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FEBRUARY 2015 | 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC | www.SiestaSand.net | COMPLIMENTARY
Siesta Key Round-Up By Debbie Flessner and Bob Stein St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
Pastor Msgr. Joseph Stearns announced his retirement. His official retirement is March 1st 2015. On Sunday, February 22nd, the 10:30 AM Mass will be in his honor. He has been the Pastor for the past seven years. Siesta Sand would like to thank Msgr. Joe for his service to our island community and wish him all the best in his retirement.
Wild times after the Drum Circle, going native
Sgt. Osborne reported at the Siesta Key Associations January meetings that after the Siesta Key Drum Circle ends a large group of young adults, over 400 gather at the Siesta Key Pavilion. These are Rave Parties with glow sticks taking over the Pavilion with DJ stands being setup. The Sheriffs do turn off the electric but the attendees are now bringing generators, which are not illegal. Recently over 75 went up onto the balcony deck and partied. Young women danced and stripped naked and jumped from the balcony into carts to the cheering crowd. According to Sgt. Osborne, this incident was videotaped and cell phone photos taken. So just remember: what happens on Siesta Key doesn’t necessarily mean it stays on the Key. Continued on page 4
Beach Road mediation case could impact some coastal properties By Roger Drouin The 7,429 square foot property at 162 Beach Road has become famous— at least among nearby neighbors. That’s because two separate owners of the parcel have tried on four different occasions to build a residential structure in recent years, and were subsequently turned down by the County Commission each time. The property, and an adjacent parcel, are located water-ward of the Coastal Setback Line, and have historically flooded during past decades— intermittently changing from gulffront land into part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Now 162 Beach Road is at a center of a special-magistrate-mediated effort between the county and the current property owners, Ronald and Sania Allen, who have appealed the last rejection of their request for a Coastal Setback Variance. Residents in the Village say the outcome of the mediation could impact their properties—and could have a wider effect across Siesta. “It’s a big issue for the Key,” said Peter van Roekens, who lives in the Terrace East condominiums next to 162 Beach Road. Continued on page 27
The Shoe Store of Siesta Key Comfort Shoes is the only shoe store on Siesta Key. Formally known as Rick’s Birkenstock, this family-run business opened its doors in 1978. In 2008, Rick Lizotte came into the picture. Originally from a little town in Massachusetts, he had lived the life of a successful businessman. When he realized that Rick’s Birkenstock was on the market, he felt the hand of Providence! Originally from a tiny town in Massachusetts, Rick Lizotte had grown up on a street that had only 20 houses. He went to Massachusetts State College where he studied to be a teacher, then immediately sidestepped this teaching career by going into the business world. For the next 25 years he worked for a wholesale manufacturer of shoes, and traveled much of the country calling on stores both big and small, many of them
large chains. Says Rick, “It was the 70’s, and we still had shoe factories in this country. Back then, shoes were 98% domestic and 2% foreign. Today that statistic is reversed.”
By Diana Colson
Rick Lizotte and his family settled on Siesta Key 29 years ago, and he commuted around the USA as needed for his various business operations.
New Direction for SCAT
Sarasota County Area Transit’s (SCAT) new Director, Rocky A. Burke of Lexington Kentucky, joined SCAT on December 29, 2014. Rocky has more than 15 years of leadership and management experience within the public transit industry. He is also a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Air Force with more than 28 years of service.
Continued on page 21
LOCAL MAPS & INFORMATION
Continued on page 34
See Page 19
Abel’s Ice Cream Adds Flavors At the request of many customers, Salty Caramel Peanut (salty caramel ice cream with a salty caramel weave and salty roasted peanuts) was added to their 38 flavor selection. The Abel’s said they have had numerous requests for this popular ice cream flavor. After the first week this flavor was added, the Abel’s are very happy they listened to their customers. Salty Caramel Peanut is sure to become one of the most popular flavors they offer. Additional flavors added for this season are Maple Walnut and Strawberry Cheese Cake. If you are looking for real handmade chocolates for your Valentine’s Day sweetheart, consider shopping at Abel’s Ice Cream. They offer the Sweet Shop USA brand of quality handmade chocolate truffles in a variety of flavors. Sweet Shop USA has developed recipes for
WHO’S PLAYING TONIGHT Page 24
a velvet-soft center without the course, grainy mouth feel. The centers are made of chocolate liquor, real butter and fresh whipping cream. Each center is hand- formed and hand dipped in coatings of chocolate then personally signed or decorated by the dipper to identify the piece. Quality chocolates should accomplish certain requirements when tasted: 1) it should break down immediately 2) there should not be a waxy or grainy feel on the roof of your mouth and 3) when you are finished with a piece, the taste in your mouth should not change. Abel’s Ice Cream displays their chocolates in a humidity controlled refrigerated cabinet as recommended by Sweet Shop USA to insure freshness. Learn more about us at WWW.ABELSICECREAM.COM
ISLAND FISH MONGER Page 23
SIESTA KEY ARTIST, JAN METZKER, Page 26
MEET THE BARTENDER AT BOB’S BOATHOUSE Page 25
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Siesta Key Association meeting notes Community Reports Sheriff’s Office
Since this was First Responder Appreciation Week, Sgt. Scott Osborne was acknowledged by SKA for his outstanding contribution to the community. Once again, Sgt. Osborne was pleased to report that there had been no real crime trends. A couple of Kayaks had been stolen at the south end of the Key, as well as a couple of bikes. He said that bike rental places have been told to record the serial numbers of their bikes. Thieves go to condos, cut locks, and take the stolen bikes to a pawn shop, where they get only $30 for a $500 bike. Serial numbers are needed to recover these stolen bikes. The new parking lot at Siesta Key Beach is expected to be open before Spring Break. Sgt. Osborne admitted that the current set-up of the lot is indeed confusing: it is still under construction. Hopefully the situation will improve once construction is completed. Sgt. Osborne predicted that January and February would remain quiet. March and April
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present a totally different situation because of the influx of Spring Breakers. There have recently been problems at Siesta Key Beach on Sunday evenings after the Drum Circle. Family groups leave when it gets dark, and lately new groups have started coming in for a Rave Party after the drum circle is over. 300-400 people have been heading for the upper deck of the pavilion. Sgt. Osborne says, “We’ve been shutting the electricity off, but now people are bringing in their own generators. I can see this becoming a problem if we don’t address it right now.” A question was posed to the Sgt. What can be done to stop this or close the beach or parking lot? It is illegal to have a vehicle in the beach parking lot from midnight to 6am. However, people may legally park elsewhere and walk to the beach. Sarasota County Commissioner Alan Maio said he has been meeting with the director of Parks and Recreation to find the best way to handle this situation.
Siesta Promenade: Status Update of Project
The presentation was given by Todd M. Mathes, Director of Development, Benderson Developmental Company, LLC. The company is planning a 250,000 square foot shopping center at the northwest corner of Stickney Point and 41. This development would include a grocery, restaurants, shops, and at least one hotel. The buildings would all be single-story, except for the hotel – which would probably be four stories. Todd Mathes said that the company had not yet filed formal application. Traffic studies are still being examined. To date, all that has been done is to count cars.
By Diana Colson
Benderson Development Company hopes to break ground in the fall of 2015, planning first to complete the one-story section, and later to add the hotel, which would take approximately one year to build. They expect the entire project to be completed within three years (2018). In the coming weeks, there will be many formal neighborhood workshops and public hearings concerning Siesta Promenade. When those are over, Benderson Developmental Company will file formal application. The procedure is this: first a draft of the application is sent to County Staff, a process which is expected to take 30-120 days. Once County Staff approves, it will be sent to the Planning Commission. Finally it will be sent on to the Sarasota County Commissioners for approval.
Old Business
Catherine Luckner gave an update on the Big Pass Project. “ACOE is modifying their groin design to be smaller scale and reduced in depth and placement. They will do a public presentation of this change but it doesn’t meet the standard of new EA or formal new plan. They have listened to us. Also, they have not submitted any proposal to FDEP for permitting the BP shoal or any other area of sand. City of Sarasota is delayed for Lido re-nourishment from TS Debby but started the preconstruction survey last month. They will not need to stage equipment and haven’t approached County about any need. They are likely to do sand placement along shore as they go from the Sarasota Pass. They will not start until next month. Continued on page 16
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
Beach Bazaar celebrates 30 years on the Key Beach Bazaar’s slogan is “Everything for the Beach,” but after 30 years in the same location, right in the heart of Siesta Village, it has become so much more than that. Owners Mike and Sue Bala used to work at a similar type of a store in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware back in the 80s. Wendall Jacobsen, who has been Beach Bazaar’s general manager for other shops, we stay the past 23 years, said on top of fashions that the Balas used to and trends, and we’re set up stands at fairs staying educated in in the northeast to sell those departments.” customized caps they As a locallywould make. owned business, the But then they owners of Beach Bazaar made their way support the artists down to the Suncoast, of their community. where they found That’s why in the store, the property Beach they sell the work of Bazaar currently some of their favorite occupies vacant and Siesta Key artists, in need of a new tenant. like prints, paintings The “tee shirt” room has many casual clothing choices “This building and beaded jewelry. for men, women and children. Photos by Debbie Fleesner. was actually several Photographer Ryan separate stores,” Gamma displays his Jacobsen said. prints there, Dana “Throughout the Swezey’s digital art years, it (Beach is also for sale and Bazaar) just grew, local painter Shawn and in 2001, they (the McLoughlin, who Balas) took over the has been painting the corner, where a Citgo beaches here in the area station used to be.” for the last 30 years, That corner spot sells his prints in the became a very large store, too. portion of their new Jacobsen says store, Beach Bazaar’s business, Curl, O’Neill, RVCA, Flomotion, that Beach Bazaar is an everhousing the Swim Shack, one Neff and many other surf-related changing place, and the primary of what is now the four distinct apparel and accessories brands reason for that is to continue shopping sections of the store. reign supreme. From there, you capturing the interest of its In this area, the shop has swim can head into the T-Shirt Room customers from every walk of life. wear by Kenneth Cole, Maxine, and find not only Siesta Key shirts, “Our whole goal is to offer a Body Glove and many other name but also Cuda, Salt Life and other variety of any and all items that a brands, as well as any accessories fishing and surf-related brands. vacationer or local could ever want you might need for your day in the The last room is the very or need,” he said. “That gives us a sun. If you need sunglasses and popular Novelty/Souvenir area, unique niche in the marketplace.” footwear to complete your look, which Jacobsen says is not only Coming up for Beach Bazaar Beach Bazaar has lots of name popular with tourists, since it also is a big retail season, which lasts brands like Reef, Costa and Native includes many tropical gift items. from the beginning of February sunglasses, and sandals by Reef, “Not everything we sell says until the end of May. That is the Sanuk, Pali and more. ‘Siesta Key’ on it,” he said. “We time when the fruits of the store’s Next to the Swim Shack is put a lot of effort into being a nine buyers’ labors will make its Siesta Surf, where Billabong, Rip gift shop with variety. In our way onto the showroom floor,
By Debbie Flessner
2014 Business Person of the Year,
Bob Stein co-publisher and editor.
For outstanding achievement in business, your commitment to the community and Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce.
Wendall Jacobsen is the general manager at Siesta Key’s Beach Bazaar.
and tens of thousands of visitors will pour through the doors to see what’s new. This year, there will be plenty of cutting-edge fashions and trends for shoppers, to go along with the tropical-themed gifts that customers have loved for the past 30 years. “We’re preparing for our season now, and we’ll put out our new products for 2015 in February,” Jacobsen said. “We are truly a one-stop-shop for everyone.” Beach Bazaar is in Siesta Village, at 5211 Ocean Blvd., and is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit the Facebook page at Beach-Bazaar.com, or call 941-346-2995. To learn more about some of the artists who display their work at Beach Bazaar, visit the pages of Ryan Gamma at www. ryangammaphotography.com, or Shawn McLoughlin at www. siestashawn.com.
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
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Letter to the Editor
Siesta Key Round-Up
|Where is the independent review of the proposed dredging of Big Pass? Dredging will begin on Lido Key soon to replace sand removed by storms. This would be a good time for us to reconsider the effects of the proposed dredging of Big Pass to replace sand on South Lido Key. Dredging of sand from New Pass is done on a regular basis alternating replenishing Longboat Key and Lido Key for a contracted 50 years. The reason for the 50 year planned dredging cycle is because it is a temporary fix needing to be repeated about every 5 years to replace sand that washes away naturally by wave action, more so during storms. Lido Key was first created in 1926 by connecting several smaller keys to become what we know today. That was a time when dredging was a popular way to create land for waterfront homes. Since then Mother Nature has proven that she will prevail in taking and depositing sand in ongoing and everchanging patterns. Engineers can create models of what they think will happen based on history, but in the end they are not dependable as fact.
4
Consider what has happened to North Longboat Key, South Anna Maria and the disappearing Beer Can Island. And now the ACOE wants to create hardening structures to hold the sand in place on south Lido as well as dredge Big Pass of 1.3 million cubic feet of sand from the northern shoal. By taking that much sand at one time it is inevitable that the wave action on North Siesta Key will change. If you watch the waves come onto shore they are bigger in deeper water and get smaller as they get to shallow water. If a deeper area is created in Big Pass, changing the underwater landscape, it makes sense the wave action will change to reflect the deeper water and therefore naturally affect the channel and beaches. This same sort of plan has been constructed on at least 10 other inlets in Florida, including north Longboat Key, with deleterious effects on the leeward side of the hardening structures: sand on the down current side of the structure is eroded away. If it happened on those inlets why shouldn’t we expect the same
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
on South Lido Key? That means the park on South Lido would come to the same fate and would therefore disappear. ACOE is proposing a 50 year dredging plan for Big Pass with a 5 year cycle for renourishment. If it hasn’t worked well at other sites, I think it is time to consider other options to help Lido Key retain her beautiful sand beaches. After all, what is the definition of repeating an action and expecting a different result? The Sarasota County Commission approved up to $50,000 to pay for an independent review by a company with no ties to the ACOE. Why hasn’t this been done yet? Is this because the ACOE keeps changing their design and there is nothing to review? Big Pass has never been dredged because it works! Mother Nature has created this evolving sand movement that has allowed a channel to stay open and beaches to remain for us to enjoy on Siesta Key since recorded time. I think it is time to consider other options to help Lido Key retain her beautiful beaches. Jeanne Ezcurra, Director SOSS2 www.SOSS2.com
Continued from cover story
Bluegrass Picnic at Turtles Beach
Benny Kimsey’s annual Picnic will be held Saturday March 7 from Noon to 5 PM at Turtle Beach. The picnic is a FREE community event benefitting the American Red Cross Southwest Florida Chapter. Be sure to ask for your FREE LUNCH TICKET. Lunch will be served from Noon to 1:30 PM. They will provide hot dogs, sides and bottled water. There is limited seating so you are encouraged to bring a chair and drinks. There will be four bands performing, shows start at noon and play until 5 PM. The bands performing are Tonga Street Bluegrass, Siesta Key Bluegrass Band, Florida Jam Band and Open Stage Jam. There will be Red Cross volunteers accepting donations. For more information please contact Benny Kimsey at 941-400-7212 turtlebeachbluegrass@gmail.com, www. TurtleBeachBluegrass.com
Round About Update Midnight Pass Road and Beach Road
FDOT will be presenting options for the Beach Road and Midnight Pass Road intersection at the February 5th Siesta Key Association meeting. The meeting is at St. Boniface Church on Siesta Key room F at 4:30 PM. Aaron Kaster, FDOT Project Manager and Brian Bollas, Public Information will be at the meeting to discuss the project and address project questions. Continued on page 5
Siesta Key Round-Up Crocodiles Vacationing on Siesta Key
Being the number one beach in the country draws an array of 2 and now 4 legged fans. On Monday January 5th residents on Oxford Drive had just seen 3 crocodiles swimming down the Grand Canal (away from the bay). A large adult followed by 2 small young ones. Clearly swimming on top of the water (could not be mistaken for another animal). Residents debated that this could not be a CROC as they don’t live around here. The residents that spotted the crocs say they know the difference between alligators and crocs and they were definitely crocs. Stories of spotting crocs throughout the state apparently come from the Great Escape from a zoo near Miami during a recent storm. Other canal residents have taken PHOTOS of ALLIGATORS in the canal near Palm Island on the Key in the past but many residents have never seen any around here. Regardless of whether these were crocs or alligators, they are NOT natural to this body of water and are a danger to the pets and us, especially those residing by a natural shoreline, kayakers and paddle boarders. If anyone else has any additional info, please let us know. Siesta Sand 941-349-0194, islandvp@verizon.net
Continued from page 4
Suicide committed on the Key
A 55 year-old man ended his life in a Siesta Key condominium last month. Sgt. Scott Osborne, with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, said that the landlord at a condo in the 600 block of Beach Road could not reach his tenant, and told deputies he was worried because the man had some health issues. When deputies arrived, the landlord was already on the scene, but did not want to enter the condominium alone. The deputies entered the condo and found the subject deceased. The death was ruled a suicide, and no further information was available.
Mangrove Point Road update
The county has been working on repairs to the sewer lines and lift pumps on Mangrove Point Road since August of 2014. The county is installing new lift pumps to increase flow. The work has taken longer than anticipated due to working in such a small area along with the depth to drill to complete the job. Work should be completed by mid-March.
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A 20 year-old Perry, Florida man was arrested for driving under the influence and damaging property, after he seemingly continued his New Year’s Eve celebration into the next night. Derick Ward didn’t navigate the curve at Ocean Blvd. and Sand Dollar Lane and hit a light pole with his white SUV at almost midnight on January 1. There were no human injuries, but the light pole didn’t fare very well. Florida Power and Light had replaced the damaged pole with a new one by the next morning.
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be very dangerous. The Siesta Key Association is working at providing better signage. Two recommendations to the county are a sign at the intersection of Midnight Pass Road and Stickney Point Road for those cars entering the Key informing them, NO OUTLET TO CASEY KEY would be helpful and an additional larger sign further south on Midnight Pass Road. SKA president Michael Shay has spoken at length to the Engineering Department from the County regarding this issue and they were very helpful and agree that there is a problem with the current signage. Issues discussed: 1. A sign cannot be placed at this intersection of Midnight Pass Road and Stickney Point because there are too many already at this intersection, per the Florida Department of Transportation. 2. The current sign will not be removed that is in place south of Sarasea Circle. 3. The County will add a new sign on a pole all by itself somewhere south of the current sign that is in place. Location of the sign is constrained by width of the ROW, bike lane and sidewalk. 4. Size of the sign is constrained by same issues in #3 above. 5. County will also look at changing the background color of the new sign so that the words are more visible. 6. It is anticipated that the new sign can be in place by midFebruary. Here again is the Siesta Key Association working for you; be part of the association that works for the residents of Siesta Key. www. siestakeyassociation.com
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941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, 8/21/13 LLC 2:07 PM 5
Siesta Key Round-Up Property owners must keep rental restrictions in mind
During season it’s especially important to remember the rules for renting a single-family property in an RSF (residential single family) district on Siesta Key. In a nutshell, the rule states that the owner may only rent such a property for 30 days or more at a time. Whether on purpose or by accident, two property owners on the Key have fallen afoul of Sarasota County Code Enforcement and are now facing ramifications for breaking the transient rental rule. According to Code Enforcement Officer John Lally, there is a hearing scheduled in March for the owner of a property located on Avenida del Mare, however the owner is working on a plan to bring the rental situation into compliance before then. In the meantime, the owner has had to pay a fine. The owner of a property on Roberts Point Circle may be encountering a similar fine and hearing soon, but Lally says he needs
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Continued from page 5
to secure a copy of the leases for the property before he moves forward. To make sure you are following the rules for your rental property, visit the Siesta Key Association website at www.siestakeyassociation/RSF.pdf
Work progresses on replacement of the Bay Island seawall
Work on the Bay Island seawall resumed on December 8, after being suspended in September for some concerns with panel installation. After consideration by the contractor, Duncan Seawall, Dock & Boat Lift, LLC, it was determined that the project no longer required the replacement of the seawall panels on the City of Sarasota-owned (northern) part of the park, though they will be repairing a short section of seawall on the northwest corner of the property. On the Sarasota County-owned (southern) portion of the park, Duncan will be removing and replacing existing seawall panels, installing a new concrete seawall cap, improving sidewalks and
restoring pavement. As it has since the beginning of the project, the park will remain open, with chain link fence separating work areas from public areas. However, because of the almost three-month suspension of construction, the project will not be completed until late winter of this year.
Beach Bites is for sale
Owner Jeff Madden recently announced the popular sandwich shop located in Siesta Key Village is for sale. The eatery specializes in gourmet sandwiches and a buildyour-own sandwich board. The business is located at 217 Avenida Madera.
