Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 4.11.24

Web-worthy work

When Mike Masse picks up his 6-year-old daughter Madisyn Masse from school at Fruitville Elementary, it isn’t just any Tesla Cybertruck he drives.

That much is obvious, due to the large bullhorns on front and the bullet holes on one side, but its owner also happens to be famous YouTuber Danny Duncan of Englewood.

The owner of Masse Automotive, Mike Masse has served as Duncan’s creative manager and fabricator since 2020, modifying and fixing vehicles to aid in Duncan’s unusual exploits such as his recent test of the claim that Tesla Cybertrucks are bulletproof.

The results are posted to the Danny Duncan YouTube channel, which has racked up 7.56 million subscribers and 1.92 billion views.

“We come up with these dumb ideas, and we’re like, what if that was real? And that’s what I do. I make them real,” Masse said.

Masse has also modified vehicles to create oddities like a scooter with a Jet Ski body and a riding lawnmower elevated high above its wheels.

Puttin’ on the Ritz

The Salvation Army Sarasota County Glitz at the Ritz luncheon March 27 raised funds to support essential community services and supportive programming that provides hope and fosters transformative journeys for thousands of people each year.

The event featured Billy Dorsey, who shared his inspirational story of how he overcame stiff odds and faced seemingly insurmountable challenges in his life.

Guided by his talent and strong faith, Dorsey fought to rise above homelessness and achieve recognition as an internationally acclaimed public speaker, life coach, record label CEO, songwriter, producer and philanthropist.

Attendees also had the opportunity to double the impact of their generosity through a challenge grant issued by Marcia Jean Taub and Peter Swain, and the James and Maryann Armour Foundation.

Ian Swaby

Norah Mendoza and Jasmin Graham of Minorities in Shark Sciences at the Giving Challenge at The Bay. For preliminary Giving Challenge totals, see Page 2A.

Ian Swaby Courtesy image Marcia Jean Taub and Peter Swain, co-chairs of this year’s Glitz at The Ritz-Carlton.

WEEK OF APRIL 11, 2024

BY THE NUMBERS

“While some might question the government’s intervention in these matters, solely relying on the private sector hasn’t yet yielded significant results.”

Sarasota City Manager Marlon Brown

Read more on Page 4A

n Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Monday, April 15, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

n Sarasota County School Board regular meeting — 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 16, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1980 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance).

In 2022, nearly 46,000 total donors contributed $16.2 million benefiting 667 nonprofits. Hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, the Giving Challenge events have raised more than $75 million in unrestricted funding for area nonprofits to respond to community needs with flexibility and innovation.

Applications open for Leadership Sarasota

Applications are now being accepted for the next session of Leadership Sarasota, a program offered by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce designed to identify and inspire future and current community leaders. The 10-month Adult Leadership Sarasota program provides exposure and insight to Sarasota’s issues and key players while broadening their network with diverse leaders of multiple organizations.

Rising high school juniors and seniors may apply for Youth Leadership Sarasota, a nine-month program that allows students to explore career possibilities within the community. The adult program runs Sept. 4, 2024-May 15, 2025, and the deadline to apply is May 1. The youth program runs Sept. 21, 2024-May 8, 2025, and the deadline to apply is June 1. Applications are available online at SarasotaChamber.com. For more info, contact Pete Bartosik at PBartosik@SarasotaChamber. com or 941-556-4039.

County holds waste info meetings

Sarasota County has scheduled community meetings to provide information about the upcoming changes to the solid waste collection program and the proposed assessment rates for 2025.

Meetings will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave.; and Thursday, April 18, at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. Services include the weekly collection of residential garbage, recycling and yard waste, operation of the residential household hazardous waste collection centers and proper disposal of materials. Solid waste services are funded through a non ad valorem tax paid annually through the property’s tax bill. The county has contracted with new haulers

staff to explore funding for full $74M build-out.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Having outgrown the training academy site on city-owned property at 3600 Circus Boulevard, the county is preparing to break ground on a new Sarasota County Regional Fire Training Academy on countyowned land on Knights Trail Road near the county landfill.

The county is currently a tenant of sorts at the Suncoast Technical College Fire Academy, which occupies the site under a lease agreement with Sarasota County Schools.

“I would like to entertain a much broader discussion other than what the current funding is. I don’t think we build something halfway.”

— Commissioner Neil Rainford

The 30-year-old facility is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the rapidly growing agency. Also, with STC’s lease with the Sarasota County Schools expiring in November 2033, its future there remains uncertain.

During its March 20 budget workshop, Director of Emergency Services Rich Collins told Sarasota County commissioners that the funding for a full build-out of a new training academy is just over $20 million short and, as a result, must be built in phases.  That didn’t sit well with commissioners, who were unanimous in directing staff to kick over any and all buckets of funding to build the entire facility now.

Collins said the STC academy is inadequate to train for live fires, high-angle rescues and fires in multistory buildings.

Driver training for various pieces of apparatus currently takes place in the parking lot at Robarts Arena. Some personnel must travel to south county to train while on duty, taking them far away from the neighborhoods they are training to protect.

Those standards are important, Rathbun added, because they directly affect the agency’s Insurance Services Office rating, which affects individual property insurance rates. The department currently has a rating of 2 on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the top rating.

The new training facility will address all of the current limitations of the training site and provide modern facilities that will be shared with STC’s curriculum, which will be a partner and likely host outside agencies.

With the current funded budget of $53.8 million, the new academy would include:

■ Administration building.

■ Apparatus building.

■ Class B drill tower.

■ No-burn cold tower.

■ Gas-fired props.

■ Roof props.

■ Propane fueling station.

■ Physical training area.

■ Limited furniture, fixtures and equipment.

■ Dumpster enclosure.

■ Site work and landscaping.

City considers building own workforce housing

City Manager Marlon Brown will propose a plan to build 192 units in two towers across First Street from City Hall.

Although the private sector is beginning to respond to the city’s affordable housing incentives programs, even when built, the residences will make only a small dent in the growing demand for attainable workforce housing in Sarasota. Taking his cue from a discussion in spring 2023, City Manager Marlon Brown said it’s time for the city to lead by example.  He has spent more than a year working with a local commercial real estate firm to assemble land to build a city-owned, privately managed apartment community in the heart of downtown — directly across First Street from City Hall. A portion of that block is a cityowned parking lot and separating the two towers and remaining on the block is the Sarasota Municipal Employees Credit Union. The south side of the site is bordered by an alley that separates it from businesses along Main Street. Brown will formally present to the Sarasota City Commission at its April 15 meeting a proposal to acquire just more than half an acre to build a 192unit workforce housing apartment complex across two 12-story towers. Purchase agreements with property owners totaling $7.4 million are waiting to be signed, and Brown told the Observer a preliminary estimate for the project is about $80 million.

WANT TO GO?

The Sarasota City Commission meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, April 15, in the commission chambers at City Hall at 1565 First St. The meeting may be viewed online at SarasotaFL.gov.

If approved, the construction would begin in mid-2025 and take up to 24 months to complete. A private company would be contracted to operate the apartments.

In a letter to city commissioners, Brown outlined his plan, writing that in alignment with the City Commission’s directive from the March 20, 2023, meeting, staff collaborated with Ian Black and Steve Horn of Ian Black Real Estate to identify and secure land for affordable housing. That effort has yielded an opportunity to build up to 192 affordable and workforce rental units in downtown Sarasota to potentially house approximately 400 workers within walking distance of the heart of downtown.

Staff has connected with philanthropic, community and government agencies to explore partnership opportunities.

To date, this effort has secured a commitment of $1.5 million from the Barancik Foundation to purchase the property.  Brown said the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota are “working on” providing an additional $1.5 million each. Other charitable organizations and potential stakeholders are being pursued as well.

He estimated the cost to purchase the property plus closing and other ancillary costs to be approximately

MARCHING ORDERS

At the April 15 meeting, City Manager Marlon Brown will request that the City Commission:

■ Direct the city manager to proceed with the Attainable Workforce Housing Project as conceptually presented and return to the City Commission, with further design concepts forthcoming for consideration.

■ Approve the contract to purchase 1590

First St. in the amount of $5 million.

■ Approve the contract to purchase 1544 First St. in the amount of $2.1 million.

■ Direct the city attorney to work with the Barancik Foundation, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation on the funding partnership/ownership agreement for the purchase of the properties, to be brought back for City Commission consideration. This agreement can and should be amended to include other partners as needed.

■ Direct the city manager to proceed with a request for proposals for a development team to manage, design and construct the Attainable Workforce Housing Project.

west tower fronting First Street and behind commercial buildings on Lemon Avenue would include:

■ Three parking levels.

■ A 9,700-square-foot ground floor with 8,200 square feet of commercial space.

■ Eight residential floors with 101 apartments.

■ Five two-bed units, seven one-bed units and one studio per floor. The east tower at First Street and Orange Avenue would include:

■ Three parking levels.

■ An 8,450-square-foot ground floor with 6,900 square feet of commercial space.

■ Eight residential floors with 91 apartments.

■ Five two-bed units, five one-bed units and one studio per floor. Permitted density in the zoning district is 50 units per acre and a height of 10 stories. The city would take advantage of both its own bonus densities for affordable housing and the state’s Live Local Act to add 144 bonus units to the base density of 48, and add two stories. Under Live Local, 18 stories would be allowed based on maximum heights existing within a one-mile radius of the project.

To receive the bonus density, 15% of the additional dwellings must be priced as affordable, rounded up to 22 units. The remaining 122 bonus units, plus the 48 base units, will be available as attainable workforce housing, the eventual rent dictated by the debt service and operations costs.

“When I approached foundations about this, I didn’t even have to finish my presentation,” Brown said. “They were on board from day one and were excited about being part of this project.”

As the city is not in the business of profiting from housing, Brown said

he intends to keep those costs low enough that service workers, teachers, police officers, office workers, nurses and others in the workforce income ranges can afford to live there.

In addition to the potentially $4.5 million from the three foundations, Brown said he is working to secure additional community partners. As the city did with the Palm Avenue Parking Garage, he said the city of Sarasota would sell the ground-floor commercial space and apply that revenue toward the capital expense.

