Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 6.20.24

Aquaculture Research Park, Pinecraft Park and Myakka River State Park, teaching about the different environments and giving campers the chance to take a soil sample at each location.

“They’re learning how the soils vary around the county,” said Kate Traugott, farm-toschool coordinator for Sarasota County Schools.

Helping hands

Navigating the child welfare system can be challenging, but Sonya Johnson has been helping parents do just that as program coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness Sarasota and Manatee Counties’ Parents for Parents program.

Johnson’s dedication to the cause was recognized recently when she was named 2024 Child Welfare Professional of the Year by the Florida Institute of Child Welfare.

Johnson’s personal experience with the child welfare system gave her a strong desire to help others. She began working at NAMI in 2022 as a peer specialist, where she contributes her skills, expertise and knowledge to help support parents and elevate their voices while they navigate the system.

She is also a member of the Family Safety Alliance and advocates for enhanced human services care systems locally.

JUNE 15

Ian Swaby Zaccheus Weeks and Kate Traugott

WEEK OF JUNE 20, 2024

BY THE NUMBERS

9

5

“People come here because they like the climate and how the state is when it comes to supporting law enforcement. And then of course, who doesn’t like Sarasota?”

SPD recruiter Enrique Nazario. Read more on Page 3A

Tennis shop, lounge opens at Payne Park

Court Thirteen is now open at Payne Park Tennis Center.

No, it is not a 13th tennis court. Rather, Court Thirteen is part pro shop and part lounge for pre- and post-play relaxation.

The pro shop offers all the usual accoutrements expected including equipment such as racquets, tennis bags and apparel for sale. Racquet restringing services are also available.

The lounge offers a café with pre-packaged foods, snacks, water and soft drinks for sale. For adults who enjoy socializing after

a session on the course, a full bar with liquor, beer and wine is available.

Fridays at Court Thirteen feature live music and special events.

An open house was held at the city-owned facility on June 14.

“The upgrades at Payne Park Tennis Center are impressive,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle in a news release.

“Court Thirteen, from the initial concept to the name, originated from our Parks and Recreation Team at Payne Park Tennis Cen-

Funds available for Hurricane Ian repairs

Property owners in Sarasota County whose homes were impacted by Hurricane Ian are invited to apply for the Resilient SRQ Housing Recovery Program.

The county was awarded $201.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program, of which $55 million is allocated to the Housing Recovery Program. Eligible homeowners may apply to receive funds to make repairs or reimbursement for repairs already made.

The program prioritizes low- to moderate-income households earning 80% or less the area median income.

Homeowners can begin the application progress by completing an interest survey at ResilientSRQ. net/Housing-Recovery or by calling 941-861-5309. The survey must be completed to determine eligibility and to receive an invitation to make a full application. Applications will be accepted as long as funding remains available.

Parking changes

Recent City Commission-approved changes to the city’s parking program are scheduled to take effect Monday, July 15.

The changes include: ■ Electric vehicle charging: A $1 per hour fee will begin for the use of electric vehicle charging stations in public parking spaces citywide.

■

ter who saw the need, envisioned the possibilities, and worked hard to make it a reality for the community.”

Other improvements include new fencing around the 12 HarTru clay courts, which allows for the installation of wind screens, a feature not previously available.

Court Thirteen is operated by Tevatan Corp., which also manages another city-owned property, Hart’s Landing, at the eastern base of the John Ringling Causeway.

State of recruitment

Law enforcement veterans say Sarasota is an easy sell when recruiting officers for the SPD.

| STAFF WRITER

WARFIELD

ANDREW

Enrique Nazario and Jack Carter liked working at the Sarasota Police Department so much that both came out of retirement to draw more officers there.

It isn’t a difficult sell, they say. Their job is more about selecting the right candidates than about finding them, thanks to the reputation of Florida as a law enforcement-supporting state and the appeal of Sarasota in particular.

Retired military with lengthy second careers in law enforcement, the two of them know the characteristics they seek in recruits.

Nazario is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army who served on active duty and in the reserves for 32 years. He has also been a federal corrections officer, a trooper for the Indiana State Police and served 22 years at the Orlando Police Department, where he was also a recruiter. He came out of retirement and joined the Sarasota Police Department in 2020 as a recruiter and background investigator.

Carter is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Marine Corps who joined SPD as a police officer in 1999, retiring as a white-collar crime detective in 2013. He then moved to the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs as a claims specialist and designated representative for veterans before the Board of Veteran Appeals, and was also a member of the Women’s Advisory Committee for the Veteran’s Administration.

He returned to SPD in 2017 as a recruiter and background investigator. Both of them specializing in attracting ex-military personnel, Carter and Nazario first crossed paths at a recruiting event at MacDill Air Force Base.

Nazario said finding candidates who want to come to Sarasota is easy. They want to come here for the same reasons he did.

“People come here because they liked the climate and how the state is when it comes to supporting law enforcement,” Nazario said. “And then of course, who doesn’t like Sarasota?”

Of 190 available sworn officer positions, 184 are filled, putting SPD in an enviable position over

many other agencies with whom the pair compete. With so few open positions, low attrition and only a handful of retirements each year, the recruiters have the comparative luxury of strategically selecting the ideal skill set for prospective new officers.

“There are agencies, even in Florida, that are 40 officers down or 60 deputies down; so we get to be choosy,” Nazario said.

A 14-MONTH JOURNEY

From initial interview to swearing in, the process of bringing a recruit to SPD takes more than a year. First is an initial background interview that can occur by phone or, for locals, in person. From there, desirable candidates are instructed to apply via the city’s website, after which they are vetted by city staff to ensure they meet minimum qualifications.

“Then it comes to us,” Carter said.

The next step is a comprehensive application with a third-party vendor and a waiver that allows SPD to begin a background investigation. That is followed by a physical agility test and an appearance before an oral board, which will determine whether a recruit can continue the process.

Those who move on then undergo medical testing, a polygraph and a psychological evaluation, ultimately leading to an interview with Police Chief Rex Troche, who decides whether to extend a conditional offer of employment.

“The process used to take 180 days on average, but we’ve got it down to just under 120 days,” Carter said.

“That’s just because we know what we’re doing, and we have great vendors and municipal employees who support us.”

The next step is five months in police academy — 770 hours of classroom time — at either Sarasota Technical College, Manatee Tech -

nical College or Pinellas Technical College. Then comes another 10 weeks of in-house training.

“Even though they’ve already qualified with weapons and they’ve already done the driving, we do it again here at our standards,” Nazario said.

Finally, they reach the swearing-in ceremony, but they’re still not ready to go solo on the streets.

“After that they go to field training with their new partner, a field training officer, who is evaluating them and training them, and that takes anywhere from three to four months, depending on their level of experience,” Nazario said.

All told, that’s more than 14 months to make a new officer at the Sarasota Police Department.

The cost? That’s nearly $218,000, including a first-year salary of $61,000, benefits, training, service weapon, uniforms and a fresh patrol vehicle — which as an additional benefit they take home provided they live within a 50-mile radius.

STRATEGIC HIRING

Recruiting classes have been as large as 27 — that one was in 2022 after the department was granted 10 additional sworn officer positions.

“We were short about 28 officers on the road that we needed to make up that gap,” Carter said. When he returned to the SPD in 2017, the department hired 17 officers. In April 2024, it welcomed nine new officers, one of them returning to SPD from out of state.

“I came back as the military recruiter, and we started going out and doing career fairs at military installations at Camp Lejeune, at Fort Stewart in Georgia and pretty much anywhere we could,” Carter said. “We did a lot at MacDill to get veterans here on the force, and now we have 30 veterans.”

“We’re both military veterans plus police veterans. We know what it takes to do the job, so what we look at is life experience.”

Jack Carter

That is central to the diversity of skill sets the recruiters seek when reviewing applications. Each class is ideally a combination of relocating experienced officers and rookies.

“We like to say we do strategic hires,” Carter said. “We’ve got somebody who has a master’s degree in forensic psychology, somebody who’s got Child Protection experience before they came there. A.J., who runs our motor section here, was the keeper of all SWAT gear at the Syracuse Police Department. He was a strategic hire.

“We’ve got almost 20% females here. The national average is 12%, and we have a real strong belief that these women bring something special to law enforcement, and all of that helps with every kind of call you can get.”

ALWAYS ON CALL

Carter and Nazario don’t have desk phones, which makes them available for inquiries from potential prospects on their cellphones 24/7.

Very often, those calls are from out of state. Carter said a recent contact came from a northeastern state, the officer explaining he was looking for a warmer climate. Another came from the Florida Keys, that officer saying he was looking to do more with his career than write traffic citations.

Then there was a call from a female officer in San Diego.

“She went to Cardinal Mooney High School and wants to come home to the community she grew up in,” Carter said.

Recruits from out of state — experienced or rookies — are eligible for the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program, which pays $5,000 after taxes to officers, who have not previously worked in law enforcement in the state, after two years of service. Even without the incentive, they likely be calling anyway.

“They’re pretty much coming to us, and they are experienced officers who see that Florida is very prolaw enforcement and they like that because who wants to work with their hands tied?” Nazario said.

“Most of the seasoned ones are coming from out of state.”

Those officers often skip the academy because Florida offers an equivalency training program in which they take a four-day course offered by a local academy and, if they pass the test, become certified, bypassing five months of academy training.

First, though, all of them must pass the Carter-Nazario test.

“We’re both military veterans plus police veterans. We know what it takes to do the job, so what we look at is life experience,” Carter said.

“If you’ve gone to high school and you’ve gone to college and that’s the extent of what you’ve done, you’re not a premier candidate.

“And then we take it a step further because we want maturity.”

Although eligible for the job at age 21, SPD’s ideal youngest recruit is 25.

“We look at age and life experience, but we also look at their communication skills,” Carter said. “We tell them right up front we want people who can sit here and look you in the eye and have a conversation with you.

“First and foremost, we’re looking for problem solvers.”

For the time being at least, six more problem solvers will do.

Photos by Andrew Warfield

Jack Carter (left) and Enrique Nazario lead the officer recruiting efforts of the Sarasota Police Department.

The newest officers of the Sarasota Police Department wait to be sworn in.

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Closing the primary

Write-in candidate for County Commission District 1 makes Aug. 20 election a closed primary.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

The Sarasota Democratic Party is crying foul over what it says is a tactic to lock its party members out of the Sarasota County Commission District 1 primary election on Aug. 20.

Previously, only Republicans Teresa Mast and Alexandra Coe were running for the primary — and effectively the general election win since no Democrats have filed. Then Hope Williams joined the race late as a write-in candidate.

Under Florida statute, if candidates from only one political party file to run for office, then all voters can vote in the universal primary. The addition of Williams to the ballot as an independent makes it a closed primary, locking registered Democrats out of the polls in August.

Williams, the Democratic Party charges in its release, is the 20-yearold daughter of candidate Mast’s campaign manager, Traci Williams.

Responding to a request for comment, Mast said, “Why would I comment on an accusation from the Democratic Party when they, themselves have put write-ins in races around Florida to close primaries?”

Having raised nearly $238,000 in campaign contributions compared to Coe’s nearly $17,000, Mast is the apparent favorite to succeed Mike Moran in District 1. Moran’s second and final term ends this fall, and he has filed to run for Sarasota County Tax Collector.

According to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections website, Williams lists zero dollars in campaign funds.

“Several years ago, the Florida Times-Union labeled them the Mickey Mouse candidates: individuals who abuse Florida’s write-in

loophole,” said Daniel Kuether, chair of the Sarasota County Democratic Party, in a statement issued by the party. “The latest Mickey Mouse candidate in Sarasota County is Hope Williams.”

Kuether characterized Mast as the candidate favored by developers.

Mast is a member of the development community, currently president of the Davin Group, a general contracting company she has managed for more than three decades.

She is a member and former chair of the Sarasota County Planning Commission and spent a decade working in Sarasota County’s Planning and Development Services, Neighborhood Services, and Economic Development.

She is a member of the Building Industry Association board and the founding chair of the Professional Women in Building Council. She has been honored with the Woman of the Year Award from the National Association of Home Builders, and her husband, Jon Mast, has been CEO of the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association since 2015.

“Every election is important, and every vote counts,” said Kuether in the statement. “This loophole needs to be closed once and for all. In the meantime, Democrats are hopeful Republicans will continue to fight back against land overdevelopment in our county and vote on the issue.”

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More affordable housing on the way

Planning Board takes steps toward adding 200-plus low-income housing units.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Two providers of affordable housing have taken regulatory steps toward bringing a net gain of more than 200 low-income apartments to Sarasota following approvals by the Planning Board at its June 12 meeting.

