hope it will result in an additional feature that could enhance the water purification process in space.

In microgravity, forces act differently on a microscopic scale, said SEE COSMIC, PAGE 10B

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

A MODERN DOWNTOWN EXPRESSION OF URBAN LIVING

Live Above Main Street’s First Boutique Hotel in your Private Residence In the heart of downtown Sarasota, a chic new address arises with the spirit of a local and a worldly soul. A boutique hotel on Main Street, hosting an intimate collection of private residences on the uppermost floors, SOTA Residences & Hotel is bringing curated urban living to the next level.

The sophisticated, 16-story tower marks the national debut of international developer Rodrigo Trepp of Trepp Developments. Seeking to fulfill a vision of what else Sarasota living can be, Trepp brought together Hoyt Architects of Sarasota and acclaimed New York-based Andre Kikoski Architect to create a stylishly serviced bespoke ambiance, unexpected until now.

Residences Styled for Downtown Life Residences designed for an eloquent downtown lifestyle range from 1,708 to 2,875 square feet with expansive flow-through living and dining areas, elevated finishes, and spacious terraces overlooking the scenic streetscape and Sarasota skyline. A full array of hospitality services from the hotel below mean residents may order up dinner, ask the valet to bring the car around, and enjoy many other everyday niceties handled with the exceptional attention of an on-site staff.

A Chic and Serviced Social Environment Destined to become a landmark of urban

architecture inside and out, SOTA features a stunning and convivial 5th floor, embracing cosmopolitan amenities and sweeping views of downtown. A restaurant and bar highlighted by a mesmerizing glass light sculpture and menu of local flavors leads out to a tropical landscaped pool terrace with lounge seating and dining. State-of-the-art fitness, meeting spaces, and board rooms round out the amenities for residents and guests alike.

Because of the intimate nature of the 120-room hotel, it is easy to imagine customized service. The valet welcomes you home. The bartender knows your name and favorite craft cocktail. The concierge procures theater tickets and reservations at the new bistro you have been wanting to try. Staff delight in the personal touches that make consummate hospitality feel like home.

Premier Walkable Location Ideally located, SOTA offers walkable, out-your-door access to the sidewalk cafes, trendy restaurants and bars, artisan shops, and luxury boutiques of Main Street. Residents peruse art galleries, stroll over to the Urbanite Theater or Sarasota Opera House, and enjoy all the arts and entertainment of the vibrant downtown waterfront.

Unveiling What’s Next The SOTA Residences & Hotel Sales Gallery has opened, and now showcases an architectural scale model. Demolition has begun on site, with expected completion Spring 2026. SOTA is offering a limited collection of 35 condominium residences from $1.8 million.

For more information visit the sales gallery at 1734 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236, call 941.231.6989 or visit TheSota.com.

Special Privileges of Ownership While residents experience all the amenities and services of this new hotel, they also enjoy special privileges such as a private lobby and elevators and reserved parking spaces. Resident-only amenities include private massage rooms and a penthouse-level social lounge and terrace perfectly positioned for watching the sunset of Sarasota Bay.

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Broker participation is welcomed and encouraged. 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. Prices and availability are subject to change at any time without notice.

7B

8B

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Fresh wheels in town Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond partners with a new bike shop, Wheel Street USA.

IF YOU GO

Wheel Street USA, 211 N. Tamiami Trail. Open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

G

reg LeMond, the major partner of the new Sarasota custom bike shop Wheel Street USA, said he still dreams of the Tour de France about once a month.

In his dreams, LeMond will be preparing to start the race before he realizes that he is now age 62, and no longer in a state to compete.

But as a three-time winner of the Tour de France and the only American man to win the competition, the Knoxville, Tennessee, resident still likes to move fast.

In fact, he has turned to electric bikes, having founded his own line, LeMond Bikes US. “It’s the closest thing to a bionic person. You don’t really realize there’s a motor in it. You think it’s you,” he said.

Although the store, which held its grand opening Saturday at 211 N. Tamiami Trail, is the flagship location for LeMond’s products and primarily focused on electric bikes, he is not the only prominent individual represented there.

At the center of the store’s brand is former BMX (bicycle motocross) champion Termite Hudson, who cofounded the store with his brotherin-law, Jeff Rosenberg.

As guests enter, they will find Hudson sitting at a counter, designing custom wheels in full view of the public.

Hudson is a Sarasota resident and started BMX racing at age 10. He went on to earn the Florida state championship title as a member of the Eagle

TOP Agent

IN UNITS

SOLD

Photos by Ian Swaby

Mayor Kyle Battie and Greg LeMond cut the ribbon.

Ecuadorian pro BMX rider Alfredo Campo, helping to represent Alcavi Bikes, talks with Greg LeMond.

Snacks/Profile Racing team as well as winning other championships and titles. He calls the store a long-held dream.

“Bicycling has always been in my

The store will focus on electric bikes.

blood,” he said.

The store offers custom bike builds that allow guests to choose their own frames and other components to better fit the bike to a particular ter-

rain or simply to improve the bike’s aesthetics.

One aspect of the customization is the ability to include graphic design.

“That’s part of what we want to

do for each and every bike that we sell — personalize it with either a signature, or a sticker, or possibly a different color spoke, but something that just stands out, that makes their bike different and specific for them for each and every customer,” said Sue Hudson, Termite Hudson’s wife.

The grand opening also hosted other prominent individuals whose products are represented at the store, including Alex Ostroy from New York, founder of the Ostroy line of colorfully patterned cycling attire; Aldon Baker, two-time winner of the South African XC Championship for mountain biking who represented South Africa in the 1996 World Championships and founded Alcavi Bikes; Wayne Lee, CEO of Atomik Carbon, a precision wheel manufacturer in Tampa; and Jim Alley, owner of Profile Racing, a bike component store located in St. Petersburg, Florida — where Hudson served as mountain bike manager — and his wife, Nancy Alley.

“To have our products in your store is truly an honor,” Aldon Baker announced at the ceremony.