Siesta Key beach project due for an end of the year finish
Work is progressing quite nicely on the Siesta Key Public Beach improvements. The scope of the four-phase project included increasing and improving parking
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
and pedestrian access, upgrading and expanding recreational opportunities and facilities and restoring the historic pavilion, which was originally built in the 1950s. According to Jason Bartolone, with Sarasota County media relations, Phase II of the project will be drawing to a close by the end of February or the first part of March. That phase has included such improvements as renovations on the east concession stand and a new parking lot, which was actually finished ahead of schedule. The contractor will cease work on the parking lot during Spring Break. This will maximize the number parking spots available. The west concession stand will be addressed as part of both Phases III and IV of the project. During construction, the park has and will continue to remain open, and all work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Beach University Program postponed
Due to the construction activity
at Siesta Key, the Beach University Program has been postponed until 2016. The main Siesta Key Pavilion where this program has taken place in March, for the past five years, will be under construction.
Used Book Heaven for Sale
The book store located in Siesta Key Village announced the business is for sale. The book store has been an institution on the Key for the past 20 years. The owners are retiring. For more information call Bob or Pat at 941-349-0067 or stop in at 5216 Ocean Blvd Suites D-E-F, serious buyers only.
Special Thanks to the co-sponsors of the Condo Council Holiday Lights
Thank you to the co-sponsors of the 2014 Holiday Lighting Contest. The co-sponsors were the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the Siesta Key Village Association, Siesta Key Trolley and Siesta Sand Newspaper. Continued on page 7
Siesta Key Round-Up This past December the Key was aglow with lights from all the condos that participated in celebrating this special time of the year. The Condo Council handed out its ribbons to the winners at the January 20th meeting. County Commissioner Alan Maio handed out the ribbons and congratulated the winners. There were over 75 attendees to the meeting that covered a range of topics, dredging of the Big Pass for Lido Beach re-nourishment, Siesta Key Beach Parking Improvements and the Siesta Promenade.
Annual Craft Fair Siesta Key Village
Siesta Key is home to Sunny beaches with crystal-white, powdery sand that stretch for miles. The Key features shops from the chic and elegant to the hip and funky with all sorts of fashion and a diverse collection of restaurants and eateries. The Siesta Key Village Association will be holding its 21st Annual Siesta Key Craft Festival - February 7th - 8th, Saturday & Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM. Arts and Crafts, music and great food make this two-day celebration the first popular event of the year. Join us and take in the sand and the sea along Ocean Boulevard and Beach Road as you discover wonderful creations from more than 100 crafters exhibiting and selling their work in an outdoor gallery. From photography, paintings, sculpture, jewelry and more showcased from local and traveling crafters, your visit to Siesta Key is promised to be a feast for the senses. This spectacular weekend festival is not to be missed. Come join the fun. Free Admission
The Post Tropical Storm Debby project
Orion Marine Construction received their Notice To Proceed in January to start renourishing Lido Beach. OMC began to bring equipment down right away so you will see activity in the area. Dredging started on Thursday, January 15th and to be completed with the dredging by March 15th. They will be completely off site by March 31st. OMC started the work on the north end of Lido Beach and work their way to the south. They will have the active construction area cordoned off and as they move south they will open up the completed area. The work will continue 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This is
Continued from page 6
not related to the Big Pass dredging with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Valentine Stroll February 14th 2015 Everyone gets a Kiss!
The Siesta Key Village Association will be hosting the annual Siesta Key Village Association Valentine Stroll. Residents and visitors are invited to stroll through Siesta Village which will be adorned with Valentine cheer. There will be something for everyone including live music throughout the Village and candy kisses will be distributed by the merchants. Participating merchants will be displaying red and pink balloons outside of their businesses.
Say “I do” Again!
Love is in the salty air! Couples come together on Siesta Beach at the Pavilion in a ceremony to renew their vows. More than 400 couples renew their vows every year at this ceremony. Pre-registration required. For more information, call Sarasota County Parks and Recreation at 941861-5000.
Pocket Park damage
The pocket park at Givens St. and Ocean Blvd. on Siesta Key was damaged in early January. One of the rear posts was pushed over apparently from someone backing up into the parking spot. As one of the nearby residents remarked “It appears that drivers backing up into the parking spot aren’t happy unless they HIT something!” A quick response by the county to repair is well appreciated by the residents. Now if the sea grape hedge would fill in quickly in front of the Siesta Town House condos on Ocean Blvd, this would help us to forget that a car plowed through them last fall while the driver was texting. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Siesta Key Outdoor display update
John Lally Sarasota County Code Enforcement Officer reported that numerous businesses on the Key applied for the new outdoor display permit. The permit allows businesses on the Key to display small amounts of merchandise outside their shops. The permit applies to retail and bike rental businesses. The permit is $25 annually and can be revoked if the business does not follow the regulations.
As of January 13th the following businesses have received a permit for Outdoor Display: Siesta Key Outfitters, Comfort Shoes, World of Women Boutique, Crescent Beach Grocery, Siesta Key Bike & Kayak, Siesta Key Hardware, CB’S Island Outfitters, A Taste of Germany, CB’S Saltwater Outfitters, Siesta Village Outfitters, Captain Curt’s, Siesta Key University, Robin Hood Rentals, Siesta Key Bead Shack, SK Island Styles, Siesta Key Jet Ski, Davidson Drugs-Village, Green Turtle Gifts, Davidson Drugs-South and Siesta Sports Rental. There were two permits in review for Coconuts as of January 13th. Lally reported that there are a few other stores that have done outdoor display in the past but are not doing it at the present time. Store owners need to apply for the permit and have a permit to display merchandise outside. If they display merchandise outdoors without a permit they will receive a Notice of Violation.
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Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce needs help
The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce is in need of volunteers in the Visitor Center. As a volunteer you will have fun helping visitor’s find accommodations, places to shop, eat and attractions. It’s a great place to become active and involved in the Siesta Key community, whether you are full time or a seasonal residents. Volunteers also have the opportunity to attend Chamber networking and special events. Must be familiar with the local area, some computer knowledge, and the ability to handle a busy environment! Please contact Desiree Hanright, Membership Services Manager at 941-349-3800, or by stopping by our office at 5114 Ocean Boulevard.
County tables roadway parking
The Sarasota County Commission tabled a discussion on parking on two Siesta Key streets, deciding to wait until the fire department could review the situation. At hand, is whether to ban parking on the south side of Avendia Milano and Avendia Madera, as residents petitioned last year. After hearing from staff and concerned residents Jan. 13, commissioners decided to table a vote. Residents have long complained about parking on the two streets, including some cars and trucks that have blocked the driveways. Continued on page 36
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Sand Castles |Siesta Key Real Estate Update Sarasota’s real estate market grabbed the spotlight a few days into the New Year when Realty Trac—a leading provider of data for the nation’s housing industry— reported that three Florida metro areas experienced some of the nation’s largest gains in median home prices in 2014. With a 12% year-over-year increase, Sarasota was one of them. As you might expect—given its extreme popularity with vacationers and home buyers from around the world—Siesta Key experienced a corresponding rise in prices mainly due to a persistent shortage of properties secondary to at least two years of consistently high demand. Indeed, many of the largest property sales in Sarasota County during 2014 took place on Siesta Key. On May 29th, for example, a Gulf front mansion on Higel Avenue sold for $10.25 million, setting a record for the highest sale ever on Siesta Key. The record
wouldn’t last long, however. A few months later a second Gulf front mansion, a bit further south in the exclusive Sanderling Club sold, for $11.85 million. Clearly 2014 was a good year for sellers of luxury properties on the Key. “With Siesta Key’s busiest season now in full swing, we are anticipating to work with at least as many buyers in 2015 as we saw last year,” says Debbie Judge, managing broker of the Siesta Key office of Michael Saunders & Company. “Many of the buyers we’re seeing are future retirees who are looking for income producing properties that they will eventually inhabit once they decide to check out of the workforce. Others are simply anxious to stake their claim to one of the most spectacular beachfront communities in the world.” Ms. Judge also believes that more people are stepping up to buy because of a pair of issues related to the mortgage market.
First, the home financing process has become a bit less rigorous, with loans becoming somewhat more consumer friendly; and certain down payment ceilings being lowered. “The extremely tight lending environment that characterized the past several years has been widely viewed as an over-zealous correction to the lending abuses that helped bring down the housing market,” says Judge. Now that the recession is over and the housing market is on a solid footing, more common sense lending practices are starting to take hold.” Secondly, the historically low rates of the past several years have hit rock bottom; but are widely expected to rise in 2015 as the Federal Reserve makes good on its plan to raise rates as the economy and job markets improve. Needless-to-say, both have enjoyed substantial improvements over the last several months.
With interest rates fully expected to rise, Judge is noticing a new urgency among buyers to find a home and complete their financing arrangements soon. The only problem she says is having enough inventory to go around. “A lot of buyers simply haven’t found what they are looking for,” Ms. Judge says. “So now is an
excellent time to list your home. It costs nothing to find out how much it might sell for in today’s market.” Indeed with mortgage rules loosening, interest rates expected to rise; and our busiest season for home buying in full swing now is a most opportune time to consider listing your Siesta Key home or condominium.
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News Up & Down the Trail New FEMA floodplain maps
Floodplain mapping: it’s as important and complex as it sounds. In anticipation of new floodplain mapping, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is hosting three open houses this month at three separate locations in Sarasota County to help explain the upcoming changes. The new floodplain map changes could mean financial implications as construction and insurance costs are impacted for some properties. More than 40,000 parcels will be moving into or out of highrisk flood zones throughout the county when the changes take effect in early 2016, according to data released by FEMA, and all property owners are urged to check the flood zone status of their properties. According to FEMA officials, these new flood maps will help property owners better understand their current flood risk in order to make more informed financial
By Roger Drouin
decisions about protecting themselves and their property, and how these changes may impact construction and insurance costs. FEMA representatives were on hand at open houses in January, and additional workshops are being hosted by Sarasota County and the City of Sarasota. Those meetings are scheduled for the following dates and locations: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 4-7 p.m., Sarasota Bayfront Center, 803, N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; Wednesday, March 4, 4-7 p.m., Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave., Venice. April workshops in North Port and Englewood have not yet been scheduled. For more information, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000, or visit www.scgov.net/FloodMaps.
Legacy Trail fundraising
With gifts ranging from $10 to several thousand dollars, hundreds of community members have chipped in to help pay for the first step in an expansion of the popular Legacy Trail pathway.
The donations, made through Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s charitable crowd funding website, GulfCoastGives.org, will help fund a feasibility study for the trail extension. “The Legacy Trail connects our community’s parks and people,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation, which posted the online fund raising project last year in partnership with donor Jesse Biter and the nonprofit Friends of the Legacy Trail. “This grass roots fund raising effort to extend it also connected diverse community members, and it demonstrated broad regional support for expanding the trail.” A look at the campaign’s fund raising page shows supporters ranging from individual community members and cycling clubs to major home builders and economic development groups. Friends of Sarasota County Parks and Friends of the Legacy Trail also added direct donations to their groups and proceeds from fund raising events.
That goal was set last year to match public funding from Sarasota County earmarked for a two-phase feasibility study to extend the trail. When the county awarded the contract for the study to environmental consultants Cardno, it also challenged the private sector to raise half of the funds that would be needed to complete it. Expanding the Legacy Trail will cost millions, but the fund raising effort shows there is strong community support for the project.
Swormstedt as treasurer, and Ann Kaplan as secretary. The countywide council was founded in 1961 and represents more than seventy neighborhood, homeowner, and condominium associations as well as civic associations, whose members include more than 35,000 Sarasota citizens. At the meeting the incoming president of CONA announced that Lourdes Ramirez was selected as its Citizen of the Year 2014 and presented an award to her.
CONA elects 2015 officers
Valentine’s Day at Mattison’s Forty-One
One of the county’s most influential grass roots community groups has new officers. The Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations, which provides a voice for homeowners and neighborhood groups throughout the county, elected a new slate of officers at its fiftyfourth annual meeting Jan. 12 The 2015 officers are Kafi Benz as president, Lourdes Ramirez as first vice president, Bill Zoller as second vice president, Gerry
Join us at Mattison’s Forty-One in Sarasota, Florida on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, 2015 from 4:30pm for a romantic dinner evening with specials including: Oysters on the Half Shell as an appetizer; dinner entrée specials include the “Valentine’s Day Duet”: filet mignon and broiled Maine lobster tail, with drawn butter, mashed potatoes, asparagus; and Chef Paul Mattison’s signature Continued on page 10
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Blasé Café Hosts Fundraiser
The Best Happy Hour Food In Town. Your senses are in for a treat.
Housemade sausage with sauteed peppers and onions
On February 8th, starting at 4:00 p.m., Cynthia Breslin will be hosting a fundraiser at the Blasé Café. The recipient is a young lady you may have run into if you have ever visited Siesta Key. Her name is Veronica Hickey, also known as, Ronnie McCarthy. Veronica has been on or around Siesta Key for over twenty years. She has worked at Coaster’s, Captain Curt’s, Midnight Pass Pub, the Crescent Market and Jonny’s Free Beach Rides. Her infectious laugh, her strong Brentwood, New York accent, and her humorous, sarcastic wisecracks have endeared her to many on the island. She is a hard-working, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She has the kind of motherly love that young people crave. Everyone from co-workers to her children’s friends call her “mom”. On January 5th, Veronica was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, or GI, an extremely aggressive brain tumor that could require various types of approaches. She continues to seek treatment after the initial
operation failed to remove the entire tumor. The fundraiser will include a buffet of lasagna, jambalaya, pasta, salad, bread and more, all donated by Cynthia. A $15 donation is being requested. They will accept cash or check at the door. The bar will be cash or credit. There will be live entertainment. Chris Otto will be opening and the Los Rumberos band will also be contributing their talent for this worthwhile event. Some of the items donated for the silent auction include a Roy Lichtenstein print purchased in Paris, Nerium Skin Products (Worth $250.), Gift Certificates from local businesses, with additional donations being added daily. Your generous help and donations will help ease the financial burden of this devastating prognosis for Veronica and her family. If you are unable to attend but still wish to donate, simply stop at a Sun Trust Bank and make a deposit into account #1000181361279, which has been set up in her name.
News Up & Down the Trail
Join us daily from 4 to 6:30 for truly delicious Tuscan favorites that are sure to please...and Happy Hour prices for cocktails, fine wine, tap brews and tasty treats.
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“Châteaubriand for Two” with Parmesan stuffed tomatoes, creamy wild mushroom ragout, asparagus, and a port wine demi. Mattison’s Forty-One’s Valentine’s Day dessert menu offers Dark Chocolate Grand Mariner Fondue for Two and Flourless Heart-Shaped Chocolate Torte. The current menu is also available. Enjoy live music by Debbie Keeton in The Piano Lounge from 6pm. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online at mattisons.com or by calling 941.921.3400. Mattison’s Forty-One, 7275 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231, mattisons.com
Nokomis Barefoot Beach Bazaar returns for the season
The Barefoot Beach Bazaar returned to Nokomis Beach. Stop in to shop and stroll the trendy Barefoot Beach Bazaar on the historic Nokomis Beach Plaza, located at 100 S. Casey Key Road, where handmade arts and crafts from local artisans can be enjoyed along with the sand, waves and beautiful sunsets. The Barefoot Beach Bazaars are held from 4 p.m. to sunset on the third Saturday of each month, January through April, 2015, at the Nokomis Beach Plaza.
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
DATE: Sunday, February 8 TIME: Begins at 4 p.m. PLACE: Blasé Café & Martini Bar 5263 Ocean Blvd, in the Village COST: $15.
Continued from page 9
The new Gulf Gate Public Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., opens its doors
“We are confident that the exciting new amenities and welcoming environment at the new Gulf Gate Public Library will be just what the community has been hoping for,” said Sarabeth Kalajian, Director of Libraries and Historical Resources. The new library building, which replaces the previous Gulf Gate Public Library at the same site on Curtiss Avenue, includes improved amenities such as an enhanced meeting room, four study/ conference rooms and a large teen center. Other features include two reading gardens, a children’s story time room, a tech lab with an expanded public access computer area and a drive-through for returns. Visitors will also enjoy expanded parking options thanks in part to a donation of land from the Friends of the Library.
Film Fest hires programming director
Michael Dunaway, an Atlantabased journalist and documentary
film producer, will now be in charge of the process of choosing what movies get programmed for the Sarasota Film Festival. Dunaway, who has served as a juror and moderated “In Conversation…” events at the Sarasota Film Festival (SFF) in the past, was announced this month by SFF President Mark Famiglio as the new programming director, succeeding close friend Tom Hall, who left his post as Sarasota Film Festival Director in the Fall to take over the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey. The Sarasota Film Festival will take place this year from April 1019, hosted by a slew of new staff members. Michael Dunaway will serve as Director of Programming along with programmers Maggie MacKay, Derek Horne and Caley Fagerstrom. Nadine Zylberberg will serve as the new social media manager. All have experience in the independent/festival world, and SFF President Mark Famiglio called the group an “outstanding creative team.” The SFF was recently described as “Indie Film’s Best Kept Secret,” by IndieWire. Continued on page 11
News Up & Down the Trail Fewer homes underwater
The number of Sarasota-Manatee homeowners whose properties are underwater continues to decline, according to a recent analyst report. A total of 35,430 residential properties —or 19.9 percent of those with mortgages in the two counties—owed more on their loans than the homes were worth in the third quarter of 2014, CoreLogic reported in January. That was down from 45,257 properties, or 24.8 percent, one year earlier. Still, the Sarasota-Manatee region ranked 16th out of the 173 metro areas tracked in its latest report for the most underwater mortgages. “Surging home prices this spring and summer, lower levels of inventory, and declining REO [foreclosures] sale shares are all contributing to the nascent housing recovery and declining negative equity,” says Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. According to CoreLogic, most borrowers in negative equity continue to pay their mortgages; 84.9 percent of underwater homeowner were current on their mortgage payments, up from 84.8 percent at the end of the first quarter.
Rolling Thunder
The 17th annual Thunder by the Bay motorcycle festival wrapped up Jan. 11. Thousands attended the four-day event, one of the biggest— and loudest—in downtown Sarasota. The festival drew an estimated 90,000 event goers. Last year’s estimated attendance over a fourday period was well over 80,000 generating an economic impact equaling $7,421,000 and 5,400 room nights, according to event organizers. This year’s festival began with a new sporting clay tournament on Thursday, Jan. 8. The following day there was a “Born To Be Wild” kickoff party featuring specialty whiskey, wine, craft beer, and cigar tastings held at The Francis ballroom downtown. The remainder of the festival featured live entertainment, vendors, two bike shows, special guests, and a special Cruise For Cash motorcycle ride on Sunday morning.
Five “little” libraries
A fewer smaller libraries are popping up throughout the county.
Continued from page 10
Three county departments— Libraries and Historical Resources; Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources; and Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability —have collaborated on a new project to provide five Little Free Libraries at locations throughout the community. The Little Free Library national program encourages small lending libraries at standalone locations. Each Little Free Library is a box of books available for anyone to use on the “take a book, return a book” honor system. They are a gathering place where neighbors can share their favorite books with one another and discover new literature and stories. The books are meant to appeal to a diverse audience of all ages, and anyone can access them for free. Users are simply asked to replace each book with another in good condition from their collection at home. Sarasota County is installing Little Free Libraries at the following locations: Twin Lakes Park, Sarasota County IFAS/UF Extension, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota; Urfer Family Park, 4000 Honore Ave., Sarasota; Colonial Oaks Park, 5300 Colonial Oaks Blvd., Sarasota; Longwood Park, 6050 Longwood Run Blvd., Sarasota; Shamrock Park, 3900 Shamrock Drive, Venice. “They provide financial benefit as a low-cost way of saving people money in buying books and promoting the shared economy; they provide environmental benefit by keeping books circulating and out of the landfill; and they provide a social benefit through improving literacy and getting books in the hands of people who may not be able to afford them,” Lee Hayes Byron, Sustainability manager, says of the libraries.
Big conservation purchase
There was some good news for local environmental conservation efforts. Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet this month agreed to buy a 669-acre tract in Charlotte County. The conservation land will play a critical role in restoring the water flow in the region, will allow a more natural water flow from the adjacent 65,000-ace Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area toward Charlotte Harbor. The Cabinet unanimously agreed
to spend $3.15 million to acquire the 669-acre tract in Charlotte County, and $9.77 million for 619 acres in Collier County that will provide additional buffering for the 13,000-acre Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Bird Rookery Swamp. The purchases were hailed by conservationists as a sign that the state is reviving the Florida Forever conservation program.
