IV Siesta Sand - December 2017

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DECEMBER 2017 | 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC | www.SiestaSand.net | COMPLIMENTARY

The Ever Changing Village

TOP 8 STORIES

By Rachel Brown Hackney / SarasotaNewsLeader.com

From a hurricane close call to a historic property sale in the heart of the Village, 2017 was a big year on the Key

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FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLED Siesta Key business owners expressed worry in early November that installation of MCI fiber optic cable through Siesta Village could disrupt the busiest time of the year for restaurants and bars

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OCEANE CONDOMINIUM

Sarasota County Commission has granted a permit for increased seawall height

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SIESTA SOUNDS

How music helped this musician cope during the Viet Nam war

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If all goes as planned, a new upscale steak and seafood restaurant will be open no later than early January 2018 in Siesta Village, Island business owner Chris Brown stated in a recent telephone interview.

“We think there’s a void” among Key dining establishments that that type of business will fill, he said.

Although Brown had narrowed down options for the company that will operate the restaurant, he declined to offer any details until after a deal had been sealed.

The location will be the site of the former Blue Que Island Grill: 149 Avenida Messina. That restaurant was just down the street from The Cottage and The Hub Baja Grill, both of which Brown also owns.

The Beach Club was Brown’s first venture into business in Siesta Village. A few years ago, he also bought the Siesta Market property and worked with the family behind Morton’s Gourmet Market in Southside Village to transform the grocery store and deli in the Village into Morton’s Siesta Market on Canal Road.

Siesta architect Mark Smith — who worked with Brown on the design of the new restaurant — stated back in May that the transformation of the Blue Que building would be an extensive one, as the remodeling would have to comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood elevation standards.

Through his CJB Property Development company, Brown bought the property in June 2008, paying $1.3 million for it.

Long-time Key residents will recall that for a number of years, the property housed Maximo, which featured cuisine with a South African influence.

This is not Chris Brown’s first attempt to create an upscale dining establishment with a focus on steaks.

Continued on page 22

A new awning will complete the Lobster Pot’s fresh façade

Big Pass Shoal offers boaters a Margaritaville vibe while protecting Siesta Key’s shoreline By Robert Frederickson Michael Shay doesn’t need to rely on reports from high-priced consultants or pore over arcane papers on coastal erosion to understand the important role the shoals and resulting sandbar off Big Pass play in protecting Siesta Key’s shoreline. He can simply look out the window of his home at Siesta Town House and see those benefits firsthand.

“On a nasty day you can look out beyond the sand out there and see the white caps kicking up and moving toward shore,” he explained on a recent warm, clear fall morning. “But when they reach the sand beyond that post,’ he continued, pointing to a wooden pass marker, “... well, there are no more white caps. They’re absorbed by the sand.”

And that’s no small thing for homeowners like Shay, tasked with the shared responsibility and expense of maintaining and protecting a property line defined by the temperamental Gulf of Mexico.

The Siesta Town House complex has perhaps 125 yards of seawall buttressed by large boulders facing the Gulf. “I don’t know what it would cost to replace that wall,” he said. “But I’d guess it could be a million dollars or more.”

Looking to the east, little more than the length of a football field separates the Gulf of Mexico from Ocean Boulevard where it passes in front of Siesta Town House. An aerial view from Google Earth taken in February of last year shows the sandbar and shoals off the property extending two-to-three times that distance out into the gulf. And it confirms Shay’s observation about how far from shore the surf breaks in the area, beyond the sandbar and the replenishing shoals to the west that sustain it (see picture accompanying this story).

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Losing that sand to Lido Beach re-nourishment efforts worries homeowners like Shay.

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Seawall, Siesta Town House (Michael Shay). Photo by Bob Frederickson

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Hands across the Water

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Parking solutions for the Village

By Bob Stahlschmidt

Casey Key Road owners win Coastal Setback Variance

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Make Siesta Drive Safer Safety issues on Siesta Drive — from Osprey Avenue to the Shell Road intersection with Higel Avenue — have been the focus of a group of Bay Island Siesta Association members since April, the association’s vice president recently told Siesta Key Association (SKA) members.

Make Siesta Drive Safer has been working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in an effort to achieve improvements, Dee Reams explained during the November SKA meeting.

After three fatal incidents occurred this year on the 2-mile stretch of road, she pointed out, members of the Bay Island Siesta Association began undertaking research on the total number of traffic accidents that have occurred in that area. “We really wanted to get accurate information to try to do something about this.”

The group sought help from both the Sarasota Police Department and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, she said — including requesting copies of

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By Rachel Brown Hackney

Dee Reams accident reports. As a result, the members of Make Siesta Drive Safer learned that in the past five years, a total of 180 traffic accidents had occurred on the road segment. After plotting the accident locations on a map, she continued, the members contacted FDOT representatives.

“We’ve since developed a really good relationship with them.”

The impact of consumption of alcoholic beverages was a factor in a number of the incidents, Reams indicated, but “that needs to be addressed separately.”

FDOT representatives ended up inviting members of the group to an on-site walk with them, she continued; that lasted “twoand-a-half hours on a 100-degree day … which was interesting.”

Reams added, “I wanted them to actually see how fast the drivers were going” and how many of motorists swerve across the white lines at the sharp curve where Siesta Drive intersects with Higel Avenue.

The Make Siesta Drive Safer members also sought to help FDOT staff understand how dangerous the stretch of road is for pedestrians and bicyclists, she said.

During the walk, she continued, the FDOT representatives were able to determine that some signs are in the wrong places. They even took photos, she noted.

“Did you ask why FDOT put a radar sign behind a utility pole?”

SKA Director Joe Volpe asked, eliciting laughter from some audience members.

“That is being addressed,” Reams told him.

“How do people cross from one side to the other?” SKA member Katherine Zimmerman asked Reams, because no crosswalks

exist on Siesta Drive.

FDOT staff members are considering the installation of crosswalks, among other suggestions from the Make Siesta Drive Safer group, Reams replied.

“They really are looking closely at everything.”

Lourdes Ramirez asked Reams if she had heard any more about the possibility that Sarasota County might swap FDOT its roads on Siesta Key for River Road, as the county has failed thus far to win state support for improvements it wants to make to River Road before the Atlanta Braves begin Spring Training seasons in North Port in 2019.

County Administrator Tom Harmer explained to the County Commission on Sept. 13 that those discussions had begun.

County staff has proposed that the county take over portions of Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Drive, Higel Avenue, Stickney Point Road, South Osprey Drive and Bay Road, which are county routes, while the state takes ownership of River Road between U.S. 41 and Interstate 75 in South County.

If River Road became a state road, Harmer pointed out, the improvements needed on it potentially could occur more quickly.

Reams told Ramirez she had no information to provide about that undertaking, so SNL posed the question to county staff. In a Nov. 6 email, county Media Relations Officer Drew Winchester reported that county representatives still are “in active negotiations with FDOT for the potential road swap and other funding initiatives regarding River Road.”

“It’s just amazing what you’ve done in seven months,” SKA Vice President Catherine Luckner told Reams at the conclusion of Reams’ remarks on Nov. 2.

The SKA has invited Make Siesta Drive Safer to give a more complete presentation to SKA members about the group’s initiatives, Luckner noted. That could be on the agenda as early as December, she added.

In the meantime, Reams left business cards at the back of the meeting room in the event SKA members wanted to contact her.

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DECEMBER 2017

Top Siesta Key stories of 2017 From a hurricane close call to a historic property sale in the heart of the Village, 2017 was a big year on the Key. Although the Key and surrounding areas escaped a direct hit from powerful Hurricane Irma, the storm left significant damage, including large downed trees, and left some without power for weeks.

Back in May, property investor Michael Holderness and partners acquired the Siesta Beach Resort & Suites for $9.7 million, but renovation work has been delayed and scaled back due to what Holderness described as a cumbersome county permitting process. Despite the scaled-back building upgrades, Holderness added some features to renovation plans, including a one-of-a-kind pool and lounge area.

Perhaps the most significant ongoing story remains what will happen with the Big Pass Dredging and Lido Rensourishment project. In addition, Gary Kompothecras’ proposal for a new hotel on Siesta Key has spurred land-use questions and plenty of controversy, and a battle over Beach Road continues to simmer.

Visible throughout the Key, a new Trolley service is roaming the island — a welcome addition for tourists, residents, and business owners.

Modified resort plans Back in May, property investor Michael Holderness and partners acquired the Siesta Beach Resort & Suites for $9.7 million, and renovation work was expected to begin as early as August, with an upgraded resort slated to open the day after Christmas.

A bold vision for the Siesta Beach & Resorts, however, had to be modified, due mainly to a difficult county permitting process, Holderness told Siesta Sand.

“Design and permitting took much longer than expected,” Holderness said. “We had to keep scaling it back,” Holderness said of the project, even though his aim is to just try “to fix what is broken” at the aged property that was built in 1955. Another difficulty was that the resort is in FEMA’s coastal zone, and FEMA’s strict renovation requirements for coastal properties impacted the amount of

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

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By Roger Drouin

Rendering of the proposed Siesta Promenade condos

work that could be done to the buildings.

Other improvements, will also have to be put on hold for a year because of the high season demand approaching.

But despite the scaled-back plans for the building renovations, Holderness said the delay in the project allowed him to re-think some aspect of the plans for the property.

Thus, he came up with plans for a new resort-style pool instead of a resurfaced pool as originally planned — that will feature a one-of-a-kind design.

The modified project should open by February, two months later than anticipated, but Holderness remains excited for the project. “It will still be beautiful and amazing,” he said. Workers have already painted and deep cleaned all the rooms at the resort, and a permit was just received to replace exterior railings, windows and doors throughout the property.

And some good news was that Hurricane Irma mostly spared the Key and despite power outages, fallen trees and debris, caused no major damage to the resort buildings. “I was very thankful. I called it [Irma] Mother’s Nature’s sweeping broom.”

[See the following story for summary of Irma]

A close call Hurricane Irma made landfall further to the south and east than was projected at one point. As the powerful storm continued to move north, on Monday morning, Sept. 11, many Siesta residents and business owners surveyed the damage left in the wake of the storm. Although the Key and surrounding areas escaped a direct hit, the powerful storm left significant damage, including large downed trees, and left some without power for weeks. After recovering from the storm, Key businesses also strove to let customers and tourists know they were open.

“At the last minute, it [Irma] shifted east, and we were very, very lucky,” Michael Shay, maintenance manager for the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp, told Siesta Sand during an interview after the storm.

“Thank God.” In the Village, the only damage was fallen fronds and some street lamps that didn’t work, as well as some map kiosks that were unlit, Shay said. Across the Key, however, there were several large trees down.

Concerns over Big Pass dredging Concerns have continued to mount over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers complex proposal to dredge sand from Big Pass to renourish Lido Beach.

The Lido Beach Renourishment involves several elements—including the installation of at least two rock groins on Lido’s shoreline and the removal of 1.3 million cubic yards of sand from Big Pass, which has never been dredged before—and, as a result, critics worry about the greater chance of unintended down drift impacts.

A judge granted a delay in scheduling a hearing on nonprofits’ legal challenges to the proposed dredging of Big Pass.

Following the delay, the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) proceeding on challenges to the proposed dredging of Big Sarasota Pass will be held in December, the parties agreed on Aug. 14.

The Siesta Key Association and a second nonprofit fighting the proposal — Save Our Siesta Sand 2 — have made numerous references to the fact that Big Pass has never been dredged. In September, 2013, Big Pass was identified as the sand source in a presentation the Army Corps project manager at that time made to a Sarasota County advisory board.

Beach Road Battle Sarasota County residents continue to sign a pair of petitions related to the increasingly tense fight over a 357-foot stretch of Beach Road.

There are two separate charter amendment initiatives spurred by longtime Siesta Key resident and carpenter Michael Cosentino — the first, if approved by voters, would prohibit the county from vacating public lands, including beach and waterside roadways, and parks and preserves; the second would overturn the county’s decision to relinquish a portion of Beach Road, the last road remaining on the Key with a direct view of the Gulf.

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Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

If you care about Siesta Key Siesta Key Association continues its legal dispute with the Army Corp and the City of Sarasota. SKA’s goal is twofold; protect Siesta Key, S. Lido Key, Bay Island and Bird Key from potential wave damage and protect the Big Pass sand bars which have formed. This is now a major Sarasota County water recreation area.

The Army Corp’s own documents show that the planned removal of 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from Big Pass and its outer shoals will essentially double the wave energy in the pass during a major storm. We just experienced the protection that those shoals provided during Irma, when the storm surge ended up as a “King Tide” instead of a “King Wave”.

The problem is that, unlike the Army Corp and the City of Sarasota, we don’t have public tax money to support our legal position. We only have donations. Quite frankly we need a lot more to continue defending the citizens of this county.

SKA announces that Friends of Siesta Key have offered another $10,000 matching donation.

Donations made to the charitable tax exempt Siesta Key Environmental Defense Fund, up to $10,000, made prior to January 15, 2018, will be matched.

Please donate to the Siesta Key Environmental Defense Fund which supports SKA, matching f u n ds, dol la r f or dol l ar . Pl e a se g o t o www.Siestakeyassociation.com and donate.

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|A message from Siesta Key Association

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DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY NEW YEAR RBR THANKS SOUTH POLE CHRISTMAS

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VISIT THE REOPEN BEACH ROAD CHRISTMAS TREE AND SHARE YOUR HOLIDAY CHEER AT THE PIER. 10 BEACH ROAD, SIESTA KEY

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Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

941.349.0194

Siesta Key Round-Up A bit of an ‘oops’ regarding a dock license agreement The request was listed on the Sept. 26 County Commission Consent Agenda of routine business items under a Planning and Development Services Department heading. And thanks to a unanimous vote of the board approving most of the Consent Agenda — including that item — a couple will be able to build a private dock with a single mooring area off Canal Road.

What was different about this matter, a county staff memo explained, was the series of events leading up to the vote.

The owners of the property at 348 Canal Road — Marko and Kelli Radosavljevic — had sought the dock license agreement so they could construct their dock within the Canal Road right of way “along the canal shoreline on the opposite side of the roadway” associated with their property. The memo pointed out, “Chapter 74 of the County Code prohibits the construction of docks or other private structures within public right-of-way, except as specifically authorized by the County Commission …”

The Radosavljevics also had submitted a permit application for the new dock, the memo noted.

(Approval of the dock license agreement would be required prior to approval of the permit, the memo said.)

Staff recommended the board approve the dock license agreement, the memo added. As it turned out, the memo continued, the County Commission on April 25 inadvertently had approved such an agreement for the prior owner of the property, who had sold 348 Canal Road to the Radosavljevics on April 7. Even though the sale took place before the commission vote, it came after preparation of documents for the board’s April 25 agenda, the memo pointed out. “Staff was not informed of the sale of the property,” the memo added, “and it was discovered after the Board approved the Agreement.

Therefore, the dock license agreement was not correctly established with the owner of the property and is legally non-transferable.”

That was why staff had prepared a revised dock license agreement for the Radosavljevics, so they could construct the dock in the same location proposed by the previous owner, Stacey James.

Staff Report

The memo did note that the County Commission has approved “several similar dock license agreements for nearby properties since 2011.” Should the board approve this one, the memo continued, staff would proceed with the review of the permit application “and ensure the dock design and construction meets all requirements in the Water and Navigation Control Authority Ordinance.”

SKOB burglary suspect arrested The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on Oct. 25 in connection with the burglary of the Siesta Key Oyster Bar, the office reported.

Danny Limongelli, 51, of 8600 Culebra Ave., North Port, was charged with Unarmed Burglary of an Unoccupied Structure, according to his Sarasota County Jail record. He was ordered held at the Sarasota County Jail on $1,500 bond.

Deputies responded to the Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB) — which is located at 5238 block of Ocean Blvd. — just after 8 a.m. on Oct. 25 after receiving reports of a burglary that allegedly had occurred overnight, a news release said.

When the manager arrived that morning, the report noted, the manager discovered that someone had entered the business by ripping open a door on the patio that had been locked with a deadbolt. The action had caused the doorframe to fall to the ground, the report added.

The manager saw that dollar bills patrons sign and staple to the walls and ceiling in a decorative fashion were missing, the report said. The manager estimated the total they represented was $150, the report continued.

After deputies obtained surveillance video from the restaurant, one of them was able to identify the suspect as Limongelli. That was because the deputy had had previous encounters with Limongelli, the report pointed out. Deputies also determined that the alleged burglary took place about 2:30 a.m. that day.

As Limongelli was known to frequent the Gulf Gate area, the news release said, deputies contacted people at several businesses in that area to advise them to be on the lookout for the signed dollar bills.

Your Go-To Store on the Island Morton’s Siesta Market is your one-stop shop for easy island living.

We offer a large selection of staple groceries, beer and wine, as well as fresh produce, meats and seafood.

In keeping with our Morton’s tradition, we also carry a delicious array of prepared foods, perfect for take-out, picnics, parties and more.

Please stop in and say hello!

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Continued on page 24

Visit our new Siesta Village Liquors just next door!

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941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

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Fiber optic cable project creates a foul smell Staff report Siesta Key business owners expressed worry in early November that installation of MCI fiber optic cable through Siesta Village could disrupt the busiest time of the year for restaurants and bars.

After being surprised by the abundance of “locate paint” in the Village — which marks existing utility lines — Lisa Cece, Sarasota County’s special district coordinator, began trying to track down the source, Finally, Cece was able to determine that the cable was to be laid from Givens Street south through Siesta Village to Calle Miramar; the work was planned for the west side of Ocean Boulevard.

Cece serves as the liaison between the county and the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp., which supervises and funds the upkeep of the Village.

At the outset, however, the exact timeline for the project planned by MCI Metro Access Transmission Services — a Verizon subsidiary — had not been set.

Jimmie Lee of MCI stated during a Nov. 2 telephone interview that the team had all the necessary permits, but it needed to complete a more detailed set of engineering drawings before the work could proceed.

Finally, SNL was able to speak with the manager of the project, who said she was happy to coordinate the work with Sarasota County staff and the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. As a result, the fiber optic cable installation was scheduled to begin on Nov. 13.

“The worst-case scenario,” Construction Manager Desiree Doiron-Wilde of Overland Contracting in Tampa said, would entail three days of construction work in Siesta Village. She hoped to complete it within two, she pointed out. “Just get in and out as fast as we can.”

“We’ve done a lot of work out there before,” she added of the island, noting that she handled construction projects for Verizon for 20 years before joining

Overland.

“We’re very familiar with the brick pavers and the tourists and the business owners,” she pointed out. If anything is damaged in the Village, she continued, insurance will cover the expense of repairs.

Her goal also was to make sure sufficient people were in place to handle maintenance of traffic, she said.

Asked about the exact nature of the project, Doiron-Wilde explained that MCI is expanding its cell phone service, so it needs the fiber optic cable to connect cell towers, as part of its overall transmission infrastructure.

Waiting and worrying When no definitive timeline was available in early November, Mark Smith, chair of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, voiced concern that the project would be underway late that month.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving sees more customer traffic at restaurants and bars on the island than any other day, Smith pointed out in a telephone interview. “They would be hitting the prime time,” he said of the project team members.

Additionally, Ann Frescura, executive director of the Chamber, reminded SNL that the eighth annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival would begin on Nov. 10 and continue through Nov. 13. That brings tens of thousands of visitors to the island each year, as documented by Visit Sarasota County research. In 2016, that research showed, the event had a countywide economic impact of $8,134,000. The total attendance was 56,500, the Research Data Services Inc. report said.

The Holiday Parade and Light Up Siesta Key — the island’s kickoff events for the holiday season — are set for the night of Nov. 25, Frescura added. Those festivities also draw scores of visitors to Siesta Village.

Those were her chief concerns, she said.

Thirty feet of sewer and storm water pipe was replaced after damage during the directional bore of fiber optic cable

In response to Cece’s alert about the construction plans, Catherine Luckner, vice president of the Siesta Key Association, responded in an email: “The project site (sidewalk along Ocean Blvd. from Givens St. through the Village) is the most utilized route for visitors and residents walking to the Village. Pedestrian access and safety is our primary concern.”

In her Oct. 30 email to island leaders, Cece provided details about the project.

“It is fairly extensive,” she wrote, as it will run new 2” conduit 36” underground by directional bore. The distance will possibly be 1,500 feet between borings, so the public walkways, brick pavers and concrete, plus landscape areas will be affected. There will be sidewalk closures, signage and possible maintenance of traffic crews, to guide drivers around the construction areas.”

A document provided to Sarasota County said the project entailed installation of cable over a distance of approximately 3,900 linear feet.

On Nov. 1, Kenneth Soule of Overland Contracting stated he anticipated the project would proceed on a fast pace. “It’s probably a week’s worth of work.”

“It seems awfully ambitious,” Smith responded when told of that comment.

Smith also reminded, that he could not recall any boring project in the Village that

had not hit a gas line. “That shuts business down, of course.”

Additionally, Smith voiced frustration about the fact that utility companies “don’t have to ask anybody anything” before embarking on a project. He was referring to the lack of notice to the Chamber or any island organizations during the planning of the project.

Cece expressed her own frustration about the many hues of locate paint she found in the Village. County staff works hard to minimize use of that paint, she pointed out. “We really do make the extra effort,” she said, to keep the Village looking like a resort, as noted in the county contracts for its upkeep.

Communication and coordination with business and property owners in the Village should be a priority for any company planning work in the area, Smith said.

“There’s just so much stuff underneath that sidewalk in the Village.”

At least Florida Power & Light Co.’s lines are on the east side of Ocean Boulevard, Smith added. Referring to the crews who would handle the fiber optic cable project, he joked, “They won’t get electrocuted, but they might get blown up. I strongly suggest they not smoke.”

Continued on page 37

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Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

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Final sea turtle nesting numbers Siesta was among three keys that broke their individual numbers this year for nesting sea turtles, Mote Marine has reported.

Siesta had a total of 636 this year, Mote said, compared to 476 in 2016. Four of those were green turtle nests.

Casey Key saw a drop year-over-year, however. The 2017 total was 1,853, compared to 2,114 last year. Fifty-four of those were green turtle nests.

The other barrier islands that broke individual records were Longboat and Lido, Mote noted in a news release.

Mote staff and volunteers documented 4,503 nests for all turtle species over the 35-mile length of Sarasota County’s shoreline, Mote reported; it released the final numbers on Oct. 31.

Out of all those nests, the news release said, 4,424 were laid by threatened loggerheads; 79, by seven threatened green sea turtles.

“Two nests in the loggerhead group were sampled for genetic testing to determine if they are hybrids from a loggerhead and green mating,” the release pointed out.

Although the total this year did not surpass the 2016 record of 4,588, the release said, the season did see the highest

number ever of green sea turtle nests “in Mote’s 36-year history of local sea turtle conservation.”

The release also noted, “During this year’s night-time tagging effort on Casey Key, Mote scientists encountered sea turtles 591 times — identifying 380 distinct individuals. Of those individuals, 293 were ‘neophytes’ documented and tagged for the first time. It’s not clear whether these turtles are young females that recently matured or whether they’ve previously gone ‘under the radar,’ nesting on nearby beaches without tagging programs,” the release added.

“In any case,” the release said, “this year’s results continue an encouraging trend.”

2017 FINAL NESTING NUMBERS

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Reindeer Level: $100 Big Olaf Creamery Gilligan’s Island Bar & Grill Helene Hyland, Coldwell Banker Key Life Charters Mike Martino, KW on the Water Sarasota The Beach Club The Cottage The Hub Baja Grill Elf Level: $50 Stacy Liljeberg, Michael Saunders & Co.

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DECEMBER 2017

HANDS ACROSS THE WATER LOVE AND PEACE GATHERING

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The 1st Annual “Hands Across the Water”, Love & Peace Gathering, will be held Saturday, Dec 16th at 12:00 pm, on Siesta Key Public Beach at the main pavilion. Music will be provided by our very talented

reggae band, Jah Movement. This is a FREE event, in an effort to join together as a Community, spreading Love, Tolerance and Acceptance “across the water” from each of us to the rest of our world!

Sunshine & Sand Hidden Treasures SUNSHINE & SAND HIDDEN TREASURES boutique gift shop is now open on the south side of Siesta Key. Dawn Henson, originally from Columbus, Ohio, opened her store in the Crescent Plaza Shopping Center on Nov. 11 at 11:00am in the old Silversmith location. The store is a unique retail beach store that highlights local artists, jewelry, fun t-shirts and hats as well as creative gift cards and many other gifts.

You are sure to find products in her store that you will not find in any other. Dawn describes her store as a “work in progress” but even in its infant stage her store is a must see, especially with the holidays approaching. Sunshine & Sand is definitely a well-received shopping experience that will be an asset to the ever popular Crescent Plaza that already boasts of great food such as Toasted Mango, Miguel’s and Big Water Fish Market.

Currently the store hours are Mon- Thur 10am to 6pm, Fri-Sat 10am to 8pm, closed on Sunday Funday.

Dawn’s unique concept and huge personality are definitely her keys to a successful future on Siesta Key. In the month of December, Dawn will be serving complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres on Friday nights to make a great shopping experience even more enjoyable. Shop local and enjoy Siesta Key’s new addition…you won’t be disappointed. Located at 6635 Midnight Pass Road, 941-346-0226.

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Parking and traffic complaints aired at SKA meeting Parking at Siesta Public Beach, traffic congestion and concerns about crime were the focus of questions directed at Deputy Chris McGregor of the Sheriff’s Office during the November Siesta Key Association (SKA) meeting.

SKA Director Gene Kusekoski kicked off the comments, noting that drivers often are reluctant to stop for pedestrians and bicyclists trying to cross the intersection of Stickney Point Road and Midnight Pass Road.