The balance of property acquisition and construction costs will determine the amount of the revenue bond.

“I’ve asked the commission to allow me to engage other philanthropic organizations and government organizations like Sarasota County, the School Board, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and others to see if they have an interest in financially contributing to this,” Brown said. “The less money we have to borrow, the less we have to pass on to these residents.”

■ Direct the city manager to proceed with a request for proposals for an advocate to oversee the Attainable Workforce Housing Project on behalf of the city from the design and permitting through the end of construction.

■ Direct the city manager to proceed with a request for proposals for an advocate to oversee the Attainable Workforce Housing Project on behalf of the city from the design and permitting through the end of construction.

■ Direct the city manager to contact, share the project concept and work with other governmental entities, nonprofits and others who may be interested in becoming funding partners in the project.

■ Direct the city manager to work with the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee on requirements and criteria for the lease of the units.

■ Direct the city manager to proceed with a request for proposals for management and operation of the attainable workforce housing units.

■ Consider allocating funding from the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and if needed, the general fund balance first to make up the difference for the property acquisitions, including any fees and closing costs; and for other tasks related to the initiative. This request in more detail will be brought to the commission for consideration as a budget amendment.

Courtesy image

The proposed site of a city-owned attainable housing development across First Street from City Hall. The red X marks the location of the city’s credit union office, which will remain.

Rebranded 1260 North Palm Avenue Residences, the building plan still faces scrutiny over its height.

floors to provide more separation from the neighboring Bay Plaza.

Still a sticking point is the height of the building, which has been reduced from 342 feet to 327 feet, still significantly taller than any other downtown building.

“The Development Services Department must validate whether the proposed development is in keeping with the specific standards and criteria in pertinent sections of land development regulations, and whether there are ways it can be changed to improve effects on adjoining properties,” said acting Development Review Chief Planner Noah Fossick at the April 3 meeting.

“The proposed building height is significantly taller than the neighboring buildings and other buildings in the (Downtown Core) zone district and the rest of the city.

rounded on three sides by a condominium building that is approximately half its height, so the overall building height could be reduced to improve the effects on this adjoining property and the city.”

George Scarf of Hoyt Architects asked Fossick if staff had a specific height in mind, but the exchange indicated the onus remains on the developer to find common ground.

“This is just in keeping with the character of the district and the city and the neighborhood,” Fossick said. “OK, but there’s not a specific height in mind?” Scarf asked.

“There’s not a specific number. No, sir,” Fossick replied.

Additional height was achieved via interstitial space — height between ceilings and the floor above typically used to run utilities. At the time of the original submittal, the city had no regulations on space between floors. That has since changed.

interstitial space was incorporated to raise the top nine floors over Bay Plaza to provide water views. Height is separate from the adjustments the developer seeks. For the building to be administratively approved, Director of Development Services Lucia Panica must also con-

sider:

■ Parallel façade coverage: A reduction of 26.53 feet, or 19.9%, along Palm Avenue to provide FPL transformer access, a driveway, and utility/backflow access.

■ Habitable space: A reduction of 5.91 linear feet or 5.5%, to provide pedestrian access to the parking garage directly from a frontage line as required. Also, a reduction of 10.82 linear feet, or 7.4%, of habitable space on the second floor to provide a fire command center in a location approved by the Fire Marshal.

■ Retail frontage. A reduction of 9.91 feet, or 9.3%, of retail, service or office frontage on the ground level to accommodate required stairs to the second level and required garage entrance.

All of those figures are closer to code than the first version of the tower, but they still require administrative adjustment approval. If denied, 1260 North Palm Avenue Residences will once again go before the Planning Board for approval, which, barring an appeal before the City Commission, would allow the tower to be built.

PAYNE PARK TOWNHOMES

Receiving partial sign-off was Payne Park Townhomes, which is planned at 537 S. Washington Blvd. on a block bordered by Oak Street to the south, Laurel Street to the north and Payne Parkway to the east. The developer, CPP OPA-LOCKA LLC of Fort Lauderdale, is planning 50 rental townhomes and 9,100 square feet of commercial space.

The site is currently home to six retail and office buildings, parking lot areas and a residential building, totaling 51,820 square feet. All existing structures would be demolished.

The developer is seeking an administrative adjustment to decrease the minimum required habitable space along Laurel Street. According to its application, the developer plans to locate a garage to service a mixeduse building fronting Washington New

“The proposed building is sur-

Critics of the building have charged that greater than necessary

Image courtesy of PSDesignWorkshop.com

A rendering of 1260 North Palm Avenue Residences, formerly Obsidian, overlooking Sarasota Bay.

Boulevard, which would be achieved by a reduction from 20 feet to 15 feet of habitable street frontage at that location.

Before the DRC can issue a full sign-off on the project, that adjustment must be approved by Panica.

The site plan shows the townhomes spread among six buildings, five of them along the four street frontages and the sixth internal to the site. An amenity area with a pool is also internal to the development.

Zoned Downtown Edge, the project will require only administrative approval. If the requested adjustment is denied, the developer may appeal to the Planning Board.

ONE PARK

Requiring a second resubmittal to the DRC is One Park, an 18-story, 86-unit luxury condominium tower planned for Block 1 in The Quay. With several staff comments remaining to be resolved, but with no administrative adjustments requested, developer Property Markets Group of Miami and Hoyt Architects of Sarasota must receive full DRC sign-off before the project can go before the Planning Board, which has approval authority over developments within The Quay. This is the second version of One Park, which after losing a yearlong battle over whether it could acquire the air rights over Quay Commons to build the project on both blocks 1 and 9, redesigned the building for Block 1 only. The developer is also planning One Park West to stand on Block 9.

Among the issues remaining to be resolved was the lack of a floorplan of a typical unit with rooms and other spaces labeled. “We’ll add some additional room labeling,” said George Scarf of Hoyt Architects. “We won’t label every closet, but general areas.”

Among the sticking points is enhancement of the “pedestrian experience” adjacent to a parking garage façade along U.S. 41. Plans include installing a living wall, or “green wall” to screen parking, but it does remain a point of contention.

The developer’s written response to the staff comment reads, “For clarification, please provide a specific ordinance, rule, statute or other legal authority where this is required. (The code) does not mention or define ‘pedestrian experience’ or ‘pedestrian enhancements.’”

LOFTS ON LEMON II

The Sarasota Housing Authority is proposing the second phase of Lofts on Lemon, which will include 100 residential units in an eight-story building on the opposite side of the parking along Lemon Avenue lot from the first phase. The building will bring the total of rental units there to 230.

Unlike the first phase, parking will be located beneath the residences.

To achieve the eight stories, Lofts on Lemon II will be developed under the state’s Live Local Act, which permits up to 10 stories in that location.

A resubmittal to the DRC will be required.

Courtesy image The courtyard of Payne Park Townhomes will include an amenity area and pool.

Will Florida go to pot?

Floridians likely will vote to legalize pot. Arguments on each side are persuasive.

As the social fabric of America has degenerated for the past 50 years, it certainly was inevitable that one day, Florida would join the growing crowd of states legalizing recreational marijuana.

That day will be Nov. 5, 2024, the day of national and state elections. You probably have heard the Florida Supreme Court last week approved the wording of a proposed amendment that will legalize recreational marijuana in Florida.

Consider it a fait accompli.

Unless there is an unforeseen tectonic shift in social mores in the next eight months — highly, highly unlikely — Floridians will approve Amendment 3 in the November elections. Here’s a good indicator of why that is so: In 2016, a resounding 73% of Florida voters approved an amendment legalizing medical marijuana.

It was just a matter of time.

The tide is strong. Going into the November elections, 24 states already have legalized recreational marijuana. What’s more, Pew Research Center reported that in a 2022 survey, “88% of U.S. adults said marijuana should be legal, either for recreational and medical use (59%) or for medical use only (30%).

You can understand Americans’ thinking. Many in the generation that brought marijuana out in the open — baby boomers — have been living recreationally stoned for decades. And they let it spread.

The logic is there, too: Why do we legalize alcohol use and not marijuana, when alcohol is often as insidious of a drug addiction, if not worse, as is marijuana?

What’s more, there is also the logical argument that criminalizing marijuana and other drug use results in the unnecessary destruction of lives and, worse, the unnecessary deaths of thousands of people because of the black-market world of the drug cartels.

As the late Milton Friedman explained in a 1991 interview, the way the U.S. and state governments have approached the war on drugs has been immoral:

“I have estimated statistically that the prohibition of drugs produces, on the average, 10,000 homicides a year. It’s a moral problem that the government is going around killing 10,000 people. It’s a moral problem that the government is making into criminals people who may be doing something you and I don’t approve of, but who are doing something that hurts nobody else.”

In that interview, Friedman makes a convincing, logical, moral case for the legalization of drugs (see: Ukcia.org/Research/Argue/ Milton.htm).

But, as always, there are at least two sides to every story. You should read the accompanying story from the Western Journal about Colorado’s decade-long experience with legalized recreational marijuana. Friedman and other libertarian thinkers say, in effect, the pot smokers and users are hurting no one else but themselves. And yet, as this story documents, there are plenty of Coloradans who would argue otherwise.

As we approach the November elections, we’ll publish more on the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana so that when you fill in the bubbles on your ballot, you will make an informed decision on how you want the future of Florida to be.

Colorado’s decade of marijuana … The results? Tragic in many ways

The following appeared in the Western Journal Feb. 28. Reprinted with permission.

RANDY DESOTO THE WESTERN JOURNAL

It has been 10 years since Colorado became the first state in the country to legalize marijuana for “recreational use” and opened its weed markets. The impact in many ways has been devastating.

The undeniable consequences have included increased traffic accidents and fatalities, as well as a significant rise in marijuanarelated hospitalizations and underage use of the drug. Meanwhile, so many of the benefits supporters promised would come with legalizing cannabis have failed to materialize.

Then there’s just the sad degradation in the quality of life in Colorado that has accompanied the growth of weed culture.