The board approved a three-story, 36-unit expansion of Oakridge Apartments by Sarasota-based One Stop Housing. It also recommended to the Sarasota City Commission that it approve the redevelopment of 64 public housing units into the 144-unit next phase of Amaryllis Park Place by the Sarasota Housing Authority, and a utility easement vacation for the SHA’s Lofts on Lemon II.

It was a study in contrasts as the board reluctantly granted approval of the Oakridge plans, but not without criticism for its motel-like design that matches the existing 120 units, then praising the SHA’s project for the “dignity” it provides its residents.

The Planning Board has approval authority for Oakridge but can only recommend approval to the City Commission for Amaryllis Park Place and the Lofts on Lemon procedural matter. The latter is still under staff review.

The Oakridge Apartments expansion at 4900 N. Tamiami Trail was approved by a 4-1 vote with Chairman Michael Halflants opposed, largely because the new units mirror the outside corridor model of the current building. In addition to Oakridge, One Stop Housing has converted similar structures along

North Tamiami Trail into low-cost apartments.

Halflants said he was “saddened” by the design because it offers no privacy for residents with neighbors walking past windows in the open outdoor corridors.

“It’s clear this is not market rate because if it’s a project that was to go to the market, nobody would want to live there,” said Halflants, himself an architect. “To me it’s like basic decency to provide privacy to the residents … The fact that it’s an addition to a motel doesn’t mean that it has to be designed as a motel again.”

Halflants challenged project architect Leonardo Lunardi — who ironically once worked at the firm of Halflants + Pichette — to choose which of the apartments he would most like to live in. He responded he would select units on one end because of limited resident circulation there.

He also had more to say in response to Halflants’ critique.

“The reason we went with the outside corridor was for two reasons,” he said. “One was to keep in line with existing building that was already there. The other one was because of a comment that came from the (Development Review Committee) for safety and the ability to see people walking around due to specific concerns that were brought up.”

Board member Daniel Clermont, also an architect, said he appreciated Halflants’ comments about the design, but it didn’t outweigh the need for more affordable housing or the willingness for One Stop Housing to provide it.

“For me, it’s not enough to deny

it,” he said.

AMARYLLIS PARK PLACE III

Sarasota Housing Authority plans to demolish 64 existing public housing residences and replace them with three three-story buildings with 144 units that will all be priced affordable for residents at 60% or below area median income.

In place of the aging current structures will be a mix of 30 onebedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 42 three-bedroom apartments.

“These are all affordable units, not attainable, so they’re for the lower income brackets,” said project consultant Joel Friedman. “That’s

important, I think, for the community to understand.”

The consensus among the board was praise for the project, describing the design as providing dignity and a sense of identity for its future residents.

Not related to the site plan, alternate board member Douglas Christy, attending the meeting in place of the absent Daniel Deleo, asked SHA Executive Director William Russell about the displacement of the current residents while the new units are built.

“This is probably the seventh relocation we’ve done, so it’s something we’ve done quite a few times already,”

Beyond First Class™

Russell said, adding that some will move into other newly built public housing developments nearby. “The others all have Section 8 vouchers so they’re in the process of relocating. It’s going to be a three- to four-month process, but some have already found places and moved out. They will continue to have affordable housing.”

In addition, the SHA will cover the cost of moving, utility deposits, security deposits and other relocation-related expenses.

LOFTS ON LEMON II

The board also unanimously recommended approval of a utility easement vacation along Lemon Avenue to allow construction of Lofts on Lemon II, which will include 100 affordable and attainable priced apartments. The project is planned to be built across the parking lot from the first phase of Lofts on Lemon, located along Cohen Way between Boulevard of the Arts and Ninth Street.

The second phase will bring the total number of units at Lofts on Lemon to 220.

In all, the Planning Board considered measures that will eventually bring 226 affordable and attainable rental residences to the city.

COHEN WAY

LEMON AVE.

PROPOSED BUILDING

Courtesy images

A site map shows the current and proposed buildings of Lofts on Lemon.

The open corridor design of the Oakridge Apartments expansion is consistent with the existing buildings.

Ovation addition

Downtown hotel plans expansion to add eight rooms, more rooftop space.

rt Ovation hotel in downtown Sarasota is looking to expand.

The hotel at 1255 N. Palm Ave. has submitted an application for administrative site plan approval to build above existing space at the northwest corner with plans to add eight guest rooms, a 450-squarefoot office space and a covered area with finishing kitchen on the roof. The rooftop covered area is

intended to address complaints of heat in and around the pool deck and outdoor bar.

Attorney Steve Rees Jr., of law firm

Icard Merrill, and other hotel representatives were before the city’s Development Review Committee on Tuesday since much of the discussion with department representatives focused on minor details.

Among the largest issues needing to be resolved was the discovered absence of a recycling plan from when the hotel was built in 2018, as noted by General Manager of Public Services Todd Kucharski.

“Even though you’re just adding an addition, I could not locate any recycling plan that was prepared for this project when it was opened,” Kucharski said.

“How are you handling the recy-

cling? When I was on-site, I noticed cardboard being put into the dumpster for refuse, and that’s a recycled material.”

Kucharski said he also noticed items in the solid waste area that should not be, such as palettes, all requiring a solid waste plan for the existing hotel, much less the addition, to include documentation for any impact the addition will have on the hotel’s refuse and solid waste collection capacity.

The DRC will also require an additional traffic study because one conducted in February included only additional trip generation from the eight new rooms, but not the commercial space.

Although hotel representatives requested a partial sign-off, the outstanding issues will require a resubmittal and at least one more appearance before the DRC before administrative approval can be considered.

ONE PARK WEST

The final project to be built within The Quay did receive partial DRC sign-off on Tuesday. Planned for Block 9, One Park West will be an 18-story, 69-unit condominium tower with 4,406 square feet of commercial on the ground floor. Its sister building, One Park on Block 1 at the corner of Boulevard of the Arts and Quay Commons, received Plan-

ning Board Approval on June 12. (See story on Page 10A.)

One Park West was pared down from its originally planned 75 units, which will be offered at a lower price point than other condo towers in The Quay, starting in the low $1 million range and topping out at about $3 million. By comparison, One Park pricing starts at $3 million-plus to $12.5 million for the highest-priced penthouse.

Both towers are being developed by Property Markets Group of Miami and Sarasota-based MoneyShow.

Designed by Sarasota-based firm Hoyt Architects, One Park West will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, as well as a penthouse collection with sizes ranging from 1,033 to 2,250 square feet.

Once some minor details on site plan drawings and language in the narrative are cleaned up, One Park West can expect full DRC sign-off.

Property Markets Group Managing Partner Dan Kaplan previously told the Observer the developer hopes for a late summer hearing before the Planning Board, which has approval authority for all projects in The Quay.

Meanwhile, construction of One Park is expected to begin in September or October and, once approved, One Park West shortly thereafter.

“Even

though you’re just adding an addition, I could not locate any recycling plan that was prepared for this project when it was opened.”

— Todd Kucharski, general manager of Public Services

A rendering of One Park West

Courtesy images

The drawing shows the proposed expansion of Art Ovation hotel.

For Sarasota school board

After four years of culture wars, the fallout from COVID and changing to a new superintendent, the school board needs stability and consistency.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series of the Observer’s recommendations for the Aug. 20 primary elections in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Whenever the subject of the Sarasota County School Board surfaces in conversation, Sarasotans’ eyes roll. They immediately think of the school board meetings over the past four years, and they can’t help but remark: “What a s--- show.”

It’s embarrassing.

A public blemish that just can’t seem to go away.

Time after time, the parade of activists from the left and right go to the podium to spew their three minutes of hostility, airing their pent-up frustrations, oblivious to the fact they’re adding nothing positive, only digging the hole of hate deeper.

Not helping are two school board members — Bridget Ziegler and Tom Edwards, who stoke the politics and division with their opposite-side activism.

They all trigger that now-famous plea from the 1992 Los Angeles riot peacemaker, Rodney King: “I just want to say, you know, can we, can we all get along?”

All this board meeting rancor and the culture wars that have raged like El Ninos throughout America’s public school systems for the past four years — probably in Sarasota as intensely as anywhere — are ample illustrations of what we have contended all along about public education. Coercive, tax-funded, state-controlled, collectivist, supposed equal education for all inevitably ends up with what we have been witnessing in Sarasota:

Disparate groups of agitators demanding greater shares of limited resources; school board members handcuffed by the rules sent down from Tallahassee and Washington; and school administrators and teachers barraged on all sides — mandates from above, indifferent or overbearing parents and students whose every need is different. It’s a recipe for mediocrity at best. At best.

Even in Sarasota’s highly regarded public schools, only 30% of third graders were reading at grade level not that long ago. Horrendous. But there is good news. Scores actually are on a path of improvement. Third grade reading scores in the past year rose an eye-catching 7%, up 14% if you exclude charter schools. The highly acclaimed work of Superintendent Terry Connor, one year into his job, is fueling turnaround momentum.

The challenge for voters, then, is to select candidates in the Aug. 20 primary and perhaps the November general election who best can keep that going.

In the District 2 race, the winner will be elected. In District 3, if one of the candidates wins 50% or more of the vote, he wins. If not, the top two finishers will face each other in the November election.

The school board races are labeled nonpartisan, but the reality is they are decidedly partisan. The campaign contributors tell the story.

If you peruse the names of contributors to the four candidates running for school board (see box), they clearly break down as follows:

■ District 2: Incumbent Karen Rose has Republican backing, and challenger Liz Barker has Democrat backing.

■ District 3: Incumbent Tom Edwards has Democrat backing, while challenger Gregory Wood has some Republican backing, and Thomas Babicz is struggling with few knowing his great story.

Despite the partisanship, party affiliation should not matter, because here is what the taxpayers need from the school board: stability, consistency, predictability and the purging of politics and chaos.

ELECTION ’24

SARASOTA SCHOOL BOARD

DISTRICT 2

Karen Rose / Liz Barker

With Karen Rose and Robyn Marinelli, Sarasota taxpayers have two board members who have strong, deep-rooted knowledge of the schools, teachers, culture and what works and doesn’t. Combined, they have worked in the district 64 years.

Rose, 72, has had classroom experience as an exceptional student educator; 12 years as a principal of Brookside and Sarasota middle schools; and her last post as executive director of the district’s middle schools for three years. She has a master’s in education with a focus on behavior disorders. And when Rose corners you, her focus is on student performance data.

Altogether, Rose is a trove of historical wisdom, always pushing for improved academic results.

She is one of the board members who became alarmed about the district’s academic direction and led for a change in leadership.

Many district observers believe Rose and her colleagues made a colossal mistake when they dismissed Superintendent Brennan Asplen. But insiders have told us Asplen was not the total all-star as perceived and that the leadership of new Superintendent Terry Connor is shifting the trendline of declining and stagnant academic performance to an upward slope. Effective leaders bring out the best in people.

Even board member Tom Edwards, an ardent supporter of Asplen, acknowledges that Connor is doing an exceptional job.

Then why disrupt that momentum?

It’s irrefutable that whenever any organization makes changes at the top — whether bringing in a new CEO or a new board member intent on effecting change — the result is organizational and personnel disruption. Momentum stops. Months, if not more, go by as everyone tries to adjust. Progress is halted or lost.

Rose’s opponent, first-time candidate and a three-year resident of Sarasota, Liz Barker, wants change. Like everyone else, she wants to rid the board of the political divisiveness.

Barker, 40, is a former school psychologist and mother of four children in Sarasota’s public schools. She would represent the beginning of a generational shift on the school board. She currently is president of the Lakeview Elementary School PTA. Kudos for her involvement.

Indeed, we’ll give credit to anyone willing to enter the arena of elected public service. That takes courage and a passion for wanting to make a difference or right a perceived wrong.

But when Barker talks of ending the politics, how would that happen? She has expressed at public appearances disagreement with the education policies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature. But the fact is, much of the political divisiveness infecting the board has occurred because of the policies adopted in Tallahassee. Local school boards are merely the implementers of the governor and Legislature’s mandates.