He recently tried to use the intersection himself, Kusekoski said, and three cars flew past him. He made eye contact with one driver, he added, and even that did not make any difference.

McGregor responded that he would put in a request for more Sheriff’s Office focus on that situation. Even though the road is managed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), McGregor pointed out, the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for enforcement of safety issues there.

Then a question arose about the right turn on red sign at the same intersection, for traffic headed onto the Key from Stickney Point Road. McGregor explained that if a driver stops where the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) signage indicates the driver should stop, the driver “can’t see oncoming traffic on

Midnight Pass Road. It’s a state problem,” he added, “and we’re trying to address it.

It’s a tough intersection.”

McGregor also clarified that if the “No Turn on Red” sign is not lit up, drivers may turn on red.

Then a woman who lives near St. Boniface Episcopal Church on Midnight Pass Road reprised complaints that an SKA member living in Siesta Estates raised about Memorial Day. “July Fourth was a horrible time for us,” the woman said on Nov. 2.

“Me, too,” McGregor responded, eliciting a round of laughter from the approximately 60 audience members.

The woman proceeded to explain that about 70 cars were left parked on the county’s right of way along Midnight Pass Road, adjacent to her condo complex. “We hired a security guard for those holiday weekends,” she added. What could the Sheriff’s Office do to help, she asked.

“I bet you we wrote 80 or 90 tickets” on Labor Day, McGregor replied, because people were parked illegally on rights of way. “I don’t know what your answer is” to prevent people from doing that, he continued. “I’ve been out here for many years,” he told her, and he had not seen people leaving vehicles on that part of Midnight Pass Road right of way until

www.siestasand.net

By Rachel Brown Hackney

recent months.

McGregor then told the audience, “We started writing more expensive tickets,” as allowed by a state statute. In the past, he said, the Sheriff’s Office citations for illegal parking were $25. Drivers would laugh at him when he told them that was how much it would cost them, he said, and then they would proceed to park where he had told them they could not.

The new ticket is $74.50, he said. “It has a little more bite to it.”

The audience applauded him loudly.

In answer to a question about towing illegally parked cars, he continued, “It’s not that we don’t have the manpower to deal with those situations.” However, the Sheriff’s Office has to weigh the demands on its personnel’s time, he explained. If a deputy calls for a tow truck, he pointed out, the deputy has to stay on the scene until the tow truck driver has removed a vehicle.

Furthermore, McGregor said, if a tow truck is called on a holiday weekend, most likely the driver will take a long time to arrive, as the driver will have to contend with the extra traffic congestion on the island. “We try to avoid towing unless it’s an egregious situation.”

When SKA member Katherine Zimmerman asked about whether the Sheriff’s Office ever uses tire locks on

vehicles parked illegally, McGregor replied, “I don’t think we can take your car away from you” for that type of offense.

Then the woman who kicked off the discussion suggested that someone use electronic signboards on U.S. 41 when no spaces are available at Siesta Key Public Beach: “Parking lot full. Turn around,” she said, leading to another round of laughter.

“Something has to be done before they even approach the bridges,” she added.

“I go out to the public beach and I put four signs out that say the lot is full,” McGregor responded. “People still pull in and try to park.” Many people do not believe the signs apply to them, he added.

He has noticed that some island residents put large rocks on their rights of way, he continued, to prevent people from parking in those places. Even if more residents tried that tactic, he said, “I guarantee you, people will move ’em or drive around them.”

One audience member — a retired Auburn University faculty member — cautioned audience members that, in Alabama, if a drunk driver were injured by driving into rocks on rights of ways, the driver could hire an attorney and bring suit against the adjacent property owner, seeking damages for contributory Continued on the next page

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

11

Continued from the previous page

such an incident. The offender will receive a courtesy letter describing what the witness observed. For most people, McGregor said, knowledge that they had been seen disobeying a traffic law will be enough to make them more likely to abide by the law in the future.

In response to a question about whether the drivers of the free ride services on the Key have chauffeur’s licenses, McGregor said the state does not require

that.

Replying to another question, McGregor told the audience that it is illegal in Florida to use any type of frame around a license plate that obscures part of the plate.

Finally, after about 18 minutes, SKA Vice President Catherine Luckner wrapped up the question-and-answer session with McGregor so the board could move on to other agenda topics.

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negligence. Lawyers suing on behalf of clients, he said, “will go after the deepest pockets, and it can be very hurtful.”

The man added that he was not certain whether Florida law would allow for such lawsuits.

McGregor explained that he had not intended to imply that the use of such rocks is sanctioned by the Sheriff’s Office. That is action on which the department cannot take a stance, he said.

The woman next asked McGregor what the policy is for the Sheriff’s Office if people trespass on the grounds of a condominium complex.

For example, she said, if someone who does not own property in the complex is “having sex by the pool or drunken parties. … It is private property.”

By all means, McGregor told her, residents should call the Sheriff’s Office. If they feel threatened enough, they can call 911, he added. “We can have such people trespassed as long as somebody from the condo complex is there to sign a citation,” he pointed out. Then, if the person returns after receiving that warning, he added, a deputy can arrest the person.

If the trespassed person leaves the property before a deputy arrives, McGregor continued, the deputy still can arrest the offender as long as someone is willing to sign an affidavit, attesting to

the fact that the offender had returned to the complex.

“Please, please, please do call, because we don’t have eyes everywhere,” he urged the audience.

“And don’t approach them yourself,” Zimmerman added.

Once at 3 a.m., she said, she asked loud revelers across the canal from her home to keep down the noise, and they “threatened to come over on paddleboards and beat me up.”

Lourdes Ramirez then noted that Avenida Madera residents recently had reported strange people walking across residents’ lawns.

“This is the Key,” McGregor replied laughingly. “There are strange people walking across people’s lawns all the time.”

Ramirez told him she had heard about a home burglary involving the theft of television sets.

That incident occurred at the Tropical Breeze Resort on Columbus Boulevard, he told her, adding that he had handled the report. “That might have been an inside job.”

An Avenida Madera resident in the audience then explained that he was aware of a neighbor’s home having been broken into recently.

McGregor responded that he had not heard about that incident.

Another person asked what to

do when he sees drivers running red lights or committing other offenses.

McGregor and SKA Director Joe Volpe responded that anyone may call 365-TAGS and report

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Judge agrees with City of Sarasota and Lido Key Residents Association in dispute over order of presentations and burden of proof in administrative law hearing By Rachel Brown Hackney About six weeks before the hearing was set to begin in the case, a Florida administrative law judge ruled that it would be up to the Siesta Key Association (SKA), Save Our Siesta Sand 2 (SOSS2) and the Florida Wildlife Federation (FWF) to prove their contention that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not properly design the proposed Lido Key Renourishment Project.

On Oct. 23, the respondents in the case — the City of Sarasota, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and an intervenor, the Lido Key Residents Association (LKRA) — filed a joint motion, arguing, “The issue of order of presentation during the proceeding and burden of persuasion is … a disagreement between the parties.” The respondents sought an order from Judge Bram D.E. Canter that would make it necessary for the SKA, SOSS2 and the FWF to comply with the guidelines of Section 120.569(2) (p) of the Florida Statutes.

On Oct. 25, Canter agreed with the respondents.

During the November SKA meeting, Vice President Catherine Luckner explained that the judge essentially said of the USACE project team members, “‘I am accepting what they have produced as good enough.’”

“We hope we have a fair shot,” Luckner said. “Our goal is for the city and the USACE to do a really good project to help Lido Key. It needs to be the best.”

The hearing was scheduled for Dec. 12-19 in Sarasota.

City Attorney Robert Fournier has pointed out that no ruling is expected at the conclusion of the proceeding.

“It’ll be months after that” before Judge Canter issues his decision, Fournier told the City Commission in November.

The hearing and the law In March 2015, the City of Sarasota and the USACE filed for an FDEP permit to dredge about 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from Big Pass to bolster the critically eroded shoreline of Lido Key. FDEP’s Dec. 22, 2016 notice of its Intent to Issue that permit prompted the challenges from SOSS2, the SKA and the FWF. The nonprofits have maintained that the USACE’s modeling of the project — which includes two groins on South Lido Key — has been inadequate in demonstrating the USACE’s assertion that no harm will come to Big Pass or Siesta Key if the dredging takes place.

The City of Sarasota and the Lido Key Residents Association have decried the efforts to stop the project, saying that the USACE’s expertise in such undertakings has been well demonstrated and that no other economically viable sand source has been located.

In July, the Sarasota City Commission formally reaffirmed its support of the proposed project in a submittal to FDEP; that documentation said the expense had risen from $19 million to $21 million, with the federal government expected to pay $13,020,000.

The city expects a state grant to cover $3,990,000 of the expense, with the rest of the cost — another $3,990,000 — coming from Tourist Development Tax revenue Sarasota County allocates to the city for beach

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renourishment initiatives.

The state statute at the heart of the parties’ disagreement regarding the hearing this month says that “if a nonapplicant petitions as a third party to challenge an agency’s issuance of a license, permit, or conceptual approval, the order of the presentation … is for the permit applicant to present a prima facie case demonstrating entitlement to the license, permit, or conceptual approval, followed by the agency.”

After the presentation of the applicant’s case and “any direct evidence submitted by the agency, the petitioner initiating the action challenging the issuance of the license, permit, or conceptual approval has the burden of ultimate persuasion …”

In his Oct. 25 ruling, Canter wrote, “Section 120.569(2) (p) focuses on the proceeding and where it arises. The Legislature is presumed to have intended the plain meaning of the words it used and the effects that are caused by their plain meaning.”

He added that the issue recently was addressed in a different Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) case, “where it was concluded that the section is applicable to a Joint Coastal Permit because the proceeding to determine the validity of the permit arises under section 373.427.”

Luckner of the SKA pointed out that Canter himself rendered the opinion in the case he cited, and it involved an existing permit, not the application for a permit.

In an Oct. 24 filing with DOAH, Kent Safriet of the Tallahassee firm Hopping Green & Sams, the attorney for the SKA, argued that the statute does not apply to this proceeding.

The statute “is very explicit that it applies to permits and licenses that arise under three chapters of Florida Law,” Safriet emphasized: Chapters 373, 378 and 403.

However, he continued, a coastal construction permit falls under a different chapter of Florida law — 161 — and a sovereign submerged lands authorization under yet another one — 253. “Permits and licenses under those Chapters do not quality for the burden shifting provision” of the statute the respondents cited, he contended.

(The FDEP permit would allow the USACE to dredge sovereign submerged lands, which are underwater properties that Florida took ownership of when it became a state in 1845.)

“Respondents’ attempt to sidestep the plain language of the statute and bootstrap Chapters 161 and 253 into section 120.569(2)(p) of the Florida Statutes relies on a completely procedural rule that allows multiple different permits to be processed and reviewed by FDEP at a single time,” Safriet wrote.

“Not surprisingly,” he continued, “the Respondents cite no law for trying to add Chapters 161 and 253 to the statutory text of section 120.569(2)(p) of the Florida Statutes.”

Additionally, Safriet pointed out, FDEP itself has acknowledged in earlier legal cases that “the consent to use sovereignty submerged lands is an authorization issued under chapter 253. Such authorizations are not subject to section 120.569(2)(p).”

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DECEMBER 2017

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Expense of Midnight Pass parking lot raises questions

By Rachel Brown Hackney Publishers Note: This property had the promise of adding close to 160 needed parking spots for this part of the Key. With the east end of the property designated as wetland and hammock, along with retaining the old SKUA building, the parking spots are now reduced to 50 plus.

Based on comments from Sarasota County commissioners on Oct. 11, the county’s interim director of the Public Works Department raised a few eyebrows with the estimates he provided them for transforming the county parcel at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road into a parking lot.

The cost of using shell, Spencer Anderson wrote in a memo, would be about $507,000, while asphalt would raise that to approximately $530,000.

With either price, Anderson’s memo pointed out that only 39 new spaces would be created.

With no changes, the memo noted, the site in its current configuration could “accommodate 14 vehicles with minimal cost.”

That parking area, as envisioned by staff, would not include any provisions for a pull-off for the Siesta Key Breeze trolley, a shelter, signage, lighting or security enhancements, the memo pointed out.

Why the half-a-million dollarplus expense for a lot with just extra 39 parking spaces?

First, Anderson provided details about the size of the parcel, which actually is property of the county’s Public Utilities Department. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has been using part of it as a training area, commissioners have mentioned, but Sheriff Tom Knight has told staff his office no longer will have any interest in the site by the end of this year.

The parcel is about 1.84 acres, Anderson’s memo said, with 60 feet of frontage on Midnight Pass Road; the property is 732 feet deep. The far eastern end abuts Peacock Road, the memo noted.

The front area — with the building the Sheriff’s Office has used — is 315 feet deep, and it is 88 feet wide at the rear. The

structure is about 70 feet by 40 feet, the memo said.

If the 39-vehicle lot were created, the memo explained, the Public Utilities Department could continue to use a groundwater tank on the site. That tank is about 100 feet by 100 feet, the memo noted.

“The rear section of the parcel is 3 to 4 feet lower than the remainder of the parcel and wet much of the year,” the memo continued. “County environmental staff visited the site and advised that the rear section contains a low quality wetland and hammock,” the memo added. “If there is a desire to look at the rear section for parking,” the memo noted, “construction planning must include wetland/hammock delineation,” along with a topographical survey and a mitigation plan.

The cost estimates for the larger new parking area incorporate a wooden shelter for a trolley stop, a turnaround for the Breeze, LED lighting, wayfinding signs and the preservation of “large trees,” the memo said.

The budget estimates include the standard county project management and internal service charges; design, engineering a n d p e r mi t t i n g w o r k ; a n d construction, in-house inspection of that work and a contingency fee, the memo pointed out.

“Please note that these estimates are for planning level purposes only and subject to final project details,” the memo concluded.

Another page of the Oct. 5 paid parking options report that the Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department staff provided to the County Commission showed a map with 16 parcels staff had researched for possible park-andride lot locations to supplement spaces at Siesta Public Beach.

The map showing those parcels also noted the county property at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road and county-owned land on Oakmont Place that will be available after the Siesta Key Wastewater Treatment Plant has been decommissioned.

The potential park-and-ride lots were all within 7 miles of the beach park, the memo pointed out. Staff had found them on the Realtor’s Multiple Listing Service. Most of them were vacant, the memo added.

Of the 16 privately owned parcels, four had been withdrawn from the market after staff began its research, the memo said.

Additionally, the time set aside for offers had expired on another four, the memo explained.

Of those still available, the map’s legend said the highest price was $2.8 million for a 0.79acre lot on Ocean Bouelvard.

The next highest figure was $2.6 million. That was the asking price for both a parcel in downtown Sarasota and one on Central Sarasota Parkway, south of Sarasota Square Mall.

The former is 1.68 acres, the map noted, while the other is 1.06 acres.

Staff offered no other details about those properties, though the memo said further investigation would ensue if the board asked staff to take that step. The board did not.

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941.349.0194

Sheriff’s Report

www.siestasand.net

October 18- November 13, 2017

There were a total of 17 crimes reported on the Key between 10/18-11/ 13 /17

10/21/17 Theft Beach Rd. A man was riding his skim board on the beach near Access 2. He eventually left the area and forgot his board on the beach. When he returned approximately 30 minutes later, it was gone. He did not see anyone in the area who could have taken it. The board was described as a “Zapp, Pufferfish”board with orange on the top and orange and black tiger stripes on the bottom. It was only one day old and valued at $600.

10/22/17 Battery 5000 Block Ocean Blvd.

A man reported 2 unknown males approached him near a Village bar and battered him. He was intoxicated and disorientated and was unsure of the exact location of the battery. The victim explained that he was out with friends drinking while visiting Sarasota for a Frisbee tournament. He did not know why he was attacked, nor did he know the suspects. He sustained scrapes along his shoulder, cheek and side.

He also appeared to have injured his shoulder. After the battery, the victim realized he had lost his phone and was unable to call for help or get directions to locate his hotel. A passerby eventually helped him.

10/25/17 Burglary- Business 5000 Block Ocean Blvd.

A man was arrested for breaking into a Village restaurant and stealing approximately $150 in dollar bills.

The suspect entered by ripping open a deadbolt locked door on the patio. This caused the doorframe to break off and fall to the ground.

The suspect entered the business and stole the patron signed dollar bills that decorated the walls and ceiling. Video was obtained of the suspect in action and a deputy identified him. He was later located at the Bealls Outlet in Gulf Gate with numerous dollar bills from the burglary still in his pockets. The bills were identifiable by the signatures on them.

10/26/17 Burglary- Business 100 Block Columbus Ave. Three televisions were stolen from three separate units of a Village motel. The units were not locked due to them being under

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construction. For this reason the security cameras had been disabled.

The approximate value of the televisions was $1169.

unknown suspect pushed the victim to get him away. According to the woman, the victim then appeared to attempt to hit the suspect who hit back at that time. Video surveillance showed the same scenario. The victim was contacted at the hospital where he explained he had bumped into the subject but didn’t remember arguing with the subject or moving his arms aggressively towards him.

He could not remember anything after being hit. The victim’s wife stated they were walking through the club and did nothing wrong. The victim sustained a large abrasion on one eye and a laceration on the other. He was highly intoxicated and could not remember much before being hit. His wife was also highly intoxicated and became upset during the interview.

10/28/17 Battery 5000 Block Ocean Blvd.

Deputies responded to a Village bar after two men caused a disturbance. Employees of the establishment held down the subjects who had originally been removed without incident. The subjects returned shortly thereafter and when security attempted to remove them, both punched the employee multiple times. The employees subsequently held down the men until deputies arrived. The defendants were both secured and placed into the back of the patrol car. One of the men was extremely intoxicated and was not taken to jail. The other man was also accused by an employee of a ride service of punching the window of the golf cart she was driving. The driver positively identified him and cracks were observed on the rear window of the golf cart, causing approximately $200 in damages.

Based on these offenses the second suspect was transported to jail. Both men are not allowed to return to the establishment.

11/2/17 Possession of Marijuana 800 Block Siesta Key Circle A man pulled over for a passing violation was cited for possession of marijuana. After attempting to elude the deputy, the defendant was stopped and a colorful glass pipe was seen in plain view in the center console. The deputy also found a bag of marijuana, a grinder and several empty baggies and jars.

11/6/17 Grand Theft Public Beach A woman reported she had left her bag by the north side concession area and was unable to locate it a short time later. The bag was described as a black leather fanny pack ($10). The pack contained a UK drivers license, ($10), a pair of glasses ($30). $343 in cash, and a set of UK train tickets ($10). No one had turned in any items to the lifeguards or concession stand.

11/1/17 Battery- Injuries 5000 Block Ocean Blvd.

A Village bar employee reported a fight had occurred inside the establishment. An unknown suspect had battered another patron. A witness who was dancing with the suspect at the time of the altercation said the victim approached them through the crowd and bumped into the suspect. She explained a verbal altercation took place and the

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941.923.1232

Next to Phillippi Estate Park.

Serving Siesta Key and Sarasota

www.IsanThaiRestaurant.com

8865 Midnight Pass Road South Siesta Key at Turtle Beach

941-349-2280

www.TurtleBeachGrill.com Sun. thru Thurs.11 AM - 9 PM Every Day: Happy Hour 3 PM - 6 PM Fri. & Sat. 11 AM-10 PM

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Siesta Beach Concessions: A True Juggling Act

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

15

By Trebor Britt

Entrepreneur and Siesta Beach concession owner, Warren Labonté, continuously juggles staff, merchandise and services to help visitors receive a seamless and enjoyable experience on America’s number one beach. It’s a bit more difficult than just keeping three balls in the air, as the complete satisfaction of our wonderful visitors lies in the balance. As everyone knows, satisfying our fellow man is not always the easiest task, but Labonté does it with a great smile and professionalism.

He has an infectious passion for people, Siesta Beach and delicious, satisfying food. And food is not the only thing featured at the beach’s newest facility.

The views of the bright white powdery sands of Siesta Beach and the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico from the Sun Deck are truly spectacular.

Both new concessions have been fully Siesta Beach Concession owner, Warren Labonté sits with his backup operational for a year and a half now. Supervisor, Zita Baine and long-time General Manager, Larry Carvelli on the Sun Deck overlooking the Crystal Gulf of Mexico The two-story tall building houses the Sun Deck while the one level concession a bit further north is still Sarasota County contract. Also included are a called the Siesta Beach Pavilion. retail store, a beach rental and multi-purpose Labonté had to adjust his original hopes of booth and a hair wrap station. Guests can having a chef at each location. He discovered purchase miscellaneous beach items, sunscreen, people with the rigorous education that a inflatables, floats, and use an ATM. High quality, culinary degree requires needed more of an bright red beach chairs, lounges and umbrellas opportunity to showcase their talent. In spite of can be rented from 9 am to 2:30 pm. daily, but all this, Labonté offers a number of high quality food beach rentals need to be returned by 4 pm. items in the kitchen. Over time, a few items were The biggest challenges Labonté faces every day eliminated because of the time it takes to cook and are staff placement and weather issues. It’s not present them. He realizes the beach environment easy to hire staff because, since the business is is extremely fast-paced. “People want to get food weather related, an employee could miss two or and they don’t want to wait in a long line. They three shifts in a row. On poor weather days, he want to get right back on the beach they came to tries his best to use employees for inside work, enjoy,” Labonté said. “The menu items offered but that’s not always possible. Labonté said he are specifically selected to get people served and deals with weather challenges on a daily and back to the fabulous beach as soon as possible. We sometimes hourly basis. even have state-of-the-art holding compartments With the weather, the two locations as well for peak times so people don’t have to wait.” as all the moving parts of staff, Labonté has Each concession features a few unique food learned to patiently adjust. He considers his items not found at the other location. Guests business a marathon, not a sprint, but recognizes can enjoy quesadillas and steak sandwiches and realizes every day there will be a handful only on the Sun Deck along with their most of problems. The real challenge is not getting popular items, chicken tenders and hamburgers. caught up in the problems. He said, “We try to Food items unique to the northern Siesta Beach discover what caused it, how do we solve it and Pavilion concession include freshly baked pizzas how do we prevent it in the future and how do and three different varieties of flat bread pizzas we grow and build on what we have learned. along with cod bites and fries and boom-boom We’re a beach concession, but we try to take shrimp. At some point in the future they will be it to another level. Our goal is to exceed our offering a seafood salad wrap, a chicken salad customer’s expectations.” Their overwhelming wrap and clam strips and fries. Both locations sell priority is to get people served and back on the soft serve ice cream and frozen adult beverages. beach they came to enjoy.

The non-alcoholic frozen lemonade for children Labonté related the true highlight over the and adults has become so popular, they’ve past year and a half has been the beautiful added machines at both locations to keep up facilities Sarasota County has provided for with demand. Without a doubt the most popular them and the honor and privilege they’ve had items at the Siesta Beach Pavilion are the flatbread to work at the number one beach in America. pizzas, cheese and pepperoni pizza, tenders and He added, “The quality of the facilities and the fries, boom-boom shrimp and cod bites and fries. great maintenance staff the county provides on The two food and beverage concessions are a daily basis to keep the facility clean and shiny not the only facilities included with Labonté’s has been superb.”

Just a few of the delicious food offerings available at America’s number one beach

Beach goers prepare to rent beach equipment or enjoy a cold drink at Labonte’s Beach Rental and Multi-Purpose Booth

A small sampling of the outstanding options for kids and adults at the Siesta Beach Pavilion retail store

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Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

Off Key

941.349.0194

From Project Delays to Mosquito ‘Hoorays!’ By Robert Frederickson

You’d Think This Was the Moon Shot…

Open Daily 7am-9pm

Breakfast served all day, every day!

It’s official. With lift station 87’s completion date now slated for 2020, the oft delayed (and woefully over budget) city of Sarasota project will officially surpass the time-frame the nation needed to put the first man on the moon.

‘That’s one small step for man, one giant (BLEEP) for Sarasota...”

Tech Device I’d Like to See...

Join Us for the holidays!

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DutchValleyRestaurant.net

www.siestasand.net

As more and more new cars come equipped with auto-braking systems, the number of rear end collisions should start to decline.

But while your new car may protect you and the guy in front of you from your inattentiveness, what about all the older vehicles that will remain on the road for years to come? How do you protect yourself from distracted drivers in all those automotive relics careening about on the nation’s highways and byways?

What we really need is a sensor installed in your vehicle

that automatically sends a push notification to the texting driver hurtling toward you from behind, delivering the time sensitive message: “HEY JACKASS, PUT DOWN THE DAMN PHONE BEFORE WE BOTH END UP TAKING A DIRT NAP!”

A Tale of Two Cities?

A recent piece by John Hielscher in the Herald Tribune reports the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Sarasota has risen to $1380 per month. Which reminds me of my colleague Charmaine Engelsman-Robins frequent observation over the years that looking for both a job and an apartment in the local classified pages carries with it the strange sensation of being in two places at once...say San Francisco based on the housing ads and Tupelo, Mississippi given the wages offered for the jobs advertised in the employment section.

And Why are those Rents so High?

Well, maybe because cities like Sarasota appear to have more important priorities than affordable housing, things like...trees?

Just ask Harvey Vengroff…

His plans to build a 390 unit affordable housing complex near the city’s downtown core have been throttled by a variety of picayune city concerns over the years. First the city maintained there were insufficient parking spaces in his site plan for the proposed project off Fruitville Road, despite it being within walking distance of downtown with its public transportation options and the seemingly obvious point that most of his lower income tenants wouldn’t have cars anyway, making the usual formula for calculating the needed number of spaces irrelevant.

Then, city commissioners talked about mandating annual inspections for his ‘modest’ housing units despite never before considering such inspections for other, tonier projects throughout the city.