Rachael Stafford, a longtime Colorado resident and entrepreneur, lamented in an interview with The Western Journal that the state’s entire identity has been transformed.

“We were known as the great outdoors state — beautiful mountains, recreation, rafting, skiing, the Olympics. And now, all of a sudden, it’s like we’re the pot state,” she said.

Stafford said that when she takes her son to and from school every morning and afternoon, “there are particular areas that you pull up to in the car, and it just reeks. … Several intersections are known for that.”

Deon Greenwood, a pastor and father of nine living in Colorado Springs, agreed, saying, “We were recently driving (when) suddenly our whole car was filled with the smoke and smell of marijuana. And everybody in the car had something to say about it. So it is literally in your face every day, regardless if I choose it or not.

“Every single time we drive and you see these intoxicated people on the side of the road … it’s a teachable moment for our kids,” Greenwood said.

Stafford recounted that eventually she had to have the marijuana talk with her son, now a teenager.

“And these are conversations I just didn’t think we’d have to have in our car at an intersection,” she said. “You’re trying to explain that while it might be legal … anything you use in excess is going to cause issues.”

TRAGEDY ON THE ROAD

One of those issues can definitely be seen on Colorado’s roadways.

The state’s injury crash rate went up 17.8% from 2009 to 2019, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

There were also significant increases in Washington (8.4%), Oregon (9.2%) and California (5.7%) after these states followed Colorado’s lead and legalized marijuana.

In Colorado, the share of traffic deaths involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana went from

concerning,” she said. “It’s not just isolated to certain parts of town. … It’s very pervasive.”

The Rocky Mountain HIDTA study found that those 12 and above who reported using pot in the previous 30 days increased 26% from 2013 to 2020, and was 61% higher than the national average. For those ages 12 to 17, the rate was 39% higher than the national average.

Anecdotally, Greenwood told The Western Journal that children are being harmed by adult marijuana use as well.

He and his wife are raising two foster children taken from their parents due to pot abuse.

“We got them at the end of 2022 because of neglect. What was the cause of that neglect? Marijuana. So both spaced out on drugs. They neglected to give care to a 1-yearold and a 3-year-old at the time,” the pastor said.

“The state found them unfit and removed the kids,” Greenwood said, and yet “they validate the (addicted) parents by legalizing a substance that is causing them to lose their rights over the children.”

11% in 2013 to 21% in 2020, according to a Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area report published in 2021. There were a total of 622 deaths in 2020 compared to 481 in 2013.

And the problem is going nationwide now that two dozen states have legalized cannabis.

The Wall Street Journal reported, “The percentage of motor-vehicle crash fatalities involving cannabis rose to 21.5% in 2018 from 9% in 2000, according to a 2021 study in the American Journal of Public Health.”

“It’s a big concern,” said Jane Metrik, a professor at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at the Brown University School of Public Health. “There’s more people on the roads driving after they used cannabis or as they’re smoking or vaping.”

Many marijuana users apparently do not recognize the lasting effects the substance has on them when it comes to driving safely. THC stays in the bloodstream much longer than alcohol.

“The drug affects your ability to maintain position in a lane, reaction time, following distance and overall judgment,” Metrik said. Cannabis also reduces the user’s ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time, such as paying attention to both the road and the car’s dashboard.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry asked nearly 200 participants to smoke THC or use a placebo and then compared their driving in a simulator after they felt they were OK to drive.

While nearly 70% of the cannabis group thought they were ready to drive after 90 minutes, approximately half of them were classified as impaired when compared to the placebo group.

“A lack of insight regarding driving impairments, particularly at 90 minutes, is of concern, given that users will likely self-evaluate when they feel safe to drive,” the study said.

The researchers added that “although performance was improving at 3.5 hours, recovery was not fully seen until 4.5 hours (post-smoking).” Stafford told The Western Journal that instances of people driving badly have increased since marijuana legalization.

“We as general drivers have definitely noticed a marked increase in just what I would call distracted drivers and lots of red light running and, you know, just changing lanes without signaling or looking just overall kind of (high),” she said.

“We don’t know what the person’s doing, but we have definitely thought, ‘That person’s probably high,’” Stafford said. “I have no basis in fact whether they’re high or not. But that has become a very common phrase: ‘They’re high.’”

KIDS IMPACTED BY POT

Beyond impaired driving, Stafford told The Western Journal that she is concerned about her son’s exposure to marijuana. “As a mother, it’s extremely

“It’s a vicious cycle,” Greenwood added. “The kids are the ultimate payers of this price in the face of the decisions that parents make. And the law empowers them to do it.”

EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS UP

The number of emergency room visits in Colorado due to acute marijuana intoxication has increased significantly since legalization. Emergency department visits “nearly doubled after the legalization of recreational marijuana (22 per 100,00 ED visits in 2010 to 2013 versus 38 per 100,000 ED visits from January to June of 2014),” according to a 2016 report published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

“The prevalence of hospitalizations for marijuana exposure in patients aged 9 years and older” almost doubled as well.

The report noted that “these findings may be limited because of stigma surrounding disclosure of marijuana use in the prelegalization era. However, this same trend is reflected in the number of civilian calls to the Colorado poison control center.”

The authors explained that the symptoms of acute marijuana intoxication are cardiovascular — such as tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and hypertension (high blood pressure) — as well as gastrointestinal and can include agitation, psychosis or anxiety.

BENEFITS PROVING ILLUSORY

One of the major selling points for legalizing marijuana was that it would eliminate the illicit activity that surrounds illegal drug trafficking. But that has certainly not been the case.

The Denver Post reported in 2019 that federal and local law enforcement had conducted “the largest pot bust in Colorado history,” with raids of 250 homes and businesses, dozens of arrests and more than 80,000 marijuana plants seized.

A drug ring had been operating throughout the metro Denver area to the tune of millions of dollars in sales. The money was laundered through family restaurants by multiple Chinese drug trafficking organizations, according to another Post report.

“Colorado has become the epicenter of black market marijuana in the United States,” U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said at the time. “This investigation may be just the tip of the iceberg.”

The Rocky Mountain HIDTA report noted that the tax boon that legal marijuana was supposed to produce has not really panned out either.

“Marijuana tax revenue represent approximately 0.98% of Colorado’s (fiscal year) 2020 budget,” the report said. That amounted to $319 million of the $32.5 billion budget.

So the legalization of marijuana in Colorado has come with serious downsides, and the promised benefits have failed to play out. “It doesn’t seem to have solved anything,” Stafford said. “And it seems to have created a lot more issues that nobody really seems to have answers for.”

MATT WALSH

Image courtesy of Colorado Springs Gazette

Recreational marijuana jars sold in designated marijuana stores in Denver.

Just say no to

mega hotels

Oftentimes, corporations lobby the government in an effort to have their product or service specifications established to gain a competitive advantage. This lobbying can take the form of grants (think Solyndra) or can take the form of the government entity writing purchase specs or regulations that favor the corporation. This strategy is called crony capitalism and is exactly what is playing out today in Sarasota County. It recently manifested itself in the Benderson Siesta Promenade development site (U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road). Benderson Development courted the county commissioners to approve this development despite significant and almost universal resident opposition. The major opposition came from nearby residents and people who access the Siesta Key south bridge. Westbound traffic on Stickney Point Road frequently backs up from U.S. 41 all the way to Midnight Pass Road on Siesta Key. Eastbound traffic is similarly gridlocked.

Even before the increased congestion the Promenade will cause, Benderson is emboldened to attempt to destroy the Old Florida feel of Siesta Key by promoting high-density hotels and by changing the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan to achieve its goal and the goals of other developers to build multiple high-density hotels on Siesta Key. For a quarter-century, Sarasota County has recognized that Siesta Key already has a high level of congestion. This recognition of high-density congestion is contrary to the recent action by county commissioners to allow Benderson Development to assist in rewriting the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan and allowing their plan to develop a hotel on Siesta Key to move through the application process.

This action by the commission of promoting crony capitalism is anti-competitive and not consistent with Republican objectives of promoting free and fair competition. “First mover” competitive

advantage has been granted to Benderson. This status is antithetical to free and fair competition.

On the surface, this crony capitalist approach is only targeted at Siesta Key. This is just the beginning since the county commission tacitly accepted the Benderson proposed language that changes the county’s definition of “transient accommodations” and creates virtually unlimited numbers of hotel rooms per acre from the currently reasonable level of 26 rooms per acre under the existing Comprehensive Plan throughout Sarasota County.  This Benderson proposal will not only affect Siesta Key; it will soon be extended, and proposals will appear in Venice and at a location near you. All of Sarasota County is at risk for these highdensity hotels.

Many of us moved to Sarasota County from blue states, where crony capitalism was most often the rule rather than the exception. Deviating from a market economy is a slippery slope. If Benderson’s lobbying and political contributions are not stopped now, the county will move from free and fair markets to a dialing for donations cesspool. Sarasota County residents deserve better. It is our hope that the County Commis-

sion steps back from allowing Benderson to rewrite the comprehensive code and heed the will of almost all of Siesta Key residents in opposing the mega high-density hotels and their concomitant development code revisions.

I participated in three recent Zoom neighborhood workshops for these high-density hotels, and there was not a single Siesta Key resident who supported Benderson or the two other developers. Sarasota County has already facilitated these proposals by permitting the developers to conduct virtual Zoom meetings rather than in-person public workshops. COVID excuses are over. Gov. DeSantis clearly realizes this fact by having the Florida Department of Transportation conduct in-person hearings. He is and has promoted public participation. The County Commission should operate consistent with the governor’s approach of honest and open in-person discussion. At the very least, I would hope that the governor sends a message to Commissioner Neil Rainford (his recent appointment to the County Commission) that the process to consider Benderson’s highdensity hotels should be restarted with open, in-person public workshops. Good public policy flourishes in the open. I would

hope that all five commissioners listen to Siesta Key residents and reject the development of highdensity hotels on Siesta Key and in all areas of Sarasota County.

The mission of the County Commission is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the county and not crony capitalism welfare for highdensity hotel developers. If the Benderson proposal is allowed to move forward, four or five additional mega hotel proposals will soon follow. The County Commission will have little or no legal basis to deny them. Miami Beach, here we come.