Job Opportunity Projections
Employment projections released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for Manatee and Sarasota counties predict greater than 46 percent growth in the construction and contractor industries between 2014 and 2022. Health care services is expected to see just fewer than 30 percent growth in that time, but remain the biggest employer in the region. Sourced from SRQ Daily
Lift on Sunday alcohol ban in the works for Venice
The Venice Planning Commission has unanimously approved a new rule that would lift the longstanding ban against Sunday alcohol sales before noon. Soon to be presented to the Venice City Council for final consideration, the proposed law would complement Sarasota County’s November 4 ruling that citizens could buy alcohol in unincorporated areas of the county, in a restaurant or a store, as early a 7 a.m. on Sunday morning. With Charlotte, Manatee and DeSoto counties already serving alcohol in restaurants on Sunday morning, Sarasota county businesses had complained that they were losing customers on that day to neighboring counties. The North Port City Commission is also considering lifting their ban on Sunday alcohol sales, and voted at their January 12 meeting to move forward with discussions about the new rule.
Venice Beach restoration project underway
The Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to embark on its third restoration of Venice Beach since 1996. Continued on page 36
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Featured Resturant |Lobster Pot serves up more than just lobster dishes If you love lobster New England style and fresh local seafood, this is one restaurant you simply must try when coming to Siesta Key. Fresh fish is purchased daily from local fishermen and their lobsters are delivered live straight from Bar Harbor and Boothbay in Maine. Owner, Glen Medeiros continues to use some of his father’s recipes including their signature award winning Baked Stuffed Lobster Duchess which is Maine Lobster made with a chunky seafood stuffing and baked in the oven. Both the Seafood Portugal, and the Salmon Rockefeller have been award-winning dishes at “The Taste of Sarasota” competition and have proven to be popular dishes. They also offer hearty homemade soups that are family recipes, including Lobster Bisque, New England Clam Chowder, and the wonderful Portuguese Kale Soup. This family owned restaurant has been in operation since November 2000. Medeiros is proud to carry on the tradition his Portuguese parents, Ralph and Adeline Medeiros, started back in 1939 in Provincetown, Massachusetts with the opening of the original Lobster Pot. “My passion was to open a restaurant like my parents, and now my two sons and I manage the restaurant with my wife up front as a hostess. I also have my two daughters-in-law working for us now. We are a proud thirdgeneration family owning and operating our business.” With all the compliments and rave reviews this restaurant receives on a consistent basis, they know they are doing something right.
Here is just a sampling of what is being said about Lobster Pot on Trip Advisor. “You won’t regret it.” The baked lobster duchess was about 35 dollars (market price) came with two sides and corn bread. The service and food was worth it. Skip the fancy and come to this quaint place. The stuffing has scallops shrimp and crab! Amazing! Ask for Chris. “Yummy Lobster Rolls!!” Popped in to grab a quick bite and had THE MOST DELICIOUS Lobster Rolls for lunch. The waitress was great. Couldn’t do enough for us. Well worth dropping by for a quick, delicious, light meal. “Very Good Lunch” Went for lunch and had lobster rolls, done in New England fashion w/split bun. Also had kale soup which was excellent. Service was top notch. Definitely recommend.
“Great food!” My husband is a big seafood lover and we visit Lobster Pot every time we visit Siesta Key. The lobster bisque and stuffed lobster are excellent! “Great lunch” This is a very good restaurant. It’s small but if you’re lucky you may get a table on the outside patio. Service was good. The lobster rolls were great. Better than the ones we had in Kenibunkport!! Coleslaw was good and so was the key lime pie. Everything at the tables around us looked and smelled great too. Will go back. “Wow,fantastic” Small but busy restaurant and you can understand why as everything about it is superb. We had passed by a little earlier and there was queue outside. Came back later and we were lucky to have a seat within five minutes and were able to wait at the bar and have a drink. Food was massive. Pasta with slices of salmon and prawns on top was fantastic and I had to be helped to finish the dish!! A starter of calamari was very good and tasty. Great value. www.sarasotalobsterpot.com 5157 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34242 (941) 315-7695 Hours of Operation: Mon. - Thurs. 11:30AM - 9:00PM Fri. - Sat. 11:30AM - 9:30PM Sun. – 5:00PM - 9:00PM RESERVATIONS FOR LARGE PARTIES ONLY.
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
Off Key
By Robert Frederickson
|From Winston Churchill to Woody Guthrie Looking Behind the Numbers
Remember State Attorney General Pam Bondi’s campaign ad this past fall touting her office’s successful efforts to shut down the pill mills that had taken root like kudzu across the state in recent years? The impression left by the ad was one of Bondi’s steely-eyed determination as she crossed the drug abuse problem off Florida’s To Do list. But the numbers she quoted in the campaign ad – while likely correct in a literal sense – reminded me of a quote from Winston Churchill about a political adversary who often used statistics divorced from their fuller context to further a point or position he was trying to make. Said Churchill: “ My opponent uses statistics the way a drunk uses a lamp post: for support rather than illumination.” And so it was not surprising to hear the Bradenton Police Department report recently that they now respond to an average of 1 heroin overdose each week and that in 2014 there were six heroin related deaths in the city, a dramatic increase that the department attributed to – that’s right – the statewide pill-mill crackdown.
Longboat Key a Trendsetter?
It’s not often sleepy Longboat Key gets confused with a trendsetting locale like Miami, but the two communities found their usual roles reversed recently with representatives of the Metro Dade Police Department looking to Longboat for help with their decision as to whether or not to install stationery license tag scanners to help in their crime fighting efforts. Longboat installed the $80,000 system back in 2013. It scans the license plate of every car entering the island for outstanding warrants or expired tags. According to the town, in 2014, 97 citations and 20 arrests were made based on data collected by the scanners. So what’s next, penny loafers and pleated shorts as the new look on South Beach?
That’s a lot of Bull!
Did you hear the story of the Holstein named Toy Story who bought the farm last month? Yes, the old boy has moved on to that big pasture in the sky. But there’s no need to mourn this bull’s passing. He lived a full and prosperous life. According to the publication “Holstein International” (yes, there really is such a thing) Toy Story sired over 500,000 offspring! Now if there’s a heaven for bulls, it makes you wonder: just how much greener can its pastures be?
Looking for a Home?
The homeless problem in Sarasota has seemingly reached all the way to the city’s Information Technology (IT) Department, which has been shuttled back and forth in recent years like a child in a custody battle between feuding parents. First it was under the control of the city manager’s office. Then came allegations that someone in that office conspired with an IT department employee to squelch potentially embarrassing e-mail records during the Bob Bartolotta’s administration (allegations since proven to be untrue). As a result, it was placed under the purview of City Auditor and Clerk Pam Nadalini. Now, plummeting morale in the department (sound familiar?), high turnover and a whistle blower’s allegations of lax security standards has it moving back to the city manager’s office. Sounds like we need an intervention here. Or at the very least, a high priced consultant (or two).
Crack that Whip!
Just what we need...more rigid, party-line partisanship. That’s the position of local Republican operative Christian Ziegler who according to reports in the Herald Tribune by Jermy Wallace recently introduced a motion before the Sarasota Republican Executive Committee that would banish any local Republicans from GOP activities if they support any Democratic Party candidates, even in nonpartisan races. Ziegler says it’s not personal, though some have a hard time
believing that’s the case, since his wife, Bridget Ziegler was recently elected to the Sarasota School Board despite two sitting Republican members (Caroline Zucker and Jane Goodwin) throwing their support behind her opponent, democrat Ken Marsh. The Democrats have their own “loyalty” oath that says pretty much the same thing as the Republican version. But here’s an idea both parties might want to consider: nominate strong, fairminded candidates and you won’t have to worry about cracking the whip to keep your membership in line.
Bumper Sticker Politics Vindicated?
Sarah Palin’s memorable catch phrase from the 2012 presidential campaign “Drill Baby Drill!” became the object of much derision by those on the left. Even the President couldn’t resist the urge to pile on, saying in February of 2012: “Drill baby drill? That’s a bumper sticker, not a strategy. We can’t just drill our way to lower oil prices. They (Republicans) are already dusting off their plans for $2 gasoline.” So what’s happened in the intervening three years as domestic drilling has steadily increased? That’s right, the price of unleaded gas has fallen below $2 per gallon. So of course, the President takes credit for all of this during his recent State of the Union address. And former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi? Well, for her part, she proposes increasing the Federal gas tax – already 18% – because prices have fallen so low. And what will the increased revenue be used for? Paying down the deficit? No, way... Pelosi’s plan? More spending. No wonder so many – on the left and the right – are tuning these folks out.
Quote of the Day:
“Life has got a habit of not standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it. If a day goes by that don’t change some of your old notions for new ones, that is just about like trying to milk a dead cow.” ― Woody Guthrie
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Beach Wedding
By Trebor Britt
Yolanda & Greg |Lifetime A-Peel
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Yolanda Vazquez of Puerto Rico and Greg Peel of New Jersey exchanged vows surrounded by family and close friends, at an intimate wedding ceremony held on the incredible Siesta Key shoreline behind Tropical Beach Resorts. Yolanda and Greg met at a journalist’s conference in Washington DC. Now living in Maryland, Yolanda is an on-air reporter for Public Television. She works on a nationally syndicated automotive show called, “Motorweek”, anchors a local political and business show and hosts regional Comcast Newsmakers segments. Greg is a Regional Manager for Covidien, a national company that develops, manufactures and sells a diverse range of industry-leading medical devices. Though 10 years have passed, their first date is still firmly etched in Yolanda’s memory. “Greg took me to a seafood restaurant across the Bay Bridge in Maryland. We had the best first date. Before it was over, he was stripping (only taking off his shirt) and I was putting dollar bills in his pants. Trust me, when I tell you, it’s a long story!” Yolanda related a particularly
meaningful moment in her life. “I was facing major surgery a few years ago. I was scared to death. Greg was there to drive me and my mother to the hospital and just moments before going in to meet my doctor--I freaked out! Greg, with his-never-flustered demeanor, simply held my hand and reassured me that everything would be okay. That God was in the midst and that I would come out of surgery just fine and he’d be right there waiting for me. I’ve never shared this with him, but that calmed me down and gave me the strength to endure the operation.” Yolanda realized Greg was “the one” after missing him immediately after spending a nice weekend together. She said, “He’s been there through thick n’ thin for me and my family. And that means the world to me!” They decided to get married on Siesta Key after a native Floridian friend of Yolanda’s raved about a recent visit. Since they both love the beach and warm weather a little research sealed the deal. Sand Petals Weddings of Sarasota, Florida (sandpetalweddings.com) provided everything in Yolanda and Greg’s beach wedding package.
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
Off Islands
By Rodger Skidmore
The Sands of Time
They say that as you grow older, time seems to pass more quickly. The evidence is always before us: it seems there is a full moon every three weeks, each year there is less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the sand on one Sarasota beach or another is always being renourished. Of course renourishment only seems like one big plan of “man holding back the forces of nature” when it comes to building out our beaches to where we feel they should be. In actuality there are many little plans. Last month the Sarasota County Commission approved spending $1 million to pump sand onto Lido Beach so that there would be enough sand there until they decide to spend more money to put more sand there. Really! Sort of like Congress passing an interim budget to get us past some imagined crisis until one side or the other gives up a little and both can say they held fast to their principles. The only difference is that Mother Nature holds all the cards and doesn’t seem inclined to give up. Looking at Google’s satellite map, one finds no keys or sandbars between Apalachicola and the keys of Southwest Florida: they start appearing around New Port Richey and Tarpon Springs. There they are not inhabited and are little more than sand bars. The first homes appear on the key that starts just north of Clearwater. From there, all the way down to Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach, there is just one long continuous key with dozens of passes that break it up into small marketable sections. The origin of the sand on our beaches is the weathered quartz crystals that washed down from the granite in the Appalachian Mountains about 20,000 years ago. This sand that makes up our keys has been constantly moving southward, pushed by the loop current in the Gulf of Mexico. If the keys have been formed by this southward flow of sand, one would expect that the northern beaches would be continually renourished and new keys would keep forming to the south as the older sand migrates down the coast. Well, it seems that the older
sand is migrating but the question is, where is the new sand that should be adding to the keys from Clearwater down to Venice?
No one is exactly sure how long this $1 million worth of sand is going to last on Lido but the plan is to keep it in place so no expensive condo or hotel washes away. This will give the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) time to fine tune a new approach that will keep sand from drifting away for a much longer period. The stopgap measure is going to take from Peter to pay Paul – in this case to take from New Pass and give to Lido. The funding to move 200,000 cubic yards of sand is coming from the Hurricane Debby fund of 2012 and will cover about 1.8 miles of beach from the Lido Pool down to the end of Ted Sperling Park on South Lido Beach. The reason the longer term plan for Lido is still in flux is because the residents of Siesta Key don’t want to give back to Lido the sand that washed from Lido down into Big Pass and on to Siesta. They also take exception to the proposed groins that ACE proposes to install on Lido. Those groins would, in the future, stop more sand from drifting from Lido into Big Pass. The groins would be good for Lido but, if sand stops moving down to Siesta Key and the sand there keeps drifting south, then Siesta Key will be in the same position that Lido is in now – not enough sand.
Back to the Future
In the past few years the United States Postal Service has been pressed on all sides. FedEx and UPS have been taking over package deliveries, bills are paid automatically via the banks, personal letters are being replaced by email, and post cards by Twitter. So, is it a step forward or backwards that Longboat
Key wishes to hold their next referendum solely by mail? An all-mail election or referendum sounds revolutionary but, in fact, with so many voters now using absentee ballots, we have been moving in this direction for some time. The issue at hand is whether voters will permit 300 tourism (rental) units to be added to the Longboat Key Club. The upside of this, whether the proposal passes or not, is that the Longboat Key Club will pay the mailing costs for this May 12th referendum rather than the town. Of course even more money could be saved by the town of Longboat Key, and all other election districts, if they collected the email addresses of all voters and went to an all-electronic voting process. Or politicians could simply take out advertisements that say “Like me on Facebook”. Maybe next year.
Novel form of Birth Control
The city commissioners of Holmes Beach have come up with a new way to limit family size. They have just imposed a moratorium on remodeling or construction of homes with four or more bedrooms. Commissioner Marvin Grossman proposed the ban because the number of purely residential houses has been decreasing and the number of rental units has been increasing, materially changing the ratio of year round residents vs. seasonal renters. The moratorium will be in place for 9 months, which is about right for those residents wishing to expand their families.
Fishing for Compliments
Bradenton Beach has a new fishing pier and the builder, Duncan Seawall, and the engineering firm, ZNS Engineering, received compliments for creating an attractive venue for fishing and for doing so on schedule. The previous pier had been in decline and was done in by tropical storm Debby back in 2012. No fishing license will be necessary to fish from the pier which will be a big draw for area fishermen and great for the Bridge Street shops.
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Snapshots of Island Visitors
Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography Gary, Sharon & Mathew age 9mo. visiting from Michigan. Gary is a photographer who travels the country, posting their roadside journeys. This was Matthew’s first time to SK!
Eddie age 5, Kaitlyn age 6, Ann, Vinnie age 1 (in the stroller sleeping) Teresa age 3, Katie, Caroline age 9, Molly age 8, on vacation from St. Louis
Financial Focus
|Be Aware of Risks of Not Investing You’ve no doubt heard about the risks associated with investing. This investment carries this type of risk, while that investment carries another one. And it is certainly true that all investments do involve some form of risk. But what about not investing? Isn’t there some risk associated with that, too? In fact, by staying on the investment sidelines, or at least by avoiding long-term, growth-oriented investments, you may incur several risks. Here are some to consider: • You might not keep up with inflation. If you put all your money under the proverbial “mattress,” or, more realistically, you keep it all in “cash” instruments and very shortterm investments, you might think you are “playing it safe.” After all, you might reason, your principal is protected, so even if you don’t really make any money, you’re not losing it, either. But that’s not strictly true, because if your money is in investment vehicles that don’t even keep up with inflation, you can lose ground. In fact, even at a relatively mild three percent annual inflation rate, your purchasing power will decline by about half in just 25 years. • You might outlive your money. For a 65-year-old couple, there’s a 50 percent chance that one spouse will live past age 90, according to the Society of Actuaries. This statistic suggests that you may need your
investments to help provide enough income to sustain you for two, or even three, decades in retirement. • You might not be able to maintain your financial independence. Even if you don’t totally run out of money, you could end up scrimping by — or, even worse, you could become somewhat dependent on your grown children for financial assistance. For most people, this prospect is unacceptable. Consequently, you’ll want to make appropriate financial decisions to help maintain your financial independence. • You might not be able to retire on your terms. You would probably like to decide when you retire and how you’ll retire — that is, what sort of lifestyle you’ll pursue during retirement. But both these choices may be taken out of your hands if you haven’t invested enough to retire on your own terms. • You might not be able to leave the type of legacy you desire. Like most people, you would probably like to be able to leave something behind to your family and to those charitable organizations you support. You can help create this type of legacy through the appropriate legal vehicles — i.e., a will, a living trust and so on — but you’ll still need to fund these mechanisms somehow. And that means you’ll need to draw on all your financial assets, including your investments.
SKA meeting notes Commissioner Maio added that anyone with questions could send an e-mail to him at amaio@scgov. net. He will copy it to his assistant who will get that e-mail onto the right desk. It is also possible to call 941.861-5000 where a trained individual will help get you to the
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Work with your financial advisor to determine the mixture of growth and income investments you need during your working years and as you move toward retirement to help you meet your retirement goals. However you do it, get into the habit of investing, and never lose it — because the risks of not investing are just too great. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Joe St Onge Jr, ChFC® Financial Advisor Edward Jones Investments 5112 Ocean Blvd. Siesta Key, FL 34242 (941)-346-0560 phone (941)-320-4030 mobile Joe.StOnge@edwardjones.com
Continued from page 2
right person.
New Business
The old Wastewater Treatment Plant is being decommissioned in 2016. The County will be looking at possible options for the use of that site. A Craft Fair will be held in the
Village on February 7th and 8th. Streets will not be blocked off as all displays will be on the sidewalks. The next meeting will be held on February 5th, 2015. The SKA Annual Brunch will be held on March 7th in place of the March meeting.
What Better Subject for Valentine’s Day than Lips?
Lips are the portals that help us take in food, liquids and air. They are also important in communication, both verbal and non-verbal and let’s not forget they’re very important in relationships and for expressing love and affection. Lips need care especially in the heat and sunshine of our area. They tend to dry out and become cracked because they lack oil and sweat glands. They are also a clue to our overall health. Keep this in mind d for lip health...avoid or protect against dryness and the sun. n. ♥ Don’t lick them ♥ Avoid mouth breathing ♥ Stay hydrated ♥ Protect with frequent applications of thin coats of lip balm of at least SPF15. So, be good to yourself in 2014 and remember that anything that doesn’t get better in a week or so needs to be checked out..
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
941-966-5603
Sheriff’s Report
Dec. 16, 2014 – Jan. 20, 2015
There were a total of 28 crimes reported on the Key from 12/16/14 – 1/20/15 12/19/14 Petit Theft 8000 Block Midnight Pass Rd
An officer responded to a call by a highly intoxicated male who was not making sense over the phone. A man advised that two females that he picked up at a bar crashed his vehicle. The women offered to drive the man home because he was too intoxicated to drive. The victim did not have any information or description about the females other than the fact that they were females. The two females drove the victim to Turtle Beach from Smoking Joe’s. When they arrived in the parking lot they called another friend to come pick them up. They then stole the victim’s keys that also had his house key on the ring. After the females left, the man noticed there was heavy damage done to the front of his vehicle. The man did not remember anything unusual happening along the way due to his level of intoxication. No agencies had reported a hit and run crash. The damage to the vehicles grills area; front hood and shattered windshield are consistent with running into a cement block wall. Traffic units checked the areas between the bar and the beach with negative results.
12/22/14 Grand Theft 6000 Block Midnight Pass Rd
A woman reported that an unknown subject stole several items from her condo a few weeks prior. The victim stated she had recently had some tile and plumbing work done inside her condo. Due to the amount of concrete dust in the apartment, the condo association hired a company to come and clean up the mess. The service was inside the apartment unattended on three separate occasions. The woman stated that after the job was finished she and her husband noticed a watch, a GPS unit and two pairs of sunglasses were missing from the apartment, and felt that some or all of the workers stole the items. The items had been in the living room area (due to cleaning out other cabinets in the house) when they were taken.