Also present at the ceremony was city of Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie, who said he was glad to see the shop in the previously vacant location, noting the multimodal transportation nearby, including at locations such as Legacy Trail.

LeMond said having biked on the Legacy Trail himself during his time in Sarasota, he found it to be a perfect fit.

“What I loved about cycling is the joy of riding,” LeMond said. “When you’re racing, that’s a different feeling, but just for riding and having fun. I’m all about that now.”

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

9B

I t's only Natural The appeal of Wild Blue at Waterside by Stock Development is perfectly natural. With its prime Lakewood Ranch location, incredible amenities, and luxury single-family homes by some of the area’s finest builders, this waterfront community is the perfect blend of back-to-nature fun and resort-style living. Discover outdoor adventures at the 13-acre sports complex, and relax at the social clubhouse, with indoor and outdoor dining, two pools, a movie theater, fitness center, and a 9-hole premier putting course.

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ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. ALL RENDERINGS AND PLANS ARE PROPOSED CONCEPTS SHOWN ONLY FOR MARKETING PURPOSES AND ARE BASED ON THE DEVELOPER’S CURRENT PRELIMINARY Proudly presented by DEVELOPMENT PLAN. DEVELOPER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, REVISE OR WITHDRAW THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN DEVELOPER’S SOLE DISCRETION WITHOUT NOTICE. NOTHING HEREIN OR IN ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SHALL BE DEEMED TO OBLIGATE THE DEVELOPER, OR ANY AFFILIATE OF DEVELOPER, TO CONSTRUCT THE PROJECT OR OFFER ANY OF THE PROJECT FOR SALE, AND NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED A YEARS GUARANTY OF ANY KIND. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SALE OR SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY. 411502-1

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10B

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Cosmic

NEW LISTING - WATERFRONT TOWNHOUSE ~ SCHOONER BAY

FROM PAGE 6B

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Bell. The biggest hindrance could be changes to the buoyancy of the microalgae that would decrease the amount of nutrients it comes into contact with, he said.

“Maybe it grows better there.

Maybe it takes less energy to move nutrients around or maybe it’s a hindrance,” said Ratner.

The setup will clearly account for the differences, however.

At the same time that astronauts pull a clamp in a tube to release the algae into synthetic urine, the students will do likewise with their own copy of the setup they also have assembled. The astronauts will share their data with the students through an experiment log.

After two weeks, when the experiment ends, both parties will pull another clamp, releasing a fixative that kills the algae, and the equipment will be returned to Earth, allowing the students to compare the results.

Although the laboratory work involved in the project is beyond what the school’s facilities were able to accommodate, the team reached out to scientists at the University of South Florida, who gave the students guidance and use of their laboratory.

The next step is for the group to visit Kennedy Space Center for the launch, which is currently planned for Nov. 7, with a group of 25 people including families, teachers and stakeholders. There, the students will also give a presentation on the experiment.

The experiment will be shipped to the ISS on the 19th flight opportunity (Mission 17) of the SSEP, on the rocket SpaceX CRS-29.

For Rosander, it’s already a mission accomplished.

“This is just amazing that we have this opportunity and we can do this,” she said.

Addressing the students, she says, “Your curiosity has been sparked; you can go out in life and do amazing things.”

The students agree that it’s a chance not often found, especially for middle school students.

Courtesy images

The students were able to use the laboratory facilities at University of South Florida.

Rishik Yellu, Felix Ratner, Yatharth Kakkad and Rugan Suresh

“It’s very cool,” said Yellu. “This is not a very common opportunity for multiple people, but we had this chance, and it just it just feels right; it feels really good, and we all like science here.”

Ratner hopes the possibilities won’t end with the mission.

“Besides sending it up into space, once it comes down it might have real world impacts, and might actually help astronauts go to maybe Mars or further, and it still has applications here on Earth, of course.”

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

11B

On coveted Lido Key. R EDEF INING THE SA R ASOTA LIFEST Y LE.

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.

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

12B

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

LUXURY LIVING

Homespun help

AT MERIDIAN AT THE OAKS PRESERVE

Eloise Friedman and Naomi Hinckley have raised more than $1,400 for Israel relief efforts.

ROSALIE PHILLIPS

3603 N POINT ROAD #301, OSPREY

MANAGING EDITOR

Israel may be thousands of miles away, but feelings of helplessness and powerlessness hit home for Sarasota fifth grader Eloise Friedman and sixth grader Naomi Hinckley.

The Temple Emanu-El members wanted to do something, but weren’t sure what they could do in support of Israel.

So the two girls turned to a Taylor Swift-inspired hobby: friendship bracelets.

Friedman and Hinckley recently began making and selling a variety of bracelets with the proceeds going toward trauma care and to resettle Jews in Israel who were forced to leave their homes during the recent conflict.

With help from their moms and other religious school mothers, the girls have raised $1,400 since Oct. 14, said Eloise’s mother Shera Friedman.

They’ve made hundreds of bracelets — some with polymer clay bead and others out of glass beads.

They’ve also added earrings to the mix.

Right now, the jewelry is only available to buy locally. Friedman can be reached via Instagram (­@­AmichaiDesigns). People interested in donating can also visit the Jewish National Fund, where their donation will be matched. Local donors can then message Shera Friedman via Instagram to receive a bracelet. Recommended donations are $20 for earrings, $25 for clay bead bracelets and $50 for glass bead bracelets.

The bracelet-making effort is just one facet of Temple Emanu-El’s new initiative, Project Amichai.

“What we really wanted to do with Amichai is give people a way to

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Courtesy images

Naomi Hinckley and Eloise Friedman

Project Amichai friendship bracelets

c­ onnect and feel like they’re making a difference. We’ve been really moved by how much this has meant to the children in our religious school,” said Rabbi Elaine Glickman.

Project Amichai is made up of 14 different programs “to support Israel and one another.”

The programs are divided into three “pillars” — personal practice, community and support, and advocacy and truth. Personal practice, for example, includes programs like “Commit to saying daily prayer for Israel.” Rabbi Brenner Glickman of Temple Emanu-El said he anticipates hundreds of signups.