— JOHN DOHERTY SIESTA KEY

Pointing fingers

Capitalism, as an economic system, has many virtues — except when employed in the interest of unrestricted greed. Then it does much harm. The appeal of trickledown economics evaporates when it is realized that the “trickle” is more like a drip, depriving the working classes of most of the benefits of increased productivity.

Capitalism, in practice, works only when it is adequately regulated. In this country, that regulation is the responsibility of

Congress.

Unfortunately, elections are so dominated by money that capital interests are able to thwart regulation, especially since 2010, when the Supreme Court awarded personhood to corporations in the Citizens United case. Unions, which should be viewed as an integral part of capitalism, are so fully regulated that their ability to mitigate the excessive power of corporations is limited.

These unfortunate facts account for the decline in U.S. economic well-being over the past 45 years as outlined in the editorial of March 28. Thus it is not statism that is to blame, but the excessive power and greed of capitalistic interests.

— T. GUY SPENCER SARASOTA

Facts are facts

Having just forced myself to read through the entire “opinion” piece in the March 28 Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer (“Elections: Liberty or Slavery”), I was horrified to see such fact-free and untrue statements made regarding the current administration in this country.

To say that Biden’s administration is a statist system is utterly breathtaking when one considers the desires of the current Republican Party and the appalling ideas in the Trump-planned manifesto in 2025.

The intended stripping away of women’s rights, health care and reproductive freedoms, electoral rights for citizens of color, LGBQT rights, and the majority SC’s intended stripping away of any way in which to hold a rogue president responsible points clearly to a Republican belief in big government, less rights for individuals and utter misery and discontent in the country.

This paper may be, sadly in my view, a Republican mouthpiece but facts are facts, and these lies should not go unopposed!

— PRIMROSE CAREY SARASOTA

The proposed Siesta Promenade project at Stickney Point Road and U.S. 41 has received criticism from residents.

Champagne dreams

Raw Sugar entrepreneur plans a $4M Champagne bar and piano lounge in downtown Sarasota.

A

Champagne bar and piano lounge is coming to downtown Sarasota.  The concept, from local entrepreneur Ronnie Shugar, will be called Sugar Champagne Bar and will have a menu centered on fine Champagne, wines, spirits and chef-inspired small plates, according to a statement. And, of course, a pink piano.

Sugar Champagne Bar is at 127 S. Pineapple Ave., which is the corner of South Pineapple and South Lemon avenues, outside The Mark condo building and Paul N. Thorpe Jr. Park.

A spokesperson for the project and Shugar said Sugar Champagne Bar will be a $4 million investment and could be open by the end of the year. Shugar, through an LLC named 127 Pineapple Partners, paid $1.8 million for the 1,947-square-foot building in May 2021, Sarasota County property records show.

“Sarasota is known for elegance and excitement, for the arts and fine dining, and Sugar Champagne Bar is a singular collection of those experiences,” Shugar said in a statement. “Stepping inside, you’ll know at first breath you’re entering a place like none other. As you’re surrounded by pink and Champagne, you’ll find there’s a new discovery with every single step.”

Shugar has several other business interests. His main company is Raw Sugar Living, which sells hand soap, shampoo, body wash, body lotion, bar soap, body butter, lip balm, sugar scrub and other items.

The products are made with plantderived ingredients using cold-press technology, appealing to consumers seeking natural choices. Raw Sugar

products are sold in Target and other retail outlets and online, and the company has a large social media following. Shugar co-founded the company in California six years ago, and moved the headquarters to Sarasota in 2019.

In addition to Raw Sugar, Shugar has invested at least $15 million in downtown Sarasota since moving to town four years ago, including owning several business condos in The Mark, his spokesperson said. He’s also potentially planning two restaurants nearby on Palm Avenue.

The process to get to Tuesday’s announcement about Sugar Champagne Bar, meanwhile, dates back more than a year. That includes a contested Sarasota City Commission meeting in February 2023. At that meeting, nearly a dozen residents of The Mark condominiums spoke in support of and opposition to the proposal. The debate was over the designation of the concept — a bar, a restaurant or a nightclub. The permitting for the project, with nightclub designation, was approved by a 4-1 vote.

It requires a 4-COP liquor license to operate, qualifying it as a nightclub use, which is defined by the zoning code as “any restaurant, dining room, bar or similar establishment providing food or refreshments,” which holds a 4-COP liquor license from the State Department of Business Regulation, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.

Courtesy image Sugar Champagne Bar will be at 127 S. Pineapple Ave.

Our Answer To Cancer

Our answer to cancer is an eight-story oncology tower outfitted with nine operating rooms and robotic surgery capabilities.

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Our answer to cancer is a multidisciplinary team of oncologists and nurses, surgeons and support staff providing the full continuum of care, from diagnosis and intervention to remission and survivorship, and backed by one of the best public health systems in the nation.

Our answer to cancer is the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, and we’re saying it louder every day.

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Return to sponsor

Taxpayer costs for 15 co-sponsored events have increased 33.5%, prompting commissioners to ponder the return on investment.

Whether the city of Sarasota should continue to co-sponsor some special events in the face of rising costs was central to a Monday Sarasota City Commission workshop discussion.

On the agenda were staff-proposed changes to the special event ordinances, largely consisting of housekeeping items and procedural matters, but with some new restrictions intended to strike a more harmonious balance between large street festivals and the comfort and convenience of downtown residents.

It was the opening salvo of a process that will include public engagement as changes are made to the current ordinances that will eventually go before the commission for final consideration.

The vast majority of special events that take place in the city are not cosponsored by the city, leaving costs as the responsibility of event organizers. The city does co-sponsor 15 annual special events, though, resulting in $387,592 in taxpayer expense in fiscal year 2023. That’s up 33.5% over fiscal year 2022, when the city spent $290,338 on those events.

The Sarasota Police Department comprises the largest line item each year, totaling $262,421 last fiscal year in overtime and other mobilization costs. Of the 15 events, the two largest SPD expenses were the downtown New Year’s Eve celebration at $57,182 and the Powerboat Grant Prix races at Lido Beach at $66,818. Both were up compared to $31,579 and $35,321 in fiscal year 2021.

Of all those costs, it was the boat races, which last year were held near

the July 4 weekend, that caught the attention of Vice Mayor Jen AhearnKoch, who questioned the near doubling over two years.

City Manager Marlon Brown said for all co-sponsored events for which the city is responsible for the costs, the SPD’s expenses are growing the fastest.

“There’s a lot happening in the nation in terms of the need to provide really good public safety,” Brown said. “We rely on SPD to say what resources they need to really ensure that we have a safe event. You’ll see those numbers increase tremendously for all events for SPD.”

That prompted Ahearn-Koch to question how far the city is willing to go when it comes to bearing the costs of co-sponsored events.

“I think that if the city is going to sponsor something like that, knowing that the cost could double every two years, that’s something we should try to project and take into consideration when figuring out if that’s something we’re going to sponsor or not,” she said.

Brown replied, “That’s the reason for this conversation. Obviously, we have costs increasing every year.

Taxpayers are eating that cost, and so the question at the end of the day is do you want to continue all these events and continue budgeting accordingly, or do you want to consider reducing some of these cosponsored events?”

Many of the recommended ordinance changes, said Director of Governmental Relations Jennifer Jorgensen, are intended to streamline processes for both the event organizers and staff. Others, such as limiting the frequency of events in the same location, are meant to ease the bur-

“There’s a lot happening in the nation in terms of the need to provide really good public safety.”

Marlon Brown, city manager

den of living close to those events by nearby residents.  Reducing the frequency of events run in city parks will give them time to recover and regenerate between them, added Brown.

Some of the suggested changes include:

■ No special event shall cause the closure of lanes of traffic on St. Armands Circle or redirect traffic from its normal flow around the circle unless approved in writing by the city manager.

■ No special event permit will be issued for a special event that will occur for more than 96 hours, including setup and removal, in St. Armands Circle Park.

■ For Main Street between the cross streets of Orange Avenue to Gulfstream Avenue, the Office of Special Events shall not issue more than one special event permit per month.

■ The Office of Special Events shall not issue more than two special event

permits per month for events at J.D. Hamel Park/Gulfstream Avenue, and events may not be held there on consecutive weekends.

■ The Office of Special Events shall not issue more than four special event permits per year for Bayfront Park, and events may not be held on consecutive weekends.

■ No street closures will be allowed on Main Street Monday through Friday before 5 p.m. except on legal holidays or with city manager approval. Those restrictions, however, will not apply to city co-sponsored events, or recurring events, which must be held at the same location and same time of day. All dates for recurring special events must be listed on a single special event permit application.

In addition, all special event activities, excluding teardown, must conclude by midnight.

The next steps in the special events ordinance process include, in order, public input sessions, revisions if needed, concurrence from the city attorney’s office and presentation to the City Commission. No time frame has been set for City Commission consideration.

Courtesy image

SPD officers prepare for last year’s Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix, during which the department spent nearly $67,000 in personnel and other costs on the city co-sponsored event.

A coveted downtown Sarasota location? Check. An assortment of spacious open-concept floor plan choices? Check. Resort-style amenities? Check. As homebuyers have discovered, every facet of The Owen Golden Gate Point is designed to provide a remarkably luxurious lifestyle in the heart of Sarasota’s thriving downtown district. The new mid-rise boutique building is being developed by The Ronto Group in partnership with Wheelock Street Capital. The Owen offers a select group of just 29 condominium owners an opportunity to experience a lifestyle that is not only exceptionally comfortable, but also replete with a comprehensive array of amenities and immediate access to Sarasota’s dining, cultural, and shopping attractions. What’s more, The Owen Golden Gate Point is the only new downtown Sarasota building offering full customization for pre-construction buyers. Pre-construction pricing starts in the mid-$2-millions. Sales contracts are being accepted.