Another roadblock? Trees.

“It looks like a bunch of weeds to me, but somebody says they’re trees,” Vengroff told WTSP reporter Isabella Mascareñas recently as

they walked the proposed site.

“We have to do a survey identifying every plant on the property before we can build a building, which is stupid,” Vengroff continued.

And expensive…about $35,000 he says.

This isn’t the first time the city’s tree advisory board folks have been accused of overzealousness. We reported in this space back in July how Architect Michael Halflants calculated that city rules would require the 160 unit Whitaker Bayou condo project to plant 237 four inch caliper trees on the site, effectively turning the property into a tree farm with no room left for buildings.

No matter…as long as Sarasota is ‘green.’ At least there’ll be plenty of shade for the homeless.

Can’t Make this Stuff Up Headline on Advocate.com, reporting on recent election results in Palm Springs, California: “With Election of Trans, Bi Women, Palm Springs City Council Now Totally Queer.”

Orange You Glad You’re Not a Citrus Grower...

Florida’s citrus industry was already reeling from bad news when Hurricane Irma rolled through the state in September.

Now the Department of Agriculture is forecasting this

year’s Florida orange crop will be just 50 million boxes, 4 million less than before Irma and 18 million boxes less than last year.

In the words of Randolph Duke to his brother Mortimer down in the OJ futures pit in the movie Trading Places... “SELL Mortimer, SELL!”

Media Incoherence Wall Street Journal writer Eli Stokols called out the President for tweeting that the New York truck driver terrorist should get the death penalty for his murderous rampage; he then lambasted Trump for not directing a similar declaration toward the white man responsible for the Las Vegas shootings a few weeks earlier.

Uhhh, maybe that’s because the Vegas shooter was ALREADY dead!

Sustainability ‘Buzz’ Offers Salvation for Mosquitos...

Have you noticed an uptick in the number of mosquitos buzzing about lately? Well, an informed source explains it may be due to the county’s adoption of organic mosquito control methods that are all the rage these days among ‘sustainability’ types comfortably ensconced in local government bureaucracies. Other fans of this kinder, gentler approach to pest control? Mosquitos.

Snapshots of Island Visitors Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

Chris from TX, Danielle from TX, Trevor from CA, Maggie from MA, Ryan from CO, Claire from MA, Anna from CO, Katie from FL, and Sarah from FL

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www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

17

Sand sculpting winners declared during eighth annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic International sand sculpting champions were declared during the eighth annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival, which is drawing thousands to Siesta Public Beach.

Awards were presented Nov. 12, to winning teams of two master sand sculptors who competed for a total prize winnings of $9,000.

The Crystal Classic drew 12 teams from nations around the world, including South Korea, Canada, Italy, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, and U.S. states including California, Florida, Missouri, New York, Rhode Island and Texas.

Karen Fralich, Canada, & Dan Belcher, U.S.A., won first prize ($3,000) for “Winter is Coming.”

Second place ($2,500): “Water Dream,” by Helena Bangart, The Netherlands, & Fergus Mulvany, Ireland / Holland Third place ($1,000): “Reclamation,” by Steve Topazio, U.S.A., & Ron MacDonald, U.S.A. Sculptors’ choice ($1,500): “Catalytic Thinking,” Damon Langlois, Canada, & Joris Kivits, The Netherlands People’s Choice: ($1,000): “Moonrise Over the Pond” John Gowdy and Jooheng Tan “Once again, the sand sculptors truly wowed us with their creativity and detailed craftsmanship, and the amazing turnout has shown us that people

love this event and love Siesta Beach.

Being able to light the sculptures at night brought the festival to another level,” said Maria Bankemper, Event Chair.

“Every year the festival just gets bigger and better. Staying open in the evenings and lighting the sculptures was a huge success and one that we expect to bring back next year,” said Brian Wigelsworth, Master Sculptor and Sand Coordinator.

First Place

Photo by Stephanie Brown

Second Place

People’s Choice

Third Place

Sculptors’ Choice

18

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

Guest Commentary Parking solutions for the Village I’ve seen many articles about the parking and traffic problems on Siesta. About a year ago I suggested a comprehensive parking and traffic plan for the Village.

Commissioner Al Maio encouraged me to work with Mark Smith and county staff to consult and formulate a plan.

After many meetings and a lot of work, we had a comprehensive concept plan that utilized the existing rightsof-way proximal to the Village. The plan provided about 100 additional spaces, while including opportunities for drainage, landscape improvements and pedestrian/ traffic safety. There’s no need to buy additional land or build an unsightly garage. Key elements of the plan include parking along Canal Road and other RMF resort areas like Columbus and Avenida Messina.

A stop sign was suggested for Canal Road at Avenida de Mayo to slow vehicle entry into the pedestrian zones. Underdrains and landscape were suggested for drainage and buffering issues between the back side of commercial areas and Resorts along Calle Menorca. The valet operation at Avenida

Messina was moved off the travelway and further from the intersection of Ocean Blvd to alleviate congestion and facilitate traffic flow. The dangerous substandard intersection at Columbus and Avenida Messina was improved to decrease pavement, increase landscape and modify traffic flow, incorporating a standard intersection and stop sign. More parking was available across from the Salty Dog along Ocean Blvd. We also discussed the opportunity for property owners in the Village area to obtain temporary permits to accommodate overflow parking needs for special events.

I’d like to thank Mark Smith for his valuable time and effort. Commissioner Al Maio did a great job of getting the right staff members involved, who were all very helpful and capable.

Unfortunately, the plan died. Why? Politics and budgeting. I was told, the Mira-Mar parking district permit holder does not want more parking, especially since they monopolize available spaces.

The local business owners do not want more taxes since Siesta already contributes a disproportionate share of revenue.

Would the business owners and valet operators support elements of the plan with other funding sources?

Angelo invites you to stop in for a FREE espresso

“It’s my pleasure to help introduce our new family shop: Mimi’s Italian Sweets, located at 7360 S. Tamiami Trail, in the Coral Cove Mall,” says restaurateur, Angelo of Angelo’s restaurant. Stop in for a cup of espresso on me.

Our new shop carries a variety of imported goods and Gelato from Italy along with house made croissantwiches, freshly baked goods, and, of course, freshly brewed espresso.

MIMI’S ITALIAN SWEETS 7360 S. Tamiami Trail in the Coral Cove Mall Hours: Mon-Sat: 8:30 AM -3 PM

The county owns the rights-of-way (ROW) and issues permits for valet operations in the ROW. They also issue permits for expansion of village commercial operations. Presumably, these permits should require efficient, safe and orderly use of the public lands and ROW, including valet operations and traffic flow. Presumably, the county may determine where parking is needed within the ROW, especially when it meets transportation standards. Additional parking benefits the general public as well as local business. It also provides needed employee parking. Funding sources could include annual parking permit fees, proposed paid parking from the main public beach facility and tourist tax revenue.

A committee of locals, professional planners, staff and an elected official cannot implement plans without citizen support. Parking is a revenue generator, and when planned along with landscape, pedestrian and traffic improvements, can have long term public benefits. If you’d like to revive the plan that died or offer your own suggestions, please view the plans available at the Local Bean and LeLu’s coffee in the Village.

Voice opinions to your elected officials.

Bob Stahlschmidt Let them know we need comprehensive, economical and efficient solutions to these issues. You can influence our next Capital Improvements Plan.

Bob Stahlschmidt, Siesta Key resident Your Sarasota Real Estate Professional KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC GROUP Direct: 941-266-2684.

From God’s Garden

From God’s Garden grew out of an artistic passion that owner and founder, Lisa discovered years ago while homeschooling her two boys. Lisa set aside craft time in the boys’ daily schooling schedules and before she knew it, she was hooked on art (the boys not so much)! Her artistic craftsmanship began with hand-painted gourds that became a huge hit very quickly.

From there Lisa moved into mosaics which still remain a part of her artistic activities today. Eight years ago, Lisa began searching for an all-natural, healthy bath and body product line for the entire family.

Surprised by some of the things she was finding – or should we say not finding – Lisa purchased a few natural remedy and soap books to take matters into her own hands.

Lisa’s first batch of handcrafted, allnatural soap turned out wonderfully against all odds and she’s been hooked (maybe slightly obsessed) since then!

Her first batches were very plain, which just isn’t befitting of Lisa’s outgoing and creative nature. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was able to use a nourishing

soap recipe to create something beautiful, delicious, and fun. After receiving a great amount of praise and being cleared out by all of her friends and family, Lisa thought it was time to make her handcrafted soaps available for others and thus began From God’s Garden.

Fast ward several years and the unthinkable happened! Lisa and her husband Kelly made a decision to move and open a retail store on the breathtaking island of Siesta Key. The store carries mostly handcrafted items, such as rustic beach furniture, pillows, art, mosaics, candles, essential oils, soap products, baskets and the list goes on.

From God’s Garden also makes custom favors for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers and birthday parties just to name a few of the types of events they provide for.

The store is located at 5051 Ocean Blvd. in SK Village, Store hours: Tues-Fri 11:005:00pm, Sat 10:00-5:00pm, closed Sun and Mon. 941-312-0733. www.Fromgodsgarden.com

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Guest Commentary To the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County, I am shocked that the city of Sarasota still supports and plans to go forward with the Army Corps of Engineers plan to dredge Big Pass to re-nourish Lido Beach.

The Army Corps of Engineers recommends dredging Big Pass to get sand for Lido Beach (1.2 million cubic yards) The dredging activity is planned for every 5 years for over 50 years. This is the ONLY major solution that The Army Corps of Engineers has proposed- even though there are quicker, easier and more eco-friendly solutions already proposed to the City.

The hearing to decide this proposal will be sometime in December. The City of Sarasota has spent over $100,000 to defend their decision in litigation when the Siesta Key Association sued the city to block this proposal from the Army Corps of Engineers.

The City and the County already have data showing a devastating effect on storm wave action, (50% increase in wave height), and tourism, if Big Pass is dredged. In wave action alone, a three foot storm wave will now be over a five foot wave, which would result in nearly an 80% increase in destructive wave energy. This will affect, S. Lido Key, SW Bird Key, N Siesta Key and, if the storm is large enough-the downtown

Big Pass Shoal

city of Sarasota.

In addition to this major storm surge issue, my concern is also about the recreational and financial impact on businesses and tourism for the entire Greater Sarasota area.

Recreational fishing, boating and wildlife observation brings almost $3 billion a year to our greater Sarasota area ($1.1 billion from renters and non residents). Big Pass is one of our greatest natural parks- a “Boat Park”- in the middle of the inner coastal waterway to the gulf. With its large sand bars, there is ample space where boaters can dock, swim, picnic and beach right in the pass. It is connected to South Lido Park and is obviously a direct extension of the park facility and their protected mangrove areas. Over a thousand boaters throughout our Greater Sarasota area use this beautiful natural resource to dock boats, swim and picnic annually. These boaters already have limited places to dock directly in the water to enjoy such recreation.

Dredging a new large boat channel in Big Pass would eliminate this wonderful sand bar/ boat park area for all of our Greater Sarasota residents. There will be no more places for boaters/fishermen to dock around public beaches, boaters and fishermen will not be able to navigate the channel effectively due to heavy equipment and

19

machinery. Also, sludge, silt and constant foul water will impact navigation and wildlife preservation in the Pass.

ELIMINATION/REDUCTION OF BOATERS, FISHING AND WILDLIFE ACTIVITY WILL HAVE A SERIOUS ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SALES AND REVENUE AT MARINAS, RETAIL FISHING EQUIPMENT STORES, OUTDOOR SPORTING, BOAT AND KAYAK RENTALS IN THE FUTURE! Nobody living or visiting in Greater Sarasota wants to have fouled water, devoid of marine life. Repetitive industrial dredging in a natural wildlife, recreation, fishing area, allowing it to suck out life, ending up with a nearly dead, wide, deep, dangerous channel with deadly riptides, doesn’t make sense especially when Lido Beach can get sand tomorrow from New Pass, which is already being dredged because of too much sand.

Dredging effects cannot be undone and operations will constantly occupy and destroy the shoals for our lifetime. The public will lose this beautiful playground forever. Businesses that thrive on marine sports will suffer greatly. Additionally,

Robert T. Spicer we don’t want the view of sunset and Gulf scenes to forever include a large dredge boat and pipes, nor have calls of birds and sounds of waves drowned out by the roar and pulsing of dredge pumps.

Please City of Sarasota, come to your senses and stop this plan.

Robert T. Spicer, Concerned Siesta Key Resident.

Continued from cover story

But it’s not just those living in the immediate vicinity that benefit from the offshore sand.

Peeling back the buffering layer of protection it provides could expose the already vulnerable stretch of heavily traveled Ocean Boulevard to an even greater risk of flooding or wash out from any storm surge accompanying even a modest hurricane. The elevation of the roadbed as it passes Gleason Avenue is a mere 4 feet above sea level.

Just to the north, Higel Avenue traverses the narrowest section of the northern half of the Key. Here, it is just 220 yards from the Gulf-of-Mexico to bay waters near Coconut Bayou. The shoals and sandbar off Big Pass extend north adjacent to this portion of the Key too.

Again, with even a modest storm surge from a relatively minor storm, it’s not hard to imagine this choke point being inundated like Ocean Boulevard to the south, cutting off access to the Siesta Drive Bridge.

And what about a major storm delivering a stronger surge? It’s conceivable under such a scenario that the south bridge could be cut off as well. The Key is only a half mile across near the Excelsior Condominium, just north of Stickney Point...a hop-skip and a jump...as the F1 Tornado that traversed the property in early 2015 demonstrated.

In such a worst-case event, a majority of the Key’s population could be cutoff from the mainland altogether. Even assuming most residents would have evacuated prior to landfall, it could take months before those evacuees would be able to return to their homes.

Arguments like these may be dismissed by supporters of the Lido dredging project on the other side of the bay; many assume the motivation for Siesta residents opposed to the dredging plan is primarily to protect economic interests aligned with the island’s foremost engine of tourism, its #1 rated beach.

But a simple look at a map, or in the case of Michael Shay, a look out the window provides a powerful argument to the contrary, especially when accompanied by a reflection on this year’s Hurricane season and its impact on Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico,.

That’s not to minimize the aesthetic and economic importance of protecting what brings so many to our corner of the world: its world famous sand.

Boat Park for visitors and locals The sandbar at Big Pass has become a draw in its own right in recent years. Mason Tush, coowner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, does a brisk business renting boats and jet skis to visitors.

Anchoring off a sandbar is one of the experiences many tourists seek out.

“We usually have at least a few boats out there a day” he said in a recent interview. “It’s a lifestyle thing...hang out, drink beer, swim around, it’s something people look for when they come down here.”

Suzanne Sanzare agrees. She and her husband Jeff and their two teenage boys have taken their Robalo outboard on trips from their home near Ft. Lauderdale to ports of call as far away as the Exumas in the lower Bahamas. They’ve trailered their boat to Sarasota several times too, where they enjoy checking out the various beaches and sandbars near Big Pass.

“It’s just a real easy way to relax on a sunny afternoon,” she said in a brief interview last Sunday afternoon. “You can meet friends, people bring their dogs, just relax, play music… and to not have to worry about getting caught somewhere in bad weather far from shore, it’s a real plus.”

It seems word has spread about the Margaritaville vibe the spot offers.

Grammy nominated country music star Thomas Rhett and his wife were spotted there back in July. They even posted a video of the sunset they took in on Rhett’s Facebook page.

While it may not rival Siesta Beach in terms of popularity, it is definitely trending… among locals and visitors alike...another natural, water based attraction, full of local color, in perfect harmony with the lifestyle experience that comes so naturally in these parts.

The current plans to dredge Big Pass could undoubtedly destroy this natural treasure.

Photos by Elusive View Cinematography / Aaron Barnes

Above: view of shoals off Big Pass adjacent to North Ocean Boulevard north of the Village.

Note the distance across the shoals compared to the much narrower span from the shore to Ocean Boulevard; also of interest: how far off shore the surf breaks compared to second photo (below) showing white caps breaking much closer to shore where no shoals buffer the shoreline. Both images were captured on the same day.

20

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

2 feet to be added to height of seawall at Ocean Boulevard site planned for Oceane condominium project By Rachel Brown Hackney On a unanimous vote, the Sarasota County Commission has granted a permit for the addition of 2 feet to the height of the approximately 350-foot-long seawall on the property slated for the six-unit Oceane condominium complex on Ocean Boulevard on Siesta Key. The development will face Big Sarasota Pass.

The project will enable the future residents to cut their flood insurance bills by 50% or more, William Merrill III, the attorney representing the applicant, told the board during a Nov. 14 public hearing.

The property at the heart of the discussion is owned by CG Oceane LLC, whose principal is Randy Moore, managing partner of Crossgate Partners in Suwanee, Ga., state and county records show.

Discussion did ensue over the request of Windward Passage condominium homeowners to extend the extra height to a short section of their property’s

seawall. A slide provided to the commissioners showed the junction of the Oceane seawall and the Windward Passage seawall, on the northwest corner of the Oceane property. The extra height on that part of their wall would provide their site more protection in the event of a major storm, spokesman David Soltis told the commissioners.

However, County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh explained that if CG Oceane LLC were agreeable to working with the Windward Passage residents on that, the public hearing would have to be continued, so the firm and the condo complex could pursue the project as co-applicants. That was because the advertisement for the Nov. 14 public hearing did not include any details about improvements to the Windward Passage seawall, DeMarsh pointed out.

Ultimately, Merrill told the board that his client is willing to pay for the extra height on part of the

www.siestakeyassociation.com

MONTHLY MEETING Thursday, December 7 • 4:30 PM St. Boniface Church Parish Hall 5615 Midnight Pass Road

SKA announces, Friends of Siesta Key have offered another $10,000 Matching Donation.

Donations made to the charitable Tax Exempt Siesta Key Environmental Defense Fund, up to $10,000, made prior to January 15, 2018, will be matched.

If you care about Siesta Key come to the meeting.

public is always welcome with questions for our guests.

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Windward Passage seawall, but his client did not want to continue the hearing.

In response to commission questions, DeMarsh also said the board could not require the addition of a stipulation in the county permit that CG Oceane pay for the Windward Passage work.

Merrill told the commissioners that the construction of the condominium complex has been delayed since April as the project team worked on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood zone issues. While he conceded that it was not an emergency situation, Merrill said it was critical for CG Oceane to move forward with its $24-million project on Big Pass. “What we don’t want to do is continue this hearing. We can’t do that. … This project has been delayed specifically because of this one issue.”

The team has complied with FEMA requests for the technical data related to the Oceane seawall plans, Merrill pointed out. “We should be receiving that FEMA approval any day now for the project.”

In response to the Windward Passage residents’ concerns, Elizabeth Fountain, a coastal engineer with J.R. Evans Engineering of Estero, also explained that the project team had to go through a technical analysis with FEMA, showing that the added height to the seawall would not have a detrimental impact on adjoining properties. “We satisfied FEMA’s concerns.”

Merrill also pointed out that the Siesta Towers condominium complex to the south of the Oceane site has a seawall “similar to what we propose today. … There’s been no erosion” on the Oceane property or on a segment of Givens Street between the two pieces of property, he said.

Nonetheless, Commissioners Charles Hines and Alan Maio expressed optimism that the two property owners would cooperate on the Windward Passage seawall, as Merrill had indicated. They voiced disappointment that the proffer for Oceane to pay for the work could not be incorporated into the motion Commissioner Michael Moran made to approve

4740 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota

the Oceane project.

Hines pointed out that the board recently has heard complaints from constituents about situations in which stormwater runoff associated with new development has led to problems on adjacent land, in spite of expert testimony in public hearings that such problems would not arise. “We get blamed,” he said of the commissioners.

“I was hoping to find a compromise here today to avoid that potential for problems at the Windward Passage complex,” he added.

“I thought it was a very thorough presentation,” Moran said. The applicant’s offer to pay for the extra height for part of the Windward Passage seawall “was very fair” and a much better way to handle the situation, Moran added. “Hopefully, we can have some good neighbor experience here.”

Project details In his presentation, Howard Berna, the county’s environmental permitting manager, explained that the planned Oceane condominium project already has the necessary Coastal Setback Variance and a staff-approved site and development plan. However, county regulations do not allow staff to handle a request for a 2-foot modification in height for an existing seawall at the administrative level. That was why he had to bring the matter to the commission.

Additionally, this was the first time, to his knowledge, he said, that a project before the commission represented a response to a new section of the county Comprehensive Plan, which underwent a major revision last year.

Continued on page 42

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

County Commission votes 4-1 to approve purchase of parcel at 162 Beach Road

21

By Rachel Brown Hackney / SarasotaNewsLeader.com Although Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert argued that the board would be setting a bad precedent, her colleagues on Nov. 14 voted in favor of purchasing the land at 162 Beach Road on Siesta Key for $1.4 million.

Previous commissions turned down the owners on three occasions when they sought a Coastal Setback Variance to build a house on the property, Detert pointed out, so the county’s purchase of the 0.18-acre parcel would make other landowners think the board would buy them out if they were turned down on requests to construct homes on similar sites.

“We’re kind of doing this because we’ve been threatened with lawsuits,” Detert said of the purchase of 162 Beach Road parcel, “but I think we’re just looking at more lawsuits.”

The County Commission in 2015 unanimously turned down the third request for a Coastal Setback Variance sought by the owners of the 162 Beach Road property, Ronald and Sania Allen of Osprey.

As part of that public hearing, the Allens’ attorney, William Merrill III of the Icard Merrill firm in Sarasota, suggested that the Allens might bring suit against the county for a “taking.” That was because the board had continued to deny them any attempt to develop the land, Merrill added.

Detert also suggested on Nov. 14 that if the Allens sought a Coastal Setback Variance to construct “a modest home — which they don’t care to build,” she added — the board potentially would grant that request.

Commissioner Charles Hines disagreed. “I don’t think that assumption can be made.” Any house on the property would be beyond the Gulf Beach Setback Line (GBSL), he pointed out. The GBSL is the figurative “line in the sand” designed to protect the dunes and beach vegetation and to mitigate the potential for storm surge damage to nearby private and public property.

Constructing any type of home

seaward of the GBSL, Hines continued, “would set a precedent that would be very dangerous that, in essence, would eliminate the GBSL.” Hines added of the 162 Beach Road parcel, “There is an economic value to this property beyond making it the site of a single-family home.”

Carolyn N. Brown, director of the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department ( P R N R ) , e x p l a ined t hat the purchase would enable staff to clear the exotic vegetation from the land and perhaps create a walkway to the shore and erect signage for visitors. However, she said, the primary purpose of the transaction would be to protect the native beach vegetation.

Detert’s continuing opposition to the purchase resulted in a 4-1 board vote to move forward.

The money will come out of the funds set aside for the county’s Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program. The money is raised through a 0.25-mill tax that voters last approved in November 2005. The goal of the parkland program is “to create new recreational opportunities to showcase Sarasota County’s natural environment and cultural heritage,” the county website explains.

Staff will have 45 days to undertake the necessary due diligence before concluding the transaction approved on Nov. 14, Brown said.

Additionally, Brown noted, staff will communicate with the neighbors on Beach Road about any planning staff pursues regarding “public access improvements” at the site.

Questions and answers During her November 14 presentation, Brown reminded the commissioners that on Sept.

13, they directed staff to continue to negotiate with the Allens for the purchase of the property at 162 Beach Road. The Allens previously had turned down the offer of $1.4 million, but the board in September stood fast on that amount.

Detert told Brown that, as she understood it, the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program was created to preserve environmentally sensitive lands from construction. “This is not exactly, in my mind, the case here.”

“So we buy it, we own it,” Detert continued of the parcel. Could the county even do anything with the property “without bumping up against Florida Department of Environmental Protection rules or something else? … Can we put in a parking lot?”

Brown showed the board a list of permissible uses — including a parking lot — that the board could approve for the site, as the property is zoned Residential Multi-Family.

“We’re going to ask ourselves for a variance?” Detert asked.

“The government’s making more sense every day to me,” she added sarcastically.

Continued on page 42

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22

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

The Ever Changing Village

The Key Corners Center was recently acquired by business owners, Chris Brown and Mike Granthon

Valet parking at the Cottage and Hub restaurants

941.349.0194 Continued from the cover story

In October 2013, the Sarasota City Commission nixed a proposed New Orleans-style redesign Brown sought for the historic Kress Building Brown had bought at 1400 Main St in downtown Sarasota. (The previous tenant was Patrick’s restaurant, which was forced out by the former property owner as part of that owner’s attempt to construct a high-rise condominium on the site.)

After Brown bought the Kress Building, he made the first application ever to the city’s Neighborhood and Development Services Department for “encroachment” of the right of way.

Brown’s proposal was to “wrap” the Five Points structure with “galleries.”

They would provide shade for the sidewalks and room for up to 78 café tables on a second-floor covered porch overlooking Main Street.

The new restaurant has not been the only project keeping Brown busy. On Nov. 7, he and business partner Mike Granthon — who manages The Hub, The Cottage and The Beach Club — became the new owners of the Key Corners Center. That complex, at the southwest intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Avenida Messina, is right across from The Hub and The Cottage.

The seller was Deborah J. Houghton, whose family had owned the property since 1986, Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office records show.

The acquisition will help considerably with the valet parking for his restaurants, Brown explained. Altogether, he will have about 150 spaces his valet service can use, he said; because the shops and the restaurant Another Broken Egg in Key Corners are closed at night, valets can double and triple park vehicles in the spaces at the plaza, Brown pointed out. “It’s really going to help the congestion. We’re trying to get the parking as organized as possible.”