12/23/14 Petit Theft 400 Block Island Circle
A man reported a residential burglary. An officer met with the
complainant who explained he had a UPS package taken from outside his fence overnight. The package had been left hanging on a fence in a plastic bag sometime between 8pm on 12/22 and 4:30 am on 12/23. The man had woken up around 4:30 am and told the officer he did not believe the package had been taken at that time, as he did not see anything suspicious out of his window. He only discovered the package was missing shortly after 8am. It is unknown what was contained in the package as it was a Christmas gift ordered online. The package was valued at approximately $200, though the exact amount would not be known until the man found out what item was taken. The package was suspended from the fence in a clear plastic bag, which was found hanging from the fence by the victim. The bag had been cut open and the package removed. There are no known suspects
12/25/14 100 Block Beach Rd Domestic Battery
Officers responded to the incident address to assist Animal Services with a dog bite complainant. When they arrived officers located the address where the defendant and the victim were staying with their dogs. According to the couple, they have been dating for 10 years and live together in Pennsylvania. Both parties consider themselves to be married. While speaking with the couple, it was obvious that they were intoxicated. During the investigation, the defendant became upset and began to argue with the victim about paying the
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ticket by animal services. When the victim stated that he would pay the ticket, the defendant then turned and struck the victim on the left side of his face with a closed fist. The defendant backed herself up to a wall and was immediately taken into custody by the officer. She was charged with simple batterydomestic.
Designed to Appeal to Residents And Visitors Alike! Come Visit Us!
12/27/14 Grand Theft 5200 Block Ocean Blvd
A man called the Sheriff’s office to report an unknown subject stole his cell phone while he was out in Siesta Village. The victim stated that late that night he and a friend were inside the 7 – Eleven on Ocean Blvd when he called a cab company to come and pick them up. The cab arrived and took them to their destination. After getting out of the cab the man realized his iPhone 6 was missing. The victim wasn’t sure if he left the phone on the counter at the store or left it in the cab when he got out. The man advised that he had called the store and the cab company, but his phone hadn’t been turned in. He was unsuccessful in finding the phone using his ‘find my iPhone’ app because whomever has it turned the phone off so it couldn’t be located.
1/10/15 Burglary Vehicle 1200 Block Old Stickney Pt Rd
A man reported someone had entered his unlocked vehicle and took his credit cards out of his wallet. Continued on page 36
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Andrew Monroe Memorial Run By Trebor Britt A chilly morning did not deter more than 300 children, youth and adults from participating in the 2nd Annual Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship 5K Walk/ Run on Siesta Beach recently. The event was established to honor the life of Andrew Monroe who was killed along with three other students, in a tragic automobile accident in 2011. He was a Freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University working on an Athletic Training Degree at the time. Proceeds from the run benefit soccer players at Riverview High School in Sarasota where Andrew played, as well as other county soccer players through the Andrew Monroe
Scholarship Fund. Senior male and female soccer players have the opportunity to receive scholarships through an essay process. Andrew’s love for soccer prompted his parents, Sam and Stacey Monroe of Sarasota, to fund scholarships in his name. He also had a heart for the unfortunate so this year the Monroe’s asked for participants to bring a can of food for the Mayor’s “Feed the Hungry” Program. Awards were presented to the top three runners in five different categories. For more information or to sign up for next years run, go to: www.andrewmonroe.com
Andrew’s mom, Stacy Monroe expressing her thanks before the run.
Many of Riverview High School’s Varsity Soccer Team participated.
Riverview High School’s JROTC Honor Guard presenting the colors. Andrew was a member.
Another picture perfect Siesta Key Sunset Photo by Donnarose Melvin
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
VILLAGE MAP pgs 20 - 21
ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 38
GULF GATE SHOPS pg 28
CRESCENT BEACH MAP pg 22
LOCAL MAPS INSIDE
LIVE MUSIC PAGE 24
The Publication with “Key” Information | www.SiestaSand.net | 941.349.0194
Snapshots of Island Visitors
Siesta Key Drum Circle
Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography 1
3
Every Sunday is a perfect time to come to the Key for 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 sunset. 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 Emy Stein.
2
4
1: Morgan, Julie and Sawyer age 5, from Michigan – enjoying a day at the beach. 2: Big smile from Charlotte of Sarasota, currently in Uganda with her family on a mission trip. 3: Max age 7, Mia age 5, and Mason age 5 from Indiana, building sand castles & motes. 4: age 3, Christina, Francois from Alberta, Canada.
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
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
19
Snapshots of Island Visitors
Food and Wine Pairings
Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography
By Maureen Rooney, Siesta Key Wines & Gifts Romantic Wines for February
When you think about it, it’s not a coincidence that we celebrate Valentine’s day in the cold month of February. The idea of snuggling close to someone on a cold winter evening in front of a fire is much more romantic than swatting mosquitoes on a humid sticky night in August. Celebrating romance in February gives us a great excuse to break out all those romantic wines we’ve been saving for a cold winter’s evening. This month we are breaking open two wonderful Cotes du Ventoux: Cuvee 3 Messes Basses Rouge and Cuvee 3 Messes Basses Blanc. The grapes of 3 Messes Basses are grown on the southern slope of the Mount Ventoux mountain in an ancient, decomposing limestone soil. Wines are aged in cement vats for several months and final blending of the wine is completed just before bottling. The Rouge is a garnet purple color
Wanda & Jessica from Chicago.
Map B #42
ACCOMMODATIONS Siesta Beach Resort ........................Map-A #38A ART GALLERY / STUDIO Calle Studios.........................................Map-B #32 Siesta Key Art Gallery........................Map-D #11 ATM / BANKS PNC ATM............................................. Map-C #61 Martin Funding......................................Map-E #1 Sun Trust Bank & ATM.........................Map-E #4 BAKERY A Taste of Germany............................Map-C #53 Meany’s Mini Donuts......................... Map-C #24 BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Blase Café.............................................Map-A #38 Blu Que Island Grill..........................Map-C #57 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 BOOK STORES Used Book Heaven...............................Map-B #48 COFFEE SHOPS Lelu’s Coffee Lounge...........................Map-B #31 The Local Bean.....................................Map-D #62 DRUG & HARDWARE Davidson’s Drugs................................Map-D #65 Village Hardware................................ Map-C #26 FASHION & ACCESSORIES Aqua Beachwear................................ Map-D #12 Beach Bazaar & Swin Shack........... Map-C #28 Blvd. Beachwear.................................. Map-B #30 Comfort Shoes-Birki & More.........Map-D #64 Foxy Lady Fashions........................... Map-A #40 Gidget’s Coastal Provisions.............Map-B #44 Island Cotton Company.....................Map-C #29 Island Boutique...................................Map-C #50 Island Style...........................................Map-C #53 Lotus Boutique................................... Map-D #66 Reel Hobby.......................................... Map-D #10 Siesta T’s............................................... Map-B #30 Sun Glass Outlet..................................Map-C #24 Women’s World................................... Map-D #9 GAS STATION Circle K Store......................................... Map-E #6 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Beach Bazaar...................................... Map-C #28 Created Gems......................................Map-C #51 Hurricane Rita’s Gifts.........................Map-C #51 Mount-N-Repair.................................. Map-B #48 Sea Pleasures & Treasures...................Map-C #2 Siesta Key Bead Shack....................... Map-A #36 Siesta Key’psakes................................ Map-B #29 Siesta Key Outfitters.........................Map-D #11 Siesta Key University.......................... Map-B #36 HEALTH & FITNESS Indep. Lifestyle Solutions ................ Map-D #10 Siesta Key Fitness..............................Map-B #73 Studio Rubylakes................................ Map-B #49 ICE CREAM/TREATS Big Olaf Creamery..............................Map-C #52 Ciao Gelato...........................................Map-C #50 Siesta Key Sweet Shop......................... Map-D #9 SubZero Ice Cream Yogurt............... Map-D #16 Sunni Bunni Frozen Yogurt...............Map-C #53 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson Drugs................................. Map-D #65 Internet Cafe......................................... Map-D #9 Lelu Coffee Lounge............................. Map-B #31 The Local Bean.................................... Map-D #62 Map C #61
20
JEWELRY Created Gems......................................Map-C #51 Michael & Co. Jewelers...................... Map-B #29 Mount -N- Repair Jewelers................ Map-B #48
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
with a fruity bouquet. It is extremely well balanced with aromas of stewed fruits, cinnamon and cloves with a long finish. Pairs well with hearty dishes and meats. 3 Messes Basses Rouge is made of Grenache Noir 50%, Carrignon 30% and Syrah 20%. The Blanc has a bright acidity and freshness due to inhibiting malolactic fermentation. Light yellow with green flecks and a complex floral bouquet. Hints of peach and citrus that’s crisp, light and elegant. Very nice as a stand alone wine and pairs well with seafood and white meats. For a decadent dessert, I am once again recommending our Chocolate Raspberry Port. Made with Belgian Chocolate and Raspberries it has been our specialty port for the past seven years! Smooth, silky and sinful. Our customers have shared their favorite serving ideas with us over the years. Poured over vanilla bean ice cream, over cheese cake, in brownies, with whipped cream over berries, reduced for a steak sauce, or
by itself in a glass by a fire. How will you serve your bottle of Chocolate Raspberry Port? Send us your ideas and recipes for us to share. Remember, if you’re ever in our area, stop in for a sample at Siesta Key Wines in the Village or email us at drinkwine@ siestakeywines.com. CHEERS! 5138C Ocean Blvd., 941-552-9105
The Shoe Store of Siesta Key His sons, Todd and Joshua, went to high school here, moved away, and are now back in town, having brought with them two wives and four sons of their own. In the 1990’s Rick stopped working for the wholesale manufacturer of shoes, and went into business for himself. He bought 7 small companies and merged them into one. In 1995, he ended up owning a Commercial Printing Business in New Orleans which had 50 employees. This was a large operation. All was going smoothly until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina took him out. In 2008, Rick bought Comfort Shoes on Siesta Key. His oldest son, Todd, ran it for the first two years while Rick went off to play golf five days a week. “I needed more,” says Rick, so he became increasingly involved with the operation of his shoe store. Comfort Shoes felt like home from Day One. Many knee, hip and back problems stem from wearing the wrong shoes, and Rick saw the store as a way to make a contribution to improving people’s health. “Our shoes are all about comfort,” says Rick. “Ours is a
fun, FUN store! I’m very proud of our lines. A lot of people look at us as just a resort store, but our local business is very good. Even the seasonals return every year, and that is kind of neat. They all come by to say hello.” In addition to the 200-yearold Birkenstock line, Comfort Shoes handles Birki’s, A’RCOPEDICO, Papillio, and Taos footwear. They also carry Naot (a 60 year old shoe company from Israel); Mephisto (a 65 year old French company); and Josef Seibel (a European Comfort Shoe Company that is over 100 years old.) Other shoe offerings include Merrell, Teva, Cushe, Tommy Bahama, GOluKai, Fitflop, Orthaheel, Keds, Ecco, Romika, Chaco, Jambu and—my personal favorite— OOFOS, a newly invented modestly priced sandal made from gel foam. Not so long ago, people used to stop in to see Barney, a real live Bassett Hound who ‘worked’ at the store for 5 years. (Bassetts are the logo dogs for Hush Puppies, a large conglomerate of shoe stores.) Rick grins: “Barney’s union contract cut him down to 3 days a week, and now he is retired.”
Continued from cover story
Today, a small toy Bassett sits on a shelf reminding visitors of the Barney days. Only 500 yards from the beach, Comfort Shoes is located in the village at 5128 Ocean Boulevard, right next to Davidson’s Drugs. It is open 7 days a week: 10 to 5 on Monday through Saturday, and 9 to 1 on Sunday. Many of their shoes can be seen on their website at www. comfortshoessiestakey.com . The store can be reached by phone at (941) 3467425
• segway rentals • PaDDleBOarDs • scOOter cars • kayak tOurs/rentals • Bikes • scOOters • Beach gear 5255 Ocean Blvd • Siesta Key Village www.robinhoodrentals.net
941-554-4242
LIQUOR STORES / FINE WINES Gabbiano’s Wine Club....................... Map-D #70 Gilligan’s.............................................. Map-B #33 Siesta Key Wines............................... Map-C #61 The Beach Club................................... Map-D #22 MAILING - SHIPPING UPS store............................................. Map-A #41 US Post Office..................................... Map-D #65 MARKETS/FOOD STORES 7-11 Store.............................................. Map-B #46 Circle K Store......................................... Map-E #6 Siesta Market........................................Map-C #25 MASSAGE Hands of Light Massage.................... Map-B #35 Massage Experience Siesta Key......Map-D #62 Massage Therapy.................................. Map-E #1 Siesta Key Massage Ctr......................Map-D #9 MEDICAL - DENTAL Sarasota Medical Ctr.......................... Map-D #63 Siesta Key Physical Therapy............. Map-D #20 MISCELLANEOUS Chamber of Commerce..................... Map-D #67 Roberti Enterprises............................ Map-A #39 Sheriff’s Office...................................... Map-D #9 Tarot Card Reading & Gifts...............Map-C #50
Bringing you quality and comfort for more than 30 years!
Birkenstock & More 5128 Ocean Blvd. Siesta Village
941-346-7425 www.rickscomfortshoes.com
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CG Designs...........................................Map-E #1 Edward Jones Investments............... Map-D #68 Smith Architects.................................. Map-E #74 REAL ESTATE / RENTAL SERVICES Coldwell Banker Realty..................... Map-D #20 Horizon Realty.................................... Map-B #34 Island Homes.......................................Map-C #51 Key Realty.............................................Map-E #5 Michael Saunders Realty..................Map-E #72 Re/Max Alliance Group................... Map-D #60 ReMax Tropical Sands....................... Map-D #67 Robasota Rentals & Real Estate..... Map-A #39 Siesta Key Realty.................................. Map-D #9 Waterside Realty.................................Map-C #29 RESTAURANTS / CAFES 314 II, Craft Beer board Room........... Map-A #37 A Taste of Germany.......................... Map-C #53 Another Broken Egg..................Map-C #54 & 55 Beach Bites..........................................Map-D #16 Blase Café............................................ Map-A #38 Blu Que Island Grill......................... Map-C #57 Bonjour French Cafe...........................Map-C #47 Café Gabbiano.................................... Map-D #71 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar............... Map-B #42-43 Eat Here Restaurant.....................Map-D #17-18 Flavio’s Brick Oven & Bar.................. Map-B #29 Flavio’s Italiano Ristorante................ Map-B #30 Gilligan’s Island Bar & Grill.............. Map-B #33 Jo To’s Japanese Restaurant...............Map-C #47 LeLu’s Coffee Bar................................ Map-B #31 Lobster Pot.......................................... Map-C #23 Napoli’s Italian Restaurant................Map-C #53 Old Salty Dog Rest. & Pub................... Map-E #2 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
Map C #53
Map D #11
SPAS - HAIR & BEAUTY Nails By Iris..........................................Map-C #50 Salon Capelli......................................... Map-D #9 Sassy Hair Salon................................ Map-A #40 Siesta Key Nails.................................... Map-D #9 Village Barber....................................... Map-D #9 SPORTS INTEREST/RENTALS CaliFlorida............................................ Map-B #32 Robin Hood Rentals.........................Map-D #34 Siesta Village Outfitters......................Map-C #53
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
21
CRESCENT BEACH SHOP INDEX
Things You Like...................................... C-3 #14 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Capt. Curt’s Souvenirs.............................B-3 #8 Green Turtle Shells & Gifts................. C-3 #14 The Silversmith ...................................... D-3 #17 Silver City Jewelry.................................. C-3 #14 HEALTH & BEAUTY Lorraine’s Beauty & Barber.....................B-3 #8 Salon Siesta............................................... D-3 #17 Siesta Key Salon & Spa........................... C-3 #14 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
“Home of the Orange Squeeze!”
Siesta Spirits............................................. C-3 #17 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 Moynihan Realty..................................... D-3 #17 Re/Max Tropical Sands............................B-3 #1 Siesta 4-Rent.............................................. C-3 #1 RESTAURANTS
Capt. Curts Crab & Oyster Bar.................B-3 #7 City Pizza Italian Restaurant............... D-3 #17 Clayton’s Siesta Grille...............................B-3 #9 Javier’s Restaurant.................................. 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 CB’s Island Outfitters.............................. 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 Parasailing............................... A-4 #5 Siesta Sports Rentals............................... A-3 #2 Siesta Sports Rentals............................. C-3 #14 Waves Boat & Social Club...................... A-5 #12
Big Water Fish Market................................C-3 #17 Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill...............A-5 #12
“A Tropical Department Store“
SHELL & GIFT CITY
$
Siesta Key’s Most Friendly & Unique Shopping Spot! SOUTHBRIDGE MALL
OPEN 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM DAILY
G
IN FEATUR
Map B-3#8
19.95 Reg. To $49.00
SIESTA KEY
Siesta Key’s Largest Seashell & Coral Selection!
Hand Made Ice Cream
GIFTS & SOUVENIRS BEACH FASHIONS BEACH SUPPLIES BEACH COVER-UPS LADIES & JUNIORS FASHIONS SUPER MEN'S LINE
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
!
THE GREEN TURTLE
er Sale up Ladies Bathing Suits
S
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 & SANDWICHES Anna’s Deli & Sandwiches.................. 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 Key Casual Fashions............................... D-3 #17
In South Bridge Mall
6525 Midnight Pass Road
MAP B-3#14
FREE! FREE! FREE! A Free Tropical Gift! 79 c Just For Stopping In
349-4751
941-346-8080
green TURTLE COUPON
VALUE
With This Coupon
No Purchase Necessary
EXPIRES:7/05/2010 Expires 12/31/15
Map C-3#14 Open 7 Days 9 am-5 pm
941-346-1797
“Voted Small Business of the Year by Siesta Key Chamber”
RepaiRs, sales anD accessORies
HOuRly • Daily • Weekly
TREK BIKES • BEACH WHEELCHAIRS • PADDLEBOARDS SCOOTERS • SCOOTER CARS • KAYAKS • KAYAK TOURS CHAIRS/UMBRELLAS • STROLLERS • SNORKELING GEAR
New 50cc Scooters
KAYAK TOURS ONLY 45/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
$ off SCOOTER RENTALS Half Days/Full Days/Multi Day Rentals with this Coupon 12/31/15 EXPIRES 12/31/14
© Island Visitor Publishing, LLC 2012
Bikes • Kayaks • Scooters • Kayak Tours
Map B-3#8
Anna’s Deli 6535 Midnight Pass Rd.
MAP C-3 #14
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters 1249 Stickney Point Rd.
MAP A-3 #4
Coconuts Fashion MAP 1215 Old Stickney Point Rd. B-3 #1&8
Siesta 4-Rent 6555 Midnight Pass Rd.
MAP C-3 #1
Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Road
MAP C-4 #17
Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill 1500 Stickney Point Rd.
PLACE YOUR AD HERE Island Visitor Publishing 941-349-0194 22
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
MAP A-5 #12
Water World
Captain Jim Klopfer Adventure Charters 941-371-1390
Sarasota native Erinn DeJonge with a big Myakka River snook
February is the last month of winter here in Sarasota. There will be days when it feels like spring is in the air. But, weather patterns will still be unstable, and fishing will follow suit. Being flexible and understanding how weather affects fish behavior will be the key to angling success this month. On many mornings the tide will be very low, especially with a hard northeast wind following a cold front. Under these conditions, fishing the afternoon high tide is often a better choice. Also avoid the areas near the passes after a blow, the cold and dirty water is not conducive to success. One species that anglers can count on most every trip in February is sheepshead. They bite better in cold, dirty water than most other species do. Also, redfish, black drum, and flounder will be caught on the same structure and using the same techniques that are effective for sheepies. Basically, any structure will attract sheepshead. From the rocks at the west end to the Siesta Drive Bridge on the east side, the north end of Siesta Key is a great area to fish. Deep water, docks, rocks, seawalls, and rip-rap will attract and hold fish. All of the bridges and docks in both Big Pass and New Pass may hold fish, as well as the docks and oyster bars south to Albee Rd. The preferred rig is a #1 live bait hook with a 24” piece of 20 lb leader and just enough weight to hold bottom. Live and frozen shrimp, fiddler crabs, sand fleas, and oyster worms are the top baits. Shrimp are the easiest bait to obtain and work great. Sheepshead bite very lightly. Usually, it starts with several light “taps”. It is important not to move the bait at all, the fish will sense that something is wrong. Instead, wait for a steady pull, then reel fast and raise the rod tip sharply. Anglers fishing from Siesta Key beaches should do well when the surf is clear. Whiting will be abundant and silver trout, flounder, pompano, sheepshead, ladyfish and other species will hit live or frozen shrimp fished near the bottom. The deeper grass flats all throughout the area will be productive for speckled trout this month. Incoming tides a couple hours before high tide are usually the best times to fish. Again, avoid the areas around the passes when dirty water is present. The area further south, from CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at Stickney Pt. to Marker #19 in Nokomis, stays protected, resulting in reliable February fishing. Cotee jigs, Rapala suspending plugs, gold spoons, and live shrimp under a popping cork are all effective baits. Pompano, jack crevelle, ladyfish, and bluefish all feed over the deep grass. Snook will be found in creeks and residential canals, along with redfish, drum, flounder, sheepshead, and jacks. Rapala X-Raps, scented soft plastics, and live shrimp will all produce fished near structure in creeks and canals. A slow presentation will be more productive in the cooler water.