Unfortunately, in the case of the Sarasota School Board, as noted above, board members Ziegler and Edwards are political activists who fuel the political discord. Until they are gone (Ziegler’s term ends in 2026.), Barker isn’t likely to make much of a difference. Altogether, Barker is young, unknown and untested. Rose has

BY THE NUMBERS

Here is a summary of campaign contributions as of June 17:

DISTRICT 2

LIZ BARKER

■ Contributions: $172,336

■ # of contributors: 1,200

■ Contributors of $1,000 or more: 45

■ Barker’s personal contributions: $100

KAREN ROSE

■ Contributions: $105,050

■ # of contributors: 188

■ Contributors of $1,000 or more: 56

■ Rose’s personal contributions: $31,637

DISTRICT 3

THOMAS BABICZ

■ Contributions: $13,625

■ # of contributors: 22

■ Contributors of $1,000 or more: 1

■ Babicz’s personal contributions: $12,229

TOM EDWARDS

■ Contributions: $159,562

■ # of contributors: 1,158

■ Contributors of $1,000 or more: 36

■ Edwards’ personal contributions: $100

GREGORY WOOD

■ Contributions: $14,305

■ # of contributors: 61

■ Contributors of $1,000 or more: 2

■ Wood’s personal contributions: $5,414

Source: Sarasota County supervisor of elections

weathered and persevered one of the most difficult periods in board history in the past 30 years. With Superintendent Connor, the board and district are on a positive course. Turnarounds take time and need predictability and consistency. For this seat, stay the course.

We recommend: Karen Rose

District 3

Thomas Babicz / Tom Edwards / Gregory Wood More often than not in politics, name recognition and incumbency carry a candidate to victory.

In that vein, incumbent School Board member Tom Edwards is hoping those two characteristics will carry him to a victory in the primary over his two largely unknown opponents, Thomas Babicz, a retired IT programmer and manager from Venice, and Gregory Wood, a Sarasota Realtor and former head coach of the Sarasota Scullers. Edwards for sure has made a name for himself. Wow, he never holds back. Take your pick of board member comments at school board meetings. For instance, tune in to the end of the May 7 board meeting, where you’ll see an animated and red-faced Edwards — a frequent posture — unloading on his board nemesis, Ziegler, and her Title IX resolution.

If say Ziegler zigs with a politically conservative soliloquy, Edwards is sure to zag with his own disparaging or questioning soliloquy representing the opposite side or different point of view.

You can say that is his role. Often the loser in 4-1 votes, Edwards can be viewed as the devil’s advocate, which, to an extent, can be healthy. Effective boards need directors with different perspectives and ideas — far healthier than having five nodding heads who agree on everything.

What’s more, there is no questioning Edwards’ passion for the school district and his wanting to make it the best in the state. He would cite his advocacy for such programs as pre-K funding, a trades academy at Riverview High School or an AI film lab at Booker High. Edwards, 65, a retired entrepreneur, also brings valuable financial and

business acumen to the board.

But while he often harps on the need to extricate the board from its four years of divisive politics, Edwards contributes to the charged atmosphere. Watch his six-minute speech at the end of the June 4 meeting. Edwards responds to what he called a “divisive hit job that did find its way into my inbox.”

One of the crucial moments in his speech was when he said: “I am not in favor of boys in girls’ restrooms. I am not in favor of boys in girls’ changing rooms.” And he added: “I think that hit job also was to harass and diminish our trans students. So, while I’m on that moment … from my seat on this dais, I wish you all a Happy Pride.”

On observing this, a viewer logically could ask: What did that have to do with advancing the education of Sarasota students? In these frequent moments, Edwards often comes across as an angry man at constant odds with his fellow board members. Strife hangs over the board at every meeting.

Which raises the questions: Is he a help or a hindrance? Would it be better to have one of his opponents fill his slot? Who would be best to further the forward momentum of the district?

Thomas Babicz has a wonderful personal story (see ElectBabicz. com) — how he grew up in Gdansk, Poland, under Soviet communism; how he escaped to West Berlin and eventually made it to the U.S. with $32 in his pocket. He writes that he “survived the first two weeks in America by eating one slice of pizza per day and drinking water from a sink.”

Babicz is a classic story of a penniless immigrant who achieved the American dream — becoming a successful corporate IT manager who, with his wife, raised three children. He says he wants to give back to his adopted country. “He saw how communism in Poland started in the schools there, and he knows how to stop it from spreading and festering here,” says his campaign biography. “It starts with educating our next generation in the Truth.”

Babicz is a wise, calm, thoughtful, talented IT man, but also a political novice and unknown. He has raised $13,625 toward his campaign from 18 contributors, with $12,000 of that amount his own. Odds for victory: a miracle.

For Gregory Wood, the odds are similar. Father of three young children, Wood, 44, has lived in Sarasota five years. He wants to serve and has the demeanor suited to be a calming voice. He ran for the school board in 2022 but dropped out because of an illness in the family.

Like Babicz, Wood has little name recognition and thin experience in Sarasota politics.

As of this week, his campaign contributions totaled $14,795 from 62 contributors and $5,400 of that his own. In his favor, Wood is a member of the Audit Committee for the Republican Party of Sarasota County. With Republicans outnumbering Democrats in Sarasota County 151,497 to 86,162, Wood could have a mathematical chance to reach a runoff in November. In 2020, Edwards won with 53,000 votes. The outcome of this race hinges on voters’ view of Edwards as a contributor or a detractor. Edwards is a supporter of Superintendent Connor, a fiscal conservative and passionate about the district’s schools — attributes that can further forward momentum. But his political activism and tirades are exasperating and unproductive. Put yourself in the shoes of a board member. Which would you rather have for stability moving forward — the novice father-businessman who likely would diffuse the politics or the aggressive devil’s advocate who challenges the establishment? We recommend: Gregory Wood

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Liz Barker

Karen Rose

Tom Edwards

Gregory Wood

Thomas Babicz

n response to Sarasota County School Board Chair Karen Rose’s

My View in the June 6 Observer, as a sitting school board member, I see her explanation of the positive rise in third grade reading scores very differently.

I believe we need to give credit where credit is due.

Battleships don’t turn on a dime, and neither do school districts. The groundwork was laid under Dr. Brennan Asplen, shepherded by our Chief Academic Officer Chris Renoff, delivered by our dedicated teachers and administrators and, this year, enhanced by current Superintendent Terry Connor.

Here are the historical facts:

For several years, the district was like a rudderless ship with superintendents and interim superintendents coming and going. Test scores were static. In 2020, we hired Dr. Brennan Asplen, a highly respected superintendent who came here from the No. 1 district in the state. With his proven record, he delivered a strategic plan heavily concentrated on literacy programming, early learning and career education.

We were on the path to improvement. But we were hit with two unexpected catastrophes: an

epidemic that greatly impacted our students and staff, as well as Hurricane Ian, which resulted in property damage for many families. Subsequently, for the first time in recent history, academic challenges and the human trauma factor caused mental anguish so pervasive that it permeated every classroom in every school.

Add to that, the boardroom began filling with Moms for Liberty activists, whose extremist views on issues like CRT, “Don’t Say Gay,” character education, book banning and masks dominated the public narrative.

Still, Dr. Asplen persevered and created programming strategies to deal with the COVID slide (academic losses students experienced because of the pandemic and remote learning). With his teamoriented style, he motivated teachers to stay focused on the children, many of whom lost at least a year of learning gains and social interactions.

Unfortunately, Dr. Asplen didn’t have the opportunity to see his vision play out because a new school board majority fired him as its first order of business. This brutal termination was opposed by 97% of the respondents to the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association (SCTA) membership survey and by the entire membership of the Coalition of Business Association.   Fortunately, we had the best educators and administrators who knew how to maintain consistency and continue academic advancement as we traversed through another turbulent period under an inexperienced interim superintendent. Adding fuel to the

fire, that interim superintendent unexpectedly eliminated all pre-K classrooms, which were thankfully restored by my pleas to fellow board members.

This brings us to our new superintendent, Mr. Connor, who started last summer. Mr. Connor was my first choice in the superintendent selection process, not only because of his qualifications, but because he supported the important Asplen initiatives.

During his short time here, he has capably driven academic excellence through these tough political times and a highly controversial board member scandal. Additionally, Mr. Connor used his superior expertise and worked magic with our budget to sunset Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding and afford, refine and enhance this quality instructional programming and staffing.

However, the true heroes of the test score improvements are:     The teachers — with their

expertise and passion for students and their educational outcomes.

The administrators — who kept continuity with Dr. Asplen’s plans until Mr. Connor and his team arrived to refine them and add a sense of urgency. The operational staff — who kept the buses running on schedule, fed the students nutritious meals and made sure the learning environments were clean and safe. I am a huge fan of Mr. Connor and fully support revising his contract to a five-year one. It is important to reward him for his great work and ensure that we have long-term continuity in the top leadership role.

From my sightline, Mr. Connor’s team is well on its way to catapulting Sarasota County Public Schools to the highest-ranking district in Florida.

Tom Edwards has served on the Sarasota County School Board since 2020.

TOM EDWARDS

Ian Swaby

School Board mem-

ber Tom Edwards and Superintendent

Terry Connor talk with Bryson Day, a Venice

High School junior who was student representative at an Aug. 15, 2023 meeting.

One Park approved

It’s one down, one to go as the first of two One Park towers is OK’d by the Planning Board.

With unanimous Planning Board approval at its June 12 meeting, the developers of One Park have reached the midpoint of their 18-month, often contentious odyssey for Blocks 1 and 9 in The Quay.

What was originally proposed as a plan for one building on both blocks stretching over Quay Commons above an activated breezeway is now two buildings, the plan retooled following an October 2023 ruling by the 12th Judicial Circuit Court that developer Property Markets Group of Miami and local partner MoneyShow could not acquire the air rights above the street separating the two lots.

One Park will soon be followed before the Planning Board by One Park West, which on Block 9 will offer entry into The Quay at a lower price point. One Park pricing ranges from $3.5 million to $12.5 million. At 18 stories and 69 units, One Park West, also developed by PMG and MoneyShow, will start in the low $1 million to $3 million range.

Plans for One Park call for an 18-story, 86-unit luxury condominium tower at the corner of U.S. 41 and Boulevard of the Arts with 5,071 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

“Reaching this milestone and advancing toward groundbreaking is a testament to the tremendous collaboration between our develop-

ment and design teams alongside the city,” said PMG Managing Partner Dan Kaplan in a statement. “We look forward to the next steps in the construction process and to delivering an incredibly high-quality product to Sarasota, one that will redefine luxury condominium living.”

Unique to One Park within The Quay are four townhomes at street level, which George Scarf, of Hoyt Architect, said provides a softer touch where the building meets the street. Planning Board members agreed.

The One Park plan elicited little discussion by the Planning Board, but member Daniel Clermont said he was disappointed with the amount of commercial space overall in The Quay compared to the entitlement in the development agreement for the 14-acre site with master developer GreenPointe.

That agreement permits up to 695 residential units and 189,000 square feet of commercial space. One Park will bring the total of condos and apartments to 625 and the commercial space to 55,000 square feet with only Block 1 remaining to be approved.

“I’m just a little disappointed that we’re getting only to 55,000 (square feet of commercial), and we only have a building or two left to go,”

Clermont said to Acting Chief Planner Noah Fossick. “What is the city’s feeling, or do you even have a comment about how we might get up to 189,000 because this was supposed to be a living-working area and it’s

more of a living area with a very little bit of retail. How do you feel about that?”

Fossick explained that maximum entitlements are just that, but that general development agreements entitle what could be, not what must be, and that market forces over the years will guide what is eventually built.

The city entered into the general development agreement with GreenPointe in 2016.

“When these larger planned developments come through the initial calculations of units or square feet of commercial, or any kind of square feet of specific uses, is much higher than they could probably ever build out because they’re generally trying to secure entitlements,” Fossick said. “The market has greatly changed in the last eight years. Those are really just maximums and they fit wherever the market allows them.”

Scarf told the Planning Board members that when they later receive the plans for One Park West, they will see an additional 4,500 square feet of street-level commercial directly across the street from One Park’s retail space.

“It will not meet the maximum that was allowed, but it will be some additional,” Scarf said.

Now approved, construction of One Park is expected to begin in September or October.

One Park West is currently before the city’s Development Review Committee, and Kaplan previously told the Observer he hopes that plan will have its hearing before the Planning Board in September.

“Our development team is eager to bring One Park Sarasota into reality,” Kaplan said in a statement. “We are confident One Park will deliver an exceptional community-forward experience to downtown Sarasota upon completion and excitedly look onward toward celebrating breaking ground later this year.”

The One Park towers will join the already-occupied Ritz-Carlton Residences on Block 6 and Bayso on blocks 4 and 5, the approved RitzCarlton South tower on Block 8, and the under-construction Cordelia luxury rental apartments on Blocks 2 and 3. Also under construction is the high-end seafood restaurant Ocean Prime on Block 10.