While some initiatives are only open to Temple Emanu-El members, several are intended for the community at-large. To learn more, visit SarasotaTemple.org/Signup_Amichai.

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SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

13B

Sarasota, it’s good to be home.

We are thrilled to announce the opening of our 27th Florida office here in the heart of Sarasota. Our dedicated agents are available in this highly desirable city, ready to help you turn what you love into where you live.

Connect with us today at 941.867.6199 or visit our office at 1350 Main Street, Sarasota

1350 MAIN STREET, SARASOTA, FL. 941.867.6199.

414163-1

© 2023 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 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 3920 Roberts Point Road 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,070 Sq. Ft. Melissa Gissinger 941-404-2722 A4565405 $4,495,000

SIESTA KEY 9269 Blind Pass Road 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,920 Sq. Ft. Tammy Mast 941-256-6543 A4568691 $4,400,000

CASEY KEY 2410 Casey Key Road 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,186 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer 941-465-1124 A4586886 $3,995,000

SARASOTA 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive 1404 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,754 Sq. Ft. Beth Afflebach & Joan Dickinson 941-914-0496 A4585428 $2,975,000

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 $2,599,000

SIESTA KEY 6937 Midnight Pass Road 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,941 Sq. Ft. Jonnie Dwyer & Bianca Dwyer 941-812-6283 A4582749 $2,300,000

SIESTA KEY 7309 Pine Needle Road 5 Beds 5/1 Baths 5,600 Sq. Ft. Linda Driggs 941-374-2920 A4570824 $2,250,000

SIESTA KEY 7510 Midnight Pass Road 2 Beds 2 Baths 2,473 Sq. Ft. Barbara May & Elizabeth Van Riper 404-822-9264 A4584608 $2,250,000

SIESTA KEY 4708 Ocean Boulevard E6 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,277 Sq. Ft. Ethel Lovelace & Mina Johnson 941-586-7390 A4587025 $2,200,000

SIESTA KEY 6326 Midnight Pass Road 508 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,318 Sq. Ft. Karen Chandler 941-544-4919 A4568357 $1,800,000

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 763 Siesta Drive 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,269 Sq. Ft. Maria Beck PA & Jalina Beck 646-531-4118 A4568874 $1,675,000

SIESTA KEY 651 Mangrove Point Road 2 Beds 3 Baths 2,167 Sq. Ft. Beverly St Hilaire & Tak Konstantinou 818-416-2505 A4588082 $1,400,000

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

SIESTA KEY 831 Siesta Drive 2 Beds 1 Baths 1,202 Sq. Ft. Barbara Dumbaugh & Victoria Lear 941-951-6660 A4562249 $1,100,000

SIESTA KEY 6300 Midnight Pass Road 4 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,253 Sq. Ft. Maurice Menager & Lin Dunn 941-238-8119 A4577626 $925,000

SIESTA KEY 6150 Midnight Pass Road VILLA5 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,101 Sq. Ft. Marlene & George Marshall 941-539-8850 A4585881 $850,000

SIESTA KEY 6415 Midnight Pass Road 510 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,290 Sq. Ft. Mina Johnson 941-404-9347 A4579054 $824,900

SIESTA KEY 4822 Ocean Boulevard 2D 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,440 Sq. Ft. David Anthony 941-786-4282 A4578011 $739,000

SIESTA KEY 8730 Midnight Pass Road 203 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,012 Sq. Ft. Maria Beck PA & Jalina Beck 646-531-4118 A4580407 $724,900

SIESTA KEY 5855 Midnight Pass Road 617 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,152 Sq. Ft. Kaitlin Kuhn 941-400-7861 A4580691 $699,900

SIESTA KEY 8779 Midnight Pass Road 202H 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,303 Sq. Ft. Marlene & George Marshall 941-539-8850 A4582690 $625,000

SIESTA KEY 711 Beach Road 204 1 Bed 1 Baths 787 Sq. Ft. Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4588032 $599,000

SIESTA KEY 5131 Jungle Plum Road 6 Beds 6/1 Baths 6,369 Sq. Ft. Cindy Fischer 941-465-1124 A4564288 $9,480,000

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

SARASOTA 888 Blvd Of The Arts 101 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,315 Sq. Ft. Michael Moulton 941-928-3559 A4582024 $4,950,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Siesta Key property tops this week’s sales at $5.35 million

REAL ESTATE

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

OCT. 23-27

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in the White Beach Fruit Co. subdivision tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Sea Bear LLC sold two properties at 7340 Point of Rocks Road to Marco and Dana Assis, of Shawnee, Kansas, for $5.35 million. The first property was built in 1936 and has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,268 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1964 and has one bedroom, one bath and 408 square feet of living area. They sold for $3.8 million in 2021.

SARASOTA

SARASOTA BAY CLUB Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 314 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail to Jack and Judy Bloch, of Sarasota, for $2.28 million. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,299 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2014.

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 724 condominium at 1299 Tamiami Trail to Judith Sauertieg, of Sarasota, for $1,175,000. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,524 square feet of living area. It sold for $745,000 in 2015.

Sarasota Bay Club LLC sold the Unit 403 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail to Ann Weber, of Sarasota, for $750,000. Built in 2000, it has one bedroom, one-and-a-half baths and 1,161 square feet of living area.

It sold for $517,000 in 2021.

BAY VIEW HEIGHTS ADDITION Peter Stephan Imrik and Dale Eric Bowyer, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, sold their home at 1717 Bayview Drive to Elizabeth Siegfried, of Ontario, Canada, for $1.75 million.

Built in 1959, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,270 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2002.

BAY PLAZA Judith Mary Jones, of Tampa, sold the Unit 1201 condominium at 1255 N. Gulfstream Ave. to William Collier, Elizabeth Beachell, Laura Washington and Linda Armstrong, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1,475,000. Built in 1982, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,901 square feet of living area. It sold for $240,000 in 1986.

GROVE HEIGHTS Terra Land Trustee LLC sold the home at 1842 Grove St. to Kenneth Pierce, of Tampa, for $1,465,000.