Notes from the Island Fishmonger TIS THE SEASON....FOR FISH
No it’s not the holiday season again but tis the season for some delicious cold water fish. This is the time of year that true seafood lover’s taste buds go crazy. As the Gulf waters cool, the fish are forced to move more than normal which creates an active, leaner and tastier fish & shellfish. During the cold water months fish are higher in omega-3 fatty acids because their environment and diet promotes production of this fat as insulation. Omega 3 fatty acids we know is the good fat and have many great health benefits. During this time of year the price of Snappers and Groupers are at the highest prices of the year but it’s not the end of the world. Stay with me here... Rumor has it that Florida’s most popular fish like Snappers and Groupers have a price increase in February and March because of all the tourism influence in our state. That is simply not true. The reason for the yearly increase is simply a matter of supply and demand. Not only are Gag/Black Groupers closed in the Atlantic until the end of March and American Red Snapper is out of season and closed to commercial fishing until June but the entire Mexican Gulf Coast is closed to all Grouper fishing this time of year. Well where do you think Mexico is getting their Grouper from? That’s right....Florida. So if the only fresh Gulf Grouper available is Florida Grouper what do you think happens.... yeah you got it, Grouper and Snapper prices go up. Well, have no fear that your fish prices are on the rise because your local fishmonger has some alternative solutions and advice. Here is a list of delicious, edible and affordable fish to look for in February and March at your local Fish Market.
Let’s go sailing, KATHLEEN D Sailing Catamarans, serving Siesta Key from 3 locations, Downtown Sarasota, Longboat Key and Anna Marie Island. If you would like to experience being on the water viewing Dolphin Watches, Sunset Sails, Snorkeling and Shelling call us at 941870-4349 or go to our web site for detailed information www.kathleend.net USCG Certified for 20 passengers.
Located at Turtle Beach Marina in South Siesta Key | 941.349.3119 www.siestakeycharterfishing.com Captain Joe Bonaro offers more than exciting deep sea fishing opportunities aboard “Sarasota’s
MANGROVE SNAPPERS: With no American Red Snapper available, Mutton Snapper, Queen Snapper, and Mangrove Snapper are excellent substitutes and all have the same mild and sweet Snapper flavor. Mangrove Snapper can be found in schools on grass flats around bridges and near other underwater structures and are also known for their light, flaky texture. POMPANO: Pompano is a very popular fish this time of year. Although they yield small fillets, they have a light, moist fish taste with a very distinct, butter-like flavor with a firm and durable texture. They can often be caught right off shore / beach as they school in the surf flats. AMBERJACK: Just as lobsters were once considered a “poor man’s meal”, Amberjack also was once considered a “trash fish” but no more. This local fish is a large deep water fish that feeds off of shrimp and smaller fish. It is one of the more versatile fish when it comes to cooking as it holds up well on an outdoor grill, oven or is also great fried. It has a thick white flake to the meat and boasts a flavor similar to a Mahi Mahi. I use this fish in my Gumbo and Fish tacos. TRIPLE TAIL: Although not as well-known as Grouper and Snapper, this fish sells out of Florida retail markets on a daily basis. It is a local fish that is often found by crab traps, channel markers and other floating objects. Because of its strict crustacean diet, this fish is sweet,
white & flaky with a mild taste and a hint of crab flavor. When asked to describe this fish I say if a Snapper and a Grouper were to have a baby it would be a Triple Tail. This is one of the more expensive local fresh fish but it is well worth it and I am not alone when I say it is the best tasting fish in the Gulf. HOG FISH: Easily the mildest fish in the Gulf and for those of you northerners looking for your Cod or Haddock, let me introduce you to the Hog Fish. It has a light Cod-like flavor but more delicate and it absorbs the ingredients you cook with like no other fish filet. It’s like eating a cloud of fish flavor. CORVINA: Great substitute for Grouper, Snapper, or Triple Tail for about $6 a pound less. Some people like it better and the price is right. STONE CRABS, GULF SHRIMP, CLAMS, AND OYSTERS are also in season and fantastic. Yeah I know you could find less expensive seafood at a convenient chain grocery store but you get what you pay for. If you want previously frozen, imported and farm raised seafood you can pay less at your local chain grocery store. Or you can treat yourself to the better fishes in life. You can find all these fresh and local treats from the sea plus much more at your Big Water Fish Market on the Southside of Siesta Key. Sign up for our weekly e-mail to read about the fresh catches and fish market reports at www. bigwaterfishmarket.com Scott Dolan, Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass, Siesta Key, 941-554-8101
RED GROUPER: Despite what I just told you about the upcoming Grouper season Red Grouper will be plentiful and fresh. You might have to pay a $1 or so more a pound for this large, white, flaky, mild tasting Florida favorite but it will be worth it as always. My advice is not to pay more than $22 a pound and make sure you are buying from a respectable and trustworthy fish establishment to ensure you are not buying previously frozen fish. If you think about it, a pound of fresh
|Kathleen D Sailing Catamarans
|The Rumrunner
Grouper at $22 a pound will feed 2 people. At $11 per person that is still a lot less expensive than eating out.
fastest charter boat,” the Rumrunner (941/349-3119). The skipper offers special boat and fishing trips for families – and for families with small children – as well as customized day and overnight trips.
FEBRUARY 2015 TIDE CHART Florida, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Sarasota Bay
February 2015
N 27° 20' / W 82° 33' Date
Day
Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
1
Su
1241pm
High Tide 1.1
1029pm
1.8
609am -0.6
459pm
0.8
717am
611pm
429pm
522am
2
Mo
101pm
1.1
1108pm
1.7
642am -0.6
545pm
0.7
717am
612pm
521pm
606am
3
Tu
117pm
1.1
1145pm
1.7
711am -0.5
625pm
0.6
716am
613pm
613pm
647am
4
We
131pm
1.2
738am -0.4
703pm
0.6
716am
613pm
705pm
725am
5
Th
1221am
1.6
145pm
1.2
803am -0.3
741pm
0.5
715am
614pm
756pm
802am
6
Fr
1257am
1.6
202pm
1.3
828am -0.2
822pm
0.4
714am
615pm
846pm
836am
7
Sa
136am
1.5
224pm
1.4
853am -0.1
907pm
0.3
714am
616pm
937pm
910am
8
Su
218am
1.4
252pm
1.5
920am
0.1
957pm
0.2
713am
616pm
1028pm
944am
9
Mo
306am
1.2
325pm
1.6
948am
0.2
1056pm
0.2
712am
617pm
1120pm
1019am
10
Tu
405am
1.0
403pm
1.6
1018am
0.4
712am
618pm
11
We
526am
0.8
448pm
1.6
1206am
0.1
1050am
0.6
711am
619pm
1213am
1136am
12
Th
729am
0.8
543pm
1.7
126am
0.0
1128am
0.6
710am
619pm
108am
1220pm
13
Fr
947am
0.8
647pm
1.7
244am -0.2
1228pm
0.7
710am
620pm
204am
109pm
14
Sa
1056am
0.9
756pm
1.8
351am -0.4
201pm
0.8
709am
621pm
300am
203pm
15
Su
1132am
1.0
902pm
1.9
447am -0.5
325pm
0.9
708am
622pm
357am
303pm
16
Mo
1159am
1.1
1003pm
2.0
535am -0.6
432pm
0.8
707am
622pm
452am
406pm
17
Tu
1224pm
1.2
1100pm
2.0
618am -0.6
529pm
0.6
706am
623pm
544am
512pm
18
We
1247pm
1.2
1153pm
2.0
658am -0.6
621pm
0.5
705am
624pm
634am
620pm
19
Th
111pm
1.3
735am -0.5
713pm
0.3
705am
624pm
722am
727pm
20
Fr
1246am
1.9
137pm
1.4
810am -0.3
806pm
0.1
704am
625pm
807am
834pm
21
Sa
139am
1.7
205pm
1.6
842am
0.0
902pm
0.0
703am
626pm
852am
939pm
22
Su
234am
1.5
237pm
1.6
913am
0.2
1004pm
0.0
702am
626pm
936am
1043pm
23
Mo
337am
1.2
314pm
1.7
943am
0.5
1114pm -0.1
701am
627pm
1021am
1144pm
24
Tu
458am
1.0
358pm
1.7
1011am
0.6
700am
628pm
1107am
25
We
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630pm
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1056am 3rd
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©2015 FreeTideTables.com - For comparison only - Times are local - Tides in feet from MLLW
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
23
Who’s Playing Tonight It seems like an accomplishment of sorts that this column has nearly completed its 2nd year in the Siesta Sand Newspaper…I have a decent work ethic, but have to wrestle with discipline, ha ha! Thank you to (owner/editors) Bob & Emy for encouraging me to continue and of course the readers, writers and advertisers who keep our local island newspaper vibrant! I’d like to kick off the season this year by retiring a question I’ve asked at nearly every interview… “What is your message to your audience?” Some of the my favorite
CLUB
By Mike Sales
answers to the question are… “Universal love”…”Thank you”… ”I love you”…”I appreciate you keeping an open mind”…”don’t let the music die”…support local musicians”…”enjoy yourself”… ”music is life and life is music”… ”love your life”…”Have fun… When I’m on stage, doing my thing, I have fun. Even when I make a mistake or hit a wrong note”. These expressions of undying gratitude reflect how we all feel toward our audience for enabling us to make a living at this thing we love so dearly. There is, however another seldom voiced sentiment, expressed almost as passionately by nearly everyone I’ve interviewed, which is the subject of this article, but before I begin, I’ll let you in on a little secret; this article is confined to space on the page. I have to make “judgment calls” and since my goal is to present every artist in a favorable light, an interview will often take a break from “the record” as we trade little stories and/or frustrations I wouldn’t print. So, just to air it out and give some attention to something we don’t like to be heard saying, for fear you may think us ungrateful; please lend an open heart and mind to the next few paragraphs. It is very unsettling and happens fairly often that we feel pressured by expectations of what we should play. I imagine the notion goes something like; here you are, on vacation, away from home and work. This is your chance to forget about your cares and really have a good time…cut loose! Tonight, you’re going out to have some food & drinks and party to some music! You know what you like to hear. It’s on your iPod! It’s the music that reminds you of your favorite
times. It was made famous by the artists you love the most. You’re out to have a good time and one key ingredient is good music. No problem so far. In fact, I couldn’t agree more. That’s how classics are made. They strike a chord in many souls and everyone sings along. Chances are, someone will be playing your favorite songs on Siesta Key tonight. So, go ahead, yell out a request or better yet, head on up to the bandstand, throw a tip in the jar and ask for your song, but please keep in mind, that not everybody plays everything. It may sound like such an elementary notion as to not even warrant writing, but it is very common for a request to be presented as if the only requirement for knowing a song is that someone asks for it. It literally takes hours to learn every song, especially to memorize it. Most of us couldn’t possibly know every song everyone wants to hear. There are exceptions, of course. There are some musicians, on our island who are universally inclined, endowed with an encyclopedic catalogue of repertoire and totally capable of playing anything you ask for at the mere mention (true story) but most of us have a comfort zone. I’ve sat across the table from countless musicians who echoed this important point: The best music comes from musicians playing what they play best. To a musician, when a customer levies a demand, they are in effect saying they’re not interested in hearing what the artist plays best. They are, in essence asking the musician to play something that will make their musical experience and that of everyone listening… less. I’d venture to say no one
Mike Sales REALLY feels that way, so here are my thoughts on the subject… You know that song you like so much? You know, the one you want to hear EVERYONE try to play? There was a first time you heard it and it touched and took hold of you to become a part of what you identify as a good time. It’s natural to want to hear the song again…but as I said, not everyone knows it. The good news is; we’ve all been playing and practicing all year and awaiting peak season to arrive, so you can come hear the sets we’ve prepared. You’ll hear unique takes on classics, some obscure tunes and even a few brand new songs written by our local singers…you may even wind up adding some to your iPod. When we are at our best, we’re choosing songs that play comfortably in our style and
covering songs that sound as though they were written just for us. When we share the music we love so dearly, were inviting you to experience the magic first hand. Our goal is to soundtrack your best vacation. We want to help you create new favorite memories. We want you to love our music and come back to hear us play, every time you return to Siesta Key. So, as one question retires, another one takes its place…with respect to discerning tastes, I’ll ask future interviewees to give an example of the music genres they play and artists they cover, after all, it’s the goal of this article to bring you, our beloved audience, a closer look at “Who’s Playing Tonight”. Mike Sales is a local singer/songwriter for more information log onto mikesalessings.com
LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE
BLASE CAFÉ
MONDAY
In the Village 941‐349‐9822
BLU QUE ISLAND GRILL In the Village
941‐346‐0738 DAIQUIRI DECK RAW BAR In the Village
941‐349‐8697
1‐3 –Bain Buckely 5‐9pm ‐ Marcel
TUESDAY
Live Music 6‐10pm 1‐3 –Bain Buckely 5‐9pm – Tommy D
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Live Music 6‐10pm
Live Music 6‐10pm
Live Music (6‐10pm)
Live Music 6‐10pm
1‐3 –Bain Buckely 5‐9pm – Democracy
1‐3 –Bain Buckely
1‐3 Pain Buckley 6‐10pm – Steve Sipes
1‐4 ‐ Live Music Jillian Traxx 6‐10pm
Marvin (acoustic) 4‐8pm DJ Scotty B 10pm‐cl
Matt Gerhart 4‐8pm DJ Daze 10pm – cl
Live Music 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am
Acoustic Pete 1‐5pm Live Music 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am
Patrick Stouteneorough 5‐9pm
Live Music 6 ‐10pm 1‐5pm Georgia & Mike Marcel 6‐10pm DJ Haile Bless Reggae 4‐8pm Road Block 2‐6pm Live Music 6‐10pm Venturas on the back patio (5‐9pm) DJ 10pm – 2am
Rodney Shenk 6‐10pm
RPM 6‐10pm
Patrick 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am
Tony Tyler 7‐11pm
Ben Hammond Open mic nite 7‐11pm
Kettle of Fish 7‐11pm
THE BEACH CLUB
DJ Coz 10pm – 2am
Kettle of Fish 9‐11pm
DJ Rev Kev 10pm – 2am
DJ Xtreme 11pm‐2am
Live Band 4‐7pm 8 – 11pm* DJ Gravity 11‐2am
Live Band 8 –11pm DJ Rev Kev 11pm‐2am
THE COTTAGE
Live Music 6‐9pm
Live Music 6‐9pm
Live Music 6‐9pm
Live Music 7‐10pm
Live Music 7‐10pm
Live Music 7‐10pm
Live Music 6‐9pm
Live Music Noon – 3pm 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm
Live Music Noon – 3pm 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm
Live Music Noon – 3pm 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm
Live Music 1 – 4pm
4:30 – 7:30pm 8:30 –midnight
Live Music 1‐4pm 4:30 – 7:30pm 8:30 ‐ midnight
Live Music Noon – 3pm 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm
Karaoke 9pm – 1am
Karaoke 9pm – 1am
Chris Otto/TBA 6‐10pm
Tommy Rox 6‐10pm
Paul Duffy 6‐10pm
Chris Otto (Every other Fri) Andres Collin 5‐9pm
Larry Williams 5‐9pm
(Reggae Music)
for details
Music All Day
Live Music 4‐8pm
Live Music 4‐8pm
GILLIGANS
In the Village 941‐346‐8122
Lelu’s Coffee Lounge In the Village 941‐346‐5358
SIESTA KEY OYSTER BAR (SKOB) In the Village
941‐346‐5443 In the Village 941‐349‐6311 In the Village 941‐312‐9300
THE HUB‐BAJA GRILL 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
BOATYARD BAR & GRILL Over the South Bridge
941‐921‐6200
BOB’S BOATHOUSE 5515 S. Tamiami Trail 941‐312‐9111 CASEY KEY FISH HOUSE
801 Blackburn Pt. Rd, Osprey
941‐966‐1901
Nick LeValley 6‐10pm
Sunny Jim 6‐10pm
Karaoke 6‐midnight
Live Music Noon – 3pm 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm
RPM 6‐10pm
RPM 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am
SUNDAY
Acoustic Open Mic w/ Nally & Egglefield 6‐10pm Berry Oakley’s Skylab 7‐11pm
Karaoke 9pm ‐1am Chris Otto 6‐10pm
Tiki Tuesday
Professional Night 10pm‐2am
Above information is subject to change. We suggest calling venues for confirmation.
24
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
Swamp Donkie 2‐6pm
Rising Tide 8pm – 12am
See Facebook
Live Music 4‐8pm
Eddie James Jazz Band 6‐10pm Dana & Co 2‐6pm Mike Tozier 8pm – 12am
Chris Otto 2‐6pm
Democracy (Reggae) 10pm‐2am
Democracy 4‐8pm
Island Humor [ On a windy day, an old lady is standing on a street corner, holding on to her hat with both hands, even though her dress is flying up over her face. An old man across the street sees her and runs over. As he approaches her, he says, “Sister, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, standing over here in all this wind with your dress flying over your head, exposing your paraphernalia, and you’re holding that dog gone hat with both hands. You ought to be ashamed.” She looked at him and said, “Look here, fool, everything down there is 80 years old, but this hat is brand new.” [ A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus, and she noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her. She immediately moved to another seat. This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, the man burst out laughing, she complained to the driver and he had the man arrested. The case came up in court. The
judge asked the man (about 20 years old) what he had to say for himself. The young man replied, “Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I couldn’t help but notice her condition. She sat down under a sign that said, ‘The Double Mint Twins are coming’ and I smiled. Then she moved and sat under a sign that said, ‘Logan’s Liniment will reduce the swelling’, and I had to grin. Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, ‘William’s Big Stick Did the Trick’, and I could hardly contain myself. BUT, Your Honor, when she moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, ‘Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this Accident’, I just lost it. “CASE DISMISSED!!” [ Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was? Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses. Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered
that passing through a doorway triggers what’s known as an Event Boundary in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next. Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale. Thank goodness for studies like this. It’s not our age, it’s that darn door!!
IN GULF GATE... MLB/College Packages FULL BAR
Recipe Courtesy: Allrecipes.com / G. Caporale
This is the perfect new cocktail to accompany your Valentine’s Day dinner: two great drinks that taste even better after a kiss
Her Ingredients: 1 fluid ounce raspberry vodka 1 fluid ounce creme de cacao 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup 1 fluid ounce half-and-half cream 2 maraschino cherries 1. Prepare his cocktail by pouring the vanilla vodka and hazelnut liqueur into a rocks glass over ice. Pour the contents of the glass into a cocktail shaker, then pour back into the rocks glass to mix. 2. Prepare her cocktail by pouring the raspberry vodka and creme de cacao into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into a martini glass rimmed with chocolate syrup, pour in the half-and-half, and garnish with maraschino cherries.
6500 Gateway Ave • 941.554.8905
USE BOB’S BOATHO 1.312.9111 4 9 il ra T i m ia 5515 S. Tam
His-N-Hers Cocktails
His Ingredients: 2 fluid ounces vanilla vodka 1 fluid ounce hazelnut liqueur 1/2 cup ice cubes
HOTTEST BAR
...
Month e h T f o r e d n e t r a B
3. Kiss to mix flavors.
Name of Bartender: Jessica Hometown: Sarasota Q: How long have you been bartending?
A: 7 years.
Q: What was the strangest or funniest thing you experienced at work? A: A couple came to the bar, the guy orders his drink but doesn’t know what his girlfriend is having, another guest asks him “first date?” He turned sharply and said “No! we’ve been together 5 Years! She is my fiance” The guest just turned and laughed then said “And you still don’t know what she drinks?....surprised you’re still together.” A few drinks later, the couple leaves. Then a few hours later the guy comes back in and orders a shot of Whiskey. I asked are you ok? He said “no my fiance just left me.” I guess he should have paid more attention to what she drank. Q: What do you do in your spare time? A: I ride my horse, and I love to go to beach! Q: How would you describe yourself? A: Fun, down to earth, Honest and really silly.
Q: How would you describe where you work? A: I think we have one of the most fun unique bars in Sarasota! I love my job at Bob’s. We have amazing food and drink specials daily, and I love all my regulars that come and hang out with me. Q: When’s the best time to see you? A: Tuesday thru Saturday day shift.