Brown also noted that, of course, the valet parking is complimentary. “I’m trying to solve issues,” he added.

Brown’s first order of business was cleaning up the plaza so it would look its best.

Napoli’s eviction One tenant in Key Corners moved out about 10 days before Chris Brown closed on the plaza: Napoli’s, a longtime Village dining establishment known for its pizza and other Italian entrees.

Napoli’s long stood where Gidget’s Coastal Provisions is located in Siesta Village, next to SKOB. According to court records from the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, Napoli’s owner, Bruno Izzo, was evicted from Key Corners, effective Oct. 30.

On May 18, Timothy J. Jones of Sarasota, the sublessor of Key Corners Center, filed a complaint against Izzo, saying Izzo was $138,865.59 in arrears on rent “and other financial obligations … not inclusive of late fees, which is a default under the Sublease.”

A settlement agreement between Izzo and Jones, dated Oct. 2, said the case would be dismissed with prejudice — meaning it could be refilled if the If all goes as planned, a new upscale steak and seafood restaurant will be open no later than parties did not fulfill the terms. Izzo and early January 2018 in the former Blue Que Island Grill, located at 149 Avenida Messina Jones were to handle their individual attorneys’ fees and costs, it added.

An order signed by Judge Frederick P. Mercurio on Oct. 4, affirming the settlement, indicated that back rent Izzo had paid over the past months would be returned to him. The amount noted in the order was $73,656.89.

Jones’ lien on the property dated to June 2013, when Izzo rented the space in Key Corners, the complaint pointed out.

A copy of the lease said the base rent was $6,500 per month, beginning in September 2013.

(Jones waived the rent for July and August of that year, the lease said.)

On July 1, 2014, the rent went up to $7,300 per month, the document noted. Then, on July 1, 2017, it climbed to $8,048.

Another new restaurant is planned on Ocean Boulevard in the former Jo-To Japanese Restaurant property at 5218 Ocean Blvd.

www.siestasand.net

Transforming the former Jo-To property Another new restaurant is planned on Ocean Boulevard in the Village.

On May 1, Jim Syprett and Jay Lancer bought the former Jo-To Japanese Restaurant property at 5218 Ocean Blvd. for $1,350,000, according to the records of the Sarasota County Property Appraiser.

At the time, Syprett stated he was not certain he and Lancer would seek a new restaurant tenant, but he pointed out that because of the Siesta Key Overlay District’s zoning regulations, that would be “the most beneficial use of the property.”

In early November, Syprett reported that negotiations were well underway with a restaurateur. He declined to offer any clues about those discussions, saying only, “I think the tenant will be somebody everyone will be happy to welcome to the Village.”

He also could not provide an exact timeline for the conclusion of the negotiations, he said, but he indicated that it could come shortly after the deadline for Siesta Sand’s December issue.

While tenant talks have continued, work also has been underway to open up the front of the building’s first floor, Syprett noted; the goal is to create a patio-like atmosphere. That open area will extend about 12 feet from the corner on the south side of the structure, he added, stopping just before a side door by the driveway.

Sliding glass doors will be installed around the open area, Syprett continued, to provide protection from the weather, as needed.

It will be fun for diners to have a view of the activity in the Village and to be able to speak to passersby they know, he added.

“I think it will look much better than it’s looked for a long time,” he said of the building.

“I think it’ll be much more inviting.”

According to Sarasota County permitting records, Syprett and Lancer also have invested in new plumbing and electrical equipment and a new air conditioning system, along with the new façade, at an estimated cost of $150,000.

William T Enterprises, which does business as Pittman Construction of Sarasota, is the building contractor for the project, the county records note.

The permit was issued on Oct. 4, the county document shows, with an expiration date of April 2, 2018.

The Lobster Pot continued to be open throughout their recent remodel Work on the façade for the iconic Lobster Pot, located in the heart of the Village, was completely unplanned but necessary after a truck plowed into the patio in front of the restaurant back on July 4, 2017.

Co-owner, Glen Medeiros recounts the harrowing experience and counts his blessings.

His son and partner in the business, Tony, had given him the day off for the July Fourth holiday.

“Normally, I work on Tuesdays,” he noted, “and I sit at that table where that truck went through,” placing orders. “So I am blessed,” he said. “I am blessed.”

The crash occurred around 9:45 a.m., based on reports. The driver apparently had a medical problem. The truck was headed north on Ocean Boulevard, reports said, when it veered into the Lobster Pot. Not only was he spared injury, he pointed out, but so were bystanders. Normally, Medeiros said, at that time of morning, 20 to 25 people are lined up in front of the restaurant as they wait in line to buy treats from the adjacent Meaney’s Mini Donuts. “Luckily, they were on the opposite side,” in front of Morton’s Siesta Market, he noted.

Even though he was supposed to be taking off July 4, Medeiros continued, he had decided to come in anyway and help out his son. “It was a pretty scary situation,” he added of the truck’s crashing into the long-time Siesta Village dining establishment.

The restaurant, noted winner of “Taste of Sarasota,” brings the New England tradition of excellence to Sarasota with live lobsters harvested from Bar Harbor and Boothbay, Maine along with many New England style dishes.

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

VILLAGE MAP pgs 24 - 25

ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 46

GULF GATE SHOPS pgs 30 - 31

CRESCENT BEACH MAP pg 26

LOCAL MAPS INSIDE

LIVE MUSIC PAGE 28

23

The Publication with “Key” Information | www.SiestaSand.net | 941.349.0194

Siesta Key Drum Circle Before You Leave...

If you have any non-perishable food items that have not been opened, the Siesta Key Chamber, located at 5114 Ocean Blvd, in the Village at the Davidson Plaza along with St. Michael’s Parish, located at 5394 Midnight Pass Road will gladly take these items and pass them on to the less fortunate in the Sarasota area.

Chamber hours for items to be dropped off are as follows: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For instructions on after hour drop-offs, please contact the Chamber office at 941-349-3800.

St. Michael’s hours for items to be dropped off are as follows: Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – Noon and again from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Friday: 8 a.m. – Noon.

If you are dropping off items after hours, please leave any items at the front door of the parish office.

For any additional questions, please contact the office at 941-349-4174.

Every Sunday is a perfect time to come to the Key to reconnect with Mother Nature and to enjoy some wonderful entertainment. I’m talking about the Siesta Key Drum Circle that takes place each Sunday starting about an hour before sunset and lasting until about 10 p.m. The gathering meets up just south of the main pavilion - just follow your ears and watch for the swelling crowd.

Please note the following rules of etiquette that need to be observed at the Drum Circle so that all can enjoy the experience: the inside of the drum circle is

for participants only, not for people standing around.

Feel free to enter the circle, take a picture and dance, but always keep moving. Never play someone’s drum without getting clearance from the owner. Always ask before borrowing other people’s property, especially hula hoops. Flash photography and bright video lights are distracting, so photograph during daylight or use a night vision camera. And finally, please do not drink alcohol or smoke inside the circle and respect our beach by placing all trash in the appropriate receptacles.

Photo by Jane Dough

Before you leave Sarasota, you must try this one!

As seen on the Food Network Guy Fieri’s “Diner’s, Drive-In’s and Dive’s” show. The TurDucKen “One big bird” Boneless chicken stuffed in a boneless duck stuffed in a boneless turkey with a variety of great seasonings. Alpine Steakhouse just off of Siesta Key located between the bridges at 4520 S. Tamiami Trail.

941-922-3797

Lunch Turducken Sandwich $8.95 and Dinner Turducken $18.95 w/mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce

24

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

Siesta Key Round-Up

Just before 4 p.m. on Oct. 25, “thanks to the vigilance of a Publix employee,” the release added, deputies learned that Limongelli was in the Bealls Outlet at 6555 S. Tamiami Trail; he reportedly was attempting to use the bills from SKOB to pay for merchandise. He also allegedly still had numerous dollar bills from SKOB in his pockets at the time of his arrest, the report noted. Deputies identified the bills by the writing and signatures on them, the report said.

He was arrested at the outlet, the report noted.

Limongelli has three previous arrests since October 2016, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Corrections records show. On Oct. 27, 2016, he was charged with larceny involving at least $300 but less than $5,000, records say. He was released on Dec. 19, 2016 after serving time for that crime.

On Dec. 29, 2016, he was arrested near Whole Foods on First Street in downtown Sarasota and charged

941.349.0194 Continued from page 6

with petit larceny, first offense.

This summer, he was charged with possession of not more than 20 grams of marijuana and with violation of probation on the petit larceny charge, the Corrections records say.

Earlier arrest records note Limongelli has a disability and is unemployed.

Early planning for Ol’ Times Church Festival Rev. Michael Cannon, the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church on Siesta Key, has announced that the parish family will hold its second Ol’ Times Church Festival the weekend of Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan, 27, 2018.

The event will take place in the Parish Hall and on the grounds of the church, which is located at 5394 Midnight Pass Road.

DISCOVERTHEYEAROFTHE

Daiquiri

This family-oriented festival will kick off at 6 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2018 in the Church Hall with an old-fashioned live auction, a news release says. Roy Baker, a parishioner who also is an auctioneer, will conduct that event.

Anyone wishing to donate an item to the auction or anyone who would like additional information about it may contact Baker at jiggsbeer@aol. com., the release notes.

As the auction date draws closer, a list of the many items that will be available will be found on the church’s website, www. stmichaelssiesta.com, the release adds. A person will be able to click on the “Festival” menu button for the details.

Cash or a check — with appropriate identification — will be required for payment on the night of the auction, the release points out.

The festivities on Jan. 27 will take place from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the release continues. They will include

ACCOMMODATIONS Siesta Key Beach Resort & Spa.....Map-A #38A ART GALLERY / STUDIO Calle Studios..........................................Map-B #32 The Gallery on Siesta Key................... Map-D #11 ATM / BANKS PNC ATM.............................................. Map-C #61 Martin Funding.......................................Map-E #1 Sun Trust Bank & ATM..........................Map-E #4 BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Blaśe Café.............................................Map-A #38 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar.................Map-B #42-43 Gilligan’s.............................................. Map-B #33 Siesta Key Oyster Bar......................... Map-B #45 The Beach Club..................................... Map-D #22 The Cottage........................................... Map-C #58 The Hub-Baja Grill............................... Map-D #59 COFFEE SHOPS LeLu’s Coffee Lounge........................ Map-B #31 The Local Bean.....................................Map-D #62

NOW WITH 4 LOCATIONS...

Map B #42

DRUGSTORE Davidson’s Drugs................................Map-D #65 FASHION & ACCESSORIES Beach Bazaar’s & Swin Shack........... Map-C #28 Blvd. Beachwear....................................Map-B #30 Comfort Shoes-Birki & More...........Map-D #64 Everything But Water.......................... Map-D #12 Foxy Lady Fashions............................. Map-A #40 Gidget’s Coastal Provisions.............. Map-B #44 Island Boutique.....................................Map-B #50 Island Style............................................ Map-C #53 Lotus Boutique..................................... Map-D #66 Marley Vibes........................................... Map-D #9 Sea Shanty............................................. Map-C #24 Siesta T’s.................................................Map-B #30 The Sandal Factory...............................Map-B #46

DAIQUIRIDECK.COM

GAS STATION Circle K Store...........................................Map-E #6 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Beach Bazaar........................................ Map-C #28 From God’s Garden..............................Map-D #9 Island Trader......................................... Map-C #51 Sea Pleasures & Treasures.................. Map-C #29 Siesta Key Outfitters...........................Map-D #11 Siesta Kids..............................................Map-B #36 HEALTH & FITNESS Indep. Lifestyle Solutions .................. Map-D #10 Siesta Key Fitness............................... Map-B #73 ICE CREAM/TREATS Big Olaf Creamery............................... Map-C #52 Ciao Gelato............................................ Map-C #50 Made in Rome Gelato.......................... Map-C #53 Meany’s Mini Donuts.......................... Map-C #24 SubZero Ice Cream/Yogurt................ Map-D #16 Sunni Bunni Frozen Yogurt................ Map-C #53 The Donut Experiment........................ Map-D #16 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson Drugs..................................Map-D #65 LeLu’s Coffee Lounge........................ Map-B #31 The Local Bean.....................................Map-D #62 JEWELRY Created Gems....................................... Map-C #51 Mount -N- Repair Jewelers.................Map-D #9 Map C #61

Wastewater treatment plant work lagging a bit It appears that it will be January 2018 before Sarasota County finishes the work on the new master pump station that is replacing the Siesta Key Wastewater Treatment Plant, Robert Luckner, a member of the SKA’s Environmental Committee, announced during the November SKA meeting.

The pump station was about 85% complete as of Nov. 2, Luckner reported, based on his communications that day with the county project manager, Jack Gibson. However, Gibson informed Luckner that the county’s Public Utilities Department had requested additional piping work at the site; that would delay the completion timeline beyond the original deadline, which was the end of this year.

“They lost about three weeks with the hurricane and the power outage,” Luckner pointed out. A

For those that have enjoyed th cuts and camaraderie at the Villag Barber over the years, you can sti continue to see Scott Reich at hi new Gulf Gate Barbershop locatio at 6575 Gateway Ave. in Gulf Gate The Siesta Center was sold an the new ownership of the Ocea Blvd building wasn’t quite meetin up to expectations.

You can reach Scott at 941 346-0222. His hours are 8:30-4:0 Tuesday thru Friday and 8:30-12:0 Saturday.

3-7 PM Y L I A D S I DAIQUIR

SOUTH SIESTA KEY • ISLAND OF VENICE • SIESTA KEY VILLAGE • ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE

food, crafts, music, games, raffles and other activities for all ages, the release says.

“This event is open to all,” the release notes. The proceeds will go to St. Michael’s support of the Catholic Faith Appeal and its many charitable outreach programs, the release explains.

A parish committee has been meeting for several months to plan the event, the release says.

Long-time parishioners Jack and Therese Swiatkowski are the chairs.

“With the help of many other parishioners,” the release adds, “various other committees have been formed and the plans for this special event are well underway.”

The primary planning committee is looking for volunteers and sponsors, as well as food vendors and local craftspeople and artisans who would like to participate in the festival. Those who are interested are asked to email theresejack.sw@ gmail.com.

NOTICE: Looking fo

MEET ME AT THE DECK!

2-4-1

www.siestasand.net

LIQUOR STORES / FINE WINES Gabbiano’s Wine Club.......................Map-D #70 Gilligan’s.............................................. Map-B #33 Siesta Key Wines................................. Map-C #61 Siesta Village Liquors........................ Map-C #26 The Beach Club..................................... Map-D #22

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new sewer pipeline has been run from the mainland, under the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), to the plant, so effluent can be treated on the mainland, Luckner explained.

The repaving of Shadow Lawn Way and Shadow Lawn Drive, down where the pipeline has been installed, was set to start Nov. 9, Luckner added.

The only problem reported in Siesta Isles, Luckner continued, was that the electrical connection and irrigation equipment in the median on Shadow Lawn Way were damaged because the crew that checked for utility lines found no traditional markers for them in advance of the project. The contractor would reconnect the electricity, he added, and the company would work with the homeowners’ association to ensure the irrigation equipment was repaired.

The Siesta Isles Association won a Sarasota County Neighborhood Grant Initiative Program award in

DECEMBER 2017

2015 that enabled it to undertake the beautification work on that median.

The entire buried pipeline in Siesta Isles had been pressure-tested, Luckner noted. The master pump station testing would take place in phases, Gibson told Luckner, with most of the work scheduled in December and early January.

The very last phase of the project, Luckner pointed out, will be the decommissioning of the wastewater treatment facilities on the plant site, with the termination of treated wastewater outfall to the Grand Canal. All the old tanks will be cleaned out, he added.

In response to a question, Luckner said county leaders have not decided yet what to do with the property after all the work has been completed. One consideration, he continued, will be the underground pipes. “It’s better not to dig down and find out what’s there,” he joked, referring to infrastructure that could date back to the early days of the Siesta Key Utility

Authority (SKUA). The county took ownership of the plant in 2006.

Still, Luckner said, “I think it could easily be some type of park facility.”

More on continuing the fight to preserve Big Pass During the November SKA meeting, Vice President Catherine Luckner provided a brief summary of activities over the past 12 months as the organization has continued its efforts to prevent the dredging of Big Sarasota Pass to renourish a 1.6-mile stretch of South Lido Key. It was almost exactly a year ago, she told the approximately 60 audience members, that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) held an open house in Sarasota to allow the public to ask questions and offer formal comments about the proposed project of the City of Sarasota and

25

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

had felt that, given all the research the SKA had undertaken to show flaws in the USACE modeling for the project, FDEP would realize that it should make the federal agency redesign its plans. “Maybe that’s my Pollyanna approach to many things,” Luckner conceded.

As the SKA prepared for both a December Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) challenge of the FDEP action, as well as a 12th Judicial Circuit Court case — if necessary — Luckner said the nonprofit’s attorney ended up waiving $23,000 in legal fees in midsummer. The Tallahassee firm of Hopping Green & Sams had exceeded the cap the SKA had set for what it could spend, she explained. “They actually reduced their hourly fees for us.”

The $23,000, she pointed out, was only half of what the SKA would have owed the firm for one month.

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

“I heard from many people that it wasn’t as satisfactory as they would have liked,” she added of that session.

Various state agencies that had had a part in FDEP’s permit application review had personnel present, along with representatives of FDEP and the USACE. At least it was a good opportunity for the SKA directors to put faces to the names of people with whom they had been corresponding, Luckner said.

After FDEP on Dec. 22, 2016 released its Notice of Intent to issue the permit for the project to the city and the USACE, she continued, a number of people told her they believed the open house was just pro forma.

“That was disappointing,” Luckner said of the FDEP decision, which the SKA, Save Our Siesta Sand 2 and the Florida Wildlife Federation have challenged. She

Continued on page 40

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MAILING - SHIPPING UPS store............................................... Map-A #41 US Post Office....................................... Map-D #65

Boston

MARKETS/FOOD STORES Circle K Store...........................................Map-E #6 Morton’s Siesta Market...................... Map-C #25

Arizona Map D #64

MASSAGE Hands of Light Massage......................Map-B #35 Massage Experience Siesta Key........Map-D #62 Massage Therapy....................................Map-E #1 MEDICAL - DENTAL Siesta Dental........................................ Map-B #49 Siesta Key Physical Therapy............... Map-D #20 Siesta Medical Center.......................... Map-D #63 Siesta Village Dentistry....................... Map-D #63 MISCELLANEOUS Chamber of Commerce....................... Map-D #67 Roberti Enterprises.............................. Map-A #39 Tarot Card Reading & Gifts.................Map-B #50 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Edward Jones Investments................. Map-D #68 Smith Architects...................................... Map-E 74

Bringing you quality and comfort for more than 30 years!

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941-346-7425 www.rickscomfortshoes.com

REAL ESTATE / RENTAL SERVICES Coldwell Banker Realty....................... Map-D #20 Horizon Realty......................................Map-B #34 Island Homes........................................ Map-C #51 Keller Williams Real Estate................. Map-D #11 Key Realty.............................................. Map-E #5 Michael Saunders Realty................... Map-E #72 ReMax Tropical Sands.......................Map-D #67 Robasota Rentals & Real Estate.......... Map-A #39 Siesta Key Realty...................................Map-D #9 Waterfront 7 Realty.............................. Map-C #56 Waterside Realty.................................. Map-C #29

48 47 46

RESTAURANTS / CAFÉS Another Broken Egg................... Map-C #54 & 55 Blasé Café.............................................Map-A #38 Bonjour French Cafe............................ Map-C #47 Café Gabbiano.....................................Map-D #71 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar.................Map-B #42-43 Flavio’s Brick Oven & Bar....................Map-B #29 Flavio’s Italiano Ristorante..................Map-B #30 Gilligan’s Island Bar & Grill............ Map-B #33 LeLu’s Coffee Bar................................ Map-B #31 Lobster Pot............................................ Map-C #23 Old Salty Dog Rest. & Pub.....................Map-E #2 PI Pizza & Craft Beer...........................Map-A#37 Señor Siesta........................................... Map-D #69 Siesta Key Oyster Bar......................... Map-B #45 Solorzano Bros. Pizzeria....................Map-D #15 Subway Sandwiches.............................Map-B #30 Sun Garden Café.................................. Map-D #19 The Cottage........................................... Map-C #58 The Hub - Baja Grill............................. Map-D #59 Village Café..........................................Map-D #14 SPAS - HAIR & BEAUTY LaPlaya Spa........................................... Map-C #50 Sassy Hair Salon................................... Map-A #40 Siesta Key Nails & Spa........................Map-D #9 SPORTS INTEREST/RENTALS CaliFlorida............................................. Map-C #29 Robin Hood Rentals........................... Map-B #34 Siesta Village Outfitters....................... Map-C #53

Map D #11

THE LOCAL BEAN • Internet Café • Coffee Shop • Tea Room 5138 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key Village

941-346-8000

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Map D #62

Organic and Fair Trade Coffees & Teas Cold Pressed Coffee Organic Smoothies Light Lunch (Salads & Sandwiches) Breakfast Sandwiches, Bagels & Lox Local Pastries Free Snacks

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

ATM & BANKS Bank of America........................................ A-3 #3 BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Capt. Curt’s Backroom Saloon................B-3 #7 Crescent Club........................................... C-3 #13 Sniki Tiki....................................................B-3 #8 DELIS / BAKERIES A Taste of Germany................................ C-3#14 Anna’s Deli & Sandwiches.................. C-3 #14 Nutritious You......................................... C-3 #14 The Beach Deli @ Crescent Beach Grocery......B-3 #1 DRUG STORES Davidson’s Drugs................................... C-3 #14 FASHION & ACCESSORIES CB’s Island Outfitters.............................. A-3 #2 CB’s Saltwater Outfitters........................ A-3 #4 Coconuts Fashion......................................B-3 #1 Coconuts / Island Colors..........................B-3 #8 Green Turtle Swimwear......................... C-3 #14

941.349.0194

CRESCENT BEACH SHOP INDEX

Key Casual Fashions............................... D-3 #17 Things You Like...................................... C-3 #14 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Capt. Curt’s Souvenirs.............................B-3 #8 Green Turtle Shells & Gifts................. C-3 #14 Sunshine Sand Hidden Treasures........ D-3 #17 Silver City Jewelry.................................. C-3 #14 HEALTH & BEAUTY Siesta Key Salon & Spa........................... D-3 #17 The Key Spa & Salon.............................. A-5 #12 ICE CREAM & TREATS Orange Octopus .......................................B-3 #8 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson’s Drugs................................... C-3 #14 Mail Pack Center..................................... C-3 #14 LIQUOR STORES Crescent Beach Grocery...........................B-3 #1 Crescent Club............................................B-3 #13 Siesta Spirits............................................. C-3 #17

Siesta Key Winery and Bootlegger’s Moonshine Company.................................................... A-4 #5 MAILING & SHIPPING Mail Pack Center..................................... C-3 #14 US Post Office Sub Station..................... C-3 #14 MARKETS 7-11 Store.................................................. C-3 #16 Big Water Fish Market.......................... C-3 #17 Crescent Beach Grocery...........................B-3 #1 MISCELLANEOUS Moving & Storage....................................B-3 #10 Flowers by Fudgie................................... D-3 #17 REAL ESTATE / RENTALS Homes & Condo Rentals........................ D-3 #17 Re/Max Tropical Sands............................B-3 #1 Siesta 4-Rent............................................ C-3 #14 RESTAURANTS / CAFES A Taste of Germany................................ C-3#14

www.siestasand.net

Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill...............A-5 #12 Capt. Curts Crab & Oyster Bar.................B-3 #7 City Pizza Italian Restaurant................. D-3 #17 Clayton’s Siesta Grille...............................B-3 #9 Daiquiri Deck.................................................A-3 #2 Toasted Mango Cafe....................................C-3 #17 Miguel’s Restaurant................................ C-3 #17 Munchies.................................................. C-3 #17 WATER SPORTS - FISHING - RENTALS A to Z Beach & Bike Rentals.................. A-5 #12 FIN Island Co. . ........................................ A-3 #2 CB’s Saltwater Outfitters........................ A-3 #4 Parasail Siesta............................................ A-3 #2 Siesta Key Bike & Kayak . ......................B-3 #8 Siesta Key Marina..................................... A-4 #5 Siesta Key Jetski . ...................................... A-3 #2 Siesta Sports Rentals............................. C-3 #14 Waves Boat & Social Club...................... A-5 #12

Big Water Fish Market................................C-3 #17

“Home of the Orange Squeeze!”

“A Tropical Department Store“

SHELL & GIFT CITY

Bathing Suits $

Siesta Key’s Most Friendly & Unique Shopping Spot!

SOUTHBRIDGE MALL

OPEN 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM DAILY

G

IN FEATUR

Homemade Ice Cream

Map B-3#8

941-346-0202

19.95 Reg. To $49.00

SIESTA KEY

Siesta Key’s Largest Seashell & Coral Selection!

Sundaes l Shakes l Smoothies l Coffees Espresso l Cappuccinos

1220 Old Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key In the Captain Curt’s Plaza

CRESCENT BEACH

er Sale up Ladies

!