Built in 1989, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and

15B

Ian Swaby

7340 Point of Rocks Road

3,072 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in March.

THE CONDOMINIUM ON THE BAY Stephen Johnson and Sharon Spelman, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1214 condominium at 988 Boulevard of the Arts to Tom and Kara Olenzak, of Philadelphia, for $1.4 million. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,729 square feet of living area. It sold for $342,000 in 2000.

SOUTH GATE Norwood Restoration Group Inc. sold the home at 2402 Goldenrod St. to Jennifer Zaborney, of Sarasota, for $970,000. Built in 1957, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,576 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2022.

Other top sales by area SARASOTA: $3.25 MILLION

La Bellasara Beverly Saxonberg and Joy Ackerman, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 503 condominium at 464 Golden Gate Point to Marc David Shapiro and Robin Shapiro, of Sarasota, for $3.25 million. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths and 3,490 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.75 million in 2006.

PAYNE PARK VILLAGE Lisa Sun Chai sold the home at 403 Gowdy Road to Nicholas Paul Caporossi and Maura Kathleen Keenan, of Sarasota, for $865,000.

Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,050 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,000 in 2021.

RIVO AT RINGLING Carl James Burmeister and Penelope Helen Burmeister and Todd James Burmeister sold their Unit 1105 condominium at 1771 Ringling Blvd. to Nathan Goldwasser and Shelley Labiner, of Montclair, New Jersey, for $760,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,483 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2019.

PALMER RANCH: $1.23 MILLION

Arbor Lakes on Palmer Ranch Sunshine Homes of Sarasota LLC sold the home at 6338 Anise Drive to Rebecca and Brian Wood, of Sarasota, for $1.23 million. Built in 2014, it has six bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,331 square feet of living area. It sold for $681,600 in 2014.

In with the new NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Downtown St. Petersburg

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TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest city of Sarasota building permits issued for the week of Oct. 16-23, in order of dollar amounts.

CITY OF SARASOTA Permit

Applicant

Downtown Sarasota

Amount

650 Golden Gate Point #302 Renovations

Michael Campbell

$225,000

2411 Ringling Blvd.

Alterations

Harrison La

$80,000

3204 Wood St.

Alterations

Joshua Troyer

$80,000

1122 Pomelo Ave.

Remodel

Martha Mumma

$68,000

1844 Oleander St.

Re-roof

Scott Smith

$53,690

5102 Winchester Drive

Alterations

Melvin Harner

$26,000

335 S. Tuttle Ave.

Pool Cage

Jeffrey Gross

$21,383

635 Columbia Court

Mechanical

Donald Baillie

$18,046

2921 Sequoia Lane

Windows

Doris Snook

$15,991

2716 Belvoir Blvd.

Remodel

Eugen Profir

$15,000 Source: City of Sarasota

The Collection | 941.232.2868 | thecollection1335.com

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

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

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

Licensed Real Estate Broker

411723-1

Address

16B

YourObserver.com

YOUR CALENDAR

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

15% OFF

23RD ANNUAL

NAUTICAL SALE

All In-stock Merchandise

15% OFF ONLINE STORE WIDE Saturday 25th Nov. 25th, 2023 - Sunday 26th 9:00 am - 3:00 pm + FREE Shipping BURSTING at The Seams With Use coupon code: THANKS15 Boat Parts, at BLOWOUT PRICES!

BEST BET FRIDAY, NOV. 10 TO MONDAY, NOV. 13

SIESTA KEY CRYSTAL CLASSIC SAND SCULPTING FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Friday, Sunday, Monday) and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Saturday) at Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road.

Advance one-day tickets $12 (adult); $10 (seniors and military); $6 (child).

This four-day festival features 24 master sand sculptors competing for top prizes in solo and duo categories, with live music throughout and more than 80 food and drink vendors. Other activities include sand-sculpting lessons and demonstrations, a contest of speed and skill known as “Quick Sand,” and the amateur competition on Saturday. Visit SiestaKeyCrystalClassic.com.

Marine-Surplus.com | 941.758.3552 | 7070 15th St. E. SARASOTA, FL 34243

410372-1

Marine Surplus is your source for hard to find boat parts, equipment & accessories.

7TH ANNUAL JUNGLE JAMBOREE 2-5 p.m. at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, 3701 Bay Shore Road. $40 (adults); $35 (veterans); $20 (kids under 12); free (kids under 3). Enjoy a jamboree party in the picnic area of Sarasota Jungle Gardens featuring food, a DJ, face painting, a silent auction and more, held in support of Junior League of Sarasota, a nonprofit that has been combatting issues faced by women and children. Tickets also include admission to the gardens.

Advance ticket purchases are required to attend. Starting at 4 p.m., the gardens are open exclusively to event guests. Visit JLSarasota.org.

SATURDAY, NOV. 11 TO SUNDAY, NOV. 12

CARDINAL MOONEY

File photo

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

ies. A medley of patriotic songs will be performed by Master Sgt. Robert McDonald, retired lead singer for the U.S. Army chorus, and the Sarasota Choral Artists in a performance led

by Dr. Joseph Holt, retired director of the U.S. Army Chorus, while the guest speaker is Carlos Moreira, who spent 15 years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. Visit SarasotaFL. gov.

FRIDAY, NOV. 10

248TH BIRTHDAY OF MARINE CORPS LUNCHEON 11:45 a.m. second floor, Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza. $25 at the door. Cash bar available. This annual event invites Marines, young and old, to swap stories, sing The Marines’ Hymn, enjoy birthday cake and celebrate that “The older we get, the better we were.”

SATURDAY, NOV. 11

VETERANS DAY PARADE 10-11 a.m. beginning at the corner of Gulfstream Avenue and Main Street. The parade features a theme of “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.” This year’s parade will include the color guards from Sarasota’s police and fire departments, antique military vehicles, local school marching bands, as well as other organizations and dignitar-

34TH ANNUAL ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE ART FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Armands Circle. Free. Discover art in a range of mediums, including sculpture, photography, glass, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media and more. Visit ArtFestival.com.