Courtesy rendering

One Park, designed by Hoyt Architects, has received approval from the Planning Board with construction expected to begin this fall on Block 1 in The Quay.

Superintendent’s contract extended

The school board entered into a five-year contract with Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor.

The Sarasota County School Board voted unanimously to enter into a new five-year contract with Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor on June 18. Since the start of his tenure in July 2023, Connor has implemented new initiatives in the district, including the “Every Opportunity 2030” strategic plan, which laid out a broad range of programming, supports for students and teachers and forms of

community engagement. Connor’s appointment followed a vote by the school board in 2022 to negotiate the resignation of former Superintendent Brennan Asplen.

The renewal of Connor’s contract came amid rising reading scores in the district, with a 14% increase, including charter schools, estimated for the third grade over the past year.

“The results in raw data make me want to dance on the dais, but I will control myself,” said School Board Chair Karen Rose. “It was a pleasure, Superintendent Connor, to give you an outstanding evaluation.”

The new contract keeps Connor’s salary at the previous $255,000 but extends his employment through 2029.

POSITIVE REVIEWS Before the meeting, board members rated Connor’s performance.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Photos by Ian Swaby

School Board Chair Karen Rose and members Bridget Ziegler and Tom Edwards applaud the extension of Superintendent Terry Connor’s contract.

Board members Tom Edwards, Bridget Ziegler and Tim Enos ranked his performance as 4/5 (Accomplished), while Rose and board member Robyn Marinelli rated his performance as a 5/5 (Distinguished).

Members of the public also responded positively to the decision to renew Connor’s contract.

“I’m here to represent my child who’s a student, all the students, every student, every day,” said Elizabeth Bornstein. “I want to certainly give a shout-out for Mr. Connor, his evaluation, his contract, all in support of this being approved. Thank you, Mr. Connor, for doing the yeoman’s duty this year. This has been a tough uphill climb, and you’ve proven your worth to the parents and the students and the teachers and administrators. You’re here. You showed up every day, for every student every day.”

Some commenters accused Karen Rose, the board chair and one of the members who voted in favor of Connor’s appointment in 2023, of taking credit for rising academic scores, which they said resulted from Asplen’s efforts.

“Miss Rose, you fired Dr. Asplen, one of the key people responsible for raising test scores, which you try and take credit for,” said local activist Sebastian Martinez.

Asplen had previously delivered a strategic plan focused on literacy programming and early childhood and career education.

Connor also made numerous changes as he entered the district, which included reevaluating reading programs.

“Our Third Grade Reading scores have increased by an unheard of 7% in one year,” Rose wrote in a June 6 guest column in the Observer.

“What’s more, if you exclude charter schools, the district increase is 14%.”

The renewal of the contract saw all board members in agreement, with all praising Connor’s performance.

“We just didn’t have systems in place to really support continued and sustainable growth, and so there was a disconnect, and sometimes at the end of the year ... our data would reflect something very different,” Ziegler said. “I think that’s why today was just such a beautiful moment where it highlighted, we’re

Superintendent Terry Connor’s contract has been extended to five years.

“Working with each one of you has been a complete joy, our oneon-one conversations where we can be vulnerable, we can talk, we can get things done, and then we come in here and we execute.”

Terry Connor

moving forward, we have that connectivity.”

“You never ruffle, you stay focused, you drive ahead and in an environment, such as we’re in, it’s a welcome relief,” Edwards said. “It’s an oasis. Quite frankly, for someone like myself who really just wants to get here and do a good job.”

Connor likewise also praised the experience of working with the school board.

“My expectations are just so blown out of the water,” Connor said.

“Working with each one of you has been a complete joy, our one-onone conversations where we can be vulnerable, we can talk, we can get things done, and then we come in here and we execute.”

experience · expert local knowledge ·

Awaits

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 KIDS’ ROCK

6:42 p.m., unknown block of Florida Avenue

Juvenile disturbance: daughter-in-law’s car damaged by a hurled rock, the victim told officers she wished to press charges against multiple juveniles.

The complainant advised the car was struck by the stone, after which she witnessed four juveniles shouting profanities and gesturing with a globally recognized upturned single finger. She stated she did not witness which of them threw the rock, but after the incident, a fresh scratch was noted.

Neither woman knew the identities of the juveniles, although detailed descriptions were provided. A canvass of the area by two officers yielded no results.

1:37 p.m., 3300

afternoon at a bayside park

interrupted by what she perceived to be the threat of a man preparing to brandish a weapon.

The complainant said that while walking her dog, a tall, thin male approximately 50 years of age attempted to strike up a conversation. That’s when he reached into his waistband for what she feared might be a weapon, at which time she ran toward the water to retrieve her pet.

When she turned around, she noticed the man’s pants were lowered to the ground while he was engaging in self-gratifying behavior inappropriate for a public setting. The complainant then proceeded to run across the street and drive off in her golf cart.

Because she frequents the park, the woman did not want officers to let the subject, if apprehended, know it was her who called law enforcement for fear of reprisal. The area of Indian Beach Park was searched by officers, but the man was not found.

YOUTHFUL RESISTANCE

1:14 a.m., 1500 block of Main Street

Disturbance: While officers were in the area, they were notified of an individual possibly causing a disturbance and standing near the street drinking a beer in a glass bottle. The subject, who is 19 years old, was located, and as officers approached, he put down the bottle and attempted to walk away briskly.

Claiming to not have any identification in his possession, one officer noted a bulge in his pocket in the shape of a wallet, which, when asked, the subject produced.

When the subject began to resist arrest for underage possession of an alcoholic beverage, officers physically lowered him to the ground, where he was properly secured and placed in hand restraints, in the process suffering minor lacerations to both knees and the left side of his face, none of which required medical attention.

MONDAY, JUNE 10

TITLE TROUBLE

5:12 p.m., SPD headquarters

Suspicious incident: A man who was coordinating a motorcycle purchase off social media for a friend reported what police suspect is a possible fraud. The advertised bike was a 2008 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic.

The complainant said he transferred funds received from his friend to the seller, the invoice carrying a Boulevard of the Arts address. He said he did retrieve he motorcycle and was waiting to ship it overseas, but was waiting for the title to be transferred.

The transaction took place on April 21.

Law enforcement determined the incident appears to be possible fraud. However, since the claim was not originated by the purchaser of the motorcycle, no further action could be taken until such contact was made.

TRIBUTES

Barry Walden Walsh 1941-2024

Longtime Longboat Key resident Barry W. Walsh passed away peacefully on May 5, 2024, surrounded by family.

One of four children of St. Armand’s Circle Shoe Store owner, Fred Walden and his wife Dorothy Callahan, Barry grew up in “Old Sarasota” in the 1950s and 60s, as the Ringling Brothers dominated—and developed—The Key. She graduated from Sarasota High, playing the piccolo in the School Band, before heading off to college. Barry graduated from Trinity College in Washington DC, and returned home to Sarasota.

It was at the wedding of her older sister, Judith Walden Pels, that Barry

met her husband, James H. Walsh. He was the best man; she was the maid of honor. Jim and Barry fell in love immediately, and were themselves married at St. Martha’s Church in downtown Sarasota on July 13, 1963.

With her husband’s career

“Barry was fortified by her children, who adored her to the end.”

as a federal prosecutor taking the family to various parts of Florida through the late 60s, Barry defied norms of the time, and finished her Masters Degree in Biology from The University of Miami while a young mother to toddlers. As her husband’s career in public service took the Walsh Family up to Washington DC in the late 70s, Barry raised their four children (Jim, Brendan, Campion and Gerarda) while working for The Society of American Foresters, and then the Center for Environmental Quality, as an environmental writer and editor.

Upon their retirement, Jim and Barry returned to their native-Florida, in the mid 1990s, settling back-in,

on Longboat Key. Barry’s dual loves of nature and writing were put to use in her published “History of Florida Forests” and as she worked for Selby Botanical Gardens. Barry also kept her writing local, as a guest columnist for The Longboat Observer, covering local history and real estate happenings on The Key. As their four children grew, married, and built families of their own, Jim and Barry’s eleven grandchildren came to be their greatest joy, and this next generation surrounded them on July 13, 2013 when they celebrated their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary at St. Martha’s Church that year. As their final years closed, Jim and Barry enjoyed walking around Beercan Island, watching the egrets and blue herons amble through their mangroves, and were very active in their church, where they served as Eucharistic Ministers. When her husband passed away in 2022, Barry was fortified by her children, who adored her to the end. She is survived by sister Sandy Brubaker of Rockville, Maryland, her brother Fred Walden of Bradenton, Florida, her son James W. Walsh of Aberdeen, Washington, her son Brendan B. Walsh of Longboat Key, Florida and her daughter Gerarda M. Culipher, of Oakton, Virginia. Barry will be interred with her husband at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church, later this summer.

Liz is moving our community forward while preserving

Liz is working to make our community stronger by investing in Sarasota through projects like The Bay and the Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park, building a new playground and splash pad at Bayfront Park, and supporting the renovation of Selby Gardens, among many other amenities in our community.

Liz’s plan to keep Sarasota moving forward:

Championing incentives to create more affordable housing

Advocating for smart growth options to preserve the character of our neighborhoods and our downtown

Creating incentives to preserve our historic structures

Increasing transportation options such as the trolley, electric scooter rentals, dedicated bike lanes, and the Legacy Trail

Reducing homelessness - there has been a drastic reduction in homelessness during her time in office

Providing law enforcement with the tools they need to keep our communities safe - violent crime is down and there were zero murders last year

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

WHEN BRIAN MET AMANDA

How newlyweds Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey found love and theater in Sarasota.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

If Sarasota theater couple Amanda Heisey and Brian Finnerty create their answer to “How I Met Your Mother,” the long-running TV show of the early 2000s told in flashbacks, they’ll have plenty of material to work with.

Let’s start with how the newlyweds got engaged, back in August 2021. Heisey was starring alongside Luke Manual McFatrich in Dingbat Theatre Project’s production of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

Finnerty directed and choreographed and designed the costumes for the glam rock musical, which played at The Bazaar at Apricot and Lime.

At the time, Heisey thought it was odd that her parents had come from Kansas City to see her performance. “Hedwig is so edgy, and that’s normally not their kind of thing,” she says.

Also in the audience were friends of the couple’s from Orlando. Still, Finnerty didn’t give too much thought to why they had decided to attend this show out of all the community theater productions in Sarasota, Venice and Bradenton that Heisey and Finnerty had collaborated on over several years.

What was it about “Hedwig”? In the show, most of Heisey’s abundant tresses were hidden under a cap that gave the illusion of a mullet haircut. The look was part of her transformation into Yitzhak, a Jewish drag queen who is the husband and backup singer to the titular aspiring East German rock singer.

In a recent interview at Project Coffee in the Rosemary District, Heisey said she was wondering why her future husband thanked McFatrich before acknowledging her performance since the star traditionally gets the last curtain call.

When Finnerty proposed to her on stage in front of family, friends and audience, suddenly it all made sense. “We had talked about getting married, but I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Heisey recalls. “It wasn’t like we had gone shopping for rings or anything.”

Following the show, Finnerty

worked

on a

and

and

and

Courtesy image

Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey, who both work for the Sarasota Players, shared stages at local community theaters for about a decade before getting married in January.

whisked his fiancée to an engagement party at The Mable on Tamiami Trail that he’d been secretly planning so the couple could celebrate with their entourage. Before they started dating and later moved in together just as COVID was shutting down live theater in 2020, Heisey

Finnerty were friends

collaborators on musicals, cabarets

burlesque shows. They first

together

2015 production at The Players, now the Sarasota Players, of the musical “Catch Me If You Can.”   They got to know each other better when Heisey hired Finnerty, a Florida native who began competing in children’s dance competitions when he was 3, to improve her footwork. The lessons were to prepare for an audition for “Cats” at the Manatee

Wedding guests applaud Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey after Scott Keys pronounced them man and wife.

Image courtesy of Krissy Marie

Players in Bradenton. Heisey got the part.

“She was an amazing cat,” recalls Finnerty. “Everybody in the play was really good. That was a strong production. It’s hard to find that many good dancers.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS

Still, it would be awhile before Finnerty would tell Heisey that he was in love with her, creating what she called “a messy situation” because she was dating someone else at the time.

The complications weren’t resolved immediately, and the couple isn’t sure what their “dating anniversary” is, Finnerty says. “But it doesn’t really matter because the most important anniversary is our wedding anniversary,” he says. That would be Jan. 13, 2024.

