There was no shortage of lifeguards — or at least, very young lifeguards — on June 20 at Siesta Key Beach.
During Sarasota County’s Junior Lifeguard Camp, county lifeguards spend a week teaching their skills and knowledge to children ages 9-17.
Lifeguard Lieutenant Chris Lender said the camp gives kids hands-on experiences with the same scenarios that certified lifeguards perform each morning, including runswim rescues using buoys and paddle boards.
The weeklong camp also covers other aspects of the role including water safety, rescue techniques, CPR and identifying marine life. Some campers, Lender said, even go on to become lifeguards, like current county lifeguard Sage Lyons.
Best and brightest
At this year’s National Beta Club Convention, students from the Sarasota Academy of the Arts placed in the junior competition held June 9-13 in Savannah, Georgia.
The National Beta Club is the largest independent nonprofit educational youth club in the country with 500,000 members. Each year, the club brings together students for academic competitions.
SAA students took sixth place in Large Performing Arts Group. Eduardo Barrientos Alvarez earned second place in Sixth Grade Spanish. Alia Bangoura Saavedra (pictured) took fourth in Eighth Grade Spanish. SAA had three Premier performers open the junior convention — Makenzie Poppa, dance; Hadara Porter, vocal; and Elena Newcomb, vocal.
Ian Swaby
Marguerite Barnett brings a touch of color to the dances at the Siesta Key Drum Circle June 23.
Swaby
WEEK OF JUNE 27, 2024
BY THE NUMBERS
3.30
The millage rate county commissioners instructed staff to use as the basis to build the fiscal year 2025 budget. PAGE 5A
75
The number of years juvenile court cases must be stored before being destroyed. PAGE 9A
0.947
The combined ERA of Sarasota American U10 Little League pitchers en route to winning a district title. PAGE 13B
CALENDAR
n Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Monday, July 1, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.
n Sarasota Planning Board regular meeting — 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 10, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.
“Are you then telling me to cut an additional $240,000 from my budget? Are you changing the millage rate you did yesterday?”
County Administrator Jonathan Lewis. Read more on Page 9A
City Hall’s Highwaymen exhibit refreshed
Arefreshed Florida Highwaymen exhibit will debut Thursday, June 27, with as many as 24 new paintings on display in the atrium at Sarasota City Hall.
The Florida Highwaymen were a group of 26 black artists known for capturing the untouched Florida landscape in vivid color. Widely credited for beginning Florida’s contemporary art tradition, they sold their work door-todoor and from the trunks of their cars because of racial barriers preventing them from exhibiting through traditional means.
“The Florida Highwaymen exhibit here at City Hall has been more successful than we could have ever imagined,” said Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace in a news release. “We’re thrilled to see how much our residents and visitors have enjoyed these beautifully captured views of the untouched Florida landscape and learned about the inspiring personal stories of these remarkably talented artists.”
The exhibit is on loan from Roger Lightle, a Highwaymen art collector and owner of Highway-
men Art Specialists Inc. in Vero Beach. Since the late 1990s, Lightle has collected approximately 700 Highwaymen paintings.
The 26 original Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular City Hall hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The City Hall Cultural Heritage Exhibit launched in November 2022. Pieces are on a six-month rotation.
County breaks ground on PRNR building
Sarasota County officials broke ground on the new Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources administration center in Twin Lakes Park. Located at 5883 Hummingbird Ave., the project consists of two structures: an Administration Building with 12,635 square feet of general office space for PRNR administrative staff, and a 5,649-square-foot multipurpose building that includes two large meeting rooms with accompanying support facilities and public restrooms for adjacent athletic facilities.
Six PRNR divisions will operate out of the new administration building, streamlining procedures and customer service. The design phase of this project began in summer 2022, and the project is expected to be completed in the fall 2025. Total cost for the building is $12.78 million.
SCSO operation nets 15 arrests
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) arrested 15 people on multiple charges during Operation Stamp Out, an undercover investigation spanning nearly two years, has resulted in 15 arrests and the confiscation of significant quantities of fentanyl, crack and powder cocaine, other stimulants, cash and firearms.
On June 10, SCSO’s Special Investigations Section conducted a warrant sweep with assistance of the DEA, the Sarasota Police Department, the North Port Police Department and the Office of Statewide Prosecution-Fort Myers. That resulted in the seizing of 159.9 grams of fentanyl, 5,569.8 grams of cocaine, 7.5 grams of marijuana, approximately $218,000 in cash, two firearms, gold jewelry and other illegal substances. Two suspects, Terrance Reed Sr., 56, of North Port and Victor Schuler, 32, of Sarasota remained at large. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the two suspects is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 941-316-1201 or CrimeStoppers at 941-366-8477.
Courtesy image
New paintings by the Florida Highwaymen are available for view at Sarasota City Hall.
ROOM TO GROW
City’s planning and development services staff settles in to the new, and not ‘embarrassing,’ One Stop Shop.
The elevator door opens to the second floor. Step inside, and see that permitting personnel occupy desks to one side, local business tax the other and in between are rows of chairs where architects, builders, contractors and others await their turn to meet with city employees.
From all corners of the City Hall Annex, conversations emanate from across service desks and doorless offices, blending with the musty air as the next person stepping off the elevator momentarily captures the attention of everyone in the cramped waiting area.
That was then.
This month, personnel of multiple city departments moved across Second Street from the City Hall Annex
into the new One Stop Shop building — a bright, light-filled contrast to the dark, dank and overcrowded space they formerly occupied.
The interior of the annex building was modified often since it opened in 1979 to accommodate the city’s growing staff, spaces opened and then were later carved up, creating offices with no privacy and some cubicles intended for one person filled with additional work stations.
“When it was last renovated, the
idea was to have this open concept, and that works until it doesn’t,” said Senior Communications Manager Jan Thornburg. “We started getting more and more employees on board, and we realized that we need something else.”
That something else is a four-story, 30,725-square-foot building to house nearly all personnel involved in regulating and serving the needs of developers as well as associated functions, including Public Works, Engineering and Code Enforcement.
At about $12 million, it’s the first new building for city employees to be built in more than three decades. Over that time, employees not able to fit into the three-story, 17,550-square-foot annex — the first floor mostly occupied by the SRQ Media Studio — have been scattered to various sites in and around downtown.
On the third floor of the annex was the entire Planning Department, which has also completed its move across the street.
“The new building has been fantastic. Planning was really crammed into the City Hall Annex,” said Planning Director Steven Cover. “We now have not only a much bigger and better space, but we have nearly the entire department under the same roof. The annex had limited meeting space, but this building has plenty of room for meetings and collaboration in our new meeting areas and conference rooms.”
The new One Stop Shop provides plenty of elbow room for collaboration in conference rooms that, in the annex, were reconfigured for offices. Not just for staff, the building is designed for greater convenience for residents and the development community alike.
“There were conference rooms that were turned into offices and we didn’t have meeting space,” said
Director of Development Services Lucia Panica. “If you were to come in with plans, we didn’t have anywhere for you to set them down. Now we have areas here where you can set your plans and collate them and do whatever you want.”
The first-floor customer service center consolidates payment of utility bills, formerly at the Public Works building at 12th Street, and parking citations, which were previously paid at City Hall. In-person payment is important, said Thornburg, to serve a large swath of the city’s population.
“There are still many residents who don’t pay bills online or with credit cards because of lack of access, and others who just prefer to pay in person,” Thornburg said.
‘ALWAYS EMBARRASSING’
The vacation of the annex will have a domino effect. The city’s procurement department is preparing a request for proposal to renovate the space for new occupants. Some departments, such as Human Resources and Finance Services, will move from their current space in City Hall into the annex. Others will relocate from remote locations.
“There are three employees in the Federal Building, and since that’s being vacated, those employees are going to come over,” Thornburg said.
“There are several employees in special events at Municipal Auditorium who are going to be coming over here. The space is going to be taken up just like that.”
But not without considerable effort. Remaining behind in the annex is all the office furniture, much of which will be reallocated as warranted, along with dingy carpet, work tables that appear homemade, blinds narrower than windows, tight hallways and a crude built-in cubbyhole stack where plans and other documents were placed for pick-up.
That’s the second floor. On the third floor, planning staff would stand around a table in a lone conference area for meetings rather than go to a first-floor conference room.
“The conference room on the first floor always had mosquitoes in it,” Panica said. “It was always embarrassing.”
The new building offers spacious conference rooms on the third and fourth floors with windows overlooking downtown. On the fourth floor in the Planning Department is an additional “island” where staff can actually sit to review plans and engage in other collaborative work. Without mosquitoes, or embarrassment.
“When you have employees who are cramped, it just makes the work that can already be tedious with a lot of pressure, especially in
department, and it just makes it that much more challenging,”
said.
Lucia’s
Thornburg
The city’s new One Stop Shop is at 1575 Second St. across from City Hall.
Photos by Andrew Warfield
The One Stop Shop offers more space and modern amenities to its permitting and other planning and development services functions.
Left: A sign posted by a city employee shares excitement about the move to the One Stop Shop.
Lucia Panica has moved her Development Services Department from the second floor of City Hall Annex to the third floor of the new One Stop Shop.
Directional signage hangs from the ceiling in the City Hall Annex, showing the close proximity and lack of privacy among the city’s development services.
The crowded lobby area on the second floor at the City Hall Annex surrounded by service desks.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
On the rise again
Condo owners to pay more as Citizens requests 14.2% rate hike.
ondominium
fees could be hit again if Citizens Property Insurance Corp. gets its way.
The state-run property insurance company has asked for permission to raise the rate on condominium units by an average of 14.2% starting next year as part of a proposal for hikes on its policies.
If the state’s Office of Insurance Regulations greenlights Citizen’s request, the average cost of a policy would go up 14%, with home policies rising 13.5% along with the jump for condo units — as well as for renters and mobile home policies.
Citizens said the rate increases are necessary and “impacted by recent legislative reforms, reinsurance costs, and Citizens’ ongoing effort to charge actuarially sound rates.”
If the rate hike is approved, condominium owners will once again be forced to take on additional costs due to decisions by state officials.
That is largely due to recent state laws aimed at making condominium buildings safer after the June 24, 2021, collapse of the 12-story Champlain Tower South in Surfside.
The laws that were passed require milestone inspections for condominium buildings more than 30 years old and that condominium associations have enough money in reserves to repair structural problems that may arise as well as to take care of deferred maintenance.
That money is coming, or has to come, from owners, many of whom are seniors that bought units years ago because they were less expensive to own and maintain.
But with the new regulations and
the number of units in the state older than 30 years old topping, by some estimates, 900,000, the days of a small condo being a cost-effective alternative is no longer a reality.
That’s left many of these condominiums owners unable to afford to live in their homes and with little choice but to sell their units at a drastically reduced price and enter a housing market they can’t afford.
Beyond the immediate impact to the individual owner, the rising costs are beginning to hurt the condo market as a whole as people begin to sell off units.
Earlier this month, Greg MainBaillie, a project manager who works with condominium associations for the commercial real estate firm Colliers, told sister publication the Business Observer that listing prices for units were “significantly discounted” as owners hit with high assessments and HOA fees look to unload.
According to Citizens, it has 1.19 million policies in force as of May 31. The number has stayed relatively steady in the past 22 months after beginning to spike in early 2022 as the number of companies writing policies in the state began to drop.
Email press releases, announcements and Letters to the Editor to: Kat Wingert, kwingert@yourobserver.com
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PUBLIC NOTICES
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Circulation Verified Council 12166 Old Big Bend Road, Suite 210 | St Louis, MO 63122 314-966-7111 | www.cvcaudit.com
Stefania Pifferi
Driving down
Estero Boulevard, the main road that runs the length of Fort Myers Beach, the widespread destruction that Hurricane
wrought is still on full display.