SUNDAY, NOV. 12

FIFTH ANNUAL SRQ CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL Noon-4 p.m. at 1837 Hillview St. $25.

Sample craft beers from 21 breweries, such as Calusa, Sun King and Islamorada, while enjoying live music throughout the day. Visit EventBrite. com.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15

KNIT AND CROCHETING GROUP 10:15 a.m. to noon at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. All ages and skill levels are welcome to learn to knit or crochet. It is recommended that participants bring their own yarn and needles. Visit ­SC­GovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

ENROLLMENT

TESTING DATES Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 8:30 a.m.

Monday, November 20, 2023 at 8:30 a.m.

410065-1

REGISTER ONLINE at WWW.CMHS-SARASOTA.ORG

Y EAR L LY

THANKSGIVING

DEADLINES

We LOVE her too much to compromise

For November 23rd Editions Longboat, East County and Sarasota/Siesta Key Observers Arts & Entertainment/Black Tie

30

YEARS

of EXPERTISE

Space Reservation: 11am, Thursday, November 16 To reserve space contact your Observer advertising representative 941.366.3468. Observer Media Group offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23.

Continuity of caregivers and oversight to ensure your satisfaction.

Caring starts here. Contact me today.

Nicci Kobritz Lieberman President

Scan to Learn More: Don’t leave this big decision to your children.

youthfulaginghomecare.com License 299991326

412336-1

395386-1

941.925.9532

YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

17B

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11985 Southern Blvd (In between Publix and Sal’s)

(Bradenton Pain and Wellness Center)

SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS0638, HAS-0633 SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS0638, HAS-0633

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18B

YourObserver.com

WEATHER

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, NOV. 9

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.

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

High: 86 Low: 68 Chance of rain: 10%

FRIDAY, NOV. 10 High: 85 Low: 69 Chance of rain: 8%

Thursday, Nov. 9

6:46a

5:41p

Friday, Nov. 10

6:46a

5:40p

Saturday, Nov. 11

6:47a

5:40p

Sunday, Nov. 12

6:48a

5:39p

Monday, Nov. 13

6:49a

5:39p

Tuesday, Nov. 14

6:49a

5:38p

Wednesday, Nov. 15

6:50a

5:387p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, NOV. 11 High: 86 Low: 69 Chance of rain: 24%

Nov. 20 First

Nov. 27 Full

Dec. 4 Last

Nov. 13 New

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, NOV. 12 High: 86 Low: 66 Chance of rain: 24%

Monday, Oct. 30

0

Tuesday, Oct. 31

0

Wednesday, Nov. 1

0

Thursday, Nov. 2

0

Friday, Nov. 3

0

Saturday, Nov. 4

0

Sunday, Nov. 5

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Darlene Edelman took this photo of a sandhill crane looking for a mate in University Park.

YEAR TO DATE: 2023 22.84 in.

2022 49.09 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2023 0.00 in.

2022 0.07 in.

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood | tile | stone | pavers | and more Sarasota 941.355.8437 | Bradenton 941.748.4679 | Venice 941.493.7441 | manasotaonline.com

Don’t fur-get the best flooring for everyone in your Family

celebrity cipher

15 Ruffles 16 Farm bleats 17 Egg on 18 “East of ___” 26 All by oneself

©2023 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

38 Apple device

1 “Passages” author Sheehy 39 Worried sick 43 Jacket fastener 5 Droll 45 “Gave it my best shot” 8 CA home to Warhol’s “Triple Elvis” 14 Infuse, as with emotion 19 Radius neighbor

47 Three, in Tijuana 48 Gardner of “Show Boat”

72 Big name in cough drops 103 Rome’s ___ Way 73 My Chemical Romance, 106 Get ___ of (kiss for one goodbye) 75 Make like “Bob & Carol & 107 Virtual assistant to Ted & Alice,” perhaps 79 “Scarborough Fair” herb

49 Like calls from the ocean 81 Fleshy-leaved plant 51 Capital of Thailand?

82 NYPD alerts 20 Yes, in Lyon 83 Destinations for EMTs 21 “Ironic” singer Morissette 52 Kept in the email loop, 22 NBA or NFL position 23 Panache or oomph 24 Corrida cheer 25 Pepperoni or salami 27 Ocean base?

28 Enterprise’s console

29 Millionth of a meter 33 Let the tears flow 34 Nordic ___ (dark genre) 35 Apple or acacia 36 Spent

86 Cataclysmic 88 Lake Ontario people

40 Tuesday fare 41 Second-to-last word in

89 Ari Gold’s “Entourage” job 90 “Oh My ___!” (manga

many fairy tales 42 Plod through a shallow pool

series) 93 Serving no practical

43 Hit by the 45-Down Brothers 44 Silly billy 45 Ronald or Ernie of R&B 46 Article in some hip-hop

for short 84 College city plus its sur53 Skye of “Say Anything...” roundings, collectively 54 Creme brulee’s cousin 55 Voice of Rapunzel, in “Tangled”

87 Sandra of “Gidget” 88 Feature of a giraffe 90 Clumsy person

115 Like autumn air 116 Outfit for a baby 117 Word that can precede

49 Virtual game people 50 Renowned

91 Charged particles 92 Miserly McDuck

“sheet” or “shelf” 118 Gets (by)

94 Drum in Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” 95 Woofer’s sound?

119 Fencing gear 120 Santa Maria, for one 121 Once known as

52 Camp bed 55 Willie nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid” 56 Buckingham Palace

96 Subject of an awkward talk, for some parents

122 Informal meetup, in slang

68 Jimmy Cliff’s genre 71 Leashed animal, often

Triangle 79 Faints like a diva 80 Year, in Monterrey 84 Sunbathing results 85 Gymnast Korbut

109 Like some dirty shots 113 Tank filler 114 Chevy model that can be titles interpreted as “doesn’t go” 47 Amendment covering in Spanish states’ rights

58 Humdrum 60 Separated 30 No. cruncher 31 Cascadian volcanic peak 62 Break bread 63 Pig’s pen 32 T.H. White novel about 64 “I’m so excited!”