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
25
Artist of the Month
By Diana Colson
|Siesta Key Artist, Jan Metzler Artist Jan Metzler and her husband, Don, have been Siesta Key residents for 27 years. Early in her career, she focused on entering juried art festivals. This focus has allowed her to make an excellent living doing what she loved, which is painting in oils, and later in watercolors. A native of Michigan, she started out at Henry Ford Community College, transferred first to the University of Michigan, and then to Macomb Community College. She studied art with several teachers, and speaks most highly of Sister Kuri Matasuki, who also taught at St. Paul’s Academy in Grosse Point. Her interest in painting began when her aunt and cousin talked her into taking an art course in Southgate, Michigan. Of that initial experience, Jan says, “My teacher, Gladys Collier, knew I could paint, but I didn’t. I began by doing paintings of paintings hanging in the Detroit Institute of Arts. That’s how I learned.” Don was very supportive, encouraging her to go to art workshops all over the country. He had been a die maker at Ford Motor Company before moving on to teach skilled trades at Macomb College, where all the automotive companies trained their apprentices. Realizing the extraordinary caliber of his wife’s talent, Don helped her out by doing all of her matting and framing. Jan began to exhibit her work at art shows throughout the United States. “I did the Chicago Gold Coast Show for over 18 years and the Summer Art Fair in Ann Arbor for 39 years. Those two shows were my best markets.” After 20 years at Macomb, Don retired, and for the next 25 years the couple traveled to juried art shows in a 15 ½ foot box truck. Of this era, Jan says: “We rented a beautiful apartment in South Bend, June through September, and did the Midwestern art show circuit on every weekend. Once the shows were over, we traveled.” The
Metzler’s lovely home on Siesta Key is filled with artistic treasures gathered during these extensive travels to exotic lands. A prolific artist, Jan produced a huge body of work in a wide range of styles, some floral, some seascapes, some showing the Japanese influence of her muse, Sister Kuri Matasuki. “I had to go into prints because I could not keep up with the sales of my originals.” In the winter she painted and exhibited in Florida shows such as Siesta Fiesta, St. Armands Circle, Downtown Sarasota, Vero Beach, Naples, and Sanibel Island. She signed her work “J. Metzler” so as not to be labeled a man or a woman. At the peak of her career she was doing 40 shows a year. She
had a huge following and sold to the same people year after year. As a result, her work now hangs in numerous corporate offices and businesses both here and in many foreign countries. Jan Metzler recently retired after 47 years. She still has a storeroom filled with originals and prints. In 2015 when Siesta Fiesta comes to the island, she plans on having a clearance sale of her beautiful art work. It will be held in her home, which is located one block off of Ocean Boulevard at Featherbed Lane, between the Village and ODA. This is a sale not to be missed, so look for the signs!
Island Churches:
Places of Worship the left of the volleyball nets. Contact Aaron Martin at 941-914-3433, to confirm time and location.
• Siesta Key Presbyterian Chapel 4615 Gleason Ave, Siesta Key, 941-349-1166 www.siestakeychapel.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, Florida 34242
Off- Island:
• St. Michael’s Catholic Church 5394 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4174 www.stmichaelssiesta.com
•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. Boniface Episcopal Church 5615 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-5616 www.bonifacechurch.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
Beach Service: • Point of Praise – (Sat. 5-7pm) Live praise and worship music. Free concert on the beach. Public invited. Held the last Saturday of each month on the main beach just to
• First Christian Church 7601 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241. 941-922-4434 www.fccsarasota.com
•Center for Metaphysical Fellowship Sunday Service at 10:30am includes healing, inspirational talk, special music & spirit messages. NEW - Healing Service: 1st tues. of the month at 7pm. 2044 Bispham Road, Sarasota 34231, 941-266-8435 www.cmfsarasota.org
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
Meet your LandingS FLooring SpeciaLiStS
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Beach Road mediation case
Continued from cover story
The Siesta resident worries that allowing the couple to build a structure on their property would threaten a fragile dune environment, impact beach erosion nearby, harm nearby real estate values and impede the beach views for van Roekens and his neighbors. The coastal setback rules — last modified in 2004 — prevent construction on the dune habitat, and help prevent beach erosion and mitigate the effects of floods from significant storm events, such as Tropical Storm Debby in June 2012, which led to significant flooding of Beach Road. In addition to 162 Beach Road, 22 other properties throughout Siesta Key are located past the Coastal Setback Line. Like van Roekens, Catherine Luckner, second Vice President of the Siesta Key Association, also has concerns that a decision to allow construction would be a risk to nearby properties and the sensitive coastal environment. Luckner notes that wildlife use the dune area, including three rare species of birds nesting near the property at 162 Beach Road: the snowy plover, least tern and black skimmer. “It was kind of like a nesting condo,” Luckner said. Allowing a structure beyond the Coastal Setback jeopardizes both this dune ecosystem that is home to wildlife and the shoreline environment that protects the Village. In addition, Luckner worries about the precedent that could impact Siesta Key across the island at the 22 other properties located beyond the Coastal Setback Line. “I think it would be a very risky thing to open tracts of land that are vulnerable to flooding and storm surge,” Luckner told Siesta Sand. A favorable decision by county officials allowing the Allens to build would thus have an impact beyond Beach Road, Luckner said. “If you don’t abide by your own policies, then you have set the precedent for the floodgates to open.” Some of the properties are partially submerged or prone to flood are referred to “water plats” because the platted lots are often under water. Trying to build In January, 2013, owners Ronald and Sonia Allen’s plans to build a three-story home were turned down by county commissioners. Then the Allens submitted revised plans for a smaller, two-story house July 10, along with a new application for a Coastal Setback Variance. In April, 2014, the Sarasota County Commissioners again unanimously denied their request for a the setback variance allowing them to build on the lot. Following the April County Commission vote, the Allens filed a request for relief with the county. As of press time in late January, the county attorney’s office and the property owners’ lawyer are currently wrapping up mediation. The request for relief was filed under a state provision called the Florida Land Use Environmental Dispute Regulation Act. (FLUEDRA). A special magistrate has been acting as mediator between the owners and the county attorney’s office. “They are still involved in the negotiation process,” Sarasota County spokesman Jason Bartolone told Siesta Sand. If an agreement is reached
water. “Once they have one, the next [owner] will ask for one and it will cascade,” van Roekens said. If a structure is built at 162 Beach Road it would likely negatively impact property values, van Roekens argues, and place a home on property that has historically flooded. “It flooded in the 90s, and has flooded before then as well,” van Roekens said. According to van Roekens, the parcel next to 162 Beach Road, which was formerly owned by the Allens, has recently been sold. A packet from the February 19 County Commission meeting includes several aerial images showing how the property has flooded or been surrounded by water in recent history, including after storms in 1980 and 1992. Van Roekens also questioned Ronald Allen’s statement to Siesta Sand that Allen was told he could build a home on the property. “The fact that someone would buy this property knowing the previous owners had been rejected before for a variance… that doesn’t make sense to me.” The main issue is that the parcel is not fit for a residential structure, van Roekens said. “I know this property has flooded in the past,” van Roekens said. “It will flood. There are dunes in there. There is wildlife in there. We saw a Florida panther in our garden.” Luckner notes that the county has been firm on upholding regulations on the waterfront. For instance, a few months ago a waterfront property owner’s plans to triple the square footage on a lot in the Sanderling Club community was denied. Luckner is confident the county will not allow a residential structure on the property and therefore continue to protect the sensitive environment and shoreline. She believes the two new county commissioners will “do their homework” and wouldn’t make a decision that puts part of the Key at risk. One possible outcome is for the county to purchase 162 Beach Road to preserve the beachfront property, Luckner said. by the county and the property owners, the County Commission would have to OK any deal. If an agreement isn’t reached, however, the special magistrate can make a ruling. According to the FLUEDRA statue, “If an acceptable solution is not reached by the parties after the special magistrate’s attempt at mediation, the special magistrate shall consider the facts and circumstances set forth in the request for relief and any responses and any other information produced at the hearing in order to determine whether the action by the governmental entity or entities is unreasonable or unfairly burdens the real property.” According to the Sarasota County Property Records, Ronald and Sania Allen, of Osprey, purchased the property at 162 Beach Road in May 2009 from Brent Cooper, Trustee. Ronald Allen says he has recently modified the homes plans to lessen the house’s square footage. “We’re working with the county attorney and all the other people involved,” Allen told
Siesta Sand. “It’s a long process and very expensive for me. But I can’t just turn my back on it.” Allen expects to hear an outcome in the mediation soon. “My attorney said within the next 30 to 60 days we should get some results,” Allen told Siesta Sand in an interview in mid January. Allen says he “can’t give up” after investing millions in the property and litigation. “I own several properties on Siesta Key, and I was told when I bought it, from the realtor at the time, it was zoned proper and I would be able to build a certain type of home.” Allen said he figured he would probably have to go through hoops to get a new home approved on the Key, but he “didn’t think it would get completely denied.” Van Roekens, who has voiced his concerns publically at commission meetings, believes if a residential structure is approved at 162 Beach Road, that’s not the only structure that could be built. He predicts the owners will request to build a seawall in the near future in order to protect a home that’s built so close to the
Gardens
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Sarasota Garden Club Presents
A Premier Tour of Private Exclusive Gardens
Saturday, March 21, 2015 10am to 5pm Rain or Shine Advanced Reservations: $30/person Day of Tour: $35/person Group rates available upon request
Gourmet To-Go Lunch: $10 pre-order by March 13, 2015
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For More Information & Reservations www.SarasotaGardenClub.org (941) 955-0875 Thank You to Our Gardens in Paradise Sponsors Mark Checcone, MD (941) 404-LIFT
1131 Boulevard of the Arts • Sarasota, FL 34236
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
27
Discover Gulf Gate Discover Gulf Gate:
With our map, located below, you’ll be able to navigate your way to our featured shops with ease. Oh Mamma Mia! (GG-4) Offers a truly unique dining experience with dinner shows by Chef Giuseppe Urbano. Enjoy the family ambiance as you watch him prepare an authentic Italian regional dish with fresh ingredients just for you. Fine dining, great atmosphere at casual dining prices. Reservations highly recommended. Gulf Gate Golf Course – Conveniently located just a stones throw from the Gulf Gate Shops, this 27 hole Executive Course offers men’s and women’s rental clubs. You can start your day with a round of golf, enjoy a bite to eat at the many wonderful restaurants or simply relax with a pint of ale at the pub before you head out to explore the many fine shops. Moments In Time Photography (G-28) specializes in several different photography services including Siesta Key Beach portraits starting at just $49 and wedding 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. 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.
© Island Visitor Publishing, LLC 2012
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Combined 25+ Years Experience
941.626.4894 / 941.536.1656
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ERICKANDDAWNSBARBERSHOP.COM 6625 Gateway Ave.
Tonsorial Artistry by Erick & Dawn
Open Tues.-Fri. 8:30 AM-6 PM Sat. 8:30 AM - 3 PM Closed Sun. & Mon.
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Daily from open ‘til 7 PM All packaged liquor sold until 2 AM
• ALL DAY-EVERY DAY Mike’s Bud Select Brew - $1.50/Pints • Pool TableGolden Tee Megatouch FREE RIDES! • 12 TV’s with MLB and NFL ticket sports package • All Florida lottery games • Smokers Welcome!
2639 Mall Drive
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Italian Market & Deli
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Flat-Tops, Fades, Tapers, Blowouts and Razor Cuts
SRQ
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The Shop SRQ (G-2) offers flattops, fades, tapers, blowouts, razor cuts, and straight razor shaves. Owners, Erick and Dawn use a back to basics approach to grooming with a precise attention to personal detail. Their commitment to excellence has provided them with many loyal customers. They welcome the opportunity to earn your trust. Hours: Tues. – Fri. 8:30am – 6pm, Sat., 8:30am – 3pm. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. 6625 Gateway Ave, 941-626-4894.
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
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Snapshots of Island Visitors
Wake & Shake
Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography
Just roll out of bed...your hair looks great! Shampoo and towel dry.... and you’re done! The style is in the cut, not the blowdry, so you don’t have to fuss with your hair to look good... even with fine, limp hair... and my new steam color process creates richer brunettes and spectacular blondes. The colors go deeper and last longer, yet are far more gentle to the hair. By Appointment Only with Ian:
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Erin, McKenzie age 3, Trevor from Port Charlotte, enjoying some family time at the beach.
Soulfully Yours Donnarose Q: : Dear Donnarose, I had a very difficult breakup a year ago, and would like to start dating again. How do I find a man who will be a much better match? ~Thank you, Crystal A: ~ “When the love for yourself is at its best, chances are, you’ll never settle for less.” ~Donnarose Melvin Well, you mentioned you would like to meet a man who’s basically at a high level of self-worth, self-respect, and all the other goodies. You then said you mostly blame yourself for your failed relationship, and allowed your ex to make you feel worthless. Now perhaps that may be true, but continuous selfblame, victim consciousness, resentment, anger, etc., all reside at a lower vibration. So if you remain at this level of vibration, you’ll attract a man at the same low level, and the vicious cycle will continue. With limited space here, the bottom-line is this. In order to attract a man at high level of self-love, self-respect, etc., where his treatment towards you will match the latter, and to appreciate it, you’ll have to first be at that level of vibration. Keep this concept as simple as possible. Start by taking some time to date yourself so to speak, where the level of treatment towards yourself is nothing less than loving. After a while of getting used to this high level of loving treatment, you will choose to accept nothing less. And then get ready, because the men you will attract will be at this same loving vibration ~ ♥ Q: : Dear Donnarose, I frequently read that we need to walk away from that which no longer serves us. How does someone walk away from their brutal boss when they desperately need the job, or their dead marriage when financially it’s not doable? ~Regards, Karen
A: ~ “Your soul has goals. Trust it will show you the way to go.” ~Donnarose Melvin Our ego tells us there’s no higher power that will help us, that we’re in this alone. And so it is many suffer with no end in sight. The other side of us, our soul, which is that energy causing our heart to beat, and connected to All That Is, says otherwise. The side you choose to trust will determine which path you walk on. In a restaurant, when you place your order with the server, after 5 or so minutes, do you then go in the kitchen to check if your meal is being cooked? Most likely not, right? You trust the server will bring you what you ordered. Or, after you planted a seed, in a day or two, would you pull it out of the dirt to check if there was any growth? Probably not, because the trust is there. Well, just the same, when we trust our Higher power (God, Source, Angels, Universe, or whatever word you desire), and not hope, but know He is working for our highest good during every breath we take, changes in your favor will occur either immediately or very close to it. So consider choosing to think in the light and stay on the side of your soul. Then get ready for new ideas, people, money, more courage, increased strength, information, places, etc., to all start appearing in your life, at the right moment, in perfect Divine order. ~ ♥ Donnarose Melvin is a professional psychic, medium and energy healer, whose pleasure is to assist clients worldwide. She incorporates knowledge from her degree in psychology, along with her clairvoyant, clairaudient, clairsentient and empathic gifts to guide her clients towards peace and success. Please send your questions to SoulfullyYoursDonnarose@gmail.com or private message her via facebook: Soulfully Yours Donnarose. Donnarose will select questions each month to share with you. She regrets that unpublished questions cannot be answered individually. If you’d like an intuitive reading, contact Donnarose at the email address above.
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Connie Lewis, BS, LMT,Aesthetician Owner & Associates
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941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
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What’s Happening …on the beach
EACH WEEK: • FREE YOGA Mon-Wed.-Fri.Sat. 10am. Classes held between blue and green lifeguard station. Call 941-320-6693 to register or www.yogaonsiestabeach.com • Nia Tues. & Thurs., 9a.m., Siesta Public Beach (yellow lifeguard chair) Joy Donation: $12. Contact Kathy Oravec at 941-724-9719 or Kathyoravec@ gmail.com • SUNSET FUSION – Every Mon & Wed, 45 minutes before sunset. Beach access 4. For additional info and to register online go to: www.studiorubylake.com • DRUM CIRCLE – Every Sunday about an hour before sunset. South of the main pavilion. You can participate or watch this weekly gathering dance, hoop, play the drum or other musical instrument and enjoy the spectacular Siesta sunset. EVENTS FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY: • FEBRUARY 7 (SAT) 8:30AM 5TH ANNUAL WALK TO END VIOLENCE: Registration fees apply. For more information or to register go to: unwomen-usnc.org • FEBRUARY 14 (SAT) 4:30PM SAY I DO: A romantic beachside renewal of wedding vows, offering couples a beautiful back drop to express their continuing love and commitment to one another. Couples renew their vows at the non-denominational sunset ceremony then enjoy wedding-themed refreshments. Couples receive a beautiful certificate to commemorate this very special ceremony. Cost is $10. Per couple. Call 941861-7275 to register. • FEBRUARY 8AM SUNRISE BEACH WALKS: Participants pay a one-time $5 registration fee and receive an event t-shirt with orginal design and sponsor logos and a punch card. Each week, participants check in with Parks and recreation staff between 8-9:30AM and after walking four weeks they are entered into a drawing for prizes. Contact 941861-5000 for details.
…around the island
• SIESTA KEY FARMER’S MARKET – Every Sunday from 8am – 2pm in Davidson’s Plaza in the Village. 5124 Ocean Blvd. Fresh fruits, vegetables, music, art. • FEBRUARY 21 (SAT) 8:30AM3PM CB’S FLY FISHING CLASS: CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, 1249
Stickney Point Rd, Sarasota, FL have established dates for their Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing schools for the winter and spring; Feb. 21, Mar. 7, Mar 28 and Apr 11, 2015. Located on Siesta Key, the schools will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. Instructors, Capt. Rick Grassett and Capt. Ed Hurst, will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the schools is $150 per person and includes the use of Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or info@cbsoutfitters.com to make reservations.
Arts on the Horizon Visit some of our art exhibits around town this month… and discover the arts at night, in Downtown Sarasota…. First Friday is along Palm Ave, Second Friday is in the Burns court area and the 3rd Friday at Towles Court…. • Reflections - Longboat Center for the Arts ~ a division of Ringling College of Art + Design. http://www.ringling.edu/LBKCA.html • Exhibits at the Art Center in Sarasota continuing through February to March 6. Gallery 1: American Vernacular: Richard Mueller. Gallery 2: Line and Space: David Zalben. Gallery 3: ASALH: Black Muse 2015. Gallery 4: Fresh: Open, all- media, all-subject juried exhibition. http://artsarasota.org/seasonschedule20142015
• February 10, 8pm – Harry Connick, Jr. - Van Wezel. http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/event. cfm?eveID=1533#.VLh4d9h0zmI • February 12, 5pm to 8pm – Courtyard Swing Ringling Museum. Enjoy dancing and a fun filled evening at the beautiful Art Courtyard. Live music with Diva De Musica. The event is included with Art After 5 Admission. http://www.ringling.org
See our Siesta Key Round Up column for information on the 19th Annual Siesta Key Craft Festival - February 7th - 8th.
…and beyond
February at Phillippi Estate Park is a busy month with lots of exciting activities. Sunday Feb 1 – Winterfest Arts and Crafts Show in front field. Ample free parking, food vendors and lots of crafts. For more information, call 941-379-0951. Wednesdays 9 a.m. until 2 pm. Phillippi Farmhouse Market be open in front field with ample free parking, local fresh produce, locally prepared foods, artists with unique handicrafts and, visit with adoptable dogs and cats from the Humane Society of Sarasota County on Wed Feb 11. Thursdays from noon until 1:00 p.m. enjoy a variety of musical groups at the annual Brown Bag Concert series. Bring your lunch and lawn chair and enjoy this free event at the Gazebo. Wed Feb 25 there will be a Quick Draw Painting Contest in the Farmhouse Market from 10 a.m. until noon. Master Artist Bill Farnsworth will be judging and there will be prizes. www.lightchasersinc.com. Friday Feb 27 the Master Artists of the SunCoast will hold a gala at the Edson Keith Mansion. Ten master artists will exhibit and sell their awardwinning paintings. Tickets only $25.00. Wine and hors d’ouvres. For more information, visit www.lighchasersinc.com.