Situated on a 1.18-acre site that encompasses the entire southern tip of the interior point of Golden Gate Point, one of downtown Sarasota’s most cherished historic locations, The Owen’s contemporary design will be awash in the neutral tones of the shore with gentle curves suggestive of its 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. The peninsula’s smart, relaxed personality is distinctive and perfectly suited to a luxury lifestyle. Urban dwellers appreciate Golden Gate Point’s easy access by foot, bike, car, or trolly to St. Armand’s Circle, the beaches, and the shopping, dining, and gallery venues that continue to proliferate in the Sarasota downtown district.

Designed to provide the ultimate in both comfort and functionality, The Owen’s four three bedroom, three and a half bath open concept floor plans range from 2,200 to 3,000 square feet under air plus a balcony with a gas grill. Three of the plans also include a study. The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath 01-residences epitomize Ronto’s commitment to creating a luxurious lifestyle. At just over 2,500 square feet under air, the 01 floor plan offers a southern exposure that wraps the southeast perimeter of Golden Gate Point. The residences will showcase a stylish private elevator lobby that will serve as a pleasing welcoming space. Inside, an entry foyer will lead to a spacious island kitchen and a flowing great room and dining area that opens to a 198 square foot covered balcony with glass railings and a built-in stainless-steel Artisan Professional Series grill. Expansive impact-resistant doors and tall windows, along with ten-foot ceilings, except where dropped, will bathe the living areas with natural light. The glass will capture extraordinary water views from the main living areas and the owners’ suite. The kitchen’s oversized 10-foot island will be perfect for entertaining and meal preparation. Standard kitchen appliances will include a SubZero side-by-side panel ready refrigerator/freezer with an internal dispenser. A Wolf single wall oven, a transitional five-burner gas range top, a vented exhaust cooktop wall hood, a wall microwave, and a Bosch panel ready dishwasher will also be included. A designer collection of flat panel or shaker style Miralis cabinets in a wide assortment of colors are available. Quartz countertops are also available. A Blanco Quatras stainless steel super single bowl undermount kitchen sink will be equipped with a House of Rohl pulldown faucet. The residences will also feature recessed LED lighting in the kitchen, hallways, and baths per plan. Typical 01 residences are pre-construction priced from $2,565,000 to $3,610,000.

The Owen Golden Gate Point’s resort-style amenities and public areas have been designed by Riley Interior Design Principal Carrie L. Riley, ASID. Secured building access and semi-private elevators with controlled access will provide a welcomed sense of privacy. Owners and their guests will be greeted in the building’s two-story rotunda lobby. The lobby/amenity level will feature a club room with seating and a bar. A fitness center will offer state-of-the-art equipment, and men’s and women’s locker rooms. A massage suite will allow residents to in-

vite their favorite massage therapist to provide an on-site session. The fitness center will also include a stretching/ yoga area, a steam room, and a spa. Residents may also invite personal trainers to work with them within the fitness center. Social seating and an indoor/outdoor bar will be featured in a game room outfitted with table and arcade games. Zoom rooms, work from home station areas, and a board/conference room will also be included. Secure parking under the building with two spaces per residence, one pre-wired for a 40-amp power outlet for electric vehicle charging using the vehicle owner’s charger, and climate-controlled resident storage rooms are also included.

An infinity edge saltwater pool will be the centerpiece of The Owen Golden Gate Point’s expansive landscaped outdoor amenity deck.

Storms are coming, says Climate Adaptation Center

The Climate Adaptation Center offered a forecast of 24 named storms during its Hurricane Day.

Multiple attendees at the Hurricane Day event by the Climate Adaptation Center on April 4 came away feeling concerned about the increasingly significant annual forecasts but also armed with knowledge.

This year’s CAC forecast predicts a total of 24 named storms, 12 hurricanes and six major hurricanes. It is the earliest forecast in the nation, according to Bob Bunting, CEO and chair of the center.

“People have no idea of the magnitude of what’s happening,” said Charlotte Tomaino, who has attended CAC forecasts for four years.

“Until you come to something like this, and you begin to realize the vulnerability you have, you just ignore it, and you can’t ignore it. … It continues to grow every year.”

Held on the campus of USF Sarasota-Manatee, the event also featured speeches by Ric Kearbey, the Climate Adaptation Center’s senior scientist, who discussed the lessons of the three recent hurricanes with “I” names, Irma, Ian and Idalia, to impact the area; Tom Lewis, president of Tidal Basin Inc., who spoke on how to lower risks to infrastructure; and Guillermo Franco, of Guy Carpenter reinsurance firm, who discussed innovations in insurance in response to climate change.

Bunting creates the center’s forecasts, drawing from the input of colleagues and his decades of experience in atmospheric science. He said this year’s conditions are conducive to the formation of hurricanes, citing factors like warm water, low wind shear resulting from La Niña and abundant midlevel atmospheric moisture.

“We’re going to have a lot of hurricanes traversing the Atlantic into the Gulf, a busy year in the Gulf of Mexico.”

— Bob Bunting, CEO Climate Adaptation Center

A TIME TO PREPARE

Bunting indicated to audiences the full set of 21 hurricane names ending in “William.”

“I think we’re going to use all of these up,” he said, stating that names would have to be drawn from the backup list.

The record-setting hurricane season was 2020, when 30 named storms ran through both alphabets.

ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

This year, Bunting predicts slightly fewer storms but emphasized that he forecasts a year that will be to the higher side, with the chances of an impact from a major storm in the region being about twice that of last year.

Although August, September and October are typically the months of major hurricanes, he predicts these storms will occur earlier, in July. Bunting even said it was possible for a hurricane to form in the present conditions, prior to hurricane

Source: Climate Adaptation Center

season.

“These are the warmest temperatures I’ve ever seen in my entire career, and this is early in the season,” Bunting said, noting that the Gulf saw 100-degree water temperatures during the summertime for the first time in 2023.

He offered a breakdown of many of the graphs for each month of the forecast.

In May, hurricanes might be forming, with a hint that one could form in the south Caribbean and head toward

Florida. In June, a swath of moisture from Africa to the Caribbean might serve as a potential storm track about two months earlier than that type of structure is normally observed. July looks to be a major month for hurricanes forming off Africa, with a hint of storms traveling up the U.S. east coast, and August does not appear better.

Bunting called September “a very strong hit.”

“We’re going to have a lot of hurricanes traversing the Atlantic into the Gulf, a busy year in the Gulf of Mexico,” he said.

For October, Hurricane activity is predicted over Florida, with a shift toward Caribbean storms due to lots of moisture and some dry air.

However, if all goes well, Sarasota may enjoy a pleasant winter with little rainfall.

The event emphasized the importance of preparation, and Bunting urged the audience to not procrastinate when it comes to planning for a storm.

He said residents should know factors like their flood zone, the hotel they would stay in and the parking garage where they would leave their car in, as well as make sure their insurance is up to date and go on a staycation instead of awaiting evacuation orders as a storm arrives.

“One of the most vulnerable coastlines in the world is right here because we have such a shallow continental shelf, and even an inch goes inland a lot further than it does on the east coast,” he said.

Despite their concerns about the upcoming season, attendees complimented the event.

“I think this was so informative and so instructive, not just to frighten people, but to give people information, and that’s really what counts, and that is so important,” said Karen Holbrook, regional chancellor at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus.

She called the experience inclusive of the audience and the tools they will need.

Ian Swaby Tom Lewis delivers his speech on how to lower risks to infrastructure.

File photo A building on 10th Street collapsed during Hurricane Ian in 2022.

did

incident report explain his relationship to either the mother or daughter. Learning that the woman was at a nearby store, an officer paid her a visit, reporting that she appeared to be inebriated. The subject advised that she had arrived at the complainant’s home to watch her child but, because she did not have a key, she began tapping on the window with palm of her hand. She said she must have struck the window too hard, causing it to break. Because the damage was unintentional, the subject was not charged with criminal mischief.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

MIGHT AS WELL JUMP

10:09 p.m., 1500 block of Main Street

Disturbance: Two men described as transients told an officer they were only having fun while responding to a call from a woman who said she was attacked by the men. According to the incident report, they said they were merely amusing themselves by “jumpscaring” passersby. Their method of jumpscaring not described, a jumpscare is a technique used in filming movies intended to shock and frighten viewers in such a way they suddenly jump in fright. The woman said she was not touched by the assailants. An officer made contact with the pranksters who conceded that they were “playing around and scaring people as a joke,” according to the report. They said they did not think that their actions would result in a law enforcement response and promised to stop and left the area.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31

GET OFF MY LAWN!

1:40 p.m. 1100 block of Florida Avenue

MONDAY, APRIL 1

SLASHED ALL FOUR TIRES

8:05 a.m., 900 block of University

Parkway Property damage: A man told police that while he slept in his hotel room, the license plate was stolen from his rental vehicle and all four tires were slashed and flattened. The complainant said the incident occurred sometime between 4 p.m. the day before and 8 a.m. that morning.

A review of video surveillance revealed that at approximately 10:24 p.m., a male subject with a white towel over his head and dark clothing approached the vehicle and removed the plate.

The report does not specify whether that same subject punctured the tires. The victim was provided a victim’s rights brochure to present to the rental car company.

Dispute: A woman called law enforcement after she and a neighbor engaged in a verbal dispute, during which time her child was the recipient of a racial epithet. The complainant said one of her children was outside speaking to a different neighbor, then proceeded to enter another neighbor’s front yard, setting off the kerfuffle. The complaint said the subject yelled, “Get your white trash kid off my property!” That begat an exchange of unpleasantries after which the complainant claimed, after she complied with the woman’s demand and walked with her child toward her own house, that she felt threatened because the subject followed her closely.

An officer spoke with the subject who admitted telling the complainant to extract her child from the yard, but denied following her to her house. Another neighbor confirmed the veracity of the subject’s version of events. Both women were advised to stay away from each other and to avoid further confrontation.

SPORTS

Fast Break

Cardinal Mooney High senior football quarterback Michael Valentino announced his commitment to Furman University on April 8. In 10 games in 2023, Valentino threw for 968 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions, while running for 432 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Cougars win the FHSAA Class 1S state championship.