King Arthur 37 Corp. head honcho

many 108 Track shape

you for a ride 78 Star in the Summer

51 Oceanic tuber

protectors

purpose 94 Corrupting gifts 95 “Now it makes sense!”

“ZCYX ... NCDVPH IX BC LTSC TP WJRVFTYVWP TPH NCXZWPXVJVRVYG YW ZNCXCNSC TPH PINYINC TPH OTNC MWN TRR RVMC.”

ETDCX ONWDBCRR

“AKI AR FDI VIKMHFNIL RAC CIRTLNKE FA VMCFNYNVMFI NK VAHNFNYL NL FDMF XAT IKS TV WINKE EAOICKIS WX XATC NKRICNACL.”

VHMFA

“P UYEOOC OXGY NYMJ. MDYC’UY OPVY FDPOHUYS. MDYC VSXR PW CXB UYEOOC OXGY MDYI XU SXM. CXB FES’M WXXO MDYI.”

HXSSE HXBZOEJ Puzzle Three Clue: R equals W

59 Cain’s brother 60 Up to the task 1 One on the invite list 61 State capital VIP 2 God, in Islam 65 Chicago airline hub 3 Really ridiculous 66 Fedora and fez 4 Strategically planted 67 Produced, as per the plants Bible 5 “Yeah!”

68 Digital gathering place?

6 Crowned head 69 Has the inside scoop 7 Back down 70 Gulf between Somalia 8 Egg pouch and Yemen 9 Winter bug 71 “Professor T.” airer 10 Took some measured 74 Stephen King novel steps? about an author with 11 Sale limit, in brief writer’s block 12 King with a golden touch 75 Root beer brand 13 Donkey 76 Energy-focused org.

14 Scaly lizards 77 Service that might take

DOWN

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 Two Clue: O equals V

NETWORK RERUNS by Annemarie Brethauer, edited by Jeff Chen

Puzzle One Clue: J equals B

crossword

399841-1

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

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

97 Adler who’s a frenemy of Sherlock Holmes 98 Chow down 99 Ghost of a crumb 100 Bring to mind 101 Downspout spots 102 Radically reduce, as prices 103 Cleric, in Limoges 104 Cuffed one, perhaps 105 Ballet bend 110 Carpool lane letters 111 Tall tale 112 ___ Aviv

57 Remoulade ingredient ©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

11-9-23

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

RED PAGES 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.

Adult Care Services

Landscaping/ Lawn Services

1BR/1BA 1350 Main St, in heart of Downtown Sarasota. Beautiful 3rd floor, turn key, furnished condo in upscale building overlooking main street.

Amenities include: concierge, reserved in-building parking, pool, fitness center, and more.

Available for seasonal rental starting May 1 through Nov. $3,500/mo. Includes all.

Call George: 516-220-1411.

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.

Gardener Gal

SELL IT NOW! GARAGE SALE 941-955-4888

As low as $17.50 per week!

WEEKLY MONTHLY

Auto Transport

YourObserver.com/RedPages

SEASONAL RATES Beachfront, Bayfront and In

real estate

auto

stuff

Between Houses or Condos

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

12 Edna Hibel collectible plates. $50. Edna Hibel doll - The Girl of Brittany. New. $50.

941-358-7476

BUY STUFF HERE! YourObserver.com/RedPages

2-BIKE RACK. Trunk mount. Allen 102DN. As new, 1/2 retail. Pic online. $25 (941) 966-6816 KITCHENAID MIXER Flat beater, Wire whip, dough hook, cover $200 (941) 316-9371 POLITICAL BUTTON books (4) by Hake and Presidential Candidates/Elections (2 Vol) by Havel. Great condition-$10 for all.

941-921-1815 POTTERY BARN WALL MOUNTED MIRRORED PILLAR HOLDER. NEW IN BOX. 941-448-3948

BY OWNER 21 Ford Escape, white, leather, moon roof, exc. condition. $21,500 303-638-7741

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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.

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE! 941-955-4888 PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE: YourObserver.com/RedPages

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

Homes for Sale FSBO: 4375 KARIBA Lake, Lakeridge Falls Gated 55+ community. Beautiful 2 br, 2 ba, study, din. rm., liv. rm., fam. rm, 2 car gar., screened lanai, excellent lake location, unbelievable sunsets, will co-op. 303-638-7741 GREAT OPPORTUNITY close to AMI, no flood insurance, 3 bed 2 bath 2 car/garage. Private pool. $699,900

Looking for other homes with pools to buy/sell.

Looking for multi-unit properties.

jobs Help Wanted

ADULT CARE AND SERVICES Amish raised Helping Hands LLC Need help with your loved one?

We are here to help. We provide 24/7 care. Cooking, shopping, dr. appts., personal care, etc.

13+ yrs exp. Have refs.

Call 941-400-9743

Perfect Solutions For Seniors

7-11 1841 S. Tamiami Trl. store is hiring shift manager. $16/hr to start. Retail/management experience necessary. For details call 941-362-0232

POOL STUDIO, one room, completely furnished with private entrance/bath.

Non-smoker, no pets, clean & quiet.

Must call, no texts!

941-345-6762

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

Health Services PRIVATE DUTY NURSE

Call or Text Lisa TODAY 941.271.1128 WEED PULLING by Chris We do everything the lawn guys don’t do!

NO MOWING Call 941-565-6523

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 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.

Pressure Cleaning

CALL TO DISCUSS A PLAN OF CARE FOR YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONE TODAY. KELLY (941) 350-2204

UBA PRESSURE WASHING AND SEALER (941) 320-6172 www.ubapressurewashing.com

This week’s Crossword answers

Adult Care Services

OUR ONLINE TOOLS MAKE IT EASY TO PLACE YOUR AD

Room for Rent

Cleaning

Florida plants for people, birds & butterflies.

Landscape preservation.

Formerly with Selby Botanical and Univ. of Florida Extension Service.