• February 1, 2pm – Ski-A-Rees every Sunday until May 10, waterski shows behind Mote Marine. http://www.skiarees.com/ • Continuing through February to March 1 – Good People - Asolo. A comedy that takes a look at the “haves” and the “have-not’s”. Margie Walsh, a single woman from Boston, journeys through a humorous plan to solve her financial problems. http:// asolorep.org/shows/good-people/2014-2015 • February 4, 8pm – Les Ballets Trockadero - Van Wezel. http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/event. cfm?eveID=1457#.VLh4Jdh0zmI • February 5, 8pm to 11pm – Ringling Underground - Live music, in an artsy atmosphere! This event features live music. Check out up-and-coming artists displaying their work, in the Museum of Art Courtyard at the Ringling Museum. Some galleries will be open until 11pm. Meet the artists! http:// www.ringling.org • February 5 to 8 – Greek Festival at St. Barbara’s – authentic Greek food and pastries, Greek music, traditional dancing and a ton of fun! http://www. stbarbarafestival.org/ • February 6, 8pm - Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra - Van Wezel http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/event. cfm?eveID=1455#.VLh3xdh0zmI
• February 14 & 15, 10 to 5pm. Art Festival on Main St. in Downtown Sarasota. http://artfestival.com/Festivals/Downtown_ Sarasota_Festival_of_the_Arts_Sarasota_Florida_ February.ASPX • February 14 to March 27 – The Marriage of Figaro - Sarasota Opera. https://www.sarasotaopera.org/tickets/ production.aspx?id=6650
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information. • February 17 to March 15 – Mary Poppins - Venice Theatre. http://venicestage.com/disneys-and-cameronmackintoshs-mary-poppins/
s from • February 6 to 22 – Circus Sarasota presents Fearless featuring Nik Wallenda. The Winter Show is moving the Big Top to a new location. It will be held at Nathan Benderson Park (across from University Town Center). An exciting event for the whole family! http://circusarts.org/buy-tickets/ • February 7, 7:30pm - Thrill of a Lifetime. The Youth Philharmonic performs side-by-side with the professional musicians of the Sarasota Orchestra. http://www.sarasotaorchestra.org/special-events/ thrill-of-a-lifetime • February 7 to March 28 – Tosca – Giacomo Puccini – Sarasota Opera. Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosoa https://www.sarasotaopera.org/tickets/ production.aspx?id=6654
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• February 13, 8pm – Diana Ross - Van Wezel. http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/event. cfm?eveID=1327#.VLh2Ndh0zmI
• February 6 to March 1 – Ring of Fire - Venice Theatre. Country & Rock Musical and the story of Johnny Cash. http://venicestage.com/ring-of-fire/
Answers to theSearch WORD SEARCH from page 29 rinerWord www.floridamariner.com
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By Jaye Clements
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
• February 19 – Art After 5 - Ringling Museum. Live music by Vertigo at the Bolger Campiello. http://www.ringling.org/events/ringling-bayvertigo • February 20 - Art Walk - Towles Court. http:// towlescourt.com/ • February 22 & 23 – Folk Music by the Kingston Trio. Get your tickets early this show is often sold out! http://venicestage.com/the-kingston-trio-2/ • February 24, 8pm – Ringo Starr and his All Starr band - Van Wezel. http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/event. cfm?eveID=1531#.VLh459h0zmI • February 28 & March 1 - 10am to 5pm. Save our Seabirds Art Festival on City Island near Mote Marine. http://www.saveourseabirds.org/events/
Snapshots of Island Visitors
Light Chasers at Phillippi Estate Park
Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography
By Diana Colson Light Chasers: Plein Air Painters of the Sun Coast are making a colorful splash at Phillippi Estate Park. The Light Chasers plan to sell art and help raise money for the completion of the restoration of the Keith Farmhouse, one of two historic buildings located on the grounds of Phillipi Estate Park. This beautiful 60-acre park is located on scenic Phillippi Creek at 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. It was wisely purchased for preservation by Sarasota County in 1986. Decades ago artists were living in the Keith Farmhouse, displaying their work at Sunday art shows. Today, artists are stepping forward once again to help restore this iconic building. A portion of all painting sales will go to the restoration project. The goal is to return the Keith Farmhouse to its original glory in time for the celebration of the Estate’s 100th Anniversary, an event taking place in 2016. Phillipi Estate Park provides the perfect setting for a Sarasota art venue. Besides the farmhouse, it is also the site of the beautiful Edson Keith Mansion, a historic Renaissance home built in 1916. Plein Air is the French term for painting out of doors, and the Light Chasers plan a week-long “Plein Air Paint Out” from February 19th through the 26th. All over Sarasota County, you may expect to see as many as 100 artists from around the country working at their easels out of doors. This is a fine artistic tradition: Renoir did it, and so did Monet. Even Winslow Homer had to be rescued from a freezing Maine River when he and his easel slipped into the water on one snowy winter day! Wednesday, February 25th: a special Light Chasers Quick Draw Painting Contest will be held at Phillippi Estate Park from 10 a.m. to noon. This will coincide with the weekly Farmhouse Farmer’s Market. Prizes will be awarded to the winning painters by Master Artist, Bill Farnsworth. The public is invited to come, paint, watch and even buy “off the easel” right at the Farmer’s Market. Anyone is welcome to enter this 3rd Annual Paint Sarasota! Paint Out and the Quick Draw Painting Contest, but registration is required. Should you be interested in participating, be sure to bring along your paints. Friday, February 27 from 6-8 p.m.: the Opening Gala takes place with an extraordinary showing of the Sun Coast Master Artists at the historic Edson Keith Mansion. Several nationally known artists will be exhibiting their work, among them Dominic Avant, Katie Dobson Cundiff, Mary Erickson, Bill Farnsworth, Joseph Melancon, Joe Palmerio, Morgan Samuel Price, Hodges Soileau, and Vladislav Yeliseyev. This is the major fundraiser of the week, and tickets are $25.00. For this exciting event, the Mansion will be decorated in the tradition of the 1920’s. Refreshments will be served, and Kitt Moran and her Jazz Trio will brighten the rooms with music. Saturday, February 28th, from 5:00—8:00 p.m.: the Light Chasers 4th Annual Show & the 3rd Annual Paint Sarasota! Paint Out will have their FREE Gala opening at the Edson Keith Mansion. This is one of the most delightful Art Shows in the County. Last year, more than 1500 people attended this show, where they met the artists and purchased art. This year, Master Artist Morgan Samuel
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All in a Row.... a FEW of the Light Chasers Artists on the beach.
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Master Artist, Dominic Avant’s painting of the Keith Farmhouse.
Katie Dobson Cundiff goes all out to get the just right scene.
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Bill Farnsworth’s “Hangin with Albin” will be the painting that will be raffled off on Friday, Feb. 27th.
Price is the judge for the 2015 Paint-Out. The top ten artists will win prizes donated by various art companies including Sarasota’s Art & Frame and England’s Rosemary & Company. Paintings by the Sun Coast Master Artists will also be on display and for sale at this free Saturday Gala. Sunday, March 1st, from Noon to 5 p.m.: the public may view the Light Chasers Shows for one last
time. Again, entry to the Edson Keith Mansion will be free of charge, and artists will be on hand with works for sale. To top it all off, the Jazz Club will present its annual Jazz in the Park Concert at the Gazebo, and the entire afternoon will sparkle with music and art. To sign up for any of the Paint Out Events, become a sponsor, or buy tickets for the Friday, Feb. 27th Master Artists Show Gala at $25.00 per person, go to their website: www.lightchasersinc.com. Here you may also sign up to join the Light Chaser Plein Air Painting Group, and membership is free. Light Chasers paint every Thursday, somewhere in Sarasota County, and Terry Mason serves as president. For more information, email lightchasersinc@gmail.com.
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1: Becky & Keith from Baltimore. First time to Siesta Key. A friend highly recommended the area and they were excited to check it out! 2: Victoria and Samuel age 11 – from Sweden. Mom mentioned, “SMH took great care of Samuel after he broke his arm skim boarding on SK beach.” I don’t think they minded having to spend an extra week at the beach. 3: Katie & Mike from Michigan. Love the village, the beach, the soft quartz sand. First visit and will definitely be back! 4: Maureen & HoneyBear, Pam & Sydney from Siesta Key, enjoying a stroll.
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
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Snapshots of Island Visitors
Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography 3
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1: Helene, Claude from Montreal, Canada. Yearly SK Snowbirds, staying for 5 months. 2: Valerie, Kierra age 17, Donny – from Chicago. Visiting their son who plays basketball for the University of Tampa. They thought Siesta Key beach was beautiful! 3: Marissa, Jilissa, both are seniors from SCS, Sarasota, planning on attending FGCU next year! 4: Athena and her mom, Louella (AZ) meet up with aunt / sister, Wilma (WI) to dip their toes in the warm waters at Siesta Key beach. Photo by Emy Stein. 5: Romke & son, Demetri (WI) spend some time away from the sub-zero temps of Wisconsin. Photo by Emy Stein.
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941 266-8435
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cmfsarasota.org
HOURS: Monday - Friday 9-6 • Saturday 9-4 WWW.OldStyleBarberShop.com
Classes are also available. Please see website for more information.
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SARASOTA’S BEST BABY RENTAL CENTER CLEAN • SAFE • RELIABLE Lynn & Bob Shaffer, Owners
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Operating 10AM to 2AM Daily
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(Corner of US 41 & Field Rd.)
Licensed and Insured
Restaurants and Accommodations
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• Wallpaper Removal • Drywall & Ceiling Repairs • Free Estimates • Fair Pricing
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SERVICES
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ACCOMMODATIONS: • 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
• Massage Experience Siesta Key Open 7-day a week. 5138A Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4833
& Company 5100 Ocean Blvd Siesta Key 34242 JudyGreene@ MichaelSanders.com
TRANSPORTATION: • Dollar Limo – holds up to 10 people and is cheaper than a D.U.I or taxi. Call 941-735-4732
• Your Siesta Key Realtor... 22 YEARS OF MAKING IT HAPPEN ON SIESTA KEY... I have sold hundreds of homes on Siesta Key. Curious about your home’s value in today’s market? Call me for an evaluation BENNY KIMSEY REALTOR® 941.400.7212 RealEstateGuyFL@yahoo.com | www.yourrealestateguy.com
tours, scooter, children strollers and car seats. Delivery and pickup available, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd, 941-346-1797
for giant tarpon, bonito, cobia, tripletail, jack crevalle, kingfish, spanish mackerel. Fly and Spin fishing for all ages. 1240 Stickney Point Rd, Siesta Key. (941)3494400
• Siesta 4 Rent - Vacation Rentals, from studios to 5 bedrooms. Serving Siesta Key since 1997, 941349-5500 • Robasota Real Estate – Annual and Seasonal Rentals, 941-9261800, ext. 102 HEALTH: • 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 • Senior Home Companions – companionship and In-Home care. daily living needs, hourly, overnight, 24-hour care, 941-9240494 • Siesta Key Massage & Therapy Center – Relieve all that pent –up tension and improve circulation with a soothing massage or facial by Ali. Call to book your appointment today. 941-349-0408 • Massage Heights -1-hour massage $49.99, custom facial $59.99 – intro offers, 4948 S. Tamiami Trl, 941-927-1030 (See Display ad in this paper)
• 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. • Siesta Key Free Rides – Siesta Key Free island shuttle for beach, village, condo and tours – tips only. Electric vehicles. Call 941-952-8294 • Sun Ride Pedicab – Eco-friendly Pedicabs. Siesta Key Tours and rides – tips only, 941-343-3400 • Surfside Free Ride – Provides free Taxi service all over Siesta Key and short distances off the north & south bridge on the mainland from 10am to 2am 7 days a week, tips only, 941-961-8238 SIESTA KEY AND SARASOTA REALTORS • Looking for luxury waterfront homes contact Paula Zynda with Premier Sotheby’s 941266-1850 email PaulaZynda@ SotherbysRealty.com • Your Siesta Dunes and Landings Preferred Realtors, Judy Greene 941-350-0451 and Tara Lamb 941266-4873 with Michael Sanders
ERA REAL ESTATE • Concierge Realtors we work with you from beginning to end to make a smooth transition. Andrea Smith Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. Call today for a FREE Market Analysis of your home. 941320-7020 SPORT RENTALS: • Robin Hood Rentals – for all your Siesta Key rental needs with a wide variety segways, bikes, kayaks, scooters and more, free pickup and delivery anywhere on the key. 5255 Ocean Blvd Siesta Key Village. 941554-4242 • Siesta Key Bike & Kayak – Located on Siesta Key in Capt Curts Village serving Siesta Key, Lido Beach and Sarasota. We offer bikes, kayak rentals, kayak eco tours, paddleboards and scooters. 1224 Old Sickney Pt Rd. 941-346-0891 • Siesta Sports Rentals – Located on Siesta Key, bike, kayak, kayak
BEACH & BABY EQUIPMENT RENTALS: • ABC Rentals – We are family owned and operated baby and equipment rental and retail store. We provide top quality baby equipment such as cribs, highchairs, strollers and car seats. Beach rental equipment includes umbrellas, beach hammocks, cabanas and beach chairs. View our complete inventory on line www.abcbabyrental.com 2300 Bee Ridge Rd Ste. 204 Sarasota 941-929-1850 FISHING CHARTERS: • 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. Our veteran guides offer exciting Fishing Adventures for anglers of all ages from novice to the expert. We offer Inshore, Backcountry and Offshore fishing charters for both fly-fishing and spin anglers. They will do their best to make sure your stay in our Sarasota, Siesta Key area is memo-rable. Let us arrange an exciting trip to the shallow water back country to sightfish for snook, red-fish, speckled trout and other species, or trips to the inshore reefs of the Gulf of Mexico
HOME IMPROVEMENT • Hawk’s Nest Construction Whether you’re building a new home, remodeling your existing home, creating an outdoor living area, or safeguarding your home – one call does it all. We offer a full range of building and remodeling services under one roof. 4525A S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231, Office 941.650.9499 • L.L. Armstrong, LLC – A Painting Co. This family run company has been in business since 1978 and specializes in custom painting, removal of virtually all types of wall coverings. Reference available upon request. Call or email: 941323-5074 or armstronglle5@aol.com MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES: • Childcare Position. Experienced, Mature, Dependable and Fun. Male and Female Children Aged 5-11. Homework Help, Art & Craft Instruction, Games, Meal Preparation. Children’s Party Planning Service also available. Call Susan at 516-353-7668.
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New Direction for SCAT
Located in the heart of St. Armands. Deep Water. Never been lived in.
5,990,000
$
For more information
or for other desirable properties, please call
941.266.1850
or email Paula.Zynda@Sothebysrealty.com Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opporunity.
He previously served as the general manger of Lextran in Lexington, where he oversaw a program that included 75 fixed route buses and 49 contracted para-transit buses, more than 200 employees and an operating budget of $21 million. Lextran has many similarities to SCAT. SCAT currently operates under a $28.5 million budget and averages 2.8 million riders a year. It had 260 employees and 32 fixed routes in 2014. “I’m looking forward to this new job both personally and professionally,” Burke said. “My feeling after talking with the leadership of Sarasota County that we will all be trying to make SCAT the best transit service of its size in the country.” At the top of Mr. Burkes’ list is conducting a comprehensive operational analysis of the transit system. The analysis, which will be completed by an outside firm, will review the transit system to pinpoint which areas of the SCAT system work well and which ones may merit change. The analysis will examine the system’s routes
Continued from cover story
to evaluate their efficiency and how well they meet riders’ needs. This study is expected to begin within the next six months. Once it has started he estimates it will take 9 to 12 months for completion. Burke is also interested in increasing the number of stops with amenities such as shelters and benches. In July of 2014 SCAT implemented a new route on Siesta Key. The route 10 runs every hour from Westfield Southgate Mall through the Siesta Village, Siesta Beach, down Midnight Pass Road down to Turtle Beach. In the past there was no way to get down to Turtle Beach; this route allows access to the Southern point of the Key. SCAT has most recently added 2 more bus stops between Stickney Point Road and Turtle Beach. One stop is at the Flip Flop Cottages and the other is located down by Tortuga Inn and Bay Tree Club. Riders can now take the island themed wrapped bus to the village for dining and shopping and then SCAT back to their home. A second new route
is the Route 30, which travels from the Sarasota Bradenton Airport to the new University Town Center off University Parkway, also stopping at several locations in Lakewood Ranch. In addition to the new routes in 2014 SCAT launched a new rebranding campaign “We’ll Take You There”. This included 19 new buses, a new mobile application with real time arrival information, new Ride Guides and newly wrapped buses. Some buses are branded with an island theme, while others bear the new campaign, encouraging riders to “SCAT to…” various locations such as the beach, the library and the airport. In addition SCAT produced a new music video, “We’ll Take You There.” The jingle was created by a local band NEXXLEVEL in collaboration with the SCAT team. The video won Best of The Best award among competing Florida transit agencies at the Florida Public Transportation Association conference in October 2014. Check out the video on YouTube under Sarasota County Area Transit.
Sarasota Real Estate Trends Annual Sales - 2000 to Current Condo
Single Family
Total
10000
New “We’ll Take You There” island theme wrapped bus. 5000
0
$400k
Blooming this month: '00
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American Beauty Berry Callicarpa Americana
Annual Median Sale Price - 2001 to Current
How does one resist a beautiful plant that is native to our Florida conditions and produces bright green foliage and gorgeous fat purple $300k berries which individually cling directly to its stems? It is a perfect fit for this season of giving $200k as it provides beauty to our environment, generously feeds the birds and wild life, and $100k can even be used for medicinal purposes, both externally as a topical treatment and internally as a tea. $0k 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Beauty Berry is easy to grow in our locale, adaptable to a variety of growing conditions Single Family For more information call and requiring little care. It is a fast grower, KEY SOLUTIONS (941)894-1255 Or visit Condos usually growing to 3-5 feet, sometimes taller REAL ESTATE *Statistics provided by MFR MLS www.keysolutionsrealestate.com in rich soil conditions. It survives in full sun to light shade with few pest problems. In the As predicted, 2014 closed with a record-breaking 11,550 closed transactions. This tops the county’s best year of 2004 by 68 transactions. Almost as impressive, Manatee County was only 28 sales short of spring and early summer flowers in the pink color range adorn its branches. their record-breaking year of 2013, with 7,976 sales.
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SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
It makes a great gift, whether for the gardening novice or seasoned expert. It is truly Mother Nature’s gift to us all. Jean Hansen, 3rd Vice President and Grounds Chair Sarasota Garden Club
Island Design
By Cheryl Gaddie
ting on the fence, If you have been sit sell. nOW is the time to
|Defining Space with Color
concierge realtors We work with you from beginning to end to make a smooth transition.
Andrea Smith 941.320.7020
Carolyn Kofler 941.780.0605
CALL TODAY to list your PROPERTY or for a FREE Market Analysis of your home. We Provide a Unique and Highly Succesful Marketing/Sales System Color is an individual perception. It emits vibrations and evokes emotion. We reference color to our psychological states. When highly irritated it may be expressed as “seeing red” or on a sad day a friend may ask why you appear to “feel blue.” Does that mean you should never use the color red in fear of irritation or the color blue for fear of depression? Of course not; they are beautiful additions to our world of color. If sharing a space, you should consider the perception of others. Males are more disposed to being color blind than females. Often couples sharing space will need to compromise on color selection only because their perception is so different. When choosing a paint color for the kitchen, or maybe the exterior of your home, you should understand another person does not always see what you see. Is it possible to choose a paint color that everyone will enjoy? The answer is no. The variety of reasons why we as individuals perceive color differently is too vast. Designing for one’s self is personal. Designing for others or
public space requires time and research. I so often hear people state they are afraid of making an incorrect color choice. So the question is asked, “How do we choose a paint color?” The saturation level of the hue is important, and a lighting study is the first step for that determination. Understanding that color is light, we create the proper balance of color by first analyzing the light sources. The surface you are painting will reflect or absorb light; this becomes your second consideration. The next step is to review all surrounding colors and textures. When you physically feel
the correct vibration (chromatic scintillation) and visually see a pleasing palette in your selections, your fear of color will disappear. We are offered a unique opportunity to create, respect and compliment our beautiful Florida land and seascapes. We can control every structure created by man, exteriors and interiors, to compliment the panoramic land with the built environment. Allowing these formations to express the architectural elements of structure and a harmonious integrity of color that intermingles with nature is an important task.
Cheryl Gaddie, owner of C.G. Designs 5011 Ocean Blvd. #203, Siesta Key Village, 941-346-7401, www.CGInteriorDesign.com
Bo
at
Li
ft!
This week’s featured listings...
KEY SOLUTIONS REAL ESTATE
Gulf Front & Beach Access!
Enjoy the best of Siesta in this beautiful, light and bright turnkey furnished luxury condo. One of only 2 in the complex with outdoor living on 2 gulf-front terraces. Crescent affords styling, high-end finishes, and luxury amenities. From the exquisitely appointed living space, to the open gourmet kitchen featuring wood cabinets, granite, stainless appliances and 2 peninsula bars, this unit has it all. $2,249,000
For Boaters & Beachgoers!
Adorable Palm Island house with canal frontage and boat lift only 1/2 mile to nearest Siesta Key beach access and a quick jaunt to The Village. Updates on this home include seawall, pool, spa, roof, kitchen, bathrooms, and electrical. This great room floor plan features 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms plus a one car garage. Open floor plan with a huge enclosed Florida room overlooking the pool and canal. $835,000
Unparalleled Gulf Views!