… Former Sarasota High outfielder Vaun Brown, currently playing for the AA-level Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants), had a home run and three RBIs in his 2024 debut, a 5-4 loss to the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) on April 5.

Cardinal Mooney High senior girls track and field runner Addison Dempsey won the 3,200-meter run (10:31.97) at the IMG Academy Invitational, held April 5-6. Dempsey’s time is the fastest in Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A as of April 9. Dempsey also owns the 11th-fastest time in the class in the 1,600-meter run (5:13.25).

Sarasota High senior boys weightlifter Mark Monchecourt won the 219-pound weight class of the FHSAA Class 3A Region 3 meet, held April 6 at Bartow High. Monchecourt lifted a combined 720 pounds in the Traditional scoring and 565 pounds in the Olympic scoring, topping the weight class in both. Monchecourt’s Traditional score was the best of any weight class at the meet.

Sarasota High girls lacrosse junior Ava Kozicky had four goals and three assists in the Sailors’ 15-8 win over Bradenton Christian School on April 5. Kozicky has 67 goals and 27 assists in 2024. The Sailors are 7-6 as of April 9.

“I think it is fun to see how defense can translate to offense. If there’s a turnover and we pass it up the field and get a goal, that’s cool.”

— Susan Lowther, senior, Riverview High lacrosse. SEE PAGE 19A

DESTINATION PARIS, BY WAY OF SARASOTA

The Olympic Team Trials was held in Sarasota April 4-7 in preparation for this summer’s Olympic Games.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

As she wrapped the American flag around herself and teammate Azja Czajkowski after qualifying April 7 for the 2024 Paris Olympics, U.S. rower Jessica Thoennes released a stream of tears.

The power of her emotions might not have been expected, considering Thoennes has done it all before, qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s eight.

That 2020 boat went on to finish fourth in Tokyo (6:02.78), missing the podium by 1.57 seconds. Just being there was a lifelong dream for Thoennes, but that doesn’t mean qualifying for Paris in the women’s pair boat isn’t just as overwhelming. Thoennes celebrated on a Nathan Benderson Park dock after she combined with Czajkowski to earn the bid with a 7:37.62 victory in Sarasota. “I love rowing,” Thoennes said. “I was a walk-on (at the University of Washington). I came late to the game. I’m still so in love with the sport, and I’m having fun. I’m going to keep going and doing my best and working hard. Days like today, that is why.”

Thoennes and Czajkowski were two of five U.S. rowers to punch their tickets to Paris at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials, which ran April 4-7. Oliver Bub and Billy Bender earned a U.S. Olympic berth in the men’s pair, winning the event in 6:54.64, while Kara Kohler won the women’s single sculls in 8:04.01.

Those five earned spots in Paris because the U.S. team pre-qualified boats to the Olympics in their events at previous regattas. The rest of the winners at the Trials will have a final opportunity to earn a sport in the Games at a second-chance qualifier in Lucerne, Switzerland, in May.

Race well there, and those rowers will have a chance to feel the elation Bub and Bender felt after they won the men’s pair.

It will be both rowers’ first time at the Olympics. Both also have ties to Dartmouth College because Bender

is a senior there, and Bub graduated in 2020. Bub has spent the past four years preparing for a run toward the Paris Games. He said his parents both rowed at Boston University and were friends with several Olympic athletes. As a result, Bub said, he hung out with them too, and in the process, learned what this level of the sport required. “It takes a lot of guts to revolve your life around a six-minute race,” Bub said.

If they had failed at the trials, and all the work Bub had done in the last four years to reach the Olympics would have been in vain. Bub did not fail. He and Bender won the event by 2.73 seconds, definitively outpacing the rest of the field. For Bender, devoting himself to training this spring and going to Paris this summer will mean he has to return to Dartmouth for another semester instead of graduating like many of his friends. The campus will feel empty without them, Bender said. Not many experiences would make up for a delay in graduation — but the Olympics are one of them. “This is pretty cool,” Bender said with a laugh. “I think it’s worth doing.”

Kohler will be going to her third Olympic games. She was part of the bronze medal-winning women’s quad sculls at the 2012 Games, then qualified in a single sculls for the 2020 Tokyo Games and finished ninth. Kohler was just as enthused by her qualification this time. As she crossed the finish line, she slapped the lake’s water with her left hand and let out a yell of excitement. Kohler is hoping her third Olympics will be the charm that returns

her to the medal stand, though she knows from previous experience that the single sculls competition will be fierce. “(Once you’re there), it doesn’t matter who anybody is,” Kohler said. “You just have to go and give it your best shot and not be intimidated or distracted. There are a lot of distractions at the Olympics. It’s a big show. But I want to go there and perform.” Kohler gave kudos to Benderson

Park for how it handled the team’s training needs over the winter. Kohler said the park’s new tent, where boats can be stored and athletes can conduct indoor training, was especially welcome and enhanced the experience.

Making the physical prep as streamlined as possible is a boon to rowers, as the mental side of the sport is difficult enough to navigate.

Thoennes and Czajkowski were both cut from the U.S. Olympic Selection Camp in March, meaning they were not selected for the women’s eight or women’s four. Instead of packing up and going home, the two rowers decided to team together for a shot at the women’s pair. They had a week-and-a-half to develop a rowing cadence that works and generally creates chemistry. The mad scramble worked as the two won the women’s pair finals by 7.64 seconds.

“It was tough to go from Selection Camp to this smaller boat,” Czajkowski said. “We just kept our mindset positive. We had so much trust in each other and in what we can do together. It feels good to take a step forward.” The next step? The Paris Olympics.

Ryan Kohn Cardinal Mooney senior quarterback Michael Valentino dashes upfield.

Oliver Bub pumps his fist after he and Billy Bender won the men’s pair at the U.S. Rowing Olympic Team Trials to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Jessica Thoennes and Azja Czajkowski won the women’s pair at the U.S. Rowing Olympic Team Trials to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics (7:37.62). The trials were held at Nathan Benderson Park.

PROSE

Sarasota skater gets ‘Spotlight’ treatment

The film, which follows the life of Jake Ilardi, came largely from video shot by his brother, Nate.

Growing up, Jake Ilardi would skateboard everywhere, doing trick after trick to get them perfect. The rails and ramps of Sarasota’s Payne Skate Park became a second home.  Skating behind him would be his brother, Nate Ilardi, a digital camera in hand, getting in position to capture the perfect shot.

As they grew up, the brothers were inseparable. Each was getting better at their respective crafts. As a result, Nate accumulated hundreds of hours of footage capturing Jake’s talent, as well as his everyday life in Sarasota and, eventually, traveling the country and the world.

When Jake officially qualified for the Tokyo Olympics following the 2021 Worldskate Street Skateboarding Championships in Rome, Nate was hit with a bolt of inspiration. Nate called friend and filmmaker Liam Jordan about putting together a documentary about Jake using the archival footage he had taken over the years. He then followed Jake around for “18 or 20 months” to get additional footage, capturing the end of Jake’s Olympic saga.

Three years later, that documentary is ready to be seen by the world.

“Into the Spotlight: The Jake Ilardi Story” had its public premiere on April 8 at the Sarasota Film Festival, which followed a private screening for friends and family in February.

The film covers the Ilardi brothers’ upbringing in the Sarasota area and Jake Ilardi’s journey to Olympic qualification (and beyond), but it also touches on the wear and tear Payne Skate Park has undergone

and the initiatives Jake has spearheaded to improve it, as well as the culture of skateboarding in general.

One memorable scene involves Jake getting his first professional skateboard deck; another involves Jake trying to grind a long rail outside a hotel and getting ordered to leave by a security guard — but not before fist-bumping the guard as a thank you for giving him one last attempt, which he nailed.

In other scenes, Jake isn’t on a board at all, like when he and his friends construct a wooden table for Payne Skate Park or patch up cracks in the park’s pavement by hand. Other times, he’s getting treatment from a trainer, prepar-

ing for another set of high-impact bails.

Nate said selecting the exact footage to use was the most difficult part of the process, simply because there was so much of it available. The filmmaking team hired editor Rick Ives, who has worked on several Marvel projects among others, to help with the process, giving him notes along the way. Both brothers said they wanted the film to be suitable for a general audience, not just skateboarding fans. The film takes time to explain the Olympic qualification process with on-screen descriptions. It also avoids overusing skate jargon, letting the visuals of the tricks on

display tell the story. There are no fancy directorial flares here; Ives, Jordan and Nate Ilardi provide a straight-ahead, lo-fi experience that pairs well with the sport’s DIY attitude.

“It was nice, actually, to have an editor that didn’t understand skateboarding at all,” Nate said. “It made the lens of the film one where anyone can watch it and resonate with it.”

While the Sarasota Film Festival showing was the only local showing officially scheduled, the brothers said they would like to hold another in the future.

The care that Jake shows for Payne Skate Park is not just for show. It is a cause he cares about, for it is the place he fell in love with the sport that has given him these experiences.

Jake and his friends have started a nonprofit called Skate City SRQ to keep the park renovated while also creating more places for people to skate within the city. In January, the group added a new grind rail to the park’s street section.

In a post on the group’s ongoing GoFundMe for Payne Park additions, Skate City SRQ said that a “slappy curb,” or a low curb that skaters can grind without an ollie (a jump), was next on the to-do list.

Now 27, Jake has seen the sport take off in Sarasota since he first got his board. Some of the kids he skated with have since stopped and picked up other hobbies — or have had life and responsibilities get in the way. But all that means, Jake said, is that it’s time for the next generation of skaters to make a name for itself.

“There are a lot more skaters now,” Jake said. “If you go to Payne on a Friday night, I mean, I’ve seen 100 kids there. It’s cool to see the park alive and well.”  Jake has been working on reno-

vating Payne Skate Park while preparing for another run to the Paris Olympics this summer.

Currently, Jake is No. 31 overall in the men’s street World Skateboarding Rankings and No. 6 in the United States. That would not be enough to get to Paris, but the two-part Olympic Qualifier Series — which will feature the qualifying competitions for skateboarding, sport climbing, BMX freestyle and breaking, all in the same place —  can change things. It will begin with a May 16-19 event in Shanghai before finishing in Budapest on June 20-23.