THE GREEN TURTLE

S

26

GIFTS & SOUVENIRS BEACH FASHIONS BEACH SUPPLIES BEACH COVER-UPS LADIES & JUNIORS FASHIONS SUPER MEN'S LINE In South Bridge Mall

6525 Midnight Pass Road

MAP B-3#14

green TURTLE COUPON

FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! A Free Tropical Gift! 79 c Just For Stopping In

349-4751

VALUE

With This Coupon

No Purchase Necessary

EXPIRES:7/05/2010 Expires 12/31/17

Open 5 pm pm Map C-3#14 O pen77DDays ays99am am--5

941-346-1797

“Voted Small Business of the Year 941-346-1797

by Siesta Key Chamber”

RepaiRs, sales anD accessORies New 50cc Scooters

HOuRly • Daily • Weekly

TREK BIKES • BEACH WHEELCHAIRS • PADDLEBOARDS SCOOTERS • SCOOTER CARS • KAYAKS • KAYAK TOURS CHAIRS/UMBRELLAS • STROLLERS • SNORKELING GEAR

KAYAK TOURS ONLY 45 54 /PERSON • BEST PRICE AROUND FREE DELIVERY AND P/U ON SIESTA KEY FOR MOST RENTALS $

6551 Midnight Pass Rd., Siesta Key, FL in Southbridge Mall • Map C-3#14

5

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SCOOTER RENTALS f f o Half Days/Full Days/Multi Day Rentals with this Coupon EXPIRES 12/31/14 EXPIRES 12/31/17

Bikes • Kayaks • Scooters • Kayak Tours

welcome!

Willkommen

GERMAN BAKERY & CAFE

© Island Visitor Publishing, LLC 2012

German café offering fresh soups and sandwiches on freshly baked breads!

Rum Cakes Breakfast Lunch German Beers and Brats

941-346-1800 • www.ATasteofGermany.net 6575 Midnight Pass Rd., Siesta Key (South of Stickney Pt.)

Map C-3 #14

Map B-3#8

A Taste of Germany 6575 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Anna’s Deli 6535 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Road

Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill 1500 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP A-5 #12

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters 1249 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP A-3 #4

Coconuts Fashion MAP 1215 Old Stickney Point Rd. B-3 #1&8

Crescent Beach Grocery 1211 Old Stickney Pt. Rd.

MAP B-3 #1

Siesta 4-Rent 6555 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Toasted Mango Cafe 6621 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-4 #17

MAP C-3 #17

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Snapshots of Island Visitors 1

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

27

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

2

3

4 6

5

8 7

9

10

1. Andrea, Jimmy, and William age 3 from Sweden 2. Ellie age 8, Jama, and Carter age 9 from Kansas 3. Joe and Mason age 12 from IL 4. Roberto and Lorenzo age 8 months from Tampa, first time to SK & loved it!

5. Margaret, Liz & Michael – celebrating their 30th anniversary! They have been coming to SK for 23 years 6. Christine, Laura & Owen 2 months (baby’s first time to the beach!) from Ontario 7. Dylan age 4, Katie, Jason, & Colin age 6 from OH 8. Pam from Maryland, Brook from CA, and Ken from Maryland 9. Scarlett age 9 months from Sarasota 10. Sabine & Chris from Germany

28

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

Siesta Sounds

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

By Charmaine Engelsman-Robins

Is Al Fuller one of the most popular entertainers working in southwest Florida? Gee, I don’t know… in the first 15 minutes of our interview he booked three unexpected new gigs via incoming phone calls, so what do you think?

If you’ve had any exposure to the area music scene over the past couple decades, you’re probably familiar with his name and mustachioed image; with almost 20 years of hosting a wildly popular Monday night blues jam that kept one little neighborhood bar a reason to be open on what is usually a dead night for clubs, and working other band formations with most of the best players living or passing through SW Florida, Al Fuller is pretty much everywhere there’s good live music.

So much has been written about Al that when I reached out to him for this interview to precede his 12/28 gig at Blasé Café (with duo partner Burt Engelsman) I just came right out and suggested “Let’s talk about some aspects of your musical history that haven’t already been in print a million times. What music matters to your story, but isn’t widely known?”

He thought about it for a minute and then started talking about when he was drafted to serve in Viet Nam. As I write this, PBS is running an extensive history of the Viet Nam war and, as always, Ken Burns is leaving out pretty much nothing. But Al told me about something he experienced firsthand in Nam that I had

never before heard or seen publicized. The musicians who served in this awful war found and brought to comrades in arms some measure of comfort through music. Al had done this too.

“You brought a guitar with you to Viet Nam?” I asked incredulously.

No, that wasn’t how it worked, he explained.

“You can sometimes get one somewhere over there, and when you do, the tradition is to use it while you’re there and then leave it behind for the next guy to use.” Sometimes it was a direct hand-off, other times the new player had no way of knowing who had used this instrument before him or whether it was left behind by a player who was happily leaving the war or…

That’s how important music can be when life is in chaos. An essential part of holding on to the person you were before you came here, a link to sanity.

Back here in the States, some areas are more sensitive to the power of music than are others.

The Florida audiences aren’t like those in other places he’s lived, Al notes. In Seattle and New England, they seem to listen more. Those were the audiences he so appreciated, the ones that listened to his original songs and really heard the words and meaning. “Here,” Al notes, “there’s very little of that.

People use your music more as background for their socializing.

Burt Engelsman & Marc Mosby

Al Fuller In fact most would rather hear familiar covers than anything new and original. I’ve done whole gigs where no one clapped once, no one hit the tip jar... They didn’t even acknowledge me, I was just ignored.”

Which is why he works with bands more now, something he enjoys because of the caliber of players in this area, but admits pays less and fulfills less than a solo gig where the audience actually listens.

So why did Al settle here if the audiences where he grew up in western Massachusetts, and later in Seattle, were, frankly, better audiences?

“We moved here in 1995 because we wanted our daughter, Etse, to be able to go to New Gate School,” he explained.

He was somewhat familiar with the far-different (from Seattle) climate, having played in

the Florida Keys where his solo act of originals had been well received.

Al’s recorded five CDs of his original tunes and is really proud of them … but doesn’t do much writing anymore. “It used to be something I did every day, but now I don’t very much. People here would rather hear covers.”

I ask if there’s any other songwriter’s work he actually enjoys covering as much as he loves doing his own originals, and he brightens when referencing another why-isn’tthis-guy-rich-and-famous local songwriter: “I really like Marc Mosby’s stuff,” he says with renewed enthusiasm. “Marc was the first guy I met when I moved here, and he kind of got me in with the other musicians and writers here.” Coming from an entire town of inspiring fellow songwriters in Seattle, Al was

eager to get back into a group of friends that sort of inspired and competed with each other, and in the mid-1990s, they were here.

Some still are, and every one of them I’ve ever spoken with shares the same frustration: they play primarily covers even though they wish they could do all originals, because that’s what’s necessary to get gigs, and moreover, to get the audience to respond.

“I guess I’d rather be appreciated than ignored,” he admits with a touch of irony.

Do yourselves a favor, dear readers: on December 28, go to Al’s duo gig at the Blasé Café, and listen. Even if just for a couple of songs between drinks and laughs, listen. And if you’d like to hear something new for a change, ask Al for an original or two.

Charmaine Engelsman-Robins is a Chicago-born, award-winning writer of screenplays and articles, including a 10 year stint writing for the Sarasota Herald Tribune. She has lived in SW FL most of her life and, as an animal rescuer, has occasionally been forced to support this work with temporary straight jobs that she lists on a secret “resume” titled “My Little List of Things I Never Want To Have To Do Again.” She won’t have to if you keep reading her articles, and she thanks you all very much for saving her from that horrible fate.

LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE CLUB

MONDAY th

BLASE CAFÉ

In the Village 941-349-9822

DAIQUIRI DECK RAW BAR In the Village 941‐349‐8697

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

th

Live Music (4 & 18 ) 6 PM Big Red Nose Burlesque (11th only) 8:30 PM

Sound Paint 6 PM

Live Music 6 PM

THURSDAY Rob Viola th th st (7 ,14 ,21 ) Al Fuller Duo (28th only) 6 PM

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Lady B & the Buzz Jason Harram (3rd) Callie & the Whole (2nd & 9th) (All 6PM) th) Strangeway (10 th Band Doctor Drive (16 ) th Bird Tribe (17 ) rd 6 PM Goodbyeddie (23 ) Rallo Rucci (31st) 6 PM th Mike Kach Grp (30 ) LIVE MUSIC LIVE MUSIC (3‐7 PM) BREE (3‐7 PM) DJ TJ (10 PM) (3‐7 PM) DJ Crawford (10 PM) Reggae w/ Acoustic Pete Desi Adams 2 – 6 PM DJ Ryan Scott Curts 1‐5 PM 10 PM th th 10 & 24 6‐10 PM DJ KConn 10 PM DJ – 10 PM Eddie James

Jazz Band

7‐10 PM Whiteleather T.B.A: 2‐6 PM Dana & Co 2‐6 PM 2‐6 PM Tozier: 5‐9 PM Mike Tozier Rising Tide Chris Otto: 8 PM – 12 AM 8 PM – 12 AM 11 PM – 3 AM

Rodney Shenk 6 ‐10 PM

RPM LIVE 6‐10 PM

DJ – 10 PM

RPM LIVE 6 ‐10 PM DJ Ryan 10 PM

In the Village 941-346-5358

SIESTA KEY OYSTER BAR

Al Donadi 7‐11 PM

Service Industry Night Half off Drinks 9PM‐CLOSE

Open mic night 7‐11 PM

Kettle of Fish 7‐11 PM

FolkLab 7‐11 PM

Tic Toc Tuedays 9 ‐10:30 PM 50 cent Beer & Cocktails

Ladies Night DJ Coz or Kensi 9 PM – 2 AM

Sink or Swim DJ Coz 9 PM‐2 AM

Live Band: 8 – 11 PM Live DJ 11 PM ‐2 AM

THE COTTAGE

Live Music 6-9 PM

Live Music 6-9 PM

Live Music 6-9 PM

Live Music 7-10 PM

Live Music 7-10 PM

Live Music 7-10 PM

Live Music 6-9 PM

THE HUB‐BAJA GRILL

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 & 7-10 PM

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 & 7-10pm

Live Music Noon – 3 PM

Live Music Noon – 3 PM

Live Music 1 – 4 PM

Live Music 1-4 PM 4:30 – 7:30 PM 8:30 PM - midnight

KARAOKE 9 PM – CLOSE

Live Music Noon – 3 PM 3:30 – 6:30 & 7-10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 5‐9 PM

LIVE MUSIC 5‐9 PM

LIVE MUSIC 5‐9 PM

LIVE MUSIC 5‐9 PM

RPM (5‐8 PM)

Bri Rivera (5‐8 PM)

The Richy Kicklighter Band 5‐9 PM

Larry Williams 5‐9 PM

Reggae Music

GILLIGANS

In the Village 941-346-8122

Lelu’s Coffee Lounge

(SKOB) In the Village

941‐346‐5443 THE BEACH CLUB In the Village 941-349-6311 In the Village 941-312-9300

In the Village 941-349-6800

BACKROOM SALOON @ CAPT. CURTS Crescent Beach Shops

941‐349‐3885

SNIKI TIKI @ CAPT CURTS Crescent Beach Shops

941‐349‐3885 Turtle Beach Grill Southern end of SK 941‐349‐2280

BOATYARD BAR & GRILL

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

3:30 – 6:30 & 7-10 PM

LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

Steel Drums & Island Sounds (5‐8 PM)

3:30 – 6:30 & 7-10 PM

KARAOKE 9 PM – CLOSE LIVE MUSIC 6‐10 PM

4:30 – 7:30 PM 8:30 PM –midnight

KARAOKE 9 PM – CLOSE

Live Band: 8 –11 PM Live Band: 8‐11PM Live DJ: 11 PM‐2 AM DJ: 11PM – 2AM

Over the South Bridge

Marcel Almanzor (5‐8 PM)

SAND DOLLAR POOL BAR @ Best Western Plus 6600 S. Tamiami Trl. Sarasota 941‐924‐4900

LIVE MUSIC 3‐6 PM

LIVE MUSIC 3‐6 PM

LIVE MUSIC 3‐6 PM

LIVE MUSIC 4‐8 PM

LIVE MUSIC 3‐7 PM

LIVE MUSIC 3‐7 PM

941‐921‐6200

CASEY KEY FISH HOUSE 801 Blackburn Pt. Rd, Osprey 941‐966‐1901

Above information is subject to change. We suggest calling venues for confirmation.

3‐7 PM

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Island Humor [ A mafia Don was golfing with two golf associates: a deaf man and his interpreter lawyer. Since the Don was looking for a new man to make weekly collections from his private businesses, he asked the lawyer to ask the deaf man if he was willing to help. This way if he were to get caught, he wouldn’t be able to communicate to the police about what he was doing. The deaf man accepted.

On his first week, the deaf man picked up over $50,000. He decided to keep the money and stashed it in a safe place. The mafia Don realized that the collection was late, and he sent a hood after the deaf collector.

The hood found the deaf collector and asked him where the money was. The deaf man couldn’t communicate with him, so the mafia hood drags the guy to the lawyer’s office to interpret. The mafia hood says to the lawyer, “Ask him where da money is.”

The lawyer signs, “Where’s the money?”

The deaf man replies, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The lawyer tells the hood, “He says he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

The hood pulls out a .38 gun and places it in the ear of the deaf man and says, “NOW ask him where da money is.”

The lawyer signs, “Where is the money?”

The deaf man replies, “The $50,000 is in Central Park, hidden in the third tree stump on the left from the West 78th Street gate.”

The lawyer says to the hood, “He says he still doesn’t know what you’re talking about, and doesn’t think you have the guts to pull the trigger.” [ An old man and woman were married for years even though they hated each other. When they had a confrontation, screams and yelling could be heard deep into the night.

A constant statement was heard by the neighbors who feared the man the most. “When I die I will dig my way up and out of the grave to come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!”

They believed he practiced black magic and was responsible for missing cats and dogs, and strange sounds at all hours. He was feared and enjoyed the respect it garnished.

He died abruptly under strange

HOTTEST BAR IN GULF GATE...

MLB/College Packages FULL BAR

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circumstances and the funeral had a closed casket. After the burial, the wife went straight to the local bar and began to party as if there was no tomorrow. The gaiety of her actions were becoming extreme while her neighbors approached in a group to ask these questions: Are you not afraid? Concerned? Worried? That this man who practiced black magic and stated when he died he would dig his way up and out of the grave to come back and haunt you for the rest of your life?

The wife put down her drink and said...”let the old dog dig. I had him buried upside down.”

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

29

nth...

Mo Bartender of The

outh Siesta Daiquiri Deck S oad, SK, 34242 R t in o P y e n ck ti 1250 S stakey.com Daiquiridecksie 941-312-2422

[ At Sunday school they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny, a child in the Kindergarten class, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs.

Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and asked, “Johnny, what is the matter?”

Little Johnny groaned and responded, “I have a pain in my side.

I think I’m going to have a wife.” [ An elderly pair (he a widower, she a widow) meet in a retirement village. They seem to hit it off; they share each other’s values, enjoy the same jokes, and find pleasure in each other’s company.

After a few months, the widower asks for the hand of the widow in marriage. She appears hesitant and decided to probe her soon-to-be a little.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but... How’s your health?”

“It’s OK”, he answers. “I’m not getting any younger, but I don’t have any major health problems. I can still enjoy life”.

“Well, then”, she replies, “I don’t want to be a snoop, but I’ve got to protect myself: how are you fixed financially?”

“So-so. I’m not rich, but I’m comfortable. You don’t have to worry about me sponging off you; I can support myself”.

The little old lady blushes, and finally asks her swain - “And how’s your sex life....”

“Infrequently”, he declares.

The widow ponders this for a moment or so, before asking... “And is that one word or two?”

Name of Bartender: Kennedy Hometown: Sarasota, FL Q: What’s your bartending experience and how long have you worked at Daiquiri Deck?

A: Of the five years working at Daiquiri Deck, I’ve spent the last two years working as a bartender. I would have to say my chocolate martini is my most perfected drink.

Q: What was the strangest or funniest experience you witnessed or were party to at work?

A: My co-workers sometimes tease me (all in fun) because I can be very sassy and as they say, “boujee.” So on Halloween, my bar-back showed up to work with a costume and wig that looked exactly like my hair and uniforms. He stayed in character the entire shift.

To this day, I have bar customers that still joke about it.

Q: Any hobbies, goals, etc. you enjoy when not working?

A: I enjoy shopping, modeling, going to the beach, reading, theme parks, traveling, and eating.

Q: How would you describe yourself?

A: I’m shy at first, but once I start talking you’ll find I’m sweet, crazy, and love to have fun.

Q: What makes Daiquiri Deck a special place to visit?

A: Besides being a unique place for our wide variety of daiquiris, my co-workers and I work hard to show our customers a good time and make them feel special.

Q: What specialty drink is Daiquiri Deck noted for?

A: Obviously we are famous for our daiquiris, which are delicious.

My favorite is Monkeyberry (strawberry, banana with an amaretto floater).

Q: When is the best time for locals and visitors to enjoy your company?

A: Come visit me during happy hour, every day from 3-7pm. We have great drink specials, plus the view of the ocean and amazing sunsets.

Karaoke Thursday, Friday & Saturday

30

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE

MOONLIGHT MOVIES Photo by Trebor Britt Residents and tourists began gathering 40 minutes before show-time for the unique movie night under the stars on spectacular Siesta Beach, the number one beach in America. To celebrate Fall the Sarasota Film Festival in coordination with Sarasota Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources provided a free, fun family night for area residents.

The next featured movie on incredible Siesta Beach will be “ET”, on December 15th. Rain date will be December 16th. Be sure to bring a blanket and lawn chairs for another fun, family-friendly evening.

Island Church News Birthday Wishes & Anniversary Too! Father Michael Cannon, Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church will be celebrating his 60th birthday on December 10th. Fr. Michael also celebrated his 2nd anniversary at the Parish on November 1st. Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday Fr. Michael. We wish you the very best with many more wonderful years ahead on our island paradise.

Church Festival Be sure to see the news brief on page 24 for St. Michael the Archangel’s upcoming church festival.

Congratulations Rev. Wayne Farrell The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, came to St. Boniface Church on Midnight Pass to install The Rev. Wayne Farrell as the 7th rector in the history of the Siesta Key church.

The rector’s brother, The Rev. Reid Farrell, assisted the Bishop in the Installation. The choir and bell choir provided special celebratory music. A reception followed the service.

Fr. Wayne Farrell is a 1980 graduate of the University of Florida. He and his wife Trish have two adult children, Molly and Charlie. After working 27 years as a small businessman in the field of real estate development and home building, he was called to the ordained

ministry. In 2011, he graduated with a Masters of Divinity from the School Father Michael Cannon of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.

A lifelong Episcopalian and Sarasota native, Fr. Farrell spent five years as rector at All Saints Episcopal Church in Tarpon Springs prior to his return to Sarasota.

“We are delighted that Wayne is now our rector, and together look ahead to a long and fruitful time of growth serving Christ and the Church,” said the Wardens and members of the St. Boniface Vestry.

Sarasota Pavilion is a popular shopping destination for numerous locals and visitors alike. Its prime location is close enough to the island for frequent trips with a nice selection of chain stores set in one convenient location. But what truly lends to the uniqueness of this district is the host of small, locally owned, specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, and neighborhood bars bordering this pavilion. It makes for a fun and rewarding shopping experience.

Over 150 businesses make up this district. This section helps highlight what you’ll find within this walkable Gulf Gate shopping Village.

Piccolos Italian Market & Deli (G-47) carries a full line of imported cheeses, fresh baked bread daily, homemade sausages, fresh mozzarella, and numerous hard to get items.

They now carry Khorasan Wheat which is an ancient and organic grain. Their deli is complete with huge hot and cold sandwiches, salads, fresh homemade lasagna and baked ziti. And, you cannot leave without trying their cannoli filled with their own homemade cannoli cream or the tiramisu or Sfogliatelle from Brooklyn.

Here is where you will find great Italian specialty gourmet items without the gourmet price.

Tony’s Chicago Beef Company (S-16) is owned and operated by true Chicagoans.

Dedicated to deliver Chicago’s best food - Chicago style Hot Dogs wit’ the works...

Dragged through the garden on poppy seed buns with fresh cut fries, Italian Beef Sandwiches anyway you like, dipped or dry, sweet or hot. All served in true Authentic Chicago Style.

Sarasota Brewing Co. (G-4) Sarasota’s first micro brew pub always has something new to offer.

From over 20 seasonal beers that rotate throughout the year, the Brewing Company always has at least five unique brews online as well as several favorites from around the world. Established in 1989, their menu has been a winner in the Reader’s Choice Awards of the Sarasota Herald Tribune featuring their mouth watering burgers, Chicago style Pizzas, and Chicago beef sandwiches.

With dozens of televisions, it’s a great place to catch a game with friends and family.

West End Pub (G-49) Where else can you watch your favorite game with a great selection of beers, wines, and liquors served by a friendly staff AND where you’re allowed to bring your own restaurant or deli food?

Right here.

Hurricane Mike’s Saloon (M-10) is a little neighborhood bar at 2639 Mall Drive, where everyone knows your name type of establishment and friendly staff.

TV’s with the MLB and NFL packages, pool table, and full Florida Lottery games. Happy hour daily from opening to 7pm.

Hours: Mon – Sat, 8am – 2:30am and Sun., noon – 2:30am.

Continued on the next page

Ravioli Special

13.95

• Meat $ • Cheese • Shrimp • Mushroom

Reservation Required

A Real Hoboken, NJ Restaurant

S-55

941-906-9444

Italian/American Restaurant

White Tablecloth Restaurant

6516 Superior Ave. (Gulf Gate)

Sarasota, Florida

Places of Worship The Rev. Wayne F. Farrell

Fr. Reid Farrell, Bishop Smith, and Fr. Wayne Farrell

Wayne and Trish Farrell

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE • St. Michael’s the Archangel Catholic Church, 5394 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key | Phone: (941) 349-4174 - Sunday, December 24th, Christmas Eve: 4PM and 10PM - Monday, December 25th, Christmas Day: 8AM & 10AM • St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key | Phone: (941) 349-5616 - Sunday, December 24th, Christmas Eve:

10:00AM - Eucharist, 4:30PM - Family service with pageant and Eucharist, 7:00PM - Christmas prelude music, 7:30PM - The Christ Mass, 10:30PM - Christmas prelude music, 11:00PM - The Christ Mass - Monday, December 25th, Christmas Day: 10:00AM - Eucharist • Siesta Key Chapel Presbyterian Church, 4615 Gleason Ave, Siesta Key | (941) 349-1166

Sunday, December 24th, Christmas Eve: 10AM, 5:30PM & 8PM

Monday, December 25th, Christmas Day: No Service.

Island Churches: • Siesta Key Presbyterian Chapel - 4615 Gleason Ave, Siesta Key, 941-349-1166 www.siestakeychapel.org • St. Michael’s Catholic Church 5394 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4174 www.stmichaelssiesta.com • St. Boniface Episcopal Church - 5615 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-5616 www.bonifacechurch.org Off- Island: •Temple Sinai, a Reform Congregation (The closest Jewish congregation to the Key for visitors) 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, 941-924-1802 www.templesinai-sarasota.org

• St. Andrew United Church of Christ (Protestant) (In the Gulf Gate area, near Beneva and Gulf Gate Drive) 6908 Beneva Road, Sarasota, 941.922.7595 www.uccstandrew.org • The Superior Word Rev. Charlie Garrett Service starts Sunday mornings at 10am.

Bring a friend and share in God’s word.

6512 Superior Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34231 • First Christian Church 7601 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241.

941-922-4434 www.fccsarasota.com

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

31

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE

The Shop SRQ (G-2) Local owners, Erick and Dawn use a back to basics approach to grooming with precise attention to detail. Their commitment to excellence has provided them with many loyal customers. Their old school barber traditions, clean contemporary shop, coupled by their southern hospitality and humor are what separates them from the rest. They welcome the opportunity to earn your trust.

Hours: Tues. - Fri. 8:30am - 6pm, Sat., 8:30am - 3pm. (Nov. 1st - May 30th) and Sat., 8:30am 1pm (Jun. 1st - Oct. 31st). Closed on Sundays and Mondays. 6625 Gateway Ave, 941-626-4894.

staff member works hard to make sure you receive the best service and quality food so you’ll want to return often. Take a look at their mouth-watering menu at www. originalwordofmouth.com.

Hours: Mon-Sun.: 8AM-2PM. 6604 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, 34231, 941-925-2400.

Moments In Time Photography (G-28) specializes in several different photography beach portraits starting at just $49 and weddings beginning at $495.

Check out their website: www. sarasotaphotos.com or visit their store to see why they have been the photographer of choice for over a decade and a half.

Pride of the South (S-34) has been awarded Top Barbeque in Sarasota for 2016 by Trip Advisor and Yelp. It has been awarded for the best Southern Hospitality.

Pride of the South has a brisket BLT, hands down, one of the best sandwiches you ever tasted.

The smoked chicken wings are unbelievable. Backed up with the pulled pork sandwiches, the smoked bologna, the smoked turkey, the collard greens, fried corn on the cob, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and one of the best mac ‘n cheese you ever tasted. We do catering with no limit to the size of the group.

Come in and follow your nose to 6616 Superior Ave, Sarasota,

At the original Word of Mouth Restaurant (G-31), every seemingly insignificant detail receives special attention from the warm, inviting decor to each specially crafted variety of freshly baked muffins to the signature menu items. This small diner is where the locals come to eat breakfast and lunch. Each 1

FL 34231. Call (941)926-0099. See you soon.

2

3

One Minute Key Shop (GG51): Left your keys in the car?

No worries, the One Minute Key Shop will help you safely unlock and retrieve your keys.

They specialize in high security locks, keys, re-keying, master keying, and safes for residential, commercial or automotive. Give them a call at 941-924-8020 or visit their showroom where they have a large display of locks and safes. 2120 Gulf Gate Drive.