As anyone who watched “Bridezillas” knows, brides and their relatives can get a little crazy about wedding preparations. That wasn’t the case with the Heisey-Finnerty nuptials, according to both parties. For one thing, they planned it themselves, taking the same detail-oriented, yet whimsical approach they do to community theater.

There were some concessions to tradition. Heisey went home to Kansas City to go bridal dress shopping with her mother, aunts and cousins. She was lucky enough to find an offthe-rack gown that fit nearly perfectly.

Members of the wedding party were asked to wear black for the sophisticated winter ceremony at the picturesque Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton. “Everyone liked that because that meant they could wear their wedding clothes again,” Heisey notes.

Finnerty sported a glam tuxedo with groovy loafers festooned with Playboy bunny emblems, a wedding present from his future wife, who uses her maiden name professionally. (For her burlesque appearance, she goes by Karma Kandlewick.)

Scott Keys, who was Finnerty’s teacher when he was in the Booker High School Visual and Performing Arts program, was the officiant for the rites. Keys became a close friend as a fellow traveler in community theater circles. (Both Keys

“She (Amanda) was an amazing cat. Everybody in the play was really good. That was a strong production. It’s hard to find that many good dancers.”

— Brian Finnerty

and Heisey had shows in the second Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival at the Cook Theatre earlier this month.)

For their wedding caterers, Finnerty and Heisey chose the Amish restaurant Der Dutchman. They hired Taylor Opie, the sister of a friend, and her band to provide live music. Their wedding song came from the “Hedwig” soundtrack: “The Origin of Love.”

“Luke (McFatrich) sang it for us,” Finnerty says, reprising his performance as Hedwig in the show where Finnerty proposed to Heisey.

But McFatrich wasn’t the only friend of the bride and groom who performed an impromptu song at their wedding. “Taylor knows everybody in Sarasota, so she would tell people to come up and sing,” adds Heisey.

In a joint interview, Finnerty and Heisey don’t exactly finish each other’s sentences; they elaborate on what the other has just been saying. Their easy manner with each other is astounding given how much time they spend together.

LIFE IS A (VIRTUAL) CABARET

While some couples drove each other crazy during pandemic lockdowns, work-from-home was a dream come true for Heisey and Finnerty, who made the most of the time personally and professionally.

During their time at home during COVID, Heisey, who is marketing director of the Sarasota Players, and Finnerty, who is now studio production manager of the Sarasota Players, spent a lot of time online. They devoted their efforts to bringing in donations for the Players during the Giving Challenge and to engaging the community through virtual per-

formances with other collaborators.

“There was a thing that we did during COVID called ‘Theater Lives,’” says Heisey. “We were trying to make sure that community theaters stayed alive and relevant during that time.”

Adds Finnerty: “There was a Facebook page. There were virtual cabarets. They all had different themes like ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ ‘Les Miz’ and others.”

The rapport and longevity of Finnerty and Heisey should serve the Sarasota Players well in its coming season, its 95th. There has been turnover in the artistic director job at the Players recently and the community theater decided not to fill the vacant position. It organized its upcoming 2024-25 season with existing staff, which includes Finnerty and Heisey.

+

The plans of the Sarasota Players to build The Stage in Payne Park, which it plans to share with other cultural organizations, and leave its temporary home in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, are in the hands of the organization’s board, local government and potential donors. The community theater’s future home and management structure is beyond the scope of this article.  Suffice it to say that we’re hoping that the tale of “When Brian Met Amanda” includes many more creative episodes. Next up: Finnerty is in the director’s seat for the Sarasota Players’ production of “Green Day’s American Idiot,” which runs from Aug. 7-16. Get ready to rock ’n’ roll!

Courtesy photo

Amanda Heisey met her husband, Brian Finnerty, when they were both in The Players’ production of the musical “Catch Me If You Can” in 2015.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road $20 adults; $15 kids Visit Ringling.org.

If you’ve never seen a performance in The Ringling’s jewelbox venue, the Historic Asolo Theater, here’s your chance. Presided over by Ringmaster Jared Walker, the Summer Circus Spectacular includes contortionist Uranbileg Angarag, acrobatic hand balancers The Bello Sisters, hair hang artist Camille Langlois, slack wire performer Antino Pansa and clown Renaldo, a veteran of the Big Apple Circus. Runs through Aug. 17.

DON’T MISS

‘PASSION AND PRIDE’

Sarasota Music Festival Director

Jeffrey Kahane’s boundary-breaking talents are showcased in Ravel’s Piano Concerto. Having performed the 2022 world premiere of “Shorthand,” Anna Clyde’s mini concerto for cello, SMF alum Karen Ouzounian presides over its Sarasota premiere. The festival concludes with Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, which took the composer decades to complete.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 22

Where: at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Tickets: $30-$70

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

‘LUSTROUS SOUNDS’

4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail

$30-$42

Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

New Sarasota Music Festival faculty member Benjamin Beilman performs Bach’s unaccompanied Partita No. 3, improvising in a way that would have been expected during the great composer’s lifetime but which is rare today.

ROYAL JAMES THEATER PRESENTS ‘MURDER BY THE BOOK’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $29

Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Agatha Christie loved to keep readers of her murder mysteries guessing, but none of her books could prepare them for a real-life event that made headlines around the world. That startling news is the basis of B.J. Mohr’s new play. Runs through June 23.

‘HAPPY DALE’: A COMEDY BY DAN LANDON

7:30 p.m. at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130

$30/Student $13

Visit ThePlayers.org.

In Dan Landon’s “Happy Dale,” a retired English teacher is sent to an assisted living facility after he begins acting strangely following the death of his life. Happy Dale’s newest resident (Lee Gundersheimer) quickly turns the facility’s routines upside down. Can he brought into line before it’s late? Runs through June 23.

‘OAK’

7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $7-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Urbanite Theatre wraps its 10th anniversary season with the Southern Gothic horror-infused “Oak.” Written by Terry Guest and directed by Mikael Burke, “Oak” is a National New Play Network rolling premiere. Runs through June 30.

‘COCONUT CAKE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $5-$50

Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

In Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s last show of its 2023-24 season, “Coconut Cake,” the daily routine of four chess-playing and coffeedrinking retirees is disrupted when a mysterious woman moves to town, bringing her recipe for a mouthwatering coconut cake. Runs through June 23.

‘THE MUSIC OF LAUREL CANYON’

8 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.

$18-$42

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

If you know, you know. But not everyone knows about Laurel Canyon, the neighborhood above West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip that became home to folk musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and The Mamas and the Papas.

FRIDAY

‘ROMANTIC REVERIES’

7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$29-$50 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The Sarasota Music Festival salutes 19th-century Romanticism with Beethoven’s 1793 Octet and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence. The program includes Franck’s 19thcentury Piano Quintet, bringing together SMF fellows and faculty artists Sheryl Staples, Brinton Smith and Robert Levin.

SUNDAY

HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH’

1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

$12-$20

Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

Directed by Simon Godwin, one of The Bard’s signature plays is staged in custom-built spaces unique to the production in Liverpool, Edinburgh, London and Washington, D.C. The film stars Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma.

OUR PICK KETTLE OF FISH

Florida favorite Kettle of Fish headlines the Van Wezel

Performing Arts Hall’s Friday Fest, which is taking a hiatus during July and August before returning in September. Kettle of Fish’s original music is a stew of rock, blues, reggae and New Orleans soul. Their covers range from Little Feat and the Rolling Stones to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy food and beverage from local vendors. Coolers and outside victuals are prohibited.

IF YOU GO

When: 5 p.m. on Friday, June 21

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

Tickets: Free Info: Visit VanWezel.org.

WEDNESDAY

‘STEALING THE SHOW: BROADWAY, BEACH AND BEYOND’ 6:30 p.m. Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood $5 with registration Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Tony Award nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (“Spamalot”) will present some original material she has been developing at the Hermitage Artist Retreat as well as songs you know and love.

MICHAEL JACKSON | PRINCE | and more! MAY 23 - AUGUST 31 THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY

Image courtesy of Ebru Yildiz

Courtesy images

FST’s ‘The World Goes ’Round’ spins the wheel of love and loss

A musical merry-go-round of 18 Kander and Ebb tunes takes the audience on a dizzying ride.

not funny for him.)

The earth rotates. In other

Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson’s “The World Goes ’Round” is now on stage at Florida Studio Theatre.

This hit revue showcases 18 tunes by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb. The songs’ origins include Broadway blockbusters like “Cabaret” and “Chicago” and forgotten gems like “Rink” and “Flora the Red Menace.”

Origin aside, the songs spin their characters on a wheel of heartbreak and happiness. Kander and Ebb’s musical merry-goround is a dizzying ride.

Dayna Jarae Dantzler, Dion Simmons Grier, Crystal Kellogg, Lani Corson and Zak Edwards are the all-too-human performers holding on for dear life. Each gets their moment in the spotlight. That’s a question of storytelling, not directorial evenhandedness.

“The World Goes ’Round” is a revue, not a musical with an overarching story. While the show has no tale to tell, the songs do — along with strong characters. (Horny housewives, coffee addicts and gangland molls, to name a few.)

Kander and Ebb’s songs are first-person stories — from Somebody’s point of view. With one exception …

“Mr. Cellophane” (Edwards) is a Nobody’s narrative. In this comic performance, the singer doesn’t even get the spotlight. He’s constantly chasing it around on stage. Edwards’ character calls himself “Mr. Cellophane” because he feels transparent. The rest of humanity sees right through him. (The spotlight gag is funny. But it’s clearly

“Colored Lights” (Kellogg) is one woman’s poignant attempt to recapture childhood magic. She’s a jaded adult, looking back on the days when a carnival’s colored lights gave her joy. “My Coloring Book” (Dantzler) is the sizzling torch song of a jilted woman. (Color her blue, empty and lonely.)

Just a few sad stories out of many. But this revue provides a medicine for melancholy. Kander and Ebb’s main prescription? “Get out of the house!”

“Cabaret” says it best: “There’s no use sitting alone in your room.”

(Corson illustrates this point with a kicky, kinetic, high-energy dance number.) “Ring Them Bells” (Kellogg) brings this advice home with the tale of a thirtysomething woman who lives with her parents.

Her character ultimately breaks free, travels the world and rings the bells of romantic adventure. After all that, she returns home and finds true love in the boy just down the hall. But it took a globetrotting odyssey to find him.

“Arthur in the Afternoon” (Corson and Grier) offers a lowmileage alternative. A housewife gets out of her room — and makes a daily tryst part of her afternoon commute.

These performers all shine in the revue’s solo performances. They’re equally incandescent in ensemble numbers like “New York, New York” and the titular “The World Goes ’Round.”

“Rink” has the highest level of difficulty. (Singing and dancing is hard enough — but on roller skates?) The show’s choreography is inventive. It’s aerobic. These actors aren’t just good — they’re in good shape. Because they have to be.

IF YOU GO

‘The World Goes ’Round’ When: Through June 30. Where: FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St., Sarasota. Tickets: $39-$59. Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

This revue’s packed with moving parts. Director and choreographer Ben Liebert keeps all the plates spinning without any breakage. And speaking of spin, his choreography often revolves around circular movement. Liebert’s dance routines are never routine. But they don’t distract from each song’s story and the

characters’ inner lives. As a director, that’s always his main focus.

Isabel and Moriah CurleyClay’s set has the look of a sleek New York City nightclub, with just a slice of the starry night sky peeping through. Harry Nadal’s costumes have a daydream’s quick-change vibe. On one song, everyone’s sporting tutus. Then they’re all doing their thing in tuxedoes. These strange changes evoke the characters’ stream-ofconsciousness, not literal reality. That’s perfect for this show. Now let’s talk music. Because that’s what makes this show go ’round.

This show’s basically a delivery system for Kander and Ebb’s greatest hits. As good as it may be, everything else is secondary.  Despite rumors to the contrary,

“The World Goes ’Round” is a concert, not a musical. A general’s only as good as his army. And a concert’s only as good as the band. Now let’s give credit where it’s due …

A white-hot, four-piece band goes straight to the heart on the revue’s songs. These include: Music Director Josh Walker making the piano sing; too-cool Kroy Presley strumming bass; the insanely versatile Fernando Cruz on every reed instrument known to man; and Aaron Nix hitting the drums in a slow groove — or faster than the eye can see, as the song requires.

If you don’t know Kander and Ebb from Click and Clack, you’ll still have a blast here. It’s the band, man.