This 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo close to Crescent Beach has the best views on Siesta Key! Very large lanais with full Gulf of Mexico views for all those spectacular sunsets. So close to the beach you feel like you are hanging over the water! Completely and elaborately renovated and turnkey furnished. A gorgeous heated pool only steps from the beach and the warm waters of the Gulf. $985,000
View All Siesta Key Listings at KeySolutionsRealEstate.com Or Call 941.894.1255 For More Information!
True Florida Lifestyle
Surrounded by native botanical gardens and mature cypress trees it is nestled on two private lots with a pool and has been completely renovated. Within walking distance to Shell Beach and short bike ride to Siesta Key sugar white beaches and the Village offering a wide variety of dining, shopping and entertainment. 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms with private deck offering calming views of Roberts Bay. $975,000
KEY SOLUTIONS REAL ESTATE
941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
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Sarasota History |Elvis Presley Barely Rocks Sarasota Sarasota has played host to a variety of entertainers over the years. Some acts were performed in tents and others in any building that was available at the time. It was not until 1926 that Sarasota had a premiere theater. When A.B. Edwards built the Edwards Theater in 1926, it was considered to be one of the best in Florida. On Pineapple Avenue, near the location of today’s Selby Library, the Edwards Theater ran silent movies and then talkies. Throughout this period of time, it also continued to host vaudeville shows. Performers like Tom Mix, W.C. Fields and Will Rogers entertained the audiences during the late 1920s and early 1930s. During the mid-1930s and the 1940s, there were big bands on stage, and bingo and bank nights were also held. The Edwards Theater became the Florida Theater in December 1936 and continued to host shows and movies until it closed in the 1970s. It was during the winter season of 1955-56 that a live act
came to Sarasota that would later change the face of modern music. Sarasota’s winter season was in full swing on February 21, 1956, when an ad appeared in the Sarasota Journal announcing that a new singing sensation would be performing live at the Florida Theater for day only. It went on to say that Elvis would appear with the Blue Moon Boys, Justin Tubb, the Louvin Brothers, and Alabama Sandusters, the Carter Sisters and Benny Martin. Four stage shows ran, starting at 2:15 p.m., with the last one starting at 9:45 p.m. An added attraction during the show would be three movies, “Wondering Boy”, “Corral Cuties” and “Hillbilly Jamboree,” all for the adult matinee price of 76 cents, one dollar in the evening, and 50 cents for children anytime. Elvis Presley was just getting started in his career in early 1956. He was playing smaller venues throughout the south, usually one-day stopovers similar to the one he did in Sarasota. He had signed with RCA records, and
Siesta Key Round-Up The Siesta Key Association sent a letter to the County voicing their concerns. Here is a portion of the letter from SKA. SKA did a site visit to both Avenida Milano and Avenida Madera. We believe that based on the design similarities to Avenida de Mayo, the SC Fire Dept. will determine that continuing to allow parking on both sides of Avenida Milano and Avenida Madera poses a safety hazard to residents and visitors. Based on this, the BOD of the Siesta Key Association respectfully urges the BCC to vote in favor of a no parking zone on the south side of both of these streets and their respective cul-desacs. Thank you for your continued help in maintaining a safe pedestrian and residential environment. At the time of press, The BCC was expected to take this up January 28.
New Condo on Midnight Pass Road only $2,490,000.
A new two family building is being constructed at 1136 Windsong Lane next to Siesta Beach House on Midnight Pass Road. The construction started several months ago. One unit is for sale. Here is a description from the MLS listing. Beach Views with Gated Beach Access. 6 Bedrooms with 5 Bathrooms, has a 4th Floor Saltwater Pool and
Site plan approved for new memory care facility
The Venice Planning Commission recently approved a site plan for the new Tuscan Gardens of Venetian Bay, which will be a memory care, assisted
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Author: Mark D. Smith, former County Archivist Email: jlahurd@scgov.net Courtesy: Sarasota County History Center
Continued from page 7
Deck with Magical Beach Views and Spiral Staircase leading to The Rooftop Sundeck. This New Construction Attached Home Is The Description Of Luxury Living. 4 Story Building with 3 Living Floors Over Multi Car Garage. 4740 Square Feet Of Living Space In Each Home Equipped With Multi Level Elevator Access Allows For Gracious Entertaining In Comfort. Gas Appliances And A Gourmet Kitchen Are Highlighted In This New Home. Beach Views From Multiple Levels Was The Primary Design Criteria For This One Of A Kind Home. Custom Built With Gas Appliances Is Just One Of The Many Features Of This Spectacular Home. Call Today For Discussion On How To Personalize Your New Dream Beach Home. Plans Available Upon Request. Asking price is $2,490,000. Costa Stratos GRI, SFR, REALTOR 1211 Old Stickney Point Rd. Sarasota, FL. 34242 Direct: 941-232-5251
Another Award for Sassy Hair
Sassy Hair on Siesta Key / Sassy Brides of Sarasota was awarded the 2015 Couples Choice Award from WeddingWire as determined by the many excellent reviews they received from the many satisfied Brides. The Couple’s Choice Award
News Up & Down the Trail This particular project, which addresses underground and aboveground storm water filtration, is part of the city of Venice’s agreement with the Corps, which is a plan to add sand to the Venice beaches every 10 years. After the Jetties were constructed in 1937, erosion on the beaches to the south began to erode. The Corps’ plan allows for the mitigation of erosion by pumping in sand to the beaches from miles offshore. In total, 3.2 miles of shoreline will receive about 791,000 cubic yards of sand from the dredging process. The work is expected to be completed by the middle of March, and will require around-the-clock work to meet that deadline.
his first album was scheduled to be released in March 1956. With these public appearances, Elvis Presley was beginning to gain popularity, especially with the teenage crowd. Ted Garrison, who worked in the Florida Theater during the 1950s, said in an interview that “there was quite an article on him in Life magazine about his performance in the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. In Jacksonville, teenagers grabbed and tore his shirt when he went near the edge of the stage.” When he came to Sarasota, the crowd was much calmer. The biggest commotion Elvis created here was when he broke a guitar string and a young girl was sent dashing down to Roehr’s Machine Shop, then on Main Street, for an “a” string for his guitar.
recognizes Sassy Hair/Sassy Brides as being among the top 5% of wedding professionals nationwide. WeddingWire is the largest and the nation’s leading technology company serving the $100+ billion wedding, corporate, and social events industry. Sassy Hair on Siesta Key / Sassy Brides of Sarasota accommodates Brides and their party at the salon located on Siesta Key or at the Bride’s location 7 days a week. www. sassybridessarasota.com 941-3496525
2015 Siesta Key Association Breakfast Meeting
Coffee, Tea , Juice and Breakfast Buffet, March 7th at 8:30 AM St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Community F building. Free breakfast for all members who make a reservation, $15.00 for visitors. Join SKA for $30.00 and receive 2 Breakfast tickets. Please make reservations by email info@siestakeyassociation.com or by phone 941-364-4880 (leave message, we prefer email) Meeting is 9:20 to 11:00 A.M. Speaking at our Breakfast Meeting will be The Honorable Alan Maio and County Administrator Thomas Harmer.
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living facility. The plan that Venetia Bay Holdings had presented included a total of 150 beds in 136 living units in the 6.3 acre project, as well as 78 assisted living units and 58 memory care units. This particular piece of property, which runs alongside Venetian Bay Blvd. in north Venice, was originally zoned as “City Commercial General”, but was rezoned as OPI (Office, Professional, and Institutional) in November. That opened up the possibility of the Tuscan Gardens project on the Venetian Bay land. The property will eventually be a three-story structure, about 44 feet tall, and will include bell towers more than 73 feet in height. The Venice City Council will give the plan its final consideration in the next couple of months.
City of Venice anticipates future growth with a substation expansion
gave preliminary approval to Florida Power and Light (FP&L) to expand the Laurelwood substation on Laurel Road, in part, to reduce the power interruptions in the neighborhood. While one of the reasons for the discussion of expansion is because of anticipated growth in the future for the North Venice area, there had also been an increase in complaints of power outages in the area. The existing substation is an older one, having been built in the mid-1970s. An FP&L spokesperson said that there had been some “reliability issues,” which made the substation vulnerable to lightning strikes, fallen trees and other weather-related problems. The new expansion will require no additional lines, and will able to tap into the ones that already serve the older substation. The Venice City Council is expected to approve the expansion at its next meeting.
In January, the City of Venice
SIESTA SAND February 2015 • www.siestasand.net
Sheriff’s Report
Dec. 16, 2014 – Jan. 20, 2015 Continued from page 17
The man explained his car had been parked in the Bank of America parking lot while he was eating dinner. He drove home and didn’t notice his credit cards and driver’s license missing until the next morning. The wallet had been in the center console. After the cards were taken, the wallet was placed back into the center console. Nothing else was taken or tampered with. The man called his banks and cancelled his credit cards.
1/11/15 Grand Theft 1000 Block Seaside Dr
A woman called the sheriff’s office to update her original theft report. She advised that she had found her previously reported stolen watch wrapped up in a pair of her pajama bottoms inside a drawer in her master bedroom. The victim swears she had searched her entire residence from top to bottom along with every nook and cranny and never found the watch, before now. The victim stated her house is a time-share property. Yesterday, when she came home, someone from management sent two people to the house to conduct an inventory of the television set and other pieces of furniture in the house. Since the victim told the property manager about the theft, the victim thinks one of the workers or the cleaning lady put the watch back into the dresser and wrapped it up in her pajama bottoms so she wouldn’t find it until she wore the clothing. It is unknown weather the item was
actually stolen and returned or simply misplaced.
1/13/15 Petit Theft 1200 Old Stickney Pt. Rd
A theft occurred at a South Siesta Restaurant. A man and a woman with two kids came into the restaurant and ordered food. When they were finished eating, the man told the server the money for the bill was on the table and the family left the restaurant. The subjects had left an American Express card on the table. The card was declined and did not have any names on it. The total bill was $101.78. The suspect is unknown at this time.
1/14/15 Petit Theft 5000 Block Hidden Harbor Rd
A man reported he had hired an electrician to do some work at a house he owns. The man trusted his work ethic having hired the suspect on a previous occasion. On 12/18/14, the suspect agreed on a price of $245 to carry out the work, but said he needed the money up front so that he could purchase needed materials for the job. The victim waited 30 days before filing a report in case the suspect had applied for a permit, which could cause a delay. To date the suspect had not performed the work and had failed to answer any calls made to him by the victim. The man said his check was cashed at a bank in Alabama and he thinks that the suspect may have left the State.
www.siestakeyassociation.com
2015 BREAKFAST MEETING
Saturday, March 7 • 8:30 AM St. Boniface Episcopal Church 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Room F
Coffee, Tea, JuiCe and BreakfasT BuffeT FREE BREAKFAST for all MeMBers WiTh a reservaTion,$15 for visiTors Join ska for $30 and reCeive 2 BreakfasT TiCkeTs Please make reservations by email: info@siestakeysassociation.com or by phone (941) 364-4880 (leave message, we prefer email) Meeting is 9:20 AM to 11:00 AM
Speaking at our Breakfast Meeting: The Honorable Alan Maio and County Administrator, Thomas Hunter
puBliC is alWays WelCoMe WiTh quesTions for our guesTs.
Night of Awards
The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce 2014 Annual Report and Awards Banquet |Message from Board Chair – Alana Tomasso
2014 was a year of change, growth and achievements. We welcomed our new Executive Director, Debra Lynn-Schmitz, in March. While still learning about our Chamber (to quote Debra, “if you’ve seen one chamber, you’ve seen one chamber”), she jumped in right away and helped us achieve record breaking success. Our member retention is at an
amazing 90%, where the national average is 84%. Desiree has done an outstanding job as our Membership Services Manager and we look forward to her continued performance in the coming year. We achieved record profits for both the Visitor’s Guide and the website with this being the first year of managing them both in-house. We also saw the highest level of income we have ever achieved from events, advertising and membership. This has allowed us to reach our long term strategic goal of having 6 months of operating expenses in the bank. This is huge! Many of us remember the time when we had to take a loan from one of our generous members just to keep our doors open…we have come a long way!!! With this financial success, the Board will be discussing potential
projects and strategies that we have not had the opportunity to consider in the past. Some of those projects may include: increasing marketing, additional personnel, more involvement in government issues that impact our businesses, enhancing current Chamber events and projects, and potentially expanding office space. I look forward to providing leadership into the next year and working together with your Board of Directors and Chamber staff to continue on this path of growth and success. Your contributions and involvement are paramount in this endeavor; we appreciate your continued support and participation, we wouldn’t be where we are today without all of you. Here’s to a year of accomplishing greater success!
Aledia Tush from CB’s Outfitters with Shining Star Award recipient, Timothy Palmer
Desiree Hanright with Sharon Cunningham Visitor Center Volunteer of the Year Award recipient, Kathy Judkins
Warren LaBonte, recipient of the Community Partner of the Year Award with SKCC Executive Director Debra-Lynn Schmitz
Dave Magee with Volunteer of the Year Award recipient Regan Teague of Day Hagan Asset Management
Board Service Appreciation Award recipient Sheila Lewis with Mike Lewis owners of Siesta Key Bike Rentals
|Message from the Executive Director – Debra Lynn-Schmitz Mark Smith, Alana Tomasso with Maria Bankemper, owner of Best Western Plus – Siesta Key Recipient of the Large Business of the Year Award
Trish Ivey from Fresh PR & Marketing presented the Business Person of the Year Award. Her speech follows: This person has not lived in the area for all that long, however, he’s had a huge impact on the Siesta Key community since arriving. If you’ve seen this person around town, always in shorts, you might think he’s a tourist but in fact he’s hard at work. When talking with this person you better listen closely because he’s always on the move and thinking one step ahead. He’s heavily involved with almost every civic group on Siesta Key. Of course, this helps him get the scoop. I’ve had the honor of working closely with him on the 2015 Visitor Guide and take great pleasure in presenting the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the year award to Siesta Key resident, Bob Stein from Island Visitor Publishing, Siesta Sand News and The Landings Eagle.
It is truly an honor to serve the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. My eleven months have been personally, and professionally, rewarding. I have witnessed the commitment and hard work of your Board of Directors and the community. I have seen how the
volunteers in your Visitor Center are devoted to creating a perfect experience for our guests, and I value your support that makes Siesta Key such a remarkable place to live, work and enjoy. I look forward to new relationships and exciting opportunities in 2015.
|2015 Board Officers Alana Tomasso........................................................Chair, Midnight Cove Aledia Tush................................... Chair-elect, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Maria Bankemper......................Past Chair, Best Western Gateway Plus Dave Magee....................................................... Treasurer, The UPS Store Kay Kouvatsos........................................................Secretary, Village Café
|2015 Board of Directors
Painting with a Twist Owners Sheri Penxa and Hope Kinney recipients of the Small Business of the Year Award with Alana Tomasso (center)
Bill Abel.............................................................................Abel’s Ice Cream Shawna Frank...................................................................... Palm Bay Club Keith Martin................ Badger Bob’s Air Conditioning and Appliances Bob Shaffer............................................................................... ABC Rentals Bob Stein...........................................................Island Visitor Publications Brad Stewart................................... Captain Curt’s Crab and Oyster Bar Debbie Szczesny..................................................................Jamaica Royale Christopher Tenaglia.................................................................... SunTrust
Tallahassee News Briefs Bill takes aim at trying on ‘intimate apparel’
An Orlando senator filed a proposal that would bar retail stores from allowing customers to try on “intimate apparel” unless the items are tried on over clothing or disposable shields are used. Under the proposal (SB 494), filed by Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, items tried on without following the requirements would be considered “defective” and could not be sold by stores. The bill, which will be considered during the legislative session that starts March 3, would affect apparel including “lower undergarments,” lingerie and swimsuit bottoms.
FPL outlines plans to add more solar energy
Florida Power & Light announced plans that could lead
to building large solar-power facilities in DeSoto, Charlotte and Manatee counties. The three projects, which could be completed by the end of 2016, would have a combined capacity of more than 225 megawatts. FPL’s current solar facilities have a capacity of 110 megawatts, the utility said. “As the economics of solar power improve in the years ahead, we believe we will be able to harness more and more sunshine cost-effectively, alongside essential, highefficiency, clean natural gas generation and zero-emissions nuclear power, to continue powering our customers and the state’s growing economy with affordable clean energy,” company President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Silagy said in a prepared statement. The Charlotte County solar facility would be built in conjunction
with the planned Babcock Ranch development. The DeSoto County facility likely would be built near an existing FPL solar plant, while the Manatee County facility likely would be on the site of an existing FPL natural-gas power plant.
Lawmakers would turn off cell phones for young drivers
A Senate Republican in January proposed barring drivers under age 18 from using cell phones or other telecommunications devices while behind the wheel. The bill (SB 460), filed by Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, is similar to a measure (HB 191) filed earlier in the month by Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton. The bills would apply to young drivers with cell phones, computers or other types of devices that can be
used for such things as playing games or music. The bills would include exceptions for situations such as when young drivers are stopped with the engine off. Also, Flores’ version would include an exception when the drivers use mobile devices for navigational purposes. Violations would be considered non-moving offenses.
Drunken boating could go on driving records
A House Republican filed a proposal that would lead to “boating under the influence” convictions being added to people’s driving records. The proposal (HB 289), filed by Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, would require that drunken-boating convictions be reported to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and recorded in the same way as convictions
for driving under the influence. The proposal will be considered during the legislative session that starts in March.
Georgia and Louisiana winning
Senate Commerce and Tourism Chairwoman Nancy Detert plans to continue trying to bolster Florida’s film and television incentives program as a legislative report indicates the industry is in decline because of competition from Georgia and Louisiana. Just don’t expect Florida to offer more money than its rival states, the Venice Republican said. Detert said she is revamping an incentives proposal that failed to pass during the 2014 legislative session. “Everybody who has a vested interest will be telling me their great idea, and I have my own great idea, and we’ll see who wins,” Detert said.
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Association Matters, Legally Speaking
By Vanda Y. Bayliss, Esq
|Amending the Governing Documents, Part II Last month we discussed why it might be appropriate to completely rewrite the governing documents for an older condominium or subdivision and how to begin the process. As noted, one of the key considerations is the cost. The Association may need to wait to undertake the project until it can be included in the annual budget. Meanwhile, a committee could still be appointed to review the governing documents and note what changes it believes are necessary or desirable. If there are provisions which have not been enforced for years, or provisions which have not had the intended result, now would be the time to consider eliminating, strengthening, or clarifying them. Once the amendment committee has highlighted the provisions it thinks should be amended it would be appropriate to discuss the breadth of the
project and the potential cost with the association’s attorney. Generally, to remove most references to the developer and bring the entire document up to date with current law, a complete restatement is necessary for older developments. The older the documents, the more likely the relevant statutes may override them. (For example, there are laws regarding xeriscaping and religious symbols that may supercede what is set forth in the declaration.) However, if a complete rewrite is not possible because of lack of finances or member support, the existing documents, as modified by the current law, will suffice. A few key amendments might address the most pressing problems instead. If the association does not already have an attorney willing to undertake a large scale amendment project, then it might consider consulting a couple
of attorneys before making a decision with whom to proceed. The association or committee could use the internet to locate attorneys who hold themselves out as representing associations, ask their property manager, or even consult with neighboring associations. An attorney who has represented numerous associations will be more likely to know which provisions of the governing documents cause the most problems and the best way to address various issues. At the initial meeting it would be reasonable to ask the attorney what experience he or she has representing associations in general and in amending and restating documents in particular; whether the attorney would be doing the writing him or herself and, if not, whether the attorney would oversee it; how long the project would likely take; and, what fees or costs will be
involved. Fees may be calculated on an hourly basis, a flat fee, or a combination of the two. It is important to pin down exactly what is included in a flat fee or in any hourly fee estimate. For instance, an attorney may offer an attractive flat fee but it may only include a standard “boiler plate” version of a declaration. Modifications to better address your unique needs may not be included in the flat fee. You will want to know whether the fee includes meetings with the committee, multiple revisions, attendance at a town hall meeting to explain the proposed amendments to the membership, preparation of proxies for voting, etc. Of course, you will also need to clarify whether the fees for amending the bylaws and articles of incorporation are included. Remember that the attorney has limitations. He or she will not necessarily know the issues that
have confronted your association over the years. This would be the time to address those issues, if possible. The better prepared the committee is with its list of issues that need addressing, the more likely the finished product will serve the needs of the association for years to come.
Email vandabayliss@gmail.com with any questions.
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Vanessa