Solorzano’s Late Night Pizzeria (S-32): At every Solorzano’s, 4

5

Hooters

Sun Trust

Publix

Michaels

D Beall’s Outlet

Bed Bath & Beyond

Books-AMillion

Ross

Dress for Less

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Ba Am nk o eri f ca

© Island Visitor Publishing, LLC 2017

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Iberia Bank 3

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THE SHOP SRQ 6625 Gateway Ave.

Traditional, Old School Barber Shop

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G-2

15 Years + Experience

www.TheShopSrq.com

941.626.4894 / 941.536.1656 • No Appointment Needed •

Open Tues.-Fri. 8:30 AM-6 PM Sat. 11/1 - 5/30; 8:30-3 PM Sat. 6/1 - 10/31; 8:30 AM - 1 PM

S-34

Catering Available

We Put the South in Your Mouth 6616 Superior Ave. Sarasota

941.926.0099

6

G-4

“We Straight Razor Shave”

TONSORIAL ARTISTRY

BY ERICK & DAWN

5

COUPON

FREE SIDE With the purchase of ANY entreé

Original Word of Mouth 6604 Gateway Ave. Sarasota, FL 34231

941-925-2400

HOURS: Monday - Sunday 8:00AM to 2PM www.originalwordofmouth.com

S30

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All packaged liquor sold until 2 AM

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Open Daily from 9 AM ‘til 2:30 AM

• 9 AM - 7 PM EVERY DAY

Mike’s Bud Select Brew $1.50/Pints • BEST Bloody Mary’s in Sarasota • Pool TableGolden Tee Megatouch

FREE Pool ALL DAY Sunday thru Wednesday • 12 TV’s with MLB and NFL ticket sports package • All Florida lottery games • Smokers Welcome!

GG1 GG2 GG3 GG4 GG5 GG6 GG7 GG8 GG9 GG10 GG11 GG12 GG13 GG14 GG15 GG16 GG17 GG18 GG19 GG20 GG21 GG22 GG23 GG24 GG25 GG26 GG27 GG28 GG29 GG30 GG31 GG32 GG33 GG34 GG35 GG36 GG37 GG38 GG39 GG40 GG41 GG42 GG43 GG44 GG45 GG46 GG47 GG48 GG49 GG50 GG51 GG52 GG53 GG54 3

Eat Where The Locals Eat!

M-10

Gulf Gulf Gate Gate Drive Drive

Gulf Gulf Gate Gate Drive Drive

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SRQ

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S59 S58 S57 S56 S55 S54 S53 S52 S51 S50 S49 S48 S47 S46 S45 S44 S43 S42 S41 S40 S39 S38 S37 S36 S35 S34 S33 S32 S31

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Panera Bread

G23 G22 G21 G20 G19 G18 G17

Superior Avenue

(BOX STORES AND SO MUCH MORE)

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Mall Mall Drive Drive

G50 G49 G48 G47 G46 G45 G44 G43 G42 G41 G40 G39 G38 G37 G36 G35 G34 G33 G32 G31 G30 G29 G28 G27 G26 G25

Gateway Avenue

Marshall’s

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M22 M21 M20 M19 M18 M17 M16 M15 M14 M13 M12 M11 M10 M9 M8

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GULF GATE Stein Mart

Solorzano’s Italian Ristorante (S-55) Solorzano’s brings a true Hoboken, New Jersey attitude to the area and offers a nice selection of made-to-order dishes.

Stepping into their restaurant feels like you just entered an old-world Italian family’s dining room, complete with portraits of family and friends, and maybe even one of Frank Sinatra. Reservations are required for this intimate setting.

941-906-9444, 6516 Superior Ave. 6

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they offer an experience familiar to those who understand the importance of family and dedication. Their recipes and techniques have been perfected through three long generations based on the traditional simplicity of the methods used by their Italian ancestors. Dine inside, outside, pick up, or DELIVERY anywhere on Siesta Key, or in Sarasota until 4:00 a.m. 6670 Superior Ave., 941924-5800.

7

2639 Mall Drive One mi.from Siesta South Bridge (behind Publix)

941-923-9827 Open Daily 9 AM-2:30 AM

PICCOLO

Italian Market & Deli

Hot or Cold & Vegetarian Sandwiches

Authentic New York Italian Market & Deli We carry a full line of Imported Cheeses, Boars Head Luncheon Meats, Pasta, Olive Oil, Assorted Imported Olives, Khorasan Wheat (ancient & organic grain), and more.

GG-46 G-47 Specialty Italian gourmet items without the gourmet price

Come See Our New Location Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am - 6pm 6518 Gateway Ave.

941-923-2202

www.PiccoloMarket.com

S-16

32

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

Siesta Key Chamber Volunteer Trolley Tour 2017 The Chamber would like to thank Siesta Trolley, Best Western Plus, Tropical Beach Resort, Midnight Cove II, Siesta Sunset Royale, Peppertree Bay, The Inn on Siesta Key and Rent Siesta Now for their hospitality in hosting 25 Chamber volunteers on their annual accommodation tour. Chamber volunteer accommodation tours are an invaluable means of advertising each resort’s unique features. Siesta Key Chamber volunteers field over 9000 walk ins and over 5000 phone call visitor inquiries seeking accommodation information. What a great time! Thank you all!

What’s Happening WEEKLY BEACH CLASSES: • FREE T’AI CHI CHIH - Siesta Beach, Access #5 Every Monday, 15 minutes before sunset. Open to all, no experience necessary. Contact Diana Daffner 941-3461024 for information. (Access #5 is in Siesta Village, where Beach Rd meets Ocean Blvd.)

• FREE YOGA - Mon.-Wed.-Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m. Classes held between blue and green lifeguard station. Call 941-320-6693 to register or go to website for more info. www.yogaonsiestabeach.com/about • NIA - Tues. & Thurs., 9 a.m., Siesta Public Beach (yellow lifeguard chair). Contact Kathy Oravec at 941-724-9719 for more info or check website: www.nianow.com/kathyoravec • SIESTA KEY BEACH HOOP JAMS – Every Tuesday one hour before Sunset on Siesta Key beach we gather for a community Hoop Jam. (Between the red lifeguard stand and the pavilion; around where the Sunday drum circle happens.) Register at: www.outwardspiral.net • YOGA AT TURTLE BEACH - Residents and visitors to the south end of Siesta Key can enjoy All-Levels Yoga on Turtle Beach, every Tuesday, from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., starting December 5, 2017. For more information about registration, please e-mail Julie at: julie@chesapeakeyoga.com WEEKLY DRUM CIRCLE: • Every Sunday about an hour before sunset. South of the main pavilion. You can participate or watch this weekly gathering and dance, hoop, play the drum or other musical instrument, and enjoy the spectacular Siesta sunset.

On The Beach…

• DECEMBER 2-3 (SAT & SUN) 10AM – 6PM. SIESTA BEACH SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL: FREE Admission. The event is a unique blending of food, music and visual entertainment, affording attendees a potpourri of delectable seafood creations and delicious drinks prepared by the top restaurants in Siesta Key and Sarasota. Combined with the mouth-watering foods will be outstanding musical performances by local and regional musicians in a diversity of genres from rock ‘n roll, jazz, calypso, steel pan, R&B, and Caribbean sounds.

Also part of the event is a marketplace of arts, crafts and fine products.

Experience delicious, freshly-cooked foods and cool refreshing drinks while relaxing to outstanding live musical performances. See website for more info: www.seafoodfestivals.com • DECEMBER 9 (SAT) 7-11AM/ SANDY CLAWS 5K RACE: Set a fast pace on our hard-packed worldrenowned white quartz sands or enjoy a leisurely stroll along the shore. This race is sanctioned by the Manasota Track Club and chip-timed. 5K participants receive a finisher medal; 1-Mile Fun Run participants receive a ribbon. Enjoy the post-race party with music, holidaythemed costume contest, raffle prizes, holiday photo op and food and beverages. Early packet pickup party, hosted by New Balance Sarasota, 1872 Stickney Point Road, is Thursday, Dec. 8 from 3-6 p.m. To register, go to: www.active.com • DEC. 15 (FRI) 5-9PM / MOONLIGHT MOVIES: Come and enjoy the movie ET on the sand with friends and family starting at sunset. (Rainout date: Sat., Dec. 16). Admission is free. Be sure to bring your blankets and beach chairs for this fun family event.

• DEC. 16 (SAT) NOON / HANDS ACROSS THE WATER: FREE Public Beach gathering with Reggae band, Jah Movement. Event’s aim is to help spread a message of peace and love. T-shirts available for purchase. For more information, contact coordinator, Maura Thompson at: maurajthompson@comcast.net.

• DECEMBER 23 (SAT)– 5PM / CHURCH OF THE PALMS CHRISTMAS SERVICE: Casual and contemporary Christmas service. Sing your favorite Christmas carols, hear scripture lessons and worship with us as the sun goes down over the water. For additional questions, call us at 941-924-1323.

• JANUARY 7 (SUN)– 8:15AM / 5TH ANNUAL ANDREW MONROE MEMORIAL 5K RUN/WALK: Timed Run, 8:20 - 1 mile fun walk. This event was established to honor the life of Andrew Monroe. Proceeds benefit senior soccer players at Riverview High School in Sarasota. Senior, girls and boys, soccer players have the opportunity to receive scholarships through an essay process. For more information or to sign-up for the race, go to: www.andrewmonroe.com Around the island…

• WEEKLY FARMER’S MARKET IN THE VILLAGE: Every Sunday from 8am – 2pm in Davidson’s Plaza in the Village. 5124 Ocean Blvd. Produce, Plants & Flowers, Music, Art, Organic Skincare, Italian Olive Oil, and Freshly Prepared Foods. Listen to live music while you shop.

• MARK YOUR CALENDAR: JANUARY 26- 27 (FRI & SAT): ST. MICHAELS OL’ TIME CURCH FESTIVAL & AUCTION: This year’s festival will take place on the grounds of the Church and Parish Hall, 5394 Midnight Pass Road on Siesta Key. This special family oriented event will kick off on Friday night, January 26, 2018 at 6pm in the Church Hall with an old fashioned live auction beginning at 6 pm. The festivities on Saturday, January 27 will take place from 11am to 5:30pm. They will include food, crafts, music, games, raffles and other fun activities for all ages. This event is open to all.

If you are interested in taking part as a volunteer, sponsor, food or local craft and artisan vendor, please send an e mail to theresejack.sw@gmail.com.

And Beyond…

• DECEMBER EVENTS IN PHILLIPPI ESTATE PARK: 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231.

EVERY WEDNESDAY: 9AM-2PM / FARMHOUSE MARKET: held in the front field of the park, featuring local produce, food trucks, artisans, live music and is dog friendly. There is ample free parking and a guided tour led by a knowledgeable docent at the Edson Keith Mansion at 10:00 a.m. The historical tour is free and lasts approximately 45 minutes. There is only one tour each Wednesday, so please be on the Mansion’s front porch a few minutes before ten o’clock. Following are two special events taking place at the park: DECEMBER 3 (SUN) – NOON -5PM / JINGLE PAWS JUBILEE: will present its sixth annual holiday event full of dog vendors, food vendors, agility demonstrations, face-painting, music, raffles, adorable, adoptable dogs and cats. There will also be a holiday costume parade for your four-footed friends. The event is free with ample free parking.

DECEMBER 17 (SUN) – 3-6PM / TASTE OF CHANUKAH: enjoy kosher food, family-friendly entertainment and Sarasota’s own Bello Nock ”World’s Greatest Comic Daredevil” will perform. Ample free parking with a train to shuffle you to the gazebo and open spaces to watch professional BMX riders doing their tricks, food vendors will tempt you, and a snow slide will take place next to the gazebo. Adults $5.00; children 12 and under free.

The park is open to visitors from 6:00 a.m. until midnight daily for your enjoyment of the shoreline trails for birding and photographing, a gazebo and picnic tables for a leisurely meal, two fishing piers, a kayak/canoe launch and is dog friendly, which means dogs on 6 foot leash and please clean up after your pet.

• DECEMBER 9 (SAT) 6-8PM/ 32ND ANNUAL SARASOTA BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS: The best areas for viewing are Marina Jack Restaurant, Bay front Park, City Island and Centennial Park.

The Bay front Park spectator viewing area has been expanded to include the entire Northern tip of island near the fountain. The VIP viewing area has been moved to the Marina Jack’s fuel dock to allow additional space for spectators. This will improve spectator viewing from Bay front Park considerably. See website for more information: www.sarasotachristmasboatparade.com • SARASOTA GARDEN CLUB: The Sarasota Garden Club is open to the public for your exploration and enjoyment during daylight hours, 7-days-a-week. It is located at 1131 Boulevard of the Arts. See website for more information: sarasotagardenclub.org. Following are two events taking place at the Garden Club: DECEMBER 12: HOLIDAY FUN WITH FLOWERS. 10AM-1PM: Limit: 30. Dianne Beaver, designer and future judge, will conduct a Fun with Flowers Program. This is a hands-on, make-it-and-take-it-program. This program is a great way to express floral arranging in a friendly atmosphere. It combines arts and crafts with flowers, fellowship, and FUN! Our program will focus on holiday arrangements for your home. Bring your friends to enjoy this festive program! 941-955-0875 or sarasotasouthpaw@ gmail.com DECEMBER 13: PLANT ID QUIZ PART 6” 9:30am Speakers Kay Weber & Judy Herman. We will pick 20 plants to be identified & tour where they grow in our gardens. A Pot Luck Lunch & raffle to benefit our SGC Gardens. Members Free, Non-Members $5.00 941-9550875 • PALM AVENUE FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK / 6-9PM: Every month local galleries open their doors to the public for the evening, offering a chance to meet with artists and admire their work. See website for location map. http://palmavenue.org/ • TOWLES COURT THIRD FRIDAY ARTWALKS / 5-9PM: Gallery and studio openings on a moonlit evening of fun and beauty- both natural and handcrafted beauty. Free music, events, refreshments. Meet the artists, shop and dine in authentic “ Old Florida” in downtown Sarasota. 1938 Adams Lane Sarasota, Florida 34236. http://www.towlescourt.com/index.htm We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, please be sure to always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

Water World

Captain Jim Klopfer’s Fishing Report Adventure Charters 941-371-1390

7 year old Gus Symons from Colorado is proud of his bluefish!

December is a month that will test an angler’s ability to adapt to current conditions. Water quality will vary throughout the area as passing cold fronts churn up the Gulf of Mexico. The flats north and south of the passes will be more productive under these circumstances. After several days of nice weather, the water near the passes will clear and those areas will once again be good spots to fish. Creeks and canals will attract fish as water temperatures drop.

Often times the tides will be very low in the morning in December.

This will move trout, pompano, and other species off of the flats and into the deeper channels. There simply is not enough water up on the flat for them to be comfortable.

Bouncing a jig down the sides of channel edges can be very productive. As the tide rises, fish will move up onto the flats to feed.

Afternoon high tides can be the best time to fish the deep flats this time of year. A live shrimp under a cork is very effective, as are jigs with plastic grub tails. Natural colors such as olive, rootbeer, and motor oil work well in the slightly darker water.

There are several creeks and countless canals in our area, and all of them are productive winter time spots. Phillippi Creek and the Grand Canal on Siesta Key are some of the most popular fishing holes. Rapala X-Raps work very well on snook and jack crevelle for anglers who prefer to cast artificial baits. They elicit explosive strikes and allow anglers to cover

a lot of area fairly quickly. Once fish are located, large live shrimp and slowly worked soft plastic baits will also catch their share.

Sheepshead and black drum will be found in the deeper holes, a live shrimp works best for these tasty bottom dwellers.

Several rivers lie a short drive east of Siesta Key and offers visitors a unique angling opportunity; the chance to catch a trophy snook casting plugs while experiencing fantastic scenery. This is truly “Old Florida” and is a quiet and serene trip in a great natural setting.

Along with snook, bass, baby tarpon, gar, and other species are encountered. Alligators and exotic bird life is seen on most trips as well.

Both Big Pass and New Pass will be good spots to fish when the water is clean, especially on the morning incoming tide. Jigs bounced off the bottom will catch pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and ladyfish. Structure in both passes will attract sheepshead, along with grouper, snapper, flounder, and other species. Slack tides are the best times to fish these spots, a swiftly moving tide makes getting the bait to the bottom difficult. The many docks along Bird Key are especially productive for sheepies.

Surf casters all along Siesta Key will score on whiting, silver trout, flounder, and more using live and frozen shrimp. A #1 hook with just a little bit of weight works best.

Silver spoons will catch mackerel if they are still around, along with ladyfish.

Maureen with her first Albie caught off the north end of Longboat key.

Photo submitted by Aledia Tush/ CB’s Outfitters

DECEMBER 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Notes from the Island Fishmonger

33

By Scott Dolan, Big Water Fish Market Welcome back snowbirds!

Some of you don’t like the term “snowbird,” but we don’t view it as a derogatory or negative term; rather more of an affectionate nickname. I never really put much time thinking of the definition of a snow bird. Maybe because it’s obvious you got this nickname from flying south when the snow arrives - which I call very smart. I was just in Ann Arbor for a football game and it was 20°F. I left a good game at halftime. That is cold to the bone man!

It is great to see the return of many friendly and familiar faces…you know who you are! You arrive on the island as soon as it gets below 30°F at your home. You stay until it warms up, then you leave us for the summer. It’s a great plan. I’m still trying to figure out how I can spend four months of summer in Michigan and eight months of winter and spring on the beach without retirement. I guess the only thing holding me back is this thing called a J-O-B. To change the words a bit on some Steve Miller Band lyrics…you treat me like an ocean; you swim in our waters when it’s warm. Well kudos to you and welcome back!

I love it when Siesta Key is full of life and positive energy. The traffic I can live without but you take the good, you take the bad and there you have the facts of life. Here is what you missed in Sarasota over the summer: RAIN! I think it started raining just past Easter and continued every day until November. Throw in a Hurricane and a few floods and there it is. At least our lawns are green and we got most of the Hurricane debris cleaned up for you. I want to give a special thanks to the City of Sarasota and the Department of Sanitation for what I’m sure was a costly and time consuming clean up. The beach renovation is complete and our Siesta Key small businesses & restaurants are ready and waiting your arrival. The putting greens are fast, the sunsets are as beautiful as ever, and Siesta Key is open for business.

Welcome back and enjoy your winter! I know your gonna need your Florida seafood fix so I will see y’all at the Big Water Fish Market. I’m truly happy you’re back but you must know you break my heart every Easter when you leave us…again you know who you are. But it’s okay...I’ve learned how to appreciate the time you spend with us and

deal with it when you leave. Thank you for making Siesta Key your second home!

I know everyone has their favorite spots but here are a few of my go to spots for you to check out...

If you’re in the Village, I like to start the day with coffee at LeLu’s. They are definitely one of the coolest coffee shops I’ve ever been in. After a day at the beach, the ice cream from the Orange Octopus on the south end of the island always hits the spot.

If you like to combine oysters with happy hour then SKOB in the Village, Captain Curt’s on the south side of the island and Monks Oyster Bar over the bridge in Gulf Gate are all great choices.

WELCOME BACK… YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Live well…Eat Fish Scott Dolan

Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key 941-554-8101 www.BigWaterFishMarket.com

Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans Let’s go sailing, KATHLEEN D Sailing Catamarans, serving Siesta Key from 3 locations: Downtown Sarasota, Longboat Key, and Anna Maria Island. If you would like to experience being on the water viewing Dolphin Watches, Sunset Sails, Snorkeling and Shelling call us at 941-870-4349 or go to our web site for detailed information www.kathleend.net USCG Certified for 20 passengers.

DECEMBER 2017 TIDE CHART Florida, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Sarasota Bay

December 2017

N 27° 20' / W 82° 33' Date

Day

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

1

Fr

11:15a

High Tide 1.5

9:58p

High Tide 2.2

5:19a

Low Tide -0.1

4:39p

Low Tide 0.8

7:04a

5:35p

4:19p

4:36a

2

Sa

12:15p

1.5

10:33p

2.3

6:06a

-0.4

5:12p

0.9

7:05a

5:35p

5:08p

5:42a

3

Su

1:14p

1.4

11:11p

2.4

6:54a

-0.6

5:45p

1.0

7:06a

5:35p

6:02p

6:50a

4

Mo

2:13p

1.3

11:52p

2.5

7:42a

-0.6

6:18p

1.1

7:06a

5:35p

7:01p

7:58a

5

Tu

3:14p

1.3

8:33a

-0.6

6:56p

1.1

7:07a

5:35p

8:04p

9:02a

6

We

12:37a

2.4

4:15p

1.2

9:24a

-0.6

7:44p

1.1

7:08a

5:35p

9:09p

10:02a

7

Th

1:27a

2.2

5:13p

1.3

10:18a

-0.5

8:55p

1.1

7:09a

5:36p

10:13p

10:56a

8

Fr

2:25a

2.0

6:02p

1.3

11:12a

-0.3

10:33p

1.1

7:09a

5:36p

11:15p

11:44a

9

Sa

3:37a

1.7

6:44p

1.4

12:07p

0.0

7:10a

5:36p

10

Su

5:14a

1.5

7:23p

1.5

12:25a

0.9

1:01p

0.2

7:11a

5:36p

12:15a

1:05p

11

Mo

7:05a

1.3

7:58p

1.6

2:03a

0.7

1:52p

0.4

7:11a

5:36p

1:12a

1:42p

Full

12:26p

12

Tu

8:43a

1.2

8:32p

1.7

3:18a

0.4

2:39p

0.6

7:12a

5:37p

2:07a

2:17p

13

We

10:00a

1.2

9:03p

1.8

4:15a

0.2

3:21p

0.6

7:13a

5:37p

3:02a

2:53p

14

Th

11:04a

1.2

9:33p

1.9

5:03a

-0.1

3:58p

0.8

7:13a

5:37p

3:55a

3:29p

15

Fr

11:59a

1.2

10:00p

2.0

5:44a

-0.3

4:31p

0.9

7:14a

5:38p

4:48a

4:07p

16

Sa

12:46p

1.2

10:27p

2.0

6:21a

-0.4

5:01p

0.9

7:14a

5:38p

5:40a

4:47p

17

Su

1:27p

1.2

10:54p

2.0

6:55a

-0.5

5:28p

1.0

7:15a

5:38p

6:32a

5:30p

18

Mo

2:02p

1.2

11:24p

2.0

7:28a

-0.5

5:57p

1.0

7:16a

5:39p

7:23a

6:15p

19

Tu

2:32p

1.2

11:57p

2.0

8:00a

-0.5

6:30p

1.0

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©2017 FreeTideTables.com - For comparison only - Times are local - Tides in feet from MLLW

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34

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

Arts on the Horizon

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By Rodger Skidmore

Why go to a museum?

Well, probably for as many reasons as there are works of art on display - paintings, sculptures, wall hangings, etc. But, of course, going to a museum entails a great deal of effort - finding a large block of time, putting on your museum shoes (those marble floors are really hard), cancelling your dental appointment (any excuse for that will do), gassing up the car, etc. So much easier to just turn your head a bit to the left and glance at the small cast bronze head of little Johnnie or Jill, your favorite nephew or niece, that is sitting on your bookcase shelf, right at eye level, just five feet away. Looking at a small bronze of a ballet dancer, by Degas (edition of 150), at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York can be very fulfilling - if you can see it while looking over the shoulder of that tall lady in the blue hat. But so much better when you are looking at your own copy (edition of 6), of a loved one, knowing that your sister in Ogden, Utah, may be doing the same thing at exactly the same time.

The statue of David (original in Florence, Italy) is wonderful ..... but ..... it is a bit large for anyone’s book shelf. Plus, while many folk know of David, the slayer of Goliath, they probably never even had dinner with him. Art, really good art, should connect with you on a personal level. And what better way than by taking a bit of plasticine modeling clay or glop of plaster of paris and going to work. Once you have something done that can be recognized (or not), have a few cast in bronze and send one to Aunt Tilly in Dubuque and another to some old high school chum. If they think the bronze of a dancing bird is of your favorite dog, Spot, don’t disabuse them of that small detail.

Instead, rejoice - in the process of creation and in the joy it gives to others.

The two pieces pictured are by the late Lindsay Daen, a New Zealander who has done most of his work in Puerto Rico. The Sleeping Child was done in 1946 during his early years while The Child Rider was done in the 1950s when vulnerability had become a persistent theme in Daen’s work. How will what you do compared to the two ends of Daen’s spectrum?

That really isn’t the question. The questions are, how did you enjoy the process and the next one will be even better, right? To see more of Lindsay Daen’s work go to Lindsaydaen.com. Laura Daen told me that when they found Rick and Tam Frignoca of the Bronzart foundry to do their casting here in Sarasota, they knew they had found a good home. To see where Daen’s recent bronzes have been cast go to Bronzartfoundry.com

those coming down from anywhere up the eastern seaboard will have a much more scenic ride traveling down I-81 rather than I-95.

What specifically do the columns cover? Some of the column titles are: White Trash Cooking, Tom Melton and Abe Lincoln (this one proves(?) that Lincoln was born in Hendersonville, NC and not in Kentucky), Clogging, The Lonely Parrot, Christmas Quilts, Blue Ridge Walkers, Waterfall Ramble and Bird Fever, just to name a few. You already know how to get to Sarasota, to get the book just go to Amazon or order from your favorite bookseller (BookStore1 in Sarasota).

Have you completed your holiday shopping?

What, haven’t even started? Sure, Amazon will be glad to send a fleet of drones around to friends and family, but where’s the fun in that? You won’t be outside your brother’s house in Michigan to see your lovely gift dropped into a snowbank, so why bother?

And what does that sweater for your daughter feel like? Can you tell how scratchy it really is just by looking at the internet photo? Certainly you need to make the rounds of the brick and mortar stores, but you’ve had all year to do that. And, if you go to the chain stores, the same merchandise that you can buy is also for sale in the stores up north where the rest of your family resides. But don’t panic, there are always the Holiday/Florida-themed craft shows that pop up this time of year.