A new low
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Throughout the first two days of the three-day Sarasota County Commission fiscal year 2025 budget workshop last week, the proceedings remained ahead of the scheduled agenda of department heads stating their case for funding requests.
Not to be excluded from the accelerated pace was a preliminary discussion about the equally preliminary ad valorem millage rate, with commissioners ultimately instructing County Administrator Jonathan Lewis to craft a proposed budget based on a countywide rate of 3.30 mils, the lowest rate in 37 years.
The current fiscal year rate is 3.35 mils.
The Thursday millage discussion, originally scheduled for Friday, was requested by Commissioner Neil Rainford and supported by a consensus of the board.
The nearly four-decade low millage rate doesn’t mean the county will be collecting less revenue than last year. The 10% increase in assessed property value will more than offset the difference between the tax revenue of the current fiscal year. But it does mean Lewis and his staff must trim approximately $4.4 million from the requested budgets of departments that fall under the purview of the County Commission. With a projected $25.1 million more in property tax revenue estimated for the coming fiscal year, the county will still net an additional $20.7 million over fiscal 2024.
Funding for the state-mandated constitutional officers’ departments will remain as requested. Those include the Sheriff’s Office, Tax Collector, Clerk of Circuit Court, Supervisor of Elections and more.
“It wouldn’t disappoint me if any of the constitutionals decided to help a little bit in this process and join us in our efforts,” said a wistful Commissioner Ron Cutsinger. Not anticipating such collaboration, Lewis said he will huddle with department heads over the next several weeks as the commission foregoes, as it often does, the planned August workshop. The next time they formally see a proposed budget will be at the first of two scheduled September budget public hearings.
The countywide property tax revenues are projected at $283.3 million based on a preliminary valuation of $103.4 billion, a 9.86% increase over the actual value in fiscal year 2024.
Catching Lewis by surprise, he requested a 10-minute recess to speak with the county’s Office of Financial Management staff to assess whether a $4.4 million reduction in funding requests is feasible.
Reaching an affirmative conclusion, Lewis confirmed with commissioners that the budget can be structured to match the desired millage rate pending the report on the final property assessment. That is due at the beginning of next month, providing the first set of real data to match up with spending requests.
“Obviously that could change on July 1, and we’ll be doing it out of the BCC departments,” Lewis said. “That’s kind of where we interrupted the conversation because we were trying to run some numbers.”
“That’s fine and the numbers are obviously important,” said Commission Chairman Mike Moran. “That’s what we’re doing here for the last three (actually two) days.”
Prior to the $4.4 million in cuts, the proposed total general fund budget for fiscal year 2025 was $465.9 million, an 8.2% increase, or $35.4 million, over fiscal year 2024. That includes $200.6 million in County Commission-controlled departments and $265.3 million for consti-
tutional officers and other agencies.
As is typically the case, the budget increase year-over-year is rooted in personnel expenses and new hires to keep pace with service demands of a growing population.
At 43.03 new full-time equivalents, employment for constitutional offices will increase 3.1% over last year, led by the Sheriff’s Office with 39, for a total of 1,447.5. Meanwhile, BCC-controlled department FTEs are proposed to grow by 59.90, or 2.4%, for a total of 2,541.
Moran suggested staff first look at the transit department, which at a requested $29.3 million is the most among the BCC-controlled budgets; followed by Parks, Recreation, and
Resources
Commissioner Joe Neunder said the county should be budget conscious, just as households must do in the current economic climate.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that we are experiencing very high inflation throughout our country at the moment,” he said. “The private sector, families, we’re all tightening our belts. It’s just an unfortunate circumstance, perhaps beyond our control coming more from national level.
“The academic exercise of going back to getting us at a place where we can say we are at an all-time low in my mind is what my constituents in my district are telling me.”
Natural
at $24.6 million.
Progress for projects
Four projects totaling 264 residences, 126 of them affordable housing, earn DRC partial sign-off.
t was the Joel Freedman show at the June 18 Development Review Committee meeting as the prolific consultant to local development made back-to-back-to-back-toback appearances, with a fifth interrupted by another hearing, while representing projects ranging from One Park West in The Quay to the affordable housing Lofts on Lemon II, and nearly everything in between. Freedman shepherded One Park West, the expansion of Lofts on Lemon, the Artist Court apartment building and two smaller townhome
projects to partial sign-off, the latter still with considerable work remaining as they require both administrative and Planning Board adjustment approvals.
Both of the townhome projects, Cohen Court Townhomes and Rosemary Townhomes, are owned by Maximillian Vollmer, but through two different LLCs, so they require separate submissions to the DRC although they are adjacent and will appear to the uninitiated as a single development.
“Just so everyone knows, they’re very similar projects, but they’re separate projects because of different ownership, even though Max is the same owner,” Freedman said.
With an address of 1425 Eighth St., Cohen Court Townhomes is seeking administrative site plan, Planning Board adjustment and administrative adjustment approval on a nine-
Specialized Dental Care
Photos by Andrew Warfield
City of Sarasota staff expects any developments that may result from the Live Local Act would more closely resemble Lofts on Lemon than a downtown high-rise.
unit development at the northwest corner of Cohen Way and Eighth Street. Those requested adjustments are for a reduction of required frontage widths.
At 1434 and 1442 Ninth St., Rosemary Townhomes is requesting similar administrative and Planning Board adjustments for 13 units on the southwest corner of Cohen Way and Ninth Street.
Both are within the Downtown Edge zone district with a future land use classification of Urban Edge, and are also located within the Rosemary Residential Overlay District. Both of the townhome projects received partial DRC sign-off and, after reviewed by city staff, will go to the desk of Director of Development Services Lucia Panica for adjustments within her purview, then on to the Planning Board to address higher-level frontage adjustments over which it has authority.
ARTIST COURT
Located on Adams Lane at the gateway to the Towles Court neighborhood, after multiple iterations, the Artist Court rental apartment development is one step closer to administrative approval.
Developer GK Real Estate, with Freedman’s help, is seeking administrative site plan and administrative
adjustment approval for a 10-story, 242-unit building on the on the west side of South Washington Boulevard between Golf Street to the north and Adams Lane to the south.
The project is within the Downtown Core zone district and utilizes the downtown attainable housing density bonus to include 26 attainable units, one-third each must be priced at 80% or below, 81% to 100% and 101% to 120% of area median income.
The proposed entrance to the parking is off Golf Street and still requires documentation of a joint use agreement with the adjoining property, Florida Cancer Specialists, for shared access.
The three adjustments being requested are to increase the maximum front yard setback for a portion of the façade in the southeast comer of the building along Adams Lane; a reduction of 7.6% from the habitable space provided on the ground floor along Adams Lane; and a 25% reduction in the required 12-foot recess to 9 feet along the Adams Lane frontage. Those requests must be approved by Panica prior to granting administrative approval.
LOFTS ON LEMON II
After helping to secure a utility easement vacation approval from the Planning Board on June 12, Freedman joined George Scarf of Hoyt Architects and Sarasota Housing Authority President William Russell for the third submittal on the second phase of the Lofts on Lemon affordable housing development.
The SHA is seeking administrative site plan approval for a new eightstory, 100-unit building with structured parking on a three-acre site across the parking lot from the first phase that fronts Cohen Way.
All units are proposed to be attainable to households making 80% of the area median income or less. The SHA is utilizing the affordable housing density bonus incentives to reach 100 units and Florida’s Live Local Act to permit up to eight stories, in accordance with the Downtown Core zone district standards located within one mile of the property. Russell, Freedman and company left the meeting with a partial signoff.
The site of Artists Court from Adams Lane toward South Washington Boulevard.
For Sarasota tax collector
Two Republicans — County Commissioner Mike Moran and an expert in tax collector operations — are in a primary to challenge Barbara Ford-Coates.
For many longtime Sarasotans, in particular those who live in the northern part of the county, the idea of challenging incumbent Barbara FordCoates for the county tax collector position is close to ludicrous.
Ford-Coates has been Sarasota County tax collector for 40 years, elected 10 times. And anyone who has experienced the process of registering a vehicle in another state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or in another Florida county is likely to attest to his or her customer experience in Sarasota being best of class. Ford-Coates’ staff defies the reputation of surly bureaucrats: They’re pleasant, efficient and helpful.
Ford-Coates’ reputation among her peers is tops. Every year since 2011, the Florida Tax Collector Association has bestowed FordCoates and her office with the Excellence in Finance Operations and the Legacy Award. In 2008, the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers & Finance Officers named her Outstanding Tax Collector in the U.S.
Timothy Qualls, longtime general counsel for the Florida Tax Collector’s Association, says: “Barbara is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”
Then, why would anyone want to try to unseat one of the most popular elected officials in Sarasota County history?
The way the two Republican contestants in the Aug. 20 primary see it, 40 years in the job is too long and enough. Vying to oust Democrat Ford-Coates in the November general election are first-time candidate Charles Bear and term-limited Sarasota County Commissioner Mike Moran.
Bear summed up the situation this way: “In no way am I trying to discount what Barbara Ford-Coates has meant to this community. But … sometimes it’s easier to stick with the status quo than shepherd in change. I believe I can be that agent of change and set the office up for success for the next decade.” Bear, by the way, out of respect for Ford-Coates, actually visited her to let her know he was going to run for the office.
Let’s cut to the quick: Of the two Republicans in the primary, Sarasota County Republican voters should choose Bear. Decisively.
Sarasota County citizens don’t need a politician in the tax collector’s office. They need someone whose sole interest is providing first-class customer service and operational efficiency over power and status. Bear makes that case.
ELECTION ’24 SARASOTA TAX COLLECTOR
Bear, 58, has been a resident of Sarasota County for 42 years. Currently, he serves as director of tax operations for the Charlotte County tax collector — overseeing the tax collections and administration of business, tourism and real estate taxes.
His credentials are impressive, and his expertise is apropos. A graduate of Riverview High School, Bear holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of South Florida. He holds the designations of Certified Florida Collector Assistant from the Florida Department of Revenue; Certified Executive Leader from Valencia College; and a Yellow Belt Certification from Electronic Training Solutions Inc. sponsored by the Florida Sterling Council, a notfor-profit that recognizes superior performance in Florida businesses and organizations.
Over the past 23 years, Bear has been in the trenches of Florida’s tax collectors — 11 years in the Charlotte County tax collector’s office as director of tax services and tax operations and 12 years in the private sector for software vendors that served tax collectors statewide.
One of those roles included implementing the software used today in Sarasota County and in 20 other counties. If anyone knows the ins and outs of tax collecting services, few in Florida are more skilled than Bear.
While he expresses utmost respect for Ford-Coates (He writes:
“She will never be replaced. Her potential successor can only hope to carry on her tradition of excellent public service… ”), Bear contends Ford-Coates has not kept up with technology or the growth and needs in North Port.
In his responses to an Observer candidate questionnaire, Bear wrote:
“The current product being used by the tax collector’s office is more than two decades old and is not capable of keeping up … A new
software product can provide superior on-line services and streamline internal functions, which will make the entire office run more efficiently.”
To be sure, Bear is a techie. But in Bear’s roles as director of tax operations, his boss, Charlotte County Tax Collector Vickie Potts gives Bear high marks for his knowledge of Florida tax laws and as a manager and leader. “They appreciate everything he does,” Potts says of the team Bear oversees.
Contrast all of that with what taxpayers have witnessed with Sarasota County Commissioner Mike Moran.
While Moran votes as and articulates himself as a watchdog for taxpayers’ money and proponent of “as little government intrusion as possible,” Moran has used his commission position to foist his power and intervene with government his way, constituents be damned.
We have reported examples of this twice in the past 12 months — once with how he handled the distribution of taxpayer funds to the county’s not-for-profit social service agencies, and more recently when he continued his long-running campaign to cut off business tax funds from the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County. Both instances drew widespread rebuke.