Jake may be finding a groove at the right time. He finished third in the street division of the 2024 Tampa Pro, held April 6-7, against some of the sport’s biggest names.

Whether Jake ultimately reaches Paris or not, he’s going for it, just like he put all of himself into reaching Tokyo and continues to pour time and effort into growing the skating community in Sarasota.

Jake Ilardi does not do anything at half-effort.

That’s what he and Nate hope people take from “Into the Spotlight:” If you give all of yourself, you can do amazing things.

“Taste your dreams,” Jake said. “And dream big.”  More information on the film can be found at IntoTheSpotlightMovie. com.

File image

Jake Ilardi represented the United States in Street Skateboarding at the Tokyo Olympics.

Susan Lowther is a senior on the Riverview High girls lacrosse team. Lowther, a Clemson University commit, has 81 goals and 42 assists in 2024, totaling 123 points in 14 games (8.8 points per game). According to MaxPreps statistics, Lowther is fourth in the United States in points and eighth in goals as of April 9. The Rams are 9-5 entering the postseason.

When did you start playing lacrosse?

Susan Lowther ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

I started when I was in third or fourth grade. My neighbor played with our local rec league, the Sarasota Seahawks. I started playing with her. There was a steep learning curve because of the (lacrosse) stick. It’s weird to catch and to throw with it at first. It took me a year or so to even start doing that well.

What is the appeal to you now?

I think it is fun to see how defense can translate to offense. If there’s a turnover and we pass it up the field and get a goal, that’s cool. There are a lot of diverse positions and you can get creative in how you play.

What is your best skill?

I’m confident defensively when one on one. I think it is the same offensively. I just handle a one-on-one situation well.

What have you been working to improve?

My mindset, just being patient and calm. I think a lot of the time I can get in my own head. I have tried to stay more calm this year.

Why did you commit to Clemson?

It’s gorgeous. There’s a lake right by the field. The coaches are amazing. It’s a great program. And it’s new, so they have new facilities and they’re starting to get going. I want to be a part of building up a good program.

What can Riverview do to find success in the postseason? For us, it is about playing

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.

a full game. Sometimes we will have these moments of greatness. Maybe one game we will be great offensively, then the next we will do well defensively. If we can put that all together, we should be able to make a run.

What is your favorite TV show?

I’m watching “Lost” right now, and I think that is going to end up my favorite show. But I also like “Breaking Bad.”

What is the best advice you have received?

Slow yourself down, especially when you get into the big moments of a game. I can get stressed or want to overcomplicate things. If I slow down and collect myself, I feel like the game gets so much easier.

Finish this sentence: “Susan Lowther is …” … Driven. When I put my mind to something, I get it done.

For the seven Sarasota nonprofits in attendance, the biggest gift of the Giving Challenge at The Bay was the chance to engage with the public, said Park Guest Experience Director Diana Shaheen.

The nonprofits, all of them partners of the Bay Park Conservancy, had the opportunity to spend a portion of the Giving Challenge, an online giving event by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, amid the activity at the park on April 9. The challenge benefits more than 700 nonprofits across four counties, with The Patterson Foundation matching donations from $25-$100.

Held April 9 and 10, the event featured offerings including performances by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Shindig and an informal cornhole competition by Operation Warrior Resolution. It also featured events like a live shark survey streaming by Minorities in Shark Sciences.

Kendra Simpkins, founder and CEO of Operation Warrior Resolution, said she was grateful. “It’s a really exciting opportunity

to be a part of (the event) and to raise money, but also to raise awareness in the community, to get people excited about giving, because we have such a philanthropic community and people who wouldn’t normally be donating, are donating, which is really exciting.”

“It was fantastic,” said attendee Kim Lacy following the performance by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. “The talent was phenomenal and the Giving Challenge is a wonderful event.”

— IAN SWABY

The stage’s the thing

‘Romeo and Juliet’ by FSU/Asolo Conservatory uses a set based on a traditional Elizabethan stage.

In Shakespeare’s England, audiences who attended the theater included the rich and poor alike.

Those with the cheapest admission would stand on the lower level for the duration of the play, while others enjoyed seats, like those in more comfortable upper levels.  With so many viewers stacked vertically atop one another, it was only fitting that the stage would consist of multiple levels, giving everyone a view of the action, according to Jonathan Epstein, director of the currently running “Romeo and Juliet” production by Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.

Epstein believes audiences will see the difference that comes with the new Elizabethan era-style set funded by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.

It exemplifies how Shakespeare’s plays were written to be performed, said Epstein, who brings 25 years of experience as an actor, director and teacher with Shakespeare & Co. in Lenox, Massachusetts.

That isn’t to say that everything about the new “Romeo and Juliet,” starring Caitlin Rose as Romeo and Ashley McCauley Moore as Juliet, remains unchanged from the world of Shakespeare’s England. While women never acted onstage during Shakespeare’s lifetime, the play uses cross-gender casting, including the role of Romeo, but the

IF YOU GO

“Romeo and Juliet.” 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Tuesdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through April 28, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail. To purchase tickets visit AsoloRep.org.

set still takes audiences back in time.

STAGE SET

Transporting the audience to Elizabethan England required a little creative license.

In Shakespeare’s time, Epstein said, theaters were built without a proper architectural plan, with the only surviving drawing of a theater interior being one of the Swan Theatre.  “We know what the outsides looked like, but we don’t really have an exact idea of what the insides

looked like,” he said.

In fact, according to Epstein, the lack of planning was responsible for a flaw in the design of Shakespeare’s original stage at The Rose, which had its 13 sides assembled asymmetrically.

Nonetheless, the set features some well-known components from Shakespeare’s time, including an “above,” or a balcony area with its own entrance, as well as a “below,” or the space underneath the balcony.

Another feature Epstein calls Elizabethan is the stage’s ornate decorations, a design choice made by Technical Director Chris McVicker, who chose to implement columns and other elements.

Although creating an exact replica of the setup of an Elizabethan theater, like the Globe Theatre, would require the seats to encircle the stage, Epstein plans to seek funding for additional seats next year.

Indeed, the stage isn’t going anywhere, for it can be taken down, stored, reinstalled, adapted and moved. For instance, in other productions that do not involve the current play’s sword fighting, it could be brought even closer to the audience.

The small nature of the theater still means swords will be swinging five

feet from the closest audience members in “Romeo and Juliet.” That spatial relationship creates a more intimate experience between the actors and the audience, according to Epstein.

Describing the role of an actor, he said, “It’s as if rather than my talking to them, it’s almost as if I’m getting the thought from them, and that different way of thinking about it creates a different experience for the audience. They feel much more included.”

At the same time, the audience has the chance to experience the character’s point of view, like when it comes to the iconic scene of Romeo standing beneath the balcony.

“You’re having the experience that Romeo has, which is looking up at a young woman who’s talking about being in love,” he said.

He believes he has found something special in the current troupe of actors, including the leads Rose and Moore.

“This particular group is extraordinarily strong, so that’s really nice for me, because I can ask them to do things I wouldn’t normally be able to ask student actors to do, even elite student actors. I have really, I think, the nicest Romeo and Juliet pair I’ve ever seen. They have wonderful chemistry with each other.”

Not only does Rose make herself look like a 15-year-old boy, but she also conveys the emotion of her role, as does the rest of the cast, he said.

“They’re able to be having a laughing moment, and then a weeping moment very fast, faster than I could, and so that means that the youthful volatility of the characters really comes through,” he said.

This version of “Romeo and Juliet” doesn’t shy away from the less romantic sides of the play, such as its violence. Epstein cautions parents against bringing young children due to the intensity of some scenes, like scenes of domestic violence involving Juliet and her parents.  At other times, the material can even be silly.

During the play’s first fight scene, for instance, the nurse emerges onto the balcony, a bomb in hand, ready to drop it down below.

“It’s mostly period but every so often, it’s nice to have something that isn’t period,” he said.

Ian Swaby Technical Director Chris McVicker and Director Jonathan Epstein

Courtesy image Caitlin Rose (Romeo) and Ashley McCauley Moore (Juliet)

Creativity revs up at Fab Lab

races were also guided by 14 high school student volunteers who contributed more than 1,000 hours to the project.

The event tested the skills of students with both drag races and obstacle track races while also offering classic carnival games and a lineup of local food trucks.

“It was a good way to challenge our abilities,” said Grayson Dunk, an eighth grader at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences. “We learned to work together as a team. We learned to be stronger. We’re better as a team than standing alone.”

— IAN SWABY

JD Loeffel, a fourth grade homeschooler, and Layla Loeffel, a sixth grade homeschooler, prepare to race a vehicle as The Carnival Crushers.

A car designed by the Street Racers makes a jump. The team was Robert Wagner and William Murchie, first graders at Phillippi Shores Elementary, and Sage Gilliland, a first grader at Bay Haven School of Basics Plus.

Brody Scheckner, a fifth grader at Pine View School, and Clara Tohumcu, a fourth grader at Pine View School, of the team Cool Kidz. Photos by Ian Swaby

The race track provided a carnival scene complete with popcorn, cotton candy, a pool of rubber ducks and more.

Open house of history

There is one requirement to join Daughters of the American Revolution: be a descendant of a person who supported the American Revolution.

However, the doors of the Sarasota chapter’s historic home were open to all during the Sara De Soto Daughters of the American Revolution Centennial Open House Extravaganza on April 6.

Event Chair Peggy Torgerson said the occasion provided an opportunity to create awareness of history and the three organizations comprising descendants from the Revolutionary War, which also include “Sons” and “Children” organizations.

The event kicks off a series of DAR events honoring the semiquincentennial anniversary of the United States in 2026.

Some of its offerings included a genealogy workshop, local authors, vendor sales, tours of the Whitaker Cemetery, a tea table and a silent auction.

“There are a whole lot of people that have Revolutionary War blood in their tree that they don’t know about,” said member Holly Pisaturo.

— IAN SWABY

Chloe Westerberg, 6, delivers sweets from the tea table to her grandmother, Deborah Thomas, who is staffing a DAR table.