December kicks off with two shows on December 1-3. The biggest is the Sarasota Craft Show held at Robarts Arena each year. They will be featuring exceptionally fine hand-crafted pieces of wearable and displayable art. During those same days, the Sarasota Gem Jewelry Bead Show will be held at the Municipal Auditorium on Tamiami Trail. This is more of a buy the ingredients and make your own presents type of show which should appeal to everyone’s artistic nature. The Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival is a weekend only affair on December 2-3, and is held in the parking lot at that beach. There will be a marketplace of arts, crafts and fine products along with food, music, drinks and entertainment to liven up the first half of the month. On December 9-10, the Lido Beach Holiday of the Arts (Lido Pavilion parking lot) and the Atomic Holiday Bazaar (at the Municipal Auditorium) are, as their names imply, completely different. As they say, something for everyone.

What to do on the way to Sarasota or when you return home This does not apply if you are driving to or from Miami. But if you wind your way here from up north, there are many things to see and do along the way. For those of you coming down I-75 from the upper Midwest, you will have to turn left onto I-40 before you get to Dollywood, if you are going to get to Asheville and to drive along the heart of the Appalachian mountain chain. Ah, but where to stop and what to see. One good guide has just been published, Blue Ridge Pilgrimage by Mary Ann Claud, a long-time resident of that area. Ms. Claud wrote a series of columns for the Henderson Times-News, the local daily in that part of North Carolina, which have been collected into this new book. But these columns are not musty old writings from the past, but have been “picked over, re-edited and, whenever possible, updated” by the author.

One aspect of the book, which helps it as a guide, is that it has two indexes, the normal one which lists the columns in the order in which they appear in the book and the second which is by topic - People, Places, Events, On The Road, From Appalachia, etc.

A map is included so that the more well-known places become focal points for your travel or reading pleasure. Being a culturally rich area, it is good to know how to get from Asheville to Brevard. By the way, Asheville just happens to be right between the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests - how scenic can one get? For those that care, Quebec, Canada is 1,971 miles north of Quebec, North Carolina, and that

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DearDonnarose

Q: Dear Donnarose, well, it’s the holiday gathering time again when I have to tolerate my family. Just once I’d like to show up without a tense stomach.

Any tips would be appreciated, N.S. A: “It’s not how people will be when you show up. It’s how you ‘show up’ that determines how people will be.” ~Donnarose Melvin This is a common issue for many. We have become so used to making what’s happening around us determine how we’re going to feel. Like you, many have also become conditioned to feeling badly even before showing up to the gathering.

There’s even some people that choose not to attend the gathering, but guess what? They still have the tense stomach, and they’re not even in the same room as the negative family members. This is what happens with repetitious occurrences. We become conditioned. Well, that’s at least one of the reasons.

The good news, is you can have a positive impact on the outcome of your next family gathering. But there does need to be a couple changes; ones that are related to what my quote says above. It’s just a matter of thinking and doing things a little differently. Switch the habit of preparing yourself for how “they” are going to be when you show up. Instead, spend the time on working on how you are going be when you show up.

More often than not you will see their behavior change, because you changed. It’s like that great quote from one of my favorites, Wayne Dyer, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

However, the first thing to look at, is yourself in the mirror, as people who are expecting a negative time, are usually showing up feeling negatively deep down within themselves. What then tends to happen, is those inside the house will feel your energy immediately upon your arrival. The common reaction to negative energy in whatever form is either it triggers negative emotions in others present, which tends to prompt negative treatment to match it. Or it will cause those that can’t relate to it, or don’t want to be around it, to move in a direction away from the negative energy.

So all that being said, prior to the next gathering, consider working very hard doing anything to raise your feelings of self-worth, confidence, and courage, and to decrease judging, complaining, blaming, etc.

Actually, when you start raising your vibration, the above is easier to do, since peace, self-love, courage, harmony, etc., reside at a higher frequency. To get things started, seek out some of the motivational folks out there, like the late great Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, and some also rave about Tony Robbins and others. Also here’s one of my old column links (http://siestasand.net/soulfully-yoursdonnarose-7-16/) that gives some ideas on how to raise your vibration. Forgiveness of self and others in all lifetimes, is mentioned on the list in this link.

Forgiveness is key.

To conclude, once you really start to raise your vibration, you’ll be able to look at that person in the

DECEMBER 2017

Anne Dieu-le-veut

Alvilda

Anny Bonny

Anne Dieu-le-veut

Charlotte de Berry

Anny Bonny Ching Shih

Charlotte de Berry Grace O’Malley

Ching Shih

Jacquotte Delahaye

Grace Jane O’Malley de Belleville

Jacquotte Delahaye Lady Killigrew Jane deCrickett Belleville Mary Lady Killigrew Mary Read Mrs.Crickett Ching Mary Mrs.Read Peter Lambert Mary Rachel Wall Mrs. Ching

Mrs. Peter Lambert Rachel Wall

35

Wake & Shake mirror from a Higher perspective, with grace and dignity. What will start to happen, is how you see yourself, is how you’ll start to see others. And instead of “tolerating” your family, don’t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying them. ~♥ Q: Dear Donnarose, I’ve read that we should “keep our eye on the prize” when we want something. And that’s exactly what I do. However it’s often to no avail, or it feels like it takes forever to happen. Your thoughts? ~R.B. A: “If you state your intention, then trust and release, no matter the outcome, you will feel at peace.” ~Donnarose Melvin Having solid intentions of what you want is a good thing. However there are many who on a daily basis dwell heavily on the thing they want, thinking this will make it happen faster. But dwelling and having a tight hold on the outcome of what you want, especially the time-frame, actually delays it more. Trying to force something to happen, and constantly dwelling on it, will keep you in that state of want. So what the Universe does in response, is lovingly grants you the delay to match your state of want. The Universe responds to our energy, not our thoughts.

For your next endeavor, consider surrendering the time-frame of the outcome to the Universe. Surrender, not irresponsibly, but trustingly, and let go and let the Universe orchestrate the details behind the scenes in perfect Divine order. By doing this, you’ll find what you desire to manifest will be at the perfect time. The benefits will be even greater, as you gave the Universe time to do what they needed to do. Also, let’s say the Universe had something better for you than what you thought you needed. Like my quote above says, if you trust and release, no matter what the outcome is, you’ll feel at peace.

Additionally, if you ever need help with having more patience while you’re in “receiving mode”(instead of waiting mode), ask the Universe for assistance. As another quote of mine says, “Patience is on our soul’s watch. It doesn’t rush, trusts in Divine timing, and is most often with favorable results. Whereas impatience is on the ego’s watch. It doesn’t believe in Divine timing, rushes the process, and most often is with unfavorable results.” So be sure to stay on your “soul’s watch” and enjoy reaping the rewards. ~♥ Donnarose Melvin is a Professional Ancestral Energy Clearing Intuitive. Her knowledge from her advanced practitioner trainings in Ancestral Energy Clearing, and her BA degree in Psychology, along with her natural born intuitive gifts, have helped many achieve increased peace and happiness.

Please send your questions to: Donnarose1010@gmail. com She will select questions each month to share with you.

Donnarose regrets that unpublished questions cannot be answered individually. ~ If you’d like a powerful distant Ancestral Energy Clearing, please contact Donnarose at the email address above.

MarinerWord Search MarinerWord Search Answers on page 45 WORD SEARCH WORD LIST Famous Female Pirates AlvildaLIST WORD

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Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

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Siesta Key REAL ESTATE & HOME SECTION ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 46 SAND CASTLES PAGE 39

HOUSE HUNTING PAGE 43 SIESTA KEY MARKET STATS PAGE 38

The Highs and Lows of Properties Sold on Siesta Key

Provided by Key Solutions Real Estate / www.keysolutionsrealestate.com

Following are properties sold on Siesta Key in the last 60 days, providing a snapshot of home values on the Key for both single family homes and condominiums.

HIGHEST PRICED SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTY: 4011 SHELL RD. SOLD FOR: $7,453,359 A stunning statement of refinement and comfort, this impeccably-designed, lushly-landscaped estate sits on nearly an acre at the coveted north end of Siesta Key directly on the Gulf of Mexico. Here residential bliss comes to life with spectacular living quarters, exquisite finishes, state-of-the-art systems and resortlike amenities, all within a private Gargoyle-guarded

HIGHEST PRICED CONDO: 1215 S PORTOFINO DR, #102: SOLD FOR: $298,000 Step out your door.....to the beach, to the pool, to the barbecue, clubhouse, exercise room, marina, and boat slip......A wonderful fishing pier awaits you on the Intracoastal.

Enjoy the island life in this first floor, well located, close to everything condo. The owner has recently installed hurricane windows and sliding glass doors, and a new refrigerator,

walled and gated property. Venetian Gothic architecture fuses with a Mediterranean flair to create a gulffront haven that is as distinctively stylish as it is tastefully eclectic.

Completed in 2007 by premier Sarasota luxury home builder Perrone Construction, Inc., this grand gem sets the perfect backdrop for indulgent relaxation or lavish entertaining both in and outside the home. Inside presents five bedrooms including an extraordinary master suite, five full and four half baths, expansive living/ dining quarters, an exquisite kitchen, a home theater/media room plus a two-story office, with elegant stone, stained glass, beautiful wood and painted murals throughout. Delightful outdoor spaces are found at every turn with eight open porches and patios capturing incredible views, a fabulous rooftop garden/terrace and bar area accessed by elevator, and a glamorous pool and cabana that is second to none with a waterfall, lounging area, spa, slide, and stage for live entertainment. The sale of this property came to $809.97 a square foot.

Courtesy of Premier Sothebys.

range, dishwasher and microwave within the last year. A new mansard roof was recently installed, all paid for. Furniture negotiable! Siesta Harbor is well known for its social life, fishing trips, barbecues, movie nights, yoga classes, all sorts of celebrations throughout the year. The highlight of the year is the sparkling Holiday Boat Parade and lanai decorating contest. The marina is deep water-sailboat water, and boat slips fees are slightly more for boats larger than 30 feet. There is deeded beach access to the pure white sands of gorgeous Siesta Beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico directly across the street; a few short miles away festive and fun loving Siesta Village and its many shops and restaurants awaits your pleasure. The sale on this unit came out to $320.78 a square foot.

Courtesy of ReMax Tropical Sands.

LOWEST PRICED SINGLE-FAMILY PROPERTY: 3927 ROBERTS PT RD, SOLD FOR: $680,000 Lowest priced Siesta Key canal home with no bridges to the Bay. Downstairs AC area equals 2,678 sq. ft. This beautiful Siesta Key home includes 3 bedrooms/1.5 baths with 2 bedroom guest or in-law suite w/ separate entrance (not included in square footage). Canal-front, dock, large screened waterfront lanai, walk to shell beach, great water views. Tranquil setting on the dock to enjoy the fish and manatees. New in 2017: roof, AC and ductwork. Bright kitchen, wood floors, high ceilings, lots of light, great home or income property The sale of this property came out to $576.27 a square foot.

Courtesy of Bright Realty.

LOWEST PRICED CONDO: 6157 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #E24: SOLD FOR: $247,500 This beautiful turnkey furnished condo is ready for you to enjoy or use as an investment property. The kitchen has been completely remodeled with granite countertops, glass and stone backsplash and new stainless steel appliances. “Tommy Bahama” style furnishings throughout and washer/dryer in unit. Master bedroom has a walk-in closet and a separate dressing room area with its own countertop and sink. Living room has queen-sized sleeper sofa. Enjoy your evenings on your private screened lanai with a treed and serene view. Bay Oaks is an island hideaway on Siesta Key and sits right down the street from world renowned Siesta Key Beach and it has been featured on HGTV’s “Beachfront Bargain Hunt” twice! The complex has

many amenities which include a heated pool, tennis courts, private fishing pier, picnic area with grills, clubhouse with kitchen and pool tables. Unit rents for $3500/month during high season. This unit has an assigned carport - #21. There is also a storage unit that is shared with 3 owners on 5th floor with plenty of room for your beach gear and bikes. The sale came out to $330.88 a square foot.

Courtesy of Coldwell Banker.

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DECEMBER 2017

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Fiber optic cable project creates a foul smell Continued from page 7

Well…almost no problems

is anticipated to be closed until the end of November, along with partial sidewalk closure.

The landscaping should be restored sometime in early December.

When word of the mishap reached Smith, he noted, “The Village record still stands. No one has been able to bore through the Village without hitting something.”

On the morning of Nov. 16, as the contractor was wrapping up work in the Village, a sewer line in front of the Terrace East Condominiums was punctured.

Businesses started reporting a foul smell in the air as the manhole cover by Gidget’s began to overflow with raw sewage.

The County and the contractor responded quickly, minimizing the problem.

Pump trucks were sent to keep the sewer lines working as Cece monitored the repair work.

Businesses were asked to reduce the amount of water being used while the pipe was being replaced. Unfortunately the offensive odor lingered all day.

The repair work wrapped up on Nov 17. Thirty feet of sewer and storm water pipe was replaced after damage during the directional bore of fiber optic cable.

As of press, the parking “Locate Paint” outside Daiquiri Deck November 2, 2017 entrance to Terrace East

Driveway to Terrace East blocked

Another view of the damaged area

Paradise Awaits...

195 Vista Hermosa Circle, #9-A Sarasota, FL

Just a short walk to Siesta Beach. 2 BR, 2 BA villa. Ideal rental opportunity. Custom wood cabinets in the kitchen with granite counters & upgraded appliances. Bathrooms boast tumbled marble & granite. Custom lighting. New A/C in 2017 and recently installed water heater. Roof replaced in 2016. Sold turnkey furnished (with some exclusions).

322 Island Circle

965,000

$

450,000

$

797 Beach Road, #305 Sarasota, FL Full Gulf view of #1 Beach in the USA. Completely remodeled, priced to sell! High end tile floors in main living area, quality custom kitchen cabinets, deisgner kitchen. Crescent Royale offers an onsite rental program, heated pool and much more!

550,000

$

Sarasota, FL

Beaches, Boating & Bistros!! Live the island lifestyle in this spacious 4 BR, 4 BA house located on desirable Palm Island currently grossing approx. $60k in rental income.

Recently renovated with new kitchen, new master BR and master BA. This house boasts a new boat lift on the Grand Canal. Lounge in the heated pool and spa or enjoy your favorite libation at your own private Waterfront Tiki Bar. Privacy abounds with a lovely tropical view across the canal. Huge bonus area on lower level.

This house is located on Palm Island which is an Island on an Island and is a short walk to World Famous Siesta Beach(Beach Access 10) and Siesta Village with all its excitement and wonderful dining. This is the Perfect Home or Investment property for the discerning buyer.

418 Island Circle, Sarasota, FL

Boating, Beaches & Bistros!!! 3 BR/2 BA Key West Style Grand Canal home on Siesta Key built in 2005 to current Hurricane standards. Sip a glass of wine by your outdoor Tiki Bar in the pool/spa area. Step out your back door, onto your boat (boat lift) and enjoy a leisurely cruise up the Grand Canal...just minutes away from your favorite waterfront dining, watersports and world class fishing. Perhaps you’re in the mood for a stroll or bike ride into Siesta Village...while others scramble for beach parking, walk or bike down the street to your own beach access (#10). All this and you haven’t even stepped inside this beautiful Key West style home on a lushly landscaped tropical lot with a brick paver walkway to your dock. This Island Style home was lovingly built in 2005 with huge lower level bonus area, pool shower and a 4-car garage for all your toys. Open floor plan, gourmet kitchen, large rooms, elevator, wood-burning fireplace, vaulted ceilings; walk-in closets; beautiful master suite, plenty of storage and custom touches throughout. This is a must-see home on Palm Island.

1,279,000

$

Tropical Sands Dan D. Miller 941-376-7442 Licensed Real Estate Professional

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Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

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Handmade Antique Rugs Bought and Sold

Florida’s Largest Selection of Antique Oriental and Chinese Rugs for 45 Years

Mosby oriental rugs

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Spectacular Siesta Key sunset! Photo by Joe Volpe

Blooming this month

October

BLUE DAZE

Evolvulus Glomeratus As the cooler fall weather sets in, a longtime favorite just keeps on blooming. True blue flowers are hard to find in gardens. However, Evolvulus glomeratus “Blue Daze” is aptly named. This is a low growing herbaceous perennial that features fuzzy small green leaves and small true blue flowers. Plant in

full sun for borders, ground covers, or hanging baskets. It does, however, need extra watering when our rainy season is over. Well worth the extra care as this plant attracts both butterflies and bees. Flowers are short lived, opening in the morning and dying by the end of the day Submitted by Kay Weber, Sarasota Garden Club’s Botanical Gardens Chair.

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Sand Castles

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Gulf Front, Three Pools, and Dog friendly at Jamaica Royale

By Roger Drouin Jamaica Royale is a beachfront resort of 175 units, including several style units — including one-story villas, two-story townhouses, and two towers featuring two-bedroom Gulf condos. The community is best known for its three heated pools, one directly on the beach, and its expansive stretch of private beach and miles of Siesta sand in either direction.

“Jamaica Royale is a highly sought-after property with over 300 feet of crystal white sand beach just south of the twice ranked #1 Siesta public beach,” says Realtor Bob Ruiz, of Key Solutions Real Estate.

There are seven units listed for sale in the community, ranging from a 1,285-square foot two-bedroom, two-bath fifth-floor tower unit listed for $950,000, to a one bedroom, one bath 728-square foot villa listed for $395,000, as of press time.

“Popularity of this community is exemplified by the fact that three units recently went under contract in less than one week after listing,” noted Ruiz.

A garden-view villa is listed for $475,000, or $516 a square foot. The 921-squarefoot, two-bedroom, two-bath unit features a private back sun patio facing south. The unit, located in the middle of the Jamaica Royale property, is a very short stroll to the community’s expansive beach, and the walk is a scenic one. “It is a very short walk out the back door down a beautiful sidewalk all lushly landscaped,” says listing agent Todd Nahrwold.

The unit has a nice layout and feels spacious for a two-bedroom beachside villa, added Nahrwold, also of Key Solutions Real Estate. The master bedroom features an ensuite bath, and the guest bedroom has ample space to fit two queen beds. The unit has in-unit laundry, as well. “It is a very well-maintained unit,” Nahrwold says, noting the new sliding doors that led to the sun patio.

The owners of the unit live in Kentucky and have used it for family use about four to five months out of the year, renting it out the remainder of the year, Narhwold said, and they are selling the unit due to health reasons. Even renting the unit out for only part of the year, the unit made about $25,000 in annual rental income last year.

According to Samie Mannina, General Manager and onsite Real Estate Broker, most unit owners in Jamaica Royale participate in the on-site rental program, with some owners renting units for most of the year and others renting only part of the year.

The minimal stay for rentals at Jamaica Royale is seven nights, offering flexibility for owners who wish to rent out their units. Each unit is wired for private, high-speed Wi-Fi. In addition to the onsite rental program, the community features an established rental clientele.

While Nahrwold was taking photos of the property grounds for the unit’s listing, he met a couple vacationing from the Midwest who said they have been renting a unit at Jamaica Royale for the past 25 years.

“Much of the property is the villa buildings and nice grassy areas, so it is a low density property overall and quiet,” Nahrwold told Siesta Sand.

Mannina indicated that although the community is pet friendly for owners; this policy does not extend to renters.

Jamaica Royale was built in phases from 1965 to 1976, and has undergone several recent upgrades.

Although the resort’s original putting green no longer exists, the three pools, two barbeque areas, shuffleboard court and two tiki huts are some of the resort’s amenities.

Recent Sales • The smallest listing, a one-bedroom villa, features several upgrades, including a renovated kitchen and bath. As of press time, the unit was listed for $395,000, or $543 a square foot. All of the windows in this unit have motorized hurricane shutters.

• On the higher end of the price scale, a fifth-floor tower unit is listed for $950,000.

At 1,285 square-feet the two-bedroom listing comes out to $739 a square foot. The beachfront residence has southwest vistas of the Gulf of Mexico and completely upgraded interior, including all new kitchen with wood cabinets and new stainless appliances, and includes new furnishings. The kitchen/dining area has sliders that lead to the enclosed balcony. This property is advertised as a great rental-income unit.

• Another two-bedroom tower unit is also on the market for $789,000. At 1,194 square-feet, the listing comes out to $661 a square foot. The two-bedroom, two bath unit is turnkey furnished and features Gulf sunset and sunrise views from the 4th floor balcony and clear pool views.

Siesta Key Round-Up New amenities for the Village By mid-November, a new decorative bench and trash receptacle were expected in Siesta Village, Lisa Cece, the special district coordinator for Sarasota County, reported.

The bench was to be installed in front of Siesta Kids, she wrote in an email, and the trash receptacle replacement would be at intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Calle Miramar. “Recently, a new decorative bench was installed in front of the Village Café,” she noted, “and a new decorative trash receptacle was placed in front of Daiquiri Deck, along with a brand new blue glass and bottle recycling container.”

“More will be planned this year to keep

Continued from page 25

the Village in a resort like setting,” she added.

Correction

A reader pointed out that an item in the November issue of Siesta Sand had the wrong address for a Beach Road house.

The report was about a new initiative among Key residents to fight a petition, submitted to Sarasota County in late spring, seeking a Coastal Setback Variance for construction completely seaward of the county’s Gulf Beach Setback Line.

The plans call for a three-story house and pool west of the house at 654 Beach Road.

The petitioner, Saba Sands II, wants to use Beach Access 10 as the means of entry to

the property.

The principal of Saba Sands II is attorney William A. Saba of Sarasota.

We apologize for the confusion about the house number.

Getting rid of the storm debris Just a day before the Nov. 10 beginning of the annual Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival, email “chatter” circulated among Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp. representatives about all the debris from Hurricane Irma that remained piled up along Ocean Boulevard and other Key streets.

On the morning of Nov. 9, all of the storm debris had been picked up on Ocean Boulevard except the towering pile at the entrance to the Sandy Cove condominium complex, just north of Siesta Village.

In response to a newspaper query about the situation, county Media Relations Officer Drew Winchester wrote in a Nov. 9 email, “Staff isn’t certain that the contractor will finish the entire Key by Friday, but they are working actively to remove debris and are in compliance with the contract specifications.

They were also working on roads near Siesta Key Beach on Nov. 8.”

Continued on page 40

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Siesta Key Round-Up

Reports the newspaper received from island residents on Saturday, Nov. 11, confirmed that the storm debris was all gone, even the piles at Sandy Cove.

“It took ’em long enough,” Sandy Cove resident Joe Tinney said. Nonetheless, he added, “The county did a wonderful job of cleaning everything up.”

A Nov. 9 county email blast regarding a variety of topics pointed out, “This week 1,804 loads of debris, totaling 49,911 cubic yards, were picked up, which equates to approximately 20 percent of the total debris.”

The e-blast added, “An average of 71 debris collection trucks per day worked throughout the county this past week.”

After cleanup efforts began wrapping up in Texas — where contractors dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey — more contractors began arriving in Sarasota County, Rich Collins, the county’s emergency services director, reported to County Administrator Tom Harmer in October.

A check of the county’s interactive storm debris collection map on Nov.10 showed the latest date projected for crews to arrive in any part of the county was Nov. 20. The map noted that work began on the county’s part of Siesta Key on Oct. 23. Crews from the City of Sarasota already had picked up debris on the city’s part of the island during the city’s first pass.

www.siestasand.net

Continued from page 39

New partner program offered

by Siesta Key Fitness Center

For a small weekly fee, hotels, condos, resorts, property management companies, and Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO) listings may partner with Siesta Key Fitness Center, providing guests with a 50% discount on visitor passes. Property owners and managers are then free to advertise that they are listing partners with the only gym on the island, giving renters that valuable 50% discount.

The fitness-minded consumer does not expect free, he just wants to know that a facility is nearby and available at a reasonable cost. Offering discounted fitness serves to attract and retain more bookings.

The cost is surprisingly small. The average price of a weekly stay on Siesta Key is approximately $1,600. Based on the volume of units an owner or manager puts on the program, the cost of this program ranges from $3.75 to $5.75 per week per unit. As Bruce Day, owner of the center points out, if a property owner invests only $5.75 per week ($299 annually), and secures only one new booking a year as a result, the ROI is a staggering 542% - and that is from gaining only one new customer per year.

There is another substantial benefit for property owners. In addition to being able to advertise that they offer fitness on their

own websites, all SKF partners receive both a listing and a link on www.SiestaKeyFitness. com. The website receives over 75,000 unique visits annually, visits coming from folks looking for fitness options on the island.

The partner fee should therefore be considered part of the property’s Advertising Budget, not part of their Amenity Budget.

This small expenditure puts the property in front of thousands of fitness minded consumers who make buying decisions based on fitness availability and access.

People want fitness: it’s important. If your accommodation does not have fitness, Siesta Key Fitness does. Located at 5243 Avenida Navarra (in the Village directly behind the Daiquiri Deck) SKF offers staffed hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. through Fri., and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sat. and Sun. (Annual members have 24-hour access.)

Signing up for an Accommodations Partnership is both simple and quick! Call 941.349.8500 for more information.

The Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival returns to Siesta Key Come share in the festivities of the 2nd Annual Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival on Dec. 2-3, at America’s #1 rated beach - Siesta Beach. Bring family and

friends to enjoy freshly-cooked seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes while relaxing to outstanding live musical performances.

Hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. both Sat. and Sun. General admission to the event and musical performances is free!

A VIP Tent is also available with an admission of $130 that includes: an open raw bar serving oysters, shrimp and crab legs, an open bar serving premium drinks and a tented seating area with linens on the tables.