In the case of the social services, Moran showed little to no regard for the exhaustive work a commissionappointed task force did this past spring to devise a methodology for social services funding. To the task force members’ and others’ surprise, Moran abruptly tossed aside their work at a commission meeting — with no advance warning — and pushed his preferred methodology through the commission.
On June 5, the pattern continued, with Moran-led cuts of $1.12 million to social service agencies that have been serving needy citizens for decades. Moran’s actions triggered a response from the CEOs of the three leading foundations that contribute millions to social service organizations and from the Argus Foundation. An excerpt from their June 17 letter:
“For decades, citizen-led Advisory Councils carefully reviewed all nonprofit requests for county human services funding. The council members made site visits, deliberated how to meet the needs of a growing community, and, as a group, shared recommendations on how to allocate tax dollars wisely.
“For the second year in a row, this transparent process was replaced
by decision making without public input.
“The June 5 County Commission meeting included recommendations from Chair Moran that were not made public until the meeting. Without input from the citizen Advisory Councils or county staff, the cuts below were made … ” Moran and his wife moved to Sarasota in 2002, after selling their payroll, tax and insurance firm in Michigan. He says they “have had hundreds of employees and specialized in taking over small organizations and growing them significantly by implementing quality control, efficient systems and procedures and remarkable customer service.”
After settling here, Moran turned his attention to not-for-profits and politics. He served on the boards of the Center for Autism Resources & Education and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and been involved in Guardian Ad Litem.
Moran says he is “not a career politician,” noting in an Observer candidate questionnaire his 22 years of “public service” — service that currently pays him $105,540 a year as a commissioner. In addition, Moran earns $194,250 a year as the executive director of a state’s Florida PACE Funding Agency, an organization that distributes and oversees the lending of lowcost funds to Floridians for home improvements.
To be sure, Moran is indeed a familiar figure in Sarasota County political circles. He has served as president of the Sarasota Republican Club. He was appointed to the Sarasota County Planning Commission; appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Southwest Florida Water Management District board — a slot typically bestowed as a payback by governors. And in 2016 and 2020, he was elected to the Sarasota County Commission.
Reflective of his political involvement and connections, Moran’s campaign contributions as of last week totaled $102,000, 40% of that from Sarasota and Manatee developers.
In contrast, Bear has no contributors other than himself, at $16,000. (Ford-Coates has raised $51,730.) Bear says he is not accepting outside contributions for the primary. As voters assess these two candidates, the contrast is sharp: Moran, the politician who has demonstrated a penchant for wielding power as he sees it should be implemented, his way; or Bear, the tax-collector expert who knows how to move that office’s operations forward and who has developed deep respect from his colleagues.
We recommend: Charles Bear
Moran, tax collectors in a Supreme Court fight
Mike Moran’s job at Florida PACE has him on the wrong side of Florida tax collectors.
As the $194,250-a-year executive director of Florida PACE Funding Agency, a Legislature-authorized homeimprovement lending organization, Mike Moran is a central player in lawsuits involving PACE and 30 Florida county tax collectors.
The tax collectors have sued Florida PACE, alleging PACE’s lending practices are misleading, often resulting in large increases in property tax bills and assessments that surprise homeowners and, in many cases, also have resulted in long-term tax liens being placed on homes.
The tax collectors also have argued PACE doesn’t have the authority to require them to place the PACE assessments on homeowners’ tax bills.
The Legislature created the PACE lending program (Property Assessed Clean Energy) to provide loans to Floridians who might otherwise not qualify for traditional lending. The loans are to be used to improve
a home’s energy efficiency and/or increase its storm resilience.
The PACE Agency has issued $869.4 million in assessable loans to more than 27,586 Floridians. These loans typically incur 9% to 10% interest rates — half of typical credit card rates.
The PACE agency acts as a middleman. Floridians apply for the loans through PACE. Rather than traditional loan qualifications, the loans are tied to home equity. On the other side of the transaction, PACE lines up private lenders. In exchange for the cash to complete the construction project, PACE providers put a lien on the property and collect annual payments through property tax bills.
Tax collectors opposed to this have argued PACE does not have legal authority to force the collectors to add assessments to homeowners’ tax bills and that the program’s contractors often have misled homeowners.
PACE, in turn, has sued the tax collectors, with Moran arguing that his quasi-governmental agency does have taxing authority. In January 2023, a Leon County judge ruled in PACE’s favor, saying it did not need county tax collectors’ permission to operate in their counties or
add assessments to tax bills.
But that judge’s ruling did not end the fight. Other Florida tax collectors said despite that ruling, they were not going to comply. Rob Stoneburner, Collier County tax collector, told the Miami Herald: “I believe the responsibility tax collectors have is we’re only going to collect what is proper and authorized on the tax rolls. As it stands right now, these assessments are not proper or authorized, so they’re not getting collected.”
As word of the controversy spread, Moran put out a news release this past October that said PACE’s bondholders and investors were withdrawing funding from Florida.
Moran and PACE also sued the collectors at that time asking the court to force them to collect the assessments. According to the Miami Herald, judges in Sarasota and Hernando counties have agreed with PACE, while judges in Alachua, Bradford and Hillsborough counties have not.
Moran commented in typical fashion to the Miami Herald: “We don’t do ‘mother may I’ to another governmental authority to tell them to put it on the tax bill. We are the governmental authority. There are
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a billion dollars of bondholders on the street in Florida that need to be paid back, and property tax collectors need to put this on the tax bill. That is not a complicated discussion.”
The final outcome either hinges on the courts or the Legislature. Currently pending in the Florida Supreme Court is the lawsuit Palm Beach County, Florida, et al. v. Florida PACE Funding Agency, et al.
Filing amicus briefs in support of Palm Beach County are the state of Florida, the Florida attorney general, the Florida Tax Collectors Association and the Florida Association of Counties.
Suffice it to say, you can predict if Moran is elected Sarasota County tax collector, however the outcome of this dispute, there won’t be a welcoming committee for Moran among Florida’s 66 other tax collectors.
Footnote: Aware that he could not serve as tax collector and executive director of Florida PACE, Moran sent to the Observer a copy of a letter dated June 28 that he planned to submit to the Florida PACE board. The letter said, in part: “please accept this letter as my commitment to offer my resignation should I win the position.”
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Moran Bear
Where will records go?
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Among Sarasota County government’s pipeline of capital improvement projects is a new building of up to 35,000 square feet to serve as storage and eventual destruction site of legal documents maintained by the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court and County Comptroller.
At $25 million, that’s upwards of $735 per square foot to build.
But why build new, at today’s runaway construction costs, when you could acquire and upfit an existing building with warehouse and office space at a fraction of the cost?
That was the question raised by County Commissioner Neil Rainford on Thursday during last week’s three-day budget workshop, one that was provided partial clarity during a presentation the next day by Karen Rushing, who runs that office. The matter came up during a discussion about the county’s capital improvement program, which included a new 30,000- to 35,000-square-foot building at 1301 Cattlemen Road.
In raising the issue, Rainford pointed out, purely as an example, that a quick search of a commercial property website revealed a 34,000-square-foot warehouse with office space in North Port available for sale at $7.5 million, or $213 per square foot. That sparked a conversation about whether county staff should place a greater emphasis on exploring the market for existing buildings when considering replacement or expanded space for county departments in aging structures.
“I’ve been saying for a couple of months now that we’re at a time when our construction and building costs are soaring, and on the other side of that commercial buildings and offices are out of favor,” said Commissioner Ron Cutsinger. “There’s an opportunity, I think, to do a really thorough investigation of what is available on the market already.”
It’s not that simple, Rushing told commissioners on Friday, who while conceding that she supports the commissioners’ frugality, said the new building must be within a 5-mile radius of the courthouse in downtown Sarasota and must be hardened to withstand severe weather events given the sensitive nature of the papers. It also must have workspace because it’s more than just a storage building. It also houses five employees whose task is not only storage and moving evidence into and out of the building, but marking documents for destruction once they pass their requisite lifespan.
For example, documents from a juvenile case must be stored for 75 years before being destroyed, Rushing said. Wills must be stored for 20 years. As more documents arrive from the offices of law firms and the courthouse, there is no longer adequate space to store them.
Rushing provided a reality check to commissioners’ thoughts about delaying the new building as the county explores other options, which admittedly, because of the unique needs, would likely require additional investment in improvements. But she did admit that because more legal documents are now being digi-
HOW LONG MUST THEY HOLD ON ...
The
Source: Florida Dept. of State Division of Library and Information Services
tized, eventually the demand for storage of physical papers will wane.
But not yet.
“Are we going to run out of room based on what’s happening at the present, or are we keeping pace with destruction versus the amount of records we’re adding?” asked Cutsinger.
“I can’t give you specific numbers, but papers coming in are not at the rate that are being stored at this moment. That’s about as specific as I can be,” Rushing replied. “There is a delta where you won’t continue to need space, but I don’t want to violate the fire code.”
Rushing was asked how many employees she would need to onboard to keep up with the workflow. Double the current team of five, she responded, a cost that would cut into any possible savings by approximately $240,000 per year.
“If I have the people I’ll move (files) out faster. That I can tell you
for sure,” Rushing said. “I guess the question is, how long can we pause?
I can’t really tell you that specifically, but I will get the numbers for you.”
The new legal documents warehouse was stricken from the fiscal year 2025 CIP by unanimous vote.
The motion did not address the potential additional personnel needs of the Clerk of Circuit Court’s office in the interim.
That left County Administrator Jonathan Lewis pondering the impact on the budget. On Thursday, he was tasked by commissioners to build the budget around a millage rate of 3.30, or a $4.4 million trim from the requests of departments controlled by the commission.
“Are you telling me to cut an additional $240,000 from my budget?”
Lewis asked. “Are you changing the millage rate you did yesterday?”
That question went unanswered as the commission moved on to the next agenda item.
401k Plans: Set and Forget?
Five Common Mistakes That Lead to Disappointing 401k Experiences
401k plans are often touted as a reliable way to secure your retirement, but a “set and forget” mentality can lead to several pitfalls. Here are five common mistakes investors make with their 401k plans and how smart investors can avoid them.
With 401k plans, set and forget often turns into set and regret.
– John B. Leeming, CFP® President at JL Bainbridge
1. Ignoring Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
Starting at age 73, account holders must take RMDs. Missing these withdrawals can result in penalties of up to 50% of the required amount. Set reminders or consult a financial advisor to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
2. Overreacting to Market Fluctuations
Market volatility can be unsettling, but changing 401k investments in response to short-term shifts can harm long-term goals. Stick to a long-term strategy and avoid reacting to temporary market dips.
3. Missing Catch-Up Contributions
To “top off” 401k plans, those aged 50 and older can contribute additional dollars beyond standard limits—every year.
4. Overlooking Roth Options
A Roth 401k allows for tax-free withdrawals in retirement. If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket later, paying taxes now with a Roth 401k might be beneficial. Roth decisions may be related to catch-up contributions, too.
5. Using Target Date Funds
Target Date Funds (TDFs) automatically rebalance as you approach retirement, but they can involve complex fees and may not align with changing retirement dates. Review your investment choices periodically and consider alternatives that might better fit your actual retirement plans.
Your financial advisor should help you with your 401k plans. In fact, some financial advisors have tools to help manage your “held away” assets like employer-sponsored 401k plans. Actively managing your 401k is always better than using the set-it-and-forget-it approach to funding your welldeserved retirement.
JL Bainbridge family wealth advisors are fiduciaries with a duty to act first and foremost in their clients’ interests.
To learn more about JL Bainbridge or to set a time for your Free Financial Review, call (941) 3563435 or visit jlbainbridge.com.
365-3435 jlbainbridge.com
Hospital candidates square off
Growth and medical freedom were hot topics at the Tiger Bay Club Forum for the SMH board.
JIM DELA DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
our candidates vying for seats on the Sarasota County Hospital Board defended their positions on priorities for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, medical autonomy, and the role of the board itself at a Tiger Bay Club forum June 20.