Wallace Hoppe, who played the role of an apothecary, demonstrates pill rolling, a technique used in the past to split material into pills.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution members gather outside the Crocker Memorial Church.

Gone with the wind

TProgram Administrator Krystal Sullivan said children from across Florida train for the weekend starting the previous summer; 215 sailors registered for this year’s regatta.

Sailors have been training in one of three types of sailboats. Optimus sailboats are usually for sailors 7 to 12 years old. Laser sailboats are usually for sailors 13 to 18 years old, and 420 sailboats are for a two-person team, with sailors 14 to 18 years old.

This will be Sullivan’s third year working at SailFest. She said her sons have been sailing with SYS since they were 10 years old. Their love for the sport fueled her passion for volunteering for the organization.

“Getting the kids on the water is the best part,” said Sullivan. “These kids have been training for a while now and for a lot of them, it is their first race. Seeing the smile on their face when they are doing what they love and feeling accomplished makes it all worth it.”

— PETRA RIVERA

SAILFEST REGATTA RESULTS

OPTIMIST GREEN

1. Asher Bartning, Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami

2. Wenceslao Raspo, Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami

3. James Summerour, Sarasota

Yacht Club

OPTIMIST

1. Benjamin Dreyfuss, Sarasota

Yacht Club

2. Eddie Miersch, Sarasota

Yacht Club

3. Briggs Kossmann, Sopraventus Yacht Club in Tampa

ILCA 6 (LASER)

1. Alvington Mckenzie, Sarasota

Yacht Club

2. Ryder Ellis, St. Petersburg

Yacht Club

3. Jan Mistak, St. Petersburg

Yacht Club ILCA 4 (LASER)

1. John Hartney, St. Petersburg

Yacht Club

2. Finnegan Cox, St. Petersburg

Yacht Club

3. Reese Ellis, St. Petersburg

Yacht Club

420

1. Jason Folvig and Ava Cohen, Davis Island Yacht Club

2. Curt Wheeler and Brynn DeJongh, Sarasota Yacht Club

3. Matthew Ray and Jade Campbell, Sarasota Yacht Club

Photos by Petra Rivera Optimist Green boats take part in the 36th annual SailFest Regatta, which drew 215 young sailors.

Eliott Kamenev of Sarasota Sailing Squadron

Natalie Hoffman and Dylan Lopez of Sarasota Youth Sailing

Megan Howell, CEO of Second Heart Homes, said the Better Together Block Party by Gulf Coast Community Foundation proved true to its name.

At the event, which was held April 4, she found attendees were joining together effortlessly for the origami activity she oversaw at the Health & Human Services table.

Those who had never done origami before quickly became teachers for others, and by the end of the event, she was able to display an origami collage.

“I think it was amazing. I couldn’t have done it without everybody coming by and being curious,” she said. “It was a community effort, and we are better together.”

The collage was just one of the sights at the event, which also featured bubble performers, a butterfly release, live music by Jah Movement and more.

The occasion marked the foundation’s second year of hosting the block partystyle event on State Street, which celebrates the ways community organizations are transforming Sarasota.

— IAN SWABY

Snowden Mowry, 11, paints a “Better Together” mural on the digital graffiti wall. Denise Kowal and Bill Baranowski marvel at the bubbles.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Matt DeMasi, Vince Marino, Sam Jeffcoat, Elizabeth Moore, Dom Marino and Jon Thaxton. Event guests created a stack of over 100 vertical oyster gardens for Oyster Boys Conservation.

ADAM

Ahome in Fiddler Bayou tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Chanel Holdings (Nevis) LLC sold the home at 4300 Higel Ave. to Mitchell Schepps, trustee, of West Palm Beach, for $14,995,000. Built in 2008, it has six bedrooms, six full baths, three half-baths, a pool and 8,623 square feet of living area. It sold for $12 million in 2021.

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA: $7.75 MILLION

Cherokee Lodge

Bradley Ytterberg, trustee, of Sawyer, Michigan, sold the home at 1575 S. Lodge Drive to Jeffrey McMillin and Pamela McMillin, trustees, of Sarasota, for $7.75 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, six-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,495 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,235,000 in 2020.

PALMER RANCH: $1.65 MILLION

Silver Oak Barbara Cording and Malcolm William Cording, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5201 Sand Lake Court to Richard and Cyrille Graves, of Sarasota, for $1.65 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,847 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.07 million in 2014.

Sarasota, for $2.45 million. Built in 2014, it has

BADGER HEIGHTS

M & J Pham Development LLC sold the home at 1886 Bahia Vista St. to Richard DuVal Jr. and Terri Lynn DuVal, of Sarasota, for $2.1 million. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,206 square feet of living area.

HOLIDAY HARBOR

Joi Zarris and Alexander Olympus Zarris sold their home at 7736 Holiday Drive to William Carragher, of Franklin, Massachusetts, for $2,085,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,373 square feet. It sold for $642,000 in 2105.

BAYSO

Kevin and Diane Norberg sold their Unit 1704 condominium at 301 Quay Commons to Robert Charles Brittingham and Alice Wilson Brittingham, of Sarasota, for $1.5 million. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 1,678 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,318,300 in 2023.

ONE HUNDRED CENTRAL

David and Elise Notestein, of Evanston, Illinois, sold their Unit H-710 condominium at 100 Central Ave. to Alan Thomas and KimAnn Thomas, trustees, of Sarasota, for $980,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,725 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2012.

RIVO AT RINGLING

Michael Currey and Barry and Ghislaine Cooper, of Ontario, Canada, sold their Unit PH108 condominium at 1771 Ringling Blvd. to Martin Schram and Sharon Springer and David Schram, of Jamesville, New York, for $870,000. Built in 1006, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $579,700 in 2006.

RUSTIC LODGE Temple Street Partners LLC sold the home at 2437 Temple St. to Ivan Molomut and Bonnie Stein, of Sarasota, for $685,000. Built in 1925, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,336 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2022.

LONG MEADOW

Courtyard Modern Builders LLC sold the home at 2229 Bougainvillea St. to Emily Andari Sawaya and Ronald Andari Sawaya, of Sarasota, for $679,000. Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,419 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2021.

PHILLIPPI LANDINGS

Cristina Weekes, of Irvine, California, sold the Unit 3102 condominium at 5544 Cannes Circle to Ernesto Renda, trustee, of Sarasota, for $650,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,745 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2020.

SOUTH GATE

Carolyn Garvey, of Sarasota, sold her home at 3449 Tanglewood Drive to Karen Jackson, of Sarasota, for $625,000. Built in 1958, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,811 square feet of living area. It sold for $212,000 in 2004.

BAYVIEW Campbell Cottage LLC sold the home at 1704 Wisconsin Lane to Mountain Sands LLC for $545,000. Built in 1959, it has two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths and 700 square feet of living area. It sold for $889,000 in 2022.

BELLEVUE TERRACE

Max Shop LLC sold the home at 3051 Novus St. to David Ray Fisher, of Kinzers, Pennsylvania, for $539,900. Built in 1972, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,092 square feet of living area. It sold for $280,000 in 2022.

BATTLE & TURNERS

Martin and Sarah Parker, of Beaufort, South Carolina, sold their home at 2343 Hillview St. to D. Project USA Inc. for $530,000. Built in 1956, it has two bedrooms, one

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

bath and 1,008 square feet of living area. It sold for $115,700 in 2013.

SIESTA KEY

BAY ISLAND

Douglas and Stephanie Greise, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3650 Flamingo Ave. to Mary Van Winkle, trustee, of Sarasota, for $4.5 million. Built in 2012, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,978 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.26 million in 2019.

OSPREY: $2.3 MILLION

Sunset Place Robert Francois and Linda Kathleene Francois, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 162 Puesta Del Sol 162 Puesta Del Sol to Andrew Rauch and Stacy Moss, of Osprey, for $2.3 million. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,747 square feet of living area. It sold for $1 million in 2013.

NOKOMIS: $1,399,000

Mission Valley Estates Christie and Damon Anderson, of Laurel, sold their home at 411 Percheron Circle to James Robert Carpenter, of Nokomis, for $1,399,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,656 square feet of living area. It sold for $555,000 in 2017.

SPRING HOME SHOW

10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Friday and Saturday) and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd. $10 at door. (Visit website to register for free pass.) Discover a wide selection of home improvement professionals and exhibitors in an interactive environment, whether you are seeking a minor renovation or a major remodel. Visit HomeShowFlorida. com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

HEART TRIBUTE BAND

6-9 p.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Free. Brigade, a seven-piece band, brings you the hits and lesser-known gems of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Heart in a performance led by vocalists Sharon Elizabeth and Adrienne Summerall. Hamlet’s Eatery will be open for dinner. Visit BazaaronApricotandLime.com. POETRY OUT LOUD

1-2 p.m. at Selby Library Conference Room, 1331 First St. Free. Bring a copy of a published poem from a credited book or magazine to read and discuss with a group. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

99 BOTTLES 5TH ANNIVERSARY BLOCK PARTY 4-9 p.m. at 99 Bottles Taproom & Bar, 1445 Second St. Free. A staple of Sarasota’s downtown bar scene celebrates is fifth anniversary with live music, local food trucks, rare beers on draft and the release of two special collaboration beers: a hazy IPA brewed with 3 Sons Brewing Co. and an Imperial Stout brewed with Magnanimous Brewing. One lucky attendee will be the recipient of free beer for the rest of the year. Visit 99Bottles.net.

TOT SHABBAT

10 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road. Free. Toddlers and preschoolers are invited to join together with their grownups at Temple Emanu-El for interactive Passover stories, songs, crafts and Passoverthemed playtime. Registration preferred. Visit SarasotaTemple.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

PAINTING WITH THE POLICE

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 John Rivers St., Sarasota. $10 per person. Enjoy a session of creativity as you become acquainted with officers from the Sarasota Police Department. All supplies (paint, canvas and brushes) will be provided, and you will be able to take home a work of art. To register, stop by the front desk or call 941-263-6562. Visit LetsPlaySarasota.com. BEST BET SATURDAY, APRIL 13

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