Image courtesy of John Jones

“The World Goes ’Round,” playing at FST’s Gompertz Theatre through June 30, is a musical revue featuring the hits of Kander and Ebb.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Furnace of fine art

Bronzart Foundry creates castings for sites worldwide.

Astatue of baseball player

Ted Williams at Fenway Park. A flying fish sculpture at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. A Dumbo statue seen at Magic Kingdom around the time of the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World.

What do they all have in common?

These bronze castings can be traced back to a single source: Bronzart Foundry in Sarasota.

Creating bronze castings like these is an art that is slowly disappearing, with few such sites found in the country, yet since 1979, the fires have been burning at Bronzart Foundry, a place tucked away in a business park in Sarasota.

“Being a small business, it’s a delicate place,” said foundry owner Wayne Dyer. “It’s amazing it’s been around so long, but it would take a couple of bad moves to make it disappear too.”

KEEPING THE FIRE ALIVE

The foundry owes its ongoing success and methodology to Richard Frignoca, who opened the business with his wife Tam Frignoca.

Richard and Tam met at the University of Arizona, where he obtained a master’s in fine arts and sculpture and she obtained a degree in fine arts, and they eventually moved to Sarasota around 1975 before start ing the foundry in 1979. passed on his skills to Wayne, his

FOR MORE INFORMATION

■ Bronzart Foundry, 5415 Ashton Court. Visit BronzartFoundry.com.

■ Madeby Gallery, 2700 Tamiami Trail. Visit MadebyGallery.com.

son-in-law, over a period of 10 years.

Tam said many foundries have failed due to the high overhead costs and the materials and labor involved.

She said her husband’s methods have kept the business thriving.

“My husband was so knowledgeable, and people loved to talk to him while he was working and he did beautiful patinas,” Tam said.

Patinas are a coating on a bronze surface created by exposure to air and water.

“This is a place where fingers and people still touch the art,” said Marielle Dyer, the daughter of Richard and Tam and the wife of Wayne Dyer. “So many foundries are done by machine, but these are touched by artists with a good eye and care, and that’s a rare thing.”

Many current customers have been returning for over 20 years, while word of mouth among artists has kept the business alive, she said.

The range of clients the foundry has served is varied, and the sculptures it casts have been transported around the world.

Some of the landmarks in Sarasota it has cast include the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr. Memorial Park, and the dolphin fountain at Marina Jack.

Pieces in other locations include a statue of baseball player Evan Longoria that will be featured at the new stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays and a statue of surfer Kelly Slater in Cocoa Beach.

Many pieces are shipped around the world. The foundry is even responsible for casting the Mother Teresa International Caring Award that was offered in 2011 to the current Dalai Lama.

In an ongoing relationship with The Walt Disney Co. over the years, they have also done multiple pieces for Disney theme parks.

For instance, they have provided replacements for the bronze bats bridging the chains in the queue area of the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom after they became worn from being touched by multiple visitors.

Although the Dumbo statue was one of 50 pieces for the 50th anniver-

sary of Disney World, Disney ultimately contracted the other castings to a location in Texas, which had the technology to model the sculptures digitally, without having to obtain a physical model.

Wayne said Disney was still happy with the results of the first piece.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Wayne said. “This place has so much history. It’s amazing the amount of artwork that has come through here and been distributed all over the world, actually, not just the country, and to be a part of that is almost hard to describe.”

ARTISTIC CHALLENGE

Working in a bronze foundry is a challenging responsibility.

It may be four to eight months before a piece has been through all of the steps towards completion.

The process begins with creating a wax duplicate from the original sculpture. The wax version is dipped in a slurry and silica sand, creating a hard outer shell, out of which the wax is melted, before the bronze is poured inside.

Sculptures are cast in multiple sections, which means they must be welded together and smoothed over to create the appearance of one piece.

At Bronzart Foundry, Wayne said, this means doing so without any visible welds or grind marks.

“One thing this Bronzart has above the rest is the quality,” he said. “We have a reputation for the highest quality, because we take our time with each and every piece, and make sure it’s perfect … That was one thing I promised my father-in-law, that he taught me, was that you can’t let any piece go out the door unless it’s perfect, because if you do, then the brand suffers.”

Conley, who has worked at the foundry since 1979, has performed about 5,000 pours over the years.

He knew he wanted a career in metalwork at the time he was a student at Ringling College, from which he graduated with honors in 1980. Even so, he still serves in a role with many hazards.

“It’s brutal on your body; you just can’t help getting scarred up after years and years and years,” he said.

Conley has created bronze castings of numerous original pieces as well, some of which can be found at the Madeby Gallery at Ringling College, which offers work by students and alumni for sale.

Kendall Oswalt, a worker at the foundry of 29 years, said he also felt drawn to the field, having been involved in art his whole life.

“This isn’t a great business to make money. It’s not for the workers and not really for the owners,” he said. “But I just like making things well. Making them good. I can’t work a normal boring job. I can’t stand the monotony, and this is really constantly changing stuff, always figuring out different problems.”

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Photos by Ian Swaby

Dylan and Wayne Dyer pour bronze from a crucible.

Examples of wax replicas

The original Dumbo from which the bronze casting was created rests on a shelf inside the foundry.

From bird enthusiast to board president

Sara Reisinger, who will lead Sarasota Audubon Society as president, hopes to grow a passion for birds in the community.

ince Sara Reisinger was a child, she’s been interested in the birds she saw when visiting locations like Palma Sola Bay and Myakka River State Park.

It was only recently, however, that the 45-year-old began to truly hone her interest, and it quickly took flight. Before long, she had numerous bird feeders in her yard, and was learning the names of all of the birds that came to visit them.

It grew from there when, after hearing that the Sarasota Audubon Society needed help feeding the birds, she began volunteering for the organization every day at Celery Fields. Her passion eventually led to her joining the Audubon Society as president.

THE BIRDS’ CALL

The organization had been in search of someone to succeed former Presi-

THE SARASOTA AUDUBON NATURE

CENTER

What: Open seasonally, the Nature Center is located at Celery Fields and offers education, information and amenities. Visitors can talk to Audubon docents, watch birds from a covered patio, shop for gifts and more.

When: Open from 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 1 to May 31, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from mid-January through mid-April, Saturdays and Sundays.

Where: 999 Center Road Visit SarasotaAudubon.org.

dent Jeanne Dubi in the role.

“Jeanne had to step aside as president, and no one had really stepped up to do it,” Reisinger said.   Dubi will now serve as director of special projects, overseeing the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields campaign.

Reisinger said serving an organization with such a significance to the community will be a different experience from her past work.

Reisinger’s past roles include president of the Parent-Teacher

Photos by Ian Swaby

Longtime volunteer Sara Reisinger will lead the Sarasota Audubon Society as president.

Organization and a member of the Student Advisory Council at Tatum Ridge Elementary School, a board member of the Bealls Political Action Committee, an international buyer and an office manager for the law firm of her husband, Eric Reisinger, a role in which she formerly served full time and now works on a parttime basis.

“The focuses for me have always been on children, and on a personal level, nature and birding, and I think this really blends those two things,” she said. “I think the biggest difference here is that it’s such a large piece of the community.”

One quality she hopes to bring from those roles to Sarasota Audubon Society is her marketing experience by “really getting the word out about the programs that are here.” She hopes to involve more children in volunteering and draw attention to opportunities at the Nature Center, like the ability for kids to check out pairs of binoculars and scavenger hunt sheets.

She also hopes to highlight offerings like the John Ginaven Educational Fund, which provides funding to those who want to explore or learn more about nature but cannot afford to do so, as well as the Jeanne Dubi scholarship fund, which provides a renewable $2,000 scholarship to a graduating senior every year.

She hopes her experience building events can benefit the rewilding of the quad parcels, a fundraising project that will involve restoring the habitat in 33 acres at the intersection of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road.

She also has a familiar issue for Sarasota County in mind: development, which she calls “the No. 1 thing in this county with all wildlife.”

The answer, she said, is raising funds and raising awareness.

“On a personal level in no way am I an anti-development person,” she said. “I know that development and growth is natural and will occur. My hope is that we do it thoughtfully and that we make choices that incorporate natural beauty, and what is driving people to Florida, to be protected as the special thing that it is.”

Reisinger opposes the new development on Raymond Road which will involve the addition of 170 homes on land next to Celery Fields.

She highlighted that the county spent $140,000 to acquire the property and $5 million to turn it back into a natural wetland.

She said it “logistically to me doesn’t make sense why we wouldn’t protect the investment that we have made as a county in this beautiful space that drives tourism.”

“I know there’s also a very big concern about the traffic,” she also said. “It is a bus stop for six different schools right here, and when we’re adding a thousand more cars going by, and then the construction equipment that would be required to go over there, you’re not just risking wildlife lives; you’re risking the pedestrians.”

Ultimately, she hopes to aid in the preservation of Celery Fields for future generations, including its 249 bird species.

“I want my children to bring their children here and still see all 249 of those species here.”

Undergraduate: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Medical School: Nova Southeastern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Residency: Internal Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut

Certification: Board

Hospital Affiliations: Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital

An anhinga basks in the sunshine in Celery Fields.

Sports spotlight

Camp Shriver offers chance to shine for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

After serving as a nanny to a child with Down syndrome, McKenna Garner felt the impact of the experience.

“That really piqued my interest into what are the opportunities that these kids have?” Garner said.

As the theology teacher and head cheerleading coach at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, she began searching for a way the school could help facilitate those opportunities. It ended with her speaking with Special Olympics Florida to do something hadn’t been done before: bring Camp Shriver to the Sarasota area.

Modeled after a camp originally

held at the home of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Camp Shriver is a sports camp focused on learning through interaction, that places those with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team.

Lasting from June 10-14, the experience was a benefit to campers and

instructors.

“I love it so much,” said volunteer Darling Bergstrom, a 2024 graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School. “I think it’s really interesting because you get to see what these kids go through every day and figure out ways to help them express what they want to do … Watching the kids, how excited they get and how their faces light up has been so much fun.”

Garner worked with Jessica Ott, regional director for the west coast region at Special Olympics Florida, to get the camp off the ground. After starting in February, they were able to pull the whole project together in time for summer.

“We both instantly, off the bat, connected,” Garner said. “We’re equally passionate and excited to get this onto our campus.”

The camp’s itinerary gave athletes opportunities, including learning from football players how to spike a ball and run for a touchdown; from the girl’s lacrosse team about how to use sticks and make passes; from the baseball team how to throw, catch and bat; and from cheerleaders

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how to spread team spirit by cheering. They even enjoyed some dance parties along the way.

The camp was funded by Suncoast Charities for Children and Sarasota Tarpon Tournament, who covered the cost of food and supplies so campers could attend for free.

ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS FLORIDA

Special Olympics Florida, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, provides yearround sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. Its programs are open to athletes of all ability levels and from all financial backgrounds.

Visit SpecialOlympicsFlorida. org.

“I’ve been completely blown away by the Cardinal Mooney students and their engagement with our athletes,” Ott said. “Our Special Olympic athletes don’t have the opportunities that every other camp provides, and our athletes really shined today and throughout the entire week and showed what they really can do. It’s all about being inclusive.”

Don’t miss this

An athlete prepares to shoot a basketball, while a Cardinal Mooney student watches.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Jessica Ott, regional director of Special Olympics Florida, brings the group together to touch hands.

Cartwheels were in plentiful supply at the camp.

An athlete shoots a basketball.

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Memories from Romania

Plymouth Harbor resident recounts 23 years abroad, privatizing banks, meeting public figures and conducting an orchestra.

Andrew Littauer’s Plymouth Harbor apartment is filled with mementos from a lifetime of travel and living abroad.

Among them is a baton from the conductor of the Enescu Romanian National Orchestra, which Littauer once used to lead the orchestra himself.

In the 2000s, Littauer was a financial advisor for the orchestra and attended its concerts every week.

After becoming great friends with the conductor, he and Littauer both thought it would be funny if Littauer led the orchestra in a rehearsal. Not one of the musicians looked at him during the rehearsal because he had no idea how to conduct an orchestra, Littauer said. But when he was given the baton, he had a physical reminder of his connection to the symphony.

If he could talk to his younger self, Littauer would tell him to get ready for the ride of his life because it is not at all what he imagined. He never could have predicted his 23 years living in Romania and involvement in the privatization of Romanian banks after dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was overthrown.

“I lived in Europe and Asia for more than half of my life,” said Littauer. “Through my travels, I have discovered all kinds of interesting things, different cultures and lan -

PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

Petra Rivera

Andrew Littauer displays authentic Romanian figurines in his apartment to remember his time living in Romania.