The forum, the second hosted by the Tiger Bay Club, was specifically for candidates in two races — the Seat 2 (at-large), and the Central District Seat 1 races. The Sarasota Tiger Bay Club is a “non-partisan political organization that was formed to foster an understanding of public issues,” according to its website.
The forum was an all-Republican affair. Neither of the Democratic candidates, John Lutz in the Seat 2 race, or Vicki Lynn Nighswander in the Seat 1 race attended. Both of the recent write-in candidates, Donna Hurlock for Seat 2, and Emilio Carlesimo in the Seat 1 race, were absent.
All Sarasota County voters may cast ballots in all hospital board races, regardless of districts, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office.
Tiger Bay Club asked several prepared questions, including how candidates would manage SMH’s recent expansion and potential growth.
Sarah Lodge, the current chair of the board who is running for reelection for Seat 1, said the hospital must grow to serve the citizens.
Her opponent, Tanya Parus, was more cautious. She said the board must be able to justify spending tax dollars.
“Do we really need these resources? That’s one of the things that I think I would really want to see, is those numbers and see how this is impacting every citizen of Sarasota County.”
Dr. Stephen Guffanti, a retired emergency room physician running
for Seat 2, told the audience he’s concerned about growth reducing the level of care. Guffanti has been openly critical of the care he received at SMH after he contracted COVID during the pandemic.
“One of the things you find, with that kind of growth, is that you need to constantly revisit your systems, because if you don’t, you’ll find that you’re dropping more balls than when you were smaller,” he said. “But those balls that drop, sometimes they kill you.”
The audience grilled Parus and Guffanti with questions about their alliance with the “Medical Freedom” ticket, which formed during the pandemic after disagreements over policies including mask mandates, vaccinations and alternative care.
Parus read her definition of medical freedom as “ensuring that individuals have a right to make informed decisions about their own health, health care without undue influence or coercion.”
Guffanti argued that doctors need to be allowed to have differing opinions. “SMH just needs doctors on its board who can point out when its medical freedom policy isn’t being upheld and redirects staff.”
Parus continued her criticism of SMH’s policies during the pandemic, “When you’re coerced ... ‘Hey, you’re going to lose your job if you don’t get vaxxed up, or don’t bother coming in if you’re not going to wear that mask.’ That is not medical freedom,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lodge and Seat 2 candidate Kevin Cooper argued that the board’s responsibility is more fiscal than medical. Lodge echoed that sentiment after the forum.
“The board’s role does not oversee the medicine,” she said. “Now, we oversee patient quality. We get an update on that all the time. As far as medicine goes, that is not our role.”
Voters can meet the candidates again 5:30-7 p.m. July 11, at Jacaranda Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Blvd. in Venice, at a League of Women Voters of Sarasota County forum. Registration is required via LwwSRQ.org.
Beyond First Class™
Public criticizes meeting on migrant costs
Special County Commission session following last week’s budget workshop included presentation on costs of crime.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
At the end of the Sarasota County Commission’s threeday budget session last week was a scheduled special meeting with five county agencies and organizations invited to discuss the local fiscal impacts of illegal immigration.
Of the five expected, only Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman and 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Ed Brodsky appeared, with noshows by representatives of Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, Florida Englewood Hospital and the Sarasota County School Board.
But there were plenty of other speakers in attendance.
Of the 26 who addressed commissioners during the public comments portion at the outset of the meeting, 25 spoke against motivations for having the meeting in the first place, leveling accusations of grandstanding, xenophobia, discrimination and more. The lone supporter of the meeting was Commissioner Joe Neunder’s mother, who hails from Puerto Rico.
“In my opinion, this workshop is illegitimate. It’s nothing more than an election year stunt to whip up the base through anti-immigrant hate and vengeance,” said community activist Carol Lerner.
“There is no problem with crime or fentanyl with undocumented immi-
grants. No human being should ever be called illegal,” said Andrea Doria Kale, a Democrat candidate for U.S. House of Representatives District 18. “It’s still not a crime to seek asylum in this country. This is not a real problem in Sarasota County. You should be focusing on the real problems facing us.”
“This workshop seems biased against immigrants, only concerned with the harm they might do rather than the benefit they might bring to the community,” said Jules Rayne. “We should be including them in the American dream rather than excluding them. This commission needs to stop putting conservative party politics over the public interest.”
Much of the two presentations covered federal policy and national trends, with only Hoffman bringing specific local financial impact data.
First, though, he described conditions he witnessed at the Texas border during a recent trip there by invitation of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“They wanted us to see first-hand not only the drug corridors and the correlation between what’s going on at the border and the illegal drugs that are getting into our community, but actually to speak to the border patrol about what they’re seeing in terms of human trafficking and cartels,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman clarified to commissioners and to the in-person and online
audience that his appearance at the meeting was strictly to provide the hard costs to arrest and incarcerate undocumented individuals paid for by the Sarasota County taxpayers. He specified that only those who end up there are arrested because of crimes they commit, not simply because they are here.
“Just (to) reiterate for everybody who’s listening, law enforcement is not going out to construction projects. We’re not going into restaurants,” Hoffman said. “These are folks who came to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and particularly to your jail, by virtue of criminal activity.”
That cost to the taxpayers for all of 2023 and year-to-date in 2024 is $554,968 for 87 individuals.
Those arrests include:
■ 2 homicides.
■ 25 assaults.
■ 5 sexual assaults.
■ 7 drug-related offenses.
■ 1 kidnapping-related offense.
■ 11 larceny/burglary/stolen vehicle cases.
■ 6 fraud cases.
“So probably several million dollars in terms of the impact on the
“Those national policies and directions that happen in Washington trickle down, and I believe affect us here at the local level. We don’t have a say in that, but yet we do have to deal with it.”
Joe Neunder, Sarasota County Commissioner
jail if you go back to 2020,” Hoffman said.
And then there are the soft costs.
“I have to explain to a parent or to a relative, why a homicide or a burglary has occurred by somebody who technically under our laws should not be in the country,” Hoffman said. “That is something that falls on me to try to explain, which is difficult at times.”
Hoffman described the processes of arresting and notifying the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which sometimes, but not always, removes the detainees. Those not removed and cannot bond out remain in Sarasota County Jail. He described two recent encounters
with individuals who have illegally entered the country for a third time: one was stopped for a DUI who also was found in possession of multiple weapons and another who carjacked a vehicle in Englewood, traveled north and attempted a second carjacking of a U.S. Army veteran who defended himself with a firearm.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Neunder expressed his thoughts about the need for the discussion.
“I actually think this is the right time to have that conversation about the topic of this meeting, which is illegal immigration and its impact,” he said. “Nothing personal on the individuals, but it’s important for us as we go through our budget process to interact with our sheriff and our other constitutionals, the people directly involved in this, do they need more resources? This job is about the health, safety and wellness of our community.
“We don’t have a say in what happens on the national level. Those national policies and directions that happen in Washington trickle down, and I believe affect us here at the local level. We don’t have a say in that, but yet we do have to deal with it.”
LAKE
Sheriff Kurt Hoffman said the cost of arresting and holding undocumented immigrants who commit crimes at Sarasota County Jail since 2019 is several million dollars.
Rain ends record-low water levels at Myakka
Periodic dry conditions, resulting from extended drought, regulate and benefit plant and animal communities.
Myakka’s ecosystems have evolved to depend and thrive on a regular ebb and flow of water.
Rainfall is the primary driver for varying water levels in the Myakka River and its two floodplain lakes — the Upper Myakka Lake and Lower Myakka Lake.
Spring usually brings the start of rainy season. And by summer, water levels are typically highest, and overflow into floodplain marshes and wetlands. In the fall and winter — dry season — water levels gradually drop, with periods of low water, or drawdown.
With some years wetter and some drier, differences in the fluctuating water levels naturally occur over multiyear cycles.
In fact, extended periods of low water are typical for the Myakka River system and occur about one out of every four years. And indeed, this spring, water levels in the entire Myakka system were notably low.
These low levels largely reflected a dry spring, with almost no rainfall in April or May. Secondary factors included less water entering the Myakka watershed as a result of agriculture, thanks to improved farm watering practices, directed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
In recent years, farm water artificially inflated dry season levels. Also, with rising temperatures, water evaporation rates have increased. Finally, recent hurricanes breached several agricultural water diversion
berms in Tatum Sawgrass Marsh, directly upriver from the park, restoring large areas of the original floodplain.
As expected, the removal of a deteriorating weir and culverts at the Upper Myakka Lake’s outflow in 2022, which was already breached, had no impact on this season’s water levels.
Though this year’s period of low water isn’t the lowest ever recorded, it is the lowest in decades. And while it may seem counter-intuitive, variability in water levels and low water periods are extremely beneficial for Myakka’s ecosystems. They help regulate plant and wildlife communities and promote biodiversity.
By concentrating fish and other aquatic animals into shallow pools, this spring’s extended drought attracted unusually large flocks of wading birds to the park, including hundreds of federally designated threatened wood storks and countless other wading birds.
Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.
wading birds, including imperiled species like wood storks.
COPS CORNER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
10:57
a.m., 100 block of North Tamiami Trail
Civil disturbance: Having caused non-specified “multiple problems” with staff, a hotel guest had been ordered to leave the property but was refusing. A responding officer was further advised that the guest had a pit bull in her room and needed to be escorted off the property.
The officer made contact with the guest outside her room on the 18th floor and was told she was no longer permitted to stay at the hotel. She challenged the decision, but stated she needed time to pack her belongings and she needed to eat. She was offered 15 minutes to complete the task, to which she reluctantly agreed.
When the 15 minutes were up, the officer told her she needed to exit the room, to which she yelled, “I’m (inappropriate expletive) coming.”
A moment later another request for her to exit the room was made, garnering a similar response. The threat of incarceration motivated her to the door with suitcase in hand and the dog on a leash.
After being told to proceed toward the service elevator, she refused and went the opposite way. The officer then assisted in escorting her to the service elevator and down to the loading dock. She was advised that if she returned to the property she would be arrested on a charge of trespassing. The officer remained on the scene until her ride arrived and she left without further incident.
THURSDAY, JUNE 16
MAIN STREET SCUFFLE
State
Joe Gruters (District 22)
FRIDAY, JUNE 17
DRIVE-BY SQUIRTING
10:20 p.m., St. Armands Circle
Disturbance: Following an unpleasant encounter with multiple male juveniles, a complainant requested that an officer meet him at his residence on St. Armands Key. The man said he was leaving a friend’s place of work on St. Armands Circle when a vehicle containing the subjects approached and non-specified comments were made between the two parties.
The complainant said he believed the encounter to be over when the car load of teens came back around and, after hurtling further derogatory comments toward him, they proceeded to squirt yellow mustard on him and his vehicle before fleeing the scene. The victim said he was unable to describe the assailants because they were wearing face masks, but he was able to describe the vehicle and license plate number.
He said he did not want to press charges, but wanted them to be “spoken to” if apprehended. The officer was unable to locate the vehicle, but did find that it is registered to an address in the county outside of the city.
1:33 a.m., 1500 block of Main Street
Fight: An employee of a Main Street eatery flagged down an officer regarding a scuffle that he described as six young adults disturbing a homeless person outside the business.
The man advised he attempted to intervene, telling them to leave the homeless person alone and to leave the area.
The situation escalated into a verbal argument, he said, until one of the individuals squared off with him and elbowed him in the face. The complainant said he responded by punching his assailant in the face.
Ten minutes had passed before the complainant made contact with the officer, and all parties, including the homeless person, had left the scene. The complainant gave a vague description of one of the group members and provided possible names of four of them, having examined their bar tabs. He was unable to match a name with the person who elbowed him. Based on the restaurant employee’s description, it was determined that he was a mutual combatant in the situation and no further action was taken.
