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AUGUST 2020
President’s Report By Norm Olshansky
PROMENADE UPDATE
A rendering of Siesta Promenade building
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BIRDS & BUTTERFLIES IN OUR BACKYARD
How and why to attract them!
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LRC MANAGER’S REPORT
Unfortunately, the virus is now at full steam and the infection and death rate is growing daily. Please help us to keep safe by wearing masks when inside or when social distancing is difficult when outside. The Finance Committee has begun to look at long term planning, especially around capital expenditures. As our community ages, the costs for maintenance of lakes and resurfacing of roads are significant. This planning needs to take place so that it can be incorporated into our 2021 budget. There are going to be financial challenges going forward. There has been a lot of interest, as well as rumors, related to the initiation of a new LMA committee. There is a large area of open space just off of Landings Boulevard which is owned by LMA but is restricted by the county for use as a park. A walkway between two houses leads to this gated area which is open during daylight hours for resident use. The new committee will be exploring ways to make this beautiful area of greater benefit to all residents. If you haven’t visited the area, I encourage you to take a stroll through the park. Over the next few months, the committee will explore, with input from the community,
what potential additional uses would be appropriate, given zoning and other restrictions. It is not our intention to develop the property commercially but rather, open it up to more potential use by residents. Henry Rhodes is chair of the committee. If you haven’t already received it, look for a mailing from LMA which will give you additional information about our website and how to take advantage of its many features. The most current directory of residents, calendar of events, and helpful materials are posted. In ad-
dition, there are blogs, vendor recommendations, LMA minutes, information about each association and links to the current and back copies of the Eagle. Do check it out. One of the greatest assets of our community are the winding, narrow roads and lush vegetation. However, we do not have sidewalks, so we encourage walkers to be safe and drivers to keep to or below speed limits. Our radar is moved around the Landings and we have issued warning letters to several residents and vendors. We do not want to have to suspend additional entry decals of residents who speed or to prohibit speeding vendors access to The Landings. We are working on a way to address the erosion by the Gazebo at the end of the nature trail. It has caused water, especially at
high tide, to make it difficult to ascend the steps to the building. Your board has been meeting throughout the summer on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm by Zoom. If you would like to join the meeting remotely, contact Dick Bayles for the link to our upcoming meeting. We are getting close to the most active storm months, so please be prepared. There are emergency preparation guides available on our website, TheLandingsofSarasota.com Your Board has been elected to help make our community a great place to live. We are also working to retain and improve financial property values for current and future residents. We encourage your input and want to make sure we stay abreast of any concerns you may have that we should address.
Looking Through the Window of Time By Dee Ricapito
Path to Pro Shop gets makeover
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KIDS SCENE
Emily Wood, age 5
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SAFETY MATTERS Updated monthly metrics
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JUST FOR LAUGHS On the lighter side
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The Fascinating Landings Heritage (Part 1 of a 3-Part Series) Exploring the pre-history of The Landings begins with John McCarthy, Selby Gardens, V.P. of Historic Spanish Point, who told us, at the Landings Free College a few years ago; the first resident in The Landings was Chandler Younge, an early boat builder. He lived just north of Philippi Creek, which was named for an early Cuban fisherman whose fishing rancho was a few miles north of here. Chandler Younge was building boats right on these grounds. At t h at t i me, h e a nd t h e pioneers who followed him could walk straight across the thick
mangroves from the Landings Gazebo area to reach Siesta Key. He could circle round and also walk from Phillipi Creek Oyster Bar, (which were orange groves at the time) back home through The Landings using a trail now named “Landings Boulevard.” A rou nd 1883, t here wa s no downtown area. Life was closer to this neck of the woods. The Landings has a connection with Spanish Point, through Mrs. Potter (Bertha) Palmer, of Chicago who has been called, t h e “f o u n d i n g m o t h e r ” o f Sarasota. When the locomotive was built as far as Sarasota, Mrs. Palmer arrived and made her summer home in Spanish Point, just south of here. She named it “T he Oa k s.” From 1910 to 1918 she and her two sons, Potter and Honore, set up a homestead there. Honore a nd h is wi fe Grace Br ow n Po t t e r built their home here in The La nd i ng s. T he n a m e h e g ave h is home was “I m mok a ke e” wh ich means “my home” in the Seminole Indian language. Access to their home is
through what is now the main gate, left at Peregrine Point Dr., past the two beautiful B a nya n t r e e s, a n d fronts on the bay near the cul-de-sac. Disaster struck i n Novemb er 1921, as t he Im mok a lee home was destroyed by fire. Honore took over the caretaker’s home, remodeling and expanding it, probably starting something of a Landings tradition! He built a new residence in 1939 in Immokakee, FL, south of here. The presence of American bald eagles landing here resulted i n t h e n a m e “T h e L a nd i ng s “ coi ne d b y Ro b e r t Mo r r i s, RAMAR Group Development. In the late 1970’s, The Landings went on to b e come one of t he most desirable communities in Sarasota known for its exclusive heritage, elegance and envied location with its glorious natural foliage. It’s just magic walking over the shells carpeting our Nature Tr a i l a n d s t o p p i n g o n t h e footbridge taking in a view of
nature’s tranquility. Walking by native ferns, trees, palms, air plants and spotting many varieties of birds on the way to the Gazebo with an excellent view of a wilderness we now call Siesta Key. Thanks to Elizabeth Malden providing photos from Erwin Star’s article on the Landings Web site.