•HIGHLY SKILLED & HOSPITAL TRAINED

Incentive -Buy or Sell with Brooke O’Malley as your Realtor, and CLUB REALTY will Pay your title insurance. Ask how.

Call 941-726-2677

YourObserver.com/RedPages

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

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

•COMPASSIONATE, CUSTOMIZED CARE TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS

Good, bad, ugly, We buy and sell houses fast.

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

Merchandise Wanted

SEASONAL RENTALS - Weekly, Monthly, or Seasonal. In historic community Sarasota city.

Minutes walking distance to city and beaches. Efficiency and/or 2 bed second floor. Clean and cozy. Off -street parking. Lots of character. Available now through June. Book your stay now!

Joe- 908-507-4146 Principals Only.

Looking for sellers to hold note/mortgage. Seller financing, down payment and monthly payments. Avoid gain taxes.

HIGH DRY Slip Available. Length: 29’ 6”, Beam: 8’ 6”, Height: 7’ 8”.

Located on Gulf of Mexico Dr. Great access for local boaters. $500 / month Call: 228-327-7801

WHITE SANDS VILLAGE Community Tag Sale Friday November 10, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM Saturday November 11, 8:00 AM4:00 PM - 5629 Midnight Pass Rd

FOR RENT newly renovated waterfront hotel suite in Sarasota. Beautiful views. Sleeps 4 with all hotel ammenities.

Minutes to beautiful beaches, Sarasota city, fine dining, and airport. Call Joe - 908-507-4146.

Available daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal. Principals Only.

2 Bed Condo Full Gulf Views$749,900

Boat Slips for Rent/Sale

GULF GATE EAST Community Garage Sale. 35+ homes will be participating in a giant garage sale this Saturday, Nov. 11th. 8 a.m. 2 p.m. Please join in the fun and get some great bargains! Don’t miss it! One day only. Off of Beneva and Kingstone Blvd.

Homes for Rent

home services

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

Autos for Sale

941-955-4888

Reservations 941-383-5577

www.rentalsonlongboat.com

Items Under $200

VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED Fully Insured / Free Estimates (941) 413-9185

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals

•Caregivers/Companions •Personal Care •CNA’s/HHA’s •Assistance with

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peekers’ place

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Home Services

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Pets ... remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.”

James Cromwell Puzzle Two Solution: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Plato Puzzle Three Solution: “I really love pets. They’re like children.

They know if you really love them or not.

You can’t fool them.”

Donna Douglas

This week’s Sudoku answers

Daily Living Activities •Hourly 24/7 Care •Affordable Rates •Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured

Phone (941) 809-1438 HHA# 299994819

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Aluminum

Auto Service

Computer

SELL YOUR CAR!

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

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

FAST • EASY • SAFE

WE COME TO YOU

941.270.4400

Pegatronics.com

HoHoBuysCars.com

YoderAluminum.com

Concrete

Caregiver/Companion

Attorney

Divorce without Lawyers

Michael Koch Concrete Inc. All Phases of Flat Work & Stone Work

Free Estimates! • No Job Too Small

Doors

Sliding Glass Door Repair 413453

24 Hour Care • Full Service Home Health Care www.tlchomecaresrq.com • (941) 320-9678 Now Hiring HHA’s & CNA’s

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

Carpentry

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

Remodel & Home Improvements

William J. Leininger, JD

Furniture Repair

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

Mike McKnight

Free Estimates

941~400~6786

Sarasota County

Patio Furniture Repairs.com 413462

414055

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

SHOP LOCAL. SUPPORT LOCAL.

Lince Law PLLC

Computer

Handyman

Is Your Computer Feeling Sick?

STEVE PANEBIANCO H R S ome

Computer ServiCeS

(941) 351-7260

413907

COMPUTER REPAIR SALES & SERVICE

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

941-929-9095

Doors

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

Please see attached images.

Client would like similar layout as their business card.

NHWA logo should be at the bottom of the ad.

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Miller’s Deadbolts Home Watch & Services Providing Peace Of Mind

413914

(Next to Beneva Flowers)

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

6968 Beneva Road

CALL 941-955-4888

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

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

Showcase your products or services each week in the Red Pages.

FREE (941) 809-7311 ESTIMATES!

24/7 SERVICE

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

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

eRvice

Over 19 yrs serving Manatee/Sarasota Counties

413500

call-a-geek.net

Computer Repair & Service Virus & Malware Removal / Protection New System Set Up / Data Transfer Networking: Wired/Wireless Installation Data Recovery / Remote Support One-On-One Tutoring / Training

epaiR

• No JoB Too SmaLL • ScReeN RepaiRS • paiNTiNG/DRY WaLL • TiLe RepaiRS • & mUcH moRe!

Call A Geek

Phone: 941 - 328 - 8757 | Website: Lincelaw.com | Email: jglince@lincelaw.com GO ORANGE! PROUD SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ALUM

941-504-0903

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Protect your business in a world full of risks Technology, Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Law

Military and Veterans: As a veteran owned firm, attorney James Lince offers no-cost or low-cost general legal services to active duty/reserve military and veterans. Fees are based on current military rank or veteran’s income.

First 30-minute consultation free. Schedule at lincelaw.com.

Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

Let Us Fix It!

• Data Privacy Law and Regulations • Data Transfer (cross-border, state, federal, EU/GDPR, other jurisdictions) • Best Practices, Policies, Manuals • Contract, Agreement, Proposal Review • Legal Counsel, Dispute Resolution, Litigation • IT Vulnerability Audits and Cybersecurity Assessments

413902

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

McKnight Construction

413538

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

RED PAGES

413203

941-918-8587

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.

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

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

Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-955-4888 Home Watch

Miller’s Home Watch & Services

Providing Peace Of Mind

941-685-6848 • Millershomewatch@gmail.com Call us today! 941.628.8579 Merlin & Lila Miller

www.ezslider.com Thanks!