A toast to the corner bar
Jack Dowd’s ‘Last Call’ gets another round at Ringling College’s Stulberg Gallery.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
esides home and work, humans need what urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg dubbed a “third place,” where people of different backgrounds can mingle and get to know each other. Historically, that place has been a church, a coffee shop or a bar. However, thanks to the internet, social media platforms have become a popular watering hole. Still, pandemic lockdowns — government or self-imposed — were a sometimes lonely reminder that there’s no substitute for communing in real life. That’s why Ringling College of Art & Design’s encore of Sarasota artist Jack Dowd’s installation, “Last Call,” comes at the right time. Some people will remember “Last Call,” a mythical New York City tavern, from its 2001 exhibition at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, where it attracted 40,000 visitors in 10 weeks.
Like the art itself, the June 7 opening reception for “Last Call” at Ringling College’s Lois and David Stulberg Gallery brought together people of varying ages from different walks of life. Some visitors, no doubt, were enticed by the offer of free food for
But most were there to hobnob with the artist and to get up close and personal with the installation, which was protected by a barrier but was surrounded by bistro tables with snacks. Just outside the gallery entrance, a bar sold drinks.
As one patron exclaimed, “Everybody’s here!” Where else could you see Sarasota philanthropist and socialite Graci McGillicuddy ordering a bottled water from the Dawg
In an interview, Ringling College Chief Curator and Director of Galleries Tim Jaeger says he considered holding the show during season but
“A lot of people would have enjoyed this just as much or more in season, but it makes great sense to have this during the summer months because of how local Jack is,” Jaeger says.
Courtesy images
Artist Jack Dowd, creator of “Last Call,” has been a Marine, a musician, a high school teacher and a bar owner.
“Furthermore, we’re not competing with other venues and other exhibitions for coverage. Also we could commit to a longer period of time,” he adds. The show runs through Aug. 16.
Jaeger, who hires Dowd’s son, Jon, to install artworks at The Ringling’s seven on-campus galleries, first met Jack Dowd around 2007-08. At the time, Jaeger had a studio on 10th Way near where Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is today.
“I was working on a series of chickens,” Jaeger recalls. “Jack coldcalled me and asked if I wanted to do a trade. I picked out one of his Andy Warhol statues, which is in my office today.”
Over the years, Jaeger and his wife, Cassia, began to socialize with Dowd and his wife, Jill. Jaeger also worked with Dowd on the artist’s “27 Club” exhibition at Ringling College in 2012. The show consisted of pastel drawings of performing and visual artists such as Amy Winehouse, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jim Morrison and others who died at age 27.
“The ‘27 Club’ was one of the last exhibitions I did with Kevin Dean, who was my mentor and the director of Selby Gallery,” Jaeger says. Dean died in 2014 after curating more than 250 shows for Ringling College’s Selby Gallery.
CAPTURING A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE
Jaeger says he wanted to give “Last Call” another exhibition so newcomers to Sarasota’s arts scene would have the opportunity to view Dowd’s work and meet the artist in person. Dowd is going strong in his mid-80s.
In many ways, “Last Call” is the culmination of its creator’s artistic and life experience. A former Marine, Dowd is an artist and musician who taught high school on Long Island and ran bars there and in Vermont before moving to Sarasota in 1984.
“We found Sarasota by accident. I did an art show, and we thought we would like it here,” recalls Dowd. “We found a nice house on the beach on Siesta Key. It was $100,000 for the house with two bedrooms and two baths. That’s when I really started working on my sculpture.”
The Dowds lived on Siesta Key for seven years before moving to Gator
Creek, a community east of I-75 between Bee Ridge Road and Lorraine Road. “It’s not pretentious,” Dowd says. “Everybody has five acres or more. There are about 70 homes, and we don’t have a lot of rules.”
Before moving to Sarasota, Dowd reckons he owned 11 bars and nightclubs over a 15-year stretch. They ran the gamut — from Jack’s Backyard and The Canterbury Pub, both on Long Island, to a joint called Texas in Burlington, Vermont.
The assortment of 13 characters who inhabit “Last Call” is inspired by people whom Dowd met along the way in bars and on the streets of New York and Florida.
For those who want to get to know all of them, the wall of the Stulberg Gallery contains portraits of each character, with a painting by Dowd, a photograph and a brief biography that includes their favorite drink, fashion style and motto.
A character called Murphy, wearing roller blades, was inspired by the late John F. Kennedy Jr. during his bachelor years in New York City.
His personality traits: “Looking for the right girl. Hangs out on the Cape, loves to surf. Mode of transportation is bicycle or roller blades,” says Murphy’s bio.
Dowd discovered the inspiration for a waitress he dubbed “Courtney” after singer Courtney Love, when he saw a woman walking across Tompkins Square in New York City while
he was installing one of his artworks there.
According to her bio, Courtney “spends time in the East Village, where she looks normal surrounded by hard people.” Dowd paid the model $25 to pose for him.
WORKING AT THE CAR WASH
Some of the characters in “Last Call” may look familiar because they are based on local personalities. The bartender is modeled on Jack Fehily, co-founder of Patrick’s 1481 restaurant on Main Street.
Another local in “Last Call” is Reggie, whom Dowd discovered working at Johnny’s Car Wash on Tamiami Trail.
It took Dowd two years and $200,000 to build “Last Call,” where a clock behind the 22-foot mahogany bar reads 3:55, just five minutes before the mandated 4 a.m. closing time in New York.
To make each figure, Dowd first photographed and measured his model. Jon Dowd would create a “skeleton” out of metal that would be covered with bendable wire lath.
Dowd put meat on the bones of his characters with oil-based clay that wouldn’t dry out if it was left for a time. Jill Dowd helped paint the resin sculptures that were made by a foundry. “She has the patience of a saint,” her husband notes.
If you like “Last Call” so much that you want to take it home, you can: It’s for sale for $2.5 million, Dowd says. Look at it this way — it’s cheaper than owning a real bar and you won’t have to throw rowdy patrons out.
Jack Dowd’s “Last Call,” a life-sized installation of a New York City tavern, is on display through Aug. 16 at Ringling College’s Stulberg Gallery.
This character in Jack Dowd’s installation, “Last Call,” is named “The Captain.” He likes motorcycles and billiards.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 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.
The son of a religious woman and a Green Beret, Danny Bevins walks the tightrope between the sacred and the profane. Bevins has been seen on Showtime’s “Live From Amsterdam,” “Road Dogs with Billy Gardell” and “Sullivan and Son” on TBS. Continues June 30.
OUR PICK CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS’
Watch a classic movie in the beautiful, air-conditioned Sarasota Opera House as MGM’s “Meet Me in St. Louis” unspools. Starring Judy Garland, Tom Drake, Marjorie Main and others, the 1944 musical follows a year in the life of the Smith family of St. Louis, beginning in summer 1903. The film’s “Trolley Song” became a standard for Garland, who married the director, Vincente Minnelli. The two later became the parents of “Cabaret” star Liza Minnelli.
‘RHINESTONE COWGIRLS’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Created by Nancy Allen Productions, this musical tribute to some of the first ladies of country features such classics as Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” Runs through July 28.
‘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.
‘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. Runs through Aug. 25.
FRIDAY
KEITH ALBERSTADT
6:30 and 8:50 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.
Nashville boy Keith Alberstadt brought his comedy routines to New
‘A NIGHT TO REMEMBER’
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $50-$100
Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presents “A Night to Remember” –three nights, actually. The benefit concert by the Soul Sensations and special friends runs through June 30.
DISNEY’S ‘FINDING NEMO KIDS’
7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $20 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.
What makes this musical adaptation of “Finding Nemo” a kids’ show besides its family friendly material? Its length: just 30 minutes. Based on the popular 2003 Pixar movie, the musical follows Nemo, whose overprotective father, Marlin, conquers his fears when his son is kidnapped. With the help of the ever-optimistic Dory, the Tank Gang and others, Marlin and Nemo are reunited.
SATURDAY
CABARET ON THE BOULEVARD: CIRQUE
8 p.m. The Original Wolfie’s Rascal House, 1420 Boulevard of the Arts $50-$60 Visit CabaretOnTheBoulevard.com.
Grae Productions is teaming up with The Original Wolfie’s in the Rosemary District to launch a monthly cabaret series. The first event has a Cirque theme featuring an ensemble cast of vocal, burlesque, drag and circus artists, including Brian Craft, Ashley Figlow, Carmen Lai Garden, Mr. Gripp and Daly Santanta.
MONDAY
DON’T MISS
‘THE WORLD GOES ’ROUND’
Florida Studio Theatre kicks off its Summer Mainstage Series with “The World Goes ’Round,” a musical revue celebrating the works of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The show features memorable songs from hit Broadway shows such as “Chicago,” “Cabaret” and more. Runs through June 30.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m., Thursday, June 27
When: at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
Tickets: $39-$59
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Season has ended, but it’s not over for Monday Night Jazz at the Cabaret as the Jazz Club of Sarasota presents the Rod Alnord Quartet. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and drinks.
WEDNESDAY
‘DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE’
8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $29-$46 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig tells the story of his parents’ court-
Image courtesy of Sarasota Opera
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Image courtesy of John Jones
Battered bliss: Comfort food never tasted so good
Where to find the best fish and chips in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
There are a few things that no one prepares you for when you lose someone you love: the unexpected stream of tears when you’re listening to a happy song that reminds you of a moment in time, the brain fog that seeps into your everyday functionality and the fact that the term “comfort food” takes on a whole different meaning. I’ve learned so much about my mother in the last year (including just what a strong cookie she is and how chic she looks with her cute new bob haircut), but one thing that has never faltered is her reliable sense of where to find satisfaction in a fish and chip entree. If it’s listed on the menu, my favorite woman on the planet is without hesitation ordering the crispy golden platter of fish and fries that originates from her favorite place in the world — England. So let’s dig into some of the culinary comfort food that made its way across the pond and into our Gulf-side community.
STAR FISH COMPANY
12306 46th Ave. W., Cortez; 941794-1243; StarFishCompany.com
Recently recognized by USA Today, this historic Cortez Village foodie paradise has been standing since the 1920s, with a market added in the 1960s. With so few waterfront restaurants in the area (always a shock to our visitors), Star Fish not only has a fantastic Floridian view, its simple yet sensational menu makes the combo (water and food) as spectacular as the fish and chips.
You’re So Golden: You have lots of options for which fish you want fried alongside your chips here. They include grouper (market price), mullet ($9.95+), swordfish ($21.95) and so much more.
Oh My Cod: Make way for the Cortez special ($26.95) served with the best hush puppies this foodie has ever noshed on, homemade coleslaw and your choice of broccoli, fries or cheese grits. But it doesn’t stop there. Choose two of the following: shrimp, mahi-mahi, oysters, scallops, grouper, crab cake or clam strips.
OWEN’S FISH CAMP 6516 University Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, 941-951-5052; 516 Burns Court, Sarasota, 941-9516936; OwensFishCamp.com
Call me a repeat offender, but the foodie gods keep pointing me in the direction of Owen’s (the original in Sarasota or the LWR location). They know exactly how to dish out a plate of fish — no matter whether it’s fried, blackened or grilled.
You’re So Golden: Plated in Burns Court is the fish ’n’ chips basket with fries and slaw for ($18.99) that pairs perfectly with a nice Jack Daniel’s iced tea. Dig into the fish ’n’ chips made from Atlantic cod served with fries and slaw ($24.99) — with full bar access at all times.
Oh My Cod: No matter how influenced I may be by patrons around me, I will be a naked-fish girl (market price) until my last bite. Any locally caught fish of the day with lemon-caper butter is my first recommendation to any newbie at Owen’s. Sides? Slap on some cheesy grits and collard greens and I am the happiest version of myself.
THE OLD SALTY DOG 1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota; 941-388-4311; TheOldSaltyDog.com
What better way to bite into a beautifully battered meal than on the water at City Island’s Old Salty Dog? Serving Sarasota since 1985, with this location opening its doors in 1991, this stop is a must for locals and visitors alike. My family has been frequenting this restaurant since its debut.