Courtesy image

Andrew Littauer

guages. I have a wealth of friends all over the place. I feel like I can adjust to anywhere I go no matter how far and that is a great power.”

Littauer grew up in a family that had Kennedy-esque conversations at the dinner table. International matters and politics piqued Littauer’s interest as he grew into his college years. It wasn’t until he studied abroad in Switzerland during his undergraduate program that he was fully sold.

In the 1960s, Littauer started a graduate program in international relations at Syracuse University and was sent to the Philippines to teach about international relations and economics. Once he finished this program, he came back to the U.S. with a newfound passion for living overseas and discovering new cultures.

International banking was his ticket to this desired lifestyle. This job took him across Europe and Asia working for the Bank of America in places such as Germany, Hong Kong and Brussels.

When he lived in Brussels, he noticed a church nearby was having a sale since it was being demolished. He couldn’t help but buy a wooden statue of an unknown saint that is now displayed in his apartment with his baton.

In 1994, Littauer got an offer from the U.S. Treasury Department to move to Romania and help its government privatize its state banks. He was able to accomplish this in a year with the help of the World Bank, the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Embassy.

Before moving to Romania, he couldn’t point it out on a map. But after spending a year there, he decided his Romanian chapter was not yet finished. Littauer started his own outsourcing company and lived in Romania for a total of 23 years.

Through his work and community involvement, Littauer became a well-known name in Romania. He met public figures like the Romanian president, Ion Iliescu, various ministers in his cabinet and other community leaders in the country. He established Democrats Abroad in Romania and was active in the Anglican Church there.

The Enescu Romanian National Orchestra eventually became his

“Through my travels, I have discovered all kinds of interesting things, different cultures and languages.”

— Andrew Littauer

home away from the complex financial talk he heard at work. He bought a box at the orchestra so he could listen to talented musicians and cultivate friendships outside work.

Littauer moved to Sarasota seven years ago after inheriting a condominium from his parents on Lido Key. He is involved in the Sarasota Historical Society and attends lectures and events at Plymouth Harbor. He is writing two books and spends his time visiting his favorite cities in Europe with loved ones.

“The French writer Colette said, ‘I had a wonderful life, but the problem is that I didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t until later years that I appreciated how special of a life it was,’” said Littauer.  “It’s a quote that I think about a lot because what a wonderful life I have of traveling and making friends around the world, but I wish I had realized it sooner.”

enjoy a community of caring that’s totally focused on you and your needs as an older adult. Plus, we’re:

• Right in your neighborhood

• On a first-name basis with our members

• Tracking your progress with routine wellness visits

your journey at ArchWellHealth.com or call (941) 297-2126.

Petra Rivera

Andrew Littauer bought this statue of a saint from a church that was being demolished in Brussels.

BLESSINGS FOR THE PETS

When he received the news about the Blessing of the Animals at Temple Emanu-El, Craig Serota knew it was time to pay a visit.

Gracie, a new goldendoodle, had not yet been blessed like her predecessor, Marde, who had died about two years ago.

“We said, ‘Let’s get Gracie blessed,’” Serota said.

The event, held June 16, offered individual pet blessings for the animals in attendance, which included dogs, two cats and even a leopard gecko.

Rabbi Elaine Glickman said Temple Emanu-El holds the event each year to honor the role of animals in people’s lives.

“Our animals are such an important part of our lives, and it can be really easy to take them for granted,” she said.

The event included a prayer for Israel, with Glickman highlighting the role of dogs in the Israel Defense Forces and as service animals for those who have been injured in the conflict.

“This is my temple. It’s full of love, joy and family,” said Adrienne Krouse, who attends the event each year.

She pointed to one of her three dogs, Lexi Anna.

“This one needs more blessings than you can imagine,” she said.

— IAN SWABY

Photos by Ian Swaby

Rabbi Michael Shefrin meets Gracie and Craig Serota.

Dr. Hal Alterman examines Goliath, who belongs to Rabbi Michael Shefrin’s family.

Paxton Bridges, 8, and his leopard gecko Bodhi.

Sami Gordon, 11, Jessica Gordon, Spring, Scott Gordon, Rabbi Brenner Glickman and Emily Gordon, 11

Sarasota Beach home tops sales at $3 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ahome in Sarasota Beach tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Manoj Gupta and Vivien WK Chan, of Brooklyn, New York, sold their home at 238 Island Circle to Kolja Hanke and Caroline Daniela Hanke, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, for $3 million. Built in 1965, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,854 square feet of living area. It sold for $855,000 in 2011.

SARASOTA

ONE HUNDRED CENTRAL

Jonathan Abramson, trustee, of Denver, sold the Unit H310 condominium at 100 Central Ave. to Sanjiv Tewari and Elena Bullani Tewari, of Sarasota, for $808,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,725 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2013.

BAYVIEW 1744 Wisconsin LLC sold the home at 1744 Wisconsin Lane to John Griff and Linda Daniel, of Sarasota, for $775,000. Built in 1989, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,468 square feet of living area. It sold for $179,000 in 1999.

HUNTINGTON POINTE

James and Susan Chappel sold their home at 4176 Hearthstone Drive to Brad and Julie McCormick, of Sarasota, for $695,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,973 square feet of living area. It sold for $206,500 in 1999.

ALINARI

James Friedman, trustee, of Exton Pennsylvania, sold the Unit 708 condominium at 800 N. Tamiami Trail to Cynthia Hamilton, of Silver Spring, Maryland, for $690,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,484 square feet of living area. It sold for $436,000 in 2015.

INDIAN BEACH

Roger Barkin, trustee, and Lisa Barkin, of Sarasota, sold the home at 4050 Turks Cap Place to Robert Willie and Jamila Ajanku-Willie, of Sarasota, for $672,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,038 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2004.

TAMIAMI TERRACE

Scott Lewis, trustee, of Sebastian, sold two properties at 2031 and 2033 Florinda St. to KP Properties of Sarasota LLC for $638,000. The property at 2031 was built in 1979. It has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,728 square feet of living area. The property at 2033 was built in 1949. It has four bedrooms, three baths and 1,805 square feet of living area.

SOUTH GATE

Central Florida Resort Property Management LLC sold the home at 3119 Rose St. to Richard Averill, of Bradenton, for $602,500. Built in 1968, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,132 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2023.

RIDGEWOOD

William and Elaine Shields, of Davidson, North Carolina, sold their home at 2320 Florinda St. to Milner Investment Corp. for $600,000. Built in 1953, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,528 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2004.

SAPPHIRE SHORES

David and Linda Soderlund, of Littleton, Colorado, sold their home at 463 Acacia Drive to Saro Ventures LLC for $600,000. Built in 1960, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,158 square feet of living area. It sold for $195,000 in 2013.

GULFSTREAM TOWERS

Ralph Desmond, trustee, of Medford, Massachusetts, sold the Unit 909 condominium at 33 S. Gulfstream Ave. to Adolfo Burgos and Tanya Torres-Burgos, of Sarasota, for $560,000. Built in 1964, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,055 square feet of living area. It sold for $220,000 in 2009.

CASTEL DEL MARE

Joanne Louise Cahill, trustee, of Tryon, North Carolina, sold the Unit 301 condominium at 1608 Stickney Point Road to Donald Michael Young, trustee, of Ontario, Canada, for $545,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,016 square feet of living area. It sold for $135,000 in 1994.

Gregory and Sandra Young, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 101 condominium at 1608 Stickney Point Road to Serena Lynn Higdon, of Pasadena, Maryland, for $540,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,016 square feet of living area. It sold for $527,500 in 2023.

FOREST OAKS

John and Sheree La Plante, of Louisville, Kentucky, sold their home at 5440 Matthew Court to Walter Frank, trustee, of Montgomery, Ohio, for $510,000. Built in 1995, it

has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,630 square feet of living area. It sold for $260,000 in 2015.

SIESTA KEY

SIESTA KEY

John and Paige Krusoe, of Sarasota, sold their home at 319 Ogden St. to Thomas and Krystal DeAlano, of Sarasota, for $1.65 million. Built in 1963, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,432 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million in 2021.

SARASOTA: $1.6 MILLION

Bayso Sarasota

Cassidy Jean Ozimek-Hardie and Graeme Christian Talbot, of Ontario, Canada, sold their Unit 1207 condominium at 301 Quay Commons to Kevin John Knox and Sondra Marie Knox, of Sarasota, for $1.6 million. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths and 1,578 square feet of

for $1,017,800 in 2023.

PALMER RANCH: $1,225,000

Silver Oak

Robert and Susan Wolsey, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5316 Hunt Club Way to Laurence and Lynn Slevin, of Sarasota, for $1,225,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,799 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.21 million in 2023.

OSPREY: $2.4 MILLION

Oaks II

James Lucas and Beate Melten, of Osprey, sold their home at 406 Walls Way to Juliana Vardan, of Sarasota, for $2.4 million. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,284 square feet of living area. It sold for $1 million in 2017.

NOKOMIS: $1,375,000

Casey Key Edward Erdin, trustee, of Nokomis, sold the home at 700 Casey Key Road to Jack Ernest Roush and Laura Ann Roush, of Northville, Michigan, for $1,375,000. Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,610 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,000 in 1998.

Specialized Dental Care

THURSDAY, JUNE 20

HULA HOOP WORKSHOP

2-3 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Ages 9-18. Teens and tweens are invited to join Amy Raspiller for hula hooping fun as she offers tricks and movements with hula hoops, set to music. This event is first come, first served. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21

FRIDAY FEST — KETTLE OF FISH

5-9 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail. Free. Kettle of Fish, a local band mixing blues, soul, funk, and rock ’n’ roll, takes the stage, offering classic and original songs, in this session of the outdoor summertime concert series. Bring blankets or lawn chairs, and enjoy food and beverages from local vendors. Visit VanWezel.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22

LIMELIGHT MARKET

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. Every third Saturday of the month, visit the courtyard of the Bazaar for 50 local vendors, rescue dogs and live music. Visit BazaaronApricotAndLime.com.

NEWTOWN ANNUAL JUNETEENTH

CELEBRATION

Noon to 7 p.m. at Gillespie Avenue to Pershing Avenue on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Free. Newtown’s

annual Juneteenth celebration features the theme “Freedom Day,” bringing together culture, music and vendors. Visit Facebook.com/ TheCultureQueen941

MONDAY, JUNE 24

BEACH YOGA — SIESTA BEACH

9-10:30 a.m. Begin your week with yoga on Siesta Key Beach. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings (YogaOnTheBeach. com) and Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Wednesday evenings (SiestaKeyYoga.net). Visit SarasotaCountyParks.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 27

SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP

2-3:30 p.m. at Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. Free. Practice your pronunciation and understanding to improve your Spanish speaking skills. An advanced skill level in Spanish is recommended. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

EVENING NAMASTE AT THE BAY WITH SUGANDHA SINGHAL

6-7 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Join the founder of Wellness Sutra, who has studied under some of the best teachers in India, for a class featuring movements, stretching and balance. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

SPORTS

Fast Break

Sarasota swimmer Emma Weyant finished second in the women’s 400-meter individual medley (4:35.56) at the 2024 Olympic Trials on June 17 in Indianapolis, 0.56 seconds behind winner Katie Grimes (4:35.00). Though the official roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics will not be announced until June 23, the top-two finishers in each Trials event typically qualify. Weyant won a silver medal in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (4:32.76).

Sarasota’s Barry Wolf won the Men’s Pickleball 70-74 age group at the 2024 Sunshine Games, held June 7-9 in Punta Gorda. With the win, Wolf qualified for the 2024 Florida Senior Games, held Dec. 2-15 in Pasco County.

Sarasota skateboarder Jake Ilardi will compete in the final Olympic Qualifier Series event in Budapest, Hungary, on June 20-23. Ilardi enters the event in sixth place in the United States in the Men’s Street event; the top-three skaters in the event will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. One-third of the points from the entire qualifying process are up for grabs at the Budapest event, so Ilardi will have a chance to climb in the rankings. The event will be streamed at Olympics.com, where a full schedule can also be found.

The Cardinal Mooney High girls basketball team went 2-1 at the 2024 Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Conrad P. Foss Showcase, held June 13-15 in Gainesville. The team’s wins came 54-49 over defending Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A champion Evangelical Christian and 56-43 over defending FHSAA Class 5A champions American Heritage High.

A YEAR OF TRIUMPHS

Six teams or individuals won state titles this school year, and plenty more came close.