412644

941-735-3362

409535

413461

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

413903

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

413455

Dustin Yoder

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

5-Star Rated

413463

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

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

MERLIN & LILA MILLER 941-685-6848

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

Millershomewatch@gmail.com

412630

20B

YourObserver.com

21B

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Call John 941.377.2940

Building & Roofing Contractor

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

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

www.showerandbathsarasota.com Landscaping & Lawn

ROCK & SHELL LANDSCAPING

941-626-3194

WASHED SHELL, LIMESTONE

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

RIVER GRAVEL, GRAYSTONE

BOULDERS, BRICK PAVERS

PALMER RANCH HOMEWATCHERS®

YARDS INSTALLED DRIVEWAYS

Watching your home while you’re away

(941) 228-6479

Bob & Carol Guthrie 941.993.6613

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE SARASOTA NATIVE

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE

Luxury for Less

413899

412969

Wizard Moving SRQ

10% off

Airports, Concerts, Dinners & Cruises www.towncarservicebradenton.com

Trees

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For $149 per hour you get:

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

make your moving day a pleasure.

Licensed and insured #IMT708

413922

FIRST RESPONDER OWNED & OPERATED

941-248-4734

412958

412956

Serving the Palmer Ranch Area Since 2007 Licensed & Insured

chrome_qrcode_1671726737617.png

Transportation

DAVID

Movers www.PalmerRanchHomewatchers.com PalmerRanchHomewatchers@comcast.net

1/10/23, 10:25 AM

Pet Services Windows

dan@shorelockhomewatch.com

413901

Pet Care by Melanie Gates

(941)544-0475 www.shorelockhomewatch.com

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

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

Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins. 413918

(941) 966-2960 Serving South Sarasota Only including: Palmer Ranch – Osprey – Nokomis

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows UP TO

CREATE BUZZ! 413560

INCLUDING SCREENS, TR ACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00

Call 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

Veteran Owned & Operated • Third Generation Master Plumber All Major Credit Cards Accepted Generalplumbingsarasota.com

941-923-8140

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

DRGRABBARS.COM

GLENN KROECKER Licensed & Insured

941-444-9187 | PurplePools.net

OFF your first

3 months

Roofing

Gulf Gate RoofinG inc.

38 Years Experience

Specializing in Re-Roofing & Repairs

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE RED PAGES

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888

All Work Guaranteed

941-228-9850

Joe Murray, Owner

Fully Insured

State Licensed Contractor #CCC057066

412959

413458

412638

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

20%

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

THE GRAB BAR GUY

www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Pools

364556 412637

941.966.0333

Licensed & Insured State Lic CFC056748

senior citizen discount.

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

413920

249 235

* $ $235

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!

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

• 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

413204

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

$

5

$

Plumbing

General Plumbing Services Inc.

150

25 $

STANDARD WINDOWS

Advertise your business or services in the Red Pages.

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

413898

CALL PINNACLE TODAY! 941-306-1999

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

413916

Dave and Connie Grundy

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS 413910

Pinnacle Home Watch.com Stop Worrying About Your Home While Away

Roofing

410036

Home Watch

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

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YourObserver.com

SARASOTA OBSERVER | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Open House Event

Join our best-in-class global advisors for a two-day open house showcase.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Featured listings pictured below may be shown by appointment only

Scan for a full list of Open Houses, property details, driving directions and more

HUDSON BAYOU 1718 Bay Street Thomas Netzel

PANTHER RIDGE $5,250,000 941.539.0633

BAY VIEW HEIGHTS 2627 Pleasant Place Sandra Appignani

$2,300,000 941.320.1002

16010 Castle Park Terrace Roberta Tengerdy & Carolyn Collins

$1,499,000 941.726.1998

226 Golden Gate Point #33 Joel Schemmel

$799,900 941.720.0408

2545 Webber Street Liz Nason

6142 Midnight Pass Road #17N Andrew Tanner

$5,995,000 941.539.0998

PRESTANCIA

$1,875,000 941.321.2292

GOLDEN GATE POINT

DEL WEBB 7328 Chester Trail Nathan Mathers

SIESTA KEY $2,495,000 941.447.4875

COUNTRY CLUB EAST | PRESTBURY

NOKOMIS 301 Roberts Road Megan George

20504 65th Avenue East Laura Stavola

7466 Monte Verde Cindy Marovich

VENICE ISLAND $1,698,900 941.408.6041

286 Santa Maria Street Martha Pike

PREMIER ON MAIN

$1,370,000 941.587.4894

LAUREL OAK ESTATES

72 North School Avenue Frank Lambert & Anita Lambert

COUNTRY CLUB EAST $1,299,000 941.920.1500

15414 Leven Links Place Laura Stavola

$700,000 941.364.4000

10520 Boardwalk Loop #702 Christian Zaloum

BRADENTON

$769,000 941.350.2243

5901 La Vista Lane Kathleen Maher & Brian Maher

$1,500,000 941.716.4392

$1,170,000 941.447.4875

LAKEWOOD RANCH $699,999 859.609.7342

NOW ACCEP TING RESERVATIONS

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF LUXURY BEGINS

Introducing 78 Grand New Residences on Sarasota’s Bayfront Presentation Gallery Now Open at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota, Florida 34236 941.499.8704 | TheResidencesSarasotaBay.com

PRESENTED BY

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay are not owned, developed or sold by Marriott International, Inc. or its affiliates (“Ritz-Carlton”). KT Sarasota South, LLC uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under a license from Ritz-Carlton, which has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made herein. Broker Participation Welcomed and Encouraged. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SELLER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A SELLER 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. Prices and availability are subject to change at any time without notice. Images are artist’s renderings and may not represent the final building. Furnishings and fixtures are for display purposes and are not included with the residence. Actual improvements, including, recreational facilities and amenities, may vary from those shown and views may not be available from all units.

BROKERAGE | RENTALS | RELOCATION | NEW DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE | INSURANCE | FINE ART CONSIGNMENT

PremierSIR.com VENICE | 941.412.3323

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

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.

Property information herein is derived from various sources including,but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

RENTALS | 941.203.3433 396081-1

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000