You’re So Golden: Order the traditional English fish ’n’ chips ($18.99) and ask, “Can I get that extra crispy?” Trust me, it made the world of difference for the connoisseur of chips, Amy Burke. Filet of cold water fish, deep fried (and extra crispy, remember!) with fantastic French fries. Be like a Burke and order a side of boom boom
sauce to change up the ketchup game.
Oh My Cod: Want to wrap up the fish in a different way? Order the firecracker wrap with grouper ($19.99) in a chipotle tortilla with lettuce, tomato, tortilla strips and that bonkers boom boom sauce. If you’re like me, hold the tomato.
GEORGIE’S UTC RESTAURANT & BAR
229 N Cattlemen Road, Suite 69, Sarasota; 941-952-5001; GeorgiesGardenCafe.com
This UTC dining destination definitely elevated the cheap and hearty 19th century English meal wrapped in newsprint to a modernday entree served in a fabulously decorated ready-for-Instagram foodie bistro.
You’re So Golden: Georgie’s fish and chips ($24) is compiled of beerbattered Dover sole, crispy chips, lemon and, to quote the menu, “UTC’s best house made tartar.” Order truffle fries ($8) and feel like late Queen Elizabeth herself.
Oh My Cod: Talk about innovating and elevating — treat yourself to the Gulf grouper ($39) lightly blackened with truffle risotto, asparagus and lemon butter. Who needs chips when you can get truffle risotto?
SHAKESPEARE’S CRAFT BEER AND GASTRO PUB 3550 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota; 941364-5938; ShakespearesEnglishPub. com
You didn’t think I would leave off Shakespeare’s when rounding up the perfect fish and chips, did you? I remember one of the last conversations I had with my dad, when I asked, “Do you think the owners know how much our family loves it there?” He smiled and wrote, “You are like their own PR team.”
You’re So Golden: Once you’ve ordered your pint, go ahead and order the recommended English fish and chips ($16.95) made with flaky white fish dipped in the pub’s English-style batter that tastes like it crossed the pond on a ship itself. Fries piled high accompany the crispy fish, and you can choose from the authentic side of peas or cole slaw. Or do what I do and ask for both.
Oh My Cod: While I could never understand my parents’ obsession with fish filet from Micky D’s, I can definitely get down to clown with Shakespeare’s crispy cod sandwich ($15.95). Dipped in that delectable batter, this cod is accompanied with lettuce, (no) tomato, onion and tasty tartar sauce.
Image courtesy of Georgie’s UTC Restaurant & Bar / Facebook
Drive over to UTC and bite into Georgie’s fish and chips ($24).
LUXURY REAL ESTATE DEFINED
Nitty-gritty techniques
Sand Sculpture Camp has been teaching kids the art of temporary construction for 12 years.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
When he creates a sand sculpture, Bill Night works with as much as two tons of sand to design pieces that dominate parties and events.
Yet he said it’s possible for children to hone the basics of the craft.
The key is starting smaller, with just 100 pounds of sand and a shape familiar to anyone: that of a sand castle.
In fact, the Sand Sculpture Camp, held through a partnership between Sarasota County and The Sand Lovers, a company that Night co-owns with his wife, Marianne Night, has been doing just that.
The summer camps have taken off, with a waiting list for each session, each of which hosts a maximum of 20 children.
During one session of the camp from June 19 to 21, kids could be seen using straws to blow bits of sand away, and using tools to create features like windows, doors and texture.
“Now they know the basics of sand
sculpting they can carry the rest of their life,” Night said. “There’s no end to where they can go with it.”
By the final day of the camp, which saw campers making sculptures of their own devising, kids were applying skills they hadn’t known upon arrival and getting creative with the
“It’s been kind of hard, but also kind of easy,” said Bera Tardin, 8. Magnus Aoden, 10, decided to create a recess with a staircase winding around his tower.
“That was hard; I had to get my spatula in there and curve around the entire thing,” he said. Night said learning sand sculpting is all about lessons.
“My advice to anybody that wants to learn sand sculpting is find a local sculptor and take a lesson, because once you learn, there’s no secrets to it, but once you learn the process of how to pack the sand, how to prepare the sand, then a light bulb goes off and you go, ‘Oh my gosh, look what I can do.’”
ABOUT SAND SCULPTURE CAMP
9 a.m. to 12 p.m., July 1-3 at Siesta Key Beach, 948 Beach Road. Ages 6-12. $136. For information on Sand Sculpture Camp and other Sarasota County summer camps, visit SarasotaCountyParks.com.
Night has an extensive background in sand sculpture. He started learning the art after watching the Fort Myers Beach American Sand Sculpting Competition. He was impressed with the work and its scale.
When he was asked to create a piece commercially in 2006, he decided to open a business, with the business being launched in 2011.
The Bokeelia, Florida-based company creates sculptures for events and other occasions across the country, and even in other countries.
The couple also helped manage the Siesta Key Crystal Classic tournament for a short time.
“We travel around the world making beautiful works of art out of sand and water,” Night said. “We’re very blessed to be able to make a living doing something that we love.”
He hopes that some young campers may eventually have the chance to enjoy the same experiences.
“They’re the future,” he said.
“Already some of them are competing at the amateur level. … My dream would be to see one of these kids competing as a master at the Crystal Classic or one of the other events in the future.”
Josie Calderon, 9, removes some sand from a sculpture.
Nazar Lavrentiev, 9, builds a series of adjoining towers.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Magnus Aoden, 10, shapes a sandcastle.
Bill Night offers some instruction to campers.
The business of giving back
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
The philanthropic nature of Sarasota’s community is widely known, but it’s something that also holds true when it comes to many of its businesses.
This was evident when the Sarasota Greater Chamber of Commerce held the 34th annual Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business Awards on June 21. Held at The Ora Ballroom at The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, the awards saw over 600 individuals gathering to celebrate a total of 30 businesses.
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD: CATALIST REALTY
When David Crawford founded Catalist Realty in 2018, he built an unusual feature into the business model.
Fifteen percent of all commissions earned would be donated to local nonprofits, with clients choosing where to direct them.
“I don’t know if this business model works in every community. I think Sarasota is a very special place,” he said, attributing the model’s success to factors including the area’s nonprofits, arts and culture, governance and intertwined private sector.
He also said the passion of the real estate agents is a major factor.
“On one hand, that can be a challenge with the business model, but we found the agents that get that, are already involved. They’re already in the community, and that spirit is just something that’s a passion within them,” he said.
It’s the third year the company
has been nominated, and the first it has won, something he attributes to the time it has taken the company to prove its success in a locale he said holds many exceptional businesses.
“We’re just humbled to even be recognized with a lot of these organizations, at the scale of what they’ve been able to accomplish,” he said.
The company, he said, is now just shy of $300,000 in impact, with about $205,000 of that being unrestricted funds created directly through the sale of the properties.
WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS
AWARD: FLY DANCE FITNESS
When Stacey Marks and Kari Schroeter met on the dance floor of Fly Dance Fitness, they knew they’d found a special place.
In fact, they were so appreciative of the company, which offers dance fitness and sculpting classes, that they became instructors before acquiring the business five years ago, with Marks now serving as CEO and Schroeter as COO.
The duo attributes the impact of the project to the “incredibly strong” women who come together there each day.
“Our entire business is focused on empowering women,” Marks said.
“It’s all we do 24/7, seven days a week, 365 (days a year). They uplift each other, and our instructors, by just being themselves in our classes, allow other people to be their authentic selves.”
They hope that the experience won’t only be for Sarasota’s community, however, as they said demand for the benefits of a dance and fitness experience exists nationwide.
They are currently working on
franchising the location. They also offer virtual classes across the country and internationally, and allow instructors who audition for positions to teach one of the business’ dance formats in another city.
“We are incredibly humbled, and excited and overwhelmed with how much support we’ve received just within our community, but also through the chamber as well,” Schroeter said.
MINORITY BUSINESS AWARD:
AGINTO | A DIGITAL AGENCY
In 2011, Chris Williams founded the business that became Aginto | A Digital Agency as a way to use his coding skills to put food on the table. Around 2013, it began to evolve into the full-fledged digital marketing agency it is today, serving Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Although he sees it eventually doubling in size, he doesn’t want the agency to grow too much. He hopes it’s large enough to serve its clients effectively, but also small enough to know them.
In addition to being extremely data-driven, he said, Aginto also operates through a unique model.
“We take on a client and promise to do everything we can to make their business successful. We don’t go to their competitor down the street and promise the same,” he said.
That sense of responsibility is also present when it comes to staff, he said.
The quality he looks for in staff is an entrepreneurial spirit, and a goal for them to open their own marketing agency or studio, or other business.
“I feel it’s my job as the leader to
FL
Over 600 people celebrated 30 businesses at the 34th annual Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business Awards.
Courtesy image
Stacey Marks and Kari Schroeter perform a dance workout at Fly Dance Fitness, which an award for being a woman-owned business.
■ CMSA Scholz,
Small Business Award
(1-25 employees)
sponsored by SRQ Airport
Winner: Express Employment Professionals
■ Creative Arts Academy
■ Wealth Strategies Partners
Medium Business Award (25-150 employees)
sponsored by MidFlorida
Credit Union
Winner: Berlin Patten
Ebling, PLLC
■ Kellogg & Kimley, Inc.
■ PPi Technologies Group
Large Business Award (150+ employees)
sponsored by Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Winner: Roofing By Curry
■ Harmar
■ Sarasota Ford
Community Impact Award sponsored by Kerkering, Barberio & Co
Winner: Catalist Realty
help them to get to that goal,” he said. “A lot of time, that means that they’re not going to be with Aginto.”
He called the honor of the award “huge.” Being biracial, he said, there are “not a ton” of people who look like him in the area.
He hopes to show others that “it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter the things you’ve done in your background, you can start a business, be good at something, because that’s what matters, to be good at something, do good in the community and be recognized and have success.”
LARGE BUSINESS: ROOFING BY CURRY
Gary Curry, the founder of Roofing By Curry, has always been generous, said his son Jesse Curry.
That’s why after taking over the primary duties of the business from his father in 2019, Jesse has continued its charity initiatives.
“I think that’s one of the things
that differentiates us a lot,” he said.
The company started offering free roofs 10 years ago, through a program called No Roof Left Behind, which allowed the community to nominate members in need.
When that program closed in 2020, Roofing By Curry emulated the project, hiring a contractor to build a website and create The Free Roof Project.
The company’s charity arm, Curry Cares, also works extensively with Habitat for Humanity’s home repair program, for which it provided a record 17 free roofs last year.
He said they also give their best effort to the work they are contracted to perform.
“With our tagline, ‘Why Worry? Call Curry,’ we can’t be doing mediocre service,” he said. “We might cost a little more, but everyone is courteous and respectful and professional, everyone from front desk, to the guys on the roof.”
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Precious cargo
Some very heavy luggage was headed out of the SarasotaBradenton International Airport on June 21.
Moving the series of large pastel and oil paintings was a full workout, said Colin Thomsen, director of Palm Avenue Fine Art, but he found the effort well worth it.
The collection was the majority of the artwork owned by the SarasotaBradenton International Airport, which the gallery plans to showcase
in a show during its next season.
“I’m surprised that they’re letting go a piece of history,” said Thomsen.
“Every single one of these pictures is a reference to something to do with Sarasota, the origins of Sarasota, the growth. You couldn’t really put words to it, but you could tell that
these are special pieces of work, and we are excited to show them.”
The pieces depict historical figures like the Ringling family and Bertha Palmer, as well as other familiar aspects of Sarasota including its landmarks and wildlife. They consist of 10 pastel works by
Regan Dunnick, a current Ringling College instructor, one of which has already been sold and one of which will be returned to Dunnick, as well as two oil pieces by local artist Frank Hopper.