RYAN KOHN | SPORTS EDITOR

The 2023-2024 high school

sports year brought local athletes bountiful success.

Six teams or individuals in Sarasota won state titles this year, and plenty more came close, or did things no one in their respective programs had done in several years.

Here’s a rundown of the top 10 sports moments of the high school year:

2. SAILORS BOYS, RAMS GIRLS REPEAT AS STATE SWIM CHAMPS

Yes, they both did it again.

On Nov. 10 in Ocala, the Sarasota High boys swim team won the FHSAA Class 4A title, the program’s fourth in a row, by 20 points over Braddock Senior High; while the Riverview High girls team won the Class 4A title, its third-consecutive title, by 138 points over Windermere High.

The Sailors were led by senior Aidan Siers, who won the 200-yard individual medley (1:48.33) and was third in the 500-meter freestyle (4:25.58). He also helped the Sailors to a first-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay (1:33.28) alongside senior Elias Corn, sophomore Bogdan Zverev and senior Victor Izquierdo.

The Rams were led by Florida Dairy Farmers’ Miss Swimming 2023, junior Gracie Weyant, who won the 200-yard individual medley (1:58.64) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.41). Weyant also helped the Rams to a win in the 200-yard medley relay (1:40.81) alongside sophomore Taylor Schwenk, senior Addison Sauickie and freshman Angelina Lista; and to a win in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:20.20) alongside Sauickie, sophomore Brynn Lavigueur and senior Brianna Deierlein.

For the first time since 1972, the Cardinal Mooney High football team captured a state title.

The Cougars (12-2) got a 39-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Michael Valentino to junior wide receiver/defensive back Chris McCorkle with less than a minute remaining to secure a 31-27 win over Trinity Catholic (6-8) in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1S state championship game, held Dec. 8 at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee.

Mooney quarterbacks Valentino and Devin Mignery, a sophomore, combined to throw for

3. SUSAN LOWTHER CAPS MULTISPORT CAREER WITH TITLES, NATIONAL STATS

312 yards and three touchdowns — two to McCorkle and one to senior Teddy Foster. Senior running back Carson Beach had 19 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Seniors Zeshon Casimir (13) and George Leibold (8) led the team in tackles. McCorkle added an interception on Trinity Catholic’s Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the game.

“I’m just proud of how everyone believed in one another,” head coach Jared Clark said. “They trusted in their teammates and trusted in their coaches. They believed that they were going to go out there and be successful.”

4. CARDINAL MOONEY RUNNER WINS 3,200-METER GOLD, CROSS-COUNTRY BRONZE

In a year of incredible athletic efforts, no individual put together a more impressive body of work than Riverview High senior Susan Lowther. Lowther dominated on the girls lacrosse field, as she has done for years. She finished the 2024 season with 162 points, the 10th most in the country according to MaxPreps. Her 9.0 points per game average was higher than six of the nine players in front of her, too. After graduating this spring, Lowther will head to Clemson University to continue her lacrosse career. But that was only a third of the story of Lowther’s senior year. She also played for the school’s girls basketball team and averaged a double-double of 15.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, both team highs. And while she played lacrosse in the spring, she was also on the school’s track and field team.

On May 18 in Jacksonville, Lowther took home a gold medal in the shot put (13.27 meters) and the discus (45.45 meters) at the FHSAA Class 4A state meet, putting a fitting cap on her illustrious high school athletic career.

Cardinal Mooney High senior Addison Dempsey started her running journey in Dubai during the COVID-19 pandemic, not knowing where it would take her. Dempsey, previously a soccer player, said she ran around palaces and she ran around fish markets, and she did it all in Dubai’s sweltering heat, which could reach 106 degrees or higher.

After moving to Sarasota in 2021, running for fun eventually led Dempsey to competitive cross-country, then track and field. Now Dempsey has earned first- and third-place medals at the FHSAA Class 2A state track and field and cross-country meets, respectively. Her track and field triumph came

5. SARASOTA SENIOR LIFTS HIS WAY TO STATE TITLE

Mark Monchecourt’s biggest strength is, well, his strength. former football player, Monchecourt transitioned to weightlifting after coaches noticed his naturally good technique in the weight room. Monchecourt put all his focus into getting stronger and refining the details of his lifts.

As a senior in 2024, Monchecourt put it all together. Competing at 219 pounds, Monchecourt took first place in the Traditional category at the FHSAA Class 4A state weightlifting meet, held April 19-20 in Lakeland. Monchecourt lifted a total of 725 pounds, beating secondplace Milton High’s Kaden French by 35 pounds. That score includes 335 pounds in the clean and 390 pounds in the bench.

For the fourth straight year, the Cardinal Mooney High girls basketball team made it to the FHSAA Class 3A state championship game. For the fourth straight year, it returned to Sarasota with second-place medals.

As much as the players wish those results were different, making it through the playoff gauntlet to reach that point is still an accomplishment to celebrate.

In 2023-2024, the team got there by defeating Seffner Christian 66-52 in the state

semifinals in Lakeland on Feb. 28. In that game, junior guard Sy’monique Simon and freshman forward Madi Mignery led the way with 17 points, while junior forward Kali Barrett added 15 points. Mignery, who has since received offers from the University of Miami and the University of Cincinnati, among other schools, also grabbed 21 rebounds and had three blocks.

The Cougars would drop the title game 75-51 to Miami Country Day School, finishing the season with a 22-7 record.

7. BOOKER GIRLS BASKETBALL REACHES REGIONAL FINALS

After a slower start than the Booker High girls basketball program is used to having under head coach Ty Bryant, the Tornadoes turned things around. Booker shook off a 5-8 start and finished 15-10, including a playoff run that landed the team in the FHSAA Class 5A regional finals. The Tornadoes got there with a 52-46 win over The Academy of the Holy Names on Feb. 19. Down seven points entering the fourth quarter, the Tornadoes rallied to force overtime, then held off the Jaguars down the stretch. Sophomore Yvette Brown led Booker with 18 points, while senior Jakai Peterson added 16 points. Brown also had a team-high eight rebounds. The Tornadoes fell 62-53 to Lakewood High in the regional finals.

1. MOONEY FOOTBALL WINS FIRST STATE TITLE SINCE 1972

Courtesy image Sarasota swimmer Emma Weyant finished second in the 400 IM at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, which should grant her a spot on the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics in July.

Courtesy image

Cardinal Mooney High football celebrates its first state championship since 1972.

6. MOONEY GIRLS BASKETBALL GOES TO FOURTH STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Courtesy image

File photos

Football transfers to remember in fall

These players will make an impact for their new teams.

Every year, transfers to local football programs make a massive impact on the field.  It can be a lot of work to keep track of who ends up where, but with spring football now complete and summer workouts and camps underway, there’s a better idea of where players have gone — and which stand to make a big impact come fall.

Here’s a list of seven players who have the opportunity to do just that when the season begins in August, and why you should remember their names.

CHAUNCEY KENNON, CORNERBACK, BOOKER HIGH

Since the end of the 2023 season, Chauncey “Chuck” Kennon’s national profile has exploded.  Kennon spent 2023 at Southeast High, which went 0-10. Despite the team’s struggles, Kennon managed to stand out.

A sophomore in 2023, Kennon showcased sticky hands and an ability to run step for step with opposing receivers off the line, and he threw in elite kick returning skills for good measure.

The result?

A four-star rating in the 247Sports Composite, which has him ranked as the No. 93 overall player in the class of 2026, and the No. 9 cornerback. Kennon has received offers from the University of Michigan, the University of Georgia and Florida State University, among other power programs.  His presence will level up a Booker defense that was already stingy, and perhaps lead the Tornadoes even deeper into the postseason.

YAHSHUA EDWARDS, WIDE RECEIVER/RUNNING BACK, RIVERVIEW HIGH

Edwards comes to the Rams from Braden River High, where he broke out playing multiple positions as a junior in 2023.  Edwards had 163 carries for 967 yards and 15 touchdowns as a running back for the Pirates. He also had 37 catches for 443 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. That’s good for 1,410 yards and 19 touchdowns overall, which made him one of the top players in Manatee County.  Edwards also can play on the defensive side of the ball as a defensive back, in case you need more things for him to do.

He’ll bring his talents to Riverview High in 2024 for his senior season. Offensive coordinator Brody Wiseman will no doubt create unique ways to get Edwards the ball, keeping opposing defenses on edge. In the Rams’ spring jambo-

ree against Bishop Verot High and Columbus High on May 25, fans saw glimpses of that: Edwards had two touchdowns and  more than 100 total yards.

CHASE POLIVCHAK AND MAX POLIVCHAK, OFFENSIVE LINE, CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH

Chase Polivchak, a rising senior, and Max Polivchak, a rising junior, are brothers who play offensive line. They are also massive: Chase stands 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, according to his social media bio, while Max is 6-foot-3, 315 pounds.

In 2023, the brothers started for The Out-of-Door Academy and helped the Thunder run over opponents in the postseason, as ODA captured the Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 4A title. The Thunder ran for 2,238 yards at a 6.0 yards per carry clip.

That run game dominance was partially thanks to the Polivchak brothers opening the way, and they

Braden River High junior Yahshua Edwards (17) leans into a hit from Lakewood Ranch junior defensive back Mike Turner (24) during a 2023 game. Edwards has transferred to Riverview High for the 2024 season.

will bring that ability to Cardinal Mooney High in 2024.

One person who will be happy about that? The next player on the list.

MARCUS GALLOWAY, RUNNING BACK, CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH

If Yahshua Edwards was a thunderous presence at Braden River last season, Marcus Galloway was his lightning. The two split carries, with Galloway, then a junior, receiving 134 carries for 627 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.

With Cardinal Mooney running back Carson Beach graduating this spring, the Cougars presented Galloway with an opportunity for a lot of carries in his senior season. And like with Edwards at Riverview, expect the Cougars to get creative in how they get the ball to the speedy Galloway.

DYLAN WESTER, ATHLETE, BOOKER HIGH

Wester, a rising junior, comes to Booker from Palmetto High, where he was used mostly as a wide receiver — but perhaps underutilized. In 2023, as a sophomore, Wester caught 26 passes for 433 yards (16.7 yards per catch) and one touchdown. He also had eight carries for 33 yards and even attempted six passes, completing three of them for 49 yards.

Based on his talent, Wester seems to be capable of more. Colleges certainly think so. Wester has offers from the University of South Florida, the University of Toledo and Marshall University. With Booker losing 5-foot-8 superstar wideout Josiah Booker to Central Michigan University, the 5-foot-10 Wester appears to be an ideal replacement. Expect Wester to show all that he can do in 2024.

COLTON DAVIS, CORNERBACK, CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH

Like Wester, Davis comes from Palmetto High. The 5-foot-10 Davis does not have the national recognition of someone like Chuck Kennon, but he’s a strong cornerback in his own right and holds offers from the University of Mississippi and the University of Nebraska, among other schools, according to 247Sports.  Davis will combine with returning cornerback Chris McCorkle, a University of Indiana commit, to give the Cougars a lockdown pairing on the outside of its secondary.

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

goals in the win, while senior goalkeeper Jacob Brown saved 71% of the shots he faced.

The Cougars would lose 8-5 to the Community School of Naples in the regional finals.

10. PITCHER LEADS RIVERVIEW SOFTBALL TO RESURGENCE

Thanks in large part to the arm and bat of junior pitcher Allison Cole, the Rams softball team rebounded from a 4-18 season in 2023 to finish 16-7 in 2024.

Cole, who did not play high school softball prior to this season, was the team’s workhorse, holding a 1.40 ERA and a 14-5 record over 124.2 innings. She also led the Rams with a .492 batting average. She got help from teammates like junior Ella Trandem, who led the team with eight extra-base hits and had a .362 average, plus a .989 fielding percentage over a team-high 263 chances.

Though the team did not reach the regional round of the postseason, the season laid the foundation for more success in the future.

The game was no ordinary game, it was an FHSAA district title game. The win resulted in Riverview’s first district title since 2006. The Rams were down 1-0 before senior Majestic van Ingen scored on a free kick with 15 minutes remaining. The Paule goal put them ahead. The team’s stingy defense and goalkeeping did the rest.

On the field after the game, players let their emotions flow. Head coach Joe St. Onge said several Rams started crying, the result of achieving a goal that many did not think the team could achieve at the beginning of the season.

The Rams would fall to Palm Harbor University High 3-2 in double overtime in the first round of the regional tournament. They finished the season 11-5-2.

AUTO BIOGRAPHIES by Aidan Deshong, edited by Jeff Chen

Luis Campos

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