Hours 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. both days. Come and enjoy the offerings!

Coast Guard reducing number of daily openings on Siesta drawbridges Early on the morning of Sept. 6, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it will indeed be reducing the number of openings of the north Siesta Key drawbridge and the Stickney Point Road drawbridge from three times an hour to twice an hour.

The change went into effect on Oct. 5, with the new rule to be in effect year-round.

The Stickney Point Road Bridge and the Siesta Drive Bridge shall open on signal, except that from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, will open on the hour and on the half-hour between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.

www.siestasand.net

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DECEMBER 2017

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Casey Key Road property owners win Coastal Setback Variance for kitchen, pool and gazebos seaward of Gulf Beach Setback Line

By Rachel Brown Hackney / SarasotaNewsLeader.com The kitchen was the sticking point for Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert.

In the general context of a Casey Key Road couple’s request for a Coastal Setback Variance, however, her colleagues took a different view. They granted the variance on a 4-1 vote.

James S. and Molly A Resch of 819 Casey Key Road in Nokomis were seeking the variance so they could reconfigure their existing swimming pool and spa, add a garage, two new gazebos, paver walkways and driveways, and the kitchen on their property, a county staff memo explained.

The Resches bought the initial 37,897-square-foot parcel on March 1, 1991, the memo noted. At that time, the portion of the property at the heart of their petition for the variance was the site of a single-family home built in 1952 and a detached, one-story garage — both located entirely seaward of the county’s Gulf Beach Setback Line (GBSL). That line was implemented to protect coastal vegetation and property during storms, county staff has pointed out.

On May 26, 1992, the memo continued, the Resches obtained County Commission approval to add a second story to the existing garage, along with a concrete entryway, a privacy wall and a new swimming pool and spa.

The existing pool is 58.5 feet seaward of the GBSL, the memo said; the new pool would be 4.4 feet further seaward of the GBSL. The proposed kitchen would comprise 217 square feet of enclosed habitable space, the memo noted. That structure would result in a 9.4% increase in habitable area seaward of the GBSL, the memo pointed out.

The unenclosed non-habitable area in the plans would be 391 square feet more landward than the existing unenclosed non-habitable structures, the memo said.

Additionally, the 985-square-foot, sand-set paver deck proposed to surround the new pool and spa would be a maximum of 68.4 feet seaward of the GBSL, the memo noted.

The new garage and gazebos would result in a 114% increase in enclosed non-habitable area on the property, the memo said.

Approximately 64% of the property at 819 Casey Key Road is seaward of the GBSL, the memo added. The house also is entirely seaward of Casey Key Road, the memo said.

Board policy and a mitigating factor Noting on Oct. 10 that the new pool would be even further seaward than the current one, Commissioner Detert asked Howard Berna, the county’s environmental planning manager, “Would you agree that this is not in compliance with our stated policy,” which the commission asks staff to enforce?

She added that it is her understanding that the board’s policy is to grant a Coastal Setback Variance only if a denial would impede reasonable use of the property.

“Correct,” Berna responded.

The requested swimming pool, spa and pool deck are considered ancillary structures, according to a staff analysis accompanying the memo in the Oct. 10 board agenda packet.

“Denial of ancillary features would not result in an unreasonable hardship on the land,” the analysis pointed out. “The intensity of construction on this parcel seaward of the GBSL may result in future public expenditures associated with cleanup efforts following a natural disaster,” it added.

On June 5, 2014, the Resches purchased the northern half of the adjacent property to their south, which consisted of 21,040 square feet. The southern half of that parcel was bought by the neighbor on the other side in 2015, the memo noted.

When those transactions were conducted, the memo continued, that parcel — which carried the address of 815 Casey Key Road — was vacant; the previous owner had failed to obtain County Commission authorization to build a new house on the site, though a house previously stood on the property.

After the 2014 transaction splitting the 815 Casey Key Road property, the memo added, the Resches had a total of 58,936 square feet. On May 22, they submitted their application to the county for the Coastal Setback Variance so they could add the new structures.

“This property has doubled in size, and it looks pretty livable in the pictures,” Detert noted, referring to photos staff had provided the commissioners of the Resches’ home and area around it.

“The thing that bothers me the most is the kitchen,” Detert added. Approving a pool was not problematic, she continued. “If the pool falls into the Gulf, I don’t really care, and they can build a new pool.”

“But you don’t want the kitchen to fall in?” Chair Paul Caragiulo responded.

A kitchen or a bathroom is different, Detert said. “I have a problem with this.”

Except for the fact that the new pool and deck would be about 4 feet further seaward, Berna pointed out, the design for all the proposed improvements “stayed faithful to the existing line of construction on this site.”

Commissioner Alan Maio referred to the fact that the former 815 Casey Key Road parcel was divided in the two purchases. The Resches and their neighbors to the south, he said, effectively eliminated the possibility of another dwelling unit going on that land, “which also would have been problematic to the GBSL.”

Maio added, “In this case, what’s being built is, for the most part, the garage and the pool and the gazebos and a paver driveway. We would have a different issue, I think, if the people that owned … the lot to the south … were coming in for a whole new house.”

When Commissioner Charles Hines asked Berna for clarification that a kitchen is considered living space, Berna confirmed that this one would be because it would be under air conditioning and “it is a habitable area.”

Commissioner Michael Moran made the motion to approve the Resches’ Coastal Setback Variance petition, and Hines seconded it.

“If the Resches’ construction plan just had a pool and decking,” Detert continued, “I would not love it, but I could live with it. The fact that [they] have a kitchen there … is a problem.”

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Top Siesta Key stories of 2017 Cosentino contends the County Commission broke its own rules when it agreed in 2016 to vacate a stretch of public right of way along Beach Road to three landowners there.

The charter amendments “are our only hope,” for defending Beach Road and public spaces, Cosentino told Siesta Sand in May, 2017.

Most recently, as of Nov. 15, on the first issue of protecting public spaces, the group had collected 7,129 petitions that were OK’d as valid by the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office, which is tasked with making sure that valid signatures are from county residents. On the issue of overturning the Beach Road vacation, the group had collected 7,015 valid petitions, according to the Supervisor of Elections office. In order for the initiatives to get on the ballot, the separate issues would each have to garner 13,866 petitions each.

The petitions are as follows: Petition 4.1: Prevents the County from giving away or selling our parks, preserves, beach and water accesses and keeps them public forever.

Petition 4.2: Keeps Beach Road in public ownership and control like it has been for over 100 years - and compels the County to follow its own engineers’ recommendation to fix the damaged area “in order to regain the intended use of the roadway and protect it against future storm events.”

A controversial proposal Kompothecras wants the county to consider a new hotel on the Key. The famed founder of 1-800-ASK-GARY has retained legal services for himself to appeal a county board’s decision that could threaten his plans for a new hotel on the island. In July, the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals ruled against the developers’ interpretation that the codes would allow them to ask the Sarasota County Commission for permission to design and build the proposed hotel closer to the street.

The board ruled that a 25-foot setback is required.

Paid Parking?

For residents, business owners, and vacationers, Paid Parking on Siesta has long been a question mark, but it has become a hot buzz phrase on the Key recently.

As county officials discuss the possibility of paid parking,

www.siestasand.net

Continued from page 3

some residents have weighed in on the issue in a survey. On Aug. 4, the SKA emailed its latest survey to members. The survey posed one question in response to a July 11 County Commission discussion regarding the potential for charging people to park at Siesta Public Beach. Commissioners indicated a keen interest in using the resulting revenue to boost mass transit options that would decrease traffic on the Key. The survey also asked members how they feel about the possibility of the county’s charging for parking at Turtle Beach, in the public parking lot in the Village, at a proposed new parking lot/Siesta Key Breeze stop on South Midnight Pass Road and at all the county’s beach accesses. About 54 percent of respondents were in favor of paid parking in some form at the public beach only; 48 percent in favor of paid parking on all Siesta and Crescent beach accesses; 38 percent at Turtle Beach; 29 percent at the Village Parking Lot; and 35 percent were in favor of a possible future parking lot at the sheriff’s training site( not yet approved).

All aboard!

Tropical shirt wearing drivers and bells are ringing on the roads of the Key. The Siesta Key Breeze Trolley began operating on March 20, with a constant loop in operation from Turtle Beach Park to Siesta Village. The trolley runs seven days a week,

including holidays.

In May, then County Administrator Tom Harmer emphasized that staff planned to continue to keep the trolley operating past its pilot operating period. The service has proven popular on the Key and has had high ridership.

A mixed-use project Proponents say land at the corner of U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road seems to be prime property for redevelopment, yet a large scale Siesta Promenade project continues to draw opposition from some neighbors questioning the impacts, such as traffic and building density, on neighboring properties.

Benderson Development once again revised its plans for the mixed-use development for the property at U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road. In July, the county planners sent Todd Mathes, director of development for Benderson, two letters detailing numerous insufficiencies in the documents the county received from the firm in late June.

Recent documents county staff received about Siesta Promenade on June 28 showed a reduction from 506 to 415 residential dwelling units and a hotel with 130 rooms, instead of the 150 originally planned. The firm still proposed 140,000 square feet of retail and office space.

Seawall at Ocean Boulevard

162 Beach Road

That section deals with development considerations linked to sea level rise. Increasing the height of the Oceane seawall, he noted, “would be consistent with that policy.”

Merrill explained that the goal with the project is to remove the Oceane condominiums from the FEMA “velocity zone,” in which construction must meet more stringent floodplain standards. The existing wall is 11.5 feet deep, Merrill continued, with 4.7 feet aboveground.

The new wall, therefore, would be 6.7

Any parking her staff would propose in the area would be on the right of way only, Brown indicated.

Then Detert brought up her concern about the potential for the precedent the board might be setting by buying the land.

County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh said the potential exists for the owners of the property at 168 Beach Road to press the board to buy their land. However, he continued, to his knowledge, the County Commission had turned them down only once when they sought a Coastal Setback Variance to build a house on that site.

(On Sept. 13, the board also directed staff to try once more to purchase the land at 168 Beach Road through the Parkland Program. In response

Continued on page 20

feet aboveground.

Furthermore, both Siesta Towers and Windward Passage went through a process with FEMA to remove their properties from the velocity zone, Merrill told the board.

Both concluded those initiatives this summer, he said. They had extra fill on their land because of the nature of their developments, he continued, so they did not need county approval.

However, county regulations will not allow CG Oceane to add fill to its property, he said.

Continued from page 21

to a question on Nov. 14, county Media Relations Officer Drew Winchester said that the Cooper Trust has made two counter offers to the county’s proposal to pay $1,450,000 for the property.

(Neither was acceptable, he added.)

On Nov. 14, Detert also asked Brown about the closing costs for the 162 Beach Road transaction, as noted in the backup agenda material. The total, Detert said, was $61,500.

Brown explained that only $11,000 would be for the closing. The rest of that money, Brown said, would be allocated to any improvements the county made to the property to facilitate public access to the beach.

“We have a public use for this land and a public need and a public benefit,” Hines added.

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House Hunting Siesta Key to Longboat Key SHORT WALK TO SIESTA BEACH: $450,000 195 Vista Hermosa Circle, #9-A, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4189942 Wonderfully remodeled 2 BR, 2 BA villa. Designer tile & carpet throughout. This villa is being sold turnkey furnished (with some exclusions). Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941376-7442 FULL GULF VIEW OF #1 BEACH: $550,000 797 Beach Rd, #305, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4188853 Completely remodeled unit with high end tile floors in main living area, quality custom kitchen cabinets with granite counters. All the lighting has been upgraded throughout this TURNKEY FURNISHED (some artwork excluded) unit. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands.

941-376-7442 KEY WEST STYLE GRAND CANAL HOME ON SIESTA KEY: $1,290,000 418 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4195871. This 3 bedroom / 3 bath single family house boasts an open floor plan with custom touches. It has a lushly landscaped tropical lot with Tiki bar in the pool/ spa area. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442 PALM ISLAND HOME ON THE GRAND CANAL: $965,000 322 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4199085 Recently renovated with new kitchen, new master BR and master BA. This house boasts a new boat lift on the Grand Canal.

Privacy abounds with a lovely tropical view across the canal.

Huge bonus area on lower level.

Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442 4967 KESTRAL PARK WAY N., LANDINGS CARRIAGE HOUSE $395,000 MLS#A4183699 2 BD with Den / 2 BA Significantly updated. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara)

5272 HERON WAY, LANDINGS COACH HOUSE $295,000: MLS #4185882 3BD/2BA Southern exposure with lake view. Judy Greene/ Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) 5259 HERON WAY, LANDINGS COACH HOUSE $279,000: MLS #4197208 2BD 2BA Ground floor updated condo with lake view.

Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) 1610 STARLING DR, LANDINGS COACH HOUSE $269,000: MLS 4182814 2BD/2BA Ground floor condo with patio overlooking a fabulous lake view. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) DOLPHIN BAY The ultimate 2/2 in over 1900 square feet of living space.

Exceptional property with split floor plan, each bedroom with private bath. Large kitchen with sit-in area and expansive living/ dining space. Spacious lanai with great views of the ICW. Garage.

Pool, clubhouse, tennis, and day dock. Short walk to Siesta Beach.

MLS #A4178449, $799,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-5443299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

1363 LANDINGS DR TREEHOUSE $490,000: MLS 4192826 3 BD / 2.5 BA expanded floor plan with screened deck overlooking lake view.

Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) GULF & BAY BAYSIDE 2 units for sale! Great beach home, vacation, or rental property. Deeded beach access just across the street. 3/2 end unit or 2/2 with views of ICW. Both beautifully renovated and furnished with attached garages. Resort-like amenities.

MLS #A4185953, $649,000 and MLS#A4182348, $539,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-5443299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

HARBOUR TOWNE YACHT CLUB Ideally located near Siesta Beach, ICW, and Gulf just beyond. Beautifully renovated 2/2 with deeded dock and water view! Turnkey. 1 car attached garage. $439,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

SIESTA POINTE Lovely 3 BR, 2 1/2 bath Key West style townhome in the ideal location!!! New finishes and fixtures! Short walk over Stickney

Point Bridge to Siesta Key. Avoid the traffic and higher property costs. MLS# A4192292 $365,000.

Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-5443299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

HARBOUR TOWNE YACHT CLUB Furnished 3/3 with deeded 40’ dock and 10k lift. Garage and storage. Across the street from Siesta Beach. Great boating community of 50 families.

MLS# A4196664, $669,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-5443299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

WHISPERING SANDS Stunning 2/2 penthouse with full-on west facing Gulf views!

Beautifully renovated throughout - tile, granite, crown molding, stainless, vessel sinks, etc.

Hurricane sliders and windows.

Private beach and great amenities.

MLS# A4199637, $975,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-5443299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

WHISPERING SANDS Direct Gulf and sunset views from this completely updated 2/2, ideal location near village with private white sand beach.

Beautiful cottage-style furnishings come with the unit - move in for season!! MLS # A4199646, $659,000.

Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz.

Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941400-4186.

MID CENTURY BEAUTY This 3BD/3BA home, is a former Ralph Twitchell show home with an amazing open floor plan and high ceilings located on a quiet canal front corner lot.

Has a 7K lbs. boat lift and is a short 5-minute commute to the bay. Has a new modern kitchen with gorgeous Brazilian granite counter tops. 505 Givens St, Siesta Key, $1,029,000 MLS #A4160488, Key Solutions Real Estate, 941894-1255 AMAZING VACATION PROPERTY Located just across from world famous Siesta Key beach, this 3BD/2BA condo comes fully furnished and ready to enjoy!

Recently renovated with new cabinets, granite, and tile baths along with new roof in 2015. 1350 Siesta Bayside Dr #1350-B, Siesta Key, $649,000 MLS #A4185953, Key Solutions Real Estate (941) 894-1255 SIESTA KEY IN STYLE A beautiful waterfront contemporary home nestled in lush tropical landscaping on a quarteracre lot. This 4BD/3BA home offers a wide canal with boating access to Sarasota Bay! Come home to a private, paradiseinspired backyard, pristine pool, and open floor plan home with generous windows to maximize the view! 4611 Higel Ave, Siesta Key, $1,285,000 MLS #A4199938, Key Solutions Real Estate (941) 894-1255.

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Classifieds / Here’s My Card ACCOMMODATIONS / VACATION RENTALS • Best Western Plus Siesta Key – AAA -3 Diamond Property, Free shuttle service to and from Siesta Key 941-924-4900, 6600 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota • Canal Pool B&B – Master bedroom with private bath.

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• CB’s Saltwater Outfitters – CB’s Saltwater Outfitters is an ORVIS Endorsed Outfitter Fishing Charter Service serving Siesta Key as well as Longboat Key, Lido Key, Sarasota and Venice.

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Locally Owned and Operated

• Double long crypt at Sarasota Memorial Park. Includes: opening/closing, 24x12 bronze marker, and 2 vaults. $13,025 value. Asking $9,000, OBO. 941-927-9093.

DRY CLEANERS Sailing From Marina Jack, Sarasota

Kathleen D Sailing Catamaran 941-896-6400

POSTAGE AND DELIVERY

www.KathleenD.net

CLEANING SERVICES

Green Magic Cleaning Service

“Residential and Commercial”

We don’t cut corners, we dust them.

A family owned business with 16 years of experience.

• High quality services • Competitive rates • Great references • Always the same crew www.SarasotaHouseCleaningService.com

Environmentally Conscious Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service

Free Pick Up & Delivery Service Call

from your home or business

941-275-4647

ExEcutivE Shirt SErvicE • houSEhold itEmS • SamE day SErvicE availablE

ENTERTAINMENT

YOU PICK IT OUT. WE’LL PACK AND SHIP IT WITH CARE. 15 PARADISE PLAZA, SARASOTA, FL 34239

(941) 957-1776

store0089@theupsstore.com Candel, Joe and Patrick

Hours:

Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Copyright©2012 Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. C4CE276337 04.12

GreenMagicCleaning@gmail.com Call for a FREE estimate today!

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

(941) 780-4248

CONTRACTORS

HELENE M. HYLAND REALTOR®

New Look-

(941) 685-2274 Cell (941) 349-4411 Office (800) 237-9403 Toll Free (941) 349-8090 Fax HeleneHyland@comcast.net

Reasonable Prices!

Shower & Bathtub Walls

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Shower & Bath Makeovers Free Estimates Call John 941.377.2940

5145 Ocean Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34242

HOUSE WATCH Owned and Operated by NRT, LLC

Sarasota resident since 1974

• Making things happen on Siesta Key with Real Estate agents Bob and Sheri Ruiz from Key Solutions Real Estate Group. If you are looking to buy or sell on the Key contact us. Bob Ruiz 941-544-3299 RobertRuizRR@aol.com, Sheri Ruiz 941-400-4186 SheriLasley@aol.com

www.showerandbathsarasota.com • Hawk’s Nest Construction Inc. is a certified Class A general contractor licensed in all phases of construction. Owner, Mark Hawkins Sr. personally oversees every aspect of your project from start to finish, using only the best and most reliable licensed artisan and craftsmen. His passion is delighting his clients by turning their home-improvement dreams into a beautiful reality.

Call 941-650-9499 or visit their website: www.hawksnestconstruction.com.

www.SheSellsSiestaKeySarasota.com

(941) 961-4309

www.SuncoastHomeConcierge.com

• Your Siesta Dunes and Landings Preferred Partners in Real Estate, Judy Greene 941-350-0451 and Tara Lamb 941-266-4873 with Michael Sanders & Company 5100 Ocean Blvd Siesta Key 34242 JudyGreene@MichaelSanders.com

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

DECEMBER 2017

Classifieds / Here’s My Card SPAS / HAIR & BEAUTY

CONTINUED

TRANSPORTATION

CONTINUED

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Snapshots of Island Visitors Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

941-928-9200

RIDE THE KEY FREE

15-20 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME (Based upon traffic)

SERVICING

Siesta Key Beach Siesta Village Turtle Beach

DRIVER TIPS ONLY

Restaurants and Accommodations Operating 10AM to 2AM Daily

www.JonnysOriginalFreeRide.com

Olde Fashion Barber Shop

Tapers • Flattops • Fades • Styling • Razor Cuts • Shaves

Transportation for everyone on the Sun Coast Friendliest Ride In Town

ther” 941-312-6001 “Hot La South Gate Barber Shop (Across from Southgate Mall)

2081 Siesta Drive, Sarasota, FL 34239

Walk-Ins Welcome

Monday-Friday 9 AM-6 PM; Saturday 9 AM-4PM

www.SouthgateBarbers.com • Massage Experience Siesta Key Open 7-day a week. 5138A Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4833. (MA17596/MM6727).

UNIQUE GIFTS

From God’s Garden Artisan Soaps & Unique Gifts

Kayla Kunz Hair Stylist

4141 S. Tamiami Trail - Sarasota, FL 34231 - 941-685-4994 • Stylish Cuts Hair Salon offers inspired artistry and design that’s affordable. We have international hair stylists for men and women that will give you a cut or color that you’ll love again and again. Call us for your next hair appointment. We’re open Monday through Saturday and conveniently located next to Peltz and Carrabbas, just over the Stickney Point Bridge. 1902 Stickney Point Rd., 941-702-4041

SENIOR SERVICES • A Bridge for Independence provides in home companion services including companionship, transportation, light housekeeping, medication reminders and meal preparation and planning. Call us at 866-279-4390, FL License #230517

SPORTS RENTALS / ACCESSORIES

5051 Ocean Blvd.

Siesta Key, FL 34242 941-312-0733

Danielle from TX

Fromgodsgarden.com

WANTED TO BUY

RV4CASH AY WE PH! S A C

WANTED:

All Motor Homes, 5th Wheels and Travel Trailers Any Condition! Cash Paid On The Spot!

CALL NOW FOR FAST, EASY SALE

954-789-7530

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

• Robin Hood Rentals – for all your Siesta Key rental needs with a wide variety segways, bikes, kayaks, scooters and more, free Emergency (General)..................................................911 pickup and delivery anywhere on the key. 5255 Ocean Blvd Siesta Emergency Animal Clinic......................... 941-929-1818 Key Village. 941-554-4242

Fishing & Hunting Licenses..................... 941-362-9888

• Siesta Key Bike & Kayak – Located on Siesta Key in Capt Curts FPL – Florida Power & Light.................... 941-917-0708 Village serving Siesta Key, Lido Beach and Sarasota. We offer bikes, kayak rentals, kayak eco tours, paddleboards and scooters. FPL – Outage Report..............................1-800-468-8243 Marriage License Bureau.......................... 941-362-4066 1224 Old Sickney Pt Rd. 941-346-0891

• Siesta Sports Rentals – Located on Siesta Key, bike, kayak, Poison Info Center..................................1-800-282-3171 kayak tours, scooter, children strollers and car seats. Delivery and Sarasota / Bradenton Intl. Airport................................. pickup available, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd, 941-346-1797 ...................................................................... 941-359-2770

STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT • Sawyer Storage: FREE OFFERS! HUGE DISCOUNTS! Rent by the day, week or month-to-month. Climate-controlled units with 20 sizes to choose from. We offer the lowest prices in town. Give us a call for all your storage needs. 941-929-9620, www.sawyerstorage.com

TRANSPORTATION

Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT)........................... ...................................................................... 941-316-1234 Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce................................. ...................................................................... 941-349-3800 Sheriff / non-emergency.......................... 941- 861-1601 Waste Management................................... 941-924-1254

Maggie and Claire from MA

MarinerWord Search Answers to the WORD SEARCH found on page 35 www.TheMariner.com

Answers from • Sun Ride Pedicab – Eco-friendly Pedicabs. Siesta PageKey 25 Tours and rides – tips only, 941-343-3400

Famous Female Pirates And all other Airports Restrictions apply

• Jonny’s Original Free Ride – The Original Ride the Key Free service on Siesta to anywhere, everyday from 10 AM – 2 AM. Driver tips only. Call 941-928-9200.

• Dollar Limo – holds up to 10 people and is cheaper than a D.U.I or taxi. Call 941-735-4732

45

Sarah and Katie from Delray Beach, FL

46

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

Snapshots of Island Visitors Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

Accommodations Locator Map

Dylan age 4 & Colin age 6

F Siesta Key Inn F Siesta Palms by the Beach

© Island Visitor Publishing, LLC 2017

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

10% OFF Emergency

Dental Work

Uninsured patients only. During regular business hours. Not valid with any other offers. After hours and weekends are extra.* Expires 1-30-2018.

DECEMBER 2017

- Extractions - Pain Relief - Root Canals - Dental Fillings - Trauma - Broken Teeth

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

24/7

- Swollen Jaw - Prescriptions - Denture Repair - Objects Caught Between Teeth - Re-cement Crowns

- Infections - Abscesses

(941) 244-4944

If you are in need of emergency dental care, please do not hesitate to contact us, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

www.EmergencyDentistry.com

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48

Siesta Sand

DECEMBER 2017

Island Girls

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

Our December island girls (l-r) are Sarah, from Punta Gorda, FL., Corinn, from Marietta, GA., and Josi, from Intercourse, PA. What better place for these former gymnasts to come together to celebrate best friend, Corinn’s 40th birthday? Sarah enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and relaxing on the beach.

She manages her husband’s orthopedic office in Port Charlotte, FL. Birthday girl, Corinn is a physical therapist, mother of a 6 year old girl and an 8 year old boy.

She enjoys spending time with her family, loves going on bike rides, and Auburn football.

Josi loves being a wife to her awesome husband and three handsome boys who have turned her into a hockey mom. She also owns an Aveda salon and thrives on making people look and feel their best. She enjoys running and staying active along with glorifying God through playing the drums at their church.

Photos by Jaye Clements Sarasota Photography