The airport acquired most of the artwork when its current terminal opened in 1989, as well as in the early 1990s.
Most of it was confined to storage over time, with walls being increasingly used for advertising space, although some of the work remained on display in the ticketing wing.
Mark Stuckey, executive vice president and chief of staff at the airport, said the airport sought guidance from the board, which advised staff to sell or confine the existing artwork while seeking a home for the pieces.
The airport reached out to several art galleries.
Tom Murray, manager at Palm Avenue Fine Art, said after finding out about the airport’s plans for the artwork through word of mouth, he pursued the opportunity for almost two years.
“We should give kudos to the Sarasota airport for having the vision to see that this needs to go someplace that the work can be taken care of properly,” Murray said. “It was a process, but hats off to the Sarasota airport, because it’s going to be special. If they didn’t have the little bit of a thought, hey, let’s see if we can find somebody, who knows? It could have just ended up being stuck in some warehouse someplace, or some storage bay for the next 50 years, and been lost.”
In addition to the works sold to Palm Avenue Fine Art, two of the four paintings by Hopper were given to the Hernando de Soto Historical Society on loan, although the airport did keep a bronze manatee and disposed of some artwork depicting clowns.
Thomsen said at the airport, the works had been displayed in cubbies with light that was “not very helpful,” but that the public will now have a chance to see them with improved lighting.
“Art is all about the light. Without the light, you lose the color, and you lose a lot of what the painting has to offer,” he said.
He hopes to see some big names in attendance at the future show, including the mayor of Sarasota and influential figures in the development of the area.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Photos by Ian Swaby
Colin Thomson and Tom Murray move a piece by Regan Dunnick.
A painting by Frank Hopper.
A piece by Regan Dunnick.
Celebrate and elevate for Juneteenth
The experience of being at the annual Newtown Juneteenth Celebration meant a lot to Montrice Dawes of Ruskin, Florida.
It offered her a chance to support her daughter Jada Shay and the cosmetics line she had launched, Jada Shay Cosmetics.
It also gave her the chance to help her 9-yearold grandson, Brylon Smith, understand more about history.
She said she wanted “to try to give him the concept of how far we’ve come along — just to let him know that anything is possible.”
The Newtown Juneteenth Celebration is about supporting businesses in the community and recognizing the federal holiday of Juneteenth, said Gwendalyn Fleetwood of Culture Queen, which hosts the annual event.
Held on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the celebration brings together local vendors, mainly from the Black community, selling food and drink, apparel, artwork and more, to a backdrop of music.
When Fleetwood established the event in 2020 during the pandemic, a time when many businesses were not open, she wanted to help the area rebuild as a community.
Since then, Juneteenth, which is on June 19, became a national holiday. It marks the end of slavery in the United States. — IAN SWABY
Submitted by: Leighton Allenby
Tori Collins of Conch Collins fries some conch.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Natasha Clemons
McTiller
Claire and Clarence Johnson and Naveah Ramos serve as the part of the Lemonade Crew at the Peachz and Kitty’s lemonade stand.
Beats of the drum
Alot goes on inside the Siesta Key drum circle. There are conga lines, hula hoops and dances.
Two things that aren’t allowed, however, are politics and religion, according to drummer Andrew Brown-Clark.
The circle, said participants on June 23, is a place where people come to support one another. It’s a tradition that takes place on Siesta Key Beach about an hour before sunset, ongoing since approximately 1996.
After Corey Holop moved to the Sarasota area from California in September to help his mother, Sherry Holop, he began to find a community in the circle.
“It’s a really caring, energizing exerciseinducing, healing activity overall,” he said.
Corey Holop also enjoys the level of energy inside, with dancing and activity, and with the drum players influencing the dancers and vice versa.
“I like the drum circle environment, because it’s free. You can just be creative, although a lot of traditional stuff does come out,” he said. “You can just make it up as you go along and no one’s going to tell you what to do.”
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby Will Westendorf, 8, of Cincinnati, who loves music, tries out a drum.
The community gathers around the circle.
Izzy Gehbauer, 15 and Liv Evans, 5 of Cincinnati dance together.
Siesta Properties home sells for $7.75 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Siesta Properties tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.
Audrey and Walter Stewart, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7652 Sanderling Road to Alexandra Stanton Knox, trustee, of Sarasota, for $7.75 million. Built in 1987, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,799 square feet of living area. It sold for $5.25 million in 2019.
SARASOTA
PLAT OF SARASOTA
Global Capital Growth LLC sold the home at 1646 Laurel St. to Sandra and Craig Szmania, of Sarasota, for $1,787,500. Built in 1920, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,322 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.4 million in 2021.
ALFRED PARK
Andrew Edwin Brink and Mary Heather Brink, of Boulder, Colorado, sold their home at 2534 Arlington St. to Albrecht Vacation Homes LLC for $1,318,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,131 square feet of living area. It sold for $849,900 in 2019.
HUDSON PARK
Clement and Heather Chantiam, of Omaha, Nebraska, sold their home at 2520 Bay St. to 2520 Bay Street Sarasota LLC for $1.05 million. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,552 square feet of living area. It sold for $549,000 in 2019.
SOUTH GATE
Rebekah and George Prieto, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2650 Hyde Park St. to Anthony and Carolyn Scalise, of Sarasota, for $799,000. Built in 1963, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,083 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2021.
Ryan and Amanda Moseley, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2426 Wisteria St. to The Wisteria Land Trust for $720,000. Built in 1958, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,570 square feet of living area. It sold for $360,000 in 2018.
Mark and Kim Becker, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2240 Valencia Drive to Matthew Thompson, of Sarasota, for $557,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,372 square feet of living area. It sold for $160,000 in 2010.
HUNTINGTON POINTE
Paula Frederick, of Manalapan, New Jersey, sold the home at 8912 Huntington Pointe Drive to Joseph Sannella and Joann Santana-Sannella, of Harrison, New York, for $715,000. Built in 1994, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and
2,296 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2014.
SCHOONER BAY
Fred and Courtney Goodman, of St. Petersburg, sold their Unit 6782 condominium at 6782 Schooner Bay Circle to Shawn Paul Willerer and Nicole Vaughan Willerer, of Maitland, for $700,000. Built in 1987, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,738 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 2014.
SARASOTA-VENICE CO.
Lisa Brewer, of Sarasota, sold her home at 4435 Lords Drive to Giulia Hill and Paul Arthur Hill, of Sarasota, for $687,500. Built in 1976, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,502 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2005.
EAGLES POINT AT THE LANDINGS
Timothy Robert Tutag, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 403 condominium at 5420 Eagles Point Circle to Mario Spalatin, of Sarasota, for $670,000. Built in 1993, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,330 square feet of living area. It sold for $589,000 in 2022.
SOUTHPOINTE SHORES
Kathryn Knoll, of Sarasota, sold her home at 1849 Sandalwood Drive to E Family Realty LLC for $665,000. Built in 1972, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,038 square feet of living area. It sold for $65,500 in 1986.
SCHINDLER’S 10th & Osprey LLC sold the home at 941 N. Osprey Ave. to Irina Tikhomirova, of Sarasota, for $640,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,550 square feet of living area. It sold for $136,000 in 2018.
CEDAR COVE ESTATES
Elizabeth Blake, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1948 Baywood Terrace to Donald Leo Barsalou Jr. and Tina Marie Barsalou, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, for $585,000. Built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,109 square feet of living area.
PELICAN COVE
Sarasota, for $580,000. Built in 1975, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,727 square feet of living area. It sold for $342,000 in 2019.
HUDSON HARBOUR
Bradley Coburn and Lan Bradeen, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 303 condominium at 800 Hudson Ave. to Cynthia Aldrich Frankin, trustee, of San Anselmo, California, for $550,000. Built in 1984, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,288 square feet of living area. It sold for $190,000 in 2009.
Other top sales by area
SARASOTA: $2.4 MILLION
McIntyre-Wilson-Potters
Southern Sunset Investors LLC sold the home at 1666 Arlington St. to Thomas Mastri and Marni Mastri, trustees, of Sarasota, for $2.4 million. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,725 square feet of living area. It sold for $2 million in 2022.
PALMER RANCH: $1.7 MILLION
Legacy Estates on Palmer Ranch
John and Sally Ashley, of Osprey, sold their home at 5372 Greenbrook Drive to Linda Marie Schroer, of Ft. Collins, Colorado, for $1.7 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 3,273 square feet of living area. It sold for $740,000 in 2019.
OSPREY: $2.9 MILLION
Oaks
Michael Attia and Kate Papas, of Naples, sold their home at 38 Osprey Point Drive to Daniel and Donna Weaver, of Chicago, for $2.9 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,974 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.65 million in 2022.
NOKOMIS: $720,000
Mission Valley Estates
Maria Garcia, of Sun City Center, sold the home at 791 Percheron Circle to Anastasia Hoch, of Nokomis, for $720,000. Built in 1985, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,566 square feet of living area. It sold for $297,000 in 2001.
Helen Levine sold her Unit T-123 condominium at 1620 Treehouse Circle to John and Carol Krena, of Source: City of Sarasota
Courtesy of Realtor Roger Pettingell
YOUR CALENDAR
BEST BET
THURSDAY, JULY 4
JULY 4 BAYFRONT FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, 5 Bayfront Drive. Free. Enjoy Sarasota’s fireworks show. For more than 10 years, the Bayfront Fireworks, part of Suncoast Summer Fest, have been a tradition in the community. Visit SuncoastSummerFest.org.
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
WAVES
6 p.m. June 28 at the Sarasota Event Center, 600 N. Beneva Road, to 4 p.m. June 29 at various locations. $30 to $125. Attend the “Disco & Dice” party with a ticket that includes casino-style gaming, two drinks, lite bites, raffles and disco hits. The next day, attend the Fun Run, driving by car, boat or motorcycle to various stops to earn points. Visit SuncoastSummerFest.org.
TALK & BOOK SIGNING WITH AUTHOR & HERMITAGE FELLOW
KIMBERLY KING PARSONS
6-7 p.m. at Bookstore1Sarasota. $5 registration fee. Bookstore1Sarasota invites Hermitage Fellow Kimberly King Parsons for a conversation and signing of her new book “We Were the Universe,” presented through a partnership with The Hermitage Artist Retreat. For information and to register visit SarasotaBooks.com.
MUSIC WITH MR. DAVE
11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Folk guitarist and singer Dave Moran offers a collection of children’s songs, with a show from the Selby Puppets. SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
BEAT THE LIBRARIANS
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library. Free. Find out whether you can be better at a video game or board game than a librarian, challenging the library’s staff at their chosen
games: “Overcooked,” “Mario Kart,” and “Battleship.” Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
GRAND FLAG MARCH
9 a.m. at Hart’s Landing, 920 John Ringling Causeway. Free. Project Pride SRQ marches the country’s largest progressive Pride flag over the Ringling Bridge in response to recent restrictions from Gov. Ron DeSantis that prevent the bridge from being lit in rainbow colors for Pride Month and other occasions. Visit PPSRQ.org.
SUNDAY, JUNE 30
BRUNCH AT THE BAY FEATURING MUSIC BY EDDIE MANZANARES
11 a.m. to noon and brunch 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Bay Park, 655 N. Tamiami Trail. Enjoy a new event at The Bay, with new brunch items from The Nest Café, while listening to live music by Eddie Manzanares, a singer-songwriter guitarist who has performed in locations around the world. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE
Gates open at 5 p.m. and music starts at 5:30 p.m. with fireworks just after 9 p.m. at 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle. $25 to $120. Enjoy live music and activities leading up to a spectacular fireworks display on the lake. Visit NathanBendersonPark.org.
Ian Swaby
SPORTS
Fast Break
Sarasota swimmer Emma Weyant was officially named to the U.S. National Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics on June 23. Weyant, who took the silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (4:32.76), finished second in the event at the Olympic Trials on June 17 in Indianapolis (4:35.56). The swimming portion of the Paris Olympics begins July 27.
Sarasota Sharks Masters swimmers Diann Uustal, Bob Couch, Lee Childs and Susan Meyers set a U.S. Masters record in the mixed 200-yard medley relay (2:28.25) at the 2024 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring Nationals, held June 2024 in Indianapolis.
The Cardinal Mooney High football program announced the hiring of Mike Iltis as cooffensive line coach on June 19. Iltis, who played college football at the University of Colorado, has more than 10 years of coaching experience with Riverview High and the Sarasota Sun Devils youth program.
Riverview High announced the hiring of Jamie Carver as its boys lacrosse coach on June 18. Carver has coached high school lacrosse for more than 20 years and played collegiately at the University of Maryland. Carver coached the Rams’ junior varsity program this spring after coming to the school from Venice High.
Booker High football defensive back Trey Schwartz III received an offer from Bryant University on June 24. Schwartz played for Lakewood Ranch High in 2023 and had 50 total tackles (eight tackles for loss) and three passes defended. Schwartz has also received offers from Central Michigan University, Delaware State University and the University of Tennessee-Martin.
ALL-STARS SHINE ON SUMMER STAGE
RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR
The Sarasota Little League American U10 All-Star baseball team was not taking anything for granted.
The team is largely intact from a season ago when it reached the state stage of the annual Little League International Tournament. Through that experience, the young baseball players learned what it took to make it that far: skill, discipline and a bit of good fortune.
The team wants to get back to the state tournament this season, and it believes it can. But it is impossible to reach one’s destination without taking the first step, and it was in that spirit that the team entered its district tournament, held June 14-20. There would be no underestimating anyone. Each opponent was getting the team’s best shot.
The attitude paid off.
The Sarasota American U10 team hit and pitched its way to another district title. The team went 4-0, scoring 56 runs and allowing just six. Sarasota American hit .427 with a 1.141 OPS as a team. It was led by Dylan Parrish, who had a .636 average and a 1.692 OPS. On the mound, seven pitchers combined to hold a 0.947 ERA.
Head Coach Scott Parrish said his young team did exactly what it needed to do at districts. But he and the team are not going to rest on their victory for too long; after all, there’s a long way to go on the All-Star road.
“We played well,” Parrish said. “We certainly identified some things we need to clean up before sectionals and hopefully the state tournament, but the positives certainly outweighed the negatives. I think it
helped the boys build some confidence.”
The U10 team will head to Naples on June 29 for its sectional tournament. It is not the only Sarasota Little League team advancing past districts, either. The Sarasota American U11 and U12 teams also advanced to their sectional tournaments. Those teams also largely dominated their competition; on June 25, for instance, the U12 team defeated Venice Little League 10-1 in the district title game in Englewood.
The U12 team will have a chance to go to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the Little League World Series if it keeps winning. For the U10 and U11 teams, the state level is as far as they can get. But that does not mean they care about All-Stars any less.
The U10 team, specifically, is excited about competing against top competition at sectionals and beyond. Dylan Parrish, who was on last year’s state tournament team, said the biggest key from this point forward will be not making mistakes. Little league teams can beat themselves as easily as they can beat others. The teams that realize this are the ones that can go far.
“We can’t be doing risky things,” Dylan Parrish said. “We need to play in control.”
Parrish said he enjoys All-Star baseball as much or more than typical Little League baseball because of the gradual step-up in competi-
tion. He and his teammates will soon experience that step.
His father-turned-head coach believes the kids are ready.
“When they need to, they can focus and do great things,” Scott Parrish said.
For Scott Parrish, coaching the All-Star team is a privilege. He loves seeing kids practice hard together in the pursuit of a common goal, a life lesson that he believes will be useful to them long after their time in AllStar baseball has passed.
He is also proud of the team’s bullpen, which features several 10-yearolds on their last go-round at this level of competition. They all have experience playing together, Parrish said, and the depth they provide will be tough for other teams to match. In 19 total innings, Brody Speary has pitched 8.1 of them, while six other pitchers have handled the rest. Opponents are averaging less than one walk/hit per inning (0.737) against the pitching staff.
“Athletically, I think last year’s team had a bit more speed,” Parrish said. “But the pitching, which is a big factor, is stronger this year. And again, the returners, they are all stronger and more developed. That helps.”
Some changes will be made, too. Parrish said the team will use the next few days of practice to work on base running and avoiding unnecessary outs. But if things go right, Parrish would not be surprised to be heading back to states July 5-7 in Bonita Springs.
Dylan Parrish said he and his teammates cannot wait.
“It’s cool that we get to play,” Parrish said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Weyant qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 400-meter
“We have
We’re optimistic.”
Felipe Rojas, Sarasota Paradise defender. SEE PAGE 15B
Courtesy images
The Sarasota American U10 baseball team won its All-Star District 16 championship for the second year in a row. The
Sarasota athletes still make waves in summer
Olympic updates and power conference football recruitment headline the dog days of June.
With the official arrival of summer on June 20 came a national heat wave.
Here in Florida, we’re used to the heat.
Not only is the sun out in full force, but so are our local athletes. Even though sports competitions are fewer and farther between in the summer, there’s always Sarasota sports news.
Here are three items of note that you may have missed regarding local athletes:
ILARDI COMES UP SHORT IN PARIS OLYMPICS QUALIFICATION
Based on the rest of his qualification performances, Sarasota skateboarder Jake Ilardi would have needed a massive showing at the final Olympic Qualifier Series event in Budapest, Hungary, held June 20-23, to make the U.S. roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics next month.
Ilardi, who represented the U.S. at the 2020 Tokyo games, entered the Hungary event as the sixth-ranked American skater in the men’s street event; the top-three skaters at the end of qualifying would head to Paris. There was a chance, as the event counted for one-third of the total qualification points, and Ilardi did indeed perform better than he has at other events in this run, finishing with the second-best American performance.
Ultimately, it was not enough. Ilardi reached the event’s semifinals but finished 12th in them, missing the cut for the finals, where the most points could have been made up. His performance did bump him to fifth in the men’s street event, but it will not be enough to send him to Paris. The Americans in the
event will be Jagger Eaton, Nyjah Houston and Chris Joslin.
While this result is disappointing for Ilardi, Sarasota will still be wellrepresented at the Olympics next month. Swimmer Emma Weyant just qualified for her second Olympics in the women’s 400-meter individual medley over the weekend. Rifle shooter Mary Tucker has been qualified for the games in the Women’s Air Rifle and Smallbore Rifle since January. Both Weyant and Tucker won silver medals at the Tokyo games. Rower Clark Dean also qualified for his second Olympics, even if he feels like it will spiritually be his first; Dean will row in the U.S. men’s eight.
Sarasota will be in line for plenty of recognition in Paris: Sarasota Crew Head Coach Casey Galvanek will coach with the U.S. men’s rowing team, and Sarasota Sharks Head Coach Brent Arckey will coach with the Canadian women’s swim team alongside Canadian star Summer McIntosh, who is not from the area but trains with the Sharks.
MCCORKLE REOPENS HIS COLLEGE RECRUITMENT
As recently as June 7, Cardinal Mooney High rising senior cornerback Chris McCorkle was keen on the idea of joining the Indiana University football program.
McCorkle had committed to the Hoosiers in April, and he had kind words to say about the job new Hoosiers Head Coach Curt Cignetti has done in a short amount of time when he spoke with the Observer earlier this month.
Now it appears McCorkle believes there may be a better fit for his services elsewhere.
McCorkle posted a note on social
media June 16 announcing his decommitment from Indiana and the reopening of his recruitment. The announcement came the same day McCorkle posted pictures and videos from a trip to Michigan State University.
That may or may not be a coincidence, but it is worth nothing that former Riverview High wide receiver Jaron Glover and former Riverview/Venice High defensive back Charles Brantley play for the Spartans, so the school has connections to the area.
McCorkle will have no shortage of suitors. According to 247Sports, the three-star recruit has 30 offers.
The 6-foot-1 McCorkle is the No. 50 cornerback in the national class
of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite.
SAILORS ALUM STRUGGLES IN AA-LEVEL BASEBALL
Former Sarasota High baseball outfielder Vaun Brown turned a lot of heads when he burst onto the minor league scene in 2022.
Drafted in the 10th round by the San Francisco Giants organization out of Florida Southern College in 2021, Brown hit .346 with a 1.060 OPS in 2022, moving up the ladder to the AA-level Richmond Flying Squirrels by the end of the season. His dominance put him on a host of Giants top prospect lists and experts projected his MLB arrival to be some time in 2024.
Two years later, Brown is still in AA ball, and his struggle to hit that level of pitching is becoming hard to ignore. This season, Brown is hitting .120 with a .425 OPS. He also had a case of the flu in May that caused him to lose so much weight the team placed him on the injured list.
Earlier this month, the Giants decided to hit the reset button. The team placed Brown on the development list.
Each team uses the development list differently, but the result is the same: players on the list do their daily training away from their assigned teams, and can’t play in games until coming off the list. Often, this is used to give pitchers rest at the end of seasons, or to rework their grip on a specific pitch away from the pressures of game scenarios.
With hitters, it is less clear. Maybe the Giants want to tinker with Brown’s swing, or maybe they wanted to give him a mental reset. Teams don’t have to release an official reason, nor is there a timeframe for players to stay on the list. It’s not where Brown wanted to be, but if it helps him regain his 2022 form, it will be worth the effort.
But the clock is ticking: At 26, Brown is one of the team’s oldest prospects, and they won’t wait forever for him to figure it out. Here’s hoping the rest of his 2024 turns things around, and he can fulfill the tantalizing promise his bat has shown in the past.
Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
File image
Jake Ilardi is a street skater, meaning he specializes in skating rails, stairs, banks and other items you could find on a real city street.
Felipe Rojas is a left back and a captain on the Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team. Rojas, who graduated from Riverview High, also works in the team’s marketing department. The Paradise are 5-1-2 as of June 25, which equates to 17 points, the most in the South Florida division of USL League 2.
When did you start playing soccer?
Felipe Rojas ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
My family moved here from Colombia. South America is a soccer-centric continent, especially Colombia, which is proud of the Colombian National Team. My dad (Juan Rojas) was a big soccer fan and he instilled that in me at a young age, around 5. It was just my sport.
What is the appeal of soccer to you?
It is a constant learning process. There are always new problems and you have to find new solutions. You can always improve, both as a team and on a personal level. Even when I play well, I go back and think, “What did I do wrong?” That way, I can improve next game.
What has been challenging you lately?
Well, left back is a newer position for me. I have only played it for about a year. For the most part, I have been a right wing, or a more attacking player. I moved to left back on the advice of Marcus (Walfridson, team owner) because bringing that attacking presence from the defensive end can help the team. Learning to play this position has been fun and where my focus has been.
What has been going right? I think I’m making sure that I am well-positioned. When the opposing team is going on the attack, I’m able to win as many tackles as I can.
If you would like to make a recommendation for the Sarasota Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
What is your favorite soccer memory?
My first year at Riverview High, I played on the junior varsity team. We were not the best team, we were a rag-tag group, but we played in the district tournament and we won it.
That’s one of the few trophies I have won personally, so it was a big thing, even though it was just JV. A lot of my friends today were on that team. It was something to remember.
How did you get involved in the team’s marketing department?
After I started playing for the team, Marcus saw some of my side projects. I have some photography and video experience and, when you combine that with soccer, that’s kind of what marketing is. He offered me the chance to get involved as a marketing coordinator and I accepted. It has been my dream to be able to play soccer while also making some sort of living, so it has been great.
What is your favorite movie? “Interstellar,” for sure.
Finish this sentence: “Felipe Rojas is … “ … a jack-of-all-trades. I may not be the best at one thing, but I am
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